I have been eating gluten-free oatmeal for about a year now.  I have tried Lara’s, made by Cream Hill Estates and Bob’s Red Mill.  They are both very good and not hard to make at all.  However, there may be times when you need something just a little quicker.  Enter Glutenfreeda’s Instant Oatmeal.  I just happened upon this oatmeal the other day while shopping at Raisin Rack.  I picked up the variety pack, which has all 3 flavors inside:  Apple Cinnamon w/Flax, Maple Raisin w/Flax & Banana Maple w/Flax 

I have tried all 3 flavors now and they are all very good.  They range from 160 calories to 210 calories (the maple w/raisin).  They all have 4 grams of fiber and at least 5 grams of protein.  All you have to do is add water & microwave for 1-2 minutes.  Super easy on-the-go breakfast or snack. 

This picture shows the Banana Maple w/Flax and I added raisins.  I like to add all kinds of stuff into my oatmeal. If I am having it for a meal and not a snack, I will add nut butters, pumpkin, fruit, fruit spread, coconut or nuts. 

This is a great product to have on-hand for quick meals or to travel with.  It would be easy to toss in a large cup w/ water at a convenience store & micro if you are on a road trip. 

Editing to add that you can find these in bulk on Amazon:  $30 for 8 boxes of 6 packs each.

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Quick note:

$5.00 OFF every order when you purchase $25 of Glutino products on GlutenFree.com!

Just enter code: BEFREE at check-out

Hurry… Offer ends: October 31, 2009

I received an email from Caribou Coffee the other day introducing their yummy fall drinks.  They have 4 new ones:

• Hot Wild Pumpkin
• Wild Pumpkin Cooler
• Hot Wild Caramel Apple
• Wild Caramel Apple Cooler

I promptly sent off an email to find out if they were all gluten-free.  Here is the response I got:

Dear Kimberly,

Thank you for contacting Caribou Coffee Customer Service with your inquiry. All of the ingredients used to make the new fall drinks are gluten free. However, each of the drinks contain an ingredient that is made in a facility where gluten products are used. So while all effort is made to ensure that our ingredients do NOT have glutens, there isn’t a 100% guarantee. I hope this information is helpful.

Sincerely,

Caribou Coffee Customer Service

You can bet I will be in there trying the Hold Wild Pumpkin & Hot Wild Caramel Apple very soon!!  YUM!!

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Joan’s GF Great Bakes is now offering crusty French bread!!!  You can order right from their site.  The French bread is $7.00 + shipping.  Columbus peeps, Raisin Rack carries Joan’s GF Great Bakes, though I am not sure if they have the French Bread in yet.  I tried some of Joan’s products last year & fell in love with the bagels.  They were amazing!  The bagels are 15% off from now through September 18th, so act fast!!

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The other day I reviewed Udi’s Baked Goods.  I have since found out that you can call Udi’s & order over the phone (Phone: 303.657.1600) if you can’t find them in your area.  Additionally, you can ask your Whole Foods or local health food store to look into carrying Udi’s. 

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I ordered a Road ID this past weekend to wear when I run outdoors.  I had been wanting to order one for a while, but I kept putting it off.  I read on more than one occasion how these IDs have helped save someone, so I promptly ordered mine.  Road ID was nice enough to provide me with a coupon code for all of you to order one for $1 off.  Here is the info:

Hey Everyone,

I just ordered one of the best products ever. It’s called a Road ID – perhaps you’ve heard of it. If you haven’t, go to their website and check it out. Road ID is a great product that could save your life someday.

When I ordered, they gave me a coupon that I could pass along to my friends. Here’s the coupon number:

Coupon Number: ThanksKimberly537687

The coupon is good for $1 off any Road ID order placed by 10/07/2009. To order, simply go to RoadID.com or click the link below:

http://www.RoadID.com/?CID=ThanksKimberly537687

If you prefer, you can call them at 800-345-6335.

You can thank me later,

Kim

Oh by the way, their website is awesome, the customer service is outstanding, and the owners are very smart and good looking. (They added this last part in…..cute, huh?)

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This just in from the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness:

Research identifies human protein linked to Celiac Disease!  For the complete article, click here. 

