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Oh the Wedding Diet! Creating more energy for LIFE!

Lately, with so much on the mind... I've been posting a lot more on the go on my tumblr.com account.  Check it out sometime!!!

So, I know you've missed me here.  =)  Here are some images of what I've been eating the past few weeks:

CA Health + Longevity Institute Cooking Class- 4 soups!

Simple Home Cookin'- Grilled Salmon Salad w/ egg= Japanese B'fast for two!

Steamed talapia w/ sweet chili sauce + Steamed kale

Tamari based salmon teriyaki w/ steamed broccoli and quinoa

Can't forget dessert! @enjoycupcakes lemon gluten freeeee + a cutie!

Ok, so this bride has some tricks up her sleeve.  I downloaded the "My Fitness Pal" app on my iphone... and I am shooting to get healthy not just for the wedding, but for LIFE!  It's not about weight loss or anything like that for me.  It's for the reward of having more energy each day. 

Happy Spring!

Valentine Cupcake Idea Round=up! + Hello, Cupcake!

For Valentines Day this year, E surprised me with an early present... and Guess what it was!?!?

THAT'S RIGHT... the CUTEST cookbook I've ever seen.  Hello, Cupcake! So, I decided to find all the helpful items I'll need to make some of these delightful confections and share them with you, so you can all make some awesome Valentine's day treats as well!

My favorite designs are the dirt + worms garden cupcakes.  They are absolutely adorable, with itty-bitty shovels stuck in the "dirt" next to sprouting carrots and peas made of various candies. 

And here, is What's New, Cupcake?  In case you already have Hello, Cupcake!
















For your favorite little princess at home... the sweetest little kit with flower baking cups and princess cake toppers!

A Cupcake TOWER Stand for presenting your creations at home!

And then, a great holder for travel!

 

And, to finish it off... these cute little boxes to transport gifts!

Valentines Day Idea and Coffee Drinking Genius!

"I had no idea that I’ve been needing this my entire life, until right … now. " Thank you Diana! 

If you're like me, I am always looking for something just fun and cute for Valentine's day.  The fact of the matter is, the holiday is IN YOUR FACE, so it's pretty difficult to ignore, but E + I don't necessarily like to go all out either... Hence, this idea for an adorably ridiculous coffee mug!

thedailywhat:

Drinkware of the Day: “Face Mug” from Uncommon Goods.

Put a smile on that mug with a hungry mouth cubby that bites off more than you can chew. Perfect for serving milk and cookies, coffee and doughnuts, tea and biscotti, or your favorite snack-time combinations.

I am at once delighted and sufficiently terrified.
[colossal.]

and...HAPPY MONDAY!  Now, I need to make some gluten free donuts to justify this.  

Gluten Free Wedding Cake in SoCal!

So, I've been scouring the web in search of gluten free wedding cake vendors in Southern California, and with the help of friends and fellow foodie bloggers, I've found a handful of extremely talented cake vendors capable of making gluten-free wedding cakes! 

Here's the shortlist:

1. Enjoy Cupcakes!- Amber made me the most delectable cupcakes this summer, and I'd love to use her for a cupcake topping bar. 
2. Helena Wirth Cakes- Has beautiful cake designs and amazing reviews from clients. 
3. Rossmoor Bakery/ Sensitive Baker- The Sensitive Baker and Rossmoor Bakery have recently announced a wedding cake collaboration!  Sensitive baker specializes in kosher, dairy free and gluten free baked goods, while Rossmoor specializes in beautifully decorated confections... match made in heaven.  I ordered my birthday cake from the Sensitive Baker this year, and it was absolutely fabulous.  
4. A Sweet Design- Recommended by my caterer, this bakery also has beautiful cake designs and great reviews from clients!

Spiced Mexican Chocolate Cookies! Gluten Free!

I've been occupied with finding the perfect Christmas cookie recipe... and I think I found it!  I couldn't try them at the recent cookie exchange party I went on (as they weren't gluten-free), so after the rave reviews, I decided I should make them for myself!  This is a mini pre-Christmas project that one of my bridesmaids and I will embark on tomorrow night!!!

photo credit: http://web.me.com/mikejdunlap

Mexican Chocolate Cookies!!!

Ingredients

• 1 cup gluten free flour
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch Process cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons sweet butter, slightly softened
• 3 tablespoons stick margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Generous pinch of ground black pepper
• Generous pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg white
• Red Sprinkles!

