Product: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Pizza – $4.99
The other night, I blogged about the liveGfree gluten-free product line, which was introduced to the market at the beginning of May (also Celiac Awareness Month…so I see what they did there!). They have an entire line of mixes, snacks, pastas, and even some frozen items. I was blown away the day I stopped in at Aldi…and pretty much walked out of there with one of everything (save for the mixes, because I have so many at the moment I need to work through first!).
I walked out of my local Aldi with a lot of food…and all of it rang up under $30.00. This is huge for me because my budget on groceries is ridiculous. Seriously. I am always over budget…but I have to eat and I have to buy specialty foods in order to do so. So, I make cuts other places in order to be able to properly feed myself.
Now, recently, I had been moving away from having a lot of processed foods in my apartment. And that meant I had a rather empty freezer. But that changed. Oh…boy…did that change.
One of the products that I returned home with that afternoon was the liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Pizza.
I am actually very, very picky about my gluten-free pizzas. You might have noticed. HA! And it is very rare that a gluten-free frozen pizza really intrigues me. There are some that do, and, there have been some that have been really good. Heck, some have been better than some gluten-free pizzas I have had at restaurants. I was actually a little reluctant about cooking this up for dinner…because I didn’t want it to suck. This was dinner, after all. That might have been the reason I baked up some kale chips to have with the pizza. Subconsciously, of course.
Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Pizza (frozen)
That being said…I got home from work tonight and pulled out my pizza stone. I arranged the racks in the oven and got my stone in there to warm as the oven preheated. I pulled the box out of the freezer and flipped it open, checking to see how much pizza I would be eating that night. After checking and double checking the serving size (it’s a small-ish box), I realized that my roommate and I were to feast off the pizza over the course of two nights. Two nights! Four servings…two slices each.
I opened up the box and removed the pizza. It was smaller than a standard dinner plate. In fact…it was just small. The pizza itself was on a pale crust. I removed my now warm stone from the oven and took the plastic wrap off the pizza. Barely any crust or sauce was evident under the layer of frozen cheese that was on top. I placed the pizza on the stone and tossed it into the oven to bake. It takes about 10 minutes at 450°F.
Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Pizza (baked)
Ten minutes later, I pulled the pizza out of my oven…and was amazed. The frozen cheese had gotten that nice bit of golden color to it, and it had turned all gooey and rich and melty. The sauce was now visible through the cheese. And the crust…had plumped up. WHAT?! No cracker crust??!! A little bit of joy spread through my heart when I noticed that.
I got out my pizza cutter and sliced the pizza into fourths, then cut those into two slices each. I actually was glad I made the kale chips because these slices of pizza were so small! Little-bitty-baby pizza slices. Ah well. I put them on the plate with a healthy helping of kale chips and dinner was served.
Point of interest. The pizza didn’t suck. In fact, it was decent. Cathy compared it to Totino’s Pizza. You know…those crappy, but you love them, frozen pizzas you used to eat?! I haven’t had one in years…so I don’t even remember what they taste like!! But, that’s what Cathy said it reminder her of eating. And she loved how much cheese was on there. I concur. Usually frozen pizzas skimp of the toppings, but the cheese was the star of this Cheeze Pizza. The crust had a bit of thickness to it, and turned a nice golden color. It was soft, not really crunchy…but still good. I appreciated having an actual crust more than anything. The toppings were basic and simple, but they melted and warmed up beautifully in the oven. When it involves gluten-free pizza…it’s all about that crust. And I think the liveGfree crust on the Gluten-Free Cheese Pizza definitely shines.
Ingredients in the crust of this pizza are basic…rice flour, corn starch, whole eggs, water, canola oil, baking powder, sugar, salt, tapioca dextrin, yeast, guar gum, xanthan gum, and sodium alginate. The toppings on the pizza include tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, romano cheese, roasted garlic, and olive oil. Not the best of ingredients, but not a laundry list and not too horrible in the grand scheme of things. And definitely not bad for budget gluten-free frozen food!
