Catching up

It has been a while

So much has happened the last year and a half it’s been hard to find time to keep posting.  I switched job, shortly after my mother suffered eye issues and we had to drive her and Dad around a lot, thankfully my boyfriend helped tremendously with all of that.   Sadly though we unexpectedly lost my mother last May and it’s been a hard transition ever since. My brother and I find almost every conversation about our father and managing his needs now.  Luckily I still have Ken and our pup Frankie at the end of the day for an unload.  

Anyhow, so many yummy gluten free goodies to write about.

There have been more decent frozen pizza’s out there.  Against the grain is still my favorite, but Smart Flour is good and so is Freschetta.   I also deeply love Claulipower’s Margarita pizza.  Costco had a similar brand and it wasn’t bad (if you don’t burn it).  

Also, the breads are really improving.  Udi’s came out with a super soft bread that is delicious.   It’s up there with Northern Bakehouse level of softness and “normal” texture.  I have more to choose from now when making stuffing and don’t have to bake my own much anymore, though I would like to get back to that.  I still see yummy recipes on Pinterest that I want to convert to gluten free. 

There are also more local bakeries popping up that will accommodate food issues.   A Piece Kake in West Fairview makes delicious cake balls and if you give her enough notice she will have dedicated gluten free cooking days.  It’s something she does for her own family, so she gets it.   This just does not apply to the super holiday orders she takes as those are mammoth and sell out in 5 mins on the Facebook order day.  Trust me, I was part of one of those frenzies. So she knows what it takes to separate out to make the kitchen gluten free and knows with the sheer volume she can’t do both at the same time.   If you are able to manage some small amounts of gluten, those holiday samplers are AMAZING.  She has a Facebook page you can follow and communicate with her on it. https://www.facebook.com/apieceofkake/

Of course Made With Love Not Gluten Bakery in Mount Joy is still a fantastic dedicated gluten free bakery that will accommodate other food issues as well.   You can go in and buy one or several of the daily items or contact them ahead of time for a custom order.  So good and yummy.   Also on Facebook and post up their daily treats to get your mouth watering.  Be early, especially on the weekends, they sell out quickly.  When they have some items that do not sell that day, they move them to the freezer and discount them, though it’s not as much as you would hope.  You can pick up a completely dairy free mac and cheese there, and it’s not made with fake cheese.  I will let that sink in…. https://www.facebook.com/MadeWithLoveNotGluten/

Someone had posted up about Sweet Dreams Cake Shop, located in Hershey on Facebook and I did contact them. They replied promptly that they can accommodate just about any dietary issues you have, however it is run out of her home (it is licensed and certified by the state of Pennsylvania to do so), so she seems to run only orders to avoid potentially unsold items (totally support trying to avoid food waste).  We tried to talk about maybe developing some sort of sampler to try and I was hoping to get some dairy free for my father, but the communications seemed to have stalled.  If that picks back up I will report back with how things are.  Like anyone, I am weary to order a lot of something and risk not liking it, hence the hope for a sampler. https://www.facebook.com/karensweetdreamscakeshop/

So, Made With Love Not Gluten having a storefront and daily items helps with sampling a lot of items to find what they make that you like.  If you are ready to place an order and hope for the best try Sweet Dreams, so far I haven’t heard anything bad about them, but I also haven’t heard about gluten free specifically, though my hopes are high.  If you want cake balls, you won’t be sorry with A Piece of Kake.  

There is Desserts Etc. in Hershey that you can usually only score a gluten free cupcake (tons of icing, which I am down for, but not everyone is) and they have huge gluten free peanut butter cookies.  But that is usually it.  The Pennsylvania Bakery will accommodate gluten free requests too when given notice, however I am not sure if they are made there or purchased from another baker.  A boss once got me some cupcakes there so I could enjoy in the deserts with everyone else.  They were delicious.  I may have ate both before anyone finished anything they had…..not proud. Not ashamed either.

More restaurants are providing gluten free options which is great!   The Soda Jerk in Hummelstownnow has gluten free buns, and they don’t crumble!  SCORE!

That is all for now, but I will be better about keeping up with the blog going forward. 

Little Northern

Every once in a while a new GF item comes along that wows me and gains my affections.   I have found a new bread that is seriously the best GF bread I have ever had.  Little Northern Bakehouse bread has a fantastic texture and taste.  And I didn’t’ think I would say that about a plant based, GF, Dairy Free bread, but man they have won me over!  I don’t’ need to do anything to eat this bread.  Some of the GF breads require some microwave time with a wet paper towel to soften up before eating or toasting.   This, right out of the bag is fantastic.  I have had all 3 breads and love them. I hope to soon be able to acquire the buns to try.  

 

http://www.littlenorthernbakehouse.com/

Gluten free pretzel bites

These were delicious! I opted for butter instead of water to brush on them.

Gluten free pretzel bites

These were delicious! I opted for butter instead of water to brush on them.

Sesame noodles

12 ounces thin noodles

1/4 C Soy Sauce

1/4 C Canola Oil

3 T Pure Sesame Oil

2 T Sugar

2 T Rice Vinegar

1/4 tsp hot chili oil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

4 cloves minced garlic

 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.   Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.

 

Meanwhile, whisk together the soy sauce, canola oil, sesame oil, sugar, vinegar, chili oil, pepper flakes, and garlic in a bowl.   Taste to adjust the ingredients as needed.

 

Drain the noodles.  Pour the sauce over the hot noodles and toss to coat.  Spring with green onions if desired. 

Vino restaurant in Harrisburg

I finally got to try Vino and I loved it!  The food is delicious and reasonably priced! They have a seperate gluten free menu you can request.  I highly recommend the chianti braised pork.  

Cauliflower Alfredo

I have been dying to try this for a while and finally got to do it, and it was fantastic!
Now I am a cheese based person, so we did sprinkle fresh grated parmesan cheese on top, but it was fantastic without it, just needed to satisfy my cheese craving :-)

Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

INGREDIENTS
1 medium head of cauliflower 
1 large yellow onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon butter (or coconut oil)
5 cups chicken broth
¾ cup milk (or non dairy milk if needed)
½ teaspoon salt (I used Himalayan Pink Sea Salt)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut the onion and garlic into thin slices. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet on low heat, add onion slices and garlic and sauté covered on low until the onions and garlic are golden and caramelized (about 20 minutes).
2. Bring chicken broth to a boil. 
3. Cut the cauliflower into florets and cook in broth until tender (7-10 minutes). Reserve 3/4 cup of broth, drain the rest.
4. Place the tender cauliflower into a blender or food processor together with the caramelized onions, garlic, 3/4 cup of broth (or more as needed), milk and salt. Puree until smooth.
5. Store the sauce in a container with a lid (like a mason jar) and place in the fridge, if not using right away.Depending on the size of you blender, you can also double the recipe.