Gluten Free in Montana

A Run for Sherry Arnold

2012-02-02T07:22:00.000-08:00

I'm sure all of my readers in Montana have heard about Sherry Arnold, her story hit home with me in a couple of ways. I started running two years ago and being alone when running does put me at risk, my awareness of that is even stronger now. I'm also from eastern Montana and it's an area where you just feel safe and trust others. It's the way of life there and incidents like this rob us of our safety. It's not right and it's not fair.

I have been praying for Sherry and her family since I first heard she was missing and when I saw the blog post for a Virtual Run for Sherry on Februrary 11th I knew a run would be in order come snow (rain this year I guess) or shine. Please read the post, like it on Facebook, share with your friends, and most importantly get out on Saturday the 11th to walk or run for Sherry.

Wheat Free Day at the Co-op in Bozeman

2012-01-05T13:57:00.000-08:00

Mark your calendar for January 21st from 1-5 to stop by the Co-op on West Main and sample gluten free products, pick up recipe cards, and talk with Janelle (the Gluten Free Life Coach). This should be a great time to try some new products and inquire about a store tour. If you're new to being gluten free or know someone that is that would be a nice way to ease them into shopping.

Gluten Free Cake from Sola Cafe

2011-12-20T08:17:00.000-08:00

Thrown into the busy Christmas season was my In-law's 50th Wedding Anniversary. 50 years is an amazing milestone and we had a great family gathering at Fairmont to celebrate. I was in charge of bringing the cake and I knew I wouldn't have time to bake something and fuss over it so I ordered a gluten free red velvet cake from Sola Cafe. Not only was it beautiful but it was delicious. I expected it to be really rich but it wasn't, it was a perfect cake. If you need a cake for any occasion give them a call, they were very helpful.

Sola also has an assortment of Christmas cookies for sale, I caved and bought a pack and man were they delicious. We ate them before I could get a picture. The scale wasn't too kind to me afterwards but I enjoyed every bite.

Gluten Free Bake Sale - Bozeman

2011-12-09T07:15:00.001-08:00

I hope you all are surviving the Holiday Season, I know I'm in shock Christmas is in two weeks!

The Montana Celiac Society is having their Annual Gluten Free Bake Sale tomorrow, Saturday the 10th from 11am-2pm at Oak Street Natural Market. Stop in to purchase some gluten free treats or to donate some of your own gluten free treats to help them raise some money.

Udi's Gluten Free Store Sampling

2011-11-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

Darrin (thanks!) shared some information with me regarding Udi's store sampling events that will be going on this Saturday, November 12th. Udi's will be sampling their gluten free foods from 11am-5pm at the locations below, stop in to try some tasty treats.

Albertsons in Belgrade, Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, Lewistown, Livingston, and Missoula.

Is your Thanksgiving turkey gluten free?

2011-11-08T12:39:00.000-08:00

I attended the GF talk last week at Vera Fare and one of the comments that was brought up was whether store bought turkey breasts are gluten free or not. Some companies would inject a basting solution in turkey to get them extra juicy, the downfall was that this solution sometimes contained gluten. From the searches I've done on turkey breasts and reading ingredient lists in stores I think most companies have moved away from this procedure probably due to being better informed about gluten intolerance and Celiac disease.

I personally like to purchase a local Hutterite turkey every year since I know it's free of anything bad, MSG and gluten included. If you want to take this route you can find Hutterite turkey's locally at Heeb's East Main Grocery, Rosauers, Town & Country Foods, Van's County Market, The Meat Shoppe, Lee & Dad's IGA, and Pioneer Meats in Big Timber. There may be more but this is what I could find online.

Below is the information I found from each company regarding their turkey breasts gluten free status. Always be sure to read the ingredient list to verify the turkey breast you are purchasing is safe, we know we have enough to worry about to ensure we have a gluten free Thanksgiving.

Butterball - They will label on the ingredient list if their products contain any of the top 8 allergens. The only turkey breast they have that DOES contain gluten is the frozen stuffed turkey. Their gravy has been reformulated to eliminate gluten, but certain gravy packets may still contain gluten and it will be listed on the ingredient statement.

Foster Farms - Their fresh natural turkey is gluten free.

Honeysuckle White - All of their products are free of MSG. Their turkey breast products that DO contain gluten are Asian Grill Marinated Turkey Strips and Teriyaki Flavor Turkey Breast Tenderloin.

Jennie-O - Only two of their products were listed gluten free on their webpage, the All Natural Fresh Whole Turkey and the Premium Basted Whole Turkey-Fresh.

Norbest - All of their turkey products are completely free of gluten from wheat, barley, rye, oats, or their derivatives.

Perdue - They have a lot of GF items on their list but these were the top that ARE safe. Hickory smoked turkey breast, Oven roasted turkey breast, Honey smoked turkey breast, Mesquite smoked turkey breast, and Whole turkeys seasoned with broth.

Shadybrook Farms - All of their products are free of MSG. Majority of their products do not contain gluten but their Teriyaki Flavor Turkey Breast Ternderloins DO contain gluten.

Once you have a GF turkey be sure, if someone else is baking your turkey, that gluten containing flour is not used in the turkey bag if a bag is used and that it is not stuffed with a gluten filled stuffing.

Dine & Learn at Vera Fare - Gluten Free Awareness Night

2011-11-01T14:40:00.000-07:00

Vera Fare is hosting a Dine & Learn on Thursday November 3rd from 7:00-8:00pm. This is the information from the flyer.

Gluten-free life coach Janelle Holden will be sharing her approach to dealing with allergies and how she helps others to find a healthy lifestyle.

There will be time after the talk for open and private discussions

Vera Fare will provide completely gluten-free food and drinks for purchase, entrance is free.

If you are interested stop in at 2251 W Kagy Blvd.

You can find more information on Janelle at The Gluten Free Life Coach.

WeeBee's Cafe - Gluten Free Options

2011-10-05T13:55:00.000-07:00

WeeBee's Cafe in Bozeman now has gluten free options listed on their menu. They have a grain next to the menu items that are gluten free or can be made gluten free. I've been waiting for them to jump on board!

WeeBee's is located at 407 S Ferguson Ave and you can check out their menu here.

Corner Stone Deli - Gluten Free options in White Sulphur Springs

2011-10-03T14:24:00.001-07:00

This little tidbit came as a bit of a surprise to me but Whilte Sulphur Springs has gluten free options. The Corner Stone Deli has gf sandwiches available and the reviews online are superb. If you find yourself in that area give them a try.

They are located at 11 E Main.

I-Ho's Korean Grill - Gluten Free Options

2011-09-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

On my way home from work yesterday I heard a radio ad for I-Ho's and perked up when they said they now have gluten free options. I loved eating at I-Ho's before I went gluten free and I'm very excited to see what they have for GF options. If you try them out before I get a chance please share what they have and what you think.

I-Ho's Korean Grill is located at 1216 W Lincoln St.

Roasted Potato Salad

2011-09-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

My CSA shares brought a lot of potatoes into my life and they came in very handy when we needed to bring a side dish to a BBQ. I love the standard potato salad that is mayo based but I wanted something a bit different to try and fell in love with this recipe. It has a nice tang to it and since it doesn't have mayo you can serve it warm or room temperature and there isn't any worry about it going bad. I think I'm going to make it for a BBQ we have this weekend, probably our last really warm weekend of the year.

Roasted Potato Salad

Adapated from Tasty Kitchen

3 pounds potatoes, cut into small wedges

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/3-1/2 C olive oil

1 t salt

1/2 t pepper

3 T balsamic vinegar

3 T lemon juice

2 T dijon mustard, I love the sweet & spicy mustard for this

2 t granulated sugar

2 t dried dill

Preheat your oven to 425 F.

Combine the potatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, salt, & pepper in a baking dish, I prefer my stoneware for this. The amount of olive oil I use is based on how much it takes to sufficiently cover the potatoes to keep them from sticking to the pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and lightly browned.

In a bowl whisk together the balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, sugar, and dill. Add to the potatoes after you remove them from the oven mixing well. Serve straight out of the oven or at room temperature.

Nicole's Banana Chocolate Chip Cookes - Egg Free

2011-09-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

My friend Nicole (Hi!) gave me a batch of these delicious and moist cookies along with the recipe. I will admit I ate most of them, it was an addictive "I just can't stop eating them" sort of thing and it keeps happening everytime I make them. But afterall they do have bananas in them so they're healthy, right?

These are so easy to whip together and they are soft and moist. They are egg free which I didn't realize until I had mixed the dough and they turn out spectacular. It reminds me of a banana bread cookie, yum! The dough will be very wet but it's OK they keep their shape well on the cookie sheet. Give them a try and see if you can only have one.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

From Nicole

2 ripe mashed bananas

1/4 C olive oil

1/4 C honey or maple syrup

1/2 t vanilla

1 C gluten free rolled oats

2/3 C brown rice flour, or your favorite flour

1/4 t baking soda

1/2 C unsweetened coconut

pinch of salt

1/2 C chocolate chips, I used the Enjoy Life Chocolate Chunks*

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

In a bowl mix all of the ingredients. Place on a cookie sheet and abke for 15 minutes. They are great straight out of the oven.

*The dairy free chocolate chunks are at Rosauer's Huckleberry Market

Blue Bison Grill - Missoula

2011-09-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

A reader (thanks Mark!) sent me an e-mail about a new restaurant in Missoula that has a gluten free menu. It is Blue Bison Grill located in the histroic Stockman's bar at 123 W. Front St.

Their waitress is gluten free and has helped build the menu and practices for safely serving gluten free food.

If you haven't tried them yet be sure to stop in!

They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 11am-10pm. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blue-Bison-Grill/209716205706825

Devilled Eggs - Ya love 'em or ya hate 'em

2011-09-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

With BBQ season almost at an end, not that we ever really stop BBQing unless it's -20F and takes too long to cook the meat, we have one more weekend packed full of the BBQ foods. I know a lot of people don't like devilled eggs but a lot of people LOVE them and I am part of that crowd. My girl is right there with me and requested these little babies for her birthday. They are quick and easy and if you love eggs give them a try.

Devilled Eggs

From Better Homes & Gardens

6 eggs

1/4 C mayo

1 t mustard, I like Woeber's Sweet & Spicy Mustard

1 t vinegar

Paprika

Hard boil the eggs. I bring them to a rolling boil and boil for 10 minutes. Rinse in cold water then peel the shell off the eggs.

Cut the eggs length-wise and place the egg yolks in a small bowl. Add the mayo, mustard, and vinegar to the bowl and mix well. Put the egg yolk mixture in a sandwich bag. Cut a small piece off a corner and squeeze the mixture into the egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika and watch them disappear.

CSA 1/2 Summer Shares Available

2011-08-03T11:12:00.001-07:00

Here's a beautiful picture of this week's CSA share through Madison Meadowlark CSA. I picked up two of these since I get a full share and I think I lugged about 10 pounds of vegetable to my office, it was a workout. We have peas, swiss chards, beets, pepper, broccoli, carrots, zuchinni, kohlrabi, potatoes, onions, leaf and head lettuce, and cabbage. It's veggie mania!

If you are interested in trying the CSA for the rest of the summer I have good news. The harvest this year is very promising so they are offering late summer 1/2 shares. You can start today for $220 or next week for $200. If you are interested contact Maleesha at maleesha13@gmail.com She can also be found at the pick up location at Right Now Technologies parking lot, they will be there until 4:00pm.

If you want to get the box above they are selling extras for $25 a pop.

Picture courtesy of Maleesha at Madison Meadowlark CSA.

Gluten Free Pizza in Polson, MT

2011-07-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

The Cove Deli & Pizza in Polson, MT now offers gluten free pizza crust using Gluten Free Mama's pizza mix. I didn't see anything about it on their menu but be sure to give them a try if you find yourself on the Flathead this summer.

The Cove is located at 11 3rd Ave West.

Want to try a CSA share?