Nutritionally speaking, this cheese pizza serves 4 people (small people with small appetites, I guess), with a serving being 2 slices. This serving will provide you with 170 calories and 7 grams of fat. These two slices of pizza also provide 40 mg of cholesterol, 210 mg sodium, and 2 grams of sugar. This serving will also give you 2 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. Trust me…you will not feel full after eating just 1/4 of this pizza.
But…at least it tastes good.
I know…it’s frozen…it’s processed…but it fits my budget…it’s quick…and it actually surprised me…it tasted good! I really hope Aldi keeps the liveGfree line in their stores. They will definitely see me there more often if they do! I can’t wait to see what the other products I purchased taste like!
Two small slices of the Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Pizza (served with homemade kale chips and a vegan lemon mayonnaise dipping sauce)
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)
Product: Aldi liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes – $2.69
Thanks to a lot of really good friends and some coworkers, I found out that in the beginning of May (also Celiac Awareness Month…which I had every intention to blog about…and then May got insane and my blog got backlogged with all the traveling I was doing), Aldi was going to be test driving a line of gluten-free products in their stores.
The brand is currently being called liveGfree…and I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I stepped into Aldi that afternoon with my roommate. Almost immediately, we were surrounded by the white boxes that held the gluten-free products. From brownie mixes to bread mixes to snack bars to pastas to baking mixes, cookie mixes, and…gluten-free wraps. It was almost overwhelming.
If you’ve ever bought gluten-free products, you understand that they can be rather pricey at times. Gluten-free convenience foods, prepared foods, baked goods, and (especially) bread can cost up to twice as much as the regular gluten-filled products on the market. So imagine my glee and the happy gleam in my eyes when I noted the Aldi liveGfree price tags. Seriously, a gluten-free budget shoppers dream. I never have bought gluten-free products for these prices. Even more importantly, however, is that the entire line of liveGfree products are certified gluten-free. YES!
But an even happier dance happened after stocking up on some of the boxes and bags of items at the front of the store…because in the freezer section there was more! YES! MORE! And one of those items just happened to be the liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes.
I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking…why can’t you just make your own gluten-free blueberry pancakes from scratch. Well…I can. And I have. And I will again. But this was a new product. I had to try it. I just had to. Even more so when I spotted the phrase “light and fluffy” on the box itself. Hmmm…really? Needless to say, the freezer I had worked so hard to clear out…is back to being full. HA! Same goes for the pantry.
I am not ashamed.
Well, Monday morning came around. And Monday morning is a busy morning for me. Not only do I run bright and early, but I also have a 5:30 a.m. spin class. So, I eat something before I run and then something after spin class. But, there isn’t a lot of time in between getting home from class, showering, and getting to work. The more convenient the breakfast the better. Especially since Cathy (the roomie) is nothing but a slug in the mornings…and really just sits on the couch and reads instead of fixing up something while I shower.
A package of three of the Aldi liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes
That being said…this was going to be perfect. There are three ways to cook the liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes. Yep. Three ways. One way I can negate because it involves a toaster oven…and I don’t have one. On Monday morning, I decided to cook them up in the conventional oven. So, I walked through the door and tossed my spin stuff to the side, hustled into the kitchen and preheated the oven to 375°F. While the oven was heating, I removed the box from the freezer and pulled out two of the pre-packaged stacks of three pancakes. Wouldn’t you know it…a serving size was three pancakes. Perfect. I opened up the packet and placed the pancakes on a baking sheet. I covered the pancakes loosely with foil and tossed them into the oven while I went to shower.
They were just finishing up when I emerged from my room, clean, clothed and ready to eat. I got out my maple agave syrup and gave it a little warm-up in the microwave. Then, I took the pancakes out of the oven and served them up with a little butter and hot syrup.
I wasn’t sure what sort of quality to expect from Aldi’s liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes. But I delivered a plate of them to Cathy, who dug in. I asked her how they were and got the typical, “They’re pretty good!” Which I never know what that actually means. But she was diving in for more, so I took that as a good sign. I settled in with my own plate and gave them a try.
They really were light and fluffy. Seriously. Almost like they were homemade. You gotta love that. They are a bit small in size, but all frozen pancakes are, let’s be honest! They weren’t gummy or gritty. They were soft and light and packed with a buttermilk flavor with a delightful sweetness from the bits of dry blueberries that are incorporated throughout the little pancakes themselves. They were steamy and honestly tasted like I had just pulled them off the griddle.
