The Celiathlete

March 14, 2012

Shamrock 2 Miler – Jeffersonville, IN (March 13, 2012)

Crossing the finish of the Shamrock 2 Miler - Downtown Jeffersonville, Indiana

Race: Shamrock 2 Miler

Place: Downtown Jeffersonville, IN

Date: March 13, 2012

Time: 16:25

Wait? What?

A road race on a Tuesday night?

You aren’t imagining things, it happened, friends. Last night, Jeffersonville, Indiana hosted a great 2 mile run in fantastic 77 degree weather. Actually, after I got moving it seemed too hot for the run, but it was a beautiful night and a great night to run.

This isn’t the first time I’ve run a race that was hosted by the Fast Freddie people. I ran the Fast Freddie Five Mile Foot Feast on Thanksgiving this year and absolutely loved it. If there is anyone in this area who knows how to put on a race, it’s this group.

I actually heard about this race from the race flyer at the YMCA where I go to workout. After some consideration, as it is also my roommate’s birthday, I decided to go ahead and give it a whirl. Afterwards, we’d go home and celebrate with some gluten-free lemon chiffon cake (homemade by me!) and kick back the rest of the evening. It couldn’t have been a nicer day.

The sun was out. The March weather felt like summer. And after a four mile run that morning, I was ready for a quick two mile road race. And why not? I mean…it was a great way to wrap up a Tuesday night for sure. I changed at the office into my running clothes and we headed down to the race. Packet pickup was in a little banquet hall, and the start and finish lines were just outside. No confusion. No problems. Just a simple race. And, as a bonus, the top 100 male and 100 female finishers received a medal. Awesome. I got my bib number, bought my t-shirt, and got pinned up so I’d be ready when race time came.

We were in town early, not knowing what the traffic situation might be like. So, we killed a bit of time at a local novelty store before heading over to where some of the runners and walkers were milling about outside. I was watching a couple of “running diva’s” (my own little name for them) begin their stretching routines an hour before the race. While I admired quite a few of these stretches and could see the benefit of it…we’re talking two miles here. An hour of stretching for two miles on a flat course seemed a bit…well…excessive to me. In addition to the stretching, these two running divas had their trainer there, who was helping them flex and bend and stretch as well. I remind me you again…this is a flat course and only two miles. I was in awe.

But…with a shake of my head, I ducked inside to cool off and eventually start limbering up a little myself. Before I could even start though, a coworker’s mom found us and introduced herself and her husband (my coworker’s stepdad) to us, and we talked a little bit about races. He and I are both running in all three of the Louisville Triple Crown of Running races, so that was fun to discuss a little. My roommate was asked where her sign was…which we had inadvertently left at home in our mega rush out the door that morning before hitting the gym and heading into the office. It was her birthday, we had a lot of stuff going on! So, we were sans sign on a beautiful day, but it was okay.

With about 20 minutes to race time, I went through a couple of quick stretches, just to get the leg muscles working. And then we were all told to head up to the start line for the race. I managed to snag a pretty close spot to the front. I was just behind these two little preteen girls who were just running in the race because they wanted a medal. Neither were runners and both were a little overweight, but they seemed determined. It sort of made me happy to see them out and working towards something they really desired.

Before I knew it…the whistle was blown and we were off. They weren’t kidding when they said that this was a flat, fast course. No hills or anything. The only hindrance I found, aside from the unseasonable weather, was the freshly cut grass, or lawn mowing going on during the race. Nothing like breathing some of the worst allergens on a run. Ah well…it happens.

I felt I went out slow…probably from my four miles I put in that morning. But I picked it up as the race went on, and at mile 1 I was just past 8 minutes. Not too bad. I had made the turn at that point and was heading back toward the finish line. As I’m making my way down the path, lo and behold, right there in front of me was the younger of the running divas. Her sister was probably close to the finish…as I had seen her make the turn as I was coming around to that point. As I’m running, I see her begin to slow down and then…she started walking. And I passed her. I know it is probably not very sportsman like of me, but I smiled a little as I did it.

