Monday, March 26, 2012

Gluten Free Spring Rolls & Gluten Free Events


Save the Date

April 21st, 2012
10am -12

RSVP with payment
by April 9th

 
Gluten Free
Waffle Brunch
Fundraiser
GFLN & GIG Indy
 

  

Come join old friends and meet new friends at the Brunch on April 21st!
You  will have a chance to purchase raffle tickets & win some great  prizes.  Come see wonderful vendors who are supporting our gluten-free  community. 
 
We  will be serving farm fresh eggs, all natural sausage, waffles, maple  syrup, strawberries/blueberries and other gluten free favorites. 
 
Visit the link below for more details
 
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Spring Rolls Recipe

Ingredients:


Basil leaves

Cilantro

Jumbo Shrimp ( butterflied ,cooked and deveined)

Mung Bean Sprouts

Rice Wrappers

Romaine Lettuce

Thin rice noodles (cooked and drained)

You can also make these with seasoned ground chicken or pork

To make these vegetarian use chopped  uncooked mushrooms in place of the shrimp.

 

Directions:  Soften rice wrapper round by soaking in hot water until it becomes  transparent and pliable. I use a large shallow baking dish filled with  hot water to soak the rice wrappers.  I usually soak one or two at a  time. Soaking the wrappers too long will make them more fragile.  Once  you do a couple of these you will get a feel for how long to leave these  in the hot water. Once softened, lift the wrapper out of the water  carefully, let excess water drip off the rice wrapper and set this on a  flat surface.  Pat dry with a paper towel.


Place  one romaine lettuce leaf on the wrapper (you may have to cut the  lettuce leaf in half or even thirds depending on the size, you want the  leaf to be smaller than the width of your rice wrapper circle.  Add your  rice noodles next, then your shrimp, basil leaves, sprouts and cilantro  in the middle of the lettuce leaf. Roll this ¼ of the way up, then fold  up one side and then fold over the other side and continue rolling the  rest of the way.


When  you serve these, you may cut them in half and serve with a gluten free  dipping sauce of your choice. These are really great with a sweet chili  sauce which you can usually find in the ethnic food section at your  local grocery store.

Mark Your Calendars!
Get Ready for
GFLN's 2nd Annual Gluten Free Expo

Image 3

October 13-14, 2012
@
The Fountains
Carmel, Indiana
Over 80 vendors from all around the country

Make sure you don't miss the GF Event of the year!

Dr. Alessio Fasano, Director, Center for Celiac Research will be returning with more up-to-date information.
 
Expo  2012 will feature more vendors and an amazing kids' corner  sponsored by Schar.  Stay tuned for additional details on all the events  by checking our website on a regular basis. 

Many vendors will be sampling, showcasing and offering their great gluten free products for sale during the Expo.   

Admission:  $5 per adult and children 10 & under are FREE.

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products featured?
Have a product you want featured?; Want your restaurant listed on the site or want a food blog about your gluten free item?
Contact us

 

Gluten Free Living Now

Shelia: (317) 771-6506    shelia@glutenfreelivingnow.org
Tina: (317) 379-2350       tina@glutenfreelivingnow.org

http:www.glutenfreelivingnow.org

 
 
 

Monday, March 12, 2012

Gluten Free Doesn't Have to be Boring!

  Just because it's a Jungle out there in Gluten Free Land doesn't mean you can't enjoy it!

This amazing (and delicious) cake was made for our son's Blue and Gold Banquet by Shelia Cafferty of Gluten Free Living Now.  The theme for the banquet was a Jungle theme and hence all the animals on the cake.  The cake was intricate in all it's glory right down the signage of Pack 114 made with a Glutino pretzel and sugar paste.  The adults and kids alike were dazzled and impressed with this cake.  Everything on the cake was edible so there are NO plastic anmial replicas used here. 

The bottom layer of cake was made with Bob's Red Mill Vanilla Cake Mix and the frosting was cool whip, powdered sugar and caramel.  It had a wondeful taste and texture.  The frosting was just the right compliment to the cake.  The second and third layers were chocolate made from King Arthur's Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix.  We had people asking for seconds who weren't normally chocolate fans.  The chocolate cake was amazingly moist with a lighter chocolate taste.  The frosting was a vanilla creme that was the perfect accent to the cake.  The top layer of cake was once again King Arthur's Chocolate with chocolate icing.

