Tastykake Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies review

Because I eat gluten free, I'm always on the look out for delicious products. I'll try just about anything once, and if I love it, I'll continue buying it. I have a sweet tooth and love cookies and cakes. I don't bake often, mainly because it is just myself that eats gluten free in my house. I buy convenience foods to keep around the house because my daughter and son have friends who are on a gluten free diet and it's nice to have snacks that they can eat on hand since I don't always know they're coming over to play.

I recently spied Tastykake's Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip cookies on a display case at a Giant grocery store.  The price was $5.99.  Normally, I wouldn't splurge... but I was shopping hungry and I'd never seen them before.  In fact, I didn't even know that Tastykake offered gluten free cookies (there's also a chocolate cookie variety in gluten free).  I grew up in PA and therefore was familiar with the brand in general, and was excited that they did have some goodies in their snack line that I could eat.

Above is a picture of me holding one of Tastykake's Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip cookies. I wanted you to see how big they were.  I think they were a decent size!

Taste... they tasted like Heaven.  I did not find them overly gritty, but instead they reminded me more like a Soft Batch cookie.  They weren't crumbly dry, a huge plus.  The balance of chocolate chips to the cookie portion was perfect for me.  You can see that there is plenty of chocolate pieces in the cookie.  I like chocolate, but I don't want it to overpower the cookie. 

Packaging... I truly appreciated the packaging for this product.  If you look at the first picture I posted, you'll notice that the cookies come in two separate small flats, each with four cookies.  For someone like me who is the only one eating gluten free, it means that I don't have to worry about my cookies going stale before I eat them.  I often have that issue, particularly with a brand of wafer cookies that I like.  I don't ever want to feel like I have to consume the whole package post-haste to enjoy the sweet at its maximum freshness.

Price... These aren't cheap cookies, but most gluten free confections are not cheap and are noticeably more expensive than comparable wheat-laden foods.  At $5.99 a package, that's 75 cents per cookie.  However, I've paid that much and more for gluten free cookies.  I don't see myself buying these all the time, but more as an occasional snack for myself, though I'll probably keep them on hand more often this summer because of gluten free neighborhood kids stopping by.

Uses... Other than eating them right out of the packaging, I could easily see myself using two of them as homemade ice cream sandwich ends, or even served warm in an ice cream sundae.  Crumbled up, they'd be good in a dessert, or used as a pie crust for a summer dessert pie.

Overall, I enjoyed the taste and will be purchasing again. 


Disclosure:  Pinching Abe is required to disclose that she paid for this product with her own money.  That means that the company did not provide her with any samples.  The opinions expressed are her own.  She happened to like this product, but you may not. 

Wegmans has their own gluten free baking mixes & pasta!

Gluten free grocery shoppers know how painful it can be to buy food, especially mixes and pasta.  I know I've mentioned this before, but most things are easily double what they are for their wheaty-counterpart.  It's downright depressing to buy a small loaf of bread for $4.99 (the bread is both smaller in size and less pieces than a standard loaf).  So, I'm always scouting out coupons for gluten free brands and looking for newer, cheaper gluten free products to try.  I was excited to get a home mailer from Wegmans this week offering me coupons to try some of their new gluten free mixes and pasta.  Since I rely on Wegmans for most of my gluten free purchases, I was ecstatic that they were branching out more into this niche because store brands are typically cheaper than name brand.

New Pastas:
Wegmans Gluten Free Penne Rigate, Fusilli, Elbows, and Spaghetti


New Baking Mixes:
Wegmans Gluten Free Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Cake, Sugar Cookie, Double Chocolate Brownie

Prices:

The prices for these items were listed in a Press Release earlier this month.  None of the products is more than $3.49.  From their press release:

These prices aren't horrible, though I do like a gluten free pasta from Heartland that I can get at my Super Walmart that's priced less. Tinkyada is sold at Wegmans and it is priced more than $2.49.  The $3.49 price tag for the gluten free baking mixes is about average.  Betty Crocker's gluten free mixes retail for closer to $4.00 and above. 

If you've tried any of these new gluten free products from Wegmans, please leave me a comment.  I haven't yet, though I'm excited to try.

Review of Bakery on Main's new truebars - Gluten free and yummy!

Eating gluten free, it can sometimes be hard to find snacks that taste good without having to go and make them yourself.  I bake my own sometimes, but there are times I just want to grab something and go or just want a taste of sweet to take the edge off of a hunger pang. 