2011-07-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in a CSA and would like to sample a share you can pick up an extra share for $20 until 4pm today. Madison Meadowlark CSA works with a Hutterite Colony and they have a spectacular share this week and are selling pallets (have to take the whole thing) along with honey, eggs, chickens, etc.

This weeks pallet has:
Head Lettuce
Leaf Lettuce
Onions
Carrots
Red Potatoes
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Peas

If you want to give it a try you can find them at Right Now Technologies at 136 Enterprise Blvd in Bozeman. You will see the white truck with a blue canopy just south of the first building.

Birthday Cakes

2011-07-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before that my kid's birthdays are 14 days apart. This means the month of July, my busiest at work of course, is packed full of baking and decorating. I enjoy it but at the same time I stress out. The perfectionist in me rears her ugly head.

Since the cakes take so much work I have to share them. My boy celebrated his 5th birthday and Star Wars was the theme. He really likes the Dark Side.

My girl on the other hand is a HUGE Tinkerbell fan. Who can blame her a cute little fairy that is a bit of a tomboy. The decorations on the cake were painted on with a glitter, clear vanilla extract, and pink food coloring mixture. The pictures don't quite do it justice.

Both cakes were my chocolate cake recipe and the frosting is my creamy white frosting recipe.

Smiling Moose Deli - Another Gluten Free Option

2011-07-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

I have heard of a new restaurant with gluten free options from a couple of my friends so I have to share it with everyone else. The Smiling Moose Deli offers sandwiches and soups that are or can be prepared gluten free. I don't have any other details on the food and I do not know what practices they follow to prevent cross contamination in the kitchen. Be sure to check they are up to your standards if you stop in to give them a try.

The Smiling Moose Deli is located at 2631 West Main in Bozeman and they can be reached at 406-585-2922.

Rhubarb Jello Salad

2011-07-13T07:24:00.000-07:00

My rhubarb abundance isn't going away, it's not a bad thing I just feel a bit guilty that I can't use it all up. Don't feel sorry for me, I'm doing my best to focus on the positive that I can just keep enjoying my rhubarb and I still need to freeze some to hold me over through this winter. I was a bit apprehensive about trying this recipe but it was easy and the family loved it, much more so than I expected. I think it's the big chunks of strawberry that really sold them on this recipe.

Rhubarb Jello Salad

From Allrecipes

4 C rhubarb, cut in 1/4" slices

1 1/2 C water

1/2 granulated sugar

1 6oz package jello (strawberry, cherry, and raspberry are all very good)

1 C orange juice

1 C strawberries, sliced

Put the rhubarb, water, and sugar in a large saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until the rhubarb is tender. Remove from the heat and add the jello stirring until dissolved. Add the orange juice then allow to sit and cool until it's a bit syrupy. Add the strawberries then pour into a bowl or mould and place in the refrigerator until set.

Balsamic Glazed Strawberries

2011-07-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

My summer has been whizzing by with birthday parties and BBQ's and of course lots of delicious food. This dish is quick to whip together and a crowd pleaser. I know it sounds like a strange combination but it's worth a try and you won't be disappointed.

Balsamic Glazed Strawberries

Fresh strawberries, cut in half (about 16oz)

2 T balsamic glaze

2 T granulated sugar
Black pepper, freshly ground to taste

Place the strawberries in a bowl and drizzle with the balsamic glaze and sugar. Stir to coat the strawberries evenly and allow to sit for about an hour. Grind black pepper over the strawberries before serving. I don't put a lot of pepper on them but about 10 grinds makes me happy.

The balsamic glaze I use is from Olivelle. It's great on steak and with my grilled polenta w/ bruschetta recipe.

Grain Free Salmon Cakes - GF & DF too!

2011-07-11T08:34:00.000-07:00

Salmon cakes are a staple in our house and I love the leftovers, they're so good cut up and served with salad greens, mmm. I've mentioned that I'm avoiding all grains and my standard salmon cake recipe calls for GF bread crumbs so I had to come up with a grain free alternative. Two tries in and I was a happy camper, this is my new standard recipe for salmon cakes.

Salmon Cakes - Grain Free

3 cans of wild Alaskan salmon - skinless & boneless

1/4 C onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 T dried parsley

1/4 C almond meal

3 dashes of red pepper flakes

4 T mayo

1 T dijon mustard

1 egg

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and shape into 2 inch patties. Heat a skillet to medium-medium high heat (325 degrees) and spray with cooking spray. Cook the patties on each side for about 3-4 minutes or until browned. Serve with tartar sauce, ranch, or wasabi mayo, mmm. No one will ever know that these are gluten, dairy, and grain free.

Flourless Chocolate Espresso Torte - Sweet Pea Bakery Review

2011-06-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

My birthday showed up on Tuesday and I originally planned to have strawberries and whipped cream for dessert since I'm trying to avoid grains, which by the way is not so easy. When Hubby showed up with a boxed dessert I was a little worried but he did me right and picked up a GF Flourless Chocolate Espresso Torte from the Sweet Pea Bakery.

Not only was it pretty but it was a dense and rich piece of deliciousness. Hubby found the espresso flavor to be too much for him, he is not a coffee fan, but the girl and I enjoyed our slices. I think my boy isn't a big espresso fan either. Silly guys!

Sweet Pea Bakery offers GF, vegan, and diabetic options and they are adding more to these menus as they perfect recipes. For GF options there the Opera cake, flourless chocolate tortes, cheescake, key lime torte, and shortbread tarts. Check out their webpage for all of their options

Billings GF News

2011-06-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

I have a couple new things for the Billings area including another gluten free pizza option. We'll start there since it involves a common love, pizza!

Strawhat Pizza in Billings offers a gluten free crust. I don't have any details on their practices to avoid cross contamination so be sure to check with them if you try their pizza. They are located at 1005 Shiloh Crossing Blvd and can be reached at 406-652-9800.

If you are in Billings, or can be in Billings, on July 16th Dr. Alessio Fasano will be presenting a talk on Celiac Disease. He is the Director of Celiac Research with the University of Maryland. The talk will be from 11:30-2:00 at the Billings Clinic Hospital in the Mary Alice Fortin Conference Center. I have a birthday party for my girl at that time so I won't be able to make it, wish I could!

Dairy Free Pesto Asparagus & Shrimp

2011-06-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

Some days I buy things on a whim and when I saw the fresh basil plants at Rosauer's I just could not resist. Their smell teased me the whole drive home and I realized this is a bouquet I'd be happy to receive any day.

I used to think I hated pesto. Maybe my first sampling was a bad batch but it was way too strong. I gave it another go a few years later and didn't mind it so much but it wasn't until I made my first homemade pesto that I fell in love. I could live off this stuff.

The last time I made pesto it was not dairy free but a small tweak resulted in a delicious dinner last night. The kids had two servings and if I hadn't mixed everything with pasta after I took my serving (I'm avoiding grains right now) I would have had more.

Pesto - Dairy Free

2 C fresh basil leaves

4 garlic cloves

1/2 C Vegan Parmesan Cheese (use real parm if you can)*

1/2 C Olive Oil

1/4 C pine nuts

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth and creamy.

*I used the Galaxy Vegan Grated Parmesan Cheese in the purple container. I've only seen it at Rosauer's in our area and it is in the refrigerated section.

Pesto Asparagus & Shrimp

Pesto, see recipe above

1 package GF pasta, I used Tinkyada spirals

1 lb asparagus spears, cut in 2 inch lengths

1 lb raw shrimp

2 T Olive Oil

2 dashes crushed red pepper

Cook the gluten free pasta according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan then add the asparagus and cook until crisp tender. I had thin spears and it took me about 7-10 minutes to get them where I wanted them. Add the shrimp and crushed red pepper and cook until the shrimp is pink.

Drain the pasta once it's fully cooked and add the asparagus and shrimp to the pasta. Toss & coat with pesto and enjoy.

If you want to keep the heat down in the kitchen grill the asparagus and shrimp on the BBQ and skip the pasta. Easy peasey!

49'er Diner & Rice Krispies Gluten Free

2011-06-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

I was given a tip on a new GF restaurant offering in Livingston, thanks Lexxy! The 49'er Diner now offers GF pancakes and pizza. They are located at 404 E Park St. and you can reach them for details at 406-222-8204. If you try them share what you think.

The new gluten free Rice Krispies are now on shelves, I found a box at Lee & Dad's and picked it up interested to see if they had also removed the HFCS and they had! I haven't tried them yet but if it's something you miss be sure to grab a box and make sure it state gluten free on it because the original Rice Krispies are also on the shelf.

Gingersnap Cookie Sandwiches

2011-06-09T07:23:00.000-07:00

I've been baking a lot lately and I need to stop. It's not doing me any favors on the scale since I have a hard time resisting cookies, especially these.

They are too good but you have got to try them. The cookies are soft and chewy while the filling is creamed perfection. Give these gingersnap sandwiches a try but don't blame me for the results on the scale.

Rudi's Vs. Udi's Hamburger & Hotdog Buns

2011-06-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

Here's my family's comparison on Udi's vs. Rudi's. I think both brands offer great products and I'm happy to use either one. I prefer Udi's multigrain bread but Rudi's cinnamon raisin bread. It's all personal tastes but here's our comparison on two great companies.

Hamburger Buns

I was really excited to have a hamburger bun again but I've realized I enjoy eating my hamburgers without the bun. It's not as overly filling and I think it lets me taste and enjoy the toppings more. I will keep some on hand for the kids but I think I'm going to stay bun free on this one.

Udi's Whole Grain

4 buns/ package

I paid $.99/bun at Town & Country

180 calories/bun

5 g protein/bun

6 g fiber/bun

Rudi's Multigrain

4 buns/package

I paid $1.34/bun at Lee & Dad's - It's hard to compare price when it's at different stores

170 calories/bun

2 g protein/bun

2 g fiber/bun

I like the fiber and protein amounts in the Udi's buns better and they look more like traditional buns. The Udi's were the winner from my family, they were actually the favorite brand/type out of all of the buns. They have a nice texture and surprised all of us. The Rudi's have some seeds in them, not a lot, but I could see some picky kids not liking that. Mine didn't care and my boy actually preferred the Rudi's.

Hotdog Buns

Hubby was the most excited about these, he misses having a bun with his hotdog. Again the Udi's has more of a traditional look to it and is very thick. If you want a bun that is smaller and isn't too much for kids I would recommend the Rudi's bun. My kids didn't know what to do with so much bread with the Udi's.

Udi's Classic

6 buns/package

I paid$1.16/bun at Town & Country

160 calories/bun

4 g protein/bun

3 g fiber/bun

Rudi's Multigrain

4 buns/package

I paid $1.34/bun at Lee & Dad's

130 calories/bun

1 g protein/bun

2 g fiber/bun

The winner in our house was the Rudi's bun. It had a sweeter taste to it and I thought the Udi's bun was drier than the Rudi's.

So it looks like Udi's and Rudi's tied.

Strawberry Rhubarb Popsicles or Sorbet

2011-06-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

I have a rhubarb mission. To try some new recipes I've been eyeing for years but have sadly made it to the bottom of my "these look delicious" pile. Also I have a lot of rhubarb I want to use.

I wanted something that would be light, quick, and cool. Ice cream came to mind and then I found this easy sorbet recipe. The first time I whipped it together we made popsicles and the kids loved them. The seond time I doubled the batch to make popsicles and sorbet. I like that I didn't have to deal with a dairy alternative and it is a tart yet sweet treat.

Strawberry Rhubarb Popsicles

Adapted from The Perfect Scoop

2 C rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2/3 C water

3/4 C sugar

1 1/2 - 1 3/4 C strawberries, sliced

Place the rhubarb, water, and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. The rhubarb will be very tender and breaking apart. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

Put the strawberries and rhubarb mixture in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Pour into popsicle moulds and freeze. If you don't have popsicle moulds you can pour it into small dixie cups and place in the freezer. After about 30 min, or when it can hold a popsicle stick upright, place a popsicle stick in the mixture and freezer until solid.

