Animal Kingdom: Tusker House Breakfast

On the fourth day of our Disney Adventure we went to Animal Kingdom and started out our day at the Tusker House Breakfast Buffet. After my experience at the Crystal Palace I was interested to see how this buffet would compare. Overall, I was pleased with the experience but there were less choices than at the Crystal Palace.

Once again, I was greeted by the chef who took me around the buffet and showed me various items I could eat. There were some authentic African dishes (In the picture everything but the eggs and bacon are an authentic dish - I don't remember what they were though, sorry) that I could have along with the regular scrambled eggs, etc.

The chef did let me know that they could make me my own waffles and there were donuts and muffins that I could have as well. The donuts and muffins were fairly dry  (I'm pretty sure they weren't homemade) but the waffles were delicious and I loved that they were in the shape of Mickey's face! :)

Overall, I was pretty happy with my experience at the Tusker House. My favorite dish was the homemade waffles. The food was good but my favorite buffet was still the Crystal Palace. I would still recommend going  to the Tusker House though - it was pretty cool to have some authentic food choices and the atmosphere was pretty exciting as well. They offer lunch and dinner but the breakfast is the only character meal offered at the Tusker House. it was fun to have Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy & Goofy  dressed in safari attire, walking around and greeting you at your table (just like the Winnie The Pooh Characters).

Disney Eating Day Two: Ohana

On our second day at Disney we spent the day at Hollywood Studios but we had decided we wanted to try one of the restaurants at a resort. My sister had heard good things about O'hana at the Polynesian Resort - so we figured we'd give it a try!
O'hana is a place where they basically serve you meat. They have giant skewers of chicken, pork, beef and shrimp that they bring around and put onto your plate.  Make sure you come hungry to this one! :)

When we arrived at O'hana we were once again greeted with the ticket that was labeled "ALLERGY" and they also had a flower from a lei placed on the table to note which plate or person had an allergy. The waitress also noted that the CHEF would be out to let me know what I was able to have. There was less that I could eat at O'hana but it was still a very special experience and it was still plenty of food! The chef let me know I couldn't have the chicken or the pork or the wings because of the teriyaki sauce used but she made me MY OWN wings with a different sauce.

As we began to stuff ourselves with meat that was amazingly delicious I began to notice other tables with this bread pudding dessert. I knew of course that I was not going to be able to have the dessert but then came the best surprise of all!

Not only had the chef made me own special wings but she made me MY OWN special dessert, a flourless chocolate cake that was to die for! I don't think I have ever tasted anything so good in my life. No longer did the bread pudding look good - my dessert was better.

 After eating the whole thing and basically licking my plate clean I could have eaten another one. This was by far my favorite dessert of the the trip and I still crave that chocolate cake!

One cool thing about eating at a resort is that you get wander the grounds after dinner. I not only highly recommend eating at O'hana but the grounds are beautiful! It is built right on the lake and has its own beach that looks over into Magic Kingdom where you can see Cinderella's Castle.

  

After two very special meals at Disney I already felt like a princess - something that doesn't happen very often while eating out and being gluten free. I couldn't wait to see what the next dining experiences had in store for me! :)

Eating at Magic Kingdom: The Crystal Palace

I love to travel and I have a goal to be able to travel the world someday.  Being gluten free it can be intimidating to try to find places that I can eat at. I heard that Disney World was one of the best places to eat GF. I had been to Disney before but never did much research or tried different places to see if what I heard was correct. It wasn't until my sister turned 30 in December 2011 and wanted to do something special for her birthday that we actually looked into the options.  In February (2012) we went someplace she had never been before, Disney World! She did most of the research and found different places for us to try.

Since Disney is such a magical place and I had some amazing gluten free experiences, I decided that this next week I'm dedicating my blogs to my favorite restaurants and experiences in Disney World.

