Be Free For Me Blog

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, so I am starting to think of sweet treats… both for myself and to share. One of my new favorite brands of cookies is Mikaela’s Simply Divine.

I found these cookies by chance while poking around shopping and was immediately tantalized by the flavors and the fact the cookies are Biscottis … yet shaped round like regular cookie.

And yes… these cookies are truly simply divine!

And the flavors! My favorite is the Chocolate Mint Biscotti, but they also have a Luscious Lemon and a traditional Chocolate Chip.

These cookies are also Non-GMO, kosher, all natural, and contain no trans fat… as well as gluten-free.

A total of two (2) BeFreeForMe members will be selected to win a package of the Mikaela’s Simply Divine Chocolate Mint Biscotti Cookies.  One winners will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at 11:59 PM EST, and one more winners will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, February 1 and Tuesday, February 7, 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 flavor of the Mikaela’s Biscotti Cookies look the best to you! (Is it the Chocolate Chip? The sassy Luscious Lemon? Or delectable Chocolate Mint?)

Good luck, life is simply divine… and as always…

Be Free!

With New Year’s Resolutions still in full swing, many of us are looking for  healthy, delicious and crave-able snack foods! Hello, Watusee Chickpeatos!

These crunchy little snacks that are bursting with flavor are healthy to boot. Most are made with just 5-6 ingredients – so they are “simple” and do not contain a lot of “junk”. These snacks are packed with protein & fiber, and are also gluten-free, vegan, and Non-GMO.

The flavors that Watusee Foods offers are unique & delicious, they are flavors that adults and kids both love, including: Rosemary, Cinnamon Toast, Spicy Cayenne, and Tomato Basil. They also make a great gluten-free “crumbs” made from chickpeas!

A total of two (2) BeFreeForMe members will be selected to win a package of the Tomato Basil Chickpeatos.  One winners will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, January 17, 2017 at 11:59 PM EST, and one more winners will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, January 18 and Tuesday, January 24, 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 flavor of the Watusee Foods Chickpeatos look the best to you! (Is it the Cinnamon Toast? Tomato Basil? Or the Rosemary or Spicy Cayenne?))

Good luck, snack healthy… and as always…

Be Free!

Gotta love a bar with a good crunch! And top that crunch off with a burst of fruit and you have yourself a 180 Degree Nut & Seed Crunch Bar.

I love that these gluten-free bars are full of nuts, seeds and fruit. They have a crunch that is surprisingly tasty and perfect for New Year Resolution’s healthy snack time treats.

These bars come in two varieties including, Cranberry Nut & Seed, and my favorite, Blueberry Nut & Seed Bars. 180 Degrees also makes other products including Clusters, Nutty Rice Bites and a Trail Mix Crunch.

180 Degree Snacks are 100% All-Natural, Gluten-Free, Cholesterol-Free, Kosher, Wheat-Free, 100% Vegan, Peanut-Free, and Dairy-Free. They are perfectly healthy, delicious, crispy and crunchy gluten-free bar!

A total of two (2) BeFreeForMe members will be selected to win a package of 180 Degrees Nut & Seed Crunch Bars.  One winners will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, January 3, 2017 at 11:59 PM EST, and one more winners will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, January 4 and Tuesday, January 10, 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 flavor of the 180 Snacks Nut & Seed Crunch Bars look the best to you! (Is it the Blueberry? Or the Cranberry?)

Good luck, Have a great New Year… and as always,
Be Free!

This Win-It-Wednesday is so sweet! If you think that jelly beans are just for Easter time… think again! I found the best HOLIDAY jelly bean variety pack from Jelly Belly!

This Holiday favorite pack includes flavors such as Egg Nog, Candy Cane, Pumpkin Pie, Cranberry Sauce and Hot Chocolate! These are five inspired holiday flavors that have been retired but have been brought back for this Holiday Pack!

Plus these little gems of holiday sweetness are gluten, peanut and dairy free! But beware they are additive!

A total of two (2) BeFreeForMe members will be selected to win a pack of the Jelly Belly Holiday Favorites.  One winners will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, December 20, 2016 at 11:59 PM EST, and one more winners will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, December 21 and Tuesday, December 27, 2016 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 flavor of the Holiday Jelly Beans look the best to you! (Is it the traditional Candy Cane?? Or maybe the Hot Chocolate? Me?… I am digging the Egg Nog and Pumpkin Pie!)

Good luck, Have a Sweet Holiday… and as always,
Be Free!

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, Covered Pretzels (YAY to chocolate and yogurt covered pretzels!) and even some super-fun DESSERT holiday pretzels (YUM to White Chocolate & Peppermint Covered Pretzels or Dark Chocolate & Peppermint 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 Thins.  One winners will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, December 6, 2016 at 11:59 PM EST, and one more winners will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, December 7 and Tuesday, December 13, 2016 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!

