Updating ... starting with #the100dayproject

So today is the official start day of #the100dayproject 2019 
The 100 Day project Website  


Lindsay Jean Thomson says this about the project:
"All around the world, thousands of folks are picking up their paint brushes, sitting down to write, and committing other acts of creativity and bravery.

We believe that spending even five or ten minutes a day to do something just because it brings you joy or challenges you or moves you towards a goal is radical. By making something every day, you are doing your part to make the world a more loving and vibrant place." 


 Last year my attempt at the project was strictly art related - then my interest waned, life got busy, my creative drive took me in a different direction - and that was that. This year I wanted to open the box a bit more and give myself creative options so that I could join in the amazing connection I see from people all over the world, feeling like a part of it, a contributor to the idea - and at the same time enriching my life and learning along the way.

There are so many amazing challenges out there for people to take a part in - and it is fun to dip into this and that and play along. This year though I wanted to take this particular challenge and customize it to something that feeds my soul and passions. 

Learning about "Social Media"

I want to dedicate my #the100dayproject to learning more about how it can not only enrich our lives but open us up to a world of possibilities.

Learning about social platforms I already use - some I use much more - so to delve into what works for me "right now". How I can refresh my knowledge and find new ways to connect, promote, build.  

How I am going to track this progress on the project is still in the works - for now I am going to make a list of the platforms I want to improve upon and learn more about - dedicating the next 100 days to do so. 

1. Blogging
2. Instagram
3. Facebook
4. LinkedIn 

 This ties into my creative life passion - living life to the fullest - now and for future plans. And the best part is I can work all aspects of my creativity into this - food, art, gardening, business, and more. 

Excited to have settled on my path for this challenge.

Accent European Lounge YEG

Kevin and I attended the Broadway show "The Phantom of the Opera" at the Northern Jubilee Auditorium and afterwards I decided I wanted to make our date night complete by going for a nice supper.

Just off Whyte Avenue there is a cozy place called Accent European Lounge that we have been to on a few occasions and have always thoroughly enjoyed our meal. I would say it is a perfect date place - suited to couples or small groups of friends, the service is excellent and the food is delicious. For celiacs or gluten free diners the menu is somewhat limited but as we go for the excellent steak meals - we are always pleased with what we have.  

That evening we started with the Bacon Wrapped Lobster - our server was quick to let us know it might be a few minutes longer as they would make up fresh butter cream sauce so that it did not have any contamination or gluten ingredients. Being told this beforehand we were totally ok with this, as we were there for a relaxing meal.  

Also the Bacon Wrapped Lobster with butter cream sauce was served on gluten free bread, and it was so tasty. Very happy we ordered a double order of this to start.

We both had the NY Striploin with white wine demi glaze - with seasonal vegetables and potatoes. (we did order the thick cut fries but again the kitchen let us know the potatoes were the best option against any possibility of cross contamination) 

Delicious - the Accent European Lounge is one of our favourite date night dining places, we love the intimate cozy atmosphere and we have never been disappointed with the food and service.

Accent European Lounge
8223 - 104 Street
Edmonton, AB
780-431-0179
 

Sherwood Park's Gluten Free Cravings Event - reporting :)

Sherwood Park hosted their CRAVINGS Event this past weekend - and honestly if you have never been I would be watching for it for next year's event. This year they had 30 booths - that comprised of restaurants, food trucks, grocery stores, specialty stores, online markets, grocery delivery and also information booths like the Edmonton Chapter of the Canadian Celiac Society. 
 

We were delighted to not only find out more information about places we have shopped at, but also to find many new options. 

Though we only bought a handful of products to use and cook at home we tried to scoop information from the booths for future reference. The following is a  

If you love salmon Sgambaros Signature Seafood has some great products, the smoked salmon and salmon burgers that we had a taste of were fabulous - and the three mustard dill sauce was awesome, had to have some of that sauce to take home. 

We tried a sample of the WOW Factor Desserts Gluten Free Turtle cheesecake - mmmmmmmm - and I grabbed the sizeable menu they had on display. At first I was like - well they only have a handful of Gluten Free cake ideas then I was like AWESOME they do have a handful of Gluten Free ideas. Perfect for that family or friend event where we sometimes lose out when it comes to dessert - pick up one of these delicious specialty cakes or cheesecakes and you are set.   

Another amazing dessert company is Nabati Foods - all their products are ~ gluten free ~ dairy free ~ egg free ~ soy free ~ refined sugar free - making traditional desserts like cakes, cookies and brownies with high quality natural ingredients. 

