Category: Sweet Stuff

Product: Julie’s Organic Gluten-Free Lemon Yogurt Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches – $6.49+

There are fewer pleasures in life as delicious and sinful as ice cream.  And for the gluten (and in my case lactose) intolerant, this isn’t an easy thing to just…give up.  And, thankfully there are gluten-free ice creams and a wonderful lactase supplement that makes the ice cream habit an indulgence that can be had every now and again.  Let’s face it…the dairy-free ice creams are freakin’ expensive.  Delicious.  But, damn…expensive.

And so are gluten-free ice cream sandwiches for that matter.  But some splurges are worth making.

Such is the case with Julie’s Organic Gluten-Free Lemon Yogurt Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich.

If you think indulging in ice cream is sinful, wait until you get a taste of these.  Because, let me tell you, these are so delicious…and addictive.  It’s a good thing the price tag is so steep because it will keep me from buying them just to keep them in my freezer.  It’s life’s little balance system.

But, for a treat, there isn’t a better one than these.  Julie’s Organic Ice Cream teamed up with Glutenfreeda to create a couple of gluten-free ice cream sandwich options. Previously, I had devoured the vanilla ice cream between chocolate cookies variety.  This time…the lemon yogurt between gluten-free vanilla cookies was the go-to flavor.  I’d been eying these since they showed up in my grocery store.  Honestly…when lemon anything is involved, I so want to invite it into my foodie world.  Lemon is one of my favorite flavors…of all time.

This seemed like a match made in heaven…and, oh boy…was it ever.

The cookie was perfection!  Soft and light.  It wasn’t too much.  And between it was the sweetest spread of lemon frozen yogurt I could have ever asked for.  It was a dream come true in ice cream sandwich form…and it couldn’t have been more perfect.  Sweet lemon that makes you just think it’s summertime.  Like that first taste of lemonade.  That’s what this reminded me of.  And the cookie perfectly balanced the tart lemon with a bit of vanilla sweetness.  Oooh…I could eat all four in one sitting, but I have restraint.  And it just means I savor them over the next couple of days.

So, if you are gluten-free and craving a little taste of summertime…reach for Julie’s Organic Gluten-Free Lemon Yogurt Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches.  Why?  Because nothing is better than lemon on a hot day.  It’s refreshing.  It’s cold.  It’s a sin not to try these out.  Find them.  Devour them.  And then thank me later for it.

It doesn’t get any better than these.  Trust me.

Product: Julie’s Organic Gluten-Free Ice Cream Sandwiches (Vanilla Ice Cream w/ Chocolate Cookies) – $6.49+

It was a sad day when I realized after going gluten-free that those delicious ice cream sandwiches I used to pack into my freezer in the summer time for a nice dessert…were no longer an option.  And for over a year, I went ice cream sandwich free.  And trust me, friends, for the ice cream guru that I am…for someone who grew up on ice cream sandwiches (and yes…my mom even made her own!)…this was no easy task.

Then, by the grace of the gluten-free dessert gods, I was introduced to the glorious (and pricey) treat of Julie’s Organic Gluten-Free Sandwich Cookies.  They come in two different flavors, which my grocery store now carries, but at the time there was only the classic…vanilla ice cream between two chocolate cookies.

So, here is how this came to be.  Julie’s Organic Ice Cream partnered up with Glutenfreeda and together they brought the ice cream sandwich to the gluten-free community.  Glutenfreeda created the chocolate cookie and Julie’s Organic made the organic vanilla ice cream that would fill it.

Put them together…and it’s ice cream bliss in sandwich form.

No joke.

Of course, I wasn’t even worried about this even tasting bad.  Chocolate sandwich cookies…vanilla ice cream.  WINNING just from the get-go.  I mean, that’s the ice cream sandwiches we grew up with as kids.  That’s what we pulled out of our freezer and licked all around the edges as it melted.  Ah…memories.

