Schar Gluten Free White Bread

I've passed over Schar's White Bread in the past because it felt like pound cake. On a recent trip home, my aunt had a loaf waiting for me. I couldn't hurt her feelings, so I gave it a try. Like most gluten free breads, it was a small loaf for quite a bit of money (around $5-$6 a loaf). The instructions say to keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 2 days. I'm fine with the storage needs, but I don't know anyone who can eat a loaf of bread in 2 days! I will say that I did not make that deadline, but it was still fine by the end of the week. Straight out of the fridge it's a bit firm, but it makes great toast and it will soften up nicely if you microwave it for a few seconds. It tastes good and isn't gritty, which is a plus. I honestly was just happy to be able to eat toast for breakfast!

TUESDAY'S TIP: Food Allergies in the Workplace

When you have food allergies or sensitivities the workplace can be tricky to navigate. Decline an invitation to lunch or pass on a piece of birthday cake and they think you're being picky or worse yet, unsocial. So, what do you do when you co-workers throw sideways glances when you say no? First and foremost explain what your allergies or sensitivities are. Most often, people just don't understand. Once you spell it out for them most people are usually more considerate of your needs. When it comes to going out for lunch suggest some places that have options you can eat. You can use a website/app like Allergy Eats or My Gluten Free NJ (doesn't just have information about New Jersey) to find some places nearby. You can also look at the restaurants' websites to see if they have allergy free offerings. If you're concerned about snacks in the lounge or social gatherings at work, be prepared to bring food you can eat. Other people might be surprised to know that your allergy free food could actually be tasty!

Cola Roast

From A Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients

4 pound pork roast (bone in or out; I've used both pork tenderloin and a shoulder/butt)

1 (7-ounce) can fire roasted diced green chiles

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper (*Use powder - remember, the canned chipotles in adobo are not gluten free)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup cola

Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the meat into the bottom of your cooker. In a small mixing bowl, combine the chiles, tomato paste, cumin, garlic powder, chili pepper, sugar, and salt. Stir to create a paste, and then smear this mixture on all sides of your meat. If you have time to do so, you can marinate your meat in this mixture overnight (in a sealed plastic bag or tupperware; it's not recommended to refrigerate the stoneware and then cook in it). Pour in cola. Cover, and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or until pork has relaxed and begun to fall apart. If you used pork tenderloin, slice thinly and serve over rice or mashed potatoes. If you opted for a shoulder roast, shred completely using two large forks.

A Look at the Week: 8/26-9/1

Here's a look at what's coming up this week:

Recipes for:

• Slow cooker Cola Roast
• Ground Beef Goulash

Plus:

• Gluten Free Bread Review
• Gluten Free Cookie Review

And as always:

• Tuesday's Tip
• Friendly Fridays

Fooducate

Looking for an app to help you choose better foods? Give "Fooducate" a try. It's much like the "Shop Well" app I posted about a while back. This app allows you to use your phone's camera to scan UPC codes and access information about that product. It gives the food item a grade based on how healthy the it is. Foods are graded based on ingredients, processing, nutrients and other criteria. Foods that are packed with nutrients and minimally processed are given higher grades. They also give the products FoodPoints values based on the amount of fat, carbs, fiber, and protein they contain. The lower the FoodPoints the better. This feature is intended to help dieters choose healthier foods. I really like the "alternatives" feature, which offers healthier options to the food in question. 

You can search for foods on the Fooducate website by clicking on "browse" or get the iPhone app here and the Android version here. The app allows you to share your information with the Fooducate community, create grocery lists, and submit new products for analysis. The basic and "Diabetes" versions are free, but they also offer "Plus" for $3.99 and "Allergy & Gluten" for $4.99.

Friendly Fridays: Chili's

Korry and I stopped at a Chili's during our long layover in Atlanta and I figured I'd be able to order a salad at the very least. As it turns out, rabbit food just wasn't going to cut it, so I ordered a burger minus the cheese and refrained from eating the bun. Had I done my homework, I would have known that Chili's actually has menus for various allergies on their website. They update it monthly with their different specials, so they recommend you check back frequently for up-to-date information. You can get their allergen menu by clicking on "Menu" from their home page and scrolling down to the bottom where it says "Download Allergen Menu". They are pdf files so you can print them out to use later. Chili's also offers a vegetarian menu and nutritional information in pdf form.

A Word About "Natural Flavoring"

We've all heard the horror stories about how fish scales  and beetle parts are ground up and put in our lipstick and other cosmetics, but when food ingredients list  "natural" flavor, what does that mean exactly? You'd be surprised... and possibly disgusted to know. 

According to the Code of Federal Regulations:
“The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”

Peanut Butter Chocolate Dairy Free "Ice Cream"

From: Live Free Gluten Free

Ingredients
1 can coconut milk, chilled
3/4 cup Silk Dark Chocolate Almond Milk, chilled (or other non-dairy milk)
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/3 cup peanut butter

Directions
Blend together coconut milk, almond milk, agave, and cocoa. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions.  Meanwhile, microwave peanut butter for a few seconds to make it runny.  The last 5 minutes of freezing, pour peanut butter into ice cream in streams that will swirl through the ice cream.

TUESDAY'S TIP: Back to School

It's that time of year again. All the kids are headed back to school. I thought I'd compile some helpful resources for parents of children with food allergies. Here are just a few of the things I found in my search.

LUNCH
50 Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Ideas and Allergy Free Lunchbox with Brain Power from Cook It Allergy Free.
Lunch and Snack Ideas from Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom.

TIPS
Be Allergy Ready for school! This site has a lot of great information, links and downloads for going back to school.
Back to School Tool Kit from the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network.
Here's a great pdf file of Back to School Tips from OneSpot Allergy.

Gluten Free Cannoli Shells

From Carla's Gluten Free Recipe Box

Ingredients
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
3 ½ tablespoons ice water (from a cup of water and ice)
1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup potato starch
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (or guar gum, if corn intolerant)
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar or 1/4 teaspoon stevia powder
1/16 teaspoon (or a pinch) sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cocoa powder (optional)
3 teaspoons shortening
1 egg white, beaten (for brushing)
Tapioca flour/starch for dusting/rolling
Peanut oil (or extra virgin olive oil.)