You know you love a race series when, after participating in it for the first time, you immediately declare, “I want to run this series next year!”
And that’s how it was for me last year when I participated in the Louisville Triple Crown of Running. If you are unfamiliar with the Triple Crown event, let me get you up to speed. The Louisville Triple Crown of Running is a three race series that takes place at various locations of Louisville throughout the month of March…and this year into April. This series of races is rather well-established and runs in varying distances, starting with the Anthem 5K Fitness Classic (3/9/13), the Rodes City Run 10K (3/23/13), and then the Papa John’s 10 Miler (4/6/13). Runners can participate in all three legs of the series or just pick and choose races from it. However, if you compete in all three races and finish, you do receive a race series t-shirt in addition to the individual race shirts you get for each race. And, as runners, we all know how much we love those race t-shirts.
This race series draws nearly 20,000 participants who run in at least one of the three events. Over 5,500 runners will complete the annual series and earn the Triple Crown t-shirt. (Yes…I was one of these people last year!) The first Triple Crown of Running occurred in 1984 and featured the Rodes City Run 10K, the Run for the Arts 15K, and the Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon. But in 2003, Triple Crown Race Organizers announced the new series, which omitted the Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon and instead added the Anthem 5K Fitness Classic to the mix.
I am quite proud to be in the city that hosts this race series. It is very well organized, highly attended, and just a lot of fun!
Which is why I was so eager to sign up for it again and do it all over this year.
So, this Saturday, while the cold weather will still be here in the morning, I am going to head downtown to Slugger Field and run the first race of this year’s Triple Crown series – the Anthem 5K Fitness Classic. I have no goals for this race…not even to beat last year’s time. And here’s why. I’m going to be out late the night before. At the PINK concert at the KFC Yum! Center in downtown Louisville. So, I am going to be exhausted after rocking out, getting home late, and then getting up early to head downtown, park, and get ready to run. So…my goal is just to finish and finish strong. And that’s the best goal to set, I think. No pressure. No reason to push it. Just enjoy the run, soak it in, and maybe next year work on a new PR or something.
I am looking forward to picking up my race packet tomorrow at Slugger Field and, despite not really being at the top of my game on Saturday morning, running a hell of a good race. In the end…I can only do what I am capable of and try my best.
So, for all of you who are running the Triple Crown this year in Louisville…I’ll see you at the start and hopefully the finish lines of each race. And good luck. Remember, the most important thing is to have fun.
Product: Dr. Lucy’s Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies – $5.59+
For the two years I have been gluten-free, I have been hearing and reading about the cookies from Dr. Lucy’s. I see advertisements for them in certain magazines. I pass them on the shelves at the grocery market. In a word…I knew about them, I just hadn’t taken the time to try them. And why not?
Because I have so many cookies in my pantry (remember…living gluten-free cookie monster here) and these were a bit on the pricier side when it came to gluten-free cookies. And, until recently, no flavors really stood out. You had your basics and the ones that pretty much every gluten-free cookie company shells out to the marketplace. Sure, I had read amazing things about Dr. Lucy’s cookies…but I wasn’t ready to spend that kind of money on them. I do, after all, have to budget my grocery bill each week.
That being said, my local grocery store had a mega closeout on their gluten-free section. Enough to throw me into panic mode and grab at least one of everything I desperately wanted to try…just in case it was gone for good. In that mix was a box of Dr. Lucy’s Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies. And last night…these just happened to be up next for dessert. So, after eating dinner, I opened up the pantry and dug out the Sugar Cookies, which were the first of the two boxes to be used. I checked for the serving size…three cookies!!…and then pulled out a serving for both my roommate and myself.
At first glance, these cookies look like your every day, run-of-the-mill sugar cookies. They are crispy. I could tell that before even biting into one. If you, like me, prefer a soft cookie, this brand may not be for you. But if you don’t mind some crunch (and I don’t…I just prefer soft cookies in the long run)…then go ahead and try these out for size. They are a light golden color and the tops are dusted with sugar crystals. Yep…almost like homemade…just without the hassle.
My roommate was the first to bite into these treats last night, and when I asked how they were, she said…”Pretty good.” Which usually means…they are edible…but we’ve had better. So, after I took a picture for the blog, I settled in for my own taste.
And yeah…they are “pretty good.” After visiting Dr. Lucy’s Web site, I have discovered that the main flours that are used to make these cookies are bean flours. Yep…bean flours. And I think that’s why, to me, at least, these cookies tasted more salty than sweet. They were definitely more of a savory treat as opposed to what I think of as a dessert. And that really threw me off. For real. I mean, when you think SUGAR COOKIE…you think…sweetness, a bit of gritty texture, and sugar. And…while there was a hint of sweetness at first, it sort of changed the more you chewed and took on a more salty aspect. It sort of threw my taste buds for a loop and they weren’t quite sure what to do with that.
The Web site does describe the cookies as “crispy, crunchy” and that is completely on par with the cookies I was eating. These cookies are also all produced in a dedicated facility so that there is no risk of cross-contamination. While these cookies are definitely crispy and crunchy (seriously…nothing chewy or soft about these), they don’t crumble and fall apart when you take a bite out of them either. On the contrary, they hold together really well, so no need to throw them on that dessert plate. You can nip at these and hot have the crumbles land in your lap.
That being said, when it comes to flavor, you’ll probably either love these or loath these. I’m still on the fence. I wanted sweet…something to cleanse the palate after I ate…and I sort of get that…but not quite. I just don’t find this to be a successful execution of gluten-free cookies. They aren’t bad…but they are…weird. The flavor just was off for me…and I’m pretty certain it has to do with the bean flours that are used to produce the base of the cookie.
While not bad…I’d probably choose a different gluten-free sugar cookie on the market before buying a box of these again.
Product: Rao’s Homemade Tomato Marinara with Basil Sauce – $8.99+
Oh yeah…Rao’s pasta sauce is expensive. VERY expensive.
So, what am I doing buying it? Well…it was on sale for half off…meaning I only paid about $5.00 for a 24 ounce jar. That’s not too shabby, right? *looks around innocently*
The fact of the matter is, no matter what food magazine or awards you might be looking through, when it comes to jarred pasta sauces, Rao’s always comes out on top. And I have been dying to try some of their sauce for…ever. No…really. Forever.
When a sale hit a local natural food store I shop at, I couldn’t help but snatch up one of the more basic sauces. Start basic…and if they nail that…then go bigger. That’s how I like to look at it. So, it came down between the regular marinara sauce or the tomato basil sauce. And…being the flavor fiend that I am, I decided to throw the whole basil aspect into the pot and see how that works. So, at half the cost, I purchased my first jar of Rao’s pasta sauce – Rao’s Homemade Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce with Basil.
And, with the urge to make stuffed shells and the gluten-free pasta shells and filling to do it with…it was as though the fates aligned to make this a reality. This sauce didn’t sit in my pantry for long at all. I was definitely eager to give it a taste. Last night, after a long day at the office, I went ahead with plans to make my gluten-free and vegan stuffed shells. I cooked up the noodles, stuffed them with my own variety of a filling, and then laid them in a thin layer of sauce before topping them off with the remainder of the jar.
From the moment I popped the lid and took a small taste…I knew there was going to be something magic about this sauce. No doubt about it. From just one little swipe at the top of the lid, I could sense the flavor explosion this sauce was going to lend to my dish. And I couldn’t be happier about it. Fact of the matter was, however, I needed to get my stuffed shells in the oven to cook and then I would really see how the sauce was, on its own and with the pasta and stuffing. So, into the oven it went…and for 30 minutes…I sat in wild anticipation.
Okay…really I did yoga…but I thought a lot about the casserole cooking up in my oven. Thirty minutes later, I was rolling up my yoga mat and pulling my pasta out of the oven. It smelled divine. My roommate even said that if it tasted as good as it smelled…we were lucky girls tonight.
Luck had nothing to do with it. A really amazing pasta sauce did, however.
Let’s start with the nitty-gritty. Rao’s Homemade Tomato Marinara Sauce with Basil is definitely a low calorie option for topping off pasta. A serving is 1/2 cup, and a jar will serve 6 people. In this serving, you will only set yourself back 60 calories…so if you are a sauce fiend, you won’t feel too bad about indulging a little. A serving contains 5 grams of fat, mostly from the olive oil (a healthy fat) as well. In addition, it is low in sodium (only 340 mg) and contains no cholesterol.
Enough of that technical stuff though…
Rao’s Homemade Tomato Marinara with Basil Sauce tastes like I just cooked it up that same night and poured it over the pasta. It really does taste the fresh. The ingredients are cooked and quickly jarred by Rao’s…so they retain all their flavor and don’t sacrifice quality as well. I mean, this sauce is all natural, containing tomatoes, Italian olive oil, onion, garlic and basil. Simple, clean flavors..that just explode with each taste. Most jarred pasta sauces taste like jarred pasta sauce. Not this one. It honestly tasted like I just made it…except better than my homemade sauce. It was light, chunky, and just simply amazing. All those food awards and reader surveys can’t be wrong and they weren’t. Fresh tomatoes and fresh basil…it tastes like it’s fresh from farm to table. I was beyond impressed.
Yeah…I know…I balk at the price of this pasta sauce too, but after tasting it…I would be reluctant to go back to any other jarred sauce out there. This one was beyond impressive. And now I hope to try the other flavors in the massive Rao’s sauce lineup. If you can find a jar that you can work into your budget, I encourage you to do so…immediately. Trust me…the taste alone is worth every dollar.
Gluten-Free & Vegan Stuffed Shells topped with Rao’s Homemade Tomato Marinara with Basil Sauce
Product: Tinkyáda Brown Rice Grand Shells – $3.39+
You know…I do have to give major props to Tinkyáda as a whole when it comes to gluten-free pasta options that are out on the market today. They definitely have the best variety when it comes to options. Normally the grocery store will have your basic fusilli, penne, spaghetti…but Tinkyáda actually has a couple of different options out there. For that, I am beyond appreciative.
One such option that is difficult to find, but worth the search or possibly the Internet order…is Tinkyáda’s Brown Rice Grand Shells.
In other words…a gluten-free option for anyone who has been craving stuffed shells.
Like I had been.
For…like…ever!
And on a whim one day while out at the grocery store, I spotted some Tofutti Better Than Ricotta Cheese in the vegan/vegetarian refrigerated section and bought it. Why? I have no idea. I wanted to try it. Tofutti makes the best vegan sour cream and a really great vegan cream cheese…so why not give the vegan ricotta cheese a try, yes?
I’m a chef in my own mind…the answer to that is always…a resounding, “YES!”
So, I purchased it. And took it home. I popped it into my refrigerator.
And then…it just…sat.
But it donned on me this past weekend while out grocery shopping…that I had purchased a box of Tinkyáda Brown Rice Grand Shells this past summer while in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for a race. I stopped by the Gluten-Free Trading Company and made a point to purchase a box of those. Why? Because my friend Jenn and I ended up ordering some on the Internet awhile back and we still haven’t used them. So…I now got to be the guinea pig.
After a long, hectic day at the office, I got home and immediately put a pot of water on the stove to bring to a boil. I retrieved this pasta from the pantry and popped it open to take a look. If you, like me, were expecting “normal” sized jumbo shells…like the “real” stuff you can buy at the store if you can eat the regular stuff…you will be disappointed. I sort of was.
Tinkyáda Brown Rice Grand Shells (cooked)
These Grand Shells…are definitely much smaller than the average shell you would use to make stuffed shells. So, I did feel my heart drop a little upon opening up the box. I checked the serving size…and it said that the box held 4 servings. So I counted out the shells and found I had 28 of them. Awesome. I always allow for pasta rippage and general carnage when using larger noodles. You might recall my unfortunate incident with the Tinkyáda Lasagna Noodles…and how they stuck together and then promptly fell apart into pieces, making my lasagna…a little interesting to put together. So…I dumped the entire box into the boiling water and cooked it for about 18 minutes, just so that it was al dente.
