Tim Horton's Gluten Free Macaroons

They sent me this handy picture to show you

Having gone to school in Canada, Tim Horton's holds a special place in my heart.  There's nothing like a hot chocolate on a -40 degree day (I wish I was kidding about that temperature).  And who doesn't love timbits?  Timbits were actually on the menu the weekend I got so ill I knew I had to finally go to the doctor regarding my pesky chronic stomach aches.

I had long resigned to no more Tim Horton's treats in my life until I was contacted recently about their new gluten free coconut macaroons.  A small package arrived a few days later with a sample of the macaroons.  They come two in a two pack and are pre-wrapped to avoid cross contamination.  So far, they are winning.  They sent me some literature with the macaroons that informed me that not only are they available in all Tim Horton's locations, but they are only $1.29 per package.  This seems very reasonable to me.  They also tasted good. So, overall nice work Tim Horton's.

I've read some reviews that complain how unhealthy they are.  But come on, you are at a doughnut shop, what do you expect?  Low cal, all natural, organic macaroons?  If you are going into Tim Horton's in the first place you aren't there for a nutritious snack.  You are there for some delicious treats.  And now you can have a safe delicious treat along with the rest of 'em.

While I appreciate the gesture of a gluten free treat from Tim Horton's, I do have one complaint: they aren't timbits.  Dear Tim Horton's, please start working on gluten free glazed timbits.  Love, Anya.

Healthy Living Market and Cafe

I was in Vermont again last weekend.  This time I went for work.  I had to sit at a table in Burlington for several hours and hand out information about my company.  Not my normal job, but I'm always willing to help out when needed...especially when it means I get to go home for free.

Knowing that I was going to be sitting at a table for the majority of an afternoon, I wanted to bring lunch with me.  I went to the trusty Gluten Free Travel Site and searched Burlington, VT.  It was there I stumbled upon a review for Healthy Living Market and Cafe across from the University Mall.  It was a perfect quick stop before I headed downtown for an afternoon on the waterfront of Lake Champlain.

At the risk of sounding like the dorky gluten free person I am, Healthy Living Market was amazing.  They have an entire gluten free section when you first enter the store.  I don't mean a small section of an aisle.  I mean a whole mini store within the store.  It gives G-Free NYC a run for it's money.  Here's a low quality picture I took in my excitement:

You can't really tell how amazing it is from the picture, but they have everything.  What you see here are mostly the dry goods.  There is a row of freezers all along the left hand side with only gluten free stuff.  To the right before the food there is a section with gluten free magazines and books.  In the middle there is beer and behind that fresh baked goods and bread.  Nearly every gluten free product I've ever seen was here.  I even saw (and purchased) the new New Planet beer everyone's been talking about.  I also got the Bakery on Main instant oatmeal I've been wanting to try.  Seriously, this store has everything I could ever want for my gluten free needs.

But that's not all!  That only covers the market part.  They also have a cafe with lots of gluten free goods.  I got a gluten free raspberry muffin that was great.  And then... I was able to order a sandwich from the deli for the first time since I was diagnosed with Celiac 2 years ago!

For those of you that don't know me, this is very exciting.  I miss sandwiches and being able to order them for lunch.  We had to play an icebreaker with the summer interns at my job in June.  Everyone had to write down a t-shirt slogan that describes them and then other people have to guess who's slogan goes with who.  Mine said "I miss sandwiches."  I hate icebreakers.

I wish I could tell you I loved my sandwich, but I wasn't that happy with the bread. I did really really appreciate it though.  They have a hot bar with lots of gluten free options and I hear they even have gluten free pizza sometimes.

If you are gluten free and live within an hour of this place you have to go.  Or, if you are visiting lovely Burlington, VT, make sure to stop by.  Honestly, it's better than Whole Foods.  That's right, I said it.

I've Missed You Too

From my backyard in Vermont.

I've been missing recently and it's because of a few different reasons.  First, this was my very busy season at work.  And let me tell you, it was a crazy summer.

Second, well, my brother and I have just about eaten our way through most of the gluten free restaurants in New York City.  Sure, there are some I haven't reviewed.  Some that I had nothing nice to say about.  And a few out there I'm still hoping to discover.  I've also been trying to avoid packaged foods because generally they are not as good for you, and while I'd love to eat them all, I'd also love to  fit into my "skinny" pants again.  The world is full of tough decisions.

Since May I've been to DC, Vermont five times, Montreal, Connecticut twice, Pennsylvania, a boat cruise around New York City at night, Long Island for a day at the beach, two weddings, and a baby shower in the Bronx where the mom had gone into labor the night before and missed her own shower.  I've also had my work emails synched to my phone and basically been working 24/7 since mid June.  There was also a small incident of not having a job and then having a job again a few days later.  Not only is life full of tough decisions, but it's also quite unpredictable.

But here we are again and I assure you, I have been eating all this time.  The nice man overseeing the food at the wedding I went to was able to get me a gluten free plate.  My parents make sure to have gluten free pasta and bread on hand when I get home to Vermont for the fresh pesto from the garden and sandwiches made with lettuce and tomato picked right in the back yard.

I went to my boyfriend's 5 year college reunion in Connecticut.  A college I also went to and then transferred from.  It was a lot of fun and my dear boyfriend called ahead to make sure they would have gluten free food for me.  It was about the nicest thing.  And sure enough, they did.  For every meal there were gluten free options, including a box of these on the table of snacks for the drunk people:

KinniKritters Animal Crackers

Acting like I was in college again, I proceeded to indulge in alcoholic beverages and then steal this box of animal crackers off the table meant for everyone and carry them around all night because I decided they had been bought special for me.  I'm sure they had.

