Shopping with Vanessa!

Hello everyone! What a CRAZY week!!! Between work and the upcoming holidays there are just not enough hours in the day! Would you believe that I had my first CHRISTMAS party this week? How crazy is that? I will talk more about that later.

I went shopping with Vanessa this week. I have never had so much fun at the grocery store before! We spent almost 3 hours in Whole Foods. OK, before you decide to tune out because you either don’t have a Whole Foods or don’t like Whole Foods prices, let me explain. You DO NOT have to shop at Whole Foods to eat gluten free! Vanessa and I went there because it is close to us.

Vanessa knows that my biggest fear is not giving up bread but giving up dairy. I do not drink milk but I am addicted to cheeses. I love all cheeses! Anything ooey, gooey, and melted! So we start at the cheese counter. She has promised to convince me that I am not going to be deprived. Here is where Whole Foods comes in handy. We had a cheese tasting! I tasted many different varieties of goat and sheep cheese. Now I admit, I am familiar with goat cheese. I have to be honest I am not a big fan. I enjoy goat cheese with fruit and small amounts in salads and omelets but the “twang” is a little overwhelming. However, blue cheese made from goat milk is amazing!  And I have never had anything as amazing as sheep milk cheese! Sheep milk cheese is very common in Europe and all over the world. It is very good for you and after reading about it I feel that it is healthier. I am including a brief overview on sheep cheese for those of you who are interested!

Sheep cheese is smooth and mild tasting. One type called Mancheggo is reminiscent of cheddar.  The Pecorino cheese tastes like Parmesan/Romano!  Vanessa assured me that these could be used to substitute for cow’s cheese in all of my recipes.

Next we toured the store! Vanessa taught me how to tell if produce is truly organic, how to read labels and find substitutes for many gluten-containing products. She introduced me to gluten free bread and pasta!!! Her knowledge is astounding! As we are going through the store, people stop to listen and to follow us around. People stop and ask questions. The woman has an amazing knowledge base! I wish that everyone could learn from Vanessa! If any of you ever get the chance, I would recommend her for nutritional counseling!

Now, about that Christmas party. We had a great time! We went to an Italian restaurant called Buca Di Beppo and I stayed gluten and dairy free!!! Believe it or not, it was easy! I skipped the bread, which is less and less appealing these days (I really didn’t miss the bread, it was the garlic and butter that was tempting). Since garlic and butter aren’t restricted, I quickly got past the craving! The salad was great! For dinner I had the Saltimbocca which is a grilled chicken breast with prosciutto in a lemon butter sauce with capers. I had green beans and garlic mashed potatoes on the side. I truly did not miss the heavy pasta and cheese dishes. Thanks to my friend Holly (the events manager at Buca) for planning such a great party and for having a gluten free menu!