Katz Gluten Free Giveaway

I was fortunate enough to be one of the test tasters for Katz (gluten free, dairy free, and nut free) Bakery. I have tried some of their products before, and while they were good, they were nothing to rave over. However, they just sent me a box of some new items and my opinion has changed. Katz Gluten free Bakery has some delicious new products on the market. Along with this review is a GIVEAWAY for ALL of their products.
A friend and I sampled their
* Vanilla Rugelach
* Chocolate Rugelech
* Chocolate covered cookies
* Chocolate frosted chocolate cupcakes

I am typically a chocolate fan all the way. My favorite among these goodies were the chocolate covered cookies. The cookies had a real light flavor, complimented by the chocolate cover.
The Chocolate cupcakes were a sweet treat for any occasion. The texture was just right, not too heavy, and great flavor. Plus, it had sprinkles and tell me one person who doesn't love a festive, sprinkle covered cupcake.
As far as the Rugelech goes, I was surprisingly won over by the Vanilla (versus the chocolate). The vanilla had a very defined vanilla and sugar flavor that sent this chocolate lover heading back for more. The chocolate rugelech was good, but nothing I'd order again. It had a very mild chocolate flavor. I've never had rugelech before, so I'm not sure what the texture was supposed to be like. These had a harder texture, but it seemed like they were supposed to. Normally, I like a soft, fresh out of the oven style cookie, but these were delicious with a little crunch.

Now for the giveaway. Go to Katz Bakery and enter to win a package of ALL 30 gluten/dairy/nut free items to spoil yourself this holiday season. Be sure to tell them My Gluten Free Kitchen @recipesbymckeeby.blogspot.com sent you!

Udi's......at last

While in the middle of no where, NC on vacation this summer, I found Udi's in the freezer section of a local grocery store. I have been looking up, down, and sideways for this bread for close to a year now. I have heard rave reviews, and after all the build up, the bread still lived up to its name. It was soft and delicious. No toasting necessary, I couldn't believe it! When I returned home, my local Whole Foods, had begun to carry the bread as well. YAY! Its about $5 a loaf, which is way cheaper than the $10 I was paying for a local gf/df loaf and I couldn't be happier with the product.
Today, while shopping, I came across their Chocolate Muffins and had to give it a try. Since going dairy free, I have been missing chocolate and these sure did hit the spot. For $6 for 4, it is not something I will buy often, but will definitely splurge on occassionally. They had a great texture and taste. Another great product by Udi's. Even though they are "Muffins", these are much more of a cupcake, minus the frosting (in other words, dessert).

I also, just recently heard that Jason's Deli is rolling out a gluten free menu, featuring....you guessed it...Udi's bread. Call your local Jason's deli for availability.

Interested in Udi's? Don't take my word for it. See what others in the gf community have to say...
* Triumph Dining
* Gluten Free Optimist
* Gluten Free Works
* Happily GF Free
* A Life of Sugar and Spice
* The Savvy Celiac
* Glad to be GF
* Mom Cooks GF

Goldbaum's

I recently won a Giveaway for Goldbaum's over at Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom. My box arrived carrying sugar cones, cake cones, pasta, and a box of rice crackers.
First taste, was the sugar cones. They were light and reminded me of a wafer. Plain, I thought they had a bit of a gf taste,but when topped with Coconut Bliss ice cream, there was nothing gf tasting about them. I gave half the box to a friend, who opened them at work and promptly gobbled 2 down.
Today for lunch I decided to try the pasta. Now, I am a Tinkyada fan through and through so my expectations weren't set too high. However, I was very pleased...Goldbaum's pasta is every bit as good as Tinkyada.


Pasta and Sausage
* goldbaums pasta
* classico pasta sauce
* 1 onion, sauteed
* 1 package Brat Hans sundried tomato chicken sausage

Pretzels

I went to Whole Foods to buy Glutino pretzels and when I got there they were on sale. YAY! However, I then spotted Snyder's of Hanover pretzels and in the mix was a gluten free bag. I decided to give it a try. Not only was it cheaper, but OH MY! They taste like real gluten filled pretzels.When I got to the counter, the cashier even made a comment about how he accidentally bought the gluten free ones and him and his wife couldn't tell the difference. Enough said.

