Product: DR Delish Gluten-Free Animal Cookies – $2.99+
If you live near a Walgreens…dash out there right this instant.
Well, maybe read this first…then, dash out there and pick up a bag of the DR Delish Animal Cookies. Why? Because the brand name is not meant to deceive you. These cookies are absolutely, positively, 100% one of the best tasting gluten-free cookies out on the market. And they are exclusive to Walgreens.
I actually never would have found these as I do not frequent Walgreens often. And it never would have occurred to me to look for gluten-free items there. I blame this new fascination…this new…addiction, if you will…on my mother. Yes, my MOM!! And I love her for it. I love her for every cookie in that little pouch.
You see…these cookies came to me in the mail. A little surprise gift from my mom. She had been out at Walgreens and had spotted those on the shelf. She knew…she just knew…I had to have them. She was right. Because I think when I pulled these out of the shipping box, I might have started to cry. It had been a rough day for me…nothing in the world seemed right. And then…my mom sends me cookies. Not just any cookies, mind you. But ones shaped like animals. Like the animal crackers I used to devour as a child. I won’t lie…I devoured them as a teenager and an adult as well. Until I no longer could.
You often don’t realize how much you miss something until you can no longer have it. I didn’t realize how much I missed animal crackers until I pulled this bag of DR Delish Gluten-Free Animal Cookies out of a simple USPS box. I was a mess of emotions that day…and at that moment, the note from my mom and the cookies themselves meant more than anything to me.
As I have established before…I have a stash of gluten-free goodies going in my pantry, which I am attempting to work through in some semblance of order. This meant, despite the overwhelming spring of emotions brought on by this gift, these cookies would have to wait their turn in the snack queue.
The wait came to an end…today.
Last night, as I was prepping my lunch, snacks, and breakfast for after my gym workout, I realized I needed a new afternoon snack. The next item up…DR Delish Gluten-Free Animal Cookies. I retrieved the bag from the pantry and tore it open to dish out the serving size (about 10 cookies…but if you weigh your food like I do…it’s 30 grams). I resisted the urge to sneak a bite right then and there, playing it as I always do…and reserving that for my afternoon snack time at the office. I sealed the bag back up and returned it to the shelf.
Lo and behold, my snack time finally rolled around and I was all too excited to be diving into a serving of animal cracker-like snacks. Just from first-hand glance, these cookies resemble the cookies you’d find under that layer of high fructose corn syrup-y icing. They had the same feel to them too…minus the icing of course.
What came as the surprise to me, however, was the flavor. The taste. How absolutely fantastic and addictive these were. It’s a good thing I did sort these by serving instead of just hauling the entire pack with me. They’d be gone in a New York Gluten-Free Minute! Holy gluten-free cow, Batman…these were amazing. They sort of reminded me of a sugary cake. That was the flavor I got. Less cracker, more cookie-cake-y flavor. They aren’t as airy as the traditional animal cracker, having a density closer to butter cookies or shortbread, but they have this soft crispness to them. And the flavor…out of this world. For real!! They have this subtle sweetness of vanilla and honey with that hit of buttery goodness that just makes them…the perfect cookie in every way. And…they are shaped…LIKE ANIMALS!! Come on! These taste identical…if not better…to the non-gluten-free versions I used to be able to eat before I had to go gluten-free.
I could eat these every day and be one very, very happy girl.
Nutritionally speaking, a serving of these cookies (the very difficult to stick to 10 cookies or 30 grams) will set you back 130 calories and only 1 gram of fat. These also only have a small amount of sugar, topping out at 9 grams. In addition,, you get 2 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein in each serving. Not too bad. What’s even better is, unlike those regular animal crackers, these cookies do not contain high fructose corn syrup.
DR Delish Gluten-Free Animal Cookies…you are a fun, super delish treat. If I had less self-control…the entire bag in my pantry would be gone right now. Yeah. That good.
thinkThin Caramel Chocolate Dipped Mixed Nuts Crunch Bar – $1.99+
Oh, I just can’t stop singing the praises of thinkThin and the amazing, gluten-free, delicious, and nutritious bars that they have out on the market. I have reviewed quite a few along the way, as I often use these as a protein pick-me-up, or even a pre-race or post-race snack. They are portable…and…even more importantly…impressively filling and delicious.
One of the newer bars out on the market are their line of thinkThin Crunch bars. They have a few varieties out there. Previously, I tried out just the regular Chocolate Dipped Mixed Nuts Crunch Bar…and absolutely devoured it and sang its praises along the way.
Well, my roommate loves a good deal…and while I sent her out to grab something from the grocery store one day when I was in the kitchen slaving away over dinner, she returned with gifts. And one of these gifts was a new flavor of thinkThin Crunch bars.
Happiness. I love new products. Especially by companies and brands that I trust.
Enter…the morning of one of my races. For longer races, I usually dine on a delicious banana about 40 minutes prior to the run. For shorter races…it’s whatever I can grab. Banana works then too…but I haven’t been keeping bananas recently. Sad…I should start doing that again. But, in a rush to get out the door, it was find something quick from the drawer of race morning snacks. I didn’t want something with a lot of chocolate…because I don’t think my tummy would handle that well before a run. The only option, then, that I currently had…was the thinkThin Caramel Chocolate Dipped Mixed Nuts Crunch Bar that Cathy brought home for me. It still had a small amount of chocolate in it…but far less than the other options in the drawer. It would have to do.
We ended up being way ahead of schedule to the race…but the guy with all the packet stuff was running late that morning. It was a little earlier than I liked, but as we were sitting around waiting on someone before anything else race related could be done…I figured I’d go ahead and eat my bar, giving my body some time to work on digesting not just the bit of chocolate, but the nuts as well.
I unwrapped the bar and took a bite.
