Healthline: Favorite Healthy Finds with Gluten-Free Fun

I got to share my favorite gluten-free travel snacks and hacks with Healthline! I picked some of my top gluten-free brands and my must-haves for travel. If you follow Gluten-Free Globetrotter, you will know I just got back from Singapore. I had Bubba's Fine Foods and Krave Jerky and a million other snacks in my carry-on for my 19+ hours of flying. Read on for more details about how and what I pack when I travel

Our Favorite Healthy Finds: Gluten-Free Fun

Traveling with a food allergy can be a tricky puzzle to solve, especially if you have Celiac disease. Gluten is in seemingly everything, and more so when you’re on vacation or looking for a quick bite to eat. But take it from Erin Smith, blogger behind the gluten-free lifestyle website Gluten-Free Fun. You can still go on adventures and see the world without a drop of gluten getting in the way.

From snacks to hacks, Smith curated her favorite picks for gluten-free traveling. And it’s really a must-save for any gluten-free traveler. Read on for more food-friendly ways to turn your fun times, whether it’s a picnic in the park or a camping trip by the lake, into stress-free, treat-filled getaways.

Click here to read the whole article on Healthline!  

Podcast: How to Plan a Gluten-Free Wedding

Me with my handsome groom!

I cannot believe that tomorrow has been exactly one year since my wedding. Time flies when you're married, I guess! Just in time for my anniversary, I recorded a podcast with my friends Mike and Cam over at The Celiac Project. I share my top tips for planning a gluten-free event including what to ask, how to alleviate fears, and most importantly, how to enjoy your big day.

Take a listen!

If the embedded player doesn't work, click here.

Gluten-Filled Dreams and Nightmares

The other night, I woke up startled. It was after a night full of (dream) eating gluten. 

In my dream, I was walking down the street eating a regular baguette. I was chewing it, sucking on the bread, spitting it out, and then rinsing my mouth. The person I was with (can't remember who was walking next to me) kept asking me if I was supposed to be eating that bread. I said no and I knew it was full of gluten but that I couldn't stop eating it. In my dream, the bread tasted SO. DAMN. GOOD. It was warm, it was chewy, it was bready, and it was full of gluten. I knew it was bad for me yet I couldn't stop eating. I knew rinsing my mouth out would do nothing and that I would probably be sick in minutes, but I couldn't stop eating. I could almost smell the bread when I woke up, it was that good. Lucky for me, it was just a dream and I didn't get sick. Unlucky for me, it was just a dream and I didn't eat a real baguette.

I've read about these gluten dreams in the past, but I never experienced one myself. I think that comes from going gluten-free at the age of 2 1/2 years old. I really don't remember life before going gluten-free. My celiac family members were diagnosed as adults as were many of my celiac friends. They know life with gluten, I do not. This dream caught me off guard and made me wonder how often people with celiac disease dream about eating gluten so I took my question to Twitter. The response was OVERWHELMING to say the least.

You all dream about eating gluten A LOT! 

@haileyandaspoon 

@jamadoria

@cmarysmith

@suzyqgale

MrsBrightside02

@Melinda_JH

@NoGlutenReqd

@hardcoresalad

@rubykat99

@gfreemaui

@MidwestCeliac

@suzyqgale

@IrishHeartGF

@gfreeonthego

It is so crazy to me how our celiac brains work. We know gluten is bad for us, yet we dream about eating it. Some people enjoy the moment while others panic about eating gluten and wake up sweating.  Have you ever had a dream about eating gluten? If so, what happened? Leave a comment below! 

Certified Gluten-Free Cheryl's Cookies and Brownies

It has been forever since I posted a product review, but I just couldn't keep this a secret. Last week, I was sent a free Gluten Free Have a Sunny Day Gift Tin from Cheryl's Cookies. Most people with celiac disease would run the other way from a cookie company, but I asked all of my celiac questions before agreeing to the samples. The person who responded to me could answer every question, provide me with details about production, and gave me a full list of all ingredients. I felt comfortable with their response and happily accepted the free cookies.

Here is what they had to say:

"The Cheryl's Cookies Gluten Free assortments contains walnuts, eggs, milk and soy.  They are all produced in a dedicated gluten free kitchen on shared equipment with eggs, milk and soy. The gluten-free products are certified by the Gluten Free Certification Organization to be less than 10ppm, 50% lower than the FDA regulations and are individually wrapped and labeled with the certified gluten-free logo." 

