Giveaway & Review: Mini Pops - Gluten Free/Corn Free Organic Air Popped Sorghum Snacks

If you are unable to eat popcorn due to corn allergies, Mini Pops are the answer!  Mini Pops are gluten free, corn free, organic, air-popped sorghum snacks that come in (6) tempting flavors.  An added bonus is that popped sorghum has a higher nutritional value than popped corn and has no hulls, for more enjoyable snacking.  Popped sorghum grains look and taste like popcorn, only the the sorghum grain is tiny after being popped, giving it the appearance of miniature popped corn (thus the name "Mini Pops").

My family sampled all (6) flavors of Mini Pops flavors, and these tiny popped treats were a BIG hit!  My daughters took them to school, and all of their friends wanted to know where they got the "cute, tiny popcorn"... needless to say, we are now Mini Pops fans!

Want to try Mini Pops for yourself?  You are in luck, because Mini Pops, Inc. has offered to GIVEAWAY (6) bags of Mini Pops (one of each flavor) to (2) Gluten Free Taste of Home followers!


BUY IT:


You can order Mini Pops directly from the Mini Pops website for convenient home delivery.

WIN IT:

(2) Gluten Free Taste of Home followers will each WIN (6) bags of Mini Pops (one of each flavor).  Retail value $20.00.

TO ENTER GIVEAWAY (mandatory):

1) Become a Freebie Fairy follower (must follow PUBLICLY via Google Friend Connect in the side bar of this website) AND visit the Mini Pops website; LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me you now follow me PUBLICLY, AND tell me which flavor of Mini Pops that you would most like to try. (1 entry)

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

2) Follow Mini Pops on Twitter. (1 entry)

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

4) Like Mini Pops on Facebook. (1 entry)

5) Follow me on Twitter AND tweet the giveaway and LEAVE ME A COMMENT (with your twitter link) telling me you did it. (one entry per tweet/RT; DO NOT EXCEED (1) TWEET/RT PER HOUR!)

6) Grab my Gluten Free Taste of Home blog button and display it on your website/blog (copy the html code in the side bar of this blog and paste the code into your website), and LEAVE ME A COMMENT with a LINK to where you pasted my button. (1 entry)

7) Grab my Freebie Fairy blog button and display it on your website/blog (copy the html code for my button from the sidebar of my Freebie Fairy blog and paste the code into your website), and LEAVE ME A COMMENT with a LINK to where you pasted my button. (1 entry)

8) Follow my Freebie Fairy blog PUBLICLY via Google Friend Connect and LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me you did it. (1 entry)

*GIVEAWAY OPEN TO US ONLY*

Giveaway ends on Thursday September 30, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. PST (entries received after this time will not be posted). Winner will be selected by random.org. 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.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not compensated for this post; I received complimentary Mini Pops for review purposes courtesy of Mini Pops, Inc..  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!

Cookbook Review: Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef by Shauna James Ahern & Daniel Ahern

When my daughter was newly diagnosed with Celiac disease nearly 3 years ago, I discovered the Gluten Free Girl blog and fell in love with the author's comforting writing style and mouth watering gluten free recipes. I quickly purchased a copy of her book Gluten Free Girl, and savored reading each page. The "Gluten Free Girl" is actually Shauna James Ahern; a foodie with Celiac Disease and a natural born talent for sharing her story with others.

I was elated to receive a copy of Shauna James Ahern and husband Danny Ahern's newly released cookbook entitled Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef - a love story with 100 tempting recipes. This book is full of personal stories about her and husband Danny's passion for fresh, seasonal gluten free food, and how it enriches their lives together.

I am eager to try the recipes for Crusty Bread That Even Those Who Eat Gluten Might Like (yes that is really the name of the recipe!), Sage Polenta Fries with Parsley Pesto, and Blue Cheese Cheesecake with Fig Crust.  Sounds good, yes?

This cookbook reads like a good novel, full of real life stories based on the home and restaurant tales that Shauna and Danny share. There are gorgeous color photos of many of the dishes throughout the book, which is something that I really appreciate in a cookbook.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

"Combining tempting recipes with an authentic love story, Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef is a narrative cookbook for anyone who loves food.


