Monday, October 19, 2009

Ian's Chicken Nuggets

Every kid's favorite: Chicken Nuggets! I came across the Ian's line and noticed they have a great selection of allergen-free foods for kids. From Alpha Tots to Corn Dogs, these items are gluten, dairy, egg and soy free! When I went to Whole Foods, I was looking forward to getting the gluten-free French toast sticks but they were out, and the only other allergen-free item available was the Chicken Nuggets. Jacob loves these, and I'm hoping I'll be able to find some of the other items at Henry's. Enjoy!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread: Soy Free

Dairy and soy free margarine. Is that EVEN possible? I remember when I was on a hunt for dairy and soy free margarine a couple weeks ago. I cruised dozens of resources and forums. There's not many on the market. I actually like the regular varieties of Earth Balance, and when I found out that they made a soy free version, I was amazed! It still blows my mind how many allergen-free options are available on the market right now. I know I'm behind on my 1-a-day blog post goals, but rest assured I have A LOT of great allergen-free products I can't wait to post about. I'm also glad that I haven't come across any items I haven't been happy with, and I hope it stays that way.

In regards to the Earth Balance spread: it's yummy. I spread some on some of the Bread Physics bread and let it melt in the toaster, and Jacob liked it, and I did too. I feel almost guilty eating all of Jacob's allergen-free items just because they're so pricey, but sometimes you just can't help it. ;]

Friday, October 9, 2009

Bread Physics Sandwich Bread

On my first trip to Whole Foods, I seemed to totally miss the gluten free bread section. I still have no idea how I did that. Haha. When I got home, I began to research bread options, and I stumbled upon a website called Muffin Physics/Bread Physics. They are even based in San Diego which made me quite happy because I like to support local businesses as much as I can.

When I returned to Whole Foods, I was pleaaed to say they had quite a few options for gluten-free bread, but since I first read about Bread Physics I decided to bring that loaf home first. As with all the breads, they were packed frozen. The package recommended to warm the bread in the microwave for a minute or so. I actually really liked the taste and texture of the bread, and Jacob enjoyed it too.

So far this product is only available in Southern California, but when I first e-mailed the company, I mentioned I couldn't find it in the stores and the owner apologized and offered to send me a loaf for the inconvenience. Great tasting bread and customer service? A++ to you, Muffin Physics!

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Rice Dream: Rice Milk & Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Wow, 2 weeks fly by! I apologize for the lack of updates! To make up for it, I'll review a product and share a recipe today.

Last week, I offered Rice Dream: Rice Milk to Jacob. For some reason I felt weird trying it myself, but my husband seemed to like it, and even used it in his cereal. Jacob seemed to like it a lot, and now we offer it to him during his meals. I am also quite pleased that they have "Enriched" varieties. Considering that rice milk alone is nowhere near as good as cow's milk, its good to know that the added Vitamins and Calcium are present to supplement Jacob's diet. I highly recommend! I haven't tried the Vanilla yet but am looking forward to give it to him.

Recipe Time: Stuffed Peppers
A dinner favorite in my family! My mother-in-law has made the best stuffed peppers for my husband and I, so I've been making it a lot for dinner. You can substitute vegetables and meats, but overall this is a great "all-in-one" meal.

1 pound ground beef (chicken or turkey is great too)
4 green peppers (or red and yellow)
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup of peas (I also like to use broccoli, carrots, you name it!)
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 cups cooked brown rice

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Saute the onions and garlic, and then brown the ground beef. Add your vegetables and saute. Add diced tomatoes. When all the vegetables are tender, gently blend in the cooked rice. For the peppers, cut off the tops and remove the seeds. You can either steam them in a stove-top steamer or microwave in a glass dish with about an inch of water for about 10-15 minutes. When the peppers are tender, stuff them with the ground beef, vegetables and rice. Place the stuffed peppers in an oven-safe dish and bake for about 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!