Caesar’s Kitchen Gluten-Free Pasta Meals

Caesar's Kitchen recently sent me free samples of their brand new gluten-free frozen pasta meals. Caesar’s Pasta, the New Jersey-based pasta expert with 50 years of experience, launched this new Certified Gluten-Free line of fresh-from-the-freezer gourmet pasta meals just a few months ago. The new meals include Gourmet 3 Cheese Herb Rigatoni & Meat Sauce and Gourmet Buffalo Style Chicken Mac & Cheese with Cheddar and Blue Cheese Sauce, both of which are gluten-free.

Caesar’s Kitchen features:

• Convenient single-serve meals
• Amazing taste – you won’t believe its Gluten Free!
• Free of rBST hormones and antibiotics
• Zero preservatives, artificial flavors or trans fats
• Great solutions for anyone in the family (work lunches, play dates, sleepovers, off to college or any time)

I first tried the 3 Cheese Herb Rigatoni with Meat Sauce and was pleasantly surprised at the yummy real cheese in this pasta meal. It didn't feel gritty or watery like some cheese-based pasta sauces do in frozen meals. I also liked the way the pasta cooked up in the oven. It gave it more of a baked ziti type of taste and texture. The only downfall is that I don't have a microwave and preparing this dish took much longer than I would have liked. I set the timer for 20 minutes as indicated on the box, but it took almost 45 minutes to heat and eat and I had to bump up the cooking temperature to over 400 degrees.

Next, I tried the Buffalo Style Chicken Mac & Cheese for lunch one day. Blue cheese is not my favorite so I didn't love this meal but I ate it because I was hungry. It does have a kick to it, so if you like spicy you will probably enjoy this dish. I had the same problem with heating this meal and had to cook it for 45 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Keep this in mind if you aren't using a microwave!

Overall, I enjoyed the 3 Cheese Herb dish the best but I probably won't buy it any time soon since I don't have easy access to a microwave. If I was traveling and saw these at the store and my hotel had a microwave, this would be a good option for a quick non-restaurant, gluten-free meal.

Thank you Caesar's Kitchen for the opportunity to try your new products.

3 Cheese Herb Rigatoni & Meat Sauce

Buffalo Style Mac & Cheese

Nutritional panel from 3 Cheese Rigatoni 

Find Caesar’s Kitchen (caesarskitchen.com) at select retailers, including Whole Foods, Wakefern and ShopRite. The price for these gluten-free pasta meals ranges from $4.49 - $5.99.

You can learn more about Caesar's Kitchen from their social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.



Please note, I was sent free product from Caesar's Kitchen but this does not influence my review. Opinions are my own. 

Gluten-Free Meals with Terra's Kitchen

A few weeks ago I learned about Terra's Kitchen, a meal-kit service that sends prepped, fresh, and organic ingredients to help you make a healthy meal for yourself or the whole family. When the opportunity to review a free week of Terra's Kitchen, I jumped on it. I was intrigued because although I know many meal delivery services exist I never tried one. I am also probably the ideal candidate for a meal-kit service like Terra's Kitchen because I am far from a gourmet cook. I don't mind cooking, but I avoid elaborate recipes and don't like all of the prep. All the chopping, dicing, mincing, and zesting takes a lot of time that I don't always have during the week. I also tend to stick to cooking the same four or five dishes which are on a VERY heavy and boring rotation in our house. Trying my complimentary delivery of Terra's Kitchen was a great way to try something new both in terms of convenience and flavor.

The Ordering

On the Terra's Kitchen website, allergens such as gluten, dairy, nuts, and fish are clearly noted in each recipe.  You can filter your selections based on your dietary needs and flavor preferences. I figured this was my opportunity to try something new so I chose a bison-based dish, a salmon dish, and a chicken dish. Believe it or not, I never cooked salmon and never ate bison so this was a new experience! All of the recipes I chose were labeled gluten-free on the website. I scheduled two-person, three-meal delivery and then waited for my package to arrive.

The Vessel

I think one of my favorite parts of this experience was when the Terra's Kitchen package arrived. This thing was impressive. It was like a mini college fridge delivered right to my door. It is climate-controlled, easily returned, and is reusable up to 100 times. Everything arrived cold and fresh in this futuristic looking vessel, which is how Terra's Kitchen refers to it in their online materials and return information. Bonus: The return shipping is paid for so all you have to do is put the empty vessel outside the next day before 8am and it disappears back into FedEx land!

Terra's Kitchen "vessel"

Check this thing out! 

The Meals

After I got over the awe of the vessel, I unloaded all of the food and recipe cards from Terra's Kitchen. All of the ingredients are labeled with a sticker that has a number that corresponds to the recipe card. This made your prep basically as easy as possible which was perfect for me! I loaded up the ingredients by recipe in my fridge for when I was ready to cook. I also ordered an extra salad and a Suja juice to round out my box.

Meal 1: Paprika-rubbed Salmon Tostadas with Avocado-Orange Salsa
Meal 2: One Skillet Bison Tacos
Meal 3: Strawberry-balsamic Chicken Thighs with Wilted Spinach-Quinoa
Add-on 1: Chopped Power Green Salad
Add-on 2: Suja Mighty Greens juice*

* I didn't end up drinking the juice because I didn't realize one of the ingredients is barley grass which I do not personally consume.

Look closely and you will see the 214 sticker at the top of the recipe card
as well as the top-left of all of the ingredient packages

The ingredients were very fresh, everything was pre-washed and chopped, and the recipes were fool proof. Each recipe card included the kitchen equipment you will need, the additional ingredients you will need, and what was sent in the vessel. The only ingredients that weren't included in the meal kit but are readily available in my kitchen were olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and canola oil.

Chopped Power Green Salad from Terra's Kitchen

Out of the three meals, the bison tacos were the top pick at our house. The dish was flavorful and it was really nice to eat something totally out of the ordinary (a direct quote from my man). It was good to change it up from our normal beef or turkey tacos. Also, the chipotle and sour cream mix was smokey but not too spicy which was good for my weak heat tolerance.

Terra's Kitchen Bison Tacos

My fiancee really enjoyed the salmon, but I have never been a fan of fish so it was my least favorite. I did eat it because I cooked it, but heaped on the avocado-orange salsa to cut the salmon flavor. (Note, I NEVER liked fish so this really had nothing to do with TK and everything to do with my taste buds.) I would have never of thought to put avocados and oranges together so this recipe gave me a new idea that I will definitely use in the future. Oranges and avocados are abundant here in California. The chicken dish was good too, but we eat a lot of chicken at our house so it was fun to change it up. I will definitely make the quinoa with wilted spinach again. It was so good and I ate the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Paprika-rubbed Salmon Tostadas with Avocado-Orange Salsa

Strawberry-balsamic Chicken Thighs with Wilted Spinach-Quinoa

Terra's Kitchen Parting Thoughts

Overall, I was very pleased with my first food box delivery experience from Terra's Kitchen. I can't emphasize enough how fresh all of the ingredients were and how nice it was that everything was prepped for me. The pre-preparation made meal prep so much quicker and easier. The only meal planning I had to do was to figure out which one I wanted to eat first. I also really liked that all of the ingredients on the packages were clearly labeled. There was one item that had a "May contain wheat, dairy, or nuts" statement but that was one out of about 20+ ingredients so I just skipped it. I think. Unfortunately, I forgot to make a note of it at the time and forget which ingredient. Lastly, we got to try three new dishes that I would have never thrown together on my own.

One thing I was a bit concerned about was the amount of individual packaging for the ingredients. Te recipe card actually did say the food containers are recyclable but they encourage people to "upcycle" them instead. Use them in the garden or get creative with other kitchen-based uses. I personally washed them out and recycled them all.

The Terra's Kitchen meals range from $10.49 per serving up to $17.99 per serving for a meal that contains steak. While this might be a bit cost prohibitive for some, remember there is the time and convenience of it all that factor in to the price. You can order from Terra's Kitchen one time or you can set up regular deliveries of meals that you choose each week. Terra's Kitchen website is VERY user friendly and I found it simple to search for dishes, order, and schedule my delivery. We really enjoyed the new meals in our kitchen, the easy recipes, and the healthy and fresh ingredients, so Terra's Kitchen gets a double thumbs up in our house.

Interested in trying Terra's Kitchen in your home? Use code GFF30 when you check out,
good for $30 off for first-time users at TerrasKitchen.com. 

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Terra's Kitchen. The opinions and text are all mine.

Canyon Bakehouse Review and Giveaway

When I get a really delicious gluten-free product, I either eat the whole thing immediately or I ration it out to last as long as possible. My June delivery of the newest products in the Canyon Bakehouse gluten-free line was a little bit of both. I received Brownie Bites, Plain Bagels, and Everything Bagels.

I tried to make the new Brownie Bites last but that did not happen. My boyfriend Victor and I devoured them. They were soft, delicious, chocolatey goodness. The bagels, on the other hand, were rationed out because I just couldn't eat eight bagels in a row. Being a New Yorker and a carb-freak, the plain bagels were perfect to fill my carb cravings. They were thick but not too dense and made a great addition to breakfast. My favorite way to eat them is with a little almond butter or with some cheese and turkey bacon. So yum!

According to Canyon Bakehouse:

Similar to their existing gluten-free breads, the new brownies and bagels are made with 100% whole grains and have a taste and texture just like “real” bagels and brownies. 

• Made with 100% whole grains and real food ingredients such as extra virgin olive oil, organic agave and eggs.

• No artificial additives and fillers.

•  Certified Gluten-Free and do not contain dairy, soy or nuts.

• No GMOs.

Canyon Bakehouse co-founder Christi Skow, who inspired the company’s creation when she was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2007 explained that, “the taste and texture are so similar to ‘real’ bagels and brownies no one will even know they’re gluten free.  Our bagels and brownies are perfect for families and households with gluten-free and gluten-full eaters since they will no longer need to buy two sets of these staples.” 

All three new products are now available for online purchase and at Target stores nationwide.

Prior to receiving these samples, I can't remember ever eating Canyon Bakehouse. Now that they are on my radar, I am starting to notice their product line in many local markets. I would definitely buy the bagels and brownie bites again. The products are made in a dedicated gluten-free facility and use no GMO ingredients. Thank you Canyon Bakehouse for the delicious samples.

Want to win a prize pack of the three newest Canyon Bakehouse products? It's simple, just enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.




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Gluten-Free Smoothies for Everyone with Nutri Ninja

I recently received my favorite kitchen appliance ever! The generous people at Ninja Kitchen asked me to review their Nutri Ninja with Auto iQ and I happily agreed. I have a very old and very crappy blender so when this new Nurti Ninja arrived, I felt like it was Christmas morning!

