Check out some great new recipes and some of my favorites including my gluten free pulled pork, Carmine’s salad, and pesto chicken parmesan on Musings of a Housewife and Sassy Moms in the City Real Food Recipe Roundup!
Sincerely,
Lindsay
Happy Gluten Free Mommy = A Homemade Gluten Free Carmine’s Salad
Is there any restaurant that you absolutely loved in your pre-gluten free life that you feared you’d never eat at again? I’m sure I’m not alone when I say ABSOLUTELY. I’m pretty sure each and every one of us has a similar anecdote, remembering our life before gluten was discovered as the source of our pain. Sadly, many a restaurant I’ve not been back to since going gluten free. However, there are those restaurants that have come through for us gluten free folk, like one of my all time favorite restaurants, Carmine’s. Carmine’s, which has locations in NYC, Las Vegas, Bahamas, Atlantic City, and Washington D.C., is a family style Italian restaurant that offers delicious food in an environment filled with a love and family atmosphere.
I first met Carmine’s early on in our marriage before I removed gluten from my diet. It was love at first bite. I just loved the family sized style of serving, plastering gigantic sized menus on their walls rather than passing them out at the table (check out the pic below!), and finally my favorite feature is the overwhelming feeling of family that you get just from walking in the door, kind of like a big Sunday dinner at your grandmom’s house.
It was such a memorable first visit to Carmine’s and I imagined so many more in the years to come in our marriage. Little did I know that my world would change drastically in the next few months. Fast forward a year from then and I was now eating gluten free, scouring the internet to see what my dining out options may or may not be. I couldn’t help but to check Carmine’s, a place that we enjoyed not too long ago as newlyweds. Much to my surprise they offered a gluten free menu, as well as a number of other allergen free menus too! Check out their fantastic gluten free menu here!
I can’t explain how happy I was after I’d found out that Carmine’s had a gluten free menu. Better yet though, their gluten free menu wasn’t just their normal dishes minus sauces and sides, only offering plain pieces of meat or gluten free pasta, but they were their actual, mouthwatering dishes! I have to admit that after finding out this glorious news about Carmine’s we’ve enjoyed many a gluten free dinner since, especially while pregnant. Amazingly, I can still get my favorite dishes from before, just done to be gluten free now. My typical meal when we dine at Carmine’s is the Carmine’s Salad, Vodka Rigatoni, and the Titanic for dessert (this is a massively huge brownie ice cream sundae but so much more than just that, and was certainly a gluten free pregnant woman’s dream come true!), each of these dishes are made to be shared by the entire family but no worries, our comfy twosome make do just fine and always had leftovers for the next day.
Since Carmine’s isn’t a local restaurant that we can go to every weekend (tear), which I know I know makes it even more special when we do go, I purchased their cookbook to make my gluten free versions at home. Now, even though I love each and every part of our Carmine’s meal, I’ve yet to recreate the vodka rigatoni and titanic dessert, but I had to attempt the Carmine’s Salad. This salad is not just a boring, regular salad. Despite it’s intimidating size when it’s plopped down in the center of your table, it is loaded chock full of fix-ins from assorted meats and cheese to loads of veggies and different leafy greens! My favorites in here are the mortadella, provolone, and roasted red peppers!
With recipe in hand, I recreated our favorite starter at Carmine’s but making a gluten free Lindsay version. After some washing and chopping, I throw it together, mixing in lots of the veggies with the leafy greens and laying the meats and cheeses atop to add that pretty presentation factor that Carmine’s is known for. I tend to leave the dressing to add on per plate along with some of the wetter toppings like the roasted red peppers and pepperoncinis to prevent any sogginess if we have leftovers, which we always do. This is an amazing appetizer or main course, definitely a crowd pleaser in both presentation and taste!
Note: This recipe is for a family sized salad (feeds about 4-5 people), so feel free to scale down or up according to your needs.
Ingredients:
- Head of iceberg lettuce
- 2-3 handfuls of arugula
- 2-3 plum tomatoes quartered
- 1 small cucumber, chopped into bite size pieces
- 3 tbsp of roasted red peppers
- 1/2 medium sized red onion sliced
- 1/4 pound chopped provolone cheese
- 1/4 pound chopped mortadella
- 1/4 pound chopped genoa salami
- Handful of large green olives
- Handful of large black or kalamata olives
- Handful of pepperoncini
- Vinaigrette or I prefer Olive Garden Italian Dressing
- Optional add ins: thinly sliced radicchio and you can even swap out the arugula for watercress but I prefer arugula
Directions:
- Wash all vegetables thoroughly.
- Chop 1 head of iceberg lettuce and 2-3 handfuls arugula into smaller pieces.
- Peel and chop 1 small cucumber into small, bite size chunks
- Cut 2-3 plum tomatoes into quarters or smaller slices if you prefer.
- Slice 1/2 of a medium red onion into thin slices and separate rings.
