Tonight is our last night at the cottage. Tomorrow we'll pack up, go out for breakfast, and head home. With the heat, we picked a good week to be within walking distance of a lake! A few thoughts on the past week:
1- Fires burn better when the firewood is cut into smaller pieces. Bring an axe, or borrow one from a friendly cottage neighbour (like we did).
2- When there's a choice between a lake and a pool to swim in, choose the lake.
3- Apparently with a cast iron frying pan, you can cook just about everything over the fire. Including steak.
4- Fishing is fun for a two year old, but throwing rocks into the water to "feed the fish" is even more fun.
5- S'mores can be made gluten and dairy free, and taste just like the real thing!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Another Few Vacation Photos
Today we're experiencing record breaking heat in Ontario. Temperatures with humidity hovering around 48C, or 120F. There isn't any air conditioning in this cottage, so the post about Boston Pizza's Gluten Free pizza will have to wait for tomorrow!
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| View from the water's edge |
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| Sunset on the first night |
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| Catching dinner |
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| A little blurry, but I loved the colours |
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| Ready to hit the water |
I hope you're staying cool in the heat!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Cottage Living: What's for breakfast?
Spending time away from the daily grind of up, dressed, fed and out, allows for some extra thought to go into meals that typically have very little thought put into them. I've been trying to move away from cereal several times a week to more varied options, but some days go better than others. We're vacationing with my sister, my niece, and my parents, but only my son is gluten free. We came up with some breakfast ideas that are not only delicious, but gluten and dairy free, so that everyone can enjoy breakfast together.
Monday: Bacon & Eggs and a Fruit Salad
Tuesday: Gluten Free Chex Cereal with Blueberries and Rice Milk
Wednesday: Gluten Free Pancakes with real Maple Syrup
Thursday: Fruit Smoothies made with Rice Milk, Banana, Strawberry and Honey
Friday: Omelette using up leftover veggies, with Orange Juice and Sliced Papaya
Monday: Bacon & Eggs and a Fruit Salad
Tuesday: Gluten Free Chex Cereal with Blueberries and Rice Milk
Wednesday: Gluten Free Pancakes with real Maple Syrup
Thursday: Fruit Smoothies made with Rice Milk, Banana, Strawberry and Honey
Friday: Omelette using up leftover veggies, with Orange Juice and Sliced Papaya
Monday, July 18, 2011
Kinnikinnick S'moreables
Who says going gluten free means missing out on campfire traditions? S'mores, a combination of graham crackers, marshmallow, and melted chocolate is one of those treats everyone should have the joy of experiencing as a child. I know that some traditions are not going to possible with my son's food restrictions, but luckily, S'mores will not be one of them!
I picked up a box if Kinnickinnick S'moreables gluten and dairy free graham-style crackers and set about creating the ultimate gluten free 'more for my two year old.
The crackers are a rectangular shape rather than traditionally square, but they're the perfect size to break in half and create the perfectly sized S'more for little fingers.
We also had a box of regular graham crackers for comparison, and despite the gluten free crackers having a smoother consistency, the flavour was pretty close.
Add one campfire:
Some toasted marshmallows and pure, dairy free chocolate, and the S'more is born!
I picked up a box if Kinnickinnick S'moreables gluten and dairy free graham-style crackers and set about creating the ultimate gluten free 'more for my two year old.
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The crackers are a rectangular shape rather than traditionally square, but they're the perfect size to break in half and create the perfectly sized S'more for little fingers.
We also had a box of regular graham crackers for comparison, and despite the gluten free crackers having a smoother consistency, the flavour was pretty close.
Add one campfire:
Some toasted marshmallows and pure, dairy free chocolate, and the S'more is born!
Our chocolate was a bit too thick to melt entirely, but I didn't hear any complaints!
Verdict: This product did the job it was supposed to do, had a pretty authentic flavour and didn't crumble under the pressure of being the anchor in a S'more. Everyone agreed that they make a great substitute for a traditional graham cracker. I have a few pie and cake recipes that call for a graham crust; I'm looking forward to trying them out using this product.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan: Cottage Living!
Monday: Homemade Hamburgers with Tomatoes, Onions and Pickles with Broccoli Salad and Watermelon for dessert
Tuesday: Fresh Chili with Black Beans and Vegetables served with Tortilla Chips and Salad
Wednesday: BBQ Chicken with Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad and Grilled Mango, Pineapple and Peaches
Thursday: Grilled Steaks, Cauliflower and Corn Salad
Friday: Vegetable Soup and leftovers!
