Paradise Lost

Please note...this is in NO way a post bashing Margaritaville, their food, service or care in providing me a safe GF dinner.

No, if anyone is to blame it is me...for not checking my condiments :(

Yesterday I had the most amazing burger and fries. Today I'm so itchy I do believe I've rubbed my face clear down to the stratum granulosum layer of my epidermis and so exhausted it feels as though my musculoskeletal system has disintegrated and I have no strength with which to move my mass which feels more massive than ever. I CAN move...my brain is telling me that it FEELS like I can't.

I should've known better.
Check your condiments.
I swear I've checked Heinz 57 sauce before and found it safe but I could be imagining things because I'm not thinking very clearly...see note above...

I knew something was up this morning when I pooped.
Yes folks, this is my blog; poop is one of the symptoms that led me on the search for the cure to what ails me so when the poop ain't right, I know something is wrong.

Yesterday's intake was perfect and I was fanatical about where we ate out and what we ate and the staff at the restaurant was meticulous in their preparation and delivery...so what could it be?

On a hunch I jumped on the Heinz site and took a gander at their Gluten Free list.
NOTE...I'm in no way bashing Heinz either...they have a LIST right there on their site and there's a ton of products I've since added to my shopping list but...
Guess what...Heinz 57 sauce isn't on their GF list.

So today, because I didn't check
I'm uncomfortable to the point of scratching my eyes out
I've lost 2 hours of work
and all I wanna do is sleep...

I'm also just a tad bit miffed.
Can't help it...gluten turns off my filter...
I don't wanna read every label
I don't wanna research every possible derivative of dextrose and sorbitol (which, by the way, is in lots of toothpaste so it's a good idea to research your favorite brand)
I don't wanna eat plain, condiment free food...

but then again, maybe I do
not because I will feel better
but because it will taste better...my fries last night were fandangtastic on their own...and the burger...OMG so good
I didn't need to crack open the bottle.

I need to remember Louis the Lifeguard's words of wisdom...

I Can Has Cheezburger?

Yes, Virginia, you CAN have a cheeseburger...a Cheeseburger in Paradise no less!

Now that you're all singing, let me tell you about our night.

Last night we found ourselves with a few hours to kill at Universal's City Walk since our oldest headed to Teen Night at the Groove and we were the taxi.

I work at Universal Orlando and know they've taken great strides over the past couple of years to provide safe, tasty choices for Celiacs and GF'ers so as soon as I learned we were headed to the Walk, I Googled "gluten free City Walk Orlando" and found this GREAT menu at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville.







I know, I keep forgetting to take a picture BEFORE I take a bite :(

   

OF COURSE I had a Cheeseburger in Paradise ...but skip the Heinz 57, it's not Gluten Free...(a fact I should've checked before I went).

The burger was delicious and so were the fries. Note, it was also HUGE, my hub and I could've shared this and been more than satisfied. This was an extra special treat since we typically eat a more paleolithic diet (it's naturally gluten free). The GF bun on the burger was soft and flavorful and the fries were crispy! My meal was even brought out separately from the rest of the table's to reduce the risk of cross contamination.

And then...there was dessert...

We share desserts around the table. Again, the staff was knowledgeable bringing separate sets of silverware for each dessert to avoid cross contamination. The GF offering is a Chocolate Hurricaine, a warm, fudgy brownie with macadmia nut chunks, creamy vanilla ice cream and a mountain of fresh whipped cream drizzled with hot fudge sauce. Drooling yet?

This was DEFINITELY big enough to share with the table and we still barely put a dent in it.

My son hit it right on the head when he said "this should be your birthday dinner spot!"

Yes indeed.

The atmosphere was fun

The food was fantastic

The staff was knowledgeable

The prices were reasonable for the food we got

and the company was good!

Enjoy!

What'd you eat in Key West

Last month was glorious! We spent an entire week soaking up the sun in Key West. We did a few other things as well ...parasailing, ghost hunting, lobster tickling...but mostly we enjoyed one another's company, vegged by the pool and relaxed. THAT'S Vacation :)

Going on vacation can be scary for a gf'er...I mean what the heck do you eat and who do you trust?!?!

Well for starters...I did a lot of internet research before the trip. Our accommodations also included a full kitchen so we stocked up our first morning there and made it our goal to eat out one meal a day...that helped the pocket book too! We had breakfast and dinner at home and took advantage of early bird specials for lunch :)

Our first stop was the Blackfin Bistro on Duval where I opted for the Lobster salad.

We had a "watersports" day which included a grilled lunch. The staff was very knowledgeable and accommodating and I had plenty of veggies and grilled options to choose from...

We cooked for ourselves quite a bit on this trip

Not only was it cheaper...we splurged on GREAT food ...steaks, ribs, fish...because had we eaten these tihngs out, well...it would've cost MUCH more than our grocery bill.

The hub and I snuck away on the 4th for breakfast at Two Friends. That's what I call independence...breakfast with the man-o-my-heart sans teenagers :)

Again...the staff was very knowledgeable and accommodating. I had a seafood omlette sans the hollandaise sauce with fresh fruit...impeccable flavors and HOT...so we knew it was fresh!

A place we wanted to get to but only managed to drive by is Help Yourself Foods. Super ummy raw, vegan and GF fare. Unfortunately, they're on a funky cross street location with parking in one direction and just a tad too far away from where we were staying to walk...definitely accesible by bicycle so check them out and let me know how the lasagna is!!!

What'd You Eat?

Keeping in mind my intention when I started this blog, I'm starting a series called "What'd You Eat?"
I'll be the first to admit that typing out a product review for every thing I eat is a bit daunting ...and may be a bit daunting to you the reader as well... I mean that's A LOT of reading. There are days I just want to know WHAT I can eat...give me the skinny, a bulleted list...just something to give me an idea.
So here goes...

In no specific order I'll have a post per week listing several things that were on my menu the week before. Some may be repeats, some may be newbies that become a product review, but it's a good jumping off point ... a place where you can say "ooh I saw that on sale at the store this week" and get ideas for YOUR grocery list.

In return? comment and leave me some ideas too...Lord knows I get tired of the same old same old too!
Listed items in blue are links to the actual product website (or a link back to one of my product reviews)

Enjoy!

Nutty Rice with Yoplait Banana Creme yogurt
Udi's Plain Bagel
Peter Pan Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
Egg Beaters Egg Whites
Van's Gluten Free Waffles
Colby jack cheese
Mozarella Cheese sticks
Progresso Soups
Bananas, Apples, Oranges, Grapes and mmmm Nectarines!
Amy's Frozen Meals  (I personally love the Mexican and Indian flavors!)
Chicken on the grill
Corn on the Cob
Sauteed Asparagus
Steamed Broccoli
Tinkyada Spaghetti
Pork roast (rubbed in fresh parsley, rosemary, olive oil and lemon juice)
BLT's on Udi's
Curried Chicken and peppers

hrmm...just looking over my list I see that I count on "gluten free" products for breakfast (which needs to be quick) and lunch which is usually at work. I bring dinner leftovers several times a week which is a treat but it's nice to have some quick options in the freezer.

So, What'd YOU eat this week?