Well, that’s what you get here.  A delicious, rich, soft cookie that is packed full of really amazing, organic vanilla ice cream.  These treats are about the size of a hockey puck and are melt-in-your mouth good.  Both the cookies and the ice cream are organic and gluten-free.  There are no preservatives or artificial ingredients in them.  Just pure ice cream novelty goodness that is safe for the gluten-free who walk among the grocery aisles.

Needless to say, the only bad thing about these epically delicous ice cream treats is that there are only four to a container.  Yes…just four.  And if you share…like me…well, that means you get two evenings of gluten-free, melt-away goodness.  But, it’s worth it.  Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever had a more flavorful, more delicious gluten-free ice cream sandwich.

I’m already trying to talk myself out of rushing to the grocery store to pick up more…and get the other kind (which is a gluten-free vanilla cookie with lemon yogurt inside).  I don’t think my will-power will hold out much longer.  If you spot these in your grocer’s freezer…despite the price…get them and try them.  Gluten-free sandwich cookies…oh how sweet it is.

Bring on summer!

Product: Bakery on Main Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Cashew Granola – $6.49+

I’ll be 100% honest with you here.  I still think the sugar content of this granola is a bit too high for my liking.  But, putting that random thought aside, gluten-free granola isn’t the easiest thing to come by.  Especially a gluten-free granola that isn’t laden with fat (Udi’s Gluten-Free Original…I am looking at you!).

I’m an athlete.  And that isn’t kosher.

However, setting the sugar problem aside for a moment I’ll focus on the product at hand.

While at a Gluten-Free Expo in Birmingham, Alabama, the Bakery on Main booth had out samples of a variety of their offered granola.  I picked up a sample pack of each of the featured flavors and brought them home with me to try out.  As I began working my way through my pantry, I decided to bring the granola with me on non-gym days for my lunch at work, to break up my usual lunch of gluten-free oatmeal.

The granola that got selected this time was Bakery on Main Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Cashew Granola.

From a taste standard alone, this granola is fruity and sweet, with a scent of orange and a scattering of dried cranberries.  To add to the salty aspect of a good granola, roasted cashews are tossed into the mix of corn flakes, sesame seeds, flax seeds and sunflower seeds.  What emerges is a granola that has a light, fruity flavor to it and tastes a bit like fruit loops or those little candies that you eat off of bracelets and necklaces.  I can’t decide which it is…yet.

What Bakery on Main’s Cranberry Orange Cashew Granola has going for it is that it is wheat, gluten, dairy, casein, trans-fat, and cholesterol free.  It’s made from all natural and kosher ingredients.  And it is low in sodium and saturated fat.  What I don’t like is the 11 grams of sugar per serving (3/4 cup…which is definitely more than most granola servings).  That being said, the 240 calories isn’t so bad with that big of a serving.  Most granola serving sizes range between 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup.  So, kudos to Bakery on Main for that.

Ignoring that sugar isn’t easy for me.  As a long distance runner, I try to keep my sugar intake at a minimum.  But that’s not to say I don’t indulge a bit.  I mean, I do have dessert every night.  But, I’d rather not ingest 11 grams of sugar in my lunch that day.  There are just other, healthier options out there.

That being said, Bakery on Main does create a fantastic blend of fruity and salty, without loading the granola up with sodium.  The flavors are a happy medium.  Any more of one would be too much.  The dried fruit mixed with the nuts is a great pairing.  And I love that the base of these granola options are gluten-free corn flakes.  It makes eating these that much easier.

This granola has love written all over it.  I more than loved it.  I devoured it.

Bakery on Main isn’t serving up an unhealthy option.  When not consumed daily, this makes a fantastic snack or meal option.  But watch your sugar intake the rest of the day.  If you love a little fruity taste without being overpowering, this granola is for you!  Very delicious.  And sweet.  And we know why!

Product: Nature’s Path Organic Fruit Juice Sweetened Gluten-Free Corn Flakes – $3.59

Most “normal” cereals are lost to me these days.  I can’t really just duck into the cereal section and pick anything off the shelf.  Not anymore.  And a lot of my favorites have had to be left in my food-tastic past after needing to go gluten-free.

