Blog Posts by Caroline Shannon-Karasik

When I was younger, Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookies were my favorite treat. In fact, up until I found out I have Celiac disease, I could easily toss back an entire sleeve of them (oops!) in one sitting.

I love the shortbread cookie's simple, buttery taste, and the way the crumbs just sort of melt in your mouth. It's heaven.

The funny thing is, my mom started giving me these cookies when I was younger because I couldn't tolerate the "normal" cookies, like Oreos or Chips Ahoy Chocolate Chip Cookies. I have always suffered from allergies and intolerances that would upset my stomach or skin, and these seemed to be the one treat that I was A-OK to eat. Of course, at the time we had no idea that its ingredients would be something I would someday find out were the root of my problems.

At the time, they just ... worked.

So, for me, finding a recipe that would fill my shortbread cookie void became a necessity upon going gluten-free. I guess that's one of the trickier

I've never tried shepherd's pie in my life. In fact, if you would have asked my a few days ago to try a slice of shepherd's pie, I might have turned up my nose at it, like the little guy in Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham.

I do not like it here or there, I do not like it anywhere!

But when I began to research a dinner to make for today's wonderful Irish holiday, I kept coming across recipes for that bugger of a dish. And so, I clicked on it, and I decided to see what all of the fuss was about.

After reading through several recipes, I realized the dish really sounded quite delicious and the only ingredient I would have a problem with would be the meat. Who would have thunk it?!

Lo and behold, I found myself choosing to make one for Day 19 of the Gluten-Free with Rachael Ray Challenge!

I, of course, made a few swaps to make this recipe gluten-free and vegetarian, but it turned out wonderfully. Gosh, I feel silly for being so judge-y, judge-y about this tasty

Good afternoon and welcome to another installment of our "5 Questions, 1 Expert" series! Today we're featuring Michelle Van Otten, one of California's most sought after and in-demand executive weight loss coaches and lifestyle experts. She is a passionate speaker, author, mentor and Peak Performance Coach to the Silicon Valley's business owners, top CEOs, executives, entrepreneurs, physicians, coaches and trainers. Her coaching, strategies and solutions have been called the "Secret Weapon" for success and are second to none.

We did a bit of a switch up today and, instead of asking Michelle five questions, asked her to give us her top four unhealthy food items and habits, plus her #1 golden health rule which, when added together, gives us five juicy health tidbits!

______________________________

The Top 4 Unhealthy Foods and Habits:

1. Sugar! Consider that the average Starbucks "froofy" drink such as a Venti Carmel Macchiato (which is isn't even the worst one) has 300

I have a bone to pick.

That's right: I have some concerns about people and media outlets who are dubbing the choice to eat gluten-free as "the latest fad" or as a method for losing weight.

A recent article in Women's Health magazine particularly stirred my worry pot. Sure, they address the real issues that lie within a Celiac disease or gluten intolerance diagnosis, and they differentiate between choosing gluten-free and not having a choice if you want to live healthfully (as in the case of Celiac disease or gluten intolerance).

But they also point to Hollywood starlets, like Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham who are said to have chosen to eat gluten-free because the lifestyle has been "said to contribute to increased energy, thinner thighs, and reduced belly bloat."

It's statements and stories like this that make me worry the legitimacy of a serious condition is being undermined.

If a gluten-free lifestyle is becoming a "fad", then how will a server in

Want to work a little voodoo fungi magic? Then, give this recipe a try. We whipped up another risotto dish last night (we're kinda hung up on it lately), using mushrooms this time. It was perfection.

I always eat meat-free dishes (with the occasion of the occasional piece of fish), but I love eating ones that still makes you feel like you should have had a steak knife in hand. This risotto was so fulfilling and tasty ... I had two helpings!

_______________________________

Gluten-Free Mushroom Risotto Serves 2-4 people (2 as a main dish; 4 when served as a side)

** Recipe is based in Jamie Oliver's Asparagus, Mint and Lemon recipe in his book, COOK with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook.

Ingredients:

• 32 oz. gluten-free vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 5 Tbsp butter (in total, spread throughout recipe)
• 1/2 cup of onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1 cup white arborio rice (We use Lundberg Farms.)
• 6

Last Friday brought the fantastic news that one of my favorite gluten-free store-bought bread brands, Rudi's Gluten-Free Bakery, has released gluten-free Multigrain Hamburger Buns, Multigrain Hot Dog Rolls and Original Pizza Crusts. Woot, woot!

I know it might seem a bit much to get so excited about bread, but if you are gluten-free, then you know finding a substitute for sandwich bread is hard enough, let alone trying to find an acceptable bun or pizza crust replacement.

Dan has pretty much perfected our homemade gluten-free pizza crust, but let's face it -- sometimes picking up something pre-made from the store is just easier. Plus, what I am really excited about is the buns! Gluten-free veggie burgers with topping galore here I come!

In honor of our good friend Rudi's delightful news, we decided to make sliders for Day 17 of the Gluten-Free with Rachael Ray Challenge. Dan found a recipe for Herb Sliders and we decided it was perfect for saying sayonara to gluten-free

Good morning and welcome an installment of The G-Spot's "5 Questions, 1 Expert" series! Today we're featuring Sheila Viers, the co-founder and President of Live Well 360, a company that is re-inventing the fitness bag because on the road to health and fitness you need a worthy companion. Live Well 360's first bag, the Core, has been featured in Oxygen magazine and Shape magazine, as well as, on top fitness sites like FitSugar.com and dailySpark.com. The company's blog has also been named one of FITNESS magazine's favorite health blogs.

______________________________

1. Tell us, Sheila Viers, founder of Live Well 360, what's your favorite way to workout? Why?

These days, I don't have one favorite way to workout because I like to vary the type of workouts I do on any particular day depending on what I am feeling that day. On some days circuit training feels best, and I have an arsenal of go-to workouts that I choose from, and other days a really good sweaty session of

Hell-oooo, Fat Tuesday.

What's the point of having a day like today if you don't celebrate a bit, right? You can imagine then, my excitement when Dan told me he would not only make me pancakes this morning, but whip 'em up Rachael Ray style -- just in time for Day 13 of the Gluten-Free with Rachael Ray Challenge.

He used this Strawberry Pancakes recipe as a base, and created his own spin on it for the cinnamon and sugar version that I was craving. Here's the gluten-free swaps he came up with: