Eating Out: IHop Gluten-Free Options

There aren't very many options at IHop, but when Fiance wants to go...I look online and accommodate. After all, all the "Eating-In" is gluten-free. Here are the options below:

Simple & Fit Vegetable Omelette

Hash Browns

Machaca with Corn Tortillas

Seasonal Mixed Fruit (Versions available vary by restaurant)

Seasoned Fries

Simple & Fit Under 600 Calories Balsamic-Glazed Chicken

Ice Cream Sundae (w/ hot fudge or strawberry topping)

Seasoned Red Potatoes

Pork Sausage Link or Patty

Bacon Strip

Slice of Ham

Turkey Bacon Strip

Eggs (any style)

Smoked Pork Sausage Link

Slice of Taylor Ham

Turkey Sausage Link or Patty

Grits

Yogurt

Of course, I assume you can get a salad. It is listed as containing gluten because of the croutons. And all of the salad dressings are listed as gluten-free as well.

You can visit the PDF for yourself here: IHop Allergen PDF

See all my menu and restaurant options here: Eating Out

Eating In: Gluten-Free Banana Nut Bread

Banana bread is just an all time favorite of mine. My mom always made it growing up, and gave it away at Christmas time. I have so many memories of watching my mom smash the bananas with the sugar and thinking how much fun it looked! I recently emailed my mom asking for the recipe she uses so I could convert it to gluten-free. We were going on vacation to Hilton Head in a couple of days and I wanted to make something gluten-free to snack on and have available for breakfast in case our hotel didn't serve anything I could eat. Here is a picture of us from our recent trip. 

Brian (beloved boyfriend), Me, and Mom

It came out darker than the non-gluten free loaf I was used to, but it was super moist  delicious and favored by all types of eaters!

Banana Nut Bread

Ingredients: 

2/3 cups of margarine
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2 eggs
1 cup of brown rice flour
5 TBSP of arrowroot powder
3 TBSP of tapioca starch
3/4 TSP of xantham gum (do not leave this out!!)
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla
4 tablespoons of milk
3 very ripe mashed bananas
1 cup of chopped walnuts


Directions: 

1. Cream the butter and sugar together.  

2. When fluffy, add eggs and blend.

3. Sift the flour arrowroot powder, tapioca starch, xantham gum, baking powder and salt.  

4. Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter, sugar and eggs.  Alternate adding the flour and the
milk......a little flour, then a tablespoon of milk, then a little flour,
etc.  Mix all together as you add.  

5. Add the bananas and nuts  

6. And finally the vanilla.  

Cook on 350 for 45 minutes to an hour.

Eating In: All Natural Gluten-Free Chili

Last week I sat down, wrote out a meal plan, planned out a grocery list, and went shopping. Both my boyfriend and I are trying our best to lose weight, and save money. It is so hard to eat all natural, healthy, and gluten-free on a tight budget. This meal however is super cheap. This is also a good meal to make big batches of and freeze for later!

When your goal is to eat all natural, gluten-free, and low cal, it is important to take your time at the grocery store and read ingredients. Just remember, you can't judge a book by it's cover. Don't be surprised when trusted brands try and trick you, and add a bunch of yucky stuff!

I couldn't find a canned bean that was all natural, so I chose a dry bean. When I cooked the beans, I put some of the spice pack in with the beans as I cooked them. The meat mixture is a 1/3 grassfed beef, and 2/3 ground turkey. I bought 1 lb. grassfed beef, and 2 lbs. ground turkey. When I got home from the grocery store, I mixed all the meats and divided it into four parts. I then froze all bags in the freezer for other planned meals: stuffed peppers, meatloaf (see recipe), and burgers. The McCormick spice packet is all natural too! I know it is shocking that a spice pack can be all natural, but it is...here is your proof.

This chili turned out pretty spicy! So if you are sensitive to spicy things, cut the amount you put in the crock pot.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup of dried pinto beans (cook according to directions on the bag)
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato sauce
1 cup of water
1/2 to 1 package of Tex Mex Chili Seasoning
1/2 large onion
2 cloves of garlic finely minced
Meat Mixture 1/4 lb. of grass fed beef, and 3/4 lb. of ground turkey

Directions:
Cook beans according to package directions (will take a while, may want to do in advance)
Brown meat in pan
Add all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on high for 5 hours

Eating In: Maw Maw's Meatloaf with Tangy Brown Sugar Glaze

This recipe was one of my favorites growing up. It was always my requested meal on birthdays and weekends home from college. Still today, when my mom asks me what I would like her to cook on visits home, the answer is, Maw Maw' s meatloaf.