These cookies were INSANELY DELICIOUS! My husband and I could not stop eating these cookies. The cookies were thick, chewy, and "awesome" (so says my husband). My personal favorite was a toss up between the snickerdoodles and the chocolate chip cookies. But the brownies and the walnut cookies were just as good. The buttercream frosted cookies were good but a little too sweet for me. My husband said they tasted just like our gluten-free wedding cake. Let me remind you that he eats gluten and he loved these cookies as much as I did. We finished the tin in less than a week and literally rationed out the very last one. They were that good.

Besides being certified gluten-free and delicious, I love that we have options at Cheryl's Cookies. There are 17 different gift tins, cookie towers, and even a monthly cookie club. I highly recommend these cookies to anyone looking for a treat for yourself or your favorite gluten-free friend. (My b-day is in April, hint hint).

To see all of the options, visit the gluten-free cookie page on the Cheryl's Cookies website. Here are your options:

• Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie - Rice and Tapioca Flour, Chocolate Chips (Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, an Emulsifier, Natural Vanilla Extract), Light Brown Sugar (Sugar, Cane Syrups), Butter (Milk), Sugar, Eggs, Honey, Corn Starch, Water, Vanilla Extract, Salt, Baking Soda, Xanthan Gum.
• Gluten Free Snickerdoodle Cookie - Sugar, Rice and Tapioca Flour, Butter (Milk), Eggs, Powdered Sugar (Corn Starch), Nonfat Dry Milk, Cornstarch, Water, Vanilla Extract, Cinnamon, Xanthan Gum, Baking Soda, Salt, Cream of Tartar (Calcium Sulfate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Adipic Acid, Corn Starch).
• Gluten Free Buttercream Frosted Sugar Cookie - Powdered Sugar (Corn Starch), Butter (Milk), Rice and Tapioca Flour, Sugar, Eggs, Evaporated Milk (Milk, Dipotassium Phosphate, Carrageenan, Vitamin D3), Nonfat Dry Milk, Cornstarch, Water, Vanilla Extract, Natural Flavors, Xanthan Gum, Baking Soda, Salt, Cream of Tartar (Calcium Sulfate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Adipic Acid, Corn Starch).
• Gluten Free Brownie Walnut Cookie - Chocolate Chips (Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin [Emulsifier], Vanilla Bean Seeds), Sugar, Eggs, Rice and Tapioca Flour, Butter (Milk), Walnuts, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa (Alkalized), Cornstarch, Water, Natural Flavor, Baking Soda, Salt, Xanthan Gum.
• Gluten Free Fudge Brownie - Sugar, Butter (Milk), Eggs, Rice and Tapioca Flour, Chocolate Chips (Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin [Emulsifier], Vanilla Bean Seeds), Chocolate Liquor, Corn Starch, Nonfat Dry Milk, Water, Natural Flavor, Salt, Xanthan Gum.

Thank you Cheryl's Cookies for this gift tin. We will definitely be buying these again in the future! 

Although I was sent free products from Cheryl's Cookies, all opinions are my own. 

Gluten-Free 2017 Holiday Gifts: Books

Don't know what to get your favorite gluten-free gal or guy? Worried about buying them something they can't eat? Buy them a book! Whether it is a cookbook or a how-to live gluten-free for your newly diagnosed friend or family, you can't go wrong with books!

I am very lucky to have some talented friends and colleagues as well as appear in many of these books! I personally own them all and some are well-used in my kitchen. I hope your favorite gluten-free person enjoys these books as much as I do! Don't delay, order now to receive these books in time for Christmas!

Note: These are Amazon affiliate links and I may receive a small compensation if you buy a book.

