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Buffalo Marathon – Buffalo, NY (May 25, 2014)

Me and Kat crossing the finish line at the Buffalo Marathon - Buffalo, New York. This picture encapsulates everything about the marathon. (Photo Credit: Diane Sardes)
Me and Kat crossing the finish line at the Buffalo Marathon – Buffalo, New York. This picture encapsulates everything about the marathon. (Photo Credit: Diane Sardes)

Race: Buffalo Marathon

Place: Buffalo, New York

Date: May 25, 2014

Time: 4:32:44*

“When you cross the finish line, no matter how slow or fast, it will change your life forever.” – Spirit of the Marathon


I want to point out the asterisks above, as this race was not one that I was running at my normal marathon pace.  Nope.  I agreed back in March to pace two of my friends, Kat and Janelle, to their hopes of a sub-4 finish in the Buffalo Marathon.  This race was not about me or my goals…this was all about them.  And I took this responsibility very seriously, mind you!  I trained as I would if I were going to be the one racing…meaning all of my training runs I did as though I were running this race at my pace.  I didn’t want to over-train or get cocky and think that I could run more because this race wasn’t going to be done at my “normal” pace.  Nope.  Like I said…I take my job as a pacer very, very seriously.

I know what you’re doing.  You’re looking at that finish time and wondering what went wrong.

Well…I will get to that.  And then I will reflect on what this race has taught me, in general, about the human spirit and the spirit of the marathon.  But…let me start at the very beginning.

Fridays are usually hectic as it is, but this Friday just put me out-of-my-mind.  I had tried to do most of my packing on Thursday, but I still had plenty to do that morning…plus a date with my spinning class at 5:30 a.m.  Go figure.  As I was racing on Sunday, I went to class, but kept the heavy down and just did what I was comfortable with.  I didn’t want to wear out these legs.  I had two people counting on me and I wasn’t about to let them down.  I thought about skipping my class, but I figured I’d be in a car most of Saturday, so as long as I didn’t put too much resistance on the bike…I’d be fine.

I did manage to get everything packed up and loaded into the car.  But I wasn’t Buffalo bound yet.  New York was going to have to wait.  I had to go to work for the entire day first.  Then…then I could start my journey toward my sixth marathon this year.  Whew.  I headed into the office and made little to no use of my standing desk, once again, trying to keep as much pressure off these legs as possible.  I wanted to get to that start line feeling ready and relaxed.  It worked.  I got through the entire work day without any issues, then packed up and headed out at 4:30 p.m. to head up to Columbus, Ohio.  Jenn was going to make this journey with us for the marathon, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.  YAY!  But…this meant enduring the ride up to Columbus.  But first…I stopped off at my local gluten-free bakery to pick up a pizza crust.  I promised Kat, back when she was in town for the Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon that I’d bring her one of Annie May’s Sweet Café’s amazing gluten-free pizza crusts.  And…while we were there, Cathy and I each ordered a sandwich to go to eat in the car on the way up to Jenn’s.  We might have also picked up one of her vegan and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies too.  Maybe.  Anyway, this plan to grab dinner worked out perfectly.  An Annie May’s sandwich might be a new travel after work tradition.

Soon, we were on the road and making good time up to Columbus, Ohio.  As we came through Cincinnati, Ohio, I asked Cathy if we were going to stop soon because the unsweetened iced tea and the water I had with dinner had gone right through me and I “really needed to pee.”  TMI?  Nah.  Anyway, she said we’d stop at somewhere up the road…which turned into about an hour wait.  Seriously.  The information center she had wanted to stop at was closed…and already way further than I had hoped to go before I got my break.  So…I was not happy.  We finally pulled over at a gas station on the exit you would take if you were going to the Ohio Renaissance Festival.  I went inside the BP and took care of business, only to be interrupted by a woman pounding on the door, declaring she had an emergency.  Um…yeah…kinda busy…gotta wait.  I peed as fast as I could…but she kept pounding and pissing me off.  Do NOT piss off a runner who has been tapering.  I washed my hands and hurried out of the bathroom, having her blow past me like I was doing it on purpose.  UGH!!  People suck.

Back on the road…and no more stops until we hit Jenn’s house somewhere around 9 p.m.  Cathy and I changed out into more comfortable clothes and then we settled in to talk a bit and eat Jenn’s infamous (but to me it’s famous) Pink Salad.  Mmmmm…just what I needed.  Hit the freakin’ spot.  I knew I needed to get up around 4 a.m. to do a shakeout run, stretch, shower, eat breakfast, and get out of the door in a timely manner to continue the journey up to Buffalo, New York on Saturday morning…so we were turning in earlier than normal.

My alarm went off at 4 a.m. and I immediately dropped my iPhone before I could turn it off.  Whoops.  I got up and got changed into my running clothes and headed out Jenn’s garage to do 3 very easy miles as a shakeout before my drive up for the marathon.  I forgot that Jenn’s roads have storm drains in the center of the road, so those were some fun obstacles at first.  HAHA!  I finally just got off to the side, and ran a loop around her inner circle until I hit my miles for the day.  I actually did it faster than I intended or felt like I was running…so my legs were definitely feeling good.  I ducked back inside, shed the reflective gear and went to do my stretching.  Jenn came down as I was finishing that up.  And soon I was headed up to shower, wake up Cathy, and we were settling in for some gluten-free bagels for breakfast.  Topped off with a Garlic and Herb cream cheese of deliciousness.  It was like eating garlic bread.  The car was loaded back up and we piled in…heading out for the long road to Buffalo, New York.

I was already tired from not sleeping much, so Jenn passed my pillow up and I dozed up until we made our first stop to put in some gas.  There was a nice Starbucks attached to the gas station, so we all got one of their refreshers…mine…the Cool Lime (YUMMY!) before piling back into the car and making our way up to Erie, Pennsylvania.  That was going to be our stop for lunch.  Back when I ran the Hershey Half Marathon, we found a place called Picasso’s to eat dinner at on our way back to Jenn’s.  They specialize in very unique sandwiches…and we fell in love with them.  This was our lunch destination…and we got there just after they opened.  We each got a sandwich and drink and settled in at a table.  My Gluten-Free Venus de Milo Sandwich was fantastic.  It was a combination of hummus, onions, baby spinach, tomato, muffaletta spread, carrots, avocado, and a roasted red pepper mayo, toasted on gluten-free bread (in the oven to keep it from being cross-contaminated).  Seriously…delicious.  Then, we ducked over to Wegmans (an awesome grocery store for those not familiar) to grab a few necessities for Sunday…like bananas and water and watermelon.  Then…back on the road.  Next stop…the Hyatt Regency Buffalo (the host hotel) where we were staying.

I had hoped to meet up with both Kat and Janelle at the the expo, but Kat was there earlier in the day and Janelle, honestly, was leaving as I was pulling in.  Dang it.  I was seeing Kat later that evening for dinner, but Janelle was not going to be able to make it.  So, we all planned to meet up on Sunday morning with the 4 hour pace group.  Deal.  We pulled into the hotel and valet parked the car, hauling our stuff inside.  I went to check in, and as I was running the marathon was gifted with a bottle of Gatorade.  I signed a sneaker with how many marathons I had run and my best finishing time, was given two keys to the room (I gave them to Jenn and Cathy to handle…I am a zen runner on race weekends and want no responsibilities).  We took our stuff up to the hotel room to drop it off and then headed out to walk through the walkways from the hotel to the expo center.  Weirdly enough, there were no signs really directing anyone to where to find the expo…so we randomly followed some people and ended up making our way there.  Let’s hear it for the blind leading the visually challenged!

Bart Yasso and me at the Buffalo Marathon Expo - Buffalo, New York
Bart Yasso and me at the Buffalo Marathon Expo – Buffalo, New York

The expo was small.  We stepped inside and I got in line to get a plastic bag that contained some race information and my safety pins.  From there, I had to wind my way through the vendors and other races there to find the tables in the back where packet pickup was happening.  I went over to the side for the marathon (there is also a 5K and a half marathon), and gave my name.  The teenager behind the table looked me up, grabbed my race bib and race shirt and passed it over to me.  I thanked him, tucked it into the plastic bag and went to meet Jenn and Cathy over at the BondiBand table.  HA!  They knew I’d want to make a stop there.  We didn’t spend too long digging through the BondiBands as I own most of them (it’s a sickness…I know!)…but I found two that fit my personality and I ended up getting those.  It’s tradition!  You never break tradition.  We wound our way back through, stopping off at a few interesting sounding races…all of which are on weekends that don’t work for me…this year…and ended up at Bart Yasso’s talk.

I LOVE Bart Yasso and really want to incorporate the Yasso 800’s into my training…eventually.  We listened to him talk, and when he finished up, I went to see if he would sign my book (I brought it with me!) and maybe get a picture with him.  There wasn’t a long line…and before long I was up there and talking with him.  He remembered me from Facebook (HA!) and just asked if I spelled Karen with a “K.”  That was awesome.  He was very kind and wrote me a nice message before taking a picture with me and wishing me luck on Sunday.  With that…we made our way out of the expo and back to our hotel room, where we crashed until about 4:15 p.m., watching Food Network (Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives was on, followed by Guy’s Grocery Games).  I took the time to do my evening stretches and some foam rolling so I wouldn’t have to worry about it after dinner and could focus more on getting race morning stuff together and getting to bed at a decent time.

