Category Archives: Food/Cooking

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

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

Wild Planet Gluten-Free Tuna Rocks – Because Not All Tuna Is Gluten-Free!!

Posted in Food/Cooking by

wild planet gluten free albacore tunaYes, you heard that correctly. I bet you, like I used to, thought tuna was safe from gluten because it’s fish. Well, think again. Most of those cans say “packed in water” – right? Well, guess what? It’s not really water. It’s vegetable broth or chicken broth – and guess what? That’s got gluten in it.

I’ve only come across three types of tuna available in mainstream grocery stores which are gluten-free: Bumble Bee Albacore (gold and black label),  certain Starkist products, and Wild Planet. I have to say, there’s no contest in taste and consistency. Wild Planet wins that by a long shot.

But that’s not the only reason Wild Planet wins my business. It is 100% pure tuna and sea salt – nothing else. AND no BPA is used in the can lining. AND it’s, of course, non GMO. AND – they are pole and troll caught. That means they are dolphin and sea turtle safe! Even better, though – Wild Planet catches smaller tuna that accumulate less mercury than the bigger fish.

When you open a can of Wild Planet, you will see an actual chunk of fish. It’s not a bunch of fish pressed together. You need a fork to get it out. And maybe a knife! This is the real deal, people! Since no liquid is added, you don’t have to drain it like you do with other brands. AND, it’s a pop top! No pesky can opener required.

Are you convinced yet? Come on! Let me tell you, every person I have coerced – I mean – convinced to buy a can has never gone back to the other brands. Yes, it’s really THAT good.

Catch? There’s no catch (other than the tuna. Sorry, bad fish pun). The only thing you might like to know is that the cans are not labeled gluten-free. You can check Wild Planet’s website – in the FAQs they state that the tuna is gluten-free. Just to be sure, however, I contacted them directly (by the way, they are super nice people!), and within a couple of days, I received this response:

…our tuna is gluten free but it is on our site  and not the can label.  Our organic chicken is the only one that is listed on the top label of the can. The gluten free statement is listed in each of our site product descriptions.  Our canneries have chosen not to be certified at this time, however gluten products are not handled in our present canneries.   Plus we have tested all of our products including the tuna and they have all tested gluten free.”

So you can rest assured, it’s all gluten-free. Great product, great people, and gluten-free. GO GET SOME NOW!

And don’t ruin the fish by putting a lot of stuff in your tuna salad. A little bit of mayo mixed with a little bit of sour cream (sour cream is way lower in calories and fat than mayo, and has a lighter flavor) and some chopped celery and you will have the best tasting tuna sandwich EVER. I also like to eat it like dip on tortilla and potato chips. SO good!

If you want to try  Wild Planet Wild Albacore Tuna but you’re a little iffy about the price, check your neighborhood Costco. They offer a pack of six at a great price.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Lean Cuisine Herb Roasted Chicken – GLUTEN FREE

Posted in Food/Cooking by
lean cuisine comfort herb roasted chicken gluten free

Click to enlarge

Well, this was surprising. After cooking this meal in Lean Cuisine’s “Comfort” food series for 6.5 minutes on high, I was expecting rubber. Not so.

The chicken was a large piece of white meat breast – and you could even tell by looking at it that’s what it was. The sauce on it was a light, yet savory, cream of mushroom style with real mushrooms in it. I’m not sure where they get “herb roasted.” Maybe it was, but I couldn’t taste them. The mushroom sauce complemented it nicely, so I didn’t miss the herb flavors. The red potatoes in fact had their skin on and were very tender. The broccoli was just a hair overdone (I like it really well cooked anyway, but if you like it crispy, forget about it), and those veggies were inundated with red peppers. Why???

The outside edges of the chicken were a little tough, but it was cooked in a microwave, so what do you expect? The consistency isn’t horrible by any means, but it certainly doesn’t have the pull-apart moistness of a fresh-roasted chicken. But what do you want for $1.88 on sale?

Here are your nutritional statistics:

ONLY 170 calories; 4g fat; 510mg sodium; 18g carbs; 16g protein.

Despite the fact that red peppers were fused via nuking to a couple of the potatoes, this one’s a winner in my book.

RECOMMENDED

Curate Indulgent Dark Chocolate & Hazelnuts Bar

Posted in Food/Cooking by

curate gluten free barI have to admit, I was skeptical at first about this Curate bar because of its appearance. The seeds in it gave me the impression it was going to have a more earthy flavor. I am so glad I was wrong.

The Curate Indulgent Dark Chocolate & Hazelnuts bar was excellent. Good cocoa flavor. I didn’t really taste the hazelnut – I thought it had more of a chocolate/fruity flavor. At first I thought maybe there were dates in it, but there aren’t. It could be the agave nectar syrup. Who knows. Honestly, I don’t care. I like it.

