Helping victims of domestic violence with a gluten-free holiday dinner

 

Making A Difference…..The Gluten Free Way

 

You might ask yourself, who is Jaquy Yngvason? Maybe you have not heard of her yet but she’s a woman with a vision.

That vision includes improving people’s lives by inspiring them to eat healthier. Jaquy is a vegan, gluten-free chef based in New York who has worked with Bobby Flay and was recently featured on “Chopped.”

She has been working hard on her docu-series, that documents her travels and gluten-free adventures where she gets to commune with people who like herself are on a gluten-free diet or impact the gluten-free community in some way.

With a strong passion for food, Jaquy is inspired to heal people through food and help empower others like herself that have multiple food allergies and sensitivities…..so if you don’t know her now, keep your radar on, I truly believe she will be one of the next big food stars! Her website http://www.tastyfreedom.com

Jaquy and friend in the kitchen area at the Beacon Of Hope Dinner

After being a guest speaker at our Gluten Free Living Expo in October, Jaquy recently contacted me (Shelia Cafferty) about doing something meaningful here in Indy. She had a vision where we were serving women and children a gluten-free holiday meal.

I mentioned that I knew Terry Moore of Beacon of Hope, an Indianapolis-based organization that helps empower women and children affected by Domestic Violence. What does domestic violence have to do with gluten free?  Well as it so happens, Terry the Founder of BOH is gluten intolerant, as well as some of the women and children she has helped through her organization. We worked with Beacon Of Hope to plan a  Holiday dinner for Dec. 7^th at a Church on the West side of Indy.

Part of the Crew For The Gluten Free Holiday Dinner

Jaquy came up with the menu which included items like vegetable pasta, mashed potatoes, lentil-curried soup….but it wasn’t all vegan. Organic, free-range turkeys were also on the menu. And Josh whipped up a gluten- free gravy and turkey pate.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pies

 A Lovely couple at the Beacon Of Hope dinner, showing off my gluten-free ginger-bread cookies

The dinner benefited 20 families and I felt privileged to be a part if it by making the gluten free stuffing, fruited cranberry sauce, gluten free cookies and gluten free pumpkin pies. And yes….staying up until 4 am baking gluten-free pies in my tiny townhouse oven was well worth it! Some even mentioned my gluten-free pumpkins pies were the best pies they ever tasted! What a nice compliment!

You will notice that there are not many pictures of the families and children at this dinner. This is to protect the privacy and safety of the women and children affected by domestic violence. Pictures you see presented are board members and workers of the BOH team.

 

Jaquy’s other half Josh filmed the event for Jaquy’s docu-series and helped with making a medley of gluten free items…it truly was a feast for the eyes and the taste buds!

Josh striking a pose and there’s my husband Ken coming in for some pumpkin pie.

    

The Gluten-Free Spread was dwindling down as people came up for seconds

We had the best time with Josh and Jaquy, they are two of the nicest people on the planet! Jaquy worked her magic in my kitchen for breakfast the next day…..enjoy the pics of these two hamming it up for the camera.

            

             Jaquy’s Gluten Free Parfait  and  Ken and Jaquy enjoying breakfast

Special thanks to Nature’s Pharm for donating all the organic, free-range turkeys, pumpkin puree, gf flours and gf stuffing mix, Schar rolls, Earth Balance Vegan butter and fruit for the fruited cranberry sauce (their Greenwood location has fresh produce)

 Special thanks also goes out to Marsh and Kroger for the gift cards donated to purchase the rest of the food needed to make this event happen.

For more information on our organization please visit: http://www.glutenfreelivingnow.org or contact me at Shelia@glutenfreelivingnow.org

Happy Holidays everyone! Here’s to super heroes like Jaquy and Josh that strive to make the world a better place!

          

 

                     

Donatos is now offering three great options for their gluten-free customers!

      

The first option is a great new grocery line.  Donatos has a line packaged as Sonoma Flatbreads that is being sold in the grocery store.    This line is coming soon to Giant Eagle.  They are available in the Nature's Market sections of Kroger in Central Ohio and at Hy-Vee in Iowa and are coming soon to Nature's Pharm here in the Indy area.  Please visit the  Sonoma Flatbreads Facebook page offering a locator to find the location nearest you.  The pizza crusts are being provided by Udis and prepared in a dedicated gluten-free facility.  The Sonoma Flatbreads brand features all natural ingredients and offers a pepperoni, three cheese, and margherita option. The pizza ingredients have no nitrites, nitrates, or preservatives. Several of the ingredients are even non-GMO.

