GIVEAWAY WINNERS: Organic Nectars - Raw Cacao Vegan Chocolate Bars and Raw Agave Dessert Syrup

And the (2) winners are...

Chocolate Bar Sampler #117 Susan AND Chocagave Dessert Syrup #70 jennifer t.

Congratulations! You were e-mailed on 3/29/10. Please respond to my e-mail within 48 hours of receipt, or new winners will be chosen.

Special thanks to Organic Nectars for sponsoring this giveaway!

Giveaway & Review: Glee Gum

I used to love to chew gum when I was a kid, but when I became an adult I began to question what I was actually chewing. A closer look at the ingredients labels of most gums made me realize that I was basically chewing a blob of chemicals; at that point I completely stopped chewing gum. However, my kids were still continually begging to buy gum in the check out lane at the grocery store; I didn't want them having artificial sweeteners and all of those chemicals, so I said no. As I am sure you can imagine my kids were not amused by my decision, but as they say "A Moms got to do what a Moms got to do"!

I recently came across ALL NATURAL Glee Gum, and I am happy to report that it tastes fantastic and contains none of the garbage that most chewing gums contain! It is also GLUTEN FREE! My family is happily chewing gum once again.

A message from Glee Gum:

Glee Gum is made with all natural ingredients including: pure cane sugar, rice syrup, natural flavorings and colorings. Our gum base has super chewy natural chicle harvested from Sapodilla trees in the rain forests of Central America.

Glee Gum is: Vegetarian, Additive Free, Lactose Free, Dairy Free, Wheat Free, Gluten Free, Casein Free, Egg Free, Yeast Free, Nut Free, and Peanut Free.

Glee Gum has: all natural ingredients, rice syrup instead of corn syrup, natural chicle, delicious, long-lasting, and popular flavors: tangerine, peppermint, cinnamon, spearmint, bubblegum and triple berry.

Glee Gum does NOT have: artificial preservatives, artificial flavors, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners (e.g. aspartame, saccharin or cyclamate).

To add a bit of whimsy to your glee gum experience, you can purchase a Glee Gum Dispenser (See photo above) directly from the Glee website, and fill it with your favorite Glee Gum flavors. My family loves all (6) delicious flavors of Glee Gum, so our dispenser is filled with the bulk 1 pound Glee Gum Assorted Mix. The gumball machine can be set to accept coins, or dispense without the use of coins. I have mine set to accept coins; when my kids do something nice for someone else in our family without being asked, my husband and I give them a penny to use in the Glee Gum Dispenser as a reward. They enjoy putting in the coin, turning the handle, and waiting to see what flavors of Glee Gum come out! To be honest with you, I enjoy using the Glee Gum dispenser as much as they do... it makes me feel like a kid again. :)

Would you like to break away from nasty chemical filled gum and give all natural, delicious, Glee Gum a try? You are in luck! I am GIVING AWAY one case (12 packages) of Glee Gum to (1) lucky Freebie Fairy follower (Winner chooses flavor)!

BUY IT:

Purchase directly from the Glee Gum website for home delivery, or visit the Glee Gum store locator page to find a retailer near you. CLICK HERE for a printable "Glee Gum Buy One - Get One FREE" Coupon!

WIN IT:

(1) Lucky Freebie Fairy follower (must be following PUBLICLY via Google Friend Connect in the sidebar of this website) will WIN one case (12 packages) of Glee Gum (winner chooses flavor!)

CLICK HERE to ENTER THE GIVEAWAY on my Freebie Fairy blog (please do not leave entry comments on this post, they will not be valid).

*Giveway ends Wednesday March 31, 2010 at 7:00 p.s.t., and is open to the US only*

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not compensated for this post; I received a complimentary sample of Glee Gum and a gumball dispenser for review purposes courtesy of Glee Gum. The opinions I have expressed are solely my own; I was not required to post a positive review. 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.”

