Thursday, June 30, 2011

The Soup Peddler: Local Austin

The Soup Peddler is located in Austin and was started as a bike service, delivering soups to local residents and businesses. Now they have a store front and weekly menus outlining which soups will be available. The store is known as the JuiceBox and they sell daily soup specials along with everyday lunch items.


How it works
- Order online (or you can go to their store) then either...
- Pick up in store: 2801 S. Lamar Blvd
- Get delivery: at home or at the office

I have not come across many soup options that are gluten-free, but the Soup Peddler puts any special dietary information on each week's menu listed under each soup. In addition to listing "gluten-free" they also share information on vegan/vegetarian options as well as allergens such as nuts/cheeses. There are SO many great options that are gluten-free!! These include (from next week's menu):

- Chicken Soup w/Rice
- Cioppino
- Summer Squash Soup
- Tomato Basil
- Zimbabwe Peanut Stew
- Ratatouille


And more...

- Red Beans & Rice
- Greek Salad



Check out their calendar each week by clicking HERE

They boast that many of the soups can be frozen as well, and if you are Celiac that is common practice. So clean them out, it's worth it!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Gluten-Free Good for Athletes?

As some of you may have heard, a very (now) famous tennis player is praising the gluten-free diet and crediting it for his improvement on the court; in fact he's got gluten sensitivity. It's well known amongst gluten intolerant individuals that you feel SO much better once you go gluten-free and therefore you have more energy, feel better, etc. I had this same experience and my performance improved across all of my athletic activities (running, yoga, tennis) so I'm glad that he jumped on the bandwagon, however I'm not sure how this translates to other athletes without a diagnosis. Read on below...article from ESPN:

What's up with ... going gluten-free?

Jun 24 | By Julie Upton, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D.
 Novak Djokovic's recent winning streak stunned tennis commentators, leaving them wondering, "What's this guy on?" The better question is: What is he not consuming? The answer: pasta, bread and other foods containing the wheat protein gluten. Djokovic credits his good-to-great transformation to his recent diet change, saying that he "feels sharper and [has] lost a few pounds." He made the switch last year after his nutritionist determined he was allergic to gluten.

And while the Serbian star was rising through the ranks at the French Open (losing to R-Fed in the semis), another player, Sabine Lisicki, blamed gluten for the cramping and exhaustion that caused her dramatic on-court collapse. "I am sad to say my body let me down," she wrote on her blog. "Doctors recently discovered that I am intolerant to gluten." Lisicki speculates that this condition caused the cramping and exhaustion that led to her being carried off on a stretcher.

The recent spotlight on gluten has many athletes wondering if they, too, should steer clear of the stuff.

The nitty-gritty
A protein in wheat, barley and rye, gluten is found in these grains and the foods made from them. Although oats don't contain it naturally, they're often processed in facilities that handle wheat. Because of its thickening and preservative powers, gluten is also used in a long list of supermarket staples, including ketchup, ice cream, salad dressing, sauces, soups, seasonings, cold cuts, hot dogs, chips and dietary supplements.

While gluten is safe for most, it's no picnic for the 3 million -- or one in 133 -- people with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder. For people with this hereditary condition, gluten triggers inflammation and damage in the small intestine. That blocks absorption of nutrients, leading to anemia, osteoporosis and other problems.
Much more common, but less serious, is a gluten sensitivity: It's thought that up to one in seven people, like Djokovic, has trouble digesting the protein. Symptoms for this condition and celiac disease are similar; they include fatigue, gas, bloating, stiffness and diarrhea. Because there's no medication or treatment for these conditions, a gluten-free diet comes into play.

The real deal
If you suspect that you're intolerant, see your doc to test for celiac disease. While there are some screens for gluten sensitivity, it isn't an exact science. So you may want to try going gluten-free for a few months to see if you notice a difference. The eating plan requires eliminating all sources of gluten, including even the tiny amount in condiments like soy sauce and ketchup. Along with your usual servings of produce, dairy and proteins, you can substitute rice, corn, millet, potatoes and quinoa for wheat-based carbs.

