Kinnikinnick Foods Ginger Snap Cookies

I am happy to share this gluten free product review with you today, my friends. As I write this, I am sitting at my computer, drinking a cup of coffee and enjoying Kinnikinnick Foods Ginger Snap Cookies. Maybe I haven't made the healthiest choice for lunch today, but I can't stop eating them :)

Ease of Use

So easy that your two year old and your great grandmother could enjoy them together with no effort exerted between the two of them.

Appearance

These little gems are brown and about two inches in diameter. I really wish there were more to say here...moving on!

Taste and Texture

Kinnikinnick Foods Ginger Snap Cookies are what every gluten free cookie should be! They are sweet and spicy, even leaving a tad bit of heat in your mouth. The texture is even better than the flavor! They are light and crisp, without being hard. They are pure joy to eat.

Versatility

Kinnikinnick Foods Ginger Snap Cookies are great for ice cream sandwiches and pie crusts! When pumpkin season comes around again they will definitely be making the base for my pumpkin cheesecake! (They're really good to eat at the computer with a cup of coffee too)

Overall Value

Kinnikinnick Foods Ginger Snap Cookies come in a 24 pack for less than $4. I pronounce them a good value!

Rating

Since I am now out of cookies, I can honestly tell you that I'm thinking about buying a new package. I love them! (By the way, I didn't eat the WHOLE package today. They actually lasted a few days)

Chex Cereal from General Mills

This gluten free product review was so much fun to do! I have signed on to a blogger network called My Blog Spark, sponsored by General Mills. I did it in order to keep track of all the new gluten free products they are releasing (and there are a lot of them!) They sent me coupons to try their cereals, so, try them I did! They also sent along some helpful information about how beneficial cereal can be.

For this review, I worked my way through most of the Chex line. I grabbed Strawberry Chex, Corn Chex, Chocolate Chex and Cinnamon Chex. I cover them all below :)

Ease of Use

As easy as only cold cereal can be! Chex Cereals are easy to serve and eat, perfect for those mornings before school.

Appearance

Chex have always reminded me of little baskets (Come to think of it, I'm not sure why :)

The Strawberry Chex ranged in color from almost red to pink to white.  Chocolate Chex are varying shades of chocolate brown. Cinnamon Chex are light in color, and glisten a bit with cinnamon and sugar. Corn Chex (which I have to admit are my favorite) are golden in color.

Taste and Texture

To do each of the General Mills Cereals justice, I'll branch out a bit here and do each one individually.

Strawberry Chex- I was really surprised when I tasted these. I admit that I expected them to be super sweet with a fake strawberry hint. I was so wrong! They actually have a very rich flavor to them, not overly sweet at all. They reminded me of a cereal I ate as a kid that had real strawberries inside. They were crisp and delicious.

Chocolate Chex- Again, I was surprised that these were not candy-sweet. They had a great chocolate flavor and great texture. They are great to snack on right out of the box.

Cinnamon Chex-These Chex are super tasty! There is the perfect mix of cinnamon and sugar on each one, meaning that nothing is over-powering.

Corn Chex- They taste as golden as they look! The corn flavor is slightly sweet, but not at the same time (I know, real clear, right?) They are fantastic with a bit of vanilla soy milk.

The thing I really liked about all of the flavors (besides the taste) is the way each little square grabs the milk and holds onto it. You have a minute before sogginess sets in, so enjoy!

Versatility

More good news here! Chex Cereals have been known for years for being perfect for snack mixes, but with all the new sweet flavors the possibilities are endless. Try making chocolate and strawberry bars, or a savory and sweet mix. The plain varieties are great to crush and use as crispy toppings and coatings.

Overall Value

You can grab a box of Chex Cereal for under $3.50. Best part is, they are available in the cereal isle of every grocery store. There is no hunting for specialty sections with this gluten free cereal. Here's another bonus for you! Along with the coupons I received,  My Blog Spark and General Mills have also supplied a $1 off coupon for you! Get yours by clicking this link.

Rating

I love Chex Cereal and highly recommend all the flavors!

