When being gluten-free gets old

It's now been well over a decade (11 3/4 years, but who's counting?) since I was diagnosed with celiac.  Of course, it was hard to learn what gluten was, where it was hidden in foods, how to eat out, and most importantly, how to travel while following a strict gluten-free diet.  However, in time it came to be second nature for me, as it does for most of us.  And, with two other family members going off gluten within my first year, I had a pretty easy transition overall.

But there are days when being gluten-free simply isn't fun.  Sometimes it's just annoying and other times it's super stressful.  I'd be hard pressed to believe anyone who didn't experience gluten-free fatigue as I prefer to call it.  I mean, let's get real...there are scores of people with celiac disease (confirmed) who are consuming as much gluten as ever - all the while downing Pepto Bismol (or a similar otc medication) in order to keep their symptoms manageable.  For those of us who take having celiac (which can and absolutely does cause certain cancers) seriously, and would not touch gluten on purpose with a 10-foot pole, it can get weary to remain vigilant 24/7.

There's always a wedding (or worse, a funeral), a family reunion, a work event, a holiday party...well, you get the gist.  There is almost always some event coming up which requires you to do something extra to prepare to attend it.  You need to find out who's supplying the food and what, if anything is safe for you to eat.  If not, can you take your own food in without causing a ruckus with the host or establishment.  Or do you need to sneak any and everything you plan to eat in your purse and possibly your husband's pockets?  Once there, you might need to find a place to quickly nibble on whatever you've smuggled in (yes, it feels like you're smuggling) so that no one takes notice and makes a big deal about it.

I'm convinced that people don't mean to be rude and inappropriate when they inquire about what happens when you consume gluten by mistake.  They are just ignorant....give them a break.  Had I not been the one diagnosed, I might be as ignorant as the next guy.  In years past, I would usually change the subject so as not to make anyone uncomfortable.  But that is probably part of the problem. We don't like talking about things that make others squirm. If we did, MANY more people would understand what celiac disease is by now.  These days, I simply reply that I might throw up for anywhere from an hour to three, depending on how much gluten I've ingested unknowingly.  Sometimes, if I'm feeling generous, I'll add something like "it's like a kid who ate way too much junk at the fair...everything comes up the way it went down"...and I add a little chuckle.

Yes, being gluten-free does gets old from time to time, but I try to look as the positive side of it. At least I'm not out there making myself sick, causing myself serious and possibly irreparable harm, like so many countless others are doing this very minute.  When I remember that, I count my blessings to be sure ;)

 





  

Gluten-free find in Palm Harbor, FL!

When visiting in-laws in the Clearwater, FL area, we needed to find a place for a birthday celebration dinner.  Besides having a safe meal, I wanted to enjoy the food as well....just like any other diner would.  Thankfully, the options my in-laws gave us to look into turned out to be extremely gluten-free friendly!  For reference, I classify "gluten-free friendly" places to be great for foodies looking for a safe gf meal.  Places that might have a gluten-free menu and even understand what gluten-free service entails, but that don't have anything special to offer gf patrons are what I call "gluten-free knowledgeable" places.

So, in checking out the menus for EE Steakout and Mystic Fish (both in the Clearwater, FL area), we decided to have dinner at Mystic Fish. The ambiance was simply charming and while the place was hopping early on Saturday night, we could converse at the table without speaking loudly which is always a plus!

When it came to the menu options, so many dishes naturally gluten-free, or can be prepared as such, that is was hard to make a decision.  I finally settled on fish chowder (yes, gluten-free chowder!) and two small plates for dinner.  Those included artichoke bottoms with crab meat topping, and seared scallops with strawberries and goat cheese over fresh salad greens. Each dish was artfully presented (particularly for this price point restaurant) and better yet - both dishes were seriously delicious!

Even though a starter soup and two small plates was plenty for dinner, I had to try one of the many gluten-free desserts, of course!  The desserts are quite small, and priced accordingly so it's common for people to order more than one.  However, the key lime panna cotta was the perfect size to finish off my amazing meal at Mystic Fish!  And the flourless chocolate torte was delish as well...lol!

In addition to the lovely meal we all enjoyed, it so nice to feel well taken care of by the chef, owners and even the educated server. It's wonderful to go to a new place and leave without wishing you lived in Europe where they take food allergies much more seriously than here at home.

Hopefully, we'll get to check out EE Steakout during our next visit to the area!

          

Amazing gluten-free waffles in Gator Town!

On a spring visit to see family in Gainesville, FL, we had lunch at Harvest Thyme Cafe.  Even though it was around noon, I ordered the gluten-free waffles, which are the only kind served up at this quaint cafe.  That's right - if you want a waffle there, you're getting a gluten-free version.  And no one would ever know the difference!  If the cafe served both gluten and gluten-free waffles, I would have thought I'd been served the wrong version by mistake.  They are that amazing!

As far as I can tell, the waffles are only available at the Magnolia Parke location.

We are going back to visit family in the fall and I can NOT wait to enjoy these amazing waffles again!  Harvest Thyme Cafe will be our first stop on arrival in Gator Town from now on!




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Be careful what you wish for...

The old saying "be careful what you wish for" is often times really good advice to heed. For years, bloggers and people throughout the gluten-free community have been saying that having the gluten-free diet become too mainstream could possibly hurt more than it helps. Of course, it's wonderful that most servers in restaurants have at least heard the term gluten-free, even if they don't know exactly what it means. And gone are the days of running around to a dozen stores just to pick up your fave pasta, bread, frozen pizza and everything else! Well, in my case, I love Sprouts, Earthfare and Whole Paycheck - and our main store is Publix (with some Kroger and Ingles mixed in)...but I don't have to shop at all those places. I choose to because I'm particular and I can.

But with the good (plenty of amazing food to buy retail and when dining out), also comes the bad. As with anything, there are usually drawbacks, of some sort, when it comes to positive progress. While I appreciate the fact that very aware places tend to ask if I'm ordering gluten-free as a preference or if I have an allergy (or celiac), it's also frustrating because that means there are plenty of those pesky trendy dieters out there that wouldn't know if they were served gluten or not. And no matter which way you slice it, that is not a good thing.

Most everyone was so excited when certain companies started producing gluten-free items galore. However, some large companies are taking over and causing some fabulous products to be discontinued or are putting some small (beyond amazing) companies completely out of business. And that is certainly not a good thing.

Want to order a gluten-free pizza? No worries - order one from Domino's, Pizza Hut or your local pizzeria. The problem (no, it's not that the pizzas are cooked in the same oven as long as the gf pizzas are on a pan) is that some places will be hard pressed to tell you if their sauce or ingredients are gluten-free. And if they can do that, they can't seem to cook the pizza crust so that it's edible. It's often either soggy or so hard you can't cut it with a knife, let alone try to eat it! Again, this is not a good thing. I have a few places that do gluten-free pizza right, but I pass several places that do a bad job in order to get to the good ones.

I hope before we end up with nothing worth eating (in terms of replacement items) we all take time to think about what we really want the gluten-free market to look like. If we want it to resemble the mainstream market filled with tons of products made with unhealthy ingredients....well, we're well on our way to that. If we want great products, made with real ingredients, we need to support companies that are producing them.

#restinpeaceglutenfreedacookies (their signature gf product)  


  
     

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.