Life lately, through food...

Snippets of our life...through our food...

Been eating a ton of blueberries and strawberries. So refreshing.

Molly, the carrot thief.

Our house has been produce central. Our fridge is packed and our counters have bowls full of them!

BBQ with friends. My friend's chicken on the left. My turkey burgers on the right.

I learned to shuck corn. Corn on the cob is so yummy

My dinner fail. Threw in a ton of veggies and turned on my crock pot. 8 hours later, the food was cold! Forgot to plug it in.

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...

On my 24th birthday

Bride and Maid Of Honor (You were the prettiest Bride I had ever seen!)

Times at your parents house !

Aww, have I told you that I think you really found the right guy for you? I do believe that!

Remember this weirdo from your Bachelorette party? Yeah, I would rather forget him too! What a fun night :)

I would rather remember this awesome moment! I adore our friendship! I cherish it!

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!

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:

http://www.gfsteph.blogspot.com/

Alexia Crunchy Snacks: Waffle Fries

I had movie night with my friend Rachel tonight and I have to say it was a success...well almost successful. You see, I purchased these waffle fries at the store today expecting spectacular snacking goodness and I was pretty let down.

I had my movies laid out on the table, M&M's in a bowl and I opened the bag of chips and put them in a serving bowl. I decided to try one before my guest arrived just in case it was awful. I didn't like it at first taste so I tried another hoping it was just a funky chip...yeah, second chip also was crappy. I decided to put all the chips back in the bag, these were NOT WORTHY of my guest.

However, when Rachel did arrive, I told her of these awful chips and she said she wanted to try them! She did and she liked them! What? Huh? How is that possible? I think I just have high standards now as a food blogger! I stand by my gazillion tastes...yes, that is right...I kept trying it over and over again to see if I would change my mind but I didn't. I found these to be down right disgusting.

My mother even tried them and she fancied these too. So, now I leave you with a call to action...you try them and tell me what you think! Do you like them? Have you tried them?

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.

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!

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

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!

Mission:The Phoenix Zoo: Gluten Free

Today my son and I went to the Phoenix Zoo with my longtime friend Alica and her sons! I knew this outing would be fun but that mealtimes/snacks would be tricky due to my obvious gluten intolerance. So, my mission was to have a great time at the zoo with out getting sick! Would it be a mission impossible?

Lunch:

The food areas sent small shrieks of panic with in me! Not many options. The very safe but boring option was yogurt and applesauce. Pass! No way, I eat that daily. That was my last resort food. I saw french fries on the menu. OK, let the questions begin! I asked the dude, and I say dude because the lad was young and he seemed very uninformed if the fries were fried in a dedicated fryer. He quickly said yes but I asked him to make sure by asking a manager. SCORE! He came back with a confirmation of yes! So, I ordered fries. Next question: Were the nachos on the menu 100% corn tortilla chips and were processed in a plant that were free from cross contamination?

Dude looked at me and said that he knew that they were 100% corn chips and that they were not cross contaminated. I think he was humoring me. I asked to look at them. They were the multicolored corn chips. I thought they looked OK, so I told him to put them on the tab. I ordered my son a gluten filled lunch and off we went to find a seat.

So this was my lunch:
These were the items that came with my Jacob's lunch that a someone may think is OK to eat but would get them sick if they didn't know too much about celiac disease:
Hunt's Ketchup is not Gluten Free! GFSteph has a great post about why. Click here to find out why! Heinz is gluten free though. So, I ate my fries with out ketchup. I was happy to be able to eat fries out though! It was a treat at the moment. And one would assume that a RICE crispy treat is gluten free but it is not, it is wheat free, but not gluten free.

So, during lunch Jacob kept trying to touch my nachos. I would tell him not to and explain why to him. I know that he doesn't understand cross-contamination at two but I want him to be accustomed to this from an early age. His hands were covered in chicken nuggets and ketchup. He would touch an area and then I would take that area of my chips and throw it away in hopes that it would make it safe to eat the rest of my food.

