Christo's

My husband loves diners. He hunts them down. One of his more recent finds is in College Park on Edgewater Drive. Just south of Princeton, Christo's is a kicking little place that offers great food at great prices. And, while nothing on the menu is specifically gluten free, there are several items that are by their nature. The staff is well informed and willing to work around allergies and learn more about them. I have had a great experience there every time I've gone. I've ordered the tilapia plate twice, both times with different seasonings, collard greens, and potatoes, and I've ordered corned beef hash with eggs over medium and cheese grits. The fish can be a bit overseasoned, but it tastes fresh, which is rare for Orlando fish. I haven't gotten sick there yet, even when many people in my part have ordered glutinous things like pancakes and toast. They are open until 9pm, participate with the Buy Local card, and are available through Doorstep Delivery. It's a great place to go after church. Just don't expect an easy seat. Other people know how good it is, too!

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Gluten free at UCF

Wow. It has been too long since I've posted anything. I've been so busy with school! And speaking of school, it can be kind of tricky finding gluten free food on a college campus. I have managed to find a few options, though. There is a Chic Fil A Express on campus with a grilled chicken salad, grilled chicken sandwich (without bun, of course), and GLUTEN FREE WAFFLE FRIES! Yep, that's right! The fries are cooked separately, and are safe! There are also fruit cups and carrot salad available as well as several sauces and salad dressings. I was thrilled to find that the Polynesian sauce was gluten free!

There are also some gluten free options at the campus book store. There is a Starbucks that has several gluten free beverage options. It also serves salads, some of which are gluten free. I get the strawberry walnut salad with Kens raspberry vinaigrette. I haven't been disappointed with it yet. The bookstore itself has a few snack options like flavors of Lays potato chips (avoid the barbecue) and a large selection of candies.

Beyond that, I'm not sure what other options there might be directly on campus. Does anyone know? Please feel free to comment! If these choices seem limiting, there are several restaurants close to campus that are accommodating. Chipotle, Pei Wei, Tilted Kilt, Buffalo Wild Wings, First Watch, Green & Grille, and a Wendy's are all on the strip of University Blvd. approaching the campus. And, of course, there is always the brown bag approach, too.

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Egg Rolls!

Alright, folks! I finally did it! Gluten free egg rolls are a success in my house tonight! It takes a little time, but it is really easy. Here's the recipe:

1lb ground pork
shredded cabbage and carrots (I used a bag of slaw mix)
soy sauce to taste
ginger to taste
pinch of nutmeg
lemon juice to taste
salt to taste
rice wrappers (about 10)

1) Brown the ground pork in a pan, mixing soy sauce and seasonings.
2) When the pork is almost completely cooked, add the cabbage and carrots. Cook until vegetables are tender.
3) Fill plate with water. Submerge rice wrappers, one at a time, in the water for a few seconds to soften. Submerging too long with result in a wrapper that falls apart.
4) Place softened wrapper on a second plate. Add about two tablespoons of filling, and roll tightly. Put aside.
5) Place egg roll in about two inches of hot oil (about 375 F) until wrapper is opaque and slightly browned. Place cooked egg roll on a plate to cool.

It's important throughout the process that you do not let egg rolls touch each other, as they wrappers will stick together, even when cooked. The wrappers will also stick to paper towels and paper plates. The rice wrappers are much more delicate than traditional, wheat based egg roll wrappers, so they are harder to handle with tongs. In the past, I used metal tongs and ripped the wrappers, exposing the filling. Tonight, I used flat, silicone-tipped tongs that worked very well.

The filling had a good flavor, though I wish the wrapper would have been slightly more crispy. I think that the consistency is due to my lack of skill. For a first successful attempt, though, I am incredibly pleased with my result.

Ali Baba

Today for lunch, my friend and I were in Longwood, and she suggested we go to a Turkish restaurant. She called to see if they had gluten free food, and they assured us that they had a lot of gluten free options. Plus, we had a coupon. So, we collected our husbands and had a double lunch date. :) When we were being seated, I mentioned my gluten allergy, and I was concerned because the food for lunch is buffet style. I was assured that most of the items on the buffet were gluten free and labeled. When I reached the buffet, I saw that was the case. Though some of the signs were missing, the ones that were there listed all the ingredients, and it's dietary attributes (gluten free, low sodium, low fat, vegetarian, etc.). For those items without signs, I asked the staff. They were able to tell me exactly which items did and did not have gluten. There were tons of choices for me. There were at least three salad items, two types of rice, lentil soup, chicken and rice soup, babaganoush, kabobs, a beef and bean stew sort of thing, and chicken. The food was delicious, and I hate to admit, I over-indulged a little. The restaurant also sold items near the register such as Turkish delight (also gluten free). Hookah was available as well. While no one was using it, there was a stage in the restaurant, and dancers perform sometimes. The staff was friendly and accessible, and the restaurant was clean and had a pleasant environment. It is, however, quite pricey, so I wouldn't go all the time. In fact, I wouldn't go without a coupon. But, it was a nice treat!

