Gluten Free Monthly Favorites: Paleo and Vegan Tortillas, Wonder Woman and More

This post is generously sponsored by Mikey's. 

You know what they say...time flies when you're working like crazy having fun! As usual, the last month went by in a blink, but I'm slowly getting into the grad school groove. Add in my 22cd birthday, some new friends and delicious food, and September was a memorable month!

As usual, I'm here to share my favorite eats and activities from September - plus my plans (for life and the blog) for October. What new grain free, soy free, non-GMO, and vegan tortilla will become your latest addiction? How did I celebrate the big 2-2? And what can you expect from Casey the College Celiac next month?

Keep reading to find out! 

What I'm Eating

Way too much popcorn. Remember when I used to make fun of my college roommates for their addiction to popcorn? Well, the joke's now on me, 'cause it's been a regular popcorn party lately. Ever since I figured out I could pop my own popcorn in my sauce pan (which has a handy steam lid!), popcorn made with just a lil' coconut oil has been my favorite night snack. Usually on top of banana ice cream, let's be honest! 

Mikey's new paleo and vegan tortillas! Although Mikey's is known for its paleo English muffins and pizza crust, they recently introduced their first vegan product: a tortilla. One of my favorite parts about Mikey's tortilla is that it only has seven ingredients: water, cassava flour, coconut flour, high oleic sunflower oil, apple cider vinegar, salt and xantham gum. Since these tortillas aren't heavily spiced, you can easily incorporate them into a sweet or a savory meal. They're also free of the funky aftertaste found in many gluten free products, and when dethawed, Mikey's vegan tortillas are softer and more pliable than most of the GF tortillas I've ever tried.

If you're craving some "healthier" allergy friendly chips, you can also pan-fry your Mikey's tortilla on medium-high heat for a couple minutes, flipping throughout. You don't even need any oil or water; just throw the tortilla in a pan and get cookin'. Compared to other gluten free tortillas on the market, Mikey's tortillas are on the smaller side. I also thought that they felt a bit oily. However, finding a gluten free (not to mention paleo and vegan) tortilla that tastes like a "real" flour tortilla is no easy feat, and Mikey's tortillas definitely make gluten free Taco Tuesdays a whole lot tastier.

All the purple potatoes! Although I'm still majorly missing my local Sprout's Farmers Market, I have enjoyed discovering some new local produce. One of my fave finds? Cheap purple sweet potatoes! If you've never tried them, they're a lot denser and drier than regular sweet potatoes. They have the same slightly sweet flavor, though, and taste heavenly with some creamy avocado.

What I'm Doing

Trucking along with grad school and teaching. If I'm being honest, grad school and teaching are a thousand times harder than I thought they would be. Many days, I feel like I'm just working nonstop, whether on class materials, meetings with students, my own writing or on fun stuff like blogging and socializing. At the end of the day, though, a kind comment from a student or a fun night out with friends definitely helps make all the work worth it.

Like this post? Then tweet me some love by clicking here: "In this month's monthly faves, learn about @mikeysmuffins new #paleo & #vegan tortillas, my #glutenfree b-day & more! http://bit.ly/2xUvjVQ"

Feeling 22! Early on in September, I celebrated my 22cd birthday. I didn't do anything too crazy to celebrate since my birthday fell on one of my busiest days of the week. However, I did see Wonder Woman with a bunch of gal pals the following night, and it was epic! If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend. I also highly recommend making my chocolate lava mug cake to celebrate anything awesome in your life recently. 'Cause, really, when isn't it a good time for (gluten free, vegan and paleo) cake!?!

Experimenting with other forms of cardio. Ever since I re-strained my IT band (and messed up several other leg muscles in the process, 'cause I'm an overachiever like that), I've had to slowly reincorporate any leg exercises, from walking more than a few thousands of steps each day to workout machines. Even though the slow progress is driving me crazy and my legs still hurt now and then, the elliptical and I are becoming besties, so that helps. To any exercise lovers dealing with injuries right now - I feel ya! 

What I'm Planning

Bracing myself for my first Minnesota winter! I'll be honest. As soon as fall weather did hit Mankato (after several days in the 90's!), it slapped some major fear into me. 60 degrees in Minnesota is not the same thing as 60 degrees in San Diego! Wish me luck finding some (affordable) winter boots and surviving my first "real" winter.

Bringing fall to the blog! Expect several more pumpkin and fall-flavored recipes. (Hint: if you love pancakes and pumpkin spice, watch out for my recipe next week!). Besides the gluten free recipes I share on the blog, you can see more of my daily eats on my Instagram and Insta Stories. 

Focusing on balance - with exercise and rest, work and fun, social adventures and alone time...basically, everything! And if that balance involves a few more gluten free goodies than typical, well, it's going to be a yummy October!

Like this post? Then tweet me some love by clicking here: "In this month's monthly faves, learn about @mikeysmuffins new #paleo & #vegan tortillas, my #glutenfree b-day & more! http://bit.ly/2xUvjVQ"

Thanks to Facebook, I now know that there are less than 100 days until Christmas...which means these next few months (the last of my first semester of grad school!) will definitely fly by just as quickly as September. What exactly happens in those months, of course, is still undetermined. All I can say is that I hope your October - and mine - is full of more treats than tricks! 

*I received samples of Mikey's tortillas free of charge in exhange for an honest review. However, all opinions, pictures and recipes are my own. Thank you for supporting what supports Casey the College Celiac!*


What were some of your favorite eats and activities from September? What are you planning to get up to during October? Tell me in the comments!