Nature's Path Sunrise Cereals

Nature's Path is introducing two new gluten free cereals. The Sunrise Cereals are made to be great for everyone. The idea is that no matter what age you are, whether you eat gluten or not, these cereals are for you. Pretty cool concept!

Sunrise Cereals are available in Crunchy Maple Sunrise and Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise flavors.

Ease of Use

Nature's Path Sunrise Cereals are as easy as could possibly be to use. They are gluten free cold cereal after all.

Appearance

Interesting (in the good way). Sunrise cereals are full of different shapes, sizes and textures. There are flakes, crunchy balls, rice crisps, and smaller little balls. The Crunchy Maple Sunrise is a golden brown with a sweet looking sheen to it. The Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise Cereal is lighter in color and looks pure (strange adjective, I know, but it fits).

Taste and Texture

Oh my goodness gracious! These are so good! I ate them with vanilla soy milk (regular milk and I don't get along). The textures in both of Nature's Path Sunrise Cereals is amazing! They are crunchy, and fun to eat.

Normally I play the cereal race game. You know, when you pour the milk and eat as fast as you can before it gets soggy. I discovered that the race was not a necessity. I'm not saying there's no soggy factor, there is. As the flakes soften up the balls stay crunchy. It's a whole new texture.

Crunchy Maple Sunrise has a rich and buttery maple flavor. It is a deep and complex flavor that is just the right amount of sweet.

Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise has a rich vanilla flavor that is not too sweet. It has great flavor without making you feel like you're eating candy.

Versatility

Nature's Path Sunrise Cereals make the perfect toppings for yogurt, ice cream or anything else. It seems that these cereals could prove to be very versatile.

Overall Value

I don't actually have a price on these yet. I would guess that they will run about the same as Nature's Path's other gluten free cereals.

Rating

My sister, who is not gluten free, said she would buy Sunrise Cereals on a regular basis. Her favorite was the Crunchy Maple Sunrise. Me? I opted for the Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise, but agree that I loved them both.

Quinoa Veggie Curls Pasta

In the land of gluten free pasta there are a lot of choices. Some are great, some not so much. Trying new pasta is always a new adventure. That is the case with Quinoa Veggie Curls. I bought them to break up the monotony a bit. Fun shape, fun colors, just fun all around.

As you know by now, the compulsion to try new things is directly linked to the drive to write about them. Here's the scoop!

Ease of Use

Velly easy, Dahlink! Boil the water, toss in the pasta, stir... Veggie curls took about ten minutes for me. Insert usual cautions about not over cooking gluten free pasta here.

Appearance

This one got the kiddo excited. Red (orange), green and regular pasta colors made this fun to look at. (Think earth tone colors, not a Christmas scheme.) Each piece is a narrow tube that spirals around. It clung to the sauce like a hug! Pretty neat.

Taste and Texture

Quinoa Veggie Curls Pasta is nutritious and delicious! No joke. The ingredients are: Organic corn flour, Organic Quinoa flour, dried organic red bell pepper and dried organic spinach. That's it! It tastes good. You get a slight hint of veggie flavor, very real and earthy. it feels healthy to eat, but not in the unpleasant health food way.

The texture is perfect! The spirally tubey thing really works. It cooks al dente and holds up nicely to any sauce.

Versatility

The shape of Veggie Curls make them perfect for gluten free casseroles. From mac and cheese to gourmet pasta creations, this stuff can do it all. This pasta can hold up against baking and adds a bit of extra nutrition to any dish.

Overall Value

An 8 oz. box runs less than $3 a box. Great value!

Rating

Healthy, tasty and fun. I love the stuff!

Queen of the Night Facial Cleanser and Oil from Marie Natural Botanicals

Today's gluten free product review is another wonder out of the goodie box from Marie Natural Botanicals. Two of them, actually. Queen of the Night Facial Cleanser and Queen of the Night Oil. The name is a mouthful, but the good kind. It brings to mind images of strong women doing great things. And Cleopatra, which also fits the former... So, aside from the name, what does this product offer?

Everything! My skin was never horrible, but it has never looked so good.

Ease of Use

Queen of the Night Facial Cleanser and Oil are easier to use than the results would suggest. For the cleanser; just shake the bottle, wet your face, massage on with a cloth or fingers, let sit a minute and rinse off. No big production here, but it feels good! It begins to tingle a bit when it sits, almost feels like your skin is waking up.

For the oil, just spread a few drops on your face and throat. (Upward motion of course:) The oil has the opposite effect of the cleanser. It relaxes and moisturizes.

On a side note, I was terrified of putting these oily products on my face. I've used facial oils before and the results were not pretty. I'm so glad I took the plunge though! Like the body balm, Marie Natural Botanicals has delivered more oil that is not oily.

