29 days left to back my kickstarter! We added some awesome new rewards, one of which is me making you dinner in a studio :) Check it out! :) Thanks so much for your support. Remember, if we don’t fully fund in the time allotted, then I don’t receive anything—but thanks to you guys and your generosity, we are well on our way.

http://smarturl.it/KickstartAA5

BIG NEWS. :) I am making a brand new record!! And I need your support to make it happen.

Please check out my Kickstarter (linked below). Your support has always meant the world, and I would absolutely LOVE it if you would continue to support me in making my first full independent record. Thank you for everything. So excited about this next step! 

http://smarturl.it/KickstartAA5

You asked, I compiled. This is a post on living gluten free in Nashville and elsewhere, including websites, tips and tricks, great restaurants, and more. I will continue to update this as I travel the country. :) 

Great (and well-tested) gluten free friendly websites—from recipes to product shipping and everything in between.

http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/ — this is my favorite, and my go-to. she has TONS of recipes on here and she’s amazing.  You can follow her on twitter at @gfgoddess or @karinaallrich.  

http://www.glutenfree.com/

http://www.thespunkycoconut.com/ - gf, sugar free, dairy free

http://imperrfections.wordpress.com/recipes/— not all the recipes on Megan’s site are gluten free but she does have a few and she’s a friend of mine whose taste I trust :)  

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Mexican in Nashville

The secret to eating Mexican food with a gluten allergy is, ALWAYS ask about the sauces/salsas if you aren’t sure, and even if you think you are. I am amazed at the places people decide to stick gluten into things.

Taco Mamacita http://tacomamacita.com/

Baja Burrito http://www.bajaburrito.com/baja_burrito_website/welcome_to_baja_burrito.html (favorite Mexican in town!) (no flour tortillas allowed of course) (and no fish tacos, they fry the fish there) 

Blue Coast Burrito*: http://www.bluecoastburrito.com/ - locations in TN and AR

Chile Burrito http://thechileburrito.com/ - they offer a delicious grilled fish taco on a corn tortilla here (you have to ask for the fish to be grilled). But the grill where they toast the tortillas is shared, so if you are really sensitive, you may want to stick with a burrito bowl and chips instead. 

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Pizza in Nashville:

PortaVia http://www.eatatportavia.com/ best gluten free pizza I’ve had pretty much anywhere out to eat. They have gf pasta as well.

Mellow Mushroom*:  http://mellowmushroom.com/

Italia Pizza in East Nashville (it’s okay, not the greatest…but it works when you have a craving)  http://italiapizza37206.com/

Mafiaosza’s http://www.mafiaozas.com/nashville-m/pizza-pies-2/

Matteo’s http://www.matteospizza.com/menu/glutenfree.php

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Burgers, sandwiches, and general dining deliciousness in Nashville:

The Wild Cow http://www.thewildcow.com/twc/

Burger Up http://www.burger-up.com/menu.html

A Matter of Taste - homemade gluten free bread and pastries.  They serve sandwiches, soups, and salads, all gluten free if desired. http://www.amatteroftastetakeout.com/

Sloco https://slocolocal.com/ gluten free options for sandwiches

Silly Goose - arguably my favorite place in town. Gluten free bread available.  They are amazing about allergies if you notify them. Great dinner menu as well.  Sandwiches are available all day. http://sillygoosenashville.com/

Mad Donna’s - http://maddonnas.com/menu/dinner.pdfMad Donna’s offers gluten free bread for breakfast and lunch sandwiches, and burgers at dinner 

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Chains in Nashville and elsewhere with gf menus:

Amerigo http://amerigo.net/resources/PDF/Gluten-Free-Menu-Nashville.pdf

P.F. Chang’s  http://www.pfchangs.com/menu/ (click ‘gluten free’ on the index at the top)

Pei Wei  http://www.peiwei.com/menu/ - click ‘view gluten free’

Carrabba’s http://www.carrabbas.com/menu/pdf/GFmenu.pdf

Olive Garden  http://www.olivegarden.com/Menu/Gluten-Free/

Maggiano’s  http://www.maggianos.com/en/Pages/home.aspxThey have gluten free pasta.  Little known fun fact; if you call ahead and make a reservation and tell them your food allergy needs, they go waaaay out of their way to accomodate you.  Sometimes the chef comes out to your table to talk to you if he knows you have an issue.

