I have been looking for new ways to re-hydrate after my long runs, so when Smile.ly offered to send me a complimentary case of Vita Coco coconut water to review, I was thrilled! I had been using powdered Gatorade, but my stomach just doesn’t do well with sports drinks for some reason.

The story behind Vita Coco:

One evening in a Manhattan bar in February 2003, childhood friends, Ira Liran and Michael Kirban, were speaking with a couple of girls they had just met from Brazil. When asked what they missed most about their country, one of the girls, without hesitation, answered “agua de coco.” Coconut water, she explained, is the most nutritious and delicious drink in the world.

Two months later, Liran traveled to Brazil and started researching the prospect of branding coconut water for the American market. He realized the girl’s enthusiasm for the beverage was not exaggerated—Brazilians just can’t get enough coconut water. After spending several months working with coconut plantations and producers, making connections, and learning the politics of production in Brazil, Vita Coco was born.

Meanwhile, Kirban started the initial market research in New York. Meeting with distributors and beverage insiders, he quickly realized the tremendous consumer interest in “functional beverages.” He spoke with several distributors who then introduced Kirban to some of their key accounts. The response was fantastic.

Two years later in 2005, the two successfully brought Vita Coco to market in a handful of stores along the East Coast. Since that fateful night in Soho in 2003, Vita Coco has not only carved a new market in the non-carbonated beverage business and redefined the alternative sports beverage category, but has also created the one of the fastest growing lifestyle beverages in North America.

Vita Coco’s popularity only continues to increase. Now available in over 10,000 retail stores nationally, Vita Coco is a major beverage brand with a cult-like brand loyalty.

Vita Coco flavors:

100% Pure Coconut Water

Coconut Water with Acai & Pomegranate

Coconut Water with Peach & Mango

Coconut Water with Pineapple

Coconut Water with Tangerine

There wasn’t a flavor I tried that I didn’t like, though I do have a favorite and it is the Coconut Water with Pineapple – it reminds me of a Pina Colada! Nothing like finishing off a great long run with a Pina Colada, huh? 😉 I have not had a headache after running since I started drinking coconut water to re-hydrate. I used to get headaches that I think were due to being dehydrated, even though I would drink what I thought was plenty of water & all the Gatorade I could without feeling pukey.

Some benefits of Vita Coco from the website:

Did you know that coconut water has 15 times more potassium than that found in sport drinks? It’s also naturally loaded with the five key electrolytes: potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, sodium and calcium. It’s what you need to stay hydrated. On a diet? No sweat! Vita Coco is also fat and cholesterol free.
Sure, you may not be a marathon runner, a football player or Tour de France winner, but your every day life is hectic enough—you should be hydrated while you live it. Go ahead, get hydrated and remember that life is a sport!

Here is a list of other things coconut water can do for you:

Helps keep the body cool and at the proper temperature.
Translation:Now when you get noticed it’s not ’cause you’re sweaty and gross.

Promotes weight loss.
Translation: You still have to cut back on the fried chicken and hit the treadmill, but we’re there for you to enhance your diet program.

Helps carry nutrients and oxygen to cells and boosts poor circulation.
Translation:See, everyone needs a boost from time to time.

Regulates the function of the intestine, helping promote smoother skin.
Translation: Doing something good for your insides can make you prettier outside! But you still need to wash your face properly, exfoliate and moisturize (don’t forget the SPF).

Helps replenish your body’s fluids after exercising.
Translation:Your body needs plenty of fluids after the gym. Fluids free of barley and hops. Go figure.

Helps detoxify your body and boost your immune system.
Translation:Keeps your immune system tough. Grr. And, yells at viruses to back off. “Back off viruses!”

Helps ease stomach pains.
Translation:Calms your stomach, unlike your in-laws’ chili cook off.

Aside from tasting good, the Vita Coco didn’t upset my stomach at all. I consistently have been drinking these after my longer runs (6+ miles) and love them! Have you tried Vita Coco? I will be having one this morning after my long run – perhaps a Coconut Water with Peach & Mango is on tap today. 😉

If you are interested in trying Vita Coco, you can find it by clicking here. You can also purchase on Amazon.com as part of their “Subscribe & Save” program for $17.85/case of 12 (down from $24/case).