Giveaway & Review: Organic Nectars - Raw Cacao Vegan Chocolate Bars and Raw Agave Dessert Syrups

My young daughter with Celiac Disease has been on a gluten free diet since her diagnoses 2 1/2 years ago, but we recently decided it was necessary to remove dairy products from her diet as well. As many of you who have children that follow special diets know, it is difficult enough for a young child to deal with one food restriction, but dealing with multiple food restrictions can be very depressing for them.

One of the things that troubled my daughter about going dairy free was that she was going to miss eating milk chocolate. Not one to to give in to a challenge, I set out to find gluten free-dairy free chocolate that would satisfy my daughter's cravings.

Recently, I was lucky enough to find out about a grass roots company called Organic Nectars, who could offer my daughter a wide variety of great tasting, healthy, gluten free-dairy free chocolate products.

Here is how Organic Nectars describes themselves:

"We are nutrition and culinary enthusiasts based in NYC and the Hudson Valley region, in the outskirts of Woodstock, NY. After decades of studying nutrition and a wide variety of world cuisines, we were introduced to the wonderful world of raw food, which incorporates raw, organic fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds with nothing heated above 118 degrees to preserve maximum nutritional value. In the process we discovered a number of wonderfully delicious and healthy ingredients and food preparation processes.

In addition to wanting to introduce the rest of the world to these ingredients, we also saw a need to help cut through the clutter of all the so-called healthy products and enable discerning palettes everywhere to easily find delicious healthy products. So in late 2004 Organic Nectars was born, with the goal of offering a small, select quantity of only the very finest raw, products that are truly healthy, environmentally friendly and, of course, delicious.

From our line of raw, low glycemic agave sweeteners and dessert syrups to our amazing agave cashew crème gelato to our extra virgin olive oil, gojiberries and raw cacao products, Organic Nectars is dedicated to delivering the finest quality artisanal food products."

For my family, the true test of course would be taste. Would my young daughter reject these healthy gluten free-dairy free, refined sugar free chocolates? Quite the opposite! She absolutely adores the creamy smooth melt-in-your-mouth texture of the Organic Nectars Raw Vegan Chocolate Bars. They come in 6 great flavors, and she enjoys them all.

The Raw Agave Dessert Syrups are both delicious and versatile. My daughter can enjoy hot chocolate one again by simply stirring a generous teaspoon full of Chocagave Dessert Syrup into heated Coconut Milk Beverage, and in minutes she is drinking healthy delicious gluten free-dairy free hot chocolate. My husband loves stirring the Vanillagave Dessert Syrup into his morning coffee... yum! Personally, I like sneaking a spoonful of the fudgy Bold Roast Chocagave Dessert Syrup to satisfy my sweet tooth, and eating it by itself (pure bliss!). You have got to try the Chocagave Dessert Syrup it on ice cream... it is DIVINE! I am sure you will come up with many new ways to use these fantastic dessert syrups (if you do, please let me know so I can try them too!).

Raw cacao vegan chocolate bars & blocks:




- Low glycemic, dairy free, vegan, raw premium chocolate
- Fuses artisan tempering techniques and raw food protocol
- Certified USDA Organic, Vegan and Non-Dairy Kosher
- Low fermentation cacao beans for optimal nutritional value
- Free of dairy, cane sugar, maple sugar, soy, gluten, GMOs, lactose
- Sweetened with organic, low glycemic palm nectar
- Exquisitely smooth taste, texture and mouth feel
- Useable as a dipping chocolate for a hard shell chocolate coating
- Fully re-meltable
- Delicious buttery, creamy flavor
- Free of trans fats & cholesterol
- Exceptionally rich in antioxidants and micronutrients
- Suitable for diabetics and others watching sugar intake
- Suitable for lactose intolerance
- Made in a completely dairy-free, gluten-free environment
- Signature breakaway style bar in multiple varieties
- Handmade in NY’s Hudson Valley


Raw Agave Dessert Syrups:

