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Showing posts with label product review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label product review. Show all posts

Sunday, August 21, 2011

gluten free products at homesense

the next time you take a shopping trip to Homesense, a home decor discount department store in Canada, you can also pick up a variety of gluten free baking mixes, flour, cookies, and snacks in the kitchen section! Andrea and I were really surprised and excited to see so many gluten free products here, just as we were when we discovered gluten free products at Ikea. 
some of the products include GoGo Quinoa Quinoa Flour (500g), Josef Animal Cookies, and Coco Mira Hazelnut Crunch cookies, which are really good! Andrea and I have also tried pizza made from Better Batter gluten free all purpose flour mix, and it was excellent. we both also really like products from GoGo Quinoa including their cereals, pasta, and chocolate chip cookies.
over the past six months we have been here twice and on each trip we have noticed the product stocks vary, but between both trips here is a full list of the gluten free products we found at Homesense:




the prices that were marked on these products the days that we visited appeared to be fairly reasonable, with all of the gluten free baking mixes priced at $4.99, while the Pure Pantry, Better Batter and GoGo Quinoa flour mixes were $5.99. we also appreciate that Homesense has labeled the shelving with a green gluten free label, however be careful as products tend to shift around and you might find a non-gluten free item on the same shelf.

 happy gluten free shopping!  Robyn.
homesense  



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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

annual celiac disease conference & food faire














we recently attended the National Celiac Disease Foundation’s Annual Conference and Food Faire in Los Angeles on May 14, 2011. the conference was very well attended with people of all ages. the theme of the conference was to provide participants with a better understanding of celiac disease, gluten sensitivity and the gluten free diet. speakers included Alessio Fasano, M.D., who is the Medical Director of the Center for Celiac Research, Danna Korn, author of Living Gluten-Free for Dummies, and Carol Fenster, Ph.D., author and gluten free cooking expert. 

we especially enjoyed the food faire which comprised of over 100 gluten free exhibitors. we spent most our time in the food faire sampling new products, and meeting many of the owners behind these great businesses such as Breads From Anna, Solterra Foods, Venice Bakery and Elizabeth Kaplan of the Pure Pantry. we were also happy to chat with a few other companies we know well like Bard's gluten free beer, Udi’s Gluten Free Foods, Nature’s Path, Kettle Cuisine, Pamela’s and Enjoy Life Foods. we also tried amazing baguette style bread from Schar at their booth, everything was so good! 

besides tasting Bards and Green’s gluten free beer, and getting our hands on the coveted Udi’s hot dog buns, we found several other unique and new gluten free products. we hinted at a few of our favorite gluten free finds in our conference giveaway post, but we wanted to write more about why these up and coming products and companies look so good. 


this bread and baking mix company was founded in 2004 by Anna Sobaski, who also has celiac disease. Breads From Anna come in a variety of flavors including the Original, Classic Herb Bread, and Black Bean Brownie. all of Breads From Anna are gluten, soy, and rice free. the All Purpose Flour bread mix is also yeast free. the two wonderful women at the booth were so friendly and helpful and genuinely huge fans of Anna's products.

we chatted about how to make the perfect loaf of bread with a Zojirushi bread machine, which they swear by. after devouring handfuls of the Classic Herb Bread samples, they told us that this bread makes a delicious stuffing mix. Anna's website has step-by-step tips for making her bread mixes in the Zojirushi bread machine, and other brands of bread machines. (I think I know what I want for Christmas this year!)

what we also commend Breads From Anna on is that the mixes are high in quality and nutrition. you would never know that Anna's bread is gluten free, it has the right texture, is not dense, and is full of flavour. common ingredients in Anna's breads include chia flour, chickpea flour, bean flours, and sorghum flour to name a few. what is interesting is that none of her breads contain rice flour, this is so liberating don't you think? we are so over rice bread! for a listing on where to find Anna's products click here. it seems there is only one place in Canada selling Breads From Anna products, St Albert Alberta, but there are several online places to buy these products.


we were totally amazed at this company's new gluten free Bake-In-Bag pizzas. not only is the pizza great, but the idea is that you cook the pizza in the biodegradable bag, in any oven, without worrying about cross contamination because it is protected inside the bag! to us this product is ingenious. 

the CEO, Elaine Valenza-Opdahl, was at the booth, and it was such a pleasure to talk with her. her booth was buzzing all day long. we love the Solterra philosophy, "Keep it simple, Keep it pure." Solterra offers other amazing gluten free products such as pastas, gnocchi, and baking mixes. there are two pizzas: margherita cheese pizza, and vegan cheese pizza. Solterra is a Colorado-based business, and their products should be available in Canada in a few months. we will keep you posted! 


Venice Bakery 
this is a Los Angeles-based business specializing in gluten free pizza crusts and focaccia bread. we were so impressed with the quality and taste of their pizzas that we went back to their booth several times to sample their pizzas. the staff were so friendly and passionate about their great tasting pizza, it made trying their products that much better. they also introduced their new gluten free calzones at the show, which were simply amazing! 

 Venice Bakery is not a dedicated gluten free business, however their gluten free products have been certified by the Celiac Sprue Association. gluten free products are produced at separate times and on dedicated equipment, and are then tested to be sure they are under 5 ppm. as a precaution, Venice bakery sends their product to Siliker Labs for testing. click here to see a video of the president of the company, Jimmy DeSisto, describe the company's history and what you can do with their gluten free pizza crusts. 


we have more to tell you about our fun trip to Los Angeles, and our next post will feature some of the great places to eat out gluten free in L.A. one of them we can't stop thinking about! bye for now, Andrea + Robyn.


celiac disease foundation   |   breads from anna   |   venice bakery   |   solterra foods



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Monday, April 25, 2011

quick and perfect grilled cheese

photo credit André Baranowski, saveur.com
grilled cheese sandwiches are one of my all time favorite foods, especially since they are so easy to make. however, making a good gluten free version of the classic grilled cheese has not been so easy. my grilled cheese woes quickly disappeared recently after finding two fantastic products that are the secret to the most perfect gluten free grilled cheese sandwich: Udi’s gluten free bread and Toasta Bags!

Andrea and I recently reviewed Udi’s gluten free products, and we both think their breads taste great and toast well! Udi's whole grain or white sandwich bread are ideal for grilled cheese sandwiches, read our review of Udi's products here.

the cheese that I like to use is called Tre Stelle sliced cheese packs, and they come in a variety of flavors such as marble, cheddar, or swiss. if you are vegan, then you are most likely already aware of Daiya vegan cheese, and I hear it melts well too. there are some incredible variations to the classic grilled cheese, and Tastespotting has several pages of great recipes. add tomatoes, mushrooms, prosciutto, bacon and arugula, or even avocado and apples!

I found Toasta Bags at Ed’s Gluten Free Specialty store recently, and they are excellent for making the perfect toasted sandwich! Toasta Bags are made with a soft Teflon material that fits right into your toaster, eliminating the need for frying pans or sandwich makers!

Toasta Bags work best in a variable width toaster, and cooking times vary depending on the toaster you have, but generally they toast any sandwich to perfection and they also spare your toaster from a cheesy mess!

besides grilled cheese sandwiches, you can use your Toasta Bag for cooking other foods like pizza, french fries, pastries, and even salmon fillets quick and easy. each bag can be re-used up to 100 times and is dishwasher safe.

the best part about Toasta Bags is the fact that they aid in preventing cross contamination if you use a shared toaster at home or work. they are also great for traveling as well!
enjoy!  Robyn.


udi’s   |   toasta bags   |   ed’s gluten free specialty



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Monday, April 18, 2011

gluten free mom: rice crispy squares!

image copyright gluten free vancouver
a long time favorite childhood treat, rice crispy squares, can now be made gluten free thanks to Dandies Marshmallows, which are gluten free and vegan! we first discovered these recently at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty's new Vancouver store, and we were thrilled to find such a unique and truly missed product! finally someone thought to make gluten free marshmallows! it was the same feeling when we found gluten free ice cream cones last year!

even though my daughter is not gluten intolerant, I still prefer to make everything gluten free for her since she is still small, 'two half' as she likes to say. she is still messy, and she likes to share what she is eating with me. so once I found these gluten free marshmallows I was now free to make her one of my all time favorite treats--rice crispy squares! well...not exactly 'rice krispy' squares since Rice Krispies are not gluten free. however, Kellogg's has announced that they will be introducing a new gluten free version of the famous Rice Krispies in June! to read more about this, click here.

since the gluten free Rice Krispies are not available yet, I chose another product—Perky's Crunchy Rice cereal, which is now part of the Enjoy Life brand. you can also use Nature's Path Crispy Rice cereal, both are gluten free. I bought the cereal at London Drugs on sale, which sells both cereal brands. if you would like to ensure your rice crispy treats are 100% vegan, then you should use the Nature's Path cereal as the Enjoy Life cereal uses honey as a sweetener. 

for the recipe, I just googled rice crispy squares, and followed the instructions. I used one package of Dandies Marshmallows, and one box of Enjoy Life Crunchy Rice cereal. making these treats brought back so many memories, I think this was one of the first recipes I learned to make by myself, and now I can share this experience with my daughter! enjoy!  Andrea.
ps. Dandies Marshmallows are now available through SPUD organic delivery, and they are on sale this week for $4.99! if you are not a spud member but would like to become one, please quote my account number to receive discounts on your first four orders, worth $25! CRVAN-MCLAND. thanks!



dandies marshmallows   |   ed's gluten free specialty   |   london drugs   |   spud
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Saturday, April 9, 2011

udi's gluten free foods

photo credit udisglutenfree.com
since previously writing about gluten free bagels and breads last year, Andrea and I have discovered Udi’s, a fantastic gluten free product line that is relatively new on the market. Udi’s is made in the U.S., and has a great history behind their business. read all about their ‘no grain, no pain’ philosophy and how they got started here. 

 the great thing about this product line, besides being too good to be gluten free, is that it is carried at so many different grocery stores right here in Vancouver. Udi’s is available at Whole Foods, Choices Markets, IGA, Save-on-Foods, Ed’s Gluten Free Specialty, Donalds Market, Urban Fare, Buy Low Foods, and Nesters Market.

