I am addicted to pretzels

  *I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely  based on my experience. My opinions are honest and unbiased.*

 
I have a rather stupid confession. I can not be trusted with GF pretzels. I will devour the bag of pretzels without a second thought. In the last two months, Glutino sent me two types of Preztles and the bag was eaten in one sitting. That freaking good. Last week, I purchased a few bags and one was eaten on the way home and the other, I begrudging shared with my son. I did not want to share.

I love that Glutino offers a variety of pretzels. 

Last month, I was all about the Peppermint Yogurt Pretzels.

These pretzels reminded me of Christmas as soon as I tasted them. You know how certain things (smells, places, etc) remind you of other things? Well, these did that to me. As soon and I bit my fist pretzel, I felt like it was Christmas even though AZ has no snow or anything that remotely screams "Winter Wonderland" but these made the season feel more real. They were delish and I enjoyed them while watching Christmas movies with my family. I purchased a few bags to make Christmas feel longer!

I also really enjoyed the Honey Mustard Pretzels. They are totally different than the peppermint ones. The peppermint ones are obviously sweet. These were salty and hit the spot. I was really nice and shared with everyone and no one could tell they were gluten free. That is how you know you have a winner, when no one can taste a difference.  The honey mustard taste was not overpowering at all. It was seasoned perfectly. I totally recommend them.

WOW Baking Holiday Treats! (Ginger Molasses Cookies & Peppermint Brownies!)

  *I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely  based on my experience. My opinions are honest and unbiased.*

This holiday, I felt spoiled. I normally do not get to indulge in several gluten free goodies. I am lucky if there is one. However, this season there were multiple times that I got to nosh out.  WOW Baking sent me an amazing box a while back and I have been indulging ever since. 
  

 I did not expect to like the Ginger Molasses. I don't know why, but before I even opened it I thought that it did not sound like something I would buy. But, I was surprised, I did like it. I didn't love it but I liked it. Blaine actually loved it. He went crazy for it. Which was perfect because that allowed me to not feel guilty about not wanting to share my favorite item in the box...

My absolute favorite item in the box, hands down was the Peppermint Brownies. I love peppermint, I love brownies, putting them together is a no brainier. Wow really out did themselves. I would buy this in the store on a regular basis, yes, it is that amazing.

Holiday baking with Glutino Sugar Cookies.

  *I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely  based on my experience. My opinions are honest and unbiased.*

I spent tonight working on Christmas. Up late, chipping away at the massive to do list I have to complete before Santa slides down my imaginary chimney. I have baked goodies for other, disinfected the kitchen to get that dreaded gluten out but tonight, it was my turn. My turn for a home baked treat.

Glutino had sent me some goodies (thanks Glutino!!!) and had a sweet tooth that needed satisfying, sounded like a win/win for the night.

I had been eying this in my pantry for a few weeks! It was time to get baking!

Glutino has really user friendly directions and their Sugar Cookies were no exception. Easy peasy.

Cookie Dough!

The batter was delish. I know, only lick the spoon, but OMG! AMAZEBALLS! I almost wanted to just eat the cookie dough.

After I placed the cookie sheets in the pre-heated oven, I waited a mere 15 minutes and my cookies were finished!

                                                They were big, fluffy and smelled great!

Excuse the not so great pic but the cookies tasted great!

Thanksgiving & Glutino Gluten Free Stuffing

 *I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely  based on my experience. My opinions are honest and unbiased.*

Oh, Thanksgiving how you came and went and the days after it seem like a food filled blur.

Thanksgiving dinner was amazing (with the exception of Steve accidentally glutening Blaine and a diaper explosion being the result!). The day was filled with family and love.

The only thing that would make this picture better would be if Steve was in it too. He was playing photographer!

We ate to our hearts content and my mom had tons of GF options. She sent us home with tons of leftovers too! Score!

The next day, I knew what would be the perfect dish to accompany all of the delicious dishes  my mom worked so hard on. Glutino's Gluten Free Stuffing!

I was super excited. I hadn't had stuffing in over five years!

I sauteed the onions and celery per the directions. The aroma was amazing.

 I mixed together all the ingredients, it was so simple.

Yum!

All done!!