Triathlete Terra Castro says going gluten-free was key for helping her go pro. "Before I was diagnosed with an intolerance, I felt tired all the time," she said. "It would take me forever to recover." Now she fuels up with quinoa and rice-based breads and pastas. Fellow pro triathlete and celiac sufferer Desiree Ficker said she knows she has to avoid wheat to stay competitive. "After trying several brands, I've found many gluten-free breads and cereals that I like. I also eat more rice and sweet potatoes and bake my own treats," Ficker said. "It's only hard when I'm traveling because airports don't have a lot of options."

But will going gluten-free give all athletes an extra edge? No, said Marie Spano, M.S., R.D., an Atlanta-based sports dietitian. "It will only help those who are truly sensitive to gluten, but it won't benefit those who aren't." She adds that many people also make the mistake of assuming wheat-free cookies and other packaged goods are healthier, but that's not the case. Bottom line: Scan labels and pick those with the best nutritional stats, whether or not they contain gluten.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

The Non-Cooking Method to Cooking...Help!

So, as you can probably tell if you are a reader of my blog, I don't cook. Not in the least...however there are a few "dishes" I guess you could call them that don't really involve cooking but need a little time and an addition of a couple ingredients to be considered a meal. That is what I like...and what I'd like you all to help me with!

Many of my readers aren't Celiac patients or gluten-free but may have some quick and easy ideas that don't involve gluten at all - these can include potatoes, rice, corn, etc. Since I'll be starting grad school in just a few short weeks I'm going to be low on time and money, so eating out for every meal is not an option. I have access to a microwave so bringing meals from home is the best plan and microwave meals just aren't that prominent on the gluten-free scene.

Here are the things I can "cook" at this point (no judgment, it's not much):

- Rice and Chicken (chicken that I will cook - or from a package) - this can include various vegetables chopped up but I tend to stick to peppers and onions since I know they last awhile if I don't use them all
- Gluten-free pasta dishes (by this I mean Tinkyada pasta and some version of sauce with some spices thrown in)
- Turkey burgers (frozen Jennie-O) cooked on the stove top with some cheese on top and maybe some roasted red potatoes on the side

And that's about it. All of the above are like some pre-made ingredients (frozen or the like) and take about 30 minutes to prepare and I'm looking for MORE of that. I understand that some people LOVE to cook but I just don't enjoy it and don't have time to spend 3 hours to make something that is gone in like...5 minutes :(

Any ideas or help would be appreciated - just comment below, thanks readers!!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Food Diary: Trip to Cleveland to Visit the Fam!

This past weekend I took a trip home to visit my family. With my MBA starting soon I won't have another chance until probably Thanksgiving to simply hang out with them without the worry of a test or project looming. I flew in Thursday night and came home rather late last night. Our weekend was full of fun things, including boating out on Lake Erie.

I must start out by saying that my mom is fantastic. Almost everyday the week before I came she was chatting me with questions about food options, ingredients, recipes, etc...she wanted to make SURE I wouldn't go hungry :) I think in the process she also realized how expensive eating gluten-free can be! That being said, I didn't have to find too many restaurants and was able to eat a number of meals and snacks without going out.

Thursday:
So, on Thursday I was flying out around 5pm. I ate a normal lunch and had a snack before embarking on my trip. Flight out of Austin went great, and as any traveler knows, you always hit a road bump. This time it was a 2-hour delay in the Houston airport (IAH). I've flown through Houston a few times and knew that I couldn't wait until 12:30am to eat dinner so...the hunt was on for g-free food.

I went to customer service to see if I could have the easy way out (a flat out "yes, this or that place has gluten-free options") but no such luck. Therefore, I started walking. I found a Wendy's where I know I can have the frosty and chili, but other than that it was potato chips, candy or fruit from the airport store. Thinking that the search was pretty much pointless I decided to start drinking wine instead (good alternative right?) so I found the Fox News Sports Bar by my gate and went on in for a 9-ounce glass of Pinot Grigio. I thought I'd give the waiter a test run and was surprised to find that he did know what gluten-free was but the only option he could safely give me with chips and salsa...DONE!  Dinner was served as I waited and waited for take-off.


