The U.S. Senate has passed a resolution designating Sept. 13, 2011 to be “National Celiac Disease Awareness Day.” This action, which honors those affected by celiac disease, also commemorates the birth of Dr. Samuel Gee, a pioneer in celiac disease research.

I really like this mix. It is easy to make and the taste is very good. The only problem with these is I tend to eat too many. My Wife even likes these and she does not need to eat gluten free. The price is good. Thank You Betty Crocker!

These are the best gluten free hamburger rolls I have had. They are not prefect but are very good.

Good pizza for the price. I would recommend it, if you are really hungry order 2 or get a salad. I have eaten at one in Chicago and Ft Myers.

http://www.aureliospizza.com

This was not bad..It does not look anything like the box but the taste is not bad. I would buy it again at the $4.00 and under price range. I have seen these priced much higher.

I love the Florentine Skillet with the caesar salad and their Flaming Crème Brûlée. They bring you hummus and veggies instead of bread which is a nice touch. I’m not a fan of the pizza, the toppings are good, the crust is too thick for me. Their Salads are good and I have not tried the pasta dishes or the flat bread sandwich’s yet.

Cosimo’s Brick Oven
3501 S. Tamiami Tr.,
Sarasota, FL 34239 (941) 363-0211 ‎
cosimos.net

I was excited to try these, I had read several reviews. I was disappointed. These are frozen and there was no directions on the packaging on how to prepare them.

The Good
Frosting
They look and feel like a cinnamon roll

The Bad
Expensive $6.49 for 4
Very dry
No Directions
I ended up throwing the last one away.

I bet these are good fresh from the oven. But once they have been frozen they are not very good.

I loved their Bagels!

I really like these donuts. I prefer them frozen(that may sound funny but try it). They have a good taste and the texture frozen is good. I would probably take a star off for thawing them.

I would give them 5 stars but they are really expensive at more then a $1.00 per donut. I paid $6.69 for a box of six.

I love their Soul Good Pulled Pork and smashed potatoes. They Have 2 types of gluten free BBQ Sauces Kansas City or Oklahoma sauce.

Their steaks, burgers, wings and salads are very good. I have eaten here 20+ and have never gotten sick from gluten.

www.leeroyselmons.com
8253 Cooper Creek Blvd
Sarasota, FL 34201
(941) 360-3287

6830 14th St. W.
Bradenton, FL 34207
751-0333
www.vertorispizza.com

I decide to try the new Gluten Free Rice Krispies and make some Rice Krispies treats. I can’t remember what regular Rice Krispies taste like but these tasted pretty good and made Good Rice Krispies treats.

These are my top 5… What are yours?

These are my top 5. More photo’s coming soon

Joe’s Crab Shack
http://www.joescrabshack.com/
Gluten Free Menu

Long Horn Steakhouse
http://www.longhornsteakhouse.com/
Gluten Free Menu

Outback Steakhouse
http://www.outback.com/
Gluten Free Menu

Pei-Wei
http://www.peiwei.com
Gluten Free Menu

Pf Changs
http://www.pfchangs.com
Gluten Free Menu

The Melting Pot
http://www.meltingpot.com
Gluten Free Menu

Uno Chicago Grill
http://www.unos.com/
Gluten Free Menu

4601 South Semoran Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32822
(407) 658-9299

8400 International Drive
Orlando, FL 32819
407-352-2928

12124 S. Apopka Vineland Rd.
Orlando, FL 32836
(407) 465-1895

10 Blake Blvd.
Celebration, FL 34747
(321) 939-6880

We enjoyed this cruise a lot. The Ship was very nice and the shows were very good.

Cons
No free movies in the Stateroom
Bed is rounded which makes it shorter, I’m 6’ tall and my feet hung off the end.
No hangers in the other 2 closets

NCL Epic April 2, 2011 to April 9,2011

I was able to have gluten free bread with ever dinner
I had gluten free waffles at breakfast
I had a Philly cheese steak on gluten free bun for lunch
Moderno was awesome and we ate there twice. The cheese bread is awesome and is gluten free.
I have only been glutenized once on 4 cruises on NCL. It was this cruise the first meal. I believe it was the raspberry creme brulee in Cagney’s Steakhouse.

