Okay, seriously, I can’t take conflicting information. Why? Because then I have to make my own decision. I have to weigh options – risks and benefits. It really stresses me out. I heard a blip on the news today that said something along the lines of calcium supplements raising the risk of heart attack. WHAT?!? Excuse me, but wasn’t calcium supposed to be good for you? I knew that I had to find out more about this and fairly quickly, as I have recently begun taking calcium supplements to help strengthen my bones.

I googled (yes, I know, not always the best option, but I will only trust reputable sites) and found this article on Fox News and this one on ABC News. I want to add that when I say “trust”, I mean put more faith in than another less reputable site or one I have not heard of.

The Fox News site says that the risk is increased by 30 percent in those that took calcium supplements. In a study of 12,000 elderly patients over 4 years, half took calcium and half took a placebo. The study showed a 30% increase in heart attacks in the patients who took the calcium. This article made no mention of vitamin D being taken along with the calcium supplements, but advised patients to consult their doctors and to try go get calcium in their diets naturally instead of via supplement.

The ABC News site gave me a little reassurance that I should, indeed, continue to take my calcium supplements. The article says the studies of those with or at increased risk for osteoporosis (read: older women) who took calcium supplements were at an increased risk for heart attack. It goes on to say that since calcium supplements are widely used, the increase may not be a result of the calcium supplements, but other factors. There was no link found in those who took vitamin D along with the calcium.

Hmmmmm….. Osteoporosis runs in my family. My grandmother has it (mom’s mom) and my mom & sister both have osteopenia (sis is 35). Having Celiac Disease, family history and now the stress fracture puts me at an increased risk. Taking calcium supplements or getting an ample amount in my diet is imperative. Currently I take 1000mg calcium and 4000IU vitamin D/day. I had a DEXA scan in 2006 that was normal. I just had it repeated this week (due to my stress fracture) and it was normal. Phew! I am okay for now, but here is where the complication lies….I don’t drink milk. I am lactose intolerant and while I can tolerate some dairy (ice cream, cheese & yogurt) with Lactaid on occasion, drinking a glass of milk kills me. Even daily consumption of yogurt starts to be too much after a few days. I do drink almond milk on occasion (I use it in my coffee daily) and it has calcium and vitamin D in it. I don’t see myself drinking enough of that to get my RDA, though. I did some more googling and found this information from Health Diaries.com:

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to drink your milk in order to get your calcium.

The government recommendation for adults ages 19-50 is 1000 mg of calcium per day. One cup of milk has 296 mg, but there are plenty of reasons you might not to drink milk, from personal preference to medical reasons.

Here are 15 foods high in calcium that don’t come from a cow:

Sesame Seeds (can’t eat these – might as well eat gluten)
A quarter cup of sesame seeds has 351 mg calcium.

Spinach
A cup of boiled spinach has 245 mg.

Collard Greens
A cup of boiled collard greens has 266 mg.

Blackstrap Molasses
One tablespoon has about 137 mg.

Kelp
One cup of raw kelp has 136 mg.

Tahini (again, sesame seeds, off limits)
Two tablespoons of raw tahini (sesame seed butter) have 126 mg.

Broccoli
Two cups of boiled broccoli have 124 mg.

Swiss Chard
One cup of boiled chard has 102 mg.

Kale
One cup of boiled kale has 94 mg.

Brazil Nuts
Two ounces of Brazil nuts (12 nuts) have 90 mg.

Celery
Two cups of raw celery have 81 mg.

Almonds
One ounce of almonds (23 nuts) has 75 mg.

Papaya (Ick – have you tasted papaya?)
One medium papaya has 73 mg.

Flax Seeds
Two tablespoons of flax seeds have 52 mg.

Oranges
One medium orange has 52 mg.

