Nuts – Page 10 – The Celiathlete

June 12, 2013

A crispy outside with a soft inside means The Pure Pantry mixes up a perfect old fashioned pancake

Product: The Pure Pantry Organic Gluten-Free Old Fashioned Pancake and Baking Mix – $6.79+

What does a runner love to eat…probably as much as bananas, pasta, and pizza. If you said pancakes…you’d win the jackpot. And, even before I became a runner, pancakes were one of my most favorite breakfast foods to have. And my mom was a pro at making them. In fact, her very own recipe in the cookbook she put together for all of the kids in the family actually has them titled “The Best Ever Pancakes.” I think we called them that once or twice…or always.

But…going gluten-free sort of took the fun out of pancakes. So often, the batter would be runny, or the pancakes would have no lift to them. They were dense, not light and fluffy. Or the flavor was all wrong. There are so many factors that go into creating the perfect pancake. And none of them ever achieved “Best Ever” status like my mom’s.

And while none of the mixes have duplicated that perfection…a few have come close. And, while this remains on the lower end of my favorite pancakes, The Pure Pantry Organic Old Fashioned Pancake and Baking Mix has achieved something that no other gluten-free pancake and baking mix has managed. It managed to get that perfect golden crust on the outside of the pancake, so that you get that initial crispy texture, followed by the soft, hot center.

Yes…it might just be gluten-free pancake nirvana.

And it all came to light on Monday morning. I had just come in from my first official marathon training run. Five easy miles…while hydrating and fueling. All on the orders of my sports nutritionist. But now it was time to recover and get some carbs and protein working in my diet. So…at the request of my roomie the previous night, and to celebrate my first run toward my ultimate goal of 26.2 miles…pancakes just seemed right. But not just any pancakes will do when you are marathon training. Nope. They have to be special. Fit with the theme.

So…I took this mix and doctored it up with some PB2, a tablespoon of melted Peanut Butter & Co Smooth Operator Peanut Butter, and a chopped banana. Does that not sound like the ultimate recovery breakfast? It’s a runner’s dream come true. Protein, potassium, and carbohydrates. I served mine up with a homemade raspberry syrup (the “jelly” component)…which gave me some antioxidants from the fruit. Oh yeah…I was feeling good. The only thing I worried about was how the mix would do when I altered the ingredients that went into it.

I should have known better than to worry. This is actually an easy mix to blend together. To the 1-1/3 cup of pancake mix, you simply add one lightly beaten egg, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1-1/3 cup almond milk (or non-dairy milk of choice) and blend. But I didn’t stop there. Nope. I had to go further with the peanut butter and banana. Because that’s a winning combination. You gotta admit. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out in the end…but my fears were put to rest after I scooped the first 1/4 cup serving of batter onto the hot skillet and started the first batch cooking.

Within moments, the edges of the pancakes were getting bubbly, just like real pancakes do…but gluten-free pancakes don’t often achieve. I was feeling good about this already. I flipped the first round, almost squealing with happiness when I saw the perfect golden hue on the cooked side. Nothing done halfway. No light areas. Perfectly golden and…even fluffy. They were FLUFFY!

With the first batch done, I went to prep those for breakfast consumption that morning, warming up my homemade raspberry syrup, and making a Brown Sugar Agave Butter to schmear over each pancake. With the next batch cooking on the griddle and one set ready to eat, I served them up to my roommate and ended up standing up over the skillet while eating mine and cooking up the rest of them.

I was so happy with these.

The Pure Pantry’s Organic Old Fashioned Pancake and Baking Mix is perfect for anyone following a gluten-free/casein-free diet. These pancakes can also be made with dairy-free rice, almond or soy milk. I love a mix that can work with dietary needs. Regardless of the milk you add, the pancakes don’t just fill the kitchen with that homey, Sunday morning brunch aroma, but the product that emerges off that skillet is a testament to the quality and standards of The Pure Pantry.

With the unique and versatile blend of organic, gluten-free flours, this mix is meant for more than just pancakes. In fact, it can be used to replace flour in any regular baking recipe. Gotta love that. This mix contains a blend of organic brown rice flour, organic white rice flour, organic potato starch flour, organic corn flour, organic tapioca flour, baking soda, aluminum free baking powder, xanthan gum, and organic sea salt. I will once again point out that this is another fine example of using ingredients that aren’t chemicals or unpronouncable. These are real ingredients which helps produce the very delicious product as a result.

Nutritionally speaking, these pancakes will set you back 150 calories and only 1 gram of fat. Yep…you read that right! These have no cholesterol and are low in sodium (280 mg). However, it would be best to add something like peanut butter and some fruit to these as the fiber level sits at 1 gram and the protein is a scant 2 grams before any sort of doctoring happens to the mix. So…if you make them as-is…you will probably feel hungry shortly after.

However, what you do get is a perfect specimen of gluten-free pancakes the way they should come out when cooked. I hadn’t yet achieved this level of pancake perfection until now. And I have The Pure Pantry and their amazing Organic Old Fashioned Pancake and Baking Mix to thank for it. I…am sold.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Banana Pancakes made from The Pure Pantry Organic Gluten-Free Old Fashioned Pancake and Baking Mix

June 8, 2013

Still nutty for the original Nut Goodies candy bar

Product: Pearson’s Original Nut Goodies Bar – $0.99+

I blame nostalgia.

No…really. Because if it hadn’t been for my aunt pulling down boxes of old pictures from when my family would come to Minnesota from New York each summer to spend two weeks with my grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins…I wouldn’t have even remembered what a Nut Goodies bar was. Honestly. It had been blocked from my memory until we unearthed an old photo of my mom, dad, brother, sister and myself sitting on the back porch of my grandparent’s lake cabin…all eating Nut Goodies bars.

The family that eats candy together…is awesome!

Well, it was a day or two later that my roommate and I ventured out to the Mall of America on our last day in Minneapolis. And while in one of the stores that specializes in things from Minnesota…I spotted the Nut Goodies bars. As in…they had a Sea Salt Caramel one too. Well, I had to have that because Salty Caramel things are one of my great loves in life. But…I couldn’t not get the original bar. And, as the label clearly read that there were gluten-free…I allowed the splurge and went ahead and picked up one of each flavor, so that my roomie and I could split them and savor.

These made the journey back to the Louisville area with me…in my often crowded and heavy carry-on bag. But…they survived and were in tact. Yesterday…I broke out the Sea Salt Caramel one for dessert…per the request of my roomie. She started with the new flavor…not the original. Interesting. So tonight…that meant we were having the treat of my childhood. The Original Nut Goodies bar.

After we ate dinner…it was time for our tasty dessert treat. I went to the kitchen and snagged the Original Nut Goodies bar from the pantry and tore into the wrapper. I easily sliced the bar in half, giving her one half and keeping the other half for me. I almost didn’t want to eat it. Well, I did…but there was so much nostalgia going on in that moment…

My roomie wasted no time. She bit into it and said…”It’s like a Snickers on crack!” Which, I took as a good thing. So, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes…and took my first bite in ages.

