Category Archives: Food/Cooking

G/F Mac & Cheese Steel Cage Match: Amy’s Brand

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GF amys mac and cheese IMG_2514Last time we talked about SamMills the Corn Master’s Gluten Free Macaroni & Cheese In a creamy Cheddar Cheese Sauce. This time, we’re going to talk about Amy’s Gluten Free Rice Mac & Cheese made with organic rice pasta.

Amy’s costs about 60 cents more, was higher in cholesterol, but lower in sodium. Amy’s is non GMO, too. The stats might make you cringe a little – but come on, it’s mac & cheese! 400 calories, 16g fat, 640mg sodium, 47g carbs, and 16g protein. For those of you concerned with these, it contains calcium – 30% and Iron – 10% of your recommended daily requirements.

You can cook Amy’s either in a conventional, toaster, or microwave oven. Nice. I cooked on high for 3.5 minutes, then stirred it and cooked it for 2.5 more. It did boil over a tiny bit, but oddly enough, there was no splatter.

And let me tell you – DELICIOUS. I was so surprised. And, to make things even more interesting, there was a moose in my backyard having dinner, so we ate together. Mine had gotten cold while I was take pictures and setting up the video camera, but it still tasted really good. The consistency is excellent. Hot and hearty. For more on all the stuff Amy’s makes, go to www.amys.com

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Cole’s Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

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coles gluten free carrot cake 032815Well these things just look too pretty to eat. Yet again, Cole’s is perfect on presentation. But how do they taste?

Yum.

After sitting in my refrigerator overnight, I can tell you it’s not as moist as it would have been yesterday. But it still held together well, unlike many gluten-free products. The consistency is hearty and it’s nice to get shredded carrots in each bite. The cake itself has a very delicate flavor which is complemented – and in fact, enhanced – perfectly by the “blow-you-away-awesomeness” of that cream cheese icing. Definitely the best cream cheese icing I’ve ever had, gluten-free or otherwise. And these little cakes are very generously iced. Seriously. this icing is died-and-gone-to-heaven good. The perfectly balanced and exceptionally smooth blend of cream cheese, sugar, and I’m not sure what else, makes for umami nirvana. That’s right, I said umami nirvana. You’d better used that fast, because I’m going to trademark it.

Once again, I have a happy, satisfied feeling after eating one of Cole’s gluten-free treats. Well done.

Cole’s Fine Foods
521 E. Holland, Suite 20
Spokane, WA 99218
Place an order: 509-419-1739
www.colesfinefoods.com

Cole’s Fine Foods – Gluten-Free Goodies

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coles gluten-free scones 032715Have you ever eaten something that tasted so good that you did not want to eat anything else for hours afterwards so you could keep that taste in your mouth? That is how good the gluten-free angel food cake is at Cole’s Fine Foods. In fact, while I was there, a man who is not gluten-free came in to buy one for a cookout because he said it was better then regular angel food cake. Can’t get there to buy your own cake? Get their angel food cake mix and you can make it at home whenever you want.coles angel food cake mix 032715

coles angel food 032715I am regretting not buying that last piece of angel food cake. I wouldn’t have eaten it, no – I would have built a shrine to it at home. A little crown, a little throne, some gold coins – I don’t know. I’ve never done this shrine thing before (as far as you know). Why a shrine? Because one thing the folks at Cole’s have down pat that I have not experienced in all my years of eating gluten-free is an amazing and superior consistency that makes it indistinguishable from food with wheat flour in it.  Jeanine, the proprietor, must have thought I was nuts, because honestly, when I bit into the lemon bar, it brought tears to my eyes. No, not because it was too tart, but because, in nearly 4000 days, I have not tasted something that incredible that was gluten-free. (No, I’m not an emo. I used to be a foodie. Then food allergies came.) The dinner rolls and bread also had phenomenal consistency not usually found in gluten-free food. The flavor and consistency of the Italian herbed bread knocked my socks off. Continue reading →

Cole’s Fine Foods: Gluten-Free Lemon Bars

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coles fine foods lemon barI’m in love. Seriously. I want to marry this lemon bar. Do they allow that in Washington State? I don’t care. I’ll be an outlaw.