Fast forward to Tuesday morning. This is a gym morning for Cathy and I. So, I bring breakfast to the office to do up quickly before settling in for a long day of paper pushing. Without the convenience of an oven at work, I was going to try the other way too cook these up – the microwave. For three pancakes, the box said to simply heat on high for 1 minute. Additional time might be needed depending on the microwave, but that’s never the case with the one at the office. Trust me! I heated them up for a minute, gave them the schmear of butter and the drizzle of the syrup…and they were served. I was actually more concerned about how these would taste after being nuked for a minute instead of toasted in an oven. They didn’t have that light crust that I love…but they were soft without being soggy. They remained light and fluffy and didn’t crumble because they were steamed or anything in the confines of the microwave. I was beyond impressed.
I admit…these definitely are not clean eating. But they are convenient. Ingredients in the liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes include: water, rice flour, tapioca flour, sugar, soy flour, potato flour, blueberry bits, whole egg powder, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum. I have seen longer ingredient lists than this…but you know the blueberry bits contain sugar, rice flour, dried blueberries, corn starch canola oil, fructose, natural colorings from concentrated juices (which include elderberry, watermelon and huito), natural flavor and sodium bicarbonate.
As for the nutrional information…it’s really not too bad. A serving size of liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes is three pancakes (1 package). This serving provides you with 210 calories and 4 grams of fat. You will be taking in 40 mg cholesterol, 390 mg sodium, and 10 grams of sugar. Yep…I know…that’s a lot of sugar. You will also be taking in 1 gram of fiber (so they aren’t too filling) and 5 grams of protein.
As this is a trial run of a product line being done by Aldi, I really hope they decide to keep these in stores. With this being my first taste of all the products I purchased that day in Aldi, the liveGfree brand is already impressing me. Great flavor. Easy to make, and fantastic texture. While I prefer to make things from scratch, these are awesome for those busy mornings or evenings when you are in a hurry and short on time. Seriously. And you definitely can’t beat the price.
Aldi liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes (fresh from the oven)
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
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
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 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.
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
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.
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.
Yeah…after the mention of the Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin from Lucky Clover Farm in my previous post, I wasn’t going to leave you hanging. Seriously. I think I’m in love with the gluten-free baked goods this local business is putting out. I am so glad that I went to the Buy Local Fair in Louisville on Sunday because I don’t think I would have found them otherwise.
Happiness…is being able to eat baked goodies!
Because unless I go to a specialty bakery or buy them in the store or make them myself…I go without.
That’s how it works when you are a Celiac.
That being said…when I literally turned around and walked back to the booth at the Buy Local Fair that was advertising gluten-free breads, muffins, cakes, etc…I didn’t know what I was in for. I ended up purchasing more than what I initially intended. I wanted the gluten-free carrot cake…but it’s hard to sell that on my roomie. She was intrigued by the herb bread…and I just blogged on that. We also picked out three of the jam varieties they had for sale as well. We are jelly and jam lovers here. Seriously. I kept eying that carrot cake…but ended up leaving it and going for the Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin instead.
First of all, I have never seen such beautiful muffins. It was shaped like a giant flour. Seriously. I picked up one of the individually wrapped muffins and found it soft, light, and smelling of fresh blueberries. It smelled sweet. And fresh. And…yeah…I supposed I could leave the carrot cake behind this time if this was what I got to have instead.
On Monday morning, after my spin class, I returned home and got to work on a quick and easy breakfast. This was going to consist of some of the aforementioned gluten-free herb bread from Lucky Clover Farm…and Cathy and I were splitting the Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin. I decided to toast the slice of bread, tossing it on a pan and then into the oven while I went and showered. When I was dressed and back in the kitchen, the bread was finishing up…so I unwrapped the blooming Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin from Lucky Clover Farm, placed it on a plate, and then placed it in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
It smelled so amazing as it emerged out of the microwave, warm all the way through. I sliced it in half…then into quarters. Cathy loves her muffin buttered, so I added a light schmear of real butter to her muffin slices and then plated it with the toasted gluten-free herb bread.
