Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Cupcakes!!!

Today in my few spare minutes, I decided to whip up a batch of gluten free cupcakes using the Betty Crocker Devils Food Cake Mix and Vanilla Icing.

They were very easy to make. I just had to add eggs, butter, and water and within 20 minutes they were finished! The baking mix makes about 18 small cupcakes. Here is how they turned out:



*After sampling these gluten free cupcakes, I must say that they are really very delicious! They taste like actual cupcakes! Good job Betty Crocker!

Monday, June 22, 2009

Ms. Celiac Says...Update!

Hey Everyone!

I hope you are all well! As you may have noticed there was no post today. For the next 2 weeks, there will not be a new post each day. However, I will still be posting just not each day. This is only until after 4th of July weekend when Ms. Celiac Says...will come back in full force!

In case you haven't already, start following Ms. Celiac Says... on Twitter at www.twitter.com/msceliacsays.

~Paige

Friday, June 19, 2009

Try Some French Macaroons in NYC!

A few months ago, when I wrote about the restaurants and products of Paris, France, I mentioned Laduree as a great place to get macaroons. And although, nothing beats their macaroons, there are still a few places in NYC to get good macaroons. French macaroons should be gluten free, however, always check with the restaurant to ensure that they did not add any gluten ingredients.

The other day, I came across a place on the upper west side of NYC called Silver Moon Bakery. Here they have an assortment of french macaroons. The great thing about this bakery is that they sold the macaroons in both large and small sizes. They come in a variety of flavors including blueberry, raspberry, chocolate, vanilla, etc.


Another great place in NYC to have macaroons is at Payard Patisserie. Payard sells the small macaroons in a variety of flavors including raspberry, chocolate, vanilla, coffee, blueberry, and pistachio. However, the flavors do change from time to time.


To eat some delicious french macaroons, visit:


Payard Bistro

1032 Lexington Ave.

(between 73rd and 74th St.)


Silver Moon Bakery

2740 Broadway @ 105th St

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Enjoy America's First Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies!

I know a lot of people on gluten free diets have started to eat gluten free oats, but I have been hesitant for awhile. When I first was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, gluten free oats were not an option and I had ingrained into my consciousness not to eat wheat, rye, barley, and oats!

So, the idea of eating oats seemed wrong even when it was shown that oats are naturally gluten free when uncontaminated by gluten.

However, I tried oats for the first time last week. I purchased a box of Glenny's Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. The result: I loved them and even better I did not feel sick. It was so nice to be able to once again taste the flavor of oatmeal, a taste I had almost forgotten.

Glenny's
makes two varieties of gluten free oatmeal cookies: chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin. Not only are their cookies gluten free (made with certified gluten free oats) but they are dairy free and kosher, as well. They also contain no trans fats or hydrogenated oils.
The cookies are the perfect snack, as they are soft and chewy and contain only 55 calories per cookie.

They happen to be a bit pricey at about $12 for a box of 20, but that is what gluten free oats will cost you and at least, in my opinion, they are worth the price!


For more information on Glenny's Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies and to find out where you can purchase them near you, please visit www.glennys.com.


You may also purchase Glenny's Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies in bulk at Ms. Celiac's Market.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Eat Matzo All Year Round!

One of my favorites foods used to be matzo. However, once I started on a gluten free diet, I had to say goodbye to this snack. But, now I can enjoy matzo again thanks to Barkat's Matzo Crackers!

Their delicious matzo is vegetarian, kosher, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, and yeast free. It is manufactured by the company Gluten Free Foods LTD in the United Kingdom.

In addition to matzo, Barkat also produces a great assortment of gluten free pastas, breads, pizza crusts, cookies, baking mixes, biscuits, crackers, ice cream cones, wafers, cereals, pretzels, and tea cakes.

For more information, and to find out where they are available near you or online, visit their website at www.glutenfree-foods.co.uk.

Enjoy!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Take A Simplebite!

Since 1988, Pamela's Products has been creating delicious gluten-free foods! One of their products, that they were generous enough to let me sample are their Simplebite Mini Cookies.

These cookies come in 3 excellent varieties:

*Extreme Chocolate Mini Cookies [MY FAVORITE]
*Ginger Mini Snapz
*Chocolate Chip Mini Cookies

Even better is that they contain all natural ingredients and no hydrogenated fats! They are truly a crunchy and tasty snack! In addition to being gluten free, Pamela's Simplebites Mini Cookies are Non-Dairy and kosher.