- To a large mixing bowl (make sure you use a large one so you can mix together the ingredients), add some of the leafy greens and chopped veggies and mix them all together, setting the rest aside to scatter on top to make a very pretty, Carmine’s like presentation.
- Next up, roughly chop up a 1/4 lb of the mortadella, genoa salami, and provolone. Make sure you pick out gluten free brands of these. There are a lot of prepackaged salamis and provolone that you can purchase that may mark gluten content on the label, if not you can call the company. As far as the mortadella, I had to order this one at the deli counter, selecting the Black Bear version that I know is gluten free.
- What I like to do, similar to the veggies, is mix in some of the meats and cheese into the salad mixture and put the rest aside to layer on top for a pretty presentation.
- Once all of the pieces have been washed, chopped, and either mixed in or set aside, add your mixture to a large serving dish. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a larger dish on hand, but if you can, use a shallow, wide and long dish that you can really see all of the different ingredients in the salad!
- Scatter the onion and cucumbers on top of the salad.
- Add the green olives and black or kalamata olives, scattering them across the top.
- Now, layer each of the meats and cheese, along with the tomatoes in sections on the salad, do in whatever order or pattern you’d like.
- Now, you can either top the salad with the pepperoncini scattered around and the roasted red peppers placed in the center on top of the meats or you can leave them in separate serving bowls on the side. I recommend keeping them separate if you don’t anticipate eating all of the salad and would like to save for leftovers, it just keeps everything dry without becoming extremely soggy later on. However, if you have a larger family or making this for a party, add those babies on top and it’ll complete a beautiful salad!
- As far as dressing, I do the same for this one, keeping it separate. However, for a large party, I would add to the mixing bowl and mix in the desired amount before plating it on the serving dish. As far as what dressing I use, I’ve tried to make the Carmine’s vinaigrette at home but haven’t loved how it’s turned out so I go with one of my favorite dressings that really adds to the salad, Olive Garden’s Signature Italian Dressing. Use whatever dressing you love though, I would recommend to use a vinaigrette or a lighter dressing of some sort.
- And voila! Here’s your finished product! I left the roasted red peppers and pepperoncinis aside so we could add them on as desired since I knew we’d have leftovers for the next day to enjoy. TIP: Here’s where a shallow but wide and long serving dish is fantastic because you’d be able to see all of the amazing additions underneath the beautifully chopped meats, cheese, and tomatoes on top. No worries though, it all tastes the same, so use whatever dish you have and arrange the ingredients in whatever fashion you’d like!
This is by far one of my favorite salads that I’ve ever enjoyed and I’m a big salad person. The mixture of the meats and cheeses is amazing and I just love the iceberg lettuce with the arugula mixed in as well. This makes for a great summer dinner and can serve as an appetizer or a main course. Also, it’s an incredibly filling meal with all of the special additions. I have to say, although it satisfied my Carmine’s craving, it did make us both eager to return to Carmine’s for another meal in the near future. So I guess we’ll have to get planning, but for now I have my cookbook in hand and the gluten free versions that I’ve created over the years!
Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Lindsay
Homemade Gluten Free Carmine's Salad
2014-06-09 08:30:51
Ingredients
- Head of iceberg lettuce
- 2-3 handfuls of arugula
- 2-3 plum tomatoes quartered
- 1 small cucumber, chopped into bite size pieces
- 3 tbsp of roasted red peppers
- 1/2 medium sized red onion sliced
- 1/4 pound chopped provolone cheese
- 1/4 pound chopped mortadella
- 1/4 pound chopped genoa salami
- Handful of large green olives
- Handful of large black or kalamata olives
- Handful of pepperoncini
- Vinaigrette or I prefer Olive Garden Italian Dressing
- Optional add ins: thinly sliced radicchio and you can even swap out the arugula for watercress but I prefer arugula
Instructions
- Wash all vegetables thoroughly.
- Chop 1 head of iceberg lettuce and 2-3 handfuls arugula into smaller pieces.
- Peel and chop 1 small cucumber into small, bite size chunks
- Cut 2-3 plum tomatoes into quarters or smaller slices if you prefer.
- Slice 1/2 of a medium red onion into thin slices and separate rings.
- To a large mixing bowl (make sure you use a large one so you can mix together the ingredients), add some of the leafy greens and chopped veggies and mix them all together, setting the rest aside to scatter on top to make a very pretty, Carmine's like presentation.
- Next up, roughly chop up a 1/4 lb of the mortadella, genoa salami, and provolone. Make sure you pick out gluten free brands of these. There are a lot of prepackaged salamis and provolone that you can purchase that may mark gluten content on the label, if not you can call the company. As far as the mortadella, I had to order this one at the deli counter, selecting the Black Bear version that I know is gluten free.
- What I like to do, similar to the veggies, is mix in some of the meats and cheese into the salad mixture and put the rest aside to layer on top for a pretty presentation.
- Once all of the pieces have been washed, chopped, and either mixed in or set aside add your mixture to a large serving dish. I didn't have a larger dish on hand, but if you can use a shallow, wide and long dish that you can really see all of the different ingredients in the salad!