I am kind of a smoothie addict. I usually do not start my day without a fruit smoothie. I usually add bananas, strawberries, and any other sweet fruit I have in my kitchen. Some days I add gluten-free hemp protein and other days I throw in a handful of spinach. I always use almond milk! This is a naturally gluten-free breakfast that is simple to make. Less than one minute later, I have a few servings of fruit and veggies ready to drink. Simply add your ingredients, screw on the cap and let that Ninja do it's job.

Banana, blueberries, strawberries, and spinach

The thing I like best about the Ninja is that it comes in three sizes. I tend to shove as much as I can into my smoothie. With three different cup sizes, this let's me make a huge smoothie. I also like to make soup in my blender so I think with the biggest Ninja cup, I could make a few pints. The other thing I like about the Ninja is the suction cups on the bottom of the machine. This machine is powerful and the suction prevents the Ninja from rattling off the counter. I also like the screw-on covers that you can add to the cup to drink directly from it after making your smoothie in it. One less dish to wash! 

The thing I like least is the noise. This thing is loud. There's no late-night smoothie making if you have a sleeping baby, roommate, or spouse. It's too loud. But at just 45 seconds or less to make your smoothie, the sound doesn't last too long. 

Time to make the smoothie

The Nutri Ninja with Auto-iQ came with two recipe books and I am excited to change up my usual smoothie routine a little bit. There are also tons of resources online with recipes from devout Ninja users. I want to make everything.

What is your favorite smoothie or juice recipe? I would love some more inspiration.

Screw on the cap, ready to drink

Thank you Nutri Ninja for the awesome gift! It will go to good use in my kitchen. Smoothies for everyone! 

Note: Ninja Kitchen sent me this complimentary product for a review. Views expressed in this post are my own. 

Simple Gluten-Free Baking and Giveaway with Simple Mills

I am a simple cook. If a recipe has too many ingredients and too many steps, I run away as fast as I can. I am only up for a complicated cooking challenge about once or twice a year. When it comes to baking, forget it. I'm even more intimidated by baking websites that weigh flour, ask me to sift, and ask me to use contraptions I could never fit in my New York City apartment. So when a gluten-free mix that is easy to bake comes across my radar, I am thrilled.

Enter Simple Mills.

This baking mix is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, corn-free, paleo-friendly, non-GMO, and has a low-glycemic index. Made from a very simple list of ingredients, with almond flour as it's base, the Simple Mills baking mixes are quite easy to use but their flavors are far from simple. Their mixes include banana muffin, chocolate muffin, pumpkin muffin, chocolate chip cookies, and focaccia and sandwich bread mix.

Simple Mills kindly sent me a sample of the banana muffin mix which I made yesterday morning. Ok, now here is where my type of baking comes into play. One mix, one egg, 2/3 cup of water, and one tablespoon of oil. THAT IS IT! So easy to make that even this fearful baker could bake these little muffins.

Baking made Simple (Mills)! 

I opted to make the mini muffins because when it comes to delicious baked goods I have very little willpower to stop eating. I figured the mini muffins would help me with better portion control. Since these were smaller than normal muffins, I only baked these around 12 minutes. I may or may not have eaten three minis immediately. The rest made it to the rack to cool.

The lovely little muffins

I highly recommend this baking mix. It is easy to make, delicious, and totally gluten-free and made in a gluten-free facility. I will definitely use these gluten-free mixes again!

Don't delay, buy today! 

You can look for Simple Mills mixes in stores or buy your own Simple Mills mixes on Amazon using the links below. Enter code GFREEFUN when placing your Amazon order to get 10% off now through December 18.

• Simple Mills Almond Flour Muffin Mixes 9.4 oz Variety Pack (Pack of 3) 
• Simple Mills Almond Flour Focaccia and Sandwich Bread Mix, 9.4 Ounce Bags (Pack of 3)
• Simple Mills Banana Almond Flour Muffin Mix, 9.4 Ounce Bags (Pack of 3) 
• Simple Mills Pumpkin Almond Flour Muffin Mix, 9.4 Ounce Bags (Pack of 3)
• Simple Mills Chocolate Almond Flour Muffin Mix, 9.4 Ounce Bags (Pack of 3)
• Simple Mills Almond Flour Cookie Mix, 7.4 Ounce Bags (Pack of 3)

You can also enter to win!

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Note: Simple Mills sent me a complimentary sample package of their mix. Views expressed in this post are my own. 

Ringing in the New Year with Gluten-Free Ronzoni

Just in time for the holidays, I was sent a gift basket from Ronzoni to announce their new gluten-free pasta. It was news to me that Ronzoni launched a gluten-free pasta so I was excited by their gift. The Ronzoni Gluten Free Goodness Pasta Kit included Ronzoni Gluten Free Pasta, an awesome bright yellow colander, and pasta serving spoons. This was was a welcome surprise and a great addition to my kitchen.

I wanted to put together a special meal for New Year's Eve and thought I would use the Ronzoni Gluten-Free Rotini as part of the main course for my meal. I was in the middle of reading Apron Anxiety by blogger and journalist Alyssa Shelasky and two of her recipes stood out to me as both a challenge and a delicious dish.

I spent ALL of New Year's Eve day shopping around Astoria. Luckily there are some great butchers and cheese sellers in my neighborhood. Unluckily, every single person in Astoria was also out that day shopping for a NYE meal. After about 5 hours of shopping (no joke), I had everything I needed for my meal.

