Super Bowl Eats!!

Whether you're rooting for the Ravens or the 49ers....or if like me, you don't care because your team is OUT and you're watching for the commercials...(*tears for the Bengals and Packers) one thing can unite even the most die hard fans......THE FOOD!!

Yep, the Super Bowl is the one day of the year where chowing down on "game day eats" is acceptable and encouraged!

Unfortunately, if you've ever been to a Super Bowl party, you know that traditional football eats are not exactly the most conducive for a "happy tummy."

But that's not to mean a GF gal can't have fun!! I've rounded up my favorite Game Day eats for your culinary needs:)

Drum Roll Please:

They are ALL Gluten and Dairy Free. The Majority are Vegan. SCD = Specific Carb Diet; BED=Body Ecology Diet

Cauliflower Crust Pizza! GF, V, SCD, BED!

Portobello Burgers w/ (or w/o) Goat Cheese! GF, V Opt'n

Skyline Cincinnati Chili! GF & V

Broccoli "Cupcakes" w/ Carrot "Frosting" GF, V Opt'n, BED!

Confetti Twice Baked Red Potatoes! GF, V, BED!

Pink & Purple Pile Up! GF, V, BED, SCD!

Apple Stacks! GF, V, SCD

Confetti Bowls! GF, BED!

Alfresco Bites! GF, V, SCD!

Mango Avocado Spring Rolls! GF, V!

GF Onion Rings!

Carrot Cake Bites! GF, V, SCD!

Sugar Free Almond Pillow Cookies! GF, BED

So there you have it folks! Some Super Bowl favorites!!

Want to know what camera I use? Here's where you can get it!

Coconut Raisin Cookies! GF, SCD, V Option!

Well I'm back in NYC after a fabulous week at Sundance. I hope you all enjoyed my "reporting" from the slopes!

What an amazing week it was. I don't know about you, but I always find it hard to settle back into reality after a great trip. Especially with family. I'll admit...I was totally "that girl" at the airport. Yep...I shed a tear saying goodbye to my fam.

So anywho...one of the films that we saw...the documentary, Blood Brother, won both the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Award at Sundance! It was such a moving and inspirational film. It was about this guy who moves to India and lives/works at a hostel for children with HIV and it documents his journey and love story with these kids. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

So yesterday, after a foggy flight back to NYC, I arrived home to a seriously frigid city. We're talking  stinging cold. Like the unexposed skin literally stings when you walk outside!

So back in Deer Valley, at the Fireside Dining, Chef Shane made my sister-in-law and I these AMAAAAZING almond flour cookies. So naturally, I was inspired to make them when I got home. And boy were these spectacular!

Coconut Raisin Cookies!

And they're Gluten Free, Sugar Free & Specific Carb Diet friendly with a Vegan & Body Ecology Diet option!

Soft, pillowy and chewy goodness, all in a little bite sized cookie.

Here's what you need: (makes 5 small cookies)

1 package of coconut butter (2 Tbsp)
1 egg - room temp (Vegan option: 1 flax/chia egg)
2 "droppers full" of pure liquid stevia (SCD use 3 tsp honey)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup almond flour
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp raisins (BED use dried currents)

Preheat oven to 350. "Cream" your egg and coconut butter in a medium sized bowl until it is well incorporated. Add in your sweetener and vanilla. In another small bowl, combine your dry ingredients. Mix your dry and wet together, and fold in your raisins. Scoop 1 Tbsp of the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 14-16 minutes. Makes 5 cookies.

Wow. These were SO good! Exactly the sweet treat I was after! The coconut butter made these cookies incredibly soft and moist! And they weren't crumbly or chalky at all, like many gluten free baked goods!

The texture was marvelous. They were fluffy and pillowy, with these little pops of sweet-chewiness from the raisins.

The cinnamon gave them a warm spiciness that complimented the nuttiness beautifully.

