Trotter's Cafe

We ventured to Trotter's Cafe on Marshall Ave in St. Paul a few weeks ago with some friends. I am really impressed with Trotter's commitment to local farmers and fresh food. You can view a list of all their suppliers here. All the suppliers are from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. I really appreciate their transparency in a world so focus on food privacy.

I like going out for breakfast because it's an easy way to go out and eat gluten-free. Restaurants always have eggs. Trotter's also happens to have GF bread - photo on the right. It tasted like a pop-over, light and airy. Unlike most store bought gluten-free breads. The bread was an unexpected and delightful surprise.

Trotter's has a great local atmosphere. They have been added to a my list of local favorites.

Rice Chex Treats

Thank you Amy for introducing me to Rice Chex treats! If you know how to make Rice Crispy Treats you know how to make these! Replace the Rice Crispys with Rice Chex. It's that simple. Every time I make these they don't last more than two days.

This is a great option for an easy gluten-free dessert that everyone will enjoy.

Butter a 9x13 pan. In a large pot melt 3 Tbsp of butter on med-high heat. Add 2 bags of marshmallows. Keep stirring to avoid the mallows turning brown. Once melted remove pot from heat and add 6 cups of Rice Chex. Stir together. Spread the mix into the pan. Let cool and Enjoy!

These treats are a little rougher then Rice Crispys so I use a bread knife to cut them.

Eden Pizza

Have you been to Eden Pizza? A friend recommended I try it months ago - and I finally did. They have an extensive menu of speciality pizzas including GLUTEN-FREE! Very good. I'm excited that I found this place. It's really good pizza and it cost less then some other places.

It's a small restaurant in Midway/Como neighborhood in St. Paul  off of Snelling just north of 94. It's in a residential area so parking is easy and the traffic is light. You can order for delivery, eat there or pick it up. They're closed on Monday and open 3pm-10pm the rest of the week.

Gluten Sensitivity

Clues to Gluten Sensitivity in Wall Street Journal

Delightful Surprises at Super Target

I find myself grocery shopping at Target more and more these days. Don't get me wrong I love my co-op and Lund's is super nice but Target fits my budget. And to my surprise Target has been albe to fit my diet. I can't get everything at Target but I can get a lot there. They carry many GF products including Glutino, Kinnikinnick, Amy's, Julie's, Annie's, Bob's Red Mill, Cherrybrook, and General Mills. You have to be looking for some of them. For example, the Kinn-Toos are on the top shelf - not exactly easy to spot. For a while I thought that only certain Target stores in certain neighborhoods would cater to food allergiers but I was wrong. I have seen a wide variety of GF products in many Target locations. Honestly I can get more GF food at Target then at Lund's. I'm not kidding. Obviously Target can't be the only store you shop and for many of you with food allergies I'm sure you're already shopping at many different grocery stores but they can be added into your repertoire. The best part - it's less expensive for the same food.

Another sweet treat from Kinnikinnick. These are their animal crackers. These crackers are light and sweet. Remember how animal crackers always stuck to the roof of your mouth, similar to graham crackers. These are easy and don't get stuck anywhere in your mouth. I didn't feel weighed down or that I had eaten too many. I would choose these over the gluten filled crackers. I found these at Super Target and I haven't seen them anywhere else. Yea Target!

Brasa

Ate at Brasa Premium Rotisserie last week - love it! They have a separate gluten-free menu that includes GF beer. The staff is very knowledgable about the food and super helpful. Most of the food is served family style but they also make sandwiches. We chose family style because the sandwiches are not GF. We ordered the pulled pork, the ribs (they were on special), yellow rice and beans, apple coleslaw, and cornbread for the gluten eaters. For dessert I ordered the butterscotch pudding. I would go to Brasa just for the pudding. I loved it that much.  Besides the pudding, the coleslaw really stands out to me, it's tangy. Tangy coleslaw is unexpected. By adding the apples the slaw becomes more of a palet cleanser. Which worked out great so I could focus on dessert. You can tell that the food is made with a lot of care.  Every time I've been there it lives up to my expectations. Usually my memory remembers the food more favorably then it actually is however Brase never disappoints. 

There are two locations, one in NE Minneapolis and one on Grand Ave in St. Paul. Adam Richman, host of "Man vs. Food" included a Brasa meal on his 5 foods not to be missed on the Today Show in December. You can see the video here. You can also see photos from the "Man vs. Food" visit to Brasa and other Minnepolis favorites here. In conclusion, go to Brasa!