- Scatter the onion and cucumbers on top of the salad.
- Add the green olives and black or kalamata olives, scattering them across the top.
- Now, layer each of the meats and cheese, along with the tomatoes in sections on the salad, do in whatever order or pattern you'd like.
- Now, you can either top the salad with the pepperoncini scattered around and the roasted red peppers placed in the center on top of the meats or you can leave them in separate serving bowls on the side. I recommend keeping them separate if you don't anticipate eating all of the salad and would like to save for leftovers, it just keeps everything dry without becoming extremely soggy later on. However, if you have a large party, add those babies on top and it'll complete a beautiful salad!
- As far as dressing, I do the same for this one, keeping it separate. However, for a large party, I would add to the mixing bowl and mix in the desired amount before plating it on the serving dish. As far as what dressing I use, I've tried to make the Carmine's vinaigrette at home but haven't loved how it's turned out so I go with one of my favorite dressings that really adds to the salad, Olive Garden's Signature Italian Dressing. Use whatever dressing you love though, I would recommend to use a vinaigrette or a lighter dressing of some sort.
- And voila! Here's your finished product! I left the roasted red peppers and pepperoncinis aside for us to add in as desired since I knew we'd have leftovers for the next day to enjoy. TIP: Here's where a shallow but wide and long serving dish is fantastic because you'd be able to see all of the amazing additions underneath the beautifully chopped meats, cheese, and tomatoes on top. No worries though, it all tastes the same, so use whatever dish you have and arranged the ingredients in whatever fashion you'd like!
Adapted from Carmine's Cookbook
Adapted from Carmine's Cookbook
Gluten Free Mom To Be http://www.glutenfreemomtobe.com/
What’s More Magical Than A Gluten Free Dinner In Cinderella’s Castle On Your Last Night?
The last night of our family vacation was finally upon us. It was a fantastic trip with a few hiccups along the way, that I honestly could’ve done without, but also some great memories that we’ll never forget. Every time my husband and I, and now my daughter too, take an adventure somewhere I realize just how much I love my family. They truly are my world and my reason for being and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This week was another incredible adventure for our family, filled with lots of smiles and laughs and a few tears along the way (from mommy and baby). My little girl is growing so quickly and just seeing this little 1 year old baby truly love her Disney family as much as she does is amazing. So I couldn’t think of a better way to end this trip than to say hello one last time to a few of her favorites at Cinderella’s Castle.
After an afternoon of swimming and relaxation, our little one was dressed in her Snow White outfit and ready to dine with some of her favorite princesses. We arrived a bit early for our reservation but they were incredibly accommodating and were able to seat us within a few minutes, which was great because we were all very very hungry after an early lunch that day. Cinderella was out to tea when we entered the castle so we were seated first and met the rest of the princesses while we dined. Literally as we were sitting down Snow White, my little one’s favorite, approached and couldn’t get over the miniature Snow White that was walking towards her waving and smiling. My little girl embraced Snow White with a huge hug and turned back with a big smile and wave at her mommy, a moment that just makes me tear up thinking about. Each princess that followed was equally as exciting and I think was the icing on my little girl’s trip.
Between all of our visitors, the chef came out to review the menu with me. I decided to order the cheese plate for an appetizer, the steak for my main course, and a cookie sundae for dessert. I was a bad blogger again this dinner, but in the midst of the princesses stopping by I forgot to photograph the dishes that came out. But anyway, the cheese plate arrived with a blue cheese, a brie cheese, and a few others along with a plate of gluten free rolls that were heated to perfection. After little one nibbled on cheese, grapes, and bread and Dan and I ate some of our appetizers, we were then escorted to go meet Cinderella.
With the room all to ourselves, Cinderella came over to greet my little one and walked her back to her seat hand-in-hand. She spent a good ten minutes talking and playing peek-a-boo with her, getting some great smiles. Nothing beat her face though while Cinderella gave her a warm hug!
Little one scooted down off of Cinderella’s lap to be on the move again and then turned and walked back to start talking to her as she then sat down on the floor to be beside her. We’re so grateful that she could spend so much time with Cinderella, a rarity when you’re doing the meet and greets. Someday, when my little girl is all grown up, I’ll be able to share all of these pictures but also the memories that went along with them of how she would wave frantically saying hello to each character only to run up when it was her turn to give a huge hug, when she walked hand-in-hand with Snow White at her wishing well and Cinderella at her castle, talking to both, only to be snuggled a few moments later, and finally my favorite, when she met Mickey and friends, greeting each with a running hug! Such great memories!
With her last princess met, we headed back upstairs to finish our dinner. After a little while longer, our main courses were being delivered. My steak was cooked perfectly but my favorite on the dish was the gluten free creamed spinach. I love creamed spinach and can rarely order it when eating out, so it really stole the show for me. Only moments after our final bites of our meals did our desserts arrive. They were out of the gluten free cake that I had wanted so I ended up with a gluten free cookie and ice cream sundae, which I did happen to remember to take a picture of.
