Even NPR is talking about going gluten free!  In this broadcast, Look Whose Going Gluten Free, they discuss a new flour blend created by French Laundry’s pastry chef, Lena Kwak and owned by the famous chef/culinary entrepreneur, Thomas Keller.  Labeled as Cup4Cup this brand is not actually used yet at French Laundry but available for purchase.  Now that a bunch of celebs are going gluten free, it’s only fitting that their becomes a high end niche in the GF market!  You can find C4C yourself at Williams-Sonoma, online and in the store.

Has anyone tried Cup4Cup yet?  Thoughts?

Recently, the folks at Moondance Gluten-Free Desserts sent me a package with a variety of their treats.  The first time I ever tried a Moondance goodie, was in California a few years ago on wine tour vacation with David.  It was the one year anniversary of my celiac diagnosis and I remember my Moondance fudge brownie being perfectly chocolatey and a yummy treat on an afternoon in Sonoma, between vineyards.  (Ah, what a vacation.)

Just feeling a little nostalgic about our trip...

My most recent indulgence in Moondance did not include brownies but three other sweet items: chocolate chip cookie bars, Mexican Wedding Cookies and chocolate crinkle cookies.  Delicious!  All three of these goodies tasted homemade, or fresh from a bakery, not straight from a box, like so many store bought items.

Of course I immediately went for their chocolate chip cookie bar, which is a blondie bar with mini chocolate chips.  While I can’t say it’s better than my homemade version, these bars are pretty darn good.  Moondance manages to make these bars with a hint of butteriness (is that a word?) making them taste so fresh and not processed.  Perfect with a bowl of ice cream or by themselves.  I like to heat mine up in the microwave for about ten seconds before indulging.  Mmm…

The Mexican wedding cookies, butter cookies with pecans and coated in powdered sugar, didn’t handle the trip very well and were in pieces upon arrival but this didn’t stop me from eating them.  Perfectly buttery and not overbearingly sweet.  These treats are perfect with afternoon tea, reminding me a little of shortbread, but with the added bonus of powdered sugar.

Lastly, the chocolate crinkle cookie, a fudge cookie rolled in powdered sugar.  David claimed these cookies as his favorite of the bunch and asked for them with ice cream each night.  (I tried not take it personally that he chose these over my monster cookies.)  The chocolate crinkle cookies are lightly crisp on the outside, yet chewy on the inside.  I love the use of powdered sugar on both the Mexican wedding cookies and the crinkles.

I would highly recommend heading to Whole Foods (their Paces Ferry location has Moondance goodies) or the nearest location to you, that sells Moondance Desserts, and sampling these treats for yourself.  They also make brownies and cheesecakes, so you have a variety of options to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Have any of you tried Moondance Desserts?  What are your favorites?

Recently my kitchen has been stocked full with gluten-free breads from a local, Atlanta bakery, Old World Artisan Bread Company.  Owner and founder, Thomas Sergio, began his career baking gluten-filled breads and bagels, but has realized there is a need for yummy, gluten-free breads in the Atlanta area.  Sergio has done just that and developed a recipe that is flavorful, texturally bread-like, and more importantly, perfect for sandwiches, grilled cheese and even French toast.  Prepare to wow your friends, as they won’t know this bread is gluten-free.  (Nor will they be overcome by a weird after taste, either!)

I have been enjoying the gluten-free whole grains bread for lunch in a variety of ways.  Grilled cheese is hard to resist on a lazy Saturday afternoon, but I must admit, my favorite combination is Old World’s bread toasted and topped with peanut butter and homemade jam.  I never get tired of peanut butter, thank goodness!  I know it’s not fancy, but it’s so good.  And, it takes truly delicious bread for me to forego my rice cakes and use GF bread.

My Favorite Jam...

Old World’s cinnamon raisin muffins are particularly delicious when enjoyed with cream cheese and jam.  A perfect afternoon snack or morning breakfast.  Just heat the muffins a little in the oven, slice in half and let the cream cheese work its magic.  I prefer this combination to a thick, gluten-free bagel anyways.  (Gluten-free bagels involve way too much chewing for my liking.)

Cinnamon Raisin Muffins: Envision with Cream Cheese

I always keep soup, stews and chili in the freezer for a quick weeknight dinner, so last week, I enjoyed leftover beef chili (made by David), Brussels sprouts, and an Old World dairy-free, gluten-free dinner roll.  These rolls taste delicious with honey or butter and made the dinner more filling.  I just love corn bread or a roll with soup.  (It makes me feel more normal.)

Perfect Weeknight Dinner

Final Verdict: Old World Artisan’s gluten-free offerings are not to be missed and even gluten eaters will enjoy these products.  Buy a variety and store extras in the freezer.  Stay tuned for more info on their gluten-free hamburger buns.

Check out Old World’s gluten-free offerings on their website.  You can find Sergio’s gluten-free products at Return to Eden (Atlanta) and Atlantis Natural Foods (Dunwoody).

A local, Atlanta bakery, Cecilia’s Bake Shop offers gluten-free and vegan desserts to their customers.  Their treats are also dairy-free and egg-free too.  Last night I tried their chocolate chip cookie dough and these cookies were amazing.  So chocolatey, perfectly gooey, and no weird textures or after tastes.  David devoured two!  I didn’t tell him until afterward that they were dairy and egg free, in addition to being GF.  He had no idea.

Also, when I ate that remaining, lonely, cookie this morning with my coffee, it still tasted delicious!  It didn’t harden overnight and again, no weird aftertaste.  These might be some of the best GF chocolate chip cookies I’ve tried, which is crazy, since they’re free of so many other things.  Good work, Cecilia’s!

I love supporting local businesses, so if you’re in the Atlanta area, you should definitely check out Cecilia’s.  You can find their cookie dough at Whole Foods and Sevanandah, or you can order directly from them.  If you call ahead, you can stop by their store too.  Cecilia’s sells cookies, cakes and ‘raw pies.’  I’m itching to try their gluten-free carrot cake.  Yum!  Check out all of Cecilia’s offerings by clicking here.

A pack of cookie dough would be a great last minute holiday gift for a gluten-free friend!  Always a treat for us gluten-free folks to easily bake something that requires no prep time: just preheat the oven, put dough on cookie sheet, and bake.  Tastes like homemade, because it is!

When people first learn about the restrictive diet I must follow due to my celiac diagnosis, they often give one of the following responses: “That’s awful!” or “I can’t think of anything worse!” Even though the diet can be tricky, there are many worse diagnoses than celiac disease and I feel blessed to have my health back (most of the time) and a disease that I can control simply by my diet.

Instead of spending time thinking about the foods that I can no longer eat, I try to embrace the delicious items that I can enjoy that make me feel good!

My diagnosis has made me appreciate food more than I ever did, particularly now that I don’t live in fear of being sick every time I eat. David and I love being in the kitchen and we definitely keep a stocked pantry of naturally gluten free foods. I’m now a firm believer in getting quality foods and ingredients that will provide the most flavor.

Here are some of my favorite foods to have in the house:

Blanchard’s Coffee: There’s nothing I enjoy more than a lazy morning with a good cup(s) of coffee. I’ve definitely become a coffee snob and I love freshly roasted coffee. My favorite coffee brand is Blanchard’s Coffee. They’re located in Richmond, VA and they freshly roast all of their coffee. You can order their very reasonably priced coffee online or if you’re lucky enough to live in Richmond, they sell it in Ukrop’s. The flavor and aroma of Blanchard’s coffee puts Starbuck’s to shame! The Ethiopian Yergacheffe is my personal favorite.

Check out the Blanchard’s Coffee website: Blanchard’s Coffee

Blueberries: In the final stretch of winter, I long for the summer farmer’s markets and the fresh fruits and vegetables to be purchased! In the cold winter months, I’m still happy to splurge on a container of blueberries at the grocery store. While the flavor is not quite the same as local produce, I love any snack or meal with blueberries. Yogurt (I use Stonyfield Farms brand) and blueberries topped with granola is a favorite snack, but my all time favorite food with blueberries are pancakes.

I’m inspired to write today because of the blueberry pancakes David made this morning using Pamela’s Baking Mix. The pancakes are delicious and a perfect way to spend a morning on spring break! David has mastered the art of gluten free pancake making and today he made waffles for the first time as well. Of course we enjoyed Blanchard’s Coffee with the pancakes! (If we don’t have blueberries in the house when making pancakes, David adds bananas and chocolate chips to the mix.)

Aunt Ruby’s Peanuts: I love peanuts and I don’t know what I would do if peanuts weren’t gluten free! Aunt Ruby’s peanuts are crunchy, salty and very flavorful. This North Carolina company sells peanuts that are packed with yumminess! Their prices are very reasonable and you can freeze them so they last for a long time if you buy in bulk for the best prices. The Country Style peanuts are a staple cocktail hour snack for us.

Aunt Ruby’s: Aunt Ruby’s Peanuts

Feel free to share some of the many foods you enjoy! Remember, it’s not about what we can’t have; it’s about embracing all of the delicious food we can eat.