Simply G Free – Support For A Gluten Free Lifestyle

I recently acquired some very handy items for living gluten free from a company called Simply G Free.  The name really says it all.

The products are all meant to help you live gluten free more simply and help avoid cross-contamination.

The metal kitchen tags are clearly marked “gluten free” and can be affixed to any pot handle or cooking implement that has a small hole.  I have put mine on my pasta claw, my favourite pot and my measuring spoons.

The rectangle stickers are great for the fridge or freezer for left-overs and make-aheads. They don’t come off in the freezer, like some stickers and you can easily put them on your plastic or glass containers or storage bags.

I use the oversized star shaped stickers when I go to the bulk store, so that my gluten free items are easily recognized and there is room on them if you want to write what the item is.

I also got a simplygfree bracelet which has not left my wrist since I put it on. It is a great reminder to friends, family and wait staff that I must eat gluten free and it also helps to raise awareness.

You can get all of the above-mentioned items in a kit or you can purchase them separately.

Simply go to www.simplygfree.com and order these reasonably priced items.  Check out the entire website while you are there and you will find valuable information on cross-contamination and so much more.

Astoria Mills – Gluten Free Baking Mixes

Feel good and enjoy all the foods you love again!

About Astoria Mills

Certified Gluten Free

Gluten Free – Lab Tested – NO DETECTABLE GLUTEN

Kosher Parve

Blended in a Dedicated and Certified Gluten Free Facility

Facility is HACCP

Pharmaceutical Grade Blending

Made in Canada

Premium Blends

7 Mix Baking Mix System works together to make anything you want – gluten free!

Superior Taste – you can serve anyone!

Bulk Blends – 20 Kg Bags

Artisan Quality – gluten free!

Commercial Baker tested, Chef tested, Restaurant tested, Customer tested, Celiac tested

Nutritionally Enhanced with proprietary Vitamin and Mineral Formula

Contain Resistant Starch for added nutrition

Store Support

Your store/bakery location profiled on our website

Your store/bakery mentioned on Facebook – 23,000 plus members and growing

See Thru, Resealable Packaging

QR Code on each package for in-store shoppers with Smart Phones

Shipped from Ontario

Customer Support

Gluten Free Baking Classes online video

Instructional Videos for each mix

Free eCookbook with 300+ Recipes and a Chapter for each mix

Suggested Menu Planning for Gluten free families

Starting a GF Diet Plan for newly diagnosed gluten intolerants or celiacs

In -Store Demonstrations in some areas

Gluten Free Workshops & Cooking Classes

How Does the Astoria Mills Cooking and Baking System work?

Below is an brief explanation of the Astoria Mills Baking System and what you can make using

these mixes. For exact easy to follow step by step recipes see the Astoria Mills Gluten Free

Cookbooks (an e-book by Trina Astor-Stewart.

A. THREE BASIC FLOUR MIXES (Corn is all non-GMO)

Because no one gf flour blend will do it all, Astoria Mills believes you should have the best mix

for whatever item you want to make. Use these three Basic Mixes in your favorite recipes or

utilize our 100’s of already tested traditional style recipes from the Astoria Mills Gluten Free ECookbook.

The recipes are in easy step by step format, easy for the novice cook to follow, as

well as the experienced baker

All Purpose Flour – Mix #1

An Enriched blend containing white rice flour, potato and corn.

Use to make gluten free: Muffins, pancakes, snack cakes, cookies, pan breads, biscuits, crumble

toppings, roux sauces, deep fry batters, use for dredging and coating meats, fish and

vegetables. (also used in combination with Astoria Mills Pastry Flour – Mix #2 in various recipes)

Pastry Flour – Mix #2

An Enriched blend containing sweet rice flour, potato and corn.

·        Aztec Harvest Blend – Mix #4

Whole Grain/Germinated Seed Blend

Both a flour and a stand alone mix. Make gluten free: Flat breads, hot porridge, chappatti, artisan breads, pumpernickel bread, add to any recipe for more whole grain/germinated seed goodness. Corn free.

