Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Giveaway & Review: KATZ Gluten Free Bake Shoppe


I have been blessed by another fabulous gluten free bakery find... Katz Gluten Free Bake Shoppe! They offer a wide range of delicious certified gluten free baked goods that are also dairy and nut free. All of the goodies that Katz Gluten Free sent me to sample exceeded my expectations. Each item you order from Katz gluten free is moist and full of flavor. Curious? Want to try Katz Gluten Free for yourself? You are in luck! I am GIVING AWAY $50.00 gift certificates to the Katz Gluten Free online store to (2) very lucky Gluten Free Taste of Home readers!





"Katz Gluten Free Bake Shoppe was established in early 2006 by F. Katz, with not much more than a home model kitchen mixer, some thoroughly tested recipes, and an unyielding quest for perfection. As word of our famously delicious confections rapidly spread, so did our base of operations.


Today, Katz Gluten Free operates out of a state-of-the-art facility, which has been Certified Gluten-Free by the Gluten Intolerance Group® (www.gluten.net), for our unmatched reliability in complying with strict gluten-free standards. Our facility is completely nut-free and dairy-free. All of our products are certified Kosher, and are under the stringent supervision of the OU and Rabbi Y. Gruber.
As the mother of two children who are gluten intolerant, Mrs. Katz knows firsthand the hardships and daily struggles parents endure in their attempts to maintain a thoroughly gluten-free diet for their kids. She knows - as only a parent could - that the only way to minimize and avoid temptation, is by offering a variety of products that are rich in flavor, texture, and taste. That is why she constantly strives to concoct recipes that are as luscious as they are healthy.
We feature an extensive, ever-expanding selection of products, to meet the culinary demands of every gluten-intolerant individual. Our products consist only of pure, all natural high-quality and fresh ingredients, with no preservatives added, and are thoroughly taste-tested to ensure absolute goodness in every bite.
At Katz Gluten Free, we are truly passionate about our products and we hope that so are you. Our entire staff is committed to earning your satisfaction. We therefore welcome and anticipate your comments and suggestions. It is, after all, your input and feedback that have helped us achieve our goal of creating the most sought-after baked goods in the gluten-free market.
Are you looking to break free from gluten foods?
If you answered yes then you are absolutely in the right place. Just like you, we also love the smell of freshly baked bread. We anticipate every bite of a decadent chocolate cake. We also can’t stop eating delicious cupcakes. The problem is that gluten just doesn’t get along with us. That means that all the yummy delights like strips, muffins, cookies and challahs are off limits. Gluten foods can wreak havoc with a gluten sensitive person. The reactions can be mild to life threatening. So, like the rest of you who can’t eat gluten foods or have kids that can’t eat gluten foods, Mrs. Katz was left with very little choices. That’s why in 2006 she went on a mission. Armed with traditional recipes and the belief that gluten free food can taste just as good as gluten foods, she started her own gluten free trading company.
Everything in our menu is gluten free. Not only do we also make sure that it is dairy free and nut free. This ensures our customers health and well being. We are also very proud of our dedicated factory that only produces products that are not gluten foods. This means none of our menu items is effected by cross contamination from gluten foods. This is something most manufacturers should also be aware of. When gluten foods and gluten free products are produced in the same facilities, gluten from the production line can easily contaminate gluten free food. This can be very detrimental to individuals who need to be on a strict gluten free diet.

So when you try one of our cakes, challahs, cookies, muffins, strips, rugelech, breads, rolls, loafs or pizza crust you can rest assured that every step has been taken to safe guard your health and please your taste buds. Katz gluten free makes sure that it is gluten free and full of taste."

I had the pleasure of sampling every item pictured in this review, and I can tell you that it was my absolute pleasure to do so! As you can see the goodies are tempting, and they taste as good as they look!
















The Challah Bread and Challah Rolls from Katz Gluten Free Bake Shoppe are so tender and soft... like bread is supposed to be! Besides the fantastic homemade flavor of the Challah bread, it DOES NOT NEED TO BE TOASTED prior to eating! That's right... just defrost and enjoy this soft, delicious bread straight from the bag. This bread made excellent sandwiches for my children's lunch. Personally, I chose to indulge in soft slices spread thick with butter straight from the bag... what a treat!

