BREAKING NEWS :

Absolutely decadent - Vanilla Pear Butter from Oregon Growers and Shippers

Yes, I must say that I just made and enjoyed the perfect piece of Gluten Free Toast!

It starts with a slice of bread from Whole Foods Market Gluten Free bakery -

A slice of Prairie Bread -

made with rice flour, millet, buckwheat, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, poppy seeds and a few other ingredients all make this a hearty, dense and crunchy piece of toast!

I topped it with my favorite Almond Butter – just ground almonds …

and the most decadent Vanilla Pear Butter by Oregon Growers & Shippers made from Hood River Bartlet Pears and 100% Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla. They work with Pacific Northwest Growers – use quality local ingredients and offer farm-direct specialty foods. They make a variety of other delicious flavors of fruit butters, chutneys, jams and more including – Pumpkin Butter and Not Too Sweet Apple Butter. Oregon Growers & Shippers, also offers gift packages and the Summer Harvest Trio – Strawberry Pinot Noir, Cherry Zinfandel and Marionberry Jams are sure to be a hit!

If you don’t have a Whole Foods Market in your area you can order their products from their website at http://www.OregonGrowersandShippers.com

All of the packaging is absolutely beautiful painted artwork and reminds of the amazing views of the gorgeous Pacific Northwest! I treasure my new beautiful and decadent favorite treat!

Enjoy!

Lisa

For more info about the GLUTEN FREE FOODIES events or to chat with me via email glutenfreefoodie@gmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you!

Mirracole Morsels - Cranberry Pecan Gluten Free Granola

Are you feeling a little left out these days because you just want a crunchy and healthy treat on the go? Well, I think I found it!

Gluten Free Granola by Mirracole Morsels made in Washington.

The other day I happened to go by one of my favorite coffee drive-thru cafes – The Cup & Muffin in Kingston about 1/2 mile west of the ferry. I had a quick chat with Amy the owner about Gluten Free treats and she told me about Nicole Matheson, the owner of Mirracole Morsels, who is now making Gluten Free Granola. Nicole also just recently opened a location in Kingston across from the ferry. So I quickly ran up the street to investigate!

New location for Mirracole Morsels at the Old Kingston Hotel

When I walked into to the lovely store located at the Old Kingston Hotel – 25931 Washington Blvd., the aroma of freshly baked granola and cookies greeted me.  I met with Nicole and chatted with her about her business. She explained to me that she started the company in 2002 because she was a single parent and wanted to stay at home with her 2 children – Mirra Cole (now 16 yrs.) and Eddy (now 15 yrs.). So the obvious answer to the name of the company comes from her daughter’s name – Mirracole. The idea started out on somewhat of a whim, she said, around that time when she would make the granola as gifts. A friend suggested that Nicole should make it, market it and sell it! So with a little hope and lots of prayers she started out at the local Kingston Farmers markets, and the local grocery store and it took off! Now with eight years and several grocery stores selling her products from Bainbridge Island to Bellingham as she is expanding her products into cookies and the Gluten Free products market.

So I asked her more about the Gluten Free Granola and if she had Celiac Disease or if she was Gluten Intolerant. She said no, neither.  To my surprise, I asked her why she decided to offer Gluten Free Granola?

Her answer just delighted me because she realized that after talking to people at the Farmer’s Markets and in the grocery stores, a significant number of people would say, “I wish I could eat the granola but I can’t have … wheat …. or gluten … ”

This really puzzled her so she looked into creating recipes without wheat. Additionally as she learn a bit more about Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance she created Gluten Free Granola with Certified Gluten Free Oats. Nicole wanted to keep to her original vision for her products by creating and offering a good wholesome and tasty product that is preservative free, chemical free and no GMO oils. She originally wanted her children to be able to read the list of ingredients and hasn’t strayed since. So a few months ago she decided to have a dedicated Gluten Free commercial kitchen in Suquamish, the original kitchen and now bakes the regular products out of the Kingston location, where she also sells all of her products.

2 oz. bags of Gluten Free Peanut Butter Crunch ... perfect to grab and go!

Mirracole Morsels now offers 2 varieties of Gluten Free Granola in 2 oz. and 12 oz. bags – Cranberry Pecan and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk. You can purchase them at the location in Kingston or on her website at http://www.MirracoleMorsels.com and soon to be at several local grocery stores and cafes. For more info you can email – customerservice@mirracolemorsels.com

Nicole also told me that she hopes to offer additional Gluten Free products in the near future! So I will stay in touch with her and let you know more as soon as I do. In the meantime, try Mirracole Morsels Gluten Free Granola and support a local company!

Enjoy!

Lisa

For more info about the GLUTEN FREE FOODIES events or to chat with me via email glutenfreefoodie@gmail.com  I look forward to hearing from you!

