Barnana: New Flavors!

I met Barnana back during the first annual Gluten Free Oktoberfest and became hooked. These little nuggets of tastiness are gluten free, vegan, non-gmo, and organic. The best part of Barnana is they are packed with flavor, potassium, and give you all the benefits of raw bananas. 

Barnana introduced two delicious new flavors, Organic Coconut and Organic Peanut Butter. These happiness inducing snacks blew my mind! The peanut butter made me do a happy dance and although I am not a huge coconut lover, I inhaled that bag as well. I love finding products to share with you all, and this one is not to be missed. All of the original Barnana flavors are incredibly delicious too. Head over to Barnana to find out some more information and where you can get your hands on a bag... or 6

Living Without's Gluten Free Food Allergy Fest

I am so very excited to announce that I will be part of the official blogger team for this years Living Without's Gluten Free Food Allergy Fest here in Portland Oregon! It is going to be an amazing event packed with tons of gluten free samples and snacks, expert chefs to help ya out, bloggers and authors galore, and tons of allergy free fun. All my girls will be coming from around the country (Erica Dermer from www.celiacandthebeast.com, Kyra Bussanich from www.kyrasbakeshop.com, Mary Fran Wiley from www.frannycakes.com, Brandy Wendler, Miss Alaska and Celiac Advocate, Allison Needham from www.agirldefloured.com, and K.C. Pomering from www.gfreefoodie.com) We are all beyond excited to spend the weekend spreading the gluten free love. I have two free tickets to give out so look for a giveaway on my social medias. Make sure to head over to http://www.glutenfreefoodallergyfest.com for all of the info! I can't wait to see you there!

Roasted Poblano White Bean Dip

I love me some poblanos. Roasting them is my favorite way to cook them and it makes your house smell amazing! This dip is super easy to make and only takes a few ingredients. Be patient and roast your poblanos, it is so worth it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
-1 Poblano Pepper, Roasted and Peeled 
          *How to roast peppers in an oven
-1 Can (15oz) Cannellini beans (Or other white bean), Rinsed and Drained
-2 TBSP Fresh lemon juice, About 1/2 Large Lemon
1 Clove Garlic, chunks
2 TBSP Olive Oil
2 TBSP Cold Water, more if needed. 
1/2 TSP Pink Sea Salt

Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until desired consistency! Easy as dip!
Pair with some persian cucumbers or your favorite Gluten Free Cracker (Like Crunchmaster, pictured above) 

Bloggin' Break.

As most of you know, I moved to Portland Oregon about 6 months ago. I visited the PNW during a road trip and I fell in love with this gluten free filled city. I had to move here. I packed my car and headed up the west coast to start this amazing new journey. The past few months have been crazy, the best kind of crazy. I still drive around and catch myself smiling at the fact that I live here. Getting settled hasn't been an easy feat. Job searching, friend searching, life searching... It's been my main focus and my blog has taken a back seat and for that I am sorry. Don't worry, there has been tons of gluten free cooking, eating, and sharing going on. I am back and I can't wait to share some of the new recipes i've created and all of the incredible gluten free food that Portland has to offer.  Thank you everyone for your support and love! 
XO
-Annie

Here's what I have been up to the past few months. Cooking in my new tiny apartment dancing around to Otis Redding, working at World Foods Everett, cuddling with Stella Bean, exploring Portland and trying as many gluten free restaurants as possible. It's been incredible. 

Kyra's Bake Shop

Kyra's Bake Shop is by far the most magical place on earth. Located in Lake Oswego Oregon, Kyra Bussanich, a 3-time Cupcake Wars Winner, opened up a 100% gluten free bakery for all of us to enjoy. I stopped by on my road trip in June and fell in love. I have dreamed of their insanely tasty baked goods since. Now I live in Portland Oregon, dangerously close to Kyra's Bake Shop... This is what happened next..

Everything Bagels! 

The hardest part of going gluten free for me was saying goodbye to everything bagels. Growing up, we always had bagels in our house. Fresh, everything bagels toasted with cream cheese. I'm a simple gal and that's all I need in life. Kyra has created the most delicious gluten free and vegan everything bagels. They are soft and chewy, and not the least bit crumbly. It's incredible. One of the best gluten free bagels out there. They have bagel Thursdays,Doughnut Fridays, and daily specials at the Bake shop. You can check out their menu and their daily menu too!