Udi’s makes really good bread that tastes good toasted or plain. breads come fresh or frozen in either whole grain or white, and the main ingredients are brown rice flour, tapioca, potato and corn starch. both also contain eggs.

Udi’s bagels are also excellent and one of my favorites. most stores carry the plain variety, but Ed's Gluten Free Specialty also carries them in whole grain and cinnamon raisin (Ed's also carries the cinnamon raisin bread too!). they come in packages of four and are even partially sliced, making it easier to split them in half or to spread on tons of cream cheese! even our non-celiac sister, Heather, loves them!

I recently tried Udi’s cinnamon buns, double chocolate muffins and blueberry muffins. I love the cinnamon buns. they are light, fluffy, and sticky! the double chocolate muffins taste more like a dense cake and the blueberry muffins taste similar to coffee cake. Udi’s also makes a lemon streusel but I have yet to try them.

Andrea did a recent post on Udi’s pizza crusts and they are excellent as well. we are now looking forward to trying their new hamburger and hotdog buns which will be available this May! Robyn.



udi’s gluten free foods   |   follow us on facebook   |   follow us on twitter



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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

cookie of the week: gogo quinoa chocolate chip cookies


I recently discovered GoGo Quinoa products at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty recently, and was excited to try their chocolate chip cookies for our cookie of the week review! so far I have tried pasta and cereal from GoGo Quinoa and have been really impressed with this product line.

the cookies are wheat and gluten free and also vegan! they look like they do on the box, and also come individually wrapped. I didn’t count how many cookies came in the package, but there were aprox 15 bite sized cookies and the box is 198 g overall.

the GoGo Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookie ingredients are as follows:
organic royal quinoa flour, tapioca flour, rice flour, canahua flour, non-hydrogenated palm fruit oil, sugar, cane juice, dark chocolate chips, brown sugar, quinoa pop grains, and natural vanilla extract.

I thought the cookies tasted good and had a nice crunchy texture. they were slightly on the crumbly side, but that minor observation was overshadowed by the cookie's sugary sweet and rich chocolate taste! yum! they are also low in fat, with only 1g of fat per 2 cookies. I think these cookies are great for kids and and as a snack on the go.

more on GoGo Quinoa products coming soon to the blog! Robyn.


gogo quinoa   |   ed's gluten free specialty



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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

cookie of the week: patsy pie chocolate chip cookies

have you heard of PatsyPie gluten free cookies? I hadn't until a few months ago when I noticed them on my grocery store shelf, which happens to be Nesters Market in Woodward's. they've been around for a while it seems as this blogger gave the whole PatsyPie line rave reviews a few years ago. I admit I was delighted to find yet another gluten free brand, but I was a little turned off by the price, one package of cookies at Nester's is $6.99. they are even more expensive on the Patsy Pie website, $7.24/ bag...yikes. 

I decided to risk it and try the chocolate chip cookies. I hate to say it, but I was really disappointed, they reminded me of Chips Ahoy cookies, which from my pre-celiac recollection, are dry and taste artificial. I do not agree with the PatsyPie website where it claims that these cookies "taste just like the cookies Mom used to bake." I will say that these cookies do not taste like a gluten free cookie, but they also do not come close to tasting home made. this makes paying almost ten dollars (including tax) for a bag of mediocre cookies a total rip off. 

I have heard that PatsyPie brownies are good, and the blogger mentioned above raved about the biscotti, so it may be worth trying the other products. another positive aspect about this brand is that the products are all made in a gluten free facility and are completely safe for celiac consumers. Pat Libling is the creator and owner of PatsyPie, and is celiac herself. to read more about Pat's story you can click here. to find where PatsyPie products are sold near you, click here.

in my opinion, these cookies are simply not how gluten free should be, as the PatsyPie logo states. Andrea.


patsypie   |   nesters market
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Tuesday, March 1, 2011

eat italian!

one of my discoveries at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty this past weekend is a line of frozen pasta dinners called Eat Italian, that are of course wheat and gluten free! entrée’s from Eat Italian include lasagna, pasta shells, cannelloni, and manicotti. all of the dishes come in 340g serving sizes and are prepared in a gluten free environment. 

so far I have only tried the lasagna. I thought the pasta was a bit soft, but it tasted great overall. the lasagna takes just six minutes in the microwave, or twenty minutes in the oven. the only comment I will make is that the end result does not look much like the pictures on the Eat Italian packages or website.

here is a breakdown of the tasty ingredients used in all of their gluten free frozen entrée’s:

lasagna
lean ground beef, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce, tomato paste and onions. the gluten free pasta is made with stone ground brown rice, and rice bran.

pasta shells
spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce, tomato paste, eggs and onions. the gluten free pasta is made with stone ground brown rice, rice bran and water.

cannelloni
lean ground beef, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and tomato sauce. the gluten free pasta is made with tapioca flour, cornstarch, potato starch, eggs and xanthum gum.

manicotti
ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce. the gluten free pasta is made with tapioca flour, cornstarch, potato starch, eggs and xanthum gum.

Eat Italian is available at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty right here in Vancouver! (full post on Ed's coming soon!).

buona cena! Robyn.


eat italian   |   ed's gluten free specialty



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Showing posts with label product review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label product review. Show all posts

Sunday, August 21, 2011

gluten free products at homesense

the next time you take a shopping trip to Homesense, a home decor discount department store in Canada, you can also pick up a variety of gluten free baking mixes, flour, cookies, and snacks in the kitchen section! Andrea and I were really surprised and excited to see so many gluten free products here, just as we were when we discovered gluten free products at Ikea. 
some of the products include GoGo Quinoa Quinoa Flour (500g), Josef Animal Cookies, and Coco Mira Hazelnut Crunch cookies, which are really good! Andrea and I have also tried pizza made from Better Batter gluten free all purpose flour mix, and it was excellent. we both also really like products from GoGo Quinoa including their cereals, pasta, and chocolate chip cookies.
over the past six months we have been here twice and on each trip we have noticed the product stocks vary, but between both trips here is a full list of the gluten free products we found at Homesense:




the prices that were marked on these products the days that we visited appeared to be fairly reasonable, with all of the gluten free baking mixes priced at $4.99, while the Pure Pantry, Better Batter and GoGo Quinoa flour mixes were $5.99. we also appreciate that Homesense has labeled the shelving with a green gluten free label, however be careful as products tend to shift around and you might find a non-gluten free item on the same shelf.

 happy gluten free shopping!  Robyn.
homesense  



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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

annual celiac disease conference & food faire














we recently attended the National Celiac Disease Foundation’s Annual Conference and Food Faire in Los Angeles on May 14, 2011. the conference was very well attended with people of all ages. the theme of the conference was to provide participants with a better understanding of celiac disease, gluten sensitivity and the gluten free diet. speakers included Alessio Fasano, M.D., who is the Medical Director of the Center for Celiac Research, Danna Korn, author of Living Gluten-Free for Dummies, and Carol Fenster, Ph.D., author and gluten free cooking expert. 

we especially enjoyed the food faire which comprised of over 100 gluten free exhibitors. we spent most our time in the food faire sampling new products, and meeting many of the owners behind these great businesses such as Breads From Anna, Solterra Foods, Venice Bakery and Elizabeth Kaplan of the Pure Pantry. we were also happy to chat with a few other companies we know well like Bard's gluten free beer, Udi’s Gluten Free Foods, Nature’s Path, Kettle Cuisine, Pamela’s and Enjoy Life Foods. we also tried amazing baguette style bread from Schar at their booth, everything was so good! 

besides tasting Bards and Green’s gluten free beer, and getting our hands on the coveted Udi’s hot dog buns, we found several other unique and new gluten free products. we hinted at a few of our favorite gluten free finds in our conference giveaway post, but we wanted to write more about why these up and coming products and companies look so good. 


this bread and baking mix company was founded in 2004 by Anna Sobaski, who also has celiac disease. Breads From Anna come in a variety of flavors including the Original, Classic Herb Bread, and Black Bean Brownie. all of Breads From Anna are gluten, soy, and rice free. the All Purpose Flour bread mix is also yeast free. the two wonderful women at the booth were so friendly and helpful and genuinely huge fans of Anna's products.

we chatted about how to make the perfect loaf of bread with a Zojirushi bread machine, which they swear by. after devouring handfuls of the Classic Herb Bread samples, they told us that this bread makes a delicious stuffing mix. Anna's website has step-by-step tips for making her bread mixes in the Zojirushi bread machine, and other brands of bread machines. (I think I know what I want for Christmas this year!)

what we also commend Breads From Anna on is that the mixes are high in quality and nutrition. you would never know that Anna's bread is gluten free, it has the right texture, is not dense, and is full of flavour. common ingredients in Anna's breads include chia flour, chickpea flour, bean flours, and sorghum flour to name a few. what is interesting is that none of her breads contain rice flour, this is so liberating don't you think? we are so over rice bread! for a listing on where to find Anna's products click here. it seems there is only one place in Canada selling Breads From Anna products, St Albert Alberta, but there are several online places to buy these products.


we were totally amazed at this company's new gluten free Bake-In-Bag pizzas. not only is the pizza great, but the idea is that you cook the pizza in the biodegradable bag, in any oven, without worrying about cross contamination because it is protected inside the bag! to us this product is ingenious. 

the CEO, Elaine Valenza-Opdahl, was at the booth, and it was such a pleasure to talk with her. her booth was buzzing all day long. we love the Solterra philosophy, "Keep it simple, Keep it pure." Solterra offers other amazing gluten free products such as pastas, gnocchi, and baking mixes. there are two pizzas: margherita cheese pizza, and vegan cheese pizza. Solterra is a Colorado-based business, and their products should be available in Canada in a few months. we will keep you posted! 


