A Minnesota hockey family living our best gluten free life
Author:Brynn Kimel
I am a student at the University of St.Thomas aspiring to practice law in the future. I am Brooke's older sister and have grown up within her journey of living with celiac. I have been gluten free at home since her diagnosis, but have recently gone gluten free due to my own medical reasons.
Sound the alarm Everybody, and wake up! We have a delicious breakfast restaurant that serves non-cross contaminated gluten free waffles, pancakes, french toast, crepes, and so much more. What is this gluten free breakfast Eden you ask? The Original Pancake House. OPH, as we locals call it, is located in Edina, Roseville, Eden Prairie, Burnsville, Minnetonka, and Plymouth, Minnesota. Here is a link to their website: https://www.ophmn.com/menu/. It is so exciting to go and enjoy these foods that I had accepted never eating again. As a family we go to this restaurant for a special brunch treat, and I feel so blessed to have a location just 20 minutes from my home. The staff is very knowledgeable of food allergies and all gluten free dishes come out on a different colored plate. It is so nice to have so many choices and finally have the option to be indecisive when it comes to ordering, rather than just getting a hard boiled egg and a fruit cup. The food is delicious and no matter what you choose it will be delicious. My family members recommend the crepes, pancakes (obviously), and omelettes. Next time you’re visiting the Minnesota Metro area wake up and smell the gluten free crepes, make the trip to OPH for a delectable breakfast feast. Feel free to comment your favorite gluten free breakfast restaurants below. Eat well and stay safe.
Oh what I would give to travel back to Capri, Italy – providing of course, that it was safe to do so. Capri has to be one of my all time favorite places to travel, it’s so beautiful and pristine. Being stuck at home more than ever before, my family has been trying new recipes with flavors inspired by different regions of the world. These gluten free steak sandwiches are inspired by Giada’s Flank steak hoagies. Just one bite takes my palate back to the breathtaking views of the ‘Med’ with salty air blowing against my skin, and bright yellow lemons grown only by the warm daytime Capri sunshine. Now that I’m reminiscing, Capri is also home to both my favorite shoes and perfume. Everything is so natural, pure, and genuinely good. Walking along the cobblestone streets, surrounded by plentiful flowers, it’s so easy to become spellbound by the aesthetic allure of the Island. In case you’re wondering the brand of perfume is Carthusia and the brand of shoes is: Ragozzino Shoes. Okay I’m back from my tangent, thank you for venturing down memory lane with me. Back to sandwiches… For those of you that don’t know Giada is from Italy and her dishes always represent the fresh, light, and decadent cuisine of the region. The only thing that needs to be altered to make these delicious sandwiches gluten free, is to use a gluten free bun or half of a baguette instead of a hoagie. Our family splits two gluten free Against The Grain baguettes in half and we use each half for an individual sandwich. Here is a link to the original recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/flank-steak-hoagies-8830401. This recipe is a must for you all to try, they are delecible. I hope you all slip this into your weekly menus soon. As always feel free to comment below. Please stay safe and healthy, and be sure to eat well.
Here in Minnesota we are starting off this first full week of August with cooler summer temperatures, and what better way to embrace the weather than with some delicious family comfort food. As I have mentioned before my favorite day of the week is Sunday. Every Sunday our family of four sits down to what we call our ‘Sunday Night Dinner’. Aside from our obvious lack of creative vigor, these dinners are the perfect way to start the week. We sit down and enjoy the meal with the soothing melodies sung by Frank Sinatra floating throughout the kitchen. Tonight we gathered around the table to savor chicken and dumplings, a recipe that has notes of herbs that accompany the chicken smoother than the melodic voices of Dean Martin and Bing Crosby. We only make two alterations to this recipe. Firstly, we use green beans rather than peas because Mom doesn’t like peas. Secondly, we use a gluten free flour blend in the dumplings. The recipe is super easy to make when you have a team of three, but isn’t hard to make by yourself either. Chicken and dumplings is comfort food at it’s best, this recipe is so delicious. Here is a link where you can find it: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/best-chicken-and-dumplings. I hope you all have a great week, no matter what gets thrown at you may Louis Armstrong remind you to, “Think to yourself what a wonderful world.” Stay well and eat well Everyone.