8 ounce bag only $2.99

Cinnamon Rolls

I was so excited to see Cinnamon Rolls on my trip to Cookie MOMsters. While I have a good recipe for gluten free cinnamon rolls, 99% of the time, I am too lazy to make them. That is why out of the 200 times I've craved them in the last couple of years, I have only ever made them twice.

Once I got home, I started to regret my decision to splurge $10 on 6 rolls, knowing that I'd built them up too much in my head. I was going to wait for breakfast today, but finally gave in and had one for dessert last night. Let me tell you, they were DELICIOUS and when I had them again this morning for breakfast....just as delicious. I usually add pecans and raisins to mine, which this one was missing, but the cinnamon cakey flavor was perfect. I thought the mock cream cheese icing would be a let down, as this pregnancy as turned me into a dairy fiend, but I was pleased all the way around.
This is something I would buy again. It's nice to have cinnamon rolls, in the freezer, ready to eat when I want them. Thank you Cookie MOMsters for another enjoyable, GFCF treat!

Fruit Smoothie
* banana, frozen
* strawberries
* pineapple, chopped
* half orange
* Stonyfield Vanilla yogurt
* Tbsp coconut flakes
Toss all ingredients in blender. Blend. Enjoy!

I want Chicken Wings

I have been craving chicken wings since I got pregnant. I have been searching for gluten free wings, but its been an endless search.
Today, at the grocery store, I found Al Fresco Buffalo Style Chicken Sausage and not only were they gluten free, but they were also the same price as the generic brands and they had a $1 off coupon. They were not as spicy as I had hoped for, but they had a nice mild buffalo flavor.

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
* whole foods gf sandwich bread, toasted
* chicken sausage, pan fried
* lettuce
* tomato, thinly sliced
* ranch
* additional hot sauce

Gluten Free Bakery in Jacksonville, FL

I always read other blogs and feel a great deal of jealousy when people mention visiting their local gluten free bakery, but no more. I am pleased to announce that today I visited Cookie Momsters, a gluten/casein/nut free bakery located on San Jose Blvd right here in Jacksonville, FL. The bakery is small and only open Wed-Sat from 10-4pm. Most of their business is done through special orders and selling bulk cookie dough to Whole Foods, but on hand they have a variety of frozen baked goods to be purchased.
The prices are high, but I didn't expect anything different, after all we all know how expensive gluten free baking is. The quality and convenience of their products were worth the price. The woman running the store was very nice and allowed me to sample a few things before purchasing. I picked up:
* Chex mix (chex, pretzels, and some puffed cheese thing with a soy free soy sauce)
* Half a loaf of bread (8 normal sized slices) $5 and DELICIOUS! It was considerable more than I like to spend on bread, but after getting home and making a sandwich, I would definitely eat less bread in order to be able to afford having really good bread when I want a great sandwich.
* A 6 pack of cinnamon rolls with a mock cream cheese icing $10
* Chocolate chip ice cream sandwich $2.50 (the cookies were soft and extremely tasty, however I was not a fan of the Tempt-Hemp Ice Cream. I would probably buy their cookie dough and make my own ice cream sandwiches in the future)I look forward to going back in the future to try their other cookies, muffins, and maybe even some of their pre-made entrees.

Healthy snacks for both big and little kids

A friend of mine gave me some prepackaged Smoothies and baby food from Ella's Kitchen. Unfortunately for me, baby is not due until after the expiration date, so I passed the baby food onto a friend. Her 6 month old baby loves them!! Luckily for me, I was able to try the smoothie, The Big Red, jammed full of bananas, strawberries, apples, raspberries, lemon juice concentrate, and nothing else. These look guys are 100% fruit, organic, and best of all gluten free. They were perfect this morning, since I was running late to the vet appointment for London. I quickly ate a Stonyfield vanilla yogurt (with pecans and raisins) and then grabbed a smoothie to slurp on in the car. A perfect snack to have on hand for your kids or busy pregnant ladies such as myself :) I still have a Yellow One(bananas, apples, mango, apricot) to try later this week. Hopefully, it will be just as yummy. If you're interested in trying them for yourselves, check out their website for locations.

