Monday, March 16, 2015

What we ate at Celiac Education Day

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia hosted its annual Celiac Education Day on Sunday. Informational sessions aside, we learned there was a lot to love about gluten-free foods.

It started with breakfast.

I most enjoyed the warm Sweet Note Bakery bagels. Warren and I are big fans of the "ET" (or "everything") bagel, and we slathered ours with cream cheese. Our daughter loved the plain bagel. We all may have gone back for seconds. (Thank you, Brittany!)

The ShopRite Greek Yogurt was another hit with my little party. My daughter LOVED the vanilla, while I preferred the strawberry. Udi's muffins also went over well with Warren and I especially enjoying the blueberry, but the chocolate also was delicious.The muffins were soft and flavorful without falling apart, like so many gluten-free products.


We also tried mini chocolate doughnuts from The Happy Mixer Gluten Free Bakery in Chalfont, Pa. They were wonderful in taste and texture with a nice layer of icing.

While informational sessions were going on, snacks were constantly available and, well, we did take advantage of the opportunity to try new things.

I met the crew from Posh Pop Bakeshop in Haddonfield, and I always appreciate a new-to-me business in Jersey. More importantly, there baked goods were fabulous! Samples included a chocolate chip cookie sandwich with icing and sprinkles as the filling, pumpkins doughnuts and something chocolatey that was so good I didn't stop to look at what it was. (Oops!) My daughter loved her cake pop, too.

At one point, Warren informed me that I HAD to try a goodie from Sweet Freedom Bakery in Philadelphia. He was right. The bakery had a spread that included Blondies, Tomato Pie, Apricot Macaroons and Magic Bars ... think coconut and chocolate. 

Gourmet vegetable soups from Bookbinder Specialties in Media, Pa. were another great find. I especially liked the Butternut Squash and Mushroom soup. Both flavors stood out, and it was creamy. 

Lunch was Dietz & Watson cold cuts on buns by Schar of Lyndhurst or wraps by Toufayan in Ridgefield. I tried the sun-dried tomato wrap, which was pretty good.

Also served was pizza from Jule's Thin Crust, which recently opened restaurant in Cherry Hill, its first in New Jersey. The mushroom and chicken pizza wasn't my usual choice, but it was worth giving a chance. I would definitely order a full pie. The fresh mozzarella and basil also was very good. And my daughter couldn't get enough of the cheese pizza.

Overall, it was a belly-filling day, and my little party left happy with all of the food options presented. It was a great lesson in how gluten-free foods have come a long way since the cardboard-tasting fare of yesteryear.


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