Category Archives: Product Reviews

Gluten free at Grey Market DC

Posted on October 23, 2011 | 2 comments

Yesterday I went to my first Grey Market. It was way-the-heck up in Columbia Heights/Petworth, and also in a small basement of a corner store. It kind of felt like the Dirty Dancing set where all of the workers danced, but filled with food vendors.

There were mostly baked goods up for sale, with adorable mini pop tarts, cupcakes, and Halloween-themed cookies. So, not much for me to sample. On their products page, it looked like there would be a few gluten free vendors there, but I only saw one: Sweet Nuttings. Maybe I missed the other ones in the chaos…


This place has a great bakery concept: focus on nuts, and let them each shine in their own dedicated cookie.

I got one of each.


The pistachio one was my favorite I think, but they were all delicious. They had a rich, buttery texture, and tasted like an amplified version of the nut.

How gorgeous is that cookie? I wish I’d bought a dozen.


Sadly I can’t find a website for them, but they have an email address: sweetnuttings@gmail.com.

After Grey Market, we headed over to The Heights, which I’m only mentioning because they had the most delicious Maple Squash and Sage soup ever.


It’s vegan and gluten free, and tastes like Thanksgiving. I guarantee that this will wet your whistle for Turkey Day. The Heights also has an amazing happy hour with $4.25 glasses of wine (dangerous).

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Top 8 mainstream gluten-free snacks

Posted on October 21, 2011 | 5 comments

I saw a post about gluten free mainstream products, so I thought I would do my own. My fridge and cupboards are usually about 80% natural/organic and 20% mainstream products, and I usually only buy mainstream products that I LOVE and can’t live without. I did not include things that are obviously gluten free, whole foods, or things that are incredibly healthy really, but things that are truly just snackable.

1. Mini Snickers bars – not that you can call a candy bar a snack, but I love a couple of these in the middle of a rough work day. And don’t get me started on how adorable the Easter pastel colored ones are.

2. Chex cereal – even though the sugar count is high, still great for snacking

3. Archer Farms (Target) fruit strips – Perfect for a hit of sugar before a run, and they’re not too chewy or fake feeling

4. Orville Redenbacher’s kettle corn – this with white chocolate chips is my go-to late night movie or work snack

5. Fritos – horrible for you, but so addictive. On top of veggie chili is so ghettolicious. The flavor twists Honey BBQ flavored ones are also gluten free. And equally awful for you.

6. Skinny Cow truffle bars  – White Mint is my fave, I have one of these pretty much every day.

7. Emerald cocoa roast almonds – my aunt introduced me to these. It’s the closest you can get to dunking almonds in chocolate while still keeping them healthy.

8. Mentos – more of a mint than a snack, but sometimes I eat like five of them. In which case I make them a snack, albeit a bad one.

Any guilty pleasure gluten free snacks to add?

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Breads from Anna pancake mix review

Posted on October 12, 2011 | 3 comments

A while back when I was home in Michigan for the weekend, I picked up a bag of maple pancake mix by Breads From Anna. Yes, mostly because it had my name on the package, but also maple pancakes sounded awesome.

This mix is really unique because it doesn’t have corn, rice, or almond flour in it. It’s first ingredient is tapioca starch, but it also has arrowroot powder, millet flour, chia flour, pinto and navy bean flour, and chickpea flour.


I made the batter as directed, but it was super thick. So I kept adding milk to thin it out, but it seemed to never get to a good pancake batter consistency. I must have added double the milk and it still was like a muffin batter.

They also didn’t get very fluffy, they were more like flatjacks than flapjacks (heehee). Once I put some pumpkin and cinnamon in and topped with maple sugar they were alright.

So sad that my namesake pancake mix didn’t live up to the hype I had built up in my head. Maybe some of their other products are better, but I wasn’t impressed with this one.

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Gluten free veggie burger review: Amy’s Bistro Burgers

Posted on October 5, 2011 | 1 comment

Good gluten free veggie burgers are something that I’m still on the hunt for, since I can’t seem to find my old stand-by Franklin Farms burgers anywhere in DC.

Usually Amy’s products are reliable, so I was excited to see their “Bistro Burgers” in the freezer at Whole Foods. For $5.49 for a box, they’re not cheap, but also less expensive than some of the other veg burgers in the case. (Note to self: attempt to make veggie burgers in your new food processor).

The burgers had a lot of flavor to them, which is sometimes lacking in veggie burgers. They also crisped up really nicely on the stove. I brought one to work and just microwaved it, and it ended up just falling apart into a kind of floppy patty. That sounds really gross, but it didn’t taste bad, it was just messy to eat. It’s also kind of worth it since the burgers don’t have soy protein in them, but instead have natural ingredients like beans, brown rice, and tofu.

These are best served with some kind of sauce – I made a wrap with hummus and it was super tasty.

Some burgers I’ve had that are not so tasty?

The Yucky List

  1. Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burgers – I just don’t get why these products are so popular. I find the veggie burgers to be kind of rubbery? Or gritty? Also, will someone please tell them to update their packaging? It looks like the cover of a nutrition book.
  2. Sunshine falafel burgers – these things are the worst. As dry as the desert. They’re also 230 calories each, which is just stupid.

Do you have any recommendations, or non-recommendations on gluten free veggie burgers? I’m always trying to find a better one!

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36 Hours in NYC – Chinese food and Terri love

Posted on October 1, 2011 | 4 comments

Over the last week I’ve been in and out of NYC for work, and tried to visit as many of my favorite places as I could. I didn’t quite get everywhere that I wanted to go, but here are a few highlights:

Terri Vegetarian – Flatiron

I’ve raved about Terri before, and since it’s right by my office I went there twice. They also recently created a menu that has all of their sandwiches reworked to be gluten free (just ask for it, they have it behind the counter). It’s basically just replacing any other fillings with their soy “chicken” strips, but still helpful to have.
I got the “Chicken” “Cheddar” “Ranch” wrap (so many quotation marks!) one time, and the Buffalo “Chicken” wrap the other.

I know that it weirds some people out, but I love Daiya cheese. It tastes like Velveeta to me, and I don’t see how that’s a bad thing. And the “ranch” dressing is really good, there’s a ton of flavor in it and I think I like it more than the bottled stuff.

Lili’s 57 – Midtown

This was a new one for me – gluten free General Tso’s shrimp! I haven’t eaten Chinese food like this since I was diagnosed, so it was a real treat. I can’t say that I really miss eating food like this, because it’s really heavy, but it was definitely delicious. And a side roll of sushi made it feel a bit healthier. They also carry Redbridge and have a full gluten free Chinese food menu.

Bluedog Cafe – Chelsea/Flatiron

I wouldn’t say that Bluedog caters to gluten free diners really, but they do almost always have a really yummy gluten free salad of some kind. This one was roasted carrots, butternut squash, and chickpeas. Holy Vitamin K.

Not pictured gluten free eats included a piece of cake from Mozzarelli’s, a bag of cookies from Babycakes, and a salad from the Birreria at Eataly, and a surprisingly fabulous bag of gluten free animal cookie from Duane Reade.

Being back in NYC sure did make me miss having all of my favorite gluten free places right around the corner, not to mention skylines like this:

I think that I can manage with my new DC skyline though. Nothing beats looking at this on your way to work every day.

Where would you go with 36 hours in the Big Apple? What are your “must-go” places in NYC?

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Mrs. Crimble’s: when gluten free goes wrong

Posted on September 18, 2011 | 3 comments

Last week Mrs. Crimble’s cheese bites were on sale at Whole Foods. And since I’ll buy pretty much anything on sale and gluten free, I figured “what the heck?” and threw them in my basket.

The cheese bites replace wheat flour with cheese, which is cool, and also looked like Bugles on the package. And my heart still beats for Bugles, so I had high hopes for these little cheesy babies.

So, let me start by saying that these, in no way, tasted like sour cream and onion. They tasted like…nothing really. With a slight aftertaste of cheese. They’re also too pointy and thin, so it’s like eating sharp cheese paper.

This video review from GFree TV seems to agree with me – they’re just not good.

They’re not salty, don’t taste like much, and were overpriced (I think about $4 for about a single-serving bag).

I also saw on Mrs. Crimble’s website that they make the chocolate macaroons that I hated. They looked just like the Girl Scout cookies Samoas, which were my favorite. But they were really dense and overly chewy. I ended up throwing out the package. And that’s saying something, considering I’m a cookie monster in training.

I would have been better off making my own gluten free Samoas with this recipe from Gluten Free Betsy.

