Fruit – Page 10 – The Celiathlete

June 17, 2014

Product Review: Garden Lites Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins

Product: Garden Lites Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins – $3.99+

I am not going to lie…I’ve been eying the Garden Lites Veggie Muffins since the day I first spotted them in my local natural food and grocery stores. Why did it take me so long to get a box? Well…it probably would have taken me longer, but my roomie surprised me with a box one day after I sent her out on a grocery expedition. I obviously forgot some sacred ingredient to something I was cooking right then…or I would have gone. But the roomie often picks up little surprises when she’s sent on these emergency runs. Maybe it’s to tame me, since I’m usually wound up about missing something I need. Whatever the reason…she brought me a box of Garden Lites Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins. And I was all too excited to try them.

I just…never did. They just remained in my freezer.

I think I got all caught up in making my Breakfast Banana Splits and other such “real” food items, that opening the freezer for breakfast hadn’t happened in a long time. I knew they were in there…

Lo and behold…after a week of Cathy being down with a cold and sitting out of gym workouts (meaning I’d go really early and get mine in, then come home and make breakfast instead of hauling it to work post-gym), I had no idea what to have after our time at the gym. I began to search the pantry and fridge. I found grapes…but those only get you so far. I’d include some…but what to eat to refuel and recover?

And then…I remembered the box of Garden Lites Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins. Problem…SOLVED!

I know what you’re thinking…zucchini with banana with chocolate chips…how could that possibly be good? Well…zucchini bread is good. Banana bread is good. Both types of bread with chocolate chips are damn good. So…why not combine them? It should work, right?

Garden Lites Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffin (individually wrapped)

I won’t lie…even I questioned it this morning as I packed the box of muffins in the cooler. After the workout, we walked to our office and I got to work on breakfast. These little muffins couldn’t be easier to prepare. They come individually wrapped. And all you have to do is pop the wrapped muffin into the microwave for 35 seconds. Carefully remove the muffin from the microwave and then the plastic wrapper…and viola…your muffin is ready.

I think my biggest fear was that these were going to be soggy. Or mushy. Or just…gross. But, I cooked up all four of them, two for me and two for Cathy, and our breakfast was ready. In less than three minutes. That has to be a new record!

I settled in at my desk with my first batch of work and my breakfast. And after one bite, I knew the stack of paperwork was going to have to wait while I gave my full attention to the Garden Lites Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins. Oh. My. God! No…really…who knew that a muffin made primarily from vegetables and fruit could taste this fantastic. Or this moist. It was like biting into a luscious piece of banana bread. But with zucchini in it. You can’t even taste the zucchini, you just sometimes get those green flecks in the muffin. And the chocolate chips…just enough to sweeten the deal without consuming the flavor of the muffin itself. This was truly one amazing product and the love I have for it surprises even me. I never would have thought about pairing zucchini with banana…but…damn…it works. It works in delicious ways!

I don’t think my morning could have started any better…

So, let’s take a look at the ingredient list for the Garden Lites Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins, shall we? These muffins are made from zucchini, pasteurized egg whites, sugar, pasteurized whole eggs, certified gluten-free oats, soluble corn fiber, semi-sweet chocolate chips, banana, sorghum flour, brown rice flour, corn starch, baking powder, canola oil, natural banana flavor, salt, and vanilla extract.

Recognize all those items? I sure do. And when mixed together and baked…epic things happen, both flavor, texture, and food-wise.

Now, how about the nutritional aspect of these muffins? A serving is only 1 of the Garden Lites Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins. As all we had before working out was a breakfast fruit, yogurt and granola parfait, Cathy and I each had two. But…if you stick to the serving size, you will be consuming 120 calories and 3 grams of fat. In addition, you will be taking in 20 mg cholesterol, 170 mg sodium, and 11 grams of sugar. I know the sugar seems high, and while some of that comes from the chocolate chip, some of it comes from the real banana that is included in the ingredients of the muffins. One serving will also give you 5 grams of filling fiber and 3 grams of protein! These muffins are gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free!

Nutritional and yummy too! Gotta love it. And I sure did. I want to try the other varieties of muffins. Yes…they have other flavors. In fact, in addition to the Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins, Garden Lites has Veggie Muffins in the following flavors: Carrot Berry, Golden Corn, Veggie Blueberry Oat, and Zucchini Chocolate! So…I must try all the Veggie Muffins. Because these honestly did impress me. And I lasted all the way through my snack time. And that doesn’t always happen. Good quality food…great product…

I’m hooked. On muffins made with veggies and fruit.

Oh yeah…loving it!

Garden Lites Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins (cooked)

June 16, 2014February 9, 2015

Product Review: Fiona’s Natural Sunflower Vanilla Coconut Granola

Product: Fiona’s Natural Sunflower Vanilla Coconut Granola – $4.99+

Another morning…another healthy breakfast! That’s how I try to look at it. Especially as I am gearing up for marathon training, yet again, through the hot, steamy summer mornings. This morning, not only did I have a training run to do, but I also have my spin class. Fuel is important and I want to be sure I’m giving my body the best fuel possible for optimum performance. Besides, food that is good for me makes me feel good. I try to keep it as natural as possible as often as I can.

So, after my run (I had something to eat before heading out, don’t worry…sports nutritionist’s orders!) and before heading out for spinning…I grabbed yet another product from my May Cuisine Cube – Fiona’s Natural Sunflower Vanilla Coconut Granola. First of all, if you haven’t checked out Cuisine Cube, I highly encourage you to do so. I get a box, every month, with a new gluten-free item from every meal category. One for breakfast, one for snack, one for candy, one for dinner, one for lunch, and one for dessert. Every month, this is delivered to me with…and everything inside is from a smaller, lesser known company that specializes in gluten-free foods. I love it, because it is introducing me to companies and products I never would have heard of otherwise.