While the noodles cooked, I said a prayer to the gluten-free pasta gods for a little luck when it came to the shells. Maybe, just maybe enough of them would be useable. If not…I’d have to get really creative with my stuffed shell meal. So, with the shells boiling away, I set to prepping my filling for the shells.
I totally made this up. All I knew was that I wanted to use the Tofutti Better Than Ricotta Cheese. So, I scooped out a cup of it and put it in a bowl. From there…it needed to be seasoned. So I grabbed some dried herbs from my spice rack and just started eyeballing things. In went the parsley, sage, thyme, basil, and oregano. Then, a little garlic salt, some crushed red pepper flakes, a touch of cayenne pepper, and a little garlic powder. I mixed it all together. Then, I grabbed the green onions I had from my CSA bin and chopped those up, both parts…the white and the green, and threw them into a pan to sautee in a little olive oil. Out of the fridge came the vegan and gluten-free chorizo that I got at Trader Joes. I added it to the pan after the onions had softened and just allowed it to heat through. Finally, I threw in some minced garlic, let that heat for about 30 seconds until it was fragrant…then took it off the heat. I let it sit for a few minutes, then emptied that into my ricotta cheese mixture and folded it all together.
At that point, my shells were just about ready. I set up the colander to drain them, and picked up the large pot of noodles. Holding my breath, I poured the contents into the colander, expecting torn bits of these grand shells to tumble out. But, for the most part, the shells were completely intact. Color me impressed! I gave the shells a rinse in cold water and then shook them carefully out to get most of the water out. I brought them over to my work station and prepped my casserole dish with some tomato sauce and a sprinkling of Daiya mozzarella shreds.
Tinkyáda Brown Rice Grand Shells (stuffed)
Then…the exciting part. Stuffing the shells.
I handled each shell carefully at first, afraid that one single wrong move would cause the shell to tear or fall apart. Let’s face it…rice noodles have this reputation of getting mushy. And they have that reputation because…it happens. One tablespoon of filling went into each of the “grand” shells, because that gave them the perfect stuffed appearance. As these shells don’t fold over like normal shells, I laid them in the pan face up, instead of down, because I didn’t want my stuffing to fall out into the pan. The entire point of having stuffed shells is that they are…stuffed. Only a few shells didn’t make the cut. And the rest I had leftover were tossed only because I ran out of stuffing. It happens. Next time…more stuffing.
So now, the shells had survived boiling, draining, rinsing, and stuffing. And they were still holding their form. Still impressed. So, I took the remainder of my tomato sauce and poured it over top the shells. A sprinkling of Daiya mozzarella shreds went over the top. Then, into the oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes it went.
And I managed to squeeze in some time with my yoga mat while it baked away. I uncovered the dish for the last 5 minutes of baking and hoped for the best.
Out of the oven they came and I took a moment to marvel at how amazing the pasta still looked. The big test now was how they would hold up as I transferred them from the casserole dish to the plate.
The Tinkyáda Brown Rice Grand Shells passed with flying colors. I scooped up each shell in the cradle of a spoon and carefully deposited a serving on a plate. They didn’t fall apart at all. I was SO impressed. Now it came down to taste.
My roommate and I settled in with our dinner and she took the first bite. She raved about the filling. And then said that the noodles were actually really good. She loved how they were like regular ones in that you slice into them, and they squish down and the filling fills up the fork. I couldn’t agree more. Some of the shells were still a little too al dente…but the sauce and filling helped with that. Of course, the true test will come tonight when I reheat the shells and see if they still hold up as well after spending the night in the fridge.
As far as brown rice pasta goes, Tinkyáda is one of my go-to brands. I haven’t met a noodle I didn’t like from them. Honestly. The box of Tinkyáda Brown Rice Grand Shells has 4 servings in it. That’s actually a lot of shells…so you can probably squeeze out more to be honest. Even if they are smaller than the average pasta shell. A serving as 210 calories, which is right there with regular shells, so that’s a plus. The serving has only 2 grams of fat and 43 grams of carbohydrates for all you gluten-free athletes out there. Oh…and 4 grams of protein as well. Loving that. What’s even better is that the ingredients couldn’t be more basic: stone-ground brown rice, rice bran and water. Yep…I love ingredients that I recognize and can tell you exactly what they are. Love that this has nothing questionable in it.
So, all-in-all…a great showing for Tinkyáda when it comes to these “jumbo” (I use the term loosely) shells. I won’t complain. They did the job. And, as far as I have seen, Tinkyáda is currently the only gluten-free pasta company that offers something remotely close to the jumbo pasta shells out on the market. So, there is definitely a niche there and one that I am happy they filled.
Much love, Tinkyáda…and appreciation. Because my stuffed shell craving has been satisfied. Now…if only my local stores would start carrying these in their inventory…
Gluten-Free and Vegan Stuffed Shells made with Tinkyáda Brown Rice Grand Shells
As you may very well know by now…I love soup. Absolutely LOVE soup. If I have the time and ingredients, I will make any soup from scratch, freeze it, and eat it whenever the urge to slurp something hot and filling on a cold (or sometimes warm) day strikes. This winter has been particularly good for soup. Except my time hasn’t been as free as I wish it were at times, so a from-scratch soup doesn’t happen as often as I would like. That being the case, I stocked up on a couple gluten-free and low-sodium cans of soup to grab if the need to warm up and have a quick meal should strike.
This was the case last night. Over a week ago, my office moved buildings. And, unfortunately, the temperature control is…not the best. The building is old…but I still like to be able to feel my toes when I’m at the office. Just sayin’.
Needless to say…I was freezing pretty much the entire day. Which made me really not want to go on my fun run. It was not bad outside last night, actually. Somewhere in the low 40s, which is great running weather. But, after being chilled to the bone all day, the last thing I really wanted to do was step outside, on purpose, and go for a 30 minute run in Louisville.
BUT…on the way home, my roommate talked me back into it. After all, I had already had it in my head to prepare an easy meal prior to going (soup with a gluten-free and vegan grilled cheese sammie), that wouldn’t be too heavy, but will still power me through my run. So, I agreed that I was being a wuss and said that when we got home, I’d warm up the soup and get the sandwiches cooking before changing and heading over the river to run with my running group.
Upon walking through the door to the apartment, I shed my jacket and immediately went to the kitchen to pull out a pot to warm the soup in. The only can of soup left in my pantry (mental note made: buy more soup!) was Amy’s Organic Low Fat Black Bean Vegetable Soup. My roommate retrieved the can for me while I turned on the stove and got out the vegan cheese and other such items for the sandwiches. I left the bread in plastic bags to thaw while we were at work.
I opened the can and poured it into the pan, setting it over a medium heat so that it gave me time to get the sandwiches assembled and into the skillet. At first…it looked…rather disgusting. This thin brown broth followed by chunks of vegetables and this thick black bean puree. Yeah…it smelled okay…but it didn’t look very good. I managed to give it a good stir and get all the ingredients incorporated together. This thickened up the broth and made it look much better overall. I mean, it’s black bean soup…of course it’s not going to be beautiful. But…it needs to at least look appetizing.
It heated while I got to making the gluten-free and vegan grilled cheese, and they did finish up at the same time. Miracle of miracles. So, I plated the sammies and then grabbed a couple of bowls from my cabinet to ladle the soup into. It wasn’t as thick as most black bean soups tend to be, but I loved being able to see the variety of vegetables that were included in this soup, so it wasn’t just beans and spices. That was a nice touch. And yes…it smelled amazing. I will definitely concede to that fact. I walked the bowl out to my roommate then went to put water in the pot to soak while I went to eat before getting ready to head out to my running group’s Monday run.
I asked her as I was getting my food together what she thought of the soup. She said that it reminded her a lot of chili, which she has been craving, so that was a good thing. And if the roommate likes it…that’s also a good thing. She can be quite picky about certain things. And, human nature deems that all of us prefer different flavors and textures. I love a lot of spice in my food, so I found this rather unimpressive in that category, while she thought there was some heat to it. I found it mild, she found it sort of spicy. See what I mean?
Overall, however, it did it’s job. It was a satisfying meal that provided plenty of nutrients, protein, and wasn’t overkill on the calories and sodium like a lot of soups can be. Especially when they involve heavier ingredients like beans.
In fact, a serving size of this soup is half the can. And that will only set you back 140 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. How awesome is that?! A serving does contain 620 mg of sodium, which is higher than I like…but lower than a lot of soups on the market. So, we went with it. And, thanks to the black beans, one serving packs 6 grams of protein to your diet. That’s amazing.
So, while I would have liked a little more spice, this soup is a safe, gluten-free and dairy free soup. No cholesterol. And, most importantly, filling and delicious. If you like a little more flavor…add some of your own spices or a dash of hot sauce. I might do that next time. This soup is rich and filling and was the perfect way to warm up before going for a chilly run.
Another delicious product from Amy’s Kitchen.
A bowl of Amy’s Organic Low Fat Black Bean Vegetable Soup
Me after crossing the finish line of the Disney Princess Half Marathon – Orlando, Florida
Race: Disney Princess Half Marathon
Place: Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida
Date: February 24, 2013
Time:1:45:06
Just to get ahead of myself for a moment…let me start this blog off by saying that it seems the more the odds are stacked against me, the more I doubt my abilities, the better I do. I don’t know what it is…but let this race be a testament to this statement. Why? Because I didn’t have any sort of expectations about this race. I was at Disney World for the first time in my life. No one honestly runs Disney for time. And I knew my legs would be tired from all the fun stuff I would be doing in the days leading up to the race. All that being said…I set a new half marathon PR at Disney World during this race and I couldn’t have thought of a better place to do it…and not kill myself trying to do it.
Now…onto the race report.
I was already in my happy place coming into this race. Why? Well, as mentioned before…I had never been to Disney World (or Disneyland, for that matter) before. Coming in with this fresh take on everything meant I was ready to drink everything up and just absorb it all like a sponge. So, upon touching down at the Orlando airport, we got a ride to our resort (Port Orleans Riverside), checked in, then immediately headed out to see what we could of Animal Kingdom in the remainder of the day before we had to be at the Animal Kingdom Lodge that night for our dinner reservation.
I had a blast that first day…ate really well at dinner…went back to the resort that night and turned in.
The following morning, I woke up early to get in a 2 mile run? Why? Because I had come from the winter wonderland of Indiana, and it was in the mid-60s outside at my resort as the sun was coming up. Humidity was around 93%. So, I knew I had to adjust myself to the temperature difference by working in small, easy runs on what should have been rest days leading up to the race. Keeping them easy and not pushing would not use up energy and tire out my legs, but it would allow me to acclimate myself…which, to me, was more important at the moment. After my run, my roommate and I ate some breakfast, packed up our bags, and headed out to catch a bus to Animal Kingdom. From there, we jumped onto a bus to take us to the race expo, located inside the sprawling Coronado Springs Resort.
Here, Cathy and I were going to meet up with Indy, who flew in from California to run in this race. I adore Indy and was so excited to get to see her. She was staying at the expo hotel, so she was already through registration (which she texted and said was ‘a breeze’) while I was still on the transport bus heading toward the resort. Upon arriving at the resort, we now had to figure out how to, in fact, get to the actual expo. Once we got into the resort itself, it was a matter of following the signs and people who were dressed up like runners. Trust me…it seemed everyone felt the need to dress up like a runner to attend the expo. And there I was…in my usual jeans and t-shirt. I don’t know…I am a runner…so I just never feel the need to broadcast it.
As we neared the expo hall, I got out my signed waiver and proceeded to the very first booth of packet pick-up. Awesome. I was number 685, which meant I was in the first corral to be sent off, right behind the elites, which had only 31 runners who fit that description. Getting my packet really was a breeze. I told them my number, turned over my waiver, and handed them my photo ID. Yep. That was all there was to it. They, in turn, handed me me my bib, gave me back my photo ID, and handed me a plastic bag with race info in it. They told me that my t-shirt pickup was happening on the other end of the expo hall…so after getting my bib, I stepped out of the way, texted Indy, and let her know where I was. She said she was standing in the midst of the chaos and madness of the Official Merchandise, so I went to go grab my race shirt and see what mayhem was waiting in the Official Merchandise booth.
