Lincoln enjoying a Gluten Free doughnut at BabyCakes in Downtown Disney |
West Town Mall, Knoxville Tennessee
This was our first major stop on our drive to Walt Disney World. We left at 7:00pm on a Friday night and arrived in Knoxville around 9:30am Saturday morning. Not bad I say! Our original plan was to get a hotel in this beautiful city and then take on some shopping.
After checking out the Knoxville Welcome Center we discovered that there was a major football game this particular weekend which resulted in price surges and Zero availability at local hotels.
Clearly being Canadian and a Leafs fan (Go Leafs Go!) prevented me from planning ahead for this one. I knew football was popular in America, but I didn't realize how big College football was. The team spirit was pretty fantastic! All over Tennessee, everyone was covered in Orange Jerseys, Hats, Jackets and face paint. Even cars had the giant signature orange "T" decal. We saw the odd Florida fan in the mix as well
This brings us back to West Town Mall. After giving up on a hotel, we decided to take a break for some lunch and stretch our legs. I had prepared myself for more disappointment, this time in the food department. I was ready to go back to the car to dig something out of the cooler.
Boy was I pleasantly surprised!!!
I saw a baked potato on this menu and figured I better check it out! The guy working was awesome. After my usually needed speech about Gluten Free, he told me his grandmother is Celiac too and that all the Gluten Free items on the menu are indicated by with the letters "GF" in a red circle.
My mom and I split the nachos and baked potato. It was soo good and it felt great to get some food with real substance into our tummies. There's only so much you can pack in a cooler without fear of it going bad. Especially in the Gluten Free department. So this was great! Really great.
I would recommend visiting this mall to anyone making their way through Knoxville. It's very spacious and really pretty! The shopping opportunities are endless. Stores like Brookstone, Belk, and JC Penny were pleasant deviations from the norm for us. Is my Canadian showing yet?
Another plus is the kids play area that we discovered. It's in the center of the mall with a soft padded floor and lots of seating for moms and dads. Lincoln had such a great time running around here! He definitely deserved this play time after being such a great sport during our 14-hour drive.
After some time at the mall, we ended up driving a few more hours more and spent the night in a Comfort Suite just passed the Georgia border for under $100.00 US. Hubby was the sole driver so he gets the trooper award! Not only was he alert and happy, he dealt with the crazy hectic I-75 drivers and traffic backup, splendidly. I should note that he slept a good 9 hours the night before the trip, got up for a little bit and then went back to bed for another 5 hours. Probably the most sleep he has ever gotten.
The West Town Mall is located at 7600 KINGSTON PIKE, KNOXVILLE, TN 37919-5600
Melt 2/3 cup of butter.
Add 2 cups chicken broth and reduce on low heat. Pour over croutons.
Homemade croutons
Finished stuffing
Next time I think I will go back to spreading the mixture over cookie sheets as it provides a much more even crisping of the stuffing. Tasted great, though!
This should be a learning tool for any company that wishes to incorporate Gluten Free items on to their menu. Way to go Chuck E. Cheese!
Visit chuckecheese.com/new-glutenfree-offerings for more details regarding Gluten Free items, availability and their prices.
Presidents Choice Gluten Free Bread |
As far as price goes, the cost for Presidents Choice Gluten Free bread is average. It was not overly expensive like some brands out there. At $5.99 it falls in the right in the middle as far as GF bread prices go.
This is a dense bread. The feel of it in my hand reminded me of pound cake. In defense of the pound cake comparison, this bread makes AMAZING french toast! I like to think of it as a breakfast bread, or even a grilled cheese bread. So many options here.
Toasted or not this bread isn't going to chip your teeth. Always a great start!
I really like that it is sold in a non frozen state. I find any GF bread that has been frozen, just doesn't come off right.
When the bread is eaten lightly toasted it is pretty good! It probably would not hold up a sandwich without being toasted prior. Do note that there is a recommendation to toast this bread on the back of the sandwich bag.
As I went through my loaf of bread, I noticed some slices were falling apart or already in pieces. Most likely due to the delicateness of the bread and being manhandled in the grocery store.
Toasted |
Not Toasted |
If you choose the adventurous non toasting route, be prepared for that all to common crumbly, lodged in your throat dryness that goes hand in hand with our special bread. Not as bad as some brands out there, but noticeable still.
I would definitely buy Presidents Choice Gluten Free bread if I ran out of my usual bread (Kinnikinnick Soft Bread). It's far superior to certain frozen GF breads on the market and does the trick if you just want a slice of toast.
This is a great start for a company who is a newcomer to Gluten Free products! I look forward to seeing improvements to the bread. There's always room for improvement right? I also look forward to seeing a wider variety of Gluten Free products from Presidents Choice....like ready made meals that can be popped into the oven. *hint* *hint*
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