I’m not a big fan of beef jerky or similar products because they are often too tough and dry. That type of products also tends to taste over processed in an attempt to add shelf life. However, after sampling the Tanka products I was very impressed. Though I feel Tanka bars and bites are fit to compete with products like beef jerky and other meat snacks, they are far from tough and definitely not dry. The meat itself is easy to chew and taste lean and smoky. The tart-sweet cranberries keep the meat moist with out feeling greasy and add a slightly sweet flavor.  The Spicy Hot versions of the bars and bites have a nice complementary level of heat and spice added to the already pretty yummy foundation that makes up the Traditional versions.

In addition to tasting great, they are also amazingly healthy. Each serving is only 70 calories and is low in fat. In addition to being naturally gluten-free, they are also naturally dairy, nut, soy, and MSG free. Since the meat used in this product is prairie-fed buffalo they are also hormone free.  Buffalo meat is also loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids making it a very heart healthy food.

Natural, healthy, tasty, portable and long lasting makes these meat snacks a great choice for the busy person on the go, outdoor enthusiast, athlete, or avid slacker.  To learn more about Tanka Products visit www.tankabar.com. I my self, will be ordering Tanka Dogs, and look forward to tasting these heart healthy all natural buffalo hot dogs.

Till next time happy, healthy, and yummy GF eating!

Elevate Me! Energy Bars come in seven different flavors. All of the flavors contain a base of why protein isolate, date, and organic raisins. Then a variety of additional ingredients are added to make up the different flavors. The All-Fruit Original contains almonds, apples, cranberries, papaya, and mango. This was the one we thought tasted to strongly of dates. The Blueberry Cranberry Gojiberry Boost!, and Matcha Green Tea with Cranberries were my favorites because they were filled with complimentary tangy berry flavors. My significant other appreciated the addition of coca to Chocolate Acai Berry Brownie, Espresso Cocoa Crunch, and Cocoa Coconut Cluster. These tasted more like treats than a healthy protein bar. We both thought the addition of banana flavor in the Banana Nut Bread worked really with the date and raisin base.

No matter which flavor we ate the results were the same. We ended up satisfied and re-energized. The compact bar makes them a great meal on the go. In the case of my other test subject they made and easy quick snack to have when you are running out of energy are hungry and have lots of time till you can stop and have a full meal. The fact that Elevate Me! Bars are gluten free makes them a great option for training or competing celiac athletes (For more on celiac athletes visit NFCA’s Athletes for Awareness blog). However, the fact that they are also delicious makes them a yummy healthy snack for everyone.

To learn more about Elevate Me! Bars visit www.prosnack.com. Till next time, happy and healthy gluten-free snacking!

The Hearty Spanish Rice and Red Beans soup is, as its name implies, very thick and hearty. It is filled with organic red beans and brown rice. The rich and thick sauce that coats the main ingredients is packed with organic veggies such as tomato, onion, green chilies, and zucchini. All the ingredients are complimented by a nice blend of herbs and spices, resulting in a mild and pleasant hint of heat in each bite.

The Southwestern Veggie Soup is loaded with fire roasted veggies such as potatoes, onions, corn, and bell peppers. This gives this soup a smoky southwestern flair. This soup is thick and so full of veggies that it is almost like a stew.

The Chunky Tomato Bisque was probably my favorite. Regular can tomato soup will never be good enough again. This soup was filled with the texture and taste of a rich tomato sauce that had only lightly been blended. Along with the organic tomato puree and diced tomatoes that make up the heart of this soup, is a hint of organic cream and spices. The result is purely yummy!

All three of these soups tasted very close to homemade. In minutes you get what could have taken hours in the kitchen. They are also cooked to perfection, so be sure not to over cook when you heat these delicious soups up.

To learn more about these soups as well as the many other wonderful products Amy’s Kitchen has to offer visit AmysKitchen.com. Amy’s Kitchen website has a great section that lists all the products they make that fit special diet requirements. Be sure to check out the gluten free section.

Doodles Cookie mixes come in three gf varieties, Chocolate Chip, Sugar, and Nut Butter. Each box of Doodles Cookies Organic Gluten Free Cookie Mix contains all the dry ingredients you need to bake some fresh from the oven cookies. To mix up a batch of cookies all you need is two or three added ingredients. These are all common ingredients that can be found in most refrigerators and pantries.

In addition to adding an egg and vanilla extract to the chocolate chip cookie mix you also add applesauce. The result is a moist, yummy, chocolate chip filled cookie. For the Nut Butter cookies you can choose any nut butter you prefer. The Sugar Cookies can be mixed up with your choice of extract. Vanilla, lemon, or almond extracts are the suggestions on the box and each will result in a slightly different type of sugar cookie. So these three simple boxes actually result in a lot of variety depending on what you like to taste and bake with.

