Great vacation...

Hi everyone. I am back from vacation and ready to once again review more products. I had a great time with my daughter and grandsons.  I made gluten free pasta springs while visiting and my grandsons both asked for seconds, and never knew the difference We also made gluten free cupcakes! Wow, I must be doing something right. I got lots of hugs and kisses this past week and I miss them terribly already.

This blog is all about being "REAL", whether it be about good food, recipes, reviews, or just life and family in general. Life is too short to miss out on the little things, so if keeping healthy will give me more time to enjoy each and every moment along the way, then I am hopefully on the right track.

I received two boxes of products while I was  away and I can't wait to start the "tastings". I hope you are all enjoying your summer vacations, and have been brave enough to have tried something new along the way.

I look forward to my next product testing review, as I hope you do. Until then...have a great wheat free day!

Biscuits with Better Batter mix review...

Last night I decided to make biscuits to go with Chili for dinner and change it up a little from everyday bread. I used the Pancake & Biscuit mix from Better Batter and followed the easy directions listed on the box. 2 1/4 C mix, 2/3 to 1 C milk, buttermilk, or water. (I used Almond milk and added 1 T of vinegar to make a mock buttermilk)  I mixed the ingredients by hand using a pastry blender until a soft, sticky dough formed. I used the drop method, although you also have the option of rolling the dough to create rolled biscuits. Quick and easy was what I was in the mood for...and this was both.

The biscuits were soft, flaky, and  tender with a great taste. I smeared butter on them and definitely ate my share. The recipe will make 6-8 biscuits depending upon the size.This mix can also be used to make pancakes and waffles, which I plan to try in the future.

I have tried several of Better Batters products and have been satisfied with each and everyone I have tried. This is a great mix to have on hand as it is quick, easy, and delicious. It is nice to know that the company also gives a percentage of their profits to charities.

Each box is stamped with a" Best Before Date" in print large enough for the most visually challenged person to be able to see, and their site has recipes to share and enjoy, as well as a gluten free community. The products are made in Pennsylvania ( my home state...Yeah!) in the USA. This product is also accepted for Vegetarian, Vegan and OU Kosher.

You can visit their site to find information or to order products at Better Batter

Ingredients:
White rice flour, Brown rice Flour, Tapioca starch, potato starch, Canola oil, Sugar, Potato flour, Sodium acid pyrophosphate, Xantham gum, Pectin, Baking soda, Salt, Cream of tarter, monocalcium, Phosphate Monohydrate.

Rating 5 Stars

Enjoy Life cookie review...

This past week I received four crunchy cookie varieties from Enjoy Life to sample. All these cookies are made in a dedicated nut and gluten free bakery and are products of the USA. I have tried a few of Enjoy Life's products recently and was curious to see if their already baked cookies were going to measure up to their other products, and I was not disappointed.
 It was one of those days when everything that could go wrong seemed to do so, and I needed a "sweet" fix bad, so I tried all four varieties at once!

I hadn't had a sugar cookie for quite awhile so I started with this variety. The cookies were thin and crisp, with just the right amount of sweetness to them, great for dunking in milk. They had that buttery taste and texture like recipes I have made in the past where I have substituted butter for the shortening or margarine called for in a recipe, which results in a flatter and crisper cookie.
I enjoyed the rich taste and even used these to make a crust for a "No Bake Cheesecake." Each variety comes packed in quantities of fourteen cookies to a box, so there are plenty to share. 

Ingredients:

White rice flour, Millet flour, Buckwheat flour, Evaporated cane juice, Palm oil, brown pure cane sugar, Natural flavor, Salt, vanilla, Baking soda, Sodium acid pyrophosphate, Xanthan gum, Rosemary extract

Rating: 4 1/2  Stars

Next I tried the Honey Vanilla Graham cookie. These cookies resemble a graham cracker in taste, loaded with vanilla. I do like graham crackers on occasion, but the slight buttery flavor of these cookies seemed to contradict with the graham taste for my liking.

Ingredients:

Brown and white rice flour, Buckwheat flour, Millet flour, Palm oil, Brown pure cane sugar, Evaporated cane juice, Honey, Natural flavors, Vanilla, Salt, Baking soda, Xanthan gum, Sodium acid pyrophosphate, Rosemary extract.

