Live Fully Nourished # 022
Snow, coffee, and a little about me... + Shrimp Tostadas, Roasted Cherry Tomato Pizza Sauce, and One of My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets…
Welcome to this week's installment of Live Fully Nourished. I’m Kymberley - the coach, cook, creator, and publisher of GfreeDeliciously.
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It was only the end of October, and it was Snowing. Already.
Ahhhhh, fall…
On October 31st, I began writing this while snow was falling outside my window. Even though LFN #22 wouldn’t post until today, Saturday morning, November 4th, the weather gave me a pause from my weekly bible study group and regular Tuesday schedule to work on this instead.
I began the morning the same as most, with a steaming cup of coffee. This morning, it’s my favorite gluten-free labeled pumpkin spice-flavored coffee.
Like most Americans, I can’t do without my morning cup of java. And if you follow a gluten-free diet, chances are that you enjoy a cuppa joe every day, too, yet you may have wondered at one time or another, as I did, if coffee is gluten-free.
Potential Sources for Gluten in Coffee
Isn’t it amazing how gluten has a way of sneaking into naturally gluten-free foods and drinks?
Gluten showing up in my coffee surprised me after experiencing tell-tale neurological issues, headaches, and brain fog that set in for me after I drank certain coffees. Finding this out was a hard one to track down because the symptoms I experienced were random, only happening once in a while.
Then, while shopping, I stumbled upon a bag of coffee labeled “gluten-free,” which got me thinking.
So, while I had previously researched that coffee is naturally gluten-free, it took some time to uncover that there are several ways that your coffee could become glutened.
Among those ways are:
Flavorings: If the coffee beans are flavored, you must make sure that it is gluten-free. Sometimes, flavorings are derived from barley, so while it may be tempting to order a drive-through flavored coffee or pick up any brand of flavored coffee beans, you need to do a little research first. If you’re cruising through the drive-through, always stick to unflavored coffee to be safe. And when buying flavored coffee, look for beans or ground coffee that’s labeled gluten-free.
Shared Grinders: If you’re grinding coffee beans, I recommend not to use the store coffee grinding machine. There is a considerable potential that even if you are purchasing beans labeled gluten-free, they will become cross-contaminated with non-gluten-free flavored beans from someone who used the grinder before you. To minimize your risk of cross-contamination, grind your gluten-free beans at home. You can get a coffee grinder at this popular online retailer for less than $20.
Processing: If the coffee beans are roasted and processed in a facility that processes beans with the same equipment or uses any flavoring that includes gluten/wheat, the beans may become cross-contaminated with wheat, barley, or rye. Check the packaging labels carefully to note any allergen statements or disclosures. You can also look on the company’s website or email them to inquire.
Add-ins: Another potential source of cross-contamination is traditional coffee add-ins, such as creamers, sugar packets, sprinkles, or toppings that may include gluten. Always check the labels.
Cross-contamination: If you’re cruising through the drive-through or getting your coffee from a coffee shop, there’s a possibility of your coffee getting cross-contaminated by the restaurant staff or shared equipment. Many coffee shops and restaurants also use oat milk, which may or may not be gluten-free.
If you’d like to read about brands of coffee that have been tested for hidden gluten, Jenny Levine Finke, a fellow certified gluten-free practitioner and the blogger of Good For You Gluten-Free, has tested several coffee brands for hidden gluten with the Nima Sensor.
Is coffee gluten-free?
The good news is that coffee IS gluten-free. It rarely contains gluten, and as a person on a gluten-free diet, you can feel confident enjoying your favorite cuppa joe without worrying about being glutened. That said, if you’re a fan of flavored coffee, watch out for potential sources of cross-contamination and avoid flavorings and add-ins that may contain gluten.
After a brief break and an early lunch, it was still snowing…
Piling up, actually, and everything was looking like an enchanted wonderland - especially for the last day of October.
Unlike other Fall mornings, the snow reminds me that winter and more snow will soon come.
