Dessert – Page 16 – The Celiathlete

June 4, 2014

Product Review: Halo Top Creamery Vanilla Bean All Natural Light Ice Cream

Product: Halo Top Creamery Vanilla Bean All Natural Light Ice Cream – $5.49+

Cookies might be one of my favorite desserts in the world…but sometimes…you just can’t beat the sweet, savory, melty goodness of ice cream. I love ice cream. I love ice cream so much that I take a lactase supplement so I can eat it, as my lactose intolerance otherwise doesn’t handle the dairy well. And, where I can, I keep it dairy-free…sometimes you just want to try something new in that freezer section at the grocery store.

For a while now, I had been eying the Halo Top Creamery All Natural Light Ice Cream at my local natural food store. What really caught my attention, above everything else in that freezer, was that the pints declared that a serving contained 7 grams of protein and only 70 calories. I’m sorry…70 calories!!!!! Be still my ice cream loving heart!

Our local natural food store was having a great sale on this brand a couple weeks back, so Cathy and I gave a little bit of leeway to our budget and purchased two pints. One flavor…the lemon cake. The other…vanilla bean.

I’ve been wanting to dive into these since we bought them, but we had some cookies (ooooh…cookies!) to use up first. And then I made a Vegan and Gluten-Free Grasshopper Pie. But…to celebrate another marathon…we picked up a brownie from Annie May’s Sweet Café in Louisville, Kentucky, with the original thought to take it to our local ice cream shop (Comfy Cow) and have them use it in a brownie sundae. But…with our budget tight due to some traveling for the marathon…I said we could make the sundaes at home. She agreed that saving money was a good idea…but…the sundae had to wait until…tonight. Three days after we purchased the brownie…we finally had a break in our dessert schedule to open up one of the ice cream pints.

The most logical choice, of course, was the Halo Top Creamy Vanilla Bean All Natural Light Ice Cream.

I love vanilla. Vanilla is the ultimate test of how good any ice cream is. Because if you can’t make a good vanilla…you can’t make good ice cream. Whenever I try a new ice cream brand, I usually opt for vanilla first. This is how I judge them. Seriously. I am an ice cream lover from my childhood. I know good ice cream. Halo Top Creamy spares no expense when it comes to making their Vanilla Bean flavor. They use pure Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Vanilla, which is the top of the line vanilla that money can buy. Honestly.

A 1/2 cup serving of Halo Top Creamery Vanilla Bean All Natural Light Ice Cream

So…this is how I utilized the Vanilla Bean ice cream from Halo Top Creamery. I started off by warming up the Gluten-Free Double Fudge Brownie from Annie May’s Sweet Café. I sliced it in half and put one half in each ice cream bowl. Then, I warmed up some hot fudge in the microwave. While that was warming, I scooped up a 1/2 cup serving of the Halo Top Creamery Vanilla Bean All Natural Light Ice Cream and gently placed it on top of the brownie slice. Once the hot fudge was ready, I drizzled it over the top, added some chopped pecans (or walnuts on Cathy’s sundae…as she prefers walnuts and I prefer pecans). And…it was time to dig in.

I was actually surprised with how rich and smooth this flavor was. The ice cream, much like the ice creams made from coconut milk or soy milk, definitely aren’t as soft and pliable when scooped, but the flavor was amazing. It crumbles a little, but that’s the nature of ice cream with very little fat in it. And very little sugar. In fact, one of my favorite aspects of this ice cream is that it has almost twice the protein as sugar. How’s that for epic? The ice cream might be a bit crumbly, but the flavor is outstanding. You want to get good vanilla ice cream, grab a spoon and dig into this guilt-free pleasure. The vanilla is really the star and you can tell that they pulled out all the stops when it came to creating this flavor. I was in love at first bite. And each one that followed, weather it was on its own or covered in fudge and accompanied by some warm brownie.

Are you drooling yet?

So, let’s look at what the Halo Top Creamery Vanilla Bean All Natural Light Ice Cream is made from. The ingredients are milk and cream, cultured nonfat milk, cage-free eggs, whey, erythritol, organic cane sugar, chicory root, casein protein, organic vanilla extract, organic vanilla beans, acacia gum, sea salt, organic carob gum, organic guar gum, carrageenan, and organic stevia. So…it has that damn carrageenan in it…but it’s not so bad otherwise. And the FAQ on the Web site does say that their ice cream is gluten-free and vegetarian! Some ice creams use gelatine. Not Halo Top Creamery!

As for the nutrition information…you’ll love this. A serving size is 1/2 cup. In this big scoop of ice cream, you will be provided with only 70 calories and 3 grams of fat. You will be taking in 43 mg of cholesterol, 89 mg sodium, and only 4 grams of sugar. In addition, you will be taking in 4 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein. That’s incredible!

So, yeah…I was excited…and a bit nervous when it came to actually trying Halo Top Creamery’s All Natural Light Ice Cream. I was afraid it would be like…the nastiness that is Arctic Zero. GROSS! But it turns out that, the Vanilla Bean flavor, at least, is fantastic. It’s light and tasty and just…good. While the texture isn’t as creamy as you’d expect, it still works and it still tastes good. It’s one fine vanilla ice cream. And you won’t feel guilty piling it on top of a brownie and coating it with some hot fudge. Well, you shouldn’t at least. Honestly…I was actually pleasantly surprised when it came to the taste, texture, and all around flavor of Halo Top Creamery Vanilla Bean All Natural Light Ice Cream.

Find it. Try it. Indulge. Hitting the freezer has never been so guilt-free and simply delicious.

A Gluten-Free Brownie Sundae made with Halo Top Creamery Vanilla Bean All Natural Light Ice Cream (on a gluten-free double chocolate brownie, covered with hot fudge and chopped pecans)

May 26, 2014

Restaurant Review: Merge, Buffalo, New York

Restaurant: Merge, Buffalo, New York

It had been a long day. By the time I rolled into Buffalo, I had already gotten up early to do a shakeout run while still in Ohio, stretched, did my ab routine, pack, get the car loaded up, and make the seemingly endless drive from Columbus, Ohio all the way up to Buffalo, New York…with one stop in Erie, Pennsylvania for lunch. Getting into Buffalo, I got checked into my hotel, hit up the race expo (I was there for a race, naturally), went back to my room, did more stretching, did some foam rolling, got things ready ahead of time so the evening wouldn’t be as hectic, and watched Food Network.

Because…that’s what I do.

HA!

But, before I knew it…it was time to head out to dinner. I was meeting up with my good friend, Kat, and her boyfriend, Adam, for dinner that night. It was the night before a race, so we wanted to have plenty of options for everyone. Kat requires brown rice pasta…so we narrowed it down to three places, but in the end…chose a place called…

Merge.

Kat was very high on this place when we were trying to make the decision. She said not only can they do a lot of their foods vegan/vegetarian, but a lot can be done gluten-free as well. AWESOME! Sounded perfect. And…the menu was a little different from anything I have down this way, so that was a bonus too. We were to meet for dinner at 5:00 p.m. So, at around 4:15, we set out to walk from our hotel up to Merge. It didn’t take us as long as we expected…so…we stood outside in the slightly chilly air. Right around 5, Kat and Adam showed up…and we stepped inside.

I already liked the place. Dimly lit…with a stage off to the right as you walk in. We were greeted and Kat gave the reservation. We were shown to our table and seated. As it was pre-race, I stuck with just water to drink. I hadn’t been too good about hydrating that day while on the road, so I wanted to make up for that a bit now. The waiter went to retrieve drinks and we sat and perused the menu.

