New Planet Gluten-Free Beer

Will travel.

Live from Denver.

Where New Planet was waiting for me.

Perfect pairing for another craft night. (instead of appetizers, munched on peanut M&M’s)

Makes blogging on the road easy.

Favorite gluten-free beer so far.

Have I mentioned how much I heart Denver?

Well, I do.

Especially weekends like this.

Yep. That’s Ree Drummond. The Pioneer Woman. And we’re just chattin’ it up. About this blog and how wonderful I think she is. How I found her through Shauna, and haven’t stopped reading since.

Best. Weekend. Ever.

No stress. Just friends, family, warm temps and New Planet.

Coming to the Midwest soon. *fingers crossed*

 

 

my place

There’s this place, in my apartment.

My coffee spot.

I could sit there all day.

In my place.

Under my quilt.

The one my grandma started. She wanted to cross it off her list before she left us. (Grandpa helped too) Then my mom took over. She brought it when she came to visit this summer and we finished tying it together.

A three generation quilt.

For my coffee breaks, I’ve been using So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer. It’s gluten free, dairy free, soy free. Perfect for my gf-friends who avoid dairy too.

We were talking coffee over on my Facebook page this week too. My guy has been making me pumpkin spice lattes in the morning. If you check out Snack Girl’s site, you’ll find an easy recipe. We use the same one around here, but with honey or agave. The immersion blender just isn’t cutting it, so I’m getting an Aerolatte. (thanks for the heads up Snack Girl)

Simple to make. You’ll save money.

And you can sit in your place.

And just be.

What about you? Do you have a favorite coffee treat you make at home? Or another toasty-warm drink to share?

Food Should Taste Good chips are gluten free. And delicious. And I’m giving them away!

**UPDATE 10.28.10**

CONGRATS to Julie, Katie J. and Elizabeth! Please contact me at celiacinthecity@gmail.com to claim your prizes!

 

Each month for our Gluten Free Get Together events, we have tasty treats to try. Companies who are generous enough to send samples of their products for us to enjoy.

I had tried Food Should Taste Good chips a couple of times. The sweet potato and multigrain flavors. Loved ‘em. Wanted others to try them out too.

When two boxes of product arrived, I was thrilled. Impressed. So grateful to Andrea for being so generous.

They were a hit at the event.

Ms. Kati here is a huge fan. She talks about them on her GF-Milwaukee page on Facebook often.

I can’t stop talking about them either.

Or stop eating them.

With Cedar’s hommus. The jalapeno have a little bite. Not too much. Just right.

Or with a little salsa from Cocina DeLeon. (we’re having our GF Get Together there tomorrow night, thanks Linda!)

Sometimes I eat them at my desk. (I won’t tell you how often.) This flavor is “The Works” my personal favorite. If Andrea had sent an entire box of just this flavor, I would have been fine with that. It’s like an everything bagel… with onion, garlic, caraway and poppy seeds and just a hint of sweet. Ridiculously good.

Are you hungry yet?

Good. Now it’s your turn to try some Food Should Taste Good treats!

They were kind enough to offer THREE goodie bags to giveaway. Perfect timing for my one year anniversary here on my blog!

To enter to win one of their cool canvas totes, full of fun prizes and chips, head over to the Food Should Taste Good website and check out all the flavors. Pick one you just have to try, and tell me about it. While you’re there, take a look around. Cool website huh? Sign up for their fan club and you get a coupon for $1 off.  They even give you recipes as accompaniments to your chips.

That’s it. (of course it would be swell if you showed them some gf-love and “like” them on Facebook too. they have a giveaway every week!)

Come back and leave a comment below with your flavor preference and you’re entered to win!

Then, stay tuned.

Three winners will be randomly selected on Thursday, October 28th at 9pm. (my brother’s birthday, H@ppy Birthd@y Jamie!)

Good luck!

Talenti gelato and sorbetto (YES! It’s gluten free.)

The high temp is 86 degrees here in Milwaukee today.

In the morning, there is usually a cool breeze near the lake. If you have the windows open, it will cool the house for hours. But not today. When I just stepped outside, I could already feel the heat that is to come later today. Anyone have a pool I can come take a dip in today?

No pool?

No worries. There are other ways to stay cool when the temps rise this summer.

I would love to tell you that the new ice cream maker has been up and running. But it hasn’t. Not yet. Way too many things going on right now. But it will make an appearance soon.

Instead, you can grab some Talenti gelato or sorbetto from the store. It’s amazing. And almost all of their flavors are gluten free. (caramel cookie crunch is a no-go for us)

Thanks to Shelby at Talenti, I was able to try several of their flavors. That may or may not have been the period of time when my jeans stopped fitting right.

Hands down, my top pick was the Mediterranean Mint gelato.

It is rich and creamy with bits of bittersweet chocolate in each bite. Every time I opened the freezer I had to grab a bite or two. There is nothing that says you cannot enjoy this early in the morning. Or if you need a little afternoon snack. Or after dinner.

