This is what I’ll be doing for the next week and a half. Expect lots of gluten free traveling posts when I return 🙂
Category Archives: Uncategorized
The UWS gets a heck of a lot more appealing
I’m pretty excited that another gluten free destination is coming to the upper part of Manhattan. Not that I don’t love trucking it all the way down to Tulu’s or Babycakes, but it will be nice to have a store just for ME!
They say that every Sunday is “Sample Sunday” – and if there was ever a girl who loves her free samples, it’s me. They’ll also carry baked goods from Tulu’s, Pi, and Heaven Mills.
See this article in DNA info.
Welcome to the Big Apple G-Free NYC!
Sidenote: will someone please buy me this book?
Dinks for Christmas
Santa, please bring me some Dinks for Christmas. They are incredibly adorable! Since they’re made in Brooklyn, maybe I can try to find them in a store somewhere around here…
I also will accept one of these super sweet cases for my new Macbook Air, or some white fleece mittens. That is in addition to the Dinks, not as a substitution. Thank you!
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Christmas, christmas cookies, cookies, Gluten-free, holidays
This is my gluten free Christmas list
Tis the time of year for holiday gift guides! I’ve had my eye on some gluten-free related items lately, so I thought that I’d publish them in the off chance that Santa read this and has time to pick me up some things.
1. Books and cookbooks!
Over Thanksgiving, I went into Barnes and Noble and saw a huge selection of gluten free cookbooks, books about gf baking, and gf lifestyle books.
While I usually am fine with looking recipes and information up online, there were some books that really caught my eye! You don’t get gorgeous pictures on a website like the ones in Blackbird Bakery Gluten-Free: 75 recipes for Irresistable Gluten-Free Desserts and Pastries!
Although I think I would probably prefer one of the kid’s cookbooks that I saw, because the recipes are more my speed 🙂
Like Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Cookbook for Kids and Busy Adults
Books and cookbooks make a great gift – they’re relatively cheap, easy to pack in a suitcase, and chock full of new ideas!
2. Gluten-free swag and apparel
Who doesn’t love a novelty tee? You can show your GF pride, jump off conversations, and look super-fly.
From Cafe Press
They have lots of gf tees, but this is one of my favorites:
And I love this tote:
And this one makes me laugh:
3. FOOD! The holidays can be hard for us celiacs. There are the memories of Christmases past, the temptations at every corner, and the well-meaning family members who try to force feed you.
Buy some Glutino pretzel twists, dip them in white chocolate, and slap some sprinkles on them!
Buy them a gluten free goody that they don’t usually have. Maybe it’s Udi’s Bagels or muffins, or just a tupperware full of box-mix brownies.
Or perhaps just a big ole bag of xanthan gum. MMMMMMM!
So, that’s what’s on my gluten free Christmas list. Hopefully I don’t get coal (or wheat) instead…
Generation Gluten Free
I just watched the trailer for “Generation Gluten Free”, which is being shown at the Suffolk County Celiac Meeting next week (sign up on Meetup). The laser noises as the title comes in are a bit off-putting, but it seems like it could be a good short film to show someone in your life who might not understand what having Celiac’s is all about.
- Watch the trailer. Or watch the interview with the director. Or buy a copy for $4.50!! That’s less than a package of gluten free cookies, which will just go right to your hips anyway.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged celiac's disease, documentary, generation gluten free, Gluten-free
Last Licks
Ice cream season is slowly ending. This Friday is the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck’s last ride, and soon the Mr. Softee trucks will no longer be tempting us on every street corner. So, I thought I’d share a few of my recent ice cream adventures around the city. First stop: Highline Park on the west side. Which is pretty awesome, considering it’s made on top of an old rail line.
View from Highline Park
After walking a whole mile, of course they assume that you’ll need to cool down with some Blackwell’s Organic Ice Cream.
I don’t know if you can see it – but in the lower right hand corner it says “gluten free”. Which makes me very happy, since I wouldn’t want to repeat my horrible encounter with Carvel’s sprinkles again.
I got the black raspberry ice cream, which was alright. Should have splurged for the chocolate peanut butter, but we all make mistakes.
I know, this picture is focused on that woman's legs.
A bigger win was the gelato at Eataly. Again, I panicked while ordering and got the pistachio (?) But it was really good! It had a really strong pistachio taste, and even though I got the smallest size they had, it was still too much for me to finish. (Especially after having a crepe with veggie pate from Bar Suzette).
