Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Gluten-Free Places in Austin


View Gluten-Free Austin in a larger map

Check out these places around Austin that feature Gluten-Free foods around town.


The Little Aussie Bakery & Cafe
10 reviews
3610 Avenue B
San Antonio, TX 78209-6508
(210) 826-7877
thelittleaussiebakery.com
While Little Aussie is a little furthur away from Austin, it's definitely worth the trip if you're ever in San Antonio. They offer top-quality GF products! I have had their GF rolls that are supreme in taste and consistency. They have a 100% Gluten-Free establishment and offer items from cakes to pizza.Their bread is made from alternative flours like tapioca and rice and are very light and fluffy. Little Aussie has monthly special events and is a place you should definitely check out if you can!
Wild Wood Art Cafe
18 reviews
3663 Bee Cave Rd
Austin, TX 78746
(512) 327-9660
Wild Wood is a great place to check out, located on the west side of Austin its 100% Gluten-Free and offers a wide selection from pastries like cupcakes to cookies and entrees like sandwiches and burgers made with an in-house special bread recipe. This place offers great food in a nice small sit-down atmosphere. You can call ahead to place an order or drop by to see what they have made daily. Prices aren't the cheapest, but you get good quality!
Mr Natural
31 reviews
2414 South Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 916-9223
mrnatural-austin.com
Mr. Natural has some very unique Gluten-Free items and entrees. My favorite is the GF bavarians they offer with coconut. They always have an assortment of Gluten-Free pastries made with tapioca, sorghum and other flours, but also entrees. They aren't 100% GF, but they do have many GF items for you to try that are very tastey! They have two locations in Austin.
Sprouts Farmers Market
17 reviews
- 10225 Research Boulevard
Austin, TX 78759
(512) 225-9101
- 2805 Bee Cave Road
Rollingwood, TX 78746
(512) 439-5782sprouts.com
If you haven't been to Sprouts yet, it's a great place for you to go grocery shopping. There are a couple locations around Austin and dozens around Texas. They are big on quality products and carry many organic and Gluten-Free items. What I like about Sprouts is that they make shopping super easy by placing specific labels in front of Gluten-Free products, making it extra-easy for you to do your GF shopping. They carry many GF flours and have a larger selection of GF products than regular grocery chains. They also have seasonal events like their Gluten-Free weeks and special events. Check this place out!

Whole Foods Market
21 reviews
- 1105 N Lamar Blvd # 200
Austin, TX 78703-4941
(512) 391-8400
- 9607 Research Boulevard
Austin, TX 78759
(512) 345-5003
wholefoodsmarket.com
Whole Foods is widely known for having been founded in Austin. They are a great for having high-quality, natural, organic food items. They have so many items and a very large selection that can sometimes be overwhelming. But, Whole Foods does offer many, many special classes and tutorials for shoppers, like Gluten-Free cooking classes and tours of the store. I suggest you look those up online and visit to get the most out of your shopping experience. They offer a great Gluten-Free selection and have so many things for you to choose from, check them out! They have multiple Texas and Austin locations.
Hyde Park Bar & Grill
438 reviews
4206 Duval Street
Austin, TX 78751-4311
(512) 458-3168
hpbng.com
Great sit-down restaurant at a fairly affordable price. This place doesn't offer soley Gluten-Free items, but it does color-code and specify which items on the menu are GF, which is great for those looking to avoid any contamination of wheat used in the foods. Although there are many GF items in their selection like corn tamales and omeletes, the selection isn't terribly wide or varied, but you will have some options if you chose to check this place out. The restaurant is always packed with hungry customers and usually offers specials throughout the week.
Delish Bakery Ltd
33 reviews
209 West 3rd Street
Austin, TX 78701-3879
(512) 473-4118
delish-cupcakes.com
Haven't been here yet, but I hear they have Gluten-Free items. Let me know if you've checked them out before!
Beets Cafe
33 reviews
1611 West 5th Street suite #165
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 477-2338
beetscafe.com
Haven't been here yet, but I hear they have Gluten-Free items. Let me know if you've checked them out before!
Brick Oven on 35th
58 reviews
1608 W 35th Street
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 453-4330
brickovenon35th.com
Haven't personally visited here yet, but I hear great things about the restaurant. I do know they have a Gluten-Free menu and know you should mention to your server if you order off of it, so they ensure to prepare your foods accordingly. Let me know if you have checked out their GF items before!
Snack Bar
111 reviews
1224 South Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704-2422
(512) 445-2626
snackbaraustin.com
Haven't been here yet, but I hear they have Gluten-Free items. Let me know if you've checked them out before!
Java Dive Organic Cafe and Bakery
4 reviews
1607 Ranch Road 620 North
Austin, TX 78734
(512) 266-5885
javadivecafe.com
Haven't been here yet, but I hear they have Gluten-Free items. Let me know if you've checked them out before!
Food For Life
2 reviews
2051 Cypress Creek Rd # L
Cedar Park, TX 78613-3624
(512) 331-0096
gfcfcuisine.com
Haven't been here yet, but I hear they have Gluten-Free items. Let me know if you've checked them out before!
Gluten Free Kneads / Smart Flour Foods
1 review
2613 Buell Ave # A
Austin, TX 78757-7629
(512) 706-1775
smartflourfoods.com
I have tried out their products before which are often carried in other locations and stores, like Gatti's in the Hancock Center, which carried their GF brownies. The brownie I had from Gluten Free Kneads was made of a tapioca flour and was very delicious and soft. It will cost you a little extra than regular, but their items are good-quality!
University of Texas at Austin, Jester Cir, Austin, TX 78712
Dining Hall website
Jester City Limits, located within Jester Dormitory at the University of Texas - Austin campus, offers students a cafe with Gluten-Free items. It's a great place for GF students to create-their-own sandwiches and pits made on GF breads.
1000 E 41st Street, Suite 200, Austin TX 78751
(512) 459-6141
This Gatti's location offers Gluten-Free pizza crust. It's one of the newer, modern-style locations that offers a sit-down atmosphere. Customers are warned that there is a chance of cross-contamination, but servers take extra care when anyone orders their GF crust to avoid that, which I appreciate. The GF crust is made by Gluten Free Kneads, which also makes brownies for them, which are very delicious. I very much enjoyed my pizza and suggest it for those times you want to get some quality GF food at a fast-food style place.

 Feel free to check out the Google Map to get directions to any of these places or add in your favorite spots! You can also always get in touch on Twitter: @melissaayala12

Monday, November 28, 2011

Gluten Intolerant Group: Thanksgiving Dinner

So as you all may know, I recently got in touch with the Gluten Intolerance Group who gets together every once in a while and meets up with gluten-free food dinners and hang outs. This Thanksgiving holiday was no exception with their GF Thanksgiving dinner in San Antonio.
The Gluten Intolerence Group of Central and Couth Texas ranges with members from Austin, San Antonio and Corpus Christi with close to 40 members from around the area who all go together early Thanksgiving week with their favorite GF dishes. Look at how much food there was!!
Members brough dishes ranging from turkey, stuffing, salad to homemade breads and pastries. All foods were Gluten-free made with wheat-alternative flours.
Pastries are one type of dishes traditionally including wheat in their flours. These dishes were all made with gluten-free flours like those made of tapioca, rice and other flours. All the dishes at this Gluten-Free dinner included a recipe card with a list of ingredients which is very convienent for anyone on a GF diet.
For many with a Gluten-Free diet, occasions like these are the few rare times they get to eat foods like Gluten-Free cupcakes. Some people at the dinner, hadn't had cupcakes and pastries in months, even years, since they are usually foods made with wheat flour.
The Little Aussie Bakery and Cafe of San Antonio donated bread rolls for the GF Thanksgiving dinner. I'd have to say of all the GF bread I've ever had, this has got to be the best! And, it's no wonder, since Little Aussie was named one of 2011 Top 10 Bread Bakers in America by Desert Professional.
I would suggest anyone in Central Texas not already attending GIG's support group to consider it or any support community because it really helps to have an outlet out there where you can talk about your experience and share it with those around you who understand and can help one another with events like this one. I really enjoyed my Thanksgiving this year and hope you all did too!

