Products – Page 59 – The Celiathlete

January 2, 2013

Katz Gluten Free gives gluten-free community bread crumbs that taste and look like bread crumbs

Product: Katz Gluten Free Bread Crumbs – $4.09

Gluten-free bread crumbs suck.

Seriously.

Have you ever purchased a bag of them? They’ll do in a pinch, but normally they don’t even resemble actual bread crumbs. No joke. The first time I ever purchased gluten-free bread crumbs, my heart sank when I opened the pouch. Normally, gluten-free bread crumbs are these little yellow pellets of milled corn. They work on certain dishes, but as a vegetarian…most of the time they just don’t work right on what I need them for. They are usually thick and gritty and don’t stick very well to the food.

So, one day while surfing around one of my favorite gluten-free company Web sites, I discovered Katz Gluten Free Bread Crumbs. I was skeptical at first…but from the picture on the site, it looked like these were actually super-fine breadcrumbs. Like the kind people who aren’t gluten-free get. I figured I could take a chance and put them on my next order.

I couldn’t have been happier when they arrived. You know that Italian blend of bread crumbs you see at the grocery store…that is exactly what these looked like. I was thrilled. I couldn’t wait to try them out!

But, wait I did. I think I might have been anticipating the perfect dish in which to use them on…but I stuck them in my pantry and they sat there for awhile.

And then the holidays rolled around. My friend, Jenn, was hosting my roomie and I for New Years once more. We have such a blast together on New Years and part of the fun is that Jenn and I create a menu and cook it up for a wonderful evening feast to welcome the new year. This year…we decided on oven toasted gluten-free ravioli (Jenn is awesome in that she does gluten-free for me when I come into town). They looked fantastic on Pinterest…so we pinned it to her New Year’s Menu board and got to planning. I told her I actually had some gluten-free bread crumbs we could use for the recipe and that I would bring them with me for the occasion.

Finally…the moment I had been waiting for. To see how Katz Gluten Free Bread Crumbs would fair against the gluten-free bread crumbs that had come before it.

New Year’s Eve arrived and, hungry after an afternoon at the movies (we saw The Hobbit), Jenn and I returned home and settled into baking mode (while Cathy sat at the table, read, and commented on how good it all smelled). We got our gluten-free bread cooking first. And while it was cooling, we settled into working on the Oven Toasted Ravioli.

She got out the gluten-free ravioli and I set into mixing up the breadcrumbs with a bit of cheese, per the recipe. What I loved at first site with these bread crumbs was how superfine they were. They were the proper texture and looked like REAL bread crumbs. I was already feeling good about this recipe. I even tasted a pinch of them from the bag…and that won me over there. This had to work…because these were the best gluten free bread crumbs out there. I got them prepped. Then…the rest was simple. Cook ravioli, dip into egg/milk mixture. Then…into the bread crumbs they went.

Miracle upon miracles…the breadcrumbs stuck to the ravioli. They stuck SO sell. I was so incredibly pleased with it. I was seriously looking forward to this meal…and a lot of it was thanks to these gluten-free bread crumbs. We gave each ravioli a spritz of cooking spray and into the oven they went to bake for about 12-15 minutes.

They came out of the oven looking just as good as they did when they went into it. Seriously. I was so highly impressed. And ready to eat. Jenn and I removed them from the pan and placed them in a bowl. The bread crumbs remained in place and didn’t fall off the food as gluten-free bread crumbs from my past had been known to do. Inset a happy squee and a little dance of joy here. I placed the bowl of toasted gluten-free ravioli on the table…and soon we were sitting down to our New Year’s feast.

So…did they live up to the standard I built up in my head?

OH…YES!

The bread crumbs toasted up to a beautiful golden color when in the oven. They didn’t fall off the ravioli as they baked or when we lifted them from the pan. Nor did they fall off when we all began digging into the bowl for some of the ravioli to dine on. They remained where they should be…stuck to the gluten-free ravioli.

One bite…and I knew no other bread crumb will ever come close to this when it comes to the gluten-free varieties out there. These were amazing. Honestly. If you put these down in front of someone who didn’t know they were gluten-free…they wouldn’t be able to tell. I guarantee that much. The superfine quality really makes all the difference.