Friday:
We had a fun day planned and breakfast was small but tasty. My mom had picked up gluten-free baked goods from the local farmer's market (wish I remembered the vendor!) so I had a shortcake with fruit on top, yum! Shopping was on the agenda, as well as lunch with grandma. We had been planning on this for awhile so we'd already decided on Rusty Bucket. They actually have a very impressive gluten-free menu as you can see, so I got the pasta with chicken and was nice and full for shopping. I made sure to thank the manager for having gluten-free menu options...and he said they get a TON of gluten-free diners in their location...I'm surprised he didn't know it's because it's basically the only place within 10 miles that is listed as gluten-free :)

Shopping went well and we found out that my brother was headed into town. After some hemming and hawing about dinner, we debated between Hunan by the Falls who could make me gluten-free dishes and some chain restaurants, but my brother got his way and we were back at Rusty Bucket again! Luckily the manager didn't see us or I would've been embarrassed, but you can't argue with a solid g-free menu. I got the quesadillas and was satisfied once again.

Saturday:
Boat bound! We have a boat on Catawba Island which is close to the awesome Lake Erie islands. We went up there early and got going over to Kelley's Island. Lunch was some chicken salad, fruit and g-free crackers that my mom had bought and was awesome! We went bike riding around the island and decided to stop at the Kelley's Island Winery where we had a snack of cheddar cheese - a nice hold over until dinner.

Dinner was cooked on the grill! The guys were able to find a grill by the marina so I was able to use the foccacia bread my mom got from the farmer's market, along with a Jennie-O turkey burger and Amy's g-free macaroni and cheese. Easy and very fulfilling day!

Sunday:
Time to get packed up to head home. But first a full day of eating. For breakfast my dad made eggs, bacon, sausage, etc. I stuck with the eggs and fruit which we made sure he cooked on the griddle first (after washing again) and didn't let anything else touch it! That was a nice chance for us to sit around and hang out.

Shortly after we headed to Put-in-Bay (Middle Bass Island). My mom had done some research on gluten-free on her last trip so we had an idea of where to go. This island is famous for bars and some heavy drinking so of course we had to visit the Mojito bar, longest bar in the world and the Roundhouse bar. By this time however I was famished so we decided to stop at the Crescent Tavern.

They were so helpful, bringing out every single vat of salad dressing so I could read the ingredients! I was able to have a chicken spinach salad and they were willing to cook me up a plate of baby baked potatoes as a substitute for french fries = much appreciated.

Finally, it was time to head home. Ate some leftover chicken salad mom made (simply chicken chunks, celery, onions and light Hellman's mayo) and that held me over the rest of the day. It was probably the least worrisome trip I've had, thanks mom and dad!!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Gluten-Free Love from Sicily! (Pic)

Off the Menu: Mellow Mushroom (on Guadalupe)

If you read my post yesterday you'll know that I'm heading back to school soon and will spend lots of hours on campus. I had heard Mellow Mushroom on the Drag had gluten-free options but didn't have a menu. Luckily, I reached out to and heard back from Paul Canderozzi, General Manager, and now have a menu! See below:

All with gluten-free crust from Still Riding Pizza - who is certified GF

Cheese Pizza

Create Your Own Pizza:
Bases/Sauces: red sauce, olive oil/garlic, pesto, bbq, ranch, jerk sauce, Texas Pete hot sauce, Texas Pete mild sauce
Veggies: artichoke hearts, avocado, banana peppers, black olives, broccoli, garlic, green olives, green peppers, jalapenos, kalamata olives, button mushrooms, onions, pepperoncini, pineapple, portobello mushrooms, roasted red peppers, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, roma tomatoes
Cheeses: mozzarella, provolone, cheddar, grated/shaved Parmesan, bleu cheese crumbles, fresh mozzarella, feta, ricotta, vegan cheese
Proteins: anchovies, bacon, chicken, ground beef, ham, italian sausage, link sausage, pepperoni, salami, steak, tofu, turkey