There is a reason Kyra won the Food Network's Cupcake Wars 3 times. They have the most delicious, moist, flavorful, and creative cupcakes around. Let's be honest, I walked out of there with a box full of treats. I ate the Cupcake Wars winning cupcake The Caramallow Fluff Cupcake (Chocolate cake dipped in dark chocolate ganache, rolled in handmade caramel corn, topped with marshmallow fluff marscapone whipped cream) Is this heaven? Did I also mention I was building Ikea furniture at the same time? The cupcake made it all okay and happy, I didn't even cry from ikea frustration. (photo below) 

Have you gotten your copy of Sweet Cravings yet? It features the Cupcake Wars Winning recipe for African Yam Cupcakes and other award winning recipes. Tons of amazing recipes from cookies, cakes, breads, pies, tarts, brownies, cobblers, crisps, puddings, pretty much anything you can dream of. You can also purchase dry mixes which are easy to use and come out tasting like you are a pro-baker. The snickerdoodle cake mix is my favorite one but all of the varieties are delicious. You can even get baked goods shipped directly to your house. Make sure you visit Kyra's Bake Shop next time you are in Oregon, I'll see you there. 

Kyra's Bake Shop 

460 5th Street

Lake Oswego, OR 97034

info@kyrasbakeshop.com

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(From Anniegfgrub Instagram)

Instagram: Anniesgfgrub

Have you followed Annie's Gluten Free Grub on Instagram? It's my favorite one of my social medias because you can see my gluten free experiments, restaurant and bakery finds, messes in the kitchen, favorite GF products, a whole lot of selfies, cat pictures, and other pointless things. Anniesgfgrub on instagram! xo

GFAF Expo 2014: San Francisco

The Gluten Free Allergen Free Expos never cease to amaze me. I am always honored & thrilled to be in a room filled with so many amazing people in the GF world & of course the tastiest of GF foods.  There were so many great new companies this year and tons of our current favorites too. I am excited to share with you some of the great products from this weekend that actually taste good & the awesome companies & people behind them. Thank you to everyone, especially my GF family (& new additions to the family) for making this expo weekend so wonderful. From adventures with my main girl, Pica Pica Maize kitchen, expo wandering, made to order ice cream with liquid nitrogen, it was a weekend for the books...or blog
(Cake by Zest Bakery, San Carlos California) 

So let's get started on this expo journey; A two day gluten free adventure in the bay area. It's always fun to go through my photos and decide which two products were my favorite of the weekend. This time it was a no-brainer.

Bread Srsly. I love you. 
Gluten Free Sourdough Bread. Let's take a moment. 

I was lucky enough to connect with the wonderful Sadie behind Bread Srsly a few months ago through social media, so when I found out I get to hang out with Bread Srsly (and by that I mean Sadie, and the bread) all weekend at the expo I was excited. Guys, she makes Gluten Free Sourdough bread. I can't emphasize that enough. It really is true. Not only that, but they come in a variety of flavors including kale sourdough, apricot fennel, original, whole grain chai, and a few others that rotate weekly.

The sourdough is amazing. It's taste and texture is spot on. Sadie also makes some other little treats like Molasses cookies and sourdough rolls. Head over to Bread Srsly and get yourself some incredible gluten free bread. Plus it's free of dairy, egg, soy, nut, potato, tapioca, and garbanzo. A million thumbs up. 

What is better than a company with a cause? How about a tasty company with a cause. These bars are awesome, for more than one reason. They are gluten free, vegan, all-natural, non-gmo, they taste great and they have a simple and dedicated goal "Buy a bar, feed a hungry child" Read about their mission here. It truly is amazing and they have an incredible team behind this company fighting to help end childhood hunger.  

Head over to their website to read all about the incredible things they do and how to get your hands on some of these delicious bars. Thank you 2 degrees!

Chebe has been one of my favorite bread mixes around. They are super easy to make, 100% gluten free, gmo free, and tastes great. They have a ton of varieties of mixes, savory and sweet in the form of dry mixes as well as frozen doughs. Head over to Chebe to find out where you can find Chebe products. 

