Gluten Free @NatureValley Roasted Nut Crunch Bars

Wow, that sure is a mouthful to say. Much easier to say is I <3 General Mills. The poor USA/CANADA border patrol. They must know me by now for how much shopping I do over the river in the US.

Anyways, General Mills. I love them for their Chex. Their Betty Crocker Mixes. The upcoming Gluten free Bisquick mix this summer which I CANNOT wait for. www.liveglutenfreely.com

And now, their granola bars.

To be honest, I thought it was the granola bars that they were going to have. Much to my surprise, it's actually whole almonds, sunflower seeds and peanuts.

A nice sweet treat. Granted, it looks just like something you can make at home. I had to check the label a few times since it looks like there are faux Rice Krispies in them but it's from the corn flour I think. Anyways, I certainly don't have a packaging plant in my house which is why I love these. So easy to throw in the purse to have as a snack which is definitely one of the hardest things about this.

 


So good!!!

Pickle Barrel Restaurant

What to eat? So not prepared. This is why I need an iPhone!!


In another city, not too sure what I can eat and just hoping for no fast food. We decide to check out the mall and if nothing, at least I know I can have New York Fries since they only do french fries.


Just in the door of the mall is the Pickle Barrel restaurant at Sherway Gardens Mall.They had a sign right on the hostess sign saying "Allergies, please let us know" So far so good. I check with the hostess. She's not too sure and I start to scan the menu. I find a few things I think might be okay and ask to speak with someone who may know. The manager comes out and we start to talk.

I never make this much effort or bring this much attention to it. He offered to bring me a copy of what they had and he did in a few minutes and made a point to mention it to the server as well who seemed aware. A server who is aware is also new to me. It was fairly limited but that's okay, since I'm fairly picky anyway!

I chose the Grilled 10oz New York, Striploin Steak  - Premium and well marbled beef with P.B.
special spice rub. Served with grilled vegetables, baby bok choy, mini potatoes and side salad.

Just salt and pepper on the steak, the veggies steamed and salad with balsamic and oil.

What a wonderful dinner at the Pickel Barrel!!!

Picazzo's Pizza Review

One day I saw a link to Picazzo's Gluten Free Menu and knew that one day I would go there.
And one day last fall, I did.
Driving through Arizona, led me to Flagstaff to stay for the night.

I asked for the gluten free menu and a beer! My first Bard's Tale beer. It was just like drinking a microbrewery beer.

I ordered the garlic bread and the server asked if I wanted some marinara sauce to dip it in. Oh, heck yeah! My first garlic bread in months. It's a little heavier than you might be used to but it was still great.




 I also ordered pizza. Of course. Now I could have ordered any kind of specialty pizza but I just wanted a good old fashioned Pepperoni Pizza.

Nice and thin crust. Covered in parm.
I just wish they were closer. Franchise anyone?










Y'all need to get some!

Another Gluten Free Pasta

Another attempt at pasta. I enjoyed the Schar pasta that I had
bought much more so than the Tinkyada which had no flavour whatsoever.
The Schar pasta, as I've written about was good but really didn't heat up well. It sort of
defeats the purpose of making a big batch of sauce if it's not easy to
have noodles to eat.


That's one thing I haven't done in a while. Make my own sauce. Soon though.


I was told about a bakery nearby that had gluten free products according
to a sign in their window. So naturally, I was excited to go. I've been
there before and it was full of warm, crusty Italian rolls and breads.
I asked about the gluten free products and they pointed me to the only
things they carried. Corn pasta and spelt pasta. So they were 1 for 2,
I guess, since spelt is not allowed. Nor would I even try it if I could
since I don't particularly like the word "spelt". That's me. Super
picky but yet a food snob.


I bought a package of the penne and put it away at home along with all the other pastas I've picked up and have yet to try.


A whiff of homemade tomato sauce one day made me crave pasta though and I decided this would be the package I would try.

"The Le Veneziane corn pasta gets its characteristic golden color from its rich natural carotenes (vitamin A). This corn pasta has a delicate and gentle taste that allows it to work
with any sauce. It taste just as good as (some say better than) regular wheat pasta.