Okay guys the title and the picture speak for themselves. I mean c’mon do I really have to say much else. These cookies are super easy to make and are insanely good, I’m talking next level delicious. There’s nothing like chocolate peanut butter cookies to bring a smile to your face. My mom made these cookies for me today and I had to tell you guys all about them as soon as I could. This weekend you all need to make these cookies. Now I won’t delay any longer, I know if you’re anything like me your mouth is already watering, here is the link to the recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/22866/chocolate-peanut-butter-pudding-cookies/. To make these gluten free use a gluten free flour, and use gluten free chocolate pudding. “Jello” Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix, is a great gluten free pudding brand for these cookies. I hope you all love these cookies as much as I do, if you have any questions feel free to reach out.
It doesn’t take a genius to recognize that 2020 has been nothing shy of the worst. No matter who you are, it feels like waves of negativity relentlessly crash down day after day. In this sea of darkness, there is nothing as important as remembering that no matter where you come from or what you believe in, we are all human. We all put our pants on the same way in the morning. With so much uncertainty happening in our world right now, there is one thing for certain: that the sharing of food connects us all and brings light to even the darkest corners. Everyone has their own struggles this year, and regardless of the year, being kind to each other must become a priority again. You never know what someone is going through in life; furthermore, Mom always taught me to be kind and respect everyone no matter what, and everybody has something they are fighting through. During quarantine my family and I have been baking more than ever before and sharing treats with our neighbors and loved ones as a reminder that even though we are separated by space, we are united by the kindness of shared food. To be real with you all, my 202o took an unexpected sharp turn for the worst last weekend and my sister’s very sweet friend brought me some homemade gluten free cookies. Not only were they delicious, but the sentiment of this sweet gesture reminded me of the power of food. The cookies not only made my day a little better, but also that of my family. Food can bring people together in a beautiful way, and display true human kindness. Food touches the heart and feeds the soul. As we enter in to the second half of 2020 I challenge you all to take advantage of the power of food, create and share your masterpiece with those that you care for. Tap into your human kindness and share love and a smile through food. Let’s get back to putting each other first. Please find joy, be well, and eat well.
Prepare yourself to go bananas over these delectable bars. Because of Covid-19 banana bread is one of the top baked goods in the USA right now. If you’re tired of banana bread mix things up and put those leftover bananas to good use with this delicious banana bar recipe. We got this recipe from one of our magnificent neighbors, Margret. Here is how to make the bars: mix together 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 3/4 cup sour cream, 3-4 ripe bananas, mashed, 2 cups gluten free flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Pour the batter into a greased 11×17 inch pan, and bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees fahrenheit. While the bars are baking whip together the frosting. Use an electric hand mixer and mix together 1/3 cup softened butter, 3 tablespoons sour cream, 3 cups powdered sugar, and I teaspoon vanilla. Store the frosting in the fridge until the bars are cool. Once the bars have finished baking let them cool to room temperature. After the bars have finished cooling, frost them and set them in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them. There are a few key things to note: the recipe was not originally gluten free and to make it gluten free all we had to do was substitute the regular flour for gluten free flour. The next thing to note is that this frosting recipe makes quite a bit more frosting than is needed in my opinion, so I would suggest making a half batch to start. I’m telling you guys these bars are addicting, it can be hard to not eat half the pan as soon as they’re done. If you have any questions about the recipe please feel free to reach out. Stay well and eat well Everyone.
It’s finally s’mores season! I love s’mores, I mean who doesn’t. I remember when Brooke was first diagnosed with Celiac, and that meant that s’mores were missing a key element, the graham cracker. Don’t get me wrong here if you served me toasted marshmallows melting in between two pieces of chocolate, I wouldn’t complain. However, that gets very messy, so cue in “S’moreables” by Kinnikinnick. These gluten free graham crackers are our family’s favorite gluten free graham cracker brand. They taste amazing and have a solid crunch. We use these graham crackers for everything from s’mores to pie crusts. Another bonus, they can be found at most grocery stores. Next time you make s’mores don’t forget the gluten free graham crackers, use “S’moreables” by Kinnikinnick. Otherwise, two halves of a Hershey bar work great too- I’m not one to judge. If you do that, then don’t forget the napkins 😉
My all time favorite recipes are those that are passed down through generations. Food has always carried a certain amount nostalgia, but recipes like great grandma Evelyn’s graham cracker pie just warm my heart. Unfortunately I have never met my great grandma Evelyn; however, her memory and legacy lives on in her recipes. Food has a truly magical way of bringing people together. I have food to thank for so many happy memories creating treats in the kitchen with my grandma. I will always remember making great grandma Evelyn’s graham cracker pie with her daughter, my grandma, when I was a little girl. Still today my heart fills with joy when my grandma lights up talking about her mother and her mother’s delicious recipes while we bake together. This graham cracker pie is probably my all time favorite pie, but let’s be honest I haven’t met a pie I didn’t like. I feel as though this recipe connected me further not only with my grandma, but also with my family history. I want to share her recipe with you all and connect with you through “Great Grandma’s Graham Cracker Pie”. This recipe is near and dear to my heart, so I will walk you through step by step how to make it.
