silly US of A

Perhaps I've not written in here for....10 months?

School.
Work.
Study Abroad?

yes, study abroad. in london. and may i just say...europe is SOOO much better for those of us who can't digest that silly little protein known as gluten. GF raspberry shortcakes in coffee chains...beautifully stocked GF sections in most supermarkets. siigh i'm going to be very sad to leave here in a few weeks.

Then again, i might just lose that couple (or more) pounds i've put on since being here....

It's a Biggie

Ralphs is a part of the Kroger corporation. Who are they?








That's just a few of the supermarkets associated with the Kroger Company. With so many supermarkets reaching so many people...why can't they reach us? The consumer who needs something a little different. A little less gluten.

How is it that the Kroger company will put gluten free items in the City Market in Winterpark, CO when they can't put any in the Ralphs in Orange, CA?

Schools shortcomings

I've been having stomach issues all day, and partly I think it has to with the coffee and lack of food i'd eaten. I wasn't hungry and I didn't really have much time/availability of GF options at work. So anyhow, my stomache FINALLY goes away around 7, juuust enough time to eat at my schools cafeteria. I'm walking on in with my friend Kristen to get me some grub, and I see a meal choice of: Fried Calamari (a year ago I would've been down), Breaded Lemon Ginger Chicken with Rice (once again that's a clear no), and Pad Thai with Tofu.














Traditionally Pad Thai is made with Rice Noodles. Therefore, it's typicaaally safe to eat. But you never know, especially with cafeterias. I ask. "What sort of noodle is this? Is it rice?"

I would assume the chef (s) would know the answer to this very simple question. The guy goes to the kitchen to find out, and this is where I find out....they have NO idea. Apparently, this Pad Thai comes from a box. They threw the boxes out. HAH. Oooooh good ol' cafeteria, how I love your "accommodations". I didn't want to take any chances since my stomach had already been acting up. Grilled chicken with cold roasted potatoes it was.

I really really can't wait to have my own kitchen. siigh.

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Todays Recipe!


Quinoa Tomato & Mozzarella Salad














Recipe Courtesy of Glutenfreeda.com

Ingredients:
2 cups diced tomatoes
3/4 cup diced fresh mozzarella
3 Tablespoons minced shallots
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chopped basil
1 cup quinoa***


Directions:
Combine tomato, mozzarella, shallots, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and toss. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
Bring 2 cups water and quinoa in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook about 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Let stand for 5 minutes then fluff with a fork. Add quinoa and marinated mixture to a large bowl. Add basil, toss to mix and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 4-6

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***What the heck is Quinoa? Basically it's another type of grain (Gluten-free of course) that has more nutritional value than wheat. Wikipedia (How much do I love Wikipedia, by the way? Oh sooo much) says that Quinoa is a good source of fiber, protein, and easy to digest. In fact! NASA is considering using Quinoa as a crop to produce the food for longduration manned spaceflights. Yea, I think that means Quinoa just kicked Wheats little toxic behind. sucka!

Big Help

I just want to say how encouraging it is to see that other people are reading my blog. Other people I don't know (and those I do).

For my work, I have to set up these dinners that hollywood insiders (i.e. producers, screenwriters, visual effects supervisors, etc.) go to and meet with various students. Sometimes I have to sit in on the dinners. Last week, being one of those weeks. The dinner planned was a penne pasta with shrimp.






WOAH now! That is a huge No-No. So I spoke with the waiter, Frederico, and asked him if there was any way the kitchen could cook me up something that I could eat. (By the way, I work for my Universities Film school and the dinners are catered by the same company who runs the cafeteria here. Sodexho.) I had to explain several times to my hard to understand latino friend what gluten was and what I could not have. Eventually I just asked if I could have a chicken dish with no pasta. He obliges and I receive a (not so great) chicken breast over mexican rice. It was not the best combination of flavors or fantastic tasting, but it was GF.

Tonight I thought I'd have to sit in on the dinner again, and I ran into Frederico in the cafeteria at lunch. He introduced me to the chef who would be cooking the dinner for tonight, and he, Louis, asked me what I would like. Isn't that nice? It ends up that tonights dinner is GF anyhow, and that we have enough students to sit in on the dinners. It's still nice to know they are happy to help me out.


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This ones good for St. Patrick's Day. Being that it's green and all.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip









recipe found here

Ingredients
2 cups shredded gf mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup gf sour cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated & divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 roasted garlic cloves
One 14 ounce can gf artichoke hearts (in water), drained & chopped
16 ounces gf cream cheese
5 ounces frozen spinach, thawed, drained & chopped
gf tortilla chips (most are)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups mozzarella, sour cream, 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, pepper, garlic, artichoke hearts, cream cheese and spinach. Stir until thoroughly blended.

Spoon mixture into a 1-1/2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on top.
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Fruit is naturally gluten-free.
It's also naturally fantastic.