The Hawks Nest Grill – Daytona

Posted in Gluten Free in Florida, Gluten Free Living, Travel & Adventures by PhoenixRize

Last week Brian and I got the chance to visit Daytona for a few days and… of course… we went hunting for new restaurants. We turned to our favorite app, Find Me Gluten Free, to help us find something tasty that wouldn’t kill us and immediately noticed one restaurant that had received 30+ positive reviews. Thirty GF people ate there, liked it, survived AND wrote a review?! Decision made!

I’m gonna admit, I was a little surprised by the restaurant itself. From the reviews I’d been expecting a fancy Italian restaurant. Instead, we pulled up to a somewhat rundown strip of stores far off the main roads. The shop next door advertised ‘Cremation & Urns’. Awesome. I supposed that if the restaurant wasn’t gluten friendly that Brian could just drag me next door and leave me for them to package up in a nice urn. I suppose this just proves that you should never judge a book by its cover (except, that you totally judge a book by its cover, that’s why there’s all that cover art and the description and recommendations by other authors… but whatever… you know what I mean.)

The Hawk’s Nest Grill looked like your regular bar and grill on the inside. Vintage signs decorated the walls and the color scheme ran towards browns and black. Still not the fancy Italian eatery I’d been expecting, but it was clean and looked nice. The waitress hurried over, smiling and I started in straightaway that I had a gluten intolerance and I’d read about them online, then paused for her reaction. I like to start out with the fact that I’m trouble and give us both the chance to give up before the drinks are even served. She never even batted an eye. Apparently several of the owner’s family have celiac so they know the drill. Our waitress was super helpful… to the point where we ordered way too much, but everything she described sounded so good.

We started out with the fried mozzarella triangles. I haven’t had fried mozzarella since I went GF 6+ years ago. And yes… yes those melty, gooey triangles of cheese were just as delicious as I remembered. The marinara sauce was rich and flavorful too.

The four triangles disappeared entirely too fast and were followed by a plate of salad. I shouldn’t have ordered the salad, even though it was included with the meal. Why waste valuable tummy space on rabbit food, right?

Unfortunately, the salad was pretty tasty too and even though I’d planned to just pick out the olives I ended up eating most of it before I realized.

I really should have skipped the salad, even though it was tasty, because I was already starting to feel a bit full when our entrees arrived.

I ordered the Lobster Ravioli. Oh. My. Gods. Seriously. I had ravioli once since I went GF and it was nothing compared to this ravioli…. I’m not even sure pre-GF ravioli compares to this ravioli. The pasta was so tender and perfect and the lobster was sweet and plentiful. Absolute heaven.

Brian ordered the Chicken Carbonara with Basil/Parsley Fettuccini. Did I mention that all the pasta is house made? Yeah….. fresh, delicious, gluten free pasta. Heaven!

You can order the pasta from Amazon… dried, of course, but still…. You should absolutely try it!

There was bread too, because you can’t have all that amazing pasta sauce without bread to soak up every last bit. It was just a toasted hamburger bun, but it was still buttery, garlicky and tasty.

And, as if we hadn’t had quite enough food to last us the next week…. the chef’s wife makes homemade GF cheesecake. Yes, we ordered a slice of that too. We did at least have some sense left and managed to box up some of our pasta and bread before we stuffed ourselves too silly to drive home. We ordered the cheesecake to go too….. with blueberry sauce.

Considering that the location was rather unassuming, the bill, was not. I’m not complaining. Just offering you a warning not to be shocked when your $75 bill arrives.

The food was house-made fresh, gluten free and absolutely delicious. Our waitress was friendly and super knowledgeable and the chef checked in on us from the open kitchen. If you are even in the Daytona area, I would strongly suggest that you hunt down the Hawk’s Nest Grill.

5251 South Nova Rd. Port Orange, Florida 32127

“PhoenixRize is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.”

4Dec2017

Butter Pecan Turtle Cookies

Posted in Gluten Free Living, Recipes by PhoenixRize

You know how your favorite cookie (or whatever) that Grandma used to make just doesn’t taste the same when you make it? You’ve tried and tried… followed her recipe to the T…. and it still isn’t ‘quite’ the same. Yeah… it’s because Gramma lies!

You’re skeptical, I can tell…. but I have proof! See the recipe below? The typed portion is the recipe that Grandma told me…. I made it several times… but it was just never right. The handwritten part was added after I badgered Grandma until she gave me the real recipe. That’s her handwriting……. sneaky, sneaky Gramma. (I hope I’m just like her when I get older.)

I didn’t realize until Grandma passed away that she used a different sized pan for these cookies. I’d been using a regular 13x9in baking pan. After she passed away Grandpa let me have a bunch of her baking supplies…. and that’s when I realized that she’d been using an AirBake jelly-roll pan. It’s bigger… not by a huge amount, but it does make a difference in the crust layer. It’s not so bad for the chocolate and caramel layers, but it’s noticeable in the crust layer. I’d vote that you just get a jelly roll pan… bonus, you can make jelly rolls now! I think it makes enough of a difference. (I use one like this.)

