Saturday, October 29, 2016

Gluten Free Mall versus Strictly Gluten Free, Part 1

This week, I placed an order through two of the major online retailers, Gluten Free Mall and Strictly Gluten Free.  They sell similar products to eachother - boxed gluten-free pantry items as well as frozen foods.  They have rather similar products, though one might have something for less than the other, and they might have different flavors in stock, so I decided to order from both to compare.  And boy, am I glad I did!  They have vastly difference service.  Let's put it this way - If I ordered only from the one company, I might still be chewing on cardboard boxes, as it was a disaster.  I'm actually still fighting with the one company to get the product I purchased, as I've already paid them the money.  TOTAL DISASTER!

Have you ordered from either company before?  If yes, what was your experience?
To test both of them out, I ordered approximately the same amount of frozen food from each store.  It's easy to get Gluten Free Dry Goods at local stores or from Amazon.  That's not what I need.  I need that instant hot food.  I need frozen burritos, egg rolls, hot pockets...microwave food that is hot, fast, and quick like I grew up eating.  My mom's solution is to be mainly raw food vegan, eating mostly raw fruits and vegetables and nuts "Because I'm too lazy to cook" she explains.

But I digress.  Here is a screenshot of the Gluten Free Mall page.  You can click the hyperlink to go straight to their page.


And here is Strictly Gluten Free's Homepage:




Friday, October 28, 2016

Hello!  I'm Gluten-Free Gin.  I am a non-Celiac Gluten Intolerant foodie.  I absolutely love food.  My uncle has Celiac and my mom is Gluten Intolerant, as well as several members of our extended family.  I'm having great food adventures in NYC and beyond.
My Uncle nearly died before they realized that he had Celiac.  He was a marathon runner and always took great care of his body, and doctors were telling him that he needed to eat more vegetables because his nutrition was poor.  It wasn't an accurate reflection of his lifestyle.  After diagnosis, his health rebounded.  My mother was very sick as well.  She had been getting sickr and sicker every year, gaining weight, and had recently developed a huge tumor in her stomach.  When she was finally diagnosed non-Celias gluten intolerant, we were thrilled because we knew her health would likely turn around.  And it did.  It took me years to commit to a gluten-free diet because I knew how terrible and overpriced the food would be.
For years, we've been tasting snacks and prepackaged Gluten-Free Foods. My grandmother has adapted her Italian recipes to serve her gluten-free family.  My spouse is not gluten-free, and has strong opinions about the foods I eat.  He acknowledges the stomachache he gets after a big plate of pasta or pizza, so he enjoys meals that naturally have less gluten whenever possible.

Because I am gluten intolerant, not Celiac, there are situations where I may take a risk that I would not recommend for Celiac people.  For example, I have no problems with soy sauce.  I"ll let you know when I'm eating something that might not be suitable for Celiacs, though of course you should always rely on your own discretion to determine if something is safe.

I've been meaning to start this blog for a long time, as both a service to the GF community and to keep track of the amazing things I've eaten.

I intend to review these products soon:
Amys' Gluten -Free Bean and Cheese Burrito
Glutenfreeda Shredded Beef Burrito
Walker's Gluten-Free Shortbread Rounds
Magically Moist Coconut Almond Cake
Trader Joe's Gluten-Free Three Cheese Pizza

And these stores:
Strictly Gluten Free
Gluten Free Mall
Everybody Eats!
Canyon Bakehouse
Pastosa Ravioli
Chef Luca's Gluten Free Italian

And these restaurants:
Lilli and Loo's, NYC
Le Village, NYC
Senza Gluten, NYC
Top Thai, Brooklyn

These are just recent examples - I will have many more!  I went on an Urban Oyster Brownstone Tour as the only Gluten-Free participant, I'd love to tell you about that as well.

Please let me know if you have any questions!