Luigi Vitelli Gluten Free Corn Pasta

               It’s interesting when you are looking for one thing in a grocery store and end up discovering something you didn’t know anything about.  This is what happened to me when I was looking for Pickapeppa Sauce in the Jamaican row of Cermak’s.  I never found the Pickapeppa Sauce, but I did find Luigi Vitelli Gluten Free Corn Pasta across the aisle.  A friend had told me he really liked corn pasta as a substitute for wheat pasta, but this was the first time I had found it.

                The first time trying a new product is always interesting as we wait to see how it tastes.  I made a dish using the corn pasta linguine with a roasted poblano pepper cream sauce and chorizo sausage.  The pasta tasted as though you were eating a corn tortilla, which went really well with the other ingredients.

                If the Luigi Vitelli Gluten Free Corn Pasta is something you would like to try, it comes in six different varieties: Elbows, Fusilli, Linguine, Penne Rigate, Rigatoni, and Spaghetti.  You can get more information about these products at vitellifoods.com.

                I hope you enjoy this pasta.  It has a lot of possibilities.

MOD Pizza

              There is a new pizza place in town, and it’s called MOD Pizza.  Built on the structure that you pretty much build your own pizza, this restaurant works fast and is tasty, too.  No matter what you decide to put on your pizza, the price will always be the same as the price is determined by the size of the pizza you choose.  A gluten-free crust is available for an additional cost.

                When creating your pizza, you have two main options.  One is to go with the prearranged combinations that are offered.  You can either stick with the exact ingredients listed, or add other ingredients without increasing the cost.  The second option is to completely create your own.  You walk down the buffet style set-up and let the pizza maker know which ingredients you would like.  The list of ingredients you can have is quite lengthy, meaning you can experiment with a new combination each time you come in.  It also means that each pizza ends up being truly your own.

                As good as this pizza is, there is one thing I must warn you about, and the company website does as well.  While the gluten-free pizza crust is an option, it is baked in the same oven as the crusts that are not gluten-free.  For those who have a severe allergy to gluten, this is something to definitely be aware of.

                I am very glad MOD Pizza put out the warning about the baking of the gluten-free pizzas on their website (www.modpizza.com).  It shows that they truly care about their customers.  On their website you can also find nutrition facts and ingredient lists for their other pizza components so you can go into MOD Pizza educated about what you will be eating.  Add this care for customers to the nice staff I encountered (plus the good pizza), and MOD Pizza is definitely a place I want to go back to.       

Boar’s Head Dark Chocolate Dessert Hummus

              Chocolate spreads are being seen from multiple companies, some domestic, some foreign.  Now this flavor concept has moved to the hummus row.

                Boar’s Head has brought out a Dark Chocolate Dessert Hummus for the holiday season.  The person demonstrating it on a recent visit to the Sendik’s grocery store in Elm Grove, WI was suggesting it not only be used as a spread, but also as a dip.  She especially mentioned using it with fresh fruit. 

This dessert hummus would be an interesting gluten free addition to a fruit plate at your family gathering.  So, look in your local stores where Boar’s Head products are sold, and see if they have this limited-edition holiday treat.

Gorilly Goods

              You never know what you will find at a food fair.  Awhile back my mom and I went to a non-GMO fair at Metcalfe’s.  One of the vendors we came across was for Gorilly Goods.  They were featuring their small bags of snack mixes which are organic, raw, vegan, non-GMO, and gluten-free.  There were six flavors available to try and each one had their own unique combination of ingredients along with an interesting name.  I brought home Forest which consisted of dark chocolate, fruit, and nuts.  If you like bananas, this is definitely the flavor for you.  My mother enjoyed Coast which was sweet curry, cashews, and fruit.  The other flavors were Hillside (pumpkin seed and kale), Baja (pumpkin seed, hemp, and cilantro), Trail (nut, goji, and cacao nibs), and Jungle (fruit and nuts).

                While I originally discovered Gorilly Goods at Metcalfe’s, I have also found them at Outpost Natural Foods.  If neither of these stores are in your area, you can go on the Gorilly Goods website (gorillygoods.com) and search to see if they are in a store near you.   

Popchips Ridges

            Well, it’s that time of year again.  Football is in full swing, and out comes the game day food.  It doesn’t matter whether you are watching your university alma mater or an NFL team, there always seems to be food around to munch on.  While shopping recently, I came across a new potato chip to crunch.  It was Popchips Ridges. 