Kinnikinnick Sesame Bagels

Kinnikinnick Sesame Bagels are on the review block today.  Back in my gluten eating days, I was a bagel addict. I loved to smear them with cream cheese and munch away. Since going gluten free I've been looking to recapture the glory of the bagel days. That did not happen today :(

Ease of Use

Kinnikinnick Sesame Bagels are premade, but not pre-sliced. Be careful that you don't cut your hand! The cutting is the hardest part, though, they are pretty easy to eat. the sesame seeds come off easily, so be prepared with a crumb catcher.

Appearance

Kinnikinnick Sesame Bagels are nice and round with a perfect golden brown glazed top (as in shiny, not sweet frosting glaze). They are topped with a thick layer of sesame seeds.  After cutting one open, you can see that the inside texture is not dense and chewy like regular bagels, the holes in the crumb are too large.

Taste and Texture

Both of these categories leave much to be desired. The texture is very soft, more like an english muffin. The flavor is lacking in many areas and the bagels themselves have an odd odor to them, especially while being toasted.

Versatility

Kinnikinnick Sesame Bagels can be used for pizza, sandwiches or smeared with cream cheese.

Overall Value

A package of Kinnikinnick Sesame Bagels sells for $5.60 for a package of four. Not great in the value department.

Rating

As a bread, these might have been ok, but as a bagel I can't recommend them.

Gluten Free Life Flax Shortbread Cookie

Before doing this review, I had never heard of such a thing as a flax shortbread cookie. Adventurous soul that I am, you know I had to check it out. The label on this cookie from Gluten Free Life reads "verrry yummy". Gotta love the confident packaging!

Ease of Use

Very easy! Just open the package and eat!

Appearance

Gluten Free Life Flax Shortbread Cookies are golden brown and about 3 inches in diameter. You can see the seeds all throughout the cookie.  The cookie looks moist, even through the plastic.

Taste and Texture

I'm impressed! The Flax Shortbread Cookie was amazing! It was soft and chewy, with just the right amount of sweetness. The flax seeds added a touch of crunch and texture that blended perfectly with the flavor of the cookie.

There is no gluten free weirdness to be found here. It was perfectly moist and delectable.

Versatility

Um.... You can make an ice cream sandwich out of it....

Overall Value

Gluten Free Life Flax Shortbread Cookies sell for $2.49 each. That's a pretty steep price, but at least they are sharable!

Rating

Steep price tag or not, I love these cookies! They really are verrry yummy.

Pamela's Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today's gluten free product review is for Pamela's Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies. Pamela's makes a mix as well, but this review is for the premade cookies in the blue and black box.

Ease of Use

Easy Peasy! Just open the box and eat.

Appearance

Pamela's Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies are fairly large. They are not a flat cookie, but raised in the middle.  There are large chocolate chunks visible throughout.

Taste and Texture

The texture of Pamela's Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies is great. They are not hard, but not soft and chewy either. They have a nice bite to them. The chocolate is silky smooth and tastes wonderful.

The flavor of the cookie leaves something to be desired. There is an odd flavor that is hard to place, but it's not the best I've ever had.

Versatility

The versatility is limited in the same way as any other packaged cookie. You can use it as far as your imagination stretches.

Overall Value

Pamela's Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies cost about $3 for a box of nine cookies. The price isn't bad.

Rating

This is not a product comparison blog, but I have to say that I've had better. This product rides a fine line between being recommended and not. They fall into the category of foods that I would eat if they were provided for me, but wouldn't buy again. Since they are not bad, I recommend that you try them at your own risk.

Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate

Since doing the review for Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil, I’ve been exploring more and more with coconut products. They have natural health benefits that are pretty amazing! The latest product I tried was Coconut Cream Concentrate. It’s some interesting stuff! I’m excited to do this gluten free product review, and to share the recipe I developed while testing this product.

Ease of Use

When I received the jar of Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate, it was below freezing outside. The cream had separated from the oil, which made the jar look pretty, but create a challenge of use. I heated the entire jar, stirring as I went, to combine the oil and cream again. It didn’t take long, but it is one extra step to keep in mind for your first use.

