Dessert – Page 9 – The Celiathlete

March 4, 2015

Product Review: Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Raspberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies

Product: Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Raspberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies – $3.99+

At some point, last year, I won an online sweepstakes where the prize was a box of each flavor of Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Figgies & Jammies. They arrived in the mail and I dutifully placed them on the shelf of my pantry to enjoy at a later time. As I am currently working on getting a majority of processed foods out of my pantry, desserts for the rest of the month are pretty much covered…with Figgies & Jammies.

Now, I was already aware of these amazing little Fig Newton type cookies from when they first debuted back in 2014. I went searching high and low, but my area just didn’t have them in stock. Now, I can pretty much find them anywhere. But winning them…that’s just awesome.

Pamela’s Products Figgies & Jammies come in four different flavors: Blueberry & Fig, Raspberry & Fig, Strawberry & Fig, and Mission Fig.

On a previous occasion…I bought and devoured the Blueberry & Fig version of Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Figgies & Jammies. These are made of so much wow, awesome, and YUMMY! I fell in love with the Blueberry & Fig version at first bite. No lie. They were even better than the Fig Newtons I used to devour all the time. The cake was moister and spongier…and the fruit filling was more flavorful and brighter. Ah, I simply love it when more thought and care goes into a product. They were so good, even one of my coworkers who will find something wrong with everything gluten-free, had not one bad word to say about it. Not one.

So, this past week, my roommate and I went ahead and devoured the Blueberry & Fig package, to save a blog. But…that lasted for 5 days. This meant…a new flavor needed to be broken into for dessert tonight. And I decided it was going to be the Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Raspberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies.

The best thing about these cookies is that they are HUGE. They are the extra large of good-for-you cookies out on the market. Now, I’m not promoting devouring cookies like I do, as an admitted cookie monster, but…when you compare them to other options on the market, they are definitely a better choice.

Aside from that…let’s talk about the Raspberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies in partiuclar. The pie-like cookie portion is soft and tender…and wraps the amazingly flavorful fruit portion in the perfect amount of sweet and savory. The cookie is chewy, but not at all crumbly. Just…wow. And the fruit. Oh…wow! I thought the Blueberry & Fig cookies were amazing, but these…these are even better. The Raspberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies just explode with bright, sweet fruit flavor. It brings the perfect balance to each nibble or bite. I was beyond impressed. I was hooked. These cookies are..perhaps just slightly bigger than the standard Fig Newton. But way more tasty and just so much better.

The cake part of the Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Raspberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies is made from a gluten-free flour blend that includes brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca starch, sweet rice flour and xanthan gum, as well as evaporated can sugar, organic non-hydrogenated palm oil, organic invert sugar, grape juice and whole rice syrup, sweet whey powder, glycerin, baking soda, xanthan gum, sea salt, and lemon oil. The jam is a raspberry paste made from cane syrup, brown rice syrup, apple powder, rice starch, dried cane syrup, glycerin, water, raspberry juice concentrate, pectin, natural flavor, citric acid, red cabbage extract for color, fig paste, and citric acid. These cookies are gluten-free, egg free, low in sodium, and all natural. They have no hydrogenated oils or trans fats, no cholesterol, and no corn syrup.

As far as nutrition goes, a serving of Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Raspberry & Fig Figgies & Jammies is 1 cookie. This one cookie will give you 100 calories and 2 grams of fat. One cookie will serve up 25 mg sodium and 11 grams of sugar. These cookies are cholesterol free. This one cookie will also give you 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein. Not bad!

I am proud to have won these cookies in an online sweepstakes and to have the opportunity to try every flavor. So far, I have enjoyed every bite of the two flavors I have tried. Stay tuned as the other two will be coming up in the very near future. I promise…these are so good, you don’t have to be gluten-free to enjoy them.

February 23, 2015

Product Review: Good Girl Gluten Free Mint Slim Cookies

Product: Goodie Girl Gluten Free Mint Slim Cookies – $4.99+

I feel cheated.

This past winter, my holiday Swiss Colony catalog came in…and with it, their Gluten Free and Sugar Free catalog as well. I usually never purchase anything for myself from Swiss Colony…but I was paging through and saw these new cookies they were offering…Gluten Free Mint Slims. The photograph looked all the world like what was, once, my favorite Girl Scout Cookie – the Thin Mints.

The description in the catalog read: Refreshing mint cookies with a chocolatey coating are sure to be a family favorite!

I said, “OHMYGODGLUTENFREETHINMINTS!” And I placed an order. 12 ounces of cookies…for $19.95+tax.

*sigh*

They weren’t going to ship until January 19…so I had a bit of a wait…but one day, my beloved Swiss Colony box arrived at my office and I tore into it…finding two bags (each 6 ounces) of Mint Slims from a company called Goodie Girl Cookies.

Hmmm…

Well, regardless, I ripped into the first bag and dug in. And then shared some with a select number of people in my office. And that was that. I think it wasn’t what I was expecting to arrive. And now that I am getting around to a review (as I opened up bag #2 yesterday), I find out that these bags are available on the Good Girl Cookies Website for $4.99/bag. So, yeah…I feel a bit cheated. Not by Goodie Girl…but by Swiss Colony.

However, what is done is done. And now you have the long and rather unfortunate tale of Swiss Colony’s betrayal and cheat tactics. So, let’s get down to the Goodie Girl Gluten Free Mint Slim Cookies, shall we?

Goodie Girl Cookies is based out of Tribeca, New York, specializing in creating gluten-free cookies with surprising flavors, as well as exciting twists on cookie classics to evoke memories of childhood. Founder, Shira Berk, also a mom and native New Yorker, began her journey to create an all-natural, super-delicious line of cookies that are all gluten-free back in 2010. Her intention was to create cookies that were intended for anyone to eat, but still be accessible to the 30%-and-growing number of population who had to avoid gluten. What began in a home kitchen soon grew to be made in a kitchen incubator in Queens, then to another one in Brooklyn, until now, where Goodie Girl Cookies now produces their gluten-free cookies at a contract bakery in Long Island, New York. An interesting aspect, I would like to point out, is that neither Berk, nor anyone in her family is Celiac, gluten-intolerant, or in need of a gluten-free diet. Berk And they not only loves to bake, but has created serious buzz around these cookies.

Specifically…the Mint Slims…or their take on the infamous Thin Mint Cookie from those little Girl Scouts.

