PB2

I have avoided buying this product because of the price. It is steep. As I watch my calories I find I need to cut out certain things, but I love peanut butter. It is a calorie hog. Rarely can a person just eat a little bit of peanut butter. I like a big heaping spoon full usually with chocolate syrup on top (don't judge). I wanted to add Peanut Butter to smoothies and protein shakes without killing the caloric bank. I decided to try the little packets. I loved it. I decided to buy a jar. The smallest jar was still pretty steep at $5.99 when a jar of regular natural peanut butter was less than that cost wise and a bigger container. I found as long as I only used it for my morning oats and used 1/2 serving it has lasted a couple weeks. It is well worth it for the price and lower calories.

Chia Seeds

How did I not know about these amazing little seeds? I had seen the commercials for Chia Pets, but never considered eating the seeds. They are super healthy...who knew?! They are pricy little buggers, but so worth it. They basically absorb liquid and make you feel full adding some texture to foods at the same time. I have used these little gems daily for the past month. They work well at making you "regular" sorry TMI. They do not really have a taste.

I have used them in Yogurt and I now use them daily in my Overnight Oats. LOVE THEM!

The people of the ancient Aztec and Incan empires revered chia seeds as vital nourishment.These mighty non-gluten seeds, packed with Omega-3, protein, rare antioxidants, and fiber, are making a strong comeback in the 21st century. Enjoy them on yogurt or oatmeal or in baked goods or smoothies. Try soaking 2 Tbsp of chia seed for 5 minutes in 3-4 oz of water to produce a nutritious chia gel that can be added to hundreds of recipes. There is no need to grind chia

Nature's Valley Protein Bars

As more and more companies try to align their products with the needs of the gluten free community I am at times thrill and at other times completely skeptical. I used to love Nature's Valley granola bars as a child. I loved that they were sweet and healthy, but they were so crumbly and hurt my stomach I rarely ate them. Fast forward to my adult gluten free years and now they have created a gluten free Protein bar that is kept in the "normal food" section with other granola bars. I love this product. I enjoy the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter one the best, but enjoy the salted caramel one too. I have found this product in large sized packages at Sam's club too. Realize they have a lot of products that contain gluten, so you still must always read the label to make sure the product will fit your needs.




 Nature Valley

Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Puffs

Welcome to the Gluten Free world Pepperidge Farms. I have not tried this product yet, but was emailed from the Celiac group that they had found these products at local Walmart and Fareway stores. As always check the product label to ensure that you are getting the gluten free version. Goldfish Puffs

Cytosport Monster Milk Protein Powder

I emailed them and they were good enough to send me a free sample. Thanks Cytosport!! I didn't mind the flavor of the protein, the mix-ability isn't as good as my Nectar Protein. It was pretty chunky. I mixed it with a small hand mixer. I mixed it with Vanilla Almond Milk. I wouldn't be as likely to buy this as the pre workout drink. I did like that. I had a stomach ache after having it, so I'm not sure if it was the protein power or a bug.

Cafe Indigo

Gotta give my favorite breakfast spot a little moment in the sun...they have gluten free toast now. Ohhh how much I love the breakfast here. I love that everything is made fresh to order. I love that I am never rushed for ordering or finishing my coffee. When you eat here expect to spend a bit extra time, but know your food will be totally worth it.

I like lunch and dinner there too, but breakfast is my favorite.  They have gluten free options at every meal, just let them know your needs. If you are planning in advance give them a call so they can make sure you are well taken care of when you visit.

Cafe Indigo

Gluten Free Pre-Workout Drink

I emailed Cytosport and asked them for some free samples. They hooked me up! So far this is the only product I have tried. I normally use a different pre-workout drink that I love.  I had the pomegranate berry flavored drink.  It was a very mild taste. It mixed well in a regular water bottle. I liked it. It was something I would buy.

Chicken Breast Hot dogs...WHAT?!

In honor of National Hotdog Day my family decided to eat hot dogs for dinner. I am not a big hotdog fan, but my son loves Cheese Hotdogs. I picked up these new hotdogs from Oscar Mayer Selects - Chicken Breast hotdogs. Well guess what...they are fantastic! I will absolutely buy them again! I loved them and only 80 calories. You should absolutely buy this product!

Rawxie's Cookies

I tried these today for the first time. They weren't something I would personally buy, however they weren't bad, they just weren't my type of "sweet treat". I tried the chocolate mint ones. The mint flavor didn't hit until after the cookie was eaten. It wasn't overly chocolaty and the consistency was more like a Lara bar (not my favorite).