Venice Bakery 
this is a Los Angeles-based business specializing in gluten free pizza crusts and focaccia bread. we were so impressed with the quality and taste of their pizzas that we went back to their booth several times to sample their pizzas. the staff were so friendly and passionate about their great tasting pizza, it made trying their products that much better. they also introduced their new gluten free calzones at the show, which were simply amazing! 

 Venice Bakery is not a dedicated gluten free business, however their gluten free products have been certified by the Celiac Sprue Association. gluten free products are produced at separate times and on dedicated equipment, and are then tested to be sure they are under 5 ppm. as a precaution, Venice bakery sends their product to Siliker Labs for testing. click here to see a video of the president of the company, Jimmy DeSisto, describe the company's history and what you can do with their gluten free pizza crusts. 


we have more to tell you about our fun trip to Los Angeles, and our next post will feature some of the great places to eat out gluten free in L.A. one of them we can't stop thinking about! bye for now, Andrea + Robyn.


celiac disease foundation   |   breads from anna   |   venice bakery   |   solterra foods



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Monday, April 25, 2011

quick and perfect grilled cheese

photo credit André Baranowski, saveur.com
grilled cheese sandwiches are one of my all time favorite foods, especially since they are so easy to make. however, making a good gluten free version of the classic grilled cheese has not been so easy. my grilled cheese woes quickly disappeared recently after finding two fantastic products that are the secret to the most perfect gluten free grilled cheese sandwich: Udi’s gluten free bread and Toasta Bags!

Andrea and I recently reviewed Udi’s gluten free products, and we both think their breads taste great and toast well! Udi's whole grain or white sandwich bread are ideal for grilled cheese sandwiches, read our review of Udi's products here.

the cheese that I like to use is called Tre Stelle sliced cheese packs, and they come in a variety of flavors such as marble, cheddar, or swiss. if you are vegan, then you are most likely already aware of Daiya vegan cheese, and I hear it melts well too. there are some incredible variations to the classic grilled cheese, and Tastespotting has several pages of great recipes. add tomatoes, mushrooms, prosciutto, bacon and arugula, or even avocado and apples!

I found Toasta Bags at Ed’s Gluten Free Specialty store recently, and they are excellent for making the perfect toasted sandwich! Toasta Bags are made with a soft Teflon material that fits right into your toaster, eliminating the need for frying pans or sandwich makers!

Toasta Bags work best in a variable width toaster, and cooking times vary depending on the toaster you have, but generally they toast any sandwich to perfection and they also spare your toaster from a cheesy mess!

besides grilled cheese sandwiches, you can use your Toasta Bag for cooking other foods like pizza, french fries, pastries, and even salmon fillets quick and easy. each bag can be re-used up to 100 times and is dishwasher safe.

the best part about Toasta Bags is the fact that they aid in preventing cross contamination if you use a shared toaster at home or work. they are also great for traveling as well!
enjoy!  Robyn.


udi’s   |   toasta bags   |   ed’s gluten free specialty



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Monday, April 18, 2011

gluten free mom: rice crispy squares!

image copyright gluten free vancouver
a long time favorite childhood treat, rice crispy squares, can now be made gluten free thanks to Dandies Marshmallows, which are gluten free and vegan! we first discovered these recently at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty's new Vancouver store, and we were thrilled to find such a unique and truly missed product! finally someone thought to make gluten free marshmallows! it was the same feeling when we found gluten free ice cream cones last year!

even though my daughter is not gluten intolerant, I still prefer to make everything gluten free for her since she is still small, 'two half' as she likes to say. she is still messy, and she likes to share what she is eating with me. so once I found these gluten free marshmallows I was now free to make her one of my all time favorite treats--rice crispy squares! well...not exactly 'rice krispy' squares since Rice Krispies are not gluten free. however, Kellogg's has announced that they will be introducing a new gluten free version of the famous Rice Krispies in June! to read more about this, click here.

since the gluten free Rice Krispies are not available yet, I chose another product—Perky's Crunchy Rice cereal, which is now part of the Enjoy Life brand. you can also use Nature's Path Crispy Rice cereal, both are gluten free. I bought the cereal at London Drugs on sale, which sells both cereal brands. if you would like to ensure your rice crispy treats are 100% vegan, then you should use the Nature's Path cereal as the Enjoy Life cereal uses honey as a sweetener. 

for the recipe, I just googled rice crispy squares, and followed the instructions. I used one package of Dandies Marshmallows, and one box of Enjoy Life Crunchy Rice cereal. making these treats brought back so many memories, I think this was one of the first recipes I learned to make by myself, and now I can share this experience with my daughter! enjoy!  Andrea.
ps. Dandies Marshmallows are now available through SPUD organic delivery, and they are on sale this week for $4.99! if you are not a spud member but would like to become one, please quote my account number to receive discounts on your first four orders, worth $25! CRVAN-MCLAND. thanks!



dandies marshmallows   |   ed's gluten free specialty   |   london drugs   |   spud
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Saturday, April 9, 2011

udi's gluten free foods

photo credit udisglutenfree.com
since previously writing about gluten free bagels and breads last year, Andrea and I have discovered Udi’s, a fantastic gluten free product line that is relatively new on the market. Udi’s is made in the U.S., and has a great history behind their business. read all about their ‘no grain, no pain’ philosophy and how they got started here. 

 the great thing about this product line, besides being too good to be gluten free, is that it is carried at so many different grocery stores right here in Vancouver. Udi’s is available at Whole Foods, Choices Markets, IGA, Save-on-Foods, Ed’s Gluten Free Specialty, Donalds Market, Urban Fare, Buy Low Foods, and Nesters Market.

Udi’s makes really good bread that tastes good toasted or plain. breads come fresh or frozen in either whole grain or white, and the main ingredients are brown rice flour, tapioca, potato and corn starch. both also contain eggs.

Udi’s bagels are also excellent and one of my favorites. most stores carry the plain variety, but Ed's Gluten Free Specialty also carries them in whole grain and cinnamon raisin (Ed's also carries the cinnamon raisin bread too!). they come in packages of four and are even partially sliced, making it easier to split them in half or to spread on tons of cream cheese! even our non-celiac sister, Heather, loves them!

I recently tried Udi’s cinnamon buns, double chocolate muffins and blueberry muffins. I love the cinnamon buns. they are light, fluffy, and sticky! the double chocolate muffins taste more like a dense cake and the blueberry muffins taste similar to coffee cake. Udi’s also makes a lemon streusel but I have yet to try them.

Andrea did a recent post on Udi’s pizza crusts and they are excellent as well. we are now looking forward to trying their new hamburger and hotdog buns which will be available this May! Robyn.



udi’s gluten free foods   |   follow us on facebook   |   follow us on twitter



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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

cookie of the week: gogo quinoa chocolate chip cookies


I recently discovered GoGo Quinoa products at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty recently, and was excited to try their chocolate chip cookies for our cookie of the week review! so far I have tried pasta and cereal from GoGo Quinoa and have been really impressed with this product line.

the cookies are wheat and gluten free and also vegan! they look like they do on the box, and also come individually wrapped. I didn’t count how many cookies came in the package, but there were aprox 15 bite sized cookies and the box is 198 g overall.

the GoGo Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookie ingredients are as follows:
organic royal quinoa flour, tapioca flour, rice flour, canahua flour, non-hydrogenated palm fruit oil, sugar, cane juice, dark chocolate chips, brown sugar, quinoa pop grains, and natural vanilla extract.

I thought the cookies tasted good and had a nice crunchy texture. they were slightly on the crumbly side, but that minor observation was overshadowed by the cookie's sugary sweet and rich chocolate taste! yum! they are also low in fat, with only 1g of fat per 2 cookies. I think these cookies are great for kids and and as a snack on the go.

more on GoGo Quinoa products coming soon to the blog! Robyn.


gogo quinoa   |   ed's gluten free specialty



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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

cookie of the week: patsy pie chocolate chip cookies

have you heard of PatsyPie gluten free cookies? I hadn't until a few months ago when I noticed them on my grocery store shelf, which happens to be Nesters Market in Woodward's. they've been around for a while it seems as this blogger gave the whole PatsyPie line rave reviews a few years ago. I admit I was delighted to find yet another gluten free brand, but I was a little turned off by the price, one package of cookies at Nester's is $6.99. they are even more expensive on the Patsy Pie website, $7.24/ bag...yikes. 

I decided to risk it and try the chocolate chip cookies. I hate to say it, but I was really disappointed, they reminded me of Chips Ahoy cookies, which from my pre-celiac recollection, are dry and taste artificial. I do not agree with the PatsyPie website where it claims that these cookies "taste just like the cookies Mom used to bake." I will say that these cookies do not taste like a gluten free cookie, but they also do not come close to tasting home made. this makes paying almost ten dollars (including tax) for a bag of mediocre cookies a total rip off. 