Have a great day!!

The other day I was browsing my local health food store, always trouble, when I walked by the freezer aisle and these babies popped out at me:  Julie’s Organic Ice Cream Sandiwches.

Not only were they gluten-free, but they were on sale, making them impossible to resist.  They still ended up being about $1/sandwich, but let me tell you, they were well worth it. 

Being the nice mother that I am, I basically just had a bite of one of these sandwiches & let Jon enjoy the rest.  He was in heaven!!  He has begged me to go back & get more.  He told me that when he gets his allowance he is going to give me the $$ to get him some more!  LOL!

The chocolate cookie, made by Glutenfreeda, has a great flavor & texture & the vanilla ice cream is heavenly.  This is the perfect treat for a hot summer day! 

Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 8, 2009 will be a big day.   Lee Tobin, Gluten Free Bakehouse Team Leader, will be at Whole Foods in Dublin, Ohio to do a gluten-free taste testing.  Lee will be available to answer questions & possibly even lead a GF grocery aisle tour if there is interest & time. 

From Whole Foods:

Tuesday, September 8th

Gluten-Free Bake House Food Tasting

4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Free | Details

With Lee Tobin, Whole Foods Market’s Gluten-Free Bake House Team Leader

Join us in the bakery and discover the great story behind Whole Foods Market®’s Gluten-Free Bake House! Ample taste tests will be available!

I had the pleasure of having Udi’s wonderful baked goods shipped to me a few weeks back to sample.  I was so excited to give these products a try!  I received: Blueberry Muffins, Lemon Streusel Muffins, Pizza Crusts, White Bread & Whole Grain Bread. 

Muffins:

These muffins were moist & soft.  They were full of flavor & I really couldn’t get my hands on many because Jon claimed them as his breakfast!  He loved these muffins.  They didn’t crumble and remained moist for several days on the counter.

White Bread:

This is by far, the softest, freshest, best tasting gluten-free bread I have tasted since going gluten-free.  There was no toasting required. I was able to make Jon his PB & J sandwiches simply by spreading PB & J on bread that I had sitting on the counter.  I packed in his lunch box & he came home each day & raved about the bread.  Unbelievable.  I had to double check the ingredients to make sure the bread was truly gluten-free. 

Pizza Crusts:

The pizza crusts were just as good.  I made Jon the standard cheese pizza & fancied up mine.  The first was topped with EVOO, Frank’s Red Hot, fresh basil, spinach, mozzarella, chicken, eggplant & tomato.  The second one was my best creation yet:  BBQ sauce, mashed garbanzo beans, rotisserie chicken, fresh spinach, eggplant, provolone, pine nuts & fresh basil.  YUM!!!  The crust was  thin style & held up well to the sauces & toppings.  No crumbling & the taste was great. 

Whole Grain Bread:

I am officially in love.  I could eat this bread for every meal.  Soft & flavorful.  The only thing I can say I would change is that the slices are a little small, but I can deal with that.  The taste & texture make up for the size.  I don’t know how Udi’s does it, but I know that I need more.    For those interested, it does toast well too, but why toast when you don’t have to?  I tested this bread out by packing for lunches in the AM, too, and it works wonders. I also had a loaf frozen in the freezer, let it defrost on the counter & then ate at room temperature until it was gone a few days later.  Just as soft & moist. 

These products literally knocked my socks off!!  I couldn’t tell any of this stuff was GF.  There was no aftertaste, no crumbling….just moist & flavorful baked goods. 

Thank you Dee & Udi’s for sending me those amazing samples.  I hope that you are able to get Udi’s into a store here in Columbus soon!!! 

So I have been slacking a little on the menu plan this weekend!  LOL!  I guess that is what Holiday weekends are all about.  I hope that you all are having a great Holiday weekend.  We spent some time with family yesterday that we hadn’t seen in a long time and it was great to see everyone.  Everyone looked great! 