Thank goodness that the day before, dear hubby and I replaced that deck board that was punky and rotting. It was a project discovered a month or more ago when sealing the deck. Just one more thing to add to the Fall List this year. Yes, the same yearly checklist of Fall chores that I talked about in my very first blog post. This year’s print-off of it is now a naggy reminder waiting on the counter of all we’ve put off as autumn has slipped away.
It could upset me, but it doesn’t. It is what it is. Fiddle-dee-dee, as Scarlett O’Hara, the protagonist of Margaret Mitchell’s novel Gone with the Wind, might say…
On another note, for those who aren’t familiar with my blog or me, you can read my short elevator speech on this page if you’re wondering…
New Blog Recipe:
Poblano & Pineapple Shrimp Tostadas with Roasted Garlic Sauce
This week on the blog, I invite you to join me on a flavor-filled journey south of the border with a mouthwatering recipe for Poblano & Pineapple Shrimp Tostadas with Roasted Garlic Sauce. This tantalizing dish combines the smoky and earthy flavors of poblano peppers with the sweet and tangy notes of pineapple, resulting in a truly unique and delicious experience for your taste buds. The succulent shrimp are seasoned to perfection and cooked on a sheetpan to roast in the oven, along with the pineapple and poblano peppers.
The tropical mixture is served atop crispy tostadas, adding a delightful crunch to every bite. Then, to take this recipe to the next level, it’s topped with Fresh Pineapple Habanero- Poblano Salsa and a creamy roasted garlic sauce that beautifully complements every element of the dish.
So, if you're ready to embark on a culinary adventure that brings together delicious contrasting flavors and textures, grab your apron, and let's get cooking!
Roasted Cherry Tomato Pizza Sauce
It was a weird summer for growing tomatoes. Unfortunately, this year’s garden was a bit lackluster in the tomato department. Roma, my go-to sauce tomato, didn’t produce a single fruit, and the more fleshy tomatoes I like to include in sauces barely grew enough tomatoes for slicing to make BLTs. But thankfully, my single cherry tomato plant picked up the slack ten-fold.
Being a girl who thrives on making something delicious from whatever I’ve got, my cherry tomato bumper crop became the perfect choice for roasted cherry tomato pizza sauce.
What’s your favorite thing about pizza sauce?
Aside from the dough, the sauce is the heart and soul of every pizza. But when it comes to pizza sauce, it's different for everyone. Do you like your sauce sweeter or prefer it less sweet? And what about herbs? Do you like 'em or not? Basil or oregano, take your pick! Oh, and let's not forget about the oil situation. Some sauces have olive oil mixed right in, while others go without any oil at all. And hey, let’s not forget the tomatoes! What is your favorite to use for making pizza sauce?
The sauce is all about finding what tickles your taste buds the most. And with so many options, you might have a hard time choosing a favorite.
Vote for your favorite things about pizza sauce in this week’s poll.
From last time:
36.4% - Fall Foods & Drinks
21.2% - A drop in temperatures
15.2% - Sports
12.1% - Leaves changing color
9.1% - Halloween
6.1% - Spring delights in the Southern Hemisphere
Gfree Dad JOKES… 😜
When do you expect the gluten-free bread to rise?…
When you YEAST expect it!
How to Create a Delicious Roasted Cherry Tomato Pizza Sauce
Roasting tomatoes is a great way to reduce moisture and intensify their flavors. Cherry tomatoes, in particular, have a natural sweetness that becomes even more pronounced when roasted.
Roasting them is incredibly simple and can be done in just a few easy steps. But before you start, you’ll want to ensure you have the freshest batch of cherry tomatoes you can lay your hands on. The ideal cherry tomatoes for roasting are ripe, firm, and brightly colored.
If you haven’t grown your own, buying organic cherry tomatoes whenever possible is always a good idea to ensure the best flavor and quality.
You’ll find that roasting the cherry tomatoes first is a simple yet rewarding technique that transforms these bite-sized fruits into flavorful and versatile additions to the sauce. By enhancing their natural sweetness, the roasting brings out their best flavor, adding depth to your pizza sauce.
Let’s get started…
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