Spring is a wonderful time of the year, isn’t it?  I love the fresh seasonal ingredients that start to show up in the grocery stores and of course the farmers markets.  I’m always looking to cook those up just as soon as possible and pair them with ingredients that are timeless.  This recipe includes Lindsay Olives, pine nuts, parmesan cheese and cannelloni beans all of which you can pick up today no matter where you live.

When making this dish you have a couple of options for the variety of Lindsay Olive you choose.  I really like their Taste Profile chart which can help you make your choice.  I would think Sicilian or Spanish Whole would be other good options besides the Greek Kalamata Olive.

You can also either keep the egg on top or not.  If you do make sure the yolk is soft and runny.  This will help create a creamy sauce in your pasta.  You can cook the egg in the oven like I did or in a skillet or poached in which you would add it at the end when serving.  I would suggest 1 egg for every two people you are serving.

This gluten free meal can be prepared in the time it takes to cook the pasta plus 10 minutes for the oven or most likely a total of 16 minutes.  Not bad for a filling and tasty lunch or dinner.

This recipe is part of a Kitchen Progressive Party event that will have five courses created by five different bloggers: amuse bouche, bread, salad, appetizer and entree, all posted today and all featuring Lindsay Olives.

Now if you are a blogger you can submit a post featuring a Lindsay Olives recipe that you think would “complete” the menu or Progressive Party (cocktail? soup? dessert? sky’s the limit!). To help, you can go to the EventBrite page and request either product or coupons for Lindsay Olives. Once you’e created your dish (along with post/recipe/photo), submit a link to that post on the Kitchen PLAY .  Your post needs to include links to both Kitchen PLAY and Lindsay Olives. Winner will be drawn from all the eligible entries received. The prize for the winner is $200.   Good luck to all!

“I was compensated by Kitchen PLAY and Lindsay Olives for creating this post and recipe. All opinions are mine.”

My good friend Dr. Mark Hyman has done it again and this time he included something from me too! (check out page 240 for my recipe he chose for his book)

You may know him by his #1 bestseller The Blood Sugar Solution that’s been featured on national shows like Live! With Kelly, Dr. Oz, Charlie Rose, and others.

Mark firmly believes that the most powerful medicine you can take is at the end of your fork, not at the bottom of a pill bottle. And now he’s putting his money where his mouth is, with…

The Blood Sugar Solution Cookbook

More than 175 Ultra-Tasty Recipes For Total Health and Weight Loss

According to Dr. Hyman, you can literally transform your health with the food you put on your plate.

But best of all, you can enjoy this journey to renewed vitality and optimal weight with one delectable meal after another!

Get more information about this all-new cookbook here … as well as THREE Bonus Gifts you’ll receive when you order it.

Doctor-Approved and Delicious

That’s Dr. Hyman’s Prescription for Health

Whether you follow The Blood Sugar Solution plan or simply want to eat your way to a healthy weight, Dr. Hyman wants you to know that you’re not limited to a steady diet of bland and boring “health foods” that taste like cardboard going down.

Thank goodness for that!

In fact, there’s a world of culinary delights waiting for you when you replace the mass-produced “factory foods” that make us fat and sick with home cooking at its best. These recipes show you the way.

And Listen, You Don’t Have To Be A World-Class Chef …

…to fill your kitchen with the enticing aroma of these world-class dishes. You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to prepare the healthiest and best-tasting food you’ve ever had.

What’s more, many dishes take less than 30 minutes to prepare, so you’ll never run out of delicious breakfast, lunch, or dinner options no matter how busy your schedule!

Sound Tempting? Then What Are You Waiting For?

Click here for more details about The Blood Sugar Solution Cookbook and the three FREE Bonus Gifts you’ll receive with this special one-time offer.

But please don’t put it off, and here’s why:

One of the Bonus Gifts is Admission to a special Blood Sugar Solution webinar that Dr. Hyman will be hosting on March 27^th, 2013. In this online event, you’ll see how easy it is to prepare healthy, delicious meals, all based on his Blood Sugar Solution secret to health and vitality.

Believe me, you won’t want to miss this inspiring and motivating event. But you must act now—this online event is open to the first 500 buyers only!

Go here and Dr. Hyman will fill you in on everything!

P.S.  Follow this link and you’ll also find the recipes for two of Dr. Hyman’s favorites: Spiced Ground Turkey Wrap With Watercress and Avocado and Mexican Lasagna.  Give them a try and let him know what you think!

P.P.S. Remember, the clock is ticking. You must respond soon if you want your invitation to Dr. Hyman’s March 27^th Blood Sugar Solution Webinar, a $50 value in itself. Act now!

The Readers Weigh in on the Spiced Ground Turkey Wraps

“The recipe sounds awesome and I am so excited about getting GOOD HEALTHY RECIPES to make … this is just what I needed to get started on eating WELL … thanks so much.” —Elaine Cogbill

“Sounds delicious! I will get the ingredients on grocery shopping day.” —Donna Christian

“This recipe was truly delicious. I added black olives and basil and left out the watercress (only because I didn’t have any—I’m sure the peppery taste would have been great).” —Susan

“I made a variation of this tonight for dinner and was pleased. My husband and kids ate it as tacos (baby steps) and I had it as a salad. The family gave me the ‘ok’ to go ahead and make it again.” —Michelle

My favorite day of the year is almost upon us, the Super Bowl.   I love putting together a spread of fun foods to eat that are gluten free and dairy free and watching the game with friends.  This year I’ll be making some of the recipes in my 2013 Cookbook Desk Calendar.  There are some great options that you can make too no matter if you’re hosting or taking a dish to someone else’s party.  If you don’t have a copy of the calendar order it now so you’ll have it in time to cook up the recipes for the big game.  It will help you on the path to living an easy, healthy, gluten free life.

This year there will be a first for the game.  Two brothers are coaching against each other.  Jim Harbaugh for the San Francisco 49ers and John Harbaugh for the Baltimore Ravens.  Can you just imagine their parents and what that would be like?  I’m guessing they’re rooting for both.  Who are you hoping wins the game, Ravens or 49ers?

No matter who wins you’ll want to have some good eats while watching the game and the commercials.  Scroll down and you’ll see each month and some ideas on how to serve them for the big game.  This calendar is a party in a box!

Oh and don’t forget for those who own this cookbook calendar, to go to the last page and grab the Secret Code for the webpage full of photos giving more detailed directions, links to more recipes using the ingredients in these 12, plus a ton more recipes and cooking tips.

January is a must to have at the party, Jicama Tacos or Tostados.  I love guacamole and anytime I can find more creative ways to use it I will.  Here I’ve combined it with purple potatoes and mushrooms or shrimp and bay scallops.

February Little Lasagna Flowers are good since there are in single serve size.  What you use for the flower itself and the filling is totally up to you.  I give you a few suggestions for both.

March would be good if you cut up this Tunisian Frittata and served it on a pizza peel.  You know the wooden paddle you see them pull pizzas from the oven with.  I love that as a serving dish.  Easy to carry over to the coffee table or even to carry around and serve people from.

April is something you may want to keep for the celebration meal the next day when your team wins.  This Garlic Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg and Prosciutto is a classic but with my twist of Polenta Croutons.

May is something that can be made in a large casserole and your guests can serve themselves this Easy Layered Mexican Casserole.    You could even pair it up with the Jicama Tacos.

June is also a dish you can make in a nice large casserole or lasagna pan.  It also takes just a few minutes to put together and then you pop it into the oven.  With it being winter however I would use canned fire roasted tomatoes instead of fresh for this Oven Roasted Pesto Vegetables Deluxe.

July is the month to use fresh tomatoes for this Can’t Beet California Cobb Salad and since it’s January you’ll want to swap that out for another favorite ingredient if serving it now.  I really like having some type of salad when watching the big game.

August is one of those dishes that looks really hard to make but trust me anyone can do this.  The Summer Vegetable Rosettes you see pictured here was cooked by my husband who is not a cook.  He can make scrambled eggs but doesn’t venture too far from that.  Zucchini is in season during the summer but you can buy it any time of the year.  This recipe uses cashew cream cheese as an option so if you make a batch save some for the many other recipes I’ve shared using that ingredient.

September is one of my favorite fast meals to make, Hash in a Flash.  It uses ingredients you have on hand and is cooked in one pan so clean up is fast.  If you make this serve it in a big bowl and let your guests spoon out as much as they like.

October is a very satisfying and flavorful Smoky Simmering Soup.  It’s one of those great chop and drop recipes right into your slow cooker.  Put it in there in the morning and it will be ready for you at game time.  How easy can it get!

November is another recipe that uses cashew cream cheese.  It’s a wonderful dish for those who want their big game food to be a little fancier.  Cashew Cream Yam Cannelloni served with a bechamel sauce is sure to delight.

December Mushroom Party recipes are perfect for the big game food.  Keep the mushrooms smaller so they are finger foods and not something you’ll need a fork and knife to eat.  I give you three options and the recipes for each.  You can keep them vegetarian and make the Yam Packed Mushrooms or not and make the Crabby Mushrooms or Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms.

Enjoy the game, your friends and family and the good food you’ll make.  I hope your team wins!

So, what are you going to make and who do you hope wins the game?

Two things I love to do, live in Santa Monica and eat out gluten free within a couple of blocks of my home.  OK, maybe that was three but it is always great if you can find so many restaurants within a few blocks of each other to eat a gluten free meal.

I live in downtown Santa Monica where I can walk to just about anything I need, including a good food.  This is also a popular  vacation and meeting destination.  In fact an amazing group of women will be descending on this city this week to come together for a retreat and meeting.  I’m very excited to see them and share these restaurants where I have found great gluten free food.

Some of these restaurants can be found on Open Table where you can make a reservation.  For those you will see the Open Table logo.  For others they either don’t take reservations or you can call ahead.  If you have a large group call and they will be able to let you know the availability.

Here are my favorites in no particular order.

JiRaffe  {California/French}

Chef/Owner Raphael Lunetta offers market directed rustic California/French cuisine. Entrees range from $23-$34 including an amazing Black Angus New York Steak for two served with potato parmesan gratin, baked tomato, sauteed farmers market black kale, port wine shallots, green peppercorn natural veal reduction served in a cast iron skillet.  This was my birthday dinner and even with the two of us eating a full plate we had leftovers.

Bistro Mondays is a prix fixe menu that is always amazing.  This restaurant uses fresh local ingredients which means they can easily accommodate gluten free.  They know exactly what is in each dish they serve.  When you arrive let your server know of your needs and they will gladly serve you an amazing gluten free meal.

502 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401     310.917.6671 – phone | 310.917.6677 – fax

Monday 5:30 – 9:00 PM
Tuesday – Thursday 5:30 – 10:00PM
Friday – Saturday 5:30 – 10:30 PM

Real Food Daily  {Vegetarian/Vegan}

Right around the corner from JiRaffe is Real Food Daily or RFD.  Chef Ann Gentry is the creator, founder and operating owner of Real Food Daily, the only restaurant in the Los Angeles area that serves a 100 percent vegetarian (vegan) menu using foods grown exclusively with organic farming methods.  Their menu is noted which is gluten free along with other allergens.  I really like their gluten free, dairy free pizza.  It’s very filling.  I don’t think I’ve ever been able to finish it in one sitting so if you may want to share that.  Leave some room for their chocolate layered cake and chocolate chip cookies, both gluten free.  Make sure you share your needs with the server and the level of your sensitivity.  I find that key even if a menu is marked gluten free.

514-516 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401  Phone: (310) 451-7544  Fax: (310) 451-7154

Weekend Brunch 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Mon. – Fri 11:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Sat. – Sun 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

 Bar Pintxo  {Spanish Tapas Bar}

Chef David creates a wonderful Spanish Tapas bar with delicious food and great drinks.  It’s a cozy, warm, old world decor that transports you to Spain before you even order!  Enjoy their Six for Six happy hour, Tuesday’s Paella on the Patio or Thursday the Chef’s Tasting Menu.  I do have many favorites here for sure.  I love the chorizo con tomate, tortilla española,  gambas al ajillo, and of course the surtido de jamón which is 1/2 plate jamón serrano, 1/2 plate jamón ibérico.

When you arrive first ask for our favorite waitress, Andee, and tell her I sent  you.  She’s great and always gets the message to the kitchen for our needs.  I’ve actually been eating here for a few years and it’s always been an amazing meal and served gluten free.

109 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA (310) 458-2012

Monday – Tuesday (12pm – 10pm)

Wednesday – Friday (12pm – 11pm)

Saturdays (noon – midnight) & Sundays (noon – 10pm)

The Misfit Restaurant  {California}

Chef Jordan Lynn creates a “Back of the Bar” and very accessible comfort food menu.  Some items on their menu are marked gluten free, like their Mac & Cheese (still on my must try list).  Most other items you will need to check.  Let your server know when you arrive and they are very skilled at walking you through the menu.

They serve fresh foods on small plates from the local farmer’s market. There are many great vegetarian choices but my youngest son’s favorite is a burger on a gluten free bun and their huge plate of fries.  It’s really good but I’m also a fan of the roasted broccoli with garlic too.

Everyone here has always been great at attending to a gluten free meal, even for brunch on the weekends.

225 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401   t. 310.656.9800
Doors open at 12 noon Monday-Friday  |  Doors open at 11 am Brunch Saturday-Sunday  |  Open late every night

True Food Kitchen  {California}

The basis for this restaurant is Dr. Andrew Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet. The menu is meant to take popular trends in cuisine and pair them with healthy living.  It starts with their list of drinks which include Kale Aid and a Medicine Man which is my favorite.  Then you have starters, salads, pizza, sandwiches and entrees.  My favorite starter is the hummus with gluten free pita.  Their Mediterranean Chopped salad is very filling with quinoa and for a treat their chocolate pudding topped with pistachios and walnuts is decadent.

Their menu is marked where items are gluten free but I have found an error on the menu.  They serve farrow with chicken and mark it gluten free and as you know farrow is wheat.  I’ve not found anything else mis marked.  Also you can get items like the turkey burger on gluten free pita and it’s not marked gluten free.  Just let the server know about your needs and confirm the meal before digging in.  I will say the gluten free pita looks different from the regular pita and they can tell just by looking at it.

This restaurant is located in the bottom of the Santa Monica Place, which is the local shopping mall with other restaurants and clothing stores.

395 Santa Monica Place, Suite 172 , Santa Monica California 90401Tel: 310.593.8300  Fax: 310.593.8301

Mon – Thu 11:30am – 9pm
Fri 11:30am – 10pm
Sat 10am – 10pm
Sun 10am – 9pm

Brunch:
Sat – Sun 10am to 4pm

Zengo  {Latin/Asian}

Chef-owner Richard Sandoval spins regional ingredients into beautifully balanced dishes designed for sharing.  They also have an extensive drink menu which spans from Tequilas, wine, cocktails and even Japanese sakes.

Before you are seated ask for the gluten free menu.  They have a lot of great small plate options as well as some full plate dishes.  Some of our favorites are the Roasted Chicken Salad, Wagyu Roll with shrimp and sriracha, Peking Duck-Daikon Tacos and the Shrimp and Chorizo Lettuce Wraps (warning serrano peppers and hot).  Make sure you let your server know if you are very sensitive like me.  There is a sauce that is served with the Wagyu Rolls that is not gluten free and a good waiter will catch that.

Zengo is also in the Santa Monica Place on the top level.  They even have a private elevator on Santa Monica Blvd just passed the Nike store, or you can just ride up the two levels on the escalators.

395 Santa Monica Place, b/w Broadway & Colorado, Santa Monica, CA 90401  Tel. 310.899.1000

Lunch- Mon-Fri 11:30AM to 4:00PM

Dinner- Daily 4:00PM to close

Happy Hour Daily 4:00PM to 7:00PM

Bottomless Brunch Sat-Sun 11:30AM to 3:00PM

Sonoma Wine Garden  {Mediterranean/California}

Sonoma Wine Garden showcases signature bold Mediterranean flavors with a California touch.  Like many restaurants around here they use fresh local produce.  I’ve not eaten dinner here, but enjoy their small plates on the roof top bar with some of their great glasses of wine.  I have asked about many of their dishes and they have always had very descriptive answers for why something was available gluten free or not.  I’m looking forward to a full meal here.

They also have a wine club and if it’s your birthday you get a free glass of wine.  If you like to try many different wines, you can purchase an Enomatic card and choose from a wide variety.

Lunch:  M-F  11:30AM-2:30PM

Dinner:  Su-Th  2:30PM-10:00PM, F-Sa  2:30PM-11:00PM

Garden Brunch:  Sa-Su  11:00AM-2:30PM

Happy Hour:  M-F  3:30PM-6:30PM

Border Grill  {Mexican}

Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, of Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” and Food Network’s “Too Hot Tamales” has created a menu of complex authentic dishes based on the home cooking of Oaxaca and the Yucatan.  It’s a fun location to grab a meal, either for lunch or dinner.

You can download their gluten free lunch and gluten free dinner menu before you even head out the door.  When you arrive let them know of your needs and if you are very sensitive.  Many restaurants here will have gluten free foods fried in the same fryer as gluten items.  Just check on the items you’re interested in ordering.   Also if you like margaritas, they do have some tasty options.

1445 4th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401  phone: 310.451.1655  fax: 310.394.2049

Lunch

Monday through Friday – 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Border Brunch

Saturday and Sunday – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Dinner
Monday through Thursday – 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday – 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturday – 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday – 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Happy Hour
Monday through Friday – 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday and Saturday – after 9 p.m. to close
Sunday – All Day

Fig- Fairmont Hotel  {California}

Chef Ray Garcia is a master at creating straightforward delicious foods using local fresh ingredients.  His staff can walk you through the menu to see what is gluten free or can be prepared this way.  Any meal of the day here will leave you very satisfied.  With the Fritatta Verde for breakfast, Fish Tacos for lunch and Mary’s Organic Chicken for dinner, it’s all good.  Dinners range in price from $21-$46.  Tuesday through Saturday they have half price dinners 5-6pm.  They don’t take reservations for this and the line starts before the doors open, so you might want to arrive a little early to get your spot (save me a space in line).

101 Wilshire Boulevard Santa Monica CA, 90401   phone 310.319.3111

breakfast Daily 7am-11am
lunch Mon-Sat 11am-2pm
dinner Tues-Sat 5pm-10pm
sunday brunch Sun 11am-2pm

Blue Plate Taco {Mexican}

This is a really wonderful location for a restaurant.  It’s on Ocean Avenue right across the street from Palisades Park and overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  The first thing I do upon arriving is order their guacamole.  It’s a huge bowl to be shared for sure and it’s amazing.  Check and see if their oil is new and if it’s been used for anything with gluten.  Sometimes yes, sometimes no.  I’ll ask for jicama and corn tortillas which works great instead of tortilla chips to dip.

They have wonderful specials and use fresh local produce and fresh seafood.  The tacos are traditional style which is small with two tortillas stacked.

