Review: Glow Gluten Free cookies

Glow Gluten Free cookies have been available at Return to Eden for a while now, but I never picked them up. Truthfully, I've never been one to eat cookies as a snack that often. That's changed somewhat since I've been doing gluten-free product reviews, because I have cookies sent to me from time to time for that purpose. Such is the case with Glow Gluten Free cookies. I read one rave review after another about these cookies and finally decided to see what all the buzz was about.

Even though I'd seen so many glowing reviews for Glow's gluten-free goodies, I had never noticed that the ingredients included bean flours. Gosh - I never met a sweet made with such flours that I loved so when I read the ingredients on the sample boxes that arrived at my house last week, I was suddenly not so excited to try them. But of course, I had to. I'd been sent all four flavors to taste so I tried to be positive and gave one of the cookies a try.

First up was the Chocolate Chip cookie. The texture was definitely more crunchy than chewy, but the cookies are crunchy in a soft way...it's hard to explain actually. In any case, the good news is that the taste of the cookies was very good and best of all, there was NO bean flour taste to it. Whew - what a relief!

As the week progressed, we ended up getting into all four flavors of the Glow Gluten Free cookies. Here is how the rest of the flavors broke down at our house.

Snickerdoodles - excellent flavor; my second favorite flavor; my husband's least favorite.

Double Chocolate Chip - exceptional taste; my favorite of the bunch; my husband's second choice.

Ginger Snaps - exceptional texture and taste; my third choice only because I'm not a ginger snap person; my husband's favorite option (he ate four the night we opened them -  giving me one bite - and ate the last three cookies the next day at work).

If you ever watch the Rachel Ray show, you know that she has a "snack of the day" and Glow's Gluten Free cookies recently made the cut. You can watch the video clip here. According to Rachel, we're in the midst of a gluten-free movement. Hey - the more times gluten-free is mentioned on a mainstream cooking show - the better for all of us!

Glow Gluten Free cookies are all natural and free of casein, trans fats and preservative as well. You can view the impressive nutritional data here. The cookies from Glow carry GIG's trusted seal of approval. If you can't find Glow's cookies in your area, you can order them online. My favorite way to enjoy these cookies is to dunk them in hot tea or coffee. Give them a try and I bet they'll have you "glowing" too!

*Special thanks to Jill for my sample cookies and for making healthy gluten-free cookies that taste decadent!
                 

Win "Living Gluten-Free for Dummies" - 2nd edition

Even if you have Danna Korn's edition of this wonderful book, the new one is worth adding to your gluten-free library as well! Danna will have you laughing and crying and in the end, you'll understand that living the gluten-free lifestyle can be more fun and delicious than you ever imagined! You can my review of the new must have gluten-free "dummies" book and enter to win a copy of it by clicking here.

  

Blue Moon Pizza expanding in the ATL!

Kelvin at Blue Moon Pizza is working hard to secure some new locations in the Atlanta area. If you haven't tried the gluten-free pizza and cheesy bread there yet, you're REALLY missing out! Anyway, both locations are over in Cobb county - kind of a far trek for us so we tend to go there on the way back from TN (if it's not a Sunday when the restaurant is closed). Anyway, the locations Kelvin is looking to expand to are up Peachtree Industrial in Suwanee, over on 141 in Johns Creek area (or Abbot's Creek) and the Glenridge Connector area.

Kelvin and his team have worked out details regarding cross contamination issues since they do make gluten pizzas there too. I've heard great things about the gluten-free blondie dessert, but after having cheesy bread and pizza, we never have room for dessert with ice cream! If they ever get opened on our side of town, I will go there just to try the blondie - no doubt!

The photo on top is a cheeseburger pizza that my husband ordered once. It was heavy on the meat which I don't love but as long as I get my cheesy bread (other photo), he can pick the pizza we get. Today, I had a small Greek salad and split the cheesy bread with a friend. I still got to bring some cheesy bread home to enjoy with a salad for lunch tomorrow. I actually like the cheesy bread better than the gluten-free pizza and a gluten eater I know told me that the gluten-free pizza might be better than the gluten one. Yes - it's that fabulous people!

*Eating out might be a risk - but it's one I most definitely think is worth taking. Life is short enough so don't let being gluten-free hold you back from living it to the fullest every day!  

  

Gluten-free Hamburger Helper in Publix

Betty Crocker introduced three new gluten-free Hamburger Helpers and one of them - Asian Fried Rice - finally arrived on the shelves at Publix. All three versions are said to be available at both Kroger and Publix locations here now. It usually takes a while for stores to find room on the shelves for new product so it's likely the other mixes are in the back at my store too. However, I had been out most of the day and I wanted to get home so I didn't ask anyone to check the back room for the other gluten-free Hamburger Helpers. When the Betty Crocker mixes arrived there, it took over two weeks for them to get put out but they sold them to me out of the stock room in the meantime.  

