Be Free For Me Blog

This week’s Friday Favorite is now one of my favorite mid-day snacks. The Eat Well Embrace Life hummus’ gives my carrot & celery sticks a dip with an extra little kick!

I love all of the Eat Well Embrace Life Hummus’ since they are a healthy and low-calorie. Plus they are flavorful and zesty… not bland and boring. A two tablespoon serving (which is plenty for snack) has only 40-60 calories and is packed with ingredients that you can feel good about dipping your healthy lil’ veggies in.

And ALL of the Eat Well Embrace Life product ingredients are certified gluten-free (Yes… even the gluten free soy sauce!)

And the flavors! Oh! The flavors! No more boring flavors of hummus for me since I found Eat Well Embrace Life! Some of my favorites include the Sweet & Spicy Black Bean, Spicy Yellow Lentil with Sunflower Seeds, Tuscan White Bean with Roasted Pine Nuts and the Zesty Sriracha Carrot Hummus. But make sure you check out ALL of the delicious flavors for yourself… and the great recipe ideas on the Eat Well Embrace Life website.

All of these reasons are why this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to Eat Well Embrace Life Hummus. Thank you for exciting and tasty hummus… and for making celery and carrots fun and flavorful!

P.S. Check out the Eat Well Embrace Life Facebook and Twitter pages to find out more about this fantastic company and keep attuned with updates and new products!

This week’s Win-It-Wednesday is for all of you gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free fans! The Paleo Diet Bar is free of these three culprits – as well as 100% Paleo Diet approved.

For those of you that don’t know, the paleo diet, or the paleolithic diet,, is commonly called the caveman diet since it is based on the foods that our ancestors might have eaten: foods such as berries, nuts and meats; and excludes foods that they likely wouldn’t have had access to: foods like processed grains and dairy.

The paleo diet has become popularized by Loren Cordain in his best-selling 2002 book, The Paleo Diet. Cordain is the world’s leading expert and founder of the Paleolithic movement, and author of the bestselling books The Paleo Answer, The Paleo Diet Cookbook, and The Paleo Diet for Athletes.  Loren Cordain is the go-to guy when it comes to what’s hot and what’s not when it comes to the paleo diet.

And, Loren Cordain has exclusively endorsed The Paleo Diet Bars! Talk about HOT!

The Paleo Diet Bar is not only gluten, dairy, soy and grain free, but it is also non-GMO, preservative free, and contains all-natural quality ingredients. The bars also contain 17 grams of egg protein and 9 essential amino acids. Packed with protein and fiber these bars are both tasty and nutritious.

Also, the sugar content is natural, from the fruit in the product. There is no added sugar or syrup. The bars are made up of just fruit, nuts, seeds, berries, egg white protein with a bit of hemp protein to promote digestibility and also immunity.

The Paleo Diet Bars come in two great flavors: Cranberry Almond or Cinnamon Raisin. And coming soon are two NEW flavors: Cherry Apple Walnut and Blueberry Pear Pecan. To be the first to find out when they new varieties launch make sure you check out The Paleo Diet Bar’s Facebook and Twitter pages for updates!

All of these reasons are why I am so excited that this Win-It-Wednesday is sponsored by The Paleo Diet Bars.

A total of two BeFreeForMe.com members will be randomly selected to win a prize pack of The Paleo Diet Bars. One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, May 27 and Tuesday, June 2, 2015 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us which one of the two Paleo Diet Bars look the best to you. Is it the Cranberry Almond? Or the Cinnamon Raisin? Good luck, remember to eat healthy, but tasty … and, as always …

Be Free!

Want to buy now? Check out these links on Amazon.com:

Cranberry Almond Bars

Cinnamon Raisin Bars

This week’s Win-It-Wednesday on BeFreeForMe.com is all about good lovin’. Yup… that extra special hug, smile, wink or good gesture that we all love to receive, and also give.

You Are Loved Foods definitely loves all of us gluten free, dairy free, grain free and sugar-free folks by creating what is perhaps the most perfect chocolaty treats.