I know we are all supposed to be aware of portion control, but sometimes you have to wonder how the Nutrition Facts label can state that only 6 crackers or 11 chips are the portion amount.  That seems hardly worth the effort to open the bag or the box to eat them.  I am happy to report that the Popchips Ridges flavor I ate (Chili Cheese) had 28 grams, or about 21 chips, to a portion.  That is a great amount.  I also found the Popchip Ridges to be delicious, and I will say right here, I exceeded my portion control amount along with wishing I had some guacamole to go with them.

Popchips Ridges come in four additional flavors: Buffalo Ranch, Cheddar & Sour Cream, Tangy Barbeque, and Perfectly Salted.  All are gluten-free.

I hope you get a change to try Popchips Ridges.  I found them at Woodman’s, but check either the chip or the natural foods aisles at other stores in your area.

popchips.com 

Hershey’s Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate Chips

               The chocolate chip.  That small morsel most recognized as part of a cookie.  It’s true you can make a gluten free cookie using all sorts of alternatives to wheat flours, but what about the chip itself?  Do you read the ingredients when you purchase a bag of chocolate chips?  Maybe, maybe not.

                I am glad to tell you that my favorite Special Dark chocolate chips by Hershey’s are gluten free.  Yes, you can make your cookies, trail mix, or any other treat without being concerned about gluten.

                If you are not a dark chocolate fan, there are other Hershey's Baking Chips to choose from.  I found a list on The Hershey Company website. 

                Hershey’s Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate Chips can be found at most major grocery stores.  I buy mine at Woodman’s or Sendik’s.

                Enjoy your baking!

The Compassionate Chick’s Guide to DIY Beauty by Sunny Subramanian & Chrystle Fiedler

Photographer: Michelle Cehn, Image provided by Robert Rose Inc.

             I was looking for something different to write about.  In the past I had seen ads for gluten-free make-up, so I thought I would give that a try.  Of course, now that I was looking for gluten-free make-up, I had a hard time finding it.  So I took a look at the library to see if there were any books on how to make some.  What I found was The Compassionate Chick’s Guide to DIY Beauty: 125 Recipes for Vegan, Gluten-Free, Cruelty-Free Makeup, Skin & Hair Products.  Full of recipes for personal care products you can make at home, I must say this is one of the best books I have found on the subject.  As I went through the pages, all of the recipes seemed really easy to do.  Most of the ingredients lists are short and easy to find.  If you do, however, struggle to find an ingredient, there is a resource list in the back.         

                Not only does this book have recipes, but it also has great information throughout.  The beginning chapters discuss how and why to get started with making your own products, as well as the differences between the ingredients in store-bought personal care products and those in the recipes.  In the recipe sections, little facts about the ingredients used are scattered amongst the pages, making the reader really know and understand what they are putting on their body.  Also included is the shelf life of each recipe (the recipes that don’t have one, it is explained, are one-time use) and how to care for it.  This may not seem like an exciting item to include, but there have been many times where I have come across recipes where the shelf life is not included, making me wonder how long I would actually be able to use what I made before it goes bad.  In this book I don’t have to guess, making it easier for me to decide which recipes to try, as I frequently base that on shelf life and the care that is necessary.

                One concern I did have as I went through this book was the frequent use of lavender essential oil.  There is a family allergy to it, so the use of lavender is not something I am able to do.  Since lavender is used so prevalently in this book, especially in the cosmetics section, I reached out to the author, Sunny Subramanian.  I asked her if the use of lavender could be substituted or eliminated all together.  After hearing back from Ms. Subramanian, I am happy to say the answer to both questions is yes.  The essential oils in these recipes can either be eliminated or substituted.  Some substitutions Ms. Subramanian gave me were tea tree, geranium, frankincense, and neroli.  There is a list in the book of the most popular essential oils and their benefits to help you choose.       

                The Compassionate Chick’s Guide to DIY Beauty is a really exciting book if you like to make your own beauty products or want to avoid the chemicals and other ingredients that are frequently in store-bought products.  All the recipes are vegan and gluten-free, however, Ms. Subramanian does warn that to make sure these recipes stay gluten-free, read all the packages of what you are purchasing.  Verify that they are gluten-free as well as made in gluten-free facilities. 

If you want to try this book out before purchasing, check it out from the library.  When you’re ready to purchase, you can order this book from Boswell Book Company, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.