Be Free For Me Blog

It’s not very often that I can’t stop talking about how good something is as I am eating it, all the while savoring each and every single bite… But the evol Fire Grilled Steak Bowl has me still thinking and talking about my dinner last night.

I love (or spelled backwards – evol – coincidence?) this quick and easy microwavable lunch or dinner… any way you look at it.

Packed with 21 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber this gluten-free meal is “made from scratch deliciousness” just like the packaging says.

At first I was leery. A microwavable meal with beef in it? How would it taste? Would the beef be recognizable? But as soon as I opened up the packaging I could see the real pieces of tender beef – which is antibiotic free, never fed growth hormones and sustainably raised by family farms. The beef tastes exactly like beef I would cook up myself.

The other ingredients in the nutritious evol Fire Grilled Steak Bowl reads like a shoppers list at a Farmer’s Market… Black Beans, Rice, Bell Peppers, Cilantro Lime Pesto, Corn, Monterey Jack Cheese, Lime Juice, Cilantro, Salt & Spices.

In fact, this bowl comes so close to one of my restaurant favorites – Chipotle beef bowls.

Plus, in each package of evol products comes a fun evol sticker that enables you to spread your love of their products. Also, if you save up the UPC codes off the packages you can get a fun evol t-shirt. Looks like my t-shirt will be coming mighty fast!

My love of the fresh taste and convenience are the reasons evol Fire Grilled Steak Bowl get, without a second thought, this week’s BeFreeForMe’s Friday favorite honors! Congratulations!

Gummy vitamins for adults? What’s NOT to love!

This week’s BeFreeForMe’s Friday Favorite is Slice of Life Vitamin’s – gummy vitamins for adults!

I love the Slice of Life Vitamins, made by Hero Nutritionals, because they are easy to take, and taste great. Free of gluten, casein, milk, egg, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, as well as, salt, artificial flavors & colors, and preservatives.

These vitamins come in a few varieties depending on your needs. Some varieties are Vitamin C & Pomegranate, Multi & Lycopene (which is my favorite), Energy & B12, and the newest variety (and one I can’t wait to try) a Vitamin D3 variety.

Hero Nutritional also makes chewy vitamins for teens and kids too. Whoot-woo! What a fantastic product for kids who don’t want to take their vitamins! Say Hello to chewy fun Yummi Bear vitamins & Buh-Bye to begging kids to swallow gigantic vitamins!

The Hero Nutritional vitamins get BeFreeForMe’s Friday Favorite honors because they taste great and are a fun way for you and your family to get your daily dose of vitamins… gluten and allergen free!

With the winter in full swing, and Mother Nature batting 100%, and hitting homerun storms all season long, my skin seems to be getting drier and drier.

Most commercial soaps make my skin feel even drier and itchy, so at a suggestion of a friend I checked out the bar soaps over at Vermont Soap Organics.

Free of artificial colors, fragrances and preservatives, these handmade soaps are super-mild. They are made from a hypo-allergenic base of organic coconut, palm, olive and palm kernel oils, and scented with all-natural essential oils and extracts.

My favorite is the Honey Soap, but I am looking forward to trying the Lavender Swirl and the Citrus Sunrise next (can you tell I’m already thinking SPRING?)

After checking out the Vermont Soap Organics website, I discovered they also make a yoga mat wash, as well as a fruit & veggie wash too. A few other things I think I may try!

All natural, homemade goodness that makes you feel fresh, clean & beautiful – inside and out – are the reasons why this week’s BeFreeForMe Friday Favorite goes to Vermont Soap Organics.

I discovered these phenomenal Sun Cups last Fall at the Natural Products Expo in Boston, and it was love at first bite.

These Reese-Peanut-Butter-Cup-Like candies are made with Sunflower Butter, instead of Peanut Butter…  and are to die for. These rich and creamy Sun Cups are also nut-free (peanut & tree nut) and gluten-free too. These delights are made with melt in your mouth chocolate and are also organic.

Sun Cups come in Milk and Dark Chocolate, and are perfect for Valentine’s Day. They come two cups in a package… just right for sharing with your love.

Rich, creamy and melt in your mouth goodness are some reason this week’s BeFreeForMe’s Friday Favorite goes to peanut-free and gluten-free Sun Cups!

Where to buy? Check out the following link:
Sun Cups, Sunflower Butter with Milk Chocolate, 1.5-Ounce Packages (Pack of 20)

I was so excited to find these new frozen entrees at my local supermarket. Made with 100% natural ingredients, these vegetarian entrees also offer many gluten-free, lactose-free and vegan options.

What attracted me to these entrees, made by Moo Moo’s Vegetarian Cuisine, are the fresh, not so typical varieties such as Polenta Florentine, Black Bean Cakes & Mango Salsa, and my favorite, Poblano Chick(Pea) Patties.

The Poblano Chick(Pea) Patties are a perfect lunch or dinner choice. The Chickpea patties are moist, flavorful and packed with tons on protein (there are 9 grams of protein per serving). The chick(pea) patties are really, really good. I have to admit though I was skeptical to try them at first, but I loved them after the first bite!  They are made with chickpeas, brown rice, chili onions and roasted poblano & bell peppers – a delicious combo. This entree is also gluten-free and vegan.

