Babycakes Birthday and Vosges

Hello! I got to celebrate my birthday on Saturday at Dockweiler Beach with a beach bonfire. Dockweiler is the only beach in LA county with fire pits and it was a blast. Along with gluten free marshmallows for s'mores, I got Babycakes cupcakes to celebrate. If you didn't read my earlier post about Babycakes, it is a vegan and gluten free bakery in Larchmont Village (off Melrose). It's also adorable. I decided since we were on the beach cupcakes would be easier than an actual cake. I got an assortment if flavors: chocolate, vanilla, lemon, and carrot. They also have "delux" flavored cupcakes; I totally recommend the mint brownie...to die. The cupcakes were a total hit (even among the regular food eaters). Babycakes is also on the healthier side of dessert places because they use coconut oil, agave, and whole grain gf flour.

Today I finally got to visit Vosges chocolate in Beverly Hills. I've been dying to go, and I knew they would be able to cater to my restrictions. For those that are gluten free only, all their chocolates are gf except those with marshmallows and beer (they also have a freshly made gf cookie at their cafe). For those like myself with th dairy free component also, they have two flavors of vegan and gluten free truffles! Hip hip hooray :) The girl working their was an absolute angel and totally helped me out. I had the coconut and pomegranate chocolates. This was literally the best chocolate of my life not to mention its made with coconut milk and agave. This is a great find and a cute gift to give to other gf friends ❤

The sandwhich that gets its own post

Being gluten free, I crave "normal" food. I mean things like sandwiches, a delicious everyday food. I have had some great gf + df sandwiches in my day, but yesterday one special creation broke into the atmosphere.

I usually like to eat in the places I go; I like to get a table and just chill. Lately I have been running around like a mad woman, so I get my food to go. Real Food Daily is a place I've known about for a while and the best place for vegan food. I have tried most of the gf choices on the menu (they're vegan so you don't have to worry about dairy), but there is one section I completely overlooked, the sandwiches. I saw they had gluten free bread, but I didn't think the stuff inside it would be safe also. I am happy to report all their sandwiches are gf except the club. I got the BLT. It is tempeh bacon, tomato, lettuce, gluten free bread, and spicy aioli. My no gf + vegan mom loved it (she ate the other half :)

So RFD is also your place for sandwiches too. They serve them on the gluten free millet bread from Rising Hearts Bakery. Their locations are in West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Pasadena.

CFD Expo and KindKreme

I had an absolutely wonderful day Sunday. I started out at the flea market at the Pasadena Community College, a huge market perfect for vintage lovers. I made out like a bandit with some great vintage finds.

Then it was over to the Celiac Disease Foundation's Gluten Free Expo. This event was packed with gluten free vendors (many dairy free as well). I made some new finds including: Food for Life exotic black rice bread, Schar's multigrain ciabatta, Hail Merry tarts (all are delish) and strawberry macaroons, WayFare chocolate dairy free ice cream, San J Asian BBQ sauce, and Arnel's cake mix,. Of course some of favs were there: Van's cinnamon cereal, Authentic Foods mixes, Crunchmaster crackers, and So Delicious dairy free ice cream and almond milk.

I also got to meet so awesome ladies from various gluten free blogs: Gluten is my Bitch, Thriving Gf, and Gluten Free in Arizona. I also got a t-shirt from Celiac and the Beast. They have super cute gf shirts (mine is a baseball shirt with a gluten free cupcake one it).

Afterwards, our crew was surprisingly still hungry. I decided to try out KindKreme (Pasadena). This is a vegan ice cream shop and cafe. Their entire menu is gf excluding the Oreo ice cream topping. I have found that many vegan ice creams are made of nuts and are much too filling for me. Luckily their vegan soft serve is nut free and delicious. I'm a chocolate lover so that's what I opted for. They also have had scoped ice cream, pastries, sandwiches, bowls, juices, and more. Their main location is in Silver Lake.

Hugo's (& Hugo's Tacos) Revisited

Well the other week I went to Hugo's Restaurant and essentially fell in love. Their superb allergen friendly service and healthy comfort food was right up my ally.

I went back one time and had the roasted coconut pineapple pancake (you can order just one). This pancake knocked all other gf pancakes way out of the park (it's vegan too). It had such a lovely fluffy consistency and was filling (in the best kind of way). I went back a second time and ordered the blueberry pancake with berry compote. I liked this one even better! It was infused with blueberries, so when you cut into it...it's blue :) I also ordered their healthy gf, vegan, and eggless flan. It's made with coconut milk, almonds, vanilla bean, and mango purée. It was so delightful and had a creamy texture.

I also visited their taco stand in Woodland Hills. I don't eat corn, so I opted for the bowl with grilled fish, guacamole, vegan Daiya cheese, pico de gallo, lettuce, organic white beans, and organic rice. It was very fresh tasting, and I was so pleased about all their gluten free and vegan options. We also sampled and purchased their vegan froyo (also gluten free and containing soy + nuts). They have chocolate, vanilla, or swirl. We liked the food better at the Woodland Hills taco stand over the one in Studio City. It was much cleaner, and the food was better

Gosh I love Hugo's. This is my new favorite restaurant ❤ I am defiantly a fan of their "stealthy healthy" food.

New Products, Gluten + Dairy Free Mag, and a Gluten Free Expo

I have had so many wonderful discoveries lately. I'll start with some of my new favortie products:
- Bionaturae Organic Gluten Free Elbow Pasta (this is the most "normal" tasting pasta ever!)
- Svelte Hello Beautiful Chocolate Protein Drink (gluten and dairy free goodness on the the go)
- Authentic Foods Blueberry Muffin Mix (tons of my friends and family tried them and swore they were eaxctly like regular muffins)
- Arnel's Gluten Free Buckwheat Bread Mix (this whole grain mix is made with buckwheat and brown rice....not to mention it is fluffy and delicious)
- Zen Chocolate Pudding with Soy or Almondmilk (need I say more)
- Whole Soy Vanilla Yogurt (creamy and rich...better than your regular yougurt)

I always wrote off soy milk for a non dairy alternative because of a bad soy milk latte I experienced. I was wrong because soy milk produducts have a simliar taste and consistency to dairy products. Unlike many non dairy milks, soymilk has 7g of protein (1 less gram than milk). Hip hip hooray!!

A couple weeks ago, I was walking through Westwood, and I stopped at a magazine stand. My jaw almost dropped to the floor when I saw a gltuen and dairy free magazine called "Living Without." It was filled with health tips, articles on vitamin deficiences, ads for allergen friendly products, and recipes. Is a great magazine, and I will definately purchase it in the future.

It also had an ad for the Gluten Free Expo in Pasedena which I didn't even know existed. I will be attending Sunday and am excited to make new discoveries. Of course, I will post all my findings on my blog :)