Growing up, Thin Mint Cookies were my favorite treat. And as a Girl Scout, we ordered a bunch of boxes all the time for my family. It was the only flavor of Girl Scout Cookie you would find in my house. Ever. There were no others. So, for the past three years, since going gluten-free, having to bypass the Girl Scouts at the local grocery store has been heart-wrenching. I see that green box and it’s all I want. And thanks to Goodie Girl Gluten-Free Cookies…(and for Swiss Colony for now introducing me to Goodie Girl)…they’re back in my life.

So, these aren’t perfect. The main difference being that the Girl Scout variety is coated in a rich, amazing dark chocolate. And I LOVE dark chocolate. The Goodie Girl Gluten Free Mint Slim Cookies are…coated in milk chocolate. They aren’t quite as rich and sinfully good because of this…but…they are close enough. Even the people at the office thought so. And that being said…here’s a bit more on the flavor of these cookies…

The Goodie Girl Mint Slims are crunchy, just like the Girl Scout counterpart. They have this amazing mint flavor that may rival that of the Girl Scouts for sure. The coating, for me, however, just was wrong. It didn’t have the richness that the Girl Scout Thin Mints have. But, that’s also me, who prefers dark chocolate to mint chocolate any day, so…it’s more of a personal thing than anything. Other than that…these are spot on. I had one co-worker wrinkle up her nose when I offered for her to try one, and when she did, she admitted that they tasted just like the Girl Scout Cookies. Never count a gluten-free copycat out. EVER! Sometimes…they are just as good if not better as the original. I count these as just as good. Seriously…it hits all the right notes.

The Goodie Girl Gluten Free Mint Slim Cookies are made from chocolate coating (made of sugar, palm kernel, palm oil, cocoa processed with alkali, nonfat dry milk, soy lechithin), sugar, butter, the Goodie Girl Flour Blend (white rice flour, corn starch, tapioca flour, brown rice flour, powdered milk, potato starch, and xanthan gum), cocoa, whole milk, vanilla extract, pure peppermint flavor, baking soda, and salt. They are…just the right amount of wrong. In a good way. A very rock ‘n roll way.

As for nutriton, let’s keep in mind that these are cookies, shall we? The Goodie Girl Gluten Free Mint Slim Cookies come in a serving of 2 cookies (with 6 servings per bag). Each serving will give you 160 calories and 9 grams of fat. These two cookies will also provide you with 10 mg cholesterol, 35 mg sodium, and 12 grams of sugar. These cookies also provide 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein, meaning they make a perfect non-filling dessert or snack. Granted, with Girl Scout cookies you get to eat 4 cookies for almost a perfect match in the nutrition area…but beggars can’t be choosers, can we? I just think the Girl Scout cookies are a bit thinner, maybe less dense on the filling as, weight-wise, a serving of 2 Goodie Girl Mint Slims is 30 grams and 4 Thin Mints from the Girl Scouts is 32 grams. Light bulb!

If you are a gluten-free cookie monster…er…lover…like me, and if you have been missing those Girl Scout Cookies something fierce, I urge you to hop over to the Goody Girl Web site (not Swiss Colony!) and place an order for the Mint Slims…stat. Trust me…you won’t regret it. You’ll never regret cookies. Especially these.

February 23, 2015

Product Review: Sonny Marie’s Gluten Free Chocolate Glazed Donut Holes

Product: Sonny Marie’s Gluten Free Chocolate Glazed Donut Holes – $5.99+

It was a long journey home that day from an afternoon event in Dayton, Ohio. But, if there is one thing there is always time for, it is a stop into Foodie Heaven (aka: Jungle Jim’s) on the way through Cincinnati, Ohio. This is one of the most impressive stores you will ever enter. And you will leave a changed foodie, for sure.

One thing I will hand to Jungle Jim’s…they carry some gluten free products, on shelves and in the freezer, that I haven’t seen anywhere else. Reason for that – they are often from local Ohio companies. Love seeing a business help out the little local ones. For sure.

And, for some reason, that very afternoon, I really, really, really needed to have donut holes in my freezer at home. I didn’t know this, mind you, until I strolled past the gluten-free freezer area in Jungle Jim’s and saw the little plastic cup that was piled high with the little chocolate balls of cake donut goodness. Oh…I had to have them. So…I bought them. Even though I was doing everything in my power to not purchase items (such as snacks and donuts) on that trip…it happened regardless. And they made it home and into my freezer…where they remained.

Until this morning.

You see, I’m having a rough weekend. This is not me being a drama queen. I really am. I was supposed to be in Birmingham, Alabama, with good friends of mine, participating in the Mercedes Marathon Weekend. I knew a few running the half marathon and I was running the full with my training partner, Matthew. Except winter storms blew through, and while everyone else risked the roads and the weather, I stayed put. I missed seeing my nephew run in the Kid’s Marathon on Saturday (which meant more to me than anything else), and I’ve just been down and out all weekend. Seeing my friend’s Facebook feed flooded with pictures of the event hasn’t helped with my mood either.

So it was totally a donut kind of a morning. And lucky for me…I had a cup full of Sonny Marie’s Gluten Free Chocolate Glazed Donut Holes.

The world might be safe from me yet today…

Sonny Marie’s was created by Christine Coleman, whose son, Danny, was diagnosed with Celiac Disease at the age of 11. This brought about drastic changes to the family’s lifestyle as they chose to join Danny in his fight against gluten. It was hard for Coleman to see her son missing out on pizza, cake, donuts and all the other goodies his friends were sharing, which is what inspired her to develop her own donut recipe, so delicious, that even Danny wouldn’t know the difference. And she crushed it. Since then, Coleman has worked on expanding on their line of gluten-free products to help others have that “I can’t believe it’s gluten free” moment and not be deprived of the joy of food.

For me…the joy of food this morning was inside this little plastic cup that held 10 little glazed chocolate donut holes. That, my friends, was bliss this morning.

The Sonny Marie’s Gluten Free Glazed Chocolate Donut Holes are…exactly…as I remember the chocolate glazed Munchkins from Dunkin’ Donuts to taste. I used to eat the hell out of those, so when I pulled half of these out for me and half for my roommate, I was already feeling better. They were the perfect size (no skimping) and felt like the perfect density. After spilling coffee on myself…I returned to finally dig in…

Without even a warmup in the microwave (I let them thaw overnight to get to room temperature), I was hooked with one bite. Yes…one bite. First of all…the cake donut was the perfect consistency. Not heavy and dense. Not light either. But cakey through-and-through. So many gluten-free cake donuts are heavy and intimidating…not these. Not one bit. The chocolate flavor was rich and delicious and the glaze was melt-in-your-mouth perfection. Seriously. Perfection. I was sad I only had 5 of these to devour. I probably could have eaten the whole cup on a morning like today. Good thing I have friends who help keep me from over-indulging on treats. Oh, but these were so good. Mighty tasty. I didn’t even care that my breakfast was mostly sweetness and sugar…and then…I still didn’t care. Chocolate is a girl’s best friend on days like today…and this one just comforted me. For the moments of breakfast…I was content. I even licked the glaze off my fingers when I was done. Good to the very last bite.