Jon has been drinking Powerade for years during and/or after his hockey games. I had verified its gluten-free status years ago & still check the label, but nothing on the ingredient list has ever raised a red flag to me. Last weekend, Jon played 5 hockey games & refereed 1 game from Friday night until Sunday evening. He had mentioned on Saturday during the day that he wasn’t feeling well, but to be honest, I didn’t think too much of it. His continued to feel poorly through the weekend & then into the week. I thought back to what he had been eating & drinking & the Powerade is what stuck out in my head. I got online to investigate further.

What I discovered was a lot of confusion over the topic of whether or not Powerade is gluten-free. I kept seeing that the “Mountain Blast” and “Grape” flavors were gluten-free, but that was it for the normal Powerade. I received messages from others who got sick drinking Powerade. I had checked Coca-Cola’s website, but it wasn’t very user friendly. So, I emailed Coca-Cola & this is the response that I received:

Thank you for contacting The Coca-Cola Company, Ms. Bouldin. We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.

We are able to confirm that Coca-Cola classic, caffeine free Coca-Cola classic, Coca-Cola Zero, Barq’s root beer, caffeine free Barq’s root beer, diet Barq’s root beer, diet Barq’s Red Creme Soda, Diet Coke, Diet Coke with Lime, Diet Coke Plus, caffeine free Diet Coke, Diet Coke Sweetened with Splenda, Sprite, Sprite Zero, Vanilla Coke, Vanilla Coke Zero, cherry Coke, Diet Cherry Coke, Cherry Coke zero, Fresca, Fanta Grape, Fanta Orange, Fanta Orange Zero, DASANI, DASANI Lemon, DASANI Plus Refresh + Revive, DASANI Plus Cleanse + Restore, DASANI essence, FUZE (all flavors), NOS Energy Drinks, Rehab, Minute Maid Lemonade, Minute Maid Light Lemonade, Minute Maid Kids + Apple, Minute Maid Pomegranate Blueberry Juice, Minute Maid Pomegranate Lemonade, Minute Maid Pomegranate Flavored Tea, Minute Maid Multi-Vitamin Orange Juice, Minute Maid Kiwi-Strawberry Energy, Minute Maid Juice Bars (Orange, Cherry, and Grape), Nestea Red Tea, Nestea Sweetened Lemon Tea, Diet Nestea Lemon, Nestea Citrus Green Tea, Diet Nestea Citrus Green Tea , Nestea Lemon Sweet, Gold Peak Lemon Iced Tea, Caribou Iced Coffee, Enviga Sparkling Green Tea, Enviga Berry Sparkling Green Tea, Simply Apple, Simply Grapefruit, Simply Orange Juice Country Stand Medium Pulp with Calcium, Simply Lemonade, Simply Limeade, Simply Orange with Mango, Simply Orange with Pineapple, Simply Lemonade with Raspberry, POWERADE Mountain Blast, POWERADE Grape, POWERADE ION4, VIO Vibrancy Drinks, and our 100% juice products (without added ingredients) are gluten free.

Additionally, we can tell you that all of our other brands meet Codex’s definition of gluten free which means the level does not exceed 20 mg/kg in total. Codex is in the process of reviewing this standard and we are monitoring the progress closely. At this time the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not have a regulatory definition of gluten-free.

We can assure you that the exact amount of gluten in all these other products is very low – perhaps even zero. Some minor ingredients in these products are manufactured from plants that gluten-sensitive people could react to, so we are unable to state categorically that they are totally gluten-free even though they may have undetectable levels of gluten in them. The Codex guideline provides a very low threshold for gluten content. However, extremely gluten-sensitive individuals should discuss consumption of these products with their health care provider.

We hope this information is helpful. If you have additional questions or comments, please feel free to contact us again.

Gisele
Industry and Consumer Affairs
The Coca-Cola Company

If you notice the varieties that I bolded above, you will see that none of the Powerade Zero flavors or other flavors of the normal Powerade, other than the Mountain Blast or Grape, are mentioned. AHA!! I think that I may have found our problem, or at least part of it.

To eliminate confusion in our house & life, we will most likely stick with Gatorade or Clif Quench.

