Pound Cake: Everybody Eats Cinnamon Pound Cake

Here's another winner from Everybody Eats. Rob and I just can't seem to get enough of these delectable goods. Granted you do have to wait for delivery, but it's worth every minute I can tell you.

We recently received a rather large and welcome shipment from Everybody Eats. Among the booty was their delicious Cinnamon Pound cake.

This gluten free pound cake is true to form with a rich buttery texture that is dense and cake-like just like Grandma used to make. On the bottom is a sweet swirl of cinnamon that pushes the pound to a whole new level.

I've been toasting the pound cake for breakfast, adding a dollop of imported butter (trust me I know how bad that is), and topping it with fresh fruit. The raspberries have been especially succulent this week.

What a way for a celiac to start the day!

Cookies: Everybody Eats Chocolate Chip Cookies

Just want you all to know that I died and went to gluten free heaven after trying Everybody Eats Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Wow these are incredibly special. Not only do they taste exactly like regular gluten choco chip cookies, I think they might be better.

These cookies are crisp, buttery and are packed with juicy chocolate bits that are simply pure decadence. I can't get over how much they resemble gourmet hand-made cookies in size and taste. They are outrageously good- that's all I can say.

If you can stop yourselves from devouring the entire bag, it is highly recommended that the cookies be stored in an air-tight container.

Ingredients:
Rice flour, tapioca flour, cornstarch, potato flour, sorghum flour, butter, 0% transfat vegetable shortening, evaporated cane juice, molasses, baking soda, salt, vanilla, whole eggs, xanthan gum, chocolate.

Allergy Information: May contain soy, peanut or other nut oils.

New weight 11 oz.

Yogurt - FAGE

Diana has been buying FAGE Greek yogurt and I've been eating it. I thought it would be wise to double check on it being gluten free. Sure the label doesn't seem to have anything that would contain the bane of any celiac, but better safe then sorry.

I visited their website and checked their FAQ. Sure enough they are all gluten-free.

It's different then normal American yogurt, it's less sweet. It's thick, creamy, and dense.

Try it out

Arora Creations: Tandoori Chicken

Arora Creations makes a terrifically tasty gluten free spice mix that can be used for meals like Tandoori Chicken. I love the ingredients in this which contain only:

salt, ground cumin, ground coriander, granulated garlic, ground ginger, red pepper, granulated onion, citric acid, ground nutmeg, ground mace, ground black pepper, herbs, lemon essential oil.

This mix is all natural, contains no MSG, is gluten free, diabetic safe, has low sodium, and is nut free.

I followed their directions for tandoori chicken marinade which couldn't have been easier. I used my favorite Fage Total yogurt with olive oil and white vinegar, added my hormone-free chicken pieces and stuck it in the fridge for 8 hours.

After the gym and around the time Rob was getting antsy for dinner, I heated a skillet with a touch of olive oil and added the chicken. As the marinade was on the thick side it clung to the chicken nicely and cooked up into a bubbling broth. Of course I'm not sure if that's necessarily the way it's done, but it seemed to work. Grilling (if we had one) would have been optimal I imagine.

Once the chicken was cooked (I cut open each piece to be sure), I layered the pieces over freshly made brown basmati rice and voila- a yummy gluten free meal that tasted fabulous.
Arora Creations Tandoori Chicken is a keeper!

Rice Cooker - Essential Celiac Kitchen Appliance

As I have complained in previous posts about the dangers of dining out, I'm sure many of you do as we do and just cook at home. This way you can control gluten contamination and ensure a celiac safe meal.

One of the tools we've found to be essential for gluten free cooking is a rice cooker. We rely heavily on rice not only because it's tasty and healthy, but also because many rice dishes can be made without gluten. Minus the [wheat containing] soy sauce there are terrific Thai, Indian and Japanese dishes out there waiting to be consumed!

We have a Zojirushi NS-JCC18 with Neuro Fuzzy logic. You simply fill the included measuring cup with dry rice, add water to the indicated line and press start. Depending on how much rice you are making you'll have perfect rice in about an hour. The rice really does come out perfectly- not too sticky or too dry every time. Just be sure not to add any additional salt or butter as you might with stove cooking. The salt has a dehydrating effect on the rice.