Sonny Marie’s Gluten Free Chocolate Glazed Donuts are produced in her Coleman’s home. It is even labeled as such. That being said, they are made in a facility that uses peanuts and pecans, so if you have a hyperactive nut allergy…these might not be for you. Nuts are one of the few things I happen to not be allergic to.

The Sonny Marie’s Gluten Free Chocolate Glazed Donuts are made from sugar, rice drink, molasses, white flour, mechanically pressed organic palm oil, egg, potato starch, cocoa, tapioca flour, sweet rice flour, baking powder, vanilla bean extractives in water, alcohol (35%) salt, apple cider vinegar, xanthan gum, and cinnamon.

As these are produced at home, I cannot give you nutritional information as none is provided on the packaging. But, I’d say close to what the Chocolate Glazed Munchkin’s run at Dunkin’ Donuts. Give or take a few calories and fat. Hey…they’re donuts. Indulge or don’t.

My theory in life is…every now and again, you have to treat yourself. I was having a bad morning…so, I treated myself. I don’t eat donuts or donut holes every day…but these were beyond worth the splurge. Sonny Marie’s products are available in many local shops in and around the Cincinnati area, including Jungle Jim’s. Make the journey…because these are totally worth eating. I wish I had purchased another cup of them.

WOW!

February 22, 2015

Product Review: CraveRight Gluten Free Jumbo Sesame Crunch Cookie

CraveRight Gluten Free Sesame Crunch Cookie

Product: CraveRight Gluten Free Jumbo Sesame Crunch Cookie – $3.99

I was so lucky this past Christmas, to be given one of my favorite gifts – a $50 Whole Foods Gift Card. I vowed to only purchase products I have been meaning to try and just haven’t been able to “justify” for my tight weekly budget. So, soon after the New Year passed, I decided to do a first round of product sweeping.

Now, naturally gluten free foods (fruits and veggies) I get delivered to my door. Unless I have cancelled my CSA bin that week, I am pretty set on those. And while I am doing much more clean eating these days, I decided to venture over to all those snack foods that are what all gluten-free people get stuck with. Cookies, chips, candy…

Whoever said eating gluten-free will make you lose weight has never walked through the gluten-free sections of their local grocery or natural food stores. Just sayin’.

And with that being said…we also know that the women in my family have quite the sweet tooth. Oh yes…we all do come by it honestly. And while for some people it’s cakes and cupcakes that they want…for me, it’s always been the simple, yet ultimately delicious…COOKIE. Call me cookie monster, because I love cookies. All types of cookies. I have my favorites, sure, but…cookies are my kryptonite.

Well, there I was, perusing the aisles I had been skipping whenever in Whole Foods, when the giant cookies near the bottom shelf sort of just…sang to me. It was a brand I was unfamiliar with – CraveRight. So, I leaned down and picked one up…noting that these were not just gluten free, but also dairy free, soy free, egg free, nut free, and corn free. They used no flours or starches, and actually was billing itself as a “natural meal replacement.” Really? A cookie? There were three flavors of the jumbo cookies – Sesame Crunch, Chocolate Chunk, and Brownie Chocolate Chunk. Next to them were cookie packs of the same cookies, smaller scale, more inside. My roommate said, “get one of the big ones…just in case we don’t like them.” Okay…good point. I was all set for that Brownie Chocolate Chunk and I somehow let her talk me into the Sesame Crunch. “You don’t often see sesame cookies!” That was her thoughts on that matter. And…I went along with it. And this CraveRight Gluten Free Jumbo Sesame Crunch Cookie…made it home with me.

CraveRight was created in 2009, creating “crave-worthy cookies that don’t sabotage wellness goals but reinforce them.” Tired of seeing so-called “healthy snacks” that weren’t really that good for you being sold on the market – many of which could not be eaten by people with food allergies and intolerances, and the taste all wrong – Roya S. came up with the idea of creating delicious, healthy treats – specifically their specialty – their 100% vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free cookies. All of the cookies are baked and prepared in a dedicated gluten-free and nut-free facility so cross-contamination is not a problem. CraveRight cookies are baked up being packaed with antioxidants and essential amino acids. Not only that, they are proud that their cookies contain no empty-calorie ingredients – no flours, starches or fillers. The CraveRight cookies are rich in iron and calcium, and low in sodium as well. And, the company sources their ingredients from nearby, making sure that the ingredients are minimally processed (without chemicals) and made with only the finest of ingredients, free of contaminants.

Which, all sounds really good on paper, right? But how do they taste?

I can only vouch for the CraveRight Gluten Free Jumbo Sesame Crunch Cookie…which I split with my roommate last night for dessert. You know, I was having a bad day…I just ate an amazing comfort food dinner and was all set for dessert. I grabbed the CraveRight Gluten Free Jumbo Sesame Crunch Cookie off my counter and declared it to be dessert. If anything could make me feel better, it would be a cookie, right?

So, as is typical with huge cookies…I cut it in half and gave one side to my roommate while claiming the other for myself. I climbed back onto the couch, restarted the episode of Game of Thrones I was watching, and took my first bite.

And I think my nose wrinkled up a little bit. But it was only one bite. Maybe my palate just needed cleansing. So, I gave it another taste. Nope. This was not a cookie I was enjoying. The CraveRight Gluten Free Jumbo Sesame Crunch Cookie was everything I didn’t like about a cookie. The texture was crumbly. I’m fine with a bit of crunch on my cookie, but I don’t want it to crumble when I try to eat it. I have no kitchen or dining room table in my apartment, and I don’t want to have to vacuum my couch after dessert, thank you very much. The flavor lacked sweetness. I mean, regardless of whether a cookie is billed as a “healthy meal replacement” or not, I want it to taste like a cookie. And this didn’t. It tasted like…a snack. Like those savory sesame sticks that were put into snack mixes and most people skipped eating. I think I was expecting something like a sunbutter cookie…a little more richness and depth of flavor, but that’s not what I got at all. They were bland and rather…tasteless. That bit of sesame came through in the end, but that’s about all I can say about that. It was not a winning cookie in my book, and we know I eat lots of cookies. The part near the middle was slightly chewy, but everything else was just…wrong. I wasn’t a fan at all.

