Welcome to the 5th of May! Celebrate Cinco de Mayo on the lean (and gluten-free) with Jennie-O. Save time with pre-seasoned taco meat…it really doesn’t get much easier than this!

Taco Seasoned Ground Turkey (no gluten), Wholly Guacamole and Herdez Salsa.

If you are looking for some recipes to inspire you, check out these yummy recipes:

• Turkey Tacos with Lime Crema Yogurt
• Mexican Turkey Potato Skins
• Turkey Nachos

How will you celebrate Cinco de Mayo?

*Products mentioned in this post were sent to me free of charge for the purpose of this post. Thoughts and opinions shared here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything.

Welcome to May! May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month, so let’s kick the month off with some information, shall we?!

What is Celiac Disease? It is a genetically based autoimmune disease that is triggered by gluten. It is not an allergy.

Who has Celiac Disease? 1 in 133 people in the US are estimated to have Celiac Disease, though the majority are undiagnosed.

Is there a cure for Celiac Disease? The only cure is a gluten-free diet.

There are many different signs and symptoms of Celiac Disease. Check out the NFCA symptom checklist for more information.

GFIL top rated gluten-free product: Udi’s Gluten-Free Bagels.

Happy Earth Day! Did you know that Balance Bar Dark Bars are made with 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified™ cocoa? I didn’t!

The Rainforest Alliance certification assures consumers that our cocoa beans are grown on sustainably managed farms that protect people and their surrounding ecosystems of water, soil and wildlife.

In celebration of Earth Day, I am offering one lucky reader a box of Balance Bar Dark Chocolate Crunch Bars.

More about Balance Bar Dark Bars:

Time to tap into your dark side! Balance Bar Dark bars are packed with nutritious protein and fiber, certified Gluten Free and made with 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified™ cocoa—which means they’re good for you AND the environment. Decadent and sweet, each dark chocolate bar is a scrumptious way to get the 40-30-30 nutrition and long-lasting energy you need to outlast the day (or own the dark)!

The Balance Bar Dark Bars are certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO). *It is important to note that not all Balance Bars are gluten-free…those that are will be clearly labeled. There are three different varieties of gluten-free bars:

• Dark Chocolate Crunch
• Dark Chocolate Peanut
• Dark Chocolate Coconut

All you have to do to enter to win a box of Balance Bar Dark Bars is leave me a comment telling me how you are celebrating Earth Day. Winner will be randomly chosen on the morning of April 25, 2014. 

*The products mentioned in this post are being provided free of charge for review and giveaway purposes. The thoughts and opinions shared here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything.

It’s been a while since I have posted a weekly menu plan. I can make excuses, tell you all I have been cooking, but the fact of the matter is I have been busy and take-out has become a closer friend than I would like. Hopefully I can get back on track and make some more meals at home this week.

Last week my “baby” boy turned 18! He is officially an adult and will be heading off to college this fall. He will be navigating college gluten-free, so I will be sharing some of that process here for those who may be going through something similar.

Let’s get down to the plan, shall we?

Monday – Spaghetti with marinara and meatballs, salad

Tuesday –  Turkey tacos, black beans, corn

Wednesday – Leftovers

Thursday – Dinner out – belated b-day celebration

Friday – Make your own pizza, salad

Saturday – Breakfast for dinner, fruit salad

Weekly Recap

Holey Bread…What Gives, Udi’s?

California Pizza Kitchen…Beyond the Pizza

Jules Shepard…The Real Story

Have a great week! 

Late last week I discovered Kashi now had two cereals that are gluten-free. I quickly put them both on my grocery list so I could sample and review for you guys. When I was at Meijer on Maxtown Rd. yesterday, I spotted the Kashi Indigo Morning cereal.

I couldn’t wait to dig into this for Monday morning breakfast. While Mondays are usually my day off, they are usually busy and there is nothing like a bowl full of yumminess to help shake off the “Mondays”.  

I poured some Silk Vanilla Almondmilk + Protein & Fiber over the Indigo Morning cereal. I can’t begin to explain how much I like this cereal!  Crunchy with berries and just a kiss of sweetness.  

What is your favorite gluten-free cereal?

It was almost two years ago that I first reviewed The Gluten Free Bar on my blog. Since then, they have added three new bars for a total of six varieties. I was thrilled when I received a box of bars to sample and review.

The new varieties include:

Coconut Cashew Crunch -organic brown rice syrup, toasted cashews, complete protein blend (brown rice protein, pea protein), organic agave nectar, toasted coconut, organic crisped brown rice, dates, organic sunflower seeds, golden flaxseed, natural coconut flavor, safflower oil, sea salt. contains cashews.

Oatmeal Raisin – organic sunflower seeds, protein blend (brown rice protein, pea protein), organic brown rice syrup, dates, certified gluten-free oats, organic agave nectar, california raisins, organic crisped brown rice, golden flaxseed, vanilla, cinnamon, sea salt.

