Squished Bread?

Ok, Udi's you've won my love.  Let me share with you how we met.  It was a very warm day on May 1st in Baltimore, MD.  I was disappointed that I had been unable to attend the annual Making Tracks for Celiacs 5K in the morning, but when I was finally able to get back to my day, I headed to Whole Foods Market to stock up.  Now, up until this point, my standard bread was Whole Foods Market's Gluten Free Bakehouse's loaves. Yes, it needed to be toasted, but I was ok with that...it was good.

Being a gluten-free food finding machine, I was able to find every new gluten-free product they had in stock...and that happens to include Udi's granola (in the cereal aisle), loaves of fresh bread & bagels (with--you guessed it--the fresh bread), and cinnamon rolls (over in the bakery).  And yes, I bought all of them.  That's the confidence I have in Udi's.  Where did this confidence come from?  My tweeps on Twitter who just won't say a single negative thing about Udi's.  It was when I went to grab a loaf of bread that I realized that these people probably weren't lying.  This gluten-free bread is squishy.  Now, if there is one thing gluten-free bread buyers have never had to worry about: squished bread.  Well, Udi's, we now have that problem...and that may be the highest compliment you may receive.  (Oh, and the fact that you don't actually have to toast the bread to make it palatable.)

So, on this 91 degree day, as I unloaded my bags of groceries, I discovered that the guy who had bagged my groceries had placed something heavy on top of one of my loaves of Udi's bread, and the loaf was squished! Not crumbled, but squished... And a smile came across my face because I knew something good had entered my life.  So thank you Udi's for my new squishy gluten-free bread products.

Graul’s Market Does Gluten-Free

In Baltimore County, the local market, Graul’s, is well-known and well-loved, but until recently, not known for its selection of specialty gluten-free foods. It appears that may be changing however. Just last week, I went into Graul’s (Ruxton location) for a gallon of milk I’d forgotten during my regular grocery shopping run and noticed a gluten-free display set up near the produce aisle. They were featuring Bob’s Red Mill products (including the favorite gluten-free Mighty Tasty hot cereal), Betty Crocker’s gluten-free cookie, brownie and cake mixes (for $2.99, the cheapest price I’ve found -- possibly a special introductory price), and snickerdoodle cookies and blueberry muffins from local Baltimore bakery, Sweet Sin.

I picked up a package of Sweet Sin muffins and a bag of gluten-free candy from a natural foods company out of Germany I hadn’t heard of before called Seitenbacher. I opened the candy right away to quiet my squirmy toddler and snuck a piece of the fruity strawberry candy myself. It was delicious and we’ve since been back for more Seitenbacher candies. Graul’s also had gluten-free egg noodles (hard to find!), instant soups called ‘hot snacks’ in tomato, vegetable and potato varieties, instant sauce mixes, muesli, cornflakes and energy bars all made by Seitenbacher.


I spoke with the manager about their new gluten-free goodies. He told me they were recently added in response to requests from customers for more gluten-free items. When I asked about the availability at other locations, he said the Mays Chapel store has had a gluten-free specialty section for over a year. Thanks Graul’s!

Locations throughout Maryland:
Annapolis | Cape St. Claire | Hereford | Mays Chapel | Ruxton | St. Michaels


-Christine

Bringing Gluten-Free Chicago to Baltimore. It's a Win.

Da Luciano's
8343 W Grand Ave
River Grove, IL 60171
708-453-1000
dalucianos.com

This wonderful restaurant is near Chicago’s O’Hare airport. Why am I mentioning it to Baltimore area celiacs? Because they will now SHIP gluten free food!! They offer gluten free food I have literally never seen elsewhere including gluten free ravioli, tiramisu, cannoli, and much more. Check out their website! My husband - who does not have celiac disease - says their gluten free food doesn’t taste gluten-free. (Doesn’t taste like it’s missing anything.) All I can say is I am very happy whenever I eat their food.

This restaurant is owned by a husband and wife who have children with Celiac disease so they really know how to cook for celiacs. If you’re ever in Chicago, it’s a must visit.

