Gluten Free Review: The Gluten Free Mall

While gluten free is a more recognizable term now more than ever before it is still hard to find all the gluten free food, mixes, references, support for us gluten freers. Stores and their employee's have exponetially more information on GF and celiacs then just a year ago, but not enough. Its still hard to find all the special flours, foods, and support that one needs while navigating their gluten free life. One of my favorite places to window shop and read up on the latest gluten free news is the GlutenFree Mall.

" Since 1998, The Gluten-Free Mall has offered online shopping for the finest gluten-free foods and special dietary products—we are the original "one-stop shop" on the Internet for gluten-free food.
Our selection is unmatched—we carry more than 1,000 products, and over 130 leading brands—to meet the gluten-free needs of people with celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD, ADHD)...or for those who just want to eat a healthier diet.
The Gluten-Free Mall is famous for its outstanding customer service and excellent prices—be sure to check out the dozens of daily specials that we offer, and our huge selection of frozen foods. Ninety-eight percent of non-frozen orders ship by the next business day.
If you're not sure where to begin, just have a look at our "Bestsellers" box which appears throughout our site (see below). We also recommend these articles:" -Gluten Free mall

They are a well established company and offer endless information and yummmmmmy foods. Basically any food that you think you cant have because its riddled with that nasty gluten you can find on this site. They offer gluten free, vegan and HEALTY foods. I am not only concerned with eliminating gluten from my food , but making health conscious food choices. Their foods are often made with simple healthy non GMO ingredients.

Along with what feels like a limitless variety of foods, they have books, gluten free reviews and articles on the latest gluten free news. I subscribe to their site and The Journal of Gluten Free Sensitivity ( also found through their site) . The site is easy to navigate , but be careful because you'll want to spend all your money as you glance over and salivate over their scrumptous looking photos.

Here is a picture of their homepage. You see on the left their categories , so you'll have no problem finding what you're looking for.

 If you subscribe they send you coupons and specials. However, everyday they offer specials that you can find on their site. So, whether you are looking for something for dinner or something as obscure as GF insect repellent this place has it!

Next time you have a moment put those fingers to work on your keyboard and check them out.


Cheers
Nic

Quick an easy way to spice up your summer favs on the BBQ: Asparagus!!

Not my picture



I love love love summer because that mean BBQing. And in my humble opinion most everything tastes better when it is cooked on the BBQ. Last weekend my brother came over and we decided to BBQ some asparagus. His friend mason suggested marinating it with something you might have right in your fridge.

What you need:

Asparagus

foil

Italian dressing

freezer bag

What to do:

Cut the bottoms off the asparagus. Put in a freezer bag. poor dressing on. Shake shake shake to cover the asparagus. Let sit for a bit. Wrap in foil and throw on the grill until it is cooked to your liking!

Enjoy!

Gluten free and vegan!

If you're like me I was uncertain about the Italian dressing covered asparagus, however it was delicious!!!!! Its a quick and easy way to spice up one of MY favorite summertime BBQ favs. So, give it a try you just might like it!!

Tips on going gluten free.

Weather you have celiac,gluten/wheat allergy, sensitivity, or just want to make a change in your life going gluten free can be hard , but amazing. However, it'd difficult for many reasons. The key is to be a informed consumer.There are many products, bouillon cubes,chips and soups, that you would never imagine that have gluten in them. Follow my tips for a happier and healthier life


1. What they heck is gluten anyway!!?
Gluten is a protein found in many grains. Mainly wheat,barley,rye and spelt. These grains and any derivatives are off limits in a gluten free diet. And oats for some people are off limits too, this is because often they are processed along gluteny grains. So, i would suggest only consuming gluten free oats. So, now you know! When shopping within non-gluten free specific brands this is what your looking for. If it's not a gluten free brand all that means is they don't have a facility that is completely gluten free. You can risk cross contamination with brands like this, but some people are not that sensitive. Once you figure out your body you'll know what brands you can eat and what ones you can't