When I added the suggested ingredients to the dry mix I was surprised that the dough was so thick. It’s often suggested to refrigerate gf mixes since they are often runny. No refrigeration is required for these mixes though. If I had wanted to take extra time I could have even made the cookies into shapes.

As impressive as the cookie dough was, I was still a little skeptical. After the cookies were done baking I got another surprise. They were pretty darn tasty. The next step was to find more victims…err… test subjects. I gave cookies to two subjects both gluten eaters with a bit of experience in the wonderful wacky world of gluten free baking. The first an adult male who liked them and thought they would go great with coffee (which I completely agree with). The second an 11 year old boy who was not told they were gluten free. He quickly returned to the kitchen to say cookies were “yum!” and then asked for more.

On top of being gluten free, the ingredients that go into the mixes are organic and wholesome. Organic whole grain brown rice flour tops the list and I think that influences the final product a lot.

Great ingredients, easy prep combined with short cooking time, and yummy. I will call this product a winner. To learn more about Doodles Cookies visit www.doodles.com

I tested each flavor of Cormier’s Kitchen cooking sauces by adding them to  fresh cut stir-fry vegetables then served them on noodles. These sauces come in five flavors. Cracked Black Pepper, is a spicy sauce that has a mild amount of heat from its fresh cracked black pepper blend. Orange Burst is a sweet tangy orange flavored sauce paired with a hint of ginger to spice it up. Double Garlic has a blast of sweet roasted garlic flavor achieved by a balanced combination of a double dose of garlic along with a nice blend of herbs and sugar. Garlic and Ginger is very similar to the double garlic but has been spiced up with ginger root. Garlic and Jalapeño is spicy with out catching your tongue on fire. Instead of a fast blast of fire on your tongue, this sauce’s flavor lingers with a long lasting and pleasant level of heat.

All the sauces in this line are rich and filled with flavor. The blends added enhance but do not overpower the soy sauce. This makes them an exciting substitute for many other cooking sauces and an excellent addition to your gluten free kitchen.

To learn more about Cormier’s Kitchen Cooking Sauces visit cormierskitchen.com.

The yummy dessert that is the result of Three Senses Gourmet hard work, skill and creativity, is good enough to find on any elegant café or restaurant’s menu. However, Three Senses Gourmet founder, Amy Phillips, realized gourmet easy-to-make “heat and serve” items were missing from the grocery store. This is lucky for the celiac and gluten-free community, because this delicious dish is now available in a growing number of grocery stores.  The Chocolate Soufflé, Caramel Chocolate Soufflé, and the Chocolate Chip Brioche Bread Pudding frozen desserts are just the beginning. The company plans to add more desserts and other gourmet cuisine to their line designed to help with convenient, gourmet entertaining. But don’t take my word for it, Three Senses Gourmet’s Chocolate Soufflé is a must try. Visit www.3sensesgourmet.com to learn more about all of Three Senses Gourmet’s products and learn where you can get one of your own.

The Winner of the GFHP Betty Crocker “Simple Joys” Contest is:  Leslie Hart!

Congratulations Leslie Hart, I’ll be contacting you soon.

It was love at first sight when I tried Jules’ Gluten-Free Flour. The recipe they provided for Beer Bread was absolutely delicious when I first took it out of the oven. It was light and fluffy and mouth watering and I wanted to cry because I hadn’t tasted bread that good in months. Being only 17, and having been diagnosed less than a year, the prospect of finding delicious bread in such little time seemed miraculous. I had no idea how to properly store my loaf, so I wrapped it in saran and a ziplock and prayed.

But alas, the loaf became dry and crumbly over the next several days and my excitement was short lived. Luckily, I still had faith in my 5 lb. bag of flour.

From then on, I used the Jules’ Gluten-Free Flour Mix for everything I baked. From lentil burgers to apple custard pie, it has never failed me, which is especially good considering that the recipes I use normally call for wheat flour. Yes, I think Jules’ Gluten-Free Flour Mix is the ultimate substitute for wheat flour. And though I haven’t used any Jules recipes since the Beer Bread, I do have faith in them. In fact, I plan to do a lot of my thanksgiving cooking from the “Jules’ 101 Thanksgiving” guide I downloaded from their website. Needless to say, I find myself evaluating my space in the kitchen as I get ready to ask my mother for the 20 lb. bag!

We have since contacted Jules and asked her about storing bread. She responded immediately urging me not to freeze or refrigerate the bread until I am ready to store the remainder of the loaf for breadcrumbs, stuffing or croutons. She explains that breads that use thin liquids (like beer and water) tend to dry out rather quickly. They are best freshly baked. She referred me to her Bread Making 101 e-booklet that includes two recipes using yoghurt, which Jules says “tend to stay moist for many days.”

I can’t wait to bake my next loaf!

For more great reviews and recipes visit Molly North’s blog.