As my CSA bin had provided me with some amazing looking organic strawberries, I figured it was time to build up some breakfast fruit and yogurt parfaits. Because I have some damn good Greek yogurt in my fridge. It’s a staple. I always have it in there. So…I pulled the granola (a breakfast item from my Cuisine Cube) out of my pantry and began to build my famous parfaits. First some granola…then the yogurt…some honey…fruit (in this case…strawberries)…more granola…yogurt…honey…strawberries…granola…honey. Serve!

Super easy. And one of my favorite breakfasts. It’s cool and refreshing and just damn good. But…a lot of the success of this parfait does fall to the granola.

So…it was time to put Fiona’s Natural Sunflower Vanilla Coconut Granola to the test.

You know what? It passed. One bite (which I took straight from the bag so I could see how it tasted on its own without the yogurt and fruit muddling the flavor) and I knew it was good. I knew I was going to be okay with this one. The flavors were fantastic. Not overwhelming or overpowering, but just enough. I loved being able to see not just the sunflower seeds, but the oats and flax seeds too. Nothing was hidden or unidentifiable. And the sweetness was natural as well, brought out with agave and coconut. And…the coconut doesn’t take over the granola either. And because it is sweetened with pure, organic agave nectar, this granola is low glycemic and won’t cause those sugar highs that lead to the eventual crash. This granola is heavenly. Seriously. The combination of the pure vanilla with the coconut and the crunchy sunflower seeds and toasted oats…magic on my tongue. I am so glad I had the chance to enjoy this granola. Because I use granola a lot in things and I love trying new ones. I’d never heard of Fiona’s Natural….and now I hope to find it in one of my stores around here.

Let’s talk ingredients. Fiona’s Natural Sunflower Vanilla Coconut Granola couldn’t be cleaner. The ingredients are as follows: certified gluten-free oats, unsweetened coconut, sunflower seeds, milled flax seeds, organic agave nectar, rice bran oil, and pure vanilla extract. Not only are all of those natural ingredients, but they are all recognizable and things I have in my kitchen. Seriously! And the granola is also vegan, soy-free, and salt-free. But it does not skimp on flavor because of that. Honestly…you’ll fall in love at first bite too.

And what about nutritional information? Fiona’s Natural Sunflower Vanilla Coconut Granola is a bit higher on the calorie scale than many other granolas out there. However…I didn’t use a full serving in my parfaits…in fact, I normally use about half of what this says. But a serving is 1/3 cup of the granola. This serving provides you with 210 calories and 10 grams of fat. Do NOT freak out over that fat…they are the healthy fats. I promise! A serving will also give you 5mg sodium and 6 grams of sugar. That isn’t bad for a granola at all. This granola is cholesterol free and gluten-free. A serving will dish up 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein.

So much love to Cuisine Cube for introducing me to yet another company with a great product. I hope to find Fiona’s Natural granola in stores around here. And if not, I will see if I can have it special ordered. Or…maybe I’ll just order online. This was really good granola. I was impressed. And when you eat a lot of granola, sometimes they all blend together. But this one, the subtleness of it…made it stand out. And I’m happy to have a bag of it in my pantry.

June 13, 2014

Product Review: Jovial Gluten Free Fig Fruit Filled Cookies

Product: Jovial Gluten Free Fig Fruit Filled Cookies – $5.99+

Do you know how long it has been since I have eaten a Fig Newton? Three years. This journey began three years ago…and…I won’t lie to you…there are times I walk past items in the grocery store and it’s all I want. Fig Newtons were one of my favorite snacks. Always were…even growing up. They were dropped from my diet when Celiac entered my life. And I have missed them. A lot.

While Jovial is one of my favorite makers of gluten-free pastas on the market, I hadn’t ventured much beyond that. A few of our local natural food stores carry other Jovial items…like their gluten-free cookies. I’ve just never justified spending money on them. I know…I’m a cookie monster, but there are usually more pressing matters on my grocery list…like…whole foods and fruits and vegetables and…the non-processed, doesn’t come with a label, best foods out there for you kind of stuff. And while I splurge every now and again, I find my budget growing tighter and tighter and my money less and less.

And it sucks.

But…sometimes…you end up in Birmingham, Alabama, visiting your family and splurges happen. Often. And this last visit, when my mom and I went shopping out at Organic Harvest, I decided that it was time to give into that craving to, perhaps, relive some Fig Newton goodness…and I purchased a box of Jovial Gluten Free Fig Fruit Filled Cookies. And they came home with me. And…I kept staring at the box, wanting to open them…wanting to see if they were even close to reminiscent of my Fig Newton noshing days.

Well, the day finally came. Today, while at work, my morning snack (because cookies in the morning is perfectly logical, yes?) became the Jovial Gluten Free Fig Fruit Filled Cookies. Hey…cookies with fruit in them can be a good morning snack! Right?!

I knew you’d agree with me!

So…at 10:30 a.m….I opened up my little package of figgy cookie goodness…and took my first taste.

So…here’s the deal with the Jovial Gluten Free Fig Fruit Filled Cookies…

They do taste a lot like Fig Newtons. They really do. Except for one…very minor…but important detail. The cookie part…the part that encases the entire figgy center…is so dry. It’s so dry that it’s crumbly. Think…shortbread texture. That’s what it immediately reminded me of. And the fact that it didn’t have that rich, soft, gooeyness that Fig Newtons had (you know…one bite and it all melts together), was actually more of a let down. The flavor is spot on! I LOVE that part. But I found the fig center to be under-stuffed and that cookie to be dry and a bit of a distraction from the fig fruit middle. It was disappointing, but not disgusting. I will (and intend to) polish off this box of cookies…but I don’t think I’ll purchase them again. At least not in the near future. My roomie tried one too…and she thought the same thing about both the cookie and the lack of fig center. And she has recently had both Fig Newtons and Fig Newmans…so, she’s in the right figgy frame of mind for this.

Ingredient-wise, these are actually really well put together. They are made from organic figs, organic rice flour, organic sugar, organic potato starch, organic palm fruit oil, organic rice starch, organic rice syrup, organic eggs, organic chick pea flour, organic arabic gum, leavening, salt, pectin, citric acid, and guar gum. They are gluten-free and casein-free. And, granted, these are the first gluten-free option for people who love figs! I will give them that! And, according to the Web site, the Jovial Gluten Free Fig Fruit Filled Cookies are baked in small batches with ingredients that are mixed by hand. They use a unique and delicate process to hide the filling completely inside the cookie before baking (unlike Fig Newtons & Fig Newmans where you see the fig filling on each end).

Nutritionally speaking, a serving size of the Jovial Gluten Free Fig Fruit Filled Cookies is 2 cookies. These two little two-bite cookies serve you up 130 calories and 4 grams of fat. Two cookies will also provide you with 5 mg cholesterol, 65 mg sodium, and 12 grams of sugar (YIKES!). Additionally, you will be taking in 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein…so this is not a filling treat either. Just keep that in mind.

Yes…I was disappointed by the cookie shell of the Jovial Gluten Free Fig Fruit Filled Cookies, but…they weren’t a complete loss. The flavors were there. The cookie was just crumbly and the filling a bit scant, that’s all. And that’s me…being the cookie monster that I am…looking for the quality that I pay for. And these cookies are not cheap. Like I said, I’d eat them again…sure. But I won’t actively seek them out on a consistent basis. I would, however, like to try the other two cookie options available by Jovial.

June 11, 2014

Product Review: Halo Top Creamery Lemon Cake All Natural Light Ice Cream

Product: Halo Top Creamery Lemon Cake All Natural Light Ice Cream – $5.49+

So…a couple weeks ago I posted my first blog on my first flavor of Halo Top Creamery All Natural Ice Cream. It was the vanilla flavor…and save for some not-so-creamy texture…it ranked high in my book! What’s not to love about an ice cream that has fantastic flavor, dishes up like ice cream, and is low in calories and high in protein? There is SO much to love about that…let me tell you!

So, I was sort of (okay…maybe a little more than sort of) excited about dishing up a bowl of the other flavor that my roomie and I decided to pick up that day there was a special on them at our natural food store. I chose Vanilla Bean. She chose Lemon Cake. This shouldn’t surprise anyone…as she is a lemon freak! Like…freaky freak over lemon. Like Rick James Superfreak over lemon. I mean…I love lemon too, but she takes her lemon love to a new and somewhat disturbing extreme. HA!

Recall…the Halo Top Creamery Vanilla Bean All Natural Light Ice Cream had amazing flavor, but was less creamy than regular ice cream. It wasn’t bad through and it didn’t fall apart and flake when dished. It still rolled up perfectly in the ice cream scoop and made pretty little balls of ice cream in my bowl.

Well…tonight…it was the Lemon Cake flavor’s turn to shine.

We polished off dinner (Gluten-Free and Vegan BLATs [vegan bacon (made with black beans and buckwheat groats…yes…I make it myself!), lettuce, avocado, and tomato sandwiches) with grilled corn-on-the-cob. I asked if she wanted ice cream of cookies for dessert. She had no opinion…and I didn’t care. Since we had the ice cream longer than the cookies…I opted for the ice cream. Besides, she has a cold and up until this morning a sore throat…so ice cream is the best remedy for that, right? Of course!

I pulled it from the freezer, got my 1/2 cup measuring cup out (yes…I portion-size everything!), ice cream scoop, and ice cream bowls. I was ready to dish. The ice cream scoop went into the pint…and it flaked. It flaked!! It didn’t roll up into the scoop. It busted up into little ice cream like pieces…and crumbled. The result was a bowl of ice cream that looked more like scrambled eggs than ice cream.

BUMMER!

So…the texture on this one was WAY off. But…what about the flavor?

On the Web site, the Halo Top Creamery Lemon Cake All Natural Light Ice Cream is described as being not too sweet and not too sour. It states that it has the perfect amount of zesty freshness and sweet richness. And it’s called Lemon Cake because it has a “smooth cheesecake-y texture.”

*eyes scrambled egg-like ice cream in bowl*

REALLY??!!

Okay…the flavor was actually a very delicate and enticing blend of lemon flavor. It wasn’t overwhelming…but Cathy didn’t even realize she was eating the Lemon Cake Halo Top Creamery Ice Cream. I mentioned it after and she said, “That was the lemon cake?” I don’t know what to say about that…because she also is fighting a cold. To me…the lemon flavor was actually spot-on. It wasn’t overpowering but it wasn’t too under-the-radar either. It had great flavor.

But…my GOD…it was not at all ice cream-like. More like…sorbet gone wrong. And it’s too bad. It really is too bad because I had such high hopes for the Halo Top Creamery Lemon Cake All Natural Light Ice Cream. If you don’t mind flaky, crusty ice cream…then this is for you. But, it is called ice cream for a reason. And this…was not the texture I was hoping for when I bought it.

Disappointment.

The Halo Top Creamery Lemon Cake All Natural Light Ice Cream is made up of milk and cream, cultured non-fat milk, cage-free eggs, whey, erythritol, organic cane sugar, chicory root, casein protein, acacia gum, sea salt, organic lemon peel, organic lemon oil, organic sunflower oil, organic carob gum, organic guar gum, carrageenan, and organic stevia.

As for nutrition…a serving of Halo Top Creamery Lemon Cake All Natural Ice Cream is 1/2 cup. This serving dishes up only 70 calories and 3 grams of fat. A serving also gives you 43 mg cholesterol, 89 mg sodium, and 4 grams of sugar. This 1/2 cup serving will also provide you with 4 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein. Not bad.

Too bad the ice cream is not good…

This was a huge disappointment. I wanted to try all the flavors, but this sort of made me not want to waste my money.

Sad.

A “scoop” of Halo Top Creamery Lemon Cake All Natural Light Ice Cream

June 3, 2014

Product Review: Aldi liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes

Product: Aldi liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes – $2.69

Thanks to a lot of really good friends and some coworkers, I found out that in the beginning of May (also Celiac Awareness Month…which I had every intention to blog about…and then May got insane and my blog got backlogged with all the traveling I was doing), Aldi was going to be test driving a line of gluten-free products in their stores.

