Be Free For Me Blog

I love unexpected surprises. Serendipity at its best.

And that is exactly what I got when I opened one of my Go Picnic Meals this week. What I found was a sweet, savory, crunchy, chewy, sassy and fun snack… Sweet Perry’s Fruit & Nut Mix.

The flavor that I tried that absolutely knocked my socks off was the Baja Blend. The habanera almonds, sweet & salty peanuts, and the mangos and cranberries packed an unexpected punch of flavor that had me begging for more.

All these tasty reasons are why this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to Sweet Perry Sweet & Nut Mix! Congratulations!

This week’s Friday Favorite is a product that I currently tried and absolutely love! Nasoya Pasta Zero Shirataki Noodles are a perfect way to enjoy any dish that calls for pasta without all the calories, carbs and fat.

Pasta Zero Noodles from Nasoya Foods are traditional Japanese noodles that are made from the Konjac plant root – which saves you about 200 calories per serving. They are almost tasteless, which allows them to “take on” any ingredients you mix them up with. I love mine with basil pesto tossed with steamed vegetables, or with traditional sauce and meatballs. They come in spaghetti & fettuccini varieties.

They are all-natural, vegan, dairy free and gluten free and they are fortified with iron. The great part about these noodles are that they really fill you up since Glucomannan, which is found in the Konjac plant root, is a water-soluble dietary fiber that helps you feel full.

Found in my Produce Department’s refrigerated section of my local grocer, the key to enjoying any Shirataki noodle is to make sure that you rinse and drain them a few times. Why? When you first open the package the smell of the Konjak plant root can take you by surprise (yes… it is an odd almost woodsy smell!) BUT it is perfectly normal and will go away one you rinse them a few times. =) For other tips on how to use Shirataki Noodles, check out this link on the Nasoya website.

No calories, gluten-free, no fat, so versatile and easy to prepare are the reasons why this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com is awarded to Nasoya’s Pasta Zero! Congratulations!

Sometimes snack time can get so boring. The same-old, same-old day after day. I always try to reach for a healthy afternoon snack – but fruit, veggie sticks, and air-popped popcorn can get so boring.

That is why I loved finding GimMe Roasted Seaweed Snacks.

At first I was shocked to see the words “seaweed” and “snack” together. Don’t get me wrong, I like my seaweed, but historically I have enjoyed it wrapped, rolled and layered around my sushi. But after trying GimMe Seaweed Snacks the words seafood & snacks have been joined together better than peanut butter & jelly or salt & pepper.

Made from seaweed that is grown in an agriculturally protected region of the Yellow Sea, GimMe’s seaweed is gluten-free, USDA certified organic and verified Non GMO. And after checking out the GimMe website I learned that seaweed (which is a vegetable… who would have known?) is loaded with nutritional value and has the highest density of vitamins and minerals of any vegetable on the planet. Good stuff!

The two products that GimMe makes are Roasted Seaweed Crumbles and Sheets. Both are loaded with vitamins and minerals, and are low in calories.

Roasted until nice & crispy, the Crumbles, which come in three tasty flavors (Cheddar Cheese, Sesame and Honey Dijon) are perfect atop a salad, or sprinkled on vegetables or baked fish; while the Sheets (that come in Sea Salt & Sesame) are great for snacking.

All these tasty & healthy reasons are why I am so thrilled that gluten-free GimMe Seaweed Snacks is this Win-It-Wednesday sponsor on BeFreeForMe.com.

A total of two (2) BeFreeForMe members will be selected to win a prize exclusive for this contest on BeFreeForMe. This prize pack includes a tote-bag packed with an assortment of GimMe Seaweed Snack products.  One winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, August 13, 2013 at 11:59 PM EST, and one more winners will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, August 14 and Tuesday, August 20, 2013 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 which flavor of the Crumbles or Sheets sounds best to you… the Sea Salt, Cheddar Cheese, Sesame, or Honey Dijon.

Good luck, remember to snack on those vegetables (and yes, that does includes seaweed!) … and as always,

Be Free!

Keep in touch and join me in following GimMe Seafood Snacks on Facebook!

This week’s Friday Favorite is one of my quick & easy go-to dinners that is perfect when I don’t feel like “cooking” and I’m looking for a quick-fix meal that is both healthy… and tasty.

Harvestland Chicken Burgers are gluten-free and are made from chicken raised with no antibiotics and are fed an all-vegetarian diet.

These chicken burgers are minimally processed and combine all-natural chicken with other natural ingredients to make a delicious burger. They come in three delicious flavors: Cheddar Cheese w/ Jalapenos; Uncured Bacon & Cheddar; and my favorite, Florentine.