Is it because Mrs. Crimble’s is a British company? Who knows. Just don’t buy it. Even if it is on sale at Whole Foods 🙂

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Good Things Monday

Posted on September 12, 2011 | 1 comment

Starting the week off right, by celebrating some of my favorite things at the moment!

1. Pop up farmers markets

Since Eastern Market is always a madhouse, I love the smaller farmer’s markets that pop up around the city. Like the one in McPherson Square every Thursday where I sampled about ten local cheeses.

Before deciding on this yummy local havarti from Keswick Creamery. They also had a really yummy chocolate pudding, and spreadable cheeses (like Boursin).

At the pop up market on U Street I got a kind of apple I’ve never tried before: zestar. I’m so excited that apple season is here.

And lastly, there was a random bake sale across from Flow Yoga on P Street on Saturday where I got a gluten free German chocolate cupcake, and this rice crispy-type treat.

2. Nutritional yeast

I’ve heard about nutritional yeast for awhile, but haven’t tried it yet because it just doesn’t sound all that appealing. But then I heard that it was in Cafe Green’s delicious mac and cheese, so I figured it couldn’t be all that bad. I got a small bag from the Whole Foods bulk bins to give it a try.

I used it to top some roasted eggplant and it tastes remarkably like parmesan cheese, only meltier and milder. Apparently it’s full of B vitamins and other goodforyou stuff, so I will definitely use it as a parm substitute again.

3. National Celiac Disease Awareness Day is tomorrow!

Check out this list of 13 ways you can celebrate the day from Celiac Central. I’ll be doing:

#1: Share the Celiac Symptoms Checklist. I’ll be sending the list out to my friends and posting on social network. Chances are someone I know is a closet Celiac.

#3: Go for a run. Pre-diagnosis I felt so awful there was no way I could run. I will celebrate my health and run a bit longer and faster.

#8: Have a party. I won’t have a full-blown party (maybe next year 🙂 ) but I will be making some gluten free baked goods to bring into my office.

Are you doing anything to celebrate Celiac Awareness Day? And how psyched are you that it actually exists now?!

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Chocolate in all forms

Posted on August 25, 2011 | 2 comments

There are some times of the month when I swear I can eat chocolate at every meal. While I could definitely put down a pint of Haagen Dazs every night, I try to find healthier ways to control my cravings.

Chocolate ZICO coconut water

When I first heard that ZICO was coming out with a chocolate coconut water I thought – blech! That cannot possibly be good. I’ve tried the other flavored varieties before and they are way too sugary or taste odd to me. So I stuck to plain.

This stuff tastes almost exactly like chocolate milk. Or at least Yoohoo.

Plus it’s only 110 calories for a big bottle, and since it’s so yummy I can take a few sips and put it back in the fridge, unlike plain coconut water which I basically chug so fast I give myself the hiccups.

I need to order a case of this right away.

(source)

Lindt chocolate with a hint of sea salt

I had seen some rave reviews of this chocolate on other blogs, but I’m not usually one to just buy a big honkin car of chocolate from the store. Well, desperate times call for desperate measures.

At first it tastes just like a good piece of dark chocolate, but then, when you get a little rock of salt it causes this little flavor burst that’s so cool! It basically amplifies the effect that you get when you add salt to sweet chocolate chip cookies.

Luna chocolate-peanut butter protein bars

When I was at Target the other day, I picked up a box of these and noticed that they are now labeled gluten free. I guess they just started labeling them, which is great because it clearly differentiates them from the normal Luna bars, which are not gf because of the oats.

“Our ingredient suppliers have confirmed that all ingredients are gluten free, so they contain no gluten from wheat, rye or barley. The location where we make our food is capable of making a gluten free food and we test our finished products to confirm that they are gluten free.” (source)

I can’t say that these taste all that great. They’re protein bars, so, they taste like protein bars. But, half of one out of the freezer works for me if I have a sweet tooth after lunch.

And when all else fails, I can always turn to…

Skinny Cow Chocolate Truffle bars. Because they taste like creamy frozen pudding.  Also, their website is confusing because it says “Does not contain” and then in the list it says “gluten free”. So it does not contain gluten free? Hmm…

Either way, they are gluten free and I can eat a box in two days. Or one day, or one hour.

So, there you have it. Some slightly healthier options for when you feel the need to have a constant stream of chocolate in your diet.