I have heard that PatsyPie brownies are good, and the blogger mentioned above raved about the biscotti, so it may be worth trying the other products. another positive aspect about this brand is that the products are all made in a gluten free facility and are completely safe for celiac consumers. Pat Libling is the creator and owner of PatsyPie, and is celiac herself. to read more about Pat's story you can click here. to find where PatsyPie products are sold near you, click here.

in my opinion, these cookies are simply not how gluten free should be, as the PatsyPie logo states. Andrea.


patsypie   |   nesters market
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Tuesday, March 1, 2011

eat italian!

one of my discoveries at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty this past weekend is a line of frozen pasta dinners called Eat Italian, that are of course wheat and gluten free! entrée’s from Eat Italian include lasagna, pasta shells, cannelloni, and manicotti. all of the dishes come in 340g serving sizes and are prepared in a gluten free environment. 

so far I have only tried the lasagna. I thought the pasta was a bit soft, but it tasted great overall. the lasagna takes just six minutes in the microwave, or twenty minutes in the oven. the only comment I will make is that the end result does not look much like the pictures on the Eat Italian packages or website.

here is a breakdown of the tasty ingredients used in all of their gluten free frozen entrée’s:

lasagna
lean ground beef, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce, tomato paste and onions. the gluten free pasta is made with stone ground brown rice, and rice bran.

pasta shells
spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce, tomato paste, eggs and onions. the gluten free pasta is made with stone ground brown rice, rice bran and water.

cannelloni
lean ground beef, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and tomato sauce. the gluten free pasta is made with tapioca flour, cornstarch, potato starch, eggs and xanthum gum.

manicotti
ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce. the gluten free pasta is made with tapioca flour, cornstarch, potato starch, eggs and xanthum gum.

Eat Italian is available at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty right here in Vancouver! (full post on Ed's coming soon!).

buona cena! Robyn.


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Showing posts with label product review. Show all posts

Sunday, August 21, 2011

gluten free products at homesense

the next time you take a shopping trip to Homesense, a home decor discount department store in Canada, you can also pick up a variety of gluten free baking mixes, flour, cookies, and snacks in the kitchen section! Andrea and I were really surprised and excited to see so many gluten free products here, just as we were when we discovered gluten free products at Ikea. 
some of the products include GoGo Quinoa Quinoa Flour (500g), Josef Animal Cookies, and Coco Mira Hazelnut Crunch cookies, which are really good! Andrea and I have also tried pizza made from Better Batter gluten free all purpose flour mix, and it was excellent. we both also really like products from GoGo Quinoa including their cereals, pasta, and chocolate chip cookies.
over the past six months we have been here twice and on each trip we have noticed the product stocks vary, but between both trips here is a full list of the gluten free products we found at Homesense:




the prices that were marked on these products the days that we visited appeared to be fairly reasonable, with all of the gluten free baking mixes priced at $4.99, while the Pure Pantry, Better Batter and GoGo Quinoa flour mixes were $5.99. we also appreciate that Homesense has labeled the shelving with a green gluten free label, however be careful as products tend to shift around and you might find a non-gluten free item on the same shelf.

 happy gluten free shopping!  Robyn.
homesense  



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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

annual celiac disease conference & food faire














we recently attended the National Celiac Disease Foundation’s Annual Conference and Food Faire in Los Angeles on May 14, 2011. the conference was very well attended with people of all ages. the theme of the conference was to provide participants with a better understanding of celiac disease, gluten sensitivity and the gluten free diet. speakers included Alessio Fasano, M.D., who is the Medical Director of the Center for Celiac Research, Danna Korn, author of Living Gluten-Free for Dummies, and Carol Fenster, Ph.D., author and gluten free cooking expert. 

we especially enjoyed the food faire which comprised of over 100 gluten free exhibitors. we spent most our time in the food faire sampling new products, and meeting many of the owners behind these great businesses such as Breads From Anna, Solterra Foods, Venice Bakery and Elizabeth Kaplan of the Pure Pantry. we were also happy to chat with a few other companies we know well like Bard's gluten free beer, Udi’s Gluten Free Foods, Nature’s Path, Kettle Cuisine, Pamela’s and Enjoy Life Foods. we also tried amazing baguette style bread from Schar at their booth, everything was so good! 

besides tasting Bards and Green’s gluten free beer, and getting our hands on the coveted Udi’s hot dog buns, we found several other unique and new gluten free products. we hinted at a few of our favorite gluten free finds in our conference giveaway post, but we wanted to write more about why these up and coming products and companies look so good. 


this bread and baking mix company was founded in 2004 by Anna Sobaski, who also has celiac disease. Breads From Anna come in a variety of flavors including the Original, Classic Herb Bread, and Black Bean Brownie. all of Breads From Anna are gluten, soy, and rice free. the All Purpose Flour bread mix is also yeast free. the two wonderful women at the booth were so friendly and helpful and genuinely huge fans of Anna's products.

we chatted about how to make the perfect loaf of bread with a Zojirushi bread machine, which they swear by. after devouring handfuls of the Classic Herb Bread samples, they told us that this bread makes a delicious stuffing mix. Anna's website has step-by-step tips for making her bread mixes in the Zojirushi bread machine, and other brands of bread machines. (I think I know what I want for Christmas this year!)

what we also commend Breads From Anna on is that the mixes are high in quality and nutrition. you would never know that Anna's bread is gluten free, it has the right texture, is not dense, and is full of flavour. common ingredients in Anna's breads include chia flour, chickpea flour, bean flours, and sorghum flour to name a few. what is interesting is that none of her breads contain rice flour, this is so liberating don't you think? we are so over rice bread! for a listing on where to find Anna's products click here. it seems there is only one place in Canada selling Breads From Anna products, St Albert Alberta, but there are several online places to buy these products.


we were totally amazed at this company's new gluten free Bake-In-Bag pizzas. not only is the pizza great, but the idea is that you cook the pizza in the biodegradable bag, in any oven, without worrying about cross contamination because it is protected inside the bag! to us this product is ingenious. 

the CEO, Elaine Valenza-Opdahl, was at the booth, and it was such a pleasure to talk with her. her booth was buzzing all day long. we love the Solterra philosophy, "Keep it simple, Keep it pure." Solterra offers other amazing gluten free products such as pastas, gnocchi, and baking mixes. there are two pizzas: margherita cheese pizza, and vegan cheese pizza. Solterra is a Colorado-based business, and their products should be available in Canada in a few months. we will keep you posted! 


Venice Bakery 
this is a Los Angeles-based business specializing in gluten free pizza crusts and focaccia bread. we were so impressed with the quality and taste of their pizzas that we went back to their booth several times to sample their pizzas. the staff were so friendly and passionate about their great tasting pizza, it made trying their products that much better. they also introduced their new gluten free calzones at the show, which were simply amazing! 

 Venice Bakery is not a dedicated gluten free business, however their gluten free products have been certified by the Celiac Sprue Association. gluten free products are produced at separate times and on dedicated equipment, and are then tested to be sure they are under 5 ppm. as a precaution, Venice bakery sends their product to Siliker Labs for testing. click here to see a video of the president of the company, Jimmy DeSisto, describe the company's history and what you can do with their gluten free pizza crusts. 


we have more to tell you about our fun trip to Los Angeles, and our next post will feature some of the great places to eat out gluten free in L.A. one of them we can't stop thinking about! bye for now, Andrea + Robyn.


celiac disease foundation   |   breads from anna   |   venice bakery   |   solterra foods



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Monday, April 25, 2011

quick and perfect grilled cheese

photo credit André Baranowski, saveur.com
grilled cheese sandwiches are one of my all time favorite foods, especially since they are so easy to make. however, making a good gluten free version of the classic grilled cheese has not been so easy. my grilled cheese woes quickly disappeared recently after finding two fantastic products that are the secret to the most perfect gluten free grilled cheese sandwich: Udi’s gluten free bread and Toasta Bags!

Andrea and I recently reviewed Udi’s gluten free products, and we both think their breads taste great and toast well! Udi's whole grain or white sandwich bread are ideal for grilled cheese sandwiches, read our review of Udi's products here.

the cheese that I like to use is called Tre Stelle sliced cheese packs, and they come in a variety of flavors such as marble, cheddar, or swiss. if you are vegan, then you are most likely already aware of Daiya vegan cheese, and I hear it melts well too. there are some incredible variations to the classic grilled cheese, and Tastespotting has several pages of great recipes. add tomatoes, mushrooms, prosciutto, bacon and arugula, or even avocado and apples!

I found Toasta Bags at Ed’s Gluten Free Specialty store recently, and they are excellent for making the perfect toasted sandwich! Toasta Bags are made with a soft Teflon material that fits right into your toaster, eliminating the need for frying pans or sandwich makers!