Appearance

Queen of the Night Facial Cleanser is separated into oil and other until you shake it. Then it is a milky, light yellow color.

Queen of the Night Facial Oil is amber colored and comes in a teeny tiny bottle- so cute! I figured I'd go through it in no time, but you'd be surprised how long it can last at only a few drops a day.

Scent and Texture

Both the oil and cleanser carry the same exotic scent. If the name reminds you of Cleopatra, the scent will take you to her. It is musky, spicy, romantic, soft and sharp all at the same time. It's a scent that stays with you and makes you feel a bit sexy.

There is no weird texture or oddities to report here. The only thing I can say is that the cleanser is pure liquid, so don't expect it to pour like a gel.

Versatility
Queen of the Night Facial Cleanser is also listed as a body shampoo, but I say bite your tongue! I would not waste one drop of either product looking for other uses. Not when it makes my face so fabulous to see and touch.

Overall Value

Queen of the Night Facial Cleanser costs $32.00, Queen of the Night Facial Oil is $30.00. There is also a toner in the line (which I have not tried) for $25.00. These prices are better than what I've seen online for facial systems, and with fabulous results. My ever shrinking pores lead me to declare this product priceless!

Rating

I love this product! I never want to wash my face with anything else again.

On a side note: Marie Natural Botanicals is sponsoring the Gluten Free Thanks for Giving Contest! Check it out and nominate someone who who has made a difference in your gluten free journey. They could win a gift basket worth $75 from Marie!

Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions

Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil has so many uses! I was mystified as I read the book Virgin Coconut Oil, how it has changed people's lives and how it can change yours by Brian and Marianita Shilhavy that came with my bottle. There were so many health benefits and uses listed that I knew this gluten free product review was going to be no short project.

I decided to give this one awhile, to test many of it's uses. I even went so far as to take a few days and not use any butter or oil, just coconut oil. Here's the scoop:

Ease of Use

Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is easy to use. It comes in a large, big-mouthed jar that is easy to scoop out of. The oil was solid when I received it and stayed so in my chilly kitchen. I used a spoon to scoop large amounts and a knife for smaller portions.

Appearance

Normally this would apply to a finished product, but since the coconut oil disappears in recipes I will cover the oil itself. Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil, when solid, is milky white in appearance, for the most part. It carries a swirly translucent look that is really cool to look at!

When warmed into liquid, the oil is clear. Completely clear, like water. It is the same basic consistency as olive oil.

Taste and Texture

There is virtually no taste when mixed into a recipe. Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil carries a slight flavor of coconut, without any of the sweetness I usually associate with that flavor. It does add a richness and depth of flavor to most recipes.

It smells like coconut! This was the only problem I had. I used it the first time to make an herb sauce for my steamed veggies (fabulous, by the way). The smell of coconut was there, but not the taste. It took awhile for my mind to get around.

Versatility

If the book is to be believed (and I have no reason to believe otherwise) then there is no limit to the uses of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil. You can cook with it, spread it on bread, cure lice and medicate your animals. It has a super long shelf life so you can use it for a long time.

Overall Value

A 32 oz. jar retails for $37.50, on sale right now for $27.50. It is pretty pricey, but you really can use it for everything! If you're not sure you're ready to commit, try the 16 oz. size for $25.00, it comes with a money back guarantee.

Rating

I recommend Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions and the book that goes with it. There is plenty more to say about this product that won't fit in a review. Watch for follow-ups on Examiner.

Thai Kitchen Instant Rice Noodle Soup

I don't miss Ramen anymore! It is very freeing to be able to say that. Convenience was the main factor with all that noodlely goodness, but now I've got that covered. Thank you Thai Kitchen! My favorite flavor is Spring Onion, and that will be the main reference for this gluten free product review.

Ease of Use

Thai Kitchen makes their Instant Rice Noodle Soup super easy to make. There are two main ways of preparation, and they yield slightly different results, both of which are great. With the stove top prep. directions, you boil the noodles for a few minutes. This gives very soft noodles, and the rice starch begins to come out a little and thicken the broth so it sticks to the noodles.

You can also use hot water prep. For this, you boil the water first and then add the noodles. Cover the dish to trap in the heat and your noodles cook (still in just a couple minutes) without releasing starch. The noodles are a little firmer and the broth stays this and clear.

Appearance

This gluten free noodle treat is actually very pretty. The seasoning packet includes real onions and flavored oil. The end result is long noodles and a flavor filled broth that doesn't feel instant at all.

Taste and Texture

A slight hint of spice gives these gluten free instant rice noodles a lot of extra body. They taste really good! Thai rice noodles are not as finicky as most gluten free noodles when it comes to overcooking so there is not as much danger of overcooking. (They are noodles, so the possibility always exists) The noodles have a nice firm texture that is great to slurp!

