Gluten Free, R U?

Monday, September 2, 2019

Smart Flour Cheese Pizza

So I had seen lots of people talking about Smart Flour Pizza. So I decided to try it.

I found this at Wegman’s and the price wasn’t too bad. I was hopeful it would be good.

It was good. It wasn’t great and I might buy it again if it were on sale. It definitely did not wow me and I was sad. I am always in search of yummy pizza. So far I think I might still choose Freschetta’s gluten free 4 cheese pizza but it is not a consistent liking.

There is certainly enough cheese and sauce and the crust is ok but nothing to special.

Again pizza is very personal choice, so try it and let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Ollie’s Kitchen - Potato Gnocchi

A inexpensive find at TJ Maxx a little bit ago and I finally got to make them. At only $3.99 it was a snack and meal for my hubby and I.

I am never really sure what you put with gnocchi, sauce? Meat? what? If you have any input please let me know in the comments.

We ate them plain for the snack and they were ok. Nothing spectacular but they weren’t bad either.

The meal version I added some tomato sauce and it helped a little but not completely.

I love how quick they are to make and clean up.

I would buy them again but they won’t become a staple in our meals and at $3.99 you can’t really beat two meals coming from the package.

Monday, July 15, 2019

Down to Earth Cafe - Perkasie PA

Yumm Yumm Yummmmm

Scrambled eggs, crispy bacon and american cheese on a delicious gluten free wrap.

Oh my goodness, so good.

I usually get a gluten free bagel for this Down Home breakfast sandwich but they were out this past weekend, so I tried the wrap. I love that they made it like a pizza and not an actual wrap.

The cheese was ooey gooey and melting everywhere and the bacon was crisp and crunchy and the egg was scrambled just right.

I wish I could go get another one right now!

My gluten free history

When I turned 30 years old, I started to gain weight that I couldn't lose and I was getting back to back colds. The final straw was I got bronchitis and I had to take an antibiotic to help me get better. The side effect for 4% of people on this antibiotic was gastrointestinal issues. Yes, I was part of that 4%. The medicine basically stripped away whatever had been protecting me through my first 30 years of life. You see I have always had gastrointestinal issues since I can remember. My father also had the same issues and my paternal grandmother too. I was so sick from the medicine (or so I thought) that I had to go back to the doctor and do a series of tests. During this time I was following the BRAT diet (Banana, rice, a, toast). Saltines and toast were my go to comfort, little did I know they were NOT what I should be eating. My co-worker gave me an article about food allergies and there was a quiz. You only needed to answer 4 of the 8 questions with yes to fall under their designation and I had answered 6 of the 8 with yes. I was on my way. My husband and I cleaned out all our cabinets of the 7 allergens… all that was left was rice. After a few weeks, I was feeling somewhat better when I stayed at a home where they told me to eat whatever was in the fridge. I saw the rice and started eating. Within a hour I was violently ill. I couldn't understand. I took the rice with me to work the next day and when I told my other co-worker about my issue she asked to see the rice. It was orzo… pasta… gluten/wheat filled pasta! I had my first allergen to check off the list as being an issue. It turned out at the time dairy and eggs were also triggers but I have since been able to add them back. My husband and I went on a full gluten free diet and within a few months I had lost my weight, stopped living in my bathroom, looked healthy and was not terrified to eat things any more. Now it has been 15 years and while I have gained some weight back (darn those yummy gluten free cookies and pretzels) my issues are still in check and I couldn't be happier to figure out what was wrong with my body and be able to fix it.