Mustard doesn’t have to be boring. Because…let’s face it. When we think of mustard, we usually think of that blinding yellow spread that gets slathered on sandwiches across the nation. Right? But mustard can be more than that and…it can taste better too.
Koops’ mustard products are a great example. Not only does Koops’ step outside of the usual flavors of mustard (you know…Dijon, yellow, etc.), but it gives consumers 8 options to choose from. Even better…all ingredients are natural and every flavor is gluten-free.
My friend, Amanda, dropped off two flavors at my apartment awhile back. I already reviewed the Dijon mustard in an earlier blog. The other one she handed over was Koops’ Arizona Heat mustard. Since I began this blog, my general rule is that if it is gluten-free and vegetarian, I will try everything.
This certainly fit the bill, so I started small with the mustard…and went from there. My first sojourn into the Arizona Heat was as a condiment on a grilled cheese sandwich. Normally, I add a smear of Laughing Cow cheese to my grilled cheese before placing it in the skillet. This time, I went for Koops’ Arizona Heat mustard. And…I found the flavor deliciously spicy. My next taste test was as a dip for my vegetarian chicken nuggets. PERFECT.
What makes this mustard work is the smooth, sweet taste at the beginning, and then the bite of spice that comes soon after. It’s that bite from the peppers that are blended into the mustard that bring the heat and really makes this blend of mustard work. I love it. It’s the right level of heat…not enough to overpower the flavor of the mustard itself, but enough to make it distinct. And that’s why Koops’ makes some of the finest mustard out there. Now, the tricky part is finding somewhere that carries this particular flavor…as I am running low since I use it on A LOT of my dishes.
If you like a bit of heat that doesn’t take away from the flavor of the condiment itself…nor the food…then try Koops’ Arizona Heat mustard. You will probably find yourself using it whenever and wherever possible too! Tasting is believing.
Annie's Homegrown Gluten-Free Rice Pasta & Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese
I feel the need to clear the air. I find boxed processed foods to be the enemy of our society. Yes, they are easy. Yes, they are quick when we have a busy day (and who out there doesn’t?), but fresh is best. That’s always been ingrained in my head, even growing up when my mom stopped buying the orange-powder mac & cheese in a box and made her own (and far more delicious) from scratch. I normally do this. But…sometimes the last thing I want to do is stand over a hot stove, stirring my almond milk and gluten-free flour to make my white sauce to melt my cheese over my noodles with.
On a weekend, sure. But when a macaroni and cheese craving hits while heading home from the office and your stomach has a case of the rumblies because your mid-afternoon snack didn’t hold you as long as you wanted.
Normally someone would grab the Kraft EZ Mac or the box with the pouch of neon orange powder off the shelf and spend the next 10 minutes whipping up an easy, satisfying mac and cheese meal. But when you are gluten-free, Kraft is not the answer.
Thank goodness for Annie’s Homegrown…the answer to a quick and inconvenient mac and cheese craving. Annie’s gives the gluten-free community a delicious, creamy, and healthy mac and cheese option. No…seriously! And while it does come complete with the neon orange powder pouch, the comparison ends there!
The noodles in Annie’s Homegrown are rice pasta. And they hold up very well under the boiling process to get them to the perfect consistency. They don’t fall apart like some cheaper gluten-free pastas do. And, more importantly, they don’t stick together. The calorie count, when compared to Kraft is cut cut dramatically. Annie’s gluten-free option is about 280 calories a serving as compared to Kraft’s 400. The sodium content in Annie’s is 390mg as compared to Kraft’s 580mg. Annie’s has less sugar and less cholesterol too.
Cheddar cheese powder mixed with unsweetened almond milk
It’s prepared like regular boxed macaroni and cheese. Boil water, add rice noodles…cook for about 10-12 minutes at a boil. However, instead of adding the powder to the cooked noodles, in a separate container, you take 1/4 cup of milk (I use unsweetened almond milk) and dump the cheese powder into it, mixing it up separately. Then, drain the noodles, put back in the pan and pour over the now-liquid cheese. For a creamier texture, the box invites you to add margarine/butter, but it’s not necessary and this is only an option. I chose not to use the margarine, and settled in with my bowl of easy gluten-free macaroni and cheese.
Annie's Homegrown Rice Noodles (cooked)
One bite and I was in easy-mac heaven. Seriously. It was creamy without the margarine. And by mixing the cheese separately, it meant that it didn’t have lumps or that grittiness that often comes with those boxed & powdered varieties. The flavor was cheddar cheese heaven. Just the right amount of flavor. The noodles were spot-on with consistency and texture.