Other great specialty dessert options that we sampled at the show:
~ Celebrate Gluten Free Bakery - desserts and breads  
~ Choclination - regular & sugar free handmade chocolates
~ Phil's Fudge Factory 
~ Screamin Brothers - Allergy friendly frozen delights

Product Information and samples from companies like: 
~ Young Living, Glow Juicery, KGW Enterprises - Kettle Corn, Arbonne, 4-Elementos - coffee distributor, Marge's Country Kitchen - delicious Ukrainian Gluten free cream and meat sauces, Urban Perogies
~ Thrive Life - Clean and simple freeze dried foods
~ Fruits of Sherbrooke - non for profit that collects Urban fruit
~ Save On Foods - were sampling the Range Road Meats Gluten Free sausage,
~ Kinnikinnick - gluten free facility
~ Epicure - All products now 100% gluten and nut free 
~ Torill's Table - Premium Waffle Mix Gluten Free - makes a thin crepe like waffle or pancake - yum. Also available at the Spinelli Italian Centre Shop :)
~  Spud.ca - a local & organic grocery delivery service

And the eateries:
~ Wild Wing - they had awesome Salt & Pepper, and Honey Garlic wings for samples - oh so good - we would travel to get these, and they gave us a sheet for the Sherwood Park location for what is gluten free, I will post as the site can be a bit hard to see what is. 

~ Fifendekel - Carries gluten free bread for sandwiches as well as at the moment they have one gluten free dessert item. 
~ Pasta Pantry & Trattoria - gluten free pasta, salads and even meatballs  
Food Trucks -
~ Preserve Food Truck - we did not get a lot of info about this truck.
~ Calle Mexico Restaurant - has a restaurant and also a food truck - we were informed there are many gluten free items.

All in all it was a great event and glad we made it out this year, we love having options as celiacs. :) 

Gluten Free Travel - Canmore, Calgary, Red Deer, Airdrie

I know when I travel, being someone with Celiac Disease the first thing I do is start a google search for gluten free dining in the places we are going.  And I find actual REAL people information, whether reviews or blogs to be so very helpful.  

I have close friends, Michelle (also a fellow Celiac) and Gerald, that also love to travel and she has graciously passed on some information from her last trip about traveling, shopping and eating gluten free as a celiac ~ with the promise to also supply me with more info as they take trips - so nice of her. I have kind of separated it into three blogs to keep the areas they visited and passed through together.  These will be a first of my new Gluten Free Travel posts - as I will start setting up my own travel experiences the same way.

So as we kind of just sprung with this idea - these first posts won't come with pictures of food she ate - but good to have the first hand account of places that were successful in dining or shopping for someone with Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance. And I am pretty well just posting this as written ... as the comments are not my own experiences.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Canmore –
Wild Orchid Bistro and Sushi Lounge - restaurant in the Silver Creek Lodge Resort & Spa .
100% Gluten Free - Evening dining only - closed Wednesdays

Canmore –
Tapas - Gluten Free entrees marked on the menu and they are well informed.  Sharing plates. I think the menu changes every once in a while, but have had patatas bravas and tostados (substituted with tortilla chips?).  Cool ambiance ~ in a little house.

Banff – *** Just a note that the Banff Springs Hotel will do a gluten free high tea with advance notice.  Haven’t tried yet, but is on my list to do soon.

Calgary –
Peking Garden – Huge gluten free menu, does not show this online but gluten free menu available in restaurant.  Separate fryers.  Well informed about celiac disease
- Did not stop there this last trip, but have been there many times before - very good.

Thank you Michelle for the great information. :)

Adding to this post:

Red Deer  (Gasoline Alley)
Glenn's Family Restaurant (Cindy's Teapot Gallery and Giftshop next door) 
I have to write of one of my favourite places I stop at on my way traveling to Calgary or even staying in Red Deer.  Very handy when traveling down south as it is situated right on Gasoline Alley - just off the highway - usually whether I need to stop for gas or not I love to take a bit of time and take a break at the restaurant or tour through the amazing and beautiful gift shop next to the restaurant.
We recently had to travel down to Calgary and as it was kind of between breakfast and lunch time we decided to stop for a bit of a bite.
Glenn's has a gluten sensitive menu - and I have always found the staff to be well informed of my need of no cross contamination, and even better always pleasant. :)  I have had early breakfast and lunch here in the past.

The last menu item I tried was the gluten free wrap with a grilled chicken and greens, with a side fruit salad.  The gluten free wrap was so good I was alarmed it was not gluten free - our wonderful waitress was so good about going and checking in the kitchen before I took a bite and even bringing me back the brand name of the wrap - I believe it was Udi's.  It was a simple but safe and filling meal.