Katz Gluten Free Bread Crumbs are made from a gluten-free flour that contains corn and potato. From there, the ingredients include eggs, water, canola oil, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, yeast, and salt. These are probably all remnants of the amazing gluten-free breads that Katz Gluten Free offers. I’m okay with that…because if that means we get bread crumbs like this…I’m forever sold.

A serving of Katz Gluten Free Bread Crumbs is 2 ounces, which sets you back 140 calories and 6 grams of fat. Each serving is low in sodium as well, which is important as my roomie’s family tends to have high blood pressure so we focus a lot on low sodium foods.

So…this gluten-free foodie gives Katz Gluten Free Bread Crumbs a stamp of approval. They are the most amazing gluten free bread crumbs that have hit the gluten-free market. I can promise you that. I am so highly impressed with these. I am already anticipating my next Katz Gluten Free order because these are definitely going on it. I have a bunch of other recipes to try now that I found gluten-free bread crumbs that work, taste, and feel like real bread crumbs.

I once again sing only high praises for Katz Gluten Free. They deserve it though…for putting out quality products that live up to the high standards that they set.

If you have been leaving bread crumbs out of your recipes (this was what I did prior to finding these after having no luck with the other gluten-free bread crumbs on the market), you no longer have to. All thanks to Katz Gluten Free.

Katz Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs on Conte's Gluten-Free Cheese Ravioli (toasted in the oven) — Katz Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs on Conte’s Gluten-Free Cheese Ravioli (toasted in the oven)

January 1, 2013

Nothing sinful about Sinfully Gluten Free’s light and fluffy table rolls

Product: Sinfully Gluten Free Table Rolls – $3.25

I attempted to make dinner rolls back when I first went gluten-free. The problem? They just came out way too dense. Super, duper heavy. I wasn’t a fan…but my roommate and I ate them with our breakfast (usually making egg sandwiches out of them) or with our dinner…doing what we could to make them lighter. Or at least…not feel so dense.

And I attempted cheddar biscuits using Gluten-Free Bisquick once with a non-gluten-free friend of mine…and they were dense. My mom attempted to do it for Christmas Eve so I could enjoy bread with everyone. My dad was the guinea pig…and he said they were too chewy. They were definitely dense and heavy…and not up to par. My mom ended up making a regular batch for everyone else and I consumed two of the ones that she attempted gluten-free.

Dinner rolls were turning out to be an epic gluten-free fail.

But…over the New Year, I was heading to Ohio to hang with my friend Jenn. And one of the trips we planned was to head to Dayton, Ohio…for the sole purpose of hitting up Sinfully Gluten Free. You see…I love their Cinnamon Rolls (which they only have on Saturdays) and Jenn is a huge fan of their Lemon Bars (yes…and Jenn doesn’t even have to eat gluten-free!)…so I called ahead to make sure they had 4 trays of them on hand for me. I didn’t want to make the trip and be disappointed by ending up walking away without any cinnamon rolls. Well, the snow started the night before and continued through much of the next morning…delaying the journey to Dayton. But…we eventually dug out the car and made our way onto the slick roads for our road trip to Dayton.

By the time we got there…it was lunch time. Lunch was now going to be part of the fun at Sinfully Gluten Free. I had mentioned that I put in an order for Cinnamon Rolls, but that I would get it after I ate lunch. So, we all ordered lunch, settled in to eat, then made our purchases afterwards.

However…it just so happened that there were these table rolls in the pastry case. And now I was intrigued. The original plan for that evening was gluten-free stuffed shells…and I thought some dinner rolls might go well with it. So, I also picked up a bag of those along with the 4 trays of cinnamon rolls I had ordered the night before. Jenn…well…she bought them out of every lemon bar they had in the place. We are gluten-free rockstars, friends!

With the later lunch, however, we weren’t hungry enough for the gluten-free stuffed shells. I didn’t want to freeze the table rolls, because when I pulled them out of the bag at home, I realized how soft and light they were. I hadn’t held a gluten-free dinner roll that was light yet. I wanted to definitely eat these before they had to see a refrigerator or freezer. So, after a little thinking of something light to do for dinner…we settled on table rolls with scrambled eggs.

Once the eggs were in the pan, I gave the table rolls a little warm-up in the microwave. This took their soft and light texture to a warm version of it. With a schmear of butter…it would be the perfect compliment to…any meal, really…but that night…it was scrambled eggs.