If you like a moist, chewy cookie E&C’s Heavenly Hunks Gluten-free Cookies are a must-try.

This chewy goodness hunk of a cookie is what Elvis would call a hunk-of-burning-love. Yes, these cookies are gluten-free true love!

I love that the ingredients are simple too. (Oats, brown sugar, milk chocolate chips, butter, cassava flour, sugar, tapioca starch, potato starch, brown rice syrup, sunflower oil, whole eggs, baking soda, vanilla extract, xanthan gum, salt.)

E&C’s story of how they started their cookie company is awesome too (I love a good entrepreneurial story!). The success of the company has also brought about other products. Another I am dying to try is the Hunkola. According to their website, “the best way to describe a Hunk of Hunkola  is literally a real food smash-up of almonds, cashews, cranberries, coconut, apricots, dates, strawberries, and blueberries all held together by whole gluten free rolled oats and a proprietary gluten free flour blend.” Plus, they’re gluten-free, vegan and non-GMO. YUM… these Hunkola’s are next on my list to try!

A total of two(2) BeFreeForMe members will be selected to win a pack of the Heavenly Hunk Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.  One winners will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, November 22, 2016 at 11:59 PM EST, and one more winners will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, November 23 and Tuesday, November 29, 2016 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 flavor or type of cookie! (Me? It’s a toss-up…  I love macaroons and the traditional Chocolate Chip Cookie!)

Good luck, be a smart-cookie… and as always,
Be Free!

This week’s Win-It-Wednesday is sponsored by my new favorite salad dressings… Rhode Island Organics. Just one try of these super healthy and phenomenally tasty dressings, and you’ll see why they have quickly become my go-to for my dressings, marinades and dips.

How do I love Rhode Island Organic Dressings? Let me count the ways…

First, and most important, these dressings are made with only the highest-quality ingredients. The oil the use in the dressing is Olive Oil. No cheap filler-oils like canola, corn or soybean are used. Using quality ingredients delivers a superior taste! For an added bonus, they include the omega-3 fatty acids that are recommended for your heart and brain health.

The Rhode Island Organic dressings (with the exception of the Ginger Plum) are certified Gluten-Free. The dressing are also Certified Organic (with the exception of the Honey Mustard), and they are all non-GMO. And if you’re worried about added sugar or sweeteners, you need to check out the Caesar and Balsamic Vinaigrette dressings… Both have no sugar or any other sweetener added!

The variety of the gluten-free dressings is awesome too. The gluten-free flavors include Honey Mustard (I love this drizzled over wood planked grilled salmon), Balsamic Vinaigrette (great tossed over fresh salad greens), Raspberry Vinaigrette (Love this over a fresh strawberry salad) and Caesar (a refreshing & organic twist on a classic). The ways to use these dressings are endless!

You need to check out the Rhode Island organics website too. They have some great recipes like the Fall Fresh Green Salad with Dried Cranberries or the Shrimp Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing.

And how does the Rhode Island Organics dressings compare to your dressing? Check out this comparison chart below that I found on the Rhode Islands’ Organics Facebook page.

There are so many ways that Rhode Island Organics are far better than all other dressings. And as we New Englanders would say, “You’re wicked smaht if you try (and buy!) these dressings!”

And if your feeling lucky… A total of two (2) BeFreeForMe members will be selected to win a two-pack of Rhode Island Organics Dressings.  One winners will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, November 8, 2016 at 11:59 PM EST, and one more winners will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at 11:59 PM. SO – make sure you enter to win two times!

How can you win?
Easy?

Reply to this blog and let us know the two flavors of Rhode Island Organics Dressings you would select if chosen to win or how you would enjoy the dressings (Me? I love the Caesar and the Raspberry Vinaigrette. And I love the Raspberry Vinaigrette with fresh seasonal berries.)

Good luck, stay wicked smaht… and as always…
Be Free!

Follow Rhode Island Organics Dressings on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandsOmega3Dressings/

Want to buy Rhode Island Organics Dressings? Take advantage of free Shipping (to the continental US) with an order of $25.00 more on their website.

This week’s WIN-It-Wednesday on BeFreeForMe.com is one of my favorite gluten-free cookie companies that is founded by one smart cookie herself, Dr. Lucy Gibney.

Lucy’s is founded by a doctor that got down to some serious medical research – in the kitchen – because her child had severe food allergies.  What began as a mother’s tasty recipe for her child has developed into a delicious alternative for people with (or even without!) special dietary considerations. Not only are Lucy’s Cookies gluten-free, they are also free of peanuts, tree nuts, milk and eggs. They are also vegan.

And even though Lucy’s Cookies are free of gluten and other common allergens, they aren’t missing out on flavor and tastiness. They are full of crunchy, airy cookie goodness, that makes them perfect for old-school milk dipping or classic ice cream sandwiches.

