Glamour Getaways: Seven Day Gluten Free Rome Tour

About Glamour Getaways:
There was a time when traveling was an unforgettable journey, when luxurious ocean liners still crossed the Atlantic with nightly ballroom dances and when men donned their best suit and tie to fly.

Want to experience the glamour of a bygone era? Join us on a Glamour Getaways Tour!

7 Day Gluten Free Rome Tour:
Romans have a distinctly decadent streak, relishing nothing more than fine dining, fine surroundings and the simple pleasure of savoring a glass of wine while chatting with friends. We have put together seven decadent gluten free days to give you a first class view of the city. All group meals taken will be gluten free at restaurants that follow the Associazione Italiana Celiachia’s (Italian Association of Celiacs) standards for the preparation of gluten free foods.

When:
Sunday, March 8th 2009–Saturday, March 14th 2009
(More dates and destinations to come!)

Who:
Sorry gentlemen…but ladies only! Why? A unique situation arises when men & children are removed from the equation and women are left to their own devices. Women let their guard come down, shake their hair loose and a natural feeling of relaxation ensues. A woman is allowed to focus on herself, her needs and desires as opposed to others. An environment is created in which a woman feels comfortable exploring, questioning and learning.

For More Information: http://www.glamourgetaways.com
Email: info@glamourgetaways.com

http://www.gluten-free-living.net/recipes/chocolate_pudding.php

This recipe is an absolute gem and a guaranteed hit at any party!!

for added flare, try serving it with our Self Saucing Berries

1. Rice should be cooked the night before and cooled in the fridge. Trying to cook fried rice with warm rice is a nightmare! It must be cold or it will clump.

2. Prepare everything before hand so you can just throw them in the pan once it is hot. That way nothing is over cooked.

3. Use just a small amount off oil to coat the rice, then once you are frying use water to steam the ingredients. Small splashes of water is the key to stir frying.

4. Throw in anything and everything you can think of - corn, peas, ham, bacon, chicken, broccoli, onion, tomato, scrambled eggs… you name it.

These are the ingredients I used today:

1 cup of cooked rice
1 cup of left over stir fry - chicken, bacon, mushrooms, onion, garlic
1/4 cup red and yellow peppers
1/4 spanish onion
splash of Gluten Free tamari soy sauce
3-4 splashes of water
olive oil

ENJOY!!

Last Friday we were in charge of a preparing a birthday cake for our friends surprise party. I was busy working so my hubby decided he would take charge and make a delicious Gluten Free flourless chocolate cake. He did a fantastic job and it was an absolute hit at the party!

Tip: for serving, if you don’t have any nice platters, try covering a baking tray with aluminum foil, then place the cake on the tray and cover in melted chocolate topped with a sprinkle of icing sugar and some fresh strawberries.

Tonight we are catching up with more friends and again dessert is our treat… hmm what will I make? I think that in all this cold weather chocolate should be on the cards again. From looking through our recipes on Gluten Free Living I realise that I have been holding out on you and have not shared my famous Gluten Free Self Sourcing Chocolate Pudding recipe…. hhhmm pudding!!

I created this recipe a few years back and it is always a treat. Stay tuned and I will load the recipe on Gluten Free Living.

Enjoy your Sunday afternoon and let’s get cooking

Well, in fact it is the opposite. I was more ‘Gluten Free’ in my first few years than I am today!

You see as I learn to live with my Gluten Free diet and rarely have any symptoms, I begin to get relaxed and comfortable with my regular brands and products. A perfect example is yesterday. I was buying some groceries for my work lunches this week at my regular grocery store, when I noticed that Rice Cakes were on special. My usual choice of butter popcorn was already sold out, so not being able to decide between White Cheddar or Tomato and Basil; I decided I would just get both.

Today I opened the packet of Tomato and Basil and was delighted how tasty they were. I was already planning the toppings I would add for lunch when I started to take notice at how much flavouring they were coated in and I began to wonder… hhmm maybe these are not Gluten Free? I was so tempted to just take another bite and claim ignorance, but I seam to be doing this a lot lately so decided to take my own advice and do some research.

This is what I found on the Quakers Canada Website in the FAQ -

13. Do you have any gluten-free products?
• Although The Quaker Oats Company of Canada primarily produces products that are grain-based, we do have a few gluten-free products. Most flavours of Quaker® Rice and Corn Cakes and Quaker® Crispy Minis Rice Chips are gluten free. However, our newest flavour of Quaker® Rice Cakes, Savoury Tomato & Basil, is not gluten free. Gatorade® Thirst Quencher, Aunt Jemima® Syrups and Quaker® Corn Meal are all gluten free. Quaker® Puffed Rice is also considered gluten free; however, as is produced on the same production line as Puffed Wheat, there is a minute chance of cross contamination. Due to changes which might occur to the product formula, it is important to check our ingredient listing regularly.

Doh! I was so upset with them for making a rice product and then adding yeast to it!!! Why I ask why!!! But on top of that I was angry and frustrated with myself. I know better than not to read the label on a product, especially a new flavour.

