Gluten Hates Me but i'm surviving

What it’s ALL about

2012-02-20T05:17:00.001-08:00

What a fantastic weekend!

While it wasn’t really filled with fantastic gluten free foods…

it was filled with best friends…

a blushing bride…

and lots of fun gifties that I can’t share with you lovely folks on the inter-webs!

and you know, sometimes it’s not ALL about the food!

Sometimes you eat a food bar and suck it up, because you would never want to miss all this fun!

My dear friend Jessica is marrying her soul mate at the end of March, and I had so much fun on Saturday celebrating her and her love at a bridal shower. Funnily enough, that bridal shower was so much fun that it morphed into a late night bachelorette party at a drag show, and let’s just say that I still haven’t gotten my voice back!

And yes, there wasn’t much food at the bridal shower I could eat. And yes, the dinner reservations were at a pizza place. But it didn’t matter. Not one bit. I ate a big lunch before, packed a food bar, ate a salad, and was perfectly content!

**********

Happy Monday!

I have a TON of school work to catch up on, and full day of work ahead of me! Hope you have a great day!

Fitness Fridays: Welcome to the Club

2012-02-17T04:46:00.001-08:00

Best App ever!

Nike Training Club is a FREE App with TONS of free 15 and 30 minute workouts that sync up with your music and include countdowns and instructions!

And the more you use the app, the more workouts and healthy tips you earn!

You have to sign up with the club to access the free reward workouts, and I highly recommend signing up on your computer instead of your iPhone. I couldn’t get the registration to work on my phone.

But you don’t have to register if you don’t want the rewards, the other workouts offered are just as good!

Choose what you want to do:

and then choose your level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced. Then you have a good 10-15 workouts to choose from. You can even look through the moves before you start the workout.

The Ab Burner is KILLER!

My favorite move from the workout is The Russian Twist:

Note in the upper right hand corner, you can watch a video of the move. And note on the bottom it tells you that you don’t have to have a weighted ball for this move.

I found out about this app because our friends Loren and Melissa did the Hope Solo workout that’s offered as a reward and were sore for days! And I mean, it makes sense, look at Hope Solo!

MOH is here and we’re heading to the gym right now. We’re going to tackle the Hope Solo….updates on GHM Facebook later today!

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

2012-02-16T03:00:00.000-08:00

If ever there was a recipe that would get me a book deal, this would be it!

Oh, you think this is just some plain ol’ panko chicken? Oh no, my friends. Turn that baby around!

WHA-BAM!

There it is! The surprise in this dish…Jalapeno Poppers!

Crispy panko breaded chicken stuffed with a creamy, spicy popper filling. Oh man. This chicken is DY-NO-MITE!

AND ridiculously easy to make! Seriously friends, make this. Heck, come on over and I’ll make it for you! Either way, you’re gonna love it…and me!

Jalapeno Popper Chicken (gluten free)

You’ll need:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used some hefty gals so I’d have leftovers)

1/4 – 1/3 cup diced pickled jalapenos (I used 1/3, but if you like less heat, use 1/4)

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce (I use Lea & Perrin’s; make sure yours is gluten free)

1/2 block of Neufchatel cream cheese (you could use full fat, but I lightened it)

1 cup GF Panko Breadcrumbs (I used Kinnikinnick)

2 eggs, beaten

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Clean your chicken and then make a slit beneath the skin. Using your knife, create a pocket in your chicken.

In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, cheddar, Worcestershire, and jalapenos. Stuff this evenly into your chicken breast. Once stuffed, pull down the opening of the pocket as best you can. The closer it gets to being closed, the less will seep out.

In a bowl, beat your two eggs and sit aside. In a separate medium-sized bowl, spread out your breadcrumbs. Get your baking sheet hybrid ready (baking sheet with a cookie cooling rack on top). Take each stuffed chicken breast, and dip it first in the egg and then in the breadcrumbs. Softly pat the chicken in the breadcrumbs to coat. (Don’t squish it in the crumbs or your cheese will come out!)

Once coated, lay the chicken breast carefully on the cooling rack (on top of your baking sheet). Now dip and press your second breast and then place on the rack as well. Spray each top with a little bit of cooking spray. This crisps the panko breading.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Voila!

I have a feeling I’m going to make a video of this recipe just in case making a pocket seems confusing because I LOVE this recipe and I know you will too!

********

Happy Thursday, or in my case TGIF!

I have a long weekend ahead of me of celebration and fun!! But no worries, I have an AWESOME Fitness Fridays post planned that I know you’re going to be excited about!

Gluten and My Face

2012-02-14T05:02:00.001-08:00

So….we all know how I feel about gluten free hair care.

But….

what the heck is in Cetaphil?!

A few weeks ago, in a Fitness Fridays post, I had a shot of my gym bag and in said gym bag was my Cetaphil moisturizer. (also pictured above) Kind reader Sam commented on that post, and opened my eyes to a possible controversy surrounding Cetaphil.

Is it gluten free?

Nope.

Uh oh.

One email to Galderma, the company responsible for Cetaphil, and you will receive a blanket response that it appears the entire blog-o-sphere has received:

The Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser does not contain ingredients that may be derived from grains and therefore does not contain gluten.

The other Cetaphil products contain ingredients that may be derived from grains and therefore possibly contains gluten.

May be? Seriously Cetaphil? Possibly? Come on!

So I emailed again and asked if they were seriously telling me that they weren’t sure what was in their products (read: too lazy to care) and what ingredient in that chemical smorgasbord could be derived from gluten?

Crickets.

No response.

Not only are they too lazy to know what’s in their products, but apparently they’re too lazy to respond to their emails.

The ingredients list is daunting:

These aren’t your found in nature ingredients. These are all straight up chemical compounds and confusing carbon what’s it names. I googled every item (because that’s what a good researcher does) and I still couldn’t find a straight tie to gluten.

But I did find tons of grey area, and a possibility that I’ve been using beef fat on my face.

So yesterday I bit the bullet and went to Whole Foods in search of something I could understand.

