A Happy Tummy In Paris and London Too : )

Paris. That's right the one place that contains some of the most amazing breads, cheeses, and other gluten/dairy-filled confections that smell good enough for any gluten/dairy intolerant person to give into stomach pains and sickness for just one little smidgeon of a bite. This is where I found myself earlier this month. Paris and London in the spring time with my mama and sister for our Girls Euro Trip 2011 was torture for my senses, from sight to smell to touch, all my senses tingling with desire to delve into une grande baguette de pain avec beaucoup de délicieux fromage fondu (aka a big baguette with lots of delicious melted cheese). However, not wanting to be hotel bed/foreign hospital bound for the trip I did not give in.

Luckily, Paris was one of the most food allergy friendly places I have had to pleasure to stroll around. Not only did they provide some of the most delicious haricots verts (green beans), other veggie and fruit salads/plates, and my personal favorite pomme frites (french fries), but Paris also had a whole grocery store food chain (Naturalia; Website) devoted to natural/allergy friendly foods. I had amazing gluten free rolls, madelines, and dairy free hazelnut cocoa spread along with the best fruit gummies I have ever had and am still craving. 

My morning started with a lovely fruit spread with perhaps some gf bread and spread, lunch/snacks were gf rolls and gummies, and we always ended our Paris days at a picturesque Paris cafe/restaurant where we always opted to sit outside and people watch while enjoying fresh perfectly cooked veggies and pomme frites.

Did I mention the wine? Both gluten free and dairy free I filled up on it! The restaurants/cafes all had impeccable wine selections that never disappointed and we even found a few amazing wine stores. One, Lavinia (Website), absolutely breathtaking...wall to wall floor to ceiling, multi level wine store with staff happy to help silly American girls not familiar with the wine lingo. 



Another we stumbled upon while walking through one of the Paris markets. Nysa (Website) was much smaller and more compact than Lavinia, but it still offered some of the best wine I have found, at a more discounted price. From 4 to 6 euro for the least expensive, I had plenty of bottles to bring back with me : )

London was a little more difficult allergy friendly food wise. It didn't have the same type of breads and cheese temptations that I had to contend with in Paris, but it also had much less in terms of gluten free, dairy free options. However, they still had lots of stores that sold bananas and a variety of chips (aka french fries) to munch on. I also still had some left over bread, rolls, and gummies from Naturalia in Paris to satisfy my hunger. The first pub we visited, the Rose & Crown, boasted that it had the best British pub food around. Not one to take things at face value (ahem) I just had to try the chips just to be sure. They did not disappoint and I even had a nice glass of wine to go along with it : )

We found similar results at the other pubs we stopped at, including my personal favorite, The Sherlock Holmes (Website). It was everything and more that I expected from a traditional British pub.

A nice surprise came in the form of the Notting Hill Markets on Portobello Road. The street was not only lined on both sides with antiques, books, and other sweet knick knacks (including an adorable Paddington Bear that I very quickly bought) but also had venders selling some of the most vibrate and fresh looking fruits and veggies. They honestly were picturesque enough to make a meat loving carnivore's mouth instantly water.

All in all it was an amazing trip and I literally started to tear up when I knew it was over. I was fortunate enough to not only take this once in a lifetime trip with my mama and big sister, but also to enjoy the culinary specialties that each place was famous for in one way or another and leave with a very happy belly : )

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Peanut Butter in My Belly : )

In my constant search for healthy, delicious, tummy friendly foods I have stumbled across a few gems that I can see myself one, buying the company out of their product and two, guarding with my life for life. Thus is the case with the Peanut Butter & Co peanut butter. They not only have an adorable monkey as their mascot and a store front in New York City that has a menu containing sandwich such as the "Fluffernutter" which they describe as "Peanut butter on one side and gobs of Marshmallow Fluff spread on the other. It's heaven," but they also sell their products nation wide online and in select stores.


