Archives for “travel”

Leftovers and Something New–GFE Out and About

November 28, 2009 · Filed Under Thanksgiving, discussion, giveaway, gluten free, recipe, travel ·5 Comments 

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I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving (or a lovely Thursday if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving)! We certainly did here in the gfe family. Thanksgiving has become my favorite holiday over the last several years. It’s simply about family, friends, food, and the fellowship that ties us all together and, frankly, I love that. My hosting this year went great. Of course, I was a bit rushed towards the end (that always seems to happen), but it worked out. The reality is that nobody will notice if you don’t get around to scrubbing your kitchen floor that morning (okay, that week, but it did get vacuumed). At first I was a little annoyed at myself because my timing was off for baking my popovers and we ate about 30 minutes later than I had originally planned. However, everyone agreed that the schedule slip worked out well because it gave us time to visit properly before sitting down to the table. During that time, folks sipped on my Reindeer Antlers. And, of course, they nibbled. They raved over my brown sugar chocolate chip cookies that came out as cookie brittle versus true cookies. (It’s a finicky recipe, but the “brittle” is still decadent and good; my sister even took home some to my brother-in-law who unfortunately had to work.) I asked Mom to go ahead and offer up her deviled eggs (naturally gluten-free), which nobody ever passes up. 

By the time the popovers were ready, all of us were ready to sit down to an impressive spread of food. I followed the 5 Tips for a Safe, Gluten-Free Thanksgiving including briefly enlightening some of the extended family about the need for separate utensils, keeping my pies away from three other glutenous desserts, and so forth. Please take a moment to add your own tips and experiences to that post, so others can benefit. (My buddy, Gluten Free Steve, just added some very helpful reminders there!) 

After our grand meal, we all lingered over desserts and even after we moved to the living room, we just relaxed. Then we chatted about everything under the sun. I love how you can do that at comfortable gatherings. Sometimes the conversation has everyone involved, but more often than not, there are several other side conversations going on. To see everyone “catching up” and interested in the happenings in each other’s lives is truly heartwarming. Without the many people we love in our lives, nothing else has meaning. 

We’ve been snacking and enjoying some pies (being able to have leftover pie for breakfast is surely one of the top reasons to celebrate Thanksgiving), but we haven’t eaten all of our leftovers yet. Last night, we had Veal Scallopini and Steamed Artichokes. I had planned that meal for Thanksgiving Eve and had actually cooked the artichokes, but then Mr. GFE came home late after visiting cousins and confessed he’d already eaten turkey tetrazzini. Of course I didn’t mind that, plus I was too busy that evening preparing Thanksgiving goodies to really enjoy a proper sit-down meal. It was easy to whip up Veal Scallopini last night and reheat the artichokes so we could have a relaxed dinner together. Steamed artichokes are one of those food choices that force you to slow down … you just can’t eat one quickly—which was great for last night. 

Tonight we ate those leftovers, and tomorrow we’ll be back eating turkey. I’m using a combo of some leftover turkey from my Traditional Turkey Breast and some from my Special Turkey Breast. I’ll just cut the turkey into small chunks to make Tasty Tortilla Soup. It’s such a flavorful soup that one can make quickly using salsa, broth (I actually have some turkey broth from slow cooking the turkey breast), and whatever vegetables on hand that sound good. I think I’ll add some corn, carrots, and butter beans to this pot of Tortilla Soup. Of course, the best part of this soup is topping it with the tortilla “crisps” (as Brian of Fire and Salt labeled them). You might find these crisps become your new toppings for all your soups. (They are delicious and you can quickly whip up a batch, instead of using crackers.) I may also try another recipe with the leftover turkey, and I’ll share that one later … if it works out. 

Reindeer Antlers 060-5Now for the “something new” …yesterday, I officially launched the new Out and About page of gfe with this post on Reindeer Antlers and a giveaway. The Out and About page will be the place where I’ll host giveaways and contests, share travel reviews, offer my opinion on occasional gfe-type products, etc. Don’t worry though … I’m not heading over to the overly processed, gluten-free specialty food world. That would be in direct contradiction to the gfe–gluten free easily approach. My giveaways will be focused on items like real food and cookbooks I find of value that I think can sincerely benefit my gfe readers. You might be wondering why I don’t just do all of these reviews and giveaways on my main page. Well, frankly, my advertising contract prohibits giveaways and reviews for complimentary products over a certain value or even if I purchased the products myself  (which I have in some cases) and these types of posts are done too frequently. This requirement makes sense because the advertisers who have paid to advertise shouldn’t have to compete with what’s shared in one’s blog posts … know what I mean? Plus, having a new page that clearly shows when products were given to me (or any other compensation that I have received) is in alignment with the recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines on disclosing payments and complimentary products when sharing reviews or testimonials.  