Despite the music playing in my iPod, I could now hear the announcer near the finish. I was getting close. So, I pushed harder, digging in with each step to propel myself just a little bit faster. My roommate was jumping up and down at the finish and I hurried in, a woman sprinting behind me trying to get ahead of me…which she didn’t…and finished my first 2 mile race in 16:25. Not too bad considering I had run about 12 hours earlier. I felt great and went immediately to grab some water because…yeah…it was a hot day to run.

I stretched out a little and downed a few bottles of water afterwards. And as we were getting ready to leave, we spot one of the preteen girls, the one who desperately wanted to win a medal, sprinting with all she had in her, toward that finish line. And she crossed it…and received one of the medals. I went over and high-fived her. She earned that. That’s what the running spirit is all about. Determination.

After that, it was time to head home for some birthday celebrations. But it was a fun little race and a great way to spend a beautiful Tuesday evening. I hope to run it again next year.

March 12, 2012

Hope for the Children 5K – New Albany, IN (March 10, 2012)

Me after finishing the Hope for the Children 5K - Sam Peden Community Park, New Albany, IN

Race: Hope for the Children 5K

Place: Sam Peden Community Park, New Albany, IN

Date: March 10, 2012

Time: 25:36

It was one of those mornings. I don’t know what it was because normally on race mornings I’m out of bed like a shot and going through my routine of getting dressed, lacing shoes, eating a light breakfast and getting a couple things done before heading out the door. But I was not in the mood to run this morning and it was really showing.

Reluctantly, however, I hauled myself out of bed and checked the weather. Below 32 degrees. I thought about wearing my shorts, then some sense kicked in and I decided on knee socks and my capri running shorts instead. This turned out to be one of the smartest things I’ve done because it was bitter, bitter cold out in the park with nothing really to act as a windbreak. I was cold. No…I was freezing.

My roommate had told me she checked the race time the night before, saying it was 8:00 a.m. So, I set my alarm for the appropriate time to allow me to wake up, get stuff in order, eat, and hydrate properly prior to the race, as well as throw something together for her to eat before we headed out the door. I got up with my alarm, and, as mentioned, very reluctantly got moving. Then, after I logged on line to catch up on some e-mails and the like, I checked the race information again and…I was almost fuming to see that the race started at 9:00 a.m. So, when her alarm went off at 6:30 a.m. and she finally staggered out into the living room, I was quite cranky and informed her that the race time was really 9:00, not 8:00 like she said. To which she informed me she didn’t actually find a time online the night before and just assumed. So yeah…I wasn’t a happy camper going into this race.

We arrived for packet pick-up at about 8:30 a.m. This gave me time to not only walk stuff back to the car, but properly stretch out as well. I kept my jacket on for as long as possible because I was shivering and cold. But the announcement soon came for all the runners and walkers to make their way over to the start line…which was a short walk up a path to a line painted across the road. We made the short trek and I saw all the ‘elite’ runners at this race doing their jogging in place, knee lifts, butt kicks, and little sprints to warm up. The organizers came over to kick us off with some course information, like how the roads were not closed to traffic, but there would be a police presence throughout. How our lead vehicle was this guy on a bike with bunny ears. And ran through the course. Then, the National Anthem was beautifully sang and a little prayer was given. I shed my jacket and gloves and shivered near the start with other runners. Then, the starting gun was fired and off we went.

I took off faster than I intended. This has been a trending cycle for me and one I am trying to break, but not being very successful at it. I was in the front group as we headed out of the park and onto the streets. I was behind these two little girls, maybe about 10 years of age, and they sort of kept me moving. I mean, granted, there are plenty of 10-year-olds and younger who run faster than me, but I was just doing my best to keep up. They were barely breaking a sweat. And at mile marker 1, my time of 7:49 was called out and my immediate thought was, “Crap, I went out too fast. I’m booking it.” And I knew, from running these roads before, the hills and inclines were about to hit.

