Giveaway Winner - Pamela's Ultimate Wheat Free Baking & Pancake Mix

The winner of the Pamela's Ultimate Wheat Free Baking & Pancake Mix is:

*Jenniferb*

Congratulations Jenniferb! I am e-mailing you now. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen.

Special thanks to Pamela's Products for sponsoring this giveaway.

Product Review - Gluten Free Cafe - All Natural Frozen Fettucini Alfredo

I recently received coupons from the folks at the Celestial-Hain Group, asking me to sample and review their new line of Gluten Free Cafe All Natural Frozen Entrees. Out of the 4 available varieties I was only able to locate the Gluten Free Cafe Fettuccini Alfredo in my local grocery store; it is that which I will review today.

I was impressed with the fact that the Gluten Free Cafe frozen entrees boasts the following benefits:

Fortified 3 Ways for Your Health

Gluten Free Café is the only line of all natural frozen foods that are certified gluten free—and fortified with essential nutrients to address vitamin, mineral, and fiber deficiencies that commonly affect those following gluten-free diets.

1. B Vitamins & Iron The absence of enriched wheat flour or whole wheat flour in gluten free food products results in a loss of valuable dietary nutrients, including B Vitamins and Iron. Our Gluten Free Cafe items are enriched according to the FDA’s nutritional requirements for enriched flour and provide a good source of Iron and B Vitamins and also include Vitamins Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, and Folic Acid.

2. Fiber Since the gluten free diet relies on the replacement of fiber-rich wheat flours with other “digestive-friendly” grains, you may experience some dietary fiber loss. But not with Gluten Free Café entrees! We’ve taken care to ensure that you don’t lose the all-important benefits of fiber by adding Inulin, a non-digestible carbohydrate, to each of our delightful entrees. Since they contain Inulin, all Gluten Free Café meals provide you with the valuable qualities of fiber, while also functioning as a prebiotic to support the growth of “good” digestive tract bacteria. Plus, Inulin helps improve your body’s ability to absorb calcium – another valuable plus.

3. Vitamin D and Calcium If you have gluten intolerance or celiac disease, there’s a 30% chance that you are also lactose intolerant…which means you may not be getting sufficient Vitamin D and Calcium in your diet. Deficiencies can also be caused by poor nutrient absorption, a common effect of your condition. Due to these factors, it is generally recommended that patients with gluten intolerance be screened for osteoporosis. To help ensure against deficiencies, we’ve fortified each of our Gluten Free Café entrees with Vitamin D and Calcium…in amounts equivalent to those found in an 8-ounce glass of whole milk!

All Gluten Free Café products are certified by the GFCO.

In fact, we are proud to be the only line of all natural gluten free frozen food entrees that are certified by the GFCO.

What is the “GFCO”?
The Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO), a program of The Gluten Intolerance Group®, supervises gluten free food production according to consistent, stringent, science-based standards to ensure safety and instill confidence in both consumers and manufacturers. Certification is rigorous, involving annual on-site facility inspection and product testing.

Unfortunately, my personal opinion of the taste and texture of the Gluten Free Cafe Fettucini Alfredo entree is not as enthusiastic. I found it to be lacking in flavor and rather mushy in texture. However, it was perfect for my young child with Celiac Disease; she is very picky and prefers bland foods, especially pasta dishes. I prepared it for her for lunch and she really enjoyed it, finishing nearly the entire thing!

Will I purchase frozen Gluten Free Cafe Fettucini Alfredo in the future? If the price point becomes a bit lower, I would definitely keep it on hand for my child for the occasional quick weekend lunch. I do appreciate the convenience that the frozen Gluten Free Cafe entrees offer my busy family.

The other Gluten Free Cafe varieties available are: Asian Noodles, Pasta Primavera (meatless), and Lemon Basil Chicken.

If you would like to try any of the Gluten Free Cafe entrees for yourself, click here to receive a coupon from their website.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes

You may think I have gone pumpkin crazy this month... but in my opinion you can never have too much pumpkin in the Autumn! I never tire of pumpkin recipes this time of year, and luckily neither does my family. My recipe for Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes will warm your bellies, and your hearts. Easy to make and fun to eat, this is Autumn comfort food in it's simplest form. From my country kitchen to yours... enjoy!



Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes


2 cups Pamela's Ultimate Wheat Free Baking & Pancake Mix

2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree

1-1/2 cups milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Butter & warm maple syrup for serving; optional


Combine Pamela's Ultimate Wheat Free Baking & Pancake Mix, brown sugar, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice in a large mixing bowl; set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl; mix well. Stir pumpkin mixture into flour mixture until just moistened. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface; turn and continue cooking until cooked through and golden. Top each serving with butter and warm maple syrup if desired. Yield: Approximately 16 pancakes.



Enjoy!

Giveaway - Gluten Free Savory Stuffing Mix & Cookies from Aleia's Gluten Free AND Sweet Pumpkin Dip Recipe

My friends at Aleia's Gluten Free are giving one of my lucky readers (1) bag of gluten free Savory Stuffing Mix AND (1) bag of their tasty gluten free cookies (winner chooses flavor) just in time for Thanksgiving! I also have a yummy recipe for my Gluten Free Sweet Pumpkin Dip to share. Whip it up in minutes, and serve with Aleia's Gluten Free Ginger Snap Cookie's to your loved one's this holiday season.


You may remember when I introduced you to Aleia's Gluten Free in this September post. Since then, Aleia's Gluten Free has asked me to try some more of their delicious baked goods.

I had the pleasure of sampling these Aleia's Gluten Free foods:

Chocolate Coconut Macaroons - soft, chewy, coconut bliss with a twist... cocoa has been added for an out of this world chocolate coconut flavor. So good with tea or coffee!

Savory Stuffing Mix - Ready to go, pre-cut and seasoned bread cubes complete with Aleia's special recipe for gluten free Savory Stuffing. Aleia's Stuffing is part of their "Single Cooking solution" line of products, which also includes gluten free, time saving, bread crumbs and croutons. I can't wait to serve this stuffing on Thanksgiving, I know it will be a real time saver.

Ginger Snap Cookies - From Aleia's Gluten Free "Life is Sweet Without Wheat" line of cookies, these Ginger Snaps taste great alone or with a glass of milk or tea, crush and use in place of graham crackers for a festive holiday cookie crumb crust for pumpkin pie or pumpkin cheesecake. Try serving these crunchy, sparkling gingersnaps with my easy to prepare Gluten Free Sweet Pumpkin Dip (recipe provided below).

Aleia's Gluten Free Foods can be purchased on the East Coast in natural Foods Markets, as well as online at http://www.svtea.com/New-Food/products/139/

Want to try Aleia's Gluten Free Savory Stuffing and a bag of Aleia's gluten free cookies (flavor of your choice)? Aleia's Gluten Free has generously offered to GIVEAWAY (1) bag of Savory Stuffing AND (1) bag of Aleia's Cookies to (1) lucky Gluten Free Taste of Home reader!

TO ENTER GIVEAWAY: Visit the Aleia's Gluten Free website and leave me a comment at the end of this post naming (1) product you would like to try from Aleia's "Single Cooking Solution" line AND (1) product you would like to try from Aleia's "Life is Sweet Without Wheat" line.

BONUS ENTRIES:

1) Become a follower of Aleia's Gluten Free Blog.

2) Subscribe to Aleia's Gluten Free Blog.

3) Follow Aleia's Gluten Free on Twitter AND tweet this giveaway.

4) Subscribe to my Freebie Fairy blog by e-mail or reader.

5) Become a follower of my Freebie Fairy blog

6) Grab my Freebie Fairy button and display it on your website/blog (copy the html code for my button from the sidebar of my Freebie Fairy website and paste the code into your website).

7) Get (5) bonus entries if you: Blog about this giveaway linking it back to my Gluten Free Taste of Home and the Aleia's Gluten Free website. PLEASE LEAVE ME THE LINK TO YOUR POST WITH YOUR ENTRY or it will not count.

8) Follow me on Twitter and tweet the giveaway.

Giveaway ends November 13 2009 at 7:00 p.s.t. Open to US only.

GLUTEN FREE SWEET PUMPKIN DIP RECIPE with GLUTEN FREE GINGER SNAP COOKIES

(1) 8-oz package cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

15-oz can pumpkin puree
1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Aleia's Gluten Free Ginger Snap Cookies (or homemade ginger snaps)

Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Blend in pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice; cover and chill. Serve with Aleia's Gluten Free Ginger Snap Cookies (or homemade ginger snaps). Yield: about 4 1/2 cups of pumpkin dip.

