Glutino's Gluten Free Bagel Chips

I recently discovered Glutino's Bagel Chips when I had a chance to try them at the South Florida Gluten-Free Expo a few weeks ago and loved them. Today I ran into Whole Foods to pick up some cookies and just happened to notice these on the shelf. I was so excited!! They come in 3 flavors: Original, Parmesan & Garlic, and Cinnamon & Sugar. I opted for the Parmesan & Garlic. They have great flavor and taste like regular bagel chips I had many years ago, making them hard to put down!

What is Your Favorite Gluten-Free Soup?

Who doesn't love a nice big bowl of hot soup on a cold rainy day?  Well... we don't have many cold days here in South Florida but we sure have lots of rainy days, and a bowl of soup is a great comfort food on those wet days.  It is also a great comfort food for those days when you aren't feeling all that well.  I had a few of those days last week and went searching for a new gluten-free soup to try.

I came across Health Valley Organic Chicken Rice Soup.  It is delicious and healthy!  It is low in fat, an excellent source of Vitamin A, and has only 480 mg of sodium per serving.

Some other soups I enjoy include:

Progresso Lentil Soup (an excellent source of fiber)

Thai Kitchen Rice Noodle Soup Bowls (I like the Spring Onion and Roasted Garlic)

What is your favorite gluten-free soup?  I would love to hear from you, so please leave a comment below and share your favorites!

Brown Rice Crisps

I found these today while walking through Target.  They were giving out samples of the Sweet Chili brown rice crisps by riceworks.  The Sweet Chili crisps are full of flavor, yet not too spicy at all!

Some of the benefits listed on their website include:

Natural Ingredients

No Preservatives or Artificial Flavors

Wheat and Gluten Free

No Trans Fat

33% Less Fat than Potato Chips

No Cholesterol

They come in 6 flavors:

Sweet Chili

Sea Salt

Salsa Fresca

Parmesan and Sundried Tomato

Wasabi

Baked Cinnamon

They are sold at Target, Walmart, Jamba Juice, and Costco in South Florida, but check their website for a retailer near you.

Chocolate Cupcakes from Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakehouse

The Gluten-Free Bakehouse from Whole Foods has a huge selection of tasty baked goods. Their products (breads, muffins, cookies, scones, and more) are made at a dedicated gluten-free facility and are sold at Whole Foods Markets in the US and Canada.

The cupcakes (they come in vanilla and chocolate) are the latest Gluten-Free Bakehouse products to hit the shelves at my local Whole Foods.  I can't even tell you the last time I had a cupcake, so you can only imagine how excited I was when I found these.  I haven't tried the vanilla ones yet, but the chocolate cupcakes are out of this world!  Make sure you have a large glass of milk ready because they are big and rich!

I have tried many of their other products over the years and there hasn't been one that I didn't thoroughly enjoy.  My personal favorite (aside from the cupcakes) are the blueberry muffins which I have for breakfast on most mornings.

Some of you may feel that the cupcakes are expensive ($7.69 for a 4-pack), however individual cupcakes at a bakery will cost you at least that much. These cupcakes make a great dessert any night of the week or for a special occasion.  Look for them in your local Whole Foods and enjoy!      

KinniKritters Animal Cookies

I have been purchasing gluten-free products from Kinnikinnick Foods for several years now.  I am a huge fan of their donuts, chocolate chip muffins, and the KinniToos sandwich cookies (the closest thing to an Oreo cookie that I have been able to find).  However, today while browsing the cookie aisle at Whole Foods, I came across their KinniKritters Animal Cookies.  I haven't had animal cookies since I was a kid and thought I'd give them a try.  I opened them as soon as I got home and ended up eating half of the box.  They were delicious and tasted just like the regular ones I remember eating so many years ago. Kinnikinnick Foods is right - Gluten Free Has Never Tasted So Good!   

Kozy Shack Pudding

I don't buy pudding all that often, but I have had Kozy Shack chocolate pudding many times. Along with chocolate, they also have tapioca and rice pudding (all labeled gluten-free). Their website also lists some seasonal flavors for their regular pudding including Key Lime, Country Peach, and Pumpkin.

