Be Free For Me Blog

After getting diagnosed with celiac disease I had tons of questions. Some of the questions I “figured out” for myself by searching the internet and reading books, such as the Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide, written by Shelley Case.

But another fantastic way to learn more about the gluten-free diet – from the basics of celiac disease, ways to manage a new diagnosis, ideas for new & fresh menu ideas, or to get the comradely support that we all need to get by on a day-to-day basis – is to share and have conversations with others that live the gluten-free lifestyle.

Tonight riceworks Brown Rice Crisps and GlutenFreeSnacksForMe.com hosted a webinar which was one of those fantastic sharing opportunities. Celiacs across North America where able to share, learn, but most important, discover how other celiacs can be one of the greatest resources of support.

For those of you who are not familiar, a webinar is a discussion conducted via the telephone &/or computer during which previously emailed questions are answered. Easy. Convenient. Informative.

BeFreeForMe is thrilled to sponsoring this webinar series since Shelley’s book a “Gluten Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide” has been my bible since I was diagnosed with celiac disease years ago. Shelley’s knowledge about celiac disease, real-life solutions to the obstacles I’ve faced, and her no-nonsense approach to explaining the ins-and-outs of the gluten-free diet has made her book the go-to with all my gluten-free questions.

And to think we can all have Shelley’s (who is also a registered dietician!) one-on-one’s attention to answer all of our questions “in person” is so very awesome! If you missed tonight’s webinar, or you attended and want more, sign-up for the next two webinars that are coming up . Shelley will be featured in another live webinar next week, on Tuesday, June 22 and Dr. Daniel Leffler, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Division of Gastroenterology at BIDMC, who has just launched his book Real Life with Celiac Disease will be featured in a live webinar on Tuesday, July 13.

Note: If you missed any of these webinars you can listen to them by logging onto: www.glutenfreesnacksforme.com

Shelley has been generous enough to donate copies of her best selling books, “Gluten Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide” for the next TWO week’s WIN-It-Wednesday giveaways. SIX (Yes 6!) Lucky BeFreeForMe members will win a copy of Shelley’s book.

NOTE: This is a two-week long promotion. Three winners will be picked each week, so make sure you enter once each week! All entries must be received by Tuesday, June 22nd for the first week’s drawing and all entries must be received by Tuesday, June 29th for the second week’s drawing.

How can You WIN?
Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us if you could ask Shelley Case or Dr. Daniel Leffler ANY question about celiac disease or the gluten-free diet what would your question be?

REMEMBER… replying to this blog DOES NOT register you to the webinars! You must click on the link below to register (and ask your question to Shelley).

Register Me For Shelley Case’s or Dr. Daniel Leffler’s Webinars!
 

I look forward to “seeing you all” and hearing our questions answered by Shelley & Dr. Leffler during the teleseminars on June 22 and July 13!

Be curious, Ask Questions and, as always…

Be Free!

When you have celiac disease or food allergies it can be a challenge to pack healthy, nutritious and satisfying meals-on-the-go everyday. Throw into the mix what type of container to put it in and the hassle of mealtime packing can make any morning an unbelievably stressful one.

This is why I was so glad to find (and may I add, use daily) Fit & Fresh containers. These convenient transportable lunch containers not only keep my cereal, sandwiches, salads and snacks safe & secure, they also keep them nice & cool on these warm summer days. The best part about these containers are they contain removable ice packs to keep my food fresh and chilled until mealtime!

Ingenious! Clever! A must-have for any gluten-free gal like me!

These containers are tough too. Sturdy, freezer-safe, easy to clean (dishwasher top-shelf safe) and also microwavable… which is important when I need to heat leftovers. (Plus, they’re BPA free).

One of the lunch kits that Fit & Fresh offers is perfect for any type of lunch or snack… the Healthy Food Combo Pack. It contains a Lunch-on the-Go, which holds a sandwich or entrée, plus two side dishes or snacks; a Salad Shaker, for those days you want to bring a salad on the go, which is equipped with a separate salad dressing dispenser; plus a Chilled Shaker, that is perfect for my breakfast fruit & flax seed smoothie!

