This Saturday, at favorite spot Savoy Cafe and Deli, Tracy Hill will be signing her new book Delightfully Free from 12:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Delightfully Free is a gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free cookbook of 141 recipes. It includes resources for autism, Celiac disease, diabetes, lactose intolerance, obesity and healthy living. It contains 114 color photographs, 114 vegetarian or vegetarian compatible recipes, and 103 vegan or vegan compatible recipes. Stop by to meet Tracy and to grab a GF sandwich and cookie!
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Montecito Wine Bistro
29 Oct
This evening, we decided to try Montecito Wine Bistro. I started with the Nova Scotia Mussels Arabiata. These had roasted garlic, chili flakes, tomato, pinot grigio and saffron. For my main dish, I was intrigued by the Gluten Free Brown Rice Spaghettini. Rather than order that though, I got the Red Quinoa, Sprouted Mung Bean and Stir Fried Organic Kale.
This had grape tomatoes, roasted corn, red onion and avocado with a cilantro lime vinaigrette. I really enjoyed this dish. It felt very healthy but was quite filling at the same time. I could barely finish the entire thing. We weren’t going to order dessert but then we saw the dessert menu which had the following item: Gluten-Free Brownie and Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae with McConnells Bistro Neapolitan Ice Cream.
This was an unexpected treat. My only complaint for this dessert was that the strawberry was overwhelming. I think it would have been much better without it! I asked where they got their GF brownies and cookies, and apparently they make them there.
On a totally unrelated note, I have lots of family and friends that are in the path of Sandy back East. I hope everyone is staying safe! It may have been 75 and sunny here in Santa Barbara today, but we were thinking of you!
Esau’s Cafe
26 Oct
This morning, the husband and I went to Esau’s for breakfast. It was perfect weather to sit outside on their patio. I ordered the Bacado Omelette. It came with bacon, jack cheese, tomatoes, onions, avocado and sour cream. Instead of toast, I had the option of getting corn tortillas with it! This was perfect, as I made miniature tacos with my dish. I think all breakfast spots should have that option!
Lemonade at LAX
23 Oct
This past weekend I was in Ohio for a family wedding. On my way back to Santa Barbara, I had a two hour layover in Los Angeles at LAX. To my surprise, I found a very gluten-free friendly place called Lemonade in Terminal 5. Lemonade had a clear labeling system so that it was easy to determine which items were gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan or had high protein. The first item I had was the Santa Fe beluga lentils, hearts of palm and jicama.
The second item I had was the avocado with cherry tomatoes, pine nuts and lime. The third item I tried was cauliflower, red bell peppers and peas.
I loved how much variety there was. It was so nice to be able to have choices at an airport of all places! Well done Los Angeles International Airport in bringing a gluten-free friendly option to your travelers!
Vibrant Earth Juices 3-Day Cleanse: Day 3
17 Oct
It is the end of my last day juice cleansing with Vibrant Earth Juices! I must say, I miss food. I don’t miss it because I am hungry. I miss the act of eating and I miss going out to dinner and mostly, I miss nachos.
This morning, I woke up feeling lighter. I wasn’t trying to lose weight with this cleanse. However, it was hard not to notice that my stomach was flatter. I found that on the last day especially, I was more energetic. I actually thought that I would be able to go a couple more days of juicing if I didn’t miss nachos so much.
I had been a bit worried about the taste of the juices. Ginger and beets and flax meal just don’t sound like an appealing combination. But I was pleasantly surprised by the taste of them all. My favorites were definitely “Energy” and “Immunity”. I am already thinking that I may want to do another one of these after the overindulgence of the holidays!
Vibrant Earth Juices 3-Day Cleanse: Day 2
16 Oct
Day 2 of my Vibrant Earth Juice Cleanse is almost over. I found today pretty uneventful. Not once did my stomach growl from being hungry. I wasn’t as wiped out as yesterday either. I was actually surprised that I was able to get through the day maintaining a steady energy level. I drank “Refresh” at noon which satisfied my craving for something a little sweet. Three hours later I had another helping of “Energy”.
