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.
Italian? The answer is simple: Andiamo! Located in Eagan, MN, Andiamo has some of my favorite gluten free Italian food. They carry gluten free bread, pasta, and pizza crust. Not only does the food taste amazing, but the service is always great. My mom and I love to go here for girls night out, or we also love to take the food to go. There are many delicious menu items to choose from, but my all time favorite is their gluten free Penne Cardinale. The staff is very knowledgeable about allergies and how to properly accommodate gluten free customers. You always know which plate is gluten free because they mark it with a mini Italian flag. If you ever find yourself in the area stop in to Andiamo for some great Italian comfort food.
It was my parents’ 24th wedding anniversary this past weekend. To celebrate Dad ordered a gluten free cake to be delivered so that the whole family could be outside enjoying the nice weather. Dad ordered the cake from a company called: “We Take The Cake.” They are based out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In addition to their regular cakes they also have 3 gluten free cakes you can order, and they do custom cakes. Here is a link to their website: https://bakery.wetakethecake.com/gluten-free-and-vegan-c77.aspx. The company has been featured on “Good Morning America,” the “Today” show, and many other sources. In a family of chocoholics the clear choice to order was the gluten free four layer chocolate cake. The cake took two days to be delivered and was in great shape when we got it. When I tell you this was the best chocolate cake I have ever had, I am not exaggerating. My mind was blown. It was decadent, rich, and moist. It was delicious and didn’t dry out immediately after being cut in to. The frosting was amazing too. The ingredients are listed inside of the box so you know exactly what you are getting, and the cake was more than worth the price. As much as I love baking cakes, I can’t wait to order from “We Take The Cake” again soon. I would recommend this company to anyone looking for a cake to be delivered, especially now due to Covid-19 shipping a cake to a distant family member would be a great way to let them know you are thinking of them. Please eat well and stay well Everyone.
This is a recent family favorite, and now that it’s summer it’s the perfect time to whip up these tasty tacos. We use Giada De Laurentiis’ pulled pork taco recipe with, of course, a few alterations of our own. Here is the link to the original recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pulled-pork-tacos-3214098. This recipe is great when serving a large crowd, and it’s made in a crock pot so you don’t have to worry about entertaining and cooking at the same time. If you are making the recipe for just your family, I love to make the leftovers into nachos the next day for lunch. In order to make this recipe gluten free there are two big alterations that have to be made: 1) use corn shells 2) use gluten free beer. Okay that’s it, super easy. Out of family preference we use queso fresco rather than the feta cheese she uses, but the two are very similar so try both and decide which you like. The last little baby addition we make is adding jalapeno, black olives, and guacamole to the delicious list of toppings. Other than that this is a super easy recipe, that tastes great and feeds a crowd. If you have an questions feel free to comment below.
Happy Father’s day to all of the wonderful dads out there, thank you for all you do. A special thank you to my dad, Dave. He does so much for our family, and takes such good care of his girls. He is non-Celiac, but since the first day of Brooke’s diagnosis eats and cooks 100% gluten free at home. Dad always brings home new gluten free treats for us to try and assists us everyday in living our best gluten free lifestyle. Of course with it being Father’s Day and all Mom and I couldn’t turn down an opportunity to bake something for him, and try something new at that. Today’s creation: Tiramisu Cheesecake. Yeah I shouldn’t have have to say much else, this dessert speaks for itself. It was delicious. I will of course walk you through how we made it, as well as alterations that we made or would make in the future.
We made this cake by using a “AllRecipes” recipe and then altered it along the way to make it gluten free. Here’s the link to the original recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/7757/tiramisu-cheesecake/. This time we kept the baking times and measurements the same, but we did alter ingredients. Mom and I agreed; however, that next time we would start with 8 oz of ladyfingers instead of the 12 oz in the recipe, while keeping the butter measurements the same and adding more ladyfingers if needed. This was largely because there was not enough moisture to pull the gluten free ladyfinger crumbs into a nice crust; thus, making the crust crumbly. In my opinion the best gluten free ladyfingers to use are from Schär, they are delicate and sweet, a spectacular recreation of the traditional gluten filled biscuit. In addition to using fewer ladyfingers next time Mom and I think it would be best to double the “coffee liqueur” in the recipe for both the crust and the filling. I say that in quotes because I have yet to find a gluten free coffee liqueur, every brand that Mom and I found contained caramel coloring. Caramel coloring is a big no-go, it contains malt. Therefore, if you ingest some, be prepared for a one way ticket to glutened town. It is for this reason Mom and I made our own. To make the equivalent of 2 tablespoons of coffee liqueur we whisked together 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon espresso, and 1 cup of warm water. For the filling we only made two alterations: we used our “coffee liqueur” substitute and gluten free flour. Everything else in the recipe we kept the same. To top off the cake we shaved gluten free semisweet chocolate over the top and decorated with some leftover ladyfingers. As far as cheesecakes go, this one was very easy to make. The flavors came through beautifully and produced a deliciously decadent dessert that I know will be made again. Please reach out with questions regarding the alterations or recipe. Thank you again to all of the spectacular dads out there, Happy Father’s Day!