While processed is never my first choice, on those days when I’m strapped for time, this is a great meal to prepare and enjoy without doing damage to your waistline or your budget. This gluten-free treasure is one of the less-expensive gluten-free food options out there. It’s hard to say no when it’s affordable and easy.
It will never replace my homemade macaroni and cheese, but it will always have a spot on a shelf in my pantry. In fact, I currently have two boxes on there for my next emergency dinner crisis! Thank you Annie’s Homegrown for giving us a flavor-filled burst of macaroni and cheddar cheese when needed most. My tummy thanks you!
Thank goodness for flavor-packed gluten-free cereals of the variety I grew up with. Sometimes those brands and cereal names in the gluten-free aisle at the store and seem like a risk when it comes to finding the perfect breakfast cereal. Because if it doesn’t live up to expectations…if it isn’t as good as you hoped, well, you’re out of money and either stuck with it or have to throw it away. Neither of which are a good option in the end.
But then…there is General Mills’ Chex cereals. Growing up, this brand was only available in three flavors. Two of which are gluten-free. All of them made a delicious snack mix when combined with a few extra ingredients. But, recently, General Mills introduced three new flavors to their gluten-free lineup. Cinnamon, Chocolate, and Honey Nut. I have blogged about the first two. I couldn’t leave Honey Nut Chex out, right?
And why should I? I loved this flavor more than I thought I would. It was perfectly flavored, just the right amount of sweetness in each bite. Any more and it would have been too much. Any less and it would have lacked something. The sweet corn flavor is only enhanced with a touch of honey. It doesn’t overpower the cereal. Instead, it gives it a bit of added kick and a delicious end result.
I was skeptical when I bought this one, figuring I wouldn’t like it as much as the much more appealing Cinnamon Chex and Chocolate Chex. This was a nice surprise. And with Chex being the most affordable gluten-free cereal out there, the five gluten-free flavors available mean I can change it up whenever I want. Sometimes you want your breakfast to taste like breakfast, so cinnamon and chocolate aren’t your first go-to option. Honey nut, however, is a breakfast flavor I grew familiar with as a child while eating Cheerios. But the flavor in Honey Nut Chex far surpasses anything that bee was hawking.
Affordable and delicious…Honey Nut Chex has forever won a place in my pantry, my cereal bowl, and my heart. Don’t spend a fortune on gluten-free cereals you are unsure of. Find a brand you trust. And try every variety you can. Chex wins…with every gluten-free flavor they offer. Well done, General Mills. Well done, Chex!
My journey into almond milk began here. With a little company known as Silk. They are most famous for their soy milk. However, when I discovered I was lactose intolerant, I took a different approach, going with almond milk instead. And my first foray (which has since expanded into other brands as well), was with Silk Pure Unsweetened Almond Milk.
It couldn’t have been a better way to start. With only 35 calories per cup, this is a low-cal, delicious treat that is packed with nutrients and calcium. In fact, it has 50% more calcium than regular dairy milk. This is important to me, as my mom was diagnosed with osteoporosis at a very young age and was told she had the bone density of a 90-year-old woman. So, calcium intake…a must with the women in my family. With no lactose or dairy in this product, it means that it keeps my tummy happy, no matter what I use it in.
And the taste? Light. Just a slight nutty flavor. And I like it perfectly poured into a glass and sipped. It doesn’t need to hide behind the flavors of other foods, it’s good on its own. It is smooth with only slight almond undertones. I’ve baked with it…and it does relatively well being substituted for milk in various recipes. It makes a mean white sauce for my homemade (and gluten-free) macaroni and cheese. And it does exceptionally well when paired with my cereal in the morning.
While I do love Silk’s Pure Almond, it does fall just short of being my favorite almond milk. The texture and taste of another unsweetened variety (Almond Breeze) won my heart the moment I tried it. However, this brand does fall into my budget more often, which is why it is often the one you find in my refrigerator. I can’t really criticize it…when it is made to be affordable and backs up its purchase-power with good flavor and texture.
Silk’s Unsweetened Pure Almond Milk is delicious anyway you drink it or use it. So, make some space in your refrigerator and give it a try. It won’t disappoint. Well done, Silk. Well done!
Soup is one of my favorite things in this world. I love soup. It’s light, but filling. It can be served alone or with a grilled cheese sandwich. It warms you up on a cold day. And the best part about this time of year is…it is totally soup season!
The problem since I went gluten-free, however, was finding brands that were safe for me to eat. Gluten hides in many things and soup can be a bit tricky.
