Gluten Free Cinnamon Roll French Toast

 This isn’t my recipe. I found it while searching through Pinterest, looking for something tasty to have on New Year’s Day for Brunch.  And boy, did this recipe deliver! It’s rare to find a gluten free recipe that makes you want to jump up and down and shout from the rooftops how good it is.  And here we are, with a recipe so good that it makes me want to jump up and down and shout from the rooftops just how good it is!

I mostly made the recipe as it is written, but I made several modifications that I wanted to share with you. I used a loaf of the gluten free bread that I had in the house. (I was not in the mood to run to the grocery store to get the loaf the recipe called for. I wanted to stay in my pj’s.)  The loaf of bread that I had only filled an 8 x 8 inch pan once it was toasted, so that was what I used. As a result, I cut the recipe in half.  Until I got to the eggs. Putting in only 3 eggs filled the pan up less than halfway. I ended up using all of the eggs that the recipe called for and I don’t regret it at all.  The resulting product was a tasty, filling casserole.

I did follow the directions for the dairy free option due to the dairy allergies in the house.

We were also wondering if this would work with a flax egg or aquafaba? I think it would. This is something that we will need to explore in the future.

One last note before I link you to the recipe: this is a really sweet dish. We had syrup but didn’t use it because the dish was sweet enough on it’s own, and there were enough eggs to keep the bread from drying out.

https://www.mamaknowsglutenfree.com/cinnamon-roll-french-toast-casserole/

PS - I’m sorry there aren’t any pictures! I honestly didn’t think about it until after we finished it off!

Traveling Gluten Free

Our recent trip out to Kansas City really challenged my ability to eat gluten free - and has probably been the cause of some of my recent stomach distress.  It's hard to plug into the local Celiac Community when you travel. 

I have a few things that I always take with me that I know are safe to eat.  Surprisingly, Wal-Mart has become one of the places that I can count on to find portable food that I can eat.

So, what do I eat?

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oatmeal Cups.  Most hotels that have a breakfast bar have fruit and nuts that I can add into my oatmeal.  I was able to hit up the breakfast bar every morning with my oatmeal cup and add a couple of spoons of dried mixed berries.  The days that they offered bananas were amazing, as I absolutely love bananas!

Starkist tuna in the pouches.  It's a small pouch of protein!  I depend on these things when I travel.  If I'm lucky, I can find mayo or pickle relish that I can add to it.  If not, then I can eat it straight out of the pouch.  If I can find gluten free crackers to mix it up, I will.

If I'm lucky, and if I can find coconut milk yogurt, I make something with yogurt, fresh fruit, nuts, and whatever else looks tasty that is gluten and dairy free.  These mixtures have been one of my go-to staples for a very long time.

Gluten Free Bread.  Again, if I can find a loaf, I can take a couple of slices with me to the breakfast bar and have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Never, never, never do I toast the bread in the toaster at the hotel bar.  I heat it, wrapped inside of a paper towel in the hotel microwave for about 10-15 seconds. 

Actually, at the last hotel we stayed at, they had spinach and hard boiled eggs at the breakfast bar.  I made a spinach and egg sandwich with my own mayo for breakfast one day.  I really, really wanted to add sausage, but I wasn't sure if it was gluten free, and I couldn't find anyone to ask.

For dinners, we always stay where we can find a kitchenette.  Salads, quick soups, and sometimes eggs will make up our menu.  I've made tacos, and taco salads over the years.  If we're staying someplace where we can drive, we've been known to take our crock pot with us.  This time, since we were moving middle child into a functioning apartment, I used his kitchen to cook meals every night, and I left him with copious amounts of leftovers.  ;)

One Dish Cuisine

The safe version of Hostess Style Cupcakes!

I don't think I've ever reviewed a restaurant before, but this place deserves some recognition.

One Dish Cuisine is an allergen friendly restaurant.  Everything they make is free of gluten, soy, oats, egg, fish, shellfish, sesame, and tree nuts - except for coconut.

They have two separate kitchens.  One is dairy free.  The other is dairy full. 
Their food is absolutely amazing.

I believe that they are the only restaurant of their kind on the East Coast.  I KNOW that they are the only restaurant of their kind in this area.

Husband and I went there on Friday to celebrate our anniversary.  It was amazing!  The food is wonderful.  If they hadn't assured me that everything was safe for me to eat, I wouldn't have known that it was dairy and gluten free.

Husband and I split a pizza and an order of Chicken Parm.  The pizza crust was warm and crusty, and tasted just like pizza should taste.  The Chicken Parm was, hands down, the best I've ever tasted!

The baked goods were delightful.  Full of taste, moist and tender, my mouth still waters at the thought of those cupcakes.

The refrigerators just inside the door contain frozen and refrigerated food available for carryout.  The items are clearly labeled with Blue (Dairy Free) and Green (Dairy Laden) labels.  Not only can you eat a great meal, you can pick up safe food to take with you.

The service is fantastic, friendly and warm.  I enjoyed meeting the owners - who insist that you list your food allergies every time you order.  They both take the time to talk with you, get to know you, and assure you about your food safety.  (It's hard for those of us with food allergies to relax in a restaurant.  We ask a lot of questions.)

If you are ever in the Washington/Baltimore area, and you have any food allergies at all, this is your go to place for a meal.

It's taken me a while to venture down here - they've been open for several years, and I've been hearing about them since the day they opened.  I can guarantee that it won't be very long before I'm back again.  I've got a very long list of food that I haven't been able to safely eat in a very long time that I'm looking forward to eating!

You can visit their website, see their menu, and check out their monthly bread and baked goods clubs online here:  http://onedishcuisine.com/

Note: I have received absolutely nothing in exchange for this review.  This is a genuine reflection of my experience at this restaurant.  My opinions are my own!