2. keep it natural, keep it real
Most "real food " is gluten free. Unprocessed ,straight out of the ground food we have been eating for eons is gluten free. So, your rice,potatoes,meat, fruits,veggies are safe. Take this diet change and make it a life change. Go back to the basics and you'll be healthier for it. 
All the health fanatics advocate for this anyway, so maybe they're right. they key for this when shopping is walk in a spiral. Start walking the perimeter, here you will find all your fresh produce,meat and dairy. As you go further in you'll find processed,prepackaged and other modified food. Now this food isn't bad you check check check your labels.


3. You can still have carbs and you still need them?
Now remember gluten free isn't a diet. Its not going low carb, its an autoimmune disorder , but you still need to feed your body what it needs. A healthy carb intake can be anywhere from 45-65 percent of your diet. Good carbs are high in fiber, low onthe glycemic index, and rich in vitamins. Now none of those things sound bad do they? So , what kind of carbohydrate subs can a GF person have?
Flours: almond, chickpea, corn, premixed and many  other gluten free flours are available.
bread: if you don't want to make your own you can get pre-made loafs. Some brands even have whole grain. And whole grain is always better.
Pasta: There are plenty of good brands that use brown rice, corn flour and quinoa to make yummy gluten free pasta. So, if you got a hankering for it you can have it.

Good carbs: remember these are good for you so dont cut them out

• fruite
• Vegetables
• Beans
• Legumes
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Whole grain breads
• Whole grain cereals
• Whole grain pastas
• Some dairy products

Think about what you can have versus what you can't have!

4. Try new things: 

At first it can be very overwhelming . It can feel like you can't eat anything at all. But there are many types of cuisine that don't use a lot of gluten. Spanish,mexican south american,thai and some chinese use rice and corn instead of gluten.  Make sure you call ahead ,research restaurants and if they don't know what gluten is I'd suggest striking it off your list.  If they do know what gluten is chances they can help you modify their menu and enjoy food with the rest of the people you're out with. So, keep an open dialogue with those that feed you and  never be afraid to ask questions.

5. write it down!

Keep a cheat sheet of the ingredients you can't have. It's important to know just because you dont read the word wheat that doesn't mean something bad is not in there. Check out this post to see gluten derivatives and gluten with under different names. Keep a food journal to keep track of foods and brands you like,dislike and even ones you may be sensitive too. And always print out a stores GF food lists. Many store like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Raley's have gluten free aisle and lists. Go here to check out my list of gluten free stores.

Remember it's not a punishment its a new chance at life, so take it!

Chickpea nuggets

Gluten Free Chickpea Nuggets

I have about 30 small ones with this recipe

{wet ingredients}
3 C cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 T toasted sesame oil
Juice of 1 small lemon, or ½ of a medium or large lemon
4 large cloves garlic, minced
3 T gluten-free soy sauce
…………….
{dry ingredients}
1 C GF flour
1-2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried sage
½-1 tsp smoked paprika, to taste\

Directions

Mixing the wet ingredients: mash the chickpeas in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil, lemon juice, garlic and GF soy sauce Mash again a couple of times to mix in the liquids. Chickpeas should be smooshed; some smooth, some can be partially whole.

Mixing the dry ingredients: In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until thoroughly blended.

Add dry to wet. Wet hand and make lil nugget shapes. You don't want them too thick. Add a tiny bit of oil to a pan, put on medium heat and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. Cover the pan with a lid so you don't have to bathe them in oil to cook them.

Let them cool and enjoy

Taste Review: boyfriend non gluten meat eater approved. I also loved them. We dipped them in ketchup. The sweetness really balanced the taste out nicely .Also try as meatballs in some yummy marinara sauce

Gluten Free Review: cookies

Celiac Snack!!

Being a celiac and not being able to cheat at all makes you miss and long for certain things. One of those things is COOKIES!! I bet you all take it for granted...an Oreo here,fresh baked chocolate cookies there, and not EVER having to read the label to avoid a night of throwing up and days of pain to follow.