Toasta Bags work best in a variable width toaster, and cooking times vary depending on the toaster you have, but generally they toast any sandwich to perfection and they also spare your toaster from a cheesy mess!

besides grilled cheese sandwiches, you can use your Toasta Bag for cooking other foods like pizza, french fries, pastries, and even salmon fillets quick and easy. each bag can be re-used up to 100 times and is dishwasher safe.

the best part about Toasta Bags is the fact that they aid in preventing cross contamination if you use a shared toaster at home or work. they are also great for traveling as well!
enjoy!  Robyn.


udi’s   |   toasta bags   |   ed’s gluten free specialty



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Monday, April 18, 2011

gluten free mom: rice crispy squares!

image copyright gluten free vancouver
a long time favorite childhood treat, rice crispy squares, can now be made gluten free thanks to Dandies Marshmallows, which are gluten free and vegan! we first discovered these recently at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty's new Vancouver store, and we were thrilled to find such a unique and truly missed product! finally someone thought to make gluten free marshmallows! it was the same feeling when we found gluten free ice cream cones last year!

even though my daughter is not gluten intolerant, I still prefer to make everything gluten free for her since she is still small, 'two half' as she likes to say. she is still messy, and she likes to share what she is eating with me. so once I found these gluten free marshmallows I was now free to make her one of my all time favorite treats--rice crispy squares! well...not exactly 'rice krispy' squares since Rice Krispies are not gluten free. however, Kellogg's has announced that they will be introducing a new gluten free version of the famous Rice Krispies in June! to read more about this, click here.

since the gluten free Rice Krispies are not available yet, I chose another product—Perky's Crunchy Rice cereal, which is now part of the Enjoy Life brand. you can also use Nature's Path Crispy Rice cereal, both are gluten free. I bought the cereal at London Drugs on sale, which sells both cereal brands. if you would like to ensure your rice crispy treats are 100% vegan, then you should use the Nature's Path cereal as the Enjoy Life cereal uses honey as a sweetener. 

for the recipe, I just googled rice crispy squares, and followed the instructions. I used one package of Dandies Marshmallows, and one box of Enjoy Life Crunchy Rice cereal. making these treats brought back so many memories, I think this was one of the first recipes I learned to make by myself, and now I can share this experience with my daughter! enjoy!  Andrea.
ps. Dandies Marshmallows are now available through SPUD organic delivery, and they are on sale this week for $4.99! if you are not a spud member but would like to become one, please quote my account number to receive discounts on your first four orders, worth $25! CRVAN-MCLAND. thanks!



dandies marshmallows   |   ed's gluten free specialty   |   london drugs   |   spud
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Saturday, April 9, 2011

udi's gluten free foods

photo credit udisglutenfree.com
since previously writing about gluten free bagels and breads last year, Andrea and I have discovered Udi’s, a fantastic gluten free product line that is relatively new on the market. Udi’s is made in the U.S., and has a great history behind their business. read all about their ‘no grain, no pain’ philosophy and how they got started here. 

 the great thing about this product line, besides being too good to be gluten free, is that it is carried at so many different grocery stores right here in Vancouver. Udi’s is available at Whole Foods, Choices Markets, IGA, Save-on-Foods, Ed’s Gluten Free Specialty, Donalds Market, Urban Fare, Buy Low Foods, and Nesters Market.

Udi’s makes really good bread that tastes good toasted or plain. breads come fresh or frozen in either whole grain or white, and the main ingredients are brown rice flour, tapioca, potato and corn starch. both also contain eggs.

Udi’s bagels are also excellent and one of my favorites. most stores carry the plain variety, but Ed's Gluten Free Specialty also carries them in whole grain and cinnamon raisin (Ed's also carries the cinnamon raisin bread too!). they come in packages of four and are even partially sliced, making it easier to split them in half or to spread on tons of cream cheese! even our non-celiac sister, Heather, loves them!

I recently tried Udi’s cinnamon buns, double chocolate muffins and blueberry muffins. I love the cinnamon buns. they are light, fluffy, and sticky! the double chocolate muffins taste more like a dense cake and the blueberry muffins taste similar to coffee cake. Udi’s also makes a lemon streusel but I have yet to try them.

Andrea did a recent post on Udi’s pizza crusts and they are excellent as well. we are now looking forward to trying their new hamburger and hotdog buns which will be available this May! Robyn.



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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

cookie of the week: gogo quinoa chocolate chip cookies


I recently discovered GoGo Quinoa products at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty recently, and was excited to try their chocolate chip cookies for our cookie of the week review! so far I have tried pasta and cereal from GoGo Quinoa and have been really impressed with this product line.

the cookies are wheat and gluten free and also vegan! they look like they do on the box, and also come individually wrapped. I didn’t count how many cookies came in the package, but there were aprox 15 bite sized cookies and the box is 198 g overall.

the GoGo Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookie ingredients are as follows:
organic royal quinoa flour, tapioca flour, rice flour, canahua flour, non-hydrogenated palm fruit oil, sugar, cane juice, dark chocolate chips, brown sugar, quinoa pop grains, and natural vanilla extract.

I thought the cookies tasted good and had a nice crunchy texture. they were slightly on the crumbly side, but that minor observation was overshadowed by the cookie's sugary sweet and rich chocolate taste! yum! they are also low in fat, with only 1g of fat per 2 cookies. I think these cookies are great for kids and and as a snack on the go.

more on GoGo Quinoa products coming soon to the blog! Robyn.


gogo quinoa   |   ed's gluten free specialty



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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

cookie of the week: patsy pie chocolate chip cookies

have you heard of PatsyPie gluten free cookies? I hadn't until a few months ago when I noticed them on my grocery store shelf, which happens to be Nesters Market in Woodward's. they've been around for a while it seems as this blogger gave the whole PatsyPie line rave reviews a few years ago. I admit I was delighted to find yet another gluten free brand, but I was a little turned off by the price, one package of cookies at Nester's is $6.99. they are even more expensive on the Patsy Pie website, $7.24/ bag...yikes. 

I decided to risk it and try the chocolate chip cookies. I hate to say it, but I was really disappointed, they reminded me of Chips Ahoy cookies, which from my pre-celiac recollection, are dry and taste artificial. I do not agree with the PatsyPie website where it claims that these cookies "taste just like the cookies Mom used to bake." I will say that these cookies do not taste like a gluten free cookie, but they also do not come close to tasting home made. this makes paying almost ten dollars (including tax) for a bag of mediocre cookies a total rip off. 

I have heard that PatsyPie brownies are good, and the blogger mentioned above raved about the biscotti, so it may be worth trying the other products. another positive aspect about this brand is that the products are all made in a gluten free facility and are completely safe for celiac consumers. Pat Libling is the creator and owner of PatsyPie, and is celiac herself. to read more about Pat's story you can click here. to find where PatsyPie products are sold near you, click here.

in my opinion, these cookies are simply not how gluten free should be, as the PatsyPie logo states. Andrea.


patsypie   |   nesters market
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Tuesday, March 1, 2011

eat italian!

one of my discoveries at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty this past weekend is a line of frozen pasta dinners called Eat Italian, that are of course wheat and gluten free! entrée’s from Eat Italian include lasagna, pasta shells, cannelloni, and manicotti. all of the dishes come in 340g serving sizes and are prepared in a gluten free environment. 

so far I have only tried the lasagna. I thought the pasta was a bit soft, but it tasted great overall. the lasagna takes just six minutes in the microwave, or twenty minutes in the oven. the only comment I will make is that the end result does not look much like the pictures on the Eat Italian packages or website.

here is a breakdown of the tasty ingredients used in all of their gluten free frozen entrée’s:

lasagna
lean ground beef, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce, tomato paste and onions. the gluten free pasta is made with stone ground brown rice, and rice bran.

pasta shells
spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce, tomato paste, eggs and onions. the gluten free pasta is made with stone ground brown rice, rice bran and water.

cannelloni
lean ground beef, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and tomato sauce. the gluten free pasta is made with tapioca flour, cornstarch, potato starch, eggs and xanthum gum.

manicotti
ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce. the gluten free pasta is made with tapioca flour, cornstarch, potato starch, eggs and xanthum gum.

Eat Italian is available at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty right here in Vancouver! (full post on Ed's coming soon!).

buona cena! Robyn.


eat italian   |   ed's gluten free specialty



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Sunday, August 21, 2011

gluten free products at homesense

the next time you take a shopping trip to Homesense, a home decor discount department store in Canada, you can also pick up a variety of gluten free baking mixes, flour, cookies, and snacks in the kitchen section! Andrea and I were really surprised and excited to see so many gluten free products here, just as we were when we discovered gluten free products at Ikea. 
some of the products include GoGo Quinoa Quinoa Flour (500g), Josef Animal Cookies, and Coco Mira Hazelnut Crunch cookies, which are really good! Andrea and I have also tried pizza made from Better Batter gluten free all purpose flour mix, and it was excellent. we both also really like products from GoGo Quinoa including their cereals, pasta, and chocolate chip cookies.
over the past six months we have been here twice and on each trip we have noticed the product stocks vary, but between both trips here is a full list of the gluten free products we found at Homesense:




the prices that were marked on these products the days that we visited appeared to be fairly reasonable, with all of the gluten free baking mixes priced at $4.99, while the Pure Pantry, Better Batter and GoGo Quinoa flour mixes were $5.99. we also appreciate that Homesense has labeled the shelving with a green gluten free label, however be careful as products tend to shift around and you might find a non-gluten free item on the same shelf.

 happy gluten free shopping!  Robyn.
homesense  



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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

annual celiac disease conference & food faire














we recently attended the National Celiac Disease Foundation’s Annual Conference and Food Faire in Los Angeles on May 14, 2011. the conference was very well attended with people of all ages. the theme of the conference was to provide participants with a better understanding of celiac disease, gluten sensitivity and the gluten free diet. speakers included Alessio Fasano, M.D., who is the Medical Director of the Center for Celiac Research, Danna Korn, author of Living Gluten-Free for Dummies, and Carol Fenster, Ph.D., author and gluten free cooking expert. 