And for 120-140 calories in about 4/5 cookies, these are a healthy snack too!

To purchase Pamela's Simplebites and other Pamela's Products, visit Ms. Celiac's Market!

For more information on Pamela's Products, visit www.pamelasproducts.com.

And don't forget to enter Pamela's Products 2009 Greatest Gluten-Free Recipe Contest at www.pamelasproducts.com!

Monday, June 15, 2009

We're Back!

After a week long hiatus, Ms. Celiac Says is back with an assortment of great gluten free news planned for you this week! So, let's get to it!

__________________________________________________________________
I usually avoid going to Trader Joe's as the crowds at the NYC Union Square location scare me out of the store.

I don't have the patience to try to maneuver my way up and down each aisle and normally feel that I can't even find that large of a gluten free selection.


But last week, I forced myself to walk into the store and really take a good look around and now I get it! I completely understand everyone's Trader Joe's obsession!


First of all, the prices are amazingly cheap! I'm used to shopping at Whole Foods or other health food stores and I was at a loss for words when my items were all rung up at the cashier. For the same items at Whole Foods, it would have easily cost me double.

And at Trader Joe's even though the prices are so cheap, you're not skimping on quality either. Pretty much everything I bought was organic!

They do have quite a selection of foods that are gluten free too! I purchased their gluten free french rolls which when toasted were absolutely delicious! I also purchased these delicious gluten free bean chips to dip in a gluten free garlic hummus! For sweets, I got some delicious apricot and raspberry fruit leathers!


Another thing I loved about Trader Joe's was their selection of frozen vegetables. At Whole Foods, I usually just end up purchasing frozen broccoli as there really isn't much else available. But here I was able to get frozen asparagus and frozen artichoke hearts along with some delicious edamame.


If you visit Trader Joe's website, www.traderjoes.com, they provide a list of their gluten free products to download.

In addition to some of the products I purchased, they also have a gluten free brownie mix and a gluten free pancake and waffle mix. They have gluten free ice cream bars, gluten free ice cream, gluten free chocolate dipped bananas, gluten free sorbet, gluten free chocolate, gluten free candies, gluten free cookies, a gluten free flourless chocolate cake, and gluten free pancakes!

For more information and to find a location near you, visit their website at www.traderjoes.com.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Ms. Celiac Says...Happy Sunday!

Hey Everyone!

I hope you all enjoyed the Long Island feature last week! Our next week long feature will be on the gluten free restaurants and hot spots of Los Angeles! So, stay tuned for that in the weeks ahead.

This week, there will be no regular posts, as I'm studying for a big test. However, I will drop in with updates as there is always exciting gluten free news to fill you all in on. This month, Betty Crocker will be releasing their line of gluten free baking mixes which will be available at mainstream supermarkets. I am definitely looking forward to that!

I wanted to thank all of the wonderful gluten free companies that have sent me this month some of their latest and greatest products to try! I truly enjoy sharing your excellent products with my readers.

Below is a list of all the brands that were featured on Ms. Celiac Says during the month of May:

Rita's Italian Ice

The Health Nuts

Ener-G Foods

Pamela's Products

Stogo

Arrowhead Mills

Mrs. May's Naturals

Mary's Gone Crackers

In-N-Out Burger

Burger King

Wendy's

Subway

Betty Crocker

Celiac Specialties

Bakery On Main

Azure Chocolate


AXCAN Pharma

Starbucks

The G-Free Diet


Applegate Farms

Red Mango

Mr. Ritt's Gluten Free Bakery

Ms. Celiac Says will be back to our regular daily updates next week (June 15th)! And when we return we will be having an exclusive Q&A with ABC's The View's Elisabeth Hasselbeck!

Hope everyone had an excellent G-Free weekend!

~Paige

Friday, June 5, 2009

Go Shopping for Gluten Free Treats!

Whenever I go out to Long Island, there are two grocery stores that are on the top of my list to stock up on all my tasty gluten free essentials (aka treats). These are Sherry's: The Healthy Gourmet in Babylon Village and Uncle Giuseppe's in Smithtown!

