My favorite gluten-free restaurants

*Disclaimer*

This is based on my opinion and my own personal experiences. I am not being paid to share this.

     I have been on a gluten-free diet since January of 2007. When I started this diet no one had a clue what gluten was. It made going out to eat VERY difficult. I spent many hours explaining just how I needed my food to be prepared. One time I went to a restaurant and asked for no croutons and instructed that they make the Caesar salad in a clean, new bowl. When I got the salad it looked fine. I started eating it and got down to the bottom. EEK! There were croutons on the bottom on the salad. UGH. REALLY?? Since then I have always carried the enzymes called Gluten-Ease with me in my purse. It doesn't stop all the ill-effects I get from the cross contamination, but it does mitigate the effects. Once it pulled me out of a what looked like a "drunken" fog. I hadn't had a drink, but the gluten messed up my brain. I couldn't even remember what money was or how to drive. My sister-in-law was with me and drive us home. She said if I didn't know what was wrong with you, I would have thought you were totally wasted. Scary!

     From years of experimenting and either failing or succeeding, I have learned where I can and can not eat at. My all-time favorite sit-down restaurant is Outback Steakhouse. 

     Whenever I go out to dinner, we go to Outback. It is a running joke amongst my friends, "So... where are we going this time?" LOL! Everyone knows that it where I go out 99% of the time. I prefer Outback because I can order the Outback Special. It is $9.99 for a 6oz sirloin steak and two sides. I usually get a baked potato and a Caesar Salad, unless I am eating really healthy and than I get the steamed broccoli. I have ordered the Aussie Cheese Fries for years and never have reacted. Outback doesn't say they are gluten-free but from my experience I have always been ok. That is NOT to say they are "healthy" but they sure do taste good! 

     I am a hot-foods person. I feel much better when I eat a hot meal. Plus I have learned that I need to eat animal protein at every meal. I have tried so many different diets and have come to know what works for me. Outback provides an expensive, protein-based, healthier meal (especially if you get the salad and broccoli.) 

     The next best thing about Outback is it is the only restaurant that i have been to that has a gluten-free dessert that isn't just ice cream or fruit. The Chocolate Thunder From Down Under is a flour-less, gluten-free brownie with nuts. It has a huge scoop of ice cream, fresh whipped cream, and chocolate shavings on it. It is definitely too much to eat alone. So I only get it when I have people to share it with.

     Outback has a specific Gluten-Free menu if you ask for it. I get the same thing every time because I LOVE it. So my motto is, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"There are other gluten-free products they made

     Whenever you go out to eat, always make sure you inform the server that you have a gluten allergy. Restaurants are getting much better at knowing about gluten issues. Not all, but many. 

     I was told by our local Outback Manager that the Outback staff is trained on allergies and how to handle them. It doesn't guarantee anything, but it sure puts my mind more at east knowing everyone is trained about gluten-free procedures.

Gluten-Free Menu

Outback Steakhouse Website

Gluten free, dairy free, sugar free drinks

Linda over at The Gluten Free Homemaker blog has a challenge for the month. It  is to create a gluten free drink. Most drinks are gluten free, but I thought I would add some of our favorite recipes that are gluten, dairy, and sugar free (no artificial sweeteners!)

Cranberry Juice
Ingredients:
1 tsp Unsweetened Cranberry Concentrate (Tree of Life- is what I use)   
5/6 drops Liquid Stevia (SweetLeaf- Stevia Clear- is what I use)
Filtered Water
Ice

I make a glass at a time. I use just enough cranberry concentrate to cover the bottom of the glass about 1 tsp, 5/6 drops of stevia, and then fill the glass up with water. Mix it together and add ice. This is a great drink when you want something sweet, but don't want the sugar. It is great for the kidneys. I get kidney stones and people have recommended cranberry juice, All cranberry juice has added sweeteners, even if its apple juice, that is still high in sugar content. This is a great alternative.
                       

