Product: Bakery on Main Gluten-Free Rainforest Granola– $6.49+
Granola is an amazing thing. It’s filling. It’s portable. And it can be delicious if it is made right. I’ve had my share of delicious granola and I’ve had my fair share of disgusting mixes of granola.
It got to the point where I was just writing it off my go-to snack list. I was tired of just getting stuff laden with sugar and fat…capped off with the fact that it just didn’t taste good. I was tired of wasting my money.
And then…Bakery on Main entered into my life.
It all happened at the big Gluten-Free Expo that went on in Birmingham, Alabama. There was a Bakery on Main table represented there and what did they have? Sample packs of their granola varieties. I snapped up one of each, because this was definitely the way to try them instead of shelling out the cash and then not liking it in the end.
Well, with my non-gym days needing some some granola goodness in it…I reached into my cupboard and retrieved the Rainforest Granola.
What is Rainforest Granola? Well, it’s a delightful blend of dried bananas, roasted Brazil nuts, coconut, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and sesame seeds. It’s like a little taste of the tropics with each little bit you pop in your mouth.
The package that I had contained 220 calories for the serving. And while this was still a bit higher on the sugar than I would have liked, the sodium was really low and it did have 4 grams of protein in it. Can’t complain over that. I found myself saving the delicious Brazil nuts for last and seeking out the bits of banana for that sweet and salty combination. It was a fantastic flavor play.
I have to hand it to Bakery on Main. This gluten-free granola was inspired. And I found it rather delightful to much on at my desk at the office. Where your oatmeal has been hit or miss, you certainly hit this granola blend out of the ballpark. Nicely done.
Gluten-free granola that is delicious. Yeah…this one is a keeper.
Product: Blue Diamond’s Hazelnut Nut Thins – $3.49+
With Blue Diamond’s Nut Thins…it’s hit or miss. Some are so amazing and full of flavor. Some…all you taste is the rice cracker. I’ve been wowed and I’ve been let down by different variations of this cracker.
Well, after some searching, I finally ran across the Hazelnut variety that had eluded me for so long. It was actually at Big Lots that I stumbled across them for far less money than I could find them anywhere else. So, yes…I snatched up a box and excitedly took them home to try.
I had heard good things about this variety. Some called it their favorite. And what’s not to love? Hazelnut is one of my favorite flavors and nuts out there. Honestly. And the hazelnuts used in these rice flour crackers are brought in from Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
The good news is that these crackers only contain 130 calories. They have 2g of protein, no saturated fat, and are completely gluten-free. You gotta love that. They make for a nice, light snack in the afternoon that’s easy to grab and fun to bite into. Yes…these definitely have crunch power.
The bad news is, at least the box that I have, taste very bland. You can taste the rice cracker, but if there is supposed to be a hazelnut flavor…it is completely lost to me. Which is too bad because these just screamed awesome from their purple box on the shelf in the store. For real.
I can see how these could be a great cracker to use for dips or spreads, but on their own they are very weak in the flavor department. When I bite into a cracker, I want it to be full of flavor. I want to remember it. These…I’ll forget about once the box is gone.
Maybe I just got a bad batch…because I have heard such amazing things about this flavor of Nut Thins. But…I was a bit let down in the flavor department.
Restaurant: Crown Candy Kitchen, St. Louis, Missouri
We are all entitled to our little indulgences in life. No one wants to go through life denying themselves all of life’s little goodies because of the chance they might *gasp* gain a pound. That’s why God invented exercise. If you deny yourself the little sweet things in life…then you might miss one gem of a treat. Thankfully, I never turn down a good treat. And despite being lactose intolerant, I usually treat myself to ice cream. Go figure. As long as it is gluten-free…then we are in business.
Well, it was a little while ago that I was watching Man v. Food (I know…that’s some nutritious dining going on there!) on The Travel Channel. One of the restaurants featured in the St. Louis area was Crown Candy Kitchen, which offers up the Crown Candy Challenge…in 30 minutes, polish off five 24 ounce malts. Even this challenge couldn’t be won by Adam Richman, who managed to down four of the malts.
That being said, this place is located in the older part of the city. And they are known for their homemade ice cream, candy selection, but mostly their malts/milkshakes. I, however, was not there for a milkshake or malt or even candy.
