Top Ten Gluten-Free Meals and Snacks on the Road

When my dad was sick the past few months we did a LOT of traveling and eating on the road. As we all know when you eat on the go it can be expensive, (for gluten-free folks, especially) it can be hard to find, and it can be super frustrating when you have a variety of food sensitivies and/or allergies.

On our recent trips I have found quite a few options for eating gluten-free on the road! In no particular order here's my favorite top ten snacks and meals I eat when we're traveling:

1. boiled eggs -- you can either make boiled eggs or you can find them pre-made at many different gas stations and grocery stores. A single serving portion of a healthy, lean protein. 
2. fruit -- bananas and apples can generally be found at most gas stations and can ALWAYS be found in grocery stores on the road. Again they are automatically in single servings and travel well and have a healthy punch of fiber and natural fruit sugar. 
3. nuts/seeds -- super awesome protein and fiber all rolled into one delicious bite-sized, travel friendly package! Also can be found at most gas stations and grocery stores. Watch sodium counts though, as some are absolutely loaded with salt. My favorite? Roasted cashews. 
4. Go Picnik Gluten-Free Meals -- These meals have been an absolute LIFESAVER over the past few months. Not only have they saved me money by not eating out, but they are portion controlled, shelf-stable (no refrigeration required!), contain no high fructose corn syrup and contain healthy servings of protein, fiber, and fruit along with a piece of gluten-free chocolate! Make SURE when you are buying them to purchase the GLUTEN-FREE varieties! 
5. Glutino crackers with Sunbutter (or peanut butter) -- If the Go Picnik meals are out of your price range you can just take along a jar of sunbutter and a package of glutino crackers  -- still a bit pricey, but overall cheaper than the Go picnic meals and everybody loves "peanut butter" sandwiched crackers! Quick, easy, shelf-stable and relatively healthy! 
6. gluten-free beef jerky -- READ THE LABELS! Many varieties of beef jerky are NOT gluten-free, but quite a few ARE and they are becoming easier to find in gas stations and grocery stores. One brand in particular that I like is: Jack Links Beef Jerky.
7. Wendy's chili and a side salad or baked potato -- When I want a hot meal on the road Wendy's is one of my favorite places to go. I generally go for the simple and frugal options of a small chili and a baked potato. Wendy's also has many salads that are gluten-free and you have many of the grilled sandwich options without the bun. Check out the Wendy's gluten-free menu options for more information. 
8. Chick-Fil-A grilled chicken nuggets and waffle fries or a fruit -- My other favorite choice for a hot meal on the road! I generally have grilled chicken nuggets with a side salad and/or a fruit cup and their homemade lemonade. Chick-Fil-A also offers gluten-free FRIES because they cook their fries in a dedicated fryer. If you are unsure of the actual store policy make sure to check with a manager before you order (and check their gluten-free menu), but I've never had problems with cross-contamination at Chick-Fil-A. A definite winner for the gluten-free community! 
9. KIND Bars or Glenny's Fruit & Nut Bars -- It's now a rare trip when I don't see KIND bars or Glenny's Fruit & Nut bars in gas stations on our trips. KIND bars are generally about twice as much as the Glenny's bars, but I love both and always enjoy having them as an option when we're traveling. I've seen these most often in Sheetz gas stations and in the healthy/organic sections of grocery stores. 
10. McDonald's scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage, and fruit smoothies -- Yep... McDonald's...the bane of the American industrialized food industry... but honestly (especially since I've been gluten-free) having the option of ordering scrambled eggs & sausage on my way to work has been a huge help more times than I care to mention. Is it healthy? NO. It's an option... and sometimes you just WANT an option. So take or leave it... know it's available and when you're dying to get breakfast on the road. And the smoothies rock (and you can ask them to leave out the yogurt if you are intolerant to dairy)... probably have more sugar than a coke... but there you go. Feel free to check McDonald's allergen statements frequently as products can change. 

Do you agree? Disagree? What are your favorite gluten-free GO TO foods when you're traveling? Share in the comments below! 

{Gluten Free Review} Barney Butter (Almond Butter)

The first person to really introduce me to the joys of almond butter was Heather of "Heather Eats Almond Butter." After seeing the gorgeous pictures on her blog of oat bran drizzled with almonds butter, muffins made with almond butter, cookies made with almond butter, etc... I really wanted to try almond butter. I probably started reading her blog about 3 years ago and ever since if I see a new brand of almond butter on the shelf I have to try it.

