Come on Betty! You're such a tease!

I'll never forget the day my husband and I came across the Gluten Free Asian Fried Rice Chicken Helper by Hamburger Helper. We were making homemade sushi and egg drop soup and my husband decided he wanted pork fried rice as well. I sighed knowing I had no desire, not to mention no day old rice, to make the homemade version and that meant he would probably stop at the Chinese place on the way home to pick some up. But instead a lightbulb lit up over his head, he grabbed my hand and led me to the Hamburger Helper aisle in the grocery store. He grabbed the Gluten Free Chicken Helper and said, "We'll make this!" Still bummed that I wouldn't be eating fried rice, he made me look a bit closer at the box. "It's gluten-free!" I squealed (yes, squealed). He was soooooo excited. Finally a quick and easy, and quite nostalgic, meal he could make AND share with me. For a couple that eats little processed food and cooks every meal, this was AWESOME.

Fast forward to today. I come home from my women's business group and discover that my husband is making the GF Asian Helper for dinner (he stocked up at the last buy-one-get-one-free sale at Harris Teeter). We're sitting on the sofa watching Monday Night Football and enjoying our delicious Helper when I mention that Hamburger Helper makes three gluten free flavors, though I don't know what they are. "Google them," he says. So I do. And what do I find?! Three blog posts about how those very same three flavors (Beef Fried Rice, Chicken Fried Rice and Cheesy Hashbrowns) will NO LONGER BE GLUTEN FREE!! What?!! This can't be true. This product was only introduced to the market a year ago, how could they be pulling it already? I delved into the blog posts, comments and reviews. The gluten free community seemed to like the product while the wheat-eaters did not. They complained about hard/mushy rice and the smell.  Let me tell you wheat-eaters something just to get it off my chest. Rice does NOT contain gluten. You simply cooked it incorrectly. My husband (a wheat-eater)  makes both regular and gluten free Hamburger Helper products for himself and it comes out perfectly every time. As for the smell, it did not disagree with us. But alas, this is not why they are pulling the GF versions off the shelves. In fact, they are not changing the ingredients or recipes at all. General Mills is changing the manufacturing plants where Helper is made and can no longer guarantee that there won't be any cross contamination. This does not make sense to me. Granted, I am not a multi-million dollar corporation owner, but why would a company who's made such a huge impact in the gluten-free community switch manufacturers when it requires them to pull back some of their amazing and popular products? I mean, their reason for creating gluten-free products goes all the way to the top! What's next, the Gluten Free Bisquick? Betty Crocker's delicious, tastes like the real thing brownies? I can only help that Betty will find a way to bring back the GF Helpers soon.

I've been gluten free for over 8 years now and things have progressed so much. I can eat bread and cupcakes and pasta at restaurants. I can buy chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and soft pretzels. I can eat Chex and Rice Krispies and oatmeal. And once upon a time I could buy Gluten-free Hamburger Helper.....


Until Better News,

Eat (not Hamburger Helper), Drink and Be Gluten Free

P.S. At the time of this post there were still Gluten Free Helpers on the shelves of my local grocery stores. The boxes may be mixed as they make the transition so make sure to READ LABELS if you try to stock up before it's gone.

More blog posts about the Helper change:

Gluten Free Frenzy

Gluten Free Homemaker

Gluten Free Works

Even the Good Get Glutened

Last night I had a little celebration to go to for my trainer and friend Maleia Tumulo of Urban Fitness who is off to compete in the Xterra Nationals in Utah!! I knew it would be a fairly large group of people at dinner, so I called the restaurant (k38 Baja Grill) ahead of time to discuss my needs. When I got to the restaurant, I comfortably ordered the grilled veggie fajitas with corn tortillas and began to nibble on some chips and salsa. Actually, quite a few chips and salsa. It had taken the restaurant 45 minutes to seat us even though the girl organizing the dinner had called ahead to give them a head count! After I'd eaten two fajitas I started to dig in to the vegetables sans accoutrements when I suddenly had an alarming bite of food. I tasted....SOY SAUCE. I said it out loud and several of the girls at my table dug into their veggies and exclaimed, "Soy sauce? At a Mexican restaurant?". My lovely dinner and mood were instantly killed and replaced with the dread of wondering how badly this mistake was going to make me feel this week. Stomach ache? Sinus Pain? Breakouts? Brain fog? Huge puffy eyes? When I asked my waitress if there was soy sauce in the vegetables she said yes and that she was sorry. "I guess you don't want a box for those then?" she asked. Uh, no. I sat there shocked and stressed for a moment when my friend asked why I was being so nice about it and insisted I ask for the manager, especially since I had called ahead. (So much for calling ahead in order to NOT make a scene and be a pain in the butt.)

