Arugula Sprouts Garden Burger

(Let's try this again spelling "ArUgula" correctly! lol) 

My husband loves sandwiches. Seriously, he could eat them every day for every meal. Squeeze in a bowl of cheerios and he'd say he's had a "well-rounded" day of meals!

When the weather gets warmer I really love sandwiches too... along with more veggie-based meals. Salads, raw veggies, and veggie sandwiches.

My favorite gluten-free veggie burgers are Sunshine Burgers. They are gluten-free, vegan, and soy-free as well. They are based from brown rice and carrots with different herbs and seasonings. My favorite is the Garden burger.

Another favorite sandwich ingredient lately has been Rudi's Gluten-Free Multigrain Bread. It's a newly formulated recipe which is softer than their previous frozen breads. It's delicious and truly tastes like the "whole wheat" bread I remember! It was perfect for these sandwiches...

So here's how we made them: 

• Bread: 2 slices Rudi's gluten-free multigrain bread, toasted
• Dressing: Spread with mayo & mustard
• Main Component:  Sunshine Burgers Garden Burger, pan-grilled
• "Cheese": Daiya mozzarella, melted 
• Additional Fillings: Arugula, broccoli sprouts, sliced tomatoes, sliced avocado

What would you add to your veggie burger? 

Product Review: Smart Ones Cheesy Scramble with Hash Browns

I'm always hesitant to post reviews of processed meals... I know people tend to love 'em or hate 'em and many in the gluten-free, whole foods, paleo-ish communities wouldn't touch them with a 10 foot pole. I get that and I applaud those who are able to make all of their meals from scratch!

But in my life.. time is often short. I'm trying to work on my time management skills so that we can eventually eat most of our meals from scratch. However, I don't have a problem with shortcuts when you can find them and they work for you! 

And (in MY opinion) this "Smart Ones" meal is a good gluten-free option for breakfast at work. It's definitely a better choice than McDonald's. (And trust me, I'm a HUGE fan of McDonald's... when you're gluten-free and you need fast choices and options, I applaud any company who can make them available, healthy or not!)

SO let's look at the pros and cons of this product by Weight Watchers:

CONS: 

• Make sure you are an expert label reader to figure out if a product is gluten-free, especially if it's not a certified GF product. Also, you need to be comfortable emailing or calling companies to ask for details if you're not sure. Many of the Smart Ones products are absolutely NOT gluten-free, so READ THE LABEL! Then read it again! This product does have a lot of preservatives, so you do have to wade through the list of ingredients. However, this company is helpful by highlighting any ingredient that is part of the top 8 allergens. This product in particular highlights: eggs, milk, and soy. 

• This product contains a cheese sauce, so it's not dairy-free. (While I generally avoid dairy due to a sensitivity, I can tolerate it in small amounts.) This product also uses soy oil for preparing the potatoes, green and red peppers, and onions. However the product does not contain soy protein or hydrolyzed soy protein. If you avoid all soy, (due to the oil) this still won't be a good choice for you. 

• The breakfast meal isn't officially on the Heinz gluten-free food list, and this website claims that one of the ingredients: "corn maltodextrin" could be questionable for containing gluten... however, from other sources I've found, corn maltodextrin is a safe ingredient that does NOT contain gluten. So if you are concerned about this ingredient, it may not be a good option for you. 

PROS: 

• It's a super fast and easy gluten-free breakfast. 

• It's healthier and faster than "fast food."

• It has 210 calories, 9 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, and 15 grams of protein (and will keep you full much longer than having a bowl of gluten-free cereal.) 

• If you are using weight watchers or another version of calorie counting, this product has already configured the "points" value for you. This can be tricky with other gluten-free meals. 

• This product does use REAL russet potatoes, real green and red peppers, real onions, and real eggs. While there are many processed ingredients in the list, it also contains ingredients you would use in your own kitchen. As far as "processed" goes, this could be a lot worse! 

SO... there you go! Weigh your options and if it would be a good fit for you check it out! Do you buy other gluten-free frozen meals? What do you use? How do you judge if it's a safe product? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

Gluten-Free (Paleo-ish) Carrot Cake Bread

Sometimes it's amazing what you can come up with in the spur of the moment! We needed some additional pictures for my upcoming baking cookbook and we needed something colorful... an editor suggested a bread with carrot flecks. Carrot flecks? Who makes bread with carrot flecks??