Now, I had looked at the menu numerous times, trying to figure out what I wanted for dinner. Normally, pre-race means a gluten-free pizza. And that was completely available. HOWEVER…there were so many other delicious sounding items on the menu, that I thought, perhaps, to screw with tradition again…and do something completely different, but enough that would fuel up my muscles and top off those glycogen stores for the next morning. I was flip-flopping. On one hand, the gluten-free and dairy-free pizza was one with Daiya cheese, red onion, asparagus…it sounded awesome. But…again…I can get good gluten-free pizza in Louisville. So, it was down to trying the Gluten-Free and Vegan Mac & Cheese that Kat had told me so much about…or the special of the night…the Gluten-Free Eggplant Caponata…or the Gluten-Free Arugula Pesto Pasta.

So…while I was trying to decide, the rest of the table ordered. Kat went with the an appetizer of the Dairy-Free Stuffed Potato Skins ($10.00) which comes with a fresh corn salad with turkey bacon, Daiya Cheese, and a Chipotle Cream and then for an entree went with the Gluten-Free Eggplant Caponata ($18.00). Adam went with the Daily Pizza ($10.00). Jenn chose the Sweet Basil Gnocchi (which included roasted red peppers, red onion, spinach, roasted garlic and a white wine sauce) for her meal ($15.00). Cathy went with the Coconut Lemongrass Stir-fry ($15.00), which is a mix of organic tofu, snap peas, red onion, carrot, and rice vermicelli, served with toasted cashews, bean sprouts, and fresh lime.

And I was still stumped!

I went over my choices with the waiter to get his opinion and to maybe help me make a decision, because I was seriously waffling. Pizza…or something different…pizza…or something different…tradition…or not….AH! The waiter said he highly recommended the Arugula Pesto Pasta. Kat made sure that the pesto didn’t have Parmesan in it (as someone with a dairy allergy…she knows all about the importance of asking about things like that because so many pesto recipes include Parmesan…and being lactose intolerant…I avoid all things dairy before a race). He said that it was vegan…and so…I went with it. Why not?!

There it was…tradition once again bucked…

I went with the Gluten-Free Arugula Pesto Pasta ($15.00), which was brown rice pasta with local tomato, red onion, spinach, and tossed with toasted walnuts. Oooh…I’d get some nice vitamins from that spinach and some Omega from those walnuts. Nice choice. Glad I had some help in making it!

So, we all sat around and talked about various topics, not just running. In fact, running didn’t really come up all that much that night. We were just having a good time and relaxing. Because that is important before a race. Trust me. The atmosphere of Merge is very conducive to that too. It was really, really nice. The appetizer was brought to the table and Kat let me try one of the potato skins. I didn’t put the corn and bacon topping on it since it was real meat, but the Daiya cheese and the chipotle cream were put on the potato skin…and it was phenomenal. Quite tasty. I want to recreate this at home…and just might this week! It was a great way to start off the dining experience.

But, before long our meals were being served up and we were all happily about to feast on our food of choice.

Merge's Gluten-Free Arugula Pesto Pasta — Merge’s Gluten-Free Arugula Pesto Pasta

I actually was quite happy when I took my first bite of the Arugula Pesto Pasta. It was smooth and delicious. I love pesto as it is…but this was really seasoned well. It paired well with the brown rice pasta. And the fresh vegetables that were sauteed and added to the mix just made for a nice break in the texture and a lot of added flavor as well. LOVE. The toasted walnuts were the perfect way to add a bit of crunch to something that would otherwise be very soft. I told Cathy to give it a try and she loved it as well. It’s not every day I get a plate of green pasta (ah, pesto…you’re so much fun on food!) that had so much going on and so much nutritionally sound ingredients added to it. It was just what I think I needed that evening. You could tell everything was fresh. Because this pasta was perfection. So, I broke tradition again…it was worth it for this meal. Trust me.

Everyone else seemed to like their meals as well. Kat’s only complaint was there was too little pasta (she’s carbing up!) in her dish…and Jenn ate around all the vegetables in hers. The rest of us devoured everything in front of us.

The big question of dessert came up. And…we felt it was necessary. They had so many gluten-free and vegan options on their dessert menu…how could I pass up the opportunity?

In the end, Kat went with the Apple Cranberry Cobbler with Salty Caramel Sauce and Homemade Vanilla Soy Ice Cream ($7.00) for her dessert. Jenn and Adam both got the Vegan Carrot Cake with Walnuts and Cream Cheese Frosting ($6.00). And Cathy and I decided to split the Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Spiced Berry Compote ($6.00). I kind of wanted to split the Vegan and Gluten-Free Brownie Sundae…but Cathy is apparently anti-brownie these days. So…that was a no-go.

With our orders in, we eagerly anticipated our sweet reward and end of the night treat. After a short wait, the desserts were brought to the table. They all looked fantastic. Especially the carrot cake. If only that had been gluten-free. Then again, Cathy is anti-carrot cake as well…so it wouldn’t have done any good. GRRRR! Anyway…it all looked delicious and we spared no time digging in.

The Vegan Chocolate Mousse with the Spiced Berry Compote was…different. This wasn’t your usual mousse. It was probably made with cashew cream…which would be the reason for the grittiness to it. In fact, it also wasn’t very fluffy or light. More like a heavy pudding than a mousse to be sure. That being said…the spiced berry compote was beyond delicious. Ultimately, it was my favorite part of the dessert. Cathy agreed. When I think of mousse, I expect something whipped and airy and light…and this just wasn’t a mousse.

Jenn absolutely loved the carrot cake (damn it for not being gluten-free!). Cat and Adam split each of their desserts and both seemed quite happy with their choices. So, that was good.

We finished up dessert and wound up getting caught up in conversations again. And soon, because they are a hot-spot in town, we were asked to leave so other people could have the table. I needed to get back to the hotel anyway and get ready for sleep to be rested up for the morning ahead of me.

All-in-all…a great restaurant in Buffalo, New York. I would happily eat here again without any qualms. Everything I had was good, and sometimes even great. My pasta was the star, for sure. And even if the dessert didn’t wow me…it was still fantastic. Cathy stole a bite of Jenn’s carrot cake and raved about it. The atmosphere was amazing. The food was delicious. And the staff was quite accommodating. I couldn’t have asked for a better pre-race meal.

Merge, when I come back to Buffalo, New York sometime…I hope to come back.

Merge's Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Spiced Berry Compote — Merge’s Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Spiced Berry Compote

May 23, 2014

Product Review: Annie May’s Sweet Café Easter Basket 2014

Annie May's Sweet Café, Louisville, Kentucky — Annie May’s Sweet Café, Louisville, Kentucky

Product: Annie May’s Sweet Café Easter Holiday Menu 2014

I am a little late on posting this blog because…life has been crazy-busy as of late. But…I didn’t want anything to fall by the wayside, especially when it is my favorite allergen-free bakery. Lucky me…it’s in my own hometown. And every year, around Easter time, Annie May’s Sweet Café offers people the chance to have their own individually wrapped items for an Easter basket. This year’s Easter Holiday Menu was enticing. And…I told my roomie to order for me…and surprise me with what she chose for us to try.

This year brought a change to the standards normally seen on the menu. Due to a chocolate shortage at the wholesale level, Annie May’s Sweet Café announced they would NOT be making the chocolate bunnies or chocolate candy this year. Bummer…because that sunbutter bunny I ate last year was beyond amazing. But…with the rising cost and lack of availability, I can’t blame them.