It reminded me of something…and I still can’t seem to put my finger on it. But…it was something I used to eat…often. So, trust me when I say…this bar is yummy! It is packed with a blend of peanuts, almonds, and cashews. All of the nuts are bound together and sweetened with a hint of honey, then the bottom layer is dipped in a decadent blend of caramel and dark chocolate. Together, the salty-sweet mix is the perfect blend for any palate. Who doesn’t love a hit of sweetness with salty things? It’s why I loved eating chocolate covered pretzels before I had to go gluten-free (but Glutino makes fantastic gluten-free chocolate covered pretzels)…that combination of salty and sweet just does it for me. And this bar combines everything I love about that combination…into one healthy and satisfying bar.
Nutritionally speaking, when it comes to bars of this nature, this is one of the best you can choose. One bar will only set you back 190 calories and 11 grams of fat. Yes…the fat content may seem high, but most of that is from the nuts, and those are healthy, belly-flattening fats. This bar is low in sugar, topping out at only 6 grams, which is 70% less than most leading fruit and nut bars. In addition to that, a healthy dose of 9 grams of protein (that’s 80% more than leading fruit and nut bars as well) and 4 grams of fiber will help keep you feeling full and satisfied long after this bar is eaten. I ran a hard, hilly 5K race and I wasn’t even starving afterwards like I usually am.
Replace candy bars with this wholesome Crunch bar from thinkThin and you’re right on track to delicious, nutritious snacking. I absolutely loved the flavor combination and that this bar is so healthy on top of it. thinkThin has done me proud in the past…and once again…they live up to the high standards they set. I continue to buy bars from thinkThin because they continue to put out a product worth buying. The crunch bars will replace your sugar-loaded candy bars or granola bars…and give you added nutrients in the process.
Smart thinking, thinkThin.
thinkThin Caramel Chocolate Dipped Crunch Bar (unwrapped)
That’s basically what I’ve been enjoying this week. I’m not even joking.
And why should I joke about such a thing. When my roomie ordered the Cinnamon Strip from Katz Gluten Free, she did so without my knowledge. You see, I gave her carte blanche to place an order for Katz goodies using a Groupon or Gluten Free Saver certificate that I bought…without me knowing what would be arriving. One of the items she chose was…the Cinnamon Strip.
I had no idea what the Cinnamon Strip was, honestly. No joke. When it arrived at my office and I unpacked it…it looked like a loaf of bread. I took it home that night, put it in the freezer…and there it remained. But, you see, summer is coming and I need room in my freezer for my ice cream maker. So, I’m making my way through the items I’ve stored in there. And this week…I thought something called a Cinnamon Strip might be a delicious idea for breakfast. I mean, it’s probably a cinnamon-y loaf of some sort, right?
Well…I was kind of right.
I took the Cinnamon Strip out of the freezer the night before and placed it in the fridge to thaw. The next morning, I wasn’t exactly sure what to do with it…but assuming it was a loaf of something, I thought…maybe making it into French toast. So, the Cinnamon Strip came out of the fridge and I heated up a skillet and cracked an egg and scrambled it up to dip it in. And then…only then…did I retrieve a cutting board and knife and actually slice into the Cinnamon Strip.
Katz Gluten Free Cinnamon Strip
On Katz Gluten Free Web site, the Cinnamon Strip is simply described as being a great-tasting and decadent treat with rich layers of cinnamon filling. I didn’t read this nor look at a picture before deciding to make French toast from it. Obviously. Because when I sliced into the Cinnamon Strip…I was not expecting what I got. In fact…the Cinnamon Strip is less like a cake or a loaf of bread…and more like a cinnamon roll…before you actually slice them into rolls to bake. Since I already had the egg ready to go, I went ahead and did that day’s up as French toast…topping it off with a small amount of real maple syrup. It was delicious…but I wanted to eat this in the actual way it was meant to be eaten.
Sliced…warmed…and just rich with cinnamon flavor.
The next day, that’s exactly what I did. I retrieved the Cinnamon Strip from the fridge and sliced into it again. This time, I only intended to give it a few seconds (about 20 total) of warming in the microwave. The first slice went to my roommate. And as I was warming mine up, she was digging in. I asked her if she preferred this over my attempt to make it French toast. She said that it tasted like a cinnamon roll.
Well, we all know I have a deep love and appreciation…and addiction…to cinnamon rolls. If a gluten-free bakery is doing them…I want them. Well, this seems to be Katz Gluten Free’s answer to the cinnamon roll. That’s exactly what it smells like as it warms in the microwave. If I had some icing handy, I’d have spread it over the top. But I ran out of icing a little while ago. I checked. None was currently lurking in my freezer. Trust me…I hunted. That being said..when I settled in to taste this for myself…I couldn’t have agreed more. Like eating a a slice of cinnamon roll. It was sweet with a cinnamon and sugar crust on the outside, but soft on the inside, the cinnamon rolled between the dough giving that perfect sweetness to each bite…even the ones without that candied outside crust.
In other words…super yummy!
I admit…this is probably not the healthiest choice for breakfast, but, honestly, it’s like a smaller, lighter cinnamon roll. So…how bad can that be? I sliced up my Cinnamon Strip into 10 slices, because the servings per container said 9, and I hate odd numbers when there are two people in my apartment that eat something. So, these are already slightly less caloric than they would be had I sliced them into 9 servings, as directed. That being said, normally a slice of Katz Gluten Free Cinnamon Strip would set you back 210 calories and 8 grams of fat. It is rather high on sugar, containing 17 grams, but it’s no different than eating a cinnamon roll, honestly. If you’re going sweet treat for breakfast…that sugar will be higher. Higher than I like…but I wasn’t sure what I was slicing into. This is probably meant to be a dessert…but for me…it’s a delicious breakfast treat this week.