Mmmm....Cookies

Cherrybrook Kitchen Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bake cookies according to the directions on the box (just add water, butter, and vanilla). I added an additional 3/4 cup of coconut and 1/2 cup of broken pecans.

These cookies weren't better than making them for scratch, but considering that I picked these up at the Discount Grocery Store for $1 I was very pleased with the result. The cookies were soft and had a good amount of flavor. I don't think it would fool a gluten lover, but I've been happily snacking on them for days.

I've also tasted this company's sugar cookie. Now those were definitely just as good as homemade. I am normally a chocolate fan, but would choose the sugar cookie over the chocolate chip from The Cherrybrook Kitchen.

I tricked the meat loving baby!!

17 weeks pregnant and for weeks now I have not been able to stomach any vegetables. All the baby wants is meat, dairy, and more meat and dairy with a side of carbs. However, tonight, I tricked the baby....with Veggie Pizza. Bread and dairy for the baby and I got to enjoy a handful of veggies.

I'd also like to mention that I have recently decided that Whole Foods makes the BEST gluten free pizza crust. Yes, I know...thats a large statement especially for a pizza lover like myself, but I've made my own, I've made mixes, I've tried restaurants and Whole Foods has them beat. Their products are so hit or miss but this one is right on the money....no gluten free taste, crispy crust, thick, holds up well. Mmmmmm....They're expensive, but no more than eating out or buying other premade items and well worth the money. I'm trading in my other pizza mixes for awhile.
Veggie Pizza (serves 2-3)
*Whole Foods Pizza Crust
Thaw and bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 ( I like mine crispy). Take out and top with the following toppings, in order (or use your own)
*2-3 roasted roma tomatoes
*2-3 handfuls of spinach leaves, torn
*1-2 cups shredded mozzarella
OPTIONAL:
*sprinkle with crumbled feta, sliced olives, and crushed red pepper flakes and serve with a side of pasta sauce for dipping

Bake for another 10 minutes and enjoy :)

Betty Crocker Dessert and Snacks

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For my birthday, my dad and 12 year old sister lovingly joined forces and made, for the first time ever, a gluten free birthday cake. Luckily for them, Betty Crocker came to the rescue with her simple easy chocolate cake mix. This cake was delicious with its chocolate cream cheese icing and although my brother turned his nose at the idea of a gluten free cake, his plate was clean and there were no complaints. The following days the cake dried out, but luckily for my big family, we devoured all but 2 pieces the 1st day.
I tested out Betty's brownies again last weekend when some friends were in town and I must give mixed reviews. I have made these brownies 2 times and eaten them when they were made by 2 other people. Every single time they taste different. The first time I made them and one other time from a friend, they were moist, rich, and everything you want from a chocolate brownie. The 2nd time I made them and when another friend made them, they were hard and drier that expected. Maybe it was the butter or it cooked faster the 2nd go around. Who knows? For now, I'll stick to my personal brownie recipe, which are always moist, rich, and nothing shy of amazing.

MORE FROM BETTY CROCKER and her magically gluten free ways....
After seeing a favorite childhood snack of mine, Gushers, gone gluten free, I couldn't help but register for the giveaway held by the Gluten Free Gidget. Luckily for me, I WON!! I am generally a very healthy eater with a big appetite for dessert. So, after my excitement wore off from winning, I questioned whether or not I would really want to eat and if I would enjoy the combination of Gushers, Fruit Roll ups, Fruit by the Foot, and Create a bug. I brought the box to school to add to my "I'm pregnant and need frequent snacks" bin and figured what I didn't eat I'd share with my students. I will admit, the gushers are just as yummy as I remember and the create a bug are pretty delightful as well. Because of health reasons they won't go on my daily snacks list, but they are a yummy little treat when you want something sweet to eat. Thank you again Gluten Free Gidget and Betty Crocker!

Mmmm....Donuts

A friend of mine recently had a baby, so I decided to celebrate her new bundle of joy with a box of Kinnickinick glazed donuts. Because after giving birth, seriously, what would any woman want more than something delicious to eat. Plus, while still in the hospital the need to get back in shape is still being overshadowed by the joy of the new baby.


