Six Food Intolerance Living

If you're a gluten-intolerant reader, you've no doubt heard of Ginger Lemon Girl.  She's known for her easy, frugal and delicious gluten (and now dairy and soy) free baking.  We became fast friends a year or so ago and have chatted nearly everyday since.  Well, I'm excited to say that yesterday, I was mentioned on her blog! :)

It was also about a year ago that my husband switched offices and told me that not only were a couple of his co-workers also gluten free, but that one was also allergic to nuts and another was vegan.  Of course, my initial reaction was: "Ooooo, what can I make for everyone to enjoy?"  It definitely has to be something baked .... definitely something chocolaty (because really, who can deny chocolate?) and definitely something gluten and nut free that was also vegan.  Enter Ginger Lemon Girls Amazing Everyday Chocolate Cake (scroll down to see it, her also Amazing Everyday Carrot Cake is listed first).  Yum.  So yum in fact that Hubby downs it in a minute without one "This is gluten free, isn't it" word or look.  From the first time I made it, it's been in heavy rotation in our house - with one addition to Carries original recipe - chocolate chips.  How to make a chocolate cake even better?  Add more chocolate - 1/4 cup of Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips to be exact!  I always felt it gave it just that extra bit of decadence. 

So, I knew the recipe I wanted to make for my husbands co-workers, now I just needed to convert it.  It had eggs and I often used almond milk in the recipe.  Second part - easy.  I used Tempt Unsweetened Original Hemp Milk instead of almond milk.  But eggs - how do I replace eggs?  Not being intolerant to eggs nor vegan, I had never tackled the problem.  But with a little research and creative thinking, I figured it out and made an awesome cake.  It's slightly more dense than Carries original Everyday Chocolate Cake but hey, who says that's a bad thing?! ;)  And the best part was that EVERYONE in the office could have some, enjoy it and eat together.  There's nothing more rewarding than having your food bring people together. 

And really, isn't that what all us home cooks are doing?  Bringing our families, extended families and friends together, for one moment in an entire day, together around a table.  Food in which everyone can partake and enjoy.  Hopefully, that's what my version of Carries awesome cake can do. 

To see Carries post and pictures that will have you salivating, please go to her blog.

Just want the recipe already?  Here it is:



Gluten, Dairy, Soy Free and Vegan Chocolate Cake
Created by Carrie Forbes, GingerLemonGirl
Adapted to be vegan by Clara Ogren, Six Food Intolerant Living
Makes: 1 8x8 pan (doubles well for a 9x13 pan) or 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup unsweetened original flavored hemp milk
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup allergen free chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together all the  dry ingredients, except the chocolate chips.  In a medium bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spray an 8x8 cake pan with non-stick cooking spray or grease with grapeseed oil.

Pour batter into greased lined cake pan.

Bake cake for 18-25 minutes. Test the cake for doneness with a toothpick

Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting with your favorite gluten, dairy and soy free, vegan icing.
 
 
Enjoy!  :)

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!  I thought I'd take this opportunity to share some GDSYWP-free Irish recipes!

Cottage Pie from Recipezaar
A Traditional Irish Boiled Dinner (Corned Beef and Cabbage) from Wellsphere.com
Gluten-Free Shamrock Sugar Cookie Recipe from About.com (sub butter with Spectrum spread)
An Irish Stew from Gluten-Free Cookery
Potato Leek Soup from FoodIreland.com (use safe milk and butter and in place of half-and-half use coconut cream, more milk or Mimic Cream!)
Irish Lamb Stew from AllRecipes.com (replace flour with an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend)

A variety of Irish Soda Bread Recipes - a naturally yeast free bread! :):
One from the Gluten Free Goddess, Karina
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Irish Soda Bread, #1 from Living Without
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Irish Soda Bread, #2 from Living Without

And, of course, who could have a Saint Patrick's Days without beer? There are plenty of gluten free options! Add some green food coloring and you're all set!

While the age-old, B.R.A.T (Bananas, Rice, Apples and Toast) diet is popular for gastrointestinal distress, what is one to do when toast isn't an option?  Organic B.R.A.T. Wellness Drink  is made with a base of banana puree, brown rice and applesauce to be easy on stomachs while also providing electrolytes and nutrients.  At around 100 calories for an 8-ounce glass, it is comparable to other dairy-free milks and is safe for to those with any of the top eight food alleriges.