So I strummed my fingers for a while... what can I make? What can I make? And then it came to me... why not make a very lightly sweetened version of a carrot cake... put it in a loaf and make it a bread! Why not?

One of my favorite aspects of this new book is that it will include a chapter of lower glycemic gluten-free baked goods. This means the primary ingredients will be almond flour and coconut flour. There's also going to be a vegan chapter as well (although not a low glycemic, vegan chapter!) so this cookbook will have a LOT of different options for people on all kinds of gluten-free diets.

While this bread isn't anywhere NEAR as sweet as a carrot cake would be, it definitely has hints of carrot cake and a lovely sweet flavor accented by ground cinnamon. It's a snap to make and has a great texture. Try it out and tell me what you think! If you're not a fan of banana bread, this is a perfect alternative! It's also really tasty spread lightly with sunbutter or almond butter!

AutiMom asked what the green flecks were in the bread... and strangely enough they are a magic (ie... chemical) reaction of the baking soda, almond flour, and carrots! I have no idea why this happens, but I'm sure we could google it! :-)

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Bread
This moist, slightly sweet loaf is perfect for breakfast. If you can tolerate dairy it is delicious with a smear of cream cheese. It's also a fun and tasty base for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!

Free of gluten, dairy/casein, soy, and corn
Yields 2 (7 1/2" x 3 1/2") loaves of bread
Recipe created by Carrie of Gingerlemongirl.com

Printer-Friendly Recipe

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups blanched almond flour
3/4 cup arrowroot starch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
3/4 cup coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)
3 large eggs
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup almond milk or other non-dairy milk
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heavily grease 2 (7 1/2" x 3 1/2") loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray or coconut oil. In a medium bowl whisk together blanched almond flour, arrowroot starch, ground cinnamon, sea salt, and baking soda. Set aside. In a large bowl mix together olive oil, coconut sugar, eggs, carrots, almond milk, and apple cider vinegar Stir the whisked dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold in the raisins, if desired. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 350-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the tops of the loaves are golden brown. Allow loaves to cool on a wire rack for one hour before slicing and serving.

OR You can make donuts instead:

My friend Diane decided to make Carrot Cake Bread DONUTS instead!! (Pure Genius Diane!) Simply pour the batter evenly into well-greased donut pans and bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean!

A Weekend for Gluten-Free Expos!

Like free stuff? Like GLUTEN-FREE free stuff? 

Want to know more about how to live a healthy gluten-free lifestyle? 

Want to try different gluten-free foods and meet companies who are helping the gluten-free community? 

Well you have a really awesome chance THIS weekend at two Gluten-Free Expos: one in Charlotte NC and one in Roanoke VA! 

I WILL be at the event in Roanoke, so if you are in the SW VA area, I'd love for you to stop by and say hello! 

The Charlotte NC Gluten & Allergen Free Wellness Event: 

April 13, 2013

10 am - 4 pm

The Blake Hotel

555 South McDowell Street 

 Charlotte, NC 28204

REGISTRATION NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE!

SIMPLY GLUTEN FREE Featured Speaker:

Carol Kicinski 

America's Gluten Free Voice

Featured Speaker from SIMPLY GLUTEN FREE Magazine

 "Embracing the Gluten Free Lifestyle" 

Gluten Free TV Chef - Daytime TV - Nationally syndicated (NBC) in 3rd season, 

Founder & Editor in Chief of SIMPLY GLUTEN FREE magazine, 

Cookbook Author, GF Blogger since 2007, food writer published in over 100 newspapers in America

Lisa Stimmer

"Eating for Vitality Gluten Free"

 Gluten Practitioner, Natural Gourmet Chef & Healthy Lifestyle Coach

Just because you're Eating Gluten-Free,Doesn't mean you're Eating Healthy!

Eating the Right Balance of high quality foods creates more

Energy, Mental clarity, Fat loss, Hormonal balance and Optimal health!

Roben Ryberg

Roben is a food writer, specializing in cutting-edge food science developments. Major breakthroughs include: how to make gluten-free food taste great, how to bake with single gluten-free flours, how to retain moisture in gluten-free baking, how to achieve great texture and moisture using just whole grain flours, and, most recently, developing fabulous recipes for the microwave.

