Archive for category GF Product Reviews

Live Gluten Freely Product Box

Apr 26

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews | 3 Comments

Diamonds are so overrated! Why not give the gift of (full-sized) delicious gluten free products from General Mills? The wondrous folks at General Mills recently sent me a Live Gluten Freely product box to “taste test”.  These boxes are perfect for saying thank you, congratulations or I’m thinking of you!

I must give HUGE props to General Mills for addressing the need for gluten free mainstream products.  I practically live on Chex cereal (my favorite is Honey Nut) and have been known to sneak spoonfuls of Betty Crocker chocolate frosting for a “snack”.   In addition to the generous assortment of gluten free products (see listing below), General Mills provides a helpful fact sheet on healthful gluten free eating, reading labels, and foods that may contain gluten.   I especially love that General Mills clearly identifies their products “Gluten Free”.

Be sure to check out the Live Gluten Freely site as well as their Facebook page.  I’m thrilled to announce that starting next month, I will join Kim Bouldin of Gluten Free is Life and Vanessa Maltin of Celiac Princess as a Featured Blogger on Live Gluten Freely!

The Live Gluten Freely product box includes:

• Betty Crocker® Gluten-Free Brownie Mix
• Betty Crocker® Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix
• Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy Chocolate Frosting
• Honey Nut Chex® Cereal
• Betty Crocker® Create-A-Bug® Fruit Flavored Snacks
• Betty Crocker® Fruit Flavored Snacks Variety Pack – Fruit Roll-Ups®, Fruit Gushers®, Fruit by the Foot®
• Peanut Butter Cookie Lärabar® Snack Bar
• Betty Crocker® Potato Buds® Mashed Potatoes
• Betty Crocker® Red Serving Spoon
• Coupons and More!

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Sweet Freedom: Philadelphia’s Gluten Free & Vegan Bakery Review

Mar 16

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews, Let's Eat Out | 3 Comments

At the 2009 NFCA Appetite for Awareness event, I had the pleasure of meeting Allison Lubert & Heather Esposito also known as the dynamos behind Sweet Freedom Bakery.  After a wondrous sample of their gluten free cupcakes, I anxiously counted the days till their mid-January 2010 opening in Philadelphia, PA.  Sweet Freedom’s baked goods are not only gluten-free (score!), but vegan (dairy-free, casein-free, egg-free) and without corn, peanuts, and soy.  It was overwhelmingly amazing to walk into a bakery and be able to eat every single item on the menu!  Note to self: restraint is key when visiting Sweet Freedom.

Our venture into Philly started off as any typical day in early 2010…with snow.   Undaunted by the forecast of (sigh, yet another) two feet, we loaded Thing 1 and Thing 2 into the car and headed towards the City of  Brotherly Love.  Once on South Street, we easily found metered parking right in front of the bakery (probably due to the impending blizzard barreling our way).  Having obsessively studied the bakery menu, I was prepared to order.  That was until I stood witness to the rows of muffins, cupcakes, and cobblers calling my name.  Our first selection was a Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich.  I’m not sure what excited the children more, the fact that they were eating a “sandwich” that was actually a cookie or the fact that their Mommy Dearest was (willingly) sharing her gluten free goodies with them.  Yes, I admit, I have a tad bit of difficulty sharing.  Keep in mind that my hubby and kiddos can eat gluten, so I feel totally justified in threatening to administer a karate chop if they venture near my gluten free stash.  But I digress…The Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich ($3.50 single/$38.50 dozen) was utterly fabulous!    

We then moved on to the Magic Bars ($2.75 single/$30.75 dozen).  Oooh, these were good. We barely left room for one chocolate and one vanilla cupcake ($3.50 single/$38.50 dozen) iced to perfection.  Unfortunately, Thing 1 and Thing 2 gobbled the cupcakes up in record time, so the photo opportunity was missed.

Pros

  • Delectable vegan baked goods free from gluten, corn, peanuts, and soy.
  • Dedicated gluten-free facility.
  • Fresh baked daily.

Cons

  • Pricing.  While I completely understand that the price point for gluten free baking is higher, I felt that $38.50 for a dozen cupcakes seemed excessive.
  • Unless you are lucky enough to find a metered spot, parking in the adjacent lot was pricey ($10.00).

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Gluten Free Blarney Stone Creamy Potato Soup Review

Feb 10

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews | 1 Comment

Over this past weekend Snowmageddon occurred.  Here in New Jersey, it snowed a whopping 28.5 inches.  That kind of winter weather calls for three things:  hot chocolate, comfy p.j.’s and a big pot of soup simmering on the stove.  After my diagnosis with celiac disease, I found it hard to find soup mixes or premade varieties without wheat.  No longer could I take a quick trip down the soup aisle in my grocery store and pick up a few cans of Campbell’s soup.  About a year ago, I discovered Fantastic World Foods Simmer Soups.  Their Blarney Stone Creamy Potato soup is “a creamy blend of diced potatoes seasoned with onions and leeks.”  Simply add in milk to their mix and simmer on the stove for 10 minutes.  Inspired by their Baked Potato soup suggestion on the back of the package, we added a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and crumbled bacon.