Udi Wows Again - This Time with Hamburgers!

Tonight I had a lovely dinner - a "hamburger" with all the fixin's (well, a lot of them, anyway) and a side of sweet potato fries! I started with some Udi hamburger buns. Tonight was the first time I tried them, and I was very excited. Previously, I had to use Kinnikinnick buns, which had a hard, oily texture and a strange aftertaste and were not pre-cut, so I was very excited when my Publix started carrying the new Udi brand buns. Udi's buns are pre-cut (yay!), and are soft, with a texture very much like regular hamburger buns. I am hooked! Never again will I settle on a lack-luster hamburger. I topped my Udi hamburger buns with an Amy's Gluten Free Bistro Burger, a slice of Kraft 2% American cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion, Sweet Baby Rays barbecue sauce, and French's honey dijon mustard. It was tasty! For I side, I had some Ore Ida sweet potato fries. I am so grateful for the ever-growing line of delicious Udi products. In addition, I am awed by how many mainstream brands are available for those of us with Celiac disease. I am also grateful for the massive selection available at my local grocery store. Thank you, Publix for making this dinner a possibility!

Popeye Would Be Proud

In an effort to tone up my body, I am focusing on a high-protein, low(er)-carb diet. For my mornings, this means eggs. Lots. of. eggs. And while I make lovely eggs, there's only so many times you can make a recipe without getting bored. I decided something with spinach would be nice, so I scoured the internet for a recipe that involved spinach and scrambled eggs. I found a recipe entitled Scrambled Eggs with Spinach on About.com that I quite enjoy, though I did modify it to use the ingredients I had in my kitchen already. Also, I quartered the recipe so that it made only one serving. Here it is:

12oz package of baby spinach leaves
2tbs olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced (I used garlic powder)
4tbs heavy cream (I used 2% milk)
8 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste (I used red pepper for a little kick)
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves (I omitted these)
2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese

Coarsely chop spinach leaves. Heat oil in large, heavy skillet and cook onion and garlic until crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped spinach and cook, stirring often, until spinach is tender, about 5-7 minutes.

In small bowl, beat cream with eggs, salt, pepper, and thyme until foamy (the milk did not get foamy). Add the egg mixture to the skillet, stirring to allow the eggs to scramble with the spinach, about 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Having less food, I chose a small skillet, and the cooking times were lower. The recipe was delicious, though I think the garlic made the flavor a little darker than I was anticipating this morning. The new recipe was a nice change in my morning routine. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Ma! The Meatloaf!

Sometimes a girl needs her comfort food. Sometimes that comfort food is meatloaf. This week was one of those times for me. I recently acquired a copy of The Gluten Free Bible, which is an amazing resource for gluten free cooking. It has tons of recipes of varying cuisine with a wide range of ingredients that are reasonably accessible. One of these recipes is for Southwestern meatloaf, and it sparked a serious craving. Aaron and I cooked it last night, though with some modifications. Here is the recipe and my critique.

1lb ground beef
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup shopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 can (4oz) chopped mild green chiles, drained
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper (I used a peppercorn medley grinder)
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce, divided
2 tbs ketchup (I used Sweet Baby Rays Chipotle Barbecue sauce)

1) Preheat over to 350F. Spray 13x9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2) Combine beef, onion, cornmeal, cilantro, chiles, egg, cumin, salt, pepper, and half of tomato sauce in large bowl; mix well. Combine remaining tomato sauce and ketchup in small bowl.
3) Shape meat mixture into 6x9-inch oval in prepared baking pan. Top with tomato sauce mixture. Bake 55 minutes or until cooked through (160F).
4) Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Makes 4 servings

This is a pretty good recipe! I like the twist on a traditional favorite. I substituted the pepper because that is the pepper we had. I think I would prefer the original black pepper, as some of the peppercorn bits were still too firm and messed up the texture. I substituted the barbecue sauce for the ketchup because I loathe ketchup. It gave it a nice punch of flavor that I quite enjoyed! The recipe was straightforward, easy to follow, and yielded nice results. The only minor complaint I have is that the meatloaf came out a little dry. I think this is because of the cornmeal. Next time I may try GF breadcrumbs. The recipe also needs a bit more salt. To combat this, I topped it with some fresh barbecue sauce, which worked beautifully.

