Category Archives: Food/Cooking

Upcoming Gluten-Free Classes through Community Colleges of Spokane

Posted in Events, Food/Cooking by

glutenfree class cover slide Thinking of going gluten-free? Don’t know how or where to start? Get the help you need from a veteran. Take the guess work out of how to shop, eat, and travel gluten-free in this informative two-hour course. Advanced registration is required to prevent cancellation of class. Register by contacting the Community Colleges of Spokane ACT 2 program at (509) 279-6030.

 

The upcoming class schedule is as follows:

SPOKANE
Magnuson Hall, SFCC, 2917 W Fort George Wright Drive, Spokane, WA 99224
Thursday, August 23, 2018 11:30AM – 1:30PM
Cost: $8.00 (There is a charge for parking at this location.)

COLFAX
Whitman County Library, 110 S. Main Street, Colfax, WA
Thursday, October 4, 2018 4:30PM – 6:30PM
Cost: $8.00

NEWPORT
Newport Center Campus, 1204 W. Fifth St., Newport, WA 99156
Thursday, October 18, 2018 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Cost: $8.00

SPOKANE VALLEY
CenterPlace, 2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley, WA 99216
Thursday, October 25, 2018 9:00AM – 11:00AM
Cost: $8.00

Free Gluten-Free Classes to be Held in North Spokane

Posted in Events, Food/Cooking, Health, Shopping, Travel by

Spokane, WA — April 24, 2018 — Award-winning writer and gluten-free blogger K.S. Brooks will present a free 45-minute “Introduction to Gluten-Free Living” class on the third Monday of each month at Cole’s Bakery and Café, 521 E. Holland, Suite 20, Spokane, WA 99218. The first class will be held May 21, beginning at 6 p.m.

The class will cover the basics, and will take the guesswork out of eating, shopping, and traveling gluten-free.

“Cole’s Bakery and Café is the perfect location for this,” Brooks, who teaches “Gluten-Free Living 101” for Community Colleges of Spokane, said. “It’s the only dedicated gluten-free restaurant within hundreds of miles.” Almost immediately after being diagnosed with wheat intolerance in 2006, Brooks began blogging about it to help others struggling with their own journeys. In 2016, she began recording video tutorials to help newbies shop gluten-free.

Jeanine Smith, who opened Cole’s Bakery and Café back in 2014, was diagnosed with celiac disease nearly 15 years ago. “We wanted to put together a free class to provide folks with some guidance. There are a lot of people out there having difficulties with going gluten-free. Hopefully this will make it easier for them,” Smith said.

For more information on the free classes, contact Cole’s Bakery and Café at 509-413-1739. Learn more about Cole’s at http://colesbakeryandcafe.com. K.S. Brooks’s gluten-free blog is at https://glutenfreegusto.wordpress.com.

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coles GF class brought to you by

 

I Ate These So You Wouldn’t Have To

Posted in Food/Cooking by

That’s right. And you’re welcome.

Here’s a round-up of some foods I can’t recommend. In fact, I shudder to think of them. Here you go:

gluten-free-seaweed1

Okay, I’ve had seaweed before, and I like it, honestly. But this… I don’t know what this was. It was everything I could do to choke one of those cellophane-thin wafers down. I really thought it tasted and smelled like raw sewage. Conversely, I gave them to a friend who absolutely loved them and asked me to buy out every package they had in the store. So, go figure. Continue reading →

Tres Latin Foods Chicken & Cheese Pupusas

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tres-gluten-free-pupusas-1

Preheating the toaster oven.

Well, perhaps my expectations on these are the problem here. When I saw the box, and the description on it, I got excited. Something different, and it appeared to be low carb (compared to everything else, mind you), so woot! But I didn’t read the box carefully enough. If I had, I would have realized that 4 servings in this box would mean each serving was small.  One pupusa per serving. So, no, it’s not a standalone meal. My bad.

What is a pupusa, you ask? Well, it was my first time, and in this case, it is a stuffed corn tortilla (thicker than I’m used to) with seasoned chicken, mozzarella cheese, and beans. There seems to be a wide variety of how thetres-gluten-free-pupusas-2se are prepared, so it could be completely different wherever you live.

You can either cook these in the frying pan or in the oven, so I chose to use the toaster oven. I have to say, the flavor is excellent. The corn shell is crispy on the outside and smooth (sometimes grainy) on the inside. The chicken filling is not shredded, it’s more pulverized, but it is savory. Next, I tried in the frying pan. I mean, fried is always better, right? And it was good that way, too.

I think this would be great as a side or as a snack, but not as a meal. You can learn more about Tres Pupusas (they have 5 different flavors, and some of them are vegetarian-friendly) on their website at http://trespupusas.com/.

RECOMMENDED

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Cooked in the toaster oven.

 

Dr. Praeger’s Gluten-Free Broccoli Cakes

Posted in Food/Cooking by

broccoli-cakesIf you’re having a hard time getting someone you know (not me, of course … riiiiiight) to eat their vegetables, here’s the cure.

Going in I thought they might be a little light on flavor, so I was standing by with some Litehouse OPA Bleu Cheese dressing, but these little cakes are robust enough on their own. I wasn’t expecting them to be as hearty as they are, either, as they were a bit smaller than I expected.

