Instead, however, you find something so much better. Instead of loading up on 11 grams of sugar in the morning (which is what you’ll do with Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes), try something that tastes just as good, if not better than the original with a fraction of the sugar content.
Thanks to Nature’s Path Envirokidz Line, those sugary-sweet cereals made by the big corporation are getting a run for their money. Envirokidz version of Frosted Flakes are simply called Amazon Frosted Flakes. Instead of being made with milled corn, sugar, salt and malt flavoring…this variety offers a lot of the same flavor with better ingredients and better nutritional standings.
Envirokidz Amazon Frosted Flakes are made from organic corn meal, organic evaporated cane juice and salt. That’s it. The sugar content in this cereal is only 6 grams per 3/4 cup serving. That’s 5 grams less sugar than the same size serving of Frosted Flakes. I love good cereal but I don’t like to be powered by high sugar content. What Envirokidz Amazon Frosted Flakes does is pack all the amazing flavor of Frosted Flakes into a gluten-free cereal. I might even like it better. Granted, it has been since I was a kid since I really sat down to a bowl of Frosted Flakes, but I remember really liking them. When I had to go gluten-free, I had to give up a lot of the cereals I used to eat or might have gone back to eating…and was left with the gluten-free line-up in grocery stores.
Envirokidz does it right every time. With no extra additives or preservatives, what you are getting is the purest form of the cereal. Nothing unnecessary. I also loved that I left this cereal to swim in a bath of unsweetened almond milk while I finished cutting up a peach this morning and when I finally took my first bite, the texture and crunch were there. They didn’t get soggy and leave me with a bowl full of mush flakes. This made me beyond happy.
The sweetness of the cereal is brought out by the evaporated cane juice. It isn’t too much, but it doesn’t leave you reaching for a sweetener either. It’s perfection in a box. I found the taste and texture to be a complete win.
Gluten-free breakfast cereal doesn’t have to taste like cardboard. Nor do you always just have to stick with Chex. What Nature’s Path has done with the Envirokidz line is make amazing, healthy cereals that are free of gluten and just as delicious as the corporate counterparts of my childhood. In some cases, such as this one…even better.
You know…it’s the law of averages. You find a product that you absolutely love…but it isn’t available in any store near you nor does the company Web site provide a way of ordering it. In fact, while Jennies site has plenty on their infamous macaroons, the baked goodies such as the pound cake minis are mentioned…but follow the link and you are told that there are no products to list in that category.
But…they do exist. The mere fact that I have them in my pantry is proof enough. However, in order to get my hands on these, I had to go through Milwaukee. I was in town and stopped off at the Gluten-Free Trading Company and they happened to have Jennies pound cake minis on their shelves, in both classic and marble flavors. Both varieties are Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free, Peanut-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Casein-Free, Trans Fat-Free and Kosher Pareve.
Well, the classic variety was way better than I ever even anticipated. Those savory hints of vanilla, mixed with a light, sweet taste of pound cake. It was hard to keep myself to just one individual cake (I did though…because 130 calories per cake and 4.5 grams of fat isn’t bad…but you can overdo it easily.
So, I was ready to give the other box a shot soon after I worked through the classic variety. Jennies Gluten-Free Marble Pound Cake Minis are just like their classic sisters…except it’s vanilla and chocolate cake swirled together. It smelled just as amazing as the regular ones when I opened up the individual packet…that amazing vanilla scent just wafting out to greet me and prep my senses for my dessert.
As I did with the classic minis, I gave the marble ones I little warming in the microwave before topping it off with Fat Free Cool Whip and fresh strawberries. Mmmm. And just as I did with the classic, I fell in love with these at first bite.
Jennies Gluten-Free Mable Pound Cake Mini
Maybe it’s the addition of the chocolate, but these taste sweeter than the classic. They do not look as perfectly swirled as they do on the box, but all the flavors are there. The chocolate and vanilla combination is a winning one, any way you slice it, and these individual cakes bring that flavor balance together in one personal-size treat.
I love, once again, how these are both taste-wise and texturally. They aren’t dry or dense. In fact, these are rather light and quite soft. I love how as my fork glides through it, the cake crumbles perfectly with each bite. It holds any topping without growing soggy. But it also has that perfect lightness to it. It isn’t hard at all. Quite soft on the inside. Very reminiscent of strawberry shortcake the way I do mine up. Except…swirled with chocolate.
And we all know…chocolate make things awesome. I don’t know if I can taste the actual chocolate in these, but I definitely detected a bit more sweetness. And that’s fine. Everything else remained as perfect and amazing as the classic version I originally tried.
So, if the people who run Jennies Gluten-Free Bakery would get these up on their Web site…I would love to place some orders. Until then…I guess if I happen to be in Milwaukee…I’ll get my fix there.
These are certainly a delicious treat though…and one that should be savored and tried.
Jennies Gluten-Free Marble Pound Cake Minis topped with Fat Free Cool Whip and fresh strawberries
It’s weird. I have a lot of recipes for pound cake, but I’m never attempted to actually make one. However, I used to eat pound cake whenever it was served somewhere. Especially with some Cool Whip and fresh berries. There was no better way to eat it.
Then gluten-free happened…
But all is not lost, pound cake aficionados. Jennies, the makers of those infamous macaroons you might have heard about (that are Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free, Peanut-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Casein-Free, Trans Fat-Free and Kosher Pareve) has created another treat, individual-size, and shelf-stable, that is also all of those things listed above…but baked into a delicious pound cake.
These little minis come individually wrapped inside a box of five. You can eat them straight out of the package, but when am I to do that? Like I said, my favorite way to eat pound cake was topped with Cool Whip and fresh berries. In this case…strawberries. Yum!
The first thing I noticed was the reminiscent aroma of vanilla from the moment you pull apart the plastic to however you like to eat it. It smells fantastic. I gave mine a quick warm in the microwave for a couple of seconds. By warming it up for a moment, that amazing aroma just begins to permeate the kitchen. It definitely wakes up your taste buds. After topping it, I slid my fork through it and it crumbled perfectly. One bite and I had everything I wanted…cake, topping, fruit. Perfection.
Jennies Gluten-Free Pound Cake Mini
The taste and texture…awesome. The vanilla really shines in these. And even more, these just taste and feel so much lighter than regular pound cake. I loved that. It was a nice change of pace, since most gluten-free baked goods often are or feel heavier and more dense. Not these. These were pure perfection with every bite.
My one problem with these is…I can’t find them anywhere. I managed to locate these at the The Gluten-Free Trading Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin when I was up there for a race. That being said now that I know I like them…should I ever want more, I’ll have to order from the Gluten-Free Trading Company as opposed to Jennies. The company Web site has these listed, but nowhere to get further information on them or even purchase them. Which is sad…because they are so good.
But…at least they can be found online…albeit it does take a little hunting and searching to do. I don’t know if I would order these online, but I do know that when I am in Milwaukee next…one of the items I choose to bring home from The Gluten-Free Trading Company will be these delicious little cakes.
Really, really good!
Jennies Gluten-Free Pound Cake Mini topped with Fat Free Cool Whip and fresh strawberries
One of my favorite eggplant dishes has to be Eggplant Parmesan. I loved ordering it at restaurants and it never would disappoint me. And then…gluten-free happened. And things had to change.
In a word…I didn’t eat it anymore…despite being a great vegetarian dish to go to when out and about. Not only is it normally served with pasta, but breadcrumbs coat the eggplant. *sigh*
But, when I received an eggplant in my CSA bin this past week, my roommate really made a push for me to make a gluten-free Eggplant Parmesan. I agreed, as we just happened to have some gluten-free corn flake crumbs to bread the eggplant in. So that was actually doable. The problem was…I am not big on fried foods, so I wanted this to be baked. It’s healthier that way anyway. But I also didn’t want to spend a fortune on other ingredients to incorporate into it.
Thankfully, there is this great book I bought called Gluten-Free on a Shoestring. It’s by Nicole Hunn and it is fantastic for these little cooking dilemmas. Even better…there is a Baked Eggplant Parmesan recipe in this book. And that’s what got me the meal I absolutely wanted to make. And I already had everything on hand in my kitchen.
1 large or 2 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced in 3/4-inch thick rounds
2-3 cups gluten-free breadcrumbs (I used Southern Homestyle Corn Flake Crumbs)
2 extra-large eggs, beaten with 1/4 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk) and 1/4 cup water
2-3 cups tomato sauce (I used Dave’s Gourmet Organic Roasted Garlic & Sweet Basil Pasta Sauce)
10-12 ounces grated mozzarella cheese (more if you like)
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
Place the egg mixture in a wide, flat dish; place the breadcrumbs in another.
