What I eat

Some of the meals that helped me lose over 40lbs. You do not have to starve or sacrifice to lose weight. I originally posted this on my facebook page but I thought I'd share them with you.

 

Simple Mills Baking Mixes Review

Chocolate Muffins

I was lucky enough to win a Simple Mills prize pack from Gluten Free Frenzy and I am so grateful that I did. I was not sure what to expect because as you know gluten free baking mixes are usually a hit or a big miss. After trying all the mixes Simple Mills was definitely a huge hit at our home. All the mixes were delicious and moist and I loved that they are not crumbly like some gluten free products are.

Pumpkin Muffin

One thing that impressed me was that they were low in sugar and Paleo friendly. They are a great option if your trying to avoid sugar or grains but still want a sweet treat. Just like their name their ingredients are simple as you can see in the picture. To top it off they include some organic ingredients and they are also Non-GMO. I will definitely continue to purchase these mixes.


You can find the mixes at http://www.simplemills.com/ and I believe Whole Foods. The mixes are around 7.99 a box. They are made in a dedicated bakery and certified gluten free.

.

Gluten Free Gift Ideas

I have always liked to give a bag or basket with some items that I know the person I am gifting loves or some things I think they would love. Plus it's fun to create. Here are some ideas for your special gluten free someone.


For make up I would recommend Red Apple Lipstick. Red Apple Lipstick have some of the best lipsticks  I have ever used. All their lipsticks are high quality, pigmented and have great staying power. They also have eyeshadows, lip liners, mascara, and eyeliners. They also just released their 2015 winter collection. They are a little pricey but (so worth it) if you sign up for their v.i.p. program you can get a special discount every month. You can even get a discount if you send in your old toxic lipstick to them. They are also cruelty free, vegan and use natural ingredients. They also have samples so you can get them a few samples so they can try out a few different things.  You can find them at http://www.redapplelipstick.com/

Another green company I would recommend is Brija Cosmetics. Not only are they gluten free they are also vegan and cruelty free. I'm pretty much obsessed with this company. All the products are affordable and amazing. You can find eye products, lip products, blushes, bronzers and more. The cool thing about this company is that the collections are themed. From Mean Girls to Harry Potter there is something for everyone. You can find Brija Cosmetics here http://www.brijacosmetics.com/

For bath products I love Andalou Naturals. They have amazing products. They have hand creams, lotions, shower gels, face masks, and much more. They also test for gluten, use clean ingredients and are cruelty free. https://andalou.com/

Baking mixes! It's winter so why not gift some gluten free baking mixes. I recommend Pamela Products. There mixes are easy to make and taste great. Find them at your local health store or at their website http://www.pamelasproducts.com/

When I first was diagnosed I had a friend who already had Celiac Disease. She taught me a lot and I was blessed to have her support. For my first Christmas as a Celiac one of my gifts she gave me was a recipe box full her gluten free and delicious recipes. It helped so much. It made me feel more at ease and confident that my gluten free food could taste great and wouldn't be a headache to make. You can get some recipes online or even get a gluten free recipe book. I would recommend http://kcstartedthefire.blogspot.com/ for recipes and
http://www.imaceliac.com/store if you want a good recipe book.

You can get your special gluten free someone a Love With Food Box Gluten Free Box Subscription. They will get a box every month full of gluten free snacks. All of the items are safe for people with Celiac Disease. What I love is that for every box purchased they donate a meal to a hungry child. Now that is awesome. There is an annual plan but there also is a three or six month subscription plan and even a month to month plan so you have a few options. Feel free to use my link here for 50% off your first box. Love With Food Gluten Free Box

Tea is a great gift. You have to be careful because some tea brands might use share equipment that processes wheat and you want to make sure your not getting tea that is contaminated. Some I know and use are Bigelow, Zhenas and Raizana.

•  You can find Bigelow Teas https://www.bigelowtea.com/ here and I have found them at regular grocery stores. You can put them in a mason jar or a cute tea cup.

