Hi Friends!  Hope the new year is treating you well.  Life has been busy for us, hence the absence of posts.  I wanted to share with you a little news.  (Hopefully this explains my lack of posts a little better.)

Needless to say, we’re very excited about 2012!

Hi Readers!  I must apologize for being MIA for way too long.  It’s been a busy time of year here and I really hope 2012 involves more time for blogging.  In the meantime, I wanted to tell you about a great opportunity to give!

The holiday season is the perfect time for you to give back to the community.

In the spirit of the giving season, I want to bring your attention to a fundraiser I’m helping promote this week for a great gluten-free cause.

This week only, giving just $2 of your hard-earned money will go toward providing scholarships for children to attend a gluten-free summer camp hosted by the Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) next summer in Southern California.

But this week, donating $2 doesn’t mean you’re just donating $2…

This week through Sunday, December 25, Gluten-Free Saver has partnered with Van’s Natural Foods to raise money to send children to next summer’s CDF-sponsored summer camp, and Van’s is matching all donations up to $1,000!

The goal is to raise $2,000 – and when you donate $2, you’re really contributing $4.

You can read more about the fundraiser here: www.glutenfreesaver.com.

The summer camp will be held in San Bernardino in Southern California from July 30 to August 3, 2012, and it’s open to all 7-15 year old gluten intolerant and gluten-sensitive children – not just those diagnosed with celiac disease.

Sure, receiving gifts this time of year is always fun, but the feeling of knowing that your generous donation of just $2 can bring a tremendous amount of joy to a young child… well, now that’s priceless.

Please help reach the goal of donating $2,000 to the Celiac Disease Foundation this week. Every $2 helps.

YES! I want to help send a child to a gluten-free summer camp and donate $2 right now!

P.S. 100% of all donations will go directly to CDF.

P.P.S. If you’re feeling extra generous this holiday season, you aren’t limited to donating just $2 – you can give as much money as your heart desires!

Life has been busy. Good busy. David and I’ve been traveling a lot the last few weekends, enjoying the beauty of fall, all over the country. Our first weekend away took us to Charlottesville, Virginia, one of our favorite places in the world.

Fall in Charlottesville is pretty hard to beat

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello

We spent the weekend reading, walking around grounds, and we even made a visit to Monticello, the home of Mr. Jefferson. I’m embarrassed to admit that neither of us had been to Monticello since our senior years of high school. It was definitely worth the trip!

The gardens at Monticello

The following weekend we headed to Vail, Colorado. This trip was a bit more work than play. We stayed at the Westin Beaver Creek and enjoyed the gluten-free pasta on their menu. Delicious! (They also have GF pizzas available too.) While in Vail I filmed a “sizzle reel’ for a potential travel show. This was quite an experience, as I’ve never been on camera before. I will say, it did help that I taught for five years, so am used to having an audience. I won’t have much more information on the show until spring but the hope is that Food Network or Travel Channel will pick it up. I’ve got to admit, it was pretty hysterical to be referred to as “The Talent” all weekend. Stay tuned…

Not many photos from the weekend, but here's one.

For the shoot, I did all kinds of fun fall activities (zip line, ice skating, shopping, etc.) and of course some delicious dining! The highlight for me was interviewing Kelly Liken, chef and owner of Restaurant Kelly Liken in Vail. I tend to be star struck by chefs and I was particularly impressed by Kelly’s finesse on camera and ease with which she answered questions. (Perhaps Kelly’s comfort in front of the camera comes from being a finalist on Top Chef DC and competing in Iron Chef.) She also made me some delicious, gluten-free food to try. Restaurant Kelly Liken takes very seriously food allergies and special food needs. They don’t label items as “gluten free” on the menu because they are extremely accommodating to all diners and willing to tweak a dish so to fit the needs of the customer. It was truly a pleasure to interview Kelly and get to know her.

I’ve got more to share with you about our travels, dining and fall adventures, but wanted to give you the quick update! I can’t believe Thanksgiving’s exactly a week away. I’ve barely even begun to think about it.

Figo is one of my favorite casual Atlanta spots and I think they have one of the best GF pastas around!  Their gluten-free fusili pasta can be mixed with any of their sauces for a delicious gluten-free meal.

Last week, Figo added a new item to their gluten-free menu: the gluten-free meatball!  Made with rice flour and rice, instead of bread, Figo’s Gluten-Free Maria Meatball also includes a yummy mix of ground beef sirloin, carrots, onions, celery, potatoes, parmesan cheese and an herb & spice blend.

If you don’t feel like pasta, think about trying one or two of their meatballs with a salad to add protein to your meal.

The new GF Maria meatball will be offered at all seven of Figo’s locations so check their website for the restaurant closest to you.  You might have already gotten a sneak peak of the meatball at the Atlanta Gluten-Free Vendor Fair a few weeks back.

