Say goodbye to...Quaker Mini Rice Cakes.

Many of you may already be aware of this, but Quaker Mini Rice Cakes are no longer listed as gluten-free products. I've also been informed that all of their large rice cakes except the Cracker Jack flavour are gluten-free. This update was sent on 9/19/9.

Say hello to...gluten-free Old Dutch products.

I'm not much of a potato chip person, but I'm sure they're lots of you out there ;) I regularly receive updates on gluten-free products from various companies. Here's a list of current gluten free products sent on 8/31/9 from Belinda Simms at Old Dutch:

Baked Crisps, Creamy Dill Crisps and Salt and Vinegar Crisps, Humpty Dumpty Cheese Sticks, Regular Potato Chips, Crunch Sea Salt & Malt Vinegar (Malt is simulated), BBQ Potato Chips, Crunch Mesquite BBQ, RipL Potato Chips, Rip-L Lightly Salted, Crunch Jalapeno and Cheddar, Rip-L Sour Cream and Green Onion, Rip-L Smokey BBQ Chips, Rip-L Creamy Dill, Rip-L Mexican Chili, Salt'n'Vinegar Potato Chips, Ketchup Potato Chips, Sour Cream'n'Onion Potato Chips, Crispy Bacon Chips, Arriba Nacho Cheese, Arriba Zesty Taco, Cheddar and Sour Cream Chips, Arriba Jalapeno & Cheddar, Onion & Garlic Potato Chips, All Dressed Potato Chips, Regular Corn Chips, Dill Pickle Potato Chips, BBQ Corn Chips, Restaurante Original Tortilla Chips, Bac’n Puffs, Restaurante Bite Size Tortilla Chips, Restaurante Deli Round Tortilla Chips, Restaurante Crispy Round Tortilla Chips, Restaurante Salsa Spoons Tortilla Chips, Restaurante Sea Salt & Hint of Lime Tortilla Chips, Cheese Pleesers, Popcorn Twists, Premium Cheese Flavoured Popcorn, White Cheddar Popcorn, Nacho Crunchys, Popcorn Twists, Restaurante Salsa (Mild & Medium).

Say hello to...easy chickpea salad.

I often soak and boil my own chickpea's on a Sunday so that I can toss some onto one of my packed lunch salads. It adds a nice variety and taste to an often plain salad. I had some in my fridge that I wanted to use up and decided to make a salad. I added some sliced leeks, sliced tomatoes, sliced celery, a few nuts, and drizzled it with my favorite balsamic mustard vinaigrette. It was a quick, easy, and tasteful salad to snack on or combine with a meal. It's a good way to get rid of vegetables in your fridge too ;)

Say hello to...gluten free Olive Garden Canada.

It looks like we can receive the gluten free menu in both Canada and the States :) The following message was sent to me from Olive Garden Canada:

Dear Janessa:

Thank you for your inquiry regarding menu items for Gluten Intolerant guests in Canada. Even though it is not listed on the website, Olive Gardens that are located in Canada should still offer the Gluten Free menu. We can recommend the following items with some adjustments. Let your server know you are interested in menu items especially for Gluten Intolerance. Your server will be happy to accommodate your request.

Salads:
~Garden Salad - order without croutons
~Caesar Salad - order without croutons

Entrees:
~Pennine Rigate with Marinara - marinara sauce made with a blend of tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and Italian herbs, served over a gluten-free penne pasta
~Steak Toscano - brushed with Italian herbs and served with grilled vegetables
~Herb-Grilled Salmon brushed with Italian herbs and extra-virgin olive oil accompanied by broccoli and grilled vegetables
~Mixed Grill - skewers of grilled steak and chicken marinated in Italian herbs and extra-virgin olive oil and served with broccoli and grilled vegetables. (please ask that it be served without the demi-glaze)
~Mixed Grill with Chicken only - skewers of chicken marinated in Italian herbs and extra-virgin olive oil and served with broccoli and grilled vegetables (please ask that it be served without the demi-glaze)
~Children's Grilled Chicken - grilled chicken breast served with broccoli and grilled vegetables.

Say hello to...gluten-free Olive Garden.

Who knew the Olive Garden would someday have gluten-free options on its menu? It's known mainly for it's pasta, right? They now offer their Garden Fresh Salad without croutons, Caesar Salad without croutons, Pennine Rigate with Marinara (using gf penne), Steak Toscano, Herb-Grilled Salmon, and Mixed Grill Skewers. It seems as though the gf menu is only offered in the U.S as the Canadian website doesn't list this menu. I have contacted Olive Garden Canada to enquire about this and will keep you posted ;)

Say hello to...Elana's Pantry.

I enjoy frequently checking Elana's Pantry for exquisite recipes. Since my mother's currently visiting me in Seoul, leaving me little time to blog, I've decided to direct you to 2 mouth-watering recipes; Creamy Avocado Dressing and Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies. The latter is in Elana's new, 'The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook' and was also recently published in Colorado Parent Magazine. Enjoy :)

Say hello to...Gluten-free magazines.

