Gluten free frozen salmon and turkey burgers from Costco

My mother has a membership to Costco and now I am thinking of doing the same. Over this past year she has discovered more and more gluten free food and the latest has made life here much simpler at meal time, not to mention delicious.

After Rylie Bay was born, almost a month ago now, my mom brought cans of salmon and frozen turkey and salmon burgers. After reading the ingredients I deemed them safe until I could contact the company. But being busy with the new little one I forgot to contact them until yesterday after hubby asked, "Are you sure these (salmon burgers) are gluten free? They taste really good." He regretted his question as soon as it came out of his mouth and his next comment was "Please, don't look. Let's just be happy not knowing so we can enjoy them." Poor guy. He has been in charge of cooking since Rylie Bay arrived and he found a simple meal to fix and he was very afraid that he would lose that simpleness at meal time. I really do feel for him because he has been thrown into the world of stay-at-home parent, for a few weeks, and has to cook gluten free, soy free, and nightshade free for one very hungry nursing mother and two always-hungry children. I help only by making the menu and shopping list for him. Poor, sweet man.

I easily found the website of the company on the back of the bag of frozen burgers and wrote the consumer affairs department. I asked if the frozen salmon burgers and turkey burgers were gluten free, as well as if they were manufactured in a gluten free facility. Below is their very timely and cordial response:

"At Trident Seafoods we are committed to providing you the best quality seafood possible. We support this commitment from the point our seafood is harvested to when it reaches your plate. Customer satisfaction and feedback are both very important to us and we appreciate you taking the time to contact us.

The salmon burgers ARE gluten free; and we do list wheat as an allergen when it is an ingredient in our products whether it be a main or secondary ingredient. And because we believe it is important for our customers to be well informed in regards to health and diet decisions, we encourage our customers to reference the ingredients of all products before purchasing, since companies may change ingredients/recipes from time to time and it may not be clear on the packaging.

We also recommend that customers with allergies and sensitivities visit the USFDA at http://www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.html and sign up for their e-mail alerts regarding Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts. This list includes the most significant product actions of the last 60 days, based on the extent of distribution and the degree of health risk and will notify you of recalls in regard to things such as undeclared ingredients in various food products.

Also, if you would like to provide your U.S. postal mailing address, we have a really fun “consumer pak” that we would like to send you. It has some interesting information, $1.00 off coupons (for use at your local grocery stores), and recipes/serving suggestions for our various products that I think you will enjoy.

Thanks again for your patronage. We understand you have many options in today’s market place and we would like to be your choice for fine seafood now and in the future. Please don’t hesitate to reach us if you have additional questions or comments.



Regards,

Stefani Mosiman
Consumer Affairs Specialist
Trident Seafoods Corporation
5303 Shilshole Avenue NW
Seattle, WA 98107
1-866-413-4749
smosiman@tridentseafoods.com "

The date on the letter from Trident Seafoods was March 25, 2009.

The answer was received with a smile in this house. These burgers are really good and fairly fast to make. I prefer the salmon burgers to the turkey burgers, but the turkey burgers could be really great if you add a scrumptious topping to it, like a seasoned avocado mish-mash. My sister eats them with spinach, which sounds good too. My hubby cooks the turkey burgers in a little water and the salmon burgers we either grill or put in a pan with a little olive oil. Both burgers take about 5-10 minutes from frozen patty to table-ready. Granted, these aren't organic but they are all-natural, which essentially means nothing except they have limited unhealthy ingredients but some things in them could still kill you later on down the road. The burgers do taste good though and are fast, which is needed sometimes when your life is super full and the thought of creating something from scratch could leave you pulling your hair out in various spots.

I hope this post is helpful to someone. Enjoy a new found gluten free food!

Mochi (gluten, dairy, soy-free)

Mochi? What is Mochi? I had no idea what Mochi was either but my neighbor, who had lived in Japan for a few years, told me about it. Last summer I had made my neighbor and her daughter some blueberry muffins. I made them with the Namaste muffin mix. She was introducing her daughter to solid foods and wanted to make her something soft and free of numerous possible food intolerances. I offered to make her a batch of muffins that were gluten, dairy, soy and egg-free. I desperately needed to rid myself of some of the 25 lb bag of mix I had purchased. She loved them and said they reminded her of a treat she had eaten while living in Japan-Mochi.