It was pretty good, and although I really wanted to try the cake, it was nice to enjoy a substitute of some kind. All together, our dinner at the castle was a great ending to our trip, both in experience and food. As far as my gluten free dining experience, I consider any meal a success when the chef meets any request that I have and can give me an appetizer, entree, and dessert that nearly match their description on the menu. The chefs at Cinderella’s Royal Table did a fantastic job, and this gluten free mommy is looking forward to returning again!
After our dinner we hopped on a few more rides before picking out a spot on Main Street to catch the last Electrical Parade of our vacation. While I sat and occupied our little one, Dan went to retrieve a few snacks for us. My daughter loves the Mickey pretzel, I think probably more for its shape, but she did seem to love nibbling on it too. Sadly, the Mickey pretzel is not gluten free, but some of my favorite gluten free Disney snacks are the Dole Whip (This is actually by far my favorite when I’m in a sweet mood!), the roasted nuts, the chocolate and nut covered banana, and the popcorn, each of which I enjoyed on this trip thanks to our dining plan! For our last night, I decided to go with the popcorn, which as always had just the right amount of butter and salt on it!
Soon enough, the lights dropped down, the music started, and the parade turned the corner as my little girl began to clap. As I held her and bopped around to the music she waved to all of the passing characters and floats. Goofy, Minnie, and Fairy Godmother blew kisses to her but being dressed as a little Snow White attracted some extra special attention from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
As Dopey led the gang he waved and played peek-a-boo with little one as she waved back (melts my heart). Quickly following, Snow White danced with a couple dwarves behind her and as she danced to the opposite side of the street, she turned around and ran over to our little girl and gave her a huge kiss on her cheek, causing a huge eruption of cheers from the crowd behind us! The dwarves that followed all blew kisses to the little Snow White in my arms, truly topping off our trip. As the parade came to a close, exhaustion settled in and little one was not too keen on the crowds of people swarming around her, so we tried to scoot over to an emptier space to take a picture of the kiss before she wiped off too much of it. And here you go!
What a way to close our last night in Disney! Soon after this picture, little one was strapped into her stroller and passed out in about 5 minutes; so although we didn’t get to see any fireworks this trip, I don’t think it could get any better for her, and us, then to meet all of her friends and get kissed by Snow White during the parade!
After spending the next morning in Magic Kingdom, we found ourselves back at the airport, with the magical vacation having come to a close. It was an amazing trip to say the least, and even though I could’ve done without my little girl and my sick days, it just makes all of the happy and smiley moments that we captured that much more magical!
Have A Magical Day,
Lindsay
A Great Disney Day In Animal Kingdom From Safaris to Gluten Free Donuts to Some Barbecue!
Our last full day in Disney had arrived and we super excited to head over to Animal Kingdom. With extra magic hours starting at 8, we were up early, fed, and ready to go by about 7:15 to catch a bus over to Animal Kingdom. I went a bit light on breakfast that particular morning as I was planning on trying out their new allergy stand that offered BabyCakes products (yay!). We arrived just as the park was opening and went straight back to the Safari, one of our favorite rides in the park!
The safari is always a great experience; our little girl just loved seeing all of the animals so close, waving and saying hi to each one as we went by. After the safari, we decided to head back towards the allergy stand, being sure to take the small and twisty paths along the way. Animal Kingdom is such an amazing labyrinth of scenic paths that lead you between each section of park allowing you to see animals of all shapes and sizes. Before long, we had arrived at the allergy stand and I could not wait to dive into one of the BabyCakes’ products that I’ve read so much about!
Seeing that they offered BabyCakes donuts, it was a no brainer what I’d be trying out that morning. It was a chocolate frosted gluten free donut for me and it was DELICIOUS! The best part about these donuts, aside from the taste, is that they are free of wheat, gluten, dairy, soy, and eggs, so so many others can enjoy these as well! Check out BabyCakes allergy statement for more details and click around on their site to see what other products they offer (you can order online too). As far as the actual donut is considered, the texture was amazing, cakey but not crumbly or chewy, very much like Entenmann’s cake donuts. And taste wise, yum! They were truly an amazing way to start the day. I highly recommend stopping in at this great allergy stand. I only hope that a similar allergy spot appears in each of the other parks in the near future, offering BabyCakes fantastic products!
After finally tasting BabyCakes donuts that I’d been reading about for so long, we headed out to explore some more of the hidden trails and squeeze into a show or two. First up was the It’s Tough To Be A Bug show and then on to find the tigers, bats, and gorillas. Awhile into our walk, we decided to let little one stretch her legs and discover a bit on her own. She loved being able to run along the paths and spot animals big and small. Her favorites were the tigers, who were sleeping incredibly close to the viewing area so she was really able to get a good look at her level.