Overall, these beverages have a smooth texture with the consistency of watered-down milk, which is thin enough to help calm upset stomachs or to consume when not feeling well.  It comes in four flavors:

Original - This is similar in flavor to unflavored, original rice milk with just a hint of banana.

Vanilla - Slightly sweeter than the orignal flavor, this flavor had only a slight vanilla flavor but had a strong vanilla smell.

Cinnamon Toast - Although this had intense cinnamon toast scent, it wasn't overly "spiced" providing a light cinnamon flavor.  I imagine this flavor would be great cooked into baked goods like muffins or cakes.  This was my husbands favorite flavor.

Chocolate Honey - This was my favorite flavor despite my dislike of the flavor of honey.  Actually, I personally didn't taste honey, just a light chocolate flavor.

In addition to being an excellent product, Organic B.R.A.T. Wellness Drink company donates 10% of its profits to various food and medical charities, including St. Jude Children's research Hospital, Feed The Children, Celiac Society, Autism Speaks, and others.

Visit Organic B.R.A.T. Wellness Drink on their website, Twitter or Facebook.

Disclaimer: While I was provided with free samples of this product, my opinions are my own and were not swayed in any way by the company.

If you live in the DC Metro Area and are gluten free, you are in luck!  The Bethesda location of RAKU Asian Dining is a wonderful option for gluten-free sushi.  At the bottom of the menu, "Gluten Free Tamari Available By Request" is clearly printed in bold.  However, the restaurant does not have a dedicated gluten free menu (for more information on ordering sushi safely, please read my previous article on the matter).  I was told to speak with my server on a dish-by-dish basis to evaluate it's status.

My server that day was a gentleman named "Pong" who was very polite, attentive and accommodating.  He was very knowledgeable on what was safe but on the few things he wasn't sure of, he gladly went to talk to the chef before I placed my order.  Surprisingly, the cornmeal crusted calamari was not safe, nor were the buckwheat noodles - apparently both are made with some wheat.  There was a pumpkin soup that was safe as well as many sushi options.  I didn't mention my soy intolerance, only my gluten intolerance, because A) I did not confuse poor Pong even more and B) I was going to avoid everything with gluten in it anyway, that would include all their soy based sauces (with the exception of their wheat free tamari for dipping, which I simply told Pong I didn't need).

I recommend the Nigiri Sushi Appetizer (ask for no sauce on the eel to make it safe) and the Double Salmon Roll, which comes topped with an awesome spicy mango sauce.  It was so good, I ordered 2 of those!  Both pair well with the refreshing, not-too-sweet Peach Iced Tea.   The portion sizes are decent, the food presentation is very nice and the restaurant decor was eclectic and fun.

This restaurant has only three faults that I could find.  First, parking, which of course is an issue in general in Bethesda.  Second, and a major issue in my opinion, is the lack of a waiting area.  One is forced to stand pressed against the wall behind the hostess table or in the entry way as other patrons squeese by you.  Finally, this place can get very busy.  I luckily went right when they opened at 5:00 pm and was given a roomy booth and were well paid attention to, however, when I left around 6:30 pm, the restaurant was packed full and was pretty noisy.  For our gluten free needs, I would highly recommend going early to better assure helpful and attentive service.

A menu and contact information can be found on their website.

I have mentioned before that I'm not a big cereal person and that as such, I didn't want to pay more money for specialty cereal, that I would just get general store cereal that happened to be gluten free. Well, that has changed. Introducing Natures Path new whole grain, gluten free cereals, Crunchy Maple Sunrise and Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise.

Both contain an impressive ingredient list which contain corn, rice, flax, quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth. The cereals are organic, kosher, and a good source of fiber (3 grams per serving) and omega 3's (f0.15 grams per serving). They are also soy, nut and dairy free - score!

These cereals are not only good for you, but taste great too. As the name suggests, both are intensely crunchy and have great texture with the mixture of large corn puff balls, rice puff ovals, small crunchy balls that I think are quinoa or amaranth and multi-grain flakes. As the names also suggests, one has a maple flavor which I find is quite strong (which I like, it reminds me of the maple frosted doughnuts I used to get) and one has a vanilla flavor which is fairly mild but is great with vanilla flavored rice milk.

With the nutrition of the whole grain and the delightful flavor, these cereals are definitely winners. I found them locally for $3.99 each and they are worth every penny. Seriously, run out and by them ... Now ... They're that good. Yum!