Read a little about the woman my grandmother was here: Little Davenport Memorial Page

This is SUPER easy to convert to a gluten free meal. The only one ingredient you need to change is the slice of bread. The brand Lea and Perrins Worcester sauce sauce is gluten-free. See my BBQ post for the confusion over vinegar.

I served my meatloaf with smashed and roasted  "Teeny Tiny Potatoes". (Look for for upcoming blog on how to do the potatoes. I should have it up by the end of the week.) My mom always served it with sour cream mashed potatoes, but I wanted to try something new.

Maw Maw' s Meatloaf w/Tangy Brown Sugar Glaze:

Makes four slices. I would double for a family of 4.

Meatloaf:
1 pound of ground beef (could do half of it as ground Turkey to cut the fat)
1/2 a large onion finely minced
1 egg
2 slices of Udi' s gluten-free bread (1 slice of regular loaf bread for gluten eaters)
1/4 cup of milk
2 Tbs tablespoon of Ketchup
1 teaspoon of Mustard (French' s is gluten-free)
1 teaspoon of Worcester Sauce (Lea & Perrins brand is gluten-free)
1/2 teaspoon of Salt
1/2 teaspoon of Pepper

Mix the ground beef, onion, egg, ketchup, mustard, Worcester sauce, salt and pepper. I mix with my hands. Let bread soak in milk (May not need all of milk). Squish milk and bread until bread is a sloppy, mushy paste. Mix bread and meat mixture until all is incorporated.

Bake for 30 minutes on 400. Check on the meatloaf every 10 minutes and pour out grease in pan. After the first 10 minutes, baste the meatloaf with the glaze below. You should baste at least 2 times.


Glaze:
1/4 cup of Ketchup
1/3 packed cup of Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon of Worcester Sauce (Lea & Perrins brand is gluten-free)
2 teaspoons of Mustard (French' s is gluten-free)

Melt sugar and ketchup in small dish for 20 seconds in the microwave. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. I always make extra because this sauce is addictive, and everyone will want to add more to their slice at meal time.

This meal is GREAT leftover!!!

Eating In: Slow-cooker Peach Salsa BBQ Chicken

The Battle of Gluten-Intolerance and BBQ. 

Can I have BBQ!? There is controversy among the vinegar in the BBQ itself. The vinegar is what prevents the BBQ sauce from being "gluten-free". I did my research and now understand the debate, so I can now share that information with you. Learn more about what gluten-intolerance is in my post:
My Journey Towards Gluten Intolerance 

About.com really dives into the confusion with vinegar in their article 

Is Vinegar Gluten-Free?

By Jane Anderson,

“…many experts consider almost all types of vinegar — including vinegar created from gluten grains — to be safe on the gluten-free diet, because the vinegar distillation process breaks down and eliminates the gluten protein fragments. But other experts question the safety of anything that starts out its life as gluten grains, noting that the available testing technology for gluten doesn't always pick up fragments of the protein that may nonetheless cause people to react.And finally, you've got people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity who absolutely, without question, suffer a gluten reaction when they consume vinegar derived from gluten grains, regardless of what either group of experts says.”

I have noticed that vinegar does not bother me personally. You really have to test it out for yourself. To stay on the safe side, look for a gluten-free BBQ sauce that you like. Look at my grocery shopping list for gluten free ideas for BBQ sauce. 

This recipe was an easy dump it and leave it meal. When I am making meat in the slow-cooker, I like to prepare it the night before and let the frozen meat thaw and marinate in the pot overnight. Last night I put 4 frozen chicken breasts in the slow-cooker pot with BBQ sauce and peach salsa (see recipe below). I put the ingredients in the the pot and let it sit in the fridge overnight. This morning before we went to church, I placed the pot in the slow-cooker and put it on high. Food was ready to go when we got back from church! I served it up with some yummy sweet potato tots that I found at Trader Joe's. This was NGFE (non gluten-free eater) approved  My honey gobbled it up while watching his beloved INDY car race. Super easy, super quick, and super tasty! 

Slow-Cooker Peach Salsa BBQ Chicken 

4 Chicken Breasts (Thawed)
1/2 cup of BBQ sauce
1 container of peach or fruit salsa (
 *I used Trader Joe's Peach Salsa found here

Cook in slow-cooker on high for 4 hours
Once cooked thoroughly, shred with two forks.
Place shredded chicken back in sauce until ready to serve.

