One of my new favorite things!!! Organic Drinkable Greek Low Fat Yogurt my Oikos!

I am a big fan of Greek yogurt, but usually it is so hard to eat on the go.  Not anymore!  Stonyfield now has an Organic Drinkable Greek Low Fat Yogurt and I am loving this Pomegranate Berry flavor (and its gluten free).  Maybe I am lazy, but I always found it tough to make sure I had a spoon to eat my yogurt, so the concept of being able to just drink it, is working for me.  I can grab one as I head out the door and drink it the car.

Gluten Free Goat Cheese, Spinach, Basil, Mushroom Pizza

As my husband is not a fan of goat cheese, I usually make this tasty little pizza for lunch.  It is fast and easy to make.  First I buy some already made gluten free pizza crust by Rustic Crust which I purchased at Dierbergs.

I preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  I first take one garlic clove, cut it in half and rub the garlic clove on both sides of the pizza crust.  The package says to spread olive oil on the crust, however I am never able to get it to spread evenly, so I use the I can't believe its not better with oil spray and spray the pizza crust a few times.  I chop up some fresh spinach and fresh basil and place it on the pizza crust.  I then chop up some fresh mushrooms and it it to the pizza.  Then I add the goat cheese!  MMM!  I try to spread it evenly over the pizza, so every bite has a yummy goat cheese.  I add a little fresh pepper.  By this time, I am just waiting on the oven to preheat.

I throw the pizza in the oven (not literally).  The package says to put it directly on the rack, however I usually put my pizza on aluminum foil.  Cook for 12 minutes and voila Pizza!!

Ingredients:
1 gluten free pizza crust
1 clove of garlic
A handful of fresh spinach
About two twigs of fresh basil
3 or 4 small mushrooms
A small package of goat chese

What would you do if a chipmunk was drowning in your pool?

The other day I was talking to my husband on the phone while looking out our back door and saw something swimming in our pool.  I told my husband to hold on while I take a picture of this adorable chipmunk in our pool.  Little did I know, the poor guy just wasn't swimming, he was trying to get out!

I guess when I walked out to take a picture I must of scared him, because a few moments later he began sinking.  I freaked out, put my phone down and grabbed our pool net.  I scooped him out and let him lay on top of the net for a few moments.

This was before the summer heat had greatly intensified and the little chipmunk was just laying there shivering on the pool net.  I covered him up with a hand towel.  I went inside and googled for advice and found that you can feed them some bread or nuts to help them regain their energy, so I took him out some bread.  He ate a few bites.

I would periodically check on the chipmunk and about an hour later, he was sitting on top of the towel, when he saw me he took off running.  I still see him every morning eating the bird seed the birds throw on the ground.  My cat looks at the back door and really wants to play with him.

As I have told this story to many people, they tell me chipmunks can cause some damage around your place and I should have let the chipmunk drown.  What?  I could never do this.  What would you do if there were a chipmunk drowning in your pool?

Way to Go Cardinals! Gluten-Free Beer at Busch Stadium!

Beer, Brats and Baseball! Isn’t this what a St. Louis summer is all about? Not everywhere in the United States can a gluten-intolerant person still enjoy all of these items together, however fortunately for St. Louis the Cardinals now serve gluten-free beer and their brats are also gluten free!
Here is a list of their gluten-free items:

• Beef Brisket (no sauce or bun): section 509
• Bratwurst (no bun)
• Grilled Chicken (no bun): sections 139, 161, 446, 264, 266
• Hamburger/Cheeseburger (no bun)
• Hot Dog, Jumbo Dog (no bun)
• Peanuts
• Polish Sausage (no bun): sections 162, 169, 270, 437
• Popcorn
• Pudding - 4 oz. Vanilla and Chocolate: section 136
• Red Bridge Beer: sections B150, B272.
• Turkey legs: sections 152, 432, 509
• Veggie Burger (No Bun): section 132
• Gluten-Free Ham & Swiss Sandwich: section 136
• Yogurt - 6 oz. Strawberry and Peach: section 136

Do You Know What to Do With an Injured Bird?

