Products – Page 53 – The Celiathlete

April 11, 2013

Natural Nectar Gluten-Free Sun-Dried Tomato and Oregano Cracklebred a deliciously healthy snack option

Product: Natural Nectar Gluten-Free Sun-Dried Tomato and Oregano Cracklebred – $3.99+

I was in Minnesota when I stumbled upon a few Cracklebred boxes at Cub Foods. You see, I had traveled up to Minneapolis to visit my grandpa and also run in the Minneapolis Half Marathon. Well, I did really well in that race, and as a reward, my roommate told me to pick out some of the gluten-free foods that we had noticed while shopping for foods I could eat while staying with my grandpa and my aunt.

So, I went a little crazy, selecting a few items that had caught my eye and interested me.

One such product was Natural Nectar’s Gluten-Free Sun-Dried Tomato and Oregano Cracklebred. It just looked…interesting, if nothing else.

Well, I get a little overzealous at times with my gluten-free snacks and definitely overstocked my pantry. So this box has been sitting there since the race. The expiration date is in the next couple of months, so it was time to bust it out and give it its time to shine. And hopefully…it would shine.

Everything about this Cracklebred made me want to try it. For one thing, it’s nutritious. No…it really is.

One serving is 3 crackers, which, as you can tell, are a really decent size. Larger than a deck of playing cards. These three crackers will serve you up only 52 calories total. Each cracker is only 17 calories. No joke. These are fat free, cholesterol free, gluten-free, low in sodium (only 115 mg per serving), and low in sugar (only 1 gram per serving). Loving those nutritional facts? Yeah…I did too.

The Sun-Dried Tomato and Oregano Cracklebred is composed of seven ingredients: rice, corn, tomato puree, evaporated cane juice, sea salt, oregano, and soy lecithin. Recognize those? Yep…me too. Every. Single. One. Of. Them. Love that too.

But how do they taste? Well, that is the interesting part, my dear readers. I wasn’t sure what to make of these. They looked like little rectangles of fibery board when I pulled them out of the plastic they were wrapped in. But, the fact of the matter is, they have about the same texture as a rice cake. And, as I stated before, I grew up eating rice cakes and actually find them to be quite tasty. And this…is definitely tasty. These light crackers are flaky and smooth and just packed with flavor. On the first bite, you get that rice and corn combination, but then the tomato flavor sinks in…and your cracker just got savory. Oh, so delicious. And, of course, these are great on their own, but feel free to top them off however you like with your favorite spreads, cheeses or dips.

I’m hooked. And I am so happy to have found these in a few of my local natural food stores lately. So, now whenever I crave…I don’t have to place an order with my family in Minnesota. I just have to head to the store and pick up a box for myself.

Natural Nectar makes three varieties of their Gluten-Free Cracklebred…the aforementioned flavor of my choice, Sun-Dried Tomato and Oregano, but also original and multigrain. I definitely want to try them all.

For a nutritious cracker that has a light, crispy texture and a delicious flavor, definitely give the Cracklbred from Natural Nectar a try. I’m hooked. Even without a spread to top it off with.

April 10, 2013

Popchips Sweet Potato Chips fizzle in flavor and fail to impress

Product: Popchips Sweet Potato Chips – $2.99+

Sweet potato chips have always been my absolute favorite thing. Why? Well, I absolutely love sweet potatoes. Sweet potato fries. Baked sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes have been my favorite type of potato for a long, long, long time. So, when I spotted a bag of Popchips in a sweet potato flavor…I lunged for the shelf to snatch them off and drop them into my shopping basket. After all…a nice, crunchy afternoon snack never goes amiss, right? Right.

Well, today was the day I carried a serving to the office with me for my usual 3 p.m. snack. All day I was anticipating that sweet potato flavor…sort of like what I’d get in Food Should Taste Good’s Sweet Potato chips, I assumed. Because those chips are amazing.

And…these were Popchips. And I love Popchips. I have since they were first introduced to the market and I found them in the store. I tried them, loving their non-greasy nature, their crunchy texture, and how light and guiltless they are. I mean, they are never fried and never baked. They are…popped. Seriously. Popped. Popchips use the finest ingredients, add some heat and pressure, and make it go POP!…creating a light chip that doesn’t get soaked in oil or have the flavor baked out of it. The first time I tried them, I was impressed. They have a different texture from regular chips, but as a popcorn fan…that was fine with me.