*Recipe adapted from the Gooseberry Patch Autumn in the Country cookbook.

Enjoy!

Pamela's Gluten Free Ultimate Baking & Pancake Mix Giveaway AND Gluten Free Pumpkin Gnocchi with Browned Sage Butter Recipe

If you have been following me on Gluten Free Taste of Home for a while you have probably figured out that I use Pamela's Gluten Free Ultimate Baking & Pancake Mix... a lot. I have no need to make everything completely from scratch. I am a passenger on the "semi-homemade" train... next stop, a quick delicious home cooked meal. Pamela's mixes make baking delicious treats faster and easier, without sacrificing taste or texture. In my opinion the recipes I make with Pamela's mixes come out more delicious than when I used to bake with wheat flour!


Pamela's Gluten Free Ultimate Wheat Free Baking and Pancake Mix is a gluten free cook's best friend in the kitchen; I substitute it in nearly every recipe I make that calls for flour (including the recipe I am sharing today)... and you know what? It works! It doesn't just kind of work, it exceeds expectations and brings a moist, delicate, texture to your baking that will leave you smiling. The good folks at Pamela's Products know I am a fan, so they asked if I would like to sample a few other Pamela's Gluten Free products that I had never tasted. I had been meaning to try Pamela's Gluten Free Classic Vanilla Cake Mix and also the Pamela's Gluten Free Cornbread and Muffin Mix... here was my chance! As with every other Pamela's mix I have ever tried, these produced baked goods with a perfect texture, and a moist crumb (not to mention they tasted FABULOUS!).


Want to try a bag of Pamela's Gluten Free Baking & Pancake Mix for yourself? Pamela's Products has generously offered to GIVEAWAY a bag to (1) of my lucky readers. To enter visit the Pamela's Products website and leave me a comment at the end of this post telling me the two Pamela's products you would most like to try.

BONUS ENTRIES:

1) Subscribe to my Freebie Fairy blog by e-mail or reader.

2) Become a follower of my Freebie Fairy blog.

3) Grab my Freebie Fairy button and display it on your website/blog (copy the html code for my button from the sidebar of my Freebie Fairy website and paste the code into your website).

4) Get (5) bonus entries if you: Blog about this giveaway linking it back to my Gluten Free Taste of Home website. PLEASE LEAVE ME THE LINK TO YOUR POST WITH YOUR ENTRY or it will not count.

5) Follow me on Twitter and tweet the giveaway.

Giveaway ends November 11, 2009 at 7:00 p.s.t. Open to US & Canada.















And now I present you with a recipe for Gluten Free Gnocchi with Browned Sage Butter. I found this recipe on my Foodbuzz friend Jessica's How Sweet It Is blog, and I instantly KNEW I had to make it. The recipe called for wheat flour. NO problem! I knew that Pamela's Gluten Free Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix would offer a flawless substitution. Friends, this dish was so good that my kids and hubby are still talking about it a week later. If you don't have fresh sage on hand to top the tender Gluten Free Pumpkin Gnocchi by all means omit it, and simply top with the butter and Parmesan cheese. Either way, this is a unique Autumn dish that you are not likely to forget anytime soon once you taste it!



Gluten Free Pumpkin Gnocchi with Browned Sage Butter (Pumpkin Dumplings)

2 cups Pamela's Gluten Free Ultimate Baking & Pancake Mix

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

1 stick butter

2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage leaves

1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Using your hands, mix together Pamela's Gluten Free Ultimate Baking & Pancake Mix, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin puree to form a dough. If it is too sticky, add a bit more Pamela's Baking Mix, mixing thoroughly with your hands. Break off 1/5 of the dough and roll into a long, even strip on a non-stick surface. Cut gnocchi into desired size with a sharp knife. Press your thumb into the back of each gnocchi, while simultaneously indenting the other side with the tines of a fork, using a rolling motion. Each dumpling should have a dent on one side (from your thumb), and grooves on the other (from the back side of the fork tines), yet not be flattened. The dents and grooves help hold butter and sauce on the gnocchi.

Boil a large pot of water and salt liberally. When the water begins to boil prepare the browned sage butter.