The kids are beginning to fall into their school year routines.  I just want to know when the heck they both grew up?  Where are my babies?  Soon we will be back into hockey & that will complicate our hectic schedules even more.  Gotta love life!! 🙂 

Sunday ~ Rotisserie Chicken (Meijer has a Lemon Roasted that is GF!), broccoli & salad

Monday ~ Thai Chile Salmon, roasted kabocha squash, green beans & salad

Tuesday ~Taco Tuesday!  Refried beans, corn & salad

Wednesday ~ BBQ pulled pork, yucca fries, asparagus & salad

Thursday ~ Chicken Fettucine Alfredo, broccoli & salad

Friday ~ Pizza night! 

Saturday ~ Leftovers

Baked Goods

PB Balls that I didn’t get to last week

Bread

Whatever strikes my fancy!

Asparagus Thin is hosting the GF Menu Swap this week and the choice ingredient of the week is tapioca/manioc/cassava/yucca.  I love yucca!!!  You can bet that I will be making some yucca fries this week!  Perhaps with my pulled pork!  Thanks for hosting!

Don’t forget to check out Orgjunkie for lots more menu planning ideas. 

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My nephews could still use some prayers & positive thoughts.  They have had a rough week.  The both have fought infections and they are still trying to get a PICC line in baby Wyatt.  Thank you!

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Watch for lots of reviews this week!  I have some great products that I can’t wait to share with you all!!

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Check out my review of Jeni’s Ice Creams.   They have the most unique flavors!  Can’t wait to go back!

Have a great week!!

Are you a snacker?  I am, now.  Before I had Hannah 7 years ago, I didn’t eat breakfast most days and rarely snacked.  I had a Diet Pepsi or Diet Dr. Pepper for breakfast, fast food of some sort for lunch (loved my Spicy Chicken Sammies & fries from Wendy’s) and dinner.  Not the healthiest meal plan by far.  I was fortunate that I was able to remain thin, but that doesn’t mean I was healthy.  I didn’t exercise at that point in my life either, unless you count running around shopping, showing apartments or chasing after Jon.  Once I was pregnant, I began to eat breakfast & snacks & haven’t stopped.  This is a much healthier way to eat.  Eating 3 meals + 2 – 3 small snacks/day helps keep your metabolism up and your body fueled with energy throughout the day. 

Here is a list of healthy, gluten-free snacks:

Low-fat cottage cheese (4 oz): 90 calories (Daisy is my new fav!)
Raisins (50 or about 1 oz): 85 calories
Skim milk latte (8 oz): 85 calories
Air-popped popcorn (3 cups or 1 oz): 95 calories
Ener-G Wylde Pretzels (40 sticks or 1 oz): 130 calories

Celery or raw carrots (5 pieces) with peanut butter (1 Tbsp): 100 calories
Unsweetened applesauce (1 cup): 100 calories
An apple (small) with low-fat cheese (2 oz): 150 calories
Baby carrots (10) with hummus (1/4 cup): 150 calories
Peanuts (a handful or 1 oz): 160 calories
Raw almonds (a handful or 1 oz): 165 calories

Greek yogurt : 90- 120 calories (add in fresh fruit, flax meal or a TBSP of GF granola for some extra flavor)
Tortilla chips (12 chips or 1 oz) with salsa (1/2 cup): 175 calories
String Cheese: 80 – 100 calories

Lara Bar: 190 – 220 calories

Pure Bar: approx. 200 calories

Kind Bar: 150 – 200 calories

Portion out your snacks into small bags so you can grab them on the run.  Don’t pay the extra money for the 100 calorie packs, there is no reason you can’t do that yourself.  Set aside some time on Sunday to prep food & portion out snacks for the week.  This way there is no excuse for you not to have a healthy option in your purse, fridge, backpack, etc. 

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Make sure to check out my new post on The Examiner!  All this talk about healthy snacks needs to be balanced out with some ice cream! 

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If you can spare some prayers & positive thoughts for my 2 brand new, premature nephews, Wyatt & Jack, they are having a rough go of it.  They can use all the prayers & thoughts they can get.  Thank you.

This just in from Nancy Baker at NFCA (www.celiaccentral.org)

Zpizza will be rolling out gluten-free breaded chicken chunks at select locations!

Each location serving the gluten-free chicken has been trained through GREAT Food service.

Call your local Zpizza to confirm if they are carrying these or not. 

