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Review: Uncle Maddio’s Gluten-Free Pizza

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 2 Comments

Typically, at home, we make our own pizzas, that way we can choose our own toppings, and I can be sure what we are eating is 100% gluten-free.  But, this weekend was my daughter’s birthday and she really wanted to go out for pizza, and with how busy I have been, I figured it would be less stressful on me, and nice to get out and not have to cook and clean. The one pizza place I knew of that carries gluten-free pizza, in Atlanta, was closed Sunday, so I asked for some suggestions, and a friend mentioned Uncle Maddio’s in the Toco Hills area of Atlanta.

As usual, I called them beforehand just to confirm they have gluten-free pizza and if they make their own crust or they bring it in from an outside vendor (they bring it in from an outside vendor), and their procedure for making gluten-free pizzas. I felt pretty comfortable with their responses, so we decided to try it out.

Uncle Maddio’s is located in a shopping center but was very cheerful once we walked in the door, and had a nice area to dine outside.  Since it was my first visit, I had to take in the very large menu before ordering.  At Uncle Maddio’s, you order at the counter, and like many burrito places (Uncle Maddio’s was actually created by the founder of Moe’s Southwest Grill), they get your crust, and you go down the line telling the server what you would like on your pizza. There are many signature pizza combinations you can choose from, or you can go solo and create your own unique concoction.  All of the ingredients looked extremely fresh, and there was a lot of topping choices – over 20! Their pizza sauce is made from scratch, and they use local vegetables and organic spinach, and greens. They also use hormone-free, free-range chicken, and all-natural Angus rib eye steak.  Along with pizzas they also offer large, fresh salads.  Panini is on the menu as well, but not an option for those of us who eat gluten-free.

They were extremely helpful in answering any gluten-free questions I had and told me before doing gluten-free pizzas they always change their gloves and get the gluten-free crust out of a separate area.  They also said if I wanted they would get the ingredients out of separate bins – so if I didn’t want them getting cheese out of the same container as they got cheese for a previous gluten-filled pizza, that was no problem, and they would get it out of a new container.  Just be sure to ask them to do this, as they will not do it automatically if this is what you want.

The gluten-free crust only comes in the 9″ individual size, so we each ordered our own pizzas. My daughter ordered simple and had a pepperoni and cheese pizza. My husband choose tofu, portobello mushroom, broccoli, and jalapeño; and I had spinach, artichoke hearts, green olives, and bacon.  They looked fabulous..and tasted even better!  I was with other family members who ordered pizza on the regular gluten-filled crust, and I have to admit….the gluten-free one looked better!  It was thin and crispy and tasted great!

The food (and the price) was great, and we will definitely be coming back for pizza night this Friday! I have a feeling we will become regulars.  This is a great place for children and offers a kid’s pizza deal with a 6″ pizza with one topping and a drink.  It seems to be a popular place, so plan accordingly, the line was growing at 5:30 on a Sunday when we were there.

Review: Gluten-Free Ricola Products

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 3 Comments

Just when you thought cold & flu season was behind us, schools are closing due to flu outbreaks!  I have to say I was a little shocked when I hear that on the news this week, though I do know of several friends fighting the crud.  As I have said before, being sick is bad enough, but having to search for gluten-free products on top of feeling cruddy is no fun.

Ricola has a whole line of gluten-free throat & cough drops & supplements to help battle the symptoms that come along with the cold & flu.

Ricola Cough & Throat Drops – “Since the invention of the Swiss original herb cough drop using mountain herbs, Ricola has produced fine quality herb drops with great passion and skill. Still to this day, all Ricola herb drops have one thing in common: The Ricola herb mixture – soothing for the mouth and throat.”  There are 6 different varieties of the Cough & Throat Drops Original, lemon mint, honey lemon, cherry honey & dual action.  The dual action drops not only help to calm the cough but they are also designed to help soothe the throat.

Ricola with Vitamin C – Just 2 of these drops provide 100% of the daily value of Vitamin C.  Mixed Berry flavor that uses raspberries, black currant & bilberries in combination with a mixture of Swiss alpine herbs and vitamin C.

Ricola Sugar-Free – Same benefits as the Cough & Throat Drops, but sugar-free.  These come in 5 different varieties: Lemon mint, mountain herb, menthol, green tea & cherry.