While grabbing the box, I realized it would be unfair to my baby if I didn't also get a box for myself and boy, oh boy was that a good decision. These donuts at $5.99 (for 6 donuts) are a tad expensive, but well worth the money. They are heavier than gluten filled donuts, but DELICIOUS! Go ahead and splurge, pick up a box for yourself and a friend :) Available at Whole Foods, Native Sun, and even some small chain health food stores, such as Grassroots.

Bagels

I recently tried Glutino's GF bagels and they are delicious. They are guilty of having a mild gluten free taste, but its nothing peanut butter or cream cheese can't cover up. The downside is that they must be really well toasted (I toast twice) or the texture is rather undesirable. When extra toasted and topped with cream cheese they are delightful. Nice to have a quick, non sugary breakfast.
I found these at Whole Foods ($6.50 for a bag of 5 frozen bagels).

Betty Crocker to the Rescue (and free too)

Betty Crocker came out with a whole line of gluten free products this summer including, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cake, and vanilla cake. Sadly, I have not seen any of the products in the grocery store, but thankfully for me and everyone else with a computer, Amazon ROCKS! I ordered a case (6 boxes to share with my GF friends) of chocolate chip cookies for $4 a box and free shipping, they arrived in 2 days, and were DELICIOUS!!These GF cookies are so easy to make and taste as delicious as their gluten filled counterpart, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside (although I cook mine the least amount of time because I love them real soft and straight out of the oven...mmmm). If you don't believe me, check out BeFreeForMe's review, where she tasted them side by side with the gluten filled kind.

There are so many great things about this product:
1. Easy to make
2. A few simple ingredients
3. Delicious
4. Cheaper than most GF baking mixes
5. 1 FREE BOX FOR YOU!! Call Betty Crocker and get a coupon for one free gluten free product, call 1-800-446-1898 and ask for a representative. When I called, the person was very friendly and it was a quick process. A couple of basic questions and within a few minutes a coupon for a free box of Betty Crocker goodness is on the way to your house.

Now when I crave a cookie, I can actually eat one that is just as amazing as I imagined! (ignore my ugly picture, it doesn't do them justice)

Options: I added a small amount of shredded coconut to half of the mix and they were incredible.

Gluten Free Product Reviews

Normally, I prefer to make things from scratch (a habit formed when I became GF) and am too cheap to spend $6 on gluten free goodies, when there is a 50% chance that they will be dry, gritty, crumbly, or just plain gross. However, I have discovered a discount grocery store and they have discovered the profit in selling GF products. Lately, they have been stocking up on GF goodies and for $1.29 a box I have been happy to sample everything they have.
I have rated and reviewed some products below to save you the time and money.

GLUTEN FREE PANTRY BROWNIES: 5 stars By far, the best GF brownies mix out there. These were rich and decadent and no weird texture or taste.








GLUTEN FREE PANTRY FRENCH BREAD: 3 stars This mix made a bread that perfectly resembled french bread, crunchy crust, soft center, but the taste was not quite right for me. However, I tried this bread several times, with several meals and each time I liked it in varying amounts. Sometimes I didn't want to finish the 1st piece and the 2nd time I couldn't stop myself from eating more. Probably not something I would buy again, but it was good.




PAMELA'S ESPRESSO CHOCOLATE CHIP CHUNK COOKIES: 4 stars These cookies came in a pack of 9 and left me buzzing with a caffeine rush. The cookies have a crisp texture, like you'd expect from most boxed cookies and were loaded with delicious chocolate/coffee flavors.

GLUTINO BREADSTICKS: 3 stars The picture on the box was very misleading. The box is NOT filled with several thick, soft breadsticks, rather it is full of small, hard cracker like sticks. I'm sure these are good with pasta sauce or some side, but I wasn't overly crazy about them. They were edible and good to munch on, but nothing I would ever crave or go out of my way to get.