The chickpea miso tamari offered by the South River Miso Company offers the soy intolerant an exciting opportunity. Living soy free makes enjoying Asian cuisine a real challege. Although there are several other prepared Asian sauces that one can use, none the distinct flavor (which the Japanese call "umami") or versatility of soy sauce. However, chickpea miso tamari has a very similar flavor to soy sauce and is just as versitile.

According to their website,

In Japanese, tamari means "little puddle" and refers to the savory liquid that collects in a vat of miso. Our genuine tamari is similar to its cousin, soy sauce, but much sweeter and lighter in taste. Friends who buy directly from our shop come back year after year, declaring that there is no seasoning comparable to South River Miso Tamari. Gathered from the vats of chickpea miso -- Made from deep well water, organic brown rice, organic chickpeas, sun-dried sea salt, organic sea vegetables, and koji culture. Aged in wood for a minimum of 3 months.

As this tamari takes so long to make and is only made in small amount, this sauce is often very limited. If you are interested in this sauce, please order as soon as possible. The South River Miso Company tries to ensure that there is enough to go around by rationing everyone to only one or two bottles per order. So if you're interested in trying some, be sure to order soon!

While both the words miso and tamari typically mean soy, the South River Miso Company uses chickpeas instead of soybeans to make a naturally soy free miso paste. They also make two additional soy free miso pastes - one from azuki beans and one from chickpeas and barley (though this flavor is not gluten free).

As I am a big proponent of "practicing what you preach," I thought that I should provide allergen-free candy for Halloween. I figure that if I want others to provide allergen-free options for me and others, then I should provide the same to trick-or-treaters.

So, I made my sign (please realize that I'm not an artist! LOL) which said "ALLERGEN-FREE Candy Available. Please Ask." To my dismay, no one asked. Though, I only had about 20 kids come by. Regardless, I think that this is something that I will do every year and maybe one day, some one will ask! ;)

I don't know about you, but sometimes, I really need a quick meal - but not just any quick meal. It has to be safe for me, healthy, and tasty enough for my Hubby to eat. Store bought rotisserie chickens are my answer - many stores (I've found some at Costco and Giant) offer gluten free ones and are labeling them accordingly. There are several rotisserie eateries that are safe too (Chicken Out and Crisp and Juicy). At around $5 each, they can be the answer to healthy "fast food."

Below are my top 10 favorite things to do with a rotisserie chicken:

• For a super quick meal, pull pieces of the roasted chicken, place on a plate then make instant mashed potatoes or instant microwaveable brown rice then heat up a can of your favorite vegetables or use the frozen microwave steam ready ones.
• Make Spanish Skillet, using diced or shredded rotisserie chicken for the 1 cup of cooked chicken.
• Chicken sandwiches - shred the chicken, add mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato and onion to brown rice or corn tortillas and serve with chips
• Stir-fry asparagus or other vegetables(s) in sesame oil, toss in chicken until warmed through, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top
• Shred the chicken and use it to make a Cobb salad
• Make chicken salad (I like mine with mayonnaise, dijon mustard, finely diced celery and onions, lemon juice and dill relish) and serve that on brown rice or corn tortillas or on chips
• Shred the chicken and top pasta and your favorite pasta sauce
• Shred some chicken and put it in tacos with your favorite toppings
• Barbeque chicken - pull pieces of chicken off, place on a plate and top with barbeque sauce. This can be eatten off a plate or put inside a brown rice or corn tortilla. Serve french fries and a salad on the side.
• Then, after you've eaten chicken for a few nights and picked off all the meat you can, make fresh, homemade soup. Even if you think you'd gotten all the meat you can off the carcass, you'll be surprised at how much more comes out as you simmer it. Use this recipe to make homemade stock in the crockpot. Then, take out the skin, bones and other inedible things. Put the stock and any edible meat into the blender, blend until all the meat is pureed (and the broth is light). Pour back into the crockpot, put it on high and put in noodles, rice, vegetables or whatever you want until cooked through. This is my absolute favorite out of all of the meals. I always freeze a container or two for when I'm sick.

I hope I've shown you that it is possible to have a very fast GDSYWP-free meal that is still delicious!

When I went gluten free, one food I missed dearly was onion rings. I've always loved the flavor of onions and anything crunchy so naturally, onion rings became one of my favorite guilty pleasures. Recently I decided to try to come up with a gluten free replacement. After some trial and error, I finally developed a recipe that I believe will rival any gluten-filled version.

