Pizza Chef at 5 Points has GLUTEN FREE Pizza!

I'm excited to tell you that we have more options when it comes to pizza. We can now order pizza at Pizza Chef in Davenport. I got to try their pizza two times. I tried the Aloha (Canadian bacon, pineapple, Mandarin oranges) and the Classic Italian (olive oil instead of red sauce, tomatoes, spinach, cheese) both were very tasty.

The price cannot be beat! They do not charge extra for gluten free! So whatever kind of pizza you order, you pay what a normal gluten eating person would pay. They deliver too.

They cook the pizza in a brick oven that no other pizza gets cooked in. They have their own designated space for the gluten free pizza prep and they put them on parchment  to keep them from any other contamination. They are fairly new at this, today was day 4 of their gluten free adventure. The owner said it was being well received! The crusts come in two sizes 8" and 12". Everyone should give them a shot! The owner had a couple minor mistakes (not any that would have made me sick, but did alter the way it looked) with my first pizza, but quickly made up for them and made it right. He even called me to apologize. I like that he took time out of their busy Friday night to make sure I was well taken care of and happy.

I will definitely eat here regularly, the pizza was affordable and beyond tasty! The next time you feel like having pizza give them a call - 563.323.0069

Fast and EASY dinner!

I threw this together last night and it turned out so well I thought I'd share it. My husband and son gobbled it up too. My hubby asked after his first bowl if it was gluten free...well duh, I'm eating it too!

Ingredients
1 small brick of Velveeta sliced
1lb hamburger browned and drained
1 can rotel
1/2 cup shredded cheese
3/4 box of Schar Penne (or your favorite gf pasta)
Crushed Potato Chips

Preheat the Oven to 350. Brown/drain the hamburger. Cook Pasta according to package. In a casserole dish add the rotel and slices of Velveeta. Top that with the hamburger and cooked noodles. Mix it all together well and top will shredded cheese. Bake for 10 minutes and then stir it all together again and serve with a handful of crushed potato chips on top. If watching calories leave off the chips. Its about 371 calories without the chips per serving.

Yogurt

I have to admit I am not a huge yogurt fan. I like that they are labeling them gluten free consistently. I bought some Bluebunny Yogurts and Weight Watcher Yogurts because they were cheaper than the Yoplait Light that I normally eat. I am a fan of the Yoplait light because of the minimal aftertaste and the flavors are generally pretty tasty. The Bluebunny/Weight Watcher ones are not! They leave a hanging aftertaste that is not good. I'm choking down the last of them, but they are not particularly tasty. I look at them everyday know I have to eat the and dreading choking it down.

 

My suggestion is to stick to Yoplait Light for an additional 10 calories you get way better flavor!

Woodfire Grill 1-20-11

I ate at Woodfire Grill today for lunch in Davenport. Of course my first question was "do you have a gluten free menu?"  The hostess replied with "no, but my grandma is Celiac and when she comes here she just gets a burger without a bun." UGH!  I knew I could get that, I was hoping to avoid the burger without a bun, I can get that at McDonalds for $7 less.

I was seated and started to browse the menu. I thought there were many things I could have them "alter" to make them gluten free with minimal steps. I chose the Strawberry Spinach salad with Chicken. I had them leave off the Gorgonzola cheese since the Chef (yes my server asked for me) couldn't say if it was or not for sure, so I left it off. I of course made sure no croutons and my server  remembered w/o me even saying anything that a bread stick should not come with my salad. Good job Andy (that was his name). I had the raspberry vinaigrette put on the side.  The salad was AMAZING. It was $11 for the salad. It was worth every cent. I would order it again in a heartbeat.

They had several salads to choose from along with steaks, chicken, and seafood that could made gluten free with minimal work. I don't know that the staff was as well versed in gluten free as I would like them to be, but they did make a good effort and I did not get sick. I will definitely go back!

Rudi's Multigrain GF Bread

I got my package today from Rudi's Gluten Free Bakery. Let me just say packaging says a lot to me. It came in the cutest little box with a handle on it. I opened it up and was pleasantly surprised. In addition to a loaf of multigrain gluten free bread they sent me a sandwich keeper and coupons and a magnet and two recipes cards one for bread pudding and one for a gourmet grilled cheese. I couldn't wait to try it.

I took a piece out and picked a piece of the crust, not bad. I put a little country crock on the remainder of the slice...it was fantastic! It was tender and slightly sweet, not overly dry. It was perfect for a piece of bread and butter. It did not require toasting...did you get that...let me repeat IT DID NOT REQUIRE TOASTING. I will definitely buy this bread! I can't wait to have a sandwich on it. Thank you Rudi's!!!