My grandma Eileen, Evelyn’s daughter, always told me that her mother was a small and sassy Norwegian woman who loved to sing while in the kitchen. Grandma told me this all the while teaching me her mother’s recipes. I was probably eight years old the first time Grandma made graham cracker pie with me. The only thing we had to do to make the pie gluten free is to use gluten free flour and graham crackers. The first thing to do is make the crust. To do this crush up 18 gluten free graham crackers, and mix them together with 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup butter in the pie plate. Bake the crust for 7 minutes at 350 degrees fahrenheit. While the pie crust is baking, mix together the filling. In a saucepan whisk together 1 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 egg yolks, and 2 tablespoons gluten free flour mixed with 2 tablespoons water (enough to make a paste) over medium heat until the filling is a thick consistency. To test the consistency, dip a spatula into the filling and wipe your finger across the back of it, if your finger line in the filling stays separate then the filling is done. Take the crust out of the oven and pour the filling in. Let that sit while you make the meringue. To make the meringue use the electric mixer to mix the 2 egg whites, 3 tablespoons of white sugar, and a dash of cream of tartar- this will make the meringue more stiff. Evenly spread the meringue across the pie filling and use a spatula to make small peaks. Sprinkle some remaining crushed graham crackers over the top of the meringue and bake the pie in the 350 degree oven for 7 minutes. Take the pie out of the oven and place it in the fridge to cool for about 25 minutes. Once the pie is cooled, cut it up and enjoy Everyone. If you have any questions feel free to reach out.
Yet another a delectable family favorite on takeout night. This pizza restaurant was one of the first local restaurants to carry gluten free pizza crust. As long as I can remember this has been our gluten free pizza go to. The service is always great and we have never had any cross contamination issues. There is only one location within the local chain with the gluten free crust, and that is the Eagan location. Here is their location information: Address- 1665 Yankee Doodle Rd. Eagan, MN 55121. Menu-carbonespizzeria.com, phone-  (651) 452-6000. If you find yourself in Eagan “Enjoy The Za” at Carbone’s pizza.
All throughout my life I have had dry, sensitive skin, super red cheeks, and little bumps on my arms and chest. Over the years I have come to know them as Keratosis Pilaris (little bumps on my arms/chest) and Keratosis Rubra Faceii (red cheeks). Yesterday I went to the dermatologist for a check up and learned some interesting new things regarding my skin that I wanted to share with you all. I officially went 100% gluten free a little less than a year ago, so when my dermatologist saw that on my chart he said, “Well that explains it.” He elaborated further stating that eating gluten when you have the Celiac genes causes your skin to react leading to skin dryness, sensitivity, and Keratosis covering parts of the body and face. He also stated that the longer that I am gluten free the better my skin will be. As I reflected later I realized how right he was. When I get glutened my face immediately turns bright tomato red, and since being gluten free the Keratosis on my arms has gotten much better. My dermatologist suggested the following products for me to use as my daily skincare routine to help improve my skin health: Cetaphil daily cleanser on my face, CeraVe moisturizing cream on my face and body, and Elta Md spf 47 face and body sunscreen. While these are not the most trendy skincare products out there, it’s better to stick to the basics- your skin will thank you later. These products are readily available at your local pharmacy, Target, or Walmart. Even better, they won’t break the bank on a college girl’s budget. What I have learned from this experience is the importance of listening to your body, you never know what it’s trying to tell you. Please stay well Everyone and comment below with questions.
Until next time,
Brynn
This was my Keratosis Rubra Faceii in 2018, 1 year before going gluten free.
