Be Free For Me Blog

When I was a little girl my Mom would always bake up her soft, buttery and moist pound cake. To this day, I can still imagine the thick buttery slice, topped with fresh ripened berries and a dollop (well, okay… more like a scoop) of homemade whipped cream.

For years after being diagnosed with celiac disease and being on a gluten-free diet I have been dreaming about this little slice of heaven.

And thanks to discovering the XO Baking Company Gluten-Free Pound Cake Mix my dream has once again come true.

All of the XO Baking Mixes are Certified Gluten Free through the Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO).  This means that they test every one of their products to ensure that they are safe for those with a gluten intolerance, sensitivity or celiac disease. The mixes also contain no milk or eggs and are Non-GMO.

And as well as Pound Cake the XO Baking Company also offers other delicious gluten-free baked goods including an All-Purpose Flour Blend; Breads, such as Banana Bread, Zucchini Bread and Pumpkin Bread; a new Blondie Mix; Pie Crust Mix and also a Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting.

I was so excited to find the XO Baking Company Pound Cake Mix in my local store, so I bought an extra two boxes to feature on this week’s Win-It-Wednesday giveaway!

A total of two (yes, 2!) BeFreeForMe.com members will be randomly selected to win a package of XO Baking Mixes moist & delicious Gluten-Free Pound Cake Mix. One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, July 21, 2015 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, July 22 and Tuesday, July 28, 2015 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 XO Baking Company Mix looks the best to you! Is it the New Blondie Mix, the Banana Bread Mix, the Pound Cake Mix, or even the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Mix? Good luck, keep your dreams coming true… and, as always …

Be Free!

P.S. Want to buy XO Baking Company’s Gluten-Free Pound Cake? Check out this link on Amazon.com: XO Baking Company Gluten-Free Pound Cake Mix

When Urban Raccoon Snack Bars sponsored a Win-It-Wednesday contest on BeFreeForMe.com a few months back the contest was a hit! These high-quality snack bars made in small-batches with only good-for-you ingredients were a welcome change and the reviews that were received from BeFreeForMe.com readers were impressive!

So… when Brad Indoe, the Founder of Urban Raccoon asked to sponsor another WIN-It-Wednesday contest on BeFreeForMe.com featuring their newest product our answer was an enthusiastic YES!

The new bars that Urban Raccoon has come out with are Grainless Snack Bars. These bars are not only gluten-free, dairy free, soy free, non-GMO, low sodium and vegan, but also Certified Paleo by the Paleo Foundation.

I tried these bars and I was hooked. The soft texture of the bars had to dreaming about them for breakfast and for snacking. There are two flavors… the Grainless Coconut and my favorite, the Grainless Almond Cranberry.

I love these bars because they are soft and cookie-like… yet, they are nutrient-dense. Packed full of good-for-you ingredients like almonds, cashews, coconut, dried fruit, chia seeds and pumpkin seeds, these bars are a healthy choice that will fill-you-up and keep you satisfied since they contain the perfect balance of carbs, fat and protein.

I love to grab one of these bars for breakfast while I am on-the-go. In fact on these Urban Raccoon Paleo Bars contain 7 grams of protein, which is more protein than in one large egg!

And for those of you steering clear of refined sugar, these bars are sweetened with only natural sweeteners like Coconut Nectar, a lower glycemic natural ingredient binder that is essentially the sap of the coconut tree, and Maple Syrup, made on Brad’s family farm. These are just two fine examples of Urban Raccoon using only the best and highest quality natural ingredients.

Urban Raccoon has once again proved that good things do indeed come in small batches!

And lucky for us, Urban Raccoon Grainless Paleo snack bars are sponsoring this Win-It-Wednesday on BeFreeForMe.com!

A total of two (yes, 2!) BeFreeForMe.com members will be randomly selected to win a prize pack of these small-batch, gluten-free and paleo snack bars.  One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, July 7, 2015 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, July 8 and Tuesday, July 14, 2015 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 Urban Raccoon Grainless and Paleo snack bar looks the best to you! Is it the Grainless Coconut? Or the Grainless Almond Cranberry?

Good luck, keep it healthy & tasty… and, as always …

Be Free!