•  Zhenas teas are delicious and amazing. They are certified gluten free, free trade, organic, certified vegan, kosher and more. They have tea bags and lose leaf teas. Plus they come in really cute containers so they are perfect for a gift. Find them here https://www.zhenas.com/

•  Raizana Tea Co. come in many flavors and are lose leaf. They taste great and are also gluten free and vegan. They also sell tea infusers so you can pair them with some tea samples and a mug. You can save with my link here Raizana Tea

If your friend prefers coffee I recommend Lanna Coffee.  This an amazing company. They actually help Thailand Villages become self-sustainable. Additionally,  Twenty five percent of profits goes back to the village to help with health care, get clean water and more. Not to mention their coffee is delicous! http://www.lannacoffeeco.com/

A Planner is perfect for someone with Celiac Disease. You can use it to plan out recipes and menus. It can really help out when they are busy and do not have much time. Most Celaics do not have safe places to go eat whenever they feel like so most likely they are making all their food at home. You can get one at a store and there are tons of cute ones on etsy.com if you want it personalized.

So I hoped I helped you get some ideas. If you have any of your own ideas leave a comment down below. The more ideas the better. Happy Holidays and thank you for a wonderful year. 

Nomsy

Hi, everyone. Today I wanted to share with you a new up and coming app that aims to help people with food allergies, food intolerances, special diets and Celiac Disease. It is called Nomsy. Nomsy will be a community based platform that can be customized to your food needs. That means you can open your app and find recipes and safe places to eat that fit your diet. You will be able to read articles and even be able to catch up with trending topics that you care about and all in one place. Plus it's always great to connect with others who know what your going through and support you. Did I mention it will be free? How amazing is that? When I learned about Nomsy I knew I had to share it with you all! Check out these videos to learn more.
Move Forward in the Fight Against Dietary Restrictions from Robert Greenfield on Vimeo.

A sneak peak of what Nomsy will look like Be sure to check out their website at http://www.nomsy.co/ or check out their Instagram at @nutfreenoms .

You can help them get started by visiting their go fund me page at this link: http://gofundme.com/nomsy Even if your not able to donate consider sharing their campaign on your social media to spread the word around. What I love about this campaign is that some of the proceeds will even go towards food allergy and Celiac Disease research (they are partnering with the Celiac Disease Foundation and End Allergies Together Organization). Be sure to check them out.

Thank you all for reading and be sure to check out Nomsy.

*I was not paid in anyway for this blog post.

 

Summer Favorites

It has been awhile since I have been able to blog. It has been a busy and crazy summer but I'm back and I can't with to share some of the fun gluten free make up and food that I have found this summer

This summer So Delicious released their Cashew Milk Dairy Free Ice Cream. It is creamy and tastes amazing. My Husband was surprised that it was dairy free. Their salted caramel cluster flavor is perfection. I love ice cream and this is now my favorite ice cream flavor of all time. P.S. if you haven't already check out their Coco Whip Whipped Cream.

 If you follow my Instagram or twitter you know I love Justin's Peanut Butter Cups so when they came out with gluten free pretzel snacks I had to try them. They are perfect for an afternoon snack or when your own the go. I love their almond butter flavor.

Although I have mentioned this in a previous favorites I decided to talk about it again because it is so hard to find a good dairy and gluten free ice coffee. Califia Iced Coffee is wonderful. They have many flavors and come in a single serving size and quart size. I will add all the websites at the bottom so you can check out their ingredients and where you can find them.

Now to make up. This summer I have been keeping it simple especially because of the crazy heat where I live. I been loving my Honeybee Garden's Pressed Mineral Powder in Montego. As, you can see in the picture below I have already hit pan. It is light to medium coverage and slides on your skin smoothly and does not look cakey. It is natural, cruelty free, and of course gluten free. I also been loving Brija's new 90's eye shadow collection and Brija's amazing new Mean Girls Collection blushes. Just look at those swatches. Besides being cruelty free, vegan and gluten free the ingredients are natural and never break me out. Lastly, I wanted to find a good waterproof mascara. I have read good things about Pacifica's Aquarian Gaze Mineral Mascara. One day while at target I spotted it on sale and I had a coupon on cartwheel for it so I decided it was a good time to try it. I loved it. It didn't smudge, it made my eyelashes pop and didn't make them feel crunchy or clumpy. They are also cruelty free and do not use gluten in their formulas (they do not test for gluten).

