Stay at Home Mom for a Day

Yesterday did not start out as the greatest of days. I woke up and still felt poorly. It didn't help that I was getting up earlier than usual to take Toni to the vet for the day. The plan was to drop him off before work, he'd have x-rays and come home without his cast at the end of the day. Nothing is ever that simple. Ever.

After a number of rather worrying phone calls it was determined that he would indeed come home without the cast, but the doctor is still concerned that one of the bones is not healed properly, if at all. Now we just watch him and wait and see.

On the flip side, somewhere between the phone call where the vet told me he thought Toni would lose his arm and the one where he told me the final set of x-rays showed some healing, I was informed that our office would be closed today, Friday. Neither of the head honcho's would be in, so they decided to give us an extra long holiday weekend. This means that I have an extra day to relax before preparing for my trip. And another day to stay and take care of Toni.

Last night after picking up Toni I was in need of something special. I decided to try out my new SiliconeZone backing cups and Naomi's recipe for Cocoa Butter Cupcakes. I tried to follow her English directions and used cashew butter that I got on sale near the vet's office, and they turned out beautifully. I've frozen the rest to take on my trip with me, or to have when I get back.

Now, the cupcakes were blissful, but the cute little backing cups I found at Whole Foods stole the show. They're made of food grade silicone and are non-stick, oven and dishwasher safe. I first saw them and thought they were cute but didn't think I could justify the price tag. When I got my Munch Box I thought that they would make great little compartments for vegetables or condiments, so I swung by and got them. Once I had them it was quick hop to bake with them. All I had to do was stick them in the muffin pan, fill 'er up and bake. And the muffins popped out with no problem. No more having half your muffin stuck to the paper for me!

My other new purchase was a yogurt maker. I decided that if I'm going to follow the SCD then I needed to make my own yogurt. My first batch turned out well, I had it some mixed with cinnamon baked apples for a snack yesterday and this morning I had frozen yogurt, ala The Peanut Butter Boy. I don't think my blender is as powerful as his, or perhaps my freezer is colder, either way it wasn't photo-worthy but it sure did make a great breakfast. I made mine with the fresh yogurt, 1 nectarine, 1tbsp of cashew butter and a little vanilla. Frozen yogurt for breakfast!

If this is the life of a stay at home mom, I think I could get used to it. Although I've been checking on my baby, yes Toni is my baby, feeding him and worrying about him. Later I'll go to the gym to work out with the Trainer and we'll go to Whole Foods. Then I'll have to really start getting ready for my trip.

Yolato

New York, meet Yolato. As far as I am concerned the gelato craze has reached its apex. Yolato is gelato made from yogurt.

After seeing this new store open on Park Avenue I became curious and I emailed the company to find out more about this yogurt gelato, ingredients and specifically if it was gluten free. Not only did I get an informative response, I was offered a tour of one the facilities.

On Saturday the lovely and knowledgeable Joanne, manager of the Upper West Side location, educated me about Yolato. They make three very healthy and delectable products; sorbet, yogurt gelato and soft serve Yolato. All of the products are made from gluten free base mixes to which the flavors are added.

Each flavor is made in individual small batches and all the equipment is washed and sterilized between flavors to prevent any type of cross contamination. The base mixes are stored separately and the flavors are pre-packaged for individual batches, again, to prevent contamination.

The sorbets are made from a water-based mixture that is dairy free and fat free. Sorbet flavors include: Lychee, Kiwi, Raspberry, Pineapple, Pink Grapefruit, Watermelon, Pomegranate, Piña Colada, Mixed Berry, Mango, Blueberry, Peach, Strawberry, and Aloe Vera. The flavors change on a daily or weekly basis. I tried the Lychee, Pomegranate, and in the spirit of exploration, Aloe Vera. It was good! It reminded me of something from my childhood, although I can’t quite put my finger on what. Both sorbets and gelatos are served with flavor specific paddles that are exchanged or washed every hour or so.

The gelatos are made from a base of milk, fat free milk and fat free yogurt. The natural yogurt is called Yoggi, it’s sharp and yogurty (go figure), very refreshing. Other flavors include: Mint Chocolate, Cookies & Cream, Coconut, Chocolate, Carmel, Ferrero Rocher, Pistachio, Birthday Cake, Nutella, Peanut Butter, Tiramisu Cheesecake, Strawberry Cheesecake, and Vanilla. These flavors, too, are rotated. From my original inquiry I learned that the Cookies & Cream and Tiramisu flavors contain gluten.

Of the gluten free flavors Vanilla and Nutella have wafer cookies used as decorations, but not mixed in. I think that I sampled, and approve of, every single gluten free flavor. They were as rich, creamy and flavorful as Roman gelato.

The soft serve Yolato is made from a base of fat free milk and fat free yogurt. Each location has two flavors at a time, plain (Yoggi), and a fruit flavor that changes weekly. I got to try Strawberry, and that tasted like fresh yogurt and fresh fruit.

If anything can taste sinful and healthful at the same time, this succeeds. There are lots of fresh toppings to go on the Yolato, including; Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Kiwi, Pineapple, Mango, Cap’n Crunch, Granola, Coconut, Mixed Nuts, Fruit Loops, Chocolate Chips, Rainbow Sprinkles, Cheerios, Peanuts, Chocolate Jimmies and Oreo’s. Obviously, not all of these are gluten free, but I asked about spoon cross contamination and I was told that spoons are only used for each specific topping.

Yolato’s goal is to create a healthy, fresh, guilt free desert. They advertise being carb smart and having less sugar than most other brands of ice cream, and they do offer sugar free varieties. The sorbet and soft serve are fat free, where their gelato contains 0-8% fat depending on the flavor. This may be the healthiest way to enjoy Nutella!

Yolato is currently a local phenomenon, with five locations in New York City and two in New Jersey. They even deliver if you’re close enough, and I think my office is, just barely.

I loved how clean the store was. Both the front and back were spotless. The gelato and sorbet were carefully sculpted to look… windswept. The nutritional information is boldly posted to the left of the door, and along the wall opposite the gelato there is a long diner style counter with stools.

After this tour I am confident in eating here and recommending Yolato to anyone and everyone, gluten free or not. I wonder if the can make a wedding cake? I also whole-heartedly support this local company and its commitment to health, allergy awareness and general food safety.

I really can’t say enough good things about Yolato. You'd better check it out for yourself!

***I would like to thank all the staff of Yolato for being so helpful and friendly!**

Lifeway Probiotic Kefir

This Lifeway probiotic yogurt smoothie is a family favorite. Unlike some of the more mass-produced yogurts this one does not contain any ingredients that I flag as no-nos although it is not certified gluten free I have had no problems with it.

They come in a number of delicious flavors including cherry, blueberry, raspberry, pomegranate, strawberry and plain. They taste like fruit and yogurt, rather then sugar like some other brands. It has the bite of a natural yogurt, not the processed yogurts that are full of sugar that are so prevalent in most grocery stores.

I have not tasted a commercial yogurt smoothie that tastes more like the ones my boyfriend makes with the yogurt his mother cultures on our kitchen table. Coming in 12oz bottles they’re not as portable as smaller versions, but it fits well in the door of the refrigerator and makes a great on the go snack or late night sweet cravings.