Gluten Free Taste of Home Interview on the Welcome to My Kitchen Blog!

I've been interviewed for Feature Me Fridays on Sheila's Welcome to my Kitchen blog!  Click here to check out the interview and one of my easy, tasty gluten free cake recipes.

Giveaway: General Mills "Live Gluten Freely" Product Box!

As you know I am a big fan of General Mills and their dedication to offering great tasting gluten free convenience foods and resources for the gluten free community.  If you haven't already had a chance to try some of their best selling gluten free products, here is your chance to WIN them!

You could WIN this General Mills "Live Gluten Freely" product box!

My family enjoyed everything in the Live Gluten Freely product box...

We savored Saturday morning pancakes made with the new Bisquick® Gluten Free Original Pancake and Baking Mix.  The pancakes were light and fluffy, just as they should be! For speedy week day breakfasts my kids all but devoured the crunchy, sweet, Honey Nut Chex® Cereal (I was lucky to get one bowl)!

My tween age son is just becoming interested in baking and made fudgy brownies using the Betty Crocker® Gluten-Free Brownie Mix (he even mixed them with the Betty Crocker® Red Serving Spoon we received!).  My family ate the whole pan in one night; we are brownie hounds, and these are really good brownies!

The Betty Crocker® Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix was transformed into a dozen delicious cupcakes, which my daughter's frosted using the Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy Chocolate Frosting.  My youngest daughter is dairy free, so we left a few cupcakes plain and she topped them with homemade dairy free chocolate glaze instead.  This was a fun project for my girls, and the whole family enjoyed the tasty results! 

For a quick week night meal, I mixed together some dry Betty Crocker® Potato Buds® Mashed Potatoes and fresh chopped herbs from my garden to make a crispy coating for Tilapia fillets (I got this idea from Food Network).  If you want to try this, simply salt and pepper your fish fillets, dip fillets in beaten egg, and then press the Potato Bud/Herb mixture onto the fish.  Heat oil in a skillet until hot but not smoking, and cook each side only until golden brown.  Transfer fish to a metal rack set on a baking pan to catch drippings, and finish off in a 375 degree oven until the fish flakes easily with a fork (time will vary depending on the thickness of your fish; mine only took 5 minutes).  Easy, healthy, delicious, and of course gluten free!

My kids adore fruit snacks and went gaga for the Betty Crocker® Fruit Flavored Snacks Variety Pack which contains Fruit Roll-Ups®, Fruit Gushers®, Fruit by the Foot®.  This fun selection brought smiles to my kids faces, and they have been enjoying them as an occasional sweet treat.

The Peanut Butter Cookie Lärabar® Snack Bar made a perfect healthy school snack for my daughter.  She said that it it kept her satisfied until lunch time, and has asked me to buy more.  I am always happy to provide my kids with wholesome snack options like Larabar Snack Bars.

LIVE GLUTEN FREELY:

The Live Gluten Freely website offers many wonderful gluten free recipes, as well as gluten free resource links.  You can even purchase a Live Gluten Freely product box exactly like the one being given away in the photo above and have it shipped to yourself or to a loved one as a thoughtful gift. The Live Gluten Freely product box also contains gluten free recipes, coupons and information.

BUY IT:

Click here to purchase a Live Gluten Freely product box directly from the General Mills Live Gluten Freely website.

WIN IT:

(1) lucky Gluten Free Taste of Home follower will WIN a Live Gluten Freely product box as shown in the photo above containing: Betty Crocker® Gluten-Free Brownie Mix, Betty Crocker® Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix, Mix Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy Chocolate Frosting, Honey Nut Chex® Cereal, Bisquick® Gluten Free Original Pancake and Baking Mix, Betty Crocker® Fruit Flavored Snacks Variety Pack - Fruit Roll-Ups®, Fruit Gushers®, Fruit by the Foot®, Peanut Butter Cookie Lärabar® Snack Bar, Betty Crocker® Potato Buds® Mashed Potatoes, Betty Crocker® Red Serving Spoon, Coupons, and More!
.
TO ENTER GIVEAWAY (#1 is a mandatory entry):

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 Live Gluten Freely website; LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me you now follow me PUBLICLY, AND tell me what gluten free product you would most like to try from the Live Gluten Freely website. (1 entry)

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

2) "Like" my Gluten Free Taste of Home page on Facebook; LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me you did this. (1 entry)


3) "Like" my Freebie Fairy page on Facebook; LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me you did this. (3 entries)

4) "Like" Live Gluten Freely on Facebook; LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me you did this. (1 entry)

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

6) Follow Gluten Free Taste of Home on Twitter AND tweet the giveaway; 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!)

