Tuesday To Do List — what to buy, spy, and try! (or sometimes cry about)

Tuesday To Do List is my newest attempt at bringing you tidbits from the gluten-free world each week. This will continue until my mind-that-doesn’t-rest comes up with another way to entertain you guys. Cross your fingers I am back here next Tuesday with another list…

Three cheers for three weeks in a row! Big summertime commitment.

Speaking of commitments — last week we celebrated our FIVE year anniversary of Gluten Free Get Together events in and around Milwaukee. Each month I organize a dinner, event, or field trip and am joined by other gluten-free friends in the area. This group has become like family, I love them so.

And so do the generous companies who helped me fill GF swag bags for our event. The love they sent this year has left me speechless. (and we know that’s rare.)

Today’s to-do list is a shout out to ALL the companies who made our party such a huge success.

Please go spy, try, or buy ANY of these companies’ products! (some may even make you cry — tears of JOY that is)

 

Red Apple Lipstick — I’ve been singing their praises since I first tried their lip glosses. Now most of my make up bag comes from them. I have converted many friends and family members to their Lash Project Mascara. (read all about it HERE) The ladies were thrilled with the lipsticks and ralleye balms in their bags!

(Isn’t Katiekins just gorgeous!? She’s a Red Apple girl for sure!)
The Gluten Free Bar (the GFB) — Marshall and I have been in touch since he first started his company. Stories like this make me smile. He started with just a couple of bar flavors and has now expanded the business and is making his way across the country into stores. Kudos to him and his team!

Sentry in Delafield — Kerry and her team at the store are all about making our community happy. Their GF aisle and freezer section is impressive and their willingness to order new goods is appreciated. It’s my go-to store in the area!

GF Harvest — Another story that makes me smile every time. Forrest started this company in high school, yes high school, as a school project. I have been ordering their certified gluten-free oats for years and am always on the lookout for their new product lines. (like yummy granola!))

 

 

 

G.H. Cretors popcorn — they sent bags of their “Chicago Mix” and boy am I glad they did. AH.mazing.

Lovely Candy Co. — I’ve had a couple of their licorice products and was just as impressed with their caramels. Melt in your mouth!

Fahlstrom Farms — three cheers for this “Minnesota Nice” company that sent FULL sized bags of cheddar biscuit mix! If I’m going to buy a brownie mix, it will be theirs.

Ciderboys — Thanks to their bottle openers, we’ll be sipping cider all summer!

Cup4Cup — As you know, I’m a long time fan of Cup4Cup. For me, it’s worth the cost to have my family recipes convert over and turn out every single time.

Pamela’s — Game changers in the gluten-free s’mores world! The new mini graham-like crackers are too good. (meaning I could eat the whole box in one sitting!) The crowd gobbled these up for dessert. (my mamasita thinks these  will make excellent dippers for pumpkin dip!)

Jovial — the perfect pasta in gluten-free land! When I can use a pasta in a cold salad, I get excited. And when the husband asks for it, you know it’s good. Someday I hope to take my celiac sista on their GF trip to Italy!

Sweet Ali’s Bakery — we are BIG fans of Sweet Ali’s around here. We even take field trips down to the bakery (it’s not too far) in Illinois to get our fix. The dessert tray was gone in no time!

The Better Chip — my mama found these chips years ago and we have been eating them ever since. Their unique flavors: beets, jalapeno, spinach & kale, corn, and chipotles keep us on our toes. My nephews call the kale ones, “the green chips” and ask for them often. (they’re 3 and already on the kale train!)

Canyon Bakehouse — I just mentioned their deli rye style bread in last week’s post and am still raving about it. LOVE their breads. Period. (and everyone gets to try them now with the coupons they sent!)

Jones Dairy Farm — we love Wisconsin companies! The coupons they sent will be used on our breakfast menu soon.

Freedom Foods — they make a version of GF fruit loop-ish cereal that I eat by the handful. Their coupons will be put to good use!