Neither was my roomie.

As far as what goes into the CraveRight Gluten Free Jumbo Sesame Crunch Cookies…it seems rather basic. So…that is good. These cookies are made from sesame seeds, palm shortening, demerara sugar, tahini, sesame powder, water, chicory extract, flax meal, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Not actually a bad list of ingredients.

It’s just too bad they didn’t come together to form a cohesively delicious cookie.

Since the CraveRight Gluten Free Sesame Crunch Cookie is billed as a “natural meal replacement” and carries the sentiment “Crave One. Eat Two.” on each package, let’s really focus for a moment on these nutritional facts. A serving size of the CraveRight Gluten Free Jumbo Sesame Crunch Cookie is 1/2 of the cookie. Yes…half. This half will deliver 170 calories and 13 grams of fat. These cookies are cholesterol free, have only 90 mg sodium per serving and only 5 grams of sugar. One serving will also give you 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. I still don’t think I’d eat a cookie instead of my dinner though. Just sayin’.

So, color me unimpressed and highly disappointed. I was not at all craving another bite of the CraveRight Gluten Free Sesame Crunch Cookie. In fact, it was a struggle just to get the half I had finished. It wasn’t what I wanted in a cookie at all, “healthy” or not. Beyond disappointed. I felt cheated out of my dessert last night.

You win some, you lose some.

CraveRight Gluten Free Jumbo Sesame Crunch Cookie

February 20, 2015

Product Review: Element Dark Chocolate Rice Cakes

Product: Element Dark Chocolate Rice Cakes – $1.99+

It came inside the New Year 2015 (aka: January Cube) Cuisine Cube. It is the height of New Year’s Resolutions and it seemed that that box, in particular, was aimed at new beginnings and healthier choices. God, I love that theme. Because I love making healthier decisions about things I do and what I eat. Granted, I do treat myself here and there, but that’s not only human…that’s normal. But with the theme of New Year Resolutions in January, a lot of what was inside was on the healthier side. Love it. Yes…even dessert.

But…I’m jumping ahead. Because first I need to tell you a thing of two about Cuisine Cube! Cuisine Cube is a subscription service that brings a surprise to your doorstep each month. This unassuming brown box arrives and is packed with an assortment of hand-picked gluten-free goodies, featuring imported and local goods, from smaller artisan companies…rather than the larger gluten-free corporations you find on every grocers shelves these days. You will receive treats for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, dessert…and sometimes…an added bonus. Each month you receive a themed cube of some sort, with only gluten-free items inside. Love it! Subscriptions start as low as $29.99. And, trust me, you’ll wonder what you did before it was in your life.

January = Healthy Life Healthy You…New Year…New Start…so…let’s get healthy, yes? YES!! I stand 100% behind this theme.

Well, what says healthy dessert like…rice cakes? Right? Yes? Excited? No? Why not? You should be. Because in the January Cuisine Cube, I found my dessert choice to be Element Dark Chocolate Rice Cakes. Yep. Dark chocolate covered rice cakes. Now…does that sound a little more like dessert? Yeah…I thought so.

If not…stay with me…

Element Snacks was created by Nadia and Fred, both of whom hail from Europe (Nadia from Italy and Fred from Sweden). They both grew up on real food, no Twinkies or Kool-aid. They believe in feeling great and nurturing our bodies and minds at the same time. They also believe that food should be simple…yet flavorful. It doesn’t mean we have to be 100% all the time. We’re human. But, we can control what we splurge on, and if something tastes like a treat, but carries some healthy benefits with it…well…added bonus.

Enter…Element Dark Chocolate Rice Cakes. These are just what they sound like, rice cakes, made from non-GMO Italian rice, that are coated with premium Italian Chocolate. Everything in this treat is naturally nutritious and good for you. These chocolate coated snack cakes are gluten-free, vegan, contain no hydrogenated oils, no trans fats, no high fructose corn syrup, no yeast, no preservatives and are non-GMO. Oh yeah…loving every word of that, how about you?

So, it all sounds good in theory, yes? But how is it really?

AMAZING!! Yes…I know, I am the girl who gets excited about rice cakes…but even Cathy (the roomie!) liked this one. The rice cake tastes savory, without any salt. But it is that layer of chocolate that just makes these explode with flavor. Cathy said, “drizzle dark chocolate on anything…” HAHA!! Truth. These are so amazing. Delicious. Nutritious. And YUM!! Dark chocolate only sweetenes the deal. SOLD! I only wish I had more.

Let’s talk ingredients. It doesn’t get more simple than this. The Element Dark Chocolate Rice Cakes are made from 60% dark chocolate, 40% rice cakes (wholegrain brown rice, rice). Yep. That’s it. That easy. Real ingredients. Real food.

How about nutrition? Well, a serving of Element Dark Chocolate Rice Cakes is 1 rice cake. This one chocolate coated delight will serve up 80 calories and 4 grams of fat. This one rice cake will provide you with 20 mg sodium and 5 grams of sugar. Love that. They are cholesterol free. And, finally, you will be taking in 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein. So, these won’t fill you up, but you will have the sweet and savory taste to leave you feeling fulfilled.

I give huge kudos to Element Snacks and to Cuisine Cube for these delightful, and surprisingly delicious treats. As a known lover of rice cakes, this just took them to the next level. I think I’m in love. With a healthy dessert. We all win.

February 20, 2015February 20, 2015

Product Review: Danny Macaroons Plain & Chocolate Macaroons

Product: Danny Macaroons Plain & Chocolate Macaroons – $8.50+

Ah…the battle is real. Me…versus coconut. I sometimes love it. I sometimes hate it. It is all in the context of how it is utilized in whatever it is I am eating. Which means…I have this charming love/hate relationship with anything coconut. And that’s how it is. I will either love it…or hate it.

For me, a lot of where coconut goes wrong is the texture. Some people are okay with it…but if it isn’t baked into something enough, coconut can sort of taste like…your chewing dead bugs. Not that I’ve ever made a habit of chewing dead bugs…that’s just the mouthfeel I get from raw coconut. Or…at times…things with coconut on/in them.

So…enter my latest dessert challenge from Cuisine Cube!