Nutritionally speaking, Popchips are a great choice. As stated before, they aren’t fried or baked. They are light and airy. This means you get more chips per serving than you would regular chips. The serving size is still 28 grams, but that gets you around 23 chips. Nice. There are only 4 grams of fat per serving in the sweet potato chips. They are free from trans-fat and saturated fat. They are cholesterol free. They are gluten-free. They are low in sodium (115 mg). And one serving is only 120 calories. So…they do have their good side.

HOWEVER..for the first time since falling in love with Popchips, I fell out of love with one of the flavors. And, oddly enough, it was the flavor that I thought I would rave about the most. Yep. Sweet Potato.

The Sweet Potato Popchips are rather…vile…to be honest. I popped one of the chips into my mouth and immediately didn’t get that sweet/smokey/salty flavor I associate with sweet potato. In fact, nothing about this chip reminded me of sweet potatoes. What I did get was…marshmallow flavor. I don’t want my chips to taste like marshmallow. If I wanted to eat something that tasted like marshmallow, I’d get out the jar of Fluff in my pantry. My chips should not taste like a Rice Krispie Treat gone wrong. EVER! And that’s all I got here. Nothing sweet potato even reminiscent in here. Unless they were going for sweet potato casserole flavor…but that’s one sweet potato dish I have never liked. I don’t like or care for marshmallows on my starch and I certainly don’t want my chips to taste like marshmallow. If I wanted salted Rice Krispie treats, I’d make them. I don’t want that. I want a healthy chip that gives me amazing sweet potato flavor. Not sweet potato casserole. Not Rice Krispies. SWEET POTATO!

Nothing was right with these chips at all. And, I am breaking a cardinal rule when it comes to food items that are purchased for the sake of trying them out. I found these so unappetizing that I am tossing the rest of the bag away and moving onto whatever snack might be next in my gluten-free pantry. I never trash food because of my tight budget, but the very thought of eating any more of these (I choked down today’s serving so I wouldn’t starve between now and dinner time) makes my stomach churn. There is nothing redeeming about these chips.

At all.

So, take my advice, fellow Popchip and snack lovers…avoid these at all costs. Your wallet, your stomach, and your taste buds will thank you. These definitely have to rank as some of the worst chips I have ever eaten.

April 10, 2013

Pamela’s Products provides pecan shortbread perfection to gluten-free cookie lovers everywhere

Pamela's Products Gluten-Free Pecan Shortbread Cookies — Pamela’s Products Gluten-Free Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Product: Pamela’s Products Gluten-Free Pecan Shortbread – $4.39+

Butter. Pecans.

It doesn’t get much better than that. Just ask my mom, who would always share one of her favorite cookies with us when we were growing up – Pecan Sandies. She loved those cookies. And they traveled well in the summer, so those car trips we took to Minnesota in the hot summer meant no gooey chocolate chip mess. We’d have Pecan Sandies on hand. I grew up with that rich, buttery, yet salty flavor and grew to love it as much as my mom did.

And then the whole gluten-free thing happened…

For awhile, I went without any cookies, treats, snacks aside from vegetables and fruits. And I truly felt like I was missing out. So, when I started to purchase some here or there…I had to budget it. These aren’t inexpensive little treats. Gluten-free often means bigger grocery bill. But at least I know the food won’t cause me any sort of problems. Peace of mind.

Well, as stated over numerous entries…cookies are sort of my thing. I love to bake them as much as I love to eat them. But when my life gets a bit hectic and that urge to have a cookie strikes…sometimes you just have to find one at the store. Thankfully, most stores around here carry Pamela’s Products. And one such journey brought me to one that happened to have Pamela’s Products Pecan Shortbread Cookies.

I had to have them.

And then…over the course of me putting them in the pantry, they got lost in the gluten-free goodies shuffle. Up until last night. Because I needed dessert and the last cookies I had didn’t do it for me. I climbed up to the goodie shelf and there, happily anticipating their time to shine, was the box of Pecan Shortbread from Pamela’s Products.

Starting with the basics here…a serving size is 1 cookie. And these cookies are really decent sized. None of this bite-size, gone in two nibbles stuff. Each cookie delivers 130 calories and 8 grams of fat. Keep in mind that these cookies do have nuts in them, so that at least means some of that fat is the healthy kind…and not just from the butter. These cookies only have 5 grams of sugar, which is awesome, and are low in sodium and cholesterol. It just makes dessert a little less guilty when you look at those facts, yes? And these cookies have six ingredients: the cookie flour base, butter, evaporated cane sugar, pecans, xanthan gum, and vanilla flavor. I recognize everything listed there. WIN!