I wanted to eat part of the roll without the butter to start with. Just to see what it tasted like. First of all, these heated up so well. I think they would have also done well with a slight toasting in the oven…but the microwave warmed them through and gave them that fresh out of the oven feel. I loved that. They were still very light and steam rolled back as I tore into mine and took a bite.

Light. Fluffy. Soft. Chewy. They were dinner roll perfection. Put one of these down in front of someone who wasn’t aware that they were gluten-free and I guarantee that you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. Honestly. These were not dense at all. I wish I knew the secret to making gluten-free dinner rolls that didn’t feel and taste so heavy. These were light as a feather and delicious. And they complimented the eggs perfectly. I gave part of mine a small pad of butter and topped it with a bit of the scrambled egg…and it was a match made in heaven.

These rolls would compliment any dinner to be sure. They are the perfect bite of gluten-free bread. No feeling like you’re eating an entire loaf. These were light to the touch and just plain light in texture. And the taste…phenomenal.

Sinfully Gluten Free is sinful in the respect that everything they put out is a delicious bite…and just sheer gluten-free magic. I hope to purchase more dinner rolls from them next time I’m in town because I was highly impressed.

How do they make them so light and fluffy? I may never find out…but thankfully Sinfully Gluten Free bakes them up that way…so that even the gluten-free community can enjoy a good dinner roll every now and again!

YUM!

Sinfully Gluten Free Table Rolls with Scrambled Eggs

January 1, 2013

Caramel oozes from tasty Katz Gluten-Free donuts

Product: Katz Gluten Free Caramel Donuts – $5.99

Giant donut balls of caramel goodness. There is no other way to describe the new donuts from Katz Gluten Free. Honestly.

Now…I was a little weary about purchasing one of the filled donuts from Katz Gluten Free. I have yet to try the custard donuts or the jelly donuts. While they both look fantastic…I’ve heard that the filling is actually a bit skimpy in them. It is probably the biggest complaint I have heard regarding the filled donuts.

But…when I saw the announcement for the new Caramel Donuts from Katz Gluten Free come over my e-mail, I didn’t even hesitate to order them. I love caramel…so this just sounded fantastic from the instant I read about it. Drool-worthy even. My spontaneous purchase, I hoped, would pay off.

The donuts arrived two days later and into the freezer they went. Until this weekend. Because my friend Jenn is just as much of a caramel connoisseur as I am. So, when I was heading to her place for the New Year, I promised donuts. And so…the other morning, Jenn, Cathy and I each had one full donut and 1/3 of a donut to ourselves.

I let the donuts thaw overnight on the counter in the container. Then, when we were ready for breakfast…into the microwave they went. A 15 second warmup. It was enough to just give them that fresh-from-the-oven effect. Honestly. The caramel oozed from each donut. No skimping on the filling here.

But the best part…the powdered donut that surrounded the donut. I mean, the caramel was good and all, but the cakey donut that surrounded the filling was the true star. I love the powdered donut from Katz Gluten Free anyway…so it was no surprise that this was my favorite part of this breakfast treat.

Would I purchase these again…probably. But I much prefer the gluten-free powdered donuts and the cinnamon donuts over the filled. But the oozy caramel was definitely not skimped on in these. So, for those of you who are gluten-free (or even if you aren’t…both Jenn & Cathy are not gluten-free…but love these donuts as much as me!)…these donuts are amazing and tasty…and are definitely not lacking in the filling.

Oh…and they are tasty too.

Mmmm…gluten-free donuts that are amazing. Thank you…again…Katz Gluten Free!!

December 31, 2012

Another healthier chip option from Boulder Canyon with Rice and Adzuki Bean Chipotle Cheese chips

Product: Boulder Canyon Rice and Adzuki Bean Chipotle Cheese Snack Chips – $2.99+

I started off with the original. Just a touch of sea salt and I had in my possession a snack chip made from rice flour and adzuki beans. Yes…you read that right…adzuki beans. And what did I make of these? That they were phenomenal. Like…better tasting Doritos. And much healthier option at that than what preservatives and unnatural ingredients go into Doritos.

So, this time I was quite excited to dive into the bag of Boulder Canyon’s Rice and Adzuki Bean Chipotle Cheese flavored chips. I mean…a little extra spice is always. Combine it with the addition of cheese…and yeah…it’s winning.

That being said, after I scooped up a serving of these chips to haul to the office with me, I couldn’t wait to dive into them and really test them out. I mean, the original flavor had been mind-blowing delicious…so these had to be yummy-amazing right?

ABSOLUTELY!

That afternoon, when my 3:00 snack time rolled around, I pulled out my container which had a 1 ounce serving (or around 20 chips), and took up my first chip. One bite…and I was even happier with these than I was the original. Oddly enough, the fact that these tasted more like Cool Ranch Doritos (despite having cheese in them) was amazing. Cool Ranch was always my favorite. I was hooked. Love at first bite.

The texture and flavor with each of these was fantastic. And one serving only set me back 140 calories and 7 grams of fat. Not too shabby for a snack trip. In addition, with the inclusion of adzuki beans in the ingredients, these chips give 2 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. I loved these and was quite sad when I got down to the bottom of my serving and had no more to nosh on.

Would I buy these again? In a heartbeat. Without a moment of hesitation. YUM YUM YUMMY!

Looking for a healthier option for a snack chip, I would definitely direct you to find Boulder Canyon’s Rice and Adzuki Bean Chipotle Cheese snack chips. I promise…these are not just a healthier snack chip option…but delicious too.

December 20, 2012

The Swiss Colony adds gluten-free goodies to their catalog…including these Chocoláno cookies

Product: The Swiss Colony Gluten-Free Chocoláno Cookies – $19.95

It was a huge surprise to me one day when I received an additional Swiss Colony catalog in the mail. Now, I used to order Swiss Colony stuff all the time. From cheeses to chocolates, they are one of the best go-to resources for tasty treats for loved ones and friends…or even for yourself. When the gluten intolerance happened, however…I had to bid adieu to Swiss Colony…at least for myself. And then…I received a little sunshine in the mail when a sugar-free and gluten-free catalog showed up.

Now, they didn’t have everything listed in the gluten-free portion of the catalog. Nope. They actually had listed the cheesecakes, which, while they look fantastic…were definitely overpriced. Yikes.

I mean, I’m used to paying a pretty penny for gluten-free goodies, but a $50 cheesecake is not what I’d like to spend my money on. I’m sure they are delicious and really, really good…but…alas…I do live in a budget.

Well, as I normally do at the holiday time, I was surfing through Swiss Colony’s Web site for a couple of purchases for friends and family members. And I came across their gluten-free section on there. I figured I’d give it another look. The cheesecakes were there…and some of the 123 Gluten-Free box mixes you can find at stores for a variety of baking needs. And then there were cookies…and brownies…ooooh…

I sent the link over to my roomie to take a look. And she immediately goes, “Are those gluten-free Milano cookies?”

Sure enough, there on the page were what Swiss Colony was billing as Gluten-Free Chocoláno Cookies…and they definitely resembled the infamous Milano cookies I used to be able to eat. As it was the holiday season, it was definitely time to treat myself, so I ordered some of the Chocoláno Cookies and hoped for the best.

Well, yesterday they arrived. Just in time too, because I needed something new for dessert in the apartment. These would be perfect. Well, I tore into the box at the office and was actually pleasantly surprised by how many were in the container. I was expecting a small box…as that’s normally what happens. But this came in one that said there were 16 servings (although I think there are more than 16 cookies in there). It was a very welcome surprise. I was just getting giddy thinking about diving into these after I ate my dinner and before I got to work on some gluten-free vegan baking that needed to be done.

Well, dessert time came and I opened up the plastic container and pulled out two cookies. One for myself…one for my roommate. She was the first to take a bite. I asked what she thought and she said…”Is good.” Which I never really know if that means it is good or…eh…I’ve had better. So, I took my own taste to decide for myself.

At first bite…they hardly taste like anything. I can definitely taste the rice flour in the cookies. And they do have that buttery lightness to them, which I love. The chocolate cream in the middle, however, is awesome. It really kicks the cookie up a notch. And then, once you finish that bite…that flavor lingers and…that’s when that Milano cookie flavor hits. It was very reminiscent of the cookies I used to enjoy. The thing was, that flavor didn’t hit until the very end. It was bizarre. But…all-in-all…a delicious cookie in the end.