Bakery of Main recently sent me some of their new truebars.  I couldn't try them all (walnut issues), but I did get to taste most of the varieties they sent.  Here's the breakdown of what I thought of the ones I did taste.

Hazelnut Cherry Chocolate Bar:  Yummy!  I could really taste the cherries and I do mean cherries, vs. cherry flavor.  There were pieces of cherry mixed in with the chocolate and hazelnuts in this bar.  It was so yummy that I was sad to reach the end of the bar.  I might have been easily persuaded to eat another.  The chocolate wasn't overpowering and I couldn't really taste the nuts.  It was the cherry deliciousness that hit the spot.  I confess... I loved this truebar the best!

Raspberry Chocolate Almond Bar:  I liked this bar too.  It had almond chunks in it that gave it a crunch and the raspberry and chocolate went really well together.  The first bite, I could really taste the chocolate and at first thought it was a little too much chocolate, but the next bites it seemed to blend into the other flavors a bit more.  The raspberry was more of a hint than anything, but it would make a nice choice for when you just want something crunchy.

Coconut Cashew Bar:  I'm a fan of coconut and I could definitely taste the coconut in this bar.  The cashews gave it a certain crunchiness and after a few bites, I was wishing it were covered in chocolate like a Mounds Bar.  I recommend making these with and without a chocolate coating. This one actually tasted way better than I thought it would. 

Apricot Almond Chai Bar:  This bar wasn't what I was expecting either.  At first, I wasn't sure what to make of it.  I could definitely taste the ginger and cardamon, but not the apricot.  The spices were a bit strong for my stomach since ginger sometimes gives me a bit of a burn.

The two Bakery on Main truebars I didn't try:  Walnut Cappuccino Bar and fruit and Nut bar.  Want to see what's in these truebars? One thing I loved about the packaging was the "I'm a _____with nothing to hide" that labeled each one.  The ingredients were clearly listed on the bar, which made it easy for me to search for ingredients (like walnuts) that I shouldn't eat.   You can click the image below to check out each of the flavors and their ingredients.  According to Bakery on Main's press release, their truebars should be making their way to store shelves in September.  These would make a great addition to your gluten free eater's lunch box.

Disclosure:  Bakery on Main provided me with products to taste for the express purpose of this blog review.  Though the truebars were provided at no cost to me, the opinions are 100% my own.  My thanks to Bakery on Main for giving me the opportunity to try out their new product selection.  I was not compensated to post this review.

Review of Bella Gluten-Free's Pizza Dough, Rolls & Focaccia Mix

A lot of gluten free folks make their own pizza at home.  The last time that I bought a gluten free pizza at the store, it cost me $6 for something that resembled a personal pan pizza from pizza hut.  Very expensive for something so small that isn't served to you at a restaurant!  Bella Gluten-Free offers a pizza dough, rolls & foccacia mix that is multi-purpose, depending on what you have a craving to eat.  I received this mix to try and I decided to prepare focaccia bread.

The instructions were fairly easy for me to follow and you can even freeze half of the dough if you don't want to make the full recipe's worth of bread.  The yield is two 15" pizza crusts or two 9" loaves of focaccia bread.  I used my Kitchen Aid mixer and was glad I did because the hand instructions were 3 minutes of blending by hand, which might not sound like a lot, but the dough was viscous and sticky, just as the instructions mentioned it would be.

Here's a picture of how mine turned out:

You can't tell by this picture, but mine raised up about 1-1/2"

One thing I definitely learned from preparing this was to make sure I use a baking sheet with sides.  I brushed the top with olive oil as directed, but it slithered off somehow in the cooking and caused some smoke.  In the end, I had to do an oven cleaning, but that was entirely my own fault.  It wasn't like my oven didn't need cleaned anyway.

As a bread, I personally thought the mix was a mite too seasoned with herbs, but I'm a fussy eater.  I think had I used it for a pizza crust, I wouldn't have noticed as much.

Like the Bella Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Mix, the pizza dough, rolls, and focaccia mix is also wheat free, gluten free, soy free, nut (including peanuts) free, egg free, lactose/casein free and contains no GMOs or modified starches.

You can purchase Bella Gluten-Free's Pizza Dough, Rolls & Focaccia Mix at www.bellaglutenfree.com.

Disclosure:  Bella Gluten-Free provided me with a mix, at not cost to me, for review purposes.  I was not compensated for writing this review and the opinions are 100% my own and were unaffected by receiving the item reviewed for free. 