Looks like I will be making smoothies out of molasses, kale & flax seeds from here on out. 😉 Seriously, I am going to keep track my intake for a few days and see how much I get without trying to add any extra. Then I can see where my diet may need some adjustment. I know of one staple I eat daily that has calcium – almond butter! If choosing a nut butter, almond has more than peanut. Twist my arm, I could use as many reasons as possible to eat more almond butter. Now, if only red wine was as good of a source of calcium as it is antioxidants.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the new Gluten-free Bisquick arrive on my front porch the other day. Live Gluten Freely sent me out the sample to review (I received this item as a complimentary sample). There are many recipes on the box and the Live Gluten Freely/Bisquick website, but I had scones on the brain. Not only did I have scones on the brain, but I had blueberries in my fridge that I needed to use before they went bad. At least my pants weren’t on the ground. 😉 (If you didn’t watch American Idol this year, you have no clue what that meant and I apologize. Now on with our scheduled programming.)

Gluten-free Bisquick is slightly different from “normal” Bisquick. There is a FAQ page to help with any questions or issues you may be having. There is no shortening in the Gluten-Free Bisquick, as there is in the “normal” Bisquick. Heidi, from Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom, took matters into her own hands and made her own GF Bisquick using the store bought Gluten-Free Bisquick and then adding shortening and storing that way. Now she can use her GF Bisquick mix cup for cup in all of her old favorite recipes. The ingredients for the Gluten-Free Bisquick are:

Rice Flour, Sugar, Leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), Modified Potato Starch, Salt, Xanthan Gum

Want to find Gluten-Free Bisquick near you? Click here to see the closest store.

Now, the good stuff. Blueberry Scones. I had never had a scone until last fall when I made pumpkin raisin scones and I was quickly addicted. Of course it didn’t hurt that one of my favorite ingredients was one of the star ingredients – pumpkin. 🙂 Blueberries are right up there, too, so I was on the hunt for a good recipe. I happened upon this recipe from Stonyfield and modified it to fit my needs.

Gluten-free Blueberry Scones

2 cups of Gluten-Free Bisquick

1 1/4 cups of Greek plain yogurt (I used Yoplait)

1 cup blueberries (recipe recommends frozen, but I used fresh; they get a little squished, but they are still yummy)

Glaze:

3 TBSP butter, melted

2 TBSP Sugar in the Raw

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Check to make sure the oven is at proper temperature before baking the scones.

2. Measure out GF Bisquick into a large bowl. Add yogurt and blueberries.

3. Mix with a fork. Dough will be sticky, but should turn coarse.

4. Lightly flour a cutting board with a little GF Bisquick; turn dough onto the board and lightly knead 5 – 6 times.

5. Form the dough into a circle about 10 inches around.

6. For glaze – spread butter over the top & sides and sprinkle sugar on top. (I didn’t use the butter, I just sprinkled the sugar on & patted down)

7. Cut circle into 12 wedges and place on a non-stick cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Leave about an inch in between pieces.

8. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden. Do not over bake.

So, the verdict? These rocked!!! WOW!!! The texture is perfect! These have virtually no fat, unless you add the butter on top, and still have less than 4g/fat per scone then. If you notice, I did not add any sugar to this recipe. The Stonyfield recipe does call for a 1/4 cup of sugar, but since the GF Bisquick contains sugar, I did not feel the need to add it. However, if you like a sweeter scone, you may want to consider adding that 1/4 cup of sugar in. Also, I halved the recipe so that I would have some GF Bisquick left to make something else with.

I can’t wait to make pancakes, waffles or biscuits with the rest of my Bisquick! Have you tried the new Gluten-Free Bisquick?

Editing to add that if you click here, you can enter for a chance to win a free box of Gluten-Free Bisquick!

I had the pleasure of partnering with Boar’s Head for this awesome challenge/giveaway. I received some *complimentary* samples of Boar’s Head lower sodium meat & cheese to create some gluten-free recipes. Boar’s Head recently held a “Boar’s Head Five Borough Sandwich Battle” where voting took place for the favorite sandwich creation. While these recipes weren’t gluten-free as written, they could easily be modified to be gluten-free All of Boar’s Head’s meats, cheeses & condiments are gluten-free, which makes it even easier!