So…the weekend before Easter, Cathy placed an order at the bakery…and I didn’t listen in or anything. I was so excited about being surprised with what I would find inside. The only thing I was aware of was the 1 Dozen Gluten-Free Lemon Bars that Cathy and I had discussed purchasing, because I had been eying these on the menu every time…but they were never in the case. And Lemon Bars are one of Cathy’s favorite thing in life.

Mine too, honestly.

So…

The Saturday before Easter, we stepped into Annie May’s Sweet Café for breakfast. After we ate, Cathy went to get all the goodies for the Easter Basket she ordered. We got a large pink box containing the one dozen Gluten-Free Lemon Bars. But it was the surprises that I was ready to discover.

Turns out, Cathy put in an order for one of everything…save the Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Brownie as that item is always in the case at the bakery. Always. Trust me…our friend Greg always orders at least two of them.

So…here’s a review of everything inside my Gluten-Free Easter Basket of Awesome!

Gluten-Free Lemon Bars – $38.50

Annie May's Sweet Café Gluten-Free Lemon Bars — Annie May’s Sweet Café Gluten-Free Lemon Bars

One big pink box is what we brought home and immediately stuck in the refrigerator. Because lingering inside was 12 bars of lemony goodness. For real. And these weren’t small bars either. This dozen lemon bars could easily have been split in half and been enjoyed for much longer. But where is the fun in that? Needless to say…Cathy and I didn’t do that. Not at all.

These bars had this delicious shortbread-like crust. Then…the lemon curd in the center. And a delicious sugary crust on top. It was heaven. Heaven with each bite. The lemon was fantastic and refreshing. The curd inside was soft and lemony, without being overwhelming. That sugary crust on top added a bit of texture. And…I think I have declared these the best gluten-free lemon bars I have tasted.

And yes…I have had a few…some from Cherbourg Bakery in Columbus, Ohio…and some from Sinfully Gluten Free in Dayton, Ohio. But these…these from Annie May’s were the best ever. I hope she starts putting them in the case for Saturdays…because I will literally buy them all. Yes…they are that delicious. Trust me…I can’t make this up. I looked forward to dessert for six days straight! Lemony goodness indeed!

Annie May's Sweet Café Allergen-Free Mini Oatmeal Cream Pie — Annie May’s Sweet Café Allergen-Free Mini Oatmeal Cream Pie

Allergen-Free Mini Oatmeal Cream Pie – $3.50

Annie May’s Sweet Café is known for their Oatmeal Cream Pies. The thing is…these things are so huge at the bakery…that they can be quite daunting to eat. This is often the treat my guests choose to eat…and then they end up taking more than half of it with them. Oh…they are good. Just…sometimes a bit much.

So, for Easter, Annie May’s Sweet Café downsized them. And this…was absolutely perfect. You know those oatmeal cream pies you’d buy at the grocery store and devour as a child. These are sort of like that…but better. Two soft mini oatmeal cookies surround a thick layer of frosting. It’s sweet…with a hint of that savory oatmeal cookie appeal. I love texture of the cookies and the way they pair well with the filling.

It might just remind you how sweet some of life’s simplest pleasures really are. Like…cookies and icing. Simple…but oh…so good. And since this is one of their signature items…it’s totally worth the purchase!

Allergen-Free Mix & Match Petit Four Pack – $4.00

Annie May's Sweet Café Petit Fours — Annie May’s Sweet Café Mix & Match Petit Fours

Mmmm…little bite-size cakes of goodness. I love petit fours. Before I had to go gluten-free, I was often sent little petit fours at Christmas time from Swiss Colony. So, I totally missed these little one-bite goodies. But…not anymore. Not at Easter. Thanks to Cathy!

Annie May’s Sweet Café did up a four-pack of Petit Fours, two chocolate with a chocolate ganache topping, and two vanilla with a vanilla icing. And…boy, were these ever moist. I actually found that the vanilla was my favorite. Not a surprise. While I am a choc-o-holic, I also find that I prefer vanilla in some cases. Especially when it comes to cakes. I don’t know why…I just do.

I loved how the icing complimented the moist and sweet cake beneath. I enjoyed having a dessert I could just pop into my mouth and not feel guilty about the little indulgence. Not that I ever feel guilty about enjoying a dessert…but you get what I mean. These little cakes made me so happy. They didn’t last long if that tells you anything.

Annie May's Sweet Café Gluten-Free Decorated Sugar Cookie — Annie May’s Sweet Café Gluten-Free Decorated Sugar Cookie

Gluten-Free Decorated Sugar Cookie – $5.00

Mmmm…sugar cookies. I never make sugar cookies. Ever. Well, I tried a couple of times. It never ends well. Ever.

So…when I see gluten-free sugar cookies in the wild…you better believe I want one. It doesn’t get much better than a sweet, sometimes a bit gritty (mmmm…sugar!), soft cookie. It is one of the simplest…but most amazing cookies ever made. Almost always, sugar cookies have some sort of decorative flair to them. Last year, Kenna (co-owner of Annie May’s Sweet Café) hand painted Peter Rabbit on the cookies. This year, the cookie was shaped like an egg and decorated with white icing and various designs to make it look like an Easter egg.

I almost hated to cut it in half and devour it with Cathy’s assistance. But, my sweet tooth wins out over the artistic beauty of the cookie in the end. This sugar cookie was soft and sweet, without it being too sweet. Even with the icing, it found a nice balance. And it really was a beautifully decorated cookie. Hands down one of the best, and softest, gluten-free sugar cookies I have had to date.

Gluten-Free Six-Pack Caramels – $4.50

Annie May's Sweet Café Gluten-Free Caramels — Annie May’s Sweet Café Gluten-Free Caramels

Two words.

Homemade Caramels.

I actually saved these for last. Honestly. I had to. I wanted them to be last because caramel is one of my favorite things in the world. Especially if it’s salted. This wasn’t…but that’s okay. Seriously. Because caramel is the thing that delicious dreams are made of.

Always.

The caramels that Annie May’s Sweet Café put together for Easter were chewy and soft…and sweet. I loved how stretchy it was. But it didn’t attach itself indefinitely to your teeth either. I could taste the sugar, and how it caramelized down into the soft candy. These were so amazing. They practically melted in your mouth when you took a bite.

These were love. Soft, chewy, caramel-y love.

I’m addicted. And the three days I had these in my life were some of my best. More, please!

~*~*~

So…there it is…

Another Easter has come and gone…and for the second year in a row, Annie May’s Sweet Café provided me with a safe and epically sweet and delicious Easter basket. Their Easter menu was out of this world this year. I didn’t even miss the chocolate candies and chocolate bunny.

And seriously…if they ever start putting the lemon bars in that case…I’ll buy them all.

I’m already craving them again.

Maybe I can see about getting these for my birthday this year…

Maybe.

Thank you, Annie May’s Sweet Café, for another fantastic holiday treat. I seriously had some of the best desserts of my life in the comfort of my own home…without having to turn on my oven once.

Now that…is one delicious treat indeed.

May 22, 2014

Restaurant Review: Sweet ‘N’ Savory Food Truck, Louisville, Kentucky

Restaurant: Sweet ‘N’ Savory Food Truck, Louisville, Kentucky

They are BACK!

YES!! Finally!!

After a long, harsh winter without much action of the food truck scene…especially for me…because of my food allergies and all…I was so happy when Sweet ‘N’ Savory Food Truck returned from their hiatus (the owners spend the winters in New Orleans, Louisiana). Unfortunately, I didn’t get out to them for a few weeks. I was either out of town or the weather was bad.

