Toffee Bars

Namaste Foods sent me some recipes to share with my readers so I am going to post them here and there on the blog...


Toffee Bars

• 1 3/4 Cups Namaste Foods Perfect Flour Blend
• 1 cup Namaste Foods Toffee Vanilla Frosting Mix
• 1 cup Butter or Margarine- softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 egg white
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Heat oven to 350 F
2. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together (EXCEPT egg white and walnuts)
3. Grease a 10x13 cookie sheet and press mixture into the pan.
4. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg white. Spread over the top of the batter, then spread over the nuts.
5. Bake for 28-30 minutes.
6. Cut immediately into squares. Remove from pan when cool.

Italian Summer Pasta Salad

Namaste Foods sent me some recipes to share with my readers so I am going to post them here and there on the blog...

Italian Summer Pasta Salad

• 1 package Namaste Pasta Pisiavera Pasta
• 5-6 table spoons olive oil in all (preferably extra virgin)
• 1 teaspoon white or red wine vinegar or lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sun dried tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced black or green olives or both
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• Optional: a handful of chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

1. Set aside the Pasta Pisavera seasoning packet. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until done, about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse briefly in cold water to stop the cooking process.
2. Place the pasta in a serving bowl, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and toss. Sprinkle the Pasta Pisavera Seasoning Packet over pasta add remaning ingredients and olive oil and toss gently. Garnish with the cilantro or parsley if desired. Dish is wonderful if served at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Helpful Hints:
Once refrigerated, rice pasta (like rice) can tend to get a bit crunchy. Either pull the pasta out ahead of time and leave out on the counter for a while or a quick minute or two in the microwave will do the trick. You can add a little bit more oil if needed too. Wonderful additions to this meal could be chopped zucchini, yellow squash, pine nuts, feta cheese, and marinated mushrooms!

Namaste Foods Taco Pasta!

I knew that when I tried Namaste Foods Taco Pasta, I wanted to spruce it up!I added fake gf meat to it to make it vegetarian, veggies and sour cream! It was delicious! My boyfriend and I made it together as part of our date night and it was so much fun!

It had the perfect amount of spices and it was so filling!

Tropical Banana Blondies

Namaste Foods sent me some recipes to share with my readers so I am going to post them here and there on the blog...

Tropical Banana Blondies

• 1 package Namaste Foods Blondies Mix 
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup water
•  medium overripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup flaked coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

• 1 (6 oz) package dried pineapple chunks, chopped coarsely                                                              

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray 9x13 pan with non-stick spray. 
2. Combine eggs, bananas, and water. Add Blondie mix, coconut and pineapple. Mix well.
3. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Blondies are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Cool in pan on cooling rack for 15 minutes. Run knife around edge of pan before removing.  

The Winner Is....

I had all the eligible names in a bowl (sorry to those that entered but didn't follow all the requirements, you were not eligible) and the name that was picked was Traci! Congrats Traci!!!!!

I will contact you and then pass along your information to Namaste! They will send out your winnings.

Namaste Foods: Chocolate Cake Cupcakes & My First Giveaway!

I have made my fair share of gluten free cakes, so I would have to say that it takes a lot to impress me. Namaste Foods has a Chocolate Cake Mix that calls out to the chocoholic in all of us. Plus, if you glance at the label, it is a safe bet that it fits your dietary needs because of all of the allergens it is not using in its products. I know a lot of people that are not only Celiac but are also allergic to soy or corn and this product is safe and delicious for them to consume.

The cake mix itself is very easy to make. I made cupcakes...of course...with homemade lemon frosting.
The mix made a ton, about 30 of them! I was in cupcake heaven. I didn't expect to be wowed though, like I said, I have made a lot of cakes in my day. But, I was WRONG. This gluten free cake did not even taste gluten free. I easily was able to pick it up with out the cupcake crumbling in my hands. The taste was airy and moist. I took some of the cupcakes to my Boyfriend's house to serve and didn't tell anyone they were gluten free and no one even knew. That is how amazing these are!

The amazing folks at Namaste are hosting a giveaway right here on the blog! So, if you want to try the mix for yourself, please enter! You will not be disappointed...
The GIVEAWAY!!!!

How To Enter:

1. Follow my blog if you are not all ready a follower. You can follow by clicking on the top of the screen where it says follow!

2. Leave me a comment on the blog, email (littleblognotes@yahoo.com), or Twitter (shelovestoblog) that states what your favorite gluten free food is to make. Also, please look at the Namaste Website and tell me what item you would be most interested in trying.

3. For an extra entry, please re-post my contest on your blog if you have one! Just let me know about it :)

4. Make sure you leave me a valid email address to contact you!

Applicants Must be US residents only. If you win, I will contact you. Please no P.O. Boxes. I will relay your information to Namaste Foods and they will send out your winnings!

Ends 7/12/2010 at Midnight AZ time! Good luck!