Be Free For Me Blog

Sometimes you have to take a look at the yummy side of life.

That’s what the folks over at Yumnuts did when they developed their line of jumbo dry-roasted cashews that are topped with lip-smacking & finger-lickin’ spices, coatings and seasonings.

Yumnuts are ingenious.

With no added oils, cholesterol, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, trans fat, artificial flavors, or gluten, these snacks are a smart snack; Especially when you are looking for a little sweetness, or spiciness, to kick your mid-day snack up a notch or two.

Most flavored nuts are oiled or battered (i.e. full of gluten), but not Yumnuts. These nuts are handled with care. Slow roasted in small batches. Made with yum in mind.

According to Yumnuts website their motto is: “To get people saying ‘yum’ again.” That’s remembering to laugh, following their passions, enjoying the little things, chasing those dreams. Yup… all the yummy simple things in life.

That is why I am nuts over this WIN-It-Wednesday’s prize: A gift box packed with one of each of the Yumnut Varieties (Chocolate, Honey, Sea Salt, Spicy Cajun, Chili Lime, Toasted Coconut) and a Yumnut tee-shirt.

How can you win?
EASY!

Reply to this blog and tell us how you embrace the “yum” in life (Me? Meeting up with my friends, and vowing we will do it more often… and then we do!)

All winners will be picked at random and must be BeFreeForMe members. Entries must be posted by Sunday, November 8, 2009 at 12:00 Midnight EST.

Be Yummy. Be Nutty. And as always…

Be Free!

Treat or Treat. It’s that time of year again. Candy is on everyone’s mind. But if you or anyone you know, or love, has food allergies or a gluten-intolerance this can be a spooky time of year when it comes to finding allergen and gluten friendly treats.

Thanks to Surf Sweets there’s some fantastic gluten and allergen free candies that are sure to please any allergen-free ghost or gluten-free goblin. Free of artificial sweeteners and flavors, Surf Sweet candies are also free of gluten, made in a nut-free facility, and are also casein free, wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, fish free and shellfish free.

Surf sweets are also different than any other gummy candies and jelly beans because they’re made with natural colors, flavors, organic fruit juice and sweeteners. Another bonus is that they provide your daily allowance of Vitamin C and are one of the only candies made without corn syrup. Surf Sweets also offers some super fun products: Gummy Worms, Sour Bears and Jelly Beans are just a few of the choices. They also offer tons of great Halloween recipes on their website that are fun for the kids to make.

Obviously, this is a Boo-tiful (sorry, I couldn’t resist) sponsor for BeFreeForMe’s Halloween week’s WIN-It-Wednesday. The prize? One BeFreeForme member will win a gift box packed with Surf Sweet products… how sweet is that?

How can you win?
Easy!

Tell us what you, or your kids, will dress-up as for Halloween this year or the best Halloween costume you ever dressed up as or have ever seen. This should be a good one – full of some fun replies – and I can’t wait to read them all! (Me? My best costume ever was a hippy… when I was a little girl for years and years – I loved that navy blue fringed vest!) 

All entries must be received by Sunday, November 1, 2009 at 12:00 Midnight (EST). You must be a BeFreeForMe member to win.

Good Luck, love those gluten and allergen free treats, and as always…

Boo Free!

An English muffin’s creeks and crevices smothered with sweet buttter. The crunchy bite of a bagel, followed by a warm, soft and airy middle. Hot Italian bread dipped in and soaking up fragrant herbed oil. Pizza that I just can’t stop eating… no matter how hard I try.

These were a few of my gluten-free dreams. The little things that most other people take for granted on a daily basis.

Joan’s Great Bakes has made these gluten-free dreams comes true. Joan, who originally developed a line of gluten-free baked goods (which also has many items that are dairy free and soy free) for her gluten free and food intolerant family members, is now sharing her dream-making with folks everywhere. (If you’re not already one – make sure you become a fan of Joan’s Great Bakes, and also BeFreeForMe, on Facebook!)

My favorite Joan’s items are the English muffins and the Italian bread. Why? Because they taste exactly the way I remember them tasting. No difference at all.

That is why I am so glad that Joan’s is this week’s sponsor of BeFreeForMe’s WIN-It-Wednesday! This prize is a dream-come true! They are offering TWO (yes, 2!) BeFreeForMe members a prize package that includes: Gluten/Dairy free Bagels, Gluten/Dairy/Egg free English Muffins and Gluten/Dairy/Egg free Italian Bread.