Airdrie -

Rico's in the Village (Permanently closed) -  No website but I posted the trip advisor link.
Loved the atmosphere here - went for a early supper late lunch date with some girlfriends - and was impressed that they had gluten free pasta for my meal - it was nice for a light meal.

Ricky's All Day Grill 
Airdrie 404-988 Yankee Valley Blvd. SE, Airdrie, AB T4A 2E4 Directions
Phone: T: 403.912.8082 | F: 403.912.8020
Hours: Sun - Thurs: 7am - 10pm | Fri & Sat: 7am - 11pm

Stopped here for a quick supper on our way home from being with family in Calgary - they do have a gluten sensitive menu ... the food was quite good, the knowledge and service were ok. 

Dedicated deep fryer - so I had fries with my steak and shrimp dinner.

  And Kevin went with coleslaw side and fries with his steak dinner.

Gluten Free Travel - Peachland, Kelowna, Golden

I know when I travel, being someone with Celiac Disease the first thing I do is start a google search for gluten free dining in the places we are going.  And I find actual REAL people information, whether reviews or blogs to be so very helpful.  

I have close friends, Michelle (also a fellow Celiac) and Gerald, that also love to travel and she has graciously passed on some information from her last trip about traveling, shopping and eating gluten free as a celiac ~ with the promise to also supply me with more info as they take trips - so nice of her. I have kind of separated it into three blogs to keep the areas they visited and passed through together.  These will be a first of my new Gluten Free Travel posts - as I will start setting up my own travel experiences the same way.

So as we kind of just sprung with this idea - these first posts won't come with pictures of food she ate - but good to have the first hand account of places that were successful in dining or shopping for someone with Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance. And I am pretty well just posting this as written ... as the comments are not my own experiences. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Peachland –
Ships A-Hoy Fish and Chips – separate preparation and fryer, change gloves etc.
They do not have a website, but here is a link to trip advisor reviews https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Restaurant_Review-g665835-d4697826-Reviews-Ships_A_hoy_Fish_and_Chips-Peachland_Okanagan_Valley_British_Columbia.html.
~ Had the halibut and fries.  So yummy!  Put gluten free stuff separate from rest of order.  Can eat out on the beach or they have a few tables inside and out.  

Kelowna –
Fernando’s Pub (cool pub downtown - Mexican food) - The owner has Celiac Disease ~ almost whole menu is gluten free. Almost everything is $7 on the menu  The nachos are awesome!

West Kelowna –
19 Okanangan Grill at Two Eagles Golf Course (eat inside or on patio overlooking golf course). Many gluten free options and very aware about needs of those with celiac disease.  Delicious! 

Golden, BC-
Island Restaurant - Overlooks Kicking Horse River, gluten free menu. Dine inside or on patio.
Had Geschnetzeltes (sliced buffalo in creamy mushroom brandy sauce- German dish). Very good! Server very well informed about celiac disease and options.  Sorry, can’t remember if they had dedicated deep fryer.

Golden, BC –
Eagle’s Eye Restaurant at Kicking Horse Resort (need to take gondola up – can’t remember how much it cost as we bought a package so we could go to the grizzly bear refuge too).
Had the burger with gluten free bun and a salad. They were well informed about gluten free options and celiac cross contamination needs.  Server very nice and helpful and food was good!  Beautiful view and can go for a hike after.

Golden, BC-
Kicking Horse General Store- Product - vodka mudshakes (vanilla and pina colada) gluten free. Looked these shakes up online http://www.independentdistillers.ca/products-en/vodka-mudshakes-en.

Would love to take that trip up the Gondola to the Kicking Horse Resort - good to know that the restaurant is able to accommodate Celiac dining - YAY!  :)

Thank you Michelle for all the awesome information!

Gluten Free Travel - Coeur D’Alene, Spokane, Seattle

Time to get blogging again and what a better way than to have a little help from a friend. ;) My girlfriend Michelle was wonderful to provide an email with some travel info to get me motivated to get back onto my blog on a regular basis.

I know when I travel, being a celiac the first thing I do is start a google search for gluten free dining in the places we are going.  And I find actual REAL people information, whether reviews or blogs to be so very helpful.  

I have close friends, Michelle and Gerald, that also love to travel and as I have been a bit neglectful in posting about traveling and eating gluten free as a celiac she has graciously passed on some information from her last trip, with the promise to also supply me with more info as they take trips - so nice of her. I have kind of separated it into three blogs to keep the areas they visited and passed through together.  These will be a first of my new Gluten Free Travel posts - as I will start setting up my own travel experiences the same way.

So as we kind of just sprung with this idea - these first posts won't come with pictures of food she ate - but good to have the first hand account of places that were successful in dining or shopping for someone with Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance. And I am pretty well just posting this as written ... as the comments are not my own experiences.