The past few days have been really hard for me to concentrate on writing about living the Gluten Free lifestyle. The images of Haiti and the reports from CNN – Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta are so fresh in my mind that I feel as though the story in Haiti is more important right now. I am amazed to see that they are still down there and I worry about their well being, working 24/7 under those conditions. (All of the other top news anchors have been home for days now while Anderson, Sanjay and the rest of CNN still keep us informed … live!) It doesn’t seem like they have time for sleep because they are still finding people alive that have been buried for at least 10 days now.

There are so many levels as to how tragic this situation has become that it is overwhelming. I feel for the people that are in agony, waiting for medical care. The thoughts of no food and water, or very little, makes me want to run down there and bring it to them. I realize that is not physically possible for me. Although I still have my daily challenges with my Chronic Pain and the tasks of living a Gluten Free lifestyle, I am grateful for my home, health and well being. My heart goes out to the people of Haiti, especially the orphaned children and those that are still waiting for medical attention. I hope that the little baby that Dr. Gupta helped is still doing well. What a heck of a way to start your life!

So today, I thought that my way to help them, is to share some information with you about GlobalGiving. They are a non-profit organization based in Washington D.C., that has been working with various organizations to raise money for Haiti for years prior to this devastating earthquake. They actually work with global organizations, for all sorts of causes, that you can choose to help support throughout the year. There are many things that I love about this organization, but one of them is that they give you reports about how your money is helping the cause that you have chosen to support. The report today from Save the Children (via GlobalGiving) shows information about health care, food, water, shelter, child protection and education! The money that GlobalGiving receives goes directly to the leaders each week on Wednesday. The leaders do not have to wait months for the money like other organizations. Your money gives them immediate results that you can see on the reports. You can also choose to receive reports via email updates or RSS feeds as well.

In the next few days if you are feeling overwhelmed like me and you haven’t already donated, maybe there is a little something you can do for your cause via Global Giving. It is worth a few minutes to look at how this organization is making a Global difference on so many levels. Another awesome service that they provide is gift certificates. If you have a friend or family member that has a birthday or celebration coming up, instead of buying a gift that they may not need, you can give them a gift card from GlobalGiving! The gift card is biodegradable and is a tax deduction!

I will continue to keep the hope for the people of Haiti in my thoughts and meditations throughout the days and weeks ahead as they continue to heal and rebuild. I will also keep the hope for a better future by reaching out to more people about making delicious Gluten Free Food, and sharing stories about living the Gluten Free lifestyle because this is what I am passionate about. Hopefully my little contributions to create more awareness about little things that are close to my heart, like Haiti, Global Giving, Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance will add up to make a difference.

One final thought, the other night on the “Hope for Haiti Concert”, Stevie Wonder said it beautifully as only Stevie can …

“A whole lotta littles is a whole lotta lots”…

Peace

Lisa – Gluten Free Foodie

For more info about Gluten Free Foodies events or to chat with me via email glutenfreefoodie@gmail.com  I look forward to hearing from you!

 Wow! What a week!!! it has been in the teens and 20′s all week and I am done with this deep freeze! I decided today that I need a good, hot and hardy breakfast to kick start my day. My power has been out off and on all week and I have not had access to my buddy – my computer! This breakfast is a well earned treat.
I woke up starving for a BIG HOT GLUTEN FREE BREAKFAST!

So I decided to make GLUTEN FREE FRENCH TOAST WITH DRIED CHERRIES, ALMONDS, COCONUT AND HONEY WITH JONES’ SAUSAGE … what a mouthful!

Mix an egg in a bowl with about a tablespoon of Coconut Milk, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Dunk the slice of Gluten Free bread into the mixture and turn over to allow it to absorb. Put some butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the soaked slice of bread into the pan and cook on both sides for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Put 2 frozen sausage patties in a microwave safe bowl with a paper towel on top and cook for 1.5 minutes.

Put the Gluten Free French Toast on the plate with the sausage and top with dried cherries, chopped almonds, coconut flakes. You can use any dried fruit – cranberries, strawberries, blueberries, apricots. You can also add any of your favorite nuts and seeds – pistachios, walnuts, pecans, cashews, pumpkin seeds. I like to add either golden honey or agave to make everything glisten and just slightly sweet. Total prep time is 10 minutes. Try to get a bite with everything on it…don’t forget the sausage!

 Thanks for hanging in with me this week!  For more info about the    GLUTEN FREE FOODIES events or to chat with me via email glutenfreefoodie@gmail.com  I look forward to hearing from you!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Bread and Cupcakes are a great way to enjoy a fall treat for Thanksgiving or for those who just love pumpkin all year round … like me!
 
I like to have the bread around in the morning with a cup of coffee or an all day treat for guests when they stop by. The cupcakes are great too because the are individually wrapped and ready to eat or go!