I came home from work to find a fledgling blue jay in our front yard. When I approached he slowly hobbled away, but not far. I was not sure if he was just too young to fly or if he was injured. There was an adult bird squawking at me as I approached the little guy, so I originally figured the parent was keeping an eye on the fledgling and he would be okay.
A little later I came out and checked on him again, and he was still in the same place. So I gave him a few bird seeds. I do believe he ate a few. It looked as if he had broken a leg or something. He did not seem okay.
I checked on him several times. As the night went on, he tried less to move away from me, as if he just did not have it in him anymore. I checked on him one last time before we went to bed and the poor guy was lying on his side. I was heartbroken. I had a difficult time sleeping as I feared he would not make it through the night.
The next morning I was happy to see him sitting up again. This time there was no parent in the trees squawking at me. I did some research and figured out this bird was not okay and he needed help. Apparently it is not normal for a bird, even as a fledgling, to allow you come near and they do not sleep on their side. Not to mention it was mid-90’s outside.
I first called the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic in High Ridge, however they said they did not handle birds and directed me to the Wild Bird Rehabilitation in Overland. I called them up and asked them a few more questions. They were not able to pick up the bird, since they have limited resources and volunteers. I took a shoebox and went outside and scooped up the bird using the lid. I knew better than to touch the blue jay, as many birds carry diseases. He tried to fight me, but he did not have a lot of energy.
I took him to the Wild Bird Rehabilitation; they immediately grabbed him and filled him with several cc’s of fluid. They said he was not doing very well. He did not have a broken leg, but all of his tail feathers were broken. The fledgling had suffered some type of trauma.
I made a donation to the Wild Bird Rehabilitation (as they are a nonprofit) and picked up a volunteer orientation schedule. I was really impressed with their help and love for birds. I just hope they were able to help my little Blue Jay.

Summer Cold? Gluten Free French Oven Soup Makes it All Better.

Summer colds are the worst!! First I was sick for two whole weeks and just as I was feeling better my husband gets sick. Two days later it was my turn to be sick again. As we were both sick with summer colds; I made a nice winter meal to makes us feel better. I purchased all my ingredients from Dierbergs with the exception of the gluten free French bread, which we were able to find at the New Gluten Free bakery in Ellisville, New Day Cafe. I am a feeling they are going to be one of my new favorite places.


Take 1 and half pounds of thinly sliced yellow onions and slowly cook them in 3Tb of olive oil and 1TB of butter (I buy the real butter with no added salt instead of margarine). I use a 4 quart dutch oven saucepan for all steps. Cook the onions for about 15 minutes (covered) on low heat in the butter and oil mixture.

Uncover the saucepan and add 1 tsp of salt and 1/4 of tsp of sugar (this helps the onions to brown). Raise the heat to medium level for a good for 30-40 minutes, do not skip this step, as it helps to reduce the strong onion flavor.

Next take 3TB of all purpose gluten free flour and mix into onions and cook for 3 minutes.

Take the saucepan off the heat. Add 2 quarts of of boiling gluten free beef stock. Then add 1/2 cup of dry white wine; I usually use chardonnay. Simmer, partially covered, for 30-40 minutes.

While cooking the soup as directed above take several pieces of gluten free French bread and bake it until it is crunchy like a crouton. Then shred 2 cups of fresh Swiss cheese. Take the bread cut it up in bite size pieces (just makes it easier to eat) and the shredded cheese and place them into the oven safe soup bowls.
Once the soup is cooked, pour soup over bread and cheese mixture and take Swiss cheese slices and cover the soup bowl (this will depend on the size of the bowl). Take bowls and place them in the oven under broil for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned. Then serve. It will need a couple of minutes to cool down.
I also like to serve garlic cheese bread with the soup. If you want to make that too, here are the instructions: Cut already baked gluten free French bread into about 1/4 inch slices, take a garlic clove and cut it in half and rub the cut side all over the bread slices. Pour a few drops of olive oil on one side of each slice and top with some shredded swiss cheese. Place under broiler for just a few minutes until cheese starts to brown.

Ingredients:

1 and half pounds of thinly sliced yellow onions
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 of teaspoon of sugar
3TB of gluten free flour
2 quarts of gluten free beef stock
1/2 cup of dry white wine
One loaf of gluten free French bread
A block of fresh Swiss cheese
A glove of garlic

Gluten Free Black Forest Cake: Yum!

Wow! My husband and I have been married for a year now! Our wedding cake was a delicious gluten-filled Black Forest Cake from La Bonne Bouchée in Creve Coeur. They have some of the best desserts I have ever tasted.
The original plan was to have La Bonne Bouchée make a new cake for our wedding anniversary. However, we could have never imagined I would not be able to eat the cake a year later due to my gluten intolerance. I decided to take my chances and make our own gluten-free Black Forest Cake from scratch.
I was very happy to find all of the ingredients at Dierbergs. The cake turned out amazing and you would never know it was gluten free. My husband said it tasted even better than our wedding cake, but he’s my husband, so I am sure he is biased.
We had also agreed that if he did not shove cake on my face on our wedding day (I did not want my makeup to be messed up), he could shove as much cake as he wanted in my face on our anniversary. He happily obliged as you can see in the picture. Happy baking!

