An organic, lower calorie, good tasting cookie mix? Does it exist? Doodles Cookies apparently figured out some magic to make it possible! Their mixes are easy to make, and once made, I found they stayed fresh for quite a while; a rare quality in most gluten-free foods. I received quite a few samples but the Nut Butter Cookie and Sugar Cookie Mixes definitely ROCKED!
From their website, they expose a little of their secret: Doodles Cookies are also lower in calories and fat than traditional chocolate chips. One Doodles Cookie will only set you back 90 calories and 2 grams of fat. That’s because instead of oil or butter, our mix calls for low cal, high-fiber applesauce, which keeps the cookies moist without adding extra fat. That means our chocolate chip cookies aren’t just an indulgence—they’re also a sensible treat for both adults and children.
The gift basket idea is something that all gluten free companies should offer. I know from being gluten-free for over 15 years that people always want to know what they can get me if I am visiting. These gift baskets are a great idea for those situations as well as being thoughtful gift in general.
Thank you
Food for Good Thought is not your average gluten-free bakery. They have a special twist that makes their bakery one of a kind. The owners have not just recognized the fact that those with Autism often have difficulty digesting gluten, but they make every effort to employ those with Autism in their bakery. Why is this so important? Take a look at these statistics and you’ll understand the current need:
Statistics on Autism and Employment
* More than one (1) million Americans have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
* The odds of being diagnosed with Autism is 1 in 150
* The unemployment rate for people with autism is 75% – 97%
* Only 8% of ASD adults are living independently (the remainder are either living with family members or in group homes)
* It costs up to $75,000 per year to give an adult with Autism a bed in a group home
* Work is one of the most significant positive activities for the development of the mind—an activity that non-disabled individuals can enjoy for more than 5 decades of their adults lives
* Work can provide a sense of competence, agency, and self-esteem as well as distraction from boredom and anxiety
* When taught specific skills for the position, individuals with Autism can be employable
* Appropriate employment opportunities need to be created for individuals affected by ASD
As for the baked goods…Some of the best I have had. The cake you see above was so light and fluffy I truly did worry that it was not gluten-free. Absolutely fantastic! I also sampled the pizza, waffles, and muffins. All were were excellent! So if you want to have some delicious gluten-free food and support a great company, give Food for Good Though a shot!
An excellent video of how Celiac and Thyroid Disease are related. I want to take a moment to say how thankful I am to Dr. Vikki for taking the time to answer our readers questions in such great detail. The video delivery and content are so helpful and well done. She is an amazing and very kind person to help our community while expecting nothing back. On behalf of all of our readers….Thanks Dr. V!
Gluten Free Restaurant Review-Texas De Brazil by Erin Elberson
I love food, there’s just no denying it. I also love to be healthy and fuel my body well.
I recently had a birthday, and my fiance took me to Texas De Brazil for my birthday dinner. I did some research online, and found that the restaurant is a Brazilian churrascaria (steak house.) I was told in the past that this basically means “parade of meat.” And boy, was it.
Before I get into the meat of the matter (yes, bad pun, I know) here’s a little about the basic set up.
There is a ginormous “salad bar” in the center of the restaurant. After you are seated, your main server gives you a basic explanation of how the restaurant works. If you haven’t already, this would be the perfect time to notify them of your gluten-free needs. I received a print out of gluten free items, and after looking over it there are certainly other items that are were not specifically listed. Always check with your server if you are unsure.
Here is the list that I received:
Gluten Free Items:
Salad Area
Spring Mix
Imported Salamis
French Green Beans and Grape Tomatoes
Roasted Red Peppers and Yellow Peppers
Artichokes
Smoked Salmon
Asparagus
Hearts of Palm
****None of the sauces or dressings are gluten free.
Meats
All Meats are Gluten Free Excluding Sausage Only
At that point in time you make your way over to the salad bar. I noticed a lovely assortment of olives, manchego cheese, and prosciutto. Although these were not specifically on the list, these were gluten free at my location. Although the salad dressings were not gluten free, there was a large selection of vinegars and oil with which to dress your veggies.
The green beans and asparagus were cooked perfectly crisp-tender. The salmon was very flavorful. I made several trips back to the salad bar throughout our meal, the selections were that tasty. A non-meat eater could certainly find many choices here.
On to the meat.
The main attraction to a churrascaria is obviously the meat. There are several selections (gosh, not several-more like 8-10) of various cuts of beef, pork and chicken circulating about the restaurant on skewers. When you sit down, each diner has a chip by their plate. One side is green, the other red. If you are ready to have meat offered to you, flip the green side up. If you are taking a break, flip it to red.These are presented by the “gauchos” who offer you the meat, explain what is it and cut you whatever portion you like. The meat can be quite salty (although very flavorful) and your main server will make you aware of that at the start of your meal. You can request meat without salt, and obviously if you are watching your sodium intake for blood pressure or other reasons I would definitely recommend that route.
All the beef cuts were incredibly tender, flavorful and perfectly cooked. I did not try the pork or chicken-but Jeff said the pork was phenomonal. The chicken he said, was, well-chicken. Definitely be sure to try the house cut of beef.
As you can see, a large option of choices for a gluten free diner. As always check with and alert your server, and be especially careful with cross contact of utensils in the buffet setting. There were no gluten containing foods near the gluten free selections on my visit. The waitstaff are all incredibly attentive and helpful, and I believe we had 2 managers visit our table to check on us.
What I liked especially was the ability to make smart and healthful diet choices here as well. The meats are grilled. You can choose mostly veggies for the remainder of your meal, and have a truly good for you as well as flavorful and fun dining experience. The key as is most things, lies in portion control, especially in this situation where you have so many option and literally meat is coming at you from every angle. I managed to leave comfortably satisfied, not stuffed. (Truthfully, I knew we were going for birthday ice cream too.)