Tuesday: Fresh Chili with Black Beans and Vegetables served with Tortilla Chips and Salad
Wednesday: BBQ Chicken with Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad and Grilled Mango, Pineapple and Peaches
Thursday: Grilled Steaks, Cauliflower and Corn Salad
Friday: Vegetable Soup and leftovers!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Glutino Gluten Free Pretzels
I am in love with this particular type of pretzel, Glutino Gluten Free Pretzel Twists. They are gluten and dairy free, making them perfect for my son. Better than that, they are incredibly delicious. A nice crisp texture that doesn't taste like cardboard, and just the right amount of salt to keep me coming back for more without overpowering the flavour of the pretzel itself. I actually prefer these pretzels to any other brand, gluten free or not.
My obsession has caught on, and now my mother has taken a liking to them, and she informs me that she's spread the love to her colleagues at work.
In my opinion, this is what a great gluten free product should do: attract customers that are both gluten free as well as those who are just looking for a delicious snack and find that the product just can't be beat.
I noticed when purchasing a few bags for the cottage that they now make pretzel sticks, as well as snack size bags that would be perfect for lunches or for packing as a snack. A quick visit to their website and I found that they also make salt-free, sesame, and yogurt covered pretzels. Options are always good!
Unfortunately, they are not cheap- often more than double what a regular bag of pretzels would cost. For this reason, I have carefully rationed out my son's pretzels in the past.
However, if you live in Ontario and are located close to a FreshCo supermarket, they consistently sell the product for approximately two dollars less than I've seen anywhere else. At first I thought it was just a grand opening promo, but the price has remained low for a few months. Definitely worth a visit if this product is on your wish list. FreshCo has a small gluten free section, but it's worth a look for some other well priced products.
I bought two bags this week. I prefer them dipped in mustard, but I wouldn't judge you for dipping them in some pure dark chocolate either. Enjoy!
My obsession has caught on, and now my mother has taken a liking to them, and she informs me that she's spread the love to her colleagues at work.
In my opinion, this is what a great gluten free product should do: attract customers that are both gluten free as well as those who are just looking for a delicious snack and find that the product just can't be beat.
I noticed when purchasing a few bags for the cottage that they now make pretzel sticks, as well as snack size bags that would be perfect for lunches or for packing as a snack. A quick visit to their website and I found that they also make salt-free, sesame, and yogurt covered pretzels. Options are always good!
Unfortunately, they are not cheap- often more than double what a regular bag of pretzels would cost. For this reason, I have carefully rationed out my son's pretzels in the past.
However, if you live in Ontario and are located close to a FreshCo supermarket, they consistently sell the product for approximately two dollars less than I've seen anywhere else. At first I thought it was just a grand opening promo, but the price has remained low for a few months. Definitely worth a visit if this product is on your wish list. FreshCo has a small gluten free section, but it's worth a look for some other well priced products.
I bought two bags this week. I prefer them dipped in mustard, but I wouldn't judge you for dipping them in some pure dark chocolate either. Enjoy!
Friday, July 15, 2011
I Had to Leave a Restaurant Today.
Today was the first time I have had to leave a restaurant because there were no options available on the menu for my son to eat. Except for the House Salad. Everything else contained gluten and/or dairy. Here's what happened.
I met up with a friend and her son in Toronto today to let the kids play for a bit and then we took them to lunch. I always pack food for Etienne, but today I packed more of a snack than a full-blown lunch because the area we were in is full of places to eat. We decided to stop at a little pub-style restaurant for lunch. The menu was pretty tiny, just one side of a laminated sheet of paper, and pretty much everything contained gluten or dairy. The server confirmed that everything is fried in the same fryer, so even the fries were off-limits. From the Caesar salad to the hamburger patties and beyond, there was just no way to even adequately substitute in ways that were guaranteed to be gluten free.
The server was friendly and helpful, and she apologized for not being able to do more, but in the end my friend and I decided it would be best to just eat somewhere else.
We walked about half a block and decided on a Thai & Japanese Restaurant with an extensive menu posted on their door. One dairy free mango smoothie and a mango salad later (can you tell he enjoys mango?) and my son had forgotten all about the fries and was eating a much healthier lunch! I enjoyed some Miso soup, sushi drizzled with pumpkin sauce (a first, but delicious) and some of my son's mango salad. Delicious, gluten and dairy free, and healthy to boot.
I know that dining out GF can be difficult, but I guess because my son is still so young, we don't take him to restaurants frequently. When we do, we generally scope out the place beforehand to make sure that there are enough options for him to choose from and that the restaurant avoids cross-contamination. This was the first time that a spontaneous restaurant choice has resulted in needing to leave and eat somewhere else due to a lack of safe food for him to consume. I think I handled it pretty well, but it reminded me that despite the wonderful and growing number of options, there are still many places I'll have to keep crossed off my list.