Try them - you might enjoy them.  You can find them at Hy-Vee W Kimberly Rd in Davenport, IA

Pillsbury Gluten Free Cookie Dough

OMG! That pretty much sums it up. This never made it into the oven for an actual cookie. It barely made it out of the container on a spoon. I could have just eaten it with my fingers out of  a container like an animal. It was fantastic. It's in the refrigerated section at Hy-Vee W Kimberly's Gluten Free/Health Market Area. Completely worth every cent for a real tasting gluten free chocolate chip cookie...dough.

Try it you won't be disappointed. I have their pie crust and pizza dough to try this week. I will post on it soon

Homemade Refried Beans

I recently made these - they are amazing and simple. I love that you can pronounce everything in the dish. It was made in the crock pot. They taste so great. I also made them yesterday with black beans and lime juice. Both versions were fabulous. This will be a weekly dish.

I dish some out - top it with cheese and Ortega Taco Sauce and it taste yummy like Pintos n' Cheese from Taco bell, but healthy!

Homemade Refried Beans

Protein Bar

I tried this recently. It was very chewy. It tastes like a protein bar, which was a turn off for me. I don't like the consistency of power bars. It reminded me too much of that. It had good brownie flavor, the only issue I had was the texture. I got the brownie one at Hy-Vee W. Kimberly in Davenport. If you don't mind the consistency of a power bar, give it a shot. I personally would not buy this flavor.

I also recently tried the ALT bar from Lara Bars. I tried the Cinnamon Apple Crisp version. It was a weird consistency. Not bad, just odd. It tasted good if you like anything Apple Cinnamon flavored. I went back to Hyvee W Kimberly to see if they had any other flavors, bu they were sold out. It was great in my gym bag for a quick snack. I would buy this product. 

I saved the best for last...

Nogii bars by Elizabeth Hasselbeck - I tried the Chocolate Mint bar - it was really tasty. It again had an odd texture, more like a candy bar than a protein bar (thank God). It tasted like Thin Mints (Girl Scout Cookies). I can't wait to try her other bars. The entire Nogii line is supposed be gluten free. There is even a Paleo product line.  I will definitely buy this product again.

Plant Fusion

I am in the process of trying to find a tasty protein option for after my workouts. I am not having an easy time of it. I took to Facebook to see if I could contact a couple gluten free companies for samples. I am happy to say Sun Warrior is sending me some free samples, but I have not received them yet.

I contacted Plant Fusion and while they do not give free samples (really?) they did tell me I could order them at a discount. I went to Vegan Essentials and put in an order for a sample kit. It came with 4 flavors for $6(including shipping). The flavors are: Chocolate Raspberry, Vanilla, Unflavored and Chocolate.

Chocolate Raspberry I mixed with water. It's a super fine powder so be careful when pouring or it causing a bit of coughing/choking. I mixed it all up good and then gagged it down tried to drink it. It was awful. It's very foamy. I mixed it with a small hand blender that came with our cocoa set. I could not even drink 1/4 of it. I was gagging.

Chocolate I added to a green smoothie. It wasn't as bad. I did have to add honey to cut the taste. I was able to get that whole smoothie down.

I have not tried the Vanilla or unflavored yet. I have to admit I am not looking forward to using them. I am very glad I had the option to get them at a much lower cost to try them. I would have been seriously pissed disappointed if I had bought a big jar of any of this stuff. It's not tasty. I read so many reviews online and had such high hopes. They were quickly destroyed with the first gulp. I would not waste my money on this product.

I plan to try a reader suggested product the next time I go to Hy-Vee. Hy-Vee has their own brand of protein powder that comes highly recommended in the black bag in the health market. Again...I have high hopes. I will let everyone know how the Sun Warrior product is when I receive it.

Garden Lites....meh

I saw these at Target in the freezer section thinking it would be a quick easy fix for work I bought 3 different flavors. I tried the butternut squash souffle. It is weird. It tastes like squash bread pudding. It is not good. It is not bad. It's just plain weird. It has a weird texture and is very bland. Would I buy it again? NO WAY!

Easiest Broccoli Recipe -- ever!

I made this on a whim one night and my hubby and friends raved about it. I have been making it weekly ever since that day. It is commonly requested!

