Private Reserve Pumpkin Hard Cider by Woodchuck Cidery

Speaking of my love for all things pumpkin earlier this week, I felt compelled to write a post about a festive little package currently relaxing in my icebox.

When real beer drinkers are ready for a cold-one on Friday evening after work, it is unlikely they will head straight to the cider beer section at the liquor store. Real beer drinkers turned gluten-free face a harsh reality. No real beer. Ever. Sure, there are alternatives...sorghum, rice and buckwheat. But nothing comes close to the wheat and barely mix which brings richness and depth to that dark frothy mug of bubbly.

Accepting this reality, hard cider is one beer-like alternative that us gluten-free people can indulge in. I was beyond excited to see my sweet little Woodchuck's come out with a Private Reserve Pumpkin Cider for the fall season. 

When in the mood for a cold-one to swig at Friday night's crisp backyard BBQ, Woodchuck meets the call. But be warned, you must like sweet. Woodchuck's are sweet. Not dry. Sweet. Know this so you won't be caught off guard.

This is a special cider. Go ahead, dare yourself to love it. 

The back of the bottle says this:

"Woodchuck Private Reserve Pumpkin is limited to only two and a half hours on our production line. Fresh and crisp with pumpkin at the finish, it's crafted to be served at 45 degrees and pairs perfectly with roasted duck, turkey, squash ravioli as well as creme brulee and fresh cheesecake. Be part of the select few who get to savor this small batch."

Have it on hand for your gluten-free guests at this year's Halloween party or Thanksgiving dinner. They might thank you for it.

Side note: Most hard ciders are naturally gluten-free, but double-check the packaging to be extra sure they didn't add any barely or wheat in the process. 

Rice Dream® brand Rice Drink

Our family went through an entire school year eating oatmeal for breakfast every single morning. 

Somewhere around the 342 day mark, the wee ones began refusing my tenderly prepared, hot breakfast filled with love. 

Around day 343 we went back to our old standby. Cold cereal. 

As a result, we've entered into a whole new level of rice milk consumption. 

Our favorite rice milk product is Organic Rice Dream® Original Enriched rice drink. It's smooth with a low key flavor. It doesn't have funny chunky stuff floating around, thank heavens. And it's enriched with the same vitamins and minerals normally found in cow's milk. It's a nice way to get extra calcium, Vitamins A, D and B12 into our dairy-free diet.

They sell it in shelf stable 32 oz boxes that are perfect for taking on trips and going camping. We go through so much of this stuff that the refrigerated 64 oz option found in the dairy section of the grocery store is really convenient and delicious.

Rice Dream® also makes frozen non-dairy deserts—aka ice cream—that are divine. But that's a different post for a different day!

Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing by Newman's Own

When the craving for a delicious salad dressing strikes, I always turn to Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette. It is fabulous on nearly every type of salad I can dream up. Balsamic Glazed Steak Salad, Chicken Salad Salad, Tuna Salad Salad, Egg Salad Salad... you get the idea.

I put my trust in this product because it is gluten, dairy and corn free! This is a rarity among prepared salad dressings. Most dressings on the grocery market shelves these days contain high fructose corn syrup. The absence of that strange oddity known as hfcs in this dressing makes me want to do backflips. Hooray for Newman's Own! 

And besides, the Newman's Own Foundation donates all profits to charity. Since 1982, Over $300 million has been given to thousands of charities. Hooray!

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This is not a paid advertisement. I like Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke. I like Paul Newman in Road to Perdition. I like Paul Newman all up on my salad.

Please note that companies can change their ingredients at will. If working with a severe food allergy always double check the ingredient list before consuming this product. 

Gluten Free Chicken Noodle Soup by Health Valley

There are moments in every woman's life where a good can of chicken noodle soup is downright necessary. As a gluten-free family, we long ago bid goodbye to this modern convenience.

I like to make chicken noodle soup from scratch. It's better that way. But there are times when this mama needs it to come from a can.

Take this week for instance. It's the middle of the summer. A massive head cold hits. It lasts longer than any stay-at-home-mom can reasonably afford.

I need comfort in a can and I need it quick. Campbell's chicken noodle soup has always been one of my favorite go-to comfort foods when I'm under the weather. Comfort foods are crucial to my healing. Canned comfort foods are crucial to my mental well-being.