Getting my t-shirt was easy. A little tag on the bottom of my bib was taken off and I was handed the corresponding t-shirt size. I loved this t-shirt. It was a beautiful royal purple with Cinderella’s Castle on the front and the name of the race…and the fact that this was the 5th year it ran. Seriously…the shirt was gorgeous. But, as a superstitious athlete…I put it in my bag and carried it around. You should never wear a race shirt before you actually run the race. It’s bad mojo. Trust me.
With my t-shirt now in hand I was able to check out the madness of the Official Merchandise booth. Indy wasn’t kidding. There was no rhyme or reason to the way things were moving in that booth. People were everywhere. Moving slowly. Lines were scattered. People were wondering where to get in line to check out, while other people were just trying to get to the official merchandise to look at it. After fighting to get through a small portion of the booth, Cathy and I stepped aside…and that was when we spotted Indy. We waived her over and gave hugs and commented on the extreme chaos. I had wanted to get an official race pin…but the lines were crazy and nothing was organized. Indy said to come back at night or on Saturday and it would be better. She ran the Disneyland Half Marathon last year, so I figured she knew what she was talking about…so that was the plan of action. We decided to head on out and check out the rest of the expo for a bit.
This expo was HUGE. That isn’t an understatement either. If it has to do with running or physical fitness…it was here. I was in search of a couple things. I needed (note, I said need, not want) a new fuel belt. I had bought one prior to coming to Florida, but was only able to run with it on a dry run (no liquid in it). That morning, when I went on my short 2 mile run, I put water in it and it flopped and I hated every moment of wearing it. So, I needed something that would maybe stay put while I was on my 13.1 mile run on Sunday morning. Also, I needed fuel…Sports Beans and GU. And I knew the expo would be the place to find it. I was very successful in finding a fuel belt. The iFitness booth was there and I got one like the belt I wear on my runs around town, that doesn’t have a place for hydration bottles. This one had two 6 ounce bottles on each hip…and promised a no bounce, no slide ride. Without water in it…it definitely stayed put. And since I liked the regular belt so much, I took a gamble and bought it. That was $40 I hadn’t intended to spend…but it was necessary. Cathy found a booth that had both Sports Beans and GU, and I stayed neutral with the Mandarin Orange flavors. Yes…for both. Because if there is one thing I learned over the course of learning what my stomach can handle while running…I do NOT mix flavors. That is no good.
With all those purchase made, the rest of the expo was a lot of me pointing at cute things I wanted…staring longlingly at the Sparkle Skirts. Really coveting some running shoes, socks, shirts, etc. Wishing I were a millionaire. Oh…and coveting more great running gadgets and gizmos. I even went and got a small slice of Luna Protein bar because…it was free. Definitely not a flavor I would normally get…but again…free.
At some point, we lost Indy…but she met back up with us and we finished up our winding path through the rest of the expo. Then, we stepped out of the madness and into the hallway of the resort. Two handsome men were dressed up like princes’ for photo ops, but the line was long and Cathy and I were scheduled to hit up Magic Kingdom that day and I was raring and ready to go. So…we skipped out on that and Indy decided she would take advantage of it and wait in the line. I had never done anything Disney so the park was priority for me. We made arrangements to meet up with Indy and to Epcot with her the following day…and we parted ways for the day.
It was now 11 a.m. and a good chunk of the day was already gone. So, Magic Kingdom was a whirlwind, but we rode the required rides, ate Dole Whip, and then hit up Downtown Disney for our dinner reservation that night at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant. After we ate, we wandered Downtown Disney for a bit, then headed back to the resort. Where I collapsed in a tired mass and set an alarm to get up and run…to test out the new fuel belt early in the morning.
My alarm went off at 6:15 a.m., giving me ample time to get up, get dressed, get ready, put water in the fuel belt and head out to try it out. Well…it was better than the one I brought with me, but it still jostled and moved and slipped up over my belly. But…like I said…this one fit better and held better where I wanted it…and bothered me less…so therefore…it won. Despite today definitely being a rest day…I knew that would not be happening. I put in an easy two miles to see how the fuel belt would do, returned to the resort to eat breakfast, change, and then get to Epcot. There would be no REST at all today. NONE!
But…I wasn’t intending to take this trip easy on account of the race.
In true Indy fashion, upon meeting up with her at Club Cool, where Cathy and I were trying out the various types of sodas from different countries (China’s Watermelon Coke is AWESOME!)…and from there…we were on our amazing guided tour of all of Epcot that we could get through in the select amount of time we had. After all, with race morning being early (I’ll get to that momentarily), we all had plans to turn in early and get some much needed rest (or at least try to…as I never sleep well the night before a race…no matter what distance it is). So, we hit the ground running and got on as many things as we could from rides to little adventures. And then…we decided it was time to eat something. It’s the day before the race. Carbs are a runner’s friend. Unfortunately…the World Showcase at Epcot had very little for me. But, this worked out for both Indy and Cathy. Cathy stopped in Morocco and got the Lamb Schwarma Platter for lunch. Indy went to Japan for sushi. No gluten-free options for me, so we trekked it back to the main building where I hunted around Sunshine Seasons for some options for me. I ended up getting the Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad (definitely not ideal for a runner needing some carbs…but you go with what you have. And beets are supposedly very good for runners, so that worked out in the end), which I ate as swiftly as possible so we could continue on our World Showcase adventure. Indy said that if we got through America, then Cathy and I could finish up when we came back. So, we had a goal. And we reached it. And around 5 p.m., we were saying goodbye and heading to our separate resorts to prepare for the early wake up call for race morning.
The gluten-free cheese pizza the chef at the food court cooked up for my pre-race dinner so I could keep tradition alive and put my superstitious mind to rest.
And then, the superstitious athlete in me stepped up and had a moment of panic. Let’s put it this way…tomorrow morning I was going to run 13.1 miles and all I had for food was my gluten-free pastries that morning and a goat cheese and beet salad. NOT what I needed for sustainability for a long run. As we all know, my usual go-to pre-race food is a gluten-free pizza or something of that nature. In a pinch, gluten-free pasta will do. But pizza…that’s my magic pre-race food. And here I was…almost back to my resort and none of the places on site with gluten-free pizza really in a distance to go and pick it up. In fact, it was getting rather late at this point…and I was getting more and more bummed out and obsessed with the fact that I needed my gluten-free pizza. I knew salad wasn’t enough. I knew that much.
Once we returned to Port Orleans Riverside, Cathy went to go speak to the concierge…a nice guy by the name of Will…who she explained the situation to. He understood and made a call down to the food court attached to resort and was told to send us down and ask for a chef. We thanked him profusely and headed down that way. We spoke to someone training one of the cashiers and he went to retrieve the chef for us. Chef Wes appeared from the kitchens and Cathy explained that I was running in the race tomorrow and usually would have a gluten-free pizza or pasta the night before. Chef Wes said he could do either, and I asked if I could get a gluten-free cheese pizza made up. He said he could certainly do up an individual size pizza and then walk it out to me. To make it easy, Cathy just asked for the same thing instead of hunting around the food court for something to dine on. With our orders in and Chef Wes working on my pre-race meal…I headed back to the room to shower and relax while Cathy waited on the food. I had just settled in when she returned to the room with two pizzas in hand. They weren’t your top-of-the-line, or best gluten-free pizza I ever ate…but it was a gluten-free pizza and at that moment, it was the best thing I had eaten all day.
With my gluten-free pizza consumed, I prepared to turn in later than planned, but earlier than I had been on previous nights. Just before I settled in, my text message went off. It was Jenn…YAY! She was just texting me to wish me luck, tell me that the power of Dean compels me, and not to pants my poop. It’s tradition. It had to happen. And that, believe me, put a lot of my nerves at ease. It’s the little things…like jokes about runner’s trots…really. Then, I proceeded to have a restless night. My alarm…went off at 2:15 a.m.
Cathy with the two signs we brought (and I made) for the Disney Princess Half Marathon. The one on the left says, “How Am I Supposed to PR in Glass Slippers?” and the one on the right reads, “Run Like It’s Almost Midnight…”
Why so early? Because the Disney Princess Half Marathon kicks off at 5:30 a.m. with the hopes that everyone will be through the parks by the time the parks are scheduled to open. So…this was the set time and I was up and preparing to get ready to head out to the transport to take me to the starting line. First thing was first, however. Being that it had been so humid out, I went over to the door and pulled it open, finding the air to be heavy and moist. High humidity. Blech. This meant I ditched the singlet I was planning on wearing and went with just donning my baby blue sports bra. The color is important, my friends, because I was dressed up like Cinderella, complete with baby blue Sparkle Skirt and a baby blue BondiBand. On went my compression socks, my running shoes, my Garmin, my Road ID…and then I began filling the water bottles on my fuel belt. Once I had all of that done, I finally settled in long enough to eat my mostly frozen Greek yogurt (Chobani Banana, in case you were wondering). I normally have cereal, but that wasn’t an option today. Greek yogurt…good source of protein. Couldn’t do any harm…despite having never eaten it before a race like this. I prayed it wouldn’t upset my tummy. With that, I put on the fuel belt, was lit up by two glow bracelets, put on my hoodie, and headed out the door with my pre-race banana to eat an hour before the race started.
Cathy and I made the trek from our room to the main building. There was a small line to get on the race day transport bus. Lots of tutus and lots of costumes were all around. Some were really well done and clever. The bus arrived about 5 minutes later and we all got on and filled it. The line was much longer now, and we left a good number of people waiting on the next bus. From there, we were taken to the starting point, a short bus ride toward Epcot. The bus got us there and dropped us off…and from there we basically followed the sea of humanity as we moved toward the staging area of the race.
It was near the entrance of the staging area that the race organizers set up these beautiful stained glass backdrops for runners to take pictures in front of. While they had Cinderella’s glass slipper, I wanted my picture taken with the castle. So, I shrugged out of the hoodie and Cathy very kindly snapped the pic for me. I think I look a little demented in it…but it was about 3:30 a.m. I’m allowed.
From there, we began to shuffle forward just to find a place to settle for a moment. As we were walking that way, one of the race volunteers was reading off some of the signs he could see. Cathy held up the one I made that said, “Run Like It’s Almost Midnight…” He read that one aloud. Then she held up the other one that I made that said, “How Am I Supposed To PR In Glass Slippers?” He laughed and said we should have taken that up with Nike. Ironically…I wear Nike shoes. Even more ironic…New Balance was the sponsor for this race. Whoops.
Me in front of the Cinderella’s Castle stained glass backdrop before the race.
We briefly made our way to one of the gates, which for some reason Cathy wanted to stop at to “get situated.” At this point, I’m in race mode and I just want to get inside the staging area and mingle and…maybe find Indy. Indy texted (or maybe she called…it was really early…) right as we were finally getting into the heart of the area and asked where we were. I told her I was standing outside the entrance of the corrals and she said she was on the other side of one of the tents (in the VIP runner tent or something…) and would be right over. Lo and behold…a few moments later, the crowds parted and there was my friend…dressed as Belle and ready to run this thing. We hugged, carefully, as she was drinking some pre-race coffee. (Proven fact: Having coffee an hour before a run can enhance your performance. Might have to try that…). I checked my watch and was still not quite at the hour before the run mark to eat my banana. So we stood around and talked about anything and everything. She talked about her breakdown the night before when she went to iron her costume and the iron melted part of the shirt.
Now…take note here…I still do not know how Indy was not dying during this race. Running in 95% humidity sucks. And I did it in a skirt and sports bra. She was in a long sleeve shirt with a jumper over it. I would have been stripping by Mile 1. I’ll get to that momentarily…not stripping…but the actual race…but needless to say…with that sort of humidity, much like with the Indianapolis Women’s Half Marathon…I was drenched by Mile 1. Not good…nor fun. So, raising a glass of Powerade to my dear Indy for making it through the race in an outfit I would have collapsed in.