Moe’s  http://www.moes.com/mission/ - click on gluten free at the top

Ruby Tuesday http://www.rubytuesday.com/assets/menu/pdf/informational/allergen.pdf

Boston Market  http://bostonmarket.com/pdfs/allergens.pdf

Chili’s http://www.chilis.com/EN/Allergy%20Information/Chilis%20Allergen_Generic.pdf

Outback Steakhouse http://www.outback.com/menu/pdf/glutenfree.pdf

Ted’s Montana Grill http://www.tedsmontanagrill.com/pdfs/TMG-Gluten_Free_Menu.pdf

Uno’s http://www.unos.com/nutrition.php (click on ‘gluten free information’)

Bonefish Grill http://www.bonefishgrill.com/Content/our-menu

Chipotle - http://chipotle.com

Old Spaghetti Factory http://www.osf.com/gluten-free-menu/

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Out of town treats:

Yeah! Burger in Atlanta - http://www.yeahburger.com/ best gluten free burger experience I’ve had so far. They not only have gluten free buns that are half-way decent, but they have a dedicated gluten free fryer for fries and gf onion rings, and they have a dedicated toaster for the bread.

Z Pizza - http://www.zpizza.com/ any pizza can be made gluten free

AZ, CA, CO, DC, GA, HI, MD, MN, MI, MO,NC, NV, NY, OH, TX, VA, WA

Havana Cafe - Phoenix, AZ havanacafe-az.com.

In-N-Out - http://www.in-n-out.com/ West coast only.  Order your burger “protein style” to get it lettuce wrapped.  Their fries are gluten free also, as there are no onion rings there being fried in the same oil.

La Grande Orange/LGO - Phoenix, AZ & Pasadena, CA http://www.lagrandeorangegrocery.com/ This place tops all my other favorites for gf.  I’m not sure why. It’s just delicious. Try the pizza that they serve at dinner! :) And they have a location in the Phoenix Airport! 

Picazzo’s - Tempe, AZ.http://picazzos.com/ VERY gluten free friendly, all organic, locations throughout Arizona…GREAT gluten free pizza.  

Chelsea’s Kitchen - Phoenix, AZ http://www.chelseaskitchenaz.com/

Spinato’s Pizza - Phoenix, AZ spinatospizza.com.

Posana Cafe - Asheville, NC http://posanacafe.com/ Posana is an entirely gluten free restaurant. Their food tastes ‘normal’, which is a big deal if you are living gluten free.  They have pasta, bread, pastries, desserts…inCREDIBLE.  A must-visit.

Gluten Free in NJ?http://newyork.cbslocal.com/guide/the-4-best-gluten-free-restaurants-in-new-jersey/

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Mixes I’ve Tested:

Favorite pizza crust mix: Bob’s Red Mill

Favorite chocolate chip cookie mix: Pamela’s (Betty Crocker’s is pretty good too but I’m pretty sure it’s even less healthy)

Favorite cornbread mix: Bob’s Red Mill

Favorite brownie mix: Pamela’s

———————

Random tips and things I’ve learned:

Pre-mixed seasoning blends are often not gluten free.  Definitely read the labels.

Soy sauce is not gluten free, so teriyaki and most asian sauces are out unless they specify that they are gluten free. Tamari (soy sauce without the wheat) and Bragg’s Liquid Amino Acids are safe. But always check.

Whey protein is often not gluten free (they sometimes add gluten binders to it) so definitely read the labels of your protein supplements/protein shakes/protein bars.

PM on Belmont Blvd. in Nashville does NOT have gluten free sushi, even w/o the soy sauce. Their seaweed paper has flour in it.

Gravy is almost NEVER gluten free, from turkey gravy to sausage gravy and most in between (unless otherwise specified)

Bisque soups are usually not gluten free. (the thing that makes them so thick is usually flour or bread crumbs)

IHOP puts pancake batter in their omelets.  Not gluten free!

