Marshall's Finds

Last week, I enjoyed a 90 minute exfoliating massage as a way to finish up my final weeks of summer. Justin bought it for me as a gift before school was out, and I kept putting off using it. I was happy to use it on a summer day, because I wasn't rushing to get there or leave. I could just let my body and mind relax. When it was done, the masseuse told me I should walk around at some of the stores next door because after a massage you are in a sleepy state. She said it is not safe to drive right away.

So I wandered over to Marshall's, which is a discount store that sells mostly clothing items. While in the store, I stumbled upon the small food section and found some gluten free food items. Each item was one or two dollars off of the suggested price that I would probably pay at Whole Foods or Central Market. These are the gluten free food items that I bought: cake mix, pizza mix, chips, and candy.

I wasn't overly impressed with either of these two candy items when I tried them. (And I love fruity chewy candy!) The worms only came in three flavors which if I remember correctly were lemon, grape, and tangerine. What a random combination? The gummy bears just didn't measure up to my standards either. I don't know if since I bought them at Marshall's that they were harder than normal, but they weren't squishy and gummy enough for me (if that even makes sense!)

I love these Dude Ranch flavored Late July chips! I normally buy them at Whole Foods for 2.99 for these smaller sized bag. These were only 1.99, which I was ecstatic to find this deal. The ranch flavor is so addicting that you eat this bag much faster than is intended. I guess I'm lucky they only had two bags in this flavor, because I don't need to have a stock pile of quick eating chips in the house.

It was exciting to find gluten free foods at a discounted price. I will have to remember to keep Marshall's and similar stores in mind for the future. I'll post about one of the cake mixes soon. I still need to try the other cupcake mix and the pizza mix. Hopefully I'll get to them soon. I have a couple ideas in mind, so we'll see...

Yummy Filled Donuts

While in Michigan, my mom's co-worker told her about a store in Rochester Hills called Celiac Specialties. My mom insisted that we check it out since it's really not that far from my parent's house. I looked at the website before to see if anything caught my eye. I'm glad I did because I saw donuts filled with jelly and custard on the site. I haven't come across any filled donuts since being gluten free, so I was excited about the prospect to try some. When I went to the store, I couldn't find them but I asked a worker about them. She didn't have any out but went and found some in the back! I was happy that I looked at the website before because I could've totally missed out on these donuts. I picked out two raspberry filled donuts and two custard filled donuts. 

They came frozen which is nice because then you don't have to worry about eating them all at once. I pulled out one of each flavor and put them in the refrigerator the day before I wanted to eat them. The powdered sugar comes on the side, which makes sense because of them being sold frozen.

I just dabbed powdered sugar all over and felt like I did a decent job. Doesn't it look like a regular gluten filled donut?

A gluten free jelly filled donut! The donut was a delightful treat that I usually don't consume. The dough had an airiness to it, but was soft and had a good consistency. I thought these were a good reproduction for a donut.

The custard filled donut came with chocolate frosting on the side.

 I didn't do the best job of frosting this one. Ok, it looks pretty pathetic, but it's more about flavor than looks!


The chocolate and the custard was the perfect pair. I don't think I can say I liked one flavor better than the other. The two kinds I picked were different, yet I enjoyed each equally. I recommend these donuts and look forward to eating more in the future!

Their croissant rolls are also highly recommended. I brought some to Wisconsin where Kristen and I made some great turkey and ham sandwiches from them.

Sour Lovers

When I first moved to Texas 4 years ago, I sounded like a broken record at the grocery store. I'd say, "This product is cheaper at Meijer. Meijer has a wider variety. I miss Meijer." When I was in Michigan during the month of July, I had to find time to wander around Meijer. It was then that I came across Gimbal's Sour Lovers. (I'm sure they probably sell these in Texas too, but I haven't seen them here. I've seen the Cherry Lovers at the BX before, but never the sour heart candy.) 

Look at all these delicious flavors! I liked them all but my favorites where Georgia Peach, Bing Cherry, and Fuji Apple.

Gimbal's candies are free of 8 major allergens, which is awesome. Plus, they don't use high-fructose corn syrup.

 The heart shape is so cute too.