Their menu is not marked gluten free but they can walk you through what is safe.  Just let your server know and they will talk with the kitchen to confirm the specials too.

1515 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica (310) 458-2985  Open daily 8:00am- 9:00pm

Hillstone   Corner of Wilshire Blvd and 2nd Street

R&D Kitchen   1323 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, CA  90403  310-395-3314

These two restaurants are owned by the Hillstone group.  They are very consistant and have always provided us with a delicious meal and all gluten free.

Hillstone is just around the corner from the 3rd street Promenade and you’ll want reservations to avoid a long wait.  For a more casual meal head over to R&D Kitchen on Montana Avenue.  They have an amazing salad stacked high with delicious vegetables, roasted chicken and tasty nuts.  Also their deviled eggs are my favorite.

Both restaurants hours:

Monday – Wednesday 11:30am-10:00pm

Thursday-Friday 11:30am-11:00pm

Saturday 11:00am-11:00pm

Sunday 11:00am-10:00pm

Loteria  {Mexican}

Fun restaurant on the Promenade.  They have a gluten free menu but discuss with your waiter and double check what is being served as you would with any meal.  They have some great tacos, salsas and guacamole.  Stop in here if you’re wandering around the 3rd Street Promenade and you’re hungry.

1251 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, CA 90401   T. 310.393.2700

Sun – Thur: 11am to 11pm
Fri – Sat:   11am to 12am

Buddha’s Belly  {Asian}

This restaurant is still on my list to visit.  It was recomendad by Karina, the Gluten Free Goddess who used to live here too. Make sure you check with your server and check ingredients that might not be listed on the menu.

205 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90401    Phone: (310)458-2500   Fax: (310)458-6737

Santa Monica’s Farmer’s Market

Saturday and Wednesday mornings  8:30am – 1:00pm

Arizona Avenue (between 4th & Ocean)

Sunday on Main Street - 2640 Main Street  (in Heritage Square)  9:30am-1:00pm

If you are in town you must really try to make a trip to the farmer’s market.  Grab some fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and even some flowers for your room.  Have a picnic at the park, pack a lunch for your meeting or just a snack.  If you have a place to cook up some meals make sure you pick up some farm fresh eggs.  They are beyond amazing.

If you get there early, you never know which of the chefs that I listed above will be out in the market.  Chances are many.  Here they were gathering for the LA Food events.

I hope this listing will help you as you look for gluten free meals in Santa Monica.  This is by no means a complete listing.  I will be happy to keep searching out more favorites for you and will keep this list going.

Exciting Announcement

If you were on my Gluten Free Holiday Survival free teleseminar last night than you first got some great tips and the tools that will help you immediately.

You also were introduced to my 7 day Whole Foods, Whole You detox, the Next Level Cleanse that will take your health to the next level!

This will change they way you look and feel in a week.  I say this from personal experience and that of clients who have tried it.   It totally changed my energy by giving it a boost, changed my skin  and complexion so it was clear and glowed, it kickstarted my weight loss, and I felt amazing.

One of the cool things about this cleanse is it’s like getting 3 cleanses in 1.  There are 3 levels so you can pick where you want to start.  If you’ve never been on a cleanse than you may want to start at level one.  Let’s say you do that level and you love it, of course.  Then a couple of months goes by and you want to detox in the spring.  You already have everything you need.  You can repeat level 1 or try level 2 or 3.

What you receive in this cleanse is such a long list that you’ll want to read it for yourself.   Follow this to the Next Level Cleanse and learn more about this opportunity to change your life.

Now just to let you know there is an Early Bird Special going on until midnight ET on Saturday December 22nd that also includes Early Bird Bonuses.  The value of these specials and bonuses is way more than the price of the cleanse.  But you have to register before the 22nd.  So go check it out now.

Read all of the great gifts you’ll be receiving and learn more about the cleanse.  But more importunely than all of the guides, recipes, menu plans and so on, you get to feel and look amazing, get a boost in energy, kickstart weight loss, lose the bloat, feel amazing.  Oh and since it’s a guided cleanse you get me for every day of the cleanse making sure you doing great!  Follow this to the Next Level Cleanse and sign up because spaces are going fast and the class size is limited!

If you have questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.

The holidays are a wonderful time of the year.  There are often many parties and family gatherings with lots of food.  Lots of extra cheer and stress.  More to do than any other time of the year.   People giving and sharing their food almost everywhere you go.  Way more treats to eat than is reasonable for any one person to consume, yet we are often up for the task!

So you see there are many opportunities to do too much, eat too much, get too little exercise, get glutened and just give up.  Holly Jolly times!

I’m offering a Gluten Free Holiday Survival Free Teleseminar to help you find out :

Join me on December 19th for a free teleseminar on Gluten Free Holiday Survival.

You’ll need to register in order to get the call in information.  Go here for more details and to register.  

During the holiday season we often eat many more meals away from our home than is typical.  This can be more difficult if you don’t know how to get exactly what you want and what  you need.

When you’re home, assuming your home is 100% gluten free, you are in your safe zone.  Nothing is brought in that contains gluten so you can roam around, nibble as you please without any repercussions to your body.  That doesn’t mean you won’t over indulge.  That’s another post entirely.  How to recover from over indulging.  Hmm,  I may have to share that soon too.

But back to eating away from your safe zone.  Let me share a little story with you to illustrate how diligent you must be.

The other night the gang was all here.  My oldest son Andy who lives in San Francisco and has written posts on gluten free beer and gluten free pop up restaurant in San Francisco, was down for the Thanksgiving holiday.  So my husband Scott, youngest son Brad, Andy and myself went out to eat.  We went to a local restaurant that has the name of a prominent figure in the health field.  We love this restaurant.  I go there a lot if I’m out walking errands or even want a treat or pick me up.  I love their gluten free pita and hummus and their kale aid drink.  Yum!!!

Sorry I get lost in food sometimes.  So their menu is marked which items are gluten free.  There are even many items that can be modified to be gluten free but those items are not marked, you have to find that out by asking questions. ****  Scott ordered what was presented as a gluten free meal on the menu.  He had roasted chicken with farrow.  *******  Yeah so those of you who read my blog or have worked with me know that farrow is wheat and wheat is definitely not gluten free.  Andy noticed the farrow in his dad’s bowl and asked him what he was eating.  Andy of course is a foodie and pays close attention to what living gluten free means.  Scott had a Steve Martin “waiter there are snails on her plate” moment.

The waiter apologized and brought him a new meal but he had already eaten some of the farrow.  Fortunately he does not have the same immediate sick response as I do where my abdomen blows up like Violet Beauregarde from Willie Wonka, I lose every ounce of energy and clear thinking I had.

I hope they are reprinting those menus as we speak.

So you see you have to know what you’re talking about when it comes to gluten free dining and not rely on what the waiter knows or remembers to tell you on your visit.

***** Tip #1  ASK LOTS of QUESTIONS

Can you accomodate a gluten free diner?

Do you have a gluten free menu or is your menu noted?

Are there items on your menu not marked gluten free that could easily be gluten free if the bun was omitted?

When you talk with your server ask them for help.  This will get them listening to you when really you are going to walk them through the help.  Tell them you have a severe gluten allergy.  No you don’t but when a restaurant hears allergy then their ears open up and they take notice.  This is what you want.  EVEN IF YOU ARE ORDERING FROM A GLUTEN FREE MENU, tell them you need a gluten free meal (hubby).  When it arrives at your table confirm that it is a gluten free meal.

Can you please ask the chef what they would recommend that would be safe for me to eat gluten free.  I often will look at the menu to see what proteins they serve and if there are any I don’t like I let them know.  So I’ll tell the waiter, I will eat whatever the chef would like to create that is gluten free but please do not use lamb but any other proteins are great.  I’m not a fan of lamb.  This works great if you are at a high end restaurant where the chef uses individual ingredients and they would rather create then be told how to cook the recipes they created.

Read through the menu and pick out a couple of possibilities that you can have the waiter check on if this is not a high end establishment.

If you are interested in a burger (100% meat and no fillers) or anything that is cooked on a grill or flat top, ask if it cooked on a surface where they place buns or anything with a sauce that contains gluten.*******  This would cause cross contamination.  Ask if they can cook your meal in a separate pan.  This usually is easy to accomodate.

If you are looking for french fries, read through the menu and look for anything that would also be deep fried with breadcrumbs like chicken or calamari.  Ask if they have a dedicated fryer for the fries or is it all cooked in the same fryer.  If they are all cooked in the same fryer you want to avoid them.  You can ask if they can cook them in a separate pan too.  Some places will do this.

Confirm any salad you order does not contain croutons and ask if the dressing is safe.

Stay safe while eating out and make sure they know of your needs and can accomodate them.

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS thank the waiter for their help.  They are your allie and can help you.  If they can’t help ask to speak to the chef or manager.  If you are not satisfied that they are working to keep you safe, don’t eat.   Have a drink if you are with others and then eat later and always keep backup fruit or nuts on you.  It’s only one meal and there are usually so many others during the holidays that you’ll get food soon enough.

********Tip #2 KNOW WHAT IS TYPICALLY IN THE DISHES YOU LIKE TO EAT.  IN OTHER WORDS THE MORE YOU COOK AT HOME THE EASIER IT IS TO EAT OUT.

This is one of the most helpful things I can pass along to you.  If you are cooking at home and reading recipes then you know what typically is found in dishes you like to eat.  You’ll know what comes with a sauce or is usually started with a sprinkle of flour.  This will help you in asking the question in an intelligent manner. If you are not cooking many meals at home find out why and then change that.  If you need help in that area please contact me.  I love helping people get back into the kitchen.

******Tip #3 KNOW THE MANY NAMES OF WHEAT and WHAT CONTAINS GLUTEN

• couscous
• farrow
• wheat berries
• semolina
• durum
• spelt
• soy sauce
• malt vinegar
• Tabbouleh made from bulgur wheat

There are many other foods that may contain gluten that you should be aware of.  Know what’s in the food you eat.

As a holiday gift to you I am sharing my Gluten Free Starter Guide usually reserved for my clients:  

Happy Holidays and please eat safely. 

Cyber Monday Special ONE Day Only Offer

Only on Monday November 26^th :  get FREE Shipping on any 2013 Cookbook Desk Calendar order, no matter the size.  That means the more you buy the more you save!  This does not apply to wholesale orders.  Offer is good from 12amPT Monday to 12amPT Tuesday, November 27^th 2012 only.

So NOW is the time to check off your gift list for EVERYONE!

This is a great gift for anyone, no matter what they eat.  They can live gluten-free or not, dairy-free or not, vegetarian and vegan or not, and even Paleo or not.  It’s for people who love to eat good food! 

It’s a Calendar and a Cookbook that sits on your desk or countertop. 

• 12 beautifully-designed cards in a clear CD case specially made to stand-up and display on your desk or countertop.  (4 5/8” x 5 3/8”)
• Gorgeous color photos of each dish with easy-to follow recipes on the back.
• Each calendar comes in its own gift/shipping box to make your gift-giving really simple.
• All recipes are gluten-free and dairy-free!
• Vegetarian, Vegan, and Paleo directions for each recipe to fit any diet!

• BONUS EXCLUSIVE CONTENT! Secret access code for a hidden web page that includes:

• 28 additional recipes
• cooking tips & tricks for each recipe
• additional recipe suggestions along with instructional photos
• resources for ingredients and tools
• instructional cooking videos

 This offer does not apply to wholesale orders.  Offer is good from 12amPT Monday to 12amPT Tuesday, November 27^th 2012 only.

January 2013 through December 2013

Size – 4 5/8″ x 5 3/8”

$14.95 each

Order more and save! 
Order 10 to 99 for only $13.95 each

Order 100 or more for only $11.95 each

USA & Canada Only

$14.95 Each

Order Now!

Do you have questions about cooking a gluten-free Thanksgiving meal? Maybe you’re having guests over to eat and they have specific dietary needs and you want to make sure they are safe.  Do you have a family favorite recipe that you would like some ideas on how to make it a gluten free recipe?

Let’s meet up on Facebook and talk turkey, gluten free style.  Join me, along with fellow gluten free health coach and blogger Ellen Allard the Gluten Free Diva.  Joining in will also be  Shirley Braden,

Leader of the King George Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Group, from gluten-free easily.

Come with your questions and we’ll work to get you answers.  Join us on Tuesday at 6pm ET or 3pm PT on The WHOLE Gang Facebook Page.

How many of these folks are at your table?

If you are looking for a book to help you live a healthy gluten free life that will cover the whole family, I have a book for  you.  Nourishing Meals: Healthy Gluten-Free Recipes for the Whole Family by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre is a reference book filled with information on  food allergies and sensitivities, the significance of whole foods and why eating gluten free might be the best for your health.  Not only did they include information for you but for those with kids you are going to love the sections on 7 Ways to Help your Child THRIVE and Nourishing your growing child giving you information from birth on!

Oh wait did I mention there are over 300 recipes in this book that are gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free!  I was lucky enough to get to test some along the way.  The recipe for Kale and Scrambled eggs has become a favorite in our house from the first time I made it.  As you can see I like to add the hot sauce on the plate as suggested.  It’s a great way to start the day off with greens.

If you are a health coach too, you will want to get this book for yourself and your clients.  Make sure you give them a highlighter pen with the book as there will be so much good information they will want to highlight as they read.  Throughout the recipes they offer ingredient, nutrition and kitchen tips plus ideas for variations and what to serve that recipe with.   You will have fun working your way from the breakfast recipes through soups, salads, wraps, meals, snacks, desserts and drinks.

Now I have two wonderful books to give to my clients thanks to Ali and Tom, their first book The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook: Whole Foods Recipes for Personal and Planetary Healthplus share their blog Nourishing Meals.

So here is the best part of this book for you.  The authors have given me enough to give to make 3 lucky winners.  That’s 3 signed copies of Nourishing Meals to give away!

Don’t miss the deadline!

In order to enter to win here is what you need to do:

1.  Sign up for my newsletter –  The Gluten Free Insider. (you know I’ll check, right)  

2. Leave a comment here and let me know you’re on the newsletter list and tell us how many meals a week you cook at home.

Good luck everyone.  I know the lucky folks who win this book will be very happy.  The winner will be drawn at random using random.org.

This contest is now CLOSED.  Thank you for all who participated!

The deadline for entries is Thursday October 25th at 9pm PT.  So don’t delay and quickly tell your friends so they don’t miss out either. 

Andy, today’s guest blogger

Hello again, it’s been a while! By no means should you take the recent lack of Gluten Free/San Francisco articles as a sign that there’s not a pretty huge abundance of excellent gluten free options in San Francisco (there are) nor should you take it as a sign that I’m terrible at keeping to an update schedule (I am). After six or so months living in the city by the bay, I’m starting to finally get settled, more or less. As I start to get a routine put together, you can expect more reviews and insight into the gluten free food scene in San Francisco, with any luck, at least once a month.

Incidentally, this particular outing doesn’t have a ton to do with food or San Francisco for that matter, as it’s a product you should be able to get in most Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or similar local grocery chains in your area. Before I launch into this in earnest, though, I’ve been asked to include a number of disclaimers. First, I was invited to Omission Beer’s event as a guest, and given free samples of their beer at said event. Second, I was also told I could take as many of the gift bags as I could reasonably carry. Third, I took more of the gift bags than was reasonable to carry.

With that out of the way, we’ll join a (very) slightly more inebriated version of me about a week and a half ago, standing on a very full N Judah train just exiting the tunnel that precedes the stop in my neighborhood. It was at this point that I began to realize that three gift bags may have been more than I could reasonably carry. This realization was spurred by an increasing concern that I was going to re-dislocate my shoulder* and doing a bit of mental math as to the weight of 36 bottles of beer. For those interested, it’s about 49 pounds, I weighed it when I got home.

You might be asking yourself, “Why did Andy carry 49 pounds of beer home via public transit?” There are about three answers to this, two of them are very good. The first answer, San Francisco is a very expensive place to live, and, despite very much wanting to, driving from Herndon, VA to San Francisco, CA would have been a bad idea for more reasons than I can quickly come up with a number for. The second answer, San Francisco is a very expensive place to live. I was carrying 36 bottles of free beer, which in my mind, was an economic decision. The last, and best, answer, this is very, very good beer that happens to be gluten free.

Let’s talk about beer.

For the better part of my college career, I didn’t drink it, or any other sort of alcohol.  This abruptly stopped after turning 21 and moving to downtown Harrisonburg, with quite a few good bars. Aided by the availability of a bunch of excellent beer, I was labeled a “beer snob” about a month or two after I started to drink. I make a point of seeking out great beers I’ve read about and trying them out. I’d always rather have a single bottle of a good craft brew than a six-pack of mediocre lager.

I’ve noticed that more than most anything else, great hops and the right brewing grain make excellent beer. With this in mind, I think that’s the issue I tend to have when trying to drink a gluten free beer. Pretty nearly every gluten free beer I’ve tried tends to be made with an alternative grain, such as sorghum. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the beer won’t be good, there are some great brews made with sorghum (Dogfish Head’s Tweason’ale comes to mind) but what you wind up with is a beer that doesn’t taste quite like what you’re used to.

Enter Omission. Upon arriving at their event and taking my first sip of their pale ale, I knew this was a brewery that knew beer. Omission Pale Ale’s flavor is exactly what I expect in a pale ale, bitter but pleasant, a bit of citrus, and an extremely clean aftertaste.  This isn’t a beer that needs to qualify itself as gluten free, this is a beer that stands on its own as a great craft brew.

While sipping the pale ale, I had the chance to speak with the CEO of Craft Brew Alliance, Terry Michaelson. Craft Brew Alliance comprises a few other brands, (Widmer Brothers, Kona Brewing, and Redhook) all of which make some absolutely excellent, but non-gluten free beer. Having had a few of their other brands, I’m not at all surprised they could make such excellent gluten free beer. As the gluten free market grows, I’m not terribly surprised to see a craft brew company get into the GF field either. That said, for Craft Brew Alliance, Omission was born at least as much out of personal reasons as it was economic ones. Both CEO Terry Michaelson and Brewmaster Joe Casey’s wife have been diagnosed with Celiac Sprue. Omission was brewed to bring back the experience of having a beer with friends to the gluten free community. Having shared the pale ale with friends who don’t follow a gluten free diet, I’d say they’ve succeeded. The secret behind this success is the process that goes into making Omission gluten free. As far as the brewing is concerned, Omission is a standard beer up until the end. It’s brewed with malted barley, citra hops, all the things that make a great craft brew. Eventually it’s run through a process to extract the gluten from the beer, and the result is a great beer with less than 5ppm of gluten according to the R5 Competitive ELISA test, one the international standards for gluten free designation.

If you’re interested in finding some Omission Beer for yourself, they’ve set up this lovely site here, http://omissionbeer.com/find-omission/ where you can do so. I’d make a very strong recommendation for the pale ale.

*As far as dislocating my shoulder is concerned, I’m pretty sure it’s fixed itself at this point, but in the case that you ever find yourself sitting in front of one of these,

my best advice would be to check your machismo and just walk away. Even if you beat the robot, you’ve got a pretty good chance you’ll dislocate your shoulder in the process.

