Giveaway & Review: Gluten Free "Mixes from the Heartland"

I always jump at the chance to try new and interesting gluten free products. When I was first introduced to Mixes from the Heartland I was immediately impressed by their immense selection of gluten free mixes. Mixes from the Heartland has a mix for practically everything: dessert mixes, baking and bread mixes, dinner and soup mixes, and more! I had the pleasure of sampling some of the great things that Mixes from the Heartland has to offer, and I am so glad that I did. I would like to share my very favorites with you today, as well as announce that I am GIVING AWAY (3) Mixes from the Heartland mixes (Gluten Free Strawberry Angel Food Cake Mix, Gluten Free Impossible Coconut Pie Mix, and Gluten Free Harvest Chicken & Rice Soup Mix ) to each of (3) lucky Gluten Free Taste of Home followers (Retail value $19.47)!

Benefits of Mixes from the Heartland:

Allergen Facts

- No eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, oats, barley, rye, or wheat in the factory.

- No bean flours are used in any products.

- Factory is allergen controlled.

Eliza Testing

Every raw product that enters the factory must be certified by the producer that it can pass an Eliza Test. This means products in our plant test 5 parts per million or less for wheat. The University of Nebraska does our Eliza Testing. All reports are sent to the Celiac Sprue Association (CSA). Mixes From The Heartland Inc. is CSA certified and we are very proud to say that all our products carry the CSA seal.

Product Summary

All natural, no preservatives, most products are low sodium, cholesterol-free, and low calorie.
Beans and fruit are all freeze dried and contain no preservatives. Makes cooking soups and meals easier.

A few of the many things that make Mixes From The Heartland, Inc. different:

- Offers the largest amount of bulk mixes available in ten pound bags with zip seal.
- Has announced the new Sugar Free/Gluten Free mixes is the leader in the area.
- Produces over 45 soup mixes and 25 meals. Our competitor only has four instant soups.
- We test less than 5 parts per million.

My 2 Cents:

Of all of the delicious mixes I prepared, I would have to say that my family and I were most impressed with Mixes from the Heartland's Gluten Free Strawberry Angel Food Cake. Just look at the photographs (above) of the actual cake that I prepared! Beside the obviously gorgeous pink color, the cake rose high, had a fluffy texture like any self-respecting angel food cake should, and had a fabulous strawberry flavor. I envision this cake making future appearances at spring get-togethers and holiday celebrations, baby showers, and birthday parties. Heck, I would bake this delicious cake again "just because!"

Mixes from the Heartland's Gluten Free Impossible Coconut Pie was also fantastic! As many of you know from my past recipe posts I have a "thing" for coconut! In my opinion, the flavor of the Gluten Free Impossible Coconut Pie can best be described as a coconut custard pie. This pie is rich, decadent, and bursting with coconut flavor. The best part is that thanks to Mixes from the Heartland, you can assemble this pie and have it oven ready within mere minutes! Let it bake while you eat dinner, and it will be ready just in time for dessert.

The Gluten Free Vanilla Pound Cake from Mixes from the Heartland was real hit! The cake was moist, rich, held it's shape beautifully when sliced, and tasted delightful. This is a great cake to keep on hand for any occasion, as it can be made extra special by adding sauces or fruit on top of each slice. Eating a slice plain with a cup of coffee of tea is also a real treat!

Mixes From the Heartland also makes soup and dinner mixes. My family sampled the Gluten Free Harvest Chicken and Rice Soup Mix and it was excellent! I used a combination of broth and water to prepare this soup for a richer flavor, as the instructions suggested. The result was homemade taste, in no time! There is a lot of rice in this soup, so it is not very brothy. If you like more broth in your soup like my family does, simply add more broth when preparing it. I added an extra 2 cans of broth, and it was perfect for my families taste. My kids loved this hearty soup so much that they polished off two bowls full in one sitting!

There are so many mixes on the Mixes from the Heartland website, that you really need to browse the diverse selection for yourself to see what mixes would most appeal to your family. Trust me, there is something for everyone at Mixes from the Heartland. Picking one favorite is a challenge.

I will definitely use Mixes from the Heartland again. Unique offerings such as their Gluten Free Strawberry Angel Food Cake Mix and Gluten Free Impossible Coconut Pie Mix have made a strong impression on my family that cannot be forgotten.

BUY IT:

Order directly from the Mixes from the Heartland website.

WIN IT:

(3) Lucky Gluten Free Taste of Home followers (must be following PUBLICLY via Google Friend Connect) will each win (3) Mixes from the Heartland mixes: Gluten Free Strawberry Angel Food Cake Mix, Gluten Free Coconut Impossible Pie Mix, and Gluten Free Harvest Chicken & Rice Soup Mix.

TO ENTER GIVEAWAY (mandatory):

1) Become a Gluten Free Taste of Home follower (must follow PUBLICLY via Google Friend Connect in the side bar of this website) AND follow Mixes from the Heartland on Twitter ; LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me you are following me PUBLICLY via Google Friend Connect AND that you are following Mixes from the Heartland on Twitter. (1 entry)

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

2) Subscribe to the Mixes from the Heartland newsletter (In the left hand sidebar of their website); LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me you did it. (1 entry)

3) Visit the Mixes from the Heartland website and browse their product selection; LEAVE ME A COMMENT with e name of the mix you found on your website visit that you would most like to try. (1 entry)

4) 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. (1 entry)

5) Blog about this giveaway linking it back to my Gluten Free Taste of Home blog AND the Mixes from the Heartland website. Please LEAVE ME A COMMENT with THE LINK TO YOUR POST or it will not count. (5 entries)

6) 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)

7) 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)

8) 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. (1 entry)

*GIVEAWAY OPEN TO US ONLY*

Giveaway ends on Friday, March 5, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. PST (late entries will not be posted). Winners will be selected by random.org. 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.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not compensated for this review; I received complimentary mixes for review purposes courtesy of Mixes from the Heartland. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Best of luck!