Summer is here and the heat is on! When I was a kid I couldn’t wait for “Pony Boy” to come galloping down my Grandmother’s road so me and my two sisters could get an icy cold and sticky sweet Popsicle.

Nowadays I still crave these summertime treats, but was searching for a “big kid” version of the too sweet version of my childhood favorites. That is when I decided to take matters into my own hands and make my own gluten-free frozen treats… with a grown-up twist!

My inspiration to make my own Popsicles came from the Good Housekeeping website which features a bunch of recipes for make-your-own Popsicles… all in big-kid flavors, including Blackberry-Rose Ice Pops, Coconut Carrot Ice Pops, Melon Pops, Raspberry Buttermilk Ice Pops and, of course, the “Adult Only” Happy Hour Ice Pops!

The device that I used to make my own Popsicles was a Tovolo Rocket Pop Mold, which is the Cadillac, top-notch and big-gun variety when it comes to the world of iced pop molds. In fact, I loved my Tovolo Rocket Pop Molds so much I decided to go out get two more for the winners of this Win-It-Wednesday on BeFreeForMe.com!

The Tovolo Rocket Pop Molds let you make homemade freeze pops so easily. They are dishwasher safe, food safe and are BPA free. They are also reusable, which reduces waste. But the best part about the Tovolo molds are the fun that you (and your kids too!) can have making your very own homemade gluten-free Popsicles. Plus, these pop molds are real money savers!  (And did I mention the super-cool rocket shape? What is better than a Popsicle shaped like a rocket?!)

All of these out of this world reasons are why I am so excited to share the Tovolo Rockey Pop Molds to two BeFreeForMe.com members. One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, June 23, 2015 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, June 24 and Tuesday, June 30, 2015 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us a fun summer activity or memory you have (Me? Cape Cod beach visits!). Good luck, remember to relax, enjoy the summer, chill-out…and, as always …

Be Free!

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

– Tovolo Rocet Pop Mold, Orange or Blue – Set of 6

If you love snacking, and love foods that are good for your body, you are going to want to check out and enter to win this week’s Win-It-Wednesday prize… The Good Bean Roasted Chickpea Snacks.

I have been a fan of The Good Bean for a while. A few years back I featured The Good Bean Bars in BeFreeForMe’s Friday Favorite series. And since then I’ve tried The Good Bean Roasted Chickpea Snacks and found yet another favorite! This is why I ran out and bought some of these yummy, good-for-you snacks for this Win-It-Wednesday prize. I want to share the love!

The Good Bean Roasted Chickpea Snacks are a great alternative to chips, pretzels, nuts and popcorn. Chickpeas are chockfull of fiber, protein, folate and antioxidants. I really like that these chickpea snacks provide a healthy alternative to other fluffed-up, high-calorie and non-nutritious gluten-free snacks. Anyone can make a gluten-free snack… but to make a “good-for-you” gluten-free snack that tastes good too is just downright awesome! =)

And make sure that you try all of the products The Good Bean Company makes including their Bean Chips which come in some super tasty flavors including Sea Salt, Sweet Chili, Jalapeno Cheddar, Cheesy Nacho and BBQ Bacon; their Fruit & Nut Bars featuring three flavors:  Apricot Coconut, Fruit & Seed Trail Mix and Chocolate Berry; and the Roasted Chickpea Snacks featuring seven tantalizing flavors including Sea Salt, Cracked Pepper, Smoky Chili & Lime, Thai Coconut, Mesquite BBQ and my two favorites, Sweet Cinnamon and the Chocolate.

I love that The Good Bean Roasted Chickpea Snacks have nothing artificial in the ingredients, are non-GMO, nut free, vegan, soy free, kosher, and of course, gluten-free.

All of these reasons are why I am so excited to share my two favorite varieties of the Good Bean Chickpea Snacks: Sweet Cinnamon and Chocolate with two randomly selected lucky BeFreeForMe.com members! One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, June 9 2015 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, June 10 and Tuesday, June 16, 2015 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us which one of seven varieties of Good Bean Roasted Chickpea Snacks look the best to you. Good luck, remember to be good to every body… including your own … and, as always …

Be Free!

