Celiac Safe in Destin, Florida

Celiac Safe in Destin, Florida

Eating out Celiac Safe in Destin, FL was a bit of a challenge. Eating out in any restaurant can be daunting, and a bit risky.  I accept that responsibility, and work to stay safe when I’m out and about with my girls. Doesn’t matter where we go, my first request is for a Gluten-Free menu and when ordering I make certain they know I want my choices to be Celiac Safe.

I know I did get glutened somewhere along the line, but thankfully it didn’t hit until Sunday when I was home again and able to deal with it. Three days of very painful joints and living near the bathroom was a small price to pay for seven days of love and fun with my Daughters and Granddaughters.  Even so I was able to stay Gluten-Free and Dairy Free with all our choices that week.

One thing we did notice was pricing was off.  We consistently chose places with $$ and each and every one of them should have been $$$ when we got the bill.  So be careful, we ended up spending far more than planned on our meals out. Thankfully, we had also rented a Condo on the beach with a full kitchen. So we had Shipt deliver food for breakfast & lunch or snacks for the week on the first night we got there.

BEN & JERRY’S – If you’re looking for a Dairy Free Ice Cream Cup or Sunday, don’t waste your time. We were very disappointed when we discovered their one Dairy Free choice that they advertise was the same store packaged option offered in every single grocery store. So we stopped at Publix Grocery, grabbed one of every other GF, DF option, picked up some GF Cones and went back to the Condo.  That way each evening we enjoyed our own Ice Cream Cone and decided we wouldn’t waste our time with Ben & Jerry’s again.

https://www.benjerry.com/miramarbeach

MELLOW MUSHROOM – This one made us all smile!  We were all able to get Pizza’s that were not only Gluten-Free, but Dairy Free AND a Vegetarian option so everyone was happy. Any pie can be made on a Gluten-Free crust; however, only those pies and ingredients with the GF designation can be made with their allergy-safe procedures.

https://mellowmushroom.com

MARGARITAVILLE – They did have everything clearly marked Gluten-Free on the main menu which was nice…things were clearly marked GF. I ordered the Catch of the Day (Grilled and served with Island Rice, Chef's choice of Vegetable and Mango Salsa). Very tasty, I cleaned my plate :-)  

https://www.margaritavilledestin.com

My Granddaughter got the Volcano Nachos (Tortilla Chips layered with Chili, Cheese, Pico de Gallo, fresh Guacamole, Sour Cream and Jalapeños) Also clearly marked GF but I was trying to avoid Dairy as well. Plus it was big enough to feed four!!

ROCKIN TACOS – This one was well worth the trip, I would have gone back for seconds if I could have. They didn’t have a Gluten-Free menu, but our Waitress was very helpful.  I got the Mexican Street Corn (Fresh grilled Corn on the Cob with Chipotle Aioli, Queso Fresco, roasted Red Peppers, Cilantro and a squeeze of fresh Lime)  I’ve never had Aioli before, now I’m a big fan!  I’m going to need to learn how to make that stuff.

http://www.rockintacos.com

JACKACUDAS – We were all excited to try this place…not so much when we left. Everything was tasty, but nothing much to write home about. I got the Basic Veggie Roll (Cucumber, Avocado, Asparagus, Daikon Sprouts). They were all out of Avocado (??) and made no attempt to substitute with something inventive so my basic roll was even more basic, but still the same price.  
https://www.jackacudas.com

THAI TANIC – We just had to eat here, if only because of the name alone :-) But this place was a great find! No Gluten-Free menu, but I’m a huge Thai food fan so finding something Gluten-Free would have been easy. I got my favorite Pad Thai (thin Rice Noodles in a Tamarind Sauce with Shrimp, Bean Sprouts, Green Onion, Egg garnished with Peanuts and Lime). This one was definitely worth the visit. 

http://thaitanicdestin.com

ANGLERS GRILL – I think this was probably our most disappointing stop. Probably because they had some really great reviews and our hopes were high. I opted for the Catch of the Day (grilled Red Snapper with Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli). The fish was very overcooked and actually crunchy around the edges. The mashed potatoes were nothing to write home about. 

https://www.anglersgrill.com

CarolAnne Le Blanc

Gluten-Free Naturally: https://glutenfreeforlife1.blogspot.com

Gluten-Free Travel:  https://glutenfreeinflorida2.blogspot.com

FaceBook:  http://www.facebook.com/glutenfree.inflorida

Gluten-Free for Life is a section 501(c)3 charitable organization.