Next time you want a little sweet something, try these cookies! They come together in a flash, and are just the right size to satisfy that sweet tooth! And since it's a small batch, you won't have 100 cookies laying around for the next week tempting you:)

Until next time!

For this recipe, I creamed my coconut butter and egg with my KitchenAid hand mixer! I love it because it's pink for breast cancer:) You can find one here:

Fireside Dining!!!

Oh. My. Gosh.

Ladies and gentlemen, I just had he best meal of my entire life. Ok, I may be  being somewhat dramatic but let me tell ya...this meal I just had was hands down magnificent.

Everything about it...the food, the atmosphere, the service, the people. This was a quote from my brother,"I'm surprised that people don't do cartwheels and flips in here. I mean, this food is ridiculous!"

Tonight, we dined at the Empire Lodge's Fireside Dining. It's at mid mountain, nestled in the trees overlooking the ski runs. They convert the ski lodge into this gorgeous white table cloth restaurant at night. They have four beautifully rustic fireplaces, each with a different dinner course.

The first is for the Swiss raclette cheese which they melt onto a plate and then you get all these dippers with homemade mustards and chutneys. I loved the fig mustard and the strawberry chutney.

The next fireplace has a bunch of different stews and potato dishes. I had the almond flour dusted trout with a beautiful salad and pickled beets. There was also a Panko crusted duck breast, a root veggie stew, cream of spinach soup, and other yummy comfort foods.

The next fireplace had roasted legs of lamb with mashed potatoes with roquefort cheese, and roasted acorn squash.

roasted acorn squash!

The grand finale was the dessert fireplace with an array of dippers, white and milk chocolate and caramel, plus this gorgeous rustic apple crisp with fresh whipped cream.

The food was incredible and delicious. The acorn squash was just sweet and creamy with a crunchy caramelized crust, and the trout was wonderfully flakey and delicate with a nutty crust.

And the raclette was what they're known for. I don't know what it is about the melty cheese, but with the mustards and all the accompaniments like prochutto and potatoes, it was fabulous.

But what made this meal so remarkable was the service. When we got there, we told our waitress, Christine, that we had several food allergies in our party, she was so helpful. In fact, she even brought the chef, Chef Shane, out to talk to us at our table, and he went over dish by dish what was okay.

After that, we were so thankful and thought what a wonderfully accommodating and helpful restaurant it was.

But then they raised the bar.

After we finished the third fireplace and were getting ready to go to dessert, they brought out 3 amazing gluten free cookies that were still warm - fresh out of the oven -- and they were made out of almond flour, so I could eat them!!!!

almond flour cookie!

And if that wasn't amazing enough, the chef had also sent out a dairy/soy free chocolate fondue especially for me!!!! He found out that I couldn't have soy either, so he made it with amaretto so I could have it!!! How incredible. Seriously amazing.

the dairy/soy free chocolate was fabulous!

When I tasted that cookie I seriously almost cried. It was so soft and chewy and slightly nutty and just spectacular.  Thank you Chef Shane and Fireside Dining!!!!

So aside from that outrageous feast tonight, I also had a fantastic day at Sundance. I ended up seeing films since it was foggy and snowing and not a great ski day. So we saw three films: Big Sur, about the life of Jack Kerouac, starring Kate Bosworth and Josh Lucas, and then two documentaries: Gideon's Army about public defenders, and Blood Brothers, about a guy who visits India and falls in love with kids with HIV. Great great films.

So today was a home run for sure! We even got my dad to go see a film with us!! :) We're having another big ski day tomorrow.

Have a great Friday!

SPA DAY!!

What a day! What a glorious and relaxing day!

Yep...we went to the Spa! My mom, sister-in-law and I got the royal treatment today while my dad and bro were skiing. I got a massage and they got facials.

Let me just say this: you deserve a spa day. You owe it to yourself to be pampered for a day. It is a special treat, one that transforms your body, mind, and soul.

And to experience this with people you love makes it all the more special.

