Review of Glutino Gluten-Free Pretzels

It is nice to have a snack when you travel.  We drove thousands of miles to help our son and daughter-in-law move to Rhode Island and now we are stopping to see some sites on the way home.  I bought a bag of "gluten" pretzel sticks for those in the family who can eat gluten, and a bag of Glutino Gluten-Free Pretzels for my daughter and me.  They were over $6 for one bag, but they have lasted a long time and it helps to have a crunchy snack to stay awake when I am driving.  I was surprised to find out that the gluten-free pretzels were preferred by those in our family who can eat gluten.  They said the Glutino pretzels tasted better and were more crunchy.  I am rating them at 10 out of 10. :)  Yum!

(Photo Source:  google images)

Hairspray and Shampoo with Wheat: It Stings Sometimes!

I have read that those of us with celiac disease don't need to worry about using lotions and hair products with wheat since the gluten it isn't absorbed in the skin.  However, several members of our area support group for those with celiac disease have mentioned that these products sting their skin.  This has happened to me occasionally, as well.  I decided to use only lotions and hair products that don't list wheat in the ingredients.  I especially feel strongly about this when it comes to hairspray.  We can't help but breathe in some hairspray when we spray our hair.  Here is my favorite hairspray without wheat: Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine.

(Photo Source:  Google Images)

Product Review of Udi's

I absolutely love Udi's Gluten-Free Bread when it is toasted and served with eggs.  I am not as enthused about their bagels.  They have good flavor, but the texture is extremely dry, partially due to the thickness of the bagels.  I am rating them at 6 out of 10.  However, if you add an abundance of strawberry cream cheese (we tried the Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Whipped Strawberry Cream Cheese Spread, which was delicious), and slice the bagels very thinly, they can be quite good.  :)

(Photo Source:  http://udisglutenfree.com/product-catalog/)

Review of Gluten-Free Arrowhead Mills Organic Maple Buckwheat Flakes

I was excited to see this cereal at our local grocery store.  The price of the cereal was quite affordable. Unfortunately, the taste of it was disappointing.  The flavor started off to be quite tasty, with a touch of maple.  Then the aftertaste hit the taste buds, which was bitter.  I am rating this cereal at 5 out of 10.  It isn't too bad if you mix it with another delicious gluten-free cereal. :)

(Photo Source:  amazon.com)

Product Review of Glutenfreeda Gluten-Free Burrito

Every once in a while, it is nice to know there is something in the freezer that you can warm up quickly for lunch on a busy day.  My daughter and I tried out a Glutenfreeda Chicken and Cheese Burrito.  Unfortunately, it wasn't the tastiest.  I am rating it at 6 out of 10.  The texture of the tortilla was kind of spongy, which looked different than usual...but we are acquainted with some gluten-free food having an unusual texture. The biggest drawback was the lack of great flavor overall, and the chicken tasted like turkey--with a rubbery texture.


                      (Photo source:  google.com images)

Review of Pamela's Butter Shortbread Cookies

A few days ago, my husband and I went on an overnight getaway to a cabin in the mountains.  The location was beautiful.  We had an awesome time.  We brought snacks along and a movie, and enjoyed relaxing in the hot tub.  One of the snacks we brought were these Pamela's cookies.  They looked good.  They started out tasting good.  But as we continued chewing the cookie, the texture became crumbly and pasty. I would rate these cookies at 5 out of 10. When we left for home,  we had leftover cookies--as you can imagine--and both of our children who tasted a cookie also rated them around 4 or 5, without knowing that is what we rated them.  That is how the cookie crumbles. :)

Review of DeBoles Gluten Free Angel Hair Pasta

It is incredibly awesome to be a Grandma!  I am hanging out in the apartment my son and daughter-in-law are staying in and taking care of my sweet granddaughter while her parents prepare for finals week at the university they are attending.  Last night, we decided on spaghetti for dinner.  I went to their local grocery store to get the ingredients, and found that the only brand of gluten-free noodles they had was DeBoles.  Gasp!  NO Tinkyada!  (Tinkyada is my favorite brand.  My mom loves Notta Pasta, which is also very good.)

I would rate the DeBoles noodles at 3 out of 10.  My spaghetti dinner was kind of miserable. The noodles were pasty, grainy, and just didn't taste good.  I was glad I bought some regular gluten noodles for my son and daughter-in-law.

Review of Mrs. Leeper's Gluten Free Beef Lasagna

I appreciate all of the new gluten-free products out there, so I am hesitant to be negative...but this beef lasagna in a box isn't my favorite.  I would give it about a 3 out of 10, and would bump it up to a 5 out of 10 if you leave it in the fridge for a day and then taste it.  The flavors seem to smooth out and the tangy taste isn't quite as prevalent the next day. 


(Photo source:  amazon.com)