Gluten Free Phone Apps.

Here is a list of some of my favorite and most helpful Gluten Free Apps, they have made such a difference in my journey of being Gluten Free.

 

Is That Gluten Free

Is That Gluten Free? from Midlife Crisis Apps is designed for "those with gluten sensitivities, celiac disease, or anyone wanting more information on gluten-free products or leading a gluten-free lifestyle." The iPhone and iPad-compatible app includes more than 14,800 verified gluten-free products from more than 360 brands, including private-label grocery store brands. The app also includes a searchable ingredients tab that designates safe, unsafe and possibly unsafe ingredients. It's possible to search for gluten-free food items by category, brand or product name, and you can follow one-touch links to company websites to search for additional information. The app costs $7.99, with free updates and no monthly fees.

 Is That Gluten Free? Eating out

Is That Gluten Free? Eating Out, also from Midlife Crisis Apps, covers 43 national and regional restaurant chains with gluten-free options, including fast food restaurants such as Arby's, fast casual restaurants such as Red Robin, and casual restaurants such as Outback, Red Lobster and P.F. Chang's. In version 1.1, the app also added a list of restaurants that do not provide gluten-free menus, and included those chains' statements and disclaimers. Is That Gluten Free? Eating Out, which costs $3.99, provides details on more than 2,000 menu items. It's possible to search by menu item or ingredient in each restaurant.

IEatOut Gluten & Allergen Free

This gluten-free and allergy-friendly iPhone and iPad app from Allergy Free Passport allows you to select different allergens (dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, soy and tree nuts along with gluten) and then look through ingredient lists from various sample ethnic and international restaurant menus to determine what selections might be suitable for you. It does not include actual restaurant menus with allergen information – you'll still need to talk to the chef or the manager to double-check ingredients and to make sure the restaurant can make the meal without cross contamination. iEatOut Gluten & Allergen Free, which sells for $4.99, covers Chinese, French, Indian, Italian, Mexican, Steak & Seafood and Thai restaurants.

Gluten-Free Groceries

Triumph Dining has produced print versions of its popular gluten-free restaurant guide and gluten-free grocery guide since 2005. This app, compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, features information on more than 30,000 gluten-free grocery store products. It covers products by brand names, such as Heinz, Coca-Cola and Kraft, and by store names, such as Walmart, and you can search by either one. The Gluten-Free Groceries by Triumph Dining app costs $17.99.

 Gluten Scan

GlutenScan, a subscription-based app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, allows you to type in a product name or a UPC code and immediately determine if the product contains gluten or not. The database includes gluten safety information on more than 30,000 products from more than 10,000 manufacturers, and app developer Zeer Inc. says it adds or updates more than 500 products each week. GlutenScan highlights problem ingredients, offers gluten-free alternatives to gluten-containing products and allows you one-click dialing to product manufacturers. It costs $1.99 for a one-month subscription and $3.99 for a 90-day renewal.

My Grocery Master

My Grocery Master, compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, allows you to search for Kosher, gluten-free and lactose-free grocery items. The app includes more than 100,000 specialty food products from 360 different brand names. You type in your desired product by category, brand or product name, along with your zip code, and the app provides you with the name of the nearest store carrying that item, plus driving directions if you need them. It includes most of the top 100 grocery store chains in the United States, along with Internet grocery stores, and also offers frequent free updates, according to software developer Semaphore Mobile. My Grocery Master costs $1.99.

 Easy Gluten Free Recipes

This iPhone and iPad app, developed by a working mom with three children who was diagnosed with celiac disease, provides more than 100 recipes and meals with gluten-free ingredients and specific brand names in order to take the guesswork out of grocery shopping and meal planning on a gluten-free diet. The recipes are broken down into categories: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert. The app allows you to email recipes to friends, and to add ingredients to a grocery list that you then can email to yourself. Prep time for most of the recipes takes about 15 minutes, and the app also includes a list of frozen food items suitable for the gluten-free diet. Easy Gluten Free Recipes costs $3.99.

Gluten-Free Menus

Contains images of the gluten-free menus available at many of your favorite restaurants!

Bright Looks. Messy Locks.

All the signs of summers arrival...

Summer time is right around the corner. To me this means messy braids, long wavy curls, and a clean look with a pop of bright lips. Here in Arizona it gets up to high heats and I usually end up drenched in sweat in seconds, so if I can find a look that takes only minutes to achieve I'm happy.

Recipe Four: Gluten Free Gnocchi

When I first found out that I was allergic to Gluten I started exploring different pastas, there were so many to choose from, but I was never able to find a precooked Gnocchi. I was so excited when I stumbled upon this recipe yesterday. I tried it immediately and I was so pleased that it tasted exactly like the Gnocchi I grew up on.

