Hibachi equals FIRE!!!

After taking a friend to the airport last week Sam and I ate at Kobeya Hibachi in Southlake. We LOVED it! Really - what is not to love?? Dinner, a show and FIRE!! Every kid's dream.

Sam talked about it non stop so when we went for a getaway on Friday night we went back to Kobeya. I had spoken to a really nice server who didn't know about gluten free but he did say they would be willing to work with us. Needless to say I didn't trust that conversation 100% so I called ahead. I spoke to Roy who was the manager that night. He said they were very familiar with gluten free and he recommended chicken with salt, pepper and butter, plain rice, plain salad (maybe with lemon?) and the broth (not with the additions of mushrooms and "krab.") They also have gluten free "soy sauce" (Tamari sauce.) He said they would cook the gluten free food first so as not to have a cross contamination issue or cook it in the back in a clean pan. He also said to make sure to let them know when I made the reservation AND let the waitress know.

We were seated and I asked if Roy was there - he was. Since Gracie would not have eaten the veggies (mushrooms, squash, broccoli etc.) he recommended a side of chicken, rice, salad or soup. Gracie picked just chicken and rice and broth. The waitress said "I think the broth has soy sauce in it." Good to know! We decided not to take the chance.

Out comes the Chef! He cleaned the griddle with a combination of oil and vodka. Why vodka?? FIRE!!! They do this for everyone but it was nice to see the grill cleaned before and after each "show." Even though the manager and the waitress had specified that Gracie's meal needed to be cooked first he got confused and started on the fried rice. When I saw him cracking the eggs and start cooking those when her chicken was down I turned to the waitress (who thankfully was right there) and said "We will need to cook hers in the back." She stopped him and said "Her chicken needs to be cooked BEFORE your do the rice!" He looked puzzled so I said "She can't have soy sauce on the same griddle as her chicken - it will make her sick." He stopped cooking the eggs and finished her chicken.

The chicken was really good - simply simple but yummy! He used only salt and pepper and a little oil. The butter would have been nice but I looked over at the mound of butter on his tray and it looked to have crumbs on top so we skipped it. Of course it had that delicious sticky rice to go with it. If you like veggies I say go for those as well - they were cooked PERFECTLY.

At first I thought I wanted to have them cook the meal in the back but now I am glad they did it in front of us so I could ensure "quality control." My fear always is they will say "I understand" but a mistake happens by someone who really doesn't.

I would also like to say Gracie ate EVERY bite!! With CHOPSTICKS!! She loved it - and I loved that she ate something other than just plain lettuce at a restaurant we all could enjoy.

Even with our hiccup I still recommend Kobeya Hibachi - or try one in your area. Since the food and the preparation is simple it should be easy to get a "safe" meal with a willing staff.

Dining out cards for Celiacs

I have found that I am sometimes brushed off by servers at restaurants. I have even been told "We don't use wheat here" (or flour etc.) at restaurants. Once it was at a pizza place. Really??

I have asked for managers and explained myself over and over and over... I don't mind doing it at all and many servers and managers are HAPPY to help! I really appreciate that. It is those times when you see their eyes glaze over...

When Gracie first was diagnosed with Celiac I found Gluten Free Restaurant Cards but never got any - either the ones that are pre made and laminated or the kind you print out yourself. I just came across them again and I am thinking I will print one to keep in my purse and see if it is helpful.

Here are just a couple I have found:

Celiactravel.com

This one has free printable cards in foreign languages for travel. They are free but he does ask for donations if you print them - or link them to your site.

Triumph Dining Cards

You can get some laminated cards OR disposable cards to keep in your wallet.

Has anyone had experiences with these or others?? Any recommendations?

Olive Garden Goodness

Gracie wasn't with us the other day when we were in Denton at dinner time so Troy, Sam and I decided to eat someplace Gracie couldn't eat - we picked Olive Garden. The last time we were at Olive Garden was when Gracie got straight A's on her report card and got to choose where we went to dinner - she picked Olive Garden because it was her favorite! She was in the 3rd grade - it was a month before she was diagnosed with Celiac - that was about 2.5 years ago and we haven't been back since.

