Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Giveaway & Product Review - Surf Sweets Guten Free, Natural, & Organic Candy



Looking for gluten free gummy candy that is also organic and natural? Look no further... Surf Sweets has created a yummy collection of gluten free, natural organic gummy candy that is sure to please both kids and their parents alike.


My kids are at the age when it is important to them to have the same trendy treats as other children at school and in the neighborhood. However, I am at the age where it is important to me to offer my kids the healthiest version of treats I can find. Surf Sweets offers the perfect balance of sweet, gummy candy goodness with a health conscious approach.


Here's what Surf Sweets want you to know:


"At Surf Sweets, we love candy! We’re passionate about making the world’s most flavorful candy using all natural pure ingredients. We’re also a company that cares about the health and well-being of our customers and our planet. These values have inspired us to launch a complete line of all-natural, organic gummy candy and jelly beans.


We want to help you foster a healthy lifestyle for you and your family. In addition to using natural, organic ingredients, Surf Sweets candy provides 100% of your Vitamin C per serving. We also understand that what’s not in your food can be just as important as what is. That’s why all of our products are free of trans fats, GMOs, corn syrup, gluten, artificial colors and flavors. We also produce our products in a peanut-free facility that is free of other common allergens (wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, tree nuts, shell fish, and fish).



Staying active is also an important part of staying healthy. Engaging in fun sports such as swimming, running, hiking, active play -- and of course SURFING -- is fun and healthy. We like to ride the waves whenever we can, and hope that you’ll do the same!


When we say that our candy is made from all-natural ingredients, we mean that we don’t use synthetic flavors and artificial colors. If it doesn’t exist in nature, you won’t find it in Surf Sweets. Our products reflect the healthier environment that inspired the “Surf Sweets” brand and you can taste the difference.



When a product is certified USDA Organic, its ingredients have been grown free of artificial fertilizers and harsh chemical pesticides. Organic agricultural practices enhance the biological structure and nutrients of the soil, resulting in a pure, high-quality harvest and the long-term sustainability of the farm. All of our products use certified USDA Organic and natural ingredients grown the way nature intended. "


I think that Surf Sweets has hit the nail on the head with there unique brand of gluten free, natural, organic candy. I enjoyed eating these delicious treats as much as my children. I haven't eaten gummy candy since becoming a vegetarian, but because all of the samples Surf Sweets sent me to review were also gelatin free, I could indulge. I felt like I was a kid again, enjoying the simple pleasures of gummy candies. My favorite was The Sour Berry Bears. :) My kids thought the Sour Worms and the Gummy Swirls were awesome (what kid doesn't love the gross out factor of worm shaped candy?). My husband went for the Jelly Beans (he's a traditionalist ;-)).

What will your families favorite fruity, juicy, Surf Sweets gummy candy flavor be?


WIN IT!!

Surf Sweets is giving away (1) prize package containing an assortment of their gluten free, natural and organic candy AND a Surf Sweets T-shirt to (1) Gluten Free Taste of Home follower!


TO ENTER GIVEAWAY (mandatory): Become a follower of my Gluten Free Taste of Home website AND Visit the Surf Sweets website; LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me the name of a Surf Sweets candy (other than the one's in this review) that you think sounds yummy.


BONUS ENTRIES: (each entry comment must be entered separately to be a valid entry):


1) 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 giveaway website and paste the code into your website), and LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me you did it.


2) Follow Surf Sweets on Twitter and tweet this giveaway; LEAVE ME A COMMENT with the link.

3) Get (5) bonus entries if you: Blog about this giveaway linking it back to my Freebie Fairy website AND the Surf Sweets website. Please LEAVE ME A COMMENT with THE LINK TO YOUR POST or it will not count.


4) Follow me on Twitter and tweet the giveaway; LEAVE ME A COMMENT wit the link.

5) Follow my Freebie Fairy blog and LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me you did it.


6) Grab my Gluten Free Taste of Home button and display it on your website/blog (copy the html code in the side bar of my Gluten Free Taste of Home website and paste the code into your website), and LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me you did it.

*GIVEAWAY OPEN TO US ONLY*


Giveaway ends on Wednesday December 16, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. PST. Winner will be selected by random.org. I will announce the winner by December 18, 2009.Winner will be notified by e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected.

*REMEMBER... please leave your e-mail address with EACH entry so I can contact you if you win.*


“I received a product for this review on behalf of Surf Sweets. All opinions are solely my own. Others who may use this product or service may have different opinions.”

Best of luck!




