Gluten Free Registry

            While I was shopping at Outpost Natural Foods the other day I noticed a man looking at gluten free baked goods.  I asked him if he was gluten free and he said yes.  While we were talking he told me about the Gluten Free Registry as a good way to decide where to go out to eat.  This is why I tribute this post to him.

The web address is www.glutenfreeregistry.com.  Once on the site, you simply pick a state and a city.  This will give you a list of gluten free possibilities for places such as restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores.  There is also an app whose search can be used by entering a zip code.  The list given can be used as a starting point as we realized during our own search that not all the gluten free restaurants in our city have been listed.  I hope more will be added as time goes on. 

             Good hunting.

Sabra Hummus

                  I know a lot of people turn up their noses at the mention of hummus.  For what reason people feel that way, I am not quite sure.  Maybe it is because hummus comes across as such a health food.  A lot of people do not like the thought of anything that could fall in that category.  I am here to tell you, hummus can be really, really good!  Sabra Dipping Co., LLC. proves this. 

                Sabra has so many different flavors of hummus.  My favorites are Roasted Red Pepper and Sun Dried Tomato.  They can be used as dips with chips, crackers, or warm pita bread.  It also works well spread on a tortilla and made into a wrap.  I am sure there are tons of other ways to use hummus, but the warm pita bread and tortilla are the ways I use it most often.

                The great thing about Sabra is most of the hummus flavors, if not all, are gluten free. Sabra’s website, sabra.com, has very clear information about each flavor. It lists the ingredients and has little symbols to represent certain aspects, such as gluten free. The nutrition information is also given. Most major grocery stores, including Pick ‘N Save, carry the Sabra brand. The big tubs of hummus can be found at Sam’s Club.

Chex Cereals at Pick ‘N Save

              You have probably seen the commercials about the flavors of Chex Cereals that are gluten free.  I am here to say don’t just see them as something to eat with milk, try them as a crust.

                I use them for crumb crusts.  Look at survivingtheallergylife.blogspot.com to see how I used Chocolate Chex on my June 15, 2013 post.

                Chex Cereals can be found at all major grocery stores.

Caramels at Glorioso’s Italian Market

                 My mother and I first came upon the caramels of Becky’s Blissful Bakery a few years ago at the Tosa Farmer’s Market.  There were some samples out and my mother and I were intrigued.  We gave them a try and found the caramels to be very good.  Then we heard that the caramels were gluten free.  That was fantastic news.  It meant we had yet another treat we could send off to California.  We bought some and off they went.  I do not know for sure, but I suspect the caramels did not last long once they hit my brother’s door.  They were probably eaten pretty quickly, especially since they contained cashews.       

                Not too long after discovering the caramels at the Farmer’s Market, I began seeing them appear in stores.  The first place I recall coming upon them was at Outpost Natural Foods.  I was really happy to see the business of Becky’s Blissful Bakery growing.  Now the business has grown even more and I see the caramels all over the place.

                When I saw the caramels at Glorioso’s Italian Market on Mother’s Day, I knew I wanted to write about them.  They are a great product, and as I said, they have been popping up all over the place.  I still see them at Outpost and I have come across them at Cermak Fresh Market as well.  The website for Becky’s Blissful Bakery has a list with far more retail locations than I mention here.  If you do not happen to live near any of the locations, the caramels can be ordered from the website.  There are also descriptions of each caramel flavor and whether or not it contains gluten.  Currently only one is labeled as having gluten and that is the Beer and Pretzel Caramel.

                I have not seen Becky’s Blissful Bakery at the Tosa Farmer’s Market recently, but I have a feeling that is because during the Farmer’s Market’s operating hours, Becky’s Blissful Bakery has its own store open in Pewaukee.  That I have not been to yet, but I think it would be fun to visit.  For more information on everything to do with the caramels of Becky’s Blissful Bakery, visit their website www.beckysblissfulbakery.com.

Note: Since this post was originally published, these caramels became no longer available at Cermak Fresh Market.  Please check the Becky’s Blissful Bakery website for the most up to date retail locations. 

Pasta Dishes at Noodles & Company

                  For a limited time, Noodles & Company is serving Garden Pesto Sauté, a dish made with gluten free noodles.  It’s fusilli pasta with vegetables and feta cheese.  But that isn’t the only gluten free noodle dish.  You can substitute wheat noodles for rice noodles in six other dishes.  My daughter tried the rice noodles and she said she couldn’t taste the difference.

                View the nutritional information on the Noodles & Company website.  It includes not only gluten free information but other allergies and diet restrictions as well.  www.noodles.com

Lemon Cookies at Cermak Fresh Market

                  There is something about cookies.  I do not know anyone who does not like one kind or another.  With so many cookies on the store shelves, it can be hard to choose which one to pick up and try.  This is especially true when it comes to gluten free cookies.  Some have an odd taste or a gritty texture which can lead one to think there are not any good gluten free cookies on the market.

                The truth is there are good gluten free cookies in the world.  One of my favorites is the Lemon Sugar Cookies made by Schroeter’s Gluten Free Bakeshop.  They are really good.  Made with just the right amount of lemon, I could not even tell these cookies were gluten free when I ate them.  What makes them even better is they are made in Milwaukee.  The travel to the store is very short which leads me to believe they are quite fresh when I buy them.  I have found these lemon cookies at both Cermak Fresh Market and Outpost Natural Foods.    

Puffins Cereal at Outpost Natural Foods

            Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  So try Barbara’s Puffins Multigrain Cereal.  These tasty squares are great for breakfast but can be eaten as a snack.  I bought the cereal at Outpost Natural Foods but I have also found it at Whole Foods.