We would love to take a trip to Seattle ourselves one day so it was awesome to at least have a bit of a heads up in case we also decide to take the drive that way. And then I will also have a blog started to fill in our experiences as well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
Coeur D’Alene –
Rivelle’s River Grill – had the burger, food was good.  Well informed about celiac disease and cross contamination.  Sat on patio.  Nice ambiance.

Spokane –
Huckleberry’s Natural Market - grocery store with lots of gluten free products 

Seattle –
Café 56 & Elliott’s Oyster House 
~ Café 56 is the walk-up window ~ gluten free indicated on menu with patio seating.
Had the rockfish taco’s… so good!
~ Elliott’s Oyster House is nicer dining with seating inside and outside along the water, Puget Sound.  Had the king salmon and oysters.  Very good!  I think their menu indicated gluten free as well and server was well informed. 

Seattle (Millcreek location) –
China City Restaurant (again a chain restaurant) with gluten free options on menu in the restaurant and server aware of celiac needs
I think I had a salmon dish. The full menu is not online ~ just shows appetizers and desserts.

Seattle (Millcreek) – 
Central Market - grocery store with lot of gluten free products.

MMMMmmmmm I really want to go to Seattle and try that Cafe 56 & Elliott's Oyster Bar - I am a big seafood lover and that restaurant looks amazing with choices.

Thank you Michelle for all the awesome information.  :) 
  

Sorrentino's Gluten Free and a night at the Winspear Centre

My girlfriend Elaine scored us some amazing tickets to go to the Winspear Centre to hear "Time for Three" play with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.

So I thought it fitting that I take my good friend out for a lovely supper before we were to enjoy the music.

Very handy as it is a short walk from the Winspear Centre is Sorrentino's downtown -
I have been here once before to eat and decided this was the perfect place to dine.

I did of course before we went take a look at their downtown menu  and was very encouraged to see the words gluten-free and celiac in plain print.

 I decided when we were there to go with the "Panccheri Frutti di Mare" dish - they made it with a gluten free penne pasta - with shrimps, mussels, calamari in a spicy marinara sauce.  The sauce was not too spicy at all, a slight kick that went so well with all the rich seafood (though the server did mention that the chef could bump up the spice if the diner preferred), and I was so pleased to see that the amount of seafood was in perfect proportion to the pasta.  The whole dish was delicious - and definitely would go on my favourites list for pasta dishes.

Then it was off for a short stroll to the Winspear Centre to an enjoyable evening of musical entertainment.

With the Winspear Centre, the Citadel and the Art Gallery of Alberta all being close by it is a lovely place to have a good meal and then go out for an cultural evening.

Sorrentino's Restaurant - Downtown
10162-100 street
Edmonton, AB
780-424-7500 reservations recommended
can also reserve on Open Table

The Glass Monkey - and our Gluten Free Experience

My friend Michelle picked The Glass Monkey Gastropub as our next dining experience - so she did the due diligence we always do before dining somewhere new - by checking out their knowledge and accommodation of Celiacs dining - gluten free choices and cross contamination issues.  She had the pleasure of emailing with the owner Rob Filipchuk and so off we went on a lovely Thursday evening to try out this Gastropub for the first time.

I was immediately was enticed by the bistro / pub vibe you get when you walk in ... will have to get a picture of the layout next time we go because for sure there will be more dining at The Glass Monkey.  We were offered a choice of seating options - either out on the patio, or at either a higher pub table closer to the bar and the Sports TV's or on the lower tables in the attached dining area.  We decided even though a lovely evening to sit inside at the lower tables ... once the hostess seated us - we were greeted by a very nice man who would be our server for the evening - he took our drink orders and as he was filling these the owner himself Rob came to our table.  Knowing of our reservation and familiar with our gluten free dining needs he proceeded to fill us in on the dining style at the Gastropub (from small plates, tapas to full meal dishes), and advise us of our best options on the menu and what their talented chef and staff could do to other options to make them gluten free.

We started off by sharing a  Charcuterie Board (sorry we dug right in and forgot to take a picture - next time ;)  Which they served to us replacing the crostini with some tasty gluten free seed crackers instead.  
 
I started with a delicious "soup of the day" that day it was a creamy lobster bisque - what a heavenly aroma that was followed by a well simmered taste.   

Michelle ordered the broccoli and I was fortunate enough that she shared!  Delicious - roasted with 
a walnut vinaigrette and sprinkled with Pecorino cheese - I love broccoli but this elevated it!

 


And we both dined on the Fish Tacos for our main dish - I will be going back just for these!  They were amazingly tasty and honestly I could have had more!  