You get it. It’s that good.

A close second was the Caribbean Coconut gelato.

I’m a big fan of coconut. You remember how I raved in a post about my love for Coconut M&M’s don’t you? Come to think of it, those M&M’s would be perfect with this ice cream. (Shelby… I might need another delivery!)

Because I didn’t think of M&M’s at the time, I paired it with the Double Dark Chocolate gelato.

(the very-chocolatey flavor also goes perfect with the Tahitian Vanilla Bean gelato And the vanilla made delicious ice cream sandwiches when scooped between two Liz Lovely Triple Chocolate Mint cookies.)

You thought I was kidding about the jeans didn’t you?

Not everyone is a gelato fan. And although I find that hard to believe, it is nothing to worry about. They have sorbet too.

Like this Hill Country Peach Champagne sorbetto.

I wish I still had some of this left in the freezer. It was perfect on its own, but also went well with the Blood Orange sorbetto.

My new mission is to try the rest of the flavors this summer. It’s already 78 degrees and it’s not even 9:00.

I will probably start the mission today.

Are you a gelato or sorbet fan? What are your go-to GF treats to stay cool this summer?

CRISPIN CIDER (YES! It’s gluten free!)

I used to be such a beer girl. Blue Moon. Sunset Wheat. Really, any beer you could put some type of citrus fruit into.

Now, my options are limited. I’m not complaining. I love that Lakefront has New Grist, Budweiser with Redbridge, Bard’s Tale, all good stuff. But there are only a handful of places in Milwaukee that have caught the gluten free fever. I’m working on it though, I did get New Grist back at Miller Park a couple of years ago after they tried to give it the boot.

But plenty of bars and restaurants DO carry cider.

That’s why we’re here today. To talk cider.

Crispin Cider. My new favorite. (here I go with favorites again) This after work drink is how it all started.

Once I posted it to Facebook, my so-ahead-of-the-times sister reminded me that she had told me about Crispin last year and that she loves it too. She lived in MN at the time, the wonderful state Crispin calls home. (I’m biased because I grew up there)

Since then, I have been lucky enough to try more of the Crispin flavors. (many thanks Mike!)

Crispin Light made an appearance at a recent tailgate at Miller Park.

Also made an appearance when visiting my sister. (you saw the pancake post, I worked hard that day!)

We tested out Crispin Brut that day too. It was a taste test. For research of course.

I bring Crispin any time I have to bring my own beverage. I tell friends about it, let them try it, then hide them very carefully so they don’t try to steal them.

The breakdown on flavors, from my friends at Crispin:

• Original: Crisp over ice. A classically styled, but untraditional hard apple cider. Fruit forward, with a fresh, crunchy appley nose and a deliciously creamy, refreshingly crisp mouth feel.

• Brut: European-style extra-dry over ice. The ”champagne” of ciders; combining subtlety and sophistication; the epitome of unforced elegance. A crisp fresh apple bouquet with a brisk, refined finish that lingers on the palate.

• Light: Bright over ice. America’s first light cider. Refreshingly light. Invigorating and full-flavored. A clean and cool, brisk and modern cider with delicate undertones that’s deliciously bright and refreshing and usually *served with a lemon slice* for a long cold spritzer-style refreshment.

• Honey Crisp: New Crispin Honey Crisp Artisanal Reserve™ is a small batch, hand crafted, super-premium hard apple cider smoothed with real organic honey for a rich, creamy, full-bodied crisp taste. Smooth over ice.

• The Saint: *Prepare to be converted.*The Saint is a uniquely debonair & elegant cider, a cider to convert skeptics.

I just cracked open a Honey Crisp while typing this. Rich and creamy is right, I will not be sharing this one. (although the Honey Crisp and The Saint, both 22oz, are perfect for sharing)

Do I have to pick a favorite from my favorites? Not sure that I can. Depends on the occasion really. But if, hypothetically, you were involved in a flip cup tournament, I would go with the Light or Original. For a Saturday movie-night at home, take out The Saint.

Help me spread the good word in Milwaukee by asking for Crispin at our favorite bars and restaurants. I try to tell them I have a limit on how many of those way-too-sweet ciders I can have, Crispin is a much better option. Perfect amount of sweetness. Not too much. Just right. If you find it while you’re out and about, stop back and let us know where.

Cheers!

Coconut M&M’s ~ YES! They’re gluten free!

**Update 2.22.12: just received a comment from a reader that she bought a bag of coconut M&Ms that say, “may contain wheat.” It’s a sad, sad day. (first the mint M&Ms, now the coconut… the pretzel M&Ms are ruining our lives!)

On Saturday, I received the greatest little package in the mail from Kim over at Gluten Free is Life . You see, we share a common bond. No, not just being gluten free. Or loving to bake and cook. Or spending plenty of time on Twitter, Facebook or our websites.

