Gluten Free at Flamingo Road Nursery and Farmer's Market

I visited the Flamingo Road Nursery & Farmer's Market in Davie today for the first time in many years and was so surprised to find a designated gluten-free section in their market. They had some brands that I am familiar with but others that I was finding out about for the first time including Get Fresh Bakehouse gourmet cookies, brownies, and blondies. I bought the Midnight 2X Chip cookies and they were delicious (with a hefty price tag at $7.99 for 6 cookies)! The nursery itself is great with tons to look at and a large variety of plants, but even if your aren't looking for plants you need to stop by and check out the scenery and visit the market. It's a great spot!

Gluten-Free Flavors at Yogurtland

What a treat to see "Gluten-Free" posted right on the signs for many of the flavors!

Gluten-Free Passover Items Have Arrived!

The gluten-free Passover goodies have arrived in my grocery store. Are they in your store yet? Each year they seem to add more items and the gluten-free labeling is so much more visible. Some of the items are expensive, but they are only available for a limited time so stock up before they are all gone!

babycakes NYC at Downtown Disney in Orlando

I was so excited to recently find out that babycakes NYC now has a location in Orlando. This past weekend we went to Orlando to celebrate my daughter's 2nd birthday with Mickey Mouse! Of course once I found out about the babycakes NYC location, I had to add this to our weekend plans. We stopped at Downtown Disney on our way out of town before heading back to South Florida so I could stock up on some goodies to bring back home with me. I was so overwhelmed when I walked in and saw the cases filled with gluten-free cookies, cupcakes, donuts, and more. I immediately thought I should have brought a bigger cooler for the drive home.

I ultimately decided on a few chocolate chip cookies, a cookie crumb donut, a brownie cupcake, and a blondie cupcake. Everything was AMAZING! If I had to pick a favorite it would probably be a very close tie between the cookies and the blondie cupcake. I am already thinking about my next trip to Orlando and that bigger cooler! It is pretty well-known that Disney World is very accommodating when it comes to special diets. When I asked about a gluten-free meal at one of the restaurants at the Magic Kingdom I was told I was probably the 75th person to ask for this on that day alone. I hope all of those on a gluten-free diet living or visiting Orlando are as familiar with babycakes NYC as well!

Gluten-Free Expo

It has been quite a while since my last post. I had a baby on Valentine's Day and have been pretty busy during the months leading up to her birth and since she arrived. However, I did make time to attend a Gluten-Free Food Expo in Delray Beach on February 27th! It was actually my first time leaving the baby with Grandma.

There were a good number of vendors and a ton of people attended. I made my way through and tasted many delicious samples. I discovered many items that I had never tried before and ended up buying two of them. I loved Udi's blueberry muffins and the brownies from French Meadow Bakery so I had to buy some to bring home with me. If you haven't tried either of these products, I highly recommend that you do... and enjoy!

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Did you think you would never be able to eat another ice cream sandwich? Think again...

Julie's Organic Ice Cream with gluten-free cookies from Glutenfreeda Foods has made it all possible.

They are delicious and you would never know they are gluten-free.  They are a little expensive at just over $5.00 for a 4-pack at Whole Foods, but definitely worth every penny!  

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!      

Kozy Shack Pudding

I don't buy pudding all that often, but I have had Kozy Shack chocolate pudding many times. Along with chocolate, they also have tapioca and rice pudding (all labeled gluten-free). Their website also lists some seasonal flavors for their regular pudding including Key Lime, Country Peach, and Pumpkin.

This past weekend I received a coupon for their new Simplywell pudding so I thought I would give it a try.  The Simplywell flavors (all listed gluten-free as well) include Dark Chocolate, French Vanilla, Green Tea Chai, Lemon Ginger, and Pear Mangosteen.

They are all available in a 4 pack (4 - 100 calorie cups) and list the following health benefits:

> Good source of Antioxidant Vitamin E

> Good source of Calcium and Vitamin D

> Good source of Prebiotic Fiber to Help Promote Digestive Health

I bought the dark chocolate Simplywell pudding from my regular grocery store and tried it last night.  It was delicious!  I have 3 cups left before I have to run back to the store to get some more.  I may have to try the French Vanilla next!

Kozy Shack also sells Flan, No Sugar Puddings and Soy Puddings.  While these are all listed as gluten-free as well, the Soy Puddings include organic wheat starch.  According to their website, the protein fraction (where the gluten is contained) is separated from the carbohydrate fraction during processing and only the part without gluten is used.  Please visit their website for more information on the Soy Puddings.

If you haven't tried Kozy Shack puddings before, I would definitely recommend checking them out.  Enjoy!