And I immediately remembered that flavor. It was sweet. Crunchy. Smooth. Creamy. Dreamy. DELICIOUS! I mean, it doesn’t get much better than a creamy maple center that is coated with real milk chocolate and unsalted Virginia peanuts. Nope. It really doesn’t. Forget Snickers…this candy bar is much, much, much better. I fell in love with it all over again. It took me back to those childhood days. One bite. I was there. And then, before I knew it…my half of the candy was gone. I licked my fingers clean. No crumb was wasted. Now…I want more.

Pearson’s Nut Goodies candy bar hit the scene in Minneapolis, Minnesota back in 1912. Over 100 years later and the candy is still being made. Minnesota is famous for them. And I guess that’s why my family would devour these whenever we headed that way to visit. It wasn’t like we could find them in New York. Trust me…we couldn’t.

Now…given that this is, in fact, a candy bar…don’t expect great nutritional information. This is…a treat. My roommate and I split our bar in half…but an entire bar would serve you up 240 calories and 12 grams of fat. Thanks to the nuts being unsalted, one bar only has 85 mg of sodium. Not too bad. The nuts also help to provide the 4 grams of protein in each bar. That being said, you will be feasting on 28 grams of sugar. But…like I said…it’s a treat.

Pearson’s created a divine, premium candy bar back in 1912. The fact that they maintain their high standards and still produce an amazing, delicious product is even more impressive. I think Nut Goodies bars will forever be on the ‘bring home with you’ list when I visit Minnesota. And if you happen to spot one out in the wild…trust me…you want one. You want one BAD. So go ahead…treat yourself to one. Or you’ll be missing out on a Minnesota classic.

Pearson's Original Nut Goodies Bar (unwrapped) — Pearson’s Original Nut Goodies Bar (unwrapped)

June 7, 2013

Nutty for Pearson’s Sea Salt Caramel Nut Goodies Bar

Pearson's Sea Salt Caramel Nut Goodie Bar — Pearson’s Sea Salt Caramel Nut Goodies Bar

Pearson’s Sea Salt Caramel Nut Goodies Bar – $0.99+

It’s a Minnesota classic. Something I ate when I was a kid…whenever I visited Minnesota, my parents would treat us to one. There are pictures of my family sitting on the back porch of the lake cabin in Minnesota, chowing down on the infamous Nut Goodies Bar.

Ever have one?

If not…you need to change that.

So…as it goes, I was in Minnesota last month to run a half marathon. On my final day in Minneapolis, my roomie and I hit up the Mall of America, where I made a few random purchases. One of which were two varieties of Nut Goodies Bars. What are Nut Goodies Bars? They are AWESOME, that’s what they are. But seriously, Pearson’s Nut Goodies Bars are a Minnesota classic. The company started in 1909, and the Nut Goodies Bar released to the market in 1912 as a premium 5¢ candy bar. These candy bars contain a creamy maple center that is covered with real milk chocolate (and still is today…unlike many of today’s candy bars) and fresh unsalted Virginia peanuts. What you end up with is this nice blend of sweet and salty…which is only one of my favorite combinations…EVER!

But…in honor of their 100 year anniversary, Pearson’s went a bit off the beaten path and released it’s first ever permanent line extension by introducing the Sea Salt Caramel Nut Goodies.

Salted Caramel. Please excuse me while I drool for a moment. Because I. LOVE. SALTED. CARAMEL.

I spotted it while at a store full of Minnesota goodness at the Mall of America. I went ahead and grabbed one of the Sea Salt Caramel and one of the Original Nut Goodies Bars. For old time sake. After all, the labels clearly stated that they were…wait for it…GLUTEN FREE! Happiness and joy!

So, they traveled back to Louisville with me in my carry-on luggage. And survived without getting too crushed under everything else I had jammed in there. And since the cookies are winding down in my pantry of gluten-free gorging…I decided tonight my roomie and I would split one of the Nut Goodies Bars that came from the land of 10,000 Lakes and Awesome Chocolate Candy. I told her to choose between the Original and Sea Salt Caramel. I expected her to start with the basic…the bar that started it all…but she chose Sea Salt Caramel. So tonight, we split the Sea Salt Caramel Nut Goodies Bar.

This candy bar is basically a new take on the Original. Instead of the maple center, however, there is a center that is made up of delicious sea salt and caramel…then coated with the infamous real milk chocolate and Virginia peanuts.

These are your basic Turtle candies taken up to the ultimate level. I absolutely loved having my half of this candy bar for dessert. I mean…it doesn’t get much better than something sweet with a hint of something salty. The caramel portion is soft and chewy. Which I love. No one likes hard caramel in their candy bar. The nuts are fresh and crunchy…and being unsalted, you get that nice earthy taste with them. The chocolate is sweet and rich. I love that. And the addition of the sea salt brought the right hint of salty to this otherwise sweet treat.

Now…being that this is a candy bar…let’s remember that this won’t be nutritious…but I don’t like to keep the facts out of my blogs. My roommate and I split this to cut down on the hit the entire bar would give us. And, really, you just need a taste. But Pearson’s Sea Salt Caramel Nut Goodies Bar will set you back 250 calories and 12 grams of fat (some of that is the good fats from the nuts). Given that this is a sea salt variety, the sodium is a little higher, set at 220 mg per bar. And each bar has 3 grams of protein (thank you peanuts!). As for sugar level…yeah…sugar rush on the way with this topping out at 26 grams. So, remember, this is a treat…but you can also split it with friends and family.

I also love that Pearson’s clearly labeled this Gluten-Free. No questions. No guessing. It’s right there.

And I am clearly falling back in love with a treat from my childhood. Memory lane…taking down a new flavor path. YUM!

Pearson's Sea Salt Caramel Nut Goodie Bar (unwrapped) — Pearson’s Sea Salt Caramel Nut Goodies Bar (unwrapped)

May 27, 2013

Recipe: Gluten-Free and Vegan “Clam” Chowder

Awhile back, Prevention magazine did a profile on Kris Carr. If you’ve never heard that name before, you’d be inspired by this woman. She is a best-selling author, a wellness activist, and a cancer thriver. Yes…thriver. You see, on Valentine’s Day in 2003, Carr was diagnosed with a rare and incurable stage 4 cancer. This diagnosis made her want to feel better, love harder, and enjoy life more fully. She wanted to live life to the fullest…and live it like she meant it.

Part of that journey was changing the way she ate. She went to a complete lifestyle makeover. She switched to a nutrient dense, plant-based diet, began exercising, and found joy and fun in everything.

Really…this woman is amazing and her story was one I remembered from the plethora of magazines I receive each month. I appreciate Prevention for profiling her…because it led me to her book: Crazy Sexy Kitchen.

This book just happened to be on the shelf of my local library. And after flipping through it briefly…I went ahead and borrowed it. Immediately I had recipes I wanted to try…but the one that interested me most is the one I made for dinner tonight…and, believe me when I say, it’s worth the effort to make. I had to make modifications with the ingredients at times, but in the end…it turned into a beautiful dish.

The recipe is below.

Recipe: Gluten-Free and Vegan “Clam” Chowder

Serves: 12
Time: Prep 60 minutes; Cook 15 minutes

Ingredients for Cashew Cream:

4 cups whole raw cashews, rinsed under cold water

Ingredients for Kombu Broth:

4 pieces kombu seaweed (I didn’t pick this up, so I used sheets of nori)
2 quarts water

Ingredients for Smoked Mushrooms*:

1 tablespoon small hickory chips
1 heaping cup diced king trumpet mushrooms

*(NOTE: I had 10 ounces of crimini mushrooms on hand and no stovetop smoker, so I improvised…)

Ingredients for Chowder Assembly:

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup diced white onion
1/2 cup diced celery (I used diced carrot because I didn’t have celery, but I did have plenty of carrots)
1 cup peeled and diced baking potato
2-1/2 to 3 cups water
1 teaspoon lemon juice, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon Tobasco or other hot sauce, more to taste (I used Sriracha)
2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper, more to taste

Directions:

Prepare Cashew Cream: Put the cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to soak overnight.

Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water. Place the cashews in a high-speed blender (this will need to be done in a couple of batches) and add enough water to cover by an inch.

Purée until completely smooth. If needed, pass the cashew purée through a fine strainer to remove any course bits; the final “cream” should have a smooth, thick consistency of heavy dairy cream. This will make about 3 cups cream (consistency will depend on the amount of water added while blending, and can vary from just over 2 cups to about 3-1/2 cups; thin as desired)

Prepare Kombu Broth*: Combine the combu and water in a medium pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook 40 minutes, then strain. This makes about 5 cups kombu broth, more than is needed for the remainder of the recipe. The broth will keep, covered and refrigerated, up to 10 days.

*(Note: I didn’t have kombu on hand, so I used nori sheets, and followed the instructions as if they were kombu. The flavor was probably milder than it would have been…but this worked. I did, however, have to press on the nori to wring out the rest of the broth)

Prepare Smoked Mushrooms*: Prepare a stovetop smoker: Spread the chips in the base of the smoker, directly over the burner. Place the drip pan (if using) over the chips and a rack on top of the drip pan. Place the diced mushrooms on the rack (be sure to use a rack fine enough so the mushrooms don’t fall through) indirectly over the chips (do not place the mushrooms directly over the chips, as this can cause them to oversmoke and turn bitter). Partially cover the smoker with a lid, leaving it open a cuple of inches. (If you do not have a commercial stovetop smoker, you can substitute by using a heavy roasting pan, a cake rack, and heavy duty foil to cover the pan as a lid.)

Heat the smoker over medium heat just until you see smoke escaping through the opening. Close the smoker entirely and gently smoke just to infuse the mushrooms with smoke flavor, not to cook, 3 to 5 minutes. Be careful not to oversmoke, or the mushrooms will become bitter.

*(Note: I don’t have a stovetop smoker or anything I could have used to do the makeshift one…so instead I went about this a little differently. After rinsing my mushrooms and cutting the stems even to the caps, I put them in a bowl with 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons of Liquid Smoke (make sure it is a gluten-free brand), a touch of salt, and some kelp granules. I mixed this until everything was coated then placed them on a baking pan and roasted in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes. I then diced them as the recipe called for. It yielded perfect results.)

Assemble Chowder: Heat the oil in a medium-size soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery (in my case, carrots), and potato. Sweat the ingredients, stirring frequently, until softened, 8-10 minutes.

Add 1-1/2 cups each of the Kombu Broth, Cashew Cream, and all the smoked mushrooms. Reduce the heat, and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes to develop and marry the flavors. The Cashew Cream will thicken as it cooks, and you will need to add water from time to time to thin and adjust the consistency. We added about 3 cups of water as the soup cooked.

Season with lemon juice, Tobasco (or hot sauce of choice), salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired. This makes a generous 2 quarts of soup.

~*~*~

This recipe looks labor intensive at first glance, but I soaked the cashews overnight and making the cashew cream was a synch. As for the broth, I made that ahead as well and let it chill in the fridge. Then, when I needed it, I poured out the amount for this recipe and it was all set to go. All I really needed to do was chop the vegetables and get everything cooking.

And what emerged was a flavorful, creamy, delicious vegan clam chowder. The flavors were awesome. And the texture of the mushrooms after roasting in the oven for that long was just like a clam tasted (back before my vegetarian days and when chowder was safe to eat). I wasn’t sure what to think about this as I started to cook everything together in my big pot on the stove, but the end result was awesome.

I can’t wait to heat up more and enjoy it all over again.

As a side note, this soup is freezer-friendly. So go ahead and freeze the extra if needed and allow it to thaw when you’re ready to have more. Otherwise, the soup does keep for about 1 week in the fridge.

This is TOTALLY going to be made over and over again. Shockingly delicious. But, then again, Kris Carr enlisted the help of Chef Tal Ronnen for this one…so it’s no surprise this soup is packed with awesomeness.

Make it. Go ahead. I dare you!

May 27, 2013

thinkThin makes decadent and wholesome Caramel Chocolate Dipped Mixed Nuts Crunch Bar

thinkThin Caramel Chocolate Dipped Crunch Bar

thinkThin Caramel Chocolate Dipped Mixed Nuts Crunch Bar – $1.99+

Oh, I just can’t stop singing the praises of thinkThin and the amazing, gluten-free, delicious, and nutritious bars that they have out on the market. I have reviewed quite a few along the way, as I often use these as a protein pick-me-up, or even a pre-race or post-race snack. They are portable…and…even more importantly…impressively filling and delicious.

One of the newer bars out on the market are their line of thinkThin Crunch bars. They have a few varieties out there. Previously, I tried out just the regular Chocolate Dipped Mixed Nuts Crunch Bar…and absolutely devoured it and sang its praises along the way.

Well, my roommate loves a good deal…and while I sent her out to grab something from the grocery store one day when I was in the kitchen slaving away over dinner, she returned with gifts. And one of these gifts was a new flavor of thinkThin Crunch bars.

Happiness. I love new products. Especially by companies and brands that I trust.

Enter…the morning of one of my races. For longer races, I usually dine on a delicious banana about 40 minutes prior to the run. For shorter races…it’s whatever I can grab. Banana works then too…but I haven’t been keeping bananas recently. Sad…I should start doing that again. But, in a rush to get out the door, it was find something quick from the drawer of race morning snacks. I didn’t want something with a lot of chocolate…because I don’t think my tummy would handle that well before a run. The only option, then, that I currently had…was the thinkThin Caramel Chocolate Dipped Mixed Nuts Crunch Bar that Cathy brought home for me. It still had a small amount of chocolate in it…but far less than the other options in the drawer. It would have to do.

We ended up being way ahead of schedule to the race…but the guy with all the packet stuff was running late that morning. It was a little earlier than I liked, but as we were sitting around waiting on someone before anything else race related could be done…I figured I’d go ahead and eat my bar, giving my body some time to work on digesting not just the bit of chocolate, but the nuts as well.

I unwrapped the bar and took a bite.

It reminded me of something…and I still can’t seem to put my finger on it. But…it was something I used to eat…often. So, trust me when I say…this bar is yummy! It is packed with a blend of peanuts, almonds, and cashews. All of the nuts are bound together and sweetened with a hint of honey, then the bottom layer is dipped in a decadent blend of caramel and dark chocolate. Together, the salty-sweet mix is the perfect blend for any palate. Who doesn’t love a hit of sweetness with salty things? It’s why I loved eating chocolate covered pretzels before I had to go gluten-free (but Glutino makes fantastic gluten-free chocolate covered pretzels)…that combination of salty and sweet just does it for me. And this bar combines everything I love about that combination…into one healthy and satisfying bar.

Nutritionally speaking, when it comes to bars of this nature, this is one of the best you can choose. One bar will only set you back 190 calories and 11 grams of fat. Yes…the fat content may seem high, but most of that is from the nuts, and those are healthy, belly-flattening fats. This bar is low in sugar, topping out at only 6 grams, which is 70% less than most leading fruit and nut bars. In addition to that, a healthy dose of 9 grams of protein (that’s 80% more than leading fruit and nut bars as well) and 4 grams of fiber will help keep you feeling full and satisfied long after this bar is eaten. I ran a hard, hilly 5K race and I wasn’t even starving afterwards like I usually am.

Replace candy bars with this wholesome Crunch bar from thinkThin and you’re right on track to delicious, nutritious snacking. I absolutely loved the flavor combination and that this bar is so healthy on top of it. thinkThin has done me proud in the past…and once again…they live up to the high standards they set. I continue to buy bars from thinkThin because they continue to put out a product worth buying. The crunch bars will replace your sugar-loaded candy bars or granola bars…and give you added nutrients in the process.

Smart thinking, thinkThin.

thinkThin Caramel Chocolate Dipped Crunch Bar (unwrapped)

May 14, 2013

Love Grown Foods Blueberry Banana Walnut Hot Oats is a cuppa cuppa steaming love

Product: Love Grown Foods Blueberry Banana Walnut Hot Oats – $2.49+

We all know by now that every day during the workweek, my lunch consists of one thing and one thing only – gluten-free oatmeal.

I have tried a lot of gluten-free oatmeal out on the market. Some I have liked, a couple I have loved, some I tolerated, and some…I just couldn’t bring myself to finish.

When it came to gluten-free granola, I was no stranger to the awesome and amazing lure and taste of Love Grown Foods. They definitely had the best out on the market. That’s why I continue to buy it. And I probably always will. My pantry is never without one of their varieties, for sure. They are perfect with my fruit and Greek yogurt parfaits on non-gym mornings. My love affair with Love Grown Foods started early. And it has only grown ever since.

Rewind for a moment now to December 2012. I noticed an announcement from Love Grown Foods that was declaring the release of a brand new product. Much to my delight…it was their line of Hot Oats. You got it…gluten-free oatmeal. I was beside myself. I couldn’t wait to try it. I just…I just had to. If their granola was on the top of my list, surely their oatmeal had to be epic.

And between the launch and the beginning of May 2013…I could only sit and wonder. I was extremely jealous of every post I saw via Twitter of Facebook of people enjoying their Love Grown Foods Hot Oats. Why? Because I just could NOT find it in this area. No shocker there, right? It happens all the time. A gluten-free company I trust and love announces a new product. I get all excited and then spend up to as much as a year trying to find it in the Louisville, Kentucky area. It’s aggravating and frustrating and makes me one unhappy gluten-free camper.

However, one store in my area must have felt my pain. Because I was out at my local Fresh Market in Louisville, just scouting the aisles as I tend to do…and lo and behold…in the cereal aisle, the clouds parted and a ray of sunshine illuminated the shelf upon which the little cups of Love Grown Foods Hot Oats were sitting. Okay, not really…but it makes for a much better story. The fact of the matter is…I FINALLY found them! At long last! YAY!! That…was the good news. The bad news was, my already strict budget for gluten-free grocery shopping was reaching max capacity…so I could only purchase one of them. JUST ONE! After all this time.

So…that decision was to try the Love Grown Foods Blueberry Banana Walnut Hot Oats. Because all those ingredients were things I absolutely love in life. So…why not?

Today…at lunch…I got my first taste of hot loving!

Making this oatmeal is so easy. It makes the others that I eat feel so labor intensive. Pull back top halfway, pour water up to line inside container, microwave for about 60 seconds (adding 10 to 20 seconds depending on how thick you want your oats). Let sit for 2 minutes. Then…devour.

Told you it was easy.

I did all of this, putting my oats in for an additional 20 seconds because I dislike soupy oatmeal, and took it back to my desk at the office to sit for two minutes. I somehow managed to find some way to occupy myself so that I didn’t go nuts waiting for it to reach the point of doneness for consumption by…me. Two minutes…that seemed to take forever. Anticipation was killing me. And then…it was time.

I peeled off the top and gave the oats a good healthy stir. They had set up to perfection. Nice and thick without being chunky and overdone. YES! Getting the consistency of the oatmeal right is a challenge in and of itself…but this made it so easy to get just right. Creamy and thick and just how I liked them. Lunch perfection if you ask me. Throughout the oats, I could see the blueberries, the bits of walnut, and, yes, even some banana. My little spoon scooped up a heap of the hot oats and I indulged in my first taste.

OH. MY. HOT. OATY. GOODNESS.

Love…LOVE…LOVE this! Here’s the thing…not only was the consistency to my liking, it wasn’t overly sweet, it had the right amount of each of the components listed as the flavor on the front. And all of it worked together. Every last ingredient. It was a little savory, a little sweet, and wasn’t a little too much of any of it. Perfectly balanced. The dehydrated fruits rehydrated to perfection in the microwave as it warmed. The blueberries were soft and ripe. The walnuts added a nice hint of savory flavor. The banana…well…it’s banana and therefore always wins. And the oats…creamy and steamy to perfection. I can’t wait until I have enough room in my food budget to try another of the four flavors.

And for those of you who don’t know…the flavors that Love Grown Foods currently offers in their line of Hot Oats are: Strawberry Raspberry, Apple Cinnamon, Peach Vanilla Almond, and (of course) the Blueberry Banana Walnut.

So, now that we know these offer a spoonful of hot love in each bite…what about those pesky nutrition facts?