I ended up purchasing Mineral Fusion. This was in the middle road as far as prices go. There were gluten free facial care products that were cheaper, but I LOVE mineral makeup and thought this just might be the same.

Plus, I liked what they were telling me on the back of the bottle.

Not the supple skin part, although that’d be good, but the formula purity. Thank you for being free of gluten mineral fusion, you sure know the way to a girl’s heart.

And the ingredients list on the cleanser actually makes sense!

For the few I couldn’t figure out, like Decyl Glucoside, I simply googled once I got home.

Thank you Sam for the heads up on the Cetaphil!

What about you? Is your face wash and lotion gluten free? Do you get a skin reaction to gluten?

Purely Fast: A GF Breakfast

2012-02-13T04:27:00.001-08:00

For the past two weeks, I have not had time to make oatmeal in the morning. I know! It’s a real travesty.

Between cramming in school work and trying not to give up my morning gym sessions, I have been FFWD’ing through the house in the a.m. Luckily, when I was at Whole Foods a week ago blowing through my retirement money, I found a new to me cereal that makes yogurt happy!

What caught my eye with Purely Elizabeth was underneath the tagline: quinoa – amaranth – chia <<<LOVE those guys!

The ingredients list is top notch:

And with 130 calories in 1/3 cup, I don’t feel bad about having 3 tbsp. in a morning yogurt cup! Plus it has 3g of Protein and 2g of fiber.

It’s nice and crunchy with a hint of sweetness and a touch of cinnamon. And I love the texture the puffed amaranth adds!

I feel like this is something I might could even make again at home…you know, because I have all this free time! But I will have to try because this little box of cereal was definitely a splurge, but at only 3 tbsp. a serving, I’m going to make it last!

***********

Happy Monday!

It’s a short week for me because this weekend MOH and Amy are coming in to town to celebrate another best girl’s wedding and bachelorette!! I’m so excited I can hardly stand it!

Max is pretty excited too!

He’s keeping watch for MOH by the window.

Fitness Fridays: Fast Abs in Three Moves

2012-02-10T04:05:00.001-08:00

TGIF! Well, today is actually more like my Monday, since I was off yesterday and I have to work all weekend…BUT TGIF for y’all!

I made a very rough video for you guys yesterday for Fitness Fridays. You’ll see three of my favorite ways to work my abs that don’t involve typical crunches. These are easy to do at home, or at the gym.

Bonus: You’ll get to see Hazel in action!

Let me know if you have any questions, and I hope you have a great weekend!

Gluten Free Black Bean Burgers

2012-02-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

3 1/2 years ago I started this blog because I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and had NO idea how to be gluten free. Reading blogs helped me through my first few months the way nothing else could, and starting my own made it feel more like an adventure than a misery.

Over the last two years, I’ve enjoyed helping out new gluten free folks, reworking recipes for you guys, and just being a part of this great community that we have here in the blogging world.

Thank God for all of y’all.

The comments and emails that I received after yesterday’s post truly touched me. With every word of encouragement, I felt the fire in me grow. I am such a lucky gal to have so many people around the world cheering me on.

Now,

I try to plan a vegetarian meal at least once a week. I LOVE meats, in particular good, organic, local meats, but I can’t always afford to use them in every meal. But organic beans are real good too, and at 89 cents a can, black beans fit in the budget!

Budget friendly Black Bean Burgers – gluten free

inspired via Pinterest and Budget Bytes

You’ll need:

One can black beans

1/4 small red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrin’s is gluten free)

1 tbsp. Moore’s Wing Sauce (or hot sauce of your choice)

salt & pepper to taste

1 egg

1/2 to 1 cup gluten free breadcrumbs

Toppings of your choice

Start by combining the beans, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce in the food processor. Process 10 pulses, then scrape the sides. Process another 10 pulses, scrape again. Taste a bit of your mix; add salt and pepper to taste. Then process continuously for 5 seconds. You want the mixture to be a little bit chunky and not totally smooth.

Then in a large bowl, add one egg and whisk. To the whisked egg, add the bean mixture and stir well to combine. Then add in 1/2 cup of your gluten free bread crumbs. Stir well and check your consistency. You want to be able to make patties but not make it completely dry.

Heat a non-stick, greased frying pan over medium heat. Cook each pattied burger for 7-10 minutes on each side. Let the burger cook the full 7-10 minutes before you flip to the next side, this will help it stay together.

Serve with or without a bun, with the toppings of your choice!

I chose 2%milk cheddar, avocado, and an obscene amount of ketchup and mustard.

Meaty without the meat, and full of flavor.

I used Gillian’s GF Breadcrumbs that I found at Target on clearance for…wait for it…79 cents!!! Score!

****

Off to the gym, sweating makes me happy.

Life changes: The New Plan

2012-02-08T03:00:00.000-08:00

Ummm…you guys are seriously awesome. I have the best readers, friends, blends, and family. I hated to leave you all hanging, but I literally couldn’t keep writing.

The resolution to my issue is the hardest part.

So. Where were we?

Yes. What am I going to do?

Well, first I made appointments with everyone at UNCW I could think of. I met with all of them and promptly cried in their office….I wish that was a joke.

Then I sat down with my amazing hubby Parrish and talked about all of the options: Ending the degree, paying a ton of money, or moving to Wilmington.

None of the options sounded good. Hence the heart wrenching vague posts that you had to read.

Imagine me sitting on my couch and crying like a sobbing baby, and that’s where I was two weeks ago. I am an UGLY crier. Really. I don’t think it gets worse than me with the waterworks goin’.

Then we talked with our parents and my bestie and let them know the deal. Love, support, and advice were offered and accepted. Finally the decision was made.

****

From May 17th until December 20th, I will be living TEMPORARILY in Wilmington, NC and finishing my degree.

****

I know what you’re thinking…

But wait, what about your job?

Yep. I have to quit my job. Not happy about it.

So…you’re going to live on one income? Is your husband a model?

Surprisingly, he’s not a model. (He could be; a purse model perhaps?)

