Mim's Kitchen

The first thing that caught my eye about this booth at the Gluten Free Living Now Expo; the advertising. I can't tell you what name brand 'gluteny' company Mim's advertising reminds me of, but it reminds me of one of those big companies. So much so that I looked at Tommie and said, "hey what is that company - I can't believe they've actually made a gluten-free cookie". He of course was picking up what I was putting down and we headed straight to the booth. Even though he and I were on the same wavelength, that thought didn't carry much weight - we were both wrong.

Mim's is not Toll House or Nestle, or any other big company. It is a mom (or a 'Mim' in this case) who wanted a better cookie for herself and her family. In pursuit for that cookie, she has made a wonderful discovery. Mim's product is a frozen preformed dough, you simply pop it in the oven and you're done!!!!

This is crazy, I never thought we'd see this day. I remember when Tommie was diagnosed (yes yes, he had to walk up hill in the snow both ways) and there wasn't anything like this. We had to mix flours and starches just to get an 'ok' loaf of bread and forget cookies - they weren't even a priority. Things have been getting better, we can eat out a lot more and grocery shopping is quick and mostly painless. And now...well now, we can simply pop in Mim's cookies and await that scent of yumminess. Did I mention they taste wonderful?? Oh yes, they're quite delicious and the texture is fabulous. I would argue that if I served these at a party, no one would know they were gluten-free.

So hats off to Mim, bravo!!! Her cookies come in six great flavors (sugar is the best, but I'm bias): chocolate chocolate chip, sugar, chocolate chip, peanut butter chocolate chip, white chocolate macadamia nut, and ginger.

Now Mim's Kitchen is located in Indiana, PA, but there are a few stores in Indiana that offer her products. Check out her website for more details.

Bittersweet Bakery

As we continue to unload the massive bag of swag we were given at the Gluten Free Living Now Expo, I was reminded that we need to start posting. So I shall begin with the Bittersweet Bakery.

Let me start off with the bad news,...they're located in Eagan, MN. However, it is my understanding that they're looking to break through the Indianapolis market. If that is true, I'm sure Nature's Pharm will be one of the first stores to offer the product.

Sidenote: Nature's Pharm has done an AMAZING job of supplying gluten-free products at reasonable prices. They make Castleton worth the drive.

Anywho...their gingersnap cookies are DEVINE!!!! Therefore I don't feel bad at all when I confess that I ate both of the gingersnaps Tommie and I were given. I know, I know, I'm a terrible wife. We did a great job of 'trick-or-treating' (you know, "I'll trade you a chocolate chip cookie for a gingersnap") and sharing the goods with each other. However, after I ate the first gingersnap, I cautiously grabbed the other one and snuck it under my pile of treats. If it makes you feel better, I couldn't handle the guilt and I told him (after I ate the second cookie).

I am very excited to see if this company starts offering mail order options or if they can break through the market here. I will be first in line to try their long list of other options (pizza crust, cupcakes, etc.). This is a product, that regardless of the gluten-free aspect, I would still buy for me. That is rare. Usually if I am hungry and want something, I eat the gluteny version (mainly because it is for me and not Tommie, the gluten-free one). That being said, this product beats out all other competitors, gluteny or not.

Curly's sauceless pulled chicken

I really enjoyed this product. I was looking forward to mixing in some Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce to see how it turned out. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any in the house. I was panicking since I’d put the chicken in the microwave already. That’s when I noticed the jar of salsa in the fridge. I mixed some in, and came out with excellent Enchilada Chicken, as I called it. It tasted like the chicken filling you get at a Mexican restaurant in their burritos or enchiladas. I would like to try this product again, only this time with BBQ sauce. Of course, if all we have is salsa, that’s OK, too.
We found this product at both Kroger and Walmart (in the meat section).

Glow

I was at Angelo's the other day and there they were, right as I entered. An entire display of glow gluten-free cookies.

glow? What is glow? I have never heard of this brand before. The two types they had were chocolate chip and gingersnap. They were only $1 a box so of course I bought one of each. I must admit that these cookies sat in the pantry for a couple of days, mainly because I had purchased a lot of GF items that day (Tommie was overwhelmed), and two probably because we were unsure of what they were going to taste like.

We first cracked open the chocolate chip. They were okay, kind of had a weird after-taste. Of course Tommie liked them and over the next week proceeded to finish off the box. Then on to the gingersnaps. Okay people, you have to LOVE ginger to enjoy these. I am sensitive to ginger and I felt like my someone had just smeared fresh ginger all over my tongue. Again, Tommie liked them and finished off the box by himself.

So there you have it, 50-50. This household is split down the middle as to whether or not the cookies taste okay. That being said, when it comes to gluten-free, Tommie is the person that matters when food is concerned. If he doesn't like it then there is no point in buying it.

This company does have some great mottoes and ethics, I would check out their page and see what else they have to offer. It is definitely worth trying.

Enjoy Life: Crunchy chocolate chip cookies

We have enjoyed Enjoy Life (forgive the alliteration) products ever since Tommie was diagnosed in 2005. Over the years their products have gotten increasingly better, but I must say that the best product so far has to be their crunchy chocolate chip cookies.

I am not much a 'crunchy' cookie gal - I like my cookies gooey or soft. Therefore, when I found these cookies at Angelo's, I bought them for Tommie - not me. When he sat down to eat some I took a cookie thinking "well, it's for the blog". (Insert smile here). Can I tell you that this cookie was A-MAZ-ING?!!!! Needless to say I told Tommie he was going to have to put up the cookies, hide them, and never let me know where they were.

The flavor is fantastic and the texture is wonderful. I would bet some wealthy person's money that if you passed these out at any event, no one would suspect they were gluten-free. They are absolutely wonderful.

Next time you're walking through the GF aisle and you're wondering what sweet treat to buy, stop and place your hands on a box of these yummy cookies and you'll be a happier person for doing so.

Jason's Deli

Tommie and I ate at Jason's Deli a while ago and even though we did a review then, I don't think we did justice to the experience. When we were there, the area was still under construction (we went to the deli up at Keystone) but it was very easy to enter.

Tommie ordered the pollo mexicano AND half a sandwich with warm corn beef and Swiss on Udi's bread. He didn't realize how big the meal was going to be and I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head when the staff delivered our meal.

Here is a quick list of pro's to eating at Jason's:
-family friendly (did I mention the free ice cream?)
-helpful service
-antibiotic free chicken
-potato was better than McAllister's and he was also able to have an option to get a sandwich
-servings are huge
-Tommie's said the corn beef was better than Shapiro's!!!
-beef isn't processed, brought to the store on the bone and sliced in house
-salad bar looked amazing (so did the Beefeater, a huge sandwich that I might get next time)
-prices are reasonable
-have vegetarian options

Only a few suggestions, expect a lot of foot traffic when you get there. The place was packed!!! Ask them to toast the Udi's bread, otherwise your sandwich will turn into meat and cheese with breadcrumbs.

Other than that- great restaurant. It is nice to eat at a deli with my husband and know that he is not having to settle. Go Jason's!