The brand is currently being called liveGfree…and I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I stepped into Aldi that afternoon with my roommate. Almost immediately, we were surrounded by the white boxes that held the gluten-free products. From brownie mixes to bread mixes to snack bars to pastas to baking mixes, cookie mixes, and…gluten-free wraps. It was almost overwhelming.

If you’ve ever bought gluten-free products, you understand that they can be rather pricey at times. Gluten-free convenience foods, prepared foods, baked goods, and (especially) bread can cost up to twice as much as the regular gluten-filled products on the market. So imagine my glee and the happy gleam in my eyes when I noted the Aldi liveGfree price tags. Seriously, a gluten-free budget shoppers dream. I never have bought gluten-free products for these prices. Even more importantly, however, is that the entire line of liveGfree products are certified gluten-free. YES!

But an even happier dance happened after stocking up on some of the boxes and bags of items at the front of the store…because in the freezer section there was more! YES! MORE! And one of those items just happened to be the liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking…why can’t you just make your own gluten-free blueberry pancakes from scratch. Well…I can. And I have. And I will again. But this was a new product. I had to try it. I just had to. Even more so when I spotted the phrase “light and fluffy” on the box itself. Hmmm…really? Needless to say, the freezer I had worked so hard to clear out…is back to being full. HA! Same goes for the pantry.

I am not ashamed.

Well, Monday morning came around. And Monday morning is a busy morning for me. Not only do I run bright and early, but I also have a 5:30 a.m. spin class. So, I eat something before I run and then something after spin class. But, there isn’t a lot of time in between getting home from class, showering, and getting to work. The more convenient the breakfast the better. Especially since Cathy (the roomie) is nothing but a slug in the mornings…and really just sits on the couch and reads instead of fixing up something while I shower.

A package of three of the Aldi liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes

That being said…this was going to be perfect. There are three ways to cook the liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes. Yep. Three ways. One way I can negate because it involves a toaster oven…and I don’t have one. On Monday morning, I decided to cook them up in the conventional oven. So, I walked through the door and tossed my spin stuff to the side, hustled into the kitchen and preheated the oven to 375°F. While the oven was heating, I removed the box from the freezer and pulled out two of the pre-packaged stacks of three pancakes. Wouldn’t you know it…a serving size was three pancakes. Perfect. I opened up the packet and placed the pancakes on a baking sheet. I covered the pancakes loosely with foil and tossed them into the oven while I went to shower.

They were just finishing up when I emerged from my room, clean, clothed and ready to eat. I got out my maple agave syrup and gave it a little warm-up in the microwave. Then, I took the pancakes out of the oven and served them up with a little butter and hot syrup.

I wasn’t sure what sort of quality to expect from Aldi’s liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes. But I delivered a plate of them to Cathy, who dug in. I asked her how they were and got the typical, “They’re pretty good!” Which I never know what that actually means. But she was diving in for more, so I took that as a good sign. I settled in with my own plate and gave them a try.

They really were light and fluffy. Seriously. Almost like they were homemade. You gotta love that. They are a bit small in size, but all frozen pancakes are, let’s be honest! They weren’t gummy or gritty. They were soft and light and packed with a buttermilk flavor with a delightful sweetness from the bits of dry blueberries that are incorporated throughout the little pancakes themselves. They were steamy and honestly tasted like I had just pulled them off the griddle.

Fast forward to Tuesday morning. This is a gym morning for Cathy and I. So, I bring breakfast to the office to do up quickly before settling in for a long day of paper pushing. Without the convenience of an oven at work, I was going to try the other way too cook these up – the microwave. For three pancakes, the box said to simply heat on high for 1 minute. Additional time might be needed depending on the microwave, but that’s never the case with the one at the office. Trust me! I heated them up for a minute, gave them the schmear of butter and the drizzle of the syrup…and they were served. I was actually more concerned about how these would taste after being nuked for a minute instead of toasted in an oven. They didn’t have that light crust that I love…but they were soft without being soggy. They remained light and fluffy and didn’t crumble because they were steamed or anything in the confines of the microwave. I was beyond impressed.

I admit…these definitely are not clean eating. But they are convenient. Ingredients in the liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes include: water, rice flour, tapioca flour, sugar, soy flour, potato flour, blueberry bits, whole egg powder, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum. I have seen longer ingredient lists than this…but you know the blueberry bits contain sugar, rice flour, dried blueberries, corn starch canola oil, fructose, natural colorings from concentrated juices (which include elderberry, watermelon and huito), natural flavor and sodium bicarbonate.

As for the nutrional information…it’s really not too bad. A serving size of liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes is three pancakes (1 package). This serving provides you with 210 calories and 4 grams of fat. You will be taking in 40 mg cholesterol, 390 mg sodium, and 10 grams of sugar. Yep…I know…that’s a lot of sugar. You will also be taking in 1 gram of fiber (so they aren’t too filling) and 5 grams of protein.

As this is a trial run of a product line being done by Aldi, I really hope they decide to keep these in stores. With this being my first taste of all the products I purchased that day in Aldi, the liveGfree brand is already impressing me. Great flavor. Easy to make, and fantastic texture. While I prefer to make things from scratch, these are awesome for those busy mornings or evenings when you are in a hurry and short on time. Seriously. And you definitely can’t beat the price.

Aldi liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes (fresh from the oven)

May 26, 2014

Restaurant Review: Merge, Buffalo, New York

Restaurant: Merge, Buffalo, New York

It had been a long day. By the time I rolled into Buffalo, I had already gotten up early to do a shakeout run while still in Ohio, stretched, did my ab routine, pack, get the car loaded up, and make the seemingly endless drive from Columbus, Ohio all the way up to Buffalo, New York…with one stop in Erie, Pennsylvania for lunch. Getting into Buffalo, I got checked into my hotel, hit up the race expo (I was there for a race, naturally), went back to my room, did more stretching, did some foam rolling, got things ready ahead of time so the evening wouldn’t be as hectic, and watched Food Network.

