Earthfare - gluten-free shopping review

The first sign I saw about an  Earthfare location opening up was in Forsythe county and that store is not only not open - it's not currently listed as "coming soon" on the company's website.  However, the good news is that the Peachtree Corners location in Norcross is open and it is absolutely fabulous!

While I wasn't overly impressed with the prices or selection of the produce in the store, the meat and seafood was pretty reasonable - grand opening specials not withstanding.  And the packaged items labeled gluten-free were everywhere we looked.  It was actually overwhelming to see product after product that I've not seen anywhere else in the ATL or in some cases, never even heard of!

Over the last couple of years, I've discovered that I need to choose my carbs carefully which means I don't indulge much in the tasty gluten-free bagels, waffles or buns on the market today.  I have a few boxes of the killer Pillsbury gluten-free muffins in the freezer right now and I've only enjoyed one muffin.  If I could stand the carb overload, I could eat two of those treats a day - at least!  Those should be available at some Ingle's stores now and are coming soon to local Kroger stores - very exciting!  These light, fluffy muffins are great to pack in school lunches, enjoy as afternoon snacks or travel with.  The individual wrapping keeps the muffins fresh until you're ready to enjoy them.

OK - back to Earthfare.  For the shopper looking for the latest and greatest gluten-free products available in the Atlanta area, Earthfare is the place to check out.  Other locations are on tap to open later this year (one on Cheshire Bridge Road maybe one near the Collection at Forsythe as well as other locals the company has signed leases for).

The absolute best part about the Earthfare stores is that they are not too big for their britches like some other stores in the area are.  If you place a request for an item made by a company the store already brings something in from, it's likely you'll see it on the shelf (or in the freezer) during your next shopping trip.  Yes - they make things happen quickly and Earthfare.  No worrying about requesting gluten-free ice cream cones this summer only to wait to see them in the store next summer.  That is not the Earthfare way - they are serious about getting things done and done right!
  
  

Christmas trip meal ideas

We almost always have to travel for the two major holidays at the end of the year.  While we enjoy being with family, dealing with the stress of having to take enough food to cover all your needs in a non gluten-free house is not always welcome.  What works well for me is to do almost all my holiday cooking before I ever hit the road.  Below is what's 'on the menu' for me in a few weeks.

Christmas eve dinner: gluten-free lasagna, Italian side salad and garlic bread.  I make a small batch (that offers two nice sized servings for me) ahead of time and freeze it.  If I'm in a generous mood after I'm good and full, I'll give the left overs to the husband.

Christmas morning breakfast:  Pancetta and Gruyere cheese egg casserole and pumpkin muffins.   Again, I make two servings ahead of time and freeze.  When I get where I'm going, I put previously frozen items in the fridge and they're ready to heat up by the time I need to eat them.

Christmas dinner:  turkey (no gravy as I don't care for any type of gravy with or without gluten in it), cornbread dressing, green bean casserole (homemade onion rings last for two weeks in air tight container), sweet potato casserole, whole berry cranberry sauce (from a can) and last, but certainly not least, pecan pie!

To make sure my food stays gluten-free from cooler to table, I make sure and follow my own protocol to prevent cross contamination.  These tips work well any time of year.

• Take your own butter in a labeled container so no one puts their crumb laden knife it it. 
• Take mini foil sheets (I get them at Dollar Tree) to line pans and racks in oven or toaster ovens when heating bread, muffins, etc. 
• Take small packs of snacks and sweet stuff so you don't feel deprived having to pass on a dozen gluten-filled desserts. 
• Don't apologize for the fact that you can't indulge in Aunt Amy's cake or pie or dressing.  Doing so implies that you have a choice in the matter - if you're gluten-free because you can't eat gluten that's far from true.
• Don't feel bad if you can't share your expensive gluten-free food (like donuts, cheese straws, cookies or pie) with others.  If they're not sharing with you (because they don't have gluten-free foods to share), you don't owe them anything. 
• Do enjoy the holiday and all your fabulous gluten-free food!     