Kid’s also love these lunch kits too. Perfect for summer camp, long car rides or school lunches, these lunch kits come in the perfect size for kid-sized meals and kid-approved colors! The best part is that Fit & Fresh is coming out with a brand new kid’s lunch set for back-to-school. This kit (which will be available to purchase in the next week or two) contains a hot lunch container, which is fantastic for keeping almost any food warm until lunchtime and contains a unique re-usable spoon that snaps into the lid (can you say… no more lost silverware?); a Lunch POD for any sandwich; plus two smart portion 2-cup containers and two smart portion 1-cup containers, for a variety of sides, veggies, hummus, dips, puddings, jello – or anything that needs to be kept cool. What kid can resist a healthy gluten or allergen free lunches when they’re packed in such cool containers?

Whew! Just writing this has started me thinking about the rest of this week’s lunches!

Some of my other favorites from Fit & Fresh are the Fruit & Veggie Bowl (a favorite for bringing to the beach) and my Breakfast Chiller (Gluten free granola, milk and a fruit topping on the run? It’s not just a dream anymore! See the picture of this breakfast lovin’ tote at the top of this blog post.)

Quick & easy healthy lunches, cool colors, snap-in ice packs & making our gluten & allergen free lives easier are all of the fantastic reasons why I am so excited that Fit & Fresh is this week’s WIN-It-Wednesday sponsor on BeFreeForMe.com!

FIVE (yes…you read it right 5!) lucky BeFreeForMe members will win a prize pack that includes one (1) adult Healthy Food Combo Pack and one (1) brand new Kid’s Healthy Lunch Set (this set is so new it isn’t even on the Fit & Fresh website yet)! Each prize is valued just about $42.00!

How can you win?

Easy?

Reply to this blog and tell us your fresh idea for eating healthy (Me? I incorporate milled flax seed into my breakfast yogurt or smoothie in the morning for an extra protein boost!). All entries must be received by Tuesday, June 15th at 12:00 midnight EST.

Good luck… Always, always stay a little fresh… do your best to be fit… and as always…

Be Free!

I love my snacks! That’s why we decided to continue on with the snacking theme of our WIN-It-Wednesday’s and feature another one of my favorite snack options… Green Mountain Gringo Salsa and Strips.

I have been a fan of Green Mountain Gringo products for about 15 years now… years before I was diagnosed with celiac disease, and started on the gluten-free diet. I love Green Mountain Gringo because of the fresh-homemade taste and ingredients that are used in all of their products. Green Mountain Gringo products are also all natural, gluten free, cholesterol free, and contain no GMO’s.

When you dive into a jar of Green Mountain Salsa you submerge with fresh, chunks of vegetables – tomatoes, peppers, onions, and chilies. The ingredient list on this salsa reads like a handwritten shopping list: Ripe Tomatoes, Fresh Onions, Fresh Tomatillos, Fresh Jalapeño Peppers, Fresh Pasilla Peppers, Apple Cider Vinegar, Fresh Cilantro, Fresh Parsley, Fresh Garlic, Sea Salt, Spices.

Nothing fake. Nothing artificial. Nothing that makes you scared to eat the whole jar in one sitting!

The salsa comes in the traditional Mild, Medium, and Hot; as well as, Roasted Chili  and Roasted Garlic .

And the Green Mountain Tortilla Strips… they are the perfect vehicle of crunch to transport this fabulous salsa. The Green Mountain Gringo website illustrates these strips as, “…A solid rectangle of pure leverage makes it stable enough for the most aggressive of dippers. Either end features an ergonomic handle allowing even the ”power dipper” an enjoyable experience. Sturdy and dependable, they won’t break short of your expectations.”

My favorite is the Original strip which is made from 100% masa harina corn flour, cooked in all natural canola oil and topped with a pinch of salt. Dipping perfection! The strips also come in Blue Corn and White Corn. Take your pick of the three… they’re all delicious.

