NYPD PIZZA Gluten Free Style!

Before I start my review, sorry for my lack of posts this week, I have been very under the weather. I actually started to feel ill last week and Steve decided to take me to dinner so I wouldn't have to cook. I love how considerate my partner is!

We decided to pick up pizza from New York Pizza Department. Steve ordered their non-gf pizza and wings and I ordered the GF pizza with fresh basil and pepperoni for toppings. We were out of their delivery zone, so we made the trek to pick up our order. We had made the decision to try a slice when we got there, even though we had placed "To-Go" orders so we could try the food fresh from the oven.

My slice was amazing! I was in Heaven , the combination of basil and pepperoni was out of this world. It was worth the drive! My only wish was that NYPD would make gluten free chicken wings in a dedicated fryer. I only know of one place where I can get those and they are very far away from me. NYPD is much more geographically desirable for me to drive to and Steve said his wings were wonderful.

Steve and I did get to speak to the manager, Christina,whom was very knowledgeable about not only the gluten free pizza but also the gluten free lifestyle. It was very refreshing to go to a restaurant and find staff that actually knew what they were talking about. I have only found this in a small number of establishments and I was very pleased to find this at NYPD.

Christina explained that all of the gf pizza is not only prepared in a separate part of the kitchen but it is made in its own oven.  The crust comes from Still Riding and I can vouch that the crust does not come apart easily and it is very delicious. If you are out of delivery zone, like me, you can order the pizza frozen with your desired GF toppings (only some toppings at NYPD are gf) and you can take the pizza home to cook. The pizza tastes best fresh from the oven.

I would definitely recommend NYPD to all my fellow gluten free enthusiasts. If you are in AZ, I suggest that you try it!

Sometimes, you just need thank people...thank you Brendi from Venezia's Pizzeria!

Last week , Steve, Jacob and I went out for a nice night out. We went to our favorite local book store and we went to get some pizza before hand. Venezia's does not have a gluten free pizza, I called before hand, however they did have salad options, so I decided to give them a try.

When we got there, they had football on the TV, so I knew my son would be thrilled...he was for the entire time we were there.

When I ordered, Brendi carefully took my order. I explained my situation regarding my celiacs and she made sure that the cooks understood "NO CROUTONS"! She was so carefully made sure to let them know that this was an allergen situation and that they could not just remove the croutons if they made an error. She was simply amazing.

It really makes a difference when people pay attention to the needs of a celiac when they go out to eat. I want to thank Brendi and Venezia's for there help. Even though they do not have a gluten free pizza, my salad was delicious and I cannot wait to go back there again.  My family had a great time and our service was excellent.

So, celiacs- I encourage you all to think outside the gf pizza box when we go out to eat at pizza restaurants...this may not always be an option for us. We just have to be very vocal of our needs. Also, know that cross contamination is a risk...there is flour everywhere in a pizzeria. However, if we are willing to work with establishments, often they are willing to work with us.

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:

• Celicas Disease Foundation-East Valley Chapter
• I am Fine (Skin Care)
• Gluten Free Country Store
• New Planet Beer
• Treehouse Bakery
• Sprouts
• Lady Of Moore

Gluten Free eXpo & Conference (and Party!)

I went to dinner with Steve at Nourish recently for  another delicious meal. Pictured above is my Turkey sandwich with fresh mozzarella cheese added and sweet potato fries. DELISH! Anyway, I saw Kristen, the owner and we discussed an event that I had known about for a little while and I wanted to share with you...

Gluten Free eXpo & Conference (and Party)!

The greater Phoenix area now has two Expos to learn more and Celiacs and the gluten free lifestyle and I cannot be more thrilled. I am so excited to attend this event! 

 

Here are the details:

 

GFxCon

Gluten Free eXpo & Conference (and Party!)



WHEN: Saturday, August 13th, 10am – 10pm!



WHERE: Optima Camelview Village Event Room & Nourish restaurant. Corner of Scottsdale Road and Highland Ave, North of Fashion Square. (see map at bottom of page) 7147 E Highland Ave., Scottsdale, AZ 85251



WHY: This one-day-only event will impact your gluten-free, healthy-living life more than any other event you’ve ever attended.