That being said, as the one hour mark was nearing, I hear an announcement that they were going to start loading my corral. I was stationed in Corral A (the starting corral) due to my estimated finishing time. So, now I had to eat my banana ahead of schedule…and not savor it…nope…I had to pretty much mash it down my throat and hope I managed to swallow because death by banana is definitely less dignified than death by dehydration due to bad outfit choices. I gave Indy a hug, and wished her luck. This would be the last time I would see her on this trip. Then, I gave Cathy a hug and began to make my way to the entrance of the corral. The volunteers checked my bib and let me through.
Me (as Cinderella) and Indy (as Belle) at the Disney Princess Half Marathon
Beyond the tent, there was a sea of port-a-potties…all of which were getting hit up hard. I am a princess…and I. DO. NOT. DO. PORT-A-POTTIES. There. I said it. So…onward, ever onward with the crowd, up the way and the dark street toward where the corrals were set up. There was a huge back-up near the corral area where another set of port-a-potties were set up…but we just sort of off roaded and went around. And then…I walked up the line of corrals to the first one. Corral A. I stepped inside and began to meander about…trying to figure out about where I needed to position myself. I finally just stopped moving and took up residence near the center, in the front third of Corral A…where some ladies were stretching…some were sitting to conserve energy…and some were dancing along with the Radio Disney guy who was leading a bunch of people in the Tootsie Roll, Gangnam Style, and so on. I at least did the YMCA. That is one dance I know I can handle. But, mostly I stood around and drank in the happiness of the runners, the atmosphere…and realized that I was 5 feet away from Sean Astin.
Yeah. Sean Astin. The Hobbit. Goonies. That guy. They were about to interview him, and he was positioned on the rail of my corral (he was not in my corral…but they needed him there for interview purposes. Best part…he was wearing a tiara. AWESOME. Even better than that, when all was said and done on camera, he was more than happy to pose with people for pictures and the like. I don’t carry anything with me on race day. Only the necessities…which are hydration belt and my GU/Sports Beans. No camera. No iPod. Nothing. Minimalist. That’s me. But I did pump a fist in the air and shout, “GOONIES NEVER SAY DIE!”
Fangirl moment over.
Disney also brought up to the stage one of the runners who was doing the Princess Half Marathon…who was the last to finish at the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in January at Disneyland. Her story just made me cry. There is this love of the sport that runners share, but even more…there is this appreciation for the sport itself. And she really made me appreciate what it is that drives me to run. She’s an inspiration…and I hope she surprised herself at this the Disney Princess Half Marathon.
Soon, the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella was brought up onto the stage and she set off the lone wheel chair racer. It was as simple as Bibbity Bobbity Boo. Fireworks went off and he was off and rolling. NOT in a racing chair, mind you. I know this only because I passed him on the course. Amazing!
Five minutes passed and Corral A was ready to run. The Fairy Godmother gave a wave of her wand and said the magic words. More fireworks…and the corral was moving forward. I shuffled those first few steps and then…over the start line I went. I hit the button on my Garmin and took off with the lead corral, reminding myself to pace myself over the first half of the race. While I’ve done quite a few half marathons by now…going out too fast is something even professionals do at times. I wanted to run this one smart…because it was humid. But…I also told myself to just go and have some fun.
It is a Disney race. And, as I said before, no one really runs Disney for time. Or…at least they shouldn’t. Because they would miss out on a lot.
I really loved how organized this race was. We were very spread out at the start, which was nice. Big races can be a bit of a challenge with everyone jockeying for some sort of position. I later heard some people complain about the crowded start…but in Corral A…you really don’t have to share the road with anyone else…but those you were corralled with. That being said, Disney had a system that would alert runners when the course would narrow ahead. This way you could adjust your position with other runners around you and continue on. No big deal.
As I mentioned before…it was a really humid morning. I was very glad I opted just for the bra top…because any more fabric and I might have been stripping it off and tossing it aside. I hit Mile 1, not even looking at the pace time, because…I was doing this for fun. My body was tired from being a first time visitor to Disney and wanted to do as much as I could whenever I could. So, I wasn’t setting a goal. Just to finish. Just to have fun. Just to soak it all in. And speaking of soaking…the humidity was already hitting me hard. My hair was drenched by Mile 1 and I could feel the beads of sweat on my skin. Blech. High humidity is awful to run in. It just saps your energy faster than you can even imagine.
Here is one of the best parts of a Disney race. Throughout the stretches of the course, there are characters out that you can get your picture taken with. This is why a lot of people carry cameras with them on these races. I gave a wave to each character I passed…but I did not have a camera on me. Onward…ever onward. Just…make a note…if you love photo ops…these races are full of them.
Much of this run is done on the highway, which they close for the race. That is a lot of nothingness except pavement. That’s where these character spotting sites come in handy. It keeps things interesting. Race officials had put up on the Web site that they preferred for people to not run with headsets on…and I’ve come to find out I actually run races better without my iPod. I’ve started leaving it behind. A year ago, I was bitching about not being able to listen to music…now…I choose not to. Funny how things change.
Around Mile 3 there was our second water stop. I took this opportunity to reach down and grab one of the bottles from my hydration belt. I took a sip and went to tuck it back in…and dropped it. Crap. So, this now meant I had to go get it. And I did. Ah well…stuff like that happens. You just roll with it. I also want to mention that this belt didn’t want to stay around my hips either…but it wasn’t as annoying as the other belt I used. And I’d every now and again push it down…only to have it ride back up around my waist. I finally just got tired of fighting with it and left it up there.
The next couple of miles ticked off easily. I was actually feeling good. I think I was still smiling. I was having a blast. And the best part was now ahead of me. Literally. I was entering the Magic Kingdom. And here, we make a circuit of the park and then run through…yes THROUGHCinderella’s Castle. That was the part I was really looking forward to on this race. And as I rounded the corner I went into the back gate…and got to see all the fantastic murals. This was my favorite moment, for sure. The crowds around Magic Kingdom were so enthusiastic and just really got you going. And as you came out of the castle…flashbulb after flashbulb after flashbulb was going off, making you feel like some sort of real princess or celebrity as the official race photographers captured your departure from the iconic castle, which was very quickly followed by an exit out of Magic Kingdom.
Back out onto the long, quiet highway to make my way back to the finish line, which was at Epcot. At Mile 7, I drank some more of my water and really stopped fussing with my fuel belt. I smiled at the characters I was passing. It was still kind of dark at this point, but all of us who were running were happy to be doing it. Darkness, solitude, and this amazing bond that runners share, no matter the race. It was awesome.
Mile 10 ticked off and brought us to the exit ramp. At this point, there was some daylight starting to make an appearance. Finally. I took the exit ramp as I do the hills I train on…fiercely. At this point I knew all I had remaining was a 5K race. And that really helps get you through to the finish line sometimes.
And sometimes it’s a Toy Soldier from Toy Story telling you that this is the last hill before the finish line. All we had to do was get over it. And could he get an “OORAH!” Which…I did shout back at him as I rounded the corner. That hill wasn’t bad. But there was a steeper one just a ways up the road. I took that one with the same power I put into the steepest hill around here when I run…and I passed up Pocahontas…finally. I had been trailing her for a good portion of the run and in my mind…my goal was to get past her. I managed. Now I just had to keep her there.
Around Mile 12, we came to this little turn around where some Disney hosts were out talking to the runners, asking where they were from, commenting on costumes. It was fun. It was just what runners need at that stage of the race. But I could also see that we were about to enter Epcot…and into the park we went. I was trailing a woman dressed as Princess Leia from Star Wars (now a Disney princess) so I used her as my new rabbit. Through the chute we went and into the park. She was still just ahead of me and I wasn’t looking at my watch so I had no idea how much further I had to go. But…I knew I was in the last mile, so I put a little more effort into it. We ran around the giant Epcot ball…and that was about where I finally managed to pass her. I could hear the finish line announcer. So, I was close. But it seemed every time I rounded a corner there was just more road ahead.
Finally though…there it was…the FINISH LINE! I could hear Leia catching back up to me, so I decided to give it all I had. I pushed. I kicked. And then…I crossed the finish line…just ahead of her. I took a moment…paused my Garmin…and spotted Cathy up in the stands with the signs. I pumped my fists in victory…the smile never leaving my face.
And here’s the kicker…
I wasn’t running for time…I was running on tired legs…for fun.
And I set a new half marathon PR.
In fact, I shaved two minutes off my previous best time for a half marathon.
Perhaps it was from running in the happiest place on Earth. Or maybe it was Disney magic…or pixie dust. Or maybe it was my dear friend Sandy, who passed away from cancer a couple weeks before…who I dedicated the race too. Maybe she loaned me her wings for a while. Because this finish was a huge surprise for me. And I was just a wave of emotions as I meandered through the recovery area, getting my medal…then my box of gluten-free goodies…and some water, of course.
I made my way out of the finisher’s chute and toward the Race Retreat area, where I was to meet up with Cathy. She was already there by the time I emerged and ran over to give me a big hug. I finally stopped long enough to check the time on my Garmin. And…if it was right…I ran one hell of a race.
Let me tell you this…when the results were posted later that day…my Garmin was exactly on as far as my time.
So…as it stands…my new Half Marathon PR was set at the Disney Princess Half Marathon at Disney World. I ran the course in 1:45:06!!! I still can’t believe that time. But it’s in black and white on my race results and recorded on my Garmin. Holy moley! I was 152/22,721 finishers overall. I was the 121/21,222 women to cross the finish line. And I was the 22/3381 person in my division. You do not even know how shocked I am with these results. It still feels like a dream. Disney magic indeed.
But I was running for fun…and sometimes that makes all the difference.
I had such a blast running at Disney World. I already am anticipating running at Disneyland for the Disneyland Half Marathon in September. And, now I’m totally hooked and just want to hit up every Disney race I possibly can. But that will have to happen on a ‘what can I afford?’ sort of budget plan.
For now…I can’t stop smiling and thinking back on this race…on how good it felt to run it…despite the humidity. And how amazing the volunteers and organizers were throughout the race. I loved the energy from the cheering sections and the crowds along the course. And I’ll never stop thinking of my run through Cinderella’s Castle. If any moment was more magic than the rest…that was it. That was my moment. And then, of course, that spectacular finish.
Disney…you gave me one hell of a welcome…and one hell of a great race. Thank you! I promise…I will be back.
Me striking a pose for a strong finish and a new PR at the Disney Princess Half Marathon
Ah, winter. The only thing about winter that I absolutely love…is that it is the heart of soup season. Nothing beats a warm bowl of soup on an icy cold evening. Nothing. Just…trust me on this one.
Now, I do love to make my own soups and often do. However…sometimes there just isn’t enough time in the day to get all the prep work and the whole cooking part of the meal done. It can be a bit daunting…especially in my closet-sized kitchen. I love to cook, but not in there. Not for long periods of time. There just isn’t room.
Well, upon returning from vacation in Disney World, my roomie and I were looking to use up some of the items that are lingering in the pantry, fridge, and/or freezer. Being that we had come from warm, beautiful Florida…back to a wintery mix falling from the Louisville skies…soup sounded pretty awesome. We had two more days until the weekend and we were trying to make it through without hitting up the grocery store for anything besides necessary items (her skim milk, my Greek yogurt, etc.).
That being said, I had a couple of Amy’s Soups in my pantry…both gluten-free of course. It was just a matter of which one we should devour that chilly evening.
I let Cathy choose…and her decision was to have Amy’s Thai Coconut (Tom Kha Phak) soup that night with a gluten-free grilled cheese and avocado sandwich. Sounded good to me…and it was as easy as making a sandwich and heating up the contents of the soup can, which made my travel weary body very happy.
Tom Kha Phak is a popular soup in Thai restaurants that combines sweet coconut milk with warm Thai spices, organic tofu, lemongrass, shiitake mushrooms, sweet potatoes, and other various vegetables. So many times, this type of soup is a go-to for someone who is unfamiliar with Thai food and not sure what to get or what they might like. As Tom Kha Phak has a delicate, mild flavor…it is often a good place to start.