Soon enough we had made our way over to my husband’s favorite ride of this park, Expedition Everest. While little one and I watched the apes swing around and hoot and holler, Dan bid us farewell and headed over to ride the roller coaster. A short while later, he rejoined myself and now our sleeping baby and we decided to see if we could catch the Nemo show before lunch. Sadly, no sleeping babies in strollers allowed and we certainly weren’t keen on waking her up by taking her out of the stroller, so it was an early lunch for us.
We absolutely love Flame Tree Barbecue so we decided to pop over there early and get in line as it can become extremely crowded quickly, creating a more difficult ordering situation for those with allergies. Being there for its opening though we didn’t have any problems ordering. I told the cashier that I had an allergy order and she called for a manager to come to the window. He reviewed my options and I went through the allergy binder with him and I decided on my favorite, the Pulled Pork Sandwich which was put on an Udi’s roll.
I pushed our sleeping baby ahead and found seats in the shade along the river, while Dan waited for our food to be ready. It wasn’t long when I saw him come around the bend with two different colored trays in hand. One was with the allergy food and the other had Dan and our little girl’s meals on it. No sooner did we sit down with our food did our little girl awaken. Thankfully she did though, because there were tons of ducks and birds waiting to say hello to her, which she loves to do. So while she ate her uncrustable and watched the wildlife around her, I dove into my pulled pork sandwich which looked very tasty!
The pork was incredibly juicy and perfectly seasoned. Also, there was a generous amount of pork on the sandwich too, which is always nice to see that they’re not being too stingy with their portion sizes. I just love this sandwich and look forward to it every visit to Animal Kingdom. It’s a fantastic gluten free option for us allergy, Celiac, and non-Celiac gluten sensitivity folks. I have to also mention that along with the pulled pork sandwich I received DIsney’s delicious fries, and they as always did not disappoint, but also a huge, packaged OMG…It’s Gluten Free (and Dairy Free) Chocolate Chip Cookie.
I didn’t quite have enough room for dessert then so I enjoyed it later on but let me tell you these products are delicious. I’ve had their brownies which are the perfect balance between fudgy and cakey and their cookies are huge ad soft, only crumbling apart if you leave it in your bag and it gets bumped around too much after a long day in the parks. These aren’t just offered at Flame Tree Barbecue either, I’ve spotted them in almost all of the parks at a lot of the quick service lunch locations. FYI they were also at our quick service location, Roaring Fork, at the Wilderness Lodge where we ate breakfast daily and an occasional lunch.
After a filling lunch, we were all off to meet Mickey and Minnie, check out some of the stores, and then head back for an afternoon swim at the resort. It was a great day at Animal Kingdom ending with some relaxing and fun pool time at the Wilderness Lodge. Stay tuned for my last Disney bites including dinner at Cinderella’s castle and my favorite gluten free snacks.
Have A Magical Day,
Lindsay
From A Gluten Free Turkey Sandwich To A Strip Steak, Day 5 Had Tons Of Tasty Gluten Free Bites
After enjoying a good breakfast with Pooh and his friends, we headed straight over to Fantasyland to start our day. We visited Anna and Elsa at Princess Fairytale Hall, hopped on Cinderella’s Carousel, and road Winnie the Pooh’s ride; we then made our way over to Adventureland where we hopped on the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean. After such a jam packed morning, little one fell asleep leaving Dan and I to wander around and figure out our lunch plans as the time was drawing near. We had yet to dine in the West Wing of Be Our Guest, so we decided to head over in that direction and catch an early lunch while little one rested her eyes.
We stood in line outside only for a short while and then followed along inside to order our meals at the kiosks. A chef was called for me to place my order which was pretty simple this time. I went with one of my favorite sandwiches there, the Carved Turkey Sandwich which had a dijon mayo and pommes frites along with it, each and every bite of which could be made gluten free. For dessert, the gluten free Lemon Raspberry Cream Puff as always.
After ordering, we headed to the West Wing to see if we could grab one of the few and coveted tables in there. Low and behold we had success, thanks to the earlier lunch time I’m guessing. Note to anyone with a sleeping baby though, when you plan on dining here for lunch be aware that there is thunder in the West Wing which can get quite loud at times, so much so it caused my little girl to stir each time. No worries though, she slept the entire time through lunch allowing some Mommy and Daddy time. While little girl slept, our meals were rolled out in their enchanted fashion and I was greeted by the familiar allergy flags placed in two beautifully put together sandwiches.
I was so excited to dine here again for lunch, as for me, as far as Magic Kingdom lunches go, this location definitely falls in my top 3. This lunch was no different, a beautiful plate of gluten free food magically found me and we enjoyed a wonderfully tasty meal in an enchanting environment. Now, the turkey sandwich itself was put together on Udi’s bread I believe, and again, similar to the ham sandwich that I tried a few days prior, two gluten free sandwiches were given in place of the larger regular sandwich that others get. Sandwiched between gluten free slices of bread are large pieces of carved turkey with arugula on top. The turkey itself was moist and deliciously flavored, but my favorite is the gluten free dijon mayo that comes on the side!