Ingredients:

The cake:

1 1/2 cups white rice flour
3/4 cups tapioca flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 cup cocoa
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 cup milk (dairy, soy or rice)

The frosting and filling:

2 blocks cream cheese (or substitute)
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa
1 can cherry pie filling (gluten free)

The chocolate shavings:

1 bag of chocolate chips
2 tablespoons of vegetable shortening

To make the chocolate shavings:

Melt the bag of chocolate chips and the vegetable shortening in a chocolate melter (a sauce pan will work as well, however the chocolate melter reduces the chances of the chocolate getting too hot). Line a loaf pan of plastic Tupperware with aluminum foil. Pour the melted chocolate into the dish and refrigerate for 2 hours. Once the chocolate has hardened, take a vegetable peeler along the edges of the chocolate chunk. Change sides often as the heat from your hand will melt the chocolate.

To make the cake:

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Mix all dry ingredients except the cocoa and sugar in one bowl. Cream the eggs, sugar, mayo and cocoa in another bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, alternating with the milk. Whip together with an electric mixer for at least 5 minutes or until well blended. Pour into 2 nine-inch greased pans, bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, take cakes out of the pans and allow to cool for another 10 minutes.

Make the frosting:

Whip the cream cheese, sugar and cocoa together until well blended. Add water until the frosting is a thick, spreadable consistency; usually about a half a cup. Fill a frosting gun or bag with about 1/3 of the frosting and refrigerate till ready to use.

Assemble the cake:

Set one layer of cake on a plate. Spread a thin layer of frosting over the top of the cake, and frost the sides. Using the frosting gun or bag, pipe a rim of frosting around the outer edge of the cake (this is to hold the filling in, so don't skip this step!). Pipe swirls around the bottom of the cake. Fill the top of the first layer, inside the rim of frosting, with about 1/2 of the can of cherry pie filling. Place the second layer of cake on top. Put a layer of frosting on top of the second cake, and frost the sides. You will need to add extra frosting to the area where the two layers meet, to cover the gap and make sure no filling escapes. Pipe a rim of frosting around the top layer of the cake and add the rest of the cherry pie filling. Add the chocolate shavings on top.

The Best Time Saving Painting Tip

So my Dad and Step-mom came over to help us move, somehow they ended up also helping us paint, put up lighting fixtures, buy some great new gadgets and giving us all kinds of tips!  The best painting tip my Step-mom taught me was this:

Instead of Cleaning out your paint tray and your roller every night, wrap them up and plastic and they will stay wet!  I am not sure if you have ever tried to clean a paint tray or a paint roller, however it is almost impossible.  First you wrap the handle of the roller with a grocery bag, so it does not get covered in paint.  Then cover the roller and tray with a trash bag and close it tightly, so no air can get inside.  When you are ready for you second coat of paint the next day (even lasts a few days if needed), just open the trash bag, remove the grocery bag from the handle, add new paint and you are ready to go.  So Easy!

Gluten Free Diet, What Does This Mean?, What are the Symptoms?

Gluten free diet, what does this mean? what are the symptoms?  I had never heard about the gluten free diet until one Day Dr. Oz brought up Celiac disease and gluten intolerance on his talk show.   My first thought, was OMG, my Mom so has Celiac disease.  I called her immediately and told her she needed to be tested.  My Mom has had stomach issues for as long as I can remember.  She did the blood test; it came back negative.  I was disappointed I did not find the answer to cure her.  My Mom, sister and I all suffer from stomach issues.

As time passed my own stomach issues started to worsen. (Actually I thought I was normal until my husband told me I was not.)  I have almost every Celiac Disease Symptom in the book!  I had iron deficient anemia starting at the age of 15, was always extremely tired with very little energy, I'm short, moody, my stomach would bloat like I was six months pregnant, everything made me bruise, had continuous neck and shoulder pain, dental issues, did I mention MOODY?, etc.  I spoke to my Dr. and he said I probably have irritable bowel syndrome and I should eat more vegetables.  I tried this, but nothing helped.  I met another wonderful woman with confirmed Celiac disease and I told her about all my issues and she encouraged me to do the blood test, since my issues were similar to hers.  So I did.

After waiting several weeks for the results, they came back negative?  What?  Really?  As much as I am a google-aholic I already knew there are a lot of false negatives to the blood test.  The next steps are doing a biopsy, a fecal test, or even gene testing.  I have not taken the next steps (because it costs a lot of money), however I went ahead and started the Gluten Free diet and WOW are the results astounding! I would like to hear more from people who have taken these next steps.

The tension in my neck was one of the first things to go, my stomach started acting “normal” (sorry do not want to be too graphic), I do not bloat anymore, I don’t remember the last bruise I had and my mood swings have almost completely diminished, however I will always be short. :) Needless to say my husband is happier, because I am happier (and he doesn't have to give me as many neck rubs).  My life has changed dramatically for the better.

I thought it would be harder to eliminate all of the wheat, barley and rye from my diet, but thankfully there are more and more gluten free items in the grocery store and thanks to all the restaurants that have gluten free menus!  I plan on trying to turn all of my fabulous gluten infused recipes to new gluten free recipes!  If anyone has any tips on baking with gluten free flour, please shoot them my way!