Rudi's Gluten Free Bread

I was contacted by a company called Rudi's Gluten Free Bakery - they are sending me a couple of things to try and sent me an email with information on a program they support. You should definitely check out the coupons! Their website has a "where to buy" option if you don't want to shop online. Locally, the store I found that carries it on their website is Greatest Grains in Davenport and New Pioneer Coop in Iowa City. I have not actually been to Greatest Grains to check for this product, but once I get my package from Rudi's I will be sure to blog about it.

This is the information I received via email from a company spokesperson:

As you may know, there are an estimated 3 million people in the U.S. suffering from celiac disease, yet only 160,000 are diagnosed. We're pleased to announce that Rudi's Gluten-Free Bakery is working with NFCA to support education for the diagnosis of celiac disease, with our new Spread the Bread charitable program, which launched in late December.

For every dollar coupon downloaded, Rudi's Gluten-Free Bakery will give a dollar to the NFCA, up to $20,000, to help in its efforts to better educate physicians in the diagnosis of celiac disease. Coupons are available on the Rudi's Gluten-Free Bakery website and Facebook page. 

I can't wait to try it - I hope its good, I love bread!!

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Chicken Parmesan Low Calorie Recipe

We had this for dinner last night. It was amazing. Low Calorie and big on flavor, the perfect way to jazz up chicken.

My version of healthy chicken parmesan

Ingredients

1-2 chicken breasts

1/4 cup of Pizza or Pasta Sauce

1 Tsp of Classico Tomato Basil Pesto

2 TBS Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven at 375. Put all chicken on the George foreman and cook it until its done. Place the cooked chicken in a greased baking dish, spoon sauce on each breast. Top with cheese and bake about 5 minutes to melt/brown the cheese.

*I spiced up my chicken while it cooked on the George foreman.

Per Serving
Calories  268

Fat 5.7g

Carbs 5.7g

Protein - 45.3g

Sneaky Pete's

We ate at Sneaky Pete's in LeClaire, IA with a large group of friends on Saturday night. They have a limited menu. They offer plenty for a gluten free person. We got there a bit early and when we were seated I asked our server if they had a GF menu, she replied no, but one of our cooks has to follow a gluten free diet, so he is really good about cooking things so a gluten free person is safe. I felt better immediately.

I ordered Salmon with only salt/pepper seasoning and a baked potato. It comes with salad bar, I brought my own dressing so I wouldn't get sick from the MSG. I ate everything, it was fantastic. It was $13.95 for my meal, but I did not get sick and will definitely go back to Sneaky Pete's. If you are looking for a decent place on the Mississippi River with excellent food, give them a try.

Check out their website for directions and info to contact them with questions. They do not have a full listing of the menu online.

Sidwell's Hot Fudge Sauce

Oh My!! Sidwell's Hot fudge sauce is made with all "good" things, everything on the package I can pronounce. I have a hard time making myself take it easy with this stuff, I could easily sit and eat it out of the jar. I was given this by Hy-Vee W. Kimberly to try. I love it on ice cream. I love it on rice cakes. I love it on a spoon of peanut butter. Oh who am I kidding, I'd probably eat it on everything. It's very tasty and completely gluten free. Give it a shot! It's also made right here in Iowa by hand, check out their website: www.sidwellshotfudge.com

Corn Chowder

I got this recipe on the Spark People site. I had to alter the flour to be gluten free. I used Domata Living Flour for the two table spoons. I also added my own extra spices. I added more salt and pepper than the recipe called for, I  did it based on the taste of the soup. I also added crushed red pepper (about three good shakes - nice measuring, eh?), a couple shakes of garlic powder, and oregano leaves. I added a few sprinkles of Monterrey Jack cheese. It was fantastic! It was was 186 calories before I added the cheese,so I'm guess its right at 200 calories per serving, which is one cup. It was very easy to make. My husband liked it too and added chicken to his, he said it was really good that way too.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons finely diced celery
• 2 tablespoons finely diced onion
• 2 tablespoons finely diced green pepper
• 1 package frozen whole kernel corn (10 oz.)
• 1 cup peeled, diced, 1/2" raw potatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• black pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons gluten free flour 
• 2 cups low-fat (1%) or skim milk
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

Directions

1. Heat oil in medium saucepan.
2. Add celery, onion, and green pepper and saute for 2 minutes.
3. Add corn, potatoes, water, salt, pepper, and paprika. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium; and cook, covered, about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
4. Place 1/2 cup milk in a jar with tight fitting lid. Add flour and shake vigorously.
5. Add gradually to cooked vegetables and add remaining milk.
6. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Serve garnished with chopped fresh parsley.

Yield: 4 servings--Serving Size: 1 cup