Specialty Pizzas:
House Special - red base, pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, black olives, roma tomatoes, ham, bacon, extra cheese
Gourmet White - olive oil and garlic with sun-dried tomatoes, provolone, mozzarella, feta, roma tomatoes and onions
Mighty Meaty - red base, piled high with pepperoni, italian sausage, ground beef, ham and bacon
Mega-Veggie - red base, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, black olives, roma tomatoes, broccoli, feta, banana peppers, artichoke hearts and tofu
Kosmic Karma - red base, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, feta, fresh roma tomatoes and a pesto swirl
Red Skin Potato Pie - garlic and olive oil base loaded with red potato, bacon, caramelized onions, sour cream, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, sprinkled with chives and drizzled with spicy ranch dressing
Magical Mystery Tour - besto, button and portobello mushrooms, spinach, feta and jalapenos
Philosopher's Pie - oil and garlic base with steak, portobello mushrooms, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, provolone, feta and mozzarella cheeses
Buffalo Chicken - mozzarella, buffalo chicken, caramelized onions, applewood smoked bacon and a swirl of buffalo sauce and your choice of bleu cheese or ranch dressing
Hawaiian - red base, mozzarella cheese topped with ham and pineapple
Funky Q. Chicken - bbq chicken, mozzarella, cheddar, caramelized onions, applewood smoked bacon and bbq sauce swirl

AND gluten-free beer

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

MBA Bound - GFree UT?

The countdown has begun. In a little over a month I'll be embarking on a new journey - the full-time MBA program at Texas. Full-time is exactly what you'd think...ALL day at McCombs either taking classes, studying or various group activities. This means that I'll most likely have at least 2 meals/day on or around UT and therefore need to start researching my options. I've reached out to UT and gotten some information as well as scouring the web...and of course the business school has microwaves so I can pack my lunches. Here is the email from the Division of Housing and Food Services from which I started my research:


Jaime,

Congrats on being accepted into McCombs! Information about gluten free dining is listed below. Also, UT is different from many universities in that there are many, many food service providers on campus. Our division, housing and food service, provides all of the dining within residence halls although anyone on campus is welcome to dine in our cafes. Aside from our dining options, there are two student unions, a conference center and many independently-operated cafes/carts sprinkled throughout campus.

- We have all of our menus online and you can look up the ingredients of the foods that we are serving for a particular meal. http://129.116.62.55/foodpro/
This link can be found by going the division of housing and food service home page: www.utexas.edu/student/housing > Dine Here > Weekly Menus. Once you are on that site, select the dining location from the drop-down menu on the left side of the screen. The current day will pop up first but other days within the week can be chosen from a list on the left side of the screen. Click on the apple next to the meal period you’re looking for and the recipe items turn into hyperlinks that can be chosen for nutritional information.

- At the Jester City Limits food court, we have a serving line called ‘The Chickpea’ which serves vegetarian/vegan/gluten free meals. The gluten free meal is always listed on a sign at the serving line.

- We are currently working to modify our labeling system in the two resident dining halls, J2 and Kinsolving, by including an icon that signifies when an item is gluten free. We hope to have this system active by next Fall.

- Additionally, I generally meet with students that have specific dietary needs at the beginning of the school year and take them around to all of our dining facilities to introduce them to the managers. We stock items like gluten free pizza crust, breads, etc that are available upon request.

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks,
Meagan Jones, RD

______
Thank you Meagan! Very helpful start...I will definitely be hitting up the ChickPea in Jester City Limits to check out their daily gluten-free option. Here is the interactive nutrition menu she was referring to: Jester City Limits Menu

I doubt that many, if any, MBA students dine in the cafeteria style dining halls so we'll put that on hold for now...the next step was looking into the availabilities at the different Unions. Locations that I know have gluten-free options include:
- Chick Fil-A
- Zen
- Wendy's
- Starbucks

There are some others that I think would be accommodating such as Smokehouse BBQ and Field of Greens, so I'll go ahead and reach out to them.

