Why?
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| Blaine's Birthday Muffin |
Showing posts with label Celebrations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Celebrations. Show all posts
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Udi's Double Vanilla Muffins
Why?
Monday, August 15, 2011
GFXCON: Thoughts, praise and a big Thank You to Kristin Carey!
I am so happy I was able to attend the the first ever GFXCON! Didn't attend? Don't worry! I have it on good authority that there will be more! There was so much to do at this Gluten Free Convention that there was never a dull moment. There was not only the Expo, there was also Conferences, Cooking Demonstrations, and a dinner to close out the night. I missed some of these events due to scheduling conflicts but in the future I know that I will not want to miss out on the fun!
Who is the mastermind behind the GFXCon? Kristin Carey. Why does her name sound familiar? I have mentioned her prior; she is the owner of Nourish. She is incredible. She keeps bringing fourth new ways for the GF/Dairy free/Soy free/Vegan/Vegetarian/Allergen free communities together in exciting ways. This Conference was the perfect blend of food,education, and fun. I want to thank Kirstin Carey for creating such an all encompassing Conference.
That said, I am a big supporter of all the GF conferences, I think we (Celiacs), should go to every conference available to us. The more of us that show up and give the GF lifestyle a face; the more conferences that will appear in your area. This is better for us as consumers. Keep that in mind...
Back to the GFXCON:
This is what the GFXCon looks like when you enter. There were a lot of Vendors and they were all very informative. There was not one that was unfriendly. It was great to see familiar faces like Julia from Julia's Bakery!
I sampled a ton of delicious foods, drinks and tried a lot of new beauty products. Most of the tables looked like this:
This is the Udi's table. I have spoken about my love of Udi's many, many, many times on the blog. A lot of the tables were set up like the Udi's table. Had I not been chatting so much with the awesome vendors, I would have taken more pictures. I am sorry, I was having such a great time and learning so much that I neglected to take photos.
At the bottom of the post, please check out some of the links I have included for you to look at. Additionally, I will be posting a lot of new great reviews of products from companies that I wouldn't have otherwise known about, had I not gone to the Expo.
I also met some amazing bloggers! One that I have followed for years and one that I now am excited to read! Please check out these two awesome blogs:
Stephanie- I read her all the time when she was SkinnyJeans! She was so kind and I was very excited to meet her. I love it when readers come up to me and she was very personable. Please check out her latest blog.
Ken-Ken was so nice and he is GF. He is your go to guy for sustainable living the GF way!
While I was at the GFXCon, I happened to catch three speakers. I saw Dan Maakastad, Sous Chef from Nourish, Kirstin Carey, Owner of Nourish and Dr. Kyle Collins from Upper Cervical. Each speaker brought something very interesting and unique to the table. Dan talked about Grain Free cooking, Kristin talked about how to travel without having to worry about getting sick and Dr. Collins spoke about Eliminating toxins.
The Expo made me very hungry! So before I made my journey home, I ventured to Nourish and ordered a meal to go.
Teriyaki Wild Rice Bowl with ground beef added. Delish! Also, I love the blackboard quote they have displayed.
I had a marvelous time. I cannot THANK everyone that made this event possible enough. I cannot wait for the next one. I was in the best mood all day because of it. I loved the GFXCon!
Every vendor there was great, please check out these websites because I think that they are amazing:
Who is the mastermind behind the GFXCon? Kristin Carey. Why does her name sound familiar? I have mentioned her prior; she is the owner of Nourish. She is incredible. She keeps bringing fourth new ways for the GF/Dairy free/Soy free/Vegan/Vegetarian/Allergen free communities together in exciting ways. This Conference was the perfect blend of food,education, and fun. I want to thank Kirstin Carey for creating such an all encompassing Conference.
That said, I am a big supporter of all the GF conferences, I think we (Celiacs), should go to every conference available to us. The more of us that show up and give the GF lifestyle a face; the more conferences that will appear in your area. This is better for us as consumers. Keep that in mind...