I have made it a goal of mine, with the exception of one race (which was the first one back from a bad foot and knee injury) that I would run every race and not walk. So, despite the hills and my slowing pace, I pushed on, up the inclines, through the neighborhoods, waiting on cars to drive by or perhaps stop to let the runners through first. Mile 2 came about just as we were about to reenter the park for the final leg. The little girls had taken a bit of a lead, but I could still see them. Through the park, around a turn, and onto the little paved track there and I was off into the last mile. This was tough. The hills weren’t as much, but they were there. And I passed one of the girls, who fell off of her running buddy’s pace. The other one was zooming on ahead. One other person passed me, but that was it. I knew as I was running around the little lake in that park that the finish was just another song on my iPod away.

Actually, I could see the yellow and blue flags of the finish area out of the corner of my eye. Just a little more pushing, one more curve around the lake and it was straight on to the finish. I gave it all I had left, which, after not feeling like running and with the cold, wasn’t much. But I pressed on, and when I crossed that finish line, I knew I was so close to what my 5K PR was. I either barely beat it, tied it, or came damn close to it. It was the latter of the three, but I was pretty damn proud of that time, since there were rolling hills, some of which are pretty steep, and for using so much of my energy up at the start of the race, rather than holding it back for the finish. In the end, I crossed the finish line 3 seconds shy of my PR, which was achieved on a flat course, the 36th finisher overall out of 147, and 3rd in my age division.

I was cold. The ladies at the finish wanted us to tear the bottom part of our number off, but I couldn’t feel my fingers at this point, so they helped. I was given my medal for finishing and met with my roommate for a couple of pictures before being graced with my jacket, gloves, and some water. Hydration is always important. We stuck around for the awards, which I love to do even if I don’t place or receive anything, as well as the random raffle for prizes. I walked away empty-handed, but I was okay with that. I had a fantastic race and now I was riding high on that.

This week I have four races ahead of me. One tomorrow, two on Saturday, and an indoor triathlon on Sunday. I’m doing my best not to overdo it, but also keep up with my half marathon training. With all these races I took on, sometimes that can be a task. But I wouldn’t change any of this for the world.

March 8, 2012

Recipe: Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Scones

Ooops…I did it again. I created a new variety of scones for breakfast goodies on busy gym mornings. These things happen.

I can’t help it. The kitchen calls to me and sometimes I just look in my pantry and refrigerator and throw something together with what I have. This was one of those times, and the results were epic and just…really delicious.

I love chocolate. I love peanut butter. So the marriage of the two in scone form (another favorite) seemed like a great idea. So, I pulled out my mixing bowl and all the necessary ingredients and got to baking. In the end…what emerged was chocolate-peanut buttery goodness in a delicious gluten-free breakfast pastry form.

Best of all…it’s really easy to make.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Scones

Servings: 12
Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups Pamela’s Products Gluten-Free Baking & Pancake Mix
1/4 cup cocoa
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips
4 tbsp peanut butter
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup milk (I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.

Mix the dry ingredients together.

Cut in the peanut butter using two knives.

Add the milk and beaten egg. Mix together with a fork. Dough will be thick.

Drop large, tall dollops of dough (scones will spread when baking) onto lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake for 15-17 minutes.

~*~*~

One bite and I was in breakfast scone heaven. Honestly. Not only was replacing the butter with peanut butter a stroke of genius, it meant that at times, little pockets of melted peanut butter hit your palate unexpectedly. The peanut butter chips by Reese’s were perfectly matched with the cocoa that made the scones chocolate. Yeah…if peanut butter and chocolate is one of your vices…these will help satisfy your craving. Bite-for-bite…I was so happy with how these turned out, given I was just sort of messing with the usual scone recipe and giving it my own personal tweaks to accomodate my supplies and my cravings.

Seriously…these are worth making and feasting on.

March 8, 2012

Millers Finest Gluten-Free Corn Pasta Rigatoni the perfect introduction to corn pasta

Product: Millers Finest Gluten-Free Corn Pasta Rigatoni – $2.00

Sometimes finding gluten-free things at a discount store is awesome.

While out hitting up a 20% off everything sale at Big Lots a little while ago, my roommate and I spotted these corn noodles, labeled gluten-free, from Millers Finest. They were being sold for $2.00, plus the discount…so, we figured we could at least give them a fair shake. While there are lots of corn pasta noodles out on the market, I never quite ventured that way since going gluten-free as I was afraid they would…taste like corn. And unless my pasta dish has a Mexican flair, that’s not what I’m looking for.