Within the business and engineering schools there is a restaurant called O's Campus Cafe. After going through their website I did find a section referring to gluten-free options, but I'm not yet sure which locations and which offerings (lunch, breakfast, to-go) are available so I plan on digging into that one a little more too - the website says the following:

Inquire About:
Vegetarian Options
Gluten Free Pasta's
Chicken Tomatillo Gluten Free
Veggie Fajitas Gluten Free
Grilled Portobello Piccata Vegetarian
Spin/Mushroom Lasagna Vegetarian
Eggplant Parmesan Vegetarian
Stuffed Mushrooms Vegetarian

Finally, let's touch on dining options that are on "the Drag" (Guadalupe) or close to campus but not part of UT Food Services. The options I know of at this point are:
- Mellow Mushroom (gluten-free pizza)
- Austin's Pizza
- McDonalds
- Trudy's
- Milto's Greek
Overall, I've got options and it will be an adventure navigating campus, adjusting to life as a student again AND remembering to eat throughout. I feel lucky to be in a city and near a campus that is very aware of the words gluten-free!!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Betty's Glutenless Gluttony

A friend of mine recommended that I venture up to the Lakeline Farmer's Market to check out a gluten-free bakery. Of course I'm always looking to find new food options so we trekked up there to get some goods! Betty's Glutenless Gluttony shows only a Farmer's Markets at this time but they do attend a few different ones in the area: http://www.glutenlessgluttony.com/Find_Us_New. Their website needs a little work but you can navigate around pretty well.

I learned that the owner was a long-time baker until she found out she had Celiac Disease. At that point she gave up baking thinking that it was all over now...but came back to it and now makes many desserts, including beautiful wedding cakes (she had an album sitting out)! I decided to pick up a cookie and quiche, and she gave me a free muffin on top of it.

The cookie was amazing, I warmed it up in the microwave and it softened just right. It was large and yummy. I had the muffin for breakfast this morning and plan on tasting the quiche for lunch today (although I snuck a bit when I was cutting it up last night). Everything tastes great, like you wouldn't even know it was gluten-free.

I'd definitely check them out, and she did let me know that they will deliver in the area. Enjoy :)

Friday, June 10, 2011

Off the Menu: Galaxy Cafe

Galaxy Cafe has a couple of Austin locations...closest to us is the original on West Lynn (see map in sidebar). They have a decent gluten-free menu and everything I've had off of it is pretty good except the rice wrap of which I was not a huge fan.

Just a side note...you will see on their website that they have a sister restaurant, Zocalo. I've contacted them a few times to see if I could get some solid answers on gluten-free options and they really don't have any. Their tortillas are warmed on the same surfaces, etc. so I would avoid until they create a menu and make some changes to the kitchen.

Breakfast:
American Breakfast - scrambled eggs, bacon and rice bread
Mediterranean Breafast - scrambled eggs, tomato, feta cheese and basil - served with rice bread and cup of fruit

Wraps (served on rice tortillas):
Grilled Fish Wrap with a Side
Veggie Wrap with a Side
Club Wrap with a Side

Sandwiches on Rice Bread:
Mozzarella Sandwich with a Side
Turkey and Brie Sandwich with a Side

Salads:
Greek Salad
Hot Shrimp Salad with Baby Spinach

Kid's Menu:
Grilled Chicken with a Side
G-Free Pasta (only during dinner)

Sides:
Fresh Fruit
Seasonal Veggies
Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Soup Cup
Side Salad

Dinner (ONLY during dinner hours):
Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Roasted Tomato and Prosciutto Grilled Chicken
G-Free Pasta with Homemade Marinara
G-Free Pasta with Lemon-Cilantro Butter

Dessert:
Flourless Chocolate Torte
Creme Brulee

Enjoy!! Dinner menu is best :)

