Pink Lids Save Lives

They do.  They really do.

Yoplait Yogurt lids lead to an annual contribution to breast cancer research of up to $2 million!

Every year for the past few years, Yoplait yogurt and MyBlogSpark have provided some excellent incentives to bloggers to remind folks of the Pink Lids campaigns that always comes up around Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

This year's theme is "Save Lids to Save Lives."  And now, lids may be submitted through Dec. 31, 2011 electronically!

I have to admit that I'm a fan of all Yoplait does.  I think this company donates and does more for cancer survivors and fighters than any other.  That they target Breast Cancer -- which touches one in eight women -- is especially significant to me, as a woman, as a friend of many survivors, and as a grand-daughter of two women who both died because of this form of cancer.

So here is a sassy little giveway for you!

MyBlogSpark has sponsored and will provide one reader of my blog with the adorable items above.  In addition to two cups of yogurt (yum) there are some wonderful breast cancer awareness products and a lid container collector.  I passed mine on to my students who are working on an awareness event.  They plan to collect lids the night of the event!

So here's your chance.  Post a comment and a shoutout to someone who's a real fighter -- someone who you would save lids to save lives for!

My someone is Patti Weimer. 

Want to get more involved in Yoplait's efforts?
Follow them on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/#!/YoplaitYogurt
Or follow them on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/Yoplait
Sign up for a Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure

And thank you, Yoplait and MyBlogSpark.

Much love,
Ging

A medical update, vol. 6,243

To all my friends:

A visual update.  Or, an update on my continued illness. Or, SSDD.

Here's the latest update from my doctors.

It has been 17 months since I developed the stroke in my right optic nerve that has left me for all purposes blind in my right eye.  Sept. 20 will be 17 months on prednisone, and Aug. 26 was one year on methotrexate.

Time flies when you're having fun, right?

1.  It seems the doctor at the Mayo Clinic has blown me off completely. After following his advice for a year, he has chosen to ignore my latest labs, sent by my doctor.  And yes. Of course I followed up.  So I say fine to that.  I do have a free hotel night in Jacksonville, but I won't use it on that.

2.  After 16 months on prednisone, I have begun the slow process of weaning off it.  Thanks to my WONDERFUL doctor Katy Gustafson-Roberts (shoutout) I am on week two of the wean.  So far, no ill impact from that. I made that woohoo announcement the day we started.  I am on 7.5, and Friday I go to alternating 7.5 with 5.  And then 5. and then 2.5 and 5. and then 2.5.  And GOD willing. Done.  *Lab work coming in two weeks. Pray for continued low sed rate and c-rp.)

3.  I continue to take a weekly shot of methotrexate (nasty chemo shot) and will continue this.

4.  My retina specialist Dr. David D'Heurle (shoutout( says my left eye continues to suffer hemorrhages *retinal bleeds -- see last post* and will.  That ship has sailed.  Can't go back.

BUT he also doesn't think additional eye surgery or nasty eye shots will make it better.

5. I'm in the ADA/Voc Rehab system and am getting some eye aids soon.  Update when that happens.

And so, I wait and try to see.  Try being the operative term.  I have a bleed almost weekly now, sometimes small, sometimes huge (had a horrible one while at AEJMC in St. Louis and could not see clearly from Thursday afternoon til Sunday).

But I persevere.  And I get funny, you don't LOOK sick a lot.

I am coping well.  I am doing OK. I am chronically exhausted (but you know that). Some days I see better than other.  I need warm socks and lots of spoons, but so do we all. I continued to be blessed with understanding friends, students and family -- so blessed.

We now return you to your own issues and trends.  Keep me posted on you, ok?

Much love,
Ging

Fresh and local with American Gra-Frutti

I've written about AMERICAN GRA-FRUTTI a lot here on my blog and on Ging Recommends, and most people know it's my favorite local GF purveyor.  Now that they're also in Blackbird Coffee in Milledgeville, I can get a fix with a short amount of time.

