We have not planted any of these for years and continue to get harvests as they self seed wherever a rogue tomato may fall.  They are prolific producers that grow like weeds here in central PA.  Thriving on the warmth and humidity of mid summer, the first harvests begin to appear in early to mid July. Hundreds of tomatoes sprouting up on each plant in little bunches.  If left to run wild, with no pruning or staking, they will cover a 2′x2′ square and produce for several weeks as long as you continue to pick the ripened fruit.

Though advertised as having a high sugar content (11 Brix), described as being like candy, ours are rather neutral in sweetness, but full on flavor.  Very tomato-ey. Exactly the flavor for a salad or sandwich.  If anyone has tasted a slicing tomato like this, post it to the comments and I will plant it in a heartbeat.

All around it is a wonderful tomato and if you are looking for a cherry for your garden, this is the one I recommend.

Here are some places to buy them:

http://www.seedsofchange.com/garden_center/product_details.aspx?item_no=S13479
http://www.localharvest.org/matts-wild-cherry-tomato-seeds-C12442
http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/4924-product.html

http://www.farmshow.state.pa.us/

This is a great event.  Family friendly, great exhibits, and the food court is to kill for, though may give you a heart attack.  For anyone who is thinking of goingp some things to check out:

Lancaster Farming.  You can get a free issue at their stand which is worth checking out.  This is an excellent weekly newspaper about agriculture.  Though the focus is primarily PA and the surrounding areas, it also addresses national and world issues.  The latest issue has an excellent article on antibiotic resistance in animals and how it is effecting people.  Also opinion pieces about food security.

Milkshakes.  All the way down on your left when you enter the food court from the main exhibit hall.  Chocolate.  Vanilla.  Black and White.  You can’t go wrong.  Stand in line and wait it out.  They are worth it.

Fries.  These are immediately on your left when you enter the food court from the main exhibit hall.  This line moves quickly.  Even if you see it wrap halfway across the floor, you won’t be standing there long.

Fried veggies.  Directly across from the milkshakes.  You get a lot for the money and the onion rings are outstanding.  Mild onions with a slightly sweet batter.  Mmmm.

The Junior Rodeo.  There are two shows of the Pennsylvania High School Rodeo on opening day.  Go out and support the kids who do it, they put on a great show and work real hard.  Doing well here can earn them points towards a spot at the national competition.  There is no prize money for them plus they pay $50 per event they participate in.  Go out and give them the biggest applause and roar of the crowd you can.  It is their biggest reward.

The Professional Rodeo.  This rounds out the week and is on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.  Tickets are reasonable at $15 for general admission and $25 for “VIP Gold Seating”.  On Thursday only children 12 and under are just $5.  I do recommend the upgrade to Gold Seating if it is in your budget because you are looking down directly onto the rodeo floor from the sides, like if you have 20-20 yard seats at a football stadium.  The rest of the seating curves around then ends and isn’t as good if the cowboys are pushed to the walls.

One final note: Parking prices have been raised this year to $10 per vehicle, so if you are going make sure to carpool.

I’ll admit it.  I ate the whole package.  By myself.  Why?  Because these are the best gluten free cookies I have eaten since being diagnosed with Celiac Disease.

Finding tasty quality products when on a restricted diet can be difficult and when you find something worth buying it is important to share that information with others.  So here I am recommending to anyone with a gluten issue to try Quinoa Qookies.

From reading my earlier cookie reviews, you know my biggest complaint so far is texture.  Thankfully, that is not a problem with these.  They nail a soft baked cookie nearly perfectly: soft, chewy, and with a light delicate crumb.  Combine that with a flavor that starts as coconut and honey, ending with brown sugar and molasses and this is a winner.  A pleasurable, high quality winner.

If you are on a gluten free diet, give Quinoa Qookies a try.  They are comparable in price to other similar items and more than worth it.  They are better than anything else I have found on the market yet.

Price: $4.95 for 3 Qookies.
Purchase at: http://www.quinoaqookies.com/

Note:  I did receive my Qookies as a sample from the maker, James Sklar.  This did not however influence my review.  If I didn’t like them I would not have written about them.

This  is the first gluten free alternative product I have eaten that tastes like the original.  Though Kinnikinnick’s donuts are very good and nice and cake like, they are still off.  These are not in any way.  Crisp, crunchy, crumbly, they fall apart in your mouth with a satisfying hint of honey.  After eating one, I had a second, and then a third before closing up the box they are that good.

I picked these up so that I can make a graham cracker crusted cheese cake.  If that works out well, other pies will follow. Results on that will be forthcoming.

