Shop Once, Give Twice

I recently learned about a new program from General Mills and Shoprite called "Shop Once. Give Twice" through the MyBlogSpark program. This program gives back when you buy any products with the "Box Tops for Education" program. For those of you already eating the gluten-free products from General Mills, like Chex cereals you might already be collecting these box tops. If you aren't saving them, simply look on the top of your gluten-free General Mills box and start saving them today.

General Mills and ShopRite gave me one gift card to keep and one to giveaway as part of the MyBlogSpark program and ShopRite “Shop Once. Give Twice.” offers. You can enter to win a $25 ShopRite Gift Card here today! Here's how to enter:

1. Leave a comment on this blog and tell me which of your favorite gluten-free General Mills’ products are you excited to see featured in the “Shop Once. Give Twice.” program at ShopRite.

2. Leave your email address in your comment. Very important so I can contact you!

3. Winners will be chosen on Friday, February 11th.

More about the “Shop Once. Give Twice.” program
Make every season the "Season of Giving." Fill your heart, and grocery basket, with the warmth of a good deed to help you get through these cold winter months.

With ShopRite’s “Shop Once. Give Twice.” program, doing your part to help local participating schools through Box Tops for Education and donating to ShopRite’s Partners in Caring, a community-based, hunger fighting initiative that works to provide $2 million annually to charities that aid those in need, can be as simple as your everyday food shopping.

Now through September 30, 2011 visit ShopRiteShopOnceGiveTwice.com to register your ShopRite Price Plus Card. Check back each month for participating products and great savings. When you purchase any 5 participating products on or before the end of the month using your ShopRite Price Plus Card, let the giving begin. With a qualifying purchase of 5 participating products you earn 5 Bonus Box Tops to be electronically added to your school, and $0.55 will be donated to the ShopRite Partners in Caring Fund. A few of the great items for February include some of your favorite gluten-free products like Nature’s Valley Granola Bars and Fruit by the Foot.

And if that’s not enough, be sure to enter the ShopRite “Shop Once. Give Twice.” Sweepstakes by filling out the form on ShopRiteShopOnceGiveTwice.com for your chance to win one of 10 Grand Prizes of 5,000 Bonus Box Tops for the school of your choice!

No purchase is necessary to enter the sweepstakes, Simply go to ShopRiteShopOnceGiveTwice.com for all the details about the sweepstakes, prizes, and instructions on how to enter.

The “Shop Once. Give Twice.” program does have some restrictions and limitations. Visit www.shopriteshoponcegivetwice.com to obtain all of the details about the program.

A LiveGlutenFreely General Mills Giveaway

I am excited to announce a very cool giveaway. Last month, I was sent a Live Gluten Freely product box from General Mills. This is a great starter kit for those who are new to the gluten-free diet or others who are old pros but might not have tried all of the new gluten-free products from General Mills. Some of my favorites were in this box and now I am excited to share this giveaway with my readers. Leave a comment here and/or on my Gluten-Free Fun Facebook page and you will be entered to win. The drawing will be on December 24th, just in time for Christmas.

The Live Gluten Freely is awesome and includes:

• Betty Crocker® Gluten-Free Brownie Mix
• Betty Crocker® Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix
• Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy Chocolate Frosting
• Honey Nut Chex® Cereal
• Bisquick® Gluten Free Original Pancake and Baking Mix
• Betty Crocker® Fruit Flavored Snacks Variety Pack - Fruit Roll-Ups®, Fruit Gushers®, Fruit by the Foot®
• Peanut Butter Cookie Lärabar® Snack Bar
• Betty Crocker® Potato Buds® Mashed Potatoes
• Betty Crocker® Red Serving Spoon
• Coupons and More!

How to enter:
1. Leave a comment below and/or on my Gluten-Free Fun facebook page and tell me what gluten-free product you would like to see from General Mills. Don't forget to include your email address so I can contact the winner.
2. Winner will be chosen at random on December 24th!

Here is more about LiveGlutenFreely:

From baked treats to mashed potatoes, more products than ever can be found in gluten-free varieties, and with the help of LiveGlutenFreely, an online community created by General Mills.

The site offers gluten-free product news, articles and real-life stories from people just like you. It also provides great-tasting recipes from breakfast treats like Blueberry-Corn Muffins to delicious dishes like Favorite Chicken Nuggets to indulgent desserts like Brownie Ganache Torte with Raspberries and Carrot Cake.