To prepare the browned sage butter: melt the stick of butter in a skillet over low heat. When butter has melted add the sage. Increase heat to medium, stirring constantly until butter just begins to brown (barely brown, not burnt!). Remove skillet from the heat and set aside.

Boil the gnocchi until it floats, about 3 minutes. Drain. Turn gnocchi out onto a serving platter or pasta platter. Sprinkle shredded parmesan over the hot gnocchi and evenly pour the hot browned sage butter over all. Serve immediately with a dish of extra shredded parmesan for topping gnocchi if desired. Yield: 3-4 servings

Check out these other yummy Gluten Free Taste of Home recipes using Pamela's Gluten Free Ultimate baking & Pancake Mix:

Gluten Free Frosted Pumpkin Doughnuts:

http://glutenfreetasteofhome.blogspot.com/2009/10/gluten-free-frosted-pumpkin-doughnuts.html

Gluten Free Country Style Eggs Benedict with Asparagus and Drop Biscuits:

http://glutenfreetasteofhome.blogspot.com/2009/09/country-style-eggs-benedict-with.html

Gluten Free Cherry Muffins - Two Variations

http://glutenfreetasteofhome.blogspot.com/2009/07/cherry-muffins-two-variationsgluten.html

Gluten Free Cherry Chocolate Cookie Tart

http://glutenfreetasteofhome.blogspot.com/2009/08/cherry-chocolate-cookie-tart-gluten.html

Gluten Free Chocolate Cobbler

http://glutenfreetasteofhome.blogspot.com/2009/05/chocolate-cobbler-gluten-free-warm.html

Gluten Free Blackberry Blueberry Crumb Pie

http://glutenfreetasteofhome.blogspot.com/2009/09/blackberry-blueberry-crumb-pie-gluten.html

Gluten Free Unbelievably Good Cake Doughnuts

http://glutenfreetasteofhome.blogspot.com/2009/05/unbelievably-good-cake-doughnuts-just.html

Enjoy!

IMPORTANT! Recipe Revision - Gluten Free Glazed Orange Almond Cake

Hi Everyone!

There were some key ingredients missing from my recipe for Gluten Free Glazed Orange Almond Cake, originally posted on Wednesday, October 21. Somehow I overlooked the ingredients listed on the first page of my recipe when typing it! I have since revised the recipe and all is well. :) My sincere apologies to anyone who attempted to make the cake with the missing ingredients... hopefully I caught it in time.

Thanks to M~ for bringing this to my attention. ;-)

Gluten Free Vegetarian Probiotic Supplements - Ultra Jarro-Dophilus Review

As you know, finding gluten free, vegetarian supplements can be challenging. In my search for a gluten free, vegetarian, probiotic I was lucky to find Ultra Jarro-Dophilus. Jarrow Formulas were nice enough to send me a bottle to review so I could share the news with my readers.

The benefits of taking probiotics are said to be many, but for individuals with Celiac Disease probiotics have been deemed especially helpful. This article on Celiac.com describes medical research that suggests gut healing capabilities for Celiacs using probiotics while following a gluten free diet.

What does Ultra Jarro-Dophilus® do?

According to Jarrow Formulas, the maker of Ultra Jarro-Dophilus: "Jarrow FORMULAS® ULTRA Jarro-Dophilus®  is especially designed to maintain, protect and restore intestinal flora.* The probiotic bacteria are combined with a gel forming matrix that helps protect them during transit through the stomach.* Each capsule contains 40 billion total probiotic bacteria."

Here's a complete list of the beneficial bacteria in each botle of Ultra Jarro-Dophilus:

Other Ingredients:

Sodium alginate, rice maltodextrin, tapioca starch, magnesium stearate (vegetable source), silicon dioxide, vitamin C and tricalcium phosphate. Vegetarian capsule consists of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose.

Contains: Dairy (milk) and soy (in trace amounts).
No wheat, no gluten, no egg, no fish/shellfish, no peanuts/tree nuts.

Pretty impressive, don't you think? I like knowing that all of those gut loving bacteria are hard at work for my family! I will definitely stick with the Ultra Jarro-Dophilus probiotics. They meet the needs of every member of my family just perfectly.

If you would like to learn more or find out where you can purchase a bottle of Ultra Jarro-Dophilus visit http://www.jarrow.com.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.