Pacific Natural Foods is a brand I trust. A lot (not all) of their soups are gluten-free, which makes them a great go-to for boxed soups…when I need a quick meal and can’t make my own from scratch.
While out grocery shopping one morning, my roommate spotted Pacific Natural Foods’ Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup on closeout. It was labeled gluten-free, so I didn’t have to second-guess any of the ingredients, and it was on a major sale. So, we picked up two small boxes of it and decided to give it a try.
That week, the weather got a bit cooler so I made soup that night for dinner. It had been a busy day at the office, so something simple to warm up on the stove was ideal. The soup itself isn’t much to look at when you first pour it into the pan. As it cooks, however, the magic starts. It smells amazing as it warms itself on the stove. It was making my mouth water. Seriously!!
This is where the idiom of “Don’t judge a book by its cover” should be brought into play. As I said…it doesn’t look like much. I dished it up for my roommate and I, and settled in for dinner. My main concern was my roommate. She’s new to foods that have a bit of a “kick” to them. Spicy foods are something she’s adjusting her palate to. So the “chipotle” part of this soup was what concerned me. As for me, I love foods with spice. I like the flavor spices add to many dishes. So, I went into this feeling confident I would like it.
The verdict: we both loved it.
The spice wasn’t overpowering. In fact, it was just the right amount of heat. The sweet potatoes added a nice chunky texture to the soup, so it wasn’t just a thin broth. In fact, it bulked it up, made it a bit thicker than many of the Pacific Natural Foods soups. I didn’t expect to fall in love with this soup like I did, but it packs a flavor punch that excited every tastebud on my tongue. No lie. Spicy, thick, sweet, warm, rich, smooth…it was everything a soup should be.
And, sadly, as it was on closeout, I haven’t been able to find it at any grocery store since. Such a shame since I’d buy out the store if I found it again.
If you can find this soup at your grocery store…honestly, it’s worth buying. Packed with bold flavor, it was a fantastic find. I just wish I could find it on shelves now. It saddens me that such a fantastic product is no longer available here. However, I’m constantly on the search and one day…I’ll find it again. This soup is worthy of the hunt. I wouldn’t do it for any soup…just this one. It is that good.
A bowl of Pacific Natural Foods Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup
Maple Grove Farms Sugar-Free (and Gluten Free) Butter Flavor Syrup
Honestly, French toast, waffles and pancakes (of the freshly made variety) are never as good when they aren’t drizzled with that sticky, sweet topping of syrup. They just seem unfinished. Plain. Not ready for consumption. Yet, the moment a garnish of syrup is applied to said breakfast food of choice…it’s like the finishing touch. And the finale is how delicious it tastes when you take bite after bite of it.
Growing up, I never liked maple syrup. Never. I’m still not overly fond of it, finding many varieties to be too sweet by nature. And, many store-bought varieties have added sweeteners and sugar. Even the sugar-free brands don’t always taste right.
Such was not the case with Maple Grove Farms syrup. The first thing that, naturally, got my attention was that it was labeled gluten-free. Bonus. It was sugar-free. Good. And it came in not only a maple flavor, but a butter flavor too, thus eliminating any need to smother extra butter on a delicious gluten-free waffle or pancake prior to submerging said breakfast in syrup. Since I was in need of a gluten-free syrup for breakfast, I decided to give Maple Grove Farms a try.
I wasn’t disappointed either. The butter flavor is just right. The fact that it is sugar-free means that it isn’t too sweet. And, naturally it is low in calories. When some breakfast foods already wrack up that calorie count, it’s nice to add flavor without totally destroying your allotment for the day.
Now…flavor. Buttery and rich, this easily coats the breakfast of choice and fills your mouth with flavor. It is smooth and not overpowering. The syrup isn’t meant to be the highlight of the dish, merely a compliment of it. And that’s what Maple Grove Farms managed with their sugar-free butter flavor syrup. It’s delicious. And I’ve run out to the store specifically for this syrup when I run out or run low unexpectedly. It’s the perfect addition to a carb-filled breakfast, without being too much. And that’s what makes this my favorite syrup…ever.
I promise, even if you aren’t big on syrup like me, you’ll enjoy this one!
Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Especially to a breakfast-fiend like me. I’m not talking just cereal with a splash of almond milk. I mean a real, hearty breakfast. What’s the point of breakfast if it isn’t filling?
When I had to go gluten-free, most of my homemade breakfasts consisted of eggs. Now, I like eggs as much as the next person, but after awhile, you need variety. Since pancakes and waffles are not always an option for the gluten-free breakfast lover, unless you want to pay an arm and a leg for a mix, I was regulated to frozen waffles, which didn’t wow me. Or toast…which is kind of…boring. Not meant for a breakfast diva, like myself.