But, at $2.00, how could I not get it?

It sat in the pantry. And sat in the pantry. And then sat a little bit longer until I decided to bake up a pasta dish that the other day. While I have elbow noodles from my favorite gluten-free pasta company (Tinkyáda), I decided to pull out the Millers Finest Corn Pasta Rigatoni from the pantry and give it a go. Besides, these would be a larger noodle and a bit easier to use in a skillet bake. So, why not throw caution to the wind? It was a new recipe anyway, so might as well try something new in the process.

Millers Finest Gluten-Free Corn Pasta Rigatoni upon draining

Cooking up the pasta couldn’t have been easier. Boil water, add noodles, allow cook in boiling water, giving a stir every few minutes or so, for about 13-14 minutes, or until a perfect al dente. I did just that, and then started the slicing and chopping up the vegetables for the skillet while it was going. By the time I had the vegetables sauteing away and added the vegan and gluten-free chorizo, the noodles were ready to be drained. Moment of truth time. I drained them and was so happy to see that they weren’t falling apart or turning to mush upon leaving the hot water. In fact, they held up beautifully. I had to let them sit for a moment, while I finished mixing in the chorizo, but once that was incorporated, in went the noodles and some cheese, blended that in, let it cook, and again, the noodles held up. They didn’t shred or fall apart. They weren’t logged with water and turning to mush. They were the perfect consistency for this pasta dish and I couldn’t have been happier to see that.

Millers Finest Gluten-Free Corn Pasta Rigatoni used in a Skillet Cheesy Baked Pasta dish

After a quick bake in the oven to melt the cheese on top, out came the pasta. I let it sit for five minutes to set and then dished up a serving of it for both my roommate and I. She was the first to try it and she was hooked. These noodles didn’t have a corny taste at all. In fact, they tasted and had the same great texture as regular pasta. I loved how sturdy they were and how the cheese, sauce, vegetables and vegan chorizo didn’t take away from the noodles nor overwhelm the consistency of them.

Even the following evening, with a nuking in the microwave for some leftovers, the noodles held up wonderfully. I couldn’t be happier with a chance purchase ever. I know Big Lots gets a lot of flack for being a “ghetto” store, but sometimes the deals and the products inside are worth checking out. I, for one, hope to find this pasta there again and try it out in other pasta dishes. I am absolutely sold on it. And now, I don’t think I’ll scoff as much at gluten-free corn pasta as I had in the past. If nothing else, this totally sold me on it.

Millers Finest may not be a brand name, but it sure is fantastic. If you find it, I urge you to give it a try on your next pasta night.

Bon Appétit!

Close-up of Millers Finest Gluten-Free Corn Pasta Rigatoni in a Skillet Cheesy Baked Pasta.

March 8, 2012

Recipe: Gluten-Free Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Pancakes

Breakfast.

Glorious breakfast.

It’s the most important meal of the day, and quite honestly…my favorite meal of the day. I could eat breakfast food all day and never get tired of it. It’s so versatile. You can flavor it however you want. You can make it savory or sweet. Yes…breakfast is the meal of champions and I never skimp on it.

On Sunday night, my roommate opened up the pantry and spotted my Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Pancake Mix and declared that she was craving pancakes and…perhaps…we could have that for breakfast the following morning. When I asked what kind of pancakes she wanted, she deflected it back to me. She didn’t care. She just wanted pancakes.

So, after a run that morning, I returned home and settled into my apron with the needed supplies and with a few ingredients tossed in, what emerged was these glorious little griddle cakes.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Pancakes

Servings: 4
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Pancake Mix
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
splash of vanilla (gluten-free)

Directions:

Combine the ingredients in a large bowl.

Blend all ingredients by whisking vigorously in a bowl until thoroughly mixed.

Let batter stand and preheat a nonstick griddle to medium-high temperature. Lightly oil or spray griddle with cooking or baking spray.

Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto griddle and cook until the top is bubbly. Turn and cook until golden brown. Adjust the temperature as needed.

Spread with a little margarine, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, then drizzle with gluten-free maple syrup.

