The weather outside is frightful, which also happens to be perfect soup weather!  Did you know January is National Soup Month?  Soup doesn’t have to take a long time to make, it can be a fairly simple process, especially when using Pacific Natural Foods Soup Starters.

Pacific Natural Foods Soup Starters are gluten-free and come in five different varieties:

Beef Pho – Follow these directions to a simple Pho (noodle soup) at home.

Chicken Pho – Vietnamese noodle soup in less than 20 minutes at home!

Vegetarian Pho – Mushroom broth and spices for those avoiding meat.

Tom Yum – Chicken broth and spices make the base of this soup.

Tortilla – Make the classic soup right in your own home!

All you have to do to make a warm, comforting bowl of soup for lunch or dinner is follow the directions on the side of the box.  Add your choice of proteins and/or other add-ins to complete the dish.  Short and sweet.  Simple.  My kind of meal!  While I enjoyed all three varieties we were sent to sample, the tortilla was my favorite.  I added black beans, rotisserie chicken, corn and avocado on top.

Pacific Natural Foods has generously offered to give three lucky readers their own kit to help make the remainder of the cold days ahead a little more pleasant.  All you have to do to enter to win is follow the directions in the Rafflecopter box below.

In addition to the products mentioned in this post, Pacific Naturals has a wide variety of other gluten-free products. Continue reading →

My friends gave me a gift card to Fleet Feet for my birthday, so I was excited to go shop and find something new and fun!  When I normally shop at Fleet Feet it is because I need something, which isn’t necessarily the same thing as wanting something.  I had my eye on a pair of sassy running tights, but have had issues in the past with Nike pants being long enough to cover my ankles, which in the weather we have been having is essential. 

When I began browsing the store, Chelsea came over and showed me the new Nike Legend 2.0 Tight Fit Pants.  The print that caught my eye was a wild zig zag in black, charcoal grey and grey (not shown on the Nike website).  I mentioned my concerns and she insisted I try them on because they were surprisingly long.  In fact, Chelsea was wearing a pair in a solid grey color.  I am so glad that I listened because I have fallen in love with these pants! 

How cool are these?!  You can’t tell because I am sitting down in this picture, and have shoes on, but the pants come down over my heel, even when pulled all the way up!  I was shocked at how long they are!  They are also uber comfortable! I didn’t want to take them off! 

• Some cool facts about these pants:
• Made from at least 50% recycled polyester
• Engineered for superior athletic performance and lower environmental impact
• Minimum of 10 plastic bottles were recycled to make this pant.

The Nike Legend 2.0 Tight Fit Pants retail for $75.00, but cost much less out of my pocket thanks to my girls – you guys ROCK!

I wore these to core class on Sunday and they stayed put – no falling down or riding up.  I can’t wait until it warms up a little outside (I draw the line at 20-25 degrees if at all possible) so I can wear them for a run!

Have you worn Nike tights? Do you have a favorite running tight?

Van’s Natural Foods has several new products on the market this year.  One of those just happens to be Whole Grain Cereals.  The cereals are free of dairy, egg, corn, high fructose corn syrup, artificial ingredients, hydrogenated oils, GMO oils and are certified gluten-free by the GFCO (Gluten Free Certification Organization).

At first glace I was thinking that I may have found a replacement for Cinnamon Toast Crunch!  Well, I’ll call this the “grown up” version.  These cereals both have a great flavor and texture without being overly sweet like a typical kids’ cereals.  The Cinnamon Heaven has a great crunch with a subtle cinnamon flavor.  The Honey Nut Crunch also has that same crunch, but with distinct honey flavor.  I am thrilled to see a great-tasting gluten-free cereal hit the market with a higher fiber count!

Cinnamon Heaven – With 17g of nutrient-rich whole grains and 5g of fiber per serving, Van’s new gluten free Cinnamon Heaven cereal is the perfect way to start your morning. So, dip your spoon into a sweet touch of cinnamon and say hello to a whole new, whole grain way to start your mornings. Ingredients: (that we are proud of!) Van’s Gluten Free Whole Grain Blend (Oat, Brown Rice, Millet, Quinoa and Amaranth Flours), Cane Sugar, Oat Fiber, Inulin, Invert Cane Sugar, Non-GMO Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Cinnamon, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Natural Mixed Tocopherols for Freshness.