At Food Lion not too long ago I saw Barney Butter on the shelf. I picked up a jar and brought it home. Since I have about 5 OTHER jars of  almond butter that are slowly being eaten, I really didn't want to open it up. But curiosity got the better of me and I tried it out.

This a very creamy almond butter. The texture is like JIF peanut butter. Personally it wasn't my favorite brand of nut butter. The texture was so smooth it seemed very processed. My favorite brand thus far (and one that's very easy for me to find) has been Maranatha almond butter. Justin's nut butter is also a favorite if I feel the need to be decadent!

I think this would be a great alternative for kids who are used to the very processed texture of JIF peanut butter and they can't have peanuts anymore. I think this brand is probably geared more towards a child's palate than adult palates. It is not overly sweet, but it does contain evaporated cane juice to give it just a hint of sweetness (again very similar to Peter Pan or JIF peanut butter brands). To create such a smooth texture this brand also contains palm oil -- which I am not against -- I love baking with palm shortening... but personally I enjoy the texture of all natural brands better.

I do LOVE that this brand is clearly marked gluten free and is processed in a completely peanut-free facility which is really important for those with peanut allergies!

What's your favorite almond butter? Do you ever drizzle it on oatmeal or ice-cream? If you don't you're missing out!

{Gluten Free Review} Mesa Sunrise gluten free cereal

Don't you love really bad photography of gluten free cereal boxes? You're welcome. That's the 1960's picnik treatment of my cereal box. The rounded edges are beyond cool!

Had a hankering for something sorta sweet after having a very early dinner on Monday night. I decided to open up this box of Mesa Sunrise cereal I had in the very back of the cabinet. I bought it on sale at Big Lots a few weeks ago.

Personally I wasn't really a fan. One of the main ingredients was corn and it definitely had a very strong corn flavor... which I'm not really fond of in breakfast cereal. The cereal also became soggy REALLY quickly. That's one thing I miss about "Grapenuts" cereal - it was so crunchy and stayed that way the whole time you were eating it!

Overall I think it's a healthy cereal. The ingredients are mostly organic and whole grain. One serving contains 3 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber... which can definitely be hard to find especially in gluten free cereals. Sugar (or evaporated cane juice in this instance) is the 3rd ingredient -- still a lot of sugar, but not nearly as much as many "kids" cereals. If you want a whole grain gluten free breakfast cereal, I would definitely recommend Mesa Sunrise. Just eat it fast so it won't get soggy! :-P

Have you tried Mesa Sunrise? Did you like it? What's your favorite gluten free breakfast cereal?

{Secret Recipe Club} Busy-At-Home.Com's Rocky Road Crunch Bars

Rocky Road Crunch Bars from Busy-At-Home.Com

This the first month I'm participating in a monthly blogging event called "The Secret Recipe Club." The event was created by Amanda Formaro of Amanda's Cookin'. Every month each participant is assigned a "secret" blog. The participant is then supposed to read the blog, get to know a little about the author, and try a recipe or two without the secret blog author knowing. On the reveal day each month it's finally announced who was assigned to your blog and what recipe they made! This is simply a fun event to get to know other people around the world who enjoy food blogging as much as I do!

The blog I was assigned to this month was Busy-At-Home.com, written by Glenda Embree. Glenda is a super busy mom who homeschools her five children, runs a homeschool curriculum business out of her home and is an avid blogger. Glenda blogs about a variety of subjects including living on budget, creating healthy meals for her family, gardening and crafts, and the life of her very busy family. Recently Glenda had the opportunity to visit the King Arthur Flour Baking and Education Center (which I'm a bit jealous over!) with about a dozen other bloggers and she learned how to make her first successful pie crust and she even baked pizza in a hearth oven!

Glenda has a variety of recipes I'd love to try on her site. The top candidate is her homemade summer sausage. I plan on making a large batch of this the next time my favorite local farm has a sale on their ground beef! Another recipe that could easily be made gluten free is Glenda's Blueberry Cobbler. Another fun thing about Busy-At-Home.com is that Glenda has TONS of giveaways! So if you like to enter to win free prizes, her blog is the place to go! Also, here is a link to Glenda's recipe index, where you can find all of her best recipes!

The recipe pictured above is a gluten free version of Tia's Rocky Road Crunch Bars featured on Busy-At-Home.Com. My sweet friend Heather volunteered to make them for our summer 2011 cookout with our local gluten free support group. We enjoyed these delicious bars as dessert from our cookout. We loved the combination of honey & chocolate and I had to take extras of these bars home with me. Heather had to make a few changes to the recipe to suit her dietary restrictions, she used walnuts instead of peanuts, and she used a variety of GF Chex cereals in place of the Honey Bunches of Oats cereal called for. These bars were a hit at our cookout and I will definitely be making them!

I highly recommend visiting Glenda's great site, "Busy-At-Home.Com" for cooking, budgeting, and creative homeschooling ideas!

Gluten Free Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe

When I was a little girl “snickerdoodles” were one of the first cookies I learned how to make. Deliciously simple vanilla cookies with a coating of cinnamon and sugar! I often made snickerdoodles for youth gatherings at church, for my teachers at school, and just for fun.

I’m always looking for ways to make baking gluten free easier and less time consuming. Last week I needed a dessert for a small dinner party and I decided to come up with a recipe for Snickerdoodles using my favorite gluten free master baking mix.

These cookies come together quickly and are a true crowd pleaser! By the end of our gathering last week not one cookie was left! It’s such an easy cookie to make that I’ll be adding them to my list of super easy gluten free desserts! You could add endless additions to these cookies: nuts, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, raisins, you name it!

Healthy? Well, not particularly… but they are really delicious, kid-friendly gluten free cookies!

Perfect for lunch boxes, office gatherings, or just because, these cookies will be sure to please anyone who tries them!


Gluten Free Snickerdoodles
(gluten free, soy free, *casein free)

½ cup Spectrum shortening
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 ¾ cups Gluten Free Master Baking Mix, or GF/CF Homemade Master Baking Mix (or other leavened gluten free baking mix)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mixture for dipping cookies in:
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream shortening with sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir in Gluten Free Master Baking Mix. (You can chill dough to make it easier to work with at this point, but it is not necessary!) Roll dough into 1” balls. In a small bowl mix together cinnamon and sugar. Roll cookie balls in mixture and place 2” apart on a greased baking sheet (or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat mat). Flatten cookies by using the bottom of a heavy cup or glass that has been covered in the cinnamon/sugar mixture. (Cookies will not spread while baking, so it’s important to flatten them with the bottom of a glass or with a fork!) Bake for 8-10 minutes in 350 degree oven until cookies are golden brown on the edges. Let cool on cookie sheets for several minutes before moving to cooling rack. Store in an airtight container on the counter.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

(Printer-friendly recipe.)


Carrie's Notes:

• Make sure to try out my revised gluten free/casein free master baking mix! 
• I have not tried these cookies with agave nectar, but I think it would work with only 1/3 cup of agave in cookie dough. 
• For a different flavor basic cookie, try using almond extract or lemon extract instead of the vanilla called for!

Classic Spanish Tortilla (Gluten Free)

One of my best memories from high school was getting to know Cristina.

Cristina was a Spanish exchange student who came to America during my junior year. We met in history class and became fast friends. We spent a lot of time together in the drama club, going to basketball games, having sleepovers, talking about boys, etc..

I hate to admit that it was my family that introduced Cristina to the wonderful world of healthy American eating... Bacon-cheese burgers, greasy fries, apple pie, cornbread, etc... I remember laughing with Cristina at the airport when she was headed home because she couldn't believe she had gained weight while she was here. I'm sure it had nothing to do with those cheeseburgers.

Cristina also shared some of her favorite Spanish meals with us. For the first time, I ate paella, flan, and her delicious Spanish tortilla.

The tortilla was my favorite. It was so easy, deliciously flavored with olive oil, and seemed so very Spanish.

I still make Cristina's tortilla. It makes a wonderful light supper, lunch, or can even be used cold as an appetizer. The Spanish tortilla is basically a potato omelet, but it's so more than that.

It's the memories of a dear Spanish friend who had the courage to spend a year away from home to learn about another culture. Every time I make this tortilla I think of Cristina. I remember her enchanting smile, her love of life, and the acceptance and friendship she shared with me during that tumultuous teenage year.

This wonderful dish is naturally gluten free and incredibly easy to make. I hope you'll try this Spanish Tortilla the next time you can't think of what to make for dinner. I'm almost positive you'll have all the ingredients you need right in your pantry. For more detailed instructions on how to cook and flip the tortilla, please visit this website.