General Mills is proud to offer more than 300 affordable gluten-free products, available in grocery stores nationwide. You can keep up with new additions to the gluten-free list by subscribing to the LiveGlutenFreely Newsletter. Every month, you'll receive great “goodies” like yummy gluten-free recipes, tips, coupons for gluten-free items, new product information and more.

Click here to sign up today! Also, be sure to visit Live Gluten Freely on Facebook at Facebook.com/glutenfreely. “Like” the page and check out recipe ideas, product news and tips about living without gluten…freely!

All information, samples, and the prize were provided by General Mills

General Mills Addresses Gluten-Free Inquiry

As you know, General Mills is working very hard to reach out to the gluten-free community. I believe with the launch of many new products and their LiveGlutenFreely.com website, they recognize that the gluten-free community is here to stay. They seem responsive to their customers; A friend recently inquired about the ingredient of Yoplait Yogurt, here was the response she received from General Mills.

Dear Ms. D:

Thank you for contacting us about gluten in Yoplait yogurt.

General Mills offers several products that are labeled gluten-free. Please check the package label for the gluten-free statement on the front/side/back of the package. Only products that can be verified to be gluten free will be declared as gluten free on the label. It is important to check the product label each time you purchase a product because it has the most accurate information about the product in the package.

Because we constantly strive to improve our products′ quality and nutritional value, the most up-to-date product information is on the package the product is purchased in. For that reason, we do not distribute product information lists as they could quickly become outdated. A current list of products on the market that are gluten free can be found by visiting www.liveglutenfreely.com . It is important to check the package label before purchasing for the gluten-free statement on the front/side/back of the package to verify that the package you choose is gluten free.

For products not labeled gluten free, we will always declare gluten containing ingredients if they are added to the product. If the ingredient declaration lists wheat, oats, barley, rye, or derivatives of these grains, then the product contains gluten. Examples of derivative ingredients include: malt, barley malt, organic malt, semolina, Durham, triticale, and spelt. We do not include gluten containing ingredients in the ′Natural Flavors′ or ′Spices′ on the product ingredient list. If there are gluten ingredients in our products, those ingredients are always clearly listed.

If there are no gluten- containing ingredients listed in the product ingredient label, but the product does not make a gluten free claim, it is because we cannot fully assure that this product is gluten free. While we have not added gluten-containing ingredients, factors such as sourcing, conditions of manufacture, etc. do not allow us to provide the full level of assurance that a gluten free claim requires.

Additional information regarding gluten may be obtained by contacting your health care professional or:

Celiac Sprue Association/United States of America, Inc.
PO Box 31700
Omaha, NE 68131-0700
402-558-0600
Or toll free: 877-CSA-4-CSA (877-272-4272)
www.csaceliacs.org

or:

Celiac Disease Foundation
13251 Ventura Blvd. #1
Studio City, Ca. 91604
Phone: (818)990-2354
Fax: (818)990-2379
www.celiac.org

We hope this information is helpful.

Sincerely,
Tracy Boyd
Consumer Services

Bisquick® Gluten Free Giveaway

Last week I blogged about a Bisquick® Gluten Free care package I recieved from MyBlogSpark. Well, now I am offering you your very own care package! The Bisquick Gluten Free prize pack includes a box of Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix, a pancake pan, pancake pen and a pancake flipper. Tell me why you would like this care package and I will do a random drawing at the end of the week. You will then receive your care package directly from MyBlogSpark within a couple of weeks. Leave a comment including your email address and I will contact you if you are the randomly chosen winner. Good luck!

Gluten-Free Bisquick Now Available

This weekend I was up visiting my sister in CT and did some shopping at her local Xpect Discount. It is kind of a mess of a store, but they usually have some good gluten-free items. This was the first time I saw Gluten-Free Bisquick so I picked up two boxes, one for each of us. Then, when I got home that night I had a Bisquick® Gluten Free care package from MyBlogSpark. I am excited to try the new product. I am thinking of making a Chicken and Dumplings dish or the Hearty Chicken Pot Pie now that the weather is turning cooler. Stay tuned for my recipe attempts and photos.

Giveaway coming soon!

Here is more about Bisquick® Gluten Free:

Introducing Bisquick® Gluten Free baking mix: the first gluten free baking mix with real melt-in-your-mouth Bisquick taste! Now, with Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix, you can make pancakes, waffles, biscuits and more, and they have never tasted so good. Since its release in 1931, Bisquick has become a trusted staple in America's kitchens for delicious and easy-to-prepare dishes. Now the convenience of Bisquick baking mixes will be available to the gluten-free community too, so everyone can enjoy the family favorite Bisquick recipes you love like fluffy pancakes, easy pies, mouth-watering casseroles and more!