Because…that’s what I do.

HA!

But, before I knew it…it was time to head out to dinner. I was meeting up with my good friend, Kat, and her boyfriend, Adam, for dinner that night. It was the night before a race, so we wanted to have plenty of options for everyone. Kat requires brown rice pasta…so we narrowed it down to three places, but in the end…chose a place called…

Merge.

Kat was very high on this place when we were trying to make the decision. She said not only can they do a lot of their foods vegan/vegetarian, but a lot can be done gluten-free as well. AWESOME! Sounded perfect. And…the menu was a little different from anything I have down this way, so that was a bonus too. We were to meet for dinner at 5:00 p.m. So, at around 4:15, we set out to walk from our hotel up to Merge. It didn’t take us as long as we expected…so…we stood outside in the slightly chilly air. Right around 5, Kat and Adam showed up…and we stepped inside.

I already liked the place. Dimly lit…with a stage off to the right as you walk in. We were greeted and Kat gave the reservation. We were shown to our table and seated. As it was pre-race, I stuck with just water to drink. I hadn’t been too good about hydrating that day while on the road, so I wanted to make up for that a bit now. The waiter went to retrieve drinks and we sat and perused the menu.

Now, I had looked at the menu numerous times, trying to figure out what I wanted for dinner. Normally, pre-race means a gluten-free pizza. And that was completely available. HOWEVER…there were so many other delicious sounding items on the menu, that I thought, perhaps, to screw with tradition again…and do something completely different, but enough that would fuel up my muscles and top off those glycogen stores for the next morning. I was flip-flopping. On one hand, the gluten-free and dairy-free pizza was one with Daiya cheese, red onion, asparagus…it sounded awesome. But…again…I can get good gluten-free pizza in Louisville. So, it was down to trying the Gluten-Free and Vegan Mac & Cheese that Kat had told me so much about…or the special of the night…the Gluten-Free Eggplant Caponata…or the Gluten-Free Arugula Pesto Pasta.

So…while I was trying to decide, the rest of the table ordered. Kat went with the an appetizer of the Dairy-Free Stuffed Potato Skins ($10.00) which comes with a fresh corn salad with turkey bacon, Daiya Cheese, and a Chipotle Cream and then for an entree went with the Gluten-Free Eggplant Caponata ($18.00). Adam went with the Daily Pizza ($10.00). Jenn chose the Sweet Basil Gnocchi (which included roasted red peppers, red onion, spinach, roasted garlic and a white wine sauce) for her meal ($15.00). Cathy went with the Coconut Lemongrass Stir-fry ($15.00), which is a mix of organic tofu, snap peas, red onion, carrot, and rice vermicelli, served with toasted cashews, bean sprouts, and fresh lime.

And I was still stumped!

I went over my choices with the waiter to get his opinion and to maybe help me make a decision, because I was seriously waffling. Pizza…or something different…pizza…or something different…tradition…or not….AH! The waiter said he highly recommended the Arugula Pesto Pasta. Kat made sure that the pesto didn’t have Parmesan in it (as someone with a dairy allergy…she knows all about the importance of asking about things like that because so many pesto recipes include Parmesan…and being lactose intolerant…I avoid all things dairy before a race). He said that it was vegan…and so…I went with it. Why not?!

There it was…tradition once again bucked…

I went with the Gluten-Free Arugula Pesto Pasta ($15.00), which was brown rice pasta with local tomato, red onion, spinach, and tossed with toasted walnuts. Oooh…I’d get some nice vitamins from that spinach and some Omega from those walnuts. Nice choice. Glad I had some help in making it!

So, we all sat around and talked about various topics, not just running. In fact, running didn’t really come up all that much that night. We were just having a good time and relaxing. Because that is important before a race. Trust me. The atmosphere of Merge is very conducive to that too. It was really, really nice. The appetizer was brought to the table and Kat let me try one of the potato skins. I didn’t put the corn and bacon topping on it since it was real meat, but the Daiya cheese and the chipotle cream were put on the potato skin…and it was phenomenal. Quite tasty. I want to recreate this at home…and just might this week! It was a great way to start off the dining experience.

But, before long our meals were being served up and we were all happily about to feast on our food of choice.

Merge's Gluten-Free Arugula Pesto Pasta — Merge’s Gluten-Free Arugula Pesto Pasta

I actually was quite happy when I took my first bite of the Arugula Pesto Pasta. It was smooth and delicious. I love pesto as it is…but this was really seasoned well. It paired well with the brown rice pasta. And the fresh vegetables that were sauteed and added to the mix just made for a nice break in the texture and a lot of added flavor as well. LOVE. The toasted walnuts were the perfect way to add a bit of crunch to something that would otherwise be very soft. I told Cathy to give it a try and she loved it as well. It’s not every day I get a plate of green pasta (ah, pesto…you’re so much fun on food!) that had so much going on and so much nutritionally sound ingredients added to it. It was just what I think I needed that evening. You could tell everything was fresh. Because this pasta was perfection. So, I broke tradition again…it was worth it for this meal. Trust me.

Everyone else seemed to like their meals as well. Kat’s only complaint was there was too little pasta (she’s carbing up!) in her dish…and Jenn ate around all the vegetables in hers. The rest of us devoured everything in front of us.

The big question of dessert came up. And…we felt it was necessary. They had so many gluten-free and vegan options on their dessert menu…how could I pass up the opportunity?

In the end, Kat went with the Apple Cranberry Cobbler with Salty Caramel Sauce and Homemade Vanilla Soy Ice Cream ($7.00) for her dessert. Jenn and Adam both got the Vegan Carrot Cake with Walnuts and Cream Cheese Frosting ($6.00). And Cathy and I decided to split the Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Spiced Berry Compote ($6.00). I kind of wanted to split the Vegan and Gluten-Free Brownie Sundae…but Cathy is apparently anti-brownie these days. So…that was a no-go.

