Restaurant: Crown Candy Kitchen, St. Louis, Missouri
We are all entitled to our little indulgences in life. No one wants to go through life denying themselves all of life’s little goodies because of the chance they might *gasp* gain a pound. That’s why God invented exercise. If you deny yourself the little sweet things in life…then you might miss one gem of a treat. Thankfully, I never turn down a good treat. And despite being lactose intolerant, I usually treat myself to ice cream. Go figure. As long as it is gluten-free…then we are in business.
Well, it was a little while ago that I was watching Man v. Food (I know…that’s some nutritious dining going on there!) on The Travel Channel. One of the restaurants featured in the St. Louis area was Crown Candy Kitchen, which offers up the Crown Candy Challenge…in 30 minutes, polish off five 24 ounce malts. Even this challenge couldn’t be won by Adam Richman, who managed to down four of the malts.
That being said, this place is located in the older part of the city. And they are known for their homemade ice cream, candy selection, but mostly their malts/milkshakes. I, however, was not there for a milkshake or malt or even candy.
Nope. I was getting ready to head into a concert that night. I was after their Banana Split ($6.00)…to split with my roommate of course. So, after waiting for about 10 minutes (you know a place rocks when 30 minutes before closing time there is a line out the door!), my roommate and I snagged a little booth and waited to place our order. We came prepared, so we were ready when our waitress arrived. Now, with the Banana Split, we got to choose our ice cream flavors. We decided on chocolate and strawberry, with the strawberry and pineapple over it, whipped cream, crushed toasted cashews, and of course…a cherry.
It didn’t take too long for the enormous sundae to be placed between us with two spoons attached. And we dug right in. I started with the strawberry ice cream, and Cathy dug into the chocolate side. Then we switched. Let me tell you…that chocolate ice cream had something amazing in it. It just tasted like no other chocolate ice cream I had before. As for the strawberry…that was my favorite part. Forget the whipped cream (I’ve never been a big fan of that stuff anyway) and the toppings. I’d gladly lap up an entire bowl of that strawberry ice cream. And yes…chunks of strawberry resided in the pink scoop that dominated a split open banana on a dish.
We hoovered that sundae, I think. It was just so good. And our flavors paired brilliantly with the banana. We left there quite full, but quite happy. And now we had our sugar rush for the upcoming show. What more could we want in life?
If you love visiting historical sights around town that also offer up amazing foods and goodies, if you happen to be in St. Louis, take the trip over to Crown Candy Kitchen. Forget whatever diet you’re on for a couple hours and just savor each bite of one of their signature sundaes. You’ll be hooked.
It’s a good thing I don’t live in town or I might be over there more than I’d care to admit.
Few things in this world make me as happy as settling into a booth or table at a pub and just letting my cares and worries go. Of course, this is sometimes easier said than done when plagued with food allergies, especially to gluten. And one of the least likely places to find a menu that is easy to navigate when you are gluten-free (and also a vegetarian, in my case) is a pub.
But, thanks to knowledgeable staff, despite no gluten-free men, special care was certainly taken with me. And for that, this pub won over my heart.
This pub, by the way, is The Dubliner, located in St. Louis, Missouri.
When my roommate and I were seated with menus, our waiter went ahead and took our drink order. But, before he hurried off, we threw a few questions at him. Do the fries share a frier with anything blended. He said that they had only one frier. Fries were now out. I asked what the soup of the day was. He said potato. I asked if it was gluten-free and he vowed to go and check. When he returned, he said it wasn’t safe for me to eat either. So…I was back to a salad. That’s fine…but wow me with a salad!! There is the challenge.
When we were talking to our server while trying to figure out something I could eat, he said he understood how difficult it must be for me to eat out. One of his friends has Celiac disease and she hardly can eat out. Her condition is so bad that if she has anything with even a spec of gluten in it…things get really bad.
So, with an understanding as to my condition and what I needed done with my food…we placed our orders.
Naturally, my roommate went for the fish and chips ($12.00). As for me…I went right to the salads, figuring they would be the safest and only vegetarian option on the menu at this point. My decision was to get the Chopped Salad ($10.00), which consists of lettuce, tomato, red onion, celery, scallions, red peppers, carrots, shredded Kasseri (that’s a cheese, btw!), and kidney beans. Of course I asked that mine not come with the croutons that are listed on the menu. And I ordered that the balsamic vinaigrette.