Did you hear the latest news? Subscribers to The Gluten Free Insider Newsletter had a sneak peek.  Don’t miss out on the news.  

Announcing:

I am very excited to share with you that I have created the ultimate cookbook. Wait until you hear how it works. This is a 2013 Cookbook Desk Calendar. That means it is a calendar and a cookbook that sits on your desk in the size of a CD case!

Each month features a color photo and calendar on the front and an easy recipe on the back. Every recipe is gluten and dairy free plus instructions on how to easily make it Vegetarian, Vegan and Paleo. How cool is that?

I don’t know about your family and friends, but mine all have their own dietary needs. My oldest son is a vegetarian but can’t eat soy, my husband eats Paleo, my youngest son thinks the word vegetable is a swear word and for me it’s strictly gluten and dairy free. Having to juggle these needs and not cook 3 or 4 different main dishes for one meal has taught me how to take one recipe and make it work for everyone at the table.

This is what I’ve shared with you in the 2013 Cookbook Desk Calendar. Each recipe is coded and noted to make cooking a breeze.  I even had my non-cook husband give some a try and he looked like a master chef! Check out the August photograph, that’s his work. 

Each cookbook calendar comes in a clear case that flips open to sit on your desk or your countertop as you are cooking from the recipe. I know, brilliant right? So much goodness in a CD case the size of your hand.

BONUS: Every calendar comes with a special code to a hidden page on The WHOLE Gang website that will include additional recipes, tips, tricks, tools and how to make each recipe suit multiple dietary needs at the same time.  That means cook once and everyone eats!

This 2013 Cookbook Desk Calendar is not only great for you, but it makes a great gift for family, friends, teachers, hostesses, co-workers, employees, clients and that person who has everything. Each calendar comes in it’s own gift/shipping box so you’ll be ready to send them out as gifts. If you are giving them as client gifts there is a space in the back for you to place your business card so they’ll know who to thank!

Pre-Order Special:  I am offering you a special pre-order deal for ordering now. If you order this month you will receive $2 off the list price of $14.95 each. This discount will expire October 31st, 2012.  Even bigger savings the more you order.

Pre-Order Now!

Here’s what some folks are saying:

Hash in a Flash is a great one pot dish the whole family loved, including my 12 year old daughter. – Sara Nicole in Bellflower, California

This Vegan Tunisian Frittata has become a staple in my gluten free kitchen. Prior to making it, I wasn’t convinced that I could make a decent tasting frittata without eggs, but this recipe completely changed my mind. It is beyond delicious and on the first and second day, the leftovers were just as delicious as when it came out of the oven. Try it, you’ll be glad you did! - Ellen Allard, Worchester Massachusetts

We very much enjoyed the Vegan Tunisian Frittata. The recipe is very straight-forward and easy to follow for a quick prep meal. While it would make great leftovers, we’re yet to have any left after a meal–it’s a big hit! I would not hesitate to share this with egg eaters, the tofu is a slick substitute! We now keep a container of the easy harissa on hand so we can make this often.  - Johnna Perry Kansas City, Missouri

12 months of great meals!

• January: Jicama Tacos & Tostados
• February: Little Lasagna Flowers
• March: Tunisian Frittata
• April: Garlic Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg and Prosciutto
• May: Easy Layered Mexican Casserole
• June:  Oven Roasted Pesto Vegetables Deluxe
• July: Can’t Beet California Cobb Salad
• August: Summer Vegetable Rosettes
• September: Hash in a Flash
• October: Smoky Simmering Soup
• November: Cashew Cream Yam Cannelloni
• December: Mushroom Party

Welcome back to our weekly event, Friday Foodie Fix.  This is where you link up your gluten free recipes each week that contain the Secret Ingredient!

You will also find each week there will be loads of information on that ingredient so even if you don’t have any recipes to share, you’ll gather some useful information.

Make sure you check back to see what recipes have been added.

This week’s secret ingredient is Apple.

Healthy Facts

Apples are one of those foods where that old saying has a lot of science behind it.  An apple a day keeps the doctor away.  Apples have 4 grams of fiber per medium apple for only 9r calories.  They are a good source of immune boosting Vitamin C and antioxidant pectin.   It’s been shown that those who ate an apple a day lost weight and had a lower risk of strokes and heart disease.  If you’re looking for something to eat before you exercise, try an apple.  It’s been shown to boost your exercise endurance.

How to Buy

Look for firm, crisp, well colored skin.  While you’re picking it up give it a good whiff.  Yes smell it.  It should have a bit of an aroma.

How to Store

Store your apples on the countertop.  We have a large apple bowl filled each week.  If you’re not going to be eating them very soon store them in the refrigerator.

Favorite Tip

Winesap Apples
photo credit all creatures

So how many different varieties can you name?  Everyone usually has their favorite.  Mine is a Winesap.  When I was a kid we would go to the orchard and get a bushel every fall.  Love those apples.  These are great apples to bake as they retain their flavor.  They are also good for making apple sauce, tarts, pies, and cobblers.

Last Week’s Favorite Links

J and Me shared Roasted Chicken Breasts with Lemony Bombay Potatoes

Tess the Domestic Diva shared Paleo Warm Chicken BLT Salad and Simple Vietnamese Grilled Chicken

Linking up Guidelines

• Share your own recipe using the Secret Ingredient. This must be your recipe, not copied from someone else.  If you were inspired by another recipe you MUST ALWAYS note that in your recipe.
• Link the URL of your Specific Individual Recipe Post,  NOT to your home page.
• Please link back to this post, not a static page so your readers can find the recipes here.
• When you link, please tell us what you’re sharing.
• This is a Gluten Free Resource so please make sure you share gluten free recipes.
• Recipes do not need to be brand new on your blog, just your own and contain the Secret Ingredient.
• There is no limit to how many times you can post on any given Secret Ingredient,  just Link Back.
• Please use the FFF icon in your post and feel free to add it to your sidebar!  Here’s the code:  <a href=”http://www.thewholegang.org/” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.thewholegang.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FFF-thewholegang.jpg” width=261 height=256 border=0></a>

Friday Foodie Fix will be taking a break as I move to Santa Monica and get settled in.  I can’t wait to find some great foods in the farmers market to share with you.  

Fill up on apple recipes this week!

Now it’s your turn to share your gluten free recipes with apples below.

Welcome back to our weekly event, Friday Foodie Fix.  This is where you link up your gluten free recipes each week that contain the Secret Ingredient!

You will also find each week there will be loads of information on that ingredient so even if you don’t have any recipes to share, you’ll gather some useful information.

Make sure you check back to see what recipes have been added.

This week’s secret ingredient is Chicken.

Healthy Facts

Chicken is a great source of protein and vitamin B6 plus it contains vitamin B3 or niacin.  It also contains the minerals selenium and phosphorus.   It’s typically available just about anywhere you go but be very particular about the quality you purchase.

How to Buy

Look for organic, no hormones or antibiotics and free range.  When you have a happy chicken you are going to have the best tasting chicken you’ve ever eaten. Look for good color and soft to the touch.  You don’t want a hard piece of meat as it will not have as much flavor.

How to Store

Keep very cold in the refrigerator and use within a day or two of purchase.   You can also freeze.

Favorite Tip

Always look at the date it was packaged and the date it should be sold by.  I also smell the package.  It should not have any smell.  If you can get it from a local organic free range farm you are in for a real treat.

Last Week’s Favorite Links

gluten free easily shared Double Chocolate Nut Butter Oaties 

Cook It Allergy Free shared 50+ Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Ideas

Tess the Domestic Diva shared 10 GF Wraps

Linking up Guidelines

• Share your own recipe using the Secret Ingredient. This must be your recipe, not copied from someone else.  If you were inspired by another recipe you MUST ALWAYS note that in your recipe.
• Link the URL of your Specific Individual Recipe Post,  NOT to your home page.
• Please link back to this post, not a static page so your readers can find the recipes here.
• When you link, please tell us what you’re sharing.
• This is a Gluten Free Resource so please make sure you share gluten free recipes.
• Recipes do not need to be brand new on your blog, just your own and contain the Secret Ingredient.
• There is no limit to how many times you can post on any given Secret Ingredient,  just Link Back.
• Please use the FFF icon in your post and feel free to add it to your sidebar!  Here’s the code:  <a href=”http://www.thewholegang.org/” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.thewholegang.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FFF-thewholegang.jpg” width=261 height=256 border=0></a>

Next Week’s Secret Ingredient for Friday Foodie Fix is …  Apples!

Now it’s your turn to share your gluten free recipes with chicken below.

Last month the summer Olympics took place and you may have heard these athletes mentioned: Jenn Suhr, Dana Vollmer and Jeff Spear. Jenn won a gold medal in PoleVault, Dana won 3 gold medals swimming including setting Olympic and world records and Jeff competed in Fencing placing out of medal contention. What do all of these athletes have in common? They are all gluten free and are all featured in the book, The Gluten Free Edge.

But before you dive into the stories of these and other amazing athletes and how living gluten free has changed their life and their ability to compete, start at the beginning and read the personal stories of Pete Bronski (No Gluten, No Problem) and Melissa McLean Jory (Gluten Free For Good), the coauthors of this book.  I’m guessing there will be some familiarity in them for you as there was for me.  But Melissa’s journey began out of love for her father and is an amazing story.  Don’t skip over these stories on pages 8 and 13.

The rest of the book is filled with amazing information about our health, our bodies, the food we put into it and how to achieve peak athletic performance and an active gluten free life.

The book includes:

• Inspirational  profiles of athletes who are gluten intolerant, or who simply feel gluten inhibits their performance and recovery
• Sport, gender and age-specific advice for athletes of all kinds
• Principles for training and advice for dealing with accidental gluten exposure
• A thorough introduction to the basics of nutrition and how the body uses food for energy
• 50 simple, high-octane recipes that won’t leave anyone missing gluten

The Granola-Style Energy Bars and the Cherry Cabbage Recovery Smoothie taste amazing!  But besides the smoothies and on the go snacks and trail food, you can find recipes for breakfast, salads and savory dips, lunches and dinners and yes even desserts.

The amount of information in this book is just amazing.  It will be a resource that I will recommend to anyone and everyone who lives gluten free.  You will discover answers that you may have been searching for a long time to find.

I want to give you a copy of this book.  I actually have two I can give away.  If you would like a chance to win this amazing book here is what you need to do.  Pay close attention because this is a little different.  You must do both #1 and #2.

If you can’t wait to see if you win, you can order the book on Amazon, The Gluten-Free Edge: A Nutrition and Training Guide for Peak Athletic Performance and an Active Gluten-Free Life(affiliate link).

This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you to all who participated.

Here’s how to enter to win a copy:

1.  Sign up for my newsletter.

2. Leave a comment here telling me if you have an active gluten free life or if you are an athlete, what is it that you do?  Or, maybe you are in transition and you would like to move into a more active life.  Tell me what you will be trying.  Is it yoga, walking, Zumba, tennis, hiking, or anything else?

I will draw two winners from the comments but if you are not signed up for the newsletter you won’t win.  So go back to step number 1 and sign up for the newsletter then leave your comment here.

Good luck to all.  Deadline for entries is Sunday, September 9th at 10pm ET.  I will notify the winner via email to obtain the address and them mail it out before the moving van shows up at my house.  You will want to get your hands on this book ASAP!

Welcome back to our weekly event, Friday Foodie Fix.  This is where you link up your gluten free recipes each week that contain the Secret Ingredient!

You will also find each week there will be loads of information on that ingredient so even if you don’t have any recipes to share, you’ll gather some useful information.

Make sure you check back to see what recipes have been added.

This week’s secret ingredient is Red and Orange Peppers.

Healthy Facts

Red peppers have a little more health benefits than it’s green relative.  They supply lots of beta-carotene which your body converts to vitamin A, great for night vision.  The orange are top source of lutein and zeaxanthin, which may guard against cataracts.  The orange peppers contain more zeaxanthin than any fruit or other vegetable.  Bell peppers are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids.

How to Buy

Look for firm peppers with a tight skin and no wrinkles.  Yeah I know, sounds like I’m discriminating against those of us who have seen a few summers but you want your peppers young.  Also keep in mind these beauties love to hold on to the toxins in chemicals so please buy organic as much as possible if not every time.

How to Store

Pop them into the refrigerator in a paper bag in the vegetable drawer.  They will keep for around a week.

Favorite Tip

Anytime you are at the store pick some of these beauties up and toss them into your salads, scrambled eggs, or stuff them.  Just get them into  your menu!

Last Week’s Favorite Links

Hunter’s Lyonesse shared Healthy Stuffed Peppers

The Tasty Alternative shared Jalapeño Poppers stuffed with cheese and bacon

Tess the Domestic Diva shared Jambalaya

Linking up Guidelines

• Share your own recipe using the Secret Ingredient. This must be your recipe, not copied from someone else.  If you were inspired by another recipe you MUST ALWAYS note that in your recipe.
• Link the URL of your Specific Individual Recipe Post,  NOT to your home page.
• Please link back to this post, not a static page so your readers can find the recipes here.
• When you link, please tell us what you’re sharing.
• This is a Gluten Free Resource so please make sure you share gluten free recipes.
• Recipes do not need to be brand new on your blog, just your own and contain the Secret Ingredient.
• There is no limit to how many times you can post on any given Secret Ingredient,  just Link Back.
• Please use the FFF icon in your post and feel free to add it to your sidebar!  Here’s the code:  <a href=”http://www.thewholegang.org/” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.thewholegang.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FFF-thewholegang.jpg” width=261 height=256 border=0></a>

Next Week’s Secret Ingredient for Friday Foodie Fix is … School Lunch Ideas!

Now it’s your turn to share your gluten free recipes with red peppers below.

This post originally ran on a blog that is no longer live, Celiacs in the House.  I wanted to share my kitchen with you and some news.  I will always be gluten free but this won’t always be my kitchen.  Next month I’m moving to Santa Monica, California.  It’s been a dream for 40 years to live in California and I’m very excited it’s finally happening.

My new kitchen will be a lot smaller than this one and with no pantry.   I will have to figure out what comes with me and what gets left out.  Once I get settled I’ll share how I downsized and still keep cooking our favorite meals.  I have to bring my Keep Calm dish for sure!

If you have any space saving tips I’d love for you to share them.  As you’ll see below I do have a fetish for kitchen appliances and tools.

For now I present, my gluten free kitchen.

My kitchen is truly the heart of my home.  I spend more time in that room than any other with exception of my bedroom.   I usually cook three meals a day starting with breakfast.  On the weekends I often will prepare for a busy week by making many meals and getting others prepped  to cook so during that week it’s a short time to getting meals on the table.

My kitchen is my refuge.   It’s the room where I have complete control over what is in there, where it’s placed and how it’s used.  I go there to relax from a busy day and to escape into the world of food.  I love to create recipes for my family, friends, clients, website and for companies that like to pay me for using their whole food ingredient.  My goal is to keep easy healthy gluten free living not just what I teach clients, but how I live my life everyday.

I have a lot of strong thoughts about where things go in my kitchen according to how I cook.  There are things that can be stored and then there are the things I want at my fingertips so I can grab them as I cook.  I’m one of those cooks who often likes to open the refrigerator, see what I have on hand and create a meal.  This means everything is a grab and go as I cook.

Starting in May we have been doing renovations in the house including a new granite countertop installed with a nice deep double sink.  I love that sink.  It’s really deep and it’s a double.

But before we dig into the kitchen I want to share my funky table where we eat our meals.  We had it made for us from Sticks Furniture.  There are pictures on this table that mean something to each of us.  Around the outer edge are sayings we choose:  Seize the day, Do you best, Smile, Follow you heart, Happiness depends upon ourselves, Rest, Choose wisely and many more.  These tables are a lot of fun to have made and a great snapshot of our family.

As you can tell I’m a quirky artist type so of course I had to have a glass ball curtain.  These are really cool and have sayings on the metals like Follow Your Bliss, Dream Big- Live Large and Live, Love, Laugh A Lot and Wish I May  - Wish I Might.    You can also see that the bottom of the table is also painted.

In the eating area I also have my cookbooks in a bookcase and on the shelf.  I have to keep giving some away as I get new ones all the time.  My husband keeps his wine stash here too.  Maybe someday we’ll have a real wine cellar or storage.

Each week I create a menu and write it on these cool Wallies peel and stick chalkboard squares.

Wallies Peel and Stick Chalkboard Decal, Squares

I don’t have room for a big board and I didn’t want something that would damage my walls.  These are also great for kids rooms to leave them messages or for them to keep track of school work or give them a helper list.  Love these.  Also my little step stool.  Great for a short gal like me.

As you will see throughout my kitchen I have a thing for aprons.  I have a huge collection and many are in drawers.  They hang on doors and are right out in view so you think I would wear them more often and protect my clothes.

I’m very lucky to have double ovens.  I hope wherever I live I always have double ovens.  They come in handy.  I keep a lot of extra pans in one so I have to pull them out when I’m using both.  It’s great when having company over so I can cook for a big party.  I hope you can see the sign over the ovens but just in case it says This is a drama free zone.  Every house needs one of these.

My pantry has always bothered me.  There seems to be more room in the walls than they actually used and could have had a double door and more room.  But I make good use of the space to the ceiling and the door.  I think it has more equipment than food in it.  I keep cans of beans around but we really don’t eat them anymore.  I guess I keep them in case we had nothing else to eat.  I have lots of nuts and seeds in jars.  I usually choose glass over plastic.    I also have an assortment of honey that I like to use as my sweetener, peppers  and mustards and different oils and vinegars.  It’s how I can change up the same ingredients into a different meal on a whim.

I do have a microwave which knowing about the studies that shown any food defrosted or heated in their can change the contents to carcinogens, I regretfully still use it.  I keep saying I’m going to stop but then forget and use it.  I think I need to put a sticker on the front that reminds me so I can at least make other plans.  I’ve heard people use theirs for storage to keep from using it.  I think I might try that but I’m sure my family will start throwing things at me.

My frig is so not exciting.  It’s usually so stuffed with vegetables that you can’t see anything else.  I keep my probiotics in there too along with some peppers, hot sauces, mayonnaise and a variety of mustards.  I keep a couple dozen of farm fresh eggs.  If you are lucky enough to live where you can get these or have your own chickens you will never go back.  The taste is so amazing that there is just no comparison. Whatever room is left we squeeze in any leftovers from meals in there.

I have more cold storage in the garage so I can keep my gluten free flours in there and stock up on organic meats from the farm as well as homemade bone stocks and seasonal finds I like to freeze for use later.

On my countertop I have an assortment of appliances that I use a lot.  The rest were in the pantry.  My Hurom Slow Juicer and Vitamix plus the electric kettle get the most use every day.  I currently have two different sizes of food processors and would love to have the Cuisinart that has multiple sizes in one appliance but just can’t justify buying something new.   I also have my KitchenAid mixer and my Breville Toaster/Convection Oven.  This oven is very handy when you don’t want to fire up the full sized oven or believe it or not, both are already in full use.