Sherry's is a small health food store with the majority of their market devoted to gluten free items. They have an amazing frozen food section filled with products by Kinnikinnick, The Grainless Baker, Foods By George, Amy's, Celiac Specialties, Gillian's, etc. They are constantly getting new products in so it's great to go back their frequently to try everything out.

They also carry an
assortment of other gluten free non-frozen products by brands such as Pamela's, Enjoy Life, Ener-G, Nana's, Glutano, Glutino, etc.

For more information, go to www.sherryshealth.com or visit them at:


Sherry's The Healthy Gourmet

89 Deer Park Avenue

Babylon Village, NY 11702

631-661-5552


Another great place to go for gluten free products is Uncle Giuseppe's Marketplace. They have locations in Smithtown, Port Washington, and East Meadow. I've been to the location in Smithtown several times to pick up some tasty gluten free
Kinnikinnick donuts or some gluten free cupcakes from The Grainless Baker.

This place is much larger than Sherry's, it is the size of a traditional supermarket but is really a replication of an Italian Market with homemade pastas and gelato along with a large selection of products important from Italy. Their gluten free selection is amazing!


For more information, visit www.uncleg.com or stop by at one of their 3 locations:


*Smithtown

95 Route 111


*Port Washington

364 Port Washington Blvd.


*East Meadow

2330 Hempstead Tpke.


Happy Shopping!

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Go Wild For Nature!

A natural food store that rivals Whole Foods on Long Island is Wild By Nature. Wild By Nature has 4 locations: East Setauket, Huntington, Hampton Bays, and Oceanside.

They offer a wide selection of natural and organic products. They also have a very large section of the store devoted to gluten free products.

Their gluten free items include:


*Baking Products
*Beverages
*Breakfast / Nutrition Bars
*Cereals
*Condiments
*Candies

*Cookies

*Crackers

*Dairy

*Frozen Baked Goods

*Frozen Desserts
*Main Dishes / Side Dishes
*Pasta
*Pasta Sauce
*Salad Dressing

*Snacks and Chips
*Spreads / Nuts
*Soups / Chili


Some of my favorite gluten free items to buy at Wild By Nature include:


*Enjoy Life Snack Bars

*Think! Bars

*Arrowhead Mills Cereal

*Annie's Mustards
*Tropical Source Chocolate

*Josef's Cookies
*Glutano Cookies

*Blue Diamond Nut Thins

*Gillian's Rolls

*Amy's Frozen Entrees

*Thai Kitchen Noodles
*Tinkyada Pasta

*Glenny's Crisps


If you are on Long Island and need to stock up on some gluten free groceries, I definitely recommend visiting Wild By Nature. It is open 7 days a week!


For more information, please visit:
www.wildbynature.com

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Gluten Free In Suffolk County!

Although Nassau County definitely has an abundance of gluten free restaurants, Suffolk County has a few too. Two of them are Mama's Italian Restaurant in Oakdale and Buona Sera in Smithtown.

Mama's Italian Restaurant has a gluten free menu that includes:
Fried Calamari

Baked Clams
Mozzarella Sticks
Stuffed Mushrooms

Caesar Salad

Pasta Fagioli

Minestrone

Lentil Soup
Chicken Fingers

French Fries
Baked Ziti

Lasagna

Manicotti
Meatballs

+ A wide selection of pasta dishes with a choice of either spaghetti or ziti.


They also serve Gluten Free Pizza where you can choose from a variety of toppings or get one of their Special Pizza Pies that include the following:

*Foccacia Mini

*Baked Ziti Mini

*Chicken Parmigiana Mini
*Eggplant Parmigiana Mini
*Ziti alla Vodka Mini

*Margherita (Fresh Mozzarella, Basil, Sauce)

*Chicken Marsala Mini
*White (Ricotta and Mozzarella)

*Shrimp Parmigiana Mini


Mama's also has a great selection of gluten free desserts. My favorite is an individual sized round chocolate cake sprinkled with powdered sugar!

You can visit them at:

Mama's Italian Restaurant

1352 Montauk Highway

Oakdale, NY 11769
631-567-0909
www.mamas-restaurant.com

Another restaurant in Suffolk County that I just recently discovered is Buona Sera Ristorante and Pizzeria in Smithtown. They offer a gluten free menu that includes items such as stuffed shells, chicken fingers, ravioli, spaghetti and meatballs, baked ziti, garlic bread, mozzarella sticks, eggplant parmigiana, gnocchi, and a wide selection of pasta dishes.