-Susan

A Guilty Pleasure In Our Own Backyard

Sweet Sin Bakery has opened a retail store near Charles Village. I can't praise this bakery enough. Everything they make is delicious. They also serve my favorite local coffee, Zeke's Coffee.

I went in one morning and wanted some comfort food. For me, comfort food is 'bread' products. I bought a loaf of bread, 4 muffins, a cupcake and a large coffee. While I was in the store I also got to sample a slice of pumpkin pie, a regular slice not a 'sample size'. The crust was perfect, light, flaky and sweet. I expressed how much I liked the pie and was offered another slice.

I'm making Sweet Sin my guilty pleasure at least once a week.

http://www.glutenfreedesserts.com/

http://www.zekescoffee.com/

Hope you can get there soon! It's worth it!

Monica

Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Week

Starting next Monday, September 14, Trader Joes will be offering gluten-free samples and cooking ideas at their Towson store. “We thought it would be different and fun,” says the clerk who told me about their plans for “gluten-free week” after seeing gluten-free rice bread, English muffins and pasta in my cart. 

Note: Only the Towson location will be doing gluten-free demos. 

Trader Joe’s No Gluten products.

Trader Joe's Towson (649) 

1 E. Joppa Rd. 

Towson, MD 21286 

Phone Number: 410-296-9851 

Trading Hours: 9:00 am - 9:00 pm 

Cookbooks Can be Fun

Generously posted to our blog by Mikki Black

(http://hereswhatletsdo.blogspot.com)

Recently, I was contacted in regards to a new cookbook: Gluten Free Every Day by Chef Robert Landolphi.  Would I like a free preview copy?  No strings attached.  Feel free to write about it on your blog, but you don't have to.  um... .... ... YES!

Shortly thereafter, the book arrived, and I began to read.  Turns out it's not just a cookbook.

The whole first chapter, "Gluten Free Basics", is informative.  Each successive chapter begins with a quick breakdown of what you need to know to cook the type of food in that chapter.  Some of these informational segments are just a few sentences, and others, such as chapter three: "Entrees", for example, you get a two page list of possible coatings to replace the traditional flour breading. (THANK YOU!)

I wish I had had this book last year when I was first diagnosed.  I didn't know which way to turn, and it seemed that almost all the books I came across were either way too organic or too gourmet for my tastes and style (or they just had awful foods! Bleah.)

This book is excellent for someone who is just starting out.  It's easy to read and it does not contain the words "for dummies" (for me, this is super-important).  It's also a fairly versatile book.  It has recipes that would appeal to a variety of people:  Here's a short list of some of the items it contains:

• Beer-Battered Onion Rings (super yummy, and a little spicy)
• Baked beans
• Cranberry-Hazelnut Rice Stuffing
• Shrimp and Vegetable Pad Thai
• White Chicken Chili
• Ricotta Cream Berry Trifle
• Parmesean-Pesto Chicken with Pecans

Whether you're just starting out on your gluten free life or you've been at it a while and are just looking for something new and interesting, this is a good book.  I hope you like it as much as I do.

Zeer-It

I recently toured and demo-ed the food search engine, Zeer.com.  Zeer.com services numerous food preferences, such as dairy-free, nut-free, sugar-free, and organic; however, its gluten-free "community" is huge, with over 30,000 products already in its database and new ones added daily.  Here's a snapshot of how Zeer.com gluten-free works:

You type in a food item, for example: College Inn Chicken Stock and it brings up a photo of the chicken stock with a bold symbol indicating its gluten status (there are four possibilities based loosely on color-coded traffic signals):

1. Check Mark:  Labeled gluten-free
2. Question Mark:  Appears to be gluten-free (not labeled as such, but Zeer.coom experts have examined the product and determined it appears to be free of ingredients containing gluten)
3. Caution Sign:  May contain gluten (some products get this labeling if there's concern about cross contamination)
4. Stop Sign:  Contains gluten

If your favorite chicken stock contains gluten, Zeer.com recommends gluten-free alternatives.  You can also search for gluten-free foods by categories, such as "cereal" or "snacks."  There's a drink category, which includes beer and spirits.  You can also create gluten-free grocery lists and share them with friends and family directly from the website.