A must-have for those who need to eat gluten-free, this cookbook offers irresistible stories and plenty of mouth-watering meals. From the authors of the much-loved food blog, Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef, the book includes evocative photos, cooking techniques, and 100 chef-tested recipes that are sure to give joy in the belly.


Illustrates the working day of a talented chef and what he does to put delicious food on the plate
Contains great-tasting recipes that everyone can cook and eat.


Meant to be read cover to cover.


Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef inspires anyone who has to eat gluten-free to say yes to the food he or she can eat."

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

"Shauna James Ahern is the author and photographer behind the award-winning blog GlutenFreeGirl.com and the food memoirGluten-Free Girl. Diagnosed with celiac disease in 2005, she is considered one of the most authoritative gluten-free voices on the Internet."


"Daniel Ahern is the chef-in-residence at GlutenFreeGirl.com, as well as a chef at The Hardware Store on Vashon Island in Washington State. He has spent twenty years cooking at great restaurants across America."

BUY IT:

You can purchase a copy of Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef by Shauna James Ahern & Daniel Ahern at your local bookstore or buy it online. (Retail price $29.95)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not compensated for this post; I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes courtesy of Wiley Publishing. 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: Mint Chip Macaroons from Emmy's Organics: Gluten Free, Vegan & Raw!

I just posted a review for these decadent (yet healthy), gluten free macaroons from Emmy's Organic's on my Freebie Fairy blog.  Click here to read the review!

September 13th is National Celiac Awareness Day...Help Spread the Word!

Chad Hines - Founder of Gluten Free Faces

The following article regarding the origin of National Celiac Awareness Day was posted on Gluten Free Faces (a global gluten free social network)  by its founder Chad Hines; I found it interesting and wanted to help spread the word, so I am re-posting Chad's article for you here:

"September 13th is recognized as National Celiac Awareness Day, but what most people don't know is why... here is a brief explanation as to why the U.S. recognizes September 13th as National Celiac Awareness Day:

Samuel Gee, an English physician and pediatrician, is credited with being the first person to recognize the link between Celiac Disease and diet.  In 1988, Gee published the first complete modern description of the clinical picture of Celiac Disease and theorised on the importance of diet in its control.

In Gee's medical writing, he notes that "there is a kind of chronic indigestion which is met within persons of all ages, yet is especially apt to affect children between one and five years old."

He was also quoted as saying, "if the patient can be cured at all, it must be by means of diet."

His theory was definitely forward thinking for the time period and although Gee was not able to discover the cause of Celiac Disease, his theory of how to treat the autoimmune disorder was correct! 

In 2006, the U.S. Senate passed the Celiac Awareness Day Resolution, making September 13th National Celiac Awareness Day in honor of Samuel Gee (September 13th is his birthday!).

If you would like to read more about Samuel Gee, click this link to check out his official Wikipedia page.  Just thought you might enjoy this random bit of information!  I encourage you to do anything and everything you can every September 13th to help spread gluten-free and Celiac awareness!"

Please spread the word about Celiac Disease today (and every day)!  Blog about it, talk to your friends, family, co-workers, business owners, health care professionals, schools, anyone & everyone!

Education is the key to success!

Gluten Free/Dairy Free English Muffins and Pumpkin Bread from The Celiac Maniac Now Sold at Bob's Country Store in Washington!

Bob's Country Store in Snohomish Washington

Bob's Country Store, a quaint family owned store located at Bob's Corn and Pumpkin Patch in scenic Snohomish Washington now sells gluten free/dairy free baked goods from 
one of my favorite companies: The Celiac Maniac! Choose from moist gluten free/dairy-free regular pumpkin bread, chocolate chip pumpkin bread, and crispy regular English muffins and cinnamon raisin English muffins. Bob's Country Store is the only place in Washington that carries these delicious baked goods from The Celiac Maniac! 