From their newsletter.  Love you, Mia!

And so, Marilyn Santulli and her team at American Gra-frutti have had a great, busy summer, which includes the introduction of two FRESH BREAD STANDS at Whole Foods Markets at Merchant's Walk and Buckhead. To quote the press release:

All of these items are available for sale at our Marietta Bake House, which is a dedicated gluten free bakery. The foods included are featured at three local Whole Foods Markets (Buckhead, Merchants Walk, and Sandy Springs). The Buckhead and Merchants Walk stores house our hand-crafted, free-standing bread racks in the bakery departments. The Sandy Springs store highlights these foods as part of their gluten free bakery section.

The items on the fresh rack include these wonderful new items, plus some great favorites.  I adore the new crackers -- Graham, Sesame Seed and Almond, Artisan Flatbread, and Cheese.  I think they're really the top of the line in crackers, and the fact that they're made locally AND are made in a dedicated facility makes it even better. I honestly can't decide which one I like the most, but I DO know I have served them to gluten eaters with no problems!

from their Newsletter

And the bread, available fresh?  I feel like almost normal when I pick up a fresh loaf and can have a sandwich on FRESH bread.  YUM.

Here's what they have with all the price points and ingredient lists. 

Muffins:

Sold in four packs of 2.5 ounce muffins

 Apple Cinnamon Muffin

Blueberry Muffin

Cranberry Orange Walnut Muffins

Crackers:

Sold in 5 oz bags:

Cheesestraw Crackers

Graham Crackers

Savory Sesame Almond Crackers

Sold in 7 ounce bags:

Artisan Flatbread Crackers

Breads:

10 oz Dinner Sized loaf of Multi-Grain Daily Bread

22 oz loaf of Multi-Grain Daily Bread

22 oz loaf of Flax & Nut Bread

Ingredients for the foods that do not have labels attached:

Apple Cinnamon Muffins:

INGREDIENTS: Flour (Rice, Tapioca), Potato Starch, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Honey, Rice Bran, Apples, Purified Water, Eggs, Grapeseed Oil, Almonds, Salt, Brown Sugar, Carrageenan, Sunflower Lecithin, GF Vitamins and Natural Flavors, GF Baking Powder, Cornstarch, Cinnamon,

Xanthan Gum, and Salt

CONTAINS: Almonds, Eggs

Blueberry Muffins:

INGREDIENTS: Flour (Rice, Tapioca), Potato Starch, Evaporated Cane Juice, Honey, Rice Bran, Blueberries, Purified Water, Eggs, Grapeseed Oil, Almonds, Salt, Brown Sugar, Carrageenan, Sunflower Lecithin, GF Vitamins & Natural Flavors, GF Baking Powder, Cinnamon, Xanthan Gum, and Salt

CONTAINS: Almonds, Eggs

Cranberry Orange Walnut Muffins:

INGREDIENTS: Flours (Rice, Tapioca), Potato Starch, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Honey, Rice Bran, Eggs, Cranberries, Canola Oil, Walnuts, Purified Water, Almond Milk, Sunflower Lecithin Orange Juice, Orange Rind, GF Vanilla, Xanthan Gum, GF Natural Flavors, Vitamins and Spices, GF Baking Powder and Sea Salt

CONTAINS: Almonds, Eggs, Walnut

Flax and Nut Bread:

INGREDIENTS: Purified Water, Flours (Rice, Tapioca, Sorghum, GF Oat) Potato Starch, Honey, Rice Bran, Ascorbic Acid, Cage Free Eggs, Walnuts, Seeds (Sunflower, Pumpkin, Sesame, Poppy, Chia, and Flax), Canola Oil, Sugar, Yeast, GF Baking Powder, Apple Cider Vinegar, Xanthan Gum,

and Sea Salt

CONTAINS: Eggs, Walnuts

Congrats and continued growth and success to American Gra-Frutti.

Much love, 

Ging

Gluten Free Chick walks in with a bar....