Also I would love to hear about your gluten free experiences including testing.

Disclosure:  I do not recommend this diet to everyone and I am in no way a medical professional, so please seek an expert on this subject.  If your Dr’s. diagnosis is Irritable Bowel  Syndrome without testing you for other possibilities first, please seek a second opinion.  As I have been told, irritable bowel syndrome is what they call it when they can’t find anything else wrong.

Rooster, Downtown St. Louis-- Amazing Gluten Free Crepes

As many know, I attended college in France and fell in love with their food, wine, and language.  This would include Crepes!!  When I first started the gluten free diet, I was sad I would no longer be able to devour crepes anymore. :( Then I heard Rooster served Gluten Free Crepes!! Of course, I dragged Rob downtown the first possible moment I could.

We have frequented Rooster several times before my gluten diet started and each time has always been amazing.  I do have to warn you though, if you are going on a weekend for breakfast, brunch or lunch, be prepared to wait.  We showed up Sunday morning around 11am (the morning after Mardi Gras none the less) and I believe we waited about an hour to be seated.  It is tiny place and as Rob does not crowded places we debated somewhere else.  However, Rob being the awesome husband he is, knew I was dying to try the gluten free crepes, so we waited.

Each time I have been to Roosters they always have a nice touch of fresh flowers at the tables. And it just so happened to match my yummy Mimosa!

Normally I order the hot chocolate, as it is amazingly tasty, but while waiting I saw someone drinking a Mimosa a the bar and could not resist the temptation!  They always remind me of the good times my Mom and I shared on our cruise to the Bahamas.  I was also lucky in this case since Rob decided to order a hot chocolate.  MMM!! The best of both worlds.

I ordered the brie gluten free crepe with roasted spiced apple and a side of chutney. 

I was pretty skeptical (imagine that..) of how the gluten free crepe would taste as I have eaten some of the best creperies in the world at my favorite 1513 in Clermont-Ferrand, France.  I was delightfully surprised with the melange of the flavors. I actually think this may be my new favorite Rooster crepe, however I need to try out a few more just in case. :)

Rob on the other hand ordered a roasted sirloin crepe.

He was not as impressed as I, but I am not sure if this is because this is the choice I encouraged him to select rather than what he would have picked on his own.  A lot of times when we go out to eat, he ends up liking what I order more than what he chose.  This time, not so much.  Another great thing about Roosters is they have Srichacha sauce! (the big red bottle in the background of Rob's picture)  I first heard about Srichacha sauce on the Dr. Oz show.  It is a very tasty, yet super spicy hot sauce.  It is Dr. Oz recommended as it is so spicy, just a tiny bit goes a long ways, it helps speed up your metabolism, and it helps add flavor, without a bunch of calories.  At home we use it a lot on scrambled eggs.

We were both wanting to try one of the dessert crepes, as we have yet to try one.  Each time, this time not excluded, we are so full from our meal we never have room.  The crepes taste so good, we just cannot stop eating till we clean our plates.

We made a vow that the next time we eat a Roosters, we are strictly going for the dessert crepes!  We are both looking forward our next visit.  Thanks to Roosters for a great gluten free dining experience!!

The Best Homemade Gluten Free Lasagna Recipe!

My sister and her three kids were coming over to the house and I was trying to figure out what I could feed such a group of people.  Then I remembered I owed Rob lasagna (from way before I was even started the gluten free diet), so I thought I would try it out.  I have to admit on this exact lasagna I did not let everything simmer for as long as I should, since I did not have a lot of time after work and the kids (and Rob) were pretty hungry.  I usually believe in the Julia Child method of letting things cook for awhile, so all the flavors meld together.  Also, if you would like the non gluten free version of this recipe, just use regular lasagna noodles rather than the gluten free version.  I served this 5 people who are not on the gluten free diet and they loved it!  No one knew it was gluten free till I told them. :)

Here are the directions to this great lasagna:

1.  In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. 

2.  Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, nutmeg, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. 

3.  Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. (This is where I cheated and only let it simmer about 20 mins, you can get away with this, but if you have time, simmer for the entire time.)

4.  In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

5.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

6.  To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange gluten free lasagna noodles (I used De Boles, as this is what my local grocery store had in stock) lengthwise over meat sauce.  The best thing about the gluten free lasagna noodles is you do not have to boil them in water first, they are ready to be baked! Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. 

7.  Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. 

 

8.  Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

9.  Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions!

Here is a list of ingredients:

Ingredients:

1 pound sweet Italian sausage 3/4 pound lean ground beef 1/2 cup minced onion 1 teaspoon of nutmeg 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons white sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 tablespoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 12 lasagna noodles 16 ounces ricotta cheese 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

Great Service by Meyer Heating and Cooling!!