I met up with a friend and her son in Toronto today to let the kids play for a bit and then we took them to lunch. I always pack food for Etienne, but today I packed more of a snack than a full-blown lunch because the area we were in is full of places to eat. We decided to stop at a little pub-style restaurant for lunch. The menu was pretty tiny, just one side of a laminated sheet of paper, and pretty much everything contained gluten or dairy. The server confirmed that everything is fried in the same fryer, so even the fries were off-limits. From the Caesar salad to the hamburger patties and beyond, there was just no way to even adequately substitute in ways that were guaranteed to be gluten free.
The server was friendly and helpful, and she apologized for not being able to do more, but in the end my friend and I decided it would be best to just eat somewhere else.
We walked about half a block and decided on a Thai & Japanese Restaurant with an extensive menu posted on their door. One dairy free mango smoothie and a mango salad later (can you tell he enjoys mango?) and my son had forgotten all about the fries and was eating a much healthier lunch! I enjoyed some Miso soup, sushi drizzled with pumpkin sauce (a first, but delicious) and some of my son's mango salad. Delicious, gluten and dairy free, and healthy to boot.
I know that dining out GF can be difficult, but I guess because my son is still so young, we don't take him to restaurants frequently. When we do, we generally scope out the place beforehand to make sure that there are enough options for him to choose from and that the restaurant avoids cross-contamination. This was the first time that a spontaneous restaurant choice has resulted in needing to leave and eat somewhere else due to a lack of safe food for him to consume. I think I handled it pretty well, but it reminded me that despite the wonderful and growing number of options, there are still many places I'll have to keep crossed off my list.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Gluten Free Rice Chex and Honey Nut Corn Chex Cereal Available in Canada!
I was wandering the aisles of my local Walmart today, when I noticed, smack dab in the REGULAR cereal aisle, two gluten free cereal options I have never encountered before. Gluten Free Rice Chex and Gluten Free Honey Nut Corn Chex! It's been a while since I've spent much time in the regular cereal aisle, so I'm not certain how long this product has been on the market here in Canada, but the "New!" declaration makes me think that it hasn't been very long.
If you're reading this from the United States, please understand that although we share a very long, peaceful and beautiful border with your country, for some reason it often takes companies A LONG TIME to make some of the same products available to us here in Canada that are widely distributed in the USA.
But today, today was a good day!
For some, the idea of a gluten free option being placed smack dab in the middle of the regular aisle could be seen as a problem, and indeed it does make it that much more important to be sure to read the label carefully when purchasing the product. But to me, it also signifies a more mainstream acceptance of gluten free products; a recognition that "gluten free" does not need to hidden away in some cramped back aisle and lumped together with every other "alternative" type of food available. That's not necessarily any safer for the unsuspecting consumer. Many an organic but not gluten free product has been placed on the same shelf with its GF counterpart!
Back to the point, however, is that the box of gluten free Chex is a) the same size as the regular Chex and not some mini-version and b) that it costs the same as the regular box. The former brand of gluten free cereal I was buying cost more than $7 a pop. There were a few cheaper brands out there, but nothing below $5.99 that was regular sized and had a decent flavour.
So, for the price of what I used to pay for one box of cereal, I picked up two- one Gluten Free Rice Chex and one Gluten Free Honey Nut Corn Chex.
Today was a good day indeed.
If you're reading this from the United States, please understand that although we share a very long, peaceful and beautiful border with your country, for some reason it often takes companies A LONG TIME to make some of the same products available to us here in Canada that are widely distributed in the USA.
But today, today was a good day!
For some, the idea of a gluten free option being placed smack dab in the middle of the regular aisle could be seen as a problem, and indeed it does make it that much more important to be sure to read the label carefully when purchasing the product. But to me, it also signifies a more mainstream acceptance of gluten free products; a recognition that "gluten free" does not need to hidden away in some cramped back aisle and lumped together with every other "alternative" type of food available. That's not necessarily any safer for the unsuspecting consumer. Many an organic but not gluten free product has been placed on the same shelf with its GF counterpart!
Back to the point, however, is that the box of gluten free Chex is a) the same size as the regular Chex and not some mini-version and b) that it costs the same as the regular box. The former brand of gluten free cereal I was buying cost more than $7 a pop. There were a few cheaper brands out there, but nothing below $5.99 that was regular sized and had a decent flavour.
So, for the price of what I used to pay for one box of cereal, I picked up two- one Gluten Free Rice Chex and one Gluten Free Honey Nut Corn Chex.
Today was a good day indeed.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Wordless Wednesday: Anniversary Edition!
Here are some photos from our wedding 5 years ago. We got married at a resort (since our families live in different countries), but had a reception here in Canada when we got home.
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| The location |
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| My father in law, brother in law, and husband |
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| My Dad and I |
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| Our ride! |
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| The Newlyweds |
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| Our wedding was the first time our parents had met |
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| With my sister |
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| My brother in law and mother in law |
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| Dancing with Dad! |
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| My Parents |
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