I served the meatloaf with some Southwest corn from Birds Eye. While the recipe claims to feed four, we had quite a lot of food, and I think it could easily feed more, providing no one wants seconds. We have a substantial amount of left-over food to eat now!

GF in Milton, FL

For those of you (and I'm sure there's a lot) who don't know about Milton, it's a city in the far west part of the Florida panhandle, just east of Pensacola. It's a small city, and most businesses close painfully early, but it has some lovely rivers in which to canoe, great camping, amazing restaurants, and a fantastic bike trail. It also happens to be my hometown. A few weeks ago, I had to visit Milton, FL for a funeral. Aside from the obviously bad situation, I was excited to see my family, because I had been missing them! The dietary downside, however, is that Milton is a small country town with delicious, traditional Southern food. This means gluten, and lots of it! If you DON'T have a gluten allergy, you must go to Kwikburger. The fried chicken is amazing, they have great cornbread, and the pies are fantastic. La Hacienda is some of the best Mexican food I've ever eaten. The Catfish House is an amazing place to go for good seafood, and you can't leave without a stop to the Milton Bakery, which frankly, puts other bakeries to shame. HOWEVER, since all of those places are full of gluten, I had to find some alternatives to my old favorites. Sad! Though to be fair, the Catfish House does have grilled fish and a few sides that are available, but cross contamination can be an issue there. On a previous trip, I discovered that I could eat at a place called the Blackwater Bistro, which is a lovely place to have a nice, more upscale dinner in town. They were pleasant and knowledgeable, and I felt very safe eating there. This trip, I mostly ate at my dad's house, because he is an amazing cook, and I knew I'd be safe. I brought a few GF items with me from Orlando, because I knew they'd be tricky to find in Milton. For the most part though, between Winn Dixie and Publix, I can find quite a few gluten free items to meet my needs. The GF selection in Milton grocery stores compared to Orlando grocery stores of the same chains, however, is quite unimpressive. Knowing my preference for a pescatarian diet, my dad made delicious vegetables, including pan fried okra, and a lemon herb tilapia that was quite tasty. Eating my dad's food is always a treat! On the occasions that I could not eat at home, however, I managed to find some decent options. In the neighboring town of Pace, FL, there is a Chili's, which of course, has a pretty large GF menu. I met a friend there and ate dinner the second night of my trip. Also, I knew that Wendy's had gluten free food, but I hadn't been brave enough to venture a try here in Orlando, especially not at the one at Chickasaw Trail and Lake Underhill. I wouldn't trust them with regular food. Knowing that fast food in Milton is vastly superior to fast food in other places (it's true, investigate it yourself!), I thought I'd give Wendy's a try. To my surprise, Wendy's does not only have a GF free menu, they have a HUGE GF menu. I had a baja salad and a small frosty on maybe three different occasions while on my trip! The employees of that location were very helpful and diligent with my food allergy, often vocalizing the steps they were taking to keep my food safe. I was impressed! The other place I ate out while in Milton was Ace's Fillin' Station, which is another traditional Southern restaurant. I ate there for breakfast, and they were extremely helpful with my food allergy, bringing items to the table so I could check labels and running back and forth to the kitchen to check information. After I thanked the server for being so helpful, she replied with a smile, "Of course, Honey. I don't want you to get sick. An ambulance in front of a restaurant is always bad for business." Good Southern humor for you! I felt confident that I could eat there safely. There was only one questionable item, and it was my fault for not checking it. Oops! I ended up being OK, though. :) I also found out about some other gluten friendly restaurants in Pensacola, FL, which is about 20-30 minutes from Milton, including some chains like Chili's, Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill, and Red Robin. So, Celiacs can relax when visiting the Pensacola area. They will take care of you!

Spicy Parmesan Tilapia

Ok, readers. You are in for a treat. Tonight I share one of my signature recipes, Spicy Parmesan Tilapia. It's a very simple recipe, and it is amazing! All you need are fresh tilapia filets, Italian dressing (I prefer to use Ken's Lite Northern Italian), garlic powder, salt, ground red pepper, and Parmesan cheese. I broil the fish, and since I have an electric stove (boo!), I heat the oven to its highest heat (525, I think), and I move one of the oven racks to the highest shelf setting, closest to the heating coils. When the oven is heated, I turn on the broiler. Meanwhile, I marinate the tilapia in the Italian dressing. I also prepare a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil (for easy clean-up and cross-contamination avoidance). When the oven is ready, I place the fish on the baking sheet, and sprinkle the garlic powder, red pepper, and salt on the fish. I don't measure, I tend to go by sight. I broil the fish for roughly 10 minutes. Depending on the thickness of the fish, it may be done sooner. I check the fish constantly, looking for the edges to get a brown, crispy texture. This description always worries Aaron. he feels like the fish will be over done. It isn't, but it is a delicate balance. Only the very edge needs to be browned. This is how I know it is done. Once the fish has obtained the desired appearance, I take it out of the oven, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and serve! I have served it with a variety of sides, my favorites being Spanish-style rice or mashed potatoes and broccoli. I'm sorry that there aren't pictures, but I just can't leave the fish sitting uneaten long enough to take the picture! Even if you're not gluten free, this recipe is definitely worth a try. Good luck! Tell me what you think!