Everything from the atmosphere, friendly vibe to the amazing food will be a good reason I recommend dining here for my friends.  It has a fun Gastropub atmosphere so great for a couple's date to dining out for the evening with friends.  We talked the evening away and they were very gracious to keep refilling our water glasses and letting us ladies chat the evening away - of course they were not as busy as they would be on some of their nights so we did not feel as though we were holding a table, would have been different if they were.  Loved our evening and can't wait to go back and bring our significant others!  They have a Happy Monday Wine night!  Will definitely have to go back and enjoy one of these evenings soon.  

And you can make reservations on Open Table

The Glass Monkey Gastropub
5842-111 Street Northwest 
Edmonton AB T6H 3G1
780.760.2228

Gluten Free Recipes for Thanksgiving and Fall Time

I love love the Fall season, for me it is my favourite season and it brings together so many of my best loved things ... cool, crisp air, colour colour colour of nature, family time sharing delicious meals and just being together ~ Thanksgiving is also my favourite holiday ... in light of that I have been coming across some delicious recipes on my High on Life and Gluten Free Facebook feed that I thought I would share to my site - not only to book mark them for myself but to share with those that may love love love Thanksgiving and fall time fare.  

From Gluten Free on a Shoestring - Nicole Hunn

•  Gluten Free Rum Cake 
• Gluten Free Cream Soups 
• Slow Cooker Gluten Free Chicken & Dumplings 
• Gluten Free Sweet Potato Browned Butter Rolls 
• Quick and easy Gluten Free Apple Dump cake   

From GFE - Gluten Free Easily

• Gluten Free Garlic Cheese Biscuits 
• Gluten Free Banana Maple Nut Muffins 
• Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake
• Seasonal Delicious Hot Beverage Ideas 

From Simply - Gluten Free

•  Gluten Free Quinoa stuffed Acorn Squash 
• Three Bean Chili Gluten Free 
• Gluten Free Hearty Breakfast Casserole 

Others I have found and would love to try:
Better Batter's Gluten Free Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts!  
Celiac Scene posted this awesome link about Gluten Free Pumpkin Dessert recipes!   
Kinnikinnick Fresh Facebook page is full of very delicious recipes as well.
GF and Me - has a fabulous post filled with amazing Thanksgiving and Fall Recipes - check them all out!

So many delicious recipes so little time - I love this time of year and will be on the look out for more of these amazing recipes to add to this post.  Yum makes me want to get into the kitchen and start cooking!  Happy Fall and Happy Thanksgiving!

Solstice Seasonal Cuisine - Gluten Free

Solstice Seasonal Cuisine on 124 Street - 

We had the delightful opportunity to go out with friends and dine at the newer restaurant Solstice ~ and looking forward to going back.  
As they comment in their mission statement - they use fresh local seasonal ingredients so their menu does change throughout the year, to reflect the earth's seasons.

After emailing and then reserving on Open Table - both times noting the gluten free and no cross contamination requirement for dining - we were excited to go and try out this charming restaurant.  I have to say the service was excellent right from the moment we sat down, our server very knowledgeable in our requirements and what the chefs were creating in the kitchen.  And all the delicious plates that came to our table did not disappoint - delicious.
Presentation was eye catching - even the drinks had a special touch.

  

 

These dishes were from their Spring/early Summer menu - and just taking a look at their new menu for the season now - I think it is time for another visit soon. 

Solstice Seasonal Cuisine

10723 124 Street

Edmonton, AB

T5M 0H2

780.488.4567

info@solsticefood.com

Vivo Ristorante - Gluten Free Evening

 

Vivo Ristorante 18352 Lessard Road - We went with another couple - Vivo caters to delicious food made to share ... great evening with amazing food 
~ Fine dining suited to a special evening where the company and food are the focus. ‪#‎glutenfree‬ ‪#‎yegfood‬ ‪#‎yegeats‬ ‪#‎celiac‬

 

Our party all ate gluten free this evening ... and the service was excellent - the manager (when we questioned the olives that came to the table) even delighted us with a great story of how their olives came from Turkey through connections for their restaurant.  

vivo ristorante
Hawkstone Plaza
18352 – Lessard Road
Edmonton, Alberta T6M 2W8
Ph: 780.756.7710
Twitter: @vivoristorante
info@vivoristorante.ca

Block 1912 - A European Cafe

When out in Old Strathcona - Whyte Avenue - we always love to stop by Block 1912 and see what ‪#‎glutenfree‬ goodie we can have with a great cup of coffee or tea latte - this Panacotta did not disappoint. Yum  ‪#‎yegfood‬ ‪#‎coffeeyeg‬ ‪#‎celiac‬ ‪#‎oldstrathcona‬

 

Block 1912

10361 Whyte Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB — T6E 1Z9
780 433 6575

Posting on a Blog - do people read it anymore?

