Gluten-Free Pizza - Yum ~

After our Triathlon last weekend, my body was longing for some carbs. I had been told by someone at the Whole Foods deli counter last week that they were now making gluten-free pizza dough (rice) and pizzas made-to-order. Wow. My world just became a little bit brighter.

We decided to give this pizza a try, so I went to the Whole Foods pizza counter and spoke at length with one of their employees. He told me that the dough is made of rice flour and is 100% gluten-free. They are creating 10" rounds that come standard with mozzarella, and then you have three pizza sauces to choose from. The pizzas are custom made-to-order at the counter, and can either be baked at WF or you can take it home to bake in your own oven, which I did. The dough can also be sold separately, so customers can simply take it home, roll it, dress it with toppings and bake on their own. I was told that they keep the dough in a separate area and went to another kitchen in WF to prepare the pizza. I opted to take the pizza home and bake it in my oven which I know is 100% gluten-free. Our WF here in Reno is doing a great job stocking a lot of gluten-free items, however, they state right up front that they are NOT a gluten-free facility, so you always have to keep cross-contamination in mind.

I would like to further-research where they are baking the GF pizzas; are they in the same oven as the regular flour-dough pizzas, or have they designated a separate oven? So until I have that answer clear in my head, I'll keep baking them at home. And the price - it was very reasonable. Surprisingly, our 10" with three toppings (artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and ham) and the choice of garlic/tomato sauce with mozzarella was only $15.00. I've purchased GF pizzas in San Diego that were only 8" and ran somewhere in the $20-something range...so this was also a pleasant surprise, and dangerous...I have to ration my pizza runs now!


The pizza was quite delicious and I enjoyed the crust - I bake my own pizzas, creating the dough at home via an easy recipe I posted last year, but this crust had a lovely crispness to it - and held it's form quite nicely. The toppings were fresh, healthy and I really liked the taste of their mozzarella cheese and the way it bubbled and cooked to a yummy "real pizza" consistency, especially around the crust. So yeah, it was a little bit of Heaven and felt like a real treat to go order a pizza at the counter, shop for 20 minutes and pick it up...dare I say, it kind of felt "normal"...

I would like to hear from those of you who give this Whole Foods pizza a try and hear what you think about the quality, consistency, toppings and price.

If this weekend's heat and lazy summer attitude prevents you from whipping up a storm in the kitchen, you now have the option of a quick and delish pizza - all you really need to do is pick some fresh lettuce and veggies from your backyard garden and drizzle on some olive oil and balsamic!

Happy Summer eating~

Race News and Skyr ~

I'm very happy to report that my first half-marathon was a success and a wonderfully challenging experience! It's already been a week + since the race and I'm feeling the itch to sign up for more races...so next up, the Graeagle Triathlon on July 4th! I think I've got the "get stronger" bug and it's bittin' away.

I've been relearning through all this running and training just how valuable the right foods can truly be for our bodies, and how it is the fuel that keeps the fire burning. Not only have I not been eating enough protein for a long time now, but I've also discovered how beneficial the right foods are at just the right times, when it comes to sustaining my energy and stamina. It's such a learning curve and definitely a work in progress. The night before the race, we cooked a yummy pasta, chicken, veggie dish that was perfect and served as good racing fuel. The morning of, (after not sleeping well at all, darn it) I ate a delish cup of my new favorite food, Siggi's Icelandic Style Skyr Strained Non-fat yogurt that I discovered while in Seattle with my Aunt, along with berries and peanut butter! The Skyr-style yogurt is non-fat and loaded with protein - 16 grams in just 170 grams or a small cup. It's my favorite breakfast and also a real treat when you sprinkle raw nuts and cranberries on top - give it a try for your next breakfast.

The race is all a bit of a blur, but boy was I nervous at the starting line - as the starter's gun was fired I was surprised at how quickly everyone took off - setting a pretty fast pace from the get-go...oh, and I did I mention that the first mile was a long climb up a hill? Yes, it was. Lots of huffing and puffing at more that 1,000 feet higher than had I trained at. The course was gorgeous and in those moments when the pain set in or I was tired, I continually reminded myself to look around at the majestic beauty that was surrounding all of us runners, and to remember why I was doing this...for myself, for my spirit and for purely the gift of having two legs to take me on this journey. So at mile 12, another big hill (can you believe that?!), followed by more rolling hills...I kept saying to myself, "I did it - almost there!"...and let me tell you, I don't' even remember the last 1/4 mile - all I could hear was the announcer, the pounding of my heart and the joy of hearing people cheering us as I crossed the finish line. The last two minutes of the race I gave all I had and suddenly, nothing hurt, my legs were with me and there was a smile on my face to replace the grimace I was most likely carrying with me for the last 8 miles. The best part, aside from my running partner sticking with me, seriously...the super cool medals that every one of us racers received at the finish line. It's my little gold medal.

