New Find: Amore di Mona chocolate

Anything chocolate peaks my interest. So, when I was browsing an online supplier for specialty foods, Caramela with Crunchy Coffee Beans peaked my interest. On a whim, I ordered a bar from Peanut Free Planet.

I am so glad I did! The texture is like a chewie chocolate bar but with a rich taste like a gourmet chocolate bar would be. The coffee taste was very present but it was a good texture and taste.

What's amazing about this company?

The side of the box says it all. What's not on the box is even more impressive. This company is vegan, gluten free, low-glycemic friendly, raw, organic, and non-GMO certified. 

The best part about all this is that the chocolate is top-8 allergy friendly and is making an effort to accommodate those with food allergies. 

The box contained three squares of chocolate caramel (like) goodness. I shared it with my family who, for the most part, liked it too.

Amore di Mona Carmela with Crunchy Chocolate Beans rocked my world! I'd like to try their other chocolates soon. 

Where to buy?

Whole Foods (in store)

Amazon

Peanut free Planet

Dundee Candy

For a complete list of where to buy Amore di Mona chocolate, please visit their website.

I give Amore di Mona two thumbs way up. 

Gluten Free family approved recipes: A must have

Looking for a cookbook with simple ingredients and mixes? Look no further than Pam Jordan's Gluten Free family approved Recipes. 

Pam uses everyday ingredients to make for her family and shares them with the public. From quick banana pancakes to her awesome One Dish wonder, Pam rocks the GF world and makes it easy to prepare wholesome meals and side dishes. 

I HIGHLY recommend Pam Jordan's Gluten Free family approved Recipes book to all. If you live with other restrictions, the recipes are easily adaptable and substitutions can be made with ease. Two personal favorites include the One Dish wonder and Lemon squares. To see more recipes and to check her out, see her blog. 

About the author: Pam Jordan is the author and blogger of ImaCeliac and a Celiac herself. With over three years of gluten free experience, she puts minds to ease as she takes simple ingredients and mixes and makes fabulous creations with little effort. As a mom with three young children plus a working professional, Pam highlights some of her family favorites that are sure not to disappoint.

Disclosure: This review contains my own opinions.

Recap of #GFAFevent in Austin, Texas

Where to begin? The weekend of the #GFAFevent was spectacular!

Pam's GF shirts were a hit!

HUGE shout out to Pam@ImaCeliac for being the blogger organizer and Red Apple Lipstick for sponsoring the bloggers of the #GFAFevent!

I found a few new products that I've never seen before and they were good! :) Then, there were several favorites that were just fab too! Below are pictures from the event! All products are Gluten free and some are also food-allergy friendly as well. 

Noosa Yoghurt, Namaste GF and top 8 free products, Ebenezer Foods, & Kinnikinnick

Oatmega, Udi's, and Say Cheezz Brazilian tapioca cheese rolls

Glutino

By far my favorite new item! Better Bites Bakery is GF, food allergy friendly, corn free, and vegan! They were so sweet and I couldn't not share! Their cookie dough cake balls were amazing! When I say amazing, I mean swoon! Heavenly!

Enjoy Life rocked with the samples and presence. It's nice when there is a company where you don't have to guess if product x has soy/wheat/ect. All of their products are GF, top 8 free, and more! Truly amazing company! 

A few highlighted brands of the expo...

* Red Apple Lipstick: They are awesome and willing to go above and beyond for their customers. Their makeup is soy free, vegan, GF, and more! They rock and provide amazing products! 

* Better Bites Bakery is GF, food allergy friendly, corn free, and vegan! They were so sweet and I couldn't not share! Their cookie dough cake balls were amazing! When I say amazing, I mean swoon! Heavenly!

* Enjoy Life Foods: They rock my world!! Enjoy Life is top 8 free as well as free of sesame, sulfites, potato, and fillers. They are PR friendly (x1000) and truly rock. They are fabulous about giving samples too. 

* Udi's Gluten Free: Their millet-chia bread is amazing and my favorite! It is also soy, nut, and more free. They have breads and other GF products that are available in most health food stores.

* Namaste Foods: All products are GF, top-8 free, corn free, and potato free. I love their brownie mixture and their spice cake is divine too. 