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

– The Good Bean Sweet Cinnamon Roasted Chick Pea Snacks

– The Good Bean Variety Pack Chick Pea Snacks

This week’s Win-It-Wednesday is for all of you gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free fans! The Paleo Diet Bar is free of these three culprits – as well as 100% Paleo Diet approved.

For those of you that don’t know, the paleo diet, or the paleolithic diet,, is commonly called the caveman diet since it is based on the foods that our ancestors might have eaten: foods such as berries, nuts and meats; and excludes foods that they likely wouldn’t have had access to: foods like processed grains and dairy.

The paleo diet has become popularized by Loren Cordain in his best-selling 2002 book, The Paleo Diet. Cordain is the world’s leading expert and founder of the Paleolithic movement, and author of the bestselling books The Paleo Answer, The Paleo Diet Cookbook, and The Paleo Diet for Athletes.  Loren Cordain is the go-to guy when it comes to what’s hot and what’s not when it comes to the paleo diet.

And, Loren Cordain has exclusively endorsed The Paleo Diet Bars! Talk about HOT!

The Paleo Diet Bar is not only gluten, dairy, soy and grain free, but it is also non-GMO, preservative free, and contains all-natural quality ingredients. The bars also contain 17 grams of egg protein and 9 essential amino acids. Packed with protein and fiber these bars are both tasty and nutritious.

Also, the sugar content is natural, from the fruit in the product. There is no added sugar or syrup. The bars are made up of just fruit, nuts, seeds, berries, egg white protein with a bit of hemp protein to promote digestibility and also immunity.

The Paleo Diet Bars come in two great flavors: Cranberry Almond or Cinnamon Raisin. And coming soon are two NEW flavors: Cherry Apple Walnut and Blueberry Pear Pecan. To be the first to find out when they new varieties launch make sure you check out The Paleo Diet Bar’s Facebook and Twitter pages for updates!

All of these reasons are why I am so excited that this Win-It-Wednesday is sponsored by The Paleo Diet Bars.

A total of two BeFreeForMe.com members will be randomly selected to win a prize pack of The Paleo Diet Bars. One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, May 27 and Tuesday, June 2, 2015 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us which one of the two Paleo Diet Bars look the best to you. Is it the Cranberry Almond? Or the Cinnamon Raisin? Good luck, remember to eat healthy, but tasty … and, as always …

Be Free!

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

Cranberry Almond Bars

Cinnamon Raisin Bars

This week’s Win-It-Wednesday on BeFreeForMe.com is all about good lovin’. Yup… that extra special hug, smile, wink or good gesture that we all love to receive, and also give.

You Are Loved Foods definitely loves all of us gluten free, dairy free, grain free and sugar-free folks by creating what is perhaps the most perfect chocolaty treats.

Better yet – You are Loved Foods founder, Jonathon Heine, has formulated the perfect sweetener that will satisfy any chocoholic… even diabetics.  (To find out more about Jonathon and his journey regaining his health and his 100-pound weight loss click on this link.)

And Jonathon’s goal is simple… “Our goal is to be the go-to brand for ultra-low carb, low glycemic, truly pure Paleo lifestyles and to support diabetics in their journey to a healthy lifestyle.”

You Are Loved Foods Paleo friendly, gluten-free, sugar and sugar-free alcohol-free, non-GMO, non-dairy, no starch, no grain, ultra-low carb but protein rich treats include the following:

• Cinnamon Almond Bites (vegan)
• Chocolate Bites (vegan)
• Truffle Chocolate Fudge Balls (vegan)
• Chocolate cupcakes (low carb)
• And their most recent product addition… “Love-O-La” a grain free and nut free granola made from nuts and seeds.

All of them are also made with low-glycemic ingredients, such as cashews, almonds, chia seeds and coconut flour. They also all have about 1 gram of sugar and 4 grams or less of net carbs per serving. They also contain no ‘tols … in other words refined sugar alcohols such as erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol or maltitol.

I also love that the You Are Loved treats contain no added sugars, including agave, maple syrup, honey, fruit juice or cane juice.

But best yet is that these treats TASTE AMAZING! They are creamy, rich, luscious and melt in your mouth delicious! My favorite is the Chocolate Bites… they are just like fudge but have less than half the calories and fat of regular fudge! The chocolate in all the treats is amazing.  (Ummm… can you tell I am seriously  lovin’ these treats?)

