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 →

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

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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

Gluten-Free Shopping 101: Part 3

Posted in Shopping by

Recently, a number of friends have been diagnosed with gluten-intolerance – so I wanted to put something together to help them shop for gluten-free food. Last week’s video takes place at a WalMart store, and this week, we take on Costco. Of course, you can apply the lessons to any store. I will continue the series with additional episodes in Trader Joe’s, and even Target to help folks shop gluten-free with confidence.

Please keep in mind, I’m a writer, not a videographer, so sometimes I forget I’m filming and the picture goes off the rails a bit. And the splicing isn’t perfect. In any case, I hope this video is helpful.

Gluten-Free Shopping 101: Part 2

Posted in Shopping by

Recently, a number of friends have been diagnosed with gluten-intolerance – so I wanted to put something together to help them shop for gluten-free food. Last week’s video takes place at a Safeway store (and I suggest you watch that one first, since it is referenced a couple of times in this new video), and this week, we take on WalMart. Of course, you can apply the lessons to any store. I will continue the series with additional episodes in  Costco, Trader Joe’s, and even Target to help folks shop gluten-free with confidence.

Please keep in mind, I’m a writer, not a videographer, so sometimes I forget I’m filming and the picture goes off the rails a bit. And the splicing isn’t perfect. In any case, I hope this video is helpful.

Gluten-Free Shopping 101

Posted in Shopping by

Recently, a number of friends have been diagnosed with gluten-intolerance – so I wanted to put something together to help them shop for gluten-free food. This video takes place at a Safeway store, but you can apply the lessons to any store. I will continue the series with additional episodes in Wal-Mart and in Costco to help folks shop gluten-free with confidence.

Please keep in mind, I’m a writer, not a videographer, so sometimes I forget I’m filming and the picture goes off the rails a bit. And the splicing isn’t perfect. In any case, I hope this video is helpful.

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.

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