* Say Cheezz: Gluten free Brazilian rolls with style. With three flavors to choose from, they give the roll style without the gluten. I was really impressed with the regular and sun dried tomato sample. They also have a bacon roll too. 

* Noosa Yoghurt: Noose is heaven in a container. It's not greek but has a heavier texture than regular yoghurt. I have found it at Super Target with the yogurts and they said they're also in Costco. 

* Tito's Vodka: Made in Texas and GF! It's delicious with Fruit punch! :)

To view all the vendors from this event, please visit the GFAF Austin event page.

This expo was amazing and I am so grateful I was able to attend this fabulous event! If you ever have a chance to go to any local expo, jump at the chance. It's not just about the samples, it's about the relationships you will form, with others, and the bond you all share as a whole community. 

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own. I attended this event as a blogger.

Cherry quinoa crisp

This recipe just happened and on the first try too. It's a great fall addition instead of a pie and keeps well. Please let me know if you have any questions. I am happy to help!  

Cherry Quinoa crisp

Makes one 8x8 or 8x11 pan

Ingredients

2 bags frozen cherries-thawed

2 sticks butter or margarine

3/4 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup quinoa flakes

3-4 Tablespoons water

2 teaspoons cinammon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400* and grease pan. 

Pour thawed cherries in the greased pan. Cherries can be cold yet thawed.

Melt butter or margarine and add rice flour, quinoa flakes, salt, and spices. Stir until combined. If mixture is not stir-able, add water. Mixture will be like a sand texture. Place mixture on top of cherries. Be sure cherries are mostly covered. Cook for 45-60 minutes. 

To save, cover with foil or plastic wrap. Crisp keeps without refrigeration. 

Holy Crap Cereal is pure genius

Background
Holy Crap cereal was founded by Corin and Brian Mullins in 2009. Originally named Hapi Food, Corin Mullins was on a mission to make something safe for her husband's food allergies.  One of their first customers said "Holy Crap...this is amazing." Brian Mullins changed the brand name and suddenly sales went from ten to one thousands bags a day. That's a 1000% increase!

Holy Crap gained popularity after appearing at a kiosk during the 2010 Vancover Olympics. Popularity grew from the Olympics.

After appearing on Canada's Dragon's Den (equivalent to Shark tank in the US) in 2010, Holy Crap generated over one million dollars in revenue the following week.

Since then, Holy Crap is appearing in more than 2,200 stores across Canada and spreading throughout the United States. Holy Crap ships to over forty countries online through the online store. 65% of Holy Crap's ingredients are Canadian.

Interesting fact
Holy Crap has even made its appearance in space through the International Space Station. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield completed a five month space mission in April 2013. Holy Crap Cereal is truly out of this world!

Related info
All cereals are non-GMO, vegan, gluten free, raw, kosher, and free from the major allergens. One serving has more Omega 3s and 6s than salmon, more protein than flax seeds, and more fiber than bran muffins.

Varieties
Holy Crap has four different varieties to choose from. The main difference between Skinny B and Holy Crap is that Skinny B only has chia, hemp hearts, and buckwheat (contains no wheat). Holy Crap also contains dried cranberries, raisins, apple bits, and cinnamon).

* Holy Crap cereal  (130cal, 13carb, 6g fiber, 4g sugar, 5g protein per serving)
* Skinny B cereal (130 cal, 11carb, 7g fiber, no sugar, 6g protein)
* Mary Jane cereal (160cal, 4carb, 3g fiber, 1g sugar, 10g protein)
* Wild Chia cereal (140cal, 11carb, 11g fiber, no sugar, 6g protein)

Servings/Instructions
Each serving of Holy Crap cereal is 2T and 1/4 cup of liquid. Allow to sit for at least three minutes. Each bag contains 8 servings. I tried the Holy Crap cereal as well as the Skinny B cereal with water as well as with rice milk. Both had good flavor. To have a grab and go version, make it the night before and stick it in the fridge to grab and go.

Special Thanks
Holy Crap officially sponsors the bloggers of the GFAF expo for 2013. I was chosen as an official blogger this year. Thank you so much for allowing this great product to be shown off and for sponsoring this year!

USA package

Link to Holy Crap cereal online

 

Coming soon: Products, pictures, and info from the GFAF expo

I had the opportunity to attend the GFAF expo October 26th and October 27th. I have many pictures and products to share with you. It was an amazing weekend and there are items that will be much more than just gluten free.

Please be patient with me! I will have a multi-post series just about the event and all that it offered.

This event was much more than a showcase of various products, it was also a huge connection with people who "get it" and understand GF and food allergies. It was a wonderful experience. I hope to share glimpses with you.

Be back soon...

Top 8 free chocolate chip muffins

I've finally done it. Well, in my world. ;) I've been working on this recipe for a while and it is finally perfected. I recommend foil cupcake/muffin liners and all is right with the world!

Top 8 free Chocolate Chip muffins
Makes 24 muffins

3 cups brown rice flour
1 cup corn starch
2 1/2tsp baking soda
1/2tsp salt 2 cups sugar
3/4 cup oil (I used canola)
1/2 cup applesauce
1 1/4 cup water
2tsp vanilla
2Tbs apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup chocolate chips (used Enjoy Life's)
3tsp guar gum (can use xanthan)

Pre-heat oven to 350* and line tins with liners.

In a large bowl, combine flour, starch, soda, salt, guar gum, and sugar. Wisk until combined and fine. You could sift but I just wisk. Add applesauce and stir. Add in water and then oil and stir to combine. Add vinegar and stir. Stir to combine all ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips and vanilla.

Using a spoon or measuring cup, pour batter into lined tins. If using a measuring cup, each tin has a little less than 1/4 cup of batter in each one. Bake for 22-25 minutes. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container.

Cream of broccoli soup

Fall in Texas has hit! It was drizzly all day today and this soup made a perfect addition to lunch. It stores easily and keeps up to a week in a fridge. From start to finish, recipe takes a little less than 30 minutes!

Cream of broccoli soup 
Serves about 6 servings

* 2 (10.7 oz) frozen broccoli steam bags
* 2 cups chicken broth
* 6T butter
* 3T Brown Rice Flour*
* 5T Corn Starch*
* 4 cups milk
* 1t salt
* 3/4 to 1T pepper
* 2t garlic powder
* 2 cup grated cheese

* This recipe is Gluten free. If you are not GF, you can use regular flour until a thick consistency is reached. It would be about 5T flour.

Steam broccoli and set aside. If steaming in a bag, do not drain bag. Once broccoli is cooled, apply pressure to it or use a mallet to crush broccoli into small pieces.

In a deep saucepan, melt butter. Add in flour and stir. Add milk. Cook until combined and consistency is thick. Stir frequently. Add pepper (to taste), garlic, salt, and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Add broth and broccoli. Stir and simmer for 20 minutes.

Giveaway: Tickets to the GFAF expo in Dallas

Get 'em while they're hot free! Enter to win TWO GFAF Dallas expo tickets for either Saturday or Sunday. The date? October 26th or October 27th!

How to enter?

1. Comment in the comment section why you want to attend the GFAF expo. 

2. Do one of the following: 

* Follow GFAF Expo on Twitter

OR

* Like GFAF Expo on Facebook

 OR 

* Let someone know you're coming to the Expo via GFAF Expo!  

Two entries per person! :)

Giveaway runs through Monday, October 7th! 

Winners will be announced on Tuesday, October 8th! 

Let me know why you want to attend the GFAF Expo in Dallas! 

Good luck!

Official Dallas GFAF expo blogger

It's official!!! As of Friday, I am apart of the GFAF expo blogger team in Dallas (actually Plano), Texas this year! I am so, so psyched and can't wait to bring reviews and new products to your attention. I will host a giveaway of two tickets, this week, to the expo as well. 

Holy Crap Cereal is the Dallas Team sponsor and I'd like to thank them for this amazing opportunity!

Stay tuned for the ticket giveaway this week! 

Gluten free tres leche cake success

I can honestly say I didn't think this experiment would work out. My cake base messed up with a box mix and I went back with my tried and true flour mixture. It was an adventure in itself. Out of the top 8, this has both eggs and milk. I will be experimenting to eliminate both in the future. :) 

Gluten free Tres Leche cake

Serves: 9-12 

Preheat oven to 350*. 

Ingredients for cake 

* 2 cups brown rice flour 

* 1 cup corn or tapioca starch 

* 3/4 cup milk 

* 2 cups sugar 

* 5 eggs separated 

* 2 teaspoons guar or xanthan gum 

* 3 heaping teaspoons baking powder 

* 3 teaspoons vanilla 

* 1/4 teaspoon salt 

Ingredients for pour over 

* 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream 

* 1 (14 oz) can evaporated milk 

* 1 (12 oz) can sweetened condensed milk 

Ingredients for frosting 

* 1 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream 

* 1/8 cup sugar  

* 2 teaspoons vanilla 

Directions 

Prepare a 9x13 pan with either butter or non-stick spray. 

In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, combine the brown rice flour, corn starch, sugar, and guar or xanthan gum. Mix in salt, baking powder, and vanilla. Add eggs yolks and combine. Mixture will be more like a dough. Don't worry. Fold in egg whites and combine well. Pour mixture into pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes. 

While cake is baking, mix and whisk pour over ingredients together and set aside. 

In a separate bowl, mix cream and sugar for frosting. This will take about 5 minutes. Set aside. 

Allow cake to sit for 10 minutes once baking is complete. With a fork, prick about 12-15 holes in the cake. Also lift the sides to allow the mixture to be spread all over. Pour the pour over mixture on top of the cake. 

Set cake in the refrigerator to cool. 

After 10-15 minutes in the refrigerator, spread frosting on top and place back into refrigerator until serving.

 

Miracle noodles rock

Miracle noodles are just awesome in my book. 

A friend of mine tried them for her diabetic husband a few months ago. I was initially turned off by the package but wanted to find something that would satisfy my carb lovin' fill and not kill my calories/healthy eating each day. 

The package makes you think you'll eat nothing and the noodles, by themselves, are tasteless. The package feels like a weird, watered down solution. I was afraid my noodles would slip through my colander so I drained them in a paper towel in the colander before and after cooking. This is because the noodles are made from Glucomannan, a natural fiber.

Add spices and flavor and it's a no carb, no sodium, no starch,  no fat, no calorie addition to any meal. 

I used the "angel hair" in my chicken and veggie stir fry today and holy yum! 

I can't believe I waited so long to try them!

I am now a miracle noodle believer!!

Perfectly Perfected chocolate pancakes

I've done it and I am so excited. I've created a pancake recipe that tastes just like the wheat/gluten free one I remember before food allergies. I am just SO EXCITED and I just can't hide it. :) Without further a due, I am happy to share my perfectly perfected chocolate pancakes that are soy free, nut free, gluten free, and wheat free.  Can be made egg/milk free by substituting a milk substitute for the milk and an egg replacement for the egg.

Perfectly perfected Chocolate pancakes 

Makes: 10-12 2-inch pancakes 

Ingredients 

* 1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour 

* 1/2 cup White Rice Flour 

* 2 teaspoons Baking Powder 

* 1/4 teaspoon salt 

* 1 egg 

* 1 cup milk 

* 2 Tablespoons oil 

* 1/3 to 1/2 cup Ah!laska chocolate syrup** 

* 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice (optional) 

Directions 

 + Heat pan on medium heat. Rub pan with oil or butter. 

+ Combine flours, baking powder, and salt together. Stir to combine mixture. 

+ Add oil, milk, and egg. Stir and stir all ingredients to combine. Add chocolate syrup and stir thoroughly. Add in spice if you choose to. 

+ The mixture will be thick and a bit lumpy but there should not be any flour bubbles. 

+ Cook on heated pan and use about 2-4 tablespoons per pancake. 

** Ah!laska chocolate syrup is free of corn syrup and artificial ingredients. It's Kosher, organic, and delicious. Use chocolate syrup you have on hand. 

+ Top with favorite syrup or eat without syrup. I actually love the sugar free version of Vermont syrup best. Tastes just like the real thing without the extra sugar. 

Typically, I double or triple this recipe to allow for extras and snacks for later. :) 

 Hope you enjoy it!