But…how do they taste?

Remember that lead-in I gave about the Pecan Sandies? I think these are better than those cookies. I haven’t been able to eat Pecan Sandies in years, but these crumbly, buttery, nutty cookies really took me back to the way those cookies tasted. The texture is awesome…just like shortbread…crumbly, buttery, and soft on the inside. The walnuts add just the right amount of saltiness to go with the sweetness of the vanilla.

In a side-by-side nutrition comparison, Pamela’s Products Gluten-Free Pecan Shortbread has fewer calories, less fat, less sodium, and less sugar than Pecan Sandies. These are, definitely, a healthier option if you love that type of cookie. And, as I stated, I think they taste better. They definitely avoid any sort of preservative or chemical, unlike Keebler. And Keebler has a slue of ingredients as opposed to the six in Pamela’s Products cookies. I’ll take less ingredients, better taste any day of the week.

These cookies are rich, tasty, and amazing. And I’m hooked on them. I need to add more to my pantry next time that cookie craving hits. Because these definitely hit the spot. Delish!

April 9, 2013

Sunstart Chocolate Wrapped Golden Crunch Cookies a disappointing and sad gluten-free cookie

Product: Sunstart Chocolate Wrapped Golden Crunch Cookies – $6.50+

There are very few cookies in this life that I have met that I haven’t wanted to just shove into my mouth and devour. Honestly. There are flavors I prefer to others and certain brands I would buy ahead of others. There are ones I would make before I made others. But there aren’t a lot that I would take one bite and just…feel so unimpressed.

But that was how I felt when I cracked open my box of Sunstart Chocolate Wrapped Golden Crunch Cookies.

I had never seen this brand before in my life. However, the Gluten-Free Trading Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin had them on their shelves. And as I was making a conscious effort to purchase products from that store that I had never found anywhere else, these cookies made the cut. And I was pretty excited about them. I mean…chocolate makes everything worth biting into, yes?

Eh…not really in this case. Which I am truly sad to report because I was pretty excited about these cookies. For one thing, they are imported from Northern Ireland. One of the draws of this particular brand is that it is gluten-free, wheat-free, egg-free, cholesterol- free, and yeast-free. Hence part of the “Freefrom” branding that this company does. One reason I was stoked about trying these was how allergen-friendly it was. According to the box, these cookies are reminiscent of British digestive biscuit, coated on one side with chocolate.

Like I said…chocolate = delicious. Sadly, the chocolate was my favorite part of these cookies. One bite and I was less than impressed. Not to say that they were horrible. They weren’t. But I have so many gluten-free cookies in my pantry, I’ve decided not to waste my time on ones that don’t wow me. And these didn’t. At all. The actual biscuit part has a slight coconut flavor and texture…which didn’t work for me, oddly enough. Also, while the photo on the box shows a cookie liberally coated in chocolate, the reality is…quite different. In fact, you can see the golden biscuit through the light chocolate coating on the actual cookie from the box. So disappointed. I was expecting this thick layer of chocolatey goodness…and was left with just enough to put some sweetness into each bite.

Granted, these cookies are actually a decent size (about 2.5 inches across) and clock in at only 85 calories per serving with 5 grams of fat. That’s not bad for a cookie, especially a gluten-free cookie. But the flavor was just…not there for me. The texture was rather dry and crumbly, more like shortbread without that buttery flavor. In fact, this cookie was more like a Girl Scout Samoa…just lacking that caramel flavor. But…overall…just such a disappointment. I had high hopes for these, especially with those nutrition facts…but…they were just…eh.

And this cookie monster doesn’t want to waste time on cookies that fail to impress.

While Sunstart makes other gluten-free cookie options, I think I’m done with them on just this cookie itself. Not impressed to pour any more money into their products. I wanted to like these…I really did. And I liked them…I just didn’t love them. Nor did I feel the urge to go back for more or hide them so I didn’t eat the entire box in one setting. That, in and of itself, speaks volumes.

April 4, 2013

Udi’s brings light as air gluten free Classic French Dinner Rolls

Product: Udi’s Gluten-Free Classic French Dinner Rolls – $8.99+

You read that right. But go ahead…read that blog title again. Befuddled, are you? Did I mistype? Am I playing some sort of cruel practical joke?

Not at all. What you read is the absolute truth.

Last year, Udi’s unveiled their new dinner rolls (two different kinds: Whole Grain and Classic French), and my area finally got them in. It only took a year. And trust me…I’ve been hunting high and low.

