Free frosting giveaway!

Attention all gluten-free fans!

Do you have a sweet tooth like me? If so, then I want to share with you a special offer by Pamela's Products to promote their gluten-free (and dairy-free) frosting mixes.

For a limited time, Pamela's will send you a free full-size sample of one of their frostings in exchange for 3 UPC codes. Just visit this page on their website: http://www.pamelasproducts.com/special/frostingcoupon.html,
print out the coupon, and mail it in with three Proofs of Purchase* from packages of Pamela's products. I tested the promotion myself, so I can vouch that it works. I got my very own bag of chocolate frosting in the mail a week or so ago. I don't know when the offer will expire, but the link still works, so start clipping those UPCs!

*If you've never tried any of Pamela's gluten-free offerings, I recommend the Chunky Chocolate Chip cookies (with or without walnuts) and the Simplebites Mini Cookies in Ginger or Extreme Chocolate. All of Pamela's products are gluten-free and wheat-free, but read the packages carefully to look for other potential allergens, including dairy and soy. (NOTE: "cocoa butter" is not butter. Cocoa is dairy-free, unless some other milk product has been added to it.) I also like the Chocolate Chip Mini Cookies, but have occasionally gotten a batch that seemed to have dairy in it (duly forewarned on the ingredient label).

Pamela's frosting mixes are some of the best-tasting and easiest to use that I've tried. In particular, I like that each package features multiple mini-recipes for varying the flavor and even the texture or appearance of your frosting. With a few drops of flavored oil (non-alcoholic, please, if you'll be serving them to the kiddies), you can easily make a luscious lemon or jazzy chocolate-mint frosting to liven up your next gluten-free birthday cake.

I like a fluffier frosting, so I prefer to use vegetable shortening rather than a butter substitute when preparing these frostings; otherwise the butter flavor and density is just too overpowering for my taste. Spectrum makes a nice non-hydrogenated organic vegetable shortening, made only from mechanically pressed palm oil, with no hidden ingredients. It's kosher, keeps well, has no trans fats, and has a decent ratio of the healthier poly- and monounsaturated fats to saturated fat. …Although, if you're trying to eat "healthier," I wouldn't recommend eating a lot of birthday cake! :)

You can read more about Spectrum products and find nutrition information at www.spectrumorganics.com.

Also, since we're on the subject of cake, I'm over the moon about Turtle Mountain's new Purely Decadent Dairy Free (and gluten-free) Cookie Dough soy ice cream. Not a low-calorie or low-fat product either, but my taste buds were thrilled by the authentic taste of cookie dough nestled in sumptuous clouds of vanilla. (Oh my, waxing euphoric… I haven't had "raw" cookie dough since the salmonella scare of the late '80's. It's been a while!)

Turtle Mountain makes a version of the Cookie Dough flavor in their new coconut milk line of frozen dessert pints as well. Both are fantastic. (The coconut milk, in my opinion, might be less of an "everyday" dessert, but certainly serves a wow factor for a special treat.)

You can learn about all their dairy-free flavors here: http://www.turtlemountain.com/products/purely_decadent.html, where you can also download a .pdf file with allergen information for each flavor. (See also http://www.turtlemountain.com/health/allergies.html for details on their cleaning and testing methods, as well as the potential for trace residues in some of their products. If you scroll down to the bottom of that page, you can see a chart identifying the presence of various allergens in their products. Most are gluten-free.)

If you know of other great products (or promotions!), leave a comment or send me an email and I'll post them here.

Safe and happy eating!

The foodie's afterglow

Well, I'm home again after an exhilarating day at Luna Fest. 

With only one hour of sleep in the last 31+ hours, I can honestly say it was completely worth it!

I gave out around 200-250 samples, including all of the Key Lime Ginger (un)Cheesecake, all of the Raspberry Chocolate (un)Cheesecake, and all of the "Every Day's Your Birthday" Cake -- which ended up being a big hit with adults as well as kids. (One of my favorite moments was watching a woman eat a cake sample, move to throw out the wrapper, then, on second thought, keep it to lick off the remnants of the gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate icing. Score!) 

All that remains is somewhere under half of my banana bread samples, but not for lack of interest. I just had so many bread samples.... 

I enjoyed speaking with everyone throughout the day about the Bloomington Kitchen Incubator, gluten intolerance, and the need for more safe dining options. I especially appreciated all your kind words and compliments! (The cheesecakes definitely had universal appeal. I have to say, I think the key lime was my personal favorite, but the raspberry was an equal contender with the crowd. I was doubly pleased that no one could tell it was dairy-free, or gluten-free.)

So again, many, many thanks to everyone who came out to support the Luna Festival participants and everyone who stopped by my booth, especially those who stayed to chat or came because they were invited. I really appreciate your support. 

Also a big thank you to the event's organizers from Women Inspire; we couldn't have done it without you!

That's all for now. Stay tuned to this blog* for information on other sampling events on the horizon, and other news related to the BKI -- and of course, more information on Kat's Kitchen's products and services! Catering: yes, please!

all best,

Kat

*the easiest way to do this is to subscribe to this blog, with email notification of new posts.

Welcome!

Hello! And welcome to the blog for Kat's Kitchen - "Good Food Gluten Free."

Kat's Kitchen is a startup food business in Bloomington, Indiana, geared towards using natural, organic, and local ingredients (whenever possible) to create flavorful, nutritious, and intriguing gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian products. 

This venture grew out of a need for more gluten-free (AND dairy-free, AND vegetarian) food choices in our region. Some places (especially large cities) are doing really well with this, and many grocery stores and restaurant chains have increased their gluten-free options exponentially in the last few years. But since many people have multiple food sensitivities or dietary restrictions, the trick is to find places that carry food that meets all your needs -- while also avoiding the cross-contamination with the products you can't eat.

While there are many ready-made gluten-free products on the market today that are really wonderful, I think we have a long way to go to close the gap between the glutinous and gluten-free eating schemes, particularly when it comes to eating out and carrying in. So Kat's Kitchen is my attempt to help move this mission forward, to increase the meal options for people with Celiac's Disease and other gluten enteropathies in my community.

I know it can be daunting for some people to have to give up so many foods they love all at once, but what makes it hard is not that good gluten-free food is not available -- because it is -- it's just a matter of figuring out where to find it (or how to make it! :).

I'll be making periodic posts about gluten-free events, opportunities to sample products, recipes, and other tips on how to make the conversion to a gluten-free lifestyle a little easier. 

I'll even have monthly polls to find out what products you'd be most interested in -- but you don't have to wait for a poll! I'd love to hear from you with any ideas or suggestions you may have.

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you find something you like here.

To your health!

best,

Kat

The big day is here

That's right, today is the Luna Festival! 

For the last few weeks, members of the newly formed Bloomington Kitchen Incubator have been working hard in preparation for the second annual Luna Festival: A Celebration of Women in Business and the Arts, an expo featuring women entrepreneurs, musicians, and artists. 

I've just finished putting the final touches on my food samples -- key lime ginger (un)cheesecake, raspberry chocolate (un)cheesecake, a wonderfully chewy banana bread, and for the kids, a classic birthday cake -- all made without gluten or dairy products. 

These goodies and more from the BKI will be available today, from 11am to 4pm at City Hall. There will be plenty of samples (I hope), but come early for the best selection! 

The event is free and will have a lot to offer for all ages and interests. I hope you'll take a few minutes on this beautiful summer-like day to stop by and see us!

Kat