I am not sure how you are all liking these posts with multiple topics in them.  I feel silly posting just a small blip and then doing multiple posts a day when I can lump them all into one post.  I assume they are probably easier to read all in one post, too, especially if you are subscribed via email or google reader.  Please feel free to let me know how you feel about this.

I received a package the other day from Bob’s Red Mill full of their new line of gluten-free corn products!  WOOHOO!!!  There were 4 bags of flours/mixes:  Masa Harina, Corn Grits, Corn Meal & Corn Flour.  I can’t wait to dig into this stuff and make some fun treats!  I am a Southern girl at heart & love my grits. 🙂

I was brainstorming the other day & came up with a new sandwich.  I wanted to have a Caprese salad style sandwich, but I didn’t have any fresh mozzarella.  So, I swapped in some Daisy Cottage Cheese  (gluten-free)  in place of the mozzarella! YUM!  I toasted a Trader Joe’s French Roll, topped with cottage cheese, fresh basil, sliced Roma tomato & pepper.  This turned out really good & is a great meatless option! 

Yesterday I spent the day shopping with my Mom.  We had a great time.  We haven’t had a chance to have a day like this in a very long time.  We made sure to stop at Starbuck’s to get our first taste of the Pumpkin Spice Lattes for the season.  They were calling these “A Cup of Fall” on the news the other day!  LOL!  I totally agree!!  Love that they are gluten-free!!  I did express my disappointment of the Valencia Orange Cake not being available anymore.  The guy working said that when they had them, no one was buying them.  Now that they are gone, people are going nuts.  I pointed out that not everyone eats treats like that daily, but it is nice to have the option. 

My Mom & I decided to go to Marcella’s for lunch to give the gluten-free pasta a try.  It did not disappoint!  We each chose the half salad/half pasta option.  I had the gluten-free penne pasta with red clam sauce.  They did have to modify the sauce (left out the flour) to make it gluten-free.  It was very good.  It was a touch on the spicy side, but that is how I roll. 😉  Excellent meal. 

After lunch we did some more shopping & then hit Jeni’s Ice Cream.  I have a review that will be posted shortly on Jeni’s.  Phenomenal is all I have to say.  Love all of the unique flavors.  Perfect end to a perfect day.  Mom, it was great to spend the day with you.  🙂

In case you missed it, make sure to check out my interview with a gluten-free marathon runner.  Beth is getting ready to run her 14th marathon!  Go Beth!!   

Happy Thursday!!! 

The other day I ran across a super simple recipe for baked brown rice.  I normally cook my brown rice on the stove and thought it might be a little easier to bake.  Amy over at Simply Sugar & Gluten-free posted her version of this recipe the other day & I just knew that I had to try it. 

I modified the recipe slightly.  Here is the  recipe that I used:

Coconut Baked Brown Rice

1 cup light coconut milk (I used Trader Joe’s)

1 1/3 cup water

1 1/2 cups brown rice (I used short grain)

1 tsp salt

Dash of pepper

Preheat oven to 375.

1.  Microwave liquids together until they come to a boil.

2.  Place rice & salt in a 1.5 qt. baking dish. 

3.  Pour boiling liquid over rice & stir. 

4.  Cover well and then bake for an hour (until rice is tender & all liquid is absorbed). 

5.  Remove cover & fluff with fork.  Cover lightly & let sit for 5 min & serve.

This rice was awesome!!  Jon raved about it!  The coconut milk added a great flavor.   I served this along side of BBQ chicken breast, asparagus & salad.  This recipe is super easy & now the way I will be making rice from now on!

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I found a new use for some of my raspberries that I bought the other day.  Ice cubes!!!  I took 5 frozen raspberries & placed them in my glass of chardonnay.  OMG….awesome!  The frozen raspberries kept the chardonnay super cold and didn’t dilute it.  Also, the raspberries were super tasty once the wine was gone. 

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Lara Bar news.  Yesterday I posted about the shrinking Lara Bars.  Sarah from Lara Bar contacted me and has offered to replace any of the bars that were smaller than the “normal”  size.  Thank you Sarah & Lara Bar.  🙂 

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Happy hump day!!  Only 2 more days until the long weekend!!  Do you have any fun plans for the Holiday weekend?