Often I'll make a batch and put it in the fridge in single serve bowls. Rob will even eat this for breakfast. We do try and use brown rice as much as possible just because it has more fiber and is generally higher nutritionally.

Happy Cooking!

PS - I've included some links below to Amazon for rice cookers

What does it mean, "Made on equipment that..."

Lately I've been seeing some labeling information that has caused Rob and I to wonder about the level of gluten free in the foods we are consuming.

By no means do we want to put ourselves into a sweat with over-worry, but I am writing this post to see what you might think about this and if you have any insight to share.

As an example (and certainly not to single out the Maca bar), it says right on the Maple Chunk Fudge Organic Maca bar, "cold processed, doctor formulated, gluten-free, soy-free, non-GMO, low sodium, dairy-free, wheat free, cholesterol free". Yes, we're very pleased to see all the Maca bar doesn't contain- but then when you turn the package over and open the flap under the Nutrition Facts, this statement appears:

"Allergy information: Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts/tree nuts, soy, dairy, wheat and eggs."

Rob's big question is how thoroughly cleaned are the machines in between making the Maca bars and whatever wheat containing product Potent Foods is manufacturing? Then again maybe the above warning simply means made in the same facility but separate equipment? Who knows?

I have seen this same statement now on an array of products including the tortilla chips we always took for gluten-free granted, and other supposedly gluten free cereals and snacks.

What then does it all mean? Do we know if we are getting any gluten by-products? Is this something new? Should we only be eating foods that are manufactured in a dedicated gluten free facility? If that's the case, we'll surely be on our way to a very highly restrictive caloric intake, as I've only seen a small handful of products that say they are actually made in a dedicated gluten free facility.

As I've said before, I am not looking to stir up a frenzy, and yes Rob is a perfect example of a life-long celiac survivor who grew up in the days long before the Gluten Free seal of approval existed, but it still makes us wonder.

I guess you just opt for the seemingly safest gluten free options and hope for the best. Rob for instance adamantly refuses to ingest Dark Chocolate Dipped Altoid Mints (containing: semisweet chocolate (sugar, cocoa liquor processed with alkali, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, natural vanilla flavor), sugar, acacia, natural flavors (oil of peppermint), gelatin, corn syrup, confectioner's glaze, modified corn starch)- precisely because just below the ingredients is the dark warning we've come to suspect:

"Made on equipment that also processes peanuts, tree nuts, milk and wheat".

Why risk it he tells me-

Gluten-Free Pantry: Yankee Cornbread & Muffin Mix

To me it seemed like an eternity before spring finally got itself going this year. Amidst torrential rains and flooding I opted to make Rob some Corn and Black Bean cakes a la Rachael Ray.

Basically the recipe calls for cornbread mix, black beans, cumin and scallions. The trick of course was to find a gluten free cornbread mix that would make this recipe work as a celiac safe meal.

Luckily I had some Gluten-Free Pantry Yankee Cornbread & Muffin Mix I had been meaning to try.

According to the package instructions, Gluten-Free Pantry cornbread requires sugar, low-fat buttermilk (not as easy to locate as you might think), 1 egg lightly beaten and 6 tbs. melted butter.

But then they also had their own recipe for corncakes which I followed instead. This asked for 2 eggs, 2 cups buttermilk, 1 tbs. sugar, 2 tbs. oil, the mix, and then I added a 15 oz. can of black beans (rinsed), some cumin and some scallions.

I stirred it all up, heated a griddle and poured the pancakes. The first four didn't brown so nicely, but by the second round the griddle was the right temperature and the Smart Balance sizzled on the pan. The cakes cooked up nicely and we were ready to eat.

So these were rather tasty- I guess a bit filling, but I liked the lightness of the cornbread. It gave great texture and flavor but was not overpowering. These cakes can be eaten with maple syrup and butter, salsa and/or grated cheese. We opted for the salsa which gave the cakes a little more punch. It really made for a high comfort gluten free meal, and I had lots of batter left over for the next day's breakfast.

I will definitely look for Gluten Free Pantry's cornbread mix again and try it by itself next time.

