Giveaway & Review: Goldbaum's Natural Foods - Gluten Free!

Have you heard of Goldbaum's Natural Food Co.? They make a variety of gluten free foods that are both tasty and unique. My family had a chance to sample some of their gluten free ice cream cones, brown rice pastas and rice crisps recently, and we thought they were delicious.


GLUTEN FREE PASTA:

Goldbaum's gluten free brown rice pastas cook up beautifully, and are also dairy free, sugar free and kosher. These excellent pastas are available in 7 tempting varieties: Radiotare, Spiral, Elbows, Penne, Fusilli, Fettucine and of course, Spaghetti. We sampled the Penne, Spaghetti and Fusilli... all three were wonderful!

GLUTEN FREE ICE CREAM CONES:

My kids think there is nothing better than an ice cream cone full of their favorite flavors with sprinkles on top. I am convinced that Goldbaum's has the largest selection of gluten free ice cream cones available! You can choose from: Waffle Bowls, Sugar Cones, Cocoa Sugar Cones, Jumbo Cones, as well as traditional cone & cup varieties (as shown in photo above). All varieties are gluten free, soy free, nut free, GMO free, low calorie, and dairy free. My family sampled the Cocoa Sugar Cones and the traditional cups. they were both a hit! I would love to try the Waffle Bowls next... they look like they would make extra special ice cream sundaes.

GLUTEN FREE RICE CRUNCHIES - MINI RICE CRACKERS

Once you start munching on Goldbaum's Rice Crunchies, it is truly hard to stop. They are super light, crispy and seasoned perfectly. Available in tangy Onion & Garlic flavor, as well as Original Flavor, these make perfect lunchbox snacks, after school snacks, or movie snacks (move over popcorn!). These fun mini rice crackers are gluten free, kosher, dairy free and sugar free! My family samples both flavors, and we loved them both but the Onion & Garlic was the household favorite.

GLUTEN ZESTY RICE RICE CRISPS:

These are a larger version of the mini crisps, a great choice when you want to use them in place of a cracker, as they hold lots of dip , cheese, salsa, hummus, or spreads. Available in Garlic flavor and Original Flavor, my family preferred the garlic when eaten alone, and the original when spreads, or dips were used. It was a sad day in my house when we finished both boxes of Zesty Rice Crisps. since these are baked, not fried, I will feel fine about eating them anytime. they are also low fat, cholesterol free, dairy/casein free, sugar free and kosher. So yummy!

BUY IT:

To find the retailer nearest you or for nutritional information e-mail moe@goldbaums.com

WIN IT:

I am GIVING (1) Gluten Free Taste of Home follower the following assortment of Goldbaum's Gluten Free Foods: Cocoa Sugar Cones, Traditional Ice Cream Cones, Brown Rice Fusilli Pasta, Brown Rice Spaghetti Pasta, Brown Rice Penne Pasta, Rice Crunchies in BOTH Original and Onion & Garlic flavors, Zesty Rice crisps in BOTH Garlic and Original flavors.

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); 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 Goldbaum's gluten free product you are most excited to try. (1 entry)

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

2) Blog about this giveaway linking it back to this post. Please LEAVE ME A COMMENT with THE LINK TO YOUR POST or it will not count. (3 entries)

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) 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)

5) 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)

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. (1 entry)

*GIVEAWAY OPEN US & CANADA*

Giveaway ends on Tuesday June 1, 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 gluten free pasta, rice chips and ice cream cones review purposes courtesy of Goldbaum's Natural Food Co. 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 WINNERS: Vans Gluten Free/Dairy Free/Egg Free Waffles

And the winners are...

#7 jenna wood AND #4 jencroley

Congratulations! You were e-mailed on 5/21/10. Please respond to my e-mail within 48 hours or a new winners will be chosen.

Special thanks to Vans Natural Foods for sponsoring this giveaway!