Rating: 3 stars

The third variety was the Double Chocolate crunch. If you love chocolate this is going to be a big hit. The cookie was loaded with a rich chocolaty flavor, and each cookie is loaded with chips.

Ingredients:

White rice flour, Buckwheat flour, Millet flour, Chocolate chips (evaporated cane juice, chocolate liquor, non dairy cocoa butter) Palm oil, Brown pure cane sugar, Evaporated cane juice, Natural process cocoa powder, Natural flavors, Vanilla, Salt, Baking soda, Sodium acid pyrophosphate, Xanthan gum, Rosemary extract.

Rating 4 1/2  Stars

The last variety was the crunchy Chocolate Chip. What can I say about these except that they were rich, crunchy and tasty! I must admit that if it is a dense doughy cookie you are looking for,  these will not fit that bill. Yet, if it is a buttery, crunchy treat you desire, than these are right down your alley.

Ingredients:

White rice flour, Buckwheat flour, Millet flour, Chocolate chips (evaporated cane juice, chocolate liquor, non dairy cocoa butter) Palm oil, Evaporated cane juice, Brown pure cane sugar, Natural flavor, Salt, Vanilla, Sodium acid pyrophosphate, Baking soda, Xanthan gum, Rosemary extract.

Rating 4 1/2 Stars

Enjoy Life offers quite a variety of Gluten Free products on their home site. All their products are gluten free and contain No artificial ingredients, trans fat,s or genetically modified ingredients

You might have seen their products featured on numerous programs such as Food Network's Unwrapped,"or the Today Show's segment "Healthy Lunch Box Finds," to name a few.

The company just  introduced "Plentils...Enjoy Life's first salty snack product in March 2012.
To visit their site to order, or for information, visit....Enjoy Life You can also find many of their products in your local supermarket nationwide.
        
As always, have a wheat free kind of day!

Namaste Foods Pasta Pisavera Review...

Tonight my husband and I decided to have a light dinner. A nice green salad and a Pasta Pisavera meal kit from Namaste Foods sounded just about right. I was hoping this Italian Pasta kit was going to be as good as others were saying it was.
Now to know me, you would know I have never been a great lover of meal kits. Hamburger Helper has never reached my pantry shelves, SORRY!) So to try a meal in a bag is a adventure in itself for me.
The directions looked simple enough. All I needed was 3 Tablespoons of oil.

Ingredients:
Vegetable pasta (brown rice, spinach powder, tomato powder, carrot powder, water).
Shelled Hemp seed, tomato powder, salt, granulated garlic, Italian seasoning, granulated onion, and silicon dioxide (added to prevent caking).
*Namaste products are made in a dedicated facility free of: Gluten, Wheat, Soy, Corn, Potato, Peanuts, Tree nuts, Dairy and Casein for those with these food allergies.

Okay...I wasn't sure what shelled hemp seed was but I didn't have to look far as they tell you right on the bag. It seems that it is an excellent source of easily digestible, gluten free protein. It has more protein than nuts, fish, meat or poultry. It also has essential fatty acids your body needs as well as all essential amino acids. Tasty, and good for you? ...I'm in!

When I opened the bag there was a package of spiral noodles in three different colors. Great, as I love vegetable noodles! The second packet was a small packet of seasonings.
After the noodles cooked all I had to do was add the packet of seasoning to the oil, toss into the cooked, drained pasta and I was done. Quick, easy and painless!
The bag does offer suggestions on adding a variation of other ingredients but I skipped this part because tonight I wanted quick and easy, besides  I already had fresh ingredients and veggies in the salad.

I must say this dish was a big hit. Not only was it easy to prepare but delicious also. I am now anxious to try their two other varieties of meal kits which include the Say Cheez and Taco Pasta meal. All sell for $4.79 on their site and currently the Say Cheez meal  is on sale for $4.49. This kit makes 4 side dish servings or 2 entree servings, so it was perfect for the two of us. This kit will soon become a handy staple in my pantry for those hectic, or not so hectic days.
You can view these and all other Namaste products at http://www.namastefoods.com

Rating: 5 Stars

Busy, busy, busy...

