Bunny Cookies at Whole Foods

           Whenever I am feeling down, just the sight of the Annie’s Graham Friends box makes me smile.  There is something about the tie-dyed family size box and the cute bunny shaped cookies that give me the feeling not everything is so bad.  All this has happened without eating a single cookie.  When I do finally begin to eat them, I enjoy every moment.  A mix of three different cookie flavors; honey, chocolate chip, and chocolate; I do not need to eat many to be satisfied.                 
              Unfortunately, the Graham Friends do not come in a gluten free option. Annie’s does, however, have other bunny cookies that are gluten free. There are three different flavors: Chocolate and Vanilla, Ginger Snap, and SnickerDoodle. I have it on good authority that the Chocolate and Vanilla are quite good. Ginger Snap and SnickerDoodle I have not heard about, but I am sure they are worth a try. I have never been disappointed by an Annie’s product. All three types of gluten free bunny cookies can be found at Whole Foods.

Nut Crackers at Balistreri Sendik’s Food Markets

              It’s time for parties, tailgating, and the Final Four.  This means out come the snacks.  With your sausage and cheese spreads you need a good gluten free cracker.  I recommend Blue Diamond Natural Nut-Thins.  They come in a variety of flavors including Pecan, Cheddar Cheese, and Country Ranch.  Almond is the favorite flavor for our gluten free person.  I have purchased the Nut-Thins at my nearby Balistreri Sendik’s Food Market, but they can also be found at Pick ‘N Save, Outpost Natural Foods, and A Gluten Free Frenzy.

Toaster Pastries at A Gluten Free Frenzy

                 For a long time my mom and I looked everywhere for gluten free toaster pastries.  It appears to be the most missed food for those who live gluten free lives.  I do not know how often my mother and I have heard them talked about.  They were even mentioned during a gluten free dinner at a local restaurant.  One of the presenters brought the subject up.  That is how popular toaster pastries are.

                After an extensive search, and attempts at making our own, we finally found gluten free toaster pastries.  We walked into A Gluten Free Frenzy, located on Bluemound Road in Brookfield, and there they were.  Made by Eco-Planet, their Gluten Free Frosted Toaster Pastries come in three flavors: Brown Sugar & Cinnamon, Blueberry, and Strawberry.  The first day we saw them, at least one flavor was sold out.  It may have actually been two.  That is how happy people were to have toaster pastries back in their lives.  They did not even stay on the shelves.

                As I have never eaten one myself, I cannot tell you how the toaster pastries taste. But if you, or someone you know, have missed toaster pastries, I suggest going to A Gluten Free Frenzy and giving them a try.

Soy Sauce at Outpost Natural Foods

                   So many recipes these days include soy sauce as one of the ingredients.  In my search to find a low sodium soy sauce for my sensitivity to sodium, I came upon San-J Organic Tamari Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce (Platinum Label).  This takes care of two dietary restrictions in one product.  I purchase mine at Outpost Natural Foods.

Pizza at Bartolotta’s Pizzeria Piccola

          One of my favorite things to eat is pizza.  It is probably what I order most when I go to restaurants.  Lately I have been quite partial to vegetable pizzas.  As every restaurant selects and prepares the vegetables differently, no two pizzas are exactly the same.  One vegetable pizza I enjoy frequently is from Bartolotta’s Pizzeria Piccola. 

Made to just the right size for one person to eat on his or her own, Pizzeria Piccola’s vegetable pizza is only one of the options available.  Another of my favorites is the Margherita.  Then, of course, there is nothing wrong with cheese.  The pizza at Pizzeria Piccola is so good I often find myself eating ingredient combinations I would not usually be tempted to try.  I even eat the ones that have meat.

At Pizzeria Piccola customers have the option of choosing a gluten free crust.  I have tried the gluten free crust pizza.  It is really good.  When I ate the pizza, I did not even think about it being gluten free.  It was the same delicious pizza I was used to.