Back to the GFXCON:
I sampled a ton of delicious foods, drinks and tried a lot of new beauty products. Most of the tables looked like this:
At the bottom of the post, please check out some of the links I have included for you to look at. Additionally, I will be posting a lot of new great reviews of products from companies that I wouldn't have otherwise known about, had I not gone to the Expo.
I also met some amazing bloggers! One that I have followed for years and one that I now am excited to read! Please check out these two awesome blogs:
Stephanie- I read her all the time when she was SkinnyJeans! She was so kind and I was very excited to meet her. I love it when readers come up to me and she was very personable. Please check out her latest blog.
Ken-Ken was so nice and he is GF. He is your go to guy for sustainable living the GF way!
While I was at the GFXCon, I happened to catch three speakers. I saw Dan Maakastad, Sous Chef from Nourish, Kirstin Carey, Owner of Nourish and Dr. Kyle Collins from Upper Cervical. Each speaker brought something very interesting and unique to the table. Dan talked about Grain Free cooking, Kristin talked about how to travel without having to worry about getting sick and Dr. Collins spoke about Eliminating toxins.
The Expo made me very hungry! So before I made my journey home, I ventured to Nourish and ordered a meal to go.
Every vendor there was great, please check out these websites because I think that they are amazing:
Monday, July 4, 2011
Happy 4th of July (and anniversary to Steve and I!)
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| 4th of July cookies the 3 of us made! |
Also, it is my anniversary with my non-gf bf! How I love him so!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Happy Birthday to my BFF that happens to also be a cutie glutie!
Dear Stephanie,
I am so happy to call you my friend. I cant believe we have been bff's since 7th grade. We have seen each other through it all and we are always there for the good and the bad. I love you and your family! I had such a great time celebrating your birthday with you and your family on Sunday (I wish freaking blogger would let me upload the pictures!).
Since, I am having difficulties with my photo capabilities, I will post a blast through photo past...
Man, I only had access to photos I have used on my blogs! I wish I could have posted pics from us in JR High and High School! Happy Birthday! I hope your day is incredible! Everyone wish Steph a HAPPY BIRTHDAY on Twitter: @GF_Steph or on her blog:
I am so happy to call you my friend. I cant believe we have been bff's since 7th grade. We have seen each other through it all and we are always there for the good and the bad. I love you and your family! I had such a great time celebrating your birthday with you and your family on Sunday (I wish freaking blogger would let me upload the pictures!).
Since, I am having difficulties with my photo capabilities, I will post a blast through photo past...
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| On my 24th birthday |
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| Bride and Maid Of Honor (You were the prettiest Bride I had ever seen!) |
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| Times at your parents house ! |
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| Aww, have I told you that I think you really found the right guy for you? I do believe that! |
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| Remember this weirdo from your Bachelorette party? Yeah, I would rather forget him too! What a fun night :) |
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| I would rather remember this awesome moment! I adore our friendship! I cherish it! |
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| The three of us at Jacob's 1st B-day party! I cant wait to go to Ben's! Gasp, you are a MOM now! |
Saturday, April 23, 2011
My GF Easter Cupcakes!
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| Gluten Free Gluttony.Blogspot.com |
What are you going to make this Easter?
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentines Breakfast!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
I LOVE Brownies from King Arthur
I like making regular foods with a holiday twist. With Valentines a few days away, I decided to make these brownies.
I followed the mix directions and put them in heart shaped silicone molds to bake. I served them with vanilla bean ice cream and strawberry syrup.
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| glutenfreegluttony.com |
It was delicious and a total hit at my house!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Happy Fourth And A GF Road Trip Love Story...
FIRST-I wanted to wish you all a HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY.SECOND- It is my anniversary with my Non Gluten Free BF. This is us last 4th of July!
THIRD- I wanted to share a story with you all about a gluten free road trip that Steve and I took last August because I had been craving eclairs and we finally found a place that carried them (thanks to my BFF Stephanie).
This is what I wrote on my other blog (now private) about the road trip...
