Dear blogger friends,
I am terribly embarrassed by my lack of posts. Here we are in February 2011 and the last time I fed your appetite for information was August 2010! I will do my best to catch up with you, including posting a pizza sauce recipe that I made at the end of the summer with homegrown tomatoes. I took lots of pictures and as soon as I can pull them off the camera for you I'll get that out.
As for today...
This post finds me in the middle of my breakfast. I stopped by the new Food4Less on Western Avenue and Route 30 (worth checking out) and browsed for a while to get a sense of the place. My main curiosity involved whether or not they had a gluten free section, and if the prices were competitive. I took some looking, I but I found it, tucked in the area with seasonal items on one side and soy milk on the other.
I was pleasantly surprised that while the section was small, the prices were fairly good. I got a box of Glutenfreeda Apple Cinnamon with flax instant oatmeal for $3.88 while I usually see it at least $3.99, but usually over $4.00. On the way home, my stomach grumbled and I imagined what my first bite of oatmeal in a year and a half might be like. Would it be chalky like some instant oatmeal? Overly sweet with artificial flavors? Thick and paste-like or a nice blend of clumpy oats and creaminess? (At this point you might be asking why was at Food4Less so early today, if you've been paying attention to the timeline. As it happens, I took a friend to the airport at 3:30 this morning and made it back into the area around 5:30. Since they just opened, and we had no milk, I decided to wait for 6 to have a look)
Before making the oatmeal, I preheated the oven to 350°F and put in two slices of Udi's GF White Sandwich Bread to toast for a few minutes. While my bread toasted, I added the water to the oatmeal, following the packet directions, which call for ½ cup of boiling water for each packet. I had two, like I said, I've been waiting for breakfast since around 3:30 a.m..... I let the oatmeal fully absorb the water before adding 2T of half and half, spreading my toast with unsalted butter and gearing up for a delicious breakfast.
My somewhat anxious musing did not prepare me for the understated flavor and wonderful consistency of this quick and easy breakfast. While not something I'll eat on a daily basis as I can get make breakfast more cheaply each day, I will definitely buy more. (A quick check of amazon.com's gluten free grocery section shows it to be fairly equal pricewise, so no sense in waiting for it to be shipped)
While we're talking breakfast, did you hear about Post Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles? They are now labeled gluten free! While there is some disagreement over whether their verification process is good enough, Post asserts they "followed a gluten free validation procedure that included certification from all ingredient suppliers, outside laboratory testing of all ingredients, testing the production line, and outside laboratory testing of the finished product. In addition, Post has instituted process controls to ensure there is no cross-contact with gluten containing products." (taken from an email cited in that last link).
Not being a scientist, medical doctor or nutritionist, I can only tell you what I have experienced. I have gone through two boxes of Fruity Pebbles since they went gluten free, and have had no apparent symptoms. Personally, I feel that a company like Post would not risk it's reputation if it had not covered all the bases, but use your own discretion when deciding whether to eat this cereal or feed it to your gf child.
Another great breakfast option which I regularly enjoy are Van's WF GF Waffles. You make them in the oven, so they take a little more prep time, but they come out just right and are well worth the wait. 400°F for 10 minutes give you golden, crispy waffles just like you'd get from Eggos or other toaster waffles. If you lack a waffle iron, patience for making homemade waffles or time to do it, this is definitely the next best thing.
I feel somewhat better about my long absence after filling you up with so much information today, while it was only product reviews, I hope it helps, and will be getting back to recipes and meal evaluations soon. Happy eating!
Peace, love and (gf)cupcakes,
Meaghan
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