But…every now and again, a company puts out a gluten-free product that is so, so much like what I used to eat that it even sparks a memory of the last time I ate it.

Nature’s Path Organic Fruit Juice Sweetened Gluten-Free Corn Flakes…are that kind of cereal.

I actually didn’t expect much from these.  I mean…corn flakes.  It’s tough to screw up corn flakes, but they can be so bland if done incorrectly.  I was nervous about it being…bland.  Or, worse yet, tasting like cardboard.

However, I was proven wrong.

This cereal was a gift from my roommate.  I sent her out to the grocery store and she returned with a gluten-free surprise for me.  Cereal.  Well…I do eat cereal almost every day.  And this was a change in pace from my usual gluten-free Chex varieties.  I like a little change of pace.  When I finally ran out of the boxes I had prior to this one, I cracked it open, dished out a serving size, and poured over a splash of unsweetened almond milk.

Breakfast was served.  And I tucked right into this bowl immediately.  One bite…and it was like I was eating the good, delicious corn flakes of my past.  Nature’s Path does it right with this organic variety.  Made simply with corn meal, grape and pear juice, and sea salt, this cereal is really getting back to basics.  But there is nothing basic about the flavor.  The fruit juices add a nice sweetness to the corn flakes.  And the cereal itself has a very light texture.  It’s not cardboard like at all.  And the flavor is just…amazing.

Now, I look forward to these each morning.  And I fear the day I run out.  Not really, they’re thankfully available at my local grocery store.  And for just about as much as Chex.  I’ll indulge myself then…as often as possible.  Yum.

Product: NOW (No Opportunity Wasted) Honeycomb with Chia and Raisins Energy Bar – $2.99+

You know what’s hard about being a gluten-free athlete?  Gluten-free protein bars.  Especially for long runs and the like.  They are good to have around.

So, imagine my elation when I attended the big Gluten-Free Expo in Birmingham, Alabama and got a couple samples of some energy bars.  Yeah…I was pretty psyched.  The product is Phil Koeghan’s NOW (No Opportunity Wasted) Energy Bars.  And I was given the Honeycomb with Chia and Raisins variety.

These sat with my other energy/protein bars (Think Thin and Lärabars) for the longest time until this weekend.  I was running in the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini Marathon (the largest half marathon in the country), so I figured I pack one in case I needed a little boost on the run.  This was supplemental to my vegan/gluten-free fruit snacks, which are what I ended up grabbing on the run around Mile 10.

That being said, after hitting the finish line and getting through Runner’s Services, I was in need of refueling.  The NOW Bar was tucked away in my running skirt, so I removed it, unwrapped it, and took a bite.

And spit it out.  It was way too sweet and just didn’t taste good at all.  Not one bit.

I admit, chia doesn’t impress me at all.  I love raisins.  And honey and I have a love/hate relationship.  So, maybe it was just the unlucky draw that I was given a Honeycomb with Chia and Raisins version of these bars.  But I was totally unimpressed.  I normally don’t spit something out.  Especially when I am completely famished after running 13.1 miles.  But…this happened.  Good thing the race people handed out bananas, one of my favorite fruits, which I devoured in record time.

So, what wasn’t good?  Well…the texture was fine.  It was the mess of flavors going on.  There was nothing really to counterbalance the sweetness of the honey and the raisins.  And that, I believe, is where it went wrong for me.  I was really hoping I’d like these…but it just tasted foul.  Bad enough that I literally couldn’t even swallow it.  When I got home, the other sample (same flavor) went into the garbage can.  I never waste gluten-free products, but the thought of even taking a bite of another one of these turned my stomach.

These bars were promising because they have the ideal 4:1 carb to protein ration that helps to fuel and maintain energy levels during an endurance activity.  Unfortunately, this endurance athlete couldn’t handle it.  So, I guess I’ll stick with the ones I’ve come to know and trust, despite not having that carb/protein ratio until I find something else to try.