What to know about Zeer.com:

• Every product in the database has a "last confirmed date."  While products are updated regularly and all "last confirmed dates" are within the last twelve months, you can vote on products you want updated in an expedited fashion.
• They have an impressive staff of celiac experts and nutritionists reviewing the status of every product.  At least two people code each statement for wheat, rye, barley, and oats.  If there is any disagreement about the coding, it is reviewed by a third expert at Zeer.com.
• They highlight and box key ingredients such as "Carmel Color" and "Modified Food Starch" and provide detailed explanations about why they are gluten-free or gluten-containing.  You can learn a lot from Zeer.com.

All this gluten-free expertise and organization isn't free though.  To get full access to Zeer.com, you need to subscribe for $14.95 a month. (note:  you can get Zeer.com as an iPhone app).  In the future they may offer quarterly or annual subscriptions.  They're also working on enhancements like being able to join multiple communities at once, for example, joining both the gluten-free and dairy-free communities so that those with both gluten and dairy intolerances can filter searches for products meeting both their dietary restrictions.  In addition, they may add over-the-counter drugs and health and beauty grocery items to the database.  The convenience may soon have many of us "zeering it."

http://www.zeer.com

-Christine

A Starbucks on Every Corner

I loved the Valencia Cake from Starbucks.  It made me feel 'normal' to say: yes, I'd like a cake with my coffee.  Well, bah hum bug... Starbucks is no longer serving their gluten-free cake.  They claim that it wasn't nutritious enough and have replaced it with a nut-type bar.

Thanks to that, now I'll have to make my own cake... when will I find time to do that?!

I'm off to eat a pint of ice cream.

Monica

Let Them Eat Crabcakes

This past week I was perusing the Whole Foods in downtown Baltimore when I found gluten-free crabcakes, something on my wish list of things I hoped someone would one day make gluten-free. By swapping out wheat bread for rice bread, the Crab Ladies of Frederick Maryland have created if not the first ever gluten-free crabcake, my first gluten-free crabcake. And it was good. 

There are three varieties (they all come frozen, but warm up wonderfully): the classic Original Maryland, Artichoke Three Cheese, or Bacon and Gruyere.  

Try them as they are, or with Cucumber Cream Sauce:

(Recipe from The Southern Living Cookbook 1999 Oxmoor Press) 

Prep: 10 min 

1 medium seedless cucumber

½ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated onion

¼ teaspoon pepper 

Peel cucumber. Grate enough cucumber to measure ½ cup. Combine grated cucumber, sour cream and remaining ingredients, stirring well. Cover and chill. Yield: 1 cup 

A word of caution, the Crab Ladies also make conventional crabcakes, so be sure to pick up the right package. Also be sure your wallet is ready for the hit it’s going to take – these crabcakes aren’t cheap. At $17.99 for a package of two crabcakes or $2.25 per ounce (at Whole Foods), they’ll make a serious dent in your grocery budget.  But for the price, you get not only a lot of crab (these cakes are heavy on the crab), you get the confidence that they are, in fact, gluten-free. The Crab Ladies ensured their product is gluten-free by having the University of Nebraska’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources test the gliadin levels of the crabcakes to ensure they came out BLD - below detectable levels. You can see the results of the gliadin testing results on the Crab Ladies website. 

In addition to finding them at Whole Foods, you can order the crabcakes by phone (online ordering is coming). http://www.thecrabladies.com/index.html 

The Joy of Discovery

This weekend I've come across a new favorite recipe.  It just so happened to be on the outside of a Sun of Italy package of polenta.  I don't think I've ever actually followed a recipe as it's written, so if you happen to be looking at the package, the following is close, but has been tweaked!

1 pkg. Sun of Italy Polenta

1/2 C. butter (salted)

1 bag frozen, chopped spinach (12 oz.), thawed and drained

1/3 cup light cream

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Melt 1/4 C. butter in a large pan, until it becomes slightly foamy.  Add the spinach and cream.  Cook over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes.  Stir in Parmesan Cheese.  Turn off burner.