Sorbet Option

If you want to make a sorbet after blending the mixture place it in the refrigerator and chill thoroughly. Freeze it in your ice cream maker according to their instructions. You can enjoy it as soft serve immediately or freeze for a couple hours to enjoy the hardened version.

They're Here Too...

2011-06-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

I was in Lee & Dad's IGA in Belgrade a couple days ago and spotted these little nuggets.

I haven't tried them yet but I do plan to do a taste comparison on the Udi's and Rudi's buns. From what I can see the Rudi's hot dog buns are smaller than the Udi's. This may be a better thing for my family since the buns seemed to be too much for my kids. The Rudi's hamburger buns don't look like "regular" buns as much as the Udi's do, if looks matter to you. Both packages contain 4 buns.

If you want to give these a try check out Rudi's webpage for a $1.00 off coupon on any of their bread.

Pictures are from the Rudi's website.

Rhubarb Cookies

2011-05-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

It took me a couple tries to get these cookies just right. The first time I tried them they were dry but this time was perfection. These cookies aren't too sweet and the tart from the rhubarb is a nice surprise. They are a hit in my house and if you like rhubarb they are worth a try.

Rhubarb Cookies
Adapted from Allrecipes

1 C shortening
1 1/2 C brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
3 C GF flour*
1 t xanthan gum
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 C diced rhubarb
1/2 C shredded coconut

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

In a mixing bowl cream together the shortening and brown sugar. Add the eggs beating well. In a seperate bowl sift together the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture.

Add the rhubarb and coconut and mix well. On a greased baking sheet scoop the dough about 2 inches apart and bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are starting to brown. Allow to cool for a couple minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

*For the flour I used Jill's mix at Hey That Tastes Good. 1 C white rice flour, 1 C brown rice flour, 1/3 C tapioca starch, 2/3 C potato starch.

You can stop right here and enjoy these delicious cookies after they've cooled or you can take it one step further and frost these babies.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 oz cream cheese, use Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese if you're DF

1 T butter, use Earth Balance if you're DF

3 t vanilla extract

1 1/2 C powdered sugar

1 drop red food coloring

In a bowl beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and food coloring. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Spread on top of the cookies and enjoy!

Again with the spacing issues! What is wrong wigh Blogger?

Rhubarb Vanilla Sauce & Fruit Spring Rolls

2011-05-29T19:07:00.001-07:00

Rhubarb season is in full force at my house. My rhubarb plant is HUGE and I have a couple rhubarb dishes to share. This sauce worked great as a dip for fruit spring rolls. A nice tart and sweet touch, yum! It would also be delicious on pancakes and ice cream.

Rhubarb Vanilla Sauce

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

2/3 C sugar

1/4 C water

1 vanilla bean (optional)

3 C sliced rhubarb

In a saucepan stir the sugar, water, and seeds from the vanilla bean. Bring it to a boil then add the rhubarb. Bring again to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes or until the rhubarb is soft. You can stir/mash the mixture at this point to get the rhubarb into smaller pieces. Serve warm or cooled, I opted for cooled with the spring rolls.

If you want to thicken it up a bit add about 2 t of rice flour at the end and incorporate well.

Makes about 2 C of sauce.

These fruit spring rolls are easy to whip together and are a nice light lunch or appetizer. My family aren't big fans of the rice wrapper texture. I know! They're crazy!

You can find spring roll wrappers at Oak Street Natural Market and at Rosauer's in the Asian aisle of the regular grocery section. I'm sure you can find them in other places but those are the ones I know of for sure.

Fruit Spring Rolls

20 rice wrappers (spring roll wrappers)

2 bananas, chopped

10 or so strawberries, chopped

1.5 C blueberries

Mix the chopped fruit and blueberries in a bowl and set aside. Wet a papertowel (wring out any water, you just want it damp) and place on your counter top, this will work as your surface to place the rice wrappers on. If you are making these a couple hours ahead of when you'll serve them then wet another papertowel and place on a cookie sheet. If you will be serving them right away just have your serving plate nearby.

Fill a cookie sheet with sides with warm water and place 1 rice wrapper in the water. Let it sit for about 30 seconds, you want it to become soft and pliable. Be careful not to let it sit too long because it will dissolve and fall apart. Trial and error is needed here.

Once your wrapper is pliable place it on your damp paper towel and then put another wrapper in the warm water. Put about 1/4 C of the fruit mixture toward one end of the wrapper. Fold the end of the wrapper over the fruit then fold in the sides. Roll and squeeze the filling to the end of the wrapper. Place on the serving plate or damp papertowel on the cookie sheet and repeat until all of the filling is used up. If you aren't using them right away place another damp papertowel on top of the rolls and place in the refrigerator.

This is a great way to enjoy the lightness of summer.

Sorry for the spacing issues, Blogger is NOT cooperating!

They're here.....

2011-05-27T09:06:00.000-07:00

If you are wanting to enjoy some Udi's hamburger or hotdog buns for a Memorial Day BBQ they are in Bozeman! Check out their website link above to get a $1.00 off coupon. The only place I've seen them is Town & Country (they are for sure at the 1611 Sth 11th location) so far. Thanks Nicole for the heads up! I'm looking forward to trying them out at our own little BBQ on Sunday.

The hamburger buns come 4 to a bag and the hotdog buns come 6 to a bag. They also have their new artisan breads if you want to try them out. If you like breads with seeds in them definately give it a try. I liked that they were lower in calories and higher in protein than the regular Udi's bread.

Pictures are from Udi's webpage.

Libertycall Gluten Free Beer

2011-05-17T07:47:00.000-07:00

In case you are a Libertycall fan, or have been wanting to try Neptune's Brewery gluten free beer, it is available again at The Dock. Stop in to fill (or get) a growler and let me know if you like it as much as we do.

The Dock is located at 806 7th Avenue in Bozeman.

Chickpea Cafe - Mediterranean Deli in Bozeman

2011-05-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have the greatest friends. They are always on the lookout for GF options for me and one of my friends told me about an article she read on Chickpea Cafe where they stated they offer GF items. I checked out their online menu and wasn't quite sure what was safe so I e-mailed an inquiry and Jennifer gave me the following information.

The following items are gluten free:

Hummus (without pita & with extra vegetables)
Bab ganoush (without pita)
Dolma
Falafel (note that these are fried in oil that also fried gluten items so not safe on my list)
Loubia
Chicken Shish Tawook Plate
Shawarma Plate

The paper menu at the restaurant has the GF items designated so that will help with ordering. The menu looks delicious so let me know if you've eaten there before I get a chance to try it out.

More GF Restaurants, Bozeman & Missoula

2011-05-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

We have a couple more gluten free restaurants across this fine state.

Buffalo Bump Pizza located at Four Corner's near Bozeman now offers a GF crust and soy cheese for those that can't do dairy. I haven't talked with them about practices to avoid cross contamination but I did sample the pizza at a friend's house the other week and it was really good. They are located at 28901 Norris Rd.

In Missoula The Mustard Seed Asian Cafe now offers a gluten free menu. I have no idea how much it offers or how careful they are with cross contamination but I wanted to share the news. If you have a chance to try them or talk to them please share any information. They are located in the Southgate Mall.

Another Missoula gem is Bernice's Bakery that will do gluten free if you call ahead. I'm not sure what they offer or how much notice you need to give them so again if you have more information please share!

Gluten Free Coupons

2011-04-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

Mambo Sprouts has some great gluten free coupons available. $1.00 off a Rudi's and an Udi's product plus $.55 off a San-J product.

Here's the link.

You can sign up for their e-mail updates to get notifications on their latest coupons. I figure with how pricey the gluten free lifestyle can be it's worth saving a few bucks here and there.

Dairy Free Chocolate Covered Eggs - Cabdury Style

2011-04-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I are huge Cadbury Egg fans. We would gain about 5 pounds every year around Easter just eating these things and then we cut High Fructose Corn Syrup out of our lives. I may have shed a tear when I realized that meant no more Cadbury Eggs. Hubby no longer being able to have dairy has sealed the casket on this past love affair.

One thing I've learned being GF is that I can make almost anything at home. Just because I can buy it packaged at the store doesn't mean I can't do it myself. Finding the time and energy to try things at home is what I battle the most but I finally gave Cadbury Eggs a try and I was happy to find out that they didn't take that much work.

I was really happy with this recipe and they didn't last long. I should have shared more with the kids but there's always next year.

Chocolate Covered (Cadbury) Eggs - Dairy Free

Adapated from Taste of Home

1/4 C DF butter substitute, Earth Balance works well

7 oz marshmallow creme
1 t vanilla extract

3 C powdered sugar

Yellow food coloring

2 C DF chocolate chips

2 T shortening

In a mixing bowl beat the butter substitute, marshmallow creme, and vanilla until smooth. Add the powdered sugar 1 C at a time until well blended.

Take a quarter of the marshmallow mixture and add some yellow food coloring. Knead until it's an even color then roll into 24 small balls. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 min. Cover the remaining marshmallow mixture with plastic wrap and also chill for 30 min.

Divide the white mixture into 24 pieces then wrap around a yellow marshmallow ball. Press into an egg shape with your hands (or you can use an egg mould) then place on wax paper. Continue with the remaining 23 pieces of yellow and white marshmallow mixture. Cover the 24 eggs with plastic wrap and freeze for 15 min.

Melt the chocolate chips and shortening either over a double boiler or in the microwave. If you use the microwave stir every 30 seconds to keep it from nuking in spots. Dip the eggs into the chocolate and place on wax paper until set. Enjoy as they are or you can decorate them like they did at the Taste of Home link above.

Starky's Authentic Americana Review

2011-04-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of trying another local restaurant that offers GF food and I was impressed. Starky's has a great atmosphere and best of all a gluten free AND dairy free menu. It was so nice to see what I could safely eat and there were a lot of options.

We started with the Hummus Plate (sorry no picture) that was easily made GF by substituting their pita bread with their toasted home made bread. I was a little nervous about how good the bread would be but there was no need for that because it was delicious.

For my main meal I had the Wild Mushroom and Asparagus Polenta with Shrimp and it was fantastic. There wasn't a bit left on my plate.

For dessert my friend and I split the Raspberry Chocolate Mousse. Not only was it beautiful but it was so yummy. I could barely move when we left the restaurant.

Starky's is open for lunch and dinner, Monday through Saturday, along with a Sunday brunch. They also offer catering and have Red Bridge GF beer available. You can find them next to the parking garage downtown at 24 N. Tracy Ave.

Audrey's Pizza Oven - Bozeman

2011-04-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

I am embarrassed it has been so long between posts. My main excuse is a week of a stomach bug and beyond that I've just been busy. I hope to make up for it with a few posts this week, will that make everything better?

We don't go out to eat very often but I was craving pizza and since Audrey's Pizza Oven offers a gluten free crust we had to give it a try. Their crust is a pre-made frozen crust that comes on its own metal tray. They also have a dedicated GF oven giving us happy news on the cross contamination avoidance issue.

The kids and I enjoyed the Church St. pizza, which was veggies and cheese. It was delicious. Both kids had two slices and it's a pizza you can pick up and eat like normal.

Hubby is a meat lover and opted for the Rouse St. pizza. He had to get it cheese free because he can't do the dairy but he still enjoyed his pizza.

They offer Greens and Red Bridge for GF beer so you can enjoy a beer with your pizza, life is good.

Audrey's is located at 401 East Peach Street. Stop in if you have a pizza craving that needs to be met.

Gopicnic Gluten Free Lunchboxes

2011-03-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

Gopicnic is a company that makes ready to eat meals and they offer gluten free options. They remind me of lunchables and searching for gluten free lunchables is how I initially heard of these. My boy was feeling left out at school because his friends would bring lunchables for lunch and I was interested in what, if any, options were out there. Through their website you can see they have several gluten free options including some that are geared towards kids. I've thought about ordering them but never quite followed through.

We can now find these locally at World Market. Nicole found these and sent me the picture below and said they are located toward the back of the store. There was only one GF option available so beware that not all of them are safe.