HOW: There are several events you can attend. Attend one or attend them all! It’s your choice!



Space is selling out! Go to the website to sign up! http://nourish123.com/gfxcon/

Better Late Than Never... Stephanie's Birthday Lunch at Nourish!

Blogger has been having issues...so, I have been wanting to post these photos but I have been unable to.


These are from Stephanie's Birthday Lunch at Nourish!

Have you guys seen her cutie baby?

He makes me want to ovulate daily! He is so adorable! My bff is the BEST MOMMY EVER!

Lunch was fabulous! I loved it, I love Stephanie and her family. I adore Nourish. I have been there a few times before. I wrote about my first time, here. This time I ate the Italian Sub.

It was so delicious. Melissa is obsessed with the dressing they use on their sweet potato fries, she even bought some to take home!

It was wonderful to celebrate Stephanie's party. I love her! I think I made that pretty clear on my Ode to her a few posts back! Happy B-Day again!

Tsom

On Sunday, I went to lunch with my Mom. We decided to check out a restaurant called Tsom.

I couldn't find a website to link or a menu to link, so if you are the owner of Tsom email me and I will link you!

When you walk in, you see a salad bar to the side of the resister. The salad bar looked appetizing but I decided to order off the menu. All of the pasta items are gluten free since they strictly use rice pasta. The menu is very clear since they label the gluten free options. 

I ordered the puttanesca and so did my mom.

excuse the sideways photo!

It was so delicious! I devoured it all! I was also pleased to see a sign saying that they had gluten free and vegan cupcakes. I ordered one to go and they were kept separate to keep the cupcakes safe from cross-contamination!

It was very tasty! However, since I cannot refer to a menu, I cannot recall what kind of cupcake it was. I am sorry. I would totally go back if I am in the area again.

Jason's Deli

Remember that time I asked you to vote to have GF food served at Jason's Deli back in 2010? Well, enough gluties did and Jason's Deli has been serving GF bread for a long while now. I have been a slacker and have not been able to try their sandwiches...whoops way to slack off!

The other day I was out and about town with Jacob, shopping for Stephanie's birthday gift (it is tomorrow , so make sure to show her blog some love!) and I drove past Jason's. Jacob loves sandwiches and I had a feeling he was hungry so I decided we should stop in. 

I am having issues with the photos I took on my camera phone ( I just signed up for mobile blogging,so I am going to try to send the photos on the blog in a few minutes to post those), sorry!

Anyway, Jacob loved the lunch he ate, he ate a non-gf grilled cheese with fruit. I ate a club sandwich on GF Bread with fruit. Jacob ate most of my fruit. I love that he loves fruit so much.

Jason's uses UDI'S bread, so that is great. However, always ask proper questions about cross contamination! The Jason's I went to was careful to prepare mine in a clean area but they don't have a designated toaster (remember my rant about "toaster sex" ) so I didn't get mine toasted.

It was a very delicious lunch and Jacob and I had a great time. It is great having the option to go out and grab a sandwich if I want. Thank you Jason's Deli!


I am so happy they added a GF MENU!

Where have I been?

Hum...good question. I have been around and cooking. So, yay for you all! At first I got into a major food funk, which I tweeted a bunch about. This is when I was still a vegetarian. Yes, I think my vegetarianism played a part in my funk. I never knew what to eat. Going out to eat, which is sometimes a challenge as a gluten free lady got a trillion times harder at some establishments. Eating became mundane and I became more tired than usual because even though I am taking a multi-vitamin, I was still missing out on some protein I needed. I hated eating and I hated food. As a glutton, I was not enjoying the gluttony that I had in the past. So, I was grumpy about food. I would complain in the supermarket and I hated to cook. I recently stopped being a vegetarian and I am ready to make my blog return! TADA!!!

Sorry if you missed me, I missed you all too! New food post in a few days!

Nourish

Let me fill you in on a two secrets.

1. I have been hating gluten free eating for a while. If you follow me on Twitter, you would know this because I have been doing my share of complaining. I have been finding it hard to eat out or go grocery shopping. Being vegetarian and gluten-free is not always the easiest thing.Last night, I had nothing to complain about!
2. Most of my posts on this blog are post-dated. I am a very busy lady, so if I try a food that I want to let you know about, I usually will write about a whole bunch of them all at once.Then,I scatter the posts so you guys wont think I am neglectful. However, I went to Nourish last night for my birthday and I was so amazed that I had to blog ASAP!