Related reviews:

My review of Bella Gluten-Free's All Purpose Baking Mix

Bella Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Mix Review

As you may know, I eat gluten free.  This requires me to rely a lot on gluten free companies for those things that you might take for granted, such as a sack of flour.  Regular flour is available at just about every grocery store, but gluten free flours generally aren't.  As such, I have to get my gluten free flours in specialty grocery stores quite a distance away or online.  I recently was given the opportunity to try out Bella Gluten-Free's All Purpose Baking Mix, which is available to order online.  I first learned about Bella Gluten-Free via Living Without, a magazine that caters to those of us with food allergies and sensitivities.  went to Bella Gluten-Free's website and found that the founder, a chef, suffers from celiac herself.  Just looking at the pictures of the gluten free foods on her site made me salivate.

Bella Gluten-Free's All Purpose Baking Mix is a good fit for individuals with food sensitivities.  It's Wheat free, gluten free, soy free, nut (including peanut) free, egg free, lactose/casein free and has no modified starches or GMOs.  In short, it is perfect for me since I avoid wheat and avoid a lot of dairy.

I used the All Purpose Baking Mix to make pancakes (on more than one occasion) and also to make muffins.  It can also be used to make biscuits, pie crusts, crepes and more, but I used it for those food items that I make most for myself.  Here's some pictures of what I made (mis-shapen pancakes are all my fault - I'm not the handiest in the kitchen).

Pancakes!

Blueberry Muffins- chock full of blueberries.  I cut the recipe in half.

Yummy.  I really liked that I was the one putting milk (or not) into these recipes.  For the pancakes, I used water, since I could use 1 cup of water, milk, buttermilk or other alternative.  At the time, my daughter had a friend over who's celiac and lactose intolerant, so I opted to just use water.  She loved the pancakes and kept complimenting me on how much she liked them.  I was going to save the left overs for later, but when the kids came back for lunch, she asked if she could finish them.  I guess she really, really liked them!

For the blueberry muffins, I decided to cut the recipe in half.  I yielded an extra muffin, probably because I used a lot of blueberries in the mix.  I like that I can cut a recipe in half since no one else in my house has to eat gluten free.  While I could freeze the left overs, they do taste best when they're fresh and being able to cut a recipe easily in half works for me.

In short, I loved Bella Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Mix.  Not only do the recipes on the back of the package turn out great, but you can use the mix cup for cup in your own recipes.  You can order online at www.bellaglutenfree.com.  Be sure to check out their starter pack!

Disclosure:  Bella Gluten-Free provided me with samples at no cost to me to facilitate this review.  I did not receive compensation to make this blog post.  The opinions expressed herein are 100% my own or based on comments/observations of others who also sampled the product.

Related reviews:

Bella Gluten-Free Pizza Dough, Rolls & Focaccia Mix

Gluten Free Cafe Cinnamon Sesame Bar review

While strolling the gluten free aisle at a Safeway today, I came upon a Gluten Free Cafe Cinnamon Sesame Bar that was on sale.  I shy away from milk, so my breakfasts rely heavily on granola bars instead of cereals.  This bar intrigued me partially because it was fortified with vitamins, minerals, and pre-biotics.  As I found out the hard way, eating gluten free can lead to vitamin deficiencies because a lot of gluten free foods aren't fortified with those vitamins and minerals that are found in non-gluten free food.

I toyed with the idea of purchasing this bar.  I am not generally a fan of sesame seeds and I wasn't sure about the roasted peanuts and how they would taste with the cinnamon.  Boy was I surprised!

In reality, the roasted peanuts were more like a background note in music.  I could taste it, but really the main focus of the flavor was on the cinnamon.  The bar was chewy and not crumbly like I was expecting since it was made mainly with sesame seeds.  Another thing I noted was that the Gluten Free Cafe Cinnamon Sesame Bar was made with brown rice syrup and evaporated cane juice.  In addition, I saw many vitamins and minerals listed in the ingredients, along with Inulin, the pre-biotic.  It specifically contained Folic Acid, one of the vitamins I was really low on a few months ago.

Would I buy it again?  Yes!  I would buy this product again, and I would recommend it to others who eat gluten free.  The single bar itself had a shelf-tag price of $1.59 and was on sale for $1.29 each, which I found reasonable. I hope to find it in bulk on Amazon soon.

Read full nutrition information 

Gluten Free Cafe also sells Chocolate Sesame and Lemon Sesame snack bars.


Disclosure:  I purchased this product with my own funds.  There is no material connection between me and the company featured in this review.

Costco finds! I found many gluten free items ...