So please dunk a cookie for me next time ya get one!

But for you who chose to eat GF or have to here is a list of my favorite!

1. Annie's Gluten free snicker-doodles (also have tried the ginger snaps but they are grooossss!)
They are shaped like bunnies,perfect for the lunchbox and really yummy!



2.K-toos( just like Oreos)
If you are remembering days of dunking yummy Oreos mourn no more. K-toos are soooo good,gluten and dairy free. I know I've been without Gluten for a long time ,but to me these taste just like Oreos. You be the judge.


3. Udi's Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Udi's will never do you wrong.



4.Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix. These are so good! My best friend loves them,maybe even prefers them over gluteny ones.


5.Mi-del ginger snaps. These are crunchier than a fresh cookie but the taste is perfect! Got the zing that a good ginger snap has.



What your favorite cookie?

Gluten Free Review: vegan, GF, and no GMO.

I found these noodles at Lucky and the clouds parted. I mean a vegan, gluten free, no sugar, low cal and guilt free noodle how could it be bad.
These little guys are basically made from tofu and yam flour. They are packaged in a liquid just like tofu and seem like they would be good.

So I parboiled them( because they smell rotten when you open then) dried and heated them up in a pan with some veggies and sauce.

FAILLLLLL

I tried to like them I really did. But the test is lacking and the texture is disgusting. It was similar to day old calamari, or a sandy human finger. All I know is that when I eat pasta I do not want it to crunch.


They may be a low cal GF version of the noodle but I hope to never eat them again. Maybe you will like them, but no this little celiac girl.

Farmer's Fresh Zucchini bread

I love summer in my area because all the surrounding town's have bunches of wonderful Farmer's Markets. Supporting local buyers and my community economy , eating fresh and in season is a wonderful treat. And I wish I could eat like this all the time. I got some delicious zucchini and decided to make what turned out to be the most incredible Zucchini bread ever. Even my pat (step dad) didn't think it tasted gluten free and let me tell you that is a big deal!

Oh and I found this handy substitute list for baking the last time I baked...I don't remember what I was out of but I thought this was awesome, so check it out http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/common-ingredient-substitutions/detail.aspx.

No on to the bread!

Grocery list:
1. Two zucchini
2. eggs
3. oil
4. vanilla
5. GF flour
6. Xanthan Gum
7. Salt
8.Baking soda
9. Baking Powder
10. Cinnamon

First combine...
2 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of oil
1 cup zucchini
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Mix until blended

Next add ....
1 1/2 cup of gluten free flour ( I used Bob's Red mill)
1 1/4 teaspoon Xanthan
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix all these into the first mixture until fully blended.

Bake
Bake for 1 hour at 350

And you will be ridiculously happy and have to force yourself not to eat it all in one sitting.

Celiac Awareness month & the winners

I want to thank everyone who helped spread awareness and help me raise money. this month was awesome! I got some amazing emails from first time celiacs , got hooked up with some fellow Celiacs and got the word out there.

This is obviously important to me because I have it , but its nice to know that my cause and my life are important to people in my life and in my celiac community.

Thank you!

With the help of all you we raised my goal of 120$!!! I am overwhelmed, you are all so amazing.

And with that being said we have two winners. I used a number generator to be fair:
DaddyOandHoney: you are the winner of the GF gift basket and I hope it opens you up to new brands as you are newly diagnosed.
Joelle Piercy: You are the winner of a wonderful Team Gluten Free tee.

So I will send you two emails , so I can get your information and get you your goodies.


P.s. You rock!!

<3 your favorite celiac!

Is that gluten free: ten things you dont need to worry about

Check out this helpful link(below) from gflivining.com and find out some things you don't need to worry about when eating and why. It's always good to stay informed and to have less things to worry about. Gluten free can be easier when we stay informed !