All of these sweet reasons are why I am so excited that this Win-It-Wednesday is being sponsored by You Are Loved Foods.

A total of two (yes, 2!) BeFreeForMe.com members will be randomly selected to win a prize pack that is packed with You Are Loved products. This is a prize that you do NOT want to miss! One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, May 12, 2015 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, May 13 and Tuesday, May 19, 2015 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 who you love and why? Me… I love my family and my two pooches… since they give ME unconditional love!

Good luck, remember to give and take good lovin’ … and, as always …

Be Free!

P.S. Follow You Are Loved Foods on Facebook and Twitter for more news, new products, and promotions!

If you love baking from scratch, but you hate the mess, hassle and expense you are going to love Scratch & Grain Gluten-Free Cookie Mixes.

These kits are perfect for baking a batch of cookies the old-fashioned “by scratch” way without needing to spend tons of money on ingredients that you’ll probably never use again.

The concept was the brainchild and developed by two neighborhood Moms (Taya and Leah) that wanted to make homemade baking fun & easy. So they went to work to creating a baking kit that had all the BEST ingredients measured out individually so everyone would know what is in their food, as well as making it a fun and easy experience.  Each kit makes 11 to 14 cookies.

And although neither Taya or Leah are gluten-free, they both have close family members that are (including Leah’s mom and daughter). Because of this, they wanted to make sure that they also created gluten-free versions of their cookie mixes so that folks on a gluten-free diet could also enjoy home-made and from scratch cookies that would taste incredibly delicious.

The results are three total delightful and incredible gluten-free Scratch & Grain Cookie mixes. The varieties are fun & tasty. They are: Chocolate Truffle, Snicker Doodle & Chewy Peanut Butter. All you need to add is egg and unsalted butter for each kit, and they provide the rest! How simple is that!?

The cookie kits are also Non-GMO, and contain no preservatives.

And if you think this “cookie kit” idea is totally brilliant check out this link to see the video clip of Taya & Leah when they visited Shark Tank! (And YES… They did get a deal! Click on this link to check them out on Shark Tank and find out what shark also thinks their idea is out-of-this-world too!)

All of these yummy and convenient reasons are why I am so thrilled that Scratch and Grain Gluten-Free Cookie Kits are sponsoring this Win-It-Wednesday on BeFreeForMe.com.

A total of two (yes, 2!) BeFreeForMe.com members will be randomly selected to win a Gluten-Free Cookie Kit variety pack (Each variety pack consists of 3 total kits… one of each of the gluten-free varieties).  One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, April 28, 2015 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, April 29 and Tuesday, May 5, 2015 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 Gluten-Free Cookie Kit looks the best to you? Is it the Chocolate Truffle? Snickerdoodle? Or the Chewy Peanut Butter?

Good luck, remember that homemade simple goodness is always the tastiest … and, as always …

Be Free!

PS: Want to learn more? Check out Scratch and Grain’s Facebook , Twitter and Instagram pages!

If you love good snacking AND healthy good-for-you foods this Win-It-Wednesday is for you!

Raw Food Central makes Kale Chips, Flax Crackers, Onion Rings and a Snack Mix that are all full of crunchy goodness that make them perfect any time of day.

To start off, I’d like to chat a bit about the Raw Food Central company. The mission of Raw Food Central is to honor and serve others as a way to energize, inspire, and build people. The products are made by a team of super-cool people, who love their company and take pride in offering only the best products, made with only the best ingredients, to their customers. The result? Everyone is happy, healthy and empowered. What’s not to love about that? =)

All of Raw Food Central products are raw… never fried, and never baked. They all contain simple, yet irresistible ingredients. Ingredients that keep your taste buds tantalized. And if you want to find out more about eating raw foods, check out this link on the Raw Food Central website. The founder of the company, Curt Griffing, as been eating raw for over 30+ years and has so much to share!

All the products are also USDA certified organic, certified vegan, certified gluten-free, kosher, certified vegan and are all non-GMO project verified.