I met the owner of Meyer Heating and Cooling in St. Louis in a past job with a telecommunications company.  What a great guy; I really respect the way he runs his business with integrity.  It took awhile for me to actually be in need of the services, however we have now used them three times.  The first time was when the air conditioning quit working in our condo on one of the hottest days of the year!  Uhhh! It was so horrible.  I called up Meyer Heating and Cooling and they had someone out to fix it the next day!

The second time we used Meyer Heating and Cooling was earlier this year.  We had been dealing with a heater that the pilot light was not wanting to start on the first try.  Then it was not starting after two or three tries.  Then finally it was not lighting what so ever.  So after dealing with this for awhile, we decided it was time to call Meyer Heating and Cooling again.  The sent out a service guy, Mike, the next day!  He showed up in the expected time period too! He tested out the heater and had it fixed in a very short period of time.  We should have called them sooner!!  What great service!!

The most recent call to Meyer Heating and Cooling was just last weekend.  Rob and I just moved into our new house and as it is a foreclosure, everything is as is.  Rob and his Dad lit the pilot light on the water heater on Friday night.  After working a lot around the house, Rob and I decided to head to the basement to watch a little TV before heading to bed and it just so happened my Mom called about the same time.  I went to the other part of our basement, so I wouldn't bother Rob.  As soon as I got off the phone I noticed this water sound.

I went to the room with the water heater and it was pouring out water!!  Everywhere!!!

I called for Rob, he turned off the water and the gas to the water heater and then I reached out to Meyer Heating and Cooling on Facebook.  They told me to call first thing in the morning and they would send someone out.  They sent out Mike again (the same guy as they sent with our heater issue.)  Of course he is always super nice.  He determined we had a calcium buildup and it blew our pressure valve and then he fixed it!  He did not only stop there, he also showed and explained how to drain our water heater to help prevent the build up.  He told us we should do it about once a year.  Wow!! What great service!!!  I highly recommend Meyer Heating and Cooling!!!

Here is the contact information:
Meyer Heating and Cooling, LLC
11040 Lin Valle Ste F, St. Louis, MO 63123 (314) 845-1929 ‎ meyerhvac.com

Granite City Brewery--- Not so Gluten-Free Friendly.....

So, after several amazing experiences with my gluten-free dining experiences, I guess it was in due time to have a bad one.  Rob and I were exhausted with trying to close on a foreclosed house, most of our kitchen items were already packed, so we were searching for a place to eat with Gluten Free items on their menu in our area.  We called Granite City Brewery and they said they had an entire Gluten Free menu.  I was super excited!

We waited for about 15-20 minutes to be seated and I asked the hostess for their Gluten Free menu.  It took her awhile to find it.  She seats us and gives me the menu and on the outside it says Gluten Free Menu.  It was a red folder, like something you had in high school with the three metal prongs, with just a list of their menu items. Next to their menu you items were a spreadsheet of wheat, dairy, eggs, nuts, etc and below the tabs it would have a Y or a N.  It did not list the ingredients or a description of the dish

There were not many items that were wheat free...  I think I could have the quesadilla garnish, but of course not the quesadilla, two appetizers, a couple of salads, but the kicker was they only had two entrees that were wheat free.  They were both pork and since I am not a huge pork fan (well of course except bacon), I decided to go with one of the salads.  At this point I was a bit frustrated.  I do not know if I have just been spoiled, with the other Gluten Free menus, but this was hardly something I would call gluten free. Rob suggested we could go somewhere else to eat, but by this point we had already been there for awhile.

Rob seemed pretty hungry, so I asked if he wanted to share one of the two appetizers that were wheat free.  One was wings and the other Idaho Nachos.  I was worried the wings were cooked with everything else, so we decided upon the nachos.  When I think of nachos, I think corn tortilla chips (which are safe to eat), however I was wrong.  As I did not have the descriptions of the items on my menu, I didn't realize the Idaho Nachos meant fries instead of tortilla chips.  I was disappointed again, however I will take some blame as I could have looked off Rob's menu to see the rest of the ingredients.  I had a few, then I started to think.  O' Crap I bet I shouldn't eat these.  I asked the waitress if the potatoes are cooked in the same fryer as everything else and she said Yes.  Now I am really disappointed, because I should not have eaten them.  As us Gluten-Free know, it is not only the items that contain gluten, but also how they are cooked.  Our potatoes had been cross-contaminated with other gluten items.  Err!

Rob had mentioned we could go somewhere else to eat, but I still stuck it out.  I did not have any more nachos and ate some of my salad.  The waitress seemed like a sweet young girl, however Granite City had not trained her on food allergies/intolerance.  She kept recommending items I could not have.  After a past experience in working in a restaurant (especially chains), it is all about up-selling and this what she was taught to do.  It's just annoying when can't have anything they are offering.  She apologized and said, sorry I don't what contains gluten.  I am not mad at her for this, because I did not know either till I started the diet, but with this being so common now, I am disappointed with Granite City for misleading me to believe items on their menu are gluten free, when they are clearly not.  It seems they took the shortcut approach to food allergies/intolerance.