Gluten Free Onion Rings
from Clara Ogren, http://www.sixfoodintolerance.com
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 quart peanut oil (or however much is needed to fill your pan)
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup corn meal
2 teaspoons Lawrys Seasoning (or other all-purpose seasoning mix)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups dairy-free buttermilk (2 cups of your favorite dairy free milk, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, stir and let sit for 3 minutes)
2 sweet yellow onions (preferably Vidalias)
coarse Kosher salt

Directions:
Pour peanut oil into a dutch oven or other deep frying pan and heat to medium high heat.

Measure brown rice flour, cornmeal, Lawrys and garlic powder into a mixing bowl. Wisk together well.

Pour dairy-free buttermilk into a separate, wide, large bowl.

Slice onions into rings.

Place one quarter of the sliced onions into the dairy-free buttermilk and let it sit for 1-2 minutes.

One at a time, take a ring out, cover in the flour mixture, shake off the excess, dip back into the dairy-free buttermilk, then recover in the flour mixture, shake off the excess again, then drop into the hot oil.

Repeat until there are 3-5 onion rings in the oil at a time. Let them sit in the oil for a few minutes until the outside is browned and onion is cooked.

Take out of the oil and place on a cooling rack. Sprinkle with coarse Kosher salt while the onion ring is still hot.

Tips:

• These freeze and reheat (in the oven) well.
• White rice flour can be used in this recipe but the brown rice flour lends a nice brown color to the finished product and it more nutritious than white rice flour.
• Make sure not to get the oil too hot otherwise it will brown the flour before the onion is cooked.
• Shaking off as much of the flour as you can is very important. If you do not shake off most of the excess, it will gather in the milk causing a mess or in the oil and burn.
• Do not overcrowd the pan, doing so will lower the temperature of the oil.
• Try using this batter for breading other vegetables (zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus, etc) to make tempura.

Unsafe soy-free food list (unsafe ingredients and where soy often hides) *

I've worked pretty hard to come up with a list of unsafe soy-free foods (like this one for gluten) and I think I have finally done it! If you see any mistakes or think something should be added, please leave me a comment and I'll look into the matter further. I hope that this list will help all the soy-free newbies and keep you safe!

Always or typically contains soy:
Abura-age (sliced deep-fried tofu)
Atsu-age (deep-fried tofu)
Bean curd (typically made from soybeans)
Chocolate (many contain soy lecithin) *
Concentrated soy
Curry pastes (many contain soy oil) * ~
Edamame (parboiled green soybeans)
Gan-modoki (a soy dumpling)
Glycine max
Hydrolyzed soy protein (HSP)
Isolated soy protein
Kinako (Japanese for soybean flour)
Koya tofu (freeze-dried bean curd)
Kyodofu (freeze-dried bean curd)
Mayonnaise (most contain soy oil) *
Margarine (most contain soy protein or soy oil - Earth Balance makes one that does not) *
Miso ^
Natto (fermented soybeans)
Nimame (stewed soybeans)
Okara (soybean pulp)
Pad Thai sauce (many contain soy protein or soy oil) * ~
Peanut butter (many contain soy oil) *
Shoyu
Soja
Soy-based meat alternatives
Soybeans
Soybean curd
Soybean paste
Soya
Soya bean
Soy bran
Soy butter
Soy cheese
Soy curd
Soy fiber (can be found in baked goods, as well as processed meats, sausages, hamburgers, etc)
Soy flour
Soy grits
Soy ice cream
Soy infant formula
Soy isoflavones
Soy isolate fiber
Soy lecithin *
Soy margarine
Soy meal
Soy milk
Soy nuts
Soy oil *
Soy panthenol
Soy protein
Soy protein concentrate
Soy protein isolates
Soy sauce
Soy sprouts
Soy whipped topping
Soy yogurt
Tamari ~
Tempeh
Teriyaki ~
Textured soy flour (TSF)
Textured soy protein (TSP)
Tofu and tofu products
Uno-hana (soy pulp)
Vegetable oil (usually all or part soy oil) *
Vitamin E (a preservative typically derived from soy)
Worcestershire sauce (in the US, the Lea & Perrins brand is safe)
Yuba (tofu skin)