 

And a special shout out to Marty’s in Delafield!!! (not to be confused with their Brookfield location — this safe, amazing service comes from Delafield only) We had to move the location of the event at the last minute and Duane, Maynard, and our fantastic servers made us feel right at home. (they even went out and got Lakefront New Grist for one of our GF peeps!) The pizzas were perfect, the salads were spot on, and the wings were baked rather than fried, just for us! THAT is the kind of safe service the gluten-free community deserves.

Head over to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and all their websites — give them some Milwaukee gluten-free love and let them know how you liked their products. (also sign up for email lists to be up to date on their latests news and deals!)

Here’s to another five years of fun — thanks for being part of it all!

 

Friday Photos: in like a lion

Welcome to Friday Photos, a weekly feature here on Celiac in the City — you can read how it all started by clicking HERE.

I survived the dreaded prep for the colonoscopy/endoscopy — now just waiting to go in, so figured I need to get this post done before I’m drugged up and start typing my deepest secrets.

Work has been crazy for Mark lately, (what’s new right?) which means I’ve been doing most of the cooking — luckily for me, Carrie  from Ginger Lemon Girl hooked me up with recipes to try for her new book, so the menu wasn’t so hard. After I pulled off those little quinoa cakes on Sunday, he thought he needed his turn in the kitchen.

Of course he had to show me up.

Asian barbecue glazed salmon, butter and tarragon brussels sprouts, and beet soup with fried shallots — served up right with a Crispin

On Monday night around 9:00, I decided we needed some sweet treats for our two year anniversary celebration of Gluten-Free Get Together events happening on Tuesday at Marty’s Pizza in Delafield. There wasn’t much in the cupboard, but I did have Cup4Cup gluten-free flour mix and a package of chocolate chips and coconut, so I went from there.

Nothing fancy.

I took the recipes right off the back of the bags and just substituted the C4C mix.

chocolate dipped macaroons 

chocolate chip bars

They both turned out perfectly. Not bad for a last minute decision and no idea where I was going with the late night baking adventure. I saved a few for Mark (he loved them both) and then plated them up for the crew.

Most of them were gone before our pizza arrived.

Smiles all around.

Especially those of us who enjoyed a Lakefront New Grist or two. That’s my soul sister, Kristi. Isn’t she beautiful? She’s a big gluten-free advocate — she supports us and the beer we drink.

*Note: There was a team of beer drinkers for that line of bottles.

We had all kinds of treats, including these new chips from Food Should Taste Good — sometimes salt & vinegar chips have malt in them, but not these.

I’m going to eat them after my procedure.

Ok, enough looking at food, (I’m sooooo hungry) and the nurse says it’s time to go.

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I had this post almost done, ready to hit publish, and then they wheeled me off. After sleeping most of the day, (and waking up to a world of white outside) I’m back to put the final touches on it — everything went well, my mother-in-law got me home safely. I thought I was going to want a huge meal after not eating anything of much of substance since Wednesday, but instead I woke up craving cold fruit.

The fridge was pretty bare, but I managed to whip up a big smoothie with frozen strawberries and apple juice.

It hit the spot.

Tomorrow my buddy Al and his wife Peg are coming down to visit — we have a yearly tradition of celebrating Peg’s birthday by hitting up the Milwaukee County Winter Farmers’ Market and then lunch. We’re going to stock up at the market, then Maggiano’s for some Italian.

Al runs the Gluten Intolerance Group of East Central Wisconsin. He’s also been busy working on getting Dr. Rodney Ford to Wisconsin in October — looking forward to that presentation. (and some catch up time with good gluten-free pasta tomorrow!)

And Sunday I’m heading down to check out the brand new gluten-free store in Racine — Greater Grains, located inside Careers Industries.

Oh, and Molly’s Gluten-Free Bakery is now shipping! Perfect news to end the week.

Has anyone been down to Greater Grains yet? Are you going to try out Molly’s shipping?

I have a little buddy in South Dakota that would love some treats.