Product: 479° Popcorn Fleur de Sel Caramel – $3.99+
Okay…I copped out on a review prior to this one…mostly out of sheer terror of the product and the fact that I threw it away immediately after tasting it. And yes…it was the 479° Popcorn brand. That flavor was Black Truffle & White Cheddar. While the white cheddar was delicious the truffle was overpowering. Perhaps my taste buds aren’t “posh and sophisticated” enough for that flavor combination. But it didn’t taste good at all.
So, the next snack up for the afternoon munchies at work was the other 479° Popcorn I purchased while out grocery shopping one day. This one – Fleur de Sel Caramel.
Salted Caramel. How can it go wrong?
It can’t. That’s the best part.
According to 479° Popcorn, Fleur de Sel is harvested by hand from salt evaporation ponds on the coast of Brittany, France. These natural salt crystals are delicate and flaky, with a subtle hint of oceanic flavor. That being said, 479° Popcorn takes organic popcorn, coats it in a buttery caramel and then tops it off with a sprinkle of Fleur de Sel.
What comes of this combination? The classic sweet and salty combination that salted caramel brings to anything it is added to. And on popcorn, it’s like a sophisticated caramel corn. Honestly. The organic popcorn is light and airy. The buttery caramel that drenches each kernel isn’t too heavy or overpowering. In fact, it’s the right amount. And there at the end…the finishing touch…is the Fleur de Sel.
Magic in every bite. And trust me…you’ll want to keep eating these. One is never enough.
Thankfully, a serving size is 1 cup. And as far as nutrition facts go…this is actually a surprisingly healthy choice.
479° Popcorn’s Fleur de Sel Caramel flavor contains 100 calories per 1 cup serving. Each serving has 4 grams of fat (not bad for caramel corn!), 160 mg sodium, and 13 grams of sugar. That is definitely a bit higher on the sugar content than I would like for an afternoon snack…but it’s caramel corn. It’s going to have more sugar in it than regular corn. Call it a treat, savor each bite, and don’t worry about sugar for a few moments.
I am a huge fan of salted caramel goodies as it is…but this is just an amazing snack. Far better than the Black Truffle and White Cheddar flavor I tried just moments before this. And, wow…am I ever glad I did that. I couldn’t imagine being at work, biting into that popcorn and immediately having to spit it out in my garbage can. Thankfully, my roomie and I tried a piece beforehand…and moved on to the epic deliciousness of the Fleur de Sel variety.
With the elegant and fanciful flavor of the Fleur de Sel Caramel popcorn, you’re treating your taste buds to something special. Trust me…they will thank you for it.
I’m already craving more!
If you love caramel corn or are a huge fan of salted caramel goodies…this Fleur de Sel Caramel popcorn from 479° Popcorn is well worth snacking on. SO GOOD!
Eco-Planet Gluten-Free Apples and Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal
Product: Eco-Planet Gluten-Free Apples and Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal – $5.19+
Oatmeal.
It has been my go-to, inexpensive, gluten-free lunch of choice since I was told by my doctor to go gluten-free. Sure, not all brands are inexpensive, but when compared to the price of gluten-free bread…gluten-free condiments…oh…and those pesky rising costs of fresh fruits and vegetables…oatmeal is the way to go.
Besides…it’s hearty. And, more often than not, delicious.
Well, awhile back a local grocery store I frequent suddenly had a massive closeout on items in their gluten-free section. Fearing that I was about to lose my gluten-free shelves of goodness, I stocked up on items that I loved and a couple items I had been meaning to try, and just hadn’t talked myself into it.
One of the items in the latter category was the Gluten-Free Apples & Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal from Eco-Planet.
Today was the day that I busted this out of the pantry to take to work and enjoy at lunch. At least…I hoped I was going to enjoy it. I had high hopes because Eco-Planet is the very same company that is putting out Gluten-Free Toaster Pastries (yes…gluten-free Pop Tarts!). I wanted it to be good. I hoped it would be good.
Individual packet of Eco-Planet Gluten-Free Apples and Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal
Before we get to that, however, how about a little information on the product itself? The gluten-free instant oatmeal from Eco-Planet is definitely one of the more nutritious finds out there. It is composed of seven whole grains, including whole oats, buckwheat, sorghum, brown rice, puffed amaranth, quinoa and millet. Each packet of oatmeal contains 500 mg of Omega 3.
Not only that, one serving (which is one pouch) is only 150 calories! That’s awesome. Each serving contains only 3 grams of fat and 10 grams of sugar. Not bad for a hot cereal, yes? And for me, as a gluten-free, vegetarian…who is also an athlete…the 4 grams of protein is a sweet addition to every spoonful.