The salad came - oh the lovely salad! Then the breadsticks - soft and warm - Sam ate 4! Then the pasta came - lots and lots of pasta. All the while I thought of Gracie and was sad we couldn't eat there with her. The manager came by to say hi and I decided to ask him if he had a gluten free menu - THEY DO!! He brought me out a paper menu that had several Gluten Free choices - Pasta, chicken, fish, steak - did you hear PASTA?? They even have a couple of kids menu options (perfect for my scrawny picky eater!)

I asked him how the pasta was prepared - he stated it comes in a package and is prepared in the microwave. Hmmm. Microwaved pasta?? I have read some reviews and they seem pretty promising. I called their customer service at 800-331-2729 and the lady I spoke to stated the past was prepared off premise so they could assure it was gluten free and prevented cross contamination. She stated everything else was a grill item on the GF menu. Even though the idea of microwaved pasta makes me go hmmmm I LOVE that they take cross contamination seriously enough to go out of their way to protect their customers.

I am looking forward to Gracie trying their gluten free items! Have you tried them? I would love to hear from you.

Lets talk about "normal" foods for kids

I LOVE that there are so many gluten free choices these days. Gracie has been gluten free for 2.5 years and the amount of "Gluten Free" foods that actually state it on the label is amazing! The items that you used to could find only at a health food store (Udi's, Glutino, Pamela's, Amy's etc.) are now found at local grocery stores - it really is exciting to see!

That said... Gracie wants to be normal. She wants to have "normal" foods in her lunches, normal foods at parties, normal foods at restaurants. She is going into Middle School this fall which is hell enough - lets add not being "normal" to the mix! So - lets talk about "normal food." Of course fruits and veggies are obviously gluten free (least you think we just eat junk all of the time :)

Snacks:

- Fruity or Cocoa Pebble Treats! They are like Rice Crispy Treats (except RC's are not GF), individually packaged and perfect for lunches, on the go snacks or parties!

- A lot of the Frito Lay chips! Gracie especially loves the Cool Ranch Dorito's. The Nacho Cheese Dorito's are sadly not gluten free. Lay's Stax are our go to favorite for travel! It is not a car trip if we don't have Lay's Stax (it is like Pringles - but Pringles are not GF.)

- Hunt's Snack Pack puddings are gluten free!

- String Cheese, cheese cubes, cheese, cheese, cheese! We do love us some cheese around here (except for Sam who can't have it :(

- Jif To Go! This is our go to protein that we take with us when we are unsure about what there will be for Gracie to eat. Lunch, parties, snack, restaurant - you name it. They are little 1.5 oz individual cups of peanut butter just begging to be dipped with apples, crackers, Frito's, celery or just with a spoon.

Restaurants:

Let me say that we no longer blindly trust gluten free menus. I have become one of "those Mothers" when we dine out. Even places who state they have procedures in place and have advertised as being safe for those needing to be gluten free - I have found them to have become lazy with their "protocols." Ask for a manager to be sure.

- Taco Bell. They are really good at covering themselves on their web site by stating "Prepared in common equipment." I like that - it is good to know. That said - we have never had a problem with their basic foods - Chips and cheese, taco shells with lettuce and cheese. Needless to say their meat has gluten in it.

- Subway!!! Our new go to favorite! They are testing Subway Gluten Free Sandwiches/buns in their North Texas stores (and possibly elsewhere - but I can't find specifics on this.) I know at our subway it states it flat on the door! They have specific protocol for making the sandwiches (changing gloves, wiping down the counter, etc.) and will get fresh meat, cheese etc. if you ask. I am on them like a hawk! while making Gracie's sandwich since there are so many bread crumbs floating around but thankfully they have always been nice and helpful and we haven't had any problems as of yet.

- Pei Wei. We loves us some Pei Wei!! It is our favorite dining place. Gracie "deconstructs" her Pei Wei Spicy where everything is on the side (chicken, veggies, rice, sauce.) She eats every bite of chicken! That said - we have to be on the ball when we go there - we have had a couple of hick ups and now I immediately ask for a manager.