Food actually came out quite fast, but we weren’t exactly there at a busy time. It was around 2 p.m. So, the lunch crowd had already pushed through on that Sunday morning and we were just simply following it up. My roommate dug into her fish and chips, and absolutely raved about the fries and the taste of the fish.
Now, I was ready to dig into my salad. This was just a normal salad you would probably throw together at home. Nothing too special about it. Basic vegetable ingredients and a light dressing to coat it. But it was very heavy on the celery and definitely not as heavy on the kidney beans as I would have liked. When you order a salad, you want it to be big enough and full of something with some protein that will fill you up. While this salad was initially quite filling, after awhile, my body burned through it and I was ready to eat again. This is usually the story of my life when it comes to eating out at pubs with no gluten-free/vegetarian options.
But, I will hand it to this pub…when the server brought out our meals, he even held his arms apart, not wanting any food to come in contact with anything because of my sensitivity to gluten. I liked that. It really made me feel more secure about our choice to eat there. Considering this wasn’t our first choice of a pub that day (our originally one actually has a gluten-free menu, but it was only serving brunch and I wasn’t feeling another egg that day and my roommate really wanted her fish and chips!), it really made me feel good that, despite not having a dedicated gluten-free menu, they took enough care with my food to keep it uncontaminated. I’ll take that any day.
So, while the salad was nothing to really rave about, the care and consideration I got from the kitchen and staff was leaps and bounds above what I ever expected.
Gluten-free or not, I think should you find yourself in St. Louis, you should venture out to The Dubliner and enjoy some delicious pub fare at a place that really does care.
Yep…you read that right. I am 100 miles away from my goal for the year.
400 miles!
I can’t believe how quickly these miles have just ticked off. There hasn’t been a day where I thought…”I just don’t want to run today.” I’ve been very diligent about following my half marathon training schedule. I’ve lightened up runs when my body has suggested it might be the best option to do so. I’ve run hard on hills, pushed myself in races, and sometimes have just had to stop and catch my breath for a moment.
But this is the life of a road runner.
And 500 miles is creeping up fast. The goal is going to have to be expanded. I don’t know what I’ll strive for in the end. Perhaps I’ll just add another 100 miles…and see what comes from it. Or perhaps I’ll add another 500 to the count. I just don’t know. It’s something to think about. The fact of the matter is, on Monday evening, upon arriving late to my group fun run and having to set out on my own…I hit that 400 mile mark.
I didn’t even realize it at the time, but it happened. Probably somewhere when my paced slowed to a crawl as I hit the hardest hill in Cherokee Park over in Louisville, Kentucky. One day I will conquer that hill without feeling like I’ve just pushed myself up a mountain. With each run, with each session at the gym, I am getting stronger. I can feel it in my running. I can feel it every day.
But this is where it stands today…over 400 miles of road covered and quite a bit more already planned as far as future races go.
I’m not burned out on it at all. I crave more of it. And that, my friends, is only a good thing.
Me crossing the finish line at the Throo The Zoo 5K – Louisville, Kentucky
Race: Throo The Zoo 5K
Place: Louisville Zoo, Louisville, Kentucky
Date: May 12, 2012
Time: 25:10
And so, my friends…I finally managed a new PR for a 5K race. I have yet to achieve my goal of a (real) sub-25 minute 5K…but I’m getting closer. Second-by-second. And, really, it should be taken one second at a time, right?
Apparently, the Throo The Zoo 5K is one of the more popular races in the Louisville area. I was actually surprised by the number of bibs stacked up on the table when I went to Fleet Feet in Louisville on Friday morning to pick up my race packet. For one thing, there was a long line and I was there right when they opened. The volume of t-shirts and bibs was crazy. I’m used to Louisville’s little 5Ks that run through one of the local parks. But Throo The Zoo is a big deal it seems.
With race packet in hand, I returned to work on Friday. But something was different. You see, my office had a nice handful of people who were not only coming out for the race, but some were going to walk it as well. For the first time in…well…ever…I was going to know someone at a local 5K race I was in. This, for some reason, made me incredibly happy. And, my roommate and her aunt, Judi, were coming out to watch, wave signs, scream, shout, and be an awesome cheering section.
