Confessions Of A Former Gluten-Free Hoarder

The beginning of my gluten-free journey was marred with often out of stock and usually overpriced product. I endured frustrating travel throughout the GTA (greater Toronto area) just to obtain a variety of items. Sometimes I would snap up new products by the dozen for fear of never seeing them again. This was a very real possibility back then.

Living a few hours from the United States gave new meaning to cross-border shopping. Instead of getting excited about deals on clothing and electronics, I focused solely on gluten-free food. I would visit 4 or 5 American grocery stores every trip. Each visit to the US brought home a haul of food that just wasn't (and sometimes still isn't) available in Canada. 

And so began a gluten-free hoarding problem

Sale? I'll take 7 

New product? Give me 3

Not many left? I'll take the rest

Out of town shopping? Fills a suitcase

Believe it or not, there is a certain kind of stress that comes with gluten-free food hoarding. Products sometimes expired before I could use them. I would get bored of eating the same things repeatedly. Sometimes I ended up not enjoying something which I bought in bulk. Not wanting to be wasteful, I would try finding a new owner for these items. A difficult task which usually resulted in food being tossed in the bin.

I have a petite kitchen at best. Putting an excessive amount of groceries away was like playing a well-organized game of Tetris. I got so creative with my storage that I often forgot about these items. Other times, I would grab a box of gluten-free cereal and half the pantry would tumble onto the floor. It was like these poor boxes were screaming to be acknowledged.

Another drawback was that I lost sight of what is naturally gluten-free, like fruits and vegetables. I developed a need for pre-packaged food and lost sight of food prep. Super unhealthy. It was also questionable financially as the gluten-free label goes hand in hand with an often inflated price.


Over time, I eventually realised that gluten-free isn't going anywhere and have thus drawn a line between stocking up and hoarding. In fact, it's getting better. Almost every supermarket has a decent gluten-free selection. Stores are also far better at consistently ensuring these items are on shelves. Companies are also clearly labeling their gluten-free goods so that they are easy to spot. This is such a win!

As things are different now. I no longer stock up en masse. I feel healthier, happier and no longer stressed out.

Product Review: Robin Hood Gluten-Free Banana Flavoured Quick Bread

When the folks at Robin Hood sent me a box of their Gluten-Free Banana Flavoured Quick Bread Mix to review, I was a little skeptical. Like most people, I've had my ups and downs with boxed mixes over the years. Unlike most people, I have the added challenge of needing to eat gluten-free. This makes finding a great boxed mix even more of a feat.

Let's Talk FAQ's

• Robin Hood Gluten-Free Banana Flavoured Quick Bread Mix is certified by the Canadian Celiac Association

• You will be pleasantly surprised with how simple it is to make. Just add water, oil, and eggs to the mix. Give it a good stir with a spoon, pour into a loaf pan and pop into the oven for 45 minutes. No fuss, no worries. 

• Bananas are not required, as dried banana is already incorporated into the mix. This is pretty great because, mashing bananas can get a little messy. Plus, who wants to wait around for bananas to go brown when they want banana bread now? Not me!

Taste Test

As with all my gluten-free adventures, I shared this creation with the gluten eaters in my home. Their thoughts and taste buds are always appreciated. We quickly agreed that Robin Hood Gluten-Free Banana Flavoured Quick Bread Mix gets two thumbs up. 

Robin Hood really gets it right with this mix. It is packed full of banana flavour and smells divine. The texture of the loaf is soft and light. No crumbling mess here!

While we enjoyed the mix plain, you can customise with the addition of fruit, nuts, and chocolate. You can also get creative and create muffins, pancakes, cookies and much more.

/// DISCLOSURE: I was sent a complimentary box of Robin Hood Gluten-Free Banana Flavoured Quick Bread Mix for review purposes. All opinions are my own. ///

7 Tips For A Stress Free Gluten-Free Christmas

Hey, everyone! Christmas is just around the corner and I'm super excited! With my gift shopping complete, I am working on a menu for our holiday dinner. If you are worried about hosting a meal for your loved ones, have no fear! I've put together a few tips to help keep you calm and on track. 
Remember to read all labels and when in doubt, go without.

Look No Further For a Great Gluten-Free Lip Balm

Did you know that eos lip balm spheres are gluten-free?! 