I never have buttered much of anything I ate…including bread and muffins, so mine was simply plated. I settled in with my coffee and my tasty (and easy and quick) breakfast that morning. I already knew the bread was good, so I immediately turned my attention and appetite to the Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin.
It was so soft and light. It was not dense at all. Just fresh and baked to a golden perfection on the outside. The blueberries added a great amount of fresh sweetness. And it wasn’t laden with sugar, making it seem more like cake. This was a muffin through-and-through. It was soft and chewy and perfect. I think angels might have baked it…because I love a muffin that isn’t heavy. And this was just what I needed that morning. They seem to make different varieties of their gluten-free muffins throughout the year and where they end up at different fairs and festivals and markets.
I can’t say enough good things about Lucky Clover Farms. In fact, these gluten-free baked goods were such a hit with me and Cathy that we can’t wait to try the jams out.
This might have been my favorite Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin to date. I mean…it looked like a flower and tasted like a dream.
This past weekend, I was happy to attend the Buy Local Fair in Louisville, Kentucky. That’s one thing I have to give to Louisville…they are very supportive of their local businesses. I first attended this event last year, so when I heard that it was happening again, I was just thankful my half marathon ran on Saturday, as this event happened on Sunday.
My main purpose for attending the Buy Local Fair was purely selfish. I wanted a gluten-free crepe from Sweet ‘N Savory. My favorite food truck disappeared over the winter but have been back in town since April. I, however, have been out of town or very busy hosting friends and doing what I do best. So, my entire purpose was to eat lunch there…which I did. A delicious savory crepe, which I’ll blog about in a separate post. After that, I purchased some dairy-free gelato from Sweet ‘N Savory and Cathy and I set about to check out the local businesses that had set up booths and tents at the event.
We first just perused…seeing a few different things that caught our eyes. One thing that one particular booth did was advertise, quite boldly, gluten-free baked items.
My haul from the Buy Local Fair in Louisville, Kentucky. All but the bottle of vinegar came from Lucky Clover Farm!
PAUSE.
REWIND.
I honestly think that’s what it looked like. Because I backpedaled and then quickly ducked into the tent to check out what items they had for sale. I mean, it never hurts to look, right? In my case…it hurts the budget, but it’s supporting a local business. I really wanted the gluten-free carrot cake, but it’s hard to sell carrot cake on my roomie…so we both agreed to pick up three varieties of their jams, one of the Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins (next blog!) and a loaf of the Gluten-Free Herb Bread. It looked really good. A light brown crust and you could see the variety of herbs that was baked into it. It wasn’t dense to hold and it smelled fantastic!
Yeah…that was totally coming home with us.
Lucky Clover Farm Gluten-Free Herb Bread
And…it totally became dinner too. After a light breakfast, but a crepe-filled lunch, I figured we’d keep dinner a little light. So, that evening I sliced into the bread, cutting two pieces for each of us. We had an odd number of my gluten-free minestrone soups in the freezer, so I figured we could split that and have some toasted bread with it. I turned on the oven, gave the bread slices a little drizzle of olive oil (after we split an end piece to eat without toasting!) and put it in the oven while I heated the soup in the microwave.
The slice we had without toasting was amazing. As I said before, this bread was not dense at all. I loved the light feeling it had. And I loved the flavorful herbiness that came in each bite. Seriously. I was drooling just thinking about having more bread with the soup. And it was a task not to go slice more off the loaf to devour while waiting on the bread to toast and the soup to heat all the way through. Somehow, I resisted.
The toasted slices of the Gluten-Free Herb Bread filled the apartment with the most amazing aroma. I pulled them out of the oven, now a golden color and toasted to perfection. I plated the bread and dished up the soup and we both settled in for dinner.
Oh. My. God. This bread was some of the best I have ever tasted. Honestly. Toasting it only drew out the flavors more, if that was even possible. I was in love with the different herbs that would dance across my palate with each bite. It paired so well with the soup too. In fact, the following night, I heated up the last of the soup, and made grilled cheese sandwiches with this bread to go with it. I mean…it was so versatile. I used the last of it this morning, serving it up with some roasted vegetables and a poached egg on top. It goes good with practically anything and everything. And I kept wanting to cut smaller slices just to make it last.