Katz Gluten Free Cinnamon Strip is made from their gluten-free flour blend (a mix of potato, tapioca, white rice, brown rice, and sorghum flours), sugar, canola oil, water, eggs, confection sugar, orange juice, vanilla sugar, dry yeast, cinnamon, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt. And what you get is this strip of cinnamon-sugary sweetness that is ideal for dessert, but perfectly works for breakfast as well. If you are a conneasuier of cinnamon rolls like I am…then you will want to devour this. It’s hard to keep it to just one slice when something as moist, delicious, and sweet emerges ready to eat. Toast it, warm it…or eat it straight. It’s delicious any way you slice it.
Katz Gluten Free just won me over with yet another product. They are on one sweet, sweet roll!
Special Delivery of Udi’s Gluten-Free Goodies – including brand new products!
Product: Udi’s Gluten-Free Sweet and Crunchy Vanilla Granola – $6.50+
A little while back, I received a nice box of goodies from Udi’s Gluten-Free, containing some of their old products and a few of their new products. Now…one of the first gluten-free products I actually enjoyed eating came from Udi’s. I believe it was their bread…and I think it made me cry because I was finally eating gluten-free bread that actually tasted like bread. I was in Colorado at the time. At a convention. And it felt like I had just won the lottery. Nothing could have made me happier.
Since that initial taste, I’ve been a staunch supporter of Udi’s products. In fact, I’ve tried most of their older products at some point and have enjoyed every single one of them…save the Cinnamon Rolls. They just don’t…do it for me. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been spoiled by gluten-free bakeries like Annie May’s Sweet Café here in Louisville, Kentucky, and Sinfully Gluten Free in Dayton, Ohio…whose gluten-free cinnamon rolls are to die for. Udi’s just hasn’t mastered that product yet. But…that’s okay. Everything else…is addicting. To the point I have my cousin in Minnesota (who does not have to eat gluten-free) completely addicted to and purchasing Udi’s Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Muffins.
No lie. I got her hooked on them last year when I was out to visit my grandpa and my family. If people who can eat anything prefer Udi’s…well…they are doing something right!
Udi’s Gluten-Free Sweet and Crunchy Vanilla Granola
Some of you may realize that I am a breakfast person. I love me some breakfast. LOVE it. I could eat breakfast for every meal of the day and not get tired of it. Breakfast is so versatile and so many varieties of food can be made into a breakfast treat of some sort.
Well, one of my favorite things to make for breakfast is a fruit and Greek yogurt parfait. I give these some texture by adding gluten-free granola. And, let me tell you…I have pretty much exhausted the market of gluten-free granola. At least the ones I can find in this area. Every now and again I’ll stumble across one that I haven’t tried yet…but…yeah…I’ve pretty much got the granola available around here covered.
But…in my Udi’s box of gluten-free goodies…there was a package of granola. Now, I’ve had a few of Udi’s Gluten-Free Granola before…but I hadn’t tried the Sweet and Crunchy Vanilla Granola yet. So…this one, while not a new product, was a new product to me. I hadn’t tried it yet. In fact, I hadn’t even seen this variety in my various grocery stores I hit up on a week-to-week basis (and let me tell you…I hit up a lot every week).
Excited for my next breakfast parfait, I tucked it into my pantry for safe keeping and then…promptly went on two trips out of town and had to cancel my CSA bin of fresh and local produce and fruits. That being said, I was finally back in town and had some leftover plain Greek yogurt from making tzatzkiki with the cucumber and red onion I had received in the bin. When fresh blueberries showed up in my CSA bin, I already knew what was on the menu for breakfast.
A serving of Udi’s Gluten-Free Sweet and Crunchy Vanilla Granola
The next morning, I pulled out the remainder of the Greek yogurt and knew I needed to dress it up some for my roommate. Plain yogurt has never been her thing, so I added a dash of my gluten-free vanilla, a hit of cinnamon, and a squeeze of honey and mixed it all together. It looked fantastic. I gave the blueberries a rinse and then pulled the granola out of the pantry. It was time to assemble the parfaits…but first…I needed to see how this granola tasted on its own.
I grabbed a small cluster in the palm of my hand and popped it into my mouth.
And then…I did it again. It was so incredibly good. The vanilla gives it the right amount of sweetness and the almonds give it texture and this nice savory and saltiness that it needs to balance it all out. The toasted gluten-free oats are crunchy to perfection, lending this great flavor and texture a much needed crunch. And the sweetness of the honey really shines in each bite. Oh yeah…this was good. This was beyond good…this was deliciously fantastic…and amazingly addicting.
I had to tell myself to stop eating it from the bag and start making breakfast parfaits for my roommate and I. So, into the bowl went a bit of the Udi’s Gluten-Free Sweet and Crunchy Vanilla Granola. I spooned some Greek yogurt over that, gave it a hit of honey, then added some blueberries. I then repeated with another layer. Topped it off with a bit more granola, and then hit it up with one last drizzle of honey. The result?
Sweet, refreshing, crunchy, perfection. It was one of the best parfaits I had assembled. The flavors just meshed well. The granola gave the yogurt and berries a much needed crunch. And the sweetness blended well with that of the other components in the parfait. I was hooked.
Udi’s Gluten-Free Sweet and Crunchy Vanilla Granola is a good choice when it comes to gluten-free granola. So often, granola are laden down with sugar, making them an unhealthy choice. Which, is not what you expect when you eat granola. A serving of Udi’s Gluten-Free Sweet and Crunchy Vanilla Granola is 1/4 cup, which will set you back about 140 calories and 6 grams of fat. That’s not too bad for granola. Even better, this particular variety only has 7 grams of sugar (YAY!! It’s one of the better ones I’ve seen!), serves you 2 grams of fiber, and 4 grams of protein. Awesome. This flavor has no cholestorl, no sodium, and no trans-fat.