All that did get accomplished before we headed back out to the streets of Buffalo and walked to our dinner destination, Merge, located on Delaware Avenue.  We were early.  The restaurant hadn’t even opened yet.  But, we knew that would probably be the case.  We left early to give us time to get lost and all.  But at the first sense of us not knowing which way to go, Cathy asked the valet guys and we were immediately on track without the whole wander around town mess.  Love nipping something in the bud.  At 5 p.m., Kat and Adam (Kat’s boyfriend) arrived and we went inside for our dinner reservation.  We were immediately seated and asked if we wanted something other than water to drink.  I don’t do anything but water these days as it is…so I stuck with that.  Then…it was menu time.  I had looked at this menu DOZENS of times before…and I knew there was a gluten-free and vegan pizza option.  That’s my traditional food before a race…but there were so many enticing dishes on this menu that I couldn’t get anywhere else…and I get good gluten-free pizza in Louisville.  SO…now I was waffling on what I wanted for dinner and everyone else was ready.  With the assistance of the waiter, I bucked tradition again and went with the Gluten-Free and Vegan Arugula Pesto Pasta, which was a basic brown rice fusilli pasta with local tomato, red onion, spinach and tossed with toasted walnuts.  It was as amazing as it looked.  Got a Gluten-Free and Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Spiced Berry Compote for dessert, which I split with Cathy.  All of us talked for awhile, not much about running but about other stuff, until we were told they needed the table.  So, with that, we parted ways.  Cathy, Jenn and I walked back to the hotel room. and I changed into my pajamas, brushed my teeth, put out my race clothes for the morning, plugged in my Garmin to charge, set the two wake-up alarms, and then…went to bed.

My first alarm got me up and I went through my routine before hitting the sack again for another hour.  The second alarm rang and I was up and into the bathroom to change into my race gear.  I had opted for a tank top, despite the 47 degree weather that morning.  I had my homemade arm warmers for the start, figuring I’d shed them sometime in the race.  My running skirt, my CEP calf sleeves, my Newton’s.  I was ready to run.  I put on my sunscreen and got my “epic race hair” done up before stretching.  Jenn woke up just before I was to wake up both her and Cathy to get ready…so I just needed to worry about getting Cathy moving.  I woke her up and then settled in to eat my cereal (a pre-race tradition for EVERY race).  I took my time, relaxed, and occupied my mind with things other than the race.  Both Cathy and Jenn grabbed the free granola from the expo and got something in their stomachs and soon, I was grabbing my banana and we were heading down to the lobby and outside to the starting area.

The start area hadn’t been opened to the runners in the full or half marathon yet…so everyone was sort of behind a barrier on the other side of the street.  I saw pacers walk by and really wanted to go find my girls, but Cathy was like…”Um…good luck with that!”  Which, sort of annoyed me so I was in a huff when the starting area was finally opened.  But, she called me back and I settled down.  I got hugs and was told to have a good race.  Jenn told me that “The Power of Dean [Karnazes] Compelled Me” and not to “pants my poop.”  This is tradition.  It has to happen.  With that, I left them to go find a spot near the start line and I went to hopefully find Janelle (who I hadn’t met yet in person) and Kat.

Kat (green arm warmers), me, and Janelle (pink shirt) heading out at the start of the Buffalo Marathon - Buffalo, New York
Kat (green arm warmers), Me, and Janelle (pink shirt) heading out at the start of the Buffalo Marathon – Buffalo, New York (Photo Credit: Jennifer Mariani)

Janelle found me, actually…which was awesome.  We were about 15 minutes away from race time.  I was so happy to see her.  She looked rested and ready to run.  Perfect.  I asked if she had seen Kat…and she hadn’t.  But a few minutes later, miss Bright Green Arm Warmers was at our sides.  We attempted to do some stretching in the start area but it was really crowded and moving around was not much of an option.  Kat was talking to pretty much everyone…because I really think she knows everyone in Buffalo…and we did our best to keep our legs loose and limber in the chilly morning air.  I pointed out that the girl in front of me had her shirt on inside out and we agreed that if it wasn’t three minutes to start time, we might have informed her…but it was too late now.  The National Anthem was sung…and we were right in line with the 4-hour pace group.  Right where I wanted to start.  One moment later…runners were off.  And we were making the march toward the start line.  Kat doesn’t like to start running until she crosses that mat, so we kept a fast walk until we hit that start gate…and we were off.  I spotted Cathy and Jenn immediately, flashed a peace sign…and fell into pace.

Janelle, me, and Kat love seeing familiar faces around Mile 6.3 in the Buffalo Marathon - Buffalo, New York
Janelle, Me, and Kat love seeing familiar faces around Mile 6.3 in the Buffalo Marathon – Buffalo, New York

We stayed behind the pace group for the first mile, wanting to make sure we didn’t have the “fly and die” technique…wanting to go into this easy and work our way up.  Kat and Janelle both liked this plan and that was what we worked at doing.  But somewhere before we hit Mile 2, we got ahead of the pace group.  I asked my girls how they felt about pace, and both agreed it was good.  I told them that whenever they wanted to back off, just to say the word and we would.  So, Kat did that every now and again, terrified of going out too fast and wanting to have that 4 hour pace group not too much behind or ahead of us at any time.  As both seemed comfortable…we continued on.  We hit that 5K mark feeling strong, and I once again checked on the pace.  We backed it off a little per Kat’s request and continued on.  I ditched my arm warmers somewhere around here as well.  HA!  Looking at my Garmin…we actually were keeping a very level, even pace for a good stretch of this race.  It was awesome.  It felt good.  We all felt good.  Kat gave me a bit of a tour as we were running, as this is where she grew up.  I’m a history buff, so I found every bit of this fascinating.  And…it made the miles fly by without us really paying attention to them at all.  Before we knew it, we were at the 10K mark…feeling good.  We rounded a corner, and Kat spotted Adam and went over to see him, but he told her to keep going as she was right on pace.  And just a few feet up…was Cathy and Jenn.  I spotted the donkey sign!  I gave a big wave and a smile.  It’s always nice to see familiar faces during a race…and we were only 1/4 of the way done.  But…we were feeling amazing.  So, on we went.

We kept this great pace (just under sub-9) up through the LaSalle Park area.  We hit the waterfront, where the road narrowed quite a bit.  The slow-up was welcome though…so we took the break and eased our way through the crowds.  The waterfront was gorgeous!  Honestly.  I loved running this part of the race.   Great breeze.  Great views.  The lake was stunning.  We knew as we were going to be leaving the waterfront that photographers were stationed.  And we spotted them up ahead.  The three of us raised our arms for the shot…and that was when some jackass pushed Kat.  Like…literally pushed her.  RUDE!  So, not sure how that shot is going to turn out.  Asshat.  We had now hit the 15K mark…and all of us were still feeling good and strong.  My girls were rockstars!  I asked about pace every now and again, wanting them to feel comfortable with it…and so far, they were.

Janelle, Me, and Kat at the 13.1 mile point of the Buffalo Marathon! Feeling strong. Looking strong!
Janelle, Me, and Kat at the 13.1 mile point of the Buffalo Marathon! Feeling strong. Looking strong!

Kat continued her guided tour as we ran around the Erie Basin Marina and back into town.  She was elated when she noticed the course was going to take us past the First Niagara Center, where the Buffalo Sabers play hockey.  She has season tickets…so she was glad the new course still ran past there.  The sun was up now and there were no clouds in the sky.  None.  So it was warming up fast.  We came through town, loving the shade that the buildings provided, but the heat was there.  We hit the halfway point…and were pleasantly surprised to see both Jenn and Cathy standing right at the 13.1 marker to cheer us on.  We were powering through that first half, maintaining a relatively even pace…backing off where necessary…and feeling awesome.  We were just where we needed to be…right in between the 3:50:00 pacers and the 4-hour pace group.  We were right on target.

But as we headed a few miles further in, the heat started to really affect Kat.  She came to a walk on a hill around Mile 15, taking out her inhaler.  We were ahead of schedule and the walk break was a welcome one on the hill, and once she fueled and took in some liquid, we were back on our way.  We knocked out another mile back on our pace, but the 4-hour pace group had caught up to us.  We decided to run just behind them for a little while.  Good strategy.  But as we came into Mile 16, going into 17…Kat slowed again and the pace group moved ahead.  She was getting angry and frustrated with herself, but we were still ahead of the pace group so that was of some help to get her focused again.  The fuel belt she was wearing wasn’t sitting right on her body, so Janelle asked if she wanted to try holding her bottle with Nuun in it and ditching the belt with her husband at Mile 17.  Kat agreed so Janelle ran up ahead to find her husband, dump water out of one of her bottles, and get one ready for Kat.  Kat was really struggling here and as we walked a bit through Mile 16.55, with her in tears and angry at having to walk, one of the volunteers checked to make sure she was okay, letting us know where we were in the race and asking if she needed any sort of attention.  She waved him off and we both thanked him, and when we hit some road signs, we started to pick up the pace again, maintaining that until we met up with Janelle and her husband near Mile 17.  We changed out the fuel pack for the handheld water and we were back on our way.