This short post is about the wonderful new GLUTEN-FREE snack bars available on the market for us.

For the first year I was gluten free, I ate A LOT of bars.  Then I got burned out on them because they are often high in Weight Watchers Points.

That has sure changed.

There are three* I really want to give a shout out to today.  I am enjoying them all as part of my balanced meals on Weight Watchers. I received samples of all of these from the producers of the product, but I assure you I've bought several of them since myself.  All of these bars have different uses for me personally, and each one has a defined personality.  I really can't choose among them, so I keep them all handy!

1.  Pamela's Products Whenever Bars are really pretty amazing to eat.  I especially love the Oat Raisin Walnut Spice bar, which tastes like a great big oatmeal cookie!  It has 180 calories, 24 carbs and is fairly low in sugar.  It's not high in Weight Watcher points at 5 -- but it is fairly low in protein; however, paired with some lowfat cheese, it makes a really delicious breakfast choice.  I tried these after the GIG conference when Marion shared them with me.  They come is several different flavors, too.  Like all of Pamela's Products, they're gluten and wheat free and have the utmost integrity!  The fact that they're a nice chunky bar means they're also filling.



2.  The new TrueBar from Bakery on Main.  Now, I admit I have been a fan of Bakery on Main since day 12 on the gluten-free lifestyle program.  It was the first granola I found.  They have great GF Granola Bars (which I like a lot, and they're GF) that are new on the market. *OK, they have two I'm counting as one.  But they're both great.

Ah, but the TrueBar.  There's something really delish about those bars. I love the titles:  "I'm a coconut cashew bar with nothing to hide."  Yum  (OK, I haven't devoured that one yet.  But I did ear the apricot one and was in heaven...)  They're a little higher in Weight Watchers points (around 7 each) and are higher in carbs, but there are some days you want a higher carb/protein balance.  And they're just darned cute.  At $2 each (with a lower price at some places) they're a good snack bar for an airplane ride or car trip.

3.  I got three samples of the Luna Protein Bar, and I really like them for a lot of reasons.  For 5 Weight Watchers Points, I end up with a protein-packed bar with a little carb boost.  That really seems the most optimal for my blood sugar.

There was a long discussion on Twitter if these bars tasted good -- I have to say I especially enjoyed the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar and the Cookie Dough.  I know.  Cookie Dough?  Seriously, they're all gluten free and I do love them.  I bought two boxes on sale at Target the other day (I need coupons, hint hint). I also caught them on sale at Big Lots, in date, marked Gluten Free, for 70 cents each. 

• 
  Serving Size 1 bar (45g)
• Calories 190
• Calories from fat 80

*Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

• Amount/Serving%DV*
• Total Fat 9g14%
• Sat. Fat 3.5g18%
• Trans Fat 0gNone
• Cholesterol 0mg0%
• Sodium 220mg9%
• Potassium 125mg4%

• Amount/Serving%DV*
• Total Carb. 20g7%
• Dietary Fiber 3g12%
• Insoluble Fiber 1gNone
• Sugars 12gNone
• Other Carb. 5gNone
• Protein 12g24%

Vit A 10%* Vit C 20%* Calcium 25%* Iron 15%* Vit D 15%* Vit E 30%* Thiamin (B1 )10%* Riboflavin(B2) 10%* Niacin (B3) 10%* Vit B6 20%* Folate (B9) 30%* Vit B12 20

These bars really cut off a blood sugar drop while filling me up.  With a cold or hot drink, I can actually have one of these as a meal.  They're really good for those chemo-shot reaction days (for me, at least). 

I hope you'll consider one or all of these products.  They're tasty and good.

Much love,

Ging 

New and recent from Katz Gluten Free

As a gluten-free individual, there are days that I find myself daydreaming about certain gluten-free convenience goods.  You know, like pie.

Homemade pie.  Homemade pie with a top crust and a real fruit filling.  Mmmmm pie.

