Be Free For Me Blog

Finally. Finally.  Someone has raised the bar. Thanks to Enjoy Life Foods you can now say goodbye to hard, crunchy and hard to chew bars.

Enjoy Life Foods Chewy Bars are a must try. With four delicious flavors these bars are perfect for morning, mid-day or even as a substitute for those (like me!) that have an after-dinner sweet tooth.

I love the Caramel Apple or Very Berry variety in the morning, the Sunbutter Crunch as an afternoon snack and the Cocoa Loco for a sweet treat.

My favorite though is the Sunbutter Crunch… a nutty treat for those that can’t have peanuts. Enjoy… and go nut-free!

Besides being gluten-free, these bars are also free of the eight (8) top allergens: Wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish, and shellfish.

Leave it to Enjoy Life Foods to make a bar that is chewy & delicious – without the most common allergens.

Cheers & Congratulations to Enjoy Life Foods for being this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeforMe.com. Enjoy… Life…!

Want to order these on Amazon.com? Check out these links and take advantage of Free Super-Saving Shipping:

Enjoy Life Cocoa Loco Chewy On The Go Bars, Gluten, Dairy & Nut Free, 5-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)
Enjoy Life Sunbutter Crunch Chewy On The Go Bars, Gluten, Dairy & Nut Free, 5-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)
Enjoy Life Caramel Apple Chewy On The Go Bars, Gluten, Dairy & Nut Free, 5-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)
Enjoy Life Very Berry Chewy On The Go Bars, Gluten, Dairy & Nut Free, 5-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)

I love macaroons. I love the chewiness. I love the coconut. I even love the way the word itself sounds. Macarooooooon.

Just saying the word macaroon makes you get a big smile smacked across your face.

Macaroons have been a long time favorite of mine. My Mom use to make them when I was a little girl. I loved the chewy & sweetness of the inside, and the crunchy, almost caramelized, just-right browned outside.

There’s nothing like a good macaroon.

That is why I was smiling from ear-to-ear basting in my macaroon glory when I found Hail Merry Macaroons at a tradeshow a few months back.

Sweet, golden & chewy. Macaroon perfection served up in bite sized portions.

The Hail Merry Macaroons are not only gluten-free, but are also vegan and  a raw food. Simple goodness.

This week’s Friday Favorite is graced upon Hail Merry for making the best macaroons and for bringing back good memories in every chewy, sweet bite.

Congratulations!

Want to order Hail Merry macaroons? Check out this link on Amazon.com: Hail Merry Macaroons Gluten-free Raw Blonde 3.5 oz (Pack of eight)

This week’s WIN-It-Wednesday is sponsored by a company that believes in good food – and their name reflects their commitment… Food Should Taste Good!

If you’re not yet familiar with the products that Food Should Taste Good offers you must check out their website and give their chips a try.

All of the fabulous chip flavors that Food Should Taste Good offers are packed with unique and sophisticated ingredients. The variety of flavors… from sweet, to spicy, to savory… makes snack time a fun time! These wholesome flavorful chips, made with all natural ingredients, capture the great flavors by cooking them INSIDE their chips. Ingenious!

And for all of you that are already lovers of the Food Should Taste Good brand, be on the look-out for their NEW PRODUCTS! Among them are a line-up of Kettle Cooked Sweet Potato Chips in awesome flavors like Barbeque, Salt & Pepper, Salt & Vinegar, and Original. As well as a new Kettle Corn Tortilla Chip. Yum! I can’t wait to give these all a try!

I love that Food Should Taste Good has unique and exciting flavors. They’re a chip company that thinks beyond the boring potato. Some of the more interesting chip flavors that Food Should Taste Good offers are: Olive (perfect with tapenades), Chocolate (smothered in apple sauce or cinnamon cream cheese), Lime (guacamole anyone?), The Works (the ultimate dipper… hummus? sour cream? the kitchen sink?) and, my favorite… Sweet Potato (eaten plain or crumbled on top of a fresh garden salad).

Besides the knock your socks off varieties, that pair well with all kinds of dips, spreads and tapenades, Food Should Taste Good is also certified gluten free, dairy/lactose free (all flavors – except for the cheddar!), cholesterol and trans fat free, MSG free and also made with non- genetically modified ingredients. Plus, all the chips are certified vegan (except for the cheddar).

