Au Bon Pain - Potato Cheese Soup, GF?

There is an Au Bon Pain on the first floor of my office building which is very convenient, especially when it's pouring rain and I forget to bring lunch. I don't often eat there now -- but in my pre-GF days I worshipped their scones, cheese danishes, french toast bagels and their oatmeal. yum.

Sorry if mentioning any of those delicious treats makes your mouth salivate remembering the taste of sweet cheese in the form of a danish, but in all honesty, the amount of calories & fat in those aforementioned items is rather disgusting, so it's really for the best.

I do like that they're trying to offer some gluten free items though --- on their website & sometimes in the store they label what is, in theory, gluten free, and I have occasionally had the Black Bean Soup (labeled vegan, low fat and gluten free) - and it's pretty good and never made me sick.

This month there was a new soup in rotation - Potato Cheese. I was psyched. Potato AND cheese? Two of my favorites in one bowl and offered just downstairs? Sweet.

But no.

Two times I got the soup, two times I got that familiar gluten-y sick feeling.

I'm going to write something to Corporate just to let them know -- but I wanted you all to be warned. And I ate it twice because the first time I questioned something else I had that might have made me feel bad, but this time I knew.

Bummer!

Blogging Hiatus

Well, that's obvious, but I figured I would make it official & post an update.

Life is super crazy/busy right now -- can't spend any of my free time blogging knowing there are so many other things I need to be doing.

I'll be back when things calm down, oh, and Happy New Year!

2 Meals, one hunk of pork

This weekend we were in RI visiting my family and some friends. On Saturday my mom wanted to make pulled pork and we threw together this simple recipe:

pork butt

apple cider

3 apples, chopped

2 onions, chopped

splash of apple cider vinegar

salt & pepper

Cook in slow cooker for 5-6 hours or more -- shred pork. Done.

It was delicious - you can add some BBQ sauce on top - I just ate it plain.

There were tons of leftovers and the first thought i had - HASH.

So we sauteed some onions and cooked potatoes in olive oil, added the hash, let it all cook, fried up some eggs and threw them on top. YUM.

Here is my husbands very generous, rather filthy looking plate:

I ate about 1/4 of what is shown here, and I didn't do BBQ sauce on top, just the egg & some cheese.

great leftover dish :)

Eco-Planet gluten free instant oatmeal

 I happened upon this product in the grocery store the other day and I had to get it! This is the first time I have seen GF Instant Oats in the market - I wasn't in a big grocery store, but this market/butcher called McKinnon's - I think there are a few in the NH/MA areas, but I was in Salem, NH.

This is also a new brand for me, haven't had any of their other products, but here is a link to their site.

Anyway - so exciting, I love oatmeal, but hate making it - actually, I hate having to clean the pot afterwards -- so instant is perfect for me.

I really liked this! I added some cut-up apples one day, and just ate it plain the other times. This oatmeal is kind of mushy - which I really like. I know some people like their oatmeal a little grainier, or more oat-like, but I much prefer to it be like mush - I don't know why, it sounds gross just typing it, but that's how I like it.

What's also great is it's only 145 calories per packet (not including milk if you add that instead of water) and 5g of fiber! Nice!

Big fan -- will buy this again. I have been looking for Glutenfreeda's gf instant oats, but haven't seen them anywhere yet.

Favorite lunch right now

Food for Life Brown Rice Tortilla

Hummus spread (been using lemon or tomato/basil)

two slices of cheese

3 stackers pickles

(turkey if I have it - otherwise, the above on it's own is good!)

Weird right?  I find that microwaving the tortilla wrap for 30 seconds on a plate, and putting the hummus on with the cheese & probably the juice from the pickles, helps to keep the wrap in one piece - no cracking. i also keep it in a sandwich tupperware instead of a baggie.

I am addicted to this for lunch - have eaten it every day for a week! i'll probably be sick of it next week.

Snacks

I love this picture that the photographer caught of me on my wedding day.... We were in the limo on the way to the venue, drinking champagne, and I ate almost this entire bag of Glutino Sesame Pretzels. 

I'm so bad with snacking. I will end up skipping some meals because I over-snack. Do you? I especially love anything in the chip family - shout out to UTZ, best chips around and love that they label their chips gluten free. 

I never really liked pretzels until I couldn't eat them anymore -- and these Glutino pretzels are awesome - they taste like butter, and are better than "real" pretzels anyway. They are also fairly fattening & expensive, so I usually only allow this occasionally as a treat - my wedding day was definitely a good day to splurge ;)

Fall Eating

Ever since the wedding ended, I've just been eating! It helps that I don't have to wear bathing suits anymore, and no longer need to worry about my wedding dress & how I'll look in pictures....

I think a little also has to do with the change in weather. It's starting to get cold, bulkier clothes are coming out - I tend to start eating more comfort food, happens every year. Do you do this too?

We have been traveling a lot in northern New Hampshire, it's been so beautiful - we've been hiking, visiting friends, 4-H-Fairing, etc.... We were in my husband's college town (Plymouth, NH) & visited his favorite deli, which we visit at least once or twice a year. They make THE BEST sandwiches. And I say that having eaten them PRE GF, and POST GF. The place is super cool, cozy - they have a bar, and serve popcorn. It's really great.

What's also great about them - they're super good about my gluten-free-ness - I always bring a loaf of gluten free bread with me, and get my favorite, the most decadent of sandwiches --- The Rueben.

YUUUUUMMMM. They have huge sandwiches, and since the gf bread is so small, they always make me two. They set out sheets of tin foil and prepare my sandwich on there - and toast the bread in the oven on the foil.... I think they get a lot of other GF eaters.

They also serve Redbridge, so the place is basically money. Here is a rather gross picture of my lunch:

FILTHY. Love it.

We were so full from this late lunch, we didn't even eat dinner. But there is my GF Reuben - in all it's greasy glory. Made on Glutino Flax Seed Bread. And a giant pickle. ugh. so good.