Gluten Free Starbucks

My expectations were set low when I heard Starbucks was coming out with a gluten free cake. Afterall, gluten free living can be filled with the disappointment of high prices and crappy products. I went this morning and picked up 4 Almond Orange cakes ($1.95 each) for the other 3 celiacs at work and a latte for myself. OH MY GOODNESS....these things were delicious!! They were moist, flavorful, and did I mention ridiculously moist!?! They are more like a cake than a breakfast item, but I have never been one to say no to dessert for breakfast.
I am so pleased with Starbucks newest item, I couldn't wait to come home and blog about it. While I am not a daily Starbucks shopper, I love relaxing at a Starbucks while I'm on vacation and the thought of being able to actually eat something bought in an airport is so exciting. Thank you Starbucks!! A job well done!

The cakes were not in the case, but you can ask for them. They have them individually wrapped to avoid cross contamination and if there aren't any on the counter, there are plenty in the freezer. They thaw out quickly, so by the time you get to work, you're ready to enjoy.

Gluten Free Eating in California

While traveling up and down the West coast from Bis Sur to Sonoma, I was extremely happy to come across two great gluten free finds. The first being Whole Foods. While I have always appreciated Whole Foods for their specialty items, I was very pleased to find a deli in their Monterey, CA location that had not only vegeterian subs, but gluten free bread on which to serve them :)
The 2nd gold mine was one I found online prior to coming out here and has been a major point on excitement for the trip, Mariposa Bakery, in Oakland, CA. This is an exclusively gluten free bakery. I splurged on pizza($12.50) and mocha truffle brownies($2.75) for lunch and got a chocolate chip bagel($1.95) and a lemon poppyseed muffin($2.50) for the following morning. Everything was DELICIOUS!! The prices were about par with 'normal' bakeries and the even if they hadn't been, the joy of being able to buy GF baked goods as delicious as these would be well worth the extra money. These goodies are also available in certain retail stores across the country or can be shipped out of their bakery. Check out their website for more details-->ClIcK HeRe

GF Pizza in Jacksonville, FL

Thank you Tommy...you wonderful, fabulous man for allowing us gluten haters to enter a pizza place, without a raging case of jealousy. Tommy's pizza in Jacksonville, FL now serves Gluten Free pizza.
A small 12 inch pizza for $13.50 may seem a tad expensive until you remember that there is not another place in Florida that serves gluten free pizza and if so, definitely not a place with New York style pizza as authentic and amazing as Tommy's. Yummmmmmyyy!!

Tommy's Pizza
4160 Southside Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32216
(904) 565-1999

Gluten Free Snack Review

*Bakery on Main Street granola: This cereal is DELICIOUS , filling, and stocked full of nuts and raisins. Normally, I have to add my own nuts and dried fruit to cereal to make it 'hearty' enough, but this cereal has everthing included, making it worth every penny of its $6 somethingness.

FLAVORS:
* Extreme Fruit and Nut (A++)
* Cinnamon Raisin (C-) there was nothing wrong with the cereal, but it did not suit my taste buds at all

Pamela's Chocolate Cake and Brownie Mix Review

PRODUCT REVIEW

1. Pamela's has the upper hand on the gluten free market. I use her ultimate baking mix in a wide variety of things and have yet to make something that is not delicious. I decided to try her cake mix as well and would give this product a double thumbs up. The cupcakes were, to date, some of the best cupcakes (GF or otherwise) I've ever had. They have more of a dark chocolate taste and produce 12 regular sized cupcakes. No flat tops here.
I added in a cup of chocolate chips (dark and white) but you could use the mix plain or add in your own choice of fixings. In honor of the Gators winning the National Championship, I decorated mine with cream cheese icing colored blue, but had some frostingless cupcakes the following day that were just as delicious.

2. I tried Pamela's brownie mix. They were no where near as good as I expected. In the past year my grading of GF foods has definitely become more strict. I used to eat anything that tasted remotely like the wheat containing food it pretended to be. However, after successful baking days and delicious GF products, I feel a bit like a snob. The brownies were ok, but had a gritty texture and that funky taste that leaves you hating being GF. I have a homemade recipe that tastes excellent like normal brownies. It may be more time involving, but if I'm going to splurge on brownies, I want something I won't regret.

You can order the products through her site, although I recommend using Amazon. They have much better deals on the products.