A teacher and freelance artist by trade, gluten-free detective undercover. I cover locations serving
09/23/2019
Candlelight photo fun, brought to you by the “Sparkling Strawberry” lollipop. Add it to the little stash of GF treats you can get while you grab your mandatory caffeinated sustenance. I’m curious to know—anyone given this one a try yet?💖🍓💖 🌃🍽💕𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧-𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞’𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞. 🌟ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕘𝕝𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕟-𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕤!💕
07/19/2019
Summer is a walk on a warm evening with a frozen yogurt and a best friend as the dark clouds roll in the skies.
The Glen in Glenview, IL offers a very pretty walking trail outside of the shopping area, but as showed me, you can still catch a cold treat at before heading there.
Celiacs might skip the toppings to be more sure of no cross-contamination, but definitely hit the various flavors available in GF—and maybe experience the best parts of summer weather as you enjoy them. ♥️☔️🌈☀️♥️ 🌃🍽💕𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧-𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞’𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞. 🌟ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕘𝕝𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕟-𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕤!💕
07/04/2019
🇺🇸 So many excited butterflies today, loves! I’m on my way to for the next few days. I can’t wait to share this place with you guys—the Peninsula of Wisconsin dotted with little lake towns all along the coast. Shopping, swimming, hiking, mini golf, lighthouses, more shopping, and wonderful gluten-free food!
Stay in touch to keep up...there is plenty more to come!
Happy Fourth, everybody! Much love today and always.⭐️♥️💙♥️⭐️ 🌃🍽💕𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧-𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞’𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞. 🌟ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕘𝕝𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕟-𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕤!💕
07/03/2019
We don’t have an easy job teaching everybody about this thing, but someone’s gotta do it.♥️ 🌃🍽💕𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧-𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞’𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞. 🌟ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕘𝕝𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕟-𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕤!💕.
07/02/2019
Hey, friends! My Instagram page is the best place to view my material. I do try to post here as well, but it’s a better experience on IG. Check it out at:
🌃🍽💕
07/02/2019
Had to hack my way through the tropical wilderness to get here (or just ), but it was worth it for this burger.
turned out to be a fulfilling experience—a menu that offers GF bun, pasta, and an incredibly knowledgeable and sweet staff. The menu you see offers quite a few things that can be simply modified without issue, and the food was just...really good! I loved the mashed potatoes and the BBQ bacon burger. The fun choice of drinks wasn’t bad, either. I’ve had the yummy grilled chicken here in the past as well. And everyone on staff is really patient and nice.
When I initially informed our server of the GF issue, she flagged over her kitchen manager, who took my order on a red ticket—which is an allergen flag and a system to treat the modification seriously and avoid cross-contamination. Fried items are a no-no, but they will bake French fries if you order them. Major allergy concerns are usually treated with this careful system. And it was worth it!
Between the beautiful atmosphere and the delicious meal, I will definitely be on an adventure here again. 🐆🦍🐊🦋🦜🦎🐘 🌃🍽💕𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧-𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞’𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞. 🌟ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕘𝕝𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕟-𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕤!💕. @ Rainforest Cafe
06/17/2019
💛🎮💛The crashing of pins, the jingle of arcade games, the clinking of ice in a glass...all part of the experience at .
An entirely PAC-Man themed arcade, bar/restaurant, and bowling alley, you’ll find it at in Schaumburg, and other locations. And when you check the menu? Yes, they do have GF options.
You’ll notice when looking at the menu that there are only a couple of items specifically listed as GF. However, they do offer a GF pizza crust and GF pasta, so in total, six or seven of the dishes can be modified to meet our needs. Fries are made in shared oil, so steer clear of those. But overall, the staff was very knowledgeable and answered my questions even though I wasn’t ordering that night. And another tip? Get in early and put your name in. You can do some shopping in the mall while you wait.
So head out and make a night of the lanes, games, or drinks—whatever you might fancy. Nostalgia is calling your name.♥️🍸🍕🎳♥️ 🌃🍽💕𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧-𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞’𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞. 🌟ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕘𝕝𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕟-𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕤!💕 @ Pac-Man Entertainment
05/12/2019
We may have had some late showers with our May flowers today—but that didn’t stop us from enjoying a fabulous Mother’s Day and lunch at the Garden.
The Garden View Café was our first stop before heading out to the gorgeous grounds of the place. As you know, these places can be toootally hit or miss. But, as I found out, it wasn’t a miss at all. There were different snack options and a comprehensive brunch/lunch menu. Though there were no gluten-free versions of their pancakes or pastries, they did offer GF bread for their sandwiches. All pre-packed foods clearly listed allergens and ingredients, including wheat. And lastly, it was a beautiful space to enjoy a bite.
The staff was incredibly helpful and kind. They answered all my questions and checked the ingredients. I opted for an omelet, which was delicious. And after a tasty brunch, we headed out to brave the elements on the amazing grounds.