 Green Smoothie
(I have never tried this recipe without a Vita-mix. I highly recommend making the investment in a vita-mix. My mother bought one for use years ago, and we use it all the time. My best friend made this recipe in a regular blender and she did not like it.)
 
Ingredients:
2/3 handfuls organic baby spinach
1 banana, frozen
4-5 strawberries, frozen or fresh
2 c filtered water
1 c ice
Vita-mix
Stevia- optional   
Put spinach in the blender. Add water. Turn the vita- mix up to high and let it blend really well for at least one minute. Slowly add frozen banana and strawberries. Once combined, add ice. This tastes like a banana and strawberry smoothie! My daughter likes to add a few drops of Stevia to her glass, but i don't think it needs it. My 1 year old son, drank my own glass the other day.

 

Lemonade
3/4 c fresh squeeze lemon juice or Real-Lemon Juice (we buy it in bulk at Sam's)
2/3 dropperful Clear Liquid Stevia (not powdered Stevia)
Filtered Water

Combine lemon juice and stevia. Fill the pitcher up with filtered water and stir. Sometimes we like it stronger than others. You may have to adjust this to your sweet/tartness taste buds. It is an easy recipe. It won't mess with your blood sugar and lemon is good for detoxing in the morning.

Meal Plan for 7/2-7/8/11

Making a meal plan is something I VERY much dislike doing. I always want to make it healthy, but also want to make food that everyone wants to eat. When you have 8 different people to please it makes your mind boggle. My husband and I know that we don't want to eat food we don't like, so we try very hard to not make our kids eat food they just do not like. They do have to try the food several times before they decide they don't like it. They can't just look at it and say, "yuck I don't like that." Grrr.... that can't make me more frustrated so my kids know better than to do that. Most of the time, they try it and like it.

This week, it took me an hour and a lot of frustration to work through, plus a phone call from hubby to help me get through this (pathetic I know! but I am so grateful for him!) So I figured that I would post my success. I know that things are going to come up and I am not going to be able to stick to this exact menu everyday, but if I can stick to it the best we can it will reduce a lot of stress & save lots more money than throwing things away or 10 trips a week to the store!

Hope posting this can help you some too. I enjoy looking at what other people are making for meals. It helps me make choices.

(Even if it doesn't say gluten-free, everything we make is gluten-free)

Saturday:
B: Scrambled eggs w/ cheddar cheese, homemade English muffins
L: Grilled cheese, carrots, celery, Ranch dip, & strawberries
D: Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, garlic french bread, & salad

Sunday:
B: Waffles, bacon, & fried/scrambled eggs
L: BBQ pork sandwiches, baked beans, & potato salad
D: Steak, mashed potatoes, & steamed broccoli

Monday:
B: Biscuits & Gravy
L & D: At a friend's house for a 4th of July party

Tuesday:
B: Banana muffins & fruit smoothie
L: Spaghetti with meat sauce
D: Chicken quesdillas- kids (Hubby & I are celebrating our anniversary early by going out to dinner & a movie!)

Wednesday:
B: Bagg-Os- bagels with butter & scrambled eggs with cheese
L: Potato Soup (my awesome recipe from Pampered Chef) or left over spaghetti
D: Baked Ziti

Thursday:
B: Pumpkin muffins (kids were over-the-moon excited for pumpkin muffins!) & green smoothie (organic baby spinach, banana, strawberries, ice, & 2 cups of water mixed in a vitamix. It tastes like a banana strawberry smoothie, I promise!)
L: Black beans & rice or Black beans with cream cheese on a tortilla shell w/ cheese melted on it)
D: Pizza; cheese for the kids & pepperoni & other toppings for the parents

Friday:
B: Cereal (Koala Krisp) or Quinoa hot cereal
L: Tuna or Ham Sandwiches with veggies & chips
D: Ground beef tacos

PHEW.... I did it. Now to stick to it. I think knowing a head what to thaw out the night before, plus it being clipped to the fridge for everyone to see will make a difference. Hubby knows what he or I am making for dinner. He is my cook, so almost every night be cooks dinner. I planned for dinners that I can make since he has been working late a lot. The bonus: NO more "what are we having for dinner tonight, Mommy?" I can say, "Go look at the list!" :')

My favorite blogs

Today I wanted to share with you a list of all my favorite blogs that I subscribe to. When going gluten free, it really helps to read what others are doing, how they got started, and continued support. I am always looking for new meal ideas, or new desserts. Gluten free is on the rise and more people are learning that gluten is a problem for them. I feel so lucky that I have been able to connect with some many wonderful people that are sharing their experiences and recipes with everyone. Thank you to all the bloggers for taking time to share with us!

Ginger Lemon Girl- Carrie Forbes

The Gluten-Free Homemaker- Linda Etherton

gluten free easily- Shirley Braden

A Year of Slow Cooking- Stephanie O'Dea

Celiac Family- Heather

elana's pantry-Elana Amsterdam

gluten-free goddess- Karina Allrich

These are the main ones I get as emails everyday. I do subscribe to others. I will continue to add more to the list.

Gluten Free Eclair Cake

Gluten-Free Eclair Cake made by my daughters

My sister-in-law makes this delicious Eclair Cake for our Christmas party every year. When I was eating gluten, I had some, and man, it is delicious! Now that I am gluten free, I really missed it this last year. So for our Annual Christmas party this year, I had my daughters make a gluten free version for me. I love my sister-in-law, but this version is even more delicious. I hope you enjoy the recipe.

2 boxes of Jo-sef Vanilla cookies (these are ef, df, gf)

1 container of Cool-Whip

1 container of chocolate frosting (read labels, some have wheat in them)

1 package of French vanilla pudding

Mix Cool-Whip and pudding together. Add some milk to thin out the pudding to a spreadable consistency. Layer the cookies on the bottom of the pan, then pudding, then cookies, then pudding, then cookies, and then chocolate frosting the top. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 2 hours. 

 

Hope you enjoy this as much as I have!!!

A friend of mine said she uses chocolate pudding instead of french vanilla pudding, and she uses vanilla frosting instead of chocolate frosting. I am going to try that next time. I may also try it with cream cheese frosting.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap

Melting the bar of soap

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap

       Being a family of 8, plus my parents, and I do the office laundry for our chiropractor, we go through a lot of laundry soap. I had been buying the Ecos laundry soap from Sam's Club. It is about 2 gallons and is around $14. A friend of mine mentioned on Facebook one day that she was enjoying looking at recipes on the Duggar Family's website. That got me thinking that I really needed to check out their recipe for the homemade liquid laundry soap. I had thought about it on and off for several years. I finally got on the computer (I had sworn to myself that I wasn't going to get on that day, hee hee) and looked up the recipe. I clicked on the link they had to a store that sold the Arm & Hammer Washing soap, but they were out of it. So I went to Amazon.com to check it out.

      Well, it seems that many other people have done the same search because they had clumped all three items together for me, how convenient! I thought it was a great deal at $16 for all three items; the bar of soap, the Borax, and the Arm & Hammer Washing Soap. Not too bad and I didn't have to go anywhere to find it. Duh, I forgot to check the individual prices for shipping. Once I figured that out, it was too late, and my $16 was now $33 because of shipping. Darn it! My best friend has made this same recipe. She tells me after I purchased these items that she spent around $6 for all the ingredients. Ahhh.... Talk about rubbing salt on an open wound! ;-) But now I know better.

      Next time I make it, all I need is the bar of soap because I have plenty of Borax and Arm & Hammer Washing soap left. I still am going to save a lot of money by making this laundry soap!

Here are a few pictures of our adventure and I am going to include our recipe, I tweaked mine some. Enjoy!!