Here are the recipes:

STATEN ISLAND FERRY
(Lower Sodium Ham and Swiss)

” 4 oz Boar’s Head 42% Lower Sodium Branded Deluxe Ham, Sliced
” 1 oz Boar’s Head Low Sodium Imported Gold Label Swiss, Sliced
” 2 oz Leaf Lettuce
” 1 oz Onion, Sliced Thinly
” 1 oz Roasted Red Peppers
” 1 oz Boar’s Head Delicatessen Style Mustard
” 1 Kaiser Roll

THE PARK AVENUE
(Heart Healthy Ham and Turkey)

” 2 oz Boar’s Head 42% Lower Sodium Branded Deluxe Ham, Sliced
” 2 oz Boar’s Head Premium 47% Lower Sodium Turkey Breast, Sliced
” 1oz Boar’s Head Lacey Swiss Cheese, Sliced
” 1 oz Cucumber, Sliced Thinly
” 1 oz Leaf Lettuce
” 1 oz Boar’s Head Honey Mustard
” 2 Slices Seven Grain Bread

THE BRONX BOMBER
(Deluxe Roast Beef with Lacey Swiss Sub)

” 4 oz Boar’s Head Low Sodium Deluxe Oven Roasted Beef, Sliced Thinly
” 1 oz sliced Boar’s Head 42% Lower Sodium Provolone
” 1 oz Leaf Lettuce
” 1 oz Red Onion, Sliced Thinly
” 1 oz Boar’s Head Pub Style Horseradish Sauce
” 1 Ciabatta Roll (Sliced in Half)

THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE
(Lower Sodium Turkey and Provolone)

” 4 oz Boar’s Head Premium 47% Lower Sodium Turkey Breast, Sliced
” 1 oz Boar’s Head 42% Lower Sodium Provolone, Sliced
” 1 oz Leaf Lettuce
” 2 oz Tomato, Sliced
” 1 oz Boar’s Head Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Mayonnaise
” 2 Slices of Wheat Bread

THE AIRPORT SPECIAL
(Golden Classic Chicken Breast Sandwich)

” 4 oz Boar’s Head Golden Classic™ 47% Lower Sodium Chicken Breast, Sliced
” 1 oz Boar’s Head Lacey Swiss Low Sodium, Sliced
” 1 oz Leaf Lettuce
” 2 oz Tomato, Sliced
” 1 oz Roasted Red Peppers
” 1 oz Boar’s Head Pepperhouse Gourmaise™
” 1 6″ French Bread Roll

I made several different sandwich creations with my Boar’s Head samples. I made a variation of “The Airport Special” using an Udi’s gluten-free bagel as the bread and using spicy brown mustard in place of the Pepperhouse Gourmaise. I also made a wrap that contained Lower Sodium Turkey Breast, cheddar cheese, mixed greens, green pepper and Boar’s Head Delicatessen Style Mustard.

**Wrap is Food for Life Brown Rice Tortillas

After browsing around the recipes on the Boar’s Head site, I could not pass this next sandwich up. I used Food for Life’s gluten-free English Muffins, cream cheese, dried apricots, sliced almonds and Lower Sodium Turkey Breast.

***Yes, those are Snyder’s gluten-free pretzel sticks and they are to-die-for!

I think this sandwich may be a new favorite!! I love dried apricots and this adds just the right amount of sweetness, though a thin layer of apricot fruit spread may be the perfect addition! 😉

Now, what is in this for you guys….hang in there and keep reading, I promise there is fun stuff at the end. 😉

Did you know that Americans eat almost twice the recommended limit of salt each day? In fact, only 11 percent of the sodium in Americans’ diet comes from our own salt shakers and nearly eighty percent of our sodium intake comes from the sodium that is added to foods before they are sold!

We may know that diets high in salt increase blood pressure, which is a factor in heart attack and stroke, the nation’s leading causes of preventable death, but what are we doing about it?

The National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI) is a New York City-led partnership of 18 companies that have committed to voluntarily reduce sodium levels in their products. Boar’s Head is the first deli company to be involved in this initiative and is the only deli company to be on target for National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI) 2012 Standards.

Now, Boar’s Head wants YOU to get involved by taking part in the Boar’s Head Lower Sodium Challenge!