Gluten Free/Dairy Free English Muffins from The Celiac Maniac

Bob's Country Store has a sample table open every weekend in October for you to try a large variety of their selections.  So visit them soon, and make sure your taste buds are ready! 

Bob's Country Store also carries a large selection of Bob's Red Mill gluten free fours and baking mixes, in addition to a naturally gluten free selection of pickles, jams, and preserves made especially for their country store.  My family is particularly fond of the Bob's Corn Marionberry preserves. :)

Bob's Country Store in Snohomish Washington

Bob's Corn is also our favorite Pumpkin Patch to take the kids to each October.  I have never been through Bob's Corn Maze, but I hear it is lots of fun!  Maybe this year!

Bob's Corn Maze in Snohomish Washington

The proprietors of Bob's Country Store are a warm and friendly family, who will make you feel like they have known you for years.  Be sure to tell them that Cinde from the Gluten Free Taste of Home blog sent you; it is my pleasure to support and recommend my favorite local businesses to others.

Freshly Picked Sweet Corn from Bob's Country Store

My family stops by Bob's Country Store in Snohomish nearly every weekend buying Bob's own cruelty-free farm fresh eggs, so I hope to see you there!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not compensated for this post; The opinions I have expressed are solely 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.”

I Attended the Opening Party at the 2010 International Food Blogger Conference AND My Special Announcement!

I received an invitation to attend the the Opening Party at the 2010 International Food Blogger Conference held in Seattle last weekend.  They were going to announce the winners of the Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook contest, and much to my delight I was informed I was a finalist.  Because I am local to the Seattle area, Barnaby Dorfmann, the founder of Foodista (The Cooking Encyclopedia Everyone Can Edit)  thought I might like join in the fun.  He was right, and join in the fun is precisely what I did!!

From The Pomegranate Bistro in Redmond Washington

The 2010 International Food Blogger Conference was a whirl-wind 3 hour experience that I will not soon forget.  Multiple rooms at the lovely Hotel Monaco in downtown Seattle were peppered with vendors from many different aspects of the culinary world.  Restaurant owners, such as the kind people from The Pomegranate Bistro offered up tiny plates piled high with tempting delights for the nearly 300 food bloggers from around the world in attendance.  I sampled the phenomenally delicious grape tomato salad over watermelon ice with handmade mozzarella strings; the cool sweet flavors of the watermelon paired beautifully with the acidity of the juicy ripe tomato and the mild undertone of cayenne pepper (photo above).  The Pomegranate Bistro informed me that although they do not have a formal gluten free menu in print, they do make several dishes in their restaurant that are naturally gluten free.  I told them I would be happy to come and sample the menu to review it for my readers!

Beecher's Handmade Cheese from Seattle

Roaming from room to room I was continually tempted by platters of artisan delights such as handcrafted cheese from Beecher's Handmade Cheese in Pike Place Market (Seattle), and handmade fair trade chocolates from Seattle's own Theo Chocolate.  I sampled a salted caramel with a little chili powder on it named  "Ghost Chile Caramel", and it was fabulous!  Theo Chocolate offers tours of their Seattle chocolate factory 7 days a week; I would love to take my kids there sometime and share our tour experience with all of you!  You don't live near Seattle?  No worries! Theo Chocolate can ship your favorite chocolates to your home (these would make super Christmas gifts).  Both varieties of Theo Chocolates I sampled were gluten free, and one was dairy free as well. Delicious!

Ghost Chile Caramels from Theo Choclate in Seattle

I learned how endive is grown (quite more involved than I could have imagined), sampled delectable gourmet olive oils from Spain (did you know Spain is the world's #1 olive oil producer?), and sipped wines from the Columbia Winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle, and several wineries in Walla Walla Washington (we have fantastic wines in Washington)!  The POM company sampled its ant-oxidant rich 100% Pomegranate juice by serving it up in the form of POM Cocktails, which I must say were extremely easy going down!  As you can imagine, my belly was very happy visiting all of the different food and beverage tables!