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us your gluten-free (dairy-free, egg-free, etc.) dreams. (Mine? Every doctor in the world knows what celiac disease is, recognizes the diverse symptoms it can cause, and diagnosis patients quickly & efficiently). Winners are picked at random and entries must be received by Sunday, 10/25/09 at 12:00 midnight EST.

Good luck… Dream away, and as always…

Be Free!

I am so excited that Glutino Foods is this weeks WIN-It-Wednesday sponsor since they are one of my all-time favorite gluten-free brands!

Not only are the Glutino products delicious, they are also a brand that I can count on. All the Glutino products are gluten-free and the most can be found in traditional grocery stores – which means less time running around to specialty or natural food stores! Glutino makes my life so much easier!

Plus the variety of products that Glutino offers is exceptional. They seem to make it all, from cookies, breads, bagels, pancake mixes, muffin mixes, frozen pizzas and convenient pasta dishes.

My favorite is the gluten-free pretzels that I dip in tangy honey mustard, but I also love the convenience of the gluten-free meals when I am on-the-go.

Glutino products can also be used as ingredients in favorite gluten-free recipes too. I use Glutino crackers in baked stuffed shrimp or chicken nuggets; and the Glutino cookies in pie crusts or dessert bars.

Glutino Foods is offering one BeFreeForMe member a gift box packed with a variety of Glutino products… this is a $50-$75 valued prize!

How can you WIN? Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us how you make the gluten-free diet easy (Me? I make sure I arm myself with a shopping list and coupons before I hit the grocery store aisles!).

One LUCKY winner will be chosen at random. The winner must be a BeFreeForMe member and all entries must be received by Sunday, October 18, 2009 at 12:00 midnight EST.

Good Luck, Go Easy… and as always…

Be Free!

P.S. Also… don’t forget to use coupon code BEFREE at check out on GlutenFree.com to get $5 OFF when you buy $25 or more in Glutino products! Offer expires 10/31/09!

This weeks WIN-It-Wednesday is Jessica’s Granola, a great tasting gluten-free granola that is made with certified gluten-free oats, other high quality ingredients and lots of passion and love!

I had the chance to meet Jessica at the Gluten Free Culinary Summit that took place in Providence, Rhode Island just over a year ago. Jessica had traveled far from her home state of Michigan to find out more about gluten-free cooking and baking, but she also found many friends there as well. Jessica and I hit it off immediately and since our meeting that September day a year ago, we have been keeping in touch and following each others progress in our business endeavors.

That is why I am thrilled that Jessica, this spirited entrepreneur that manufacturers a phenomenal granola is this week’s sponsor of BeFreeForMe’s WIN-It-Wednesday.

All granolas are made with no trans fat, cholesterol or preservatives. The product is also made in a designated gluten-free area of a facility using dedicated gluten-free equipment. The oven is brand new and has only been used to bake gluten-free products. There are no wheat, barley or rye flours stored on premise.

Jessica’s Granola comes in three varieties: Almond Cherry, for a fruit burst; Vanilla Maple, for a comforting morning lift; and Chocolate Chip for a sweetness that is just as good in the morning as it is for a mid-afternoon snack.

And as a special offer (until 10/31/09) Jessica’s Granola is offering a sample pack which contain three 12-ounce bags – one of each flavor! They also have a $5 flat rate shipping for all orders within the contiguous United States.

Jessica’s Granola is offering TWO (Yes – 2!) LUCKY BeFreeForMe members a chance to win a choice of any two 12-ounce bags of granola (Flavors of the winners choice!).

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us what starts your day with a bounce in your step & smile on your face (Me? Watching Sadie, my incredibly sweet boxer, do her wiggle dance)! Winners must be BeFreeForMe members and all entries must be received by Sunday, October 11th at 12:00 PM midnight EST.

Happy Mornings, and as always!

Be Free!

Some things in life are meant to be shared… A big bucket of popcorn, a chocolate bar, a batch of cookies, or a handful of brightly colored, sweet jelly beans.

Yup – these are the sweet things in life. The things that are meant to be divvied up amongst family & friends.

That’s why I’m so excited to share the news about Divvies. They make popcorn, cookies, chocolate bars, novelty candies and baking chips – all Nut, Egg and Dairy Free!

All of Divvies products are just screaming out to be shared! With a smile on my face, I enjoyed all the gluten-free products that Divvies sent my way – and then I got second smile after seeing the beams on the faces with those I shared with.  Sharing with Divvies gives the old adage, “One for you, two for me…” a whole new meaning.