I just do not know how Jeanine at Cole’s Fine Foods does it. This lemon bar – the consistency and flavor – rival and surpass that of any gluten-mongering pastry I’ve ever had. How. Does. She. Do. It? </Shatner>  The pastry-style bottom has just the right amount of flakiness yet has a wonderful sort of shortbread consistency and taste to it. Most gluten-free shortbread I’ve had has been like sweetened sand. Not this. It’s perfect. As is the filling. I am in awe.

On a scale of 1-10, I give this infinity.

Run, do not walk, down to Cole’s in North Spokane and get yourself a gross of these things.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Cole’s Fine Foods
521 E. Holland, Suite 20
Spokane, WA 99218
Place an order: 509-419-1739
www.colesfinefoods.com

I’ll be writing more about Cole’s next weekend. You don’t have to wait for that, though. Go try them out for yourself.

Larabar Uber Coconut Macaroon Review

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LARA UBER bar IMG_2002The Larabar Uber Coconut Macaroon Sweet and Salty Fruit & Nut Bar is gluten-free, non-GMO, and Kosher. I paid $1.78 for one.

I have to say I am a coconut lover so I was disappointed. I expected it to taste mostly like coconut, but found the dominating flavor to be that of dates and/or raisins. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, it just wasn’t what I was expecting. When I checked, dates are the second listed ingredient, after almonds. Coconut is actually listed fourth.

The consistency was good and hearty, and pretty sticky. It was more like a trail bar.

It was a quick and convenient snack, and tasty, but not macaroonish at all. Personally, I would not purchase it again. I’m a fan of coconut, not dates.

lara uber bar IMG_2004

BumbleBar – Harvest Hazelnut

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bumblebar comp 032014 IMG_2031I’m a big fan of hazelnut. So when I saw this gluten-free BumbleBar brand Organic Energy Bar in Harvest Hazelnut, I had to give it a try. Price: $1.98.

Yeah.

It wasn’t really all that hazelnutty. And it was very sticky to the touch, and to my teeth. And to be honest, it was so chewy that my jaw was actually tired by the time I was done. It is comprised of sesame seeds and brown rice syrup, and that was what I tasted. Hazelnuts are fifth on the list of ingredients.

I’m not a big fan of sesame seed bars. I find they have a bitterness to them that doesn’t do anything for me. There was a hint of cinnamon which was very pleasant.

Despite that, I would try other Bumble Bars. I like to support local businesses, and these folks are right here in Spokane Valley. And, they donate to build a school in Ethiopia with each purchase. You can learn more about Bumble Bar at BumbleBar.com.

bumblebar 03202014 IMG_2036

bumblebar nutrition IMG_2034

Gluten-Free Luna Lemon Zest Bar

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Gluten-free lemon zest Luna BarYou read that title correctly: Luna is now making some of their snack bars gluten-free. Finally!

I’d eaten some Luna bars in the past because the ingredients didn’t include wheat. And their lemon flavor was one that I found to be “okay.” But the new, gluten-free version is packed with excellent lemony flavor, and is chewy and crispy at the same time. I call this one a winner!

The amazing thing about this new edition is that it’s also low-glycemic and certified organic.

Stats: 180 calories, 5 g fat, 0 cholesterol, 27 carbs, 9 g protein.

Unfortunately, it contains organic roasted soybeans and organic soy flour – and I try to stay away from soy. Otherwise, I’d keep this bar on hand all the time. But for anyone else, if you like lemon, grab up a bunch when you see them on sale.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED – not soy free.

Lemon Zest Luna Bar Gluten-free

RECIPE: Gluten-Free Cornbread Stuffing

Posted in Food/Cooking, Recipes by
hodgson mill cornbread mix gluten free

Step One – bake the cornbread.