Well, yet again because of her I noticed that my local co-op carried a type of Mochi in their refrigerated section that were gluten and dairy free. I thought I would pick up the two flavors the co-op offered, plain flavor and the raisin and cinnamon flavor. I invited my neighbor for a play date but all our children came down with sick bugs. I made the Mochi anyways and stuck a few on her front porch. They were fantastic. I only made the raisin and cinnamon but after cooking them left half plain and stuffed the other half with mascrapone cheese and honey. Delicious! The kids liked the plain ones, which taste naturally sweet because of the raisins. I of course liked the ones drizzled with honey and mascrapone cheese. But then again these past two weeks I have wanted nothing but sweets in approach to the Sunday due date of baby Rylie Bay.

I visited the website of the company Grainaissance and found they have several different Mochi flavors: cashew-date, chocolate brownie, original, pizza, sesame-garlic, super seed, and mugwort-wheatgrass (I am unsure if the last one is gluten free. Wheat grass is a controversial topic in gluten free circles). I also learned the company has shakes for on the go. I am now on the look out for the yummy shakes, Amazakes. Most of the shakes also gluten and dairy free. Though some of the shakes are made with gluten, soy, and nuts . The rest are gluten, dairy and cholesterol free, as well as low fat. While at the website I was even able to print off two twenty-five cent coupons to get a small discount off. The Mochi serves eight and cost me a little over three dollars. Not super cheap but not overly expensive. What I like is that it is healthy and has very few ingredients. The Mochi raisin and cinnamon has five simple ingredients: organic sweet brown rice, filtered water, raisins, cinnamon, and sea salt. How great is that? If you, and your family, are looking for a delicious treat that doesn't keep you in the kitchen for a long time, and is healthy to boot, definitely try these out.

I'm back with homemade coconut yogurt and more...

Hello again! Excuse my absence. Life was full and I chose to cut off my blogging for awhile to focus on more important things. Being a mom of two small children, and growing a third, life gets pretty busy and writing, I am sad to say, was what had to take a break for awhile. However, I have no regrets. I learned more things about my children and enjoyed life away from my computer. But with that freedom also meant a focus on my son and a journey into food issues . This meant a totally new way of looking at and cooking food. I always drag my feet in the beginning because it is a step away from what I am used to but in the end it is quite a refreshing experience and makes me a better cook, mother and wife.

With my "new" cooking I have created new recipes. Many have failed but there is less and less of that these days. My in-laws actually told me my food was really good and eating at our house was a fun experience. I had served them a version of Pad Thai and placed chopsticks at the table for them to use. My father-in-law hadn't eaten with chopsticks for a long time and truly enjoyed the experience. With that said, I am going to try and start adding recipes to my blog again. Not only to help whomever may stumble upon this blog, but mostly to my family and friends, who seem to have a strong desire to help me in my cooking adventures. It is nice to have offered help these days. Everyone is feeling the strain financially with the current economic crisis,but as my husband wraps the end of medical school my food budget for a family of four, with one eating gluten-free and two others eating gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, caffeine-free, chocolate-free, nightshade-free and citrus-free, has been hacked down to $125 a week. Some weeks I want to cry at this amount, especially when you add in the vitamins and toiletries that also have to meet the "free" needs. Other weeks it isn't so bad and it makes me dig deep and use my creative gene. At least that is what I keep praying to God for, "please open my mind and eyes to being creative and resourceful". So far, so good. Though stop by my house on a day when it isn't so creative and you may find in a heap on the middle of the kitchen floor crying because my brain can't create one more meal that is safe to eat. I hate those days but they are become less frequent. It is 8 months along pregnancy hormones too, which coupled with limited money makes me a mess, but I take it day to day. Lately, these days are good.

The first recipe I will start off with is my recipe for homemade coconut yogurt. It took me about four tries before I came up with one but I am pretty satisfied. Though I really do want to make my own coconut milk but for now I use canned.No one here likes to eat the homemade coconut yogurt plain in a bowl but we all like it in smoothies, Indian dishes and breads. Next week I am going to make homemade cashew or almond yogurt which I think will also be delicious. Along with this recipe I am going to add a recipe for an Indian dish using the homemade yogurt, plus recipes for homemade nightshade-free Indian spices and Indian naan. Now, it won't be with any fancy photos because I am terrible at taking photos and also because I am running into an error every time I attempt to take my photos of my camera. Oh well, it is on my to do list but definitely close to the bottom.

