Be Free For Me Blog

I love to top my salad with crispy, crunchy tidbits that give a plain salad a punch of flavor. I usually use dried cranberries, crispy tortilla chip crumbs, or sliced almonds.But recently I found my all time favorite crunchy topping… Gerbs Pumpkin Seeds.

These dry roasted, gluten-free pumpkin seeds are great to add an unexpected crunch to a otherwise boring salad. I also love to grab a handful and snack away. They would also be perfect used in a gluten-free “trail mix” recipe.

Deliciously addictive and full of crunchy flavor are the reasons why this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com is awarded to Gerbs Pumpkin Seeds. Congratulations!

This is the time of year that dinner becomes a real sit down affair. The time of year when dinners are not a grab-&-go-right-off-the-grill event and some actual planning and insight is put into what will be served.

But I know that even with all the planing, mealtimes more than often become rushed, and I get short on time. That is when I reach for a quick and easy dishes that make life so much easier.

One of the newest side dishes I discovered is Earthly Choice Easy Quinoa. This all-natural, organic, gluten-free and tasty side dish can be prepared in about 15 minutes.

Easy Quinoa was developed because folks were searching for and asking Earthly Choice for quick and easy ways to enjoy quinoa, so they listened and developed these great tasting dishes. They all contain vegetables, herbs and spices along with organic quinoa in one convenient package. The flavors are Garden Vegetable, Mediterranean & Vegetable Medley, Sundried Tomato Florentine, Mediterranean, Quinoa & Broccoli, and my favorite, Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil. Worth noting is that Earthly Choice also makes a Quinoa Lentil Soup that is gluten-free too.

A quick, easy and tasty side dish that make my life so much simpler even on a budget ( I buy my Earthly Choice Easy Quinoa at my local grocer for $2.50 per box) are the reasons why this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to Earthy Choice Easy Quinoa! Congratulations!

I hate admitting this because I feel like a spoiled kid that doesn’t like to share (or worse yet, gasp… a food hoarder) but whenever I buy Yasso Frozen Yogurt Bars I greedily hide the boxes in the way, way, way… WAY back of the freezer.

Yes…

So I don’t have to share.

But today I am redeeming myself in the sharing category by letting all of you know about these wonderful gluten-free treats. I love Yasso Frozen Yogurt Bars, and I guarantee that just one delicious bite of these 70 calorie bars will have you too adding to your list another way to enjoy Greek Yogurt… as well as secretly concealing a few boxes away just for yourself too.

Gluten-free Yasso Bars (the name comes from the word “Yassou” which means “Hello” in Greek) are all natural, kosher, fat-free, have 6 grams of protein per bar, contain a good source of calcium, and also contain no corn syrup. They are also made with rBST-free milk. Oh… and as I mentioned before – each bar is only 70 calories each (Yassou to dessert every night!)

Yasso Bars are awarded this week’s Friday Favorite for making such a healthy gluten-free treat and for allowing me…myself, and only non-sharing I… another way to enjoy Greek Yogurt. Congratulations!

P.S. Yasso Bars are found across the country. To find a store near you to purchase, check out the Yasso website.

I love making risotto from scratch, but sometimes I just don’t have the time. That is why I reach Lundberg’s Gluten-Free Creamy Parmesan Risotto.

This risotto can be made in the microwave or on the stovetop and can be done in as little as 20 minutes.

This creamy and flavorful rice dish (which is made with Arborio rice, Parmesan and Cheddar cheeses, onion and garlic) it an Italian specialty that has become one of my family’s favorites. Although it can be served as a side-dish, we like it tossed with some fresh grilled chicken strips and served as our main course.

It also comes in other flavors, including some of my favorites – Garlic Primavera, Italian Herb and Butternut Squash.

I also like that that the Lundberg products can be found in most major supermarkets (no running to natural food stores to find it) or on Amazon.com.

Convenience, being able to make an Italian dish easily at home, and being a family dinnertime favorite are the reasons why this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com goes to Lundberg Gluten-free Risotto!

Congratulazioni!

Buy now on Amazon.com:
Lundberg Creamy Parmesan Risotto, 5.5-Ounce Units (Pack of 12)

Oh the love of oloves. These snack packs of perfectly marinated olives are the perfect grab and go nibble. I love them.

At only 50 calories per pack, these olives are full of flavor and do not contain any of the major allergens, or gluten.

They are perfect for travel, lunchboxes, picnics, and an office afternoon snack.

I have only tried the Tasty Mediterranean variety, seasoned with basil & garlic, but Oloves also make a Hot Chili Mama, heated up with habanero peppers, and the Lemony Lover, packed with lemon and garlic.

I tried these Oloves on a flight during recent travel, but you can also find them on Amazon.com.

Thanks to Oloves for making this quick, easy, healthy, low calorie and tasty snack. For all these reasons this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to Oloves. Congrats!