The closer you get to my stove the more you see in way of things I want to grab while cooking.  My collection of salts and peppers, many different oils and measuring cups that I hate to use all gather around this little crate.

As you can see I have 7 crocks full of utensils and gadgets.  There are lots of different spatulas both flat and those for scraping, wooden spoons, peelers, paring knives, scissors, and assortments of whips or whisks, my rolling pin and an assortment of knives.  I used to have a knife block but it seemed I always tried to put the knives away in the wrong slot.  I got really tired of that so I took one of my baskets and filled it with bamboo skewers.  Now I can put any knife any where in there and it fits.

In the bottom corner turn style I keep all of my spices.  That entire cabinet is filled with spices, arrowroot, Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar, vanillas and chocolate but mostly spices and herbs.   It looks like a Penzey’s or Spice House store display but I love having options.  I can change the same basic ingredients into so many different meals just by changing out the spice profile.

I added drawers and shelves that roll out and it makes a big difference.  In the heavy duty rack I have my assortment of Le Crueset pots and I keep measuring cups and strainers in there.

Under the stove top I have my assortment of cutting boards, some for fruit and vegetables, red for meat only and some for carving large pieces of roasted meats.    I use the doors too to keep the wraps and bags I use.

In this cabinet I have all of my frying pans from small to very large and a large pot that wouldn’t fit in the other cabinet.

I like the vertical cabinet to keep all my jellyroll pans and cooling racks.

In the other corner turn style cabinet I have my mixing bowls, baking dishes and glass leftover containers.  I tossed all the lids into the bread drawer since we don’t use it.

I hope you liked the tour of my kitchen.  Now you know why many of my friends think I’m too attached to my kitchen.  No matter the size or equipment you have or don’t have, get into your kitchen.  This is key!  Decide what you want at your fingertips and easy healthy gluten free living will the way you describe your life too.  Cooking food for you and your loved ones is the best thing a person can do.

Welcome back to our weekly event, Friday Foodie Fix.  This is where you link up your gluten free recipes each week that contain the Secret Ingredient!

You will also find each week there will be loads of information on that ingredient so even if you don’t have any recipes to share, you’ll gather some useful information.

Make sure you check back to see what recipes have been added.

This week’s secret ingredient is Green Peppers.

Healthy Facts

Green peppers come in lots of varieties.  Most people think about the green bell pepper as pictured here.  For this event you can share your favorite green pepper.  I like the pablano peppers a lot and of course green hatch chile peppers.  Bell peppers are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids.

How to Buy

Look for firm peppers with a tight skin and no wrinkles.  Yeah I know, sounds like I’m discriminating against those of us who have seen a few summers but you want your peppers young.  Also keep in mind these beauties love to hold on to the toxins in chemicals so please buy organic as much as possible if not every time.

How to Store

Pop them into the refrigerator in a paper bag in the vegetable drawer.  They will keep for around a week.

Favorite Tip

Find your favorite green pepper and use them often.  There are bell peppers and a ton of green chile peppers.  Then roast them to bring out even more flavor. (don’t rince off the roasted skin or you’ll rince off the flavor)

Last Week’s Favorite Links

gluten free easily shared three great recipes:

Watermelon Orange Smoothie

Watermelon Sherbet

 Watermelon Margaritas

Linking up Guidelines

• Share your own recipe using the Secret Ingredient. This must be your recipe, not copied from someone else.  If you were inspired by another recipe you MUST ALWAYS note that in your recipe.
• Link the URL of your Specific Individual Recipe Post,  NOT to your home page.
• Please link back to this post, not a static page so your readers can find the recipes here.
• When you link, please tell us what you’re sharing.
• This is a Gluten Free Resource so please make sure you share gluten free recipes.
• Recipes do not need to be brand new on your blog, just your own and contain the Secret Ingredient.
• There is no limit to how many times you can post on any given Secret Ingredient,  just Link Back.
• Please use the FFF icon in your post and feel free to add it to your sidebar!  Here’s the code:  <a href=”http://www.thewholegang.org/” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.thewholegang.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FFF-thewholegang.jpg” width=261 height=256 border=0></a>

Next Week’s Secret Ingredient for Friday Foodie Fix is …Red or Yellow Peppers!

Now it’s your turn to share your gluten free recipes with green peppers below.

Now I’d like to hear from you.

On this day in 2008 I began writing about our gluten free lives.   So much has happened in these past 4 years.  I’ve learned a lot about easy healthy gluten free living, but I certainly didn’t start out that way.

After a few years of being sick and thinking I was losing my mind.  Then I started living gluten free February of 2007 and started this blog 18 months after that.  It took me a long time to clear out the gluten cobwebs from my mind and begin to think clearly enough to make progress in my health and lifestyle.  Did you or do you still have those cobwebs?

I didn’t have a coach or a guide to help me when I started.  I had a few websites and a determination that I wasn’t going to eat the same meals every week or spend a fortune doing it.  Well at first I spent a fortune, hours at the grocery store reading unmarked packages looking for gluten free food.  Oh and we did have a few meals we ate a little too often.  What a waste of my time, my money and my gifts.

I don’t want you to waste like I did.  So here are 7 things I’ve learned and experienced along the way:

So no matter where you are on your gluten free journey, I hope you will have support as you make your way through.  Live large, eat well and love those around you.  Thank you for these past 4 years.  I hope we have many more together.

But before I end this post, the most important thank you goes to my wonderful husband Scott who tastes all of the recipes I cook up and then patiently waits for me to take pictures before we eat dinner.  The love and support he gives is beyond measure.  My talented boys Andy and Brad who have tasted their fair share of really bad gluten free baking when I first started.  Thanks to the help of many,  I’ve gotten better at baking and even really good at vegetarian and vegan dishes (Brad’s not given up his steak just yet).  My boys always support what I do and say they’re not even embarrassed when I ask lots of questions at a restaurant or take pictures of my meal (no flash allowed).  I’m one lucky gluten free chica!

Thank you Scott, Andy and Brad!

I am very excited to share with you the announcement that was just made. There’s a new gluten free magazine on the block!

Simply Gluten Free Magazine

I know you’ll want to Subscribe so here’s the quick link.

Carol Kicinski from Simply… Gluten-Free blog has created a resource like no other.  Here’s the announcement made on their website:

Simply Gluten Free Magazine is a revolutionary idea whose time has come!

We have pulled together the internet’s top allergen free bloggers to create an beautiful, lifestyle magazine for people with food sensitivities  by people with food sensitivities.  These are the people who are not just writing about food sensitivities, they are people who are successfully living allergen free lifestyles every day.

Rather than focusing on deprivation, Simply Gluten Free Magazine will celebrate the abundance of a gluten and allergen free life.  We will provide simple, beautiful solutions to the challenges you face.

Simply Gluten Free will be an aesthetic, high-quality print magazine with a fully digital version, issued bi-monthly which the readership will want to collect and savor throughout the years.

While food and recipes will always remain at the core of the magazine, we will also cover such topics as Beauty, Medical and Nutrition, DIY (Do It Yourself) and Crafts, Fitness, Homekeeping, Entertaining, Travel, Eating Out, Special Needs and Special Diets.  In our Beyond Gluten Free Section we will provide mouthwatering, innovative and simple recipes for diets such as Paleo, Dairy Free, Vegetarian, Sugar Free and Vegan.

With an age range of writers that spans four decades, we will move across the age spectrum to include viable solutions from infancy and childhood to teen, college student, and young adult, to issues faced later in life as we are determined to leave no one out.

Expanding on the success of her bestselling cookbooks, monthly television cooking episodes on Daytime TVand popular gluten free blog, Carol Kicinski has teamed up with veteran blogger, magazine editor, freelance writer and mother of two celiac children, Wendy Gregory Kaho (Editor-in-Chief) and over twenty of the allergen free bloggers you already know and love to bring you fresh, innovative, relevant content and gorgeous photography in the magazine you have been waiting for.

Simply Gluten Free Magazine – Allergen Free Made Simple.

has pulled together the internet’s top allergen free bloggers to create an beautiful, lifestyle magazine for people with food sensitivities  by people with food sensitivities.  I am very happy to share I am one of them and you will see an article from me in there.

Here are some of the Associate Editors and Contributing Writers you can look forward to hearing from.

Afton Jones
Alisa Fleming
Alissa Segersten
Angela Litzinger
Bernice Mast
Brenda Falk
Cara Lyons
Carol Kicinski
Cheryl Harris
Diane Eblin
Ellen Allard
Heidi Kelly
Jeanne Sauvage
Jen Penas
Kim Maes
Melissa McLean Jory
Ricki Heller
Shirley Braden
Stacy & Matt Toth
Stephanie O’Dea
Wendy Gregory Kaho

I’m very excited to be a part of this.  So go check it out and let me know what you think and if you subscribed too.

Did you read the part about the tablet edition you have access to when subscribing!!!!!

If you get my newsletter you’ve already seen this cool gadget and gotten these two recipes.  What you’re not receiving the newsletter!  Sign up now so you get the scoop first, plus any offers and discounts will be in that newsletter.  Click Here for more info.

Love this new kitchen gadget! I don’t know why I waited so long to get one. I’ve seen others use it and thought wow that looks cool but really, can’t I just do that with a knife?

I could if I had all day to prepare my meals. If you have endless hours to prepare your meals no need to read on any further.

However if you want to have an easy healthy gluten free life, lots of fun, make great meals and have people who don’t typically eat vegetables start asking for second helpings, well check this out.

For lunch I made a Cucumber and Tomato Salad.

For dinner I made a Zucchini and Squash Pesto Pasta which had no grains in it whatsoever.

Oh the fun I’m going to have with this tool.

So I’ll share the recipes for these two dishes along with the great boulettes de poulet et de porc au pesto.

Welcome back to our weekly event, Friday Foodie Fix.  This is where you link up your gluten free recipes each week that contain the Secret Ingredient!

You will also find each week there will be loads of information on that ingredient so even if you don’t have any recipes to share, you’ll gather some useful information.

Make sure you check back to see what recipes have been added.

This week’s secret ingredient is Summer Squash!

Healthy Facts

There are many varieties of summer squash.  I like the yellow Constricted  Neck variety but there are also Scallop or Patty Pan and Cylindrical to club-shaped Italian marrows.  Because they are the relative of the Zucchini, their nutrition facts are the same.

How to Buy

Ingredients-red pepper, zucchini, squash, cippolini onion, pasta & sauce

Summer squash are harvested when they are small and the skins are still tender.  They also have the best taste when small so stick with small summer squash.  Stay away from soft however, they still need to have substance.

How to Store

Store the squash in your refrigerator until ready to use.  At that point wash and dry them before preparing your dish.  Don’t keep them for too long, as it doesn’t take long for them to deteriorate.

Favorite Tip

Summer squash can be grilled, steamed, boiled, sauteed, fried or used in stir fry recipes.  I love them tossed into a pan with other summer vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, peppers and onions and lots of basil or rosemary.  If you add a little protein like quinoa pasta you have a complete meal.

Last Week’s Favorite Links

Gluten-Free Homemaker shared Cucumber Lemonade

gluten free easily shared Cucumber Chickpea Bruschetta

The Tasty Alternative shared Pesto Stuffed Cucumbers

Linking up Guidelines

• Share your own recipe using the Secret Ingredient. This must be your recipe, not copied from someone else.  If you were inspired by another recipe you MUST ALWAYS note that in your recipe.
• Link the URL of your Specific Individual Recipe Post,  NOT to your home page.
• Please link back to this post, not a static page so your readers can find the recipes here.
• When you link, please tell us what you’re sharing.
• This is a Gluten Free Resource so please make sure you share gluten free recipes.
• Recipes do not need to be brand new on your blog, just your own and contain the Secret Ingredient.
• There is no limit to how many times you can post on any given Secret Ingredient,  just Link Back.
• Please use the FFF icon in your post and feel free to add it to your sidebar!  Here’s the code:  <a href=”http://www.thewholegang.org/” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.thewholegang.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FFF-thewholegang.jpg” width=261 height=256 border=0></a>

Next Week’s Secret Ingredient for Friday Foodie Fix is … Tomato!

Now it’s your turn to share your gluten free recipes with summer squash below.

If you would like to peak into my gluten free kitchen and see what I have stashed in my pantry and cabinets, head over to Celiacs in the House where Wendy has shared the pics and details!

It’s a great series with lots of really cool kitchens. Make sure you go back and check out other gluten free kitchens.  Let me know what you think about my gluten free kitchen.

Recently I had the pleasure to hang out with fellow gluten free food bloggers and what a time we had.  We spent a lot of the time eating of course and then taking pictures of the food.  We were in an amazing setting in the woods that was so peaceful except for our giggling fits.

One of the meals we shared was a Dairy Free Cheese Fondue.  We dipped gluten free bagette, broccoli and cauliflower florets into the creamy fondue.  We also had a side of Sweet Italian Sausage that we could dip into the cheese on our plate so we could keep the fondue pot vegetarian for our vegetarian guests.

photo credit Gluten-Free Cat

This is not the first time I’ve made this fondue recipe.  My youngest son requested it for his birthday and after I made it the first time I was totally hooked.  I know if you give this a try you will be too.  This recipe is not mine but one from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook: Delicious Dairy-Free Cheeses and Classic “Uncheese” Dishes.  I choose the Chedda Fondue from the selection of fondue recipes.  Yes there are quite a few in there like Pizza, Swiss, Smoky, Classic, Pub, and South-of-the-Border Fondue.

Not only are there fondue recipes but all of your favorite cheese recipes that are all non-dairy.  Each recipe is noted if it is vegan, gluten free, soy free, and more.  If you are living dairy free and miss that cheesy gooeyness, check out this book.

We made a single batch and I don’t think we had any leftovers.  When I made it for my son and two friends we did have some leftovers because he also had a broth fondue and a chocolate fondue to fill them up.  I took the chedda leftovers and mixed it into cooked pasta to make Mac & Cheese. Yum!

If you’re like me and there are certain cookbooks you really like to travel with but you don’t want to carry all your cookbooks, put them on your Kindle or iPad.  You can get The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook for your Kindle and be reading it right now.

For a more visual representation of this amazing fondue check out this short video.

Dairy Free Chedda Fondue Gluten Free Recipe

photo credit Gluten-Free Cat

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups water or plain nondairy milk  (I used unsweetened Almond Milk)

1 cup roasted red peppers (skin and seeds removed), or pimento pieces (I used a jar of organic roasted peppers)

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 cup  raw cashews, or 1/3 cup cashew butter  (I used the raw cashews)

1/3 cup  quick-cooking rolled oats, or 1/4 cup flour (any kind, your choice)  (I used sorghum flour)

1/4 cup kuzu, arrowroot, or cornstarch  ( I used arrowroot)

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoon sesame tahini

1 Tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic

1/4 teaspoon Tabasco

1/4 teaspoon each paprika and grated nutmeg

Instructions:

Place all the ingredient in a blender and process several minutes until the mixture is completely smooth.  Pour into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to low, and continue to stir and cook a few minutes longer until thick and smooth.  Transfer to a fondue pot and keep warm over a very low flame.

Makes 4 cups (about 7-8 servings)

This opulent fondue is fabulous with button mushrooms, cauliflower chunks, bell pepper squares and cutes of sesame or her-seasoned whole-grain bread (gluten free for me!)

From The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook, copyright Jo Stepaniak, reprinted by permission of the author.

Now I want to hear from you!  Let me know if you’ve tried this and what you think.  Also, what would you do with the leftovers, if you have any?

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Welcome back to our weekly event, Friday Foodie Fix.  This is where you link up your gluten free recipes each week that contain the Secret Ingredient!

You will also find each week there will be loads of information on that ingredient so even if you don’t have any recipes to share, you’ll gather some useful information.

Make sure you check back to see what recipes have been added.

This week’s secret ingredient is Spring Onions.

Healthy Facts

Spring onions are one of my favorites probably because I’m so excited things are growing and being harvested in the northeast.  Onions have their place in so many recipes.  They contain fiber, folate, potassium as well as the flavonoid quercetin.  This is an important phytonutrient that helps eliminate free radicals that can contribute to aging process, cancer, heart disease and eye degeneration.   I’ve read that the quercetin absorbed from onions will stay in the body 24 hours.  What a great way to build up those antioxidants!

How to Buy

I love to buy my spring onions at the farmers markets but the local grocery stores usually carry them too.  You’ll want crisp color and texture with nice long stems.  You should be able to find them in green or purple and both are delicious.

How to Store

I like to keep my spring onions in the refrigerator, away from other fruits and vegetables, until I’m ready to use which should be within the week.  The closer you can eat your food from the time it was harvested the better it will taste.

Favorite Tip

If you’re looking for a really strong spring onion, look for ramps.  These are often hard to find but if you ever get the chance, grab some.

Last Week’s Favorite Links

Gluten Free Gidget shared  Indian Spiced Creamy Avocado Chickpeas 

Tessa the Domestic Diva shared Creamy Berry Smoothie

Gluten Free  Happy Tummy shared Vegan Chili Lime Tofu Stir Fry Pasta

Linking up Guidelines

• Share your own recipe using the Secret Ingredient. This must be your recipe, not copied from someone else.  If you were inspired by another recipe you MUST ALWAYS note that in your recipe.
• Link the URL of your Specific Individual Recipe Post,  NOT to your home page.
• Please link back to this post, not a static page so your readers can find the recipes here.
• When you link, please tell us what you’re sharing.
• This is a Gluten Free Resource so please make sure you share gluten free recipes.
• Recipes do not need to be brand new on your blog, just your own and contain the Secret Ingredient.
• There is no limit to how many times you can post on any given Secret Ingredient,  just Link Back.
• Please use the FFF icon in your post and feel free to add it to your sidebar!  Here’s the code:  <a href=”http://www.thewholegang.org/” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.thewholegang.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FFF-thewholegang.jpg” width=261 height=256 border=0></a>

Next Week’s Secret Ingredient for Friday Foodie Fix is … Blueberries!

Now it’s your turn to share your gluten free recipes with spring onions below.

Welcome back to our weekly event, Friday Foodie Fix.  This is where you link up your gluten free recipes each week that contain the Secret Ingredient!

You will also find each week there will be loads of information on that ingredient so even if you don’t have any recipes to share, you’ll gather some useful information.

Make sure you check back to see what recipes have been added.

To let everyone know where you are linking your recipes you can add the FFF badge into your post and on your sidebar.  Here is the code you can just copy and paste.