4 Ingredients Gluten-Free: More Than 400 New and Exciting Recipes All Made with 4 or Fewer Ingredients and All Gluten-Free!

by Kim McCosker

Allergic Girl: Adventures in Living Well with Food Allergies

by Sloane Miller 

Dough Nation: A Nurse's Memoir of Celiac Disease from Missed Diagnosis to Food and Health Activism

by Nadine Grzeskowiak 

The Complete Guide to Living Well Gluten-Free:
Everything You Need to Know to Go from Surviving to Thriving

by Beth Hillson

 

The Art of Great Cooking With Your Instant Pot: 80 Inspiring, Gluten-Free Recipes Made Easier, Faster and More Nutritious in Your Multi-Function Cooker

by Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri

z 

The Gluten-Free Revolution: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know about Losing the Wheat, Reclaiming Your Health, and Eating Happily Ever After

by Jax Peters Lowell

 

Gluten Free: The Definitive Resource Guide

by Shelley Case

Gluten-Free Baking Classics: The Heirloom Collection

by Annalise Roberts

Super Grain Pasta Dinner with GoGoQuinoa and Giveaway

Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own.

One of my go-to dinners is a hearty meat sauce with a gluten-free pasta that doesn't go limp in the pot. As we all know, GF pasta can be temperamental and quickly wind up being a gluey mess. When I was recently approached by GoGo Quinoa to give their Super Grains Fusilli Pasta a try. I jumped at the chance to cook up one of my favorite meals and test out this new pasta.

The brand new package of GoGo Quinoa Super Grain Fusilli Pasta

Super Grain Fusilli Pasta
Nutrition Facts

The brand new GoGo Quinoa Super Grain Fusilli Pasta is made from sorghum flours, organic white quinoa flour, organic amaranth flour, and organic chia flour. These pastas are certified organic, gluten-free, vegan, rice free and corn free. They are also part of the NON-GMO project. GoGoQuinoa is based in Canada and most of their ingredients are imported from Bolivia.

We should all be familiar with quinoa by now, but sorghum and amaranth are just starting to gain popularity in gluten-free products. Sorghum is rich in antioxidants, very nutritious, packed with carbohydrates, fiber, iron, protein, calcium, and phosphorus. Amaranth is another naturally gluten-free grain, high in protein, and lysine (an essential amino acid). Partner these with quinoa and you pack a healthy punch!

As you can see from the nutrition panel, this pasta is higher in protein than your average gluten-free pasta. It also contains iron, potassium, and calcium. While you might be watching your carb intake, you can feel good about the other ingredients that are essential to a healthy, balanced diet.

TIME TO EAT! 

I boiled up a big pot of water, added a little extra virgin olive oil, and added the Super Grain Fusilli pasta. I checked on the pasta about 5 minutes into cooking to avoid overcooking but it definitely needed more time. GoGo Quinoa suggests about 9 minutes to get the perfect al dente texture. I cooked for about 10 minutes to get the texture I prefer.

I really enjoyed this new GoGo Quinoa pasta. It was firm and didn't turn to mush. The pasta held up to the meat sauce which is really important. No one likes when their pasta absorbs all of the sauce and gets mushy. This Super Grain pasta has a nice taste, texture, and given the excellent nutritional benefits, I would definitely buy this pasta again.

Good news! This GoGo Quinoa Super Grain pasta is launching in Costco in Northern California in mid-September. This includes San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, Santa Cruz (where I live) and beyond. Be sure to visit the GoGo Quinoa website for a complete list of locations and to see a full list of their other products.


GoGo Quinoa Super Grain Fusilli Pasta with Erin's Turkey Meat Sauce

Pasta Cooking Instructions: 
Bring 3-4 liters of water to a boil. Add salt if desired. When the water is boiling well, add the pasta and cook for 9 minutes for an Al Dente texture while stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse promptly with cold water. Serve immediately with your favorite sauce and condiments.

Naked but cooked GoGoQuinoa Super Grain Fusilli Pasta

My meat sauce has no set instructions. I usually just brown turkey meat or ground beef, throw in a bunch of garlic, basil, spinach, and other spices, and then pour in a jar of my favorite tomato sauce. I let the pot simmer for about 30 minutes (if I can wait that long) and then add to my pasta. If I have it on hand, I will top with shredded cheese and then dig in. I think I could seriously eat pasta every day and not get bored. I am sure my waistline would disagree with that life choice. ha!

Pasta with meat sauce... DINNER!

In addition to pasta, GoGo Quinoa has a full line of quinoa-based products including cookies, pancake mix, cake mix, and quinoa flour. They also have some really interesting products that I am excited to try like lentil flakes and quinoa flakes. I see some veggie patty experimentation in my future. To learn more, please visit www.gogoquinoa.com. You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

Do you want to win your very own GoGo Quinoa Super Grain Pasta? Enter to win below! All entries must be submitted by September 1st. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Gluten-Free Magazines

Exactly 5 years ago today, I posted about all of the gluten-free magazines available for purchase. I thought it was time to revive that list. Some publications have stopped production, while others changed names. Is your favorite magazine on this list?


Celebrate Gluten-Free (Published by the Gluten Intolerance Group)
Digital format
Bi-monthly publication
FREE

Generation GF Magazine (Published by the Gluten Intolerance Group)
Print format
Quarterly publication
FREE (with Generation GF membership)

Gluten-Free Food Solutions Magazine
Digital format
Bi-Monthly publication
FREE

Delight Gluten-Free
Available in print and digital formats
6 issues per year
$24.00

Simply Gluten-Free
Available in print and digital formats
6 issues per year
$29.95 (USA, print/digital); $44.95 (Canada, print/digital) $26.99 (USA/Canada, digital only)

Gluten-Free Living
Available in print and digital
6 issues per year
$34.00* (USA); $40.00* (Canada); $45.00* (International)
* $5.00 additional for digital and print subscriptions

Gluten Free & More (affiliate link)
Available in print and digital formats
6 issues per year
$23.00 (print/digital); $19.00 (digital only); $33.00 (Canada, print/digital); $43.00 (International)

gff Magazine
Available in print and PDF
4 issues per year
$35.00 (print); $20 (PDF)

Allergic Living
Available in print
4 issues per year
$19.99 (US)

Gluten-Free Travel at 2017 Washington DC Gluten-Free Education Day

The Celiac Disease Program at Children’s National Health System and the Walter and Jean Boek Foundation invite you to attend the 2017 Washington DC Gluten-Free Education Day. This annual event brings the best of the gluten-free industry to Washington DC and features a full day of educational sessions with options for adults and kids as well as a cooking pavilion where attendees learn valuable nutritional lessons and tricks for cooking up delicious gluten-free meals. And, of course, time to interact with gluten-free food manufacturers, bakeries and restaurants.

Local restaurants, bakeries, and national gluten-free food manufacturers sponsor meals and snacks throughout the day. The event is live streamed globally to capture an international audience. Attendees leave the event filled with knowledge, jam-packed goodie bags, and many new gluten-free friends. am part of an awesome panel

Gluten-free food, entrance to all speaking sessions, and gluten-free goodie bags are included in your ticket price. The ticket price increases on May 11, 2017 so buy your tickets today! Use code globetrotter for 10% off your ticket purchase.

2017 Washington DC Gluten-Free Education Day

Sunday, June 11, 2017

Doubletree Bethesda Hotel

8120 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, MD

I am honored to be a part of the "Traveling on a Gluten-Free Diet" panel at 11:15am in the Harmony Room at this event. I will be giving my expert gluten-free travel tips on how to plan a family-friendly vacation. I am joining an elite panel of gluten-free travel pros including Kim Koeller of Gluten Free Passport and gluten-free travel specialist Ellen Morse. The awesome Karen Broussard from GlutenFreeTravelSite.com will be moderating our panel.

Click here for more information and to buy your tickets today.

If you are coming to the event, make sure you say hello!

Caesar’s Kitchen Gluten-Free Pasta Meals

Caesar's Kitchen recently sent me free samples of their brand new gluten-free frozen pasta meals. Caesar’s Pasta, the New Jersey-based pasta expert with 50 years of experience, launched this new Certified Gluten-Free line of fresh-from-the-freezer gourmet pasta meals just a few months ago. The new meals include Gourmet 3 Cheese Herb Rigatoni & Meat Sauce and Gourmet Buffalo Style Chicken Mac & Cheese with Cheddar and Blue Cheese Sauce, both of which are gluten-free.