Enjoy!

~*~*~

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I threw this together that morning. But they were really good. And the roommate approved, which is good as she was the one craving pancakes. I think the combination of brown sugar and cinnamon is delicious and when it’s drizzled with hot maple syrup…magic.

Getting bored with blueberry or chocolate chip or just plain pancakes…give these little flapjacks a try.

March 7, 2012

A Taste of Thai Toasted Coconut Fortune Cookies offers a great gluten-free taste of fortune

Product: A Taste of Thai Toasted Coconut Fortune Cookies – $3.19+

I think a little tear escaped the day I saw these on the shelf at the grocery store. It was unexpected. It was out of the blue. It was…just at the right moment because I was planning on cooking up a Vegetable Pad Thai that following week, and this would be the perfect compliment to it. I had sworn off ever eating a fortune cookie again, not that I was particularly fond of them, but sometimes it’s just the novelty of a product that means the most to you.

If I could personally thank the minds behind this product at A Taste of Thai, I would. These totally made my grocery shopping night and when all was said and done, definitely worked well as a treat to have at the end of the Vegetable Pad Thai feast. The best part, of course, being that I could actually eat these…just like everyone else.

A Taste of Thai's individually wrapped Toasted Coconut Fortune Cookies

Each box contains around 12-15 cookies. They are all individually wrapped, just like what you’d get at the local Chinese buffet or what have you. When you tear into the little packages, a small wafer-like cookie with a rolled up piece of paper inside greets you. Extricating the paper is easy. A little twist and it’s free. And the fun fortune reading commences. But the true test is whether or not the cookie itself is any good. Normally, the fortune is the important part. No one eats fortune cookies for their flavor, which is usually cardboard-like with a lemon zip.

Not these. These are actually quite delicious! The toasted coconut flavor lends a nice bit of sweetness to the little rolled cookie. Gluten-free and a fortune cookie all in one? YES PLEASE! Honestly, when something this small can make my night, then impress me with flavor, then it’s gotta be amazing. The flavor and texture of these is amazing and at only 18 calories per cookie, you can indulge yourself in more than one if you please. I’m a glutton for fortunes, let me tell you and didn’t feel the slightest bit guilty when I gobbled down three of these in one sitting.

Fortune cookies that are gluten-free and delicious. There is a gluten-free goddess looking out for me. And thankfully…good things come of that. I am going to have to go get another box of these…stat. These are fortune cookies you’ll actually want to eat!

A Taste of Thai Toasted Coconut Fortune Cookie

March 7, 2012

Recipe: Vegetable Pad Thai

I love Thai food. And a good pad thai is one of my favorite things to eat…ever.

My mom knows this, and a little while back mailed me a great recipe that she got online from Redbook for a Vegetable Pad Thai. I tossed this into my growing stack of recipes to try, but finally got around to actually doing it this past weekend. And I totally wasn’t disappointed. This is my tweaked recipe (to keep it vegetarian and gluten-free) from the Redbook recipe that I was sent. It was quick and easy to make and I always enjoy cooking with my wok.

Recipe: Vegetable Pad Thai

Servings: 4
Time: Prep 20 minutes; Cook 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 pounds flat rice stick noodles (I used Annie Chun’s Maifun Rice Noodles)
1/3 cup Thai sweet chili sauce (I used WorldFoods Thai Sweet Chili w/ Kaffir Lime Sauce)
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (I used San-J Gluten-Free Low Sodium Tamari)
2 limes, juiced
1 lime, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
3/4 pounds (6 cups) mustard greens, stems discarded, leaves torn into small pieces, and washed well
1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
2 cups shredded carrots
6 scallions, thinly sliced
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cup(s) fresh cilantro leaves
Chopped dry roasted peanuts, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan; add noodles, stir to separate, then cover and remove from heat. Let stand 4 minutes, stirring once or twice, until softened. Drain; rinse with cold water.

In a small cup, combine chili sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, and lime juice.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat.

Add garlic and ginger; sauté 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Add greens and cover with lid for 2 minutes or until wilted.

Add bell pepper, carrots, and scallions; stir-fry 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables to a bowl.

