Category Archives: Review

Foster Farm Party Time

I am a huge fan of classic finger foods.  As the Chef of Camp Celiac, I struggle with finding good gluten-free finger foods every summer. This year I was determined to offer a full meal of all the finger foods kids love but kids with Celiac Disease miss out on. This last summer, we had a ton of products for the kids to try.  Most items were pre-made so some things were well received while others were not. I love discovering and reviewing great products and this one is a favorite of mine. I have reviewed Foster Farm’s Corn Dogs before but this product deserves special notice. I would recommend Foster Farm’s Corn Dogs as the the best on the market. The cake outside is slightly sweet, it’s soft and holds up to many forms of heating. The dog inside is juicy, not greasy and most importantly, tastes great! This product is win for all ages, a product I will absolutely bring to our campers next year. 

Recently, I had a bunch of friends get together to celebrate the end of summer with food, drinks and good times. Foster Farm’s Corn Dogs were a great item to share and no one noted that they were gluten-free. I pre-cooked them, wrapped in foil and just reheated on BBQ in the park. As expected, they are were hit! I have also served them as a fun appetizer, similar to pigs in the blanket. It’s an easy-to-make American classic . 

Heat the corn dog as instructed in the oven. When done, gently slide the whole corn dog off the stick. Then, slice the corn dog into 1/2 thick rounds. Serve on a platter with mustard, ketchup and other dipping.

Below is some nutrition information and prep instructions.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 1 corn dog 75g
Servings Per Container: Varied.
Amount Per Serving
Calories 180
Calories from Fat 80
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 13%
Trans Fat 0
Cholesterol 45mg 15%
Sodium 530mg 22%
Total Carbs 20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars 6g
Protein 7g
Vitamin A 0%
Calcium 2%
Vitamin C 0%
Iron 6%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie a day diet.

Available in packs of 6, 9, 16, 20 and 36

ALLERGEN INFORMATION

Contains soy, eggs

HOW TO HEAT:

Conventional Oven:

  • Preheat oven to 350° F
  • Frozen heat for 18 minutes
  • Thawed heat for 10 minutes

* Caution: Product will be hot

Microwave: On high

  • Frozen heat for 48 seconds
  • Thawed heat for 30 seconds
  • For best results, flip corn dogs halfway through cooking

* Caution: Product will be hot

Deep Fried:

  • Cook at 350° – 375° F
  • Frozen heat for 9 minutes
  • Thawed heat for 3 minutes

* Caution: Product will be hot

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Book News

Book sales have been great. Interacting with people during different promotional events has made it all worth it. Many people buy the book for loved ones who suffer from Celiac to seize or themselves to learn how to cook new and fun things.

This weekend I’m honored to have another book signing at the famous Fante’s Kitchen Shop in Philadelphia’s Italian Market. I will be following in the footsteps of some of the most famous Chef’s.  It  will be a great weekend to visit the area since it is also the annual Philadelphia Italian Market Festival where people travel from all over to visit the historic market. Stop by to say hi and grab a copy of the book.

Event Info

Location:

Fante’s Kitchen Shop

 1006 S 9th St. Philadelphia, PA 19147

 (800) 44-FANTE

 

In other news, I was recently had a radio interviewed about the book and my story. Check out the link below. My part  is at the very end.

Radio Show

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Book Signing at Cardenas Taproom

The book release has been an amazing experience. Hearing feedback from readers has been wonderful. The book was fun to write but interacting with those that use the recipes I created is the best part! Thank you again to everyone that has supported me this far.

Last weekend the signing at CHOP Hospital’s Celiac Event went great. This weekend I am hosting another signing in the Italian Market. It will be at Cardenas Taproom in the heart of the market . This a great location with tons of fun products to sample. Soft and hard cover books will be available for sale. I am will be sampling one recipe for the book using some of the great ingredients Cardenas Taproom offers.