Product: La Vita Health Foods, LTD Strawberry All Natural Crunchy Cookies – $5.00+

I have been delighted to work my way through an array of gluten-free cookies out on the market over the past year since having to go gluten-free.  Because, being gluten-free shouldn’t mean no cookies…ever.  And as we know…when the cookie monster in me strikes, well, there best be a delicious cookie on the receiving end.

I was out with my roommate one day at a HomeGoods store, shopping for some throw pillows for our new couch.  As we meandered through the aisles, however, we spotted some of their food items.  Let me tell you, there was no hesitation when we grabbed a basket and started loading up some products into it.  It varied from gluten-free sauces to gluten-free snacks to gluten-free mixes…and yes…gluten-free cookies.

The La Vita Health Foods, LTD brand of Strawberry Crunchy Cookies caught our attention immediately.  Why?  Because it’s strawberry and when strawberry is involved and I am around…it wins.  So, into the basket and over to the checkout, spending way more than we intended and never getting throw pillows either.  Such is my gluten-free life.  Food takes precedence over decorating apparently.

Well, these have just sort of been sitting in the pantry waiting on me to bust them open.  But I had made my own gluten-free shortbread cookies which needed to be eaten first, and then some gluten-free ice cream sandwiches beckoned to me.  But last night, for dessert, I opened up the box and decided to make it a strawberry cookie night.

First things first…these smell awesome!  It reminds me of when I was growing up and I would go to our little town garden market and go pick fresh strawberries.  Yeah.  They smell amazing.  So, I was already feeling confident about my purchase.  I handed one to my roommate, then settled in for my first taste.

While these are crunchy cookies, they also have a soft, chewy texture to them.  While I much prefer soft cookies to crunchy, if it’s billed as crunchy, I want it to be crunchy.  I don’t just want an initial crunch with the first bite and then have it sort of disintegrate the more I chew it.  And that’s about what happened with these.  But, as I prefer a softer cookie, I was okay with that.  These also weren’t overly sweet…which is awesome.  In fact, these cookies are sugar free.  Yes!  Sugar free!  In addition, these cookies also gluten-free, lactose free, and dairy free.  Woohoo!

And while that strawberry flavor is there, these cookies just didn’t stand up and wow me.  I wasn’t smacked with the flavor or just dying to jump up and raid the pantry for another one (serving size is ONE cookie at 90 calories).  They were…just okay.  Strawberry flavor was bursting from them, but I didn’t like how the cookie would end up sticking to my teeth as I chewed it.  Let’s face it…I’m a gluten-free cookie connoisseur.  You have to really wow me to impress me with a gluten-free cookie.  And this, while I’m more than happy to polish off the expensive box of 10 cookies…I probably won’t get again.  I’d be willing to give other flavors a go, but right now, I’ll stick with the delicious gluten-free cookies I know are out there and constantly scarf down.

So…not bad.  Just not cookie monster scarfalicious.

Product: Bakery on Main Gluten-Free Rainforest Granola – $6.49+

Granola is an amazing thing.  It’s filling.  It’s portable.  And it can be delicious if it is made right.  I’ve had my share of delicious granola and I’ve had my fair share of disgusting mixes of granola.

It got to the point where I was just writing it off my go-to snack list.  I was tired of just getting stuff laden with sugar and fat…capped off with the fact that it just didn’t taste good.  I was tired of wasting my money.

And then…Bakery on Main entered into my life.

It all happened at the big Gluten-Free Expo that went on in Birmingham, Alabama.  There was a Bakery on Main table represented there and what did they have?  Sample packs of their granola varieties.  I snapped up one of each, because this was definitely the way to try them instead of shelling out the cash and then not liking it in the end.

Well, with my non-gym days needing some some granola goodness in it…I reached into my cupboard and retrieved the Rainforest Granola.

What is Rainforest Granola?  Well, it’s a delightful blend of  dried bananas, roasted Brazil nuts, coconut, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and sesame seeds.  It’s like a little taste of the tropics with each little bit you pop in your mouth.