·        Pizza & Bagel – Mix #5

Make gluten free:Pizza, bagels, pitas, kaiser rolls, baguettes, artisan breads, donuts.

A complete mix, all you add are liquids.

·        Brown Bread Mix – Mix #6

Make gluten free: Sandwich Breads, Hamburger/Hot Dog Buns, Dinner & Sub Style Rolls, Pitas & Donuts – Rice Free.

·        White Bread Mix – Mix #7

Make gluten free: Sandwich breads, hamburger buns, hot dog buns, sub-style buns, dinner rolls, pitas, Texas Toast, Braided Challah, donuts, artisan breads.

Use to make gluten free: Pies, pastry, cookies, yeast breads, biscuits, scones, moist chocolate

muffins, cakes and brownies. Also use to make: puddings, gravies and a flour with which to

knead dough and to dust baking pans.

Fine Flour – Mix #3

An Enriched blend containing potato and corn

Use to make gluten free: Tortes, fine cakes, crepes, breads, biscuits, fresh pasta, pierogis,

wraps, lasagna noodles, phyllo dough, use as a kneading and dusting mix.

Astoria Mills gluten free mixes for breads, pizzas, buns, main dishes and desserts.

You can tell the difference when you taste it !

www.AstoriaMills.ca

A.J’s Care Packages Has A New Logo!

A.J’s Care Packages

Mucho Burrito – Has Gluten Free Menu Items!

50 Mapleview Drive West  Barrie, ON L4N6L4
(705) 739-6824

Or go to Mucho Burrito

My sister and I went to Mucho Burrito on Mapleview in Barrie for lunch today.  There are several items on the menu that are gluten free.

They offer corn tacos (hard shell as well as soft shell). In addition to that they also offer open burrito bowls and salad bowls
(traditionally served in a baked tortilla bowl), but for their gluten-free menu they prepare the same items (Open Burrito Bowls & Salads) in plastic containers.
In the meat options they offer chicken, steak and Chorizo sausage.

My sister and I shared a burrito bowl, a salad bowl and a chicken taco.  Large portions, with fresh ingredients, at a great price.  I will be back! (Maybe I’ll see you there)

The restaurant is very clean, the staff was friendly and knowledgeable and the atmosphere was very Mexican.

Special thanks goes out to Andy and Priya Gogia for hosting our lunch today.  They are a lovely couple.

 You can find the Allergen chart here

When you visit, be sure to tell the staff that you are gluten free.  Visit soon and tell them Aunt Jayne sent you!

 

Girl’s Day Out! A Gluten Free Success

Girl’s Day Out – April 2012

Sometimes it just seems necessary to get together with a bunch of other women and have a good time.

Yesterday, my girls and I got together.

We met at my mom’s place and from there we went to Pizza Dee’s in Wasaga Beach, Ontario.

My mom and her friend go there quite often and she suggested that would be a good place to have our girl’s day out lunch because they offer a gluten free menu.

Mom was right!

Pizza Dee’s employs the cutest little waitress and I am kicking myself for not getting her name.  This girl went out of her way to make sure we had a great time.

The food was great and there was lots of it.  Price? Absolutely affordable.

My gluten free pizza was yummy. (I am having the left-overs tonight for dinner at work)

The other girls all had the pizza/salad deal and lunch was enjoyed by all.

Our Dessert was a wonderful gluten free chocolate layer cake that I purchased from Holly’s Sweets & Eats on Commerce Drive in Barrie.

 

 

 

 

I can’t get over how absolutely gorgeous the cake was and like all of the other treats I have tried from Holly’s, it was incredibly good.

I think this day did us all a world of good and we will be doing another soon.

Thanks for listening,

Aunt Jayne

Aunt Jayne’s Gluten Free Recipes in a Decorative box

This is a wide variety of Aunt Jayne’s recipes in a pretty box.

