There was a recall on Van’s Gluten Free Waffles –
these do contain gluten so if you do buy them, please check to see if they have
a best buy date of August 22, 2018 and lot code of A640234710-WL2
So
here is the meeting recap for those of you who were not able to attend……
I made my yummy recipe for Wendy’s
“like a Frosty” smoothie for everyone.
The great thing about this smoothie is that the base of this is frozen
bananas…..which because they are bananas cancel out any calories found in the cocoa
or maybe hershey syrup that could be added to make it a bit more chocolatey… …… J
Here is the recipe:
- ¾ cup of Almond Milk
- About 15 ice cubes
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1-2 Tbsp of cocoa powder
- 1/3 of a banana
*I did make a couple of changes to this for the group – my version uses 3 bananas
instead of just only 1/3 and peel/cut the banana to freeze first……makes them so
much easier to use. Using the banana
first, I blended those…….adding in 2% milk instead of almond milk as I blended –
adjusting to the consistency you want….less milk for more of a “milk-shake”
consistency……my version for the group only used about ½ cup so that it was more
of a thick shake instead of a smoothie.
You can also add in peanut butter to up the protein or add in other
fruit like frozen cherries or strawberries.
NEW PRODUCTS
There are a bunch of new products on the market – here is a
list of what I found…..
UDIs - They have some new frozen dinners available
- Cheese & Spinach Mezzaluna with Artichokes…18oz bag & frozen single serve
- Buffalo Style Chicken Mac & Cheese…18oz bag
- Roasted Garlic Mac & Cheese with Spinach
- Mac & Cheese
- Pesto Tortellini
Dr. Praeger’s
- Brussel Sprout Cakes – brussels sprouts, potatoes, scallions
- Egg White & Kale Breakfast Bowl – This contains egg whites, kale, potatoes, onions, peppers topped with cheddar cheese
- Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Bowl – This contains egg whites, potatoes, black beans, salsa and cheese atop a corn tortilla
- All American Veggie Burgers – Pea Protein, black beans, carrots, sweet potato, butternut squash, onions,
- Fish Taco Bites – Tortilla coated bits of pollock with lime cilantro and jalapeño
- Potato Puffs – Red, gold, purple, and sweet potatoes shredded into veggie puff
Daiya
- Meatless Meat lovers pizza – meat-free pepperoni and Italian Sausage-style crumbles
Lance
- Butter Crackers – look like Ritz. So far I only found these at Target in Shorewood.
Trader Joe’s
- Thousand Island Dressing
- Norwegian Crispbread
Enjoy Life
- Grain & Seed Bars – made with 3 types of sorghum and GF oats
- Chocolate Marshmallow
- Banana Caramel
- Cranberry Orange
- Maple Sweet Potato
Flax4Life
- Carrot cake – dairy free cream cheese frosting
- Chocolate cake – topped with fudgy chocolate frosting
Milkadamia –
dairy free milk made from Macadamia Nuts
Review of Schaumburg Expo
In
April, I went to the expo in Schaumburg – overall it was great….there were lots
of companies providing samples and products that could be bought. It was really crowded but since I went on a
Sunday – it wasn’t as crazy. My biggest
complaint is not all of the companies were present and some of those that were –
had sold out of products from Saturday’s crowd so that was a big
disappointment.
Here
are some information on a couple of companies that were there…..
Aleia’s – certified
GF & non-GMO – they have breadcrumbs, cookies, croutons and stuffing mix. You can purchase their products at Jewel and
Mariano’s as well as directly online.
Lia P Gluten Free – They are a
dedicated GF baker offering breads, cakes, desserts and pastries. The address is 1116 State Street and should
open within the next couple of months.
Flipcrepes – They have a
restaurant in Chicago in the French Market (131 N. Clinton). They have very yummy crepe/pancake mixes – Buckwheat
& Millet, Original Vanilla….you can also can order online – flipcrepes.com
B Nutty – awesome gourmet
peanut butter……salted caramel, s’more, toffee to a name a few……can order on QVC
or online at bnutty.com
Maggiano’s –
talked to them about how they handle GF in their restaurants – everything is
kept separate so they can accommodate people with Celiac. This is also the same with their catering
menu.
