What companies have gluten free wine?

I was reading an interesting discussion in a Celiac forum about people having a gluten reaction to some kinds of wine.  

I won't go into all the details here but the basic concern is that some wine is fermented and/or aged in barrels sealed with wheat paste, potentially contaminating it with gluten. The other side of the coin is that wine is filtered before bottling to remove contaminates.

So, I did a little research because I figure, better safe than sorry.  Also, if there are companies who are specifically conscious and caring toward those of us with Celiac and willing to supply unquestionably gluten free wine, I want to know who they are!

Here are my results based on wines that I wanted to try:

Frey Vineyards is one that specifically states that their wines are gluten free (and vegan!) on their website here: http://www.freywine.com/vegan-wine.html

Fish Eye Winery advises us to check with our doctor (this rubs me the wrong way, how would my Dr. know Fish Eye's production practices?!?)  http://www.fisheyewines.com/faq/

Then, I took to email for a couple brands that interested me, here are their responses...

Pepperwood Grove (http://pepperwoodgrove.com/) 

Hi,

Thank you for reaching out to us. Given the nature of our winemaking, we cannot guarantee that any of our wines are gluten free. I doubt that our wines have gluten in them due to our limited use of oak barrels. If there were to be any in the wine, it would end up being filtered out. However, our winemakers do not guarantee our wines to be entirely gluten free. Thank you.

 Assistant Brand Manager, Foundation Wine Collection

Don Sebastiani & Sons

Nexux Wine Brands (http://www.nexuswines.com/), I was specifically interested in Cara Mia Pinot Noir:

Thank you for the following. The wines are fermented and held after fermentation in Stainless steel. No barrel aging.

These wines do not carry any sort of gluten free certification. 

Thank you.

Nexus Brands, LLC

I hope this helps you, if you're also looking to find wines that are committed to gluten free recipes too!

Green Juice and Broth

 In case you're curious...Here's what my green juice and vegetable broth look like...at least the one jar of broth that I didn't freeze and shatter. I'm always surprised at how the juice separates some to the top and some to the bottom.  So I shookem!

That looks nicer, right?

Since I'm juicing regularly, I'm ending up with quite a bit of pulp and therefore quite a lot of broth.  I'm using it for everything from cooking rice and potatoes to throwing in mixed frozen vegetables for soups.

I feel very virtuous. Ha ha.

You have no idea how easy it is though and how lazy I am. the juicing is the time consuming part with all the washing of the veggies. The soup part is easy - thanks to Crock pot liners and a colander.

In case you're wondering - the green of choice is Parsley. I love the flavor of it but that actual chewing...not so much. It is super good in juice though!

Freezing in glass jars - tips and tricks

If you do something...ahem...dumb like me and try to freeze fluids in glass jars, I have a tip for you.
Once you open the freezer and notice that the jars are cracked, remove them and put them in a paper bag to defrost them.  The liquid will leak out and the glass will stay in the bag for easy disposal. If the bag is clean, you might be able to put the whole thing in a bowl and save the liquid...if not leave it in the sink and there won't be a big mess.
I get smarter every day.
How did I learn this lesson? Well, I've started making green juice ala Kris Carr and feeling bad about all the pulp going out in the trash. Then it occurred to me...I could save some of the pulp for vegetable broth.
So last time I juiced a bunch of parsley, celery, carrots, cucumbers and apples - I saved the first 3 and put them in my crock pot with some onions, garlic and herbs and ended up with a wonderful vegetable broth.
I simply strained it out through a colander to catch the pulp.
Too bad I didn't freeze it in plastic...

Zucchini before and after

I made zucchini noodles again, yum yum yum. I luv zucc noods :)

Ever wonder what to do with the insides? There is something so good about golden sauteed onions and adding zucchini meat, that makes a really nice meal.

Ok, I'll fess up. I'm eating boring. Since I don't cook meat any more and haven't made it to any stores that have acceptable protein, I'm eating plants -lotsa plants. And quinoa pasta.
And that's all I've been doing with food.

In other news, I've survived another quarter at work, got a raise and now I'm going to be taking a couple classes for enrichment this month. Big stuff!

One class is on how to manipulate people in business and one is about career development - as in how to. I think the career development class will be most beneficial to me since I have few career goals. I'm hoping it will help me focus.

Lundberg Risotto

First, my most beautiful and tasty salad. Yes, that is a raw organic beet on top. I luv beets :) This one was so rich in color it stained my fingers! Underneath is a simple tuna salad made with mayo and seasoned salt. No dressing needed after that!

Then...

I came upon this little box while shopping with my mom and thought, "Why not"? It's Gluten Free, Organic and Vegan. I was really surprised when it came out looking just like the picture on the box. I made it in the microwave, of course! I bet it would have been better on the stove top though. It was creamy and filling and just like most box mixes a little salty. Would have gone great with something bland like tofu.