But…I adore Thai food. I love Thai food. I often crave Thai food. That being said, I have never had Tom Kha Phak at any Thai restaurant. I normally go for a Pad Thai or something along that line. So, I didn’t know what this soup was going to taste like or if I would like it. Really the most daunting part of it was the fact that it was a coconut milk based soup. Which, shouldn’t make a difference as I drink and use coconut milk in many things. Why this threw me off and made me a bit apprehensive about this soup is beyond me. Guess it was just one of those mental roadblocks.
But, I set aside any judgement and poured the soup out of the can into a pot and began to warm it on the stove. While that was warming, I went to work on the gluten-free grilled (vegan) cheese and avocado sandwiches. They finished up at the same time, so I couldn’t have been happier. I sliced the sandwiches into fourths (because you gotta have those little triangles!) and then dished up little bowls of the soup. Dinner was served.
I’ll say this…the soup absolutely smelled fantastic, so if that was any indication as to what it might taste like…I was ready to be wowed. One little slurp of just the broth and I was hooked. Once I began ladling up spoonfuls of the broth with the vegetables and tofu…it was soup magic. This instantly became one of my most favorite pre-packaged, buy-it-off-the-shelf soups on the market. I loved the warm spices that were throughout the coconut milk broth. The vegetables were soft, yet packed with flavor. The tofu was rich, but didn’t overpower anything else in the soup. I wanted more…but all I had was what was in my bowl. So I savored it…down to the last slurp.
Amy’s Thai Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Phak) has no trans fat, no added MSG, and no preservatives. It is certified vegan and gluten-free. The ingredients that go into this soup are all items I recognize. Every single one of them. Filtered water, organic coconut milk, organic sweet potatoes, organic carrots, organic tofu, organic green beans, organic onions, organic shiitake mushrooms, spices, sea salt, organic evaporated cane juice, organic cornstarch, organic tamari, kaffir lime leaf (remove this before serving, BTW), organic garlic, shallots, organic orange peel, and organic oil. I bet you recognize every single item I listed off. It’s all natural and organic…and what that sort of quality brings to the product is astounding.
As for nutritional information, the serving size is half the can, which means you get two servings out of the container. Each serving contains 140 calories and 10 grams of fat. Don’t panic over those fat calories…much of that is healthy fat that comes form your coconut milk. A serving packs a 4 grams of protein punch. And, for being a canned soup, the 580 mg of sodium isn’t too bad comparatively speaking.
Oh…and this soup is delicious. If I didn’t get my point across earlier.
Amy’s Kitchen provides so many gluten-free and vegan options that I don’t know why I doubted the quality and taste of this soup. I have yet to meet an Amy’s product that I can eat that I don’t like. Honestly…when a company puts that much effort into providing the best quality and tasting product they can produce…it shows.
And this soup…now ranks as one of my favorites. Never tried it? Go out to your grocery store…right now…and buy a can. Give it a quick warm and enjoy. I promise…you’ll fall in love with it as quickly as I did.
For the first time in my life…I was excited to be heading to Disney. Yes…I’m in my thirties. No…I’ve never been to a Disney park. No Disneyland. No Disney World. My family could never afford to go when I was growing up…so that was one thing many of my friends had done that I hadn’t yet achieved. It was certainly on my bucket list, and from what I had been told…I’d enjoy it more now that I was older anyway.
That being the case…the perfect opportunity to go there arose with the Disney Princess Half Marathon. Originally, I was going to run this one in 2012, but I didn’t have the money for it. So, the moment registration opened for the 2013 Disney Princess Half Marathon, you better believe I was registered and ready to run. The way I figured it…if I went ahead and registered, I couldn’t talk myself out of it due to financial reasons. No looking back. I signed up the minute registration was opened…and I was locked in.
Disney World.
Trust me…I do not travel without doing some research as to what I might be able to eat. Thankfully, Disney World is pretty much the #1 go-to vacation spot if you have food allergies…especially Celiac or gluten intolerance. Trust me. I was expecting to have to eat many a Go Picnic meal while on vacation, but I only had to break into one of the little packs I brought…and that was at the Atlanta airport on the way home. That definitely speaks very highly of the park and of Disney.
So…here I go with yet another combination blog about my amazing dining experiences while at Disney World. I wanted to be particularly safe in my food choices being that I was there to run a half marathon and being glutenized while on vacation sucks enough…but being glutenized before running 13.1 miles sucks even more.
Safety was key…and I never felt as if I were in any danger of becoming sick at any dining establishment where my roommate and I chose to dine.
I suppose the best place to start…is at the beginning of the trip…
Sanaa – Animal Kingdom Lodge
Restaurant: Sanaa – The Animal Kingdom Lodge
What better way to experience Animal Kingdom, our first park of choice, than by eating at the Animal Kingdom Lodge that night for dinner. What really added to the ambiance of this particular dining attraction was that you could literally gaze out of the window and see exotic animals roaming around the Sunset Savanna as you eat. The cuisine is African-inspired with Indian flavored. Mmmm…I totally dig Indian food.
My roommate and I arrived about 15 minutes ahead of our reservation. As we checked in, the hostess said that she saw that there was one person in the party with a gluten allergy. I nodded and said that it was me. She handed us our little pager thingy and we took a seat to wait for our table. Despite arriving early, we were taken back as soon as something opened up…which was just before our reservation time anyway.
I loved the dimly lit quarters in which diners were seated. All around were decorations from Africa, really adding to the
Hazelnut Rooibos Tea
amazing feel of the restaurant itself. And, once seated, our waiter came over to the table to get our drink order and talk about some specials. I went ahead and ordered a hot tea to go with my dinner, settling on the Hazelnut Rooibos tea ($6.29) with some water.
As he was going over some of the favorites on the menu, he noted that I had the gluten-free menu in front of me and said that a chef would be out to talk to me specifically about the menu, but that if anything on the regular menu looked like it had gluten in it…it was not on mine. Just as he was starting to go over the gluten-free bread option should I want to do the Indian-style bread service, which means I get poppadoms instead of the traditional bread, the chef, Jake, came out to speak to me about the menu.
Chef Jake really did a lot to put my mind to ease. Not only did he promise to watch my ticket carefully as it was prepared, he also went over the poppadoms that I could use for the Indian-style bread service, should I choose to do that. He went over which sauces/chutneys would be okay with that (they were listed on the menu) and said that I could put my mind to ease…as they would take good care of me. I thanked him for his time and he returned to the kitchen, leaving us once again in the capable hands of our server, Chris.
With a little bit of time to decide on what we wanted, my roommate and I placed our orders. Cathy decided on the Chicken Tandoori Pilaf ($17.99). As for me…the Sanaa Vegetarian Sampler ($14.99) sounded awesome. I was able to choose two of the five vegetarian dishes and have them served with basmati rice. I was able to choose between Paneer Tikka; Stewed Lentils; Spicy Peas, Chickpeas, and Potatoes; Mixed Seasonal Greens and Tomatoes; Vindaloo-style Vegetables. I knew for certain I wanted the Vindaloo-style Vegetables, so the difficult part was deciding what the other choice would be. After a little back and forth, I chose the Stewed Lentils as my second option.
Chris went to put in the order and I left my fate in the hands of Chef Jake and his knowledgeable kitchen staff.
Food arrived at our table and I couldn’t wait to try it out. It looked fantastic. Three bowls were placed before me. The middle one held the basmati rice, the one on the left had my tewed lentils, and the one on the right had the vindaloo-style vegetables. It smelled fantastic and I couldn’t wait to dig in.
The basmati rice was perfect with each of these dishes…for one thing. And the rice was cooked to perfection and lightly flavored, so as not to take away from the dishes that accompanied it. I started with the Vindaloo-style Vegetables. This dish included a blend of okra, tomatoes, green beans, cauliflower and onion. It wasn’t packed with flavor…as I was expecting a bit of a spice to accompany it. But, that being said, it wasn’t lacking either. I thought this was going to be the highlight of my sampler…but it was slightly too mild for me and definitely not as full of flavor as I anticipated. That being said, it did taste good. I just was familiar with my last vegetarian vindaloo experience where I had a lot of heat in each bite. This wasn’t at all bad…it just wasn’t as fantastic as I had built it up in my mind.
The stewed lentils, however, are another story. These golden lentils were not only packed with protein (me and my protein!), but also seasoned to perfection. They were creamy and had a hint of spice to them that I enjoyed. I dished some rice into them and it was a perfect combination when mixed together. I loved the texture and taste of these lentils. Nothing grainy…nothing too bland. Perfection. These thrilled me.
Despite being full, Chris talked my roommate and I into dessert. As we were both rather full, we decided to split something. And the dessert menu at Sanaa was not lacking as far as gluten-free options went. As we were splitting, Cathy and I chose to try our waiter’s suggestion, the Banana Kulfi Sundae ($5.49), which he described as a banana split without the banana. Well, I was totally sold!
Sanaa’s Banana Kulfi Sundae
The dessert was brilliant. A cube of banana flavored kulfi (which is sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk that is flavored) is served with a wedge of dried pineapple, warm chocolate sauce, strawberries, a dollop of whipped cream, and spiced cashews. Kulfi is a bit denser than ice cream and actually takes longer to melt. Pretty awesome. And the dessert…was fantastic. Amazingly tasty. I especially loved the strawberries that came on the side. I tried to mix as many of the components together for a bite and it was magical. I suggest to anyone dining at Sanaa they save room for dessert and give the Banana Kulfi Sundae a try. Trust me…it was worth the extra money and indulgence.
Sanaa was certainly a good way to kick off my week at Disney World. I was put to total ease from the moment I checked in and never felt like I needed to second guess any of the food placed in front of me. Total win.
Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant – Downtown Disney
Restaurant: Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant – Downtown Disney
Well, by now, you know how it is when a pub is in the vicinity with my roommate and I. We definitely love our pub grub. She definitely always has more of a selection because being gluten-free at a pub is definitely not easy and being a vegetarian on top of it…even more difficult. But, I still love the atmosphere of Irish pubs and we chose this one specifically because of how it was rated with gluten-free fare. Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant is located in the bustling, busy, crowded Downtown Disney.
Let me preface this by saying that of all the places I ate at Disney World…this one was my least favorite. There were options on the menu for me…many dishes being labeled as having a gluten-free version of it (and yes…this included the fish and chips). So, that was very calming for me as far as menu choices went. The thing was…beyond a salad, there wasn’t too much for a vegetarian to have…aside from the Raglan Risotto…which I almost settled on. The server said I could also enjoy the Portobello Beauty Sandwich without the bread. But…with all that being said…I decided to stick with something I could pretty much guarantee wouldn’t make me sick.
Let it be known, Cathy cannot enter a pub without getting the Fish and Chips ($19.00) which she always gets with a drink, and since they had Magners ($7.00 – and it’s gluten-free) on tap…she was definitely one happy girl.
I decided to stick with water for my beverage and finally settled on one of the salads on the menu that was vegetarian and gluten-free. My choice…the Vroom Salad ($12.00) with a helping of some gluten-free carbs…a side of their fries (or chips as they say in Ireland) ($5.00), which would be prepared gluten-free for me.
Dinner arrived at our table. My roommate loved how her fish and chips were served traditionally…wrapped in paper and poured out onto her plate. She loved the tartar sauce that came with it. She did enjoy the fish, but the chips lacked.
As for me…the Vroom Salad intrigued me right away. The Vroom Salad is made up of gluten-free quinoa grains with cider vinegar marinated
Raglan Road’s Vroom Salad with a side of Chips
beans, sweet and sour carrots, watercress, and served with a honey mustard dressing. It was presented in the center of a plate in a pile, which I totally destroyed with my fork to scatter things about the plate and mix with the dressing.
As far as a salad goes…this one was actually one of the better offerings I have had at a pub. The addition of the quinoa was a fantastic protein-packed addition to the usual greens and vegetables that I get stuck with at such establishments. The flavors from the beans and carrots only heightened the flavor of the salad. I felt they were a little heavy-handed with the watercress, but it added a nice green throughout the salad, once I mixed it up. The watercress was the most unwieldy part of this salad. It was the best part of this meal.