I have been hearing about Orgran gluten-free products for a couple of years, but had never had the opportunity to sample any of them. I was thrilled to receive some complimentary samples of their Easy Bake Bread mix, pasta, bread crumbs & self-rising flour. Here is some information about Orgran:

In today’s society, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of consuming a diet that is healthy, nutritious and individual to their needs. Orgran products have been developed with your well being in mind and are based on only natural ingredients for people who demand a healthier lifestyle.

All Orgran products are Gluten FREE, Wheat FREE, Dairy FREE, Egg FREE, Yeast FREE, GMO FREE, Vegan and all natural. For people on special diets it is an easy and convenient choice without having to look through complex ingredient listings. Look out for the easy to read tick box to assist in your choice.

Orgran – The leader and trusted name in natural nutrition

Enjoyed around the world, Orgran products are endorsed by health practitioners and are available in over 50 countries.

With over 70 gluten free products to choose from such as our range of award winning pasta varieties and innovative products such as gluten free gluten (GfG) or ‘No EGG’ egg replacer, you can guarantee balance and variety in your diet.

First, I made the Easy Bake Bread Mix. Boy, the title fits this product to a “T”.

What Orgran has to say about their bread mix:

Easy Bake Gluten Free Bread!!!! The Orgran Gluten Free Bread Mix is a convenient and versatile bread mix, which has revolutionized the way gluten free bread tastes!! The Orgran Bread Mix does not contain dairy products or cane sugar and you do not need to use eggs to produce a full crusty loaf that you can slice, freeze, toast and enjoy in the same way as ordinary wheat based bread. For variations, just add sultanas, dried fruit or nuts. Gluten Free Bread never tasted so GOOD!!!

I had this bread in the oven in less than 10 minutes! The bread is:

• Wheat Free
• Gluten-free
• Dairy, lactose & casein free
• Egg free
• Yeast free
• GMO free
• Cholesterol free
• vegan

Jon enjoyed this bread for his PB & J sandwiches, as well as for turkey & cheese sandwiches. He liked the texture, but said it was a little bland. I told him that this was a “white” bread. He has always eaten wheat or whole grain (pre-gf) or Pamela’s since going gluten-free, which uses different grains. I also made “pizza bread” out of this for him. I toasted the bread, smeared on Prego Three Cheese Pasta sauce & then topped with mozzarella & parmesan. Jon really enjoyed that.

Next up was the Multigrain Pasta with Quinoa. I used this pasta as the base for our “Spaghetti Dinner” one night. The pasta cooked up quickly – in about 8 minutes. The pasta looked just like regular, durum wheat semolina pasta; it wasn’t darker like the brown rice pasta.

The kids loved this! Even Hannah gobbled this up. I know that I have a dinner that will please the whole family when I make pasta!

I still have to sample the Self-Rising Flour & Bread Crumbs, which I hope to do here soon. I will make sure to update and review once I do.

Want to purchase Orgran products? You can find some of them on Amazon here. I have also seen many of the products in my local health food store & mainstream grocery store. Don’t forget you can find Organ on Facebook, too. You can become a fan here.

Those of you gluten-free people, bear with me while I touch on another great running product. Those who are gluten-free & runners – bonus! 😉

I did a review last month that you can read here on Zensah’s Running Leg Sleeves. After that review, I was contacted by Zensah and asked if I was interested in reviewing their seamless long sleeve compression shirt. Of course I was! I am all about the running gear & if the shirt was anything like my leg sleeves, I was in for a treat! A few days later I received a complimentary shirt to review.

About Zensah:

Based on the Italian word “SENZA” meaning to be “without” so too should athletes be “without limits.” This mantra inspires us each and every day to create the most cutting edge sports apparel. All of our products are developed using seamless technology, simply meaning they are made without seams.

Zensah was created to help athletes at all levels improve their performance by utilizing innovative sportswear made with cutting edge technology.

Zensah’s revolutionary seamless design consists of an ultra-breathable, moisture wicking fabric that draws sweat away from the body, allowing the garment and athlete to stay cool, dry and light. Zensah®, the pioneer of graduated compression apparel, has created revolutionary seamless sportswear designed as a true second-skin fit, giving the athlete greater performance, comfort and mobility.

Our technology has allowed us to create groundbreaking products and enhance our athletes’ performances not only in training but more importantly in competition.

Zensah’s Sales and Marketing office is based in Miami, Florida.

I have now worn the shirt 3 different times – once to cross train, once for a shorter run and once for a 12 miler. The first 2 workouts were inside at the gym & the shirt did a great job of wicking away the sweat and keeping me cool. I was no “wamer” wearing this long sleeve shirt inside than I was wearing my typical tank top. The last run, my 12 miler, was done outside. I wore the shirt as part of my layering with it being the bottom layer. I have had a problem recently with my shirts causing chaffing on my long runs – this shirt did not do that! No chaffing! I added another l/s shirt over the Zensah & a thermal running jacket. It was 18 outside when I started my run that morning.

What I loved about this shirt:

• lightweight & doesn’t seem to get any heavier when it is sweaty (gross, but a fact of life in running and/or sports)
• wicks away sweat
• no chaffing

The only complaint I have:

• The shirt rides up – I would pull it down & it came just over my hips, but it would ride up around my waist while running. Not a huge deal and I just pulled it back down every now & then. This was really noticeable on my 12 miler.

I still stand by my recommendation of Zensah products. I wear my leg sleeves on every run and after every long run, too. My calves & shins have never felt better during training.

When I heard about Attune Foods & their Chocolate Wellness Bar, I was intrigued. I love chocolate, especially dark chocolate, so these are right up my alley. I received 3 complimentary samples of the Chocolate Wellness Bar.

• Dark Chocolate -Dark Chocolate Coating (chocolate, evaporated cane juice, cocoa powder, inulin, calcium carbonate, cocoa butter, soy lecithin [an emulsifier], vanilla), *6.1B Probiotic Cultures: (Bifidobacterium lactis HN019, Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM™, Lactobacillus casei LC-11).CONTAINS SOY.
• Raspberry Dark Chocolate -Chocolate Coating (chocolate liquor, cane juice crystals, cocoa butter, inulin, natural cocoa, calcium carbonate, vanilla, soy lecithin (an emulsifier)), Freeze Dried Raspberries, *6.1B Probiotic Cultures: (Bifidobacterium lactis HN019, Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM™, Lactobacillus casei LC-11).CONTAINS SOY
• Chocolate Crisp -Milk Chocolate Coating (evaporated cane juice, chocolate, cocoa butter, inulin, non fat milk, calcium carbonate, anhydrous milk fat, soy lecithin [an emulsifier], vanilla), Organic Brown Rice Crisps (organic brown rice flour, organic molasses, calcium carbonate), *6.1B Probiotic Cultures (Bifidobacterium lactis HN019, Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM™, Lactobacillus casei LC-11).CONTAINS SOY

Some information about the bars from the website:

A better way to get your daily probiotics
Mmmm…imagine the moment that you bite into the blissfully rich taste of chocolate. Now add the perfect amount of rice crisps for a satisfying crunch. Then imagine that delicious treat helps promote healthy digestive and immune systems. Sounds dreamy. But it’s not a dream. It’s an Attune® wellness bar. Everything that helps you feel your best should taste this good.

Most clinically tested probiotic strains

• 3-8 grams of sugar
• Excellent source of calcium
• Only 80 – 90 calories
• 3 grams of fiber
• Take it on the go

Other available varieties:

• Milk Chocolate Almond
• Blueberry Vanilla
• Mint Chocolate
• Coffee Bean Dark Chocolate

Gluten-Free Chocolate (from the website)

In addition to being packed with over 6.1 Billion probiotic cultures that have been shown to improve digestive health, Attune chocolate bars are also Gluten Free. For the three million Americans suffering from the lifelong digestive disorder Celiac disease, our chocolate bars are a terrific snack or dessert.

People with Celiac disease must avoid eating gluten, the protein found in wheat (including durum, semolina, spelt, kamut, einkorn and faro) and related grains rye, barley and triticale. For Celiacs, consumption of gluten leads to an immune-mediated toxic reaction that causes damage to the small intestine and does not allow food to be properly absorbed. We understand the critical importance of a gluten free diet for those with Celiac disease and take the issue of cross-contamination very seriously.

Attune Foods is proud to sponsor the Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) Awareness Program in an effort to educate consumers about the disease and how it affects overall digestive health. Many people who do not have Celiac Disease also practice a gluten-free lifestyle finding it helps them feel better.

