Product: thinkThin Brownie Crunch High Protein Bar – $1.99+
I had just finished running my fastest half marathon yet. And I was in the land of chocolate. Seriously. It was just after the Hershey Half Marathon. I had downed my protein shake in the recovery area and had returned to the hotel to take a shower. But before doing that, I needed to get some further protein into my body before continuing on with the day.
With me, I had packed a thinkThin High Protein Bar. This flavor was Brownie Crunch. While I liked the Chocolate Fudge well enough, Brownie Crunch sounded even more intriguing. So, after a well run race…I tore into my chocolate-coated protein bar with gusto. I mean, in the land of Hershey’s chocolate…you best be eating some chocolate.
First bite…and it was like biting into a tough chocolate-coated brownie. Honestly. I think it was frozen from being out in the chilly weather that morning, but man…my jaw got tired of chewing it after awhile. The flavor was good. No aftertaste of protein on this one. But, it was very chewy…again, I do think much of that was from being out in 43 degree weather for over 2 hours. But after running 13.1 miles…my jaw really wasn’t feeling the chewing. I powered through it though…and gobbled it up.
As far as protein bars go, thinkThin definitely provides a tasty alternative to the other brands out there. What I love about these, aside from being gluten-free, is the 0 grams of sugar in each bar. Do note, however, that the Brownie Crunch is listed as having 12 grams of sugar alcohol. Aside from that, this protein bar will set you back 230 calories and 8 grams of fat. You will get 20 grams of protein, however, in each bar. And that…is fantastic. Especially for someone like me…who is a gluten-free, vegetarian athlete.
Due to the high value of protein in this bar, it does make for an excellent meal replacement. The fiber content is low, so this would also be a good option pre-workout/run. I don’t know if I can do chocolate before a run, but this might be something to experiment with.
So, of the protein bars I have tried, this has been one of the better ones. The texture was a little tough for me, but again, I don’t know how much of that was exposure to cold air. That being said, the flavor was great and I enjoyed bits of almond that were incorporated into the brownie filling to give it a little crunch. Overall, one of the better ones yet. Still not up to the Peanut Butter ones…but this one I’d buy if none of the others were available.
Looking for a meal replacement bar or a boost of protein for pre- or post-workout? thinkThin is definitely the way to go. Falling in love with their bars one trial at a time.
thinkThin Brownie Crunch High Protein Bar (unwrapped)
Me crossing the finish line of the Hershey Half Marathon – Hershey, Pennsylvania
Race: Hershey Half Marathon
Place: Hershey, Pennsylvania
Date: October 21, 2012
Time: 1:51:37
Ever have one of those races that you just felt good going into? That’s how I felt about the Hershey Half Marathon. After making a stunning comeback from my torn plantar fasciitis in numerous races of varying length, plus having some really great training runs leading into it, I was confident that Hershey was going to provide me with a good race. New PR or not, I was heading to the land of Hershey Chocolate…also known as…one of the best places on Earth.
So, aside from my goal of joining the 50 States Club, why a half marathon in Hershey, Pennsylvania? Running for chocolate, of course. This race, just before Mile 12, hands out a candy bar. No joke. That was what originally caught my attention. It was mentioned on an early date of my roommate’s Food Challenge Desk Calendar. And I immediately knew I had to run it. I also knew this would be a great road trip to include Jenn on, because she is as much a chocoholic as I am. We made plans. Registration opened. And I signed up.
This meant travel. Lots of time in the car. And it all started the Friday before the race on Sunday. Cathy and I worked a half day on Friday and then made our way up to Columbus, Ohio. We crashed at Jenn’s house that night, knowing the realization that we would have to be up crazy early in the morning (5:45 a.m. which I was not happy about) to eat breakfast (I brought homemade gluten-free carrot cake pancakes), get coffee (from Caribou Coffee…because when I am near one I have to have it!), and get on the road for the 7 hour car trip from Columbus to Hershey, Pennsylvania.
The car ride took forever. Honestly. We made a couple of stops along the way for stretching, bathroom, and food. I had to be very careful with my food decisions that Saturday because I didn’t want to consume something with gluten in it the day before I ran 13.1 miles in a race. That would have been disastrous. So, I stuck to products I knew and trusted and were labeled gluten-free for the journey there.
At around 2:30 p.m., we arrived in Hershey, Pennsylvania and had to make our way to Hershey Park and attempt to find the Ice Palace, where packet pick-up and the expo were held. We followed traffic to Hershey Park and then Cathy had her immediate freak-out of normal proportions with the usual, “I don’t know what I’m doing…I don’t think this is right…I don’t want to ask someone else…” But once you get her past that part of the trip, she does better. Well, she had that moment and it passed when we got up to the ticket gate and she inquired with the lady in the booth about packet pickup. She told us to drive all the way around and follow the signs for the Season Ticket Office, and we’d get where we needed to go.
That’s what we did and we were directed into a parking lot, where we did a little hunting for a spot before finally getting out of the car for a little while. It was nice to stretch and move some. We had a little bit of a walk to the Season Ticket Office, which was marked with signs and balloons for the Hershey Half Marathon Packet Pick-up. We entered…and I immediately spotted the booth for BondiBand. I love BondiBand, so I said I would loop back around for it…and focus for the moment on getting my packet, which is truly the most important part.
It was easy. The packet pick-up was done from the first letter of your last name. I went up to the B box and he was able to easily find my name. He pulled out a packet, handed it to me with my shirt and a reusable bag and directed me over to Chip Check, where a woman took the packet, ran it over a scanner, and made sure my name came up and the chip was functioning. It was. And I was Bib No. 400!