The serving size is one cookie…and like I said, there are definitely more than 16 cookies in that container. They are tasty, sweet, and won’t fill you up. I love that about them. In addition, they only have 100 calories per cookie, which isn’t bad for something cream-filled. The outer cookies have a great crunch to them, yet still are smooth and soft. And the cream will definitely win you over. As with everything chocolate that Swiss Colony does…the chocolate is sublime.

I really want to congratulate Swiss Colony on adding a selection of gluten-free treats to their growing catalog. It definitely made my holidays a little merrier…and much tastier.

If you miss Milano cookies…these are definitely worth a try. They aren’t exact…but…wow…if they aren’t close.

December 20, 2012

Great texture with Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Buckwheat Creamy Hot Cereal…just bland!

Product: Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Buckwheat Creamy Hot Cereal – $4.40+

I’m going to be the first to admit it. When I pulled out this box from the pantry to take to work with me as my lunch today, I was more than a little nervous about it. At first, I thought nothing of it. But the more I looked at the box, the more I thought this spontaneous gluten-free sale item might have not been the wisest choice while out grocery shopping. And the only reason I think that is that it sort of makes a reference to grits. And I do not like grits.

So…yeah…wasn’t too sure about this one.

But that’s what happens when I get caught up in the moment of a great gluten-free sale. When items get marked down or put on closeout, I snatch them up as fast as I can. Sometimes I think twice about them…but not this time. My local grocery store was having a closeout on their entire gluten-free section. And that made me think that they were getting rid of it. Thankfully, they didn’t…they were going to expand it and were moving things off the shelf. But…it put the fear of a gluten-free-less pantry into my head and I just started grabbing whatever was marked down on closeout and throwing it in my cart.

Hodgson Mill Gluten-Free Buckwheat Creamy Hot Cereal was one such item. And today…was the moment of truth…

It wasn’t…horrible. It wasn’t what I was used to either. And I think that might have been part of the problem. The texture was actually nothing like grits…more like oatmeal. I’m okay with that. I always eat oatmeal for lunch. In fact, I was so concerned with the texture that I caramelized some apples up this morning to reheat and add to the cereal…and that’s what I did when lunch time hit. I settled in at my desk at work with a hot, steaming bowl of the Gluten Free Buckwheat Creamy Hot Cereal and took a bite.

It wasn’t sweet at all…and that was what I missed. While I’m not a fan of loading things down with sugar, even with the caramelized apples it was just bland. I went to add some sugar to it…and it was just not a good idea. It actually made the flavor a bit worse. So, I stuck it out, figuring tomorrow I’d try again, maybe with different fruits and some brown sugar or maple syrup to sweeten it. It wasn’t horrible…it just needs some additional work to get it to where I like it.

So, I’ll try it again tomorrow…with different fruit and something to sweeten it up. It was the texture I had been worried about originally…but that wasn’t the problem with this one. It was the flavor, or lack thereof, despite my attempts to make it taste a little sweeter through the use of fruit and additional sweetener.

I guess only time will tell when I give this another shot with a different fruit and a different sweetener. All in all…not bad…but not my favorite. It’s…edible at least.

Hodgson Mill Gluten-Free Buckwheat Creamy Hot Cereal (with caramelized apples)

December 20, 2012

Dark Chocolatier Sea Salt Holidrizzle Kettle Corn from Angie’s Artisan Treats a salty-sweet treat indeed

Product: Angie’s Artisan Treats Dark Chocolatier Sea Salt Holidrizzle Kettle Corn – $4.99+

Okay…it doesn’t get much better than this:

Popcorn.

Dark chocolate.

Salt.

What this provides is this amazing salty-sweet blend that is one of my favorite tastes ever. I guess that’s why I love chocolate covered (gluten-free) pretzels so much. Salty-sweet is my favorite thing because it honestly is the best of both worlds. Why choose when you can have both?

I had never heard of Angie’s Artisan Treats until my friend Shana posted a picture of the bag of Dark Chocolatier Sea Salt Holidrizzle Kettle Corn on Facebook. I was immediately intrigued. In fact, I was immediately craving. I asked her one simple question – is it gluten-free? Her response: YES! And she said she found it at Target, so when I was at Target a couple days later…I hunted and found it on the end cap. I grabbed the last two bags.