Attune’s gluten free chocolate bars support digestive health and immunity with three of the most clinically-supported probiotic strains. For those with Celiac disease this is good news. Available in seven delicious gluten free flavors: Dark Chocolate, Chocolate Crisp, Blueberry Vanilla, Mint Chocolate, Coffee Bean Dark Chocolate, Raspberry Dark Chocolate and Almond Milk Chocolate.

To learn about our Gluten Free Manufacturing Practices, please click here:

So, I bet you want to know what I thought about the bars, right? I loved them! These truly tasted just like a candy bar, but a little healthier for you! The taste was great – I loved the crisps – they reminded me of a Nestle Crunch bar (which are not gluten-free). I subbed these in for my normal chocolate dessert after dinner for 3 nights.

Interested in buying some Attune Chocolate Wellness Bars? Just click here to order online or click here to see where you can find them locally.

Kroger, the Kroger Family of Stores & General Mills, through My Blog Spark have sent me a $25 gift card for participation in the Cart Buster Savings Event at the Kroger Family of Stores. Here is some information on the event:

Saving money on groceries is top of mind these days, and with the Cart Buster Savings Event EXCLUSIVELY at Kroger and the Kroger Family of Stores, the prices are so low you can stock up on all your favorite brands without breaking the bank (though you might bust your cart!)

From now through March 14th, shop the Cart Buster Savings Event and find the hottest prices around on your favorite name-brand products in over 60 categories at the Kroger Family of Stores, which includes Kroger, Ralph’s, King Soopers, City Market, Dillons, Smith’s, Fry’s, QFC, Baker’s, Owen’s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander, Gerbes, Food4Less, Pay Less Super Markets and Scott’s Food & Pharmacy.

Here are just a few of the great brands participating in the event: Honey Nut Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Hamburger Helper, Yoplait, Progresso, Totino’s, Green Giant, Cascadian Farm, Tide, Charmin, Bounty, Pampers, Pantene, Crest, Iams, Febreze, Old Spice and many more!

All of the brands that I bolded above have products that Celiacs and those following a gluten-free diet can eat and/or use. You can find information in General Mills gluten-free products at Live Gluten Freely.

Do you want to win a $25 gift card to Kroger or one of the Kroger Family of Stores? One lucky reader will win! All you have to do is the following:

1. Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment here that you did (or that you already are) and your Twitter ID.

2. Leave a comment telling me what is your favorite product from the brands listed above.

OR

3. Blog about this, link back & leave a comment telling me that you did.

This giveaway will end on Friday, March 12, 2010 at midnight. Good luck!!

In the very cold month of February I received a nice, comforting package from Elizabeth at Purely Elizabeth. In the package were complimentary samples of the Perfect Pancake & Blueberry Maple Muffin mixes. I couldn’t get the muffins made soon enough! I was anxious to taste these warm muffins, so I made them right away! I even had all the additional ingredients I needed on hand.

To the Blueberry Maple Muffin Mix I added:

• applesauce
• olive oil
• blueberries
• maple syrup
• water
• vanilla

I couldn’t believe how easy these muffins were! I had them mixed & in the oven within 5 mintues. The hardest part was waiting for them to be done!

Don’t they look good? These muffins were so moist! They even stayed moist for a couple days on the counter & then when I froze half of them and took them out a week later. I also fed these to gluten-eaters and received high compliments! A hit from Purely Elizabeth!

Do you see those blueberries? I love the ingredient list on these muffins!

Next up, the Pefect Pancake mix. I started to whip these up this past weekend after my 12 mile run. Aaron took over so I could help Hannah shower. I couldn’t wait to dig in.

Look at those berries I topped the pancakes with? I also added a small bit of maple syrup. To be honest, I don’t know what it was about the pancakes, but I didn’t really care for them. At first I thought it was the teff flour, but I eat teff flour tortillas all the time. Jon, however, loved them and ate them with no syrup or topping! It was as if he was eating a cookie! LOL! Just goes to show you how everyone’s tastes differ.

To this mix we added:

• 1 egg
• almond milk
• agave nectar
• olive oil

You can view the ingredient list here.