With the important stuff now in hand, I was able to walk around the expo. There weren’t too many booths there, honestly. Your local groups, a few vendors, and…BONDIBAND! So, after making one circuit of the small expo, that’s where Cathy, Jenn and I headed. Like I need more BondiBands, right? I can’t help it…these things are great and I wear them on training runs as well as during races. They’ve become part of my running attire and people recognize me because of it. So, after about 45 minutes of searching, Cathy and I narrowed down our choices to four, which she bought for me, and soon…we were heading out of the expo.
With some time to still kill before meeting up with my friend Kathy for dinner at a restaurant with amazing gluten-free Italian food options, we ducked into Hershey World and checked out the prices for activities and hit up the gift shop. Shopping took us a little while, but we wrapped it up and made our way to the resort we were staying at that night. Cathy got us checked in and we took our luggage up to the room and settled in for a little bit until Kathy arrived to give us a tour of Hershey and take us to Piazza Sorrento, our choice for where to have dinner.
Dinner was delicious and hanging out and socializing with Kathy was a lot of fun. But as the night went on…she had to get back home to her family and we had to get ready for yet another early morning for the race. I dug into my luggage and started laying out what I was going to wear that morning of the race, noting that it was going to be a crisp, cold 43 degrees out and I didn’t bring long sleeves, arm warmers, or anything. So, I knew I was going to be cold that following morning. I did bring my running capri pants, but opted for my running skirt regardless of the chill in the air. With all that done, we turned in for the night.
The 5:30 a.m. wake-up call came and I dragged myself out of bed and went to get dressed. I put on my running clothes, got my plantar fasciitis sleeve over my taped feet, then my running socks. My shoes were laced up and I was good to go except for putting the colored hair extensions in my hair and putting it up in ponytails. I managed that, put on my “Will Run for Chocolate” BondiBand I purchased online prior to this race, and headed out to the living room area of the suite. I grabbed a bag of gluten-free cereal and settled in at the table to munch. It wasn’t the usual cereal I would eat, but it was already in a portable container. I had picked it up the weekend prior at a gluten-free expo, so while it would have been better with some almond milk over it…I work with what I have. Both Cathy and Jenn (poor Jenn had been awake since 3:30 a.m.) had their breakfasts as well and we finished up getting ready before heading out the door. I grabbed my banana to consume an hour before the race, filled up my water bottle with SmartWater, and we were off.
I stepped outside into the garage of the resort and immediately knew I was honestly going to be quite cold for the start of the race at least. The wind was quite strong and very frigid. But…I also knew I would arm up as I ran, and a half marathon is quite a distance to go being overdressed. So, I freeze some at the beginning, but don’t have to worry about shedding layers or being too hot during the event.
We drove over to Hershey Park and found a great spot near the end of a row. I didn’t want to get out of the car yet, so I waited for Cathy to futz around with what she needed in the bag she was bringing, what she wanted in the trunk, and whatever else she was futzing with. And when she was finally ready, Jenn and I got out of the semi-warm vehicle and walked toward Hershey Park Stadium. As we were walking, I peeled my banana and began to slowly eat that. We ducked into the brightly lit stadium to take a look around. I got to see the Finish…and knew that was my destination. I just had to get there. The start of the race happened outside of Hershey Park Stadium, but we still had some time. Instead of standing out in the cold, we headed over to where Packet Pick-Up was happening and ducked inside. On our way there, a runner spotted my “Go Karen Go!” sign that Cathy has at every race and she said, “Oh my God, you run in Louisville! I see that sign at every race! You won an award at the Big Hit Quarter Marathon!” I couldn’t believe that the sign was spotted and recognized by someone else up from the Louisville area. How cool! We said hello, wished each other luck, and we went to step into the warm surroundings of the packet pick-up space. It was in here that I began to stretch. And as the crowd began to thin out, I knew race time was getting close. So, sucking it up…I went back outside and made my way over to the starting area.
Me and the Hershey Bar before the start of the Hershey Half Marathon
Being that this is the Hershey Half Marathon, a lot of the Hershey mascots (aka: Candy Bars) were out and roaming around. I spotted the big Hershey Bar and knew I had to have my picture with him. So after a high five, we took a great picture. Jenn and I then hopped into a picture with the Reeses Peanut Butter Cup mascot. Awesome. And, little did I know that the Reeses Peanut Butter Cup was the featured candy. It was on the medal this year! SWEET! Cathy opted to have her picture taken with the Kit Kat Bar. It was pretty epic and so much fun. What a great way to just sort of take the edge off before a race. And, it got me out of my hoodie to acclimate to the cold air sooner than I would have otherwise.
With photos done, and announcements about to be made, Cathy and Jenn gave me good luck hugs, told me they’d see me at the finish, told me to have a great run, and Jenn gave me the best send-off with “Don’t pants your poop!” HAHAHAHA!! Love it. Marathon Thoughts…thank you for that one. I got lined up in the middle of the 8 minute miles and 9 minute miles…my proper spot this time. The race director went up to the podium to give a small speech about the race. I wasn’t aware that this was only the third year the Hershey Half Marathon had run. I thought it had been going on for much longer than that. He went over the rules…like not to take fluids from strangers…look for volunteers in the orange shirts instead. It was great. And then he turned the microphone over to the miracle child from the local Children’s Miracle Network picked to kick off this year’s race. He was so adorable and not shy at all. With much gusto, he got us out and going with a simple “Ready….Set…….GO!”
And so…the race was on. The movement toward the Start was easy and smooth. It took me about a minute to get from where I was corralled to the actual Start gate. So, that wasn’t too bad. I spotted Jenn and Cathy on the other side, flashed a smile and a peace sign…and was off.
