Gluten Free Grocery Shopping Makes My Head Spin

Sometimes (okay, more often then not) I wander through some serious mental dilemma when I'm grocery shopping for my Gluten Free pantry. I get this "what if" anxiety. It goes a little like this...

If I love this product, will I ever get to see it again?

What if it tastes great and then the manufacturer tweaks the recipe, in turn ruining said great product?

If I take a chance and stock up on a new product, what are the odds that I will not like it?

What if my local grocery stores stop carrying something that I buy regularly?

Does this have Oates in it? I can't tolerate Gluten Free Oates. They make me very ill and seeing them in more GF products frustrates me. 

Will the price increase if word gets out that this item is awesome? You know, just because it can happen.

Do I actually need this? Or am I buying it just because it's new and Gluten Free?

How often will this item be on sale? Maybe I should buy a lot and then play tetris with my freezer to make it all fit.

What if said item is only ever on sale once? I've seen this happen.

WHEN will the rest of Betty Crocker's Gluten Free line fill Canadian shelves? Population density baloney or not, we have the NEED and desire to purchase it! FYI they are manufactured in Canada. Yep.

Why do Organic / Natural  labelled non GF products always get shelved with my beloved Gluten Free items? 


Will I use this product before it expires? In my experience, the expiry dates are extremely varied.

BlueWater Seafoods Review and Giveaway

I was approached by BlueWater Seafoods and asked if I would like to review one of their Gluten Free products. After thinking about it, I said yes and was sent a very useful sling bag and a free product coupon to redeem for one of their Gluten Free items.

I chose to take on this review because I feel that BlueWater Seafoods truly wants and values my honest opinion. To me, that is VERY important.

I chose to try the Haddock Classic Grill. 

Out of the box

Ever hear the phrase "don't judge a book by it's cover"? Well we have a case of that here.  Upon opening the box, you are presented with two packaged fillets that leave a lot to the imagination. 

Frozen food is not pretty. It's convenient.

I followed the instructions for oven use. If anyone is brave enough to try the microwave route, please let me know how that goes for you. 

In the oven

Being Celiac, its hard to find fish that you can just pop in the  oven and eat. Almost everything is breaded *cringes* in wheat. I had not explored eating fresh fish very much as all that pin boning and prep scares me to be honest.




I have to say that I am really impressed with the Gluten Free indication on the top right corner of the box! If more companies took little steps like this, my grocery shopping time would be cut in half. 



BlueWater Seafoods  participates in the Trusted Catch program.

"BlueWater is committed to protecting and enhancing the sustainability of seafood resources and is working actively to support this under our Trusted Catch program. Trusted Catch encompasses all of our sustainability initiatives, from sustainable seafood sourcing to other green efforts including a more efficient plant and distribution network.

Regardless of where our seafood is caught and processed, BlueWater uses the same strict, rigorous quality control processes to ensure that we provide you with the safest, most wholesome and delicious seafood products on the market – not only for today, but for generations to come."

Eighteen minutes after oven entry (oven temperatures vary) dinner was ready. What a transformation! The frozen brick turned into a beautifully cooked piece of fish. My first impressions of this fish were boldly changed upon taste. It was moist and flavorful. Usually, I'm the first person at the table to add a sauce or a dip to what I am eating. Not this time though. The seasoning really enhanced the flavor of the fish without overpowering it. No need for anything extra here.

The verdict? Pretty sure that I will by this product again as it is very simple to make and the price point of $4.99 per box is not overkill. I like that this is something  I can make for myself on a busy night, without a hassle. Since I only cooked the one piece of fish, I am eager to try out a recipe from the BlueWater website with the next piece.

Finished baking

Don't forget to visit the BlueWater Seafoods website and make sure you check out their  awesome Gluten Free recipe section.

Dinner!

The great folks of BlueWater Seafoods have supplied me with THREE prize packs to host a give away with.

 Each prize pack consists of

• A Free Product Coupon to sample a Bluewater Seafood product of your choosing
• A BlueWater Sling Bag

To enter the contest, follow the Rafflecopter instructions below. Good luck everyone! :)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Product Review: President's Choice Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

Presidents Choice deserves a well earned shout out for their Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins. I actually don't (although I should) cringe at paying $5.99 for these gems. They are that good! To top it all off , they are sold fresh, not frozen! This makes for a positive change from all of the freezer burnt Gluten Free muffins out there.