He actually works for a non-profit too, so obviously we’re rollin’ in the dough. Nope. Wrong again. It’s going to be TIGHT in the Ravelli house for a long time, and I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that it’s seriously giving me heart palpitations. I am nervous about it.

Get ready for some CHEAP gluten free recipes in the next few months!

Mortgage + Rent is expensive!!

Yes it is, which is why we won’t be doing that. Luckily, my fabulous in-laws (seriously, they’re the best) will be letting me stay with them. Finishing my degree wouldn’t even be an option if they hadn’t offered

But wait…where’s your hubby going to be?

In Durham. That’s the worst part. As much as I love my job and am scared to not have an income, I don’t want to live apart from my husband. Unhappiness. Distance makes the heart grow fonder is my mantra. PLUS we have super fancy i-phones, so we’ll have Face Time which is nice.

You can visit on weekends right?

Read the answer for the single income question and repeat that. We honestly aren’t going to be able to travel to each other as much as I know I’ll want to, but we’ll break it up into manageable chunks.

Oh but that surcharge! How many semesters will you pay tuition & a half?

One. As it turns out, summer classes are exempt from the surcharge. So I’ll be taking four classes (two each session) over the summer. Then I’ll take three classes in the fall and finish. The surcharge on three classes won’t be too bad, and I feel better knowing that I’m only getting duped for one semester.

Phew! This is crazy. But are you happy?

Ultimately, yes. Finishing my degree is incredibly important to me. I know that if I didn’t finish, I would regret it. Every time I saw my Papa he would ask me when I was going to go back to school, and the last time I spoke with him he told me that it was his one regret in life, that he left Clemson to work on the farm and never finished.

I also know that if I paid this surcharge for more than one semester it would be just plain silly. The plan we have chosen is the best option, and I’m getting on board. Luckily I have until May to shine to it.

****

The silver lining is that I am SO CLOSE. I know I can do this. AND I know that Parrish and I can do this. And hopefully soon, I’ll be able to talk about this upcoming change and be excited instead of weepy.

Life changes and the worst phrase EVER

2012-02-07T04:43:00.001-08:00

So what’s going on in my life right now and is making me want to plan comfort food like Chicken Nachos for supper every night?

Well, here’s a story for you.

If you’ve been reading my blog for over a year, then you know that this past fall I made the decision to go back to college and finish my degree. College was never easy for me, and I always had a hard time staying focused. Early on, my grades would end up being two As, a B, and a F. I just kept spreading myself thin. I was one of those people who had to have a job while in school, and of course, I was boy crazy. I would skip classes ALL THE TIME. Oh it’s raining? Skip class. Oh you want to go have a long lunch? Skip class. Oh the beach is only 5 minutes away from my house? Skip class. I ended up taking a semester off, then a year off.

In that year I met Parrish. Coolest boyfriend (now hubby) ever. He was older (by two years) and had just gotten back from AmeriCorps. He was focused and fun, and he rubbed off on me. That fall, I was determined to return to school and do well, even though I still had a full-time job.

And return I did! It was amazing. I no longer had trouble being a good student, and I was making straight As in all my classes. We were 3/4 of the way through the semester, and I couldn’t have been more excited. I could do college; it wasn’t impossible.

Then in October of that year, Parrish and I were witnesses to a murder – suicide, and my entire world fell apart. I would cry…pretty much all the time. I couldn’t go outside after dark. I couldn’t be in loud rooms. I had frequent panic attacks, which by the way, they should call panic heart attacks, because that’s what they feel like! A week later I broke down crying in my one of my classes and was mortified. I couldn’t hold it together AT ALL. My professors felt badly for me, and so we decided it would be best to just take incompletes in all four classes and finish over the next year.

Yeah I didn’t finish. It took over three years for me to even BEGIN to feel like myself again. I honestly didn’t know that PTSD could happen to me, but it did. It took moving away from Wilmington to really start healing. But I’ll be honest and tell you that even today, I can watch something scary on TV and get in the wrong frame of mind. When that happens I can’t go outside after dark again, so the lesson there: don’t watch scary stuff on TV.

I moved! Parrish and I bought a house! We got married! I started this blog! I was hired as an Assistant Director of a non-profit! Life moved on.

But that degree sat.

It sat in the back of my mind and made me feel like a quitter. It felt like something I could never finish, but wanted to so badly.

Lucky for me, I have an amazing hubby who pushed me and supported me. And with his help, I enrolled last fall. I started with three classes last semester.

CRAZY!

Umm, three classes on top of a full-time (read 45 hrs. a week minimum) job during the busiest time of year for us? Oh and let’s get a second dog that needs to be trained on top of that. GOODBYE any glimmer of a social life. HELLO non-traditional student.

But I did it. Remember? Straight A’s. I kicked that semester’s booty. And I registered for two classes this semester. I was so excited. This plan was going to work! Then I got a piece of mail that made me…confused.

Who knew that this phrase could actually ruin my life?

Dramatic? Yeah, probably. But honestly for the past two weeks that is how I’ve felt.

The NC tuition surcharge states that if it takes a student longer than 5 years or 140 attempted credit hours to finish a 4 year degree, then that student will have to begin paying a tuition surcharge/ tuition and a half. So if your tuition is $2,000, you will now be paying $3,000.

Huh?

My take it slow plan was no longer going to work. Parrish and I couldn’t afford to pay tuition and a half. We barely eeked out tuition. PLUS it just doesn’t make financial sense to pay SO MUCH for a degree from UNCW. Right?!

Here’s the kicker.

I only have SEVEN classes left. SEVEN little classes, and I will graduate. SEVEN.

But wait for it.

NONE of those SEVEN classes are offered online. Not. A. One.

And no my friends, I can’t transfer. The one school that I have now looked into, would need 18 additional credits on top of my seven. Boo. Transferring when you’re so close is just not an option.

But remember…I don’t live in Wilmington. I have a full-time job with a LOAD of responsibility. I love my life here in Durham.

What am I going to do?