Now, prior to the race, I watched the video of the course. It looks pretty flat from the video. But on Thursday night, I started looking up blogs on the Hershey Half Marathon and everyone was talking about how hilly it was. I was determined that they ran a different course than the one I saw. But…nope. They were absolutely right. HILLS! Lots of hills. And not just small rolling hills either. Some of these were pretty good climbs.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. The beginning of the race is mildly challenging. The first mile, for me, flew by. Honestly. I was just sort of running at what I deemed to be a good, slower, start time for my run. I want to get better at run easy…push more…finish fast. But I was through the first mile and it felt great. Mile 2 was spent running through Hershey Park itself. That was a lot of fun. I enjoyed seeing the park, the rides that were available, the vendors. Sure, it was tight quarters with all the runners in there, but you make the most of it. You enjoy it. You choose a pace and you just work through it. Quite a few inclines welcomed us inside the park. I did my best to power up them without using too much energy so early on. As we came out of the park, the race hit Mile 3 and off we went to wind through the streets of Hershey, Pennsylvania. With the challenge of the hills I found myself focusing a lot more on the road ahead of me. I didn’t glance at my pace, even when another mile beeped off on my Garmin. I wanted to just run this at what felt comfortable. It had been working for me in the past couple of races…why mess with it and try to rush myself? Miles 4-6 just seemed to fly by because of the hills that greeted the runners. I was so focused on getting safely to the top without expending too much energy, but not slowing down to a crawl either, that before I knew it…I was halfway through the race. I was warmed up. I was feeling good. I was remembering to hydrate when I felt I needed it. Halfway was where the relay teams tagged off, so I got to see some of that happening, which was cool.
Mile 7 took us basically up a hill almost the entire way. But my legs were feeling strong and pushed forward. I was moving at a good pace. Mile 8 – 9 was done through a residential area. The roads narrowed a bit at Mile 8 because we had runners coming up one way, and those going through Mile 9 were coming down the other way. But everyone navigated it well and the neighborhoods were a nice change of scenery. Some of the best crowds were out on these corners. And if they saw your bib…they would shout your name. This was one very awesome crowd.
Miles 10 – 11 felt amazing to me. I hit that 10 mile mark and saw the time clock reading of 1:23:17 and I knew I was far above my normal race pace for this run. My best 10 mile race time was 1:29:33. This race was proving to be one of my best half marathons yet…even with the hills. Normally by Mile 10 I need to refuel with Sports Beans or a GU. But not today. I had energy. I was pushing now because I was only 2 miles from the end.
As I came onto Chocolate Avenue, I was greeted by the volunteers dangling Reeses Nutrageous bars out to runners. It was the Chocolate Aid Station! YAY!! A lot of runners ignored it…but the whole purpose of this race was to get the chocolate bar at Mile 12. This happened just before Mile 12, but I had to take one. I had to. I didn’t eat it, but I carried it with me as I ran up the street lined with Hershey Kisses topped street lights, and back toward Hershey Park. Mile 12 had yet another hill, but I was so close now, I could taste it. I came into the parking lot and started down toward the tram gate to run toward the stadium. Then it was out and around the stadium before coming into it, dashing around a corner…and finding that Finish line. I was rewarded with a Finisher’s Medal almost immediately. That finish was one of my better ones. I immediately spotted Cathy and Jenn in the stands and I was so pumped up from the finish that I was bouncing and pumping my fists. Even more amazing…the chocolate I got at the Chocolate Aid Station didn’t melt. I got my finisher’s photo taken and Cathy said they would meet me at the Results tent.
I made my way there, getting the little cooler of goodies along the way…and some water. I was gifted with another space blanket to help warm me up…and I walked onto the field and over to results. Sadly, my results weren’t up yet to find. However, I did go and get hugs and congratulations from both Jenn and Cathy immediately afterwards. I handed Jenn the Nutrageous bar I picked up at the Chocolate Aid Station and thanked her for coming out after a long trip and sleepless night to sit in the cold and wait for me to finish a race. I was pumped. I was so excited. My best race yet and I was still feeling great!
I got my Arbonne Vegan Chocolate Protein shake out and drank that down while standing around and texting my family. Then I sent the text to my friends. And then…after downing some water…we got into the car to head back to the resort so I could shower and we could head out and do something out of town the rest of the day. This…was one hell of an amazing race. And when all was said and done, I shaved 7 plus minutes off my previous half marathon PR. So a great run and a new PR…despite the hills! YES! All that hard work and training really is paying off. What a fantastic run!
The official results of the Hershey Half Marathon have me finishing in 1:51:37. I was 642/3932 finishers overall. I was 212/2516 women runners to cross the finish line. I was the 634th person to cross in the 25-34 age division. And I placed 77th for people who were 32 to cross the finish line. THRILLED! Ecstatic. Just…so proud of myself for such a well run race. 1/58 in my age division. I set a new PR for a half marathon…and I have my next one, in…2 weeks. No joke. But I am treating that one as a training run due to it being so close to this one.
Being part of the Hershey Half Marathon was so much fun. Pushing myself without knowing it and setting a new PR while here…priceless. Running for chocolate…the best reason to run. Period. I might have to do this one again sometime!
Me striking a pose for a strong finish and new PR at the Hershey Half Marathon
Traveling is one of the hardest things for me to do and find a place that I can trust to serve me food that won’t make me sick. Honestly. It can be quite nerve-wracking. Put on top of that the added pressure of having a half marathon the next day and the last thing you want to do is eat something that might send your GI track into an unhappy rage.
