Say hello to...gluten-free restaurants in Montreal.

Ever been to Montreal, Quebec in Canada? It's the french speaking province of Canada. Rich in culture, with many things to see, Montreal is a vibrant city worth visiting. With the growing amount of gluten-free restaurants in the area, there is now a site that lists over 30 of these restaurants in Montreal and surrounding area. Check out RESTOMONTREAL site to view them.

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 :)