Or sometimes I want a cake.  I love a good Bundt cake, especially after My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

My friends at Katz Gluten Free have once again added some cool items to their line that make this possible.  Last month I tried a wonderful apple pie, a coffee-drizzled Bundt cake, and some Snack Poppers.

First, the pie.  SOOOO good.  I really love Cherry Pie, so I hope to buy one soon.  But I tasted apple, and it is very good.  It's perfect for three people.  Or two.  Or you.  The crust is flaky when warmed, but good out of the package.  And it is also filled with apple slices.  I really don't like apple pies with too-sweet filling.  This is very modersate in sweetness.  I was thrilled.  (and by the way, I ate it over three days in about a week.  It held up well under refrigeration after I cut it.)

Through the end of the month, there's also a pie sale.  This is from their website:

Summer Savings on our Gluten Free Pies!!       Thru the end of the summer, Katz Gluten Free invites you to use our special coupons to save $4 on our delicious gluten free pies! SummerPie1 - Apple Pie  SummerPie2 - Cherry Pie  SummerPie3 - Blueberry Pie  1 each per customer, limit to 1 per order. Enter the code on the checkout page.

As for the Bundt Cake with coffee-flavored drizzle.  I am pretty sure you're supposed to drizzle the icing on it, but I just ate it with a spoon.  And then I ate a piece of the cake.  Both were delicious.  We're especially fond of the flavor of coffee.  So this was a hit with us.

Here's what it's supposed to look like -- I do not follow instructions well.  It is a generous size and can be a lovely centerpiece of a dessert or brunch.

Now, on to the Snack Poppers.  They are based on a Jewish pastry called Kichel (according to Shmully the Katz Man, who directed me to the above-mentioned Wikipedia site).  He said people generally either love them or hate them.  I am afraid I just didn't know what to DO with them.

But as we discussed it, I thought, "these would be great in a Tiramisu."  I would use the following recipe from All Recipes, but I'd use a package of Snack Popperss (which are pretty hefty in size) to make it. 

Tiramisu, adapted from ALLRECIPES.COM

Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup and 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 3/4 cup and 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon mascarpone cheese (you could use cream cheese here)
• 1 cup and 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (you could use Cool Whip if you wanted to...)
• 1 package Katz Gluten-Free Snack Poppers
• 3 tablespoons and 1-3/4 teaspoons coffee flavored liqueur (or strong coffee if you don't use liquor)
•  
• 3/4 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
• 5/8 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

Directions

1. Combine egg yolks and sugar in the top of a double boiler, over boiling water. Reduce heat to low, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and whip yolks until thick and lemon colored.
2. Add mascarpone to whipped yolks. Beat until combined. In a separate bowl, whip cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold into yolk mixture and set aside.
3. Split the Kichel in half, and line the bottom and sides of a large glass bowl. (They are round, but they should fit well in a bowl). Brush with coffee liqueur. Spoon half of the cream filling over the lady fingers. Repeat ladyfingers, coffee liqueur and filling layers. Garnish with cocoa and chocolate curls. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
4. To make the chocolate curls, use a vegetable peeler and run it down the edge of the chocolate bar.

These are among the latest items and news from Katz Gluten Free.  You should also know their sample packs are also available now.   They are also offering a chance to win prizes if you refer your favorite store.  And yes, there is free ground shipping for orders over $30.


Much love, and thanks to my friends at Katz Gluten Free.  You continue to be one of my favorite GF product producers.

Ging

Breaking bread, or how to really peeve a gluten-free diner

I admit this up front: this post is a rant about the lack of gluten-free bread available in restaurants.  It started on Sunday when I had the mother of all meltdowns in my favorite Tampa restaurant, Lee Roy Selmon's, which professes to have a gluten free menu but basically would prefer the gluten free just go away.  Their menu is unchanged in almost four years.  I find this problematic at an epic level.  I had water for dinner after a server told me, "You can't have that."

WTF?

So let's talk about gluten-free bread.