Steve and I went to Fountain Hills to get gluten free eclairs. Yes, that is right...we were willing to drive miles and miles so I could get the food that I have been lusting after for over a year now. I have to say thank you to Stephanie for telling me about Nature's Finest because they carry the eclairs!
Anyway, Steve is always playing awesome music for me. Today we listened to Looner, a really good band and they are also friends of his. You guys should check them out because they are really good!
When we got there, we meant business! We went straight to the health food store!
The store had a ton of gluten free items! It was worth the drive!
It was Steve's first time
Steve...being observant...of the fountain...and the hills!
Those eclairs...they were so good!!!!!!!
This trip was awesome! I loved going with Steve! He is great company! I adore every moment I spend with him.
FOURTH- I would like to add... that Nature's Finest did have a bunch of Gluten Free Products. So, if you are ever in the Fountain's Hills area, you should check them out!
FIFTH- Road trips for GF food with the one you love makes the GF food taste much sweeter.
FOURTH- I would like to add... that Nature's Finest did have a bunch of Gluten Free Products. So, if you are ever in the Fountain's Hills area, you should check them out!
FIFTH- Road trips for GF food with the one you love makes the GF food taste much sweeter.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
How I celebrated!
``I warn you. This post is long. There is a lot of back story...and maybe some unnecessary ones but hey, it is my wheat free anniversary and I can reminisce if I want to!
Today, as I have stated several times already is my WHEAT FREE ANNIVERSARY! I thought long and hard about what I wanted to do to celebrate this momentous occasion in my life. I know that it may sound silly but living wheat free is a big part of my life. Taking the wheat out took a lot of pain out of my life (not all, once I took the gluten out, I felt a million times better!) but it it was a start. So, I needed to do something to celebrate. Well, as a food blogger, naturally I would turn to food. I love to bake, so I figured I would bake. I started to think about foods that I loved. You probably assumed an eclair, since I am always raving that I need one. But I think I would have a melt down baking that, so I am saving that for another day.
There is a food item that is a comfort food for me. I don't eat it often but I can actually recall big moments of my life where I did eat it. NUTELLA. I remember the first time I ate it, I was back in my home state of New York visiting my Dad. He sent me to day camp and I was homesick for my Mom. My Grandmother would make me sandwiches with bread and Nutella. It was delicious.
From time to time, I would eat this sandwich, each time thinking of day camp. The next time I craved Nutella was when I was pregnant with Jacob. I actually hid Nutella throughout my house. I have no clue if my ex-husband knows. I was a Nutella addict when I was pregnant.
I am even part of a Nutella group on FACEBOOK called "Nutella Is Sex In A Bottle". I wanted the desert that I was making to be an orgasm with one bite! I needed Nutella to be a part of it!
I hadn't had Nutella since my pregnancy. I knew that Nutella had to be a part of this celebration. I ended up purchasing some Nutella for the cupcakes I was making and I couldn't even wait for today. I ate a ton of it. Nutella, you and me...we click.
I literally baked cupcakes all day! Jacob had a blast.
I made a ton of cupcakes! This isn't even all of them! There are some that are being sent to my Mom's work and some that I am sending to my friends and family!
RECIPE FOR MY BIG O NUTELLA CUPCAKES!
365 (Whole Foods Brand) Chocolate Cake Mix ( any mix will d0) & items to make mix
Nutella
White Chocolate Shavings
Make the cake mix according to the box. Then line the cup cake pan with the liners ( I used heart liners because I love being wheat free/ gluten free!) and bake. Cool thoroughly. Using an injector for frosting, inject desired amount of Nutella in each cupcake on the top of each cupcake. Be careful not to put too much because that can cause the cupcake to rupture. Do not worry about the hole being visible, the frosting will cover the hole! Using the chocolate butter cream frosting below, then frost the top of the cupcake and garnish with white chocolate shavings!
Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting Recipe:
-1 ounce chocolate chips melted
-1 cup solid white vegetable shortening
-1 teaspoon Flavor (Vanilla, Almond, or Butter) {I used Butter}
-2 tablespoons or milk or water {I always use milk, it makes it creamier}
-1 lb. pure cane confectioners sugar (approximately 4 cups)
-1 tablespoon Meringue Powder
Cream shortening, flavoring and water. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed together. Blend for an additional minute or so, until creamy.
Jacob is bummed out because I cut him off from cupcakes. Poor kid. Stephanie came over to enjoy gluten free cupcakes! So did Melissa who called me to say that they were awesome. She then Twittered that "@Michelle2008az Your gluten free cupcakes were amazing! They could even rival Sprinkles (and you know how much I love Sprinkles)." Thanks Melissa!
It was an awesome night! It was a great year of being wheat free :) Cant wait for the many years to come. I believe that this lifestyle is the best for me, thanks for reading me and watching me on this journey!
Today, as I have stated several times already is my WHEAT FREE ANNIVERSARY! I thought long and hard about what I wanted to do to celebrate this momentous occasion in my life. I know that it may sound silly but living wheat free is a big part of my life. Taking the wheat out took a lot of pain out of my life (not all, once I took the gluten out, I felt a million times better!) but it it was a start. So, I needed to do something to celebrate. Well, as a food blogger, naturally I would turn to food. I love to bake, so I figured I would bake. I started to think about foods that I loved. You probably assumed an eclair, since I am always raving that I need one. But I think I would have a melt down baking that, so I am saving that for another day.
There is a food item that is a comfort food for me. I don't eat it often but I can actually recall big moments of my life where I did eat it. NUTELLA. I remember the first time I ate it, I was back in my home state of New York visiting my Dad. He sent me to day camp and I was homesick for my Mom. My Grandmother would make me sandwiches with bread and Nutella. It was delicious.
From time to time, I would eat this sandwich, each time thinking of day camp. The next time I craved Nutella was when I was pregnant with Jacob. I actually hid Nutella throughout my house. I have no clue if my ex-husband knows. I was a Nutella addict when I was pregnant.
I am even part of a Nutella group on FACEBOOK called "Nutella Is Sex In A Bottle". I wanted the desert that I was making to be an orgasm with one bite! I needed Nutella to be a part of it!
I hadn't had Nutella since my pregnancy. I knew that Nutella had to be a part of this celebration. I ended up purchasing some Nutella for the cupcakes I was making and I couldn't even wait for today. I ate a ton of it. Nutella, you and me...we click.
I literally baked cupcakes all day! Jacob had a blast.
I made a ton of cupcakes! This isn't even all of them! There are some that are being sent to my Mom's work and some that I am sending to my friends and family!
RECIPE FOR MY BIG O NUTELLA CUPCAKES!
365 (Whole Foods Brand) Chocolate Cake Mix ( any mix will d0) & items to make mix
Nutella
White Chocolate Shavings
Make the cake mix according to the box. Then line the cup cake pan with the liners ( I used heart liners because I love being wheat free/ gluten free!) and bake. Cool thoroughly. Using an injector for frosting, inject desired amount of Nutella in each cupcake on the top of each cupcake. Be careful not to put too much because that can cause the cupcake to rupture. Do not worry about the hole being visible, the frosting will cover the hole! Using the chocolate butter cream frosting below, then frost the top of the cupcake and garnish with white chocolate shavings!
Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting Recipe:
-1 ounce chocolate chips melted
-1 cup solid white vegetable shortening
-1 teaspoon Flavor (Vanilla, Almond, or Butter) {I used Butter}
-2 tablespoons or milk or water {I always use milk, it makes it creamier}
-1 lb. pure cane confectioners sugar (approximately 4 cups)
-1 tablespoon Meringue Powder
Cream shortening, flavoring and water. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed together. Blend for an additional minute or so, until creamy.
Jacob is bummed out because I cut him off from cupcakes. Poor kid. Stephanie came over to enjoy gluten free cupcakes! So did Melissa who called me to say that they were awesome. She then Twittered that "@Michelle2008az Your gluten free cupcakes were amazing! They could even rival Sprinkles (and you know how much I love Sprinkles)." Thanks Melissa!It was an awesome night! It was a great year of being wheat free :) Cant wait for the many years to come. I believe that this lifestyle is the best for me, thanks for reading me and watching me on this journey!
Happy Anniversary To ME!
This is what I wrote on April 23, 2008 my first day being wheat free ever:
Today was day one on my new wheat free lifestyle. I have not gotten one stomach ache, head ache, cranky moment or tired moment. Even though I will have to say goodbye to a lot of my favorite foods, it will be worth it if I feel better.
You can find that on my Endless Possibilities blog. The next day on the same blog I wrote about my first experience ordering food wheat free:
I spent time with my friend Kelly today. She and I have been friends since 9th grade. She is a lot of fun and I am totally excited for her because she and her husband are expecting their first child! We went to lunch at Johnny Rockets and I stuck to my wheat free diet by ordering a hamburger with no mayo and no bun. Afterwards, we went to Whole Foods and did some shopping. The day was great and I totally cherish the time that I spend with her since we both lead pretty busy lives.
Kelly enjoying her french fries. 
A year later I am still wheat free ( I celebrate my gluten free anniversary in August!) and I cannot be happier. I love the choices that I have made for myself and my health. I was told by some friends that maybe I was allergic to wheat. My best friend Stephanie has celiacs but I didn't want to think that I could possibly have it too. When I did get the diagnosis I got on the ball and took charge of my health. I will be celebrating all day this change in my life. Check back later to see how I celebrated this change in my life! Oh, and the no mayo thing was because I was on Weight Watchers at the time, not because of the wheat intolerance.
Today was day one on my new wheat free lifestyle. I have not gotten one stomach ache, head ache, cranky moment or tired moment. Even though I will have to say goodbye to a lot of my favorite foods, it will be worth it if I feel better.
You can find that on my Endless Possibilities blog. The next day on the same blog I wrote about my first experience ordering food wheat free:
I spent time with my friend Kelly today. She and I have been friends since 9th grade. She is a lot of fun and I am totally excited for her because she and her husband are expecting their first child! We went to lunch at Johnny Rockets and I stuck to my wheat free diet by ordering a hamburger with no mayo and no bun. Afterwards, we went to Whole Foods and did some shopping. The day was great and I totally cherish the time that I spend with her since we both lead pretty busy lives.
Kelly enjoying her french fries. 
A year later I am still wheat free ( I celebrate my gluten free anniversary in August!) and I cannot be happier. I love the choices that I have made for myself and my health. I was told by some friends that maybe I was allergic to wheat. My best friend Stephanie has celiacs but I didn't want to think that I could possibly have it too. When I did get the diagnosis I got on the ball and took charge of my health. I will be celebrating all day this change in my life. Check back later to see how I celebrated this change in my life! Oh, and the no mayo thing was because I was on Weight Watchers at the time, not because of the wheat intolerance.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
My Almost Competly Gluten Free Passover.
HAPPY PASSOVER!
Mom eating Matzoh:
I am sad because I cant:
Charoses
My son having a melt down:
All better!
Our dinner was simple, fresh and easy.
There was also chicken. The only non-gluten free item at the table was the Matzoh.
Mom eating Matzoh:
I am sad because I cant:
Charoses
My son having a melt down:
All better!
Our dinner was simple, fresh and easy.
There was also chicken. The only non-gluten free item at the table was the Matzoh.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
A Gluten Free Wedding!
Stephanie (GF Steph) married her perfect match! They are now in paradise enjoying Jamaica! The wedding was perfect!
Stephanie & I:
Stephanie had an almost completely gluten free wedding! At dinner the only gluten there was croutons served on the side and a basket of bread. The cake was beautiful! The top layer was gluten free! It was spared from cross contamination with a separator that kept Stephanie & I from getting violently ill since we were the only cool ones there...you know...being gluten free and all! Us celiacs gotta stick together...ok, her groom is awesome too!