The following, of course, can be adapted to what works for you and your family. I have found the best recipes come from trial and error because you adapt it to your tastes, time and budget. Hope these recipes are helpful to those reading! Happy and delicious eating!

Coconut Yogurt

3 cans unsweetened canned coconut milk, I used Whole Foods 365 coconut milk
(It does have guar gum in it, which is why I am trying to make my own coconut milk.)
1/8-1/4 teaspoon non-dairy starter


Place coconut milk in a big pot and warm to about 120. Let it cool until 110. Take a little coconut milk out and add starter to it. Stir in until it is combined and then add it back to coconut milk in the pot. Pour into containers and place in yogurt maker. I like to let it sit in the yogurt maker from anywhere between 12 and 24 hours, usually the latter.

Alternatively, you could make your own homemade nut milk (cashew milk or almond milk) and then warm it anywhere between 110˚ to 120˚. If you heat it to 120˚ then let your nut milk cool back to 110˚ before adding starter. Take a about a ¼ cup of the nut milk out and stir in the correct amount of non-dairy starter and then add back to the larger amount of nut milk. Pour into containers and place in yogurt maker from anywhere between 12-24 hours.

After yogurt maker turns off, stir yogurt once and then place yogurt in the refrigerator. It is said that the yogurt will keep to about two weeks. Additionally, if you save about ¼- ½ cup of your yogurt you can use it as the starter in the next batch you make. This will save money too.

Dahiwail Chicken Coconut Curry
(gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, citrus-free, nightshade-free)
adapted from the Dahiwali Chicken Curry from Mothering Magazine January/February 2009

2 tablespoons light cooking oil
3-4 cardamom pods, bruised
1-2 dried bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
3-4 whole cloves
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground gingerroot
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder ( I pounded coriander seed into a fine powder, about 1 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder* (see homemade recipe below)
salt to taste
1/2 cup-1 cup homemade coconut yogurt
1lb of boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped for garnish OR 1 tablespoon dried cilantro

Heat oil in a large pan. I used my wok, but then again I love cooking in my wok and use every opportunity to do so. After oil is heated, toss in cardamom, peppercorns, bay leaves, cinnamon, and cloves until they begin to sizzle and pop. Add onions and fry 3-5 minutes on medium-high heat until soft. Add the gingerroot and garlic and fry about 1 minute, stirring often. (I needed to add a little more oil here to keep things from burning but you be the judge.)

Add cumin, turmeric, coriander, garam marsala and salt; fry about 1 minute. Slowly stir in yogurt to form a gravy sauce. It is here you will have determine the amount of coconut yogurt you use. Add more or less depending on how your sauce looks or how it tastes to you.

Add the chicken pieces and simmer on low heat. Using a lid will cook it faster but I didn't use my wok lid. After chicken is cooked completely; serve warm garnished with cilantro leaves.

I served this with coconut milk rice and gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, nightshade-free, citrus-free naan. (The recipes are below.)

*Homemade garam marsala:
2 tablespoons cumin seed, or in a pinch you can use ground cumin
2 tablespoons coriander seed
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons cardamom seed (I bought the whole pods at Whole Foods and opened them)
2 teaspoons whole cloves
1-2 cinnamon sticks
1-3 bay leaves

Grind all ingredients in a blender until a fine powder. Store in glass jar.


Coconut Milk Rice
2 cups gluten-free long-grain white rice, I used Lundberg
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk, I used Whole Foods 365 coconut milk
1- 1 1/2 cups filtered water

Combine all ingredients in a small pot and cook covered until rice is cooked. Check rice frequently and stir when needed.

Naan
Gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, citrus-free, nightshade-free

2/3 cup warm unsweetened alternative(non-cow) milk
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 ¼ cup rice flour
¼- 1/3 cup tapioca flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons canola oil
2/3 cup coconut yogurt
1 egg, lightly beaten
olive oil, for brushing (optional)

1. In a bowl, mix warm alternative milk with 1 teaspoon sugar and the yeast. Let bowl sit for 4-5 minutes.
2. Mix flours, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder into a bowl.
3. Add remaining sugar, oil, yogurt, egg and yeast mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until smooth.
4. Preheat oven 550˚. While oven is preheating egg-size balls and roll out to ¼ inch thick. Use extra flour to prevent sticking.
5. I used cookie sheets, so put the cookie sheets into the oven until naan turns a light brown. Once cooked, remove and brush with optional olive oil. Serve warm.