More Goods from Vince & Joe's

When my sister, Kristen was in town this past weekend, we went to Vince & Joe's together. She showed me the freezer section where they now keep many of their gluten free baked goods. It was after lunch time, so we decided to split a gluten free pizza.

It was pre-made and packaged in a metal pan with a bag around it. It was convenient to be in the metal pan because we could cook in directly in the pan.

We followed the directions on the back of the package but thought it needed some more time in the oven. Kristen and I were rather hungry and not very patient. It was cooked, although we thought the center wasn't very crispy. It could've used more time and probably would've tasted better using a pizza stone. Plus, the pizza was only 5.49, I believe.

We couldn't pass up dessert either, so we agreed on a gluten free carrot cake. It was in the same kind of pan that the pizza came in and also in the freezer section.

We kept in the fridge so it would thaw until we were ready to indulge during the weekend.

After dinner on Sunday we eat had a slice and shared with the family. We are avid fans of their carrot cake, so this was not our first one. It was moist and full of nuts and raisins. There was a spice flavor that was nicely complemented with the cream cheese frosting.

Vince & Joe's

Updating from Michigan.

Last week I decided to check out Vince & Joe's, which is a market that has quite a few gluten free items. I wandered through out the store, mostly browsing. They have a wonderful selection of baked gluten free goods; however, I couldn't find the cake section. They must have moved it since I was there last, remember my Favorite Things - Michigan post from last summer. I decided to purchase these butterscotch macadamia cookies.

I ate all the cookies by myself! I liked the fact that they were a thicker cookie which was soft in the the middle. I know I've said it, but I'll say it again: I'm not the biggest fan of crunchy cookies. I love butterscotch, but usually don't like nuts in my cookies. However, the combination was perfect for me. The butterscotch flavor was present in all bites and the nuts weren't overbearing. 

Now, Cape Cod chips are not new to me. They are often part of my lunch or a go to snack in out house. I knew they came out with the 40% less fat Aged Cheddar and Sour Cream flavor a while back, but I couldn't find them in Texas. I was pleasantly surprised to find them at Vince & Joe's. This flavor didn't disappoint either, I think it fell in the same quality category as the rest of the chips that Cape Cod makes. I think they were more Cheddar-y than Sour Creamy though.

Gluten Free!

I'm sure I'll be making another trip to Vince & Joe's soon.

Sweet & Spicy

I needed to get out of the house today, so I made a trip to Central Market. Every time I'm there I look at the beer selection for new GF beers. I'm usually disappointed after scanning the GF beer section. (I really just need to be honest with myself. There aren't going to be new GF beers every month.) Then I check out the cider section, since most ciders are naturally gluten free. I don't ever recall seeing this brand before: Angry Orchard; maybe they are just new to Texas since it is made in Ohio.

There were three different flavors being sold at Central Market. I decided to pick the one that sounded the most unique. I chose Apple Ginger, but the other flavors were Traditional Dry and Crisp Apple. I'm interested to try the other flavors too. At my first sip, I really wasn't sure I was going to like the Apple Ginger. The ginger seemed strong and I second-guessed picking this flavor to try first. With each sip, I enjoyed the cider more and more. It was definitely different from other cider flavors that I've drank before. Overall I liked the Angry Orchard Apple Ginger Cider.

Justin must have been on my mind today! Yesterday we were talking about brewing our own hard cider and I bought some today. And then I decided to make some jalapeno poppers! Justin and I love to enjoy finger food/appetizers. I think I needed some comfort food today.

Of course my inspiration for the recipe came from Pinterest. I actually followed this recipe for easy baked jalapeno poppers step by step. (I omitted bread crumbs which are only a suggestion.) I halved the recipe of course because I'm only making for one! But I still ended up with a ton of left overs. First I washed 5 enormous jalapenos. Seriously I need to use jalapenos more in recipes because these only cost 51 cents.

I cut them in half.

Then I deseeded the jalapenos.

I whipped up the filling by combining the cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, and cilantro. I was lazy and didn't really measure any of it. I eyeballed it and may have used more cilantro than the recipe called for, but regardless they came out delicious and tasty.

The amount of cheese mixture I made was the perfect amount. I didn't have any left over, but had enough for each half to be filled to the top.