It's a bit difficult to purchase gluten-free magazines here in Asia, but thanks to the internet I'm able to see what's out there online. I decided to check a few of the magazines' websites out to see how many gf magazines are actually out there. Here's what I found:

- Gluten Free Living is dedicated entirely to the gluten-free lifestyle.

- Living Without deals with various allergies and intolerances.

- Natural Life Magazine provides articles on living gluten-free.

- Allergic Living provides information for celiacs.

- Easy Eats Gluten Free Mag gives recipes on eating gluten-free.

Have a favorite? Let me know so I can grab it the next time I get a chance ;)

Say hello to...Made In Nature Organic Raisins.

Finally, delicious, natural raisins, that are labelled allergen and gluten-free. No more worrying about whether raisins are brushed with wheat to prevent sticking in packages. What I love about Made In Nature Organic Raisins is they aren't covered in perservatives and sugar, thus giving a sugary feeling on your teeth. They taste fresh and delicious, especially mixed with nuts!

Say hello to...Larb Gai.

While in Thailand last month, this became one of my new favorite Thai dishes. It's usually quiet spicy in the restaurant, but you can adjust the chili taste when you make it at home. Like most thai dishes, it has an amazing blend of unique flavors.

Ingredients
1/2 cup/ 125ml of chicken stock
1 cup/ 150g minced chicken
2 tbsp lime juice
1-2 tbsp fish sauce (to taste)
1 tsp chili powder (to taste)
1 tsp sugar
pinch of salt
2 tbsp roasted, ground rice
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup spring onions, chopped
1/4 cup coriander leaves, chopped
1/4 cup mint leaves
5-10 small dried chilies (to taste)
1/4 head of cabbage

1. Bring chicken stock to a boil. Add minced chicken and simmer, stirring often, until tender. Be sure not to overcook, otherwise meat will be too tough. Remove from heat.
2. Season with lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, chili powder, and roasted rice.
3. Mix in shallots and spring onion with other herbs, toss gently.
4. Sprinkle with coriander leaves and dried chilies (I omit the dried chilies otherwise it's too spicy for me!).
5. Serve the chicken cupped inside the cabbage, like a wrap, or eat together with green beans, or rice.

Say hello to...London Drugs & Walmart.

You may be so used to going to health food stores to buy gf food, that you may not have realized how many mainstream stores actually carry gf products these days. When my friend came back to Korea from the States she bought me a bunch of gf goodies from Walmart. She said there was a whole section dedicated to gf foods...and for a good price! In Canada you can now purchase gf food at Safeway, Superstore, and London Drugs. While Safeway and Superstore carry Kinnikinnick amongst other brands, London Drugs carries Enjoy Life cookies and bars as well as Mary's Organic Crackers. Check out the stores nearest you.

Say hello to...a few of my favorite summer foods.

Well summer is almost gone, so be sure to enjoy your favorite summer fruits before the end of the month! Here's a few of my favorite foods that I enjoyed this past summer:

- sliced strawberries and yogurt for breakfast.
- banana bread for breakfast on-the-go.
- honey nut chex and yogurt.
- watermelon cubes for snacking between meals.
- tomato salad as an after work snack (to hold me over until dinner!).
- chickpea patties for a lazy leftover dinner.
- baked sweet potato cubes to pair with chicken or curry dishes.
- fragrant chicken for a last minute dinner invite.
- fresh herbs sprinkled over roasted potatoes.
- chicken salad with mustard balsamic olive oil dressing.
- snacking on raisins and almonds.
- baked apples and peaches for an evening snack.

Say hello to...Stevia.

Prior to leaving for Thailand in August, I had stumbled upon some recipes that called for liquid stevia. After reading about Stevia, I learned that it's low glycemic, low carbohydrate and is used as 40% of the sweetner market in Japan! In America it's currently classified as a dietary supplement and not a food additive. It comes in various forms, such as tea leaves, pure powder, and liquid drops. I recently purchased Now Foods' French Vanilla Stevia Extra Liquid to use in my coffee. It tastes great, like any other sweetner, but be careful to only add a little since it's 200 times sweeter than regular sugar! While in Thailand I found a wonderful store that sold all kinds of dried tea leaves from Thailand, including Stevia leaves. I love adding it to my peppermint tea for extra sweetness ;)

Say hello to...Giovanni Hair Products.

If you're into organic products and haven't yet heard of Giovanni Hair Products than you're in for a treat. Not all their products are gluten-free, so be sure to check the labels. Some organic or natural hair products don't lather up well and have an awful residue when rinsing your hair. I've found Smooth as Silk Deep Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner to work wonders in my hair. I also love Nutrafix Hair Reconstructor and Vitapro Fusion Protective Moisture for hair treatement. I've tried Tea Tree Triple Treat Invigorating Shampoo, but found I had to use quiet a bit to get a nice lather going. However, Tea Tree Triple Treat Invigorating Conditioner is incredibly soothing on your scalp as you massage it in. The tea tree has a tingling effect. Give it a try if you haven't done so already.