I wish that I could make a case with my dad that massages should be a "regular" thing, as it relaxes me, and reduces stress, which is vital for Ulcerative Colitis remission management....but a once a year treat will have to suffice:) And I am super grateful for that generosity!

So I took some pictures for you:) Of course inconspicuously, when no one was around, as to not disrupt the "zen" of the spa! Haha

They had a beautiful workout room, as well as a gorgeous pool area with a lap pool, hot tub, and cold plunge. A sauna and steam room, and a beautiful balcony that wrapped around the spa that overlooked the ski slopes. It was breath taking.

And then they had a relaxation room, with teas and different waters, dried and fresh fruit, and granola. I felt so luxurious, sipping organic peppermint tea while in a fluffy white robe.

What a day, what a day.

Tomorrow's up in the air. I'm debating between another ski day or a day seeing films. There's supposed to be a snow storm tonight, so that may tip the balance towards skiing...I love fresh powder!

We have fabulous dinner plans tomorrow. I'll fill you in tomorrow...but here's a teaser...snow lodge, and a roaring fireplace:)

Hope you're having a great day!

SKI DAY!!

Hey guys!

How was your Tuesday? Today was a SKI DAY! My mom, bro and sister-in-law went to a couple films, so it was a father-daughter date today on the slopes! And how fun!!

We skied from 10am until 3:40! Sundance week is notoriously a fabulous week to ski because the slopes are literally *empty.* Everyone that is occupying the hotels and condos are “PIB’s” (aka People In Black)…aka New Yorkers there for the Sundance Film Festival. So in other words…no one is skiing!

There were no lift lines and no traffic on the slopes!

Tomorrow, my mom, sis-in-law, and I are going to the spaaaa :) I’ll give you a full report tomorrow!

Hope you have a fabulous night!

Stoker w/ Nicole Kidman!

Well today was a very exciting day! As you know, I'm at the Sundance Film Festival, and as I eluded to yesterday, we were going to a premiere today. The movie we saw was a very smart and gripping thriller...Stoker!

It was a brilliant movie starring Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska (from Alice in Wonderland). It was very....Hitchcock. A psychological thriller about a twisted relationship between an Uncle and his niece. Very "Sundance-y." And I loved it.

But the coolest thing was that the entire cast was there! You see, after the screenings, the director, producer, and sometimes the cast come out on stage for a Q&A session! The director was Korean and didn't speak a lick of English, so he had an interpreter. Can you believe that they shot this amazing film by communicating through an interpreter?! SO INCREDIBLE. Art has no language barrier.

So tonight, we went to this incredible Seafood Buffet at the Deer Valley Resort. This place was out of this world. Let me preface this by saying that it is rated in America's Top Restaurants. And I know why. It was outrageous. An extravaganza in every sense of the word. You know the "midnight buffets" on cruise ships when they have all the ice sculptures and fan fare...well, multiply that by like...25.

And I know, I know...this blog says that I am vegan...and I am. But this was a very expensive restaurant experience, and I will eat fish on this occasion. :)

Onto the food:

There. was. everything.

crab legs, blackberries,  & grapes

Seafood Galore: Fresh crab legs, smoked salmon, shrimp, oysters, clams, sushi, ahi tuna, sea bass, mahi mahi...all amazing. They had artisan cheese plates, gorgeous fresh fruit, a salad station, a grill with various meats, and delicious vegetarian entrees, including soups and acorn squash.

Honey glazed Acorn Squash with broccoli and almonds

And get this: They were SO accommodating with my gluten/soy/dairy free requests. They actually made these california sushi rolls especially for my sister-in-law and I. Their cali rolls used fresh crab (imitation crab has gluten!!) that had mayo in it and another ingredient with traces of gluten. So, the chef made some with just the straight crab especially for us!! How incredible was that!?

Real crab California Rolls! (I didn't eat the rice)

I have to say, the hardest part was turning down the dessert table. (They had no Specific Carb Diet options...because everything had sugar, gluten, or dairy....so I had lots of strawberries and fruit!) But they probably had 20 different choices for dessert. And they did have GF stuff, but those options had SCD illegal ingredients.