It has been years since I've indulged in this canned comfort food tradition with chicken noodle soup. Until this week, that is. I was so pleased to find Health Valley's Gluten Free Cafe line on the shelves at my supermarket. And to think, they offer a gluten and dairy free chicken noodle soup! I was thrilled. Well, as thrilled as a woman with a head full of soreness and congestion can possibly be.

And it was good! Very good! Hearty thick noodles, wholesome bites of chicken, and perfectly mushable carrots and celery. I was pleased. Very pleased. 

Thank you Health Valley for thinking of us gluten free mamas who need our canned comfort foods every once in a while!

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This is not a paid advertisement. I like soup from a can every now and again. Who can blame me?

Please note that companies can change their ingredients at will. If working with a severe food allergy always double check the ingredient list before consuming this product. 

Gluten Free Cookie Mix by Betty Crocker®

There are certain times every month when this dancing cook is called to bake something sweet as the midnight hour approaches. I won't say which times of the month, but I can assure you the craving builds to a pinnacle every 28 days or so. When the craving hits it is immediate and unrelenting. Typically, there is no time for working together the perfect gluten-free flour blend. The desert must be complete and ready for consumption within twenty minutes of the calling.

That's when this Betty Crocker® gluten free boxed cookie mix makes an appearance. Keeping a box hidden on the cupboard shelves at all times bodes well for this family. Without it, I have been known to get a little crazy. Not in a good way.

I know Betty Crocker® might seem like an odd pick for gluten free goodies. I'll admit I was shocked the first time I saw their gluten free line on the shelves at my local grocery store.

There are plenty of other companies that specialize in gluten free baked goods. And some of these companies make products that—in my opinion—are ten times better than their glutenized alternatives. More about those products later.

But today I'm talking about Betty Crocker® because they've got a really great handle on boxed mixes, as you might imagine. And... their boxed mixes are widely available. I can find this line of gluten free brownies, yellow cake, chocolate chip cookies and devil's food cake in almost any grocery store I walk into. This is helpful for those times when a friend or relative wants to host a party with gluten free cake and doesn't know where to start. I simply tell them to go find the Better Crocker® mixes on their grocery store shelves and they'll see a tasty gluten free option right in front of them. It makes things easy. I like easy.

A few other good things to know about these boxed mixes ~
The entire line is dairy free, too. Bonus!
Betty Crocker® sponsors the Celiac Disease Foundation and the Celiac Sprue Association. Fantastic!
The line is made in a dedicated gluten free processing facility. Yipee Yay!

That said, every 28 days or so you might find me having one of these bad boys for breakfast with my coffee...

It's the simple pleasures in life, isn't it?

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Not a paid advertisement. Me like cookies. Me like them very much. 

Please note that companies can change their ingredients at will. If working with a severe food allergy always double check the ingredient list before consuming this product. Peace out.

Green Mountain Gringo Salsa

For the longest time our gluten-free family found solace in Mexican restaurants when going out to eat. Remarkably, our favorite place in town would feed our family of five on one large chicken fajita platter. The free chips and salsa really do a bang-up job as an appetizer for my crew.

We carried-on the Saturday night fajita plate tradition for years until we determined that our Celiac son was also allergic to corn. Without corn and wheat and dairy, dining at Mexican restaurants has become slightly less appealing. 

Since then we've been making plenty of wonderful Mexican dishes at home sans the corn. However, one of my favorite things about Mexican restaurants is the mouth-watering fresh salsa. I could make a meal of it alone.

Bound and determined to find a store bought salsa that brings as much joy as the restaurant varieties I came across Green Mountain Gringo brand salsa.

Green Mountain Gringo offers everything I love about homemade salsa but easy to grab off the shelves when in a rush.

Fresh flavor, perfectly blended spices and five heat levels that are kind to my palate. The chunky texture of this salsa is lovely for pouring over the top of tacos and burrito bowls. And the complexity of flavors will keep you coming back with your chip or cucumber or whatever you use to dip. 

Long live restaurant quality Mexican food at home!

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Word up—This is not a paid advertisement. I like salsa. I like Green Mountain Gringo. 'Nuf said.

Gluten Free Rice Pasta by Tinkyada

I'm Italian. I like my pasta. And I'm picky.

Upon going gluten-free, I was very, very sad to give up my homemade pasta noodles.