This bar is non-GMO and gluten-free. I can pronounce all the ingredients, and I know what they all are. Here are the nutritional stats:

Serving size – 1 bar

Calories – 200; Total fat – 11g; Total carbs – 22; Fiber – 4g; Protein – 6g.

This is one of the best tasting snack bars I’ve run into to date – flavor, consistency, and appearance. Nothing worse than trying to convince yourself to eat something that looks like a coyote turd. You won’t have that problem with a Curate bar. Learn more about them at http://CurateSnacks.com

Highly recommended.

Yehuda Gluten Free Matzo-Style Squares

Posted in Food/Cooking by

gluten free matzo“A Unique Matzo-Style Cracker” is written right on the box under the picture that looks more like matzo than the actual product, which I found funny.

These matzo-style squares are actually not at all like matzo, in my book. If you’re expecting matzo, you’re going to be disappointed. That said – I liked them. They are more like a sweet saltine cracker than a matzo, and actually more fragile, if you can believe that. If you eat them around other people, make sure they are wearing safety goggles, because there will be shrapnel.

While yes, I’m being snarky, I did like these. Being wheat-free, I’m very limited in what I can eat to calm my stomach. So far, the only thing that seems to help is an Udi’s Blueberry Muffin. But I think these matzo-style squares may work just as well, and if you want something light, with less than half the calories of one of those muffins, this would be a good bet.

gluten free matzo 2

These gluten-free matzo-style crackers are very photogenic!

These crackers are made in Israel and are gluten- and soy-free. No soy is a big thing for me. They contain Tapioca Starch, Water, Potato Starch, Potato Flakes, Palm Oil, Natural Vinegar, Honey, Egg Yolks, and Salt. Ah, honey – hence the sweetness. The nutritional facts are as follows: 125 calories; 3.5 grams of fat; 20 mg cholesterol; 120 mg sodium; 22 grams carbs; 1.2 g of fiber; and 2 grams of protein.

I enjoyed mine with some Land O Lakes Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt spread. But I bet it would be good with all kinds of SOFT spreads. Make sure they’re soft, or you will end up with a load of splintery crumbs! Although, you could probably use those as crackers in your soup, so it may not be a bad thing.

If you see a box, grab one. (Believe it or not, I found these in a Walmart!) Try them out. I think you’ll like them.

Sabatasso’s Gluten Free Pizza from Costco

Posted in Food/Cooking by

gluten free costco pizzaWell shut the front door. This Sabatasso’s gluten-free pizza from Costco is unbelievably good. When I lifted the first piece, the gooey cheese clung to the pie from which I pulled it, making that glorious stringy mess like a real, New York-style pizza fresh out of a brick oven. And the taste? Honestly – it tastes just like those awesome glutinous, mondo slices you get at the Costco food bar.

There’s a lot of cheese on this pizza. It’s very filling – so the fact they state 4 servings per pizza is, in fact, accurate. That’s two slices of rich, cheesy pizza. Wow.

Not sure this can get any better? Well, it does. You get not one, but TWO! of these awesome pizzas for around $11.

But wait, there’s more. Continue reading →

Smart Ones Slow Roasted Turkey Breast

Posted in Food/Cooking by

smart ones slow roasted turkey breast IMG_20150326_192046537Let me start by saying this dish is NOT labeled gluten-free. If you check the ingredients, however, the only allergen listed is milk. It does contain modified food starch in the potatoes, but nowhere does it say wheat. They do go out of their way to list potato and corn as the type of maltodextrin, so it leads me to believe if it did contain wheat anywhere, they would say so.

If you miss turkey with gravy, I’m inclined to say you’ll like this a lot. Personally, I’m not big on gravy, so I can take that part of this or leave it. The turkey is decent white meat with a good texture. Microwaving it did not rubberize it. My beef with this dish is I have a sensitivity to paprika (I know, I know, what don’t I have a sensitivity to?) and that eventually overpowers my mouth and ruins the flavor (yes, even though it’s the very last ingredient!).

I’m not sure what to tell you about the potatoes. there are indeed chunks of real red potatoes, skin and all, in there. To me, though, they taste more like pepper than potatoes. So, not a big fan.

Here’s the rundown on the nutritional stats:

210 calories, 3.5g fat, 690mg sodium, 22g carbs, 22g protein.

So, if you’re not super sensitive to gluten and you miss your turkey in gravy, you may want to give this a shot. If not, then you’re welcome; this has been yet one more thing that I ate so you wouldn’t have to.