Pure and natural snacking heaven is why I am so very excited that Green Mountain Gringo Salas and Tortilla Strips are this week’s BeFreeForMe’s WIN-It-Wednesday sponsor. SIX (Yes 6!) Lucky BeFreeForMe members will win a sample pack containing a jar of each of the Mild, Medium and Hot Salsas, two (2) full size packages of the Original Tortilla Strips, and a bunch of fun Green Mountain Gringo giveaways like t-shirts, magnets and chip clips.

NOTE: This is a two-week long promotion. Three winners will be picked each week, so make sure you enter once each week! All entries must be received by Tuesday, June 1st for the first week’s drawing and all entries must be received by Tuesday, June 8th for the second week’s drawing.

How can you WIN?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us if you’re a mild, medium or hot type of salsa person! (Me? I’m a medium type of gal!) Also, include any creative ways you can think of for using salsa or tortilla strips (Me? I use tortilla strips for “breading” on chicken and fish!)

Good Luck, Enjoy the mild, medium and hot days of your life… and as always,

Be Free!

This week’s WIN-It-Wednesday is sponsored by a company that believes in good food – and their name reflects their commitment… Food Should Taste Good!

If you’re not yet familiar with the products that Food Should Taste Good offers you must check out their website and give their chips a try.

All of the fabulous chip flavors that Food Should Taste Good offers are packed with unique and sophisticated ingredients. The variety of flavors… from sweet, to spicy, to savory… makes snack time a fun time! These wholesome flavorful chips, made with all natural ingredients, capture the great flavors by cooking them INSIDE their chips. Ingenious!

 Some of the more interesting chip flavors that Food Should Taste Good offers are: Olive (perfect with tapenades), Chocolate (smothered in apple sauce or cinnamon cream cheese), Lime (guacamole anyone?), The Works (the ultimate dipper… hummus? sour cream? the kitchen sink?) and, my favorite… Sweet Potato (eaten plain or crumbled on top of a fresh garden salad).

Besides the knock your socks off varieties, that pair well with all kinds of dips, spreads and tapenades, Food Should Taste Good is also certified gluten free, dairy/lactose free (all flavors – except for the cheddar!), cholesterol and trans fat free, MSG free and also made with non- genetically modified ingredients. Plus, all the chips are certified vegan (except for the cheddar).

Good taste, good variety, good for you, and just plain old good ingredients, are all the good reasons why I am so excited that Food Should Taste Good is this week’s WIN-It-Wednesday giveaway on BeFreeForMe.com. Two (Yes 2!) LUCKY BeFreeForMe members will win a Food Should Taste Good reusable shopping bag jam packed with a variety of Food Should Taste Good chips, t-shirts, notepads and other good goodies!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us your favorite Food Should Taste Good variety or the flavor you would like to try most. I know… it sound too good to be true!

All entries must be received by Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at 12:00 midnight EST.

Good luck, Be good…. And as always,

Be Free!

 Every week BeFreeForMe members contact me and ask if I know of any breakfast ideas that are gluten, dairy and casein free; that taste good; that they can feel good about eating; and most sought after, will keep them filled-up and satisfied until lunch time.

That is why I was thrilled when the good folks over at Bakery on Main contacted me several months ago and let me know they had a new breakfast granola in the making that had a powerful secret…. FIBER!

Made with whole grain gluten-free oats and free of cholesterol and Trans fat, this low sodium gluten, dairy & casein free cereal is my new secret breakfast weapon… Bakery on Main Fiber Power Granola. 

I love that this granola has 9 grams of fiber and is still low in fat. It is perfect stirred up in my favorite fat-free Greek yogurt or eaten by the handful for a breakfast or snack on the run. It comes in two flavors Triple Berry and Cinnamon Raisin.

Michael Smulder’s, the founder of Bakery on Main, started his company with the mission to, “…create products that are good for those of a gluten-free diet, but taste like they aren’t.” I like this man’s philosophy!

