Be Free For Me Blog

I love snacking! But sometimes finding a really (and I mean REALLY!) good gluten-free snack can be tough. But now, my friends, we are all in luck!

If you love a crunchy & tasty snack mix that is gluten-free and full of flavor, the folks over at Bakery on Main have nailed it with their Nut Crunch Snack Mix!

These on-the-go, portable snacks come in five flavors: Original, Maple Vanilla, Chocolate Orange, Chocolate, and my favorite the Blueberry Cobbler.

And, lucky for us, as well as being certified gluten, dairy & casein free, these bars are also free of GMOs, trans fat and cholesterol. They are also low sodium.

Two (2) lucky winners will each receive a bag of the Bakery On Main Blueberry Cobbler Nut Crunch (My favorite!). One (1) winner will be randomly selected from all comments/entries received before Tuesday, June 20, 2017 at 11:59 PM (EST) and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected from all comments/entries received between Wednesday, June 21 and Tuesday, June 27, 2017. So make sure you enter TWO TIMES to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog post and tell us why you are lucky… In life, in love, in looking at the little things – just share with us any reason at all on why you are one lucky gal or guy! (Me? I’m lucky to have such great family and friends, and a job that I love!)

Good Luck, Always look at life from the bright & lucky side… and as always,

Be Free!

This week’s Win-It-Wednesday is a super sweet one… and we are featuring Gourmet Gummie Bears from Happy Yummies. Yes… you heard it right… GOURMET!

What makes these gummie bears gourmet are the irresistible and oh-so-yummy flavors. These gummie bears really kick those other gummie bears clear into the forest when it comes to the flavors offered. The flavors include Pink Grapefruit, Orange, Mango, Lemon, Green Apple, Lime, Blue Raspberry, Watermelon, Grape, Pineapple, Wild Cherry and Strawberry.

Happy Yummies Gourmet Gummie Bears are gluten free, as well as fat free (PLEASE NOTE: This product is manufactured in a plant that also processes wheat, soy, dairy, egg, peanut and tree nuts).

If you are a gummie bear lover… this Win-It-Wednesday is for you!

There will be two winners of this Win-It-Wednesday. Each of the two winners will receive a bag of the Happy Yummies Gourmet Gummie Bears. What a yummy prize!

One (1) winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received before Tuesday, June 6, 2017 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, June 7 and Tuesday, June 13, 2017 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us what yummy flavor of the Happy Yummies Gourmet Gummie Bears looks the best to you. Is it the Grapefruit? Lemon? Grape? Or my favorite, the Mango?

Good luck, continue to keep your world yummy, and, as always …

Be Free!

If you love crunchy sweetness this Win-It-Wednesday is for you!

Natural Nectar makes these awesome crispy & crunchy chocolate filled sweets. Better than a cookie, or even a candy bar, these treats contain no trans fat, no artificial colors or flavors, and no high fructose corn syrup. They are also Certified Gluten-Free.

At only 58 calories per stick these are perfect for those looking for a little sweetness in their day.

I love to enjoy them with a cup of tea, but they are also great in lunchboxes or at snack time too.

All these reasons are why I am so very excited to have Natural Nectar Choco Dream Crispy Rice Stixs as the prize for this Win-It-Wednesday on BeFreeForMe.com.

Two (2) lucky winners will each receive a box of the Crispy Rice Stixs filled with cocoa spread. One (1) winner will be randomly selected from all comments/entries received before Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at 11:59 PM (EST) and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected from all comments/entries received between Wednesday, May 24 and Tuesday, May 30, 2017. So make sure you enter TWO TIMES to win!

How Can You Win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us what Crispy Rice Stix variety looks the best to you (Is it the original or the double cocoa?). Good luck, Stay sweet, and, as always…

Be Free!

Finding a cookie that is gluten-free and free of the top 8 allergens can be tough. Throw into the quest a cookie that tastes good, and the hunt becomes almost impossible.

But thanks to Cybele’s Free-To-Eat Cookies everyone on a gluten-free diet or those that are concerned with the top 8 allergens – Dairy, Eggs, Wheat, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Fish and Shellfish – can enjoy a delicious, soft and sweet treat … worry free.

These cookies are made by a mom of a food allergic family, Cybele Pascal (on a side note… Cybele is a remarkable woman! Make sure you check out Cybele’s blog for some delicious recipes and her “Allergen-Free Bakers Handbook” cookbook for some great allergen-free baking tips and recipes!) The cookies are also vegan – and come in four flavors: Chocolate Chunk Brownie, Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, and my favorite, SnickerDoodle. Cybele’s Cookies are also baked in a dedicated gluten-free and allergy-friendly facility.