We have even included 10 blank recipe cards to write your favourite recipes on.

Click here: ajscarepackages

Free delivery on all A.J’s Care Packages in the Barrie area!

This includes:

The city of Barrie

Alcona                                                                 Churchill

Alliston                                                               Gilford

Angus                                                                  Innisfil Heights

Barclay                                                               Lefroy

Baxter                                                                 Sandy Cove

Bell Ewart                                                          Stroud

CFB Borden                                                      Thornton

If you wish to have your care packages delivered to one of the above areas, please call 705-999-1414.

All “free delivery” items must be paid for in advance or COD (Cash on delivery)

This offer is not valid if you click the “buy now” button.

Please like my facebook page http://ning.it/GXKpF9

Holy Crap! What a Great Cereal!

I was recently sent some samples of Holy Crap cereal for myself and two of the firefighters I work with.

Jim says it is very tasty (He is a man of few words) and Jack loved it.  Jack and his wife even tried tossing a bit into their muffin batter and they tell me it made the muffins more moist and delicious.

Myself, I love this.  You only need a small amount to be satisfied, but that small amount contains a huge amount of flavour and texture.  I tried it on coconut yogurt – YUM!  I also tried it with Almond milk – Delicious!

Holy crap is the brainchild of Corin Mullins, founder of HapiFoods Group of Sechelt.

“She wanted a cereal that was high in energy and could travel well. She did her research and developed Holy Crap cereal. The cereal’s main ingredient is Chia seeds. Chia contains 20% protein and more Omega-3 amino acids than fish oil. Other ingredients are hemp hearts, raisins and cranberries. Only a couple of tablespoons  added to milk or yogurt are needed to get the energy and antioxidant benefits.

The ingredients are purchased from all over the world but the cereal is manufactured and packaged right here on the Sunshine Coast. The company contracts with Tilly’s Galley to manufacture the cereal while they also use local businesses for their web site, design and printing. Corin and her husband Brian are the company’s two employees They hire a local person to help sell their products in Vancouver and at farmer’s markets.

The couple was recently  interviewed on the CBC television show Dragons’ Den. Other than revealing that fact, they are sworn to secrecy. They expect their episode to air this fall, but even they will not know the time until one week before the show airs.

Why the name Holy Crap? Corin says it started as a joke after a customer told her, “holy crap this is amazing!”. The name stuck and along with it’s sister sugar-free cereal, Skinny B, is sold at various stores on the coast.”

Another great Canadian product!

Have you tried Holy Crap cereal yet?  Why the heck not?

You can get it at many grocery stores, health food stores or on line at http://www.holycrap.ca

Cheaters Never Prosper!

Have you ever heard the expression “Cheaters never prosper”?  Well, if you have Celiac disease and you “cheat” and eat something with gluten in it, not only will you not prosper, you could die!

Sounds very dramatic, right?  I am serious. 

Those of us who have Celiac disease can have devastating effects from ingesting gluten and we might not even notice.   Gluten destroys the villi in the small intestine and if the behaviour continues, the body loses it’s ability to absorb essential nutrients from the food.  You can literally become malnourished!

I have never cheated since going gluten free in 2007 and I never will.  I hope none of you ever will either.

Take care of you,

Aunt Jayne

Holly’s Sweets & Eats Bakery and Bistro – Gluten Free

As you all know, I am always on the lookout for gluten free businesses.  This time I hit the jackpot!  Not only does Holly’s Sweets & Eats have culinary works of art that dance with flavour in your mouth – they are in my neighbourhood!

Everything is made from scratch in the store.  No mixes. No artificial ingredients. Just delicious.

I was in Holly’s yesterday and was treated to some samples of their delectable sweets.

I have to say, I have never had a gluten free chocolate cake that did not have a “gluten free” texture – until I tried Holly’s!  It is out of this world!