But that was not the case this past Sunday afternoon. Louisville was having their Buy Local Fair and the food trucks were out and serving. I went to this event last year and walked away with tons of local products from local businesses and farms. So, I was excited that I would be in town for this year’s event as well. It was a near thing though. I was in Indianapolis the day before for a half marathon…so thank goodness this was a Sunday event.

After an easy time getting to the site of the Buy Local Fair and with no problems parking…I was more than primed to find the food trucks and get my crepe on. Because that…my dear readers…is what Sweet ‘N’ Savory is all about. They do amazing gluten-free crepes, gelato, smoothies, coffee, tea…ahhhh…life’s simple but best pleasures, if you ask me. And you’re reading this…so technically…you are.

Sweet ‘N’ Savory was right on the end of the row of food trucks as we turned the corner. I think I bounced up and down when I saw them…already with a line. YAY! I was so ready for this. My crepe craving has been out of control lately. And despite having a gluten-free crepe place in Columbus, Ohio…and now one in Denver, Colorado…nothing…NOTHING compares to those that are served up by my local food truck, owned by Richard and Ashley Giannini. He mans the crepe stones and she takes the orders and dishes up everything else…including their rich, creamy gelato. But I’ll get to that momentarily.

Richard and Ashley are the two who got me hooked on savory crepes. I never cared for them much before…until they came along. And…still…I hardly order them from anywhere else…because they don’t compare to the flavor combinations that I can get from Sweet ‘N’ Savory. I looked over the menu…and contemplated going sweet. But it was lunch…so…the savory sort of had my attention. I was going back and forth between two of them…and finally settled on…

The Sweet Onion Crepe.

Sweet 'N' Savory's Sweet Onion Crepe — Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s Sweet Onion Crepe

This savory crepe contained caramelized onions, figs, honey, and goat cheese, folded up in the gluten-free crepe and served toasty and warm and…mouth watering. Holy cow. I put in my order and Cathy placed hers (opting for the one with ‘all the meats’ as she never gets to eat meat at home since I am the cook). While we waited, we chatted with both Richard and Ashley about how we’ve been and what’s been keeping us busy. They apologized for missing me the weekend before at The Flea Off Market (severe weather shut it down early and they packed up 10 minutes before I finally arrived…SO not their fault. Just really bad timing!). We laughed about the strange weather and soon…both Cathy and I were receiving our delicious gluten-free crepes.

The seating area was on the other end of the food truck area, so we took a small stroll over to a picnic table and settled in. I quickly took the mandatory food shot for the blog and then picked up my plastic utensils and readied myself for my first bite of one of Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s crepes in a L-O-N-G time.

It was just as good as I always remembered. The savory Sweet Onion Crepe was the perfect blend of everything. You get sweetness from the caramelized onions…plus some great flavor and texture from the chopped up figs that are inside. The honey binds everything together. But the real magic in this crepe falls to the goat cheese. You get this nice balance of saltiness and creamy texture to counter the onion and fig mixture. Heaven. I cut off a piece for Cathy to try and she agreed…it rocked! And her crepe was apparently good too, because we polished them off in record time. For real! The crepe itself was toasted to a perfect golden brown and tucked neatly around the filling. It was heaven on a paper plate. And I was all smiles…in between chewing, of course. I have yet to have something from Sweet ‘N’ Savory that I didn’t like.

As we had been waiting in line, Ashely had mentioned their gelato flavors. She had done up a Brownie Batter Gelato that morning that she said was amazing. Lick-the-bowl good, I believe. She also said that it would pair perfectly with, my personal favorite, Salted Caramel. And they did have the salted caramel flavor. But she enticed me with something else…

A Dairy-Free Raspberry Gelato. So, Cathy and I abandoned our plans to celebrate my fastest half marathon time with our traditional Sundae Sunday at The Comfy Cow…and instead…went for Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s gelato. Cathy got the Brownie Batter. I was enticed to the Raspberry. Ashley served it up…and we happily paid and walked away with our refreshing sweet treat in hand.

Cathy fell in love with the rich, sweet, very-brownie flavor of the Brownie Batter Gelato. I took a spoonful and…WOW! Yeah…it was like eating rich, delicious, dark chocolate brownie batter. REALLY good. But, I was over-the-moon for my choice. Light, airy, and tangy…the zippy flavor of Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s Dairy-Free Raspberry Gelato won me over at first bite. Cathy, who doesn’t even like raspberry, took a taste and said, “WOW…that’s GOOD!” So, we perused the Buy Local Fair, buying products from local farms and businesses, while eating our little bowls of homemade, rich, creamy, light…gelato. I was in a good place. A very, very happy place.

So, I want to take a moment to welcome back my favorite Louisville, Kentucky food truck, Sweet ‘N’ Savory. I have missed you so much. And you totally have brought the flavor-factor back once again this year. I can’t wait to turn up at other events and try other crepes that you create and put together. Honestly…you’ve been missed. And next time…it might be a two-scoop gelato kind of day. Your food is love…and I love your food!

Sweet 'N' Savory's Dairy-Free Raspberry Gelato — Sweet ‘N’ Savory’s Dairy-Free Raspberry Gelato

May 22, 2014

Product Review: Bella Lucia Lemon Love Gluten-Free Pizzelle

Product: Bella Lucia Lemon Love Gluten-Free Pizzelle – $6.95+

It was one of the best moments ever. I am in a natural food store my friend, Jenn, had been wanting to take me to for years, while in Columbus, Ohio (Raisin Rack is the store). The aisles and aisles of gluten-free products are calling to me. Like…literally. I’m getting all whiney and needy and really, really wanting to try some items that I hadn’t found anywhere else.

And my roomie comes over with a medium-size basket and tells me to fill it up.

Of course…she helped.

One of the products that she insisted that we try was Bella Lucia Lemon Love Gluten-Free Pizzelle.

Why? Because it had the word “lemon” on it. And we had seen these before at our Whole Foods and never picked them up. Second chance. We’re taking it.

What are pizzelle? A pizzella is a traditional Italian waffle cookie that is made from flour, eggs, sugar, butter, and flavoring (like…in this case…lemon!). Depending on how they are prepared, pizzelle can be hard and crisp or soft and chewy. These are known to be one of the oldest forms of cookies. The cookie dough batter is put into a pizzelle iron (sort of like a waffle iron). They are typically stamped in a snowflake pattern on both sides. These cookies are thin, golden, and usually crisp in texture once it’s cooled.

I had never had pizzelle before, so I was already intrigued. After we polished off some dinner (leftovers from the Corn & Black Bean Salad I posted about in my “Cooking With Amy Farrah Fowler” blog), I cleaned up the dishes and pulled the plastic container out of the pantry so we could enjoy some dessert. I opened up the container and removed the sealed cookies. I carefully cut into the seal and eased out two thin cookies, handing one over to Cathy while I kept the other one for myself.

These cookies are so light and thin. Loved that. I wouldn’t feel guilty when the dessert I’m “indulging” in doesn’t feel heavy and fattening. HAHA! I took a bite.

The Bella Lucia Lemon Love Gluten-Free Pizzelle is of the soft and chewy type. I was really, really expecting them to be crunchy. Everything about them screamed crunchy. I think I was slightly disappointed that they lacked crunch. But…even more…the lack of lemon flavor was a bigger disappointment. And what I could taste was almost…fake in flavor. They also seemed a bit…dry.