The package that I had contained 220 calories for the serving.  And while this was still a bit higher on the sugar than I would have liked, the sodium was really low and it did have 4 grams of protein in it.  Can’t complain over that.  I found myself saving the delicious Brazil nuts for last and seeking out the bits of banana for that sweet and salty combination.  It was a fantastic flavor play.

I have to hand it to Bakery on Main.  This gluten-free granola was inspired.  And I found it rather delightful to much on at my desk at the office.  Where your oatmeal has been hit or miss, you certainly hit this granola blend out of the ballpark.  Nicely done.

Gluten-free granola that is delicious.  Yeah…this one is a keeper.

Product: Arrowhead Mills Gluten-Free Pancake and Baking Mix – $4.99+

Nothing screams delicious, carb-a-licious breakfast like pancakes and waffles, right?

Right.

And they are two of my favorite breakfast foods to this very day.  Seriously.  There is just something so comforting about tucking into a small stack of pancakes or a fluffy, toasty waffle.  Especially when you can make them yourself instead of buying them frozen and simply reheating.

This past weekend and then yesterday morning, I got to try out another gluten-free pancake and baking mix, which I had tucked away in my pantry.  As I had just used up the last of my previous one, it looked like Arrowhead Mills was next up in the queue.  I packed this up to travel to St. Louis with my roommate and I.  I was going to do up a batch of Nutella Waffles on Sunday morning for the two of us and her aunt.  Because in the morning…I naturally make waffles.

Then, yesterday, I had just enough left in the bag to put together a blueberry pancake breakfast for my roommate and I.

So, how did Arrowhead Mills stack up to the competition?

Well, it was…okay.

Just okay.  I found that both the waffles and the pancakes had a bit of a grainy texture to them when all was said and done.  And, trust me, I mixed the hell out of both of them.  The waffles did cook up crispy in the waffle maker, so that was good. But they just seemed really grainy as compared to times I have made them in the past with either a gluten-free all-purpose flour or another baking and pancake mix.  But, I figured it might have just been something wrong in my pre-measured additions (salt, sugar, baking powder), which I packed together and pre-measured for simplicity in travel.

So, yesterday I got out my skillet and decided that, as we had poached eggs with dinner the night previous, I would bypass the eggs that morning and run with some pancakes.  I even had some frozen blueberries in my fridge so I decided to dress them up with some fruity goodness as well.  I measured out exactly one cup of Arrowhead Mills Gluten-Free Pancake and Baking Mix and then added, according to the package, honey, oil, an egg, and then a very scant amount of unsweetened almond milk.  It was really, really doughy when I got that all mixed together, so I added some more almond milk until I got it to a good consistency.  In went the blueberries and then…onto the griddle.

One thing I will say about this mix is that it browned up beautifully on the skillet.  Sometimes the pancakes just don’t brown up uniformly or cook way too fast.  But not these.  Not yesterday.  That’s a good thing.  I did find that these did make very fluffy, bulky pancakes by comparison.  So, that was interesting to note.  I gave them a flip, let them cook on the other side, plated them, drizzled with some warm, gluten-free maple syrup and…breakfast was served.

Again, I found that these pancakes, as compared to the other times I have made gluten-free pancakes (with various mixes and flours again) had a grainy consistency.  In fact, my pancakes sort of crumbled as I cut into them.  The flavor was good, but the texture just was off for me.  I don’t know if I should have added more almond milk (even though I had already added more than the package said) or what.

While I do appreciate the fact that Arrowhead Mills makes their gluten-free baking and pancake mix with organic ingredients, for me, in the end, it just didn’t come together, leaving both of my favorite breakfast products tasting as though they had grainy bits of sugar lurking in them.

I might give this brand another try…maybe do up muffins and see how that works.  But as of the moment…it just hasn’t won me over.  And that’s too bad, because I had gone into baking with this brand with such high hopes.