Saturday morning came way too soon. I was up at 5:00 a.m. to get ready for the race. This meant packing up my race bag with a change of clothes and everything I might need post-race. Eating some cereal. Meeting up with Judi. Getting us all in the car and over to the Louisville Zoo by 7:00 a.m. They recommended on the Web site that we arrive early because roads coming into the zoo were going to be closed at 7:30 a.m. in preparation for the race. That being said, we barely made it there due to the massive amount of traffic heading into the zoo. Seriously. Then the hunt for a parking spot (that we would remember) was on. My roommate was determined to park near a landmark so she chose one of many similar looking trees in a lot and parked. I was eating a Lärabar in the backseat because I hate at 5:45 a.m. and knew I would be starving by the time the race started at 8:00 a.m. if I didn’t eat something I could easily digest in between. So when 7:00 hit…I was making sure I’d have some energy for the race itself.
Me, Kayla and Will before the Throo The Zoo 5K – Louisville, Kentucky
We grabbed the race stuff from the trunk (bag and signs) and made our way toward where the starting gate was staked. It wasn’t in place yet as traffic was still pouring into the zoo. Too early to stretch, we sort of just hung around and chatted, taking in the sheer volume of people that were arriving for this 5K race. And that’s when my teammate from the office, Kayla, found us. She and her husband, Will, were both participating in the walk. Amazing they even spotted us. So, we conversed and chatted and goofed around. Will inquired as to when I would normally finish one of these races. I said I tend to come in between 25-27 minutes in 5Ks these days, but didn’t know what to expect with it being this big. Oh…and that I always finish fourth in my age division. We all laughed about that…because…I’m usually right on that cusp when it comes to the smaller races. The clock was ticking down toward race time so it was time to do my stretches to get my muscles loose and warm before shucking my hoodie. We took a couple of pictures before we saw a flood of runners and walkers making their way toward the starting gate, which had been moved now across the road. It was 10 minutes before race time. Hugs. Luck. And all that good karma stuff was thrown out among all of us and we took our respective spots.
The wait for the start wasn’t too bad. There was an electricity with this race. No one was being negative at all about anything. People of all ages were around me, from kids to older adults. I love glancing around me at my starting position just to see what kind of people turned out for the race. And it was a mixed bag of everyone for this one.
No sooner had I turned on my iPod, we started moving. I guess the race started and somehow I missed the whistle. Not that it matters. I usually position myself toward the front of the middle of the pack, so I move when everyone else does. I go where everyone else goes. I’m never the fastest at a race, so I don’t ever concern myself with learning the route pre-race. I just go where everyone else does.
Michael, Harold and Laura, the rest of the team from the office, starting at the Throo The Zoo 5K – Louisville, Kentucky
That being said, this race being so big and running on tight neighborhood streets, were cars were parked on the side, made this a new kind of a challenge. I had been warned that there were too many people at this race, and it was too big, to attempt any personal goal or record. So, I went into it just planning to run a good race and to keep a good pace. My GPS watch was my guide for that. And as we headed through the neighborhoods, I also discovered how hilly this area was.
Initially, the hills were little mounds that were just a little hindrance to the pace. I powered through them as best as I could, not wanting to expend too much energy too soon because I wanted that strong finish. I didn’t want another Frankfort, KY moment where someone outruns me at the very…last…second. That being said, as we crested another rolling hill, one of the runners in a Fleet Feet shirt stood at the top, high-fiving people as they came up and said, “It’s all downhill from here!” We all pretty much knew better and I laughed at that when I heard it. However, I did find myself passing people though as we moved, and being passed in return. We wound our way past the zoo and down through another neighborhood before turning, heading back toward the zoo for the final portion, which actually took us through the Louisville Zoo (hence the name of the race).
This was actually the part I was looking forward to the most. We entered the zoo and were directed down a hill (FINALLY!). The path we were taking was the one that wound through the outer parameter of the zoo itself. And it also brought about our water stop. I found out from one of the walkers later that when they hit that spot, all the water was gone. You’d think a race that is this big of a deal in this area would come better stocked with water.
That being said, I was winding my way through the different areas of the zoo. There wasn’t too much out to be seen at this point. I did see a polar bear as I ran under one of the walkways in a concession area. The polar bear was up in the pass, sort of watching all of us. Probably thinking breakfast was served. But, that was basically it for me as far as the animals went. The path took another twist and at the 2.5 mile mark…Gorilla Hill. Welcome to the cruelest thing to throw at a runner when they are making their way toward the finish line. A massive, massive hill. Gorilla Hill (near the gorilla exhibit) was a climb. And my legs felt every bit as I pushed my way up it. It slowed me down, for sure, but I’ve been making a point to get out and run on hills, so my legs are starting to get used to that kind of a push. Normally I take hills leisurely, but during races I tend to push a bit more. And I was pushing as much as my body would allow.
As it leveled out, I was down to the final portion of the race. We finished up inside the zoo and were brought out. We turned a corner and the finish line was now in sight. I picked it up as much as I could, really working on that strong finish. That is such a vital part of road racing. With me passing people, people passing me, and the usual runners dance toward the finish, I crossed, stopped my GPS watch and was immediately greeted by Cathy and Judi. And for the first time, I checked my GPS watch. If it was correct, then I had a new PR. Only time would tell.
Judi and Cathy…here to cheer me and the rest of the office crew on. Every race needs people like them in the crowd!
I meandered over to the recovery area where runners could pick up some post-race goodies. Clif Bars, bananas, barbeque sandwiches, donuts, etc. I grabbed a banana and thanked the people at the booth for having something gluten-free. I walked around the area to see what all there was, then rejoined Cathy and Judi near the finish line.
We had a lot going on that day…plans to hit up a local farmer’s market (opening weekend!), see The Avengers at the theater, do lunch, and grab some ice cream…so as much as we wanted to stay to cheer on the people from our office, we had to depart. We gave a parting glance to the finish line and made our way through the parking lot, searching for the elusive tree we parked near. With the car found, we piled in and headed out to enjoy our day.
It was while the credits were rolling during the film that I pulled up the race results on my iPhone.
And the results were that I finished the Throo The Zoo 5K in 25:10. A new PR! It beat out my time in the Westerville Bunny Hop 5K (my fastest 5K at the time, not counting the Durbin Classic 5K where they said the course might have been shorter than 3.1 miles) by 14 seconds. I was the 210/2153 finishers overall. And yes…I finished 4/169 in my age division. See…always 4th. It made me laugh when I saw that.
This was a great, packed race that had a great atmosphere to it. I would totally run this one again in a heartbeat. So…if I’m here next year…it’s going on the list.
Northwest Coffee Roasting Company, St. Louis, Missouri
Restaurant: Northwest Coffee Roasting Company, St. Louis, Missouri
Late to bed. Early to rise.
That’s my usual mojo, right?
Kind of. The late to bed thing doesn’t really work well for me anymore. In fact, if I go to bed late, I still end up waking up early. So, now my sleep pattern is off and I’m probably a little more cranky than usual.
Know what makes that better?
Caffeine. Usually in latte form.
This was what was needed when my roommate and I set out to St. Louis on Sunday morning after having breakfast with her aunt. Along the way, I noted that coffee might not be a bad idea, so I whipped out my iPhone and punched in where I might find some delicious coffee that Sunday morning.
I was directed to Northwest Coffee Roasting Company. We stopped at one in Clatyon, MO on our way to a few destination stops in St. Louis before hitting up a pub for lunch. We found it…a nice, quint little shop. We parked on the street and dashed inside. I knew my roommate was going for her usual…white chocolate mocha (or here, a Mocha Bianca) ($2.80). I was a little bit more difficult when it came on settling on a drink.
No almond milk here (bummer), which is too bad. I wish more cafes would offer almond milk because soy milk sometimes doesn’t agree with me. But…with the whole lactose intolerance thing, I went with soy as opposed to cow’s milk in the end. What I ended up ordering was an Almond Caffe Latte with soy milk ($3.40).
With our drink order in, we awaited the completion of the drinks. And soon…our order was up. Then we had to wait around a moment to pay. Our barista took our order, but didn’t ring us up. We probably could have walked out of there without paying, but we are honest people and got someone to ring up our order.