And it is SO addictive and SO delicious. Trust me. Whether you eat it straight or add it to your oatmeal or yogurt…one thing is for certain…
Udi’s is continuing to do great things for the gluten-free foods on the market. Udi’s Gluten-Free Sweet and Crunchy Vanilla Granola is just proof that good things come in small packages. This is one delicious and fantastic granola that won’t make you feel too guilty about indulging. Find it and try it. You won’t be disappointed.
A Blueberry and Greek Yogurt Breakfast Parfait made with Udi’s Gluten-Free Sweet and Crunchy Vanilla Granola
Simply Shari’s Gluten-Free and Fabulous Lemon Shortbread Bite Size Cookies
Product: Simply Shari’s Gluten-Free and Fabulous Lemon Shortbread Bite Size Cookies – $4.29+
LEMON!!!
Lemon is one of my most favorite flavors in this world. Honestly. There is something so refreshing and revitalizing about not just the scent, but that taste of lemon. And everyone who knows me is quite aware of this fact.
Especially my friend Jenn…who is as much a connoisseur of lemon-flavored lemony things as me. And she is the person I have to thank for bringing Simply Shari’s Gluten-Free and Fabulous Lemon Shortbread Bite Size Cookies into my life. For freakin’ real. She has been one of the most understanding and adapting of my friends when it came to me having to go gluten-free. I show up at her house at times and she showers me with goodies that she has found while out and about. AND…she keeps a “gluten-free” section in her pantry for me as well. Good friends like Jenn are AWESOME and meant to be praised in blogs like this one.
So…awhile back she gifted me with a bag of gluten-free goodness that I asked her to pick up for me since the items were on sale. And when there is a gluten-free sale, even in another state, I jump at the chance to take advantage of it. Well, she threw in a couple of extra things she spotted…and one of them was these little bite-size lemon shortbread cookies.
Simply Shari’s was one of those brands I just sort of accidentally happened upon way back when this gluten-free thing was new to me. I was in Frankfort, Kentucky for the Black Cat Chase 5K…and my roommate and I dropped into the Kroger on our way out. And one of the Manager’s Specials was on a frozen gluten-free pizza from Simply Shari’s. We ended up purchasing it…and eating it a few nights later…and loving it. The Almond Shortbread was next…and we both were enamored with that as well.
So…lemon goodness had to abound from these, right? I knew it was a sure thing because Jenn had picked up some for herself and told me that they were super yumtastic. Those weren’t her exact words. I’m loosely quoting here.
Well, being as it is National Chocolate Chip day…and I don’t have anything chocolate chip in the apartment…I settled on the next best thing for dessert. Yes…lemon cookies. Because nothing says celebrating chocolate chips like lemon shortbread. I never do anything normal or simple. This is my norm.
So, after a delightful dinner and after scouring all the dishes…my roommate and I were definitely ready for a small bite for dessert. That’s one thing I love about these cookies from Simply Shari’s. They are bite-size. So you aren’t getting this huge cookie that is packed with all these fillers that will make you feel more stuffed than you already are. Nope. Not these.
Simply Shari’s Gluten-Free and Fabulous Lemon Shortbread Bite Size Cookies (for being bite size…that’s a mouthful, yes?) are awesome. No exaggeration there. One bite and it was hard to keep myself from simply devouring the other two that were held in the palm of my hand. Honestly. Lemon at its best. Shortbread at its most awesome.
Yes…you still have that buttery and crumbly texture that is associated with shortbread. It’s sweet and savory all at once. But then…add in that fantastic lemon flavor and you totally turn of the volume on these cookies…all the way up to 11. They don’t skimp on the lemon flavor, nor do they throw it in your face either. It’s not subtle but it won’t leave your taste buds feeling assaulted by lemon. That’s the tricky thing about lemon…you can easily make it too lemony so easily. Not Simply Shari’s. And that lemon flavor…it was the perfect match with the buttery taste of the shortbread. So impressed.
These cookies are made with simple ingredients. Rice flour, brown rice flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, cornstarch, potato starch, xanthum gum, water, baking soda, modified corn starch, guar gum, baking soda, and, naturally, lemon fruit pieces. These candied lemon pieces are the star of these cookies, bringing them to life with their stunning lemon flavor. And these crumbly, delicious shortbread cookies are rather impressive nutritionally too…as far as cookies go.
One serving is three bite size lemon shortbread cookies. These three cookies will set you back only 120 calories and 6 grams of fat. Not bad for shortbread. Not bad at all. Even better, the sugar content in these cookies is definitely on the low side – only 9 grams. These gluten-free cookies are also non-GMO, which is always appreciated.
Simply put…Simply Shari’s Gluten-Free and Fabulous Lemon Shortbread Bite Size Cookies are amazing. I am so glad I have a second pack of these in my pantry as well. I’m addicted and hooked and loving the lemon and buttery goodness in a simply delicious and simply fabulous bite-size package. It’s hard to keep that serving down to just three.
By now, it’s no secret that one of the few fruits that I do not like (trust me…there aren’t many) are mangoes. Yep. Mangoes. I have never been a fan of that particular fruit. Give me papaya any day of the week…or any other fruit for that matter. But mangoes…there is just something about them that I just don’t like…flavor-wise.
So…while I was away in Minnesota visiting my grandpa and running a half marathon, my CSA bin order automatically went through. In this particular order that I was not around to modify (come on, I was visiting family, not sitting on my computer!), I soon realized that I would now be the proud (I guess?) owner of two fresh mangoes when my bin arrived on Friday.
Just…great! (Yes…that is sarcasm). So…what does someone who doesn’t like mangoes do with mangoes now that she has them and refuses to let anything go to waste?