Now that I'm home and have backed off on the running for a week I've been focused on refueling my engine and that's where Sigg's Skyr comes in...you have to try this yogurt. Little background - so I did some research on their company recently and their story is great. Their packaging did not specifically list any mention of gluten-free, though the ingredients seemed safe to me (but we never know), so I emailed the company and asked them. I received an email back from their marketing gal letting me know that they are in the process of receiving their gluten free certification and soon it will be "reflected on our labels in these upcoming months, so keep an eye out!"...I will. Not only did they respond quickly, but the other day in my mail box I received a package from Siggi's with coupons for their delicious Skyr. I was duly impressed with their customer service and the thoughtful gift of sending me such a valuable little package - I'm an even bigger fan now! And they are so green - their packaging is so simple and easy to recycle. Siggi's Skyr yogurts come in eight delicious flavors and are loaded with probiotics - always a necessity for a Celiac stomach.

Speaking of, there's an interesting article that just came out this week about just that - Celiacs and probiotics, discussing new research that could eventually result in a probiotic treatment for celiacs. The article is focused around some of the work that Italian doctor Alessio Fasano, M.D. of the University of Maryland is researching on an ongoing basis. Though I can't give you the scientific specifics or research behind my probiotic experimenting, I can say without a doubt that they help my stomach tremendously and I swear by them. I take a great achidophilus capsule ever day of my life and am really hooked on Synergy Kombucha - they have settled my stomach many times and brought it back to life, on occasion.


Another fun food/news item I wanted to mention was a great article that Tia's Sweet Treats received in the Summer 2010 issue of Edible Reno-Tahoe. We so appreciate the great coverage and are baking away and taking orders.

For those of you in the Reno/Tahoe vicinity or perhaps coming to this area soon, BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse in south Reno is now serving gluten-free thin crust pizza. I have not tried this pizza yet, but I've heard through our Celiac group that another member tried it and the BJ's manager came out to discuss the details with her. BJ's does note on their menu, "With the exception of our meatballs, all of BJs Classic ingredients listed on the pizza page in our menu are gluten-free."
If any of you do try it, please write in and let me know what you think, and I'll be sure to do the same.

It's great to see that mainstream restaurants are recognizing and trying new items on their menus, but as always, our job is to make sure their staff, chefs and managers really KNOW what it means to be cooking gluten-free...so ASK lots of questions and be your own best advocate.

If you give Siggi's Skyr a try, please let me know. Whomever submits the most tasty and creative way to eat Skyr yogurt will win a little prize that will sure to delight, and I'll post your delicious recipe here on Bowl of Soul.

Be creative and eat well~

GF Pizza Night~ A Photo Tutorial

The food that I've missed the most since going gluten-free in 2000 is....PIZZA!! Not the typical gluten-free pizza in a box, found in the Whole Foods freezer...no no...a real, cheesy, thick or thin crust, hot out of the oven, make-you-salivate kind of pizza that you find in Rome or New York or...good old Pinky's Pizza in Walnut Creek,CA (which sadly,has now closed) where I grew up. That's the kind of wheat-filled pizza I'm talking about, my friends!

Okay, somebody slap me - I've regressed to my previous life. Excuse me.

I still have years of wonderful memories stored in my heart and mind focused around eating at various pizza parlors all over the Bay Area. While growing up, they served as staple meal locations - after soccer games, little league victories, golf tourneys, horse shows and birthday parties. Pizza equaled friends, fun and a night out! So, I hang onto those lovely days past and the aroma of goodness that still fills my senses.

Now, this is not intended to be a sad, walk-down-memory-lane kind of a post - because the good news is, a very delicious and successfully baked gluten-free pizza was created in my very own kitchen last week...almost as good as Pinky's.

I've tried many of the GF frozen crusts that you can buy at certain grocery stores or on line, and as I've blogged before, I've also found two pizza restaurants in San Diego that bake up a mean GF pizza. But baking one from scratch, in your own kitchen, in your own oven, with love and careful preparation, is really quite fun and rewarding...if it works!

I've baked pizzas from scratch with the numerous flours (usually required) during various GF baking classes that I've taken over the years, but putting all the ingredients together and praying it works out in your own oven is a different story -Well, fear be gone! After the first try that turned out quite well, I'm ready to go back in the kitchen this weekend for more.

Follow along with this photo essay/tutorial and then bake your own!


After the dough is mixed, it's important to spread it evenly and as we discovered, not too thick in the middle, in a 13" diameter


Next...use your favorite GF pasta/pizza sauce and spread around on to the dough, adding a bit more sauce in the middle.