Boar’s Head is offering one lucky reader a Shake It Up Kit to encourage you to get excited about lower sodium options and to get you to take an extra minute to think about your daily sodium intake. The kit includes a $25 Boar’s Head Gift Card, a Boar’s Head condiment kit, and a Launch Your Assault on Salt guide.

Here is how to enter (choose 1 or all):

1. Find the item with the highest level of sodium in your pantry and brainstorm a lower sodium replacement. Leave a comment sharing your thoughts here.

2. Follow me and Boar’s Head on Twitter. Leave a comment.

3. Follow Gluten-free is Life and Boar’s Head on Facebook. Leave a comment.

4. Tweet or blog about this contest and make sure to include @kbouldin and @Boars_Head in your tweet. Leave a comment.

Good luck!! Contest ends Sunday, August 1, 2010 at midnight! One lucky winner will be chosen Monday morning.

Hey guys! Hope you all had a good week last week. Some fun things are coming up here in the next week – I will have a post up tomorrow with the details! We have been spending a lot of time indoors – it is just too hot. Things are supposed to cool down some this week. The kids go back to school in one month. I need to start gathering supplies, having them try their clothes on, etc. Fun times!

This week’s menu:

Sunday – Leftovers – I had a gluten-free convenience meal that I am reviewing several of – watch for the review, it was good!

Monday -Fajitas/tacos, refried beans & salad

Tuesday – BBQ chicken breast, volcano rice, green beans & salad

Wednesday- Burgers (veggie burgers), cheesy chili potatoes, zucchini & salad

Thursday-Roasted veggie (chicken) stir fry using a teriyaki sauce over rice, broccoli & salad

Friday – Pizza bagels (Udi’s – my fav) and salad

Saturday-leftovers or out

Baked Goods

Blueberry scones

bread

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Week in review:

Debole’s recalls gluten-free pasta

Raisin Rack is carrying Rudi’s gluten-free bread

Great Harvest Bread in Columbus/Upper Arlington is carrying gluten-free bread

Take advantage of P.F. Chang’s free lettuce wraps for another 6 days!

I reviewed Lotus Foods exotic rice

I made caprese turkey burgers

Don’t forget you can keep up with me on Twitter or Facebook, too! 🙂 Have something in mind you would like to see here on Gluten-free is Life? Leave a comment and I’ll see what I can do!

Good morning to you all!! It is hot and humid here – like too hot to go to the pool hot. Ick!! I am glad that I have plans that require me to be inside. Here is the news you are all waiting for – the winner of the Zensah & Jay Robb giveaway! Here we go…….the winner is…….

Andrea (Off Her Cork)
July 20th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Already following you and Zensha, just added Jay Robb.

Congrats ANDREA!!!! Shoot me an email so I can get some information from you.

Thank you to everyone who entered!! If you didn’t win this on, don’t fret, there will be several more giveaways over the next month! How exciting is that?

Hannah was playing around with my camera yesterday and took a picture of me while I was feeding the little boy that I watch. She asked if I was going to post the picture on my blog. Initially I was thinking that there was no way b/c I had no make up on. Then, I reconsidered. I thought that this would make a good post for showing that make up is not always necessary, especially when hanging out at home.

So, there you have it – no make up and hair was left to air dry. 🙂 This is for Hannah. 🙂

Anyone care to join me and share how you are “Keeping it Real”?

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There was an article that I read yesterday that really ruffled my feathers. The article, “New Ways to Just Say No to Dessert” was on the Reader’s Digest website. The author suggests using Celiac Disease, among other ailments, as an excuse for passing up dessert. I was appalled, to say the least. Having Celiac Disease and following the gluten-free diet is not to be taken lightly. Celiac Disease awareness is growing day to day, but using it as an excuse to avoid dessert for fear of offending the host/hostess is not only careless, but is an insult to those that have to follow the diet. Not to mention how confusing it could be. What if the main course of the meal consisted of pasta or bread? Then the host/hostess is thinking that pasta, bread or whatever was served is gluten-free, but dessert is not. GRRR!!! I have a suggestion – how about putting on your big girl panties or manning up and simply saying “No, thank you” or “Thanks, but I am too full to even consider eating that fabulous looking dessert” or even “Thank you, but I am trying to watch what I eat these days”. Rant over.