I baked for 15 minutes at 425.

They came out golden brown and ready to eat.

I paired the poppers with the Angry Orchard and it made a sweet and spicy combination. I was proud of the pairing that I created on my own. These poppers were simple and easy to make. The filling was light and airy. The cilantro is a nice touch to freshen the taste. I can't wait to make them for my hubby when he comes home. I see these as a great game day treat.

Miss and love you hubby.

Tamales

I have a goal to learn how to make tamales from scratch before we move from Texas (not sure exactly when that will be.) Authentic tamales are delicious, so when I was recently at Central Market and they were sampling some I was intrigued. I went to ask the guy if he knew if they were GF, because let's face it, as a celiac most often you have to avoid free food samplings at stores. To my surprise, the ones they were taste testing readily said, "gluten free" on a printed paper along with other features. I sampled some spinach flavored ones that were luscious and fresh tasting.

However, I decided to buy the chicken ones because I figured they were more versatile and I wouldn't get sick of them that quickly. The Texas Tamale Company also had other flavors like pork, beef, and black bean. I'm interested in trying more of these the next time I head to Central Market.

Look gluten free!

They are pretty easy to make although I didn't have a steamer so I improvised with my metal strainer. You simply boil water, then steam the tamales for 15 - 20 minutes.

They are not only delicious, but healthy. Two tamales is 130 calories and only 7 grams of fat; the tamales are also lard-free. You take the corn husks off before eating.

You can add sauce like cheese sauce or salsa, but I ate my plain. Even plain, they were filling and tasteful. Plus, they make for an easy dinner for one without all the hassle.

Pesto Pizza

I decided to get out of the house on Saturday, so I made a trip to Whole Foods. I picked up several products that I'm excited about! One I received for free with a coupon, another was a new beauty product I'm trying, and the last one was this awesome GF pizza. (You'll have to wait to find out what was free and which body product I'm now semi-ly obsessed with after 4 days.)

Against the Grain Nut-Free Pesto Pizza

The pizza cost $11.99, but there are four servings which are generous portions. With Justin gone, that means I ate this pizza for dinner on Saturday, for dinner Sunday, and for dinner again tonight. Since I'm the only one eating this week, whatever I make feeds me almost the whole week. The pizza has no toppings, which you might see as either a positive or a negative. Positive = you can customize what toppings you would like; negative = more money and more time! I was lazy, but knew I wanted to add something to my pesto pizza, so I cut up some mushrooms for the top. Justin and I had bought this pizza before and put numerous toppings on it that time like chicken, onions, and spinach.

I cooked it on my pizza stone and it came out perfectly. I love the crust of this pizza! (I'm a hard person to please with GF pizza crust.) It's flavorful, has a real pizza dough texture, and its a good thickness: not too thin nor too thick.

I know this is something I can't afford to eat every week (not the money, but calorie wise), however its quick and easy to pull from the freezer when you need a fast meal. I remember trying other Against the Grain products at the GF Expo, I'll have to look for more at my next Whole Foods trip.

Living Social Deal

My sister, Jill, sent me an email yesterday about a Living Social deal for glutenfreely.com. You will get $50 to spend on food, when you buy the deal for $25. For some reason, I had a ten dollar credit; so I decided to buy the deal for only 15 bucks.

I was a little hesitant to purchase the deal, because my other sister, Kristen, made a valid point: most of the prices are comparable if not less expensive at Whole Foods (and she lives in Chicago where things cost more!) Plus, on the website you have to pay for shipping. (However, if you spend $75 shipping is free.)

Eventually I decided to buy it because I thought it would give me an opportunity to try some new products. I figure I can think of things as being half off. When I buy stuff, I'll let you know what I think of the prices I paid and about the products.

Check it out here: only 1 day left! Hurry!!

My Latest Obsession

After dinner on Friday we stopped at Central Market HEB, which was down the street from Paloma Blanca. We wanted to browse their huge wine and beer selection. We also checked out their gluten free options.

I knew Udi's semi-recently came out with cookies, but this was the first time I saw them anywhere. I had to buy some, so I chose the chocolate chip ones.