- CiCi's Pizza. Or should we say Cici's Crustless pizza. They will make a "pizza" in a foil pan with sauce, pizza and GF toppings (veggies, etc.) Gracie brings her Glutino Cheese Crackers and eats it as a pizza dip. She has also started doing something similar at home - She gets the Ragu Pizza Sauce, cover the bottom of a cereal bowl and top with some good mozzarella cheese and microwave for 1 minute. She LOVES this!

- Boston's Pizza has a gluten free pizza - it is very, very yummy!

- Uno Chicago Grill - we can't decide whose pizza we like better - Boston's or Uno's! Either way she eats EVERY bite!

- Grilled Chicken or grilled Salmon. We have had great success w/various restaurants getting simply grilled chicken or salmon - most restaurants have this - check with the manager - they are usually very helpful!

- Chili's has a great gluten free menu. Gracie likes the grilled chicken but she LOVES the Original Memphis Dry Rubbed Ribs - they will also do those on the children's menu. Skip the Chips - they are not gluten free (we learned the hard way :(

Breakfast:

- Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles! These are our current go to favorites for breakfast. I LOVE that they have stated "Gluten Free" right on the front of the box.

- Chex Cereals. I have written about the first time I went to the store to look for something gluten free for Gracie and Rice Chex was right there w/the words "Gluten Free" right on the front! I have loved them ever since. Chex has been the leader in "main stream" cereals becoming gluten free - I am glad others are following!

- Fruity Dino Bites is also a great kids cereal. They are in a bag instead of a box. The Fruity Dino Bites is the only cereal stated GF on the Malt O Meal site.

- Eggs and Bacon! Did I say BACON!! Gracie LOVES bacon (really - who doesn't??) It doesn't matter if it is breakfast, lunch or dinner we can almost always get an egg over medium and some bacon on the side. (As long and they keep the stupid biscuit or toast off of the stinking plate!! Even after asked not to put it on...) this is a perfect easy to get meal.

I am sure there are many more - but goodness this is a long list! I have always said it is a blessing that if Gracie "had" to get Celiac then we are thankful we have so many choices to choose from.

Does anyone have favorites to add? I would love to hear from you.

Chipotle Restaurants

I was watching a taped show of Oprah's - "Food 101." The owner of Chipotle Restaurants was on talking about the freshness of the foods etc. I then wondered if they had gluten free items - they do!! Take a look at the link above - it is the "FAQ" page and they talk about their gluten free products and procedures. Also - they have an "Allergen chart" which shows the foods that contain gluten - most do not.

The Burrito Bowl looks awesome - all the burrito goodness and none of the flour tortillas.

It is nice to know there are other restaurants to add to our gluten free list.

Gluten free at P.F. Chang's China Bistro

My friend Darin emailed me this info today. P.F. Chang's has had a gluten free menu but today they added 5 new beef dishes!

I have to say it has been years since I have been to P.F. Chang's. No reason why - we just haven't been. I do remember it fondly. You know I always love it when a restaurant is accommodating to a gluten free diet. They even have gluten free soy sauce.

P.F. Chang's gluten free menu is LOVELY! Many favorites and new things to try. They even have dessert!

I called the Grapevine location and spoke to a manager (I am sorry I didn't get his name - he was very helpful.) I asked how they prevented cross contamination with their gluten free items and he stated that the gluten free area - like the vegetarian area - is separate from the main cooking area. They have separate woks and utensils and a shelf that is earmarked for these things. The manager invited me to call back anytime with any questions.

The last time I went to P.F. Chang's it was just Gracie and I. She had an appointment in Grapevine and she wanted to go because they had Magnadoodles (magnetic write on toys for kids.) We shared a dinner and a fun evening - just Mom and daughter. Gracie was about 6 at the time. We need to go back.

Check out the menu. It looks awesome, the food at P.F. Chang's is fresh and not expensive (lunch is about $9, dinner goes up to about $18) and it is a great place to go to dinner with friends and family.

Gluten free at Pei Wei

Last night the kids and I went to Pei Wei. We all LOVE Pei Wei and it is someplace where the kids will eat everything on their plate.