My first dish was from page 207 of Apron Anxiety: "Lamb Meatballs Garnished with Pomegranate Seeds and Resolutions." I never cooked lamb and only tried lamb chops once in my life, so this was my stretch dish. Alyssa said that these meatballs made her resolution to become an amazing cook come true so I thought I should go for it and try this dish. I followed this recipe pretty much by the book except swapping out crushed crackers for gluten-free breadcrumbs. In one word, this dish was DELICIOUS! It also felt very decadent to be eating lamb and pomegranate. I am not a fancy cook and this dish made me feel fancy!

Steamy! 

Happy 2014! 

My second dish was also inspired by Alyssa and her take on Nigella Lawson's Fusilli with Toasted Pine Nuts and Feta. Here is where I was putting the Ronzoni Gluten-Free to good use. Instead of gluten-filled fusilli, I used Ronzoni's gluten-free rotini (as seen above). The pasta had that yellow color that us Celiacs know so well from the years of eating corn pasta, but the difference with this pasta is that it is a blend of white and brown rice, corn, and quinoa. Once the pasta cooked, it lost that heavy yellow hue and looked more like regular pasta. I was very careful to follow the directions on the box of Ronzoni Gluten-Free rotini because gluten-free pasta can be very temperamental at times. When the pasta was the perfect al dente, I took it out of the water and proceeded with the recipe. This pasta had a nice mild flavor with no overpowering corn taste. It was balanced and I think a good choice to use for this recipe. The curly-cues of the rotini held the spinach and feta well and paired nicely with the lamb meatballs.

My boyfriend and I literally ate until we couldn't eat another bite. He is a gluten-eater and said the pasta was really tasty (big compliment from an non-GF person). The meal was ambitious but totally worth it for our New Year's Eve dinner. I had to roll myself to the bar to ring in the new year, I ate so much! We had lots of leftovers and the pasta held up really well with a reheat in the microwave the next day.

The Ronzoni Gluten-Free website not only has a pasta locator, but lots of recipes, and a coupon for $1 off any box of the gluten-free product. I highly recommend you giving this pasta a try, especially if you are tired of those "corny" gluten-free pastas. The pasta is 100% gluten-free, contains 19 grams of whole grains per serving, and is made in a dedicated gluten-free facility.

Click here to learn more and to download your Ronzoni Gluten-Free coupon today.



Sample product, kitchen gifts, and compensation were provided by the company but opinions expressed here are my own. 

Pretzel Perfection Holiday Clusters Review and Giveaway

When I was first approached by Pretzel Perfection, I was skeptical. A gourmet pretzel snack that was also gluten-free? Unheard of in our community, until now! Pretzel Perfection makes a line of pretzel snacks that are all 100% certified gluten-free and made with all-natural ingredients in a dedicated gluten-free facility. In addition, no preservatives or artificial colors have been added.

Their current product line includes Holiday Clusters available in eggnog, peppermint, and salted caramel; Gluten Free Twice-Baked Pretzel Sticks available in Chipotle BBQ Sticks,
Garlic Herb Sticks, Lemon Toffee Sticks, Stoneground Mustard Sticks, and Tomato Basil Sticks; and Gluten-Free Clusters Pacific Trail Clusters, Sea Salt and Caramel Clusters, Spicy Cherry Pistachio Clusters, and Ultimate Clusters. The prices start at $3.75 and go up from there.

Pretzel Perfection was kind enough to send me a free sample of their Holiday Salted Caramel Clusters a few weeks ago. I was very curious to try these since I think they are unlike any other gluten-free pretzel treats on the market. These salted caramel clusters were coated with dark chocolate (which I am not really a fan of) but the balance of bitterness from the dark chocolate, sweetness from the caramel, and saltiness made for a yummy treat. I polished off these snacks in only two days, so that tells you right there that I liked these gourmet pretzel treats! (Moderation is clearly not in my vocabulary around the holidays!)

A photo of the Salted Caramel Clusters package, ingredients, and the cluster itself

These are definitely a special occasion treat and would make a very nice gift for someone this holiday season. Want to win your very own box of Salted Caramel Clusters from Pretzel Perfection? Enter below through the Rafflecopter widget or leave a comment (or do both!)  You can also buy your own Pretzel Perfection treats at http://pretzelperfection.com/

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Jonty Jacobs: Gluten-Free Beef Products (But Don't Call It Jerky!)

Every season, I look forward to the NYC Food Fete events coordinated by Jeff Davis. Jeff works tirelessly to find the most interesting products on the market and brings together the best and brightest food, health, and fitness media in New York City. I am always honored to be a part of this event.

At each Food Fete, there are more and more vendors showcasing gluten-free products. For those who do not sell gluten-free food, they certainly have more awareness than ever before. I am always on the look out for interesting food at Food Fete and when I found Jonty Jacobs I feel like I found something special.

Jonty Jacobs create really interesting and delicious dried beef products based on traditional South African drying process. The two main products from Jonty Jacobs are Biltong (dried beef slices) and Droewors (dried beef sausage), both traditional beef delicacies which originated in South Africa.

According to their website, "Jonty Jacobs was founded by Monique Daniels, a South African raised in Australia who relocated to New York in 2010. As a meat enthusiast who was raised on delicious, natural biltong made by a family friend in Sydney, Monique was disappointed with the quality and taste of cured beef products made in the US. While having dinner with her sister and husband one night, the crazy idea came to her that she should create her own Biltong brand which would bring the best tasting, natural, chemical and preservative free Biltong to the US market."