OK, I'm now going to bed super full, but with a very happy tummy:)

Sundance Update!

Hey guys!!!

How was everyone's weekend? Did you watch some football?

Are you planning on watching the Inauguration tomorrow? One of my good friends is in the Lee University Choir and is singing at it!! Woo!

Soo....this will be a pretty quick post tonight because I'm at SUNDANCE!! It's a film festival in Park City, Utah! We're here for skiing, and to take in some films!

So that's me and my mom:) We got shut out of 3 films today...(we were on the waiting list) so we saw a mainstream movie instead...The Impossible...which is about the tsunami in 2004 in Indonesia. It was an AMAZING movie. I highly suggest seeing it! It was definitely a graphic depiction of the devastation, but the theme of a strong family unit literally brought me to tears. So. Good.

In other news, at the airport, I literally ran into Alexander Scarsgard from True Blood....Here's his picture. So that was pretty cool:)

photo credit: IMDB

Tomorrow we have tickets to see a big movie premiere...I'll fill you in tomorrow. I'm not too sure what it's about...so we'll see!

Annnd, for dinner tonight, I had my Butternut Squash Pudding.....INCREDIBLE!! Everyone wanted a bite..it was like dessert for dinner:)

Alright, talk to you soon!

Sundance @ Trip Eats!

Hey Hey Happy Tummies!

How was everyone's week!? Things here have been crazy busy. With auditions, aaand......*drumroll please*.....getting ready for my trip!!

Yep! I'm off to the Sundance Film Festival in Utah! No, I'm not in a film...I wish!! But I'm going to enjoy the films and ski!! It's hard to believe that exactly one year ago, I was in the midst of The Horrible UC Flare. It was month 3, and I was feeling desperate.


in The Horrible Flare

I'm proud to say that this year, I plan on shredding some serious powder now that I have reclaimed my health and my life! What a year it has been indeed!

 

So for the next week, I'll be reporting from Sundance. I'll report on the movies we see and the meals we eat! Let me know if you have any special requests for reporting:)

So when I'm traveling, I have to be smart. You see, I can't just swing by an airport restaurant to get some grub. Nope. Not on the Specific Carb Diet. Soooo, I always come prepared.

Here's what I bring:

carrot sticks
red bell pepper strips
raw cashews/almonds
Larabars (pecan pie and blueberry muffin are my favorites!!)
Zucchini chips (click for recipe)

amazing zucchini chips! light & crunchy!

That usually gets me through. If it's going to be a super long day, I bring some of my Carrot Dessert Pudding in a Tupperware. Can I just say that this pudding is out-of-this-world-outrageous! If there's one recipe that I would suggest to my readers to make, this would be it. Hands down. I literally eat it about 4 times a week, it is THAT good! When I eat this, the people around me always ask about it, because it smells like pumpkin bread, and I usually end up giving out 5-6 GFHT business cards!

delightful:)

And if you're on the Body Ecology Diet / are able to eat grains ... these Garlicky Buckwheat Chips,

Garlicky Buckwheat Crackers

great garlic kick!

and Sweet Cinnamon Millet Chips are fabulous for trips too!!

Sweet Cinnamon Millet Crackers

crispy and fabulous!

So yep! I've gotta go pack! Ski wear and movie wear!

Housekeeping: Remember to leave me a comment with your email or email me @ Caralyn4@gmail.com if you want to be on the GFHT Email List and receive my posts to your inbox!

Also, you can find me on Facebook: glutenfreehappytummy ; Twitter: @GFreeHappyTummy ; or Pinterest: GFreeHappyTummy!

Finally, to make my zucchini chips, I utilized my wonderful mandolin. This tool requires one to be careful (I may or may not have found out the hard way).....this one has a hand guard.  And then for my carrot dessert pudding...my food processor is the star! Here are the ones I use: