Be Free For Me Blog

After giving riceworks Brown Rice Crisps a try one year ago, I was hooked after the first chip. Made of brown rice, gluten free, high in fiber and 33% less fat than other salty snacks, I knew I had found a snack that not only tastes good – but I could feel good about eating.

Since that time I have enjoyed Sea Salt riceworks at breakfast with chopped hard-boiled eggs, love the Salsa Fresca riceworks in replacement of boring corn chips in nacho recipes; have finely ground Sweet Chili riceworks to use as a phenomenal breading on boneless chicken breasts, and my favorite secret ricework trick, using a handful of coarsely Cinnamon riceworks as a fiber-packed “mix-in” for vanilla ice cream on these hot summer days (watch out Cold Stone Creamery!).

For me riceworks better… as a snack and for many other creative recipe ideas!

It seems that other folks, some like me on a gluten-free diet as well as others that just like good eats, have found some creative places and ways to eat and use riceworks in their day-to-day snacking and cooking. That’s why riceworks has come up with two great promotions this summer! Each of the programs encourages us to share why riceworks is indeed better… while taking a chance at winning some cash and other fantastic prizes, as well as becoming a published & publicized chef! Check out this audio note to find out more about these promotions.

Following is an overview of each of these two promotions:

How riceworks Better:

Are you throwing a party or event this summer with your family, friends, church group, fund raising organization, or long-lost college buddies? Looking to invite one more person? Well…. Invite riceworks!!

riceworks would love to join you and make your event way more fun. The program is called How riceworks Better. If you tell riceworks about your summer event or gathering you could win $4000 (YES folks… $4000) plus tons of riceworks samples to make your event even more fun than you could possibly imagine.

riceworks Recipeworks:

For those of you that love to cook or have a secret recipe you prepare with riceworks Brown Rice Crisps, this promotion is for you! riceworks is creating a cookbook. They are looking for recipes submitted by 50 would-be foodies authors, like you, to create a one-of-a-kind cookbook in which all proceeds will be donated to charity.

Watch out Julia Child, Jamie Oliver and Rachael Ray! YOU may be on your way to stardom and publication! Share your ricework recipes today on the riceworks Recipeworks website and may the best recipe win!

And if these two promotions and chances to win wasn’t enough fun for one summer, I was thrilled when the folks at riceworks® asked to sponsor the prize package for this weeks WIN-It-Wednesday on BeFreeForMe … and the prizes are so awesome! With even a second BONUS chance to WIN! Here are the details on the prizes:

TWO Winners’ will each receive… One (1) CASE of free riceworks® product (that’s 12 bags!) in the flavor of the winner’s choice, PLUS a $25 gift card for the supermarket of your choice!

A THIRD Winner will receive the same prize as above but this winner has to also be a fan of riceworks on Facebook… PLUS leave a comment on this blog as instructed below. (Click here to become a fan of riceworks on Facebook.)

How do you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and lets us know what flavor of riceworks you would choose if you are picked the winner. Also feel free to let us know your favorite time or way to eat riceworks. (Me? I love the Sweet Chili. I love to use them to scoop up some fresh tuna salad for lunch!)

Also, the contest ends on Tuesday, July 20^th at 12 midnight EST  – so enter now and become a fan of riceworks on Facebook too!

Good Luck, Remember to give into the goodness… and as always,

Be Free!

Question: On hot summer days, many people like to enjoy a cool, refreshing alcoholic beverage. Are there any alcoholic beverages that are gluten-free?

Answer: There has been a lot of misinformation about the gluten-free status of alcohol. The good news is that many alcoholic beverages are gluten-free. So lift up your glass and let’s toast to this good news! Here is the scoop…

Distilled Alcoholic Beverages:

Rye whiskey, scotch whiskey, gin, vodka and bourbon are distilled from a mash of fermented grains. Even though these alcoholic beverages can be derived from a gluten-containing grain, the distillation process removes the gluten from the purified final product, so they are gluten-free. Rum (distilled from sugar cane) and brandy (distilled from wine) are also gluten-free.

However, be aware that some pre-made Bloody Mary and Caesar beverage mixes may contain barley malt flavoring or hydrolyzed wheat protein and are not gluten-free so check the label on these items.

Liqueurs (also known as cordials):

These are made from an infusion of a distilled alcoholic beverage with added sugar and flavoring agents such as nuts, fruits, seeds, flowers or cream. Liqueurs are gluten-free.

Wine (including vermouth, port and sherry):

Wines are made from fermented grapes or other fruits. There are also fortified wines such as vermouth; port and sherry which include an added brandy or another distilled alcohol. All these wines are gluten-free.

Wine Coolers:

Historically most wine coolers were gluten-free as they were made from wine, fruit juice, a carbonated beverage and sugar. However in 1991 the US Congress increased the excise tax on wine so many producers substituted malt (from barley) for the wine. Any malt-based coolers are not gluten-free.

Ciders:

Alcoholic and non-alcoholic ciders are made from apple juice. Sparkling cider is made with apple cider and a carbonated beverage. Most ciders are gluten-free but some brands may use barley in its production and are not gluten-free. The best bet is to check with the manufacturer to determine if they are gluten-free.

Beer, Ale and Lager:

The basic ingredients in beer, ale and lager include malted barley, hops (a type of flower), yeast and water. As this mixture is only fermented and not distilled, it contains varying levels of gluten and must be avoided. However, a variety of gluten-free specialty  beers are now on the market made from various gluten-free grains such as buckwheat, sorghum, millet and rice.

Note: Always remember that although certain alcoholic beverages can be included in a gluten-free diet, it must be consumed responsibly and in moderation!

Ask Shelley Case is a feature of BeFreeForMe.com. It is published the second Tuesday of each month. Shelley Case is a Registered Dietitian, Consulting Dietitian, Speaker and Author of Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide. Visit Shelley and get more gluten-free tips & info at: www.glutenfreediet.ca

Just a quick reminder to everyone to sign up for Dr. Daniel Leffler’s FREE webinar that will take place this TUESDAY night, July 13th.

This week’s webinar is the last of three-part summer series of webinars that are presented by riceworks brown rice crisps and sponsored by BeFreeForMe.com.

Dr, Daniel Leffler, MD, MS, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Division of Gastroenterology at BIDMC, has just launched his book Real Life with Celiac Disease (I got a sneak peak and it is a great resource!). Join Dr. Leffler this Tuesday July 13th to learn about a wide range of topics from his new book including screening and diagnosis, associated conditions, food allergies and intolerances, complications, nongastrointestinal manifestations, and what the difference is between celiac disease and a gluten intolerance.

This is a great way to learn more about celiac disease and the gluten-free diet, lifestyle and living!  

I hope to see you all there!
Be Free!
Kathleen

When I was a little girl, my sisters and I would pile into the car with Mom and drive to the Southeastern shore of Massachusetts to go blueberry picking. The sun was always hot, the air was often steamy and the dragonflies were buzzing.

And while my sisters and I filled our buckets with plump and sweet berries, we sang show tunes at the top of our childlike voices while the heat bugs struggled to provide the perfect pitch and harmony, and the dropping of each dark blue berry into our buckets provided a constant tempo.

The day would be long, but the labor of filling up our buckets would be rewarded with kerchiefs full of sweet berries to share on the long ride home to Cape Cod.

In today’s world I don’t have as much time as I did in my youth to spend an afternoon picking blueberries. Ode to the simpler times. But the memories and the fondness described above encourage a childlike beam to appear on my face when I see native berries, all packed up in the flimsy wooden boxes at my local farm stand.

I also love blueberries because they are so versatile. A sprinkle can be a topping for cereal, yogurt, salads or ice cream; they can make a muffin come to life; they are a welcome addition to a breakfast smoothie and they are delicious snack that can easily be eaten by the handful, especially since one cup of blueberries has only about 80 calories.

Little did my Mom know back-in-the-day that we were out picking one of nature’s “super foods” during those summer days of my youth. Blueberries are high in antioxidants, and vitamin A, C and D. The compounds in blueberries have also been found to fight the bacteria that cause urinary track infections, cancer and aging.

This is the time of year when blueberries are at their peak. I love to take afternoon snack break on the outside front steps of my office and enjoy a handful of these sweet plump berries.