Why? Because every attempt I have ever made at making my own gluten-free dinner rolls have had less than satisfactory results. Too heavy. Too dense. Not the right taste. Wrong. Wrong. All wrong.

But that doesn’t have to be the case anymore. Because Udi’s made gluten-free dinner rolls a no-hassle event. Honestly. These rolls are kept in the freezer. And even though they come from a frozen state, they are so easy to prepare. Put them on a pan and cook from 10-15 minutes. What emerges are perfect dinner rolls, crusty on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. Light. And. Fluffy.

These rolls are so versatile. Sure, you can serve them up as a side at dinner, with a schmear of butter. Or…you can use them in other ways too. In fact, that’s exactly what I did tonight. After a 4.5 mile run after work, I wanted to come home to an easy-to-prepare dinner. My thought…sliders. While I didn’t have any gluten-free veggie burger patties prepped, I did have some of my gluten-free and vegan homemade bacon in the freezer. I also had some fresh veggies…tomato, avocado, onion, spinach…a deluxe BLT slider looked like it was shaping up.

Udi's Gluten-Free Classic French Dinner Rolls (toasted and fresh from the oven) — Udi’s Gluten-Free Classic French Dinner Rolls (toasted and fresh from the oven)

So, I preheated my oven to 400°F and put the rolls onto a pan. Into the oven they went…for about 5 minutes. Just enough to warm them through. After 5 minutes, I pulled them out and sliced each of them in half. I topped one half with a slice of vegan cheese. Then, I turned on the broiler. Back into the oven they went for a couple of minutes…just enough to melt the cheese. They emerged lightly toasted to perfection. I topped off each slice with the veggies and the vegan and gluten-free bacon, gave it a schmear of my own creation – a sriracha vegan mayonnaise. I pressed the halves together and…viola…Deluxe Gluten-Free and Vegan BLT Sliders. All compliments of Udi’s and their Classic French Dinner Rolls.

I am not going to gussy this up with flowery words. The Udi’s Gluten-Free Classic French Dinner Rolls are AMAZING! Honestly. If you had company over for dinner and placed these in a bread basket for dinner…no one would even guess that they were gluten-free. My roommate, as we know, does not have to eat gluten-free and she LOVED these rolls. Loved them. Especially how weightless they seem. They taste fantastic…on their own or dressed up however you like it.

If you haven’t tried these amazing dinner rolls from Udi’s Gluten-Free…you are missing out. Find them. And if you can’t…see if your grocery store or natural food store can order them in. Trust me. They are amazing and I intend to always keep them stocked in my freezer. I can build meals around these…or just let them shine as a side.

Thank you Udi’s…for filling the dinner roll gap I had in my life. Much love.

Gluten-Free and Vegan Deluxe BLT Sliders made with Udi's Gluten-Free Classic French Dinner Rolls — Gluten-Free and Vegan Deluxe BLT Sliders made with Udi’s Gluten-Free Classic French Dinner Rolls

April 4, 2013

A delicious change of pace with Le Veneziane Corn Meal Farfalle Pasta

Product: La Veneziane Gluten-Free Corn Meal Farfalle – $4.39+

Mmmm…pasta. I love, love, love, love, love pasta!! But, being gluten-free…you have to find the perfect pasta in order to truly enjoy any pasta dish you might have had prior to needing to go gluten-free. That’s how it was with me. And while I like brown rice pasta well enough, I find that on the reheat, it gets mushy and falls apart. And sometimes, on the initial cooking, it gets mushy and falls apart. This can be really, really aggravating.

But, pasta lovers…do not fear. There is a plethora of gluten-free pastas out on the market these days…and all of them are different, cook different, hold up differently, reheat differently…so you do have your options. And, being the pasta-fiend that I am…I am slowly making my way through the ever-growing varieties that are offered.

Normally, I probably never would have stumbled across Le Veneziane. But, I was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for a race and there is this amazing little store called The Gluten-Free Trading Company. Everything in there is…naturally…gluten-free. And I went there…twice…in the short time I was in town. It called to me. Imagine grocery shopping without having to read every label. The guesswork was done for you. It was all gluten-free. It was all safe. YAY!

La Veneziane Gluten-Free Corn Meal Farfalle noodles

I tried to be selective in the items I chose to purchase there, opting for brands and products I had never seen or heard of before. In the back, they had shelves of gluten-free pastas. And one of the ones that caught my eye was Le Veneziane. This pasta is made with Italian first choice cornmeal. So, it’s more of a corn-based pasta than a rice-based pasta. In the past, I have preferred corn pasta over rice for a gluten-free option, mainly because it holds together better, doesn’t get mushy, and the texture is just preferred.