Okay, you might not be interested in all of that. Here’s what you really need to know—how you will know if I have a new Out and About post if these posts don’t show up on my main page. Well, if you subscribe to my blog via email or RSS feed, you’ll get notifications on the Out and About posts just like you have gotten all the other notices that I have a new post. Subscribing is the best way to prevent missing a gfe post. (Click on the “Subscribe in a reader” or “Subscribe via email” links in the top right of my header and you’ll be walked through a very easy process.) When you receive notification on any new post, just click on the link provided in the email or shown in the reader and you’ll be taken to the post and can read and comment, just as you have done in the past. I’ll always try to have a link on my main page within a post (as I did above) to let you know that there’s a new post on the Out and About page. The Out and About posts will also show up in the listing on the sidebar under gfe’s recent posts. Just click on a title and you’ll be there. Last, if there are photos shown in the sidebar under gfe’s recent photos that are not familiar to you from the main page, that’s another indicator there’s a new post up in Out and About. You can click on the Out and About tab under my heading any time. Note that the search feature at the top right of the header allows you to search on anything on my site; no matter where the information is located, it will show up via Search.  This all sounds complicated, but it’s really not. We’ll all be used to the new routine in no time.

I’ve been “saving up” good stuff for months for my Out and About page, so I hope to share some great posts there. Fun reviews of restaurants, tourist spots, cookbooks and giveaways—that all sounds good, right? Of course, the majority of the gfe posts, including most recipes, will be shared right here on the main page. Hopefully, we’ll all make an easy transition and you’ll continue to enjoy gfe and now Out and About as well!

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

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BlogHer Food ’09—Part II

November 2, 2009 · Filed Under blogherfood09, dessert, gluten free, travel ·30 Comments 

 

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When I shared BlogHer Food ’09—Part I, I told you I’d only covered the folks I’d met part of the way through breakfast. Here I am a month later to let you know about the other great folks whose acquaintances I made. I figured I’d better get on it because there’s a lot more coming up here at gfe—like several weeks of Holiday Food Fest. (You’ll want to re-read that post to be sure that you are at all the host blogs on the right day with the right recipe for the selected category. Of course, I’ll be posting recipes every Thursday that will link back to the right site. You’ll want to join in if you can—fun and fabulous prizes.) Even though a month has passed since BlogHer Food, it’s enjoyable to stretch out the event a little. I’m also happy to report that the connections I made there are continuing on much to my delight!

Picking up at where I left off  … oh, you might want to grab a beverage and get comfy—there’s a lot to cover here.

Gudrun of Kitchen Gadget Girl Cooks—Gudrun was another smiling, friendly face. I was sorry I only got to meet Gudrun briefly at breakfast, because it was only later when I checked her site that I found out she’s a beekeeper. As many of you know, our family is also a beekeeping one. Save the honey bees! I didn’t get a photo of Gudrun, but see the picture below that Son snapped recently of one of my mother-in-law’s beautiful honey bees working.) Thanks for doing your part, Gudrun! Gudrun has a wonderful recipe up right now for Butternut Squash and Apple Soup (naturally gluten free). Check out her surface art work!

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Danica of Danica’s Daily—My meeting with Danica was literally no longer than a minute, but she radiated warmth and friendliness. I checked out her site and she has some really healthy and very appealing recipes there. While her blog is not gluten free, most recipes are gluten free easily (gfe)—either naturally gluten free or easily made gluten free. Oh, and she definitely has a thing for Pumpkin Butter (how timely!)—and shows you how to make it and even shares a muffin recipe using her pumpkin butter. Danica has many other seasonal treats on her site at the moment, so you’ll want to check those out as well. There are lots of goodies, but the Smokey Black Bean Chili in Sweet Dumpling Squash Bowls caught my eye.