And then…the time just never seemed right to open it up. I mean…who really needs to make time for dark chocolate drizzled popcorn? But I have an air popper and that’s usually what I do for popcorn at night. Until last night…when I spent a majority of the evening baking up requested Triple Chocolate Mint Truffle Blossom cookies for my roommate (per her request) and had no counter space in order to set up the air popper. Her suggestion: why not eat the popcorn we bought at Target?

Brilliant!!

So, that evening, I dished up 1-2/3 cup of popcorn for each of us (yes…I do actually measure this out!) and served it up with our nightly cup of tea. As I settled in for the evening, I picked up one piece of popcorn, perfectly drizzled with dark chocolate, and took my first bite.

OH. MY. GOD.

If heaven was made of popcorn, then it would surely taste like this. So delicious. I love the sweetness of the dark chocolate and how it plays with the soft texture and the saltiness of the popcorn. It doesn’t feel heavy at all. In fact, the entire snack seems very light as you eat it. And yeah…it’s pretty damn amazing.

Angie’s Dark Chocolatier Sea Salt Holidrizzle Kettle Corn only has 13o calories per serving and will set you back 6 grams of fat. That isn’t too bad. These are all natural, gluten-free, contain no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. No artificial sweeteners are used in this popcorn either. This snack is a great source of whole grains and is non-GMO!

The best part is…it is super delicious…perfect for a snack to satisfy every craving and flavor you might have. I am so glad my friend Shana posted this on Facebook or I might have gone the rest of my life without this snack in my life.

Dark chocolate sea salt popcorn…how sweet it is!!

December 19, 2012

Julie’s Organic Carrot Cake Ginger Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies like a frozen slice of gluten-free pie

Product: Julie’s Organic Carrot Cake Ginger Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies – $5.99+

Mmmmm…

The words gluten-free and ice cream sandwich are normally not found hand-in-hand. But thanks to the teaming up of Glutenfreeda (who provides the cookie portion of the ice cream sandwich) with Julie’s Organic Ice Cream…even the gluten-free can have a sweet taste of an ice cream sandwich. Even better…not being limited to just the chocolate cookies with the vanilla ice cream. While it is traditional and the most common, even in the ice cream sandwiches that are not gluten-free, Julie’s Organic Ice Cream offers up four different varieties of gluten-free ice cream sandwich cookies.

And I have now had them all…with my final taste going to the Carrot Cake Ginger Ice Cream Sandwich Cookie.

This one actually was the one that my roommate dreaded. She isn’t the biggest fan of carrot cake (unless I make it, she says) nor ginger…so she sort of put off eating this one until I just marched over to the freezer the other day when it was time for dessert and pulled these out. Her reaction, “Oh…we’re having those?” And picture this being said in the most unenthusiastic tone of voice one can conjure. She was really, really, really not happy that I made that decision.

However…her tune soon changed…

The Carrot Cake Ginger Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies are composed of ginger cookies made by Glutenfreeda that are soft and crumbly…like a pie crust. And the carrot cake ice cream is what fills these up and gives them their amazing combined flavor. I’ve never had carrot cake ice cream before, but if it always tastes like this…I want more of it in my life!!

These ice cream sandwiches were SO delicious. My roommate took the first taste while I was snapping pictures for the blog (as I tend to do). And she says, “Oh…it tastes like a frozen pumpkin pie!” I finished taking pictures as she went to sit down and nosh on hers a bit more and took my first taste. She was absolutely correct. Forget carrot cake flavor, these really did taste like a frozen pumpkin pie. The ginger cookie gave the illusion of a crust and the ice cream was just super good. I loved the combination of flavors and how they would melt together on my tongue. The cookies are super soft, so that adds a crumbly consistency to them which sort of makes these more pie-like in the end.

SO YUMMY!!

I found myself looking forward to dessert the next day…but dinner was taking forever to cook (naturally). But, anticipation is part of the fun, yes? And when we settled in to devour the final two in the package, we sadly big adieu to these ice cream sandwiches. Phenomenal flavor. I would totally buy these again in a heartbeat. Absolutely loved them.