Honey Nut Crunch – Van’s NEW gluten free Honey Nut Crunch cereal is packed with 19g of nutrient-rich whole grains and 5g of fiber per serving. Dip your spoon into a sweet hint of honey and say hello to a whole new, whole grain way to start your mornings. Ingredients: (that we are proud of!)  Van’s Gluten Free Whole Grain Blend (Oat, Brown Rice, Millet, Quinoa and Amaranth Flours), Cane Sugar, Oat Fiber, Inulin, Invert Cane Sugar, Salt, Honey, Calcium Carbonate, Natural Flavors, Natural Mixed Tocopherols for Freshness.

The cereals retail for $3.99 and should be on the shelves of Wal-Mart, Safeway and Sprouts stores nationwide later this month.  Have you tried the new cereals from Van’s?  What is your favorite gluten-free cold cereal?

*These products were sent to me free of charge for review purposes.  The thoughts and opinions shared here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything.

Last week ended with yet another birthday celebration, but this time with some running friends.  I firmly believe that you can’t have too many celebrations!  We had planned to celebrate another friend’s birthday the same night, but she was unable to make it at the last minute.  No worries, we still had a wonderful time at a new-to-me place: Local Roots.

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I was not the only one attending the dinner that follows the gluten-free diet – my friend Melissa also follows the diet for health reasons.  Melissa has dined at Local Roots many times in the past and raved about their menu selection and service.  A little more about Local Roots:

Local Roots American Cuisine & Spirits is in the heart of historic downtown Powell, providing fresh & flavorful dishes to tempt your taste buds. Local Roots is serving lunch, dinner, homemade desserts & a full array of happy hour fare.

I couldn’t believe the options available once I sat down and started to peruse the menu.  I settled on a roasted vegetable salad for starters and then split the Greek pizza with my friend Melissa.

The salad was filled with roasted beets, potatoes, chopped lettuce and tomatoes.  What a wonderful combination!

The pizza crust was light, crispy and had a great flavor!  We opted to have the red sauce on our Greek Pizza instead of the white sauce.  I loved the combination of flavors!  I will definitely be going back to try some of the other menu items, especially the spaghetti squash!

There weren’t any gluten-free desserts on the menu, but I mentioned the Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream parlor across the street as a possibility.  No one really said anything, but I didn’t think much of it at the time. Turns out Melissa baked a gluten-free chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting for dessert! It was out of this world!

I am so thankful to have such a wonderful, understanding set of friends who all like to celebrate just as much as I do!  Thanks, ladies!

Don’t forget to enter to win a tool kit to help find Rudi’s Gluten-Free “Soft & Fluffy”!

If there is a gluten-free donut out there that Jon hasn’t tried, I would be shocked.  As soon as we found out that Katz Gluten Free was making Glazed Donuts, I placed an order so that Jon could see how they stacked up to what he remembers glazed donuts to be.

The donuts arrived frozen-ish, so I left them out on the counter knowing they wouldn’t have time to go bad.  (Katz recommends keeping them frozen until ready to eat.)  Jon made fast work of this 6-pack and the other one that came a few days after it.  His first bite and mumblings included, “..chomp…chomp…best…chomp…donut I have ever had!” 

Ingredients:
Gluten Free Flour (White Rice, Corn Starch, Tapioca), Water, Sugar, Eggs, Canola Oil, Baking Powder, Xanthan Gum, Salt, Confectionery sugar, Granulated Sugar, Vanilla, Donut Glaze (Confectionery Sugar, Granulated Sugar, Water, Palm Oil, Salt, Vanilla, Agar, Locust Bean Gum).

The donuts are free of dairy, soy and nuts in addition to being gluten-free.  They are $6.99 per package of 6 donuts.  Katz Gluten-Free offers free shipping on orders over $50, so consider stocking up on donuts or trying some of the other tasty products that Katz makes, including a brand new Chocolate Cake Mix!

English Muffins

Blueberry Pie

Donut Holes

Rugelach

Do you have a favorite gluten-free donut?  Have you tried the Katz Gluten Free Glazed Donuts?

Southwestern Fajita Quiche

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day—it jumpstarts your metabolism and gets your brain ready for the day. But when your breakfasts consist of the same old cereal, bagels or granola bars every morning, it’s easy for the most important meal of your day to turn into the most boring meal of your day.

To keep your body wanting to eat breakfast, experiment with easy breakfast recipes that are a little more interesting than simply a bowl of fruit or cereal. Breakfast foods aren’t limited to cereal bowls; savory options like quiches and frittatas, and even leftovers from dinner the night before, can help get your morning off to a good start. Spend a couple extra minutes at the stove or the oven in the morning—plenty of good, hearty breakfast recipes don’t require hours of time and your body will thank you for the extra effort!