7) Vote for Gluten Free Taste of Home on Picket Fence Blogs (click the "We're on the Fence!" button in the sidebar of this blog to vote). (2 entries)

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

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

10) Follow my Freebie Fairy blog on Twitter. (1 entry)

*GIVEAWAY OPEN TO US ONLY* (Sorry, prize cannot be shipped to P.O. boxes)
Giveaway ends on Monday, November 22 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; the product, prize pack, information, and giveaway have all been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I was not required to write 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.”
Best of luck!

I Attended the Gluten Free Summit at the General Mills Headquarters in Minneapolis!

The General Mills Visitor's Reception Area

When I started my Gluten Free Taste of Home blog a year and a half ago, I never dreamed it would take me to the General Mills headquarters in Minneapolis Minnesota, to serve as a voice for my daughter with Celiac Disease, and the greater gluten free community.  Unbelievably, that it precisely what happened!  Myself and 9 other gluten free bloggers were invited to attend a gluten free summit on behalf of General Mills.  Danna Korn, author of the book Kids with Celiac Disease and Founder of the R.O.C.K. support group has been working with General Mills developing their gluten free division, and was given the responsibility of choosing a group of gluten free bloggers to travel to the General Mills headquarters for an intensive one day gluten free summit.  By some amazing twist of fate, she invited me.

The gluten free bloggers and General Mills staff members at the gluten free summit.   I'm in the back row, 5th from the left. This photo was taken in the Betty Crocker kitchens by Jill of the Hey, That Tastes Good! blog.  Thanks Jill!  

It was a whirlwind of a trip, flying from my home in Washington to Minneapolis early in the morning and finally arriving to the hotel in the late afternoon.  I had the privilege of visiting with relatives from Minnesota that I haven't seen in over twenty years in the two spare hours between arriving at the hotel and meeting up with the other bloggers and General Mills staff.  What a gift that was!

The gluten free bloggers all attended  a "get to know you" dinner at Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano in Minneapolis later that evening.  Gluten Free bread, pasta, pizza, and even chocolate cake was served to the gluten free bloggers.  I tried the gluten free pizza, bread, and chocolate cake; all were quite good, with the pizza being my favorite of the three.  Dear Biaggi's, please open a location in the greater Seattle area soon!

Here are the gluten free bloggers who attended the gluten free summit at General Mills:

Amanda from A Few Short Cuts

Lynn from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures

Jill from Hey, That Tastes Good!

Shirley from Gluten Free Easily

Linda from The Gluten Free Homemaker

Amy from The Savvy Celiac

Rachel from The Crispy Cook

Cinde from Gluten Free Taste of Home (that's me!)

Maureen from Hold the Gluten 

Vanessa from The Celiac Princess

and

Shelly from the Minneapolis Chapter R.O.C.K support group

It was my sincere pleasure to be in the company of this amazing group of gluten free bloggers!  I was truly sad when I had to say good by to them!  They are all dedicated, strong women, with a true passion for making a difference in the gluten free world.

I am not at liberty to say much regarding General Mills' plans for their gluten free division yet.  What I can tell you is that General Mills has shown genuine interest in servicing the gluten free consumer in more ways than one.  They were eager to hear the opinions of the gluten free bloggers at the summit, be it positive or negative. Being that General Mills is the 6th largest food company in the world, it is exciting to imagine the magnitude of the impact that their involvement in the gluten free community could bring.  As soon as I am at liberty to share more details, you will be the first to know. :)  For now, you can visit General Mills Live Gluten Freely website for gluten free recipes and resources.

Oil Painting of "Betty" herself,  from the Betty Crocker Kitchens in Minneapolis.  This was one of a series of framed oil paintings of Betty Crocker from the 1940's all the way through the present.  I chose to post this particular photo because this is the image I remember from my Mom's Betty Crocker cookbook when I was a girl; it takes me right back to my childhood (bell bottoms and all).

What I can share with you now is that I had the unique experience of baking with my fellow gluten free bloggers in the Betty Crocker Kitchens!  You may remember from past posts that I have been a Betty Crocker fan since I was a little girl.  In fact, back in the 1970's when I was in elementary school, I was crowned the "Betty Crocker Coupon Queen."  Seriously.  I still have the trophy to this day! If your scratching your head wondering how that came about, let me explain. My Sunday school class had a contest to see who could collect the most Betty Crocker Coupons for the church.  My Mom was an avid Betty Crocker consumer, and as a result I brought in the most Betty Crocker coupons.  In addition to receiving a big trophy, a handmade paper crown adorned with plastic spoons and forks was placed upon my head.  I was queen for a day.  A proud, 7 year old, plastic-fork n' spoon-crown-wearing queen. :)  From that moment forward, I have always felt bonded to Betty Crocker.  