A serving is a single container of the hot oats. More than enough. It was really filling. In fact, these oats kept me feeling full longer than any of the others that have come before it. I approve. One serving of the Blueberry Banana Walnut Hot Oats serves you up 240 calories (which is a bit higher than other gluten-free oatmeal out there…but…yeah…don’t even count calories here…this is love…and you can’t put a calorie stamp on love!) and 4.5 grams of fat, of which a good percentage comes from the healthy fats contained in the walnuts. So fear not. The sugar content might seem a bit high at 12 grams, but brown sugar is one of the ingredients…and fruits naturally have sugar in them. I give this one a pass. As for fiber, you get served 5 filling grams of it and you also will be devouring a protein power-punch of 7 grams. This gluten-free athlete (who craves protein due to also being vegetarian) approves. Mightily approves.

And as I mentioned ingredients above…you’ve pretty much heard them all – certified gluten-free oats, brown sugar, banana, walnuts, blueberries, and cinnamon. That’s it. Nothing fake here. All real ingredients. All real good for you.

I encourage you, and even implore you to seek out Love Grown Foods Hot Oats at your local natural food stores or grocery stores. If they don’t have them, talk to customer service to see if they can order in the products. I hope my budget eases up a bit so I can afford to try another one. Because if the rest of the flavors that are out there come close to the amazing and awesomeness of the Blueberry Banana Walnut version, well…I might be in for a lot of budget juggling in my future.

Love Grown Foods continues to prove that putting a lot of love and care into the development, production, and taste of a product can pay off. I’m hooked. And now I just want more Hot Oats in my life. And stat.

Love Grown Foods Blueberry Banana Walnut Hot Oats (prepared)

May 10, 2013

BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery gives Minneapolis a delicious taste of gluten-free living

Restaurant: BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery, Eagan, Minnesota

There are times where I regret waiting so long to get to one of the restaurants or places of interest on my list when I visit a city. That was certainly the case when it comes to BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery in Eagan, Minnesota.

Live and learn!

So, let me set the scene. On Find Me Gluten-Free, Cathy discovered that the Minneapolis area was home to this gluten-free bakery. And it got rave reviews. This meant…I had to check it out. So it was placed on the list with the address to get to while in town. And…life got busy. And before I knew it…it was Tuesday morning, the morning of the day I was leaving. I had gone on a 6.26 mile run that morning. Cathy had some shops she wanted to check out in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Oh, and I had a date with a celebratory banana split after my fantastic race on Sunday morning. I always celebrate races with banana splits. But it was still early and I wasn’t quite ready for ice cream.

As we were heading out toward some of the bookstores that Cathy wanted to hit up, we were driving by the Cliff Road exit. And she remembered…we had the gluten-free bakery to stop into. I’m glad she remembered. I would have cried had I not made it in there. We set the Garmin for the address she had written down and soon we were pulling into this little strip mall. The bakery was open, and it looked like the door was getting repaired as a large piece of wood covered it. No matter…they were open and that was what mattered.

We stepped inside and were greeted immediately. We were asked if they could help us and we mentioned that we were from out of town, that I was a Celiac, and that the very fact that this bakery existed was enough to make me happy. The man behind the counter said he would give us some time to look around and he’d be back in a moment.

The bake case was filled with amazing looking bread loaves, cookies, bars, and the like. The counter top had different gluten-free mixes and even some gluten-free hamburger buns (that I am now kicking myself for not purchasing!). We scoured the case and decided that we would buy one of the half loaves of the Gluten-Free Banana Walnut Bread, a Gluten-Free Lemon Bar (which we would split), and then we each decided we would try one of the various cookies that the bakery made. We were rejoined by the nice gentleman behind the counter where I placed a gorgeous half loaf of the Gluten-Free Banana Walnut Bread. I asked about getting one of the amazing looking lemon bars, and then I chose to have the Monster Cookie and Cathy chose the Lemon Zinger Cookie. He wrapped up the cookies, and placed the lemon bar and half loaf of bread into a bag. We talked about being from Louisville, Kentucky, and he mentioned having been at the 2011 gluten-free expo in Carmel, Indiana. He said so much has changed over the years…and that BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery had been open for nine years now and was still going strong. This spoke very highly to me of their quality and their products…but I had to judge that for myself.

BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery's Lemon Zinger Cookie and Monster Cookie — BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery’s Lemon Zinger Cookie and Monster Cookie

After climbing back into the car, Cathy and I decided we would make our cookies an amuse bouche. I mean, what better lead-in to a banana split than cookies, right? So, she grabbed her Gluten-Free Lemon Zinger Cookie ($1.48) and took a bite of it. Immediately she was elated, saying it reminded her of the Lemon Blossoms my friend Jenn and I make, but in cookie form. I snagged a piece and she couldn’t have been more spot on. The Lemon Zinger cookie was refreshing and zippy. Honestly. I love lemon flavored stuff anyway…and this was awesome. The Lemon Zinger is also a dairy free cookie at this bakery. The other ingredients include white rice flour, sugar, soy shortening, tapioca flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, aluminum free baking powder, sea salt and xanthan gum. The icing that was zigzagged over the top was a combination of powdered sugar and lemon juice. Just really amazing.

The Gluten-Free Monster Cookie ($1.20) intrigued me immediately. It looked like it had a little bit of everything…and all ingredients that I love. And I couldn’t have been happier when I took my first bite. It was sweet, savory, and just amazing and full of flavor. A party in this cookie monster’s mouth, for sure. This cookie really does have it all. It’s a perfect blend of peanut butter, gluten-free oats, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, raisins, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda. So, it was like getting a peanut butter-chocolate chip- oatmeal raisin- butterscotch cookie all in one. Amazing. Sweet…without being too sweet. I gave Cathy a piece of mine and she thought it was mighty tasty herself. LOVED this cookie. I sort of want to make some for myself. Just…yummy. And as a runner, my love of peanut butter and that salty-sweet combo really was matched with every bite of this cookie. YUM!

Bittersweet Gluten Free Bakery's Half Loaf of Banana Walnut Bread — Bittersweet Gluten Free Bakery’s Half Loaf of Banana Walnut Bread

The rest of the goods sat in the car all day and then made the long flight home from Minneapolis. That following morning, being that we had no groceries in the fridge, meant that I’d simply slice up some of the half loaf of Gluten-Free Banana Walnut Bread ($4.25). First of all…bananas…walnuts…bread. This was going to have to be good. When I opened up the bag that the loaf was in, I could smell the mouth-watering aroma of the banana bread…almost as if I had just pulled it out of my oven. I sliced off two 1/2 inch slices, one for me and one for my roommate. I threw each one into the microwave to warm it up slightly, then kept it simple with a light schmear of Smart Balance and a drizzle of honey.

A slice of BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery's Banana Walnut Bread — A slice of BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery’s Banana Walnut Bread

Bread…perfection. Honestly. This bread is super moist, despite being a couple of days old at this point. We had it this morning for breakfast as well. Still moist. And we’re polishing off the loaf tomorrow morning for breakfast. I just checked…it is still moist. Soft. Delicious. Filled with banana flavor that is only enhanced by the addition of the walnuts. This bread is awesome. I can’t emphasize this enough. Gluten-free bread, when done right, tastes just like any other bread. Regular bread. The kind anyone could eat. If you put this loaf down in front of someone who could eat any type of bread…and had them eat it…they wouldn’t know the difference. I promise you that. This is one of my favorite gluten-free breads I have ever eaten. Just…super yummy!! Super flavorful. Super moist. And super banana-y. This bread is love.

