The Gluten-Free Expo is coming to Phoenix on November 12th and 13th!

I am excited to finally be able to attend a gluten-free expo. The last expo was right around the time I was diagnosed and I found out too late to attend. But this November I will be in Glendale finding all kinds of yummy gluten-free goodies! The expo main sponsors are Glutino and Udi’s, who have many products that I love! A full list of sponsors is available here.

The expo will be held at the Renaissance Hotel in Glendale, you know, the big one in Westgate. If you are traveling a distance, the expo has reserved a block of rooms. Click here to check it out.

I cannot wait to see all the vendors and find new brands and foods I can enjoy. I also plan to share all my new found knowledge with my readers and social media followers. I am all about raising awareness and sharing resources with fellow gluten-free friends. I think it is important people know that gluten-free is not a fad diet or lifestyle choice. For some of us, it is medically necessary to follow a gluten-free diet.

What all does a gluten-free expo entail? Well, samples obviously, but what else? There will be a ton of exhibitors, check out the full list here. I saw a cupcake vendor on that list so that will probably be my first stop! There are also classes you can attend. I have my eye on two classes, one each day. Saturday I’d like attend Gluten: Beyond the Gut and Sunday I want to hit up Simple, Quick and Easy Gluten-Free Desserts. I am always down to learning more gluten-free desserts!

As an official expo blogger, I will be posting from the expo on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook so be sure to follow along!

You can also follow the gluten-free expo on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook as well!

And now… some fun stuff for those that have stuck around!

I have five tickets to give away! I will give one away to one random person who comments on this blog posts. The other four will be given to a random person that comments on a specific post on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook (so be sure to follow my accounts and watch out for those posts.

But… that’s only four tickets. What about the fifth? Sign up for my monthly newsletter and I will select one random subscriber for the last ticket!

I will be selecting all five winners on October 9th!

If you don’t receive on the of the free tickets, you can receive 30% off your tickets through October 11th with code EARLYBIRD and 20% off through November 11th with code ADVANCE. Just use my affiliate link and enter the code at checkout!

What vendors and classes are you most interested in? Let me know in the comments and you could win a free ticket!

Celiac disease can be tough. Flying can be a pain. Combine the two and it can be a whole lot of joy.

I flew twice in July and was reminded of how difficult flying with celiac disease can be. Luckily, this time, I didn’t have any peanut free flights and was able to enjoy the free peanuts (and my trail mix). I have been on flights with a peanut allergy, which limits what I can eat even more. Most of my snacks involve nuts or nut butter because they are portable and have protein but I also have to make sure to bring something without nuts.

I am glad the airlines take nut allergies so seriously. I wish they could do a bit more for those of us that require a gluten-free diet.

Besides the peanuts, there is little I can get on a plane. Most airlines don’t have a meal I can purchase. They are all wraps or sandwiches.  The snack packs have some gluten-free items in them but no pack can I eat ALL the treats. Why would I pay $8.99 when I can’t eat everything?

Then there are the airports. I had a layover in Minneapolis. I tried to find options for lunch before I left. I got nowhere on the airport’s website or google. Maybe if I had more time I could have researched more. I walked from one gate to another (no shuttle or moving sidewalk) in order to look for something I could eat. I stopped a few times to check out some restaurants. I saw a Pei Wei but they had a limited menu and none of their gluten-free dishes.

And then…

A Chik-Fil-A just before my departure gate. I was never so happy to see a Chik-Fil-A.

There were almost tears of joy.

Whenever I fly as a celiac, I take snacks with me. It seems every other time I fly, my bag gets flagged by TSA. Food apparently sets off the red flags because people use food to sneak in things. The agent didn’t specify but I would assume drugs mostly. Maybe some weapons. It’s always fun to hear, “Is this your bag ma’am?”

You can’t help but laugh about it. I talked with the agent while she checked my bad and let her know that traveling with food intolerances was always exciting.

What is your biggest hassle when traveling?

I like to think of myself as someone that likes to cook and try new recipes.

In reality, I’m lazy.

I have a stack of recipe books, and keep buying more, all of which I have made one or two recipes from. I like quick and easy. I like things I can just throw together with stuff I have on hand. I like recipes I can easily remember and pull together in a short time after a long day at work.

One night I was looking for something quick, yet different to do with our ground beef. I was tired of tacos and hamburgers, which are pretty much our go tos. I love hamburgers and tacos but I was in the mood for something new. I googled and eventually stumbled upon a Korean beef bowl on Damn Delicious. I have since made this recipe several times and tweak it each time.