Although the manager did his best to rectify the situation, (he seemed to be the only one seriously knowledgeable about the menu) the damage was already done. He offered to take care of my meal and send me home with another order of veggie fajitas sans gluten and disappeared into the kitchen....BUT NOT BEFORE TELLING ME THAT THE CHIPS WERE NOT GLUTEN FREE EITHER!! (Seriously? I practically ate half a basket! Did that employee I'd talked to before dinner not know anything?!) Apparently they are made with both corn and WHEAT flour. I think my husband put it best when he said, " Who makes wheat corn chips?"

The manager returned with my takeout, continued to reiterate how sorry he was, and told me next time (I can't even eat the chips and salsa, why would there be a next time?) to ask for him immediately in order to avoid confusion. He seemed genuine, but everyone at the table was upset that he seemed to be making it out to be my fault.

Lesson learned? I broke a cardinal rule in allergy friendly dining in order to not stand out at my table of friends (who were not only understanding but supportive AND insisted I say something). Even though I had called ahead I should've checked again. Always check, double check and check again with the waitress, chef, manager, (whoever) and make sure they understand and know what they are talking about. If you are still uncomfortable, leave (or if you're with your friends for a special occasion, order a cocktail and eat later....just don't drink too much on an empty stomach ;)

Until next time my gluten free friends.....

Eat, Drink and Be Gluten Free

Allergy Free Gourmet Bakes

Shabtai Gourmet is a Gluten Free Bakery line specializing in Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Lactose Free, Casein Free, Soy Free and Peanut Free Cakes and Cookies. YES!! FREE OF ALL THOSE THINGS!!  So if you're a skeptic like me you're thinking "how in the world could this stuff be good, when it has nothing in it?". Oh but it is my friends, it is. My first experience with Shabtai Gourmet products was at my Gluten-Free Friends group where I tried the Black & White cookie, a cookie so good it won top honors in my Who Stole the Gluten-Free Cookie from the Cookie Jar review. But there were still so many other delicious snacks to try and when my shipment came I thought, how in the world am I going to be able to eat all this. I must admit, it took some time (I haven't updated my blog since February!), sharing and dinner parties to get through the five different items I had stuffed in my freezer (much to my husband's dismay). Hopefully it was worth the wait.



First up the Raspberry Roll. When I first looked at it I thought, this is not something I would like the regular glutenous version of... but looks are deceiving. I served it to guests after dinner WITHOUT telling them that it was gluten free. My one friend, a man with an unbelievably big sweet tooth who mercilessly teases me about my gluten free-ness, devoured it in seconds exclaiming how delicious the combination of yellow cake, raspberry jam and coconut was. "Did you make this?" he asked with raised eyebrows. "Of course.....not. I don't bake, don't be ridiculous." I replied. When I told him it was gluten-free he demanded to see the box and when I showed it to him, he was shocked.  So I tried a slice and it was crazy good! I couldn't believe I liked it. But what did your mama always teach you? Never judge a book by it's cover.

Next up were the Ring Tings. A completely decadent version of the classic Ding Dong and equally delicious. My husband looked at it precariously when I first served it to him, then asked me every night afterwards if I'd thawed some out for dessert. They disappeared quickly as did their swiss roll, think Little Debbie, counterparts and mostly by his hand (much to MY dismay).

Then I tried the chocolate chip cookies. I hate to be a downer, but these definitely were not my favorite gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate chip cookies. There was far too much spice to them with an overwhelming cinnamon flavor, teeny tiny chocolate chips and a texture that just didn't do it for me.

But have no fear for I have saved the best for last:  The Florentine Lace Cookies. I CANNOT believe someone actually makes a gluten-free dairy-free version of this wonderful cookie and was just beside myself to once again eat them. They were AMAZING and hard to put down (remember gluten-free dairy-free does NOT mean calorie free my friends).
Again there was a little more cinnamon then I'd actually prefer but overall
a dang good cookie.