Event Details:

Saturday – March 24, 2015   

Time – 11am – 2:00pm 

Location:

Cardenas Taproom 
942 S. 9th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
267.928.3690

www.cardenastaproom.com

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Wild Zora Bars

Wild Zora Bars

The Original Meat and Veggie Bar

Finding snacks that are gluten free and paleo is always a challenge. Finding option when your on the go is always a hard but these bars do the trick. Wild Zora sent me a sample pack of their meat and veggie bars. Each bar was great!

The story with Wild Zora is that they wanted to make a product that lived up to their standard. Something substantial, savory and nutritious. If a complete meal contains meat and veggies they wanted a snack bar to do the same.

Bars come in three flavors including BBQ, Cheesy Parm and Spicy Cayenne Apricot. My favorite was the BBQ but they all are really good. You can buy them online in any quantify. Give them a try!

Check out the website here: http://www.wildzora.com/

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Paleo Meenut Butter

I continue to sample new products that are paleo and fit into a whole30 life style. I have been hooked on nut butter forever. As a kid I loved peanut butter but since peanuts nuts are not considered paleo I have switched to sunflower and almond butter. If your read the ingredients on most nut butter you will find that they normally have sugar and other not so good junk in it. I learned about paleo meenut butter online and was very excited to give it a try.

Meenut butter is a combination of nuts and coconut into a wonderful nut butter. No added sugar and made with all local ingredients. It has a wonderful consistency that is slightly sweet and slightly salty. It worked great in my morning smoothies and  as a snack with carrots and apples. Filled with all the good stuff to keep you going all day. One serving has 5 grams of protein and only 1 gram of sugar! They have great recipe ideas listed on their site include cookies, cupcakes and savory treats.

INGREDIENTS (Quadruple Nut Power): California Almonds, California Organic Walnuts,Pecans, Organic Macadamia Nuts, Organic Coconut; Contains 2% or less of: Organic Golden Flax Seeds, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Sonoma Sea Salt;
CONTAINS: Tree Nuts

 

You can find meenut butter in some stores across the country or buy online at: http://mee-eat-paleo.myshopify.com/ 

They have a great selection of goodies to choose from. Makes a great treat or gift for anyone.

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RX Bars

I recently just finished my Whole30 challenge. It was a great experience and I am happy I stuck to it. I spent a lot of time looking for good snack options along the way. I found a bunch a great products and I am excited to share them all.

Normally, finding a quick meal option that is gluten free is a challenge. Add the paleo restrictions can get tricky. One of the first items I tried was RXBars. It was a real protein bar with out the junk. These bars are made mainly of egg whites, dates, fig and nuts. Each ingredient brings something to the nutrition table: egg whites and almonds with protein, fruit and cacao with antioxidants ,vitamins, fiber and potassium. They never add sugar, GMO’s or preservatives. They offer a few different flavors and I liked them all especially the apple cinnamon and blueberry. Apple reminded me of an apple turn over and blueberry of a blueberry scone.

They have a great model and believe in what the product stands for. Companny statement: “At RxBar, we believe that food should be simple and delicious without compromising nutrition. We believe that quality ingredients should never be sacrificed because of cost. We believe that food should be consumed as nature intended. This is why we do what we do and as a company all of our products directly reflect these values.”

RXBars are easily available online. Check out the website for more info and grab a sample kit here: http://www.rxbar.com/products/sample-pack-17.html

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Cook Book – Official Release

The last few years have been an amazing adventure. I started this book at the start of it all. The vision was to combine everything I have learned from my travels and sharing it with the everyone in a unique gluten free fashion. Each chapter focus’s on one region that I have traveled and combines the flavors into a complete meal from appetizer to dessert. The most important part of this book was that every recipe is inherently gluten-free but in an unnoticeable way. Every meal can be recreated without anyone aware that everything is inherently gluten-free.

The final result is better then I would have imagined. Large, color images fill the book. Easy to follow recipe. Plus, a bonus chapter with my gluten-free tips and tricks.

Buy it today and start cooking. Available in soft cover, hard cover or for your kindle and nook.