Place one slice of raw eggplant in the egg mixture, invert it to coat the other side, and allow the excess to drip off.
Next, press both sides of the eggplant firmly into the breadcrumbs and transfer to a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining slices of eggplant, arranging them 1 inch apart on the baking sheets.
Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake until soft to the touch and golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Halfway through baking, flip the slices so they brown evenly on both sides.
While the eggplant is baking, grease a 9 x 12-inch baking dish with unsalted butter and spoon just enough tomato sauce into the pan to cover the bottom with a thin layer. Once the eggplant is done baking, remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the eggplant to cool for 5 minutes, or even less. This allows the eggplant to become somewhat firm. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Place one layer of eggplant over the layer of tomato sauce, cover each slice with sauce, and top generously with grated cheese. Continue with another layer of eggplant slices, sauce and grated cheese, followed by one more layer (if eggplant is small…my eggplant was big so I made big, single slices and didn’t layer).
Place the baking dish in the center of the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.
~*~*~
Like I said…my eggplant was massive so I made individual slices of eggplant, which were placed over sauce, then sauced and cheesed according to the recipe. No layering with this style of eggplant. But let me tell you…the results were awesome. The eggplant was firm, but soft and the corn flake “breading” crisped up perfectly. I even reheated the extra slices the next night for dinner and it was just as good as the original night I pulled it out of the oven.
I will totally make this again in a heartbeat. And maybe next time layer some eggplant and cheese. I guess it all depends on the size of the eggplant I get delivered to my door.
Go ahead…try it. It’s easy, delicious, and done on a budget!
There aren’t enough words in the English language to adequately profess of love of Dave’s Gourmet pasta sauces. This is the third kind I have tried and once again…it has lived up to every expectation…and, just as before, exceeded it.
I was given an eggplant in my CSA bin this past week and my roommate and I decided that Eggplant Parmesan was going to be a good meal and a great way to use that eggplant. I had gluten-free corn flake crumbs on hand for the ‘breading’ of the eggplant. So, I tasked my roommate of choosing from some of the gluten-free sauces stocked in our cabinet. We have a few. She emerged with Dave’s Gourmet Organic Roasted Garlic and Sweet Basil Pasta Sauce.
One we hadn’t tried yet. What better way to test it out than on a new recipe, right?
Sure.
So…that’s what I did. I coated a baking dish with a thin layer of the sauce…placed the baked eggplant over it, topped the eggplant off with more sauce, then added some vegan cheese, popped it into the oven for 20 minutes and…dinner was served.
The sauce…was so flavorful and amazing. It was honestly one of the best tomato sauces I have ever had. That’s no lie. And let me tell you, being the Italian food freak (yes…even now that I am gluten-free) that I am…that’s saying a lot.
The taste is just like homemade, honestly. It is really hard to believe this sauce comes out of a jar. But, my friends, it does. It has the right balance of sweetness and acidity. And the roasted garlic is just enough to flavor without overpowering the entire sauce. And why shouldn’t it taste homemade? The ingredients are: organic tomatoes, organic onions, water, organic carrots, organic extra virgin olive oil, organic garlic, organic evaporated cane juice, organic basil, organic roasted garlic, salt, spices. Everything that we have access to at a grocery store, in a garden, and in our pantries. Nothing weird or unpronounceable. Just good, hearty, chunky sauce for any pasta meal.
I’ve fallen in love with all three varieties that I have tried from Dave’s Gourmet. And there are still plenty more in the line-up for me to purchase and test out. And with a streak like this…I can’t wait to do just that. I love making my own sauce, but sometimes there just isn’t time to do so. I will always trust my gluten-free Italian meals to Dave’s Gourmet in that case. Seriously. While the sauces are quite pricey, they are totally worth the splurge. Or, do what I do and wait for a sale on it.
I promise…you’ll fall in love with Dave’s Gourmet sauces just as much as my roomie and I have. We swear by them.
Gluten-Free Eggplant Parmesan topped with Dave’s Gourmet Organic Roasted Garlic & Sweet Basil Pasta Sauce and vegan cheese
What normally comes up missing from a gluten-free lifestyle is anything that is…in a word…breaded. And that can be hard to work around at times. But thanks to some companies coming out with gluten-free crumbs packaged and ready for your “breading” needs, it does get a little better.