I'm not sure my boy would be excited about the hummus part but my girl would love it!

A Trip to Great Falls

2011-03-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went on a road trip with a couple friends to Great Falls to meet the one and only Pioneer Woman. Ree is such a hoot and we really enjoyed listening to her share her journey on becoming a blogger. If you haven't seen her blog it is well worth your time.

Of course I have to share the picture of us with Ree, she thought we were sisters and it didn't surprise me since I get that all the time with Shannon (on the right). I'm in the salmon colored jacket and I actually look tall in this picture, must be the heels.

For our dinner before this event we went to Romano's Macaroni Grill. I asked for the GF menu which was just a piece of paper listing my options under each category but at least it was something. Most of the options are safe without certain parts of the dish and I opted for the Jumbo Shrimp Spiedini without the vegetables so I opted for the grilled asparagus since it was under the safe sides list. The vegetables aren't safe because it looks like they have panko bread crumbs mixed in with them, I'm not sure why. So my dish arrived and it tasted great but I have to say I was disappointed that there were only 6 asparagus spears next to my shrimp. It was the type of plate where you look down and "Where's the rest of it?" pops into mind. At least I wasn't glutened and didn't go hungry.

Gluten Free Night at Vera Fare

2011-03-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

Vera Fare will host another Gluten Free Night this Wednesday, the 16th, at 6:00pm. The Montana Celiac Society will start the talk and then Dr. Lou Walters from the Source Wellness Center will also be there for discussion after the talk.

The event is free and you can arrive early to purchase food and drinks.

Community Supported Agriculture - Naturally Gluten Free!

2011-03-09T12:27:00.000-08:00

With spring promising to be close, at least within the next three months, I am starting to dream about my vegetable garden and my CSA. This will be the third year that I'll be a part of the Madison Meadowlark CSA and I always look forward to the weekly pickup. It's like a present that you sort of know what you'll get but there's always a surprise. For instance the kohlrabi that really threw me for a loop. It pushes me to try new food, new recipes, and to use up (or can/freeze) the fresh produce before it goes bad. This was a struggle for me the first year but it's a healthy change and I did much better last year.

Not only is the fresh produce fantastic but I really enjoy supporting local business. If you are interested in finding out more about CSA's and what is available in your area check out LocalHarvest. You'll see we have a few options for CSA's in the Bozeman area including a yarn CSA. They also list farms that you can purchase local meat through. Some require a 1/4 or 1/2 minimum purchase of the beef, buffalo, or pork and some will sell individual cuts.

I'm now going to keep dreaming about fresh local produce, warm weather, and how I want to lay out my garden this year. Anyone else starting some seeds soon?

Giant Cookie Pizza - Gluten and Dairy Free

2011-03-07T07:42:00.000-08:00

The kids had some friends over for a pizza and movie night this past weekend and I finally tried my hand at a giant cookie. I mean really, what better dessert goes with pizza than a cookie pizza? I was a bit nervous about it baking properly and my conversion to gluten free but the sun must have been shining on me because it worked out, a bit too well if you ask my scale.

I think it was best after it had fully cooled so make it the day ahead and cut just before serving. If you do cut it while the marshmallows are still warm spray your pizza cutter with non-stick cooking spray, it makes life a lot easier.

Giant Cookie Pizza - GF/DF

Adapted from Allrecipes

1/2 C Earth Balance Margarine (butter works if you can have it)

1/2 C peanut butter

1/2 C granulated sugar

1/2 C brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1/2 t vanilla

1/2 t xanthan gum

1 1/2 C gluten free flour, I used Gluten Free Mama's Almond Blend

2 C mini-marshmallows

1 C chocolate chips, gluten and dairy free

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a mixing bowl combine the margarine, peanut butter, and sugars until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla mixing thoroughly then add the xanthan gum and flour mixing until combined.

Spread the dough on a greased pizza pan into a 12 inch circle and bake for 12 minutes. Top with the marshmallows and chocolate chips then bake another 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut after completely cooled and be sure to share.

Shabtai Gourmet Review

2011-03-02T18:52:00.001-08:00

I came home a couple weekends ago to find a sweet package of gluten free, dairy free (also free of a lot of other allergens) treats from Shabtai Gourmet. This wasn't good for my diet but it was so delicious.

The first thing I had to try was the Swiss Chocolate Roll and Bon Bons. This was only natural since I'm a chocolate fiend. The white filling in both of these is beyond delicious, I easily could have eaten the Bon Bons all to myself and they were my favorite. The Swiss Chocolate Roll had a nice hint of lemon to the cake and wasn't dry at all. Both of these had everyone in dessert heaven, I kept getting requests from the kids of "more please". That's all I need for a review from them.

I wasn't sure what I was going to think of the Florentine Lace Cookies since I've never had them before but man was I surprised how fantastic they were. They were crispy and light with a great chocolate base, yum! The kids loved these cookies though I ate most of them, I need to work on sharing.

After eating these first three treats I had to give myself a break with sweets and put the Raspberry Roll in the freezer for safe keeping. My parents were up for the next weekend so I thawed this bad boy and was impressed with how well it froze, great for buying a few treats and then freezing them for later. I think this was Hubby's favorite he loved the lemon hint in the cake and commented on how moist it was. It was gone within the night.

If you're in need of some quick and yummy desserts Shabtai is a great option. They have a flat shipping rate of $5.95 across the USA and freeze wonderfully. I had ordered some birthday treats for my dad through them last summer and e-mailed them with shipping questions. They responded to me within an hour of my request and were fantastic to work with. Now I need to order some Ring Ting's through them, the picture has me drooling.

Bitterroot Gluten Free Bakery

2011-02-27T18:20:00.000-08:00

Missoula has an option for yummy looking gluten free bread, sourdough pretzels, and other delicious looking baked goods through the Bitterroot Gluten Free Bakery. Hannah sells these treats at the Clark Fork River Saturday Market in Missoula. The Saturday Market runs from April 30th-September 22nd open from 8am-1pm. Check out her booth once the market is up and running again.

Sneaky Gluten Containing Items

2011-02-26T13:37:00.000-08:00

Hubby picked up a new multivitamin a few weeks ago and of course he read the ingredients to make sure it was OK. A couple weeks later I read the ingredients out of curiosity/boredom/being nosy? Maybe a bit of all. I noticed one of the ingredients was barley grass which popped up a big red flag for me, of course. A quick search online didn't give me any definitive answers. Some things said it should be OK since it's technically the grain that contains the gluten while others said unless it states gluten free to avoid it. So I used the last of my EZ Gluten tests and sure enough, positive for gluten. At least we now knew why Hubby had been feeling so tired lately. I've read before that wheat grass is safe but after this it's for sure in my avoid at all costs category.

Another sneaky gluten containing ingredient can be millet. Of course it's a naturally gluten free grain but according to an article in the September Gluten-Free Living magazine millet flour was found to have high (in the 300 ppm range) levels of gluten in packages that were not labeled gluten free. They believe this may be due to cross contamination from crop rotation of millet with winter wheat. So if you use millet flour be sure it states gluten free on the packaging.

More Bozeman Gluten Free Options

2011-02-25T10:25:00.001-08:00

Bozeman has more options for gluten free pizza crust and bread. It feels like such a boom and I'm a tad bit excited about it all.

First off is Audrey's Pizza Oven which now offers gluten free crust. It's not listed on the online menu yet but Nicole saw a sign in their window and I gave them a call. The crust comes prepackaged on a metal tray so it doesn't touch any surfaces. They also said they use clean utensils so it should be safe.

Great Harvest Bread Company now makes gluten free bread. I don't know what the availability and variety are like. Please note on their web page they state gluten "free" (that can scare a person a bit) and give the warning "Please note that we are a whole wheat bakery, therefore; this product is not recommended for customers with the serious autoimmune disorder, Celiac Disease, as it may contain trace amounts of whole wheat flour". This could be a legal cover their rear thing but it's something to be cautious about. If you do want to give them a try they make the bread on Tuesdays.

Last we have the Homepage Cafe that offers gluten free bread for their sandwiches.

If you have concerns about cross contamination, etc. please be sure to check with them at the time to see what their practices are. And if you happen to indulge at any of these places let me know how it goes.

Gluten Free Restaurant Updates

2011-02-16T13:23:00.000-08:00

I was looking at webpages for a couple local gluten free restaurants and wanted to share some updated information with everyone.

Vera Fare makes cutsom gluten free cakes and baked goods. This would be a great option for and GF birthday's that need cake.

Sola Cafe now has an online gluten free menu. They also offer gluten free cakes for order and when they make pasta soup you can get it GF because they leave the pasta on the side.

Nicole's Divine Crackers - Gluten Free & Dairy Free

2011-02-15T06:44:00.000-08:00

A couple weekends ago my friend Nicole introduced me to these new crackers available at Rosauer's. It's just coincidence she shares the same name as the crackers :) They were so good I had to pick up a couple boxes for myself. When I had them at Nicole's they reminded me of the crackers I had from Olivelle and when I saw one of the varieties was Cranberry Pepper it peaked my interest.

I first opened the Tomato Tomahto box and it has a tangy tomato kick so be sure you like tomato's for this one. I then opened the Cranberry Pepper box and I would bet money that they're the same crackers from Olivelle. They looked and tasted identical, I think they were just repackaged meaning an Olivelle sticker was put on the inner packaging. So I need to correct myself in stating/thinking the Olivelle crackers were made there, I'm pretty sure they were not.

Onto the review of Nicole's Divine Crackers, they are fabulous. They aren't seedy like some GF crackers so they're a more attractive option for Hubby, he's not a fan of the seedy crackers. You can find them in the cracker aisle in Rosauer's Huckleberry Market.

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Sugar Cookie Cutouts

2011-02-14T06:28:00.000-08:00

To celebrate Valentine's Day I opted for some sugar cookie cutouts and since my life is so exciting I spent Saturday night decorating them. As Hubby said what else would I be doing. He had a good point.

I topped these with a thin layer of my creamy white frosting and decorated them with what I had on hand. Since they're going to day care with the kids I figured I better make them look good. I thought they would be really sweet but they're not, it was a perfect crisp cookie that doesn't over do it on the taste buds.

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

1/3 C DF margarine (butter works if you can have it)

1/3 C shortening

3/4 C granulated sugar

1 t baking powder

Dash of salt

1 egg

1 t vanilla

2 C GF flour, I used Gluten Free Mama's Almond Blend

1 t xanthan gum

Preheat your oven to 375 F.

Beat the margarine and shortening until combined then add the sugar, baking powder and salt. Once this is combined beat in the egg and vanilla then add the flour and xanthan gum. This dough was really dry and I had to knead it a bit with my hands to get it to come together. If the dough isn't easy to handle you can chill it for a few hours, I didn't have any problems working with it right away.

Take half of the dough and roll it out to about an 1/8" thick on a lightly floured surface. Use your desired cookie cutter and cut out shapes then place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or just until the edges set and the bottoms are lightly browned. I got about 46 cookies out of this.

Enjoy Life Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies - Review

2011-02-11T17:45:00.000-08:00

I swung by Rosauer's Huckleberry Market on my way home and spotted some new items. I'm usually disappointed with the gluten free cookies I buy off the shelf but I figured I'll give these a try and see what I think.

When I ate my first cookie it reminded me of Chewy Chips Ahoy cookies. They are chewy and soft and delicious! I was so happy and surprised so I had a second cookie. Give these a try and if you do check out the Enjoy Life web page for a coupon.

More Gluten Free Pizza in Billings

2011-02-08T15:06:00.001-08:00

Billings has a new gluten free pizza option and I can't wait to try it. I've heard great things about their non-gluten free pizza and am excited to give them a try.

Sam & Louie's New York Style Pizzeria has a gluten free menu offering salads, specialty and make your own pizzas. They are located at 1595 Grand Avenue in the West Park Plaza Mall and you can contact them at 406-281-8333.

If you've enjoyed their GF pizza please let me know what you think.