I love the 3-gallon and 5-gallon popcorn bins – they are just the right size to feed a crowd, like a bunch of teenagers at a sleep-over, or a birthday party for a troop of little ones. The popcorn bins also come complete with scoop (no worries about dirty little fingers!) and individual festive bags for everyone that is sharing in on the treat.

Another one of my favorites from Divvies are the fun chocolates. Anyone that knows me, especially my sisters, recognize that I am a stickler when it comes to sharing my chocolate bars. That’s why the portion breaks on the Divvie’s bars made me smile with chocolate-glee! Two-thirds for me… One-third for you!

With Divvies the allergen-free everywhere can sit back and enjoy worry-free. All of Divvies cookies, popcorn and cupcakes (not including sprinkles and frosting) are made in the company’s-own dedicated facility where no peanuts, tree nuts, milk or eggs enter the doors. And Divvies uses ingredients that are certified allergen-free. Divvies candies, frosting, and sprinkles are certified by their manufacturers to be peanut-, tree nut-, milk-, egg-free, and sesame-free and are packaged in Divvies Bakery. Divvies conducts routine testing to minimize the risk of any cross-contamination in their certified allergen-free ingredients.

Items that are gluten-free include the chocolate bars, chocolate baking chips, novelty candies and two types of the popcorn (Kettle Corn & Carmel). Please note however that the Divvies products are not manufactured in a designated gluten-free facility.

Divvies is sponsoring this week’s BeFreeForMe WIN-IT-Wednesday. They are offering prizes to TWO (yes…2!) LUCKY WINNERS! The first prize is a S’morg gift box* that is all wrapped-up pretty with a big bow and jammed packed with chocolate caramel popcorn, caramel popcorn, a Divvine Chocolate BingGo bar, a peppermint & chocolate BingGo bar, super stars gummy candies, blue rock candy, and five two-packs of chocolate chip cookies. The second prize is a 3-gallon tub of the popcorn of the winner’s choice (Kettle Corn, Carmel or Chocolate Carmel)!

How can you WIN!

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us how you share every day in your life. (Me? I share my thoughts on this blog, my smiles to strangers on my daily walks, and hugs to the ones I love). All entries must be received by 12:00 midnight EST on Sunday, October 4, 2009.

Good luck, share daily… and as always…

Be Free!
Kathleen

* Please note that all items in this prize package are not gluten-free! So, if you win, and are on a gluten-free diet, you’ll have to divvie it up between all of your food allergic buds!

This week we are revisiting one of the most popular WIN-It-Wednesday’s yet!

The reason NuGO Free bars are so popular is that they are gluten free, soy free and dairy free – yet still taste like a real treat!

We all know that bars are a stand-by snack for those on a gluten-free diet, or with special dietary requirements or allergens, and NuGo Free’s certified gluten free bars are one of my favorites.

With tons of fiber (5 grams per bar), protein (10 grams per bar) and healthy ingredients, NuGo Free bars are delicious & nourishing. But what it truly amazing is that the NuGo Bars are ONLY 3 points for those watching their weight!

My favorite flavors are the Carrot Cake which is perfect for a breakfast on the run; Dark Chocolate Trail Mix, a perfect afternoon snack; and Dark Chocolate Crunch, just as yummy as any dessert.

NuGO Free bars are also 100% natural, vegan, OU Pareve plus layered with luscious, REAL dark chocolate (Say YUM!) or drizzled with a touch of sweet icing. 

NuGo wants to give away a mixed box (12 bars) of their NuGo Free bars to a LUCKY BeFreeForMe MEMBER! (Note: You must be a BeFreeForMe member to win!)

How can you win?

Easy!

Tell us what makes you feel… FREE! (What makes me feel free? Being able to laugh at myself for some of the silly things I admittedly do!)

Good Luck, Be Silly once in awhile,  and as always…

Be Free!
Kathleen

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and funding for celiac disease that will advance research, education and screening amongst medical professionals, children, and adults on a gluten free diet.

I had the pleasure of meeting Alice Bast, the Executive Director of the NFCA, and her team last fall at a seminar that educated pharmacists about gluten; specifically, what gluten is and how it can be hidden in different OTC and prescription medicines.

When I first met Alice and her team I couldn’t help but notice they shared my enthusiasm on educating everybody (and anybody!) about celiac disease and making sure celiacs everywhere have the tools to live a happy and healthy life… gluten-free.

If you haven’t checked it out yet, or you haven’t visited in some time, visit the NFCA website. It’s new design is user friendly, and full of information for those just starting out on a gluten-free diet, as well as the seasoned gluten-free’er.