The Katz Gluten Free Wholesome Bread is so full of healthy flours that I felt great about serving it. It made AWESOME toast that my kids and I gobbled up for breakfast. When toasted, it tasted just like I remember whole wheat toast tasting... it has been a long time since I experienced those flavors. The Katz Gluten Free White Bread was also tender and made great grilled cheese sandwiches!

















The Katz Gluten Free Sprinkle, Chocolate Dipped and Chocolate Chip Cookies are perfectly sized for a child's lunch or a quick snack. My daughter was elated to be taking sugar cookies with confetti colored sprinkles in her school lunch. She asked me to pick which type of Katz Gluten Free cookie she would take in her lunch each day as a surprise. She loved them all and couldn't decide!











Something I loved was the convenience of receiving a box of unfrosted gluten free Vanilla Cupcakes that could be stored in the freezer. These delicate Katz Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes have proven invaluable for school celebrations, birthday parties, and potlucks. We simply pull one from the freezer, frost it, and my daughter is eating cupcakes like everyone else at the gatherings!












The Chocolate Strip, Chocolate Rugelech, and Cinnamon Rugelech were a very special treat. They were FANTASTIC served with coffee or tea. They remind me of flaky pie crust with chocolate and cinnamon goodness in every bite. They are beautiful to serve to guests with their rolled shapes.

The Marble Cake is a real show-stopper! When I served sliced of this tasty but not overly sweet dessert, everyone commented on the gorgeous swirled marble design. This cake is so special that you almost feel bad to eat it... well, maybe not (we ate it all in two days!)
I appreciated the Katz Gluten Free "fast-fix" Pizza Crusts for a quick meal on a busy school night! It was so simple to pop them out of the freezer, top them with each family members favorite toppings, and bake them in the oven for about 10 minutes. Voila! Personal pizzas with out the fuss of making your own crust. We all agreed that the crusts had a good flavor. Next time, instead of making them on a baking sheet, I will try baking them directly on the oven rack for a crispier crust. This versatile crust can also be used as a flat bread; try topping it with olive oil, garlic, salt and fresh herbs... YUM!




Buy it:

Katz Gluten Free Bake Shoppe goodies are available at various retailers throughout the US, and for your convenience are also sold directly from their website (I love this option... the goodies ship straight to your door!).

Win it:
Katz Gluten Free Bake Shoppe is giving $50.00 gift certificates for use on their website to (2) Gluten Free Taste of Home FOLLOWERS.

TO ENTER GIVEAWAY (mandatory):

Become a Gluten Free Taste of Home follower (must follow PUBLICLY via Google Friend Connect in the side bar of this website) AND Visit the Katz Gluten Free Bake Shoppe website; LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me that you are now following Gluten Free Taste of Home PUBLICLY via Google Friend Connect, AND also tell me the name of the gluten free baked good you miss the most since going gluten free, and would like Katz Gluten free Bake Shoppe to consider making (IMPORTANT: The item you suggest MUST be something that is NOT currently for sale on the Katz Gluten Free website or your entry will not be valid). (1 entry)
BONUS ENTRIES: (each entry comment must be entered separately to be a valid entry):
1) Vote for my Gluten Free Pumpkin Doughnuts AND my Gluten Free Vegetarian Spring Roll Recipe in the Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook contest (click on the Foodista "Vote for me" buttons for BOTH recipes; you will find the buttons in the sidebar of this website, not far from the top.) LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me that you have placed your votes for BOTH of my recipes ON THE FOODISTA WEBSITE. (3 entries)

2) 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 entries)
3) Follow Katz Gluten Free Bake Shoppe on Twitter and tweet the giveaway; LEAVE ME A COMMENT with the link. (1 entry)
4) Blog about this giveaway linking it back to my Freebie Fairy website AND the Katz Gluten Free Bake Shoppe website. Please LEAVE ME A COMMENT with THE LINK TO YOUR POST or it will not count. (5 entries)
5) Follow me on Twitter and tweet the giveaway; LEAVE ME A COMMENT with the link. MAXIMUM 1 tweet/RT per hour please! (1 entry PER tweet/RT)
6) Follow my Freebie Fairy blog PUBLICLY via Google Friend Connect in the right hand sidebar of my Freebie Fairy blog, and LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me you did it. (2 entries)
7) 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. (2 entries)
8) Leave a comment with the name of a gluten free item from the Katz Bread/Challah page that was not featured in my review. (1 entry)