Nope. I was getting ready to head into a concert that night. I was after their Banana Split ($6.00)…to split with my roommate of course. So, after waiting for about 10 minutes (you know a place rocks when 30 minutes before closing time there is a line out the door!), my roommate and I snagged a little booth and waited to place our order. We came prepared, so we were ready when our waitress arrived. Now, with the Banana Split, we got to choose our ice cream flavors. We decided on chocolate and strawberry, with the strawberry and pineapple over it, whipped cream, crushed toasted cashews, and of course…a cherry.
It didn’t take too long for the enormous sundae to be placed between us with two spoons attached. And we dug right in. I started with the strawberry ice cream, and Cathy dug into the chocolate side. Then we switched. Let me tell you…that chocolate ice cream had something amazing in it. It just tasted like no other chocolate ice cream I had before. As for the strawberry…that was my favorite part. Forget the whipped cream (I’ve never been a big fan of that stuff anyway) and the toppings. I’d gladly lap up an entire bowl of that strawberry ice cream. And yes…chunks of strawberry resided in the pink scoop that dominated a split open banana on a dish.
We hoovered that sundae, I think. It was just so good. And our flavors paired brilliantly with the banana. We left there quite full, but quite happy. And now we had our sugar rush for the upcoming show. What more could we want in life?
If you love visiting historical sights around town that also offer up amazing foods and goodies, if you happen to be in St. Louis, take the trip over to Crown Candy Kitchen. Forget whatever diet you’re on for a couple hours and just savor each bite of one of their signature sundaes. You’ll be hooked.
It’s a good thing I don’t live in town or I might be over there more than I’d care to admit.
Few things in this world make me as happy as settling into a booth or table at a pub and just letting my cares and worries go. Of course, this is sometimes easier said than done when plagued with food allergies, especially to gluten. And one of the least likely places to find a menu that is easy to navigate when you are gluten-free (and also a vegetarian, in my case) is a pub.
But, thanks to knowledgeable staff, despite no gluten-free men, special care was certainly taken with me. And for that, this pub won over my heart.
This pub, by the way, is The Dubliner, located in St. Louis, Missouri.
When my roommate and I were seated with menus, our waiter went ahead and took our drink order. But, before he hurried off, we threw a few questions at him. Do the fries share a frier with anything blended. He said that they had only one frier. Fries were now out. I asked what the soup of the day was. He said potato. I asked if it was gluten-free and he vowed to go and check. When he returned, he said it wasn’t safe for me to eat either. So…I was back to a salad. That’s fine…but wow me with a salad!! There is the challenge.
When we were talking to our server while trying to figure out something I could eat, he said he understood how difficult it must be for me to eat out. One of his friends has Celiac disease and she hardly can eat out. Her condition is so bad that if she has anything with even a spec of gluten in it…things get really bad.
So, with an understanding as to my condition and what I needed done with my food…we placed our orders.
Naturally, my roommate went for the fish and chips ($12.00). As for me…I went right to the salads, figuring they would be the safest and only vegetarian option on the menu at this point. My decision was to get the Chopped Salad ($10.00), which consists of lettuce, tomato, red onion, celery, scallions, red peppers, carrots, shredded Kasseri (that’s a cheese, btw!), and kidney beans. Of course I asked that mine not come with the croutons that are listed on the menu. And I ordered that the balsamic vinaigrette.
Food actually came out quite fast, but we weren’t exactly there at a busy time. It was around 2 p.m. So, the lunch crowd had already pushed through on that Sunday morning and we were just simply following it up. My roommate dug into her fish and chips, and absolutely raved about the fries and the taste of the fish.
Now, I was ready to dig into my salad. This was just a normal salad you would probably throw together at home. Nothing too special about it. Basic vegetable ingredients and a light dressing to coat it. But it was very heavy on the celery and definitely not as heavy on the kidney beans as I would have liked. When you order a salad, you want it to be big enough and full of something with some protein that will fill you up. While this salad was initially quite filling, after awhile, my body burned through it and I was ready to eat again. This is usually the story of my life when it comes to eating out at pubs with no gluten-free/vegetarian options.
But, I will hand it to this pub…when the server brought out our meals, he even held his arms apart, not wanting any food to come in contact with anything because of my sensitivity to gluten. I liked that. It really made me feel more secure about our choice to eat there. Considering this wasn’t our first choice of a pub that day (our originally one actually has a gluten-free menu, but it was only serving brunch and I wasn’t feeling another egg that day and my roommate really wanted her fish and chips!), it really made me feel good that, despite not having a dedicated gluten-free menu, they took enough care with my food to keep it uncontaminated. I’ll take that any day.