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So now that I have bared my “naked” face and ranted about RD, I can go on with my day. 🙂 Don’t forget to enter the Jay Robb/Zensah giveaway today! Only 15 hours left!!

Last fall I had the pleasure of reviewing my own combination of cereal made by Custom Choice Cereal. Custom Choice allows gluten-free customers to create their own mix of cereal from 3 different bases and then add up to 11 additional ingredients. Addition choices include, dried fruit, nuts and seeds.

Ever wanted to see behind the scenes of an operation like this? Well, now is your chance! Check out this video for an up close look at where Custom Choice makes their cereal.

It is super simple to order your cereal from Custom Choice.  Just follow the 3 steps – select base, add ingredients and place your order.

Follow Custom Choice on both Facebook and Twitter for current news.

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Don’t forget to enter here for a chance to win some Jay Robb protein powder and Zensah compression sleeves.

Yesterday I was out running a bunch of errands with the kids. One of the most important stops was picking up the book “Total Immersion” by Terry Laughlin. I have been told by several people that this is the book to read for swimming tips. I have been making progress, but things still aren’t seamless by any means. I am hoping that reading this book will be like waving a magic wand above my body.

Next stop up – Raisin Rack. I had some coupons that I was sent for some newer gluten-free foods I was asked to sample. As I was walking into the store with the stroller (for the kids I watch), a woman called out my name. I looked over and didn’t recognize her until she spoke up and said that she recognized me and reads my blog! How cool is that!?! It was so great to meet Michelle. She and I have been emailing back and forth about different gluten-free foods for a while now. She was at Raisin Rack buying some birthday treats for her son – tell him we said “Happy Birthday!” Now I just need the papparazzi following me around & I will be just like a celebrity! Just kidding! Seriously, I am SO not cut out for something like that. I would crawl under a rock! LOL!

Last week I finally picked up some Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds at Whole Paycheck Foods. I am in love with this stuff! Have you tried it? You can read my review here. I have been using it for everything from wraps, to nachos, to rice bowls. I can’t wait to try the Mozzarella Style Shreds next.

I have a couple of new recipes that I am trying out this week that I can’t wait to review & share with you all. In the meantime, make sure to check out my giveaways this week.

Today I am doing a guest post over at Celiacs in the House. Wendy has partnered with Erin of Gluten-Free Fitness, Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free and Jean of GF Doctor to bring you this awesome series. My contribution has to do with overcoming adversity. If you have been a reader for a while, you know that I have had some setbacks recently, but things are starting to look up.

In May I completed my first marathon and the 2 companies that I am partnering with to offer this giveaway today really played a part in helping me through my training. The 2 companies are Jay Robb and Zensah.

Jay Robb protein powders were my first fuel source after my long runs. While I eat after every run, runs longer than 9 miles usually require immediate fuel to help begin the recovery process. Shorter runs & workouts allow me to come home and shower first, but not my long runs. In addition to finding something with the proper amounts of protein, I needed to make sure the product was gluten-free and agreed with my stomach. Even though I have been gluten-free for 4+ years, my stomach is still very sensitive to certain ingredients for unknown reasons. For this reason, I usually stick with whole foods, except in situations like this. There is no way I could take in the amount of nutrients that one of Jay Robb’s shakes has, in whole foods, immediately after a run. I have no appetite and getting the shake in is hard enough. Check out these nutrients:

Serving Size: 30g (1 scoop)
Calories: 110
Total Fat: 0g
Trans Fat: 0g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 150 mg
Potassium: 390mg
Total Carbohydrates: 1g
Dietary Fiber: 0 g
Sugars: 0g
Protein: 25 g

Amino Acid Profile Per Serving (Jay Robb’s Whey Protein)
Isoleucine (Branched Chain Amino Acid) 1678 mg
Leucine (Branched Chain Amino Acid) 2518 mg
Valine (Branched Chain Amino Acid) 1458 mg
Alanine 1214 mg
Arginine 464 mg
Aspartamine 2634 mg
Cysteine 596 mg
Glutamine 4306 mg
Glycine 398 mg
Histidine 443 mg
Lysine 2297 mg
Methionine 530 mg
Phenylalanine 706 mg
Proline 1612 mg
Serine 1259 mg
Threonine 1789 mg
Tryptophan 443 mg
Tyrosine 685 mg