Dr. Jean Layton, both of Gluten-Free Organics and More and Gluten-Free Doctor—Jean is a naturopathic physician, chef, and just take-charge kind of gal. She’s confident and outgoing with an opinion on everything—I like folks like her! Both her sites are worth a read, particularly if you live in the Bellingham, WA area as she shares noteworthy area happenings. Her post on memories of making butterscotch candy with her mom is very special. I guarantee that it will take you back to cooking experiences in your own family when you were growing up. The candy recipe is, of course, gluten free! Want to see Jean and hear her philosophy? View a video of her at Diane’s The W.H.O.L.E. Gang site.

Michelle Lenz of My Wine Education— Michelle is also known as “Wine Girl.” She was part of the panel titled: How Blogging Best Practices Apply, No Matter Your Blog Niche. Michelle hails from Cincinnati and was one of the few speakers whose blog has a local emphasis. She shares info about wine tastings and other events in her area, as well as specifics on individual wines. Her husband plays the role of occasional contributor and “beer guy” per Michelle’s words. Michelle even offers in-home tastings for every occasion—now that is cool!

Damaris of Within the Corners of My Kitchen—Damaris is a very lovely, dedicated blogger and her blog is gorgeous. She was at the conference with her newborn of 9 days. I was amazed. She confessed she could never have attempted such a feat with her firstborn, but with the second one, she was more relaxed. Still, that’s blogging dedication! You can see a very charming photo of her little one on her site. Of course, there are wonderful recipes there, too—not all gluten free, but many are and others are adaptable. I’m smitten with the post on Pumpkin Snickerdoodles myself. I’ll definitely be giving a gluten-free version of those a try. Oh, and she just launched a new blog with her friend, a food blog for children called The Little Foodie. You’ll love the header I promise. Forget caramel apples … see the healthier variation that Damaris and Mariko have come up with instead.

Tara, also known as The Diva on a Diet, at Beach Eats (subtitled A Dangerous Combination of Dieting and Mascara)— What great fortune that I ended up sitting next to Tara at lunch! She’s a doll. We had such fun chatting! She even was gracious enough to let me stash all my loot in her posh room at the St. Regis, so I didn’t have to keep up with it at the terrace cocktail party or lug it back to my room at The Westin. She’s an enthusiastic foodie for sure, but a realistic one—I like that. And, she dishes on much more than food at her blog. Head over to her blog right now and you can read all about her snowy trip to Germany, plus you’ll also find a delightful recipe for a Leaner Meat Loaf (if gluten free, you’ll want to use gf breadcrumbs and Worcestershire sauce).

Gabrielle of Peanut-Free Mama—I only spoke to Gabrielle for a few minutes at lunch, but it was a pleasure. Passionate about protecting her own daughter given her peanut allergy, she blogs to ensure others know how to keep their own children safe if they have peanut and other allergies. Of course, a great alternative for those with peanut/nut allergies is seeds like sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Go to her blog right now and you’ll find a seasonally appropriate recipe for Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds. Check out the ultra fancy jack-o-lantern she has pictured, too.

Seamaiden of The Book of Yum—It was such a treat to meet, Sea, as she’s affectionately called. One of the gluten-free bloggers present, she’s cute and personable, always with a ready smile and fun to be around. We were all tickled pink when seamaiden’s husband showed up with their Baby Yum (as Seamaiden refers to her daughter). Baby Yum is just as cute as her mom, of course. Sea is a vegetarian blogger and the genius creator of Adopt-a-gluten-free blogger. Check out September’s roundup here.  Sea shows that eating vegetarian and gluten free can still be quite wonderful, as exemplified by her recent Vegan Shepherd’s Pie.

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Alison St. Sure (Sure Foods Living) and Seamaiden (Book of Yum) enjoying Elana’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Karen Schuppert of Cook4Seasons— What a nice surprise to meet Karen! Although she was gathered into the gluten-free blogging fold, I did not know of her before this conference. I was so glad to be introduced to her; she’s a ray of sunshine. Newly trained as a chef , she’s also a long-time manager of a Napa Valley farmer’s market. And, if that’s not enough, she’s also a certified nutrition educator. I love her motto: “Promoting a healthy appetite for a thriving planet.” Her site is full of gfe-type recipes and wonderful guidance on a number of things. What’s new at her blog? Fresh pumpkin pudding, vanilla bean applesauce, and corn chowder. Not all of Karen’s recipes are gluten free, but most are and when recipes are not gluten-free, substitutions are easy ones.

