Udi's Gluten Free Pizza

I am a big fan of Udi's. I eat their bagels just about every morning and love to treat myself with their blueberry muffins every now and then. Last week I noticed that my Whole Foods now sells their pizza. I was so excited, as I have been looking for a new gluten free frozen pizza. They have 3 different varieties including pepperoni, three cheese, and margherita pizza. I opted for the pepperoni and it was a great choice. The thin crust was nice and crispy, the sauce and cheese were perfect, the pepperoni was delicious, and the basil added a nice extra touch!

Chocolate Cupcakes from Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakehouse

The Gluten-Free Bakehouse from Whole Foods has a huge selection of tasty baked goods. Their products (breads, muffins, cookies, scones, and more) are made at a dedicated gluten-free facility and are sold at Whole Foods Markets in the US and Canada.

The cupcakes (they come in vanilla and chocolate) are the latest Gluten-Free Bakehouse products to hit the shelves at my local Whole Foods.  I can't even tell you the last time I had a cupcake, so you can only imagine how excited I was when I found these.  I haven't tried the vanilla ones yet, but the chocolate cupcakes are out of this world!  Make sure you have a large glass of milk ready because they are big and rich!

I have tried many of their other products over the years and there hasn't been one that I didn't thoroughly enjoy.  My personal favorite (aside from the cupcakes) are the blueberry muffins which I have for breakfast on most mornings.

Some of you may feel that the cupcakes are expensive ($7.69 for a 4-pack), however individual cupcakes at a bakery will cost you at least that much. These cupcakes make a great dessert any night of the week or for a special occasion.  Look for them in your local Whole Foods and enjoy!      

My Favorite Pasta - Tinkyada

Growing up, I was always a pasta girl. Whether we made it at home or went out to eat, pasta was always one of my favorite meals. When I went away to college, I lived on pasta because it was cheap and easy.  After college (when I was actually making a decent living), I continued to make pasta once a week and made sure I had enough leftovers for a few lunches.  So when I made the switch to a gluten-free diet a few years ago, I was crushed at the thought of never being able to eat one of my favorite foods again.

I soon discovered that they made several different types of gluten-free pasta, and I tried several brands.  The more brands I tried, the more depressed I became over the fact that my pasta would never taste the same.  Then I tried Tinkyada...

Tinkyada pasta tastes just like regular pasta!  I was so ecstatic that I was able to make one of my favorite meals again and actually enjoy it.  We usually make spaghetti and meat sauce once a week.  Every now and then for a special treat, we make spaghetti and pan-seared scallops with olive oil, garlic, and mushrooms (I love the large scallops from Costco).  Last night my mother came over for dinner.  We made spaghetti with shrimp. It was actually the first time she had eaten gluten-free pasta and she thought it was delicious.  She said it didn't taste any different than regular pasta.   It was so good, we didn't have any leftovers!

I am fortunate enough to have a Whole Foods right down the street from my house, and they sell Tinkyada pasta.  For those of you who are not able to find this brand in a store near you, it is definitely worth purchasing online.    

Tinkyada pasta is another simple and delicious gluten-free meal!

Welcome

Welcome to my world... living gluten-free in South Florida!

I've been on a gluten-free diet for a few years now and it has gotten much easier over time. When my doctor first said the words gluten-free diet, visions of my favorite foods that I would no longer be able to eat flashed through my mind.  Donuts, egg rolls, pasta, garlic bread, and the list went on... I jumped on the internet to look for all of the information that I could find, including gluten-free replacements to all my favorite foods, and wondered how I was ever going to eat out at a restaurant again.  I found a few websites that had a ton of information (www.celiac.com and www.celiac. org) and several with gluten-free products including Gluten Solutions.  I also bought a few books.  Many of the books out there were also filled with valuable information (what I could and couldn't eat) as well as great recipes.  Being that I am just the average cook and not into gourmet cooking, some of the recipes were too elaborate for me.  Two of my favorite books are Against the Grain and Wheat-Free Worry-Free.  They covered everything about living without gluten, including supermarket basics, reading labels, eating out, traveling, nutrition, as well as the emotional aspect that comes with this new lifestyle.  These 2 books are must-haves for anyone starting on a gluten-free diet!  However, for those really into cooking, also check out The Gluten-Free Gourmet books. 

I was very surprised how much information was out there and just how many gluten-free products were available.  I initially bought a lot of my new food online as I began experimenting with different products.  This quickly became expensive and I started to look for other options.  Luckily, I have a Whole Foods close by that carries a large supply of gluten-free products (the selection continues to grow over the years).  I also stop off at a few other health food stores nearby on occasion to buy items that I can't find anywhere else (Nutrition Smart and Tunie's).  I even still buy a few items online once in a while (my favorite tapioca dinner rolls from Ener-G Foods).  However, over the years I have changed my mindset somewhat from simply looking for "gluten-free" specialty products to eating simple and healthy.  There are so many options that are naturally gluten-free, that the question is no longer what can't I eat, but rather what should I eat?  Don't get me wrong, there are still a few gluten-free items on my shopping list each week (gluten-free pasta included), but I now buy most of my food in the regular grocery store.  My weekly shopping list includes more fruits and vegetables, and a simple dinner may be grilled chicken and asparagus.

Every now and then, dessert consists of a special gluten-free treat.  Last night was a chocolate cupcake I just discovered at Whole Foods!