9) Leave a comment with the name of a gluten free item from the Katz Cakes page that was not featured in my review. (1 entry)

10) Leave a comment with the name of a gluten free item from the Katz Cookies page on the that was not featured in my review. (1 entry)

11) Leave a comment with the name of a gluten free item from the Katz Miscellaneous page that was not featured in my review. (1 entry)

12) Leave a comment with the name of a gluten free item from the Katz Muffins page that was not featured in my review. (1 entry)

13) Leave a comment with the name of a gluten free item from the Katz Rugelech/Strips page that was not featured in my review. (1 entry)

*GIVEAWAY OPEN TO US ONLY*
Giveaway ends on Thursday February 4, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. PST (late entries will not be posted). Winners will be selected by random.org. I will announce the winners by February 6, 2009. Winners will be notified by e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond before new winners are selected.
*REMEMBER... please leave your e-mail address with EACH entry so I can contact you if you win.
*“I received products for this review on behalf of Katz Gluten Free Bake Shoppe. All opinions are solely my own. Others who may use this product or service may have different opinions.”
Best of luck!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Gluten Free Coconut-Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting


Have I ever told you that I am obsessed with cake? Cake, cupcakes, and frosting = happy thoughts in my world! When I was a small child I would peruse the pages of my mother's old Betty Crocker Cookbook and study the detail of every cake photo, dreaming and hoping that one day I would taste them all. When I grew up, my adoration for cakes never faded. I took cake decorating classes and started making my cake dreams a reality. I really feel that a great cake must have homemade frosting to be completely delicious. Often I make my cakes from mixes, but my frosting is nearly always from scratch. The cupcake in the photo (above) shows my Gluten Free Coconut-Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting on top of a chocolate cupcake made using a Pamela's Gluten Free Chocolate Cake mix. This frosting would taste great on just about ANY cake or cupcake you choose, whether from scratch or from a mix!

My Gluten Free Coconut-Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting was one of the recipes included in the feature article I wrote for Delight Gluten Free Magazine's Fall 2009 issue, entitled The Cupcake Craze. I hope it makes you happy too!

Gluten Free Coconut-Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
2 ¾ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup flake coconut
½ cup finely chopped pecans
½ cup additional flake coconut, toasted (for topping)

Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the confectioners’ sugar, a bit at a time, blending with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is well incorporated, one minute. Add the vanilla, then increase the mixer speed to medium and blend the frosting until fluffy, 1 minute more. Fold in the ½ cup coconut and the pecans. If a thicker frosting is desired, refrigerate covered, for 30 minutes or use at once to frost cupcakes (or cake). After frosting, sprinkle cupcakes with ½ cup toasted coconut. Yield: 3 1/2 cups

*Recipe adapted from the Cake Mix Doctor Cookbook
Enjoy!

Friday, January 22, 2010

GIVEAWAY - Betty Crocker Gluten Free "Sweet Moments" Prize Pack


If you are following a gluten free diet, the four new Betty Crocker Gluten Free Baking Mixes are your answer to whipping up speedy gluten free desserts that are moist and delicious! If you have already had the pleasure of trying the Betty Crocker Gluten Free Baking Mixes, you have probably made them a pantry staple like I have! If you have not tried them yet... what are you waiting for? All four varieties are easy to prepare, taste fantastic and have a great texture. Would you like to receive all four gluten free Betty Crocker Baking Mixes for FREE? You are in luck! I am GIVING AWAY a Betty Crocker Sweet Moments Prize Pack to (1) lucky Gluten Free Taste of Home follower!
The Betty Crocker Sweet Moments Prize Pack includes all four (4) boxes of the gluten free dessert mixes, two (2) Free coupons for any of the varieties, a grocery tote bag, magnetic grocery list and pen to make shopping easier!

Buy it:

You can purchase Betty Crocker Gluten Free Baking Mixes in grocery stores everywhere, and as far as gluten free baking mixes go they are competitively priced! In most stores, you will find it in the baking isle, next to the regular Betty Crocker Baking Mixes. Other stores may have them in the gluten free section of the market.