The story of Purely Elizabeth:

Since childhood, I was naturally a healthy eater, yet had one major downfall…

…homemade baked goods. I never drank soda, ate chocolate or liked salty chips, but homemade baked goods were a different story. Moist, sweet and baked with love, these treats nourished my senses.

Fast forward to 2007, when I pursued a new career as holistic nutrition counselor at Institute of Integrative Nutrition. There I learned about the connections between what you eat and how you feel; how sugar, wheat and dairy (the key ingredients to my favorite treats) can negatively impact health. I could no longer enjoy my childhood favorites with the same enthusiasm. Instead, I wanted to create a solution that both I and my clients could enjoy. My mission, to recreate homemade baked goods using healthy ingredients that were not just “healthy” but actually beneficial for the body, filled with vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

In September 2009, I launched purely elizabeth, a line of gluten free baking mixes using nutritious whole grains and superfood seeds (hemp, flax and chia), free of sugar, dairy, wheat and gluten.

I hope you enjoy,

Elizabeth

The mission:

We are committed to improving the health and happiness of those around us.
eat purely. live purely.

We believe that good health begins with what you put into your body. When you eat better, you feel better. It’s that simple, you are what you eat. That’s why we are passionate about using the highest quality natural and organic ingredients loaded with health benefits and free of the bad stuff. But it doesn’t end there. In order to be healthy we also need a clean environment, which is why we are committed to a sustainable planet. We hope you enjoy our natural foods and snacks made from the purest ingredients around.

Purely Elizabeth also makes mixes for an Ultimate Cacao Muffin and an Apple Cinnamon Muffin. You can find out where to find Purely Elizabeth’s products here or you can order online here.

Thank you, Elizabeth, for sending samples for us to review. I still have a couple muffins in my freezer!! They are currently being used as my pre-run fuel! 😉

Has it warmed up where you live? It sure has here! It is supposed to hit 60 at some point this week! I am excited about that. I was able to get outside for my long run on Saturday and while it was a little chilly, the sun was out & it was nice to not be running on the treadmill!

P.F. Chang’s debuts it’s new gluten-free menu today – who is heading out to try it this week?

Onto the menu:

Sunday – Rotisserie Chicken, baked sweet potato, steamed broccoli & carrots and salad

Monday – Burgers on Everybody Eats buns, baked steak fries, asparagus & salad

Tuesday – Eggplant Parmesan, Tinkyada pasta, steamed green beans & salad

Wednesday – Pizza – make your own, broccoli and salad

Thursday – Mexican pizzas, corn, refried beans & salad

Friday – Salmon, coconut baked brown rice, zucchini & salad

Saturday – Breakfast for dinner

Baked Goods

Pumpkin muffins or cookies

Bread of some sort

Zucchini Muffins

************************************************

Weekly Recap:

Whole Foods to offer a gluten-free tour of the Dublin store.

T. Marzetti recalls veggie dips.

Review of Mariposa baked goods.

Gluten-free chocolate chips.

I made healthy, gluten-free, vegan brownies.

I had some fun with my sweet potatoes.

I made an awesome protein pancake!

************************************************

Hope you all have a great week! Don’t forget to check out Orgjunkie for lots more menu ideas!

I was the lucky recipient of a package of complimentary baked goods from Mariposa. In the package was:

• Foccacia Bread
• Sour Cream Coffee Cake
• Almond Biscotti
• Crostini
• Triple Fudge Truffle Brownie
• Coconut Lemon Squares

The package smelled amazing upon opening it. It had mild sents of garlic that wafted up from the delicate foccacia bread that was packaged in the box. I couldn’t wait to dig into these products! From Mariposa:

Our mission is simple — create gluten-free baked goods that are indiscernible from the finest, high-caliber gluten-based products available.
We knew that to achieve our mission we would have to use the finest ingredients. We know that we have made quality choices when we look around us as we bake and see glistening bottles of fine, fragrant orange oil; giant blocks of rich, elegant chocolate; sweet, locally grown walnuts and fine Italian roasted espresso. We use organic where we can: sparkling crystals of organic unrefined cane sugar and tender organic brown rice flour that blend beautifully with our fresh, hand-cracked eggs and grade AA creamery butter.

We produce in small batches — it’s our way of preserving the craft of artisan baking.