Cookbook Review: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook: Whole Foods Recipes for Personal and Planetary Health

I found another great gluten free cookbook to add to my ever-growing collection: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook: Whole Foods Recipes for Personal and Planetary Health, Second Edition by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre, MS, CN. This cookbook is all about HEALTHY whole foods eating, and provides over 200 delicious gluten free, dairy free, and egg free recipes that can be easily prepared by the home cooks, like myself.

The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook is inspiring me to make better food choices each day and incorporate more whole foods into my families diet, which has been a huge goal of mine. I am learning new and useful information from this cookbook everyday, and look forward to preparing many of the nutritious recipes it contains.

About the Authors:

"Alissa Segersten received her Bachelor’s of Science from Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington. She is the previous owner of a Personal Chef business in Seattle, Washington that successfully addressed the health and lifestyle needs of many families with her delicious, healthy cooking. She is currently a cooking instructor, empowering people with cooking skills and knowledge of whole foods so that they may reconnect with the pleasure in eating delicious, nourishing food."




"Tom Malterre received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University and is licensed by the state of Washington as a Certified Nutritionist. Tom travels throughout the United States and Canada lecturing at conferences on topics such as Vitamin D, Gluten Intolerance, and Digestive Health. He empowers people through classes, seminars, and private counseling with his insight and depth of knowledge on the biochemical interactions within our body and their relationship to our diet."




Enjoy a *sample recipe from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook:

Black Bean, Rice, and Yam Wraps (Gluten free!)

"If you are new to eating whole foods or would just like a really easy meal to prepare then this one is for you. It is simple, flavorful, and can be made ahead of time for a quick meal on the go."




1 ½ cups short grain brown rice
½ cup sweet brown rice
4 cups water
pinch sea salt
1 large yam, cut into large chunks
3 cups cooked black beans, or 2 cans
1 large avocado, mashed
salsa
mixed greens
brown rice tortillas

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

To cook the rice, place the short grain rice, sweet rice, water, and sea salt into a 2-quart pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let stand for at least 10 to 15 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, place the yam chunks into a small casserole dish, fill with about ½-inch of water, place the lid on the casserole dish and bake in the oven for out 40 to 45 minutes, or until yams are very tender. Remove skins from yams and slightly mash them with a fork. Tip: warm rice tortillas over hot, steaming yams to soften them.

To assemble a wrap, lay a tortilla flat onto a plate and place a small amount of rice in the middle of it, add some cooked black beans, some mashed yam, mashed avocado, salsa, and some mixed greens. Fold the ends in and roll.

FOR MORE HEALTHY RECIPES:

Visit The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen blog.

NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING:

Click here to schedule nutritional counseling with The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook author Tom Malterre MS, CN (Appointments can be conducted over the phone if you are not able to travel to the Bellingham Washington area).

BUY THE COOKBOOK:

You can order The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook here.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not compensated for this post; I received a complimentary Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook for review purposes courtesy of Whole Life Nutrition. 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.”

*Recipe and photo from the Whole Life Nutrition website.

Review: Kinnikinnick Gluten Free Donuts

I am pleased to share that Kinnikinnick Foods, (well known for their tasty baked goods tailored for people on special diets) recently announced that their tasty gluten free, dairy free, nut free, soy free Chocolate Dipped and Vanilla Glazed Donuts are now available at Whole Foods Markets nationwide.

Quality ingredients and safe manufacturing:

"Kinnikinnick’s donuts are made from quality ingredients such as white rice four, sweet rice flour and palm fruit oil; contain half the fat of conventional donuts and no preservatives, and are produced in a completely gluten-free and nut-free facility."

My personal Kinnikinnick donut experience:

These donuts really hit the spot when you are in the mood for something sweet. My family enjoys including them on our brunch menu on the weekends as an occasional treat. We also eat them as a yummy desert! These donuts are very rich and filling, and satisfy my families sweet tooth. Now that Whole Foods will consistently stock the Chocolate Dipped and Vanilla Glazed flavors, I will purchase them more often. Kinnikinnick Donuts are also available in delicious Cinnamon Sugar and Maple Glazed flavors (my favorite!); with four great flavors to choose from, everyone in my family is happy. :)

BUY IT:

The Vanilla Glazed and Chocolate Dipped flavors have a suggested retail price of $6.59 per 11.3 oz package. For best texture and taste, keep frozen and warm before eating.