we especially enjoyed the food faire which comprised of over 100 gluten free exhibitors. we spent most our time in the food faire sampling new products, and meeting many of the owners behind these great businesses such as Breads From Anna, Solterra Foods, Venice Bakery and Elizabeth Kaplan of the Pure Pantry. we were also happy to chat with a few other companies we know well like Bard's gluten free beer, Udi’s Gluten Free Foods, Nature’s Path, Kettle Cuisine, Pamela’s and Enjoy Life Foods. we also tried amazing baguette style bread from Schar at their booth, everything was so good! 

besides tasting Bards and Green’s gluten free beer, and getting our hands on the coveted Udi’s hot dog buns, we found several other unique and new gluten free products. we hinted at a few of our favorite gluten free finds in our conference giveaway post, but we wanted to write more about why these up and coming products and companies look so good. 


this bread and baking mix company was founded in 2004 by Anna Sobaski, who also has celiac disease. Breads From Anna come in a variety of flavors including the Original, Classic Herb Bread, and Black Bean Brownie. all of Breads From Anna are gluten, soy, and rice free. the All Purpose Flour bread mix is also yeast free. the two wonderful women at the booth were so friendly and helpful and genuinely huge fans of Anna's products.

we chatted about how to make the perfect loaf of bread with a Zojirushi bread machine, which they swear by. after devouring handfuls of the Classic Herb Bread samples, they told us that this bread makes a delicious stuffing mix. Anna's website has step-by-step tips for making her bread mixes in the Zojirushi bread machine, and other brands of bread machines. (I think I know what I want for Christmas this year!)

what we also commend Breads From Anna on is that the mixes are high in quality and nutrition. you would never know that Anna's bread is gluten free, it has the right texture, is not dense, and is full of flavour. common ingredients in Anna's breads include chia flour, chickpea flour, bean flours, and sorghum flour to name a few. what is interesting is that none of her breads contain rice flour, this is so liberating don't you think? we are so over rice bread! for a listing on where to find Anna's products click here. it seems there is only one place in Canada selling Breads From Anna products, St Albert Alberta, but there are several online places to buy these products.


we were totally amazed at this company's new gluten free Bake-In-Bag pizzas. not only is the pizza great, but the idea is that you cook the pizza in the biodegradable bag, in any oven, without worrying about cross contamination because it is protected inside the bag! to us this product is ingenious. 

the CEO, Elaine Valenza-Opdahl, was at the booth, and it was such a pleasure to talk with her. her booth was buzzing all day long. we love the Solterra philosophy, "Keep it simple, Keep it pure." Solterra offers other amazing gluten free products such as pastas, gnocchi, and baking mixes. there are two pizzas: margherita cheese pizza, and vegan cheese pizza. Solterra is a Colorado-based business, and their products should be available in Canada in a few months. we will keep you posted! 


Venice Bakery 
this is a Los Angeles-based business specializing in gluten free pizza crusts and focaccia bread. we were so impressed with the quality and taste of their pizzas that we went back to their booth several times to sample their pizzas. the staff were so friendly and passionate about their great tasting pizza, it made trying their products that much better. they also introduced their new gluten free calzones at the show, which were simply amazing! 

 Venice Bakery is not a dedicated gluten free business, however their gluten free products have been certified by the Celiac Sprue Association. gluten free products are produced at separate times and on dedicated equipment, and are then tested to be sure they are under 5 ppm. as a precaution, Venice bakery sends their product to Siliker Labs for testing. click here to see a video of the president of the company, Jimmy DeSisto, describe the company's history and what you can do with their gluten free pizza crusts. 


we have more to tell you about our fun trip to Los Angeles, and our next post will feature some of the great places to eat out gluten free in L.A. one of them we can't stop thinking about! bye for now, Andrea + Robyn.


celiac disease foundation   |   breads from anna   |   venice bakery   |   solterra foods



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Monday, April 25, 2011

quick and perfect grilled cheese

photo credit André Baranowski, saveur.com
grilled cheese sandwiches are one of my all time favorite foods, especially since they are so easy to make. however, making a good gluten free version of the classic grilled cheese has not been so easy. my grilled cheese woes quickly disappeared recently after finding two fantastic products that are the secret to the most perfect gluten free grilled cheese sandwich: Udi’s gluten free bread and Toasta Bags!

Andrea and I recently reviewed Udi’s gluten free products, and we both think their breads taste great and toast well! Udi's whole grain or white sandwich bread are ideal for grilled cheese sandwiches, read our review of Udi's products here.

the cheese that I like to use is called Tre Stelle sliced cheese packs, and they come in a variety of flavors such as marble, cheddar, or swiss. if you are vegan, then you are most likely already aware of Daiya vegan cheese, and I hear it melts well too. there are some incredible variations to the classic grilled cheese, and Tastespotting has several pages of great recipes. add tomatoes, mushrooms, prosciutto, bacon and arugula, or even avocado and apples!

I found Toasta Bags at Ed’s Gluten Free Specialty store recently, and they are excellent for making the perfect toasted sandwich! Toasta Bags are made with a soft Teflon material that fits right into your toaster, eliminating the need for frying pans or sandwich makers!

Toasta Bags work best in a variable width toaster, and cooking times vary depending on the toaster you have, but generally they toast any sandwich to perfection and they also spare your toaster from a cheesy mess!

besides grilled cheese sandwiches, you can use your Toasta Bag for cooking other foods like pizza, french fries, pastries, and even salmon fillets quick and easy. each bag can be re-used up to 100 times and is dishwasher safe.

the best part about Toasta Bags is the fact that they aid in preventing cross contamination if you use a shared toaster at home or work. they are also great for traveling as well!
enjoy!  Robyn.


udi’s   |   toasta bags   |   ed’s gluten free specialty



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Monday, April 18, 2011

gluten free mom: rice crispy squares!

image copyright gluten free vancouver
a long time favorite childhood treat, rice crispy squares, can now be made gluten free thanks to Dandies Marshmallows, which are gluten free and vegan! we first discovered these recently at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty's new Vancouver store, and we were thrilled to find such a unique and truly missed product! finally someone thought to make gluten free marshmallows! it was the same feeling when we found gluten free ice cream cones last year!

even though my daughter is not gluten intolerant, I still prefer to make everything gluten free for her since she is still small, 'two half' as she likes to say. she is still messy, and she likes to share what she is eating with me. so once I found these gluten free marshmallows I was now free to make her one of my all time favorite treats--rice crispy squares! well...not exactly 'rice krispy' squares since Rice Krispies are not gluten free. however, Kellogg's has announced that they will be introducing a new gluten free version of the famous Rice Krispies in June! to read more about this, click here.

since the gluten free Rice Krispies are not available yet, I chose another product—Perky's Crunchy Rice cereal, which is now part of the Enjoy Life brand. you can also use Nature's Path Crispy Rice cereal, both are gluten free. I bought the cereal at London Drugs on sale, which sells both cereal brands. if you would like to ensure your rice crispy treats are 100% vegan, then you should use the Nature's Path cereal as the Enjoy Life cereal uses honey as a sweetener. 

for the recipe, I just googled rice crispy squares, and followed the instructions. I used one package of Dandies Marshmallows, and one box of Enjoy Life Crunchy Rice cereal. making these treats brought back so many memories, I think this was one of the first recipes I learned to make by myself, and now I can share this experience with my daughter! enjoy!  Andrea.
ps. Dandies Marshmallows are now available through SPUD organic delivery, and they are on sale this week for $4.99! if you are not a spud member but would like to become one, please quote my account number to receive discounts on your first four orders, worth $25! CRVAN-MCLAND. thanks!



dandies marshmallows   |   ed's gluten free specialty   |   london drugs   |   spud
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Saturday, April 9, 2011

udi's gluten free foods

photo credit udisglutenfree.com
since previously writing about gluten free bagels and breads last year, Andrea and I have discovered Udi’s, a fantastic gluten free product line that is relatively new on the market. Udi’s is made in the U.S., and has a great history behind their business. read all about their ‘no grain, no pain’ philosophy and how they got started here. 

 the great thing about this product line, besides being too good to be gluten free, is that it is carried at so many different grocery stores right here in Vancouver. Udi’s is available at Whole Foods, Choices Markets, IGA, Save-on-Foods, Ed’s Gluten Free Specialty, Donalds Market, Urban Fare, Buy Low Foods, and Nesters Market.

Udi’s makes really good bread that tastes good toasted or plain. breads come fresh or frozen in either whole grain or white, and the main ingredients are brown rice flour, tapioca, potato and corn starch. both also contain eggs.

Udi’s bagels are also excellent and one of my favorites. most stores carry the plain variety, but Ed's Gluten Free Specialty also carries them in whole grain and cinnamon raisin (Ed's also carries the cinnamon raisin bread too!). they come in packages of four and are even partially sliced, making it easier to split them in half or to spread on tons of cream cheese! even our non-celiac sister, Heather, loves them!

I recently tried Udi’s cinnamon buns, double chocolate muffins and blueberry muffins. I love the cinnamon buns. they are light, fluffy, and sticky! the double chocolate muffins taste more like a dense cake and the blueberry muffins taste similar to coffee cake. Udi’s also makes a lemon streusel but I have yet to try them.

Andrea did a recent post on Udi’s pizza crusts and they are excellent as well. we are now looking forward to trying their new hamburger and hotdog buns which will be available this May! Robyn.



