Be Free For Me Blog

This week’s Friday Favorite is all about spreading gluten-free love. Alouette style.

A longtime favorite, I recently discovered that Alouette Spreadable Cheese not only come in a “light” version (50 calories / 4 g fat per 2 tablespoon serving) but it is also gluten-free.

After this discovery, my first thought was to start spreading this gluten-free love!

This spreadable cheese is perfect on gluten-free crackers, celery and carrot sticks, baked potatoes, and my favorite, used as a spread on a smoked turkey and fresh veggie sandwich, as a replacement for fattening (and boooorrring!) mayonnaise.

The Alouette Light Spreadable Cheese comes in two flavors: Cucumber Dill or Garlic & Herb, (the Garlic & Herb is the one that I LOVE as a sandwich spread).

Great for dipping, as a sandwich spread or even by the spoonful… we think you’ll love this weeks Friday Favorite honoree on BeFreeForMe.com!

Looking for a fun snacking cracker that is gluten-free, nut-free (produced in a nut-free facility) and is packed with real cheese? Then check-out Wellaby’s Grated Parmesan Mini Crackers.

These little crispy disks of cheesiness (they contain 24% real cheese!) taste like Cheez-Its…. Only FAR better and FAR healthier! Did I mention that Wellaby’s Grated Parmesan Mini Crackers also contain No MSG,  zero Trans Fats, are GMO free and contain 4 grams of protein per serving?

Watch out Cheez-Its! You’ve met your healthy cheezy match!

These mini crackers are the perfect size for little kid’s hands, as a quick & easy snack for us big kids, or even as a great topping for a steaming cup of fresh soup or chowders.  The tiny size makes them fun  and flexible when it comes to ways to enjoy them.

If you want to try these crackers, Wellaby’s is offering BeFreeForMe members $1.00 OFF for every box of any product when you use coupon code befreeforme at check-out at their on-line store (until 04/30/11). When you’re on the website also make sure you check out Wellaby’s 3-D snacking sensation, Cheese Ups…. Another fun way to enjoy snacking, and 3-D glasses not required!

Offering good tasting gluten and nut-free crackers, along with their fun mini & 3-D shapes are the reasons why Wellaby’s snack crackers get’s this week’s BeFreeForMe’s Friday Favorite honor!

Snack away!

Looking for a rich and creamy milk alternative that is gluten-free, lactose-free, dairy-free, soy-free and sugar-free? Then try Blue Diamond Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk.

I just tried this Almond Milk about 3 weeks ago, and I have been hooked since. Not watery and not chalky this is the perfect milk alternative for those with special dietary needs.

Made of almonds, Blue Diamond Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk has just a subtle hint of vanilla and is perfect by the glass, over my gluten-free cereal, and even as a creamer in my coffee. And I can’t wait to make a vanilla milkshake using this milk!

And at 40 calories per cup milk, this week’s BeFreeForMe Friday Favorite is a beverage that you can enjoy all day long!

These crispy, tasty cracker-like breads are one of my go-to’s when I need to pack a quick snack or lunch on the go.

Orgran Toasted Multigrain Crispibreads with Quinoa are the perfect size to make mini “sandwiches” filled with cheeses, cold cuts, fresh sliced veggies or smeared with hummus.

I love these gluten-free crispibreads because they are also free of nuts, soy, dairy, egg and yeast… plus they are vegan too.

The gluten-free Orgran Crispibreads get this week’s BeFreeForMe’s Friday Favorite since they are perfect for back-packs, picnics or pick-me-up snacks!

Want to buy? Check out the product on Amazon.com: Orgran Toasted Multigrain Crispibread with Quinoa, 4.4-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)

Fun, Fruity and packed with vitamins the Tasty Brand SuperFruit snacks are a gummy and yummy hit.

I love these snacks since they are made with real fruit juice and contain no high-fructose corn syrup. Plus they are organic,  gluten-free, vegan, fat & cholesterol free and made with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. They come in two types: SuperFruit and Fruit.

The SuperFruit Snack snack-packs contain 70 calories worth of deliciousness – that are far better than any gummy candies or jelly beans. They are perfect as a quick snack at your desk, in the car or for a little pick-me-up as a hold-over until your next meal.

And it seems that I’m not the only one digging these little snacks of delicious goodness: Oprah Winfrey just featured these snacks in her magazine that hit newsstands this week too. Hmmm… I guess great minds think alike!  =)

The healthiness, taste and convenience are the main reasons why Tasty Brand Organic SuperFruit Snacks are this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com.  Found easily on Amazon.com – with FREE SuperSaver Shipping – these snacks are worth every gummy bite! Congratulations!

Get Tasty Brand Organic SuperFruits on Amazon.com (FREE SUPER SAVER SHIPPING!) =)

Here’s the Link to Amazon:
Tasty Brand Organic Fruit Snacks, Mixed Fruit Flavors, 4-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)

I admit it … I am a Beef Jerky Junkie. I just love the stuff. Low fat and high protein all rolled into one. When I’m feeling hungry just one or two strips will do the trick.

Ready-to-eat and never requiring refrigeration, these snacks are great for lunch kits, back-packs and for a quick snack right before, or after, the gym.

But since going gluten-free I discovered that most beef jerky contains gluten. So this jerky-loving gal was so excited when I found Golden Valley Beef Jerky.

The beef jerky comes in five (5) flavors: Original, Terryaki, Bar-B-Que, Sweet & Spicy, and my favorite, Peppered.

Not only is  this jerky gluten-free – it also contains no MSG, preservatives, nitrates or artificial ingredients. They are also dairy-free and, according to their website, meet the requirements of individuals that are allergic to milk proteins or are lactose intolerant. Another added bonus is that they are made with organic beef, which is fed organic feed, and raised without added hormones.