More about Ricola’s products:

Founded in 1930, with company headquarters in Laufen and subsidiary companies throughout Europe, Asia and the USA, Ricola products now include about 30 different herb specialty flavors. All the herbs used in Ricola products are organically cultivated in the Swiss mountains.

Lactose and nut intolerance
All Ricola products are lactose and nut free.
Gluten intolerance
In the United States, there are no established government standards as to what can be considered gluten-free or what is safe for use in celiac patients. Our products contain less than 0.002% (or less than 2ppm) gluten. We urge you to share this information with your doctor or to contact the Celiac Sprue Association of the USA @1-877-CSA-4CSA.

We received several of the Ricola products to sample and liked them all.  I have been using 2 of the Vitamin C drops per day since they arrived & I love the mixed berry flavor!  The cough drops all have a decent taste to them.  I am normally not a fan of cough drops, unless they taste like candy, so I was impressed with these.  I will definitely be keeping these at the top of my list when we need cough drops.

Ricola products can be purchased in mainstream grocery & drug stores across the US and more than 50 countries.  Have you tried Ricola Cough & Throat Drops?  What is your go-to cough drop?

(source)

Review: Udi’s Gluten-Free Pepperoni Pizza

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 4 Comments

While I am still scouring my local Whole Foods for the new Udi’s gluten-free pizzas, my mom and stepdad were able to find them at the Whole Foods store in Winter Park, Florida. My stepdad, Joe, began following the gluten-free diet last year after finding he had a sensitivity to wheat.

In addition to being gluten-free, the pizza is also soy-free. There are 2 servings per box at 350 calories, 18g fat, 16g protein and 4g fiber each.  The ingredients are as follows:

INGREDIENTS: gluten-free PIZZA CRUST (FILTERED WATER, TAPIOCA STARCH, BROWN RICE FLOUR, EGG WHITES, CORN STARCH, RICE FLOUR, TAPIOCA MALTODEXTRIN, VEGETABLE OIL (MAY CONTAIN ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: SUNFLOWER, SAFFLOWER, CANOLA OIL), RICE BRAN, CELLULOSE POWDER, CANE SYRUP, GUM (XANTHAN GUM, SODIUM ALGINATE, GUAR GUM), SALT, KONJAC, YEAST (YEAST, POTATO STARCH), ENZYME (CALCIUM SULFATE, ENZYMES)), SAUCE (TOMATOES, FILTERED WATER, TOMATO PASTE, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, SUGAR, SALT, SPICES, GARLIC, CITRIC ACID), MOZZARELLA CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), UNCURED PEPPERONI (NO NITRITES OR NITRATES ADDED* *EXCEPT FOR THOSE NATURALLY OCCURRING IN NATURAL FLAVORING (CELERY JUICE POWDER). PORK, BEEF, SALT, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF WATER, SPICE, SEASONING (CANE SUGAR, NATURAL FLAVORING), SEASONING (EXTRACTIVES OF PAPRIKA, NATURAL SPICE EXTRACTIVES), LACTIC ACID STARTER CULTURE), ROMANO CHEESE (PASTERUIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), BASIL, SEASONING BLEND (BASIL, OREGANO, SALT, GARLIC, MARJORAM, CHILIES, FENNEL, ONION, TOMATO, HONEY POWDER (CANE REFINERY SYRUPS, HONEY), AND SPICES). CONTAINS EGG, MILK.
Read more:

2012-02-05_19-31-47_313The written review, as I received it from my mom & Joe:

gluten-free crust is great.  Thin crust, and crisp on the edges when baked.

Flavor was very tasty. We had the uncured pepperoni pizza, which is also soy-free.  Well presented when unwrapped, and very easy to prepare.  Slices hold their form very well; the crust remains intact and doesn’t crumble.  No shortage of toppings, but the sauce and the cheese could be spread more evenly across the pizza.  $6.99 at Whole Foods in Winter Park, Fl, for a 10 ounce pizza, which was very reasonable.  Very high in sodium, which is a definite downside.  We would definitely buy this pizza again – and also try their other versions.

Udi’s gluten-free is also making three cheese and Margherita frozen pizza varieties.  The pizzas should be available in most Whole Food stores across the nation.  This reminds me that I need to ask at my store’s customer service counter the next time I go in.