Well, that was the situation this past weekend. I was heading to Hershey, Pennsylvania to run in the Hershey Half Marathon on Sunday morning. My journey began by going to my friend Jenn’s in Ohio, and then she, my roommmate, and I all headed up to Pennsylvania the following morning. Now, Jenn loves me lots and has a gluten-free pantry shelf of stuff we can eat when I am in town. Good friends are awesome! But, here we are on the road! However, because she loves me, she got on Find Me Gluten Free and found a little Italian place in Hershey, Pennsylvania with what looked like an extensive gluten-free menu.
As I have found that my best races so far have been after I have eaten gluten-free pizza, finding a gluten-free Italian place that has not only gluten-free pizza, but pasta, starters, subs, salads, entrees, and yes…desserts…right where I was going to be running a long, big race was probably one of the happiest finds ever. To top it off, a friend of mine didn’t live far from the resort where we were staying, and she just happened to know the owners of this amazing restaurant. So…we all had plans to meet up and go and enjoy a fantastic, safe (for me), Italian meal.
Let me tell you…with my lunch-on-the-go consisting of Chobani yogurt and a KIND bar, I was ready for some real food.
The place that we selected to eat was Piazza Sorrento, located on Briarcrest Square in Hershey. From what we had discovered online, this was a independently run local restaurant, where the owners and staff dedicate themselves to providing the Hershey area with the finest service, food, and wine at a fair and competative price. While striving to keep the history of the dish and region that it stems from intact, they provide regional and classic Italian cuisine using only premium ingredients. Part of that process is by sourcing local ingredients from the local commerce of the Hershey area. I loved that.
What I also loved was the extensive gluten-free menu that came up on their Web site.
After arriving in Hershey and heading over to Hershey Park to pick up my race packet and walk around the little expo that was attached, Jenn, Cathy and myself headed over to Hershey World to see what was going on, what prices were for things we were interested in doing, and to do some preliminary shopping in the gift shop. That took a little bit of time, so when we finished up, we hopped back into the car, checked into our resort, and just sort of relaxed while waiting on Kathy (yes…another one, different spelling) to arrive so she could direct us to the restaurant the four of us would be dining in. She arrived early…and we were okay with that because we were hungry! Heading out, we met up in the garage of the resort, and she offered to drive to show us the sights of the area. A sort of grand tour if you will. But first…food.
We arrived just a little before 5 p.m. at Piazza Sorrento and headed inside. We were greeted by a very friendly hostess who asked if we wanted to dine in the restaurant or the pizza shop. We weren’t aware there was a difference, but we decided on the restaurant in the end. It took only a moment for them to ready a booth for the four of us, and we asked for one gluten-free menu for me. She happily complied, and went and took us to our seat, letting us know that our server, Lydia, would be with us shortly.
Lydia did arrive rather promptly to the table to see what we would like to have to drink. As I was running, I was all about the water. And it seemed everyone else at the table felt that way too. So, water it was. She came back and went over the specials on the menu, noting that since I had a gluten-free menu, to mention what specials were gluten-free…and this included soups. I loved how knowledgeable she was. It really put me at ease. And the fact that I didn’t have to give my, “I’m a Celiac…” speech was a nice change of pace. She went to ready the bread basket and asked me if I would like a gluten-free roll. I was so shocked that it took me a moment to answer. But I answered correctly. “Yes, please.”
Piazza Sorrento’s Gluten-Free Roll
She returned with the bread basket and two plates of herbs for dipping. The one she set down in front of me was the gluten-free one. All we had to do was add the oil. My roll wasn’t out yet, but my dinner guests waited until it was delivered to the table before they dug into the regular bread basked.
This roll looked fantastic. The plate that it was sitting on came with a tag, marking it as one of Piazza Sorrento’s Gluten-Free Options. I love that they have a labeling system. With oil poured onto my herbs, I reached down and tore a hunk of my gluten-free roll off. A little steam rose from it and it smelled amazing. Fresh. Delicious. I took my first bite without the oil and herbs. I wanted to savor the roll and enjoy it on its own first. Really just draw my opinion from the bare bread itself. It was…fantastic. Very light. Very soft. Warm. Fresh. I wanted to devour it and ask for another one. But, I behaved.
And soon, Lydia was at our table preparing to take our orders. Cathy wanted to get one of their House Specialties, so she asked Lydia if she had to recommend one item on the menu…what would it be. Lydia said she couldn’t limit it to one, but she could tell her some of her favorites and house favorites. Which she proceeded to do and then, left Cathy to ponder for the time it took the rest of us to order our meal.
Jenn went with the small order of Crab and Tortellini ($16.00). Kathy opted for the Chicken Piccata ($18.00). Cathy finally decided on the Pappardelle Bolognese ($17.00). As for me…I needed pizza to fuel my run. So after going back and forth between a couple of the vegetarian, gluten-free options (because…yes…there were lots of options), I settled on the Gluten-Free Old World Pizza ($9.00). Lydia went to put our orders in and we had plenty of time to talk about Hershey, the park, the race, and just get caught up on what was going on with whom and why and it was the perfect little get together. Great setting too.
Piazza Sorrento’s Gluten-Free Old World Pizza
When food arrived at the table it looked absolutely delicious. My pizza was once again marked with one of the slips of paper declaring it to be a Piazza Sorrento Gluten-Free Choice. Food labeling makes me feel at ease. This was the smallest little touch…and yet, it meant the world to me. With our food in front of us, we all just dove right in. Sort of. I had to take pictures and both my phone and my camera were acting up. But…I got it sorted and photographed and then wasted no further time before lifting my first slice of pizza and taking a bite.
The Gluten-Free Old World Pizza from Piazza Sorrento is the classic Old World Style pizza. It is the crust, with a layer of provolone cheese, then topped with tomato sauce and finished off with a sprinkling of Romano cheese and some oregano. I had never tried an Old World-style pizza before and this was one of the House Specialties on the menu…so I figured why not try something I haven’t been able to get anywhere else. I’m glad I did.