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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

cookie of the week: gogo quinoa chocolate chip cookies


I recently discovered GoGo Quinoa products at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty recently, and was excited to try their chocolate chip cookies for our cookie of the week review! so far I have tried pasta and cereal from GoGo Quinoa and have been really impressed with this product line.

the cookies are wheat and gluten free and also vegan! they look like they do on the box, and also come individually wrapped. I didn’t count how many cookies came in the package, but there were aprox 15 bite sized cookies and the box is 198 g overall.

the GoGo Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookie ingredients are as follows:
organic royal quinoa flour, tapioca flour, rice flour, canahua flour, non-hydrogenated palm fruit oil, sugar, cane juice, dark chocolate chips, brown sugar, quinoa pop grains, and natural vanilla extract.

I thought the cookies tasted good and had a nice crunchy texture. they were slightly on the crumbly side, but that minor observation was overshadowed by the cookie's sugary sweet and rich chocolate taste! yum! they are also low in fat, with only 1g of fat per 2 cookies. I think these cookies are great for kids and and as a snack on the go.

more on GoGo Quinoa products coming soon to the blog! Robyn.


gogo quinoa   |   ed's gluten free specialty



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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

cookie of the week: patsy pie chocolate chip cookies

have you heard of PatsyPie gluten free cookies? I hadn't until a few months ago when I noticed them on my grocery store shelf, which happens to be Nesters Market in Woodward's. they've been around for a while it seems as this blogger gave the whole PatsyPie line rave reviews a few years ago. I admit I was delighted to find yet another gluten free brand, but I was a little turned off by the price, one package of cookies at Nester's is $6.99. they are even more expensive on the Patsy Pie website, $7.24/ bag...yikes. 

I decided to risk it and try the chocolate chip cookies. I hate to say it, but I was really disappointed, they reminded me of Chips Ahoy cookies, which from my pre-celiac recollection, are dry and taste artificial. I do not agree with the PatsyPie website where it claims that these cookies "taste just like the cookies Mom used to bake." I will say that these cookies do not taste like a gluten free cookie, but they also do not come close to tasting home made. this makes paying almost ten dollars (including tax) for a bag of mediocre cookies a total rip off. 

I have heard that PatsyPie brownies are good, and the blogger mentioned above raved about the biscotti, so it may be worth trying the other products. another positive aspect about this brand is that the products are all made in a gluten free facility and are completely safe for celiac consumers. Pat Libling is the creator and owner of PatsyPie, and is celiac herself. to read more about Pat's story you can click here. to find where PatsyPie products are sold near you, click here.

in my opinion, these cookies are simply not how gluten free should be, as the PatsyPie logo states. Andrea.


patsypie   |   nesters market
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Tuesday, March 1, 2011

eat italian!

one of my discoveries at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty this past weekend is a line of frozen pasta dinners called Eat Italian, that are of course wheat and gluten free! entrée’s from Eat Italian include lasagna, pasta shells, cannelloni, and manicotti. all of the dishes come in 340g serving sizes and are prepared in a gluten free environment. 

so far I have only tried the lasagna. I thought the pasta was a bit soft, but it tasted great overall. the lasagna takes just six minutes in the microwave, or twenty minutes in the oven. the only comment I will make is that the end result does not look much like the pictures on the Eat Italian packages or website.

here is a breakdown of the tasty ingredients used in all of their gluten free frozen entrée’s:

lasagna
lean ground beef, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce, tomato paste and onions. the gluten free pasta is made with stone ground brown rice, and rice bran.

pasta shells
spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce, tomato paste, eggs and onions. the gluten free pasta is made with stone ground brown rice, rice bran and water.

cannelloni
lean ground beef, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and tomato sauce. the gluten free pasta is made with tapioca flour, cornstarch, potato starch, eggs and xanthum gum.

manicotti
ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce. the gluten free pasta is made with tapioca flour, cornstarch, potato starch, eggs and xanthum gum.

Eat Italian is available at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty right here in Vancouver! (full post on Ed's coming soon!).

buona cena! Robyn.


eat italian   |   ed's gluten free specialty



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Showing posts with label product review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label product review. Show all posts

Sunday, August 21, 2011

gluten free products at homesense

the next time you take a shopping trip to Homesense, a home decor discount department store in Canada, you can also pick up a variety of gluten free baking mixes, flour, cookies, and snacks in the kitchen section! Andrea and I were really surprised and excited to see so many gluten free products here, just as we were when we discovered gluten free products at Ikea. 
some of the products include GoGo Quinoa Quinoa Flour (500g), Josef Animal Cookies, and Coco Mira Hazelnut Crunch cookies, which are really good! Andrea and I have also tried pizza made from Better Batter gluten free all purpose flour mix, and it was excellent. we both also really like products from GoGo Quinoa including their cereals, pasta, and chocolate chip cookies.
over the past six months we have been here twice and on each trip we have noticed the product stocks vary, but between both trips here is a full list of the gluten free products we found at Homesense:




the prices that were marked on these products the days that we visited appeared to be fairly reasonable, with all of the gluten free baking mixes priced at $4.99, while the Pure Pantry, Better Batter and GoGo Quinoa flour mixes were $5.99. we also appreciate that Homesense has labeled the shelving with a green gluten free label, however be careful as products tend to shift around and you might find a non-gluten free item on the same shelf.

 happy gluten free shopping!  Robyn.
homesense  



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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

annual celiac disease conference & food faire














we recently attended the National Celiac Disease Foundation’s Annual Conference and Food Faire in Los Angeles on May 14, 2011. the conference was very well attended with people of all ages. the theme of the conference was to provide participants with a better understanding of celiac disease, gluten sensitivity and the gluten free diet. speakers included Alessio Fasano, M.D., who is the Medical Director of the Center for Celiac Research, Danna Korn, author of Living Gluten-Free for Dummies, and Carol Fenster, Ph.D., author and gluten free cooking expert. 

we especially enjoyed the food faire which comprised of over 100 gluten free exhibitors. we spent most our time in the food faire sampling new products, and meeting many of the owners behind these great businesses such as Breads From Anna, Solterra Foods, Venice Bakery and Elizabeth Kaplan of the Pure Pantry. we were also happy to chat with a few other companies we know well like Bard's gluten free beer, Udi’s Gluten Free Foods, Nature’s Path, Kettle Cuisine, Pamela’s and Enjoy Life Foods. we also tried amazing baguette style bread from Schar at their booth, everything was so good! 

besides tasting Bards and Green’s gluten free beer, and getting our hands on the coveted Udi’s hot dog buns, we found several other unique and new gluten free products. we hinted at a few of our favorite gluten free finds in our conference giveaway post, but we wanted to write more about why these up and coming products and companies look so good. 


this bread and baking mix company was founded in 2004 by Anna Sobaski, who also has celiac disease. Breads From Anna come in a variety of flavors including the Original, Classic Herb Bread, and Black Bean Brownie. all of Breads From Anna are gluten, soy, and rice free. the All Purpose Flour bread mix is also yeast free. the two wonderful women at the booth were so friendly and helpful and genuinely huge fans of Anna's products.

we chatted about how to make the perfect loaf of bread with a Zojirushi bread machine, which they swear by. after devouring handfuls of the Classic Herb Bread samples, they told us that this bread makes a delicious stuffing mix. Anna's website has step-by-step tips for making her bread mixes in the Zojirushi bread machine, and other brands of bread machines. (I think I know what I want for Christmas this year!)

what we also commend Breads From Anna on is that the mixes are high in quality and nutrition. you would never know that Anna's bread is gluten free, it has the right texture, is not dense, and is full of flavour. common ingredients in Anna's breads include chia flour, chickpea flour, bean flours, and sorghum flour to name a few. what is interesting is that none of her breads contain rice flour, this is so liberating don't you think? we are so over rice bread! for a listing on where to find Anna's products click here. it seems there is only one place in Canada selling Breads From Anna products, St Albert Alberta, but there are several online places to buy these products.


we were totally amazed at this company's new gluten free Bake-In-Bag pizzas. not only is the pizza great, but the idea is that you cook the pizza in the biodegradable bag, in any oven, without worrying about cross contamination because it is protected inside the bag! to us this product is ingenious. 

the CEO, Elaine Valenza-Opdahl, was at the booth, and it was such a pleasure to talk with her. her booth was buzzing all day long. we love the Solterra philosophy, "Keep it simple, Keep it pure." Solterra offers other amazing gluten free products such as pastas, gnocchi, and baking mixes. there are two pizzas: margherita cheese pizza, and vegan cheese pizza. Solterra is a Colorado-based business, and their products should be available in Canada in a few months. we will keep you posted! 


Venice Bakery 
this is a Los Angeles-based business specializing in gluten free pizza crusts and focaccia bread. we were so impressed with the quality and taste of their pizzas that we went back to their booth several times to sample their pizzas. the staff were so friendly and passionate about their great tasting pizza, it made trying their products that much better. they also introduced their new gluten free calzones at the show, which were simply amazing! 

 Venice Bakery is not a dedicated gluten free business, however their gluten free products have been certified by the Celiac Sprue Association. gluten free products are produced at separate times and on dedicated equipment, and are then tested to be sure they are under 5 ppm. as a precaution, Venice bakery sends their product to Siliker Labs for testing. click here to see a video of the president of the company, Jimmy DeSisto, describe the company's history and what you can do with their gluten free pizza crusts. 


we have more to tell you about our fun trip to Los Angeles, and our next post will feature some of the great places to eat out gluten free in L.A. one of them we can't stop thinking about! bye for now, Andrea + Robyn.


celiac disease foundation   |   breads from anna   |   venice bakery   |   solterra foods



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Monday, April 25, 2011

quick and perfect grilled cheese

photo credit André Baranowski, saveur.com
grilled cheese sandwiches are one of my all time favorite foods, especially since they are so easy to make. however, making a good gluten free version of the classic grilled cheese has not been so easy. my grilled cheese woes quickly disappeared recently after finding two fantastic products that are the secret to the most perfect gluten free grilled cheese sandwich: Udi’s gluten free bread and Toasta Bags!