One of my favorite summertime, or anytime in San Diego activities was having a picnic. So the idea of a gluten free picnic wrapped up and ready to go is awesome. GoPicnic ready to eat meals have a ton of gluten free options that you can choose from. They are perfect for gluten free traveling as we know it can be tricky.  They come with perfect little portion size snacks, all shelf stable, no transfat, no added msg, and gluten free. (They also have other combinations that are not gluten free, so make sure to check. They are clearly marked gluten free, here's there GF products page) The best part about it, they all come with a little sweet treat.

One of the biggest gluten free tragedies was finding out Soy Sauce had gluten in it. That was the moment of fear for me."Gluten is hiding in everything" Thankfully, I found San J products. San- J has been one of my favorite staple companies from the start for me. My fridge is usually fully loaded with Tamari and my personal favorite, Thai Peanut Sauce. They have a huge list of gluten free sauces, marinades, dressings, and products like rice crackers and soup mixes. Not only that but they have my personal favorite of little to-go packets. They make things a lot easier than carrying a bottle of San-J Tamari in my purse for sushi. 

Let's be honest, every time I try and roast pumpkin seeds during halloween I burn them. Call me crazy, but burned pumpkin seeds aren't super tasty so pumpkin seeds never were on my radar. Meet Super Seedz. The best dang pumpkin seeds ever. They come in a ton of flavors sweet and savory. They are gluten free, vegan, have no cholesterol, no transfat, and are a perfect snack for on the go. Check em out! Super Seedz 

"Tak for Mad" means Thanks for the Food! These danish inspired crackers are truly delicious and addictive. They are hand made in small batches using the best organic, locally sourced and of course gluten free ingredients. Check out Kettel Krakkers

This magical babe was there! Kyra Bussanich of Kyra's Bake Shop in Lake Oswego, Oregon. She is a 3 time winner of Food Network's Cupcake Wars. I don't make this claim a lot but Kyra by far has created the best gluten free baked goods out there. Lucky for us! She has created cake mixes for us to use at home and an amazing cookbook so we can bake like a cupcake wars champion. Want to hear the coolest thing ever? Kyra is heading out on a gluten free cruise in May where she will be teaching gluten free cooking classes while exploring Alaska HERE is some info, or call 1-800-Sun-Ship for more details. 

Canyon Bakehouse how I love you so. Soft and fresh tasting packaged gluten free bread doesn't seem real, but I assure you, this is real. Canyon Bakehouse has baked up multiple varieties of breads like a good old white bread, cinnamon raisin, focaccia, hamburger buns, and the best sandwich bread for your home. I typically don't buy a lot of bread but when I do, it's always Canyon Bakehouse. Head over to their website to grab a $1.00 off coupon and find out where you can pick up a loaf. 

Ginny Bakes was there to spread the GF organic love! They have some super delicious baking mixes for cookies and muffins and tons of delicious packaged products that are certified gluten free, non-gmo, kosher, organic and vegan. What an amazing line up! Thanks Ginny Bakes! 

My favorite Dallas GFAF Expo find Red Apple Lipstick was there in San Francisco as well! I adore this company and their products. Literally, right now if you opened my purse I have four Red Apple Girls lipsticks. They are the smoothest, most vibrant, long lasting lipsticks. All of their make up in 100% gluten free, paraban free, lead free, animal cruelty free, and gorgeous! Check out their lipgloss above and head over to their site to see all the Red Apple Girl products.

Cheez-it guys! Gluten Free Cheez-its, but even better! They are packed with oats, brown rice, millet, quinoa, amaranth and they are way more tasty. Van's has some great gluten free snacks like these crackers, tasty breakfast bars, and chips. They also have a tons of ways to make breakfast easy and gluten free with cereals, gf waffles, gf french toast sticks. 

I love finding awesome local companies through these expos. Nana Joe's is a San Francisco based company creating some of the tastiest, freshest granola and gluten free treats. They have an online store so you can get them delivered to your door or if you are lucky enough to live in the bay area go check them out at the Farmers Markets! 

Loved getting to see this awesome family farm again! Redwood Hill Farms is a goat dairy farm and creamy in Sonoma County California. They have been a family owned and operated farm since 1968. They pride themselves on being certified humane and taking a natural organic approach to raising their goats. You can taste the difference in their products. I absolutely love their goat kefir and yogurts. Head over to their website to read more about their story and what makes Redwood Hill Farms so special. 