I was lucky enough to stumble upon this during one of my many slow meanders through Whole Foods (which as i'm sure you've derived is one of my favorite past times). Perusing the peanut butter aisle (also my favorite aisle next to the wine one) I stopped right quick when I say the monkey on the jar. I'm sure I did a little dance when I read the label that had, in a straight row, "Vegan, Gluten Free, No-Stir Natural." To make it better, the flavors that they had were/are to die for! There was Smooth Operator (a lower calorie smooth natural peanut butter), Dark Chocolate Dreams (the all natural peanut butter mixed with dark chocolate), White Chocolate Wonderful (all natural peanut butter mixed with yummy white chocolate), and my personal favorite amazingly delicious Cinnamon Raisin Swirl. When I say amazingly delicious, I mean can't stop eating, one whole jar in a sitting (yes I have done this) yummy. It honestly goes with anything and everything from apples, to cookies, to bananas, to finger dipping directly to mouth action. And yes, I've done that too : )

This company is soooo great my sister and I even got together and got our mama a gift pack for mothers day which included jams, the main favorite flavors of peanut butters, and a Peanut Butter & Co cookbook. All this and they support the Peanuts' franchise? What more could you want : )

Peanut Butter & Co Website

Birthday Dinner at Gratzi

Birthdays since I went dairy free have been trying, but still manageable with delicious sorbet and my Nana's Fudgey Cake. However, my first birthday after being both gluten and dairy free was less than enjoyable in the food department. The restaurant that we went was one of the best pizza places around, but only offered melon balls for a gluten/dairy free option. So I left starving.


Luckily, this year was sooo much better. Picture this...chunky tomatoes and mushrooms, tomato/basil/garlic sauce, with soft gluten free pasta...heaven on a plate! Pair that with a yummy white wine and you have what I had for my birthday dinner at Gratzi. Not only was the food a-maz-ing but the service was some of the best I've had. The waiter was quick, attentive, and very friendly leading to an overall awesomely awesome birthday experience.

Ending the night back at my apartment with homemade gluten free dairy free fudgey raspberry cake made by my sweet mama + the Sleeping Beauty dvd from my sissy and you have one of the best birthdays to date : )

Gratzi Website

Cookbooks: The Christmas Presents That Keep On Giving : )

Christmas morning was epic this year. Not only did I come downstairs to a present filled family room, but every gift that I unwrapped was amazing and something that I wanted/will come in crazy handy. Two of the gifts that I received from my mama and dad were cookbooks. Now these were not just any cookbooks but awesomely amazing cookbooks that will make me oh so fat lol.


The first one happens to be a Gluten-Allergy friendly cookbook that looks sa-weeet! Titled Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef and written by Shauna James Ahern (the gluten-free girl*) and Daniel Ahern (the chef), the book is "a love story with 100 tempting recipes." I was particularly excited about getting this cookbook because another book written by Shauna James Ahern, Gluten-Free Girl: How I Found the Food That Loves Me Back...& How You Can, Too, got me through my first few months of being gluten-free and taught me how to not only cope with the diagnosis, but how to still go out in the world and live and eat with the allergy and without gluten. She, truly, got me through some of the toughest times when I felt incredibly frustrated (I would definitely recommend this fyi).

Along with the many yummy recipes in the cookbook, Shauna includes stories about her family and shopping experiences. Not only is it an excellent cookbook but an interesting read as well with fun pictures : )










The second cookbook that I got, although not allergy friendly in the least, looks absolutely delicious! Tartine is a cookbook centered around the Tartine Bakery in San Fransisco, CA. It is written and compiled by Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson and "includes all the basic recipes from the renowned Tartine Bakery the couple founded in 2002: breakfast pastries, cakes, tarts, cookies, and savory items as well." Simply flipping through the cookbook made my mouth instantly! I cannot wait to try out some of these recipes, even though I will have to make gluten and dairy substitutions. In fact, I am making Devil's Food Layer Cake for my mama's birthday on the first! Whoot whoot!! : )

*Gluten-Free Girl's Blog

Christmas Day Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Amazingness!

Every year Christmas morning breakfast is the most amazing, epic, delicious meal of the year. From the coffee cakes, pancakes, cinnamon french toast, waffles, and challah bread, to the whipped cream it is a gluten-ous, dairy filled mine field (for me at least lol). This year, I decided that I would not miss out! With my Cooking for Isaiah recipe book in hand my sissy, mama, and I went to work planning some Stephanie/Food Allergy friendly foods.