Rob and I will not be heading back to Granite City anytime soon!  It is not gluten free friendly!  In fact, the next day I did not feel good at all.  Insert Gluten intolerance symptoms.... Granite City could learn something by eating at Outback.  Check out my Outback's restaurant review

Important tip(s) picking out new home door locks

As we were signing our paperwork for our house last Thursday our lovely real estate agent reminded us that it is important to change all the locks on house.  It was also mentioned that the previous owner was still in the area and not happy about their housebeing foreclosed upon (which I am not sure who would be- I feel horrible for them).  Then our notary told us a story how a family didn't change their locks when they moved into their house.  One night some random drunken guy was in their living room.  Apparently it was a brother in law of the previous family (who still had a key) and had not realized they had moved.

So, Rob and I head to Home Depot on our quest to pick out locks.  We figured this would be an easy task...  Were we wrong.  The first trip, we realized we didn't know exactly what types we needed, so we went back home and drew pictures of each of our lock styles. We then picked out all of our locks and asked if we could have them re-keyed to the same key.  Well since we had picked out 3 different name brands, we had to go back to drawing board...  To have the same key for all locks you also have to have the brand.  So we went back to the locks and reselected our choices.  We purchased the locks and they had them re-keyed in about 30 minutes (if you pick out Smart Key version for all your locks, it is much faster).

After you have hurt your pocket book with the purchase of new locks, the true fun begins...  A sneak preview of the things we ran into, Can you tell what is wrong with this lock?

Can you name this tree? Redbud? Dogwood?

Well we are all moved in to our new house since Thursday, however this morning when getting ready to head to work I saw this beautiful pink tree in our backyard!!

Is this a Redbud Tree or a Dogwood tree?  Can they bloom overnight?  I can almost promise these gorgeous blooms were not there yesterday.

Update:  Per a request I have taken more  close up pictures of our beautiful tree so we can determine it's name.  I also confirmed with Rob, that this tree was not actually bloomed yesterday.  Here are closer looks of the flowers:

I think the tree is so pretty the blooms almost look fake.  What I do know is this tree has attracted dozens of bees.  They were all buzzing around spreading pollen.

The bees were flying around fast, this was my best picture.  Any help with the name of this tree would be greatly appreciated.

Our New House!!

Hello Everyone!!  We closed on our house yesterday!!  Woot Woot!  We are so excited to be new home owners.  Here is a sneak peak of our new house!

Although the house needs some TLC and some remodeling, we love it. To see more photos or our house before we start remodeling, check out our Shutterfly Slide Show!

New House for Rob and Lori!!

Rob and I close on our house tomorrow morning at 10am. So excited to get moved in, remodel our new house and cook all kinds of gluten free recipes in our new house! 

Outback Steackhouse Gluten Free Menu- OMG So Awesome!

Rob and I always seem to find things to celebrate by eating out and drinking some wine and last Tuesday was no exception.  On Tuesday Rob and I found out we were approved and cleared to close on our new house!!!  How exciting.  Of course Rob twisted my arm about going out to eat and I was really wanting to try Outback Steakhouse's Gluten Free Menu.  I previously had seen online they have a completely separate menu just for us Gluten Free.

We show up to Outback and I ask if they have a Gluten Free menu.  I was so excited when they gave me a menu that was the same size as the regular menu!

At this point, I am super excited.  Outback has always been one of my favorite places to eat (even before this whole gluten free thing).  I am very picky on my steak and many places do not know how to cook a medium rare steak, however I have yet to have an issue at Outback.  Thanks Outback!  I was ecstatic to  see my regular item on the menu on the Gluten Free menu, the Victoria's Center Cut Filet!!  It melts in your mouth.  So, of course I order it and the wonderful waitress Anastasia asks my two sides and I request the mash potatoes and of course the Caesar Salad.

If you like Caesar salads and you have not had the one at Outback, run there now!!  It is my all time favorite!!  I told the waitress the menu said to ask for "no croutons and to have it mixed in a separate bowl".  ( Kuddos to Outback  because most restaurants do not understand the importance of not cross contaminating.)  Then Anastasia says "Oh, are you gluten free?"  I reply yes and she says "Oh we have a button for that."  Wow!  What?!  That's awesome.  She then asked if we still wanted the bread and as my husband is not Gluten Free, he said yes.  It must have been good because I did not even have time to snap a picture by the time he devoured it....