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Off the Menu: Chez Zee American Bistro

Last night a friend and I went to Chez Zee. I had heard they had gluten-free options but hadn't yet given them a try. I've gone there many times for happy hour ($2 off wine, and all night on Wednesdays for ladies) but not normally to eat. It's a little on the $$$ money-side but the atmosphere is worth it. Last night I had the gluten-free pasta with chicken and it was great, here is the rest of the menu:

Brunch:
- Eggs Sardou
- Portabellino Benedict Platter
- Fresh Spinach and Mushroom Omelet
- Smoked Chicken Omelet
- Goat Cheese and Tomato Omelet
- Steak and Eggs

Lunch:
- Gluten-free Garden Salad
- Grilled Steak Salad
- Tuna Nicoise Salad
- Gluten-free Pasta (garlic white wine sauce)

Dinner:
- Pecan Crusted Salmon
- Grilled Pork Chop
- New York Strip
- Portabella Plate
- Gluten-free Pasta (see above)

Sides (had to work my way through the menu on these):
- Sauteed Spinach and Mushrooms
- Sweet Potato Pudding
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Grilled Asparagus
- Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Definitely some good options..check it out!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Is Celiac a deal-breaker?

Urban Dictionary definition of a "deal-breaker"-
A word used to describe the eligibility of a friendship or relationship based on one trait or preference of the other person. Can also be used if you don't agree with someones views. 

_________________________________

As you see, a lifelong illness such as Celiac could fall into such a category. Not only is it challenging in a physical way but there is a lot more to think about. I am not married at 27 (and in no hurry) but hope to be someday and it worries me that my special dietary needs will cause a bit of a problem, think of the following...

First Dates:
Say someone asks you on a first date, or not limit it a second or third date...first off if they want to go to dinner that means that the first thing out of your mouth must be an explanation of your need to eat gluten-free, and come on no one wants to lead off with that; I guess this can be avoided by offering to go for drinks or coffee. Let's say it is dinner though...they can't pick the restaurant but must consult my blog to choose one off of my list. On top of that they must be OK with an assertive girl who is straight up with the waitstaff, may need to discuss her meal with the manager, and will have to cause a bit of a stir if they screw something up. If you are gluten-free you know that picking the place gets old, fast. Some think it's great, you get to pick the restaurant all of the time...but when food and thinking about it consumes your life it's not that fun. Therefore, your date must be prepared for the back and forth that is choosing, calling ahead and waiting the hour after you eat to ensure things went just fine. Want to cook a meal? Be prepared for me to be watching over your shoulder...

Kissing:
All dating comes to this eventually; if it's after a happy hour or a nice meal, eventually you'll want to make-out with your new man. This was something I didn't give two thoughts about until someone asked me about it. Say he just ate a nice big sandwich or piece of pie and has some crumbs lingering on or around his mouth (gross, sorry bear with me), you couldn't kiss him! Or, if he just drank a huge beer...you have to wait until it's washed out to get at it. Either way, gluten definitely ruins the moment.
Tummy Troubles:
Men don't believe that women do anything gross (well most of them at least) but this is practically unavoidable with a Celiac. Eventually something will go wrong...cross-contamination, slipped ingredient, drunken make-out session...whatever. This means that you are uncomfortably spending some time in the restroom; you don't want to explain why you can't come back to bed, or make him feel strangely that you ask for some water because you can't get away long enough to get it yourself. It's a reality that you will have to face together, and he's going to have to be willing to suck it up from the get-go.

Family Life:
Finally...let's say we made it through a couple years of dating, now it's time to get married and add to the family. How do we feed our kids? Do I need to cook separate meals for myself and then the rest of the family eats something else? Will my husband have to take a hit for the team and eat consistently gluten-free with me when he'd rather have a large pizza on Friday night? How do we politely attend family get-togethers and make it less obvious that I'm not eating the food? I know this all sounds a little dramatic, but being only one-year into my diagnosis it's still top of mind.