Store any unused naan in a freezer safe bag and place in freezer. To reheat you may toss in microwave for about 20-30 seconds or in a warm oven. Naan is also great to eat with hummus. And if you are looking for a gluten-free hummus (and pita bread) check this recipe out,as well.

A gluten-free/casein-free bakery

I am so very happy, so very happy. About three weeks ago a gluten-free, casein-free, almost soy-free bakery opened in my town. It is literally about fifteen minutes from my house! I wasn't their for its grand opening only because I just found out about it this week. Let me tell you, upon learning about it I was there within a day. It was everything I had hoped for, possibly even better. The pure look of joy on my daughter's face made my heart so happy that I almost crumbled into a puddle of joyful tears in the middle of that heavenly bakery.

It was an overcast, crisp fall day and I decided it was a perfect day to get baked goods, especially gluten-free ones. I packed the kids in the station wagon and headed to what I will call the best-place-in-the-whole-world, for now. On the way the kids fell asleep, and it wasn't even noon. I pondered the thought on whether or not I should drive around more or go home and put them to bed. I was so excited about the thought of eating a "safe" cookie or bread that I decided to follow through with the original plan.

I found a parking space almost directly across the street from the bakery. A sign? I woke both the kids who were surprisingly happy to be at our destination. One of the beautiful things about this day is that my girl had woken up that morning and decided she wanted to be a princess. This means wearing her princess dress and any frilly headbands and bracelets she can find, before I say "no more". As we headed across the street to the bakery named Gluuteny, I looked at my girl and thought this is perfect. My boy was just content hanging out in his carrier on my back. He didn't know it but he would be enjoying his treats within his next feeding.

The moment we walked in, I was hit by smells of every delightfully baked good I could desire. It was toasty-warm inside and the smell of bread and cookies wafted in the air. My daughter immediately ran to the cupcakes, decorated with Halloween art. God only knows what she was thinking as she looked at all those sweets. We were greeted with a very warm welcome from a young woman who made me feel like she desired to genuinely help me. My first question was to ask what goods had soy in them, being that I need to be gluten/dairy/soy-free. She explained all of the goods had soy, well no soy flours but most had soy lecithin. Hooray! My body seems to be able to handle soy lecithin, possibly because it is simply the fat and not the protein. I don't question it. Simply, this meant not only could my girl have all the baked goods but I could as well.

I was elated.The young woman then began to explain all the items; breads, rolls, cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pies, brownies. I thought she wouldn't stop. I didn't really want her to stop but when she did, she scooted across a little napkin with a sample of almost all of the treats. She then walked around the counter and dropped down to my daughter's princess level and offered her the napkin of all the samples. My daughter, bless her little heart, looked down at the floor at her perfect princess shoes and then sheepishly looked at me out of the corner of her eye and asked, "It gluten-free?" Whenever she asks this question and it isn't gluten-free it breaks my heart. This time I bent down, grabbed her little face and said with a swooping arm, "These are ALL gluten-free. You can eat whatever you want." My girl's head shot up, she smiled so big at the offered samples and then began eating. She ate every single sample, not caring what it was she was eating. As she ate, she either twirled around the bakery or munched quietly while eyeing more treats. Seeing how happy she was made me tear-up. Even typing this makes me want to just wail. If I had been at home I would have cried. I probably could have and they would have understood but I was more focused on picking the treats out that we could take home and share.

While deciding which, if not all, the treats I wanted, I had to keep in mind that we would be visiting my nephews and sister-in-law in the afternoon and I wanted to share our new found gems with them. This meant a go on cupcakes. I chose four vanilla cakes frosted with colored frosting. They had hints of coconut and vanilla and were so moist. A perfect cupcake. I also added a Halloween cupcake that came with a little duck squeak toy, for my girl, and two chocolate ones for me and my girl to share. I moved on and splurged on a whole pie, apple to be sure. Good but not great. I make a better crust but in a pinch it would work quite well. I loved just having the option of buying one already made because if I had to make one , knowing my schedule these days, it wouldn't have been made. Plus, my sister-in-law made decaf coffee and altogether just sharing it with someone made it taste perfect. Especially, when she got a second piece and she doesn't eat gluten-free.