Now the fun begins...load up your toppings, layer by layer (this pizza included GF ham slices, artichoke hearts, sliced zucchini, fresh-chopped green onions, spinach and fresh-grated mozzarella)


After baking in the oven at 400 for 30 minutes, Voila! The finished product ~

This delicious and healthy pizza was so easy and contains half the fat grams of the prepared, frozen variety. It's a fun project you could do with children, for a fun night of cooking with friends (don't forget the wine) or anytime you are longing for the food that satisfies and conjures up delicious memories, while making new ones.

The recipe that was chosen for last week's inaugural effort came from Bette Hagman's GF Cookbook, The Gluten-Free Gourmet.

Quick and easy pizza crust -

Serves 6

- 1/2 Cup milk

- 2 Large eggs

- 1/3 Cup of cornstarch

- 2/3 Cup rice flour

- 1/4 Teaspoon of guar gum

- 1 Teaspoon salt

- 1/4 Cup of olive oil

Beat the milk and eggs together. Add the flours, guar gum and salt. Mix in the olive oil.

Spread onto a greased 9" x 13 " pan or pizza stone or (as I did) spread with a spatula in a 12-inch circle about 1/4 inch thick - leave a thicker crust around the edges/outside of the circle to keep the sauce and cheese from running over onto the pan.

Spread sauce evenly over the unbaked crust and top with your favorite toppings.

Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve with a simple salad, tossed in olive oil and vinegar and you have the perfect meal.

Mangia Mangia!!

Birthday Fun for All ~ GF Cake and Pizza

So guess who turned 66 years old and guess which cake is gluten-free?

Well, the gluten-free mini vanilla cake with chocolate ganache frosting was all mine...and as for the big cake with the "66" candles on top...it was in honor of my wonderful father's birthday last weekend, which was celebrated in San Diego with my brother and his family.

Whenever there's a family birthday celebration, I am always so blessed and appreciative of how everyone insists on making sure that I also have some sweet-treat to enjoy after the candles have been blown out and the regular cake cutting begins. Isn't that kind of them?

I think so.

This delicious little treat came, once again, from the Jimbo's Market in Carlsbad. They have a great GF baker on-site and she comes up with some yummy and tempting treats that never disappoint.


But what really touched my heart was how my sister-in-law and brother (and adorable nephew) were so concerned about making sure I could enjoy dessert during my dad's birthday dinner. They really went out of their way to find just the right dessert that was perfectly gluten-free and something that I would enjoy. I've learned through having Celiac Disease how those loved ones in your life truly step up to the plate, always ensuring that I never feel "left out" so to speak, when we are all either eating out or cooking at home. It's a good reminder for me to stop and say "thank you" for my family and friend's true kindness and consideration.

Food is a funny thing. We need it for survival, obviously, but the amount of pleasure and true joy that is derived from eating a deliciously prepared meal is unrivaled. In Europe, especially, the act of "eating" and preparing a meal is like no other and I truly admire the art and thought that goes into the age-old philosophy of cooking food that comes from the earth and is unprocessed and eaten just as God intended. I too, try to prepare most all of my meals in that old-world style, though I realize that from time to time I get seriously caught in a "food rut" and loose my creativity. Unfortunately I'm there now, and in real need of some inspiration and time to let my creative cooking juices flow and hunker back down with organic, fresh produce, homemade soups, and exploring new GF grains, etc.

I'm pretty certain this weekend could be the right opportunity to get back to my "roots" - my vegetable roots, that is and start cooking and feeding my body pure goodness. I've recently discovered that an old friend and I are both on a similar path regarding how we eat, and what we eat, due to our specific diseases. She's an amazing woman and will soon be appearing as a guest blogger on this site - so stay tuned. I know she'll bring along with her words, an abundance of wisdom and a delicious recipe or two, to boot.

Getting back to last weekend's San Diego trip, I also wanted to mention that when my family picked me up from the airport at 9 p.m. (due to an hour 1/2 delayed flight) I was greeted with a hot, fresh gluten-free pizza in a REAL pizza box! I swear just experiencing the joy of opening a "normal" pizza box was all I needed - then I proceeded to eat half of that little 8" round delight on the way to my brother's house. I had no shame nor control as we sped up the I-5!

I do, however, feel a bit guilty about the fact that I was in such euphoria over being presented with my own take-out pizza, I forgot to snap a photo of it for this blog- ooops!

Don't blame me, blame Borrelli's Pizza and Italian Food in Encinitas, CA for my altered state - and the next time your are visiting So. Cal - GO GET ONE for yourself.

Eat well - eat real food!