I served my BBQ with Udi's Gluten-Free Hamburger Buns. I paired my sandwich with sweet-potato tater-tots, potato salad, and RedBridge gluten-free beer. (Items found on my Gluten-Free Shopping List)

My Journey Towards a Gluten –Free Diet: What is Gluten-Intolerance?!

My Journey Towards a Gluten –Free Diet.

What is Gluten-Intolerance?!

The following information I found in the article Marsh Stage of Celiac Disease

From Nancy Lapid on celiacdisease.about.com. You can read more information on the website here:

Basically there are different levels of Celiac called Marsh Stages:

The stages are based on the damage found on the small intestines through a biopsy. They range from 0 (not affected by gluten)  to 4 (highly affect by gluten).

I myself did not have a test to determine if I had gluten intolerance. I was tired of feeling bad all the time. I was always tired, run down and constantly trying to find energy. My face was always broken out, and I couldn't lose weight. Furthermore  I had gas all the time! (Sorry for the TMI)

Natural New's lists the following symptoms on their article: 

Six Signs You Might Have Gluten Sensitivity and Not Know It

"(1) Obviously, there are gastrointestinal (GI), stomach, and digestive problems. These can include one or some of the following: Gas, bloating, queasiness, abdominal cramping, constipation, diarrhea, or an alternating combination of both - IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

(2) Headaches and/or migraines.

(3) Fibromyalgia is not a disease, it's a syndrome. Getting a medical diagnosis is bogus. You don't need to be told you have muscular and connecting tissue aches and pains. That's what fibromyalgia means. Fibro= Connective Tissue; Myo= Muscle; Algia= Pain. Thus fibromyalgia.

(4) Emotional issues involving chronic irritability and sudden, irrational mood shifts.

(5) Neurological issues, including dizziness, difficulty balancing, and peripheral neuropathy affecting nerves outside the central nervous system and resulting in pain, weakness, tingling or numbness in the extremities.

(6) Fatigue, whether chronic or almost after every meal. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is, like fibromyalgia, a syndrome, not a disease. If that's what you're diagnosed with, it means your doctor can't locate the cause of your fatigue."

Learn more on their website.

I was desperate to feel better and lose weight so I searched out an answer. The answer I found was the Virgin Diet book by J. J. Virgin. View her website here for more information.

The Virgin Diet method:

"A negative reaction to certain foods like dairy or gluten can sabotage your health by triggering inflammation and causing a host of nasty symptoms like bloating, breakouts, headaches, achy joints and—worst of all—stubborn weight gain.

On The Virgin Diet, you’ll eat plenty of anti-inflammatory, healing foods to reclaim your health and reset your metabolism, while avoiding the 7 foods that are most likely to cause food intolerance."

What I did was cut out those 7 foods (one of them being gluten). Once you have allowed your body enough time to heal, you slowly add those foods back in your diet, to see what your body reacts to. Once I started adding gluten back into my diet, I noticed how crappy gluten was making me feel. One thing I noticed was how gluten made me feel depressed! This is why I chose to cut out gluten completely from my diet. I also found a sensitivity to soy, and I try and cut that out as much as possible (which is hard because soy is in EVERYTHING!)

Eating In: Grilled Fruit

This morning for breakfast I wanted a quick and sweet element to add to the usual bacon and eggs. Before I switched to the gluten-free life-style, I was whipping up a quick batch of pancakes. There are some gluten-free options for pancakes, but I didn't have any on hand this morning.

I search through the fridge to see what I can find. I found two nectarines that needed to be eaten soon. If you're like me, you get a little excited at the grocery store. I always buy way too much fresh produce. However, this buyer's remorse does lead to some wonderful and unique creations.

I racked my brain and remembered the yummy grilled bananas I had made for a dessert one night. That's it...grilled fruit with syrup drizzled on top!!

I grilled fruit variations before with honey drizzled on top too. However, I figured since it was breakfast, why not try the syrup. It was delicious! I felt like I was at IHOP ordering one of those stuffed fruit french toasts. I loved that this was a healthy low-carb alternative to the former breakfast I mentioned. I recommend you give it a try...try your favorite fruit! It doesn't hurt to try.  Once again this is boyfriend approved (non gluten-free eater). Possibilities are endless!!

Grilled Fruit:
Slice fruit of choice
Rub grill with oil (I used sunflower oil and a George Foreman Grill)
Grill for 5 minutes
drizzle with your favorite topping (see suggestions below)

Suggested toppings: 
Honey
Syrup
Chocolate syrup
Fruit syrup (water down your favorite jelly)
Caramel