Blueberries are a comfort food to me.

I shut my eyes and let their sweetness take me away to the simpler days of steamy summer Cape Cod afternoons, dragonflies, and heat bugs, all the while humming away show tunes of yesteryear… in total and absolute perfect pitch and harmony.

I heard the buzz start several months ago. People were chatting, blogging and spreading gluten-free love about the most unbelievable bread they have ever tasted. I thought that it was just hype, gluten-free hysteria gone viral. In the back of my mind, I thought, “Really Folks…. Come on, R-E-A-L-L-Y?  How can gluten-free bread taste JUST like the real deal?”

But after trying Udi’s White Sandwich bread it was love at first slice.

Udi’s not only taste different than other gluten-free breads, it looks and feels different than other gluten-free breads too. Why, you ask, is Udi’s different than other gluten-free breads? Let me list some of the ways:

It can not be confused with a cinder block: The first think I noticed is the weight of a loaf of Udi’s bread. It’s light as air and picking it up doesn’t take two hands, and more muscle than one can muster… or is worth. 

Udi’s gluten-free bread is dairy, nut and soy free too: Great for everyone with multiple allergies.

Light, fluffy texture: This is the most important pointer in this list. The texture is like real white bread, soft and airy. Use it for sandwiches, French Toast or butter and jam. The list is endless – which brings up the next point…

Perfect for dipping into herbed olive oil: I miss bread that is capable of dipping into and soaking up perfectly herbed good quality olive oil. Thank you Udi for giving me back this simple pleasure.

No Defrosting: With Udi’s planning to have a piece of toast in the morning or a quick sandwich mid-day doesn’t require defrosting bread the night before. With Udi’s you take the loaf out of the freezer and easily pop-off (no chiseling off each slice with a knife) the bread slices. Place them on the counter for only about 5 minutes for a perfect piece of fresh bread. Simple.

Toasts-up perfect: Udi’s bread toasts-up even and light brown, and keeps soft in the middle. Toasting perfection.

The heels are even good: Yup. I even eat the heels of Udi’s gluten-free breads. Toasting them up and adding a smear of peanut butter is a perfect snack. Enjoying the heels of any loaf of bread is the ultimate compliment, and a reminder to buy two loaves next time instead of one. 

All these reasons are why Udi’s Gluten-Free Bread is this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com. Give Udi’s a try and you’ll see for yourself, why you’ll be hooked after the first slice too.

Sometimes you just feel like a little cookie. Just a little bit of something to satisfy your sweet tooth.

That’s when I reach for a Orgran Dinosaur Whole Fruit Cookies.

Packed with 25%  fruit, these vegan gluten-free cookies also contain no cane sugar and have less than 5% fat content. They are also free of nuts, soy, egg, yeast and dairy.

These fun little fruit-packed Orgran gluten-free cookies are BeFreeForMe’s Friday Favorite because they are small enough for little hands, but satisfying enough for the big kids.

Trust me… these cookies will never become extinct from your families favorites list.

Now on SALE at Amazon.com: Buy some now! Orgran Dinosaur Wholefruit Cookies, Wildbery Flavour, (8 pack) 6.2-Ounce Boxes

It’s Official! The Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of summer are officially here!

Many of us will be spending the Fourth of July Holiday outside while we enjoy barbeques, picnics, boating, swimming and hanging by the beach and poolside.

While packing our bags for these excursions, we make sure we pack enough gluten and allergen free snacks and food for the whole family. But what about your sunscreen and lip balms? Are they gluten and allergen-free too?

Since the start of the summer, I have been inundated with BeFreeForMe members asking about gluten-free lip balms, sunscreens and lipsticks. My solution? Arbonne products.

All of Arbonne skincare products are free of gluten (with the exception of the vitamins and hormone cream); free of synthetic fragrances; and free of dyes, PABA and mineral oils. They are also pH correct and are botanically based.

But what I love the absolute most about Arbonne is my rep, Krissy.

A number of years ago, Krissy was diagnosed with celiac disease too. She lives a strict gluten-free lifestyle along with her family, many of whom are also celiacs.