So, while the salad was nothing to really rave about, the care and consideration I got from the kitchen and staff was leaps and bounds above what I ever expected.
Gluten-free or not, I think should you find yourself in St. Louis, you should venture out to The Dubliner and enjoy some delicious pub fare at a place that really does care.
Arrowhead Mills Gluten-Free Pancake and Baking Mix
Product: Arrowhead Mills Gluten-Free Pancake and Baking Mix – $4.99+
Nothing screams delicious, carb-a-licious breakfast like pancakes and waffles, right?
Right.
And they are two of my favorite breakfast foods to this very day. Seriously. There is just something so comforting about tucking into a small stack of pancakes or a fluffy, toasty waffle. Especially when you can make them yourself instead of buying them frozen and simply reheating.
This past weekend and then yesterday morning, I got to try out another gluten-free pancake and baking mix, which I had tucked away in my pantry. As I had just used up the last of my previous one, it looked like Arrowhead Mills was next up in the queue. I packed this up to travel to St. Louis with my roommate and I. I was going to do up a batch of Nutella Waffles on Sunday morning for the two of us and her aunt. Because in the morning…I naturally make waffles.
Then, yesterday, I had just enough left in the bag to put together a blueberry pancake breakfast for my roommate and I.
So, how did Arrowhead Mills stack up to the competition?
Well, it was…okay.
Just okay. I found that both the waffles and the pancakes had a bit of a grainy texture to them when all was said and done. And, trust me, I mixed the hell out of both of them. The waffles did cook up crispy in the waffle maker, so that was good. But they just seemed really grainy as compared to times I have made them in the past with either a gluten-free all-purpose flour or another baking and pancake mix. But, I figured it might have just been something wrong in my pre-measured additions (salt, sugar, baking powder), which I packed together and pre-measured for simplicity in travel.
So, yesterday I got out my skillet and decided that, as we had poached eggs with dinner the night previous, I would bypass the eggs that morning and run with some pancakes. I even had some frozen blueberries in my fridge so I decided to dress them up with some fruity goodness as well. I measured out exactly one cup of Arrowhead Mills Gluten-Free Pancake and Baking Mix and then added, according to the package, honey, oil, an egg, and then a very scant amount of unsweetened almond milk. It was really, really doughy when I got that all mixed together, so I added some more almond milk until I got it to a good consistency. In went the blueberries and then…onto the griddle.
One thing I will say about this mix is that it browned up beautifully on the skillet. Sometimes the pancakes just don’t brown up uniformly or cook way too fast. But not these. Not yesterday. That’s a good thing. I did find that these did make very fluffy, bulky pancakes by comparison. So, that was interesting to note. I gave them a flip, let them cook on the other side, plated them, drizzled with some warm, gluten-free maple syrup and…breakfast was served.
Again, I found that these pancakes, as compared to the other times I have made gluten-free pancakes (with various mixes and flours again) had a grainy consistency. In fact, my pancakes sort of crumbled as I cut into them. The flavor was good, but the texture just was off for me. I don’t know if I should have added more almond milk (even though I had already added more than the package said) or what.
While I do appreciate the fact that Arrowhead Mills makes their gluten-free baking and pancake mix with organic ingredients, for me, in the end, it just didn’t come together, leaving both of my favorite breakfast products tasting as though they had grainy bits of sugar lurking in them.
I might give this brand another try…maybe do up muffins and see how that works. But as of the moment…it just hasn’t won me over. And that’s too bad, because I had gone into baking with this brand with such high hopes.
Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes made with Arrowhead Mills Gluten-Free Pancake and Baking Mix
Product: Lucini Italia Rustic Tomato Basil Sauce – $4.50+
This was a new one for me.
Sauce…in a pouch. Yes…a pouch.
Lucini Italia Rustic Tomato Basil Sauce…packaged for three servings…in a microwavable pouch.
I’ve warmed up pouches of Indian food in the microwave, but never a pasta sauce. But, it had worked well for previous products, who was I to judge. Besides, this little pouch of gluten-free, vegan pasta sauce came as a part of a “Don’t Be A Gluten” gift basket that was full of gluten-free products for me to try. My roommate gifted it to me awhile back and I was working my way through other sauces at the time.