Well, I’ll tell you the NEW plan tomorrow. And today I’m just thankful for meal planning, because otherwise I would be eating nachos every night of the week!

Gluten Free Fried Pimento Cheese

2012-02-06T03:01:00.000-08:00

So did you watch the Super Bowl?

I’m going to be honest with you…I really didn’t. I caught the first 30 minutes (enough to eat my yummy treat) and then went into P and I’s bedroom to fold laundry and get ready for the week.

Thank goodness for Parks and Rec on Netflix!

I mean, I was up front about it only being about the food for me right?! Right. And boy was it about the food last night!

It’s a mozzarella stick meets hushpuppy meets jalapeno popper, and it is DIVINE!

Gluten Free Fried Pimento Cheese inspired via Pinterest via Taste of the South

You’ll need:

1 1/2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup diced pimientos, drained

2 tablespoons gluten free all-purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill GF AP Baking)

2 teaspoon Frank’s hot sauce

3 egg whites, beaten stiff

2 cups Kinnikinnick GF Panko Breadcrumbs, divided

Oil for frying

*******

In a large Dutch Oven, fry Daddy, or Kitchen Kettle, heat 4-5 inches of vegetable oil to 350 degrees.

Start beating your egg whites. I prefer to use my stand mixer set to medium. Beat until the egg whites form stiff peaks.

While they’re beating: In a large bowl, combine the cheese, pimentos, GF flour, and Franks. Stir well. Then add in the stiff egg whites and 1 cup of the GF panko. Stir well to combine.

In a second large bowl, pour out the additional 1 cup of GF panko. Form the cheese mixture into one inch balls, pressing and rolling to make a compact ball. Then roll into the panko to get a good coating.

Fry four to 5 balls at a time. Cook until the balls float and the panko has browned. Drain on paper towels, and then place in a 175 degree oven on a baking sheet to keep them warm.

Serve immediately with dipping sauce of choice; we liked them with Wishbone Buffalo Ranch.

Even if you’re not from the South, I guarantee you’ll love these! Crispy on the outside warm and gooey on the inside. Cheesy.

YUM!

And now I’m off to the gym to work these babies off!

Happy Monday!

Fitness Fridays: Make it Easier

2012-02-03T04:38:00.001-08:00

Want to Catch Up on the Fitness Fridays Series?

Get Your Fitness on in the A.M.

Smoothies

Inspiration Boards

Sports Bras

****************************

I have to say, that on this particular Fitness Friday, I am positively Tickled Pink!

Since joining the YMCA almost a year ago (a year in March) I had set a weight loss plan for myself. I knew I wanted to lose 30 pounds. But I also knew that I wanted to lose about a pound a month. At that slow of a weight loss I felt like I could manage the holidays, being in school while working, and really keep the weight off permanently.

I weighed myself yesterday, and I am officially 15 pounds lighter. And what’s even better is that I know that some of those pounds that are still on me aren’t even fat like they were, they are stone cold muscle baby!

In my last FF post, I told you guys how I made it easier to become a morning workout person. So today I thought I would share a few more tips that have made it easier for me to succeed!

Count to 4, Then 4 Again

There’s something about doing any form of crunches or sit ups, that makes me want to quit right away. Especially since you mostly do sets of 20 and repeat 4 to 5 times. So I started counting to 4. I do five sets of four, and break up the sets with other heart rate raising moves in between like jump rope or burpees. It honestly helps me get to the end. I don’t feel nearly as tired when I get to 20, and my brain never slams in to a wall and tells me to quit. I still end up doing 100, but I never hear that number and I never get overwhelmed.

Keep it Low, Then Pump It

When I start out on the Arc Trainer or Elliptical, I always keep my music pretty low. Then when I feel the will to sweat start waning, I pump up the volume one or two clicks. This burst in song is usually exactly what I need to get over the hump. I really hate that around 8 minutes in to a workout my brain turns in to a quitter, and almost a year into it and it still happens! But pumping it up helps.

Promise yourself 10 minutes, Then 10 more

Much like counting to 4, for any cardio I always promise myself 10 minutes. It doesn’t seem like an overwhelming goal and by the time I reach that mark I’m usually starting to sweat and feeling loose, so I promise myself 10 more. I like to do 30 minutes on the Arc Trainer, but some days I can only manage 20. But I don’t beat myself up about those lingering 10 minutes, because 20 is better than zero!

Source

Keep it Fresh

Every two to three weeks, I go on to iTunes and download two to three new songs for my workout. The cost at that rate is minimal, and having new music keeps my booty moving. I also weed out older music, or any tracks that I notice I’ve started skipping through. I don’t need anything holding me back, especially bad music. I have the iPod Nano that clips to my sports bra, and if you have $129 bucks to spare, I highly recommend it! I LOVE mine.

*******

Next Friday I’m going to show you my favorite gut busting moves, and none of them involve a sit up!

Have one you love? Email it to me by next Thursday and I’ll include it in the post!

How’s this for SMART?

2012-02-02T03:45:00.001-08:00

Ummm….seriously yesterday?

Did I write an entire post (and link to a previous post) about how excited I was that it was…MARCH 1st?!?!

And you know what?

I honestly thought it was March 1st until I saw that first comment roll in. Sheesh. Not too smart over here.

Yes. Yesterday was a HARD day. Tough. Rough. Not Good.

However, now that part is over and I’m trying to adjust and make peace with everything now. I can’t wait to tell you guys what has been going on, but that post will have to wait until Monday. Thank you for the space and understanding; the comments and emails of encouragement, perspective, and prayers have really helped! I’m not through the hardest part, but I know I can make it through.

For today, I just wanted to tell you about something that’s not STUPID from a company that isn’t a DUMMY and would never forget an entire month…

Chick-fil-A!

I used to love Chick-fil-A previous to my Celiac diagnosis. Chicken mini anyone? And I’ll admit that out of all the fast food, I’ve missed them most.

Well, miss no more!