Carrie Oliver, the CEO and founder of The Oliver Ranch Company—Carrie’s site says her company “hand selects natural or organic artisan ranchers who produce delicious, signature styles of beef.” I’m not the carnivore that Mr. GFE is, but still that appeals to me. You can even select your beef from particular regions. You’ll want to read her explanation on regional differences at Region Matters.  
 
Erika Kerekes of In Erika’s Kitchen—I met Erika at the terrace cocktail party. We were in a group of folks overlooking the city’s skyline on the warm and breezy evening. I was sorry we didn’t get to chat more, but we’ve connected via Twitter since the conference. She’s a devoted foodie with a fondness for fungi, especially truffles. You have to admire someone who titles a post “Oh, the Truffles I’ve Had,” even if it’s noted that it was a borrowed title.

Cora of Cora Cooks and Season to Taste—Cora was one of the last folks I met at the terrace cocktail party while we were both gazing out at the city, of course. Cora was sharing her enthusiasm about her time at BlogHer Food while I admired her business cards. They were a pretty nifty foldout design, with one of Cora’s recipes in the foldout. She said her husband was responsible for that small act of genius. I’m still thinking about stealing that idea …my card displayed Cora’s Pineapple Salsa—a naturally gluten-free recipe. Visit her blogs. You’ll find fall photos, memories, and recipes (e.g., molten chocolate cake and pavlova—gluten free or easily made gluten free). How about Brunswick Stew? It’s naturally gluten free, as long as you verify the status of all the ingredients.

Elise Bauer of Simply Recipes—Elise did most of the talking in the session on Protecting Yourself and Your Work. (Unfortunately, she’s had lots of experience with folks stealing her work.) Then she shared more at the closing comments for the conference. I learned a huge amount from what she said, enjoyed her comments at the closing, and really enjoyed the fabulous party she co-hosted at Tropisueno. Elise is a very popular food blogger, so you may well know her site already. Her Cashew Chicken is calling my name.  Elise kindly notes the adjustments that need to be made to ensure a gluten-free dish in the recipe.

Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen—Jaden spoke at the session, Your Blog Is Great … Now What? Jaden is enthusiastic and just plain fun. It’s no wonder she has such a huge following. I loved her advice on putting yourself “out there” to draw readers to your blog. By the way, Jaden was quite impressive on the dance floor at the party she co-hosted at Tropisueno. (Here’s a “stylized” view of her getting down.) It’s clear she’s passionate about whatever she’s up to … who doesn’t love that? Her new cookbook, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook, is out. You’ll want to head over to her blog to see the video of her appearance on the Today show. (Don’t miss that post as it also shares a funny story about her book signing experience.) Want to read more about Jaden’s book? Head over to Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy and read Susan’s initial review of Jaden’s book, including her recipe for slow-cooked salmon, naturally gluten free. Oh my goodness, you know how I love salmon.

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Helen Dujardin of Tartelette—Helen was also a part of the Your Blog Is Great … Now What? panel. She was eager to share all the different things she had done in promoting her blog and business. Search on “gluten-free” on her site and you’ll find a bunch of mouth-watering recipes, including Helen’s revised Bouchon Lemon Tart recipe post that features Shauna, the Gluten-Free Girl, and “Little Bean.”  You’ll want to read more about Helen here. Her site and food photographs are stunning … I can only imagine how phenomenal any of her specialty sweets would be! I snapped Helen “working” in a semi-quiet spot while the rest of us were enjoying the terrace cocktail party.

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Amy Sherman of Cooking with Amy—Amy was the moderator/third speaker at the Your Blog Is Great … Now What? Amy is another very popular blogger. As her blog header shows, she shares recipes, reviews, news, and travel. She has a gluten-free section on her blog, but only has two items listed. However, there are other naturally gluten-free recipes there, like her Guilt-Free Panna Cotta. Amy, Jaden, and Helen engaged in a lively discourse. They shared many viewpoints, but disagreed on quite a few as well. Those of us in the audience found that refreshing, and in the end, I felt like I could go with the guidance that best fit my own style.

Lauren “LoLo” Ulm of Vegan Yum Yum—I really enjoyed Lauren’s part in the panel, How Blogging Best Practices Apply, No Matter Your Blog Niche. She was matter of fact and forthright about what one needs to share in photos on one’s blog. Not to mention, that she’s just plain adorable. She also has a new cookbook out—titled (what else?) Vegan Yum Yum. You can see a preview recipe, Hurry Up Alfredo!, at her site right now. Ensure that you use safe ingredients and you’ll be good to go!