The crust on the pizza was a thin crust pizza, probably of a rice flour base. It cooked up crispy…with a little softness to it. So…just right for me. I love a thin crust pizza anyway…always have. Gluten-free pizza crusts are usually quite thin, so this transition has been easy for me. The hard part is finding one that is really fantastic on its own. Piazza Sorrento has a really delicious one. The Gluten-Free Pizzas only come in the 10 inch size, which is pretty normal of any establishment that serves gluten-free pizza. I knew there would be leftovers…meaning my friends and I would have pizza for dinner the following evening…as our resort suite had a fridge and a microwave. SCORE! But I am digressing…
Let’s return to the star of the table at the moment…the food. My friends all really enjoyed their meals. And I happily downed two slices of my Gluten-Free Old World Pizza. The provolone cheese on the bottom was melted to perfection. The sauce over it was packed with flavor. Not bitter at all. The tomato flavor really shined. And the light dusting of Romano and oregano really just topped it off. I probably could have eaten more, but I didn’t want to stuff myself to the max in case…there was room for dessert.
And with us…there normally is. Especially when there are gluten-free options available.
Lydia brought out the dessert tray and went over the what each item was and explained which ones were available as gluten-free. Both Jenn and Kathy opted for the tiramisu (one of the gluten-free options) ($7.00). Cathy went with her favorite Italian dessert…cannoli ($3.50). As for me…I went with the Gluten-Free Ricotta Cake ($8.00). It just looked…really yummy.
The Ricotta Cake is basically a very light sponge cake that was drizzled with white vermouth and topped off with Ricotta cheese and fresh fruit. It is one of the favorites among customers…and now I know why. When dessert arrived…I couldn’t wait to dig in. I picked up my fork and slid it easily through the cake. It was like a hot knife going through butter. So creamy. So soft. So moist. I was already anticipating my first bite. And when I took it…I think I melted. Seriously. This had to be the best cake I had ever bitten into. I had to share a bite with my friends. I honestly did. Because it was that amazing. Had Piazza Sorrento been open on Sunday, I probably would have stopped in just for cake. In fact, my friend Jenn had mentioned doing just that because even she fell in love with it at the one bite she had. We both said that it tasted like cannoli in cake form. Honestly…super good. Just melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
After dining there, I tried to e-mail the restaurant to see about getting the recipe…but the e-mail kept bouncing back to me. I finally settled on messaging them on Facebook…but have yet to receive a response.
There is nothing bad I can say about Piazza Sorrento. Honestly it has been one of the best dining experiences I have had, coupled with one of the best meals I have ever eaten. I didn’t need to worry about if the food was going to react poorly with me, especially before such a big race day. I felt confident in the competence of Lydia and the rest of the staff there. And the food was great…and I didn’t get sick at all.
Whoever said that gluten-free was boring and lacked variety and choices hasn’t been through Hershey, Pennsylvania and tried out Piazza Sorrento. I encourage you, whole-heartedly, that if you happen to be in the land of chocolate…or within driving distance, to check out Piazza Sorrento and see for yourself. The gluten-free menu will blow you away, the service and safety the staff take will astound you. But it will be the taste of the food that will make you wish that you had this place in your own hometown. I envy the people who live here…because this has joined the ranks of one of my favorite places to eat. But when you live in Indiana…it means returning won’t happen too often.
Oh…I also encourage you, should you go to eat at Piazza Sorrento, to try the delicious Gluten-Free Ricotta Cake. It’s worth saving room for…or finding room for. Trust me.
My co-worker and teammate at the office provided me with my first KIND Bar…which I ate without blogging about. Why? Because I didn’t have the resources available to properly document the occasion. And she also provided me with my second KIND Bar…which I also devoured and didn’t take the pictures necessary to blog about it. Silly me.
But, it is because of her that I have discovered this amazing gluten-free snack bar.
So, thank you, Andrea!
As luck would have it, while on my trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania, we stopped off at a travel oasis in Pennsylvania to grab something light to eat for lunch. Well, all of the restaurants that were featured at this place didn’t have anything that I would be able to eat. But, thankfully, the attached gas station had a travel center, which I ducked into and started to glance around to see what they had that I could use as a snack for lunch.
And in with the granola and protein bars…there, shining like a beacon of gluten-free goodness…was the KIND Fruit & Nut Delight bar. And I couldn’t have been more excited to see that than I was just then.
And…this was a flavor I had yet to try! Even better.
The KIND Bar that I found was the Fruit & Nut Delight. This snack bar is a scrumptious mix of healthy mixed nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts, peanuts and walnuts) with dried apricots and raisins. It wasn’t the ideal flavor that I would have chosen, but it was all they had. It was also gluten-free, so I figured…yes…this would be my lunch.
The KIND Fruit & Nut Delight Bar sets you back 180 degrees for the entire bar and 11 grams of fat, which seems high, but keep in mind that much of this fat comes from the nuts, which are truly a healthy fat. This bar also provides a 5 gram punch of protein.
And…despite not being a flavor I would have chosen on my own…I loved it. The nuts and fruit, with the addition of gluten-free puffed rice and honey and other seasonings, was a perfect blend of salty and sweet. Everything about this bar was delicious. There was the right amount of flavor with the blend of nuts, and it wasn’t overly salty. True, this bar does contain 11 grams of sugar, which I do find high, but much of that probably stems from the honey and the dried fruit. So, I give that a pass.
I really wanted to feel safe eating my food before the half marathon I was running and I knew that I could trust KIND Bars to deliver a safe, delicious, and relatively healthy gluten-free snack. I wasn’t worried about having a bad reaction to it. It is even labeled as gluten-free. And with all the nuts and the protein hit…quite filling as well.