Then, one day, my roommate surprised me with a pack of Pamela’s Products Baking & Pancake Mix. Now, I love Pamela’s Products’ cookies. I’ve had three different varieties of them (and sadly have only blogged on one, but will remedy that soon enough). This line of gluten-free goodies has wowed me from the moment I put a double dark chocolate cookie into my mouth instead of a slice of cake at a party. So…here was a chance not only to enjoy another product from this reliable brand, but also to have one of my most favorite breakfasts ever…PANCAKES!! Gluten-free pancakes. My breakfast suddenly gave me a lot more to look forward to.
Pamela's Products Pancakes (from mix)
Making Pamela’s pancakes is not a difficult task. One cup of mix, 3/4 cup of water, 1 egg…mix. Make sure the mix isn’t runny or your pancakes won’t be fluffy. Place on skillet. Cook.
I grew up in the age of my mom’s “Best Ever Pancakes,” which are made from scratch. When I moved out and on my own, it was mixes in a box from Fiber One or Bisquik. What could possibly live up to that, right?
Pamela’s Products Baking & Pancake Mix. That’s what! No joke. They cook up really fluffy. And, despite not having a bit of milk in them, taste like a buttermilk pancake. No joke. They are fantastic. Light, fluffy, and packed with flavor. The recipe on the back cooks up six amazing pancakes, and the good news is…they reheat and taste just as good the next morning. Most of the time, reheated pancakes seem a bit stiff. Not these. Soft and delicious right out of the microwave, almost as if they were just flipped off the skillet and drizzled with some (gluten-free) maple syrup.
Pamela's Products Pancakes with drizzle of gluten-free maple syrup...breakfast is served!
But why limit yourself to just pancakes when you clearly have a mix that can go beyond that?
My birthday was coming up and, since I had to go gluten-free, I know a birthday dessert can be a bit of a bear for others to deal with. I took it upon myself to make my own birthday treat (although I didn’t get a candle or the ‘Happy Birthday’ song to go with it, but alas…) for my after-dinner with friends and family event. Cake was an option, but cake has never really been my favorite dessert in the world. Mostly because I am not a frosting person and without frosting, most cakes tend to be lacking something. So…I went for something I had been craving since going gluten-free…and one of my favorite desserts in the world:
Strawberry shortcake.
The shortcake part was the difficult part. But what I decided to do was use a bit of Pamela’s Products Baking & Pancake Mix and make some drop biscuits that could be sliced and piled high with fresh (organic) strawberries and dollops of Cool Whip. What could be more amazing than that? So I set myself to the task the night before, baking up drop biscuits and having my roommate, Cathy, and our friend Greg (who ventured down for my birthday weekend) act as guinea pigs for the finished product. They aren’t gluten-free so if it won them over…we were golden.
Pamela's Products Drop Biscuits
What I got was high praise for the melt-in-your-mouth, buttery, delicious taste of these biscuits. So, naturally, I had to have one too. And then I had requests for seconds. So, I baked up another batch to have for the birthday celebration and tucked them away for the time being. The following morning, I had a request for the biscuits, so I made another round of them for breakfast.
After dinner out, everyone reconvened back at my apartment for dessert. The idea was a ‘build your own’ strawberry (or blueberry, or raspberry) shortcake, but I just did everyone’s for them. And everyone loved it with the biscuits. I sliced them in half, put on layers of fruit and Cool Whip, and topped them off with the top of the biscuit, more Cool Whip, and fruit. They were a hit, that’s for sure.
So, whether making gluten-free pancakes, biscuits, or other products (like scones, muffins, etc…) I highly recommend trying out Pamela’s Products Baking & Pancake Mix. It’s delicious and everything I have made has been light, fluffy and delicious. Baking mixes sometimes need a lot to be added to them to make them palatable. But not Pamela’s. This mix is packed with powerful flavors and bakes up to perfection, no matter what you set out to bake.
Pamela’s Products = Perfection. Every time.
Strawberry Shortcakes made from Pamela's Products Drop Biscuits (from mix)
I love pretzels. I always have. Low calorie, low fat, and just enough salt to satisfy. They are the ultimate snack. And I love them in every form. Soft, crunchy, unsalted, twisted, sticks…yeah…they are an easy go-to snack.