Before I go any further…let me introduce, or for some of you, reacquaint you with Cuisine Cube. Cuisine Cube is a gluten-free subscription box that specializes in pantry and meal items. This is actually a very nice change of pace from other subscription boxes, as those tend to be more snack oriented. With Cuisine Cube, you get 5-6 items in each box…always a breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, and dessert item. And…at times…a bonus! And we all love bonuses, right? Subscriptions start at $29.99…so head over to their site and check them out. You’ll be glad you did.

I haven’t looked back yet! Loving my monthly box of surprise goodies.

This most recent Cuisine Cube, the Happy V-Day 2015 (aka: February) cube, had a lot to offer. But, naturally, I went straight for dessert. Because…sweet tooth. Hello! And this month, the dessert was brought to us by a local New York City bakery known for…macaroons!! I’m talking about Danny Macaroons, which has been featured in Food & Wine Magazine, ABC News, The Chicago Tribune, Serious Eats, the New York Post, and more! They are the premier coconut macaroon producer in New York City, proud of their “super delicious, gourmet, handmade coconut macaroons.” In fact, Danny Macaroons offers over 45 flavors, so there is bound to be something for someone…even coconut lovers/haters like me.

And they might be right.

This week, with all the snow and sub-zero, my original plan to make my own dairy free ice cream…or raid the two items of dairy free ice cream I have in my freezer…went out the door. Trust me…I can eat ice cream anytime…but…I was cold. Just cold. So I wanted something…not cold. That being said…I went to the pantry and went through items that I had that would make a good dessert. I had a few cookie options, so I went ahead and snagged the little container of four macaroons that came in my recent Cuisine Cube. I’m not the biggest lover of macaroons…but some have won me over. So, it was worth the try. I asked my roomie if she wanted to do the chocolate or the plain ones first. To my surprise, she said chocolate. I figured chocolate would be winning…and said I would have done it the other way around…but went with her decision.

Round 1: Danny Macaroons Chocolate Macaroon – Oh…this was good. This was damn good. While it had that weird coconut texture, I was able to overlook it because of the delicious chocolate. It was decadent and light and fluffy…and just…amazing. The right hit of sweetness from the chocolate and a bit from the toasted coconut. It was soft and made to perfection. I was in love.

Round 2: Danny Macaroons Plain Macaroons – Okay…so this one fell flat for me…and here’s why. It was too much coconut. Yep. Too much. Flavor. Texture. Nothing to really cut it. It was toasted to perfection and light and amazing…but the coconut just took over. And, while I get that macaroons are coconut…it was just too much for me.

So…you win one…you lose one. How’s that?

Danny Macaroons Plain & Chocolate Macaroons are made from sweetened coconut, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate, egg whites, pure bourbon vanilla extract, and salt.

This package did not have any of the nutritional information…but…they are a dessert treat. Treat it as such. Take one now…save the rest for later. BAH…who am I to tell you how to eat your treats?! Right?! What works for me doesn’t work for the macaroon lover who scarfed all four in one sitting. And that’s okay. It is, after all, a sweet treat!

Seriously, if coconut and macaroons are your thing, then you will absolutely fall in love with Danny Macaroons. Honestly, when it comes to the macaroons I have tried…these have been some of the best. Despite the handicap of my love/hate relationship with coconut, they still acted as a fantastic, light dessert after two meals this week. I think if you’re looking for a healthy, coconutty treat…these are for you. And with all the flavors on their site…what’s not to love. Next time…I hope I get Salted Caramel. That being said, this wasn’t a complete flop. Coconut lovers will flock to these…so Cuisine Cube totally has that down in this dessert option. For people like me…well…it wasn’t a throw away for sure. In fact, I actually really enjoyed the chocolate one. Just goes to show…everything is better with chocolate.

February 9, 2015

Product Review: Bumbalooza Gluten Free Pink Lemonade Donut Mix

Product: Bumbalooza Gluten Free Pink Lemonade Donut Mix – $7.99

I’m still working my way through some of my older Cuisine Cube products that have just been set aside. Not that I haven’t been dying to try them…because I have. I’ve just been so busy lately and have hardly had time to bake/cook/devour my way through every product in the span of a month. And when a new box arrives, I get so excited that things just get pushed to the back of the pantry. Well…no more. I’m making a very dedicated and very focused attempt to get through some of the products I have neglected since signing up for this amazing service.

First of all…let me once again highlight what it is the Cuisine Cube does. Cuisine Cube is a service that is offered by foodies who have sought out better and lesser-known (often times local) gluten-free products and foods. So, if you, like me, are a gluten-free foodie…this service will be just perfect for you. With delivery plans starting as low as $29.99, each month you will receive a box of delicious gluten-free goodness. Inside are 5-6 items that are from smaller artisan companies. Sometimes I have heard of them, or even tried them, but more often than not…the product is new to me and I discover a company that prides itself on better-for-you ingredients than the highly processed gluten-free foods you’ll find on the shelves of your local grocery store.

So, back in July 2014, I received an amazing box from Cuisine Cube. One of the products that seriously caught my eye was the Bumbalooza Gluten Free Pink Lemonade Donut Mix. First of all…DONUTS! Hello!! Secondly…lemony goodness. Enough said. I was thrilled to have this. Not only do I own mini donut pans and regular donut pans, but I love anything lemon flavored. And so does my roommate. Even more…we are donut fanatics. I have pretty much tried every gluten-free donut in the grocery store and beyond. As far as packaged varieties at my local stores, Katz Gluten Free are, hands down, the finest. I love the ones that my local allergy-free bakery makes and the ones that Babycakes NYC produces down at Disney World and in NYC. But, aside from that…I’ve been less than impressed. Seriously, I grew up in the land of Dunkin’ Donuts and then moved to the land of Krispy Kreme. Before being diagnosed as Celiac…I loved an occasional donut treat. But afterwards, nothing seemed to live up to the donuts I had been able to feast on up until that point. Talk about a disappointment.

And, yes, I have even attempted to make my own, with some success…but mostly failure. Let’s face it…when you bake donuts, they are best fresh from that oven. Especially gluten-free versions.

Well, as it happened, my running group was getting together this past Saturday to run a very hard and hilly 10 miles together. Afterwards, we all get together to eat snacks and just hang out and talk. This happens once a year. And a few of my running group do eat gluten-free (although they are not Celiacs and can cheat a little, which I can’t do!), so I figured this would be a good time to see what this product can do. I decided, for fear of the donuts being…MEH…the following morning, to make these into mini muffins. I had a back-up plan (gluten-free Madeleine cookies) should the mix not work out to my liking. But…pink lemonade mini muffins sounded beyond delicious. I hit up the store in hopes of finding the strawberry juice. And being that it is not prime strawberry season, I didn’t want to buy strawberries and puree them, so when the strawberry juice hunt turned out nothing…I picked up blueberry juice and decided to roll with it. That night, I started to get everything together to bake up these mini muffins.