All gifts and donations are tax deductible in accordance with law

"A Copy of the Official Registration and Financial Information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the state."  

1-800-Help-Fla (435-7352)  Www.Floridaconsumerhelp.Com

Keeping it clean, and Gluten-Free

Keeping it clean, and Gluten-Free

People often ask me what the best way to get started is.  My house is 100% Gluten-Free and has been for many years.  Some families maintain that without going 100% they can still keep a safe environment.  I’m afraid I have a hard time believing this and truly can’t recommend it.  I have Potluck Dinners every month in my home, and large Potluck Parties 3-4 times a year at my house, and those are the only times gluten might find its way into my house. My friends and family know my needs, and they’re truly, extremely careful in my home.  But there have been occasions after an event where I’ve found myself spending the next few days sick.

After which I go back to the beginning and clean my kitchen from top to bottom once again.  If you're transitioning from eating gluten to a gluten-free/wheat-free life the first thing to do is clean, clean, clean. Empty all the cabinets and wipe down all surfaces…I like to use those anti-bacterial wipes only because I know it may be quite a while before I ever do anything like that again. I may even sprinkle a little borax into the corners just because I live in Florida and bugs like to share everything. Overhead cabinets, and underneath cabinets, all counter tops…everything should be pulled out and every surface wiped down. Don't forget to clean the fridge and freezer too. It's going to take time…so I suggest you handle one major area a day and don't feel like you have to handle it all at once.

Use the dishwasher…a lot. In fact I have a rule in my home…if it doesn't fit into the dishwasher it goes into the trash. So run as much as possible through the dishwasher before putting it back into the cabinets. There are times when I’ll even wash the same load twice, letting is run through an entire cycle.  The second time I don’t use any soap but add about 2 cups of white vinegar instead.  Hand wash everything else and rinse, rinse, rinse. As you're putting things away do a quick inspection of anything that might be tough to clean…like those pots and pans…anything with cracks and crevices. Run your fingers over the surfaces…any bumps or lumps are suspect and need to be cleaned off or you may need to consider tossing the items. If you can see any metal through the scratches on non-stick surfaces those will need to be tossed anyway…so don't waste your time cleaning them. Deep non-stick scratches are great hiding places for gluten and every time you use the pan you're poisoning yourself with the exposed metal anyway.

You’ll need to replace your toaster, and perhaps anything plastic or wood.  I kept my first toaster oven, but scoured it clean and then ran everything removable through the dishwasher.  Keep in mind the more smooth, and less porous the surface the better when replacing your kitchen tools.  Personally, I love glass and use that as often as possible for prep, cooking, baking and storage.  Glass cleans up beautifully and I have no worries when others borrow something for their glutenous foods. I only use wood cutting boards and spoons, even those get thrown in the washer, then get treated with oil before being put away. 

Read the labels of all food items as you're putting them away. If you're feeling ambitious go ahead and give the packages a wipe down with one of those anti-bacterial wipes too. Sort out any suspect items and set them aside to be donated to a food pantry. If you really can't part with a favorite item…then Google it. Go to Google.com and type in the name of the product along with the words "Gluten-Free" and then see what comes up. You can make your decision then as to whether you should keep it or give it up. I generally have a rule that if I can't read the ingredients or pronounce the words I don't buy it and don't use it. For me the fewer ingredients the better; I avoid processed foods as much as possible.

Going Gluten-Free can seem so overwhelming and you feel like you're losing many of your favorite foods. After 25 years I still look at a good donut and just sigh…ah well. I have many friends who keep a Gluten-Free home, and save their glutenous desires for when they eat out or visit friends :-)

CarolAnne Le Blanc

Gluten-Free Naturally: https://glutenfreeforlife1.blogspot.com

Gluten-Free Travel:  https://glutenfreeinflorida2.blogspot.com

FaceBook:  http://www.facebook.com/glutenfree.inflorida

Gluten-Free for Life is a section 501(c)3 charitable organization.

All gifts and donations are tax deductible in accordance with law

"A Copy of the Official Registration and Financial Information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the state."  

1-800-Help-Fla (435-7352)  Www.Floridaconsumerhelp.Com