Product review...Annies mac & cheese...

Hello once again. I hope you all had a great holiday weekend with friends and family. I had a blast! It was so comforting to be around those I love and catch up on new stories as well as old.

One of the things that also comforts me is a nice warm dish of mac & cheese. I remember growing up on the stuff, it was always a quick, easy, inexpensive meal. It has also always been a staple in my kitchen when my children were growing up, and even now.

Since going wheat/gluten free I have tried many gluten free varieties and have finally found one that meets my taste needs and it is microwavable to boot!!! Annie's Homegrown microwavable mac & cheese. I found mine at our local Meijers store and it cost a little over $5.00 for five single serving packets.

After my first attempt I found that adding a little more water than the directions called for was a quick fix for the dryness and clumping of the noodles . After my second attempt I found that by adding butter to the already cooked noodles before adding the cheese packet, not only made the finished product cheesy and delightfully pleasing, but also kept the cheese from clumping.

I have to admit that this is a great substitute for the microwavable mac & cheese cups I ate before becoming wheat/gluten free. If you do the division it is actually not anymore expensive either, considering it is a gluten free product.

I love the fact that I can still enjoy a comfort food which is tasty and quick for those days when I am frazzled or just to wore out to cook.

Ingredients:
Rice pasta, (rice flour), Cheddar cheese (cultured pasteurized milk, salt, non-animal enzymes) whey, buttermilk, butter, non-GMO corn starch, sodium phosphate, annetto extract for color.
*Contains milk ingredients

Rating: 5 Stars 

Product review...Really Great Food Company's Rye bread mix...

Hi all. The weekend is here and I am almost ready for our family trip. I have my brownies and bread made, and my suitcase is almost packed. I have to finish up a few odds and ends and then  I will be done.

Before I leave for my trip I just had to take the time to tell you about this awesome bread mix I found from The Really Great Food Company. It is a Rye-Style bread mix and I have to say that although there is not a bit of rye flour in the mix  I could not tell the difference!!!

You can make the mix in a breadmaker or the oven and since I like to feel like Suzy Homemaker on occasion I made mine in the oven. Actually I am kind of a control freak when it comes to food these days if the truth be known ...  :-)

Although the recipe calls for eggs I used a egg substitute, and it came out perfect. It toasts to perfection and even a grilled cheese sandwich turned out great. I have to say that out of all the breads I have tried since going gluten free that this is at the very top of my list in texture and taste.

The company offers other bread mixes, as well as cookie and cake mixes, and I am anxious to try them all. If this mix is any indication of the quality of the others then I feel confident I will enjoy each and every one I try. The mixes are formulated by Chef Ann Sammartino who has a degree from the internationally renowned Johnson & Wales School of Culinary Arts. She also suffers from Celiac Disease so she is well tuned into the needs of others who must avoid gluten.

I really enjoyed the texture of the bread. It was dense enough for a good structure but moist enough so as not to be chewy. It rose and browned well, and as I mentioned before, the taste was as close to any of the rye breads on the market that are laden with wheat flour. This is  a real treat in a gluten free world.

Ingredients:
White rice flour, potato starch flour, cornstarch, brown sugar, orange peel, caraway seeds, xanthan gum, salt. (Gluten free yeast packet is enclosed) You can view all their products at http://thereallygreatfoodco.com

Rating 5+ Stars

I hope you all enjoy your holiday weekend, so until next post....Have a great wheat free day!!!