Left to right: Linda from The Gluten Free Homemaker, Shirley from Gluten Free Easily, and I baking gluten free desserts in the Betty Crocker kitchens.  The Betty Crocker Gluten Free Dessert Mixes and the new Gluten Free Bisquick were the core ingredients used in the recipes.  

A big hello to my new gluten free blogger friends, I miss you and hope to see you again! Also a huge thank you to all of the wonderful General Mills staff and gluten free summit organizers who gave me this unforgettable opportunity to be a part of something very special.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not compensated for this post, nor was I compensated to attend the gluten free summit.  The opinions I have expressed are solely my own.  Others who attended may have different opinions.  General Mills paid for my airfare, ground transportation, lodging and meals for the purpose of having me attend the gluten free summit.  Airport parking, baggage fees and meals at the airport/airplane were paid by me.  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.”

Book Review: The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide - 5th Edition

Here is something I am grateful for... Triumph Dining has taken the time (2,000 hours to be exact), to locate and list 1,500 restaurants around the United States offering gluten free menu options in their new book The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide -  5th Edition.  With this handy guide, I can quickly look up restaurants that I am interested in to see if they can accommodate my daughter's gluten free diet, (even when my family is traveling!).

Thank you Triumph Dining!  I really appreciate you taking all of the leg work out of the time consuming task of searching for restaurants that serve gluten free food.  Now I have more time to spend eating gluten free meals with my family, instead of searching for them. :)

Where to buy:

Click here to order your copy of The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide -  5th Edition from the Triumph Dining website.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not compensated for this post; I received a complimentary copy of the The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide -  5th Edition  for review purposes courtesy of Triumph Dining. 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: Rodelle Vanilla, Baking Essentials & Spice Blends

One of the secrets to superb tasting baked goods is to use high quality, pure vanilla extract.  In my opinion,   Rodelle has one of the finest collections of gourmet vanilla products available.

About Rodelle...

"What sets Rodelle Vanilla Extract apart? Vanilla extract gets its rich “vanilla” taste and aroma from the vanilla bean’s primary flavor component, vanillin. Vanillin is a natural flavor component found on high quality vanilla beans, the higher the vanillin, the better the quality. The vanillin content of pure vanilla extract is easily measurable, making vanillin a useful quality indicator for profiling fine vanillas. Rodelle Pure Vanilla Extracts have set the bar for vanillin content, offering a pure vanilla extract with one of the highest vanillin levels on the market.

It’s a fact. All vanillas are not equal. Rodelle Vanilla Extract is a superior vanilla product that delivers a superior end result.

Rodelle vanilla products are certified kosher, gluten-free and are made with natural cane sugar. Look for Rodelle vanilla products in your favorite grocery store!"

In addition to producing Pure Vanilla Extract, Gourmet Vanilla Extract, Organic Vanilla Extract and Alcohol-Free Vanilla Extract, Rodelle offers harder to find vanilla specialty products such as Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans, Vanilla Sugar and Vanilla Paste.

I experimented with adding Rodelle vanillas to some of my existing recipes, such as my Gluten Free Orange Glazed Almond Cake and my Gluten Free Coconut-Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting to see if I could taste the difference.  I was surprised that there really was a notable difference in the vanilla taste.  The taste of Rodelle vanilla was lovely and harmonious with my recipes, never artificial or over-bearing like some lesser quality vanilla extracts can be.

If you haven't tried baking using vanilla beans, you should consider it.  Vanilla seeds are scraped from the inside of the bean, and added to recipes for the most intense, pure vanilla flavor possible.  Check out this brief video which shows exactly how it's done:














More Than Vanilla...

In addition to vanilla, Rodelle also produces a line of fabulous gourmet baking essentials such as a rich Gourmet Baking Cocoa, Lemon Extract and Almond Extract.  I sampled the Gourmet Baking Cocoa several times in my everyday cooking and baking and I was pleased with the tasty results.  Rodelle says their Gourmet Baking Cocoa is "Responsibly sourced from the premier growing regions of West Africa, our baking cocoa is European Dutch processed for rich flavor and appearance. Our cocoa contains one of the highest levels of cocoa butter on the market, ensuring superior chocolate flavor."  I agree that it does indeed have a richer chocolate flavor than other baking cocoas I have used!

Rodelle also makes a lovely Herbes de Provence spice blend, which they describe as "The perfect blend of thyme, fennel, basil, savory, and lavender, Herbes de Provence add flavor to grilled meats and fish. Add it to cassoulet or vegetable stews." I recently simmered Rodelle's Herbes de Provence into some homemade vegetable soup; it was so aromatic that my husband came into the kitchen to see what the great smell was!  The taste was comforting and unique, which I think the lavender is largely responsible for.  I am looking forward to incorporating this interesting spice blend in more of my recipes.