I'm not saying that there are no sensitive men out there, but it is, and will be, a challenge. Some of you are probably reading this and thinking, this girl is crazy and dwelling way to much on what "could happen", and I agree. However, it is my future and I am wondering if on that first date it becomes a deal-breaker.

If so, that man is not worth my time anyway! Sure, my winning personality, smarts and genuine awesome-ness helps ;)..at least enough to get me through the door. Then, hopefully, someone becomes SO smitten with me that they would gladly email every restaurant in our honeymoon location to ask about gluten-free menu options.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Food Diary: Weekend in H-Town! (Houston)

This weekend I went to visit one of my best friends in Houston. If you've seen my side bar you'll know I did some research beforehand to ensure our consumption success. Luckily, Frannie is amazing and did some research and grocery shopping on her own :) It was a great weekend with only one small hiccup for Sunday brunch, but even that wasn't too bad...

Friday:
I arrived at Frannie's around 6:30pm and she had wine and cheeses with gluten-free crackers waiting!! We're both huge fans of NutThins but she also purchased some Mary's Gone Crackers for us to munch on...great start. We went to pick up a friend at the airport and then headed to Yard House for dinner. They have a completely separate menu for gluten-free and were VERY aware of what it meant and what I could eat, phew! It was a fantastic dinner :)

Saturday:
Wow did we have a big day...shopping, getting hair feathers (super cute), visiting friends at a crawfish boil...and some great meals on top of that. Waking up a little later than expected we had a small breakfast (she had gotten some fresh pineapple, yum) and then got going. Our lunch was at Ruggles Green who has the gluten-free options embedded in their menu, everything (and it's a lot) with a blue dot could be made gfree. I got a chicken caesar salad and french fries (score!). It's a cute place where you order at the counter and then they bring your meal to the table, we sat outside and luckily didn't melt.

For dinner we stuck with my go-to, P.F. Changs. I have to admit their stuff is awesome and their gluten-free menu is fantastic. Even the girls ordered all of their food off of the gfree menu so we could share (they are so sweet). We had an appetizer of gfree chicken lettuce wraps, then for dinner shared the shrimp, Mongolian beef and chicken fried rice. Afterward, we went to a really fun piano bar called 88 Keys!

Sunday:
This one was a little tricky. Frannie went to the website of a cute place called Tiny Boxwood's. They state on their website that they have gluten-free options so we were good to go! Unfortunately, when we got there we were told that those options were only available during the week for lunch and not during brunch, shoot. The manager on duty (I assume that was her role) was a complete B. We asked her a couple different options, "maybe you could make some scrambled eggs", NO, "maybe you could do the mediterranean plate without the bread", NO, ugh...so I ended up with the fruit parfait without granola (basically fruit and yogurt) which was actually fantastic but still. If you are going to put gluten-free options on your menu and not offer them at brunch you NEED to do an * to let people know, it's deceiving! However, I will give them the credit of having the best lemonade ever, flavored with mint AND they are connected to a beautiful nursery where I bought an aloe plant.

Overall, the eating was fabulous and we had a lot of good luck! I had so much fun during our girls weekend, it was relaxing and enjoyable...plus Frannie is moving to South Africa so this was one of the last times I'll see her before she moves. She wants me to come visit...now that would be an interesting food diary :)

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Gluten-Free Products from Burt's Bees

Borrowed from www.glutenfreecosmeticcounter.blogspot.com -

Appropriate List For Gluten Restricted Patients
Products NOT containing wheat, Oat, Rye & Barley derived ingredients
Updated: Jan 8, 2009



BABY BEE
BABY BEE DUSTING POWDER
BABY BEE CRÈME
BABY BEE LOTION – DAIRY
BABY BEE BUTTERMILK BATH – DAIRY
BABY BEE DIAPER OINTMENT – NUT
BABY BEE SHAMPOO & BODY WASH