I chose the La Veneziane Farfalle because it was ‘bow-tie’ pasta. And I hadn’t had a gluten-free farfalle yet. Not only that, these little “bow-ties” weren’t filled in…rather the shapes were more intricate and delicate. I had to try it.

Last night, I decided to modify my mom’s famous recipe for macaroni and cheese and make it with gluten-free pasta (as I normally do) and add some fresh veggies from my CSA bin. Why not? Of course, the most important part was choosing a good pasta. And, after digging through my pantry, I opted for the La Veneziane Corn Meal Gluten-Free Farfalle. I figured it would not only make an interesting mac and cheese, but hopefully a delicious one too. I wanted a corn pasta for this because with the added broccoli and, of course, the cheese, it could be quite heavy and I needed my pasta noodles to hold up.

Le Veneziane is produced by Molino di Ferro. It is their gluten-free pasta line and offers up light and easy-to-digest corn pasta options. These pastas have a very low fat content, making them ideal for those who are attempting to stay healthy, but still enjoy Mediterranean cuisine. Yes…a balance can be found.

La Veneziane Gluten-Free Farfalle does cook up very light. The noodles were amazingly light, yet sturdy. The survived the initial boiling, to just under al dente. Then, they were dumped into my casserole dish, mixed with fresh vegetables, spices, and my gluten-free white sauce. And then, on top of all of that…they were baked for 45 minutes. And they held their shape and were sheer perfection in the end. I am very picky about how my noodles hold up, especially in classic dishes, and La Venezian Gluten-Free Farfalle, despite looking delicate, held its shape.

A serving of homemade gluten-free macaroni and cheese (and veggies) made with La Veneziane Gluten-Free Corn Meal Farfalle

Texture-wise, this pasta is awesome. As I said, it cooked and baked to a perfect consistency. At al dente, it had the right amount of bite to it. And, despite being made from corn meal, this pasta doesn’t add any sort of corn flavor to your dish. You would assume regular noodles were being used. That’s another thing…no one would even guess that these noodles were gluten-free. They held up, didn’t become mushy, and just complimented the rest of the ingredients in the macaroni and cheese itself. For that, I am thankful. I grew up eating this dish quite often. Nothing beats my mom’s homemade macaroni and cheese. And I love being able to enjoy it with a pasta that is worthy of it.

La Veneziane Gluten-Free Farfalle Pasta will serve up 200 calories per serving, which is about 56 grams dried pasta. The container has 4.5 servings in it. There is only 0.5 grams of fat in a serving (LOVE THAT!). No sodium, no cholesterol. And a nice helping of 4 grams of protein in a serving. Love that. It’s a healthier choice for a pasta and one that I wish I could find easier.

The pasta cooks rather quickly, about 8 to 10 minutes in boiling water. And it really is sheer perfection. It’s a low-fat, high quality pasta that I would love to find around here and incorporate into more dishes. So impressed by it and how well it held up to everything I put it through in order to make this dish. Delicious and dependable. That’s what La Veneziane serves up with their corn meal pasta.

I hope to find this somewhere around here…or maybe head back to Milwaukee in the near future and pick up more of this brand. I was so impressed.

Homemade Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese (with veggies) made with La Veneziane Gluten-Free Corn Meal Farfalle

April 4, 2013

Easy Madras Lentils another Tasty Bite of simple Indian cuisine

Product: Tasty Bite Madras Lentils – $3.29+

It seems like it has been ages since I reached into my pantry for a Tasty Bite.

Does that sound weird to you?

It shouldn’t. You see, there is this amazing company called Tasty Bite, who specialize in these little pouches of deliciousness. I am not exaggerating. I have bought many a pouch of ethnic-style cuisine. Why? Because there are some days that I don’t have time to cook up lentils or beans for a homemade curry, Indian dish, or even something with a bit of Asian flair. I wish I did always have that time, but I work full-time and I run…a lot. And all of that does cut into the hours of my day. And when standing in front of a stove and cooking dinner means that it might be 7 p.m. before I sit down to eat…I’d rather reach for something I know will be good. And it’s simple and takes only about 90 seconds to prepare.

This past Monday was my traditional fun run night. This means I book it home from work, eat something, and then drive into Louisville to hit up my running store, and hopefully traffic doesn’t make me late. Because I run with a group of people there and I hate missing my run.

