Monthly Archives: November 2016

Milton’s Gluten-Free Nacho Cheddar Baked Chips

Posted in Food/Cooking, Snacks by

miltons-baked-chips-img_20161116_180320852_hdrThese Milton snack chips are certified gluten-free, and are also peanut, tree nut, soy, and egg-free. They are also non-GMO, which is always nice.

I collected three flavors in my gift bag from the Gluten Free and Allergy Friendly Expo: Nacho Cheddar, Red Chili Salsa, and Green Chili Salsa. Needless to say, being an enormous wimp when it comes to spices, I elected to try the Nacho Cheddar flavor.

The fact that they’re baked means they’re nice and light and not greasy. So that was pleasant. Since I don’t normally eat any kind of Doritos-type chip, I didn’t know what to expect. Please, keep in mind, I am NOT normal when it comes to spices and sometimes just the smallest amount can set me off. And these did. I ate a Babybel with them and still my mouth was on fire and my nose was running. I don’t expect these to do that to anyone else. I will say, I ate the whole snack bag, so it wasn’t THAT bad.

You can learn more about Milton’s products at their website, http://www.miltonscraftbakers.com/

Meanwhile, I have some bags of chips to bestow upon you for free! That’s right, I have 2 bags of Nacho Cheddar flavor, 3 bags of Red Chili Salsa flavor, and one bag of Green Chili Salsa flavor. Just write a comment below, and make sure to include which flavor you want. Winners will receive their packages at the end of November. Happy eating!

SunButter Sunflower Butter

Posted in Food/Cooking by

sunbutter-img_20161116_111105239_hdrSo, I’ll be honest,  I was thinking – gross. I’m going to have to take one for the team and try this stuff. I don’t have a peanut allergy, so this seemed like it would be more of an inconvenience than anything else. But then, I tasted it, and I was blown away.

I wasn’t blown away like “wow, this is so much better than peanut butter,” but in a “wow, this is a taste that I haven’t experienced before, and it’s really neat” kind of way. That, my friends, is SunButter Sunflower Butter. It wasn’t gritty, like I was anticipating when I opened the package. It was smooth, and with a light but memorable flavor that tastes like sunflower seeds, but just a hint different. It was really good, and I can see this being a viable, and tasty, alternative for those who have peanut allergies.

This product is free of the top 8 allergens which include: Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Milk, Eggs, Wheat, Fish, Shellfish, and Soy. It is also non-GMO.

Now, be advised, the good folks at SunButter don’t actually know they gave me these samples. It was the end of the Gluten Free & Allergy Friendly Expo and they had a bunch left on their table, so I politely asked and then grabbed a handful so I can now offer all you good folks three 1.1 ounce samples of this stuff. Just post a comment below and you’ll be entered to win. I also have some $1 off coupons that I will include with the samples.

If you’d like more information, you can find out about all the different varieties of SunButter on their website.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Van’s Simply Delicious Gluten Free Say Cheese! Snack Crackers

Posted in Snacks by

vans-say-cheese-crackersLet me preface this by saying I am not a “snack cracker” person. I enjoy popcorn, but I am not of the habit of grabbing a bag of chips or crackers and digging in. I enjoy crackers with cheese or dip, but not alone.

THESE chips, however, don’t need anything else. The cheesy flavor really does jump out at you and the consistency is fabulous. Nice crunch yet still light and airy. I’d compare these to a cross between Pepperidge Farm Goldfish and Cheez-Its (as best as I can recall).

Hmmm. Not sure I can give away the free bags I have, here. I might have to eat them all….

HOWEVER, since sharing is caring and I am awesome that way, I have 2 single serving bags of these yummy chips to give away. Comment below on why you like cheesy crackers or something about being gluten-free and I’ll enter you to win the free bags. At the end of November, I’ll tally all the winners and send all the items at one time so I’m not going broke on postage. U.S. addresses only, please. Sorry international folks!

Not sure if you can eat these because you have lots of food allergies? Here’s a wonderful informational page about these crackers: http://www.vansfoods.com/our-products/say-cheese-crackers which includes a store finder. I am a huge fan of Van’s granolas (OMG so good!), so Van’s is batting .750 with me right now.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Betty Lou’s Gluten-Free Angell Candy Bars

Posted in Candy, Dessert, Food/Cooking by

img_20161113_193642355-betty-lous-angell-barsBetty Lou’s…. Mmm mmm mmm! So much deliciousness, so little time!

At this year’s Gluten-Free Expo in Glendale, Arizona, I was introduced to a new line of candy bars from Betty Lou’s: the Angell bar. They are non-GMO, vegetarian, gluten-free, and organic. So, they probably can’t taste good, can they? OH YES THEY CAN.

These candy bars are perfect for me because the only soy is in the lecithin, and two of them don’t contain almonds. I really had to pace myself with these – do you have any idea how hard it was NOT to eat them all at once? Wow, willpower!

The three bars I’ve tried are: Continue reading →

Free Stuff Just for You

Posted in Food/Cooking by

gluten-free-lootSince I came home with a plethora of gluten-free and allergen-free treats from the Gluten Free and Allergy Friendly Expo, I thought it would be fun to share the wealth with my readers here.

So, over the next few weeks, I’ll be putting some items up for grabs with each article I publish. I’ve got snack bars, snack crackers, and more, along with coupons for great discounts and even free items! How can you go wrong? Well, of course, you can’t.

Make sure to leave a comment as instructed in each article. At the end of November, I’ll tally all the winners and send out awesome gluten-free packages! How cool!

Let’s start it off today with some coupons for ONE FREE package, any variety, of Crab Classic, Crab Supreme, or Seafood Snackers from the wonderful people at Trans-Ocean. I love their stuff – I’ve been writing about their products since before they started labeling them gluten-free. Wouldn’t it be nice to give them a try for free? Sure it would. Just leave a comment below about being gluten-free, and you’ll be entered to win!transocean-coupons

Gluten-Free & Allergy Friendly Expo 2016 Arizona

Posted in Events by

gf-expo-signWell, just wow. In my previous life in the high-technology arena in Boston, I attended my fair share of trade shows. But I’ve never been to anything like this.

For those of you with food allergies, imagine a place you could go that catered to you. How nice would that be? If you are gluten-free, this would be a place offering you food samples that you didn’t have to worry about. You wouldn’t even have to read the ingredients (unless you had allergies beyond wheat/gluten). That would feel pretty wonderful, wouldn’t it?

Well, that’s what the Gluten-Free Expo is all about. With 7 shows per year in cities throughout the United States, gluten-free folks can attend and eat food samples to their hearts’ desire. Granted, it’s not an open buffet – you have to go up to the vendors’ booths, but you can sample anything from gluten-free pizza to frozen yogurt to Brazilian cheesy bread.

The Expos last two days, and I’m so very glad I attended both days. Continue reading →