Category Archives: Dessert

Kozy Shack Gluten-Free Flan

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kozy-shack-flanI like flan. It tastes good. And this Kozy Shack Flan has everything a good flan should have: perfect flavor and consistency. It melts in your mouth. It’s just right as an after-dinner pick me up. Cool, sweet, and refreshing. It’s also very light. So light that I always feel like I could eat a second one. So I recommend it more for after you’ve eaten a really full and satisfying dinner and you just want that one light, sweet treat for afterwards. This won’t make you explode, by any means. It makes a great summer dessert, or in-between meal snack, since it is so light and cool.

You can get this flan pretty much anywhere in your grocer’s refrigerated pudding section. The picture on Kozy Shack’s website looks a lot nicer than mine. It didn’t exactly slide out of the cup for me. I guess practice will make perfect on that, and I’m willing to sacrifice eating a bunch until I get it right.

As in all Kozy Shack products, the flan contains natural ingredients: Reduced fat milk, sugar, caramel syrup (sugar, natural flavor, xanthan gum), eggs, contains less than 2% of carrageenan, locust bean gum, salt, natural flavor, annatto extract (color).

Next time you need a light, gluten-free dessert, try out Kozy Shack’s flan. You’re welcome.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Betty Lou’s Gluten Free Fruit Bars

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betty-lous-fruit-blueberry-barsOn the front of the Betty Lou’s Fruit Bar packaging, it says “Tastes Like a Piece of Pie!”  Yes, that is indeed true. I have tried (months ago) both the Blueberry and the Apple flavors, and they are just bursting with flavor. They look more like a Fig Newton on steroids (see photo), but don’t taste like them.

On the back of the packaging they refer to the crust as flaky – I’m not really getting that, but it’s okay. The crust is hearty and does not overpower the filling. It’s a great balance.

Here are the stats (based on the blueberry): Calories 190; Total Carbs 41. But the flavor is worth it, especially whereas it contains none of the 8 major allergens defined by the FDA, which includes gluten, soy, and nuts, and these guys are both Non-GMO and vegan. Honestly, I’d never have known the latter if I hadn’t read it.betty-lous-fruit-blueberry

If you are on the road or even at home and you want something quick and delicious to eat, go for one of these. I’ve got an Apple Cinnamon and a Strawberry up for grabs, as well as two PB&J Bars: Strawberry and Blueberry. Just leave a comment below letting me know which kind and flavor you’d like and we’ll get you hooked up. Remember, US residents only, please. Shipping ain’t cheap!

You can learn more about these at http://bettylousinc.com

betty-lous-fruit-bars

Enjoy Life Snack Bars

Posted in Dessert, Snacks by

enjoy-life-bars-gluten-freeWell, this wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. Sampling the Enjoy Life S’Mores flavor soft baked bar – and I’m not really sure what I think. The presentation is quite nice – see photo. The flavor is good – not quite sure it tastes like a s’more, but I like the way it does taste. I guess what I’m confused about is the consistency. It’s not really holding together as well as it could – it has the potential to crumble when you bite into it. Sort of a sports bar, sort of a cake bar, sort of Rice Krispy bar… Can you see why I’m confused?

enjoy-life-barsAt 140 calories and 25 grams of carbs, I can personally see other things I would eat in their place. But I will say, that if you like this specific flavor, I haven’t run across anything else like it.

All that being said, it is free of the top 8 allergens which include gluten, milk, nut, and soy. Since I can’t have almond or soy as well as gluten, it’s nice to have something else in the wings that I can eat without having to worry about any of those. And it certainly didn’t taste like it was free of all that stuff – it wasn’t lacking in flavor at all.

Don’t take my confused word for it – you can try either the SunSeed crunch (baked chewy bar) or the Cherry Cobbler (soft baked bar) for free! Just leave a comment below with which flavor you’d like and we’ll hook you up. U.S. addresses only, please. I ain’t rich.