After having that amazing latte in Denver, Colorado, and having my delicious latte drinks at my go-to place in the area, I found my first sip to be really, really strong. I mean…bowl-you-over strong on the espresso. My roommate said her drink was much the same way. In fact, she couldn’t even taste the white chocolate. Which…is a cardinal sin for her as she hates the flavor of esspresso/coffee on its own. However, we both discovered that the more we drank, the more flavor we found. To me, that means the barista might have not mixed the flavor shots together as well as it should have been.
I did enjoy my strong latte, though. The almond flavor was one I hadn’t tried yet, and I found it to be a nice mix with the espresso. My drink was steamed to perfection, reaching the perfect drinking temperature. My roommate says hers was too hot to drink right away, but while she won’t drink iced coffee, I think she lets her coffee cool to room temperature before she finds it just right. I can’t base anything off of her coffee temperature gauge.
I found the people at Northwest Coffee Roasting Company to be very friendly. And our drinks were done as we ordered them, with any additions and substitutions per our usual mojo. I just wasn’t blown away by the drink itself. But, it did it’s job…woke me up…and got me ready to take on St. Louis.
So…win on atmosphere…and a so-so on the drink.
I love my caffeinated beverages as much as the next one, but I want a perfect pour. And this…just didn’t cut it for me.
Northwest Coffee Roasting Company’s Almond Caffe Latte with soy milk
Arrowhead Mills Gluten-Free Pancake and Baking Mix
Product: Arrowhead Mills Gluten-Free Pancake and Baking Mix – $4.99+
Nothing screams delicious, carb-a-licious breakfast like pancakes and waffles, right?
Right.
And they are two of my favorite breakfast foods to this very day. Seriously. There is just something so comforting about tucking into a small stack of pancakes or a fluffy, toasty waffle. Especially when you can make them yourself instead of buying them frozen and simply reheating.
This past weekend and then yesterday morning, I got to try out another gluten-free pancake and baking mix, which I had tucked away in my pantry. As I had just used up the last of my previous one, it looked like Arrowhead Mills was next up in the queue. I packed this up to travel to St. Louis with my roommate and I. I was going to do up a batch of Nutella Waffles on Sunday morning for the two of us and her aunt. Because in the morning…I naturally make waffles.
Then, yesterday, I had just enough left in the bag to put together a blueberry pancake breakfast for my roommate and I.
So, how did Arrowhead Mills stack up to the competition?
Well, it was…okay.
Just okay. I found that both the waffles and the pancakes had a bit of a grainy texture to them when all was said and done. And, trust me, I mixed the hell out of both of them. The waffles did cook up crispy in the waffle maker, so that was good. But they just seemed really grainy as compared to times I have made them in the past with either a gluten-free all-purpose flour or another baking and pancake mix. But, I figured it might have just been something wrong in my pre-measured additions (salt, sugar, baking powder), which I packed together and pre-measured for simplicity in travel.
So, yesterday I got out my skillet and decided that, as we had poached eggs with dinner the night previous, I would bypass the eggs that morning and run with some pancakes. I even had some frozen blueberries in my fridge so I decided to dress them up with some fruity goodness as well. I measured out exactly one cup of Arrowhead Mills Gluten-Free Pancake and Baking Mix and then added, according to the package, honey, oil, an egg, and then a very scant amount of unsweetened almond milk. It was really, really doughy when I got that all mixed together, so I added some more almond milk until I got it to a good consistency. In went the blueberries and then…onto the griddle.
One thing I will say about this mix is that it browned up beautifully on the skillet. Sometimes the pancakes just don’t brown up uniformly or cook way too fast. But not these. Not yesterday. That’s a good thing. I did find that these did make very fluffy, bulky pancakes by comparison. So, that was interesting to note. I gave them a flip, let them cook on the other side, plated them, drizzled with some warm, gluten-free maple syrup and…breakfast was served.
Again, I found that these pancakes, as compared to the other times I have made gluten-free pancakes (with various mixes and flours again) had a grainy consistency. In fact, my pancakes sort of crumbled as I cut into them. The flavor was good, but the texture just was off for me. I don’t know if I should have added more almond milk (even though I had already added more than the package said) or what.
While I do appreciate the fact that Arrowhead Mills makes their gluten-free baking and pancake mix with organic ingredients, for me, in the end, it just didn’t come together, leaving both of my favorite breakfast products tasting as though they had grainy bits of sugar lurking in them.