Goodbye to North Carolina :(

After the banana disaster, Aaron and I headed back out into town. We had lunch at Hawg Wild BBQ, which is right by the entrance to the Pisgah forest. We called ahead, and the manager gave me a thorough rundown of everything I could eat there, and it sounded like I had several choices. Armed with information, I ordered a BBQ pork platter with their Eastern BBQ sauce, which has a vinegar base, and roasted corn on the cob. I was disappointed that I couldn't have traditional sauce (Western) because it had wheat as a thickener (as does all other BBQ sauce in North Carolina - BEWARE!), but it was fun to try something new! While it was totally different to have vinegar on pork, I liked it. After that, I decided that I had spent enough time in the rain and mud, and I wanted to have a night out in a dress. We started going to a local bluegrass jam session, but it wasn't very good, so we left. We ended up at a downtown restaurant called Square Root, which had trivia later that evening. I asked if they could accommodate my diet, and they said that almost everything on their menu could be modified, and that the sous chef's girlfriend had Celiac, so he knew all about gluten intolerance. I LOVE hearing this! When I hear that someone on staff closely knows someone who has Celiac, I know I'll be taken care of. I had a salad with citrus vinaigrette, curry, and berry sorbet. Aaron's dinner was also gluten free, and he ordered the daily special, swordfish. We also split a bottle of wine. His dinner was tastier than mine. While the curry was surprisingly authentic, including raita and a poppodom, it lacked flavor. All the correct spices were there, but it was very bland. The trivia was fun, though, and my date was dreamy! ;)

On our last day in Brevard, we had breakfast, hung around the house for a bit, and then went downtown again. Our first stop was at Mayberry's for lunch. Wow! One of my favorite meals in Brevard! This unassuming deli with trivia on a chalk board has some great food! I ordered a soup and sandwich combo with balsamic lentil soup and a turkey sandwich with cranberry walnut sauce (on Udi bread!). The soup was different. It had a tomato base and an almost sweet vinegar flavor. It was very good! My sandwich, however, deserves top billing. The turkey was a slice from a smoked whole turkey, and the cranberry walnut sauce was made fresh there. The bread was cooked in butter, and while it is not at all healthy, it is DELICIOUS! I could've eaten two ore sandwiches, they were so good. I did not, however, because I do have SOME restraint. Some. :) I was interested in seeing a movie at the downtown Co-Ed Theater, a cute, historic, single-screen theater, but we had about 2 and a half hours until the next showing. Needing to kill time, we wandered into OP Taylors, an awesome toy store that mixes modern and classic toys. We also found some gifts for friends and family. We perused antiques and a really fun architectural salvage shop. My favorite item we found (though I didn't get it) was an old knitting catalog from the 70's. In Japanese. Finally, it was time to see Cars 2 (great move, loved the Tokyo scenes). After that, we went back home and cooked some dinner. We weren't really hungry, so we pieced together a salad, pan-fried okra, and for me, boiled eggs.

The drive home was fairly uneventful. I ate a large breakfast before we left, so that we did not need to stop for food. Aaron grabbed taco bell on the way out of town. Still loaded with our gluten free snacks, we kept ourselves fed until dinner, for which we stopped in Brunswick, GA, again. We ate at a Ruby Tuesdays because they have a gluten free menu, and except for Aaron's complimentary cheddar biscuits, both of our meals were gluten free. I had a pesto mahi mahi with green beans and white cheddar mashed potatoes. The fish was very good, but the sides were just OK. The green beans had good flavor, but needed more seasoning. The mashed potatoes might have had good flavor, but I couldn't tell because the whole thing tasted like a salt lick. I was expecting deer to follow us back to our car!

A Culinary Disaster!