The best part is that these burgers are already fully-cooked, so all you need to do is heat-and-serve. I like to fire up the grill and heat mine up for a few minutes on each side. My favorite way to enjoy one is on toasted gluten-free bread that is piled high with avocado and arugula. Delicious!

All-natural good taste and convenience is why this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to Harvestland Chicken Burgers! Congratulations!

Sometimes a little fizziness is just what a girl needs. A little bit of fizz in your drink to add some sparkle to your day.

That is why I fell in love with the newest addition of the Honest Tea family – Honest Fizz… a zero calorie, naturally sweetened soda that has no caffeine and is sweetened with stevia. It’s no wonder it is described as “so-da-licious” on their website!

The flavors are great for adults and kids too: Old-time Root Beer, citrusy Lemon Limey, a cherry Professor Fizz and the classic Orange Pop.

Good taste, no sugar, free of calories & caffeine… and full of sparkle…  are why this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to Honest Fizz! Congrats on being so dazzling!

Sassy & sweet. Yup… those are the two words I would use to describe the two newest additions to the Kind Bar family. Both of these new additions meld sassy and sweet flavors into one bar to create a perfect taste assembly.

And let me tell you why I love them both…

The Dark Chocolate Chili Almond is spicy and sweet all in the same bite. Just when you catch the sweetness, a little sassiness catches your unsuspecting taste buds off guard. Tricky little bar.

The dark chocolate is pure angel heaven. And the spiciness adds a bit of devilish heat. Absolutely divine.

Then there’s the Maple Glazed Pecan & Sea Salt. I swear the folks at Kind Snacks made this bar with me in mind… a bit sweet, a bit spicy and, yes, even a bit nutty. It’s basically a bit of New England all rolled into one bar. It’s made with real maple syrup, reminiscent of the north woods of New England, that is sea sprayed with the salts of the rugged Atlantic coast.

And, said like a true-Bostonian, “This is a wicked good bah.”

As always, these newest addition to the KIND Snacks family are gluten-free, kosher and perfect for a breakfast on the run or for snacking. Plus, all KIND Bars offer the essential nutrients often lacking in gluten free diets including fiber, protein, magnesium and vitamin B12.

All these wonderful, healthy and tasty reasons are why I am so thrilled that KIND Snacks is this week’s Win-It-Wednesday sponsor on BeFreeForMe.com.

A total of two (2) BeFreeForMe members will be selected to win a prize exclusive for this contest on BeFreeForMe. This prize pack includes twelve bars of EACH of the two newest KIND flavors – Maple Glazed Pecan & Sea Salt and the Dark Chocolate Chili Almond– for a total of 24 KIND bars (retail value of over $45.00). One winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, July 30, 2013 at 11:59 PM EST, and one more winners will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, July 31 and Tuesday, August 6, 2013 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 which new KIND Nuts & Spices Bar sounds best to you… the Maple Glazed Pecan & Sea Salt or the Dark Chocolate Chili Almond. And if you want… let us know something kind that you have done or something kind that someone else has done for you lately (Me? I stopped my car at road construction and handed a bottle of cold ice water to a police officer who was melting standing there in 100 degree heat =)  )

Good luck, remember to be KIND even in a nutty, sassy and sweet kind of way … and as always,

Be Free!

Keep in touch and join me in following KIND Snacks on Facebook & Twitter!

This week’s Friday Favorite is a repeat of a past Friday Favorite honoree. Why? Because it is truly one of my all-time favorite products that I really, really can’t live without! My fruit infusion pitcher.

When there is a heat wave and the temperature is pushing the 100 degree mark, there’s nothing like a tall, cold glass of water. But let’s face it… plain water can be just that… plain old boring.

That is why I snagged myself one of these pitchers on Amazon.com that lets you infuse your own real fruit, herbs and veggies – quickly and easily.

The concept is easy & inexpensive. You cut up your own fruit, veggies, herbs… creativeness at its best… and add them to the infuser section in the pitcher. Within a few hours (but it can take up to 24 hours for some fruits/veggies) you have crisp, flavored water that is super yummy, super healthy (since you have control over the ingredients you put in) and super cheap to make!

I can’t say enough about this pitcher and have been dreaming-up different flavor-concoctions since I got it. Some of my favorites so far? Apple & Mint; Basil-Cucumber; Lemon-Ginger; Strawberry-Kiwi; Green Tea & Tangerine; and Honeydew-Mint. In fact, I like so many mixtures I think I might have to get a second pitcher to have two flavors going at the same time!

The fruit/veggies that I add to the infuser lasts for about 1-week, but I find it helpful to add more water to the pitcher every time I pour myself a glass, to keep the water continually infused and nicely flavored.

I just checked and it is now on sale on Amazon.com for $19.99 (Regular price is $25) and qualifies for free Super Saver Shipping.