With our orders in, we eagerly anticipated our sweet reward and end of the night treat. After a short wait, the desserts were brought to the table. They all looked fantastic. Especially the carrot cake. If only that had been gluten-free. Then again, Cathy is anti-carrot cake as well…so it wouldn’t have done any good. GRRRR! Anyway…it all looked delicious and we spared no time digging in.

The Vegan Chocolate Mousse with the Spiced Berry Compote was…different. This wasn’t your usual mousse. It was probably made with cashew cream…which would be the reason for the grittiness to it. In fact, it also wasn’t very fluffy or light. More like a heavy pudding than a mousse to be sure. That being said…the spiced berry compote was beyond delicious. Ultimately, it was my favorite part of the dessert. Cathy agreed. When I think of mousse, I expect something whipped and airy and light…and this just wasn’t a mousse.

Jenn absolutely loved the carrot cake (damn it for not being gluten-free!). Cat and Adam split each of their desserts and both seemed quite happy with their choices. So, that was good.

We finished up dessert and wound up getting caught up in conversations again. And soon, because they are a hot-spot in town, we were asked to leave so other people could have the table. I needed to get back to the hotel anyway and get ready for sleep to be rested up for the morning ahead of me.

All-in-all…a great restaurant in Buffalo, New York. I would happily eat here again without any qualms. Everything I had was good, and sometimes even great. My pasta was the star, for sure. And even if the dessert didn’t wow me…it was still fantastic. Cathy stole a bite of Jenn’s carrot cake and raved about it. The atmosphere was amazing. The food was delicious. And the staff was quite accommodating. I couldn’t have asked for a better pre-race meal.

Merge, when I come back to Buffalo, New York sometime…I hope to come back.

Merge's Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Spiced Berry Compote — Merge’s Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Spiced Berry Compote

May 22, 2014

Restaurant Review: Sweet ‘N’ Savory Food Truck, Louisville, Kentucky

Restaurant: Sweet ‘N’ Savory Food Truck, Louisville, Kentucky

They are BACK!

YES!! Finally!!

After a long, harsh winter without much action of the food truck scene…especially for me…because of my food allergies and all…I was so happy when Sweet ‘N’ Savory Food Truck returned from their hiatus (the owners spend the winters in New Orleans, Louisiana). Unfortunately, I didn’t get out to them for a few weeks. I was either out of town or the weather was bad.

But that was not the case this past Sunday afternoon. Louisville was having their Buy Local Fair and the food trucks were out and serving. I went to this event last year and walked away with tons of local products from local businesses and farms. So, I was excited that I would be in town for this year’s event as well. It was a near thing though. I was in Indianapolis the day before for a half marathon…so thank goodness this was a Sunday event.

After an easy time getting to the site of the Buy Local Fair and with no problems parking…I was more than primed to find the food trucks and get my crepe on. Because that…my dear readers…is what Sweet ‘N’ Savory is all about. They do amazing gluten-free crepes, gelato, smoothies, coffee, tea…ahhhh…life’s simple but best pleasures, if you ask me. And you’re reading this…so technically…you are.

Sweet ‘N’ Savory was right on the end of the row of food trucks as we turned the corner. I think I bounced up and down when I saw them…already with a line. YAY! I was so ready for this. My crepe craving has been out of control lately. And despite having a gluten-free crepe place in Columbus, Ohio…and now one in Denver, Colorado…nothing…NOTHING compares to those that are served up by my local food truck, owned by Richard and Ashley Giannini. He mans the crepe stones and she takes the orders and dishes up everything else…including their rich, creamy gelato. But I’ll get to that momentarily.

Richard and Ashley are the two who got me hooked on savory crepes. I never cared for them much before…until they came along. And…still…I hardly order them from anywhere else…because they don’t compare to the flavor combinations that I can get from Sweet ‘N’ Savory. I looked over the menu…and contemplated going sweet. But it was lunch…so…the savory sort of had my attention. I was going back and forth between two of them…and finally settled on…

The Sweet Onion Crepe.

Sweet 'N' Savory's Sweet Onion Crepe — Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s Sweet Onion Crepe

This savory crepe contained caramelized onions, figs, honey, and goat cheese, folded up in the gluten-free crepe and served toasty and warm and…mouth watering. Holy cow. I put in my order and Cathy placed hers (opting for the one with ‘all the meats’ as she never gets to eat meat at home since I am the cook). While we waited, we chatted with both Richard and Ashley about how we’ve been and what’s been keeping us busy. They apologized for missing me the weekend before at The Flea Off Market (severe weather shut it down early and they packed up 10 minutes before I finally arrived…SO not their fault. Just really bad timing!). We laughed about the strange weather and soon…both Cathy and I were receiving our delicious gluten-free crepes.

The seating area was on the other end of the food truck area, so we took a small stroll over to a picnic table and settled in. I quickly took the mandatory food shot for the blog and then picked up my plastic utensils and readied myself for my first bite of one of Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s crepes in a L-O-N-G time.

It was just as good as I always remembered. The savory Sweet Onion Crepe was the perfect blend of everything. You get sweetness from the caramelized onions…plus some great flavor and texture from the chopped up figs that are inside. The honey binds everything together. But the real magic in this crepe falls to the goat cheese. You get this nice balance of saltiness and creamy texture to counter the onion and fig mixture. Heaven. I cut off a piece for Cathy to try and she agreed…it rocked! And her crepe was apparently good too, because we polished them off in record time. For real! The crepe itself was toasted to a perfect golden brown and tucked neatly around the filling. It was heaven on a paper plate. And I was all smiles…in between chewing, of course. I have yet to have something from Sweet ‘N’ Savory that I didn’t like.

As we had been waiting in line, Ashely had mentioned their gelato flavors. She had done up a Brownie Batter Gelato that morning that she said was amazing. Lick-the-bowl good, I believe. She also said that it would pair perfectly with, my personal favorite, Salted Caramel. And they did have the salted caramel flavor. But she enticed me with something else…

A Dairy-Free Raspberry Gelato. So, Cathy and I abandoned our plans to celebrate my fastest half marathon time with our traditional Sundae Sunday at The Comfy Cow…and instead…went for Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s gelato. Cathy got the Brownie Batter. I was enticed to the Raspberry. Ashley served it up…and we happily paid and walked away with our refreshing sweet treat in hand.