Excited about my new rice wrappers, I decided to make banana lumpia (egg rolls) for breakfast. I cut up my bananas, added cinnamon and sugar, and started getting my wrappers ready. They were hard and stiff, so based on directions I found online, I submerged them one at a time in water for about 15 seconds before using them. I placed my banana mixture on the wrapper, folded it up, and set it aside until I had filled all the ones I was making. The oil was ready, so I dropped the first one in. It started browning up nicely right away, and I was very happy. I put a second one in with the first one, and that was a mistake. They two stuck together, and in separating them, I tore the wrappers. This was the beginning of a downward spiral. All the rest of the lumpia started out well, but when I tried to turn them or remove them with tongs, the wrapper would tear, and banana mixture would spill out into the oil. I managed to salvage some, and I thought the wrappers and spilled mixture tasted alright, but it was not what I would call a success. I think the metals tongs are too sharp. I will try this again with maybe silicone tongs or tongs with more of a paddle on the tip. Oh well! We learn from these disasters and become better cooks for it. :)

More gluten free than meets the eye

Yesterday, Aaron and I started with some breakfast, but because it was foggy and overcast, we decided to wait on exploring nature. Instead, we FINALLY checked out Poppies and wandered around downtown for a bit. Poppies market has gluten free items, but it's not anything special. Whole Foods might do a better job, honestly. I did, however, find some soup mixes that are gluten free, including a chicken noodle soup mix with corn noodles. We bought a few of those. I also found some rice wrappers, which I have been wanting to try. I bought some of those, too, and I might buy some more before we leave. All in all, though, it was not the amazing experience I was told it would be. But then, those who told me probably have never seen Chamberlin's. Central Florida has it good! After Poppies, Aaron really wanted to try Rocky's, a restaurant next to a shop called Bullwinkle's. Haha, Rocky and Bullwinkle! ;) Anyway, it is a cute little malt shop with tons of retro Coke decoration, bar stools, and charm. Aaron ordered a strange little item called a grilled pimento cheese sandwich and a cherry soda. He enjoyed it greatly! The menu did have salads and things, but there were some cross-contamination concerns, and I wasn't feeling daring yesterday. So, I chose to wait for lunch until I could come home and eat left over pasta. On the way, though, we did stop at a gelato shop that caught my eye called Kiwi Gelato. I asked if they were gluten free. They were! All of their flavors are gluten free unless they specifically add cookies to the flavor. I had the Fior di Latte flavor. With its light, sweet cream flavor mixed with a hint of strawberry, it was quite lovely. Though they had great gelato, they didn't have the flavor I wanted to try - White Squirrel. I will have to catch that one before we leave! On the way back to the car, we passed a restaurant called Mayberry's, and we noticed a sign that said they offer gluten free bread! We will try them! After lunch, the sun came out and the day warmed up, so we headed out to Sliding Rock. So much fun! It is a 60-foot rock with a current of water that propels you into an 8ft pool of icy water. After that, it started raining again, so we hunkered down at home to stay out of the nasty storm. We made a lovely gluten free dinner right here, though. Aaron made pork chops seasoned with Chef Paul Prudhomme's Veal & Pork Magic, and I boiled some corn and made a fried green tomato. :)

Lazy days in North Carolina.

So far, we've visited Asheville and we've explored Downtown Brevard and all the 4th of July celebration the city has to offer. Asheville has a lot of gluten free restaurant options available. Our first stop had nothing to do with food, though! We went to a Dillards clearance center. It was pretty cool. Aaron had more options than me, but they had a lot of good clothes at a huge discount, plus, all clothes were BOGO. After 5 hours of bargain hunting (and we still didn't look through everything), we were hungry! Aaron found an egg roll in the mall, but there was nothing for me. So, I used my handy dandy app, and we found a restaurant in the historic Biltmore Village called Neo Cantina. Lovely! They had a gluten free menu, and both the kitchen and wait staff were very knowledgeable. First, because I checked in on Yelp, we got a free queso dip. You can add all sorts of stuff to it, but I just wanted the plain queso. It was very well seasoned. I had grilled fish tacos on corn tortillas with mango salsa. They needed a little heat, so I added some Cholula hot sauce to it, and it was good. Aaron also ordered the tacos, and they put his on corn tortillas, too, so his meal was gluten free as well! That meant we could share an amaretto flan for dessert. And, we were glad that we did!

