Sunday, November 29, 2015

Culvers

On the 14th of this month, I was informed by my sister in laws friend that her husband eats at CULVERS all of the time and he himself has Celiacs Disease and has had no adverse reactions from eating there. Even through the news was both exciting and promising, I was nervous and hesitant to give them a try (do you blame me?). We pulled up to the Culvers in Rochester Minnesota and it was then that  I decided to give this restaurant a try. I  was told to inform the person behind the register that this is for a Gluten Allergy, even though you and I know Celiacs is more than just an allergy. I told them I needed a gluten free bun and I would also like to include the mashed potatoes and green beans (as their fries are apparently not gluten free). The person behind the register totally understood everything I had to say, even went as far as to ask me how severe the allergy was to gluten, giving me the opportunity/chance to tell her I have Celiacs and that it is very serious. She told me that she would be careful basically. I had to assemble my  burger which I was totally okay with and honestly, it gave me more peace (in the cross contamination area). The burger was amazing and so was the mashed potatoes and green beans. I can safely say, I never got sick and I was happy to go again the very next day.

The next day was a little more challenging, I had a different lady this time and I don't think she understood the term (Gluten free) since after explaining to her that my order has to be gluten free, she asked me if I wanted a gluten free bun?. After I appeared a little annoyed, she quickly said sorry, because I think she realized why I was getting annoyed. If one wants to order a gluten free meal, one would assume that they want a gluten free bun. I really would not understand it, if someone said gluten allergy and then said they'd like a regular bun which as we all know contains GLUTEN. It would defeat the purpose. What ever the case, I ate at Culvers for the second time and once again, NEVER GOT SICK. I was able to speak with the manager at this specific Culvers and thank her for the ability to eat with my family again safely. I am so happy that Culvers has an option for us and I think I will be going to a Culvers again in the near future

Has anyone else tried their gluten free/gluten allergy menu and tried their buns (which I believe are UDI'S BUNS ) ?. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

The Fresh & Natural Foods


I was in search of a store that carried a certain gluten free product and stumbled upon this store. 
I was so beyond amazed at the HUGE selection of gluten free products they had there. 
They had anything from, bread, donuts, pretzels, soy sauce, to gluten free medication. 
Folks, this is like a gluten free super store or gluten free heaven. 

Let me just give you a little glimpse into this amazing store. 



In this picture way up on the top of the shelf you see some writing, if you look close enough you will notice that it is a sign saying that all the red tags mean that the store has already searched and made sure the product is indeed gluten free. So when on the price tags at the edge of the shelf, if you see a red tag, that means it is gluten free for sure. This helps us celiacs out big time. Now you can shop this store with ease. 
Just look for a product you'd like to try and see if it has a red tag, if it does, you are good to go. 
How neat is that, they did all the work for us, so we don't need to stand in front of the isle for 10 to 15 minuets searching on our phone trying to figure out if the product is indeed gluten free. 
In this photo you can already see the huge selection of gluten free cereal they have. 



When it comes to gluten free noodles, they have you covered as well. 
From spaghetti noodles, to elbow noodles, they have pretty much everything. 
Once again as you see in this picture, they have the red tags identifying them to be gluten free. 
I definitely recommend the Quinoa brand because that is really the closest you'll get to gluten noodles in taste and texture. 

We all have those times where we need a snack, Fresh and natural foods has this covered. 
With a pretty good selection of snack items like Bakery on Maine granola, WOW cookies and Udi's Granola, you're sure to find something that peaks your interested in these isles. 







They have a HUGE selection of Bob's Red Mill baking supplies. From flour to pie mix, they have pretty much everything your little baking heart desires. 






Now I was super amazed at the selection of food in just their freezer alone. 
In their freezers they have: donuts, pastries, bread, rolls, pie, soft pretzels, pizza, prepared meals, egg rolls, fish, breaded calamari.....the list goes on. Take a look and tell me this does not look just AMAZING. 









There is to many goodies in this store to list here, so you are just going to have to go check it out for yourself. Let me tell you first though, make sure you do not go in hungry and make sure you have a large budget or a large amount of money you are willing to put out because honestly this place will temp you into buying EVERYTHING. 

Need gluten free food? 
LOOK NO FURTHER! 


Have you been to this store before?. 
Tell me what you think by commenting below. 










Thursday, February 19, 2015

Chick Fil A



My husband and I will periodically go to Chick Fil A in Coon Rapids Minnesota because we find their food to be amazing.

I love how they have a list of food that is considered gluten free. As you can see in the above picture,
my meal was the little mini grilled chicken nuggets. They are packed with flavor. When you bite into those little beauties the first thing you taste is the fact that it has been grilled, you then taste salt, pepper and then the moist fall apart in your mouth chicken. The waffle fries are a perfect combination of stiffness/crispy and yet soft. Their dipping sauce "Chick Fil A sauce" Is also gluten free and tastes SUPER AMAZING with the chicken and fries.

*Please note that the disclaimer on their website states that some of the spices and ingredients may not be gluten free and obviously not made in a dedicated gluten free area. Please make sure to notify the staff of your need for everything to be in it's own pan, new gloves, the counter cleaned off, made in a separate fryer as well as being cautious to not allow your food to touch any other gluten food.*


I have to give a shout out to Chick Fil A for having a gluten free menu and for making such delicious food.


Click on the link below to see Chick Fil A's gluten free menu & a store locator.

Chick Fil A's Gluten Free Menu

Restaurant Locator

I give this restaurant a 5 out of 5 star rating. 

Been here before?. 
I'd love to hear from you, please comment below. 

Costco

As you've probably read multiple times, my husband and I love to shop at Costco.
Having a family of 6 it is almost a no brainer.  
They are getting more and more gluten free items and I am loving it. 

Check this link out below for a list of gluten free items Costco currently sells. 
*Keep in mind that every Costco is different, one may carry a certain item and the other one does not. If need be you can always call ahead to see if they have that product at the Costco nearest you.*

Costco's Gluten Free Food List

Costco Store Locator

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Attention readers

This page is currently under construction.
I have removed all photos on posts and will be little by little adding new very soon.
I am sorry for this inconvenience but I appreciate your patience.

-Gluten free momma