Schar Gluten Free Pizza Crusts

Pizza is one of the staples of American life, at least in my house. One of the most disappointing things about being gluten free has been the lack of great pizza. Schar Gluten Free Pizza Crusts make for a great gluten free product review for just this reason. The box advertises that Schar is Europe's #1 in gluten free products. Find out why.

Ease of Use

Schar Gluten Free Pizza Crusts are easy to use, but hard to open. They seal those puppies in tight so have a pair of scissors handy. Once you get them open they are easy to top and bake.

Appearance

There are two crusts in each box of Schar Gluten Free Pizza Crusts. I topped one with sauce, pepperoni and cheese and the other with sauce, cheese, herbs and red pepper. Both looked delicious! The cheese was hot and bubbly and the crust was golden brown.

They were baked directly on the oven rack. There was no curling of the crust and the edges did not fall over the edges of the rack.

Taste and Texture

Schar Gluten Free Pizza Crusts are the best gluten free pizza crusts I've had so far. They are light and crisp on the edges and just soft enough in the middle. The sauce did not soak in and make the crust soggy. It stayed right on top where it's supposed to.

There was no bad taste to these crusts at all. They have a hint of sweetness and a pleasant aftertaste. My daughter and I both had them and there were no crusts left behind when we finished eating.

Versatility

The taste and texture of Schar Gluten Free Pizza Crusts make them perfect to top with anything! They would make a great dessert pizza as well as being dinner pizza. They are light enough in flavor to be topped with olive oil, garlic and herbs and served as a dinner bread. You could even use them as a topper for a casserole or pot pie.

Overall Value

Here is the only problem with this gluten free product. One box (2 crusts) of Schar Gluten Free Pizza Crusts runs almost ten dollars. That is a pretty high price point.

Rating

I love this product, but the price compared to my budget makes this a sometime treat rather than a pantry staple. They are absolutely recommended for a great pizza fix.

DeBoles Corn Spaghetti

Ahhh, pasta. One of the things most missed by people new to a gluten free diet. There are so many options available, and some are not so great. Some, however pass the test. DeBoles Corn Spaghetti did, read on to find out why.

Ease of Use

Cooking gluten free pasta can be a bit of a challenge, and DeBoles Corn Spaghetti is no exception. Bring the water to a full boil. Add the pasta and then stir and separate the strands until the water boils again. If you don't, the pasta will clump up.

The instructions say cook 8-10 minutes, but I recommend you begin checking for doneness at 6 minutes. This will ensure that you don't overcook, giving you a pot of mush.

Appearance

DeBoles Corn Spaghetti has strands that are a light yellow-orange color. It looks like spaghetti.

Taste and Texture

DeBoles Corn Spaghetti has the closest taste I've found to regular spaghetti. It works well with any sauce, including olive oil, and has no unpleasant aftertaste.

If cooked right, the texture of this gluten free pasta is perfect. It has a nice bite to it and has no problem winding around a fork.

Versatility

Top it, mix it, anything goes! I've even used it as a crust for a spaghetti pie.

Overall Value

You can buy DeBoles Corn Spaghetti for about $2.39 a box. Not too shabby!

Rating

This has become one of my favorite gluten free products, and a must have pantry staple.

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownie Mix

When I first heard that put out a gluten free brownie mix, I was amazed! I honestly thought I had heard wrong. Well, what is there to do but subject this new product to the Gluten Free Product Review Criteria.

Ease of Use

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownie Mix is super easy. Mix 1/2 stick of melted butter and two eggs into the mix. They are not kidding when they say the batter is thick, you can practically mold the stuff (not that I recommend doing that). Then just put the batter in a pan and bake it.

Appearance

These brownies do not rise a whole lot, most gluten free products don't. The size of the pan you use will determine the look of your brownies. Brownies made in an 8x8 pan will be thicker than brownies made in a larger pan. Other than that, they look mighty tasty!

Taste and Texture

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownie Mix produces brownies that are warm, dense and fudgy. They are moist and absolutely delicious!

Versatility

The great thing about anything made from batter is that you can easily add to it. Chocolate chips, caramel sauce, marshmallows, nuts or anything else that strikes your fancy. The Betty Crocker website is full of recipe ideas for the gluten free brownie mix. It seems the possibilities are endless.

Overall Value

A whole pan of scrumptious brownies for around $5! Now who can argue with that.

Rating

Delicious! Everyone should buy these.

RiceWorks Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps

Looking for a new gluten free product review, I came across RiceWorks Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps. A gluten free whole grain snack?! Sign me up. There are several flavors available, including:

• Sweet Chili
• Sea Salt
• Salsa Fresca
• Parmesan and Sundried Tomato
• Wasabi
• Baked Cinnamon

I've only had the opportunity to try the Parmesan and Sundried Tomato and Salsa Fresca flavors. This review will cover both.

Ease of Use

Be careful not to break your chips while opening the bag!

Appearance

RiceWorks Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps look healthy. You can see the whole grains spread through every inch of these crispy triangles. You also get a good veiw of the flavor powder, which appears generous.

Taste and Texture

Yum! RiceWorks Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps crunch well without the teeth jarring effect that is common with brown rice husks. That, right there, is a bonus. I would eat these crisps for the texture alone.

The flavoring used is just the right amount. The flavor of the crisps blend very well with the flavorings added. There is no irritating aftertaste either, which is fantastic.

Versatility

RiceWorks Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps are fairly versatile. Munch 'em, dip 'em or crunch 'em up for a great salad topper. Who needs croutons?

Overall Value

I don't have an exact price to offer, but I can tell you that RiceWorks Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps are a bit pricier than a regular bag of potato chips, and worth every penny.

Rating

I'm hooked. I can't wait to try the other flavors! I think everyone should buy RiceWorks Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps just to keep them on the market.

Side Note

I always check the website of the products I review to make sure my facts are accurate. The RiceWorks website is fun! It is very user friendly and includes recipes and ideas for girls night parties. Along with producing a great product, they get an extra thumbs up for customer service!

Soft Baked Snickerdoodle Cookies from Enjoy Life

Gluten free cookies and milk anyone? How about a soft baked Snickerdoodle cookie from Enjoy Life? This bright and colorful box promises that the product contained within is free of just about every allergen known to man. I say that's great! Bring it on!

It did make me wonder, though, with all that's being left out, what's left to make cookies out of? Not chemicals, apparently. There was not one ingredient on the list that I couldn't pronounce. That, in itself, rates pretty high with me.

Ease of Use

Open mouth, insert cookie.

Appearance

These gluten free cookies are pretty small. Some would call them bite sized, though I prefer smaller bites. They are the delicious brown color of cinnamon.

Some of the cookies were a bit squished, though not reduced to crumbles. Initial impression: These smell pretty darn good!

Taste and Texture

Gluten free Snickerdoodle cookies from Enjoy Life taste pretty darn good too. They have a cinnamon sugar goodness spread throughout, not just an outer coating. The warm cinnamon taste is well balanced, not too much of anything.

They really are soft! Not the kind of soft where they crumble in your hand, the kind that holds together well and is nice to bite into. There are chewier bits spread through these gluten free cookies that have a texture like crystallized honey. It didn't detract from the taste at all and left me wondering whether the texture came from the date paste or the brown sugar.

Versatility

You can make these cookies as versatile as you want. Snack food, pie crust, ice cream topping- cookies are cool like that.

Overall Value

Soft Baked Snickerdoodle Cookies from Enjoy Life sell for $3.65 for a box of one dozen cookies. They are more of a sometime indulgence rather than an every week buy.

Rating

I recommend these gluten free cookies. I will definitely buy them again.

DeBoles Rice Lasagna

I love pasta! That being said, I had a very hard time beginning my gluten free diet due to what I was giving up. When exploring gluten free pastas, I found that I really did not like the flavor of rice pasta (except for Asian varieties). Therefore, I was very skeptical when I came across DeBoles Rice Lasagna. This Gluten Free Product Review is for all of you who are as skeptical as I am when exploring the grocery store.

Ease of Use

DeBoles Rice Lasagna is incredibly easy to use! You don't need to boil them. Just layer the dry noodles with sauce and topping, then bake. Like any lasagna, baking time is pretty long (about an hour) But if you plan ahead a little you can still easily have lasagna on a weeknight.

Appearance

The appearance of DeBoles Rice Lasagna will vary greatly by the kind of lasagna made. The noodles themselves thicken a bit while cooking and look very appetizing.

Taste and Texture

Here is where I must admit my shocked pleasure over this product. As previously mentioned, I am not fond of rice pasta. DeBoles Rice Lasagna has become the exception to that rule.

I made a Spinach Chicken Lasagna and a traditional Beef Lasagna, both turned out great! They taste wonderful, with no weird aftertaste and the texture is amazing.

I will caution you to use plenty of sauce, however, otherwise the top layer of your lasagna will be a little too al dente.

Overall Value

For $2.79 a box (plus the cost of your other ingredients) DeBoles Rice Lasagna can make a lasagna big enough for 4-6 people. If you stretch portions with salad and gluten free bread you could feed up to 8 people. That's pretty good value!

Rating

I love this product. It does exactly what it claims with no unpleasant surprises.