Good taste, good variety, good for you, and just plain old good ingredients, are all the good reasons why I am so excited that Food Should Taste Good is this week’s WIN-It-Wednesday giveaway on BeFreeForMe.com. Four (Yes 4!) LUCKY BeFreeForMe members will win a Food Should Taste Good snack pack jam packed with a dozen Food Should Taste Good snack sized Sweet Potato chips … my all-time favorite. Two (2) winners will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at 11:59 AM and two (2) more winners will be randomly selected from all entries between Wednesday, April 25, 2012 and Tuesday, May 1, 2012. So make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?
Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us your favorite Food Should Taste Good variety or the flavor you would like to try most.

Good luck, Be good…. And as always,
Be Free!

It’s awesome when I find healthy snacks that are absolutely, positively, incredibly delicious. But it’s true love when the snacks are also low calorie, full of fruit, and contain all-natural ingredients.

That’s why it was true love when I tried Matt’s Munchies Premium Fruit Snacks.

I’ve tried a lot of fruit snacks, but Matt’s Munchies are different. These snacks are very, very much better in everyway possible. It’s almost like Matt’s Munchies are the Fruit Snack for the discerning adult (but are loved by kids too). These Fruit Snacks are for the folks that demand more from their fruit snacks than the typical corn-syrup ridden fruit pasted on a piece of plastic wrap.

I love the flavors too… they are exotic and tantalizing… Flavors made for adult taste-buds! Mango Acai; Apple Pie; Chili- Chocolate; Apple-Licious; Ginger Spice; Banana; Mango; Raspberry-Delight; Coco Nana; Tangy Apricot; and my favorite, Island Mango – packed with tiny coconut flakes that add a bit of “texture” and an unexpected burst of flavor.

I also like the way these fruit snacks are portioned into bite-sized squares, rather than rolled-out in one big piece; making snacking easy.

And if it couldn’t get any better these fruit snacks are also Certified Gluten-Free, Kosher, USDA Certified Organic (except for the three chocolate flavors), and free of peanuts, soy and preservatives, artificial colorings or flavorings.

These week’s BeFreeForMe Friday Favorite honor is bestowed upon Matt’s Munchies for creating a truly premium fruit snack… and showing us the way fruit snacks should be!  Congratulations!

Want to buy Matt’s Munchies Premium Fruit Snacks? Check them out on Amazon.com and take advantage of the FREE Super-Saver Shipping! Here is the link: Matt’s Munchies Premium Fruit Snacks

Question:
I like to eat cereal for breakfast but now that I am on a gluten-free diet I have to give up so many of my favorite ones. Can you offer some suggestions?

Answer:

Cereals made with wheat, barley, barley malt extract, barley malt flavoring, or rye are off limits since they all contain gluten. Also,  regular oats are not allowed since they are frequently cross-contaminated with gluten.  But thankfully for everyone on a gluten-free diet there is now a wide variety of  tasty cold and hot gluten-free cereals on the market. It used to be that you could only find these products in health food stores but now more gluten-free cereals are showing up on the shelves of grocery stores. They are also available online from gluten-free specialty stores like glutenfreemall.com, glutenfree.com, glutensolutions.com, as well as a wide variety on Amazon.com or direct from the manufacturer.

Gluten-Free Ingredients
Cereals that are gluten-free and also nutritious can be made from grains such as brown rice, white rice, corn, buckwheat, amaranth, millet, quinoa, sorghum, teff and pure uncontaminated oats. Some may also contain nuts; seeds (e.g., flax, chia, sesame); dried fruits (e.g., raisins, cranberries, apples); or pulse flours (e.g., yellow pea flour).

Pure Uncontaminated Oats
These specialty oats have been grown on fields where wheat, rye or barley have not been grown for a number of years.  They also have  been harvested with dedicated equipment,  processed in dedicated facilities and have  been tested for gluten using very sensitive ELISA tests. The following companies produce these specialty gluten-free oats:
www.avenafoods.com
www.bobsredmill.com
www.creamhillestates.com
www.glutenfreeoats.com
www.giftsofnature.net
www.mtmonstermunchies.com

To find out even more information on gluten-free oats see my website:  http://www.glutenfreediet.ca/about_gf.php

Focus on Nutrition!
When choosing a gluten-free cereal read the ingredient list and nutrition facts table.  Look for cereals that are low in sugar, sodium, fat and calories; are high in fiber; contains whole grains and are enriched with iron and B vitamins.  Want to see how your favorite gluten-free cereal measures up? Check out my detailed charts comparing various gluten-free cereals on the market in the USA and Canada.