Win it:

Betty Crocker is giving (1) Gluten Free Taste of Home FOLLOWER a Betty Crocker Sweet Moments Prize Pack including all four (4) samples of the gluten free dessert mixes, two (2) Free coupons for any of the varieties, a grocery tote bag, magnetic grocery list and a pen (see photo above to view prize pack)!

TO ENTER GIVEAWAY (mandatory):

Become a Gluten Free Taste of Home follower (must follow PUBLICLY via Google Friend Connect in the side bar of this website) AND Visit the Gluten Free Baking Mixes page on the Betty Crocker website ; LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me that you are now following Gluten Free Taste of Home PUBLICLY via Google Friend Connect, AND also tell me the name of a recipe you found on the gluten free baking mixes page of the Betty Crocker website, that you would like to try. (1 entry)

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

1) Vote for my Gluten Free Pumpkin Doughnuts AND my Gluten Free Vegetarian Spring Roll Recipe in the Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook contest (click on the Foodista "Vote for me" buttons for BOTH recipes; you will find the buttons in the sidebar of this website, not far from the top.) LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me that you have placed your votes for BOTH of my recipes ON THE FOODISTA WEBSITE. (5 entries)

2) Grab my Freebie Fairy button and display it on your website/blog (copy the html code for my button from the sidebar of The Freebie Fairy website and paste the code into your website), and LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me you did it. (2 entries)

3) Follow Betty Crocker on Twitter and tweet the giveaway; LEAVE ME A COMMENT with the link. (1 entry)

4) Blog about this giveaway linking it back to my Freebie Fairy website AND the Betty Crocker gluten free baking mixes page. Please LEAVE ME A COMMENT with THE LINK TO YOUR POST or it will not count. (5 entries)

5) Follow me on Twitter and tweet the giveaway; LEAVE ME A COMMENT with the link. MAXIMUM 1 tweet/RT per hour please! (1 entry PER tweet/RT)

6) Follow my Freebie Fairy giveaway & product review website PUBLICLY via Google Friend Connect (in the right hand sidebar of The Freebie Fairy website) and LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me you did it. (2 entries)

7) 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. (2 entries)

*GIVEAWAY OPEN TO US ONLY*

Giveaway ends on Monday, February 1, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. PST (late entries will not be posted). Winner will be selected by random.org. I will announce the winner by February 3, 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 did not receive compensation for this review. I did receive products, courtesy of General Mills, in order to form an opinion of the products and the company for my review. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own; others who try these products may have different opinions.

Best of luck!

Product Review - Gluten Free Boomi & Prana Bars


If you like having meal replacement bars on hand for those days when you are on the go, gluten free Boomi & Prana Bars from Divine Foods are a healthy and delicious option! Packed with fruit, nuts, gluten free grains, and enzymes they are a satisfying, wholesome way to enjoy a quick meal. Gluten free Boomi & Prana bars give you the energy you need along with a sweet, crisp, nutty flavor combination that I really enjoy. I find these bars especially great to throw in your purse, backpack, or briefcase... so convenient!
These are the two flavors I tried. Check out the simple, all natural ingredients in gluten free Boomi & Prana Bars!
Boomi Bar - Apricot Cashew Ingredients: Almonds, Cashews, Honey, Dates, Crisp Rice, Amaranth, Salt
Prana Bar - Coconut Acai Ingredients: Organic Almond Butter, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Date Paste, Organic Dried Coconut, Organic Almonds, Organic Raisins, Organic Puffed Amaranth, Organic Acai Dry Powder, Sea Salt

I enjoyed both of the flavors I received, and so did my tween age daughter. She took one of them as a school snack (her own idea!), which made me very happy. I love knowing that my kids are eating right during their school day.

Gluten free Boomi Bars and Prana Bars are available for purchase by the case directly from the Divine Foods website, and individual bars are available at supermarket chains and Natural Foods markets throughout the US.
* I did not receive compensation for this review. I did receive products, courtesy of the company, in order to form an opinion of the products and the company for my review. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own; others who try these products may have different opinions.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

GIVEAWAY WINNER - (5) Gluten Free Bakery Items from Shabtai Gourmet!


And the winner is...