Mariposa Baking began creating artisan-crafted gluten-free biscotti and brownies, arising from founder Patti Furey Crane’s gluten allergy.
Patti discovered her gluten allergy shortly after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Eager to take a proactive role in managing her illness, she began exploring a nutritional approach to living with MS. As a first step, Patti wanted to eliminate allergens from her diet. Of particular concern were foods containing tomato. For a number of years she had suffered from what she believed to be a tomato allergy, since she always became ill after eating foods containing tomatoes, such as pizza, pasta dishes and salads. However, following long overdue tests, Patti discovered that tomatoes were not to blame after all. Rather, the crust on the pizza, the pasta beneath the marinara and the croutons in the salad – all containing wheat gluten – were the real culprits.

Once her gluten allergy was identified, Patti banished gluten from her diet. One of the difficult aspects of doing so, however, was giving up desserts. The gluten-free baked items that she purchased were grainy and lacked the texture and flavor of their wheat-based equivalents.

Rather than accepting “less than the real thing,” Patti took to baking her own gluten-free creations, using only the highest quality ingredients. After input from local pastry chef Kyoko Hiramatsu and extensive experimentation Patti developed several flavors of biscotti and brownies that mirrored the flavor and texture of “The Real McCoy.” In fact they were so delicious that her husband, Jason, encouraged her to take her creations to market to be enjoyed by others who are gluten intolerant and those who simply enjoy indulging in delectable baked creations.

Patti Furey Crane launched Mariposa Baking in the Fall of 2004 with a small team of artisan bakers. Her products have been met with great fanfare by all who have sampled them.

Mariposa Baking is committed to being a good citizen of this earth. A percentage of our annual profits are donated to charitable organizations that benefit our community and world.

Now, what you have all been waiting for – how do the products taste? We were very impressed with the products from Mariposa.

The coffee cake was claimed by Jon as soon as he saw it. He ate it for breakfast the past 2 days & declared it to be the best – EVER! He is so funny! He also enjoyed the truffle brownie – I was able to grab a bite of that & was in chocolate heaven. The crostini works well as croutons & has a nice garlic flavor that is not overpowering. The almond biscotti goes perfect with a cup of hot tea. The foccacia bread was very good with our lasagna dinner last night. We toasted it in the toaster oven to crisp up the outside a little bit. I have yet to try that coconut lemon square, but that will be mine, all mine. Jon is not a fan of coconut, so too bad for him! 😉

You can see the foccacia below with the lasagna:

Thank you, Mariposa, for sending us these samples to review. They were great!

Mariposa has a couple of locations in California. Click here to find out more. Here are some other places you can find Mariposa’s products, including ordering online. I am thinking of ordering some of the bagels & pizza crust next. They look so good!

I love chocolate chip cookies, as does everyone in my family. I have a favorite recipe that I use that I am going to post below. However, every once in a while I like to change things up & use chips other than the semi-sweet variety.

Here are a list of verified gluten-free chips from Nestle:

• milk chocolate chips
• semi sweet morsels
• chocolate chunks
• semi sweet mini morsels
• milk chocolate morsels
• premier white morsels
• peanut butter & milk morsels
• milk chocolate & peanut butter swirled morsels
• semi sweet & premier white swirled morsels

***The Nestle butterscotch chips are not gluten-free.

If you are looking for a butterscotch chip, Hershey’s are gluten-free, as are these others:

• Special Dark
• cinnamon
• semi sweet
• milk chocolate

Enjoy Life makes a gluten-free, dairy-free, peanut-free, tree-nut free, soy free, egg free and casein-free chocolate chip.

Chocolate Chip Cookies ~ Gluten-Free

Ingredients:
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
2 sticks of butter (1 cup), melted
1 large egg
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 ¼ cup GF all purpose flour (I use a mix of rice flour, tapioca & potato starch)
2 tsp. Xanthan gum
1 tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ package (I used 6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Nuts (optional, however many you want)
GF Oats (I used Lara’s ~ I only used about ¼ cup or so, but use your judgment) optional

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees
2. Mix sugars, butter, egg and vanilla in large bowl. Stir in flour, xanthan gum, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff)
3. Stir in chocolate chips, nuts and/or oats
4. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto un-greased cookie sheet (**I did Pam my sheets)
5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool Slightly; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.