Make sure to look for Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix in the baking aisle at your local grocery store.

To find great recipe tips and ideas, visit www.bisquick.com/glutenfree. There, you’ll find countless gluten-free recipes for family favorites such as Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcakes and Gluten Free Pizza Crust, using Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix. Check back often! They’re adding more recipes every day!

In addition, Gluten-Free Fun readers can visit http://www.myblogspark.com/uc/main/8b49/ to download a printable coupon for $1 off Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix!

Bisquick Gluten Free
Ingredients: Rice Flour, Sugar, Leavening (bakind soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), Modified Potato Starch, Salt, Xantham Gum. May contain soy ingredients.

Note: Product formulations, packaging and promotions may change. For current information, refer to packaging on store shelves.

Stop & Shop Gift Card Giveaway

April is here which means it´s time to celebrate Earth month! This month, Stop & Shop is paying homage to Mother Earth by offering you the chance to win one of two eco-friendly hybrid cars!

Entering couldn´t be easier! From April 16-29, buy 5 participating General Mills items with your Stop & Shop card, use a re-useable shopping bag and you´ll automatically be entered to win. There are two different sets of participating General Mills items for each week of the promotion. Please see below for the participating brands.

You can also enter without making a purchase by completing an official entry form at your local Stop & Shop store.

This promotion is open to residents of MA, RI, CT, NH, NJ, NY, MD, DE, VA or DC and individuals at least 18 years old. For details about the sweepstakes, see in-store for complete rules.

Today is your lucky day, I am giving away one $20 Stop & Shop gift card to a dedicated reader. Please leave a comment below (with your email address!!) and tell me which gluten-free General Mills products you plan on buying with this gift card. The fifth comment will win the Stop & Shop gift card.

*Your Stop & Shop Gift card will be sent to you via Fed-Ex Overnight so that you will receive your gift card in time.

The participating gluten-free items include:

Week 1: April 16-22
Cascadian Farms Frozen Vegetables
Progresso Light, Reduced Sodium and High Fiber Soups
Betty Crocker Gushers, Fruit Shapes, Fruit by the Foot or Fruit Rollups
Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers
Yo-Plus, Yoplait Fiber One or Yoplait Delights Multi Pack
Yoplait Original, Light, Thick & Creamy, Light Thick & Creamy or Whips

Week 2: April 23-29
Green Giant Vegetables
Green Giant Boxed Vegetables or Prepared Vegetables, Simple Steam Seasoned Vegetables or Rices
Yoplait Frozen Smoothies
Yoplait Greek Style Yogurt
Yoplait Kid Multi Pack

This giveaway is made possible from General Mills and Stop & Shop through MyBlogSpark.

Gluten-Free Go-GURT® Coupon

I just like saying that word: Go-Gurt. It sounds so silly, but makes complete sense. It is yogurt to eat on the go. Simple as that! Lucky for us, many of the flavors are gluten-free. YoPlait, the Go-GURT parent, is owned by General Mills. GM has been one of the mainstream companies that has embraced the gluten-free market over the past year. For more information about General Mills gluten-free products, visit LiveGlutenFreely.com

The Go-Gurt website says:

Go-GURT® Portable Lowfat Yogurt, the first-ever yogurt in a tube, is the perfect snack for kids. Not only do kids love Go-GURT® yogurt's fun tube and interactive promotions, but they can't get enough of the smooth, creamy texture and wide variety of great, fun flavors like Strawberry Splash and Cool Cotton Candy.

The following Go-Gurt flavors are gluten-free.

• Banana Split/Strawberry Milkshake
• Berry Blue Blast/Chill Out Cherry 16 ct.
• Cool Cotton Candy/Burstin' Melon Berry
• iCarly Special Edition Rad Raspberry/Paradise Punch
• Ro-Gurt Special Edition Shaggy's Like Cool Punch & Rawberry
• Sponge Bob Special Edition Strawberry Riptide/Bikini Bottom Berry
• Strawberry Banana Burst/Watermelon Meltdown
• Strawberry Kiwi Kick/Chill Out Cherry
• Strawberry Splash/Berry Blue Blast
• Strawberry Splash/Cool Cotton Candy 16 ct.

Click here to access your Go-GURT coupon today.

Gluten-Free Icing from Betty Crocker

When I went to sleepaway camp in the 90s, my dad would bring me those little vats of icing on parents weekend. That night, my bunkmates and I would be sitting on each other's bunks eating the icing right out of the container. Damn, that was delicious. I would never do that now and barely ever use icing. When I do bake a cake, I usually make my own icing to guarantee its gluten-freeness.

