Gluten Free Goodies

Mention gluten free and many foodies will groan. Goods baked without it  usually are have a bland taste or a funny texture. That's quickly becoming a myth thanks to several companies that have all gluten free lines. They're flavorful and best of all have a chewy or crunchy texture.

One of the best brands for anyone going gluten free, whether for health or diet, is Glutino . It   has every kind of product to help have a full and varied diet, Conscientious bakers will marvel at their many mixes from pizza dough to old fashioned yellow cake.There are also chocolate chip and brown mixes too  along with regular gluten free flour for family recipes.The Boulder , Colorado company also sells loaves of already baked breads and stuffing for holiday turkeys. My favorites are their bagel chips and Oreo style sandwich creme cookies. The bagel chips are tastier than the usual kind, with a good dusting of sea salt on them.They also have Parmesan cheese and garlic as well as a sweet cinnamon and sugar one. The sandwich cookies are so crisp with a smooth creamy filling. I can't wait to try their vanilla version along with their double chocolate chip cookies and animal crackers. Their toaster toaster pastries look as good as PopTarts and those are definitely on the to be tried list along with their pizzas.

Other brands that are getting rid of that gluey gluten are WOW and  Simply Balanced. WOW which stands for with out wheat. Like Glutino the Kent, Washington company has both cake and cookie mixes.The cookie dough is already mixed and waiting to be scooped out onto a waiting cookie sheet. The cake mixes have classic flavors such as vanilla,chocolate and spice, the last perfect for holiday baking.The cookies come in bags,, giant singles and containers. I love their buttery chocolate chip cookies that are riddled with large chips  and am looking forward to trying their lemon burst as well as their maple squares and butter toffee. Wow's secret to a good , healthy cookie is the inclusion of brown rice as well as gluten free flour. Simply Balanced is another gluten free must have snack to munch on. This is a Target in house brand, like their Archer Farms and it has a variety of healthy foods and snacks.Their gluten free sesame flavored brown rice crackers are wonderfully crispy and flavorful, They'd be good with a homemade hummus, perfecting for scooping and dipping.Target also has a flax seed one that's another must try.The store also makes a gluten free all natural fusilli, and spaghetti, which I will be making in future. Their all natural sauce will be topping it.

Gluten free doesn't have to mean taste free or lumpy. Their are brands, like Glutino, WOW and Simply Balanced that give us tasty treats to snack ad crunch on. Try them and join the gluten free revolution.

The Incredible Shrinking Treats

It looks like our favorite foods are shrinking.More and more snacks and treats are becoming bite sized, and easy to bring with us everywhere.Is this a good thing or a bad?It depends on the product. Miniatures are nothing New.There were Chiklets, those dust mote sized pieces of fruit flavored gum along with the tiny snaps from Pepperidge Farms.Smaller versions are back now with a vengeance and it includes foods you normally wouldn't think of as miniature.Pop Tarts have come out with a tiny version.These come ten to a bag and are stamp sized.They're too teeny to be toasted so you can eat them cold(not always a good choice when it comes to Pop Tarts). Entemann's has come out with a smaller version of their classic fudge doughnuts which sadly can make it a cinch to finish the whole box.Even ice cream brands like Blue Bunny are also selling nibble size treats.There are also smaller versions of some of the Nabisco crackers such as Wheat Thins too. It is fun to have this bite sized yummies every now and then however think about munching some of nature's own mini' to enjoy.For a great snack ,think grape tomatoes. Add a sprinkle of sea salt and they makes a nice treat for anywhere, from the office to the beach.Another mini are the cuties.These are tasty Clementine oranges that are packed with nutrients .Freeze these for a respite from ice ream and ices when the hot weather comes.Another healthy minis the classic Saltine(although not naturally made, made with healthy ingredients )many have shrunken in size but they are big on the healthy ways to be served.You can add peanut butter to them for a nice school snack or even add grape halves or peach slices for fun bites while you watch TV. Miniature anything are fun to eat.However don't go too wild with the smaller versions of junk foodEat the more healthier mini fruits and veggies .Vary the two types for quick bites and fun snack times.