The following may contain soy. You'll have to read the ingredients and/or contact the manufacturer:
Bouillon cubes
Broth
Canned tuna (may contain vegetable broth which may have soy)
Diglycerides
Fish sauce ~
Flavoring
Hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP)
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
Ice cream (many contain soy lechithin) *
Imitation bacon bits
Imitation crab and lobster
Isolated vegetable protein
Methylcellulose
Mixed tocopheryls (a preservative often derived from soy)
Monoglycerides
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Natural flavors
Natural flavoring
Oyster sauce ~
Popcorn, microwavable
Protein
Protein extender
Protein filler
Stabilizer
Starch
Textured vegetable protein (TVP)
Thickener
Vegetable fat
Vegetable fiber
Vegetable gum
Vegetable protein
Vegetable protein
Vegetable shortening
Vegetable starch
Veggie burgers

* Soy oil and soy lechithin are non-protein forms of soy and may be tolerated by some soy-intolerant or soy-allergic people.

~ There are several Asian sauces listed, but there are several that are soy free.

^ Soy free miso made from beans and chickpeas can be purchased from South River Miso.

I don't know about you, but I have heard nothing more talked about in the Gluten Free Community than the new Gluten Free Betty Crocker Mixes. Blogs, Twitter and forums have just been buzzing with news on these mixes - reviews, speculation, location and more. The one question that I have heard more than any other is what are the ingredients? Unforuntely, that information is not provided on their website nor on any other place on the internet that I have found. Today, however, that changes! I am most excited and happy to share with you screen shots of the packaging, including the ingredients!!! The images are courtesy General Mills.

When it comes to baking, I am totally in love with Ginger Lemon Girl's Master Mix. I love that it is mostly whole grain (brown rice and certified gluten free oat) and that I can use it just like I used to use Bisquick in the days before going gluten free. And, it's easy to make dairy and soy free too. I just replace the powdered milk with Vance's Dari Free or I simply use more tapioca starch. And, I replace the shortening with Spectrum Spread.

Yes, it's an awesome mix if you haven't used it before. But, what I've been lacking is an awesome all-purpose mix. There are tons of recipes out there with lots of different uses, flours and from various sources. I have used several in the past, but have yet to really commit to one as my favorite for one main reason - whole grains. So many of them are based on a lot of white rice flour or on a lot of starches. I really wanted something that had more whole grains and was healthy.

Well, it is with great excitement and extreme pleasure that I present to you my new, very own, Gluten Free Whole Grain Blend. It is just a bit over 1/3 starch - giving you enough lift, but also contains plenty of grains for your health! So far, it has served me well, but if you do decide to try the mix, please leave me a comment with your results. I would really like to know how it is working for everyone.

Clara's Gluten Free Whole Grain Blend
from Clara Ogren, Six Food Intolerance Living
Makes 8.5 cups

2 1/2 cups brown rice flour
2 1/4 cups tapioca starch
2 cups sorghum flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup certified gluten free oat flour (can replace with more sorghum or millet flour)
1/4 cup flaxseed meal


Enjoy!

Hubby and I headed down to San Diego last week. It was his father's 50th birthday and we went to help him celebrate! We mostly ate at home (and his parents were very accommodating to my new lifestyle!), but we did go out a few times.

When we first arrived, Hubby HAD to have In-N-Out (which I have spoken of before). Although it is a fast food joint, they make things with fresh, natural ingredients so it's pretty easy to eat there. The fries are whole potatoes, cut straight in the store and fried in vegetable oil (so while safe for those avoiding only the soy protein, it is not safe for those avoiding all soy products). The burgers are made with 100% all beef with no preservatives, additives or fillers. They are topped with lettuce, tomato, onions (raw, fried or without) and their special spread. To order the burger without a bun you just order it "protein style" and it comes wrapped in lettuce as I have pictured below! YUM!

The other day we ate out, we went down to Little Italy. We started lunch with some DELISH gelato at Pappalecco - so good that I dug in and forgot to take a picture! Life's short, why not start with desert once in a while? ;) Most of the time, with gelato, all the fruit flavors are dairy free. But, I always ask to be sure. Anyway, then we went to a local restaurant called Cafe Zucchero and I ordered ... well, not this:

hahaha!! As much as I wanted to, I resisted the fabulous looking pizza. Hubby didn't help and ordered probably the most GDSYWP-filled thing on the menu! ;) Instead, I ordered this:

A spinach salad topped with carrots, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, avocado and peppercorn-coated ahi tuna. Yum. The dressing was an orange vinaigrette. I just asked for it on the side and removed it. I'm not much for fruity dressings. Instead, I used the oil and vinegar that they brought to the table at the begining of the meal with the bread (which I also of course avoided). The salad was quite large, very satisfying and significantly healthier than what Hubby ordered. Who would have guessed that you could eat safely gluten and dairy free in Little Italy of all places? Just another example that living intolerant free doesn't have to be difficult!

I don't know about you, but I am always on the look-out for new crockpot recipes. I LOVE using my crockpot, but it's hard because between my workday and commute, I am gone from home for a minimum of 10 hours every day! Most crockpot recipes are for much less than that, even if I cook them on low instead of high. So far, I have only found 1 dish and 2 soups that are able to hold up to this timeframe. But then, I came across this recipe and saw that it could go 6-9 hours. I figured, I bet it could hold up a lot longer if it had just a bit more liquid and I tried it! Of course, I also had to tweak it! Here is my version:

Crockpot Salsa Chicken
from Clara Ogren, Six Food Intolerance Living
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts or thighs (can even use frozen)
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, NOT drained
1 jar salsa (chose the spiciness level that is right for your family)
2-3 tbsp lime juice
1-2 tsp of adobo powder
Half of a bunch of cilantro, chopped
Tortilla chips or soft corn tortillas

Directions:
Place chicken, salsa, corn, beans, tomatoes (with juice), lime juice and adobo powder into crockpot, mix.
Cook on low for 10-12 hours.
Just before serving, sprinkle in the cilantro, mix in.
To eat, shred chicken (this can be done in the crockpot with a spoon) and serve with tortilla chips, over rice or inside soft corn tortillas.

Tips:
A nice lettuce side salad is the perfect accompaniment to this meal or instead top the salad with the chicken mixture for a fiesta salad
Top with sliced avocado or with a dollop of guacamole
If you are able to have dairy, this dish would be great topped with sour cream and/or shredded cheese


And wouldn't you know it, it held up beautifully for 12 hours. I mixed it around a bit to evenly distribute the liquids and it was perfect as it stayed nice and moist! I took my lid off and on a lot the last 2 hours or so doing a lot of mixing. If yours is too liquidy, just take the lid off, turn the crockpot on high, watch it and mix occasionally. That'll help boil out the liquid. I don't know about you, but I'd rather it be too liquidy and moist than dry and hard! ;)

I ate this rolled up in soft corn tortillas with a side salad. Hubby ate it with tortilla chips and was plenty happy without the cheese (though I'm sure he would have prefered it!).

This dish was super easy - effortless, really and was quite tasty. And, it's pantry-friendly! What more could you ask for? :D

I have a big announcement to make!

You ready?

No, we aren't moving.

No, I didn't win the lottery.

No, I don't have a book deal (yet! anyone wanna give me one? ;) )

No, I'm not pregnant! Why does everyone always ask me that when I say I have an announcement? You trying to tell me I'm fat? ;)


I am the new Baltimore Gluten Free Examiner!

Woo hoo! I'm seriously excited about this. I will be posting 3-4 articles a week dealing not only with gluten intolerance, but other intolerances/allergies too! There will be some subject overlap in posts here and articles there, but the content will be different. I was actually accepted for the position a couple weeks ago, but I wanted to get the page all set up and a few articles published before sending you all over there. It's all set up now so feel free to head over there and check out some nice GDSYWP-free information! Also, be sure to subscribe so you will get an email notification when I upload new articles! :D

Five Guys has always been known for their simple menu, good food and their fresh, never frozen philosophy. They have received several awards and are even Zagat rated. Because of their dedication to fresh, natural foods, they are very understanding of and willing to cater to food intolerances.

In the FAQ section of their website, they specifically address several food allergies. Because of all the information that they provide, I can easily to see how to eat there GDSYWP-free! According to their website, their buns contain gluten, dairy and soy and of course, their cheese contains dairy. Therefore, if I simply avoids the bun, cheese and pork bacon, I can easily to dine there safely! (If you have intolerances to egg, also avoid the bun and if you have intolerances to peanuts - stay out of the restaurant!! Not only is peanut oil the only oil to be found in this restaurant, but shell-on peanuts are also served openly as an appetizer.)