Then, the perfect opportunity to try this one out arose when I had to travel to St. Louis, Missouri, for a concert. I was going to be cooking dinner for myself, my roommate, and her aunt, who we were staying with while in town. Her aunt is hard at work on another degree, so she was in study and final project mode. I figured we could make her life easier if I brought some gluten-free foods that we all could eat and I could cook them up and she could just keep plugging along on her studies.
Lucini Italia Rustic Tomato Basil Sauce with brown rice penne
With the travel, this pouch was perfectly portioned. It had three servings of sauce in it and that meant…the three of us would all benefit from it. Now, I have never had Lucini Italia brand, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from it. But, let me tell you, I’m digging the whole pouch concept. For real.
It was so easy. As the pasta was being drained, I vented the pouch, tossed it in the microwave for 90 seconds, and viola!! The sauce was ready. I only had to pour it over the pasta, give it a toss, and it was ready to serve!
Lucini Italia’s Rustic Tomato and Basil Sauce was a fantastic treat for the palate. Seriously. The sauce is simply made with fresh plum tomatoes and summer basil. It seems simple enough, and it was. But the flavors were the star of the show here. The tomatoes lent a delicious, fresh taste to the sauce and the basil wasn’t overpowering, but rather complimentary to the rest of the sauce. Nothing overpowered. And in the end, the sauce was a delicious, pre-packaged for your microwave treat. I felt it paired very well with the brown rice pasta and asparagus that we cooked up for the meal.
And, despite being microwaved, this sauce wasn’t watery at all. It was thick and seasoned to perfection. Nothing felt watered down. Nor did we need bread to sop up the runny bits of the sauce. There wasn’t any of that.
I was impressed.
So, if you need an easy sauce to travel with, or just want to save some time and pans, I highly recommend Lucini’s Italia Rustic Tomato and Basil Sauce. It comes in a jar…but the smaller-portioned, microwavable pouch is even more convenient. Go ahead…try it. You’ll be surprised too.
Pasta dinner served with Lucini Italia Rustic Tomato Basil Sauce
The problem I have had since going gluten-free is finding a brown rice pasta that doesn’t turn to mush when it’s cooked. I love Tinkyáda because the texture is just like real thing. Seriously! But it seems that every time I see awards handed out for gluten-free pastas, Jovial takes the top prize.
I have seen Jovial around at the natural food stores that I shop at, but never quite picked it up. Mostly because it is a bit pricier and harder to find when others are right there at my usual grocery shopping watering holes.
But then…I went to a rather large gluten-free expo in Birmingham, Alabama and walked away with more samples of gluten-free products than I knew what to do with. Among them was a sample package of Jovial Brown Rice Penne pasta. As I was currently working my way through an open package of pasta, this sat in the pantry.
Then, this past weekend I had to travel to St. Louis, Missouri, for a concert. My roommate and I were staying with her aunt, who is currently hard at work on another degree. I put out the offer to bring food and prepare it so she didn’t have to feel the need to entertain and could focus on her studies. I figured everyone liked pasta, so I packed up the two sample packs of Jovial Brown Rice Penne along with some gluten-free pasta sauce that I got in my “Don’t Be A Gluten” gift basket my roommate bought for me. It was perfect, safe, and hopefully it would be delicious.
Jovial Brown Rice Penne tossed with Lucini sauce and asparagus
Cooking Jovial pasta was so easy. Boil the water, add pasta, allow to cook for about nine minutes until al dente. It’s that easy. All you do after that is drain, add sauce, and toss. No rinsing with cold water to improve texture or any of that. You cook and it’s ready to roll.
We all really enjoyed this pasta. It was cooked to the perfect level. In fact, my roommate’s aunt (they share a name, so I can’t refer to them as such or it would be Cathy and Cathy…LOL!) complimented me on how perfectly I cooked up the pasta. This was her first time having brown rice pasta and she said it tasted just like the real stuff that she’s used to having. It held up with the tomato sauce I added to it, and the addition of asparagus to bulk it up. It was a delicious, yummy treat for sure. One that we just gobbled up until it was gone. Even the dog had a little helping when we were all stuffed and only a small amount remained.
Jovial’s Brown Rice Penne is definitely one of the sturdier versions of brown rice pasta that I have tried. I didn’t have the opportunity to refrigerate and then attempt a reheat to see if the noodles were soggy the following day, but for a fresh-from-the-stovetop perspective…this brand is awesome!
