Firebirds at Avalon - Check it out!

There is a new restaurant in Alpharetta called Firebirds Wood Fired Grill.  It's located just across the street from Avalon, the premiere shopping center in North Fulton.  For those of you that remember Wildfire near Perimeter Mall - Firebirds has similar decor, but it's a somewhat smaller space. It's a large place by most standards - it's just not so big that you feel like a number instead of a customer. It's a lovely resto with tall ceilings, lots of windows and an open kitchen - very nice!

It was 100 degrees out the day we ventured to Firebirds for a very early dinner so we didn't want anything heavy.  We split the amazing grilled shrimp salad which was large enough for four to share in our opinion.  I rarely get excited about salads these days, but this one is my new fave of the summer.  It's seriously incredible - in fact, it was so great, I'd gladly order it sans shrimp!  I had a baked potato and green beans for instead of an entree - only because I wanted the flourless chocolate cake for dessert.  But the salad and potato were so filling that I took the green beans home (they were also delicious!).  My husband loved his barbeque chicken sandwich as well.  Though I didn't notice bread or breaded items on the gluten-free menu, there is plenty enough to enjoy for lunch or dinner.

I've been over creme brulee and gf chocolate cake for half a decade (who wouldn't be if those were the only things offered for dessert for a full decade?), but I decided to try the gf cake here since I saw someone else order it and it looked decadent.  And that's exactly what it was!

I'm excited to go back for lunch when it's a bit cooler so I can try the potato soup on a Tuesday.  There are three gf soups, but each is served on a particular day.  Currently, potato soup day is Tuesday.  I can't remember the last time I was able to order a potato soup in a restaurant.... I've been able to maybe a half dozen times since 2006!

The food and service was excellent at Firebirds!  There is valet parking offered (at certain times) which I think is optional.  Since this is a chain with locations in almost 20 states, I doubt they can vary from the menu, but if they could, having Pure Kneads buns for sandwiches and Trader Joe's gf ginger snaps for the key lime pie crust would be my dream items at Firebirds.  Even with the current gluten-free menu, one can have an excellent gluten-free meal here - complete with a delectable dessert!



              

Marilyn's Gluten Free on QVC!

OK - full disclosure here.  I know Marilyn, owner of Marilyn's Gluten Free Gourmet, very well!  I met her years ago when I ran the local gluten-free dinner club and Marilyn brought her fabulous gluten-free fruitcake to an event.  It was love at first bite with that product, and most everything since!  Things that Marilyn has created that I'm particularly partial (or addicted) to include Peachtree Pimento spread, lemon pound cake, buttermilk biscuits and the best cheese straws on the market!  Trust me on those - I can't keep them away from glutenoids who can eat regular cheese straws....

Naturally, when I found out that Marilyn was going to be on QVC, I was overly excited.  Keep in mind that I have never ever watched anything on that network before - I didn't even know where it was on my channel line up!  Anyway, I was able to watch her segment (I'm not sure if there was more than one during the food show she was apart of) and it was simply heart warming to see someone who's worked so hard to make such wonderful gourmet food to the gluten-free set get a spot on QVC!  I obviously could not resist placing an order for Marilyn's coffee cakes which are only available through QVC.

My shipment arrived promptly and the packaging alone was marvelous.  What a treat to get something shipped so well thought out, instead of a tiny item in a box that an elephant inside that I routinely get from Amazon.  Anyway, the real treats were, of course, the amazing cakes which - wait for it - were filled with icing!  Yes - coffee cakes filled with just the right amount of icing.  I was in complete gluten-free heaven!

If I have to choose a favorite, it has to be the cinnamon, but the cakes are all extremely delicious!  My only complaint is that I can't eat one every day - or else I would do just that!  If you want a treat for yourself or get a gift for someone else - this 8-pack of mini cakes is an excellent option.  Mother's Day is just around the corner, you know ;)  You can find out more about ordering here.

Thanks to Marilyn, who thinks we all deserve delicious food, regardless of having to avoid gluten.  She helps make the gluten-free world go 'round in such a wonderfully sweet way!    

The Farmhouse finally opens in Johns Creek!