I think these cookies are awesome because they are chewy! It seems like the majority of the GF cookies are hard and crunchy. These are kept in the freezer, which is nice so you can pull one out whenever you want one. They defrost pretty quickly or I put one in the microwave for a few seconds.

I think they're comparable to other cookies nutritionally too. The serving size is two cookies for 7 grams of fat and 150 calories.

My mouth waters just looking at this picture. They are rich and buttery tasting with tons of chocolate chips. I'm interested in trying their other cookie flavors.

My Favorite Things - Michigan Trip

I love making lists.

I was away on vacation for 14 days, which would be nearly impossible to catch up all of the details from my amazing trip.

As a result, I'm going to share some of my favorite Michigan things.

1. Family 

Me & Kristen (my fellow celiac)

Of course, number one on my list is seeing my family. I saw all three of my sisters, my niece, my nephew, my parents, Justin's parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandpa, even my grandparents from Wisconsin came! I had fun with every single person I saw.

2. Faygo Pop

So many flavors at Meijer.

My favorite flavor is diet Rock and Rye. I describe it as a cross between cream soda and red pop. In fact, at the store I questioned if there was actually rye in the pop. Then Justin's mom made a good point, is there actually pepper in Dr. Pepper? Just to be certain, I emailed Faygo about their gluten status. Here was their response:


Hi Karen,

All Faygo products are gluten free.

Thanks for writing!


3. My Jenna Kator Handbag

I had been obsessing about these online for quite awhile. When looking at the shop locations, I knew I would have to pick one up on my trip! My procrastination got the best of me and I waited until the day I left to search for this Corktown purse. The handbag came with a longer strap as well, that I've been rocking for the summer time. There are little pockets inside that make organizing easy.

Jenna Kator went to Michigan State and named her collection after places in Michigan, which I love! I will hands down support a Michigan designer over other designers.

4. Desserts! 

Everywhere I went, everyone was very supportive of my dietary needs. Justin parent's bought a toaster oven for GF stuff only! My mom always made meals that were naturally GF. Kristen and I were always eating first to avoid cross contamination with bread crumbs. Everyone was so amazing.

Desserts are a treat for me. I honestly don't eat as many cookies and cakes that I used to. When I was home, there was no shortage of desserts!

Disclaimer: I have more photos of the desserts than I do of my family. Some of the pics are not the greatest quality either because I felt like my dog, Iivana, with my mouth watering while I looked on.

Julie brought GF cupcakes from a bakery in Berkley. The carrot cake was my favorite.

My mom took me to Vince & Joe's to pick out some things from their GF bakery collection. I chose:

Bumpy GF Cupcakes

The topping was outrageous!

The frosting to cake ratio was almost equal.

My mouth is full, yet I'm still smiling.

I also picked out some GF peanut butter candy cookies. (aka Reese's Pieces inside)

I've had some amazing cakes since being gluten free, but cookies are a lot harder to replicate, in my opinion. I love soft, chewy cookies. Most cookies I've tried are as hard as a rock. These were a little stiff, but the peanut butter and candy made up on the crunchiness. 

Then Kristen arrived in town and was craving carrot cake from Vince & Joe's. The carrot cake was moist and filled with raisins. Like I said, so many delicious desserts.

My mom made homemade strawberry pie with Michigan strawberries for my grandpa's birthday. So she made me a crustless version. I never really liked pie crust anyways. The insides are the best part of the pie!

5. Biggby Coffee  

My mom gave Justin and me a couple gift cards to Biggby (formerly Beaner's). After quick research, I concluded there should be some GF options for me. To confirm these suspicions, I questioned the barista. He read me the label, asked me questions, and was patient. We went to Biggby twice. One time I ordered the Caramel Marvel iced. The next trip I ordered Caramel Mellow (caramel + marshmallow) hot. I love that you can order hot, cold, or frozen. I didn't take any pictures of my drinks :(

But if I had the option between Starbucks and Biggby: it would be Biggby every time!

• They offer several GF options. Upon further research I found:

Biggby Coffee Did you know all of our sauces and syrups are gluten free?? Only one drink currently on our menu has gluten - our chocolate chip cookie creme freeze. B happy!! ^FF

This was a recent Facebook post from May 23!

• And they are Michigan based!

 Check out my other favorite things here.