Buy on Amazon or Barns&Noble  

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Grab The Gold Bars Review

Living on the go and being gluten free is always a challenge. I always have granola bars stocked up just incase. Finding something that is all natural, gluten free, high in protein and taste good can be hard.

I received a case of Grab the Gold snack bars to try and I loved them. Taste like an oatmeal cookie combined with a peanut butter cup. With 11 grams of protein it is super filling. A bar that both kids and adults will love. It all fits its a cute bright gold package.

Wanna give them try? Grab one here: http://shop.grabthegold.com/sample—grab-the-gold—1-gluten-free-snack-bar-p14.aspx

Looking for more then a sample? Get a case at a great price here: http://shop.grabthegold.com/grab-the-gold—12-gluten-free-snack-bars-p56.aspx

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Corn-dog Review and Giveaway

Finding grab and go items that are safely gluten free and delicious is getting easier. I recently received some samples of Gluten Free Corn-dogs from Foster Farms. It must have been at least 10 years since I have had a real good corn dog. These guys did a great job. A wonderful juicy chicken dog that snaps when you bite into it. The dog is wrapped in a light slightly sweet and salty corn batter. Golden brown on the outside, holds together really well and the best part is that its on a stick :). This a great item to keep around for an after school treat, fun dinners or even a mid-night snack.

At 180 calories and 7 grams of protein a piece. Only 6 grams of sugar and 2.5g of fat.

You can prepare them a few different ways according to the box. The oven seemed to work the best. Heating in the microwave is fine and it tasted great but the crust will crack a bit. I also put them on the top rack of my BBQ which worked well too.

Conventional Oven:
Preheat oven to 350° F
Frozen heat for 18 minutes
Thawed heat for 10 minutes

Microwave: On high
Frozen heat for 48 seconds
Thawed heat for 30 seconds
For best results, flip corn dogs halfway through cooking

Deep Fried:
Cook at 350° – 375° F
Frozen heat for 9 minutes
Thawed heat for 3 minutes

5 lucky readers will win a voucher for a FREE BOX. This is what you need to do:
– “like” the Foster Farms Facebook page
– “like the guilt free foodie cutie page”
– leave a comment on this post about what is your favorite condiment to serve with a corn-dog…..get creative 🙂

 

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GIVEAWAY – Mexican Party in a Bag!

I think this is my first official giveaway!!! This is a great one. An entire Mexican feast that can be mailed frozen directly to your house.

I have done a review about Del Real products before and the options they have are great. Del Real Foods offer authentic taste using the freshest ingredients, most of which are locally sourced. Gluten free and trans fat free, Del Real Foods are cooked over an open-kettle.

They now have a new option available called “Party In A Box” featuring Del Real highlights like carnitas, tamales and the newest delicious addition: pork al pastor pupusas. The Party In A Box will also include a Del Real cooler roller bag and water bottle. I love having spur of the moment get-togethers, and have something like this on hand is sure to be a hit. My favorites are the carnitas and the pupusas. Plus everything comes pre-packaged individually, and if weeknight meals are a challenge for you this one box can easily be broken down to 6-8 meals.

The best part is this company is for real. The food is authentic and natural. A family business based in CA, with a mission to share authentic flavors with healthy food, all while supporting sustainability and the community.

Here is the deal. Do the following by October 21th. The winner will be choose at the random. Prize is the entire party in the bag shipped to your home free of charge.

Rules:
1- Like my fan page https://www.facebook.com/GuiltFreeFoodieCutie
2- Share a guilt free foodie post of your choice on facebook
3- Comment below with what you would use the “party in the box” for

Good Luck

About Del Real Foods:

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in California, Del Real Foods is a family business committed to preserving the rich gastronomy and traditions of Central Mexico. Designed to satisfy all palates and promote healthy eating, Del Real Foods refrigerated products offer authentic taste, using the freshest, locally sourced ingredients and cooked with traditional methods for an enhanced dining experience among family and friends.

For more information, visit: http://www.delrealfoods.com/

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