Slice the Polenta into 1/4 inch slices.  In a separate pan, melt the remaining butter over medium-high heat.  Add the slices of Polenta.  Cook for about 5 minutes, flip and cook until edges are crispy and golden brown.

Serve sliced polenta topped with spinach mixture.

Yum!

The Fresh Market

The Fresh Market is what I'd like to categorize as a "boutique-style" grocery store:  Its layout is similar to that of an open-air market, yet it boasts an intimacy that is created with spectacular lighting, displays, and product placement.  

The Produce section appears almost to be in technicolor.  And (if it's possible) the Deli, Meat, and Seafood counters also offer the same beauty usually only constructed by food stylists with inedible products.  The Bakery is undeniably home to some fine artisans and craftsmen who give "fresh" a new name.  Unfortunately, I was unable to find a single offering of anything gluten-free; which--I must say--was quite disappointing.  I would imagine that these bakers and pastry chefs have the ability and knowledge of the science of baking necessary to create some darn good gluten-free products.  Perhaps they're worried about cross-contamination or that the gluten-free goods will become the ugly stepchildren to the glamorous golden Asiago and Sundried Tomato bread?  

The Packaged Goods and Freezer sections contain a surprising mix of mainstream and specialty products.  Bella Cucina products reside alongside Pepperidge Farm products.  However, there are no clear gluten-free labels, and there is no designated gluten-free section.  The gluten-free products' list they offer is a basic Excel spreadsheet compiled on-the-fly by store employees, and it is by no means complete.  This would not have been such a shock several years ago, but in today's world, it felt odd. 

If you are looking for a way to spend some time reading and decoding labels (in a space that is just waiting to make its Food Network debut) this is where you would want to be.  And, while you will spend time in the search, the prices are highly competitive.  For reasons still unknown, I happen to have memorized the price ranges of Alexia frozen french fries.  Fresh Market offers these for an astoundingly low $2.19, as opposed to the typical $2.79 range.  Impressive for a place with such an air of glamour and luxury.   

It's true: The Fresh Market has not yet jumped on the Gluten-Free Friendly Marketing Bandwagon. Perhaps they have not yet been informed of the statistics showing 1 in 133 people are likely to have Celiac Disease, and the countless others (such as those with autism and fibromyalgia) who benefit from following a gluten-free diet.  

It wouldn't be surprising, though, if within the coming months--as the Gluten-Free Diet itself continues to go mainstream--Fresh Market follows suit.  While it certainly is not competitive on the grounds of being "Gluten-Free Friendly" like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Wegmans; for those who maintain their gluten-free diets primarily through fruits and vegetables, meats and cheeses, Fresh Market offers a new beautiful--and relatively affordable--option.

Currently, the only Fresh Market in Maryland is located in Quarry Lake, 2510 Quarry Lake Drive, Baltimore, MD 21209.  There will be a second location opening in Annapolis.  

Rice Chex goes Gluten Free!

Rice Chex is now Gluten Free!  [Pause for cheering and applause.] General Mills is taking large steps and offering up their Rice Chex cereal in gluten-free form, with a great big label showing that it is indeed gluten-free.  In addition to the product change, they have also offered up several amazingly delicious recipes for Chex Mix.  Parties might just be more fun again and include more than just the veggie platter!  So exciting...and mouthwatering...

 

    

Recipes such as: 

Chex® Muddy Buddies®

Ginger-Rice Crunch

Italian Chex® Mix

Chex® Brittle

Monica's Goes Grocery Shopping and We Get Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I started my week with a trip to the grocery store.  Yup, the regular ol' grocery store: SuperFresh.  They don't have a large selection of specifically gluten-free products, but they do have my weekly staples.

I write the items on my list in the order in which I will walk around the store; it helps me to avoid the unnecessary purchases (like candy and potato chips).  Also, since I've started to walk to and from the store, I like to make the trip as quick as possible.

 

So here it is:  The list...