  Happy Holidays Y'all!!

We interrupt this blog....

OK - some of you have noticed that I'm now posting on this website regularly after a VERY long hiatus in 2013.  Even though the reason for this has nothing to do with the gluten-free world, I decided to share some info about an off topic subject (real estate) in case it helps someone else down the road.

We lived in Gwinnett County for over 18 years and for the most part, it was fine.  And then one day, it wasn't.  Without going into detail, let's just say the time came when we had to move so we did.  And moving out of Gwinnett was by far, the best decision we've made regarding real estate.

But this post is not about that area - it's about how real estate agents will take advantage of you if you let them.  We interviewed five agents in all (2 via phone only and 3 in person) before deciding to work with a neighbor who had less experience than anyone else we talked to.  And that turned out to be a VERY good decision as well.

One agent who was clearly very successful wanted us to sign a 6 month sales agreement and pay a fee if we broke it.... I didn't want buyers (strangers) invading my house for a month so anything over three months was totally out of the question.  NEXT!

Another agent walked into our house and asked if our on-site stained REAL hardwood floors (that people could not believe the gorgeous condition of) were real....AND low balled the proposed sales price by over $20K.  She'd listed our house as a 4BR (in a proposal) when I'd explained in writing, on the phone and via email that our house was a 5BR house and that's the way that Wieland built it.  Somewhere along the way someone mislabeled it as having 4BR years ago and well, you know what they say.  You can't kill bad info on the web.  NEXT!

Another agent (that I only spoke to on the phone) tried to convince me that the finishes in my house (from the hardwood color to counters to cabinets to tile) were all wrong and unfortunately, my house was not worth nearly what I thought it might be.  NEXT!

We ended up working with a neighbor, literally, who dabbled in real estate on the side.  That's right.  We chose that route over giving the other pushy, seemingly scare monger realtors a dime of commission.  Below is what happened next - I still at times have a hard time believing it all turned out this way.  But in fact, it did.

Home gets listed on the market late - around 2:30 pm instead of the 9 am scheduled time.  Someone doing the listing for the broker was sick...blah blah.  Before 3:30 pm, we had our first showing - for 6:30 that evening.  It was freezing cold and raining on a Friday night in February...we went out to dinner and returned home to find every single light in the house on.  The next morning, I had an email from our agent - an offer had come in at 9:00 pm the night before.  Let's see...that's less than 7 hours after the listing was posted.  Not bad....at all!

The offer was less than our asking price so we didn't reply.  We had 10 days to do so - so why rush?  Later that day, we got another showing set up for the following morning.  We went out to breakfast and after the second showing we never heard zip from that agent.  Then something remarkable happened.  The people that made the first offer must have been concerned that we were getting a better offer so they came back and upped their offer without us throwing out a counter to them.  Can you imagine???  It's was seriously crazy - but in a fabulous way!

So, we signed a sales agreement less than three days after the house hit the market.  The only problem was we had nothing to move into.  We ended up renting our house back from the buyer for just over three weeks (for less than our old mortgage).  By the time we had to move out, we still had not found a house we wanted to buy.  And so we moved into a rental home and continued our search.

In the end, we found a house that's just right for us (if a little larger then we need) in a much better area for gluten-free dining, shopping and living.  The reason I thought it was important to share our experience is simply because I think way too many people trust realtors when the truth is that MANY realtors will take advantage of sellers if given half a chance.

Please note I'm only speaking of realtors in our area as we've only bought and sold houses here.  Something similar to our recent transaction also happened on our first home sale years ago.  Don't let people convince you of something that is not true unless you don't mind losing a LOT of money in real estate deals.

The holidays are here...ho hum....

Most of the time, I really don't think it's that difficult to be gluten-free.  Seriously - I don't.  That's probably because I live in an area where there are very few things I can't find delicious versions of (think donuts, bagels, cookies, pie crusts, crackers, cakes, cheese straws, cinnamon buns and much more!).  And I can't possibly find time to dine out at every place that offers exceptional tasting (and safe!) gluten-free meals around here.