FIRST FIVE:
1. caramel color
2. citric acid
3.glucose syrup
4. glucose syrup
5. glue

Check out the other five and explanations on the link listed below. And visit gfliving.com to find their magazine, blog or twitter!

http://www.glutenfreeliving.com/Upload/GF_10-THINGS-GFL-2011-2.pdf

And don't forget to sign up for GF awareness month giveaway. Spread awareness and if you have time click the donate button on the right side bar and donate what you can.

Gluten Free Review: easter candy swap!

This year I participated in The Great Candy Swap hosted over at My beautiful disaster . After explaining my concerns and needs Ms. Beautiful Disaster herself decided it would be best if she was my candy swap buddy. She said she had experience with my kind..lol well she didn't word it that way though.

I packaged up a cute Peter Rabbit( see hers here) bunny and some other delights I thought she might like and awaited my GF candy surprise.

Well let me tell you what! I don't care if you have to plug you car in at winter in Canada I am moving there for their stellar GF/dairy free candy options.

Erin thank you soooo much everything was wonderful and I want to move to Canada and eat those the obrama chocolate everyday( they were my favorite)!!!! They are these lovely dark chocolate bars filled with yummy flavors. I was sent an espresso bean and raspberry filled one. The little bits of freeze dried raspberries zing up the chocolate and give some texture, and the balance between espresso and chocolate is just about right ,not too overwhelming. If you live in Canada and prefer/need dark chocolate find these tasty bars!

source

I also got a few other dark chocolate delights and they were eaten quickly as well.

Erin, Your gift was thoughtful and yummy, but depressing because they don't make those in Canada. Thank you again for hosting this event and making my Easter dairy and gluten free!

-cheers
nic


And remember to enter my giveaway, spread the word for celiac awareness month and donate if you can!

Beauty Battle: whats in my makeup

Recently someone gave me a bottle of hand sanitizer and I am crazy for hand sanitizer so I accepted it with glee. However, I noticed an itching rash every time I wore. I couldn't figure out what was going on. It had wheat in it! I know its no ones fault but my own for not checking but talk about disappointing. In the trash it went. I just never even thought about checking things light hand sanitizer or my makeup...

After that I started thinking about my skin since I was diagnosed...am I using other products that I may have not checked or have been contaminated. My skin has been nuts in the last few year. SO many break outs, bumps and rashes. What am I missing? Sometimes its hard to know what to look for and not everything that has wheat/gluten comes out with a flashing sign and says I AM GLUTEN. I think it matters less as far as face powder and mascara but what about my lipstick, lipgloss and not too mention miss nail bitter over here puts her hands in her mouth daily. And not to mention your skin absorbs all things and our skin is the LARGEST organ , so I changed my mind it definitely matters for me! Ingesting small amounts could account for not feeling well, could lead up to a horrible night of a reaction or just a headache- none of which I want.

Maybe I can't read things right ..but i think its safe to say I moving over to GF products ,with less chemicals , so I know that my body will be okay.

I Found this list from L'oreal( this inclucdes Garnier, Maybelline, Redkin, Lancôme, and The Body Shop) and list from Estée Lauder, Inc.; Clinique Laboratories, Inc.; Aramis, Inc.; Origins Natural Resources, Inc.; Bobbi Brown essentials; Tommy Hilfiger Toiletries, MAC, Stila, and Prescriptives, Inc. and avon of ingredients that are filled with Gluten you should be able to cross check this with other makeup ingredients but always check your source. IF you want to find this list..its huge look at my side bar and click the picture that says Is that gluten free? I didn't want to bog down this post with the length of the list, but its important to have resources.

The list probably goes on...but the idea is do you know what you are putting in your body? Chemicals, something you're allergic too..who knows. I know from now on ill be more vigilant and I am about to go through my makeup bag, lotions and shampoos to make sure I am not hurting my body. I have at this point found a few products ( bath and body works ones) but cross contamination has been an issue so I think Im going to move towards ALL GF products. Its safer for me, more expensive, but safer. So , if you use GF beauty products let me know.