Have you had a chance to try Udi’s new frozen gluten-free pizzas yet?  If so, what did you think?

Review: Yoplait Gluten-Free Greek Yogurt

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 2 Comments

Greek yogurt is all the rage these days.  Nutritionally speaking, Greek yogurt has more bang for your buck with twice the protein of regular yogurt.  There are many brands on the market, but today I am going to focus on Yoplait Greek yogurt.

I have been steering towards Greek yogurt when I eat yogurt mainly for protein reasons.  A lot of times I will use yogurt to refuel after my workouts in the morning.  I am not usually hungry right away, so eating something small, like 6 oz. of yogurt, is perfect for me.  I then have time to shower & get the kids up & moving before I sit down for breakfast.  Yoplait now has 6 flavors on the gluten-free Greek yogurt product list.

  • Blueberry
  • Honey vanilla
  • Strawberry
  • Plain
  • Key lime
  • Peach

IMG_0502Yoplait labels their gluten-free products “gluten-free” right on the side, so there is no confusion.  Yoplait is part of General Mills.  Yogurt has many health benefits, including helping to build stronger bones with calcium (35% of the RDA in one serving), vitamin D to help with calcium absorption, probiotics to help keep your digestive system healthy, and protein, as I mentioned above.

 

I have now worked through all of the flavors except the peach and I really like them all, but I think the key lime is my favorite.   I can see making a dessert with it by crumbling up gluten-free graham crackers over the top.   I like to use the plain variety for baking or on my baked potato, like sour cream.  If you are trying to cut back on your sugar intake, buying plain Greek yogurt and adding in your own, fresh fruit, is a great way to do so.  I also like to eat yogurt mixed with a bowl full of cereal or as a topper for my gluten-free waffles.

Yoplait Greek yogurt can be purchased in mainstream grocery stores across the US.  For a $.30 off coupon, click here and find a link on the right side of the page.  **It is important to note that not all of Yoplait’s Greek yogurts are on the gluten-free list or labeled gluten-free.  There are some newer versions (that come in 4-packs or with granola) that either haven’t been added to the list or aren’t safe for us to eat.  Please exercise caution if you are buying something that isn’t on the list. 

Have you tried Yoplait Greek yogurt? How do you like to eat your yogurt?

Review: Gluten-Free at The Macaroon Company

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 5 Comments

I recently had the opportunity to try the new (to me) gluten-free treat from The Macaroon Company, which is located in Woodstock, GA, just outside of Atlanta. Brian Murray, the company’s founder, and the owner was extremely generous and personally brought me some samples to try of their company’s namesake, the macaroon.

The Macaroon Company’s macaroons are not like the trendy macrons with a cream filling. These macaroons are old-school, the ones traditionally made with coconut, and these macaroons, in particular, are gluten-, dairy-, and soy-free, as well as being vegan and raw, with no baking involved in the process.  Agave is used exclusively as a sweetener.  The ingredients are simple and pronounceable and include most if not all organic ingredients.

These macaroons work very well for people on restricted diets such as gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, or diabetic.

I was given samples of the Lemon Pound Cake, Amaretto & Orange, Fudge Brownie, Pina Colada, Mint Chocolate, and Chocolate Raz.   They also have seasonal favorites, so be sure to visit the website for what is currently available.  The packages include 15 pieces and retail at $5.  I absolutely love coconut, so I was not sure which one to dig into first.

The individual pieces are small, but they pack in the flavor and are extremely satisfying and fulfilling.  As their tagline states, “Taste Like More” and it is true!  My husband, daughter and I loved being macaroon taste testers.  My husband and I were in agreement and our favorite was the Lemon Pound Cake, my daughter loved the Fudge Brownie, and couldn’t get enough.  While we did have our favorites, they were all delicious.  Whichever flavor you choose you will not be disappointed. They make a great fiber-rich sweet treat!

Brian started making his macaroons several years ago as a way to make extra cash, but after realizing their popularity with his friends, he began to sell them, and viola!  The Macaroon Company does not have its own storefront but is available online and at area farmer’s markets, such as the Alpharetta Farmer’s Market and Sweetapple Village Market.  To find out exact locations, check out their Facebook page, or email Brian directly, brian@themacarooncompany.com.