With every KIND Bar that I try, I fall more and more in love with it as a product. Every flavor has won me over..and this was the very first one I had without some sort of chocolate being involved. And guess what…it’s been my favorite.
Thank goodness for companies that put out gluten-free snack bars that are healthy, delicious, and safe for those of us who just can’t grab a granola bar or a protein bar without checking the ingredients first.
KIND Bar…I tip my hat to you in thanks. And can’t wait to try more of your bars in the future!
Oh, my dearly beloved Sinfully Gluten Free in Dayton, Ohio. I wish…oh, how I wish that you weren’t only in Dayton, Ohio. I love everything that I have eaten by your amazing little shop so far. Whether it’s in your café or some of your baked goodies to take home with me, nothing has disappointed me yet. That’s amazing and totally saying something about the quality of your food.
Well, the small loaf of Banana Nut Bread from Sinfully Gluten Free is no exception to this streak of awesomeness.
In fact, the best part about this was how long I have been desperately wanting some gluten-free banana bread. I tried to make my own a long time ago…and I totally disliked it. Every bite of it. In fact, I ended up throwing it away. I don’t like wasting food…but this was just not good. So, when I spotted these little mini loaves at Sinfully Gluten Free the last time I was in town, one of them was going home with me for sure.
Or so I thought. It was accidentally left behind at my friend Jenn’s home. But she saved the day by throwing it into the freezer and telling me that we could take it with us on our trek to Hershey, Pennsylvania for noms in the car should we need.
Well, after a super-early breakfast of my homemade gluten-free carrot cake pancakes…we were pretty hungry around 10 a.m. Eating breakfast early usually means I get hungry a couple hours later. Well, we were totally prepared though with this loaf of bread. All I had to do was split it three ways. Not the easiest thing to do when I don’t have a knife, but I just worked with what I had. My hands.
Immediately, upon unwrapping it from the plastic bag that contained it, I could smell it. So delicious. My mouth was already watering in anticipation. And then…as I pulled it out, I could already tell how moist it was too. Splitting it into three sections was easy because of how moist it was, despite having spent a couple weeks in the freezer. I mean…it was moist without being wet. It was that perfect banana bread consistency.
And the flavor was top-of-the-line. The banana wasn’t overpowering and the nuts were a nice compliment that added some great texture to the bread. Walnuts pair so well with banana bread and that’s exactly the type that was used in this bread. They weren’t hard either. Nor was it overly salty or seasoned. The simple ingredients really got to shine here. And every ingredient was something that I recognized. That is something I love about products like this that are baked fresh at these bakeries.
Sinfully Gluten Free, you have, for the third time, left me in awe of your products. The Banana Nut Bread is now one of my favorite things I have picked up there. I’d buy it again…in a heartbeat.
Before I had to go gluten-free, I fell in love with these amazing Italian potato dumplings known as gnocchi. The problem being, even though made from potato, these contain flour and that puts it on the no-no list for Celiacs. I was quite…sad, depressed, and unhappy when this happened. It was like I was being denied something that I had only just discovered and fallen in love with.
And then, one day while walking through the Liquor Barn, of all places, with my roommate, we discovered Caesar’s Gluten-Free Potato Gnocchi in the freezer section. Enter me doing a happy dance of joy right there. I wanted to take it home with me that day, but I had enough products in the house at the moment to work through.
Then…a couple weeks later, while on that side of town, my roommate and I stopped in again and this time a bag came home with me. And then…it sat in my freezer. I can’t explain why. It just sort of happened that way. With the influx of fresh vegetables and fruits coming in with my CSA bin, getting to the frozen foods in the freezer or the items in my pantry got a little less common.
However, this past weekend, I was heading out of town to stop by my friend Jenn’s house and then…the following morning, the three of us were going to venture out to Hershey, Pennsylvania as I was running in the Hershey Half Marathon on Sunday. So, I was bringing dinner to make things easy on us all on Friday night.
That evening, after arriving and settling in at her home, we got out the pot of water and got it up and boiling before pouring in the frozen potato gnocchi. I was quite disappointed right off with the amount of pasta in the bag. The sack said it was meant for four people, but there was barely enough to serve as an entree for the three of us. We let that slide however, and put the small amount of gnocchi in the bag into the boiling water. With gnocchi, the way you tell if it is done or not is that they float up to the top. Problem number two with Caesar’s Gluten-Free Potato Gnocchi…half of them floated immediately. How can we tell if they are done if the frozen dumplings are already floating? We decided, instead, to just time it for the 4 minutes suggested on the package.
While that was going, we heated up some sauce for the meal and set the table. We checked on the gnocchi after four minutes. Not all of them were ready, so we let it go a little longer. Finally, we figured we were where we needed to be. Again, kind of hard to tell when half floated right off the bat.
We drained the pan, then dished out the miniscule amount of gnocchi between the three of us. We added the sauce…then a sprinkling of cheese and settled in at the table.
Only to be immediately disappointed. I’m not joking. Maybe a third of the gnocchi dumplings were perfectly cooked. Some were gummy. Some were still hard. It was inconsistent. And I was less than impressed. This didn’t make me remember the amazing gnocchi I was able to eat before having to go gluten-free. And that’s sad. Because this was the first gluten-free gnocchi I was able to find. I could make my own, of course, but it’s a lot of work and time I currently don’t have. But…I may be headed that way.
I’ve tried Caesar’s Gluten-Free Stuffed Shells and really enjoyed them. But these didn’t make the cut this time. Not at all. I was so unimpressed with the potato gnocchi. Therefore, I don’t think I’ll be purchasing them again.