The dijon mayo is perfection and I just love adding it to both sandwiches and then dipping my pommes frites in whatever’s left. It complements the turkey perfectly and adds a tremendous amount of flavor to the sandwich as a whole. TIP: Ask for extra dijon mayo, you’ll definitely be happy that you did! As far as the pommes frites that come along with the sandwich, well those were delicious as always.
All in all, we just love having lunch at Be Our Guest. The environment is perfect, and the food is just that as well. From a gluten free perspective, you have so many unique options here, different really from anywhere else in Magic Kingdom. You absolutely must try Be Our Guest for both the experience and the delicious food that they offer. Take a peak at Be Our Guest’s lunch menu now to see what catches your eye, and I’m sure you’ll find many an item that you’re interested in trying. Let me know what gluten free dishes you enjoy when you visit Magic Kingdom’s Be Our Guest!
After enjoying a cool and dark lunch in the West Wing of Be Our Guest, our little girl awakened with an empty belly so we stopped at Pinnochio Village Haus to grab her a delicious bowl of mac and cheese, grapes, and apple sauce. She devoured her sized portion of the mac and cheese and apple sauce and we were off again to enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at Magic Kingdom, including the Haunted Mansion, It’s A Small World, some of my husband’s favorites Space Mountain and Splash Mountain, and the new Festival of Fantasy Parade, which was amazing!
Shortly after the parade, we headed on out to Epcot to explore the butterfly exhibit courtesy of the Flower and Garden Festival before our dinner in England. In route to Epcot though our little girl drifted off into a short little nap, those monorails and boats work magic on her! So Dan and I admired the butterflies for her and then scooted over to England for our dinner reservation.
We were seated outside right next to the lake and had a perfect view of the World Showcase. The chef joined our table almost immediately after being seated and drink orders were taken. I ordered the Grilled New York Strip Steak (Contrary to my ordering on vacation, I do not usually order steak daily, however their chicken options were usually dressed in sauces that were not up my alley, so steak it was.). Seeing as the sauce that was supposed to accompany my steak had gluten in it, the chef agreed to put together some type of gluten free scampi like sauce to go with mine.
As we waited for our meals to arrive our little one began to move around and did not wake up in the best of moods; needless to say, in the midst of taming a toddler I blanked on pictures at the Rose and Crown Pub, sorry. Anyway, our meals arrived and we traded off gobbling down our dishes while occupying our little girl. My steak was perfectly well done and was topped with a delicious scampi like sauce! The chef truly did a fantastic job putting this one together for me so I didn’t have to have a dry steak. In fact, he even checked on me several times to make sure that the sauce was to my liking, such great customer service! For dessert, I was able to only get the fruit parfait off of the kids menu. By that point though, our little one had had it, so we took a few nibbles of our desserts and decided to head back to our home resort and enjoy some much needed pool time!
It was a fantastic day of gluten free food from a turkey sandwich and dijon mayo to a strip steak and flavorful scampi sauce. Each bite was just as delicious as the one before and the one after! I have to commend Disney’s Chefs, as most of them that I’ve ever spoken to have been incredibly flexible and willing to accommodate in any capacity that they are able. Thank you Disney Chefs for being incredibly creative and aiming to please all of your diners!
My Disney adventures are almost at an end so stay tuned for the last gluten free bites that I enjoyed at Animal Kingdom, Cinderella’s Castle, and all of the snacks inbetween!
Have A Magical Day,
Lindsay
Print Your Enjoy Life Coupon Today And Try An Allergen Free Treat!
I first met Enjoy Life foods many years back when we found out that my dear little nephew suffered from severe, life threatening allergies to some of the top allergens including dairy, egg, wheat/gluten, nuts, shellfish, and a few other more minor allergens. Little did I know that I myself would be enjoying Enjoy Life foods several years later but I must say that I truly do enjoy their products. The best part about Enjoy Life products though is that they are free of the 8 most common allergens, which makes people of ages, especially little ones like my nephew, extremely happy to be able to safely enjoy snacks and treats.
One of my now favorite products that I just stumbled upon at Target are the Cocoa Loco Baked Chewy Bars. My favorite part about purchasing these products is that their allergen information is clear and concise on their packaging, leaving no mystery as to what is contained within that product. In fact they include symbols as well, which always makes identifying allergy free products easier, that indicate a product being free of the 8 top allergens. Check out their extensive list of allergy free products here and pick your favorites that you’d like to try! Also make sure you print a 55 cents of any Enjoy Life Product coupon to save on your gluten free goodies!
Sincerely,
Lindsay
A Gluten Free Breakfast With Mommy, Daddy, Baby, And Winnie The Pooh Too!
Not a cloud in the sky, in fact a cool breeze started our 5th day in Disney as we approached the boat to head over to Magic Kingdom for an early breakfast. We hadn’t done this breakfast before so we super excited to get into Magic Kingdom before park opening and enjoy some food with friends. With the streets pretty empty we just had to snap a picture of our little girl all by herself in front of the castle with her favorite balloon!