Gingersnaps

2011-02-07T19:29:00.000-08:00

We had some get togethers this past weekend where I was responsible for the dessert and I opted for gingersnaps. I actually made gingersnap sandwich cookies but I don't have a picture of the final product. I wasn't sure if I was happy with it or not but after they sat in the refrigerator overnight I decided I was happy with them.

These are easy and taste delicious, as Nicole (a fellow Gluten Freer) stated they taste like real cookies, score! I flattened the cookies with a fork making a cross-wise pattern. This will result in a flat cookie perfect for making cookie sandwiches. If you like your cookies to be chewier and thick (like I usually do) don't flatten them with a fork before baking.

Gingersnaps - Gluten free/Dairy free

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New CookBook

2 1/4 C GF flour - I used Gluten Free Mama's

1 t xanthan gum

1 C packed brown sugar

3/4 C shortening

1/4 C molasses

2 eggs

4 pieces sugared ginger, chopped

1 t baking soda

1 t ground ginger

1 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t ground cloves

1/4 C granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a mixing bowl combine 1/2 of the flour, xanthan gum, brown sugar, shortening, molasses, egg, sugared ginger, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until combined. Add the remaining flour and stir until thoroughly combined.

Shape the dough into 1 inch balls then roll in the granulated sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are set.

You can stop here and enjoy the cookies as they are or you can make a vanilla filling to make gingersnap cookie sandwiches.

Vanilla filling

1/2 C shortening or Earth Balance (you can use butter here if dairy isn't an issue)

1 3/4 C powdered sugar

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out of it

1 T rice milk, or your favorite milk or milk substitute

Whip the shortening or butter in a mixer until smooth. Add half of the powdered sugar and the vanilla bean seeds mixing well. Add the milk again mixing well. Add the remaining powdered sugar mixing until thoroughly combined and if needed you can add more milk to get your desired consistency.

Spread filling onto the bottom of one cookie then sandwich it with another cookie of the same size. Store in the refrigerator until they are ready to be served, I prefer them at room temp so I'd set them out for 30 minutes or more before eating.

Cheesy Mustard Cauliflower

2011-02-04T19:58:00.000-08:00

There is a dish I have loved since I was a little girl. My mom would make it with special meals and it's definately a comfort food for me. Thankfully with the internet I easily found the dish and got to enjoy it this past weekend. To heck with everything else I cooked this was the golden dish.

Cheesy Mustard Cauliflower

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets

1/2 C mayonnaise

1 T spicy mustard

3/4 C cheese, Daiya worked great for dairy free

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Steam the cauliflower until fork tender.

Mix the mayonnaise and mustard together then toss with the steamed cauliflower. Place in a baking dish and top with the cheese. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. I love this straight out of the oven and even leftover from the fridge, I can't get enough of this dish.

Pretzel Crusted Tilapia

2011-02-03T19:35:00.000-08:00

My family really likes tilapia, well my boy isn't as sold on it as the rest of us but he still eats it. It's such an easy fish to prepare and I wanted to try something different so I was really excited when I found this recipe. It went over well with the family and other than it being a little salty in spots from the pretzels it was perfect. It's also an easy dish to whip together, another plus on weeknights for me.

Pretzel Crusted Tilapia

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

4-6 Tilapia fillets

8 oz gluten free pretzels

1/2 C mayonnaise

1/4 C spicy mustard

Preheat oven to 425 F and spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Crush the pretzels in a ziploc bag with a rolling pin until no large pieces remain. Mix together the mayonnaise and mustard.

Baste one side of a fillet with the mayo mixture then place that side down onto the crushed pretzels. Press down a bit to make sure the entire side is covered with pretzels. Baste the side up with the mayo mixture then turn it over onto the pretzels to cover this side. Don't be stingy with the mayo mixture. Place the covered fillet on the cookie sheet and repeat with the remaining fillets.

Lightly spray the fillets with cooking spray and bake for 20-25 minutes until the thickest part of the fish flakes easily. Tilapia is a forgiving fish that will tolerate a little bit of over baking in case you're uncertain about fish. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

Bacon Potato Soup

2011-02-02T19:09:00.000-08:00

Now that the weather has dropped back down to the expected temps for this time of year I was in the mood for soup and potato is what caught my eye. This recipe was easy to throw together and tasted delicious, plus it was dairy free. Just look at my girl eating this up, she went for two bowls she liked it so much.

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Bacon Potato Soup

Adapted from AllRecipes

1 package of bacon

1/2 chopped onion

1 C chopped carrots

2 celery stalks

4 garlic cloves, chopped

4 C GF chicken broth

4 C potatoes, cubed

1/8 t cayenne pepper

1/2 C DF cheese, I used Daiya

Salt to taste

In a dutch oven or saucepan cook the bacon until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the bacon grease and saute until the onion is soft.

Add the chicken broth, potatoes, and pepper. Bring to a boil and scrape up the bits of brown from the bottom of the pan. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Add the cheese and heat until melted but not to boiling. Chop the bacon and add to the soup then season with additional salt if needed.

We served some beer bread along side and it was the perfect meal for a cold day.

Daiya Cheese now in Bozeman

2011-02-02T07:29:00.000-08:00

Daiya cheese is now available locally at the Coop. If you're dairy free and haven't had a chance to try it be sure to pick some up. I think flavor wise and texture wise it's the best option out there.

To see where Daiya cheese is sold check out this product locator.

Gluten Free Microbrew at Neptune's Brewery

2011-02-01T19:02:00.001-08:00

Neptune's Brewery has a gluten free beer called Liberty Call available on tap. We picked up a growler and were really impressed with it. It has a sweet smooth start with a hit of hops at the end. I'm not a big fan of hoppy beers but it's a nice touch in this beer. It is a different taste than most GF beers and we welcomed the change. Keep up the great work Neptunes!

You can get growlers at the Brewery in Livingston or at the Dock located at 806 Nth 7th Ave in Bozeman. Bottoms up!

Gluten Free Living on the Radio

2011-01-21T07:17:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share this information if anyone is interested in listening to Florence MacDonald (owner of Vera Fare) & Dr Lou Walters ND talk about gluten free living on Gesundheit with Jacobus. The radio show is Saturday (January 22nd) from 8:05am - 11:00am MST. If you live in the Bozeman area you can tune in on AM 1450 or in Livingston on AM 1340.

If you don't live close by you can listen live here.

Olivelle Gluten Free Crackers

2011-01-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

I've had a rough couple of weeks and a sweet friend of mine surprised me with a new gluten free find. It put a smile on my face and it was yummy, double win!

One of the owners at Olivelle is gluten free and it seems they are now making gluten free crackers and these cranberry pepper crackers are delicious. The cracker has a nice touch of sweetness to it and then of course the cranberry adds an additional pop. These are awesome on their own but would be fantastic with cheese.

ETA: Please see an updated post related to these crackers.

Gluten Free Poptarts

2011-01-14T08:29:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a long time since I've posted but life is busy and I'm back with a delicious recipe to make up for my absence. I had some leftover pie crust in our freezer from the holidays and I figured a nice breakfast one morning would be gluten free/dairy free poptarts. They were so easy to make and were delicious. At first my boy said he didn't want them and then he took his first bite and declared they were good. He was right, they are good.

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Poptarts

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Pie crust dough - I used Gluten Free Mama's mix
Fruit jam

1 egg, beaten
Sugar

Roll the pie crust dough between two pieces of wax paper to 1/4" thickness. Cut out a rectangle that is about 4x6 inches. On one side of the rectangle put the fruit filling in the middle leaving about a 1/4 " along the sides. Fold the side of the rectangle with no filling over the side with filling. Use a fork to press the sides together and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. You can also use a cookie cutter to cut two shapes, my girl used her strawberry cookie cutter, and press the edges together to make a fun poptart.

Brush the tops of the poptarts with the egg and then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 350 F for about 15-20 min or until the tops are starting to brown. Let them cool then drizzle with frosting. You can also sprinkle the tops with colored sugar to add some fun.

For the frosting mix a 1/2 C powdered sugar with 1-2 t of dairy free milk. Start with the smaller amount and just add enough to get it to drizzle, too much will make it too runny like mine in the picture

Gluten Free Gingerbread House Kit

2010-12-03T10:39:00.000-08:00

This weekend I'm gearing up to do some baking and I hope it turns out so I can post some dairy free options for my fudge and sugar plum cookies. It's going to be time consuming but I hope worth every minute.

I'm also going to make our gingerbread house so the kids can decorate it on Sunday but I saw on Gluten Free Mom's blog this alternative to baking it all myself. A & J Bakery sells allergen friendly gingerbread house kits you can order online. They are free of peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, gluten, soy, egg, dairy, and sesame. Check them out, it can be the perfect way to save some time during the busy season but also still get in those fun times and happy memories with the kids.

Seminar on Gluten Free Living

2010-11-30T10:54:00.000-08:00

I just saw this posted on Vera Fare's Facebook page, sounds like a great opportunity and I hope I can make it.

Seminar about Gluten Free Living on December 7th at 6:00pm. Come in for free food and drink and learn about healthier living through a gluten free diet.

Gluten Free News for Bozeman

2010-11-13T13:02:00.000-08:00

I was shopping on Wednesday and noticed a few things I wanted to share with people in the Bozeman area.

Costco now has Lara Bars, they're a great GF/DF bar made from fruit and nuts. The variety pack includes apple pie, cherry pie, and peanut butter cookie.

Oak Street Natural market is taking orders for Thanksgiving goodies. Here are their gluten free options.

Italian Artichoke & Parmesan dip
Hummus
Wil Salmon Cream Cheese Dip
Jalapeno Wild Salmon Cream Cheese Dip
Triple Cranberry Sauce
Orange Maple Glazed Cornish Game Hens
Wild Stuffing
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie

They have order forms available at their cash register and the order needs to be placed by November 22nd.

Gluten Free & Dairy Free Kringla

2010-11-12T10:40:00.000-08:00

My husband's family has Norweigan roots and kringla is a treat I never had until my mother in law introduced me to it. It's also a treat that Hubby loves and last year I had every intention to make it for him but never found the time. Well I finally found the time. I took my MIL's recipe and tweaked it to make it gluten and dairy free. The results were fantastic! My kids had their first tast of kringla and it was hard to get them to stop

For anyone that doesn't know what kringla is, it's a Norweigan sweet bread that is baked into a little pretzel cookie. It has a nice sweetness to it and is fantastic when served warm with butter.

Becky's Kringla - Gluten & Dairy Free

1 1/2 C granulated sugar

1 egg, beaten

2 1/2 C dairy free sour cream (I used Tofutti)

4 C gluten free flour (I used Gluten Free Mama Coconut Blend)

1 1/2 t xanthan gum

2 t soda

1/4 t salt

In a mixer combine sugar, egg, and sour cream. In a separate bowl mix the flour, xanthan gum, soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture into the sugar mixture. It will be very sticky but all is well. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Divide the dough in half and roll out on a lightly floured surface. Too much flour makes it hard to roll out so don't go too crazy. Roll into a "log" and cut into 1 inch pieces. Take each piece and roll into 7-8 inch pencil-like strips. Form each strip into a pretzel shape, or any other shape you desire, and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, 12 minutes was perfect for me.

Private Gluten Free Cooking Classes

2010-11-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

Karen Ore shared some information with me on private cooking classes and I wanted to pass it along. This could be a great Christmas present or just a fun night with some friends.

Enjoy a private cooking class in the comfort of your home. Learn techniques and recipes from menus that are customized for you and your family/friends.

Cuisines to choose from:

Gluten free and allergy friendly (baking and cooking)
Flexitarian (adapting for vegetarians and meat eaters)
Indian (southern India and/or vegetarian)
Thai
Vietnamese

Classes are scheduled on a first come first served basis. A deposit of $15.00 per person to cover food costs is appreciated one week before the agreed upon class date. Any changes, especially to the number of participants or menu items, must be approved by Karen and may incur an additional charge.