List of ingredients and Needs:
Fresh Broccoli (I buy the bagged stuff by Dole, since I'm  so lazy busy)
Newman's Own Ranch Dressing (I like this one because it contains no MSG)
Shredded Cheese (I use Colby Jack or Cheddar)
Tin Foil (to make a foil packet)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place foil on a hard surface (make sure its long enough to close up tightly so the broccoli kind of steams). Place broccoli on the foil in a big pile. I usually use one bag for a family of 3 (my 7 year old gobbles this up). Drizzle the ranch dressing over top of the broccoli, I use about 1/4 of a cup to a 1/2 cup.  Top with shredded cheese and close up the foil so it is completely closed. Bake for about 20-30 minutes depending on if you like your broccoli to have a bit of crunch to it or not.

Tip: I find I usually make my foil sheet short, in that case I just use two place another sheet over top and just close the edges. I put it on a baking sheet in case it leaks, but if I'm really lazy busy I put it right on the oven rack too.

Enjoy!!

Protein Powders

This is a low carb, low sugar gluten free protein powder. It has a bit of an aftertaste, but not too bad. I can drink it without making too many faces. I generally mix it with unsweetened almond milk, but it can be mixed with water, milk or any kind of liquid you prefer. I add it to my green smoothies for an extra boost. So far I have tried: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and tropical -- I'm not particular on which flavor I have when I need it, I just use what I have on hand. I get them at Heritage Foods in Davenport because I can buy the individual packets.

I have also previously tried Syntrax Nectar Protein Powders. They were surprisingly tasty with unique flavors like lemon tea, roadside lemonade and the normal flavors that protein powders come in. I haven't had them in a while, but I'm pretty sure I just mixed it with water. I plan to order some of the grab and go packets on Amazon so I have them on hand after workouts.

Deli Style bread by Schar

I bought this bread to try this week after I heard a girl in the isle say she really liked it. While it doesn't taste like normal glutenous bread, lets face it no gf bread does...but its not bad. I didn't have to toast it which is always a perk. I just had a piece with butter on it and it wasn't too bad. Would I spend $6/loaf on it, occasionally if I really wanted it, but bread is not a daily staple in my diet and won't be anytime soon.

Kind Bars - Dark Chocolate Sea Salt

Oh how I love Kind bars. I love many flavors and they just keep coming out with more that I cannot resist. This one is my new favorite - its the perfect combination of sweet and salty with only 5 grams of Sugar per bar, plus the protein from nuts in it to make it a great snack to get through the afternoon at work. I found my first one at Heritage Foods in Davenport, but found them cheaper at W. Kimberly Hyvee. Highly recommend...as if buying 5 of them at a time wasn't recommendation enough...I'd order them by the case if they wouldn't have so many tasty flavors that I want to buy. My current favorites are the Dark Chocolate Sea Salt, Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew and the Fruit& Nut bar.

Van's Gluten Free Snack Bars

I tried these today. I tried the Chocolate Chip version. They aren't very big. They are smaller than a glutenous granola bar. They are very chewy. They tasted "healthier" than a regular granola bar and a texture that is hard to describe. It's like a chunky soft cookie. I would probably eat it more as a cereal bar, than a snack bar at a 170 calories each. HyVee W Kimberly stocks this flavor as well as a couple others that contain fruit.

Been a while...

I feel like its been forever since I blogged. I had hip surgery over the holidays so I was out of commission for a while. I'm doing well now and back to my old self. The hubby and I are trying the clean eating plan. I haven't had any form of gluten or cross contamination since the beginning of February. I'm also currently on no sugar or starch other that what is found in certain veggies and fruit. Do I miss the sugar? Nah, I eat fruit and that gives me a good fix. I had tried a couple things that I had blogged on. I kept forgetting.

I tried the Crunchmaster Cheesy Crisps recently. I did not like them. They have a processed cheese taste that was gross. Reminded me of the processed cheese on Doritos only less tasty. I will say I love Crunchmaster's Multigrain Crackers and buy them all the time when I'm eating carbs.

I'm still a huge fan of KIND bars. They are wonderful. There are so many options and very healthy yet feel like a treat. My favorite is the Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew bar.

Recently had the gluten free chicken burgers from the Hy-Vee W Kimberly's frozen section - they are fantastic. I just put them on the George Foreman grill. They are seasoned with basic stuff but are amazing.

I know the Hy-Vee on W Kimberly has been stocking those gf items like crazy. They have so many more choices now. It's fantastic! I still love my Udi's bread (when I'm eating carbs). My favorite recently is the cinnamon raisin bread. YUM!

Oh and one last thing I found I really like...Tofu! Who knew?! I just fry it up or cook it with other meat so it just adds a bit more protein but my family doesn't notice. So lucky to have a friend who is a pro with the stuff.

I do have some sweet potato Asian noodles to try and when I do I will blog on it. I got them at an Asian market in Iowa City.