When I went gluten free I really missed Grandma’s Turtle Cookies. It wasn’t until I discovered King Arthur’s Measure for Measure and Cup4Cup’s gluten free flours that I had any clue how to de-gluten my favorite cookies. I’ve used both GF flours and had great results both times.

Butter Pecan Turtle Cookies

Crust

2 c. King Arthur Gluten Free Flour
1/2 c. Butter, cold
1 c. Brown Sugar, firmly packed

Caramel Layer

1 lb. Caramels
1/2 c. Evaporated Milk
1/2 c. Butter

Chocolate Layer

12 oz. Chocolate Chips

In a food processor, combine GF flour, butter and brown sugar. Process mixture until fine, sand-like particles form. Do not over process. Pat crust into an un-greased jelly roll pan (I use one like this). Sprinkle pecans evenly over crust layer.

Prepare caramel layer: Combine caramels, evaporated milk and butter in a small sauce pan. Allow caramel come to a low boil, being sure that all caramels are melted and smooth. Pour caramel over pecans.

Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until caramel is bubbly and crust is golden brown.

Remove from oven, immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over caramel. Allow chocolates to melt slightly and spread evenly with a butter knife.

Allow to cool. (Seriously… leave them alone. I know this is torture, but leave ’em alone until they cool…. this may take a few hours. Putting them in the fridge to cool makes the chocolate harden odd. Just leave em alone.. it’s worth the wait.)

8Nov2017

Valley Smoke BBQ

Posted in Gluten Free in Florida, Gluten Free Living, Review by PhoenixRize

Considering that Brian and I work and, of course, live together you wouldn’t think we’d need (or want) any more time with one another. Strangely enough, even after a long day of renovation and shoveling dirt, we still kinda like each other. We’ve recently started a weekly ‘date night’ and it’s been a nice change for the two of us. Since our job renovating houses allows a pretty casual dress code (hello, sweats and ponytails!) its been nice to have a reason to get dressed up (by dressed up, I mean clothes that don’t have paint or dirt on them) and go out together.

Last week we decided to try Valley Smoke BBQ which had just opened in October. BBQ is generally a pretty safe Gluten Free choice and I’d had a GF friend that had visited and said that there were plenty of GF options. Since she survived… and even said it was pretty yummy, we decided to give it a taste.

I wasn’t quite sure how to dress for the evening. Valley Smoke BBQ, who bills themselves as a ‘upscale smokehouse’ is located on the Intercostal Waterway in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. We needed reservations, they valet your car, but we’d also be eating BBQ… possibly with our fingers…. Upscale Smokehouse, huh? I shouldn’t have been worried though. As with most of the places we’ve discovered in Ponte Vedra Beach, the dress is a comfy mix of jeans, shorts, dresses, polo shirts and sandals. Our construction dress probably wouldn’t have blended so well, but jeans and a cute top were fine. For the BBQed fingers, they provided denim-like napkins that were perfectly suited for upscale BBQ.

I asked for a GF menu before we were seated and the hostess supplied me with the ‘hostess copy.’ So, yes, they have a printed GF menu, but it’s just a paper copy. (+ points for having a GF menu, – points for not having a ‘real’ menu.) The hostess did say if there was something on the regular menu that interested me, I could ask my server and the kitchen could probably make GF alterations. (+ points for adaptability.) Hopefully, they’ll add a real GF menu in the future, or maybe GF designations on the regular menu. It’s not a deal breaker, but it does make me feel more valued and a bit safer, like they’re taking their GF customers seriously. Luckily our waitress was GF too (Bonus Points!) and she was able to offer recommendations and attest to having eaten and survived.

Our waitress suggested the cornbread as a starter, but we noticed that it wasn’t on the GF menu at all, which was strange because most items were on the menu with the designation ‘Gluten Free’ ‘NO’ or the alterations necessary to make it GF (ie, remove croutons). She said she ate the cornbread and my GF friend had even mentioned eating the cornbread, so I asked that she just check in with the kitchen, but we figured that it had just been forgotten on the GF menu. I’m glad we tried it… the cornbread was delish! It was more on the savory side than I normally like but I smothered my slices with all the honey-butter and I thought it was perfect. Brian apparently prefers savory cornbread, so I actually had to share. One order was just the perfect amount for the two of us with enough left over to take home for lunch the next day.

For the entrée we decided to share the Que for Two, which was more than enough for both of us. We ordered the ribs, brisket and pork. For the sides we got Bacon Garlic Green Beans, Whipped Potatoes, and German Potatoes. I was disappointed to see that the kitchen sent out our order with the Garlic Toast on the side even though we were a GF order… It was on the side and not actually touching anything, but still…. (- points).

The food was fabulous! Forgive my picture, it doesn’t do justice to the deliciousness that filled our table… the early evening light, reflecting off the nearby waterway, filtered through the palm leaves was absolutely perfect for the ambiance… but crap for food photography.