I might give this brand another try…maybe do up muffins and see how that works. But as of the moment…it just hasn’t won me over. And that’s too bad, because I had gone into baking with this brand with such high hopes.
Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes made with Arrowhead Mills Gluten-Free Pancake and Baking Mix
Product: Lucini Italia Rustic Tomato Basil Sauce – $4.50+
This was a new one for me.
Sauce…in a pouch. Yes…a pouch.
Lucini Italia Rustic Tomato Basil Sauce…packaged for three servings…in a microwavable pouch.
I’ve warmed up pouches of Indian food in the microwave, but never a pasta sauce. But, it had worked well for previous products, who was I to judge. Besides, this little pouch of gluten-free, vegan pasta sauce came as a part of a “Don’t Be A Gluten” gift basket that was full of gluten-free products for me to try. My roommate gifted it to me awhile back and I was working my way through other sauces at the time.
Then, the perfect opportunity to try this one out arose when I had to travel to St. Louis, Missouri, for a concert. I was going to be cooking dinner for myself, my roommate, and her aunt, who we were staying with while in town. Her aunt is hard at work on another degree, so she was in study and final project mode. I figured we could make her life easier if I brought some gluten-free foods that we all could eat and I could cook them up and she could just keep plugging along on her studies.
Lucini Italia Rustic Tomato Basil Sauce with brown rice penne
With the travel, this pouch was perfectly portioned. It had three servings of sauce in it and that meant…the three of us would all benefit from it. Now, I have never had Lucini Italia brand, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from it. But, let me tell you, I’m digging the whole pouch concept. For real.
It was so easy. As the pasta was being drained, I vented the pouch, tossed it in the microwave for 90 seconds, and viola!! The sauce was ready. I only had to pour it over the pasta, give it a toss, and it was ready to serve!
Lucini Italia’s Rustic Tomato and Basil Sauce was a fantastic treat for the palate. Seriously. The sauce is simply made with fresh plum tomatoes and summer basil. It seems simple enough, and it was. But the flavors were the star of the show here. The tomatoes lent a delicious, fresh taste to the sauce and the basil wasn’t overpowering, but rather complimentary to the rest of the sauce. Nothing overpowered. And in the end, the sauce was a delicious, pre-packaged for your microwave treat. I felt it paired very well with the brown rice pasta and asparagus that we cooked up for the meal.
And, despite being microwaved, this sauce wasn’t watery at all. It was thick and seasoned to perfection. Nothing felt watered down. Nor did we need bread to sop up the runny bits of the sauce. There wasn’t any of that.
I was impressed.
So, if you need an easy sauce to travel with, or just want to save some time and pans, I highly recommend Lucini’s Italia Rustic Tomato and Basil Sauce. It comes in a jar…but the smaller-portioned, microwavable pouch is even more convenient. Go ahead…try it. You’ll be surprised too.
Pasta dinner served with Lucini Italia Rustic Tomato Basil Sauce
The problem I have had since going gluten-free is finding a brown rice pasta that doesn’t turn to mush when it’s cooked. I love Tinkyáda because the texture is just like real thing. Seriously! But it seems that every time I see awards handed out for gluten-free pastas, Jovial takes the top prize.
I have seen Jovial around at the natural food stores that I shop at, but never quite picked it up. Mostly because it is a bit pricier and harder to find when others are right there at my usual grocery shopping watering holes.
But then…I went to a rather large gluten-free expo in Birmingham, Alabama and walked away with more samples of gluten-free products than I knew what to do with. Among them was a sample package of Jovial Brown Rice Penne pasta. As I was currently working my way through an open package of pasta, this sat in the pantry.
Then, this past weekend I had to travel to St. Louis, Missouri, for a concert. My roommate and I were staying with her aunt, who is currently hard at work on another degree. I put out the offer to bring food and prepare it so she didn’t have to feel the need to entertain and could focus on her studies. I figured everyone liked pasta, so I packed up the two sample packs of Jovial Brown Rice Penne along with some gluten-free pasta sauce that I got in my “Don’t Be A Gluten” gift basket my roommate bought for me. It was perfect, safe, and hopefully it would be delicious.
