April 9th, 2012 
GFKimAZ 
This is quite an informative blog that is loaded with information that you can apply to your every day life!
I particularly enjoyed this post about anti-inflammatory foods.
http://nourishingresults.com/2012/02/29/anti-inflammatory-living/#respond
Nourishing Results
Queen of Tarts!
How many times have you bought a chocolate bar, ate the entire thing, and then felt guilty or maybe even sick?
What if there was something that you could eat to satisfy the “chocolate monster”, and not feel so bad about it?
Miracle Tarts
‘Hail Merry’, a company which specializes in organic snacks, has a few products that can fill that chocolate void and do it without adding any cholesterol or scientific words you have to look up to your diet.
I’m talking about delicious tarts, made with pure and simple ingredients. In fact, the ingredients are so simple that you won’t need to “google” any to find out what they mean. There are no additives or preservatives, just wholesome ingredients from nature.
All of this information sounded too good to be true, nothing but ingredients we didn’t have to look up! Our family has a multitude of food sensitivies so we are always seeking gluten free, dairy free products that taste great. Some of us are sickened by eggs, legumes, spices….finding a tasty dessert can be quite a challenge!
First a little about the tarts, which when bought in a variety four pack gives you a nice selection of these flavors:
Rich Chocolate Tart
Chocolate Almond Butter (This product “just won the “Best New Vegan Product” at the Natural Products Expo 2011, awarded by VegNews Magazine! Go Hail Merry!”): dark cocoa, raw almond butter, organic cold pressed coconut oil, organic maple syrup, almond flour, sea salt
Lemon Tart. Perfect balance of lemon tartness with underlying coconut notes.
Chocolate: dark cocoa, organic cold pressed coconut oil, organic maple syrup, almond flour, sea salt
Chocolate-Mint: dark cocoa, organic cold pressed coconut oil, organic maple syrup, almond flour, sea salt, organic peppermint extract
Meyer Lemon Tart: almond flour, organic raw blue agave, fresh lemon juice, organic cold pressed coconut oil, raw cashews, organic cold pressed coconut butter, organic palm sugar, organic shredded coconut, lemon juice powder, lemon zest, sea salt
Last night we decided to give these tarts a try. With a five person household, I sliced the tarts like you would a pie. My three precocious children just couldn’t wait and began to argue who could eat the tarts in one bite. Once the tart tasting began, they were quiet (at least while they were chewing).
Luckily, they each preferred a different flavor! While they ate dessert, I had a few minutes of peace!
My personal favorite was the Lemon Tart as I am not a huge fan of chocolate. My kids were very happy about that and gobbled up the chocolate tarts! My husband was my only challenger for the lemon, but he was a little slow.
Once again, I am happy to find a dessert that can meet our family’s needs and be absolutely delicious as well!
FEED YOUR DESSERT MONSTER- TRY ALL 4 FLAVORS
Hail Merry products are available in a variety of stores as well as online at:
See their blog @ http://blog.hailmerry.com/2011/08/top-anti-inflammatory-foods/ to read about their ingredient choices.
Read more about the benefits of “Healthy Fats”, like those found in these tarts here: http://blog.hailmerry.com/2011/08/fat-as-fuel-top-3-myths/
Want a cookie?
If the answer is YES – there’s something even better.
Scrumptious Macaroons
When you have children, you must have cookies in the house. When your children have gluten and dairy sensitivities, finding delicious goodies can be a big challenge. Treats need to have awesome flavor while being made from the purest ingredients possible.
In my quest to find something for my children that gave them a treat and not a belly ache, I looked for a healthier alternative to the gluten free snack food that is usually found on the grocery store shelves. What I found may surprise you….
St. Julien’s Macaroons will please everyone. While macaroons are not exactly a cookie – you couldn’t convince my children of that. Macaroons – these specifically – are a cross between a cookie and a confection.
The recipe for these treats was developed from a 17th century French recipe of crushed almonds, egg white, sugar and honey. These delicious bites contain absolutely no coconut, flour, shortening, salt, egg yolk, leavening or artificial preservatives. They are naturally gluten free and taste great. (Since this post was first published the product has become certified gluten free through the Celiac Support Assocation.)
They are available in two flavors: Honey-Almond and Cocoa-Almond and can be ordered in tubs of two different sizes, which can conveniently be stored in the freezer. Buying several tubs and freezing them ensures you will always have them on hand when you’d like a treat.
Cocoa-Almond Macaroons
WHAT DO THEY TASTE LIKE?
Let me start by saying that I am not a person with a big sweet tooth. When I want something sweet, I don’t reach for a candy bar!
I can honestly say that these were the first macaroons I have ever tried that didn’t contain coconut, so I was more than a little skeptical. I tried the Honey-Almond macaroon first, the taste was so heavenly that I must confess, I had to eat several more! The almond flavor in these macaroons was great and seemed superior to the traditional coconut based counterparts. They weren’t heavy like other gluten free baked goods but airy and simply delectable.
When I tried the Cocoa-Almond, I expected an aftertaste of a chocolate candy bar. Since dutch cocoa is used to bake these treasures, they even tasted better than a brownie bite. Did I mention light and airy? Once again, the almond flavors came through the strongest and the chocolate strikes just the right balance. Delicious.
Though I will not confess as to how many my children have eaten, my 4 year old son somehow came to the conclusion that the Cocoa-Almond macaroons were candy. Since that tub has been empty, he keeps asking me when I’m getting more of the “chocolate bars”.
If you haven’t tried these macaroons, you are missing out on greatness. Try some today by ordering through their website or calling 1-800-473-8869 and having them shipped straight to your door.