For the Frosting on the cupcakes I just made my

Heavenly Cream Cheese Frosting.
I must say that this combo is to die for …
 
8 oz. package of Cream Cheese
1/2 cup of butter 2 cups confectioners sugar
pinch of sea salt
1 Tbs. Nielsen-Massey Vanilla

Mix well with a hand mixer. The frosting will be creamy and the cupcakes will need to be chilled until ready to serve. I use the same recipe for the cupcakes and bread from Rebecca Reily’s cookbook Gluten Free Baking, page 52. This book is a must for your Gluten Free library! You can also add nuts – pecans or walnuts, dates, raisins. It is perfect without too! She uses one of her flour blends, so it is best just to get the book, but the recipe is a basic gluten free quick bread recipe. I would experiment and add about 1 cup of organic pumpkin puree to your favorite quick bread recipe or better yet treat yourself to the book for the holidays!
If you have questions please feel free to email me at glutenfreefoodie@gmail.com
Enjoy!

Lisa

I hope you have a safe and delicious Gluten Free celebration with  your family and friends!

Happy Thanksgiving!

For more info about the GLUTEN FREE FOODIES events contact me via email glutenfreefoodie@gmail.com

That was the wrong way to go because it made for many set backs and temptations.  If I didn’t have a plan I would somehow make excuses or try to convince myself that the “easiest and  fastest” option was actually GLUTEN FREE and it probably wasn’t.  Oh …. I paid for it royally!   My pain would last for days and little did I realize that I was actually doing more damage than good.  So please, take my advice and make a plan.  Make a menu as to what you will eat for the first few weeks.  Have a few options that will allow a little flexibility in your routine.  Here are a few examples as to what I keep on hand at any give time.  My pantry is actually a recycled locker. I repainted it a matted silver and cleaned it out several times. (It is 10 ft high by 3 or 4 ft wide) … old school … I know but it is fun to use it and reminds me of all the lessons that I have learned through this process.

 1) Lundberg Brown Rice Cakes with cream cheese and jelly
I also like these with peanut butter and jelly or any sort of Nut Butter and Jelly.

2) Hot Cereal like Cream of Rice with dried fruit like blueberries or cranberries and coconut.
This really helps me on days that I really want Oatmeal.  The other thing you can do is use leftover brown rice and add some of your favorite milk, coconut milk, almond milk or soy and heat it up in the microwave.  Add the same dried fruits, walnuts, pecans and coconut.

3) Eggs any way you like them, Frittata, Omelett, scrambled  or over easy … I like them all ways but I must have hot sauce!

4) Grilled Chicken – always great to have as a hot meal with veggies, wrap for lunch, in a salad or a bowl with rice and sauteed veggies.

5) Amy’s Refried Black Beans (low sodium)  or Traditional – This is just a great side dish or main meal at 3 g of fat or 7 g of protein.  Sometimes I have a scoop of beans and a corn tortilla with my eggs to make Huevos Rancheros.

6) Corn Chips or Corn Tortillas – I really like Mission Style White Corn Chips but if I am in the mood for something a little heartier I will get Tostitos or Fritos, the scoop style.  I use them in place of croutons in a salad if I just want more of a crunch.  I also mix them with my eggs and top with salsa.  The obvious way to eat them is as nachos or with a dip - bean or guacamole.

7)  Pacific Food Natural Broth - This is just great to use as a base for homemade soup or to use in place of  water for brown rice, quinoa or mashed potatoes to add more flavor.

Any of Pamela’s Products – Cookies or Biscotti – really all of her mixes and products because they are all so versitile and easy to make! 

9) Equal Exchange Dark Chocolate with Almonds Bar - It is Dark Chocolate without SOY and Almonds which are good for you … need I say more?

10) Instant Potato Flakes – I like to have these on hand at all times to make the obvious mash potatoes.  I also like to use these as a “breading” to coat chicken  or pork chops. If I the rare chance that I am out or low I will also use crushed up plain potato chips, which add an extra crunch!

I hope you find this helpful and in honor of Gluten Free Awareness Month -

I know sounds … delicious and oxymoronic …
Bacon Ranch Cheeseburger + Salad = Gluten Free???!!!
I have been having the worst craving for something that usually isn’t gluten free. I didn’t have to think too long and hard about it because I knew I really wanted the ultimate burger. So I put it down on paper as if I were creating a painting. Dark green Romaine lettuce leaves from my mother’s homegrown garden, rich red vine tomatoes, purple onions, big thick brown slices of Niman Ranch bacon and a big juicy burger stuffed with pepper jack cheese and topped with homemade ranch dressing (and not that package stuff!). Oh, it was divine! It was so beautiful, so tasty and satisfying. There was one problem. I can only tell you about it because … I forgot to take a picture of it before I dove into it and ate the whole thing! Once again, I will have to make a BIG note to self – Must take picture before eating!

Maybe I will have to just make it again soon just to take a picture of it and share it with you.
Oh, the sacrifices one makes for others. I can hear the Gluten Free Foodies laughing at me once again. What? no pictures?

Note to SELF – Insert Picture here, as soon as possible …  then eat!

(Originally posted on Gluten Free Foodies blog – June 30, 2009)