The next day, I had cottage cheese and a fresh peach for breakfast, then we headed out to the July 4th celebration in Downtown Brevard. The festival was really cute, and it reminded me of city festivals from my home town. Booths housing political propoganda, art vendors, and food lined the street. Car raffles and live music peppered the streets. The downtown shops were open for the public, too. I loved it! I was expecting to have to scrounge for food, but I immediately saw a booth from Poppies market. Hallelujah! They have a huge gluten free food selection (so I've heard - still haven't gone yet), so they are obviously aware. I asked about gluten free options, and I was able to have a bratwurst with sauerkraut without the bun. I also got an enormous piece of watermelon. I would have rather eaten vegetarian, but when options are slim, sausage is a delicious option. :) Toward the end of our downtown adventure, we found a chocolate shop called Downtown Chocolate. The chocolate is all made fresh in the store, so they know exactly what goes into the sweet treats. There were some chocolate bars with Oreo cookies that I couldn't have, but everything else was fine. I chose some toffee bars covered with dark chocolate and almonds, a coconut curry truffle, a cherry white chocolate truffle, and a Mexican hot chocolate truffle. The toffee is amazing, and I'm still working on eating it. For me, the coconut curry truffle is a little overwhelmed with curry flavor, but the cherry truffle was fantastic, and the Mexican hot chocolate truffle in addicting with its sweet chocolate, darker flavor from spices, and a spicy kick from cayenne pepper that is subtle at first and then grows. I only purchased the one truffle, but we will be back before we leave to get some to take home! That night, we waited until after the fireworks to make dinner. I made a simple side salad and some Tinkyada tri-colored gluten free pasta topped with Classico carmalized onion and roasted garlic sauce. Not a bad dinner, if I say so myself! We have left-overs, so that will be a lunch on one of our more quiet days.

Our next day, I had cottage cheese for breakfast again, and then we went waterfall hunting! The waterfalls are breathtaking! Unfortunately, at our second one, we were in the middle of a mile-long hike to reach it, and we got rained out with a thunderstorm. Boo! We wound our way further up the mountain to reach the Pisgah Inn restaurant. On our way, we saw the most awe-inspiring phenomenon. The moisture from the storm met the heat of the mountain, and it created fast-rising steam that made the mountains look like they were smoking. Beautiful! It's nothing particularly new - this is what the Smokey Mountains are known for. However, being in the Blue Ridge mountains, it was a nice surprise! By the time we reached the Inn, we were starving and freezing (because we were drenched from the rain storm). They said they could accommodate gluten free, but what I found was they had a few items that were naturally gluten free, and I could have those. And that's fine. However, they didn't realize that some items like soy sauce have gluten in them. The only thing I found to order was a pork chop with a cranberry apple chutney. I ordered this with a green bean medley and some wild rice. It all tasted very good. In fact, the pork chop was incredible. It tasted like pork and fire. I did, however, suspect (and with reason) the vegetable medley. It smelled like Teriyaki sauce. I asked if it had any sauce, and the waiter said no, but if it smells like Teriyaki, and it tastes like Teriyaki, I have a hard time believing that it is NOT Teriyaki. I don't know... I stopped eating the vegetables, but damage had already been done. So, my stomach is a bit upset. The inn is worth visiting, however, because the view is breathtaking. The restaurant is surrounded by walls of window, so you can see the view from the top of Mount Pisgah as you eat, and from the lookout porch, you can easily see about 15 different mountain peaks. From there, we took the Blue Ridge Parkway to Asheville and then looped back south to meet some friends in Columbus, NC. They actually live in Orlando, too, and are visiting at the same time. They have a vacation home here, and invited us to dinner. Also, they eat gluten free, too! What an amazing dinner they served! The first course was a mango salad topped with grilled shrimp (which I did not eat, because shrimp likes to kill me) paired with a local white wine. The second course was an antipasta which had delicious vegetables, cheese, and sausage. I was excited for the vegetables! The main course was a delicious risotto. Both of these courses were paired with a red wine. Desert was a sort of Italian frozen custard with peaches paired with a sweeter red rine. A gourmet dinner with fascinating company? Anytime!

Ingles Grocery

This post is a tad out of sequence, but I didn't want Ingles to get buried in another post somewhere. It deserves its own space. Why? It's enormous. Seriously. Publix on steroids. Or, for those who remember, a lot like a large Delchamps. It even has a movie rental place (that we employed, of course). It's not a health store, and it doesn't have more gluten free options than any other grocery store. For that, I must go to a store called Poppies (which I intend to do, just haven't caught it open yet). In fact, in some categories, it has less (like Amy's products). It does, however, have a HUGE gluten free baking section, dwarfed only by Chamberlin's. It has the Betty Crocker gluten free mixes, but it also has other major brands including Glutino. The best part about Ingles, however, is their signage. They have little tan stickers that say "gluten free" under their products. The stickers are right beside the price tags and sale stickers. Not every maintstream gluten free product is listed, but several are. It's a start. I thought that was very nice. It not only helps Celiacs as consumers, but also it helps our confused friends when they try to feed us. Plus, it raises awareness in the general public that we do exist, and that there is food for us. Mainstream food. Yummy food. I don't know about you, but I always get, "Wheat, huh? That must suck. How do you eat anything?" Well, thanks to Ingles, maybe people will know!