I, and I'm sure you, am so grateful for a company like this that creates delicious allergen free products. Check them out in the freezer section of your local health food store or co-op.





Until Next Time,

Eat Shabtai Gourmet, Drink and Be Gluten-Free


Disclosure: Although Shabtai Gourmet provided these treats at no cost to me, this product review was posted at my discretion and without bias. This review reflects my honest opinion.

Pizza, Pizza!

Some friends had invited us over for dinner one Friday night and we were really looking forward to it. They asked if we could bring a salad and some wine. But as we pulled up to their house at 6:00 on the dot we noticed something strange.... a Domino's Pizza car was pulling out of the drive way. "Oh no," my husband said, "Now don't get upset". But I was upset, my friends know I'm gluten-free. There must be some kind of explanation. "Maybe that's why they asked you to bring a salad," he smirked. "Ha ha," I retorted. We entered cautiously, me with an exaggerated smile plastered on my face, and immediately my friend said "Look what we got you!!". It was a beautiful and delicious looking gluten-free pizza from Mellow Mushroom. Guess we shouldn't have been so quick to judge.

If you live in the Wilmington, NC area you are no doubt super excited, ecstatic and just plain beside yourself now that there are TWO, I repeat TWO,  pizza parlors in our tiny little town that serve gluten-free pizza.  But how do they taste?  Well, my first experience with take out gluten-free pizza was indeed Mellow Mushroom and it was DElicous. My friend had ordered a white pizza with grilled chicken and sun dried tomatoes. The gluten-free crust reminded me of a rich whole wheat crust that I used to order from a gourmet pizza place in Vegas and I loved it! I felt like I was eating a real pizza.


My second experience with a gluten-free take-out pizza was at Incredible Pizza at 1952 Eastwood Road. I specify the location because we seem to have a million Incredible Pizza's here, only two of which are actually related to each other. Incredible not only offers a gluten-free pizza but also has dairy-free options. But BEWARE: the dairy-free cheese there is not good. I could barely get past the look of it, much less the smell, but I did it for you guys.  And even after disguising it with oregano and some red pepper flakes it was still tough to get down. All you dairy-free-ers out there, you just remember I took one for the team when I put that pizza in my mouth.  As for the gluten-free crust, this version tastes more like the real thing. In fact this thinner, crisper version (unlike the softer, whole wheaty flavor of Mellow Mushroom's crust) is quite good. At this time the gluten-free pizza is offered in a personal size only.  Another cool thing about Incredible is that all their pizzas are available to take and bake.



Now if you live elsewhere, there a quite a few Pizza chains jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon including Godfather's Pizza (one of my favorite's in Vegas) and Uno Chicago Grill. Check out this review on Godfather's gluten-free pizza. There is also a fabulous gluten-free pizza available at Jules Thin Crust Pizza in Doylestown,  PA.  For a list of gluten-free pizza restaurants around the nation check out this page for more information, it was really helpful to me when I was visiting the flam in Jersey.

Until next time,

Eat Pizza, Drink and Be Gluten-Free

A Gluten-Free Holiday Party

I belong and am on the board of a  women's business group called the Azalea Coast Executive Network. Usually we meet once a month at Bluewater Grill. The menus are set and we have a choice of three items to order from. Although Bluewater does not have a gluten-free menu, the events coordinator was more than happy to sit down with me put together a few gluten-free options for the gluten-free gals in the group and boy are they tasty. (I hope to put together an entire gf menu for them but so far they don't seem too interested.)

For our holiday party, however, we wanted to do something new and special. The Vice President of the group was thoughtful in her planning and chose Carrabba's, a restaurant with a gluten-free menu. Now, I've never been a huge fan of Carrabba's, mostly because they're gluten-free options require ordering everything without seasoning, grill bastes, pastas and dressings (they do have gf dressings, but most are not dairy free). I find that ordering things sans gluten is not quite as exciting as ordering a regular dish that has been made gf with a brown rice pasta or gf marinade, but alas I did not complain. It didn't help that the last time I was there, the staff had no idea what I was talking about when I asked for a gluten-free menu. It also didn't help that when I'd finally decided on a very bland looking entree and a gluten-free beer they didn't have either available. Seriously?  But back to the night of the party......