My most recent craveable dessert is sandwiching one of my favorite ice cream flavors, Black Raspberry, between two of Lucy’s Ginger Snap cookies. The spiciness of the cookies and the berry-creaminess of the ice cream is a match made in gluten-free heaven.

And with only 120 calorie for three (YES 3!) cookies, 0 mg cholesterol, and 0 g tans fat – my most recent favorite dessert is even sweeter!

The flavors of Lucy’s cookies goes beyond the ordinary too. As well as toting a bake sheet of traditional favorites, Lucy’s also offers some tantalizing flavors for the adult palate. Some include Ginger Snap, Maple Bliss, and Chocolate – as well as Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Thin and Sugar.

A total of two(2) BeFreeForMe members will be selected to win a two-pack of  Lucy’s Cookies.  One winners will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, October 25, 2016 at 11:59 PM EST, and one more winners will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, October 26 and Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at 11:59 PM. SO – make sure you enter to win two times!

How can you win?
Easy?

Reply to this blog and share a tip, suggestion, hint, or recipe idea about being gluten-free and / or allergen free that makes you a smart-cookie (Me? Using my smartphone at the supermarket to take photos of (and to remember!) new gluten-free products I discover to research reviews online AND always making double of recipes to have extra for lunches!)

Good luck, remember always to be that one smart-cookie you just know you are… and as always,
Be Free!

Follow Lucy’s Cookies on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrLucys

Follow Lucy’s Cookies on Twitter @lucys_tweets

Want to buy Lucy’s Cookies? Check out this link on Amazon.com and take advantage of free SuperSaver Shipping:
Lucy’s Lemon Cookies

Halloween is almost here! And every time of year around this time I start thinking about my favorite candy. Ever since I was a little girl my favorite candy has been red licorice. But after getting diagnosed with celiac disease I had to forgo my favorite candy since most brands are laced with gluten. That’s why I was super thrilled to finally, finally, finally find gluten-free licorice!

If you love licorice as much as I do, you need to try Yum Earth Soft Eating Licorice. Besides the chewy texture and the real fruit juicy burst of strawberries, there is so much more to love about the Yum Earth brand of licorice.

For starters… it’s Certified Gluten-Free. On top of that it is vegan, non-GMO, peanut free, contains real fruit juice, is naturally flavored and has no synthetic dyes. Plus… it is soy free, egg free, dairy free and contains no high fructose corn syrup. Wheww! That’s a lot of “free of” stuff! (Note: it is also made in a dairy & peanut free facility.)

Yum Earth is the #1 brand that Mom’s & Dad’s trust when it comes to finding a candy that is free of most allergens. Check out what others are saying about the Yum Earth on their website.

And lucky for all of you there will be two winners of this Win-It-Wednesday. Each of the two winners will receive a bag of the Strawberry soft chewy licorice. What a yummy prize!

One (1) winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received before Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, October 12 and Tuesday, October 18, 2016 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

How can you win? Easy! Reply to this blog and tell us what yummy flavor of the Yum Earth Licorice looks the best to you. Is it the Pomegranate? Peach? Or my favorite, the traditional Strawberry?

Good luck, Keep things yummy, and, as always …

Be Free!

Want to buy now? Check out these links on Amazon.com:

Strawberry Licorice

Mixed Variety Pack

I just love the Beef Jerky. In fact, you could probably call me a Beef Jerky Junkie. Low fat and high protein all rolled into one. When I’m feeling hungry just one or two strips will do the trick.

But since going gluten-free I discovered that most beef jerky contains gluten. So this jerky-loving gal was so excited when I found my new favorite beef jerky… Field Trip Beef Jerky.

The beef jerky comes in six (6) flavors: Original, Cracked Pepper, Crushed Chilies, Honey Spice, Roasted Sesame and Teriyaki.

Here is what the Field Trip website says about being gluten-free… “For years jerky producers have used soy sauces and other ingredients that contain wheat. There is no need for this in jerky. Our jerky uses a gluten free reduced sodium soy sauce. We have tested all of our products for gluten and our product contains less than 5 ppm of wheat.”

And not only is this jerky gluten-free – it also is free of so much other junk! It contains NO preservatives, added MSG, nitrates and corn syrup. In other words, it’s a beef jerky you can feel good about eating!

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.

There will be two lucky winners of this Win-It-Wednesday contest. One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, September 26, 2016 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, September 27 and Tuesday, October 4, 2016 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 flavor of the Field Trip Beef Jerky looks the best to you! (Me? I love the Original… so simple and good!)

Remember it’s okay to get a little (beef) jerky… and as always, Be Free!

Want to buy now? Check out these links on Amazon.com: Field Trip Beef Jerky