Driving to the Carolinas!

My husband decided to surprise me with a romantic vacation this summer. I love him! We rarely get to travel just for travel's sake. Luckily, our WONDERFUL friends have a house in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina that they were willing to let us borrow for a week. So, the next few posts will be about our adventures here. We're near(ish) the border between both Carolinas, so we are planning to explore a little of both. The drive up was long, but surprisingly not boring. The drive in the mountains was sometimes downright scary! Besides the surprisingly nice drive, we also had a surprisingly nice time getting gluten free food! We did bring snacks and drinks, and Aaron, being the wonderful husband he is, purposely brought gluten free snacks so that we should share. :) But, one cannot eat snack food for 10 hours, so we did stop for lunch and dinner. The first stop was in Brunswick, GA. To find GF food, we did have to venture away from the interstate and into the town. We originally planned to eat at a Longhorn Steakhouse because we found a gluten free menu online, but then we saw a Five Guys in the same parking lot and decided it would be cheaper and faster to eat there. Oh darn! ;) They were, as always, very good about dealing with my food allergy, though they kept making Aaron's order before mine, so they had to change their gloves about five times. I giggled a little. I am very glad, though, that the gloves were changed. The food was amazing like always. About half an hour before dinner, we needed to stop to change drivers. We stopped at a Pilot station off of I-26 in South Carolina, and while we walked around, I noticed a bag of caramel popcorn from the Rocky Mountain Popcorn Company that said it was gluten and nut free right on the front of the bag. Reading the ingredients, it also looks dairy free, but I can't verify that. They had other flavors, too, but I'm a caramel fiend. We had snacks in the car, but the bag was $2, and I was curious, so the popcorn got purchased. I had a few bites, but not many because we were on our way to dinner. Oh My God! This popcorn is fantastic. Truly fantastic. It is rich and sweet, but not overbearingly sweet. And at 120 calories per serving (there are four servings in a bag), it's not a diet breaker, either. I have yet to eat anywhere near a serving, and I've snacked on it three times. I will definitely be on the lookout for this popcorn in places other than Pilot stations. This stuff is amazing! For dinner, we stopped in Spartanburg, SC. I used my Droid phone app "Find Gluten Free Near Me" to find McAlister's Deli. The menu had a lot of gluten free options, and while it is a chain, we don't have it in Orlando (though there are locations in Florida), so we were excited about the new experience. It was a great experience. The people were friendly, and the gluten free menu didn't require me to change or substitute much. In fact, my meal was ordered straight from the menu without any modification. I had a pick two meal with a chipotle chicken salad and a potato ole. The chicken salad had lettuce, tomato, chicken, tortilla strips, and a delicious chipotle peach dressing. The dressing was rich and thick, so I did not need much. The sweet and very spicy flavor really complimented the salad. The potato was topping with vegetarian chili, cheese, and jalapenos. This was also delicious! The jalapenos brought heat without it being overwhelming, and the chili had a very nice flavor. Great restaurant! We had a lovely drive, and now I'm going to stop blogging about it and experience the Carolinas!

GF Blueberry Muffins! Udi wins again!

I love blueberry muffins. I have since I was a child. I don't eat them all the time, but not eating a blueberry muffin in the year I've been gluten free has been quite sad. Enter Udi baked goods. Again. I knew they made muffins, but my Publix didn't carry them, so I'd never tried them. I was investigating a new Publix to see what they offered, and right in the gluten free bread section was the Udi muffins. The muffins come in a tray of four muffins, and are a bit pricey, but the muffins are large, and it's cheaper (and often tastier) than going to a GF bakery. While I had high hopes because I trust Udi brand products, I didn't really know what to expect. When I opened the package, I was surprised to see huge grains of sugar on all of the muffins. These are not for dieters! These muffins are for days when I exercise or eat lots of salad! The first muffin I ate, I just took right out of the container. It had a good taste, but it was hard and crumbly. I was a bit disappointed, but then I remembered that when things are a bit dried out, it helps to wrap them in a paper towel and microwave them for a few seconds. So, the next day, I tried a muffin with the microwave technique. Bingo! We have a winner! These muffins suddenly were moist, spongy, warm, and delicious. When warmed, the contrast between the soft muffin and the crunchy sugar is really punctuated. The flavor of the blueberry is brought to the forefront. These are easily the best blueberry muffins I have ever experienced, gluten free or not. I highly recommend them, and if I suddenly gain about 50 pounds, you know why. ;) (Not happening!)