These adorable little gems are also free of:
paraben 
petrolatum
and
phthalate

Evolution of Smooth, aka eos, is top notch if you ask me! I'm ordering this eos Limited Edition Lip Balm Trio. It comes with DIY Decorative Jeweled Stickers which I can't wait to play around with. Sometimes you just gotta treat yourself!

Can't find these in a store near you? Visit well.ca to get your hands on this set before it sells out.

Let's Talk About Bread

Gluten-free bread has come a long way since I had my first slice, over ten years ago. No longer does it require cringing and toasting. Better yet, gone are the days of tasteless crumbs. Unfortunately, gluten-free bread continues to be haunted by its cardboard-like predecessor.

I know what you're thinking - there is no comparing gluten-free bread to the soft lusciousness of "regular" bread. To put it simply, you're right. Gluten-free bread will never be exactly like its wheat-filled counterpart because well, science. What I can tell you, is that although there will always be room for improvement, the overall taste, quality and texture has improved immensely!

Let's talk about some of the fantastic gluten-free bread options available across Canada.

All But Gluten

Canyon Bakehouse 

Compliments (Sobeys store brand)

Genius by Glutino

Gluten Zero

Kinnikinnick Soft Breads 

Promise Gluten Free

Rudis

Schar

Udis

I have had the opportunity to try all of the above brands over the years. While they are all good in my opinion, some are more easily found than others. Also worth noting, prices vary widely. No longer do you have to pay $6.99+ for gluten-free bread!

Kinnikinnick is tops in my book! No toasting necessary and it holds up pretty darn well. Promise Gluten Free is a staple in my home for hamburger buns and chicken sandwiches. All But Gluten offers wonderful buns as well. The Compliments brand via Sobeys is pretty impressive as well. They make really great rolls that can be used for hot dogs and subs.

Canyon Bakehouse is a recent addition to stores in my area and I am enjoying their products thus far. I would like to see Schar and Rudis more widely available. As they are so difficult to obtain, I don't get to enjoy them often and that really bums me out.

Remember that it's okay to have a preference that differs from other gluten-free bread eaters out there. We all have individual pallets and likes. While one brand may be great toasted, it may miss the mark for sandwich making. Gluten-free bread also varies in size for a variety of reasons, mostly likely due to varied ingredients. 

The gluten-free bread industry is massive and full of competition. I'm confident that future innovations will hold impressive improvements! I'm always on the hunt for new and great gluten-free products so I can't wait to see what the future has to offer!

What are some of YOUR favourite gluten-free bread's?! Let me know in the comments below.

Cinnamon-Sugar Lasagne Crisps {Catelli® Reinvent Gluten Free Lasagne Challenge}

Who says you can't have lasagne for dessert? I created the recipe Cinnamon-Sugar Lasagne Crisps as part of a Catelli Blogger Challenge. The challenge is to create an original recipe which reinvents lasagne and celebrate the launch of Catelli Gluten Free Lasagne.


I had a ton of fun developing this recipe and I am thrilled with how it turned out. It's clear my family must be too- because they devoured the Cinnamon Sugar Lasagne Crisps! Served warm, these are a delightful and cozy little snack. I can't wait to make more!

About Catelli Gluten Free Pasta

• Produced in a dedicated gluten-free facility
• Certified by the Canadian Celiac Association's Gluten-Free Certification Program
• GMO Free
• Cholesterol and preservative free
• Low in sodium
• Oven ready (no need to boil noodles)

Catelli Gluten Free Lasagne is the sixth cut of pasta to be featured in the Catelli Gluten Free Pasta line. The line also includes Penne, Fusilli, Macaroni, Spaghetti and recently introduced Linguine


You know I love sharing giveaways with you guys right? 


Catelli is giving away one case (12 boxes) of their gluten free lasagne to a lucky Gluten Free Doll reader! 