Get Oloves on Amazon.com:

Oloves Lemony Lover, pitted green olives with lemon and garlic, 1.1oz X 10 Packages
Oloves HOT CHILLI MAMA, pitted green olives with habanero chilli, 1.1oz X 10 Packages
Oloves Tasty Mediterranean Flavor, Pitted Green Olives with Basil and Garlic, 1.1oz X 12 Packages

If you’re looking for a pure & simple bar that is 1.) Gluten-free 2.) Organic 3.) Dairy-free 4.) Is made with ethically sourced ingredients and is (most importantly) 5.) Delicious – look no further than the Bumble Bar.

This super cool company really cares about sustainability, health and doing business the right-way with the right-people. Giving back and making a difference in this big huge world is important to me… and is important to the folks over at Bumble Bar too. You can read more about the people over at Bumble Bar here (I love reading about and getting to know the people that make the foods I eat, since it gives me that farmer’s-market-local-feel).

Bumble Bars come in some great varieties such as Amazing Almond, Chocolate Crisp, Lushus Lemon, Chai Almond and more.

Congratulations to Bumble Bar for making the gluten-free world a pure, simple healthier and tasty place! Thank you!

If you’re looking for a tortilla chip whose flavor goes above and beyond the ho-hum, look no further. Laurel Hill Pumpkin Seed Tortilla Chips are the chip for you.

I love the sweetness of these chips. They reminded me of crispy thin cinnamon pumpkin wafers. According to the Laurel Hill website, “The flavor comes from the combination of hearty pumpkin puree, nutty roasted pumpkin seeds, and a dash of sweetness from our secret spice blend.”

If Autumn had a flavor is would be these chips!

These chips are gluten-free, nut-free and full of deliciousness – which are the reasons that Laurel Hill Pumpkin Tortilla Chips are this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com

Congrats!

This week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com is awarded to YumEarth Naturals, the makers of candy that is free of gluten, tree nuts & peanuts, soy & dairy.

And as an added bonus all the YumEarth Naturals products are also free of fat, MSG… and even fat.

Some of the products that they make are lollipops that, according to Phil Lempert, the Food Trends Editor for NBC’s Today show and also known as the “SupermarketGuru” are “The best lollipop I’ve ever tasted.” They also make sour jelly beans, and my favorite… the gummy bears.

The gummy bears are also made with real fruit juice, have no artificial flavors or colors, and supply 100% of the daily requirement of Vitamin C. YumEarth also has an extensive list of allergen certifications on their website.

In particular I like the bag of gummy bears that contains 10 snack packs containing 4 grown-up, yet kid-friendly, flavors of gummy bears – Pomegranate Pucker, Sour Apple Tart, Mango Tango and Perfectly Peach. All of them provide an unexpected burst of flavor – unlike any other gummy bear brands.

Each snack pack is less than 70 calories per pack, so they are perfect for snacking.

All of these yummy, gummy reasons are why this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to YumEarth Naturals Gummy Bears. Congratulations!

Want to buy YumEarth Naturals Gummy Bears? Check out this link on Amazon.com: YumEarth Natural Gummy Bears

I love popcorn. The crunchiness, the quick and easy way it’s a go-to snack, and the way that it’s one of the lowest calorie snacks around.

When I was little my Dad use to make popcorn over the stove the old fashioned way. That’s my favorite way to enjoy popcorn, but these days I just don’t have the time to make it that way.

That’s when I reach for Popcorn Indiana. All of the Popcorn Indiana varieties are gluten-free, and what great varieties they have! My favorite, Touch of Sea Salt, plus  Aged White Cheddar, Cinnamon Sugar, Buffalo Cheddar, and more.

All these tasty & crunchy flavors of good old fashioned popcorn are the reasons why this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to Popcorn Indiana.

Congrats!

One of the things I miss the most since being gluten-free is Chinese food… exactly the way it use to be. A favorite local Chinese restaurants makes a great gluten-free Chow Mein… but, alas, san the noodles. And let’s face it: Eating Chow Mein without the noodles is about the same as eating a peanut butter & jelly sandwich without the bread. In other words, it just doesn’t work.

That is why I thanked my lucky fortune cookie when I heard about Goldbaum’s newest product in their extensive gluten-free line-up… Gluten-Free Chow Mein Noodles.

The Goldbaum’s Gluten-Free Chow Mein noodles are new, so make sure you ask your store for them if they are not on the shelf. Or you can buy them on Amazon.com by clicking this link: Goldbaum’s Gluten Free Chow Mein Noodles, 7 Oz Pack (Case of 12)

Chow Mein noodles that are crunchy, tasty and like the ones I once knew and loved, are the reasons why this week’s Friday Favorite is bestowed upon Goldbaum’s Gluten-Free Chow Mein Noodles. Congratulations!

BONUS: To all BeFreeForMe members… Goldbaum’s is having a giveaway to win a $200 prize pack! Enter win by clicking this link. Contest ends 10/15/12. Good luck!