I have to say that these muffins have become a staple in my pantry. They are my go to snack when I'm on the run, want a quick breakfast or even a late night snack. You will notice that they are a great size and do not fall into the everything Gluten Free must be miniature to it's counterpart trap. 

Highlights

• Moist 
• Perfect amount of blueberries 
• Great size 
• Texture is soft and light
•  Fresh tasting, not frozen
• It does not fall apart after one bite
• No need to chase each bite with a drink

If you have not tried these yet, I recommend that you give Presidents Choice Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins a go. If you have tried them, let me know what you think.

The Gluten Free Differences Between Us

I'm so very tired of people fussing over "unhealthy" Gluten Free products. 

Instead of complaining,  chastising and pitching a fit, why not be thankful for the Gluten Free options out there. If we don't like what is available, then it is up to us as a community to be active and let the manufacturers know what we want. There is no need to blast someone who gets excited over a new Gluten Free product that does not fit into everyone's vision of what is an acceptable food choice.

We DO need to see a healthier selection of Gluten Free products on the market. But that does not mean that I wish to forgo my chocolate chip cookies. And no I'm not endorsing Diabetes.

Moderation is a key ingredient that people often forget about. There is nothing wrong with a snack in conjunction with a well balanced diet.


Being Gluten Free does not mean we follow the same food pyramid if you will. We are all different and for different reasons. 

Vegan
Vegetarian
Paleo
Sugar Free
Lactose Free
Dairy Free

The beat goes on....


We need to respect each other and be understanding. I would never look down on someone for eating something that I avoid. In fact, I am curious by nature so I would probably want to learn more. That doesn't mean that I would jump on board but it does mean that I would not be judgmental. 

Sometimes I just want to enjoy my overpriced Gluten Free cookie without being judged. 

That is all.

Presidents Choice Gluten Free Banana Loaf - Review

PC Gluten Free Banana Loaf

I bought this product having no expectations at all. Horrible of me, I know. It's hard to get excited for a new product sometimes. Why? Well, because what if it sucks? Or what if I love it and can never find it again? Both  situations have happened to me on many an occasion. So I went into this with a we'll see kind of attitude.

Price: 5.99

While not outrageously high for a Gluten Free product, I must say that I am slightly disappointed with the price point. Presidents Choice is a very large company with a lot of pull. I guess I was expecting them to have a more competitively priced Gluten Free line. 

To my delight and surprise, I loved it! The Banana Loaf is sweet, but not too sweet. It is light, moist and and fluffy. The loaf is great with a dab of butter or on its own. 

I pre sliced the loaf and placed it back in the resealable container that it came in. This made for a quick and easy snack on demand.


You can purchase PC Gluten Free products at stores under the Loblaws banner such as No Frills, RCSS and Extra Foods. Items can vary by location. To find a store near you, use the PC Store Finder

I'm Not A Trend Or Fad. I'm Celiac

I logged into Twitter today and saw this beauty care of Gluten Dude

Ryan Seacrest, you sir have made a mad woman of me.


In no way do I own Gluten Free, but when people throw the term around like they are about to endure some sort of miracle procedure, it makes me LIVID. I have a private temper tantrum in my head, feet stomping and colorful words included.

Why do Ryan Seacrest and the other fadsters get me so agitated when they "try" gluten free? Well for one, there is no try for Celiac's  It is what it is and we must maintain a STRICT Gluten Free diet. We can't just decide to live on the wild side and indulge a little bit. It's more serious than these people care to understand.

Because this "star" with 8,528,668 Twitter followers has decided to try Gluten Free for half a second, he has inadvertently set the ball rolling backwards for us by  hindering any progress that has been made in regards to understanding and safety. Thanks man!

 Did he even end up trying anything Gluten Free? Most likely not.Well, maybe he had a sip of water.

Its moments like this that make eating at a restaurant so freaking risky! Perhaps I Am presented with the waitress who apparently "gets it" because shes avoiding wheat for her figure. Or what about the Chef that has had one too many people order a Gluten Free meal and then request a side of bread? Danger.

What Ryan Seacrest probably doesn't know is that a Gluten Free diet is higher in fat and lower in fiber.On its own it is simply unhealthy. Period. There needs to be a variety of fruit and vegetables along with minimal sugary treats and carbs in any "diet".Yes Ryan Seacrest, even Gluten Free has carbs.