O.K. – I know by now many of you are also thinking that these cookies must be free of flavor too. But, a-ha, you are wrong my friends. These cookies are soft (like, really, really soft… which I love), moist, full of raisins, chocolate chips & chunks and all the other fixins’. So they are a perfect worry-free, tasty treat for those on a gluten-free diet, celiac disease, or with food allergies. But beware! The non-gluten-free and non-food-allergic peeps in your household will be gobbling them up too… they are just that good.

For being able to enjoy a super tasty cookie that is worry free when it comes to gluten and allergens, is the reason why I am so very excited to have Cybele’s Free-To-Eat Cookies as the prize for this Win-It-Wednesday on BeFreeForMe.com.

Two (2) lucky winners will each receive a box of Cybele’s Free To Eat Cookies. One (1) winner will be randomly selected from all comments/entries received before Tuesday, May 9, 2017at 11:59 PM (EST) and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected from all comments/entries received between Wednesday, May 10 and Tuesday, May 16, 2017. So make sure you enter TWO TIMES to win!

How Can You Win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us which Cybele’s Free To Eat Cookie looks the sweetest to you (Chocolate Chunk Brownie, SnickerDoodle, Chocolate Chip or Oatmeal Raisin). Good luck, sweetness to all of you, and, as always…

Be Free!

P.S. – Join me and connect with Cybele on Facebook and Twitter!

Let’s face it … everyone loves pretzels! They’re fun for snacking, soup toppings, appetizers and even for desserts (Yes… Desserts! More on that later!)

And if you haven’t tried Gratify Foods Gluten-Free product line, you must!

They make tons of gluten-free items, including Pretzels, Pretzel Crackers, Pretzel Thins, Baked Crackers, and my favorite the Covered Pretzels (YAY to chocolate and yogurt covered pretzels!).

All of their items are certified gluten-free, and many are also egg-free, dairy-free and Non-GMO (Check out their website for more details).

A total of two (2) BeFreeForMe members will be selected to win a pack of the Gratify Gluten-Free Sea Salt Pretzel Crackers.  One winners will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 11:59 PM EST, and one more winners will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, April 26 and Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 11:59 PM. SO – make sure you enter to win two times!

How can you win?
Easy?

Reply to this blog and tell us your favorite type of Gratify snack! (Is it the traditional Sea Salt Pretzels? Or maybe the Milk Chocolate Covered Twists? Or maybe the Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate Twists?)

Good luck, get snacking… and as always,
Be Free!

It’s cookbook giveaway time again! And this time it is sponsored by one of my favorite gluten-free cookbook authors, Carol Fenster!

Carol’s new gluten-free cookbook is genius. Living in a two-person household, Carol decided that enough was enough when it came to “over-making” recipes by preparing enough to feed a small army. So she wrote Gluten-Free Cooking for Two, a collection of 125 recipes, that are absolutely perfect for two.

Being in a household of two myself I love this cookbook. It is perfect for empty-nesters, newlyweds or even singles. Besides being convenient, this cookbook has allowed me to actually save money (and we all know I love to save!) since it allows me to cook only the portions that I need, and as a result reduce the amount of food I throw away. Why? Because having mega amount of leftovers is so overrated and wasteful most of the time! Let’s face it… the concept of eating that super-sized gluten-free casserole as leftovers for the whole week never, ever really happens!

Gluten-Free Cooking for Two focuses on those dishes that require real kitchen finesse to downsize. It may be easy to grill up two chicken breasts or steaming veggies for two, but as Carol says, sometimes “… it’s not always as simple as dividing a 4-serving recipe in half.” That’s where this cookbook comes into play!

Some of the recipes I loved in the cookbook are the Chicken Pot Pies with Rustic Biscuit Crust, Coconut-Curry Salmon, Chia Breakfast Pudding, Chicken Tikka Masala, Minestrone Soup and the Lemon Bars. All are delicious, easy to make and perfect for two! And as a bonus, Carol also includes the recipe for her signature Gluten-Free Flour Blend, plus tips for “small batch” grocery shopping & prepping.

And lucky for all of you, Carol Fenster and her team are providing us with TWO copies of the “Gluten-Free Cooking for Two” cookbook for two lucky winners of this contest!

One (1) winner will be randomly selected to win a cookbook from the entries received before Tuesday, April 11, 2017 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win a cookbook from the entries received between Wednesday, April 12 2017 and Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us your all-time favorite go-to recipe!

Good luck, happy cooking, and as always …

Be Free!