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Keep scrolling for the Cinnamon-Sugar Lasagne Crisps recipe

Cinnamon Sugar Lasagne Crisps 

Ingredients  
1 box Catelli Gluten-Free Lasagne
1 pinch of salt 
vegetable oil  
1 cup cinnamon sugar  

Instructions 
1. Fill large pot with water and a pinch of salt. Place on med/high heat and bring to boil 
2. Break lasagne noodles into halves  
3. Place noodles in water once it has reached a roaring boil 
4. Boil for about 7-9 minutes, stirring occasionally 
5. Remove noodles from water and place on parchment paper 
6. Let noodles dry for about 30 minutes 
7. Once noodles are no longer soaking wet,  add about 2 inches of oil to a large pot and set to med/high heat 
8. Oil is ready for frying when a small cube of gluten-free bread browns in 60 seconds
9. Place noodles in oil, a few at a time to prevent crowding 
10. Fry until noodles are golden brown then remove from oil and place on parchment paper 
11. Dust  noodles with liberal coating cinnamon sugar 
12. Serve warm with frosting  

Frosting Ingredients  
2 cups icing sugar 
2 tablespoons milk 
¼ cup cream cheese 
1 tablespoon butter 
½ teaspoon vanilla  

Instructions 
1. Place 2 cups of icing sugar in mixing bowl
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add to icing sugar, along with 2 tablespoons of milk and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. 
3. Melt ¼ cup of cream cheese and add to mixture 
4. Whisk ingredients until they develop a smooth and creamy consistency 

Kid Friendly Game Day Snacks

Fall is finally upon us. This means that both NHL and NFL fans everywhere are excited and cheering for their favourite teams.

Hockey fans and football fans have a couple of things in common:

1 . They are passionate about their favourite sport

2 . Game day goes hand in hand with awesome food

The most talked about tailgating dishes tend to be on the not so healthy end of things. Tasty? Sure! Great idea every game? Not so much. I've come up with three game day snacks that are yummy, fun to eat, easy to make and KID Friendly!

For this snack, you will need:

Apples
Vanilla Yogurt
Honey
Chia Seeds
Cinnamon Sugar

• Wash, peel and core the apple
• Cut the apple into french fry style wedges
• Toss apple wedges in cinnamon sugar
• Mix vanilla yogurt with honey and chia seeds

Now it's time to dip the wedges into the honey chia yogurt mixture and enjoy!

For this snack, you will need:

Gluten-Free Wraps (I used Udi's)
Bananas
Peanut Butter
Nutella

• Microwave gluten-free wraps for about 20 seconds so they are pliable
• Cut wraps into one-inch strips
• Slice bananas so they are an inch wide
• Spread peanut butter on some strips & Nutella on the remaining ones
• Place banana on wrap and roll up until wrap is secure

Plate and eat!

For this snack, you will need:

Grapes 
Kielbasa
Cheese 

• Wash grapes
• Cut kielbasa and cheese into bite-sized cubes
• Place items on skewers

Voila! You have a quick and healthy snack!

What are some of YOUR go-to game day snacks?

Feast - Gluten-Free, Done Right

I need to share with you guys a fantastic shop in Toronto. It's called Feast and boy, is it heavenly! A friend of my husband's suggested the shop to him a while ago. Unfortunately, we don't visit the city much due to the travel distance. We did, however, see a Blue Jays game recently. This gave us the opportunity to visit Feast!


The first thing I noticed when we got to Feast  was the sign out front. The inside of the shop is cozy and cute. What's super cool is that the owners have done a stellar job creating a cafe which doubles as a pantry shop.

Feast isn't your average everyday store. It's top eight allergy friendly fine food. The owners have strict allergen standards in place to ensure safety. They create a lot of food in house, as you can tell by the awesomeness that is below. Just look at those gluten-free Pocket Pies!

Gluten-Free Donuts. Need I say more?

I went for the "Tripple Chocolate Donut" which retails for $3.50 and it was divine! I would compare it to the awesomeness that is Erin Mckenna's Bakery (formerly Babycakes) in Disney Springs, Orlando. The donut is epic so make sure to try this light and delicious piece of heaven!

I did some pantry shopping as well. One of the many items I bought was this Spice Market gem. Three 5 inch mini pizza crusts for $5.00. Taste, texture and all sorts of goodness in this product!

Check out that sweet little sit-down spot inside. Perfect for enjoying a Pocket Pie and Salad.

Feast is located at 881 Queen Street W. Toronto, ON.

Can't make it to Toronto but want to check out the goods? No problem! Items can be shipped across Canada. Simply visit their online shopping catalogue and you can order all sorts of gluten-free products.


They have also teamed up with Hurrier to deliver Feast made products to addresses within a 3km radius. Items will be at your door in an hour.



Check em out online and send some gluten-free love!

Feast Facebook

Twitter: @thisisafeast

Feast Instagram