There is gluten in the rice pilaf at Zoe’s Kitchen (I found out the hard way) so…apparently rice pilafs are worth asking about!  Plain rice is fine.

McDonald’s is the ONLY fast food restaurant that has completely gluten free french fries as of right now.  But you must ask if they share their fryers between fries and other fried items, like chicken fingers.  If they don’t, the fries are gluten free. (I do not personally eat them, but I read this on the web and thought it was worth adding)

Houston’s Restaurant and all its restaurant branches put a seasoning on their fries that is not gluten free.  I’m sensitive enough to it that I can’t eat anything fried in the same oil as items with gluten anyway…so I usually stay away from fries at restaurants now, as most of them fry everything in the same oil (fries, onion rings, spring rolls, etc—which stinks…but it’s better for my body anyway) 

One thing I’ve enjoyed doing is going to Whole Foods at Hills Center and sitting at the little restaurant/bar thing by the produce and getting their grass-fed burger; if you bring gluten free bread or buns from the frozen section they will use it for any sandwich you want.  Last time me and Billy did that they didn’t even charge us for the whole loaf of bread and we got to keep it (not sure if that would happen every time, but it was awesome!).  Also, they have draft root beer on tap, which is amazing.

BBQ sauce is questionable.  Always ask. (mostly because of soy sauce being a potential ingredient)

…because, at that moment, it is not he who speaks, but another.

The term ‘anointing’ gets thrown around so much these days…dare I say, it is ‘abused’?  This is the best description I have read of it.  Thanks to Fr. Cantalamessa for speaking these words, and my friend Iwona Major for posting it on Facebook today.

“Anointed faith is what gives to a speech prophetic power. Let me try to explain how this happens when we preach about the crucified and the risen Lord. While the preacher is speaking, at a certain point, quite apart from any decision of his, he becomes aware of an intervention, as though a signal on another wavelength were coming through his voice. He becomes aware of this because he begins to feel deeply stirred, invested with a strength and an extraordinary power of conviction that he recognises clearly is not his own. His words come out as incisive, with greater assurance. He experiences a touch of that “authority” that all recognised when they listened to Jesus speaking.

The listener is brought to a point of total concentration into which no other voice can reach: he too feels “touched”, and often a shiver goes through his body.  At a moment like this, the human speaker and the human voice fade out of the picture, to make way for another voice entirely. Someone has said: “The true prophet, when he speaks, remains silent”. (Philo of Alexandria) The prophet is silent because, at that moment, it is not he who speaks, but another. God says to his prophets, poor sinful human creatures, “You shall be as my own mouth” (Jr 15, 19), and the thought of it makes his messenger tremble.

Of course, this doesn’t happen at the same level of intensity all the way through. There are special moments. God needs only one phrase, one word. The speaker and the listeners have the feeling that drops of fire mingle at a certain point with the preacher’s words and they become white-hot and shining. Of all images, fire is the one that is least inadequate when it comes to expressing this operation of the Spirit. So it was that at Pentecost, he showed himself as “tongues of fire” (Acts 2, 3). We read of Elijah that “he arose like a fire, his word flaring like a torch” (Eccl 48,1), and in the book of the prophet Jeremiah, God himself declares, “Does not my word burn like fire, is it not like a hammer shattering rock?” (Jr 23, 29). - Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap, Preacher to the Papal Household

Coconut. It’s my favorite, not just because it tastes great (which it does)—but also because it has some amazing health benefits.  It’s gotten a bad rap from the low-fat movement because of its high fat content—but the fat in coconut is a medium chain fatty acid (MCFA) which requires no special enzymes to digest, the way many other fats do.  MCFAs are sent immediately to our livers and converted into energy instead of storing as fat. And they stimulate our metabolism!  So if you’re losing weight, this refined-sugar free, coconut-based dessert is for you.

These bites are not what you might call “low calorie”, (they have about 75 calories per bite) but all the calories in this recipe are healthful and nutritious, and easy for your body to absorb. They are a great afternoon snack to tide you over till dinner, or a healthy dessert—you can rest easy knowing that all the calories they pack are going to be put to good use quicker than with a traditional dessert.

Cacao, which dark chocolate is made from, is rich in antioxidants.  Cacao nibs are raw and unsweetened, so their health benefits are unadulterated. 

Chocolate Coconut & Date Bites

(raw, vegan, dairy free, soy free, gluten free, peanut-free, GMO-free, refined-sugar free)

2 tbsp organic non-GMO virgin coconut oil

6-8 dates, pitted and roughly chopped

1 8oz package shredded unsweetened non-GMO coconut  *reserve about 1/3 cup for rolling the bites in afterwards

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup sunflower seeds or other seeds of your choice

1-2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, depending on how chocolatey you like these! I use 2.

1/4 cup raw cacao nibs

Place dates, shredded coconut (except for the reserved portion), coconut oil, and cocoa powder in a food processor or strong blender and pulse until combined into a rough paste. Scrape down the sides if you need to.

Transfer the mix to a mixing bowl and add in the coconut flakes, raisins, sunflower seeds, and cacao nibs.  Combine well. I use my hands—it’s messy but it’s the easiest way. Shape into bite-sized rounds and place on a sheet of parchment paper. Store in the refrigerator between layers of parchment in a tupperware or container of your choice.

Some notes:

Coconut oil is liquid when warm and solid when cool—so storing these in the fridge is best!  They are bite sized, so they hold up well as long as you don’t handle them for a long time.

If they don’t hold together like you want them to, you could pulse some more dates and work them into the mix.  8 should be more than plenty though. I used 6 and they held together.

I did not feel that these needed any sweeteners at all beyond the dates and the raisins, but if you do, some Stevia could be worked in, or sugar could be sprinkled on top.  However, without the sugar, these are much healthier. :) 

“We have come from God, and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God.” –J.R.R. Tolkien

Tried this recipe today, and it turned out great, so I thought I would share!  It was my first experience working with sunchokes (also known as Jerusalem artichokes) and I plan on doing so again.  If you’re wondering what the heck a Jerusalem artichoke, it’s not from Jerusalem, and it’s not an artichoke.  Go figure.  It’s the tuber of a sunflower plant native to North America.  Sort of potato-like, but a little nuttier and sweeter.

Here’s another fun sunchoke fact I pulled from Wikipedia.  And by fun, I mean terrifying.

Gerard’s Herbal, printed in 1621, quotes the English planter John Goodyer on Jerusalem artichokes:

“which way soever they be dressed and eaten, they stir and cause a filthy loathsome stinking wind within the body, thereby causing the belly to be pained and tormented, and are a meat more fit for swine than men.” 

Good thing I just downed two helpings of the stuff.  

Cream-free “creamed” spinach.

You’ll need:

1 bag frozen organic cut spinach (it’s better cut than chopped, in my opinion—chopped spinach is small and hard to eat) 
1/3 cup chopped sweet or yellow onion
4-5 sunchokes 
1 small-to-medium sized potato
1/2 cup SoDelicious coconut milk creamer (original) *I would imagine you could sub soymilk creamer here, but it would have a very different taste.
2 tbsp oil (or butter, if you prefer)(I used butter)
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp of potato starch (or corn starch if you like)
1/4 cup of cold water 

Peel the sunchokes the potato and dice.  Add to hot water and boil for 12 minutes, or until tender.  Drain, then set aside.

While the artichokes are boiling, empty spinach into a saucepan and cover—heat on low with a couple of tbsp of water, until thawed and warmed through.

In a separate saucepan, heat the oil to medium-high.  Add the onions and sweat for 5 minutes. Add the creamer, stir thoroughly, and heat until hot.

Pour the onion/cream mixture into a blender and add the potato/artichoke mixture.  Puree till very smooth.  Salt well. It should taste rich and round and unctuous.

When spinach is warmed, pour in the puree and stir well.  Combine the potato starch with the cold water in a small bowl, and stir until there are no globs or lumps. (I always use my finger and it works great).  Pour slowly into the spinach mixture, and bring the whole thing up to a boil.  Stir and remove from heat.  It will thicken up a bit as it cools off a little.  

You’re done! Serve with steak, rotisserie chicken, or whatever sounds good to you!