Another great thing about Outback and their Gluten Free Button was every time something was delivered to the table, the server would announce the Gluten Free in front of the menu item: Gluten Free Ceasar Salad, Gluten Free Victoria's Center Cut Filet, etc.  It was very comforting to know everyone who came in contact with my food knew I had a gluten intolerance and paid extra attention to my order.  Bravo Outback!! So they delivered my Gluten free steak:

MMM!  So good and cooked to perfection (it's hard to please me when it comes to steaks too).  Rob had the Outback Special.  It was a sirloin steak and he was also impressed, since had not tried it before.  As for mine, I will let you decide for yourselves if I thought it was Yummy:

I am going to go with Yes!!  I ordered the 6 ounce filet and it was the perfect size for me.  I did not feel as if I over indulged, however by this point it could be the bottle of Shiraz we are finishing off.  :)  So glad wine is Gluten Free!  Then Anastasia asked if we are interested in a dessert and I ask if they have anything Gluten Free and she was like we do.  What?  Really?  Is it good, what is it?  They had a Gluten Free version of their Infamous Thunder Down Under! Although the name reminded me of that Australian male stripper reality show, I was intrigued.  They brought out the dessert:

I would never consider myself a dessert fan; I am more of a steak and potatoes girl, however when it comes to brownies, I LOVE them!!  This was my first experience with a gluten free brownie, so I was quite skeptical.  My skepticism quickly faded and all of the sudden the brownie was gone.

Where did it go?  It was so good.  We ordered the smaller version, but after trying it, we may hit up the large version next time.  So good!!  What a great night!  Thanks again Outback Steakhouse for making our special occasion wonderful.  I am sure we will soon find another special occasion to come back for visit, probably something like Hey it's Tuesday, you want to go to Outback?

Guten free? Eat a Fin Japenese Restaurant in Chesterfield, MO!

After trying several times to meet up from lunch, my friend Laura and I were finally able together last Tuesday.  She had been wanting to try the new sushi restaurant in Chesterfield, Fin.  I was of course happy to oblige as Rob does not like fish, so I try to eat it as much as I can with my friends.  I was busy that day, so I was not able to call ahead to see if they had a gluten free menu, but I figure hey its sushi and rice, I should be okay...

I checked out the menu, really searched to see if they had Chirashi, because its my favorite thing to eat at sushi restaurants and Yay! they had it.  As a good gluten free person I read the description and it said it was served with season rice, so of course I asked what were the seasonings in the rice?  The very friendly waitress explained it has fresh ingredients like ginger (I don't remember all of them). So I asked to make sure there was no gluten and she said no.

The lunch menu included a salad and some yummy miso soup.  Then came out our Chirashi! (I say our, because my non gluten friend Laura also ordered the same thing).  The best thing was our amazing waitress also brought our gluten free soy sauce!!  I did not even have to ask for it.  Wow!!!

The Chirashi was excellent!  When I first saw it, I did not think it looked like a lot of food, however I was full by the time I left.  So I had another great gluten free meal with great company.  Thanks Fin Japanese Restaurant!  We will be back!

Chandler Hill Vineyards and Winery in Defiance, Missouri, Made Being Gluten Free Easy!

We have been to Chandler Hill Vineyards and Winery on many occasions, however last weekend was my first visit on the gluten free diet.  Our friends and I enjoy Chandler Hill, because one: it's gorgeous, two: they serve more than just local wines, three: they serve beer for our non wine drinking friends, and four: because it is always a lot of fun!

When we headed out to the wineries last Saturday I was bummed I was on a gluten free diet, because they have this amazing Brie, Chicken, Cranberry Sandwich thing that is Oh So Amazing!!  Rob and I ordered the cheese plate and they were happy to accommodate the whole, "Can you please put the bread on a different plate than the cheese please?" The cheese was amazing and I had to give Rob the look of "What are you doing?" a couple of times when he tried to use the same cheese knife to put the cheese on the bread.  We are both learning the do's and don't's of this diet.  The tiniest bit of wheat can cause a whole lot of problems.

We continue drinking the Syrah we always order and our hunger grew (this time only two bottles, not our three like last time).  I spoke to the waitress about not being able to eat wheat, but I really wanted to have that yummy sandwich.  So she spoke to the chef and they were able to make it without the bread and put all the sauces on the side.  How wonderful!!  So the waitress brought out my plate of Chicken covered in melted Brie and with the side of the Cranberry sauce that she made sure was gluten free.  It looked delicious and tasted even better!! Apparently I was so excited, I forgot to take a picture.  I guess I will just have to go again.  ;)  Another amazing Gluten Free dining experience!!!  Thanks Chandler Hill Vineyards and Winery!!!

Bard's Gluten Free Beer Review

Last Saturday was my friend's birthday and we were taking a bus out to Chandler Hill Winery and the bus allows you to bring coolers with beer.  Well, as a gluten free person, regular beer is kind of out of the question.  So since I am a Googleaholic, I started my search for a gluten free beer.  I came across the website for Bard's Gluten Free Beer!  It is made out of sorghum malt beer, so no wheat.  Craig and Kevin are the founders of the beer and after being diagnosed with Celiac disease they decided to make their own beer.