We are big fans of Coconut M&M’s. (and you will be too)

So when my package arrived with not one, but two packages of them, I was delighted! The milk chocolate pieces with smooth coconut flavor have become a favorite of mine. I think if you mixed them up with some almonds, they would make the best little snack mix.

I know it has been a while since I posted a “YES! It’s gluten free!” item, but this was worth the wait. (And no, you do not have to be concerned that half of these posts are now candy. I have it under control.)

And when you find them, come back and tell us where they were. They have gone missing from my local Walgreens, hence the package that saved me.

From the M&M’s site:

List of MARS products that do not contain gluten (as of 3/1/10)

• ALL M&M’s products

**UPDATE: as of December 2010, some of the holiday M&M’s may contain wheat due to being run on the same lines as their pretzel M&M’s. the mint M&M’s now have a wheat warning. be sure to check the package each time!

• All Milky Way products EXCEPT the Milky Way bar
• Snickers and Snickers Dark bars
• All Dove chocolate products (I heart Dove)
• Munch bar
  

*Remember to ALWAYS read labels. As goes with everything on my site, it is only a guide and I am sharing from my experience*

When the weather outside is frightful…

When the temps are in the single digits in the morning, I dread going out to the little Civ to start her up. She’s not so happy about it either. So unhappy in fact that she has decided to freeze up the locks from time to time this week. It takes at least the commute to UWM to get the auto locks working. Keyless entry? Forget it. It’s on a time out. We are manually unlocking her. Sounds crazy for those with sweet SUV’s with seat warmers. My sister and Mel are the lucky ones this week. Be thankful for those toasty little warmers!

So when the temps dip low, I head to the cupboard for some warmth. Tea time. I just found a new blend this winter that I had to share with you. It’s The Republic of Tea’s Comfort and Joy Tea- Holiday Spice Blend.

     And YES! It’s gluten free!

     “The Republic of Tea is the first tea company with permission to include the Gluten-Free Certification Organization’s certification mark on its signature packaging. Citizens can identify the mark on the label and sip with confidence, knowing the tea is gluten free.”

   Take the time to treat yourself to this holiday tea, or any of their teas. Do YOU have a favorite Republic of Tea blend/flavor?

General Mills GF List

There are plenty of companies out there selling gluten free products. Some are delish. Some not so good. Sadly, I wasted a-lot-o-cash when I first started out on this adventure. I figured GF on the package meant good stuff. Not so much. You have to pick and choose. Find the good ones and stick with them.

I would try anything back then. Pay over $7 for a tiny little pizza that had to be doctored up so much it was basically a whole new pizza. Pick out one of every Lara bar flavor (not knowing I would end up hating most of them). Play the sucker who thought gf bread in the freezer section was worth a toasting. It goes on and on. Then we (my sister and I) started catching on. Many of the items we were buying ended up in the garbage. So we started communicating BEFORE  purchasing. Who knew?

It was not uncommon to get a text or two a day asking about products. And I would (and still) do the same. I would be running around campus and get a picture mail from a grocery store in South Dakota. “Have you tried these?” Below the message was a picture of the lastest gf item to hit her store shelves. Or I would be reading my way down the aisle and text her “Are these good?” with a picture of some teff tortilla type wraps. To which she replied, “Yuck, didn’t like those at all.” They went back on the shelf.

Some of the mainstream companies are finally catching on. Like General Mills . Thanks to them, we can enjoy “puppy chow” again! And Chex cereals are just some of the products that are now gluten free. They have a website dedicated to all the items. Go see for yourself.

Dots. YES! They’re gluten free!

There are certain people in my life that go out of their way to be sure I am well fed.  Co-workers who take the time to look up ingredients on gluten free websites to include me in the potluck or latest birthday celebration. Friends who call to check on ingredients for the spinach dip, one that always brings GF beer dip, our farm friends who just assumed we’re eating gf and whip up Betty Crocker brownies, and so many more who just get it, without a comment or an eye roll.  A family-to-be who have caught on so quickly, I do not have to question what is in the garlic potatoes or the cupcakes. A one of a kind mom who let’s me pick the restaurant every time and does not let a month or two go by without sending some kind of treat. A sister-celiac that shares this daily battle through texts, emails, calls, and makes the stop at the good bakeries on the way up north. And the most amazing live-in advocate a girl could ask for. I am blessed.

Often, the ingredients they are using are naturally gluten free. I try to spread the good word when I find out mainstream products are gluten free, so these entries, “YES! It’s gluten free!” are dedicated to just that. Now my friends and family will have consistent updates on everyday products that can be found at “normal” stores.

In the spirit of Halloween, it seems only appropriate to start off with some candy.  DOTS!!! (which also happens to be my personal fave, right after chocolate)

And not only are DOTS gf, but ALL of the Tootsie candies are.

www.tootsie.com