We are a gluten free house thanks to my celiac disease which means no soy sauce. I substituted tamari for the soy sauce. We like our food to bite us back so I added more crushed red pepper flakes and more ginger. I also toasted sesame seeds and tossed in the sauce. I did not have garlic or onions on hand and used garlic and onion powder to flavor the meat. We also use avocado oil instead of olive and brown rice instead of rice. Lastly, I cooked some fresh broccoli and tossed it with the beef. I used only one cup but it wasn’t enough. I would recommend going to at least two cups broccoli.

My modified Korean beef:

• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup tamari
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1-1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 2 tsp garlic and onion powder
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 cups broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Cooked brown rice, for serving

In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and ginger. Toast sesame seeds for approximately 5 minutes then add to sauce.

Boil water and add broccoli. Cook for about 5 minutes, just until tender. Drain. Set aside.

Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and season with garlic and onion powder. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Mix in broccoli. Stir in sauce mixture until combined, allowing to simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Serve over brown rice or quinoa. I’ve also used ramen or rice noodles. If you are grain-free I am sure cauliflower rice would work just as well.

What is one of your easy go-to recipes? Leave it in the comments.

Have you signed up for the Runs on Espresso newsletter? It goes out once a month and I include different content than the blog!

Eating gluten-free is hard.

I am not talking about a gluten-free diet, where you avoid gluten. I am talking about eating 100% gluten free. No, “it’s ok, I can have this bread just this one time”. No, “even though the fries are cooked in the same oil as the flour coated chicken I can still have them”. I mean truly no gluten.

People have told me gluten-free is easy, but they are looking at it from the diet point of view, where it is ok if you slip up or cheat or if you don’t realize that salad dressing contains some form of gluten. If I slip up or cheat my insides feel like they are on fire. I want to rip out my digestive system. I want to throw up my insides to stop the pain. If I slip up, there’s bloating, migraines and fatigue.

I want to issue a seven-day gluten-free challenge. Seven days, that’s it. I have to do this for life and am only asking you for seven days. One week. But it has to be truly gluten-free, no slip-ups and no cheating. You will have to read labels. If you eat out, better do some research or ask some questions.

It may be hard and it will probably be more expensive unless you stick to naturally gluten-free foods. Fruits, vegetables, most dairy products (watch those flavored yogurts and cheap cheeses) and most meats (be careful with sausages and processed meats) should be gluten-free.

Baked goods, fast foods, and a lot of packaged foods will be off limits. Want to bring bagels to the office? Good luck finding some on a moments notice and be ready to spend a pretty penny! I have to order my bagels or travel 30-40 miles out of my way to get them.

Maybe a challenge like this will make you think next time you bring food to the office or a party. Maybe there is someone in your office or at the party that would love to feel included but can’t because of celiac, or a peanut allergy, or any number of other allergies. We want to feel a part of the office or the party and our society revolves around food. Not being able to eat can make one feel left out.

Try a gluten free challenge next week. It may just open your eyes.

Here are some guidelines:
Read labels – gluten hides in a lot of things you wouldn’t expect.

Here are some links:
7 day meal plan from Celiac Disease Foundation
Dining out guide from Celiac Disease Foundation
Eating at restaurants from Gluten Free Living
Meal plans & shopping List from $5 Dinners

Feel free to ask me questions in the comments or on twitter and facebook.

Try the challenge and then come back and let me know in the comments how you did. Did you make it all seven days? What was easiest for you? What was most difficult?

 

In case, you didn’t know…

I love baking.

I love baking. I love eating. And I love photographing it. I issued myself a challenge when planning my blog posts for 2016: one new recipe a month to share with you, dear readers. I have also decided to bake my way through Good Morning Baking! but change everything to gluten free, because obviously I want to eat what I bake. (This was supposed to be January’s recipe but I kind of forgot about it in my drafts. Oops).

I may, at times, share a meal or drink recipe but most will be dessert-like items because who doesn’t love a good dessert?

This project will allow me to practice my gluten-free recipe conversions and food photography/styling. Plus, you will get yummy recipes once a month! Win-Win-Win.

I went through the cookbook and selected three recipes. I then sent the names to my boyfriend and asked him to choose. This is how I landed on the Caramel Applesauce Cake as my first science project… ummmm… experiment… ummmm… recipe. I hope you all enjoy!

The recipe below is my modified version. I swapped out items for gluten free and some spices but I did keep the raisins. I do not like raisins in baked good but I am trying to expand my palette.

(disclosure: Cookbook link is an Amazon Associate link. I would earn pennies if you ordered through the link).

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
• 1 1/4 tsp Xanthan gum
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup raisins

Caramel topping:

• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup whole milk

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar, then add the applesauce and oil and whisk until combined.
4. Make a well in the flour mix and pour in the applesauce mixture. Stir until combined. Fold in the raisins. Spread batter in the prepared pan.
5. Bake until the cake springs back when pressed gently in the center, 38 to 45 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack, in the pan.
6. While the cake is cooling, make the caramel topping. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and milk over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil uncovered, stirring constantly until the topping is bubbling and thickened. About 5 minutes.
7. Poke the surface of the warm cake all over with a fork. Pour the hot caramel topping evenly over the cake. If the caramel pools, swirl it over the cake to be absorbed.
8. Let cool before serving.

I reheated the cake in the microwave for about 10 seconds before eating. It was delicious. I am still not 100% sold on raisins in baked goods but it wasn’t as bad as I remember. (It has been ages since I had a baked good with raisins). I never got around to it, but this cake would be amazing warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on it!

What, besides vanilla ice cream, would you top this cake with?

My first gluten-free Christmas… and I survived. Barely.

My family was very supportive, but it was still hard not being able to enjoy all the Christmas goodies. I made sure to bake a few items that I could share and enjoy myself. I ended up making three different treats to share.

For Christmas brunch, I made peppermint mocha donuts. I learned a few things from this recipe and will remember for future recipes. I stuck to the recipe as given. I used a store bought gluten-free all-purpose flour, which I am pretty sure had xanthan gum, but still added the xanthan gum because I didn’t read what the mix was. I also was confused about the white vinegar and had to google. I was going to leave it out but after googling and reading, I left it in. You couldn’t taste it and the donuts were moist and fluffy (most gluten-free baked goods tend to be dense, crumbly and dry).I also made gluten-free peppermint brownie cakes from

I also made gluten-free peppermint brownie cakes from Betty Crocker.  I picked up Hodgson Mill brownie mix instead of Betty Crockers and added peppermint extract to the batter. Those were the only changes I made to the recipe. If you make this recipe, be sure to push the peppermint patties way into the batter. A few of mine weren’t pushed down far enough and leaked over the top of the brownie cakes. I thought the batter was a little too thick and made the cake dense, crumbly and dry. If I made this again I’d try adding some xanthan gum or vinegar. Or maybe a homemade brownie mix.

I also made gluten-free peppermint fudge balls. I didn’t take any photos because they were just round balls of chocolate, nothing pretty or special. I ran out of time to roll them in sprinkles. The only thing I did differently from the recipe was add peppermint extract with the vanilla extract. Everyone seemed to love these.

Las Vegas was my first real vacation after being diagnosed with celiac disease. As can be expected, I was extremely nervous about eating while traveling with celiac. I was afraid that I would be contaminated on day one and spend the rest of the trip sick. What fun would Vegas be if I was sick the entire time?

It turns out I had nothing to worry about. There were tons of places on the strip that had gluten free menus. Hell, there was plenty of places inside our hotel that had gluten free options. I also loved how when you requested gluten free it was taken very seriously. Most places assumed autoimmune or allergy or they asked. In Phoenix, everyone thinks “diet”.

We even managed to get one buffet in, even though I almost had a mini panic attack while waiting. I had read the Chef at the Aria Buffet has celiac disease and will come out and show you what you can eat. We decided to go to Aria and test it out. Besides being completely stuffed, I had no issues.

The Chef did come out and show me around. He made sure to point out what was safe and what to avoid. It was a little overwhelming, but I remembered most everything he told me. If I couldn’t remember I avoided it. I did feel bad at the desserts… I had to use my hand to grab one because there were no tongs and I didn’t want to just grab one! I made sure to only touch the one I was taking. The food was what you would expect at a buffet, nothing earth-shattering.

Border Grill – We stopped here since it was in our hotel. It was a wise choice. The margaritas were tasty and strong, just how I like them. The ceviche was one of the best I’ve had. And pork belly tacos? YUM.

Lupo by Wolfgang Puck – They offered one gluten free pasta, but you could get it with any sauce. It’s hard to go wrong with Wolfgang Puck. I had the gluten free pasta with bolognese.

Veranda is in the Four Seasons, next door to Mandalay. I had the gluten free quattro, a mini waffle, egg whites and panna cotta. It was slightly disappointing. The mini waffle was about two bites. I would have liked a bit more. The egg whites were surprisingly tasty. I usually prefer whole eggs to egg whites. I wish it had been a bit more food. I got hungry again soon after.

Shake Shack – I finally had a chance to try Shake Shack. It was tasty and I love anywhere I can have fries!

Stack – Oh. My. God. This was probably the best meal we had in Vegas. We did the steak for two and it was the best steak I have had plus it came with two delicious sauces, a red wine pepper sauce and a chimichurri sauce. It also came with whipped potatoes, which were also excellent. It was the perfect amount of food. We also split the cherry vanilla creme brule, another excellent choice. I would highly recommend Stack. Highly.

Mon Ami Gabi – I enjoyed Mon Ami Gabi as well. They have gluten free bread for us gluten free people. We don’t have to just sit and watch others enjoy crusty bread before the meal. I had the grilled chicken paillard and, of course, creme brule for dessert. I would definitely go back and try other gluten free items as the chicken was great.

Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab – This was a close second to Stack. We started with ceviche (we have a thing for ceviche). I had the filet and tail, both of which were excellent. I also had the sweet potato with praline pecan butter. I am drooling just thinking about it! And they had my favorite dessert as gluten free… BROWNIES! I tried so hard to finish the brownie, but it was so much food.

Nine Fine Irishmen – I had the shepherd’s pie. It was tasty and huge. Huge. I can’t say shepherd’s pie is exciting or special. It’s traditional comfort food and Nine Fine Irishmen did a great job with their dish. This is another place that I would go back to.

Burger Bar – Our last stop before the airport was the Burger Bar. This place probably was my least favorite, not that it was bad. I did the build your own burger on a gluten free bun. It was just a burger, nothing I here I went I have to have this again! I was able to have one variety of fries here.

There is no shortage of gluten-free in Las Vegas. The strip is littered with restaurants with gluten-free menus online plus we asked a few more and they either had gluten free options or had suggestions on what was or could be made gluten-free. I am already planning a trip back to Vegas and know I have nothing to worry about. I could go several times and never have to repeat a restaurant, although I would go back to most of the ones on this list.

 

The boyfriend was having a rough week and I decided to do something for him. His favorite cookies are snickerdoodles and I tracked down a recipe which I already had the ingredients for.

I started pulling all my ingredients and measuring out when I opened the shortening. Uhhh, I guess I don’t use shortening enough because I opened it up to a nasty smell and a thick layer of what I can only call plastic. I didn’t want to run to the store with my oven pre-heating and my dough already started. I decided to sub 1/4 cup butter for the shortening.

I also added extra cinnamon and vanilla extract, because I can’t just follow a recipe as written.

Gluten Free Snickerdoodles

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups Bisquick gluten free mix
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. In a stand mixer (or large bowl), mix eggs, 1 cup of sugar, vanilla extract and butter. Stir in Bisquick mix until dough forms.

In a small bowl, mix remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Shape dough into 1-1/4 inch balls. Roll balls in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

What is your favorite cookie? Let me know in the comments.

Shortly after my official celiac disease diagnosis, we went out for my first gluten free dining experience. I was extremely nervous. I was finally feeling good and my body was starting to heal. I did not want to mess up and get sick again. Otro Cafe, in central Phoenix, was chosen to accommodate my celiac disease and J’s parents, who are vegetarians.

I struggle with telling complete strangers that I have an autoimmune disease. Four months after my diagnosis I still struggle, imagine how hard it was a few days after my diagnosis, my very first time out. I did it though, I told the waitress that I have celiac disease and cannot have anything with gluten. She seemed to understand the importance.

We started with the guacamole classico and ceviche. We made sure to order the raw vegetables, as the chips were not gluten free. Many restaurants dust their corn tortillas with flour before frying. Seriously, they add gluten to everything. The guacamole and ceviche were tasty but eating them with vegetables just wasn’t the same as chips. I’m not sure I would order either of these unless I knew I could have the chips with them.

Despite reading online reviews stating how many gluten free entrees, I found the menu to be lacking. Only three entrees were marked gluten free and ironically were all served with a side of flour tortillas. I hate to break it to you but adding flour tortillas means it is no longer gluten free.

I ordered the paella Mexicana and reminded the waitress that I had celiac and did not want the flour tortillas.  Of course when my entree comes out there are flour tortillas. Thankfully they were on the side and not on top of the food but it really made me question the staff’s willingness to be careful with gluten when someone has informed them of having celiac disease.

The entree was decent. It wasn’t something where I would go, I need to have it again. It was lacking something, probably the tortillas. It had decent heat to it, but I was expecting more. I also thought it needed more meat. There was chicken, pork and chorizo in the dish, but it seemed the kitchen added them sparingly. I have also found out since that many chorizos have flour in them and it makes me wonder if this dish truly was gluten free.

Otro Cafe also did not have any gluten free desserts on the menu. I had to sit while everyone else enjoyed desserts that looked amazing. I had to listen to them go on about how great the desserts were. I want to have amazing desserts at restaurants too, and not just flourless chocolate cake which is the standard gluten free dessert.

Overall, I was not impressed with Otro Cafe and their claims of having gluten-free items on their menu. The gluten free options were limited and came with items that have gluten. I don’t know if I trust their staff to take care for cross contamination, since I asked for no tortillas and still received tortillas. The food I was able to eat was not anything impressive. I am able to get the same, or similar, items elsewhere that taste better.

If I have my choice, I would choose not to go back to Otro Cafe and would not recommend it to those who have celiac disease. If you are just avoiding wheat because it is the hipster thing to do, this could be a place for you. But when my health is involved I want places to take it seriously.