 I have heard amazing reviews in the local (Arizona) gluten free community about Nourish. Then my Mom suggested going there for my birthday. I was totally game!

The atmosphere is beautiful. The restaurant is surrounded by lush greenery. I did not feel like I was eating in Arizona at all. When we walked in, we were greeted so warmly that I felt instantly comfortable. Then when we were handed our menu, the server asked if we had any food intolerances or food allergies that he needed to be aware of! SCORE! How often are you asked this at a restaurant? Never. I can honestly say that I have never in my life been asked this. At this time, I informed the server that I had Celiacs. I did not get a weird look. I did not get asked questions like, " Can you have cheese? Are mushrooms OK? "Great, let me bring you some bread!" No, this guy knew exactly what I was talking about. I felt like everyone at Nourish would know what I was talking about because they flat out asked me, I never once had to tell anyone.

Also, the menu won my heart. Each item is labeled and it lets you know if it is gluten free, lactose free, vegetarian, or vegan. This made it easy for me to choose my meal. I would look for the symbols and choose accordingly. The menu was also healthy, unique and delicious. I have to go back and try more.

While we were seated, Kirstin Carey, the owner, came and chatted with us. She was so impressive, I was blown away with her kindness and her willingness to talk to me. She cannot eat wheat. We discussed her kitchen and how it is a gluten free kitchen. We talked in depth about what processes she utilizes to keep it from being cross contaminated with the breads they do serve. By the way, they serve amazing gluten free bread. The picture above was my dinner. It was delicious. I ordered the Optima and I would have never known the bread was GF. 

I know I will go back. I know that I will never have to fear cross-contamination there and that my service will always be amazing. Cheers and success to my new favorite restaurant!

An Open Letter to Sprinkles Cupcakes from A Gluten Free Foodie!

Dear Sprinkles Cupcakes,

Thank you for making a gluten free option! When I heard that you carried red velvet cupcakes, I started to salivate. When a person is gluten free, simple pleasures like picking up a dozen cupcakes at a local bakery becomes a big deal. You are helping me regain some normalcy and that is priceless. Not to mention, that you are the creme de' la creme of cupcakes...and I would know, I am a self confessed cupcake addict. Your cream cheese frosting was the best I have ever had. I do not know how I will tell myself that these are to be reserved as "special treats".

As a member of the gluten free community, I applaud you for meeting our high standards! I was so pleased to see the cupcakes were not in the same case as the other cupcakes and they packaged them separately for me. I just hope that one day you expand your gluten free cupcake flavors so I can try more of your amazing tastes.

Sincerely,

The Gluten Free Glutton-
Michelle B

Want The Best Gluten Free Food In AZ?

Picazzo's Pizza is my absolute favorite place to eat gluten free! They have a compete separate gluten free menu that is mouth watering. I have never been glutened there and I find their staff to be completely knowledgeable! The photos above are from some of my many times there an I had so many that I didn't know which to choose from! They have amazing gourmet pizzas, delicious chicken wings, yummy humus with flat bread and I cannot wait to try their spinach and artichoke dip! They also have gluten free beer which is hard to find in restaurants, even though I am not a beer drinker.

Stephanie's Bachlorette Party Dinner was held there and every time I go there I have memories of that special night! I love going back there with people I love and making new memories every time!

If you live in Arizona or Oregon, I suggest that you give Picazzo’s a try, you will not regret it!

Chili's Update!

Thursday night I was getting ready to eat dinner with my family and the phone rings, the gentleman on the other end asks for me by name. I, sounding uncertain confirm that he is speaking to me and he tells me that he is from the Chili’s Corporation and that he got my email from the corporate office. I go over the story again. Henry, my Chili’s contact, was very nice and apologetic, he agreed that the server was very insensitive and out of line. He also agreed that getting sick was unacceptable. He spoke to me for a very long time and listened to my concerns and suggestions. He was not only sorry for the incident, and he wanted to apologize to me on behalf of the company. He said he would normally offer me gift cards but he could tell that wouldn’t be appropriate in this circumstance, he was right. I never, ever want to go back to Chili’s ever again. So, he took additional information and he was going to refund my dinner! He was going to track down my receipt to give me back the refund but also find out the servers name and they were going to take to her about being more sensitive to her customers. They were going to talk to their cooks about being more careful in the kitchen about cross contamination. He also gave me his cellular number in case I do not receive my refund or anything else should arise. I am very happy with the way Chili’s handled the issue. Thank you Chili’s for taking care of this properly, I just wish it wouldn’t have happened in the first place! Or should I say, thank you Henry!