The good news is the Asian Fried Rice mix was only $1.59. There was a sign on the shelf that said all Hamburger Helpers were on sale 2 for 1 (or half price if you buy only one), but don't you know the Asian Fried Rice rang up are full price. I would have bothered the clerk to investigate if the new mix was supposed to be half off, but the last time the Betty Crocker mixes were on sale like that, I found out after what seemed like forever that none of the gluten-free mixes "qualified for the sale".

To find out where the new mixes are sold in your area, check the Live Gluten Freely website. You can also sign up there to win a free box of gluten-free Bisquick.    

UPDATE: I had to return the Asian Helper I bought last week. I'm disappointed, but not that surprised. Don't worry - the product is indeed gluten-free - it's just not for me. Here's why.

 

Gluten-Free Bisquick review

OK - I'll admit that I'm one picky customer when it comes to food. I don't care if it's gluten-free replacement type items or imported cheeses - I'm just plain picky. As much as I'd hoped that General Mills would create a killer gluten-free version of Bisquick - I personally didn't care for the pancakes made with the recipe from the box - at all. You can read the full review here.

On a brighter note, if you're one to mix your own flour, Heidi over at Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom created her own version of gluten-free Bisquick - from the new mix. Sound confusing? Yes, my thoughts exactly. Why in the heck didn't General Mills (Betty Crocker) just create the mix so it would be more similar to "real" Bisquick? Maybe it has something to do with the shelf life of rice flour and shortening mixed together. Anyway, here is a helpful post that explains how to convert the new gluten-free Bisquick into a better version of itself. Thanks to Heidi for taking the time to figure that out!  

Atlanta has its own gluten-free home brew

Alright. The gluten-free beer crafted by the talented Brewmaster at 5 Seasons Brewing is not exactly new - but the current version of it is. I was invited in to taste test the beer the day before it was set to start pouring in February and I decided to take a few friends along. Actually, I had no idea my beer was being comped or I would not have invited anyone, of course. Four out of six in the group ordered the beer. It was...not very good. One person in our party, Joy Johnston, used to be a food critic and she is a bit of a beer expert. She was not impressed either.

Fast forward to June when I met a friend for lunch at the Alpharetta location of 5 Seasons Brewing. As we enjoyed our delicious house made gluten-free pizzas (which are very much like gluten flat breads), the Brewmaster popped over to the table and offered to give us a sample of his newly reformulated gluten-free beer. Even though it was lunch time, we were 1- not working and 2- we only had a shot of beer, literally. Still not being a beer aficionado myself, I can't tell you what notes is has or anything else. I can tell you the beer is exceptional tasting. I'd be shocked to find out that gluten beer drinkers could not appreciate the taste and smoothness of this Atlanta brewed gluten-free beer!

5 Seasons Brewing has really stepped up their gluten-free game of late and even hosted a gluten-free fish and chips dinner for the local gluten-free dinner club recently. We were out of town that weekend (last minute plans) so I had to cancel going to the event, but I heard it was absolutely incredible! I'll be enjoying some gluten-free fish and chips at the Alpharetta location soon. It is not on the menu all the time, but if the kitchen is not too busy, they will make it for gluten-free patrons on request. At last check, the gluten-free beer was only available in the Westside and Alpharetta locations and not in Sandy Springs.

The beer in the above photo was from the very first batch of not so great beer. I didn't take a photo of the shot of the new beer which looks like beer. It's not cloudy or orange. It's just terrific! When I contacted the Asheville brewers group about their gluten-free offerings several months ago for my travel piece in Delight gluten-free, they didn't have one yet. Crawford (the Brewmaster) at 5 Seasons Brewing has done himself proud indeed!
     

Don't miss Dr. Rudert at AMC meeting - August 14th

Even though I've seen Dr. Cynthia Rudert Speak several times, I try to see her any time she speaks in our area. She is the speaker at the next Atlanta Metro Celiacs meeting on August 14th. Check their website for directions if you have not been to the hospital where they meet. The meeting is at 10 am.

If you have not seen Dr. Rudert speak before, you're in for a real treat. She will make you laugh - and maybe even cry a bit. Many people feel she could be talking about them when she mentions patients' stories and how long it took for them to get answers about what was wrong with them. Of great comfort to many is that Dr. Rudert validates what we (celiac and gluten intolerance patients) already know - that many U.S. docs simply don't know much about Celiac.

Dr. Rudert's office confirmed with me this morning that she will indeed be the speaker on the 14th. She's out of town lecturing so it's been a bit hard to find her to confirm the exciting news. Please join the AMC group on August 14th for what promises to be one of the most informative and fun meetings of the year!