Ingredients:
Corn meal, white rice flour, baking powder (corn), salt.
May contain traces of soy.

Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: 3 tbs dry mix (38 g)
Servings per container: 8
Calories: 130
Calories from fat: 0
Total fat: 0 g
Sat fat: 0 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 310 mg
Total Carb: 30 g
Dietary fiber: 0 g
Sugars: 0 g
Protein: 3 g

Gluten-Free Pantry Yankee Cornbread & Muffin Mix is gluten/wheat free, trans fat free and cholesterol free.

Enjoy Life: Not Nuts- Nut Free Trail Mix

Not Nuts Nut Free Trail Mix by Enjoy Life was a spontaneous buy on our part. Nuts are generally what we stop for while gassing up on the road. But this was a sensation of the taste buds we were not expecting!

Containing no nuts, no dairy, no soy and no gluten, and made in a dedicated gluten free and nut free facility, you might wonder how Not Nuts might taste. Well wonder no more. This stuff is packed with flavor! Yes it could be the chocolate chips (containing evaporated cane juice, chocolate liquor, and non-dairy cocoa butter), that makes Not Nuts so addictively delicious-but I'm not sure.

And that's just what it was- completely addictive. My celiac, Rob could barely contain himself long enough to allow me enough to write the review! Really, Not Nuts had just the right amount of salty, sweet zing amongst the array of sunflower kernels, pumpkin seeds, raisins, cranberries and chocolate bits.

Plus you can't beat Enjoy Life's obvious devotion to creating "allergen free" foods. The package reads "This product is gluten free and free of the 8 most common allergens: wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish and shellfish. Also made without other common triggers of intolerance: corn, sulfites, casein or sesame."

If you are looking for a nutritious and delicious snack, this one is a go!

Ingredients:
Raw sunflower kernel; roasted hulled pumpkin seeds (sunflower oil (sunflower oil, citric acid), salt); raisins*; dried apples*; chocolate chips (evaporated cane juice, chocolate liquor, non-dairy cocoa butter); cranberries*; rosemary extract

*Sulfite free

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: (28 g)
Servings per container: 6
Calories: 140
Cal. from fat: 80
Total fat: 8 g
Sat fat: 1.5 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 45 mg
Total Carb: 12 g
Dietary fiber: 2 g
Sugars: 9 g
Protein: 5 g

Glutino Gluten Free 3 Cheese Macaroni & Cheese

Another frozen entree on our list to try was Glutino's Gluten Free 3 Cheese Macaroni & Cheese. We prepared it in under five minutes with the aid of a microwave. The mac and cheese emerged looking scarily similar to the picture on the package. Yes the gluten free mac & cheese really was that orange! My first forkful was a bit of a disappointment after that however.

So this is a mac & cheese meal that is perhaps too rich for its own decadent self. The 3 cheese sauce was heavy, thick, and unfortunately totally lacking in flavor. I don't know if it tasted like it needed more salt, more flavoring or what, but the taste was ultimately just bland. The thought that it was missing salt is suspect- particularly as the entree contains a whopping 1430 mg of sodium! I think it lacked a cheddary tang. The macaroni itself wasn't too bad with generous sized noodles that held up pretty well after microwaving. I would say this is more like deli Mac & Cheese. If you can find it, go for Amy's gluten free mac & cheese instead. Also, you'll be able to cut back on the plastic as Amy's has more environmentally-friendly packaging.

In sum, though the macaroni itself were springy enough, the cheese sauce is too creamy and dense and doesn't taste like anything. It's just all too blah! Plus it sat like a leaden football in my stomach for many hours after consumption.

Ingredients:
Rice pasta (stone ground brown rice, rice bran, water), water, monterey jack, cheddar and parmesan cheese blend (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, bacterial culture, salt, calcium choloride, microbial enzyme, rennet, lipase, cellulose sorbic acid), whole mik powder, canola oil, natural flavor (natural flavor, milk, maltodextrin, sodium citrate, silicon dioxide, cheddar cheese solids (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), whey, buttermilk, salt, butter (cream, salt), sodium caseinate, disodium phosphate, lactic acid), corn starch, salt, rice starch, spices, oleoresin of paprika.