We went shopping last weekend, which is something that my hubby and I rarely do together.  This is bad for him, because if I don't eat it or can't eat it, I typically don't buy it.  After stopping by Wal-mart to pick up my 5 year old's spare glasses, we did some mall trolling and then went into Costco.  I'm so glad we did!

One of the things I can't eat a lot of times is lunch meat.  Many have msg snuck in there and that, most of the time, means it isn't gluten free.  We found some Dietz and Watson turkey breast on demo and I gave it a try.  My hubby really liked the flavor, so he bought it anyway.  Typically, I don't know if something has wheat in it or not until a while later when I get some red marks on my wrists or feet.  I was pleasantly unaffected, so I definitely will be buying this again.  It was priced at $9.69 for 1.75 pounds - a  bit pricey - but worth it to me to be able to eat lunch meat again.  They had chicken breast too that was labeled gluten free; however, it would have been quite a lot of lunch meat that would need to be consumed fairly quickly if we'd have gotten both.  Next time, we'll try the chicken!

I also spied, but didn't buy, some gluten free chicken meatballs. Meatballs are another one that's hard to find without wheat in them, so I was surprised to see them at Costco of all places!  Being that it is still a bit hot, I'll need to plan a Costco run for some of these items when I have lots of room in the cooler and can grab some refrigerated bags.  The gluten free meatballs were $12.99 for 2.9 pounds.

We also found some Healthy Choice chicken soup that was wheat free for me - their chicken and rice.  A case of 10 (half Chicken Noodle, half Chicken and Rice) was $9.85.  The kids taste tested the chicken noodle and gave it the thumbs up.

Last day to enter: Bakery on Main giveaway

Today is the last day to enter my Bakery on Main granola giveaway!  Don't miss out on some yum-tastic granola that is gluten free and tastes great.  You don't have to be on a gluten free diet to enjoy this granola, so be sure to enter too if you want to give this granola a try!

Enter to win a sample pack of Bakery on Main granola

Katz Gluten Free Samples update

In case you were wondering how the Katz Gluten Free Sampler tasted... here's an update!

The breads:  These were so yummy!  One thing I noticed right away was that the crust didn't taste nasty.  I have been eaten frozen breads from Kinnikinnick and I really hate the taste of their crust.  I am not overly fond of their bread either, but generous amounts of peanut butter do cure a lot of ills.  With Katz' bread, they actually tasted good and I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy against those who had these locally in their stores.  I liked them all, but loved the Wholesome variety best.

The cookies:  These were good, but crumbly.  I liked the thumbprints that they sent and ate them right up.  I had to try to pace myself, but couldn't.  The chocolate chip cookie was ok too, and the sprinkle one?  I'm not even sure I remember eating that one.  Maybe the kids swiped it!

Cupcakes and marble cake:  The chocolate cupcake was very yummy.  It wasn't too chocolately, which is a huge plus for me since I don't like a very strong chocolate taste.  I'm more of a milk chocolate lover than a dark chocolate lover.  The sampler also came with some honey muffin/cupcakes and though a tad dry, they were still good.  I bet they taste best fresh from the oven.   The marble cake was good too and came super moist, just the way I like it!  It tasted more like chocolate than white and I think the whirl was more chocolate than white.  But it was very good and left me wishing I had the rest of it here to snag another piece.

The Rugalech:  These were dry, but I don't know how rugalech is supposed to taste.  I've seen other bloggers who got samples remark on this and I do wonder if that is just how it is supposed to be.  The cinnamon would have tasted so much better if it had come a bit more moist.  The chocolate rugalech I didn't really like.  This was too chocolatey for me and perhaps a bit overdone on the bottom.  I'd try the cinnamon rugalech again though because I love cinnamon rolls and would love to try them again gluten free.

Overall, these products were absolutely delicious!

To read how you can get your sampler from Katz for shipping only, please click here.  Be sure to enter their contest too!  Sorry I didn't include pictures... I ate the goodies before I could snap the shutter.



Disclosure:  I ordered these products and paid for the shipping myself via a special promotion at the Katz Gluten Free site.  Katz Gluten Free did not ask me to provide this review and the opinions stated herein are 100% my own.

Bakery on Main Granola review and giveaway

If you follow a gluten free diet, you know that great tasting snacks are sometimes hard to come by.  One of my favorite gluten free snack options is granola.  In fact, I often eat granola for breakfast.   Bakery on Main is a gluten free bakery that makes granola products.  Bakery on Main recently sent me several gluten free granola products for review... and even sent a package to me to mail to a giveaway winner!