I tend to shy away from regular beef jerky because it is full of preservatives, chemicals, and additives. Jonty Jacobs Biltong and Droewors DO NOT contain chemicals and additives and are not cured using sodium nitrate. In addition, the products are gluten-free, have no MSG, and no chemicals. I am always on the hunt for high-protein snacks and these hit the jackpot. At 14g and 16g grams a serving, these are the perfect punch of protein and flavor.

So the taste??? WHOA.

The Droewors are delicious. I came home from Food Fete with one bag and had to ration them out to myself at only one per day. Not an easy task when you are eating something this good. I had a friend try these and he quickly dipped his hand in for seconds. I smacked his hand and snatched the bag away quickly. I wanted to savor and save the remaining Droewors and tucked them back into the fridge. Dipped in the Jonty Jacobs spice blend, and you have yourself a nutritious and extremely flavorful treat.

Beef Biltong (Dried Beef) Traditional Original Ingredients: Beef, Salt, Brown Sugar, Vinegar, and Spice Blend

All Natural Droewors (Dried Beef Sausage) Ingredients: Beef, Vinegar, Salt, Brown Sugar, Natural Flavorings, Lamb Casings





Right now, Brooklyn-based Jonty Jacobs is making its way around local New York City artisan markets such as Hester Street Fair but you can also buy their products online to have them shipped directly to your door. Prices start at $7.99 for a 2 ounce bag and $9.99 for the spice blend. Shop now at JontyJacobs.com!

Holiday Giveaway! One lucky winner will get a sample of Jonty Jacbos sent right to their door. Simple use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter. You can also leave a comment below. Don't delay, entries must be submitted by Friday.

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Gluten-Free in Portland: Imperial by Chef Vitaly (in Photos)

I had a decadent, gluten-free meal at Imperial in Portland, Oregon over the summer. You can read my entire review on my Gluten-Free Globetrotter site. In the meantime, these photos should get you hungry!

My Imperial menu for the evening:

Drink: Sleight of Hand: pisco, lillet rose, pamplemousse liquer, flamed negroni mist
Appetizer: Kale and raw vegetable salad with sunflower seed brittle and goat cheese dressing
Bonus dish: Ocean caught salmon belly
Main dish: Tails and Trotters Barrel Planked Pork Secreto with smoked hazlenut romesco sauce and grilled leeks
Dessert: Coffee Toffee Icebox Cake

Imperial
410 SW Broadway
Portland OR 97205
PHONE: 503.228.7222

Gluten-Free Fun Review: Luce's Gluten-Free Artisan Bread

I am not a baker. When I have to bake, I would rather open up a mix than measure, weigh, and level off gluten-free flours. There are many wonderful gluten-free bakers out there, like my friends Elizabeth Barbone of GlutenFreeBaking.com and cookbook author Annalise Roberts, but I am not one of these bakers. That said, when I was contacted by Luce's Gluten-Free Artisan Bread company about their gluten-free bread mixes I was nervous. How was I going to bake bread and then write a review? I don't bake and didn't want to be a fraud. Then I opened my free samples of Luce's Gluten-Free Artisan Bread and my fears disappeared.

Open package, dump in bowl, add water. That's it?? Well, there are a few more instructions on the Luce's website but that is about all I did to bake this bread. I didn't even let the bread rise more than 5 minutes. I was so eager to pop my loaf of Italian bread in the oven that I barely even waited for it to rise. This is my type of baking! Simple prep time, no ingredients to measure, and easy clean-up. I was one happy baker.

I was even happier when this lovely loaf of gluten-free bread came out of my oven. I managed to polish off that loaf in only 2 days and I was left wanting more. This Luce's Gluten-Free Artisan Bread was delicious. I would definitely make this bread again and share it with gluten-free and gluten-eating friends. I honestly don't think the gluten-eaters would know the difference. It is that good.

I had the pleasure of meeting Charles Luce and his wife Leslie at the GFAF Expo a few weeks ago and they were super friendly and excited to learn that a non-baker (Me!) loved their bread and found it so easy to make. Charles has celiac so he not only needs to eat gluten-free but he also wants to feed us safely and deliciously. The mixes are made in a dedicated gluten-free facility and the company takes the FDA gluten-free labeling laws very seriously. 

Luce's Gluten-Free Artisan Bread mixes can be found in a handful of stores and also online on their website. Online the mixes are $7.95 each or $13.50 for a bulk bag. This is bulk rate is a great bargain, making each bag only $2.70 each! I am definitely going to buy this bulk bag in the future.

Find Luce's Gluten-Free Artisan Breads here: 

http://www.lucegfbread.com/

https://www.facebook.com/LucesGlutenFreeArtisanBread

https://twitter.com/Breadnmorels

Financial compensation was not received for this post. Free samples of the Luce's Gluten-Free Artisan Bread mixes were gifted from the company. Opinions expressed here are my own. 

New Gluten-Free Cookbook Review and Giveaway

Last month, I was sent a free copy of You Still Won’t Believe It’s Gluten-Free!: 200 More Delicious, Foolproof Recipes You and Your Whole Family Will Love by Roben Ryberg. Roben is the author of five gluten-free cookbooks and one of her goals is "how to make gluten-free food taste great."

The new cookbook has a foreword by Dr. Peter Green of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University which gives an overview of gluten and Celiac Disease. The cookbook also  includes recipes for appetizers, breads, muffins, soups, entrees, vegetables and tons of cake recipes.