- 2008 Silver sofi ™ winner – Outstanding Dessert or Dessert Topping
- Raw, vegan, all-natural artisanal dessert syrup & beverage flavor
- No dairy, eggs, refined sugar, soy, gluten, GMOs or lactose
- No trans fats, saturated fat or cholesterol
- Unpasteurized to maintain maximum nutritional value
- Sweetened with Organic Nectars Agave syrup
- Suitable for diabetics and others watching sugar intake
- Suitable for those with lactose intolerance
- Certified Organic, Kosher & Vegan
- Deliciously decadent without the guilt
- Great as fruit and dessert topping, hot and cold beverage & smoothie flavoring, bread spread and right out of the jar
- Excellent with Organic Nectars Raw Agave Gelato

I am guessing you are ready for a taste of these delicious raw cacao products from Organic Nectars right about now! You are in luck! I am GIVING AWAY (1) Chocolate Bar Sampler containing all 6 flavors to (1) Gluten Free Taste of Home follower AND I am also GIVING AWAY (1) jar of Chocagave Dessert Syrup to a different Gluten Free Taste of Home follower. The first winning entry drawn will receive the chocolate bar sampler, and the second winning entry drawn will receive the Chocagave Dessert Syrup!

BUY IT:

Purchase Organic Nectars products directly from the Organic Nectars online store , or use the store locater to see if there is a retailer selling Organic Nectars near you.


WIN IT:

I am GIVING (1) Gluten Free Taste of Home follower (1) Organic Nectars Chocolate Bar Sampler (6 bars/one of each flavor; retail value $29.00) AND (1) jar of Organic Nectars Chocagave Dessert Syrup to a different Gluten Free Taste of Home follower (retail value $9.99). The first winning entry drawn will receive the chocolate bar sampler, and the second winning entry drawn will receive the dessert syrup.

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 visit the Organic Nectars' online store; 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 and flavor of a product you would like to try that you found on your visit to the Organic Nectars' online store. (1 entry)

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

2) Follow Organic Nectars on Twitter. (1 entry)

3) 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)

4) Blog about this giveaway linking it back to my Gluten Free Taste of Home website AND to the Organic Nectars' website. Please LEAVE ME A COMMENT with THE LINK TO YOUR POST or it will not count. (3 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. (1 entry)

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. (1 entry)

*GIVEAWAY OPEN TO CONTINENTAL US ONLY*

Giveaway ends on Monday, March 29, 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 a complimentary chocolate bar sampler and agave dessert syrups for review purposes courtesy of Organic Nectars. 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!

GIVEAWAY WINNER: Gluten Free English Muffins from The Celiac Maniac

And the winner is...

#15 barginmom

Congratulations! You have been e-mailed. Please respond to my e-mail within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen.

Special thanks to The Celiac Maniac for sponsoring this giveaway!

Review: Smarties Candies

If you are the parent of a child with Celiac Disease, gluten intolerance, or other food allergies or intolerances, this review is for you. We tend to view classroom parties, holiday parties, or any other occasion where treats will be served to a group of children, as a time of caution. Sure, we know that we can send our child to a party with a goodie bag full of safe treats from home, but those treats are most likely different from what other children at the party are eating. Personally, my goal is to make sure my daughter doesn't always have to feel like the "odd one out".

This year I am lucky because my daughter's teacher allows me to create gluten free/dairy free candy lists for holiday parties. She asks parents to stick to buying only the brands of candy that I specify on the list, but that hasn't always been the case (and may not be the case with future teachers).

Recently, my daughter's teacher asked me if Smarties Candies were gluten free/dairy free; she wanted to hand them out to all of the children in my daughter's class. Since my daughter has been following a gluten free diet for a couple of years, I knew for certain that Smarties were gluten free. However, my daughter has only been off of dairy for a few months, so I have never needed to check the dairy free status of Smarties; it was now time to do so. When I logged on to the Smarties website, I clicked on the Allergies tab, and was extremely surprised to discover that all varieties of Smarties Candies are not only gluten and dairy free, but they are virtually allergen free! I thought "WOW... so many kids on special diets can eat Smarties!" I wondered if other parents knew this... I decided to spread the good news!