Introducing their NEW grilled GLUTEN FREE chicken nuggets on their kid’s meal. Here’s what Chick-fil-A has to say on the matter:

Introduction of Grilled Nuggets: These gluten-free Grilled Nuggets are made from a boneless, skinless breast of chicken tumbled in a salt and pepper spice blend and then grilled to perfection. The four count is only 80 calories and 1 gram of fat, while the six count contains 110 calories and 1.5 grams of fat.

How’s that for an on the go meal option?!

And yes, yes you can follow that up with a side of waffle fries! Here is there complete list of gluten free items (the nuggets are brand new, and not yet on the list):

Gluten InformationPrintable Version

The following information is provided for those customers who have intolerance to gluten (wheat, barley, rye, triticale, oats and spelt).

Below is a list of our menu items that may fit your gluten-free diet. Some ingredients such as spices and natural flavors may be proprietary; therefore, we may not have the source listed for those items. We recommend you review this list with your physician before consuming any of the products listed below, or any other item on our menu. Although the ingredients in these menu items are gluten-free, we do not have gluten free prep areas and procedures for assembly of these menu items.

Entree

Chick-fil-A® Chargrilled Chicken Filet (no bun)
Chick-fil-A® Chargrilled Chicken Garden Salad
Chick-fil-A® Chargrilled Chicken & Fruit Salad
Tortilla Strips

Sides

Fruit Cup
Side Salad
Cole Slaw
Carrot & Raisin Salad
Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Fries®
Yogurt Parfait

Breakfast

Bacon slice
Egg
Sausage patty
American cheese slice
Hash Browns

Kid's Meals

Chick-fil-A® Grilled nuggets
Buddy Fruits® Pure Blended Fruit To Go applesauce

Desserts

Icedream®
Chocolate Syrup
Blueberry Topping

Beverages

All Beverages

Dipping Sauces and Dressings

Barbecue Sauce
Honey Mustard Sauce
Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce
Polynesian Sauce
Buttermilk Ranch Sauce
Chick-fil-A® Buffalo Sauce
Spicy Dressing
Blue Cheese Dressing
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Thousand Island Dressing
Light Italian Dressing
Fat Free Dijon Honey Mustard Dressing
Caesar Dressing
Reduced Fat Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
Reduced Fat Berry Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Chick-fil-A® Sauce

Condiments

Ketchup
Mustard
Mayonnaise
Apple Jelly
Grape Jelly
Mixed Fruit Jelly

************

And while they don’t have a gluten free prep area, you can totally ask the kitchen to change their gloves. Plus, who knows. If they get enough feedback and thanks from the gluten free community, they just may make a prep area a priority!

THANK YOU CHICK-FIL-A! I’m going to celebrate this great achievement by going to get myself a kid’s meal with a fruit cup!

Excited too? Feel free to share this blog post with your own readers, facebook friends, or twitter-ers! Just link it back!

This Day Last Year x2

2012-02-01T04:29:00.001-08:00

Well, apparently I’m having a big ol’ case of déjà vu!

I woke up this morning, and immediately thought I wanted to write a post about how I’m still not drinking Diet Coke, and have been killing La Croix. Then I thought I would include a look back at March 1 of last year, and see how much things have changed in year.

Guess what my post was about this day last year? Hindsight!

Yep, I did a near identical post this day last year! What is it about March 1st that makes me feel nostalgic?

Here’s the post from this day last year:

**************************

Hindsight

One of the best parts of writing a blog, besides the wonderful community it creates , is the ability to journal and then revisit. This morning I was reflecting on the fact that it’s already March 1st! I can’t believe it. And I wondered what was I doing this time last year.

WOAH.

Reading through my posts, I was taken back through a roller coaster of emotions. It’s a wonder that I survived March 2009.

Between looking for a house to buy, finding a house, and LOSING that house, I should have been done for. This picture says it all:

But then add to that, planning my wedding and looking for a wedding dress…eesh. I mean remember the choices?!

“Oops, I pooped a bow.”

But thankfully, I did fine THE ONE

and it was perfect for me!

And we mailed out our STD’s in March!

And I did ALL this, while quitting Diet Coke!!

Reading back through all the posts, it reminded me of what I said to a volunteer last Friday. He was really nervous to start high school, having been home schooled all his life. But now, 6 months in to it, he’s doing GREAT! He loves his classes and has made a ton of friends. I never doubted it for a second; he’s an amazing teen, but I was asking him to remember how nervous he was. Then I asked him to think about how happy he is now. That type of reflection has always served me well. I like to remember how anxious I can get and then remember how it always turns out for the best, even if the road is rocky. It helps me be more confident and feel less worry.

Especially since I’m someone who doesn’t always deal with change very well. Even being gluten free. I can remember telling my closest friends the day of the diagnosis, and crying my eyes out. But then look where I am now. I wouldn’t touch gluten with a ten foot pole!

So, Happy March 1st! And I’m so glad that this March, I’m a happily wedded homeowner. And the only thing I’m “planning” is a super fun vacation in July!

**************************

And you want to know the funniest part?

I have a HELL of a day in front of me. Seriously. It’s going to be a doozie. But once it’s over then I can share with you guys what’s going on, and I’ll definitely start feeling a little more at ease.

But this morning I am a BUNDLE of nerves. I literally feel sick. And the last few paragraphs of last year’s post are a GOOD REMINDER of perspective. Anxiety is not necessary today, because after I get through today then it’s going to be much easier!

Gluten Free Super Bowl Recipes

2012-01-31T03:00:00.000-08:00

So when I say Super Bowl Sunday, what do you think of?

A. Football

B. Commercials

C. Half-time Show

D. The Food!!!

If you answered D, then you and I are on the same page!

I’m not saying that I don’t enjoy the football. I do. And the commercials are fun. I’m not too big on the half-time show, but it’s a nice break in between courses. But it’s really all about the food!

I was just saying to Parrish last night that I feel like Super Bowl Sunday is one of those rare holidays where you’re allowed to eat copious amounts of sour cream, cheese, and bacon and the calories don’t count.

Well…they count but so long as you nibble in moderation you can make it work!

This year I’m going to try a few new recipes and rely on some old standbys.