If you'd like to get in touch with me for more information check out my website for and please get in touch!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Toy Joy: Gluten-Free ice cream cones

I had never been to Toy Joy's cafe until yesterday, when I stopped in and decided to get a tasty treat. When I started looking over the menu, they have their bubble tea's that you see advertised on their windows. But, I was in the mood for ice cream and to my surprise, they offered Gluten-Free cones!!

Yesterday's ice cream special was Peppermint. I chose to try a twist of Vanilla and Peppermint and it was Delicious!!!

Toy Joy is a widely-known toy/gift shop, this location is on Guadalupe near the University of Texas at Austin. Over the past couple years, Toy Joy expanded it's store to include this section of the location to include a cafe.

There's parking both in front and behind the Toy Joy store, with seating outside for you to sit and enjoy the many items available in the cafe.

If you can see under Soft Serve, there's a couple different options for what to eat your ice cream out of, from cups to Gluten-Free and Organic cones, there's a little something for everyone.

Toy Joy uses cones that are Gluten-Free, made WITHOUT wheat, barley or rye flours, but instead using a mixture of potato and tapioca flour. The combination tastes great, maybe even better than traditional cones. You should check out the GF cones and let me know what you think on Twitter: @melissaayala12
Check out a new flavor ice cream each week! Next week is Pumpkin softserve.

2900 Guadalupe St.
Austin, TX 78705

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Gluten Intolerance Group: Thanksgiving dinner

Join the Gluten Intolerance Group of Central and South Texas at this year's Thanksgiving Dinner in San Antonio!
"Please join us for our GIG-CSTX Thanksgiving Dinner on Saturday, November 19 at noon. This dinner is held at our regular meeting place, Covenant Presbyterian Church at 211 Roleto Drive in San Antonio, just off Loop 410. Debbie Holladay is baking turkeys and making the gravy. Little Aussie Bakery will provide the dinner rolls. The rest is up to us to provide the salads, vegetables, dressings, and desserts. If this is your first time to attend one of our potluck dinners, we invite you to come, bring your family, and be our guest. Our members will bring a dish to share, along with a list of the ingredients included. We welcome your recipes that can be shared in our newsletter. You will need to RSVP. Call 210 340-0648 or e-mail me at annebarfield@satx.rr.com to tell me three things. 1. What dish you plan to bring. 2. How many family members will be with you. 3. If this is your first meeting, just call and tell me how many family members. This helps us plan our meal, and assures that nothing gets forgotten. Please call or e-mail by Friday, November 18 by noon."
http://www.gigcstx.org/

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

A Gluten-Free Thanksgiving

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Gluten Free support group podcast with Anne Allen

Check out my conversation with Anne Allen, Gluten Intolerant Group of Austin Director! We talk about what GIG members can get out of membership and what it's like to be a part of a gluten-free support group. She gives out a lot of great tips on grocery stores, bakeries and restaurants around Austin and shares what her experience has been like as someone who has been gluten-free for several years. As I've shared with all of you before, my blog started out of my experience living with my younger sister who is gluten intolerant, and I share a little with Anne about my sister and how my blog came to be. I hope you all check out my podcast with Anne and feel free to leave and comments or questions you have or Anne or myself.
If you have any questions, feel free to also check out the GIG website: http://gigcstx.org/
I encourage all of you to get involved in a group with other people who have gone gluten-free! Follow me on Twitter: @melissaayala12


Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Gluten Free Faces, GF Social Network

     One of the reasons I chose to start this blog was to have a site where gluten-free people could go to as a one-stop-shop for resources.
Recently, I stumbled upon GlutenFreeFaces.com, a gluten-free social network.
     It's similar to other social networks like Facebook or even MySpace from a couple years back, but the benefit of it is that it's for a gluten-free community.
     The set-up is very easy:
You follow the basic "Create a New Account" that you've seen before.
You need to enter:
- a working email address
- password
- birthdate
And, then you submit your information to apply for membership.
     That's one of the features I like about the site, that membership is exclusive to approved members, but not incredibly strict.
     The next day, I got an email saying that I had been approved for membership and after that, I was able to log-in and start connecting in the community.
     Now, you can check out site, connect with any of the 10,000+ members, view GF videos, recipes and blogs.
     There are also special offers for members, like coupons discounting GF products, like this one:
     I think it's a great resource to find other members who are in the same boat as you or going through similar experiences.
     Check it out!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Today's Fox Health News article features gluten-free tips