<a href=”http://www.thewholegang.org/” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.thewholegang.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FFF-thewholegang.jpg” width=261 height=256 border=0></a>

Simply Dressed Meatballs on bed of Spinach

Healthy Facts

Spinach is a power house of nutrients.  It is packed with Vitamin K, essential for blood clotting and bone health, and has been shown to help reduce inflammation. Not to mention spinach provides a good source of calcium and iron, beta carotene and potassium.  If you are looking to increase your Vitamin B6 and C as well as folate and magnesium this is a great option.   Keep in mind that your B6 and C vitamins are water soulable and cannot be stored in your body so you need to replenished daily and any excess would be simply flushed out.  Vitamin B6 helps maintain healthy brain function, normal nerve function, forming red blood cells, and breaking down and digesting proteins.

How to Buy

I love to pick up spinach at the farmers markets and buy from a local source.  With spinach the fresher the better as far as holding on to nutrients.  Look for bright green leaves without any slimy leaves or dark spots.  Spinach is also something you should buy organic.  It’s very high up on the Dirty Dozen list from the EWG which means it’s exposure and absorption of pesticides is high.  But I’d rather you eat conventionally grown produce is better than eating none at all.

How to Store

When you get home with your fresh spinach give it a nice cold bath, literally.  Fill a clean sink or bowl with cold water and toss in your spinach.  Give it a good spin around and then let it sit for a little bit so any grit can sink to the bottom of the bowl.  Take out the spinach and repeat until no grit is at the bottom of your bowl.   Once done wrap the leaves in a paper towel and put into a plastic bag to store in your refrigerator.  Now it’s ready when you want to nibble, cook or make that morning green juice or smoothie.

Favorite Tip

If you want your leaves crisp let them stay in the refrigerator after washing for an hour or two.  I love to add spinach to my juicer or smoothie but it’s great sauteed in scrambled eggs, stuffed inside a chicken breast and cut into ribbons or chiffanod and put on your pizza.

Last Week’s Favorite Links

Tess the Domestic Diva’s Homemade Fruit Cereal Bars

And Love it Too’s  Strawberry Coconut Butter

gluten free easily’s Gloris Fruit Easily

Did you vote for your favorites?  Each week check the recipes shared and click the Like button for your favs!

Linking up Guidelines

• Share your own recipe using the Secret Ingredient. This must be your recipe, not copied from someone else.  If you were inspired by another recipe you MUST ALWAYS note that in your recipe.
• Link the URL of your Specific Individual Recipe Post,  NOT to your home page.
• Please link back to this post, not a static page so your readers can find the recipes here.
• When you link, please tell us what you’re sharing.
• This is a Gluten Free Resource so please make sure you share gluten free recipes.
• Recipes do not need to be brand new on your blog, just your own and contain the Secret Ingredient.
• There is no limit to how many times you can post on any given Secret Ingredient,  just Link Back.
• Please use the FFF icon in your post and feel free to add it to your sidebar!  Here’s the code:  <a href=”http://www.thewholegang.org/” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.thewholegang.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FFF-thewholegang.jpg” width=261 height=256 border=0></a>

Next Week’s Secret Ingredient for Friday Foodie Fix is …… Spring Onions!

Now it’s your turn to share your gluten free recipes with spinach below.

Hi there, figured I’d introduce myself before launching into this review. I’m Andy, astute followers of the blog will know that I’m Diane’s son. What you probably don’t know is that I’ve just recently moved to San Francisco, and in a brilliant move to get the cost of my meals compensated by the blog, I’ll be popping in here and again to give some reviews of gluten-free restaurants and such around San Francisco. From a gluten-free perspective, I’m the only member of the family that’s not highly-sensitive to gluten. That said, I’ve spent the last five or so years eating gluten-free cuisine pretty regularly, and watching both my mother’s gluten-free cooking and commercial offerings improve tons over the course of that time.

If you’ve stayed with me this long, thank you! Here’s the review I promised. The weekend before last, I headed out to the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco to have a Gluten-Free brunch at the Farm Girl Foods pop-up. Farm Girl Foods appropriated the space normally occupied by Campanula, a bistro restaurant I’ve not yet had the chance to try. After running across the street to grab some cash from an ATM (Farm Girl was cash-only for this event) I got settled and perused the menu. As a vegetarian, it’s always nice to see multiple, well thought out veggie dishes. Farm Girl didn’t disappoint, with a third of the menu being vegetarian-friendly. Better yet, the whole of the menu was available gluten-free.

After a few difficult minutes spent attempting to decide between banana pancakes or the southern breakfast, I saw a plate full of eggs, biscuits, fried green tomatoes and grits on its way to another table. Problem solved. A short wait later, and I had a nicely plated bunch of brunch. Always somewhat skeptical of gluten-free flour mixes, I went straight for the biscuit. It didn’t disappoint! Gluten-free baking can occasionally be a bit dry and mealy but the biscuit from Farm Girl Foods was anything but, being as flaky and fluffy as almost any I’ve had, gluten-free or otherwise. The eggs were similarly well prepared, and like the rest of the meal, cooked in separate, gluten-free cookware.

I’ve been a huge fan of tomatoes for longer than I can remember, so the fried green tomatoes that were part of the meal get their own paragraph. Having made gluten-free fried green tomatoes myself, I know how difficult it can be to manage to make batter that holds to the tomato. After cutting into the first slice on my plate, I was happy to see that the breading didn’t slide off with my fork. The breading was well-spiced, crispy, and didn’t seem to steal any of the moisture from the tomato itself. All-in-all, these were fantastic fried green tomatoes, gluten-free or otherwise.

The last portion of the meal were the cheddar grits. This was the only bit that I felt was at all lacking. The grits themselves had the right texture, however, even with the inclusion of the cheddar cheese, they were a bit on the bland side. Grits are a pretty tough thing to get exactly right, and these were by no means bad. Nonetheless, they could have used just a bit more flavor in the way of either spices or a sharper cheddar.

As a whole, Farm Girl Foods put together a fantastic offering, and one which I’m disappointed I didn’t get to eat more of. In speaking with the owner, Vanessa Phillips, I learned that there are very tentative plans for a more permanent restaurant in the Bay Area. I’ve got my fingers crossed it happens soon.

So, Farm Girl Foods pop-up earns itself a 4.5/5 stars on my first review of Gluten Free in San Francisco!

Welcome back to our weekly event, Friday Foodie Fix.  This is where you link up your gluten free recipes each week that contain the Secret Ingredient!

You will also find each week there will be loads of information on that ingredient so even if you don’t have any recipes to share, you’ll gather some useful information.

Make sure you check back to see what recipes have been added.

This week’s secret ingredient is Strawberries.

Healthy Facts

packed with antioxidents that fight cancer, especially colon and cervical

have been used for antibacterial properties, help with disorders of the pancreas and spleen, a liver tonic and treat sore throats

contains flavonoids, a group of phytochemicals that can counter cell damage in teh body and potentially reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and aid memory and other brain function.

contains vitamins C, E and high in fiber

low in calories and sugar content

How to Buy

The fresher the berry the better.  This is one berry that you really want to make sure you buy ORGANIC!  Strawberries always rank high for pesticide residues and I doubt you really want to eat a mouth full of that.

How to Store

Don’t wash your berries until you are ready to use them.  When you do be very gentle and pat them dry.  Store them in the refrigerator but to get the best tasting flavor from them bring them to room temperature when you are ready to eat.

Favorite Tip

With farmers markets being open and tons of amazing strawberries around, buy some extra and freeze them.  Wash as noted, spread out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and place in freezer.  Once frozen transfer to a container or plastic bag and enjoy all year long.

Favorite Past Links

Strawberry Cobbler from gluten free easily

Strawberry Swirl Brownies from Good Life Eats

Homemade Strawberry Julius from Alisa Cooks

Linking up Guidelines

• Share your own recipe using the Secret Ingredient. This must be your recipe, not copied from someone else.  If you were inspired by another recipe you MUST ALWAYS note that in your recipe.
• Link the URL of your Specific Individual Recipe Post,  NOT to your home page.
• Please link back to this post, not a static page so your readers can find the recipes here.
• When you link, please tell us what you’re sharing.
• This is a Gluten Free Resource so please make sure you share gluten free recipes.
• Recipes do not need to be brand new on your blog, just your own and contain the Secret Ingredient.
• There is no limit to how many times you can post on any given Secret Ingredient,  just Link Back.
• Please use the FFF icon in your post and feel free to add it to your sidebar!  Here’s the code:  <a href=”http://www.thewholegang.org/” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.thewholegang.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FFF-thewholegang.jpg” width=261 height=256 border=0></a>

Next week’s gluten free recipes Secret Ingredient is …. SPINACH!

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “I’m in a food rut”.  What does that really mean?  Well the definition of a rut is a settled or established pattern, habit or course of action, especially a boring one.  You know  - the daily grind, same old stuff, the same meals over and over, yada yada yada.  Some folks find this really hard to avoid when they make the move to a gluten free diet.

So, if you’re in a food rut, how do you get out of it?  Well, the simplest answer is to eat something different.

Before you punch me for such a lame suggestion, I’m going to give you 5 tips on exactly how to do just that.

Use Real Food Ingredients

This is the number one most important tip for staying out of a food rut.  Use single ingredient foods, whole foods or real foods.  They are naturally gluten free, have no labels and are in the produce, meat and seafood sections of the grocery store.  If you keep making meals out of a box, you’ll keep making the same meal.  If you don’t believe me Google chicken recipes and you’ll get back 77,000,000 results.  They call for chicken not chicken in a box.

Using real food ingredients will save you lots of money.  You can purchase those organic meats on sale, in bulk and, for beef, choose those less expensive cuts that take longer to cook.  Pull out that crockpot and let it cook while you sleep.  Then portion out the meats, freeze what you’re not eating now and you’re ready to make a few of those millions of recipe results you just Googled.

Be Inspired

There are so many inspirational resources for recipes and ideas for your meals.  The list includes wonderful cookbooks, both gluten-free and not, along with websites, magazines and cooking shows.   You can even work with a health coach to both inspire and inform you.   Not a food magazine junkie? Then just take a look at the covers to see what the latest and greatest food trends are out there.  If you like what you see get the magazine and the recipe.  Learn how to substitute non-gluten-free ingredients with ones that fit your diet.  This way you can grab any recipe and start cooking!

Menu Planning

Get out of your rut by planning a weekly menu so you’ll have the ingredients on hand to make unique meals and know what you’re doing with them.  Without a plan, you’ll end up grabbing the same old thing, which you’re already bored with and tired of making.  It only takes 15 to 20 minutes it takes to plan out your week and another 15 to 20 minutes to plan out the whole month.  Use the resources mentioned above for creative ideas and recipes.  I like to start with an inventory of what I have on hand so I can build that into the menu and save money.  I often end up with more than a week’s worth of ideas.  Make a multi-week menu to keep those good ideas from going to waste.

Variety is the Spice of Life

If you’ve never compared ethnic recipes side by side you might be surprised to learn that there are common ingredients that span the world.  What changes are the spices and herbs used which changes the flavor profile of each dish.  For instance, let’s take a simple chicken stew.  You can make it Italian with tomatoes, Mexican with cilantro and green chilies, French with white wine, Indian with cardamom, turmeric and coconut milk, Moroccan with raisins, cinnamon and ginger, Greek with olives and so on.  So gather up your spices and travel the world on your dinner plate.  My two favorite sources for spices are Penzeys and The Spice House. As with any spice, you must make sure they are gluten-free.  These two companies will tell you which ones are not and which ones are gluten-free, as are most.

Menu Plans

If you have just plain run out of ideas and nothing is inspiring you then you can use a menu planning service or you can visit the many blogs that post weekly menu plans and use theirs.  For instance on my website you can search on Menu Plan Monday and find many weekly menus or Monthly Menu Plan and have your whole month planned out.  A few of my favorite sites sharing menus include Celiacs in the House, Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom, and Celiac Family.  If you use a menu planning service, you can have the menu plan, recipes and shopping list all created for you on a weekly basis.  If you are interested in this please contact me.

So, if you are in a food rut grab some new sources of inspiration, plan out your menu, shop for real food ingredients and spices and get cooking.  You can have a different meal every day of the year!

Now I’d like to hear from you!  

What food ruts do you find yourself falling into?  

What are your tips to avoid a gluten free food rut?

This year to celebrate National Celiac Awareness Month in May, the NFCA has rounded up 16 bloggers for a series chronicling every stage of the gluten-free journey, from Day 1 basics to advanced cooking and advocacy.  I am honored to be one of the 16 contributing.

In keeping with this year’s theme, Keep It Simple and Safe, each blogger is offering 5 key tips or lessons related to that day’s topic. The guest posts start tomorrow, April 30, so check their blog daily!

Weekly Focus

• Monday – Cooking/Baking Gluten-Free
• Tuesday – Nutrition/Wellness
• Wednesday – Raising a Gluten-Free Kid
• Thursday – Dining Out Gluten-Free
• Friday – NFCA Resources You Should Know About

Schedule and Guest Bloggers:

Week 1: Just Diagnosed (April 30-May 4)

• Anne Byrn of The Cake Mix Doctor – Reading labels and cooking with boxed mixes
• Shirley Braden of gluten free easily – Avoiding hidden gluten
• Kathleen Reale of Be Free for Me – Talking to your child about celiac disease
• Lisa Garza of Gluten Free Foodies – What questions to ask when dining out
• NFCA – Discover NFCA’s Getting Started Guide

Week 2: Getting the Hang of It (May 7-11)

• Shauna Ahern of Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef – How to cook and bake gluten-free from scratch
• Erin Elberson of Gluten-Free Fitness – Weight gain and gluten-free processed foods
• Heidi Kelly of Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom – Talking to family & friends about your child’s gluten-free needs
• Chandice Probst of Gluten-Free Frenzy – Trying new gluten-free dishes when dining out
• NFCA – Free Webinars: The easiest way to get new information

Week 3: Hitting a Roadblock (May 14-18)

• Diane Eblin of The WHOLE Gang – 5 tips to get out of a food rut (That’s me!)
• Alisa Fleming of Go Dairy Free  – First gluten-free, now lactose intolerant? 5 tips to becoming a dairy-free diva
• Wendy Kaho of Celiacs in the House – Gluten-free challenges at school
• Michael De Cicco-Butz of Gluten-Free Mike – Traveling while gluten-free
• NFCA – 5 resources to handle life’s hurdles

Week 4: What’s Next? (May 21-25)

• Amie Valpone of The Healthy Apple – Publishing your gluten-free recipes
• EA Stewart of The Spicy RD – Healthy gluten-free foods you’ve never heard of
• Katie Chalmers of G-Free Kid – 5 tips to empower gluten-free kids
• Carrie Forbes of Ginger Lemon Girl – Starting a gluten-free dining group
• NFCA – Ready to fundraise? Here’s how to start

Remember all of these posts will be on the NFCA’s blog, Celiac Central:  Bits and Bites.

For more Celiac Awareness Month  fun, including a chance to win a Gluten-Free Pantry Raid, visit CeliacCentral.org/awarenessmonth 

If you work in an office and you live gluten-free you will undoubtedly face a few challenges.  There are many things that people who eat gluten may never even think about and that you will need to master for gluten free eating.

It’s not impossible to eat safely at work and work events.  Think about all of the activities and locations of where food is served and eaten such as:

onsite corporate cafeterias

break rooms

hall kitchens

meetings and parties

desks

business lunches out

You’ll need strategies for each and you’ll want them before they happen.  There will always be co-workers who leave crumbs all over surfaces, eat at their desk, grab their gluten filled food and then offer you something that could be gluten-free but they’ve just contaminated it. Then they will try to persuade you into having just one bite because what harm could that do (A LOT).  The list goes on and on.  It seems that besides working, eating happens a lot at work.

Valerie from City Life Eats, a fellow food blogger who was also featured in the same Washingtonian article as me, lives gluten-free and goes to work everyday in Washington, DC.  Here is her advice.

It can be difficult to manage dietary restrictions with the demands on being a professional woman. When I learned I could not eat gluten, dairy, eggs and a host of other foods, I was concerned about how to manage these new restrictions, particularly with regards to my professional life as an attorney.  Over the years though, I have become adept at managing business lunches, conferences and other travel, as well as team meetings.  My colleagues have been very understanding and often ask me to suggest restaurants. I am also grateful that the office manager always makes sure I have a gluten-free vegan cupcake when cake or other treats are served, All that said, on a day to day basis, I usually bring my lunch (which can always be quickly stowed back into the office fridge if colleagues invite me to eat lunch out) and for over a year, I wrote a lunchbox series and developed some favorite combinations for quick lunches. I love kale salads, which hold up well to packing, as well as a variety of hummus and bean dips and quinoa-based dishes such as this one with peas and mushrooms.

To stay safe and be social here are 7 tips for safe gluten-free eating in the workplace:

Now I’d like to hear from you.  What tips do you have for staying safe and making working gluten-free easy?

Carol Kiniski has outdone herself this time for sure.  Her new cookbook, Simply . . . Gluten-free Quick Meals: More Than 100 Great-Tasting Recipes for Good Food Fast is brilliant.  The book is laid out by meal menus within the chapters so you don’t have to keep flipping through the book to make a meal.  There are chapters on Quick Mixes, Simple Suppers, Easy Entertaining, Get Up and Go, Pantry Raid, Slow Cooker and Quick-Cooking Strategies and ideas on stocking your pantry.  There are so many choices and of course you can mix and match.  The recipes are noted if they are Dairy-Free or Dairy-Free Adaptable and the same for Vegetarian and Vegan options.

Just last night we had her Almond-Crusted Chicken Piccata minus the parmesan for this dairy free gal.  The recipes range from Enchilada Lasagna to a Steakhouse Filet Mignon.  And of course there are desserts mixed in there like Mini Almond Orange Cakes which are delicious and a Blueberry Fool which will have you eating dessert in a snap of your fingers.

If you are looking for easy ways to have quick gluten-free meals that taste good and are easy to get on the table, then you’ll want to get your own copy of this book.  See below how you can win a copy.

This is Carol’s second book.  Her first book Simply . . . Gluten-free Desserts: 150 Delicious Recipes for Cupcakes, Cookies, Pies, and More Old and New Favorites is one to have on hand if you like desserts or making them for others.  The cupcakes are wonderful as well as her standard flour mixture.  These are two books you’ll want in your library.

But today I’m giving away her new book Simply . . . Gluten-free Quick Meals: More Than 100 Great-Tasting Recipes for Good Food Fast.

CONTEST IS CLOSED.

Here is how you can enter to win your own copy:

All submissions will be verified.

Contest ends on Sunday April 29th at noon ET.  Good luck to all.

For those who just can’t wait you can find the book in my Amazon store.

I’m curious with all of the options and so many foods available to us, what foods are you not eating?  Please take this one question poll and check off as many that apply to just you, not your whole family.

Thank you.  Now I’d love to know is this because you feel better eating this way, were you told to eat this way or is there another reason behind it.  Your input is appreciated so I can be sure to sort out my recipes according to your eating style and make it easy for you to find what you’re looking for.

Please feel free to share this poll.  I’d love to have as much input as possible.

