The past few weeks have been incredibly busy in our neck of the woods, from birthday parties and Easter to warding off emerging toddler allergies and packing for Disney all leading up to a couple of days of fun in the Florida sun! So for the highlights for this week, I’ll share everything from allergen sniffing dogs and an Udi’s airport restaurant to our Disney restaurant plan! There’s just so much to share and I can’t wait to dive in!

Udi’s Cafe and Bar….in an airport!!!!:

Thanks to Gluten Free with Lauren Marie I’ve learned that if you’re gluten free and traveling through Denver’s International Airport then you’re in for a fantastic surprise. Denver’s airport is home to Udi’s Cafe and Bar, in other words a haven for the gluten free diner. No longer will travelers have to scour the entire airport only to end up tired and hungrier before without a bite to eat except for a packaged bag of chips. Each time I travel I dread the inevitable dilemma of eating in the airport, hence why I bring my own goodies. I certainly have to admit though that it would be very nice to enjoy a gluten free salad or sandwich that didn’t get squashed and bumped around in a little sandwich baggy on our trek through the airport. You can finally do just that, at least in Denver that is. Let’s cross our fingers that Udi’s Cafe and Bar will have great success and hopefully branch out of the Denver area to some of our local airports. For now, read the rest of Lauren Marie’s review of Udi’s Cafe and Bar and learn what tasty gluten free meal she was able to enjoy on the go. Thanks so much Lauren for sharing the progress that the gluten free world is making, let’s hope it continues to grow!

10 Prenatal Power Foods: 

 I came across this awesome prenatal resource on FitPregnancy and couldn’t wait to share with my mommy’s-to-be. This article shares amazing food sources that are high in essential pregnancy nutrients like folate and fiber and are gluten free too. Along with the explanation of nutritional benefits of each of the ten power foods, they also suggest tasty ways to enjoy them, which is always important when you’re talking to a pregnant woman with a super sensitive palate and tummy. Some of my favorites on the list include chives, artichokes, figs, and basil, most of which I ingest often anyway. Take a look at their entire list here and recommended ways to add them to your diet. Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mommy’s and mommy’s-to-be out there!

A Gluten Sniffing German Shorthaired Pointer: 

So this is the second article I’ve seen recently about a dog being able to detect a specific allergen in foods and let me just say…wow! In this particular case posted on the LivingstonDaily.com, a woman with a severe version of Celiac and whose health was greatly deteriorating, enlisted the help of a gluten-detection dog. Her dog, a German Shorthaired Pointer, began training to detect gluten at just 17 weeks old and was imprinted with the task in just four months. Her gluten-detection companion can smell gluten in all of its different forms and identifies it by pawing at the items which contain traces of gluten. If this method of allergen detection catches on it certainly would be a huge step to allow individuals with food allergies, like my poor little nephew who has life threatening food allergies, diseases, and intolerances to purchase foods safely with assurance that they are free of deadly or dangerous ingredients. Yet another reason that I love dogs, I only wish my little furry friend could be trained to do the same. Check out the rest of this story here and keep any eye out for more stories like this one to pop up, I have a feeling this concept may catch on.

Sweet Note Bagels….Finally A Gluten Free Bagel That Tastes And Feels Like A Real Bagel:

This past weekend I stopped by an event at a local health food store to check out a newer brand of gluten free bagels that I had been salivating over for the past few months. Sweet Note Bagels has finally accomplished the impossible and produced gluten free bagels that taste and feel like gluten filled ones. They offer a number of varieties including plain, poppy seed, sesame, cinnamon raisin, and my favorite everything bagels. Not only are these gluten free but they’re also dairy, egg, and soy free as well, a huge perk for anyone out there with multiple food allergies.They distribute to many stores and restaurants across multiple states so check out their store locator to see if you can pick some up near you; but if you can’t purchase these locally, no worries, as you can pick some up on their website too. Give these a try, they are a delicious treat! Sweet Note Bagels has certainly done a bagel lover over here proud!

Disney World, Here Comes The Gluten Free Mom To Be Plus Two:

As the days slowly tick by during the past few weeks, we’ve been counting down until our departure for Disney World. And it’s finally almost here! Our little one has actually technically already been to Disney World two times, once in the womb so I guess that was somewhat of an obstructed view for her but the other she was front row and center, basking in all of her favorite characters. We took little one to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, she met all of the characters and loved each one especially Mickey, Ariel, and Snow White, she tried out lots of our favorite childhood rides laughing and enjoying all of the animatronics, but her ultimate favorite Disney event were the parades where she laughed and played with the characters and even got a kiss from Snow White! It was our first family vacation as a family of three and at only 9 months I’m sure my little girl had an amazing time that we luckily captured with so many photos to share with her in the years to come. 

With the Disney channel on in our house almost 24/7, little one, now 16 months, loves each of Disney Junior’s stars but her favorites by far are Mickey and his friends. Although she loved Mickey on her first trip, now being mobile on this one, I can’t wait to see her run up to her favorite Disney friend and give him a big hug (hopefully, barring any toddler freak outs or shyness). Along with all of the fun that Disney World will certainly bring this time, I can’t wait to dine in some of my favorite restaurants and indulge in some delicious gluten free cuisine, which Disney does so well. On our gluten free itinerary we’re planning on revisiting Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom, 50s Prime Time Cafe in Hollywood Studios, Rose and Crown Pub in Epcot, and Cinderella’s Castle for our final night. Along with our favorite restaurants, we like to always try something new so we’re testing the waters in Epcot’s Mexico and Morocco restaurants to see how they hold up to the gluten free test. A couple of other food sites on our radar for lunch or snacks include of course the Dole Whip in Magic Kingdom, Turkey Leg also in Magic Kingdom (this one is a tradition for us ever since we dated), and the wine cellar, Tutto Gusto in Epcot for a quick bite (we haven’t been to this one but we’re excited to give it a try)

So that’s it for now, a little preview into our Disney experience. I’ll be sure to update you on all of our dining adventures when we return but also keep an eye out on Twitter for quick little sneak peaks as we go. Hope you enjoyed my weekly highlights in the gluten free world and as always share any thoughts or advice on anything that I posted!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Sincerely,

Lindsay