Bakery on Main's gluten free granola bars


Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola Bars - These were so yummy.  In fact, of the three boxes of Bakery on Main's gluten free granola bars, this was the one that disappeared first!  I love the blend of chocolate and peanut butter.

Cranberry Maple Nut Granola Bars - These were good tasting and if you love the taste of maple, these will please your taste buds.  To me, the cranberry was barely noticeable and the almonds were a nice treat to give the bar a little crunch.

Extreme Trail Mix Granola Bars - This bar is packed with nuts and would be a good choice for nut lovers as it contains hazelnuts, Brazil nuts and almonds.  Of the three bars, this one was my least favorite.  I'm not a big nut eater and if I do eat nuts, they're usually almonds.

A note:  These three granola bar products are dairy and casein free and non-GMO.

Bakery on Main's Granolas - Fiber Power

Fiber Power (Cinnamon Raisin) Granola - This delicious granola reminds me of regular Apple Cinnamon instant oatmeal, but dry, with raisins mixed in.  One nice thing about this granola mix is that it isn't chock full of raisins.  You can count on there being plenty of cinnamon flavored oats in the bag.  This would be a nice granola to top off yogurt, if you are a yogurt eater.

Fiber Power (Triple Berry) Granola - You can smell the berries the minute you open the pouch and the berry taste is very evident in each bite.  The berries are mixed throughout, but the oats also have a hint of berry to me.  At first, I didn't like this granola, but it grew on me.  I also don't recommend that you mindlessly snack out of the bag.  This is named Fiber Power for a reason, if you know what I mean.

Other Bakery on Main Granolas


Nutty Cranberry Maple Granola -  One of the main reasons that I like this blend is because it has gluten free cornflakes in it.  The flavor is light, yet tasty.  This mix also contains almonds, my favorite nut.  I like the way it clumps together in small, bite-sized bunches because it also contains very small seeds.  In a way, it is similar to the Cranberry Nut granola bar, with a less heavy maple taste.


Rainforest Granola - This blend has a very light taste.  In fact, when I smelled the contents upon opening, I wasn't struck by any particular scent.  If I had to put my finger on it, I would say that it has a very light honey taste.  Like the Nutty Cranberry granola, it has the gluten free cornflakes in the mix, so there's crunch that isn't all nut.  Banana is also listed as an ingredient, but I really couldn't taste it. 

Cranberry Orange Cashew Granola - You can definitely smell the orange flavor when you open this pouch of granola. The cranberry mixed throughout even tastes more like orange than cranberry.  To be honest, it is almost too much of an orange taste.  Between the orange taste on the cornflakes and the cranberries, it is too much.  I'm not a fan of cashews, so I eat around those nuts.

Extreme Fruit and Nut Granola - This blend is one for both fruit and nut lovers.  Inside are raisins, cranberries, apricots, and coconut  mixed in with hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts.  Also tossed into this mix are some flax seeds and sunflower seeds.  This mix was honestly too busy for me.  I liked the fruit, but again, I'm not a huge nut person.  It tasted good, but was definitely not my favorite.

The one I didn't try:

Apple Raisin Walnut Granola - I did not taste this Bakery on Main granola product due to an sensitivity to walnuts. While other granola mixes did contain walnuts, they were large enough to eat around.  This granola blend, upon viewing it through its packaging, had too many smaller pieces for me to sift through the package and eat only the ingredients that I wanted.

Ok, if you've made it this far, you want me to get to the...

GIVEAWAY!

Bakery on Main has provided me with a sampler pack to mail to a winner of this giveaway.  Therefore, the package will be mailed by me and will not come from the sponsor.  You must be 18 and live in the U.S. to participate in this giveaway.  The giveaway will end on August 31, 2010 at 11:59 PM.  I will choose the winner via Random.org on September 1, 2010 and the winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email to provide me with their mailing address.

There will be two entries for this giveaway.  One mandatory and one for an extra chance to win.

Mandatory Entry - you must do this for the second entry to count.  Please leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you should you win.

Visit Bakery on Main and then come back and tell me something you learned from exploring their site.

***********************************

Second entry:  Now that you've visited Bakery on Main, tell me which granola product I mentioned above is one that you would like to try.  Leave a comment - it's your second entry!  Don't forget your email address.

That's it!  No big hoops to jump through!  It's nice to have an easy contest every once in a while.  Of course, you are free to become my Google Friend or subscribe so you don't miss any of the awesome giveaways I have planned for later this fall.