I am an avid instagram poster - which I share on Facebook and Twitter when I post about places that I have eaten at successfully gluten free, and sad to say I have ignored my blog.  I know my Facebook page also shares to my Twitter account ... which it posted on here as well, I am sure I could set it up that way if I were more Tech savvy.  :)

Short blog burbs about the great places we have eaten or products we have tried, it will have to be a 2016 goal now as 2015 is into the fourth quarter.

Do people really even read blogs much anymore?  I know when I do a search on my phone on certain things I still get directed to a blog or two so I just need to figure out how to post on multiple formats at the same time.

So much happens in life - so much happens in my gluten free world - places, experiences, things you learn and question - it is a good thing when we share.

I need to figure out how to get back in the groove of sharing ... life has a way of hitting us off of our good intentions.  And boy does it whip by ... hard to believe my last post was  in 2014 - I thought that had to be wrong.  Sadly no ...

Time to start shoutouts for all the great places we have eaten ... places, experiences, people who do the gluten free right should be praised and thanked - Restaurants that take that little extra special effort to keep us safe should be acknowledged ... this is important - to our health both physically and mentally.

When we can go out with friends and enjoy good food - or sit down with family and share - means so much to all of us.  Sharing gives us all a spark in life.

I promise to share more.

Gluten Free Slow Cooker Recipe Share ...

I really want to start using our slow cooker more ... we have a busy family of three, all working full time and sometimes going in different directions in the evenings ~ as it is I find it a chore some days to think of what to make for supper, as when you get home it is already late.  Only so many times a month you can throw meatloaf on or make chili ... today it was so nice to put a roast into the slow cooker, that had been marinating last night - cover it with just carrots (because I forgot to do potatoes - but that will take a half an hour when I get home) set it and go to work.  Knowing I will have the main part of our meal waiting cooked when we get home. 

To use my slow cooker more I know I need to get a bit more organized ... which is one of my goals this year - for meal times.  I know the reward will be a bit more variety in our suppers, as well as a time saver and less stress when it comes to the nightly "what should we make for supper?".

I came across an awesome helpful site today that I need to share - I know I also want to bookmark this site well for myself as I know I will be referring back to it often. 

Divine Health - from the Inside and Out - Lydia did an amazing post up entitled "80 Gluten Free Slow Cooker Recipes"  - Thank you Lydia. 

I just wanted to share this site - share the wealth of knowledge we do have ...
And I hope to get to some more gluten free slow cooking incorporated into our weekly meals!

Cheers
Sherri

Edmonton Gluten Free Brunch

One meal I absolutely love is BRUNCH ... it may be just because the only time we have brunch or go out for brunch is on weekends or holiday times, so more relaxed not working days.  In any case I love brunch - at home or out ...and in learning to live with Celiac Disease I did not want to give up my love of eating out.  I am thankful I live in an awesome city that many restaurants have taken the requirement of gluten free eating and have done an awesome job in understanding what we require for safe and healthy eating.

I also want to stress that I call these restaurants before hand and talk to usually more than one person to check on the level of knowledge of required (health) gluten free eating - and the cross contamination aspects.  It does not have to be a long drawn out conversation - usually you are put through to someone who is a supervisor of such things and it just takes a few minutes to touch base.  We have gone to a few of these places with a group of 20-25 people - so it is important to me beforehand to do a bit of research and knowledge seeking so that neither my guy or I feel awkward or embarrassed eating out with others.  And when I am at a restaurant I always introduce our requirement by saying "I have celiac disease, so we require safe gluten free meals - can this be accommodated?"  With all the fad diets out there, and people jumping on the gluten free bandwagon because they have been told by some celebrity it will help them lose weight or feel healthier, those in the celiac and gluten intolerant communities need to separate our requirement from these.  I find a few minutes and talking to the right person can lessen the stress and miscommunication, a much better dining experience for both us as the consumer but also for the establishment because we are clear and straightforward with them.

Brings me back to my favourite meal - Brunch - and what options I have tried in and around our city.  I was going to do a separate blog post for each of these Restaurants but seriously my goal is to blog more and more often - so I am actually going to do a little blurb about 7 places we have tried in the last 6 months or so ... to give you a bit of a taste of what is available.  No particular order ...