But don't think because I can't have the spongy bun or the melty cheese that I'm missing out! I have the choice of an all-beef hot dog or a burger with one or two patties. And, there are plenty of delicious toppings to choose from to flavor my humble burger. I can chose from: mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, relish, tomato, lettuce, pickles, raw or grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, green bell peppers, fresh jalapeños, and three sauces - A-1, hot and barbeque. The food is served wrapped in a piece of foil and is placed on a plastic tray or in a signature grease-stained brown paper bag.

As a side, they offer fresh french fries - cut in the store from real potatoes. There is even a white-board in every store telling you from where the potatoes being served that day came! The fries are available in regular or large size - though either is more than enough for two people to share. The styrofoam cup that they are served in is often overflowing with those crisp-outside yet soft-inside potatoy goodness. There is also an option to have the fries Cajun style where they come sprinkled in a delightful mixture of spices. Yum! I complete my meal with a cold Coca-Cola brand fountain soda, iced tea or bottled water.

While there is always a risk of cross contamination, the staff there is very willing to accommodate when given clear instructions. When I order, I let the cashier know that I have a wheat and a dairy allergy and that I would like my hamburger or hot dog served with no bun and no cheese. I also request that the assembler of my meal put on new plastic gloves. What I receive is a foil-wrapped burger or hot dog, then the toppings and sauces will be in separate foil or plastic cups, ready for me to assemble to my liking. They do have plastic forks and knives there, though I have yet to find one that has plates, but the unwrapped piece of foil works well enough (Five Guys - if you're reading, some nice sturdy cardboard plates would be greatly appreciated!! :D).

When I tell people about all my food intolerances and explain that I cook almost completely from my home, I often get asked what exactly CAN I eat and if it's hard. Well, it's not hard per se, but is more time consuming. As for the food, well, it's tasty! Here is a run-down of just a few options that I have:

---

Sample Menu

Breakfast:
Rice Chex, Honey Nut Chex. Corn Chex, Trix or Honey Kix with Hemp, Rice or Almond Milk and Fruit
Fried Eggs with Beef or Turkey Bacon and Grits or Home Fries
Gluten/Dairy/Soy Free Pancakes or Waffles with Beef Bacon and Fruit
Gluten/Dairy/Soy/Yeast Free Toast with Peanut Butter
Fruit Smoothie
Hormel Canned Corned Beef Hash with Fried Eggs and Fruit
Veggie-Filled Omelet

Lunch:
Any dinner leftovers
Gluten/Dairy/Soy/Yeast Free Flour Wrap, Toast, Corn Tortilla or Rice Paper Wrap filled with turkey, lettuce, tomato, onion and avocado served with potato chips on the side
Hormel Dinty Moore Beef Stew with side salad and homemade dressing
Imagine Brand soups - some are safe
Glutino Brand Gluten Free Chicken Ranchero with Brown Rice Frozen Meal
PJ's Chicken Tamale Frozen Meal
Amys Brand soups - some are safe
Egg/Tuna/Chicken Salad with Gluten/Dairy/Soy/Yeast Free Crackers and Fruit
Chicken, Vegetable and Rice Soup
Green Salad topped with Grilled Chicken and homemade dressing

Dinner:
Grilled Chicken, Lamb or Steak, Baked Potato and Steamed Veggies
Gluten Free Brown Rice Pasta topped with Tomato Sauce and Ground Beef
Chicken and Veggie Stirfry with Gluten/Soy Free Oyster Sauce over plain White Rice
Roast Turkey/Chicken/Beef with Roasted Veggies and Side Salad and homemade dressing.
Taco Salad - romaine lettuce, tomatoes, onions, avocado topped with grilled meat, black beans and safe tortilla chips
Bunless Hamburgers or Hot Dogs with Potato Salad, Side Salad and homemade dressing
Turkey and Bean Chili

Dessert:
Fruit
Gluten/Dairy/Soy Free Cobbler
Gluten/Dairy/Soy Free Cake
Gluten/Dairy/Soy Free Cookies
Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Dairy Free Gelato
Dairy Free Sorbet

Snacks:
Mixed Nuts (minus Walnuts)
Fruit
Plain Potato Chips
Original Fritos
Gluten/Soy Free Beef Jerky
Fruit Leathers
Rice Cereal Bars
Fruit Smoothie
Hummus and Carrot Sticks

---

As you can see, I do not have to go hungry or sacrifice taste just to eat well!