Additionally, I was very, very sad to give up the $1 packages of pasta at the grocery store.

And finally, I was very, very sad to give up the all-you-can-eat pasta nights at the local restaurants.

Despite the fact that wheat pasta noodles were no longer welcome on my plate, I wasn't ready to give up on my pasta cravings entirely. I set out to find the pasta that most closely mimics the hearty pasta noodles that I remember my Grandmother serving up at family dinners.

In my search, Tinkyada brand rice pasta has stood high above the rest. 

Texture is incredibly important to me when it comes to enjoying my gluten-free Italian dinner. All of Tinkyada's pastas have hit it right on the mark. The perfect texture compliments all of my favorite family recipes. 

White Wine Infused Spaghetti and Meatballs

Fettucini Alfredo (gluten-free and dairy-free)

Depression Era Pasta e Fagioli

The best part about Tinkyada is the neutral flavor of the noodles. Certain gluten-free pasta alternatives can taste very strange. That is not the case with this brand. Tinkyada offers a pasta that would fit right in with the family at my Grandmother's dinner table.

Next to the taste and texture, the best thing about Tinkyada pasta is the 18 varieties they offer. Choose from lasagna, penne, elbow, spirals, fusilli, shells, fettucini, spaghetti, and never again worry about what to do for your next Italian meal.

Let it be known that this is not a paid advertisement. I really, really like me a good old fashioned pasta dinner. And I really, really like this brand.

Gluten-Free Rolled Oats by Bob's Red Mill

Last summer we made the family decision to reduce our grocery spending by significant proportions. 

One week into The Project we realized that boxed breakfast cereal was out of the question if we wanted to meet our budget. 

Daily oatmeal became the standard for breakfast. Regular oatmeal is cheap as all get out. Certified gluten-free oats are quite a bit more expensive, yet still cheaper that boxed cereal and certainly more hearty. 

For my family, eating boxed cereal for breakfast is equivalent to eating air and calling it a meal. Without oatmeal in the morning, my three monkeys are starving and out of their minds. With oatmeal in the morning, the monkeys are satisfied and stable until 10 o'clock snack time. We need our oatmeal.

For Celiacs, certified gluten-free oats are a necessity, not a want. Regular oats throw my Celiac son into a tailspin.

The oat/gluten connection can be confusing. Allow me to break it down for you:

Oats in-and-of-themselves do not contain gluten. But since they are a major agricultural product they are typically handled in the same grain elevators and processing plants as wheat, barley and rye. Thus, oats are cross-contaminated with gluten on their way to your cupboard. 

Bob's Red Mill produces great certified gluten-free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats. My major grocery store carries them, as do all of the local natural grocers and Amazon.com. Find yourself some yummy certified gluten-free oats today and find yourself happy tomorrow morning!

Chocolate Dipped Donuts by Kinnikinnick

Perfectly fitting for the morning after a big celebration.

Donuts and coffee.

In bed.

With my sweet love.

I have arrived.

Living in a gluten-free world, donuts have been a thing of the past. Virtually extinct in my mind.

Until I discovered these little babies. Deep fried sugar bombs covered in chocolate. Gluten-free and dairy-free.

Bliss.

Kinnikinnick is my go-to brand for all of my old-timey pre-packaged desert needs. They make delicious allergy-friendly sandwich cookies (better known as Oreos), graham crackers, animal crackers and the like.

When considering gluten-free baked goods, proper texture and flavor are all important factors in choosing a winner. Kinnikinnick Foods holds the gold medal in my book.

The cool thing about Kinnikinnick Foods is they produce their food in a dedicated gluten-free, wheat-free, peanut-free and tree nut-free facility. Certainly a bonus for folks who are concerned with cross-contamination.

Next time you want to get your sugar bomb ON, give Kinnikinnick Chocolate Dipped Donuts a whirl. I'm certain you'll fall back in love with that old Sunday morning tradition. 

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My husband's single wish for a graduation present, the Mumford and Sons album. 

Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man

Creamy Almond Breeze ~ Almond Milk

Dairy-Free Stream of Consciousness ~ A Poem

Going diary-free has left a big gaping hole in my tummy's well of satisfaction,
All my life I have lived for endless creamy action.


Far too long have I led a life of cream-less austerity,
For years I've been begging, please someone end this parody.