Kalyn Denny of Kalyn’s Kitchen—Kalyn also spoke on the panel, How Blogging Best Practices Apply, No Matter Your Blog Niche. She had a list of tips and points she wanted to share with us and she didn’t relinquish the floor until she did. As attendees, we appreciated everything she had to tell us. She was so helpful and her list was so extensive that I haven’t yet worked my way through her list of “to do” items! Kalyn is a South Beach devotee. This is good news for us, her gluten-free readers. Low-carb diets, of course, feature many naturally gluten-free recipes, but Kalyn’s are some of the best you’ll find. “High taste” is always her aim. Other neat posts are Five Fun Things on Friday. Incidentally, she just posted about noteworthy gluten-free bloggers on BlogHer and is soliciting inputs from her readers. 

Ree Drummond of The Pioneer Woman—I didn’t get to speak to Ree, but I very much enjoyed her comments in the closing session. And, as I’ve stated, I thoroughly enjoyed the party she, Elise Bauer, and Jaden Hair hosted at Tropisueno. She lives on a ranch, homeschools, and shares recipes at the food blog part of her site—recipes I  that a phenomenal number of people clamor for I should add. If you can’t make her recipes gluten free, you can certainly use them for inspiration. Her new book, The Pioneer Woman Cooks, just came out! I plan to sit down with a cup of tea and a glass of wine later and read it from cover to cover! I took a peek and literally had to pull myself away from her story to get other stuff accomplished. Incidentally, her story includes her hunky husband, who she refers to as Marlboro Man.

Elizabeth Falkner of Citizen Cake dessert cafe, Orson restaurant, and food television fame—Elizabeth is known as the queen of creative desserts … think offbeat and highly creative. She constructed a chocolate box from huge slabs of Scharffen Berger chocolate and untold number of ingredients that were the delicious contents within the “box.” Attendees donned plastic gloves and just grabbed a handful. (The unique dessert was not gluten free, however, so I didn’t take part.) I met Elizabeth just briefly at the Tropisueno after party. She was very friendly. Make sure you check out her site and read about the Scharffen Berger contest  for which she’ll be one of the judges. There are two grand prizes of $10,000. Yes, that’s right. One will be for the Sweet category and the other will be for the winning Savory recipe. Wow—time to get creative!

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David Leibovitz at his self-titled blog, subtitled living the sweet life in Paris—If you don’t know of David, he’s an acclaimed creator of many dishes in the kitchen, but especially desserts. By all accounts, he’s a good guy. I really enjoyed his remarks at the closing. David and Elizabeth Faulkner were kind enough to take a photo with me at the after party at Tropisueno. David’s latest book is The Sweet Life in Paris. His next book, Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes, will be released April 2010. Last, you’ll want to take a look at his just posted The Top Granola recipe. I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for good granola recipes.  I’m very picky about my granola, but this one looks sensational—just use gluten-free versions of the ingredients listed.

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Me, Elizabeth, and David 

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Matt Armendariz of Matt Bites and his other site. I only met Matt for maybe a minute at the after party. We were both yelling to try to hear each other. I wish I’d gotten to talk to him earlier. He seems like such a nice guy. I really enjoyed checking out his blog, especially watching the video of him when he appeared on the Martha Stewart show and made one of his cookie recipes, alfajores. Alfajores are Argentinian sandwich cookies filled with dulce de leche and dusted with powdered sugar. (They can also be filled with jam and/or covered in chocolate.) Of course, I plan to adapt his recipe to be gluten free. 

Christina Olson from Foodzie was passing out different artisanal treats, including some pretty fabulous gluten-free ones (like buttery treats from Made to Crave and handmade caramels) at the after party. Foodzie is a novel idea that has become a very successful concept. Be sure to check out all the wonderful food items that are offered there, from whole foods like chestnuts and pistachios to homemade granola and baked goods. A search on “gluten free” will yield some appetizing results for sure, but remember to look for the products that are naturally gluten free, too, and won’t show up in the search results—like those aforementioned chestnuts and pistachios, plus other items like pickles, and fruits and vegetable concoctions (how about cumin green beans?).

Meeting all the amazing folks at BlogHer Food was indeed the very best part, but some other highlights were the aforementioned presentations and parties, and the swag. Oh, the swag … especially from the after party at Tropisueno. I never even knew I liked swag, but give me swag from CHEFS, Cuisinart, KitchenAid, PUR, other food bloggers (free cookbooks!), and the like, and I am so there!