Prior to picking up a canister of Southern Homestyle Corn Flake Crumbs, I had only previously been exposed to the Glutino Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs (also made from corn). Somehow, in my mind, I pictured these from Southern Homestyle to be different. But…alas…they were just about the same in appearance and everything.
The canister holds corn flake crumbles, that are tiny and round, that are ideal to use with veggies, meats, or whatever. Being a no-meat kind of a girl, I decided to use the eggplant I got in my SCA bin this week and make an eggplant parmesan. The corn flake crumbles from Southern Homestyle would come in handy and I had happened to pick up a can of them when my grocery store ran a huge closeout on their gluten-free section. I fetched them from my gluten-free pantry and poured them into a dish. After coating my eggplant in the egg/almond milk/water wash, they were liberally dipped into the Southern Homestyle Corn Flake Crumbs and placed on a baking dish.
Southern Homestyle Corn Flake Crumbs coating slices of eggplant
The corn flake crumbs didn’t get soggy with each dipping, and I had four slices of eggplant to do. It clumped some, but any coating getting inundated by foods coated in egg and the like would do the same. With the eggplant generously coated in the corn flake crumbs, I baked them up for 20 minutes, turning them halfway through, and then finished up. After letting the “breaded” eggplant rest for 5 minutes, into a baking pan they went with marinara sauce and some vegan cheese. Back into the oven for another 20 minutes and they emerged ready to eat.
On its own, the Corn Flake Crumbs by Southern Homestyle would be rather bland. Paired with the eggplant, the marinara, and the cheese, however, it brought that much needed texture to the dish. Unlike wheat breadcrumbs, these corn flake crumbs do not get soggy as they sit, or are baked or coated. They remain crunchy. Success!! It really made the eggplant parmesan pop!
I hear this coating is ideal for frying too. A lot of eggplant parmesan recipes call for the eggplant to be fried in a pan…but I’ve never been big on fried foods, so I oven baked mine for a healthier option and it worked out just fine. I still got a crispy outer crust, just without the added oil and fat. However, the Southern Homestyle Corn Flake Crumbs would be ideal if you did choose to pan fry as the corn flake crumbs pick up less oil in the frying process, which in the end means less calories consumed and no oily appearance.
Because of the blandness on their own, it makes them more versatile. Dress them up with seasonings and spices however you wish. There are no limits here. And best of all…the finished product has that nice crispy outer layer, whether pan fried or oven baked. And that…is a beautiful thing in the kitchen.
An added bonus for the food allergic is that these Corn Flake Crumbs are gluten-free, wheat free, milk/casein free, lactose free, soy free, egg free, peanut free, tree nut free, and yeast free. They are kosher, vegan and vegetarian. So, unless you have a corn allergy…these would ideally work for you.
Look for Southern Homestyle Corn Flake Crumbs in your grocery store and see what they can do to dress up your dish!
Oven-Baked Eggplant Parmesan coated with Southern Homestyle Corn Flake Crumbs
Do you know what makes life better and breakfast out of this world?
Of course you do.
Chocolate chips! Seriously…pancakes, muffins, waffles…they are all just better with chocolate chips. Let’s face it…that hit of sweetness just makes that bite all the better. Imagine my delight when I found a box of Cherrybrook Kitchen Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix on the manager’s special table at my grocery store. And it was wildly discounted. I couldn’t pass up the deal, so I snagged it and purchased it…and placed it on my kitchen counter and not in the pantry…because I just knew I would be using it soon!
I was simply going to make pancakes with it, but then the roomie put in a request. She wanted waffles. Now…waffles are normally a weekend thing because they have the tendency to take awhile to cook up in my waffle maker. But…I agreed. And most of that morning I spent in the kitchen. I even ended up eating my waffles at the counter while I worked on the rest. But…totally worth it.
The Cherrybrook Kitchen Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix is so easy to make. Give it a shake to evenly distribute the chocolate chips. Then add milk and vegetable/canola oil. According to the package directions and how many you intend to make. The entire box makes 9 waffles or 21 pancakes. So…you get a lot. But they do have additional information to make fewer at a time should you wish. As I was doing waffles, I figured I could freeze them and then toast them back up in my toaster…so might as well prepare the entire thing.
