A Tenenberry Let Down

Talk about mouth watering! I was so excited when I saw this Gluten Free Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake by Tenenberry  at Sobeys. I Called my mom, who is also Gluten Free due to Celiac Disease and told her about my yummy discovery. 

We decided that this would be OUR Christmas day dessert. We also decided that we were not going to share it with the Gluten Eaters, no matter how much they drooled.

Christmas day came and went right along with my high hopes for this Gluten Free Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake. I wanted to brag to the world how amazing it was. I really did.

As you can see from the side view picture, there was a touch of frost on the side of the cheesecake when I had purchased it. No big deal, I thought. Should have thought again. 

I tried so hard to enjoy a slice of this cake, but I could't. There was an overwhelming gritty / grainy texture. To me, it seemed as though the cake had been frozen and defrosted  multiple times. The Graham Cracker crust bottom was complete mush! Even the taste of the cheesecake wasn't right. Something was very off. WAY OFF.

My mom and I  decided it was best to toss the remaining cheesecake in the trash. Good thing too as we both ended up with some mild tummy troubles. No doubt (presumably) due to the way the cake was repeatedly frozen/unfrozen.

This was a waste of $24.99, but also a learning experience. Perhaps it was just frozen and thawed too many times. I don't  know. What I do know is that I won't be spending that kind of money on a Gluten Free product that I have never tried before, ever again.

All I really wanted was a special treat that my mom and I could share on Christmas day. Something delicious for us, while everyone else at the gathering enjoyed their gluten filled snacks. Next year I'm going to bake an apple pie for our family Christmas. Nothing more heart-warming and comfort filled than apple pie and ice cream.

A Gluten Free Oat Alternative

Have you tried Certified Gluten Free Oats?

I have and unfortunately I cannot tolerate them. I was surprised by how fast I reacted. It really hit me like a ton of bricks.....3 days of lethargy and un-wellness.

If you can't tolerate GF Oats or do not want to take the risk, I have an alternative. A safe and satisfying one. When I bake cookies, I add Quinoa Flakes (Ancient Harvest Quinoa to be exact) to the recipe. Add as much or as little as you like and you will be awed with the texture. Just like a real oatmeal cookie, minus the unruly side effects.

There is a whole world of recipes that you can add these neat little flakes to. All it takes is creativity and  a little a lot of patience. 


Here is some inspiration for adding Quinoa Flakes to recipes:

• Cookies
• Muffins
• Yogurt
• Apple Pie
• Fruit and Nut Bars
• Crusting Meat
• Crab Cakes
• Burgers
• Stuffing

Alek's Controllable Christmas Decorations for Celiac Research

Do you enjoy looking at Christmas Lights?
There's a website on the Internet that uses several webcams to provide a live view of thousands of 'em.
You can also CONTROL them - yes, turn them on & off with a click of a mouse from your home PC ...
plus you can even inflate (or deflate) the giant Elmo, Frosty, Santa, SpongeBob, and Homer Simpson - D'OH!
So surf over to the Christmas Lights Webcam
to check out all the fun action at the totally free site which also raises awareness about Celiac Disease Research at the University of Maryland.