I have mentioned several times that Gracie is VERY picky - which is a royal pain. Troy figured out that Gracie likes it better with the sauce left off. I figured out that she likes the sauce on the side for dipping. I also figured out that Pei Wei is AWESOME at accommodating even the pickiest eaters! Grace gets basically chicken nuggets with rice and veggies on the side and I get a kid who will eat all of her meat. This is a kid who does NOT eat much meat at all. I love the fact that I get a fun meal out at a restaurant "I" love and the kids love also.

I had such hope

Tomorrow night is "Cici's Pizza night" to raise money for our school so the 4th graders can go to camp. We were SO excited because we learned they can make a gluten free pizza! Whoo hoo!!

I decided to call ahead to get some information and asked for the manager. I asked about a gluten free pizza - he had no clue what I was asking.

I said "crust less pizza."

He said "Oh - we can do that. We put it in a personal pizza pan and use sauce and cheese and whatever other toppings you want. "

I wanted to clarify it could be gluten free (as in a pan free of wheat residue etc.) so I said "So you can make it with out flour on it at all?"

His response - "We don't have any of that here - you don't have to worry."

(Me) "You don't have what?"

(Him) "Any of that stuff you are talking about."

(Me) "Flour? It is in all of your pizzas."

(Him) "Huh? What? No - we don't have that."

I started to explain myself and Troy wisely said "Hang up." I excused myself and hung up.

Sigh.

Double sigh.

I am not as disappointed that we couldn't get gluten free pizza as I am upset that it was proven to me that sometimes businesses will say what they think they want you to hear to "make you happy." We would have been in a world of hurt if we had trusted this "manager" and his "don't worry." Not to mention how disappointed Gracie would have been if we had gotten there only to have to leave because we were misinformed.

Update

Well - it turns out it was a case of "Stupid is as stupid does."

I decided to drop Gracie off at basketball practice and take Sam to Cici's for dinner as a reward for a good report card.

We got here and I ordered a cheese free pizza for Sam (which he devoured!) and saw a Manager walking around. I asked the lady at the front if this was the same manager that was on duty last night - she said it was a different one. When he stopped by our table to ask how everything was I said "I have heard you can make a crust less pizza here - do you?" He told me that yes they can - they put it in a foil "to go" pan (aka for the Celiac as "Safe!") and will put sauce and cheese then any topping you want. YEA!! Of course Gracie only likes cheese on her pizza so she would be eating a little sauce and melted cheese but we could bring some bread for her to dip it / spread it on.

We we go there often? Probably not. However it is GREAT to know it is an option for everyone. Honestly none of us love Cici's - however with birthday parties, sports dinners and going out with friends it is nice to know it is an option.

I guess it pays to ask the question more than once - especially to someplace local.

There's an App for that!

While Grace ate her Gluten Free Ice Cream at the cute little shop in Southlake I played with my new iPhone. We were considering going to dinner later and I thought I would do a search on "Gluten Free" on the App Store. There were about Apps under Gluten Free - restaurant finders, Celiac Restaurant Cards (which could be pulled up in different languages!) gluten free info etc.

Are they awesome? Not really. Are they fun - you bet. Some are free, some are under $2 and others are over priced. It is just nice to know they are out there.

Gluten Free Eggs??

This just goes to show you that you can find gluten in the strangest places. We went to iHop last night for a fundraiser - knowing full well that what Grace could (or would) eat would be limited. She ended up having a plate full of bacon and hot chocolate - the dinner of champions!

I got an omelette - spinach and mushroom - it was yummy. In the description it stated (paraphrase) "We add a little pancake batter to make our omelettes fluffy." ??? Who would have thunk it? Honestly it wouldn't have phased me a year ago but now I wondered why it didn't state it more promptly. I did a little google search and it appears iHop isn't really forthcoming with their nutrition information - for any allergens and needless to say - gluten. Troy said "It is a restaurant based on batter - what do you expect??" I have to agree - but that said - many restaurants are accommodating their customers with allergy info or special menus - it would be nice if a company as big as iHop did the same - or at least made an attempt.