Bumbalooza strives to find the, often difficult, balance between nutrition and taste, while still managing food allergies and sensitivities. But with Celiac disesase and the public’s increasing consumption of chemically modified ingredients, it’s no wonder food allergies have exploded in society. Bumbalooza prides it’s products on being made from only all-natural ingredients and as many whole grains as possible. They use less-refined sugars and produce each mix on dedicated equipment, ensuring that their products are produced and remain completely gluten-free. Bumbalooza creates mixes in hopes of getting parents and their children back into the kitchen together. In fact, each recipe on the box includes steps that the kids can help with in the preparation process.

Since I have no children…this was all about me…and my runners. But…I was the only one baking…so…

Despite owning donut pans, for the sake of the product I would be bringing to the event Saturday morning, I opted for mini muffins. And I was calling them Blue Lemonade Mini Muffins…as I used blueberry juice. But, hey, close enough. Preparing the Bumbalooza Gluten Free Pink Lemonade Donut Mix was super easy. In a mixing bowl, you simply beat the butter, add the eggs, lemon zest and berry juice and beat it again. Then add the mix and combine. Fill the donut pans (or in my case, mini-muffin tins) and bake in a preheated 325°F oven for about 20 minutes. Once the muffins (or donuts) are cooked through (you can check them with a toothpick), you place them on a wire rack to cool and, should you choose, glaze them. I made a light lemon glaze for mine, taking confectioners sugar and lemon juice, then spooning it over the top of each muffin. It made the perfect zippy way to kick them up a bit.

How were they? AMAZING!! Say it with me. AMAZING!! These were very light and fluffy. I loved that the lemon didn’t overpower the rest of the muffin itself. In fact, the blueberry flavor shined through with the lemon hitting you in that glaze. I loved that these weren’t heavy or dense. They were soft and bouncy and just…WOW!! I mean WOW!! And, the rest of the group who had to or at least ventured into the gluten-free goodies seemed to like them as well. Even my roommate is a bit addicted to them. We have only a few leftover…but…yeah…SO good. Now I kind of which I had used the mix to actually make donuts. I bet they would have been out-of-this-world. Next time. Trust me…there will be a next time!!

The ingredients that go into making the Bumbalooza Gluten Free Pink Lemonade Donut Mix are: white rice flour, evaporated cane sugar, tapioca flour, brown rice flour, millet, coconut palm sugar, aluminum-free baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. That’s it. This mix contains no gluten, no GMOs, no soy, no dairy, no nuts, and no refined white sugar.

As for the nutrition facts…this box will make 24 servings. In that serving, this mix provides 110 calories and 0 grams of fat. This mix contains 180 mg sodium and only 10 grams of sugar per serving. And, these are small and fluffy for a reason, as you will not fill up on just one. Each one only has 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein. Depending on how you prepare the mix…these will change. I figured up the nutrition info on MyFitnessPal and figured that each mini muffin was 164 calories, 4 grams of fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 181 mg sodium, 13 grams sugar, 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams of protein. Which, I do find pretty high for a two-bite muffin (or one bite if you aren’t a delicate princess like me). Regardless…I don’t indulge in muffins or donuts much…so I’ll take it!

Bumbalooza has a great sounding line of gluten-free products that go beyond the Gluten Free Pink Lemonade Donut Mix. These include Chocolate Chip Cookies, Gooey Oatmeal Bars, Sugar Cookies, Bumba Bakers Cookies, Banana Bread, Cookies & Cream Cake, and Chocolate Pudding. All of which I am now DYING to try. Seriously. I want it all.

And to think, without Cuisine Cube…I never would have even known of the existence of Bumbalooza. I now want to get another box of the Gluten Free Pink Lemonade Donut Mix and make actual donuts. Because now I see how amazing this mix bakes up, I don’t think the donuts would lose their integrity if not eaten straight away. So, a huge win from both Cuisine Cube and Bumbalooza. If you are curious and want to check them out yourself…follow the links and place an order. You will not be disappointed.

Blueberry Lemonade Mini Muffins made from Bumbalooza Gluten Free Pink Lemonade Donut Mix

February 4, 2015

Product Review: Aleia’s Gluten Free Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

Product: Aleia’s Gluten Free Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies – $7.49

Oh, my Cuisine Cube had me pegged this past holiday season. Really. Because, everyone pretty much knows that I am a cookie monster. There is nothing better or more satisfying than the perfect cookie. And it has to be absolutely perfect. Crispy…or chewy…chocolatey…or maybe nutty…yeah…cookies are the way to my heart.

Always have been. My mom was known for her homemade cookies when I was growing up. Somehow, the entire neighborhood knew when she was baking. And all the kids would end up at our house and eat them fresh out of the oven.

My love of cookies goes way, way back.

So, yes, I was more than elated when my December 2014 (the HOLIDAY CUBE!) arrived in the mail. It had quite the variety inside. But this was one of those cubes that contained a bonus item. An extra dessert. And since I live and breathe dessert, this was a very happy and welcome bonus! Cuisine Cube is a surprise each month. All I know is that each cube will contain some gluten-free product good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack and dessert. December actually had a gluten-free all-purpose flour for “baking.” So, double dessert, and something that doubled as a lunch/snack. Variety is key and they sure do know how to keep me coming back each month for the new selections. Subscribing to Cuisine Cube is easy and starts out as low as $29.99. Not bad for a monthly delivery of gluten-free yummies that comes right to your door for you to devour as soon or as late as you want. If you haven’t signed up for this service yet…just try it for a month. Trust me.

The cookies that were waiting for me inside December Cube were Aleia’s Gluten Free Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies. Aleia’s is devoted to producing superior, hand-crafted, certified gluten-free, non-GMO, and kosher products. These products range from cookies to bread crumbs to stuffing to croutons. The company is devoted to provide healthy, delicious options for people who are living a gluten-free lifestyle. The bakery where their products are crafted and packaged is a dedicated gluten-free bakery.

Aleia’s is actually one of the first and finest producers of gluten-free, non-GMO products out on the market. This stemmed from the founder’s (a culinary trained chef) own gluten intolerance and her desire to eat great tasting, handmade goods. Gluten-free doesn’t mean it has to be tasteless cardboard, right? The Aleia’s line includes ten artisan cookies, bread crumbs, panko, croutons, stuffing mixes, and breads.