Here is what Holly and Lori had to say about their baked goods:

“We are always working hard on baked goods for those with special dietary restrictions. It is difficult to create something that is as good or better as the regular item on our shelves. We have achieved success in many items. These items are custom orders only. On occasion, you will find these items on the shelves but it is only because we made a batch for someone else and you came in at the right time. We would be happy to make you any of the items on our list and we promise to continue developing more each week.
Gluten Free: Chocolate Chip cookies, Double Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate or Vanilla Cake, Peanut Butter Cookies, Cheesecake, Morning Glory Loaves
Sugar Free: Apple or Mixed Berry Pies and Tarts
Dairy Free: Chocolate Cake with Buttercream or Ganache, any of our cookies can be made dairy-free,
Egg Free: Some of our cakes, and most of our cookies can be made egg free.
Vegan: We have been working on a couple of vegan cakes and am still waiting for feedback from some clients (you know who you are!).
For more details on your dietary needs, call the bakery and speak to Lori or Holly.”

If you are in the Barrie area and would like some high quality gluten free goodies, go to:

Holly’s Sweets & Eats

12 Commerce Park Drive  Unit L

(In south-end Barrie)

705-735-3366

You will not be disappointed!

The Holly’s staff are well-trained and very knowledgeable when it comes to gluten free and they take every precaution to keep the gluten free products safe, however, they cannot give an iron clad guarantee.

BAKERY ON MAIN IS NOW NON-GMO PROJECT VERFIED

 EAST HARTFORD, CONN., February 21^st 2012 – Bakery On Main is proud to announce that all of its products are now “Non-GMO Project Verified” by the Non-GMO Project, a non-profit organization offering North America’s only third party verification for Non-GMO foods and products.  Bakery On Main has always worked hard to be a Non-GMO company and has supported efforts to get the FDA to create labeling standards.

“Bakery On Main products have always been made with Non-GMO ingredients. This third party certification brings additional standards testing to the process, so customers can be absolutely sure that they are getting Non-GMO food.   We understand how important it is for our customers to know what is in their food, and we are honored that the Non-GMO Project has supported this through third party verification.”    -Michael Smulders, President of Bakery On Main

GMOs are organisms that have been created through the gene-splicing techniques of biotechnology. This relatively new science allows DNA from one species to be injected into another species in a laboratory, creating combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and viral genes. It is estimated that GMOs are now present in more than 80% of packaged products in the average U.S. or Canadian grocery stores.

In addition to being “Non-GMO Project Verified”, all of Bakery On Main’s products are Certified Gluten Free, Dairy & Casein free and Kosher OU Parve.

Bakery On Main employees also feel passionate about the issue and have taken the initiative to start a Non-GMO group in the local area on a volunteer basis. The missio who want to educate others about the risks of GMO’s in our foods as well as the importance of GMO labeling.

n of the group is to educate residents of Connecticut about the dangers of GMOs and the importance of Non-GMO labeling. who want to educate others about the risks of GMO’s in our foods as well as the importance of GMO labeling.

 

ABOUT BAKERY ON MAIN

Bakery On Main was founded in 2003 with a simple philosophy: food that’s good for you should taste good too. It all started in the small bakery of a natural foods market on Main Street in Glastonbury, Connecticut. Founder Michael Smulders listened to his Celiac customers complain about the taste of many of the gluten free options available to them. He thought that no one should have to suffer because of a food allergy or other special dietary needs, and made it his mission to create products that were good for them but taste like they aren’t.

Today, the company’s premium gluten free products are made in a 34,000 square foot manufacturing facility with state of the art quality controls and in-house gluten testing on every batch. Located just a few miles down the road from the original bakery, the plant maintains the same small bakery quality by continuing to bake in small batches. For more information, visit www.bakeryonmain.com  Like Bakery On Main on Facebook or follow them on Twitter @bakeryonmain

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