Qdoba, lucky bones, rusty nail

A friend told me they tried the new Qdoba in Harrisburg across from the East Mall (it will always be the East Mall, I don’t' care what they say).   He said they told him about their GF stuff and gave a tour of the place.  So I checked out the website and they had a very nice allergen menu.  So far the best one for a Mexican restaurant I have seen.  In fact the only one for a Mexican restaurant I have seen in this area. http://www.qdoba.com/downloads/Qdoba_Allergen_Info.pdf

 

So my bestie and I went to the beach this past weekend and I got to try a few new places.  I really liked Lucky Bones, they have a very full Gluten Free menu and it was a lively place.   The Rusty Nail was not bad either; it had a lot of boiled or steamed seafood so I did well there also.   The Ugly Mug didn’t' have near as many options but I was able to find a few on the menu that they weren't aware of, like crab claws and some butter.  Worked great for me!   

 

I am looking forward to getting back into some cooking.  I have a meatball recipe from my cousin I want to try and my Great Aunt is going to take me through her version also.  I want to have the meatball world gluten free and at my will. Also on the list of things to try out, the cream cheese pizza crust I found on Pinterest.  I mean, it would be less smelly than the cauliflower one, which, since Ken doesn't bring sauerkraut into the house knowing it makes me turn green, I gotta respect that cooked cauliflower smells horrible to him.   So that will be a fun one to give a go 

Piazza Sorrento, Orville Redenbacher, Wild Tomato

I got to try more yummies at Piazza Sorrento, including their crab dip and the tiramisu.  OMG.  Delicious!  I also got to try the shrimp crostini.  I can't get over how everything I have had there has been so delicious.  They have won my heart and my tummy!

 

A friend also gave me the Orville Redenbacher's Pop Crunch with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon to try as it's gluten free.  Dear lord this was like crack.  I almost ate the whole bag it was that good.   Dangerously good.   Then I felt like making something sweet and made the Betty Crocker Chocolate cake mix and took some butter cream icing and threw some unsweetened cocoa powder in it.  Another home run.  Both Ken and I enjoyed those immensely. 

 

Now I also finally tried Wild Tomato's Margheita pizza.  It was better than I had expected.  I had to fight to not eat it all.  Another yummy find there.  Granted it arrived a little disgruntled...

 

My bestie and I are beach bound this weekend, and I am thinking of trying some new things down there as she is a seafood lover like I am.   I am excited to get to spend time with her since she lives on the other side of the country and to get to enjoy some beach time.   Woo hoo!!!

Meatballs

I wish I was smart enough to ask my Nonna and Grandma to walk me through some recipes when they were alive, but I was a teenager when they passed and didn't think to ask for such things, and my grandmother was not the kind to offer up such ideas.  So I went to Pinterest looking for some gluten free meatball recipes and am also trying to get some from relatives.  Here is one I found and it was not bad.  Next time I am going to the mom and pop grocery store to get the ground sausage, Giant had one option, which while not bad, would not be my normal sausage pick.

  

Side note, totally excited that a cousin sent me her meatball recipe to try and my grandpa's baby sister (closing in on 90) also offered to walk me though hers.  Will be trying out both recipes :-)

Meatballs

 

1 T Salt

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp marjoram

1/2 tsp ground thyme

1/4 tsp pepper

1 C quick oats

1 large shallot

4 cloves of garlic

7-10 fresh basil leaves

2 lbs hamburger

1 lb ground sausage

1 egg

2 cups olive oil

6 cups tomato sauce

 

1.     Combine first 7 ingredients in a blender until you reach a flour like consistency.(I used gluten free oats, also, had no thyme on hand, so for the marjoram, oregano and thyme I used Italian seasoning blend)

2.     Chop shallot, garlic and fresh basil.  I use a hand grater for my garlic, easier than chopping.

3.     Add hamburger and sausage into a large mixing bowl.

4.     Add flour mixture and chopped ingredients.

5.     Add egg.

6.     Mix by hand until well combined.   (Next time I am going to use the stand mixer, I have a feeling it will go better….)

7.     Roll into 3-4 inch balls.

8.     Heat oil in a large skillet. (I ran out of olive oil, so mine was half olive and half  smart balance oil, and it worked fine)

9.     Brown meatballs 1-2 minutes on each side.

10.Remove from oil and place into a baking dish or roasting pan and cover.

11.Bake for 2 hours at 225 degrees. 

12.Remove and serve as desired.  We chose to dip ours in the sauce, instead of making any pasta or tossing them in the sauce. 

Piazza Sorrento

I finally got to try the Eggplant Involtini at Piazza Sorrento.  I have been wanting to try this for so long, but it's only offered at dinner and we rarely are there for that.  It was delicious.   I can't wait to go back and try it again.  Piazza Sorrento really does go above and beyond to offer a slew of gluten free foods, and prepare them with care and make sure every plate that is gluten free is marked as such.  I just love this place!

It's been a little while

I haven't blogged in a while, but I have good reason.

Where to begin?

So let's go back 15 years, to 1998, May 30th to be exact.   My father had a bad fall at work due to a hose being left out on the floor.  He hasn't worked since.   He had to go through three spinal cord surgeries and therapies and has been walker bound ever since.  Good days he can use a cane.  Then two years ago he had a stroke.   That set him back a bit and he suffered some minor vision loss from that, but now can't drive due to it.  Then there was May 30th of this year, 15 years to the day of the fall that changed his life forever.  He ended up in the ER with what is now being called a "small stroke" or an Intraventricual Hemorrhage.  Go ahead, Google it.  It's found almost exclusively in children, and when it is in adults the prognosis is not good. 

Dad, just like with the first stroke, got lucky.  He is weak, his memory is messed up, but he is alive, he is coherent and making fantastic progress.   A week at the hospital in the neurology critical care unit, and then two weeks in the inpatient rehab center and staring outpatient therapies today, Dad has had quite the journey. It constantly seems like the guy can't catch a break, but everything that has happened to him could have been worse, and that is what we have to remember.   Sure it sucks that this has severely altered his life, and that my mother just didn’t' feel comfortable leaving him home alone after the first stroke and retire a little earlier than she had planned on, but all in all, everyone is alive and functional, even if limited.  And I have never seen better representation of true love, or the till death do us part wedding vows than when my parents are together.  They truly are there for one another, and it brings tears to my eyes in times like these.   Precious moments of a life shared together.   Just beautiful.

So yeah, even in all this was a planned vacation to the beach with Ken's family, which we went on.  I will cover all my food related stuff soon.  I just need to catch up on everything.   It's been a while….

Giotti's and Zinco

I finally tried Giotti's in Harrisburg.  I got my standard, pizza.  It was OK.  I am not rushing back for it but the pasta dishes looked amazing so I believe I will be going back to give those a try.  

I also have been testing out some coconut waters and this chocolate one from Zinco is like

yohoo!  I liked it, willget  again :-)0

Official BBQ

Ken and I have been craving some BBQ and he found this place not to far from us called Official BBQ and Burgers .  I contacted them and got a very nice reply back.  I am very excited to try their food! 

Thank you for contacting us, we have a wide range of gluten free items on our menu.  I have attached a copy of our allergen informational menu for you.  We recently started carrying Heisler's Ice Cream as well, and all the flavors (except cookie dough) are gluten free.  

Also, we were recently listed onfindmeglutenfree.com, if you aren't familiar with this website, it may be a really great tool for you! 

Hope to see you soon!

http://www.officialbbq.net/