Once it was done, I dug in. It was a taste explosion in my mouth. I LOVED it. Blaine loved it. This made my leftovers from my mom's last even longer. I am buying some of this for Christmas.

That is a lot of pressure for one pie... (Glutino Perfect Pie Crust)

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely  based on my experience. My opinions are honest and unbiased.*


 You know how Sororities have Hell Week? I would deem this November my Hell Month. Too much stress for me. My youngest was in the hospital for a week. That caused me to feel out of sorts. I am not sure I even recovered from it. I feel like getting back into the swing of things has taken me longer this time around. Throw in Hanukkah and Thanksgiving to the mix and November went from stressful to downright chaotic. 

Anyway, Glutino had sent me their Perfect Pie Crust. I had planned to make it before the whole hospital debacle went down. Then I was stuck at the hospital for a week with my mind wandering to other things to take me anywhere else but where we were. I started to picture this magnificent pie. This pie started to represent so many things to me. It almost became ludicrous how many different incarnations of pie I had created in my imagination over the hospital stay. It probably didn't help that every time I went to the cafeteria, non-gluten free pie was staring me in the face.

This pie became a thing. 

Have you seen the movie Waitress? I love that movie. The main character creates these different pies that are supposed to encompass whatever emotion she needs to fill. That is a tall order for a pie. However, I found myself doing just that with the Perfect Pie Crust. 

I had a lot of time to think. I was going to make an elaborate pie but then I decided to go simple. You cannot screw simple up and I had never met a cherry pie I did not like.

I took all my stress out on the dough. It was a lot easier to work than I imagined. I chose to have my Perfect Pie Crust dough rest overnight. I thought that would make it easier to use.

Before it was filled!

I followed the directions and my house smelled fabulous while it baked. 

Finished pie

I was so excited to dig in. However, once I tried it...I was less than thrilled. This was the first Glutino product that I did not go nuts over. There was a sour undertone to the crust. I even called a friend over to try it to make sure I wasn't imagining it. She said she had a hard time getting the aftertaste out of her mouth. I ended up eating the pie...somewhat. I scopped the cherry filling out and eating just that. 

I think I put too much pressure on the pie. I built it up to be a monumental thing. It was silly to assume a pie could cure my November blues. It was just a pie...with a funky after taste.

 

WOW BAKING COMPANY and WOW Pumpkin Spice cookies

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely  based on my experience. My opinions are honest and unbiased.*


WOW BAKING COMPANY is a company I had heard a lot of buzz around but had not actually tried. They sent me an amazingly generous package last week (stay tuned for tons of reviews!) and they live up to the hype. One word came to mind, "WOW".

 While doing research on WOW BAKING COMPANY, I found a lot of information that swayed my mind into thinking that WOW was a quality company before the shipment even arrived at my doorstep.

WOW BAKING COMPANY always uses:

• Real Butter,
• Real Vanilla
• Organic Cane Juice

WOW BAKING COMPANY never uses:

• Hydrogenated oils
• Refined sugars
• Artificial flavors
• Their products are all GF                                                                                                                                                  

I love that if I want a sweet GF treat,I don't have to worry about any extras in our food. I can share these desserts with baby Blaine and not worry that I am feeding him a bunch of processed crap.  

So, when that gigantic, generous and impressive package arrived at my doorstep, I could not wait to dig in. 

What is better for the Autumn months than some Pumpkin Spice cookies? I cannot think of anything!

I often miss out on typical pumpkin flavored items because they are not gluten free. I have already decided that this Autumn I am not. I kicked off Fall with these cookies. They were the first taste of Autumn I had and they did not disappoint. They were really fresh and I liked them so much that when the package we were sent was gone, I went and purchased more (Find WOW products near you). I am taking these to my Mom's for Thanksgiving! I really liked them!

Glutino Toaster Pastry

I make it no secret, I love Glutino items. I have a hard time thinking of a Glutino product my pallet did not like. Their Strawberry Toaster Pastry is no exception. My only complaints is that there is no no frosting on top, and that more do not come in a box... but that is a small oversight.


These toaster pastries do not last long in my house at all. I have a hard time with restraint.

Delallo: Gluten Free Gnocchi

One of my favorite meals to cook lately is Dalallo: Gluten Free Gnocchi. I love how easy it is to make and our whole family loves to eat it. Blaine looks so adorable practicing his pincher fingers when he eats the adorably shaped gnocchi. We all love this meal with tomato sauce, basil and some grated cheese. I totally recommend it to you guys!