#71 *clallen*

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

Special thanks to Shabtai Gourmet for sponsoring this giveaway!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

GIVEAWAY WINNER - Gluten Free Italian Cookbook by Jaqueline Mallorca


The winner of the Gluten Free-Italian Cookbook by Jacqueline Mallorca giveaway is:

#21 *Tes283*

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

Special thanks to the Perseus Books Group for sponsoring this giveaway!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Giveaway & Review - Shabtai Gourmet Gluten Free Baked Goods


Remember the popular brand name snack cakes we used to eat before going on gluten free diets? Ring Tings (aka Ding Dongs), Swiss Cake Rolls, Raspberry Cake Rolls and so many others! What happy memories these compact little cakes bring back to me; they take me back to the sweet and simple days of childhood. If your children have been on gluten free diets since they were very young, they probably never even had a chance to taste those iconic cakes. Guess what? I have discovered a phenomenal company by the name of Shabtai Gourmet, who has re-created the brand name snack cakes of our childhoods! The best part is that (1) lucky Gluten Free Taste of Home FOLLOWER will win a delicious assortment of (5) Shabtai Gourmet Gluten Free baked goods.
The giveaway prize selections are: RING TINGS!!, Brownie Bites, Florentine Lace cookies, Lady fingers, and Raspberry Cake Roll!

Somehow Shabtai Gourmet was able to not only re-capture, but EXCEED the flavor and texture of the snack cakes we thought we would never eat again, only Shabtai Gourmet's versions are GLUTEN FREE!! How can they taste so moist? How can the cake me so delicate that it practically melts in your mouth? This is the secret that belongs only to Shabtai himself, the baking genius with more than 30 years experience who owns and operates Shabtai Gourmet.

A message from Shabtai Gourmet:

"Shabtai Gourmet is committed to servicing individuals with multiple allergens by baking our cakes & cookies in an allergen free dedicated bakery. All of the ingredients that pass through our doors are Gluten Free, Casein Free, Lactose Free, Soy Free, and Dairy Free. We are certified Kosher for Passover and Kosher Parve – otherwise known as Dairy Free- by the OK Kosher Supervision. They oversee our production and ensure the highest quality of our products."

The following is a true story:

When my children and I opened the box of Ring Tings that Shabtai Gourmet sent us, we thought they looked delicious, and immediately plated them up to sample them. In the past, we have purchased gluten free desserts from other companies that looked good but fell short in the flavor and texture departments. We had high hopes for the Shabtai Gourmet Ring Tings, in all of their chocolate dipped glory, and took a bite. Here is what happened next; simultaneously the four of us sang Mmmmmm, YUM!, Wow!!, and many other short syllable sounds that one can make when they have a mouth full of the most delicious snack cake they have ever had. We couldn't stop to form sentences, because we were all too busy taking our next glorious bite of Ring Tings. You might wonder if I am exaggerating the goodness of the Shabtai Gourmet Ring Tings, but I assure you I am not. As with every review I write, I only give my honest personal opinion. My opinion about Shabtai Gourmet Ring Tings is that I find it hard to believe that any purchased gluten free snack cake could ever match this perfectly delicious, cream filled, chocolate snack cake dipped in a rich chocolate coating. The bottom line is that I LOVE SHABTAI GOURMET RING TINGS!

Here is a photo of my beloved Shabtai Gourmet gluten free Ring Tings:


I have "Ring Tings on the brain," but I will attempt to shift gears and share my thoughts on some of the other wonderful bakery treats I sampled from Shabtai Gourmet's gluten free bakery.

If you remember eating Swiss Cake Rolls, then you probably miss them. Soft, light, chocolate sponge cake spread with cream filling and rolled up jelly roll style, then finally enrobed in a chocolate coating. I have always loved Swiss Cake Rolls, not only for their delicate texture and chocolatey flavor, but for the beautiful spiral look that they had inside. Shabtai Gourmet has done a great job making a large Swiss Cake Roll that can be sliced for a beautiful presentation with outstanding flavor.

The beautiful Shabtai Gourmet gluten free Swiss Cake Roll:




While we are on the subject of chocolate cream filled cakes, let me introduce you to the elegant Seven Layer Cakes from Shabtai Gourmet. All of the same deliciousness as the Swiss Cake Roll and Ring Tings, but in a classic multi-layered torte. You can choose from Vanilla or Chocolate Seven Layer Cakes; both flavors are dipped in a chocolate coating. Slices of the Shabtai Gourmet's Seven Layer Cake are so tasteful and elegant looking that I proudly served slices of this during the holidays for dessert.