In my opinion, Smarties Candies are the perfect choice for teachers to have on hand in the classroom because the packaging clearly states their allergen status, they are shelf-stable, and individually wrapped. These virtually allergen free candies are great for families of children with Celiac disease, food intolerances, and food allergies to keep on hand for everyday treats or to take to gatherings because they taste yummy, are available at practically any grocery store, and are extremely reasonably priced.

Smarties Allergen Statement:

"Several years ago we took the lead in labeling allergen statements on our packaging. This is now a law.

Smarties® and our entire line of products are free from most the known allergens, and they do not appear anywhere in our manufacturing facilities. Our new item, Bubble Gum Smarties®, may contain minute traces of soy lecithin.

We sell our products to many different classifications of trade, including "re-baggers." A "re-bagger" buys products from many different companies and re-bags them in their own packaging. We cannot verify whether their manufacturing plants are free of nuts, soy, etc. If the UPC number on the packaging begins with "0 11206", you can be assured that it was manufactured in one of our facilities and that it is allergen free.

Gluten Statement:

Smarties® and our entire line of products are gluten free. If the UPC number on the packaging begins with "0 11206", you can be assured that it is manufactured in a facility that is gluten free and safe to eat if you have Celiac Disease.

All Ce De Candy, Inc. products contain no dairy, thereby eliminating the ingredient Melamine."

Please click below to see Allergen Information for our products:

Bubble Gum Smarties®

Smarties® Products

We all recognize Smarties as a cute little roll of candies wrapped in in plastic with a twist at each end, but did you know that Smarties come in many fun and shapes and flavors? I didn't until visiting the Smarties website... I was so excited to learn that my daughter could try all of the fun varieties of Smarties and not worry about gluten, dairy or other allergens.

Check out what Smarties has to offer:

Smarties®, Bubble Gum Smarties®, Candy Money, Love Hearts, Smarties® in a Pouch, Tropical Smarties®, X-TREME Sour Smarties®, Easter Smarties®, Smarties® Parties, Smarties® Double Lollies , Smarties® Mega Lollies, Smarties® Pops.

BUY IT:

In addition to purchasing Smarties from your local retailer, you can purchase ALL VARIETIES of Smarties by the case at WHOLESALE prices! The money you will save by purchasing wholesale will act as a wash for the shipping you pay (Also, buying Smarties by the case from their website allows you to purchase their harder to find specialty items!).

Way to go Smarties! I have been a fan since I was a child, and now I am an even bigger fan! I commend you for your awesome dedication to providing virtually allergen free candy (and clearly labeling it as such) to children everywhere... keep up the good work!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not compensated for this post; I received complimentary samples of Smarties Candies for review purposes courtesy of Ce De Candy Inc. The opinions I have expressed are solely my own; I was not required to post a positive review. 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.”

GIVEAWAY: Le Creuset Bakeware

The Gluten Free Mom blog is hosting a giveaway for Le Creuset bakeware! The prizes are a 9 inch square dish and a 5 inch square dish, both in a gorgeous Bold Caribbean color.

TO ENTER:

Visit the Gluten Free Mom blog and follow her easy entry instructions (please do NOT enter here, it won't count!)

ATTN: youthfulone (Winner of the Let's Do GF Ice Cream Cones Giveaway)

Dear youthfulone,

In response to your comment regarding not yet receiving a winner's notification e-mail from me for the Let's Do Gluten Free Ice Cream Cones Giveaway:

Unfortunately I had no way of e-mailing you, as you did not leave your e-mail address on any of your giveaway entries as the contest entry rules require (nor is it available on your blogger profile, or your blog).

The only way I had of contacting you was by leaving a comment on your latest blog post, which I did; there I provided you with the necessary instructions for e-mailing me with your shipping address, yet as of now I still have not received an e-mail from you.

Please e-mail me at createwithme[at]clearwire[dot]net and provide your shipping address by 1:00 p.m. on Friday 3/13 in order to be eligible to redeem your prize.

Congratulations once again!