Brazi Bites

I first tried Brazi Bites at the Gluten-Free Living Conference in Orlando two years ago.  I liked them so much, after the conference, I headed to the Whole Foods on Turkey Lake Road to purchase several bags of Brazi Bites original Brazilian cheese bread.

Brazi Bites are based on a family recipe for Pao de Queijo, which means cheese bread in Portuguese.  They are gluten free, soy free, sugar free, non-GMO, and have no preservatives.  Brazi Bites, which were recently featured on ABC's Shark Tank, come in four flavors - original, garlic asiago, bacon, and jalapeno pepper jack.  All Brazi Bites are manufactured in a dedicated gluten-free facility.

Beaches & Cream Soda Shop - Disney's Beach Club Resort

Last night, we had dinner at Beaches & Cream Soda Shop at Disney's Beach Club Resort.

The theming of Beaches & Cream, a table service restaurant, is that of an old-fashioned boardwalk-style ice cream shop along the Atlantic seashore.  Beaches & Cream is a popular dining destination and is very small, so be sure to make advance dining reservations.

Scat Cat's Cafe at Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter

Over Christmas break, I had dinner at Scat Cat's Cafe at Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter with my friends Sarah from Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free at WDW and Amanda from Eating Out Without.

Scat Cat's Cafe was a holiday table service restaurant open from December 21st to December 30th.

Trattoria al Forno Dinner - Disney's BoardWalk

On New Year's Day, my family had dinner at Trattoria al Forno on Disney's BoardWalk with one of our school's Chinese international students, and her mom, who was in town for Christmas break.

Trattoria al Forno, a table service restaurant serving Italian cuisine, celebrated their one year anniversary last month.  In the past year, Trattoria al Forno has become one of our favorite restaurants at Disney World for breakfast and dinner.  When we were seated, I was given an allergy-friendly menu that lists options for people with gluten/wheat, milk, egg, soy, fish/shellfish, and peanut/tree nut allergies.

AMC Dine-In Theatres - Disney Springs

Over Christmas break, we saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens at the AMC Dine-In Theatres in Disney Springs.

Our previous dining experience at Fork & Screen a few years ago was not good, so we did not plan on having dinner there while watching the movie.  I ordered the smoked brisket quesadillas with corn tortillas, but after taking a few bites in the dark movie theater, and finding the taste unpleasant, I took them out in the hall to take a good look at them, and saw that they were more fat than meat, so I sent them back, and did not order anything else.

50's Prime Time Café - Disney's Hollywood Studios

Last Saturday, we had dinner at 50's Prime Time Cafe in Disney's Hollywood Studios.

50's Prime Time Cafe, a table service restaurant, serves up classic American comfort food, and is themed like Mom's kitchen, so your server treats you like family, and you better mind your manners, or you could be in for a scolding.  We were seated at a TV table, so we were able to watch black-and-white clips from popular TV shows from the mid-1950's.

Disney's Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show - Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

For three years in a row, we spent New Year's Eve at the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort.  This year, or should I say last year now that it is 2016, we decided to try the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort.

We bought Category 1 seats, hoping to have the best possible view of the stage, which is outdoors.  Disney's website does note that the "show may be cancelled due to severe or inclement weather."

Pasta with Sausage, Smashed Peas, and Ricotta Cheese

Last night, I tried a new pasta recipe for dinner.  I was a bit nervous about this one, because my family tends to be a bit picky about ricotta, preferring it in desserts over savory dishes, and I was worried that my daughters would not like me mixing peas in with their pasta.  They prefer to eat their peas in a bowl, separate from the rest of their food.

Well, it turns out that I had nothing to worry about.  My husband and daughters loved my latest pasta creation, and my girls even raved about how great the leftovers were for lunch.  It is not super pretty to look at, but it tasted great, and that is what is most important when I am cooking for my family.

Sanaa's Gluten Free Vegan Naan Recipe

Sanaa, which is located at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village, is one of our favorite table service restaurants at Disney World for lunch and dinner.  In 2014, a pastry chef at Sanaa developed a recipe for gluten free naan, which is an Indian-style flatbread.  The recipe used Cup4Cup original flour blend, which contains dairy.  My entire family loved Sanaa's gluten free naan, which I thought was the best gluten free bread option in Orlando.  You can view the recipe here.



Last year, when Disney introduced allergy-friendly menus, Sanaa changed their naan recipe to make it more allergy friendly.  The new gluten-friendly vegan naan was made with Bob's Red Mill all-purpose baking flour, which made it accessible to more people with special diets, but the texture and taste were disappointing compared to the original recipe.  Thankfully, the chefs at Sanaa are now serving a new and improved gluten-friendly vegan naan made with Cup4Cup Wholesome Flour Blend.  It is safe for people with gluten/wheat, milk, egg, soy, fish/shellfish, and peanut/tree nut allergies.

Best of 2015 - My Favorite Gluten Free Products

For the last three years, I have put together a list of my favorite gluten free products.  In 2013, Cup4Cup original flour blend topped my list, and it still remains my favorite all-purpose gluten free flour.  My Best of 2014 list features favorites like Sweet Note bagels, Le Veneziane pasta, Trader Joe's pumpkin pancake mix, and Williams-Sonoma gingerbread spice quick bread mix.  This year, my top two gluten free products are Cappello's pasta and Luce's OMG Flatbread mix.  

For several years, I have wanted to try Cappello's gluten and grain free pasta, and I finally had the chance this past summer.  My family loved the gnocchi and the fettuccine, but Cappello's tops my list because of their lasagna sheets, which I have used to make beef ravioli and mafalda noodles, two of the best dinners I made in 2015.  Cappello's is not sold in any local stores, but they recently changed their online prices to include shipping.  Ordering online is still pricey, but it is cheaper than eating pasta at a restaurant, and it is worth the occasional splurge.