Some additional nutritional information:

Jay Robb’s Whey Protein is made from the finest natural ingredients available and delivers 25 grams of first class protein, 0-fat, 0-cholesterol, 0-sugars, and only 1 gram of carbohydrate per 30 gram serving. Only cold-processed cross-flow microfiltered whey protein isolate is used as the protein source and this material comes from farm-raised, pasture-grazed, grass-fed cows not treated with the synthetic bovine growth hormone rBGH.

 

Whey protein isolate, which is used exclusively in Jay Robb’s Whey Protein, is created by microfiltering liquid whey through a special ceramic membrane to create the highest grade of whey protein possible. This unique process also yields a whey protein isolate that is much higher in protein than a whey protein concentrate and is also rich in immunoglobulins, alpha-lactalbumin, and beta-lactoalbumin and other immune boosting factors.

Unique natural flavors and the herb stevia are used to create a flavoring system that is palate pleasing and has made Jay Robb’s Whey Protein famous across the nation. Their tagline “The Best-Tasting Protein on the Planet” says it all.

Jay Robb’s Whey Protein powder is the ultimate! We have left this product simple and natural, so that you can buy one of the highest quality and BEST-TASTING whey protein powders available anywhere in the world! If you don’t think our Whey Protein to be the absolute best-tasting (natural) whey product ever developed, then we will refund you the price of the product! You’ve got nothing to lose! Mixes in water with a few turns of a spoon, or a quick shake in a shaker bottle. BEWARE of most protein powders on the market! Many of these formulas contain cheaper proteins, as well as tons of SUGAR, and refined carbohydrates in the form of: FRUCTOSE, GLUCOSE, GLUCOSE POLYMERS, MALTODEXTRIN as well as fake sugars chemically developed such as ASPARTAME, SUCRALOSE, ACESULFAME-K, and POLYDEXTROSE just to name a few.

I usually mixed my Jay Robb protein powder with almond milk or Vita-Coco coconut water. Some people complain of protein powders tasting chalky, but these aren’t chalky at all. Â I have tried all 3 – whey, brown rice and egg white. I found that my stomach did not agree with the egg white proteins, but was fine with the whey & brown rice. I am lactose intolerant, but just pop a Lactaid when I use the whey protein. After my protein shakes, I would have time to come home, shower and stretch before sitting down to a real meal/breakfast. Train for a marathon and see how eating becomes like a full-time job.

Next up – Zensah compression leg running sleeves. These sleeves truly are the best thing since sliced gluten-free bread (Udi’s, of course). I don’t know how I could have made it through my training and marathon without them. When I trained & ran my half marathon last fall, I had some calf cramping towards the end of my training and during the race. I always made a habit to stretch, but it wasn’t good enough. I had read about the Zensah sleeves on another running blog, so I decided that they could only help. I purchased a pair and wore them for every run from then on.

Mine are pink, as you can see, but they offer many different colors. It didn’t matter how short the run was, I had the puppies on. I also wore them while traveling in the car for 8+ hours to Atlanta to see my sister. A little more from Zensah:

Athletes can wear Zensah Recovery Products before, during and after exercise, while relaxing, sleeping or traveling. The compression support will soothe the legs while resting, helping the muscles recover faster and eliminating the unwanted pain.

 

For example, the Zensah Calf/Shin Leg Sleeves provides Dual Action Support to both the calf and shin, the two hotspots for pain in the lower leg. The Chevron Ribbing on the sleeve is the exact same taping schematic that athletic trainers use to help prevent shin splints, making the Calf/Shin Sleeve ideal for post-exercise recovery to prevent the onset of painful injuries such as shin splints. The big idea is the uniqueness of our seamless approach makes Zensah products one level above all other compression products in the market.