That being said…my roommate and I were more than disappointed with the chips. These fries were mostly soggy and lacking that firm crunch I love on the outside of fries. I don’t get to eat fries out much, so I was looking forward to these. And they were a huge disappointment in the end. I ate more of them than I intended, but as I was paying for them…it seemed like I had to put some effort into it.
Would I go back to Raglan Road on a follow-up visit? Not likely. Which is too bad…because I do love pubs.
No dessert…instead my roommate and I hit up Downtown Disney Babycakes NYC bakery for a gluten-free cookie sandwich. My favorite thing I ate all night. But I’ll get to Downtown Disney’s brach of Babcakes NYC soon enough…
Sunshine Seasons – Epcot
Restaurant: Sunset Seasons – Epcot
With all the food options available at Epcot…there was very little around the park that I could actually eat. Today was the day before the race and I needed to be very sure about the food I consumed. One bit of cross contamination could be disastrous for me and my race that I paid so much to run and trained hard for in the cold weather of Indiana.
My roommate already knew what she was going to consume at the park – Lamb Schwarma Platter ($12.99) from Tangierine Cafe in Morocco. That plate of food came complete with her protein of choice (lamb) as well as a side of hummus, tabouleh and a Tangierine couscous salad with fresh Moroccan bread. We had met up with our friend Indy, who was also running in the race, and she ventured over to Japan for some sushi. This only left me to find food. And while I hoped for some gluten-free vegetarian sushi, I was informed that only the Tariyaki Salmon was gluten-free in Japan. No good. I left feeling down. Looked like it was back to the original plan for me that day…grabbing something at Sunshine Seasons in the food court at Epcot.
I was told they were famous for their soups…but it was hot outside and I wasn’t feeling soup. I checked out some of the grab-and-go options…including the sushi…but not gluten-free. Of course. *sigh* With no other options, it looked like I was having yet another salad. We spoke to the person at the salad bar to find out if the Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese Salad ($7.89) was gluten-free. She wasn’t certain, so she went to check with the chef. He said that as long as there was no cracker served with it…it would be okay for me.
I wasn’t feeling it…but I was hungry. So…that’s what I ordered.
Sunshine Season’s Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese Salad
The salad was rather small, comparatively speaking. It was basically roasted red and yellow beets, served over lightly dressed spring greens. Generous heaps of goat cheese were served with it. And, on top, cinnamon-roasted pecans to add a bit of texture and flavor. The entire salad was dressed with a mild honey-sherry dressing.
It was…okay. I liked the nuts and goat cheese the best. The beets were, actually, a good choice for the day before the race. But there was nothing really great about this meal. Grab-and-go is not my favorite thing as it is…and food courts are…not always the best option as a go-to for me. But…I had to eat. While all the flavors worked together…this just wasn’t what I really wanted that day, so it paled in comparison to anything else I could have sought out. The problem was…this was all there was. So, while the salad was good…it wasn’t amazing. And I probably wouldn’t order it again even if it were the only option once again.
Meh.
Damn you Epcot and your lack of gluten-free, vegetarian ethnic food throughout your showcases.
Riverside Mill Food Court
Restaurant: Riverside Mill Food Court – Port Orleans Riverside
This…was not a planned food stop on this trip. Not at all. But…here’s the thing. I am an athlete through and through and I have my traditions and my superstitious. And here is the thing…before every big or long race I run…I love to have gluten-free pizza. And if pizza is not available, gluten-free pasta will do in a pinch. But it’s that gluten-free pizza that seems to power me through the following morning. And after spending the day at Epcot and only consuming a small salad…I needed something that would give me some energy for the early morning race (the race kicks off at 5:30 a.m.).
Panic mode. None of the restaurants that have gluten-free pizza were in range of the resort. My roomie and I were staying at Port Orleans Riverside. And we had made it back over that way when I said I needed to have my gluten-free pizza/pasta tradition. Honestly…this isn’t something I take lightly. But with nothing close…I wasn’t sure how to accomplish this.
My roommate went to speak to the concierge on duty. His name was Will and he was fantastic. He said he knew how difficult it was to be a Celiac and said he would see what he could do to help. He picked up the phone and called down to the food court in the resort to see if there was something they could help me with. He was told to send us down and have us ask to see as chef. We thanked him for his help and meandered that way.
Chef Will (from Columbus, Ohio) came out to see us and we explained that I was running in the half marathon the next morning and have a tradition of either gluten-free pizza or pasta prior to the race. He said he could prepare either one of them for me. So, my roommate and I each decided to get one of the gluten-free pizzas. She could have actually gotten anything from the food court, but I think she was just trying to keep it simple. Chef Will went to go prepare two gluten-free cheese pizzas for us (individual size) and I was forever grateful and already feeling better about the run in the morning. He went over to the kitchen at Boatwright’s Dining Hall to actually cook the pizzas. Then, after they were ready, he walked them out himself.
Pre-race, individual size, gluten-free cheese pizza ($8.99) made specifically because I had a dietary need…from the Riverside Mill Food Court. I was impressed.
The pizza was…not one of the better ones I’ve had. The usual rice cracker crust with pasta sauce and some cheese…warmed through and put onto plates. Nothing special. Nothing fantastic. Nothing that made it stand out from some of the other places I have dined on gluten-free pizza. But at the moment…nothing could have tasted better. I appreciate the effort that Port Orleans Riverside put forth for me, specifically the help that both Will and Chef Wes gave to me to help me get the food I needed the night before my reason for being in town.
Huge sigh of relief. Mediocre pizza…but man…that night…it tasted oh, so good!
Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano – Hollywood Studios
Restaurant: Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano – Hollywood Studios
Of all the places I ate at Disney World…this one, ironically, was my favorite. Really. I say ironically because it is, after all, an Italian restaurant and for the most part…Italian food is a no-go for the gluten-free diet.
Unless places can accommodate patrons.
And this place was rated high on how they can deal with food allergies…specifically gluten-free dining.
We arrived a little early for our reservation, but they didn’t mind. A short wait and we were still seated ahead of our reservation time. Loved that. Our server, Elizabeth S., came to the table and noted the tag marked “ALLERGY.” She inquired as to what the allergy was and I told her gluten. She said the chef would be out to speak to me about my options.
A few moments later, Chef Michael was coming to the table to talk about the menu. He said that the pastas could be made gluten-free…and he
Mama Melrose’s Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls
also had gluten-free flatbreads and dinner rolls. And, should there be room for dessert…a gluten-free flourless cake. He asked if I knew what I wanted and I explained that since I was a vegetarian as well, I was really looking at the Spaghetti Marinara ($14.99). He said that he could even throw in some vegetables for me if I would like. I’ve never met a vegetable I didn’t like…so I told him I was totally game for that and he could have some fun with it. He asked if I was interested in the gluten-free dinner rolls, and I had run 13.1 miles that day…so of course I was.
That being decided he returned to the kitchen and Elizabeth returned to the table. Cathy opted for the Spaghetti with Meatballs and a Four Cheese Sauce ($18.99), which came with complimentary bread.
This would also be a great time to mention that my gluten-free dinner rolls…were also complimentary. No charge. Not at all. And I was given 3 in my basket when they came out to the table…warm and ready to eat. I broke one open and took a bite. Delicious. It tasted like what I remember a honey wheat bread to taste like. But…it was completely gluten-free…warm…amazing…soft…and just plain YUMMY!
Mama Melrose’s Gluten-Free Spaghetti Marinara with Chef Michael’s Vegetable Selection
Entrees arrived at the table and I was taken aback by just how much food was in that bowl. Lots of pasta. Lots and lots of pasta. And my favorite part was the plethora of vegetables that Chef Michael added to my dish. I found carrots, broccoli, peppers, spinach, and mushrooms. It was so much fun seeking out those little morsels and mixing them with the rice noodles and the delicious marinara. I fell in love with this meal. So much. And, sadly, there was a lot of it. I couldn’t finish it. But I at least did the chef justice by eating every last vegetable I could find in that bowl. It was a treasure hunt and I enjoyed every single bite of it.
As I had two dinner rolls remaining, I chose to take those with me to have as lunch while out and about in the parks the following day. We were heading back to Epcot and I knew there was little for me to eat there…so now I had something that could quell any hunger pains before dinner that night.
Now…if you will recall…I mentioned that this was my favorite place I dined while in Disney World. And, for me, that meant…I wanted more. I was so intrigued by this gluten-free flatbread that I asked if, perhaps, on our last day there…if we could go back for dinner. We had a big breakfast planned that morning but nothing else, and I figured we’d want something to eat before heading back to the resort to finish packing and turn in for the night.
The problem was…there was no reservations available for us. We checked with the concierge at Port Orleans Riverside the night before…but nothing. We checked again the following morning…still nothing. So, it seemed we were out of luck. On a whim, however, we decided to at least hop down to Hollywood Studios that evening to see if they might be taking walk ins. That…was a negative. However, the hostess did tell us to check back around 6:30 p.m. if we wanted to wait that long (it was just over an hour wait), because some people never turn up for their reservation, opting to go to the Fantasmic! show instead.
I was starving by this point, mind you, and the thought of waiting that long was daunting. However, hopping the bus back to Port Orleans Riverside to dine on Go Picnic meals on our last night in Disney World was less than exciting. Our other option was Sanaa, but online reservations would have us at 6:50. Might as well wait until 6:30 here at Mama Melrose’s and see if something opened up. If not…we’d figure something out…
Luck was with us that night. We turned back up at 6:30 p.m. as instructed. The hostess radioed back to see if they could take a party of two…and they could. It meant a 20 minute wait, but I had already come this far to eat here again, I wasn’t going to stop now. I think our wait was actually less than 20 minutes…but well worth it. We were seated, and the allergy tag was stuck on the table once again. Our waitress tonight was Rose. She said that we might have to wait a little on the chef tonight, as a party of 14 was seated near us and they had kids with multiple food allergies.
The wait was well worth it. Chef Michael came to our table and welcomed us back, already setting a basket of gluten-free dinner rolls down. He remembered us!! Two nights ago he made me a fantastic Spaghetti Marinara. And we told him that we had returned tonight, since he intrigued us by gluten-free flatbread and flourless chocolate cake.
Cathy and I chose to split the Wild Mushroom Flatbread ($12.99). He said he would get right to work on that and would keep in mind the
Mama Melrose’s Gluten-Free Wild Mushroom Flatbread
flourless chocolate cake. YAY! Rose came over to record the order to put it into the system and let us sit and enjoy our hot dinner rolls. Chef Michael returned with some olive oil and spices to dip our rolls in, as well as some fresh butter to spread over it should we choose. We did both. And both were delicious choices. We actually devoured all of the rolls before the flatbread came to the table.
The Wild Mushroom Flatbread is sort of like a pizza. This one is a gluten-free flatbread crust that is topped with roasted cremini and button mushrooms, a garlic-shallot spread, and then finished off with the most amazing balsamic reduction. This was complete love at first bite. The balsamic reduction was the best touch for this, but all of the components worked together. And the gluten-free flatbread was beyond fantastic. Finally…a “pizza” I could really enjoy on this trip. Amazing. We had no trouble splitting this and polishing it off.
Mama Melrose’s Gluten-Free Brownie à la Mode
As for that flourless chocolate cake though…the chef searched high and low…and couldn’t find one. But here is where the magic of Disney happens. Because he had promised it…he instead sent out a gluten-free brownie topped with ice cream and chocolate sauce…free of charge. The brownie was crisp on the outside, soft and warm on the inside. And the cold ice cream sitting on top of it only enhanced the already amazing chocolate flavor of the brownie. Right here is proof enough that gluten-free doesn’t mean tasteless or hard or dense. This brownie was hot, rich, and packed with fudgy chocolate flavor. It was a truly decadent and sinful treat. But it was our last night there…and I was ready to indulge.
A very nice tip was left for our waitress and lots of praise and thanks were shared with the hostess to pass on to Chef Michael.