The gluten free cake was awesome! All of the food was!
The grooms cake was not gluten free but it was really awesome to look at! It is an Arctic Cat :
It was an honor to be Steph's Maid Of Honor and witness to the love Brandon & her share!
For tons more pictures, check out the Endless Possibilities Blog!
Stephanie & I:
Stephanie had an almost completely gluten free wedding! At dinner the only gluten there was croutons served on the side and a basket of bread. The cake was beautiful! The top layer was gluten free! It was spared from cross contamination with a separator that kept Stephanie & I from getting violently ill since we were the only cool ones there...you know...being gluten free and all! Us celiacs gotta stick together...ok, her groom is awesome too!
The gluten free cake was awesome! All of the food was!
The grooms cake was not gluten free but it was really awesome to look at! It is an Arctic Cat :
It was an honor to be Steph's Maid Of Honor and witness to the love Brandon & her share!
For tons more pictures, check out the Endless Possibilities Blog!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Avanti= Awesome Italian Done Right
I was nervous about going to dinner tonight. I dreaded eating Italian at a restaurant and getting sick. I haven't done it since finding out about my gluten intolerance. My sister's 30th birthday was today (happy birthday again) and she wanted to eat at Avanti to celebrate this grand occasion. I didn't glance at the menu like I normally would have. But because at other Italian restaurants I had not seen many gluten free options, I didn't bother. I walked in expecting to order a salad with no dressing and a side of lemon to sprinkle on top. Once inside, I talk to the owner. He is a wonderful Italian man that is so sweet and accommodating. I told him all about celiacs and he understood everything. He went to the kitchen and came out with a box of gluten free pene! I was so happy! He told me that he was even going to cook it himself to make sure it was ok in a kitchen they didn't use much! Woo hoo, I didn't have to worry about cross contamination! I asked him if I could eat meatballs there and it turns out that they use wheat in them, so stay away from there meatballs if you cant eat gluten! But, the food is really good!
The lovely owner and I:
I love this place!
My mom wanted to order appetizers so I looked through the menu and I figured out that I could eat the Beef Carpaccio. It comes with the bread on a separate plate and do not eat the dip on the side because I do not know what is in it. It was fabulous. I found it to be very fresh.
My dinner was the Glutino Brand penne pasta, grilled chicken, tomato sauce, fresh basil and a ton of Parmesan cheese!
Can you tell...I am happy with my food! I love Avanti!
For dessert, I had Creme Brulee with Berries!
My sister & I on her big night!
I also met Doris Roberts, the actress on "Everybody Loves Raymond"!
Avanti took away my fear of eating out at an Italian restaurant. They showed me the magic of speaking up in order to get the type of food I want. I know that my last post was a real bummer because I spoke about how bad my last restaurant experience was. Avanti really helped show me the difference between a bad experience and a good one. I cant recommend Avanti enough.
For more pictures of the night, check out the Endless Possiblities Blog.
The lovely owner and I:
I love this place!
My mom wanted to order appetizers so I looked through the menu and I figured out that I could eat the Beef Carpaccio. It comes with the bread on a separate plate and do not eat the dip on the side because I do not know what is in it. It was fabulous. I found it to be very fresh.
My dinner was the Glutino Brand penne pasta, grilled chicken, tomato sauce, fresh basil and a ton of Parmesan cheese!
Can you tell...I am happy with my food! I love Avanti!
For dessert, I had Creme Brulee with Berries!
My sister & I on her big night!
I also met Doris Roberts, the actress on "Everybody Loves Raymond"!
Avanti took away my fear of eating out at an Italian restaurant. They showed me the magic of speaking up in order to get the type of food I want. I know that my last post was a real bummer because I spoke about how bad my last restaurant experience was. Avanti really helped show me the difference between a bad experience and a good one. I cant recommend Avanti enough.
For more pictures of the night, check out the Endless Possiblities Blog.
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