G-Free Texas/OU Weekend

This weekend was the big Texas vs. Oklahoma football game in Dallas, and it is one of my very favorite weekends of every year. This year, however, was the first for which I had to remain gluten-free (for this very reason I took last year off). It was mildly successful...

As always I brought some food with me for the hotel room just in case I couldn't find anything else. Unfortunately the Hilton Anatole didn't have a microwave or refrigerator (just for those expensive snacks) in the room so my frozen dishes that I brought went bad, but I was able to substitute some hunger with the carrots and hummus that I brought. On a side note, we got totally hooked up with everything at the Anatole thanks to Pam and Katherine Frolow!

So, when we arrived around 1pm on Friday we were definitely hungry so I spoke to the concierge and he let me know that the Media Grill could accommodate my gluten-free diet so we ventured that way. This experience wasn't very good though. The waiter was clueless and VERY insensitive to my dietary needs. He wasn't provided any information, and didn't seem willing or caring enough to work with me to speak with the chef and figure out what I could eat. Finally, I ended up asking to speak to the chef directly and got a side Mediterranean salad, green beans steamed and a cheese burger with no bun. To top it off, I had a small reaction and was pretty uncomfortable for the next couple of hours. I think it probably had something to do with the preparation technique which I didn't go into with the chef because I was already so frustrated...let's just say that the rest of the weekend I was extra careful.

Dinner Friday night was awesome. We made reservations at State & Allen Lounge in Uptown who I had also called to ask about menu adjustments. When we were ready to order our waiter got the manager and she worked with me on everything, and even let me read some labels and ask a ton of questions. My order was the Love Love Chicken Bowl (risotto, chicken, butter and hot sauce, vegetables) and it was so good, I finished it off AND didn't get sick, thank you S&A!

The rest of the night was a blast, we hit up the Londoner pub in Uptown with the rest of our fellow MBAs and then got a good night's rest for the fair and football game the next day. Knowing darn well that the fair was full of fried food and beer I ordered three scrambled eggs and orange juice from room service in the hopes that it would keep me full until about 5pm. At the fair I was able to buy a bag of Fritos and a bag of Lays and then on top of that we had packed some pecans just in case so I could snack, but I was SO jealous of everyone who was able to eat Fletcher's corndogs, fried mac 'n' cheese and fried mashed potatoes!

For dinner we had reservations with all of the girls at Sambuca, who I had worked with beforehand as well (and subsequently forced everyone to go to ;)). Their knowledge and willingness to work with me on the menu was great, but the meal was just o.k. I ordered the chicken parmesean with grilled chicken but the chef didn't feel comfortable putting cheese on it so it was basically grilled chicken with marinara sauce...good but not what I expected. I also got a huge side of green beans which were awesome, well seasoned and cooked. I think I could have ordered a little better and been very happy.

Sunday we headed for Austin, got some Starbucks on the way, and made great time despite some heavy rains and traffic around Waco. Upon arrival I do admit to ordering P.F. Changs to-go for a nice big, yummy lunch/dinner. Overall the food situation was o.k. could have been a little better, but considering it's a hugely hectic weekend full of food and drink it was a success.

Thanks to everyone who helped me out and were flexible with my needs, especially Ashley, Christina and Katherine!! Hook 'Em!

The truth about salads...

There is a misunderstanding among those who do not eat gluten-free that salads are a perfect go-to to feed us when there are no other options. I have to admit, this is not always true and kind of frustrating...

First off, salads are not universally gluten-free! Lettuce is...therefore, just asking if I want a salad is not enough information. I need to know what is on that salad:

- Is there meat? If so, what kind? Most deli meats have gluten fillers and many cooked meats have seasonings or are in danger of being cross-contaminated in the kitchen

- What about cheese? Celiac patients cannot have the "moldy" cheeses so if they are sprinkled in that's a no-go

- If croutons are automatically on included (pre-packaged) then forget it; and also don't accidentally put them on and take them off because that's cross-contamination too

- Less likely, but still a concern, how did you cut up and prepare the vegetables? Did you cut something glutenous with that knife first?

- Finally....dressing. MOST dressings are NOT gluten-free. I would pretty much need to know the brand and check with them or read the label in order to feel comfortable with it. Oil & vinegar is an option but...that gets old fast.

Secondly, salads are not that good, especially with all the goodies that have to be left off from above. I understand it seems easy and safe but I mean come on...I can't eat glorified lettuce every meal of the day. The hunger comes back about 30 minutes later and I end up reaching for some plain potato chips. 

For those of you who have made this mistakes time and time again, this is not to blame you...how would you know? Please just be aware that if we do get a salad it has to be specific and if we have to spend more than one meal with you, get creative and try to provide something different next time around :)

A few of my favorite things :)

Last weekend I went to the grocery store and loaded UP. I decided that it would be fun to share some of my go-to favorite things with my readers (all gluten-free of course). I highly suggest trying them out because all are amazing!

Thai kitchen makes a variety of these lunch bowls that are microwavable. Not all of them are gluten-free but the Pad Thai and the one below are gluten-free and so tasty, especially for lunch when you don't have time to cook or pack a lunch. It's 500 calories but very filling. I normally can only find it at Whole Foods in the World Flavors aisle.

Pirate's Booty also has a lot of varieties but the Aged White Cheddar takes the prize. It is light, fluffy and very low calorie. It resembles bagged popcorn but has much better flavor. Sometimes it's only in the gluten-free section but lately our local grocery store started carrying it too.

Udi's muffins...whoo! I love muffins for breakfast. I need to have something substantial to last me through to lunch and these do the trick. You can find it in the frozen breakfast section or gluten-free frozen section. The best way to eat it is to do a quick 30 sec. in the microwave to soften them up.

Don't even need to find gluten-free specifics for this! Celery is crunchy and healthy and most peanut butter is also naturally gluten-free. This here is crunchy peanut butter and these keep all day in my backpack.

Applegate Farms has done a fantastic job of making their lunch meats gluten-free. Most lunch meat is NOT gluten-free so this allows for a number of lunch items to be created. My favorite is the honey ham. I also have to give a shout out to Applegate for sending me some $1.00 off coupons!

Okay, so I think Grandma's Humus is a local Austin creation but every Whole Foods, at least, in the country should carry it. It is like the crack of hummus. It is the most amazing hummus I've ever had - pair it with some fresh veggies and that's dinner!

Annie's does a great job all around, but their dressings take the prize for gluten-free varieties. It tends to be very challenging to make dressings or sauces without a filler and they have mastered it. The Lite Italian seen below is my norm so maybe next time I'll try some others.

I had to throw these in there...wine and Steaz green tea. It is 80 calories and sweetened with cane sugar so it's much healthier than other canned teas. I'm not a fan of water so this is a good way to hydrate.

Evol Brand Foods are not all gluten-free but the ones that are definitely  need to be given a try. The fire grilled steak and chicken enchilada are my favorites but there are some other bowls. I would suggest however to move it into a new bowl after microwaving because they get a little soggy! Added bonus: free sticker with each meal.

Back to Applegate Farms again...gluten-free chicken nuggets that can be put in the microwave or oven...enough said!

Last, but definitely not least...Annie's creamy deluxe gluten-free. There is nothing healthy about this but it is tasty rice pasta with some very creamy cheesy goodness. Try it, you will not regret it.

I'd love for others to comment with their favorite gluten-free items!!