Classic Shabtai Gourmet gluten free Devils' Food and Vanilla Seven Layer Cakes:


Remember coconut topped raspberry cake rolls? I LOVE this lip smacking combination of flavors. I was giddy like a school girl when I saw this pretty gluten free Raspberry Cake Roll for the first time. My husband and I ate so much of it (so quickly!) it is almost like a fading dream. Good thing I had a Shabtai Gourmet gluten free Apricot Cake Roll waiting in the wings to take its place. ;-)

Delectable gluten free Raspberry and Apricot Cake Rolls from the Shabtai Gourmet:


When I was growing up my Mother would sometimes bring amazingly delicate looking "lace" cookies home from the bakery. It was always a special day when my family got to eat these. Shabtai Gourmet makes these beautiful Florentine Lace Cookies that have all of the brickle-like chocolate-dipped crunch that I was so fond of in my childhood. These cookies make such a statement that they are perfect not only as an every day dessert, but arranged on a cookie tray for guests as well.

Elegant gluten free Florentine Lace Cookies from the Shabtai Gourmet:


Seeing rainbows brightens people's day! Now you can see rainbows everyday because Shabtai gourmet has created cheerful gluten free Rainbow Cookies. These marzipan filled gluten free delicacies are really more reminiscent of bite sized cakes than of cookies. They are absolutely beautiful with their bright rainbow colored layers. My children considered them to be a very special treat; one taste and you'll know why.

Unique gluten free Rainbow Cookies from the Shabtai Gourmet:



After hearing about and seeing the tempting gluten free desserts from the Shabtai Gourmet, you might be thinking things couldn't get any better, but they can! The desserts I reviewed today only represent a portion of the many wonderful gluten free baked goods from the Shabtai Gourmet. Visit the Shabtai Gourmet website to discover the other fabulous sweets that await you!

Buy it: You can order direct from the Shabtai Gourmet website and have your treats shipped right to your door! Shipping is free in the continental US, and your order will arrive fresh and ready to eat. Be sure to re-freeze cakes you will not be eating within that week (not necessary to freeze the cookies).

Win it: Shabtai Gourmet is giving (1) Gluten Free Taste of Home FOLLOWER (5) boxes of their gluten free selections: RING TINGS!!, Brownie Bites, Florentine Lace Cookies,, Lady Fingers, and Raspberry Cake Roll.

TO ENTER GIVEAWAY (mandatory): Become a Gluten Free Taste of Home follower (must follow PUBLICLY via Google Friend Connect in the side bar of this website) AND Visit the Shabtai Gourmet website; LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me that you are now following Gluten Free Taste of Home PUBLICLY via Google Friend Connect, AND also tell me the name of a Shabtai Gourmet gluten free dessert you would like to try (that was not mentioned in this review). (1 entry)
BONUS ENTRIES: (each entry comment must be entered separately to be a valid entry):

1) Vote for my Gluten Free Pumpkin Doughnuts AND my Gluten Free Vegetarian Spring Roll Recipe in the Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook contest (click on the Foodista "Vote for me" buttons for BOTH recipes; you will find the buttons in the sidebar of this website, not far from the top.) LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me that you have placed your votes for BOTH of my recipes ON THE FOODISTA WEBSITE. (5 entries)
2) 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 entries)

3) Follow Shabtai Gourmet on Twitter and tweet the giveaway; LEAVE ME A COMMENT with the link. (1 entry)
4) Blog about this giveaway linking it back to my Freebie Fairy website AND the Shabtai Gourmet website. Please LEAVE ME A COMMENT with THE LINK TO YOUR POST or it will not count. (5 entries)
5) Follow me on Twitter and tweet the giveaway; LEAVE ME A COMMENT with the link. MAXIMUM 1 tweet/RT per hour please! (1 entry PER tweet/RT)
6) Follow my Freebie Fairy blog and LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me you did it. (2 entries)
7) 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. (2 entries)
*GIVEAWAY OPEN TO US ONLY*

Giveaway ends on Thursday January 21, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. PST (late entries will not be posted). Winner will be selected by random.org. I will announce the winner by January 23, 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 products for this review on behalf of Shabtai Gourmet. All opinions are solely my own. Others who may use this product or service may have different opinions.”
Best of luck!