I'll probably get it again :) next time, I'll freshen it up a bit with chopped tomatoes and some fresh herbs.

Sexy green juice, part 2

This is what you get when you juice a large cucumber, 2 apples, 2 cups of spinach and 4 carrots

That was the first pass, then I shoved all the pulp back through...

And I got all this!

 So, I shoved it through again...

And got this...

 What was left was a bunch of really dry pulp that Didn't even make my paper towel wet

   Then I poured it into cute little jars and drank one every day for a week.  Brilliant!

Green Juice!

 I bought a juicer!  I'm such a hippie now :)  Let's just say my personal trainer talked me in to it and I went to the store really thirsty so I picked it up for $30 along with 2 cases of pop, 8 boxes of drink mix, 3 bottles of seltzer, 2 bottles of cranberry juice and...

So, who do you turn to when you need a juice recipe?  I turned to Kris Carr (http://crazysexylife.com/) because I figure if you're going to make a green juice it might as well be Crazy Sexy.  So, I used a little cucumber, pear and spinach...

 So, the spinach didn't produce much juice but the pear and cucumber definitely did.  This is what I got out of half a cucumber, a whole pear (including the core!) and about a cup of packed spinach leaves. 

The pulp was all over the inside of the machine - which wasn't really that hard to clean out and repack in the chute to re-juice since it was still pretty wet and there were slices of veggies left even.

 pushed it through....

and this is what was left:

 for reference it was about a heaped up tablespoonful

Of course, some ended up on the floor - but that was my repacking and flinging skills! LOL

Clean up was pretty easy, I just rinsed everything off in the sink after I scooped out the pulp.  Now, what do you do with the pulp? I've heard you can bake it in muffins or cake but I'm not really in the mood to bake - shame to throw it all away though.  Know anyone fiber-lacking?

So...I know you're wondering, how did it taste?  Really good!  How did it smell?  Like cut grass, actually.
I'd recommend drinking it with a straw :p

Gluten Free Wraps

Have you ever tried your sandwich salad in Napa cabbage leaves? This was new for me and I loved it! I made canned salmon into salad about the same way you'd do with tuna or chicken and dabbed it into the soft outer leaves of a napa cabbage - no leaks :) Plus, Napa cabbage is very mild tasting - not as musky as green or red cabbage so it makes a lovely wrap.

You know how I'm all about eating gluten free in a really logical, natural way? You don't have to go spend a lot of money on gluten free prepared wraps and breads. Nor do you have to spend your life mixing flours and baking to get the right consistency. Just grab a cheap head of cabbage or leaf lettuce and wrap your sandwich innards up!

I do it with roast beef and mustard in collard greens or red leaf lettuce. You can make little hummus wraps like below, which are super cute and you could stick toothpicks in them and serve them at a party even!
It's totally simple. Just run a sharp knife down the spine of the collard leaf to remove the stem - it will slide along easy! Then drop a dab of hummus on whichever side is the least pretty.
Roll it up and you have a vegan, gluten free treat that anyone would like :)
Cute, right? See why I love collard greens? I get some every time Door to Door has them because they are so versatile and make a nice packable lunch for me too.
Well, darlings I have been up since the crack of dawn thanks to Alarmcat who thinks it is her job to get me out of bed and off to work every morning, Saturdays included. It's just too bad that she doesn't realize that my wake up call was set for 7:00 AM not 6:00 AM :( Every day, I tell ya...every day.

I'm going to go get some stuff done. I'm working on a little more of my remodel and taking down my fairy lights. Then, I'll need to start shopping for new lighting options in my office to replace them. It's amazing how much I get done on weekends now that I'm in a FLYLady cleaning routine.

Tah tah for now!

My favorite black bean chili ala Suzanne

Messy looking, right? But I promise, it is the best and easiest chili in the world.

It is actually just a little different from the recipe I got out of a Suzanne Somers cook book. Maybe the white one...I can't remember.

Anyway, it's super easy:

1 can black beans

1 can diced tomatoes and chilies

1/2 medium onion diced

a clove or 2 of garlic, minced

glug of EVOO

Basically, sautee the onion & garlic in evoo for a minute or so then dump in the cans of beans and tomatoes, get it hot and serve with warm corn tortillas.

This is about enough for 3-4 people, depending on your bean tolerance ;p

It is seriously one of my favorite go-to meals any time of year. It takes about 5 minutes, costs about $1.50 and is super comfort food without the guilt.

Possibly the best soup ever - Curried Butternut

I absolutely have to share this recipe because it is the best thing I've had in ages!

It was a totally simple recipe too - are you surprised?

Here goes:

Splash of EVOO

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 stalk celery, sliced

1-2 tsp curry powder

2 cups chopped butternut squash

2-3 cups broth or water

S&P to taste

1/2 - 1 cup coconut milk

1 Tbl maple syrup

So you sautee the onion, celery and curry in the EVOO, then you add the broth (I used veg) and squash and simmer about 30 minutes until it's tender.

Then, you take it off the heat and spoon it slowly into the blender so it cools off enough not to explode. Then puree it and serve warm.

I absolutely loved it! And this recipe makes enough for 3-4 people, depending on how much you fill the bowls so no week's worth of leftovers. Yay!

It will be on my fall cooking list for sure.

Stewed Okra - WOW!

Nummy? Check! Vegan? Check! Almost instant? Check!
Ok, Okra is not one of my staples. In fact, I think I had it once - battered and deep fried, smothered with ranch dressing (ala Oklahoma). I didn't like it.

So, don't ask me why but I was at the store looking at the frozen veggies and decided to grab a bag of okra. That was a good 9 months ago and tonight I finally decided to cook it, as recommended by a true okie! The recipe is so simple, so fast and yes - delicious!

1 bag frozen Okra (about 14 ounces)

1-2 cups of pearl onions

1.5 tsp salt

.5 tsp pepper

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 Tbl EVOO

I sauteed the onions in the olive oil a little then added all the rest and simmered it on low for about 15 minutes.

I'm seriously surprised at how good it is and the okra is so plump and juicy and tender - nothing like the last time I had it. I might have liked a little more tomato in this - but I still recommend it with 2 thumbs up ;)

Ani Phyo's Donut holes

Here's another raw recipe I experimented with...

"donut holes"! I got the recipe from Ani Phyo's blog - check her out for a lot of other brilliant raw recipes. I dig it.

In case you can't find it though, here's the recipe - you have got to try them because they are the best thing I've had in a looooong time. Of course, they aren't like a cake - so don't expect that! Think chewy/sweet fruity snacks that are totally satisfying without the sugar rush/crash. I love them!

1 3/4 cups almonds (I used regular ones from a bag)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 vanilla bean, scraped

2 cups dried pineapple, chopped

2 cups pitted dates

1/3 cup + 1/4 cup shredded coconut

In the food processor place almonds salt and vanilla and process to a fine powder

slowly add pineapple and dates then coconut.

Use a scoop to make round "holes" and roll in shredded coconut.

Viola!! It takes like 10 minutes - tops.

You can tell I didn't roll all of mine in coconut and I used wet fingers to form the balls. Mostly because I don't really dig coconut and I hate washing dishes - fingers are lick-able!

So everyone I was willing to share these with loved them and ate 2-3 more, so if you make them be sure and stick a couple away just for you!

I have to say these are better than Larabars...and I love Larabars!

Mushroom gravy

I planned to make this mushroom gravy for weeks and weeks - finally did it last night! It was super fast, easy, vegan, gluten free, raw...NUMMY!!

It even looks like gravy, tastes a little better than the goopy, greasy stuff I remember though. Here's the recipe (I can't remember where I got it from! I wrote it down on a scrap of paper.):

1/3 cup olive oil

3/4 cup mushrooms

1/3 cup water

1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp sea salt

Put everything in the blender until smooth.

Love it!! Wish I'd have made it in time to eat all my baked potatoes...as it is though I put it on instant mashed ;0) That's a little sauteed broccolini next to it, something new to me!

I cannot express how thrilled I am to have this little recipe. Even if you're not trying out vegan or raw recipes - this would be great with any regular old meal. And there are general health benefits if you're watching fat, salt or flour intake. I'm definitely going to use it for holidays...it was that good.

Oh how I love squash, let me count the ways!

You've seen these in the store, right? So have I! And I always wondered if people bought them for anything but fall decorating. So, when D2D brought me a couple in my box I knew they were for eating! Had to get the Betty Crocker cookbook out to see that you can cook them just the same as acorn squash. Whee!

So, I cut em, scooped em and plopped em face down on a baking sheet and into the oven for about 45 minutes.

It was a long time to wait but so worth it! I swear, I did not put anything on them, I just ate them straight. See, I always taste things plain so I know if I like it or if it's all the flavoring I put on it. When I took a bite of the long skinny one it was so sweet and creamy, I just kept eating! The little round one wasn't as sweet but definitely sweeter than an acorn squash. No wonder they are called delicata. They are delectable! Beauty and taste all in one package. I'm such a fan of squash!!!

Oh yeah, since I had the oven going I threw in some russets to bake (one hour)
and some beets, yams and carrots to roast (30 mins). I figure once the oven is hot, that's most of the energy so you might as well take advantage of it. Now I have roasted veggies and bakers for the rest of the week. Can you say No-cook Thursday night?
In other news, the email and voice mail systems are down at work, so I get to blog for you guilt free!!

What do you do when email is down at work?

I like Chard chips better than kale chips

I tried making kale chips the other day and although they were quite tasty, and really cute...the texture wasn't as nice as chard chips.

Quick description: they were crunchy at first but then they were really chewy. I didn't dig the chewy.

Today I had this great spinach salad. Craisins, pecans, avocado and tomato. Mmm.

I can haz bean tacos?

As I was contemplating this post, here is what I saw. This is the 2nd time I've looked up to see barfycat peeking over my laptop.  Creepy? Cute? 

Personally, I think she's thinking "Boy do I love that girl! She's so cute & funny and sweet. I always have a full bowl &a clean potty. But, if she dies in her sleep on a Monday & no one finds us by Thursday, my dish will be empty. I think I'll start with her lips. Wait, maybe I should start on her while she's fresh - the food will keep." Yeah she rambles...

Now that I've completely grossed you out, let's talk about vegan bean tacos.

Oh but first...I finally got a pic of the collards - leftover - but still a picture :)

Now the bean tacos. Aren't they pretty? Want the recipe?

1 can pinto beans, 1/2 jar El Pinto Salsa cook until hot, toast tortillas and add some ripped up lettuce.  Num!

Cinnamon apple tacos

This week D2D sent me apples. I don't really like apples, it's the way the squeak in my teeth. Cooked apples are usually ok though. So, I chopped them up, put em in a bowl with a running over tablespoon of honey and a couple dashes of cinnamon and a dash of salt and nuked! Then, I had a little brain child. I have corn tortillas in the fridge still - would that be good? It was!  I toasted them on the stove in my non-stick pan so they wouldn't get soggy from the syrup.  I was pretty happy with my breakfast concoction.

Then there was lunch.

Yeah, I ran out of clean dishes. I'm washing them today!! I'm also running out of ideas and as you can see I put my homemade pickles on top of lettuce and chopped the last tomato up. That was it - pickle juice for dressing. I'm not going to tell you it was a fabulous salad, but it was tasty and light for a hot (fall) day.

You may notice a lack of meat, especially after my post about going almost vegan. I have to admit, I cooked a pound of bacon up 2 days ago to cook my collard greens in. The bacon is gone, the collards are not.  I should have listened to Ani Phyo's book and used them as mini-wraps. That would have been cool, and easy! I de-stemed them anyway and neglected to cut them up any more so I have giant leaves to eat. They are slightly tougher cooked than raw, well it's a completely different texture. You know?

Keep forgetting to take a picture, they aren't that pretty anyway ;)

My pickles bring all the boys to the yard...or something like that!

I made pickles. Sounds hard, right? Yeah it was.
NOT!
It took like 2 minutes and they are so yummy! I think I like them better than store bought...except maybe Claussen, those are darn good.
Want the recipe?
In a jar:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 white vinegar
dash of salt
1/2 small onion, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic sliced
1 tsp dill
a little less than 1/2 cup water
1 sliced cucumber
Shake it all up, let it sit over night or longer in the fridge. I tipped it on the side for a while to make sure everything soaked up evenly. Nommy nom nom nom!
After all that hard work I also made some brownies from Betty Crocker's gf mix. I followed the high altitude directions this time and they turned out really nice. We ate them quickly...

Regular instructions are to add butter and eggs.  High altitude you add cornstarch, reduce butter, add another egg and some water. I almost felt like I was cooking from scratch. But, living in Colorado is worth the extra work.
Otherwise, spinach salads every day! Gotta keep those vitamins up.

Mediterranean Tofu and my Door to Door box

Yesterday I got my 3rd Door to Door box! 

4 peaches
2 tomatoes
2 mangoes
Giant bunch of celery
Leaf lettuce
Huge Cucumber
Strawberries
Blueberries
4 bananas

I've already managed to devour a peach, some berries and celery with cream cheese. I just love getting my box of stuff on Tuesdays! I especially love getting a few new things to experiment with and variety that I probably wouldn't get for myself at the store.
My question about this one is: can you eat the mango skin or do you peel it off?

Roasted Veggies for Memorial Day

More adventures in D2D box of veggies.  There are so many!  I finally decided to freeze some and hope they turn out ok later.
So, I started by roasting some Sunday night.  I found a recipe in the WW cook book for roasted root vegetables, which seemed fitting since I had 2 pounds of fingerling potatoes, 6 huge carrots, 3 beets and garlic ( I used 2 large cloves, sliced) just begging to be roasted.
So, I cleaned and chopped them up.  The beets were so lovely and swirly!

Here's before they went in the oven:

And here's after they were done:

They were so good!  A had a bit or two of the beet before it went in and it was sweet and delish! When they came out they were sweeter and such comfort food!
I drizzled the veggies with EVOO, sprinkled with thyme, S&P - that's it!  Roasted at 400 for 25 minutes.