Cook Simple: Cowboy Chili with Quinoa and Cinnamon

I had Cowboy Chili for the first time about 6 years ago and I really like it. It is an easy meal to make and it is very filling. When I spotted the Cook Simple brand of Cowboy Chili at Safeway I got super excited. Cowboy Chili in a box...yes, please!

I loved this because meat was optional and Steve is a vegetarian. So, we made the meal sans meat and it was still delicious. Blaine even gobbled it up. I think I will make it again soon with ground turkey and see how that compares. But, this meal was amazing and I would have it again, for sure! 

Tasty Bite: Ginger Lentil Rice

I love Tasty Bite products because they are quick to make and they are healthier alternatives to many of the boxed items lurking on the Supermarket shelves. Tasty Bite products, are Gluten Free, Preservative Free, Vegetarian, MSG free and all natural. How could one go wrong?

Right now, I am on a Ginger Lentil Rice kick. Blaine loves it and so do I. It accompanies chicken really well and I love that if I am in a pinch, I can have a side dish cooked in 90 seconds. Nothing beats that.

French Meadow Bakery: Chocolate Cupcakes

Picture taken at Jacob's 7th birthday

Parties are always a toughie to be gluten free at because there is usually an abundance of non-gf food. My son's 7th birthday party was no exception. I ordered 10 pizzas, none were gf so I packed Blaine and I lunch and I had a ton of veggies around to much on should any other guest have food sensitivities. My sister and her boyfriend jumped on the gluten free bandwagon so I decided to bring French Meadow Chocolate cupcakes  as our dessert. I love Whole Foods chocolate cupcakes, they are moist, large and they taste fresh. I was not able to get to Whole Foods prior to the party so I stopped by Sprouts where I spotted this particular brand of cupcakes. I had high hopes. I LOVE cupcakes.

These cupcakes, however, were not at all worthy of praise...far from being described with any sort of affection. These cupcakes were stale and rock hard.  It was as though they were old and they had been sitting on the shelf for a long time. They were not even in the same league of my dear Whole Food Cupcakes.

After many jokes at the expense of the cupcakes, we actually tried to eat them. We were only successful in eating the frosting. We stayed away from the "cake" in fear of needing dental work if we actually tried to bite the rock hard food.

So, do I recommend eating French Meadow Chocolate cupcakes? Absolutely not. I would actually like a refund.

Mina's Purely Divine Chocolate Cake Mix

I have been sitting on this review for a while...mainly, because I really dislike giving bad reviews. But, this product earned it. I used Mina's Purely Divine Chocolate Cake Mix to make GFCF cupcakes for Blaine's first birthday party. I sampled one the day prior to the party when I baked them and they were so gross that I was relieved I made a non-gfcf cake for our guests. I would have been mortified to serve this cake to them. I have had so many delicious GFCF products that put this mix to shame.

The birthday boy with his cupcake

I will say that Blaine did love his cupcake. I have to keep that in perspective though. Blaine had never had a cupcake before. He didn't know how mouth watering awesome they should be.

I do have other Mina's products to sample and I hope that they are good.  I love that there are so many gluten free companies out there and I want to support our community, not bash it. I hope my next Mina's review doesn't leave me with a sour taste in my mouth!

Udi's Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies!

These are not GFCF but they are so beyond this realm of comprehension amazing. When I would eat them they would only last one sitting. They were addicting. These are my favorite cookies Udi's makes.

Udi's Hamburger Buns

The best GF Hamburger Buns ever. No other contenders come close!

I LOVE Udi's Hamburger buns. I tend to use them for everything when they are in my home. I use them for tuna sandwiches, sloppy joes, and the most obvious...hamburgers.

I have had some horrid buns out there and I was hesitant when I tried these a few years ago. My fears soon subsided by the delicious Udi's taste that I have come to expect. As I have said before, I have never had a Udi's item I haven't liked.

Udi's Cranberry Almond Bars

I have a hard time picking easy, portable, mess-free snacks for my diaper bag. I like Luna Bars but it isn't cost effective to purchase them often enough to have them stashed in my diaper bag. I am too cheap. I like boxes that come with a few bars and don't break our bank account.