There is a new book on the scene that will have your kids eating their vegetables called Eat Like a Dinosaur: Recipe & Guidebook for Gluten-free Kids.  This wonderful resource for parents is packed with over 100 recipes, a whole section that is a guide for parents full of tips and trick on how to approach diet change with your kids, projects for the family and a section on packing lunches.  The kids will also enjoy the story book included which is how this book found it’s title, Eat Like A Dinosaur.  In fact the whole book is illustrated with full color, bright fun layout enticing kids to get involved.  Each recipe gives the instructions plus how kids can help.

This book was written by The Paleo Parents, Stacy and Matthew along with the help of their boys Cole, Finian and Wesley.  You’ll want to make sure you read the beginning of this book and their personal story.  This typical family changed the way they eat and moved to a Paleo diet.  This means they cut out all grains, legumes, dairy products and refined sugars.  There have been many books written on this topic if you care to learn more but from what I’ve read none are as easily described and presented nor are they created with a family and kids in mind.

Make sure you peek at their before and after photos of the family.  Collectively they lost 200 pounds in less than fifteen months as well as transformed the health of everyone in the family.  In my opinion that is all the proof you need.  If you feel healthy, have energy, clarity and you are not swelling then it’s right for you.

In the beginning of the book you will also find the forward written by Elana Amsterdam from Elana’s Pantry and author of 2 of my favorite cookbooks using almond flour.   There are others who have written about this book too:  Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom, The Clothes Make The Girl, Eat the Cookie, Cave Girl Eats, and Gluten Free Goodness just to name a few.

Being this is a Paleo book you will not find any gluten or dairy which is perfect for me.  They also do not contain peanuts or soy.  Another bonus for our family.  But in addition to that there is an allergen guide in the back of the book that gives you information on which recipes either have or do not have fish, shellfish, tree nuts or eggs.  Of course if you don’t want to look up the chart in the back it’s noted on every recipe on the side bar with a creative picture representation that is super easy to glance at and know if that recipe has eggs, tree nuts, fish or shellfish.  Perfect for kids to see if that recipe is right for them too.

As for the recipes we’ve made a few and so far everything has been great.   We love full flavored foods in my house and these recipes are full of that. I think this recipe and guidebook is a great addition to your kitchen and I hope your book ends up looking like my copy, a little sticky, turned down corners, notes and a book used in the kitchen a lot!

If you really want to see what this book is like before you buy it then you much watch this video!

I am excited to share with you a wonderful new book and a guest post that I know will help so many people, The Blood Sugar Solution written by Dr. Mark Hyman.

There is so much wonderful information in this book including some great gluten-free recipes.  I really like how this book is broken down into easily digestible information on the problem and then a step by step guide to a solution.  But don’t just take my word for it, here is more outstanding praise for The Blood Sugar Solution:

“Dr. Hyman has done it again with a lucid description of the causes of the diabesity epidemic and a powerful treatment program.  The Blood Sugar Solution is a must-read for anyone anywhere on the spectrum between mild insulin resistance and full-blown Type-2 diabetes…a ground-breaking, science-based, easy-to-follow prescription.  Start your journey to healing now!” —Mehmet Oz, MD

“The Blood Sugar Solution is spot-on accurate. This is a blueprint for restoring the health of our nation!” —Christiane Northrup, MD, author of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause

“Are you desperate to feel better but don’t know where to begin? Has your doctor prescribed a quick fix pill, but no solid game plan? This is your lucky day. Dr. Mark Hyman’s revolutionary work has the power to radically transform and uplift your life. He is the shining, break-out voice of a new breed of functional medicine doctors who treat root causes rather than the symptoms. Let Mark be your guide and your teacher as you create a happy, healthy body filled with sustainable energy and balance. I can’t say enough about this brilliant pioneer, and once you read his book, I know you will agree.” —Kris Carr, author of Crazy Sexy Diet

Dr. Mark Hyman was co-medical director of Canyon Ranch for ten years, and is now the chairman of the Institute for Functional Medicine and founder and medical director of The UltraWellness Center. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Ultrametabolism, The The UltraMind Solution, and The UltraSimple Diet, and coauthor of Ultraprevention.

I’m sure by now you can’t wait to read what Dr. Hyman shares here.  Make sure you follow the links below to gather more information along with how to claim your free gifts from Dr. Hyman.   I’d also love to hear your feedback here in the comments section.

Diabesity – A Reversible Epidemic

by Mark Hyman, MD

What life threatening, life sapping, energy robbing condition affects one in every two Americans (that is EVERY OTHER person) including 80% of those overweight and up to 40% of normal weight people?  What condition is responsible for more deaths from heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and dementia than anything else?  What condition also causes acne, infertility, sexual dysfunction and depression?

What condition accounts for more then 70% of our $2.4 trillion annual health care bill and will account for most of the $47 trillion we will spend globally over the next 20 years to deal with chronic disease?  What is responsible for nearly twice as many deaths every year as infectious disease, even in the developing world?

And what condition is not even diagnosed in over 90% of those who suffer from it?

What condition are doctors not trained or reimbursed to diagnose, treat or prevent, yet makes up the majority of health care visits and costs?

And what condition is nearly 100% preventable, treatable and reversible?

Diabesity.

It is the single biggest health challenge facing us individually, as a nation and as a global community.

Diabesity is the continuum of metabolic disturbances from mild blood sugar and insulin imbalances to pre-diabetes to full blown type 2 diabetes.  It occurs in about 40% of people of normal weight – these are the skinny fat people who look thin but are metabolically fat and have all the same risk factors for disease and death as those who are overweight.  And it occurs in 80% of overweight people.

Since it affects every other American, watch this video to see if you have it.

The solution is not coming from our health care system or doctors, not from our government, or from most corporations.  There are too many people vested in maintaining the status quo or worse profiting from making us fat and sick.  We need a solution.

That is why I wrote, The Blood Sugar Solution.  It has a bold central goal: to address and begin to reverse a global epidemic. It is a personal guide and plan, as well as a program for helping people get healthy together, based on functional medicine, and it is a blueprint for us to take back our health as a society.

Obesity, pre-diabetes and diabetes or what I call diabesity, which now affects one in two Americans arises out of existing social, economic and political conditions. In fact obesity and diabetes are social diseases and need a social cure and collective action on many levels to reverse the tide.

Over 10 years, these conditions will cost America over $3.5 trillion in direct costs, not including lost productivity and the costs in quality of life.  From 1983 to 2008, worldwide diabetes rates increased seven fold from 35 million to 240 million. In just 3 years from 2008 to 2011, the roll call for diabetes increased another 110 million.

Children less than 10 years old now get type 2 (or adult onset) diabetes, and have strokes and heart attacks by age 15 or 20.  One in three children born today will have diabetes unless we do something differently.

I wrote The Blood Sugar Solution to tackle this problem head on.

It is a personal plan that breaks through myths about obesity and diabetes that keep us sick and fat. And lays out the seven key steps to preventing, treating and reversing diabesity by dealing with the underlying causes. It is an eight-week plan that takes you through step by step how to reboot your metabolism, lose weight, reverse type 2 diabetes.

It is a plan for us to be more successful by working together to get healthy.  We do twice as well and lose twice as much weight when we get support from others in community. We are better together.

We recently did a “beta test” of this program with about 150 people. Their results were astounding:

• The group lost a total of 1,536 pounds in just eight weeks. That’s an average weight loss of over ten pounds per person!
• More than half the group lost more than ten pounds. Some lost as much as 28 pounds.
• Average waist size decreased by 1.5 inches, and some people lost so much of their waist that they had to go out and buy new clothes. One woman lost eight inches from her waist. Imagine, eight inches in eight weeks. No medication can help you do that.

But The Blood Sugar Solution is about far more than weight loss; it’s about taking back your health and your life. People who completed the program reported an average reduction of 14 points on their systolic blood pressure, their fatigue evaporated and they had more energy than they had felt in years, their joint and muscle pain vanished; the program improved their mood and sleep, eliminated their brain fog, and a provided a deep sense of well being. The Blood Sugar Solution gave these people a new lease on life, here are a few of their stories.

The Blood Sugar Solution is a plan for each of us to take back our health as a society. Our health has been hijacked from us, taken from us slowly, quietly, over the past century. Our current food, social, family, school, work, faith-based, and community environments, health care institutions, and government policies make it hard for us to make healthy choices. We are presented with choices that foster bad habits. But together, getting and staying healthy is possible given the right information, tools, support, and collective action to take back our health.

Navigating the Terrain of Disease: Getting to the Root of the Problem

To effectively treat diabesity we must shift our focus away from the symptoms or risk factors of the disease and begin taking a hard look at the causes. All of our attention is on treatments that lower blood sugar (diabetes drugs and insulin), lower high blood pressure (anti-hypertensive drugs), improve cholesterol (statins), and thin the blood (aspirin). But we never ever ask the most important question:

Why is your blood sugar, blood pressure, or blood cholesterol too high and why is your blood too sticky and likely to clot?

Put another way: What are the root causes of diabesity?

Answering that question must be the focus of our diagnosis and treatment of the disease if we are going to solve this global epidemic.

The good news is that the answer is shockingly simple.

The Real Causes of Diabesity

The entire spectrum of diabesity including all of its complications—diabetes, elevated blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol—are simply downstream symptoms that result from problems with diet, lifestyle, and environmental toxins interacting with our unique genetic susceptibilities.

Those are the real causes of diabesity.

And the reason these dietary and lifestyle factors lead to diabesity is because they create a condition known as insulin resistance. Contrary to what most people think, type 2 diabetes is a disease of too much, not too little, insulin. Insulin is the real driver of problems with diabesity.

When your diet is full of empty calories and an abundance of quickly absorbed sugars, liquid calories,^[i] and carbohydrates (like bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes), your cells slowly become resistant to the effects of insulin and needs more and more to do the same job of keeping your blood sugar even. Thus you develop insulin resistance. A high insulin level is the first sign of a problem. The higher your insulin levels are, the worse your insulin resistance. Your body starts to age and deteriorate. In fact, insulin resistance is the single most important phenomenon that leads to rapid and premature aging and all its resultant diseases, including heart disease, stroke, dementia, and cancer.^[ii],[iii]

As your insulin levels increase it leads to an appetite that is out of control, increasing weight gain around the belly, more inflammation and oxidative stress, and myriad downstream effects including high blood pressure; high cholesterol; low HDL, high triglycerides;^[iv] weight gain around the middle; thickening of the blood; and increased risk of cancer, Alzheimer’s, and depression. These are all a result of insulin resistance and too much insulin. Elevated blood sugar is not the source of the problem.

And because insulin resistance (and diabesity) are a direct outcome of diet and lifestyle, the condition is 100 percent reversible in the vast majority of cases. Most people just need to eliminate the things that are sending their biology out of balance and include what’s needed to help the body rebalance itself. For most the interventions required are extremely simply and extraordinarily effective.

8 Steps to Reversing Diabesity

In my new book The Blood Sugar Solution I outline a comprehensive 8-week plan for overcoming diabesity in all its forms. Here is a sneak preview of the steps outlined in the book:

1. Get the right tests. Most doctors focus on fasting blood sugar. This is actually a poor indicator of diabesity. The best test to tease out the condition is an insulin response test where insulin levels are measured fasting and then 1 and 2 hours after a glucose drink. Demand this test from your doctor.
2. Get smart about nutrition. Despite the media hype and the seeming confusion amongst doctors, the basics of nutrition are extremely simply. Eliminate sugar and processed carbohydrates, include whole real foods like lean protein (chicken or fish), veggies, nuts, seeds, beans and whole grains.
3. Get the right supplements. There has recently been a frenzy of negative reports about supplements. Most of them are unfounded. Supplements are an essential part of treating diabesity. A good multivitamin, vitamin D, fish oil, and special blood sugar balancing nutrients like alpha lipoic acid, chromium polynicotinate, biotin, cinnamon, green tea catechins, and PGX (a super fiber) should also be included.
4. Get relaxed. Stress is a major unrecognized contributor to insulin resistance and blood sugar imbalance. Push your pause button every day with deep breathing, visualization, yoga, and other relaxation techniques.
5. Get moving. Aside from changing your diet, exercise is probably the single best medication for diabesity. Walk for at least 30 minutes every day. For some, 30-60 minutes of more vigorous aerobic exercise 4-6 times a week may be necessary.
6. Get clean and green. Environmental toxins also contribute to diabesity. Filter your water, look for green cleaning products, and avoid plastics when you can.
7. Get personal. While the steps above will address 80 percent of the problems with diabesity, some may need to take additional steps to optimize key areas of their biology. Remember, the medicine of the future is personal medicine. Seek out your own biological imbalances and look for ways to address them.
8. Get connected. Research is beginning to show that we get better more effectively when we get together. Invite your friends, families, and neighbors to change their diets and lifestyle along with you. Together we can all take back our health.

I hope that my book The Blood Sugar Solution will be the beginning of a larger transformation – for individuals, communities and for society.  In the book I outline all of the social, economic, biological, and medical underpinnings of this health epidemic and provide an 8-week, step-by-step system that will allow you to dig deep into your own biology and heal even the most severe cases of diabesity.

Get a book, get two and give one to someone you love  – you might be saving their life. When you purchase the book from this link you will automatically receive access to the following special bonuses:

• Special Report—Diabetes and Alzheimer’s: The Truth About “Type 3 Diabetes” and How You Can Avoid It.
• More Delicious Recipes: 15 Additional Ways to Make The Blood Sugar Solution as Tasty as It’s Healthy!
• Dr. Hyman’s UltraWellness Nutrition Coaching – FREE for 30 days!
• Hour 1 of The Blood Sugar Solution Workshop DVD

For more on diabesity, join us on www.drhyman.com

[i] Chen L, Appel LJ, Loria C, Lin PH, Champagne CM, Elmer PJ, Ard JD, Mitchell D, Batch BC, Svetkey LP, Caballero B. Reduction in consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with weight loss: the PREMIER trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 May;89(5):1299-306.

[ii] Bhashyam S, Parikh P, Bolukoglu H, Shannon AH, Porter JH, Shen YT, Shannon RP. Aging is associated with myocardial insulin resistance and mitochondrial dysfunction. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2007 Nov;293(5):H3063-71.

[iii] Ryan AS. Insulin resistance with aging: effects of diet and exercise. Sports Med. 2000 Nov;30(5):327-46. Review.

I want to wish you all a happy Valentine’s Day.  I think it’s probably the one day where more people will touch their food than just fork it.  On this day more people go to their kitchens and cook a meal for the one they love.

They are either preparing a special meal for themselves and maybe someone else too.  Maybe it includes chocolate and strawberries where you have to pick them up to eat or serve them.  Maybe you’re preparing a nice piece of fish with broiled asparagus or seafood ravioli with a lobster sauce (requested in my house).  Whatever it is, as long as you are starting with real food, single ingredient items, well you’ll be touching your food.  In the case of the strawberries also licking your fingers.

This my friends is a wonderful thing.  Get to know what you are eating.  How does it feel?  What does it smell like?  How is it best prepared?  This will go a long way to better health and a better relationship.  Think about it.  Would you be all excited if your special someone opened a frozen TV dinner and served that to you?  Even a box of takeout says you’re only eating because they deliver.  That does not say I love you.  Not to them or to yourself.

Now I’m sure some folks may take offense about this, but I have no problem telling you what I believe in my heart.  Get into the kitchen and touch your food.  Cook real food.  Food without labels. Not frozen meals unless they are your leftovers made into fast meals.   Try to get as much organic if you can but if you are picking and choosing, always check the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15 Lists from EWG.  These are foods that absorb the most toxins from pesticides or the least.  I really don’t think a plate full of pesticides says I love you either.

If you are looking for ideas for a holiday meal, visit my category, Holiday Menu.  If you’re looking to learn some new cooking skills or even how to prepare a specific recipe, check out Rouxbe cooking school videos online (affiliate).  More about this soon but just to let you know they are offering $100 off a year long plan for a full access pass.  If you still need a gift today check it out before midnight tonight.  Also check your local papers for cooking classes near you and go take one.  Grab that special someone and even do it together.

When buying meats look for grass fed beef, no antibiotics or hormones and with fish look for wild caught.  Just be careful of those trick words like Natural, it really doesn’t mean anything.  Look for locally grown or raised and support your neighbors.

Today, and hopefully for the rest of your life, please love yourself and those you feed with healthy foods.  Cook for them, taste how good these wonderful meals you make with fresh ingredients really are.   Touch your food and don’t just say fork it!

My gift to you today is a free lesson on How to Handle a Chef’s Knife.  This is key to getting into the kitchen and cooking.  Just click the video and enjoy!  Much love- Diane

Rouxbe Online Cooking School & Video Recipes

Where are you on the spectrum of vegetables?  I’m not talking color, we’ll get to that later.  What I mean is do you eat a lot of vegetables with every meal or do you get in some french fries or popcorn and you consider yourself having eaten vegetables?  You see it’s a very broad spectrum.

I started at the french fries and popcorn end around 10 years ago.  That first year I added in vegetables that made sense to me like green beans, a romaine salad and things like that.  And you know that was great.  It was a big step to even talk about vegetables in our house.  We just didn’t do it and my husband consistently told me he didn’t really like the few vegetables I did so I didn’t push.

I remember being told that if I wanted to be healthier I would need to eat more vegetables.  I really wanted to be healthier so figuring out how to incorporate those vegetables was an important step to take.  Now I’m sure some of you will think adding in green beans or a salad to a meal is nothing.  You may already do that and more.  But if I was ever going to get to the point of eating more vegetables I had to start somewhere.  You need that first step to get the the second step and so on.

Now along the great spectrum of eating vegetables I’ve come a long way over time, but  I still have a ways to go.  I do not eat vegetables consistently with every meal every day.  I get two out of three and I know I can do better.  But the more that I want that to be my goal, the more I find ways to incorporate or try new vegetables and plan them into my menu.

Here is an example.  Breakfast can be tricky sometimes to get away from just traditional breakfast potatoes.  It really depends on how much time I give myself and what ingredients I have on hand but more and more vegetables are showing up at breakfast.  Lately I’m totally stuck on Melissa’s (Gluten Free For Good) Heavy Metal Skillet Breakfast.  It tastes amazing and I can use whatever vegetables I have on hand plus the poached eggs on top.  It cooks in the oven so I can leave the kitchen and grab a quick shower or finish up a blog post for the first part of the recipe and then all hands on deck for the egg.  It’s a delicious way to eat vegetables in the morning.

So where are you on the spectrum of vegetables?  Don’t fret about it and don’t be ashamed of where you are.  I think too often we can be made to feel bad from others, or even ourselves and that is just not helpful.

Harrods Food Court - Which of these will you try next?

So celebrate where you are on the spectrum, set your sights on where you would like to be, and then take the next step.  Don’t jump 3 or 5 steps ahead.  That usually ends up like a game of Chutes and Ladders where you jump ahead and then slide way back.

Also, grab yourself a partner.  Enlist the help of your family as often they can be our crutch of giving up when they disagree.  But remember, we are all allowed to be at our own point.  So if one of your family members is behind you, don’t punish them for it.  Encourage them and then expose them to some new ideas of how to eat more vegetables.  If you’re looking for a partner, grab a health coach.