I can only hide my love of reality TV for so long.  I know, it’s shameful but I just can’t help it.  Last week, Bravo started its new season of Top Chef, and this time they’re filming in Texas.  As you know, Top Chef is one of my favorite shows, but I just wasn’t into it last week.  Starting out with 29 chefs, and only giving our 16 chef jackets makes for quite an anti-climatic premier, especially when you don’t even see everyone cook on the first episode.

I’m not a quitter though, so I won’t give up on the season yet!  Read what the AJC’s talented and witty Jon Watson had to say about the first episode:“Top Chef Texas Recap: Trimming the fat, part umlaut”

Have you noticed that food trucks are all the rage in ATL?  Well, they are!  Sadly, many of the food trucks serve greasy sandwich type meals that don’t meet the needs of gluten-free diners.  BUT, I’ve discovered a food truck with plenty of GF options!  One of my new favorite things that’s uniquely local to Atlanta is Honeysuckle Gelato.  Native Atlantan, Wes Jones, decided to drop his regular job and start Honeysuckle Gelato with two of his buddies.  I, for one, am very thankful for his decision!  You can find his delicious gelato by following his stylish teal food truck.

Many of Honeysuckle’s flavors are naturally gluten free and so delicious.  Creamy, yummy and overflowing with natural ingredients, not a bunch of chemicals and artificial flavorings.  You might have seen Wes and Honeysuckle at the most recent gluten-free vendor fair.  If you were lucky enough, you tried his ridiculously amazing Salted Caramel flavor.  It is truly divine.  The salty-sweet flavors blend perfectly together and it’s the ideal evening treat!  If salted caramel doesn’t sound delicious to you, what about peanut butter honey or ginger molasses?  Go to their website to see more of Honeysuckle’s signature flavors.

Honeysuckle Gelato at the GF Vendor Fair

Honeysuckle also offers sorbets which are naturally gluten free and dairy free so there’s something for everyone!  Many of their flavors are naturally GF.  Mmm, chocolate mint or watermelon sorbet, anyone? Check out this southern inspired gelato for yourself!

Don't miss the Honeysuckle food truck!

Recently I asked Wes a few questions about himself and his new business.  Here’s what he had to say:

Gluten Freedom: Are you a native Atlantan?

Wes: Yes, I am.

Gluten Freedom: What do you love about Atlanta?

Wes: My wonderful friends and family and the amazing food! What are your favorite eats in Atlanta? That’s a tough one because there are so many great choices. Hal’s is usually up there and Fox Brothers has been a frequented place recently.  Other than that, anywhere in Decatur.

Gluten Freedom: How did you get interested in gelato?

Wes: My business partner, Jackson Smith, was making gelato in NYC at Il Laboratorio del Gelato and we first kicked the idea around of starting a gelato place here in Atlanta as a joke and before long we had talked ourselves into actually doing it.

Gluten Freedom: Where does one purchase a food truck?

Wes: The same place you purchase everything else…the internet.  We actually found our truck on eBay.  It was a New Orleans Shaved Ice Truck in a small town in Alabama.  We thought it looked cool so we convinced the people to take it off eBay for a couple days so we could come look at it.

Gluten Freedom: Where does the name Honeysuckle come from?

Wes: We we’re having a hard time coming up with something we liked that was catchy, southern and sweet all in one until Jackson had an epiphany. He called me up and said “I got it!! Honeysuckle!”  Before I had time to argue he hung up the phone.  Lucky for me, I loved it and it stuck.

Gluten Freedom: What’s your favorite GF flavor?

Wes: It changes weekly as we make awesome new flavors, but “Dock of the Bay”, our Sea-Salted Caramel, was my first love and I always feel guilty when I name a flavor other that.

Gluten Freedom: Where can we find Honeysuckle?

Wes: That’s the beauty of having a food truck – you can find us all over town! We post our schedule here - http://www.honeysucklegelato.com/contact-us/ – and we also tweet our daily menu and locations at @honeysuckleatl.  Our goal is to be in some specialty stores and select grocery stores in the area next spring so keep an eye out for us!

Thanks, Wes, for taking the time to answer my questions!  I hope everyone will check Honeysuckle’s website to find a location nearest you!  This is not just another ice cream place, I promise.

How did I not (re)discover Mellow Mushroom pizza earlier???  Of course I remember Mellow Mushroom from my college days in Charlottesville, sitting outside, after a long day of tailgating.  Nothing went better with a pitcher of beer than a Mellow Mushroom pizza and pretzels.  Mmm, just thinking about that crust and those late afternoons makes me miss college and my gluten-eating days.

While I had read that Mellow Mushroom has a gluten-free pizza, I just hadn’t made it over there yet.  What was I thinking?  One Sunday afternoon, David and I decided to head over to the Mellow Mushroom on Peachtree Road and try out the GF pizza.  Not only was the craving for pizza pulling us toward Peachtree’s Mellow Mushroom, but their flat screen TVs and the NFL Sunday Ticket.

