It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

Oh hey there. I'm in a bus, blogging on the run today thanks to my uber-busy schedule. 
Impending finals and holiday shopping stress have left me feeling kind of stabby. I have been told many times, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all," so I have no post for you this week. If there's anything you'd like to see me address on the blog, let me know. Maybe I'll write a post. Maybe I won't. Only way to find out is to submit a topic.

Going Gluten-Free at Sporting/Concert Venues

There's been a recent uptick in the number of concerts and sporting events I'm attending, which means I've spent more time than usual at arenas. Unfortunately, arenas are rarely good settings for gluten-free fare. 


As always, what you can eat depends on the willingness of the staff to accommodate you and your judgment of if you think said staff will be able to get it right. Be attentive. Don't be afraid to ask questions. But if you know you're going to have a lot of questions, I recommend waiting to search for food until lines die down. The last thing you need are a bunch of rabid sports fans upset with you because you stand between them and their beer and hot dog. 


So with the usual caveats about being careful, I recommend seeing if the concession stand can give you a 100% beef hotdog without a bun. No fillers = no problem! Explain that you have an allergy, aka that they can't just peel a lukewarm dog out of a bun -- it has to be a clean dog. They're usually able to wrap a naked dog in foil and send you on your way. If they don't have plastic forks and knives for you to use to devour with your dog, feel free to wander around to other stands. I've had to rely on spoons before from ice cream stands, but it isn't like I was cutting real meat. Or you could be manly and just eat the dog with your bare hands. I've done that before, too. Note that the "manly" option is not particularly attractive on dates. ...Unless you can eat a hotdog seductively in a stadium full of people? I dunno. Don't try it. Just eat your damn dog. 


Aside from the bunless-wonders, there isn't much for glutards to eat at typical arenas. Some arenas will offer higher-end concession options like salads, chicken sandwiches, or ice cream, which may or may not be glutard friendly or adaptable. If they have fries, you could ask if they're cooked in the same oil as chicken strips, onion rings, etc. You could also ask about the nachos, but be warned that nachos are a real heartbreaker. If the squirty nacho cheese is safe, then the chips will be unsafe; if the chips are safe, then further inspection will reveal that the cheese is not. Hopes raised; hopes dashed. Maybe you'll have better luck than I've had, though. Hopes raised! 


Otherwise you can drink a ton of soda and hope that fills you up. Spoiler alert: It probably won't. Or, and I am NOT advocating for this, you could try to stealthily sneak in a snack. This is probably against the rules, so don't do it unless you know the venue allows it. Or, even better, you could try to eat beforehand. Fill yourself up so you can sport out/rock out without having to worry about concession stand food. This last option gives you the extra advantage of not having to miss any of the game/concert waiting in line or reading ingredient lists. 


Game on!

Gluten-Free Chocolate-Covered Cherry Holiday Cookies!

I'm in the holiday spirit already, folks. It doesn't usually get me this early, but there's something special about being in love around the holidays. ...You can barf now if you need to. I still haven't found a great recipe for gluten-free sugar cookies, so today I am sharing a new favorite recipe from my mom to kick off the holiday treat season!

Gluten-Free Chocolate-Covered Cherry Holiday Cookies!

1 1/2 cups flour (I like Gluten Free Pantry's all-purpose flour blend)
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

10 oz jar maraschino cherries, drained (reserve juice)

1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk


Mix the first chunk of ingredients into a dough. Shape dough into 1" balls and place on cookie sheet. Press down center with thumb & place cherry in the center of each cookie. 

In a small saucepan, combine chocolate chips & sweetened condensed milk. Melt together over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in 4 tbsp of the reserved cherry juice. Spoon about 1 tbsp of this frosting-like mixture over each cherry to cover cherry. If the frosting is too thick, you can thin it out with more cherry juice. 


Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 min or until done.


Enjoy!!

Turkey Leftovers?

If you, like I, have about 12 pounds of turkey in your refrigerator, consider converting your leftovers into one of my two favorite day-after-Thanksgiving-meals:


(1) open-faced hot turkey sandwiches with gravy and cold cranberry


or 


(2) jambalaya

(1) is possibly my favorite meal of the year. Hot, juicy, satisfying. But one does not really need to eat 24-36 leftover turkey sandwiches. One will probably get sick of them. Plus, one does not want to go bankrupt purchasing gluten-free bread or rolls. Enter (2). 


(2) will blow one's mind. Yesterday, one had a tame little turkey that tasted like holidays. Today, that turkey has reincarnated as spicy, sassy, cajun turkey. The newly-saucy turkey (think Sandy from Grease) mingles with some hot sausage (Danny Zuko, naturally) in this reboot of a classic holiday tradition. This jambalaya recipe makes about 187 pounds, so either invite everyone over for Thanksgiving The Sequel: Friendsgiving or prepare your stomach/freezer for 24-36 servings of jambalaya. 