When I had to go gluten-free however, my go-to snacks became very expensive. With gluten-free pretzels ranging around the $5.99 and higher mark, it wasn’t fitting into my food budget any time soon. And then, my local grocery store had a manager’s special on Glutino pretzel twists. An equation for my imminent purchase is: Gluten-Free + SALE = My Pantry. I bought up all five bags that were on the sale table, as they weren’t set to expire anytime soon, so I would have ample time to eat them before the sell-by date.
Pretzels make awesome work snacks. With a pantry shelf full of Glutino pretzels, I started taking a serving to work each day for my afternoon snack. As always, I get a little anxious when trying a new product. Mostly because I don’t know if I’m going to like it or hate it or just be indifferent about it. Being a foodie…I want my food to wow me. So, with only a little trepidation, I popped one in my mouth. Since pretzels are the ultimate party snack, these ignited a party of flavor in my mouth. Delicious doesn’t even begin to describe how good these snacks are.
Glutino pretzel twists have a bit of a buttery flavor and have just the right hint of salt as to not be overpowering. They are crispy, delicious, and have such amazing flavor. I enjoyed them more than any other pretzel I had prior to needing to go gluten-free. Even more intersting, my mom has been on a gluten-free diet as well and bought these and my dad, who doesn’t have to be gluten-free, prefers them over regular snack pretzels as well.
The verdict is in…Glutino rocks the party snack world with out-of-this-world pretzel twists. Eat them on their own or dip them. Either way…you’ll be happy you tried them.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. For me, it really is. I could eat breakfast for every meal and never grow tired of the vast array of items that are considered “breakfast food.”
While on a recent trip to the grocery store, I noticed that the Nature’s Path Wildberry waffles were on sale in the organic freezer section. What was the kicker was…they are also gluten-free. Sold. Sale = Gluten-free = My $$$ in the grocery store.
I was really excited about trying these out, so the following morning, I popped them into a my toaster and eagerly awaited my moment of truth as to how good of a product it was. The plus side – the waffles smelled amazing as they were toasting up. I literally could not wait to sink my teeth into one. I was salivating over the toaster, just waiting on the moment it would pop up. When it finally did, I snatched them up, tossed them (They were hot! Don’t judge!) onto a plate, and drizzled them with warm (gluten-free) syrup.
The moment of truth had finally arrived. I used my fork to slice into it, finding it already a huge disappointment with how soggy they were. Yes. Soggy. Like every bit of syrup was soaked into it like a sponge, instead of resting on top and becoming part of the flavor. What a disappointment. They tasted okay, but I hated that they were now like mush. If I wanted to eat mush, I would have made oatmeal or let my cereal sit extra long in my almond milk.
Nature’s Path has a great variety of foods, and even a few gluten-free choices. The waffles, however, did not live up to expectations. Which, honestly, was too bad since they would have been absolutely fantastic had they not immediately become soggy. I hope, in the future, this problem is fixed because I’d love to give them another shot. When a product smells that delicious it should taste that delicious…but the texture was all wrong on these.
Mustard is one of those condiments you either love or hate. Sometimes, it’s best to incorporate it into a recipe rather than simply spread it on a sandwich. The problem is, not all mustards are created equally. Quality is important when hunting for one that suits your palate.
My good friend Amanda has this knack of providing gluten-free goodies to me every now and again. Such was the case with Koops’ Dijon mustard. It was one of many products she handed to me one day and I was eager to put it to use. Thankfully, one of my favorite recipes, a vegetarian-ized version of my mom’s Chicken Breast Dijon, called for the use of Dijon mustard. Perfect. So, that very week, I was pulling out the mustard and putting it on my vegetarian chicken, rolling it in breadcrumbs, and cooking it in the pan to perfection.
Despite the additional seasoning, what I found about this particular brand of Dijon mustard was that it had a nice, smooth, rich flavor to it. It just melts into the food, highlighting every flavor and not overpowering the other products on the plate. In order to really test it, I simply dabbed my finger in it and sampled. Tangy. Velvety. Koops’ does everything right. Even better, every ingredient they use is all natural and recognizable. No chemicals or high fructose corn syrup. Naturally good. And gluten-free.
I’ve used this mustard now to dip vegetarian chicken nuggets in and have simply dabbed cherry tomatoes in it to add a kick to the fruit. It’s delicious. No other mustard has ever compared, in baking or on its own. And when you recognize everything that goes into a product, well, for me anyway, it makes it much more appealing. No added colors or chemicals make this my mustard of choice. And with a variety of flavors out there…I look forward to testing out each unique flavor to see how it stacks up.
Koops’ does only mustard…which is why they must do it so well. Being gluten-free, all-natural, and completely delicious is the definite payoff.
The Celiathlete 