Gluten Free Buttermilk Ranch Salad Dressing - Recipe


You can find prepared gluten free buttermilk ranch dressing on the shelves of any supermarket, but in my opinion it can't hold a candle to the full, fresh flavor of homemade gluten free buttermilk ranch salad dressing. I used to avoid making my own salad dressing because I thought it would be too time consuming. The fact is, you can whip up homemade made salad dressing in just a few minutes. I am happy to share this delicious recipe for Gluten Free Buttermilk Ranch Salad Dressing with you! It is my families very favorite creamy salad dressing. We make a fresh batch every week (if it lasts that long!). If you have little ones with an aversion to the herbs or "green things" as my kids used to say, simply omit the green herbs and the dressing is still delicious.


Gluten Free Buttermilk Ranch Salad Dressing

1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
pepper to taste

Whisk the buttermilk and mayonnaise in a small bowl until well blended. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Keep refrigerated. Yield: 2 cups

Enjoy!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Giveaway Winner - Attune Gluten Free Chocolate Probiotic Bars


The winner of the Attune Gluten Free Chocolate Probiotic Bars giveaway is:

#110 *clarissa*

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

Special thanks to Attune for sponsoring this giveaway!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Giveaway and Review - Gluten Free Italian Cookbook by Jacqueline Mallorca


Have you had a chance to check out the recently released Gluten-Free Italian Cookbook by Jacqueline Mallorca? I couldn't wait for this cookbook to arrive in my mailbox because I absolutely adore Italian food and knew I was in for a real treat. Let me just say that when I finally got my hands on it I wasn't disappointed! There are so many insanely delicious gluten free Italian recipes in this cookbook that it is difficult to choose which one to make first!

Curious? Let me share a few titles of the tantalizing recipes you will find in The Gluten Free Italian Cookbook by Jaqueline Mallorca:

Italian-Style Baguettes
Gorgonzola and Walnut Crostini
Mocha Tiramisu
Artichoke Lemon Risotto
Baked Teff Gnocchi
Fresh Rice Flour Egg Pasta with Butter and Parmesan
Polenta Oven Fries
Unbaked Ricotta Orange Cheesecake

Of course there are far too many fabulous savory and sweet recipes to name in this review (including the many mouth-watering recipes for pizza)!

I have come to rely on Ms. Mallorca's easy to prepare recipe for Fettuccine with Olive Oil, Garlic, and Parsley; it has been blessing to serve this comforting and quick to prepare dish to my family on hectic weeknights.

I have so many sticky notes marking the recipes I want to try throughout this book, that I don't know which one to try next! One thing I do know, is that no matter which recipe I try from The Gluten Free Italian Cookbook it will be comforting and taste wonderful.

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Gluten Free Black Forest Trifle


Trifle is a beautiful sight to behold, with it's many luscious layers peeking out through an elegant glass bowl. I love preparing trifle because it is so quick and easy. In this recipe for Gluten Free Black Forest Trifle, I used leftover frozen gluten free chocolate cupcakes. Trifles are very forgiving to gluten free cake that may be a wee bit on the dry side due to spending time in the freezer; the moisture from the pudding and pie filling moisten the cake and give it new life.
The best thing about trifle is that you can get super-creative with it; whatever flavors of cake, pie filling, and pudding you have on hand will work in your favor to create endless varieties of delicious trifles.
Let me know what gluten free trifle flavor combinations you come up with!
Gluten Free Black Forest Trifle
8 or 9 inch gluten free chocolate cake, OR 12 gluten free chocolate cupcakes, cut into bite sized cubes (this is a great way to use leftover un-frosted cake!)
1 large can or 2 small cans cherry pie filling
1 batch prepared chocolate pudding
1 large tub whipped topping (I used Cool Whip)
Chocolate cake crumbs as garnish, optional
In a large clear glass trifle or serving bowl layer the ingredients in the following order:
1/2 of the cake cubes
Cherry pie filling
Chocolate pudding
Remaining cake cubes
Whipped topping
Sprinkle cake crumbs over whipped topping to garnish if desired. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: approximately 10 servings.
Enjoy!
 
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