And, last night for dinner, while it was still fresh…Cathy and I decided that we would give that lemon bar a taste at dessert. So, after we ate our gluten-free grilled avocado and vegan cheese sandwiches, I got out the plastic container that held the lemon bar and pulled it open. And that…was where I realized that the flight and the car ride weren’t too kind to the lemon bar. The icing came off with the lid. Whoops. No matter…I could fix that.

BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery's Lemon Bar — BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery’s Lemon Bar

The Gluten-Free Lemon Bar ($3.05) is actually a light, airy lemon cake. I sliced it in half and placed one piece on a plate. I then scraped the icing off the lid and began to attempt to reapply it the best I could to the lemon bar itself. This was…a slight success. You work with what you have. I took the first slice out to Cathy and she immediately dove in. Before I even had icing on mine, she was raving about it. So, this was happy news to me. I put my slice on a plate, reapplied the icing to the top and went out to enjoy.

Cathy was so right. The light cakey base made this unlike the other gluten-free lemon bars that I have had in the past. I absolutely loved this take on this treat. The cake itself was very light, not heavy and dense. The icing…wow…that icing. Just like the icing on Cathy’s Lemon Zinger cookie, the frosting was simply a combination of powdered sugar and lemon juice. As for the light, delicious cake…that was simply eggs, sugar canola oil, white rice flour, potato starch flour, tapioca flour, lemon juice, lemon peel and xanthan gum. I loved how different this lemon bar was compared to the others I have tried from other gluten-free bakeries. The ingredients all worked well together well and baked up lemon perfection. Happiness in every tart lemon bite.

I was so happy with everything that I got from BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery that it has been decided that next time I’m in the Twin Cities…I immediately head to BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery and buy items to feast on the entire visit. This must happen. This WILL happen.

As for you, BitterSweet Bakery…you are amazing and completely delicious. Just the four items that my roommate and I purchased and enjoyed were enough to make me want to continue to go back for more…as often as possible…every time I’m in Minnesota. BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery…this out-of-towner can’t wait to get back into town to visit you again.

Your food is love. And I’m head-over-heels for you!

BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery's Lemon Bar (with reassembled icing of awesome!) — BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery’s Lemon Bar (with reassembled icing of awesome!)

May 1, 2013

Eban Bakery baking up delicious flavors of versatile gluten-free breads

Product: Eban Bakery Gluten-Free Cranberry Walnut Bread – $5.99+

Ah…Dayton, Ohio. I have so many things to thank you for. First and foremost…Sinfully Gluten Free. I can’t go to Dayton and not stop in there for a treat, or lunch, or dinner. It is one of my favorite things in your city.

BUT…that’s not all. I also feel the need to thank you for this little grocery store chain called Dorothy Lane Market. If you are unfamiliar with Dorothy Lane Market, you are not alone. The only reason I took note was that, while driving through Dayton for a chocolate festival, we saw a few of them along the way. My friend Jenn and I were intrigued, and as lunch was not yet being served at Sinfully Gluten Free, we thought to drop in and check it out.

Dorothy Lane Market is a grocery store that sort of specializes in hard-to-find items and products. NICE!! I mean, it has your general produce and brands, but it had a lot of things I had never seen before. Evidence by the fact that I walked out of there with quite a few gluten-free goodies that were not available in my area. So much for just checking it out, right?

One very interesting fact was that they had this amazing gluten-free aisle. And while I was perusing it, an employee came over to talk about the gluten-free items and the fact that a gluten-free tasting fair was coming up. I would have loved to come back for it, but it happened on the weekend I was going to be running in Hershey, Pennsylvania. No good. But I was totally interested in some of the products she was highlighting.

Out in the asile, there was a tray of sample gluten-free bread. The one that happened to be cut up was the Cranberry Walnut Bread from Eban Bakery. She mentioned that Dorothy Lane Market often sells products from local businesses, and they had items from Sinfully Gluten Free as well as Tina’s Sweet Treats, among others. I was overjoyed with the fresh baked items from local bakeries…and ended up picking up a few items. Nothing from Sinfully Gluten Free, as I was going to do that when I got to the bakery itself. But, some Sub Rolls from Tina’s Sweet Treats and a loaf of the bread I sampled, Eban Bakery Gluten-Free Cranberry Walnut Bread, did make the cut.

Eban Bakery Gluten-Free Cranberry Walnut Bread (sliced)

With that purchase made, we headed out to eat at Sinfully Gluten Free, enjoy the chocolate festival, and then drive back to Columbus, Ohio.

When it came time to leave Ohio and head back to Indiana, I packed up the cooler with all the gluten-free goodness that I bought from Dorothy Lane Market and Sinfully Gluten Free. And it came home with me. And it got cozy…in my freezer. While the sub rolls were used rather quickly, a loaf of bread sometimes takes some getting around to eating. And, sadly, this one got buried under a lot of other stuff in my freezer. It happens.

Until I cleaned it the other day and organized it. And I knew immediately what to do with this bread.

French Toast.

Oh. Hell. Yes.

But first…it had been so long since I had sampled this bread, I needed to have it on its own. Just to see what all the hype was when I snagged it from the shelf.

Eban Bakery Gluten-Free Cranberry Walnut Bread is awesome. It is a bit dense and heavy, but a lot of gluten-free breads are. It is just something I have come to expect. However, slice it up, and the slices feel light. They are certainly filling. But the best part is the flavor. The bread is sweet, with the bits of cranberry scattered throughout. In addition, the walnuts bring a saltiness to it, as well as add something to the texture of the bread itself. It is delicious. And I knew it was going to make really amazing gluten-free French toast.

I sliced four pieces of the bread from the loaf and began to prep the egg with some vanilla and cinnamon. I even added a touch of nutmeg. I beat all of that together, then dipped the bread into the egg mixture. The great thing about this bread was that it absorbed the egg without becoming soggy and falling apart. Onto the griddle the slices of bread went to brown and crisp up like French toast should.

In the meantime, I warmed up some gluten-free real maple syrup and mixed together some cinnamon and sugar to dust over the top of the finished product. I flipped the bread over to toast the other side and before I knew it…breakfast was served. Maple syrup and cinnamon and sugar topped it all off.

I settled in with my roommate for breakfast. She was halfway through her French toast before I managed my first bite. She was raving about how yummy it was, so that was a good sign. She was right.

This bread worked fantastic as a base for French toast. Being that it was sturdier than regular sandwich bread, the egg wash didn’t make it crumble or become soggy. Instead it just absorbed it and made it toast up golden and beautiful. The flavor of the walnuts and cranberries took on a caramelized and toasted flavor which only elevated it to the next level. It was phenomenal.