Who knows? But I get on Pinterest and do some hunting for ideas. And one that I found, and that looked and sounded delicious…was a recipe for a mango salsa that also included other vegetables such as avocado and tomato. It could work. Maybe. So…I picked up the rest of the ingredients that I needed on the way home tonight and made this salsa to accompany the vegan and gluten-free shrimp tacos I was making for dinner.
I was really, really, really surprised by how much I liked this! Sweet, slightly spicy, and refreshing. The recipe, taken from Allrecipes.com, is as follows:
In a medium bowl, combine the mango, avocado, tomatoes, serrano, cilantro, and garlic.
Stir in the salt, lime juice, red onion, and olive oil.
To blend the flavors, refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving.
~*~*~
Yes…it really is that easy to make. The prep work is what takes up all the time. And it’s just a bunch of dicing and chipping to be honest. What emerges from the fridge is this amazing salsa that is refreshing and layered with flavors. Sweet from the tomatoes and mango, a bit of spice from the cilantro, onion, and serrano chili, all just mixed together and creating this deliciously balanced condiment.
I put mine on my gluten-free and vegan shrimp (yes, vegan shrimp) tacos…and that worked out beautifully. It was one of my favorite dinners I have ever put together. But, go ahead and pair this with tortilla chips or anything in need of a delicious salsa.
Product: Love Grown Foods Blueberry Banana Walnut Hot Oats – $2.49+
We all know by now that every day during the workweek, my lunch consists of one thing and one thing only – gluten-free oatmeal.
I have tried a lot of gluten-free oatmeal out on the market. Some I have liked, a couple I have loved, some I tolerated, and some…I just couldn’t bring myself to finish.
When it came to gluten-free granola, I was no stranger to the awesome and amazing lure and taste of Love Grown Foods. They definitely had the best out on the market. That’s why I continue to buy it. And I probably always will. My pantry is never without one of their varieties, for sure. They are perfect with my fruit and Greek yogurt parfaits on non-gym mornings. My love affair with Love Grown Foods started early. And it has only grown ever since.
Rewind for a moment now to December 2012. I noticed an announcement from Love Grown Foods that was declaring the release of a brand new product. Much to my delight…it was their line of Hot Oats. You got it…gluten-free oatmeal. I was beside myself. I couldn’t wait to try it. I just…I just had to. If their granola was on the top of my list, surely their oatmeal had to be epic.
And between the launch and the beginning of May 2013…I could only sit and wonder. I was extremely jealous of every post I saw via Twitter of Facebook of people enjoying their Love Grown Foods Hot Oats. Why? Because I just could NOT find it in this area. No shocker there, right? It happens all the time. A gluten-free company I trust and love announces a new product. I get all excited and then spend up to as much as a year trying to find it in the Louisville, Kentucky area. It’s aggravating and frustrating and makes me one unhappy gluten-free camper.
However, one store in my area must have felt my pain. Because I was out at my local Fresh Market in Louisville, just scouting the aisles as I tend to do…and lo and behold…in the cereal aisle, the clouds parted and a ray of sunshine illuminated the shelf upon which the little cups of Love Grown Foods Hot Oats were sitting. Okay, not really…but it makes for a much better story. The fact of the matter is…I FINALLY found them! At long last! YAY!! That…was the good news. The bad news was, my already strict budget for gluten-free grocery shopping was reaching max capacity…so I could only purchase one of them. JUST ONE! After all this time.
So…that decision was to try the Love Grown Foods Blueberry Banana Walnut Hot Oats. Because all those ingredients were things I absolutely love in life. So…why not?
Today…at lunch…I got my first taste of hot loving!
Making this oatmeal is so easy. It makes the others that I eat feel so labor intensive. Pull back top halfway, pour water up to line inside container, microwave for about 60 seconds (adding 10 to 20 seconds depending on how thick you want your oats). Let sit for 2 minutes. Then…devour.
Told you it was easy.
I did all of this, putting my oats in for an additional 20 seconds because I dislike soupy oatmeal, and took it back to my desk at the office to sit for two minutes. I somehow managed to find some way to occupy myself so that I didn’t go nuts waiting for it to reach the point of doneness for consumption by…me. Two minutes…that seemed to take forever. Anticipation was killing me. And then…it was time.
I peeled off the top and gave the oats a good healthy stir. They had set up to perfection. Nice and thick without being chunky and overdone. YES! Getting the consistency of the oatmeal right is a challenge in and of itself…but this made it so easy to get just right. Creamy and thick and just how I liked them. Lunch perfection if you ask me. Throughout the oats, I could see the blueberries, the bits of walnut, and, yes, even some banana. My little spoon scooped up a heap of the hot oats and I indulged in my first taste.
OH. MY. HOT. OATY. GOODNESS.
Love…LOVE…LOVE this! Here’s the thing…not only was the consistency to my liking, it wasn’t overly sweet, it had the right amount of each of the components listed as the flavor on the front. And all of it worked together. Every last ingredient. It was a little savory, a little sweet, and wasn’t a little too much of any of it. Perfectly balanced. The dehydrated fruits rehydrated to perfection in the microwave as it warmed. The blueberries were soft and ripe. The walnuts added a nice hint of savory flavor. The banana…well…it’s banana and therefore always wins. And the oats…creamy and steamy to perfection. I can’t wait until I have enough room in my food budget to try another of the four flavors.
And for those of you who don’t know…the flavors that Love Grown Foods currently offers in their line of Hot Oats are: Strawberry Raspberry, Apple Cinnamon, Peach Vanilla Almond, and (of course) the Blueberry Banana Walnut.
So, now that we know these offer a spoonful of hot love in each bite…what about those pesky nutrition facts?