The first day we were in Orlando we went to Magic Kingdom and ate lunch at the Crystal Palace where it was a buffet style lunch and the Winnie the Pooh Characters came around and greeted you while you ate.
What could be more exciting!?! :) Based on my previous experiences with restaurants I wasn't really expecting anything special with the buffet. Maybe a few items here or there that I could eat but boy was I in for a surprise!



When you make reservations online there is a special place where you can indicate if there will be people with special dietary issues - gluten free being one of them. So when we arrived at the Crystal Palace, Disney had already indicated on our ticket with a stamp that said "ALLERGY" in bright red letters to let the waitress know that I was going to need assistance. Once seated the waitress told me that the chef, yes the CHEF, would be out to show me around the buffet to let me know what I could eat. Well, I thought this was the coolest thing ever!! I had never been anywhere where the head chef personally came out to show or tell you what was good for you to eat. I felt so special instead of feeling weird and like a nuisance.

As the chef took me around the buffet he kept pointing to more and more items that I could have! For once I  wasn't sitting at the table secretly coveting everyone else's food! :) I ended up having a plate FULL of delicious surprising foods that I could eat - Salmon, mashed potatoes, fruit salad and a delicious cornbread stuffing/casserole!

Then for dessert I had the option of choosing gluten free cookies (I did find that sometimes the cookies were brands I already knew and could buy myself but at least they had the option) and a brownie. Of course I chose the brownie since I could get the cookies at home. It was small but rich, gooey and overall pretty good! 

Having the Crystal Palace as my first gluten free experience at Disney World set the stage for the rest of the week. I was excited to see what other places / dining experiences had to offer me instead of feeling apprehensive about what I was going to be able to eat. Besides being able to hug Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet made for a pretty awesome lunch atmosphere! (Can you tell I work with children?)

  

  

Gluten-Free Cornbread Stuffing

To me Thanksgiving equals stuffing (or dressing).  I don't think about turkey - bah - I think about the stuffing.  My Grandma's stuffing is legendary in our family.  After trial and error we've been able to make our own gluten-free stuffing that isn't dry and gritty.  It tastes just like Grandma's from when I was a kid.

One of the challenges with gluten-free stuffing is trying to avoid a dry stuffing.  In order to compensate for the gluten-free bread add more moisture - this can come from vegetables, butter, and chicken stock. Don't be afraid to add more chicken stock - just avoid creating a soup :)

This recipe can be modified a variety of different ways to suit your tastes.  The amounts are approximate.

- 1 pan of cornbread - From GF-Cornbread (see blog posting:  Cornbread:  A stuffing staple)
- 2 cups of gf-bread of your choice (I tend to pick a flavored bread like pecan or whole wheat)
- 1 large onion
- 1 cup celery
- 3 hard boiled eggs
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons butter (it's Thanksgiving - use REAL butter!) :)
- 1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste)
- 1 tsp thyme (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon rubbed sage (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 4 cups chicken stock

- Cut cornbread and gf-bread into approximately 1 inch squares
- Coarsely chop the hard-boiled eggs
- Lightly beat 2 eggs
- Lightly saute celery and onion in butter on the stove - until softened
- Combine cornbread, gf-bread, celery, onion, hard-boiled eggs, seasonings, 2 beaten eggs, and 2 cups of chicken stock until well incorporated.  If mixture seems a bit dry add more chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time
- Spoon into an greased 11x13 pan
- Pour at least 1 cup of chicken stock over the top - all sections should be moist
- Cook for 30min in a 350 degree oven
- Enjoy!

Tips and Modifications:
    - If you don't like hard-boiled eggs remove them and add a little more onion and celery
    - Feel free to add mushrooms if desired
    - Cranberries, pecans, or walnuts can also be good - but compensate with a bit more butter and stock
    - Spices can be added and subtracted to taste - Rubbed sage and thyme are my two favorites so I always use them.  You could also use - sage, parsley, or other personal favorites

Watch for the video of this recipe coming next week!