Tera's Whey is an organic whey protein company that is 100% gluten free and it actually tastes good. They make their whey from fresh whey they get from small local cheese farms in Wisconsin. They know where their ingredients come from which means that WE get to know too, and there is nothing better than that! Check out Tera's Whey to find out more.

Did you know that Barilla makes gluten free pasta?! What!? Crazy right, but they do! and it's pretty tasty too! Not only is it 100% gluten free, but they also use non-gmo corn. Thumbs up. They make their gluten free line of pasta in it's own dedicated gluten free facility so no cross contamination from their other pastas. Great expo find, Thanks Barilla! 

Another great expo find this year was Real McCoys rice puffs and rice chips. This family owned company has some of the most flavorful snacks around. 100% gluten free, non-gmo, and some even vegan! The Hatch Chili rice puffs were so addictive! Head over to their Facebook and you can grab a free sample! 

What an incredible expo. Thank you to GFAF Expo for welcoming me to the blogger family again. Thank you to the companies, the guests, the bloggers, authors, and everyone who walked through those doors, YOU RULE.  These companies and the people behind them work so hard for our gluten free community. Thank you all for being so dedicated
All my gluten free love, XO 
-Annie

Coconut Kale Jasmine Rice

A simple super side dish that can be cooked up in 15 minutes. Use up your leftover rice, and create a whole new meal. Gluten Free, Vegan, and tasty

Ingredients: (Serves 2 really hungry people or 4 small servings)
-2 Cups Cooked Organic Jasmine Rice  
-1 Cup Organic Green Kale, Chopped Finely
-1 Small Shallot, Minced
-2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
-2.5 TBSP Coconut Cream (**Not Coconut Milk, although I'm sure that would be delicious. See note)
1 TBSP "Coconut Secret" Coconut Aminos 
1/2 TSP Pink Sea Salt
1 TBSP Olive Oil or Coconut Oil

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and sauté for 1-2 minutes, watching closely so it doesn't burn. Add in chopped kale and coconut aminos, continue to sauté for another 1-2 minutes until kale is cooked. Lower the heat, add in coconut cream and stir until all ingredients are combined and the coconut cream has melted. 

In a large bowl, heat 2 cups of cooked rice (I used leftover jasmine rice, but you could use any type of rice you have on hand) Add the kale mixture to the rice and mix gently until combined. Serve hot. Enjoy!

**Coconut Cream differs from Coconut Milk as there is less water content in the cream giving it a thick creamy texture. You can use coconut cream in curries and stews, as well as desserts. Read about it here on The Kitchn 

Linwoods Health Foods

I am a smoothie and juice girl. Working at a large smoothie chain for four years, maybe I got a little hooked. Fast forward ten years and I am still making smoothies, but just a little bit healthier. I am always adding healthy extras to my smoothies to make it as nutritious as possible to get my day started. So when I met Linwood Health Foods at the GFAF Expo in Dallas Texas, I was excited to get home to try their products. Linwood has tons of healthy products that are packed with nutrition. So many ways to help you get your nutrition going for 2014.

Thanks to Linwoods Health Foods, I was able to try Shelled Hemp Seed for the first time. Hemp Seed is loaded with nutritional benefits and now a permanent fixture on my grocery list. I have been adding them into everything! You can try hemp seeds on top of yogurt, in salads, smoothies, soups, and even sauces. They are a bit chewier than you would think but have a great light nutty flavor. Hemp Seed is a great addition as it's one of the most nutritious plants out there. You can check out some of the benefits of hemp seed and all of the other Linwood Health Food products here. 



I love flax seed and have been a believer for years. Flax is perfect for adding to smoothies, on top of yogurts or granola, and even in baked goods. What I really like about Linwoods products is that they switch it up a bit! They have these, what I have been calling, "Super flax mixes" Pictured above is the Ground Flaxseed, Sunflower, Pumpkin, Sesame Seeds, and Goji Berry blend. Super tasty, loaded with benefits, I definitely recommend trying it. You can find a blend to suit your health food and nutrition needs. Check out Linwoods Superfoods Facebook too! 

Nutty No Flour Cookies

Soft and chewy, packed with nutty goodness and peanut butter chips these cookies are sure to fix any sweet tooth craving. This cookie can be made in so many ways. Feel free to use almond meal and almond butter instead. Maybe some chocolate chips? 