My favorite sections of the NFCA website? The Resource section which has support for patients and their families, food & recipes, plus more. Another section to explorer is the News section which showcases a “recipe of the week”, videos and current news and articles on celiac disease. And last, while you’re at it, check out the Events section of the NFCA website to see if there are any support meetings or fundraisers in your area that may be of interest to you – after all sharing with each other is crucial in learning more about the celiac lifestyle and supporting each other.

For this weeks WIN-It-Wednesday, the NFCA has graciously offered five (YES 5!) Goodie Bags full of fun NFCA goodies! Contents of the goodie bag may include such items as celiac logoed coffee mugs, sticky notes, and celiac awareness ribbon magnets (I have one on the back of my car showing I am a supporter of celiac disease awareness!). Also included with the fun little goodies will be a book, either a gluten-free cookbook OR an educational resource book on celiac disease, the winners can pick which type of book they would like.

How can you win?

EASY!

Reply to this blog and ask one questions about celiac disease / the gluten free diet that you need to know OR share one pointer/tip you would give someone who just got diagnosed with celiac disease today. (Mine? Try to “embrace” the gluten-free lifestyle… really wrap your arms around it and learn as much as you can, and make sure you have fantastic fun trying new foods you never knew existed!)

Five randomly picked winners will be chosen as winners. All entries must be posted by Sunday, 09/19/09 at 12:00 Midnight EST.

Good luck! And as always…

Be Free!
Kathleen

This week’s WIN-It-Wednesday is a re-run of one of the most popular WIN-It-Wednesday’s to date! GLEE GUM!

Just like a re-run of your favorite TV show that always puts a smile on your face… this re-run of Glee Gum is bound to do the same!

Glee Gum is full of flavor (They come in six varieties: Tangerine, Triple Berry, Peppermint, Cinnamon, Bubblegum and Spearmint) yet it is free of gluten, dairy, soy and nuts. It also has no preservatives, artificial flavors, artificial colors or artificial sweeteners. Glee Gum is the only gum made the old fashioned way, with chicle, a unique gum base which helps preserve the rainforest, not the synthetic stuff most gums are made with these days. Even the boxes are “green” made from 100% biodegradable, recycled cardboard.
Gum is just fun, and so were the responses that we received the last run of this Glee Gum giveaway.

We simply asked “what little thing made you happy today”.  The responses were overwhelming and enlightening.

And every single one of them put a smile on my face. 

How Can You Win?
So once again… in order to WIN, reply to this blog and tell us what little thing made you happy today. (Me? A delicious specially made gluten free dinner waiting for me when I get home from work).

What Will You Win?
We will randomly pick one blog entry to win the following prize: One Mini Glee Variety packs (21 delicious Mini Glee Gum packs in kid-friendly Tangerine, Triple Berry and Bubblegum flavors).  Deadline to enter is Sunday, September 12, 2009 at 12 midnight EST

Be Happy. Be Free… and Good Luck!

NOTE: The folks over at Glee Gum have also offered ALL BeFreeForMe members a Buy One – Get One FREE Coupon for the Glee gum! Click the link to get yours today!

For those of you looking to find an allergen free food shop, that has personal and customized food options, look no further. Navan Foods is the place to find one-on-one individual service that is a friendly resource and one-stop shop.

Navan Foods has helped me, and BeFreeForMe members find those hard-to-find allergen free items. Two weeks ago, Jill, a BeFreeForMe member contacted me wondering if I knew of any corn free confectionary sugars, and where she could buy it. Jill needed the sugar to make the frosting for her wedding cake.

Without ado, I contacted Jennifer Elizondo, the owner of Navan Foods, and asked her to assist in helping this corn-free-frosting-seeking bride. Within 12 hours, Jennifer had contacted Jill and hooked her up with a corn-free confectionary sugar.

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.

The icons represent products that are free of certain allergens (gluten, egg, soy, dairy, corn, etc.), specialty diets (vegan, organic, kosher, diabetic friendly, etc.) as well as icons representing healthy options (low fat, low cholesterol, low sodium and sugar free).

Navan Foods is sponsoring this week’s WIN-It-Wednesday and is offering TWO Lucky BeFreeForMe members a $20 gift certificate, PLUS free shipping!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us the one thing that you are glad you found that is gluten / allergen free (Me? Glutino gluten free pretzels!) or wish you could find (Me? Gluten free red licorice).

 Entries must be received by Sunday, September 6, 2009 at 12:00 midnight EST.

Good Luck… and as always…

Be Free!