It’s nice to know that she “gets it” and she understands when you’re adamant about getting sunscreens, make-ups and lip balms that are free of gluten! She’s also very generous when it comes to getting free samples of products you’re interested in trying and she ships my orders direct to my door…. Whenever I need them! (No malls… no stores… no snooty make-up counter girls that have no clue about gluten and allergens!)

Krissy has generously offered to supply these fantastic Arbonne Gluten-free products for the sponsorship of BeFreeForMe’s WIN-It-Wednesday’s for the next two weeks.

Five (yes 5!) entries will win an Arbonne SPF 30 BefoRE Sun Lip Saver Sunscreen. Plus, one Grand-Prize Winner will win a sunscreen gift set containing an ABC Sunscreen with SPF 30 (made for baby’s sensitive skin, but great for us “Big Kids’ too!), BefoRE Sun Save Face & Body Sunscreen with SPF 15 (Blended with arnica, rosemary, linden and chamomile, this product which is suitable for all skin types is great alone or under make-up), a BefoRE Sun Damage Control Water Resistant Sunscreen SPF 30 (Helps prevent sunburns even after 40 minutes in the water!), along with a BefoRE Sun Lip Saver Sunscreen.

How can you WIN?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us what fun in the sun (…or the shade!) you have planned for this Holiday weekend or summer (Me? Tons of Cape Cod road trips with my friends Julie and Diane).

Please enter TWO Times (once between June 29 and July 6 and again between July 7 and July 13) to increase your chances of winning!

Good Luck, Remember to always look for the sunny side of things, and… as always…

Be Free!

Last month, as I was wearily making my rounds down one of the last aisles of a natural food show I walked into one of the most amazing snacks of all times: Bhuja Snack Mixes.

Bhuja made my walk down aisle #2305 a walk down the spicy side.

A multigrain snack that’s 100% natural, gluten-free and no trans fats this snack must be tried. But be forewarned… you may unintentionally eat a whole bag in one sitting.

My favorite is the Nut Mix. A spicy, exotic blend of crunchy gluten-free multigrain noodles, crispy peas, peanuts, cashews, almonds… all blended together with flavorful and unforgettable spices.

Bhuja is one of those snacks you have to try for yourself. Go for a walk down the spicy side and try for yourself.

Shelley Case amazed me once again this evening by sharing information and answers about the most common gluten-free questions we all have. She answered questions that are so common-place, yet so confusing. Some topics she touched upon include how you know if seasonings and spices contain gluten, or why does weight gain occur after going gluten-free.

Tonights webinar was the second of a three part summer series sponsored by riceworks Brown Rice Crisps. Close to 500 registered participants listened as Shelley detailed the answers to questions that we all have wondered or need to know.

My favorite part of the webinar was when Shelley reviewed so many gluten-free grain alternatives and ways to use them. After this segment, I had to wonder if Shelley has a second calling as a chef or baker… her ideas on using these gluten-free grains sounded so very tasty!

If you missed the webinar tonight, or the one on June 15th, click on the www.glutenfreesnacksforme.com or www.glutenfreediet.ca websites for a free download of both of these informative webinars.

Also, remember to tune in on Tuesday, July 13, 2010 when Doctor Daniel Leffler, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Division of Gastroenterology at BIDMC, who has just launched his book Real Life with Celiac Disease, is the guest on riceworks third webinar of summer series.

Be Informed, Be Healthy… and as always,

Be Free!
Kathleen

The buttery and sweet shortbread cookie is a cookie that I love.

That’s why I was so excited to find Orgran’s Premium Shortbread Hearts. Petite and fittingly heart-shaped, these gluten and dairy free cookies taste every bit as good as the shortbread cookies I remember prior to going gluten-free.

These traditional shortbread biscuit cookies are made without the butter and gluten of traditional shortbread cookies, but you won’t even miss it. Plus, besides being gluten and dairy free these cookies are also vegetarian, and casein-free.

The Orgran Shortbread Hearts receive this week’s Friday Favorite honor since they are just so lovable. Made for sharing with a friend, over a fresh brewed pot of tea, enjoy these heart-shaped cookies over some good conversation and company. Sweet.

Want to try some Orgran’s Shortbread Hearts? Check them out on Amazon.com:
Orgran Shortbread Hearts, 5.2-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 7)