The list of providers of GF bread is a long one -- and after perusing many of them at the 2011 GIG Conference, I can't for the life of me figure out why a place that says it accommodates the gluten free CAN'T FIND GF BREAD.

And so, I am now going to say mean things about a four-star restaurant in Sarasota, Florida.  And a local favorite in Sarasota, Florida.  And two local places that get it.

When I made my reservations at the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota (seriously, it was a killer deal, and we had a wonderful time in general. Beautiful grounds, service, room. Don't judge). But I specifically told the reservation agent I was gluten free, since two days of breakfasts were included in the package. I also told them it was Randy's birthday. Now, I have no expectations any more that I'll get bread at a restaurant with a GF menu.  But after some of our awesome dining experiences during GIG 2011 (especially at Cat Cora's Kouzzina in Disney Boardwalk) I guess I let my guard down.  I mean, it was a RITZ CARLTON. And it was four star.

When we arrived at 3 p.m., we made dinner reservations for four and a half hours later.  I asked the Concierge if the restaurant could handle a gluten-free diner.  I was told "of course," though they had no reference to my mention of this on making the reservation. They knew it was Randy's birthday.  OK, so he got strawberries in tuxedos delivered to the room (with cookie crumbs on the platter). I knew I was in trouble at that moment.

So imagine my feelings when we sat down, four hours later, when I was told by our server, "we really need some advance notice to prepare for a gluten-free diner."  What, three weeks isn't notice enough?  There's a Whole Foods five minutes away.  She proceeded to tell me what I couldn't have (and I hate that, I really do). I was unusually kind (I'm usually not, I admit it),  And I didn't have the second mother of all breakdowns that week, but I sure could have.

The amuse bouche came out -- a beautiful ham croquette.  The assistant server gave Randy his, but when I asked if it was breaded or fried, she said, "A little."  Our server swooped in and said, "the chef is making you a gluten-free special."  Guess what it was?  Half a cherry tomato with a mandarin orange in balsamic vinegar.  Seriously? I could think of 40 things in a four-star kitchen that would be a little more, what, amusing to my bouche? I am not a chef.  I could do better than that.

I felt like I was argued with upon every course -- When Randy asked that his appetizer have the gluten separated from it, he got a frown. They didn't want to leave the bread out of his risotto (which was gluten-free and delicious.  And my scallops were also delicious).

And as it was his birthday, Randy got two desserts -- thank GOODNESS they were willing to bring me fruit or ice cream. But they sure wouldn't take the cookies out of the creme brulee.

Sitting next to us was a table full of four chefs.  They were discussing "what did Sarasota need in its dining experiences"?  Hello, I wanted to say, how about an acknowledgment of equity for gluten-free diners.  Let me say that again:  gluten-free diners who pay $150 for dinner should not have to be treated as second-class citizens. There should be equity for gluten-free diners, or you shouldn't profess to have a gluten-free menu at all.  Of course it wasn't their problem, now was it? They had the profiteroles with peppermint ice cream and fudge sauce....)

(BTW, I wouldn't be surprised if several people took the time to spit in my food before I got it.  And imagine, a six year old boy was sitting next to us with his parents and sister -- it was his birthday.  He had a custom cake shaped like a Lego.

I was so -- demoralized is the word, I guess --  I asked the valet to bring up our car, and I sent two mini packaged of Pamela's Products individual brownie mix to the chef.  I said, "I'd hate some child to have to watch his family enjoy dessert with there are gluten-free options so readily available." I reminded the maitre'd that I mean NO OFFENSE to the chef -- I respect chefs.  I really, really do!

But I felt gypped. And that feeling didn't go away the whole time.

The next morning, they had bread -- Udi's, I suspected, and it was browned on top and totally white on the bottom, so I'm pretty sure they didn't put it in a toaster. Note that I didn't ask for it -- I asked if the Hollandaise had wheat in it, and our server came back and said there was bread for me. Bonus point.  And the next day, I got the rest of the Udi's in French toast. Our server was totally delightful.  I thanked him and tipped big.