I love local products. And, I love chocolate. That is why I was so very, very thrilled to find the best chocolate in the whole wide world that is made right outside Boston. Let me introduce to you all… Taza Chocolate!

Said like a true Bostonian… Taza Chocolate is wicked good.

Made with stone ground chocolate, every single bite of Taza chocolate is bursting with flavorful organic cacao beans. The process of stone grounding the cacao beans produces a bold and unrefined chocolate experience.

I love the Taza Chocolate Disks. The flavors of the disks are out of this world too. Some of them include the 85% Super Dark, Chipotle Chili, Cinnamon, Coffee, Guajillo Chili, Salted Almond and Vanilla. But my all-time favorite is the Winter Warmer Spiked Eggnog! All flavors are Certified Gluten-Free.

And lucky for all of you, I picked up two packages of the Winter Warmer Eggnog Chocolate Disks for the two lucky winners of this contest!

One (1) winner will be randomly selected to win a lunchbox from the entries received before Tuesday, March 28, 2017 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win a lunchbox from the entries received between Wednesday, March 29, 2017 and Tuesday, April 4, 2017 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us what Taza Chocolate Disk flavor looks the best to you!

Good luck, be wicked good and, as always …

Be Free!

This Win-It-Wednesday is for those on the go! Whether you need to a pack a gluten-free or allergen friendly meal for an airplane ride, between soccer games, or even for running between meetings – this Win-It-Wednesday is for you!

The Progressive Hand-Held Lunch Box is one of my favorites. It includes a three sectioned container (I like one container for rice or quinoa, another for salad and the third section for berries) and also a reusable spoon and fork.

The lunchbox is BPA free and is dishwasher and freezer safe. It also fits nicely in a backpack or tote.

I picked up two Progressive Hand-Held Lunch Boxes for the two lucky winners of this contest!

One (1) winner will be randomly selected to win a lunchbox from the entries received before Tuesday, March 14, 2017 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win a lunchbox from the entries received between Wednesday, March 15, 2017 and Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us YOUR favorite lunch on the go!

Good luck, there is such a thing as a free lunch(BOX!), and, as always …

Be Free!

On a cool winter day I love a sweet cup of hot tea in the afternoon. And my favorite sweetener for my tea? Honey, of course!

But carrying around a container of honey to add to my tea while on the run can become one big sticky mess. That is why I was so very excited to find Melville Candy Honey Spoons to make sweetening my tea quick, easy and as sweet as can be. All I need to do is dunk the honey spoon into my hot tea, stir it up a bit and wait about one minute to enjoy my perfectly sweetened tea.

For this week’s Win-It-Wednesday I picked up two packages of the Melville Candy Honey Spoons for the two lucky winners of this contest! Each package contains five (5) Melville Candy Honey Spoons made with real honey on wooden ball sticks. The Honey Spoons are all natural and gluten-free.

One (1) winner will be randomly selected to win a bag from the entries received before Tuesday, February 28, 2017 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win a bag from the entries received between Wednesday, March 1, 2017 and Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us something sweet in your life! (Me? All my friends and family!)

Good luck, be a sweetie, and, as always …

Be Free!

I love a good cup of piping hot tea on a cold winter day. There’s something medicinal about brewing the water, letting the tea bags seep and sitting back in my favorite easy chair to enjoy the aromas and tastes of the tea.

It’s a ritual to be savored and enjoyed.

That’s why I was more than thrilled to find Lifestyle Awareness Tea. Their specialty blends of teas are just perfect for those times you need to relax, or get a pick me up, or become more focused, relaxed or centered.  The Lifestyle Awareness Teas are Organic, Vegan, Kosher and Gluten-Free. They are also fair trade.

Some of the blends that Lifestyle Awareness offers are: Stress Balance (with calming rose petals), Chamomile (to ease tension and support digestion), Peppermint (to support healthy digestion) and Wake Up Now (to promote clarity and focus), plus many, many more varieties!

A total of two (2) BeFreeForMe members will be selected to win a package of the Stress Balance Tea and a package of the Chamomile Tea… two (2) packages for each winner!  One winners will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, February 16, 2017 at 11:59 PM EST, and one more winners will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, February 17 and Tuesday, February 23, 2017 at 11:59 PM. SO – make sure you enter to win two times!

How can you win?
Easy?

Reply to this blog and tell us what variety of the Lifestyle Awareness Tea look the best to you! (Is it the Refresh Now? The Serene Slumber? Or maybe the Organic Ginger Root? Check out all of the varieties here.)

Good luck, take time to sit and sip tea… and as always…

Be Free!