This easy Southwestern Fajita Quiche from Egg Beaters® is an excellent healthy breakfast or quick dinner option. It’s made with egg substitute which are lower in fat and calories than shell eggs, plus it’s filled with onion and two types of peppers. Add corn tortillas and some lean chicken for protein, and you have an easy recipe that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Southwestern Fajita Quiche from Egg Beaters®

· PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

· 1/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

· 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch strips (1/2 pepper = about 1/2 cup)

· 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch strip (1/2 pepper = about 1/2 cup)

· 1 small onion, cut into 1-inch strips (1 small = about 1/3 cup)

· 1 cup Egg Beaters® Southwestern Style (1 cup = 8 oz)

· 1 cup fat free milk

· 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

· 1 cup shredded reduced fat Mexican cheese blend (1 cup = 4 oz)

· 4 gluten-free corn tortillas (8 inch)

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a medium skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat.

Add the chicken; cook and stir 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in bell peppers and onion; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Combine Egg Beaters, milk and cumin in a large bowl. Add cheese and mix lightly. Stir in chicken mixture.

Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Place tortillas in the pie plate to form crust, evenly overlapping each other. Carefully pour Egg Beater mixture into the tortilla crust. Bake for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with salsa and low-fat sour cream, if desired.

Author Bio: This is a guest post by Meredith K. on behalf of Egg Beaters®, a producer of gluten free food products. For more easy recipes made with gluten-free foods from easy breakfasts to low calorie desserts, visit www.eggbeaters.com.

Rudi’s Gluten Free recently launched a contest to help find “Soft & Fluffy”, which is exactly what has been missing from gluten-free bread.  Are you interested in helping find “Soft & Fluffy”?  If so, read on.

There is a $1,000 reward sweepstakes taking place right now!  A successful detective needs the proper gear to help them find what it is they are looking for, right?  Rudi’s Gluten-Free has offered to give one of my lucky readers a giveaway package, worth $100, full of tools to help find “Soft & Fluffy”.

Items in the giveaway package:

• Enjoy Life Trail Mix
• Peter Rabbit Organic Fruit Snack
• Kelty Backpack
• Stainless Steel Water Bottle
• Compass
• Field Notebook

All you have to do to enter to win is complete the tasks in the Rafflecopter box below.    Continue reading →

Tomorrow is Inauguration Day! This will be the 57th Presidential Inauguration.  The first Presidential Inauguration was on April 30, 1789.  Do you plan on tuning in to watch?  The first Presidential Inauguration that I remember being aware of was on January 21, 1985 for Ronald Reagan’s second term when I had just turned 12.  There is your dose of history for the day. 

Udi’s is really on the roll with new products lately!  I just found out the other day they are debuting tortillas and now I saw on their new products page they are also debuting granola bars! 

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I can’t wait to sample some of these new products and share my thoughts with you guys!

Menu for the Week

Sunday – Black bean chipotle quinoa bowl and salad

Monday – BBQ pulled pork sammies, sweet potato puffs, broccoli and salad

Tuesday – Leftovers

Wednesday – Mexican pizzas and salad

Thursday – Italian Grilled Chicken, coconut baked brown rice and salad

Friday – Make your own pizza and salad

Saturday – Take out

Week in Review

Applegate Naturals recalls chicken nuggets

Udi’s Double Vanilla Muffins are the BOMB!

GlutenFreeTravelSite.com Launches “Dine GF” app

Recipe Update: Thai Chile Salmon

Have a great week!

I always do my best to try to alert you guys to recalls as soon as I get the information.  I received an email late last night about this recall and then it was also shared on my Facebook page by a friend.  If you have purchased this product recently or know someone that does, please take care to make sure to return it or throw it out.  The product in question is made by Applegate Naturals – the Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets. 

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More from Applegate Naturals on the recall:

Frequently Asked Questions
January 18, 2013

Applegate strives to provide an experience with our brand that reflects our attention to quality from farm to table and we regret having to recall a product that does not meet our standards.

What product is affected by the recall?
8-ounce packages of Applegate Naturals Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets with the “Best Before” date of August 28, 2013 and Lot Code 210864. These are the ONLY products affected by the recall.

How much of this product is out in the marketplace?
We have confirmed that 3,144 packages of Applegate Naturals Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets are potentially affected. The shipment of this product has been tracked and all retailers with affected product have been notified.

Are any other Applegate products affected by the recall?
No. Only Applegate Naturals Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets with the “Best Before” date of August 28, 2013 is included in this recall. No other Applegate products are affected.

Why is Applegate issuing a recall?
The identified batch of Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets was mislabeled and may contain gluten.

