I was so excited to find out that Domino’s offers a gluten free crust! I’m not sure how long they’ve had it since it’s been years since I ordered from them, but it’s new to me. I was a little disappointed that it only comes in one size… small. It also costs $10.99 for a plain cheese pizza on the GF crust, which is $1 more than their regular medium cheese pizza. I got mine with pepperoni, olives, mushrooms, and no cheese. With delivery cost and tax it came to $15 and change. A bit pricey for a small pizza, but the trade off is that I actually got to enjoy pizza with my husband without being sick the rest of the night! 

This was my pizza. Tasted great, but someone needs to learn how to cut a pizza evenly! :)

So how does it stack up? Pretty good actually. It’s a thin, crispy crust and there’s a slight sweetness to it (but not enough to detract from the overall taste of the pizza). Texture is always a big factor for me! I don’t want to feel like I’m eating sand! This crust has a nice smooth, crisp texture. SCORE! 

Warning: If you have Celiac Disease or are extremely sensitive, Domino’s prepares ALL pizzas in a common kitchen area. They have an FAQ page about their GF crust that should help answer any questions you might have. 

I’m giving Domino’s gluten free crust 4 out of 5 Happy Bellies. The taste and texture are great, but the size and cost are a little disappointing.

Who’da thunk?! I’ve never seen corn pasta before, but I figured I’d give it a whirl. It has a low glycemic index, is egg free, dairy free, cholesterol free, and GMO free! I’m all for allergy free AND no genetic modification! All that and $1.99 a bag? I was sold! They cook up nicely (I even cut corners and cooked them in the microwave), and I have to admit I was surprised by how good they were. They have a good firm texture. Don’t you hate it when pasta is mushy!? I do! Anyway, I thought corn = gritty… but they were very smooth. Pasta d’oro by Sam Mills gets 4 1/2 Happy Bellies. Warning, they’re kinda funky if you eat them cold. I bought these at HEB, but you can get them from celiac.com too.

I am in LOVE with this bread! I first had Udi’s at Willy Burger. I was so excited to have a burger on a gluten free bun, but worried that it would be dry and/or tough like most of the other GF breads I’ve tried. This was actually good. The bread was soft and yummy! SCORE! A local store had a few products… and a coupon! Woo hoo! As you can see, I couldn’t even wait to take a picture before having some. Actually, I’ve had most of this loaf (sheepish grin). Korry laughs at me because I get so excited when I realize I can have toast or garlic bread, or a sandwich. I am one happy girl, and Udi’s gets 5 Happy Bellies! I can’t wait to try more, and thanks to their website I now have a coupon for my next purchase!!

I have to admit, at first I was very skeptical of these chips. They sounded a little funky to me, but I needed a vehicle for my hummus! I was surprised. They were pretty tasty!  They have a puffed, Funyun-ish, texture… and if you don’t know what Funyuns are… shame on you! Anyway, they have a satisfying crunch, but there’s a shiny sort of finish to them like most rice crackers have. I personally don’t really like that type of finish on my food, but I’m willing to overlook that one feature in order to have something different to carry my hummus to my mouth!

Mediterranean Snack Foods makes a few different flavors of these chips, and they have a “special dietary needs” section so you can find the snack that’s right for you!

3 1/2 Happy Bellies

Willy Burger is a wonderful local burger joint in Beaumont, TX. They keep things simple, but offer some interesting options. Their meat ground fresh daily, and they hand dip their onion rings. In addition to the expected burger, they have hot dogs, a soft shell crab burger, portabella mushroom burger, and a tuna burger. It’s definitely not the lightest fair, but it is pretty yummy! The best part? They actually offer gluten free buns!! They buy them from another local business and these things are soft & delicious! SCORE!! The restaurant is clean with a retro motif complete with a modified Airstream trailer to seat larger groups!

Willy Burger gets 5 Happy Bellies from this satisfied customer!

Betty Crocker has done a wonderful thing! I LOVE these brownies! They’re good… and not just in a “for gluten free brownies, these are good” kind of way. I mean they’re just good, chocolaty brownies. I’ve shared them with other people without telling them they were gluten free and they all raved about them! They’re moist and chocolaty and YUM!!! Most importantly, they don’t feel like they have sand in them like some other gluten free products do… what’s with that?! Nobody wants to eat something that feels like sand! After the first few GF foods I tried I felt like I needed to soak in baking soda to purge myself like a clam. In fact, I thought I had developed a kidney stone at one point, but it turned out to be a pearl. :)

These brownies can be made dairy free by substituting oil for butter, and since I do better with egg beaters than whole eggs I was able to make them as close to egg free as I know how at this point in the game.

They get 5 Happy Bellies for sure!

We all scream for… soy cream? Don’t run away just yet! It’s not all bad. SO Delicious has a line of dairy free frozen desserts. They make soy milk, coconut milk, and almond milk versions. I have tried the soy and coconut milk versions, and I have to say that I prefer the soy option here. Both the soy and coconut versions remind me more of ice milk than of ice cream. I have to admit I was a little concerned about the coconut milk so I bought the coconut version. I figured, how could I go wrong with something intended to taste like the actual thing it’s made from? Well aside from the little flakes of coconut that reminded me of toenail clippings, the flavor was just… thin. I didn’t even finish it. I have tried all three soy flavors pictured here (Chocolate Obsession, Cookie Avalanche, and Peanut Butter Zig Zag) as well as the Belgian Chocolate and Chocolate Almond Brownie. Their site has a bunch more that I have never even seen before. I don’t know what’s up with that! Anyhow… this evening I indulged in the Chocolate Obsession. While it is more like ice milk and lacks that richness that ice cream has, it has a full on chocolate packed flavor. 

How do they rate? I have never tried the almond milk version, so I can’t rate that at this time, but I’d have to give the coconut milk (at least the coconut flavor) a rating of 1 Happy Belly. I mean seriously, how do you mess up something flavored like itself? The soy versions get 3 1/2 Happy Bellies. 

Coconut Milk

Soy Milk

Well not making… but toasting.

Breakfast is a difficult meal for me. The foods most people consider “breakfast foods” (eggs, toast, biscuits, cereal, pancakes, waffles…) cause me grief. Thank goodness I discovered the wonder that is buckwheat!

No, not THAT Buckwheat! This buckwheat!

Contrary to what you might think, buckwheat is not actually wheat. “The World’s Healthiest Foods” has some great information about buckwheat on their website. It’s gluten free and not wheat! That’s why I LOVE Central Market’s Blueberry Buckwheat Waffles!  

They’re are a wonderful alternative to traditional wheat-based waffles. Don’t be thrown by their appearance. They do have a bit of a grey tinge to them, but they taste great! They have a smooth texture, toast up to a nice crunch, and the blueberries give the waffles just a hint of sweetness. They taste great with maple syrup, but my favorite way to have them is with some honey and peanut butter! They’re not too bad with Nutella either!

These little gems get 5 Happy Bellies!