Kinnikinnick donuts are also available via www.kinnikinnick.com and at select health food and mainstream markets across the country and in Canada.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not compensated for this post; I received complimentary donuts for review purposes courtesy of Kinnikinnick. 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.”

Review: Falafel Chips - Gluten Free & Dairy Free

I LOVE Falafel, and make it for dinner often. When I found out that I could satisfy my falafel cravings anytime of day with Flamous Brands Falafel Chips, I was eager to give them a try.

Click on bag for nutrition information.

Falafel Chips contain NO:

Gluten, dairy, artificial ingredients, trans fat, cholesterol, MSG, Hydrogenated Oil, GMO's, preservatives.

If that isn't impressive enough, Falafel Chips are also organic, high in fiber and protein and they taste delicious!

Click on bag for nutrition information.

Falafel Chips are crisp and flavorful, and yes, they taste like falafel! They are available in original and spicy flavors, both of which my family and I enjoy very much. These chips have recently replaced the need for crackers or tortilla chips in my house... we are using them with dips, salsa, hummus, as snacks, in nachos... you name it!

Here is a gluten free recipe for a tasty Tahini sauce to use on Falafel Chips (from the recipes page on the Falafel Chips website):

Falafel Chips™ Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup tahini paste
1 garlic cloves minced
Juice of two lemons (6 tablespoons)
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Mince garlic with sea salt. Whisk together garlic paste, tahini and lemon juice add water slowly until combined well and a creamy paste is established.

Serve:

In a sample cup put a few FALAFEL CHIPS, top with salad mix, and drizzle some Falafel Sauce on it, and enjoy.

BUY IT:

Purchase directly from the Falafel Chips online store.

*Click here for to find the store nearest you that carries Falafel Chips; you can also print a product request form that you can give to your local store manager.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not compensated for this post; I received complimentary Falafel Chips for review purposes courtesy of Flamous Brands. 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.”

Review: MimicCreme

We found out in December that my youngest child with Celiac Disease was not only unable to tolerate gluten, but also unable to tolerate dairy products. This meant an instant overhaul in the way I prepared meals. I found suitable replacements to nearly every food item we normally used, including butter, cows milk, ice cream, sour cream, cream cheese, and more. The one item I was unable to find a replacement for was cream! I don't cook with cream often, but there are a few dishes that I have been preparing for my family for years that contain cream and we were not prepared to give them up without a fight.

After some investigative food searches, I discovered there was a buzz in the dairy free community about a product called MimicCreme. This product claimed that it could deliciously replace cream in all of your recipes, with outstanding results. I got in touch with MimicCreme, and they were kind enough to send me a carton of each of their products to review. I will tell you my thoughts on the products in a moment, but first take a moment to read MimicCreme's story:

The MimicCreme Story:

"Rose Anne Jarrett, our company founder, couldn't believe it. She was pretty knowledgeable about food, having worked in the restaurant business and then later catering to professional musicians, but when doctor's orders called for eliminating dairy products from the family menus, she was unable to find a single substitute for cream that didn't ruin her favorite recipes, including those for ice cream and semifreddo.She tried many different non-dairy substitutes (none of them approximating that consistency of cream.) Soy products. Rice products. All kinds of different grain products. All just inferior.

So, Rose Anne figured there was nothing else to do but create that perfect CREAM substitute herself. And that's just what she did. By trying a series of combinations and permutations with a variety of ingredients she finally arrived at the right blend of flavor, taste and texture. And thus, MimicCreme, the product, and our company, was born. Since then, we've had the chance to share MimicCreme with the most demanding of chefs. They've tried it in their own favorite recipes. The conclusion has been unanimous – MimicCreme really does mimic the taste of real cream. It's the product we've all been waiting for."

