Mrs. Glee's Gluten Free Foods

I had not heard of Mrs. Glee's before the Gluten Free Living Now Expo. They were at the opposite end of the exhibit hall than we start on so naturally we were stuffed and a little less focused on the products. However, the nice gentleman at the booth did a great job of educating us about the company and their products.

This is another company located in Michigan, but you can purchase their products on line.

These products are decently priced and they are delicious. Using their rigatoni, they created a pasta salad that was wonderful. Also, they had brownies and oatmeal scotties to try. Now these samples got lost at the bottom of our bag and were not found for at least three days. I was saddened when we did find them because I just knew they were going to be dry and tasteless. Boy was I wrong! The brownie was moist and gooey. And the oatmeal scotty, well...I was ready to get in the car and drive to Michigan to pick up more. That is when I remembered that you could order on line!!!!

Check out their website, they've got a great thing going. These were absolutely the best oatmeal scotties I've ever had.

Side note: I wanted to express my delight (again) about the Gluten Free Living Now Expo. This event was above and beyond anything we had hoped. The organizers did an absolutely tremendous job in arranging fabulous companies and groups. Indianapolis has one of the best gluten-free communities I've seen, if not the best. Companies like Mrs. Glee's, and the others we have mentioned are just testament to the high quality of work put into the expo.

Bob's Red Mill

Another company that had a great showing at the expo this year was Bob's Red Mill. I was particularly amazed at how many gluten-free products they offered:

79

That is AWESOME!!!!

I also found their information very useful. They offered a flyer that explained how much xantham gum should be used for gluten-free baking:

cookies: 1/4 tsp per cup of flour

cakes and pancakes: 1/2 tsp per cup of flour

muffins and quick breads: 3/4 tsp per cup of flour

breads: 1 to 1 1/2 tsp per cup of flour

pizza dough: 2 tsp per cup of flour

They were also handing out samples of their GF Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal. I will let you know what Tommie thinks. I really enjoy Bob's products; they're tasty, easy to work with, and reasonably priced. Bob has been a staple of the gluten-free baker's pantry for years and we always keep their products around.

You can find Bob's Red Mill at almost all grocery stores so pick some up, you'll be glad you did.

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.

GF Expo in Carmel

Just wanted to remind everyone that the 'Gluten Free Living Now' Expo is coming up:

October 7-9, 2011 10a-5pm

The Fountains

502 Carmel Drive

Carmel, IN 46032

Admission is free, but they would like for people to RSVP (which you can do on their website, see link below). Ticket purchase is required for lectures and speakers include:
-Dr. Fasano of CFCR
-Alice Blast from NFCA
-Mrs. Alaska 2011
-Pam Cureton, RD, LDN, CFCR
-Dr. Vikki and Rick Petersen, DC, CCN

This should be very exciting, hope everyone can attend.
http://www.glutenfreelivingnow.org/Gluten_Free_Living_EXPO.html