So…now to the nitty-gritty of this review…the actual review.
Making the cereal up at work is super easy. Empty the pouch into a bowl and add 1/2 cup of water (or milk…but I use water). Stir and then microwave for 1-1/2 minutes to 2 minutes. Remove from microwave…and enjoy!
I tend to forget that the microwave at the office is much stronger than the one I have at home…so when I put this in for 2 minutes, it turned out a bit thicker than I normally enjoy my hot cereal…but it wasn’t bad. The taste…well…surprisingly good. I mean, like most oatmeal, it isn’t much to look at…but one bite…and I knew that this was a good thing. I didn’t need to break out the back-up lunch plan today. Nope. The oatmeal was thick, hearty, and seasoned well with dried apples and that spicy hint of cinnamon. Yummy!
I was pleasantly surprised with the texture, flavor, and quality of Eco-Planet’s Gluten-Free Apples and Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal. I would love to try the Maple and Brown Sugar one next if I can find it somewhere. I am very impressed with the way the company chooses ingredients, makes sure they maintain the integrity of the gluten-free product, and in the end, put out a product that is amazing and delicious.
I’m hooked and ready for more!
Eco-Planet Gluten-Free Apples and Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal (prepared)
The first time I ever had one of Schär’s amazing products, I was in Los Angeles, California. One of my besties, Tawn, came down from Fresno and when I walked in the house, we hugged, we hugged more…and she looked at me and said, “I have gifts for you!” What she brought out of her luggage was a thinkThin bar and one of Schär’s Chocolate Hazelnut Bars.
I, naturally, ate them when I needed a snack or was at a restaurant where there were no real options for me. That being said…I didn’t blog about the gift snacks…because I devoured them before I took pictures of them.
Well, I remedied that already with the thinkThin bar…but the Schär wafer treat had yet to see it’s day in the blog spotlight.
Tonight…that changes.
During a major gluten-free closeout at my local grocery store, the entire section it seemed was on sale. So, while out grocery shopping that night, we piled our cart full of everything that was marked down and on closeout, fearing that the gluten-free section was being taken away from us…or shrinking. That wasn’t the case. I think they were moving out old stock to make room for a lot of new stock and new items. We didn’t know that at the time though.
One of the items that were tossed into the cart of gluten-free madness was a package of the Schär Chocolate Hazelnut Bars.
Memories of my time in Los Angeles crept back to me immediately. Happy, happy memories. But, other products had to be used up before I got to these…and so…they sat…and waited.
But today was the big unveiling of the Schär Chocolate Hazelnut Bars. I couldn’t really recall what they tasted like anymore. That trip to California happened over two years ago. I remembered finding them delicious though, so I wasn’t too concerned about taking this item to work for my afternoon snack without a backup plan.
Schär Chocolate Hazelnut Bar (individual)
I had been anticipating my 3 p.m. snack most of the day. Every time I opened my desk drawer, the Schär Chocolate Hazelnut Bar was sitting there…tempting me. But…I behaved and waited until the appropriate time. But once the clock struck 3 p.m., all bets were off!
First of all, I love how this is the actual size of a candy bar. The picture on the cover shows a treat that resembles those little wafer cookies (the ones that come in chocolate, vanilla and strawberry that you devour as a child). So, already this bar is like that…but on steroids. After splitting it in half, and taking the required picture for the blog, I took my first bite.
Oh. My. Gluten. Free. God.
Rich. Decadent. Light. Fantastic. Heaven in chocolate-covered wafer form. One bite and I knew this was a treat to be savored.
It tasted like the awesomeness that would emerge should a KitKat Bar mate with a Ferrero Rocher. Honestly. It was more of a dessert than a snack when it came down to it. That’s not knocking the bar in the slightest. It was melt-in-your-mouth awesome from the first bite to the last. I let my teammate, Andrea, try some and she also loved it. She’s very picky…especially with gluten-free foods…but this one only garnered compliments. My roomie also tried a little portion of it…and she too enjoyed it.
Really…it’s a decadent mid-day pick-me-up…or a sweet treat when you are craving something rich, smooth, and chocolatey. The wafer crackers are thin and lend a slight crunch. The hazelnut cream is the perfect amount to lend its flavor without overpowering the rest of the bar. And the milk chocolate that surrounds this treat…exceptional. Schär managed to find the perfect balance between snack and dessert. This was definitely a decadent mid-afternoon snack.
It’s also not the healthiest option I’ve ever brought with me for that 3:00 p.m. munchie attack. One Schär Chocolate Hazelnut Bar packs 200 calories and 12 grams of fat. Like I said…It’s much more like a dessert than a snack. And perhaps that’s how these should be treated. But, at least these are made with recognizable ingredients, have no preservatives, no gluten, no wheat, and no eggs.