Once we sprung her from her stroller, she was off and going, just so happy to be able to run around and roam Main Street on her own; and then we were able to capture this moment! She really is the light in our life! After we took a few more pictures we made our way over to the Crystal Palace, where we couldn’t wait to enjoy good food with Winnie the Pooh and some of his friends too. We checked in, and just as we were unloading the stroller we were called to be seated. As were getting our cameras out, settling little one into her high chair, and ordering our drinks, we saw the chef approaching. He told me that they had gluten free Vans waffles (sadly, no Mickey waffles here) and donuts along with traditional breakfast staples. I decided to go with scrambled eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and toast and to also try the donuts that they had, way too much food for myself but just had to try a bit of everything. Also, the chef did say that I could get the eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns from the buffet as they were gluten free, but I instead opted to have the chef put together my dish in the kitchen to prevent any cross contamination. While waiting for my food, the characters started circulating and first up was Eeyore.
As you can tell, my daughter absolutely LOVED Eeyore! Just as she was with all of the other characters we had visited, she couldn’t stop hugging him. Some moments, she would just close her eyes and smile as she wrapped her tiny arms around his nose and he squished her back! After Eeyore and Pooh had passed by, Dan visited the buffet to pick out a plate for himself and our little girl. While he was doing that my plate arrived!
Between scrambling around to meet the characters and feed our toddler who was too distracted to really eat, I’ll be honest I didn’t really enjoy too much of my breakfast. But, I was sure to try each item on my plate, especially the donut! The scrambled eggs and bacon were pretty good, just what I was in the mood for, especially with a side of toast! The hashbrowns were okay, really not my favorite; I prefer a shredded potato kind of hashbrown, like the one at Chef Mickey’s Breakfast. Finally the donut, it was pretty good, a bit too cakey, but it was just nice to add something sweet to a gluten free breakfast for a change. I believe the donuts that they have here are Kinnikinnick, which are kind of tiny and more cakey; I definitely prefer a Katz donut which is a bit more dense and also a little bigger too!
All in all, breakfast at Crystal Palace for the experience was fantastic, a little too much fun as my little girl wasn’t keen on the sitting down and eating part of the meal, and food wise it was pretty good. I would definitely eat here again, more so for the fun of getting into the park early and enjoying some close up time with Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore than for the actual food though. Keep an eye out for another Be Our Guest lunch that we managed to squeeze in!
Have A Magical Day,
Lindsay
Check out Musings of a Housewife Real Food Recipe Roundup!
Check out some of my favorite recipes on Musings of a Housewife Real Food Recipe Roundup like my Gluten Free Pasta With Crispy Prosciutto and Roasted Tomatoes along with my Chocolate Peanut Butter Chex Treats. See what else is being shared here!
Sincerely,
Lindsay
Gluten Free Orange Blossom Macaron At The Flower And Garden Festival In Epcot
Disney Day 4 was filled with lots of rides and meet and greets at Magic Kingdom so it was certainly nice to end it with a relaxing dinner and dessert in Epcot! I had scoped out the Flower and Garden Festival food options awhile before being there in person so I had a general idea of what they had in the gluten free department. On my list of potential treats to try were the Candied Strawberries in China, Frushi in Japan, and the Orange Blossom Macaron in France. Since I’d already tasted the Candied Strawberries, I was eager to either go with the Frushi or Macaron. I was in more of a pastry mood that night than a fruit one so macaron it was.
It was a beautiful night despite the excessive wetness during the day, so we took our time heading over to France, making sure we caught all of the beautiful topiaries on the way. Some of our favorites by far were Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs in Germany,
Lady and The Tramp in Italy,
and finally Beauty and The Beast, and all of their enchanted friends, in France.
These were so beautiful and the attention to detail was amazing! Now, after we had taken a few photos of the gorgeous French topiaries we spotted France’s Fleur De Lys Flower and Garden Festival stand.
I quickly ordered the Macaron a la Fleur d’ Oranger which was an orange blossom macaron with white chocolate ganache in the center. These were kept separately and already on their individual plates so I didn’t have to worry about the person handling the other gluten-filled options at the stand also touching mine as well. After picking up my macaron, we headed through France to the Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie to pick out a sweet treat for our little girl. She picked an impressive fruit parfait which was yogurt mousse with berries, a combination of ingredients that she happens to adore at home so I knew this one would be a hit. We headed out and picked an outside table to sit and enjoy our desserts together.
After watching my little one enjoy her first few bites of her fruit parfait I turned my glance to my sweet, gluten free macaron. It was put together so beautifully that I hated to take a bite and ruin the presentation, but no worries I certainly did my research.
The macaron was pretty large with a generous helping of the white chocolate ganache inside. It was incredibly soft and delicate, just how a macaron should be. The orange flavor of the cookie side was perfectly complemented by the chocolatey center. All together it was a sweet, gluten free ending to a wonderful day!