I actually managed to get 12 waffles out of it…so…that’s not bad at all.
The trick is to let all the ingredients set in the bowl for five minutes before setting to the task of making pancakes of waffles. I did this and then began spooning 3/4 cup servings of the mixture into my waffle maker and letting it brown up. After the allotted cooking time, I opened up the waffle iron and removed the waffle to a rack to cool. And what I got was nothing short of a happy, pleasant surprise.
The mix actually churned out a perfectly textured waffle. The outside was crusty and golden and crispy to bite into or cut into with a fork. But the inside was a soft core. And scattered throughout…chocolate chips that just melted with the warm maple syrup and made everything so sweet and delicious.
And for those of you out there with further food allergies, this mix is wheat free, gluten free, peanut free, dairy free, egg free, nut free. It’s all natural, made with recognizable ingredients. None of that guesswork at all. I prepared mine with unsweetened almond milk. And they were fantastic. The calorie count is quite low on these as well…which is always nice. But they do fill you up.
And really…there isn’t anything better than chocolate chip pancakes or waffles in the morning. It’s so comforting and just brings a smile to your face…despite how tired you might still be.
In the market for an allergy-friendly pancake/waffle mix? I encourage you to try the amazing products from Cherrybrook Kitchen. I was blown away and hope to buy another box again when they go on sale. These mixes can be quite pricey…but they are amazing. So sometimes it is worth the splurge.
Trust me…this one is!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Waffles made from Cherrybrook Kitchen Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix
Good-bye for life to those tough teff wraps that I started using when I just needed to make burritos or a wrap. I will not miss them. I also will not miss the brown rice wraps which tend to fall apart, turn gummy, and just end up a total disaster more than a masterpiece on a plate. I’m not sad nor sorry to see them go.
Why?
Because Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery has just released the best gluten-free food item to hit the market in a long time.
Gluten-Free Tortillas.
Yes. And not just any bland tortilla. Nope. These come in three amazing flavors: Original, Spinach, and Fiesta.
Rudi’s Gluten-Free Original Tortillas
I figured the best place to start would be with the Original flavor. I mean…always start with the basics and move on from there. I decided to pack my original tortilla full with burrito classics. I took a layer of spinach and added some rice, black beans, red onion, salsa, and queso fresco to it. I fold the wrap up (and it didn’t tear) and dinner was served. I can’t even begin to explain how happy this tortilla made me. For one thing, it held together without being stiff. While they are soft to begin with, I gave mine a quick warm in the microwave and it softened it up some. It didn’t crumble or break as I wrapped it around the filling. And, even better, it held together bite after bite after bite. I found this tortilla to have a very light, buttery, salty-sweet flavor to it. It worked so well with the filling. I was totally impressed.
Rudi’s Gluten-Free Spinach Tortillas
The next tortilla I decided to give a try to was the Spinach one. And for this one, I decided I was going to do breakfast. Why not? I love a good breakfast wrap and these had been sadly absent from my life when I went gluten-free. So, that morning, I did up an egg scramble which consisted of eggs, sauteed mushrooms, onion, and a hit of spinach at the end…just in there long enough to wilt. I hit up the pan with a drizzle of truffle oil and then loaded up my spinach tortilla. Once again, it isn’t necessary to warm the tortilla to make it wrap, but I went ahead and did so anyway, just for a few seconds. In the end…I was in heaven. Honestly…one of the best wraps I had ever managed to make. And, once more…nothing fell apart as I bit into it, nor did the tortilla disintegrate in my hands from becoming soggy from the filling. This was breakfast harmony. The spinach tortillas do not overpower you with spinach flavor. They are a very light green in color, which is a nice change of pace. And the flavor is spot on. I used these again with quesadillas that I stuffed with homemade guacamole and cheese. Toasted them up in my pan and viola…dinner perfection.
Rudi’s Gluten-Free Fiesta Tortilla
Finally, I opted for the most intriguing of the flavors. Fiesta. I love how colorful this wrap is. It has a soft orange hue to it and is freckled with spices and herbs. As it’s name suggests, this would be the perfect wrap for something Mexican. So, that was the path I decided on when I set out to make a filling for this. I sauteed up some onions, added organic black beans, fresh tomatoes, and fresh corn, and let it simmer for a moment in the pan until most of the tomato juice had been absorbed. Then, it was onto the tortilla. I topped it off with some Daiya cheddar shreds and melted it off in the microwave. I did not pre-heat the tortilla as I knew I’d be putting it in the microwave for cheese melting purposes. What emerged was what my roommate likes to call my best wrap yet. Packed with flavor, the fiesta tortillas have a nice zip to them. They turned out to be my favorite of the bunch. And I made this exact meal three more times that week because it was such a hit.