If you have any questions or comments leave them down below and have an amazing day.

Websites:

http://sodeliciousdairyfree.com/products/coconut-milk-beverages/original

http://justins.com/products

http://www.califiafarms.com/

http://www.brijacosmetics.com/

http://www.pacificabeauty.com/

http://honeybeegardens.com/pressed-mineral-powder-foundation/

Bliss Baking Co. of California Review



Bliss Baking Co. of California located in the Central Valley is a family operated company who sells gluten free and grain free baked goods. It's always amazing to find a local gluten free business. What is unique about Bliss Baking Co. is that 90% of their menu is grain free. Finding grain free baked goods can be difficult and expensive. My Husband eats mostly grain free so it was great finding some grain free treats for him. What I love about this company is that it is also great for people who follow certain diets like the GAPS diet and paleo diet. They have various items that are dairy free. They also let me know that they can work with you if you are vegan, or have other food intolerances or food allergies. That just shows how much they care.




Nutty Bliss Cereal(grain free granola), (muffins) Chocolate Monkey,
cinnamon raisin, cocoa bliss,(scone)cherry almond

I think most people would be surprised to know that a lot of these treats are grain free because they are so delicious. My favorites were the chocolate monkey muffin and the lemon blueberry muffin. The scone and cookies were amazing as well. I'll have to be back to get some more very soon. Every product that I tried was delicious. They were a huge hit with my Son and Husband as well. Something that I always take in consideration is the product's texture. Another product I loved was the Nutty Bliss Cereal (grain free granola). You can put it on your yogurt or just eat alone like I did.

  

You can find Bliss Bee Co. at Fresno's Kaiser Permanente Farmer's Market on most
Wednesdays. They also do special orders. This is the link to their Facebook page where you can get more information, join their mailing list and get more updates.  https://www.facebook.com/BlissBakingCoCalifornia?fref=ts

* The items that contain oats are certified gluten free.

 

I cant end this review without talking about The Original Bliss Bread. I really did not know what to expect since I have never eaten grain free bread before. My husband who does eat mainly grain free has just gone without bread completely. I'm happy to say we loved this bread. The taste and texture is great. It can be eaten straight out of the package or toasted. It can also be frozen to last longer. I hope you enjoyed this review and be sure to check out their facebook.

*Note: I was given items for review but was not paid or told what to write. All opinions are my own as always.

March and April Gluten Free Favorites

 

 



 

I have heard great things about North Coast Organics Deodorant so when I saw it at T J Maxx for five dollars I had to grab it. Good natural deodorants are so hard to find. After using it for a good amount of time I feel that it works great and I would repurchase. I still prefer Primal Pit Paste in jar form but North Coast Organics comes very close. It is more convenient because it's in stick form. A lot of natural stick form deodorants (including primal pit paste stick) has a dry hard texture and has to be warmed up which is annoying. What's the point of getting a deodorant in stick form if it is not going to be convenient? Luckily the North Coast Organics Deodorant texture is soft and there is no need to warm it up. Plus it non irritating and their ingredients are simple and clean. They only had their naked deodorant which is scentless so I will probably look into getting their sample pack because I do prefer something scented. http://www.northcoastorganics.net/#!/Organic-Deodorants/c/7094980/offset=0&sort=normal




 I found another Deep Steep product and I love it. The Deep Steep moisture spray is perfect for dry skin. If you have dry skin like I do then I recommend this product. It's light refreshing and smells great. http://www.deepsteep.com/






I love peanut butter and chocolate. Not only are Justin's Peanut Butter Cups gluten free, organic, vegan and free trade they are delicious! So much better for you than a recess peanut butter cup and it tastes better too. They also carry almond butter jars and packs.  http://justins.com/







If you haven't already you should check out my Love with Food Box review. The giveaway contest is over but if your looking for a gluten free subscription that is also healthy then this one might be right for you. Plus for every box purchased they donate two meals to food banks. http://letusreview101.blogspot.com/2015/04/love-with-food-box-by-gfree-foodie.html


