I'm back and an update

This blog has been silent for too long and I apologize to anyone that may still be out there :)

A little over 2.5 years ago we added a third kid to our house and I think I lost my mind.  It has been crazy juggling three kids, still is at times, but it is getting easier.  I've been falling back on easy recipes and have done very little experimenting with food so that has added to my silence.

After my pregnancy my body decided to get a bit out of whack and I finally pursued trying to figure out what was going on within the past few months.  After doing an IgG food intolerance test I found out my body can not handle egg protein.  I am also supposed to avoid cane sugar and fruit within 8 hours of each other.  Let's just say I took the no-egg very hard and have found the fruit and sugar combo to be difficult to avoid.  I have cut the eggs out completely and recently started a paleo diet to help with weight loss so at this moment I'm not eating any sugar including fruit.  I feel great so this is something I want to pursue and it means I'll have some recipe testing and adapting to work on which will hopefully lead to more posts.

Peanut Butter Cookies - GF/DF

I have been meaning to post this recipe for quite some time now and since I've thought about it several times I thought I had already taken care of it. Apparently not because when I tried to find the recipe on my blog rather than in my cookbook it wasn't here! My apologies for not sharing this sooner.

I think these are one of Hubby's favorite cookies because he likes to eat them. I like to eat all cookies so I guess that means all are my favorite. They are bound to be good because when I took them to a neighborhood BBQ they were all gobbled up. Ha! People DO like gluten free dairy free food!

 

Peanut Butter Cookies - Gluten and Dairy Free

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book

1/2 C Earth Balance or butter if you can have it

1/2 C Peanut butter

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C brown sugar

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t baking powder

1 egg

1/2 t vanilla

1 1/4 C GF flour mix

1/2 t xanthan gum

sugar for rolling (about 1/2 C)

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a mixer blend the butter and peanut butter until a bit fluffy. Add the sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and baking powder until combined. Add the egg and vanilla combining well then add the flour and xanthan gum.

If the dough is hard to handle you can chill it in the refrigerator for an hour but I don't usually need to do that.

Roll the dough into a 1" ball then roll in the sugar to coat it and place on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. If you want a thicker cookie leave as is (this is my personal favorite) or you can flatten the dough with a fork making a criss-cross pattern. Bake for about 8 minutes and allow them to sit for a minute before transferring to a cooling rack.

Five on Black Brazilian Grill - New GF Restuarant in Missoula

Missoula can finally brag about having a entirely gluten free restaurant.  Woohoo! 

The new Five on Black Brazilian Grill is located at 325 N Higgins Avenue.  Check out their website and stop in to support them.

Catalyst Cafe in Missoula

I just heard about another restaurant in Missoula that offers gluten free items.  The Catalyst Cafe & Espresso Bar has their GF items marked on the menu and they offer GF toast and english muffins.  I can't wait to give them a try the next time in Missoula.

The Catalyst is located at 111 N Higgins Ave and can be reached at 406-542-1337.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins

I've been a bit lazy on the cooking front lately.  Everything I make has been old stand-by's even though I have piles of recipes I want to try.  Maybe the spring weather will get me a bit more driven to try some new things.  Maybe.

I needed to whip together some muffins for the kids' lunch and after a quick search for flavor ideas I settled on PB&J muffins.  I was nervous that they were not going to work out because I really just threw things together but a miracle happened and they were delicious. 

PB&J Muffins - GF/DF

This made 9 muffins for me

1 1/2 C gluten free flour (I used Gluten Free Mama's Almond blend)

1/2 T xantham gum

1 1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/3 C granulated sugar

1/3 C brown sugar

1/3 C butter - use Earth Balance sticks if DF

1 t vanilla

2 eggs

1/3 C peanut butter

1/2 C soy milk

Your favorite jelly, I used elderberry

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a bowl sift together the flour, xantham gum, baking powder, and salt.  In a mixed cream the sugars and butter.  Add the vanilla and eggs, mixing thoroughly then add the peanut butter and milk mixing thoroughly again.