Find ways to add more vegetables into something you make on a regular basis.  For instance last night I made a different version of a chicken pot pie.  It was delicious and I’ll have to share the recipe.  But typically when I make something along those lines I get instructions from my husband on what vegetables not to add in.  Since he is working to move further along his spectrum of vegetables and he was out when I was cooking, I added a few more things besides carrots and onions.  I added green beans, peas, parsnips and broccoli florets along with the stalks (peel them first).  I didn’t use a crust of dough on top either, I just used a thinly sliced potato.  I then get the phrase I love to hear at the dinner table, better than I thought.

This same wonderful man has also gone from a 3-1 ratio of fruits to vegetables in his morning smoothies to a 2-1 or 1-1 depending on the morning.  That is a huge shift from a man who wouldn’t come near a green smoothie with a 10 foot pole.  It was gradual but it happened.

It didn’t happen over night and one shouldn’t expect to go from eating only french fries to eating 90% vegetables in a week either.  Take your time, add them in gradually and have fun.  By all means have lots of fun.  Try a new vegetable a week just to see how it tastes.  Sneak it into something that you find safe.  Poke around your favorite food blogs and cookbooks for ideas.  But keep this in mind.

Very important:  pay very close attention to the quality of your vegetable choices.

Yes this is the key ingredient for moving along that spectrum and one I hope you have heard before.  Find fresh, organic and local produce if you can.  Buy the best you can afford.  Pay attention to the Dirty Dozen list. Download it here if you don’t have it.  If you can’t afford organic potatoes or celery than buy a different vegetable.  They hold on to the chemicals around them and sprayed onto them.  But if you’re looking to try asparagus and you can’t get your hands on organic, go for local and fresh since this vegetable is on the Clean 15 list.  If you can’t remember the list, and for some reason I always forget a few, print out the pocket sized list or grab their free Apps so you can have it with you when you shop.

Once you start getting the high quality vegetables onto your fork with something new you are trying, well it will make all the difference in the world.   Your taste buds will be dancing up a storm.  Don’t forget the colors of the vegetable spectrum either.  Look at the color of vegetables you currently eat.  Are you missing one?  Are they more white and yellow?  Do you need some purple or orange into your spectrum?  Dr. Mark Hyman shares a list of foods by color to help you choose in his recent post, Eat Your Medicine.

What if it’s hard to get fresh vegetables where you live so you only eat canned vegetables?  Your next step might be to look for frozen vegetables.  Often if places sell canned they also sell frozen.  At some point you’ll be ready to take the next step to fresh and if you can’t find them you might decide to grow some yourself.  And then you may get your neighbors involved and then the next thing you know your community is growing their own vegetables and you have changed more than just your own eating habits.  Who knows where this will take you.  Nowhere unless you take your next step.

To help you think about what you might eat, here are a few recipe ideas from fellow gluten-free bloggers that you might want to try:  Celiacs In the House, Alisa Cooks,  Tasty Eats at Home, Cook It Allergy Free, and Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom, Daily Dietribe, Real Sustenance, Silvana’s Kitchen, gluten free easily  just to name a few.

Now I know there are a ton more ways to get vegetables into your day.  What are your tips for moving along the spectrum of vegetables?  Please share so we can have a wonderful list that just might help the person sitting across the table from you or your co-worker that you have lunch with.  Let’s help each other.

With the new year there is a lot of talk about what the food trends will be this year.  After looking through 20 lists I have a really long list.  Everyone has their own ideas and most are different from each other.  There are however some that come up on many lists.

But really what do these so called predicted trends mean to you and me?  If you look back on the trends from 2011 you can see many of them actually came to fruition.  Well in the overall scheme of things but maybe not in your house.

So here are some trends noted for this year.  Look it over and see which ones you think will actually happen in your life.  Are there some listed here that already are part of your life?

Let’s make our own list.  Please leave me a comment on what  YOUR food trends will be in 2012.

Salt way beyond table salt, more sea salts, grey, black, Himalayan

Gluten Free foods

Artisan Chocolates

Seaweed chips

Food Trucks

Peruvian, Moroccan, Jewish, Korean, Cuban and Global foods

Coconut Oil and Water

Comfort Foods

Specialty Meats

Exotic Fish

Frugality

Healthy

Exotic Herbs and Spices

Quinoa

Beans

Bitter Greens

Cooking with friends

DIY cooking kits

Funky Pizza

What’s on your Food Trend list for 2012?

You are going to love this.  You could be one of two winners of the Simple Salad prize pack just for sharing your Simple Salad Recipes.  The Marzetti company is giving away a prize packs valued at $50 each to two of my lucky readers.

What a great gift for you or someone you care about for the holidays!

You’ll receive this beautiful wooden salad bowl with wooden salad tongs that are super cool.  They are flat when closed but flip them around and they become tongs.  Love it.  Plus the bowl will have five free product coupons for Marzetti Simply Dressed Salad Dressings.

This giveaway is now closed.

Congratulations to the winners Julie and Maria V!

You will be contacted by Marzetti and they will ship your prizes directly to you.

Thank you to everyone who shared some great salad recipes!

So here is all you have to do to be entered:

1. Share your Simple Salad Recipe either in the comments section or using the linky.  Either way will work.  Any salad!

2.  Share this giveaway on twitter and then leave a comment here so you’ll have another entry.

3.  Share this giveaway on Facebook and then leave a comment here so you’ll have another entry.

4.  Sign up for my newsletter and leave a comment here so you’ll have another entry.

It’s just that Simple!

Don’t delay because this event closes on Friday December 16th at NOON EST.  Winners will be chosen using random.org and will be notified on Friday.  Also this giveaway is limited to US residents only.

Now if you are looking for a little inspiration you can check out my Individual Stacked Salad Recipes and see how I used these dressings to make a big hit at my Thanksgiving table.  If you have questions about the Marzetti Simply Dressed Salad Dressings you can read through my review to see which ones I liked the most.

Disclaimer:  “I was one of six bloggers selected by T. Marzetti Company to be a Simply Dressed Ambassador. They compensated for my time however, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.”

I’ve been saving this recipe for Gluten and Dairy Free Toffee  just for Home for the Holidays…Gluten-Free Style.  This is sure to be an amazing daily blogging event taking place from Monday, November 28 through Friday, December 23 and is being hosted by Shirley at gluten free easily. There are 25 bloggers sharing their stories and recipes for the holidays.  There is also a ginormous prize bin that will have you picking your chin up off the floor with almost 100 prizes.  There are  books … including cookbooks, resource books; iPhone apps; gluten-free magazine subscriptions; tools to help you know if a product is safe you to eat; and much more.  For all the information see the schedule and prizes at the end of this post and visit the gfe announcement.

These 3 books have been awarded and this giveaway is closed.  However there is a new drawing every day so make sure you check out the schedule so you know where to show up!

Today we will have 3 prizes to enter to win on this blog.  You have until 10 pm EST on Wednesday November 30th to enter to win one of these three prizes:

The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook from Elana’s Pantry.

Gluten-Free in 5 Minutes by Robin Ryberg

The Steamy Kitchen by Jaden Hair (not a 100% gf cookbook but many naturally or adaptable recipes)

Winners will be announced weekly on gfe.  Comments on this blog post will close at 10 pm on Wednesday November 30th.

To be entered to win, leave a comment on this blog post.

If you would like a few more entries or chances to win, here are some ways.  Just remember if you do any of these leave a comment here letting me know each one you did.  Don’t leave one comment with a summary.  Each comment here counts as an entry to win today’s prizes and to be entered into the drawing for the grand prizes.  You can:

Sign up for my newsletter

Sign up to receive my recipes by email

Like The WHOLE Gang on Facebook

Share this recipe on Pinterest  Use the Pin it button at top of post.

Sign up for recipes from gluten free easily

Like gfe on Facebook

TWEET this event using buttons at top.

Like this post on Facebook using buttons at top.

Google+ it using buttons at top.

Share it on LinkedIn using buttons at top.

Now remember there are tons of prizes and even multiple copies so if you don’t win here there will be a new giveaway every day until December 23rd.  Oh and here is the best part.  Every daily entry makes you eligible for the final giveaway, so the more blogs you visit and more entries you offer, the more your odds of winning the grand prize, second prize, or third prize will increase.  Winners of the daily giveaways will be announced weekly on gluten free easily, along with the final announcement sharing the final week’s winners as well as the grand prize, second place, and third place winners.

Grand Prize, Second Prize, and Third Prize (remember … all of your entries throughout this event are eligible for this final giveaway) 

Grand Prize–A top-of–the-line Vitamix—woohoooo! Specifically, Vitamix is offering its Super Healthy Lifestyle package, which includes a 5200 machine and a 32 oz. dry grains container for grinding your own, gluten-free flours. (affiliate link) Note that on Cyber Monday (11/28), Vitamix will be offering this package at $499 as part of its holiday special; that’s $50 off the normal price. The winner will also receive a copy of the e-book, Eat Fresh and D-Tox Your Life. This e-book is the perfect companion for this amazing Vitamix; read more here.  

Second Prize—A $150 shopping spree at Free From Gluten(freefromgluten.com). Free From Gluten is the largest gluten-free store offering everything from basic products like gluten-free flours and xanthan gum to those niceties like Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (hey, some would say those are essentials!) and special products like baguettes and ice cream cones. Take a moment to check out their site … I’ll wait … (tick, tick, tick, tick) … now wouldn’t it be fun to spend $150 at their site? 

Third Prize—Caveman Cookies giveaway package ($89 value). 

One large bag of each of the current three flavors , Original, Tropical, and Alpine($28.95 value) plus one large bag of the soon-to-be released new flavor, Rainforest ($9.95 value; will be shipped as soon as available; anticipated end of Dec); 1 large variety pack ($32.50 value), and 1 t-shirt ($17.50 value; your size, your color). 

Gluten and Dairy Free Toffee

Oh you’re going to like this one for sure but be warned you’ll be seeking the Toffee Anonymous support group.  Once you start eating this it’s hard to stop.  I made a batch and my family ate it all in just a couple of days.  I then made a batch and shared it with a group of gluten free gals and they ate it all in one day!  This will make great gifts for your family, friends, neighbors and even teachers.

Ever since I was a kid I can remember making food gifts for family, neighbors, teachers and other service workers to thank them.  We also would make extra to have around for guests that visited.  My mother and I would make pressed cookies that we would decorate with colored sugar.  I’d make chocolate chip cookies and she would make her famous brownies or 1,2,3,4 Cake.  We would hand them out and everyone was always happy to get a food gift.  The best gift of all was getting to be in the kitchen with my mom.   There is no greater gift that you can give your children than to bring them into the kitchen and teach them how to cook and bake for themselves and others.

I hope you will enjoy making this toffee as much as you do eating it and sharing it.  Grab some family members to help you in the kitchen and make a list of who you want to share this toffee with for the holidays.

If you are already a toffee fan than you know this recipe follows the basics set out some time ago and I’m not sure who to give the credit to.  Toffee using crackers is an old trick that I’ve put a spin on by using gluten free crackers and keeping it dairy free.

You may have noticed that my recipe has a little button Save Recipe.  This is a cool new system to keep track of the recipes you like in your own personal recipe box.  It will also make a shopping list from the recipes you save.  There are only a few of these on my site but I promise to start working on adding it to past recipes.  No more trying to remember where you saw that recipe you liked.  Enjoy!

If you are interested in the type of crackers I used they were from Natural Nectar and can be purchased at Whole Foods or through my affiliate link to Amazon where they sell them as a 12 pack, great if you are making gifts.

I wish you all the happiest of days during this holiday season.

Home for the Holidays Gluten-Free Style has begun and now it’s your turn to jump in.  Good luck and enjoy all of these amazing bloggers and fantastic prizes.

Here’s a complete listing of all the excellent bloggers participating followed by the list of prizes being given away.

I love a good tip to make my time in the kitchen to be more productive, easier and tastier.  A few years ago I created a weekend series of kitchen tips.  Here I’ve compiled all of those tips in one place.  Some are quick videos, some include things you can download and use in your kitchen.  If you count there are only 18 listed and I promised 20.  So here are your first two tips:

1. When the seasons change so does the foods available and usually what we eat.  This also requires different kitchen tools and equipment.  Take this time now that we have moved well into fall and sort through your kitchen.   Clear out your pantry, countertops, refrigerator tops, kitchen drawers and cabinets.  Wherever you keep your tools and equipment and get rid of anything you have not used in years.  It’s doubtful you will.  Make sure things like roasting pans and soup pots are close by so you can roast up those root vegetables or toss them into the soup pot.

2. This is also the time to make sure you have everything you need for your holiday cooking.  Don’t wait until Thanksgiving morning.  Are you trying a new recipe that will require a new tool?  If so go looking for it now.  What tools make your job easier for Thanksgiving?

If you have a question or area you would like a good kitchen tip about, please ask and if I don’t know I’ll find someone who does!

Weekend Kitchen Tip- More Gluten Free Blogs

Weekend Kitchen Tip – Flour and Pie Crusts

Weekend Kitchen Tip – Writing Tip for Food Bloggers

Weekend Kitchen Tip – Wine Glasses

Weekend Kitchen Tip – Storing Gluten Free Flours

Weekend Kitchen Tip – Stock or Broth

Weekend Kitchen Tip – Save Your Back

Weekend Kitchen Tip – Organizing a Kitchen

Weekend Kitchen Tip – How to Cook Your Thanksgiving Meal Without Going Crazy

Weekend Kitchen Tip – Gluten Free Easily

Weekend Kitchen Tip – Ginger

Weekend Kitchen Tip – Getting Garlic Off Your Hands

Weekend Kitchen Tip – Frozen Spinach

Weekend Kitchen Tip – FoodBlogga on Tomatoes

Weekend Kitchen Tip – Extra Basil

Weekend Kitchen Tip – Deglazing with Claire Vanderhoof and Calphalon

Weekend Kitchen Tip – Crockpot Cooking

Weekend Kitchen Tip – Bag It

Do you have guests with different food allergies or intolerances in your family?  Maybe they just don’t like the same ingredients in their salad?  It’s Thanksgiving and they’re all coming to your house for dinner, so what’s a host to do?

Individual Stacked Salads, of course!

The beauty of these salads is you can make them the day before, cover and store them in the refrigerator and bring the salads out as you sit down to your meal.  How great is that?!?  Salads are always the last thing you’re thinking about and they can sometimes get left off until dinner is almost over and then you jump up and run to get them.  Oh wait, that’s me.  You can also make these salads the same day and let those who want to help in the kitchen keep busy.  You can even have everyone make their own if they are feeling creative.  Simply set out the ingredients, including your dressings, and let them build their own.

Let your creativity out and build your favorite salads in a glass.  Add in what you like, remove what you don’t like or can’t eat.  Mix and match ingredients and you could have a different salad almost everyday, not just holidays.

My salads here are made using the Simply Dressed Salad Dressings from Marzetti.  I had a lot of fun creating these salads and having the dressings all ready to go was great.  These are sweet and tasty dressings that are gluten free and some are dairy free too.  You can read my recent review of their products.

Serve your salads on a plate.  When ready to eat, place the plate on top of the salad, hold tight, and then flip it over.  Slowly and gently pull the glass up and your salad will be completely dressed on your plate.  This is not something I would let your younger  or older guests attempt on their own.  You can even do this yourself and serve them on the plate ready to eat.

Here is the formula to follow for your Individual Stacked Salads.

First you want to prepare all of the ingredients you’ll layer in the glasses.  When you assemble them you’ll want everything at your fingertips.  I LOVE my Spiral Vegetable Slicer  (affiliate link).  It makes any vegetable look appealing even to those who say they don’t like vegetables.    (affiliate link).  It makes any vegetable look appealing even to those who say they don’t like vegetables.  

Grab a short tumbler glass with straight sides. I bought my glasses at Pier One Imports.  Add your dressing first, about 1 – 2 TB.  I used 2 TB, the serving size on the Simply Dressed Salad Dressing labels.

The next layer is something that can sit in the dressing without absorbing it all or making it wilt if you are making these the day before.  Tomatoes, onions, olives, peppers, carrots and such.

Then layer away.  Think about how the layers will look next to each other.  Color and textures are key.

Make sure you lightly press these layers into place so you can keep it compact.  This will also help if you want to have the salad hold this shape when you flip it.  I don’t care either way, stacked on the plate or scattered to fill the plate, it all tastes great.

Oh and here is the best part, there is no wrong way to layer these salads.

You can also use this method with just about any salad recipe you have.  Take the list of ingredients and layer them instead of adding them to a bowl and mixing.  Here are a few salad ideas to choose from to get you started:

Chopped Salad

Pineapple, Bacon and Arugula

Vegan Slow Roasted Tomato and White Bean Salad

Grilled Jicama Bean Salad

Deadly Serious Beet and Spinach Salad

Chinese Chicken Salad

Vegan Jicama Salad

A Little Crunch of Cabbage 

Golden Beet, Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad

Arugula, Pear and Pomegranate Salad

Here are some of the stacked salads that I’ll be serving to my family:

Pictured here:

Simply Dressed Balsamic Salad Dressing with tomatoes, red onions, fennel, red peppers, spinach and beets.

Simply Dressed Ranch Salad Dressing with tomatoes, zucchini, red onions, cucumbers, mushrooms, hard boiled egg, romaine lettuce and carrots.

Simply Dressed Pomegranate Salad Dressing with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, carrots, romaine lettuce and golden beets.

Other ideas:

Simply Dressed Champagne Salad Dressing with tomatoes, red onion, fennel, bacon, and romaine.

Simply Dressed Strawberry Poppyseed Salad Dressing with tomatoes, onions, spinach, almonds, dried cranberries and mushrooms.

Simply Dressed Caesar Salad Dressing with romaine, onions, cheese, kale, and jicama.

Simply Dressed Greek Feta Salad Dressing with tomatoes, olives, red onions, cucumber, green peppers, parsley and feta cheese.

Disclaimer:  “I was one of six bloggers selected by T. Marzetti Company to be a Simply Dressed Ambassador. They compensated me for my time, however, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.”

And now it’s your turn.  Here is your virtual salad bar.  Let me know what combinations you choose for your Individual Stacked Salads.

Leafy Greens

Vegetables

Protein

Fruit

Crunchy

Herbs and Starch

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Now you know me, I like to make just about everything myself.  However there are also products I liked to have on hand.  I have some sauces, ketchups, mustards, mayonaise and things like that.  They come in handy even though I make many of these items from scratch too.  I used to have salad dressings in my refrigerator too but I’ve not found many gluten free ones that I liked.

I had just found the Simply Dressed Salad Dressings from Marzetti literally the week before they contacted me to review their products.  I liked the fact I could read the ingredients and knew what they were.   You  can find these dressings in the refrigerated sections because they are not full of preservatives that keep dressings shelf stable.  I told them I was just about to try these products and if I liked them I would share my experience.  I warned them I’m very opinionated and tell it like I see it and they still agreed.