Earlier today I tweeted about an article I read this morning from Fox Health News, giving tips for those who have gone gluten-free:
melissaayala12 Melissa Ayala
Just read this interesting article: Tips For Going #GlutenFree | http://fxn.ws/w258FS via @foxnewshealth, posting to my blog later today!
The article largely assumes it's readers know what a gluten-free diet means, which I suppose is safe to assume. However, with a health news site like this that tackles a wide range of issues, I would like to see more explanation of what Celiac Disease is and why some people have to go gluten-free, because their bodies cannot accept the gluten protein in foods like wheat, barley or rye.

But, it does explain how the gluten-free diet is trending, which I'm sure we all have noticed.
Because of the high incidence of celiac disease and gluten intolerance (it is estimated that one in every 100 people in the U.S. have
celiac disease and more go undiagnosed), tons of gluten-free products (including breads and pastas), restaurants and recipes are becoming more readily available.
But, for all of us out there, it's also good to note these tips.
However, it’s still very important to be an informed consumer. Many foods that you would never imagine to have gluten do – like bouillon cubes and soy sauce.
The article lists a lot of quick items gluten-free eaters should stay away from because of hidden dangers to your diet:
vegetables with sauces
processed cheeses
cheese blends
flavored yogurts
cheeses with vegetable gum
food starch
preservatives
Look out for these: malt, barley, dextrin, candy, some cold cuts (Applegate Farms is gluten free), gravies, imitation fish, soy sauce, teriyaki, vegetables in sauce, hydrolyzed wheat protein, rice mixes, communion wafers, chips, bouillon cubes, soups, multivitamins, play dough, lip gloss and stamps.
But, you also get some good tips on foods you can eat or should check out:
buckwheat, cornmeal, grits, millet, quinoa and rice. Other starches that can be used are legumes, and starchy vegetables like peas, potatoes and corn. If you like to bake, some gluten-free flours include: almond, amaranth, artichoke, sorghum and teff flours.

What I found really interesting were these three items they suggest you look out for: play dough, lip gloss and stamps. Especially makeup, I find, is becoming something more commonly suggested to be weary of.

I think this article points out a lot of foods you should keep on a list, print out and keep in your back pocket to have handy when out at the grocery store.


Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Gluten Free Beer: Red Bridge

Red Bridge: Gluten-Free Sorghum Beer (Made without wheat or barley)
Red Bridge: 6-pack, 12-oz. bottles about $8


Any beer lover can tell you that barley is the basic cereal grain used in the beer-making process. Barley is combined with water, hops, malt and yeast. Most beers have the same basic ingredients.

Although barley is most commonly used is making beer, it also contains gluten which means  gluten-free drinkers have to sit out when everyone else cracks open a brew. It's usually difficult to find gluten-free beers. It's almost impossible to find next to your mainstream Bud Light or Budweiser at a local convenience store. BUT! There are some specialty stores where you can find GF beer.



The ingredient label tells you the whole story: water, fermented sorghum, hops and yeast.
One, Red Bridge, which offers you the 6-pack you're used to, or she said they had another single-bottle option. In the spirit of sharing, I opted for the 6-pack.
 
In my search, I called over to Twin Liquors in central Austin and put them to the test. I asked the sales person what their gluten-free selection was and she told me they actually do have two brands.

There's no worry of gluten contamination or having any wheat involved. They post gluten-free all over their packaging, on their bottle and bottle cap, making it very easy to ensure you won't be in doubt. Their slogan, "Beer made with you in mind" says it all. Per their website, redbridgebeer.com, the company mission focuses on ensuring safe processing to avoid wheat allergy by preventing blending or mixing with wheat.

They even have a  partnership with the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness to increase awareness about Celiac disease, as they define it on their website:
"Celiac disease is an auto-immune disease, often hereditary, that causes a chronic reaction to gluten in the small intestine which interferes with the absorption of food and then triggers other seemingly unrelated health conditions. Antibodies eventually attach and destroy the small intestine. Currently, the only known cure is to follow a gluten-free diet."