Oldies but Goodies:

Zucchini Sticks with Bloomin’ Onion Dip

Potato Skin Sliders

Hot Spinach Dip

Recipes in need of a Gluten Free transformation:

Waffle-fry sliders via Pinterest

Mini Corn Dog bites from Iowa Girl Eats

Fried Pimento Cheese Balls via Pinterest

*************

So what about you? What are your Super Bowl favorites?

New Veggie Recipe: Cheesy Quinoa Bites

2012-01-30T03:00:00.000-08:00

THANK GOODNESS for meal planning. Not only does it keep me from melting into a pile of tears when I’m too hungry and can’t find anything to eat, but it also keeps me from emotional eating!

I am STRESSED to the max. More stressed than when we were buying a house AND planning a wedding at the same time? Yep. More stressed. I can’t get to the gym fast enough, because I need that sweat and those sweet, sweet endorphins.

AND I am a huge emotional eater. Two years ago, this stress would have sent me down a bag of french fries and into a block of cheese. But I know that I do this; I am aware. Plus with a meal plan, I already knew what I was going to eat for supper last night.

Problem solved.

Quinoa Bites!

Packed with protein, fiber, and veggies, these little bites bring the flava’ while being the perfect size for dippers!

I found the recipe for these babies on Pinterest here. I followed it to the letter, except I subbed the flour with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oat Flour.

If I had had GF All Purpose on hand, then I would have used that but I’m all out.

I also added 1/2 cup more carrot than the recipe called for.

This is my new veggie recipe of the week, so I wanted to amp it up.

I baked the bites in this handy….thing-a-ma-jig:

It’s a Flexible Silicone Mini Brownie Bites pan that I found at Michael’s. Truthfully, I had bought it to make jello shots in!

It was nice because once they were finished, I could just pop them right out! But the above pan is not mandatory. You could use a muffin tin too. Just make sure you grease them!

YUM!

And yes, you guessed it, they re-heat beautifully!

**********

Happy Monday!

Are you an emotional eater? What’s your go to food and how do you resist?

My resistance:I am off to the gym to sweat it up!

Fitness Fridays: Get Your Fitness on in the A.M.

2012-01-27T10:12:00.001-08:00

I am really loving your ideas for future Fitness Fridays posts! Keep them coming, and you still have a few more hours to enter into the Blender Bottle Giveaway! Click on over here.

***************

In this post, I wanted to answer a question that I got by email pretty often. How in the world did I become a morning workout person?!

How did I go from not working out to working out five days a week?

I’ll be honest, I never would have thought it would happen to me. I used to sleep until the absolute last minute I could and still make it to work on time. But two years ago I made a resolution to “stop living for my days off”, and I felt like my morning routine was a big part of that.

I didn’t want my work days to be: wake up, shower, eat, WORK, home, eat, sleep. So I started giving myself a two hour buffer in the morning before I had to start getting ready. Now I had to work up to the two hours, by slowly waking up thirty minutes earlier over a period of a month (week by week), but sure enough my body clock adjusted.

Then last year I made the decision to start working out again, and I knew my morning time slot was the perfect spot to schedule it. It started out as a morning walk/run with Max. And then for me, it meant joining my local YMCA and utilizing their machines. However, gym or not, the following are tips that I found helpful to keep myself focused.

1. Organize your Workout Clothes

I’m a little embarassed to admit how many time I used an excuse like “I don’t have any workout clothes clean” or “I don’t know where my shorts are” to keep myself from working out! So I keep them organized by tops (shirts, tanks, and bras) and bottoms (shorts, capris, pants) and in these fabric bins at arm’s length.

Make them easily accessible.

Each time Target puts the bins on sale, I buy one.

It also makes doing laundry a breeze, because I never have to fold any of the clothes!

2. Plan the night before

I always start planning the night before to make sure I workout the next morning.

I lay my clothes out:

and get my gym bag ready.

I also make coffee the night before (or Parrish does) and make sure I have a protein bar in an accessible spot.

That way I can munch on one on the way to gym if I don’t have time to eat a proper breakfast before.

3. Trick Your Brain

The key part about prepping the night before, and laying out your clothes, is that you’re going to trick your brain. I keep my workout clothes close to my bed (or in my bathroom) so that as soon as I wake up, I put them on.

(anyone want to me make me a headboard?!)

As soon as the alarm goes off, I force my feet onto the floor. No snoozing. That just gives me time to make “deals” with myself. (which aren’t really deals by the way! More like excuses)

That way I can get geared up and ready before my brain can think about how sleepy or tired I am. I try to get as much done in my zombie state, that way as I’m driving to the gym, I munch my protein bar and drink my coffee, already proud that I’m staying motivated.

I wish I didn’t have to trick my brain, because once I’m at the gym and sweatin’ it up, I really do love it! But for now, it seems to be the only thing that gets me there!

4. Keep it Separate

This last step is really only if you’re going to the gym, but for me it was a biggie. I make going to the gym a part of my daily routine, and shower there to get ready for work. I was lucky that the YMCA had a location in between my house and work. (I highly suggest this method!) That way if I’m working, which I do five days a week, then I’m working out.

Keeping it separate is in regards to your necessary shower and beauty items. Buy yourself a cheap and effective organizer, and don’t try to use travel items over and over. Also I don’t recommend repacking and sharing your items between gym showers and home showers, because one day you’re going to forget something…and it may just be your deodorant!

I have separate everything, including a toothbrush! The only thing I keep in travel size is my gluten free EO body wash, but that’s because it’s expensive and you only use a dot!

That way when I pack my bag:

the night before with my clothes for the next day, I know my shower supplies are already inside. No thought necessary!

And note that I do not have a fancy gym bag. It is in fact my old book bag. Everything fits in it and it fits in the locker. That’s all you need! However, I’m not saying that I wouldn’t love a nicer gym bag for…oh…say, my birthday!

But I have to say that the best part about working out in the morning is that it COMPLETELY energizes me for the day ahead. I also make better eating choices because I’m already feeling pretty jazzed up about being healthy.

