I’ve recently been converted to the world of Amazon Prime.  My sister-in-law, Blair, convinced me that Amazon Prime is the way to go, as it diminishes the frequency of shopping, which for me is a huge plus.  Basically, I hope to buy all of my food, toiletries, etc. (except meat and veggies) through Amazon Prime.

For those of you that don’t know about Amazon Prime, it’s truly genius.  You pay an annual fee of $79 and you get free two day shipping on all of your purchases (that qualify for Amazon Prime, which is most items). Not only will I be buying things like toilet paper, laundry detergent and trash bags, but even groceries.  (And of course there will always be the book impulse buys.)

Did you know that Amazon has an amazing selection of gluten-free products???  Some of my favorite GF items are on Amazon.  This is a great option if you live in a small town and don’t have access to a Whole Foods or natural food store.  Or if you’re like me, and the thought of going to Costco or a shopping mall makes you break out in a sweat.

Mesa Sunrise Cereal

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Lara Bars

bionaturae fusili Pasta

Peanut Butter Panda Puffs (Enviro Kids)

Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oats

Jif to Go

Bye bye Costco membership, hello Amazon Prime!  Just make sure you recycle all of the Amazon boxes you’ll start to accumulate!

What do you like to order on Amazon Prime?

You may have seen American Gra-Frutti at your Atlanta Whole Foods or perhaps at a Braves game, in the gluten-free concession stand.

Did you know they’re a local, Atlanta company?

Did you know they are a 100% gluten-free bakery?

Did you know they make a variety of vegan treats?

Well, now you know!  You should check American Gra-Frutti’s website out and learn more.  Recently, they sent me a bunch of treats that I’ve been thoroughly enjoying.  And the ones I can’t yet get to, like a loaf of bread, I just stuck in the freezer for a later date.

This isn’t your typical bakery folks…sure, they have cupcakes, breads, and muffins but just wait, there’s more.  American Gra-Frutti makes two of my favorite items that I have not had since I was diagnosed with celiac FOUR years ago!

#1: Cheese straws: If you grew up in Virginia, like me, or anywhere in the south, you probably share my love for cheese straws.  I freakin’ love cheese straws.  They remind me of the holidays, of the gift baskets my parents always received from their students, and of course, they remind me of cocktail time.  American Gra’Frutti’s cheese straw crackers are so good, I had to keep a close watch on them because David wanted to devour every single one of them from the moment the package was opened.  They’re that good.  Perfectly cheesy, crispy and with a spicy kick.  Just the way I remember them.  And reasonably priced!

#2: Graham crackers: These crispy, sweet treats can be enjoyed a variety of ways (peanut butter and nutella?) but they are best when used for the sandwich of a s’more.  Since we got our package of graham crackers, David and I have started making s’mores all the time.  They’re the perfect dessert, especially now that we’re heading into the cool weather months.  We’ve been cheating a little and just heating up our marshmallows over the grill.  Still delicious!  American Gra-Frutti’s graham crackers hold together perfectly with s’mores, and yes, you can fit two jumbo marshmallows between two of them.

You can order American Gra-Frutti through their website or at the Buckhead Whole Foods.  Where else have you found these treats?

Next time I’ve got my eyes on the carrot cake!  Thank you, American Gra-Frutti for safely making delicious gluten-free food.

PS: Their flat bread with hummus is currently my favorite afternoon snack…

Farm Burger on a GF bun!

Happy National Celiac Awareness Day!

That’s right, September 13^th is officially Celiac Awareness Day.  It’s a day to celebrate!  On this day, I’m particularly thankful for my health and the many resources Atlanta has to offer its gluten-free residents.  Thank you, ATL!

Last week, I enjoyed my first trip to the new Farm Burger in Buckhead (with elaney), and thoroughly enjoyed my cheeseburger with FB sauce (I kept accidentally calling it “Facebook Sauce”) and tomato, as well as my delicious salad (both of their salad dressings are GF).  The burger hit the spot.  Thanks, Farm Burger, for working with Pure Knead, another local treasure, to allow me to enjoy a dinner out, just like everyone else!  A great way to celebrate Celiac Awareness Day if you ask me!

So, in honor of Celiac Awareness Day, take your favorite gluten-free loved one out for a night of GF goodness.  There are so many choices…check out my Restaurants page for guidance.