These are the best gluten free bagels I have eaten. They are not perfect but they are very good.

Dolphin Supermarket
Boulon Center, Cruz Bay
(340) 776-5322

They had several gluten free items like Amy’s frozen items, Mi-Del cookies, and gluten free café.

Marina Market at Red Hook Prices on what I bought( a little higher then the mainland US but not bad)
8oz of bacon $4.99
8oz of block Kraft Sharp cheddar cheese $3.89
Half dozen eggs $1.39
Bananas $.99 a pound
Idaho Potatoes $1.19 a pound
8oz Butter $3.19
NY Strip $16.99 a pound
8oz sour cream $1.99
Jiffy Popcorn $1.99

Twisted Taco ST Thomas USVI

Torcido Taco (Twisted Taco)
Pavilions and Pools
6400 Estate Smith Bay
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands 00802
What I ate:
Chips and Salsa
Chicken Fajitas

It was good and we ate there twice. We stayed at Pavilions and Pools so this was an easy place for us to eat.

Molly Malone’s Irish Pub USVI

Molly Malone’s Irish Pub
Red Hook, American Yacht Harbor
St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
340.775.1270

Menu

What I ate:
Corned Beef & Cabbage

It was very good and we ate here twice. The wait staff was awesome here. I love Corned Beef & Cabbage.

JJ's Texas Coast Cafe ST John USVI

JJ’s Texas Coast Cafe
Cruz Bay
ST John USVI
(340) 776-6908
What I ate:
Cheese burger no bun & cole slaw

Good burger, I have eaten here in the past.

The Lobster Grille
Bolongo Bay Beach Resort
St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands 00802
(340) 775-1800, ext 2500

Menu

What I ate:
Shrimp and Lobster Cocktail
8oz Filet Minion
Mashed Potatoes

It was very good. It was a nice fancy meal and I would do it again.

Frenchman’s Reef Windows ST Thomas USVI

Frenchman’s Reef Windows
5 Estate Bakkeroe
St. Thomas, USVI 00801
340-776-8500

Menu

What I ate:
Caprese salad
Pork chop, applesauce, mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables

It was good

Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant
http://www.coopershawkwinery.com

Aurelio’s Pizza
http://www.aureliospizza.com

Pf Changs
http://www.pfchangs.com

1940 Stickney Point Rd.
Sarasota, FL 34231
(941) 925-7407
www.carrabas.com
Gluten Free Menu

Columbia Restaurant
411 Saint Armands Circle
Sarasota, FL 34236-1492
(941) 388-3987
www.columbiarestaurant.com
Gluten Free menu

Lee Roy Selmon’s
8253 Cooper Creek Blvd
Sarasota, FL 34201
(941) 360-3287
www.leeroyselmons.com
Gluten Free Menu

LongHorn Steakhouse (Two Locations)
2020 Gulf Gate Drive
Sarasota, FL 34231
(941) 926-0344

5440 Fruitville Rd
Sarasota, Fl 34232
(941) 377-4343
www.longhornsteakhouse.com
Gluten Free Menu

Outback Steakhouse (Two Locations)
6390 N. Lockwood Ridge Rd.
Sarasota, FL 34243
(941) 351-3711

7207 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34231
(941) 924-4329
www.outback.com
Gluten Free Menu

Pei-Wei Asian Diner
8511 Cooper Creek Boulevard
University Park, FL 34201
(941) 359-8570
www.peiwei.com
Gluten Free Menu

Columbia Restaurant
www.columbiarestaurant.com
411 Saint Armands Circle
Sarasota, FL 34236-1492
(941) 388-3987

See their gluten free menu here:
http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/gluten_free.asp

Chicken and Yellow Rice “Sarapico”
The traditional dish from Tampa’s Ybor City, one quarter chicken baked with yellow rice, green peppers, onions and tomatoes, spices and virgin olive oil.

The Lunch price was under $10 and was good value!

On my latest trip we ate at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe.  The manager was very helpful and I decided to eat the Half Rotisserie Chicken – served with mashed potatoes & green beans. The food takes a little while because they get everything from the back.  The meal was very tasty and was a good value at $9.00.  I would recommend Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe if you are looking for quick affordable place to eat at the magic kingdom.