So I've seen the sign on the storefront of The Farmhouse coffee shop for six months or so...but I finally gave up on it ever opening.  I try not to patronize Starbucks much due to the gf cake fiasco of several years back.  Anyway, The Farmhouse opened about a month ago.  The first couple of times I stopped in for a gluten-free treat, they had already sold out for the day.  Finally, my husband popped in on a Saturday and surprised me with a sweet scone (yes, from Seven Sisters Scones) and a piece of pound cake from Sally's Gluten-Free Bakery.   Of course, he ate the pound cake in a nanosecond since it's one of his favorite treats (remember he can and does eat gluten!).  I ate 1/2 the scone and shared the other half since it's so large.  Sorry to say I can't report on the coffee, but the reviews of it so far are pretty positive.  The crepes are not gluten-free - at least not yet.

       

More options at Seven Sisters Scones!

OK - admittedly, I have written about Seven Sisters Scones several times, but they deserve the coverage!  Not only are their gluten-free (and from what I've heard, their gluten) scones seriously delicious - they now have gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and brownies to boot!  Both new items are yummy, but I'm partial to the cookies since I can easily make great brownies with a mix at home.  But for me, at least, cookies are too time consuming to make.  What's really special about the SSS chocolate chip cookie is that it's plenty sweet, but also has a hint of salt to balance it out. In a word, it's perfectamundo!

One last note on this darling establishment - they now have tables and chairs and not just a counter w/stools for in-house dining.  If you love scones, the offerings at Seven Sisters Scones can NOT be beat!         

Seven Sisters Scones - a hit in Johns Creek!

Ever since Seven Sisters Scones opened a couple of months ago, it's just gotten better and better!  It's exciting enough to be able to pop in and grab a gluten-free scone (most of the time there is both a savory and sweet option) six days a week.  Now that they have lunch service, it's becoming my new fave place for quick take-out.  I served the killer chicken tortilla soup to glutenoid in-laws....yes - this is great food for everyone!

It's so nice to have gluten-free soup options (not that common in Johns Creek/Alpharetta), but I'm getting addicted to the new sconewiches (sandwiches made with savory scones).  Give me a bacon, cheddar & chive with turkey, cheese and red pepper aioli sconewich any day and I'm a happy luncher!

The staff at Seven Sisters Scones are friendly and go out of their way to provide exceptional service to their customers.  The bakery/cafe is offering specialty items for Thanksgiving this week (through Wed.) and many items are gluten-free.  Visit the bakery's website (or better yet the bakery itself!) for more details.  The pumpkin maple scones are simply amazing....and are the perfect fall indulgence!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

*Please note this is not a dedicated gluten-free bakery.   



   

Bloomfield Farms expands distribution!

Several years ago, someone told me about a great gluten-free cornbread mix they picked up in Kentucky.  It was the Bloomfield Farms mix which I hadn't seen in Atlanta at the time - and I still haven't found it here.  The good news is that the brand is rolling out to Kroger stores which means we should find it locally soon!

In the meantime, the company was nice enough to send me a few things to try.  I recently made some golden brown pancakes for a lovely weekend breakfast.  The mix was super easy to use and what was really exciting is that you don't have to use a whole box to make pancakes!  Many gluten-free pancake mixes only give you instructions to use the whole package and in our case, that leaves us with way too many pancakes for a meal for two.

I'm really picky about pancakes and literally could not eat some offered at a local restaurant because they came out 'light beige' and not 'golden brown' like pancakes most certainly should be.  The Bloomfield Farms pancakes are the perfect color and texture and just taste like regular pancakes!  While I kept it basic with no add-ins, the batter should lend it self to blueberries or chocolate chips - whatever your favorite type is.  Enjoy!

Seven Sisters Scones opens in Johns Creek!

Many months ago, we came upon a scone booth at a local farmers market.  There was a sign out front that listed two gluten-free flavors of scones.  Knowing that a friend (with celiac) had tried these scones and had no issues, I decided to taste, and then buy, a white chocolate raspberry scone.  I must say that it was one of the best scones (of any kind) I've ever had!    

Seven Sisters Scones sells product at many Atlanta are farmers markets on Saturdays, as well as one in Chattanooga, TN.  They usually have a couple of gluten-free options to choose from.

