Say hello to...Gluten-free Passport.

Traveling with celiacs can be a pain, and most people hesitate to venture out of their home, let alone out of the country. Gluten-free passport strives to make the gluten-free lifestyle known worldwide. Their goal is to educate businesses on special dietary needs as well as give individuals who are on gluten-free diets the opportunity to eat outside of their home. Their website provides current gf research trends, a list of restaurants with gf menus, gf cuisine passport books for countries around the world, as well as many useful traveling tips. It's worth checking out!

Say hello to...Origins liquid lip color.

Although I prefer to stick to cosmetic companies that label their makeup as gluten-free and provide a whole line of gluten-free makeup, I have to say that I just might continue to purchase Origins Liquid Lip Color. My friend recently bought me one as a gift, thinking that it definitely wouldn't have gluten in it. I contacted the company, and sure enough it doesn't contain any gluten. I have since used it and love the way it looks and smells. It has some kind of mentholeum ingredient in it that feels great on the lips. Rather than using gluten in the ingredients they use oryza sativa (rice) germ oil and glycine soja (soybean) oil.

Say hello to...snickerdoodle cookies.

I can't say I've ever enjoyed soft gluten-free cookies out of a box...that is until my friend introduced me to 'Enjoy Life' snickerdoodle cookies. I had a hard time believing her when she said these cookies were amazing, but...they REALLY are! If you're living in Canada you can buy them at London Drugs. I actually remember seeing them when I was in Canada last year, but simply passed them thinking they probably weren't really THAT soft. You can also purchase them online at the Gluten Free Mall. Try them for yourself, you'll be surprised!

Say hello to...gluten-free blogs & news.

Nowadays we can access all kinds of gf information on the internet. When I was a child, my mother had to make everything from scratch. She shopped mostly at health food stores and only bought whole foods. It was much more difficult then for people to live on a gf diet. Now we have gf labeled foods, health foods stores with gf foods, even grocery stores now carry gf foods, and the internet provides us with never ending resources. I recently stumbled upon the website, 'Sure Talent Books,' which provides countless gf recipes and the latest gf books. It also has a section on the latest gf news and gf blogs. You'll be sure to find some great recipes or news there.

Say hello to...gluten-free crepes.

Before I went on a gluten-free diet, I would often enjoy my dad's AMAZING crepes. They were light, tasty, filled with protein, and great to pack-up for a snack at work. Since I've changed my diet, my dad has tweeked the recipe to fit my dietary needs. Here it is:

Ingredients

4-6 eggs

250ml cottage cheese

1 tsp McCormick vanilla extract

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup milk/almond milk/soy milk

1 cup of rice flour/gf oat flour/gf flour mix (without xantham gum)

1. Spray light oil coating on pan. Preheat pan on medium heat.

2. In a blender combine eggs, cottage cheese, vanilla extract, oil, milk, and flour.

3. Make sure mixture is blended well and slowly pour mixture into pan. Use the handle to turn the pan, spreading the mixture around. Once edges are brown, turn to the other side.

4. Mix a little sugar with some fresh fruit and serve with the crepes.

*Add a little sugar for dessert crepes.

Voila!

Say hello to...Orgran Animal Cookies.

If you haven't yet tried Orgran Animal Cookies, you definitely should soon! They come in both vanilla and chocolate flavours. Normally I like vanilla better, but these cookies taste even better in chocolate. I originally discovered these cookies, as well as Orgran brand, when I was on holidays in Australia. I didn't quiet like the gravy, but they have fantastic crispi-bites crackers too. You can buy them online or simply check them out online at the Gluten Free Mall. They're a nice light snack that can easily fit in your purse when you have a long day. Be careful not to eat them all in one sitting ;)

Say hello to...Entrolab.

After living what I 'thought' was a gluten-free diet but still wasn't feeling good, I asked my doctor if I could get tested for celiacs. She told me that I needed to eat gluten for atleast 3 weeks before I could take the test. After 1 day of eating gluten I felt awful and thought that there MUST be another option. Most people would probably just accept that they 'most likely' had a gluten intolerance or celiacs, but I really wanted a definite answer. Recently I discovered Entrolab, which does testing on people like myself. I was very happy to know that there is a legit company like this out there. Although I still haven't been tested, I'm glad I have the option now.

Say hello to...Sun-Rype Fruit Source.

I'm usually always on the go and am always happy to find a good snack to stuff in my purse.

Sun-Rype Fruit Source bars are 100% fruit and great for a quick bite on the go! Sun-Rype uses no added sugar, no artificial flavours, and no artificial colours. The company recently notified me that, "There is NO gluten in our fruit snack or juice products; and, during processing our products do not come in contact with any ingredients or products containing gluten." If you really enjoy them, buy a bulk pack at Costco at a lower cost. Enjoy :)

Say hello to...Natural Solutions.

Natural Solutions is a great company that provides natural and organic alternatives for skin and beauty products. The naturally made products are certified organic, pesticide and herbicide free, paraben-free, no-animal testing, and samples are available at a decent price. Not all products are gluten-free, but there is a wide selection of products that are. The products that are gluten-free are listed under each product along with a complete ingredients list. Not only are these products good for your skin and the environment, but they also feel great on the skin. Check out their products.

Say hello to...apple crumble.

My favorite dessert of the month has been apple crumble :) I don't have a variety of gf flours to choose from here in Seoul, so this recipe is as simple as it can get. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.


Apple mixture:
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
dash of salt
4 apples


1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl.
3. Slowly add sliced apples and toss gently until completely coated. Set aside.


Crumble mixture:
1/3 cup margarine or butter
1 cup gf flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar


1. Melt margarine and add sugar. Mix until dissolved.
2. Stir in rice flour until mixture forms clumps. You may need to add a bit more rice flour until you get the right crumbly texture.
3. Sprinkle crumble mixture over apples.
4. Place in oven for 25-30min, checking a couple times in case apples stick to the side.
5. Let cool. Serve with Purely Decadent ice cream :)

Say hello to...gluten-free at Starbucks.

In case you haven't heard, Starbucks wants input from gluten-free customers in the hopes to provide them with some gf options in the near future. Since I am a loyal coffee drinker and tend to find myself in Starbucks often, this would be a huge benefit. The following article has all the details:

Sunday January 11, 2009
Starbucks might soon be offering its customers more gluten-free options, and in fact the company says it’s already “doing some operational testing” of this idea in a few cities. On the Ideas in Action blog on the Starbucks website, the Starbucks Food Team writes, “Before we continue moving forward, we would love some feedback from you about what you want to see in gluten-free offerings.”
Here are their questions. Visit the Starbucks site to give them your feedback.
What specific gluten-free products would you like to see in our stores?
Would you prefer to see it individually packaged or unpackaged?
How would you like to learn we have gluten-free products? For example, would you like to see it on a sign or would you prefer the barista tell you?
Where would you like to see gluten-free products in the store; in the pastry case or placed elsewhere?
The ingredient costs of gluten-free products tend to be higher, so would you understand if we charged more for the gluten-free version?

http://celiacdisease.about.com/b/2009/01/11/starbucks-wants-input-from-gluten-free-customers.htm

Say hello to...Purely Decadent ice cream.

The same friends of mine who recently left Korea introduced me to this AMAZING gf and dairy free ice cream; Purely Decadent. It is made from soy, comes in many flavors, and the taste melts in your mouth. The vanilla flavor tastes fantastic with apple crisp. It's a must try!