US Chart: http://www.glutenfreediet.ca/img/allergliv-summer2011usa.pdf

Canadian Chart: http://www.glutenfreediet.ca/img/allergliv-summer2011canada.pdf

Learn more about whole grains in my free handout called Whole Grains and the Gluten-Free Diet that offers nutrition information, cooking instructions, tips and recipes.

Gluten-Free Product Listing
I have over 3100 gluten-free products listed by company name, product name and package size in my book Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide. In addition to all the products, there is detailed information about the diet including foods allowed and to avoid, meal plans, recipes, cooking hints and substitutions, nutrition information and practical strategies for healthy gluten-free living, a directory of more than 270 companies, resources and much more! See the table of contents at http://www.glutenfreediet.ca/toc.php and you can order the book directly at http://www.glutenfreediet.ca/orderCurrency.php or on Amazon.com.

Shakes, Fruits, Yogurt… and More!
If you are looking for some new breakfast ideas that are both tasty and gluten-free, see these ideas. Some of the breakfast ideas are perfect for “eating on the run” for those that don’t have time for preparing breakfast.

When I think of springtime, certain foods come to mind. But the sweetest thought of all is that of sweet, moist and fresh Carrot Cake – right out of the oven, and prepared gluten-free style.

I have  the best gluten-free Carrot Cake recipe around. Over the years I’ve tweaked the recipe so it’s perfect – moist, full of carrots, and with just enough sweetness. It’s an all-time favorite for the gluten-free and the non-gluten-free alike, and it’s perfect for a brunch or dessert. Make sure you bring along the copy of the recipe to pass along to others!

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
If you are a Carrot Cake fan you will love this recipe! Moist and rich, it is perfect for breakfast, brunch or for dessert. Buy pre-shredded carrots to make your job easier. Omit walnuts to make nut-free. Enjoy!

Carrot Cake Ingredients:

3 cups carrots, well grated
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup corn oil
4 eggs
2 cups sugar – brown or white
2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour (Check label for allergens!)
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
Dash nutmeg
1½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup raisins

Enough butter & gluten-free flour to grease a 10” tube pan or 9”x14” pan

Mix together the grated carrots and chopped walnuts. Set aside.

Cream the oil, eggs and sugar.  Add carrots and nuts.

In another bowl sift together the flour, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and soda.  Slowly add to carrot mixture.  Add the raisins.

Grease and flour (make sure you use gluten-free flour!) a 10” tube pan or 9”x14” pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for about an hour.  Cool before frosting.

Carrot Cake Frosting Ingredients:

¼ cup butter- softened
1 8-ounce package cream cheese – softened (Check label for allergens!)
1 teaspoon vanilla
About 12-ounces confectioner’s sugar

Cream together butter, cream cheese & vanilla. Add sugar, beat until smooth.

I usually eat “my bars”, as I fondly call my #1 go-to food item, as a snack… midway through the day, when I need a little pick-me-up, and when the stomach gets a growlin’.

But I recently found a bar that is perfect for breakfast. Quick, easy and portable. The name? BoBo’s Gluten-Free Oat Bars. They are filling, satisfying, tasty and absolutely perfect for that breakfast on the run.

BoBo’s Oat Bars is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado and founded by a gal named Beryl Stafford. She started the company due to her love for nutrition, wellness and life. What originally started out as super-tasty creation for her oldest daughter, whom she affectionately called “BoBo,” the BoBo products are now available nationwide and still are handmade with the same love and attention to quality that this Mom originally created for her daughter.

The gluten-free BoBo Bars come in some great flavors too: Chocolate Almond, Lemon Poppyseed, Peach and, my favorite, Maple Pecan. All these flavors are great any time of day… morning, mid-day and evening.

BoBo Bars can be found at retailers across the country, and also on Amazon.com.

Congratulations to BoBo Bars for being awarded this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com … we love the way you are amazing people making some amazing products!

Buy BoBo Glute-Free Oat Bars on Amazon.com. Check out these links:
BoBo Gluten-Free Maple Pecan Bars

BoBo Gluten-Free Lemon Poppyseed Bars

BoBo Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Bars

BoBo Gluten-Free Peach Bars

So many BeFreeForMe members, plus many other folks that I chat with when out on the road, are overcoming the challenge of having multiple food allergies in the same household.

So many families are  living with multiple food allergies, celiac disease and other food intolerances and sensitivities. In these cases, mealtimes can be challenging, at best.