After stuffing ourselves silly on BBQ and potatoes Brian rolled his eyes at the suggestion of dessert, but I’d thought ahead and saved a bit of tummy space. We packed up some of the ribs, brisket and German Potatoes for lunch the next day and happily ordered dessert. There were a couple of different GF dessert options, but I’ll admit that I got completely distracted once our waitress mentioned the Apple Crisp with Bourbon Ice Cream and quit listening. The Apple Crisp was piping hot and absolutely delicious. I would highly recommend it!

Valley Smoke will probably become one of our top choices in local restaurants. Like with the other restaurants we’ve discovered along the Intercostal Waterway/Roscoe Blvd, the location is small and the parking insanely limited. Reservations are necessary, but fortunately you can use the Open Table app. (+ points!)

I adore the decor… even the deer-head above the fireplace… which I know would normally have bothered me, but the deer seemed so serene as he stared at me over Brian’s head. Maybe it was the cotton blossoms in a vase beside him… I don’t know, I just liked the deer. The decor is a mix of… rustic industrial? Rich woods and stone mixed with wrought iron and glass. It definitely feels upscale, but I didn’t feel like a heathen eating BBQ in the beautiful surroundings…. a very interesting combination to pull off. Brian and I spent a silly amount of time discussing how they’d gotten the curtains hung from the galvanized pipe rods and how they would ever get them back down. Brian says it’s probably a safety feature to keep people like me from trying to steal the curtains. (I did really like the curtains…. )

Have you tried Valley Smoke BBQ yet? What did you think?

7Aug2017

Chocolate Chip Almond Treats

Posted in Gluten Free Living, Recipes by PhoenixRize

I’ve been making a lot more recipes that call for almond flour lately. I’m trying to stay lower-carb and keep away from all the gluten free flours and all of their high carb, blood sugar raising, deliciousness. (Not that they’re not quite tasty and wonderful in many ways…. I’m just trying to cut back.)

Almond flour is a naturally gluten free (it’s just almonds) flour substitute. It’s not the near perfect GF flour replacement of King Arthur’s Measure for Measure or Cup4Cup. Almond Flour requires more fooling around and probably a better understanding of the whole chemistry/magic of baking. I haven’t quite mastered the chemical/magical understanding yet, so I just stick to the recipes that other’s have already created. Not that that’s foolproof either…. wow! There’s some really awful almond flour concoctions out there! Fortunately for all of us… this recipe isn’t one of the stinkers…. in fact, it’s pretty damn amazing.

One bit of warning: These aren’t your traditional flour based Chocolate Chip Cookies…. they’re Chocolate Chip Almond Cookies. They’re softer and chewier and have a slight almond (duh) flavor.

I discovered this recipe on the back of the Blue Diamond Almond Flour bag that I came across in CostCo a few weeks ago. I usually prefer King Arthur Almond Flour, but I figured the Blue Diamond was such a great price, I should give it a try. I’ve used it in several of my favorite almond flour recipes and its worked wonderfully.

Ingredients

½ cup butter, softened
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg + 1 egg white
2½ cups Blue Diamond Almond Flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips or pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Beat together butter, sugars and vanilla extract in a large bowl, and then mix in eggs.
Stir in almond flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop tablespoons* of dough two inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top and firm to the touch.

*we used this cookie scoop and flattened the cookies with the back of a fork since they don’t spread on their own.

4Aug2017

Arbonne Detox – thirty days and beyond

Posted in Gluten Free Living, Review by PhoenixRize

We finished up our 30-day Arbonne Detox sometime last week. The exact ending date is kind of blurred…. we went on vacation for a few days near the end of our 30 days, but tried to stick to most of the diet. And we went back to it when we got home… so the end was a bit blurred.

We still haven’t actually ‘quit’ the program either. We’ve tried adding things back in, but for the most part we like the program as a lifestyle. I plan to keep up with the shakes for breakfast and/or lunch. They’re super easy, I like the taste and (amazingly) they’re quite filling. Honestly, I’ve tried a ton of shakes and hated most of them. I’m super picky about the texture and the aftertaste of the sweeteners. That I actually like these shakes is a near miracle.

Brian uses the shake powder to make pancakes every morning. They look really good, he adds a bit of Swerve sweetener to them and I just can’t get past the stevia taste. (Incidentally, Mom and Brian swear they can’t taste anything… so really, it could just be me.)

Okay, down to the nitty gritty… the real reason you read this far…. Brian lost 15lbs. (He’s a monster, right?!). I lost 5 🙄

I know, I know…. it sounds like a lot of work for a stinking’ five pounds…. but…. remember how I’d been complaining about feeling ‘off’ before we started the Detox? The headaches and stomach problems? Well…. I may have only lost five pounds, but I also lost the headaches and stomach issues. I had one headache the entire month…. and I’m actually going to blame that on my massage therapist who was working on some neck issues that I was having…. those kind of headaches feel different anyway.