Katz Gluten Free $100 (Katz Dollars) giveaway, plus sampler opportunity

Last night, I entered a Katz Gluten Free giveaway on Featured Product Reviews and if you eat gluten free, you might want to head on over and enter too.  Up for grabs:  $25 in Katz Dollars for one winner and a sampler for a second winner.  However, the blog post also promotes Katz' $100 giveaway, which is definitely worth a try, since entry is super easy.  Who wouldn't want to spend $100 at a bakery on pastries?  I sure would!  I'm not a great cook, nor a skilled baker.  I have come to realize if I want yummy, fresh baked gluten free goodies, I'm going to have to order them online. 

After I entered Katz' $100 giveaway, I was offered a free sampler pack, but shipping wasn't included.  I found a shipping code, SUMMERDESSERT, which for me took $4 off and made the total just over $6.   What's in the sampler pack? 

1 Slice of each of these breads:

- Whole Grain Bread
- Sliced Challah Bread
- White Bread
- Wholesome Bread

1 Dinner Roll
Cookie's and Rugelech Sample
Slice of Marble Cake

Sounds delish!  It ships FedEx and I'm hoping to be eating some gluten free bread by the end of the week! 

Disclosure:  I received no extra entries in the Featured Product Reviews giveaway listed.  I just wanted to share the contest and the sampler pack information with my readers. 

Gluten-Free Essentials: Gluten Free Meatloaf Starter Mix Review

I have been reviewing some goodies provided to me by Gluten-Free Essentials.  This review of Gluten-Free Essentials' Meatloaf Starter Mix is only one of several product reviews.  To read more reviews on products from this company, click on the "gluten free" tag in the tag cloud in the right side bar.

I was eager to try Gluten-Free Essentials' Meatloaf Starter Mix, mainly because I felt bad for my family.  It is a lot of work to make two separate dinners and it is just more convenient if we can all eat the same food.  Because the meatloaf mixes available at the grocery store contain wheat or wheat family items (including gluten), I avoid them. I've tried some recipes from scratch, but they just don't taste as good as the mixes do to my husband and kids.

How to use the Meatloaf Starter Mix...

This is a starter mix and I italicized that to make a point.  The first time I made meatloaf using the mix, I didn't add any of the extra things that I would normally add - such as chopped onion, celery and catsup.  As a result, it didn't taste as good as I hoped and my kids didn't want to eat it.  It tasted very bland.

The second time I used the Meatloaf Starter Mix I fared much better.  I tossed in an egg, some celery, onion powder (I was out of onions) and some catsup.  I found that it tasted much better this time around.  I did make my husband his own separate loaf, substituting worchestershire sauce in for the catsup.  He did think it still a bit bland for his tastes though I used the correct amount per the instructions.  I thought it tasted good, but could easily see how a little more mix would enhance the flavor.  I do think the next time that I will add a bit more and hopefully reach a happy medium for all.  The kids ate the meatloaf this time, so we're making progress!  I think in time I will get the ratio of mix to meat and other ingredients to a place where everyone is happy and will enjoy it.

A big plus:  This is the only gluten free meatloaf mix that I have run across.  I love meatloaf and make my own gluten free gravy, so I was very glad to find the mix.

Buy it! 

Head on over to Gluten-Free Essentials' site and buy some!  The mix retails for $5.25 and you will get several meatloaves out of the mix.  I made it twice already and still have a good amount of mix left in the pouch.

Disclosure:  This product was provided to me for free for review purposes; however, the opinions stated herein are 100% my own. 

Gluten-Free Essentials: Pancake & Waffle Mix review

I've been slowly, but surely, posting reviews of some products that I received from Gluten-Free Essentials.  Today, I'm going to review Gluten-Free Essentials' Pancake and Waffle Mix.

I admit it... sometimes we have breakfast for dinner.  When time is tight, I will make pancakes or waffles for dinner instead of a traditional meal.  I really (really) miss Bisquick pancakes, so I was eager to give this mix a try.  I have tried other Pancake mixes that just didn't taste nearly the same as what was missing.  Though Gluten-Free Essentials' mix wasn't that taste I was hoping for, it was a lot closer than other mixes I have tried. I liked the sorgham because I find rice to be quite gritty.

What's in Gluten-Free Essentials' Pancake & Waffle Mix?

This mix lists sorgham and rice flours as the first ingredients.  This is actually nice because I've had rice flour pancakes before and they didn't raise nearly as much as the sorgham flour ones did for me.  I did substitute oil for some applesauce, and that didn't work out so well.  It left the pancakes tasting a bit eggy.  I'll chalk that one up to user error!