HAND & FACE & BODY
GARDEN TOMATO TONER
WILD LETTUCE TONER
TOMATO COLOGNE
CARROT NUTRITIVE BODY LOTION
MILK & HONEY LOTION– DAIRY
CUCUMBER/CHAM COMPLEXION MIST
LAVENDER COMPLEXION MIST
GRAPEFRUIT COMPLEXION MIST
CARROT SEED COMPLEXION MIST
LEMON POPPY SEED
BEESWAX MOIST DAY CREME
BEESWAX MOIST NIGHT CRÈME – NUT
GINGER CITRUS BODY WASH
ALMOND MILK HAND CRÈME – NUT
BANANA HAND CRÈME – NUT
LEMON BUTTER CUTICLE CRÈME -NUT
HAND SALVE – NUT
DEEP CLEAN CLEANSER
DEEP PORE SCRUB
SOOTHINGLY SENSITIVE LOTION - MILK
THOROUGHLY THERAPEUTIC LOTION – MILK
THOROUGHLY THERAPEUTIC BODY BUTTER
HEALING BODY BUTTER
RADIANCE DAY CREAM
RADIANCE EYE CREAM
SPF-15 SUNSCREEN
AFTER SUN SOOTHER
RADIANCE BODY LOTION
THOROUGHLY THERAPEUTIC HAND CREAM
THOROUGHLY THERAPEUTIC FOOT CREAM
HAND SANITIZER
RADIANCE SPF 15 LOTION
PEPPERMINT & ROSEMARY BODY WASH

ORAL CARE
LAVENDER TOOTHPASTE
CINNAMINT TOOTHPASTE
CHILDREN’S TOOTHPASTE
PEPPERMINT BREATH FRESHENER

SOAPS
PEPPERMINT SHOWER SOAP – NUT
LAVENDER SOAP
TOMATO SOAP
CARROT SOAP
CITRUS SPICE SOAP
WILD LETTUCE COMPLEXION SOAP
ALL IN ONE WASH
CITRUS & GINGER HAND SOAP
GREEN TEA & LEMONGRASS HAND SOAP

LIP & COSMETIC
LIP BALM TIN – NUT
LIP BALM TUBE
HONEY LIP BALM – NUT
LIPSHIMMER – ALL SHADES
LIPSTICKS – ALL SHADES
LIFEGUARDS CHOICE LIP BALM
LIP GLOSS – ALL SHADES
EYESHADOW- ALL SHADES
TINTED MOISTURIZER – ALL SHADES
BLUSHING CRÈME – ALL SHADES
CONCEALING CRÈME – ALL SHADES
POWDERED FACIAL TISSUES
EYE & BROW LINERS
VANISHING POWDER
POMEGRANATE LIP BALM
MEDICATED LIP BALM
PASSION FRUIT SPF 8 LIP BALM

HEALTHY TREATMENT
HT EVENING PRIMROSE CRÈME – NUT
HT MARSHMALLOW CRÈME
HT PORE REFINING MASK
HT TONER
HT SHEA BUTTER HAND REPAIR – NUT
HT ROYAL JELLY EYE CRÈME
HT PARSLEY BLEMISH STICK

HAIR CARE
HERBAL TREATMENT SHAMPOO
SUPER SHINY GRAPEFRUIT SHAMPOO
SUPER SHINY GRAPEFRUIT CONDITIONER
COLOR KEEPER CONDITIONER
COLOR KEEPER SHAMPOO
VOLUMIZING SHAMPOO
VOLUMIZING CONDITIONER
DEEP REPAIR CONDITIONER

MISC
HERBAL BLEMISH STICK
HERBAL DEODORANT
INSECT REPELLENT
THEARPEUTIC BATH CRYSTALS
HERBAL DEFENSE OINTMENT – NUT
HERBAL MILK BATH – NUT, DAIRY
BUG BITE RELIEF

MEN’S
NATURAL AFTERSHAVE
NATURAL BAR SOAP
NATURAL BODY WASH
NATURAL COLOGNE
NATURAL SHAVE CREAM
NATURAL DEODORANT
NATURAL HAIR GEL