Add the flour mixture until well combined.  Fill 9 muffins tins 1/2 full then place a dollop of jelly in the middle.  I used about 2 teaspoons of jelly for each muffin.  Top each muffin with the remaining batter and smooth the edges to make a seal.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until done, the tops will be nice and set.

Cupcake Mountain Cupcakery Update

Well it was short lived but Cupcake Mountain Cupcakery no longer offers gluten free cupcakes.  I'm not sure if there were cross contamination issues or what.

Gluten Free Cupcakery, Smiling Moose Deli, and MSU options

We can add more locations to get gluten free foods to our Bozeman area list and I can't wait to give them a try.

Cupcake Mountain Cupcakery is Bozeman's first Cupcakery.  They offer gluten free cupcakes and have delicious looking cupcakes on their web page.  I don't know if they always have GF options on hand or not so you may want to call before stopping in.  You can find them at 218 Nth 7th Ave or call at 406-577-2787.

Smiling Moose Deli offers gluten free sandwiches served on a 7" Sweet Escape's GF hoagie roll.  It does cost an additional $1.50 for the GF option but we're used to that by now.  They have breakfast and lunch sandwiches plus the tomato basil and vegetable soups are GF along with the SMD Meat Chili.  If you want something lighter they have a create your own salad with chicken salad or tuna salad or the Ty Cobb and Italiano are also GF options.  The GF dressings are ranch, blue cheese, balsamic vinaigrette, and low-fat orange rosemary.  Ask for their GF menu and you'll see at the bottom they state they practice extreme caution when preparing GF foods and to allow a few extra minutes.  They are located at 2631 West Main.

MSU also has some GF treats that are popping up.  The Sweet Shop has GF cookies that are prepackaged and not from the Fat Cat Bakery on campus.  Avogadro's has GF cookies and brownies for sale and the Union Market has a shelf near the cashiers that has prepackaged GF options like Veggie Bootie, Glutino pretzels, soups, and kind bars.  It's slowly getting better on campus.

And last I need to share some sad news to those who don't already know, Neptune's Brewery is no longer offering their GF beer at The Dock because well The Dock is no longer there.  It's now a gaming parlor.  Last time I tried you can still get their GF beer on tap at Neptune's Brewery in Livingston, call ahead to make sure they have it on hand.

A Run for Sherry Arnold

I'm sure all of my readers in Montana have heard about Sherry Arnold, her story hit home with me in a couple of ways.  I started running two years ago and being alone when running does put me at risk, my awareness of that is even stronger now.  I'm also from eastern Montana and it's an area where you just feel safe and trust others.  It's the way of life there and incidents like this rob us of our safety.  It's not right and it's not fair.

I have been praying for Sherry and her family since I first heard she was missing and when I saw the blog post for a Virtual Run for Sherry on Februrary 11th I knew a run would be in order come snow (rain this year I guess) or shine.  Please read the post, like it on Facebook, share with your friends, and most importantly get out on Saturday the 11th to walk or run for Sherry.

Wheat Free Day at the Co-op in Bozeman

Mark your calendar for January 21st from 1-5 to stop by the Co-op on West Main and sample gluten free products, pick up recipe cards, and talk with Janelle (the Gluten Free Life Coach).  This should be a great time to try some new products and inquire about a store tour.  If you're new to being gluten free or know someone that is that would be a nice way to ease them into shopping. 

Gluten Free Cake from Sola Cafe

Thrown into the busy Christmas season was my In-law's 50th Wedding Anniversary.  50 years is an amazing milestone and we had a great family gathering at Fairmont to celebrate.  I was in charge of bringing the cake and I knew I wouldn't have time to bake something and fuss over it so I ordered a gluten free red velvet cake from Sola Cafe.  Not only was it beautiful but it was delicious.  I expected it to be really rich but it wasn't, it was a perfect cake.  If you need a cake for any occasion give them a call, they were very helpful.