Gluten-Free Essentials' Pancake & Waffle Mix To Make Peanut Butter Cookies

The mix listed a recipe for Creamy Peanut Butter Drop Cookies, which I made with the remainder of the mix.  I really liked the way the cookies turned out.  They weren't too crumbly.  The key was to allow the cookies to completely cool before snagging one.  My daughter kept taking the cookies and making cool whip cookie sandwiches.  I did freeze some cookies, but they only lasted a few days.  However, the yield for the mix was quite good and aside from my own Cookie Monster nibbling, the kids didn't notice a difference in the taste.  My hubby managed to snag a few too.  I did wish they were a little more peanut buttery, so if I made these again with this mix, I'd add some extra peanut butter in and try to make some adjustments.  This is my personal preference though and they were probably peanut buttery enough for most people.

Buy It!

If you are interesting in trying Gluten-Free Essentials' Pancake & Waffle Mix, head to their website to order some.  The mix retails for $5.25, plus shipping and handling.  Be sure to check out their money saving variety packs too while you are there.

Disclaimer:  I received the mix for free for review purposes.  Though the item was provided to me for free by the company, the fact that the item was provided to me at no cost did not sway my opinions.  The opinions stated herein are 100% my own. 

Gluten-Free Essentials Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix Review (pictures)

I recently have had the opportunity to try several products from the Gluten-Free Essentials line of gluten free baking products!  I recently baked up a batch of Gluten-Free Essentials' Chocolate Chip Cookie mix.  Do you see this bowl?  Would you believe me if I told you that it was my parents' bowl?  It doesn't match anything in my kitchen, but they left it behind when they moved out of the house (my hubby and I rented the house I grew up in for a few years in our early marriage....)  Take a look at this yummy looking batter.  The directions did call for a quick refrigeration of about 30 minutes and if you ask me, it had the consistency of sugar cookie batter when it was done chilling.  This meant it held together really well and didn't spread out before it entered the oven.  All you need to make these yummy gluten free chocolate chip cookie treats is a stick of butter, two eggs and Gluten-Free Essentials' mix.

These baked really well and very close to the 12-15 minutes specified on the pouch.  I set my timer for exactly 12 minutes and checked on them to be sure I didn't overbake.  I bake on silicone because I burn things otherwise and these turned out great.  I took some to my neighbor while they were still warm. She really loved them and she ate 3 out of 4 of them while we were chatting.

What I really liked about these cookies was their almost cake-like texture.  I haven't seen cookies raise like that in a long time!   The kids devoured them too - they didn't notice any difference in taste.  I really liked the chocolate chips too because though I love chocolate, I don't like an overpowering taste.  These chips were suited to how I like chocolate chips to taste.  I must confess, I ate a lot of these cookies.  I told my hubby that I felt like the Cookie Monster because I couldn't keep my hands off the cookie plate!

How was the yield for the Gluten-Free Essentials mix?  I got 29 cookies out of this mix, but I probably ate a cookie's worth in cookie dough.   They came off the sheet best if you allowed them to cool at least 5 minutes before removing them.  When I bake, I usually take cookies out, and set a timer for 5 minutes and then come back to move them off and start the next batch.  This is how I do it and it works best for me.

Buy it!

Gluten-Free Essentials sells their chocolate chip cookie mix via their website.  You can click here to get to the page to order.  Also, be sure to check out their variety packs as I did see a few that included these yummy treats.


Disclosure:  I received a variety of Gluten-Free Essentials products to taste and review, all free of charge to me.  This review is based on my own experience with the product.  Though I received the item reviewed at no cost to me, that did not influence my review.  I know yummy when I taste it!


Additional information:  This mix is listed as gluten free, casein free, lactose-free, dairy-free, nut-free and soy-free.

Gluten-Free Essentials: Review of Mini Mint Marvel Cookie Mix

Pictured above is prepping to make Gluten-Free Essentials' Mini Mint Marvel Cookies.  Like I mentioned in my previous review of their spice cake, you only need just a few extras to toss into the mix, those being two eggs, 1 stick of butter and 2/3 cup of applesauce.  

These smelled minty when I poured the mix into my mixing bowl, but when I mixed the batter, the mint seemed to diminish.  But wait! The minty taste came right back when the cookies were finished!  They were definitely minty, but not overpoweringly so. I thought they tasted like a soft Grasshopper cookie.  

The directions called for using a small teaspoon to make your cookies (drop method), but I made mine a little bigger.