Chef Peter Pollay

Posana Café’s Executive Chef and co-owner, Peter Pollay, is an honors graduate of The Culinary Institute of America. Posana Cafe is the only dedicated gluten free restaurant in N.C. and has passed the taste test of some of the food industry's hardest critics as being the place "Where Gluten Free Goes Unnoticed"

Chef Peter Reinhart

Chef on Assignment at Johnson & Wales Culinary Institute, Cookbook Author, James Beard Award Winner, and expert on baking. His newest book was co-written with Denene Wallace and is now available "The Joy Of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking"

Dr Akiba Green

Dr. Akiba Green is a chiropractic physician who concentrates his practice to the treatment of chronic neurological and metabolic conditions.  He is widely recognized as a leader in the non-drug treatment of thyroid conditions, autoimmune disease, alternative and integrative cancer care, fibromyalgia, peripheral neuropathy, diabetes and other chronic neurological and chronic metabolic conditions. 

____________________________________________________________

Stay tuned to our page for announcements on Speakers & Presentations

Please contact our Event Coordinators,
Nikki Everett & Jennifer Harris,
for more information on being a Vendor/Sponsor or Attendee
irresistiblyglutenfree@gmail.com
or 704-804-4090

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

Southwest Virginia’s 2nd Annual Gluten-Free Expo

April 13, 2013

10.00 am – 2.00 pm

Free admission for all

Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke, VA (inside entrance by A.C. Moore)

Join us at the Expo where we will have local restaurants, grocery stores, and health stores showing gluten-free products they offer. We will also have educational booths if you have questions about the gluten-free diet, Celiac Disease, gluten intolerance, and anything else you can think of! There will be games for children as well.

I will have a booth here and will be available for any questions and help that you may need with gluten-free cooking and baking! 

Bring your family and friends!

Event Sponsors:

         

AND

South West Virginia Dietetic Association

All Things Healthy – Daleville, Va

For More Information about the SW Virginia Gluten-Free Expo: 

Please contact us at swvaglutenfreeexpo@gmail.com

Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes (A Master Baking Mix Recipe)

One of the best recipes that I've shared over the years is my Gluten-Free Master Baking Mix. I created it in 2008 before Gluten-Free Bisquick was available. It's the same concept, but my homemade version is a bit more versatile than the store-bought brand. The homemade Master Baking Mix works really well in a huge variety of recipes because it already has shortening in the mix, along with protein from blanched almond meal. The mix also has ground flax seeds in it for additional fiber and omega 3 fatty acids.

Along with biscuits, pancakes, cookies, and muffins... it also turns out you can make a really good cupcake! These cupcakes are SO easy to whip up with the master baking mix. It literally takes less than five minutes to mix them together and pour them into cupcake liners!

Have a last minute school birthday party? Need a quick dessert? These cupcakes are the perfect solution. They are a basic yellow cupcake which means you can really personalize them by adding your favorite flavorings or spices. Feel free to frost these cupcakes with your favorite kind of homemade or store-bought gluten-free frosting. (Pillsbury brand frostings are gluten-free and are great to have on hand for dessert emergencies!) You can also just leave these little cakes plain jane and eat them as is! That's actually how we enjoyed them.

This recipe is a sneak preview for my NEW cookbook coming out in October 2013, "The Everything Gluten-Free Baking Cookbook." There will be an ENTIRE chapter devoted to recipes using my popular Master Baking Mix! 

Gluten-Free Master Baking Mix Vanilla Cupcakes
free of gluten/dairy/casein/soy
created by Carrie of Gingerlemongirl.com
printer-friendly recipe

Yields: 12 cupcakes or 1 (8-inch) single layer cake

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 cups Carrie's Gluten-Free Master Baking Mix
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup  1/4 cup light-tasting olive oil or canola oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Gluten-free frosting, if desired (store-bought or homemade --> use almond milk and spectrum palm shortening for a super easy version)

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Lightly spritz non-stick cooking spray into each liner and set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together baking mix and white sugar. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add milk, olive oil, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk. Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until you have a lump-free cake batter. Fill each paper liner ¾ full with cake batter. Bake cupcakes for 12-15 minutes until light, golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Gluten-Free Book Review: The Everything Guide to Gluten-Free Living

This is another book review I've been meaning to share with you for months! My good friend Jeanine Friesen, creator and author of "The Baking Beauties" a wonderful Canadian gluten-free food blog, has written a brand new book called, "The Everything Guide to Living Gluten-Free."

(...and I know I'm biased, but I'm thrilled this book is published by Adams Media, the publishers I work with as well and who also published my gluten-free slow cooker cookbook!) 