Sola also has an assortment of Christmas cookies for sale, I caved and bought a pack and man were they delicious.  We ate them before I could get a picture.  The scale wasn't too kind to me afterwards but I enjoyed every bite.

Gluten Free Bake Sale - Bozeman

I hope you all are surviving the Holiday Season, I know I'm in shock Christmas is in two weeks! 

The Montana Celiac Society is having their Annual Gluten Free Bake Sale tomorrow, Saturday the 10th from 11am-2pm at Oak Street Natural Market.  Stop in to purchase some gluten free treats or to donate some of your own gluten free treats to help them raise some money.

Udi's Gluten Free Store Sampling

Darrin (thanks!) shared some information with me regarding Udi's store sampling events that will be going on this Saturday,  November 12th.  Udi's will be sampling their gluten free foods from 11am-5pm at the locations below, stop in to try some tasty treats.

Albertsons in Belgrade, Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, Lewistown, Livingston, and Missoula.

Is your Thanksgiving turkey gluten free?

I attended the GF talk last week at Vera Fare and one of the comments that was brought up was whether store bought turkey breasts are gluten free or not.  Some companies would inject a basting solution in turkey to get them extra juicy, the downfall was that this solution sometimes contained gluten.  From the searches I've done on turkey breasts and reading ingredient lists in stores I think most companies have moved away from this procedure probably due to being better informed about gluten intolerance and Celiac disease.

I personally like to purchase a local Hutterite turkey every year since I know it's free of anything bad, MSG and gluten included.  If you want to take this route you can find Hutterite turkey's locally at Heeb's East Main Grocery, Rosauers, Town & Country Foods, Van's County Market, The Meat  Shoppe, Lee & Dad's IGA, and Pioneer Meats in Big Timber.  There may be more but this is what I could find online.

Below is the information I found from each company regarding their turkey breasts gluten free status.  Always be sure to read the ingredient list to verify the turkey breast you are purchasing is safe, we know we have enough to worry about to ensure we have a gluten free Thanksgiving.

Butterball - They will label on the ingredient list if their products contain any of the top 8 allergens.  The only turkey breast they have that DOES contain gluten is the frozen stuffed turkey.  Their gravy has been reformulated to eliminate gluten, but certain gravy packets may still contain gluten and it will be listed on the ingredient statement.

Foster Farms - Their fresh natural turkey is gluten free.

Honeysuckle White - All of their products are free of MSG.  Their turkey breast products that DO contain gluten are Asian Grill Marinated Turkey Strips and Teriyaki Flavor Turkey Breast Tenderloin.

Jennie-O - Only two of their products were listed gluten free on their webpage, the All Natural Fresh Whole Turkey and the Premium Basted Whole Turkey-Fresh.

Norbest - All of their turkey products are completely free of gluten from wheat, barley, rye, oats, or their derivatives.

Perdue - They have a lot of GF items on their list but these were the top that ARE safe.  Hickory smoked turkey breast, Oven roasted turkey breast, Honey smoked turkey breast, Mesquite smoked turkey breast, and Whole turkeys seasoned with broth.

Shadybrook Farms - All of their products are free of MSG.  Majority of their products do not contain gluten but their Teriyaki Flavor Turkey Breast Ternderloins DO contain gluten.


Once you have a GF turkey be sure, if someone else is baking your turkey, that gluten containing flour is not used in the turkey bag if a bag is used and that it is not stuffed with a gluten filled stuffing.

Dine & Learn at Vera Fare - Gluten Free Awareness Night

Vera Fare is hosting a Dine & Learn on Thursday November 3rd from 7:00-8:00pm.  This is the information from the flyer.

Gluten-free life coach Janelle Holden will be sharing her approach to dealing with allergies and how she helps others to find a healthy lifestyle.

There will be time after the talk for open and private discussions

Vera Fare will provide completely gluten-free food and drinks for purchase, entrance is free.

If you are interested stop in at 2251 W Kagy Blvd.