 

After a discussion with the Jane's Dough Foods, Marketing Coordinator, it is obvious Donatos is committed to doing gluten free the right way.  They understand the importance of taking precautions and protecting their gluten-free diners from cross contamination, while allowing them to enjoy a pizza with a thin crispy crust, and edge to edge toppings, that taste great.  

    

Donatos second offering to the gluten-free community is very exciting.  Gluten-free diners will have the following options:  (1)  Pick up a take and bake pizza from Kroger (if you live in the Columbus, OH area), (2) Pick one up at your local Donatos  restaurant location, or (3) Have one delivered right to your door!  

They offer cheese or pepperoni in the Donatos take and bake line.  Currently, Kroger in the Columbus, Ohio area is carrying the take and bake line and there will be an announcement soon regarding the availability in Atlanta, Georgia.  They have a safe product that not only tastes great, but can truly make life a bit easier.  It is a great option to be able to order pizza for a pizza party, friday night get togethers, or just a relaxing dinner that you don't have to make.  You can satisfy your gluten-free requirement and your friends preferences that are not gluten free at the same time.

Imagine picking up the phone and ordering your gluten-free take and bake pizza and your gluten-filled pizza from the same place at the same time.  

Picture this!  You call Donatos to place your order and turn on your oven to preheat. When the pizza's arrive, you place your gluten-free take and bake pizza in your oven, wait 11-14 minutes and voila you are enjoying your gluten-free pizza with your friends and family.  

  

The pizza crusts brown up nicely and they are loaded with cheese or pepperoni.  One of the things I have always liked about Donatos, is their commitment to quality pizza by always providing abundant fresh toppings.  The cheese pizza satisfied our hungry crowd with it's cheesy goodness and perfectly browned chewy crust. The pepperoni was covered from edge to edge with ingredients.  We could not have asked for a better gluten-free pizza experience.  The pizza's looked great and tasted even better!  

A couple words of caution when enjoying your Donatos take and bake pizzas.  They can warm these up at the restaurant, but they can not guarantee that there would be no possibility of cross contamination.  If you are a Celiac or very sensitive to gluten, it is strongly suggested that you get your take and bake pizza and cook it at home.  If you want additional ingredients on the take and bake pizza, they can not guarantee that the ingredients are completely safe from cross contamination. They are taking every precaution by leaving your take and bake pizza completely wrapped to avoid the possibility of cross contamination and we appreciate that commitment to quality.  

   

It’s a big commitment for the company, not just in the decision to turn to an outside supplier, but also in the changes to its own operations. Though Donatos is not making the gluten-free dough, it is assembling the pizzas at its production facility, a process that requires the company to go through several steps to create the proper production environment, including ceasing making its regular dough for an entire day in order to handle the gluten-free products.  

The third and final option is the offering of their four-pack Donatos take and bake pizza or their Sonoma Flatbreads line on Amazon!  So, for those of you who do not have a Donatos in your area or can't pick up the Sonoma Flatbreads line at your grocery, they thought of you too!  They have something for everyone.  

Donatos, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, has more than 150 pizzerias in seven states.    We are excited to have Donatos at our 3rd Annual Gluten Free Living Now Expo on October 5, 2013. We are thankful for their participation and commitment to the gluten-free community. 

Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurant offers an extensive, creative, gluten-free menu

     

Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurant

Gluten-Free Blog

 

      

If you haven’t been there yet…..Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant is one of those places you will want to visit. Their gluten-free menu is quite extensive, so for those of us on the gluten-free diet that like to eat out on occasion, Cooper's Hawk will not disappoint you.

One of the things we love about Cooper's Hawk is  they bring gluten-free bread that’s warm and soft to your table. Their gluten-free bread is not made on site, but it’s made by a dedicated company called “OMG… It’s Gluten Free.”  The gluten-free bread crumbs and brownies are made by the same company.

Although, most of their wine is gluten free, with the exception of their Holiday Wine which is mixed with mulling spices that contain gluten, we do love the fact that you can ask to sample their wines. With flavors like blueberry, rhubarb and peach you are bound to find something that will entice you. I seem to navigate towards the sweeter fruitier wines, but there is a great selection of dry red and white wines too.  If you aren't sure which wine to order, each menu item is paired with a wine (bin number) that compliments your meal perfectly.  

Cooper's Hawk takes special precautions when preparing your gluten-free meals. When you order something off the gluten-free menu an allergy ticket is born.

This allergy ticket goes to the front of the house manager and to the back of the house manager before the chef receives the info. Once the chef receives the info, he coordinates specific skillets and specific utensils that are only used for the gluten-free meals. Gloves are used and changed when handling gluten-free items. There is a specific area that is only used for gluten-free meal preparations and the gluten-free bread is never placed on a wooden bread board, it is always placed on a plate.