Poolside service

Today I'm pretending to live in the lap of luxury. While my husband is attending a conference at the J.W. Marriott here in Orlando, I get to hang out by the pool. Oh darn, right? This place is incredible. The pool area is huge and the areas are all connected by a lazy river. The river has waterfalls and fountains, and the vegetation is beautiful. You don't even have to leave your seat to eat or drink. The servers come to you! As I lie in the shade with a breeze blowing, I think, is there any place I'd rather be right now? Nope! Admittedly, I'd rather be here with Aaron, and I thoroughly enjoy the times when he is able to join me out here. My only concern in this venture was eating. I figured a fancy hotel like this had to have something gluten free, but I didn't know if I could eat outside, or if I'd have to find a super pricey place inside. Luckily, this is a very conscientious hotel. Immediately, we found a little place that all sorts of gluten free snacks and breakfast bars available for purchase. I really wanted some real food, though, so I decided to investigate the outdoor restaurant, Quench. Definitely more a bar than an eatery, the drink list is probably three times larger than the food menu. The cocktails look amazing. I ordered a melon mojito. It was quite enjoyable. The server helping me was very nice, and as soon as I mentioned gluten, he was ready with available options and assurances that the kitchen staff was well equipped to handle allergies. He even offered to cook fries separately for me, since they fry everything together. I haven't taken up that offer yet, but I plan to do so before I leave. For my lunch, I chose to order a blackened fish salad, except that I had it grilled plain, because blackened seasoning and I do not get along very well. What intrigued me most about the salad was the unique toppings. It comes with fish, feta cheese, pickled onion, watermelon, and citrus vinaigrette. It was good. Very good. I ate it in my chair, and since it was a time when Aaron was free, I got to enjoy his company. Like I said, before I leave, I plan to get some fries and one more cocktail, which is a peach flavored rum concoction. Good day! Nice pre-vacation vacation.

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Udi-licious Pizza!

Tonight my friends and I had a make your own pizza party. They bought regular crust, and I brought some Udi gluten free crust. I hadn't tried it before, and I was excited. I made my pizza first, because we wanted to make sure that the shared toppings didn't get cross-contaminated. I thawed the crust, added toppings, and baked it for about 7 minutes. My excitement over this crust was definitely warranted! This is the best gf crust I've ever eaten. It has a soft texture and has elasticity that most gf crusts do not have. Absolutely fantastic. Polish that off with some flan from Publix, and I call that a perfect meal!

Mochi Madness

Oh, Mochi, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
1)You have the best taro yogurt I have ever eaten in my life (and I'm a bit of a taro yogurt nut).
2)You have delicious mochi ice cream balls (which, unfortunately, I do not think are gluten free...sigh... I did so love the red bean flavor.).
3)Your downtown location is convenient and pleasant. It is also by my favorite movie theater.
4)Your staff is friendly and helpful.
5)You always have the best movies playing in your store. (Tonight was Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory AND Charlotte's Web.)
6)You now serve boba tea.

What? Boba tea! Amazing! Taro yogurt AND the best beverage ever? Yes! Mochi Downtown has boba tea. Actually, they have boba tea and boba smoothies in many delicious flavors for our drinking pleasure.

One should note, however, that the Mochi yogurt is made with Danactive yogurt, and Dannon's gluten NONstatement states that while none of their yogurt is formulated with gluten containing products, they cannot guarantee that their stabilizing agents (referring to alcohol stabalizers, which may or may not be derived from corn instead of wheat, rye, barley, or oat) do not contain trace amounts of gluten. I will say that I have never had an issue with just their yogurt. I have, however, had issues when I've eaten their toppings. I suspect that they cut their fruit on the same cutting board as their pound cake, cookie dough, etc. I have no concrete proof of this, but I do know that I've only had a reaction when I've added toppings to the yogurt.

Fish disasters

I eat fish pretty frequently, so when I saw gluten free fish in the frozen section, I had to try it. The product is called Fish Creations and it's by a company called Morey. I chose the Mediterranean flavored tilapia. I had to soak it in cold water for thirty minutes to thaw it, and then I had the choice to grill it, bake it, or microwave it. The first time I made this fish, I decided to grill it. I thawed it and grilled the fish for the instructed amount of time, and it came out hard and rubbery. I tried to eat it, but I couldn't. I figured that I might have been to blame, so to give the product a fair chance, I decided to try the fish a different way. I thawed my fish, but this time I baked the fish. Since following the directions yielded sorely overcooked fish, I decided to cook it a shorter amount of time and then check it. It was cooked with the shorter time, so I plated the fish. While the fish was a better consistency, it was still very rubbery. I am done trying with this fish. Fish Creations is a no go. Looks like the only fish I'll be eating is fresh. There's no easy way out.

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