The biggest confirmation that the detox helped actually came when we started adding things back in. We had pizza for lunch one afternoon. (Gluten free crust, but still high carb crust.) By mid-afternoon I was SO tired I couldn’t hardly keep my eyes open. That night I slept poorly. No headaches or stomach problems, but, boy! it sucked the energy right out of me. One evening we had dinner at a Spanish restaurant and had rice with our meals… I also had half a pitcher of sangria… and neither Brian or I slept well that night. Just couldn’t settle or fall asleep. We didn’t feel bad… we just couldn’t fall asleep. Normally when you think of food disturbing your sleep you think indigestion or over-caffeination. That wasn’t our issue…. we just couldn’t get to sleep… or sleep well once we did finally fall asleep.

I am extremely happy to report that I’ve had dairy and it doesn’t cause any tummy problems…. I think the sugar in the ice cream may have zapped my energy (zing and crash!) but I’ve had cheese again with no issues. (Yay! Fat Head Pizza Crust is back on the menu!)

Brian and I both feel that the 30-Day program was really beneficial for us. It’s too easy to slip and slide through a ‘diet’ with little indiscretions here and there. The strict regimen of NO (no corn, gluten, alcohol, soy or sugar) was exactaly what we needed. No counting or weighing, just NO.

The Arbonne Detox products were well worth the cost in my opinion. Mom suggested that I could probably find equivalent products cheeper, but honestly, I liked just having everything put together ‘here ya go.’ 📦 I liked the shakes. After some experimentation (shakes need ice, almond milk, and some berries blended with them) I found them tasty and filling. Brian was happy with turning the shake mix into pancakes. I often had another shake for lunch, but Brian liked to have sausage or sliced deli meat and a veggie. Dinners were generally some kind of meat with veggies. It took me a while to warm up to the Detox Tea, but I finally came to enjoy it as an after dinner treat in place of my usual cup of coffee. I also liked the Fizz Sticks with a packet of the Digestion Plus mid-afternoon. Brian couldn’t get past the taste of the 7-cleanse drink. (We actually took Option 2 and drank it at the end of each week rather than Option 1 where you started the program with the cleanse.

I’ll keep ya updated as we continue on with the program…. mostly on Facebook, so be sure you’re following me there too!

22Jul2017

Gluten Free Key Lime Treats in the Florida Keys

Posted in Gluten Free in Florida, Gluten Free Living, Travel & Adventures by PhoenixRize

When Brian and I visited the Florida Keys recently I made an extensive search of all the Gluten Free Key Lime treats. It was a challenge, but I love my readers…. Diet be damned! I ate every gf Key Lime treat I could find…. ’cause I love you guys! 😁

Coconut Fried Key Lime Ice Cream

Marker 88
88000 Overseas Hwy,
Islamorada, FL 33036
Not my favorite Key Lime Treat in the Keys. The coconut coating was good, but the ice cream was so frozen it was hard to scoop it up with the spoon. It had to be ‘stabbed’ more than scooped.

Key Lime Sorbet

Key Largo Chocolates
100470 Overseas Hwy
Key Largo, FL 33037
Again, not a favorite…. Key Largo Chocolates had good reviews on the Find Me Gluten Free app. Maybe I just got the wrong employee. She seemed disinterested and not very clear about what would be safe for GF people.

I was excited to try the Key Lime Ice Cream, but when pressed, the clerk said that sometimes, when one of the frozen Key Lime bars (which do have crust) break in manufacturing they’ll add it to the Key Lime Ice Cream…. so it’s not necessarily safe. The sorbet is gf…. but… it’s just sorbet…. meh.

They also had truffles and other Key Lime treats at the store, but by the time I’d badgered answers out of the clerk about the ice cream I was annoyed and ready to leave.

Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe
802 Duval St
Key West, FL 33040
Kermit’s had great reviews on the FMGF app and they were so right!

The staff was sweet and helpful. The first day…. (yeah…. I had to go back a second time…) I got a slice of GF Key Lime pie. OMG! It was so good. Rich and creamy… super Key Lime-y…. and NOT geen…. yay! (because it shouldn’t be green… that’s just dye… yuck!) Brian and I each got our own slice… because I don’t share pie!

On our second day in Key West we went on a Sailing / Snorkeling / Kayacking tour. Afterward we ate BBQ and then went back to the hotel to clean up (from the salt water, not the BBQ sauce!) Brian would have been happy to turn in early, but I wanted to find some Key Lime Ice Cream.

You wouldn’t think it would be so damn hard to find ice cream!

Here’s a list of where GF Key Lime Ice Cream ISN’T:

Häagen-Dazs® Ice Cream Shop
Kilwins Key West Chocolates Fudge (crust in the ice cream)
Mattheessen’s (this place really ticked me off. When asked, the clerk said it only had ‘little bits’ of pie crust in it. Yeah… ‘little bits’ are still a problem! Grrrr 😡

After checking all the ice cream places close to the hotel and only finding ice cream with pie crust chunks I was annoyed and determined to find GF Key Lime Ice Cream. Brian and I headed back to Kermit’s where I knew they had GF Key Lime Ice Cream.

Brian wasn’t ecstatic that I made him walk a mile for ice cream, but it was damn good ice cream… and I argued that all the walking burned up all the calories!

19Jul2017

Gluten Free in the Florida Keys

Posted in Gluten Free in Florida, Gluten Free Living, Travel & Adventures by PhoenixRize

Uggh… that’s so close to rhyming… ‘gluten frees in the Florida Keys’? Nope…. it’s kinda making me crazy. Maybe I should just change it to ‘What I Ate on Vacation.’ Boring, but the almost rhyme wouldn’t bother me then. *sigh*

Anyway… so Gluten Free Stuff That I Ate on Vacation in the Florida Keys.

The first day as we drove down the A1A (between St Augustine and the first Keys) we stopped for a picnic lunch along the beach. (Because there are sandy beaches along that stretch, but not IN the Keys.) We’re back on track with our much healither GF lunches… lunch meat, nuts, fruit and water. It’s easy to pack, way healthier, lower carb and travels nicely in the small cooler.

The Florida Keys are filled with Gluten Free Friendly resturants. You could walk around and eat forever…. which I strongly considered… and tried to argue for, but Brian wanted to be ‘healthy’ and sight see and stuff. 😩

Thank heavens for the Find Me Gluten Free App. I don’t know how any GF person can survive without it! FMGF was filled with recommendations all throughout the Keys.

For lunch we stopped at Marker 88 in Key Largo. They had good reviews on FMGF and the sales guy from the Visitor Center gave us a card for 10% off.

The food was really good and the staff was polite and helpful with ordering GF safely. They had a separate GF menu and I appreciated that the GF menu was posted on their website. It’s nice to see what’s available before you get to the restaurant.

Brian and I were even able to stay on our Arbonne Detox plan (a little longer). Except for the Coconut Crusted Deep Fried Ice Cream that we shared for dessert…. umm… but I had to order that for you guys, right?! I have a responsibility to my readers!

Brian got the Shrimp Zoodles. My mom has been telling me to make zoodles for forever, but I kept resisting… they just didn’t sound yummy…. Mom was right (As usual) the zoodles were delicious!

I ordered the Alligator Reef Salad. There’s no alligator in the salad…. but the crab, shrimp and hearts of palm were super yummy. It was served with a Mango Citrus dressing that really complimented the shrimp and crab.

The Coconut Fried Key Lime Ice Cream sounded better than it actually was. The coconut crust was good, but the ice cream was super frozen. Obviously it had to be really cold so it could be fried, but it made it really difficult to eat.

Marker 88
88000 Overseas Hwy
Islamorda, FL 33036

_________

By dinnertime I didn’t care about keeping to the detox…. I wanted pizza! Off the Hook Grill was well recommended on the GFMF app…. for a good reason! 🤤

Brian got the Duck BLT… made with duck bacon. OMG! Sooo good.

I got the Lobster Pie. It was good… but also kind of odd, but good…. I liked it, but it wasn’t my favorite pizza ever. The bits of fig and balsamic vinegar gave it a slightly sweet flavor. Not bad, but I prefer more savory pizzas. The crust was fabulous though!

Our waitress brought me a sample of the blueberry cider from Slim Pickens Cider and Mead. (A local brewer!) I’m not normally a big cider drinker, but I couldn’t pass up blueberry. It had a nice berry flavor, but not overly sweet…. crisp. Perfect with pizza.

We liked the restaurant so much that Brian and I went back the following morning for breakfast.

Brian ordered the GF pancakes. He liked them, but they weren’t my favorite. They were thick and a bit ‘biscuit’ like.

Since we were going out on the Sailboat / Snorkel / Kayacking tour that day I didn’t want to eat anything that might upset my tummy.

I ordered scrambled eggs and duck bacon with a side of potatoes and gf toast. The waiter was great and told us that the potatoes themselves were gf, but since they’re fried there could be cross contamination… but since we were the first customers that morning and they change their oil every day the potatoes would be safe. I appreciate that he took the extra step to warn me that they were safe this time, but might not be next time.

The toast seemed to just be Udi’s… I should have told them to skip the toast, but every once in a while I come across something new and yummy.

Word of warning: the restaurant is tiny. Seriously tiny… 18 seats at tables and about 8 at the bar. Make reservations!

Off The Hook Grill
728 Simonton St
Key West, FL 33040
___________

After a fun / tiring day on the sailboat, snorkeling and kayacking we were starved. (They fed us a good lunch on the sailboat, but I tried to stay out of the after lunch snacks… and a day in the water will wear you out!)

Brian had been craving BBQ. I argued for Mexican, but I caved when I heard that the BBQ place was closer. I was just ready to eat and then go back to the room and get cleaned up.

The waitress gave us a separate GF menu (single sheet of paper). She didn’t seem very knowledgeable about what was GF or not. I asked if the potato salad was safe and she said she thought it should be safe because potatoes are gluten free. Ugh. We ordered the BBQ Plate for Two. All of the sauces were Gluten Free and we decided to stick with green beans for our sides since they were listed on the gf menu.

Despite asking for a Gluten Free menu, talking about Gluten Free choices and SAYING that we were Gluten Free they still brought us a basket of cornbread. What?!? (Strangely, the only mention that I can find on their online menu about gf is that the cornbread isn’t Gluten Free… but no other mention of what is or isn’t gf. So why bother?)

The food was good and we didn’t get sick…. I’m not confident that they had the best understanding of GF…. it seems more like the meats and sauces are gf and if you stick to those you’ll be okay.

Charlie Mac’s 404
404 Southard St
Key West, FL 33040

_____________

I read some delicious sounding reviews for Le Petit Paris and had insisted that we weren’t leaving Key West until I got to go there for breakfast.

Cinnamon Rasin French Toast with cinnamon butter and walnuts. *gasp* It was syrup coated heaven! I should have asked what brand of bread they used, but I was so busy stuffing every last bite into my mouth I never managed to ask. It was absolutely delish!

Brian ordered the GF pancakes. They were…. cute? Four very small, strawberry decorated pancakes made up Brian’s breakfast. It was almost comical compared to my heaping plate of French Toast. Fortunately for me, Brian doesn’t like raisins, so I didn’t have to share!

Breakfast was not inexpensive. There was a $4 up-charge for all GF orders… which seems a bit steep to me…. but, the food was delicious. So just go in knowing that you’re going to pay an arm and a leg. (It’s worth it though!) The pancakes were $12 and the French Toast was $11 before the extra $4. Strangely, my French Toast got the upcharge, but Brian’s pancakes didn’t…. I took a bite of his pancakes and didn’t have any issues, so….

Le Petit Paris
825 Duval St
Key West, FL 33040

___________

I also made an extensive search of Gluten Free Key Lime treats, but that’s a whole other post. It was challenging, but I love my readers…. Diet be damned! I ate every gf Key Lime treat I could find…. ’cause I love you guys! 😁 Post coming soon

2Jul2017

Tijuana Flats

Posted in Gluten Free in Florida, Gluten Free Living, Review by PhoenixRize

Our new house is in a new community… so there is construction going on constantly. Which is actually not as awful as I had expected it to be. Even when the house next door to our was under construction it wasn’t really noisy. There seem to be small teams of trades that come, do their part and then move on to the next house. My only problem comes from the teams that play the spunky music like you hear in the Mexican restaurants. Apparently I’ve got some Pavlovian response going on and the second I hear Mexican music I start craving nachos and salsa. I can’t help it… I can’t shut up about it either. I may be making Mom and Brian slightly crazy with my constant talk about nachos. We’ve had taco bowls for dinner twice this week! I really hope that team moves out of earshot soon. I don’t seem to have any uncontrollable cravings from country or rock music, so I should be fine soon.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on if we’re considering my detox or my crazed cravings…. Tijuana Flats just opened in Town Center. Even though I’m on this 30-day Arbonne Detox I couldn’t miss the grand opening. I checked the menu online first to make sure I wouldn’t be faced with salsa and chips as my only options… because I wouldn’t be able to resist. They actually had a really easy to read/understand Allergy Information page. (Why can’t they all be like this?!) It’s a nice chart that clearly list gluten, eggs, dairy, soy, nuts and fish…. and best of all… says sensible things like “dairy free if ordered without cheese.” So often these charts leave you to wonder…. is there dairy/gluten in there somewhere that I’m not imagining? Would it be safe if I just didn’t get cheese on it? Is it worth the risk???

I figured I’d be safe with one of the Bowls and could even stay within most of the Detox restrictions. I’d have to forgo the chips this time… but 20 more days and everybody better stand aside!

Mom and I tried to go at lunchtime, but that was just silly. The parking lot was packed and cars and golf carts were circling the lot like…. well…. hungry sharks. To celebrate their Grand Opening, Tijuana Flats was offering free burritos…. there was no way I was going to get a parking spot at noon. Duh!

We replotted the schedule and did our grocery shopping first… on empty tummies…. Can you even imagine what I threw in the cart?!

Fortunately I was finally able to sneak into a parking space around 1:00. Mom and I darted across the parking lot, dodging golf carts all the way and were promptly blasted back by the music and chatter from inside. I feel old just for saying this…. but damn, turn the music down! The greeter at the door supplied us with menus and when I asked about a gluten free menu she said they didn’t have a ‘menu’ but they did have the allergy info and offered to grab it from the counter for me. I already had it on my phone, so I passed, but she did add that the people at the order counter could help me too.

After glancing at the menu, Mom and I decided to stick to our game plan… Burrito Bowls. I told the ladies at the counter that we were gluten free and they all nodded confidently, and started rattling off a long list of things that would be safe. They even mentioned items that are gluten free, but would be at risk for cross contamination from the fryers. (Bonus Points!) We ordered our Bowls to-go since we still had the groceries in the car and I sent Mom out to turn the A/C back on while I waited.

It was crowded and noisy (just turn the music down a little?) but all the staff was just so darn nice. They must have been feeding them pixi-sticks and Mt Dew in the back room or something, because after that crowd I don’t know how everyone was still being friendly. The restaurant had a giant mermaid picture on one wall and I thought about snapping a picture, but it was crowded and I didn’t think I could crop out all the people… so I guess I’ll just have to go back again soon…. for the blog. There is a nice patio area outside where I’d probably choose to sit next time… just to avoid the noise. When your order is ready a server comes out and YELLS your name…. repeatedly, because apparently no one pays attention, or maybe they just can’t hear either.

The Burrito Bowls were huge and absolutely delicious. We both ordered chicken, and had them hold the cheese and sour cream (this time). Everything was bright and fresh. I can’t wait until I’m done with this detox and I can try the tacos! The burritos were HUGE and look fantastic, but they’re made with a flour tortilla, so those won’t be safe for me even after the Detox Program is through. I’m just happy to have a safe and yummy Mexican place so close to home now!

I just noticed when I went to get the link…. I can order online… OMG!!!! Just think of the snacking possibilities!

Tijuana Flats – Nocatee

41 Settlement Drive

Ponte Vedra, FL 32081

27Jun2017

Present Moment Cafe

Posted in Gluten Free in Florida, Gluten Free Living, Review by PhoenixRize

Vegans are tricky.

Last week I had the chance to visit the Present Moment Cafe in St. Augustine. Someone had recommended it to me… with the warning that I shouldn’t let the “vegan-y” stuff scare me away. We’d been discussing gluten free restaurants and she told me that I just had to try the Present Moment. Almost everything on the menu is gluten free. Everything is dairy free… and meat free too….. It sounded like something I’d like to try eventually, but… but no meat? Ummm….

I’ve had Mom and Brian on this Arbonne Thirty Day Detox… ~~forever~~…. a week. The Protein Shakes are good and dinners are easy enough, but dining out is a challenge. No gluten, dairy, soy or corn is really hard at a regular restaurant…. but not at a vegan restaurant!

The Present Moment Cafe is really cute with colorful, eclectic decorations. It’s not a very big place, but there are lots of little tables, perfect for visiting with friends and enjoying a Detox Smoothie.

The three of us chose a low table near the window, surrounded by two cushy couches. The menu is clearly labeled if the food contains wheat or soy. Everything is obviously egg and dairy free since the food is vegan.

We ordered drinks while we decided what to eat.

Purple Haze Acai, blueberry, banana, cashew milk.

Detox Cooler Pineapple, cucumber, mint

After a bit of arguing over who was getting what… we all have to try something different and share… we finally placed our order.

Tacos of Life Pine nut and walnut pate, with fresh
salsa, Mexican “cheese” and guacamole in two romaine
shells topped with cashew sour cream and jalapeno
vinaigrette. Served with two dehydrated corn chips…10

Mom enjoyed the tacos. I tried a bite of the Pine Nut & Walnut Pate that was the “meat” of the dish. It was good. I’m not giving up meat anytime in the near future, but if I had to… this was a pretty tasty alternative.

Pad Thai Sweet and spicy Asian vegetables, served
over kelp noodles with a sesame garlic sauce, and topped
with curried cashews… 16

The Pad Thai was delicious. The kelp noodles weren’t what I was expecting… I was thinking of something green and… sea-weed-ish… The kelp noodles were a bit chewy, but in an enjoyable way. They had a definite “bite” and “crunch” to them. We liked the noodles enough that we bought a bag to take home and experiment with.

Okay…. so what would you think if the day’s special was a carrot hot dog? I mean, they had “burgers” that were made out of beans and stuff… and an “Un-Tuna” sandwich. It’s not crazy to think that the carrot “hot dog” was made from carrots and other stuff smooshed together to resemble a hot dog, right?

WRONG. Vegans are tricky!

It was a damned carrot on a hot dog bun! I kid you not.. a carrot… smothered in sauerkraut… on a hot dog bun.

Here’s the really crazy part…. it was actually pretty tasty. Yes, of course I ate it! I’d ordered it, I was going to try it. I’m pretty sure those Vegans were laughing at me for paying $10 for a carrot on a bun, but I’d show them…. I’d eat that damn carrot and like it!

It actually was pretty good though.

I only took a few bites of the bun because I am trying to avoid all the fake-y gluten free stuff while I do this detox, so I tried a few bites… (Yummy GF bun!) and then ate the rest of my sauerkraut covered “hot dog” with a fork.

The sweet potato salad was delicious and I’m planning to take a shot at duplicating the recipe soon. They had a cookbook of restaurant recipes for sale, but of course, that recipe wasn’t in it!

We’d made it this far and not broken many of the detox rules, so we decided to treat ourselves to desert. (The sugar was a no-no, but I think everything else was okay..) We ordered one Banana Split to share.

Classic Banana Split Homemade vanilla cashew ice cream, fresh berries, bananas, raw vegan vanilla and cacao creme topped with candied pecans… 9.5

The cashew ice cream was delicious! I’d rather not have to give up dairy, but I certainly wouldn’t mind having cashew ice cream if it turns out that dairy is one of my food nemeses.

I don’t think I’d like to become vegan, but the food at the Present Moment Cafe is certainly delicious enough that I don’t mind being vegan-ish for a meal or three. The staff was sweet and great about answering any food allergy/ingredient questions. The cafe itself is cozy and comfortable; perfect for a quick bite or a leisurely lunch with friends.

The Present Moment Cafe

224 West King Street
St. Augustine, Florida 32089

14Jun2017

Detoxing (again)

Posted in Gluten Free Living, Recipes by PhoenixRize

If you have been following this blog for a while you know that I went gluten free after a variety of health issues combined to make life miserable. (If you haven’t read my Gluten Free Living Story you can see my 1.5 year review here.)

I’ve been Gluten Free for…. five years? (Did I do the math right? December 2012 – June 2017 = 4.5 years… WOW!)

Okay, so four and a half years… and yes, life is absolutely better without the wheat and the awfulness that come with eating it. The food world has changed quite a bit in the last 4.5 years. Gluten Free food is available nearly everywhere and many restaurants have gluten free menus, or at least have a vague understanding when you tell them that you can’t eat gluten. Grocery stores have dedicated Gluten Free isles and more and more products are clearly labeled. It makes finding food so much easier…. and I think that may be part of my problem. I’ve found a lot of gluten free replacement foods… high in carbs and sugar and low in real nutrition.

You see…. I’ve been feeling ‘off’ for a while now. I’m so tired. Even though I think I’m sleeping through the night I have zero energy during the day. I’ve been having more headaches and my tummy has been making random comments about food again. It’s not the gluten, I know I’m not getting into that…. but there’s something that’s messing with me. I’m just not sure what….

I know what I need to do… eliminate the ‘big uglies’ and detox. Then reintroduce foods and see what is causing the problem. I know I need to do it…… but….

Apparently the Universe has had enough of my whining and not working on a solution. I was roaming through CostCo when I saw a giant box of energy drink fizzies… you know, the kind you add to a bottle of water… and I was reading the label to see if it was GF and if there was possibly enough caffeine to get me through an afternoon. A lady stood across from me reading the back of another box of fizzies… “I just wanted to see what they use for the caffeine,” she said, leaning past me to stick it back on the pile, “Arbonne sells something similar.” Before long we were exchanging business cards, chatting about Yoga and Gluten Free Living and discovering that we live in the same neighborhood. (I knew that CostCo has everything, but I didn’t know that you could go there to find new friends!)

I left our first Starbucks date with a bag of Arbonne goodies, a scheduled Jamberry play date and an order of the Arbonne Detox Kit.

Did you know that Arbonne has a Detox Program? I didn’t… I thought Arbonne was just skin care. So the Universe has sent me a friendly neighbor to tell me to shut up a figure out what is the problem. (The Universe told me to shut up, not my neighbor.)

I liked that the Arbonne products are all Gluten Free. (Yay, one concern already covered.) I also liked that everything came together in one kit/program. Yes, I could find a protein drink and a tea and vitamins and fizzies and whatever else on my own and possibly save a bit of money (Arbonne isn’t cheap), but I’m tired… so so tired. I also like that it also comes with a person. Someone I can text and talk to… someone who knows I’m supposed to be doing this detox and will probably ask me how I’m doing… and could quite possible catch me stuffing a cheeseburger and fries in my face….. They call it “accountability,” but we all know they mean “guilt.” There’s also a private Facebook group to chat with other people who are starting the program at the same time….. that could be good… of course, we all could be really bitchy at the same time since we’re eliminating a bunch of foods…. which is why its better that its an online group and not a face to face meeting.

STEP 1 – Eliminate common allergens and non-healthy ingredients. • Wheat/gluten • Dairy • Refined sugar • Alcohol • Soy • Corn

I’m really not excited about eliminating Dairy…. I like cheese… no, I LOVE cheese. Cheese goes in everything. (Which is probably a sign that dairy is a problem for me.) I’ve already eliminated Gluten, so I’m ahead of the game. Alcohol is a bummer, but really I just drink an occasional glass of wine, so its not a huge deal. Sugar is gonna suck. If we’re eliminating Soy and Corn too, that pretty much means anything that comes in a box. Which I know is a good thing….. did I mention that I’m just so damn tired? Fortunately Brian and Mom are going to give the program a try too, so I won’t need to make different meals for them. Its only 30 days and hopefully I start to perk up quickly like I did when I quit gluten. After the initial 30 days I can start to reintroduce foods and see if there was a specific food (I really, really hope it’s not cheese) that was bothering me.

Have you tried the Arbonne Detox Program? Got any tips for me?

Okay, here we go…. cross your fingers for me and follow along on Instagram and/or Facebook for photos and updates.