Directions

1. Combine the flour, cocoa, soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly with a whisk. Set aside. Combine the sugars in a small bowl and mix well with fingers pressing out any lumps. 
2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter and margarine until creamy. Add sugar mixture, cinnamon, peppers, and vanilla. Beat on high speed for about one minute. Beat in egg white. Stop the mixer. 
3. Add the flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until incorporated. 
4. Gather the dough together with your hands and form it into a neat 9 to 10-inch log. Wrap in waxed paper. Fold or twist ends of paper without pinching or flatting the log. Chill about 1 hour.
5. Place oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven preheat to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
6. Use a sharp knife to slice rounds of chilled dough a scant 1/4-inch thick. Place 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 12 to 14 minutes. 
7. Rotate baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back about halfway through.
8. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. 
9. Once cooled, sprinkle red or other festive colored sugar sprinkles atop the cookies and SERVE!!! 

Loads of Holiday COOKIESSS!!

Gluten Free Gingerbread Houses!!!

Call me a kid, but I can't help but get a tinge... a HUGE TINGE of nostalgia everytime I see my little niece's gingerbread house.  I think back to going over to friends houses in grade school each winter to erect and decorate those lovely little houses with frosting and gum drops.  Holidays always bring my thoughts back to those carefree days before being gluten-free. 

Then, I realize, that there are lots of kiddies out there who haven't been able to enjoy those moments at all up till this point.  For those kids, A + J Bakery, a nut-free and gluten free bakery of Rhode Island is making their Christmas wishes come true this year!  They've introduced their allergen free gingerbread house kit, which is available to ship nationwide!

photo credit: Flickr user wendycopley

It's GORGEOUS, and allows all kids the joys of Christmas that the rest of us remember.  =)

Macau Almond Cookies- Gluten Free for Camp Blogaway!

This weekend, B w/ Corque Blog and I went to Camp Blogaway for a meeting of the minds with about 60 fellow food bloggers in LA!  It was the first event of it's kind that I had gone to, so it was really exciting for me to participate and meet like minded foodies from all around LA, and to listen to advice from some seasoned bloggers.

Anyway, we were asked to bring a Potluck dish for a Competition at the event.  Betty and thought long and hard about the possibilities.  We wanted to do something "different" and gluten free (of course).  We thought that it would be great to bring something that would showcase our Chinese culture... something that others may never have tried before.  So, we decided to bring Macanese Almond Cookies 杏仁餅 (xing ren bing)!  Our favorite ones growing up were from Pastelaria Koi Kei in Macau.  In fact, when our parents go to Hong Kong and Macau each year, this is still our most often requested gift. 

Photo Credit Pastelaria Koi Kei

Gluten Free Mac & Cheese Recipe from Type A Planning!

In a recent post- for Vicky + Bee's Birthday party, Betty w/ Type A Planning made a WONDERFUL gluten-free macaroni and cheese for the party. At the party, it was an ABSOLUTE HIT. It was more popular than the gluten version of the mac + cheese... everyone came back for seconds!

Katz Gluten Free- Challah for some Holla! (Or Vice Versa)

While it's still Rosh Hashanah, I wanted to send a shout out and a HUGE thank you to Katz Gluten Free!  Check out that link for some DELICIOUS, Gluten Free Challah rolls. 

I had the fine fortune of sampling some amazing goodies from Katz Gluten Free recently.  My ABSOLUTE favorite type of bread growing up was Challah bread... specifically, the braided egg bread from Diamond Bakery in Newton, MA.  I was the only one in the house that craved challah, so I would have to be VERY convincing (and very good at home) in order to persuade my mom into driving me to Diamond Bakery to pick up a loaf.  Once we got there, I would peruse the bakery, scrutinizing every baked item on the shelf.  And once in a while, my mom would let me leave with a box full of goodies ranging from chocolate rugelech to black and white cookies to hamantascen along with the loaf of challah.

Photo Credit: Katzglutenfree.com

Rosh Hashanah- Potato Latkes + Apples + Honey= Gluten Free Goodies!

Photo credit: LaLoosh.com

Although I don't celebrate the Jewish high holidays myself, I certainly do appreciate some of the foods that go along with them.  I personally find that I can create any occasion to eat potato latkes.  Also, they go fantastically well with the traditional apples and honey, that are symbolic of the Jewish new year.

Here's a great, simple recipe for potato latkes, as we made them last year for a little holiday party with the girls.:

DELICIOUS!

Gluten Free White Pizza- Perfect Weeknight dinner!

Last Tuesday... and actually probably for a month before that, I had the hankering for PIZZA.  It had been SO long since the last time I had pizza.  IN fact, my last ATTEMPT to have pizza was thwarted.  About a month ago, we went out with a group to try Pizza Fusion in Santa Monica for the first time.  I called on the way there to make sure they had gluten free crust that evening... and when we got there, they told me they had SOLD OUT!  WHAT?  Ok, anyway, I digress... Ever since that evening a month ago, I had been wanting pizza.