       

Cheddar Snackers from The Grainless Baker are fabulous!

The Grainless Baker in PA makes some outstanding gluten-free products, but my faves from the line are the hamburger/hot dog buns, graham crackers and cheese crackers. On a recent visit to Return to Eden (the store has a new website), I picked up the newly reformulated cheese crackers called "Cheddar Snackers". It's hard to imagine that the original version of the bakery's killer cheese crackers could be improved upon, but somehow they were!

The crackers have sleek new packaging as well and since the "snackers" as they're called, are so small, one serving is 17 of them. I didn't eat that many at once but I could easily do so. The crackers are simply delicious - perfectly cheesy and crunchy! I shared a couple of them with a gluten eater recently who stated "those are really good". The comment came complete with a very perplexed look. Hey - not everyone got the memo that most of us are eating fantastic gluten-free foods that taste as good or better than they items they were meant to replace.

If you have not picked up (or ordered) these wonderful gluten-free cheese crackers (like a Cheez-It only better!) yet, you really should check them out! The new "Graham Snackers" are also available at Return to Eden. I've tried five brands of gluten-free graham crackers and for me, none compares to the wonderful version from The Grainless Baker. Be sure to stop in and meet the mastermind behind The Grainless Baker at the upcoming Atlanta Vendor Fair on September 25th!    
 
*Photo courtesy of The Grainless Baker




   

Pinkberry is now swirling in Atlanta

Ever since I read about Pinkberry on A Gluten-Free Guide's blog, I wanted to try it. The only problem was that at the time, the only locations were in NYC. Later on, the healthy yogurt shop opened up in L.A. If you read the Pinkberry FAQ page, you'll see a statement that their yogurts and fruit parfaits are gluten-free. The fact that their yogurts are gluten-free is not surprising. The parfaits on the other hand, are another story. They are made with granola and 98% of those sold in the U.S. contain gluten. The parfaits  are made to order so you don't have to get granola, of course.

We decided to stop in at Pinkberry after a fabulous gluten-free lunch at Blue Moon Pizza recently. The Marietta location was jam packed and the place was so loud that we could not hear ourselves think. I looked at the mostly very young staff and decided I wouldn't worry about the parfaits or the granola that day. If I had to scream for a manager to hear me, it wasn't worth the trouble and I wasn't going to order a parfait no matter what I found out about the granola anyway.

When we got up to the counter, we found out we could try as many flavors of the yogurt as we wanted to for free. And so we did. I tried coconut, mango and watermelon. Oddly enough, I didn't care for any of those and opted for basic chocolate instead. I tasted it as well before ordering. It was heavenly. I had them add fresh strawberries to it and it was some of the best frozen yogurt I've ever had. My husband can't remember what he ended up ordering and neither can I, but he liked it. He opted to have some syrup added but he regretted that. He liked the yogurt better plain as the syrup was overpowering.

OK - here is what you need to watch out for if you visit Pinkberry. The girl who took our order went to get my small cup and my husband's medium cup. She returned and placed his cup upside down on the counter. The same counter where gluten topping crumbs could easily have been since they were busy and in a hurry and well, the (non fruit) toppings are all in the same area on the counter. Many of them contain gluten, of course. The good news is that the girl never put my cup down anywhere. She filled it with the yogurt and handed it directly to me. The other good news is that the fruits are cut fresh daily and they are in a different area of the counter than the non fruit toppings.

Before our visit to Pinkberry, I e-mailed the corporate office to ask about the granola and though I got an auto e-mail reply that someone would be in touch about my inquiry, no one ever contacted me. When I called the local store after our visit, the "shift lead" (who was apparently the highest ranking person working at that moment) told me that to be safe, gluten-free customers should probably order the parfaits without granola. She did not know if the granola was gluten-free or not. I'd never order a parfait with granola because it's not my thing so I'm not going to do further research about this issue. I think the company either uses gluten-free granola and some of their staffers just don't know it - or they have incorrect info on their website about the parfaits being gluten-free.

Pinkberry is now franchised and new locations are set to open in Charlotte, NC and Orlando, FL to name a couple. Hopefully, they'll work out the granola issue soon. It's doubtful you'll get a discount if you order a parfait without granola and if it's truly gluten-free, someone should be able to confirm that from the corporate office.

Pinkberry is way out of the way for us and therefore, we won't be popping in to the Marietta location again. I'm not sure if it's the area of town or what, but the staff in Cobb county was particularly cheerful and helpful. This is something rarely seen in the Atlanta market these days - at least it's not normal at a yogurt shop. If another location opens up in town or closer to us, we'd definitely go back for more creamy and delicious gluten-free yogurt. I have a feeling that the fact that I'd just had pizza and cheesy garlic bread for lunch had something to do with the me not liking the fruit flavors on our first visit to Pinkberry. You know if New Yorkers line up around the block for the frozen treat, it must be pretty darn good!
 

 

     
    


   

Gluten-free Bisquick hits the ATL!

The main ingredient in the new Bisquick is rice flour, followed by sugar. By reading the ingredients, I'm not overly impressed, but maybe the company is using the finest quality rice flour in the world. Based on the ingredients, I decided that I don't want to make pancakes with the mix. I can usually tell by the flours used in something if I will personally care for it and I can't imagine that Biquick pancakes will hold a candle to the ones made with Gluten-free Naturals or King Arthur gluten-free mixes. I really hope I'm pleasantly surprised when I make biscuits with the new Bisquick.

Since it's too hot to turn on the oven,  I'm going to wait to test the mix out later. At $4.19 for a 16 oz. box, it's not a very good value so I want to read other reviews where people have had success with it, before using it myself. Avid gluten-free bakers should have some fun with this new product. The Bisquick box has four recipes on the back (pancakes, biscuits, waffles and strawberry shortcakes) and three on the side panel (chicken fingers, oven baked chicken and pizza crust). Check the Live Gluten Freely website for more recipes using the product.

• Gluten-free Bisquick ingredients: rice flour, sugar, leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), modified potato starch, salt, xanthan gum. *May contain soy ingredients. 

Some Kroger stores in the area have the new gluten-free Hamburger Helper in stock and Publix might as well. Since I have so many similar (but healthier) items from Mixes from the Heartland here, it will be a while before I check out the new Hamburger Helpers. I'd be most interested in a version that contains gluten-free pasta, but so far none of the gluten-free options offer that.



      

Review and Give-away: Magners Irish Cider

Please note that while I do have something to give-away, it's not alcohol - or food. If you're still interested, then by all means, keep reading.  

Several weeks back, I was informed that a new gluten-free cider that was rolling into GA - or at least to the Metro Atlanta area of it. Not being one to turn down much in terms of free gluten-free products, I agreed to review the cider even though I'm not the biggest fan of beers or ciders in general. They weren't on my preferred drink list when I consumed gluten either. Below is part of the press release about the product roll out in Georgia. According to Erin's blog post, Magners has been available in NYC for over two years. Hey - better late than never, right?!  

Magners has a crisp, refreshing taste with a great balance of sweet and tart flavors. It has been produced since 1935, validating its lasting appeal. Magners is 100% naturally Gluten free, providing refreshment for the more than 3 million US consumers who cannot drink beer. Magners has 4.5% alc./vol and only 125 calories per 11.2 oz. bottle. 

“Following the enormous consumer success throughout the United States in the past several years, we’re excited to add Atlanta to its growing market list,” said Kevin Murphy, US Marketing Manager, Wm. Magner Inc. “You’ll likely see Magners being served “over ice” a popular Irish tradition that has caught on in the states.” 

I'm going to have to try Magners over ice...what a great idea for summer especially! I'm far from a beer or cider aficionado, but here are my thoughts about this new product called Magners Irish Cider It tastes like a cross between a beer and a hard cider to me. It has a nice smoothness to it, unlike many gluten-free beers I've tried. Unlike many gluten-free ciders, this product is not really sweet, at least it's not to me. If the combination of a smooth beer with a non-sweet cider taste is something you've been looking for, I recommend you try this new cider option from Magners. The below excerpt from the Magners website offers another reason you might want to give it a try.

Magners is truly an Irish success story. In Ireland, through a successful marketing campaign, infusing a mature intellectual appeal into the brand, Bulmers Original Cider has changed attitudes to cider and recovered a brand that had been subject to declining sales, low pricing and low profits.

On the international stage, Magners has grown from strength to strength over the last 5 years and is now the number 1 packaged cider brand in Great Britain. It is available in 17 markets around the world and continues to grow at a rapid pace as more and more people are introduced to the crisp refreshing taste of Magners.

You can check the Magners website to find out if this cider is sold at restaurants or package stores in your area. If you're in the Atlanta area, look for it at Ri-Ra, Stout, Brewhouse Cafe, The Marley House, Mac McGee's, Greens Package, Total Wine and Kroger. The list of places you can find Magners is growing, but if your store doesn't carry it, consider asking the store owner or manager to bring it in for you.  

Now for the fun part, Magners is sponsoring a give-away for a BBQ tool set (as shown in photo). For your chance to win it, please leave a comment below and mention what your favorite gluten-free food is to grill outside. The winner's address must be in one of the lower 48 states and the deadline to enter is July 17th at 12 midnight EST. The winner will be announced on Monday, July 18th. Good luck!   


*Special thanks to Magners for my sample 6-pack and for sponsoring this fun give-away for my readers!