Caesar’s Kitchen features:

• Convenient single-serve meals
• Amazing taste – you won’t believe its Gluten Free!
• Free of rBST hormones and antibiotics
• Zero preservatives, artificial flavors or trans fats
• Great solutions for anyone in the family (work lunches, play dates, sleepovers, off to college or any time)

I first tried the 3 Cheese Herb Rigatoni with Meat Sauce and was pleasantly surprised at the yummy real cheese in this pasta meal. It didn't feel gritty or watery like some cheese-based pasta sauces do in frozen meals. I also liked the way the pasta cooked up in the oven. It gave it more of a baked ziti type of taste and texture. The only downfall is that I don't have a microwave and preparing this dish took much longer than I would have liked. I set the timer for 20 minutes as indicated on the box, but it took almost 45 minutes to heat and eat and I had to bump up the cooking temperature to over 400 degrees.

Next, I tried the Buffalo Style Chicken Mac & Cheese for lunch one day. Blue cheese is not my favorite so I didn't love this meal but I ate it because I was hungry. It does have a kick to it, so if you like spicy you will probably enjoy this dish. I had the same problem with heating this meal and had to cook it for 45 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Keep this in mind if you aren't using a microwave!

Overall, I enjoyed the 3 Cheese Herb dish the best but I probably won't buy it any time soon since I don't have easy access to a microwave. If I was traveling and saw these at the store and my hotel had a microwave, this would be a good option for a quick non-restaurant, gluten-free meal.

Thank you Caesar's Kitchen for the opportunity to try your new products.

3 Cheese Herb Rigatoni & Meat Sauce

Buffalo Style Mac & Cheese

Nutritional panel from 3 Cheese Rigatoni 

Find Caesar’s Kitchen (caesarskitchen.com) at select retailers, including Whole Foods, Wakefern and ShopRite. The price for these gluten-free pasta meals ranges from $4.49 - $5.99.

You can learn more about Caesar's Kitchen from their social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.



Please note, I was sent free product from Caesar's Kitchen but this does not influence my review. Opinions are my own. 

Celebrating Celiac Awareness Month with Gluten-Free Cake

Happy Celiac Awareness Month everyone! 

It's been a very busy few months for me as I planned my gluten-free wedding. I have a big post about how I pulled that off, but first we need to celebrate. This is a month to focus on the positive, spread awareness about celiac disease, and help our community grow.

How do you plan on celebrating celiac awareness month?

Me? I am going to eat the rest of my gluten-free wedding cake from By the Way Bakery in New York City! We only had a small part of the top left and it was too good to save until our first anniversary.

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram all May long as I celebrate my 35+ years of living with celiac disease!

Turkey Leftover Salad

Are you stuffed from yesterday? In my house, we usually eat turkey sandwiches for days. With all of the carbs I consumed yesterday, I am laying off the sandwiches. Lighten it up a bit with this turkey leftover salad from DeliciousLiving.com.

Gluten-Free S'mores with Schar Honeygrams

What do you do when Schar sends you a complimentary box of gluten-free Honeygrams, chocolate bars, and marshmallows but you don't have easy access to a campfire? You get creative in the kitchen and make oven S'mores! 

(Want your own Honeygrams? Keep reading!) 

If you never had a s'more you are missing out. As someone living with celiac almost my entire life, I never had s'mores until I was an adult. Gluten-free graham crackers didn't exist back in the day. I could melt chocolate and marshmallows together, but it just isn't the same sweet sandwich without the crackers. Today, us celiacs are so lucky that Schar now makes these gluten-free Honeygrams. Now everyone can enjoy these yummy, gooey, sweet treats either in the kitchen or by the campfire.

Looking to make indoor S'mores with Schar Honeygrams... it's easy! A quick search on Google and I found tons of ways to toast these snacks up at home. I chose the toaster oven method. Layer a Honeygram, a piece of chocolate, a marshmallow, another piece of chocolate, and then a final Honeygram. Bake in a preheated oven at 350º for 4-5 minutes, squish, cool, and voila! Gluten-free #SmoreSchar!

The finished SmoreSchar!

Do you want to make your own Schar S'mores at home? Great news! Schar is giving away more than 20,000 free gluten-free Honeygrams to my online friends. Enter to win yours today with three easy steps.

1. Visit http://smoreschar.com/.

2. Choose @glutenfreeglobetrotter as your Instagrammer. (That's me!)

3. Provide Schar with your mailing address.

Enjoy your SmoreSchar, every gooey drop of it! 

Note: I received compensation in exchange for writing this review.  Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own.