Later On:

I was wearing shorts and I noticed bumps all over my upper legs. I also had a slight head ache but I didn't mention that part to my friend ( I didn't want to be a drag). I tried to take a picture of the bumps for the blog but it didn't photograph well. I have no clue if the dude from the food stand was mistaken about the food or if Jacob accidentally cross contaminated me. Next time, I will stick to the boring yogurt and I will pack some food.

Zoo Snacks:

I saw kettle corn. I have no clue if it was safe because I didn't ask. I am assuming it was but I didn't eat it. The one thing I did eat was:
Lugi's Real Italian Ice! Jacob had some too!

It was a great trip. Glutening and all. I will have to wait and see if the symptoms get any more severe but the experience was still amazing!

For more pics from the zoo, check out the Endless Possibilities Blog!

Stephanie's Gluten Free Bridal Shower !

Stephanie (GFSteph),or the Bride-To-Be, as I would like to so lovingly call her had a gluten free BRIDAL SHOWER! Her wedding is now officially less than a month away and as her maid of honor I am stoked!


The food was Uno's Pizza but I failed to take a picture of it :( I was too busy...sorry, I had duties to tend to!




Dessert was cupcakes from SugarLips Cakery:






These cupcakes were beautiful and delicious. Seriously the best gluten free cupcakes I have ever eaten!

There was also a fruit arraignment from Edible Arraignments...I don't have a better picture of it, maybe Steph will post one when she blogs it!


The Bride-To-Be with her soon to be HUSBAND!!!


For more pictures, check out the Endless Possibilities Blog

An Amazing Lunch With My Boyfriend's Family, Contaminated At My Own Hanukkah and Really Good Cocoa Mix!

Yesterday my boyfriend and I went over to his families house for lunch. Luckily, Karmen, Jared's sister reads this and my other blogs so she is familiar with gluten free living. The night prior to us going over, I was babysitting my friends son and Jared told me that they were making us enchiladas! I panicked over the sauce! Then he quickly said that Karmen the looked at the ingredients and she saw that there was wheat in that so she found another thing to make.

I cant tell you how touched I am that the whole family worked so hard to make me a meal that I could enjoy too. They hand made me tacos and taquitos . They read everything that they put into it and they made sure not to cross contaminate me. I had a wonderful time!
Review of lunch:

* * * * * * * * * * ** ** ** **

Last night started Hanukkah. It was my first gluten free Hanukkah and my mom told me she would make everything gluten free so I wouldn't have to worry. So, while I was gone, she was cooking. We sat down to eat and she served this rice with chicken and carrot meal, this lentil and turkey bacon dish and a Middle Eastern salad. I bit into the rice and I knew something didn't taste right, sometimes I can just tell. Am I the only one who can just tell? Like sometimes I blindly eat something and get sick but sometimes I can just tell.

So, I ask her if she put chicken broth in the rice and she said yes. I knew...most broth...MSG {I know MSG is a hot topic amongst us! I get a rash:( } I got a rash and my tongue got itchy.

She didn't read the ingredients. She knows that she needs to read everything. She told me that she didn't think she needed to read it! URRG! I hate getting sick! Even if it is a rash. So, it wasn't horrible but still uncomfortable.

The rest of the dinner was good. Review of just being contaminated:

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

As I type, I am sipping this amazing Hot Cocoa that Jared's family made me. Karmen got the recipe from a magazine (I forgot the name, so I cant give credit to where it is due). It is really yummy and gluten free! I love cocoa!

HOT COCOA MIX

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa

1 1/4 c. sugar
6 oz semi -sweet chocolate chip cookies
1/4 tsp. salt


Directions:
Mix 3 tablespoons cocoa mis with 1 cup milk in microwave safe mug. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 min -2 min or until blended and HOT, stirring once. * Add whipped cream on top if desired.