I have heard that the best gluten-free gnocchi is made by Nuovo, which I finally found at one of my local grocery stores. But Caesar’s gluten-free gnocchi will never make it into my apartment again. Totally not worth the money.
Caesar’s Vegan Gluten-Free & Wheat-Free Potato Gnocchi with tomato sauce
I’m going to be the first to admit it…I never thought I’d be running in the Hershey Half Marathon up in Hershey, Pennsylvania. In fact, it wasn’t even on my radar until it came up as a food challenge on my roommate’s calendar of food challenges. She mentioned that runners receive a chocolate bar at Mile 12. That was enough to convince me to at least look into it.
Well, this race is a pretty big deal, it seems. In fact, this race tends to sell out…quickly. No joke. And this year is no different. The race is sold out!
I’m really excited to be running in this half marathon. While destination races always put me on edge with nerves, logistics, planning, and all of that…I’ve been really excited about heading to Hershey. I’ve been running better than I have in a long time. And this will be a good race to do after the near catastrophic Indianapolis Women’s Half Marathon where I literally felt like I was going to die at the end of it.
The weather is supposed to be perfect this weekend…and especially on race day. A little chilly in the morning…somewhere around 43 degrees…but I tend to warm up fast. The high on Sunday is 60 degrees. Like I said…perfect weather. The 13.1 mile course winds through Hershey Park, out and around town, and finishes back at Hershey Park Stadium. There is plenty to see along the way.
While the video I watched of the course seems relatively flat, last night I was reading some blogs of people who ran it previously…and it seems they say it is rather hilly. So, I guess it is a very good thing I often run hilly routes. Good training.
Accompanying me on this venture are my two loudest fans, Jenn and Cathy. They will be hanging at Hershey to see me off and then see me through the finish line. Yeah…I’m really feeling good about running in this race. Honestly. When my training runs have gone so well, it’s hard not to feel good about it.
But now…after putting it off all week and all morning, I need to get everything packed up. Around noon today I am heading to Columbus, Ohio, where I’m crashing with Jenn for the night and then we are all off to Hershey early in the morning. I need to make it to packet pick-up before it closes at 5 p.m. on Saturday…so that leaves only a minute amount of wiggle room on the 7 hour drive from Columbus. We’ll get it sorted. I’ll just do my best not to wind myself up and focus on the important thing…
Having a great race.
Wish me luck. And I’ll definitely attempt to keep my chocolate consumption down until after the race. But I make no promises…
It’s pumpkin season, in case you aren’t aware. And as many of you know…I have been doing a lot of cooking and baking using pumpkin. I love pumpkin…except in pumpkin pie. I don’t know what it is…but while I have never liked pumpkin pie…I have this strange affinity for using pumpkin in recipes, whether sweet or savory.
I wanted to make something for my podiatrist and his staff as a thank you for repairing my torn plantar fasciitis prior to a half marathon race I ran back in September and somehow turning me into a better, faster, more efficient runner in the process. Since my injury, my speed and endurance have definitely improved and I owe it all to him and his staff.
Being that it is October, I wanted to do something seasonal. I just happened to have a box of Gluten-Free Rice Krispies in my pantry. And I always have pumpkin on hand. I also, believe it or not, always have Marshmallow Fluff on hand too. So…inspired, I decided to make some Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats (with chocolate chips included because…pumpkin and chocolate are an amazing combination). The recipe follows…
Recipe: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Rice Krispie Treats with a Chocolate Drizzle
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Rice Krispie Treats with a Chocolate Drizzle
5 cups crispy rice cereal (I used Gluten-Free Rice Krispies)
1 cup mini chocolate chips
2 squares semi-sweet Baker’s chocolate, melted
Directions:
Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish (or a smaller dish…as my podiatrist’s office is small, I put these in 2 8×8 baking dishes).
In a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-low heat.
Add the pumpkin puree and continue to cook until it is warmed through.
Fold in the Marshmallow Fluff, stirring frequently until almost completely melted.
Add the vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt, and remove from heat.
Allow the marshmallow mixture to cool 20 minutes or until it is room temperature (failure to cool the mixture will result in soggy rice crispy treats). Add the puffed rice cereal and the mini chocolate chips and stir, using a silicone spatula, until combined.
Press the mixture into the greased baking dish.
Let set for 30 minutes.
In a microwave safe dish, place the bakers chocolate and melt in microwave, starting with 30 seconds and then adding 10-15 seconds to each additional heating until the chocolate has melted. Use a spoon or fork and drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the Rice Krispie Treats.
Allow chocolate to harden. Cut into squares and serve.
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Honestly…I wasn’t sure what to expect with these. They are, truly, packed with flavor. With only a scant 1/4 cup of pumpkin, these actually taste like pumpkin. I’m glad I added the chocolate chips because it really gives these a kick of sweetness that ties in so well with the pumpkin and spices.
Since I am a vegetarian, I nixed the marshmallows and used Fluff instead. I find that I should probably incorporate a cup less of the Rice Krispies next time as these are not stuck together and ooey-gooey as they should be. They tend to crumble. But, they are still delicious…even if they fall apart. That’s why instead of the usual 6 cups of Rice Krispies recommended for treats, I cut it back to 5 on this recipe. I think that will make for a better binding together of the fluff and the cereal.
Do you love pumpkin and chocolate? Do you love Rice Krispie Treats. Do something seasonal…and give these a go. I love them and hope my podiatrist and his staff do as well.
So, my CSA bin this week contained a beautiful bunch of very large, amazing romaine lettuce leaves. Immediately, the first thing I thought of to do with it was make lettuce wraps. They are simple, tasty, and low carb. And, you can literally put anything you want to inside of them. Pack them with your favorite foods, roll them up, enjoy.