There are two chickpea patties per serving / package that are served over a side of Roasted Corn Salsa, that is fresh, crisp and flavorful. One 9-ounce package is considered one-serving – and it is a nice, big, filling and hearty portion…which I loved, especially since this entree is THAT good!

Oh… the best part? One serving is only 230 calories and only 3 grams of fat. No guilt in eating this goodness.

Moo Moo’s Poblano Chick(pea) Patties take the honors of being this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe for their good taste, good ingredients and good portions! Cheers Moo-Moo’s!

Since being diagnosed with celiac disease and on a gluten-free diet, I haven’t even reached for canned soup. I just figured that most of the mainstream soups found in my grocer’s soup aisle were packed with gluten.

But leave it to Progresso, which by the way means progress in Italian, to lead the way in producing and marketing gluten-free canned soups.

To see the bold words “Gluten-Free” on Progresso Rich & Hearty New England Clam Chowder was joy. And after stopping and checking out all the soup labels I discovered many of the Progresso Soups are gluten free, including my favorite, Rich & Hearty Chicken Corn Chowder. (For a complete listing of all gluten-free Progresso Soups click here and scroll to the Progresso icon on the left).

Progresso Soup’s parent company is General Mills, which is one of the mainstream companies out there that have been offering more and more gluten-free selections in their product line-up. Other gluten-free offerings from General Mills include: Betty Crocker gluten-free baking mixes, Chex cereals and also Gluten-Free Bisquick.

Progresso Gluten-Free Soups are this week’s BeFreeForMe’s Friday Favorite for being the progressive leader in gluten-free mainstream soup items found at a fair-price in most grocery stores across the country.  Cheers Progresso Soups!… Cheer’s General Mills!

Crunchmaster Multi-Seed Crackers are the perfect blend of crunch and flavor. Available in 4 flavors Original, Roasted Garlic, Toasted Onion and my favorite, Rosemary & Olive Oil, these crackers are the perfect by the handful as a snack, or served with your favorite game day dip & cheese tray.

Crunchmaster crackers are packed with a blend of pure rice, sesame, quinoa, flax and amaranth seeds and other natural ingredients – all baked to gluten-free perfection.

These crackers are also all-natural, low in sodium and saturated fat, free of cholesterol and Trans-fat and also certified as gluten-free.

Found in most supermarkets and club stores, Crunchmaster crackers are full of crunch and flavor… and this week’s BeFreeForMe’s Friday Favorite.

There are a lot of frozen gluten free pizzas out there that are good – but they all seem to be the same old bland everyday flavors: 3-Cheese, Pepperoni, Vegetable.

Ho-hum.

That is why my eyes perked up and my taste buds got going when I saw Glutino’s Gluten-Free Chicken Pizza with BBQ Sauce in my grocers freezer last month.

Made with a crispy (can you say “tastes like the real deal?”) brown rice crust, this pizza is crowded with tasty pieces of white chicken meat, mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheeses and a smoky, yet sweet, BBQ sauce and spices. I was impressed with the abundance of toppings.

Another bonus this pizza is not only packed with calcium, and is a good source of Vitamin A and iron.

I also find it super important to note that this individual sized pizza is a nice sized portion that fills you up. Plus, the serving portion on the package is realistic: it says that one pizza is one serving… which made me smile since it meant I could enjoy the whole entire pie… all by myself… for just 310 calories!

Any way you slice it – variety, flavor, and being able to eat a whole delicious gluten-free pizza for a little over 300 calories are some of the reasons why this week’s BeFreeForMe Friday Favorite goes out to Glutino Food’s Chicken Pizza with BBQ Sauce!

The Aegan Edamame Salad made by Cedar’s Mediterranean Foods is fresh, crisp and full of a variety of flavors. Found in the refrigerated department of grocery stores, alongside the hummus, grape leaves and other Mediterranean foods, this salad is a flavor-powerhouse.

Made with Edamame (soy), roasted corn and red peppers, and tossed with just enough cilantro, this salad is perfect side to compliment a sandwich, atop a fresh garden salad, or even sprinkled over cooked fish or chicken.

But beware… this salad is addictive! I can easily finish off a tub of this in a couple of days… all by myself.

I’m all about trying something new, and discovering my new favorite “can’t live without it” food; which is exactly what Cedar’s Mediterranean Aegan Edamame Salad has turned out to be. All these reasons are why this all natural and cholesterol-free salad is receiving the Friday Favorite honor on BeFreeForMe this week!

On the way to an after-work holiday get-together and need to bring an appetizer? Looking for a quick game-day snack? For a quick, fast, grab-on-the go, no-fuss, no-worry and yummy appetizer idea… reach for Wholly Guacamole!

All natural, gluten-free, and made with 100% hand-scooped Haas avocados Wholly Guacamole is a perfect appetizer choice.

Found in your grocer’s refrigerated section, Wholly Guacamole tastes like the guacamole I’d make myself if only I had the: 1.) Time and 2.) Several perfectly ripened avocados that never seem to be available when needed.

I also love this stuff smothered on my gluten-free bread and topped with smoked turkey, and jalapeno cheddar. Yums.

Convenience, good taste and never needing a ripe avocado again in my life are all the reasons why Wholly Guacamole is this week Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com.