And I would dine here over and over again…and next time I’m at Disney…I will do just that.
La Hacienda de San Angel – Epcot
Restaurant: La Hacienda de San Angel – Epcot
Epcot…oh, Epcot. Returning to the land of very little food for me. But this was different. This was dinner. And the one place that my roomie researched when it came to gluten-free options was this beautiful Mexican restaurant in the World Showcase of Epcot. The restaurant – La Hacienda de San Angel.
Now…I love authentic Mexican food. I don’t eat much of it anymore because there are just too many factors that go into the food that could lead to cross contamination. But the reviews about this place were a huge help and brought a sense of comfort with the service and the food that would be served.
In fact, it was stated online that La Hacienda de San Angel makes their own gluten-free corn tortillas in house! This was exciting news. My roommate took the time to print off the vegetarian menu from the Internet prior to leaving, so I had an idea of what I was going to get from that. The Enchaladas de Vegetales actually sounded very appetizing to me as that day I was suffering a little from the banana split I had for dessert the night before (too much dairy!). So, with an off stomach…Mexican food was sounding very daunting…but I wanted to give this a go.
We showed up early to the restaurant. Actually, we thought we were right on time, given that there was a huge line that we went to stand in just to reach the hostess outside of the restaurant. But, after a few minutes of standing there, the entire line cleared up. So we were now a good 40 minutes early for our reservation. The hostess looked up our reservation and sent us through the doors to the restaurant to have a seat and wait. I actually anticipated waiting the entire time, but we were actually shown to our seats soon after that.
Our waiter let us slide into our booth and then he settled a napkin on each of our laps. Ooooh….fancy. I suddenly felt under-dressed now. This happens every time I get a napkin placed on my lap. But, you know…they didn’t seem to care about my jeans and t-shirt at all. So, that fleeting moment of fashionista critic passed in a blink. We were handed menus and asked what we would like to drink. I once again stuck to water.
And here…was where a wave of panic settled in. I started to peruse the menu…and save for the Ensalada de la Hacienda…there wasn’t much for me to eat. Upon the return of our server, we were asked if we knew what we wanted to eat. I explained that I was a gluten-free vegetarian and he said that they could easily whip up their Tacos de Vegetales (Vegetable Tacos) for me on corn tortillas. I decided that would be much preferable to yet another salad and gave a nod of approval and said that sounded fantastic.
While we waited on our food, our server brought out the house made (and gluten-free) corn tortilla chips with two different types of salsa. One red. One green. The red one was robust in tomato flavor and had a nice kick to it. But, surprisingly, it was the salsa verde that I fell in love with. I normally go for that heat kick, but the sweet salsa verde blended so well with the corn tortilla chips. I couldn’t stop dipping into it. But I knew I had tacos on the way, so I kept my pre-meal chip snack to a bare minimum.
Cathy ordered the Tacos de Camarones ($23.95). These were basically flour tortilla tacos that were filled with fried shrimp, cabbage, lime, salsa verde, and a chipotle-lime aioli. It was the chipotle-lime aioli that caught her eye. In fact…she said that the description reminded her a lot of the shrimp tempura tacos that she gets at our local eatery, Dragon King’s Daughter (locations in New Albany, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky). And when they arrived, they actually sort of resembled that too, save for the addition of the cabbage.
My Tacos de Vegetales ($19.95) were a similar story. I was so impressed with these…and that was at first glance when they set them down in
La Hacienda de San Angel’s Tacos de Vegetales on corn tortillas (gluten-free)
front of me. These corn tortillas were stuffed full of grilled vegetables, cabbage, roasted corn, black beans, and topped with a little queso fresco. My tacos were also topped off with a bit of the chipotle-lime aioli as well and…yeah…it was magic. A Mexican fiesta in my mouth for sure. The depth of flavor in these simple tacos was astounding. The black beans were awesome and added a nice protein aspect as well as a richness that the tacos really needed. The cabbage gave it some crunch. And the roasted corn and grilled veggies were delicious. The corn was the star of the tacos though. Roasted to perfection and full of flavor. I devoured all three of the tacos on my plate.
La Hacienda de San Angel’s sides of Mexican Rice and Refried Black Beans
Our meals were served with sides of refried black beans and Mexican rice. The rice was fantastically seasoned and spiced. It had a bit of a kick to it, which I enjoyed and appreciated. But the star of the sides that came with our food was definitely the refried black beans. They were rich and full of this depth of flavor that was astounding. I wanted to eat the entire bowl, but the tacos were very filling, so I had a couple of spoonfuls of both the rice and beans and left it at that.
Dessert was offered, but we chose not to indulge tonight as our meal was quite filling on its own. We left completely full and quite happy with the value of the meal and the quality of the food we experienced. I loved how the staff didn’t even bat an eyelash when I said I was a gluten-free vegetarian, immediately having a dish that they could offer me. I enjoyed how they assured me everything was gluten-free and safe for me to eat. And I enjoyed every…filling…bite.
I would have gone back to this restaurant in a heartbeat as well…but they were booked solid the night we were there and not accepting walk-ins at all…so I bid it adios and was thankful for the dining experience.
1900 Park Fare – Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Restaurant: 1900 Park Fare – Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Let it be said that you should never travel to Disney World and not attend one of the character breakfasts. For real. My roommate did all the planning on this one, deciding on a breakfast at 1900 Park Fare, located inside the Grand Floridian Resort. Now, this resort is rather grand on its own…outside and inside.
But the Supercalifragilistic Breakfast was our character breakfast of choice. This is basically a festive, all-you-care-to-eat breakfast buffet, with Disney character guests that make appearances while you eat. We actually arrived earlier than anticipated because our Disney bus driver dropped us off at the resort instead of having us get off at one of the parks to catch a bus to the resort. Awesome. We appreciated that, but it left us with a bunch of extra time.
So, after wandering around the lobby we noticed a line forming at 1900 Park Fare and decided that we could at least check in with the hostess and maybe get seated earlier instead of with the 8:30 a.m. wave. They were happy to accommodate and noticed that there was a food allergy listed on the reservation. They handed me two tickets for the breakfast, both marked “ALLERGY.” When they opened the doors to seat us, we handed over these tickets and were shown to our table. I was informed by the woman who seated us that a chef would come over to talk to me. While Cathy could have gone and loaded up her plate with breakfast goodies, she opted to wait for me to see the chef.
The chef did arrive a little bit later and asked me to walk with him. What he did was take me through the buffet line, pointing out what foods I could safely eat. They were good about keeping things were there would be no cross-contamination. The fruit was okay, the scrambled eggs were safe, the potatoes were safe…etc. And then he said the words that made me the happiest gluten-free girl in Disney that morning. That he could make me gluten-free waffles. Gluten-free Mickey Mouse waffles. Just. For. Me.
THRILLED! I said that waffles sounded amazing and he said he would get to work on them and bring them to my table…but to go ahead and get anything else from the buffet that he pointed out to me. So, with that said, I joined Cathy at the table and said he was making me some waffles, but we could hit up the buffet now.
From 1900 Park Fare’s Supercalifragilistic Character Breakfast Buffet (Fresh fruit, hash browns, eggs, and strawberry soup)
In the line of the buffet, I went ahead and got a bunch of different fruits…honeydew melon, cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries, grapes…yummy. In addition, I ladled a little of the strawberry soup into a bowl to try. I decided to give the hash brown potatoes and some of the scrambled eggs a try as they were deemed safe for my consumption. And I was hungry.
As I settled back into my seat and started eating some of the sweet fruit, the chef appeared at my side with a plate of four gluten-free Mickey Mouse waffles. I thanked him and couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I moved one over to my plate, sliced off an ear, and gave it a dip in the real maple syrup he brought out with it.
1900 Park Fare’s Gluten-Free Mickey Mouse Waffles
Waffles never tasted so good. They were sweet and light and fluffy and SHAPED LIKE MICKEY MOUSE! I mean…come on!! It doesn’t get much better than that. And honestly, I’ve eaten quite a few gluten-free waffles at places, as well as made my own, and had the frozen kinds…and none come close to equaling these. Perfection. The fact that they weren’t heavy made it a synch to eat all four of them. And I still went back for more fruit, more eggs, and a few more hash browns. WORTH IT.
And, to top it off…our Disney character guests arrived and made their way around the dining room to greet the guests. At the Supercalifragilistic Breakfast, we had the honor of meeting Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, and The Mad Hatter. And all of them were so much fun to talk to, get pictures with, and interact with. I don’t care if I’m in my thirties…I loved every moment of this breakfast and meeting the characters. You’re never too old for Disney characters. Mary Poppins sure was charming and I had been wanting to meet her all weekend. So this was AWESOME!
The Supercalifragilistic Breakfast is $21.95 per person and includes the buffet and a non-alcoholic beverage. The food was really delicious. The company was awesome. And the care was above and beyond expectations. I am already wanting to go back and do another character breakfast!
Babycakes NYC – Downtown Disney
Restaurant: Babycakes NYC – Downtown Disney
The one place that I was anticipating indulging in as often as possible was Babycakes NYC in Downtown Disney. The most difficult part, at least the first night we were there seeking it out…was locating the place. For the record, it is located in the same building as Pollo Campero and Bodie’s…right next to LEGO Land. So…now you won’t have to log onto the Web site and look it up. You’re welcome.
Cathy and I were seeking this out at night to have breakfast ready in the room, that way we could get an early start and not have to wait for 9 a.m. to roll around to get breakfast…and then eat…and then head out for the day. This way…we were set and could head out after a quick bite in our room. This was a fantastic arrangement, by the way. And the baked goods were just as good the following morning.
I own a Babycakes NYC cookbook and the vegan & gluten-free foods sounded fantastic. I haven’t made it up to New York City yet…but the fact that they have a branch at Disney World was enough for me to tell Cathy that we were eating there every single morning that it was feasible. And, with the exception of two days…we did exactly that.
Being that we were seeking out breakfast…we stuck to the case with the doughnuts and loaves. We each would pick a doughnut and a loaf to enjoy the following morning. And there was quite a selection to choose from too. All of these were both vegan and gluten-free…meaning I had nothing to worry about when it came to my breakfasts. The most difficult part was choosing what I wanted to eat.
So…it went like this:
Babycakes NYC Gluten-Free Doughnuts and Loaves (Top Right: Day 1; Top Left: Day 2; Bottom Right: Day 3; Bottom Left: Day 4)
Trip #1: Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut ($3.49) and a Blueberry Toastie (Loaf) ($3.49)
Trip #2: Vanilla Glazed Doughnut ($3.49) and a Pumpkin Chip Loaf ($3.49)
Trip #3: Chocolate Dipped Doughnut ($3.49) and a Pumpkin Loaf ($3.49)
Trip #4: Jam Twist Doughnut ($3.49) and Banana Loaf ($3.49)
And that was just breakfast. In addition…Cathy had a few other options as well that I didn’t get for me, but we sampled each other’s choices. Cathy fell in love with the Lemon Poppyseed Loaf ($3.49), the Chocolate Cookie Crunch Doughnut ($3.49), and her favorite…the Cornbread Loaf ($3.49).
Okay…my most favorite of the doughnuts was the Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut…but cinnamon sugar has always been one of my favorite doughnuts to eat (blueberry being my favorite!). But here was the thing…they were so moist, so light and so very delicious. No one would be able to tell that these were vegan and gluten-free just by eating them. I was in sugar-rush heaven. I’m not big on glazed or dipped doughnuts, but these weren’t too bad. I find glazes and dips to be heavy…and these were…but the doughnuts were light and fluffy and flavorful…and when all is said and done…they worked well together. Everything just worked.
And the loafs…OH. MY. GOD. My favorite had to be the Pumpkin Chip Loaf…but they were all very good. They were sweet enough to satisfy that food craving and filling without being too much…even with the doughnuts. I found each one full of flavor. And my roommate will forever rave about that corn bread loaf. It was her favorite thing…and she only was able to get it one night…so thankfully she took a chance on that when she did. I also really liked the Blueberry Toastie…which had tons of fruity flavor and sweetness with the glaze and all. And of course, pumpkin and banana bread…you can’t go wrong with either of them. So moist. Bite-for-bite…even after sitting overnight in a box on the table in the hotel room…these were still moist and tasted like they were fresh from the bakery. Yeah…beyond impressed.