As I ate them (2 cakes per serving per the packaging), the pepper started to build up in my mouth, eventually burning my tongue. Of course, you normal people won’t have a problem with it. I started out eating with a fork, but they are sturdy enough that you can just eat them with your hand, like an English muffin. Continue reading →

Oscar Mayer Gluten Free Delifresh Honey Smoked Turkey Breast & Recipe

Posted in Food/Cooking, Health, Recipes by

oscar-mayer-deli-fresh-cold-cutsFinally. Cold cuts that actually say they are gluten-free, right on the package. Yay! And keep in mind, I have coldcutslimeophobia. YES, that is a REAL thing! And that means if the cold cuts are the least bit slimy or sweaty or what-have-you, they turn my stomach and then go in the trash. So when I tried this Oscar Mayer Delifresh Honey Smoked Turkey Breast, I was not only pleasantly surprised, but extremely pleased. They’re not filled with gristle or fatty pockets. They have excellent texture and flavor, and they keep in the fridge for a surprisingly long time after you’ve opened them. Much longer than cold cuts you get at the deli counter. Those are usually over the top of my slime-meter within three days.

And the news gets even better. Continue reading →

QuestBar Gluten Free Protein Bar

Posted in Food/Cooking, Snacks by

quest-bar-1Welcome to another episode of “I ate it so you wouldn’t have to.” You’re welcome.

Okay, call me silly, but I saw cinnamon rolls on the outside of this package (cinnamon roll flavor), saw that it was 4g net carbs and 20g protein, saw that it was made with whey and milk protein instead of soy, and I thought – WINNER! Well, write this down, people: I was wrong.

The consistency is akin to an old squeeze-tube of astronaut food that’s starting to solidify. (Check out the beef and vegetables in a tube in case you were born after 1964. Smart aleck.) At least you can Continue reading →

Bear Naked’s Gluten-Free Cacao & Cashew Butter Granola

Posted in Food/Cooking by

bear-naked-granolaThere are very few good and affordable gluten-free granolas out there, for some bizarre reason. Let me tell you, though, this granola isn’t just good. It’s FREAKING AWESOME. It’s so good, in fact, you can eat it straight out of the bag.

Please note, not ALL Bear Naked granolas are gluten-free. This one is clearly labeled as such (see the upper left-hand corner of the package).

Bear Naked is generous with the chocolate bits in this granola. It’s not too sweet, but has great flavor. And the consistency is just the right amount of chewy and crunchy. This granola is basically perfect! The crunch comes from the rice crisps and the cashews. The chew comes from the whole-grain oats and the pepitas (pumpkin seeds). Add in the chocolate chunks and man, it is one absolutely delicious treat.

You should be able to find this bag of awesomeness at WalMart, Sprouts, and occasionally I find it at Fry’s (Phoenix area). Hopefully more stores will be getting it soon. Are you listening, Bear Naked? To find a store near you, or to get more information on the Cacao + Cashew Butter awesomeness, check out this page.

HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

bear-naked-granola-2

More Goodies at Cole’s Fine Foods

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Here’s a round-up of some more of the delicious menu that you’ll find at Cole’s Fine Foods. Don’t mind if the photos don’t exactly match the specific items. I’m a little disorganized at the moment! Trust me, it’s all good.

coles-perfect-chocolate-cupcakes-032715German Chocolate Cupcake: If you love chocolate, these cupcakes will knock your socks off. The cake part of this treat is bursting with chocolate flavor. It’s so good, it doesn’t even need icing. But it gets icing, and man, this icing is smooth, decadent, and delicious. The coconut filling adds just a hint of creamy sweetness to the center. Honestly, cut this guy in half; don’t eat it all at once. Just wonderful.

coles-pizza-032715Pesto Pizza: It’s what’s for lunch, or what should be. Wonderful flavor, excellent consistency, and one of the great pleasures of eating this pizza is the amazing aroma that fills your senses before each bite. And it tastes exactly how it smells – which isn’t always the case with food.

coles-fine-foods-lemon-bar-img_20150327_171407221Dairy-free Lemon Bars: Yes, the orgasmic lemon bar now has a dairy-free sibling, and without putting them in a taste-test side-by-side, I couldn’t tell the difference. So all you non-dairy folks, get on over to Cole’s and enjoy one of those.

Cole’s now also has even more vegetarian offerings, and an awesome new take-out freezer where you can buy prepared pizza, desserts, pie crusts, and more, and cook them up in your own house. Personally, I’ll leave the cooking to the talented Jeanine, but either way, you’ll always find something excellent at Cole’s.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Cole’s Fine Foods
521 E. Holland, Suite 20
Spokane, WA 99218
Place an order: 509-419-1739
www.colesfinefoods.com

Sabatino’s All Natural Smoked Mozzarella with Artichokes and Garlic Chicken Sausage

Posted in Food/Cooking by

sabatinos-sausage-img_20161115_194946743I was first introduced to Sabatino’s products during a shopping trip at Costco. One of the things I love about Costco is the samples. That saves you from wondering if you’re wasting your money on a lot of something that you’re going to hate.

I really do like these sausages. The consistency is excellent, and they cook up very nicely on the grill. I can’t really taste the artichoke, I’ll admit, because if you are familiar with this blog at all, you know I have a freakish sensitivity to spices. Normally, paprika is a foe of mine, but I don’t even taste it in this product. I do, however, taste the pepper. No img_20161115_122313020_hdr-sabatinos-sausagenormal human will have a problem with it, I guarantee you, and it actually adds a nice “bite” to it.

There is no MSG, gluten, soy, or fillers in these sausages, and all the ingredients are pronounceable. These remind me of one of my favorite foods by Bistro Sensations which, for some reason, disappeared off the face of the planet. With that likeness in mind, these are great in an egg scramble or omelette, in a quiche, with pasta, or on a sandwich.

INGREDIENTS: See the image below.

sabatinos-sausage-ingredients-img_20161115_194953975_hdr

Sabatino’s doesn’t seem to have a website, but you can catch up with them on Facebook or Twitter.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED