…about a Gluten Free Option Better Than Panera!

*Chebe Gluten Free Original Cheese Bread Mix*

Yes, I said it, you read it right. These little gluten-free Chebe cheese rolls are better than any bread or bagel I have ever eaten from Panera Bread. Well, there was this one bagel they had back in the days before I knew I was not able to tolerate gluten… oh they were some kind of cinnamon bagel, not the kind with raisins because anyone who knows me knows what I think of raisins. Ugh gag me! (At this time, I have no knowledge of Panera having any gluten-free bread options)

Don’t get me wrong about Panera, if I was able to tolerate gluten… I would still be stopping there every so often… but now my Panera fix is fixed!

Ok, back to these delicious little crusty golden gems. I picked up a box of the mix either at Stop & Shop or ShopRite when I was in a baking mood. I decided to make them this afternoon. What took me so long to actually make them was because the directions (which I skimmed over lol) included kneading! Yea, so I pictured back in the day when my siblings and I would take a whole weekend making homemade breads for the holidays…that was a lot of fun but the kneading went on forever. lol Good memories! Right below you should see the picture of the front of the box… you have to try these!!! They are in the kitchen calling my name…. but noooo noooo nooo I already had 5! lol Quiet!!! lol

The package makes about 16 little rolls, I ended up with 17 somehow lol. All you have to add is 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons of oil, 1 cup of your favorite shredded cheese and 1/4 cup water. The harder cheeses are recommended… I used Asiago because I like Asiago and well, I used the cheddar for something else. I’m so glad I did too! The kneading part… phhht it was nothing! I mixed everything with a wooden spoon at first then washed my hands and squooshed and kneaded away… right in the mixing bowl! HA! Easypeasy! All that’s left after that is breaking the dough into 16 pieces, rolling them into balls, putting them on a parchment covered cookie sheet in a 375° oven for 20 – 25 minutes and voilà! I put them in for about 23 minutes to get them to come out like I did. Perfect time for my oven. Here is a pic of some of them on the cookie sheet after they came out.

Aren’t they just the cutest little things?!! When you pick one up, it is hard, but it’s that good crusty hard layer enveloping a very soft and tender cheesy middle! These things really are to die for! When I said they were better than any Asiago breads or bagels from Panera (and I thought no one could beat them!) I am not kidding! Try both for yourself and see what I mean!

I had some with my gluten-free pasta dish and good thing I had the pasta made because if not… there would have been more than 5 gone lol. (I didn’t finish the pasta tho lol)

Here is a list of PROS and CONS as well as Alyss’s Rating:

Alyss’s Rating ~ *Chebe Gluten Free Original Cheese Bread Mix*:

5 Cheshire Cats!!!!

(see below for the rating system)

PROS:

Great Base for different cheesy creations!

Texture and taste will knock your socks off!!

They have that nice crusty crunchy outside and deliciously tender inside.

It is very easy to make, total time from prep to clean up was under an hour.

They will compliment many dishes!

CONS:

I don’t have any rating higher than 5 Cheshire Cats to give this!

Maybe if I get enough feedback I can come up with a rating for the rare item that deserves something more than 5 Cheshire Cats!  What are you still reading for? Go get a box of this stuff and get creative! These things will make a fantastic addition to any holiday meal as well! Try them, you’ll see!

By the way, I got them to quiet down and stop calling me by telling them I will be glad to eat a few tomorrow. lol

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Love, Alyss

*****************************************************************************************

Alyss’s Rating Scale:

Excellent! – 5 Cheshire Cats

Very Good – 4 Cheshire Cats

Good – 3 Cheshire Cats

Take it or Leave it – 2 Cheshire Cats

Pretty Bad – 1 Cheshire Cats

Horrible – Big Fat Cat Turd

…about Gluten Free options at Dunkin’ Donuts!

Yes, you read correctly. I said Dunkin’ Donuts AND Gluten Free in the same sentence. Did you know that some Dunkin’ Donuts are testing out 2 GF options. One of them is a Gluten Free Blueberry Muffin. (Nope, did not try that one… I find blueberries to be nasty gross smelly little things. Smurf turds?)

Back to the Donut. Look at the pics and then I will tell you all about it… so put down your keys, get back and read this… it will be short… (You may thank me… lol)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

So, here’s the scoop on this Gluten Free Dunkin’ Donut… They are sealed in the package you see in the little slideshow. This way there isn’t any chance of cross contamination. yay! I was as careful as I could be in opening it… used scissors and very gently slipped it onto the dish. I wanted the best picture as possible… that was it!! Obviously they are a little crumbly, not too much but somewhat… donuts are known for that lol. Do you remember those little coffee cake snack things? No? I didn’t either until I tasted this Dunkin’ Donuts Cinnamon Sugar GF Donut! (Here is a pic of those cakes so you can say Oh Yeah!! lol)

 Those were the first thing that came to mind when I tasted the donut! I remember having those once in awhile… I was more of a Funny Bone kinda kid lol. So at this point this little treat was going to get at least 3.5 Cheshire Cats… maybe even more! However….

….the taste is there and now….

 Here is a list of PROS and CONS as well as Alyss’s Rating:

Alyss’s Rating ~ Dunkin’ Donuts Cinnamon Sugar GF Donut:

2 Cheshire Cats

(see below for the rating system)

PROS:

It smells and taste pretty good!

Not bad for a snack once in a blue moon…

Even though the thing is 1 serving, you need to make it about 6 servings. ***

If no one told you it was GF you could probably pass it off as a store-bought donut.