So here is the disclaimer:  “I was one of six bloggers selected by T. Marzetti Company to be a Simply Dressed Ambassador. They compensated for my time however, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.”

Many of these dressings are gluten free but not all of them so you need to do a little research.  When looking at the products online, look for this marking:   Gluten Free

Or you can use this list I’ve created here for their Simply Dressed line.  I would recommend to the company that they just go ahead and mark the jars gluten free so when shopping we know which ones to buy.  It was however great to be able to get so much information on their website.  Some of their dressings have dairy in them so I’ve not tasted those dressings.  If you have please let me know about your experience.

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Potato ricer

With Thanksgiving coming in just three short weeks, I’ve started working on my attack plan.  I do this every year.  Read here my plan from a couple of years ago.  I also have a blank planner tool you can also download and use yourself.  It says Thanksgiving Planner 2009 but you can just cross that off and write in 2011 if it bothers you.

Oh and before I forget if you are looking for my list of gluten and dairy free Thanksgiving recipes, go to my new Recipe page (see menu bar at the top of any page) where you’ll find those and a listing of many more of the over 400 recipes on this blog.  We’re adding more every day.

So what tools do you need around to make your Thanksgiving day easier?  I tossed that question up on Facebook and got some great answers.

Thanksgiving Tools to Make the Job Easier

Kim from Cook It Allergy Free listed a potato ricer, my Roasting Pan, my Baster, and my pretty casserole dishes!

Nooshin from For the Love of Food said a foot massager- for after standing up on my feet cooking all day!

Wendy from Celiacs in the House said  I bought some of those big turkey lifting forks and have used them for roasted chickens all year. They take away the danger and thrills of dropping those birds when lifting with tongs and forks or whatever we have on hand to transfer from pan to platter.

These are all great ideas. Let me add a few of my own.

A great butcher who will Spatchcock my turkey for me and then a big jelly roll pan to lay it flat on and cook it in 70 minutes!

A cooking thermometer that lets me know when that pretty bird is done cooking.

A very sharp knife to carve up the cooked bird which is so easy when you spatchcock it.

My trusty container of Kitchen Basics Turkey Stock to add to the pan drippings for a delicious gravy.

I too must have a potato ricer as it makes the most amazing mashed potatoes.

My double ovens so I can have the pies and stuffing cooking while the turkey roasts.

Tripple crockpot server to keep side dishes warm while I work on some of the others so dinner is not cold in spots.

People (especially those shown here)  to eat all of this food, a fire in the fireplace and the TV on all 3 NFL football games!  Pin It

my two boys and my parents

One cold January, 20+ bloggers came together for 31 days to share 31 nourishing and detoxifying smoothie, juice, and soup recipes. The blogosphere buzzed with great new ways of upping the intake of fruit and vegetables to start the year off right.  I tried many of those recipes and let me tell you they are good!

Gfree Mom’s January D-tox event was so well received that these 20+ bloggers decided to write and publish an e-cookbook—capturing these fantastic recipes, tips and tricks in one place.

And so without further ado, we announce the release of Eat Fresh and D-Tox Your Life: A Collection of Smoothies, Juices, Soups and Tips for the Whole Family. Not only will this book provide you with inspiration to increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, but it also benefits others. All proceeds from this e-book go directly to MitoAction.

MitoAction and Their Mission.

MitoAction is a Boston-based nonprofit helping children and adults with mitochondrial disease navigate the complex journey of managing the disease. MitoAction’s mission is to improve the quality of life for everyone affected by mitochondrial disease through support, education, outreach, and advocacy initiatives. You may read more about MitoAction here.

What is Mitochondrial Disease?

Mitochondrial disease is a genetic, neurodegenerative disorder that occurs when the mitochondria fail to produce enough energy for cell or organ function. More common than cystic fibrosis, mitochondrial disease can develop in both children and adults and is often misdiagnosed. Mito symptoms are varied and progressive, and can include stroke, muscle pain, extreme fatigue, and organ failure. Mitochondrial disease is related to many other conditions, including autism, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.

Download Your e-Cookbook Today!

To download your PDF e-cookbook Eat Fresh and D-Tox Your Life and support the efforts of MitoAction, click here. In this e-cookbook you will find:

> Tips like “How to Hide Greens” & “Smoothies and the Color Wheel”
> 9 Kid-Friendly and Beginner Smoothie Recipes
> 19 “Now I’m Feeling Braver” Smoothie and Juice Recipes
> A handful of soups, Detox Tips and More!
> Personal stories from, and hyperlinks, to each blogger’s website
> $10 suggested donation. Click Here to download.

A Dedication.

This is Gwen.

Diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease, Gwen was not able to eat and had to receive IV nutrition. She has spent as much of her young life in the hospital as out, and was the recipient of a multi-organ transplant, which included a new stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas, and spleen.

Today, as always, she and her family are fighting to help her live a healthy life and allow her to do as many of the things young kids like to do as possible. Recently, Gwen was to be able to savor a bite of banana! As food bloggers, we live and breathe food, so we’d like to dedicate this book to Gwen.

Join the Effort.

If you would like to promote and sell this e-cookbook on your site, please feel free to do so. Use the content of this post freely (copy and images) and grab the badge below and link it to this url. And THANK YOU for your support!

So what happens when you put over 3,500 health coaches together in one room?  There is so much energy and love that you can feel it in the air.  We put on crazy costumes, danced around, learned a lot, shared a lot and I have the video to prove it.

My weekend in New York City at the Integrative Nutrition Fall conference was amazing.  I got to meet so many great health coaches from all over the world and ranging in ages from 18-80.  How about that?  I hope when I’m 80 I’m still learning something new and teaching every day too.

Here is one of the coolest things about this conference; it was totally free.  Yep, I did not pay one penny for this conference.  Well I paid for my hotel room and train ticket but I traveled from home.  There were eight Internationally-Acclaimed speakers who inspired and informed me over the two day conference.

I rode the train up early Saturday morning and arrived at Penn Station which is only a few blocks from the Jacob Javits Center.  You would think having lived there I would have remembered that a NYC block is not the same as a block in other cities.  It’s like twice as long and not a good idea for me in my wedges.  I was really glad I had met up with fellow student Patty and we walked together.  Once we arrived we realized we were at the world’s largest health coach conference.

Both days were jam packed with great speakers.  Joshua Rosenthal, the founder of the school, started the day off with a bang.  He started this school 20 years ago and now there are students from all 50 states and over 80 countries.  It’s the world’s largest nutrition school.  I hope you will take the time to read through all the amazing people I learned from just at this conference and make sure you WATCH the video.

If you find yourself wishing you had been there feel free to contact me or the school for more information.  Mention my name and you’ll find out about a special that ends on September 29th.

by Francesco Sapienza

We then heard from Pierre Dukan who wrote The Dukan Diet: 2 Steps to Lose the Weight, 2 Steps to Keep It Off Forever.  He was interesting to listen to with his thick French accent.  He shared the principles behind his wildly popular diet book.  It became a smash hit after Catherine Middleton, now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, mentioned it was the secret to her weight loss.

by Francesco Sapienza

Next we heard from Sally Fallon Morell, author of Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats.  Sally shared information on the sad state of most school lunches and the bad information that underlies their policies.  Sally is a big part of the Weston A. Price Foundation.  They offer a lot of free information and when you become a member you receive an amazing quarterly publication which is full of nutritional information.  You can grab their Healthy 4 Life pdf and order their brochures on topics like soy, transfats, cholesterol, raw milk and cod liver oil from their website.

Joe Kraus made an appearance sharing his movie Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.  You can watch the trailer on his site.  He ate nothing but green juice from fruits and vegetables for 60 days to reverse some serious health issues.

Dr. Joel Furhman joined us and talked about Super Immunity: The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body’s Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger, and Disease Free.  He coined the phrase Nutritarian, a person who strives for more micronutrients per calorie.

Diane, Kelly, Sarah

That evening I went out with fellow student and gluten free blogger Kelly Courson from Celiac Chicks to an Italian restaurant she recommended.  Pala Pizza on the Lower East Side has great gluten free options.  I ended up getting both dinner and some lunch for the next day.  The gluten and dairy free pizza was great and so was the pasta dish I had.  I love that they have a dedicated oven just for the gluten-free pizza.

Dr. David Katz kicked off day 2 of the conference.  Dr. Katz has done a lot in the space of educating kids how to read labels and become aware of what they are eating.  His Nutrition Detectives can be obtained for free and other free programs that you can download for your school.  ABC for Fitness helps teachers work physical activity right into the daily lesson giving kids a total of 30 minutes of exercise a day instead of just being stationary.  He is also part of a group that has created NuVal the nutritional scoring system that you can find in many grocery stores.  The closer the score is to 100 the more nutrient dense the food. You can check here to see what stores are using this system and take the quiz on nutrition by the numbers.

Next up was one of my favorites Dr. Mark Hyman, Chairman for the Institute for Functional Medicine, who talked about Diabesity.  Yes that is the combo of Diabetes and Obesity.  He shared lots of data starting with the change in obesity levels in our country.  In 1990 when there was information from almost all of the states, there was less than 10-14% obesity rates among the population.  By the year 2000 there was only one state left with that rate, Colorado.  In the year 2010 the lowest rate was 20-24% of which there were 15 states and Colorado was still one of them.   There were 25 states at the rate of 25-29% and 13 states at 30% and above.  In 20 short years the rate of obesity all across the country is increasing at an alarming rate along with children being diagnosed with diabetes.  You know, what we used to call Adult onset diabetes.  I’ve already pre-ordered his new book coming out next year, The Blood Sugar Solution: The UltraHealthy Program for Losing Weight, Preventing Disease, and Feeling Great Now!

We then learned from the one and only, Deepak Chopra.  He shared many wonderful things.  He started with leaders and leadership.  He said, “A leader is the symbolic soul of a group consciousness.”  Then he went on to explain that and give us many great tools from his book, Soul of a Leader.  He also shared important questions to ask yourself before you meditate.  Questions like who am I, what do I want, what is a peak experience for me, and many more.  I have pages and pages of amazing notes from his lecture.

We then got to do something really fun, Masala Bhangra with Sarina Jain.  It’s a really fun workout that incorporates the folk dance moves of Bhangra and also Bollywood.  We all had so much fun.  I’ve ordered her videos and can’t wait to get started.  There are classes that can be found around the US but none near me.

Robert Notter, who is a health coach and a coach to health coaches, also spoke sharing more of his wisdom.  I enjoy his lectures on how to run a business and I’m actually part of his group coaching program to learn even more.  I’m headed back to NYC in November to attend his Success From Within live weekend event.

Kathy Freston closed out the guest speakers.  Her latest book is Veganist: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World.

I know this is a much longer post than I usually share but as you can see it was so packed that I wanted to make sure I gave you a taste of the event.  I can’t wait for the next one!

photo by Eva Abreu

I’m very excited to be heading back to New York City for a Health Coach Conference from my school, Integrative Nutrition.  There are so many amazing speakers lined up.  Depak Chopra, Sally Fallon Morell, Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. David Katz, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Pierre Dukan, Joshua Rosenthal, and Robert Notter.

It will be great to learn more from these instructors in person.  I listen to their lectures each week on my IIN iPod.  I think what I’m most excited about however, is meeting my fellow students who I’ve been chatting with virtually.  I’m also getting to meet someone who’s blog I’ve read ever since I found out I had to live gluten free.  Kelly Courson from Celiac Chicks has been wonderful to learn from and get to know virtually.

It will also be fun to be back in New York City.  I’ll be gone in a blink of an eye but it will be exciting as always to be there.  My last trip there was a few months ago and was even shorter.  I had won a trip to attend the NYC Premier of the last Harry Potter movie.

This time I’ll get to eat a few meals in the city.  I’m headed out to a cool restaurant for a gluten and dairy free Italian dinner.  When I get back I’ll let you know all about it.  Bernice from Wheatless and Meatless shared a few ideas for gluten and dairy free meals near the conference.  I can’t wait to give them a try too.  Ellen from Gluten Free Diva and a fellow student, suggested Friedman’s in the Chelsea Market as a place to eat.  I wish I had time to get there for lunch.  That would be exciting.

I hope you have a great weekend and if there is anything you want me to find out from a huge room full of fellow health coaches and amazing minds listed above, let me know.

I love cupcakes but then again who doesn’t!  Today as we celebrate Celiac Awareness Day, I’d like to make sure you can make yourself some amazing cupcakes.  This summer I made many of these wonderful recipes from Elana Amsterdam’s Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made with Almond and Coconut Flour cookbook.  There are so many great recipes in here it’s hard to choose, so just make them all.

One of our favorites that I make often are the Banana Cupcakes.  It seems I always have a couple of bananas that get just a little too ripe so I keep the dry part of this mix in little bags in my refrigerator.   This way I can mix up a batch fast in the morning to serve for breakfast.  I however really enjoy sitting down with my banana cupcake and a cup of chai tea.

I of course had to make chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing.  My absolute favorites. These of course did not last very long in this house.  I heard lots of interesting excuses for eating more than one.  Like “Hmmm, I ate it so fast I forgot to give you any feedback on the cupcake.  I’ll have another one and eat it much slower and describe what I like.”

Like Elana’s first cookbook, The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook, the recipes have a short list of ingredients and are fast to pull together.  However, most importantly to our house, they taste great.

These two cookbooks are must haves for any kitchen, but especially if your’s is a gluten free one.

I have met the most amazing people all because I started writing a food blog to remember the recipes and resource I found to live gluten free.  I’ve met people in the comment section on this blog, on Facebook, on twitter, at Food Blogging Conferences, in the grocery store, at my school IIN, and through other food bloggers.  I find there are many people out there as passionate about food as I am and we have formed a strong bond.  It’s so strong that when one of us hurts, we all hurt.  We are all hurting very deeply.

For the past few weeks I’ve been reading all the wonderful posts about Jennie and the love of her life Mikey.  Mikey died suddenly of a heart attack at age 51 on August 7th.  My heart just breaks for Jennie and her two little girls ages 3 and 8.  For those who have not met Jennie Perillo, she writes a food blog, In Jennie’s Kitchen.  I’ve met Jennie at a few food blogging conferences and she was always so nice.  She sat in on many panels I attended and always had great advice and information to share.

She like so many in the food world, give.  They give a part of their soul to you when they share the food they create and the stories they share.

As you can imagine, Jennie is overwhelmed not only by her grief, and the sudden responsibility of raising two children by herself, but she is also struggling with this financially. She just learned that she cannot collect widow’s benefits from Social Security because she earns too much money each year. The health insurance for her and her kids runs out in December and she just learned that the total she will have to pay will be more than her mortgage. It’s possible she’ll have to pay off the entire mortgage in one lump sum because the apartment was in his name alone. And more than anything, Mikey wanted Jennie to continue living her dream of being a food writer. And he wanted to make sure his kids were taken care of well. That’s why he worked as hard as he did. So I want to help. And I hope you want to help too.

Please do whatever you feel works for you.  This is about giving love and help and I would not want you to think this should be given out of guilt or for any other reason.  If you can donate $5, $50, $500, $5,000 or any amount is helpful.

I’m sharing just a few ways you can help.

1. Donate through this link

2. Bid on this auction

3. Create your own auction, contact Shauna Ahern at Gluten Free Girl and the Chef

If you would like to donate to A Fund for Jennie, please click on this Bloggers Without Borders button. It will take you straight to the PayPal account.  All the money donated for Jennie will go through Blogger Without Borders, a non-profit organization created by Maggy and Erika to be a conduit for the good efforts and well wishes of this food blogging community to do something.  

How about an Auction!

I have gone shopping and bought all of my kitchen favorites.  I’ve put them together in this amazing set and I’m auctioning it off here.  To keep it simple you can bid on this by leaving your bid in the comment section.  This auction will close on Friday September 9th at 11:00pm EST.  I will ship all of this to the winner and if you want to split the shipping costs with me that would be great.  The bidding will open at $300.

This Dream Kitchen Kit could be purchased for you, to split up with a group of friends, to be given out as holiday gifts to your friends and family, maybe a wedding gift or whatever fun things you come up with.  With this kit all you need is a cutting board and a sharp knife and you’re good to go!

All you have to do is BID NOW!

This Dream Kitchen Kit is valued at $879.45.

All-Clad Tri-Ply Stainless-Steel Saute` Simmer, 4 qt  with lid- you can cook just about anything in this pan and then toss it into the oven to boot.  value $245

All-Clad Tri-Ply Stainless-Steel Steamer Set, 3 Qt. – Love that this is a 3qt saucepan all on it’s own and you get the steamer basket too.  Great to steam vegetables, fish, dumplings or whatever.  I know for me I never have enough sauce pans, especially when the holidays arrive.  value $300

Rosti White Melamine Mixing Bowl Set – I use this set for just about everything from soaking grains, mixing up batter and filling up the large bowl with popcorn.  value $49.95

Nordic Ware Rolled Omelette Pan- this is a fun pan that will make anyone an expert omelette maker.  It’s the first time I’ve had my Daiya cheese totally melt.  Now I can have others in the house making omelettes too.  value $39.95

Le Crueset Oval Cocotte 12 ounce capacity- how cute is this.  It’s very handy if you are making a dish just for one or a side dish.  value $35

Collapsible Salad Spinner, 5 qt – this is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen and I don’t have one yet.  I love salad spinners but they take up so much room.  This one doesn’t and I love the rip chord you pull to spin the lettuce.  Also use the inside unit as a stand alone colander.  value $29

Silicone Locking Tongs- I rarely use anything else in my saute` pan when cooking.  You have so much more control over what is going on in that pan when you use tongs.  value $28

Swissmar Multi Slicer- sometimes you don’t want to get out your large mandoline and you don’t want to spend the time cutting up your veggies julianne.  This is a quick solution.  value $25

Lemon or Lime Press- this makes adding lemon or lime juice to a recipe while cooking a breeze.  value  $20

Tripple Timer – I don’t know about you but I often have more than one thing cooking in the kitchen at the same time.  Instead of 3 separate timers, use just this one and set 3 different times.  value $20

Euro Oven Mit- this is the only mit I’ve ever had that I have not gotten burnt using.  value  $23

Traditional Fish Spatula- this is one of my favorites.  Sometimes you just need a delicate turner when flipping fish or something else that could fall apart.  value $15

Fine Microplane- this is wonderful for zesting citrus or maybe topping off your cupcake or coffee with a little chocolate.  value $15

Fine Mesh Stainless Steal Strainer- I don’t know what I would do without one of these.  When you’re straining your stock, making a sauce where you don’t want the seeds and countless other uses.  value  $15

The WHOLE Gang Apron – my own creation that I wanted you to have so you can keep your clothes clean while cooking.  value $19.95

Thank you for participating in this auction.  This auction is now CLOSED.

Remember to leave your bid in the comment section.  Opening bid is $300.  Auction closes Friday September 9th at 11:00pm EST.  Good luck!