I admittedly am not a baker, so many of the recipes for breads, muffins, and cakes were too complicated for me. I prefer the entree and side dish recipes which were much less complex and required fewer ingredients. I really want to try making the Sofrito Pork Chops (page 143) with a side of Plantain Fries (page 23) for dinner one night soon.

Giveaway: You can win you very own copy of Roben's new book by leaving a comment with your email address below. Additional entries available by following me on Facebook and Twitter using the Rafflecopter entry below. A winner will be chosen randomly on Friday, August 16th at 1pm EST!


Financial compensation was not received for this post. A sample book was gifted from the company. Opinions expressed here are my own. 

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Daiya Cream Cheese Style Spreads

When I was at Food Fete earlier this month, I was introduced to the new Daiya Cream Cheese Style Spreads. These spreads come in three smooth & creamy flavors: Plain, Chive & Onion, and Strawberry. All Daiya products are free of dairy, soy and gluten – three of the most common allergens, and also have 0mg of cholesterol. This makes Daiya a GREAT option for gluten-free and dairy-free people. I tried the chive & onion Daiya spread at Food Fete on a gluten-free cracker and I was pleased. It had the consistency of a whipped cream cheese and a nice flavor.

I also got to try Daiya "cheese"cake at the event. I am excited to share this recipe with you readers today! With a homemade or store-bought gluten-free crust, this dairy-free and gluten-free cheesecake is perfect for your next party!

Daiya No-Bake Cheesecake 

Ingredients: 
Prepared gluten-free crust of your choice (either store-bought or homemade)
3/4 cup coconut butter (a.k.a coconut manna)*
4 tbsp. water
3 tbsp. lemon juice
3 tbsp. natural vanilla extract Make sure this is gluten-free! 
2/3 cup sugar
2 containers Daiya Plain Cream Cheese Style Spread
4 tbsp. coconut oil

*Note: Coconut butter, also known as coconut manna, can be found in many grocery stores in the nut butter aisle. It is not the same thing as coconut oil.

Instructions: 
This makes a 10inch cheesecake in a spring form pan.

1) In a blender or food processor, add the coconut butter, water, lemon juice, vanilla, and sugar. Blend until completely smooth (about 2 min.)
2) With an electric beater, whip the Daiya Plain Cream Cheese Style Spread until smooth. Add the smooth coconut butter paste and beat until fully incorporated.
3) Melt the coconut oil and pour into the cream cheese mixture. Beat until fully combined.
4) Spread onto prepared crust and let sit covered in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

Optional: Top the cheesecake with fresh berries, chocolate, or any other topping you desire!

Popcorn, Indiana FIT Review

A few weeks ago I was sent free samples of the new Popcorn, Indiana FIT, "a new line of better-for-you" popcorn. Popcorn isn't my usual go-to snack, but I was eager to try these new low-fat and low-calorie snacks which are certified gluten-free.

I was sent all four of the new flavors, but only taste-tested three of the four. My favorite flavor was the Parmesan & Herb. The flavor was good without being overpowering and it was a nice snack for any time of the day. I found the Extra Virgin Olive Oil to have a weird aftertaste which turned me off. Sea Salt tasted just like "normal" popcorn to me so I managed to polish off the entire bag in about two days.

For those of you pre-popped popcorn fans, I would suggest trying this new snack from Popcorn, Indiana. The flavors are light and at only 40 calories or less and 2g of fat per cup, it is a good gluten-free snack. Enjoy!

Popcorn, Indiana Debuts New Snack Line That’s FIT for All!

Category Leader Introduces Tasty New Low-Fat and Low-Calorie Ready-to-Eat Popcorn

ENGLEWOOD, N.J. – January 3, 2013 – Popcorn, Indiana^®, innovator of all-natural popcorn  snacks, today announced the debut of Popcorn, Indiana FIT^tm, a new line of better-for-you popcorn that will be available nationwide beginning in January 2013. Boasting amazing taste, crispy crunch, only 40 calories or less and just 2 g of fat per cup, FIT is ideal for those who are looking to snack smarter (not just skinnier) and don’t want to sacrifice on flavor.

“As people who eat, sleep and breathe popcorn, we pride ourselves in continuing to push the boundaries when it comes to the kernel. Our popcorn chefs worked hard to perfect the pop when developing each of our delicious FIT flavors that are perfect for any occasion,” said Hitesh Hajarnavis, president and CEO of Popcorn, Indiana. “With this new line, snackers can have it all. With every delectable bite, FIT features a fresh and savory taste that puts the fun back into guilt-free snacking.  There is no need to make any compromises.”

Popcorn, Indiana’s chefs, masters in the art of creating delicious high-quality snacks, crafted FIT in four mouth-watering flavors: Sea Salt, Parmesan & Herb, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Onion Dijon.  Two of the flavors, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Sea Salt, will carry the Non-GMO Project Verified seal.  As with all Popcorn, Indiana products, FIT contains whole grains, is certified Gluten Free by the GFCO and is free of artificial flavoring and preservatives.

Popcorn, Indiana FIT popcorn will be available at leading retailers nationally.  To find a store near you, visit the Popcorn, Indiana website at www.popcornindiana.com.