Fast forward to this last weekend and said boyfriend took me on a picnic.  I've been asking him to go on a picnic for the last four years and Friday he suggested we go.  It was great.  I brought sandwiches made on Udi's bread, veggies and hummus, a fruit platter, cool ranch dorrito's, beverages, and more KinniKritters Animal Crackers.  This time I tried the graham style animal crackers, you know, to switch it up. 

Our picnic spread looked like this:

The graham style animal crackers looks like this:

I thought they were good but my boyfriend said, "These are different.  Most of the time your gluten free stuff tastes the same.  But these are different."  I disagree.  In my animal cracker expertise, the KinniKritters Animal Crackers are more like the animal crackers that used to come in tubs:

while the KinniKritters Graham Style Animal Crackers are more like the ones that used to come in the box with the handle:

See?  They each have a different taste.  Both are good, depending on your mood.  Phew, I'm glad I cleared that up.  And thank you for not mentioning that KinniKritters actually call their animal crackers "cookies".  I've been trying to ignore that.

Ok, enough for now.  As I write this I'm sitting on my front porch in Vermont.  I'm wearing long pants and a sweater.  Fall in definitely in the air.

Joan's GF Great Bakes

I've been hearing about Joan's for a long time now but hadn't had the chance to try her products until recently.  Not only was I able to finally give her products a try, but I was able to meet Joan in person at Whole Foods a few weeks ago.  I was there for a book signing, but there were also a lot of gluten free vendors around the store giving out free samples.  Joan was one of them and Erin, the leader of the NYC Celiac Meetup Group and author of Gluten-Free Fun, told me I had to go try some of Joan's products.  I'm glad I did!

I sampled Joan's Corn Toaster Muffins, English Muffins, and Double Chocolate Muffins.  They were all amazing.  I ended up going home with the Corn Toaster Muffins and Multi Grain English Muffins.  The English muffins make a great addition to breakfast and the Corn Toasters are a nice evening treat.  Next I'd like to try Joan's pizza.

Not only were Joan's products really good, but she was very nice herself!  Overall, a winning combination.  Nice work Joan, and thanks for the great products!

Eating Gluten Free AND Healthy on the Road - Is it Possible?

I'm on the road again for work.  I try to have most of my meals planned out ahead of time, but there are always a few that I have to figure out on the fly.  This isn't usually a problem, and as I've mentioned a few times, when things get bad I always resort to french fries, although I really prefer not to.*

Even if I've done my due deligence and found restaurants to eat at along the way with gluten free menu items, these restaurants usually highlight gluten free pizza or pastas.  Which is great, but not always so healthy.  My problem these days is eating gluten free AND healthy on the road.

Many gluten free people bring along gluten free snacks when they travel: nuts, gluten free bars, etc.  This is a good idea, but I have this problem where if I have food around me, I eat it.  Knowing this about myself, I tend not to bring extra food along.  If you have more self control than this, I highly suggest you bring some snacks.  But the problem of eating healthy remains.  Yes nuts are good, but wouldn't you like some fruits and vegetables?  I know I would right about now.  Some people even bring a cooler along with these kinds of food.  Also a great idea, if I could just manage not to eat it all at once.  You also have to make sure you are staying at hotels with fridges if you go this route, which is not always possible.

Yesterday I had to figure out all my meals on the fly.  It did not go well.  It started off ok with a nonfat plain yogurt and some fruit at the train station in New York.  Then I took the train to Philly and from there a three hour drive to North Central PA.  By then I was starving and had no ideas for lunch.  I stopped at a rest stop with some of the usual options - burgers, french fries, pizza, pretzels, and coffee.  There was also a sandwich place that offered some salads, but when I checked them out it was brown ice burg lettuce, unripe tomatoes, and weird looking deli meet.  Not exactly my idea of a good lunch.  So, french fries it was.

And then it was time for dinner.  I am in rural PA and there were no restaurants in sight.  More french fries for dinner.  I felt gross, and still hungry.  Sad times.

So, I know it's possible to eat gluten free, but is it also possible to eat healthy on the road?  I'm sure it is, but I haven't quite figured it out yet.  I think for my next trip I need to not only research places with gluten free food, but also restaurants in general that may have some healthy vegetables and protein.  There are probably restaurants around that could give me a decent meal, but I just don't know where they are.

On my last trip I was actually able to construct a healthy dinner out of food I found at a gas station:  Yogurt, fruit and cheese (meant for children...), and veggies and dip.  I tried to find something like this last night but couldn't.

Anyone have any tips on healthy gluten free traveling (besides the obvious answer of gaining some self control and bringing food along)?  Help please.

*Note: Many people choose not to eat fast food french fries for cross contamination and gluten in the oil reasons.  People have gone back and forth on this issue.  Unless french fries are coated in gluten, I personally eat them and have never had a problem.

Pirate's Booty

I love Pirate's Booty.  I loved it pre-gluten free and I love it now.  It's kind of like hippie Smart Food, but damn it's good.  And fun.  As a kid I thought the name Pirate's Booty was hilarious.  Delicious, fun, and gluten free?  What's not to like?

Pop Chips

I like these.  Pop chips are an all natural snack without a lot fat and they actually taste good.  At 100 calories a bag and gluten free, they make for a perfect afternoon snack, like the one I just had.  That's about all I have to say about these bad boys.