Wow has this week flown by. I haven't stopped to catch my breath the past few days it seems. Grocery shopping, making meals ahead to freeze, getting ready for company, it has been non stop.
I just wanted to take a break and sit for a few minutes to try and catch my breath, so here I am.
The power outage here in Ohio really set me back this past week. EVERYTHING in both our refrigerator and freezer had to be thrown out. All that baking and cooking I have done these past few months had to be tossed. It broke my heart to see bag after bag get tossed into the trash can! What a waste!
Well hopefully things will get back to normal this coming week and I can start posting more reviews and recipes.
Until then have a GREAT wheat free weekend!!! 

Power outage....

If you have been watching the news this past week you will know that several states had been hit with severe power outages, our area was one of those affected. Our home, along with those in the surrounding areas were without power for five full days, a few areas are still without power as I type.

Now I am not afraid of the dark, and I can even handle no air conditioning for a period of time, but this past week was unbearable with the heat in the high 90's and low 100's. So after only one day of no air, no lights, and definitely no way to cook meals, the heat sent us packing. Since we had nothing else to do we headed off to visit family in a different state and settled into a hotel for four full days.

My husband, smart man that he is, used forethought and booked a hotel room on the Internet from his cell on one of those sites that give you great prices, so we got a super deal on the price of the room. Cell phones are wonderful things but like everything else in our home they need to be recharged, and sitting in your car with the motor running just to recharge your cell phone is not my idea of fun so we packed our bags and headed out..

Needless to say we lost everything in our refrigerator and freezer while our home was without power. All my gluten free meals which I had prepared ahead were gone, ( not to mention all staples such as mayonnaise, ketchup, my special gluten free flours and such had to be tossed. As my mother always says..."Don't cry over spilt milk"...(well in this case spoiled milk), so its off to the grocery store to shop today.

I hope that those of you reading this who were without power are finally back to normal. Life gets bumpy along the way and sometimes throws you a curve ball when you least expect it. I might have lost hundreds of dollars of food but I got to spend unexpected precious time with those I love, and quality time with my husband. This reminds me of a saying I saw posted on a local church just awhile back..."Don't give up, ...Even Moses was a basket case once". So I will count my blessings, make out my grocery list, and go shopping.....again!
So till next post, be blessed and have a super wheat free day!


 

Product reviews...or not!

Hey everyone...I am so sorry there haven't been any posts the past few days. I had worked my "butt" off to review several products to post for you over the 4th of July only to find that when my husband bought and set up my new computer that they got lost somewhere in the transition :(
I will now have to take the time to re-write them so they can be posted. BUMMER!!!

I hope you all enjoyed the 4th and have new memories to hold on to. This was actually the first time in years that we went to see the fireworks, and they were spectacular! We visited family and I got to see my youngest grandson Levi, who is now slightly over two years old,  actually enjoy being in the water without the aide of someones assistance. My daughter had found this neat device that not only has arm floaters, but also goes around his chest to keep him afloat.

Then came the moment.... when he told her "no mommy" and pushed her away as he bobbed along in the water. She was hurt at his independence as most mothers would be, yet proud. Her little guy was growing up and was making a important decision to go it on his own, if even for just a moment. I must say it even put a little ache in my heart.

 For those of you who have children, you know that feeling...That very first step of independence gets you every time. Whether it be tying their shoe laces for the first time, the first "No" they utter, getting on the school bus for the very first time, whatever the first,  it tugs at your heartstrings each and every time.

I can remember back to several firsts in my life....My first boyfriend, first and favorite job, which just happened to be in a bakery....go figure!!! The birth of my first child. Every first involves decisions...the decision to learn, have children, become independent, become healthy.

This past week after once again "slipping" off my wheat free lifestyle I have come to this realization. If I do not stay true to my decision to be wheat free, no one else is going to do it for me. It is my choice...my decision...my first! I can once again feel the changes in my body from just a week of "cheating'. I am achy, tired, upset stomach, and just out of sorts. So this week it is back on track once again, with the realization that I need to really take responsibility for my decision and plan ahead for such trips. Others don't always understand our choices and are therefore not prepared to accommodate out lifestyle changes, so we must make the decision to be responsible for ourselves.
Unlike my grandson who will need his mother close to protect him and make the important decisions for him until the time he is able to do so himself, I need to take full responsibility for the decisions I make.

I personally don't like the old way I felt both physically nor mentally. I do enjoy the new healthier version of myself. So once again I am back on track with more determination than ever, trying to remind myself this is MY decision....not that of everyone around me!
Until later...Have a great wheat free day!

Way Better Snacks product review...

Sever weeks ago I received all six varieties of Way Better snacks chips to try. Wow! The bags were all full size and I was wondering how I was going to review these products from this generous company. I didn't want to open each bag to sample just a few and take a chance of them going stale, so they set on my pantry shelf for awhile.
Then last week I came up with the idea for a "Snack Party". I invited a few friends over to ask their opinion and made sure I got to sample each and every snack chip myself.
I set the table with guacamole, salsa, and hummus, along with all varieties of the chips and a huge bowl of fresh fruit salad and some homemade lemonade.
The party was a big hit and not only did I get to visit with all my friends, but I also got a few added opinions on the product. Everyone really enjoyed all varieties and there was not a chip left!
I really like the fact that these snacks are all natural, vegan, gluten free, kosher and have no MSO's, are low in sodium and a excellent source of fiber.
Although the chips are  first baked in a special oven to reduce moisture and then fried for a short time in Sunflower Oil, there is no greasy taste here.They all had a crisp delicious corn tortilla taste.

Although the chips are not totally organic, most of the ingredients used are certified organic such as the blue Corn, golden flax, quinoa. daikon radish seed, and the chia seeds. The company also first sprouts the grains and seeds which increases their nutrients and allows the body to better absorb them, and each chip was loaded with seeds!.

The large bag of chips sells for $3.49 on their web site and a single serving bag sell for $1.19. I feel that in comparison to chips found on the shelves of your local grocery store this is a great value for your money, and a healthier life choice.

The Muti-grain is the closest to a regular tortilla chip and my all time favorite. It tasted great with hummus as well as the salsa. It had a light salty taste and was crunchy. These are even good alone.

Rated 5 Stars (my all time favorite)

The Sweet Potato chip was nicely salted and tasted like a lightly buttered baked sweet potato to me. I especially enjoyed these with Hummus.

Rated 5 Stars 

The Sweet Chili had a kick to it and I highly recommend a tall glass of lemonade or water to help keep the heat at bay. I am somewhat of a sissy when it comes to spicy...so if you like the "heat" then go for it!

Rated 4 Stars   (just a little to spicy for this girls taste buds)

Unbeatable Blues tasted similar to the blue tortilla chips you find on the grocery shelves and go well with corn salsa.

Rated 4 1/2 Stars

Black Bean Tortillas were lightly salted and these could be used in place of crackers with a nice bowl of turkey chili, or dipped in hummus.

Rated 5 Stars

The Naked Blues have no salt added and therefore was a little bland all alone but great with salsa.

Rated  4 Stars  (only because I like salt on my chips)

The company even sent me a book with information about the products wrapped in recycled paper full of wildflower seeds that will sprout when planted. Now this is a company that knows about "sprouting"...

You can visit their site at http://www.gowaybetter.com to order products or to view nutritional information.

Double Chocolate Crunch Granola product review

This morning I woke knowing I was going to have quite a busy day ahead of me. It is my Stepson's birthday this weekend and we are going for a visit so I had a million things to do. Run errands, pack suitcases, fill the car up with gas, well you know the rest...
I decided on a quick breakfast of granola and decided to give the Double Chocolate Crunch from Enjoy Life a try. It is a Nut & Gluten free Granola, and we all know I love chocolate, so why not for breakfast too!
A 1/2 cup serving has 200 calories, and I added milk which gives it a few more calories, but I do like my granolas with a little added milk to them. It is now almost 3:00 in the afternoon and I must admit I just now had my lunch, so the granola left me full for quite some time.
It has a sweet chocolaty taste and stayed quite firm in the milk while eating. I could taste the tiny semi sweet chocolate chips in each bite, and the rice flakes were sweet and crunchy.
I can imagine this would make a great topping for vanilla ice cream or sprinkled into some plain yogurt to add flavor, or alone as a snack. The ideas are limitless!
All Enjoy Life's products are free of wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish and shell fish. They are also casein, potato, sesame and sulfite free.
The granola comes in a resealable stay fresh package. There are seven servings per container and it sells for $5.99 on their site.
Enjoy life also offers cookies, chewy bars, seed and fruit mixes, chocolate for baking, chocolate bars, plentils and cereals. On their site you will also find lots of tips and recipes for their products. They even have printable coupons !!!