The Complete Guide to Naturally Gluten-Free Foods

It's not every day you get a personal gourmet chef to cook for you for the whole weekend. I was lucky enough to experience this back in June. Chef Olivia Dupin, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, was our guest chef during our Gluten-Free Gourmet Weekend at Good Commons. When Olivia wasn't cooking up delicious gluten-free dishes for everyone on our weekend getaway, she was busy editing her manuscript fo her new cookbook. I am excited to announce Olivia's new cookbook, The Complete Naturally Gluten-Free Foods, has arrived and is now available for sale on Amazon and at bookstores across the country.

Olivia starts her book by discussing the basics of living gluten-free, how to set up a gluten-free kitchen, and a gluten-free food directory. The rest of her book includes 100 recipes that are relatively easy to make. The thing I like most about this cookbook is, just like the title says, the recipes are naturally gluten-free. You don't have to go out and buy tons of different gluten-free flours and replacement products. Olivia's recipes call for basic ingredients that you can find in any supermarket. I've already bookmark dishes I want to try including Honey Nut Trail Mix Bars, Asparagus and Leek Tart with Polenta Crust, Quinoa Pilaf with Roasted Root Vegetables, and Parmesan Roasted Broccoli. These recipes are all easy to make which is my type of cooking!

Olivia is a lovely person, an amazing gluten-free chef, and a member of my New York City Celiac Meetup group! She's the triple crown! Olivia has embraced her Celiac Disease and her culinary experience to create a cookbook full of delicious naturally gluten-free recipes. I highly recommend this book. These are the types of recipes that can be used to feed everyone, not just those who need to eat gluten-free. You will not even miss gluten but following these recipes.

Want to meet Olivia in person and buy The Complete Guide to Naturally Gluten-Free Foods? Join the NYC Celiac Meetup group at Olivia's book launch party in February. You can RSVP here. 

About the Author 

Olivia Dupin is a private chef, recipe developer, and consultant and is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. Since being diagnosed with Celiac Disease (gluten intolerance) in 2009, she has been committed to creating simple, delicious gluten-free recipes so that those with restrictions can still enjoy the foods they love.

Olivia has worked as a private chef to clients such as professional baseball player Mark Teixeira of the New York Yankees and comedian and television star Jerry Seinfeld. She is also a consultant, recipe developer, and food stylist for Energy Kitchen Restaurants, a healthy restaurant franchise.

Olivia maintains a recipe blog for Energy Kitchens (http://www.energykitchen.com/live-healthy), which features healthy recipes under 500 calories, as well as her own blog dedicated to simple, home-style, gluten-free recipes at http://www.livglutenfree.com. She resides in Jersey City, NJ.

Grandpa's Gluten-Free Gourmet

About a month ago, I was sent a free sample of Grandpa's Gluten-Free Gourmet "Garlic Parmesan Chicken Encrusting." I have to admit, I was a little reluctant to try this sample at first because of the name. Chicken Encrusting?!? This does NOT sound appetizing. But I didn't judge the food by it's packaging or branding and I opened up the bag to basically find enhanced breadcrumbs. Simple as that. Yesterday, I finished the rest of the bag. This encrusting stuff is GOOD!

Made from corn meal, Parmesan cheese, almonds, and spices, these breadcrumbs give your chicken a great flavor. I did not follow the recipe on the bag which seemed overly complicated. All I have been doing is dipping chicken into beaten eggs and then dipping into the Grandpa's Gourmet which coats evenly and keeps the chicken moist when baked in the oven. I really like the flavor the Grandpa's Gourmet gives to the chicken and I would definitely use this product again. I was actually disappointed that I finished the bag so soon.

Right now, the easiest way to buy the Grandpa's Gluten-Free Gourmet "Garlic Parmesan Chicken Encrusting" is through their online web store unless you live in Colorado where this product is available in a few locations. While the product itself is reasonably priced at $5.00 a bag, the $9.95 shipping and handling charge adds to the overall price of your order. Unfortunately, this is often the problem with gluten-free mail-ordered products.

Organic Corn Meal (Organic Corn Meal, Organic Grape and/or Pear Juice Concentrate, Sea Salt), Parmesan Cheese (Pasteurized Part-Skim Milk, Salt, Less than 2% of Enzymes, Cheese Culture, Potassium Sorbate [to protect flavor]), Almonds, Spices.

Nutritional Info

Thank you Grandpa's Gourmet!  

Gluten-Free Fun Guidelines

I am not paid to write this blog, Gluten-Free Fun. I have a full-time job that is completely unrelated to the gluten-free world. I am lucky enough to have free products and books sent to me on a regular basis for testing and review. Once in a while, I even get a free meal at a restaurant. I tell my readers when this happens. Sometimes I like these products, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I reject products before they are even sent to me if I get an email or a press release that turns me off. For example, if a publicist sends me an email touting their gluten-free product as the "next big weight loss food", I will probably reject the free samples. Celiac Disease is my life. I don't eat gluten-free to lose weight, I eat gluten-free to live. Without a gluten-free diet, I am pretty sure I would not be here today.

As a blogger, I am entitled to my own opinion. I am also allowed to post on my own timeline. Apparently, this pisses off some companies. It is amazing some of the emails I get from companies that clearly want free advertising from me but on their terms. I do appreciate that vendors want me to put information up right away, but I don't always have the luxury of time to fit within their expected time frame. If a publicist nags me about a posting, I will probably take even longer to post a review and by then I already have a negative feeling about the company.

Dear publicists, PR folks, and gluten-free vendors, please keep in mind that this is my blog and my hobby. I provide honest reviews for food, restaurants, and gluten-free events I have attended. In order to maintain the integrity of this blog, I ask that you respect how I write my blog.

