Embarrassment…

Relatable Article

State Street in Kennett

I made it to Sweet Christine’s!!! They were very friendly and helpful and I’m so excited about the treats I purchased!!! I asked to sample the bread which they graciously gave and it was divine. I’m so excited to have a place to get fresh white bread! It’s about a forty-five minute drive from Newark, DE but for me, it’s unbelievably worth it. I bought a loaf of white bread, baguette, and two brownies that I’m trying not to eat right this very instant! Why? Because while I was there, they told me about the restaurants nearby, within walking distance, that had gluten-free menus. So, I’m sitting in Half Moon as I write, waiting for my buffalo braised tacos with creme fraiche. Mmmm….I’m so excited. There are so many choices! I’d definitely recommend a drive to State Street for a day trip, date night, or any other excuse you can find. There are little shops everywhere and a perfect  place to find good eats that are safe and gluten-free!

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Volunteer Group

I came across several gluten free group sites in the New Castle County area.  Since the number of people going gluten free has increased, there must be a demand for such things!  I’m not sure that I have the time to attend any of these at the moment, but I certainly do love a good potluck!  And, I’m ALWAYS looking for delicious gluten free recipes.  If you’re interested, just google “gluten free in delaware” and you’ll find sites like this one – http://glutenfreedelaware.tripod.com/.

I would LOVE to start gathering a list of no fail recipes to pass along.  As I’ve mentioned a few times, it’s difficult to find bread and other items that I’ve spent my life enjoying that compare in gluten free form. I baked the Red Mill Raisin Bread yesterday and to be completely honest, it was awful.  It lacked a sweet taste and the texture was very dense.  It may have been user error, but even with a coat of whipped icing, it lacked luster.  I’ll keep looking!

One of my favorite GF recipes – Penne Alfredo

One easy breezy recipe I like is penne alfredo (brown rice pasta) with peas and ham (or prosciutto).  The classico light is really quite good and brown rice pasta seems to hold up better than most GF pastas for leftovers.  I haveit at least twice a month. MMmmmmmm!

State Street in Kennett – Gluten free bakery!!

I just found out about an entirely gluten free bakery!! I am so excited I can barely contain myself. A few bakeries in the area produce one to two gluten free items but nothing that has tasted better than the sweet treats I make at home. I have yet to have texturally sound bread or cookies and trust me I’ve been looking!! I’ll be taking a trip soon and I’ll be sure to let you know how it is!! Here’s the site link SweetChristines
State Street in Kennett has a lot of wonderful restaurants so if you decide to go, it’d be a great place for a lovely dinner out and some of the restaurants are BYOB!!

Brown Rice Tortillas

I’ve hard a really hard time finding tortillas that I like. I’ve always been a fan of flour tortillas…huge fan, in fact. Whenever my friends would eat the crunchy tortillas with queso or for tacos, I was rooting out the flour tortillas.  Now, those are obviously off of the table.  I have really tried to enjoy corn tortillas: warmed, toasted, loaded with sauces, etc.  Unless they are fried, they just do not cut it for me.  So, I venture around trying various brands (and trust me, when it comes to gluten free – brands MATTER) of different non-flour tortillas.  Good for Life Brown Rice Tortillas are in the frozen aisle.  I have yet to try them uncooked or warmed because I would venture to say they are not texturally sound, but that’s just me.  I ALWAYS use these when I make a quesadilla or burrito because with a tiny bit of cooking spray in a non stick pan, they crisp up nicely and while not flour-esque, they satisfy my next to the best thing fix.These can be found at Giant Food Stores. I am not sure where else, but since my local grocery is Giant, I know they’re there!  Acme does not currently carry them at the Newark location.

Lunch @ McDonald’s – Not Frequent For A Reason

I had a training for work today so of course, I had about 22 minutes to run out somewhere and grab lunch before returning back to sitting in my seat listening to someone talk  AT me.  I might be exaggerating just a bit 😉  It wasn’t as painful as it sounds.  There were few quick places around and I landed at McDonald’s.  Before the allergy revelation, I didn’t eat fast food very much so I still avoid it most of the time. When I DO head to a fast food joint, it’s usually McDonald’s.  Their ice cream, milkshakes, fruit and yogurt parfait without granola, single patty burgers (no bun of course), and some of the sides are gluten free.  Here’s the link for the list http://gfrestaurants.com/mcdonalds-gluten-free-menu/.  It’s been tough because some of the locations around the Newark area do not do well with specific directions. I’ve gotten buns on the burger or nuts on the sundaes, etc.  So far, the one I have had the most luck with is the one on Route 7.  The one one 896 in Newark has frequently made mistakes as well as the one on Main Street in Newark.  The one on Main Street gave me a burger with a bun on top. I had requested no bun, but didn’t give specifics about why. I assumed they thought I was being difficult.  At the time, I didn’t really know how sensitive I was.  So, I took the bun off of the burger and ate it. Two hours later, my stomach was in turmoil.  I guess I’m sensitive!  Even though it can be annoying, or even embrassing at times, I would recommend you tell whoever is on the mic that you have an allergy or they might not pay close attention. I learned the hard way, but now I know!

Happy eating!

G.F. Favorites

Click each item to find out where you can purchase these items :).

         

Firebirds (by Christiana Hospital) & Matilda’s (route 896)

I absolutely LOVE Firebirds and I have for quite some time.  When I started adapting to the lifestyle, I found it difficult to go out to eat but it seems like more and more, restaurants are adapting to us!  Firebirds has a nice gluten free menu with steak, salmon, salads, and more.  My personal favorite is the chopped BLT salad with gluten free honey mustard dressing (yummy!).  Most of the honey mustard out and about are not gluten free.  Side note: Ken’s Honey Mustard has recently been labeled gluten free!!

Matilda’s (also known as Mad Macs) has not really been one of my favorite places in year’s past.  I accidentally stumbled across their gluten free menu during a trivia event held there.  They offer a significant mac and cheese menu!! I was skeptical at first because many gluten free pastas are texturally poor (my opinion).  But, I had an excellent pizza macaroni and cheese and it was soooooo delicious!  I was very impressed.  So far, the only other pasta I’ve found that I enjoy is the brown rice penne found at Trader Joes. 

If you have other recommendations, please feel free to share! 

Local Restaurants–Buffalo Wild Wings

There are a ton of websites out there with blogs and references regarding individual BWW locations.  Here in northern DE, we have the one of route seven and the one in Newark on Elkton Road.  Neither of these locations use a separate fryer to avoid cross contamination. Some sites you will find will say the buffalo chips are gluten free.  At our local BWW, they use the same fryer as breaded items so they are not safe for someone with a gluten/wheat intolerance.  The naked tenders, pulled pork (with most sauces but not all), and the coleslaw are my go-to items when I go.  Most of the staff are unaware of what a gluten allergy is so they might not be able to tell you much about what is safe and what is not.  Here is the link for the official allergen listing for Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants. Note: Items in a fryer are not currently safe at the two locations listed above because they do not use a separate fryer (yet). 

http://www.buffalowildwings.com/downloads/bww_allergen_list.pdf