Gluten Free Fresh Creamed Spinach


Every Christmas, my family enjoys this simple and comforting Gluten Free Fresh Creamed Spinach dish, as an accompaniment to our holiday meal. If you have never made this timeless dish from scratch using fresh spinach, I highly recommend it. Frozen spinach can be used with tasty results if you are short on time, but if you have a few extra minutes to invest in chopping fresh spinach you will love the outcome even more!
Gluten Free Fresh Creamed Spinach

4 packages (9 ounces each) fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup gluten free flour (I use sweet white rice flour for this dish)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
Salt and white pepper to taste
Place spinach in a Dutch oven over 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and steam just until wilted, about 4 minutes. Drain; chop and set aside.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the gluten free flour until smooth. Gradually add cream and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the onion, salt and pepper. Fold in spinach; heat through. Yield: 8 servings.
*Recipe adapted from Taste of Home magazine
Enjoy!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Giveaway & Product Review - Gluten Free, Vegan, Artichoke Burgers & Gluten Free, Vegan, "Save a Chicken Salad" from Five Star Foodies


I recently heard that a company called Five Star Foodies was making gluten free, vegan, all natural Artichoke Burgers and a wildly intriguing gluten free, vegan, item named "Save-a-Chicken-Salad." Valerie Williams from Five Star Foodies was kind enough to send me samples of each to experience for myself. Know what's even better? She kindly offered to GIVEAWAY a package of gluten free, vegan, Artichoke Burgers and a carton of gluten free, vegan, Save-a-Chicken-Salad to (2) lucky Gluten Free Taste of Home readers.!


I must be honest, I really had no idea what to expect with the gluten free, vegan, "Save-a-Chicken-Salad." But let me tell you friends... I thought it was phenomenally delicious! I kept reading the ingredient label, wondering how in the world they were able to create this vegan product to taste so much like traditional chicken salad. This is definitely a "must try."


Check out the details:



Now, for the Five Star Foodies gluten free, vegan, Artichoke Burgers. Come on guys, it's artichoke hearts made into burger patties... you know that has to be yummy! In my household, we are artichoke fanatics. Even my kids scan the grocery store produce isles and Sunday paper for sales on artichokes. ;-) When I served these fabulous artichoke burgers to my family for dinner they were thrilled. We just put them on the grill and in minutes we were in artichoke burger heaven. You can also prepare them on the stove top with equally delicious results. If you like artichokes, and are tiring of the same old gluten free veggie burger patties I HIGHLY recommend you give these gluten free, vegan, Artichoke from Five Star Foodies a try.

Check out the details:



Want to buy them?

You can visit your local Whole foods Market or other speciality health food store, OR you can order directly from the Five Star Foodies website and have your food delivered to your front door (gotta love that!).


Win Them!

Five Star Foodies is GIVING AWAY a package of gluten free, vegan, Artichoke Burgers and a carton of gluten free, vegan, Save-a-Chicken-Salad to (2) lucky Gluten Free Taste of Home readers!

TO ENTER GIVEAWAY:

Visit the Five Star Foodies website and leave me a comment at the end of this post telling me which Five Star Foodie all natural beverage sounds the most refreshing.

BONUS ENTRIES:

1) Become a follower of Five Star Foodies on Twitter and tweet the giveaway.

2) Subscribe to the Five Star Foodies blog.

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

4) Become a follower of my Freebie Fairy giveaway blog.

5) 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).

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

7) Follow me on Twitter and tweet the giveaway.

Giveaway ends December 10, 2009 at 7:00 p.s.t. Winners will be announced by December 12, 2009. Winners will be chosen by Random.org. Winners will have 48 hours to respond, or new winners will be chosen.

Important: Remember to leave your e-mail address with EACH ENTRY COMMENT so I can contact you if you win.

Open to US only.


Best of Luck!

*“I received these products for this review on behalf of Five Star Foodies. All opinions are solely my own. Others who may use this product or service may have different opinions.”


Gluten Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake


You can make this beautiful and delicious Gluten Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake for your next holiday gathering... it's so easy! Believe it or not, it starts with a gluten free cake mix so the prep time is minimal. The results? A perfectly moist classic dessert that sings of holiday cheer.

Gluten Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake
1 box gluten free yellow cake mix, one layer size (I used Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
6 slices canned pineapple rings
6 maraschino cherries, without stems
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray (the sides only) of a 9 inch cake pan with nonstick cook spray and set aside. Prepare cake batter according to package directions (do not bake or pour into pan, just set the bowl of batter aside).
Pour melted butter into the bottom of the prepared cake pan and rotate pan to evenly distribute; sprinkle butter evenly with brown sugar. Arrange pineapple slices on top of brown sugar. Place a maraschino cherry in the hole of each pineapple ring. Pour the prepared cake batter over the pineapple, distributing evenly.
Choose a bake time according to directions on your cake mix package. When cake tests done, remove from oven and let cake cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Yield 8-10 slices
Enjoy!



















Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Giveaway & Product Review - Erewhon Gluten Free Cereals


Not all gluten free cereals are created equal. Erewhon gluten free cereals are among some of the tastiest, healthy gluten free cereals I have tried. I am so excited to be hosting a giveaway for Erewhon gluten free cereals, so that you can give them a try too!

Erewhon gluten free cereals are made from only the purest, finest ingredients which are organically grown whenever possible. They use absolutely NO artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. They never use hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup either. All of those benefits, and gluten free to boot... what could be better?

In addition to the yummy line up of Erewhon gluten free cereals that you may already be familiar with on the shelves of your local natural foods market, Erewhon is proud of the two new delicious flavors they recently released: Gluten Free Strawberry Crisp and Gluten Free Cocoa Crispy Brown Rice.

Here are my thoughts on the flavors that Erewhon sent me to sample for this review:

Erewhon Gluten Free Strawberry Crisp (new!): These remind me of corn flakes, with tangy peices of dehydrated strawberries throughout. I really enjoyed this particular flavor and ate nearly the whole box, much to the dismay of my family. ;-)

Erewhon Gluten Free Cocoa Crispy Brown Rice (new!): I might be giving away my age here, but when I was a little girl, Cocoa Crispies were a very popular cereal. I liked how it made "chocolate milk" in my bowl. I was pleasantly transported back to my childhood when eating these. The difference was that Erewhons version were far less sweet and MUCH healthier, which is how I prefer my cereal these days. This was my children's favorite of all of the Erewhon Cereals we tried.

Erewhon Gluten Free Crispy Brown Rice: These remind me of Rice Crispies cereal, only without gluten! I love that they are made from healthy brown rice. The biggest bonus is that they work perfectly in baked goods recipes that call for Rice Crispies cereal. :)

Erewhon Gluten Free Crispy Brown Rice with Mixed Berries: This is one of my favorites because I love the combination of dehydrated mixed berries in this cereal. My kids also love this one. Think Rice Crispies, with berries... super-good!

Erewhon Gluten Free Rice Twice: Crispy and puffed rice come together for a lightly sweetened, textural delight. This was my husband's favorite.

Erewhon Gluten Free Corn Flakes: Corn flakes like you remember, only healthier and gluten free. I love adding fresh sliced bananas to this classic cereal. What will you put on top of your Erewhon Gluten Free Corn Flakes?

U.S. Mills, the makers of Erewhon gluten free cereals is giving away the following prize package to (3) lucky Freebie Fairy subscribers:




(1) Patagonia t-shirt

(1) Erewhon Coupon Keeper with coupons for $1.00 next purchases

TO ENTER GIVEAWAY: Visit my Freebie Fairy giveaway website and follow the easy entry instructions.
*GIVEAWAY OPEN TO US ONLY*

Giveaway ends on Wednesday December 2, 2009 at 7:00 p.m

Best of luck!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Giveaway Winner - Betty Crocker "Simple Joys" Prize Pack


The winner of the Betty Crocker Simple Joys" Prize Pack giveaway is:

*clallen*

Congratulations!

Special thanks to Betty Crocker for sponsoring this giveaway.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Gluten Free Four Ingredient Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies


What could be more wonderful than a gluten free peanut butter cookie recipe that is not only delicious, but only has four ingredients and can be made from start to finish in less than 30 minutes? That is exactly what this Gluten Free Four Ingredient Flourless Peanut Butter Cookie recipe has to offer!

My husband adores Peanut Butter Cookies, so when I found this super-simple gluten free flourless peanut butter cookie recipe on Kate's Gluten Free Gobsmacked blog, I was an instant fan.

Kate has a cute way of labeling this fantastic recipe:

GF: 1+1+1+1=YUM!

Check out the easy to remember proportions of this gluten free peanut butter cookie recipe, and I'm sure you will agree that really sums it up! ;-)

Gluten Free Four Ingredient Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coarse decorators sugar to sprinkle on top after baking (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat all ingredients together (I used a hand mixer). Form dough into 2'' balls and place 2'' apart on a cookie sheet. Press each cookie ball with the tines of a fork in a criss-cross pattern. Bake for 9 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with coarse decorators sugar (if using). Allow to cool completely before removing from the cookie sheet. Yield: Approximately 1-1/2 dozen cookies



Enjoy!



 
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