Coming to Delaware, I've been exposed to a numerous amount of lifestyles and ways of doing things. I've also had the fortune of meeting some good friends from whom I learned a plethora of knowledge. Being true to our alma maters, I had a peer who was completely in love with her undergraduate university, Ithaca College. After spending a whole semester hearing to her excitedly mention it in conversation, I decided to ask her to plan a girls weekend there in all its crunchy glory. Now for those of you who, like me, had NO IDEA what crunchy means, the definition lies within the idea of a person or lifestyle that derives from a mountain/outdoorsy/healthy living. Urban Dictionary pens it as "those health-conscious and environmentally aware." I've been told that crunchy is reference to the texture of granola...fair enough. Ithaca is, in fact, a mecca of crunchy people and I decided to indulge.
Considering I had been suffering from very odd stomach nausea, skin issues, and overall fatigue...I decided this getaway weekend would be an excellent opportunity for me to apply the gluten-free lifestyle, since apparently Ithaca is a very GFF (gluten-free friendly) community. Gluten is essentially proteins that are found in cereal grains, especially wheat, which help food maintain shape and give food elasticity. So to my understanding, most wheat flour is substituted with a potato/rice/seed flour alternative.
I shot my friend, Lindsey, a warning text that I would be shadowing her every step and ordering the same foods, or at least within the realm of, everything that she decided to eat. I got the vibe that she was creeped out and excited that I was going to dive into the struggle that is being gluten-free with her. I mentally prepared to be miserable since I was cutting out some of my favorite carbs, but nonetheless had mentally committed to the process.
Starting with a 5.5 hour drive to Ithaca from Newark, we stopped once for food, and my first GFF meal was a salad and some chips that I shared with my gluten-free fellow. Expected enough, I poked at my greens and accepted my fate that was to come this weekend. The next day was a little better as we settled down in a cozy breakfast place called Collegetown Bagels or CTB. I stood uncomfortably close to Lindsey in line and she ordered a "Tex Mex" gluten-free bagel, which consisted of egg, cheese, and salsa. My first thought of the bagel was that it definitely wasn't the bagel I've come to know and love, but if I had to make a permanent switch, it wouldn't be unbearable. It had a grainy/seedy texture, which was different, but didn't phase me too much.
We ate our bagels pretty late in the day, so we skipped lunch and went hiking in the mountains. After the hike though, we hit up a Mexican restaurant, Viva, and I was ecstatic that I could still partake in chips and salsa. I think that would have been my limit. Margaritas were ordered as well of course, but I had no restrictions in that area. Still hungry, we walked further around the Ithaca Commons and came to a restaurant named Moosewood. Again, a nice cozy and outdoorsy vibe, there were cookbooks lined against one wall that apparently were the very recipes that the "crunchy cult" of the east/northeast pulled from. When we sat down, I again collaborated with Lindsey and we settled on splitting both of our dishes in half and switching midway through. I chose a tofu & walnut burger on rice, while she ordered black-eyed peas on brown rice. I started to notice a trend that many people who go gluten-free tend to avoid meat as well, whether that was intentional or not. All the items that were gluten-free were listed on the menu had "gf" in parentheses so narrowing down my options was super easy. Unfortunately, I don't think this case applies to anywhere else, but in towns like this crunchy utopia. At the end of the meal, we satisfied our sweet tooth by ordering a (gf) cheesecake. The crust was made out of almonds and coconut flour and it was insanely delectable still!
On our last day before heading out, we stopped by Waffle Frolic for breakfast and I had a pretty solid waffle called the Mr. Popular, which was covered in nutella, strawberies, whipped cream, and had maple syrup on the side, on a gluten-free waffle of course. Lindsey ordered a (gf) waffle with peanut butter and banana. For lunch right before we hit the road, I ordered a gluten-free panini with bacon, cheese, and pesto from the Ithaca Bakery. The slices of bread were pretty small, but the sandwich was YUM! Last, but not least, I have to mention that we stopped by the mega-grocery chain that East Coasters know and love as Wegman's. It has everything you could think of, and of course I decided to grab a small stash of gluten-free snacks to continue when I went home.
Overall, going gluten-free was effortless in Ithaca, but getting back to Newark, I started to see that the prices were a bit higher and it wasn't as easy to order at various restaurants. It's a lifestyle that has to be examined closely to really be conscious of whether or not gluten is made or added in various types of foods we eat. I still have no idea what exactly went into my food half the time or how it was made, but I appreciated going through the experience and seeing what it was like for someone who actually had to commit to a gluten-free diet due to intolerance or celiac disease. It was an educational process and made me more sympathetic towards those who have to be so aware of what goes into their bodies.
To learn more about being gluten-free, visit: Gluten-Free Diet
I shot my friend, Lindsey, a warning text that I would be shadowing her every step and ordering the same foods, or at least within the realm of, everything that she decided to eat. I got the vibe that she was creeped out and excited that I was going to dive into the struggle that is being gluten-free with her. I mentally prepared to be miserable since I was cutting out some of my favorite carbs, but nonetheless had mentally committed to the process.
Starting with a 5.5 hour drive to Ithaca from Newark, we stopped once for food, and my first GFF meal was a salad and some chips that I shared with my gluten-free fellow. Expected enough, I poked at my greens and accepted my fate that was to come this weekend. The next day was a little better as we settled down in a cozy breakfast place called Collegetown Bagels or CTB. I stood uncomfortably close to Lindsey in line and she ordered a "Tex Mex" gluten-free bagel, which consisted of egg, cheese, and salsa. My first thought of the bagel was that it definitely wasn't the bagel I've come to know and love, but if I had to make a permanent switch, it wouldn't be unbearable. It had a grainy/seedy texture, which was different, but didn't phase me too much.
We ate our bagels pretty late in the day, so we skipped lunch and went hiking in the mountains. After the hike though, we hit up a Mexican restaurant, Viva, and I was ecstatic that I could still partake in chips and salsa. I think that would have been my limit. Margaritas were ordered as well of course, but I had no restrictions in that area. Still hungry, we walked further around the Ithaca Commons and came to a restaurant named Moosewood. Again, a nice cozy and outdoorsy vibe, there were cookbooks lined against one wall that apparently were the very recipes that the "crunchy cult" of the east/northeast pulled from. When we sat down, I again collaborated with Lindsey and we settled on splitting both of our dishes in half and switching midway through. I chose a tofu & walnut burger on rice, while she ordered black-eyed peas on brown rice. I started to notice a trend that many people who go gluten-free tend to avoid meat as well, whether that was intentional or not. All the items that were gluten-free were listed on the menu had "gf" in parentheses so narrowing down my options was super easy. Unfortunately, I don't think this case applies to anywhere else, but in towns like this crunchy utopia. At the end of the meal, we satisfied our sweet tooth by ordering a (gf) cheesecake. The crust was made out of almonds and coconut flour and it was insanely delectable still!
On our last day before heading out, we stopped by Waffle Frolic for breakfast and I had a pretty solid waffle called the Mr. Popular, which was covered in nutella, strawberies, whipped cream, and had maple syrup on the side, on a gluten-free waffle of course. Lindsey ordered a (gf) waffle with peanut butter and banana. For lunch right before we hit the road, I ordered a gluten-free panini with bacon, cheese, and pesto from the Ithaca Bakery. The slices of bread were pretty small, but the sandwich was YUM! Last, but not least, I have to mention that we stopped by the mega-grocery chain that East Coasters know and love as Wegman's. It has everything you could think of, and of course I decided to grab a small stash of gluten-free snacks to continue when I went home.
Overall, going gluten-free was effortless in Ithaca, but getting back to Newark, I started to see that the prices were a bit higher and it wasn't as easy to order at various restaurants. It's a lifestyle that has to be examined closely to really be conscious of whether or not gluten is made or added in various types of foods we eat. I still have no idea what exactly went into my food half the time or how it was made, but I appreciated going through the experience and seeing what it was like for someone who actually had to commit to a gluten-free diet due to intolerance or celiac disease. It was an educational process and made me more sympathetic towards those who have to be so aware of what goes into their bodies.
To learn more about being gluten-free, visit: Gluten-Free Diet