Pros:

  • Overall a tasty and hearty gluten-free soup!
  • Reasonably priced at $3.65 for a 7.5 package of soup mix (approximately 6 servings).

Cons:

  • Do your pricing research!  In doing a search on-line for Simmer Soups, I found that the price point varied greatly by retailer.  For example, if you ordered a 6-pack of Simmer Soups directly from Fantastic World Foods the price is $30.72.  In comparison, if you order the same quantity via Amazon.com, the price is $21.94.

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Trader Joe’s (BIG!) Brown Rice Tortillas

Jan 27

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews | 17 Comments

trader joes gluten free rice tortillas

Becoming gluten free prompted many changes in my life.  While it may seem trivial, I was unfairly forced to ingest itty bitty tortillas.  Gone were the days when my dinner description included the words “quesadilla the size of your head”.   Now I know you are asking yourself the (totally valid) question: “Um, hello Maureen, traditional gluten free corn tortillas are six inches in diameter.  That’s not itty bitty, that’s portion control!”  And to answer your question: Sometimes I want a quesadilla the size of Sputnik!  Then  I discovered (BIG!) Brown Rice Tortillas in my local Trader Joe’s refrigerated section.  Before I share with you my humble opinion, I must admit to missing the lilliputian-sized corn tortillas so much that I have returned them to my refrigerator.  Sometimes bigger isn’t always better.  Well, unless we’re speaking about quantities of bacon or chocolate, but that’s another post entirely.

Pros:

  • BIG BIG BIG tortillas!
  • Works well for quesadillas.
  • Reasonably priced at $2.49 for six 10-inch tortillas (vs $1.50 for ten 6-inch corn tortillas).
  • Do not come frozen (therefore avoiding severing a digit or two while trying to separate a solidified tortilla mass).

Cons:

  • Very chewy texture.  Borderline rubbery.
  • Not your best option for a wrap-type sandwich (easily broke when folded).

trader joes gluten free tortillas

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Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devil’s Food Cake Review

Jan 22

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews | 4 Comments

“Birthdays are nature’s way of telling us to eat more cake.”

forkfull of gluten free cake

This past Sunday was my birthday.  Not to be all Negative Nancy, but turning 37 was NOT that thrilling in the grand scheme of things.  To make matters worse, a full-on “raging hormone” war was taking place in my SAGGY, FLABBY body.  Can I get a waaaah?  What I wanted – strike that – needed was chocolate.  Lots of chocolate.  My darling husband of ten years knew it was vital that he take action quickly:  provide his long in the tooth wife with some chocolaty confection or get punched in the throat.  Just for the record, I wouldn’t really punch my devoted spouse in the throat.  I abhor physical violence.  A kick in the shin might be warranted though as I take my chocolate very seriously.

Enter the wondrous Betty Crocker.  As you all know, Betty Crocker offers gluten free cake, cookie and brownie mixes.  What could be better to perk up a disheartening 37th birthday than with chocolate cake?  I had yet to try Betty’s gluten free version of their Devil’s Food cake.  However, a few months ago I had taste tested the gluten free vanilla cake mix with good results.  Chuck (a.k.a. husband in reaction/avoidance mode) began mixing the cake ingredients.  Just as I had doctored the Betty Crocker vanilla cake mix, Chuck added two ingredients to the gluten free devil’s food cake mix.  One cup of sour cream and one packet of chocolate pudding mix went into the batter.  The result?  A moist, dense, chocolaty hunk of heaven.  This cake was so darn good that Chuck and my two kiddos were permitted ONE slice each.  I ate the rest of the cake forkful by fabulous forkful.  By the time I got around to taking a picture to post (priorities People, cake before photography!), all that remained was one tiny bite.

My birthday turned out to be quite fabulous and amazingly tasty.  I can’t wait to turn (gasp) 38!  Yeah, that’s totally a lie, but the cake…I’ll take any day!

headerGlutenLanding

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Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Rice Pasta & Cheddar

Jul 27

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews | 6 Comments

Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Rice Pasta & Cheddar is NOT the cheesiest.  Nor will you find Sponge Bob Square Pants, Scooby Doo, or Pokemon-shaped pasta inside the box.  That said, this mac n’ cheese does taste good.  A little doctoring of the cheese portion was needed (I like my pasta happily smothered in cheese sauce), but overall this is a great product to have on hand for a quick meal.

gluten-free-rice-pasta-cheddar

Pros:

  • Uber-simple to make.  Even a monkey could prepare it!
  • The rice pasta tastes like the “real thing” — no gritty texture.
  • Reasonably priced at $1.99 for 6 ounce package.