My favorite items are the above mentioned (sweet) flavor and the savory cheddar, bacon and chive.  The latter is like a really upgraded version of the cheddar biscuits at Red Lobster.  Simply put, they are AMAZING!  I've served the "sconies" (mini scones available for pre-ordering) to glutenoids many times and they always rave about them as much as gluten-free guests do. These scones freeze exceptionally well and have no flavor or texture change upon defrosting.      
It is with great excitement that I can finally announce that Seven Sisters Scones has opened a store front bakery in Johns Creek!  Details are on the company's website.    


*Please note this bakery is not a gluten-free facility.  As always, do what works for you personally, regarding gluten-free foods.  

Filled cupcakes at Smallcakes - delish!

OK - anyone who frequents the Gigi's in Norcross, which offers many gluten-free flavors (cupcake and frostings) six days a week, might have a hard time getting excited about gluten-free options at Smallcakes in Alpharetta.  They offer gf vanilla one week and gf chocolate the next - only on Tuesdays.  But, recently this location changed the way they offer gluten-free cupcakes.  They now don't frost the cupcakes in advance.  You get to choose your frosting which opens up many exciting flavor options!

For weeks, the frostings of the day (for gf cupcakes) were two that I can't tolerate as they are WAY too sweet.  Then, last week I called and found out about the new frosting free cupcakes that patrons get to choose the frostings for.  I left knowing I could order key lime pie frosting, but got there to find I could also order lemon drop frosting which blew my mind....lemon and coconut cupcakes are my favorites and apparently not many people like them since Gigi's Norcross rarely makes then due to their unpopularity...  But back to Smallcakes!  Needless to say I walk out with two gorgeous cupcakes with a big smile on my face.  However, when I get home to cut each of them in half (yes, I share), they are filled with something....and I'm pretty sure the cake part must not be gluten-free.  In a panic I call the store and the nice woman who made the cupcakes explained the fillings were just put in for me and they are both gluten-free.  And I must say, it's been a very long time since I've had cupcakes are fantastic as these!!!!

The cake part is flavorful and moist and the frosting isn't 2/3 of the product.  My husband enjoyed his two cupcake halves that night and said they were simply amazing.  Since he gets regular baked treats fairly often at work now, his gluten and gluten-free taste comparisons are pretty accurate.

Just like any normal restaurant, this bakery can't guarantee their gluten-free options are perfectly gluten-free, but they do take precautions considering they're in a gluten-filled facility.  I'm not sure why they don't have more gluten-free customers (Gigi's is overrun with them!), but if you're in the area and comfortable buying from regular bakeries, this place is definitely worth checking out!

      

Refreshing summer cocktails

One of the most common summer "adult" beverages is the white wine spritzer, but there are other summery drinks that are just as light and refreshing.  Two of my favorites are the Gin Margarita (thank you Ted's Montana Grill) and Kombucha Sunrise.

For the first drink, just substitute gin for the tequila in your favorite margarita recipe. Garnish with fresh lime in salt rimmed glass and enjoy.

For the Kombucha Sunrise, mix two parts Gingerade Kombucha with one part vodka of your choice (distilled alcohol is gluten-free, but check status of all flavored liquors) and garnish with fresh lime.

Remember that the effects of alcohol are exacerbated in extreme heat.  As always, please drink responsibly.

STAY COOL and 

HAPPY JULY 4TH!!

Fresh gluten-free treats at Walmart!

OK - I'm not much of a WM shopper so when a close gluten-free friend of mine told me I HAD to try the delicious gluten-free cookies and muffins she found at the WM over in Cobb county, I said yeah yeah...and promptly forgot about it.  First of all, these days I have to choose my carbs very carefully.  If something isn't amazing, I stop eating it after the first bite.  Secondly, as mentioned above, I rarely go to WM.

Several weeks pass and I'm offered a chance to taste the WM goodies.  Clearly, based on my very picky (like me) friend's comments about this product line, I had to take advantage of this great opportunity!  Not only was my friend dead on in her review of the FRESH treats sold in the regular WM bakery, everything was better than I could have imagined! Oh, and everything is VERY affordable to boot ;)



Starting with the cookies, they are VERY large and VERY soft!  Aside from cookies made in a gluten-free (walk-in) bakery or ones I've baked myself, I've never had  delicious, soft and chewy gluten-free cookies like these.  They taste like homemade cookies...seriously!  If you heat them up for a few seconds, I'm sure they'll taste like they just came out of the oven.  Now, for the sad party of this story, the cookie monster in our house (who can eat any cookie on earth!) ate every cookie in two packages in less than two days!  I wanted to make an ice cream sandwich with them, but that will have to wait.

