I am thankful that we are now 6 years into our gluten free journey. When we first started, our only choice for dining out was In and Out. Now we have more choices. Here is our favorite places to eat:

Chili’s

BJ’s Brewhouse

In and Out

Benihana’s– with Benihana and Shirasoni I bring my own gluten free soy sauce. I ask that all food cooked at our table uses the gluten free soy sauce.

Outback Steakhouse

Shirasoni (a local Benihana’s type place)- I use gluten free soy sauce

Local chinese/japanese restaurant- we bring our own soy sauce

Local mexican food restaurant- Chapalas

Five Guy’s– when our local shop opened they did not have “lettuce wrap” but now they do!

Local Chicken and Ribs place- open discussion with cooks

With all these places, especially the local places, I have visited the establishment in person and spoke directly with the manager regarding our gluten free diet. Most places are very accomodating. Each time we visit I also discuss with the waiter our needs. Since we frequent these establishments regularly we have built a rapport with our local businesses.

I also want to mention the Dining Guide from Triumph. I have mentioned it in several of my posts, especially when traveling.

I have only listed my favorite restaurants, here is another blogger who has found all the “chain” restaurants and has link to all their menus. Visit Gluten-Free Homemaker and scroll down.

Happy dining!

Ligia

This post shard on Gluten-Free Wednesdays at Gluten-Free Homemaker

For a while I have been wanting to post my favorite Amazon picks. I use their Subscribe & Save program for a few of my favorite gluten free products. I have found that they are cheaper on Amazon. Sometimes, the grocery store beats the Amazon S&S price. When that happens, I purchase the item at the store and cancel the next order.
If you are not familiar with the Subscribe & Save program here is their description:
“With Subscribe & Save, you receive a discount off Amazon’s everyday low price, free standard shipping, and the convenience of automatic deliveries when you receive your subscriptions on your monthly Subscribe & Save delivery day. There are no commitments, obligations, or fees and you can cancel a subscription at any time.”

So here are my favorite Amazon gluten free picks: (these are affiliate links)
    

Here are other items I have purchased in the past:

Amazon has many gluten free products on their site. I have spent hours just looking through their selection. My suggestion is to make a list of the items you like to buy at the store and compare prices. You might be surprised at how much you can save!

Ligia

Today I am sharing a link to Udi’s Bread website. Guest Blogger,  Lisa Cantkier, Founder of Gluten Free Find, has an article on Tips for newbies.
Here are my two-cents to add to the list:
1. One thing she doesn’t say, maybe it’s just obvious, is to educate yourself with as much information as you can about gluten free living especially if you have Celiac Disease. My biggest frustration in the beginning was trying to explain why my son couldn’t eat gluten. So, by educating myself, I can educate others. I have had the privelege of enlightening many people.
2. Don’t be afraid to talk to local restaurants and find out if they are willing to accomodate you. I have two examples to share. My family loves pizza. We were sad when we first started this journey in 2006 because we thought we’d never be able to go sit at a pizza parlor as a family again. Well, I went to the owner and explain our situation and I asked him if he would be willing to cook my son’s pizza when we came. I explained in detail about the cross contamination and he said yes. There was one young man who always worked on our pizza. He knew he had to change his gloves, put our pizza on foil before putting it on their racks, and use a different cutter to cut his pizza.  We got to enjoy sitting at the pizza shop together. I also called our favorite Mexican food place and discussed with the owner our situation. By doing so, I was able to find out exactly what meals had flour and which didn’t. This family has been so good to us. They go out of their way to make sure nothing ever is contaminated. When we’ve tried to change things up and order something new, they always let us know if the item will be a problem. They also have been able to help other families who eat gluten free so I am happy about that.

Ligia