We looked up places to buy the gluten free beer on their website and found most of the grocery stores in our area carries Bard's.   We stopped by Dierberg's and there it was on the shelf.  Unfortunately, they did not have any of the beers in the refrigerators, only warm ones.  We got to the bus and immediately put the beers in the coolers.  After awhile we pulled one out and Rob is so strong when trying to open two of the beers the bottle tops actually broke and the beers had to be thrown away due to the glass being everywhere. :(   I tried my delicate touch to the third one and was able to open it with success.  The beer was not quite as cold as I would normally drink it, however it still wasn't bad.  By the time I started the second beer it was cold, I had Rob taste it and he agreed, It tastes like beer!  I always use Rob as my determining factor, as he does not eat gluten free.  Oh and it has a higher alcohol content than regular beer as well.  I will be trying Bard's beer again and hope next time there will be not any issues with the bottles.  I really am amazed Craig and Kevin were able to make such a great tasting Gluten Free Beer!  Thanks Bard's!  Thanks Craig and Kevin!

I have not yet found any gluten free beers in cans yet though.  Of course, one of the first things I said when I started the gluten free diet was "What will I drink on float trips??"  I am still wondering this question and hope by the summer time I find an answer...  If you here of one, let me know!

Hacienda Mexican Restaurant, Gluten Free Menu in St. Louis

So last Friday, I finally had my blood tests done for Celiac disease and after a grueling week of eating lots of gluten before my tests were done I was ready to start the gluten free diet.  Rob and I hopped on the internet and starting searching for restaurants in St. Louis that are gluten free.  We usually eat at El Maguey for Mexican food, because I love it (I'm on the mayor on four square) and it is conveniently close to our house.  So we called them, since they were on a gluten free list, and asked if they had gluten free items on the menu and they said that I could just  substitute corn tortillas instead of flour, so that didn't make me quite happy.  So since the one in Chesterfield Valley was the one actually listed to be gluten free, I decided to call them.  I think the guy on the phone thought I was asking if they had any free food....  He was like "OH NO NO NO."

So Rob and I continue on our quest to find a restaurant.  We found Hacienda Mexican Restaurant, went to their website and they have an entire Gluten Free Menu!!! So even though it is in Rock Hill and a bit further away we decided to try it out.  I am so happy we did!

This could have been the best ways to start off the gluten free diet.  Hacienda's house margaritas are made by hand, so no worries about any mixes containing gluten.  They are excellent by the way.   The Hacienda house chips are also corn tortillas and the salsa contains no gluten.  Hacienda brought out an entire menu just for those who are gluten free, which had more items on it than the website.  It stated that Hacienda tries its best not to cross contaminate its items and that the house chips are made in a dedicated fryer.  Awesome!

We tried the Spinach Queso Blanco for our appetizer and OH MY was it so good!  Then for dinner I tried the Roasted Fish Tacos and they were yummy.  After a couple of Margaritas and all this food, I told Rob that this was a great experience, because I did not feel cheated on my meal.  These were items I would have normally ordered if it were not for the gluten free diet.  I also had leftovers to take home for the next day.

Overall, I highly highly recommend Hacienda Mexican Restaurant for anyone on the gluten free diet!  We will definitely go back!

Gluten Free Thin Mint Cookies, Super Easy and Oh so Yummy!

It is Girl Scout cookie time, but what about for those on a gluten free diet?  Here's a recipe that tastes like the real thing!  These are some of favorite cookies to make for many reasons: easy to make, very inexpensive, Gluten Free and they taste amazing like the real Thin Mint Cookies (oh and they are one of Rob's favorites.)

This is all you need:

Andes Baking Chips
Gluten Free Shortbread Cookies ( I used the Schar brand I found at my local grocery store Dierbergs)
Chocolate Melter
Baking Sheets
Wax Paper

Place Baking Pans in the refrigerator for a few minutes till they are chilled, this will help in the chocolate setting process. Heat the chocolate melter to melt, pour in the Andes baking chips and stir until all of the chocolate is completely melted. Once the chocolate is melted, change the chocolate melter to warm. Pull one of the baking sheets from the fridge place wax paper (or parchment paper) over it. Pick up the Shortbread cookies with thongs, fork, or even your fingers and dip the cookies into the chocolate completely covering the entire cracker, then place onto baking sheet. Immediately place cookies into the fridge, so they can set. They usually take less than a minute to set! Continue process until you run out of chocolate and/or cookies.


I recommend a nice Petit Syrah with the cookies . MMMMMM (or a nice glass of milk for the little ones.


Here are the ingredients I used:

Andes Baking Chips - 3/5 Lb Andes Baking Mints: GR

DELUXE CHOCOLATE MELTER