Sorry for the longest post ever!

**And don't forget to spread the word for celiac and all digestive diseases this month. Check out my post from May first , enter my giveaway, and donate if you can. Every repost, word spoken and dollar counts!**

GF: Cinco de Mayo soup

I wanted to make something easy enough for anyone to make...like maybe a college student with limited resources..oh wait that's me !!

Honestly its easy and took only a few ingredients! I did not have to go out to buy anything and that is saying something. Try it out and let me know.

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups corn (canned or frozen)
2. 3/4 cup soy milk or other non-dairy
3. 1 teaspoon chipotle or chilli powder
4. salt and pepper to taste
5.1 tablespoon olive oil
6. 1 yellow onion, diced
7. 1 red ( or any color really) Bell pepper


Cookin' Time:

1.Chop onion and bell pepper into cubes and saute in pan with olive oil. Cook until onion is translucent.
2. Add the spices..mmmm spicy!! I do this all to taste because some like it hot!
3. Add corn ( puree before and have extra corn on hand to add extra whole kernels to the mix) and add non-dairy milk into the pan.
4. Let it boil on medium and then serve!

** I added garlic because I always do and I added some black beans at the end for some more sustenance..I suggest this!! Also I have heard of people adding a little broth to it too, but I have not tried that.**


cheers
nic

** Don't forget to spread the word about celiac awareness month , sign up for y giveaway and donate if you can**

Cealiac awareness night at AT&T park

Thanks to my friend Wes for letting my know about this

June sixth 2011 the giants are presenting their 2nd annual Celiac Awareness month at AT&T park!

There will be a pregame with gluten free drinks , beer and food. They will welcome GF vendors as well. So come out to cheer on the Giants and come together to raise money for celiac awareness!!!

go here to purchase tickets:
http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/MLBEventInfo?agency=MLBTGS16GNTS&pid=6906626

And do not forget that May is Celiac awareness month, so go to this blog post and sign up for my giveaway, share the post, go to the link to learn more or donate if you can.
Thanks!!

GF orange cranberry carob cake!

Say that three times fast !!!
I did a sweet guest post at my friends blog , go check it out. Its easy and delicious!
Go to articohokedesigns see all her cool stuff and my blog post too!

cheers

nic
Artichoke designs

The Tastiest GF RedVelvet Cupcakes

For my birthday the Boy made my gluten free dairy free red velvet cupcakes. And honestly they won over everyone ( even the meat dairy eater!). They were soooooooooooooo yummy! In the midst of chowing down I forgot to snap a picture of the rouge delight. I recommend this even if you like your daily gluten and dairy.


Grocery list:
1.Betty Crocker GF yellow cake mix ( They have an entire line of GF boxed yummies)
2. instant chocolate pudding mix
3. 1 stick vegan butter
4. 3 eggs or appropriate amount of egg re placer ( you can use flax seed or egg re placer from whole foods)
5. 8 oz of tofutti vegan sour cream
6. 2/3 c almond milk( unsweetened)
7. 2 tbsp red color dye

Grocery list for Frosting:
1. 8oz vegan cream cheese
2. 5 tbspn soften vegan butter
3. 2 tbsp gf vanilla
4. 3 c powdered sugar
Preparation:
Leave butter out for a bit before so it is softened.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Make:
Combine all cake ingredients mix until smooth in your handy dandy mixer ( about two minutes). Put in muffin pan with super cute liners. Bake for 16-20 minutes and let it cool while you make your frosting.

Frosting :
Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla( don't whip) until they are combined. Gradually add powdered sugar with mixer tuned done low. Add vanilla and taste as you gradually add the sugar until its has desired sweetness. When its smooth and sweet your ready for your gluten free treat!

Good luck and good eating

cheers
-nic

Gluten free: Felafel's

I love felafel's ! So it was birthday week, day two and I said lets do it guys ( or I'll do it guys ..because i am the mother and cook for them)!

They came out delicious!!!! I mean I should have made five times as more. Do y'all do that, make only a little when you are trying a recipe in case it sucks? It works if it sucks , but its sad if they rock. And let me tell you they rocked!!! They are super easy and I suggest dipping in some tahini or Greek style hummus or just pop 'em in your mouth.

Grocery list:
-Garlic ( 4 cloves)
- Onion(1/2 a cup) ( I used a yellow one in this recipe because it's what I had, but I think a purple one would fit in too!)
-Cilantro(2 TBSPN)
-Parsley(2 TBSPN)
-Salt(1 TSPN)
-Cumin(1 TSPN)
-Cayenne(1/2 TSPN)
-GF Baking powder(1 TSPN)
-Flour (4 TBSPN; I used Bob's Red Mill all purpose GF flour)
- Olive oil for frying( or whatever you use)
-Hummus( I used Athenos)

Preparation&steps:
1. chop: 1/2 onion, 2TBSP cilantro&Parsley and 2 cloves of garlic

2. Measure: measure out 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cayenne and 1 tsp of cumin

3. Mix: Put everything, except flour and baking powder, in a food processor. Process until blended, but be sure not to turn it into a paste. It just needs to hold together.

4. Make: Sprinkle in the baking soda and flour. I like to mix with my hand to see if it has the right texture. If it feels sticky still you can add up to 6 TBSPN of flour. The point of the flour is to allow you to form them into little balls. Once you think you have it down make them into tiny balls, patties or however you want. Then fry 'em up and enjoy! ( I am trying to find a healthier way to fry, I used olive oil. Does anyone no an alternative that makes it taste as good and gets the outside crunchy?)

I think I might make them this weekend again!

-Nic

Gluten Free product review: Lunch time!

Easy, quick and yummy lunch that's allergen free!

How much do you love things battered and breaded?! That extra crunch , the golden outside..it offers so much extra flavor and texture to the food. For me it is not as easy. However I have found a wonderful brand called Ian's who make a lot of allergy free food. The food is actually created for kids with allergies, so the boxes are bright and the types of food they make are kid friendly( and adult friendly too). They make GF chicken nuggets, GF french toast sticks, Waffles, pizza bread and one of my favorite products they make are their GF breaded fish sticks.

These lovely delights are wheat, gluten, soy, milk, casein, egg and nut free. So, unless you happen to be allergic to fish these are wonderfully safe and healthy for your tummy. They make a lot of wonderful allergen free products for those who eat swimmies like me and also walkies( animals that swim or animals that walk lol).

On these cold rainy days we have been having Ian's fish sticks with a hot cup of tomato soup are a perfect lunch or even a lazy dinner. Check out their website and explore their other products , you wont be sorry you did!

Gluten Free French Toast: quick idea !

I love my boyfriend because he does things like make me GF french toast at 11pm at night.
I made some lovely Pamela's GF bread last weekend and one night got the hankering, yea you know it well, for something sweet and syrupy. So, Dal, being wonderful made me gluten free french toast. It was fantastic

He used a normal recipe except we were out of nutmeg so he used cinnamon and vanilla. I think he used 1/4 a tspn. It gives it that little extra edge that I always need!

It was amazing he has made it twice for me since and every time is better than the last.
SO I suggest putting vanilla in your french toast ..do it!

I will post some GF product reviews later this week and do a GF cooking post that actually involved some cooking too :) For now I am off to spend a wonderful Sunday with my boy and hopefully read some more!!!!

My little (GF) Lasangas!

I was at a local health food store,Health Hut, in Brentwood. I was just browsing their lovely selection of GF delights and I stumbled upon GF lasagna noodles. With a gasp and a squeal I literally yelled out to Dallas to run over. And that was it I HAD to buy them. Pasta and pasta noodles are a thing of joy when I can find them GF. And this is the first time I have ever seen GF lasagna noodles. The brand is Tinkyada ( see below ) and they inspired me to make adorable mini lasagnas!

Grocery list:

1. GF lasagna noodles
2. two Tbsp. Olive oil
3. Three garlic cloves
4. 2-3 tspn. Italian spices
( I use a mix that has rosemary, basil, oregano and some others)
5. salt and pepper ( I do the taste test to decide how much i like)
6. 1.5 Tbsp. Lemon juice
7. 6-8 ounces of Vegan cream cheese (I used tofutti brand)
8. Some vegan motz. flavored cheese
9. 16 oz. Firm tofu

The process:
It is actually very simple. Start with your noodles. Cook them until they are 2-5 minutes from being done and set aside. If you have never worked with rice pasta you should no they feel a little different than regular wheat flour noodles. However, to me, these particular noodles cooked the same. They are a little sticky at the end , so wet you fingers when handling. Next is the tofu ricotta. You need firm , drained tofu. For those who draining tofu isn't a normal part of there life what you need to do is put it between two plates and put something heavy on the top one. The pressure will squeeze out any extra liquid. I cut mine up in to long strips first and then you crumble.

Crumble it up small so it resembles ricotta in texture and look.I used my hands , but you could use a food processor. Just don't over process. The trick to tofu ricotta is the texture. If its to big or small it will taste off. No one wants funky lasagna! After that add the spices, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil in a bowl with your crumbled up tofu. Mix until tofu is coated. Do a taste test to see if you need more of anything. After you are satisfied you are going to add the cream cheese. You need to heat it up for 30-60 seconds , so it will mix nicely. Stir until evenly mixed. And guess what ricotta vegan style is done!
Now you can make your lasagna. I chose to make mini ones so I had to cut my noodles to fit my pan.

Put sauce at the bottom of you dish, then noodles, sauce, vegan motz, vegan ricotta and then repeat. Until you have a beautiful little lasagna.

If you are not GF then you can add vegan meet. Another idea would be to add some veggies that you love. Put in the oven at 425 for 15 minutes, let cool and enjoy!

Aren't they adorable?!!

This was sooooo yummy I can't wait to eat more. I had some the next day and it was even better!

Gluten Free: Review

Being gluten free on top of a veggie head is a bit difficult. Vital wheat gluten is a main ingredient in the majority of veggie/vegan meats. I was at a loss of what to do when I could not eat any wheat anymore. Finding filling and quick things to eat when I was diagnosed with Celiac was hard. However , Raley's has been my savior in this area of late. It is a local regular grocery store that offers a couple rows dedicated to health food and gluten free foods!!! To me they are even better than whole foods because they are closer, cheaper and have more to offer me. And one of those things they offer is two, count them two, gluten free veggie patties!!

I just die every time I walk past these beautifully displayed rows of gluten free stuff just waiting for me.The burgers they offer are called Sunshine Burgers in three seasonings and Wild Wood sprout tofu burgers.

Wildwood: They only offer the original ones at my grocery store . They have a similar texture and taste to tofu because that is the primary ingredient. They are made with Wildwood tofu, carrots, starch and some seasonings. Grilled in a pan the outside gets crispy and crunchy. The taste is a little bland, so condiments or veggies on top are nice. However, If you are trying to avoid too much tofu or have absorption or other health problems that could be worsened by tofu consumption I would avoid these.

Sunshine: Sunshine Burgers come in several seasonings I have tried BBQ and Garden herb. These are more hardy, they stay together better and have more taste. They BBQ ones are made with brown rice, pinto beans, sunflower seeds, veggies and seasoning. Each burger regardless of seasonings is made with rice and sun flower seeds and I think that is what helps hold this burger together better and gives a different texture than the tofu burgers.

I prefer the Sunshine Burger because of the taste, texture and ingredients. I think they offer more nutrients and sustenance than the Wildwood burgers. However , both are wonderful and if you are looking for a new snack , want to try something new or are a searching Celiac like me try them out!