Cathy fell in love with the rich, sweet, very-brownie flavor of the Brownie Batter Gelato. I took a spoonful and…WOW! Yeah…it was like eating rich, delicious, dark chocolate brownie batter. REALLY good. But, I was over-the-moon for my choice. Light, airy, and tangy…the zippy flavor of Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s Dairy-Free Raspberry Gelato won me over at first bite. Cathy, who doesn’t even like raspberry, took a taste and said, “WOW…that’s GOOD!” So, we perused the Buy Local Fair, buying products from local farms and businesses, while eating our little bowls of homemade, rich, creamy, light…gelato. I was in a good place. A very, very happy place.

So, I want to take a moment to welcome back my favorite Louisville, Kentucky food truck, Sweet ‘N’ Savory. I have missed you so much. And you totally have brought the flavor-factor back once again this year. I can’t wait to turn up at other events and try other crepes that you create and put together. Honestly…you’ve been missed. And next time…it might be a two-scoop gelato kind of day. Your food is love…and I love your food!

Sweet 'N' Savory's Dairy-Free Raspberry Gelato — Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s Dairy-Free Raspberry Gelato

May 21, 2014

Product Review: Lucky Clover Farm Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin

Product: Lucky Clover Farm Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin – $3.00

Yeah…after the mention of the Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin from Lucky Clover Farm in my previous post, I wasn’t going to leave you hanging. Seriously. I think I’m in love with the gluten-free baked goods this local business is putting out. I am so glad that I went to the Buy Local Fair in Louisville on Sunday because I don’t think I would have found them otherwise.

Happiness…is being able to eat baked goodies!

Because unless I go to a specialty bakery or buy them in the store or make them myself…I go without.

That’s how it works when you are a Celiac.

That being said…when I literally turned around and walked back to the booth at the Buy Local Fair that was advertising gluten-free breads, muffins, cakes, etc…I didn’t know what I was in for. I ended up purchasing more than what I initially intended. I wanted the gluten-free carrot cake…but it’s hard to sell that on my roomie. She was intrigued by the herb bread…and I just blogged on that. We also picked out three of the jam varieties they had for sale as well. We are jelly and jam lovers here. Seriously. I kept eying that carrot cake…but ended up leaving it and going for the Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin instead.

First of all, I have never seen such beautiful muffins. It was shaped like a giant flour. Seriously. I picked up one of the individually wrapped muffins and found it soft, light, and smelling of fresh blueberries. It smelled sweet. And fresh. And…yeah…I supposed I could leave the carrot cake behind this time if this was what I got to have instead.

On Monday morning, after my spin class, I returned home and got to work on a quick and easy breakfast. This was going to consist of some of the aforementioned gluten-free herb bread from Lucky Clover Farm…and Cathy and I were splitting the Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin. I decided to toast the slice of bread, tossing it on a pan and then into the oven while I went and showered. When I was dressed and back in the kitchen, the bread was finishing up…so I unwrapped the blooming Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin from Lucky Clover Farm, placed it on a plate, and then placed it in the microwave for about 20 seconds.

It smelled so amazing as it emerged out of the microwave, warm all the way through. I sliced it in half…then into quarters. Cathy loves her muffin buttered, so I added a light schmear of real butter to her muffin slices and then plated it with the toasted gluten-free herb bread.

I never have buttered much of anything I ate…including bread and muffins, so mine was simply plated. I settled in with my coffee and my tasty (and easy and quick) breakfast that morning. I already knew the bread was good, so I immediately turned my attention and appetite to the Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin.

It was so soft and light. It was not dense at all. Just fresh and baked to a golden perfection on the outside. The blueberries added a great amount of fresh sweetness. And it wasn’t laden with sugar, making it seem more like cake. This was a muffin through-and-through. It was soft and chewy and perfect. I think angels might have baked it…because I love a muffin that isn’t heavy. And this was just what I needed that morning. They seem to make different varieties of their gluten-free muffins throughout the year and where they end up at different fairs and festivals and markets.

I can’t say enough good things about Lucky Clover Farms. In fact, these gluten-free baked goods were such a hit with me and Cathy that we can’t wait to try the jams out.

This might have been my favorite Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin to date. I mean…it looked like a flower and tasted like a dream.

Doesn’t get much better than that!

Lucky Clover Farm Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin

May 20, 2014

Restaurant Review: Crepes ‘N Crepes, Denver, Colorado

Restaurant: Crepes ‘N Crepes, Denver, Colorado

Crepes.

Thin little French pancakes of awesomesauce.

Yep. That about sums it up. They come sweet. They come savory. But the fact of the matter is…I love them. There is something just so…foodie…about a crepe. They, for one thing, are a bitch to make. And, sadly, they are very hard to come by in the gluten-free variety.

There is a great food truck here who catered my birthday party last year…Sweet ‘N Savory, who does gluten-free crepes…and I love them so much. We’re BFFs really. If they have an event…you better believe I am there. When I go to Columbus, Ohio…I hit up Cest Si Bon…where I can get gluten-free crepes while out of town. But, the place I would get gluten-free crepes when I was visiting Denver…closed. It’s been closed for about two years now. It was where I first had a Crepe Suzette (my absolute favorite crepe in life!) and fell in love with it.

So what is a girl to do when she constantly craves crepes and her usual spot in Denver is gone?

You find a new one! And thanks to my Find Me Gluten Free app, I found one.

The place is Crepes ‘N Crepes…and they do have amazing gluten-free options. Any crepe can be made gluten-free…you just have to tell your server. I actually had a decent breakfast up in Boulder, Colorado that morning (The Buff, FTW!)…but I knew I’d be hungry sooner or later. And when we had limited parking at the hotel, our minds were made up…Cathy and I were grabbing an early dinner…and it was going to be crepes.