*******

Do you have tricks and tips that help you stay focused and motivated to workout?

Share them in the comments!

Go Bestie, It’s your Birthday.

2012-01-27T05:44:00.001-08:00

**Schedule Delay**

The Fitness Friday post will go up around noon today, and don’t forget to enter to win your own Blender Bottle here.

But right now, let’s talk a little bit more about my bestie sister, who is celebrating her birthday!! (edited to add: Her birthday was yesterday! Gosh darn it, this is why you look at your calendar on your days off!)

*****

I am VERY lucky!

I have been blessed with two older sisters, who are so incredibly loving and supportive of their little sister.

And I talk about her all the time, but my bestie sister is my best friend. (Hence the nickname) And she constantly takes care of me, even now that we’re both “grown up”. She talks things out with me, listens to my ramblings, and gets just as excited as I do about new coffee creamer flavors.

So in honor of her birthday, I thought I would share with you guys some of the most important nuggets of wisdom I’ve learned from her and tried to incorporate into my own life!

1. Family First: My bestie always puts her family first, and makes spending time with all of us a priority. She plans get togethers, makes sure there are food options for everyone, and just makes everything more fun! She is by far the LEAST selfish person I know.

2. Make the Most of Every Moment: My bestie is always ready for adventures and exploring, and she definitely embraces life. Feeling too tired? Get off the couch, let’s go. Because she’s knows once you’re up and moving, it’s going to be fun! Sitting in traffic? Don’t get mad. Call someone you love and spend that time catching up with them.

3. Be Flexible: It’s not always going to go perfectly. No worries. It’s your wedding day and someone forgot something? No worries, it’s not going to go perfectly. Grumpy toddler? No problem. My bestie is the queen of flexibility.

4. Be Present: Joan is present with you in every moment, which is one of the reasons she’s such an incredible Mom. She’s not distracted by her cell phone, or worried about the schedule. She’s spending time with you, and it always makes you feel special.

5. Be Funny: My niece Ella is hilarious, and I think a big part of that comes from my bestie. (She’s also a little bit mischievous, which she also gets from my bestie) Joan never takes herself too seriously, and can find humor in anything. Waiting in line at Starbucks? Funny commentary will help with the wait.

I love you Joanie, and thank you for being a constant inspiration to me. I hope that your birthday is just as special as you!

I Love Blender Bottles GIVEAWAY

2012-01-26T03:00:00.000-08:00

My name is Marlow, and I have a problem.

I am STRAIGHT addicted to blender bottles!

I sort of feel like they knew people like me would see all the different colors and feel the URGE to own more than one!

Seriously though, I own…

FOUR!

two little, one big, and another big one at work! Two pink, one orange, and a blue. AND the other day I saw the red one at Whole Foods and was {---} this close to buying it!

So why do I love them so much?

They are hands down the best thing to put my smoothie in if I’m making it ahead of time…which I almost always am.

For example, I have a TON of car time ahead of me and I’m packing my road cooler. In that cooler: two smoothies. One for breakfast, one for lunch. And the beauty of the blender bottle is that with a few quick shakes, that pre-prepared smoothie will be all…SMOOTH again!

Seriously, have you ever seen a smoothie that has separated? Yuck.

ALSO. If you’re just making a smoothie with mix and milk or water, the little blender ball breaks up all the clumps!

WANT ONE?!

I love them so much, I’m going to give one away! And I promise, it’ll be a new one

BLENDER BOTTLE GIVEAWAY – SPONSORED BY ME!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

What sort of content would you like to see on Fitness Fridays?

Want more chances to win?

Tweet it, Facebook it, Blog about it – and comment back telling me you did so!

Four chances to win! And you know I’m going to throw in some other fun stuff, including a few Gluten Hates Me stickers!

And the winner is:

Rachel T. who said:

I would love to see something like a Friday Fast 15/30. A quick workout you can bust out in 15/30 minutes.
I've wanted a Blender bottle SO badly. The husfriend thinks they are silly. If I win one though, he can't complain!

Congrats Rachel! Email me with your info

***

Happy Thursday!

Thank you so much to everyone for the kind emails and comments yesterday! Hopefully by the end of today I’ll have a better idea of what my plans for the next few years are. I hate having so much up in the air, and one of the scenarios just does not make me happy. But I am determined to get my degree. DEE-termined.

P.S. Blender Bottle in NO WAY asked or promoted this email in ANY way. I just freakin’ love them so much!

Tough Times

2012-01-25T04:40:00.001-08:00

Last night was one of those nights.

One of those nights where I had to sit down with my husband and look at numbers, classes, scenarios, and float the possibilities.

It was one of those nights that called for ice cream.

I can’t get into too many details on here yet because we’re still digesting information from last night and thinking through our options, but let’s just say that finishing my degree sucks. And it’s much harder than I thought it would be, but the silver lining is that I could be finished by December. But it would mean huge sacrifices, and I just don’t know if I can make them.

So this morning was one of those mornings.

A two cup of coffee morning! AND a gym morning. I have a ton of reading to do for school, but I made the executive decision that this morning it was more important to get my sweat on.

******

P.S. Clemmy’s is the best ice cream ever! 100% sugar free and totally gluten free; I love it!

Arugula?! Yep, Arugula

2012-01-24T03:00:00.000-08:00

P’s in the kitchen and he is cookin’ uh-huh, uh-huh

oh yes, P’s in the kitchen and he is cookin’ uh-huh

A far better rendition of “Froggy Went a Courtin’” and an even better rendition of sautéed arugula!

Two slices of bacon cooked till crisp, grease reserved. Into the grease, diced garlic and shallot. Sautee while stirring, scraping up the bits of bacon. Once the shallot is nice and translucent: add in the arugula!

Give a stir – letting the greens wilt

While it finishes wilting, crumble the bacon! And…if you have dogs, let them lick your fingers!

And…then wash your hands!!

Top the wilting greens with the crumbled bacon, and continue stirring. You still want the greens to reduce by half the size above^^ Once finished, serve immediately!