Either way, you won't be sorry. :)




PS: Every time I type "jambalaya" today, it comes out "jambalamba." I blame the tryptophan. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just like every other day, I am thankful for the many wonderful people in my life and all of the amazing opportunities I've had thus far. But tomorrow I get to be thankful and share a meal with a subset of my favorite people. YUM! I have discretely sewn elastic into the waistband of my jeans, so I am ready. Bring on the food, family, and friends!


Here are some of my favorite alternatives to glutenous Thanksgiving dishes:
Quinoa Stuffing with Leeks, Walnuts, and Cherries. Quinoa is great, duh! Your traditional relatives may be suspicious, but encourage them to try it! Subbing in dried cranberries instead of cherries is a way to make this more consistent with the traditional cranberry-infused fare. Also, you can easily make this vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.


Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gluten Free Crumb Crust. Ok, so this simple recipe isn't gluten-free, but it is easily modifiable. To make it friendly for us, I recommend making your own crust using 1.5 cups of crumbled Kinnikinnick's gluten free graham crackers or Trader Joe's gluten free ginger snaps mixed with 6 tbsp butter. The filling should be gluten free anyway, but be sure to check your labels!


You can make a mean gravy by using corn starch instead of regular flour as a thickener. 


Leftover turkey? Make a mean open-faced turkey and gravy sandwich on some slices of Udi's gluten free bread. 


Many other sides are either gluten free by nature (e.g., mashed potatoes) or can be modified (e.g., green bean casserole), so I hope everyone has a holiday full of happy eating! And if you're feeling generous and are able, consider making a donation to a food pantry or homeless shelter this holiday season. Everyone deserves a warm meal! 

This Has To Stop

I was getting ready to go to work this morning when I caught the end of a story about a 10 year old girl who committed suicide, possibly related to bullying. This is not an isolated incident. And we're not just talking about suicide. Bullying can also lead to violence. I just want to take a teeny bit of blog space to reiterate the message of the It Gets Better campaign and let y'all know that it doesn't only apply to LGBT bully-victims, but it is true for everyone. 


Social hierarchies are vicious. As a former bully-victim, I want everyone out there to know that it can get so much better. I was an ugly child, I was too skinny, I was a nerd who wore glasses, I dressed only for comfort, and my parents weren't sitting atop a pile of money. Kids noticed. I was teased pretty relentlessly throughout elementary school. But IT GOT BETTER. I am really grateful for those kids who were wise beyond their years and didn't just hop on the bullying bandwagon. I am also extremely grateful for my parents, who from a very early age told me that some people are just assholes, and that I shouldn't take their shit to heart. You, too, are important and can do or be anything you want to be -- anyone who thinks otherwise can 'take a flying ride on a rolling donut,' as my dad would say. I'm still too skinny, I am still a nerd who wears glasses, I still primarily dress for comfort, and no one in my family is sitting atop a pile of money yet. But I've managed to build a life surrounded by people who don't care about that stuff -- they care about me.   


If it doesn't get better on its own, you can make it better. Talk to your parents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, teachers, sympathetic classmates, counselors -- anyone you trust. Find the people who support you and spend your time with them. Be strong. Know that you are not alone. Lots of us endure bullshit, and you, too, can come out on the other end with the power to break the chain. And remember, the minute you graduate, you can move. You'll be mobile enough to find the people who are mature and secure enough to accept you for who you are. Because we're out here and we're rooting for you! 

Aack! Aack! It's a Busy Bee

I didn't forget about you. I've just been traveling. And working. And night-working. And studying. You're getting this post a day early because I also have a friend coming to town tomorrow and more friends arriving later in the week. Because of that, this is going to function as both last week's and this week's post. 


Being a glutard on a busy schedule can be hard since there aren't nearly as many convenience options available for people following gluten-free diets. The options that are available tend to be expensive and I tend to feel guilty after a few days worth of Amy's/Trader Joe's finest glutard-friendly frozen meals and grocery store sushi. 


After chasing a lunch of grocery store sushi with my 25th consecutive dinner of poor-itos, I realized that I really ought to get better about feeding myself. Normally, I cook a big, well-balanced meal on Sunday and that is enough to cover lunch or dinner for half of the week. I supplement that meal by picking up simple things for the other meals, including salad fixings or sandwich materials. Between traveling, work, and housework, however, I haven't had time to cook anything, and there definitely hasn't been time to plan meals. I could eat pasta or stir fry, but those are not inspiring me. I could eat a bowl of broccoli, but that also isn't particularly inspiring. I could go to Wendy's or Chipotle, but I've been keeping odd hours. So how will I feed myself???


Here's my plan. I haven't field-tested it, so I don't know if it will work. This will be exciting, like an experiment or an adventure! We'll get some new data and analyze it and have some new tidbit of information that will teach us more about how to successfully feed me! 


The Plan:


...


I lied. I don't have a plan. I have nothing to test (and nothing to eat!). Sometimes I don't have energy to divert to cooking and I end up eating bowls of microwaved broccoli for dinner. Anyone want to come over and cook me dinner??? Anyone have any ideas for QUICK gluten-free meals that require little in the way of prep or ingredients? Please feel free to drop suggestions in the comments.