Trader Joe's comes out with Peanut Butter chips during the holidays. These are seasonal and it makes me so sad. We should start a petition to get these year round, just sayin' 

I love working with cashew meal as it gives your baked goods a light nutty flavor while keeping them soft and moist. I can't eat almonds, so I like to use cashew meal. I used to make my own but it got way too expensive and my food processor broke in the move to Portland. Fear not! Trader Joe's came out with "just cashew meal" and for $4.99 a bag, I'm in! 

Ingredients: (Makes 12-14 small cookies)
-1 Egg
-3/4 Cup Coconut Palm Sugar
-1/4 TSP Cinnamon
-1 TSP Vanilla Extract
-3/4 Cup Salted Peanut Butter
-1/2 Cup Cashew Meal 
-1/4 Cup Peanut Butter Chips

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. 
Measure your ingredients.
-Use hand mixer and combine the sugar and egg, until creamy.
-Add peanut butter, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Mix well.
-Slowly add in the cashew meal, about 1/8 cup at a time (Until you added 1/2 Cup). Mix well each time before adding the next but of cashew meal. 
-Add the peanut butter chips and combine.
-Put the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 
-Once dough has chilled, roll about 2 TSP of dough into a little ball.
-Use your fork to create a crosshatch pattern on the cookies.
-Bake for about 10-11 minutes. *Nut flours can burn easily so keep an eye on your cookies since ovens can vary. 

 Enjoy! XO

Brazi Bites

I kept seeing gluten free friends post and rave about Brazi Bites all over social media, so I was excited to get my hands on a few bags. These little brazilian cheese breads are known as pão de queijo, a popular brazilian recipe. The best part, they are naturally gluten free! Brazi Bites are made with tapioca flour and other naturally gluten free ingredients. They come in 3 flavors, original, fire roasted jalapeño, and bacon. Yea, you heard me, gluten free bacon cheese bread bites. They are everything you would hope for. Crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. 

Dangerously tasty and small, you could eat a million. I paired mine with Chipotle Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup and I am already dreaming of what else to make with them. They come frozen in resealable packages which is nice since you can choose how many Brazi  Bites to bake. You can use their store locator to find out where to grab a few bags. They also ship nationwide!

I would definitely recommend trying these bad boys. The fire roasted jalapeño was my favorite with just the right amount of kick, but all the flavors are worth trying. Check them out on Facebook and Twitter too. 

Thanks Brazi Bites! 

Chipotle Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup

Now that I have moved to Portland Oregon all I want is soup. It's warm, it's cozy, and it tastes like love. This hearty and nutritional soup is packed with flavor and the chipotle peppers will be sure to keep you warm this winter. The soup is of course gluten free, wheat free, organic, and vegan (just not all that delicious feta in the picture). 

Ingredients: (Serves 2 Main or 4 starters)
-2 Cups Vegetable Broth *Make sure your broth is gluten free, broths can be a hidden source of gluten. Most organic or free range broth is gf, but always check labels.
-1 Can Black Beans, Drained 
-1 Large Sweet Potato, peeled and cut into small chunks
-2 Cloves Garlic, minced
-1/2 Small Red Onion, chopped
-1 Small Zucchini, Cut into small chunks
-1 Cup Kale, Chopped Roughly 
-1/2 Cup White Corn
-1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce, chopped *Be careful! Some adobo sauce contains gluten, The Embasa brand contains wheat flour. La Costena is a gluten free brand, but always check labels. 
-2 TBSP Adobo Sauce from the chipotle peppers
-1 TBSP Coconut Aminos (Braggs or Tamari could work too)
-1/2 TSP Chipotle Pepper Powder
-1/4 TSP Cumin
-1/8 TSP Sea Salt
-1 TBSP Olive Oil

I have a crush on my soup. It's just so darn pretty and colorful. 

Prepare your ingredients.
-In a large pot heat 1 TBSP olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent. 
-Reduce the heat and add chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, cumin, chipotle powder, and sauté for another minute.
-Add the vegetable broth, sweet potato, kale, zucchini, corn, coconut aminos, sea salt, and black beans. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and cook uncovered stirring often for about  1 hour to 1.5 hours.
-Serve and garnish with toppings such as cheese, sourcream, cilantro, greek yogurt, green onions,  more hot sauce, or gf croutons. 

-Enjoy!