For more information, check out http://enjoylifefoods.com

Enjoy Life Vanilla Honey Graham Handcrafted Crunchy Cookie

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enjoy-life-crunchy-cookie-img_20161116_1854184161I’m really not sure how I feel about these cookies. The consistency wasn’t quite either crunchy or chewy, which I was okay with. (They are labeled as “Handcrafted CRUNCHY COOKIE” but I do beg to differ on that.) The flavor was very subtle: neither vanilla, nor honey, nor graham cracker. It was more like a subdued sugar cookie, very light on the sugar. They’re not bad, but they could really use a bit more flavor, whether that be vanilla, or cinnamon, or even ginger. I am feeling very unfulfilled right now.

These cookies are milk free, nut free, soy free, and of course gluten free. They are also non-GMO verified. Even so, with the price of food today, I’ll be passing on purchasing these. This is one time where I am grateful that I received a sample and didn’t have to pay for a box myself. You can also benefit from the one sample I have of this cookie and find out for yourself if you like it. Just leave a comment below and you’ll be entered to win this sample.

You can learn more about Enjoy Life’s 7 different crunchy cookies at https://enjoylifefoods.com/our-foods/crunchy-cookies/

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 →

Dannon Creamery Lemon Cheesecake

Posted in Dessert, Food/Cooking by

905 dannon creameryWell, this was a surprise, indeed. One of the things I miss about being gluten-free is cheesecake. So many recipes have flour in them as a thickener, and if not, they have a glutenous crust. So, when I saw this Dannon Creamery Lemon Cheesecake flavor Dairy Dessert was gluten-free, I grabbed it.

Since it contains active yogurt cultures, and – it’s Dannon, I was expecting … well… yogurt: running, tangy, yogurty. When I peeled back the metal cover, it looked like I was right. Kinda yucky looking, isn’t it? But the smell of lemon wafted up to me and it was just lovely. So I gave it a shot. It’s thick and creamy like cheesecake!

The flavor is very subtle on the cheesecake end – the lemon isn’t that strong, but it does overpower the mild flavor. If you take a bite without the lemon, it’s really delightful. Either way, I’m just happy to be eating something that is like cheesecake, yet healthy at the same time.

180 calories, 6g of fat, 8g of protein, and low everything else. Nice. For more on these yummy treats, check out http://www.dannoncreamery.com/

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Liberte Gluten Free Coconut Yogurt

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476 liberte coconutIf you love coconut but hate yogurt, this is the snack for you. That’s right, you can hate yogurt, but that’s okay – because this is not like any yogurt you’ve ever had. This is quite possibly one of my best discoveries so far.

For starters, this doesn’t taste like yogurt. It’s smooth and creamy and light – with none of that nasty yogurt tang. There’s lots of real coconut mixed in with it – no need to stir. It’s not a gross fruit on the bottom kind of deal.

Since it’s not like regular yogurt, and in fact – more like a dessert, Liberte is a bit higher in calories and fat (doy, that’s why it tastes so good!). Still healthy, however: no added color, no artificial flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives, and it contains 8 grams of protein and 5 different strains of live and cultures – it’s totally worth it.

I got this single-serving cup at my local Safeway – 50% off for quick sale – and it ended up being like 60 cents. Again, totally worth it.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

 

All But Gluten Chocolate Snack Cakes

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IMG_4652 gf ringding compI have seen the face of evil and I live to tell the tale. These All But Gluten Chocolate Snack Cakes are probably the “falling apart” equivalent of RingDings. (I mean, come on, we all know that GLUten means glue. So gluten-free stuff falls apart. A bit. Who cares as long as the consistency is good and it tastes awesome, right?) And my oh my are they good. Like evil good. Like no self control good.

Okay, I don’t normally eat this kind of thing, so maybe that is swaying my opinion here. I was in Safeway in Spokane and I had just bought like 100 cookies to thank the guys at Staples for fixing my computer and I was feeling like the kid who didn’t get picked to play on a team. So when I saw these, I was like “oh hell yeah.” (I know, you didn’t need to know all that, but…)

I thought they were a little light on the cream filling and the cake was just a little on the dry side, but no worries, I am like MacGuyver with Cool Whip. What a treat for dessert or in between meal snacks or like in place of a meal or for breakfast or…  Oops, sorry.

