Be Free For Me Blog

For the second week in a row we will stay on the theme of good gluten-free Mexican style foods that can be enjoyed at home, so with that in mind this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe goes to Maria & Ricardo’s Gluten-Free Tortillas.

If you’re craving to make an authentic street vendor style Burrito that is bursting at the seams with grilled chicken, beef, guacamole, beans, rice and chipotle seasoning this gluten-free tortilla is for you!

Being from New England, I grew up on fish & chips from the corner restaurant for a quick and easy meal. I never had a burrito until I visited my older sister in San Francisco while she was attending college.  And this experience was one that I will never forget.

Burritos in San Francisco have a cult-like following. On every street corner in the Mission District, are tiny, family-owned burrito shops, called Taquerias, that make the best burritos in the world. Each burrito made is packed with love and good, fresh food.

These burritos are one of the things I miss the most since going gluten-free.  One of my favorite food-bloggers, Dabney Gough, and also one of my sister’s burrito loving buds from San Francisco, describes the love of burritos the way only a San Franciscan could in this fantastic blog post.

I’ve learned since going gluten-free that you have to take eating Burritos, literally, into your own hands. And this, my fellow burrito loving amigos, is where Maria & Ricardo’s gluten-free tortillas come into play!

The Maria & Ricardo gluten-free tortillas are soft, pliable and the perfect tortilla for making gluten-free burritos, soft tacos, or quesadillas at home. Made with sorghum, potato and tapioca flours, these gluten-free rounds-of-joy are great for stuffing, wrapping and rolling.

Currently available in the frozen department of only a handful of Whole Foods and some smaller supermarkets, the quest for these tortillas are worth the while. I have gone as far to ask my local grocers to carry them – and suggest you do the same.

Good ole’ San Franciscan Taqueria-style burritos made in my own kitchen in the heart of New England is the reason this week’s Friday Favorite honors goes to Maria & Ricardo Gluten-Free Tortillas.

Bueno!

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 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!

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.

Jelly Belly Fruit Snacks, made by the makers of Jelly Belly Jelly Beans, are a healthier snack alternative that are made with 100% natural fruit juices and real fruit flavors.

I discovered these pop-in-your-mouth-full-of-goodness snacks last month at a trade show, and have been hooked ever since.

Naturally gluten-free and fat-free, a snack sized bag has only 220 calories. These fruit shaped bite-sized jelly-like snacks come in 6 flavors: Orange, Strawberry, Apple, Cherry, Lemon and Berry.

Good tasting snacks that are fun to eat are the reasons why Jelly Belly Fruit Snacks are awarded this weeks Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com.

According to the Vita CoCo website, Vita Coco is an all-natural, super-hydrating, fat-free, cholesterol-free, nutrient-packed, potassium-stacked, mega-electrolyte, coconut super water. But to me, it is just a simply delicious and refreshing gluten-free beverage.

Perfect for post-workouts, this coconut water has the ability to hydrate you… fast.

Coconut water has tons of healthy benefits, including having more potassium than 2 bananas and than 15 times the potassium of sports drinks. Vita Coco also comes in five flavors; Pure, Peach & Mango, Pineapple, Acai & Pom, and my favorite, Tangerine.

Good, clean and refreshing hydrating goodness is the reason why this week’s BeFreeForMe Friday Favorite goes to Vita Coco Coconut Water. Go nuts!

It that time of year again when I start digging out those recipes for my homemade stews & soups.

But often time I don’t have the time (or the patience!) to make homemade stocks.  That is when I reach for Kitchen Basic Stocks.

Found in most “mainstream” supermarkets alongside those gluteneous stocks and soups, Kitchen Basics products are all tested to be free of most allergens – including milk, egg, peanut, gluten, soy, tree nut and corn. (Note: all the products are also fish and shellfish free, with the exception of the Seafood and Clam Stocks – which are clearly marked).  They also do not autolyze, hydrolyze, or add or produce any MSG.

Just like the name implies, these broths are basic kitchen stocks I would make myself, if only I had the time, energy and effort during my busy dinnertime hour. I also like the convenient 8-ounce single serve containers, especially when cooking up a recipe that needs a cup or less of chicken, beef or seafood stock.

All these basic, simple and trouble-free reasons are why this week’s BeFreeForMe Favorite Friday goes to Kitchen Basics Stocks!

Soups on!

This week when I was running out the door for a “big” day jammed packed with meetings, blogs to write and things to do, I was in need of a fast, hot and healthy breakfast to get me on the right track.

That was when I remembered I had picked up a CedarLane Egg White Omelette. After just popping it in the microwave for just 3 minutes, I had what I was craving… and needed… a tasty breakfast that I would have cooked-up myself if I only had the time.

These omelettes are made with egg whites stuffed with uncured turkey bacon, potatoes, bell pepper, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Delicious!

As well as being gluten-free, this fast and easy breakfast is also low in cholesterol. All these reasons are why CedarLane Turkey Bacon,Vegetable & Cheese Egg White Omelettes are this week’s BeFreeForMe’s Friday Favorite! Thanks CedarLane for getting crazy, but important, days going on a great start!