We were now in Delaware Park, which would last for a mile, where we then would enter back onto the streets and re-enter the park around Mile 20.5.  As we were heading up the hill, Kat went to fuel with her Craisins.  But they didn’t stay down.  The heat was really getting to her…as she hadn’t had warm weather this year to train in.  Buffalo was 40 degrees all day on Friday…and Saturday was slightly warmer, but with a cool breeze that made it feel cooler.  We had a slight breeze, but the air was hot and the sun was relentless.  Kat handed me the handheld bottle and tried to fuel again, this time to keep it down.  I gave her one of my bottles on my fuel belt that had water inside.  She took it…and this time…it all stayed down.  She asked if I was okay holding onto the handheld bottle for her…and I said that was fine.  Mind you, I hate running with things in my hands, but this was definitely more important.  And…it would help me keep a steadier pace for Kat.  But then the 4:10 pace group past and I saw that fight go out of her.  She felt defeated, but I did what I could to get her to press on.  We could at least try for her next goal of a PR.  We came out of the park and it was a run walk method, with Janelle and I just wanting to keep Kat going.  Finally, Janelle said she was starting to hurt, so she was going to put on her headphones and head for the finish line.  We had tried to get her to do that earlier…but she stuck it out with us for some of it, even giving up her sub-4 finish to make sure Kat was okay.  But we wished her luck and sent her on, telling her to let Cathy and Jenn know that we would be behind her.

I did my best to keep Kat going.  The heat was really doing a number on her.  She was getting dizzy and suffering from a headache.  In addition, she said at some points she felt like she was going to pass out.  I didn’t want that to happen, so I told her to walk when she needed.  We were coming up around Mile 20 when one lone woman was standing on the road, shouting support to everyone.  She saw Kat, who was crying, and honed in on her.  It made me smile when I heard her say to Kat…”I see you, 890!  You look so strong.  Come on 890…you can do this.  Push through, 890!  I know you can do this.  I know you want to run.”  Kat started crying more, but this time tears of happiness, and her pace…picked up.  It was the push she needed…from a random stranger.  And as she ran up the hill…the woman said, “That’s it 890!  Keep going!!” and other inspiring and motivating words.  She was a rockstar.  And, honestly, was able to do what I couldn’t.  As we came back into Delaware Park, Kat said she had to use the bathroom and maybe that would help.  The problem was…there were no port-a-potties on the course winding through the park.  So, it was run, walk, run…until we were heading out of the park where there were some port-a-potties.  Luckily one was not in use.  I waited on the corner while she ducked into one.  A minute later, we were back on the road and back to running.  She felt better.  And we now had just over 4 more miles to go.  We were getting there.  When the 4:20 pace group passed, she started crying again.  And…she handed over her Garmin, saying she didn’t want it on anymore.  Is trapped it onto my wrist and we moved on.  It was better this way.  She had been so focused on that pace and now…her disappointment was setting in.  I kept assuring her that her primary goal was to finish…and I was going to get her to that line.

With only a few miles left, we were determined to go without stopping.  Kat was determined now, despite the heat.  She was sweating out salt, so I was trying to get her to take in as much water and electrolytes as possible.  Her compression socks were starting to bother her, so she stopped to roll them down.  Only, that felt worse as we started up again, so she pulled them back up.  We ran and walked for the next few miles, doing what she needed.  I pushed her here and there, telling her what landmarks we would hit and start jogging and picking up the pace…easing back into it.  She listened to me…and did as I said…and she’d slow and walk when she needed to.  Around Mile 24, she was done with the compression socks.  So she pulled over to the side of the road and sat down, taking off her shoes and removing the socks.  I ended up tying them to my fuel belt and she put her shoes back on and decided to finish the race without socks on.  I told her she’d blister…and she said blisters already happened.  Might as well be comfortable.  A woman who was cheering on runners across the street asked if she was okay…and we said she was…and within moments, she was back on her feet and we were heading down into the next mile…slapping hands with college boys at the water stop.  We walked a bit coming into Mile 25 and I could hear that crowd ahead.  The finish line was getting closer.  We picked it up…we backed it off…we walked when she needed it.  She finished off her Nuun…she took in one last water stop…and we pressed on…walking to the edge of a building I pointed out…and then picking up that pace.  We were in the home stretch and she was going to run it in.

We had made a deal to cross that finish line together.  I was wrapped up in the excitement and my finisher’s kick was already there.  She called me back, saying she wasn’t ready yet.  She wanted to see that finish line.  So…I fell back and we rounded through Niagara Square.  And then…there it was…the finisher’s chute!  We picked up our pace and sprinted…as fast as our legs could go.  As we neared that finish line, we took each other’s hands…and crossed together.  It was…by far…one of the most rewarding and memorable finishes I have had in my life.  We hugged tightly and I told her how proud I was of her.  And we moved out of the way so that she could try to catch her breath, regain her strength…get her medal…and get some ice from the medical tent.

Kat, Me, and Janelle proudly displaying our finisher's medals at the finish of the Buffalo Marathon - Buffalo, New York. So proud of these ladies!
Kat, Me, and Janelle proudly displaying our finisher’s medals at the finish of the Buffalo Marathon – Buffalo, New York. So proud of these ladies!

After snagging an ice pack to put on the back of her neck, we headed back out, retrieving Mylar blankets and started down the chute.  She spotted Adam and her mom and went to talk to them for a moment.  And then…we went to get our picture taken for finishing.  We moved further down the chute, retrieving water bottles and any snacks needed.  She snagged an orange…good choice.  And then we met up with Janelle, Cathy, Jenn, Janelle’s husband, Janelle’s dog (Domino), and Adam and Kat’s mom at the very end.  We stood around talking for a little while and snapped a picture of the three of us with our medals.  But then I needed to get up to the hotel room to shower off and change (as they were not allowing any late check-outs.  Nope.  Not at the host hotel!).  Kat came with us because I forgot to give her the pizza the night before…and she changed while I went to shower.  Cathy and Jenn packed everything up and when I stepped out of the shower…we were ready to head out.

Hugs all around and we were off.

So…my official results for the Buffalo Marathon are that I finished in a time of 4:32:44 (gun time) and 4:31: 36 (chip time) (for 26.49 miles).  I was 832/1287 finishers overall.  I was the 311/548 women to cross the finish line.  And I was 64/108 in my age division.  I can honestly say that this was the first time I ever crossed the finish line carrying more gear than I left with.  HA!  First time for everything!

Yes…there was a twinge of disappointment that came with this finish.  But it wasn’t with the finishing time.  It was watching a goal slip away from a good friend of mine, who worked her ass off to achieve it.  Her body wasn’t ready for the heat, as she hadn’t trained in it yet.  There were a few other factors as well.  And the relentless sun did her in that day.  But…she was not defeated.  No matter how she felt, no matter how much she wanted to collapse and give up…she didn’t.  Kat is a fighter.  She’s strong and determined and stubborn as hell.  And every time she fell back…I saw that flame in her eyes spark up…and she’d start to move again.  There were plenty of tears shed at goals that weren’t reached, but ultimately, she proved not only her strength and her determination, but her worth out there on that course.  I was so proud of her at that finish line.  There was nowhere else I wanted to be than at her side that entire race, seeing her push through her own doubts.  She is a fighter and she fought for this finish.  She gave everything she had to reach that finish line.  She finished strong.  And every ounce of me has been inspired by her sheer determination and will to push through and see herself to that finish line.  Her original goals fell to the wayside…but she finished.  And ultimately...it’s not about finish times…it’s about finish lines.  So often, as runners, we put so much emphasis on a new PR, a better time, faster, better, perfection.  Those are all nice to accomplish and to have as goals, but we get so focused on that and sometimes we lose the actual joy of the run.  We forget to have some fun.  To enjoy it.  To just take it in.  When Kat crossed her finish line that morning…and when I gave her a tight hug, I told her just how proud I was of her.  I still am.  Best finish for me…ever.

Thank you, Kat…for inspiring me to push on when my self-doubts want me to stop.  You are stronger than you give yourself credit for.  This is one race I will always point to and say…”She wanted to give up…but she never did.”  For that…you are more than an inspiration.  You’re my hero!

When you can't walk, you crawl. When you can't do that, you find someone to carry you. - Firefly
When you can’t walk, you crawl. When you can’t do that, you find someone to carry you. – Firefly


Posted on

Restaurant Review: Merge, Buffalo, New York

Merge, Buffalo, New York
Merge, Buffalo, New York

Restaurant: Merge, Buffalo, New York

It had been a long day.  By the time I rolled into Buffalo, I had already gotten up early to do a shakeout run while still in Ohio, stretched, did my ab routine, pack, get the car loaded up, and make the seemingly endless drive from Columbus, Ohio all the way up to Buffalo, New York…with one stop in Erie, Pennsylvania for lunch.  Getting into Buffalo, I got checked into my hotel, hit up the race expo (I was there for a race, naturally), went back to my room, did more stretching, did some foam rolling, got things ready ahead of time so the evening wouldn’t be as hectic, and watched Food Network.

Because…that’s what I do.

HA!

But, before I knew it…it was time to head out to dinner.  I was meeting up with my good friend, Kat, and her boyfriend, Adam, for dinner that night.  It was the night before a race, so we wanted to have plenty of options for everyone.   Kat requires brown rice pasta…so we narrowed it down to three places, but in the end…chose a place called…

Merge.

Kat was very high on this place when we were trying to make the decision.  She said not only can they do a lot of their foods vegan/vegetarian, but a lot can be done gluten-free as well.  AWESOME!  Sounded perfect.  And…the menu was a little different from anything I have down this way, so that was a bonus too.  We were to meet for dinner at 5:00 p.m.  So, at around 4:15, we set out to walk from our hotel up to Merge.  It didn’t take us as long as we expected…so…we stood outside in the slightly chilly air.  Right around 5, Kat and Adam showed up…and we stepped inside.