Class price is $30.00 per hour per person taking the class, which includes food costs for the meal that is prepared during class, demonstration and hands-on cooking instruction, background information about the cuisine, resources for locating ingredients, and a printed recipe booklet.

For people not participating in the class (family members for friends) who want to join you for the meal, there is a $25.00 per person charge. Maximum class size is usually 6 people, please discuss your preferred class size with Karen when scheduling. If the class location is more than 10 miles from downtown Bozeman a travel charge will be applied to the total fee.

The meals generally consist of: an appetizer, main dish, side dishes, and a dessert. There will be variations depending on the cuisine and menu chosen.

After the meal is prepared everyone sits down together to enjoy the food. Karen provides all food items and the host or hostess is responsible for providing beverages.

Gift Certificates are available.

To discuss options and to schedule classes please call Karen at 406-586-9186 or e-mail karenore@bridgeband.com

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Mini Pumpkin Pies

2010-10-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

My boy requested a Halloween Party a couple months ago and one of the elements to his request was to have pumpkin pie. I'm not even sure if he's ever had pumpkin pie before but when I saw Bakerella's pumpkin pie bites I knew this was the perfect option.

For the crust I used Gluten Free Mama's pie crust mix and it worked wonders. I was able to make 42 mini pies with the crust. Your favorite pie crust will work here.

Mini Pumpkin Pies - GF/DF

Adapted from Bakerella

Double GF/DF pie crust

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature (I used Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream)

1/2 C granulated sugar

1 C canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling

3 eggs

1 t vanilla

1 t pumpkin pie spice

Pumpkin shaped cookie cutter

1/2 C GF/DF chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Roll out the pie crust between two pieces of wax paper that have been lightly sprayed with oil. Roll to 1/4" thickness, I preferred a thicker crust to work with but play around and see what works best for you. Using a pumpkin cookie cutter (mine is about 3 inches in diameter) cut out pumpkins in the crust and then press into mini muffin tins. It's OK if things tear since you'll press the crust into the tin. Make sure the pumpkin stem won't overlap with any other stems and fill up the tin. Brush the crusts with egg white then fill with pumpkin pie filling. If you don't have a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter use a round cutter and then form stems for the pumpkins on your own.

For the pumpkin pie filling mix the cream cheese, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until thoroughly combined. Fill the mini pies with filling then bake for 17 minutes or until the crusts just start to brown a little.

Repeat with the remaining crust and filling.

To decorate the pies melt the chocolate at 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval. Put a resealable bag in small glass, corner down, and pour the chocolate into the bag. Snip a small bit off the corner then pipe faces onto the mini pies. Store in the refrigerator.

I had a decent amount of melted chocolate left and since I didn't want to waste it I threw some Glutino pretzels down and drizzled them with chocolate. Now Hubby can enjoy some DF chocolate covered pretzels.

Salmon Cakes

2010-10-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

Buying bulk cans of salmon at Costco has led to one fantastic meal, salmon cakes. This is the only way I can get my kids to eat salmon and it doesn't hurt that I let them call them pancakes. We top the cakes with tartar sauce (make sure it's free of HFCS) or ranch. This is a meal the kids will get second helpings on, can't beat that.

Salmon Cakes

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

3 cans of wild Alaskan salmon - skinless & boneless

1/4 C onion chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 T dried parsley or 1/4 C fresh parsley

1 1/4 C bread crumbs, I use Udi's

3 dashes red pepper flakes

4 T mayo

1 T dijon mustard

1 egg

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and shape into 2 inch patties. Place on a cookie sheet and cover with syran wrap then put in the refrigerator to chill for 20 min. This helps the patties keep their form.

Heat a skillet to medium-medium high heat. I spray my skillet with Pam but you can also use olive oil if you prefer. Cook the patties on each side for about 3-5 minutes or until browned.

New Gluten Free Finds

2010-10-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

My fix for dinner, recipe to be posted soon, required a stop at Oak Street Natural Market and I found some new goodies that I've seen online but hadn't seen in our area yet. I felt like it was Christmas morning, but this warm weather pulled me out of that mind frame.

I couldn't wait to try the chocolate and yogurt covered pretzels so that was the kids' snack and I had some, only a few of course. They both are good but I liked the flavor of the yogurt ones best, the salt really popped with those. My boy preferred the chocolate and my girl preferred the yogurt, not quite what I expected.

The cinnamon rolls were breakfast and they were a little on the dry side but very delicious. The kids gobbled them down and really not much for complaints.

We haven't tried the Kinitoos, I'm waiting to open them later when I'm not the main person eating them, I love chocolate too much and can't always contain myself.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2010-10-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to limit my carb intake and I hate it but the good from it came this great lettuce wrap recipe. I like it spicy but the kids protest so I keep the red pepper flakes a bit lower than what's listed. It's something I could eat every day, but I don't.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

2 T rice vinegar
2 T brown sugar
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1/2 t ground ginger
2 t seasame oil
4 T gluten free soy sauce

Olive Oil, I use garlic flavored
4 chicken breasts, cut into bit sized pieces
4 garlic cloves, diced
1/2 C diced onions
1/2 C cashews, chopped
Lettuce leaves, rinsed and dried

Mix the vinegar, sugar, red pepper, ginger, seasame oil, and soy sauce then set aside.

Heat olive oil in a skillet and brown the chicken pieces. Add the garlic and onions toward the end to until tender. Add the cashews and sauce and saute for a few minutes until warm.

Wrap in the lettuce leaves.

Gluten Free Coupons

2010-10-12T20:20:00.001-07:00

There are some great gluten free coupons at Mambo Sprouts. I used the $2 off 2 Udi's items today, that can't be beat!

Candy that should be gluten free

2010-10-12T13:48:00.000-07:00

I seem to be surprised every now and then with a candy that I assume would be gluten free, it really should be by all matters, but isn't or can't state it specifically is. Now add dairy free for Hubby to that and my favorite candies (aka chocolate) are off limits. Here are a few of my main annoyances, for now anyways.

Mentos

Now this is a simple mint candy right? There is no reason for it to have gluten but it does. The second ingredient listed is wheat glucose syrup. Can they not find a better glucose syrup to use? Bah is all I have to say.

Werther's

This was one of my favorite hard candies and it reminded me of my grandpa. So delicious yet not guaranteed to be gluten free and it's definately not dairy free. The reason they can't guarantee they're GF is "because some of our co-suppliers may have used gluten for another manufacturer and it may be in their lines."

Candy Corn

With Halloween quickly approaching I went shopping for candy corn this past weekend only to be disappointed. Brach's candy corn has always been my go-to candy corn and when I read "is made on shared equipment with wheat" I about had a tantrum in the aisle of Target. Hubby grabbed the gourmet candy corn at Target but it "may contain milk" so I put that back on the shelf. If you're looking for a GF/DF candy corn Jelly Belly brand is your answer though I have never seen it on the shelves and ordering it online isn't the cheapest option in the world. I have to say that didn't stop me since I really want candy corn.

I know we've eaten the Brach's candy corn, as recently as a few weeks ago before I read the bag, and none of us had a reaction. But I'm taking the better safe than sorry stance and will avoid it now. With all the other candies we'll be indulging in through and past Halloween I figure preventing known sources of possible cross contamination will hopefully make up for any unknown sources we may ingest.

Images courtesy of Amazon.com

Green teeth, a good thing?

2010-10-06T14:51:00.000-07:00

This is something I was mortified about initially but I'm going to share it because I think it's a good thing in the long run. How the heck can green teeth be a good thing?

A few weeks ago I was brushing my boy's teeth and I noticed green along the base of his bottom teeth. I panicked and brushed that poor kids teeth like mad, he even asked me if his teeth were alright. We did everything we could for a week to try to get rid of the green to no avail. I had to call the dentist to admit my poor parenting because my son had green teeth. I was so ashamed.

The dentist checked his teeth and gave us the good news that it was only a surface stain and since it's green he believed it was a sign of excess iron. The excess comes out in saliva and can stain the teeth green, the Sonicare toothbrush we bought for him took care of the stain and his teeth look normal again.

I know you're wondering what this has to do with a gluten free blog so I'll back track 3 years. When my boy was 1 they tested his blood to check his iron levels and they were low. We had him on the liquid iron drops for awhile and then moved him to Flintstone's vitamins when he was older because they had iron in them. With the green teeth it's clear he doesn't need the extra iron anymore and I believe this means he is finally fully healed from the damage gluten caused to his body. It only took 18 months of a gluten free diet for him to get there but it's great news to know he's healed.

This then posed a new issue for me to find vitamins he could have. Be warned that Costco brand children's vitamins contain milk and wheat. It's in small print and I almost missed it. The Lil Critter's vitamins are GF and DF so those are a safe option and you can get them at Costco.

Gluten Free Cooking Classes & Sushi

2010-10-05T10:14:00.000-07:00

I hope to get back on track with recipes and life as it normally is. Is Fall extra busy for anyone else? I think with the pumpkin patch, hay bale AND corn mazes, a Halloween party my boy requested, and preparing for the Holiday's my calendar gets filled up fast. At least baking is on the schedule and it feels like it's been a long time since I've baked anything.

Bridger Kitchens has two more gluten free cooking classes scheduled, the first is tomorrow so act fast if you're interested.

October 6th, 6:30-8:30 GF Cooking and Baking w/ Karen Ore.

November 18th, 6:30-8:30 GF Holidays w/ Karen Ore.

Both classes will have dairy free and egg free options available.

Dave's Sushi located in downtown Bozeman offers wheat free tamari so if you need a sushi fix, I'm trying to talk Hubby into one, check them out.

Missoula Updates

2010-09-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

We have been on the go and that's why I've been neglecting the blog, sorry! I'm also off to a funeral in South Dakota so it's going to continue to be quiet around here.

We were in Missoula last weekend and I have some dairy free information for Biga Pizza. They do not have dairy free cheese available but they welcome people bringing in their own cheese and they will put it on the pizza for you. That or you can go cheeseless like we did and the pizza was still good.

I also saw some new items at The Good Food Store including New Grist and Bard's beer. Nice to see they are carrying Bard's again. They also have packaged wheat free items from their bakery, banana bread, brownies, cookies, etc. I get nervous when I see wheat free and not gluten free but the ingredients list was gluten free so we tried their apple bread and it was pretty good. Not all of the items are dairy free but some were GF/DF so be sure to read the label before you buy.

Vera Fare Seize the Deal

2010-09-17T12:06:00.001-07:00

If you live in the Bozeman area and want to try out Vera Fare, Bozeman's very own gluten free cafe, they are todays deal on Seize the Deal. Pay $5 for $10 of dining at Vera Fare.

Seize the Deal works by offering great discounts at local businesses but the catch is a certain number of people have to seize the deal in order for it to go through for everyone. So if the number is met everyone gets a deal if not then the deal goes away and you aren't charged for anything.

For this deal the deal has been seized, 86 bought when I bought mine, wow!

Bacon Wrapped Dates - Naturally Gluten Free

2010-09-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

Need a quick appetizer that is a big hit? Bacon wrapped dates are a delicious answer. They don't take much time to whip together and they bring a fanatstic sweet and salty combination to your tongue. I never knew this sweet treat existed until we went to Over The Tapas and after falling in love with them there I had to give it a try. I love that most people have never had these before but once they try them it's hard to stop.

Bacon Wrapped Dates

1 package pitted dates

1.5 packages bacon, thinner is better here

Toothpicks (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut the bacon in thirds and wrap one piece around each date. You can either spear it with a toothpick or just place it seam down on a cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bacon is cooked.

You can find dates in the grocery aisle that has raisins and other dried fruit. This brand was tasty.

This is the bacon I use, it's thin so it's perfect for these. I get this at Lee & Dad's in the frozen section near the other GF and natural products.

New Grist Gluten Free Beer - Found it!

2010-09-03T17:38:00.001-07:00

I wanted to do a quick post that I found the New Grist gluten free beer on the shelf at Lee & Dad's IGA. If you're in need of a beer fix for this beautiful Labor Day Weekend swing by to pick up a sixer.