Return skillet to heat. Add remaining oil. When hot, add eggs and scramble just until set. Add to bowl with vegetables.

Return skillet to heat and add chili-sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Add noodles; gently toss, using a pasta fork, for 1 minute, to coat.

Return vegetables and eggs to skillet.

Cook, tossing with pasta fork, for 3 minutes or until hot and noodles are tender.

Transfer to a serving bowl with cilantro and toss. Top with peanuts, if desired. Serve with lime wedges.

~*~*~

This had it all. Spice. Sweetness. A bit of bite from the mustard greens. Protein from the eggs. Delicious fresh vegetables. And the light rice noodles that just sort of acted as a great base for the vegetables. It was delicious. I’m looking forward to making it again, but putting my own spin on it again.

So, if you’re reading this…thanks, Mom!

March 7, 2012

WorldFoods spices up meals with Thai Sweet Chili with Kaffir Lime Sauce that wows every palate and plate

WorldFoods Thai Sweet Chili with Kaffir Lime Sauce

Product: WorldFoods Thai Sweet Chili Sauce with Kaffir Lime Sauce – $3.99+

Finding a Thai sweet chili sauce that is also gluten-free isn’t as easy as it sounds. But I was making a Vegetable Pad Thai for dinner and it called for a Thai sweet chili sauce. I got online the night before heading out to grocery shop and found one particular brand that was basically available everywhere. The problem was…I couldn’t find it anywhere. The shelves were picked clean of it. Sure, there would be the spot where it should have been, but it wasn’t there and none were in stock.

It was at my final grocery stop at the day that I found myself in Whole Foods and in the Asian cuisine section. Once again, the brand I had looked up was sold out. Empty spot at the shelf just mocking me. But my roommate spotted another sweet chili sauce on the shelf from WorldFoods. It was even labeled gluten-free (YAY!). While this one also had kaffir lime added to it, we went ahead and got it. After all, the recipe called for lime juice anyway, so this would only add to that flavor.

What we didn’t expect was to fall in love with this sauce…which is exactly what happened.

This stir-fry/dipping sauce was fantastic. It has a nice heat from the spicy red chillies that are blended in with kaffir lime and lemon grass. This adds a nice tang to the heat, a counter-balance, if you will, that paired beautifully with the Vegetable Pad Thai and all the other components that were mixed in. My roommate and I loved this sauce so much, we garnished each of our bowls with a drizzle of it over the top. Honestly. The perfect heat for the prepared dish. The lime really adds to the flavor and makes the sauce stand out without taking away from the other components of the dish. It does, however, add that much needed spice that I love in my Asian food.

I’m already coming up with other dishes I can supplement this sauce into, including marinating some tofu in it for a random dish that I could easily throw together one evening after work. Yeah…this sauce is spicy sweet and delicious. I think I sense another jar being purchased in the very near future.

Vegetable Pad Thai made with WorldFoods Thai Sweet Chili with Kaffir Lime Sauce

March 7, 2012

Rock the wok with Annie Chun’s Maifun Rice Noodles

Product: Annie Chun’s Maifun Rice Noodles – $3.59+

I point the finger at two different elements that lead to the purchase and use of these Maifun Rice Noodles from Annie Chun’s. First…I blame a sale. I can’t pass up a sale on something that is gluten-free. So, thanks to my local grocery store having a price reduction on these, they have been in my pantry for a couple of weeks…and I have been pondering what to do with them.

That’s where the other element comes into play: My mom.

My mom has been surprising me recently with little envelopes in the mail that are full of recipes that I can try. One of the ones she sent me was for a delicious looking Vegetable Pad Thai. I had to tweak it a bit to ensure that it remained vegetarian and gluten-free, but it wasn’t difficult at all. And where the recipe called for flat rice stick noodles…I used these Maifun Rice Noodles instead, as they already had taken up residence in my pantry. Why go out and buy something else when I can easily substitute.