But still....

I also was disappointed at The Columbia in St. Armand's Circle, a childhood favorite.  They have an expansive gluten-free menu, which they profess on their website and even told me was available when I called for a reservation more than 24 hours in advance.  But again, no bread.  So while my friends had crunchy Cuban bread, I had....crickets chirping. crickets chirping.

Now, here's the irony of this whole Sarasota experience: I would have to say that Sarasota has the potential to be an outstanding place for a gluten-free person to vacation. Every GF chain (again, no bread) is there at the least.

but there are two shining stars:

First, we went to Yoder's , which has been on Man vs. Food, for lunch.  They know what is in EVERY SINGLE THING on their menu.  And as I'd seen they made their cream pies with cornstarch, I asked out server if they could make a bowl of their legendary Peanut Butter custard and cream topping (you know, pie without crust).  She came back with this luscious pie, made of their homemade pudding and crumbs made of peanut butter and sugar. It never touched a crust.

They can do it.  Why can't the Ritz do that?

Second major irony.  For years, I've heard of the Island Gluten Free Bakery on Siesta Key.  We went in, and they have crusty bread for sale.  LIKE THE COLUMBIA SERVES? Yeah. Like that.  Karen, one of the lovely owners, said they'd approached a number of restaurants (including The Columbia) and the chef said he didn't think bread was really important to gluten-free diners.

Has he asked one?  No one seemed to ask when I was there. I totally get that, but I swear I will never accept it or understand.

To its credit, the Island Bakery is a local/regional jewel with a national following from gluten-free diners.  They are generous in their sharing with gluten-free support groups. I had some great Key Lime Pie.  Their white sandwich bread made a great sandwich.  The muffin (I had zucchini) was awesome.  Butter cookies with frosting made me tear up just a little bit.  And when my blood sugar came down, I enjoyed some strawberry rhubarb pie.  (PS, Karen, thank you for slipping the extras into the bag.  I know I didn't order those cookies or the brownie that Randy ate!)

There is a feeling among many gluten-free people (including Atlanta GF Examiner Jennifer Harris, who said this same exact thing today on Twitter) it's a sham (and a shame) if you say you have a gluten-free menu and all you do is take off the glutenous bread to make it "safe for us."

I've ranted about this before, as have ALL my gluten-free friends. I'm sure I'll do it again.

So now, what's the point of this post.  Yeah, I know.  I'm pretty sure I'm the only one still reading.

Well, I feel a little better since I got to sing praises of two GF friendly places in Sarasota.  I love Sarasota, for the record. It's probably my favorite city in Florida and was my childhood vacation haunt.

But maybe, just maybe, like the little Whos that Horton Heard, someone will hear us when we scream, "WE WANT BREAD!  AND REAL DESSERT!

It ain't so freaking hard. Because no matter how lovely the Ritz was, all I will remember is that I was still a second-class citizen in their four-star restaurant. And I'm frankly a little too ashamed to go back, because I don't want to be known as that bitchy gluten-free guest. (Hey I didn't say a word about the 2 a.m. false alarm fire drill....)

But it continued to nettle me.

Much love to Yoder's, Karen, and Island GF Bakery....

Ging

Summer Breeze

Hey, summer isn't over yet, is it?  I think there are weeks and weeks of food times to be had between now and the fall.  And here are some gluten-free products that will make it happy!

Background: In June, my friend Gluten Free Dee orchestrated an impressive BBQ package that was sent to a variety of gluten-free bloggers.  It took time for me to try the elements of the package, and I'm happy to report some incredible finds in the package.

First and foremost, I am more than glad I know about Ethel's Edibles.  The Hot Blondie Bar was decadent and delish, but it was the Pecan Dandy Bar that really got my southern blood flowing.  For years before becoming gluten-free, we made something called pecan tassies -- and this tastes as good as the last one I ate.  It is incredible.  Here's a good looking picture for Ethel's website.  The owner, Jill, has become someone I tweet @Ethelsedibles and if you're on Twitter, add her.  But more importantly, get some of these.  They are melt-in-your-mouth delish.  Better than any pecan pie I can bake.  Seriously.