In the very beginning of the book Jeanine states, "...a gluten-free life isn't all about loss and restrictions. It is also about variety and abundance and finding new ways to enjoy your life."  THIS is why I love Jeanine. She believes in being positive and finding the best possible outcome even when you're diagnosed with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity or a wheat allergy. This book will give you an incredibly positive outlook on life gluten-free.

Complete with chapters on why people go gluten-free, an in-depth look at Celiac disease, and what gluten is and ALL the places it can be found. Jeanine's guide will give you tips and hints for every aspect of going gluten-free. There is an entire chapter on starting a gluten-free diet. How to organize and stock your kitchen gluten-free. How to go shopping gluten-free. How to eat out and travel gluten-free. If you want a complete all-in-one guide, Jeanine's book is the best resource for your gluten-free lifestyle!

And then on top of all that, Jeanine also includes 100 incredible recipes for starting a gluten-free diet. Recipes such as:

• Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins
• Cheesiest Macaroni and Cheese
• Baked Chicken Fingers
• Lean Beef Stroganoff
• Waldorf-Inspired Quinoa Salad
• Baked Mexican Rice Casserole
• Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits
• Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes with Fluffy Raspberry Frosting

So do those sound good? I thought so! Jeanine's new book is NOW available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and probably your favorite online retailer! Please check out her new book, buy a copy, and please please please leave her a review once you've picked one up! 

Seriously, "The Everything Guide To Living Gluten-Free" is one of the best resources to have on hand if you are gluten-free. I hope to donate a few copies of this to my local library very soon! 

What's the most important tip you could give to someone who is newly gluten-free? 

Please share your thoughts in the comments below! 

Take me out to the ballgame...

Just about mid-March the "spring" itch begins.. some people just get itchin' to plant something... to get outside, to dig their fingers in the dirt, and add annuals to their spring beds.

But for me... spring    means    baseball!

Ever since we were dating my husband and I have gone to see the Mudcats battle it out around the pitch at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, NC.

There's just something comforting and "All American" to make it back to the stadium every spring. To hear the National Anthem being sung by local talent. The 13 year old boy who sang it on Friday night for the opening game had the entire stadium in a quiet hush as he opened his voice and his heart with the age-old tune. Every note bold, beautiful, with perfect pitch.

As you walk into the stadium, the scent of pizza and hotdogs and popcorn and boiled peanuts waft through the air. Your mouth begins to water... the gluten-free options? Well... few and far between, but you could also have popcorn or peanuts... maybe ice-cream if you're cool with dairy.

Instead I pack my own. Friday night's gluten-free baseball food was a fried egg & turkey bacon sandwich on Rudi's new gluten-free whole grain bread. Along with roasted pistachios in the shell and some coconut yogurt. I treat myself to a soda instead of food. I wasn't feelin' it for peanuts or popcorn.

The best mascot in local baseball: Muddy, the Mudcat! A mudcat is an American catfish often found in muddy river waters in the South. We keep our mascots classy around here.

But truly Muddy is the highlight of the game. It's coming back to see a happy old friend every year, with his fish tail swishing on his four wheeler! In between innings Muddy plays games with the kids in the crowd, tosses t-shirts to fans, and loves to make people laugh. Think: a southern catfish version of Santa... okay, maybe not.

Muddy had friends with him at this game, Mini Muddy and the happy Pig from our favorite local grocery store, THE Piggly Wiggly. I never could figure out why the pig was so happy considering his certain fate in the grocery store butcher department (after all Piggly Wiggly is KNOWN for it's awesome pork products!)

After one inning they rode around the baseball field in a gigantic grocery cart. Because where else do people ride around in a gigantic grocery cart?

Baseball games are always happy memories. Even if it's 40 degrees at an April game in rural eastern NC!

I'm proud to say that I am the one who brought a huge love of baseball to our relationship (thanks Dad!)... thankfully Michael quickly followed suit!

I love that baseball games bring out everybody, even a beautiful momma with her three babies next to her. One, super small and bundled snug in a zebra blanket.

Coffee and gloves were needed for this baseball game... it wasn't Starbucks... but it was hot.

Are we having fun yet?

Can you see it?

I'm still waiting for the zoom lens... that will have to wait until Christmas! Did you see it yet? Michael caught these great shots of the ball being pitched.

Last chance!

I told you it was cold! This guy came well prepared!

And a 10 - 1 win for the Mudcats! Bring it boys! We'll be back soon!

Are you going to a baseball game anytime soon? You should! What gluten-free goodies would you pack to take with you?