I had eyed the bread from the moment I walked in and the samples hinted of a taste of Italian loaf bread. I bought a whole loaf and two buns. Perfect. Best gluten-free bread hands down. Need I say more? Lastly, but certainly not least I purchased their sugar cookies decorated in the theme of Fall. Tasted like homemade sugar cookies that I used to eat when I was small. My girl and I couldn't even wait. We started eating them in the store, she getting icing all over her princess dress but wearing the biggest smile, and me not caring where my crumbs landed. The boy just listened as we chatted and looked all around. I could tell he was happy too because he continually kicked his little legs at my side.



It was a perfect experience and one I can't stop thinking about. It has always been a fantasy of mine to go into a bakery with my children, even before I had children. I always loved the warm smell of bread and delectable treats peeking out from behind glass just waiting to be tasted. Bakeries have made me feel happy, and dare I say merry. And here I had been, almost about to give up hope on ever sharing an experience like this one with my two. But no, here someone followed their heart and opened there own gluten/casein-free bakery for their family and have blessed so many others. Thank you, Gluuteny! I can't wait to head back this week and get more bread and cookies. Oh, the extra walking and weights that will have to been done to counteract the damage my taste buds will get me into, but I think it will be wonderful. The bread and treats will be good for my soul and who doesn't like to feed their soul?


*Yummy grilled cheese sandwich I made for my daughter: bakery bread, organic ghee, organic cheddar cheese. You can't go wrong with this sandwich!*

Gluten-Free Beer Chili (a.k.a. Dragon Chili)

Gluten-Free Beer Chili (a.k.a. Dragon Chili)

Go Team! #1! YEAH! Ahh, the sounds of football season. My hubby classifies this as sounds of the fall season. In a way, I agree with him, but if I never saw another football game in my life the fall season would still be just as great. Possibly even better. But in keeping with our new family motto of happiness and positive attitude I have compromised. I have learned in my almost ten years of marriage that compromise is the key to a healthy and happy marriage. Mind you healthy compromising. My compromising has brought me watching football almost every Saturday night but in exchange the hubby will watch less football overall.

I used to be the girl who loved football. Growing up I wanted to be the Quarterback Princess. I even asked my parents if I could play football. My mom said no and my dad said yes. The condition being that I get out in the yard with him and let him hit me. If after he hit me I still wanted to play then he would let me. I chickened out. Hey, my dad used to be a linebacker for East Carolina University. He's no small man. After that dream was crushed, almost literally, I decided throwing the football and watching games would suffice. However, as time went on pro-football and the bad attitudes that prevailed really got to me. I cannot stand that football is now advertised, and seen by some, as "football is life". How disgusting. The love of the game is disappearing and being replaced with attitude, fame and fortune. Yuck.

This dislike of the game had slowly become a rift between my hubby and I on the weekends. And rightly so. He wasn't the fans and players that have the attitude. He truly loves the game for the game. I had lumped the hubby right in there with the riff-raff and that was not fair of me. Finally, one day after another disagreement about the channel being tuned into a football game he said for the umpteenth time, "You used to like football. " and I responded "Why should I like football. It's so blah, blah, blah, blah. And why do you care if I like it?" His response was honest, pure and innocent. His answer made me compromise. My husband told me that he enjoyed spending time with me. He liked football because it brought people together and gave them something to cheer for. The feeling he had when he watched football was happiness and he wants our children to know that too. And before kids we used to watch them together and for him it was a "hobby" he enjoyed with me. We ate food, talked, cheered, laughed. It was a happy time for him.

After he said all of this, I decided I would strike a deal with him. I would watch a game or two one night a week. In addition, we would create "football meals and food" that the whole family could enjoy, while watching these games. The only hold up was he couldn't watch any and all football games, which is what had been happening. I blame myself really. He had the t.v. on any game that was on, in hopes that he could catch a little bit of any game because I made him feel bad for watching it. He happily agreed to this and this season we have been working as a team, another motto in our family. I must say it is going splendidly. The only problem is the "football food" has not been working as a team with my waistline.