You can find more information on Janelle at The Gluten Free Life Coach.

WeeBee's Cafe - Gluten Free Options

WeeBee's Cafe in Bozeman now has gluten free options listed on their menu.  They have a grain next to the menu items that are gluten free or can be made gluten free.  I've been waiting for them to jump on board!

WeeBee's is located at 407 S Ferguson Ave and you can check out their menu here.

Corner Stone Deli - Gluten Free options in White Sulphur Springs

This little tidbit came as a bit of a surprise to me but Whilte Sulphur Springs has gluten free options.  The Corner Stone Deli has gf sandwiches available and the reviews online are superb.  If you find yourself in that area give them a try.

They are located at 11 E Main.

I-Ho's Korean Grill - Gluten Free Options

On my way home from work yesterday I heard a radio ad for I-Ho's and perked up when they said they now have gluten free options.  I loved eating at I-Ho's before I went gluten free and I'm very excited to see what they have for GF options.  If you try them out before I get a chance please share what they have and what you think.

I-Ho's Korean Grill is located at 1216 W Lincoln St.

Roasted Potato Salad

My CSA shares brought a lot of potatoes into my life and they came in very handy when we needed to bring a side dish to a BBQ.  I love the standard potato salad that is mayo based but I wanted something a bit different to try and fell in love with this recipe.  It has a nice tang to it and since it doesn't have mayo you can serve it warm or room temperature and there isn't any worry about it going bad.  I think I'm going to make it for a BBQ we have this weekend, probably our last really warm weekend of the year.

Roasted Potato Salad

Adapated from Tasty Kitchen

3 pounds potatoes, cut into small wedges

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/3-1/2 C olive oil

1 t salt

1/2 t pepper

3 T balsamic vinegar

3 T lemon juice

2 T dijon mustard, I love the sweet & spicy mustard for this

2 t granulated sugar

2 t dried dill

Preheat your oven to 425 F.

Combine the potatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, salt, & pepper in a baking dish, I prefer my stoneware for this.  The amount of olive oil I use is based on how much it takes to sufficiently cover the potatoes to keep them from sticking to the pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and lightly browned.

In a bowl whisk together the balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, sugar, and dill.  Add to the potatoes after you remove them from the oven mixing well.  Serve straight out of the oven or at room temperature.

Nicole's Banana Chocolate Chip Cookes - Egg Free

My friend Nicole (Hi!) gave me a batch of these delicious and moist cookies along with the recipe. I will admit I ate most of them, it was an addictive "I just can't stop eating them" sort of thing and it keeps happening everytime I make them. But afterall they do have bananas in them so they're healthy, right?

These are so easy to whip together and they are soft and moist. They are egg free which I didn't realize until I had mixed the dough and they turn out spectacular. It reminds me of a banana bread cookie, yum! The dough will be very wet but it's OK they keep their shape well on the cookie sheet. Give them a try and see if you can only have one.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

From Nicole

2 ripe mashed bananas

1/4 C olive oil

1/4 C honey or maple syrup

1/2 t vanilla

1 C gluten free rolled oats

2/3 C brown rice flour, or your favorite flour

1/4 t baking soda

1/2 C unsweetened coconut

pinch of salt

1/2 C chocolate chips, I used the Enjoy Life Chocolate Chunks*

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

In a bowl mix all of the ingredients. Place on a cookie sheet and abke for 15 minutes. They are great straight out of the oven.

*The dairy free chocolate chunks are at Rosauer's Huckleberry Market

Blue Bison Grill - Missoula

A reader (thanks Mark!) sent me an e-mail about a new restaurant in Missoula that has a gluten free menu. It is Blue Bison Grill located in the histroic Stockman's bar at 123 W. Front St.

Their waitress is gluten free and has helped build the menu and practices for safely serving gluten free food.

If you haven't tried them yet be sure to stop in!

They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 11am-10pm. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blue-Bison-Grill/209716205706825