As I have never had pizzelle before, I don’t know if this is normal or not, but it was a bit of a letdown in the end. The cookies look beautiful. But they really lack in the texture and flavor. At least this version of them. I’d be willing to try the other flavors of gluten-free pizzelle offered by Bella Lucia…but the Lemon Love were slightly disappointing. At least for me.

Ingredients in the Bella Lucia Lemon Love Gluten-Free Pizzelle include white rice flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, potato flour, xanthan gum, pectin, sugar, canola oil, eggs, and lemon extract. They are gluten-free…the founders wanting to make traditional baked goods that would meet new dietary needs without giving up flavor and taste.

As for nutrition information, a serving size of the Bella Lucia Lemon Love Gluten-Free Pizzelle is one cookie. Just one. This serving will give you 100 calories and 4.2 grams of fat. In addition, you will be consuming 28.8 mg cholesterol, 6.3 grams of sugar, and 9.5 mg sodium. Finally, you will be taking in less than 1 gram of fiber and only 1.3 grams of protein. So…don’t expect these cookies to fill you up. They won’t.

I expected something completely different in a pizzelle. And while I’m not totally disappointed, I’m not entirely impressed either. I love what Bella Lucia is doing. And I think I might have enjoyed it more with more lemon flavor infused…but these were just a little bland. And not crispy. When I get a thin cookie…I want some crunch to it. So, slightly lacking. But not bad. Not amazing. But not bad.

May 20, 2014

Restaurant Review: Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza and Pub, Fishers, Indiana

Restaurant: Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub, Fishers, Indiana

Twas the night before a half marathon…

…so…in other words…gluten-free pizza night!

About a week before setting out to Fishers, Indiana, to run the Geist Half Marathon (for training), I started a full-on search for good gluten-free pizza in that area. I’m spoiled rotten by my local allergen-free bakery, Annie May’s Sweet Café, because her pizza crust is actually a thick crust…not this thin cracker crust you get everywhere else. I always crave her pizza and went on a search to, perhaps, find a place that was comparable to the one she makes.

No luck.

Cracker crust everywhere I turn.

UGH!

So…I tossed it out on my Facebook page for some suggestions. I wanted to try somewhere new…somewhere I couldn’t easily go here in Louisville. So no Puccini’s and no Mellow Mushroom (although…yum to Mellow Mushroom!). I didn’t want to go somewhere I already had gone up there to try…so no Monical’s or Jockamo’s. Some of my friends in my running group were, unknown to me at the time, also running Geist…and Laura said they were going to hit up Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub in Fishers on Friday night for their dinner. And she saw they had a gluten-free menu as well.

I went to check it out, along with two other places that I researched via Find Me Gluten Free.

In the end, due to being conveniently close to the hotel…Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub was where Cathy and I decided the night-before-the-race pizza would happen. And…as an added bonus, my good friend, Julia, was going to meet us there for dinner. YAY!

I’ve had a lot of misses on the gluten-free pizza as of late while on the road. So, I was desperately hoping that this pizza was good. And…after getting caught in some storms on the drive up to Fishers, then getting stuck in traffic, hitting up the race expo for packet pickup, and then getting caught in more traffic, we finally made it to the restaurant, where Julia got us a table in the bar and was patiently waiting…and had been for about 30 minutes (damn traffic). Lots of hugs and a quick browse of the menu…and we were set.

The inside of Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub is dark…but beautiful. It’s very rustic chic. And I thought the ambiance was perfect for a pizza/pub. It just felt right and comfortable. Our waitress came over…and I gave her fair warning of my food allergies. She put any of my fears to rest and assured me that they would cook me up a good pizza. So, with our minds made up…the order was placed.

Cathy and I were going to split the 10″ Gluten-Free Vava Veggie Pizza ($12.00 – which includes the $1.50 up-charge for gluten-free crust). Julia was on the same wavelength and got the regular wood fired version of the Vava Veggie Pizza ($10.50). With the orders in, we were able to sit and talk while we waited for out food. A short time later, our pans of pizza were being settled in front of us.

The Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub’s Gluten-Free Vava Veggie Pizza is done on a custom gluten-free cracker crust. Very thin crust…crunchy…you know the drill. The pizza itself is topped off with roma tomatoes, fresh basil pesto, crimini mushrooms, red and green bell peppers, broccoli, house tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese. It was very colorful and smelled absolutely delicious.

Our pizza, however, was a little lopsided. One half was coated with veggies, the other half had a lot of plain cheese. As I don’t handle dairy too well, I took a supplement and then took the slices with more veggies than cheese showing. That was fine by Cathy. I think sometimes she only tolerates the veggies that I get on my vegetarian pizzas. But…she dug in first.

First of all…the crust was cooked all the way through. That…was a huge plus. YAY! It had a nice crispness to the crust. The vegetable were fresh and added both savory and sweet aspects to the slices itself. I loved the mushrooms, finding them cooked perfectly through. Cathy fell in love with the pesto that was on the pizza. And each slice was packed with fresh veggie goodness, which I appreciated. But…I did notice how wet the pizza got soon after we dove into our first slices. I think it was the blend of tomatoes with the tomato sauce and basil…but it got a bit soggy after a short time. Which…made me sad. I love that crispness to the crust that pizza should have. Ah well…I polished off my half of the pizza regardless, giving each of my slices a liberal sprinkle with the crushed red pepper flakes. Mmmm.

All-in-all, not bad. Really. Not bad. In fact, I’d be more than happy to eat here again and try something else. I hear the gluten-free bread they make their sandwiches on is fantastic (thanks for the insight, Tammy!). If anything, I was most disappointed by the appearance (veggies were SO off-kilter!) and the way it just sort of got soggy after a moment of sitting while we ate. But…it was cooked through. The cheese was melted. The veggies were cooked to perfection and tasted fresh. I was content. I felt good.

And…it must have worked because this gluten-free pizza fueled me all the way to a new half marathon personal record!

Julia seemed really happy with her wood-fired pizza…and the crust looked absolutely fantastic on her slices. I admit…I had crust envy.

If you find yourself in the Fishers area, I highly recommend Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub for your lunch or dinner plans. They have everything from salads to pizzas to sandwiches…and even dessert. I toyed with the idea of getting gelato…but I opted against it in the end. But…trust me…this is a great place and they were very careful with the preparation of my food. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

I will definitely be back. Next time…I think I’ll try a sandwich!

Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub's Gluten-Free Vava Veggie Pizza — Rockstone Wood Fired Pizza & Pub’s Gluten-Free Vava Veggie Pizza

May 19, 2014

Restaurant Review: The Gluten Escape, Denver, Colorado

Restaurant: The Gluten Escape, Denver, Colorado

I have my friend, Pecos, to thank for turning me on to the newest gluten-free bakery near the Denver Tech Center in Denver, Colorado. I make a yearly sojourn out to Denver for Starfest, an annual sci-fi/fantasy convention, and am always looking for places that can safely feed me. A couple of months before I headed that way, Pecos mentioned this place on Facebook. Sure enough, it wasn’t far from my hotel at the convention at all. Insert a happy traveler right here!

As it turned out, we’d be hitting Denver at the right time to stop into said bakery for lunch. And I couldn’t be happier. Cathy and I budgeted some money (and then she added on after we settled in to eat and after purchasing a few things for later…but I’m getting ahead of myself) for this stop to be our official lunch and snack stop on Friday afternoon. It was perfect. And…after getting a little lost trying to find the place, we finally located it (under a storage awning, of all things).

The Gluten Escape. Their slogan…”Where gluten is a 4-letter word…gone!”

Love it.