The Gluten Free club, is something I don't want to belong to. It chose me. I'm the one who gets to deal with the nasty and extremely painful side effects of cross contamination or misrepresentation on a label. Mr. Seacrest doesn't understand that.

Food is social. Don't make it harder for me. I'm not a trend or fad. I'm Celiac.

Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe

 Dinner in Frontier Land

To our surprise, this area was packed. Bottlenecked, jammed, crazy. You name it. This was the only area of Magic Kingdom where we experienced any sort of congestion. I still don't know why, as we did not stay long enough after eating to find out.

Pecos Bills is a big quick service restaurant. Lots of seating and lots of people. A downside here is that when it's busy, us special order peeps are really in the way. We had to stand next to the cashier and wait for the chef while having the regular order people try to squeeze by us to place their orders.

After what seemed to be forever, the Chef came out and took our orders.

Not much Gluten Free here. I ordered nachos with ground beef  and cheese. Not very Disney yum in my opinion. Desert was the amazing "OMG It's Gluten Free Fudge Brownie". My mom ordered a chicken salad (no dressing) which came with a side of corn on the cob and no desert.


This was the only time we ever ran into a slightly frazzled Chef. Maybe even annoyed. When he came out to take our order, he didn't really have that Disney joy. I felt like a bother to him and he really did not seem interested in offering us anything other than what ended up ordering.


After taking our orders, the Chef gave us a pager to take back to our table with us. For those unfamiliar, pagers are given to those who order food with special dietary requests or other types of food that takes longer to prepare. Instead of hanging around the line, you are free to take the pager to a table and wait. When it buzzes that means it's time to go meet the chef to receive the order.

The wait was around 20 minutes for our food.

After giving me my order, the Chef pointed out the condiment bar for toppings. I had to quickly tell him that it was not a safe option for me. I didn't feel like waiting another 20 minutes for condiments so  I just asked him to grab me some safe grated cheese from the kitchen.


All in all, it was filling, fresh and tasted okay. Just so very plain. I would have preferred to have more toppings for my nachos ie salsa or sour cream, as just beef and cheese makes it a bit dry. I don't think I would go back here in the future. There far better options around the park, which are also less chaotic.

Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe

After being in the park since the wee hours of the morning, we decided to hit up Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe around 11:30 am. This turned out to be a stellar lunch choice. Barely anyone was there! It was great to sit down and enjoy the atmosphere without feeling rushed. This is a very big place so I imagine that when it gets busy, it also gets quite loud as well.

We really loved the entertainment of Sonny Eclipse! In case you are not familiar with him, he is a Jazz singer from somewhere far away in the galaxy. Sonny's shows are about a half an hour long and he even cracks some funny jokes between songs.

The set up of Cosmic Ray's takes a moment or two to grasp. There are 3 "Bays" from which you can place your order. Each bay has its very own menu, line ups, and cash registers.


Bay 1 : Chicken and Pork
Bay 2 : Burgers and Hot Dogs
Bay 3 : Sandwiches, Wraps, Soups


Make sure you are at the Bay you want as they will not make you anything that is offered at the alternate Bays. I suggest anyone who will be eating here with children, scope out the menu beforehand (online before you get to the park) and go in with a plan.

 We ordered from the Burger Bay. As per Disney protocol, we advised the cashier that we would need to order Gluten Free. Within minutes a super bubbly and charming manager came by to take our order. It's a good thing it was not busy as we had to wait at the Burger Bay for our order. Thankfully it was only about a ten-minute wait.

Also worth noting,Cosmic rays has the infamous condiment station that has been known to produce a salad or two. Thankfully they also carry packets of Ketchup, Mayo ect.. which have the ingredients listed right on them.

 Both my mom and I ordered bacon cheeseburgers with a side or fries and an Enjoy Life cookie for dessert. Holy yum batman! I'm not sure what brand of Gluten-Free buns Disney uses, but they were soft and could not be more perfect. The burger itself was a welcome treat as well. The meat patty was nice and thin, quite the decent change from the ones I'm used to buying in the grocery store. I saved my cookie for later on in the day. When I got to it, I was so impressed that I was actually a bit sad. Why? Well, because I was hooked and we don't have these cookies at home.