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Let me say a little more on the sessions themselves. There were three tracks: visual, values, and vocational. Within each track, there were three sessions. I attended all of the vocational track sessions, but an attendee did not have to stick to one track. BlogHer said right up front that you could “vote with your feet” and just leave a session and go to another if the first one was not meeting your needs. I liked that guidance a lot—it just made sense. The sessions I attended were well done. Each was a panel discussion with Q & A at the end or throughout (depending upon how much the panel had to cover). All of the speakers were excellent, and some beyond excellent, because they were so passionate and enthusiastic. They were sharing critical information with us; all of attendees greatly appreciated the tips and info. In fact, one of the laments commonly heard was that we couldn’t possibly attend all the sessions we were interested in. However, the great news is that BlogHer personnel were “live blogging” on each session and you can read all the session write-ups at their site (look on the sidebar).

Does that mean that everything went perfectly at BlogHer Food? No, but perfectionism is often overrated. It’s usually not the perfect moments we remember and treasure the most. It’s the imperfect ones. I, for one, will never forget others eyeing my risotto that had been freshly made by the hotel staff. While it was not the best risotto I’ve ever had, I was somewhat amused that my “special,” gluten-free meal would have been preferred over the “standard” meal. A lot of grievances have been aired regarding the luncheon, but I’m sure that BlogHer will learn from the experience. We all learn when we make mistakes, right? Would everyone have been quite as “a-twitter” if the meal had gone flawlessly? Would we have accepted Rocco DiSpirito more if he had talked us through a shared meal that had taken hours to prepare? We’ll never know. I’ve voiced my opinion on the matter and I’m sure BlogHer will listen to all the input. In my short association with BlogHer, I’ve seen that they both solicit and listen to input.

In closing, I don’t know where BlogHer Food ’10 will be held, but I know I plan to be there. If you’re considering attending the next conference, as Nike said, “just do it!”

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

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BlogHer Food ’09—Part I

October 16, 2009 · Filed Under blogherfood09, crockpot, dairy free, dessert, discussion, gluten free, sugar free, travel, treats ·54 Comments 

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If someone asks me for a one-word synopsis of the BlogHer Food ‘09 conference, I say FANTASTIC! And, then I go on to offer a number of other adjectives in praise and appreciation of this event. Then I talk about all the people. No, I’m not channeling Suze Orman with her “people first” mantra (although I’m something of a fan of Suze’s). Seriously, it may sound schmaltzy, but it’s really always the people and connections you make that mean the most and stay with you the longest. Meeting bloggers—most of them gluten-free bloggers/resource folks—who I’ve been following for months in person was such an energizing and validating experience. I know it sounds silly to say, but these folks are for real. You’ll actually see this sentiment echoed in write-ups about BlogHer Food elsewhere, so I’m not alone in my thinking. It’s always truly surprising how you can meet someone in person who you’ve been following online and feel like you’ve known them forever (or at least a very long time). Or, you can meet someone you’ve never met before and feel an instant connection because of a shared appreciation—in this case, a shared love of food (really good food!) and blogging.

So, I’d like to take the time to note the folks I did get to meet along the way. As is done in many movie and theatre productions, I’m listing the BlogHer Food “cast members” I met in order of appearance (as best I can recall anyway).

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Diane Eblin and Ali Segersten in Muir Woods

Diane Eblin of The W.H.O.L.E. Gang— The energy and vitality that Diane demonstrates on her blog, The W.H.O.L.E. Gang, and her other review blog, Gluten Free Food Critic, actually carries through in everything she does! She’s like the Energizer bunny … until it’s her bedtime and then she winds down. But, the next morning she’s off again! We started our trip together on Wednesday evening and didn’t completely head our separate ways until Monday night. And, this was our first actual meeting! Once we checked into the hotel on Thursday morning, we were off on all the adventures we could squeeze in! From discovering culinary delights to touring Muir Woods to cheering from the 50-yard line at an Oakland Raiders game … we did it all. I can’t wait until our next outing! Be sure to check out Diane’s sites where she always employs her personal motto: Food Should Taste Good. Diane deals with more than one food intolerance and does so with aplomb. Of special interest on her main site are the Friday Foodie Fix (which features a different ingredient each week; you can add a recipe to this weekly roundup at any time, not just on Fridays) and the Weekend Cooking Tip. She’s just started featuring videos of many of the folks she met at BlogHer Food, each sharing a special cooking tip. My video is the first one up (please ignore the eyes, searching for what I was going to say next). Be sure to check those videos out over the next several weeks to see your favorite bloggers and get to know some new ones as well.