So, what are Maifun Rice Noodles? They are thin rice noodles, sort of like angel hair pasta, that cook up quick and easily and are ideal to use in any Asian style meal, be it soups, salads, or stir-fries. As I would be stir-frying mine up in my wok with the vegetables and sauces for the Vegetable Pad Thai, I followed the box directions for stir-frying with them, filled up a bowl with hot water, and soaked the noodles in it for about 8 minutes. Sure enough, after 8 minutes passed, they were no longer hard, but soft and ready to be added into the wok when the recipe called for it.

The difficult task came after I tossed everything in the wok and was ready to serve it up. Just like with pasta, the noodles like to wind around each other and get tangled into a giant knot, so while I had the vegetables and greens in the wok, the noodles were in the middle and none of the vegetables were easily intermingling with them. They were sort of off to the sides. So, I grabbed some tongs and did my best to mix everything together, but ended up scooping up noodles then ladling over the vegetables to be mixed with the chop sticks as we ate dinner. Sometimes, you just have to submit and let the food win.

All that being said, I couldn’t have thought of a better noodle to pair with this recipe. As the peppers and greens were sliced or roughly chopped, having the smaller, thinner noodles was a blessing in disguise. Not only did it lighten up the dish, but it didn’t take away from the flavors of the peppers and the mustard greens, garlic, ginger, lime, chilies, etc. Everything could be tasted without anything really dominating the dish. I loved how thin and light they were, which made me not fill up quickly and I didn’t feel stuffed at the end of my serving sized bowl.

These noodles are so versatile and with their natural lightness and thinness, they pair well in any cuisine. I hope another sale happens soon because I’d love to try these out in another recipe somewhere along the line, or create my own. Regardless, I’m in love with the versatility, flavor, and lightness of these Maifun Rice Noodles by Annie Chun. They were perfection in my stir-fry and really paired well with every component that was added to the wok and the dish in the end.

Vegetable Pad Thai made with Annie Chun's Maifun Rice Noodles

March 7, 2012

Gluten-Free mini chocolate chip cookies from HomeFree definitely a treat you can trust

Product: HomeFree Gluten-Free Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies – $1.49 (for single pack as shown)

I had never heard of HomeFree products before until I ventured down to Birmingham, Alabama for a Gluten-Free Expo that was taking place in conjunction with the Making Tracks for Celiacs 5K run I was participating in. What better way to spend a morning than racing for a good cause and then checking out the vendors at the expo soon after?

HomeFree was one of the vendors that were featured at the expo. As I said before, I had never even heard of their products prior to this, but as it turns out, this company specializes in foods for people with food allergies and sensitivities. In fact, their products are made in a dedicated facility that is free of peanuts, tree nuts, eggs and dairy. Additionally, many of their products are now certified gluten-free, hence their presence at the expo.

On the table for sampling purposes, HomeFree had some of their Gluten-Free Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies. We all know that I love, love, LOVE cookies, so I couldn’t resist taking a nibble at the table and then grabbing one of the sample packs from the offerings for those attending.

This weekend, while prepping my dinner, my roommate and got hit with a case of the munchies. So, out came the sample pack of HomeFree’s Gluten-Free Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies. I mean, what better way to kick off a meal than to have dessert first, right?

What these remind me of are those mini Chips Ahoy cookies I used to eat as a kid. They are crunchy, but sweet. The chocolate chips don’t overpower the flavor of the crisp cookies, but it isn’t hidden in the background either. The mixture of ingredients works. And, although I’m not big on crunchy cookies, I really do like these. They are your classic mini chocolate chip cookies without being filled with the common food allergens. Gotta love that. They are easy to pop and easy to eat. And really good too. These bite-size treats didn’t last long at all and we were both quite happy with them. Yes…even my roommate who doesn’t have to eat gluten-free, but finds herself doing so more often than not as I am the chef of the apartment.

Safety comes first with HomeFree, because it was started up by a psychologist and mom of a child with food allergies. They take extra precautions when it comes to making sure no contaminants get into the kitchen where the baking magic happens. As someone who has developed food allergies, this peace of mind is a big thing and something I appreciate. Safe products that taste great. HomeFree makes baked goods safe for those who suffer from the most common 8 food allergies…packed with flavor and pleasing to the palate. Oh, mini chocolate chip cookies…you were gone too soon.

Now…to find a store in my area that might carry or be able to carry these products!