Barilla Gluten Free Pasta

                        One day at Woodman’s we found Barilla has three types of gluten free shaped pastas: rotini, penne, and elbows.  They are made from corn and rice flours.  While looking at the boxes, another shopper stopped and told us her family didn’t notice a difference between the Barilla Gluten Free and the regular pasta.  We tried the pasta ourselves and found it to be lighter than others but not any less filling.

                Investigating the Barilla website (www.barilla.com) we also found gluten free spaghetti is available.  Since pasta, after toaster pastries and pizza, is the most missed food when people find they need to eat gluten free, the Barilla Gluten Free Pasta is a wonderful find.

                While we originally saw this pasta at Woodman’s, we have also found it at Pick ‘n Save.

Tall Guy and a Grill Catering

                    Milwaukee is known for tailgating, especially during baseball season.  With Opening Day coming up soon, I am sure some people are already preparing for their tailgating event.  For those who haven’t started, or are not quite sure what to bring for their gluten-free friend or relative, I have found someone who can help. 

                Tall Guy and a Grill Catering has an entire Tailgate & Picnic Menu.  It contains entrees, side dishes, and a list of extras.  What makes this menu so great is the bratwurst, beef and bleu, and hot dogs are all gluten-free.  They are also nitrate-free and made in Wisconsin.  Gluten-free buns are available upon request.

                Tailgating and picnics are not the only events Tall Guy and a Grill Catering covers.  They also have a Box Lunch Menu, Appetizer Menu, and Main Course Menu for whatever kind of event you may be holding.  Depending on the menu, there are salads, sandwiches, wraps, pasta dishes, and all sorts of other tasty items to choose.  While some things are naturally gluten-free, other items can have substitutions made.  A lot of the pasta dishes can be made with a brown rice pasta instead of the regular, and gluten-free salad dressing is available.

      All the menus I mentioned are available on the Tall Guy and a Grill Catering website, www.tallguyandagrill.com, as well as further information about the different catering services they provide.

Fish Fry at IL MITO East

           Since we have moved into the season of Lent, many people are eating fish in lieu of meat.  There is a gluten-free fish fry option being offered at IL MITO East every Friday in March 2014.  Visit www.ilmitoeast.com for location information and hours of operation.

GoPicnic

                  I came across the GoPicnic meals completely by accident.  At a recent trip to Woodman’s I was walking down the gluten free aisle and I happened to turn my head.  In front of me on the shelf were these little meals in a box.  Each meal was different.  Some had meat, others didn’t.  The side items changed around.  All were ready-to-eat.

                For some reason I did not pick up one of the meals that day but I did a few weeks later.  Of course, unbeknownst to me, that day the meals were on sale and the shelf was pretty cleared out.  There was still the Hummus & Crackers option which was good as that is the one I probably would have picked anyways.            

                In my Hummus & Crackers meal I had five different prepackaged items: hummus, crackers, a fruit and nut mix, a seed blend, and dessert.  While I liked everything, my favorite component was the Sweet Perry Orchards Baja Blend Fruit & Nut Mix.  It was absolutely delicious.  If a giant bag were available I would love to have it.  While this does not appear to be an option, I can, however, purchase multiple packs of the mix on the GoPicnic website.

                Another piece of the meal I really liked was Professor Zim Zam’s Extraordinary Sweets Dark Chocolate & Tangerine Orbites.  According to the box, these are a special edition dessert.  I do not know if these are special addition for the Hummus & Crackers alone, or in general.  Hopefully it is not in general because these Orbites are really good.  They were sweet with a taste of citrus.  If you do not want to eat the Orbites right away, I could easily see these as a treat while watching a movie instead of the usual candy.

                The Sweet Perry Orchards Power Play Tasty Seed Blend was a nice contrast to the Fruit & Nut Mix and the Orbites.  It brought down the sweetness of the other two, especially the Orbites.  As someone who eats very little sugar, this difference was much appreciated.

                My only concern about this meal is I ran out of crackers for the hummus.  Now, this may be due to the fact that I do not put a lot of hummus on my crackers.  So I may need more crackers than the average person.  If you are someone who puts more than one layer of hummus on the cracker, you may be just fine.  Even if you aren’t, there is absolutely nothing wrong with eating the hummus all on its own.  Just be sure to have a knife handy in order to get the hummus out of the package.

                When I checked out the GoPicnic website (www.gopicnic.com) I saw there were a lot more meals available than those I found at Woodman’s.  However, not all of the meals are gluten free so make sure to check each package before purchasing.  Also on the website are a number of options where you can buy the meals en masse such as their Month-o-Lunch or a smaller Variety Pack.  There are many different items that can be purchased on the website and it is definitely worth checking out to see what your options are.  If you choose to order from the website, GoPicnic has generously offered a 10% discount to our readers.  The code for the discount is PR10 and is valid until February 15, 2015.

                If you are looking for GoPicnic in a store, I have found the meals at Woodman’s and A Gluten Free Frenzy. This past weekend I also saw them in Target’s weekly ad. I do not know if every Target carries GoPicnic, but it is definitely worth investigating.

Jennies Gluten-Free Bakery Classic Pound Cake Mini’s

             I love pound cake and use it in a lot of ways.  Sometimes I use it as a shortcake type dessert.  Other times I just cut a slice and eat it.  Either way is good.                 
                  Jennies Gluten-Free Bakery Classic Pound Cake Mini’s can be used as a ready-made substitute for classic pound cake recipes. There is a Valentine’s Day dessert recipe on my Surviving the Allergy Life blog which can be made with these pound cakes. survivingtheallergylife.blogspot.com  Both A Gluten Free Frenzy and Woodman’s carry Jennies Gluten-Free Bakery Classic Pound Cake Mini’s.

Girl Scout Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookie

                January means a lot of things, especially in Wisconsin.  Cold.  Snow.  Ice.  Girl Scout cookies.  Soon Girl Scout cookies will start appearing everywhere.  People walk around offices with boxes of their favorites.  They sit and chat with others as they tell tales of how many cookies were eaten in one sitting.  Discussions can be heard of why one cookie was chosen for purchase over another.  There are debates about which cookie is the best.  Girl Scout cookies are an event which is eagerly awaited all year.

                Now those who are gluten free can join in on the fun.  The Girl Scouts are selling a gluten free cookie on a trial basis.  It is a Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookie and is only being sold in selected councils.  Fortunate for us, Southeast Wisconsin happens to be one of them.  When you see a Girl Scout booth, ask about the new Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookie.  That may help keep it around for years to come.

                        For more information, consult the Girl Scouts website. www.girlscouts.org

                  
                  Update: Since I originally posted about the Girl Scout Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookie, I have received further information from the Girls Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast (GSWISE). The GSWISE council consists of Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington, and Waukesha counties and is one of twenty test markets for this cookie. Packages of the gluten free cookie are $5 and there is a limited supply. If you would like to purchase this new cookie but are unsure as to where they are being sold, you can e-mail GSWISE at cookies@gswise.org. Be sure to put “Gluten Free” in the subject line. As for the body of the e-mail, state your name, zip code, how many boxes of cookies you would like to purchase, and the best way to contact you. The GSWISE Cookie Support Team will reach out to the troops in your area that are selling the gluten free cookie. A Girl Scout will then get in contact with you about your desired cookie purchase.

Garden of Eatin’ Blue Chips

                It’s that time of year again when people are sitting watching post season football.  Sometimes the watching is to cheer your team and other times it is to cheer for the opponent of your team’s nemesis.  Whichever way you look at your football viewing, it’s time for chips and dip.  I don’t know if you knew there was an avocado season just for the Super Bowl.  Statistically more guacamole is consumed that day than any other day of the year, so I have been told.

                What does that have to do with gluten free?  Well, all guacamole has to have a chip to go with it.  My recommendation is Garden of Eatin’s Blue Chips.  Not only are they gluten free, but they can be bought with no salt added.  Just look for the label.  This takes care of two things at the same time if you need to watch your salt also.  These chips can be found at most major grocery stores.

                Enjoy the games.