Ingredients:
Brown Rice Flakes, Chocolate Chips (Evaporated Cane Juice, Natural Chocolate Liquor (Non-Alcoholic), Non-Dairy Cocoa Butter), Evaporated Cane Juice, Brown Rice Syrup, Rice Bran, Rice Crisps (Rice Flour, Rice Bran, Raisin Juice Concentrate, Honey, Salt), Natural Process Cocoa Powder, Inulin (Chicory Root Fiber), Ground Flaxseed, Natural Chocolate Flavor, Honey, Vanilla, Expeller-Pressed Vegetable Oil (Safflower Oil and/or Sunflower Oil), Salt, Rosemary Extract

I really enjoyed this granola and am anxious to try their other flavors as well. I am off to print some coupons, so till next post...Have a great wheat free day! To view their products or to order go to their site at http://www.enjoylifefoods.com

Rating: 5 Stars

Breads from Anna... Banana Bread Mix Review...

Yesterday I tried the Banana Bread mix by Breads from Anna. I had previously tried her Classic Herb Bread mix and was quite pleased with it so I was excited to give the Banana bread mix a try.
I was also in the mood for a good warm sweet bread, as I wanted to wind down after a busy day with a cup of tea and a warm slice of  something sweet.
The directions are as simple as can be, 1/3 cup oil, 2 large eggs well beaten, 3 medium bananas purred, and 2/3 cup chopped walnuts and the mix, all of which I had on hand.
I mixed the ingredients according to directions and baked the full hour called for. I even let it cool for the full hour specified, even though I wanted to cheat and dive in. The smell of bananas and walnuts filled the room as it baked, and my mouth was watering with anticipation.
While cooling the top sank slightly. Also when cutting the bread it seemed slightly tough on the outside, although moist on the inside. The first bite set me back a little, as the taste of the flours seemed to have slightly a little more control over the taste than that of the banana's.
Although the bread was quite moist it was not as light and fluffy as I had hoped, probably because of the density of the flours used. The flavor that showed through the greatest was actually that of the walnuts.
It seems to taste slightly better the next day which left me a little disappointed as I had truly been looking forward to a nice warm slice lathered in butter.
I do however give the company kudos for using flours that are healthier for you in this mix and even thought it was not one of my favorite mixes I look forward to trying the other mixes in their line.

Ingredients:
Crystallized honey, tapioca starch, arrowroot, millet flour, potato starch, chia flour, pinto bean flour, navy bean flour, sea salt, cream of tarter, baking soda, xanthan gum.

I must admit this is the only Banana bread mix I have sampled so far on my wheat free journey, so therefore I have no other banana bread mixes to compare it to.Yet based on my own personal taste test, and that is what this review is all about....I would have to give it a a lower rating than their Classic Herb bread (which was definitely at the top of my scale).

Rating: 3 1/2 Stars

You can visit their site at http://www.breadsfromanna.com for more products and information.

Gardening day...

Hi everyone. It is beautiful today and so I thought I would take a break and do a little gardening, or should I say weeding!
A few years back I planted a beautiful pink flower in the garden that is suppose to attract butterflies and humming birds. The first year I did indeed see a few humming birds, and once a butterfly, but as of late all they have only been attracting are bee's and dragonfly's.
I don't mind I guess, as bees need pollen, and the dragonfly's are a beautiful illuminating blue in color. What I do mind it that the flowers have virtually taken over!
From what started as three small plants has multiplied into a mass that now surrounds the other flowers and shrubs in the garden and has drifted into my yard and rooted there.
I have pulled them out roots and all several times now, but they keep reappearing at a alarming rate. Who ever said I don't have a green thumb?????
I even saw a neighbor enter the yard one day, which is only about 10' x 6' in size, and pluck a few, possibly in the hopes of replanting them. I hope she has better luck controlling them than I have.
I know this post has nothing to do with my wheat free journey other than gardening is the form of exercise I opted for today instead of my usual walk around the lake. The sun is still shining and I still have a few flowers on the rampage that need to be plucked, so till next post.....Have a great wheat free day!