How do they do that ?

Wonder how Starbucks makes their new GF Valencia Cake? Check this out!

http://blogs.starbucks.com/blogs/customer/archive/2009/05/05/gluten-free-valencia-cake.aspx

Chili's Gluten Free Menu....A Winner...Right?

I had heard that Chili’s had a gluten free menu from a few of the blogs I visit but I couldn’t remember if it was a good menu or not. Then I remembered reading about Stephanie’s glutening but I thought that it wouldn’t happen to me because, what would be the odds? Plus, I would not only tell the server about my intolerance but also I would go prepared with my handy-dandy cards!

Was I naive? Maybe, I was. Maybe it is because I have put too much faith in people or maybe it is because I expect that if you actually have a gluten free menu, it means that you know the meaning of what gluten free is and what cross contamination is. Is that too much to ask? Do I sound harsh? Well, keep reading. I am more than just a little upset, this ladies and gentlemen is by far the worst culinary (if you can call Chili’s culinary) experience I have ever had.

My boyfriend and I were meeting his sister, her husband and their adorable daughter for dinner. I mistakenly suggest Chili’s for dinner because of the gluten free menu. Jared and I get there first, we sit down and we talk the game plan. The game plan includes how I am going to order. I always think this through because I get nervous and never want to leave anything out. Jared orders for me often because it makes me uneasy and he has great attention for detail, but I ordered for myself last night. His family arrived, they decided on their order and the waitress came. She was not very pleasant but I was nice to her.

When it was my turn to order I chose: A hamburger. No bun, with cheese and the garnish. No French fries. Instead of the fries can I please have a side salad? She nodded. I continued: No Croutons. No dressing of any kind. Instead I would like lemon wedges. I have Celiac Disease meaning I cannot have any gluten or wheat because it will make me very sick. It is all on this card. Can you please give it to your cook and their staff?

She took the card and gave me a look. I didn’t care though. I have no clue if she gave it to the cook or not. When she returned with my order, she brought me my burger with a side of ranch on the plate. The ranch was in a separate container so I didn’t freak out but I was still annoyed. Ranch was not on the gluten free menu and I didn’t order it. She wasn’t listening to my needs. I told her again “I am highly allergic to gluten and I don’t want to take a chance, could you please take the dressing back.” I know that celiac is an autoimmune disorder but I didn’t feel like explaining it to her, she wasn’t getting it. I figured the word allergy would work better with this chick. Then she really crossed the line, she replied with, “Yeah, I would be PARANOID too.” I didn’t want to make a scene. I was at dinner with my boyfriend and his lovely family and I was on the verge of tears. It had been such an amazing week for the gluten free community with the release of the G-Free Diet and all of the promotion surrounding it and also with the launch of the Starbucks gluten free dessert. I wasn’t going to let this girl get me down. I wasn’t being paranoid, I was protecting my intestines.

Dinner was awful. My salad tasted old. I couldn’t even finish it and my burger kind of sucked. I started not feeling well during my dinner. My boyfriend said it was the worst steak he ever had. My boyfriend's sister didn't really like her dinner either. I left still hungry since I didn’t finish my meal so my boyfriend took me to In & Out for some french fries. I had a bad feeling about the food I had eaten at Chili’s so I took some Pepto while we were still there, especially since I wasn’t feeling well. I know that Pepto isn’t cure at all, but maybe it helps a little? Hey, kept me from having the craps! So, I would like to think that maybe it lessens it a bit…right?

We were going to this arcade called Golfland to play games and by the time we got there I had this massive headache. After ten minutes I threw up in the restroom. I threw up a total of four times while we were there, but I didn’t want to leave and let stupid Chili’s get in my way. I was in so much pain that it hurt to walk and I felt really bloated. On the way back to my boyfriend’s we stopped at the store and picked up some things so I would feel better.