The animals were made from sugar paste so totally edible.  The kids didn't want to eat the animals, they wanted to keep them forever.  It was fun to watch how excited the kids were over getting to keep a giraffe or a lion or monkey. 

Look at these great animals! Lions, Monkeys and a Giraffe Oh My!

I had no idea you could make a Lion's Mane using a Garlic Press. 

   

   

 

It was great that nobody could tell the difference from the old gluten filled cake.  There was even a newly diagnosed Celiac child there that was having trouble finding good gluten free foods and she was so excited that she could actually have a good birthday cake for her birthday this coming weekend. 

I know most of us can't make these types of creations but we can certainly use the cake mixes from Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur to make cakes taste like they used to before we all became gluten free. 

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Food Blog: Julian smart carb, Annie Chun's, Glutino, Red Apple, Miso Mayo and more....

If you like seaweed, and I definitely do, you will like these Annie Chun’s roasted seaweed snacks. Flat, thin, and delicate they come in 2 flavors, Wasabi and Sesame. My favorite flavor is Wasabi because, I admit……. I love spicy foods! If spicy is not your thing you would fare better with the sesame. Approximately 20 sheets come per package. Only 30 calories per 10 sheets.

Where to find this product:  Nature’s Pharm in Castleton, Greenwood & Lafayette locations.

 

   

 

GlutenFreeda Pizza Wraps

 This wrap is interesting……wasn’t sure what to expect when I tried this product. I tried the Italian sausage pizza wrap. This product can be prepared by microwave or oven. The gluten free flour tortilla that this product is wrapped in is made from white corn masa and has a strong corn taste that is much similar to the taste that you would find in a tamale. The inside is filled with Italian sausage, rice, cheese, spices and tomato sauce. A marriage of Mexican meets Italian cuisine. Also comes in 2 other varieties, three cheese and pesto chicken.

Where to find this product:  The freezer section of Nature’s Pharm/Castleton and Greenwood locations.

 

 

 

 

 

  

Glutino Gluten Free Bagel Chips 

I really liked these products! These bagel chips are hard to put down and if it’s crunch you are looking for…..these deliver! The perfect chip for dips and bruschetta or pair them with your favorite soup. They come in 2 great flavors, Original and Parmesan & Garlic. My preference is the parmesan and garlic. 9 bagel chips have only 120 calories, now if only I could hide the box from myself before it’s empty!!

Where to find this product: You can find these products at Nature’s Pharm/Castleton

 

  

 

 

Tiger Tiger Microwave Rice Noodles

 This product is convenient, only 2 minutes in the microwave and you have ready made rice noodles. Comes in 2 flavors from the Company web site’s South East Asian Noodle section. These products are dairy free, cholesterol free and made with rice bran oil. No artificial flavors or preservatives. Nature’s Pharm/Castleton carries the Pad Thai (which is spicy….I loved this flavor) and the Thai Sweet Chili which is not as spicy as the Pad Thai but it is just as flavorful. 

Where to find this product: You can find these products at the Nature’s Pharm/Castleton and Greenwood locations.

 

 

 
Miso Mayo

I wasn’t sure what to think of this product until I tried it, but once I tasted the Spicy Red Pepper flavor I was sold! Use this as sandwich spread or dip, drizzle on anything from veggies to fish…..the possibilities are endless! This product is an all natural mayonnaise alternative that is soybean based, it is vegan and has no cholesterol. Comes in 3 flavors, original (which is a best seller), spicy red pepper, and garlic & dill. Love the spicy red pepper flavor! 

Where to find this product: You can find these products in the refrigerated section of Nature’s Pharm/Castleton and Greenwood locations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

O’Doughs Gluten Free Flax Loaf Bread

 This gluten free bread isn’t bad. The bread has a dense texture. Great flavor and holds together pretty well. Toasting this bread brought out a slightly nutty flavor and the top of the loaf is randomly sprinkled with poppy seeds. This bread is made with potato starch, soya, tapioca flour, whole grain rice flour, chickpea and cellulose fiber. 1 slice of bread has 120 calories and 22g of carbs.

Where to find this product:  You can find this product in the freezer section of Nature’s Pharm/Castleton and Greenwood locations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  O’Doughs Double Chocolate Muffins

 

These Muffins have a great dark chocolate flavor, not too sweet and great in texture and quality. They do come in 3 varieties, banana chocolate chip, wild blueberry and double chocolate chip. I found these in the frozen food section of Nature’s Pharm/Castleton. Their products are certified gluten free.  

Where to find this product:  You can find these products at Nature’s Pharm/Castleton.

 

 

 

 

 Red Apple Lipstick

 I have blogged about The Red Apple Lipstick Line before….I admit, I am a fan of their gluten free lipsticks and lip glosses. Their products are gluten free, paraben free, vegan and allergen free. Recently I tried one of their newest products, their Rallye lip balm which I just love!! Goes on silky smooth, is colorless and will leave your lips feeling extra kissable! Their line includes lip lining pencils in an array of colors….brick, chocolate and mocha. I have to mention this again, they pride themselves with great customer service and have a 100% money back guarantee.

 

Where to find this product:  You can find their products on the website at www.redapplelipstick.com  

                                                                                     

 Amy's Gluten free Burritos and Wraps

I can’t tell you how many times I have seen the Amy’s burritos and wraps in the grocery store and health food store and I have always passed on these. I really like the outer wrapping on their burritos and wraps….not much like a regular flour tortilla but it complimented the fillings well. They do make several varieties.  Their products are made without peanuts, fish, shellfish or eggs. I did not try all the varieties, but here’s a list of the ones I did try:

Amy’s Gluten Free Cheddar Cheese Burrito:  I really liked this burrito!! Made with organic beans and rice, this one had just the right amount of seasoning and spices. Pair this with your favorite salsa or guacamole.

Available at: Nature’s Pharm/Castleton and Greenwood locations.

Amy’s Gluten Free Non-Dairy Burrito:  I liked this one too! This one left me asking who needs dairy? This too is made with organic beans and rice…liked it very much! 

Available at: Nature’s Pharm/Castleton and Greenwood locations.

Amy’s Gluten Free Indian Aloo Mattar Wrap:  If you don’t like Indian food you might not like this one. There is a definite flair of exotic spices and seasonings which is something I really love in this wrap. Made with organic potatoes, tofu and chickpeas, I really loved it!

Available at: Nature’s Pharm/Castleton.

Amy’s Gluten Free Teriyaki Wrap:  This wrap was my favorite! Reminded me the most of the Teriyaki flavor I used to enjoy when I was eating gluten years ago. Made with organic tofu , brown rice and broccoli.

 Available at:  Nature’s Pharm/Castleton

 

Julian Bakery Smart Carb Gluten Free Bread

If you are watching your carbs this bread may be the way to go. The bread is sliced thin and is dense in texture. There is no xanthan gum or guar gum in this bread so it does not hold together as well as some of the other gluten free breads I have tried. It does hold together better when toasted. The flavor is slightly nutty, almost has a sourdough taste. Packed full of grains from millet, buckwheat, teff, chicory, arrowroot and flax. Per slice this bread is only 70 calories, 10g carbs, and 10g of protein. 

Where to find this product:  You can find this product in the frozen food section of Nature’s Pharm/Castleton, Greenwood and Lafayette locations.

 

 

  Editor's Note: While we are reviewing products that are "gluten free" we would still suggest that you read labels thoroughly. Ingredients do change from time to time and we can not be responsible for reactions due to an ingredient change or the fact a product is made in the same facility or on the same equipment where products containing gluten are made. If you have questions regarding an organization's manufacturing practices or processes, please contact the manufacturer.

Celebrate Celiac Awareness month w/ a Fabulous GF Tasting Event on March 24th!

Shelia Cafferty and Tina Duncan from Gluten Free Living Now will be at Nature's Pharm from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Jennifer Wiese from Bee Free will also be there during those times. We look forward to seeing you there!