A Message from MimicCreme:

"MimicCreme is the non-dairy, non-soy, gluten-free substitute for cream that truly is both tasty and healthy. And we make it available to you in four versions. There is an Unsweetened version; two sweetened versions-- Sweetened, made from natural cane sugar and a Sugar Free Sweetened made with a 100% natural sugar substitute-- and a Coffee Creamer (which is available in a convenient 16 oz. carton). All four versions of MimcCreme are 100% vegan."

My Personal MimicCreme Experience:

WOW! I love this stuff! I really was amazed at how MimicCreme replicated the flavor and consistency of traditional cows milk cream in the various recipes I tried it in. There is no funny after taste, and it behaves just as cream is expected to! If you are dairy free (or are considering going dairy free), you can't go wrong with MimicCreme. The best part? It comes in shelf stable boxes that require no refrigeration prior to opening, so it is ready when you are.

Stay up to date with MimicCreme:

Click here for the the latest MimicCreme news, including the announcement of two new delicious coffee creamer flavors!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not compensated for this post; I received complimentary MimicCreme samples for review purposes courtesy of MimicCreme. 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: Vans Gluten Free/Dairy Free/Egg Free Waffles- New Packaging!

Vans Gluten Free Waffles have a new look! Check out the fresh new packaging that Vans has given all of it's delicious gluten free/dairy free/egg free waffles and french toast sticks.

My household eats it's fair share of Vans yummy waffles! My kids are especially fond of Vans Minis and French Toast Sticks, which are fun breakfast finger foods. I love making an egg sandwich using Vans waffles, it's my healthy take on an Egg Mc Muffin.

To help celebrate it's new packaging, Vans is offering to GIVEAWAY (5) coupons for FREE Vans waffles to (2) very lucky Gluten Free Taste of Home followers!

VANS GLUTEN FREE Q & A:

Question: How does Van’s ensure your wheat/ gluten free waffles are really free of these allergens?

Answer: Here at Van’s, we work hard to ensure that our wheat/gluten free waffles and French toast sticks are free of gluten, dairy (milk) and egg. Van’s follows good manufacturing practices and cross-contamination prevention practices. Those practices include:

· Test all incoming gluten-free ingredients to ensure they meet our standards

· Thorough sanitation of all equipment used in the production of our wheat/gluten free products

· Disposal of the first two cycles of waffles produced

· Strict segregation of all ingredients used in our wheat/gluten free products

· Production in an allergen controlled area within our production facility

In addition, we conduct regular testing for the presence of gluten, dairy (milk) and egg in our wheat/gluten free products. All of these practices ensure our commitment to keeping undeclared allergens out of our products and all of the good taste in!

Question: Are your waffles really free of the allergens as stated on the box?

Answer: Van’s works hard to ensure the safety of our customers. We test each batch of our wheat/gluten free waffles and French toast sticks to ensure these products are free of wheat/ gluten, dairy (milk) and egg. In addition, we strictly monitor the production of all our waffles to ensure they contain only those allergens that are listed on the label.

Have questions or feedback. Let us know about it... Contact Us Now

BUY IT:

Click here to find the Vans retailer nearest you.

WIN IT:

I am GIVING (2) Gluten Free Taste of Home followers each (5) coupons for FREE Vans Waffles (redeemable at your local retailer).

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 Vans 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 Vans gluten free waffle flavor you would like to try that you found on the Vans website. (1 entry)

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

2) Sign up for the Vans e-club. (1 entry)

3) Blog about this giveaway linking it back to this post AND to the Vans website. Please LEAVE ME A COMMENT with THE LINK TO YOUR POST or it will not count. (3 entries)

4) Subscribe to the Vans blog RSS feed. (1 entry)

5) 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)

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. (1 entry)

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 CONTINENTAL US ONLY*

Giveaway ends on Friday, April 21, 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 Vans Waffles coupons for review purposes courtesy of Vans. 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!