And it’s no wonder. According to Jovial’s Web site, the brown rice pasta recipe they use was developed by Master artisans in Tuscany, Italy, who wanted to develop the most authentic gluten-free pasta out there. The company didn’t want those who had to eat gluten-free to feel like they were sacrificing texture and flavor to keep themselves healthy. And they did a bang-up job. Honestly. Bite after bite the pasta stayed perfectly al dente and equally yummy.
If you have to eat gluten-free, or if you are just looking for a healthy alternative to pasta, I highly recommend using Jovial’s brown rice pasta. I can’t speak (yet) for the other brown rice varieties in their lineup, but they won me over with the Brown Rice Penne.
Come on…have pasta night and do it gluten-free. It’s May. It’s Celiac Awareness Month. Treat yourself to some gluten-free goodness this month. You’ve earned it.
A plate of pasta goodness featuring Jovial’s Brown Rice Penne
Food Should Taste Good Jalapeño with Cheddar Tortilla Chips
Product: Food Should Taste Good Jalapeño with Cheddar Tortilla Chips – $2.50+
Spice up my life.
No, really. If something has a bit of a spicy kick to it, then I am game. I love to feel the heat when it comes to snacks and meals. The spicier…the better…just as long as it doesn’t burn. I love a little heat in my meals. This is why I had hot sauce to eggs and red pepper to pizza and spaghetti. Honestly.
So, when I spotted Food Should Taste Good’s variety of tortilla chips that is Jalapeño with Cheddar…I knew I had to try them. I’ve had a couple of the chip varieties from Food Should Taste Good, my favorite being the Sweet Potato Chips. Mmmm. Well, these may have just trumped that.
Here’s what I love about them. Aside from being kosher, gluten-free, cholesterol free, trans-fat free, and all natural, these chips really will wow you with their spicy flavor. You know when you go to a ball game and you get the nachos and you hate yourself for loving them? Well…that’s what these chips taste like. They taste like a good version of those ballpark nachos that come with the cheese-like substance and jalapeños. And they are really, really delicious!
Every bite is a blast of heat from the jalapeño and crushed red pepper that is infused in these little tortilla chips. Each chip is dusted with a light coating of white cheddar. And the combination is flavor perfection in my book. Just the right amount of heat so as not to kill off your taste buds, but still tame enough for the cheddar flavor to shine too. It’s the perfect bite.
And, at only 140 calories for 12 chips, you get a really great serving without any of the guilt. And you don’t even need a dip because this tastes like it has been dipped.
If you are a lover of spicy foods and, especially nachos, these are the chips you have been looking for. Find them, if you can…and take a spicy bite of something delicious.
Food Should Taste Good definitely lives up to its name!
So…does everyone remember my favorite meal of the day?
I’ll give you a hint:
It’s usually the first meal you eat.
Yeah. Breakfast. Oh, how I love breakfast. How I crave breakfast. I can eat breakfast for every meal of the day and be a happy, happy girl. It is the most diverse, most delicious, most creative meal that can be baked, cooked, toasted, sauteed, fried, poached, or done however you like it with a variety of different ingredients. And the combinations…are endless.
I always like to treat myself to one good breakfast/brunch out when I’m on vacation. Last year, my roommate and I hit up a restaurant that specialized in crepes (which we revisited this year and I think I had the most perfect gluten-free crepe of my life!) while in Denver. This year, after a little hunting around, I chose a different place to try. And, we happened to visit it on the day we were flying out. One filling breakfast would be really good before boarding a flight from Denver back to Louisville, yes?
That’s what I thought.
So…we took a short little drive to the Cherry Creek area of Denver and hit up this little breakfast/brunch/lunch joint called Syrup.
What really got my attention when I was researching restaurants in the area was that there was a gluten-free menu. Actually, I’ve come to find out that Colorado is like…some gluten-free haven, so pretty much anywhere you go, there is something gluten-free on the menu…or a separate gluten-free menu if you have to avoid gluten. It’s awesome. Is it any wonder I want to move out there?
This is a little unassuming little place located on the bottom floor of a building. This meant walking down some stairs to enter the restaurant. My roommate and I were shown to a table immediately. The waitress was alerted of my gluten sensitivity and she immediately pointed out that they could make waffles, pancakes, and English muffins gluten-free for me, so, whatever I desired…I could have.
Awesome!
After much consideration and back and forth, I finally settled on a waffle. A nice Belgian waffle sounded awesome. So, order in, I went with the Strawberry Fields Gluten-Free Waffle. This is a delicious Belgian waffle that is covered with freshly cut strawberries that have been sauteed in Syrup’s own handcrafted Strawberry Syrup. Yeah…as we all know…if it has strawberries…it wins.