Versatility

I'm sure there are a million and one uses for Thai Kitchen Instant Rice Noodle Soup. Unfortunately, my creativity button is stuck today and all I can think of is, "eat, yum!" You're on your own for this one.

Overall Value

The dollar per package price tag is bigger than a package of Ramen, but the quality is better and I can actually eat this. A gluten free meal for a dollar? I can get behind that.

Rating

I keep several packages in the pantry for quick eats. Absolute must have as far as I'm concerned.

Ener-G White Rice Loaf

There are just not enough gluten free bread reviews here. After today, I'm not sure how many more I'm willing to do:)

As far as gluten free products go, bread is one of the most wanted and most despised. In an effort to get a wide range for my gluten free product reviews, I took the plunge and ventured into the bread basket. See how the Ener-G White Rice Loaf did against the criteria.

Ease of Use

It is very easy to use Ener-G White Rice Loaf, once you get it out of the package. This bread is sealed air tight. Not such a bad thing!

Appearance

It looks like other loaves of gluten free bread. Like a smaller, perfectly shaped version of a regular bread loaf. It has a smooth textured appearance.

Taste and Texture

This bread is dry, crumbly and virtually flavorless. The texture is somewhat like a dry sponge. It is much better toasted, but you still need to add a lot of butter to get a good flavor. On a lighter note, it did have slight hints of sourdough flavor, which I like.

Versatility

Bread is infinitely versatile. This bread would be good for making croutons or using as bread crumbs.

Overall Value

A loaf of 12 slices costs about $5.50. It is priced comparably to other gluten free breads.

Rating

I will not buy Ener-G White Rice Loaf again. With all of the great new gluten free products out there, I am looking to spend my money on something else.

Purely Decadent non-dairy frozen dessert- in gluten free chocolate chip cookie dough flavor

This gluten free product review is dedicated to my daughter. Her favorite ice cream has always been chocolate chip cookie dough. Due to minor issues with dairy, she doesn’t get ice cream often at all. Being gluten free makes it impossible for her to have the cookie dough flavor. Imagine her delight, when, on a Live Free Gluten Free Tour at Whole Foods last week she was handed a carton of Purely Decadent non-dairy frozen dessert- in gluten free chocolate chip cookie dough flavor!

We bought it, of course, and the next night we grabbed a couple spoons and had at it. Purely Decadent makes their “ice cream” with coconut milk, so it was a totally new experience for both of us.

Ease of Use

Gluten free chocolate chip cookie dough coconut milk ice cream is a lot to say, but easy to eat. Watch out for brain freeze!

Appearance

It looks like ice cream! This creamy white concoction is full of chocolaty flakes. In my opinion, it could use more chunks of gluten free cookie dough, but that's because I'm a bit of a glutton.

Taste and Texture

The texture of Purely Decadent non-dairy frozen dessert is not as rich as regular ice cream (and not as fattening, I'm sure). It is very smooth and creamy. The chocolate flakes were great, no tooth jarring chunks here. The gluten free cookie dough was great! Perfect texture.

You can definitely taste the coconut flavor here. It was a bit disconcerting with the flavor of the cookie dough at first. Not bad...just different. I liked it enough to finish off the pint with my daughter.

Versatility

You can put toppings on it.

Overall Value

Here's the rub. The one pint container of Purely Decadent non-dairy frozen dessert was almost $6. My reaction? "Well, I'll buy it for you this time as a treat, but don't get attached to it."

Rating

It was good. I'd recommend it for anyone who is really missing cookie dough ice cream.

Kneaded Specialties White Sandwich Bread

Last week I had the pleasure to visit a new local gluten free bakery. I enjoyed my visit there very much, but enjoyed the food more. The gluten free product review for today will be Kneaded Specialties White Sandwich Bread. I do believe my search for great gluten free bread is over. Read on to find out why.

Ease of Use

This bread is good enough to eat right out of the bag, but why limit yourself? It has enough elasticity that it survived peanut butter and jelly with no problem. The BLT experiment had a bit of crumbling, which is expected because I used very fresh and juicy tomatoes.

What amazed me was when I tried to toast Kneaded Specialties White Sandwich Bread. It is so moist that it needs a very dark setting to toast, a medium setting just warmed it. There is no need for butter either, as the heat just enhances the already fantastic flavors.

Appearance

The loaf of bread itself is a very generous size. This surprised me because I am used to the downsized versions that gluten free bread usually come in. It is a lovely golden color with texture and bubbles obvious in every slice.

