Chuck E. Cheese Gluten-free Offerings

I may have mentioned before that Chuck E. Cheese began offering gluten-free pizzas at almost 500 locations. However, I just found out that they offer gluten-free cupcakes too! Now, I haven't set foot in a Chuck E. Cheese in a long time but I have memories of being there as a kid and having so much fun. I can't imagine how it would have been then for a child with Celiac Disease. Now, for the parents with children who require a gluten-free diet, they can go to Chuck E. Cheese and have fun and eat - just like everyone else! Check out the video on their site and their FAQ's to find out more!

Quick tip for Heart Health during the Holidays

So, by now, the plates are cleared and the leftovers have been put away. You next mission? Setting a plan up for which stores you are going to hit for Black Friday. Most Americans start their holiday shopping before Thanksgiving but some save the bigger items for after or others, like me, just tend to be last minute. Whatever type of shopper you are there are a few simple ways to get some exercise in while setting up for the holidays!

1. Park further out from the entrance when you go to a mall or store. Those few extra steps can add up big time!

2. Once you are done shopping in the mall or a large store - take an extra lap or two around just to get the added steps in. If you are going to the grocery store, take an extra lap around the store before starting to shop. You will have a great view of the sales and aisle end caps before you start!

3. Talking on the phone to grandparents or siblings about what to get for your loved ones? Walk while you talk! Most phones are cordless now a days and signal strength is getting better everyday. If you paced back and forth during a 10 min phone conversation you could burn 20-30 extra calories!

4. Use stairs instead of elevators or moving escalators.

5. Take smaller amounts of groceries or items you purchased into the house so you have to make more trips.

6. Also, try to minimize stress! This is always a hard one to do during the holiday season but don't be afraid to laughing at yourself or the craziness of the season in general. Try going back and looking at photos from past holidays and remembering all the fun. You could also try taking a few extra minutes to soak in the tub, go to bed 30 min early, or just give yourself 5 min to tune the world out. These small steps can help you deal with the stress a little better, keep your blood pressure down, and make it easier for your heart to keep you going strong!

For more information, visit http://www.startwalkingnow.org. It's a branch of the American Heart Association that can help you take steps to building a healthier life free of cardiovascular diseases! It has a variety of helpful information on mall walking clubs, other small ways to add extra steps, and expanded information on some of the advice above!

November Product of the Month

I know I have posted about Udi's introducing dinner rolls but, at my last gluten-free meeting, I was ecstatic to find them for sale at my local gluten-free specialty store. They have whole grain dinner rolls as well as french baguettes. You'll find that not only are they delicious but during the holiday season they will make it super easy to serve those with gluten intolerances!

November Gluten-free Support Group Meeting

Please join me for the November Gluten-Free Support group meeting at Natural Pantry on Old Seward Highway. We meet in the Natural Pantry Cafe located in the University Center Mall from 6-8 pm. See you there!

November Recipe of the Month

My husband loves tomato soup. His mother used to make it for him with grilled cheese when he was a kid. I never liked tomato soup and a lot of conventional recipes have dairy added to them. I also dislike the amount of sodium found in can soups. So, when we tried P90X, their recipe book contained an amazing recipe similar to tomato soup but much healthier. Its still tasty and, on those days when you have worked out extra hard, it still tastes fabulous with a grilled goat cheese sandwich. ;)

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

• 2 cups white wine 
• 1 medium white onions
• 5 medium red bell peppers, roasted then seeded 
• 2 cups celery, diced 
• 1 clove of garlic 
• 2 ripe plum tomatoes 
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme 
• 1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin

There are several ways to roast a pepper. A lot of roasted red pepper recipes call for broiling the red peppers. When we moved in, the broiler on our oven did not work and since we have an electric range and no outside grille, I use the panini grill we got as a wedding present. It can be tricky the first time but you basically blacken the peppers on all sides (you will have to watch them and rotate them) and you can tell its working when you see the skin bubbling. Once they are blackened on all sides, throw them into an airtight container and let them steam so the skin is easier to peel. Give them up to 30 minutes to sit and then peel the outside skin off and cut the middle out and de-seed. If you are unable to remove all of the skin, don't worry, you are going to puree everything anyway.
Heat wine in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, red peppers, and celery. Cook and stir for 3 minutes.
Stir in garlic. Cook for 2 more minutes, adding more wine if necessary.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
Puree soup in a food processor or blender. If you have a regular size blender you may want to puree the soup in two halves. The first time I did it, I couldn't hold the top on the blender and it shot up all over the kitchen. True story.
Once, pureed, return it to the pan, add seasoning, and heat through.

October Recipe of the Month

I think everyone has those days where they figure out something incredibly simple but in the moment feel like they've climbed over a mountain and conquered it. Yesterday was that day. I sat in my kitchen writing a blog about what I love about the fall while I was roasting a pumpkin. I then wanted to roast the seeds of the pumpkin (because that's just plain fun) in an interesting way and after curiously searching, I found a recipe with some flavor that tantalized my taste buds!

After I was done taking my photos and posting the blog, I was hearing my stomach growl so I figured I would make myself something to eat. I had some left over green beans in the fridge and since I don't like wasting food I warmed them up in the microwave. When I set the bowl down on the counter I saw the seeds next to my green beans and paused . . . then, that proverbial light bulb went off! I was no longer going to eat boring greens beans for dinner - I threw some of the sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds on top and found myself feeling very gourmet. It was amazing, truly! The warmth and juiciness of the green beans combined with the sweet and spicy crunch of the pumpkin seeds to make a flavor that had my mouth feeling like the angels were singing hallelujah inside it! Maybe I was just hungry from all the cooking or maybe the dreamy smell of the roasted pumpkin still hung in the air but, this is definitely a dish I will continue to make during the fall and into the winter!

The best part? I can put the rest of the seeds in a container and take it to lunch to throw on a salad or mix with another veggie. I could even use them on top of the pumpkin muffins I'm going to make! How awesome is that? It's the little things in life, right?

Have a great day!

October joys . . .

Instagram photo of my drive home everyday

My house smells amazingly of roasted pumpkin right now! I love the warmth of the smell and the way it puts me in the mood for snuggling on the couch with my hubby and watching the fire flicker. Fall is my husbands favorite season and although I love the warmer weather there is something magical about autumn. The changing colors, the warm sweaters, yummy food, and the sight of snow creeping down the mountain all have their charm.
Some of you may remember an older post about Pumpkin muffins (which are my favorite this time of year) and that is the reason I'm roasting the pumpkin. That recipe is actually one of my favorite gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free ones and my little sister and I practically survived off them a few autumns ago because we were too lazy to make anything else and they taste amazing anyway! So, after I cleaned my pumpkin out and as I am waiting for it to roast, I find myself in a quandary. What do I do with the seeds? Sure, I could roast them, but I don't want just regular old pumpkin seeds! I want some with kick! Some with BAM! So, I started looking around on the internet and found Heidi Swanson's website "101 cookbooks" and she has several recipes that make for some very interesting pumpkin seed flavors, such as curried or black tea and butter!! You can find the original recipes here, but this one was my favorite:

Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
1 egg white
1/4 cup natural cane sugar (I actually used Stevia)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grained sea salt
1 cup fresh pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the egg white, sugar, cayenne and salt. Add the pumpkin seeds and toss well. Drain off any excess egg white (using a strainer) and place seeds in a single layer across a baking sheet. Try not to use a cookie sheet or a sheet with a very thin bottom or they may burn easily. I also sprayed with cooking oil just to make sure they didn't stick. Bake for about 12 minutes or until seeds are golden. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar and cayenne pepper when they come out of the oven. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

Makes one cup.