La Ronde Restaurant - Edmonton's only Revolving Rooftop Restaurant - Chateau Lacombe

 The La Ronde is seriously a treat ... it is an unique experience in that this restaurant is at the top of the Chateau Lacombe and it slowly revolves ... you get an amazing and fantastic view of Edmonton, downtown and as you see in this picture quite a ways away.  I think I will need to go to brunch in the fall again I would love to see the river valley from up there in all it's splendor and color.  As it is a unique experience the brunch is a bit pricey but as you can see from my plate - you do not go hungry.  As usual I did phone ahead and speak to them about brunch - as they serve this buffet style - so honestly there is always a risk that someone may cross contaminate something by using the wrong tongs for a dish.  They do have a chef at the end of the table carving meat and a chef manager at the tables to watch over things - and a lot of the foods are in sections - all salads together, cold items like seafoods and veggies in an area ect.  We were able to get the chef manager go through the dishes with us to give us her extra check on items that we were clear to eat.  And which ones besides the obvious toast and pancakes, we were to steer clear from. 



Johnson's Cafe - Hotel Selkirk - Fort Edmonton Park

They hold brunch at the Selkirk Hotel in a big cafeteria style room - no frills - long wooden tables and chairs - but the food was fabulous.  As was the service.  I did my phone ahead (you usually are wise to book one of the brunch times as it is - they are pretty busy and only have two sit down brunch times each Sunday) - they suggest you do so they can let the chef know that they will have a gluten free dinner attending brunch - menus are set up a bit before time so they can either tweak it a bit to accommodate a gluten free diner - or tell you what kinds of options you likely will have.  When it came time for brunch we went just before the line up and spoke to the supervisor - she lead us through the buffet style set up and showed us exactly what was safe and made gluten free - which honestly was a good 75% of their items.   We also took advantage of the little omelet station that was set up on the side and got a small order to suit your taste omelet that the chef was fixing up.  The food was great and we did not leave hungry - and the brunch was reasonably priced and in addition you get into the Fort Edmonton Grounds for the one price - which is a great deal.  We had a great brunch and got to spend the afternoon at Fort Edmonton for one reasonable price.  

Culina Millcreek 
We have been to the Culina Millcreek location a few times for brunch ... the size of the portions are great, and they are familiar with gluten free eating and cross contamination ... we have tried a couple of the dishes ... consisting of eggs, meat and veggies as shown ... they also have their own gluten free bread that is pretty tasty.  We have booked our brunch dates on Open table, but I have also called in a head of time to convey our gluten free eating requirements.  Always have dealt with knowledgeable and helpful staff who assure us they can accommodate most items on the brunch menu.  Reservations are recommended as it is a cozy sized venue and they can be busy during brunch times.   

Cocoa's Restaurant and Lounge - Downtown Delta Suite

Cocoa's was another brunch location we visited with a group, that serves brunch in a buffet style setting - I did call ahead - especially as we were attending brunch with a group of people, and was assured at that time that they would be able to accommodate gluten free eating - that we could order off their menu if we found the buffet did not suffice.  However - things were a bit different once we arrived, a bit of patience was required as our server knew nothing of my phone call - even though I was told it was written down, so she told us we would have to speak to the floor manager ~ who was busy so it took some time before we could explain again our requirements and then she went through the buffet with us, she suggested at that time that we only take from certain areas - she was worried about the cross contamination - so we could help ourselves to the fruit and seafood sections as they were set off by themselves, and then she asked us what we would like and we ordered new plates that were made up for us from the kitchen.  Eggs, bacon and potatoes - it wasn't anything special but the food was hot and safe, and I admit I think I went a couple times to the seafood table anyway.   


Lazia Restaurant

We went to brunch at Lazia for Kevin's birthday - so this was somewhere new for brunch, though we had been to Lazia before for supper a few times with no issue.  I did call beforehand and was assured we would have no problem, once there we had to educate our wait staff a bit but once we put emphasis on the requirement that the dishes be gluten free - we kept to ordering simple.  The roasted potatoes were very tasty and the seafood omelet that I ordered was fine.  Kevin has simple sunny side up eggs and ham - the portions were average, not as filling with no options for toast.   Perfect if you are just looking to grab a light brunch. 



La Crema Caffe - St. Albert
Another great place to go if you are looking for a light brunch alternative is the La Crema Caffe in St. Albert - they make their own little gluten free quiche and sausage rolls, and have awesome choices like breakfast bagels.  They have their own designated cooler cabinet filled with all sorts of yummy gluten free delights ... from muffins to squares ... if you would like a bite to go with your flavoured coffee or tea.   Their melt in your mouth tasty quiche always brings me back to have a light lunch or brunch here, it is a bit pricey - but the products are made gluten free and the service is always friendly.  A great place to head in for a light lunch or a coffee with a friend.  