At one point we actually ordered something that was not on the gluten-free menu that we thought could be made gluten free….10 minutes later, the chef and the manager, Chad Blankenship were at our table to let us know that the Betty’s potatoes could not be made gluten free. Thank you Allergy ticket!

We do suggest making reservations to avoid waiting to be seated.

Here were some of the entrees we tried from the gluten-free menu and we should mention we loved everything!  Here’s the direct link to their gluten-free menu.

Blackened Ahi Tuna

Ahi seared in their special Blackening Spice.  This sushi-grade yellow fin tuna is served Rare with their Wasabi Sauce over a bed of Cilantro Citrus rice and Steamed Asparagus.

We loved this! Light and delicious!

Chicken Giardiniera

Chicken breast crusted with Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs and grated Parmesan. Served with their house made Giardiniera, Mary’s Potatoes and freshly shaved parmesan.

A large portion of chicken breast is served with this meal…this dish was a little on the spicy side but I loved it!

Broiled Fresh Filet of Grouper

Large filet of fresh Grouper, broiled with Lemon Butter and served with Mary's Potato's and Asparagus.

So good!

Cooper’s Hawk Chicken Piccata

Sauteed Chicken Breast served with Mary’s Potatoes and Asparagus.

Simple and classic! Delish!

Dana’s Parmesan Crusted Chicken 

Chicken Breast Crusted with Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs and Grated Parmesan.  Served with Garlic Spinach, Mary’s Potatoes, Tomato Basil Relish and Lemon Butter. This dish has been one of our fave’s….this is the dish I always think of ordering when we go to Cooper's Hawk!

Filet Mignon

My husband raved about his filet….he requested it medium rare and said it was so good and so tender that you did not need a knife to cut into it.

Short Rib Risotto

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs Simmered with Carnaroli Rice, Mushrooms, Sweet Onions, White Wine, Shaved Parmesan and White Truffle Oil.  These were extremely tender, juicy with a great flavor.  This is definitely one to try. 

Classic Cheeseburger

The cheeseburger was juicy, thick and grilled to perfection.  It had plenty of cheese with a side of BBQ and a large dish of fresh fruit including blackberries, strawberries, pineapple and oranges.  

The menu offers a variety of gluten-free desserts including seasonal berries a' la mode, wine and chocolates, chocolate covered strawberries, truffles, chocolate brownie and creme brulee.  Here are the two desserts that we tried.  The truffles also come highly recommended. 

 Chocolate Brownie

Rich and Chewie Brownie served with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Chocolate and Vanilla Sauce from “OMG…it’s Gluten Free”

What can we say? The perfect ending to a delicious meal!   

 Creme Brulee

A classic rich vanilla custard with a cracking sugar crust served with berries and powdered sugar.  It was excellent!

Location and Hours:

3815 E. 96^th St.

  Indianapolis, IN 46240

 (317) 574-9463

Mon-Thur 11:30 am - 9:30 pm

Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 10:00 pm

Sun  11:30 am - 9:00 pm

 

 

 

        

    

Gluten Free Saturdays in July at Nature's Pharm

Gluten Free Living Now & Nature's Pharm team up to bring you Gluten-Free Saturdays in July!   We will be grilling up gluten-free hot dogs and polish sausage, with all the condiments. We will have a vegan option that is also gluten free. This is your opportunity to try Kinnikinnick soft buns and Local Oven’s buns.          Hot Dogs are $3.50 each.   Polish Sausages are $4.50 each.            Save the Dates! July 13, 2013 Castleton July 27, 2013 Greenwood Get your Gluten Free Grill On at Nature's Pharm Gluten-Free Saturdays at the Castleton & Greenwood stores     Buy some gluten-free baked goods that will include    gluten-free cupcakes and cannoli’s.  The gluten-free  baked goods are made in a dedicated gluten-free kitchen and dedicated gluten-free flours are used. We will have a list of ingredients for all the baked goods.  Nature's Pharm will be  sampling some of their gluten-free products.  Join us on July 13th and 27th at Castleton &   Greenwood  Nature's Pharm from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm   Saturday July 13th join us in Castleton 5888 E. 82nd Street, Indianapolis (317) 849-3362   Saturday July 27th join us in Greenwood 8251 US 31 South, Indianapolis (317) 888-0557

Come for the fun Try the GF buns! Buns will be from Kinnikinnick & The Local Oven Did someone say GF cupcakes? Great taste and made in a dedicated gluten-free space. You don't have to miss GF cannoli's! A succulent treat that most GF'ers can only dream about. We look forward to seeing you! Plenty of parking and conveniently located