New Grist Beer in Bozeman

2010-09-03T06:49:00.000-07:00

My sister in law said she had found New Grist gluten free beer at the Bozeman Co-op so I had to swing by yesterday. I found where it belonged on the shelf but they were out of stock, bummer! If you haven't tried this beer give it a go. It's a bit more hoppy than the other GF beers available and nice to have more selection! I did walk of there with some Ian's products I've been looking for for months so there will be a review soon.

If you want to get some of the Betty Crocker GF mixes with a discount here are two coupon links.

The first is through General Mills directly.
The second coupon is through coupons dot com and on the 8th page.

Thanks Sarah for sharing this with me!

Farmer's Market & More Gluten Free Cooking Classes

2010-08-30T13:14:00.001-07:00

I finally made it to the Saturday Farmer's Market this year and it has grown! It was fun running into so many people I know and we had a great time. Plus I got to scope out and try the gluten free baked goods.

The first booth was located outside and we tried the scones and carrot cake. It was also dairy free and egg free and Hubby loved the carrot cake. I'm not a big carrot cake fan but I thought it was really good too. The scones were a little dense but tasted really good. Her kitchen is not 100% GF but she takes measures to prevent cross contamination.

The second booth was located inside and I would have missed it if my SIL hadn't pointed it out to me. Laughing Lily is a gluten-free patisserie with dairy-free optoins. We bought a couple cookies, all of which were soft and delicious, plus some tasty blueberry muffins. Fantastic food. You can contact them at LaughingLily.BakedGoods@gmail.com.

Olivelle is offering another gluten free cooking class September 24th called Gluten Free Gourmet. Check out the link for details.

Vera Fare - Gluten Free Cafe

2010-08-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

You know how it is when you read something and your stomach does a little flip of excitement? That's what happened when I read the description for Vera Fare. "Bozeman's first gluten-free cafe." Sweet music to my ears. I haven't been able to try them yet but it's at the top of my to-do list. If you beat me to it please let me know what you think.

Vera Fare is located at 2251 W Kagy in Bozeman. They are open everyday from 8-3 an dyou can contact them at 922-0888 or contact@verafare.com.

Gluten Free/Dairy Free No-Bake Cookies w/ Quinoa

2010-08-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

No-Bake cookies are the cookie of my childhood. I've always loved them and always will. They are a great option when you want something quick and don't want to turn the oven on. I used to help my mom make these cookies all the time but the last few trials have been duds for me. The taste was there but the chocolate would puddle at the bottom of the GF oatmeal mounds and they weren't the prettiest things. That didnt' stop us from eating them but it did get me on a mission to figure out this problem. I'm not sure if it's an elevation issue or if I wasn't boiling the chocolate mixture long enough but whatever the case these were perfection and I added some extra health to it with the quinoa.

No-Bake Cookies
Adapted from a recipe I submitted as a child to our Church's Cook Book

2 C granulated sugar
1/4 C cocoa powder
1/2 C milk - I used rice
1/2 C margarine - Dairy free if needed
1 t vanilla
1 pinch salt
1/2 C peanut butter - crunchy or not, it's your preference
3 C gluten free oats
1 C quinoa flakes

In a medium saucepan over medium heat combine the sugar, cocoa, milk, and margarine. Bring to a rolling boil stirring constantly. Boil at rolling for 2 minutes then remove from heat and add the vanilla, salt, and peanut butter. Stir thoroughly after each addition. Stir in the oatmeal and quinoa flakes then drop onto greased cookie sheets. Allow to cool and enjoy.

Bridger Kitchens Gluten Free Cooking Classes

2010-08-24T15:10:00.000-07:00

I was oblivious to Bridger Kitchens offering gluten free cooking classes until Karen Ore commented on my blog. Karen follows a GF/DF/egg & shrimp free diet so she is very knowledgable about safe cooking for dietary restrictions. I'm so happy to see more options for people to find comfort in their own GF kitchen.

Click on the link to view their class information and schedule. I'm not sure if any spots are open but a GF cooking and baking class is available August 26th from 6:30-8:30. Dairy and egg free options will also be available.

The classes are held at their second location at the Four Corner's area. They are located at 7540 Pioneer Way.

Gluten Free Dairy Free Camping

2010-08-23T11:03:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I used to backpack and camp a lot, then we had children. I am of the belief you can still do the things you love it just has to be adjusted a bit when kids enter the picture. Unfortunately this portion of our lives took a little while but I was happy with the results. The kids loved camping and spending hours throwing rocks into the stream. If the flat tire and rain hadn't happened it would have been ideal but this is life after all.

Our menu was simple. Dinner consisted of hotdogs, corn, and cherries. Dessert was of course S'mores. I used the Kinnikinnick graham crackers and found these delicious dairy free chocolate bars, Sweet Chocolate Dream. This is the closest taste to milk chocolate we've encountered and I highly recommend them. The Rice Crunch version is dark chocolate and a nice substitute to the gluten filled Crunch bar. We found everything below at Rosauer's Huckleberry Market and I had to bring the Udi's bagels just in case. By the way they are soft and delicious, best bagels I've ever had, GF or not.

Breakfast I knew we needed GF/DF pancakes to go with our DF hot chocolate but these items took some searching. I wanted a pancake mix that I could just add water to and The Cravings Place Pancake Mix was perfect. You add enough water to get it to the consistency you want (no measuring cups required) and there you go. They were yum! The DF hot chocolate by Ah!laska was really good, not as creamy as dairy filled (of course) but the whole family was happy with it. Hubby said I didn't need to search for a DF option but he sure did enjoy a warm drink Sunday morning. The whole family needs to be happy afterall.

Here's my troopers eating breakfast in the rain, it of course started coming down as soon as breakfast was ready. They had already drank their morning hot chocolate and moved onto juice. My girl stated her hot chocolate was her coffee. I think that's a sign I may drink too much coffee. See me in the background making breakfast and drinking coffee? I think that was my second cup.

Speaking of my coffee addiction the Starbucks Via instant coffee pouches are fantastic. They take up very little space and allow for a "just add water" coffee fix. This was much more compact than bringing along grounds and my French Press. I picked these up at REI and of course you can get them at Starbucks.

Misc Updates

2010-08-09T11:45:00.001-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted anything new for awhile. Work has been crazy and my free time has been filled but hopefully things will slow down next week and I can start posting again. In the mean time I do want to post a few new things I've seen around the area.

Town & Country now has Bard's GF beer. I love this store but never make it there. I need to do a more thorough walk through to see what GF options they have because I know they are scattered throughout.

On The Rise Bakery is working on offering gluten free bread and muffins. I'll keep you posted as I hear more on this.

The Farmer's Market in Bozeman on Saturday's has GF goodies. I can't for the life of me remember the name but a woman makes GF oatmeal cookies (certified GF oats), peanut butter, and chocolate chip cookies. The kids loved them but Hubby can't have them because they are not dairy free.

Starky's offers GF options and here the information I received when I e-mailed them. They have a house made GF bread that is available for any sandwich options. It is brown rice and garbanzo flour based. They always carry it and it is available by the loaf with a day's notice. They also carry chocolate macaroons and lemon bars along with a GF dessert every night. For brunch on Sunday's (10-3) they feature a special brunch menu whose French Toast can easily be converted to GF if requested.

They do a lot of standard baking and said there is a risk of cross-contamination however their bakers are well versed in the avoidance of CC and the dangers of gluten allergies. Items are not labelled GF because they want to avoid the unfortunate backlash that sometimes occurs when an individual reads anything healthy as bad tasting, but their staff is fairly well educated on the subject and good enough to ask a manager or baker when they are unsure of an items GF status. They also do not have a separate grill for GF preparation however if you request when ordering they will prepare a meal separate from the other gluten products.

That's it for now, let me know if you try Starky's and how it goes.

Grilled Polenta with Tomato Bruschetta

2010-07-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

My mom and I attended the Gluten Free Italian cooking class at Olivelle in June and we loved it. It was a lot of fun learning some new cooking tricks and the food was fantastic. I plan to get all of the recipes on here but I'm starting with the dish I fell in love with. I could live off this dish. It's an easy yet elegant appetizer and I've already made it for two BBQ's.

Grilled Polenta w/ Tomato Bruschetta

From Olivelle

1 log prepared Polenta, 1/4" slices

Garlic Olive Oil, an item from Olivelle I always have on hand

4 tomatoes, diced

3 basil leaved, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 C EVOO

2 T white balsamic vinegar, you can find this at Olivelle

Salt to taste

Ground pepper to taste

Balsamic glaze to finish. Another Olivelle item.

Heat your grill to high. I haven't tried this on the grill but my electric skillet at 350 F has worked well though I don't get the grill marks on the polenta this way.

Drizzle the polenta slices with the garlic olive oil and place oil side down on the grill. Heat for about 10 minutes before drizzling oil on the top side and flipping to cook the other side for 10 minutes.

In a glass bowl combine the tomatoes, basil, garlic, EVOO, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Spoon some tomato mixture on each polenta slice. Drizzle with the balsamic glaze.

I used the balsamic glaze with cherry, yum!

More Gluten Free Play-Dough Alternatives

2010-07-19T11:13:00.000-07:00

I have recently seen a couple more options for gluten free play-dough alternatives and wanted to spread the word. I know we can make our own but it's so much easier to buy it. ;)

Soy-Yer Dough is a scented play dough that is free of egg, gluten, peanut & tree nuts, borax, latex, dairy, and kerosene. The original dough does contain soybean but you can choose a soy-free version of the dough during checkout. All of the dough does contain rice. It looks fantastic so I ordered some and it is shipping today. Is it possible I'm more excited than the kids?

Moon Dough is a hypo-allergenic, gluten free/wheat free molding dough. It never dries out and claims to be very easy to clean up. Basically you can use a big piece of the moon dough to dab up any dough on the counters and the carpet. I did order some of this also, my boy was beyond excited when he saw the commercial and I said it was gluten free, so I'll post a report of what I think once we get it.

Creamy White Frosting - Dairy Free

2010-07-19T09:17:00.000-07:00

Another birthday party passed through my house this weekend and I can finally relax a little bit. The next cake isn't needed until August 15th. I was originally going to make my favorite chocolate cake and try it dairy free but the cake I was making suggested to use a white cake mix and I figured I better follow the directions to keep the color of the cupcake liners bright. This prompted me to take a gluten recipe and convert it to GF/DF. It tasted really good but it was chewy. I didn't care for the texture though everyone seemed to love it so it wasn't a total fail at least. The two things I was really happy with were my frosting and how cute the cake turned out.

Creamy White Frosting GF/DF
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

1 C shortening, I used Spectrum
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract
4 1/2 C powdered sugar
3-4 T rice milk (regular milk or another DF milk will work also)

Beat the shortening, vanilla, and almond extracts on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add half the sugar and beat well then add 2T milk until incorporated. Add the remaining sugar beating well again then add enough milk to reach your desired spreading consistency. I used all 4 T but start with 3T to ensure you don't over do it.

The cake my girl picked out came from the Hello, Cupcake! book. It's the Big Birthday Cake design. It was easier to put together than I expected and the candies on top made for a nice treat when eating the cupcakes. The bottom layer has 17 cupcakes (I could only get 16 to fit), then 8, 5, 3, and 1 for the remaining layers. I used Skittles and Runts for the candies since I needed to avoid chocolate candies to keep things dairy free. The only thing I omitted was the pirouette cookies the book had for candles. I couldn't find GF pirouette cookies so I made some but I didn't really have room for them once the cake was put together. The layer everyone wanted was the yellow one, if I did this again I think I'd do that layer in the middle so more people could enjoy the banana Runts.

Cholesterol Fighting Green Monster Smoothie - Gluten Free & Dairy Free

2010-07-12T12:51:00.001-07:00

I know Green Monster smoothies are all over the internet but this has been our breakfast for the past few weeks and I love it, so I decided to share it. This Green Monster specifically fights cholesterol with the spinach, flax seed meal, blueberries, kefir, and avocado. I based it for my Hubby but I can always use help keeping my cholesterol down too. Hubby is not a big vegetable fan but this is an easy and delicious way for him to get the benefits of the veggies without having to eat them in the traditional manner, and you don't taste the spinach. You can add any fruit or leafy vegetables you like and I do mix it up now and then but this is our standard.