Without the barley you may wonder what a sorghum beer tastes like. It's surprisingly smooth and doesn't have that bitter taste regular beers usually have.


It has a light taste, not too dark or heavy like some beers that leave you feeling extra-full.

Although it's a saving grace for gluten-free eaters wanting to swig one back, it does have a lightly different flavor than barley beer, which you might notice at first. But, that's not to say it's not good. It has a great flavor and I definitely recommend it!
On their website they even offer a retail locator where you can put in your zip code and find the closest locations to try it out on your own: BROWN DISTRIBUTING COMPANY LTD 8711 JOHNNY MORRIS RD, AUSTIN, TX 78724
(512) 478-9353

Monday, October 17, 2011

Check out Mr. Natural

For gluten-free eaters out there, one of the indulges missed most are pastries. Cupcakes, muffins, cookies. All off limits because of the wheat flour bakers use most of the time.

And, when bakers do venture out into the GF world, the pastry bread can often be tough and lose it's usual fluffy freshness. Therein, lies the problem. Where can you find GF pastries with the usual taste and consistency of wheat-flour bakery goods?? My tip: Check out Mr. Natural.
Mr. Natural's two Austin locations, South Lamar/East Cesar Chavez, offer a variety of baked goods and entrees 100% gluten-free. Source: Mr. Natural.
This 100% vegetarian hotspot uses all-natural ingredients. This unique spot offers a bakery, sit-in restaurant, but also catering, food mailing options, and a health food store offering natural drinks, meat-substitutes and supplements.


The fresh bakery items are labeled Gluten Free with an ingredient list visible for any customer concerned with the contents. These muffins are made of rice, tapioca, fava bean and garbanzo flour--alternatives to wheat.
 You should definitely check this place out during it's Gluten Free Fridays, where they load up their bakery with GF items.

The collection of GF bakery items will definitely leave you with dozens of options with items from cookies, scones, brownies and even seasonal items like pumpkin empanadas.

This rich chocolate donut, under $2 is coated in tasty
sprinkles. The fluffy, bite-sized treat mimicks the classic
Little Debbie donuts with a GF spin and all the taste!

Coconut Bavarian: Delicious combination of flaky crust coated in dark chocolate. Stuffed with light, sweet cream and coconut shavings. At $2.50 this tasty treat is enough for two!
   

What makes this place exciting is the wide range in products, gluten-free products you don't usually find in a local bakery. And, although when I walked out of Mr. Natural with two donuts, a Bavarian and these  two beautiful chocolate muffins below, I shelled out over $10, it's not a stretch in cash when you consider the hefty prices local cupcakeries charge and well-worth it when you consider the lower-carbs and all-natural ingredients made fresh.


Dark chocolate muffins, pecan topped: $2 and incredibly rich. This one will leave you reaching for the milk. Soft and moist, this muffin is unlike the gf cakes you might find at other places that can be dry and flaky. Worth your while!
 Check out their menu and locations: MrNatural-austin.com

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Sneek Peak into one Austin wheat-free bakery

Most bakeries thrive on using wheat in all their products, they almost always have no other choice than using flours that include wheat. But, for those allergic to wheat it's not an option. Even if you don't have an allergy, wheat alternative flours like rice or tapioca, can cut calories and carbs.




From cookies to tiramisu, Wild Wood Art Cafe has 100% gluten/wheat free foods. They have fine-tuned their process to include a one-of-a-kind original bread made in house daily. The gluten-free breads made of alternative flours have the same identical consistency of "normal" breads, the soft, fluffy texture you're use to.

Next time you're looking to check out an "Austiny" place, bypass the usual Waterloo or Trudy's and check this place out and their delicious lunch specials. http://www.wildwoodartcafe.com/


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Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Gluten Free beer alternatives inspired by Oktoberfest in NY

Beer. Unfortunately for those of you out there on a gluten-free diet, it's not a regular option. Normally, gluten is an ingredient. But, luckily, with the coming of Oktoberfest, I've read a recent article that features four gluten-free beers.