We’ve discovered our perfect spot for watching the Redskins when they’re not on the Atlanta networks.  Mellow Mushroom was just the right place for an early Sunday dinner with four football games happening around us.

Kosmic Karma with sausage: so many toppings. I love it!

I was very pleased by the GF pizza at Mellow Mushroom.  Of course it’s not the same as the pizza I remember from my C’ville days, but it’s pretty darn good.  And, they don’t skimp on the toppings so it’s not overly bready.  I went with the Kosmic Karma pizza with sausage and it was amazing.  I can’t resist anything with pesto!  The sundried tomatoes, feta, and spinach are an awesome combination.  Since my first visit, I’ve ordered the Kosmic Karma with chicken, another good protein addition.  (Going with just the veggies is plenty of food and flavor, so don’t feel like you have to order a protein topping.)

Almost all of Mellow Mushroom’s toppings are gluten free, and our server was very knowledgeable as to which ones contained gluten.

Unfortunately, Mellow Mushroom does not currently offer gluten-free beer on their menu but hopefully if more people request GF beer, they’ll add it to their beverage list.

Will I be going back to Mellow Mushroom? Um, already have.  Thanks, Mellow Mushroom, for making a delicious GF pizza that satisfies my carb and greasy food cravings!  I’ll look forward to more Sunday afternoons with you.  You can also call ahead and order takeout too.  Another great option for an easy Sunday dinner! The Vinings location also sells gluten-free pizzas, if that’s closer to your neck of the woods.

Note: I found that reheating the GF pizza worked best in the oven, not in the microwave.  The pizza returns to its normal state in the oven, but is not so good in the microwave.

Mellow Mushroom – 1770 Peachtree Street NW – Atlanta, GA, 30309 – 404.687.4766

Last week, my brother and his family came to ATL for a visit.  We had the best time showing off our city to Rob, Alden, and my two nephews, Pete and Chip.  Of course we shared many of our favorite restaurants with them too!

Time in the backyard with Rob, Pete and Chip

Some of the highlights of the weekend included, homemade pancakes, Taqueria del Sol, Mellow Mushroom, Star Provisions, YEAH Burger, the Georgia Aquarium, and lots of playing outside.

Chip waiting for lunch at Taqueria

Chip with his new football

Sweet Pete!

On Saturday night, my sweet friend, Michelle, offered to baby sit for Pete and Chip so we adults decided to have a night on the town.  We took Rob and Alden to Decatur to see a different part of the Atlanta area.  After a drink at Iberian Pig, we headed over to one of our new favorite restaurants, Leon’s Full Service.

Night out in Decatur

In the last couple of months, David and I’ve been looking for any excuse to go to Leon’s.  We absolutely love their French Fries and dipping sauces that accompany them.  Fortunately you can order multiple sauces because David and I can’t agree on which one we like the best.  (I’m a sucker for the curry and David loves the smoked tomato mayo.)  Leon’s uses a dedicated fryer for their fries so you don’t have to worry about contamination.  Since we’ve discovered Leon’s, we’ve always gotten great service and delicious food.  Don’t be discouraged by the bustle and busy-ness of the restaurant when you walk in: you will be well taken care of from the moment you put your name on the wait list. (PS: Leon’s doesn’t take reservations.)

Best fries in ATL

...And the dipping sauces (yes, we ordered 6!)

Our waiters have always been well aware of the gluten-free options on the menu and I always feel like I have lots of choices.  Even though the restaurant is always full of people, I get great attention from servers and I don’t feel rushed to make my decision. On our most recent visit, however, we learned that the folks at Leon’s have now made a gluten-free menu for their customers.  Now I have even more reason to go to Leon’s!  It’s a good thing we don’t live closer to Leon’s because I would eat there all time!

Leon's GF Menu!

If you haven’t been yet, you must go to Leon’s.  The menu has both casual/light fare as well as fancier entrees.  And they highlight seasonal, fresh ingredients from local farms.  Gotta love that!

Gluten-Free Highlights on Leon’s Menu*:

• French fries with masaman curry & smoked tomato mayo
• Grilled pork chop, field peas & greens, carolina gold bbq, red cabbage chow chow
• Pan roasted domestic snapper baby bok choi, masaman curry butternut squash, lime-mint butter, toasted cashew

Always so sad when the fries are gone

Oh, and make sure to hang out at the bar before you get seated.  The mixologists at the bar are fabulous and they create all kinds of seasonal beverages.

*The menu changes seasonally so expect to find new items when you go (except, of course, the fries).

Leon’s Full Service – 131 E Ponce de Leon Ave – Decatur, Georgia – 404.687.0500

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…