I had no idea Udi's had granola bars.  I really like their Cranberry Almond. It is convient to stash a few in there for when I get hungry and I need something to nosh on. They are very tasty and can usually tide me over till my next meal.  These have become a pantry staple for us.

Udi's Mighty Bagel!

 Yesterday, I mentioned one of my latest favorite breakfasts. This is my other favorite. However, I haven't just limited this delicious "Mighty Bagel" to just breakfast. I ate one for lunch the other day with some tuna salad inside of it. OUT-OF-This-World.

Mighty Bagels are very filling. I was able to not snack between meals after eating one. My little (newly turned one year old) son loves them too. He is also GF and he insists on helping me devour these whenever he sees them!

I think my baby is a Udi'sholic.

Udi's Cranberry Granola

Photo: Udi's website

 Since I became GFCF, I have been having the same (now somewhat dull) breakfast. Turkey bacon & eggs.

When I tried Udi's Cranberry Granola, I felt  like I was cheating on my GFCF diet. It was really delicious. Not at all artificial tasting. In fact, I can recognize every single ingredient with no guess work (CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE OATS, WILDFLOWER HONEY, DRIED CRANBERRIES (CRANBERRIES, SUGAR, SUNFLOWER OIL), CANOLA OIL, WALNUTS.)

I have replaced my typical breakfast with this delicious cereal (and another Ud's product) for the last week!

I load a big bowl of it with some soy milk and indulge.

UDI'S WEEK!!!!

May is Celiac Awareness Month. I have been living with Celiacs for 5 years now. It gets easier every year since so many amazing products keep coming out on the market.

I try hard not to pick favorites between companies that produce the gf food that nourishes my body. I want to always go into testing a product with an open mind. No comparisons. Let the product stand alone. I was really good at that until Udi's came into my life. Udi's made me LOVE GF bread.  The cookies, the muffins...every product I have tried is exceptional.So, while I love trying new foods, I always seem to come back to Udi's.

So, in honor of my absolute favorite GF company and Celiac Month, I bring you UDI'S WEEK!!!

To start it off, I bring you old reviews (and slightly embarrassing ones with videos!):

Muffins
Pizza Crust

Check back tomorrow for a brand new review!!!

Verve! Energy Drink Review

Heard of Verve!? Honestly, I never had before. I am not really into energy drinks. I had never had one prior to trying Verve.

Why not? I am weary of energy drinks. They have a massive amount of junk in them and they have somewhat of a bad rap. So, being that I am a caffeine junky, I don't need a new addiction.

My friend told me about Verve! energy drinks since most of the time I feel like a walking zombie. I have no idea how I function considering I have not gotten a full nights sleep in a year. She handed me two cans: Verve! Energy and Verve! Zero Sugar.

I did my research. Dr. Oz gave Verve his thumbs up. Verve! is the official energy drink of the Phoenix Suns. The more I looked into Verve! the more comfortable I became with this energy drink...not all...but this one.

I opened a cold can of Verve! Zero Sugar (well shaken) and I prepared for all these wild side effects I had conjured up in my mind.  I went through my day with energy .It was amazing. Nothing bad happened. I had energy to get everything on my to-do list accomplished and then some. I was not sluggish.

I don't know why I pictured a jittery day. I had achieved more on a day drinking Verve than I used to accomplish drinking a pot of coffee.

The next day I tried original Verve! Energy and it was the same.

I was flabbergasted. That is the only word I can think of to describe my thoughts on Verve!. I am flabbergasted that I had never heard of this drink that can provide energy in a healthier way. I keep thinking of all the sleep deprived mommies that could benefit from Verve.

Verve! is not sold in stores, so to try this drink you have to contact a brand partner. My friend, Megg, is a brand partner and she can help you with all your Verve! beverage needs.

Sunstart Rocky Road Bars

I cannot have Rocky Road ice cream in the house. I have a major addiction to it and no control with serving size.  When I spotted these, I knew I had to try them. I will admit, I opened the box up in the store. I could not wait to try these. Embarrassing? Yes.

They were amazing. I had to refrain from running back to the display and buying another box. I would eat these again...in a heart beat.

*not gfcf. This was consumed prior to me making the switch. Still delicious though!