(Directly from my hot pink post-it note):

• Soy milk (I still cannot drink cow's milk.  Thank you, gut...) -- Silk brand (I've tried other brands and for me this one tastes the best.)
  
• Rice Pudding -- Kozy Shack
  
• Yogurt -- Dannon or Yoplait brands are labeled Gluten Free!
  
• Cream cheese--Philadelphia
  
• Corn tortillas – Pepito
• Eggs
• Lunch meat – Oscar Mayer (Lucky me!  It's on sale this week!)
• Canned Black beans -- Goya or Hanover
• Tomato Soup -- Pacific
• Canned tuna -- Chicken of the Sea
• Canned chicken – Valley Fresh, read the label, it should say GF, if it doesn't, err on not trying it.
• Rice Chex Cereal -- General Mills
• Peanut Butter--Jif Brand, but I also have 'natural' versions of peanut butter that are just as delicious and w/o the extra stabilizers and stuff, but Jif is the best to make my favorite cookies!
• Banana
• Pear

There are plenty of items that I already have in the pantry and freezer that I can add to this week's staples for my meals.  What's already in the pantry and freezer:

• Frozen broccoli and spinach -- store brand
  
• Whole Foods Bakehouse -- pizza crust and sandwich bread
  
• Glutino bagels
  
• Canned diced tomatoes (usually less expensive and won't spoil) -- store brand
  
• Bag of potatoes
  
• Bag of onions
  
• Fresh garlic and ginger
  
• Corn meal – Quaker
  
• Premade polenta – Sun of Italy
  
• Brown Rice
  
• Rice noodles (found in the Asian section of the store)
  
• Pasta -- DeBoles Corn or Ancient Harvest Quinoa pasta products
  
• Grits – store brand or Quaker
  
• Marinara sauce – Rinaldi original or marinara
  
• Goya's canned tuna stuffed olives (I love Goya!)
  
• Cook and serve pudding – jello
  
• Tortilla chips – Utz, Tostitos
  
• Salsa – many kinds, Mrs. Renfro’s is my current favorite (read the label, it should say GF, if it doesn't, err on not trying it.)
  
• Tofu – NaSoya
  
• Canned pineapple -- store brand
  
• Ground flax seed -- Bob’s Red Mill
  
• Nature Valley Roasted Nut Crunch (It's a new find for me and it's a great price, compared to other bars)
  
• Lara bars -- all the flavors are good
• Carnation Instant Breakfast (dark chocolate, all flavors but malt are ok)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 c. Peanut Butter

1 c. granulated sugar

1 c. brown sugar

1 Tbs. GF vanilla flavoring -- McCormick

4 eggs

1 bag chocolate chips -- Nestle

 

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients together. Drop 1" spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until slightly browned. Cool and Enjoy.

 

We baked these cookies at Christmas and I took them to my Super Bowl party. No one knew the difference. It was fun to see the reactions of family and friends when I told them the cookies were gluten free!

 

Gluten Free doesn't mean that you have to give up what you really love. It gives you a license to be creative!

Welcome to Monica and Her Outstanding Gluten-Free Hunting!

Monica is our newest associate contributor.  She's been quite active on our site for some time now, leaving great comments, and helpful pieces of advice.  She's been gluten-free for 2 years now.  Living with fibromyalgia, Monica decided to try the gluten-free diet as a potential treatment and form of relief.  Two years later, it must be working because she continues to eat gluten-free.  As always, we like to introduce our contributors with a list of their favorite foods; Monica's list includes:  hummus & carrots, pizza, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, nuts, lara bars, and a gluten-free diet staple:  chips and salsa.  In addition to enjoying great gluten-free food, Monica enjoys running & cycling, everything having to do with dogs, and the Avon Breast Cancer Walk.

Monica is a great gluten-free goodies hunter.  She brings with her some outstanding news: Gluten-Free Cakes and Cupcakes right here in the Baltimore Metro Area (and D.C.!).

Cakelove

American Can Company

2500 Boston Street, Suite 4B

Baltimore, MD 21224

410.522.1825

Cakelove helped Monica's boyfriend (perhaps he's actually the actual gluten-free goodies hunter in the relationship?) out and he scored bonus points by getting a gluten-free chocolate cake with fresh strawberry icing to share with friends after dinner at Nacho Mamas! 

Let's Dish!: The Results

 

An hour and a half, $100, and 24 servings of 4 meals later, I had "dished".  I'm a little obsessive compulsive about cross-contamination, so I was extra observant about possibilities for some sort of gluten to attack my meals.  But, to my surprise, everything was so clean and separate.  The staff members were very aware of making sure I knew exactly what I needed to do to ensure my meals would be gluten-free.  I have to give a shout-out to Whitney and Jenny at the location in Timonium, who both were extra helpful and understanding.The experience was fun, and made me feel included in the food prep world -- which I haven't really been involved in.  Gluten-Free cooking can be lonely, but Let's Dish has welcomed us in with open arms, clean countertops, knowledgeable staff, and gluten-free awareness that hit an entirely new level.  I cannot get over just how wonderful the experience was.

To have everything prepared -- ingredients cut up, spices with the appropriate measuring utensil, and packaging easily accessible -- is one of the many reasons I'm going back next month.  I think I'll actually end up using my money more wisely if I dedicate $100 a month to meals that can be stored in the freezer for up to 8 weeks.  There's going to be less food thrown away and more food eaten!  Especially for a gluten-free, single lady, who's busy busy busy...Let's Dish is my new best friend.

Of course, I can't just rave about all of this without actually talking about the real results.  If the food was gross, I would not suggest or recommend Let's Dish.  While it's nothing extraordinarily gourmet, the food is darn good.  I have now eaten the Honey Dijon Chicken with Roasted Carrots, Louisiana Jambalaya, Pesto Salmon, Sweet Potato Fries, and Ranch Potato Chips.  I still am looking forward to the Herbed Steaks.  

The Honey Dijon Chicken, in my opinion, was a little plain; however, if I decide to make it again, I'll just make it with a little extra sauce, which would take it up that extra notch.  The Louisiana Jambalaya was a hit, and so easy to cook.  Instead of using their chicken base (which is not gluten-free), it was suggested that when I prepared the dish, I replace the water with chicken broth.  Absolutely no problem -- a box of Kitchen Basics Chicken broth -- done.

My ultimate favorite, at the moment, is the Pesto Salmon.  Seriously, this dish is extraordinary.  I cut a slit in the top of the aluminum foil packet (still frozen), set the packet on a cookie sheet, put it in the oven, and 50 minutes later I was eating some of the tastiest salmon I have eaten in quite some time.

I'm signed up to go dish in April, and I'm looking forward to it.

GlutenFree Bakehouse: Bread, Scones, and Pie. Oh My!

This is Part II of a new series dedicated to answering the question:  What's in Your Pantry?

When Whole Foods Market opened their Gluten Free Bakehouse, (sometime around 2005) everything became a little better.  It was a day to be celebrated: bread, personal-sized pies, scones, muffins, brownies, biscuits, cornbread, cookies, pizza crust, pie crusts, cakes & cupcakes...all packaged and sitting there in the freezer section just waiting and wanting for me to eat them.

The Sun-dried Tomato and Roasted Garlic sliced bread, when toasted, is the perfect compliment to a turkey sandwich.  The sandwich bread is versatile and works well as toast to accompany eggs and bacon for breakfast, chopped and baked into croutons for a salad for lunch, or slathered with butter, garlic, and parsley for garlic bread to accompany a big gluten-free Italian dinner.

The first product I fell in love with, though, were the Almond Scones.  They're huge, so remember to cut them in half.  All that needs to be done is let them thaw in the refrigerator, and then eat.

Of course, at Thanksgiving, it was fun to have a pumpkin pie and pecan pie pre-made sitting in my refrigerator.

I also find that their pizza crusts, while not so great for pizza, make a great base for gluten-free focaccia:  just brush with olive oil add some herbs and bake:  Moist, chewy, and delicious in minutes!

-Kate

Editor-in-Chief

Are Your Lips Making You Sick?