Recently I had the opportunity, through the Atlanta Gluten-Free Dinner Club, to sample some of Gigi’s Cupcakes’ gluten-free treats.  The Gigi’s at the Forum, in Norcross, makes gluten-free cupcakes every Tuesday and Thursday.  On those days they always have chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting, vanilla cake with vanilla frosting and spice with cream cheese frosting.  Delicious!

Yours truly in front of Gigi's

While Gigi’s is not a dedicated gluten-free bakery, they use precaution to avoid contamination.  In fact, on Tuesdays and Thursdays they start baking early so to prepare the GF cupcakes before they make their glutenous cupcakes.

A few Tuesdays ago, Jen (a fellow gluten-freer) and I hopped in the car and made the trek to Norcross.  This was my first ever visit to Norcross (besides my lacrosse team playing Wesleyan) but it was worth the venture OTP.  (Since it is a bit of a trek for those of us that live closer to downtown, I would call ahead, just to make sure they have GF cupcakes on that day.)

These cupcakes were absolutely delicious and the crew at Gigi’s made a bunch of different varieties, beyond just the typical vanilla and chocolate.  Jen and I savored every bite of out THREE cupcakes…

Salted Caramel

Peanut Butter Cup

Birthday Cake

And I got two for the road, chocolate and vanilla…

Gigi’s cupcakes are a sweet tooth’s dream!  Amazing icing and delicious cake.  I know that cupcakes are trendy right now but I do think they’re so much more fun than cake.  For indecisive people like me, you can try multiple varieties!

PS: When we got married 7 years ago (!!!!!!!) we had cupcakes, instead of wedding cake.  I guess we were way ahead of the trend!  So cupcakes always have a special place in my heart.

Not every Gigi’s makes gluten-free cupcakes but if there’s one in your area, I suggest calling and seeing if they do.  If they don’t, you should highly suggest it.  Of course they will need to take precaution when  making them in order to avoid contamination.

There’s always room for dessert!

Gigi’s Cupcakes – 4880 Peachtree Corners Circle Ste 1130, Norcross, GA

I love Decatur, but it’s hard for me to get down to that neck of the woods.  I wish it didn’t take 30 minutes to get there, but it does.  When I do venture to Decatur, I tend to gravitate toward Iberian Pig.  Because of these two things, I haven’t yet tried Farm Burger, which offers gluten-free customers Pure Knead buns, some of my favorite GF buns/rolls I’ve ever tried.  And they’re local!  Yeah Burger used to have Pure Knead buns but sadly, they’ve switched to another, not nearly as good, bun.

Good news for those of us that live north of Decatur!  Farm Burger is now opening a location in Buckhead.  I’m still not sure when the opening date will be but it’s looking like it should be soon.

According to the Jennifer Harris, of the Gluten-Free Examiner, all of their toppings are GF, except the crispy onions, fried eggplant, and barbecue sauce (which contains soy sauce).  Last time I checked, Farm Burger’s fries were not yet made in a dedicated fryer but hopefully this will change eventually.

Farm Burger takes pride in being dedicated to its mission, its farms, its team and its community.  It’s sustainable, local, and looking to “re-route our food system to look more like an ecosystem than a corporation.”  This phrase is a mouthful, but I’m liking it.

For those of you familiar with Farm Burger, what are your favorite toppings?  Anyone tried the pimento cheese?

I’ll keep you posted on the actual opening dates in Buckhead!

Farm Burger Buckhead – 3365 Piedmont Ave – Atlanta, GA 30305

Looking for a trendy, GF snack?  Well, look no further!  Popcorn Indiana, one of my favorite sweet-salty snacks is being found in the hands of celebs.  Why do celebs gravitate toward this yummy treat?  Well, it’s delicious, satisfies cravings, is low in calories and doesn’t contain a lot of processed junk.  Compare the ingredients to a bag of Doritos and it looks very different…no dextrose, monosodium glutamate or malic acid in these popped kernels of goodness.  And it’s naturally gluten free!

Guiliana Ranic loves Popcorn Indiana

I’ve been eating Indiana’s Popcorn Kettlecorn for a couple of years so maybe I’m just a trend setter…

If you haven’t tried this popcorn yet, it’s a must!  I pack it in my lunch, grab a handful for a snack, and even take it with me on airplanes.  I almost always have it with me.  In fact, I’m chomping away as I write.

Whether you’ve not yet sampled this treat or you’re a long time fan, you should enter my Popcorn Indiana Giveaway.  If you leave a comment on this post, you’ll be entered in a random drawing.  There will be TWO winners, each of whom will receive THREE bags of Indiana’s Popcorn delivered to their door.