In the past, Bakery on Main invited BeFreeForMe members to sign-up for their monthly savings newsletter to get the most updated coupons & specials, as well as a FREE downloadable $1.50 OFF Coupon. If you haven’t done so yet, make sure you sign up to get this coupon soon… availability may be limited!

And lucky us… Bakery on Main has also graciously offered to sponsor this weeks WIN-It-Wednesday on BeFreeForMe.com!

Two (yes 2!) LUCKY BeFreeForMe members will receive a Bakery on Main tote bag made from 100% recycled materials, filled with 1 of each full-sized Bakery On Main products… That’s 10 items total!

How can you win?
Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us how you take “power” of your gluten-free or allergen-free lifestyle. (Me? I concentrate on the things I can eat and try to find new and interesting recipes ideas for them all!)

All entries must be received by Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 12:00 Midnight EST.

Good Luck, Keep strong and powerful… and as always,

Be Free!

Kettle Cuisine Soups are some of my favorites. That why I was delighted to hear that their Tomato Soup with Garden Vegetables has received accolades from Vegetarian Times Magazine and has been nominated for the 2010 Foodie Awards!

Now the voting begins for the winners!

For years Kettle Cuisine has been making all natural soups that are full of fresh and healthy ingredients. Gluten-free is a way of life for the folks over at Kettle Cuisine since the founder’s (Jerry & Lorna) daughter, Kate, has been diagnosed with celiac disease for several years.

And if you have yet to try these soups, you need to give them a try. Kettle Cuisine soups are made just the way you or I would make them at home… with no shortcuts, no artificial ingredients. All ten varieties of Kettle Cuisine soups are gluten-free, and several are also dairy-free, low-fat and vegetarian too. Kettle Cuisine does not have that tin-canny mass-produced taste that many soups out there have. Kettle Cuisine is just good old fashioned soup – made the way we would ourselves.

I think it would be so very, very awesome if Kettle Cuisine wins the Vegetarian Times 2010 Foodie Award! Kettle Cuisine has been so supportive of the gluten-free and the food allergic communities. It would be great to see such a strong supporter of our communities win this ever prestigious award!

Soooo, I am asking every BeFreeForMe members to log on to VOTE for Kettle Cuisine! How can you vote? Easy…

• Click on this link http://www.vegetariantimes.com/2010foodieawards
• Scroll down, enter your name and email address
• You can then cast your vote in as many categories as you choose but be sure to answer question 21 and pick Kettle Cuisine!
• Click submit.
• Forward this email to friends and family and ask them to vote too.
• Remember… You only have until June 9th to vote.

PLUS – This week Kettle Cuisine is offering five (Yes, 5!) LUCKY BeFreeForMe members a FREE Coupon for the Kettle Cuisine Soup of your choice!

How can you WIN?
Easy!

Reply to this blog, and let us know which Kettle Cuisine Soup variety is your favorite, or one you would like to try the most.

Remember, all replies for the WIN-It-Wednesday must be received by 12:00 midnight EST on Tuesday, May 11, 2010.

Good Luck, May both YOU and Kettle Cuisine WIN!… and as always,

Be Free!

This week’s WIN-It-Wednesday is all about convenience. Ways to simplify our crazy busy days and make things less complicate, easier to navigate and give us some extra free time.

The week’s Win-It-Wednesday sponsors are Navan Foods, an allergen free food shop, that has personal and customized food options; and Sabine’s Cuisine, a personal chef service that specializes in gluten and allergen free meal planning, shopping and preparation.

Navan Foods is the place to find one-on-one individual service that is a friendly resource and one-stop shop. So many times in the past Jennifer Elizondo, the owner of Navan Foods, has helped me, and BeFreeForMe members find those hard-to-find allergen free items. Jennifer loves what she does and is so very helpful. She even helped a BeFreeForMe member find a corn free confectionary sugar, that was needed to make the frosting for her dream wedding cake.

How’s that for frosting-on-the-cake customer service?