This means…easy dinner. Nothing that will upset my tummy. And it has to taste good.

As I’ve had amazing luck with the Tasty Bite meals…I just happened to have one in easy reach in my pantry. That morning, I cooked up some jasmine rice that I could easily reheat for a couple of minutes before warming up my Tasty Bite meal.

On today’s menu…Tasty Bite Madras Lentils.

Madras Lentils is a classic combination of lentils, red beans, and classic Indian spices, all in a creamy tomato sauce. The ingredients of this pouch are so simple and recognizable. Water, tomatoes, lentils, red beans, onions, cream, salt, butter, sunflower oil, chilies, and cumin. That’s all. Everything in this pouch is pronounceable and probably something you’d rind in your pantry, on your spice rack, and in your fridge. You have to love that. I know I do.

So, I gave my rice a quick nuke in the microwave, splitting it between a bowl for myself and my roommate. Then, I tore a small opening in the bag for Tasty Bite Madras Lentils, placed it in the microwave for 90 seconds, and let it heat all the way through. That’s all it took. In this pouch emerged a steaming bag of creamy lentil goodness. It smelled fantastic.

I split the bag (it serves 2) between my roommate and I and handed her a bowl. We settled in to eat…and were both blown away.

If you like spicy Indian food, the Madras Lentils are probably not going to be your first choice. However, for those days you want to give your palate a break from the heat and bring flavor to the forefront…I highly, highly recommend the simplicity, yet delicious flavors of Tasty Bite Madras Lentils.

I admit, sometimes Indian food isn’t the prettiest cuisine to look at. But use your other senses and you will be amazed. For a pouch of food with simple ingredients and flavors, this really does hit the mark on taste. The sauce is creamy, yet smooth. You can see the lentils and tomatoes, two main ingredients that should easily stand out. And yeah…while there is a small hint of spice, it’s not a hot spice. Rather, it warms you on the inside and leaves you just wanting to go and take another bite only to experience it again.

I am a huge fan of Tasty Bite. I have yet to have one of their little pouches of easy-to-make cuisine that I haven’t liked. The simplicity of the preparation, ingredients, and the flavor really make these meals worth every cent. If you can find them…buy them. Try them all. Just…make sure the ones you pick up are gluten-free.

The Madras Lentils is not only gluten-free, but also vegetarian and certified kosher. One serving (half of the pouch) is only 150 calories and will provide you with only 6 grams of fat. The sodium content is at 510 mg, which is a little high, but this is processed food, so I’ve come to expect that. It’s actually on the lower end when you compare it to other pre-packaged items along the same line. And, best yet, a serving packs a protein punch of 7 grams. NICE!

Delicious. Nutritious. And easy to make. In no time you’ll be sitting down to a classic Indian meal. And all it took was a little microwave time. You gotta love that.

And you gotta love Tasty Bite. I know I do.

Tasty Bite Madras Lentils over jasmine rice

April 3, 2013

Glutino’s Gluten Free Pantry Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix serves another delicious purpose

Product: Gluten Free Pantry (Glutino) Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix – $4.49+

I love, love, love, love pancakes and waffles. No, for real. I make pancakes sometimes in the morning before work and waffles…well, those tend to be my weekend treat. So, finding a good mix in order to make these simple, but delicious breakfast treats is sometimes a challenge. Especially when you have food allergies.

Now, I’m not saying that all gluten-free pancake mixes will fall short of expectations. In fact, most of the ones I have tried have been decent enough to continue using…and…in some cases, purchase again.

Awhile back, I purchased a box of Gluten Free Pantry Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix. And, true to form, I used everything else ahead of it while this sat in my pantry…waiting…waiting. I mean, the box is green and white…screaming at me to grab it and make some breakfast magic with it. And…still…it sat.

But, that is no longer the case. You guessed it…the expiration date was drawing close and I needed to use this mix…STAT! This is a habit that I am truly working myself out of. No more stocking up for the zombie apocalypse anymore (okay…not really why I have so much gluten-free goodness in my pantry…but it sounds good). This expiration date, however, was so close that I told my roomie that we’d be having pancakes every day this week for breakfast. Including gym mornings. Reheated pancakes are never as good as fresh of the griddle…but you have to make sacrifices.

And then…as luck would have it…I flipped the box over to look at their directions for making pancakes with this mix…and spotted another recipe. And this one utilized the entire box.