My roommate opted for a traditional Belgian waffle with traditional butter (because, yes…you do get an option on a flavor of butter) and originally went with the Buttermilk Syrup. She was told that it was a cold syrup, so she changed it to the handcrafted Apple Cinnamon Syrup. And we decided to split an order of the hash browns.
Syrup’s hash browns (half order)
With our orders in, we settled in to discuss our trip, some of our favorite things, and drink in the atmosphere. We saw some dishes come out to other diners…fluffy, huge pancakes, and even some lunch-type items as well…sandwiches and the like. It all looked really good.
Before we knew it…our plates were set before us. Let me tell you…not only did my gluten-free waffle look amazing, but it smelled amazing too. The strawberry syrup just sort of brought out everything good and awesome (which is…everything) about strawberries. Especially on waffles. YUMMY!! I love fresh fruit on breakfast goodies like pancakes, french toast, and waffles. This…was heaven for me.
My roommate’s waffle was done to the perfect crispy, soft texture you want in a Belgian waffle. She loved her whipped butter. But, more importantly, she fell in love with the apple cinnamon syrup (which was green, btw!). I tasted it…yeah…it was awesome.
As for my amazing Strawberry Fields Gluten-Free Waffle…all I can say is that I was in a happy, happy place at first bite. I just wanted to savor it. The fresh strawberries were an amazing touch. They were only enhanced by the handcrafted strawberry syrup, which…was a sweet, delightful topping on my waffle. It was swimming in a sea of strawberry flavor and I just wanted to soak all of it up. And I tried to with every bite of my waffle.
The hash browns were lightly cooked. I topped mine with a bit of hot sauce and enjoyed their soft texture with just an outlying crunch on the edges. Very nice and a great compliment with the sweetness of the waffle. I was stuffed by the time I was done eating, but not to the point of feeling too full. It was just the right amount of food. And it was prepared with such care, skill, and done to perfection. Nothing overdone or underdone. The waffle had the right texture, the right crisp, the right amount of sweetness. Yeah…I was in gluten-free waffle heaven.
Whether you wake up for breakfast or just love having a nice breakfast treat, I highly recommend Syrup. Not only does their menu offer pancakes, waffles, and french toast done in a variety of ways, but sandwiches, burgers, eggs, omelets, fruit, oatmeal, salads, etc. are also offered. There is a little something for everyone.
But if you are wise, when you eat at a place called Syrup…order something with one of their specialty handcrafted syrups. I promise, it’s totally worth it. I’m already planning to return next year. I was that impressed.
Denver is lucky. It has a wide variety of fantastic places to eat. But this one…takes the pancake…gluten-free…with a nice topping of…handcrafted maple vanilla syrup.
Rocky Mountain Popcorn Company Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn
Product: Rocky Mountain Popcorn Company Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn -$1.50+
Popcorn is awesome.
No, seriously!! It really is. It is a naturally gluten-free food. And…oh yeah…it’s delicious.
While traveling to, ironically, Colorado, I stashed a couple bags of Rocky Mountain Popcorn Company popcorn in my luggage for snack purposes while away from home. Why? Because I eat popcorn every night. Air popped, delicious popcorn rounds out my evening. Healthy and a great snack to help with digestion. Honestly.
But, bringing a popcorn popper was out of the question, so I settled for something I had on hand at my apartment…these bags of popcorn that I picked up on sale at Big Lots. I had two kinds, and the one that I busted into first was the Cinnamon Sugar variety.
I had never had cinnamon sugar popcorn before, so I was a bit excited about tasting this. And I was not let down in the slightest. You know when you used to toast up a piece of bread, spread a bit of butter on it, melt it down and sprinkle it with a cinnamon and sugar topping…that’s what this reminded me of. It was sweet with that little bit of cinnamon heat that made the flavors honestly, and forgive the pun, pop.
I was hooked. The first night my roommate and I had a small cup full and we ended up going back for more. And for only 150 calories per 3/4 cup, that’s not bad at all when it comes to flavored popcorn. Nothing will quite match the healthy factor of air popped, but…you work with what you have when it comes to snacks.
I was blown away by the flavors of this popcorn and now am contemplating making a variety of it with my air popped stuff at home. It was like no popcorn I ever had before…and now I am pleasantly hooked.
So, go grab a bag and see why cinnamon and sugar makes popcorn a sweet treat.
The Celiathlete 