A. with the final product, so proud!

S.A. grating the bar of soap

S.M. grating the bar of soap

  Recipe:

1 bar of Fels-Naptha (grated)
1/2 c. 20 Mule Team Borax
1 c. Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (only this one)
3 scoops of Oxi-Clean powder
4 c. boiling water
40-50 drops of Essential Oil of Orange (any scented oil that you like)
3 gallons of warm water

1. Grate the whole bar of soap- I used the Fels-Naptha. Put on 4 c. water in a sauce pan to boil. Once it is boiling, turn it down to half the heat. Start adding the grated soap slowly til it is all added and melted. I used a bamboo spoon that I can put in the dishwasher, so it wouldn't take on the soap taste afterwards.

2. Fill up a 5-gallon bucket with around 3 gallons of warm water. (I purchased the bucket and lid-yes you have to purchase them seperately, for $3.50 at Lowe's)

3. Pour the Borax and Washing Soda in the 5-gallon bucket and stir til it is dissolved. Add the oxi-clean and stir again til it is dissolved.

4. Pour in the melted bar of soap into the 5-gallon bucket. Stir it. 


5. Add the drops of essential oil of Orange or any scent that you like, ie. Lavender and stir again.


6. Place the lid on the bucket and let it set up overnight.


7. Fill an old liquid laundry soap container half full with the homemade soap.


8. Fill the rest with water. (this was what was suggested in the Duggar's recipe. My best-friend just uses it straight, that part is up to you.)


Now you have laundry soap for a long time, even longer if you aren't washing laundry for 10 people and an office! Still, either way, you save lots of money, and you can control what goes into your laundry.

Gluten-free Cripsy Brown Rice Treats

Gluten-Free Crispy Brown Rice Treats

Rice Krispie Treats is one of my favorite desserts. My mother used to make a batch for my younger brother and I, so when we got home from school, we had a sweet treat. 

My older brother was deployed in Desert Storm while I was in middle school. He was stationed in Bahrain. I knew he loved them too, so I made a batch to send to him. Then I ate that batch, so I made another batch, and once again ate that batch. (Bad sister!) It took about 4 months to finally get a batch I didn't eat and send it to him! 

So you can tell, I LOVE these sweet, crunchy treats. Here's the kicker; Rice Krispies have barley malt on them as a sweetener. Barley has gluten in it, so I no longer could make and eat one of my favorite treats. Til I found Erewhon's Organic Crispy Brown Rice- it is GLUTEN-FREE!! I was thrilled! You can't buy it from the regular grocery store, so I have to get them from our local health food store or Whole Foods. Here is a delicious picture of my favorite dessert that I am getting to eat tonight. My husband and I are going to watch the pre-season Colts game that we DVR'd and eat my dessert! I LOVE that I can find the products I have always loved and now can still eat!

P.S. I love my Pampered Chef flower plate! Isn't it pretty!

Homemade Fries and a gluten-free Burger

Fries with Colby cheese, Ranch dip, and a gf burger with cheese

Ok, my picture taking abilities need some work! This was taken from my cell phone. Lunch at my house on a Sunday afternoon; homemade fries with Colby cheese melted on them- like the ones they make at Outback with the Ranch french fry dipping sauce (found the recipe online) and a burger with Colby cheese melted over the top.

There is no bun on my burger. Many times I really miss the bun. I have not experimented enough with making a gf bun. One day! For now, I am saving the carbs for my fries! 

This burger was so good even without the bun. I used A-1 sauce, ketchup, 1 egg, herb-a-mare, and Ranch dressing powder. I usually add the cheese into the burger, but I am avoiding that for my 2nd daughter who seems to not tolerate milk well. 

While I was in Chicago at my Pampered Chef conference, my favorite restaurant to eat at was the Grand Lux. I would order a burger with no bun. It came with cheese and avocado. It was so good! I forgot the avocado this time. Oh well, next time!

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Broccoli Soup

It is hard to find foods for my mother to eat. Unfortunately, she had to have her teeth removed because they were so infected. She had had 14 root canals. What they don't tell you is that the infection never really goes away, they can't get it all out, but they remove the nerve ending so you can't feel the pain from the infection anymore. The infections ate away at her jaw bone so bad that the dentist told her to be very careful, not to chew on anything hard like nuts and to tell the kids to be very careful and not bump her jaw or it could break, yikes! She had a denture it is wasn't working right. Its been a long struggle with her denture and chewing challenge. 

So we have to find soft, healthy foods for her to eat.  You would think that would be easy, but we don't eat gluten and she doesn't eat hardly any sugar (it really feeds the yeast, she has read).  In the book, "Feast Without Yeast" by Bruce Semon, MD there is a recipe for Broccoli Soup.  Today, my wonderful husband (who is an awesome cook) made her this soup. It is so good.  I really liked it, but BEST of all, my mother liked it.  It warms my heart (no pun intended) that we found a soft, nutritious food she can eat AND she actually likes it.  That is also a challenge we have is trying find something she likes.  Today, a success!! :-)

Here is the recipe:

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Gluten, Cholesterol, Casein and Egg-Free!

2T. butter or 2T. expeller pressed safflower oil

2 leeks, chopped

1 lg. bunch of broccoli, chopped

1 T. dried basil

1/2 T. dried marjoram

1/2T. dried thyme

2 T. sea salt or salt to taste

6 lg. red potatoes (more for a thicker soup, fewer for a thinner soup) peeled & diced

Heat the butter or oil in a 6-qt kettle.  When the butter is melted or the oil is hot, add the leeks and saute until soft.  Add the broccoli,  When the broccoli is bright, add the herbs and salt.  Add the potatoes.  Add enough water to come within 1/2 inch of the top, usually 12-14 cups.  Cover.   Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 30 minutes, until all of the vegetables are cooked.  Cool to a manageable temperature.  Puree the soup in a blender or with a hand mixer designed for pureeing soups in the pot.  Make the soup very smooth.  You're ready to serve, hot or cold.

My beautiful Mother!

Lorraine (my best friend), Kathleen (my mom), and me

This is my beautiful, wonderful, amazing mother. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 bone cancer on August 18, 2008, 1 month and 2 days after my daughter, Katie Sue, died.

She is still here 2 years later. This has been a very interesting, encouraging, upsetting, frustrating, and long journey. This is a picture of my mom, me, and my best friend (my sister from another mother!) We were smiling ear-to-ear because we were at my older brother's wedding, almost 1 year after her diagnosis, some weren't sure she would make it to his wedding. 

Some days are great and she is full of life with lots of energy. And some days, she is curled up in a ball on her bed, exhausted physically, emotionally, and mentally. The best part is, she is still here! I wish we could say the cancer was completely gone, but we can't YET! It really is a journey. She has done all-natural treatments. She never went back to the doctors that diagnosed her. She calls her "Dr. Hopeless." She basically told her, you are beyond any help, and my job is to keep you as comfortable as possible for as long as possible. Well, we didn't accept that death sentence. As soon as she got back from the hospital (my dad had taken her because we thought she was in pain from a kidney stone), I got right on the internet and started researching bone cancer. Eight days later, she was off all pain medication-she had been taking pain meds for the pain in her back. I never doubted she was going to live.

For more than 12 years, my mother has been researching alternative cancer therapies. I knew if anyone was going to get through this-it was her!! I truly thought she would be over this by now. I never expected we would be dealing with this 2 years later. But alas, we are here and now it is time to get her totally back to health. I am going to start blogging everything I do to help her, along with my other day events, challenges, and new recipes for making sugar, dairy, gluten, egg, and soy-free, nutrition packed desserts and foods.

So follow along, but remember two things; first I will write it all the good, the great, the bad, and the upsetting, but that is part of my life and second, there is NO taste vision yet so don't lick your screen when I post pictures of the food!! ;-)