The Chocolate Trader Chocolate Chunks

             There is something different about the Chocolate Chunks made by The Chocolate Trader.  First, they have few ingredients, are all natural, and are gluten-free.  Second, each flavor is made with African chocolate liquor and infused with olive oil.  Lastly, and what I find to be the most different, is these chocolate chunks get better the longer you have them.  That is something that usually does not happen.  Normally when a product has been open for awhile, the flavor starts to turn or lessen.  With these chocolate chunks I found the flavor kept improving over time (about a month), making the last chunk taste even better than the first.

                The Chocolate Trader makes three flavors of chocolate chunks: Dark Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt, and Dark Chocolate and Mint.  I had the Dark Chocolate and Mint.  All three flavors can be found at Outpost Natural Foods. 

                www.thechocolatetrader.com

General Mills Convenience & Foodservice

                Cereal is not just for breakfast anymore, and there is a website to prove it.  The General Mills Convenience & Foodservice website will show you how versatile gluten-free cereals can be.  There are sweet and savory recipes on the site and they range from snacks to entrees.  The one we’re most interested in trying is the Gluten-Free Mole Crunch.    

              When you open the site, I suggest putting “gluten-free recipes” in the search box instead of “gluten-free” or clicking on the gluten-free tab.  This way you will receive only recipes in your search and not have the other types of selections to sort through.

                I hope you enjoy these recipes.

                     www.generalmillscf.com

The Cooking Light Gluten-Free Cookbook: Simple Food Solutions for Everyday Meals

             I think everyone has had a moment when all they want is a home cooked meal.  They’re tired of restaurants, and even something premade from the store isn’t appealing.  That’s because there is nothing like a home cooked meal.  The time and effort it takes to put a meal together makes everything taste better.  That personal touch somehow makes everything more flavorful than if it were bought somewhere.  If you have a food allergy, this extra effort is especially appreciated.  It’s not always easy to cook around an allergy.  When someone makes something you can eat, no matter how it tastes, it’s always wonderful.  It shows how much that person cares, and proves that the only thing better than a home cooked meal is someone making one for you.

                The Cooking Light Gluten-Free Cookbook: Simple Food Solutions for Everyday Meals is a great book to find recipes that can be cooked at home and are gluten-free.  It contains recipes for every meal of the day and includes an informational section about how to live a gluten-free life.  The recipes stretch across different cultures and a lot of them are naturally gluten-free.  This is great because shopping is so much easier when you don’t have to stand in the aisles reading packages.  Other recipes include notes about certain ingredients, suggesting you investigate them before purchasing.  An example of this is sausage.  Not all sausage is gluten-free.  The book recommends you look into products, such as sausage, to make sure the one you’re thinking of buying is gluten-free before purchasing.  Another thing the book mentions is whether or not a recipe is dairy-free.  As a person who comes from a family where both gluten and dairy are a concern, this is a very good thing.

                If you’re not sure about buying yet another cookbook, check this one out from the library.  It’s a great way to experience cookbooks without having to purchase them right away.  Then once you’re ready to buy The Cooking Light Gluten-Free Cookbook, you can order it from Boswell Book Company, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble.

Outpost’s Flourless Chocolate Cake

            In a matter of hours it will be Valentine’s Day.  This makes you think of cards, flowers, and chocolate.  The cards and flowers can be bought or, in the case of cards, made to suit your personal taste.  But let’s talk about chocolate.  There are many kinds: white, milk, semi-sweet, and dark, along with combinations of the chocolates.  Then, of course, chocolate comes in many shapes and sizes from the simple bar to the pointed kiss shape made famous by Hershey.

                The chocolate I want to talk about is a decadent chocolate confection that can be purchased at Outpost Natural Foods.  It is the Flourless Chocolate Cake.  Not only is this cake rich and has a deep chocolate taste, it is gluten-free.  Yes, gluten-free.  You can buy a slice at Outpost stores (as it is not labeled as gluten-free, be sure to ask so you get the right one), or you can make it yourself.

                Make it myself?  Yes.  In the winter issue of Graze, Outpost’s magazine, this cake is the secret recipe with the emphasis that it is gluten-free.  So treat yourself or share this delicious cake for Valentine’s Day. 

Sun Cups

                When I first came upon Sun Cups I immediately thought of my friend who can’t have nuts.  Before her nut allergy developed she loved peanut butter cups.  Since Sun Cups are nut free, I thought these would be a great substitute for her.  Then I saw they were also gluten free and I decided to give them a try myself.  

                There are four flavors of Sun Cups: Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Milk Chocolate Caramel, and Dark Chocolate Mint.  The Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate are the ones that resemble peanut butter cups most closely because they are made with a sunflower seed spread.  I tried the Dark Chocolate version and while I can say they did not taste exactly like a peanut butter cup, I think they are a really good substitute.  The Milk Chocolate Caramel and the Dark Chocolate Mint do not have the sunflower seed spread, but they are both still nut and gluten free. 

                Originally I found Sun Cups at Woodman’s. Since then I have also found them at Outpost Natural Foods. Larger amounts can be purchased on the Sun Cups website, suncups.com.

Edwardo’s Gluten Free Thin Crust Pizza

             We have just had the most wonderful time of the year.  With the holidays we got an array of special dishes we don’t eat any other time.  All of them are delicious and we love eating them, but sometimes we want something simple after all that rich food.  Pizza comes to mind as a great alternative.  Most people can order out or open their freezer door and find a pizza with ease.  That is not the case for everyone. 

               We have tasted a very good frozen gluten-free pizza by Edwardo’s. Their Gluten Free Thin Crust Pizza had a crisp crust with a good sauce and cheese. We had the Spinach, but BBQ Chicken, Cheese, and Sausage & Pepperoni are available as well. Our pizza was purchased at Woodman’s.