Seriously, if AC Slater loves this stuff, it’s gotta be good…

Leave a comment before noon on Monday, August  22^nd and you could be a winner!

Another place I checked out while in Norfolk was Carolina Cupcakery.  This delicious sweet spot, on Colley Avenue, makes a variety of cupcakes to accommodate special diets (vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free, etc.)  For their gluten-free cupcakes they use a rice and tapioca flour blend.  The woman I talked to was extremely knowledgeable about gluten-free and told me that they make their GF cupcakes at their Chesapeake location and they have a designated area of the bakery and equipment to use for these items.  They arrive at the Norfolk store already packaged individually so no cross contamination to worry about.  Good work, Carolina!

After a day of unpacking boxes, everyone deserves a treat, right?  I tried the variety with vanilla cake, chocolate chips and chocolate icing.  So yummy!  I love icing but it was a lot of icing, even for me.  My brother will love this place once he arrives.  I really liked the texture of the cake and the taste of icing and cake…it wasn’t a fondant type of icing.  (I’m not a big fan of fancy cake…I want something that tastes freshly made, for a high school bake fair, not an “over the top” wedding reception, if you know what I mean.)  They have multiple varieties so it’s nice to have choices!

I really enjoyed this sweet treat and I’ll absolutely be returning to Carolina Cupcakery when I head back to Norfolk for a visit.

Carolina’s Cupcakery – 2019 Colley Ave. #102 – Norfolk, VA – 757.531.1548

Last week I spent time in Norfolk with my sister-in-law, Alden, as she gets settled into her new home in Virginia.  We unpacked, entertained my nephews, Pete and Chip, watched Bachelorette (of course), and did some good eating.  Alden even taught me how to cook tofu and we made delicious tofu Pad Thai.  I’m even willing to say it’s better than chicken pad Thai

We also ventured out for lunch with both boys to Taste Unlimited, a yummy (and very popular) spot, just down the street.  Taste Unlimited’s Hampton Boulevard location offers a large gluten-free sandwich menu and they use a separate sandwich making station and utensils for all gluten-free orders, to prevent cross-contamination.  Their sandwiches are delicious (reminiscent of my gluten-filled college days spent frequenting Bel Air and Take it Away) and I’m a huge fan of their house dressing.  I got their Northender sandwich, which includes the amazing combination of turkey, havarti, bacon and avacado.  The sandwich gods were looking down on me because they put practically an entire avocado on my sandwich.  I went with the house dressing in lieu of the aioli mayo because I just can’t resist the stuff.  (You can buy their house dressing by the container too…this would be way too dangerous for me.)  All in all, my sammy was a messy, delicious masterpiece.

Taste uses Udi’s sandwich bread (a personal favorite of mine) and you can also buy it by the loaf at the store as well.  (They even sell Udi’s muffins and a brand of gluten-free ice cream sandwiches in their freezer section.)

Also, if you check Taste Unlimited’s website, they tell you which of the daily prepared foods are gluten-free.  (They make take out foods like chicken salad, ribs, cucumber salad, etc.)  A perfect weeknight dinner when you don’t feel like cooking OR if you’re going to be entertaining someone with a gluten allergy and feel overwhelmed by the task.  Taste Unlimited is a great option.

Save room for dessert because Taste Unlimited offers glow gluten-free cookies, in multiple varieties, and Tate’s Bake Shop GF chocolate chip cookies.  I bought glow’s chocolate chip cookies and they were yummy.  They don’t skimp on the chocolate chips, which is key for GF baking!  I love their packaging…looks similar to a Chinese food take out box.  There are enough cookies in a box to share with your group. (If you’re feeling generous!)  Their other varieties include snickerdoodle and ginger snap.  You know me, I can’t resist chocolate!

Right now Taste Unlimited offers their gluten-free menu at their Newport News location and this fall they’ll roll it out at their new (and bigger) location in Virginia Beach.  I contacted the folks at Taste to get more details and it turns out that one of their co-owners was diagnosed with celiac in 2009, hence the efforts they’ve gone to in order to accommodate customers with gluten allergies or celiac.  I feel reassured when I know that someone personally involved with a restaurant has celiac because it means they get it, and they’re not just serving GF bread for their sandwiches.  Taste Unlimited is taking all necessary precautions to ensure my safety, for which I am grateful.  AND they make delicious sandwiches!