Of course, now I’ll be looking for Lucky Clover Farms in other fairs and markets, hoping to pick up more of their items. From what I’ve been reading, it sounds like the carrot cake I didn’t get is one of their best sellers. Next time, I’m getting the damn gluten-free carrot cake.
For now, as the loaf is gone, I will dream of the next time I get to enjoy a slice of Lucky Clover Farm Gluten-Free Herb Bread. Because, yeah…it really is that good. Gluten-free baking is a science in and of itself…and they have mastered this bread for sure. Soft. Flavorful. And absolutely delicious…however you slice it and serve it. Highly recommended. So glad to have them in the area…because I’m going to be dreaming of that bread until I can get another loaf!
Two slices of Lucky Clover Farm Gluten-Free Herb Bread lightly toasted with olive oil
You know…I didn’t think it was going to be possible.
A little while back, I blogged about an almond butter from Wild Friends Foods, known for their different flavors in nut butters (peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower butter), that I thought was the best thing I ever tasted…nut butter-wise and so forth. Little did I know…that the Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter I had raved and raved about was about to get unseated as the best nut butter in my nut butter addicted world.
No…honestly…I have this crazy addition to nut butters. I eat the hell out of them. There is no stopping me. Even when I try to leave notes to NOT snack on the nut butter…I ignore them…and…another jar gone.
Love, for me, is a jar of peanut butter (or almond butter, or cashew butter, or…you get the picture) and a spoon.
For real.
So…the other day I went to the office after my cardio session at the gym and brought breakfast with me. I had some gluten-free bagels calling for me and my roomie to devour them. So, I thawed them out the night before and packed the sample packet of Wild Friends Foods Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter to top them with. I also brought a serving for each of us from the jar of the Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter I splurged on (a jar runs $11.99…YIKES!) to top the other half of each bagel with. So…I was pretty much giving some protein back after a good workout.
Anyway…I toasted up the bagels in the toaster oven (on a dedicated plate). While they toasted, I gave the packet of Wild Friends Food Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter a good kneading, so that it would be good to squeeze and spread when the bagels were adequately toasted. That was about five minutes later. I removed the bagels and tore the corner of the sample packet of the Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter and began to squeeze it out over two halves of the bagels. I gave it a quick spread with the knife, noting the full raisins that were actually incorporated into the peanut butter itself. Awesome. I used my mana from heaven (the Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter) on the other halves and served them up.
As I settled in at my desk, I lifted the bagel half with the Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter on it and took a bite. I figured it was going to taste good. I mean…I love peanut butter. I love cinnamon. I love raisins. So…this seemed like a given. What I wasn’t expecting was just how much I was going to like this peanut butter. In fact, after taking a bite, I set that half down, took in some water, then picked up the Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter half and took a bite.
It was a given…the Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter just moved ahead in rank to the top of my favorite nut butter in my life. Seriously! That being said, I turned my attention to the half with the almond butter on it to eat first. When I returned to the half with Wild Friends Foods Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter…I savored each bite. The peanut butter is naturally sweet, but the raisins add a bit of texture and sweetness as well. In addition, I live the hint of heat you get from the cinnamon that is incorporated. Whole raisins are actually in this spread…that’s amazing! Yes…even in the little sample pack. You will love, love, love this flavor combination. Next time I splurge on nut butter…it’s going to be for the less expensive (only $6.99 for a 16 ounce jar) Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter.
DELISH!
Ingredients couldn’t be simpler. Honestly. The Wild Friends Foods Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter is made from peanuts, raisins, cinnamon, roasted peanut oil, organic agave, and sea salt. That’s it. It is made with all-natural ingredients. This peanut butter is non-GMO, non-dairy, cholesterol-free, and kosher. It contains no gluten ingredients either. YES!
Nutritionally speaking, it is comparable to all the other peanut butters out there. A serving is 2 tablespoons. This serving will provide you with 180 calories and 14 grams of fat. Much of that fat comes from the peanuts as there are no hydrogenated oils is this peanut butter at all. Color me happy. The 2 tablespoon serving will also provide you with 45 mg sodium and 4 grams of sugar. That’s really good. While agave is added to sweeten this, I always find peanut butter naturally sweet anyway. And, a serving will give you 2 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein. Awesome!