I already liked the place.  Dimly lit…with a stage off to the right as you walk in.  We were greeted and Kat gave the reservation.  We were shown to our table and seated.  As it was pre-race, I stuck with just water to drink.  I hadn’t been too good about hydrating that day while on the road, so I wanted to make up for that a bit now.  The waiter went to retrieve drinks and we sat and perused the menu.

Now, I had looked at the menu numerous times, trying to figure out what I wanted for dinner.  Normally, pre-race means a gluten-free pizza.  And that was completely available.  HOWEVER…there were so many other delicious sounding items on the menu, that I thought, perhaps, to screw with tradition again…and do something completely different, but enough that would fuel up my muscles and top off those glycogen stores for the next morning.  I was flip-flopping.  On one hand, the gluten-free and dairy-free pizza was one with Daiya cheese, red onion, asparagus…it sounded awesome.  But…again…I can get good gluten-free pizza in Louisville.  So, it was down to trying the Gluten-Free and Vegan Mac & Cheese that Kat had told me so much about…or the special of the night…the Gluten-Free Eggplant Caponata…or the Gluten-Free Arugula Pesto Pasta.

So…while I was trying to decide, the rest of the table ordered.  Kat went with the an appetizer of the Dairy-Free Stuffed Potato Skins ($10.00) which comes with a fresh corn salad with turkey bacon, Daiya Cheese, and a Chipotle Cream and then for an entree went with the Gluten-Free Eggplant Caponata ($18.00).  Adam went with the Daily Pizza ($10.00).  Jenn chose the Sweet Basil Gnocchi (which included roasted red peppers, red onion, spinach, roasted garlic and a white wine sauce) for her meal ($15.00).  Cathy went with the Coconut Lemongrass Stir-fry ($15.00), which is a mix of organic tofu, snap peas, red onion, carrot, and rice vermicelli, served with toasted cashews, bean sprouts, and fresh lime.

And I was still stumped!

I went over my choices with the waiter to get his opinion and to maybe help me make a decision, because I was seriously waffling.  Pizza…or something different…pizza…or something different…tradition…or not….AH!  The waiter said he highly recommended the Arugula Pesto Pasta.  Kat made sure that the pesto didn’t have Parmesan in it (as someone with a dairy allergy…she knows all about the importance of asking about things like that because so many pesto recipes include Parmesan…and being lactose intolerant…I avoid all things dairy before a race).  He said that it was vegan…and so…I went with it.  Why not?!

There it was…tradition once again bucked…

I went with the Gluten-Free Arugula Pesto Pasta ($15.00), which was brown rice pasta with local tomato, red onion, spinach, and tossed with toasted walnuts.  Oooh…I’d get some nice vitamins from that spinach and some Omega from those walnuts.  Nice choice.  Glad I had some help in making it!

So, we all sat around and talked about various topics, not just running.  In fact, running didn’t really come up all that much that night.  We were just having a good time and relaxing.  Because that is important before a race.  Trust me.  The atmosphere of Merge is very conducive to that too.  It was really, really nice.  The appetizer was brought to the table and Kat let me try one of the potato skins.  I didn’t put the corn and bacon topping on it since it was real meat, but the Daiya cheese and the chipotle cream were put on the potato skin…and it was phenomenal.  Quite tasty.  I want to recreate this at home…and just might this week!  It was a great way to start off the dining experience.

But, before long our meals were being served up and we were all happily about to feast on our food of choice.

Merge's Gluten-Free Arugula Pesto Pasta
Merge’s Gluten-Free Arugula Pesto Pasta

I actually was quite happy when I took my first bite of the Arugula Pesto Pasta.  It was smooth and delicious.  I love pesto as it is…but this was really seasoned well.  It paired well with the brown rice pasta.  And the fresh vegetables that were sauteed and added to the mix just made for a nice break in the texture and a lot of added flavor as well.  LOVE.  The toasted walnuts were the perfect way to add a bit of crunch to something that would otherwise be very soft.  I told Cathy to give it a try and she loved it as well.  It’s not every day I get a plate of green pasta (ah, pesto…you’re so much fun on food!) that had so much going on and so much nutritionally sound ingredients added to it.  It was just what I think I needed that evening.  You could tell everything was fresh.  Because this pasta was perfection.  So, I broke tradition again…it was worth it for this meal.  Trust me.

Everyone else seemed to like their meals as well.  Kat’s only complaint was there was too little pasta (she’s carbing up!) in her dish…and Jenn ate around all the vegetables in hers.  The rest of us devoured everything in front of us.

The big question of dessert came up.  And…we felt it was necessary.  They had so many gluten-free and vegan options on their dessert menu…how could I pass up the opportunity?

In the end, Kat went with the Apple Cranberry Cobbler with Salty Caramel Sauce and Homemade Vanilla Soy Ice Cream ($7.00) for her dessert.  Jenn and Adam both got the Vegan Carrot Cake with Walnuts and Cream Cheese Frosting ($6.00).  And Cathy and I decided to split the Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Spiced Berry Compote ($6.00).  I kind of wanted to split the Vegan and Gluten-Free Brownie Sundae…but Cathy is apparently anti-brownie these days.  So…that was a no-go.

With our orders in, we eagerly anticipated our sweet reward and end of the night treat.  After a short wait, the desserts were brought to the table.  They all looked fantastic.  Especially the carrot cake.  If only that had been gluten-free.  Then again, Cathy is anti-carrot cake as well…so it wouldn’t have done any good.  GRRRR!  Anyway…it all looked delicious and we spared no time digging in.

The Vegan Chocolate Mousse with the Spiced Berry Compote was…different.  This wasn’t your usual mousse.  It was probably made with cashew cream…which would be the reason for the grittiness to it.  In fact, it also wasn’t very fluffy or light.  More like a heavy pudding than a mousse to be sure.  That being said…the spiced berry compote was beyond delicious.  Ultimately, it was my favorite part of the dessert.  Cathy agreed.  When I think of mousse, I expect something whipped and airy and light…and this just wasn’t a mousse.

Jenn absolutely loved the carrot cake (damn it for not being gluten-free!).  Cat and Adam split each of their desserts and both seemed quite happy with their choices.  So, that was good.

We finished up dessert and wound up getting caught up in conversations again.  And soon, because they are a hot-spot in town, we were asked to leave so other people could have the table.  I needed to get back to the hotel anyway and get ready for sleep to be rested up for the morning ahead of me.

All-in-all…a great restaurant in Buffalo, New York.  I would happily eat here again without any qualms.  Everything I had was good, and sometimes even great.  My pasta was the star, for sure.  And even if the dessert didn’t wow me…it was still fantastic.  Cathy stole a bite of Jenn’s carrot cake and raved about it.  The atmosphere was amazing.  The food was delicious.  And the staff was quite accommodating.  I couldn’t have asked for a better pre-race meal.

Merge, when I come back to Buffalo, New York sometime…I hope to come back.

Merge's Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Spiced Berry Compote
Merge’s Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Spiced Berry Compote
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Product Review: Annie May’s Sweet Café Easter Basket 2014

Annie May's Sweet Café, Louisville, Kentucky
Annie May’s Sweet Café, Louisville, Kentucky

Product: Annie May’s Sweet Café Easter Holiday Menu 2014

I am a little late on posting this blog because…life has been crazy-busy as of late.  But…I didn’t want anything to fall by the wayside, especially when it is my favorite allergen-free bakery.  Lucky me…it’s in my own hometown.  And every year, around Easter time, Annie May’s Sweet Café offers people the chance to have their own individually wrapped items for an Easter basket.  This year’s Easter Holiday Menu was enticing.  And…I told my roomie to order for me…and surprise me with what she chose for us to try.

This year brought a change to the standards normally seen on the menu.  Due to a chocolate shortage at the wholesale level, Annie May’s Sweet Café announced they would NOT be making the chocolate bunnies or chocolate candy this year.  Bummer…because that sunbutter bunny I ate last year was beyond amazing.  But…with the rising cost and lack of availability, I can’t blame them.

So…the weekend before Easter, Cathy placed an order at the bakery…and I didn’t listen in or anything.  I was so excited about being surprised with what I would find inside.  The only thing I was aware of was the 1 Dozen Gluten-Free Lemon Bars that Cathy and I had discussed purchasing, because I had been eying these on the menu every time…but they were never in the case.  And Lemon Bars are one of Cathy’s favorite thing in life.

Mine too, honestly.

So…

The Saturday before Easter, we stepped into Annie May’s Sweet Café for breakfast.  After we ate, Cathy went to get all the goodies for the Easter Basket she ordered.  We got a large pink box containing the one dozen Gluten-Free Lemon Bars.  But it was the surprises that I was ready to discover.

Turns out, Cathy put in an order for one of everything…save the Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Brownie as that item is always in the case at the bakery.  Always.  Trust me…our friend Greg always orders at least two of them.

So…here’s a review of everything inside my Gluten-Free Easter Basket of Awesome!

Gluten-Free Lemon Bars – $38.50

Annie May's Sweet Café Gluten-Free Lemon Bars
Annie May’s Sweet Café Gluten-Free Lemon Bars


One big pink box is what we brought home and immediately stuck in the refrigerator.  Because lingering inside was 12 bars of lemony goodness.  For real.  And these weren’t small bars either.  This dozen lemon bars could easily have been split in half and been enjoyed for much longer.  But where is the fun in that?  Needless to say…Cathy and I didn’t do that.  Not at all.