(we ate them too fast to photograph. This is the photo from the website.)

To order Ethel's Edibles,  check here.
And no.  I'm not doing Weight Watchers Points on this, but I think I still lost the week after eating them. Small blessings....

A second component of the cookout package is actually a product I tried last year, but I feel like they taste different now. Maybe it's my challenged GF palate, but the Canyon Bakehouse Hamburger Buns really appeal to me.  I saw the lovely Christi Skow, owner of Canyon Bakehouse at the National GIG Conference, and I told her how much we enjoyed a burger bash one night with the buns.  I am in the midst of trying to perfect a GF Krystal Hamburger, and I had my attempt on this bun.  But it is a hearty bun, fresh from the bag.  In fact, we held them for a day on the counter, and it was soft and tasty.

My picture of Randy's dinner that night.  Aren't those buns beautiful?

I've written before about how much I love Canyon Bakehouse's focaccia bread .  I happily add their buns to this.  I'm pretty picky about hamburger buns, and these are not only good, but they have a decent point count on Weight Watchers. Five points for a hefty bun is pretty good!

To make that burger taste good, I dunked it in Burt Ameral's Five Star Marinade, which is free of everything except tangy taste.  It was very spicy, though it has no oil, fats, or gluten of any kind.  That same day, I also marinated chicken quarters in the marinade for 24 hours, and it made a very moist smoked chicken. The marinade would probably be called a "mop sauce" in BBQ country, but it doesn't matter what you call it, as long as you call it good.  And it is.

You can contact Burt at burtsfivestarmarinade@yahoo.com

Burt's picture.

The only thing in the Five Star Natural Marinade some gluten-free people might find problematic is the listing of "spices" with no delineation of the actual spices.  This is not so much an allergan issue than an issue of taste.  If you don't like, I don't know, coriander, and there was coriander in it, you would want to know in advance. But it is also a proprietary blend, so I totally get that point.  I want more than ever to marinate a loin of venison in this marinade (or as we call in Georgia, deer meat) but I'll have to wait til huntin' season.  Which I will.  This marinade has a great storage and shelf life.

Two of the products in the package were both alcohol related.  One was three bottles of beer by New Planet Beer , a craft beer made in Colorado. Because I can't drink because of chemo shots, I did the next best thing -- I gave them to my beer-drinking friends.  Here's a comment from my friend @GFMuse.

I enjoyed the beer's light and slightly floral taste. I found it quickly overpowered by strong flavored foods, so I opted to enjoy it by itself. It had the flare of artisan beer that I've missed in the world of gluten free ales. I love the name of the brew and that a share of the profits go to trail restoration projects. I'll definitely be looking for a case of this the next time I'm shopping for beer.

Photo from their website.

My friend @gf_elle actually agreed with La Muse, which leads me to this conclusion: this is a beer for beer drinkers who want to enjoy a good, artisan beer!  And I am jealous as heck that I couldn't try it. (I gave the third to a newbie, and I suspect she's happily sipping it somewhere....) It's not in Georgia yet, but here's where you find it.

The Top Shelf Ultra Premium Cocktail Mixers are still on my counter. Can I say how delicious they look? I'm hoping to pass them around my testers on a future gluten-free gathering.  That I just haven't splashed them on ice is a testimony to my willpower. I love margaritas and lemon drops, two of the flavors I have to taste some day in the non-chemo future.  I am inspired by owner and fellow celiac Craig Franzblau's story, and as one who is sensitive to all things glutenous, I appreciate his dedicated facilty and dedication to our needs.  According to his information, he also has a grape distilled vodka that has gotten a 94 rating from the Tasting Panel Magazine.  Way to go!

Much love, and Happy GF Dining!