Super smooth. Super rich. Super delicious!
Super Schär does it again…wrapping up hazelnut goodness in a simple chocolate coating. The results…sweet chocolate-coated wafer nirvana.
Mmmmm…it tastes as good as it sounds!
Schär Chocolate Hazelnut Bar (unwrapped and split open)
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!!
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.
Angie’s Artisan Treats Dark Chocolatier Sea Salt Holidrizzle Kettle Corn
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!!
Angie’s Artisan Treats Dark Chocolatier Sea Salt Holidrizzle Kettle Corn
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!
I’ve blogged about my local allergen-free bakery a few times now. But here’s the thing…they keep drawing me back in. Not only are their baked goods amazing (trust me, you wouldn’t guess that everything the serve there is gluten-free), but they offer specials each day they are open.
One of my favorite days to go to Annie May’s is Saturday. Why? Because they serve my favorite meal of the day: BREAKFAST!
A couple of weeks ago, my roommate and I were in the bakery for their allergen-free waffle breakfast. Unfortunately, their waffle irons were giving them issues that day. After a little bit of waiting…which we didn’t mind…the waffles finally emerged. But that week, when they reopened on Tuesday, they announced that after the issues with the waffles over the weekend, they threw away their waffle irons and would now offer a variety of French toasts instead.
I was immediately intrigued. Granted…I make French toast with my gluten-free sandwich bread at home all the time. And I do it a variety of ways too. Plain, stuffed, etc. But…something just screamed at me that I needed to have Annie May’s French toast.
Unfortunately…this is the holiday season and the past couple of weekends have been busy, busy, busy. Between races, shopping, holiday events, and long runs…getting over to the bakery in time for breakfast has not been easy. And the same seemed to be true for this weekend as well. Except my roommate, Cathy, is made of complete awesome. Despite heading out to Indianapolis for a race on Sunday, she said that this Saturday we could grab breakfast over at Annie May’s Sweet Café.
Much rejoicing and happiness. And after running a couple of errands in the morning prior to heading up to Indianapolis, Indiana for the race expo, packet pick-up, and whatever else we felt like doing, we pulled into Annie May’s Sweet Café with rumbling tummies ready for some food.
Of course, we now faced a dilemma. You see…they are also offering breakfast sandwiches, including one that is allergen-free…that had veggie sausage and everything. Oh…so tempting. And we almost went with that, but we had been discussing French toast prior to that. So…we stuck with that.
So, we each decided to get the Cinnamon French Toast ($9.99). I got mine with Earth Balance and she chose butter. But we both got maple syrup. Mmmm. It sounded heavenly. While we waited on our meal, we decided we would each enjoy one of Annie May’s delicious gluten-free doughnuts. The case had a variety of Gluten-Free Apple Cider Doughnuts. And I chose the Cinnamon-Sugar Apple Cider Doughnut ($2.49) and Cathy went with the Chocolate Ganache Apple Cider Doughnut ($2.49). Oh, it was a fine way to take away the tummy rumblies.
Let me tell you, though…after devouring my doughnut, imagine my surprise when my order of Cinnamon French Toast came out to the table. Being so accustomed to my usual French toast, I figured sandwich bread slices.
What emerged from the kitchen, however, were two thick-cut slices of gluten-free brioche bread, sweetened with cinnamon and sugar, and cooked to perfection. There was this beautiful golden crust on it. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting and I was suddenly regretting the decision to calm the hunger with a doughnut just prior to receiving the plate.
After giving a light spread of Earth Balance to each slice of bread, I sliced into the brioche, loving how the crusty outside gave way to the soft inside of the bread. I gave it a little dunk in my maple syrup and took my first taste.
It has been years since I have been able to eat French toast that wasn’t any thicker than the store-bought gluten-free sandwich breads. One bite and I thought I was going to cry. I now remembered why I fell in love with French toast. Because when it is done with the proper bread, it is beyond amazing. Honestly. There is just something so fantastic about eating a slice of French toast done with brioche. The thick-cut bread honestly makes all the difference. Tears of joy. Just…honest tears of joy at that first bite.
The French toast was super delicious. The crust was awesome…and I kept saving it for the last bites. I mean crisped up to perfection, golden, and seasoned with cinnamon. It melted with each bite. Pure perfection in French toast form. I was so happy.
But…these were definitely very filling. And after that first slice of French toast, I realized that either my roommate and I should have skipped the doughnuts or we should have split an order of the French toast. It was FILLING. But…we also were aware that we were not going to eat again until dinner in Indianapolis, so we polished off our plates and managed to waddle out of there quite full and quite satisfied.