That is why my eyes lit up when I enthusiastically started paging through the advance copy of the  “Allergy-Friendly Food for Families – 120 Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free, and Soy-Free Recipes Everyone Will Love” Cookbook when it came across my desk several weeks ago.

And since that time, I have been so excited to share this cookbook – which covers not just one or two, but the five most common allergens in kids – with the BeFreeForMe.com members. “Allergy-Friendly Food for Families” is now available on Amazon.com which is now available  for pre-order with delivery on April 10, 2012!

I like that this cookbook covers recipes for the three major meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). It seems that so many cookbooks don’t offer a lot of breakfast recipes, which we all know can be the most challenging when living with food allergies and a gluten-free diet, but this cookbook offers tons of new & innovative family-friendly breakfast ideas (Some of my favorites? Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies, Blueberry Corncakes, and Quinoa Maple Crunch).   There is also a whole chapter of recipes dedicated to Snacks (yes… snacks!) as well as Desserts and… get this…. a whole chapter on Party Ideas!

I found the chapter dedicated to Party Ideas ingenious! This section is full of recipes – such as Carnival Corn Dogs, Soft Pretzels with Honey Mustard Sauce and a Giant Cookie Cake –  that are all perfect for anyone hosting (or needing recipes ideas) for a birthday party where kids with allergens are attendees.

This cookbook is from the editors of KIWI, the premier magazine about raising families the natural and organic way. The magazine is published bi-monthly and is full of ideas and ways to support green, healthy choices when it comes to food, family life and fun. Check out their Facebook page and the join them on Twitter too, and get a feel for what KIWI’s all about. I think you’ll all really enjoy the content.

As you can imagine, I was so happy when I found out that this WIN-It-Wednesday on BeFreeforMe.com was to be sponsored by KIWI Magazine and the “Allergy-Friendly Food for Families” Cookbook.

How can you win?
Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us what allergies you need to overcome in your life (Me? Besides being gluten-free myself, I have family and friends also concerned with dairy-free, egg-free and nut-free) or let us know the recipes you miss the most since being diagnosed with your food allergies, intolerances or celiac disease. (Me? I really, really miss crumpets for breakfast).

A total of TWO BeFreeForMe members (make sure you are a member to win!) will be selected to win the “Allergy-Friendly Food for Families – 120 Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free, and Soy-Free Recipes Everyone Will Love” Cookbook. One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, April 11 and Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

Good luck, make the best of what you (can) have in life… and as always,
Be Free!

Order your advanced copy of “Allergy-Friendly Food for Families – 120 Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free, and Soy-Free Recipes Everyone Will Love” on Amazon.com and take advantage of FREE SuperSaver Shipping!

Ahhhh… 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 it’s 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 face, I like so many mixtures I think I might have to get a second pitchers 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.

It’s not even the summertime yet, but I am already envisioning me and my girlfriends poolside… while they envy me and my super-cool pitcher!

This is also a perfect gift for Mother’s Day, and a great way to get kids to help in the kitchen and drink more water too!

I just checked and it is now (on 03/29/12) 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

During the first week of spring here in Boston, and like many other places in the country, we had record breaking temperatures. Really? 80 degrees Fahrenheit in March… wicked crazy (said like a true Bostonian)!

But as the temperatures rose, I was skipping my way to the office freezer that housed one of my favorite products I discovered at the Natural Product Expo West in Anaheim, California earlier this month.

Power of Fruit Frozen Bars.

These bars are awesome. Each bite is a bursting mouthful of refreshing fresh fruit. It’s so fitting that the tag line for Power of Fruit is “The fruit, whole fruit, and nothing but the fruit”.

But please, check out the ingredients for yourself. Each ingredient label on a Power of Fruit product not only lists what it does have in it (real fruit), but also what it does not… sugar, color, corn syrup, or preservatives.

And I’m not the only one that loves these bars… over 10,138 people like The Power of Fruit on Facebook. That’s a LOT of fans!

These frozen bars come in plenty of flavors too: Tropical, Orange Tango, Cherry Berry, Banana-Berry, and my all-time favorite, All-Fruit.

And I love, love, love that these bars have only 27 to 35 calories (that’s IT!) per bar, so you can feel good about indulging in these bars. They are perfect for kids and adults. Great for snacking or desserts.

Power of Fruit Frozen Bars are perfect any day. Any time of the year. Even the first week of spring!

~ Want to Buy Power Of Fruit Bars? Check out this link and find a store near you that carries them!