I ordered the grilled salmon (no grill baste) with the sauteed spinach. It.....was....amazing. The fish was grilled to perfection, not something you can usually say when dining out at a chain restaurant. And the service was superior. Both of my young (and easy on the eyes) waiters were well informed and educated on all things gluten (and dairy) free, one even apologized to me when he brought bread to offer the table (my table mates declined, how sweet). Another thing I liked about the gluten-free menu there was their inclusion of cocktails and desserts. I had a white sangria that was both delicious and potent.

So what are we to learn from all of this? Always give people, places and restaurants a second chance....and the waiters at Carrabba's are adorable.

Until we eat again....

Eat at Carrabba's, Drink at Carrabba's and Be Gluten-Free

Who Stole the Gluten-Free Cookie from the Cookie Jar?

I know. This post has been a long time comin'. But I was doing a review on cookies! And unless I wanted to destroy all the hard work my personal trainer has me do on a weekly basis, I had to take this task slow.  In all honesty, I'm not even that big on cookies. I'd much rather have a brownie, some cheesecake or an ice cream sundae. But, after receiving  a ton of gluten-free cookie samples at my local Gluten-Free Friends meeting and a few packages for my birthday, I decided to delve into it.

Snickerdoodles by Enjoy Life

I can't say I've ever had even a regular snickerdoodle so this one was hard  to judge. Free of the 8 common allergens, this cookies was not only moist, rich and flavorful.....it was amazing. And did I mention free of the 8 common allergens? NO: wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish or shellfish. How'd they even make this cookie?! I don't know if it tasted like a real snickerdoodle or not, but I was impressed.

Coconut -Lemon Macaroons by Liz Lovely

Gluten and dairy free, baked with fair trade organic ingredients, Liz Lovley's coconut-lemon macaroon cookies pack an interesting punch.  They are so rich (they came in a package of two and I couldn't even finish one), coconutty (yes I know that's not a word) and doughy it almost tastes as if they weren't even baked....yet they're strangely addictive and tasty. I can't describe it any better than that. You're just going to have to try them.




Nana's Cookies

Nana's Gluten-Free Cookie Bars and Cookies come in delectable flavors like Berry Vanilla, Nana Banana, Chocolate Munch, Ginger and Lemon. What I do like about Nana's: the variety and goodness of the flavors, they're moist. What I don't like:  they crumble and fall apart like many gluten-free cookies do, they're very cakey like many gluten-free cookies are.






Mary's Gone Crackers Love Cookies

Hard crunchy gluten-free cookies like Chip's Ahoy?! Is it really possible? Mary's Gone Crackers does cookies RIGHT! The chocolate chip cookies could use a few more chocolate chips, but the ginger snaps were soooo super snappy! And the flavor profile of both was excellent.





Purely Elizabeth

Certified Vegan. Free of gluten, dairy and refined sugars. Made with organic, alternative, nutrient rich flours and sweetened with organic coconut palm sugar.  Purely Elizabeth was developed by a holistic nutrition counselor with a love of baked goods. Loaded with health benefits and free of all the bad stuff, Purely Elizabeth is a gluten-free cookie bakers dream. You only have to add three ingredients to the mix!    When I tried the chocolate chip cookies, I had not baked them myself. I could tell the flavor had potential, but all I could taste was baking soda with every crumbly bite. As baking soda is not one of the three ingredients the baker at home has to add, I found myself wondering was it the baker's fault or the mix? With so many healthy ingredients and so little everything else, I think I'll give Purely Elizabeth another try the next time I have a cookie craving. This time I'll bake them myself.


Gluten-free wannabe Oreos

Kinnikinnick K-Toos Chocolate Vanilla Sandwich Cookies - just okay.

Mi-Del Chocolate Sandwich Cookies - almost broke my teeth when I bit into one, they were so hard.

Glutino Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies - delicious and dunks well, the closest I've gotten, but still no Oreo.

Now, the terrible wannabe Oreo cookie that Mi-Del put out really surprised me. Mi-Del's chocolate chip cookie was my very first gluten-free cookie experience and I remember very clearly how surprised I was that 1.) my (at that time) boyfriend's sister had been thoughtful enough to bring gluten-free cookies, and only gluten-free cookies, on our ski trip 2.) they tasted like a real chocolate chip cookie and 3.) they were delicious! In fact, Mi-Del's chocolate chip cookies remain a favorite of mine to this day. I also love their ginger snap cookies, although they're not quite as snappy as Mary's Gone Crackers' version.