Another reason I like Navan Foods is the icon guide that effortlessly navigates you through the site. The icons make shopping for special diets easier. Navan does the hard work and determines what products are free of what allergens by contacting the manufacturer and asking them a series of questions about their products ingredients and their manufacturing facilities. Her prices are good too. One of the specials on the site now is a box of 5.25 ounce Lucy’s Cookies for $3.79. A fantastic deal for these gluten, egg, nut & peanut free cookies! (Note: This offer ends on May 7th, 2010).

Sabine’s Cuisine is headed up by Sabine St. Pierre, a former school teacher turned gourmet chef that specializes in gluten free / allergen free cooking. What I like the best about Sabine’s service is her customized menu planning based upon allergies & intolerances, as well as the way she incorporates one item into numerous weekly recipes. This keeps the cost of my grocery bills down and the variety of my meals up!

Navan Foods and Sabine’s Cuisine, the sponsors of this week’s WIN-It-Wednesday, are offering a prize package that will make life much simpler for TWO Lucky BeFreeForMe members. The prize package consists of a $20 gift certificate (PLUS free shipping!) from Navan Foods; plus a phone consultation to discuss your families allergens & special dietary requirements, followed by a customized selection of recipes and a shopping list for a week’s worth of meals (5 dinners) from Sabine’s Cuisine! This prize package has a value of over $100.00 each!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us how you make your life simpler (Me? I bought a Brother’s P-Touch labeler and have labeled all the Tupperware canisters in my pantry… no more searching!) OR tell us why your chaotic life is most deserving of this gift card / meal planning combo prize!

Winners must be BeFreeForMe members and will be picked randomly. Entries must be received by Tuesday, May 4, 2010 at 12:00 midnight EST.

Good Luck… keep things simple, and as always…

Be Free!

I’m really excited to report that Attune Probiotic Chocolate Bars is BACK as being this week’s sponsor of BeFreeForMe’s WIN-It-Wednesday. This WIN-It-Wednesday was one of the most popular ever… and no wonder… these bars not only taste good, but they are good for you too!

After getting diagnosed with celiac disease I have become extra diligent about my overall health. The day after my diagnosis I decided to embrace the gluten-free diet and use it as a starting point of living a healthier and happier life. This is why I love finding products that are a healthier alternative to foods I enjoy the most…  and chocolate is at the top of this list!

The secret behind the rich, chocolaty Attune bars is that they are packed with probiotics. And in case you’re wondering, probiotics protects our bodies from harmful bacteria, strengthens our intestinal walls and helps digest fiber in our diets, so that we are able to absorb the nutrients in the foods that we eat. So, basically, these are chocolate bars that are good for you… Yes, a dream comes true!

The gluten-free Attune bars come in four different flavors: Dark Chocolate (which is my favorite), Milk Chocolate Crisp, Mint Chocolate and Blueberry Vanilla.

Attune bars are a perfect snack to get your digestive tract on the right track – especially for those folks, like celiacs, that are concerned about overall digestive health. Plus, Attune Foods is a proud sponsor of The Celiac Disease Foundation and is committed to educating consumers & raising awareness about celiac disease and how it affects overall digestive health. Attune Bars are not only good for celiacs, but they are doing good for us too.

Just in time for getting healthy and fit for the upcoming summer months (did I mention these bars are only 80 to 90 calories each?), Attune Foods is offering FIVE (yes, 5!) LUCKY BeFreeForMe members a months supply of Attune gluten-free probiotic bars!

How can you WIN?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us what you are doing to get healthy and fit this spring (Me? After watching the start of the Boston Marathon yesterday I am inspired to run a 5K or road race this year. Training… here I come!) 

You must reply to this blog by Tuesday, April 27, 2010 by 12 midnight (EST) for a chance to win.

Good Luck, Stay Healthy… and as always,

Be Free!

Since we had such a tremendous response to the Finishing Salt WIN-It-Wednesday last week, BeFreeForMe staffers decided to keep up the theme on flavorful cooking for this week too!