So, tonight, with the cold weather happening outside, I was reaching for something that wasn’t frozen. Because, despite liking things like ice cream any time of the year…tonight I was feeling…cookies! Save the ice cream for this weekend’s beautiful weather. That’s my plan anyway. So, after an amazing dinner of gluten-free pumpkin gnocchi…I reached into my pantry and retrieved the package of Aleia’s Gluten-Free Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies, which I had tucked away in there when I was putting away my December Cuisine Cube products. Today was the day for this product to shine. I popped open the packaging, tore into the plastic bag and retrieved two cookies (one for me and one for the roomie!).

A simple and easy dessert, yes? That’s how I like it.

The Aleia’s Gluten Free Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies are about the size of the rim of a juice glass. They are crispy vanilla cookies that are coated with sugar. I took my first bite and immediately tasted the vanilla. The flavor reminded me of something, but I still can’t quite put my finger on what. That being said…they were a delightful, sweet, and crunchy treat after dinner. I told my roomie that I sort of wanted to get down some Smudge (that is nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free Nutella) and spread it across the back of the cookie just to sweeten the deal a little. HA! While sugar cookies have never been my favorite cookie, these were quite tasty. They weren’t hard, but had a good crunch to them. And the sugar coating the outside gave it a little extra zip. Yeah…these definitely made this cookie monster happy!

Aleia’s Gluten Free Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies are made from pure cane sugar, tapioca flour, whole grain sorghum flour, butter, eggs, pure vanilla extract, vanilla beans, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. That’s it! And being that the first ingredient is sugar…remember…these are not just cookies…they are sugar cookies.

How about that nutritional information, right? One serving of Aleia’s Gluten Free Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies is one cookie. This one cookie will deliver 80 calories and 3 grams of fat. You will also be taking in 10 mg cholesterol, 60 mg sodium, and 6 grams of sugar. Yep…only 6 grams in a sugar cookie. A serving also gives you no fiber and only 1 gram of protein. But they are cookies. A treat. Love it.

As I have no store in my area that carries Aleia’s Gluten Free products, I am beyond thrilled that Cuisine Cube was able to introduce me to this brand. I am impressed enough to seek out more. Especially since I see they have Gluten Free Snickerdoodles. And we all know that Snickerdoodles are this cookie monster’s all-time favorite cookie. They definitely must be tried. Thank you, Cuisine Cube and Aleia’s…for your commitment to great products!

February 3, 2015

Product Review: Helwa Enjoy Gluten Free Chocolate Covered Wafers

Product: Helwa Enjoy Gluten Free Chocolate Covered Wafers – $2.99+

I am not going to lie…there are times that I miss certain types of candy in my life. Because, I grew up on some of these famous chocolate bars…enjoyed them as a child into adulthood. Not on a regular basis, mind you, but every now and again, it was nice to indulge a little on…a Kit-Kat Bar. Seriously…Kit Kat Bars were an all-time favorite of mine. You’d think it would be Reese’s with how peanut butter crazy I am, but I would take a Kit-Kat over a peanut butter cup any day. My sister…the exact opposite. But there was just something so addicting about that chocolate coating over that crispy wafer. The sweet meets sweet. The texture, flaky…yet creamy. It was heaven in candy bar form.

I won’t like…to this day I get sad when have to bypass those little Kit-Kat Bars at the grocery store or department stores. Not that I need them…I don’t. And it’s not that I even want them (though, I kind of do!). It’s just that I physically can’t have them anymore.

Enter…what I deemed would be my crave stopper.

I was coming home from seeing The Trans-Siberian Orchestra in Dayton, Ohio…passing right through Cincinnati. And Cincinnati is the home of the most epic grocery store (aka: Foodie Heaven) in the world – Jungle Jim’s. And yes…whenever possible and whenever I have the time while traveling through…I make a point to stop in. They have a rather large gluten-free section (yes…mostly processed foods, but I don’t overindulge in these regularly…so every now and again, I pick something new up to try!)…so I try to find one or five (HA!) products that I’m curious about and haven’t seen anywhere else. On this last trip, I actually behaved myself. With the holiday season in full swing at the time, I was on a very tight budget.

But one inexpensive little treat did catch my eye…and it was because it looked all the world to be a gluten-free Kit-Kat Bar.

YES!! You better believe I shelled out the $3.00 to give this a try. But, I waited…and saved it while I worked through some items I had around longer. But tonight…tonight was the magic night. Dessert…half of the candy bar. Half of what I called a gluten-free Kit-Kat Bar. My only hope was that it lived up to everything I was making it out to be in my head.

One pack of Helwa Enjoy Gluten Free Chocolate Covered Wafers

So, the candy itself is called Helwa Enjoy Gluten Free Chocolate Covered Wafers. Not as catchy as Kit-Kat…but copyrights and all…*wink*. But, just from the image on the box…it looked all the world like my favorite candy bar growing up. I was overjoyed.

The Helwa Company has been family owned and operated since 1953, where Helwa Wafelbakkerij, located in the Netherlands, committed itself and its business to making premium quality cream-filled wafer biscuits. Since then, they have branched out from their traditional crispy, cream filled wafers to release products that are organic, gluten-free, sugar free and all natural. Not only that, they focus on using ingredients with no artificial colors or flavors.

The Helwa Enjoy Gluten Free Chocolate Covered Wafers…

…are LOVE!! They aren’t Kit-Kat’s…but they sure as hell come close. The wafer inside these are lighter and not as crispy as I remember Kit-Kat being (granted, it’s been 3 years since I’ve eaten one…and I’ve honestly forgotten how things taste at times). That being said, I loved the hit of sweetness with the light crispy wafer inside. It was very reminiscent of one of my favorite candy treats…and I devoured these…to the max! SO delicious!!

So, let’s talk about ingredients, shall we? The Helwa Enjoy Gluten Free Chocolate Covered Wafers are made from milk chocolate 80%, palm oil, sugar, rice flour, potato starch, teff flour, soy flour, skimmed cocoa powder, soy lecithin, coconut oil, free range egg yolk, salt, and sodium bicarbonate. These chocolate coated wafers are suitable for vegetarians and gluten-free and wheat-free.

As far as nutrition goes, I’m not going to lie…for being a candy bar, these aren’t bad statistics at all. The serving size is one pack- there are three in the wrapper – which…is like eating a standard Kit-Kat bar. This serving will provide you with 120 calories and 8 grams of fat. These are cholesterol free, but do contain 10 grams of sugar, which, for a candy bar isn’t awful. Not in the slightest. This serving will also dish up 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein. It’s candy. It’s sugar. You won’t stay full for long. Trust me.