Le Veneziane corn pasta embodies Italian pasta making traditions at its best."




This was good.  Really really good. I didn't taste too
much of a corn flavour but this might be my new go-to pasta. Easy to
cook, not too starchy, not mushy, not brittle. As Goldilocks would say,
" It was just right".


I made the whole package and the leftovers, I rinsed in cold water to stop the cooking, then put a
little olive oil on the noodles so they wouldn't stick. I had a really
good feeling about the pasta. Threw some sauce on top and brought it to
work the next day for dinner. My gutsy Move of the Day? Not bringing
any other meal to eat. If this didn't heat up well and turned into
mush, I would have absolutely nothing to eat other than my snacks.


And.......










It was fantastic heated up as well. All in all, just like normal, eating for one meal and having great leftovers.




Now, I think it might be time to start making my own tomato sauce again.

Pasta!!!!!

I've had pasta 3 times since I've been gluten free. I love pasta. Love to go for Penne with Tomato Sauce. I'm so plain... but why mess with a good thing.

I haven't been to a restaurant to try their rice pastas yet though.


I've tried Tinkyada and found that it had no flavour. The texture was fine but it just seemed strange, like something was missing.

Then I tried Schar penne and I've had that twice now. It's a fantastic substitute for me although it didn't heat up the next day very well but that could be my technique so I'll have to try again.

Ahhhh Scones.....

I was driving through the States, just outside San Francisco when we stopped in at Whole Foods to buy some dinner items. I found the Whole Food's brand of Cranberry Orange scones. This was before I really started baking my own gluten free items. Very dry. Not a ton of flavour. Certainly not great at room temperature and well, we didn't have access to a microwave.

I torment myself. I read the King Arthur Flour blog. Sometimes just for the photos. The photos can be mouthwatering. They recently had a blog post on Gluten Free Brazilian Cheese Bread which I really want to try since I had some at the Farmer's Market on Granville Island in Vancouver.
But prior to that, some time ago, bookmarked and saved was a recipe for Scone Nibbles or a copycat version of Starbucks scones. http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2009/06/10/a-tasty-nibble-an-ideal-nosh-sugar-glazed-mini-scones/

Now, I made some focaccia last week with a gluten free bread flour mix and didn't label it. So of course, what did I accidently use when I made these scones? Yeah, that's right. Oh well, they were still amazing. I really can't complain.

I didn't have enough chocolate chips or vanilla extract so I used my white chocolate chips with some butterscotch extract and then some amaretto flavouring for the glaze.

That's right. White chocolate butterscotch scones with amaretto glaze. So much yum!

This post is linked to Simply Gluten Free's Gluten Free Photo Contest. 

Gluten Free Rhubarb Coffee Cake

One of the best parts of spring. We transplanted some when we moved and it's not quite ready yet but happily, someone brought about a dozen stalks to us.

I've found some jams and other uses for it but I always loved Rhubarb Cake from Best of Bridge cookbook.

I can never admit the most common way I eat rhubarb though.

I've had a few good successes with a general gluten free flour mixture so it's time to give the cake another go. It's a very forgiving recipe since I was short on eggs and forgot the vanilla and it still turned out wonderful.

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs - I only had 1 so I used it and then 1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup sour milk ( 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 cup milk)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups gluten free flour( I used 2 parts brown, 2/3 part potato starch, 1/3 part tapioca starch)
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp vanilla - oops, I forgot this
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped fine

Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Cream brown sugar and butter, add eggs and beat well. Add sour milk, soda,salt and flour.
Mix well and add vanilla and rhubarb.
Pour into 9x13 greased and floured pan.
Mix brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on batter.

Bake at 350F for 45 minutes.

DO NOT ADD CARAMEL SAUCE.


It makes it utterly amazing. I'm sure you don't want that. Ick....Ughh, No thank you!

Okay, I lied.


Add the caramel sauce.

This post is linked to Simply Gluten Free's Gluten Free Photo Contest.

Check out some other cake recipes on Gluten Free Homemaker Gluten Free Wednesday - Cake Recipes