My roommate can have French toast at any restaurant and she was raving about Annie May’s. The Cinnamon French Toast just hit the spot. Both of us killed off the food on the plate and enjoyed it down to the very last bite…even if we were already stuffed to the max. The French toast is definitely worth the trip into the bakery. Trust me…it is the best French toast I have eaten…anywhere. And the fact that no one would be able to tell it was gluten-free is what makes it even more amazing. Done to perfection…I’ll be dreaming of this breakfast for weeks.
If you live in the Louisville, Kentucky area, you should make a stop at Annie May’s Sweet Café a priority. Even if you don’t have food allergies, the food is so delicious, no one would be able to tell the difference.
I’m already looking forward to my next breakfast at Annie May’s Sweet Café. There is a gluten-free veggie sausage breakfast sandwich awaiting me. And I can’t wait to try it out. Because I haven’t had anything bad from Annie May’s Sweet Café yet. I have a feeling that isn’t going to change anytime soon.
Thank you, Louisville, for this gem of a bakery! Because of Annie May’s…I’ve been able to enjoy things I thought were forever off my food list. But because of this great bakery…that is no longer the case. And, more often than not, the item I purchase and indulge in is better than what I recall from before the food allergies struck. And that, dear foodies, is a food miracle.
Annie May’s Sweet Café’s Gluten-Free Cinnamon French Toast (with Earth Balance and maple syrup)
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 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)
Product: Enjoy Life Very Berry Chewy On-The-Go Bar – $4.29+
Oh…Enjoy Life. What went wrong here? All other products I have tried, you’ve hit out of the ballpark…and then…with this one…you completely strike out. I love you as a company, and I have always loved and spoken highly of your products, but this…this was just bad.
No. It was disgusting. It was horrendous. It was a complete misstep in the way gluten-free products should be represented on the market. The Very Berry Chewy On-The-Go Bar should have been good. But it reminded me of the cardboard-like taste and texture of gluten-free products years ago…before gluten-free became more prevalent in society and the quality of such items improved tremendously.
Now, I love snack bars as much as the next person…so when Big Lots had these on sale, I snatched up a box. I mean…I love Enjoy Life’s granola, cookies, seed & fruit mixes, Plentils, and chocolate bars. For real. LOVE. In addition, I was quite happy with the Cocoa Loco and Sunbutter Crunch Chewy Bars that I had prior to this one. So, I was quite excited about picking up the Very Berry and the Caramel Apple variety. Although, now that I think back, my mom might have tried the Caramel Apple snack bar and told me to steer clear of it because it was “no good at all.” Hmmm.
Anyway, with these in my pantry, I decided today would be a good day to open them up and take one to work for my afternoon snack. I was on a bit of a roll with the snack bars, having just devoured (and thoroughly enjoyed) Lärabar Über Apple Turnover bars. Something berry flavored would be quite welcome and refreshing. So, into my lunchbox it went. And when my 3 pm snack time rolled around, I removed this from my desk drawer and prepared to enjoy it.
Enjoy Life Very Berry Chewy On-The-Go Bar
I was rather anticipating greatness with this. When I tore into the wrapper the entire office flooded with the scent of fresh berries. Honestly. Even my teammate who I share an office with asked what I just opened up because it smelled good. I told her…and then went ahead and took a bite.
My teammate glanced over and said, “I have never seen you make that face before.”
Yeah, there have been products that I have tried that I haven’t been thrilled with…but this was just awful. Tasteless. Texture was horrible. And the flavor just was…gross. The entire thing was an abomination of gluten-free snacks. It reminds me of the first time I ate a gluten-free product, years and years and years ago…just to see what it meant…and was totally unhappy with the flavor and texture. And that…that is exactly what this reminded me of. There aren’t a lot of things that I will throw away after I purchase it…but these are hitting the garbage the instant I get home. I don’t even know if I want to risk the Caramel Apple variety.
So, Enjoy Life…I don’t know what to do with you. Love you for some things…cringe with other things. But these Very Berry Chewy On-The-Go Bars were one of my least favorite things I have ever eaten since I had to go gluten-free. That’s no exaggeration. There are so many other companies out there that are doing gluten-free snack bars justice. You…my dear Enjoy Life…company that keeps the top 8 food allergens out of their products…you should be able to step up to those standards and provide the gluten-free community with something tasty and berry delicious.
I’m really let down by this product…and in turn…let down by you. I know you are capable of so much better. Come on, Enjoy Life…time to revamp the product…start fresh…and this time…make it taste good!
Enjoy Life Very Berry On-The-Go Chewy Bar (unwrapped)
The Celiathlete 