Gluten Free, R U?

Sunday, January 29, 2023

Wegmans Cauliflower Bites

Not bad. Not great. Not crisp enough on the outside for me but if I had them again I might investigate how to make them crispier.

And I would have them again but only on sale or with a coupon which is how I got them in the first place. I was shocked they were gluten free since they were breaded. So I had to try them at least.

We enjoyed them with ranch dressing and also tomato sauce for dipping. Although the bites were fine on their own with the breading having some nice seasoning.

It was only enough for the two of us to have an appetizer/snack as there is not a large amount of bites in the box. I wouldn’t think one box would work for a party or larger get together more than two people :)

If you try them, let me know your thoughts.

Sunday, January 22, 2023

Katz Cinnamon Rolls

Much smaller than I expected but oh so tasty. In fact I’d say, such big taste in a little roll. The icing was just sweet enough and the cinnamon wasn’t overpowering.

I was confused by the directions. It states to leave frozen until ready to eat but then it states to microwave for 5 seconds if thawed.

The first set I microwaved for 20 seconds from frozen and it thawed them ok and the second set I did for 5 seconds from thawed and I’d say they turned out the same. Next time I’ll thaw them fully regardless of directions and try them that way.

But they still tasted great. Katz has impressed me with their offerings lately. I recommend trying their items and let me know what you think.

Saturday, December 31, 2022

Schar Panettone

I have been wanting to try Panettone for a while now. I could never find the brand that I would see on other gluten free blogs but then Schar announced they would be baking one. I was very excited as I enjoy Schar gluten free items. I was even more excited that I found the last 3 at Wegmans over Thanksgiving weekend!! I grabbed one and then waited until closer to Christmas to try it.

I am not a fan of raisins in baked goods but I knew they would be in this. Well, I now like raisins in Panettone :) This was delicious. Pleasantly spiced, tender and baked well. It actually felt like a lovely surprise with how much I enjoyed this. I understand now why people like to have this for their Christmas holiday. It seems like a nice savory opposite to all the sweets we have at this time of year.

I don't know if Schar is the best gluten free Panettone out there but I am grateful to them for creating it this year and my ability to find it. Yum

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.