In other words, it’s a beef jerky you can feel good about eating!

NOTE: The Golden Valley Beef Jerky is available to purchase on Amazon with Super-Saver shipping! Here is the link:

Golden Valley Natural Organic Beef Jerky, Original, 3-Ounce Pouches (Pack of 8 Pouches)

For the second week in a row we will stay on the theme of good gluten-free Mexican style foods that can be enjoyed at home, so with that in mind this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe goes to Maria & Ricardo’s Gluten-Free Tortillas.

If you’re craving to make an authentic street vendor style Burrito that is bursting at the seams with grilled chicken, beef, guacamole, beans, rice and chipotle seasoning this gluten-free tortilla is for you!

Being from New England, I grew up on fish & chips from the corner restaurant for a quick and easy meal. I never had a burrito until I visited my older sister in San Francisco while she was attending college.  And this experience was one that I will never forget.

Burritos in San Francisco have a cult-like following. On every street corner in the Mission District, are tiny, family-owned burrito shops, called Taquerias, that make the best burritos in the world. Each burrito made is packed with love and good, fresh food.

These burritos are one of the things I miss the most since going gluten-free.  One of my favorite food-bloggers, Dabney Gough, and also one of my sister’s burrito loving buds from San Francisco, describes the love of burritos the way only a San Franciscan could in this fantastic blog post.

I’ve learned since going gluten-free that you have to take eating Burritos, literally, into your own hands. And this, my fellow burrito loving amigos, is where Maria & Ricardo’s gluten-free tortillas come into play!

The Maria & Ricardo gluten-free tortillas are soft, pliable and the perfect tortilla for making gluten-free burritos, soft tacos, or quesadillas at home. Made with sorghum, potato and tapioca flours, these gluten-free rounds-of-joy are great for stuffing, wrapping and rolling.

Currently available in the frozen department of only a handful of Whole Foods and some smaller supermarkets, the quest for these tortillas are worth the while. I have gone as far to ask my local grocers to carry them – and suggest you do the same.

Good ole’ San Franciscan Taqueria-style burritos made in my own kitchen in the heart of New England is the reason this week’s Friday Favorite honors goes to Maria & Ricardo Gluten-Free Tortillas.

Bueno!

It’s not very often that I can’t stop talking about how good something is as I am eating it, all the while savoring each and every single bite… But the evol Fire Grilled Steak Bowl has me still thinking and talking about my dinner last night.

I love (or spelled backwards – evol – coincidence?) this quick and easy microwavable lunch or dinner… any way you look at it.

Packed with 21 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber this gluten-free meal is “made from scratch deliciousness” just like the packaging says.

At first I was leery. A microwavable meal with beef in it? How would it taste? Would the beef be recognizable? But as soon as I opened up the packaging I could see the real pieces of tender beef – which is antibiotic free, never fed growth hormones and sustainably raised by family farms. The beef tastes exactly like beef I would cook up myself.

The other ingredients in the nutritious evol Fire Grilled Steak Bowl reads like a shoppers list at a Farmer’s Market… Black Beans, Rice, Bell Peppers, Cilantro Lime Pesto, Corn, Monterey Jack Cheese, Lime Juice, Cilantro, Salt & Spices.

In fact, this bowl comes so close to one of my restaurant favorites – Chipotle beef bowls.

Plus, in each package of evol products comes a fun evol sticker that enables you to spread your love of their products. Also, if you save up the UPC codes off the packages you can get a fun evol t-shirt. Looks like my t-shirt will be coming mighty fast!

My love of the fresh taste and convenience are the reasons evol Fire Grilled Steak Bowl get, without a second thought, this week’s BeFreeForMe’s Friday favorite honors! Congratulations!

Gummy vitamins for adults? What’s NOT to love!

This week’s BeFreeForMe’s Friday Favorite is Slice of Life Vitamin’s – gummy vitamins for adults!

I love the Slice of Life Vitamins, made by Hero Nutritionals, because they are easy to take, and taste great. Free of gluten, casein, milk, egg, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, as well as, salt, artificial flavors & colors, and preservatives.

These vitamins come in a few varieties depending on your needs. Some varieties are Vitamin C & Pomegranate, Multi & Lycopene (which is my favorite), Energy & B12, and the newest variety (and one I can’t wait to try) a Vitamin D3 variety.

Hero Nutritional also makes chewy vitamins for teens and kids too. Whoot-woo! What a fantastic product for kids who don’t want to take their vitamins! Say Hello to chewy fun Yummi Bear vitamins & Buh-Bye to begging kids to swallow gigantic vitamins!

The Hero Nutritional vitamins get BeFreeForMe’s Friday Favorite honors because they taste great and are a fun way for you and your family to get your daily dose of vitamins… gluten and allergen free!

With the winter in full swing, and Mother Nature batting 100%, and hitting homerun storms all season long, my skin seems to be getting drier and drier.

Most commercial soaps make my skin feel even drier and itchy, so at a suggestion of a friend I checked out the bar soaps over at Vermont Soap Organics.

Free of artificial colors, fragrances and preservatives, these handmade soaps are super-mild. They are made from a hypo-allergenic base of organic coconut, palm, olive and palm kernel oils, and scented with all-natural essential oils and extracts.

My favorite is the Honey Soap, but I am looking forward to trying the Lavender Swirl and the Citrus Sunrise next (can you tell I’m already thinking SPRING?)

After checking out the Vermont Soap Organics website, I discovered they also make a yoga mat wash, as well as a fruit & veggie wash too. A few other things I think I may try!

All natural, homemade goodness that makes you feel fresh, clean & beautiful – inside and out – are the reasons why this week’s BeFreeForMe Friday Favorite goes to Vermont Soap Organics.