After the Coconut Cream Concentrate was combined and in liquid form (thick liquid) it was easy to use. You just measure and pour it into whatever you are mixing it into.

Appearance

Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate is thick and creamy. It has an off-white color and mostly smooth texture. When it is warm it pours out of the jar easily. When it is cold it is more solid and needs to be scooped or warmed for pouring.

Taste and Texture

It tastes thick and creamy too! The flavor is very rich. It tastes like unsweetened coconut, a pretty complex flavor. It fills your mouth and stays there (but not in the unpleasant greasy way). The texture is mostly smooth, though it does offer more texture than a pure liquid would.

Versatility

There are a ton of uses for Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate. It can be used in both savory and sweet recipes. There are a lot of recipes for it on the Tropical Traditions recipe page, and even more in their Virgin Coconut Oil Book. I used the Veloute Base for Non-Dairy Cream Soups from the book and made a delicious Tomato soup. I tried other recipes as well, but the soup was my favorite. I was amazed at how thick and creamy it was, while being gluten free and dairy free.

Overall Value

A 32 oz. jar of Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate retails for $19.95. It’s pricey, but worthwhile to keep on hand for the versatility.

Rating

I recommend Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate. This is especially true for people who want to make great gluten free and dairy free cream soups!

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Udi's Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread

I miss great bread, mostly because it is necessary for great sammiches.  Who doesn't love a BLT or a gooey grilled cheese?  These tasty hand meals are a right of all humanity, not just the gluten eating ones.  Therefore, it is my pleasure to do this review.  Udi's Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread is good enough that I "review" it quite often!  Let me tell you why:

Ease of Use

Udi's Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread comes frozen from the grocery store.  Once it's thawed, it is great to eat right out of the package.

Appearance

Udi's gluten free bread loaves are about half the size of "regular" loaves.  Each slice looks like a smaller version of wheat bread.  It has texture and color that make the tummy rumble.  It has just the right amount of holes in the crumb (interior) and the crust is a rich golden brown.  There is a light coating of white powder on the crust, but it doesn't interfere with the taste.

Taste and Texture

Unbelievable!  Udi's Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread is soft!  I have been eating these tasty slices right out of the bag (sans toppings even).  There is no need to toast it, though it does make delicious toast.  The texture is what you would expect from whole grain bread, hearty and nice to bite into. The crumb is soft and chewy and the crust is firm, but not hard.

The taste is wonderful.  There are no odd flavors to disguise with extra butter. 

Versatility

I would use this bread for just about anything.  It makes great french toast and sammiches (of any kind).  My only complaint is that I had to use extra cheese for my grilled cheese because the bread seemed to absorb some of it.  It dries out a little after the first four days or so, but then it is perfect for bread crumbs and croutons. 

Overall Value

Udi's Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread can be purchased online for (are you ready for this?) $5.00!  Unheard of!  It seems that the shipping would be a little steep to buy a loaf at a time, but they offer an 8-pack as well.  It is also pretty widely available at retail stores.

Rating

I cannot say enough good things about this product.  From the taste to the price, and even the packaging: I love it!

Contes Margherita Pizza

This gluten free product review comes from a lazy day and a search for convenience : )  I'm still looking for that perfect gluten free pizza experience.  Contes Margherita Pizza with roasted garlic and olive oil offered me another option to try.

Ease of Use

In the grand tradition of frozen pizzas, Contes Margherita Pizza is super simple.  Heat the oven, pop the pizza in and you're done.  I cut mine before eating, but nothing says you have to...

Appearance

Before and after it is cooked, Contes Margherita Pizza looks like any other frozen pizza.  The cheese is a big shred size and covers very well.  The crust is thin and looks crispy.  There are no chunks on the pizza, despite what the picture on the box shows.

Taste and Texture

The flavor of this gluten free pizza is fantastic!  It has a fresh tomato and garlic flavor that is quite pleasing.  Be prepared to have pretty potent garlic breath for awhile after you eat it.

The outside crust is nice and crisp.  It has a good flavor and texture.  The crust under the toppings is a different story.  It doesn't crisp up and stays very soft and "stick to the teeth chewy".  It still tasted good, but gave the impression of being undercooked (even after baking ten minutes longer than specified).