Where to Buy:

Click here to find out where to buy Rodelle products near you.

WIN a RODELLE Prize Package!


Just time time for holiday baking, (1) lucky Freebie Fairy follower will WIN a Rodelle prize package containing the following items: Herbes De Province, Bourbon Vanilla Beans, Organic Vanilla Extract, Pure Vanilla Extract, Gourmet Bourbon Vanilla Sugar, and Gourmet Baking Cocoa.


Here's how...

TO ENTER GIVEAWAY (#1 is a mandatory entry):

1) Become a Freebie Fairy follower (must follow PUBLICLY via Google Friend Connect in the side bar of this website) AND visit the Rodelle website; LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me you now follow me PUBLICLY, AND tell me what item you most want to try from the Rodelle website. (1 entry)

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

2) "Like" my The Freebie Fairy product review & giveaway blog on Facebook. (3 entries)

3) Follow Rodelle on Twitter. (1 entry)

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

5) Follow Gluten Free Taste of Home on Twitter AND tweet the giveaway; 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) Like Rodelle on Facebook. (1 entry)

7) Vote for Gluten Free Taste of Home on Picket Fence Blogs (click the "We're on the Fence!" button in the sidebar of this blog to vote). (2 entries)


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

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

10) Follow my Freebie Fairy blog on Twitter. (1 entry)

*GIVEAWAY OPEN TO US & CANADA*

Giveaway ends on Tuesday, November 30 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 Rodelle Vanilla products for review purposes courtesy of Rodelle. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I was not required to write 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.”

Best of luck!

Giveaway Winner: $45.00 Outback Steakhouse Gift Certificate

And the winner is:

Tanya904 (comment #35)

Congratulations! You were e-mailed on 11/5/10; please reply to my e-mail within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen.

Special thanks to Outback Steakhouse for sponsoring this giveaway!

I would also like to thank everyone who entered this exciting giveaway... it received over 500 entries!  WOW!

Review: Meals to Live - Healthy Gluten Free Frozen Meals

It's no secret that delicious tasting, healthy gluten free freezer meals are not easy to come by at the grocery store.  Thank goodness for Meals to Live, a new line of frozen meals that boast (6) gluten free selections, all of which are made with natural ingredients.  Click here to see how Meals to Live offers a well rounded nutritional experience.

Check out the Tasty Gluten Free Frozen Meals from Meals to Live:

Shrimp Jambalaya

Grilled White Chicken

with Brown Rice Pilaf and Vegetables

Grilled White Chicken

with Red Roasted Potatoes & Green Beans

Spinach Omelet

with Turkey Sausage

White Chicken Fajita

with Santa Fe Rice

Sliced Turkey

with Balsamic Sauce & Butternut Squash

About Meals to Live:

"Meals to Live™ was founded by a group of individuals that have either been directly or indirectly affected by diabetes or other nutritionally specific disease. After experiencing firsthand the hardships and burdens that surround finding tasty, healthy, convenient foods on a daily basis, we at Meals to Live™ set out to make a difference.

There is no magical ingredient in our foods, rather a combination of ingredients that meet nutritional requirements of consumers with specific dietary needs. At Meals to Live™ our goal is to provide you with healthy, nutritionally beneficial meals at affordable prices. By working with you, the consumer, to guide us in the right direction, we take great pride in what we have accomplished.

Our Team Members play large roles in the creation of our company and provide all the recipes in our product line. Flavor profiles and recipe selections have been refined and produced based on feedback. You told us you wanted something better—we listened! We feel that Meals to Live™offers the tastiest, consistent, and most nutritionally specific product on the market. We hope you agree!"

My Opinion...

My family enjoyed the flavorful gluten free entrees from Meals to Live.  We especially appreciated them on busy days, when we didn't  have time to cook!  I felt good about serving gluten free Meals to Live to my family, as the ingredients are natural and the meals are nutritionally balanced.  My personal favorite was the Shrimp Jambalaya, which had a surprising amount of kick to it (which I love!).  My youngest daughter's favorite dish was the Grilled White Chicken with Red Roasted Potatoes & Green Beans.  My son favored the White Chicken Fajita with Santa Fe Rice; he added hot sauce to spice it up to his liking, and stuffed the filling into warmed corn tortillas (tortillas not included in meal).   

Give gluten free Meals to Live a try... I think you will be pleased!

*Note: Please be aware that not all frozen meals from Meals to Live are gluten free; for your convenience the gluten free meals are clearly marked as such.

Where to Buy:

Click here to find the store nearest you.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not compensated for this post; I received complimentary gluten free frozen meals for review purposes courtesy of Meals to Live. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I was not required to write 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.”