Cornbread Recipe: A Stuffing Staple

As we get closer to Thanksgiving, it can be scary to think about "What can I eat??" Stuffing has always been one of my favorites at Thanksgiving (be watching for that recipe later in the week) but to start out the stuffing our recipe calls for cornbread. The recipe that I use I once again don't remember where I found it - the internet again probably - but it is a great recipe for when you make stuffing or on the side with a warm bowl of chili.

Ingredients:

1/4lb (1stick) butter
2/3 C sugar
2 eggs
1 C buttermilk  *Helpful Tip*-- If you don't have buttermilk take 1 cup of milk + 1 Tablespoon vinegar OR lemon juice and let stand for 10 minutes before using in the recipe
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 C cornmeal
1 C Domata flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Time to get Cooking!

First, melt the butter over the stove. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in sugar.

Quickly add eggs and beat.

In a smaller bowl, combine buttermilk and baking soda. Mix well and then stir into mixture.

Stir in cornmeal, flour & salt. Blend together.

Pour into a greased baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Should be golden brown and delicious!

Cheesy Potato Soup Recipe

It's getting to be that time of the year, it's getting darker sooner and supposed to be getting chillier. I know I look forward to this time of year because it's when I can start making my hearty, belly warming dinners. One of my favorite's to make is my cheesy potato soup. I unfortunately don't remember where I got the recipe from - probably the internet - but I have added a couple of things to spice it up a bit.

Ingredients:
4 cups sliced potatoes (I used red potatoes and I usually boil 9 of them) (6 for the soup base and 3 for added texture)
2 cup water
2 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
parsley
1 cup grated cheese
2 tablespoon butter
Bacon (I added this because bacon makes everything tastier! Also, I used Farmland applewood smoked bacon)

Time To Make Some Soup!

Boil Potatoes and reserve the water.

While the potatoes are cooking, cook bacon and then crumble bacon into bite size pieces.

Once potatoes are done, place 3 cooked potatoes, 1 cup of potato water and parsley in a blender. Puree until smooth.

Repeat with 3 more potatoes and 1 cup of water, Puree.

The first time I made this soup, it seemed runny so we decided to add chunks of potatoes. So chop up the remaining 3 potatoes into chunks and set aside. 

Return pureed potato mixture to pot and add milk, stir continuously.

 Add cheese, butter, seasonings, bacon & chopped up potatoes. Heat until cheese is melted and soup is hot. DO NOT BOIL. Thin with extra water if necessary.

Finally, as always, it's time to enjoy! You can serve with some extra shredded cheese sprinkled over the top of the soup.

Where to buy?! - Mama Jeans

When looking for where to buy gluten-free food a good place to start is your local health food store.  You'll often find a good selection and knowledgeable workers.  Plus, you can be helping out your local economy!

I live in Springfield, MO and here we have "Mama Jean's Natural Market".  They have 2 locations - one of which is about a 10-15min drive from my house.

I have to say - I was VERY impressed by what I found!  The store had a neat atmosphere to it, like a local cafe.  I was amazed at the selection.  The store is geared towards natural products - so lots of organic, locally grown, vegan, and other alternative diets.

My first stop was the pasta section: 

They carried a wide range of brands and types of gluten-free pasta.  Corn, rice, brown-rice, quinoa, you name it, it was probably there!  All at reasonable prices.

Second stop was the soup section.  I was surprised to find most Campbell's and Progresso soups have gluten in them - even tomato soup!

This soup was one of my exciting finds.  A gluten-free cream of chicken soup!!  Cream of chicken soup is a very common ingredient in recipes.  It's used in most casseroles and quick oven foods.  I haven't tried this brand yet - but this is the first soup I've been able to find.

Their baked goods section was very impressive.  Lots of gluten-free mixes and flours.  Brands like: Namaste, Bob's Red Mill, Gluten-Free Pantry, Pamela's and many more.

The best gluten-free flour mix!  At an amazing price.  This same bag at Hy-vee was $12.39 on sale.

So.... how did Mama Jean's stack up in my three important categories?

     - Selection:  Great overall selection - pastas, soups, crackers, cookies, mixes, breads - pretty much anything you could need or want to eat gluten-free.  The only disappointment was they did not have Udi's brand loafs of bread.

     - Price:  This was my biggest concern going on and my biggest surprise.  Their prices were comparable to Walmart and Hyvee.  For some items they were actually cheaper!

     - Convenience - Their south side location is a few minute drive from my typically grocery store and not far from my house.  So, I could shop here easily without having to drive a long ways.

Overall, I was very surprised and pleased with Mama Jean's.  Friendly people, clean store, good selection, good prices, a great place for me to get my needed gluten-free foods.  Plus, they have a loyalty program that lets me earn a $5 coupon for every $100 I spend - every little bit makes a difference!

If you live in Springfield, Mo - I would strongly recommend Mama Jean's!

My Favorite Restaurant: Pei Wei

One of the hardest foods for me to give up when I went gluten free was Chinese. I can remember as a child always going to Hunan's and ordering sweet and sour chicken with some egg drop soup. Yum! But being gluten free it is so hard to eat Chinese because most things are breaded and if they aren't breaded you really have to watch what is in the sauces they use (specifically the soy sauce).

I went through times where I would just crave Chinese food! Then I heard that PF Changs had a gluten free menu. So of course I had to try it out - and it was delicious. I finally got to have some Kung Pow Chicken and their lettuce wraps were amazing too. The only problem was it was so expensive. It became our special occasion place - such as it's my birthday, lets to go Pf Changs!

Then I heard about another place called Pei Wei. It is actually a sister restaurant of PF Changs but it is a little more casual making it not as expensive. When you walk in the menu is actually hanging from signs next to you and then you order at a counter, find your seat and they will bring your food out to you.

Once I tried Pei Wei - I was hooked! They have a pretty decent amount of options for gluten free - check it out at Pei Wei Gluten-Free Menu - my personal favorite is the sweet and sour chicken. Chunks of tender chicken, green peppers, onions, sweet pineapple, brown OR white sauce covered in a delicious sauce. It has definitely satisfied my craving!

For those who are like me and crave Chinese food - I would highly recommened finding a Pei Wei in your area. In Kansas City there are only two and they are both south of the river (which makes me sad). One is off Metcalf & 95th St and the other is off 119th & Quivera. It's definitely worth the drive. I think if there was one North of the river, I'd be in big trouble. I'd want to eat there practically everyday! :)

Where to buy gluten-free food?!

Before I could figure out WHAT to buy - I had to first figure out WHERE to buy it!

Fortunately, gluten-free foods are easier to find than they used to be.  When my Grandma was diagnosed in the early 90's we had to drive 45min away to a little health food store to find food for her.

There are a variety of places that sell gluten-free foods today.  You might even be able to find what you need in your current grocery store.  Since it's the beginning of the month it's time for me to go grocery shopping.  I'm going to be comparing the various stores in my town to find the best place to get my gluten-free foods.

Your choices are going to depend on where you live.  I live in Springfield, MO - a medium sized town.  We have an average amount of choice - Walmart, Hy-vee, Mama Jeans (a local health food store), Dillons, and Price Cutter.  In Kansas City, MO (where Courtney lives) - there is a Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.  I'm going to be visiting all of them for comparison.

There are 3 major things I'm looking for:  selection, price, and convenience.

    - Price:  Gluten-free food tends to be more expensive then traditional foods.  I want to get the most bang for my buck and I want to try to not break my grocery budget.

   - Selection: There are more options for gluten-free food than one might think.  Some brands are better than others.  I want as much choice as I can get.

   - Convenience:  I (like most people) am very busy.  I don't want to have to visit 3 or 4 different stores just to save a $1 or get a few items.  I want to maximize my time.

I'm excited to do some exploration and see what gluten-free foods I might find!