On to the brownies.  I'm not sure why, but I've always been a huge fan of brownie bites - very small mini-muffin sized brownies.  The WM Bakery gluten-free brownies are the perfect size!  They're also just chocolaty and sweet enough without being too much of either.  I ate one of them at room temperature (remember, they're in the bakery at WM - not in the freezer!) and it was really scrumptious!  Then after giving ONE brownie to the husband, I froze the rest to insure they would still be there the next day.

Eventually, I thawed out several brownies and made ice cream sundaes with them.  Making that treat called for slightly heating the brownies in the microwave (one for me and three for the husband!) and topping with vanilla ice cream and Trader Joe's Midnight Moo (the only chocolate sauce we'll eat now).  OK - we topped the sundaes off with a touch of canned whipped cream...lol!  The only thing missing was a cherry on top - but we didn't miss the gluten one bit!

Lastly, we have the blueberry gluten-free muffins.  These amazing soft and moist treats are my new go-to ready-made blueberry muffins!  They come in a 2-pack which is perfect for us!  One thing I could not figure out was how the blueberries tasted like someone had picked them that day and made a batch of muffins with them... Seriously - the best blueberries I've had in any muffin ever!  We didn't get a chance to freeze these, but based on the ingredients, they'll likely freeze well.  Aside from enjoying at home, they're a nice item to keep stocked for trips to the in-laws' (or friends') house where you need to take your own b'fast breads.

Here is a little more info on this great new option for FRESH gluten-free baked goods - sold only at Walmart under the brand 'The Bakery, gluten-free'.

• Certified gluten-free
• Certified Kosher
• Contains soy, dairy and egg
• Made in nut-free facility
• NO artificial flavors or colors
• NO trans fats
• NO hydrogenated oils
• Naturally flavored

Now I know most of us have trained ourselves to avoid the bakery at any store like the plague.  Why torture ourselves looking longingly at all the fresh, gluten-filled goodness?  But it's time to reprogram our brains to enjoy going to the FRESH bakery section again - at least at Walmart!  ALL U.S. locations should have these wonderful products by now, but if you can't find them, be sure and ask the bakery manager at your store to get them in STAT!

To keep up with all the news from this exciting line, be sure to follow the WMBakeryGlutenFree Twitter page!            

Recipe: Simple Papaya Salsa

With the overwhelming heat the ATL has experienced lately, I'm on a mission to cook as little as possible.  Thankfully, my husband is a wonderful "grill master" and doesn't mind the heat associated with grilling in the early evening sun.

One of the easiest things to make without cooking is homemade salsa.  You can make it any way you like with whatever ingredients you have on hand - it's a win-win situation! When looking for a papaya salsa recipe the other day, I realized I didn't have all the ingredients to make any of them exactly as written.  Therefore, I mixed it up and came up with my own recipe.

Papaya Salsa

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ripe papaya - diced
• 1/2 cup jicama - peeled and diced**
• 1/4 cup roasted (or fresh) red bell peppers 
• 1/2 bunch green onions
• 2 t. dried cilantro (fresh is better - use 1/4 cup)
• 2 t. fresh lime juice
• salt and pepper to taste

**Jicama peel is not edible

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Put diced papaya and jicama in mixing bowl and toss with lime juice (this prevents jicama from browning).
• Put red peppers and green onion into small food processor - pulse to mince.
• Add minced veggies and cilantro to papaya mixture and mix well.
• Taste and add salt and pepper, if desired.  
• Chill for at least 30 minutes so all the flavors meld well.      

We used this fabulous, summery salsa to top grilled Mahi-Mahi, but it also works well with grilled chicken.

Left over recipe ideas: add fresh (or canned) pineapple and some ginger to salsa.  Puree to make fruity gazpacho.  This twist on an old favorite is amazingly refreshing!

Fruit salsa also makes an excellent taco topping in the warmer months!