CONS:

Texture was mildly “juicy” ***

It may say serving size is 1… believe me, if you get one, share it with about 6 other people…

The donut is no way up to Dunkin’ Donuts usual fare.

*****************************************************************************************

Alyss’s Rating Scale:

Excellent! – 5 Cheshire Cats

Very Good – 4 Cheshire Cats

Good – 3 Cheshire Cats

Take it or Leave it – 2 Cheshire Cats

Pretty Bad – 1 Cheshire Cats

Horrible – Big Fat Cat Turd

***If you are still reading, you get the skinny on that ” *** ” It’s a PRO… it’s a CON… depends how you look at it. (I really hope you aren’t eating right now… and if you are well, then you’ve been warned… ) I believe that mildly odd “juicy-ness” was due to the fat content. Did you see the caloric information above?? Holy Crap Batman!! If you are ever in need of a little extra help in the throne room, go grab one of these donuts and just drop your drawers, have a seat and eat it. You won’t be disappointed. That’s what I get for eating it BEFORE reading EVERYTHING. Way way too much fat in this. No donut needs that much. So no more of these things for this chick… unless I need that help lmao! So, yeah, no trying that one again however, I will be open to checking out anything else GF they come up with! After reading everything at least twice and then really thinking about whether I want to take the chance again… then maybe. Everyone’s food tolerance is different and you may be able to eat these with no problem, or you may not even get past 1 bite and well….. you know.

So that’s my review, take it for what it is, go try one or not. I will stick to my large black iced coffee thankyouverymuch.  If you try the Gluten Free Smurf Poop Muffin, let me know what you thought about that compared to regular Muffins. I don’t think there is a lot of DD’s doing this test so you may have to search by actually calling or going to one or more. Mine, in Ansonia CT, they just started this within the past few days. One more thing… Dunkin’ doesn’t train all of their employees on what gluten even is. The girl at the drive thru window had no clue what made this donut different. I said it’s gluten-free… she asked me what gluten was… I didn’t have time to explain there was a line of cars behind us. So, on that note, I don’t think I will try anything else GF from Dunkin until the employee’s actually know what Gluten is. (It’s not just a more expensive donut.) smh If the food handlers do not know what Gluten means then the chances of cross contamination grow.

Thanks so much for stopping by, go grab a coffee and see if your DD is testing Gluten Free too!

Love, Alyss

 

…about The Mint Julep Caper

So, about the Mint Julep Caper… It’s probably a one time caper. As my friend Kiki put it “This is a one and done deal. At least I know what it tastes like now.” (She says this with a slight grimace that implies that she will indeed find one redeeming quality of this not so delightful cocktail.) We talk for a bit and she says “It’s growing on me… ” Yet the tiniest of grimaces is still there. lol Poor Kiki.

We decided to go to Plan B Burger Bar for dinner not realizing that they were having a Kentucky Derby Party and it was a-goin on when we got there. It was amusing and the featured cocktail was the Mint Julep. I couldn’t try it because well, bourbon can have gluten and as you know I cannot tolerate gluten unless I’m a glutton for punishment. (I didn’t say it always does, I said it can and I don’t know enough about what is and isn’t gluten-free to take a chance and wing it.. no no nooooo. Besides, I found something much much better…) Mind you, Plan B will be a repeater for sure… just no Mint Juleps.

Anyway, Plan B Burger Bar has the best gluten-free menu options that I’ve come across so far. I decided on the Baja Burger with no jalapeño and the chipotle on the side. (It was so good that by the time I thought to take a picture it was 3/4 finished… so sorry but seriously it was really really really goooood and if you really want to see what their awesome burgers look like… click on the link above for Plan B and go there!!) For those of us first timers that cannot eat gluten; at Plan B, a manager comes over with the gluten-free menu and you get a talking to lol. I was appreciative of it as they obviously realize just how dangerous a gluten issue can be. Best thing… well one of the best things was I got to check one of the 2 stubborn boxes that I’ve had issues with on and off. I got to check the box for a good gluten-free beer!

Yum. It’s made with sorghum instead of wheat. It’s good. Really good. So good I bought a 6 pack on the way home. I will enjoy that while watching the Aaron’s 499!! (actually the race is more red flag than racing… *sigh*) The other box is for a great gluten-free pizza crust. How hard can it be to make a gluten-free pizza? Pretty hard I guess because the last one I tried was from Giove’s and the crust was yuuuucky. It was too sweet for a savory pizza and was just gross. Needless to say that box remains unchecked.

The next time I get to Plan B Burger Bar (or the time after that… lol) I want to get their gluten-free dessert… omg it is a flourless chocolate cake with white chocolate mousse dipped in chocolate ganache! That will be covered in another post when I try it 😉 I’ll take a picture before I dive into it… I promise… or I promise I’ll try my best lol….

So for a gluten free friendly restaurant Plan B Burger Bar gets 5 Cheshire Cats!!!

Thanks for stopping by & go check out Plan B Burger Bar some time soon or go get some Bard’s GF Beer and relax relax relax…. (not with the race tho… looks like the rain will win)

Love, Alyss

*****************************************************************************************

Alyss’s Rating Scale:

Most Excellent! – 5 Cheshire Cats

Very Good – 4 Cheshire Cats

Good – 3 Cheshire Cats

Take it or Leave it – 2 Cheshire Cats

Pretty Bad – 1 Cheshire Cats

Horrible – Big Fat Cat Turd