Cristina's Spanish Tortilla

4-5 medium sized white potatoes
5 eggs
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped (optional)
1/2 cup olive oil, divided (*see notes)
salt and pepper, to taste

Wash potatoes, pat dry, and slice very thin (about 2mm thick) and set aside. Place a heavy bottomed cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the olive oil when the pan is hot. When the oil is hot (not smoking, but very hot), add potatoes, onions, salt and pepper. Cook potatoes and onions for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are very soft and fork tender. Set potatoes aside. In a medium sized bowl, beat eggs. Add cooked potatoes to egg mixture. Add remaining olive oil to a deep, non-stick (or cast-iron) skillet, and heat oil until hot. Pour the egg/potato mixture in the hot pan and cook like an open omelet. Reduce the heat slightly after a minute or so to allow the eggs to set in the middle, but not burn on the bottom. Use a spatula to run around the sides and bottom of the omelet to make sure it's not sticking. When the majority of the egg mixture has cooked, find a heavy plate to place over the tortilla. Using potholders to protect your hands, gently flip the pan over so that the tortilla is released onto the plate. Place the pan back on the heat and gently slide the flipped tortilla back in the hot pan to cook on the bottom. (Don't overcook, you only need to cook the bottom for about a minute!) Place tortilla on a plate and using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut into thick wedges for serving.

*We added a little bit of shredded cheese to the top of the hot tortilla. This is not traditional, but it was delicious!

You can serve immediately or eat when cool. This is often used in Spain as a light supper, or as a cold appetizer. This is delicious with mixed vegetables or a salad!

Enjoy!


NOTES:

** The key to getting the eggs NOT to stick is having a VERY hot pan.

** Olive oil is important for the flavor of this tortilla. You don't need to use extra-virgin olive oil, a good basic olive oil will work just fine. The amount of oil needed varies. You may find that you only need a small amount of oil to cook the potatoes, so adjust it as needed. Some recipes call for over a cup of oil, which I find completely unnecessary.

** The flavors in the tortilla are actually at their best about an hour after cooking. This is a perfect made-ahead dish for taking to parties, luncheons, etc..

(Printer-friendly version)

Apple Berry Fruit Leather (Gluten Free)

So what do you do with 4 apples that have seen better days and a small pint of strawberries showing their age? Make fruit leather! That's what's you do!

Inspired by a recent post on Simply Recipes, I knew just what to do with my withering fruit.

I didn't exactly follow Elise's instructions, but I was able to figure out how to create these yummy fruit strips with no problems! Make sure to visit her site for a great step-by-step post!

Here is how I made the fruit leather! I've found another great use for my rice cooker! Have fun!!


How To Make Fruit Leather


1. Peel, core, and dice the fruit you wish to use. I used 4 old apples and about 1 pint of very ripe strawberries. Next time I will try to use more fruit since my strips were thinner than I really wanted them to be!

2. I placed all the fruit in my rice cooker with about 1/4 cup of water and set it on the COOK setting for about 1 hour, or until the fruit is REALLY mushy and well done.

3. Next I mashed the fruit together with a potato masher. Once the fruit was all completely combined and mashed, I set it aside to cool for about 30 minutes.

4. Pour the cooled fruit into your blender and puree until the fruit is very, very fine like a smoothie.

5. Line a jelly-pan with plastic wrap. I sprayed the plastic wrap with non-stick spray, but I don't think this is actually necessary. Pour the pureed fruit onto the plastic wrap and spread out until about 1/8th inch thickness.

6. Turn your oven onto 150 degrees and place the pan of fruit in the oven, and leave it there forever. Really. Forever. ;-P

7. Okay, not forever, but you'll leave it there for about 8 hours, or until the fruit leather feels like those fruit-rollups that you used to love as a kid. (Except without all that terrible high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and food coloring!!! Yay!!)

8. Cut the fruit leather up into strips and serve! Enjoy!!

Have fun and let your kids help out with this!


COOKING NOTES:


- Elise felt the need to add spices and some sugar to the mashed fruit. I found this completely unnecessary. The fruit was sweet enough on it's own and the combination of strawberries and apples was delicious!


- Next time I will definitely use more fruit for a thicker fruit leather. You can find better measurements for fruits on Elise's post.