Compression helps stabilize muscle tissue after a workout, practice or game, keeping the swelling of muscle fibers at a micro and manageable level, allowing the muscles to rebuild themselves. The beauty of compression support is that it lets the athlete wake up the next day feeling fresh instead of feeling aches and pains. This is how athletes get better, faster and stronger.

Now, for the best testament to these sleeves – I wore these for 26.2 miles and put them back on after my race for the rest of the day. When I woke up the day after my marathon, I could barely walk. My feet were killing me, as were my hamstrings & quads, but my calves were fine. I went for a massage of my lower body that same day and the massage therapist said that he had never seen calves in as good of shape as mine were the day after a marathon! Once I told him that I wore the Zensah sleeves, he said it was the smartest thing I could have done. Now, if I could have had the same luck with my foot, I would have been golden. 😉

Jay Robb has put together a wonderful sample package that includes multiple protein powders (8), several protein bars (3-4), a shaker cup, sparkly t-shirt and bag. Zensah is giving away one pair of leg compression sleeves. The winner will be able to choose their size and color of sleeves.

To enter to win this awesome prize package, follow the instructions below. The lucky winner will be chosen first thing Saturday morning. Contest ends Friday (7/23/2010) at midnight (EST).

1. Visit the Zensah & Jay Robb websites. Leave a comment telling me which Zensah product interests you most & which Jay Robb product you would most like to try.

2. Follow Jay Robb, Zensah & me on Twitter (if you Twitter). Leave a comment.

3. Follow Gluten-free is Life on Facebook. Leave a comment.

4. Tweet or blog about this giveaway & leave a comment telling me you did.

Good luck!!! Remember, I will choose the lucky winner on Saturday AM!

Now, for one more extra special treat….Jay Robb is offering my readers a 15% discount on all of their products through August 31, 2010 with the following coupon code:

The dog days of summer. What does that mean anyway? WikiAnswers says it means “You are panting in the summer like a dog.” LOL! This answer from Yahoo! Answers seemed a little more believable “It comes from the sky (astrology) and the ancient Egyptians. But back in the day the Egyptians would celebrate “dog days,” because the rising of the Sun, combined with the Dog Star, announced a very good thing. It was during this time each and every year that the River Nile would flood, reviving all of the surrounding parched land.” What do you think?

The menu this week will include lots of fresh fruits and veggies, as per typical during the summer. I can’t get enough fruit. The kids are getting tired of it, but eat it to get dessert. 😉

Sunday – Rotisserie chicken, steamed green beans & carrots, Bhutanese red rice and salad.

Monday -Mexican pizzas (veggie for me), black beans & corn and salad

Tuesday – Pasta or gnocchi with creamy pumpkin sage sauce, zucchini & salad

Wednesday -BBQ baby back ribs, baked potato, broccoli & salad

Thursday –Indian vegetarian curried fried rice and salad (the fam may revolt when I serve this)

Friday -Homemade pizza, salad & fruit

Saturday -Leftovers

Baked Goods

Craving cookies, so I am sure I will make something

Bread

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Week in Review

If you missed the waffle winners, check here to see if you won!

P.F. Chang’s is offering a coupon for free lettuce wraps!

Larabar introduces new flavors – review.

Molly Woo’s caters to the gluten-free diner.

Review of Snyder’s gluten-free pretzels.

Gluten-free emergency kits.

GIG partners with The Green Polkadot Box.

Canyon Bakehouse hamburger buns are a hit!

Update on Nature’s Own gluten-free bread.

Simple summer recipes.

Shirley of Gluten-Free Easily got my attention with this Chocolate Zucchini Bread!

Check out all of these fancy, fun things that Nancy is doing with Kale Chips at The Sensitive Pantry! I love Kale Chips!

Erin wrote a great article about how to handle being an injured, gluten-free athlete. Excellent read. Unfortunately she and I have both been down that road recently. I believe she is nearly recovered now and I am not far behind. And, while you are at Erin’s place, don’t forget to check out her new ebook, Living a Healthy Gluten-Free Life.

I have a really big giveaway going up Tuesday AM, so make sure to check back. I am so pleased to be able to partner with the 2 companies that have agreed to participate, I can barely contain myself!!