But when the holidays roll around, I often find myself feeling irritated in a way I don't feel good about.  I tell myself it's only one meal I have to deal with making all my own food for.  Since I have two other gluten-free family members, only the events with people other than my family are somewhat challenging.  Still, it's only one meal for the whole year - how hard can it be?  Well OK....it's actually three meals if you count Christmas Eve and Christmas morning....  Oh yeah - that is annoying.

If you've been gluten-free for a while, you might be wondering if I don't understand that my gluten-free-free dressing, green been casserole (with homemade fried onion rings), sweet potato casserole and pecan pie are as good as any gluten containing version of those dishes are.  I do know that, of course.  However, many people who are not gluten-free are afraid of gluten-free food.  Therefore, mentioning a small change of ingredients in a family recipe during the holidays is not always a good idea.

I've personally found it's usually best to make/take your own food, don't share if you don't feel inclined to, and call it a day.  This way, you're not upset, sad or annoyed that you can't have any 'fill in your fave holiday dish here' during the holiday meal.  And that makes for a much nicer holiday for you and those around you.

What's interesting to me is that people who have no dietary restrictions or allergies have no idea what it's like to go without foods everyone else is enjoying.  They don't have any idea how it feels when others act as if it's not an issue.  Oh wait...it isn't an issue....for THEM.  It's our issue and it will always be that way.  And that is why it's beyond wonderful to enjoy holidays with other gluten-free people in your own family.  At least that way, you'll hopefully have one holiday meal where you don't have to make all your own food.  And that is an absolutely beautiful - not to mention delicious - thing!

Happy Holidays!      





       

Gluten-free fruit cake anyone?!

Forget everything you think you know about fruit cake - with or without gluten in it.  If you're a fan of really good fruitcake and can't eat gluten, I've got great news for you!  You can order an absolutely fabulous gluten-free fruit cake from American Gra-Frutti even if you can't buy one in person at their Roswell, GA bakery.  Check out all the great product options here.  Get your order in soon to make sure you get it in time for Christmas!

While you're at it, you might want to order some killer cheese straws (regular or spicy!) if you can do dairy.  Those are available from Marilyn's Gluten-Free which is a line within the American Gra-Frutti brand.  Those straws are over-the-top fantabulous!

If you're lucky enough to be able to buy the Peachtree Pimento cheese spread from this line, be sure to stock up for the holidays!  Whole Foods seems to run out around this time of year because they don't get that they need to order more to stock up for the holidays.  That stuff is great on bread, crackers and celery sticks  - and it makes killer cheese grits!

ENJOY!

Delight's new cookbook!

Full disclosure here - I work with the great team at Delight Gluten-Free Magazine.  But even if I didn't, I would be amazed by this gorgeous cookbook!  It has pretty much everything you'd be looking for in a cookbook - fabulous recipes for everything from starters to entrees to snacks to desserts.  They just all happen to be deliciously gluten-free!

Just looking at the beautiful photos has me drooling and hankering to get into the kitchen to create some magic.  So far, these are the recipes (from The Delight Gluten-Free Cookbook) that I'm looking forward to making soon:

• Cheesy Leek Risotto
• Lemon Lime Bars
• S'mores Cupcakes
• Mango Crab Cakes with cilantro lime dipping sauce
• Lemon Coconut Cake with ginger icing 
• Zesty Corn Fritters
• Alfredo Popcorn

If you're in the mood to bake your own bread, rolls, pizza crust - you name it - it's in this cookbook.  I'm just not that into baking bread since I can buy so many types from the fab gluten-free bakeries in the Metro Atlanta area.

This is a terrific holiday gift for the gluten-free cook in your life - or of course - for yourself!





*Special thanks to Delight's Editor, Vanessa Weisbrod, for her dedication to living life deliciously gluten-free every day.  And for helping me relish in doing the same!
      

Pillsbury chocolate chip muffins - mmm mmm delish!

So far I haven't seen these tasty muffins anywhere in the ATL, but if you like chocolate chip muffins, these are definitely worth finding and stocking up on!  We first tried them at Expo West in 2013 and enjoyed them again at Expo West this year.  There are two flavors - blueberry and chocolate chip and I'm addicted to the latter one.  What I love about them is the fact that they are CHOCK full of chocolate chips!

Both Publix and Kroger stores carry the Pillsbury gluten-free doughs, but so far neither seems to have the fabulous muffins.  So if you want to try these super convenient, individually wrapped muffins for yourself - ask your store to bring them in.

If you take a muffin out of the freezer and throw it in your handbag or kid's lunch, it will be ready to eat for your mid-morning snack or by lunch at school.  I tend to use a little butter on the muffins when I'm at home, but I just eat them plain if I'm eating on the go.

These muffins are perfect when traveling to the in-laws who may or may not have anything special for you in the kitchen.  Just pack them in a cooler bag with an ice pouch and leave them on the counter overnight.  The next morning you'll have a tasty gluten-free muffin you can eat as is or heated in the toaster oven or microwave.

What is really amazing is that the company has created some amazing recipes using the muffins - you won't believe how great they are!  Check them out here.  Even though the weather is finally turning cooler here, I might have to make an ice cream pie or no-bake peanut butter pie with these amazing muffins!          

Serpas - a gluten-free review

From time to time we go to pricey restaurants that offer no special gluten-free items like bread or pasta or even crackers.  At the end of the day, really amazing food can be found without the presence of specialty replacement foods.  The last place we checked out was Serpas downtown and it was totally AMAZING!

Since we were going on a Saturday night (this is a risky move that I don't suggest others do), I called ahead to discuss my gluten-free needs in detail.  As I always do at new places now, I made it clear I was NOT a trendy diet follower.  The conversation went well and I was much less apprehensive about the meal upon hanging up the phone.

Our party of five arrived at 6 pm sharp and the place was already hopping. We're used to early dinner crowds in the burbs, but were not expecting this in the hip Old Fourth Ward area downtown.  Our server asked who at the table was in need of gluten-free selections and delivered a clearly marked up menu which noted what I could and could not have.  Almost every entree offered that night was naturally gluten-free!

It was a tough decision as there were more than enough options, but I finally chose the grilled (to perfection) pork chop over (incredible creamy) grits - and the grilled peach arugula salad.  Everything was simply delectable.  I left thinking it was a shame the place was so far off our regular beaten path for us.  I also left feeling full, but not overly so.  And so very satisfied....I'm pretty sure I've never had a better pork chop anywhere!  If I had one slight criticism it would be that there was nothing worth having (to me) for dessert.  But at least that evening, I didn't miss an after dinner treat at all ;)
     

Take away from Whole 30 (Part 3 of 3)

While I'm glad I did the Whole 30 challenge, I am back to only avoiding gluten now.  I decided to take some good habits from the 30 days into the future.  I try to get a lot of protein (and less carbs) in at breakfast though I've been doing that for a while.  Muffins and pancakes and yummy things like that tend to be weekend treats instead of weekday staples.  It's true what they say "eating a healthy breakfast leads to healthy eating the rest of the day".

Since I'd already started the practice of not eating several hours before bedtime, that wasn't a new change after the challenge, but I'm being more strict about that one now.  Eating within a few hours of bedtime can impede a good night's sleep.

When I read labels in the past, I paid attention to soy and if a soy-free option was available for an item, I'd buy it even if it costs more than the version with soy in it.  The exception is that I love soy sauce and I still enjoy it in moderation.  My fave brand of gluten-free soy sauce is San-J.

The fact that I did not find adhering to the Whole 30 plan very difficult and didn't hit all the suggested bumps - or phases - suggested on the Whole 30 timeline leads me to conclude that I must have been on a pretty good track to start with.  We spend a lot of money on our food aside from the cost of replacement items like bread, buns and crackers.  Grass fed beef and good quality chicken and seafood are very expensive, but we feel the cost is well worth it.

Due to a trip two days after my Whole 30 was finished, I pretty much delved back into eating both sugar, dairy and legumes right away.  I'm using much less sugar in my coffee and am off agave now.  I'm paying attention to both gluten and sugar on labels and if there is a sugar free option for a product, I will choose it over the one with sugar in it.  Why is there sugar in frozen cauliflower steamers anyway?!!!

Even thought it's not meant to be a weight lost diet, I dropped some lb's on the Whole 30 and I would have been shocked if I hadn't.  Not eating crackers or bagels or donuts or popcorn or drinking any alcohol meant many less empty calories for a full 30 days.  I'm all about the carbs and while I'm not giving them up, I'm paying much more attention to the snacks I choose and the sides I make for dinner.

I don't think I'd do the Whole 30 again, but I might do a modified version of it - one that includes legumes and healthy grains like buckwheat and quinoa.  And maybe a glass or wine or two...lol!

       

Verizon Ampitheatre's gluten-free options

If you can get into the VIP areas of Verizon's Amphitheater at Encore park, you will likely find some very tasty gluten-free things to eat.  If you need to eat in the 'normal' areas however, you will be very disappointed.  Before the last show we saw there (The Doobie Bros. and Frampton were incredible!!!), I called to find out what I could eat at the park.  There were TWO whole options - popcorn and the wedge salad.  For real.  I was kind of taken aback at such a poor offering for gluten-free foods.

The woman who told me what was safe even apologized and then she told me something I could at least respect.  She told me to take my own food into the park - the park that does not allow outside food inside.  Yes - she did.  And yes - I did.  I took some snack food in and noshed on it during the opening act.  After that, I was too busy dancing to eat.

We're so spoiled these days being able to eat pretty much anything you can think of that I sometimes forget that large venues are often greatly lacking in providing safe options for guests with food allergies and intolerances.  And the only way things will change is if we all ask for them to.    

First Watch gluten-free review

For several years, I'd read rave reviews of a FL based chain called First Watch so naturally I was uber excited when I learned about a location opening close to where we live.  Because I have celiac and try to limit the chance of the staff at restaurants messing up my food, I rarely go to a new place right when it opens.

Back in March, we tried First Watch for the first (and for now, at least, the last) time.  The staff was knowledgeable about the gluten-free menu selections which I very much appreciated.  My meal was gluten-free which I also appreciated.  What I was not thrilled about was that the scramble meal I ordered seemed much more like scrambled eggs and potatoes with a garnish of cheese and bacon than a cheese and bacon scramble.

Egg Harbor Cafe, Another Broken Egg and Tin Roof Kitchen all have excellent gluten-free brunch options and all offer specialty dishes like gluten-free pancakes, bread, etc.  Well, everything at Tin Roof Kitchen is gluten-free. So, First Watch already has a mark against it since there is not a single specialty item offered.

When my cheese and bacon scramble arrived, I assumed they'd left off the cheese by mistake.  Upon further investigation, I did find a minuscule amount of cheese on the very bottom of  the dish.  The bacon bits were a little more obvious.  There might have been two teaspoons of cheese and one teaspoon of bacon in the whole dish - or there might have been less than that.  The manager of the First Watch here needs to go eat at Egg Harbor Cafe so they can see what a scramble is supposed to look like.

On a positive note, my husband said his pancake-of-the-day special was very good.  So, if you can eat gluten, you might want to check the place out. Or if you don't mind not being able to have toast or bread or a bun or pancakes that you'd normally associate with a breakfast/brunch menu......you might also want to check out the place.  For now, I'll continue to spend my money where I can have a 'normal' breakfast that's as good as any gluten filled options on the menu.