Cons:

  • The cheese portion of the mac n’ cheese was more like watery cheese soup.  It’s very thin and needs to be thickened up with extra cheddar.
  • The box of gluten free mac n’ cheese is 6 ounces.  A traditional glutenous box of mac n’ cheese is 7.5 ounces.  Um, hello, why do gluten intolerant peeps get less?

trader-joes-gluten-free-rice-pasta-cheddar

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Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Pancake & Waffle Mix

Jul 5

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews, Recipes: Breakfast | 10 Comments

I (finally) made my pilgrimage to Trader Joe’s to re-stock my bare pantry full of gluten free goodness.  While there, I picked up a package of TJ’s Gluten Free Pancake & Waffle Mix.   Feeling all Betty Crocker (now that she’s gluten free!), I whipped up a batch of blueberry waffles to taste test.

gluten-free-waffles

Pros:

  • Uber-simple to make.  Even those distracted by shiny things (ahem, guilty as charged!) will be able to add the three ingredients to the mix.
  • Mix is free from gluten, peanut, milk & dairy, soy, and corn.
  • Reasonably priced at $2.99 for 18-ounce package (makes 12 waffles or pancakes).
  • The package is purple – my favorite color!

Cons:

  • The cooking instructions are for waffles OR pancakes using the entire contents of the mix.  I wish they would offer instructions for 3, 6, or 12 waffles/pancakes.  Of course, you could dump out the mixture, re-measure the contents and rework the recipe, but I am mathematically challenged, so this was not an option.
  • The mix had a faint but slightly “off” odor (something I have found in many gluten free mixes).
  • I found there to be a slight aftertaste to the waffles I prepared.  It was a bit metallic tasting (not that I frequently lick metal objects, but this is the best way to describe the aftertaste).

traderjoes-gluten-free-mix

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POM-tastic! I heart Pomegranate Juice

Mar 2

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews, GF Recipe Compilation, Recipes: Beverages | 6 Comments

I remember trips to our local Farmer’s Market as a little girl.  We would always bring home a brown paper bag full of ripe pomegranate fruits.  After slicing them in half, I would marvel at the ruby red seeds that looked like jewels.  Extracting the seeds took some effort, but that was definitely part of the fun!  I can still recall the burst of tartness on my tongue and my red-stained fingers.

In the last several years when the benefits of the pretty pomegranate hit the news, I rediscovered my childhood treat.  This “superfood” is packed with antioxidants and promotes heart health.  I recenlty met Janny, a blogger for POM Wonderful.  She kindly directed me to POM Wonderful’s site and the bevy of recipes that include pomegranate juice and/or seeds.  Suddenly my glass of plain ol’ juice seemed in need of a makeover!

Armed with my trusty blender, I set out to create a healthy, tasty, and filling smoothie.  What’s fantastic about smoothies is that you can customize your frozen concoction based on your favorite fruits and flavors.

POM-tastic Fruit Smoothie

1 cup POM Wonderful juice
1 cup orange juice
1 banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup mixed frozen fruit (I used a combination of melon, grapes, & peaches)
1 cup fat free plain yogurt
1 tablespoon MLO Brown Rice Protein Powder

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until liquefied. If smoothie is too thick, add more POM or orange juice to thin out. Makes two 8 ounce smoothies.

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Cookie Conundrum

Sep 13

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews | 8 Comments

Cookies, Cookies
Yum, Yum, Yum
Cookies, Cookies
In My Tum

This is the little impromptu ditty I sang whilst returning from Trader Joe’s (a grocery store I frequent for gluten free provisions). Why was I so excited about cookies? I had discovered a new gluten free item at my local T.J.’s: Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookie Dough. Hot diggity dog, they are just like toll house slice and bake! Well, except for the fact that you get 12 measly cookies for $3.79. But, who cares about the price, I was stoked that I did not have to slave in the kitchen utilizing 26 types of flours in order to enjoy a tasty treat.

With great anticipation I fired up our (neglected) oven and popped in these peanut butter perfections. To up the “yum factor” even higher, I squashed a few mini Reese’s peanut butter cups and dark chocolate chips in some of the cookies. Dude, I was excited…

The cookies smelled wonderful as they cooled on the counter. Like a “real” peanut butter cookie. I tentatively took a bite and it was pure heaven. Quickly finishing the first cookie, I started on a second. I must have blacked out for a few minutes because I suddenly realized I had eaten four cookies.

Four cookies is no big deal, right?