An article from yesterday featured on the Gothamist website includes popular beer alternatives.
Reigning Champ: Estrella Damm Daura
ABV: 5.4% Price: $ 9.99 /4 pack
The Spanish-based brew was recently named “World’s Best Gluten-Free Beer” at the World Beer Awards for the second year in a row - and for good reason. Daura manages to retain the same taste and properties as traditional beer by using a progressive method of brewing that still uses barley (rather than rice, sorghum, buckwheat etc.), but polishes away the gluten from it - giving it a very different taste.
Drinkable: Green's Beers
ABV: Endeavor 7%, Mission 6%, Quest 8.5%, Pathfinder 7%. Price: $5.99 /16 oz. bottle
Inspired by strong European beers and brewed in Belgium since 2004, Green’s offers three gluten-free beers in the U.S. market: Discovery Amber Ale, Endeavour Dubbel Ale, and Quest Tripel Ale. Each variety has its own unique flavor palate and is more widely available than Daura.
Fruity Alternative: New Grist
ABV: 5.7% Price: $9.99 /6 pack
Our taster refers to New Grist as the gluten-free cousin of Magic Hat. A very fruity beer produced using sorghum by a small private brewery in Milwaukee, New Grist has been described as sweet, carbonated, earthy and possessing a foul aftertaste. For those of you who enjoyed Magic Hat before your unfortunate diagnosis, this is the beer for you.
Steer Clear: Redbridge
ABV: 4.8% Price: $8.99 /6 pack
Anheuser-Busch's entry into the GF marketplace, Redbridge tastes like the product it is: mass-produced cheap, light beer. Lacking any real hops flavor, Redbridge is the beer to be avoided unless absolutely necessary. It is, however, pretty much the only GF beer you'll ever come across in a bar.
Personally, I have tried Estrella. Over the summer, I was in Spain and I'll have to say, I didn't even know it was even a gluten-free beer until I read this Gothamist article. It's that good! It has the same taste as regular beer. In Spain, it's one of the cheapest beer, and very common. I'd say if you can find it here in the states, you should definitely try it! Check out the article and let me know if you've tried these or other GF beers before and let me know: @melissaayala12

Happy Oktoberfest!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Hyde Park Bar & Grill: GF menu options

Let's try a little exercise together. Pick up any random box, can item from your kitchen and turn it over to the nutrition label Now, skim all the way to the bottom section that reads, “ingredients.”

That's where the magic happens.
Ingredients label of a typical food panel.

Part of the gluten-free lifestyle involves tons of label-reading, so now that you're holding a nutrition label in front of you, look at the ingredients and check for wheat, barley or rye. If your food has that it's not considered gluten-free.

A lot of you out there may already know this, so for everyone out there, I'm going to share one local Austin eatery that is making GF tons easier.

Take a ride down Duval and within the Hyde Park neighborhood you will find a special little place with a giant fork out front: Hyde Park Bar & Grill.

This gourmet gem is fantastic for anyone on a GF or vegan diet because they specifically label and color code items on the menu for your needs. I know this may or may not sound important, but for anyone with a special allergy or diet need, it's menu gold!! Very rare!

Without having to ask the waiter or talk to any manager, there are now multiple GF options at your finger tips and you didn't even have to ask, “Does this have wheat in it?”

So, now that we've found a place featuring specifically GF foods, let me tell you a little bit about the food I tasted when I paid this little joint a visit.
Hyde Park Grill offers GF coded options on their menu.

After finding all the GF designated options on the menu I flipped back and forth between a couple choices. To start off, I got the Lentil Soup, also a vegan option, made with lentils, carrots, onions, tomatoes, basil, tarragon and garlic. I chose the cup size which is good if you have an enter coming after, but don't rely on it to fill you up alone. The traditional combination of ingredients was delicious and flavorful, but I would have like a bit more lentils in my cup. That's just me. I found myself having to spoon around to find the hidden bits. But, overall it was very tasty and not bad for $2.95.

For my entree I went with the Sweet Corn and Cheese Tamales, a GF and vegan option on the menu. Wasn't sure what to expect because the description said it had a mixture of cheese, carrots, corn combined with hot salsa. It caught my eye because of the unique sweet/spicy combo. When it came out, it had this beautiful plating of small tamale bite arraigned around the spicy salsa. It was surprisingly delicious! There was a subtle cheese flavor compliments the corn masa without overwhelming it, but is not too prominent for you cheese lovers out there! Throughout the tamale, there are whole sweet kernels mixed to surprise your every bite, which is a nice touch. Be warned the spicy salsa it comes with is no joke, it is spicy!! But, when combined with the tamale, it makes a great pairing for $5.95, I definitely recommend!