The bakery itself is quite small and cozy. You see the counter with all the baked goods in the case and on top of the case the moment you walk in. To the left is a fridge, a toaster, a microwave, and coffee/tea stuff. To the right, a small dining area for those who are dining in. The back and far walls had little shelves with some of the items they had for sale…as well as cakes. Cathy scoped those out while I was preparing lunch…but I’m getting ahead of myself again.

We were greeted by a very nice gentleman behind the counter when we entered the bakery. We told him that we were from the Louisville, Kentucky area and had been told about this bakery by a good friend of ours in the area…and we were starving travelers. I was eying the brownies and bars in the case at the front when Cathy tapped me on the shoulder and said…”Bagels!”

The Gluten Escape's Gluten-Free Onion Bagel and Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll — The Gluten Escape’s Gluten-Free Onion Bagel and Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll

SOLD!! They were out of the Everything Bagel, which would have been my first choice. The other two options were Onion and Cinnamon Raisin. I jumped at Cinnamon Raisin, but Cathy said…”Really? You want that one?” Which means…she didn’t. So, I gave in for the Gluten-Free Onion Bagel ($3.00). And let me tell you…this bagel looked AWESOME!! Even better than Udi’s Gluten-Free Bagels. All of them. So, we got the Gluten-Free Onion Bagel with the Daiya Cream Cheese (yay for vegan cream cheese!) to split as we also purchased one of the Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls ($2.25) to split as well.

We also picked up other goodies…but I’ll get into that in a moment.

Let’s focus on lunch. We were handed the bagel, which he sliced for us and told that the toaster was right behind us. Awesome. I got to work toasting it while he grabbed the dairy-free cream cheese and then the cinnamon roll. He handed that to Cathy and told her she might want to give it a 20 second warm-up in the microwave. Which…she did. The toasting on the bagel was taking a bit of time and I was hoping I wasn’t going to burn it. Because…FRESH MADE GLUTEN-FREE BAGEL!! HELLO!! Do you realize how uncommon that is to find??!! Trust me…you don’t see it very often. I don’t see it at all, honestly. The bagel popped and I plated it and carried it to the table. Photos happened and then I spread the bagel with the cream cheese and we each took a bite.

Holy gluten-free bagel, Batman. This was fantastic. It was light, not heavy. The flavor was amazing. You really got the onion flavor without it being overpowering. It had that nice crust on the outside, but was still chewy and bread-y in the middle. It was heaven. I cried. Seriously. Tears of joy. Because, save for the Udi’s processed gluten-free bagels…I hadn’t had an actual bagel since I had to go gluten-free. This…was life changing for me. Life affirming even. I might survive after all. I set the bagel down so I could try the cinnamon roll.

This was not what I was expecting when I cut the cinnamon roll in half. Honestly. It looked more like a muffin than the traditional cinnamon roll. It was way different from the gluten-free cinnamon rolls that I purchase from Sinfully Gluten Free in Dayton, Ohio and Annie May’s Sweet Café in Louisville, Kentucky. Like I said…it looked more like a muffin. But…we all know that cinnamon rolls are one of my favorite indulgences…and I was looking forward to splitting this with Cathy. I sliced it in half…a pocket of cinnamon flavoring nestled right in the center. I lifted it and took a bite. It reminded me of…apple pie, oddly enough. I think it was the spices that went into the dough and the cinnamon center. I loved that it wasn’t coated in icing, but lightly drizzled. I am not a fan of icing or frosting…so the less the better in my book. And this definitely gave it a nice level of sweetness. It wasn’t my favorite gluten-free cinnamon roll, but it was delicious. And we ended up buying another one!

This brings me to our side purchases…

For breakfast the following morning, Cathy and I picked up two of the Mini Chocolate Donuts ($1.59), the Chocolate Chip Pretzel Bar, and the Lemon Raspberry Bar as well. I would have bought one of everything if I could have afforded it. So, after I went for a run that morning, I returned to the hotel room and got our breakfast prepped. I sliced the bars in half and delivered those to Cathy, along with her donut. As I was getting the rest of my breakfast ready for me to settle in and enjoy…I hear the happiest noise in the world.

The Gluten Escape's Gluten-Free Lemon Raspberry Bar, Gluten-Free Chocolate Donut, and Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pretzel Bar — The Gluten Escape’s Gluten-Free Lemon Raspberry Bar, Gluten-Free Chocolate Donut, and Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pretzel Bar

“You HAVE TO try the donut RIGHT NOW!” I was told.

So, I took a bite.

OMG…best gluten-free donut I have had yet. From anywhere. And, trust me, I’ve eaten a lot of gluten-free donuts…in gluten-free bakeries and the store-bought kind. Seriously…reminded me of a Dunkin Doughnuts Chocolate Munchkin. I was once again in tears. It was a cake doughnut, but without the denseness and heaviness that I often find with gluten-free donuts. These were light and airy, and amazing. The chocolate chips inside were a very nice treat as well. I was starting off breakfast with a bang. YUMMY!!

The next thing I sampled was the Gluten-Free Lemon Raspberry Bar ($3.75). This had this delicious crust and was topped with a sweet and tart lemon filling and then capped with something akin to raspberry jam or compote. Whatever it was…the flavor combination was awesome. The crust gave it a little bit of texture as well as dulled the sweetness of the berries and the tartness of the lemon. I liked this bar a lot, but found myself wishing that it was just the lemon on there. I love raspberries and all…but LEMON…is the ultimate bar. Forever.

The Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pretzel Bar ($3.75) snagged my attention away from the brownies that were in the case. Those were tempting too. But…pretzel! HELLO! This was a lot like a blondie…but with gluten-free pretzels baked into it and scattered across the top. I’m thinking…sweet with salty. I was right. This bar was fantastic. The pretzels were slightly on the stale side, but that’s because I had bought them the day before and they were sitting on top of one of the tables in the hotel room all night. It didn’t take away from the deliciousness though. I loved the play and sweet and salty, which is my favorite flavor combination These were amazing. For real.

The Gluten Escape's Gluten-Free Snickerdoodle Cookie — The Gluten Escape’s Gluten-Free Snickerdoodle Cookie

Later on that day, Cathy and I decided to have a snack. We indulged in some fruit we had picked up at the grocery store. And with it, we split the Gluten-Free Snickerdoodle Cookie ($2.50) that we also purchased while there. This was my first time ever encountering a crispy snickerdoodle cookie. But…the flavors were spot on. The sweetness from the sugar, the heat from the cinnamon. Snickerdoodles, as we all know, are my absolute favorite cookie and these were different from what I’m used to, but I loved it all the same. So, it wasn’t the chewy cookie I associate snickerdoodles with. Didn’t matter. It tasted like a snickerdoodle. That’s what counts, yes? RIGHT!

I won’t lie…the buying didn’t stop there. Nope. Not at all. Before we left the bakery on Friday afternoon, Cathy pointed out the Gluten-Free Biscotti and the Gluten-Free Puppy Chow on one of the shelves. I also found a Pumpkin Spice Granola Bar that was definitely intriguing, since pumpkin flavored everything rules! I ended up buying the Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Granola Bar ($2.25), the Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Biscotti ($1.95), the Grain Free Mocha Almond Biscotti ($3.25), and a container of the Gluten-Free Puppy Chow ($3.99-ish?).