Ali Segersten of The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen—Ali hopped off the plane, jumped in a shuttle, checked into the hotel, and then immediately headed to Muir Woods with us. Getting acquainted face to face as we walked among the magnificent redwoods was a very special experience. Ali is warm and genuine, especially in her mission to teach others to eat healthy, nutritious, and healing foods. She is half of the dynamo nutritional team that makes up Whole Life Nutrition. The other half of the team is Ali’s husband, Tom Malterre (whom I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting). Ali’s the one most often in The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen, but Tom is often “right there with her” providing nutritional data. (Check out his latest article on digestive and nutritional considerations in celiac disease.) Ali’s recipes are all gluten free, and usually free of other allergens as well; e.g., dairy, eggs. She shares amazing recipes (including breads her fans rave over) that she feeds her family of four little ones, which includes twin toddlers—all are under the age of 7! Ali also shares her family’s wonderful adventures hiking, picking pounds and pounds of fruit, exploring the beach, or sledding in the mountains. If you have youngster who needs to learn how to pack a healthy lunch, be sure to check out Ali’s post on packing a healthy school lunch. It’’s all about getting your child to pack a healthy lunch on their own and even has a printable chart  (with images) for you to download.

Shauna Ahern and Danny Ahern, aka The Chef, of Gluten-Free Girl, Gluten-Free Girl Recommends, and pork, knife, and spoon—I had previously met Shauna at a gluten intolerance conference a few years back, but had not met The Chef, or their lovely daughter (whom they affectionately refer to as Little Bean). Diane spotted them while we were roaming the streets of San Francisco. It was like spotting a celebrity and stopping to chat! Check out their blogs, and her book, Gluten-Free Girl. A friend loaned me her copy while I was waiting for mine to arrive and asked me to annotate the book with my thoughts—that was fun! I’m sure Shauna would be happy to know how many times I wrote “Yes!” (her personal motto) in the margin. I think you’ll agree that we are all better for Shauna and The Chef finding each other when we see their collaborations in the kitchen. They cook with real food—all gluten free—and they do it so incredibly well. Add Shauna’s beautiful writing to tell us all about it and The Chef’s how-to videos to show us how to do things like make gluten-free gravy and we’re all over the moon with the sheer joy of it all.

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Elana Amsterdam of Elana’s Pantry—I’ve written quite a bit about Elana in previous posts, first, when I adapted her chipotle salmon and just recently when I adapted her flourless chocolate banana cake and gave away two copies of her new cookbook, The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook. She’s just lovely—so friendly and full of life. She creates recipe after recipe that allow people to eat deliciously even though they might be gluten free, grain free, dairy free, sugar free, etc. You may have read elsewhere that she saved all the gluten-free bloggers with her chocolate chip cookies at the terrace cocktail party—it’s true! The first one was sublime, but all of us were so very grateful when she asked, “Would you like another cookie?” We thought she was terrific even before she brought out that box of cookies, but the cookies definitely cinched the deal. By the way, Elana did two posts on BlogHer Food that you should check out. The first is advice for bloggers, a recap of what she shared in her presentation at the event. The second is a fun post on the gluten-free bloggers she met there.

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 About the 10th photo taken, so not the best of everyone, but here’s: first row, Stephanie, Seamaiden, Ali, me, Diane; second row, Elana, Alison, Karen, Jean

Lisa Johnson, aka Anali, of Anali’s First Amendment—Lisa was also a presenter at the conference.  Lisa and I met through a mutual friend’s blog and have been getting to know each other ever since. I love her sunny spirit, her varied writing pieces (including some killer recipes—a few of which I have adapted here at gfe), and her many excellent photos. She’s also a lawyer and spoke on trademarks and copyrights at the conference. That’s a tough subject for sure, as it turns out the latter is not as cut and dried as one might think when it comes to recipes. In a post written by David Lebovitz on the subject of recipe attribution  at the Food Blog Alliance a while back, she referenced this post from Tart Reform as a very good discussion on the subject. Lisa is a dear. Check out her site, Anali’s First Amendment.