These two options definitely left me happy! Hyde Park Bar & Grill offers great food and helps makes your life easier by designating specific GF options on the menu.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Happy Celiac Awareness Day!

In honor of Celiac Awareness Day, I'd like to feature this great article I found about a local Pittsburgh pizzeria, Mandy's; who's breaking records to raise awareness about gluten-free living.

They baked and incredible 32" gluten-free pizza for a crowd of 300 people who suffer from Celiac disease and other food allergies.

If you're unfamiliar with Celiac Disease or gluten-free living, the first question you might ask yourself is what do those words mean?

So, in the true spirit of Celiac awareness day, I'm here to answer all your questions.

According to the
National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, Celiac Disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food.

This essentially creates a situation where the body attacks itself when the person eats any foods containing gluten.

Since people with Celiac suffer from this scary reaction, they have to be careful about what they eat in order to avoid harmful effects like malnourishment since their bodies cannot absorb nutrients into the bloodstream.

This means people with Celiac often have to substitute wheat, barley, or rye (which contains gluten) with other types of fours like rice, corn or tapioca.

It's so important that anyone thinking they might have Celiac get treated because otherwise, it can worsen into other autoimmune diseases, or lead to osteoporosis, thyroid disease or cancer.

The symptoms for Celiac widely vary, and sometimes there aren't any at all, but gluten intolerance covers a wide spectrum. Not all gluten-intolerant people have Celiac; some people only experience side effects from eating gluten without having the disease. Gluten intolerance symptoms can range from bloating or gas to weight loss and anemia.

Treatment for Celiac and gluten-intolerance requires a lifelong gluten-free diet which can be hard to adjust to at first, but with over 3 million Americans with Celiac; there are many resources out there.

In the spirit of Celiac awareness day, many members of the gluten-free community have shared their news, recipes and tips, check out these sites for great finds!


I suggest you try and get connected in a community of other GF-ers. You’ll be surprised to find how many resources and groups are out there on Twitter and Facebook. Usually if you get plugged in with one person, they can help get you in touch with someone else and so on. So don’t feel all alone in this, there are so many people out there who can pass along recipes and GF restaurants.

It’s unfortunate that every day there are more and more people becoming gluten-intolerant, but with that increase, there is more awareness into what Gluten-Free means and how Celiac relates to that.

So, if you have any tips for others you’d like to see on this blog, let’s stay together in this and share your thoughts, I’d love to hear what you all have to say!

If you want to get started with GF followers on Twitter, check out my profile: @melissaayala12 and I have a list of GF resources and other users you can check out!
Udi's Gluten Free
95% of celiacs are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions. RT to win!

Whole Foods Market
Did you know we have our own separate, dedicated Bakehouse? Take a look behind the scenes! 

Celiac Central
Our new blogger friend reposted our 13 Ways to Celebrate Day. The community rocks!

Stubb's BBQ Sauce
Today is Nat'l Celiac Awareness Day! Luckily for those w/Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, all our products are gluten-free. :)

: Thought this was handy! - Cook It Allergy Free iPhone App Back-to-School from

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Welcome to gFree!



gFree is a place where anyone can learn the in’s and out’s of gluten-free living through cooking how-to's, restaurant reviews featuring gluten-free items, and including local grocers who carry gluten-free products.

Gluten is a protein in grains including: wheat, barley and rye and also is sometimes chemically processed into foods that occasionally cause intolerance in certain people, forcing them to undergo a gluten-free diet, although, some people choose the gluten-free lifestyle because of its health benefits as a low-carb diet.

This year, I'm living with my younger sister who is gluten intolerant, and together we will take on the journey of eating gluten-free at home and around Austin, Texas. I'm going learn about the gluten-free lifestyle and share tips and tricks on how to stay healthy through this lifestyle.

I hope you all find this blog as a place where people within the gluten-free community can share their experiences and discoveries to each other.

Stay tuned ‘til next time and let's all go gluten free!