It is great to know that I now have another option, Betty Crocker® Rich and Creamy Frostings and Whipped Frostings. As part of the General Mills gluten-free initiative they have recently added these frostings to their growing gluten-free list of products.

Here is the complete list of gluten-free Betty Crocker frostings:
• Butter Cream (NEW) 16000-38060
• Cherry (NEW) 16000-45890
• Chocolate (NEW) 16000-45840
• Coconut Pecan (NEW) 16000-41239
• Cream Cheese (NEW) 16000-45960
• Creamy White (NEW) 16000-16166
• Dark Chocolate (NEW) 16000-45860
• Lemon (NEW) 16000-45850
• Milk Chocolate (NEW) 16000-45900
• Rainbow Chip (NEW) 16000-46070
• Triple Chocolate Fudge Chip (NEW) 16000-52440
• Vanilla (NEW) 16000-45830

BETTY CROCKER®WHIPPED FROSTINGS
• Butter Cream (NEW) 16000-32990
• Chocolate (NEW) 16000-32320
• Cream Cheese (NEW) 16000-37420
• Fluffy White (NEW) 16000-37460
• Milk Chocolate (NEW) 16000-37410
• Strawberry Mist (NEW) 16000-37400
• Vanilla (NEW) 16000-37430
• Whipped Cream (NEW) 16000-41777

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Dessert Mixes Up for Award

General Mills’ Betty Crocker Gluten Free Dessert Mixes Named a Finalist in the Edison Best New Product Awards

WEBWIRE – Friday, February 12, 2010

Today General Mills’ Betty Crocker Gluten Free Dessert Mixes was named a finalist in the 2010 Edison Best New Product Awards.

The Edison Awards, a peer-review honor similar to the Oscars, are voted on by roughly 2,000 members of the not-for-profit Marketing Executives Networking Group, which includes America’s top executives and academics. The awards symbolize the persistence and excellence personified by Thomas Alva Edison.

Betty Crocker was the first national brand to launch gluten-free brownie, cookie, and cake mixes in traditional grocery stores. This innovative line of products satisfied gluten-free consumers’ previously unmet desire to find great tasting, affordable and easy-to-prepare desserts that they can enjoy with their families and friends. Since the gluten in wheat flour provides the structure for traditional brownies, cookies and cakes, creating dessert mixes without gluten is a significant and remarkable technical achievement. Once the company successfully created a winning product, an insightful marketing campaign centered on social media drove both awareness and support for the launch.

The Betty Crocker Gluten Free Dessert Mixes is a finalist in the Consumer Packaged Goods – Food Segment, one of more than 10 categories in the Best New Product Awards.

“Innovation is more important now than ever,” said Sarah Miller Caldicott, great grandniece of Thomas Edison and chair of the Edison Awards steering committee. “The finalists we announced today are the moving parts in the engine of economic growth. They inspire people to think outside the box and improve the lives of people around the world.”

The winners of this year’s Edison Best New Product Awards will be announced on April 29, 2010 during the 2010 Edison Awards Ceremony and New Product Showcase in New York.

The 2010 Edison Awards are sponsored by TV’s Discovery Channel, Google, The Nielsen Company, and Strategyn. The Edison Awards are also associated with The Thomas Edison Papers at Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey.

About Betty Crocker
Since her creation in 1921, Betty Crocker has been one of the strongest brand icons in the food industry. A brand associated with quality and trust, Betty Crocker and the red spoon symbol appear on more than 300 General Mills products including ready-to-spread frostings and mixes that make some of the country’s best cakes, brownies, cookies, muffins and other baked goods. As a pioneer in the dessert mix category, General Mills was one of the first companies to introduce layer cake mix in 1947; it did so under the Betty Crocker name. This started a revolution in baking, providing homemakers with a convenient, reliable way to replicate the quality and taste of “homemade” without the hassle.

About General Mills
One of the world’s leading food companies, General Mills operates in more than 100 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, including Cheerios, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Progresso, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills had fiscal 2009 global net sales of US$15.9 billion, including the company’s $1.2 billion proportionate share of joint venture net sales. Visit GeneralMills.com.

Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Coupons

As seen on About.com: Celiac Disease and BeFreeForMe.com, Betty Crocker is now offering coupons for one free box of their new gluten-free mixes.

I called today and they ran out of coupons!! This is so sad, but it just goes to show you that these new gluten-free mixes are in high demand. I hope that General Mills opens up this offer for free coupons again. I also hope this helps to increase the gluten-free product offerings from General Mills in the future.