Everyone in my various GF networks have been raving about the new Starbucks Valencia Orange GF Cake! I quickly checked out the ingredients and was pleasantly surprised with it being DF/SF too! Yay! The ingredients are:
Whole Eggs, Valencia Orange Pulp, Almonds, Sugar, Orange Peel, Gluten Free Baking Powder, and Orange Oil.
Isn't it grand when life is nice and simple! And, it looks like they really know what they're doing! They even disclosed how they are manufacturing these little beauties and I have to admit that I am impressed! It's SO nice to have a mainstream company really looking out for us GF!

After searching around for it for a few days, I finally found a store that had them. I purchased 3 - 1 for myself, 1 for my husband, and 1 for later. Hubby and I had one that night for dessert.

For the first one, I thought it was VERY moist, it was not crumbly or dry or grainy, the flavor was pretty good and the serving size was great - not too big, not too small. Now for the bad - only that I thought that it was very orangy. It's okay but a bit strong by itself, but would probably be better with coffee - which I'm sure was the intention. But I couldn't order any because I can't drink coffee black and Starbucks does carry a DF/SF milk (Starbucks, if you are reading, could you please carry a DF/SF milk? Hemp or hazelnut milk would be divine, but I'll settle for almond or rice milk).

Well, fast forward 5 days after purchasing them, I opened up the third one. Short version - not good. The cake had a faintly moldy smell and it was super sticky and stringy. In fact, in my first bite, there was a string hanging from my lip and I thought it was a hair or something. Nope. It was from the cake. It seriously looked like a cobweb. Maybe excess sugar? It's sort of like the strings from Rice Krispie treats or something, but they were tougher - sounds funny, I know, but it's true. I tried taking a picture of it, but it just didn't come out. Anyway, I tried breaking the strings by pulling the bite further from the cake - nope - the strings grew longer. I tried breaking it with my finger. It worked, but I had to pull far and I got a sticky finger. The only other way to deal with them was to spin the cake around until the strings broke. I don't know what all that stringiness was, but it completely turned my stomach. Just to make sure, I pulled a few more bites off with my fork, and sure enough, other bites did it too, so it was not just a fluke. Yuck. I do notice though that there are no preservatives listed in the ingredients, that might be it. The other thing is I see printed "10909 17:34" so I am guessing a manufacturing date of January 9, 2009 at 5:34pm. So maybe it has just been too long? I have seen this before though. When I first started baking from scratch, I made a pumpkin pie. I left it out at room temperature thinking that like store-bought ones, it would be fine. Well, within a week, it was not! The top was super glossy, the pie smelled faintly of mold and it was stringy. I'm thinking whatever happened to the pie has now happened to this cupcake.

Don't believe me? Well, sadly, I'm not the only one with this experience. Ginger Lemon Girl said the same thing happened to her poor cupcake - and what's worse is hers were like that from the day she bought them! She did not the chance to experience them when they were actually decent! :( But, she did really enjoy their Passion Tea Lemonade!

I'm not mad at you, Starbucks. I was and am thrilled, excited and hopeful about your efforts - and especially thankful for your trying to cater to us poor food intolerant people. Unfortunately, this product falls way short of just how good GF/DF/SF can be! If you want some help, I know plenty of recipes that would be better suited for this application! ;)

I just love Asian Pears (also known as Apple Pears, Taiwanese Pears, African Pears, Korean Pears, Japanese Pears, etc - see, they're so good everyone wants to claim them!). When ripe, these babies are very sweet and juicy yet crisp. They are low in calories and yet a good source of both Vitamin C and Fiber.

Wanna know to pick them? They are in season from roughly July to October. Quality Asian pears are best selected by smell rather than by softness. Unlike most pears that give in to a bit of pressure when ripe, Asian pears can be ripe even when they are still firm. So, look for a sweet aroma (though they might not smell as strongly if they're cold) and of course, stay away from pears that are real soft, wrinkled, have scuff marks or are bruised.

Asian Pears are one of the few fruits that I enjoy plain/raw - I just wash, slice, remove the core and eat - skins and all. They are just so refreshing! However, I also enjoy them in smoothies. They are great way to sweeten up smoothies and are neutral enough in flavor that they go with just about everything!

I have also read lately that they are quite good cooked/baked - something I never even thought about doing!. This recipe sounds especially yummy. I also found this recipe and these. Now that I'm thinking about it, these pears are neutral enough that they may be good on salads too! mmmmm ... these ideas are definitely something that I need to try - and soon!

If you haven't tried Asian Pears before, you really must - you can't go wrong!