The Melting Pot Sarasota, Florida

I heard The Melting Pot had a gluten free menu so I contacted them via e-mail and here is the response I got from them:

“We do offer a gluten free menu at The Melting Pot.  A person with gluten allergies may enjoy all four courses of fondue with a few minor modifications.  Just alert the manager on duty when making your reservation. “

So my wife and I made reservation and ate there on Friday night. Here is what we ate:
Big Night Out: $79 per Couple

Cheddar Cheese Fondue
Aged, medium-sharp Cheddar; vegetables and apples for dipping. (They have to make this special, no bread, no beer or flour)

Spinach Mushroom Salad
Fresh spinach, baby Portobello mushrooms,
red onion, chopped bacon and Roma tomatoes
with a warm Burgundy Shallot Vinaigrette.

Fondue Feast
Filet Mignon Florentine
Shrimp Diablo
Sun-dried Tomato Chicken
Orange Fennel Pork Tenderloin
Fresh Vegetables
(No Porcini and Portobello Sacchetti, No Limoncello Balsamic Sirloin)

Dark Chocolate Fondue
Fresh strawberries, bananas
(No cheesecake, tasty marshmallows, pound
cake and brownies)

Atmosphere:
The Melting Pot has a very relaxed atmosphere.

Value:
It is on the expensive side.

Overall:
The Melting Pot was a treat, the food was good, the service was ok, the atmosphere was relaxing, and the cost was on the expensive side.

Appearance

Tree of Life Shortbread Cookies are well represented on the box.  They are thick, textured and definitely not bite sized.

Taste and Texture

Tree of Life Shortbread Cookies have a nice texture.  They are light and nice to bite into.  They are firm, but not hard.

I wasn’t overly thrilled with the taste.  They have a bit of that “gluten free flavor” that is not so great.  Unfortunately, a dry and unpleasant aftertaste tends to stick with you.  I have to mention here that I had several friends try these with me and we all had different opinions.

Versatility

Tree of Life Shortbread Cookies have the perfect texture to crumble for a pie crust.  They also would hold up very well when packed in a lunchbox.

Overall Value

I bought my box for $2.16 plus tax.  The box contains nine large cookies.  Not a  bad value!

Rating

Though I’m not thrilled about the aftertaste, I’ve found that a cup of coffee nullifies it nicely.  Other than that, the texture is nice and I would buy Tree of Life Shortbread Cookies again, just not every week.

Mrs Leeper's Beef Lasagna

Mrs Leeper’s Beef Lasagna is on the menu for review today.  A while ago, I did a review on Mrs Leeper’s Creamy Tuna.  It went so swimmingly that I decided to see how another one of Mrs Leeper’s dinners would compare.

Ease of Use

Mrs Leeper’s Beef Lasagna is very easy to make and takes very few ingredients.  You supply one pound ground beef and three cups of water.  The box supplies the rest (though, technically, you supply the box as well…)

Brown the beef, drain it, add water and seasonings.  Add the pasta when it boils and cover and cook.

Appearance

I don’t know if I over-stirred my lasagna or if it would have happened anyway, but all of my noodles broke.  I had very few that maintained their mini lasagna shape.  Even so, the finished product looked very appetizing.  It got an emphatic, “Mmmm” from my daughter when she saw it.

Taste and Texture

Mrs Leeper’s Beef Lasagna had a pleasant texture.  I know that seems oddly phrased, but I enjoyed eating it.  The noodles were not over cooked, just soft enough to blend with the textures of the beef and sauce very well.

It tasted good, but I have to say there was something odd about the aftertaste.  It wasn’t bad enough that I would avoid buying this product in the future, but it did keep Mrs Leeper’s Beef Lasagna from becoming an instant favorite in the categories of gluten free lasagna or gluten free boxed dinners.

Versatility

Aside from topping it with cheese or adding veggies, Mrs Leeper’s Beef Lasagna does not lend itself to a whole lot of versatility.  It seems to be one of those products that just is what it is.

Value

This gluten free lasagna can feed a family of four for the price of a box (about $4.50) and a pound of hamburger.  Not bad in my book, especially when you factor in time saved in the kitchen.

Rating

Though the aftertaste was odd, it didn’t stick with me.  I recommend this product for a quick weeknight meal.