I recommend serving with THIS SALMON and roasted broccoli.

Best part?

Start to finish, this meal took 30 minutes to prepare! And the salmon was on sale at the Teeter. AND it was taaaaa-aaasty.

What’s your favorite way to prepare salmon?

Gluten Free Breakfast in Five Minutes Flat

2012-01-23T05:08:00.001-08:00

I can’t believe it’s been nearly half a year since I’ve had a waffle for breakfast. But between all the bowls of oatmeal, and Nature’s Path not being on sale at Harris Teeter, I guess I forgot about how yummy these little babies are!

“Isn’t She Lovely” strawberry topped waffle

The ingredients are simple.

One toasted gluten free waffle topped with 1/4 cup 0% fat Fage Greek Yogurt, 2 strawberries sliced, and 1 tbsp. slivered almonds.

Or if you’re feeling adventurous, top with a flavored chobani. I bet the Chobani Honey-Nana Champion would be REALLY good!

I love the delicate crunch slivered almonds add.

And if you’re thinking you would rather top your waffle with syrup…think again!

The pillow like layer of yogurt brings a creamy, tangy touch that will woo you away from sugary syrup. But if you do miss the warmth of syrup, drizzle (not drench) the top with 1/2 tbsp. of your favorite syrup or honey.

Don’t have any berries? No problem! It’s just as good with plain yogurt on top.

And fast! Super fast!

************

I am officially addicted to Scramble with Friends! I went to bed last night thinking about words!

Fitness Fridays: Smoothies

2012-01-20T03:06:00.000-08:00

Smoothies are kind of funny sometimes.

While I’ve never made one that didn’t taste yummy, I have made more than a few that didn’t look like they would taste yummy. Sort of like when you’re dying Easter eggs and you and your brother think you should try mixing all the colors together…yeah, they turn out brown. (why you tried this year after year, I’m not so sure)

But smoothies are my favorite post workout treat! And luckily the best smoothie doesn’t turn brown when you mix it all together.

It’s bright green!

1 cup Vanilla Soymilk

1 cup Orange Juice

One dollop of Oikos Vanilla Yogurt

3 handfuls of Spinach

2 strawberries halved

Colors: Red, Green, Orange

Want to add more protein?

James Dean meet Gluten Hates Me

2012-01-19T05:09:00.001-08:00

Blog, meet James Dean.

James Dean is my new (as of a week ago) Canon Rebel T3 DSLR camera! And much like James Dean, he’s a rebel who’s mysterious and hard to understand.

Luckily I have two fur babies who make for pretty willing models. Bonus: they work for treats.

Hazel is pretty unsure of the sound that comes from the shutter.

Modeling makes Max sleepy…and hungry.

^^ What are you doing Mom?

^^ I’m really bored with this Mom. Let’s snuggle.

Luckily once the dogs get tired of modeling, I have plenty of other models who don’t seem to mind.

Although Honey Bear does have pretty steep sitting rates.

So then I have to turn the lens on myself. I bought a new red lipstick on Monday, and I’m still pretty unsure about it. When I wear lipstick I feel like a kid playing in my Mom’s makeup, but I’m a married woman! I can wear lipstick too!

I mean…I’m a grown up…right?!

****************

Happy Thursday!!

Last night Parrish and I had breakfast for supper and it was such a treat! I made up a batch of gluten free french toast, and I have to say that I’m still thinking about it this morning!

Creamy (Hidden Greens) Gluten Free Pasta

2012-01-18T03:00:00.000-08:00

This dish checked TWO things off of my list! The first, it was a healthy meal after…all that chocolate cake, and the second: this is my new vegetable recipe for the week! I love when I take a step towards a New Years resolution! (makes me not feel so bad about those TWO pieces of chocolate cake!)

This is a recipe in progress, so while I will tell you what’s in it, I’m not recommending it yet. Don’t get me wrong, it was DELICIOUS. But towards the end of the meal Parrish had the idea to top it with lemon zest (great idea) and we were even throwing around the idea of adding bacon. (although not the day after eating chocolate cake) Feel free to play around with this recipe on your own too; let me know how it goes!

I started by cooking up two servings of Tinkyada gluten free elbows. Use whatever noodle you like, the shape really doesn’t matter. While that was cooking, I readied my food processor. Don’t have a food processor? You could use a stand blender or immersion blender.

Into the food processor: two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, the juice of one lemon, and two cloves of garlic. Processed on high for around 30 seconds. Then I added in one avocado, pitted and sliced. Processed for about 10 seconds. Then I added in two cups of fresh spinach. Processed for about 30 seconds to a minute (or until creamy) Then I added 1/2 tsp. of salt and processed again for 30 seconds.

Voila!

Once your noodles are cooked, strain and then back into the pot with your yummy green sauce. Stir well and serve!

I also suggest topping with a bit of lemon zest, and serving immediately!

Creamy, tart, bright with a garlicky finish! This is definitely a recipe that I will continue playing around with. Man, I wish bestie wasn’t allergic to avocados!

************

Happy Wednesday! I had some strange bug yesterday and was home with nausea for the greater part of the day. ^^This supper really hit the spot last night, and I’m hoping to shake off whatever it was. I’m honestly a little worried it was a sugar coma from the cake…and too much True Blood.

A Slice of Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

2012-01-17T04:04:00.001-08:00

It’s all about balance right?

Yesterday I tell you guys about how I like to make sure I have a healthy, nutrient dense breakfast to start my day….and today I’m going to tell you about the chocolate cake I made last night for no reason other than it was a Monday.

A few weeks ago I found a box of Better Batter cake mix at Home Goods of all places, and of course snatched it up!

And I’ll admit that I was a little skeptical about this cake mix, because all you add to the mix is water, egg, and oil.

35 minutes later, my fears were gone! Although, I will say that the cake didn’t rise as much as most cakes. But the cake itself is spongey and moist, with a great texture.

What do I suggest you serve with your decadent slice of chocolate cake?

An equally decadent episode of Gossip Girl. Two guilty pleasures at once is the only way to go!