2 lbs potatoes, peeled, cooked (this was about 6 potatoes for me)
1 1/4 – 2 cups Better Batter Gluten Free flour
1 egg, beaten

Pinch of Salt

Cook your potatoes in the oven or boil them until tender. Press them through potato ricer, if you don’t have one you can put them through the grater on the kitchen aid, and then use a masher into a bowl. Add the beaten egg, salt and pepper, mix with a kitchen aid paddle on low OR a wooden spoon (that’s the traditional way of doing it), then add better batter flour(or your favorite gluten free flour), 1/2 cup at a time to start, then little by little.

Once you have worked in a cup, sprinkle working surface with 1/4 cup better batter flour. Put dough on a working surface and start working it with your hands.. It makes for lighter, fluffier dumplings. Do not overwork! If you over work it, it gets sticky. It takes about 1 and 1/4 cups of better batter flour.

Divide the dough into quarters. Dust your working surface with flour and roll out the dough with the palms of your hands into a long rope. Cut to 1inch intervals.
Shape them with a fork or gnocchi paddle. (the grooves are what make the sauce stick) Place the dumplings on a sheet of parchment. To cook, drop the dumplings in salted boiling water. When they float to the surface, they are done! It should take about 1-2 minutes. Make sure to boil in batches, so they don’t stick. Strain. I used my handy dandy strainer spoon.

You can serve just like this. That is how it is traditionally served. I covered mine with a red sauce, next time I'm going to try a pesto!

Recipe Three: Gluten Free Shepherd's Pie

After a much needed vacation, its time to get back to reality. I'm finding that hard to do today because here in Arizona its cloudy and raining, and all I want to do is cuddle up in a blanket and have a movie marathon. After my bride cancelled her appointment with me this morning (I'm a hair and makeup artist) and I had confirmed that I was free for the rest of the afternoon I decided that I was going to make a nice comfort food meal, Gluten Free of course, for me and my boyfriend for dinner tonight.

Gluten Free Shepherd's Pie

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease four single serving 10-oz ramekins with vegan buttery spread (I used Earth Balance). Set aside.

First, make the mashed potatoes. I used "Buttercream" gold potatoes- so full of flavor.

You'll need:

3 cups peeled, diced gold potatoes
Sea salt
Coconut milk or rice milk, as needed

Boil the potatoes in a pot until fork tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well. Mash with a potato masher; add a splash of non-dairy milk (I used So Delicious plain coconut milk) and season with sea salt, to taste. Stir till smooth and creamy, adding a little more milk until the potatoes are fluffy and smooth. Set aside.

For the filling you'll need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup zucchini, sliced into half-moons
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained, quartered
2 teaspoons Italian style herbs (blend of oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil, parsley)
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon rosemary, minced
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and stir in the garlic. Add the carrots, zucchini, and broccoli. Stir and cook lightly until fork tender, roughly ten minutes. If you prefer your veggies crisper, cook only until tender-crisp.

Add in the artichoke hearts and herbs, season with sea salt and ground pepper; set aside.

Make your gravy. You'll need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons rice flour
1 and 1/2 cups non-dairy milk, warmed
2 tablespoons vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
2 tablespoons GF nutritional yeast (or use some gluten-free bouillon if you prefer)
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-low heat; stir in the rice flour to make a paste. Stir and cook for half a minute. Slowly add in the warm non-dairy milk, and keep stirring. Add the vegan butter, nutritional yeast, and sea salt. When it begins to thicken remove from heat and taste test. It should taste mild and creamy. The herbs in the veggies will add rosemary-sage flavor.

Pour the gravy over the filling mixture and gently mix until the veggies are coated with gravy.

Spoon the filling into the ramekins. Top with a big spoonful of mashed potatoes.

Sprinkle with non-dairy shredded cheese, if you like.

Place the ramekins on a baking sheet (to catch any bubbling-over drips) and bake in the center of a hot oven for 30 to 35 minutes. I tented my ramekins with foil for the first half of baking time to keep the mashed potatoes moist. Then I removed the foil and let the the topping brown a bit.

Cook time: 30 min

Yield: 4 servings

Free People March Catalog

I got my March Free People catalog today and I'm OBSESSED, I want everything in it! Here are a few of my favorite looks...

I Can Ride My Bike With No Handlebars

Urban Outfitters has joined forces with Republic bikes to let you custom build your own retro style bike. Pick out your colors for the saddle, frame, grips, chaincase, tires, and skirt. The bike is priced at $399 and will be shipped right to your door.

http://bikes.urbanoutfitters.com/build.asp

Write A Bike, by Juri Zaech a Swiss art director came up with a witty and original series of bikes. Their frames are created in form of elegant inscriptions of names of their owners. Series is called “Write a bike”. This is really a clever idea! At the momet it’s just a concept but  the designer is working on a way to produce a prototype of one of the bikes. Can't wait to own one myself!

http://www.beachbikeoutlet.com/

http://justbicycles.com/index.php

Vintage Inspired Spring Break

 I can't wait to spend spring break in California, tanning on the beach wearing my own Vintage Inspired Swimwear. My sister Shelby, her best friend Taylor, and I have been planning this trip for months, our vacation will be filled with shopping, days at the beach, and lots of much needed relaxation.