I actually found myself looking forward to this juice. It wasn’t because I was starving but because I had grown to really enjoy the taste of these different ingredients paired together. It also gave me the boost I needed to finish up my work day. I tend to overeat, especially during dinner. I have a hard time not finishing everything on my plate. It was definitely nice though to not be in a total food coma at this point in the day. I am finding that these past two days, I have been more tuned into what my body actually needs rather than what it wants.
Vibrant Earth Juices 3-Day Cleanse: Day 1
15 Oct
Recently I have been feeling very tired. I know that part of the blame is due to what I eat. Nachos are my weakness and all of that cheese makes me quite sluggish. I had watched the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and was intrigued. So, I figured a 3-day Juice Cleanse would help me get healthy and energized. Luckily, we have a company right here in Santa Barbara that provides freshly pressed, raw and organic juices to your doorstep! I met with the owner of Vibrant Earth Juices who happens to have her Masters of Science in Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science and is a Registered Dietitian. She was able to assure me that the juices were all gluten-free and would provide me with the proper nutrients for my anemia.
Today was my first day on the Juice Cleanse. There are 6 juices that I had to drink throughout the day. Overall, I felt good in the morning. I didn’t find that I was that hungry. Midday, I received some unexpected bad news that definitely took a toll on my body. I kept up with the cleanse schedule, but I felt worn out. I am not sure if I felt exhausted due to the emotional day or due to the cleanse. One thing that struck me though was that I wasn’t hungry. The juices left me feeling satisfied.
At 6 AM, I had the first juice which was “Energy”. I was nervous about the taste because of the ingredients listed, but I enjoyed it. Three hours later, I had the second juice which was labeled as “Immunity”.
I loved this one. It was similar to lemonade. I could see myself drinking this on a normal day. One of the things I like about Vibrant Earth Juices is that on the site, it outlines what each ingredient’s purpose was. From the site:
- Pineapple – Abundant in enzymes that aid digestion, speed up wound healing, and reduce inflammation. Additionally, its packed full of Manganese (benefits good skin), Vitamin C, and Potassium.
- Pear – Provides soluble fiber to improve elimination and increase the digestive system.
- Mint – Contains potent anti-fungal properties and soothes the digestive tract.
- Lemon – Rich in Vitamin C and bioflavonoids, lemon helps clear mucus, fight kidney stones, and prevents against skin cancer.
- All of the fruit and vegetable blends come with a teaspoon of Flax Oil. The flax oil is a vegan oil, high in antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids. The inclusion of this fatty acid is very important, as it helps with the digestion, transport, and absorption of the nutrients in the juices. Without it, the body has a very hard time utilizing what the fruits and veggies have to offer! Another amazing benefit of the oil is that it reduces the fruit and vegetables “glycemic load” on the blood stream. In other words, it reduces the impact the juice has on your blood stream, preventing huge spikes in insulin and glucose levels.
It was nice to confirm that each ingredient was contributing towards a healthier me. I am optimistic that Day 2 will pass without the hunger pangs I was expecting.
Pop-up Dinner at Municipal Winemakers
14 Oct
This evening, there was a pop-up dinner at Municipal Winemakers featuring food from Blue Owl. After calling ahead to ensure they would be GF friendly, I decided to attend. We started with a garlicky caesar salad that was quite good. However, the feature of the night were the three paellas that they made. There was a vegetarian option, a seafood option and a meat option.
Since all three were gluten-free, I decided to try them all. The seafood option had littleneck clams, shrimps, spot prawns, mussels, lobster tails and squid ink. The meat option had smoked duck, beans and spanish chorizo. Out of the three, I found that the meat option had the most flavor. And then there was dessert. For the “normal” people, there was pumpkin pie. For the awesome gluten-free crowd (there were three of us), we got GF berry pie!
This was packed with tons of fresh, flavorful berries. The crust was good too, even though it fell apart a bit when they tried to serve it. Overall, it was a great night with yummy food and lots of wine pairings that made me forget it was a Sunday night!
gluten-free in sb 