Pistachio Gelato
Finally, last weekend I went by the courtyard outside Tavern in the Green in Central Park, and had my first experience with the famous Van Leeuwan Artisan Ice Cream Truck. I thought – “Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream?! My prayers have been answered, I’m in, give me an extra large please.”
But – it was so… not… good. At all. It just tasted like cold pumpkin. Like if you took a can of pumpkin and froze it. Kind of grainy and bland. I didn’t even finish a quarter of it. Next time I’m definitely getting the soup at Ladle of Love instead.
Soup sounds better now anyway. I guess ice cream season really is over 😦
Posted in Uncategorized
Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory
Yesterday I walked the Brooklyn Bridge for the second time – this time from Manhattan into Brooklyn. Despite having about four times as many people as it should have on it, it was a lovely afternoon for a trek to “the Other” outer borough (Queens rules!).
At the other side, waiting for me, was The Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory! I’ve been fixated on going here since I saw Rachael Ray go there on an episode of “$40 a Day”.
On our way there we passed Grimaldi’s – and the line to get in was at least 100 people deep! You’ll never catch me waiting in line for hours on a beautiful day for some pizza (although I guess I’ll never have that option…).
When we got to Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory there was also a line, but then we saw that there was a little cart outside selling the ice cream as well (they just didn’t have sundaes or toppings). Fine with me!
I got some Peaches and Cream and sat down by the water to enjoy.
Now, I’m going to be frank with you – this didn’t totally blow my mind. As promised, it was very “pure” tasting, and you could tell that they used a high quality cream. I really wanted more peach flavor though! I get it, I get it, they just use peaches, no peach-flavored syrup or added junk to enhance the taste. It was a bit lack-luster to me though.
Next time I’ll get something with chocolate – chocolate has never let me down.
Then, I see that there’s a food stand selling vegetarian tacos for $3!
Hot dog!
A girl can’t be expected to walk through an art museum without the proper fuel, right?
Corn tortillas, beans, salsa, cheese, spicy sour cream sauce, and a lime on top.
Best $3 I've ever spent
Off to the Brooklyn Museum!
Posted in Uncategorized
Gluten free at weddings
My meal card - a bit bootleg
Last weekend I attended my fourth wedding of the summer, and was really impressed with the gluten-awareness level! They knew I was coming, so that helped – but they were prepared with a fully gluten free meal for me. And it wasn’t just a plate full of steamed vegetables, it was a full-blown, cream-filled, crabmeat-topped delicious meal!
So much butter, so little time
There was a virtual ocean full of crab meat soaked in butter on top of this salmon, which made up for the fact that I could only have a few appetizers. The broccoli and mashed potatoes were pretty generic, but if you loaded some of the crab meat heaven on top it stepped it up a notch.
Dessert is usually a let down at weddings as well. Can’t have the cake – which just sits there and taunts you with its sugary yumminess all night. And most other desserts are of the cheesecake/torte variety, which are also a no-no.
But – this wedding had chocolate-covered strawberries! And they were dipped to look like mini brides and grooms, so they were adorable. I was so happy when they brought them out I ate two whole bride-and-groom couples.
Then, just when I thought I was getting a bit tired on the dance floor, they brought out a CANDY BAR. I rarely have candy like gummy bears – but they gave me a quick boost to keep cutting a rug. I wish that they had actual candy bars in the candy bar, but that wouldn’t have been as pretty as the green and pink morsels they offered.
If/when I ever get married I’m going to try to get Udi’s to sponsor it – the amount of gluten free food will be staggering. I’ve gotten so many ideas of what to do and what not to do from my wedding tour this summer. But for now – at least I didn’t have to eat steamed veggies 🙂
Chelsea Clinton: a girl after my own heart
Chelsea Clinton will be serving gluten free cake at her wedding!
Who knew that Chels herself has a gluten allergy? Pretty neat!
Maybe it will look like my favorite cake ever…
From garden to table
Zucchini fresh from Nick’s dad’s garden = simply delicious. I just sauteed some up with olive oil, salt, and pepper and it was a perfect snack. Tons of vitamins and good stuff – plus it’s free, and natural! Unlike the vegetables I pick up from corner stands, or the ever-shady C-Town, this came right from the ground – and that is something magical.
One day I’ll have my very own veggie and herb garden. One day 🙂
Gluten Free? Gimme Three! 