Jovial Brown Rice Penne tossed with Lucini sauce and asparagus
Cooking Jovial pasta was so easy. Boil the water, add pasta, allow to cook for about nine minutes until al dente. It’s that easy. All you do after that is drain, add sauce, and toss. No rinsing with cold water to improve texture or any of that. You cook and it’s ready to roll.
We all really enjoyed this pasta. It was cooked to the perfect level. In fact, my roommate’s aunt (they share a name, so I can’t refer to them as such or it would be Cathy and Cathy…LOL!) complimented me on how perfectly I cooked up the pasta. This was her first time having brown rice pasta and she said it tasted just like the real stuff that she’s used to having. It held up with the tomato sauce I added to it, and the addition of asparagus to bulk it up. It was a delicious, yummy treat for sure. One that we just gobbled up until it was gone. Even the dog had a little helping when we were all stuffed and only a small amount remained.
Jovial’s Brown Rice Penne is definitely one of the sturdier versions of brown rice pasta that I have tried. I didn’t have the opportunity to refrigerate and then attempt a reheat to see if the noodles were soggy the following day, but for a fresh-from-the-stovetop perspective…this brand is awesome!
And it’s no wonder. According to Jovial’s Web site, the brown rice pasta recipe they use was developed by Master artisans in Tuscany, Italy, who wanted to develop the most authentic gluten-free pasta out there. The company didn’t want those who had to eat gluten-free to feel like they were sacrificing texture and flavor to keep themselves healthy. And they did a bang-up job. Honestly. Bite after bite the pasta stayed perfectly al dente and equally yummy.
If you have to eat gluten-free, or if you are just looking for a healthy alternative to pasta, I highly recommend using Jovial’s brown rice pasta. I can’t speak (yet) for the other brown rice varieties in their lineup, but they won me over with the Brown Rice Penne.
Come on…have pasta night and do it gluten-free. It’s May. It’s Celiac Awareness Month. Treat yourself to some gluten-free goodness this month. You’ve earned it.
A plate of pasta goodness featuring Jovial’s Brown Rice Penne
Food Should Taste Good Jalapeño with Cheddar Tortilla Chips
Product: Food Should Taste Good Jalapeño with Cheddar Tortilla Chips – $2.50+
Spice up my life.
No, really. If something has a bit of a spicy kick to it, then I am game. I love to feel the heat when it comes to snacks and meals. The spicier…the better…just as long as it doesn’t burn. I love a little heat in my meals. This is why I had hot sauce to eggs and red pepper to pizza and spaghetti. Honestly.
So, when I spotted Food Should Taste Good’s variety of tortilla chips that is Jalapeño with Cheddar…I knew I had to try them. I’ve had a couple of the chip varieties from Food Should Taste Good, my favorite being the Sweet Potato Chips. Mmmm. Well, these may have just trumped that.
Here’s what I love about them. Aside from being kosher, gluten-free, cholesterol free, trans-fat free, and all natural, these chips really will wow you with their spicy flavor. You know when you go to a ball game and you get the nachos and you hate yourself for loving them? Well…that’s what these chips taste like. They taste like a good version of those ballpark nachos that come with the cheese-like substance and jalapeños. And they are really, really delicious!
Every bite is a blast of heat from the jalapeño and crushed red pepper that is infused in these little tortilla chips. Each chip is dusted with a light coating of white cheddar. And the combination is flavor perfection in my book. Just the right amount of heat so as not to kill off your taste buds, but still tame enough for the cheddar flavor to shine too. It’s the perfect bite.
And, at only 140 calories for 12 chips, you get a really great serving without any of the guilt. And you don’t even need a dip because this tastes like it has been dipped.
If you are a lover of spicy foods and, especially nachos, these are the chips you have been looking for. Find them, if you can…and take a spicy bite of something delicious.
Food Should Taste Good definitely lives up to its name!
So…does everyone remember my favorite meal of the day?
I’ll give you a hint:
It’s usually the first meal you eat.
Yeah. Breakfast. Oh, how I love breakfast. How I crave breakfast. I can eat breakfast for every meal of the day and be a happy, happy girl. It is the most diverse, most delicious, most creative meal that can be baked, cooked, toasted, sauteed, fried, poached, or done however you like it with a variety of different ingredients. And the combinations…are endless.