But…damn…is it ever good!! I don’t eat candy all that often, but when I do, I’m proud of indulgences like that. I can’t remember the last time I got to eat my favorite candy from my childhood and young adult life…but this came so close…it almost brought me to tears. Good things come in little packages!

January 22, 2015

Product Review: Jessica’s Natural Foods Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Granola

Product: Jessica’s Natural Foods Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Granola – $6.99+

On some very rare occasions, a product that arrives in my Cuisine Cube is actually something I am familiar with…or…perhaps…even might have tried before. When it comes to the Non-GMO Project cube, which arrived in October, I was actually surprised to encounter a brand that I had already tried. Albeit, this was not a flavor I had tried from this brand, but it is readily available at my local Whole Foods! Like I said…this doesn’t happen often…but sometimes it’s a comfort to find a small brand that you have familiarized yourself with before.

This product…was the Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Granola from Jessica’s Natural Foods. Jessica’s Natural Foods was started by Jessica Mindell, an avid baker with a background in engineering. Back in 2009, her husband discovered that he was gluten-intolerant and said that he missed oat-based granola. Once Mindell was able to find gluten-free oats and a certified gluten-free facility, she was able to launch her healthy, delicious granola. Since then, her bags of granola have expanded to over 25 states. Mindell’s passion for natural foods means that she always bakes with simple, pure ingredients and keeps health and nutrition at the forefront of her products.

Prior to this Cuisine Cube…I had picked up a pack of the Jessica’s Natural Foods Gluten-Free Pecan Almond Granola. My Cuisine Cube stepped it up a notch by including one of my most favorite things…chocolate! Chocolate chips to be exact.

With all the time that I’ve spent traveling and racing these past couple of months…and the holidays taking over life in general…I haven’t had much time to explore some items from some of my Cuisine Cubes. That being said, I’m making a push currently to polish off most of the products that have made a home in my pantry. I need to be more pro-active about these products…and that’s not a bad thing. It is definitely getting me to branch out and try some things I had been content to let sit for awhile.

This past week, after a long weekend away in Charleston, South Carolina (I was marathoning)…I was looking for a delicious, and more nutritious way to enjoy breakfast. I knew I had a few granola options tucked away on the top shelf of my kitchen pantry…so, I grabbed a stool (I’m short…I can’t help it!) and dug around. I had two to choose between and both sounded great. But the Jessica’s Natural Foods variety had one thing that won me over…

CHOCOLATE CHIPS!

Yep…the sweet-tooth, chocaholic emerged with a vengeance upon seeing that in the name. WIN! That morning, I darted out to the grocery store to pick up a few necessities that were needed for the coming week and ended up picking up a big container of Greek yogurt, some fresh organic blueberries, and a few other fruits and vegetables to use for the various meals I needed for the week. Breakfast…lunch…dinner. You name it. But, I hadn’t made many of my fruit & yogurt breakfast parfaits for a long while, and I knew this was a delicious and nutritious way to start the morning. With some granola at home, it was just a matter of choosing the fruit. I had thought to get strawberries, but the organic ones didn’t look too good. We are, after all, out of season. But, the blueberries looked big and ripe and therefore…came home with me. That morning, I assembled two breakfast parfaits, making use of the Jessica’s Natural Foods Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Granola, vanilla Greek yogurt, local honey, and the fresh organic blueberries. I just layer these up and top it off with more granola and…voila…breakfast was served.

Jessica’s Natural Foods gluten Free Chocolate Chip Granola is, without a doubt, one of the best granola’s I have had since going gluten-free. The gluten-free oats were toasted and golden to perfection. Adding to the sweetness were the melt-in-your-mouth bits of semi-sweet chocolate chips. It feels like you’re cheating, but in reality, you are eating something that is good for you. Mixing these delightful spoonfuls with a thick and delicious Greek yogurt and bursts of fresh fruit juice from the little blueberries…this made a perfect breakfast with each bite. The granola brought this fantastic and light texture to the entire dish. And, if left with a bag of this and no supervision, I could easily eat the entire bag in one sitting. The clusters with the chocolate were my favorite part as they would melt upon hitting my tongue. This made handfuls of this granola a great treat…if not addictive. Seriously…one of the best parts of any breakfast I have ever eaten in my entire life…this granola is amazing. And I don’t feel bad indulging in it, because the ingredients are natural and the nutritional information is rather good!

Granola can become a calorie-laden sugar-fest, so it’s always good to take a look at ingredients and nutritional information. For Jessica’s Natural Foods Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Granola…this is what the company strives for. The Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Granola is made from certified gluten-free rolled oats, semi-sweet chocolate chips, organic honey, brown sugar, expeller pressed sunflower oil, ground flax seed, coconut, maple syrup, pure vanilla extract, cinnamon, sea salt, tocopherols (natural vitamin E). This granola is free of cholesterol and trans fats. It is also gluten-free and non-GMO.

A serving of Jessica’s Natural Foods Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Granola is 1/4 cup. Trust me…this may not seem like much…but it is an amazing and filling 1/4 cup. Mmm…chocolate by the quarter-cup. In this serving, you will be consuming 130 calories and 6 grams of fat. Not bad for granola. Not at all. In this serving, you will also be taking in 30 mg sodium and only 7 grams of sugar. Yes…only 7 grams. That’s amazing. So often, the gluten-free granola I find is laden with heavy sugar. Not these. Naturally sweet more than anything. And finally, this 1/4 cup serving gives you 2 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein. Not too filling, but filling enough, especially when paired with nutrient dense Greek yogurt and fiber-filled fresh fruit.

Oh yes…it’s a rare thing when Cuisine Cube sends me something I am already familiar with, but in a way, it’s also quite satisfying. If you have yet to join the happy consumers of Cuisine Cube…just go over to their Web site and check out your options. Every month is like Christmas as you open up your box and discover what products have been selected for you. These monthly deliveries start at $29.99…and are so totally worth the investment. I have yet to regret making this choice to enjoy these monthly deliveries. Seriously…give it a month and you will want to keep going! It’s because of this service that I am able to try foods like Jessica’s Natural Foods, a less-processed and lesser-known product than some of the brand name gluten-free granola out on the market. I much prefer to support the smaller businesses who put a lot more thought and care into their products and the making of their products. I feel that way about Jessica’s Natural Foods…so check them out too! If you can’t find these bags of granola goodness at your Whole Foods…get online and place an order! Stop hesitating…and just do it!