When I found out that I couldn’t eat licorice (yes, licorice is made with wheat flour!), I was surprised and disappointed. I love licorice. It was my vending machine lunch for many years when I worked in corporate America! YumEarth makes great licorice and other candies like gummies, jelly beans, lollipops, hard candy etc. In addition to being gluten free, this candy is organic, naturally flavored, doesn’t contain synthetic colors, or high fructose corn syrup, and it is very allergy friendly.
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Favorite Foods: Lance Gluten Free Snack Crackers are Great when Packing Lunches
Are you a mom who is packing lunch for your gf child? Or are you a mom who needs snacks for your toddler?
These crackers, made by Lance, are wonderful. They come in cheddar cheese and peanut butter, and they taste great! More importantly, your kids won’t feel like they are missing out when they see others eating Ritz bits!
Favorite Foods: Synder’s of Hanover GF Pretzels
Snyder’s of Hanover gf pretzels are among the best. They have the same crunch and good flavor as their regular pretzels. They offer pretzel sticks and twists, and even have honey mustard & onion and hot buffalo wing flavors! Snyder’s gf pretzels are available in most grocery stores and Target stores.
New Finds: Starbucks Adds GF Options
Thanks, Starbucks, for giving us more gf options when we stop in for our “Cup of Joe”. The number of gluten free food items is growing at Starbucks. If you are a frequent morning patron at Starbucks, they now have Sous Vide Egg Bites. These are a great gluten free option for those of us who haven’t had the option of grabbing breakfast at Starbucks. You have two choices: bacon & gruyere and egg white & red pepper. I’ve tried the bacon & gruyere. They are delicious and surprisingly filling.
In addition, at our local Starbucks, we noticed a complete gf section of packaged foods which even includes chocolate covered pretzels with caramel. One thing to note: There wasn’t any signage around these gluten free options, so be sure to read the packaging. You might be surprised at the gf options available at Starbucks!
New Finds: Jersey Mike’s Subs Has GF Rolls
We just discovered that Jersey Mike’s now has gluten free rolls for their sub sandwiches! Great news if you were getting tired of eating messy subs wrapped in lettuce or completely avoiding subs. The bread is good and held up to all the ingredients of a sub sandwich. There are locations in 43 states, although I’m not sure if all locations have gluten free bread. But if there’s a Jersey Mike’s near you, I’d check it out.
Nima Gluten Sensor; An Accessory for Dining Out
Tired of asking questions when dining away from home? Try a gluten sensor.
Nima is the world’s first portable gluten sensor (according to their web site). I have not tried this technology. It is suggested to use this sensor any time you are eating away from home, i.e., restaurants, buffets, pot lucks, etc. To test food for gluten, you place a small piece of food into a one-time-use capsule, and per the Nima web site, it takes approximately 3 minutes to determine if there is hidden gluten. Continue reading “Nima Gluten Sensor; An Accessory for Dining Out”
Best One Piece of Advice for Chefs and Restaurant Owners
Dear Restaurant Owners, Please Train Your Staff!
Dear Restaurant Owners: Let me start by saying, I am a big fan. I have tremendous respect for the creativity and the passion it takes to operate a restaurant. You have a distinctive sense of hospitality and a love of food. My husband and I share that love of food, and we love dining out. It’s kind of our hobby!
But when I discovered that I needed to remove gluten from my diet, I thought our dining out days were over. Soon I learned that with a little information and knowing what questions to ask, I could still eat a meal outside of my home.
Since then, we have dined at many restaurants from coast to coast. We’ve learned the gluten free knowledge of wait staff can vary greatly from restaurant to restaurant. I have had the pleasure of dining at places with exceptionally well educated wait staff. Unfortunately, I’ve also driven home from dinners doubled over in pain, because our server was not well informed.
So, if I could make a request of all restaurant owners, it would be to educate your wait staff to be well versed in the gluten free items on your menu. I make this request on behalf of the entire gluten free community. With a basic knowledge of what ingredients go into the food you are serving and understanding which ingredients contain gluten; your staff can direct us with certainty.
There is a level of comfort to me, as a restaurant patron, knowing that my server understands what gluten free means, and that he/she can guide me through a menu. And when I am comfortable, I become a regular patron.
Favorite Foods: O’Doughs GF Bagels Have Excellent Texture
Frozen bagels can be too bready whether they are gluten free or non-gluten free. I love O’Doughs Bagels. Of all the gf bagels that I have tried, O’Doughs bagels have the texture most similar to a non-gf bagel. And they are thinner, so they aren’t too filling. I’ve tried their sandwich thins which are also very good. They have many products that I haven’t found in any of my local stores, but you can order from their website. It appears they use a gluten free distributor as an e-commerce source.
Dining Out Basics and Hidden Glutens
Is a gluten free diet is new to you? If so, don’t be afraid to dine out. Just educate yourself and go out armed with questions.
If you dine out at all, you know there are vast differences in the knowledgeability of wait staff regarding gluten. At some restaurants, YOU are educating the wait staff about foods that contain gluten while other restaurants may have a well-informed, well trained staff that might teach you a thing or two. Continue reading “Dining Out Basics and Hidden Glutens”
Dream Sweets Baking Co. – A Hidden Gem in Upland
Last year, without a cake for my daughter’s birthday and without enough time to make one, I typed “gluten free bakeries” in a Google search. Dream Sweets Baking Co. came up as an option. I was thrilled to see that they make gluten free cakes (and they make BEAUTIFUL WEDDING CAKES!), brownies, pies, cupcakes, and breads. The breads are not sandwich breads but “cake” like breads including zucchini, blueberry lemon, pineapple coconut, and banana to name a few. I think I’ve tried most of them! Continue reading “Dream Sweets Baking Co. – A Hidden Gem in Upland”