Better yet – You are Loved Foods founder, Jonathon Heine, has formulated the perfect sweetener that will satisfy any chocoholic… even diabetics.  (To find out more about Jonathon and his journey regaining his health and his 100-pound weight loss click on this link.)

And Jonathon’s goal is simple… “Our goal is to be the go-to brand for ultra-low carb, low glycemic, truly pure Paleo lifestyles and to support diabetics in their journey to a healthy lifestyle.”

You Are Loved Foods Paleo friendly, gluten-free, sugar and sugar-free alcohol-free, non-GMO, non-dairy, no starch, no grain, ultra-low carb but protein rich treats include the following:

• Cinnamon Almond Bites (vegan)
• Chocolate Bites (vegan)
• Truffle Chocolate Fudge Balls (vegan)
• Chocolate cupcakes (low carb)
• And their most recent product addition… “Love-O-La” a grain free and nut free granola made from nuts and seeds.

All of them are also made with low-glycemic ingredients, such as cashews, almonds, chia seeds and coconut flour. They also all have about 1 gram of sugar and 4 grams or less of net carbs per serving. They also contain no ‘tols … in other words refined sugar alcohols such as erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol or maltitol.

I also love that the You Are Loved treats contain no added sugars, including agave, maple syrup, honey, fruit juice or cane juice.

But best yet is that these treats TASTE AMAZING! They are creamy, rich, luscious and melt in your mouth delicious! My favorite is the Chocolate Bites… they are just like fudge but have less than half the calories and fat of regular fudge! The chocolate in all the treats is amazing.  (Ummm… can you tell I am seriously  lovin’ these treats?)

All of these sweet reasons are why I am so excited that this Win-It-Wednesday is being sponsored by You Are Loved Foods.

A total of two (yes, 2!) BeFreeForMe.com members will be randomly selected to win a prize pack that is packed with You Are Loved products. This is a prize that you do NOT want to miss! One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, May 12, 2015 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, May 13 and Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us what who you love and why? Me… I love my family and my two pooches… since they give ME unconditional love!

Good luck, remember to give and take good lovin’ … and, as always …

Be Free!

P.S. Follow You Are Loved Foods on Facebook and Twitter for more news, new products, and promotions!

Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Edamame is a crunchy, tasty and healthy way to add more protein in your diet… all while enjoying a perfect snack.

These all-natural dry roasted edamame contain only two ingredients – soybeans and sea salt.

And not only are they packed with protein, they also contain all 8 essential amino acids and add no cholesterol or trans-fats to your diet. Plus all of the Seapoint Farms dry roasted and frozen products are gluten-free.

These super snacks are also versatile, since they make a great addition atop your salad or added to your favorite homemade trail mix. Make sure to check out all the recipe ideas on the Seapoint Farms website.

All these reasons are why Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Edamame is this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com. Congratulations!

Want to buy now? Check out this link on Amazon.com

I’ve recently revisited one of my favorite veggies from when I was younger, and I can’t get enough of them! BEETS!

Yes, BEETS! But the only problem is I hate the “tin can” taste of beets from a can. That is why I was so super excited to find Love Beets – Cooked beets that are ready for anything.

When I was younger my Mom would serve them up heated, as a side dish. But recently I’ve discovered that beets are ready for anything and can be enjoyed in many more ways than I could imagine.

Beets are great chopped on salads (my favorite salad to add them to is a Cobb Salad), or sliced and sprinkled with a touch of champagne vinegar and kosher salt. I also love the recipes that are featured on the Love Beets website, like this Grilled Cheese with Beets & Basil Aoili or Quinoa Beet Burrito Bowls with Cumin-Lime Tahini Dressing.

Love Beets are all natural, gluten-free (note that all of the the Love Beets  are gluten-free with the exception of one variety of the Baby Beets… the Honey & Ginger), contain no preservatives, and are Non-GMO. The Cooked Beets come in a 8.8 ounce packages packed with larger beets that are great for slicing or a 6.5 ounce size of baby beets which are perfect for snacking. I however, buy my Love Beets at BJ’s Wholesale Clubs that have a club-sized packages that are perfect for satisfying my new-found and obsessive love for beets. =) If you want to find where you can find Love Beets near you, check out this link.

All of these reasons are why I am so very grateful I have re-found and re-fallen back in love with Beets. Congrats Love Beets on being this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com!

If you love baking from scratch, but you hate the mess, hassle and expense you are going to love Scratch & Grain Gluten-Free Cookie Mixes.

These kits are perfect for baking a batch of cookies the old-fashioned “by scratch” way without needing to spend tons of money on ingredients that you’ll probably never use again.

The concept was the brainchild and developed by two neighborhood Moms (Taya and Leah) that wanted to make homemade baking fun & easy. So they went to work to creating a baking kit that had all the BEST ingredients measured out individually so everyone would know what is in their food, as well as making it a fun and easy experience.  Each kit makes 11 to 14 cookies.

And although neither Taya or Leah are gluten-free, they both have close family members that are (including Leah’s mom and daughter). Because of this, they wanted to make sure that they also created gluten-free versions of their cookie mixes so that folks on a gluten-free diet could also enjoy home-made and from scratch cookies that would taste incredibly delicious.

The results are three total delightful and incredible gluten-free Scratch & Grain Cookie mixes. The varieties are fun & tasty. They are: Chocolate Truffle, Snicker Doodle & Chewy Peanut Butter. All you need to add is egg and unsalted butter for each kit, and they provide the rest! How simple is that!?

The cookie kits are also Non-GMO, and contain no preservatives.

And if you think this “cookie kit” idea is totally brilliant check out this link to see the video clip of Taya & Leah when they visited Shark Tank! (And YES… They did get a deal! Click on this link to check them out on Shark Tank and find out what shark also thinks their idea is out-of-this-world too!)

All of these yummy and convenient reasons are why I am so thrilled that Scratch and Grain Gluten-Free Cookie Kits are sponsoring this Win-It-Wednesday on BeFreeForMe.com.

A total of two (yes, 2!) BeFreeForMe.com members will be randomly selected to win a Gluten-Free Cookie Kit variety pack (Each variety pack consists of 3 total kits… one of each of the gluten-free varieties).  One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, April 28, 2015 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, April 29 and Tuesday, May 5, 2015 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us what Gluten-Free Cookie Kit looks the best to you? Is it the Chocolate Truffle? Snickerdoodle? Or the Chewy Peanut Butter?

Good luck, remember that homemade simple goodness is always the tastiest … and, as always …

Be Free!

PS: Want to learn more? Check out Scratch and Grain’s Facebook , Twitter and Instagram pages!

I loved Sandwich crackers as a kid! And if you’re like me and missing peanut butter or cheddar cheese cracker sandwiches, check out this brand-spankin’ new and innovative product from Lance! (Please note that these gluten-free sandwich crackers are so new they are not even listed on the gluten-free product list on the Lance website.)

These bite-sized snacks are certified gluten-free and egg-free.  And only 150 calories per bag =)

Both flavors are delicious. Nestled between two crisply and buttery gluten-free crackers is either real peanut butter or real cheddar cheese.

For all these scrumptious reasons, this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to Lance for their innovation and commitment to making some great gluten-free snacks. Big cheers for Lance for introducing the first ever Gluten-free sandwiches crackers!

P.S. Make sure to check out your local grocer for these little gems that are debuting late Spring of 2015.

If you love good snacking AND healthy good-for-you foods this Win-It-Wednesday is for you!

Raw Food Central makes Kale Chips, Flax Crackers, Onion Rings and a Snack Mix that are all full of crunchy goodness that make them perfect any time of day.

To start off, I’d like to chat a bit about the Raw Food Central company. The mission of Raw Food Central is to honor and serve others as a way to energize, inspire, and build people. The products are made by a team of super-cool people, who love their company and take pride in offering only the best products, made with only the best ingredients, to their customers. The result? Everyone is happy, healthy and empowered. What’s not to love about that? =)

All of Raw Food Central products are raw… never fried, and never baked. They all contain simple, yet irresistible ingredients. Ingredients that keep your taste buds tantalized. And if you want to find out more about eating raw foods, check out this link on the Raw Food Central website. The founder of the company, Curt Griffing, as been eating raw for over 30+ years and has so much to share!

All the products are also USDA certified organic, certified vegan, certified gluten-free, kosher, certified vegan and are all non-GMO project verified.

The products that Raw Food Central creates are incredible. Their signature item, their Kale Chips are crunchy and light. One bite will keep you crunching away, and show you why kale is all the rage. The Onion Rings, my favorite, are flavorful and crunchy… perfect for topping a salad; the Flax Crackers, are packed with flax, which is full of protein, and a perfect companion for any dip or spread. And last, the Snack Mix is a sunshiny garden in a bag! Packed with their infamous kale chips, and tossed with freeze dried corn, peas, cashews, sunflower seeds and raisins. Delicious!

Honestly good products, made by an honestly great company, are the reasons why I am so thrilled that this Win-It-Wednesday is being sponsored by Raw Foods Central!

A total of two (yes, 2!) BeFreeForMe.com members will be randomly selected to win a mixed case (total of 12 bags) of all four products (3 bags per product).  One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, April 15 and Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us what Raw Food Central product looks the best to you!

Good luck, remember to keep things simple, keep things irresistible … and, as always …

Be Free!

PS: Want to learn more? Check out Raw Food Central’s Facebook and Twitter pages!

You’re going to love this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com!

Shelton’s Smoke Turkey Snack Sticks are an awesome savory gluten-free snack that is packed with protein and tastes good to beat!

These snack sticks are made from turkeys raised without antibiotics and are vegetarian fed.

Shelton’s turkey sticks come in 3 flavors, original, pepperoni and jalapeno. The sticks are individually vacuum packed in easy open packages and are shelf stable.

I love that these snack sticks are portable, are only 45 calories per stick, and taste good – the reasons why this week’s Friday Favorite is awarded to Shelton’s Gluten-free Smoked Turkey Snack Sticks!

Want to buy now? Check out the links on Amazon.com:

Shelton’s Original Smoked Turkey Stick

Shelton’s Jalapeno Smoked Turkey Stick

Shelton’s Pepperoni Smoked Turkey Stick

As most of you know, I love my bars! Every day I am packing one in my bag for a quick snack between workouts and between meals.

But eating a bar that has a breakfasty or dessert-like taste in the middle of the day can throw my taste buds in a tailspin. That is why I was so excited to find Slow Food for Fast Lives bars.

These bars are the perfect savory treat for mid-day. The flavor profiles of each bar will make your taste buds rejoice!

The Slow Food for Fast Lives bar’s comes in four savory, not sweet, flavors. They include California, a perfect blend of Almonds, Kale, Pomegranate, and quinoa; Moroccan, a combination of pistachios, currants, carrots and ginger; Thai, a spicy assortment of peanuts, chili, brown rice and bell pepper; and Indian, an seamless merger of the “4 c’s” – cashew, cumin, cauliflower and coconut.

These bars are perfect for when you’re looking for a savory bite that will keep your body healthy, well and going full-speed ahead!

All the flavors are gluten-free, kosher and three out of the four are vegan (the California bar contains honey, so it’s not vegan.) And best yet, all of the Slow Food for Fast Lives bars contain between 1 to 1.5 servings of fruit and vegetables of the daily suggested 5 servings.

All of these reasons are why I am so thrilled that Slow Food for Fast Lives is the sponsor of this Win-It-Wednesday on BeFreeForMe.com.

A total of two (yes, 2!) BeFreeForMe.com members will be randomly selected to win a prize pack of these delicious savory bars.  One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, March 31 , 2015 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, April 1 and Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us what savory Slow Food for Fast Lives flavor looks the best to you. (Me? I LOVE the California bar!)

Good luck, remember to slow down and eat well… and, as always …

Be Free!

PS: Want to learn more? Check out Slow Food for Fast Lives Facebook and Twitter pages!