A serving is a single container of the hot oats. More than enough. It was really filling. In fact, these oats kept me feeling full longer than any of the others that have come before it. I approve. One serving of the Blueberry Banana Walnut Hot Oats serves you up 240 calories (which is a bit higher than other gluten-free oatmeal out there…but…yeah…don’t even count calories here…this is love…and you can’t put a calorie stamp on love!) and 4.5 grams of fat, of which a good percentage comes from the healthy fats contained in the walnuts. So fear not. The sugar content might seem a bit high at 12 grams, but brown sugar is one of the ingredients…and fruits naturally have sugar in them. I give this one a pass. As for fiber, you get served 5 filling grams of it and you also will be devouring a protein power-punch of 7 grams. This gluten-free athlete (who craves protein due to also being vegetarian) approves. Mightily approves.
And as I mentioned ingredients above…you’ve pretty much heard them all – certified gluten-free oats, brown sugar, banana, walnuts, blueberries, and cinnamon. That’s it. Nothing fake here. All real ingredients. All real good for you.
I encourage you, and even implore you to seek out Love Grown Foods Hot Oats at your local natural food stores or grocery stores. If they don’t have them, talk to customer service to see if they can order in the products. I hope my budget eases up a bit so I can afford to try another one. Because if the rest of the flavors that are out there come close to the amazing and awesomeness of the Blueberry Banana Walnut version, well…I might be in for a lot of budget juggling in my future.
Love Grown Foods continues to prove that putting a lot of love and care into the development, production, and taste of a product can pay off. I’m hooked. And now I just want more Hot Oats in my life. And stat.
Love Grown Foods Blueberry Banana Walnut Hot Oats (prepared)
There are just some brand names that you come back to in the gluten-free universe. Some are just leaps and bounds above the competition. Some have worked very hard to obtain that status, maintain their quality, and sustain their consumers with the finest products made from the finest ingredients.
I have numerous brands that, when in a pinch, I will search high and low for, if needed. Sometimes these brands are easier to come by than others. It just depends on the region of the country that you live in.
Thankfully, I never seem to have a problem when it comes to finding the gluten-free products that are part of the line-up from Van’s Natural Foods.
My love affair with Van’s Natural Foods began with their gluten-free French Toast Sticks and gluten-free Waffles. It hasn’t ended there…thanks to a plethora of new gluten-free items just released from this fantastic company.
One of these products…cereal.
Previously I had tried the Cinnamon Heaven gluten-free cereal and really voiced my love. That love still exists. I crave that cereal at really strange times. It was really that good. But…there was another one on the market that was begging for me to indulge a little. So…I had to pick it up…even if it was more expensive than my usual go-to gluten-free cereals.
This time, I picked up Van’s Natural Foods Gluten-Free Honey Nut Crunch Cereal. What I love at first glance is right on the box. You get 19 grams of nutrient-rich whole grains with each serving as well as 5 filling grans of fiber. Loving it! That simple 3/4 cup serving will also only set you back 120 calories for the day and only 1 gram of fat. Healthy, healthy, yes? The runner in me loves that the sugar is only at 7 grams, which is awesome for a cereal. Do keep in mind, that while you get a healthy dose of fiber in this cereal, the protein level is much lower, topping out only at 2 grams. But…hey…I’m a runner. I’ll eat some peanut butter later…on a spoon…from the jar. HA!
So, now that you’ve got the nitty-gritty not-so-bad nutritional aspect of the cereal, I bet you’re dying to know how they taste?
Truth…they are fantastic. Like…Honey Nut Cheerios…but not as overpoweringly sweet on the honey. That subtle honey flavor is what really makes this breakfast cereal shine. These little squares of whole grain goodness are infused with a sweet hint of honey, enough to wake up your tastebuds in the morning. Especially when you add a splash of almond milk to it. The sweet honey flavor doesn’t dissipate or deteriorate…it only gets better. I also love that these little squares of breakfast goodness aren’t overly crunchy. Don’t get me wrong, I love my cereal to have a crunch and to not get soggy when I add my almond milk. Soggy cereal sucks. Van’s Gluten-Free Honey Nut Crunch maintains it’s delicate crunch throughout the entire feasting period. And I tend to eat my cereal slow. Mind you, if you are trying to multitask and make coffee, flip pancakes, get snacks or lunches together and let the cereal sit…yeah…it will get soggy. But it stands up to the addition of milk for a good, long time in my opinion. And that sweet honey flavor doesn’t leave either. It stays in the squares. I love that I can still hear things over the gentle crunch and that my morning range of hearing isn’t handicapped by my teeth gnashing away at my bowl of cereal. These are phenomenal. Honestly. It was hard to keep myself from going back for another bowl.
One other point to make about Van’s Natural Foods is that on the ingredient panel, they list ingredients with the subscript (That We Are Proud Of!). And if you read them over, you’ll know why. The Gluten-Free Honey Nut Crunch cereal contains simply Van’s Gluten Free Whole Grain Blend (which is a blend of oat, brown rice, millet, quinoa and amaranth flours), Cane Sugar, Oat Fiber, Inulin, Invert Cane Sugar, Salt, Honey, Calcium Carbonate, Natural Flavors, Natural Mixed Tocopherols for Freshness. I can see why they are proud of those ingredients. And it makes me a happy consumer and customer in the end. Especially when I can identify every single thing on there.
Gluten-free cereals can be hit or miss and often are pumped full of extra fat or extra sugar. I love that Van’s Natural Foods Gluten-Free Honey Nut Crunch cereal is good without having to be a sugary, fattening treat in the morning. If I wanted that…I’d eat a gluten-free doughnut. Van’s does gluten-free right and I am loving both flavors of gluten-free cereal, fresh out on the market. I encourage you to buy them and try them yourself. I love them…you will too. Down to the very last square.