Taste Unlimited - 6464 Hampton Blvd.- Norfolk, VA 23508 – 757.623.7770

I’m always in search of gluten-free bread products.  I don’t use gf bread as a major component of my regular diet, partially because it’s a hastle and because I just don’t find it to be that good.  As you know though, I’m always looking for good bread/bagel products for the occasional cream cheese and jam breakfast.  A few weeks ago, I purchased Whole Foods’ Cinnamon Raisin bread and I’m pretty pleased with the recipe they’ve created.  I would say it’s up there with a Sally’s cinnamon raisin English muffin or an Udi’s bagel.

On a recent Saturday morning, when my resident pancake maker (David) was out golfing, I had a rare morning to myself (with no commitments).  In the absence of my weekend chef, I was looking for a “more fun than cereal” weekend breakfast so I decided to break out the cinnamon raisin bread and indulge in a little cream cheese/cinnamon raisin toast.  The Whole Foods Bakehouse bread is perfectly delicious toasted.  It’s got more flavor than plain bread and makes you feel like you’re enjoying a bagel.  There aren’t specific toasting instructions on the packaging but I heated it at 350 for about 5 minutes on each side.  (We don’t have a toaster in our house so we’re limited in our toasting options.)

I devoured both pieces of toast and of course enjoyed my breakfast accompanied with a cup (or two) of coffee.  Why do cinnamon, cream cheese and coffee go so perfectly together?  Not sure, but it’s awesome.

I couldn’t help but think about my brother, Rob, as I ate my breakfast and drank my coffee from my Yokohama Starbucks mug.  I received a postcard in the mail the day before from Rob sent via Okinawa, where his ship was in port at the time he sent it.  I can’t read a word of Rob’s handwriting so it can be a bit of a project to decipher his thoughtful cards (hence I was finally reading it a day later).  I haven’t seen Rob since March 12^th, when his ship was sent out to do tsunami relief.  I miss him a lot.  I savor the occasional phone call from him from across the world and I only wish they could be more frequent.  You would think at this point I’d be used to my big brother being a world traveler (he’s lived in Japan, China,Turkey, and Bahrain), but I’m not.

It’s hard to believe that just over a year ago I wrote this post (“Blueberry Muffins and Childhood Memories”), which is one of my favorites.  A lot changes in a year.  Since then, Rob and Alden have had a baby, I’ve been to Japan (twice), we’ve both survived an earthquake, and Rob continues to serve our country, alongside many others whose families bear a large burden for their spouses’ hard work and service.  The families truly serve us too.

Rob & Chip

Rob’s going to be back in the States (hopefully) as of August.  I can’t wait to see him and have him back in the same time zone.  I know he’s eager to be home too.  You’re greatly missed, Rob.  Hurry home!

On our recent trip to Nashville, there were a few other spots that I felt worthy of a mention.  I love Atlanta but I could really see myself living in Nashville.  Great neighborhoods, family, fun coffee shops and ice cream.  What more could a gluten-free girl need?

Bongo Java Coffee: This east Nashville coffee shop is a great spot for a morning get together.  They have large tables with plenty of space to spread out, and park a large stroller!  My iced coffee was one of the best iced coffees I’ve ever had.  Wonderfully smooth and refreshing after a long walk.  They roast beans in the shop so prepare to take the scent of coffee with you when you leave.  It was so good we went again for breakfast on Saturday too…

Fido: Gluten-Free Muffins: Fido, another local spot, makes gluten-free muffins that they also sell at Bongo.  I tried their strawberry banana gluten-free muffin and it was a great alternative to the glutenous bagel “bombs” (which look delicious!) that everyone else enjoyed for breakfast.  They also have a coconut variety of muffin that gets rave reviews.  They only use rice flour (not a flour blend) but it was pretty good, despite being a bit misshapen.  I’m always appreciative when breakfast places have items I can enjoy, not limited to a plate of eggs.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams: This delicious ice cream shop in East Nashville is worth the $4 for two half scoops.  Many of their flavors are GF including my personal favorites, salty caramel and pistachio & honey.  Yum!  Their sorbets (such as Riesling poached pear) look refreshing too but it’s hard for me to resist fancy ice cream.

In researching Nashville, it seems that there are a bunch of spots that offer GF options including The Wild Cow, Matteo’s Pizza and others.  I guess I’ll just have to go back!

Bongo Java – 107 S. 11th St., Nashville, TN 37206 – 615.777.EAST

Fido – 1812 21st Ave. S, Nashville, TN 37212 – 615.777.FIDO

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream – 1892 Eastland Avenue, Nashville, TN 37206 – 615 262 8611