Do you have any other healthy gf chocolate dessert options?

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El’s Gluten Free Snacks: Bagel Chips and “Medleys”

Posted on August 24, 2011 | 2 comments

Apparently El’s Kitchen has been all over the place lately getting the word out about their gluten free bagel chips and Gardetto-like snack mix called “Medleys”. I saw a giveaway on Gluten Free is Life yesterday, as well as a review from Gluten Free and the City. Maybe they’re looking to build out their testimonials section?

Well, I’m happy to help! They were so nice to offer to send me a sample bag of each as well.

When they arrived in my mailbox I immediately ripped them open and dumped them on a plate to see what was inside.

Bagel chips on the bottom, Medleys on the top

This is not your average snack mix, people.

The Medleys mix was so interesting and fun!

There were corn nuts, which I don’t even remember eating before, and now I don’t know how they were absent from my life for 24 years. So yummy! Like edible popcorn kernels mixed with a nut. Plus there were these potato cracker/chip pieces that were ultra crunchy and had ridges on them. And to round it out, there were little Frito-like corn chips.

All covered in delicious spicy coating of Worcestershire, honey, paprika, cumin, and a bunch of other ingredients.

The bagel chips are really crunchy and thin, but I was dying to dip them into something. So I pulled out some smoked salmon dip from Whole Foods and got to it.

And that is the bagel chips’ natural state. SO good with the dip. They’re so crunchy that they didn’t break when I loaded it up with dip.

But, I didn’t stop there.

Last night I decided that they needed to go on top of soup. I used to get soup at Bruegger’s Bagels and use their bagel chips to dunk in my soup. Those were thick, and still a bit hard to gnaw on after they waded in the soup for awhile (in a good way).

Doesn’t that homemade roasted corn and poblano chowder look good?

Oh, who am I kidding? I bought one of those pre-made quarts of soup from Whole Foods. I did add in fresh broccoli, yellow squash, and a salmon fillet. That has to count for something, right?

Kind of like I remember. I think that if I’m truly going to get the Bruegger’s effect, I’ll need to make my own really thick bagel chips from gf bagels at some point.

Still, they made a pretty great topper. I think I still prefer them with that smoked salmon dip. Yummmm

El’s doesn’t sell their products in DC yet, so you’ll have to buy them online. Or check if they have them in your area on their website. They would make a great gift for your gluten free BFF too, since it’s a specialty product that you won’t be able to recreate.

I think we can safely say that El’s owns the market in gf bagel chips and snack mix. Crunch away!

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Sweetbites food truck cupcake

Posted on August 20, 2011 | Leave a comment

Fridays call for excessive desserts eating. As do most other days of the week. Yesterday I was determined to find the Sweetbites truck, after I tried to go on Thursday but they had already left Franklin Square. How cute is their truck? Sweetbites was at Farragut Square for Farragut Friday – a mass gathering of DC food trucks every Friday around lunch time. Sweetbites has eleven kinds of cupcakes on their menu, with one gluten free option. If I had a choice in the matter, I would have gotten the non-gf salty caramel flavor, but I gladly accepted the gluten free Madagascar vanilla and chocolate buttercream one. This was all kinds of sugary yumminess. Strong vanilla flavor, and ridiculously fluffy and creamy buttercream. The cake was really moist, but also kind of collapsed under the weight of the icing. Not in a bad way of course, since icing is a “the more the merrier” type of thing. I’m not the hugest fan of cupcakes, and often have lamented how DC seems to be in a rut where the only gf desserts offered anywhere are cupcakes. And I’m not opposed to throwing one out if it’s too dry or not impressing me, like I did at Sticky Fingers. But I gobbled this one up. I also was happy to see that Sweetbites keeps all of their cupcakes in tupperware containers to prevent cross contamination. Some of the trucks had huge lines, like the Red Hook Lobster Truck. They serve their lobster salad plain (or maybe on lettuce?) instead of on a roll, so I may try it for my next food truck adventure. Although a lobster roll is really one of those things that seems kind of depressing without the roll… :/ Food Truck Fiesta is a great site for seeing where DC food trucks are every day. For other food trucks with gluten free options, check out this list!  Although note that Curbside Cupcakes does not have a gluten free option, I got confirmation via Twitter.

Now off to The DC Scoop! Going to eat ice cream until I get brain freeze.

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