I came home and found that I still had a package of gluten free pizza dough mix by Gluten Free Pantry and a TON of veggies in the fridge, so it was the perfect weeknight to embark on a pizza making adventure.  The only thing missing that night was tomatoes and tomato sauce.  So, we had a DELICIOUS white pizza.  (But, you can always add a layer of sauce before the toppings to make a more conventional pizza.)

If you are feeling particularly industrious during the week, you can also make your own dough from the best recipe I've tried so far.  It's a recipe I adapted from Gluten Free Girl, which is FANTASTIC.  Even my boyfriend and all the gluten eaters I've eaten it with will agree whole heartedly.

Old Fashioned Apple Pie for Mother's Day + Anniversary

My parents were in town to celebrate both Mother's day and a MAJOR milestone in their lives.  It was their 40th (FORTY YEARS!!!!) Wedding anniversary...

WELL, MY goodness, they deserve a pie... or a steak... or a lovely week with their children and grandchild.  Well, guess what folks?  They got ALL of that.  Because they are awesome!  Here's mama and papa, telling us their LOVE STORY.  We came up with a great idea to ask them all kinds of questions about their relationship and life together... bridal shower style.  That meant lots of emotion... laughter and tears all night. 

  

Becoming Gluten Free- The Diagnosis

I was thinking, it might be time to tell my story from the beginning.  I think that there are a lot of people out there, who have been newly diagnosed with gluten intolerance or Celiac's Disease who might need to hear another person's story.  I remember first reading Shauna James' story in the first chapters of Gluten Free Girl, and being flooded with such intense emotion, having just gone through such similar experiences myself.

So, here I am to share a little more of my story with you.  Although I was diagnosed 4 years ago with gluten intolerance, I probably started to feel ill, and started to feel symptoms of my illness about 5 1/2 to 6 years ago.  At the time, I was doing my undergrad, studying Architecture, which is an intense study (if any of you ever knew an "archi" in college, you'll know what I'm talking about).  It wasn't uncommon to pull all-nighters in the architecture studio several times a month in order to meet project deadlines... which lead to a very unhealthy lifestyle for most of us students.  Particularly, I felt that there wasn't enough time to eat real meals during "crunch time"  (which was pretty much ALL the time), so I ate COOKIES and drank COPIOUS amounts of COFFEE, in order to avoid going back to my apartment and "wasting time" to cook a meal.  I would eat 2-3 cookies, the size of my FACE from the cafe at the architecture school, and drank 2 cups of coffee in lieu of a meal during these periods of pulling all-nighters at school.

Gluten Free Survey by FDA

Help your fellow gluten free community by filling out this FDA Survey which will affect the way food is labeled!

The questions are relatively comprehensive, covering your personal experiences- degree of sensitivity to reading of food labels.  In addition to helping the FDA, it can help to make you self aware of your decision making process when seeking out gluten free food options as well.  Thanks@gfliving for sharing this survey!

Gluten Free Foodie Week Recap!

So, this week, the man and I have been pretty busy w/ major projects.  And, it's also been a week of celebrations and visitors- so cooking just hasn't been on the table.  Which translates into: a week of foodie EXPLORATION!  Click for the re-cap after the Jump!:

             

          Image courtesy The Lazy Ox Canteen        

Spring has SPRUNG- Pasta!

For all you east coasters who've had such a rough winter, here's a little veggie pasta to put a spring in your step!  (I know, I'm getting a little ahead of myself, zucchinis don't really arrive until Summer, but I do love them!)  Feel free to substitute any spring veggies from your local farmers market.

A Springtime Inspired Pasta Recipe:

Here I am! Grungry at the WORLD!

I love spring in Los Angeles!!!... it's beautiful and green here after a few days of much needed rain. The smog has cleared and made way for a bright, BLUE SKY! 

Anyhow, welcome!  I'm Angela, and I love my food, ALL OF IT.  I especially LOVED my carbs, up until 4 short years ago, when I was diagnosed with Gluten Intolerance.  I was devastated at the discovery of my illness, more for the loss of cookies and beer in my life than anything else.  For some time, I was in denial, thinking that "cutting down" on my cookie and beer intake would be sufficient...  until I met the man who helped me to love a gluten free lifestyle, and even more importantly, taught me to COOK!  My kitchen was once a bewildering place, where only fried egg and cheese sandwiches were ever made... but over the past few years, I've had an amazing journey with my man and my kitchen to discover all that's possible + delicious in a gluten free diet!

Join me as we dine in, dine out, and explore the world of food.  I'm GRUNGRY, Let's Eat!...