So, if you happen to be out at the store and looking for something different to try…whether you need to eat gluten-free or not…I highly recommend trying Julie’s Organic Carrot Cake Ginger Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies. It’s a slice of heavenly pie in ice cream form…and boy…is it ever delicious!

Julie's Organic Carrot Cake Ginger Ice Cream Sandwich Cookie — Julie’s Organic Carrot Cake Ginger Ice Cream Sandwich Cookie

December 18, 2012

Boulder Canyon makes a delicious chip with Rice with Adzuki Bean Natural Sea Salt Snack Chips

Boulder Canyon Rice with Adzuki Beans Natural Sea Salt Snack Chips — Boulder Canyon Rice with Adzuki Bean Natural Sea Salt Snack Chips

Product: Boulder Canyon Rice with Adzuki Bean Natural Sea Salt Snack Chips – $2.99+

Who would have thought? A snack chip made out of rice flour and adzuki beans? It doesn’t seem at all natural or like it should be even found in nature. And…well, while not a natural occurrence in our natural environment, Boulder Canyon now delivers this straight to our grocery store aisles. Founded in 1994, Boulder Canyon has been producing all natural, kettle cooked potato chips that go beyond the standard brands in both quality and taste. This isn’t just me speaking…this is the company’s mission statement.

And…the thing is, they can back it up.

Prior to this, I had been able to try a few of Boulder Canyon’s Kettle Cooked Potato Chips. I first sampled them here in my area (shocking, I know!) and then found them again at a grocery store out in Los Angeles, California, while visiting some friends. We got them hooked on them as well. And as snack chips went, these were a safe (save for the Malt Vinegar and Sea Salt variety) as far as gluten-free chips went. Better still…they were delicious.

Well, as I’ve gotten more accustomed to the whole gluten-free snack thing…I’ve branched out some. So, when a couple of bags of Boulder Canyon Rice with Adzuki Bean Snack Chips were on super sale at Big Lots…I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try them. A blind tasting this time. No samples from a gluten-free fair or expo…this was something I just saw and went with. At the price with a 20% discount on top of it…I’d be hard-pressed not to make a purchase.

And, as is the norm, I had other snacks to work through first before I got to these…but the magical snack moment arrived yesterday. I needed a quick 3:00 p.m. snack for the office to see me through to when I could cook dinner. I had packed up a serving (1 ounce) of these chips and brought them with me for that purpose. When the time rolled around, I opened up my little container and took my first bite.

I fell in love with them. Yes…with one simple bite. The flavor was so familiar and distinctive…but it was light, non-greasy, and clean. I offered one to my teammate, who has a very picky and discerning palate, and she took a hesitant bite…but soon was crunching on the chip as well. She said the flavor reminded her of Cool Ranch Doritos. She was absolutely right. But it had a better flavor…less mess…and was just better all around. And trust me…Cool Ranch Doritos used to be my favorite chip! So this is saying something!

The Boulder Canyon Rice with Adzuki Bean Natural Sea Salt Snack Chips (whew…that’s a mouthful…but a delicious one!) are made from rice flour, corn starch, adzuki beans, and corn flour. They are seasoned with chili flakes, cumin, and sea salt. What this does then is lend a little bit of spice and bite to each chip, keeping each taste interesting.

The flavor of these chips, I believe, mostly comes from the adzuki beans, which tend to have a nutty flavor and are commonly used in Japanese dishes. They are low in fat and high in protein. That’s a great combination to base a snack chip off, don’t you think? And with the way Boulder Canyon slow cooks their chips using sunflower and/or safflower oil, you don’t need to worry about trans fat or cholesterol. All of their products are free from both.

The Rice with Adzuki Bean Natural Sea Salt Chips have 140 calories per serving and 7 grams of fat. That isn’t bad for a snack chip when it comes down to it. Even though this is a flavor that is based on sea salt…the sodium content is quite low (130 mg) and each serving provides 2 grams of protein. Not too shabby for a snack chip. These particular chips are also gluten-free (obviously) and non-GMO. They are all-natural, so no strange chemicals go into the making of this snack.

The flavor that these chips provide is unmatched. You wouldn’t even guess that they are made with beans. Never in a million years. You don’t taste the beans…you honestly just taste the delicious flavors that are packed into each bite, seasoned to perfection, and made as healthy as a snack chip can be. When you can back up your mission statement of providing superior flavor and superior products, then you’re doing your job well.