This is where my story turns bad. Calorie counters please turn away from the screen. What I am about to share is truly dreadful. While still chewing cookie number four, I casually reached for the empty cookie carton and glanced at the nutritional information. I was speechless.

One Small Cookie = 200 calories and 12 grams of fat

Even more shocking was that In less than five minutes I had consumed 800 calories and 48 grams of fat. Oh. My. God.

Not knowing what to do (it was too late to spit out cookie number four) and feeling my clothes get tighter as I stood there, I bagged up the remaining cookies and froze them. Maybe I could eat just half of one cookie at a time?

That’s just wrong on so many levels!  Curse you Trader Joe’s for listening to my gluten free requests, but making it calorically inedible.

Ah, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. All in a matter of minutes.

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Watch It Wiggle

Jul 20

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews, Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | 3 Comments

Get your minds out of the gutters people! I’m not talking about anyone’s posterior region… I’m referring to that “superfood” of childhood — JELL-O!! And I am singing the praises of a Jell-o product I happened to find during a trip to my local grocery store. My intentions were to mosey down the chip and Diet Coke aisle, but somehow I (gasp!) ended up in the BAKING aisle! Alert security, a celiac has entered Aisle 7.

Wow, did you ever realize just how much flour there actually is in the Baking Aisle? Good grief.

As you know, even the smallest thing could distract me at any given moment, so I need s-i-m-p-l-e recipes in the kitchen (and a fire extinguisher on deck just in case). While going rogue in Aisle 7, I happened upon several boxes of Jell-o No Bake Desserts. The box was practically smacking me on the forehead with their “Goof Proof 15 Minute Prep” label. Jackpot baby! Mind you, the picture on all three varieties shows a cookie crust, but something urged me to read the ingredients anyway (my hubby was watching the kids while I food shopped, so this was “me-time”). Ok, I admit food shopping is pretty lame for “me time”, but I’ll take what I can get :)

Back to the Jell-o No Bake Desserts. Jello is made by Kraft Foods. Kraft Foods is one of the first companies I sought out when I became gluten free because they clearly identify any of their products that contain a source of gluten. The Jell-o No Bake Dessert ingredients are separated into individually sealed packets based on the Crust, Filling Mix, and Topping. The product ingredients listed on the box are detailed according to Crust, Filling Mix, etc. as well. Since the cookie crust portion of the dessert was clearly not gluten free, I just threw out the packet (or you could save it for a gluten eating friend to use) and altered the recipe a bit.

Here’s my feedback:

Jell-o No Bake Peanut Butter Cup Dessert.  Oooh, these were yummy! It was like eating a giant, fluffy peanut butter cup. After discarding the Oreo Cookie Crust Mix (sigh), I put approximately half a box of Health Valley Rice Bran crackers into a ziploc bag and crushed them with a rolling pin. This would serve as my gluten free crust. The Peanut Butter Cup Filling Mix and Chocolate Topping are gluten free, so I was able to prepare them as directed. I opted for the Frozen Peanut Butter Cups recipe (using standard cupcake wrappers). Another option is to make this in an 8×8 pan. FYI, on the box there are other “Quick & Easy Variations” to the recipe such as PB&J squares and PB & Banana squares. I would totally make these again! One small but crucial word of advice, DO NOT eat more than two of these peanut butter cups in a row or you will feel uber-sick. Trust me, I am speaking from experience (ok, I ate four, but who’s counting?!)…

Jell-o No Bake Real Cheesecake Dessert. While making the first Jell-o recipe, I had used all of my Health Valley Rice Bran crackers. So, what to do for a crust bottom? I had a moment of spontaneity and (holy crap!) improvised. After melting five squares of Baker’s Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, I drizzled enough chocolate to cover the bottom of all 24 mini-cupcake wrappers. Again, the Filling Mix was gluten free, so I prepared that per the directions. During this time, I popped the chocolate-bottomed cupcake wrappers into the fridge to harden. After adding the cheesecake filling, I topped these with fresh blueberries. The result — these were tasty but really messy! The cheesecake filling was light and airy, not dense like your “typical” NY style cheesecake.  I think a cookie crust would work much better. Unfortunately, the chocolate base melted as soon as you took the cheesecake out of the wrapper. Despite refrigerating the cheesecakes per the instructions (and even putting them in the freezer as well!), they were very gooey. On a positive note, the mini-cupcake wrappers worked perfectly for this recipe as you were able to delicately shove the entire thing in your mouth in one fell swoop (classy, huh?). I would like to try making this again (they were a huge hit with my family!), possibly using a pie plate instead of the mini cups.

At a price of $2.99 to $3.99 per box, the Jell-o No Bake Desserts are an easy, reasonably priced dessert. With just a little tweaking you can make it gluten free and proudly declare some Jell-o love (thanks Mr. Cosby!).

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