The family went for a very l-o-n-g hilly walk this morning in preparation for our "football food". We have been eating wings, homemade but still not that healthy for you. Earlier in the week, I decided I would make chili knowing full well that the hubby would still make wings. The chili recipe is a family recipe, my mother-in-law's to be exact. The recipe calls for beer which we all know is a no-no. However, I have gluten-free beer. A lot of gluten-free beer. In the state which I currently reside you can't just buy alcohol at any ol' store you have to buy it from a distributor, by the case. And seeing as I don't drink much beer I thought this recipe perfect for using this beer.

I must tell you that this chili was a team effort too. Our boy is teething and our girl is full of young energy. Needless to say, I was not able to make this chili on my own. I like cooking with the hubby, especially if that means I don't have to cut up the hot peppers. Hot is not my thing, though it does add something to a dish, in moderation of course. Well, after much bouncing of the boy, providing endless supply of paper and colored pencils to the girl, and two hours of simmering, the chili was ready.

The hubby decided that in addition to the wings and chili, he wanted an order of Five Guys french fries. I told him if he wanted them he had to WALK up, not drive, to Five Guys to get them, about a 20 minute walk. But as any parent of a teething little one will tell you, sleep is slow in coming. I strapped our little boy to my back in his carrier and walked up to get the french fries. Let me tell you, it was worth it. Not only did I earn all the calories I ate but our little boy got a much needed nap. When I got home it was all ready. All I can say is it was TOO good. Too good in that I ate TOO much.

I hope with this chili you enjoy the fact that it has beer, gluten-free beer, in it because the beer is what gives it its signature taste. I am so happy to re-create this chili, and most happy to be able to share with anyone who stops by here to read it. I ate mine by itself but the hubby added french fries to his, a definite southern flair-we miss the south! My little girl loved it and calls it "turkey soup", eating it all with a "gobble, gobble". However you enjoy yours I hope you eat this chili with a smile. Happy gluten-free Fall eating!

Gluten-Free Beer Chili (a.k.a. Dragon Chili)

I like cute little names for dishes so I am retitling this dish as Dragon Chili because the beer is called Dragon's Gold, and it has a hint of fire. Call it whatever you like but calling dishes by cute names is another way for me to have fun with cooking.

2 lb. organic ground turkey

18 ounces of beer, I used the 18 and drank the rest

1-28 ounce organic can whole tomatoes

1-6ounce can organic tomato paste

3 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 onion, chopped

1 cup chicken stock, I used my homemade stock but you can use store bought stock or broth

3 tablespoons olive oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

1-3 hot peppers, diced-whatever pepper is in season

2-16 ounce can organic red kidney beans

Brown the ground turkey making sure to really break up the meat into a fine crumbly mixture. Next add all the ingredients, except the pepper(s) and beans. Simmer for 1 hour. Now, add pepper(s) and kidney beans and simmer an additional 45 minutes. Stir occasionally. Finally, serve it hot and enjoy it with a smile.

Celebrating a birthday gluten-free style!

Celebrating my birthday gluten-free style!

My birthday was last week and I was excited about the foods I would eat in honor of my birth day. Last year, was my first year living gluten-free and I wasn't as accomplished in my baking and cooking as I am now so I ate a flourless chocolate cake from Whole Foods. It was good but it wasn't great and it wasn't what I really wanted.
Every year, since I can remember, I ate foods I loved to celebrate the day I was born. I remember my mom asking me a few days before what did I want to have as my special birthday dinner. For years I requested homemade shrimp egg rolls with tons and tons of soy sauce for dipping and a pound cake-I hated regular birthday cakes with icing, too sweet. Other years, when we had more money, she would ask if I wanted to go out to eat. Either way it was special and revolved around food.

This year, but not next year, I allowed myself to only have one limitation: gluten-free. I should have said dairy-free and soy-free but I didn't and boy did my son and I pay a price for it (Remember his only sustenance is mama milk and any dairy or soy seems to affect him as well, go figure). Even though we suffered after, the feasting was spectacular.
My feasting really kicked off the night before my birthday when I received a box from the good ol' UPS man. I love the men in brown. It was a package I hadn't been expecting. My sister-in-law, God Bless her, ordered me a dozen glazed gluten-free doughnuts from a little bakery in Michigan. They didn't even make it out of the box. I literally, and I gulp at what I am about to admit, ate five doughnuts straight out of the package that was still in the box. I hadn't had a doughnut in a year and I have missed them terribly. Well, they were wonderful! I couldn't even tell they were gluten-free. They tasted more like a cake doughnut than a glazed but I happily ate it, dairy and all.