What do I do if I have affected product and how do I get reimbursed?
If you have the Applegate Naturals Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets, please return affected product to the retailer where it was purchased for a full refund.

How did Applegate know there was a problem with the recalled product?
The problem was detected by a consumer who is familiar with the product and noted a color difference. This product was labeled with a Lot Code 210864 and a “Best Before” date of August 28, 2013.

Has anyone become ill from the recalled product?
No. Applegate has received no reports of illness nor has the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Nevertheless, anyone concerned about an allergic reaction should contact a healthcare provider.

How did the problem occur?
During the packaging process, the product containing gluten was packed in boxes that are labeled as gluten-free. This was an isolated issue and did not impact any other products.

How will Applegate prevent this from happening in the future?
We have carefully evaluated every step in the processing and packaging of this product. As a result, we have identified and implemented the following steps that will provide added assurance against a similar incident occurring in the future.

• We have improved our label verification process. A sample of each of our gluten-free retail boxes is now verified against a printed image of each box and all employees who process or pack the product have been fully educated on this improved process.
• If more than one product is packed on the same line on the same day, we will document and verify that all packaging from the prior run is removed from the area before starting a new product run.

Where can consumers go for more information?
Consumers can visit the Applegate website at www.applegate.com or call us at 866-587-5858.

Consumers can also contact "Ask Karen," the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.

We don’t purchase these on a regular basis, but we have purchased them in the past.  Please pass this along!

Hydration is very important for our bodies to function properly.  I can’t stress enough how important it is to have water available for each and every workout, not just high intensity activities like running, spinning and hot yoga.  Walking, weight lifting, strength training, etc – water is necessary to replace fluids lost.  Sometimes water isn’t enough for me.  I need electrolytes in addition to the just water and I will use Gatorade for this purpose.  I am not the only one preaching about hydration, check out the information below from mountaineer Melissa Arnot:

This past May, mountaineer Melissa Arnot completed her fourth summit of Mount Everest – more than any other woman in history, at the young age of 29.  If that wasn’t enough, she also summited Mount Rainier 91 times. She’s an inspiration to so many, and knows first-hand the importance of hydration for safety. “No matter if you are climbing Everest or just training to climb the stairs, hydration is one of the single most important tools for success,” said Arnot.

Below are a few helpful tips from Melissa for staying healthy and hydrated:

· Hydration for safety: “When you are under exertion, your body is using fluid from anywhere it can get it, which puts stress on your other body systems. You are losing body moisture through sweat and respiration, so hydration is a key element of safety.”

· Follow the liter rule: “I always start any day of activity with a liter of water prior to my exertion. After my activities start, I keep hydrated by drinking a half-liter every hour.”

· Avex water bottles: “The Avex AUTOSPOUT lid has a press-to-release button that quickly opens the drinking spout, offering me the ability to quickly rehydrate without the risk of losing the lid to my bottle. Often, hydration hoses just won’t work since they tend to freeze in colder temperatures. The Avex bottle allows me to rapidly re-hydrate and I notice that I am able to drink even more then I used to with a traditional bottle. Being hydrated is critical to safety and success. No matter where I am traveling I am never without water, since I know it can literally save my life at very high altitude.”

Have you seen or hear about the Avex water bottles?  I hadn’t until I received one to try out.  I am very impatient when it comes to running and workout gear.  I like things to be easy and if I have to take a bunch of pieces of a water bottle apart to wash, it will most likely end up sitting around and not getting used.  One of the features of this Glacier Autoseal water bottle that caught my eye from the get-go was it being dishwasher safe (top rack). 

32 ounces is perfect!  I easily drink 2-3 of these per day. 

The top has “autoseal” so there is no leaking or spilling.  I will throw a water bottle away if it leaks, so I was very interested to see how this worked.  The white part flips back to open the bottle, but no water comes out until you press the “autoseal” button.  Want to know what is even better?  You can do it all with one hand, making it perfect for fast-moving fitness classes like Body Pump or heated power yoga. 

The true test was putting the bottle in my workout bag and transporting it to class that way.  Guess what?  No spills or leaks!  I am amazed and very pleased!  I love how easy this bottle is to use and clean! 

Avex water bottles can be purchased on many websites, though I haven’t checked locally to see if I can find them in stores.  It seems they come in more than just the 32 ounce size.  They also have travel mugs, which would be great for coffee!  Click here to see where to find them close to you.

Do you have a favorite water bottle to use while working out?

*This product was sent to me free of charge for review purposes.  All opinions shared here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything.