Rudi's Gluten Free Bread

So we have potluck lunches every so often at work (usually my idea ;). I head up the "Fun Committee" at work...a very boring, very vanilla name for a group of co-workers who tries to come up with fun ways of promoting a more exciting workplace and making relationship-building a priority)...

Obviously potlucks are really no place for gluten allergies, or food allergies of any kind for that matter. Usually I can eat what I bring...and maybe 1-2 other things, if that. Really, it doesn't bother me much...if at all. 2 years ago when I started this "journey"...I usually got annoyed. Once I even skipped a work lunch because pizza was being served and I really didn't want to deal with sitting there and being the only one who wasn't eating pizza. It probably sounds completely lame...but it was really hard for me to be the "odd man out."

So, yesterday we had a potluck. My co-worker, Debra, signed up to bring bread (the "main dishes" at this particular potluck were a variety of soups). In addition to a loaf of "normal" ;) bread...she brought a loaf of multi-grain gluten free bread made by Rudi's...a company I'd never heard of until that moment!

IT WAS DELICIOUS!

If you've ever tried gluten free bread...you know that most gluten free breads leave more than a few things to be desired. Taste. Texture. UGH...gluten free bread is usually pretty nasty and similar to cardboard or styrofoam.

Rudi's though....delicious! Really! I ate two slices dipped in my carnitas taco soup (made by me ;)).

Check out the website: Rudi's Gluten Free Bakery

I am not sure where Deb found the bread...but I looked on the website, and they do carry it at Naturally Yours here in Bloomington! WOO HOO! :) You can search on the site under the "where to buy" option and search for locations near you where you can buy this yummy bread! Apparently they are a few different varieties...the one I tried was the multigrain, and again...I'd completely recommend it! :) Two thumbs WAY up! AND...FYI, it's dairy free as well! :)

I am already looking forward to my toast in the morning...complete with homemade cherry jam from my friend Jami! :)

Olive Garden!

Ok, this may not be really "new" news in the Gluten Free world...but it is news to me! My friend Jillian just let me know that Olive Garden has a gluten free menu! I knew they had a gluten free menu already...and I thanked her for the knowledge but said I already knew that. She went on to say, however, that they now have a gluten free pasta! Previously when I had checked their website, I think they only had steak/chicken/salmon options! (But, again, I hadn't checked their website in a while)
Now, indeed, they do have a gluten free penne pasta with marinara option. Also, I noted that their yummy salad (without crutons, of course ;) ) is gluten free! I do love their house Italian dressing, so that was awesome to see :).
So, all of you GF lovers, go check out your local Olive Garden for some yummy GF eats! It's always fantastic to have another GF restaurant option :).
Click here for the GF menu :).

THANKS JILLIAN

(as with any Gluten Free-claiming-menu....be responsible and check with your server/a manager to ensure that measures have been taken to prevent cross-contamination.)

GLUTEN FREE BISQUICK?!

WHOAAAAA!

Check this out! Gluten free Bisquick?! Looks like i need to hook myself up with this! That's amazing! Betty Crocker, you're a saint! :)

Pizza cravings

So I am fairly certain I have posted about *PIZZA* at least a few times on this little blog :).

Well...we're coming up on my big "two-year anniversary" of being GF (Oct. 18, 2008 was my first GF day!)...and I still crave pizza...real pizza...like none other.

Do I crave other non-GF foods? Yeah, sometimes...just a bit. But, really, it's typically nothing that I can't redirect by eating something as equally yummy that happens to be GF.

Pizza, though, man....it just drives me nuts!

Honestly...sometimes it really makes me angry, these pizza cravings. I was trying to explain it to Jeremy the other day. It is really the only food that I get *angry* over. People can eat pretty much anything else in front of me and I don't care a whole lot. Sure there are some things that look good...but I get over it.

Pizza though? Ugh. I am plagued by the stuff.

It probably sounds strange...but I am pretty sure part of my "issue" with it is the social aspect. EVERYONE likes and eats pizza! It's no fun being the dork in the room who can't eat it, too!

This week I was craving pizza in a horrible way. I ended up making myself a pseudo-pizza substitute on Friday night when Jer was eating dinner out with his friend Chuck....

I've mentioned the awesomeness of Chebe products before...but I will take this time to sing their praises once again :).

I found a few packages of dry mix in my pantry (SCORE!) on Friday night and used the cheese bread mix to make a yummy pizza crust. The back of the package instructs one on how to make a pizza crust with the mix...basically add some egg, oil (I used butter), and cheese to the dry mix. I also added some garlic salt and extra baking powder (to make it a little softer). I then rolled it out into an awkward rectangle on a non-stick baking sheet and baked that sucker. After twenty minutes I brushed my crust with a melted butter/garlic salt mixture and sprinkled cheese on top. I threw that back into the oven for a few minutes while I heated up some marinara (Prego brand is gluten free...they even indicate that on the jar!). When the cheese was bubbly, I removed it from the oven...sliced it up...and ate it with the marinara sauce for dipping. MMMM!

A delicious dinner that satisfactorily met the requirements of the cravings that had been plaguing me all week :).

Thanks, Chebe, for coming through for me again :).

Good article

Good article I read tonight on active.com

NEW BLOGGY FRIEND!

Check out an awesome new blog I found....Knitting is Gluten Free

I also added this blog to my list of GF blogs located in the right-hand side column on this blog.

Yahoo for another fun gluten-free blog to keep up with...love getting new tips!

AND, the author is a fellow knitter, as well!

Ok, so her knitting skills are definitely more advanced than mine ;). I tend to stay with scarves/hats and the occasional cowl ;).

BUT, the blog looks awesome and fun!

Enjoy! :)

Woodchuck Cider

...not only is it absolutely DELICIOUS, but it is gluten free as well!

Sadly, I tended to forget about the glory that is Woodchuck Cider...

No longer, my friends!

It is now at the forefront of my mind as one of my favorite alcoholic beverages :).

Whether or not you have to eat/drink GF...give it a try!

ALL of their ciders are GF!!!

My personal favorite is the raspberry.

However, my good friend Ashley informed me that I need to try the 802 Dark and Dry. Seeing as I was a dark beer afficianado pre-GF days...sounds like I need to give 'er a try! :)


Drink up, friends! :)