On its own or dressed up, Eban Bakery really blew me away with the flavor, taste, and texture of their gluten-free bread. The Gluten-Free Cranberry Walnut Bread is definitely a welcome addition to my kitchen any day.

Eban Bakery is a gluten-free bakery based out of Ohio that specializes in breads, baked goods and sweet treats in small batches that use all natural and organic ingredients, free of gluten, preservatives, and additives. In other words…no bad stuff goes into their goods. Ever. And that is evident with how delicious and amazing their products taste. Love at first bite. When I next find myself anywhere with Eban Bakery goods, I’ll definitely purchase some more. Very impressed.

And thanks to Dorothy Lane Market…I now know of this otherwise unknown gluten-free bakery. Eban Bakery…you’ve definitely won the heart of this Indiana girl. When I next find myself in Ohio, I’m seeking out more of your products and going on a tasting frenzy. The Gluten-Free Cranberry Walnut Bread was certainly a great place to start.

French Toast made from Eban Bakery Gluten-Free Cranberry Walnut Bread

May 1, 2013

Flippin’ the best gluten-free pancakes at Nashville’s The Pfunky Griddle

Restaurant: The Pfunky Griddle, Nashville, Tennessee

As a gluten-free vegetarian, sometimes eating while on the road can be a challenge. Fast food joints don’t work for me. And I’ve never been big on fast food regardless. This often means, especially when I travel to visit my family, that finding a restaurant to stop and eat is a priority. Thankfully…in this brave new world of smart phone apps, there is an app for that.

Find Me Gluten Free.

If you have not put this app on your phone…do so now and then continue reading this blog. I’ll wait.

…

Okay…congratulations! Your dining life just got a lot easier. Trust me.

The midway point between my home and my parents home is…Nashville, Tennessee. There is no shortage of places to eat in Nashville. There are also plenty of places that have gluten-free options. Normally, we’d probably make it easy and stop off at Taco Mamacita or even go to McCreary’s Pub in Franklin, Tennessee. But…while I know there are things I could eat at either one of those places (McCreary’s does not have a gluten-free menu, FYI, but Taco Mamacita does), I just wasn’t feeling the usual haunts. So this necessitated a search.

And naturally…I find a place that specializes is…breakfast and brunch.

When breakfast is your favorite meal of the day…this is one hell of a find. It had brilliant ratings on Find Me Gluten Free, so my roommate and I decided we would stop there on the way home and dine on some pancakes for lunch. Breakfast for lunch. Yep…my favorite way to eat.

The Pfunky Griddle is located on Bransford Avenue in Nashville, Tennessee. This is a quaint neighborhood with houses done up into businesses and offices. My kind of area. Parking, however, was a nightmare. We arrived sometime just after noon and there were already parties of people standing around outside. No parking was available in the lot, so Cathy dropped me off to go check on the wait time and she went to circle around and see if she could find somewhere to park. I ducked into the building and stood in a short line at the front where the coffee drinks were being made. I asked about wait time for a party of 2 and was told it would be about 25 to 30 minutes. That wasn’t unreasonable, so I put my name in and went to go see if I could find Cathy and tell her. She had just managed to find a parking spot, so we stood around outside for a moment before I asked if she’d like some coffee while we waited.

The Pfunky Griddle's Honey Child Latte with Almond Milk — The Pfunky Griddle’s Honey Child Latte with Almond Milk

Caffeine while on the road is never a bad thing. And…The Pfunky Griddle has almond milk. Could I love this place any more already? Is it possible? After giving it a little bit of thought, Cathy agreed that caffeine might be a good idea (DUH!) so I told her I would treat us to our café order. She went with a Peppermint Mocha with skim milk ($3.75). As for me…I went with something that I couldn’t get anywhere else. Not that I’m aware of, anyway. Stepping away from my order of a Cafe Au Lait for a moment, I opted for what they call a Honey Child Latte with almond milk ($3.75). The Honey Child Latte is a double shot of espresso, combined with honey, cinnamon, vanilla and your steamed milk of choice. Never heard of anything like it…but it sounded epically delicious. So, I had to have one. Besides, I can get cafe au laits anywhere. This was something I had only seen here. Why not go for it?

The coffee orders were backed up, so it took around five minutes to get our actual drinks. No worries though, Cathy and I weren’t in any hurry. And it gave both of us time to stand in line to use the bathroom before getting seated. Her peppermint mocha was up first, and she commented on how awesome it smelled when I passed it off to her. My Honey Child Latte was up next and when I received it…I couldn’t wait to try it. Photos first…then the taste test.

One sip and I was in love. The combination of the rich espresso worked so well with the spice from the cinnamon, the sweetness of the honey, and the smooth vanilla after tones. It all just meshed so well. Love at first sip. I even made Cathy try it and even she commented on how delicious it was. Smooth, dreamy, and sweet. Just how I like it!

Dedicated gluten-free griddle (placed over the one built into the table) at The Pfunky Griddle

I was about halfway through my latte when my name was called. We eagerly followed the hostess to our table in the back room near the window. The table was outfitted with a griddle in the middle because at the Pfunky Griddle…you flip your own pancakes, bitches! Sorry…but it’s a really, really awesome concept. As we were handed menus, I looked at Cathy and said, “I don’t know what they are going to do, but I need this hot griddle completely cleaned…or I can’t eat on it. Cross contamination.” She nodded and went back to the menu…and lo and behold…there at the bottom was a note that said if you were a Celiac, a special griddle would be provided for you.

I admit…I smiled. I smiled a lot. I was already feeling better about the situation. Our waitress came over to take out drink orders. As we both still were downing or pre-game coffee drinks, we opted for water. Cathy went ahead and told her that I was a Celiac…so the waitress said she would send someone out with a new griddle for us. A few moments later, one of the other employees was flipping off the griddle in the center of the table and putting a new griddle across our table. He had it wiped down and left it there. I felt a whole lot better.

And, when eating at The Pfunky Griddle…you get something you put on that griddle. Cathy and I already had our mind made up. They have an all-you-can-eat pancake deal going. So, we opted for that. We got the gluten-free pancakes ($6.99 per adult per person, including 1 topping each). Cathy chose chocolate chips for her included topping and added walnuts for another option ($0.75). For my included topping, I went with blueberries, then added bananas for an additional choice ($0.75). As we were really hungry, we each got a side with our pancake order. Cathy opted for the 2 biscuits ($1.00), which came with butter and jam. As for me, as it was labeled gluten-free, I stuck with the potatoes ($3.00). Order in.

I noted that our griddle wasn’t turned on, so I went ahead and turned it on, giving it some juice. I wasn’t sure how high to set it to cook, so I opted for around 300 degrees, because I didn’t want to burn anything, so I figured a little extra time on the griddle wouldn’t hurt anyone. Not one bit. Our waitress came out with a a bowl that had packets of ketchup and hot sauce in it. And soon…or food followed.