This past weekend I received a coupon for their new Simplywell pudding so I thought I would give it a try.  The Simplywell flavors (all listed gluten-free as well) include Dark Chocolate, French Vanilla, Green Tea Chai, Lemon Ginger, and Pear Mangosteen.

They are all available in a 4 pack (4 - 100 calorie cups) and list the following health benefits:

> Good source of Antioxidant Vitamin E

> Good source of Calcium and Vitamin D

> Good source of Prebiotic Fiber to Help Promote Digestive Health

I bought the dark chocolate Simplywell pudding from my regular grocery store and tried it last night.  It was delicious!  I have 3 cups left before I have to run back to the store to get some more.  I may have to try the French Vanilla next!

Kozy Shack also sells Flan, No Sugar Puddings and Soy Puddings.  While these are all listed as gluten-free as well, the Soy Puddings include organic wheat starch.  According to their website, the protein fraction (where the gluten is contained) is separated from the carbohydrate fraction during processing and only the part without gluten is used.  Please visit their website for more information on the Soy Puddings.

If you haven't tried Kozy Shack puddings before, I would definitely recommend checking them out.  Enjoy!

 

 

Ortega Yellow Corn Taco Shells

I usually buy a different brand of taco shells, but tonight I tried Ortega. We used these shells to make tacos with ground turkey and McCormick Original Taco Seasoning.  

You can find these taco shells in your regular grocery store!

The front of the box is labeled gluten-free!

They taste great!

I'll be using this brand of taco shells from now on.  Be sure to check these out for your next fiesta!  

My Favorite Pasta - Tinkyada

Growing up, I was always a pasta girl. Whether we made it at home or went out to eat, pasta was always one of my favorite meals. When I went away to college, I lived on pasta because it was cheap and easy.  After college (when I was actually making a decent living), I continued to make pasta once a week and made sure I had enough leftovers for a few lunches.  So when I made the switch to a gluten-free diet a few years ago, I was crushed at the thought of never being able to eat one of my favorite foods again.

I soon discovered that they made several different types of gluten-free pasta, and I tried several brands.  The more brands I tried, the more depressed I became over the fact that my pasta would never taste the same.  Then I tried Tinkyada...

Tinkyada pasta tastes just like regular pasta!  I was so ecstatic that I was able to make one of my favorite meals again and actually enjoy it.  We usually make spaghetti and meat sauce once a week.  Every now and then for a special treat, we make spaghetti and pan-seared scallops with olive oil, garlic, and mushrooms (I love the large scallops from Costco).  Last night my mother came over for dinner.  We made spaghetti with shrimp. It was actually the first time she had eaten gluten-free pasta and she thought it was delicious.  She said it didn't taste any different than regular pasta.   It was so good, we didn't have any leftovers!

I am fortunate enough to have a Whole Foods right down the street from my house, and they sell Tinkyada pasta.  For those of you who are not able to find this brand in a store near you, it is definitely worth purchasing online.    

Tinkyada pasta is another simple and delicious gluten-free meal!

The Breakfast Sandwich

This egg and cheese sandwich is a simple and healthy breakfast.

1 Ener-G Tapioca Dinner Roll

1 Scrambled Egg

1 Slice of Swiss Cheese

The key to the roll is to slice it in half and then warm it in the microwave for 30 seconds. These rolls also work great as hamburger buns. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Passover Goodies

It is that time of year... the grocery stores are filled with food for Passover and many items are gluten-free (be sure to check the labels)!  I wish I could find gluten-free blintzes and knishes like those mentioned on Gluten-Free NYC, but if you are lucky enough to have a large selection, these may be in your store.  A few years ago, I came across gluten-free Ring Tings from Shabtai Gourmet.  They were incredible, and they brought back so many memories of eating Ding Dongs and Rings Dings as a kid, but I haven't been able to find them lately. I do however have a large variety of Passover cookies at my local grocery store, and this year I discovered another blast from the past... black and white cookies from Oberlander's.  I had to try them as soon as I got home, and they tasted just like I remembered.  Passover is still a few weeks away, so I think I may need to go back and pick up a few more boxes before they disappear!