Last spring, I moved to Baltimore from Durham, North Carolina. Back in Durham, Burt's Bees, the 100% all natural personal care products company, is big business...after all it's headquartered there.

So, not surprisingly, while living in Durham I got hooked on Burt's Bees gluten-free lip gloss and lip shimmer and was relieved upon relocating to Baltimore to find them just about everywhere in Charm City too (CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Target).  Lipstick, lip gloss, shimmers and even chapstick is something gluten-intolerant lips need to worry about.  Living Without Magazine reports in the February/March 2009 issue that women "eat" an average of 6 pounds or 96 tubes of lipstick in their lifetime!

Happily, Burt's Bees maintains an updated list of all their gluten-free products, which include lotions, creams, and soaps, with lines for men and babies too:  Click Here for a list of products suited for those with gluten intolerances.

My favorites are the gluten-free super shiny lip glosses and lip shimmers.  Burt's Bees just launched two new shimmer shades, Caramel and Peony, which I can't wait to see on the shelves of Baltimore area drug stores.

-Christine

Larabar Love

This is Part I, of a new series dedicated answering the question: What's in Your Pantry?

My constant companion these past four gluten-free years has been the Larabar. Not only are these fruit-and-nut energy bars always stashed in my pantry, they’re also in my coat pockets, glove compartment, purse and diaper bag. I even crammed a few of them in my labor bag for my two-day stay in the hospital when my daughter was born. They’re by far the tastiest and healthiest gluten-free snack, pick-me-up, or light meal I’ve found. Plus, they hold up really well whether it’s freezing or sweltering. 

Larabars currently come in 14 flavors, but that number keeps growing. When I first discovered the Larabar in 2005, there were just four or five flavors, not that I was complaining, back then I was a new celiac slogging through food labels and Larabar was the only energy bar with ingredients I could actually pronounce. (No Larabar has more than 6 ingredients). 

My favorite flavor changes (though for almost a year I was hooked on Cashew Cookie). Last fall I was really into Apple Pie and Ginger Snap, and most recently I was noshing on Peanut Butter Cookie, which unfortunately has been voluntarily recalled along with just about every other peanut butter product out there. While I wait for the store shelves to be re-stocked with Peanut Butter Cookie, I’m enjoying Coconut Cream Pie.

I buy Larabars by the box and pick them up at Whole Foods for $21.99 per box (16 per box), at Trader Joes who sells them for $1.29 per bar, or from Giant who carries a small selection and sells them for $1.25 per bar. For the best selection however, check out Whole Foods.

Larabar has two other lines of energy bars as well, Jocalat, which is the chocolate-y version of the Larabar, and their newest bar, a kid-friendly, crispy bar called the Jamfrakas. All of them are gluten-free. Yum.
-Christine

gf Meals by Your Dinner Secret

We were sitting around discussing several Celiacs we know who don't follow the gluten-free diet strictly, and then continue to complain about their miserable symptoms.  These are the ones who are too busy to take care of themselves, don't have the time to recognize that the gluten-free diet isn't like a weight-loss diet; rather, it is a lifestyle.  That's where gf Meals comes to the rescue!

In a world where much of our grocery store's freezer section is filled with TV dinners, the gluten-free diet has been slow to catch-up; however, that's no longer the case.  gf meals offers entrees, side dishes, baked goods that will be delivered directly to your door and ready to cook. In our busy world, this may be the ticket to remaining healthy.  

Click here to visit gfMeals.com

IKEA: Not just for furniture anymore

Yes, Ikea is known worldwide as a home furnishings store.  However, here's a little known fact: They have a few gluten-free products (those in the freezer case are some of our favorites!). Every Almondy tarta is gluten-free and delicious. 

So, after searching out some "build-your-own" furniture, and accessories to store all your great gluten-free products, go search out some "thaw-your-own" desserts at their Swedish Market!

Where?

Baltimore, MD

8352 Honeygo Blvd.

Baltimore, MD  21236

College Park, MD

10100 Baltimore Ave.

College Park, MD  20740