They also serve some delicious gluten free bread to start with and offer gluten free pizza on their menu with the crust from the Still Riding Pizza Company!


In addition to their excellent menu, they also have a great variety of gluten free desserts including apple pie, blueberry pie, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, cannoli, etc.
And on Monday and Tuesday night it is Pasta Night which means you can get 1 gluten free pasta entree + coffee, tea, soda, or house wine + gluten free salad + gluten free dessert for only $15.50!

So, go visit them at:
Buona Sera Ristorante Pizzeria

88-90 East Main St.

Smithtown, NY 11787

631-265-0625

www.serveyourfamily.com/buonasera

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Gluten Free Italian Cuisine is Everywhere!

Nassau County on Long Island has an abundance of restaurants that cater to a gluten free clientele. One of the first restaurants that I went to once being diagnosed with Celiac Disease, was Caffe Baldo.

Caffe Baldo is an Italian restaurant located in Wantagh, New York. They have an assortment of gluten free items including garlic knots, mozzarella sticks, baked clams, calamari, pizza, ravioli, stuffed shells, pasta dishes, bread, cookies, cakes, etc. Visit them at 2849 Jerusalem Avenue!

Another great restaurant is Cafe Formaggio in Carle Place, New York. They have a gluten free pizza (the crust is from Still Riding Pizza Company) with a variety of toppings to choose from. In addition to this they have a large menu of gluten free pasta dishes and desserts! For more information, visit www.cafeformaggio.com.

With locations in Mineola and Belle Harbor, New York, Plum Tomatoes Pizzeria Restaurant offers gluten free pizza (crust from Still Riding Pizza Company) along with a selection of gluten free pasta dishes! For more information, visit www.plumtomatoespizzarest.com.

And my absolute favorite place to go for gluten free pizza is Villa Milano in Manhasset, New York. It is located at 168 Plandome Road. They also use the Still Riding Pizza Company crust but I absolutely love their sauce and cheese!

So, go check out these restaurants!

Monday, June 1, 2009

Such Sweet Karma!

Today, June 1st, we start the beginning of our week long feature on the bakeries, products, restaurants, and stores of Long Island, New York. Whether you're on your way out east to the Hamptons from NYC and want to stop for some gluten free cuisine or you simply want to make an exclusive trip to Long Island to sample all of the gluten free products, you want to keep an eye on Ms. Celiac Says this week!

A few years ago, I first found out about the East Meadow Bakery, Sweet Karma. I was on the search for finding out where Joan's Gluten Free Great Bakes Bagels and English Muffins were for sale and had heard that this bakery was selling them.

I began to frequently make a trip to this bakery to pick-up a variety of gluten free bagels and english muffins. On one of my trips
, I learned that the bakery was starting to make gluten free cakes for special occasions. Since, my birthday was coming up I decided to get my cake from here. It was the first time in quite a while that I ended up having a cake that looked like a real birthday cake. It was beautifully decorated with flowers. To this date, I always get my birthday cake from Sweet Karma Bakery!

More recently, Sweet Karma has started to make a lot more delicious gluten free creations. In fact, they sell 10 gluten free individual gourmet desserts including:


*Dark Chocolate Mousse Dome
*Cappuccino
*Tiramisu
*Banana Foster Dome
*Green Tea
*Peanut Butter Bliss
*Peanut Butter & Jelly
*Raspberry Dome
*Mandarin Creamsicle
*S'Mores


In addition to these individual cakes, you can also purchase gluten free brownies, gluten free chocolate and vanilla cupcakes (with or without frosting), and gluten free pizza crusts. The pizza crusts are available in plain, sesame, and parmesan.

For special occasion cakes, just give them at least 48 hours notice and you will have a long list of combinations to choose from. First you can choose if you want Chocolate Cake or Yellow Genoise (Spongecake). And then they have a wide range of fillings to choose from including cannoli with chocolate chips, chocolate mousse, fresh fruit, vanilla custard, chocolate pudding, truffle, etc. For icing, you can choose from whipped cream, buttercream, or rolled fondant.

For more information, visit www.sweetkarmadesserts.com!

Or visit:

Sweet Karma Desserts
550 East Meadow Avenue
East Meadow, NY 11554
516-794-4478