Enjoy life - Perky's Crunchy Flax cereal (allergen free) review

I wanted to give the folks at Enjoy life a quick nod for their Crunchy Flax cereal. This sweet and super crunchy yumminess, is one of only a handful of dry cereals that I would recommend- particularly when you're talking about Gluten-free cereals. Most GF cereals are made with lots of starches or corn and neither of those I would recommend. Their lists of nutrients are poor to say the least. Essentially you are eating a bowl full of sweetened starch. Hello blood sugar spike, nice to meet you.

So the folks at Enjoy life (who also make a no-nuts trail mix that is school safe and awesome) are a company that eliminates the 10 most common allergens from all of their products. What are they? Here's the list:

1. wheat
2. dairy
3. peanuts
4. tree nuts
5. eggs
6. soy
7. fish
8. shellfish
9. sesame
10. sulfites

Perky's Crunchy Flax has the following ingredients:
Whole sorghum flour, ground flax seed, honey, raisin juice concentrate, salt.
Yep. That's it.

How about the nutrition panel? Here you go:

Now, have a look at the fiber- 6g. That's pretty spectacular for a breakfast cereal. Throw 1/2 cup of raspberries on there and you up that amount to 10g. Now scroll down to the iron section...In Canada, we say that this serving (3/4 c) is 20% of daily recommended iron. I see that the American version pictured above is 15%. Regardless, trust me when I say that it is almost impossible to find that in a gluten free breakfast cereal. You'll also note that despite the honey and juice concentrate, a serving only has 2g of sugar. PLUS, you will note a whopping 7g of protein. Amazing! Add a handful of sunflower seeds to completely blow that figure out of the water and with those, the raspberries and the cereal, you're rockin'.

Note: I did not receive free product nor compensation from Enjoy life for this product review. Opinions are my own.

Enjoy life - Perky's Crunchy Flax cereal (allergen free) review

Penne with spicy puttanesca and vegan parmesan (gluten free, vegan)

Update April 6, 2011- Hello! Are you visiting for the first time from Angela's blog at www.ohsheglows.com? Thanks for coming by!! Lovely to have you over. :) Hope you enjoy my blog. Sign up for updates if it looks like we're on the same journey.


ps- I love comments...bring 'em on. :)

Kirsten
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I'm such a nerd that I stopped eating, transferred the remainder of my lunch to a clean plate and took a picture (or 16) so that I could show you just how good this was. YUMMMY.

Penne with spicy puttanesca sauce
Ingredients:
a few handfuls of brown rice penne (gluten free)
1 TB grapeseed oil
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 tsp garlic powder
pepper to taste
1 tsp chili flakes [EDIT- 1/4 tsp- not 1 tsp unless you really love the heat]
1-2 tsp capers
1/2-3/4c of bottled organic pasta sauce (I know- I totally CHEATED!!) :)
a few handfuls of organic baby spinach

Directions:
Cook penne till al-dente and rinse in cold water. Add grapeseed oil, mushrooms, garlic powder and pepper to a frying pan and saute mushrooms for 3-4 minutes on med heat. Once you see the slightest hint of browning, add the chili flakes, capers and pasta sauce. Stir and heat through thoroughly. Add in the pasta, the spinach, turn off the heat and stir until the spinach is heated and the noodles are warm.

Optional: top with raw vegan mock Parmesan cheese

Mr. Pick-it-up is NOT a big fan of pasta and red sauce so I make what I want on afternoons where I'm JUST cooking for me (wee one is upstairs...NOT sleeping...I'm totally going to pay for that when I have to clean up the mess she's making in her room).

Sweet mother of pearl...tell me you don't want to eat that????

I ended up using this primavera sauce from PC Organics. It is a bit sweet for my liking (though it contains no added sugar like so many others) but the capers balanced that nicely.

This is Parma-Veg. It is raw, vegan, and made in Quebec, Canada from nuts, nutritional yeast, kale, salt...and it tastes delicious on top of dishes like this one. YUMMERS.

This probably took about 15 minutes to assemble. What do you put in YOUR quick pasta dishes?