As I’m attempting to use up the fresh produce in my fridge before my upcoming trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania for the Hershey Half Marathon, I had plenty of options to choose from. What I ended up doing was cooking up some quinoa (a pantry staple in my kitchen), tossing it with some beans, green chilies, and roasted red peppers, giving it a dusting with vegan cheese, and viola…lettuce wrap perfection. My actual recipe follows…
Recipe: Quin-y (Quinoa) Bean-y Lettuce Wraps
Quin-y Bean-y Lettuce Wraps
Servings: 2
Time: Prep 5 minutes; Cook 15 minutes
Ingredients:
6 large romaine lettuce leaves
2 Wild Garden Traditional Hummus On-The-Go pack (1.76 ounces each) (…or your favorite hummus)
1/2 cup quinoa, dry (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
1/4 cup organic black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons roasted red pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons green chiles (I used Ortega Fire Roasted Diced Green Chiles)
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2/3 cup cheddar cheese (I used Cheddar Flavor Rice Shreds)
Directions:
Cook quinoa according to package directions.
While the quinoa is cooking, rinse and dry romaine lettuce leaves. Spread hummus over each leaf and sprinkle with red onion.
When quinoa is cooked, remove lid from pot and add black beans, roasted red pepper, and the green chilies. Stir. Cover and allow to steam to heat through. Remove from heat.
Spoon quinoa mixture into each leaf. Top off with cheese. Fold romaine lettuce around the filling.
Enjoy!
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These were really delicious. My roommate even asked if we could have them again tonight. And that is definitely the plan. Not only are they easy to make and assemble, but they are full of flavor, low carb, high in protein, and just delicious. As I like a little zing to mine, I added a splash of Cholula Hot Sauce to mine.
Looking for an easy meal to prepare without a lot of hassle and that’s not high in carbs or calories…give these a try. Fill them with whatever you have on hand…or give my own recipe a try. I’m totally looking forward to dinner tonight!
This is definitely one of those cases where looks can be deceiving. For real.
It was the evening of my Fun Run over in Louisville, which meant that I had to book it home from work, eat something, change, and get over to the running store that hosts the run before everyone took off without me. The run usually begins around 6:10 p.m. And that day at work, a meeting I was in ran over and it was closer to 5 p.m. when I walked in the door of my apartment.
That’s when Tasty Bite meals come in handy. I was already planning on eating one, as they are super fast, super simple, and super yummy. The previous evening, I steamed up some jasmine rice to act as a base. All I had to do was reheat that, then heat up the Tasty Bite entree of my choice. The one that was in the pantry was the Chunky Chickpeas.
The packaging of this particular entree shows golden chickpeas that have been bathed in aromatic spices. They looked super delicious. So, after giving the rice a quick warm and dividing it into two bowls (one for me; one for my roommate), I followed package instructions and tore about a 2 inch slit into the little envelope, stood it up in my microwave, and ran it for 90 seconds.
Yes…these meals only take 90 seconds to heat and then enjoy! Gotta love that.
When the pouch was done warming, I pulled it out of the microwave, opened it further and began to pour the contents over the first bed of rice. What came out was a grey, chunky mess. Seriously. It didn’t look appetizing at all. What happened to my golden chickpeas? These looked like chickpeas that had a round of mud wrestling and lost…badly. I emptied the other half into the other bowl and almost turned up my nose.
Granted, the aroma that wafted from the meal itself was fantastic. But the grey color was a little off-putting. I checked the packaging again…yep…golden. So what was this? Ah well. I didn’t have time to come up with reasons in my head. I had a run to get to, and before that…a meal to consume.
“This doesn’t look very appetizing,” I said to my roommate as I carried out her bowl and handed it to her. “But maybe it tastes better than it looks.”
She gazed down into the bowl. “Ewww.”
I went to retrieve the other bowl, gave it a big stir to mix the rice in more, and found that it made the entree look better. As I was walking back out to the couch, my roommate was in the process of devouring the entree. This…was a good sign.
And as I dug in, I knew for certain that the reason for her hasty bites wasn’t because we were running late to my run. Nope. It was because this entree tasted absolutely amazing. The chickpeas warmed and softened to perfection. And the spices. Oh. My. God. The spices were pure Indian through and through. The Chunky Chickpeas entree is actually chickpeas that are added to water, onions, sunflower oil, garlic, ginger, coriander, salt, cumin and other spices that really turn up the notch of flavor. These don’t have a lot of extra sauce or juice on them, so they do make a good topping for a salad, or in a tortilla or something. But, I enjoyed them over my rice…despite kind of resembling wet dog food.
Honestly…looks are deceiving. What every bite of the Tasty Bite Chunky Chickpeas did was deliver a spoonful of layered flavors. This meal isn’t spicy at all, but it doesn’t have to be. The spices that the chickpeas are marinaded in are the stand-out of this meal. Honestly, look past the appearance and put your faith in your taste buds. What you’ll discover is one tasty bite (see what I did there?) after another.
And the nutrition on these is fantastic. A serving is half of the pouch (4 ounces), which only sets you back 210 calories and 7 grams of fat. The sodium content on these is fantastically low. And this particular entree packs a 9 gram protein punch with each serving. Gotta love that. And I did…and still do. The Chunky Chickpeas entree is also vegetarian, vegan, kosher, and gluten-free.
Indian food that is easy to prepare, easy on the stomach, and easily delicious is available…and it’s available at local grocery stores. Just look for Tasty Bite. And yes…even despite the appearance, I totally recommend the Tasty Bite Chunky Chickpeas entree. Because underneath all that grey is one flavor-packed entree that is worth raving about and getting others to try.
The Celiathlete 