I should have known this pancake mix would be epic. Want to know why? Simple. I had previously enjoyed making waffles out of Cherrybrook Kitchen Gluten-Free Dreams Chocolate Chip Pancake and Waffle Mix. I actually picked up the Gluten-Free Dreams Original Pancake and Waffle Mix while it was on Closeout at my local grocery store. Yep…it was part of that “purge” the store did that totally threw me into a panic and had me scrambling to buy at least one of everything that was marked that I was interested in trying. Thankfully, it seemed they were just getting rid of some overstock. But that meant a good deal on gluten-free items for me. Love a good gluten-free deal…and I don’t come by them often.
I loved the chocolate chip pancake and waffle mix in Cherrybrook Kitchen’s Gluten-Free Dreams line…so I shouldn’t be at all surprised with the results of the Cherrybrook Kitchen Gluten-Free Dreams Original Pancake and Waffle Mix. I made waffles from that mix, so I figured I’d give a go at pancakes this time. But…not just any pancakes. Nope. I happened to have 6 ounces of delicious, ripe blueberries from my CSA bin. Blueberries are awesome. Especially for runners. Pancakes are awesome too. Especially after a long run. I happened to rock out a 10.9 mile run this morning, so blueberry pancakes seemed like the thing to make.
This mix is so easy to prepare. And, the best part is that it is naturally wheat-free, gluten-free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, and peanut free. COMPLETELY. Nothing to even worry about. All it requires, if you use the entire box (I did…I just kept rocking the pancakes until I was out of batter…a total of 21 all together, is add 2-1/4 cup rice milk (I used unsweetened almond milk in mine because that’s what I have), and 2 tablespoons of olive oil (I substituted unsweetened organic apple sauce instead). Easy as pie. Right? You simply mix everything together until it is just combined, then let it stand for five minutes. Since I was making blueberry pancakes, after the five minutes was up, I poured the freshly washed blueberries into the batter and gently folded them in.
With my skillet warmed and waiting, I started dropping 1/4 cupfuls of the batter onto the warm surface and let each pancake cook until the underside was golden brown. That took about 2-3 minutes. Then, once the pancakes became dry around the edges (this batter will not bubble to indicate doneness as regular pancake batter does), I flipped them over. Perfection. Another 2-3 minutes on that side and pancakes were ready for eating. Good thing too, because I was hungry.
I gave my pancakes a small drizzle of real (and local) maple syrup. I bought it yesterday at the Buy Local Fair that was held in Louisville yesterday. It was as if all the stars aligned perfectly. Gluten-free pancake mix…local maple syrup…yep. Breakfast was served.
Inquiring minds, I am certain, want to know how this pancake mix stacked up to the ones that came before. Well, much like every Cherrybrook Kitchen Gluten-Free Dreams product…I was immensely happy with these pancakes. Light. Fluffy. And super delicious. I couldn’t believe how these cooked up to be so airy and light. Even with the fresh blueberries baked inside, these were some of the most amazing pancakes yet. And they even got that perfect golden crust on the outside. So you get that initial crispiness followed by that soft inside. Pancake perfection. Gluten-free pancake perfection at that.
Nutritionally speaking, it doesn’t get much better than this. One 4-inch pancake made the way I prepared them clocked in at 92 calories, less than 1 gram of fat, only 1.5 grams of protein, and less than one gram of fiber. So…they won’t be very filling…but they will taste amazing. Trust me. I think they would have been divine even without the addition of the fresh blueberries. Those…were just a garnish baked inside. The pancakes, on their own, were fantastic. And I, for one, am very happy to have another four days worth for my roommate and I. It is definitely going to make breakfast simple this week.
Looking for lighter, fluffy, delicious gluten-free pancakes? Look no further than Cherrybrook Kitchen’s Gluten-Free Dreams Pancake and Waffle Mix. Heavenly.
Blueberry pancakes made from Cherrybrook Kitchen Gluten-Free Dreams Pancake and Waffle Mix
There are times where I regret waiting so long to get to one of the restaurants or places of interest on my list when I visit a city. That was certainly the case when it comes to BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery in Eagan, Minnesota.
Live and learn!
So, let me set the scene. On Find Me Gluten-Free, Cathy discovered that the Minneapolis area was home to this gluten-free bakery. And it got rave reviews. This meant…I had to check it out. So it was placed on the list with the address to get to while in town. And…life got busy. And before I knew it…it was Tuesday morning, the morning of the day I was leaving. I had gone on a 6.26 mile run that morning. Cathy had some shops she wanted to check out in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Oh, and I had a date with a celebratory banana split after my fantastic race on Sunday morning. I always celebrate races with banana splits. But it was still early and I wasn’t quite ready for ice cream.
As we were heading out toward some of the bookstores that Cathy wanted to hit up, we were driving by the Cliff Road exit. And she remembered…we had the gluten-free bakery to stop into. I’m glad she remembered. I would have cried had I not made it in there. We set the Garmin for the address she had written down and soon we were pulling into this little strip mall. The bakery was open, and it looked like the door was getting repaired as a large piece of wood covered it. No matter…they were open and that was what mattered.
We stepped inside and were greeted immediately. We were asked if they could help us and we mentioned that we were from out of town, that I was a Celiac, and that the very fact that this bakery existed was enough to make me happy. The man behind the counter said he would give us some time to look around and he’d be back in a moment.
The bake case was filled with amazing looking bread loaves, cookies, bars, and the like. The counter top had different gluten-free mixes and even some gluten-free hamburger buns (that I am now kicking myself for not purchasing!). We scoured the case and decided that we would buy one of the half loaves of the Gluten-Free Banana Walnut Bread, a Gluten-Free Lemon Bar (which we would split), and then we each decided we would try one of the various cookies that the bakery made. We were rejoined by the nice gentleman behind the counter where I placed a gorgeous half loaf of the Gluten-Free Banana Walnut Bread. I asked about getting one of the amazing looking lemon bars, and then I chose to have the Monster Cookie and Cathy chose the Lemon Zinger Cookie. He wrapped up the cookies, and placed the lemon bar and half loaf of bread into a bag. We talked about being from Louisville, Kentucky, and he mentioned having been at the 2011 gluten-free expo in Carmel, Indiana. He said so much has changed over the years…and that BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery had been open for nine years now and was still going strong. This spoke very highly to me of their quality and their products…but I had to judge that for myself.
BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery’s Lemon Zinger Cookie and Monster Cookie
After climbing back into the car, Cathy and I decided we would make our cookies an amuse bouche. I mean, what better lead-in to a banana split than cookies, right? So, she grabbed her Gluten-Free Lemon Zinger Cookie ($1.48) and took a bite of it. Immediately she was elated, saying it reminded her of the Lemon Blossoms my friend Jenn and I make, but in cookie form. I snagged a piece and she couldn’t have been more spot on. The Lemon Zinger cookie was refreshing and zippy. Honestly. I love lemon flavored stuff anyway…and this was awesome. The Lemon Zinger is also a dairy free cookie at this bakery. The other ingredients include white rice flour, sugar, soy shortening, tapioca flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, aluminum free baking powder, sea salt and xanthan gum. The icing that was zigzagged over the top was a combination of powdered sugar and lemon juice. Just really amazing.
The Gluten-Free Monster Cookie ($1.20) intrigued me immediately. It looked like it had a little bit of everything…and all ingredients that I love. And I couldn’t have been happier when I took my first bite. It was sweet, savory, and just amazing and full of flavor. A party in this cookie monster’s mouth, for sure. This cookie really does have it all. It’s a perfect blend of peanut butter, gluten-free oats, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, raisins, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda. So, it was like getting a peanut butter-chocolate chip- oatmeal raisin- butterscotch cookie all in one. Amazing. Sweet…without being too sweet. I gave Cathy a piece of mine and she thought it was mighty tasty herself. LOVED this cookie. I sort of want to make some for myself. Just…yummy. And as a runner, my love of peanut butter and that salty-sweet combo really was matched with every bite of this cookie. YUM!
Bittersweet Gluten Free Bakery’s Half Loaf of Banana Walnut Bread
The rest of the goods sat in the car all day and then made the long flight home from Minneapolis. That following morning, being that we had no groceries in the fridge, meant that I’d simply slice up some of the half loaf of Gluten-Free Banana Walnut Bread ($4.25). First of all…bananas…walnuts…bread. This was going to have to be good. When I opened up the bag that the loaf was in, I could smell the mouth-watering aroma of the banana bread…almost as if I had just pulled it out of my oven. I sliced off two 1/2 inch slices, one for me and one for my roommate. I threw each one into the microwave to warm it up slightly, then kept it simple with a light schmear of Smart Balance and a drizzle of honey.
A slice of BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery’s Banana Walnut Bread
Bread…perfection. Honestly. This bread is super moist, despite being a couple of days old at this point. We had it this morning for breakfast as well. Still moist. And we’re polishing off the loaf tomorrow morning for breakfast. I just checked…it is still moist. Soft. Delicious. Filled with banana flavor that is only enhanced by the addition of the walnuts. This bread is awesome. I can’t emphasize this enough. Gluten-free bread, when done right, tastes just like any other bread. Regular bread. The kind anyone could eat. If you put this loaf down in front of someone who could eat any type of bread…and had them eat it…they wouldn’t know the difference. I promise you that. This is one of my favorite gluten-free breads I have ever eaten. Just…super yummy!! Super flavorful. Super moist. And super banana-y. This bread is love.
And, last night for dinner, while it was still fresh…Cathy and I decided that we would give that lemon bar a taste at dessert. So, after we ate our gluten-free grilled avocado and vegan cheese sandwiches, I got out the plastic container that held the lemon bar and pulled it open. And that…was where I realized that the flight and the car ride weren’t too kind to the lemon bar. The icing came off with the lid. Whoops. No matter…I could fix that.
BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery’s Lemon Bar
The Gluten-Free Lemon Bar ($3.05) is actually a light, airy lemon cake. I sliced it in half and placed one piece on a plate. I then scraped the icing off the lid and began to attempt to reapply it the best I could to the lemon bar itself. This was…a slight success. You work with what you have. I took the first slice out to Cathy and she immediately dove in. Before I even had icing on mine, she was raving about it. So, this was happy news to me. I put my slice on a plate, reapplied the icing to the top and went out to enjoy.
Cathy was so right. The light cakey base made this unlike the other gluten-free lemon bars that I have had in the past. I absolutely loved this take on this treat. The cake itself was very light, not heavy and dense. The icing…wow…that icing. Just like the icing on Cathy’s Lemon Zinger cookie, the frosting was simply a combination of powdered sugar and lemon juice. As for the light, delicious cake…that was simply eggs, sugar canola oil, white rice flour, potato starch flour, tapioca flour, lemon juice, lemon peel and xanthan gum. I loved how different this lemon bar was compared to the others I have tried from other gluten-free bakeries. The ingredients all worked well together well and baked up lemon perfection. Happiness in every tart lemon bite.
I was so happy with everything that I got from BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery that it has been decided that next time I’m in the Twin Cities…I immediately head to BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery and buy items to feast on the entire visit. This must happen. This WILL happen.
As for you, BitterSweet Bakery…you are amazing and completely delicious. Just the four items that my roommate and I purchased and enjoyed were enough to make me want to continue to go back for more…as often as possible…every time I’m in Minnesota. BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery…this out-of-towner can’t wait to get back into town to visit you again.
Your food is love. And I’m head-over-heels for you!
BitterSweet Gluten Free Bakery’s Lemon Bar (with reassembled icing of awesome!)
The Celiathlete 