A Response to Crunchmaster Crackers and Confusion

My first post today was an honest look at Crunchmaster Crackers and a confusing website. Within 2 hours of my blog post going live, I received a response from the Director of Marketing from TH Foods, Inc., the parent company of Crunchmaster.

Erin,

A concerned supporter sent me your blog on our Crunchmaster crackers this morning. I tried commenting on your blog, but for some reason it would not accept my response.

Thank you for your honest feedback on our Crunchmaster products. We are glad that you enjoyed them and appreciate you bringing our attention to the conflicting information on our website. After the introduction of our new Crunchmaster multi-grain line last year, we should have noticed that this caused conflicting information to appear. We will work to correct it as soon as possible.

If you have any future questions, please feel free to contact me directly. If I can not answer it, I will have our Regulatory Manager follow up with you.

Best Regards,

Jim Garsow
Director of Marketing
TH Foods, Inc.

I do applaud TH Foods, Inc. for being responsive to my post but still stand by my original post. Hopefully TH Foods, Inc. and Crunchmaster will accurately address the issues that I brought up in my post Crunchmaster Crackers and Confusion.

Crunchmaster Crackers and Confusion

I have blogged about Crunchmaster Crackers before*, but truth be told, I never tried them until last month when I was sent free samples by the company.

The Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers come in three flavors and I was sent the White Cheddar as a sample. I did try eat some of these crackers even though "oat fiber" is an ingredient. These White Cheddar Multi-grain crackers and all Crunchmaster products are certified gluten-free, but I usually make it a habit of not eating oats at all. In all honesty, I didn't actually notice this "oat fiber" ingredient until after I already ate a few crackers. This was careless on my part since I usually obsess over ingredients before trying anything new. The website and the packaging all said "Certified Gluten-Free" and I took their word on it. I hoped for the best but expected the worst, luckily I had no noticeable oat-based reaction.

Even though these crackers tasted good, I will not buy them again due to this ingredient. Please note, my choice to not eat oats is a personal preference after more than thirty years of never eating oats. Many people have no problem whatsoever with "gluten-free oats" but I choose not to eat them. This is not a reflection on Crunchmaster products, but again is my personal choice. I have lived without oats my entire life and don't feel that I am missing anything by not eating gluten-free oats. My PR contact for Crunchmaster did check with the parent company and said "that they use a certified gluten free oat fiber that is a bit more expensive, but worth it to Crunchmaster as it adds more fiber and nutrition to their products." More expensive doesn't put me at ease, but at least they are using a certified oat fiber in their product.

What I did find really interesting about this oat question was the confusing information on the Crunchmaster website. On the "Go Gluten Free" page, the very first sentence says "Gluten is a natural protein that is found in wheat, barley, rye and oats." But on the "Grown For You" page, the middle paragraph says "Several studies have shown that amaranth seed, like oats, may be of benefit for those with hypertension and cardiovascular disease." To someone new to the gluten-free diet, this could be really confusing especially if their doctor told them to avoid oats. I think Crunchmaster should address the "oat issue" on their website and be really open and honest about their use of gluten-free oats.

On the flip side, Crunchmaster does address the question of certification on their FAQ page. They state "All Crunchmaster products are Certified Gluten Free by the Gluten Free Certification Organization. GFCO standards are met through a rigorous process of third-party audits and frequent product and ingredient testing at the manufacturing facility. The GFCO sets strict standards that finished products may not contain more than 10 ppm gluten, twice as strict as the proposed FDA and Codex definitions for gluten free. Every production run of our Crunchmaster products are tested prior to shipment for added assurance that they meet our high standards."

Quite honestly, I don't like to be so confused when trying to get information about the products I am eating. From a non-oat eating point of view, I think Crunchmaster could improve their FAQ section by specifically addressing gluten-free oats vs regular oats. Then again, this is one of those controversial topics in the gluten-free community so it might have been a business decision to specifically not address the nature of the oats. Again, as a life-long Celiac this is something I want to pay attention to in ALL of the products I eat.

I also was sent a box of 7 Ancient Grains Hint of Sea Salt crackers. These were good and I felt much more at ease eating these crackers because the ingredients were much more simple and had no oats. The ingredients are "brown rice flour, potato starch, safflower oil, sorghum flour, quinoa seeds, sesame seeds, millet, flax seeds, amaranth seeds, and sea salt." They are all easily identifiable gluten-free seeds and grains. I ate these plain but could see these pairing really well with both cheeses and dips. I would buy these again and could see myself serving these at a party to all of my gluten-eating and non-gluten-eating friends. They are definitely one of those cross-population types of snacks.

Overall, although the Crunchmaster crackers were good the confusion about the oats left me less than impressed. I do understand these crackers are widely popular with the gluten-free community and are even advertised on the NFCA website but I will probably choose to stay away until some of the website and possibly packaging verbiage is clarified.

* As a new rule here at Gluten-Free Fun, I will only blog about products and recipes that I have actually personally tried and consumed. I recently learned that some gluten-free bloggers never even taste the recipes they are posting or the products they are "reviewing". This baffles me so much. How can you give honest opinions when you don't taste your own food? Going forward ALL of my reviews and recipes will cross my gluten-free lips before being posted to this site. I want to remain an honest and integrity-driven blog and in no way want to deceive my readers or even worse, post an untruthful review. Thank you.