Penne with spicy puttanesca and vegan parmesan (gluten free, vegan)

Product review: MimicCreme Cream Substitute

My impressions
I've mentioned before that I have been unwilling to completely give up dairy because I could not find a suitable substitute for use in coffee (okay and maybe the odd slab of organic butter). Did I mention that I LOVE coffee? Love it. I would drink decaf if I had to, because I just love the taste. And I am unwilling to compromise on that taste. In my coffee, I have tried soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, etc. but they are just no comparison to real cream...until now. I'm not going to tell you that it tastes exactly like cream, but it lightens to about 75% of what cream does, and it adds a slight taste that while mildly noticeable is not in the least off-putting. It cuts the bitterness of coffee without washing out the flavour. This rocks. And did you notice the label? This is free from cholesterol, lactose, gluten, and the product is also non-GMO, vegan and kosher.

More on the product
MimicCreme is made from the following ingredients (this is the unsweetened version):


Ingredients
Purified water, almonds, cashews, dipotassium phosphate, bicarbonate soda, rice starch, salt.
The only one there I have questions about is dipotassium phosphate. Here's what I found on that: it's used mostly in non-dairy creamers for viscosity. Anyone know anything further on that?
And here are the nutrition facts for the unsweetened version:

I'd say that's not too bad!! Give it a whirl. I suspect that with the unsweetened version, you could easily add it to baked goods, soups, etc. calling for cream. Give it a good shake because it settles, and then give 'er. Once you open it, the company suggests using it within 14 days.

Cost: This product cost me about $4.50 (give or take). Sadly, MimicCreme did not send me this product to review- I bought it myself just like everyone else. That being said, if the company has others they'd like me to review, they can always contact me... ;)

Product review: MimicCreme Cream Substitute

Review: Redbridge gluten free beer (and Spunky peach cobbler) ;-)

Oh sheer, unadulterated delight. I have once again benefited from the sheer generosity of my mom and her husband who travelled south of the border and returned with an entire case of Redbridge gluten free beer. I cannot begin to describe to you how fantastic it is. It is really, REALLY good. I've previously reviewed a number of beers including La Messagère (terrible), New Grist (beyond terrible), Bard's (good) and now Redbridge- the BEST of the bunch! This beer is so fantastic, it's almost- ALMOST- like regular beer. That means a lot, really. The first two above both left this terrible slimy feeling in my mouth; they were absolutely repulsive. Bards's was good, and if someone handed me a bottle, I'd definitely drink it, but in the end, this beer is not only just a notch above Bard's, but it is also apparently WAY less expensive (so say the parental units). It was apparently 35$ US for the case. Again, I am cursed with not being able to get this beer in Canada (Anheuser-Busch makes it) so I will continue to enjoy my yearly case when the 'rents head south of the border. But hey- it's a treat, and it's well worth it. For my American visitors: you guys are sooooo lucky. :)

Oh, and sorry it's been a scant period of updates lately, I'm doin' my best! I would like to also give a shout out to Kelly at the Spunky Coconut for the FANTASTIC peach cobbler recipe. I thoroughly enjoyed it for dessert, then for breakfast...then for dessert...then for breakfast again...

Review: Redbridge gluten free beer (and Spunky peach cobbler) ;-)

Product review: Mary's crackers... no...scratch that— Mary's Love COOKIES!

In short, these rock. No, Mary unfortunately did NOT send me my own free box (though if she did, I would happily accept!) but I was happy to pay. Do you see the ingredients here? Palm sugar- not processed white sugar- that one is my favourite! Plus no hydrogenated crap, no preservatives, lovely healthy chia and quinoa thrown in, all organic...seriously- it doesn't get better than this! No, this is not what I'd call a "nutritious" choice, but I would say it is nutrient neutral, and tastes like a million bucks. Two of my non-GF friends likened them to "molasses cookies" and though I'm afraid I don't remember those, I do love these "fake" oatmeal cookies- they rock!

They were about 5$ for the box, and the box had maybe 20 cookies. Not cheap, but very worth it. This is the kind of "treat" you can feel good about giving the kids. Plus they are nut free so safe for school lunches.

What do YOU have as a special treat?

Kirsten

Product review: Mary's crackers... no...scratch that— Mary's Love COOKIES!

I'm drinking BEER!!!!! (a review of Bard's gluten-free beer)

So, I recently posted about two very dissappointing gluten-free beers I had tried: New Grist and La Messagère. Both SO not drinkable. Then a little angel (also known as "Brian from Bard's") told me that his beer was better. Sure. Yeah. I've heard that line before. I also have swamp land for sale in Florida to sell you...

Well, I stand (sit) here a changed woman. I am drinking beer. Okay, I'm going to be totally honest here. If I were me and it was two years ago, and you asked me if I would start drinking Bard's regularly, I'd say no. It's really okay. It's like, the kind of beer that maybe a friend would have bought and I was happy to have one because I was at their house. Based on taste alone, I wouldn't have sought it out. THAT BEING SAID: when the alternatives are either the two other beers I've tried, that were completely undrinkable, or not drinking any beer at all, Bard's is like nectar of the Gods. It is SO GOOD, I can't even control myself...

Just wanted you to know. Oh, and how did I obtain said nectar? I'm sad to say, for my Canadian peeps that this seems in very short supply north of the border, but our friends at Bard's are apparently working on that. My 'rents went to NY for a visit and my step 'rent bought me an ENTIRE case. Yup...spent all of his cross-border-booze allowance on me- bless his buttons.  I am trying to savour them, but the thought of being quasi normal (in a beer-swilling kinda way) has me pretty pumped so I might have to send them back for another visit soon...

Bard's - GET MOVING ON THE CROSS BORDER SHIPMENTS. The LCBO needs you!!!!

This has been a public service announcements for beer-swilling Celiacs everywhere.
Thank you.

I'm drinking BEER!!!!! (a review of Bard's gluten-free beer)

Amazing Dad's BBQ Sauce- a product review :)

I've said it before, but I will reiterate: I do not work for any food companies. I am not paid to review any products...but sometimes I just can't help myself!!

 This is "Amazing Dad's BBQ Sauce" by Honey Bunny (www.honeybunny.ca). This stuff is good...really, REALLY good. And the best part is, there is nary a "glucose-fructose" or a "cooking molasses" to be found! Let me review the list of ingredients...ahem... 

• Organic honey
• water
• organic tomato paste
• organic vinegar
• salt
• organic cornstarch
• liquid smoke
• organic garlic powder
• organic onion powder
• natural colour
• organic spice
• xanthan

 Ta daaaaa!!! Kids like something sweet to dip in, and this is a great choice. It's still high in naturally occurring sugars, but if putting a TB on their plates means they'll eat a big healthy meal, I say RAVE ON. Plus I just feel good about this stuff. Best part? Made in Canada. :)

 My local grocery store carries both the BBQ sauce and the straight-up honey, but Honey Bunny also makes ketchup and other wonderful products. I am going to hunt some down because I'd much rather the kids eat ketchup made with honey than made with glucose-fructose syrup and other processed nastiness. In addition, Honey Bunny clearly states that their sauces are all gluten free!

So enjoy a little healthy dose of sweet goodness in your life. Marinate a nice organic chicken breast in this while you're at work then slap it on the BBQ for a little sweet. If you're into the sweet/heat combo, you might also sprinkle some cayenne pepper on top before grilling. MMMMmmmmm

Happy eating!

Amazing Dad's BBQ Sauce- a product review :)

Gluten-free beer review—La Messagère, and New Grist

In my heart, I am a tried and true "beer girl". I was never a "fruity drink" girl, though I did sample some on occasion, I always preferred beer. Good, old-fashioned, cold bubbly beer - just the smell of it now brings me back to patio season in the sun, paired with nachos and hamburgers. Oh, good times. :)

Unfortunately, when gluten is no longer a part of your diet, the glorious beer you once guzzled also falls away. Oh the horror... Ever since then, I've been searching for a replacement.  Last summer was actually the first time I ever learned to love red wine, so that has been supplementing, but really, nothing does it like beer.

A month or two after I dropped gluten, a friend recommended La Messagère which is produced by a small brewery in Québec called Les bières de la Nouvelle-France (the beers of new france). I was totally stoked to try it. Brought some up to the cottage (perfect beer-drinking environment) and cracked a cold one, only to discover it had a great first taste, but it rapidly deteriorated into a terrible all-around-the-mouth, syrupy sweet slimey feeling. Sigh. I tried...really I did; I even opened a few at different times hoping I would suddenly like it. No dice.

A friend recently told me that there was another kind- available at a liquor store I don't usually frequent- called New Grist. I was renewed! I had hope! Perhaps I would finally be able to enjoy beer again. I drove to that little-known liquor store, and I felt the clouds part and the heavens shine down on me as the store clerk showed me where I could find it. I even explained to the cashier that I was thrilled to finally have been in over a year. Um, she didn't care. I digress.

I brought it home and lovingly placed it in the freezer to chill- rapid-fire. Once the children were nestled all snug in their beds, I thought perhaps it wasn't cold enough yet, but I cracked it anyway because I just couldn't wait. You see, New Grist (unlike La Messagère) had only grains (buckwheat, hops and rice). No glucose syrop or whatever else gave me pause when I bought La Messagère...Oh, right- back to the big finale: let's just say there were no fireworks. The taste was flat. There wasn't even a hint of beer taste- sorry. And once I had sipped, I felt the beer in my mouth. Like the inside of my mouth had been spray-coated with something. Sigh. So overall, very disappointing. Despite really REALLY trying to like it, I couldn't even finish one. I actually felt nauseated afterwards. What a crushing victory for the wheat gods.

I suppose I'm destined to keep refining my palate for red wines and to crack a nice Strongbow cider if I'm looking for a cold beer-substitute. Could be worse- I could be ridiculously ill. Counting my blessings. :)

Anyone have any other gluten-free beers they might recommend?

Gluten-free beer review—La Messagère, and New Grist

Bob's Red Mill- Gluten-free Homemade Wonderful Bread

So I've temporarily acquired my mom's bread machine so that I can try a few of the GF bread mixes on the market. One I tried was the brown rice bread from El Peto. Uh...it's okay. For the first few months after going gluten free, I didn't eat any bread. Then I got really tired of never having a piece of toast so I'm on the quest for the easiest bread I can find/bake/buy.

So the El Peto one turned out okay, and I get two loaves in one box, so it's actually cheaper to go that route than to buy frozen. And, to be honest, I made myself a turkey sandwich and the bread didn't fall apart. Props, El Peto. Well done.

Now, Bob's Red Mill GF Homemade wonderful bread mix is about 7.50$ for the mix to make one loaf. But, I got suckered into the name and decided I'd give it a whirl (thinking if it WAS so wonderful, perhaps I wouldn't mind paying that kind of money so I could have a sandwich). I prepped the bread maker, and the recipe called for one whole egg and enough whites to make up 3/4 cup total. So, I had about 10 organic eggs and I was up to three eggs used with no end in sight. I decided that I'd top up the cup using flax— which I've used dozens of times to sub in for an egg in a recipe (one TB flax meal with three TB water, let sit till gloppy then rave on). HOWEVER, I'd never used it to replace an egg WHITE. I don't know if that's what did it, but about an hour into baking, the mix spilled over the top of the bread pan and onto the element. It stank up my whole house with burnt, and has potentially ruined the bread maker. I'm not sure the smell of burnt will EVER come out of that machine...did I mention that it's borrowed?

I did actually scoop out some of the bread and put it in a silicone bread pan and popped it in the oven. The result was okay (minus the aroma of burnt that still lingered in a very minor way- it was infused right into the mix). It really wasn't any better than the El Peto one, so really, for the odd occasion when I really do miss bread (okay that's always, but maybe the occasion where I decide to DO something about it) I'll stick with the El Peto one.

I actually used most of the salvaged loaf for stuffing since I currently have a lovely organic chicken in the oven. I hope my guests don't notice the peculiar aroma...

Bob's Red Mill- Gluten-free Homemade Wonderful Bread