I always like to treat myself to one good breakfast/brunch out when I’m on vacation. Last year, my roommate and I hit up a restaurant that specialized in crepes (which we revisited this year and I think I had the most perfect gluten-free crepe of my life!) while in Denver. This year, after a little hunting around, I chose a different place to try. And, we happened to visit it on the day we were flying out. One filling breakfast would be really good before boarding a flight from Denver back to Louisville, yes?
That’s what I thought.
So…we took a short little drive to the Cherry Creek area of Denver and hit up this little breakfast/brunch/lunch joint called Syrup.
What really got my attention when I was researching restaurants in the area was that there was a gluten-free menu. Actually, I’ve come to find out that Colorado is like…some gluten-free haven, so pretty much anywhere you go, there is something gluten-free on the menu…or a separate gluten-free menu if you have to avoid gluten. It’s awesome. Is it any wonder I want to move out there?
This is a little unassuming little place located on the bottom floor of a building. This meant walking down some stairs to enter the restaurant. My roommate and I were shown to a table immediately. The waitress was alerted of my gluten sensitivity and she immediately pointed out that they could make waffles, pancakes, and English muffins gluten-free for me, so, whatever I desired…I could have.
Awesome!
After much consideration and back and forth, I finally settled on a waffle. A nice Belgian waffle sounded awesome. So, order in, I went with the Strawberry Fields Gluten-Free Waffle. This is a delicious Belgian waffle that is covered with freshly cut strawberries that have been sauteed in Syrup’s own handcrafted Strawberry Syrup. Yeah…as we all know…if it has strawberries…it wins.
My roommate opted for a traditional Belgian waffle with traditional butter (because, yes…you do get an option on a flavor of butter) and originally went with the Buttermilk Syrup. She was told that it was a cold syrup, so she changed it to the handcrafted Apple Cinnamon Syrup. And we decided to split an order of the hash browns.
Syrup’s hash browns (half order)
With our orders in, we settled in to discuss our trip, some of our favorite things, and drink in the atmosphere. We saw some dishes come out to other diners…fluffy, huge pancakes, and even some lunch-type items as well…sandwiches and the like. It all looked really good.
Before we knew it…our plates were set before us. Let me tell you…not only did my gluten-free waffle look amazing, but it smelled amazing too. The strawberry syrup just sort of brought out everything good and awesome (which is…everything) about strawberries. Especially on waffles. YUMMY!! I love fresh fruit on breakfast goodies like pancakes, french toast, and waffles. This…was heaven for me.
My roommate’s waffle was done to the perfect crispy, soft texture you want in a Belgian waffle. She loved her whipped butter. But, more importantly, she fell in love with the apple cinnamon syrup (which was green, btw!). I tasted it…yeah…it was awesome.
As for my amazing Strawberry Fields Gluten-Free Waffle…all I can say is that I was in a happy, happy place at first bite. I just wanted to savor it. The fresh strawberries were an amazing touch. They were only enhanced by the handcrafted strawberry syrup, which…was a sweet, delightful topping on my waffle. It was swimming in a sea of strawberry flavor and I just wanted to soak all of it up. And I tried to with every bite of my waffle.
The hash browns were lightly cooked. I topped mine with a bit of hot sauce and enjoyed their soft texture with just an outlying crunch on the edges. Very nice and a great compliment with the sweetness of the waffle. I was stuffed by the time I was done eating, but not to the point of feeling too full. It was just the right amount of food. And it was prepared with such care, skill, and done to perfection. Nothing overdone or underdone. The waffle had the right texture, the right crisp, the right amount of sweetness. Yeah…I was in gluten-free waffle heaven.
Whether you wake up for breakfast or just love having a nice breakfast treat, I highly recommend Syrup. Not only does their menu offer pancakes, waffles, and french toast done in a variety of ways, but sandwiches, burgers, eggs, omelets, fruit, oatmeal, salads, etc. are also offered. There is a little something for everyone.
But if you are wise, when you eat at a place called Syrup…order something with one of their specialty handcrafted syrups. I promise, it’s totally worth it. I’m already planning to return next year. I was that impressed.
Denver is lucky. It has a wide variety of fantastic places to eat. But this one…takes the pancake…gluten-free…with a nice topping of…handcrafted maple vanilla syrup.
The Celiathlete 