Blueberry-Lemon Sourdough Pancakes

After sifting through the yummy breakfast options, we decided to make Blueberry-Lemon Sourdough Pancakes (yum!) and Penny's Apple-Brown Sugar Coffee Cake (double yum!). Jenni took charge of the pancakes and I made the coffee cake. The pancakes went swimmingly and Jenni had them done and ready to go in a snap! The coffee cake, after a bit of a hiccup in batter thickness, went a bit slower but was a ton of fun to make (mostly because I got to lick the bowl and spoon that was covered in brown-sugary deliciousness!).

When we sat down at the table, it was covered in plates pilled with sausage (yuck), bacon (poor piggys), awesome fruit (strawberries, bananas, and blueberries oh my!), challah bread french toast (not tummy friendly but my nose greatly appreciated the scent), the blueberry-lemon sourdough pancakes, and two kinds of coffee cake (my mama's and the apple-brown sugar coffee cake). I was in heaven : )

Penny's Apple-Brown Sugar Coffee Cake

I immediately grabbed three blueberry pancakes with a smidgen of light syrup, blueberries, and strawberries and dug in. From the first bite of the pancake, I knew they would have to be a recurring breakfast staple. I, first, got the taste and smell of the subtle lemon, which was followed by a burst of blueberry...it was awesome!

The coffee cake, due to be thoroughly stuffed from the massive breakfast, I saved for my lunch (healthy right?). It was soft, warm, sweet and had a slight bite from the apple slices...in a word it was euphoric.

Stormy Night Genius Mac & Cheese

Dinner was a throw back to one of my personal favorites, Stormy Night Genius Mac & Cheese with spinach and tomatoes. I was soooo stuffed and it was bellissimo!

Amici's Pizza-Berkley, MI aka Heaven on 12 Mile : )

My big sissy, always knowledgeable of the best hotspots, has been telling me we had to go to Amici's restaurant in Berkley. Not only do they have many Vegan offerings and a huge variety of delicious and creative martini's, but they also have gluten free pizza! They describe themselves as: "a comfortable place to meet friends, enjoy a gourmet pizza and relax- just like in your own living room or patio. Beer, wine, spirits and martinis are served in a casual neighborhood setting" and I couldn't agree more! A certified green restaurant, Amici's was named MetroTimes Best of 2010 Gourmet Pizza and it is easy to see, smell, and definitely taste why.

Walking up to the cozy restaurant you see an enchanting little garden patio area (that I am sure will be AWESOME come summer time) and twinkle lights all over the outside. You enter into an equally as cozy and warm looking restaurant/bar combo with a bohemian vibe. I was immediately in heaven.

After browsing their extensive martini offerings, I opted to try one that was made with lemon and blueberry flavored liqueur and had blueberries floating on top and at the bottom. It was...in a word: Divine!
When it came time to eat, I went for the build your own pizza option and made a 12-in pizza with gluten free crust, Tofu Mozzarella, basil, and tomato slices. To drink, since my martini was sadly gone, I went for the RedBridge gluten free beer...that's right, this allergy girl had her first pizza and beer experience! I now know why this combination is so celebrated and recommended...it's a-mazing!!
As for the pizza, I could not have been more satisfied. The cheese was melty, the crust was crispy, and the ingredients were as fresh as can be. I, again was in heaven.
When the time came to leave, I reluctantly got up to go...vowing that I would come back before too long.
Jenni, Paul, Drew, and I are totally doing dinner/drinks there next Tuesday : )


Amici's Website with Menu and Location Information as well as other cool tidbits

Stoved Popped Finals Food

As it 'tis the season for jolly happy Christmas songs and yummy Christmas inspired foods, it is also a more sinister time of year, a time that brings great sadness, frustration, and sleep-less nights for college students around the country: Finals time. That's right, finals season is upon us and with it comes stress eating/study eating for many a student, including chips, chocolate, cookies, ice cream, and various other non-allergy friendly foods. What is a Gluten/Dairy Allergic student to do you ask? I have the perfect, healthy, non-calorie/fat filled solution: Stove-Popped Popping-Corn.* This delicious snack, at a whopping 100 calories per 4 cups popped, can be made in a matter of minutes (providing a small, but most likely much needed study break) and does not leave you wanting, broke, or fatter. I make mine and add either I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray Butter and a smidge of salt, or for a sweeter option, spray "butter" and cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top...this truly does the trick and does not disappoint. Want proof? I am not fatter (I hope), used little $$, and passed all of my classes...yay!!

*See Recipes Page for Instructions/Ideas for Stove-Popped Popping-Corn