The Gluten Escape's Gluten-Free Puppy Chow — The Gluten Escape’s Gluten-Free Puppy Chow

I tried the Puppy Chow on Monday morning on my way to the airport. Cathy and I needed to swing by Voodoo Donut to pick up some dounuts for a co-worker of ours. So, while there, Cathy ordered a donut for herself. As for me…it was Puppy Chow time. The Gluten Escape’s Puppy Chow is a mix of Chex cereal, puffed rice, pretzels, and corn flakes. They are dusted in powdered sugar. And it was really, really good. I loved the different textures and flavors with each bite. You got the salty from the pretzels, the sweet from the cereal, and each cereal was different, making it crunchy or softer or just snack-able by the handful. I loved it. I ate half of it before hitting the airport and brought the other half to the office with me the following day.

The Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Granola Bar was…lacking sweetness, in my opinion. It was good. And they definitely had the right pumpkin spice flavor down. It wasn’t overpowering. But…the bar just seemed flat. It was very crunchy, which is fine…granola bars can go either way. But I kept waiting on something that would sweeten the deal. Like chocolate chips or something. I just think it needed a touch of sugar (not too much…just something to elevate it). Regardless, it was good and I downed that entire thing at the office.

As for the two biscotti that I chose…WOW!! Just…WOW!! They complimented my morning coffee beautifully for one thing. The first one that Cathy and I tried (we split them) was the Grain Free Mocha Almond Biscotti. OH MY GOD!! So delicious. I enjoyed dunking it in my coffee and just having that flavor mingle and mix. Oh…it was divine. And totally made my morning, if you couldn’t tell. The Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Biscotti was the same way. I loved the crispness that would soften when dunked in the coffee and the chocolate chips were a nice lingering sweet touch. I was in total coffee heaven those mornings. Seriously. I will probably buy whatever biscotti they have next time I am in town. For real. That…was love at first bite for sure!

I know that Colorado is a hotbed for gluten-free companies and businesses…and I love visiting there for that reason. But, if you happen to be near the Denver Tech Center (DTC)…I strongly encourage you to take the trip up the road to The Gluten Escape and indulge in some of their daily specials and their baked goods. Everything looked fantastic. I really would have purchased one of everything had the budget and my belly allowed. But, that’s why there is always a next time. And there will be a next time.

Beyond impressed!

The Gluten-Escape's Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Granola Bar, Grain-Free Mocha Almond Biscotti, and Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Biscotti — The Gluten-Escape’s Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Granola Bar, Grain-Free Mocha Almond Biscotti, and Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Biscotti

May 18, 2014

Product Review: So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Toasted Almond Chip Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert

Product: So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Toasted Almond Chip Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert – $6.99+

Mmm…ice cream.

I love ice cream. It’s the one treat I never like to say no to eating. However, being lactose intolerant, ice cream doesn’t always love me back. Even when I take a supplement to help with digestion…it doesn’t always work. As you can imagine, for someone who grew up eating ice cream no matter what time of year it was…this can be quite challenging.

But…thanks to products from So Delicious Dairy Free…I can still have my ice cream and at it too.

Well, technically, being dairy free it can’t be called “ice cream”…but more of a frozen dessert. And from So Delicious, the primary base of their products is…coconut milk.

YUMMY!

Back in April, I was running around my grocery store and my roommate said…”Did you see the no sugar added So Delicious ice cream over there?” I was all, “Um…NO!” And went tearing over to the freezer with the So Delicious and other dairy-free frozen desserts tucked inside. Over near the organic and natural foods, of course.

And there it was…a beacon of grocery store light shining down upon it. A little white container with a blue label wrapped around it declaring…”NO SUGAR ADDED!” This is my kind of dessert. Being the sweet tooth that I am, I’ve been desperately trying to cut back on sugar where I can. It’s not easy…but this…this was made for me. I didn’t even ask…I opened up that freezer door, pulled out a pint…and it came home with me that night.

And the other night…I was feeling ice cream. So, this finally had it’s moment to prove itself.

The grocery store had a few varieties in flavor to choose from, but my eye was drawn to the So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Toasted Almond Chip Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert.

Whew…that’s a mouthful.

A delicious mouthful!

But…I’m getting ahead of myself. After a light dinner, I went to the freezer and retrieved the little pint of dairy-free dessert goodness. I dished up a serving for Cathy and one for me. Since this is dairy-free with no sugar added, the ice cream was a bit…flaky. It isn’t as creamy as regular ice cream, so scooping it out was sometimes a challenge…but I measured out the serving and dished the goodness out to each of us.

All it took was one bite for me to know that this was going to be a match made in heaven. A delicious dairy-free, gluten-free, less-sugar-in-your-life kind of heaven. So, it wasn’t creamy…but it wasn’t an unpleasant sort of flaky. In fact, each spoonful would melt into creamy goodness in your mouth, and the bits of almond and flakes of chocolate would be the last things to dance across your tongue. Magic. Just pure spoonfuls of magic. I was loving it. And sad that I only had two more servings. Gone to soon, for sure. But…a delicious treat that I wasn’t expecting. I am a huge fan of coconut milk and things made with coconut milk. And the fact that this is lower in sugar makes me one happy girl. You wouldn’t really even know that it was low-sugar if you weren’t told. It really is that good!

I am out…and need more.

Soon.

Ingredient-wise…So Delicious Dairy Free uses organic coconut milk, gum arabic, chocolate flake, almonds, vegetable glycerin, chicory root extract, erythritol, natural flavors, sea salt, locust bean gum, guar gum, carrageenan (UGH!), and monk fruit extract in the No Sugar Added Toasted Almond Chip Frozen Dessert. So…not completely a clean eat…but, not the worst (by far) on ingredients. It is cholesterol-free soy-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free. It is certified kosher, vegan, and organic!

Nutritionally speaking, a serving of the So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Toasted Almond Chip Frozen Dessert is 1/2 cup. In this serving, you will be consuming 140 calories and 12 grams of fat (some of that is the healthy fats you get from coconut and almonds…so don’t panic!). You will also be consuming 80 mg sodium and 1 gram of sugar. Yes…you read that right…1 GRAM OF SUGAR!! LOVE!! In addition, you will be taking in 10 grams of filling fiber and 2 grams of protein. So much love for these nutrition facts. For real.

Love. That’s what this dessert is all about. Lots of dairy-free, tasty, ice-creamy love. The No Sugar Added variety of the Toasted Almond Chip Frozen Dessert from So Delicious Dairy Free may not be the creamiest of ice cream treats…but it brings the flavor. And the love. Especially to those of us who have problems with dairy. This is one of life’s greatest gifts to the ice cream lover in me. I need more.

Stat.

A serving of So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Toasted Almond Chip Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert

May 18, 2014

Product Review: WOW Baking Company Lemon Burst Cookies

Product: WOW Baking Company Lemon Burst Cookies – $4.99+

Lemon. Lemon.

Luscious lemon.

There is something go refreshing and amazing about foods that have that lemon tang to it. Citrus has always been one of my first loves…especially lemon. Lemonade, lemon chiffon, lemon meringue, lemon zest, lemon…lemon…lemon! Give me all the lemon.

Luckily, my friends know of this lemon love…and often share it.

That goes double for my friend Jenn, who kindly stocked me up with a package of WOW Baking Company’s Lemon Burst Cookies.

I mean…what is not to love about that? LEMON. BURST. COOKIES.

I was thrilled to have these in my pantry…and after working through some other items…pulled these out one evening for a delicious palate cleanser after dinner. Dessert doesn’t have to be big…but it should always be enjoyed. I love a small touch of sweetness after a meal. My desserts at home are often just a couple bites of something, but I never deny myself that little treat.