This bakery is a gem! Bittersweet Gluten Free Bakery is an entirely gluten free bakery located in Eagan, MN. Not only do they have gluten free products, but they also have a variety of dairy free treats as well. I am telling you these treats are amazing. My family and I have been going to this bakery since Brooke was first diagnosed. The bakery was established in 2004. Here is a link to their website: https://www.bittersweetgf.com/. Their goodies can be ordered online or picked up in store. It is always so hard to choose what to get when I go because everything is so yummy, and I always end up buying more than I plan. My favorite thing to get is the banana chocolate chip muffins. They are moist, rich, and so delicious. I also love their donuts, pumpkin bars, and cookies. So often being gluten free means making everything by yourself, and while I love cooking and baking everything at home, it is so nice to have this alternative for treats. This bakery is truly something special, they have great products, and each treat is made with love from people who support the gluten free/Celiac community. I feel so blessed to live close to such an incredible place. I would 100% recommend giving Bittersweet Gluten free Bakery a try if you ever find yourself in the neighborhood. Feel free to comment some of your local favorites.
Listen up Y’all this is huge! When was the last time you guys had delicious gluten free brisket slathered in stress free sauce, barbecue chicken sandwiches, and non-cross contaminated fries? Well if you’re anything like me before trying ZZQ Smokehouse, it has been a while. I found this delectable dive about a year ago, and have been a loyal customer ever since. It is located in Eagan, MN. Last night, for the first time, ZZQ’s and I took the next step: I brought it home to my parents, and Brooke. To my delight they loved it. Now, we will be adding ZZQ’s into our family’s local favorites rotation. The owner has Celiac in his family, so he gets it. They only have one frier, and guess what?! It’s gluten free only baby, so get excited. For their sandwiches, they have the best gluten free buns I have ever had. Sadly I still don’t know the brand. As soon as I get the chance to go again and ask I will, and I’ll update you all immediately. It’s finally summer! In Minnesota that means being outside as much as possible, and enjoying time out on the lake with family. That said, if you’d rather do more chilling and less grilling, leave it to ZZQ Smokehouse. Here is a link to their website: https://zzqbbq.com/. I would 11/10 recommend giving them a try if you’re ever in the neighborhood.
Winner winner turkey dinner. Okay I know that sounds like you’ve clicked into the wrong recipe, but stay with me. This is a my favorite weeknight dinner, let me walk you through it. A neighbor shared this recipe with our family a few years ago, and she found it in “Real Simple”. As always we altered the recipe, but here is the link to the original recipe: https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/green-chile-meatballs-recipe. As long as you use gluten free salsa verde and gluten free corn tortilla chips, this recipe is completely gluten free. The only alteration we make is using ground turkey, rather than ground beef chuck in order to make the recipe much lighter. What I love about this recipe is that it only takes about 25 minutes to make. It carries enough spice to heat you up a little in the air conditioning, but is so fresh and light. Mmm mmm. We serve the meatballs over steamed white rice, that makes this dish the perfect bite. I can’t wait to make this dinner again. I hope you all enjoy this easy weeknight dinner, please reach out with any questions. Please eat well and be well Everyone.
For dinner last night Mom and I made a long time family favorite. We call it lemon chicken with pasta and arugula. The dish is a perfect balance of light and savory; for this reason we make it year around. In total it takes about 45 minutes to make, so you wont get stuck in the kitchen all evening. For this dinner we actually put two recipes into one and alter them to make it gluten free. That sounds a little overwhelming, but I promise I will walk you through it.
First thing’s first: start a pot of water boiling for the pasta. Next, to make the chicken wash the chicken with beaten eggs and place it on a lined cookie sheet. Mix together 1 1/4 cups of gluten free panko, 3 tablespoons fresh minced parsley, 2 teaspoons fresh minced oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Generously layer the mixture over the top of the chicken, and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. While that cooks make the sauce for the pasta. In a saucepan mix together 6 tablespoons olive oil, 4 cloves of minced garlic, 1 cup fresh basil, and 1/2 cup dry white wine. Let that cook on medium-low for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. The recipe that this pasta is inspired from calls for spinach linguini, but finding gluten free spinach linguini is not the easiest. That said, we just use whatever pasta we have on hand, last night that happened to be gluten free penne. While everything is cooking wash and dry some fresh arugula and place it into a bowl. Next, make the dressing to go over the top of the pasta, chicken, and arugula. In a mason jar, or really any container, pour in 2 tablespoons olive oil and 4 tablespoons lemon juice, then give that a good shake or stir. Once the pasta is cooked place it in the saucepan with the sauce that was cooking, add 1 1/2 cups grated pecorino romano cheese, and stir it all together. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl, take the chicken out of the oven, and you’re all set to go. I hope you guys enjoy and if you have any questions please reach out.