I have tried many different gluten free pizza crusts good and bad. Glutino pizza crust is my favorite  by far. I feel like a lot of crusts are either gooey or hard and this was crust was not. It has a great texture and a perfect taste. This crust is also perfect for making some garlic bread. Just add some Italian seasoning and garlic. http://www.glutino.com/









*taken from website

It can be tough finding truly gluten free coffee. The problem with coffee is that it is often contaminated with wheat. There are truly only a handful of coffees I trust. So, when I found Califia Farms Iced Coffee I was excited. Not only are they gluten free but they are made with almond milk which is perfect for those who avoid dairy or are lactose intolerant. When browsing on their website I found out they also make almond milk, coffee creamer, aqua frescas and even horchata! Also, most of their products are carrageenan free and they currently removing carrageenan as an ingredient. Their products are also GMO free.
http://www.califiafarms.com/learn-more

Izzy's Organic Blue Agave is perfect for substituting table sugar for foods and drinks. It is only 11 grams of sugar per tablespoon. I love to use it instead of maple syrup and since I don't use that much on my pancakes it really cuts down my sugar. It's organic and gluten free. I found it at a discount store but you can find it on amazon.






http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Agave-Sweetener-11-5-ounce-Bottles/dp/B00KPN8L08/ref=sr_1_1s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1430858957&sr=1-1&keywords=izzy%27s+organic


I usually pick a classic movie but I thought I would talk about one of my favorite movie series of all time. Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea by Kevin Sullivan. Sadly Jonathan Crombie who plays Gilbert Blythe past away recently. I know he was apart of my childhood and so many others. This was the first movie I can remember my Aunt (we loved watching period movies and reading period books together) showed me. I instantly fell in love with the series and read all the books. Although Anne Of Avonlea is different than the books it's still a great movie. I hope you check it out or revisit the series because they are truly wonderful. http://anne.sullivanmovies.com/


I hoped you enjoyed this post. Have you tried any of these products? Did you like them? Feel free to comment and don't forget to subscribe for more.

Love With Food Box by Gfree Foodie Review and giveaway!

I am so excited to be reviewing the March Love with Food Box Curated by GF-Foodie!
There are a few gluten free subscription boxes out there but what caught my eye about the Love with Food Box is that everything in the box is natural or organic. Just because something is gluten free does not mean that it is healthy so it's really nice finding snacks that are gluten free, taste good and that are good for you. With the Love with Food Gluten Free Box you receive one box every month with 8-12 gluten free snacks. Boxes are $24.50 a month if you subscribe for a year. They also have six month subscriptions or you can just buy month to month. Everything in the box is safe for people with Celiac which is great because you don't have to worry if what your eating might get you sick. They let me know they are very careful when picking out the snacks for the box and work with the companies to ensure that all the items are truly gluten free. Another thing that separates this box from the rest is for every box sold Love with Food donates two meals to a food bank! Isn't that amazing?

So right away I notice my box is jammed packed with yummy treats. It came with a notecard that lists every treat and all their facts and allergen information which was incredibly helpful. It also came with recipes and coupons. So you get even more savings. I even got a full size Bob Red Mills Pie Crust Mix! I fell in love with the turbana plantain chips so I'm definitely going to have to find them. I also got to try a few things I have never tried like chickpeas and kale chips (which were perfect to top on nachos). I was also excited for the morning tea because I love tea. They also had an orange fruit drink, Mexican seasoning, Bops chips and granola. All tasted delicious. My Son even loved them. Overall, I loved this box and it's definitely going on my Christmas list.

*Giveaway Closed* They also want to giveaway a box to two of my readers! You definitely want to enter for your chance to win. Just comment on why you would like to try a Love With Food Gluten Free Box and follow the steps on the rafflecopter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway



*Note: I was sent this box to review for free but was not paid or told what to write. All opinions are my own. Contains affiliated links. Congratulations Ashley and Tracey! You should have received an email from me today. Please respond within in 48hours. Thank you all for entering and I hope to have more giveaways in the future so keep an eye out. ***Giveway Now Closed***