I can honestly say that Chili’s was the worst restaurant experience I have ever had. It wasn’t the worst glutening of my life but it was by far the worst customer service and pretty awful food. I do not like being insulted by people when I am trying to have a good time. I am saddened by the lack of humanity that waitress showed for me, it is hard enough trying to eat out. I know that there are more and more options for gluten free people showing up all the time but when restaurants like Chili’s has gluten free menus, I expect their staff not to insult patrons and not to cross contaminate them. I am really disheartened by Chili’s. I normally try to not give bad reviews but Chili’s you gave me really crappy service and maybe you should give your servers a bit of sensitivity training.

Thanks Starbucks for thinking of the Gluties like me!

I was counting down the days until the launch of STARBUCKS: GLUTEN FREE VALENCIA ORANGE CAKE! Today was the big unavailing! I checked twitter to see the chatter, a friend told me her Starbucks wasn't carrying it until tomorrow. I decided to call the closest location to me and they had three left! I was happy that the gluten free community was gobbling these goodies up! We want Starbucks to know that we not only exist; but that we have needs that have to be met!

We walked to Starbucks and I was so happy to see that they still had two when I arrived! See the joy on my face...
My son just wants his drink!
Then it was time for the moment of truth, could Starbucks create a fabulous gluten free dessert?

YES! A BIG YES!!! It was moist, and spongy. It reminded me of the orange version of the lemon pound cake that I loved in my pre-gluten free days! I was in gluten free heaven! The glutton in me was satisfied! Oh Starbucks you won me over, I was skeptical.

ADDITIONAL THINGS I LIKED:
It came prepackaged and it was not in the same case! So I felt like cross contamination was not something to worry about. I also liked that the ingredients and the nutritional information was listed on the packaging!


Normally when we walk, I wear different shoes. I should stick to routine because I got massive blisters that bled. This was so worth it!

Yup, that is blood!

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 290
Total Fat: 16 grams
Carbohydrates: 32 grams
Fiber: 4 grams
Protein: 9 grams

Card Carrying Member!

Those cards I am holding are what I take when I go out to restaurants now. They inform the establishment I am dining at of what celiacs is, how not to cross contaminate me and what can happen to me if I do get contaminated. All of my information is neatly printed on a double sided business card. I have 500 hundred of them!

You can order them through http://www.triumphdining.com/ . I didn't though. I made my own and ordered mine through a small online printing company with a sale, coupon codes & free shipping! The grand total came to about .25 cents! Triumph's are cool though because you can order them in different languages, a plus for travel!

Regardless, I happy to have my cards and now I hope that my eating out adventures are safer!

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.

Share the gluten-free love!

I had an awesome day with my friend Melissa today. To read all about it, check out the Endless Possibilities Blog. During out adventures, we ate at Pei Wei!

I ate the Spicy Chicken (prepared mild though) with the brown rice:

So yummy!

Afterward, we went to AJ's Fine Market and I looked around for gluten free treats! I walked by the pastry case and saw eclairs. I was so bummed out because I spotted my biggest temptation! I asked a clerk there if they sold gluten free eclairs and she told Melissa and I that we should check the freezer case. They didn't have eclairs but they had gluten free donuts. Woo hoo! SOLD!

(http://glutenfreefoodreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/donutbag.JPG)


After I cooked them because they come frozen! Isn't the apron so cute?

This is us trying them!

Kinnikinnick Chocolate Dipped Donut Review!
I love donuts! I was on a first name basis with several types of donuts in my gluten eating days and I thought those days were long gone...until I stumbled upon these at AJ's today.

The Review:

Would this bag reignite my love affair with donuts? Well, I was happy to have Melissa with me to test these out! I always worry that my taste buds have changed due to the lack of gluten and I no longer know what tastes good. I have news for you all...these are good! I mean they taste like what I remember donuts to taste like. Melissa ate hers too and she liked it!

The Verdict:

The Stats:
Serving Size: 1 donut
Calories: 229
Total Fat: 9 grams
Carbs: 37
Protein: 4 grams