Taste and Texture

"WOW" is not a big enough word to describe Kneaded Specialties White Sandwich Bread. It tastes and smells like "real" bread. The crust provides a soft but firm framework to support the super moist interior. This bread has such a great flavor that when she offered me water to wash it down I turned it down. The heavenly aftertaste deserved to be savored.

Versatility

Kneaded Specialties White Sandwich Bread has infinite possibilities. It is bread at it's best. Here are a few ideas:

• Sandwiches (duh)
• Croutons
• French Toast
• Cinnamon Toast

Really, I could go on forever. But it really will be something you want to use for everything!

Overall Value

You can get a half loaf (about the size of the average gluten free loaf) for $5.50. I recommend going for the full loaf ($10.50).

Considering the fact that the price is very comparable to a lot of the other gluten free breads offered and tastes worlds better, I declare it a great value.

Rating

I absolutely cannot get enough of Kneaded Specialties White Sandwich Bread!

Love Yourself Body Balm by Marie Natural Botanicals

Facing the gluten free product review criteria today is Love Yourself Body Balm by Marie Natural Botanicals. The sneak peak pack I received from Marie Natural Botanicals was so full of good stuff that I wanted to spread the love a little and switch up the reviews a bit.

I am happy to announce that, although this killer company does not yet have a home on the web, there is now a number you can call for product information and ordering. It is: 888-666-0894.
Okay, on to the Body Balm!

Ease of Use

Love Yourself Body Balm by Marie Natural Botanicals is like a wicked fun science project! It comes in a cute little tin and is a solid consistency. It almost reminds me of lip gloss, but in a bigger container. When you scoop some of the Body Balm out of tin it is slightly grainy and textured. Once you begin rubbing it between your hands, though, all texture disappears and you have nothing but oil. I was a bit nervous about this at first, because I hate to be greasy. I took the plunge and spread it on.

Here is where it gets really cool... Within five minutes there was no greasiness, no residue at all! My skin was baby soft and I didn't have to stay off the furniture! So, not only is Love Yourself Body Balm by Marie Natural Botanicals easy to use, it's really cool!

The only thing I would change is that there would be a mini scoop or something to help it out of the tin. I just hate getting things stuck under my nails.

Appearance

Love Yourself Body Balm by Marie Natural Botanicals is a creamy color with a slight shimmer. It looks like it might be a bit dry and hard to spread.

Scent and Texture

I think I covered the texture section pretty well in the description of use, but the scent is as yet untouched :)

The scent is soft, fresh and clean. It has notes of citrus and spice, but also something softer, like baby powder. Also, the scent lasts all day, all night too for that matter.

Versatility

There is a bit of versatility to this gluten free skin care product. The scent is made in such a way that it will blend with and complement virtually any perfume.

Overall Value

A 4oz. tin of Love Yourself Body Balm by Marie Natural Botanicals will run you about $14.50. The tin will last about a month with regular use. It seemed a bit pricey to me at first glance, but when you factor in the fact that it will replace all of your other lotions and creams with no need to re-apply during the day, it's well worth it.

Rating

I am seriously addicted to this product. It is an absolute must have.

Schar Gluten Free Vanilla Wafers

As promised, today is the second installment of the search for fantastic gluten free wafer cookies. This has been a great gluten free product review for me to do because I love these crispy delights! Okay, admittedly, all my reviews are fun, but this one is like a series...almost.

I started with Glutino Strawberry Wafer Cookies, and now am moving on to a vanilla wafer. Schar Gluten Free Vanilla Wafers to be exact.

Ease of Use

Usually here I insert a witty remark about how easy cookies are, but this time is different. Schar Gluten Free Vanilla Wafers actually have an element of difficulty to them. They are packed very tightly in a foil lined package that needs to be cut open. The tight package is a good idea in theory because it reduces breakage on the shelf, but try getting the first two cookies out without breaking them.

Appearance

These gluten free cookies are the perfect vanilla wafer color. Creamy colored wafers with sparkling white cream inside. They are covered with a fine dust of the crumbled corners of their package buddies.

Taste and Texture

Schar Gluten Free Vanilla Wafers are paper thin and crispy. They have a very nice texture to bite into. You could eat a million of these and not get full.

Unfortunately, the wafers themselves carry a bit of the "gluten free funk" that I am not fond of. The redeeming quality is the vanilla cream which is tangy, flavorful and delicious.

Versatility

No real versatility here. It seems like if you tried to crush or crumble these at all you will be left with nothing but powder. They are even a little too fragile to dip or use as garnish.

Overall Value

Schar Gluten Free Vanilla Wafers will run you about $4 for 16 cookies. I'm not sure that will make them my go-to brand.

Rating

I recommend Schar Gluten Free Vanilla Wafers as a sometime treat.