Thursday, September 29, 2011

A Short Road Trip and a Rudi's Bread Giveaway

This weekend I'm embarking on yet another cross country drive- but this one's different. This one involves a lot more planning and a much bigger truck. We're loading up a 16' truck and moving to Maine.

From Moving 2011

It's home for us so it's an easy move... even the dogs are excited for the change. 

From Moving 2011
As always road trips require special planning for my glutarded needs and this trip is no exception. I've mapped out Whole Foods and PF Chang's along the route and working on healthy snacks. The timing couldn't have been better as Rudi's Gluten Free Bread emailed me with some creative snack ideas. 
I browsed through the files and my eyes jumped to the hot dog bun... dressed in peanut butter and filled with a banana... this is a road trip snack I could get behind- healthy peanut butter and easily portable bananas- score!
How would you make your cross country lunches fun? Leave a comment below, be creative and tell me what kind of Rudi's Bread you'd use to make your lunch with and you can win a coupon for a free loaf of Rudi's and this snazzy container to pack your lunch in.  I'll pick a winner next Monday, October 3rd after 6pm Eastern Time as I'm cruising through Kansas with my furry entourage. 

Monday, September 19, 2011

Telluride Blues & Brews Festival from a Glutard's View

We hit up the Telluride Blues and Brews Festival this weekend. It's a beer lover's paradise- that is for GLUTEN drinking beer lovers. There's not a single gluten free beer to be found within the town park during the 3 day festival. This year I did find some great options for enjoying the festival in gluten-free style.
 I know what you're thinking... why would any gluten free person look at a Pizza booth at a beer festival? Is that just asking for trouble?
But a closer look reveals the truth... this booth is done by the local kid's ski & snowboard club and club members decided to do a gluten free offering this year.
 And just down the way was a booth offering Skinny Girl Margs- not the best Marg I've ever had but it was nice to enjoy a drink with friends on a chilly night as we listed to moe. and Big Head Todd & the Monsters in Telluride Town Park. The morning had torrent of rain and even snow which stuck to the peaks so the pristine grassy fields of town park became a muddy mess. I capped off my evening with Telluride Truffles which are locally made with Belgian chocolate and inspired by the mountains.
Today I went back for more gluten free goodies at the park after a hearty breakfast of french toast made with Rudi's.(More on Rudi's later this week- stay tuned...)
I hit up the pizza booth again for a slice of peperoni then swung over to the cotton candy booth for a pink bag of sugary goodness. Plus it matched my shirt... can you read it?

"Gluten Makes Me Grumpy" (You too can wear your gluten free status...) I had a few laughs from fellow festival patrons today and met some other gluten free people as well.

We even got the see Willie Nelson take the stage... how often do you get to see a legend like Willie in your town and see the alpenglow over snow capped peaks like Ajax Peak at the end of the Box Canyon. 

Are you coming to Telluride for a festival, read through my series a bit of love....Telluride for some gluten free options on your visit. Be sure to always double check... things change quickly in a small mountain town.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Think Outside Flashbacks in 7 Links

Even before I got the bottom of Marlow's post on her GHM Flashback in 7 Links post I was thinking that I'd love to do that. It's the cool nights of fall and this time of transition and changing seasons that set on the nostogia. I was honored to be tagged in the post to play.Things have been busy here so I'm just now sitting down and going over Think Outside the Breadbox to bring you this trip down memory lane?

Most Popular Post

Ajax Peak and Allred's in Telluride

Dinner at 10,000 feet above Sea Level? It truly is an elevated experience and I wish every post-hike dinner could like taste like that.

Post you feel didn’t get the attention it deserved

Strawberry Whoopie Pies
 Whoopie Pies with a strawberry twist? How have I not made these in a few months...



Post who’s success surprised you
My Version of Street Noodles

I'm a huge fan of recreating my favorites from PF Chang's but was shocked to see how much traffic this post has gotten. I'm happy to share and hope others enjoy the flavors as well. It's a great launching pad post and I hope it inspires you to twist the dish to your favorite flavors.

Most Helpful
A Bit of Local Love... Telluride, CO

This series put all my posts about Telluride in one simple spot. I've given a brief description of each place so it keeps it easy and quick for those visiting my small mountain town.

Most Controversial

Gluten Freedom with Spinach and Rice Noodles
Funny title but I reveal the results of my DNA test from Kimball Labs. I've never felt like a true Celiac based on the path I've taken so I call myself a glutard. I've got the genes, I've got the reactions to gluten but I never had a biopsy so I have a hard time saying that I have Celiac. What do you think? Do you need a doctor's diagnosis to use the label Celiac?



Post you’re most proud of

Chocolate Whoopie Pies
I'm a native Mainer... how can I not be proud of my mad whoopie pie skills? 

Most Beautiful
This Photo
Food Photography is hard. My current kitchen had terrible lighting and I struggle with my photos a lot.  I managed to snag this photo using my Droid and just loved it.

Do you want to play too? Leave a comment below to link you your Flashback in 7 posts. I want to read your blog too! Thanks for sharing.
















Wednesday, September 7, 2011

cool nights and warm gluten free dinners

Fall is creeping into the mountains of Telluride, a few young aspens are starting to change from deep green to a golden yellow hue and meals are changing from summer staples to warm comfort foods.

Like this lazanga made with Tinkyada noodles and Daiya dairy free cheese...
and layers of peperoni, sausage, spinach, mushrooms and sauce. I modified this recipe for tofu lasagna that I've used for a few years by skipping all cheese and using almond milk to keep it 100% dairy free.
And Chicken Parm (sans parm)
served over a bed of Ancient Harvest Quinoa Linguine and steamed spinach. Tonight's fall fare featured quinoa served with sauted spinach and mushrooms, grilled chicken and a bit of experimental green peppers and onion (these are a bit out of my comfort zone but hit the spot tonight).
I even wore a knitted hat and insulated jacket during our evening dog walk tonight. This morning the pups really had to turn on thier cute factor to get me out of my warm down comforter...

From Droid think outside