The next morning around 6 a.m. I woke up and ate more doughnuts with decaf coffee. When my husband rolled in from his first overnight shift (he's in medical school), he had stopped off at Whole Foods and picked up ingredients to make me an omelet. He knew I would be eating dairy and decided I needed something with cheese. And he was so right. Though, bless his little pea-pickin' heart, he was so tired that when he started pulling the items out of the bag he said, "Do these things look good to you? I am so tired and I don't think straight when I'm tired. I thought that these looked good but now that I am looking at it all I'm not sure." I love him, especially since he remembered my birthday this year(yes, he has forgotten it a few times). He did great. It was the best omelet I have ever had. Truly. The recipe is at the end. This photo doesn't do it justice but he did well and it tastes better than it looks.

We spent the day together as a family. It was a perfect autumn day and it went by quickly. Lunch was simply snacking on bits of this and that. Dinner was from the hot bar at Whole Foods, which was fine because I was really wanting my birthday "cake". My favorite dessert in the whole world is tiramisu. I read over at delicious Mike's , from a writer that was posted on the recent celiac blog postings, about a gluten-free tiramisu torte available in the frozen food section at Trader Joe's. I bought it the week before my birthday and I waited patiently to eat it.
We invited my husband's family down to eat dessert, granted not my tiramisu because it only served three, and it was great. I tried to share my tiramisu with my 2 year old but she didn't like it, and my wise husband said I could have his piece. But what's that you say, there are only three pieces and no one but you ate it? Yup. And I ate the whole thing with a big smile on my face and no regrets. I was out the next morning with the dogs and my youngest strapped to my back for an hour long walk with B-I-G hills but it was worth every scrumptious little morsel.

The next day I finished my celebration with a gift from my parents. They actually gave me three gifts, two for eating, one for helping me with my adventures with the kids. The gift for me and the kids is a radio flyer trailer for my radio flyer wagon. I haven't used it yet, simply because my son is still a little young to ride in the wagon for any long periods of time, but I can't wait. It was just what I needed to carry all of my gear, gluten-free meals included, as the kids and I scurry out on our many adventures.

The two gifts for eating are very near and dear to my heart. Mostly because I eat these two things on an almost daily occurrence. That having been said I shouldn't have to tell you that it is gluten, dairy and soy-free. The first gift was brought via my mother when she visited the week before my birthday. A bottle of red wine. But no, not just any bottle of red wine. It is the BEST bottle of red wine, at least in my personal opinion. It is an Italian wine from Tuscany. It's name is RUBICONDO. I had my first glass in my parents' neighborhood this past summer. One of the neighbors up the street remodeled his basement into a bar. It's awesome. Neighbors stop by to have a drink whenever he has it open. It is actually a nice set up. It isn't open everyday, or even every weekend, but everyone is invited-legal age of course. He even lets you keep your own alcohol there. The best part is he has a web cam you can view to see who is there or how crazy it is.

Well, this summer while my mom and I were out walking with the kids we were invited to come in. It was only the husband, wife, next-door neighbor, and their daughter. It was them just relaxing have a glass of wine on a Sunday. Their daughter was drinking a virgin daiquiri making out her needs for her first year of college. My daughter played outside on the driveway and the "bartender" offered me a glass. Ah. My future wine drinking was written. The deep taste of crimson with heavy woody notes. My only problem is having enough bottles on hand.

My final gift was another unexpected gift. A box of twelve bars of chocolate from Dagoba. My dad had the idea and ordered it for me. Well, since we live on the East Coast the shipping was as much as the actual gift, but if he could have seen my face when I got the box he would know it was worth it. My daughter and I tore into it. Some of them are ones I would never have thought to try, such as the one with hemp,pumpkin and sunflower seeds with a touch of Balinese salt. Yummy.

I paired the chocolate from my Dad with chocolate I had bought at chocolate shop and a glass of RUBICONDO and...heaven. The chocolate I bought with my mom and sister were all dark. I even bought one that was 91%cacao! It tastes like dark chocolate with hint of butter and vanilla. The whole taste was on the side of my tongue and cheeks. I can't eat a lot in one sitting but it is wonderful mouth experience. All the chocolate and the wine was perfect way to end the celebration of birth day.
I write all of this to say that gluten-free can be done and it can be done well. Next year will be a new challenge. I will need to find a way to celebrate my birthday not only gluten-free but also dairy and soy-free. I have a whole year to prepare and learn. I can only strive to do my best at being creative, but I am sure I can make it just as spectacular. Here's to celebrating life!

FRECKLED FACE MAMA'S BIRTHDAY OMELET



4 organic eggs

1/2 red onion

1 handful fresh organic spinach

1 clove organic garlic, minced

1/4 cup feta cheese

1/4 organic sun dried tomatoes

2 pieces organic gluten-free bacon, crumbled (We used Welshire Farms)

sea salt and pepper to taste.

The key to making an omelet is a spatula. After the omelet sets and the edges get slightly cooked, loosen the edges with a spatula and continue going around and around until it is completely loose and ready to fold.

In a skillet fry bacon. In a medium bowl whisk eggs. Add cheese, salt and pepper and set aside. In the meantime, drizzle olive oil in a separate skillet and warm oil over medium heat. When oil is ready cook onion until translucent. Add garlic and spinach and cook spinach until wilted, being careful not to burn the garlic. Next, add the sun dried tomatoes and cook about 1 minute. Now, add egg mixture along with the bacon, though crumble it into smaller pieces. Cook as I have instructed above. Voila! The perfect omelet! Happy eating!

Almost-Divine Curry Chicken Salad

I have had the recipe and photo to add to my collection for a few weeks but life with my two little ones usually dictates when it will actually be added. No complaints though. In fact, I wish that I could stop time. I don't want my kids to ever grow-up and I wish that I could remember every moment. Including the potty training, nose-picking, and spit-ups. My kids are my love, my desire, my passion. Odd coming from the woman who never wanted children, let alone be married. But here I am happy as a lark, and I am currently listening to my two year old sing yet another version of her favorite song-"I love you". Never heard it before? Well, that is because it is her song. There are many renditions but the current one is simple. Three words. I love you. It has been sung for nearly ten minutes at an almost glass-shattering level but I can't help but smile, especially when she throws in her brother's name or mama. It is only interrupted when she stops to say "I go potty please" and runs off on her own or announces she has stepped on a "pooty frog"- our way of graciously saying she has farted. Oh, the reasons I don't have time to do much else.
This recipe is wonderful and has become an almost daily staple of my diet. The only reason I haven't eaten it today is because I ran out of it yesterday, and because I am eating leftover pork with plum sauce, courtesy of Shauna James Ahern, also known as gluten-free girl. Haven't made it? Try it. This is our second year making it and it is wonderful.
Chicken salad is wonderful by itself but you can also have it on bread, crackers, raw veggies, chips etc. I normally eat mine plain with a side of a vegetable but eat it as you so desire. I hope you like this as much as me. I use to eat it on whole-wheat bread with raw carrots but that was in my former glutenous life. Happy eating!

ALMOST-DIVINE CURRY CHICKEN SALAD

Meat from 1 whole organic chicken (recipe on how I cook my chicken follows)

2-3 teaspoons curry, more if you so desire and I usually do

10 or so grapes, halved

dash or two of celery salt

Simply mix it together and adjust seasonings to your taste. The most difficult part is trying not to eat it in spoonfuls as you ready your meal.

FRECKLED FACE MAMA'S COOKED CHICKEN RECIPE

1 whole organic chicken, giblets removed

2-4 bay whole bay leaves

3-5 whole peppercorns

4-5 ribs organic celery, chopped

7-10 organic carrots, chopped

1 whole organic onion, halved

Place all ingredients in a large stock pot and cover with water, about two to three inches high over chicken. Bring to a boil and scrape any of the foam that accumulates on top and discard. Place lid on pot and lower heat. Simmer for 3 hours or until done. Let cool. Strain stock and save. Pick chicken into small pieces. If you so choose, you can save the bones of the chicken and store in freezer and use it to make a quick stock whenever you don't have any stock. I separate my vegetables from my chicken and store in the refrigerator. This is a great chicken recipe for chicken soup. Just serve with rice or noodles and bread if you like. Happy eating!