Boulder Canyon can definitely back up their claims. I would buy these again in a heartbeat! And as they taste like really fantastic tortilla chips, they’d be perfect to dip in hummus or salsa or even guacamole. Mmmm…something to try next time.

If you are looking for something different when it comes to snacks…be bold (heh…see what I did there?) and try Boulder Canyon’s Rice with Adzuki Bean Natural Sea Salt Snack Chips. I promise…it will be love at first bite.

December 14, 2012December 14, 2012

No love for Enjoy Life’s Caramel Apple Chewy On-The-Go Bar

Enjoy Life Caramel Apple On-The-Go Chewy Bars — Enjoy Life Caramel Apple Chewy On-The-Go Bars

Product: Enjoy Life Caramel Apple On-The-Go Chewy Bar – $4.29+

It was as though my deepest fear was confirmed upon returning home from the office today. After the horrendous taste the Very Berry Chewy Bar left in my mouth (thank goodness my co-worker had some gluten-free white chocolate peppermint popcorn on hand), I was going to go straight home, pull the box out of my pantry and throw it away.

That’s exactly what I did.

And just as I had thought, the next item up in my gluten-free pantry for consumption as a snack was…Enjoy Life Caramel Apple On-The-Go Chewy Bars.

Sigh.

And the more I did think about it, the more I was absolutely certain these were the snack bars that my mom had tried when she started doing some gluten-free foods and told me to stay far, far away. They were not good, according to her initial report. Somehow that conversation had slinked back into my brain after the disappointing snack that I basically spit out this afternoon.

Determined not to revisit that experience with a different flavor bar, my roommate suggested that we go ahead and open one of the Caramel Apple Chewy Bars and break off a piece. We could each try it (me as the gluten-free girl and her as the ‘I don’t need to eat gluten-free, so I’ll be totally honest with you’) and make a decision as if they were palatable enough me to take for snack tomorrow.

Enjoy Life Caramel Apple On-The-Go Chewy Bar — Enjoy Life Caramel Apple Chewy On-The-Go Bar

After dinner and a very delicious dessert, I started to get things together for lunches and snacks tomorrow…and remembered that I needed to grab these snack bars. I hurried over to the pantry and removed the box from the shelf, cracking it open and removing one of the bars. I tore into the wrapper. There was no onslaught of apple scent like what happened with the Very Berry one. So…that was already different. However, the tiny little snack bar didn’t look much different from the one I had today. But, I was trying to keep an open mind on this one.

Why? Because I love Enjoy Life. I love that they keep their products free of the top 8 food allergens (gluten, wheat, egg, dairy, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, fish). I love that, in the past, I’ve enjoyed every product that I’ve tried. I’m especially a fan of their chocolate granola and their seed and fruit mixes. YUM!!

So, here I stood, breaking off the end of one of the Caramel Apple On-The-Go Chewy Bars and then split that in half so my roommate and I could both have taste. We looked at the little piece in our hand…then at each other…and we popped them in.

Here’s what I can say…the Caramel Apple was a little more palatable than the Very Berry variety. The taste was still cardboardish…and the texture was less than chewy. It wasn’t hard, but it was like gnawing on a wet box. I hated the texture. Very gritty and just…blech. All of that being said, it did actually taste a little like a caramel apple. Very little. But it was there. Especially at the end, when you just manage to get it down. But…that’s not saying much. I wasn’t impressed.

Thankful that I purchased these while they were on stupid super sale…I didn’t feel too bad tossing this box in the garbage can as well.

I hope that in the future, Enjoy Life considers redoing their recipes for the Caramel Apple and Very Berry Chewy Bars. There is so much potential there…but they completely missed the mark with these. And it’s too bad, because I have nothing but good things to say about the rest of their products I have managed to find and sample.

I guess everyone strikes out at some point.

Alright, Enjoy Life…I now need you to redeem yourself again…because the state of these last two products has saddened and makes me a little more apprehensive to try things like…your cereals…which I’ve been eying. Now, I’m not so certain I want to risk the dent they’ll put in my wallet.

Enjoy Life Caramel Apple Chewy On-The-Go Bar (unwrapped)