Gorilla Munch at Aldi's

Tommie and I were shopping at Aldi's (just south of 71st & Michigan) and to our surprise they were selling Gorilla Munch!!!

How much: $2.49/box (lower then the usual)
Where: I'm not sure which Aldi's well be selling the cereal
When: Until supplies last -so get 'em while you can

GF in Grand Rapids! Marie Catrib's

Tommie and I had the great pleasure of spending the Easter holiday with my god-parents in Michigan! The Kalyvas family lives in Ada, Michigan which is right outside Grand Rapids and Tommie took this opportunity to research some GF options in the area. On our way home, we stopped at this wonderful little restaurant called Marie Catrib's.

I was amazed at how nice everyone was! As soon as we walked in an employee met with us and talked to us about the daily specials and the GF options (which is almost everything). The menu is extensive and leans towards the Mediterranean side. The owner is Lebanese and I have to tell you that being of Greek heritage, I was in love with the menu. I ordered the 'Adult Grilled Cheese' which had feta, goat, and cream cheese drizzled with olive oil and cracked pepper with fresh tomatoes and basil. I chose challah bread. YUMMMMMM! Tommie ordered the shoarma (gyros) on GF bread of course and it tasted as good as it smelled. We had some of their wonderful potatoes on the side and the heat supplied was just enough.

I have to say, we will definitely be visiting Marie Catrib's next time we're in town. Here is a link to the restaurant site: http://www.mariecatribs.com/

Thanksgiving in Chicago

Tommie's sister Kristen lives just north of Chicago and we decided to spend the week of Thanksgiving there. We were busy, we went to Shedd Aquarium, Millennium Park, Architectural river cruise, Lincoln Park Zoo, the Chicago Cultural Center, and many more sites. And of course, we ate very well. Now living here in Indy, we have tried the GF pizza at Uno's and we felt it necessary to try out Gino's while we were in Chicago. Below is a picture of Tommie eating his pizza as well a scene of the restaurant.

So the verdict....I have to say that Uno's is the better deal. The prices are reasonable and the dip dish (for your non-GF eaters) is much better. Tommie liked the Gino's pizza, but agreed that Uno's had been victorious. I would still recommend that you go to Gino's though, its a Chicago institution and it is a fun place to eat. The staff encourages you to write your name on ANYWHERE and Tommie and I wrote out names at our seats. Gino's website: www.ginoseast.com/

Another place we ate at (and if you ask me, the best meal we had in Chicago) was at Epicurean. Now it isn't exactly 'IN' Chicago, but it isn't a far drive either. This restaurant specializes in Hungarian cuisine and the atmosphere is great (see pictures below). Tommie's great-grandmother immigrated from Hungary when she was only 13. Tommie has fond memories of the food and am always willing to try anything. Tommie's parents and sister Kristen accompanied us for this adventure and everyone gave the meal 2 thumbs up! Tommie and I had the buffet which I prefer when trying new restaurants and cuisines because of all it offers. I have to tell you, I have never seen so many dishes that involved cabbage and I was in heaven. Before this experience I wasn't a big cabbage fan, but WOW they did a great job.

Everyone was pleased with their meals and the price is very reasonable. The atmosphere, as you can see by the picture is very homey. I imagine this would be very much like going to your grandma's house for a nice Hungarian dinner. I highly recommend this restaurant and I can't wait to go back. The food is fantastic, the environment is lovely, the prices are reasonable and the staff were welcoming. Epicurean website: www.thehungarianrestaurant.com/

Another stand-out meal that we had was at Walker Brother's Pancake House. This was Tommie's favorite restaurant of the trip. Tommie and I stayed at the Hampton in Lincolnshire and even though Hamptons offer free breakfasts, there were a couple of days where the offerings offered nothing to the GF eater. One of the hotel staff (not knowing we needed something GF) recommended that we try Walker Brother's. The restaurant is beautiful and we were surprised to see a sign that stated 'Now offering Gluten-Free Pancakes'. Woo hoo!!! What a way to start the day. Tommie of course ordered the GF pancakes and I ordered a blueberry Belgian waffle with a side of bacon. We were both in heaven!!! This meal definitely takes second place to the Epicurean for me. The owner emailed Tommie shortly after we returned home and said that she would make a call to the Pancake Houses down here to recommend that they start carrying GF pancakes!