We received a pitcher of gluten-free pancake batter and little plastic containers that contained our toppings of choice. The waitress set this heaping bowl of potatoes down in front of me and told me to cook them for three minutes on each side. I could handle that. With that…we were left to our own devices to cook up our meal at our table. FUN!

Cathy poured her first pancake and went to sprinkle just her chocolate chips over the top. I would have thrown the nuts in too, but she kept them to just sprinkle over the top after her pancake was plated. I got a couple of spoonfuls of potato working on the griddle then poured my own pancake. I poured way more than I expected and had this monster to start off with. I went ahead and tossed some blueberries and banana slices onto it and let it sit to brown on the one side. The heat was definitely too low as both the pancakes and my potatoes were taking awhile to cook. Cathy went ahead and dived into eating her biscuits, really enjoying the flaky, lightness of them. I turned the heat up slightly, which helped. Soon I found myself flipping her pancake and my own because her first attempt was pretty much a fail. But, I cook pancakes on a griddle at home…so I’m sort of a master.

Gluten-Free pancakes and potatoes on the dedicated gluten-free griddle at The Pfunky Griddle

With the other side working, I went ahead and tried the potatoes.

Oh. My. GOD! No, these were honestly some of the most amazing breakfast potatoes ever. Laced with a delicious garlic flavor, these mashed up spuds were crispy from the griddle on the outside, soft on the inside…and really freakin’ fantastic. The flavor was awesome. I told Cathy she had to try some, and she said she intended to. She went ahead and scooped some up for herself to get it working on the griddle while I plated our first pancakes and poured more batter for our next round. We threw on toppings and then settled in for our first taste.

The batter cooks up beautifully. We each achieved this gorgeous golden color on our pancakes. My bananas even caramelized after I flipped my pancake over and the toppings began to work into the pancake itself. I love a light pancake. Nothing is worse than eating one pancake and feeling stuffed. And here, you can make them as big or as small as you want. You can add one topping, both, or more. Whatever your whim…it’s yours to create. And these pancakes really hit the spot. They were sweet, without being overly sweet. And thin. And light. And just plain delicious. The batter wasn’t heavy at all, making the pancakes almost as light as air when I removed them from the griddle and onto our respective plates. And those potatoes. Oh…hell yes!! Those potatoes were one of my favorite thing. Cathy and I both enjoyed them, getting them golden on each side then moving them to the plate. I added hot sauce to mine, just a dab, which only enhanced the amazing flavor. All together…a carby, delicous, amazing, happy dining experience. One of the best gluten-free pancakes I have ever tasted…and I eat a lot of gluten-free pancakes.

This may be a new go-to place in the near future when passing through Nashville. Very happy. I never felt like I needed to worry about my food. The spatulas were rubber, not the metal ones other tables got, so I am certain they were for gluten-free foods only. I felt completely safe, and completely satisfied with my experience there. I’d go back and stuff myself silly with more of their gluten-free pancakes and potatoes.

For the record, they also have gluten-free bread, so you could have one of their sandwiches, or even French toast if your little heart desired it. The point is…this is a business doing gluten-free right. And I am forever thankful for them. And I’m also glad we stopped in and ate here. On the way out, I even purchased a bag of their gluten-free pancake mix for $5.50. So now I can make some at home too.

My gluten-free joy knows no bounds. Doing flips over everything at The Pfunky Griddle.

Love in brunch form!

My Gluten-Free Blueberry and Banana Pancake with Gluten-Free Potatoes that I safely prepared at The Pfunky Griddle

April 10, 2013

Pamela’s Products provides pecan shortbread perfection to gluten-free cookie lovers everywhere

Pamela's Products Gluten-Free Pecan Shortbread Cookies — Pamela’s Products Gluten-Free Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Product: Pamela’s Products Gluten-Free Pecan Shortbread – $4.39+

Butter. Pecans.

It doesn’t get much better than that. Just ask my mom, who would always share one of her favorite cookies with us when we were growing up – Pecan Sandies. She loved those cookies. And they traveled well in the summer, so those car trips we took to Minnesota in the hot summer meant no gooey chocolate chip mess. We’d have Pecan Sandies on hand. I grew up with that rich, buttery, yet salty flavor and grew to love it as much as my mom did.

And then the whole gluten-free thing happened…

For awhile, I went without any cookies, treats, snacks aside from vegetables and fruits. And I truly felt like I was missing out. So, when I started to purchase some here or there…I had to budget it. These aren’t inexpensive little treats. Gluten-free often means bigger grocery bill. But at least I know the food won’t cause me any sort of problems. Peace of mind.

Well, as stated over numerous entries…cookies are sort of my thing. I love to bake them as much as I love to eat them. But when my life gets a bit hectic and that urge to have a cookie strikes…sometimes you just have to find one at the store. Thankfully, most stores around here carry Pamela’s Products. And one such journey brought me to one that happened to have Pamela’s Products Pecan Shortbread Cookies.

I had to have them.

And then…over the course of me putting them in the pantry, they got lost in the gluten-free goodies shuffle. Up until last night. Because I needed dessert and the last cookies I had didn’t do it for me. I climbed up to the goodie shelf and there, happily anticipating their time to shine, was the box of Pecan Shortbread from Pamela’s Products.

Starting with the basics here…a serving size is 1 cookie. And these cookies are really decent sized. None of this bite-size, gone in two nibbles stuff. Each cookie delivers 130 calories and 8 grams of fat. Keep in mind that these cookies do have nuts in them, so that at least means some of that fat is the healthy kind…and not just from the butter. These cookies only have 5 grams of sugar, which is awesome, and are low in sodium and cholesterol. It just makes dessert a little less guilty when you look at those facts, yes? And these cookies have six ingredients: the cookie flour base, butter, evaporated cane sugar, pecans, xanthan gum, and vanilla flavor. I recognize everything listed there. WIN!

But…how do they taste?

Remember that lead-in I gave about the Pecan Sandies? I think these are better than those cookies. I haven’t been able to eat Pecan Sandies in years, but these crumbly, buttery, nutty cookies really took me back to the way those cookies tasted. The texture is awesome…just like shortbread…crumbly, buttery, and soft on the inside. The walnuts add just the right amount of saltiness to go with the sweetness of the vanilla.

In a side-by-side nutrition comparison, Pamela’s Products Gluten-Free Pecan Shortbread has fewer calories, less fat, less sodium, and less sugar than Pecan Sandies. These are, definitely, a healthier option if you love that type of cookie. And, as I stated, I think they taste better. They definitely avoid any sort of preservative or chemical, unlike Keebler. And Keebler has a slue of ingredients as opposed to the six in Pamela’s Products cookies. I’ll take less ingredients, better taste any day of the week.

These cookies are rich, tasty, and amazing. And I’m hooked on them. I need to add more to my pantry next time that cookie craving hits. Because these definitely hit the spot. Delish!