But we also sampled some other choices from Babycakes NYC as well. For dessert one night, we split one of their Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches ($3.49), which was fantastic. The chocolate chip cookies are thin, and crunchy, and sweet. Honestly…gluten-free cookie perfection. Normally I’m a chewy cookie kind of girl…but these were wafer-thin and had that perfect crumbly, sweet texture that works with chocolate chip cookies. And the frosting was vegan and made with cane sugar. It was moist and very sweet…so I was glad Cathy and I were splitting the cookie sandwich. I actually forgot to take a picture of that…but it was delicious.
Babycakes NYC Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie
So, on our last night there…we picked up our breakfast doughnuts and loaves…and they had a special on their gluten-free chocolate chip cookies ($1.00). So, we got two of them…one for each of us…because they were each discounted by $0.50…and when you’re on vacation and stocking up on sweets…that’s a good deal. We saved these for our last walk around our resort, and happily chewed away at the crunchy, buttery-flavored, amazing cookies. Yeah…heaven in cookie form. It was the right amount of sweetness and really hit the spot. It was the best way to wrap up our stay at Disney World…enjoying a vegan and gluten-free treat from the place we visited the most – Babycakes NYC.
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And there it is…my dining experiences at Disney World. Nothing catastrophic happened. I had my favorite food moments and my favorite food places…and I had meals that amazed me…meals that made me want to go back…meals that made me happy…and only a couple of disappointments. Not bad for this gluten-free vegetarian traveler. I am so thankful that Disney World is trained, prepared, and helpful to people with dietary restrictions. It took a load off my mind…and helped me focus on enjoying myself…and of course…preparing for the half marathon I was there to run.
Which…went so well, despite being high humidity (yes…at 5:30 a.m.)…leading to me shaving 2 minutes off my personal record and setting a new record for myself. I enjoyed the race…I enjoyed Disney World…and I enjoyed eating there and feeling confident in the fact that they truly were looking out for me in those kitchens.
This past week, I found myself in Disney World. Why? To run the Disney Princess Half Marathon, of course. But I knew that there would be times where food might be an issue for me…especially when mid-day hunger strikes while out at the park. There was no guarantee that I’d find something that I could eat. So, I traveled prepared, as always. And thanks to the KIND bars that I ordered with my Groupon, I had quite a few on hand with me on my trip and in the parks.
This entry is a little more unconventional than my normal product reviews…because I am going to review three bars in one post. Why? Because it makes life a little easier on me…and doesn’t mean multiple entries for you, my dear readers, to page through.
We both win.
So…without further adieu…
KIND Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut Snack Bar
Product: KIND Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut Bar – $1.99+
I admit…when I first pulled this bar out of the cube, I was less than thrilled. While I do appreciate the flavor of coconut in things, I wasn’t sure if the coconut would overwhelm the entire flavor of the bar. But…I figured there was only one way to find out. That morning before heading out to Animal Kingdom, I packed the Almond & Coconut Snack Bar from KIND’s Fruit & Nut line and hoped for the best. My roommate and I would be splitting it, so at least if we didn’t like it…we’d only have half to eat.
When we did bust out the bar for a snack and split it in half…we both took a bite…
And…were both surprised. Full of great flavor. Sort of like eating an Almond Joy…without the chocolate coating. Yeah…I was impressed and I devoured. No hesitation. No complaints. The hint of coconut flavor was perfect.
This bar contains almonds, coconut, honey, crisp rice, and chicory root fiber, all of which are bound together and create a great salty-sweet snack bar. I thought all of the ingredients worked well together. The bar wasn’t overly sticky nor was it messy to eat. And the flavor was spot-on!
The Almond & Coconut Snack Bar has 190 calories for the entire bar and 12 grams of fat. It is low in sodium, having only 25 mg. In addition, the entire bar has 3 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber, making it quite filling. While this bar has 12 grams of sugar, which I consider a lot…it at least has less than a candy bar would…so I give KIND that much.
Surprisingly, I enjoyed this one!
KIND Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut Snack Bar (unwrapped)
KIND Plus Blueberry Pecan + Fiber Snack Bar
Product: KIND Plus Blueberry Pecan + Fiber Snack Bar – $1.99+
The next day at Disney brought about a similar scenario. My roommate and I were hitting up Magic Kingdom and we knew that it was going to be awhile between breakfast and dinner…so we needed a couple of snacks to fulfill any mid-day cravings that could not be satisfied by Dole Whip (hehehe). Of course, before even hitting the Magic Kingdom, I had a race expo to attend so I could pick up my race packet and do some necessary shopping. This actually took much longer than I anticipated…and so…we ended up hitting Magic Kingdom right about lunch time.
So after getting through bag check and entering the park, we spotted a parade going on. This gave us a good excuse to stop and enjoy a bite to eat. This time…I packed the KIND Plus Blueberry Pecan + Fiber Snack Bar. This one I was really, really excited about. Why? Because in my mind, I was certain it was going t taste like blueberry pie. And why wouldn’t it? One of my favorite berries and one of my favorite nuts…all in one bar. HELLO!
Well, we tore into this one and we both couldn’t agree more…that my assessment without tasting it was spot on now that we both had a bite. Blueberry pie. All the way. And…oh…was it ever delicious!! The bar was another perfect blend of sweet and salty. And every bite reminded me of a homemade blueberry pie. Delicious…fantastic…and tasty. We both devoured this one in record time and commented on how we would never hesitate to purchase that one from the store. YUM!
The KIND Plus Blueberry Pecan + Fiber Snack Bar contains almonds, pecans, honey, blueberry pieces (a mix of blueberries, sugar, apples, plums, apple juice, pectin, and natural blueberry flavor, cashews, raisins, chicory root fiber, and crisp rice. This gives it a fantastic texture and amazing flavor when all combined to make the bar.
In addition, this particular snack bar has only 190 calories for the entire bar and 12 grams of fat. Each bar packs a protein punch of 4 grams and contains 5 grams of hunger-quenching fiber. Awesome. Even better, this bar has only 9 grams of sugar. I love that. And the sodium is only 20 mg.
This one was a total winner!
KIND Plus Blueberry Pecan + Fiber Snack Bar (unwrapped)
KIND Plus Almond Cashew with Flax + Omega 3 Snack Bar
Product: KIND Plus Almond Cashew with Flax + Omega 3 Snack Bar – $1.99+
After my race, my roommate and I were hitting up Hollywood Studios…and since I had run 13.1 miles, I figured the munchies would totally strike. And they did. Right on cue just as we settled in to watch the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular (of which I was selected to be an extra and participate in the show), we both agreed it was time to feed our bellies something. So, as usual, we pulled out the snack bar we packed for the occasion. And it seemed like it would be as epic as the prior ones.
I mean…cashews…almonds…yummy!! Love both of those nuts. But…
Yes…this one has a but…
It really wasn’t all that spectacular. I mean, given that it was made up of almonds, cashews, dates, honey, flax seeds, macadamias, vanilla extract, and chicory root fiber, it had the makings of one epic bite after another. But this one really lacked flavor. And it had a weird aftertaste that I didn’t care for at all. I wasn’t impressed. I ate my half. My roommate at her half. But we were underwhelmed and disappointed. Thankfully, the race provided a box of goodies that were all gluten-free…and it had a different brand of protein bar in it…that was much tastier…so we washed this one down by splitting that one. And it was much better.
So…this one…for me…was a fail in flavor. It just wasn’t good. Not one bit.
That being said, the entire bar has 190 calories and 11 grams of fat. The bar has 4 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. The sugar level is at 11 grams. But this bar has no sodium and no cholesterol. A healthy choice, to be sure, but not a very flavor-filled one. And, I appreciate flavor way too much to let that slide.
This bar could have been amazing…but sadly…it wasn’t.
KIND Plus Almond Cashew with Flax + Omega 3 Snack Bar (unwrapped)
And those were the three bars that I devoured at Disney World. Two winners, and one that I would never buy on my own. Never. Not a bad record to have. KIND is doing well so far. Only two haven’t wowed me of the ones I have tried out of the box. And I still have three more to go.
I have my favorite running store to thank for the random purchase I made of a PROBAR Lemon Fruition snack bar. It was up by the register as I was making a purchase of another amusing BondiBand or something of the sort. Lemon. Gluten-Free. Healthy. SOLD. Literally. Out of the display and onto the counter for purchase. This happily returned home with me.
But I am the ultimate hoarder of snack bars (not really…I just buy them en masse) and some are way better than others. But you have to take that chance and buy one before you can decide whether it was worth the money or not. So into the drawer this went while I went through those that came before it.
But last week as I was gearing up to head to Disney World for a half marathon, I was trying to not buy snack foods for work. So, the items in my pantry and snack bar drawer were what I was working with. Lo and behold…the next one up was this little lemony delight.
PROBAR Fruition is the newest and latest gluten-free addition to the PROBAR lineup. This snack bar is entirely fruit-based and designed to be satisfying without extra fat and calories. You gotta love that. In fact, each bar guarantees one complete serving of fruit, only 160 calories, 4 grams of filling fiber, 2 grams of fat, gluten-free, and that it is loaded with antioxidants and omegas from the addition of chia seeds. These bars are also certified organic. Love that.
All day I had been anticipating my little lemony afternoon snack. I mean…I love, love, LOVE lemon. In case that wasn’t clear enough…I LOVE LEMON!! So, the knowledge that this was stashed in my desk drawer waiting on that 3 p.m. snack time to strike was anticipation enough. And when it finally came…I tore into it. Pausing only momentarily to take a picture.
Lemon. Oh yes…there is lemon. Amazing lemon flavor that is very well balanced by the other ingredients that make up the bar. In fact, it is the perfect blend that keeps the lemon flavor prominent, but not overpowering. Seriously. Delicious.
The PROBAR Lemon Fruition bar is composed of organic date paste, brown rice syrup, cashews, gluten-free oats, gluten-free oat bran, chia seeds, and natural lemon flavor. One bite…that’s all it took. I was hooked. I had to share a small piece with my roommate so I could get her opinion as well. And she also gave a nod and actually said it was “really good” instead of her “That’s pretty good.” or “It’s okeedokey.” That meant this had potential. And it really does. The taste is amazing. The texture is soft, but not overly soft. You won’t be sitting there chewing continuously and wondering when you can take your next bite. It’s a perfect blend and a perfect combination.
The lemon flavor of this bar lingers on the tongue and really lasts even after you’ve swallowed…all just inviting you to take another bite and experience it all over again. The sweet, tangy, citrus flavor is awesome and meshes beautifully with the oats and cashews, which provide not just texture but a savory flavor to balance toe tartness. This is a true lemon-lover’s dream bar.
At first glance, this bar seems very healthy by all aspects. As mentioned before, the entire bar is only 160 calories and contains only 2 grams of fat. The protein punch this bar packs is 3 grams. The filling fiber stands at 4 grams, while the sodium content settles for a very impressive, low 10 mg. However…I’m a bit disconcerted at the 18 grams of sugar that is listed on the label. Sure, much of it comes from the fruit, I’m certain…but that’s a lot of sugar to pack into one bar…no matter how amazing it tastes. But, we all make some sacrifices somewhere. I try to keep my sugar intake a bit lower as an athlete…but 18 grams in one snack bar, while a little higher than I like, isn’t too bad.
So, when it comes down to it, I’d be more than happy to try another PROBAR Fruition in one of the seven flavors that are offered. These bars not only come in lemon…but also cherry, blueberry, cran-raspberry, peach, strawberry, and the newest addition…chocolate orange. This snack is definitely a superfood powerhouse and one that I am proud to say…I truly enjoyed.
Time to hit up my running store to see what other flavors they have in stock.
The Celiathlete 