It’s not too often I rave about something other than food on my Friday Favorite column, but this pitcher is must-have for anyone trying to drink more water! So this week I lift my glass of fruit infused water and congratulate Prodyne Fruit Infusion Pitcher for being this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com!

Want to buy on Amazon.com? Check out this link: Prodyne Fruit Infusion 93-Ounce Natural Fruit Flavor Pitcher

This week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com is awarded to Niagara Natural’s Simply Fruit Real Fruit Bites… the perfect grab-and-go snack that is made from 100% real fruit.

I love that these snacks have no corn syrup or sugars, are non-GMO and contain no artificial colors flavors or preservatives. They also have no trans fat or cholesterol.

These nut-free, gluten-free and vegetarian real fruit snacks are perfect for the beach, camp, or snack times.

Congrats to Niagara Natural’s Simply Fruit for being a guilt-free and tasty snack… and also for being awarded this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com!

Elana Amsterdam is one of my favorite gluten-free cookbook authors. Her last two cookbooks, “The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook” and “Gluten-Free Cupcakes” are two of my most go-to, used and perused cookbooks that I own.

And now Elana has created yet another marvelously, scrumptious collaboration of gluten-free, grain-free and dairy free recipes in her newest cookbook addition – “Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry – Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free Recipes”.

I’ve heard a lot over the past few months about Paleo cooking, but was never quite sure what it was all about. What exactly is the premise of Paleo cooking? What can you eat? What can’t you eat? Does the diet allow any baked goods at all? And after reading the first few chapters of Elana’s cookbook I discovered the answers to all of the questions I had regarding the Paleo cooking… plus more.

What I learned is that Paleo cooking is free of gluten, grains and dairy. It takes its cue from our hunter-gatherer ancestors and “consists mainly of all-natural low-sugar, high-fiber, and high-protein real foods like fish, grass-fed pasture raised meats, eggs, vegetables, fruit, fungi, roots, seeds and nuts.” All the things that I love the taste of…  and love to eat!

This cookbook is fantastic for those that have allergies (aka: me!); folks who want to eat “cleaner” and avoid processed foods (aka: me!), or even for those who want to lose some weight  by eating “real” foods that are low in sugar and high in fiber (aka: me!).

After paging through the recipes in this cookbook and already giving several a try ( and can you say delicious?!)  I think I may soon jump aboard the Paleo Diet for a few weeks. I love the way that Elana incorporates almond flour and coconut flour into her recipes to produces high-fiber, soft and yummy baked goods like bagels, Banana Bread, & Blueberry Coffee Cake.

And congratulations to Elana for having this cookbook land on the New York Times Best Sellers List! Kudos to you, Elana!

All of the yummy & enticing Paleo recipes, from one of my favorite cookbook authors, in one easy to read cookbook with fantastic photos and terrific variety are the reasons that I am so excited Elana Ansterdam’s  newest cookbook, “Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry” is this week’s Win-It-Wednesday sponsor on BeFreeForMe.com. Four (Yes, 4!) lucky BeFreeForMe members will be the winner of their very own copy of this cookbook! Two winner will be randomly selected from all comments / entries received before Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at 11:59 PM (EST), and a second winner will be selected from all comments / entries received between Wednesday, July 17, 2013 at 12:00 AM (EST) and Tuesday, July 23, 2013 at 11:59 PM (EST).

How can you win?
Easy!

Reply to this blog and send your congratulations to Elana for having this cookbook make the New York Times Best Seller List (I will make sure she receives all of your congrats =) ! Good luck, remember gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free (and allergen free!) can be tasty & scrumptious, AND on the New York Times Best Sellers list!… and as always…

Be Free!

Today has been a long day. A crazy, hectic, irrational, nutty, chaotic, wacky day. One of those days that your brain just stops working… but unfortunately your stomach does not.

This is when eating gluten-free can become yet another task that I just don’t want to think about. Don’t get me wrong. I love my food, and I love to cook it. But sometimes I need something quick, easy and fast to eat. You know… no cooking or thinking required.  

That is why I was so thrilled to find Evol Food’s new gluten-free burritos.  Just pop these gluten-free and dairy-free burritos in the microwave for 2 minutes – and they are done. Pair one up with a handful of salad greens topped with chopped olives & salsa, and you have a meal. Just like that.

I’ve been a fan of Evol Food’s entrees (My favorite is the Fire Grilled Steak for a long time (read about that love-story here), and with the addition of the gluten-free burritos, they have created gluten-free goodness again. The gluten-free burritos come in three flavors – Shredded Beef, Chicken, and Chicken & Guacamole. All natural, packed with 10-11 grams of fiber and certified gluten-free – these burritos rock.

Quick, convenient, and tasty… this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com is awarded to Evol Food’s Gluten-Free Burritos. Cheers & congratulations!