Yep…just when I thought the nothing could top Wild Friends Foods Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter…they do it themselves. If you are a cinnamon raisin lover like me, you will fall head-over-heels in love with Wild Friends Foods Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter. I’m ready to go to the natural foods store and buy a jar right now, honestly. Then…all I’d need is a spoon…
Best. Peanut. Butter. EVER!
Wild Friends Foods Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter (on a gluten-free bagel)
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
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
“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
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
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
Because, somehow, without even knowing me…you created the ultimate snack. You invented my new snack crack. Because this combines two of my most favorite things in life…and then some. You take peanut butter…and popcorn…and you make it snackable. You make it…so easy to dive into this little pouch and keep on going. It’s so hard to stop. It’s just…you made my snack kryptonite.
Congratulations.
Now, you, my fellow readers…if you are unfamiliar with Earth Balance and, more specifically, P.B. Popps…read carefully. Earth Balance is a company that is committed to producing 100% plant-based, vegan, non-GMO, lactose-free, egg-free, casein-free, trans-fat-free products. I use their vegan butters, buttery spreads, and nut butters in numerous things. I keep Earth Balance products in my fridge and pantry…constantly. When a company specializes in vegan products that are created only using all-natural ingredients that are organic, and often benefit those who not only are vegan or vegetarian, but also have food allergies…well…you better believe I’m going to support them.
A little while ago, Earth Balance began putting out some vegan and gluten-free snack options. First it was some popcorn (in various flavors) and such. But…one day they put up on Facebook that they created this amazing product called P.B. Popps. I immediately knew that if I spotted them in the grocery store…I’d buy them. It took some looking, but almost a year later, they turned up on the shelf of my local Whole Foods store. There was much rejoicing and budget breaking that day. I snagged a pouch of them and took them home.
These…have been my snack at the office this past week. And oh my GOD…they are SO good.
P.B. Popps are described on the packaging as popcorn cuddled in peanut butter and a bustle of oats. I love popcorn. I definitely love peanut butter. And oats are one of my favorite things in life. I mean…I eat oatmeal in some form for lunch every day. Yes. EVERY day! So, popcorn coated in peanut butter and oats…that sounds right up my alley.
Trust me. It was. And you’ll love them too! Each popcorn pieces is coated liberally in peanut butter, and dipped in oats. This makes the most interesting texture combination when you bite into it. The popcorn has that crunch from the peanut butter that coats it…and then the oats add a hint of softness to each bite. The peanut butter flavor is awesome on these. I mean…awesome. It doesn’t overpower…but you know it’s peanut butter. And, trust me, it’s best to put out only a serving because you could keep popping these little peanut-buttery-oaty popcorn pieces and down the entire bag. These…are beyond fantastic. These are a treat worth repeating!!
Ingredients for Earth Balance P.B. Popps are peanuts, whole grain oats, dried cane syrup, tapioca syrup, popcorn, expeller pressed natural oil blend, flaxseed, agave syrup, salt, baking soda, water, natural flavor, pea protein, and sunflower lecithin. I know what every single one of those ingredients are! That’s a bonus. The Earth Balance P.B. Popps are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, cholesterol-free, non-GMO, made with 100% natural ingredients, and contain 0 grams of trans-fat. LOVE.
Let’s look at nutrition for this snack…because…vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free…and all of that still comes with a nutrition label, yes? You better believe it. A serving size of the Earth Balance P.B. Popps is 28 grams (or about 1/3 cup). This serving will provide you with 130 calories and 6 grams of fat. This serving will also be giving you 80 mg sodium and 6 grams of sugar. And finally, you’ll be consuming 2 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein.
Not bad for a peanut-buttery popcorn snack, right? RIGHT! I was very impressed with this snack. Earth Balance has never let me down. Not once. And this has made me an even bigger fan. I can’t wait to try more of their snack items in the very near future. The most difficult part now will be not purchasing a pouch of these every time I go into Whole Foods.
For real! They are that amazing. Try them yourself. Trust me…you’ll want to pop more than one!
The Celiathlete 