Food For Good Thought, Inc. is holding a silent auction for a great cause and we want your support! FGT has a two part goal: To create some of the finest gluten-free foods available, and to help train and employ individuals with Autism. According to their website, here are some Autism statistics that you should know:
More than one (1) million Americans have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
The odds of being diagnosed with Autism is 1 in 150
The unemployment rate for people with autism is 75% – 97%
Only 8% of ASD adults are living independently (the remainder are either living with family members or in group homes)
It costs up to $75,000 per year to give an adult with Autism a bed in a group home
Work is one of the most significant positive activities for the development of the mind—an activity that non-disabled individuals can enjoy for more than 5 decades of their adults lives
Work can provide a sense of competence, agency, and self-esteem as well as distraction from boredom and anxiety
When taught specific skills for the position, individuals with Autism can be employable
Appropriate employment opportunities need to be created for individuals affected by ASD
Don’t miss this opportunity to help out in a great cause, meet knew people, and taste some amazing gluten-free foods! The auction will include everything from fancy perfume to oil changes…so there will be something for everybody. Click HERE for information and dates.
( Please join us for a SILENT AUCTION to help us raise funds as we expand our services: Saturday, January 23, 2010, 4 pm – 6 pm, 4191 North High Street )
And stay tuned for a review of a detailed review of Food For Good Thought’s gluten-free menu items! Here is a sneak peek:
I am not sure why, but gluten-free granola seems to always be better than regular granola. The quality, texture, taste, packaging…it’s all better…why is that? I think it has everything to do with the attention to detail and knowing how picky us gluten-freaks are.
Needless to say, I loved Jessica’s Natural Foods granola. I was sure I was going to like the chocolate chip the best, but there is no clear front runner here, they all are going to be on my winners list! The funny thing is that I really don’t like cherry, so I was sure the Almond Cherry would not be to my taste, but it is fantastic!
I tried all of them with both milk, and with yogurt, which is my preferred way. Three bags were gone in 6 days, which says volumes…especially when I had Fruity Pebbles sitting right next to the granola, lol…yes I love junk cereal but not nearly as much as Jessica’s Granola!
Take a look over at GlutenFreeFitness.com to see what Erin thought of this product too! And I watch out for all of my other GFP Team blogger friends to post their reviews as well!
Coconut flour is coconut product that is made from the flesh of the fruit — dried and ground to form a fine flour. It is high in protein, low-carbohydrate, and contains fiber as well as other essential vitamins and minerals our bodies require. Coconut flour is also very low on the glycemic index. This means that it won’t spike blood sugar, contribute to weight gain, or leave you feeling fatigued after eating. For this reason, coconut flour is a very healthful alternative to use in your gluten-free cooking and baking, as opposed to other grain-based GF flours. Also, since coconut contains good fats, the flour will keep you feeling full without a drop in energy afterward, that some high-carb foods tend to cause.
Coconut flour is typically utilized in baking and cooking in the form of cakes, cookies, pancakes, scones, biscuits, crackers, crepes, muffins, brownies, and crusts, to name a few. It also serves as a great replacement for traditional white or wheat flour for breading, bread crumbs, or as a thickener in soups and stews. The possibilities are endless.
Tropical Traditions is a great place to find coconut flour. The company is what would be considered “beyond organic”: they place the health of the consumer and the health of employee and harvesters as top priority. Tropical Traditions organic coconut products are high quality and tasty. Though, I have also found coconut flour at my local Whole Foods, and independent health food store.
If you’re in search of recipes, I happen to be a big fan of Elana’s Pantry — a gluten-free recipe website. She uses coconut flour often in her baking. Also, a list of recipes can be found right on the Tropical Traditions website.
Happy baking!
One of my favorite bloggers, Erin Elberson of Gluten Free Fitness, gives some great tips in her blog post about staying out of gluten’s path and being mindful of your portions. Erin always has excellent health and fitness tips for anyone, gluten-free or not. Check out her site one time and you will be hooked! [...]
Holiday Baking Company was showing off their awesome pizza crust at the recent celiac conference in Columbus. I was lucky enough to take a few home with me to share with other pizza lovin’ bloggers like GlutenFree Mary! Now in these videos, Mary makes this look…well…a bit more complicated than it should be, [...]
If you have followed my blog for a while you will recall that I am, or was, a runner. I used to race all the time until one day, my knee simply said, “no more!” Since then I have been able to run about 2 0r 3 miles before it acts up.
A friend of mine [...]
Here are just a few highlights from the Children’s Hospital Celiac Disease Conference in Columbus, Ohio last weekend. Thanks to everyone who attended and to everyone who visited my table! I met some great people, some old friends, and a few…well….’interesting’ people as well (hehehe). I was lucky enough to speak with two [...]
Erewhon gluten-free cereals have been around for quite some time, yet I have never once tried them…kind of odd for the cereal junkie that I am. I’m not sure why I always passed them up, other than still being a kid at heart and going for the flashy junk cereal boxes. Not all Erewhon [...]
Ohio’s biggest Celiac and Gluten-Free vendor conference is this Saturday, November 7th! The conference at Nationwide Childrens Hospital always has lots of vendors giving away their products, there are several presenters (including myself) to keep you busy, activities for the kids, and more! I hope to see you there, I love meeting people who [...]
Announcing the First Gluten Sensitivity and Celiac Forum Event!
Don’t miss this one-time opportunity to listen to three clinicians who are authors, public speakers and passionate supporters of the gluten-free lifestyle.
Internationally renowned pediatric gastroenterologist Dr Rodney Ford, MD, is on tour from New Zealand to speak about: “The Gluten Syndrome: a neurological disease. Could gluten be [...]