Cow's milk products give me terrible bouts of eczema which I cannot bear,
There must be a solution—somehow, somewhere.


Rice milk lacks the richness I so deeply crave,
Soy milk upsets my stomach, hence, to the loo I become a slave.


In my dreams a milk substitute did appear,
Almond Milk by Blue Diamond, alas, I no longer have to fear.

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A Few Thoughts about Almond Breeze by Blue Diamond ~ Not a Poem

Almond milk is my go-to creamy alternative to cow's milk for most things in my dairy-free life. I add it to soups, use it in all of my bread and cookie recipes and cannot do without it for my morning chai lattes.

Finally, after months upon months of requesting it, most of the coffee shops around these parts have started offering it on their menu along with the soy and rice alternatives.

I have tried many different brands of almond milk and love Almond Breeze the most. Some of the other brands will do a strange separation thing when heated, turning what was intended to be a moment of creamy bliss into an unexpected coagulated funk.

Almond Breeze has withstood the test of boiling, baking and frothing and I will stand by my Almond Breeze to the end.

Better Than Bouillon

There is one thing that Bubba LOVES more than fluffy dogs, wheelless skateboards, and backyard chickens combined... and that's tasty food.

One of the most important staples in my pantry is the Better Than Bouillon line of concentrated paste food bases. According to their website, "these bouillons are made primarily from meat, seafood or vegetables which gives them a richer and more natural flavor than ordinary bouillon cubes or granules."

True dat. I cannot live without my Better Than Bouillon bases. Trust me, I've tried. But my soups don't taste nearly as delicious when I use regular bullion cubes. I can get an 8 oz jar at the grocery store, containing 38 servings of bouillon, or if I go to Costco a 16 oz jar with 76 servings for just a dollar more than the smaller jar. This just might be my favorite reason for going to Costco lately!

Something I learned early-on with this brand is that their Premium line of bouillon bases contain dried whey. Which is a no-no for our casein-free family. Thankfully, most of the Organic line is free of dairy ingredients. Thanks, Better Than Bouillon, you make me one very happy dancing cook.

And the best part about it is how easy it is to use. One teaspoon is equal to one bouillon cube. So for every cup of chicken stock my recipe calls for I quickly grab a teaspoon of bouillon paste, mix it with one cup of hot water and we are good to go.

This brand makes bouillon in so many different varieties—Vegetable, Mushroom, Turkey, Au Jus, Clam, Fish, Ham, Lobster, Vegetarian-No Beef, Vegetarian-No Chicken, Reduced Sodium, Kosher, and much more. If you are working with food allergies, just be sure to double check the back of the package before purchase, as some of them do contain dairy.

I hope this deliciousness finds its way into your pantry soon!

And just in case you were wondering... this is not a paid advertisement. My motivation to write about the food in my pantry is quite simple—I love this stuff and want to share it with you all. 

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And now a little something to dance to...

Rihanna - What's My Name? ft. Drake

Earth Balance Buttery Spread

I am starting a new section on Dance While You Cook called My Allergy Friendly Pantry. Here I will be compiling a list of my pantry items that are free of gluten, diary and corn.

This might be helpful if you're just getting started with gluten-free and dairy-free living. Since corn has recently become a no-no for our son we're back to the intensity of reading the back of every single label we bring into our home.

I remember how lost I felt in the grocery store when we first started on this journey. You can read more about that on my sparkling new page called Getting Started.

These three allergens can be especially challenging because so many common products include gluten, dairy and corn in trace amounts as fillers.

So today, I kick off this new section with my favorite butter alternative, Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread.

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What I love about it:

Easy to spread.

Has a mellow flavor. I surprise myself by saying this, but I've come to like the flavor better than real butter lately.

Comes in a huge tub at select stores. This way, our family doesn't run out at the most inopportune times—like family french toast morning.

Is easily used to grease pans for baking, or pots for cooking.

Can be used 1:1 instead of real butter in a lot of recipes.
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That said, this is our go-to butter alternative. We LOVE it around here!

Let's dance to celebrate our love for feeling good even without real butter in our lives.

I may have played this song before, but these images do an amazing job of transporting me exactly when I need it most. Who needs butter when you can feel like this!!!! Beautiful pictures—nice job RumShopRyan.

Zac Brown Band - Knee Deep (ft. Jimmy Buffett)