Weight Watchers Yogurt is gluten free

As I was wandering the aisles of Safeway today, I decided to buy some yogurt.  Normally I buy Yoplait, but it contains high fructose corn syrup, and adding that to my diet just isn’t needed.  As usual, I look at various yogurts to see if any might have the magical words of “gluten free” on the label.  And today, I found them.

Weight Watchers brand - right on the package!  While some of you may think, ok, he doesn’t need to eat Weight Watchers…let me tell you this:  the yogurt is very good, no high fructose corn syrup, good fiber content and of course, gluten free.  I’m eating ”Berries and Cream” flavor right now and have an Amaretto Cheesecake flavor for tomorrow.  So Weight Watchers, you win.  You will now get my money.  Good bye Yoplait.

“What do you mean by gluten free?”

We were out in Northern CA this past weekend, for a long getaway with some friends.  My friends, fortunately, get it.  They totally understand my dietary restrictions, what to ask when it comes to eating out, knows how I feel when I am frustrated that I am not getting answers from restaurants and are just plain good friends.

Before I left, I reached out to the Northern Bay Area Celiac chapter who sent me a few recommendations, which was super helpful.

Thursday, we got into San Jose and drove up the coast and stopped in Half Moon Bay for lunch. We found a deli where I got egg salad and after they made it for me on my lettuce wrap, I realized they never wiped the counter down from making all of the other sandwiches, nor had I asked them to do so.  I just ate the egg salad and skipped the lettuce, to be safe.   As we were strolling through town, I came across a small health food store.  I thought, “Why not” so I popped in and found Glutino english muffins!  I can’t even find these in Denver, yet I found them in this small store.  And reasonably priced too - only $3.79 for a six pack.  I snatched them up!

For dinner our first night, I called around to a few restaurants in Bodega Bay, the VERY small town we were staying in (population 950, according to the town signs).  Bodega Bay is where they filmed The Birds, and while we didn’t see any of the few remaining sites, it was neat just being there since I do like Hitchcock’s films.

We ended up at a place called The Sandpiper.  When I called them, I got to the manager Ron who said they could handle gluten free.  Well, we spent some time having some wine and snacks on the patio before dinner, so when we got to the restaurant, Ron was long gone.  There was just a bus boy, a server, the chef and ten tables FULL of patrons.  I ordered the very safe Caesar salad with grilled prawns and “NO CROUTONS.”  After about three bites, I came across the croutons so I told them I can’t eat this and they have to remove it from our bill.  F. I realize we’re in a small town, but they could have easily made this meal safe for me.

Friday AM we spent some time with our friend Suzanne, and had breakfast at Dierk’s Parkside Cafe in Santa Rosa.  I had very good breakfast of duck confit, sans the toast. I’d order it again (it was really good!)

From there, we hit some wineries, and had a late dinner at High Tech Burrito.  This was recommended to me by the Northern Bay Celiacs. Nothing great, and they did mess our orders up (no gluten, though) but it was a safe place to eat.  And the woman there knew what gluten free meant, and answered all of my questions patiently.  On the way home, we stopped at Screamin’ Mimi’s ice cream for dessert.  Chocolate Chip that was bits of shaved/chipped chocolate.  Quite good. 

Saturday - oh yeah, this was the best day in terms of dining.  We drove up the coast, had a picnic lunch at the beach (I love that!) - turkey, salami, cheese, hummus, chips…yum!  In the evening, after a long day, we were tired but I was in the mood to go out to eat and not nosh again.  I called around to a few places in Sepastobol, the next biggest town over.  One place I called (a Mexican restaurant) seemed like it would be a good choice.  After I spoke to two people that didn’t understand what I was asking, they put the manager on who said, and I directly quote her, “What do you mean by gluten free?”  I responded, “You just answered my question.”  And I hung up.

We ended up finding the Hopmonk Tavern in Sebastopol.  A very safe and tasty burger, side salad and mashed potatoes was dinner - and the manager confirmed they could accomodate me, and that the potatoes were REAL potatoes, not instant mashed.

Sunday, we headed back South towards the airport, but first we stopped at the Scharffen Berger Factory for a tour and some samples.  LOTS of samples.  We also had lunch in their cafe, and the hostess definitely understood gluten free and took care of us.  I had a safe delicious omelette and potatoes.

So if you’re traveling up and around Sonoma County, definitely support these businesses, as they can support us!

This is why I love Bonnie Brae Ice Cream here in Denver.

Out of the blue, I received an email from Bonnie Brae Ice Cream this week.  I’ve been in contact with them before regarding their gf ice cream, and they’ve always been 100% honest and up front with what they can/can’t do and their gf flavors.  Unlike Liks Ice Cream who can’t tell me jack, and has the rudest servers around.

Here’s the email from Bonnie Brae - go support them as they support Celiacs!

Hi Steve,

 

I thought I’d contact you and tell you some new information about the store.  We had to switch to a different vanilla extract due to availability problems.  Though we don’t use this vanilla in all of our ice creams, it is used often.  The best comparable produce in terms of quality  has listed on its ingredients “wheat allergen” as the last ingredient.  Though it is a very small percentage of the product, the ice creams that were previously gluten free, now are not.  So, the long and short of it is that these are the flavors at our store that are now completely gluten free:

 

VANILLA* (we use a different vanilla for this special flavor as well as the one below)

FRENCH VANILLA*

GRAN MARNIER CHOCOLATE CHIP*

MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP*

PEPPERMINT*

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE

BLACK RASPBERRY

 

*These flavors are in the store all the time!

 

 

We usually use around an ounce for two three gallon tubs of ice cream.  I don’t know the sensitivity levels of those with gluten intolerances…and I suspect that they change from person to person.  For those who are most sensitive, we are so sorry to have to limit the choices!!

 

Take Care!

 

Bonniie Brae Ice Cream

www.bonniebraeicecream.com

 

My five favorite kitchen tools

Maureen, a fellow gluten free blogger has tagged me and asked me to post my five favorite kitchen tools.  Since I’ve been lacking in postings lately, she’s actually helped me think of a topic to post.  I can’t let her down.  Mine are a bit unconventional.

Gluten Free Steve’s Five Favorite Kitchen Tools, in particular order

1.  Shallot Salt - we’ve been purchasing this salt from the Savory Spice Shop here in Denver and it gives amazing flavor when cooking.  I’ve been known to eat it straight from the jar…

2.  The radio - Now, I know you’re thinking, well that’s not a kitchen tool.  But I love to have music on when I cook.  I can’t stand to cook in silence.

3.  The panini machine - it makes great gluten free paninis, and anyone who’s eaten gluten free bread knows that it’s always best toasted.  Think about a panini with chicken, havarti cheese, sliced red onions, a bit of mayo and salt and pepper.  That’s what I had for dinner last night.

4.  The Internet - Seriously, where would our daily lives be without the Internet.  We’ve all found recipes online, emailed recipes to friends/family/coworkers, found other blogs with great recipes, searched for gluten free cooking and baking tips and just so much more.  I know I couldn’t have gone gluten free without the Internet.

5.  The Artist - Seriously. He’s a great help in the kitchen.  He’s an amazing cook, and knows what spices to put in what, has patience beyond patience when it comes to cooking/baking and is just so particular, that he’s definitely on my list.  He’s helped me a lot with gluten free cooking and ideas.

GFS

Tokyo Joe’s had gluten free teriyaki sauce!

I’ve been a big fan of Tokyo Joe’s for years (or as I call it, TJ’s).  I went there for lunch yesterday, and normally I just get their gluten free soy sauce. 

When I ordered yesterday, there was a sign that said “We have wheat-free teriyaki sauce”.  Being skeptical, and cautious, I asked three different employees if they knew if it was gluten free?  They all said yes.  So to double check, “I emailed headquarters” (if you’re a Will & Grace fan, you’ll get that reference).

Their answer was, yes, it is gluten free!  That is fantastic news, and I am so excited.  It makes me love Tokyo Joe’s even more.

GFS at the DNC

What a fun morning I had today.  I had the good fortune of having breakfast at the CNN Grill, which is located in a restaurant right outside of the Pepsi Center.  Literally, I was a 30 second walk from the Pepsi Center (but couldn’t get there, due to heavy security restrictions).  Now, for those of you living under a rock, the Pepsi Center is the heart of the Democratic National Convention.

Breakfast was hosted by Turner Network Sales (who is the account team for all of the various Turner cable networks).  We dined with political commentator Bill Schneider, who sat at our table of five.  It was great to sit and talk 1/1 with him and his knowledge. 

I think the true highlight of the morning for me was meeting Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Fran.  What an amazing man - he’s doing so much for equal rights!  It was truly an honor to meet him, even if it was for about a minute, but to be able to thank him for everything he does for equal rights.

Being that close to the Pepsi Center and where the heart of the DNC was….just truly fascinating.  There were press people EVERYWHERE, CNN anchors broadcasting live right behind where we were sitting…the energy level was just great!

They had a custom menu for breakfast which was a choice of five items.  Of course, of the five, four involved gluten (either bagels, or french toast, or oatmeal.)  I showed my Triumph Card to a contact at Turner, who took it to the executive chef and I had a wonderful, safe meal of eggs, potatoes and bacon!

Here are some photos I thought I’d share with you of the Pepsi Center and surrounding area.

GFS

Gluten Free Steve and Mayor Gavin Newsom

So close to the Pepsi Center

Gluten Free Steve by the CNN Express bus

Denver Water drinking fountain!