At the holidays, it’s always a bummer when gluten-free folks can’t have stuffing. I’m a big fan of stuffing, so I decided to give it a shot. Of course, you can add whatever you’d like to stuffing – giblets, nuts (I usually add pecans), chopped apple, etc., but since I’m kind of broke right now, I used what I already had in the house, which wasn’t much. I wanted to see how it tasted without herbs and spices, and I only put the parmesan on 1/2 of the dish for the same purpose. This recipe would make a good base for more complex stuffing recipes (or dressings, as some people call them). The Hodgson Mill brand of cornbread was not as dense as the Bob’s Red Mill brand, so this stuffing ending up being very light and fluffy, which I’m not used to. I made the mistake (I know, can you believe it?!) of putting some cranberries in the stuffing. They were just too bitter and overpowering for the light flavor. I won’t do that next time. Go ahead, experiment and enjoy!

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 stalk of celery, chopped small
  • 1/2 medium size onion, chopped & sauteed (I used olive oil)
  • 2 cups g/f cornbread, loosely crumbled (I used Hodgson Mill)
  • 1 cup cooked white rice
  • 1 container g/f chicken broth or stock (I used Costco’s brand)
  • Italian-style shredded cheese for garnish (mozzarella, Parmesan, etc. blend)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first five ingredients in 9×9 glass baking dish (I’m sure metal is fine, I used Pyrex). Mix well, with hands. Do not flatten or compact. Pour chicken broth just until you can see it come to the top of the mixture. Sprinkle a thin layer of the cheese over the top. Bake for 20 minutes at 350. Turn oven up to 400. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is browning on top.

The rice and cornbread should have absorbed almost all the chicken broth, making them moist and fluffy. This is hot, hearty comfort food that can be tweaked to your preferred level of moistness. Leftovers can easily be reheated in a bowl – fill bowl with the amount you want, then pour a little leftover chicken broth in. Microwave for about 2 minutes on 70%, stir, then an addition 30 – 60 seconds on high for one bowl. It should absorb the additional chicken broth as it sits.

Gluten free cornbread stuffing

The finished product.

 

Gluten Free Chex Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

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Chex Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal gluten FreeI am in love love love with Chex Gluten Free Oatmeal. You know those times when your stomach is just a little off and you need something comforting? Or those cold winter days when you want something hot and hearty for breakfast? Well, Chex Gluten Free Oatmeal to the rescue!

I found this gem by accident while looking for the gluten-free granola bars at Wal-Mart. Talk about luck!

For $2.98 you get 2 packets each of three flavors (in the variety box which is what I purchased): maple brown sugar, apple cinnamon, and original. The ingredients are all natural – I can pronounce everything. Oats, sugar, salt, flavor, dried apples, etc. No multi-syllabic, chemical-type stuff.

Calories: 130-170; Total fat: 2-2.5g; Carbs: 24-35; Protein: 4-5g

Today I tried the Apple Cinnamon. I used the packet to measure the liquid and microwaved it for 1-1/2 minutes, stirred, and then 30 more seconds. I don’t like my oatmeal too gloopy. They say you can use 2/3 a cup of water or milk – I used half water and half half-and-half. Very creamy, soothing, and yummy. Unlike Cream of Rice, this didn’t boil over. Yay – no cleanup.

Don’t care for plain oatmeal? They sell boxes of each flavor as well, or you can try my Nutella recipe for plain oatmeal.

I will make certain to always have some of this in the cabinet. So very glad I found this.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

French Meadow Bakery Fudge Brownie

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152 french meadow brownieMmmm…chocolately. French Meadow Bakery knows how to use chocolate, that’s for sure. I also had their chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing and man, oh man were those good. I found the cake part to be just a little bit dry, but the icing made up for it. That, and a cold glass of milk.

The brownies are moist in the middle but just a little dry and crumbly on the outside. Dry, you say? I fixed that with 15 seconds in the microwave and a scoop of French Vanilla ice cream. Definitely a treat. Good consistency. Good flavor.

You can learn more about French Meadow Bakery – which was actually the first Certified Organic Bakery in the USA – at their website: http://frenchmeadowcafe.com/

This one was purchased at the Tripoli Bakery which has quite a few locations in northeastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire. (Thanks, Mom!)

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