This product may contain traces of eggs, soy, fish and sesame seeds.

Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: 1 cup (250 g)
Servings per container: 1
Calories: 430
Calories from fat: 180
Total fat: 20 g
Sat fat: 9 g
Trans fat: 0.5 g
Cholesterol: 45 mg
Sodium: 1430 mg
Total carb: 44 g
Dietary fiber: 2 g
Sugars: 5 g
Protein: 19 g

Glutino Gluten Free Duo Mushroom Penne

Wegman's continues to feature a great selection of gluten free products. While shopping in the frozen food section we found Glutino's Gluten Free Duo Mushroom Penne. We were hoping it would satisfy our ever present craving for celiac safe pasta and our need for convenience.

So for lunch one cold, rainy afternoon we removed the plastic and popped the penne into the microwave and heated for 4 minutes. I think we may have stirred it in between. What emerged was a scorching hot meal that took a while to cool down before we could even attempt to eat it without suffering from third degree mouth burn.

Our first observation was the pleasant vapor of steamed mushrooms. We could definitely tell that this was a mushroom dish we were about to consume. I would say that's not such a bad thing!

Even better was that the penne did indeed taste like mushroom, had a mild creamy sauce and the pasta was decent. It did soften more than I like- certainly there was no al dente here, but it didn't transform to a mushy glue either. The duo-mushroom wasn't half bad! It was definitely a satisfying and not too overpowering meal. It's more like a gourmet frozen meal I would say. Next time I will probably add a handful of fresh chopped parsley to enhance the flavor.
Rob really liked this one and gave it a large number of stars in the approval rating department.
Mostly I was a fan of the mainly natural ingredient list- though this one will definitely be in the low-carb club.

Ingredients:
Rice pasta (ground brown rice, rice bran, water), mushroom broth (water, baked mushrooms, natural flavorings, potato flour, unsalted butter [cream, flavorings], dry whey), mushrooms (portobello, white), pasteurized milk (homogenized milk), onions, corn starch, canola oil, sea salt, natural flavor (maltodextrin, lipolyzed cream), garlic, guar gum, spices.

This product contains milk ingredients. May contain traces of eggs, soy, fish and sesame seeds.

Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: about 1 1/4 cup (300 g)
Servings per container: 1
Calories: 380
Calories from fat: 50
Total fat: 6 g
Sat fat: 1.5 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 5 mg
Sodium: 720 mg
Total carb: 73 g
Dietary fiber: 5 g
Sugars: 1 g
Protein: 8 g

Organic Maca Bar- Maple Chunk Fudge

Moving ever forward on our trek for the best tasting gluten free products, we found Organic Maca bars at the sneaker store.

The Maple Chunk Fudge bar tastes extremely similar to the Cherry Chunk Fudge. It's sweeter, and has sugar-like granules on the top, but otherwise it still has that same dried fruit tang. Don't get me wrong, I love that this bar contains only organic ingredients, but I'm not a huge fan of the taste. I think it's the maca that gives it the rather unexpected aftertaste. Interestingly too, if you squeeze the side of the bar you can see the moisture globules rise to the surface.

This bar is without a doubt superior in its contents- but don't expect it to be the antidote for your chocolate candy bar cravings. Again, it's wonderful on the trail or train, or whenever a quick gluten free pick me up is needed, but it's not my favorite. If I had to pick the cherry over the maple, I'd definitely opt for the cherry- at least it looks and tastes like cherry.

Ingredients:
Organic almond butter, organic agave nectar, organic dates, organic maple chunks, organic raw maca (5000 mg), organic brown rice protein, organic cocoa, organic flax meal, organic almonds, organic vanilla, organic rosemary antioxidant.

Allergy Information:
Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts/treenuts, soy, dairy, wheat and eggs. This product contains almonds.

Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: 1 bar (57 g)
Calories: 230
Calories from fat: 90
Total fat: 10 g
Sat fat: 1 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 10 mg
Potassium: 200 mg
Total Carb: 30 g
Dietary fiber: 6 g
Sugars: 21 g
Protein: 8 g