I must say, it was certainly special to be able to experience the Flower and Garden Festival for the first time. Disney did a fantastic job, as always, with all of the gardens throughout Epcot and added another exciting element with food stands in each country offering tasting size bites. I have to share just one more of my favorite topiaries that we spotted after walking through Canada, whose character was inspiration for my daughter’s nursery so this one holds a little sentimental value and really stole the show for me.
When we walked past, my little one nearly jumped out of her seat with excitement as she recognized Bambi, Thumper, and Flower. I think probably each of us had one of those moments as we walked through the countries, spotting favorite characters from childhood, depicted now in huge, flower displays. It was truly a remarkable event to attend! Thanks Disney!
Have A Magical Day,
Lindsay
Epcot’s La Hacienda de San Angel: Home To The Best Gluten Free Corn Tortillas
A typical vacation in Orlando wouldn’t be complete with a rain storm or two. Day 4 of our trip was the lucky day for a couple showers, but altogether wasn’t too wet considering the predicted high percentage of rain. After making it through a beautiful sunny morning and delicious lunch at Be Our Guest, we hopped on the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean before little one couldn’t help but close her eyes. Nap time for us when we’re in the parks means that it’s time for Mommy and Daddy to sit down in the shade and relax or meander through air conditioned stores and soak up the nice cool air. While we started nap time shopping, we watched the dark clouds roll in and decided to find a nice place under some covering to rest our feet and keep all of us dry during the impending, classic Disney World downpour.
Sure enough, only moments after parking under the awning by The Hall of Presidents, the dribbles began. We covered our little girl with the rain cover for the stroller which kept her nice dry while the wind picked up and started whirling around the now pouring rain. Thankfully we had ducked under the covering early so we stayed pretty dry but not as dry as my little girl who slept safely and soundly in her reclined seat. A short while later and the clouds had begun to move along, leaving a still murky looking sky. We decided to hang around to see if an afternoon parade would occur despite the rainy skies but disappointingly they had to cancel for the day. So we headed up to Main Street and shopped a bit along the row of stores, picking a few toys out for our little one that we knew would make perfect birthday or Christmas gifts. All of the sudden we heard a chirping from in the stroller and were greeted by an ecstatic little girl who couldn’t have been more excited to spot all of the Minnie merchandise in front of her as she woke up.
As the rain picked up again, we armed ourselves with our ponchos and covered the stroller to head over to the monorail for Epcot. On tonight’s menu was La Hacienda de San Angel in Mexico, we hadn’t been before but we were interested to check the waterfront restaurant. I personally do not like spicy food by any stretch, but my husband, on the other hand, pretty much loves all food, especially spicy food. Last time we had dined in Epcot’s Mexico we ate at the San Angel Inn and Dan tried the Jalapeno Margarita which he raved about so he definitely wanted to give the other restaurant in Mexico a try too. I try not to let my very picky palate and not to mention my gluten free restrictions get in the way too much of Dan’s adventurous foody side, so I always keep in mind that I’ll definitely be able to get something at the restaurant we’re going to, whether it be a salad or grilled chicken.
We were seated right at the windows and had a great view of the lake and the World Showcase around it. After perusing the menu a bit, I started to get a little nervous that this restaurant might be the exception to my rule of thumb. I had read ahead of time that their corn tortillas were delicious and gluten free so I was hoping to try the Queso Fundido sans peppers and sausage, maybe substituting chicken, really trying to avoid any spice whatsoever. The chef came out and went over my gluten free options with me and I asked if my idea was a possibility. He was so great and assured me that it could be done and that the homemade corn tortillas would be sent out instead of the flour tortillas. Not too long after ordering, our dishes arrived!
After cutting up my little girl’s chicken tacos, which she had for the first time that night and apparently loved, I finally caught a glimpse of my dish. I have to say the homemade corn tortillas looked delicious!
Let me just say that I’ve never been a fan of store bought corn tortillas. Texturally, they’re kind of rubbery to me and the taste is equally off putting. However, these were amazing! They were soft and not rubbery by any means, just like the flour tortillas that I used to enjoy in years past. Their flavor was mild and perfect to pair with the melted cheese that accompanied them. Not to mention that they’re gluten free!
As far as the gluten free melted cheese and chicken combo, it was perfection. Okay, so everyone’s level of spicy is different, but for me, I even find pepper can be too spicy; so as far the spice level on the chicken, I have to admit that it was a bit too spiced for me, but it was still incredibly delicious and went perfectly with the melted cheese! Layering the chicken and cheese on the corn tortillas reminded me of homemade quesadillas that I once enjoyed. The soft and tender gluten free corn tortillas were mildly flavored and embraced the flavorful cheese and chicken amazingly! Despite the smidgen of too much spice on the chicken, I would absolutely order this one again on future visits.
By the time we had finished with dinner, it had finally begun to dry up a bit outside, just in time for us to enjoy a nighttime stroll around Epcot. We wandered through the countries and even made a stop for a little sweet treat thanks to the Flower and Garden Festival. Stay tuned to find out which gluten free treat caught my eye!
Have A Magical Day,
Lindsay