That being said…I pulled open this little sack of cookie goodness and discovered a bag full of amazing soft, two to three bite cookies. I checked the label for the serving size…which says…2 ounces. That turned out to be around 4-5 of the little mini cookies. So…I dished up a measured serving (yes…I weighed them each time!) for my roommate and one for me. I delivered the cookies to her and she dug in. She might love lemon even more than I do…so she was happily nomming away at her batch of cookies when I finally settled in with my dessert.

One bite confirmed what her appreciative chewing noises were telling me. These…WERE AWESOME!! The texture was somewhere in between a butter cookie and a cake. Seriously. They were so soft and light…I loved it. No annoying crunching. Flavor-wise, it was like eating a bit of sugar cookie dough that was kicked up with a hint of lemon flavor. Just enough to sweeten and not overpower. It was so refreshing. Each bite was a treat, most definitely.

WOW Baking Company is very dedicated to producing soft, chewy, delicious tatsting baked goods that are wheat-free and gluten-free. According to their Website, all products are produced in small batches with premium, all-natural ingredients. You won’t ever find hydrogenated oils, refined sugars, artificial flavors or wheat and gluten in any of the products they produce. Their products are non-GMO, which is always nice. WOW Baking Company produces all their products in a dedicated and certified gluten-free facility.

So, let’s discuss the ingredients in WOW Baking Company Lemon Burst Cookies, shall we? These cookies are made from a gluten-free flour blend (brown rice, sweet rice, tapioca), cane sugar, butter, eggs, corn starch, potato starch, vanilla, cream of tartar, pure lemon oil, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt and citric acid. That’s it. And what you get is a product you’d be hard pressed to guess was gluten-free if you didn’t know. Trust me.

Nutritionally speaking, a serving of WOW Baking Company Lemon Burst Cookies is, as I mentioned before, 2 ounces, or around 4-5 cookies. This serving will dish you up 260 calories and 12 grams of fat. These cookies also have 50 mg cholesterol, 220 mg sodium, and 14 grams of sugar. The Lemon Burst Cookies also have 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams of protein in each serving. So…they are a treat for sure. Don’t over indulge…but do enjoy.

I fell in love with the WOW Baking Company Lemon Burst Cookies at first bite. Chewy, soft, light, and delicious. The right amount of lemon flavor. The right balance of everything else. Real ingredients means really delicious treats. This…is a favorite for sure!

Just…WOW!

April 23, 2014

Product Review: Betty Lou’s Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Nut Butter Balls

Product: Betty Lou’s Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Nut Butter Balls – $1.69+

I’ve gotta be on a peanut butter protein bar (or ball, in this case) kick this week. Because after wrapping up with the sample GoMacro Peanut Butter Macrobars, I immediately dug into my snack drawer and pulled out one of the other cash register treats I picked up at the Raisin Rack in Columbus, Ohio. This time, it was from a company I was familiar with. When I was in Denver, Colorado two years ago, I picked up a couple of different flavors of Betty Lou’s Gluten-Free Fruit Bars. Well…when something uses the phrase gluten-free with the words peanut butter…trust me…you have my full and undivided attention.

And that, in a nutshell (see what I did there?) is how I came home with one of Betty Lou’s Gluten-Free Nut Butter Balls. Specifically…the peanut butter one.

Betty Lou, the owner of Betty Lou’s Inc., believes that there is a connection between what people eat and how they feel. I couldn’t agree more. As I have taken more to eating clean, I find that I feel much better. And when I don’t…I can tell. Almost 32 years ago, Betty Lou made a conscious decision to remove refined sugar from her family’s diet…and in doing so, began to create recipes that were made with honey and brown rice syrup instead. She fine-tuned each recipe and made everything with the best, healthiest, cutting edge ingredients. Today, 32 years later, that same practice is in place and all of Betty Lou’s healthy, all-natural, gluten-free products have to live up to the highest of standards. Good ingredients…never compromising taste.

I thoroughly enjoyed the three versions of Betty Lou’s Gluten-Free Fruit Bars that I picked up in Colorado. So…now it was peanut butter’s time to shine. I hoped.

When my morning snack time rolled around, I pulled the Betty Lou’s Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Nut Butter Ball out and opened it up. I tried to be careful with it, so that the wrapper wouldn’t be torn in the picture…but…that didn’t happen. After taking the picture for the blog, I pulled out my butter knife from my desk (I keep a set of silverware in my drawer) and sliced off a piece for my roommate to try. I had a bit of a time cutting through the actual nut butter ball itself, and it was shedding the peanuts that speckled the outside of it like crazy. Nonetheless, a little elbow grease, and some upper body strength…and voila…I had a piece for Cathy to try. I took my own bite…and began to chew.

And chew. And chew. And chew some more. In fact, the Betty Lou’s Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Nut Butter Ball…was kind of tough. It seemed like the heat from my mouth actually had to warm it up to make it pliable. And then it was like chewing caramel that has gotten solid rather than soft. You just keep chewing and chewing and chewing until it eventually dissolves enough that you can safely swallow it.

That…was how I felt eating this. And I only took a small bite.

I took Cathy her piece and awaited her thoughts. They actually mirrored my own. While the Betty Lou’s Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Nut Butter Ball had a much better and more predominant peanut butter flavor than the GoMacro Peanut Butter Macrobar (see review just ahead of this one!), it wasn’t soft nor easy to really eat. In fact, I might have burned more calories eating the thing than it gave my body. My jaw was totally getting a workout. So, it was a shame about the texture, but the flavor was really good. And the little roll in peanuts to have them speckle the top of the nut butter ball itself was genius. It just adds to the flavor for sure.

So…really on the fence on this one. If it had been softer and easier to eat, I think this would have been a runaway hit. But…as it was…my jaw started to ache after awhile and soon I found myself just wishing it was gone already. I ate it, although it took awhile and many a chew break…but found it tasty, regardless. I might be a little hesitant to pick one up next time, however. Just for the sheer fact that it was like gnawing on tough caramel rather than diving into a rich, smooth peanut buttery treat.

So, what makes up Betty Lou’s Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Nut Butter Balls? The listed ingredients are organic agave syrup, peanut butter, whey protein blend, peanuts, inulin (dietary fiber), whey protein crisps, natural peanut extract, water, vanilla extract, potassium citrate, magnesium citrate, pure sunflower lecithin, sea salt, mixed tocoherols (natural vitamin E). Clean eating this is not. In fact, it has some crazy vitamin’s getting mixed in there as well. I can’t pronounce them…and therefore will not type them. The Peanut Butter Nut Butter Ball contains no trans fat, no corn, no soy and is non-GMO. This ball contains electrolytes.

So, a bit of a letdown as far as ingredients. I was hoping for more natural ingredients.

As for nutrition, one serving is one of the Nut Butter Balls. The Betty Lou’s Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Nut Butter Ball serves up 180 calories and 8 grams of fat. The fat is mostly derived from the peanuts and peanut butter though, so keep that in mind. You will be taking in 10 mg cholesterol, 130 mg sodium, and 12 grams of sugar. In addition, you will be consuming 5 grams of filling fiber and a whopping 15 grams of protein.

I don’t know if I will try any other of the Nut Butter Balls that Betty Lou’s offers. This one really didn’t win me over with the texture of it. The flavor was amazing, but…I don’t like having my jaw hurt just to eat a snack. Had this been softer, I think it would have been a complete winner. I think I’ll stick to the Gluten-Free Fruit Bars when it comes to Betty Lou’s products. I just wasn’t impressed with the Betty Lou’s Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Nut Butter Ball. At all.