Versatility

You can top Contes Margherita Pizza with just about anything.  Other than that, despite my best efforts, I haven't been able to use pizza for anything other than pizza.

Overall Value

 Contes Margherita Pizza costs about ten dollars for a 16 oz. pizza.  It's a decent size and value.

Rating

For the fresh tomato and garlic flavor, I would recommend this gluten free pizza.

Gluten Free Life Muffins

Muffins!! Yay! I love muffins, but good gluten free muffins are hard to find! Either they are muffin-cicles that could double as hockey pucks once thawed or they are so sweet and sugary that I might as well be eating cake. This is not to say that there aren't great recipes out there, just that they are few and far between.

Well, Gluten Free Life, a great local (ish) bakery has supplied the inspiration for this gluten free product review. They offer four different flavors of muffins and since I got to try them all, they are all taken into account for this review. The flavors are Apple Pie, Carrot Cake, Chocolate Chip and Blueberry.

Ease of Use

The wrappers on Gluten Free Life Muffins are pretty well sealed, but that is definitely the biggest challenge here. You might want to make sure to have a plate or napkin handy as a crumb catcher.

Appearance

In the package, all four flavors of Gluten Free Life Muffins look the same. They are a normal size that I remember from my youth (as opposed to the gigantor size that is common today). They are light brown in color and have a coating on top that appears at first glance to be sugar.

Taste and Texture

Gluten Free Life Muffins are so moist and delicious! They even impressed my gluten eating dad who is not big on gluten free food. They are crumbly, but just the way any muffin should be. There is no dryness in site!

The only failing here is that there are not many chunks. There were only a few pieces of fruit and chocolate in each. The muffin itself makes up for it though. I really enjoyed eating them!

Versatility

As a prebaked gluten free muffin, there is not a whole lot of versatility. They would lend themselves well to a lot of different toppings, jam, cream cheese, butter- but they don't require anything. They are perfect to eat as is.

Overall Value

Each 4 oz. muffin from Gluten Free Life costs $2.79. They are a bit pricey. The major selling point here, aside from the fact that they taste fantastic, is the use of all natural ingredients. They are made from sorghum flour and sweetened with organic cane juice. This is pretty rare when you consider that a good majority of gluten free goodies have no nutrition to them at all due to the use of sugar and rice flour. The nutrition factor has a way (in my mind) of balancing out the price a bit.

Rating

I will definitely eat Gluten Free Life Muffins again, and I recommend that that everyone should try them at least once.

Gluten Free Pantry Spice Cake and Gingerbread Mix

In honor of the holiday season, I decided it was time to do something festive. What could be more festive then the spicy notes of spice cake and gingerbread? This gluten free product review is all about the holiday flavor found with Gluten Free Pantry Spice Cake and Gingerbread Mix.

Ease of Use

Gluten Free Pantry Spice Cake and Gingerbread Mix is super easy to use and modify. Just remember that if you are going to make gingerbread you will need to have some molasses on hand.

Appearance

The mix itself is a fine powder. You can see the spices in it and smell them from the moment you open the package.

After baking, the finished products are exactly the right shade of brown. You can still see the spices interlaced in the goodies. The cake rises perfectly and has a springy look.

Taste and Texture

I have never in my life found a better blend of spices for spice cake. There is just enough bite to it to make your mouth water. Nothing is overpowering about it.

The texture of the cake is amazing! It is soft, moist and springy. I didn't have any molasses on hand, so I can't say how cookies would be. If they are anything like the cake, though, you won't be disappointed.

Versatility

There are a lot of uses for Gluten Free Pantry Spice Cake and Gingerbread Mix. Any of your holiday recipes would be good to use it for. I made Cranberry Apple Spice Cupcakes that were amazing!

Overall Value

Gluten Free Pantry Spice Cake and Gingerbread Mix costs around $5. That will make one cake, a dozen cupcakes or 3-4 dozen cookies. Very good value!

Rating

I love Gluten Free Pantry Spice Cake and Gingerbread Mix!