Andrea and I recently reviewed Udi’s gluten free products, and we both think their breads taste great and toast well! Udi's whole grain or white sandwich bread are ideal for grilled cheese sandwiches, read our review of Udi's products here.

the cheese that I like to use is called Tre Stelle sliced cheese packs, and they come in a variety of flavors such as marble, cheddar, or swiss. if you are vegan, then you are most likely already aware of Daiya vegan cheese, and I hear it melts well too. there are some incredible variations to the classic grilled cheese, and Tastespotting has several pages of great recipes. add tomatoes, mushrooms, prosciutto, bacon and arugula, or even avocado and apples!

I found Toasta Bags at Ed’s Gluten Free Specialty store recently, and they are excellent for making the perfect toasted sandwich! Toasta Bags are made with a soft Teflon material that fits right into your toaster, eliminating the need for frying pans or sandwich makers!

Toasta Bags work best in a variable width toaster, and cooking times vary depending on the toaster you have, but generally they toast any sandwich to perfection and they also spare your toaster from a cheesy mess!

besides grilled cheese sandwiches, you can use your Toasta Bag for cooking other foods like pizza, french fries, pastries, and even salmon fillets quick and easy. each bag can be re-used up to 100 times and is dishwasher safe.

the best part about Toasta Bags is the fact that they aid in preventing cross contamination if you use a shared toaster at home or work. they are also great for traveling as well!
enjoy!  Robyn.


udi’s   |   toasta bags   |   ed’s gluten free specialty



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Monday, April 18, 2011

gluten free mom: rice crispy squares!

image copyright gluten free vancouver
a long time favorite childhood treat, rice crispy squares, can now be made gluten free thanks to Dandies Marshmallows, which are gluten free and vegan! we first discovered these recently at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty's new Vancouver store, and we were thrilled to find such a unique and truly missed product! finally someone thought to make gluten free marshmallows! it was the same feeling when we found gluten free ice cream cones last year!

even though my daughter is not gluten intolerant, I still prefer to make everything gluten free for her since she is still small, 'two half' as she likes to say. she is still messy, and she likes to share what she is eating with me. so once I found these gluten free marshmallows I was now free to make her one of my all time favorite treats--rice crispy squares! well...not exactly 'rice krispy' squares since Rice Krispies are not gluten free. however, Kellogg's has announced that they will be introducing a new gluten free version of the famous Rice Krispies in June! to read more about this, click here.

since the gluten free Rice Krispies are not available yet, I chose another product—Perky's Crunchy Rice cereal, which is now part of the Enjoy Life brand. you can also use Nature's Path Crispy Rice cereal, both are gluten free. I bought the cereal at London Drugs on sale, which sells both cereal brands. if you would like to ensure your rice crispy treats are 100% vegan, then you should use the Nature's Path cereal as the Enjoy Life cereal uses honey as a sweetener. 

for the recipe, I just googled rice crispy squares, and followed the instructions. I used one package of Dandies Marshmallows, and one box of Enjoy Life Crunchy Rice cereal. making these treats brought back so many memories, I think this was one of the first recipes I learned to make by myself, and now I can share this experience with my daughter! enjoy!  Andrea.
ps. Dandies Marshmallows are now available through SPUD organic delivery, and they are on sale this week for $4.99! if you are not a spud member but would like to become one, please quote my account number to receive discounts on your first four orders, worth $25! CRVAN-MCLAND. thanks!



dandies marshmallows   |   ed's gluten free specialty   |   london drugs   |   spud
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Saturday, April 9, 2011

udi's gluten free foods

photo credit udisglutenfree.com
since previously writing about gluten free bagels and breads last year, Andrea and I have discovered Udi’s, a fantastic gluten free product line that is relatively new on the market. Udi’s is made in the U.S., and has a great history behind their business. read all about their ‘no grain, no pain’ philosophy and how they got started here. 

 the great thing about this product line, besides being too good to be gluten free, is that it is carried at so many different grocery stores right here in Vancouver. Udi’s is available at Whole Foods, Choices Markets, IGA, Save-on-Foods, Ed’s Gluten Free Specialty, Donalds Market, Urban Fare, Buy Low Foods, and Nesters Market.

Udi’s makes really good bread that tastes good toasted or plain. breads come fresh or frozen in either whole grain or white, and the main ingredients are brown rice flour, tapioca, potato and corn starch. both also contain eggs.

Udi’s bagels are also excellent and one of my favorites. most stores carry the plain variety, but Ed's Gluten Free Specialty also carries them in whole grain and cinnamon raisin (Ed's also carries the cinnamon raisin bread too!). they come in packages of four and are even partially sliced, making it easier to split them in half or to spread on tons of cream cheese! even our non-celiac sister, Heather, loves them!

I recently tried Udi’s cinnamon buns, double chocolate muffins and blueberry muffins. I love the cinnamon buns. they are light, fluffy, and sticky! the double chocolate muffins taste more like a dense cake and the blueberry muffins taste similar to coffee cake. Udi’s also makes a lemon streusel but I have yet to try them.

Andrea did a recent post on Udi’s pizza crusts and they are excellent as well. we are now looking forward to trying their new hamburger and hotdog buns which will be available this May! Robyn.



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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

cookie of the week: gogo quinoa chocolate chip cookies


I recently discovered GoGo Quinoa products at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty recently, and was excited to try their chocolate chip cookies for our cookie of the week review! so far I have tried pasta and cereal from GoGo Quinoa and have been really impressed with this product line.

the cookies are wheat and gluten free and also vegan! they look like they do on the box, and also come individually wrapped. I didn’t count how many cookies came in the package, but there were aprox 15 bite sized cookies and the box is 198 g overall.

the GoGo Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookie ingredients are as follows:
organic royal quinoa flour, tapioca flour, rice flour, canahua flour, non-hydrogenated palm fruit oil, sugar, cane juice, dark chocolate chips, brown sugar, quinoa pop grains, and natural vanilla extract.

I thought the cookies tasted good and had a nice crunchy texture. they were slightly on the crumbly side, but that minor observation was overshadowed by the cookie's sugary sweet and rich chocolate taste! yum! they are also low in fat, with only 1g of fat per 2 cookies. I think these cookies are great for kids and and as a snack on the go.

more on GoGo Quinoa products coming soon to the blog! Robyn.


gogo quinoa   |   ed's gluten free specialty



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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

cookie of the week: patsy pie chocolate chip cookies

have you heard of PatsyPie gluten free cookies? I hadn't until a few months ago when I noticed them on my grocery store shelf, which happens to be Nesters Market in Woodward's. they've been around for a while it seems as this blogger gave the whole PatsyPie line rave reviews a few years ago. I admit I was delighted to find yet another gluten free brand, but I was a little turned off by the price, one package of cookies at Nester's is $6.99. they are even more expensive on the Patsy Pie website, $7.24/ bag...yikes. 

I decided to risk it and try the chocolate chip cookies. I hate to say it, but I was really disappointed, they reminded me of Chips Ahoy cookies, which from my pre-celiac recollection, are dry and taste artificial. I do not agree with the PatsyPie website where it claims that these cookies "taste just like the cookies Mom used to bake." I will say that these cookies do not taste like a gluten free cookie, but they also do not come close to tasting home made. this makes paying almost ten dollars (including tax) for a bag of mediocre cookies a total rip off. 

I have heard that PatsyPie brownies are good, and the blogger mentioned above raved about the biscotti, so it may be worth trying the other products. another positive aspect about this brand is that the products are all made in a gluten free facility and are completely safe for celiac consumers. Pat Libling is the creator and owner of PatsyPie, and is celiac herself. to read more about Pat's story you can click here. to find where PatsyPie products are sold near you, click here.

in my opinion, these cookies are simply not how gluten free should be, as the PatsyPie logo states. Andrea.


patsypie   |   nesters market
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Tuesday, March 1, 2011

eat italian!

one of my discoveries at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty this past weekend is a line of frozen pasta dinners called Eat Italian, that are of course wheat and gluten free! entrée’s from Eat Italian include lasagna, pasta shells, cannelloni, and manicotti. all of the dishes come in 340g serving sizes and are prepared in a gluten free environment. 

so far I have only tried the lasagna. I thought the pasta was a bit soft, but it tasted great overall. the lasagna takes just six minutes in the microwave, or twenty minutes in the oven. the only comment I will make is that the end result does not look much like the pictures on the Eat Italian packages or website.

here is a breakdown of the tasty ingredients used in all of their gluten free frozen entrée’s:

lasagna
lean ground beef, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce, tomato paste and onions. the gluten free pasta is made with stone ground brown rice, and rice bran.

pasta shells
spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce, tomato paste, eggs and onions. the gluten free pasta is made with stone ground brown rice, rice bran and water.

cannelloni
lean ground beef, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and tomato sauce. the gluten free pasta is made with tapioca flour, cornstarch, potato starch, eggs and xanthum gum.

manicotti
ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce. the gluten free pasta is made with tapioca flour, cornstarch, potato starch, eggs and xanthum gum.

Eat Italian is available at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty right here in Vancouver! (full post on Ed's coming soon!).

buona cena! Robyn.


eat italian   |   ed's gluten free specialty



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