I had the chance to meet several amazingly talented cookbook authors, and have a review lined up for one of them which I particularly loved ( I will post the review very soon, so stay tuned)!  The theme for most of the cookbooks at the conference focused on fresh, regional, organic ingredients which I was very pleased to see.

Heidi Kelly (Adventures of a Gluten free Mom) and me.

One of the highlights of my evening was getting to meet one of my favorite gluten free bloggers face-to-face: The beautiful, warm-hearted Heidi Kelly, author of the inspiring Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom blog (photo above).  Heidi was nicer in real life than I could have imagined, which really made me wish she didn't live in a different state (I would love to hang out and bake up gluten free delights with her!).  What fun!

Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook 

The next biggest highlight of my evening was finding out that I was actually a winner in the Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook Contest!  Woo Hoo! :)  For all of you who voted for my Gluten Free Pumpkin Doughnuts and Vegetarian Spring Roll Recipes in the contest last spring, I thank you from the bottom of my heart!  It is a huge honor for me to have a recipe published in this unique cookbook; I look forward to handing down a copy to each of my kids so someday when I am getting older they can share it with my grandchildren and great grandchildren (you get the idea).  The Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook goes on sale this October; I will definitely be reviewing it and hosting a giveaway for it as well.  Chances are that most of the recipes in the book are not gluten free (although like any recipe, you can adapt them by substituting GF ingredients to make them gluten free), so I will run the giveaway on my Freebie Fairy website as opposed to on Gluten Free Taste of Home.  If you are interested in entering, be sure to sign up via e-mail for my Freebie Fairy blog so you don't miss out on the announcement.

Film Maker & Food Activist Morgan Spurlock (L)

The evening ended with great big goody bags full of cool kitchen gadgets and bakeware courtesy of Sur la Table, and an interview with guest speaker Morgan Spurlock, food activist and filmmaker (Best known for his film Super Size Me).  Morgan was on of the funniest people I have ever listened to, he had the crowded room full of bloggers laughing at his jokes, but also managed to keep us all engaged in a conversation about what food bloggers can do to help spread the word about eating the right foods.

My only regret?  That I didn't know about the 2010 International Food Blogger Conference earlier!  I would have loved to stay for the full weekend long conference to take all of the interesting blogging workshops being offered (and eat some delicious chef prepared meals with a lot of super nice food bloggers!)  Oh well, there's always next year!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not compensated for this post; all bloggers in attendance at the IFBC received a complimentary goody bag containing a selection of kitchen gadgets from Sur la Table as a conference gift.  I received a bottle of Olive Oil courtesy of Olive Oils from Spain, as well as a sample pack of chocolates from Theo Chocolate, and a cookbook courtesy of Chateau Ste Michelle Winery; all were conference gifts available to every attendee. The opinions I have expressed are solely my own; I was not required to post a review for any gifts received. 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: Healthy Top Non-Dairy, Gluten Free, Non-Soy, Shelf-Stable Whipping Cream from MimicCreme

Since my last review on MimicCreme's fabulous gluten and dairy free shelf-stable cream substitutes a few months back, MimicCreme has addded a new and very exciting pruduct to their line up called Healthy Top.  I absolutely LOVE the taste, ease of use, and storage benefits of Healthy Top, and wanted to share it's arrival with you.

About Healthy Top:

Healthy Top is the first totally Non-Dairy, Non-Soy, shelf-stable Whipping Cream. It is made from a healthy blend of organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Almonds, Cashews, Sweet Almond Oil and natural cane sugar. Healthy Top is gluten-free, contains no hidden caseinates and is produced using only non-GMO ingredients.  Healthy Top is also cholesterol-free, kosher-parve, contains no hydrogenated oils or trans fats, no high-fructose corn syrup, and no polysorbate 60. Chill as cold as possible, whip and enjoy!

BUY IT:

Click here to find the retail location nearest you selling MimicCreme products, or click here to  purchase Healthy Top and other MimicCreme products directly from the MimicCreme website.

Let me know how you like it!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not compensated for this post; I received a complimentary Healthy Top sample 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.”