Cholesterol Fighting Green Monster Smoothie

2 C spinach leaves

1 T flax seed meal

1 C fresh or frozen blueberries

1 medium banana, sliced

1/4 medium avocado

1 C Vanilla Coconut Milk Kefir (DF milk and regular milk work also)

Ice, I use two handfuls

This is the DF Kefir I get, they also have strawberry and plain. It adds a creaminess to the smoothie.

Put the ingredients in a blender in the order above. Blend well until smooth, drink, and enjoy! This makes two servings and is about 210 calories per serving.

Even my boy loves a Green Monster in the morning.

Hiking Snacks - Meat and Cheese Rolls

2010-07-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

It has taken forever for summer weather to get here but now that it is we are finding ourselves going on hikes almost every weekend. I love that my boy states "this is great" everytime we go on a hike and what better way is there to spend time with the family?

We always do a small lunch once we get to our destination and this is our favorite food on the menu. It's quick to throw together, doesn't take up much room, and hits the spot perfectly. My girl and I have ours with cheese while my boy doesn't like cheese (it's all in his head) and Hubby can't have it.

Meat & Cheese Rolls

lunch meat slices (I use Hormel Natural Choice since it's free of gluten, MSG, and nitrates & nitrites)

cheese slices or sticks

mayo

mustard

toothpicks

Spread a small amount of mayo and mustard on each slice of lunch meat. Place a cheese slice on each slice of meat. If you're using cheese sticks cut them in half length wise and place it on one end. Roll the cheese and meat then stick with a toothpick to hold. If you can't have dairy omit the cheese it's still a really good snack.

Some of our other favorite hiking snacks are granola bars, crackers and peanutbutter, and fresh fruit. What is your favorite hiking/picnic treat?

Gluten Free Pizza in Butte

2010-07-09T08:07:00.000-07:00

I have some exciting news for Butte residents needing a GF pizza fix. My friend took her girls to Silver Bow Pizza Parlor in Butte and discovered they offer GF pizza crust. I don't know how it tastes or how careful they are with cross contamination so if you stop in be sure to give me a report.

Silver Bow Pizza Parlor also has games and a carousel to keep the kids entertained, sorf of like a Chuckee Cheese. It's located at 3500 Harrison Ave in Butte and you can call them at 406-494-2750.

4th of July Treats

2010-07-06T09:47:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the 4th of July BBQing with friends and one dish I brought was the dessert. I wanted to do something in a patriotic theme but was frustrated with all of the whipped topping based desserts. I'm not quite sure how to pull that off DF so I just avoided it. When I came upon the idea (it's all over the internet) of cutting rice krispies treats into stars and decorating them I knew I had a winner. Who doesn't love rice krispies treats?

Patriotic Krispies

1/4 C Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (or butter if you can have it)

1 bag mini marshmallows

4 C Koala Krisp cereal (or your favorite GF rice krisp cereal)

Red, White, & Blue gel and sprinkles

Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray (make sure it's GF and DF). Melt the "butter" over medium low heat in a saucepan then add the marshmallows and stir until they are melted and blended with the butter. Stir an additional 2 minutes then remove from heat. Add the Koala Krisp and stir until it's evenly mixed with the marshmallow. I like my krispies to be very marshmallowy but if you prefer more cereal then add an additional cup. Spread evenly into the pan, it helps to spray a metal spoon with cooking spray to keep it from sticking to everything.

Allow the krispies to set then use a cookie cutter to cut out star shapes. Sprinkle with colored sugar and decorate with gel.

This would be a great dessert for Valentine's Day, Halloween, St. Patty's Day, etc.

Birthday Cakes

2010-07-06T08:11:00.001-07:00

I apologize for being MIA. This time of year is crazy busy for me at work and at home but I'll stick to the fun "busy" stuff at home. We have 3 birthday's that hit within a 2.5 week time frame, that makes for a lot of cake. The first was my birthday at the end of June and Hubby was sweet enough to buy me an Opera Cake from Sweet Pea Bakery. It was beautiful and the frosting just melted in my mouth. The downfall was they couldn't do dairy free so Hubby wasn't able to have any.

The view of the inside of the cake, look at those layers!

My son had his 4th birthday which called for a Transformer's cake. It was easier than the topsy turvy cake I did last year but still took some time. I was happy with it and made The Baking Beauties confetti cake recipe but doubled it and made two 9" cakes to layer. It tasted really good but it wasn't quite as light and fluffy as I'm wanting to find in a white cake. It also didn't rise as much as I expected but it worked out. The frosting I used was store bought because I was feeling lazy and didn't want to make my own. It was GF and DF but the flavor just isn't as good as homemade.

Top view of the cake and the much needed Autobots logo. Sorry the picture isn't horizontal, it wouldn't load properly.

The finished product which my son didn't even eat, he was too busy playing. Obviously that ice cream in the back ground is not DF.

My girl's birthday is a little over a week away so I'll be trying another white cake recipe, not sure which one though. Maybe it will be the perfect one I'm searching for. Do you have a fluffy GF white cake recipe for me to try?

Dairy Free Chocolate Pudding

2010-06-17T07:01:00.000-07:00

My family loves them some Jello pudding cups, it's a good incentive some nights to get the kids to finish their dinner. I felt bad when the kids were enjoying their pudding and Hubby couldn't have any. I'm such a sucker. This motivated me to search for a dairy free pudding recipe and the hardest part was waiting for it to cool. I couldn't wait to sample it when I got home yesterday and it was divine! So thick and creamy, much better than those Jello cups. There's nothing like homemade.

Coconut Chocolate Pudding

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

1 can coconut milk, I used the full fat but you can use the light

3 T agave nectar

1 dash salt (4 squeezes from my grinder)

1 small heaping teaspoon cornstarch

3 T cocoa powder

1/2 C DF/GF chocolate chips (Enjoy Life or Tropical Source)

1 t vanilla

Shake the can of coconut milk to mix the milk and cream portions then pour 1 1/4 C in a saucepan. Add the agave and salt then cook over medium heat until it simmers. While this is heating mix the remaining coconut milk, corn starch, and cocoa powder.

Once the milk mixture simmers turn the heat to medium-low and slowly add the cocoa powder mixture while whisking the whole time. Continue whisking until it thickens a bit, I went for 5 min though the original recipe called for about 1 minute. If you go with 1 minute it may not turn out quite as thick if that's what you'd prefer.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk an additional minute to let it cool a bit. Add the chocolate chips and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Pour into serving bowls then chill in the refrigerator.

If you are looking for coconut milk don't wander around like an idiot, like I did, wondering where the heck it's kept. It will be in the Asian section at any grocery store.

My girl couldn't get enough of this and I'm pretty sure she liked it better than the Jello pudding because she finished the whole thing, usually there are a few bites left.

Our Favorite Casserole, Gluten & Dairy Free

2010-06-16T06:56:00.000-07:00

When Hubby said he needed to go dairy free there was one recipe I immediately thought about and worried over how I'd still be able to make it. Afterall it is referred to as the favorite casserole in the house and whenever I ask my boy what he wants for dinner this is it. I make sure I only ask that question when I'm planning to make it.

It took me a few tries to get it as close in taste as it's dairy version, the last version was way too tangy and my boy was not happy. With some tweaks I made it again last night and the boy cleaned his plate, I took that as a thumbs up on getting it correct. So here it is, our favorite caserole gluten and dairy free.

Cheeseburger Skillet Dinner

1 pkg GF & DF Mac & "Cheese"*
1/2 to 1 lb ground beef or buffalo
1/2 C chopped onion
2 C frozen corn
2/3 C ketchup
1/4 C water
1/4 t garlic powder
1 C shredded dairy free cheddar cheese**

Prepare the mac & cheese as directed on the package. In a large skillet brown the meat, onion, and garlic powder then stir in the corn, ketchup, and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes or until the corn the crisp tender. Reduce heat to low and stir in the cheese. Add the mac & cheese to the meat mixture and mix well, cook another couple minutes or until it's heated through.

*The best GF/DF mac & cheese (according to my tastes) is Namaste Foods Say Cheez. It has a bit of a tang to it so I've omitted the mustard from this version of the casserole. You can find it at Rosauer's and Oak Street.

**I haven't been too impressed with the dairy free cheese I've found in the area, I hate that it doesn't melt. I used Daiya vegan "cheese" for this recipe and it's fantastic, I'm so thankful to all the bloggers out there that have raved about it. The Daiya cheese melts wonderfully (with quesadilla's, pizza, etc) and I'm glad I ordered it. Yup I had to order it. I can't find it in our area and Daiya's store locater states it's only sold at ZPizza in Billings for the state of Montana. I did order in bulk through Vegan Essentials and it wasn't cheap but it was worth the money. I froze it in 2 C bags and I don't have to use a lot in the recipes to get the cheesiness I want. It reminds both Hubby and I of nacho cheese with the flavor, yum!

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Rhubarb Muffins

2010-06-06T18:48:00.001-07:00

Rhubarb season is back, I know this because my rhubarb plant is up to my shoulders. I'm short but still it's pretty big! I had one bag of frozen rhubarb left in my freezer and I figured it better get used before my first harvest this year. I looked through a lot of recipes and decided on muffins because after all my family loves muffins and I needed to give them a dairy free try. They turned out great, Hubby said they look professional so that's a plus!

Cinnamon Rhubarb Muffins
Adapted from Fine Cooking

2 C gluten free flour (I used Gluten Free Mama's Almond Blend)
2 t xanthan gum
3/4 C granulated sugar
2 1/2 t baking powder
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 C sour cream (for DF use Tofutti Sour Supreme)*
8 T butter softened (for DF use Earth Balance Natural Buttery Sticks)
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 -2 C diced rhubarb

For the topping

3 T granulated sugar
1/2 t ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl mix the flour, xanthan gum, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl mix the sour cream, butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour mixture and mix until combined. It will be very dry at this point but that's OK the rhubarb is next. Add the rhubarb and mix thoroughly.

Split the mixture between 12 muffin tins. Use the back of a spoon dipped in water to smooth the tops.

Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon for the topping and cover the tops with 1t of the mixture. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Yum!

*I didn't have any dairy free sour cream on hand but I did have Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese. I used this instead of the sour cream by adding 2 T of Rice Milk and mixing until smooth. This brought the consistency to a sour cream level and worked great.

EZ Gluten Test Take 2

2010-06-05T19:47:00.001-07:00

Here are the results of the additional tests I've done using the EZ Gluten test kits. I did test gluten filled beer so I could see what a positive result looked like, let me know what you think.

I wanted to test the Tastefully Simple Italian Garlic Blend because the ingredients are GF but it states it is made in a facility that also processes wheat. The reason I wanted to test this is because when I used it I had some intestinal reactions to it that I've had with other GF food that has preservatives in it. I'm pretty sure I'm just reacting to the preservatives but figured this would be a good way to find out.

The test shows that it is GF.

Next up was a gluten filled beer that was in our basement from family being over. I was expecting a high postive immediately but the only line that showed up was the very top control line. I thought maybe I did something wrong so I did the test a second time with the same exact results. It's hard to see in the picture but the only line visible at all is the control line. I felt confident it wasn't invalid but the only way I could believe it had gluten (other than knowing) is that the results were definately not the same as the negative results. Any thoughts?

Gluten Free in Big Timber

2010-06-05T19:42:00.001-07:00

My mother in law informed me of deNotre Cuisine located in Big Timber, MT. They are a deli and pastry shop that sell homemade gluten free scones. I never thought I'd hear about this in Big Timber! I haven't tried them but was told they are delicious. They are located at 104 McLeod St. Check out their webpage for contact information.

I can't wait to give them a try, if you beat me to it let me know what you think.