So how many of you are craving cookies right now? Hold your horses because I've saved the best for last.  And the runner up is.......

Glenny's Oatmeal Raisin and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - Not only gluten-free, but also dairy free, the oatmeal raisin cookies (not normally my favorite cookie flavor) were to die for. Soft chewy texture and lots of spice, I thought these were better than the glutenous version my mom (sorry Mom) made when I was a kid.  The  AWESOME Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (my all time favorite cookie flavor) were better than Pillsbury (sorry doughboy).



And finally, the hands down winner, cookie of all gluten-free cookies, a cookie that I don't even normally like in it's regular form....drum roll please.......

Shabatai Gourmet's Black & White Cookie - Produced in a gluten-free bakery that specializes in gluten-free, lactose free, soy free, cassein free, peanut and dairy free cookies and cakes, these phenomenal Black & White Cookies take the Cookie (get it? instead of take the cake?....nevermind) I don't know how to describe them other than perfectly amazing. I couldn't stop eating them. This company also makes a Florentine Lace Cookie (I love lace cookies!) but I have not gotten to try them yet. I will be ordering them promptly.

Hope this helps your sweet tooth the next time you're in the mood for a cookie, which is probably now considering all the tastiness I've just told you about.  Until next time.....

Eat (and dunk) cookies, Drink your (soy, almond, rice, etc.) milk and Be Gluten-Free

Hittin' the bars of Bora Bora

I must say I feel a bit guilty. Right now you're thinking "Wow! There are gluten-free bars in Bora Bora?!" Well no. Or rather I don't know, I've never been. What I have experienced are the Bora Bora fruit and nut bars and as usual I am addicted. The gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO, no refined sugar, vegan, kosher and organic nutrition bars are divided into three categories: antioxidant, superfood and energy. May I recommend the Exotic Coconut Almond, Wild Pomegranate Pecan, and Paradise Walnut Pistachio as the first of ten flavors to try? I first tried one that I found at a boat dealership in New Jersey. Seriously. A gluten-free organic nutrition bar being sold at a boat dealership. How cool is that? Imagine how excited I was to find them at the Harris Teeter when I got home!  WooHoo! However, the Harris Teeter is missing some important flavors (Volcanic Chocolate Banana and Tiki Blueberry Flax for starters) and I'm going to have to talk them into getting them.

Being gluten-free can be hard when you're on the road, running errands or out and about late night. Nutrition, protein and snack bars make great car, and even bar (the go hang out and have a few cocktails kind) food and I like to have them on hand always.  Larabar is another favorite of mine. With umpteen flavors, it's hard to get sick of them and they always offer a healthy, raw, gluten and dairy free snack.  May I recommend Coconut Cream Pie (seems like I push a lot of coconut things on you guys doesn't it?), Cashew Cookie, Peanut Butter Cookie, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (unbelievable how much it tastes like it), Peanut Butter and Jelly (who needs a sandwich with all those extra carbs?) and Key Lime Pie. I encourage you NOT to get Tropical Tart (recently tried and the only flavor I would never buy again). I desperately want to try Carrot Cake but I haven't seen it at the store recently.

Natural, healthy, organic, kosher and gluten-free Pure bars are a more recent discovery for me. The Wild Blueberry is reminiscent of a blueberry Pop Tart and I LOVED blueberry Pop Tarts. I cannot get enough of this delicious, though a bit pricier, bar and I must admit......I haven't tried any of their other flavors because I'm pretty sure it will not compare. Blueberry is my all time favorite fruit and Pure bar nailed it on the head.

A newer addition to the Shaklee catalog this year is the gluten-free, dairy-free Chewy Apple Cinnamon Fiber bar. With a whopping 8 grams of fiber, at only 120 calories and 1.5 grams of fiber, this bar packs a filling punch.  And let's face it, we're all lacking in the fiber intake department.  Order from a local Shaklee distributor, online or if you're in the Wilmington, NC area through KB Organic Skin Care (a shameless plug for my other business I know, but why not?)

Bars. Leave 'em in your car, pack 'em in your purse, or stick 'em in your desk at work and save yourself the stress of the drive-through, the convenience store or the temptation of the late night pizza joint after a night of inhibition reducing drinking. You'll be happy you did.



Until we eat again,

Eat bars, Drink and Be Gluten-Free