The sponsor of this week’s WIN-It-Wednesday is Marconi Infused Oils. These oils are one of my all time favorites to cook with and they have been for many years. Why? They are a perfect f”lavor-picker-upper”.

As mentioned in past blogs, food can be crazy fun because of these infused oils! I use them on everything, from grilled chicken, fish and white rice. (Some great recipes using Marconi Infused Oils can be found on BeFreeForMe and include: Rosemary Infused Roasted Chicken, Shrimp and Pepper Rosemary Skewers and Sauteed Broccoli and Feta with Jalapeno Olives).

But my preferred and most ingenious use of these infused olive oils is as an all-time stand-by salad dressing on the run…I actually keep one of the small sample pack sizes in my purse! (Note: A sample pack of 3 only cost $4.50 through the Marconi website!)

The Marconi Infused Oils come in six (6) varieties:
• Marconi GARLIC Infused Oil
• Marconi BASIL Infused Oil
• Marconi OREGANO Infused Oil
• Marconi ROSEMARY Infused Oil
• Marconi JALAPENO Infused Oil
• Marconi DIPPING Oil

Being an all-time fan makes it a pleasure for me to pick 7 (yes… SEVEN!) lucky BeFreeForMe members to receive a FREE coupon for any one Marconi Oil item of their choice at their local grocer (up to a $40 value!).

How can you WIN?
Easy!

Just reply to this blog and let me know which Marconi infused oil you would most like to try. Also, feel free to share and let the rest of us know how you like to use olive oil in your recipes / cooking too! (Me? I like to use the Basil Infused Oil drizzled over garden fresh tomatoes, basil leaves & goat milk mozzarella).

All entries must be received by Tuesday, April 20th at 12:00 Midnight EST.

Good Luck, Infuse flavor into your life daily… and as always…

Be Free!

I’ve been told by many that cooking gluten and allergen free is boring and bland. For those of you in this vanilla-frame-of-mind, I invite you to give Didi Davis Foods Blended Finishing Salts a shake. 

Created from Flor de Sal (a moist Portuguese sea salt) and fresh herbs, these salt blends add flare, crunch and piazza to any fresh and cooked gluten and allergen free dishes.

I love using natural sea salt on my foods, because of it’s briny, strong and earthy taste compared to regular white table salt. Plus, because of the fuller flavor in sea salt, I use way less salt in my dishes as well. 

Didi Davis’ finishing salts can work wonders on any dish. One small sprinkle can craft even the most novice cook into a gourmet chef.  For recipe and usage ideas you can also check out Didi Davis Food blog, appropriately named, The Salty Dog blog.

Some of the blends that these finishing salts come in are: Fennel Thyme Salt, which is great on oven poached salmon; Porcini Salt, wonderful used in gluten-free broths and gravies; Sagemary Salt, a blend of sage & rosemary and my personal favorite; Caraway Salt, perfect accompanied over sweet Italian sausage tossed with olive oil over penne pasta; Vanilla Salt, a sweet addition when speckled over in-season buttered corn-on-the-cob; Sumac Pepper Salt, ideal as a topping for fresh seasonal steamed vegetables; Aleppo Chile Salt, to flavor for chili and tacos, and Smoked Spicy Paprika Salt, great over smoked beef and charcoal grilled burgers.

All these fabulous salt blend creations are why I am so very excited that DiDi Davis’ Foods is this weeks WIN-It-Wednesday sponsor.

Two (Yes 2!) Lucky BeFreeForMe members will win a Didi Davis Food Salt Blend Collection, which consists of a sampler pack of the eight salt blends listed above.

How can you WIN?
Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us which of the salt blends listed above sound the best to you… as well as how you would use it. (Me? I would love to try the Vanilla salt over Green Bean Almondine, or the Aleppo Chile Salt in Bloody Marys!). All entries must be received by Tuesday, April 13th at 12:00 midnight EST.  

Good Luck, remember to add lots of spice into your lives (and cooking!), and, as always…

Be Free!