La Boheme - In the Historic Highlands District

La Boheme is set in the historic Highlands district ... after we had brunch we took a walk through the residential area around the restaurant and marveled at the beautiful homes built here ... from the early 1900's.  The restaurant itself is in a historic site - the Gibbard Block that was built in 1912 ... for brunch ... we picked a couple items off the menu that once we spoke to our waitress we assured could be made gluten free ...

Kevin had the Boeuf et Oeuf - steak with peppercorn sauce and eggs dish, and mine was a seafood dish - Saumon - Le Vol au Vent - minus the puff pastry - salmon, asparagus, and mushrooms in a bechamel sauce- both had fresh potato chips that were delicious.  There also was a pasty (not gluten free), cheese and fruit cart that we were able to start with some fresh fruit before our entrees arrived.

So we have enjoyed a gluten free meal at all these different brunch establishments in and around Edmonton ... as always you should always call ahead of your meal and touch base with the management ahead of your reserved brunch time, especially if you are attending brunch with a group of people.  A little heads up makes a more pleasant dining experience for yourself and for the wait staff.

I would love for others to share some great brunch places that they have also found in and around the City ... So where have you had brunch lately that deserves a gluten free thumbs up shout out?!!

Cheers
Sherri

A Few Thoughts ...

Last year brought a lot of change to our lives ... some sad and tragic and some amazing and wonderful - a roller coaster year that by the end of it I was exhausted mentally and struggling physically.  I put my efforts in staying sane (ha some would say I did not quite meet that goal ;) and to calm the stormy waters so that I could tread water and see in which direction I needed to go ...
I dove deeper into my creative side - which I had kind of put mostly on a shelf and looked at the 2014 year of one of rebuilding, learning, and change - and this year we have started a bit rough, in sad news about more family but I am hoping on an overall picture a year of more positive change. 

This year I decided - through my creative side - to join the community that choose a WORD for the year - this is something that is trending under the "One Little Word" title  - and it took me a good long while to really choose a word that I could work with, work for, and use with my need to have a rebuilding year - I chose ACTION.  I am an avid reader and researcher - nothing more I like to do than if I hear of something I am not familiar with, or learning a concept, technique, style or thought I am unfamiliar with to go and look for more information.  I have found the internet to really be such a vast source of amazing information, and I appreciate this tool we have today to be able to sit and at any time that is convenient for US to expand our knowledge ... it is just amazing.

It also can be a bit overwhelming ... I found in some cases in my life it caused me to reach and try to grab a hold of too many thoughts, ideas and opinions - to the point where it became hard to distinguish what I wanted to focus on in life - especially when we had some personal family tragedies that changed the way I look at life now ... period.  I wanted to do so much ... wanted to aspire to be like others that I admire so much ~ and felt frustration with my life, with my days, with who I was.  It was time to step back and take a chill pill ... seriously ... and stop aspiring to BE like others - and start really taking a look at myself ... and putting all the reading and thinking to use in getting where I could "START" - just need a start line - in living more as ME.  :)

I needed to think about my word, who I am at this point - what some of my goals were ... and I realized that it is certainly the perfect word for me this year -
"ACTION".  To take a lot of what I have learned, experienced, and items I have made tonnes of lists on - to do something with all that.  I needed ACTION behind the thought.

One of the "headings" on my list (because I always start with a list no matter what I do) under my word ACTION - is Blogging.  I realized in my time of becoming so overwhelmed with "life" I stopped connecting and blogging in the way I wanted and needed to.  I would come to my Gluten Free Blog and freeze ... the words were not there, I had nothing to say, so I would say nothing.  That did not stop me from living, going to restaurants, trying new products, having experiences every day as a woman living with Celiac Disease in this world today - I just lost my words because I had overwhelmed myself with what "I thought I should be" instead of who and what I want to be.  

I realize part of my issue was thinking I had to come in here and write up a magazine style review of everything I experience in my everyday life.  It makes me shake my head that it took complete exhaustion of life to make me see I just needed to simplify things and be me - with what I have to share and be content with sharing more than sharing MUCH.  

A big part of my 2014 goal and in using the word ACTION and applying it - is just blogging MORE, not feeling that it has to be perfect or lengthy, just share tidbits that I have seen or experienced.  There are many bloggers out there that are amazing and have so much more detailed content and I honestly follow them all the time ... I am not them and I encourage everyone to use many sources when looking up gluten free advice, tidbits, recipes, restaurant and shopping reviews, and heartfelt discussions on living Gluten Free and how to do it.  I have provided some great links to some of these sites on the side of my page ... go and look ... follow and read.  So much talent and heartfelt caring out there in our Gluten Free world.

Me ... I am just going to share a little glimpse into my world and what I am and have experienced and I hope I am a little part of what you may find helpful in your day to day life living gluten free and learning to LOVE it.

Cheers,
Sherri  :)