Price: $4.29 for an 8oz package.

Purchased at: Giant Food Stores

For being such a whole grain, low sugar (4g/serving), cookie Andean Dream Quinoa Cookies are delicate, flavorful, and have a good texture.  Where some gluten free cookies feel like a mouthful of sand when you start to chew them, these come apart into big crisp crumbs that are a little chewy.  The orange essence is clean and lingers on the tongue for a few minutes after eating.  Each cookie is individually wrapped which makes them easy to grab and take with you.  Having bought quite a few boxes, since they were onsale, I toss some in my pocket whenever we are going out so I have a safe snack.

Price: $2.44 (onsale) for 7oz.  Regular retail is $3.49.  They are a worth it at either price.

Purchased At: Giant Food Stores

http://www.andeandream.com

Glotenfreeda's Chicken and Cheese Burrito

Ah, the comfort of a microwave burrito sliding out of the wrapper and onto a plate.  The Glutenfreeda’s Chicken and Cheese Burrito is fast, convenient, and tasty to boot.

Taste: It is a microwave burrito.  I don’t expect it to win any awards for cuisine, but found the flavors pleasant though lacking complexity.  Simple and straightforward, the taste stayed the same from the first bite to the last with no lingering after taste.  The chicken appeared to be a mixture of white and dark meat and paired well with the tomatoes and rice.

Value: For anyone buying dedicated gluten free products, this is quite subjective.  I was glad for the convenience and simple pleasure of the burrito, and given many of the other options the price was good, but would have been better if it was a bigger, say 6 oz.  That would make it a quick meal by itself with about 350 calories.

Buy It Again?: Yes.  Definitely.  Keeping a couple of these in the freezer let’s me grab something quick.

Price: 2.99 for a 4oz burrito.

Where Purchased: Wegmans

http://www.glutenfreedafoods.com/

http://www.glutenfreedafoods.com/burritos_chicken.html

As a parent, and fan of Ian’s foods, I love this website.

For children, they can earn points to redeem for prizes, but besides that it encourages them to eat well, be active, and participate with their families and local community.

Parents can use this site to encourage their children as well as contact Ian’s Dietician with any questions.

All around it is just well designed, easy to use, and provides some resources I have not seen elsewhere.

http://imasuperfitkid.com/

I bought these donuts on a whim after seeing them at several different grocery stores, particularly after seeing them sold out on more than one occasion.  What I learned from other people’s purchases is that they are very good.  30 seconds in my 800 watt microwave and there is a donut that tastes like it is fresh from the bakery.  They have the texture of a cake donut, with flavor coming from a healthy coating of Vanilla, Chocolate, or Maple glaze or Cinnamon and Sugar.

I have eaten both the chocolate and vanilla varieties and recommend either without hesitation.  With the rising cost of regular donuts, $0.55/ea locally, $5.69 for a 6 pack of Gluten Free donuts is not too bad.  Check your local grocery store.  If they don’t have them, you can also order online at:

http://consumer.kinnikinnick.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.home/productcategoryid/17

Price: $5.69 for 6 donuts.

Purchased At: Giant Grocery Store.  Wegmans.

Ian’s Natural Foods, based in Massachusetts, offers a large variety of allergen free foods, including 17 that are wheat and gluten free.  Though I cannot speak for the rest of their products, the fish sticks are very good.

Made from minced pollack with a corn coating, they bake up as well as any other baked fish stick: nice and crisp.  Surprisingly, the flavor was much better than I expected.  The touch of garlic pares well with the other ingredients.  Don’t take my word for it alone, my toddler daughter loves them as well.  If she gets a hand on my plate I know I won’t be eating any more that meal.

http://www.iansnaturalfoods.com/

Price: $4.99 for 8oz.  This totaled 12 fish sticks in my particular package.

Purchased at: Giant Food Stores.

I received a subscription to Saveur magazine shortly before my Celiac diagnosis.  It has been a blessing while adjusting to a gluten free diet.  The tagline for the magazine is “Savor a World of Authentic Cuisine”, which includes a number of world cultures that do not regularly use any wheat products.  The December 2009 issue contains 16 gluten free recipes.  Of the remaining 15, there were several that could easily be converted to be gluten free by changing the flour used to something safe, or in the case of a lovely ham recipe, by using a GF Beer such as Bards.

If you don’t want to get a subscription, browse the website.  There are numerous recipes listed, again, many of which are safe as written.  Though I haven’t cooked a ton of recipes from the magazine, the ones I have were tasty and helped me through the initial feeling of deprivation that came with switching to a gluten free diet.