As many of you know from your own gluten free journeys it can be difficult to be gluten free. When you’re on your own, in the comfort of your own kitchen it’s much easier. The difficulty for most begins when you try to go out, or partake in basically any social event. After countless times of hearing the following, going out is more frustrating than fun: “Oh I am sorry, I forgot! We don’t have anything for you.” Or the: “Oh this place has a great “gluten free menu” complete with tons of salads for you.” We can’t forget the: ” Can’t you eat around the bread or just take it off?” And my personal favorite: ” Gluten free? That’s like vegan right? We have tons of vegan options.” After many failed restaurant visits or “friendly” dinner parties it is easy to develop anxieties and distrust regarding food. Frustrations increase when you inform the server or host of the event of your allergy and are treated as though you have just disclosed to them the most inconvenient situation on the planet. To deal with your so called “inconvenience” they shower you with disrespect. This is unexceptable, and one of my biggest pet peeves. It is not your fault by any circumstances, you are not an inconvenience, and you are not a trend. You are a person. A person who deserves respect and peace of mind regarding your meals. It is so disheartening to have to think about every single one of your meals. Food anxiety is very real in this gluten filled world that we live in.
The question becomes: how do you cope? To start out it can be helpful to keep a food diary, go to restaurants that have earned your trust, and be vocal to friends/coworkers about your inability to eat gluten. When you’re going out to eat suggest the restaurant, if it’s someplace new look at the menu ahead of time and plan, you can also use apps like “Find Me Gluten Free” to find the safest options, and finally when you get to the restaurant and are feeling nervous about the plate in front of you try your best to stay present and mindful. Focus instead on the conversation, the style of the restaurant, and the flavor of each bite. By focusing on just the food’s flavors you can enjoy your meal and avoid unwanted stress. As my sister Brooke says, “Don’t think, just savor it.” If you’re going to an event where a meal will be served perhaps offer to bring a dish, remind the host of your allergy, and if all else fails eat before to leaving and always keep a snack in your bag. It’s important to not fear gluten, you are stronger than your fear- don’t let it control your life. You are so much more than Celiac.
I recently started a nanny job, that has brought on the normal stressors that come from looking after three kids. The last thing I want to be worrying about is getting glutened. I know that my employer doesn’t know much about gluten, but he tries his best. In order for me to have a comfortable food environment I bring my own lunches and snacks. I also try to promote naturally gluten free snacks for the kids like fruits and veggies. There are lots of instances during my day when I cannot escape gluten, and that’s okay. I make a majority of the children’s meals and that involves cooking with regular bread, pasta, etc. This can be stressful. As someone with a gluten allergy, I have learned that what helps me cope is to work with all kinds of food. I know that washing my hands, keeping surfaces clean, and washing dishes will keep me safe. A very sweet example of this came this past Friday. The youngest little munchkin turned eight. She LOVES unicorns. To celebrate the Birthday Girl’s special day I taught her older sister how to make a unicorn cake completely from scratch. Living in a gluten free household I said goodbye to store-bought cakes about 11 years ago, so it was an amazing experience to share and teach a child the joy of homemade cooking/baking. It was a gluten cake, but it still turned out really cute and the kids seemingly loved it! Along the way the oldest asked me what could be done to make it gluten free and I told her the only thing we would have to do is use gluten free flour. She said, ” Oh that’s a lot easier than I thought it would be. Next time can we try that?” I beamed from ear to ear. Educating others about Celiac and what it means to be gluten free is the best way to cope with food anxiety. The more people know about it, the more they can help keep you safe from getting glutened. Don’t be afraid to speak your truth about your gluten allergy; you are your best advocate. Remember, more than anything, living with Celiac doesn’t have to be complicated. When it comes to eating gluten free plan, adapt, and enjoy. Stay well and eat well.
Brooke turned 15 yesterday! She is such an incredible person and she is filled with so much light. Brooke was the first member of our family to be diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Ever since being diagnosed she has lead the way for our family to live our best life gluten free. She is an inspiration to everyone in our family. As her sister I have learned so much from her, and I feel so blessed to have Brooke as a role model while I continue my gluten free journey.
I wanted to make Brooke’s birthday as special as possible. She has helped me so much the past year, as I have fully switched to a completely gluten free diet. Brooke recently has had a sparked interest for vinyl music and asked for a record player for her birthday. Her favorite band right now is “Surfaces”. I thought it would be fun to make one of their album covers into a cake. I made a lemon flavored cake, topped with a lemon buttercream frosting. These flavors were inspired by her favorite drink, which is lemonade. For her cake I used an altered version of a Lemon Sheet Cake With Buttercream Frosting by Yossy Arefi that I found in the cooking section of the New York Times. Here is a link to the recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019261-lemon-sheet-cake-with-buttercream-frosting?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-9G_-77V6QIV0MDACh1BKwHfEAAYASAAEgLHbPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds. The cake was easy to make and tasted really good. We converted the recipe to gluten free simply by using a gluten free flour blend. The lemon buttercream came out white. In order to color it, in attempt to recreate the album cover, I mixed in minimal drops of gluten free food dye. Truthfully I have never attempted to decorate with frosting, but it was a fun first attempt. Below are images of the process. If anyone has any questions feel free to reach out. Eat well and stay well Everyone.