In short, our trip was fantastic. The weather was wet and cold - but the sites and tastes of the city more than made up for the gloomy weather. Chicago is a city that has many offerings for the GF crowd and I can't wait to return. Our next big trip....we're hoping to go to Texas in the summer for a family reunion. We're not sure if we'll be spending most of the time in Dallas or Houston at this point, but I'll definitely let you know of the GF adventures.

Link to GF article in the Indianapolis Star

http://www.indystar.com/article/20100120/LIVING07/1200312/-1/NLETTER10?source=nletter-food

It's been a long time...

I have not been very diligent when it comes to updating this blog and I'm hoping to spend more time on it this year. I just recently finished my LPN studies and will take my boards this month. If everything goes as planned, I will jump back in this fall for 2 more semesters and complete my RN courses. I then plan on not going to school for a long time. :)

Tommie is doing well, he is still a Vet Tech student a Purdue and is taking Advanced Physiology and Pharmacy Procedures this semester. He is doing very well with both school and staying GF.

I hope to be posting some recipes and pictures soon, I hope all is well.

October: Product of the Month

What: ThinkThin bars
Where: Trader Joe's and Whole Foods
Cost: $1.69
Why: They're yummy and they have great GF options.

There are also Think Pink, Think Organic, Think5 Nutrition, Think Green Superfood, Think Energy, and Think Protein bars.

Cool fact: this company not only thinks about nutrition, they are environmentally conscious. Check out their website at : http://www.thinkproducts.com/thin-bars.php

Whole Foods October Events

Saturday, October 10th NORA & CARMEL (4-6PM)
Oktoberfest
12-2pm FREE
Enjoy spiced apple cider, samples throughout the store, pumpkin decorating for the kids, live polka music outside & more!

Sunday, October 18th CARMEL
Gluten Free Cooking
1-2:30pm FREE
Get gluten free cooking tips each month from Sandy Haney. She lives a gluten free lifestyle and loves to cook! Come enjoy samples of Macaroni and Cheese, Dairy Free Biscuits and Tiramisu. RSVP at 569.1517. Leave message for Sarah Smith.

Wednesday, October 21st NORA: Thursday, October 15th CARMEL
Gluten Free Store Tour
6-7:30pm FREE
Are you living the gluten free (GF) lifestyle and not sure what to eat? Join Sarah Smith to learn about all of the great GF products available in each department, learn how to label read, find out what resources are available & enjoy samples too! RSVP to reserve your space at Eighty-Sixth St call the Customer Service Desk at 706.0900.

Thursday, October 29th NORA: Thursday, October 8th CARMEL
Smart Shopper Tour
6-7:30pm FREE
Want to make healthier choices, but don't know where to start? This store tour is for you! Sarah Smith will show you how to shop smart and dish out some samples too! Learn how to label read, when to buy organic, decipher buzz words like antioxidant, learn what questions to ask your butcher, how to choose healthy snacks, the importance of eco-cleaners, all-natural body care products, fiber and more! Meet at the front of the store. RSVP for 86th St. at the Customer Service Desk 317.706.0900.

Ahh...Betty Crocker

About a month ago, my great aunt Lera sent me an email saying that she had seen a Betty Crocker GF cake mix in her local store. I thought of course she must be hallucinating - but no, she wasn't! Lera lives in Texas and they were about a month ahead of us Hoosiers, and I must say that Tommie and I were jealous.

Tommie and I have tried the brownies and the chocolate-chip cookies, give us time and I'm sure we'll try all of them. I must say - both were DE-LICIOUS!!!! If the great texture and taste weren't enough - the cost wasn't that bad either. Could this be a turning of the tide? Could mainstream America be noticing the GF community? We can only hope!!!

If you would like information about Betty Crocker's mixes and recipes, you can click on the following link: http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/gluten-free/

The above image was also found on this site.

Our vote: 5 out of 5 stars!

Wow - such a long time.

Life has been busy and evidence of that is the fact that I haven't posted a blog in a long long time. A lot of great GF products have been introduced to the new market and I'll be posting reviews shortly.

Also - Suzanne Stocklin held a great meeting at Clarian North this past Sunday discussing GF option in international cuisine. Her presentation was fantastic! My hats off to both Susanne and Clarian North for hosting such a great event.

Earth Hour

Saturday, March 28th
Earth Hour
8:30-9:30pm FREE
Earth Hour is a worldwide climate change initiative in which people across the globe turn off their lights for one hour to save energy and show their support for environmental protection. You can take part without sitting home in the dark! We too will turn off some of our lights, and we invite you to shop in a more relaxed setting. The first 75 customers shopping this hour will receive a free flashlight. To learn more, visit earthhourus.com