Chipotle Corn Tortillas

I haven't posted recently.  Mostly because school keeps me busy.  I have made meals, and even taken some photos, but I just haven't had a lot of time to post.

My husband and I went to Chipotle on Saturday night because I was disgustingly sick and didn't feel like making food. I was fully prepared to get a chicken bol, which I love and has essentially saved my life.  It is my "go-to" Tuesday meal before my evening class, and it's not a bad calorie expenditure either as it chalks up just under 500 calories.  But, I was surprised to see a sign on the line that advertised their new soft corn tortillas.  I asked the fellow behind the line if they were GF, he checked to make sure, and then changed gloves, washed his hands, and we got down to business.

Delicious chicken soft tacos topped with a bit of cheese, lettuce and guac.  It was awesome, and I enjoyed having soft tacos "out" again.  I can obviously make this any time I want at home, but being able to get this on the go is just convenient, and it makes my life easier.  What's great is that Chipotle is already a super GF friendly restaurant, so this is just one more meal option for me.  When I decided to go GF, I knew that my life would change, and it would seem drastic.  There are still a lot of things that I really miss (and that I won't let myself buy because I'm on a budget), and one of the things that I think devastates most people is feeling like you "can't".

"I can't have that."
"Nope.  Sorry.  I can't eat that either."
"No problem, I'll just get a salad."

Yeah, salads are good for you, but a lot of restaurant/fast food salads can be boring, and if it's the only thing you eat when you're out, you're going to get frustrated.  I have not WILLINGLY glutened myself since making the decision to do this two months ago, and a huge part of that has been having options available to me.  This is just one more.

Image from: Four Pounds Flour

Review: Udi's Gluten Free White Bread

There are a few pieces of advice that folks with experience in the gluten free lifestyle often give to those that have less experience and/or are just starting:

1.  Focus on eating a lot of whole foods.
2.  Try not to immediately replace traditional gluten free foods with substitutes.

Number 1 I paid a whole lot of attention to.  I eat WAY more fruits and vegetables now than I used to.  I buy the fruits and veggies that are on sale, and I cook a lot more.  Number 2, I tried my best to stick with.  I cheated with pizza, because there's really just no way for me to live without pizza.  I would be miserable and it would probably have resulted in my saying, "Forget this!" and just going back to being sick.  Past that, I feel like I've done a decent job.  I've made one batch of GF chocolate chip cookies, and used some boxed cookies to make a pie for a party.  I purchased a box of crackers as an "emergency snack" while traveling.  It's not a spotless record, but I'm pretty happy with how I did.

Today was cold.  I walked in the stupid cold rain to Kinko's (yes, I said Kinko's and I don't care what you say, it says FedEx Kinko's on the sign, and it will always be Kinko's. . . just like my Mom will always say "Pick 'n' Pay" for grocery stores).  The bottom of my jeans got wet, my feet were cold, and I got chilled to the bone.  I didn't thaw out for a long time.  That kind of weather just makes me miserable.  I've mentioned before that one of my favorite things in the cold weather is having a soup and sandwich.  I've already featured my recipe for black bean soup here, and it's super simple and quick to whip up, so I put that on.  And gosh darn it, I was going to have a grilled cheese sandwich.  But, for that I needed bread.

So, I went to the Whole Foods.  I love the Whole Foods.  There's always some sort of delectable delight out for sampling, and there are a million cool things to look at and either pick up as a treat, or wish I had money to buy.  Today I got a little bag of mix-it-yourself trail mix after my workout with some pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, craisins, raisins, and a few chocolate chips.  It was delightful.  Anyway. . . I also picked up Udi's Gluten Free White Sandwich Bread.  I've heard great things about Udi's and Rudi's, and Udi's was cheaper today, so that was my choice.

Gluten free bread is usually (I've never seen it otherwise) stored in the freezer section.  Take out what you need, let it thaw and store the rest in the freezer until you need it again.

I treated it just like any other bread.  Butter it just like you would regular grilled cheese.  You'll probably notice that the texture is a little stiffer than regular bread.  I'm actually totally fine with that because I DESPISE super soft, "sticky" breads.  By that I mean Wonderbread types that stick to your mouth when you chew them.  Ick.  This is not like that at all.  It came out delicious and was exactly what I needed today. I'm really happy with the brand, and I would recommend it to anyone.