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EATING RIGHT Gluten Free Cake Mix – Yellow
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.
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EATING RIGHT Ham & Cheese Scramble
Earlier this week, we wrote about the SMART ONES Cheesy Scramble with Hash Browns. Here is an alternative, brought to you by EATING RIGHT.
Let me start out by saying that nowhere does Eating Right claim that this is gluten-free. But if you look at the ingredients, you will notice wheat is not listed amongst the allergens at the end. Eggs, soy, and milk the only allergens listed. When you see modified corn starch specified and xanthan gum used – those are normally a good indication there will be no gluten. However, if it is not labeled as so, it is never guaranteed.
I got this “EATING RIGHT” breakfast on sale for around $2.00 at the local Safeway.
EATING RIGHT: 220 Calories, 7 grams of fat, 18 grams of protein, and 730 mg of sodium. A total of about 5.5 minutes cook time. Very easy.
Compared to:
SMART ONES: 210 Calories, 9 grams of fat, 15 grams of protein, and 510 mg of sodium. A total of 3 minutes cook time. Very easy.
Flavor? Pretty good. I was definitely happier with the non-red-pepper overpowering flavor. This was quite pleasant until I got to the end where I guess I had missed stirring during the cook time and all the black pepper had accumulated. Wow! Powerful stuff. So, I decided I would try another one, and be more careful about the stirring. Well, thorough stirring spread that black pepper throughout the dish. I will not be doing that again. I prefer crispy hash browns, and these were not, but they were good. The eggs had good flavor and consistency. The ham was a little dried out, but I like mine that way (since I don’t usually eat ham) so it didn’t bother me at all. The flavor was good as well.
All in all, if you’re starting out a busy day, need a decent protein-laden breakfast, and only have a few minutes – this is another way to go.
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Smart Ones Cheesy Scramble with Hash Browns
Let me start out by saying that nowhere does WeightWatchers claim that this is gluten-free. But if you look at the ingredients, you will notice wheat is not listed amongst the allergens at the end. Eggs and milk the only allergens listed. Xanthan gum is used in the eggs and cheese sauce which is normally a good indication there will be no gluten. However, it is never guaranteed.
I got this “Smart Beginnings” breakfast on sale for $2.50 at the local Safeway. You can probably do better somewhere more traveled.
210 Calories, 9 grams of fat, 15 grams of protein, and 510 mg of sodium. A total of 3 minutes cook time. Very easy.
Flavor? I thought the potatoes were a little too peppery. Could be the bell peppers, but I’m not sure. I prefer crispy hash browns, and these were not. The eggs, however, had good flavor and consistency. I’m not sure where they get the idea it’s a “cheesy” scramble – I didn’t really notice any cheese sauce.
All in all, if you’re starting out a busy day, need a decent protein-laden breakfast, and only have a few minutes – this is the way to go.
Learn more at http://eatyourbest.com.
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Nature Valley GLUTEN FREE Roasted Nut Crunch Bars
Nature Valley, check out this photo. You can’t get much more naturey than this. You want to hire me, yes?
Can you believe it? FINALLY, a healthy snack bar for gluten-free folks that doesn’t taste or look like a turd. And, from a mainstream brand name, no less. Well, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
I found this nugget in Safeway. Normally $3.89, with my card, the price was $2.99. No offense, Safeway – don’t get me wrong, I love you for all the gluten-free food you’re now offering – but I’d bet money you could normally find these for $2.99 in larger stores. Just sayin’. And, at $2.99, it’s competitively priced with the KIND bars I’ll be reviewing at a later time.
Each 1.2 ounce bar (there are six in a box) has 190 calories, 13 grams of fat, 13g carbs, and 6g protein. 0mg of cholesterol is always nice, too.
What’s in them? Almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds and some stuff to make them stick together.
How do they taste? Before I answer this, I must issue a warning. If you have sensitive teeth or dentures, this product may not be for you. It is hard. As a rock. As a granite rock. When they say Roasted Nut Crunch, they really mean the crunch part. That being said, they taste good. Like almond and nut brittle. Not overly sweet – the nutty flavor is definitely the main focus.
You know what else I liked about these? Hardly ever do you see a product that looks EXACTLY like it does on the outside of the box. This does. Silly? Maybe. But it gives me confidence to know that they didn’t have to doctor up the packaging to entice you.
Highly recommended, especially for vampires, werewolves, and other creatures with strong teeth.
Enjoy!
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EATING RIGHT Gluten Free Homestyle Chicken & Rice Pasta
I do not like peas. I don’t. I’ll eat them, they don’t repulse me or anything, but I find the flavor tends to overpower dishes. So, I ate all the peas out of this first. (Or I tried to, anyway. There were a lot of them.) Problem solved.
So, peas must have been on sale that day because this was loaded with them. There was a generous amount of chicken, but I only saw a few mushrooms, a couple of carrots and one piece of celery. I’m a meatatarian, so that didn’t hurt my feelings any. By the way, the chicken was not overcooked at all. It was a little chewy, but not like pretend chicken nugget processed yuckiness – if you know what I mean. It’s definitely real chicken. The pasta was tender and al dente. Well done, Eating Right.
Despite all my whining and complaining, I really liked this. It has the rich, creamy flavor of a cream of mushroom soup casserole. It’s hearty, and it was hot as hell after cooking it for 6.5 minutes and then letting it sit for 2. I like my food hot, so that made me happy, too. For $2.67 on sale, I am very, very happy. (Normal price $2.99)
Now to the particulars:
340 Calories, 13 grams of fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 700 mg sodium, 36 grams carbs, 20 grams protein.
Okay, so maybe a little high on the fat and sodium, which is probably why it tastes good.
At that price, I’d do it again. Definitely recommended!
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G/F Salmon Sandwich
The biggest inconvenience about being gluten-free – to me, anyway – is that “quick and easy” meals are hard to find. Gluten-free snacks are either too spicy for me or really high in sugar. So, this quick and easy lunch makes me very happy.
INGREDIENTS
- Leftover Salmon or Chicken
- Udi’s White Sandwich Bread (or your favorite)
- Mayonniase
- Cucumber
- Smoked Gouda Cheese
Got leftover salmon? Break it up with a fork. Stir in your favorite mayonnaise, or some cream cheese, or even plain yogurt would work. Toast some Udi’s White Sandwich Bread (or your choice). Udi’s bread is a smaller that most breads, so you can probably use 3 cucumber slices and 3/4 of a slice of cheese to fit nicely. Serve with gluten-free chips or sweet potato fries.
Quick, easy, inexpensive, and above all, classy. Come on, cucumbers on a sandwich? That’s classy!
Enjoy.
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G/F Pizza Steel Cage Match: Udi’s Brand
I was so very excited when I saw pizza in the gluten-free freezer case at WalMart. Pizza is one of the foods I really do miss from my gluten-mongering days. So when I saw both Amy’s and Udi’s had gluten-free pizza available, I grabbed them. You can read my Amy’s review here.
A few comparison notes:
Amy’s pizza is about one dollar more than Udi’s. The calories, carbs, and protein are about the same. Amy’s pizza is 12 ounces and they expect you to get 3 servings out of it. Udi’s is 10 ounces and they divide that bad boy into two servings. All-in-all, very close.
Amy’s is non GMO and uses organic rice flour and tomatoes. It does contain soy.
Of course, I couldn’t *just* make a cheese pizza. Continue reading
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G/F Pizza Steel Cage Match: Amy’s Brand
I was so very excited when I saw pizza in the gluten-free freezer case at WalMart. Pizza is one of the foods I really do miss from my gluten-mongering days. So when I saw both Amy’s and Udi’s had gluten-free pizza available, I grabbed them.
A few comparison notes:
Amy’s pizza is about one dollar more than Udi’s. The calories, carbs, and protein are about the same. Amy’s pizza is 12 ounces and they expect you to get 3 servings out of it. Udi’s is 10 ounces and they divide that bad boy into two servings. All-in-all, very close. Continue reading
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Review: Zuma Natural Foods in Mancos, CO
A great place in Colorado to take a break, grab a great cup of coffee, and enjoy some gluten-free fare. Kudos to the owners.
2/23/11
Zuma Natural Foods
121 Railroad Avenue
Mancos, CO 81328
We were headed West on Route 160 when the unique wooden entrance-way to Zuma Natural Foods caught our eye. We missed the access road so we had to turn around. No big deal – it was worth it!
The atmosphere in Zuma was a cross between Wild West Shoppe and organic grocer, with neat wooden carvings, tasteful western artwork and terra cotta colored walls. Even the clientele had a cowboy type appeal. So I was little surprised, but pleasantly so, by the excellent variety of gluten-free foods available here.
Some of the gluten-free foods offered included soups, condiments, energy bars, snack crackers, cookies, baking mixes, pasta, snack chips and more. But that was just in one clearly labeled section. The foods throughout the rest of the store were natural and healthy, and any knowledgeable or veteran gluten-free shopper could spot…
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Gluten-Free Gusto Blog 