It was for Irish Soda Bread…and I just happened to have every single ingredient for it in my fridge and pantry. Lucky, lucky me. My mind was made up. Irish Soda Bread for breakfast this week. I’d make 12 slices out of it…and we would literally have one piece of it with some fruit for breakfast every day. It would mean only one morning of baking…and the rest, as long as the results were delicious, would be ready for a light reheat on regular mornings and those mornings we hit the gym.

Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread made from a box of Glutino's Gluten Free Pantry Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix — Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread made from a box of Glutino’s Gluten Free Pantry Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix

This recipe was super easy. I just used the entire Gluten Free Pantry Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix and to it added eggs, melted butter, unsweetened almond milk, raisins, and orange zest. Caraway seeds were an optional ingredient and I chose not to add them. I mixed all the ingredients together and poured the batter into a 8 inch cake pan. Put it in an oven at 375°F for 35 minutes. And when I pulled it out of the oven, just as my roommate was getting up on Monday morning for breakfast, it was golden brown. I brushed the top with some more melted butter, let it cool for only a couple of minutes, and then sliced it up.

My roommate loves her bread with butter, so she gets a schmear of that. I eat my bread plain most of the time and this was no exception.

I was really, really leery about turning a pancake and waffle mix into a loaf of Irish Soda Bread, but this…WORKED! For real. The result was amazing. The wedges of bread were sturdy and dense, just like real Irish Soda Bread. The raisins remained plump and juicy. And the orange zest adds that needed zing to the actual bread itself. The mix baked up beautifully, not becoming dry or brittle in the slightest. This bread was so easy to slice through. And the taste…well, you would never in a million years guess that this bread was gluten-free. Nor would you know that it came from a pancake and waffle mix.

I am very happy with the way this mix created this delicious Irish Soda Bread. If you are having some difficulty locating Gluten Free Pantry items…there’s a reason. It’s Glutino, and they have changed their packaging. So look for Glutino’s Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix and you’ll be finding the same exact product that I used here. Now you know how long I’ve had this mix.

It may have taken me awhile to actually use this mix…but I am so happy that I finally did. And, I am more than pleased to have utilized it in a manner that isn’t just pancakes and waffles. Have a hankering for Irish Soda Bread…or perhaps those pancakes and waffles sound like just what you need in your life. In either case, for an easy, handy mix, I encourage you to get Glutino’s Gluten Free Pantry Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix.

Bake or flip your way to gluten-free breakfast goodness.

A wedge of Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread baked from a box of Glutino's Gluten Free Pantry Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix — A wedge of Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread baked from a box of Glutino’s Gluten Free Pantry Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix

March 31, 2013

KIND-ly enjoying a hit of dark chocolate and peanut butter in an amzing snack bar

Product: KIND Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein Snack Bar – $1.99+

Well, yesterday rounded out the sample box of KIND bars that I purchased with the help of a Groupon that came through awhile back. And the final bar to get it’s chance to shine was none other than KIND Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein Snack Bar.

Peanut butter and dark chocolate. This sounded like a match made in heaven to me. After all…that is exactly two of my most favorite ingredients in life. Anything with dark chocolate. Anything with peanut butter. But put the two of them together…and you have made me one very, very happy girl.

Needless to say, the very thought of sinking my teeth into this bar prior to running on Saturday morning at the park was…mouth watering. For real.

It was a chilly, foggy Saturday and my roommate and I were up quite early. The reason being I wanted to hit up Cherokee Park to run some hills before a 5K race was scheduled to kick off at 9 a.m. This meant we needed to be at the park about the time it was getting light outside. So, breakfast that morning at home was a serving of our cereals…but for in the car, to provide some fuel for her trail hiking and my running…I packed the final KIND bar in my run bag.

Being that it was a colder morning (come on, Spring…it’s freakin’ the end of March!), this bar was a bit chilled. So, the ooey-gooey texture I prefer over brittle and hard was not happening. But, a little warm up in my toasty fingers and everything would be okay. As we hit the highway, I busted out the KIND bar and split it in half, handing her one half while I kept the other.

Bite one…was, as I said, a bit hard. Damn cold weather. Messing with my snacks. But after that, things started to get interesting…and flavorful.

The KIND Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein Snack Bar is…just what it sounds like. Dark chocolate and peanut butter crack. Every bite bursts with this sweet and salty flavor that I love. And the dark chocolate adds the right amount of sweetness to counter balance the peanut butter and nuts that are throughout the bar. I loved it. It, surprisingly, wasn’t my favorite bar. That still has to be the Fruit & Nut Bar…but this one…this one comes close.