Zen
Sweet –
sugar substitute….sweetened with monk fruit.
They also have vanilla cake mix, chocolate chip cookie, snickerdoodle
cookie, brownie mixes. You can find
these at either Whole Foods or Mariano’s in Naperville or order online at zenweet.com
Swerve – Another sugar substitute made from
ingredients in select fruits and starchy root vegetables, and contains no
artificial ingredients - zero-calorie, non-glycemic and safe for those with
diabetes – it can brown and caramelize.
Can be purchase at Jewel, Fruitful Yield, Fresh Thyme
Kiki’s – Has GF
deep dish pizza which can be purchased at Jewel.
Green Chef – meal kit
subscription service. They have GF option….offering
$50.00 off your 1st box if you order before May 31st –
greenchef.usGFAFexpo.com
Most reliable Restaurant
Chains for Gluten Free Dining – Simply Gluten Free Magazine
- Legal Seafood – all of their fried foods are GF and they have warm GF bread
- P.F. Chang’s – careful preparation is done…..serves the food on specifically marked plates. Has GF dessert – chocolate dome…..
- Bonefish Grill – They have been serving GF for many years also have GF dessert – Macadamia Nut Brownie
- Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano – GF pizza, pasta Specialties (Pasta Di Mare was listed as a favorite), Chicken Parmesan
- Burtons Grill – burgers served on GF buns, crab cakes, Lobster Shimp Pasta,
- California Pizza Kitchen – spent almost a year developing its gluten-free pizza and follows Gluten Intolerance Group protocol to keep gluten free diners safe. It also recently introduced Cauliflower crust, which is also GF. Everything is prepared in a separate area of the kitchen with separate ingredients and toppings and baked in a special tin to avoid cross-contamination
- BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse – gluten free thin crust and has a GF “Pizooke” chocolate chip dessert which is a deep-dish cookie
- Outback Steak House -has many GF offerings including their Thunder from Down Under GF Brownie Sundae
- Carrabba’s Italian Grill – had a variety of GF offerings
- Glory Days Grill – they have a well-trained staff and a variety of GF offerings like Chicken wings, fries, flourless Chocolate Cake
- Travinia Italian Kitchen – all GF items are marked on the menu
- Not Your Average Joe’s – Gluten Free bread, several options including carrot cake
- Wildfire – several options including brunch on the weekend
- Cooper’s Hawk – several options including Lemon Cheesecake
- Seasons 52 – several options including GF Flatbread and BBQ meatloaf
- Pie Five Pizza Co – they have custom, made-from-scratch pizza ready in 5 minutes. The GF crust is made with Smart Flour – almost all toppings are gluten-free. The restaurant is not dedicated facility but their staff are well-trained and take many precautions to reduce cross-contamination
- Burger 21 – fresh burgers with GF buns – fries – milkshakes. Orders get hand-delivered from the kitchen to confirm they are GF
5 Foods that can boost your
mood and make you feel happier
- Walnuts/Cashews – 1 ounce of walnuts has 4 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber and low in carbohydrates (also helps keep you fuller longer as well as stop blood sugar spikes). They are also a good source of magnesium and phosphorus. Having low levels of magnesium has been linked to increased risk of depression.
- Kale – 1 cup of kale is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K and magnesium and also a good source of fiber. It is also high in copper, which helps your body create red blood cells and maintain healthy bones, blood vessels, nerves and immune function. It can also help prevent cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.
- Oyster – low in calories and decrease inflammation. They are also heart-healthy because they are high in omega 3 fatty acids and also improve overall circulation. They are also a great source of zinc and vitamin B12……which helps our bodies fight off stress and is essential to the part of the brain that regulates mood and memory. Suggested serving is 10
- Coffee - the caffeine in coffee can boost mental focus, alertness and athletic performance. It can also help protect against Type 2 diabetes and decrease the risk of depression. Suggested caffeine intake is 300mg – cup of coffee can contain 150mg
- Dark Chocolate – this is the biggest mood booster – it provides immediate eating pleasure but it also contains a high percentage of cacao, which has more antioxidant power than many other foods. Suggested serving is 2-4 small squares