You can read more about these naughty puppies (including nutritional information) here: http://allbutgluten.com/products/all-but-gluten-chocolate-snack-cakes

Highly recommended.

IMG_4656 gf ringding comp

Kozy Shack Simply Well Naturally Flavored Puddings

Posted in Dessert, Food/Cooking, Health, Snacks by

Kozy-Shack-Simply-Well-Rice_Pudding-4Pk-565x245There’s a lot of cheap junk food out there…and there’s a lot of expensive health food out there as well. So finding something healthy that tastes good at a decent price…and then adding gluten-free to the mix is an accomplishment!

Kozy Shack Simply Well puddings are naturally flavored, and state gluten-free not only on the outer packaging, but on each individual serving cup as well. They contain 3 grams of prebiotic fiber per serving, are made will real milk, are a good source of antioxidant vitamin E, calcium and vitamin D, and have no hydrogenated oils or preservatives.

Healthy Pudding? Yes, pudding…you know, like dessert? Yet each cup has only 100 calories and as little as 1 gram of fat, depending on the flavor. Speaking of flavor…they taste great. I tried the lemon ginger; don’t let the name discourage you – it is not biting or tangy. It is a light, mildly sweet, lemony treat, with an occasional tiny hint of ginger. The consistency is smooth like custard. It is great as an in-between meal snack.

The dark chocolate flavor is less sweet, and a little less smooth than the lemon. It is a little heavier consistency-wise, and more resembles the flavor of a chocolate mousse than a pudding. I would love to add some whipped cream on it for a really delectable dessert. However, it doesn’t need the topping to be delicious.

All good things come at a price; I purchased these treats on sale for three dollars per four-pack, which translates to 75 cents a cup – for a yummy, healthy, gluten-free treat. There are five flavors in all.

Simply Well Naturally Flavored Pudding by Kozy Shack can be found in your grocer’s refrigerated dairy section. For more information about Kozy Shack, go to their official website. All Kozy Shack puddings, flans and gels are gluten-free.

 

This article originally appeared on Celiac-Disease.com on March 10, 2010 at http://celiac-disease.com/kozy-shack-simply-well-naturally-flavored-puddings/  Flavors and prices may have changed since that date.

EATING RIGHT Gluten Free Cake Mix – Yellow

Posted in Dessert, Food/Cooking, Recipes by
eating right yellow cake mix IMG_6666

Not very “yellow” but that’s okay.

Well, this was interesting. I wanted to make a gluten-free spice cake, but Safeway didn’t have any mixes in that flavor. Their new “healthy” EATING RIGHT label offered only yellow cake mix, so around $3.00 per box, I decided to get that and check online to see what spices to add.

I did some searching and found spice information on The Sister’s Cafe:

1 yellow cake mix box
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice or cloves

So, I followed the instructions, added the spices, and commenced to mixing. I went with cloves instead of allspice since the birthday boy has an aversion to the latter. Then, my epiphany: wait a minute, why does it say to “grease or spray a 9×9 cake pan”? Shouldn’t it say PANS – like as in plural?

HA HA not. Even though the picture on the front and back of the box show a two-layer cake, the contents of the box are indeed for only one layer. Oops. That’s probably why it was so inexpensive. Doy.

The birthday recipient always expected a two layer cake: more frosting, you know? (By the way, I always use the Martha Stewart recipe for cream cheese frosting. It works out well.) So, I made two fairly shallow round cakes and baked them for a shorter time.

The day of baking, the cake was surprisingly moist and the consistency was excellent for gluten-free. The spices worked out perfectly, even though they were for TWO cake layers, not just one. But, as the days went by, the flavor faded. It was very strange.

Recommended? Sure. But betware – you will need TWO boxes to make a two layer cake.