The KIND Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein Snack Bar is a healthy and satisfying mix of a variety of nuts. So, not just peanuts. Nope. They go all out and include peanuts, walnuts, almonds, cashews, macadamias, and Brazil nuts. All of those are blended with peanut butter, honey, and soy crisps. Then the bar is coated on the bottom with dark chocolate and a dark chocolate drizzle beautifully adorns the top. This means every bite is guaranteed that sweet/savory taste.

Nutrition-wise, this bar isn’t too far off the mark. Not for what it contains. The entire bar will set you back 200 calories and 13 grams of fat. Keep in mind, however, that the fat is derived from nuts, and therefore is at least the healthy kind of fat. This bar is very low in sodium, only 50 mg, and relatively low in sugars, topping out at 10 grams. And with all that peanut butter and nutty goodness, this bar offers up a dose of 7 grams of protein. NICE! These snack bars are also gluten-free

KIND offers up a variety of different flavors and nutritional benefits with their KIND Snack Bars. The KIND Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein was a nice addition to their satisfying and delicious line up. I didn’t like every flavor in the box, but none of them were inedible. And that is a great thing. I intend to continue to sample flavors that were not offered in my cube of goodness and see what else KIND has to offer.

But so far…highly impressed.

KIND Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein Snack Bar (unwrapped)

March 26, 2013

A healthy, light snack from Real Foods Tasty Cheese Flavored Corn Thins

Product: Real Foods Tasty Cheese Flavored Corn Thins – $3.29+

I admit it…I am an oddball. I actually like rice cakes. I always have. I grew up eating them. My mom kept them in the pantry, and I would eat them plain, or sometimes give the top a light schmear of peanut butter. Rice cakes were one of my favorite snacks. Still are. As long as they don’t taste like cardboard.

My roommate and I have this bad habit. It is a very, very bad habit. We see a product labeled gluten-free that we haven’t seen before at any of our stores and we immediately pile it into our shopping basket and take it home…just adding to the stash. That was what happened when we brought home Real Foods Tasty Cheese Flavored Corn Thins.

We weren’t actually seeking to buy more snack foods while out at Dorothy Lane Market in Dayton, Ohio. We just ducked inside to see what the grocery store had to offer, as there were a few of them scattered throughout Dayton and we were killing some time. Lo and behold, they have one of the most amazing gluten-free sections I have seen at a local grocery store. I was blown away. Local baked goods. Products of which I have never seen before. Awesome.

One of the products we grabbed, for reasons I still don’t know, were the Tasty Cheese Flavored Corn Thins from Real Foods. I actually forgot about them. Whoops. But I was checking the pantry list and noticed them under crackers…and that was why I overlooked them. Wrong category. Definitely not crackers. But since the expiration date was approaching, it was time to use them as my afternoon snack.

Corn Thins are amazingly good for you. Yes, even the Tasty Cheese Flavored ones. These little rice-cake like thins (they are about 1/3 the thickness of a rice cake), made from corn and rice that are popped under high pressure, are honestly a guilt-free snack. I was shocked that I liked these, despite being such a fan of rice cakes. I don’t know why I was so worried.

Anyway…these little cakes have a rice cake texture, but are sweeter thanks to the addition of the popped corn. The cheese flavored topping is lightly dusted on top, not overpowering the corn cake itself. I loved how thin these are cut, because it makes them easy to handle and very light. They have this gentle crunch when you break into them or bite into them. I was very impressed with these.

And yes…guilt-free my friends. Real Foods Tasty Cheese Flavored Corn Thins are 28 calories per cake. For my snack, I took 3 of them, racking up a total of 84 calories for my snack. Not bad. And only 1 gram of fat in that serving. NICE! These are very low in sodium, have no preservatives, no artificial or nature identical flavors, made with all natural ingredients, are gluten-free and non-GMO. My three corn thins gave me 3 grams of protein and 1.5 grams of fiber.

But the true surprise was just how much I enjoyed these. Texture-wise, they are awesome. Just the right amount of crunch. And taste-wise…they are quite tasty. After all, with a name like Tasty Cheese…you better live up to your name.

I hope I can find more flavors that are offered in stores around here. I’ll be searching high and low. And if not…next time I’m in Dayton…you better believe that I’ll be stopping into Dorothy Lane Market.

Real Foods does healthy snacks right with their Corn Thins. Flavor them like cheese…and you have a winning combination!

Three of Real Foods Tasty Cheese Flavored Corn Thins