We drove out to East Third Avenue in Denver and parked the car. A short stroll from the parking garage to the restaurant. I was quite excited! We strolled in and we were seated out on the front porch under a nice umbrella, the afternoon breeze a nice change of pace. We were given menus and ordered water. I already knew what I was going to get for my crepe. They had a Crepe Suzette. Cathy…she needed some time to ponder. She is more of a savory crepe person than a sweet crepe person, so when she finally decided…it was all about cheese. Seriously.

Cathy ordered the Fromage de Chevre (Goat Cheese Crepe) that came with a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and a Pesto ($8.00). I got the Gluten-Free Crepe Suzette ($10.50 includes the $1.00 up-charge for gluten-free). The waitress asked if they needed to clean the stone off for me. I did explain that I was a Celiac and that it was necessary. She said it wasn’t a problem and went to put our orders in.

We only had a little bit of a wait before our crepes arrived. My folded pocket of goodness was a thin folded pancake that was made up of lemon juice, caramel, butter, sugar and grand marnier. Mmmm…boozy crepes!! It looked amazing, all flambeed to a beautiful sugary crust on the top. I was ready to dive right in and see if it compared to my first…and the one my food truck made specifically for me on my birthday. I took up my fork and knife and sliced right in. One bite…

And it was good. It was. It wasn’t quite up to what I had at La Creperie Cafe the other times I was in Denver (such a shame they closed!) or from Sweet ‘N Savory. But it was very good. It had that gritty sugary feel on the inside with the butter making it soft and delectable. The caramel gave it that nice crust on the top. And the lemon juice tied everything together. The booze was nicely burned off, giving it just that hint of flavor. Yep…still my favorite crepe. Just delicious. I was one happy girl, eating my gluten-free crepe out in the Denver sunshine that afternoon.

Cathy’s crepe, by the way, looked fantastic. It was stuffed with soft goat cheese and she was provided with two dipping sauces. While she is a huge fan of roasted red peppers, her favorite sauce was the pesto. She was in heaven when she combined that flavor of the crepe with the savory cheese and that kick of the pesto. She devoured it. And left no pesto in the container.

I was very happy that I at least got to have one of my favorite treats while in Denver. It was Denver where I first got served up a gluten-free crepe, so it has become somewhat of a tradition to seek out. Thanks to Crepes ‘N Crepes…I had an amazing Gluten-Free Crepe Suzette while enjoying a relaxing afternoon on the patio, chatting with my roommate and just taking it all in. Was it the best Crepe Suzette I ever had? Nope. But it was still delicious…and that is good enough for me! I can’t wait to go back!

Crepes 'N Crepes Gluten-Free Crepe Suzette — Crepes ‘N Crepes Gluten-Free Crepe Suzette

May 18, 2014

Product Review: WOW Baking Company Lemon Burst Cookies

Product: WOW Baking Company Lemon Burst Cookies – $4.99+

Lemon. Lemon.

Luscious lemon.

There is something go refreshing and amazing about foods that have that lemon tang to it. Citrus has always been one of my first loves…especially lemon. Lemonade, lemon chiffon, lemon meringue, lemon zest, lemon…lemon…lemon! Give me all the lemon.

Luckily, my friends know of this lemon love…and often share it.

That goes double for my friend Jenn, who kindly stocked me up with a package of WOW Baking Company’s Lemon Burst Cookies.

I mean…what is not to love about that? LEMON. BURST. COOKIES.

I was thrilled to have these in my pantry…and after working through some other items…pulled these out one evening for a delicious palate cleanser after dinner. Dessert doesn’t have to be big…but it should always be enjoyed. I love a small touch of sweetness after a meal. My desserts at home are often just a couple bites of something, but I never deny myself that little treat.

That being said…I pulled open this little sack of cookie goodness and discovered a bag full of amazing soft, two to three bite cookies. I checked the label for the serving size…which says…2 ounces. That turned out to be around 4-5 of the little mini cookies. So…I dished up a measured serving (yes…I weighed them each time!) for my roommate and one for me. I delivered the cookies to her and she dug in. She might love lemon even more than I do…so she was happily nomming away at her batch of cookies when I finally settled in with my dessert.

One bite confirmed what her appreciative chewing noises were telling me. These…WERE AWESOME!! The texture was somewhere in between a butter cookie and a cake. Seriously. They were so soft and light…I loved it. No annoying crunching. Flavor-wise, it was like eating a bit of sugar cookie dough that was kicked up with a hint of lemon flavor. Just enough to sweeten and not overpower. It was so refreshing. Each bite was a treat, most definitely.

WOW Baking Company is very dedicated to producing soft, chewy, delicious tatsting baked goods that are wheat-free and gluten-free. According to their Website, all products are produced in small batches with premium, all-natural ingredients. You won’t ever find hydrogenated oils, refined sugars, artificial flavors or wheat and gluten in any of the products they produce. Their products are non-GMO, which is always nice. WOW Baking Company produces all their products in a dedicated and certified gluten-free facility.

So, let’s discuss the ingredients in WOW Baking Company Lemon Burst Cookies, shall we? These cookies are made from a gluten-free flour blend (brown rice, sweet rice, tapioca), cane sugar, butter, eggs, corn starch, potato starch, vanilla, cream of tartar, pure lemon oil, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt and citric acid. That’s it. And what you get is a product you’d be hard pressed to guess was gluten-free if you didn’t know. Trust me.

Nutritionally speaking, a serving of WOW Baking Company Lemon Burst Cookies is, as I mentioned before, 2 ounces, or around 4-5 cookies. This serving will dish you up 260 calories and 12 grams of fat. These cookies also have 50 mg cholesterol, 220 mg sodium, and 14 grams of sugar. The Lemon Burst Cookies also have 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams of protein in each serving. So…they are a treat for sure. Don’t over indulge…but do enjoy.

I fell in love with the WOW Baking Company Lemon Burst Cookies at first bite. Chewy, soft, light, and delicious. The right amount of lemon flavor. The right balance of everything else. Real ingredients means really delicious treats. This…is a favorite for sure!

Just…WOW!