Azul Restaurant Lounge – Tucson, AZ
Azul Restaurant Lounge
Review 8/2011
As mentioned in my post about the Westin La Paloma Resort, Azul is located in the Westin La Paloma in Tucson, AZ.
Imagine, you are trying a new place for the very first time… You have done everything you can to assure that you will not be ill after eating. As you approach the hostess stand, you can feel your apprehension growing, will what you eat ruin your vacation?
Prior to our stay, we contacted Deb Stephenson (Executive Assistant) and told her of my food restrictions. She immediately put me in touch with the kitchen staff and shared my food restrictions with the Chef. What follows may be shocking to those who have had bad resort/restaurant experiences.
THEY DID EVERYTHING RIGHT!
All of this apprehension was unwarranted as the staff of Azul was prepared to help me have a fabulous dining experience!
When we checked into the entrance of Azul, we were warmly greeted by Kimberly Bower (Azul Restaurant Manager) who immediately seated us and made us feel at ease.
The stunning entrance of Azul
After ordering our drinks, Michael Kaiser (Azul Restaurant Supervisor) came by our table to check on us. After some discussion of gluten free food and other restrictive diets, I found that his knowledge and passion for food floored me. Michael told us that the chef had personally prepared me a 4 course, gluten free meal. He was as excited as we were to see the presentation and our reaction to the courses placed before us.
Korean Short Ribs (Not GF)
Sous Chef Mel Fogata delivered each course himself. He described all of the ingredients in each dish. First we both started with a lentil soup, which unfortunately we took no pictures of. For the second course my husband, not being gluten free, ordered Korean short ribs from the menu, seen on the left. He enjoyed them so much that’s when he started taking the pictures you see here. My second course was a creation from the mind of Chef Mel. I don’t think the course would have been any better if he had been able to read my mind. He designed, created, and hand-carried probably my favorite thing of the evening, a beautiful,
Refreshingly Light Beet Salad
absolutely delicious red and golden beet salad. This wonderful plate full of food is pictured to the right. It was light and refreshing beyond belief! Course number three came with my husband again ordering from the standard menu. This time a Rib-eye steak. He claims the flavor was good, but without knowing what seasonings were used, I could not taste it. My third course was tasted and devoured by me. It was a beautifully plated dish containing perfectly seared sea scallops atop pureed parsnips and garnished with butternut squash. You can see this phenomenal dish below.
Seared Scallops over Parsnip Puree
Finally, the fourth course was brought, and my husband was surprised because he had not ordered dessert from the menu. This time Chef Mel had created a creamy coconut pudding with figs. As with everything else created and delivered by Chef Mel, the desert course was sublime and left both my husband and I speechless. Yes, we forgot to take a picture of desert also.
Throughout the entire dinner, every time Chef Mel made an appearance to deliver our food or just find out how the food tasted, he was excited and passionate about each creation. We had such a terrific dining experience that Chef Mel and I agreed that he would surprise me at breakfast the following morning with yet another gluten free delight.
Scrambled Tofu and Chorizo
The following morning brought the surprise Chef Mel had in mind for me. Since I had mentioned to Chef Mel that I had sensitivities to eggs and dairy in addition to gluten, he created a scrambled tofu with spicy chorizo with sweet potatoes. I was not only amazed by his creativity, but the unexpected flavor profiles of the dish.
Pardon the quality of the pictures in this post. We had forgotten our real camera and these were taken by my husband with his cell phone.
When we return to the Westin La Paloma Resort and AZUL – we will be sure to bring our camera to take higher resolution/better pictures.
Westin La Paloma – Tucson, AZ
Westin La Paloma Resort – Tucson, AZ
Review 8/2011
My husband and I needed some peace and quiet. Not to mention some grown up time away from the children. Staying at this resort would provide us a close get away since we reside in Tucson.
A peaceful evening view
This resort also has an onsite restaurant called Azul (see review under Dining out the GF way) which works closely with the guests to assure that they have a pleasant stay. A few days before we left to spend the night at the Westin La Paloma (http://www.westinlapalomaresort.com), I contacted them to let them know of my dietary restrictions and discuss accommodations. I am not only gluten free but also have a plethora of other food sensitivities. From experience, I knew I would not enjoy myself if eating made me sick and we were in an uncomfortable room.
Upon entering the parking lot, we observed this beautifully eye appealing resort from the outside. We saw people being driven around in golf carts or walking place to place in their swimsuits. They all seemed friendly and happy to be there. Maybe it was due to cooling off in the many pools available to swim in during the summer heat.
Perhaps the real reason they were smiling had to do with the attentive staff of the Westin.
From the parking lot, we entered the vast lobby. It was gorgeous! We found it hard to believe that we were still in the middle of Tucson. The check-in went smoothly and we went to locate our room.
We entered our room and were greeted by an invitingly clean fragrance that was not overpowering. To keep with the clean theme, everything was spotless. The bed looked like a fluffy white cloud. Covered with plush white bedding and an abundance of dreamy white pillows, the bed said to us – no need for anything else but a nap.
Although we were very tempted to take that nap, we next check out the view from our balcony. We had asked for the golf course view because we have a pool and mountain views from our home. Opening the patio drapes and door, the greens which are a rare color in Tucson, invited us to sit and sip champagne on the balcony.
View of golf course
Since we had dinner reservations at 6pm, we did indulge in some champagne on the balcony. We unwound before dinner and then went off to dine at Azul.
To be continued……
(Please see review of Azul 8/2011)