The products that Raw Food Central creates are incredible. Their signature item, their Kale Chips are crunchy and light. One bite will keep you crunching away, and show you why kale is all the rage. The Onion Rings, my favorite, are flavorful and crunchy… perfect for topping a salad; the Flax Crackers, are packed with flax, which is full of protein, and a perfect companion for any dip or spread. And last, the Snack Mix is a sunshiny garden in a bag! Packed with their infamous kale chips, and tossed with freeze dried corn, peas, cashews, sunflower seeds and raisins. Delicious!

Honestly good products, made by an honestly great company, are the reasons why I am so thrilled that this Win-It-Wednesday is being sponsored by Raw Foods Central!

A total of two (yes, 2!) BeFreeForMe.com members will be randomly selected to win a mixed case (total of 12 bags) of all four products (3 bags per product).  One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, April 15 and Tuesday, April 21, 2015 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 Raw Food Central product looks the best to you!

Good luck, remember to keep things simple, keep things irresistible … and, as always …

Be Free!

PS: Want to learn more? Check out Raw Food Central’s Facebook and Twitter pages!

As most of you know, I love my bars! Every day I am packing one in my bag for a quick snack between workouts and between meals.

But eating a bar that has a breakfasty or dessert-like taste in the middle of the day can throw my taste buds in a tailspin. That is why I was so excited to find Slow Food for Fast Lives bars.

These bars are the perfect savory treat for mid-day. The flavor profiles of each bar will make your taste buds rejoice!

The Slow Food for Fast Lives bar’s comes in four savory, not sweet, flavors. They include California, a perfect blend of Almonds, Kale, Pomegranate, and quinoa; Moroccan, a combination of pistachios, currants, carrots and ginger; Thai, a spicy assortment of peanuts, chili, brown rice and bell pepper; and Indian, an seamless merger of the “4 c’s” – cashew, cumin, cauliflower and coconut.

These bars are perfect for when you’re looking for a savory bite that will keep your body healthy, well and going full-speed ahead!

All the flavors are gluten-free, kosher and three out of the four are vegan (the California bar contains honey, so it’s not vegan.) And best yet, all of the Slow Food for Fast Lives bars contain between 1 to 1.5 servings of fruit and vegetables of the daily suggested 5 servings.

All of these reasons are why I am so thrilled that Slow Food for Fast Lives is the sponsor of this Win-It-Wednesday on BeFreeForMe.com.

A total of two (yes, 2!) BeFreeForMe.com members will be randomly selected to win a prize pack of these delicious savory bars.  One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, March 31 , 2015 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, April 1 and Tuesday, April 7, 2015 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 savory Slow Food for Fast Lives flavor looks the best to you. (Me? I LOVE the California bar!)

Good luck, remember to slow down and eat well… and, as always …

Be Free!

PS: Want to learn more? Check out Slow Food for Fast Lives Facebook and Twitter pages!

We all know that veggies are good for you, an important part of a well-rounded gluten-free diet, and they taste great too. But what is often hard is getting kids to believe that too.

If you have or know any children that have a hard time embracing veggies in their mealtime, the new children’s book “The Rootlets: Super Rootabilities” is for you and your little ones. Launching just in time for National Nutrition Month (March), this book is written by Vicki Marquez, a certified health coach, wellness expert, and plant based chef. Her mission is to get kids to re-think veggies as being a cool, and a tasty addition to meal time – and to break the stigma that healthy living is boring.

And she has accomplished this mission with this book.

The Rootlets are a cast of fun-loving and veggie-loving characters that are the super-heroes of healthy eating. The cast’s entertaining names (Brocc, Kaley, Carrotina and Cornelius), the bright and colorful illustrations and the thrilling plot of the story make this book a read-again favorite. This 40 page soft back book is perfect for kids aged 4 to 9.

And lucky for us, Vicki Marquez and her new book “The Rootlets: Super Rootabilities” is sponsoring this Win-It-Wednesday on BeFreeForMe.com!

A total of two (yes, 2!) BeFreeForMe.com members will be randomly selected to win a copy of this new children’s book.  One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, March 17, 2015 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, March 18 and Tuesday, March 24, 2015 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 veggie OR who you would share/give this book too!

Good luck, remember to root for vegetables… and, as always …

Be Free!

PS: Want to learn more? Check out “The Rootlets” Facebook and Twitter pages!