When you go, check out the Sansho-En Japanese island gardens, the English Walled Garden, and the GIANT Co**se flower on display. It’s a five foot ground flower that with a pod that will grow to about ten feet before blooming. It’s like something from a movie. The bud alone is large enough to look like it survives on medium sized animals. It blooms for a limited period of time, so be sure to see it before the it goes down again. The flower’s name is Java, and it’s awesome.♥️
Head over someday soon. Taking time to smell the flowers may turn out to be a pretty good idea.
🌸🌳🌷🌱🌲💐 🌃🍽💕𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧-𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞’𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞. 🌟 @ Chicago Botanic Garden
05/02/2019
You’re ready to take on your own (AWESOME) gluten-free adventure in New Orleans. So where do you stay?
Take a seat.
Place d’Armes Hotel in the French Quarter is a solid gem. You will not find a better location, including with hotels at a higher price. It practically sits on Jackson Square, Within a minute’s walk to Bourbon Street and all the best shopping and dining on Royale. It’s safe, clean, and removed just enough from Bourbon Street to eliminate the noise at night. There’s a pool, and a beautiful courtyard. All of the staff is incredibly helpful—and kind. Check my earlier posts about gluten-free dining in this wonderful city. There is plenty, I tell you.
I couldn’t figure out why the price is so affordable in comparison to other hotels, but I think I figured it out. Some of the rooms are not quite as updated as some would like, but they’re beautiful. Many have balconies looking into the courtyard.
My only note to watch for is that in New Orleans French Quarter hotels, there are rooms that don’t have a window. When booking a reservation, please make a note of whether your room has one or not if that is important to you.
We booked a small room with a little balcony. Definitely go to for photos. This was just before I started my Instagram, and I did not take any of our room.
But if you’re going to check out New Orleans and all its gluten-free best, give Place d’Armes a call.🎷🥁🎺
🌃🍽💕𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧-𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞’𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞. 🌟ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕘𝕝𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕟-𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕤!💕
04/30/2019
Winner winner, chicken (nugget) dinner! I love it when my neighborhood grocery store pops up with new gluten-free finds. Pop these in a microwave or oven, and you’re done.♥️🙌🏻♥️ 🌃🍽💕𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧-𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞’𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞. 🌟ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕘𝕝𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕟-𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕤!💕
04/08/2019
If you say you like breakfast, you have to take it for a test drive at ...and don’t forget to note the gorgeous stained glass all over the restaurant while you’re at it.⛰
The menu was definitely worthy of the ten/fifteen minutes I spent deciding what to get...waffles, pancakes, and of course, various egg dishes. Scroll for the menu:) You’ll see I’ve got my lovely hash and basted eggs, and chocolate chip pancakes on the side with a little wooden flag to mark the gluten precautions...and what a delicious breakfast it was.♥️❤️💖💗
If you saw an Instagram story of me several nights ago—standing on my seat in a crowded German restaurant and singing “Fleigerleid” while completely sober—here’s your explanation.
A day at the tattoo convention meant a need for something tasty and some seriously low blood sugar. Honestly, you may find yourself at the Donald E. Stephens convention center for an event yourself. And just a few blocks away from the center stands , a beirhall restaurant serving pretty much everything German.
The place is a sprawling setup of long tables under Tudor style ceilings. The music is everything German from folk music to “99 Red Balloons.” Pretty authentic, if not slightly exaggerated. And the food? Well, there’s that, too.
My server was very attentive and receptive to my questions. The place was a madhouse, and it was hard yelling my questions over a blaring accordion. But she gave me the GF menu (pictured) and served me some very tasty potato pancakes and weisswürste.
It was good, but I did have a small upset stomach—may not have been a glutening, but probably just my system rebelling against the richness of everything. It’s a tough call. But there are other comprehensive choices to pick from.
So put on some lederhosen or a dirndl, make a reservation, and prepare for a German assault on the senses.🇧🇪🍺🍽🎈📣
🌃🍽💕𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧-𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞’𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞.
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A native Midwesterner who loves art, dogs, culture, and the written word. I’m a teacher and freelance artist by trade, gluten-free warrior undercover. And therin lies the purpose of this blog.
My blog centers directly on gluten-free living, something I was acquainted with when I was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2015. I also have endometriosis, so any new style of healthy living was necessary for many reasons. And honestly, I am learning to not only live with it, but be proud of it.
I write about my activities, vacations, and general adventures and shenanigans—and their gluten-free rating. Have a free Saturday afternoon? I’ve got some ideas for you. Want to go away for the weekend? Hey, you have options! Gluten-free living doesn’t have to be restrictive—even in the Midwest, Land of the Bread and Carbs. Those fields of wheat are beautiful here in Illinois, even though you can’t eat them. There’s a lot to do here. Family activities, girls’ nights, holiday outings...I’ve got you covered as a gluten free girl.
I would love for others to read this blog and share their own experiences as well. There is so much that we can share, and it’s important for us to compare notes and strengthen this network. If you have had a different experience at one of the establishments that I write about, by all means, share it! It’s so valuable to hear from everyone about their ideas.
Do I have celiac disease? Yes. Is it the only part of my life worth writing about? Absolutely not. So let’s do this. Live like we mean it, stay healthy, and have fun!