Van's Natural Foods - Crackers

I rate this product a 10+

With my discontinue of Gluten I'm always on the lookout for products to replace those I've given up.  Since crackers are one of those foods I started looking for a good replacement... and I found one.

I ran across Van's Natural Foods in the grocery department of Walmart and decided to give them a try.  They are made from things like oats, brown rice, millet, quinoa and amaranth... and no gluten free.  They have no artificial colors, flavors, and no hydrogenated oils.  Plus I can have 30 of these bite-size gems putting only 140 calories into my meal.  And they are delicious!

I've tried the gluten free cheese crackers but so far my favorite is the 'Lots of Everything!' which has a very fitting name.  They also have 'Fire Roasted Veggies', 'Perfect 10' and 'Multigrain.'  I can't wait to see if they are as good as the 2 I've tried.

On my gluten free diet I also had to give up my croutons.  Well, I've found something better than the croutons.  The Gluten Free Cheese Crackers are delicious added to the salad in place of the croutons.  They stay crispy too, which adds another texture to my salad.  These little crackers have become a must have in all of my salads.

So, if your Walmart doesn't carry these delicious crackers, here is the link to Van's Natural Foods so you can find a store that does.

McCormick Gourmet Garlic & White Wine Chicken Scaloppine

On a scale of 1 - 10 I rate this product a 10+

I found this package of McCormick Gourmet Garlic & White Wine Chicken Scaloppine on sale and decided to give it a try.  Sure glad I did.  This is one of the best chicken dishes I've had in a long time.  The flavors are perfectly blended and absorb into the chicken and orzo giving both a wonderful taste.  The original recipe called for 1 1/2 cups of water or chicken stock and 1/2 cup of white wine.  I increased the broth and eliminated the wine.  My food testers that were given this to try have all raved about how good this turned out.  And it's so simple to make.

Nonni's Thin Addictives

On a scale of 1 - 10 I rate this product a 100!

I've found my new favorite snack. I love almonds and pistachios but when I saw these little Biscotti style 'cookies' I had my doubts.  The almonds I've eaten in Biscotti before but never pistachios.  I've also never eaten almonds and pistachios together.  And with the unmistakable 'nip' that comes from pistachios I just couldn't see the combination working.  BUT... they were on sale buy one get one free and that was a sale I couldn't pass up, especially when I could buy just 1 and get it for half price.  That turned out to be a really big mistake.

I decided to give these new cookies a try so as soon as I got home I opened the box.  Inside there are 6 packets with 3 Biscotti in each.  I took my 1st bite.  OMGoodness!  They are delicious and I only bought 1 box.  Well, the next day I went back for more.  They had ONE box left.  I bought it and also got a rain check to buy more.  I have now been to 2 of the grocery store locations and they were both out so I guess I'll have to wait until the sale goes off and hope they restock.

There are other flavors that I fully intend to try.  They come in Cranberry Almond, Cinnamon Raisin Almond, Blueberry Oat Almond, Banana Dark Chocolate Almond, Mango Coconut Almond, and of course the Pistachio Almond.  Oh Yeah, did I tell you that there are only 100 calories in each pack?  The sugar is 5 g and the sodium is 65 mg.  Not too bad for some really tasty treats.

Eat Well Embrase Life Hummus

On a scale of 1 - 10 I rate this product a 15+!

One of my local grocery stores ran a sale on a Hummus that I had never tried.  The company was listed as Eat Well Embrace Life and the hummus was made from baby soybeans, which is something I've never tried either.  Well the price this was being sold for (under $2.00) made it impossible for me to not give it a try. 

I first spotted one that was flavored with roasted red peppers and toasted sesame, 2 of my favorite flavors.  I looked at the package and it said Gluten Free and Cholesterol Free.  It had only 80 calories for 2 tablespoons.  And the edamane bean is rich in protein, fiber, magnesium and vitamin K.  I decided to buy this one as well as one they listed as Sweet & Spicy Black Bean Hummus with Spicy Roasted Corn Relish.  More flavors I like.  Then I saw they were located in my home state of Georgia.  After reading that there was no way I couldn't give them a try. 

Then I went on the internet to see what I could find out about this company and their products.  This is what I found.  'Made from the finest ingredients and with the greatest attention to detail, Eat Well Embrace Life has Americanized the hummus category by creating hummus form other beans.  What makes them different and better is their commitment to product innovation, resulting in new, exciting flavors with the Wow! taste and healthy attributes you've come to expect.'

Now, did these 2 products live up to the hype?  YES! and then some.  The roasted peppers and sesame is so good I could take a spoon and just eat it from the container.  I can taste both and when I put some on a piece of chicken I just wanted more.  Then I tried a slice of cucumber.  YUM!  The black bean was a bit spicy hot and also good on the chicken but not the cucumber so I tried it on a corn chip.  It has a slight Mexican taste so it was of course perfect and it gave me another idea.  I took a taco shell, spread some of my black bean hummus on it, added some shredded chicken, a little cheese, lettuce, and just a touch of sour cream.  Made the best taco ever!  This stuff is great and I can't wait to try their other flavors.