Elisa Camahort Page—One of the co-founders of BlogHer, Elisa spoke with me for several minutes at the Friday night cocktail party hosted by The Mushroom Channel folks. She shared how BlogHer had originally gotten started and how BlogHer Food was a natural progression given all the food bloggers today. When I expressed that I thought BlogHer Food was a phenomenal value at $99, she replied that could not have been possible without the corporate sponsorhips. I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with Elisa who—along with her co-founders, Jory des Jardins and Lisa Stone—had a vision and acted on it—in a huge and positive way.

Heather at Heather in SF—Heather is an ebullient girl. Always ready with a smile, a sparkle in her eye, and something interesting to share, she’s the one you’d like to have along for a night out with the girls. She was in home territory, too, but we unfortunately we did not get together outside the conference. Next time, Heather … what do you say?

Andrea Meyers of Andrea Meyers, subtitled, “cooking, gardening and four hungry guys“—It turns out that Andrea is a fellow Virginian with a love of all the things in her subtitle. That makes for a great blog. Her site also features a carnival called during the growing season called Grow Your Own—“a twice-a-month blogging event that celebrates the foods we grow or raise ourselves and the dishes we make using our homegrown products.” I’ll definitely be checking that roundup out in 2010, as well as Andrea’s blog.

Jessi from The Mushroom Channel—What a personable girl and what a neat job she has promoting mushrooms … real food–love that! The soup that Jessi and The Mushroom Channel folks served on Saturday during our afternoon break was over-the-top fantastic. Mushroom “cappuccino” with savory bacon cream.  Think bacon-infused cream topping … optional, and just a dab, mind you if you decided to partake. Making this soup is on my “to do” list for sure. It’s naturally gluten free, which meant it was another lifesaving offering for those of us who were eating gluten free at the conference. Because mushrooms are a real food, they completely fit into the gluten free easily (gfe) approach.

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Anne-Marie Nichols of This Mama Cooks! On a Diet and This Mama Cooks! Reviews—Anne-Marie warmly greeted me each time I ran into her. She represented Nasoya products. (Note: Despite soy being the main ingredient in their products, most contain gluten.)

Mary Kate Paris of Kitchenbelle—Lovely Mary Kate was still riding high at breakfast from a chance meeting with Tim Gunn in The Westin bar the night before. Genuine friendliness from Tim and a very nice photo of the two of them together to prove it! She was also pretty happy about a recent collaboration/sponsorship by Eggland’s Best eggs. At first I thought she was a Southern belle as well, but it turns out she hails from Boston. I wish we could have gotten to spend more time together; I really enjoyed talking with her.

Stephanie O’Dea of A Year of Slow Cooking and Totally Together Journal—Stephanie is such a sweetheart. I was so happy to meet her in person after following her blog and corresponding with her for a good while now. News alert: Stephanie has a brand spanking new blog, Totally Together Reviews, where she, of course, does reviews, and sometimes giveaways. Speaking of brand spanking new and giveaways, she also has a brand spanking new (and very shiny) refrigerator that was given to her! Head over to her site to enter the giveaway for $200 in Best Buy gift cards, which you can use to buy a new appliance (or anything else you like)! Last, but not least, Stephanie’s new cookbook came out on Tuesday. Make It Fast, Cook It Slow is subtitled The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking. There are so many reasons to get this book. If you caught Stephanie’s appearance on Good Morning America, you saw a few of them: Maple Dijon Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, Honey and Cinnamon-Glazed Carrots, Apple Crisp, and Pumpkin Spice Latte. I’ve made and highly recommend her 20- to 40- Clove Garlic Chicken, Thai Coconut Soup, and Pumpkin Pie Dip. I can’t wait to try her Crème Brulee and Chocolate Mousse. Yes, you can make those in the crockpot!

P9260286 Stephanie, Mary Kate, and Anne-Marie at breakfast

Alison St. Sure of Sure Foods Living—Alison’s site houses a wealth of information. You’ll want to check out her site for her gluten-free and allergen-free Halloween candy “quick lists” to make sure your Halloween treats are safe. Alison is known in the gluten-free community for reaching out to others, particularly newbies, and reassuring them that yes, they can do this gluten-free thing. I just love it when people are willing to put themselves out there and help folks in this manner! And, besides all that, the girl is downright photogenic. It is not possible to take a bad photo of her. Even in one where she had Elana’s cookie to her mouth and the wind tousling her hair, she still looked great!

Okay, I’m only up to the folks I met halfway through breakfast the day of the conference … they all deserve recognition. So, To Be Continued …

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

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