So Suzi’s new rule is:

“Always check the ingredients labels on new flavours and products, but to also check the products I eat regularly, because you never know then they change the ingredients and what is gluten free one day, may not be the next!”

Today for my work lunch I decided I would use some left over roast beef with some fresh organic ingredients for a yummy open toasted sandwich. This has become my new favourite combo, I can’t stop eating it!!! Here is the recipe..

Roast Beef Open Sandwiches
Glutino flax seed bread - toasted
fresh organic avocado
cold roast beef, lightly salted
slices of fresh organic red pepper
sliced of pickled banana peppers
fresh organic baby arugula leaves (or baby spinach)

Layer ingredients in order as listed and enjoy with an ice cold glass of water.

Tip: If you have trouble buying Gluten Free Bread, this would also be great with grilled polenta or on rice/corn crackers

Enjoy!

A ‘cheap and cheerful’ dinner with all our friends was the request from my very close friend who is leaving town tomorrow. And so after much discussion we decided on the ‘The Old Spaghetti Factory’ in Whistler. This is the second time I have been to The Old Spaghetti Factory this year and I have to say I was extremely impressed with their handling of my Gluten Free needs. I took my packet of Gluten Free pasta with me and early on in the evening spoke with my server about my Gluten free meal requirements. She was very responsive and although not totally familiar with Gluten Free foods, took my pasta to the chef and explained my needs. Upon returning with the wine she confirmed the sauces that would be suitable and which salads would work. In the end I chose a creamy pesto pasta with chorizo sausage rather than chicken. I was certainly not disappointed, my meal was delicious and because I bought my own pasta I was only charged $5 for the sauce. Now that is what I call a ‘cheap and cheerful’ dinner.

Suzi

Surprisingly staying Gluten Free throughout all the chaos has not been as difficult as I might have thought! Here are some tips and tricks I have learnt along the way to keep my diet and energy levels balanced -

Breakfast - Arrive at work a little earlier and take advantage of the fabulous work kitchen…
For me I have my Natures Path Gorilla Munch (taking a break from the corn flakes) topped with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, half a banana and a drop of good ol’ Canadian Maple Syrup.

Lunch - Bring the toaster and all your appliances from home and cook up a gourmet lunch at work
For me I alternate between - nachos, cheese and ketchup on toast, toasted sandwiches with yummy salads and heated up left overs from last nights take away dinner.

Dinner - Remember all those fabulous friends you always cook dinner for? It’s time to pay them a visit
This is where you need to get the most creative. We have been alternating nights buying take out, offering to cook dinner for a friend at their house and getting invited over to friends for BBQ’s. This week, we will be house sitting for a friend, which works out great. They have even stocked there BBQ full on gas, saying ‘the Aussie’s are coming to stay, we better have the BBQ ready’

All in all we have been managing fairly well and I cannot wait to have my brand spankin’ new kitchen installed and cook up some delicious gluten free delights for my fellow Gluten Free Foodie Friends.

Suzi xo

Since my last post, which I now see was 2 weeks ago, I have managed to have a birthday, have an even bigger birthday party, buy an apartment, move into it and all this whilst working full time and having our busiest week of the year at the office!! Wow I am tired just writing about it.

With being so busy every day, I have not had the usual time to prepare my gluten free meals, and as a result I have been relying heavily on buying my food. The restaurants and café’s below are now my favourite places to eat out, and are extremely helpful when it comes to preparing yummy Gluten Free meals.

Thai Away Home: Vancouver
My absolute favourite Thai food in Canada, and the first place we went to celebrate the buying of our new home. They have a fantastic selection of Gluten Free meals, the penang and yellow curries of course being my favourite. You are also able to buy prepared meals, that you can take home and put in your freezer, to have on those nights when there is just not time to prepare dinner (just what I need!). I also noticed when in Nester’s grocery store the other day, that they also have the Thai Away Home meals in their freezer section, which is great because I now get to enjoy my favourite Thai meals any day of the week.

Trattoria Di Umberto: Whistler
When it came to deciding which restaurant to go to for my birthday, there was no question where I wanted to go. I have been living in Whistler now for over 2 years, and I have heard non-stop rave reviews about Trattoria Di Umberto. Rather than going in a big group, my husband and I decided we would make it a date and have a romantic dinner, just the two of us. It was perfect, the food, the wine, the company. I was able to simply tell our waiter that I required a Gluten Free meal, he was aware of my needs and made the necessary arrangement with the kitchen. For dinner I enjoyed tiger prawns and scallops on a bed of basil pesto risotto with a fresh salad…. Hhmm delicious!

Java at Nesters: Whistler
These guys have been my life savers these past few weeks, making me up delicious Gluten Free grilled sandwiches. I barely even have to mention do clean the grill and keep my food separate from all the wheat products. I always provide my own Gluten Free bun, and this last time they started talking to me about them perhaps making some for me. Bonus!! They are extremely helpful and make a wicked sandwich. A 5 star rating from me.