All in all, I got about 20 good sized cookies out of the batter.  I took some to my neighbor, along with some of the muffins I baked the same night.  My daughter ate many of them, the little cookie fiend.  I knew they'd be safe from my son because he does not like the taste of mint.  Like the spice cake muffins, these were exceptionally moist.

I would like to have had the chance to make myself a home made ice cream sandwich with these, along with some home made ice cream I made with my Rival Ice Cream Maker; however, my kids ate all the ice cream before I got the chance to make one for myself.  Even better: use them to make your own sundae and drizzle with some hot fudge/caramel. 


Buy It!


You can buy your very own package of Mini Mint Marvels at the Gluten-Free Essentials site.  They also offer other yummy baking mixes that you will want to try.  Also check out their variety packs too, since they have a great starter kit and even one for chocolate lovers.


Disclosure:  Gluten-Free Essentials provided me several mixes for review purposes.  I was not compensated to write this review, though the product samples themselves were given to me without cost to me.  The opinions stated herein are 100% my own.

Gluten-Free Essentials: Spice Cake and Muffin Mix (Product Review and Pictures)

As you may remember, I have a pesky wheat allergy.  This is especially troubling for me because I love sweet stuff like cake, cookies, muffins... And living in the boondoggles here doesn't exactly put me right smack in the middle of a bustling metropolis where gluten free items are more plentiful.  Ordering online is a godsend!  Recently, Gluten-Free Essentials sent me a package of yummy goodies to try.  You'll be seeing reviews of the other products soon, but today I'm going to focus on Gluten-Free Essential's Spice Cake and Muffin Mix.

Some people have asked me why I just don't bake my own Gluten Free food.  If you ate my regular food, you'd know that I am not Betty Crocker.  I get by and my family doesn't starve, but I prefer prepackaged foods because I know that the spices will be just right versus me trying and tasting and knowing what to add to make it taste better.

Gluten-Free Essentials Spice Cake and Muffin Mix -- Ease of Baking

This 16 oz gluten free dessert needed just the package, 1 stick of butter, 2/3 cup of apple sauce and eggs.  These two non-spanking white eggs were actually farm fresh!  As in just taken from the chicken not too long before they were given to me by a friend.
  

Here's a shot of the mixing bowl with the product.  I smelled the spice cake scent and it smelled so good and yummy.  I couldn't wait to try it.

This is me mixing the ingredients all together.  I don't have a shot of the batter, but let's just say I tasted the raw batter it tasted perfect!

This is the finished product!  They raised nicely and were actually quite moist, something that typically doesn't happen for me when I bake gluten free items.  I think it was the applesauce that made it so moist?  At any rate, these were a hit.  I ate them over a period of two days, with my kids snatching them in between. 

I baked the muffins in Wilton cups, which I had gotten from my kids.  They are silicone and I didn't need to do anything other than pour the batter in them to the fill line.  The yield was 12 muffins, with one bonus one, which I baked in a glass custard dish.  

Things I loved about Gluten-Free Essentials' Spice Cake and Muffin Mix:

• Easy to follow directions.  I needed just a few ingredients other than the mix to make a tasty dessert.  The directions included oven temperature, cooking times and approximate yield, which was fairly spot on for me.  
• Directions for cookies were also included.  Bear in mind, this is a cake/muffin mix.  To make spice cookies, you decrease the amount of applesauce and chill the dough for a while before baking.
• Perfect amount of spice - I really loved the taste of this mix. It had the perfect amount of spices, with no one spice overpowering another.  
• Tasted great to the whole family!  I had to remind the kids that mommy wanted some too! 
• This mix is gluten-free, casein free, lactose free (of course, you add butter later on, but the mix itself is lactose free), dairy free (again, you add eggs to bake it), and Nut and Soy free.  The lack of nuts is something that parents of kids with peanut allergies will cheer over!

Buy It!

Visit Gluten-Free Essentials and peruse their gluten free baking mix category to find this delicious product and many others that will make you hungry enough to place an order. 

Parting Thoughts:

I used this product to make muffins, but you can also use it to make a spice cake and frost it (or the muffins for that matter) with a rich cream cheese frosting that will only enhance the flavor.  This mix is versatile enough to make cookies, which, to me, is a huge plus.

Stay tuned for more Gluten-Free Essentials product reviews coming soon.  I'll be working more this week.

Disclosure:  Gluten-Free Essentials provided me several mixes for review purposes.  I was not compensated to write this review, though the product samples themselves were given to me without cost to me.  The opinions stated herein are 100% my own.