I can’t even begin to explain how happy these tortillas have made me. I use them for everything now and eagerly anticipate the day I can find them in one of my local grocery store/natural food store haunts. I find them to be miles ahead of any other gluten-free wrap/tortillas out on the market…and there aren’t that many options. Seeing Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery take on this task and provide an amazing product to the gluten-free community has me wanting to turn cartwheels.
But hold on…there is more. Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery is currently running a special giveaway on their website. Their What’s Under Wraps? Giveaway is currently underway and they’ve been giving away some fantastic prizes to those who have been participating. It’s winding up, but head over there and give it your best shot.
In addition, I am also hosting a great giveaway on this blog. If you missed the post, it’s still not too late to enter. Just hop on over to my blog and leave a comment about what your favorite picnic food is and get entered for a chance to win a Gluten-Free Prize Pack, compliments of Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery.
And when all is said and done…remember that once again Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery has put out something fresh, amazing, and delicious on the gluten-free market. Something that this gluten-free world has been missing. Thank you, Rudi’s…for giving me back tortillas and wraps that won’t fall apart, that are soft, that fold around my filling, and that are epically delicious…whichever flavor you choose. Having options is a great thing. I’m one happy girl!
Without Groupon, some of these fantastic breakfast/brunch spots would go unvisited by me, despite driving by them all the time. It was that case with Hillbilly Tea…and now…Highland Morning.
Every week I go to Louisville for my fun run on Monday and drive past Highland Morning (which is closed at that time as it does cater to the breakfast/brunch/lunch crowd). Now, as we all know…breakfast is not only the most important meal of the day, but also my favorite meal of the day. So, when breakfast foods are involved, you can count me in.
It just so happened that a Groupon came around for Highland Morning…and being the Groupon savvy shopper that I am…I snagged one. Why not? It’s a local business and it offers food that I can eat and also food that I love. It doesn’t get better than that. Well, unfortunately this Groupon stated that it was good during the week at all time, but on the weekends, only after 2 p.m. During the week is not an option, because I work in Indiana, not Kentucky. So, it would have to be a late lunch on a Saturday then.
And that’s how it worked out.
My first order of business was to check out their menu and figure out what I could eat there. Unfortunately, they don’t have an official Web site and their Facebook page doesn’t have their menu up. So, I actually asked about gluten-free options on their Facebook page. And I got a response that said: “Our eggs are gluten-free… and they’re delicious. Two great combinations.”
Absolutely right! With that piece of mind…I was ready to give this place a try.
It was around 2:30 p.m. when my roommate and I entered the restaurant and took a seat near the bar at the back. We were immediately greeted by our very friendly and helpful waitress, Sapphira, immediately greeted us with cold glasses of water and a warm welcome. She asked if we wanted anything else to drink besides the water. We both felt the need for some caffeine, so Diet Cokes were ordered in addition to the water. She went to retrieve them and I started browsing the menu. There was SO much delicious stuff to choose from. I had lots of egg/vegetarian options and actually had a hard time choosing what exactly sounded the most delicious at the time. But, I finally settled on one of the omelet choices.
We did alert Sapphira as to my food allergies and inquired as to whether the skillet potatoes were gluten-free. They were so I knew I could still have those as a side (which does cost an extra $1.00 to replace the grits with them, but I have never been a fan of grits and I love my starchy potato carbs!)
So, we placed our orders. My roommate decided to go off the beaten path (taking an example from the Menu Ninja – Jenn) and ordered Mike’s Fantastic Brauts ($7.00), which are two bratwursts on rye bread with peppers and onions. It came with a side of chips as well. Not bad for $7.00. That’s one hell of a deal.
As for me, I decided to go with the Oven Baked Tomato and Basil Omelet (with egg whites) ($8.50), with skillet potatoes instead of grits ($1.00), and a small fruit cup ($1.50). It just sounded…delicious. And the idea of an oven baked omelet instead of one done in a pan intrigued me. So…there it was.