Dark Chocolate Coconut – dates, organic brown rice syrup, complete protein blend (brown rice protein, pea protein), toasted coconut, organic agave nectar, organic dark chocolate (organic chocolate liquor, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic cocoa powder), organic crisped brown rice, cocoa powder, vanilla, organic sunflower seeds, natural coconut flavor, golden flaxseed, sea salt.

All of The Gluten Free Bars are:

The Gluten Free Bar can be purchased in select stores across the US or online. Gluten-Free is Life readers can use the code: GFISLIFE to receive 15% off of their order.

I have fallen in love with the new bars, especially the Coconut Cashew Crunch and Oatmeal Raisin varieties.  If you would like a chance to win a box of The Gluten Free Bars, leave me a comment below sharing which bar you would most like to try.  I will randomly choose a winner on Thursday, April 17, 2014. 

*The bars mentioned in this post 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. The bars given away to a lucky reader are being provided by The Gluten Free Bar.

Today is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. Hannah told me that I was only saying that because I eat PB & J daily, but while that may be true, today is definitely the right day. I wasted no time preparing my lunch and getting down to business.

Udi’s Gluten-Free Whole Grain Bread (the large version purchased at Costco), Skippy Natural Peanut Butter and Smucker’s Simply Fruit Strawberry with a side of Snyder’s Gluten-Free Pretzel Twists.You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy PB & J.

Did you celebrate National PB & J Day today?

*PS…Don’t forget to enter to win the Tyson Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets and Chicken Breast Strips giveaway!

Finding quick gluten-free food items on busy weeknights is a constant battle, especially with picky eaters. Both of my children are extremely picky eaters so this is a struggle we face often. Tyson Foods now offers Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets and Gluten-Free Chicken Breast Strips that have the same great taste kids love, but without the gluten.

I like to keep a bag of each on hand in the freezer, as they can be easily prepared by my kids in the microwave in under 5 minutes. This really helps us out on nights where I have clients in the evening and Dad is working late. Hannah enjoys these just as much as the “real” chicken nuggets she eats, and she doesn’t have to eat gluten-free. These aren’t just for kids, I enjoy Tyson® Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets from time to time, too.

More about Tyson® Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets and Chicken Breast Strips:

Tyson® Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets and Chicken Breast Strips offer the same great taste that kids love, without the gluten! Available in the freezer aisle at local grocers, it’s the great tasting, gluten free option that everyone’s been waiting for.

Chicken nuggets are a go-to meal moms enjoy giving to their kids and kids love eating. Tyson® Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets and Chicken Breast Strips are made with all white meat chicken and 100 percent all natural ingredients. Each serving contains 10 grams of protein, giving kids the fuel they need to conquer the day.

Tyson® Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets and Chicken Breast Strips allow moms to prepare meals for children with Celiac disease or gluten allergies, and give her piece of mind by insuring she is serving a meal that will address specific dietary needs.

Whether it’s snack or dinner time, Tyson® Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets and Chicken Breast Strips are a go-to and convenient food staple for every family to enjoy.

Tyson® Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets and Gluten Free Chicken Breast Strips are available at local grocery stores nationwide. Click here for more information on these products.

I am thrilled to announce that I am able to offer one lucky reader 2 product vouchers to try Tyson® Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets and Gluten-Free Chicken Breast Strips. All you have to do to enter to win is leave a comment below letting me know what your favorite meal is that includes chicken nuggets or chicken breast strips. The winner will be selected randomly on Friday, April 4, 2014.

*The products and vouchers mentioned in this post are being provided to me and the winner free of charge for review purposes.  The thoughts and opinions shared here are mine and haven’t been influenced by anyone or anything.

Oh, yeah! 

Gluten-free bread is not easy to perfect. Often times the gluten-free bread that is found in grocery stores is small in size and crumbly. Glutino fans loved their bread, but they have made it even better! The White and Multigrain breads got a recipe and packaging makeover.

These loaves of bread arrived on my doorstep last week. I left them on my counter and decided the best way to sample them was to eat them at room temperature, straight from the bag. I was very impressed with both the White and Multigrain varieties; they are both soft and flavorful and pretty darn close to what I remember gluten-full bread tasting and feeling like. The instructions say to freeze the bread unless it will be eaten within the next week and a half, so I haven’t tried the bread toasted from the freezer yet. I really enjoyed an old fashioned PB & J without having to toast and cool the bread. 

White Bread Ingredients: Water, potato starch, cornstarch, canola oil, tapioca starch,egg white, rice bran, carboxy methyl cellulose, sugar, yeast, xanthan gum, white rice flour, salt. Contains eggs.

Multigrain Bread Ingredients: Water, modified tapioca starch, corn starch, potato starch, canola oil and/or safflower oil, egg whites, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, sugar, molasses, salt, yeast, xanthan gum, glucano-delta-lactone, flax seed, sunflower seeds, sodium bicarbonate, caramelized sugar, modified cellulose, calcium sulphate, enzymes. Contains eggs.

The new & improved Glutino Bread can be found in your grocer’s freezer. To find a store close by, visit the store locator on the Glutino website.

*The products mentioned in this post 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.