These bars had this delicious shortbread-like crust.  Then…the lemon curd in the center.  And a delicious sugary crust on top.  It was heaven.  Heaven with each bite.  The lemon was fantastic and refreshing.  The curd inside was soft and lemony, without being overwhelming.  That sugary crust on top added a bit of texture.  And…I think I have declared these the best gluten-free lemon bars I have tasted.

And yes…I have had a few…some from Cherbourg Bakery in Columbus, Ohio…and some from Sinfully Gluten Free in Dayton, Ohio.  But these…these from Annie May’s were the best ever.  I hope she starts putting them in the case for Saturdays…because I will literally buy them all.  Yes…they are that delicious.  Trust me…I can’t make this up.  I looked forward to dessert for six days straight!  Lemony goodness indeed!

Annie May's Sweet Café Allergen-Free Mini Oatmeal Cream Pie
Annie May’s Sweet Café Allergen-Free Mini Oatmeal Cream Pie

Allergen-Free Mini Oatmeal Cream Pie – $3.50

Annie May’s Sweet Café is known for their Oatmeal Cream Pies.  The thing is…these things are so huge at the bakery…that they can be quite daunting to eat.  This is often the treat my guests choose to eat…and then they end up taking more than half of it with them.  Oh…they are good.  Just…sometimes a bit much.

So, for Easter, Annie May’s Sweet Café downsized them.  And this…was absolutely perfect.  You know those oatmeal cream pies you’d buy at the grocery store and devour as a child.  These are sort of like that…but better.  Two soft mini oatmeal cookies surround a thick layer of frosting.  It’s sweet…with a hint of that savory oatmeal cookie appeal.  I love texture of the cookies and the way they pair well with the filling.

It might just remind you how sweet some of life’s simplest pleasures really are.  Like…cookies and icing.  Simple…but oh…so good.  And since this is one of their signature items…it’s totally worth the purchase!

Allergen-Free Mix & Match Petit Four Pack – $4.00

Annie May's Sweet Café Petit Fours
Annie May’s Sweet Café Mix & Match Petit Fours

Mmmm…little bite-size cakes of goodness.  I love petit fours.  Before I had to go gluten-free, I was often sent little petit fours at Christmas time from Swiss Colony.  So, I totally missed these little one-bite goodies.  But…not anymore.  Not at Easter.  Thanks to Cathy!

Annie May’s Sweet Café did up a four-pack of Petit Fours, two chocolate with a chocolate ganache topping, and two vanilla with a vanilla icing.  And…boy, were these ever moist.  I actually found that the vanilla was my favorite.  Not a surprise.  While I am a choc-o-holic, I also find that I prefer vanilla in some cases.  Especially when it comes to cakes.  I don’t know why…I just do.

I loved how the icing complimented the moist and sweet cake beneath.  I enjoyed having a dessert I could just pop into my mouth and not feel guilty about the little indulgence.  Not that I ever feel guilty about enjoying a dessert…but you get what I mean.  These little cakes made me so happy.  They didn’t last long if that tells you anything.

Annie May's Sweet Café Gluten-Free Decorated Sugar Cookie
Annie May’s Sweet Café Gluten-Free Decorated Sugar Cookie

Gluten-Free Decorated Sugar Cookie – $5.00

Mmmm…sugar cookies.  I never make sugar cookies.  Ever.  Well, I tried a couple of times.  It never ends well.  Ever.

So…when I see gluten-free sugar cookies in the wild…you better believe I want one.  It doesn’t get much better than a sweet, sometimes a bit gritty (mmmm…sugar!), soft cookie.  It is one of the simplest…but most amazing cookies ever made.  Almost always, sugar cookies have some sort of decorative flair to them.  Last year, Kenna (co-owner of Annie May’s Sweet Café) hand painted Peter Rabbit on the cookies.  This year, the cookie was shaped like an egg and decorated with white icing and various designs to make it look like an Easter egg.

I almost hated to cut it in half and devour it with Cathy’s assistance.  But, my sweet tooth wins out over the artistic beauty of the cookie in the end.  This sugar cookie was soft and sweet, without it being too sweet.  Even with the icing, it found a nice balance.  And it really was a beautifully decorated cookie.  Hands down one of the best, and softest, gluten-free sugar cookies I have had to date.

Gluten-Free Six-Pack Caramels – $4.50

Annie May's Sweet Café Gluten-Free Caramels
Annie May’s Sweet Café Gluten-Free Caramels


Two words.

Homemade Caramels.

I actually saved these for last.  Honestly.  I had to.  I wanted them to be last because caramel is one of my favorite things in the world.  Especially if it’s salted.  This wasn’t…but that’s okay.  Seriously.  Because caramel is the thing that delicious dreams are made of.

Always.

The caramels that Annie May’s Sweet Café put together for Easter were chewy and soft…and sweet.  I loved how stretchy it was.  But it didn’t attach itself indefinitely to your teeth either.  I could taste the sugar, and how it caramelized down into the soft candy.  These were so amazing.  They practically melted in your mouth when you took a bite.

These were love.  Soft, chewy, caramel-y love.

I’m addicted.  And the three days I had these in my life were some of my best.  More, please!

~*~*~

So…there it is…

Another Easter has come and gone…and for the second year in a row, Annie May’s Sweet Café provided me with a safe and epically sweet and delicious Easter basket.  Their Easter menu was out of this world this year.  I didn’t even miss the chocolate candies and chocolate bunny.

And seriously…if they ever start putting the lemon bars in that case…I’ll buy them all.

I’m already craving them again.

Maybe I can see about getting these for my birthday this year…

Maybe.

Thank you, Annie May’s Sweet Café, for another fantastic holiday treat.  I seriously had some of the best desserts of my life in the comfort of my own home…without having to turn on my oven once.

Now that…is one delicious treat indeed.

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Restaurant Review: Sweet ‘N’ Savory Food Truck, Louisville, Kentucky

Sweet 'N' Savory Food Truck, Louisville, Kentucky
Sweet ‘N’ Savory Food Truck, Louisville, Kentucky

Restaurant: Sweet ‘N’ Savory Food Truck, Louisville, Kentucky

They are BACK!

YES!!  Finally!!

After a long, harsh winter without much action of the food truck scene…especially for me…because of my food allergies and all…I was so happy when Sweet ‘N’ Savory Food Truck returned from their hiatus (the owners spend the winters in New Orleans, Louisiana).  Unfortunately, I didn’t get out to them for a few weeks.  I was either out of town or the weather was bad.

But that was not the case this past Sunday afternoon.  Louisville was having their Buy Local Fair and the food trucks were out and serving.  I went to this event last year and walked away with tons of local products from local businesses and farms.  So, I was excited that I would be in town for this year’s event as well.  It was a near thing though.  I was in Indianapolis the day before for a half marathon…so thank goodness this was a Sunday event.

After an easy time getting to the site of the Buy Local Fair and with no problems parking…I was more than primed to find the food trucks and get my crepe on.  Because that…my dear readers…is what Sweet ‘N’ Savory is all about.  They do amazing gluten-free crepes, gelato, smoothies, coffee, tea…ahhhh…life’s simple but best pleasures, if you ask me.  And you’re reading this…so technically…you are.

Sweet ‘N’ Savory was right on the end of the row of food trucks as we turned the corner.  I think I bounced up and down when I saw them…already with a line.  YAY!  I was so ready for this.   My crepe craving has been out of control lately.  And despite having a gluten-free crepe place in Columbus, Ohio…and now one in Denver, Colorado…nothing…NOTHING compares to those that are served up by my local food truck, owned by Richard and Ashley Giannini.  He mans the crepe stones and she takes the orders and dishes up everything else…including their rich, creamy gelato.  But I’ll get to that momentarily.

Richard and Ashley are the two who got me hooked on savory crepes.  I never cared for them much before…until they came along.  And…still…I hardly order them from anywhere else…because they don’t compare to the flavor combinations that I can get from Sweet ‘N’ Savory.  I looked over the menu…and contemplated going sweet.  But it was lunch…so…the savory sort of had my attention.  I was going back and forth between two of them…and finally settled on…

The Sweet Onion Crepe.

Sweet 'N' Savory's Sweet Onion Crepe
Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s Sweet Onion Crepe

This savory crepe contained caramelized onions, figs, honey, and goat cheese, folded up in the gluten-free crepe and served toasty and warm and…mouth watering.  Holy cow.  I put in my order and Cathy placed hers (opting for the one with ‘all the meats’ as she never gets to eat meat at home since I am the cook).  While we waited, we chatted with both Richard and Ashley about how we’ve been and what’s been keeping us busy.  They apologized for missing me the weekend before at The Flea Off Market (severe weather shut it down early and they packed up 10 minutes before I finally arrived…SO not their fault.  Just really bad timing!).  We laughed about the strange weather and soon…both Cathy and I were receiving our delicious gluten-free crepes.

The seating area was on the other end of the food truck area, so we took a small stroll over to a picnic table and settled in.  I quickly took the mandatory food shot for the blog and then picked up my plastic utensils and readied myself for my first bite of one of Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s crepes in a L-O-N-G time.

It was just as good as I always remembered.  The savory Sweet Onion Crepe was the perfect blend of everything.  You get sweetness from the caramelized onions…plus some great flavor and texture from the chopped up figs that are inside.  The honey binds everything together.  But the real magic in this crepe falls to the goat cheese.  You get this nice balance of saltiness and creamy texture to counter the onion and fig mixture.  Heaven.  I cut off a piece for Cathy to try and she agreed…it rocked!  And her crepe was apparently good too, because we polished them off in record time.  For real!  The crepe itself was toasted to a perfect golden brown and tucked neatly around the filling.  It was heaven on a paper plate.  And I was all smiles…in between chewing, of course.  I have yet to have something from Sweet ‘N’ Savory that I didn’t like.

As we had been waiting in line, Ashely had mentioned their gelato flavors.  She had done up a Brownie Batter Gelato that morning that she said was amazing.  Lick-the-bowl good, I believe.  She also said that it would pair perfectly with, my personal favorite, Salted Caramel.  And they did have the salted caramel flavor.  But she enticed me with something else…

A Dairy-Free Raspberry Gelato.  So, Cathy and I abandoned our plans to celebrate my fastest half marathon time with our traditional Sundae Sunday at The Comfy Cow…and instead…went for Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s gelato.  Cathy got the Brownie Batter.  I was enticed to the Raspberry.  Ashley served it up…and we happily paid and walked away with our refreshing sweet treat in hand.

Cathy fell in love with the rich, sweet, very-brownie flavor of the Brownie Batter Gelato.  I took a spoonful and…WOW!  Yeah…it was like eating rich, delicious, dark chocolate brownie batter.  REALLY good.  But, I was over-the-moon for my choice.  Light, airy, and tangy…the zippy flavor of Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s Dairy-Free Raspberry Gelato won me over at first bite.  Cathy, who doesn’t even like raspberry, took a taste and said, “WOW…that’s GOOD!”  So, we perused the Buy Local Fair, buying products from local farms and businesses, while eating our little bowls of homemade, rich, creamy, light…gelato.  I was in a good place.  A very, very happy place.

So, I want to take a moment to welcome back my favorite Louisville, Kentucky food truck, Sweet ‘N’ Savory.  I have missed you so much.  And you totally have brought the flavor-factor back once again this year.  I can’t wait to turn up at other events and try other crepes that you create and put together.  Honestly…you’ve been missed.  And next time…it might be a two-scoop gelato kind of day.  Your food is love…and I love your food!

Sweet 'N' Savory's Dairy-Free Raspberry Gelato
Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s Dairy-Free Raspberry Gelato
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Product Review: Bella Lucia Lemon Love Gluten-Free Pizzelle

Bella Lucia Lemon Love Gluten-Free Pizzelle
Bella Lucia Lemon Love Gluten-Free Pizzelle

Product: Bella Lucia Lemon Love Gluten-Free Pizzelle – $6.95+

It was one of the best moments ever.  I am in a natural food store my friend, Jenn, had been wanting to take me to for years, while in Columbus, Ohio (Raisin Rack is the store).  The aisles and aisles of gluten-free products are calling to me.  Like…literally.  I’m getting all whiney and needy and really, really wanting to try some items that I hadn’t found anywhere else.

And my roomie comes over with a medium-size basket and tells me to fill it up.

Of course…she helped.

One of the products that she insisted that we try was Bella Lucia Lemon Love Gluten-Free Pizzelle.

Why?  Because it had the word “lemon” on it.  And we had seen these before at our Whole Foods and never picked them up.  Second chance.  We’re taking it.

What are pizzelle?  A pizzella is a traditional Italian waffle cookie that is made from flour, eggs, sugar, butter, and flavoring (like…in this case…lemon!).  Depending on how they are prepared, pizzelle can be hard and crisp or soft and chewy.  These are known to be one of the oldest forms of cookies.  The cookie dough batter is put into a pizzelle iron (sort of like a waffle iron).  They are typically stamped in a snowflake pattern on both sides.  These cookies are thin, golden, and usually crisp in texture once it’s cooled.

I had never had pizzelle before, so I was already intrigued.  After we polished off some dinner (leftovers from the Corn & Black Bean Salad I posted about in my “Cooking With Amy Farrah Fowler” blog), I cleaned up the dishes and pulled the plastic container out of the pantry so we could enjoy some dessert.  I opened up the container and removed the sealed cookies.  I carefully cut into the seal and eased out two thin cookies, handing one over to Cathy while I kept the other one for myself.

These cookies are so light and thin.  Loved that. I wouldn’t feel guilty when the dessert I’m “indulging” in doesn’t feel heavy and fattening.  HAHA!  I took a bite.

The Bella Lucia Lemon Love Gluten-Free Pizzelle is of the soft and chewy type.  I was really, really expecting them to be crunchy.  Everything about them screamed crunchy.  I think I was slightly disappointed that they lacked crunch.  But…even more…the lack of lemon flavor was a bigger disappointment.  And what I could taste was almost…fake in flavor.  They also seemed a bit…dry.

As I have never had pizzelle before, I don’t know if this is normal or not, but it was a bit of a letdown in the end.  The cookies look beautiful.  But they really lack in the texture and flavor.  At least this version of them.  I’d be willing to try the other flavors of gluten-free pizzelle offered by Bella Lucia…but the Lemon Love were slightly disappointing.  At least for me.

Ingredients in the Bella Lucia Lemon Love Gluten-Free Pizzelle include white rice flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, potato flour, xanthan gum, pectin, sugar, canola oil, eggs, and lemon extract.  They are gluten-free…the founders wanting to make traditional baked goods that would meet new dietary needs without giving up flavor and taste.

As for nutrition information, a serving size of the Bella Lucia Lemon Love Gluten-Free Pizzelle is one cookie.  Just one.  This serving will give you 100 calories and 4.2 grams of fat.  In addition, you will be consuming 28.8 mg cholesterol, 6.3 grams of sugar, and 9.5 mg sodium.  Finally, you will be taking in less than 1 gram of fiber and only 1.3 grams of protein.  So…don’t expect these cookies to fill you up.  They won’t.

I expected something completely different in a pizzelle.  And while I’m not totally disappointed, I’m  not entirely impressed either.  I love what Bella Lucia is doing.  And I think I might have enjoyed it more with more lemon flavor infused…but these were just a little bland.  And not crispy.  When I get a thin cookie…I want some crunch to it.  So, slightly lacking.  But not bad.  Not amazing.  But not bad.

Bella Lucia Lemon Love Gluten-Free Pizzelle
Bella Lucia Lemon Love Gluten-Free Pizzelle
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Product Review: Lucky Clover Farm Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin

Lucky Clover Farm
Lucky Clover Farm

Product: Lucky Clover Farm Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin – $3.00

Yeah…after the mention of the Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin from Lucky Clover Farm in my previous post, I wasn’t going to leave you hanging.  Seriously.  I think I’m in love with the gluten-free baked goods this local business is putting out.  I am so glad that I went to the Buy Local Fair in Louisville on Sunday because I don’t think I would have found them otherwise.

Happiness…is being able to eat baked goodies!

Because unless I go to a specialty bakery or buy them in the store or make them myself…I go without.

That’s how it works when you are a Celiac.

That being said…when I literally turned around and walked back to the booth at the Buy Local Fair that was advertising gluten-free breads, muffins, cakes, etc…I didn’t know what I was in for.  I ended up purchasing more than what I initially intended.  I wanted the gluten-free carrot cake…but it’s hard to sell that on my roomie.  She was intrigued by the herb bread…and I just blogged on that.  We also picked out three of the jam varieties they had for sale as well.  We are jelly and jam lovers here.  Seriously.  I kept eying that carrot cake…but ended up leaving it and going for the Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin instead.

First of all, I have never seen such beautiful muffins.  It was shaped like a giant flour.  Seriously.  I picked up one of the individually wrapped muffins and found it soft, light, and smelling of fresh blueberries.  It smelled sweet.  And fresh.  And…yeah…I supposed I could leave the carrot cake behind this time if this was what I got to have instead.

On Monday morning, after my spin class, I returned home and got to work on a quick and easy breakfast.  This was going to consist of some of the aforementioned gluten-free herb bread from Lucky Clover Farm…and Cathy and I were splitting the Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin.  I decided to toast the slice of bread, tossing it on a pan and then into the oven while I went and showered.  When I was dressed and back in the kitchen, the bread was finishing up…so I unwrapped the blooming Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin from Lucky Clover Farm, placed it on a plate, and then placed it in the microwave for about 20 seconds.

It smelled so amazing as it emerged out of the microwave, warm all the way through.  I sliced it in half…then into quarters.  Cathy loves her muffin buttered, so I added a light schmear of real butter to her muffin slices and then plated it with the toasted gluten-free herb bread.

I never have buttered much of anything I ate…including bread and muffins, so mine was simply plated.  I settled in with my coffee and my tasty (and easy and quick) breakfast that morning.  I already knew the bread was good, so I immediately turned my attention and appetite to the Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin.

It was so soft and light.  It was not dense at all.  Just fresh and baked to a golden perfection on the outside.  The blueberries added a great amount of fresh sweetness.  And it wasn’t laden with sugar, making it seem more like cake.  This was a muffin through-and-through.  It was soft and chewy and perfect.  I think angels might have baked it…because I love a muffin that isn’t heavy.  And this was just what I needed that morning.  They seem to make different varieties of their gluten-free muffins throughout the year and where they end up at different fairs and festivals and markets.

I can’t say enough good things about Lucky Clover Farms.  In fact, these gluten-free baked goods were such a hit with me and Cathy that we can’t wait to try the jams out.

This might have been my favorite Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin to date.  I mean…it looked like a flower and tasted like a dream.

Doesn’t get much better than that!

Lucky Clover Farm Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin
Lucky Clover Farm Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin
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Product Review: Lucky Clover Farms Gluten-Free Herb Bread

Lucky Clover Farm
Lucky Clover Farm

Lucky Clover Farms Gluten-Free Herb Bread – $7.00

This past weekend, I was happy to attend the Buy Local Fair in Louisville, Kentucky.  That’s one thing I have to give to Louisville…they are very supportive of their local businesses.  I first attended this event last year, so when I heard that it was happening again, I was just thankful my half marathon ran on Saturday, as this event happened on Sunday.

My main purpose for attending the Buy Local Fair was purely selfish.  I wanted a gluten-free crepe from Sweet ‘N Savory.  My favorite food truck disappeared over the winter but have been back in town since April.  I, however, have been out of town or very busy hosting friends and doing what I do best.  So, my entire purpose was to eat lunch there…which I did.  A delicious savory crepe, which I’ll blog about in a separate post.  After that, I purchased some dairy-free gelato from Sweet ‘N Savory and Cathy and I set about to check out the local businesses that had set up booths and tents at the event.

We first just perused…seeing a few different things that caught our eyes.  One thing that one particular booth did was advertise, quite boldly, gluten-free baked items.

My haul from the Buy Local Fair in Louisville, Kentucky. All but the bottle of vinegar came from Lucky Clover Farm!
My haul from the Buy Local Fair in Louisville, Kentucky. All but the bottle of vinegar came from Lucky Clover Farm!

PAUSE.

REWIND.

I honestly think that’s what it looked like.  Because I backpedaled and then quickly ducked into the tent to check out what items they had for sale.  I mean, it never hurts to look, right?  In my case…it hurts the budget, but it’s supporting a local business.  I really wanted the gluten-free carrot cake, but it’s hard to sell carrot cake on my roomie…so we both agreed to pick up three varieties of their jams, one of the Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins (next blog!) and a loaf of the Gluten-Free Herb Bread.  It looked really good.  A light brown crust and you could see the variety of herbs that was baked into it.  It wasn’t dense to hold and it smelled fantastic!

Yeah…that was totally coming home with us.

Lucky Clover Farm Gluten-Free Herb Bread
Lucky Clover Farm Gluten-Free Herb Bread

And…it totally became dinner too.  After a light breakfast, but a crepe-filled lunch, I figured we’d keep dinner a little light.  So, that evening I sliced into the bread, cutting two pieces for each of us.  We had an odd number of my gluten-free minestrone soups in the freezer, so I figured we could split that and have some toasted bread with it.  I turned on the oven, gave the bread slices a little drizzle of olive oil (after we split an end piece to eat without toasting!) and put it in the oven while I heated the soup in the microwave.

The slice we had without toasting was amazing.  As I said before, this bread was not dense at all.  I loved the light feeling it had.  And I loved the flavorful herbiness that came in each bite.  Seriously.  I was drooling just thinking about having more bread with the soup.  And it was a task not to go slice more off the loaf to devour while waiting on the bread to toast and the soup to heat all the way through.  Somehow, I resisted.

The toasted slices of the Gluten-Free Herb Bread filled the apartment with the most amazing aroma.  I pulled them out of the oven, now a golden color and toasted to perfection.  I plated the bread and dished up the soup and we both settled in for dinner.

Oh. My. God.  This bread was some of the best I have ever tasted.  Honestly.  Toasting it only drew out the flavors more, if that was even possible.  I was in love with the different herbs that would dance across my palate with each bite.  It paired so well with the soup too.  In fact, the following night, I heated up the last of the soup, and made grilled cheese sandwiches with this bread to go with it.  I mean…it was so versatile.  I used the last of it this morning, serving it up with some roasted vegetables and a poached egg on top.  It goes good with practically anything and everything.  And I kept wanting to cut smaller slices just to make it last.

Of course, now I’ll be looking for Lucky Clover Farms in other fairs and markets, hoping to pick up more of their items.  From what I’ve been reading, it sounds like the carrot cake I didn’t get is one of their best sellers.  Next time, I’m getting the damn gluten-free carrot cake.

For now, as the loaf is gone, I will dream of the next time I get to enjoy a slice of Lucky Clover Farm Gluten-Free Herb Bread.  Because, yeah…it really is that good.  Gluten-free baking is a science in and of itself…and they have mastered this bread for sure.  Soft.  Flavorful.  And absolutely delicious…however you slice it and serve it.  Highly recommended.  So glad to have them in the area…because I’m going to be dreaming of that bread until I can get another loaf!

Two slices of Lucky Clover Farm Gluten-Free Herb Bread lightly toasted with olive oil
Two slices of Lucky Clover Farm Gluten-Free Herb Bread lightly toasted with olive oil
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Product Review: Wild Friends Foods Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter

Wild Friends Foods Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter
Wild Friends Foods Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter

Product: Wild Friends Foods Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter – $1.99+

You know…I didn’t think it was going to be possible.

A little while back, I blogged about an almond butter from Wild Friends Foods, known for their different flavors in nut butters (peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower butter), that I thought was the best thing I ever tasted…nut butter-wise and so forth.  Little did I know…that the Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter I had raved and raved about was about to get unseated as the best nut butter in my nut butter addicted world.

No…honestly…I have this crazy addition to nut butters.  I eat the hell out of them.  There is no stopping me.  Even when I try to leave notes to NOT snack on the nut butter…I ignore them…and…another jar gone.

Love, for me, is a jar of peanut butter (or almond butter, or cashew butter, or…you get the picture) and a spoon.

For real.

So…the other day I went to the office after my cardio session at the gym and brought breakfast with me.  I had some gluten-free bagels calling for me and my roomie to devour them.  So, I thawed them out the night before and packed the sample packet of Wild Friends Foods Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter to top them with.  I also brought a serving for each of us from the jar of the Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter I splurged on (a jar runs $11.99…YIKES!) to top the other half of each bagel with.  So…I was pretty much giving some protein back after a good workout.

Anyway…I toasted up the bagels in the toaster oven (on a dedicated plate).  While they toasted, I gave the packet of Wild Friends Food Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter a good kneading, so that it would be good to squeeze and spread when the bagels were adequately toasted.  That was about five minutes later.  I removed the bagels and tore the corner of the sample packet of the Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter and began to squeeze it out over two halves of the bagels.  I gave it a quick spread with the knife, noting the full raisins that were actually incorporated into the peanut butter itself.  Awesome.  I used my mana from heaven (the Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter) on the other halves and served them up.

As I settled in at my desk, I lifted the bagel half with the Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter on it and took a bite.  I figured it was going to taste good.  I mean…I love peanut butter.  I love cinnamon.  I love raisins.  So…this seemed like a given.  What I wasn’t expecting was just how much I was going to like this peanut butter.  In fact, after taking a bite, I set that half down, took in some water, then picked up the Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter half and took a bite.

It was a given…the Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter just moved ahead in rank to the top of my favorite nut butter in my life.  Seriously!  That being said, I turned my attention to the half with the almond butter on it to eat first.  When I returned to the half with Wild Friends Foods Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter…I savored each bite.  The peanut butter is naturally sweet, but the raisins add a bit of texture and sweetness as well.  In addition, I live the hint of heat you get from the cinnamon that is incorporated.  Whole raisins are actually in this spread…that’s amazing!  Yes…even in the little sample pack.  You will love, love, love this flavor combination.  Next time I splurge on nut butter…it’s going to be for the less expensive (only $6.99 for a 16 ounce jar) Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter.

DELISH!

Ingredients couldn’t be simpler.  Honestly.  The Wild Friends Foods Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter is made from peanuts, raisins, cinnamon, roasted peanut oil, organic agave, and sea salt.  That’s it.  It is made with all-natural ingredients.  This peanut butter is non-GMO, non-dairy, cholesterol-free, and kosher.  It contains no gluten ingredients either.  YES!

Nutritionally speaking, it is comparable to all the other peanut butters out there.  A serving is 2 tablespoons.  This serving will provide you with 180 calories and 14 grams of fat.  Much of that fat comes from the peanuts as there are no hydrogenated oils is this peanut butter at all.  Color me happy.  The 2 tablespoon serving will also provide you with 45 mg sodium and 4 grams of sugar.  That’s really good.  While agave is added to sweeten this, I always find peanut butter naturally sweet anyway.  And, a serving will give you 2 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein.  Awesome!

Yep…just when I thought the nothing could top Wild Friends Foods Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter…they do it themselves.  If you are a cinnamon raisin lover like me, you will fall head-over-heels in love with Wild Friends Foods Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter.  I’m ready to go to the natural foods store and buy a jar right now, honestly.  Then…all I’d need is a spoon…

Best.  Peanut.  Butter.  EVER!

Wild Friends Foods Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter (on a gluten-free bagel)
Wild Friends Foods Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter (on a gluten-free bagel)
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Restaurant Review: Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza and Pub, Fishers, Indiana

Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub, Fishers, Indiana
Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub, Fishers, Indiana

Restaurant: Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub, Fishers, Indiana

Twas the night before a half marathon…

…so…in other words…gluten-free pizza night!

About a week before setting out to Fishers, Indiana, to run the Geist Half Marathon (for training), I started a full-on search for good gluten-free pizza in that area.  I’m spoiled rotten by my local allergen-free bakery, Annie May’s Sweet Café, because her pizza crust is actually a thick crust…not this thin cracker crust you get everywhere else.  I always crave her pizza and went on a search to, perhaps, find a place that was comparable to the one she makes.

No luck.

Cracker crust everywhere I turn.

UGH!

So…I tossed it out on my Facebook page for some suggestions.  I wanted to try somewhere new…somewhere I couldn’t easily go here in Louisville.  So no Puccini’s and no Mellow Mushroom (although…yum to Mellow Mushroom!).  I didn’t want to go somewhere I already had gone up there to try…so no Monical’s or Jockamo’s.  Some of my friends in my running group were, unknown to me at the time, also running Geist…and Laura said they were going to hit up Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub in Fishers on Friday night for their dinner.  And she saw they had a gluten-free menu as well.

I went to check it out, along with two other places that I researched via Find Me Gluten Free.

In the end, due to being conveniently close to the hotel…Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub was where Cathy and I decided the night-before-the-race pizza would happen.  And…as an added bonus, my good friend, Julia, was going to meet us there for dinner.  YAY!

I’ve had a lot of misses on the gluten-free pizza as of late while on the road.  So, I was desperately hoping that this pizza was good.  And…after getting caught in some storms on the drive up to Fishers, then getting stuck in traffic, hitting up the race expo for packet pickup, and then getting caught in more traffic, we finally made it to the restaurant, where Julia got us a table in the bar and was patiently waiting…and had been for about 30 minutes (damn traffic).  Lots of hugs and a quick browse of the menu…and we were set.

The inside of Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub is dark…but beautiful.  It’s very rustic chic.  And I thought the ambiance was perfect for a pizza/pub.  It just felt right and comfortable.  Our waitress came over…and I gave her fair warning of my food allergies.  She put any of my fears to rest and assured me that they would cook me up a good pizza.  So, with our minds made up…the order was placed.

Cathy and I were going to split the 10″ Gluten-Free Vava Veggie Pizza ($12.00 – which includes the $1.50 up-charge for gluten-free crust).  Julia was on the same wavelength and got the regular wood fired version of the Vava Veggie Pizza ($10.50).  With the orders in, we were able to sit and talk while we waited for out food.  A short time later, our pans of pizza were being settled in front of us.

The Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub’s Gluten-Free Vava Veggie Pizza is done on a custom gluten-free cracker crust.  Very thin crust…crunchy…you know the drill.  The pizza itself is topped off with roma tomatoes, fresh basil pesto, crimini mushrooms, red and green bell peppers, broccoli, house tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese.  It was very colorful and smelled absolutely delicious.

Our pizza, however, was a little lopsided.  One half was coated with veggies, the other half had a lot of plain cheese.  As I don’t handle dairy too well, I took a supplement and then took the slices with more veggies than cheese showing.  That was fine by Cathy.  I think sometimes she only tolerates the veggies that I get on my vegetarian pizzas.  But…she dug in first.

First of all…the crust was cooked all the way through.  That…was a huge plus.  YAY!  It had a nice crispness to the crust.  The vegetable were fresh and added both savory and sweet aspects to the slices itself.  I loved the mushrooms, finding them cooked perfectly through.  Cathy fell in love with the pesto that was on the pizza.  And each slice was packed with fresh veggie goodness, which I appreciated.  But…I did notice how wet the pizza got soon after we dove into our first slices.  I think it was the blend of tomatoes with the tomato sauce and basil…but it got a bit soggy after a short time.  Which…made me sad. I love that crispness to the crust that pizza should have.  Ah well…I polished off my half of the pizza regardless, giving each of my slices a liberal sprinkle with the crushed red pepper flakes.  Mmmm.

All-in-all, not bad.  Really.  Not bad.  In fact, I’d be more than happy to eat here again and try something else.  I hear the gluten-free bread they make their sandwiches on is fantastic (thanks for the insight, Tammy!).  If anything, I was most disappointed by the appearance (veggies were SO off-kilter!) and the way it just sort of got soggy after a moment of sitting while we ate.  But…it was cooked through.  The cheese was melted.  The veggies were cooked to perfection and tasted fresh.  I was content.  I felt good.

And…it must have worked because this gluten-free pizza fueled me all the way to a new half marathon personal record!

Julia seemed really happy with her wood-fired pizza…and the crust looked absolutely fantastic on her slices.  I admit…I had crust envy.

If you find yourself in the Fishers area, I highly recommend Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub for your lunch or dinner plans. They have everything from salads to pizzas to sandwiches…and even dessert.  I toyed with the idea of getting gelato…but I opted against it in the end.  But…trust me…this is a great place and they were very careful with the preparation of my food.  And for that, I am eternally grateful.

I will definitely be back.  Next time…I think I’ll try a sandwich!

Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub's Gluten-Free Vava Veggie Pizza
Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub’s Gluten-Free Vava Veggie Pizza
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Restaurant Review: Crepes ‘N Crepes, Denver, Colorado

Crepes 'n Crepes, Denver, Colorado
Crepes ‘n Crepes, Denver, Colorado

Restaurant: Crepes ‘N Crepes, Denver, Colorado

Crepes.

Thin little French pancakes of awesomesauce.

Yep.  That about sums it up.  They come sweet.  They come savory.  But the fact of the matter is…I love them.  There is something just so…foodie…about a crepe.  They, for one thing, are a bitch to make.  And, sadly, they are very hard to come by in the gluten-free variety.

There is a great food truck here who catered my birthday party last year…Sweet ‘N Savory, who does gluten-free crepes…and I love them so much.  We’re BFFs really.  If they have an event…you better believe I am there.  When I go to Columbus, Ohio…I hit up Cest Si Bon…where I can get gluten-free crepes while out of town.  But, the place I would get gluten-free crepes when I was visiting Denver…closed.   It’s been closed for about two years now.  It was where I first had a Crepe Suzette (my absolute favorite crepe in life!) and fell in love with it.

So what is a girl to do when she constantly craves crepes and her usual spot in Denver is gone?

You find a new one!  And thanks to my Find Me Gluten Free app, I found one.

The place is Crepes ‘N Crepes…and they do have amazing gluten-free options.  Any crepe can be made gluten-free…you just have to tell your server.  I actually had a decent breakfast up in Boulder, Colorado that morning (The Buff, FTW!)…but I knew I’d be hungry sooner or later.  And when we had limited parking at the hotel, our minds were made up…Cathy and I were grabbing an early dinner…and it was going to be crepes.

We drove out to East Third Avenue in Denver and parked the car.  A short stroll from the parking garage to the restaurant.  I was quite excited!  We strolled in and we were seated out on the front porch under a nice umbrella, the afternoon breeze a nice change of pace.  We were given menus and ordered water.  I already knew what I was going to get for my crepe.  They had a Crepe Suzette.  Cathy…she needed some time to ponder.  She is more of a savory crepe person than a sweet crepe person, so when she finally decided…it was all about cheese.  Seriously.

Cathy ordered the Fromage de Chevre (Goat Cheese Crepe) that came with a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and a Pesto ($8.00).  I got the Gluten-Free Crepe Suzette ($10.50 includes the $1.00 up-charge for gluten-free).  The waitress asked if they needed to clean the stone off for me.  I did explain that I was a Celiac and that it was necessary.  She said it wasn’t a problem and went to put our orders in.

We only had a little bit of a wait before our crepes arrived.  My folded pocket of goodness was a thin folded pancake that was made up of lemon juice, caramel, butter, sugar and grand marnier.  Mmmm…boozy crepes!!  It looked amazing, all flambeed to a beautiful sugary crust on the top.  I was ready to dive right in and see if it compared to my first…and the one my food truck made specifically for me on my birthday.  I took up my fork and knife and sliced right in.  One bite…

And it was good.  It was.  It wasn’t quite up to what I had at La Creperie Cafe the other times I was in Denver (such a shame they closed!) or from Sweet ‘N Savory.  But it was very good.  It had that gritty sugary feel on the inside with the butter making it soft and delectable.  The caramel gave it that nice crust on the top.  And the lemon juice tied everything together.  The booze was nicely burned off, giving it just that hint of flavor.  Yep…still my favorite crepe.  Just delicious.  I was one happy girl, eating my gluten-free crepe out in the Denver sunshine that afternoon.

Cathy’s crepe, by the way, looked fantastic.  It was stuffed with soft goat cheese and she was provided with two dipping sauces.  While she is a huge fan of roasted red peppers, her favorite sauce was the pesto.  She was in heaven when she combined that flavor of the crepe with the savory cheese and that kick of the pesto.  She devoured it.  And left no pesto in the container.

I was very happy that I at least got to have one of my favorite treats while in Denver.  It was Denver where I first got served up a gluten-free crepe, so it has become somewhat of a tradition to seek out.  Thanks to Crepes ‘N Crepes…I had an amazing Gluten-Free Crepe Suzette while enjoying a relaxing afternoon on the patio, chatting with my roommate and just taking it all in.  Was it the best Crepe Suzette I ever had?  Nope.  But it was still delicious…and that is good enough for me!  I can’t wait to go back!

Crepes 'N Crepes Gluten-Free Crepe Suzette
Crepes ‘N Crepes Gluten-Free Crepe Suzette