And soon…it was time to dig in. Food arrived in a decent amount of time. And the first thing I noticed is how sensible my plate was. No stupid amount of skillet potatoes to overwhelm me and my stomach. The omelet was a thing of normal-size beauty. And my fruit was fresh and ripe. Yeah…this made for one happy girl at that table. I dug in, and…WOW. Flavor galore. The omelet was simple…but tasted amazing. It was just egg whites, tomatoes, fresh basil, and feta cheese. The cheese wasn’t heaped in there and overwhelming the omelet either. In fact…it was complimentary more than anything. And that’s what I want. I hate when places just heap the cheese in and that’s all you can taste. The tomatoes and basil were the star of this omelet and rightfully so.
My skillet potatoes were perfect. They had a nice pan sear on them. Brown and crisp on the outside, soft and delicious on the inside. Give them a quick dip in some ketchup and I was in breakfast potato heaven. For real! And the fruit cup was a mixture of strawberries, blueberries, pineapple and oranges. And yes…it was ripe and juicy and delicious. The perfect end to a perfectly good brunch.
My roommate loved her meal as well. She thought the brauts were cooked to perfection and complimented perfectly by the onions and peppers. And she absolutely loved the kettle chips that came with it. While she’s not a huge fan of rye bread, it worked well with the rest of it as a whole. So, yes…we were both absolutely pleased with our meals at Highland Morning.
And the prices couldn’t be better. I wish I didn’t have a gluten intolerance because some of their pancakes sound absolutely fantastic. I miss being able to have pancakes out…but I’m good with eggs. I went running this morning…the protein was good for me, yes?
Would I go back to Highland Morning? Totally. And I’d bring some friends to try it out. The food was delicious and simple and came in human-size portions. I like that. It is on Bardstown Road, which isn’t easy to navigate and can be a challenge to find parking on, but if I’m out and about and craving some eggs…I know where I’ll be heading.
Thank you, Highland Morning! Your food brightened what was already a very good day. Good day and good food makes me one very satisfied customer. I promise…I’ll be back. There are other vegetarian omelets that are calling my name.
Highland Morning’s Oven Baked Tomato & Basil Omelet (made with egg whites), with a side of Skillet Potatoes and a Small Fruit Cup
Almost a year ago, I was introduced to Koops mustard by Amanda, a good friend and my roommate’s sister. She brought me over some one day because it said gluten-free. I love when that happens. The two flavors I originally started out with were Arizona Heat (my favorite!) and Dijon. Both, I loved. LOVED! And rightfully raved about in my blog.
So, while out at my grocery store, I spotted a bottle of Koops Honey Dijon Mustard on the clearance shelf. As in…it was marked down to only $0.60. I checked the expiration date, and it was still a ways off…so I went ahead and got it. And why not? After all, Koops won me over with the other two flavors I had tried.
After my latest discovery of gluten-free vegan chickenless nuggets, I decided that tonight I was going to forgo the barbeque sauce and use honey mustard instead. I could make my own…and from now on I just might. But I knew this bottle of Koops Honey Mustard was in my pantry and I figured it would pair so well with my delicious gluten-free nuggets.
And why wouldn’t it? Honey mustard and vegan, gluten-free nuggets go hand-in-hand, I think.
And Koops has such a reputation too. Not only do they use all natural ingredients (meaning, you will be able to recognize every ingredient on the nutrition panel), but all of their products are also gluten-free. Love that. Their Web site bills the Honey Mustard as a mix of finely ground mustard that is flavored with honey for a sweet and mild taste. Sounds amazing, yes?
So, I squeezed some into my little dipping bowl and set it out while my nuggets finished up in the oven. I settled in immediately dunking one of my nuggets into the mustard. One bite…and I already knew it wasn’t for me. I should have just made my own. This mustard had a weird fruity taste to it. I know…it was bizarre. And I really, really didn’t like it. But, I was a trooper. I finished off my nuggets with it and then said that I could probably cook something with it. Although, at this point…I’m only out $0.60. I might just rinse out the bottle and recycle it.
Yeah…it just wasn’t to my liking. Sad, since I’ve loved every other Koops product I have tried. It just went all wrong with the Honey Mustard. I think I’ll stick with the recipe my friend Heather gave me for her homemade version. Why buy it when you can make it…and make it better? I love you, Koops…just not this flavor.
The Celiathlete 