A magic pill

I’ve read some articles that there is work being developed on a pill that we could take before eating, that would then allow us to eat gluten, and the gluten would be able to pass through us or safely being digested (or something along those lines).

Here’s my question to you - if there was such a pill that we could take, that would allow us to go back to “normal” living, and eat gluten, would you take such a pill?  Please leave me a comment about your thoughts.

To be honest, I’m not sure if I would….more on that later this week after some of my readers post their answers.

It’s not the same

Sigh…it’s been a while since I’ve posted.  I’ve not had anything “post-worthy” (so I think) but I’ve gotten a few “where are you?!” emails, so it was time to get back.  I struggle from time to time regarding what to post.  And what people want to hear about.  So I’ve got a few ideas and hopefully this’ll help me get some additional postings going.

Tonight I had a meeting at a local deli during the dinner hour.  I knew beforehand there would most likely be nothing safe for me to eat.  I called the deli last week, and asked if they have anything gluten free or can accomodate gf dining.  I was told during Passover, they definitely have some 100% gluten free items, but year round, it’s kind of my call to what I feel comfortable eating.

I tried to give him some examples of cross contamination.  I said, for example, the griddle you cook your home fries on, are the pancakes cooked right next to them?  He said, yes, but then said (to try and comfort me)  that he doesn’t eat red meat, but he’ll eat a piece of chicken that is cooked on the same grill since the grill is cleaned and the heat to him makes his chicken safe (more or less in those words).  I told him, that’s not really the same, he’s not going to get sick or put his health in jeopardy if he eats red meat, like I would if I have gluten.  

I just had a lemonade.

GFS

Black Garlic - it’s a no-no.

A few weeks back, on a steamy hot Saturday afternoon, the Artist and I braved the heat to venture to a Top Chef event.  We weren’t sure what we were going to see, but it turned out to be a fun afternoon.

There were two chefs from Season 4 (Antonia and Ryan, both whom I loved on the show).  They were in town doing some promo work for the show and treated us (and about 10 others) to a live demo/talk in a promotional trailer that was thankfully air conditioned!  Antonia made a super yummy seared duck breast served over some sort of slaw in a radicchio cup (I wish I had written this down at the time, but I was on five hours of sleep from the past 24 hours, so my mind wasn’t “on”).  Ryan was the sous chef as Antonia cooked, and both were personable, chatty, and just darn cute in their own way.

They did some q&a as they went along, and from that, and from one of the ingredients they used, I learned about black garlic.  Now, I’m a garlic fan, so it sounded interesting.  I think I was so tired (again, that darn five hours of sleep!) that I didn’t hear them say “black garlic is marinated in soy sauce.”  Thankfully, the Artist caught that and said to me, “You can’t eat that.”

“What are you talking about?”, I said.  He then told me what the chefs said.  Man, I was glad he was around to watch out for me.  He’s good to me like that.

So just a warning out there for all of you foodies and spiceheads - black garlic is not gluten free.  Here’s a link to an article about black garlic.  If you’re like me, you have probably told everyone that cooks for you that “All spices are safe.  It’s seasonings that you have to watch out for.”  Not the case anymore….we have to be very careful of what we eat, and black garlic is a spice, and on the no list.

GFS

That naughty Mother Nature…

Mother Nature has been teasing us for about three weeks now with daily temperatures in the upper 90s and crossing over into the low 100s some days.  We’ve broken our own record for most consistent days in the 90s and it looks as if that may end this week (into the upper 80s…)

The heat knocks me out, but fortunately I’ve had time to relaxt this past week with being off of work.  We did some chores around the house, caught a movie, went out to eat, and I had time to test a recipe I want to share with you for cinnamon roasted almonds.

I haven’t written much lately, as I’ve just not felt the creative urge.  Somewhere in me I’ve got a posting about a Top Chef event we went to about three weeks ago.  Hopefully I can get to that this week.

In the meantime, here is a great recipe for snacking.  It calls for sugar, which would carmelize better, but I used Splenda to keep this low cal and sugar-free.  I would definitely add some more cinnamon next time and maybe even cut back on some of the almonds, so there is more coating for the others.  It’s an easy, tasty treat.  Enjoy!

Cinnamon Roasted Almonds
1 egg white
1 teaspoon cold water
3 cups almonds
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1)  Preheat oven to 250.  Lightly grease a 10 x 15 jelly roll pan.
2)  Mix sugar, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.
3)  Lightly beat egg white and add water.  Beat until frothy but not stiff.
4)  Add nuts to egg white/water mixture and stir until well coated.  I used my hands to get them thoroughly coated.
5)  Add the sugar/salt/cinnamon mixture to nuts, stirring to coat.  I added it bit by bit, getting my hands in there and tossing them to coat.
6)  Spread nut mixture evenly onto jelly roll pan.
7)  Bake for one hour, stirring occasionally until golden.  Allow to cool before eating.

GFS