What Moms Love Weekly: Gluten-Free Favorites

It can be hard for anyone with food allergies, celiac, or gluten sensitivity to find good wheat alternative foods and snack that taste really good. It can be even more of a challenge to find gluten-free food that kids like.  Here is a list of some of our favorite mom & kid friendly gluten-free products.  Some of them are also dairy and egg free too for those of you dealing with multiple allergies like myself.

1. Liz Lovely Vegan & Gluten-free Cookies– Wow!  My sister introduced me to these and they are amazing!  My favorite are the chocolate chip which (to me) taste like chocolate chip cookie dough.  The chocolate fudge are a close second with their brownie-like flavor.  These cookies are the BEST gluten-free cookies I have tried (and I’ve tried a whole lot).  I love that they are vegan as well because they will work for anyone with a dairy or egg allergy.  These cookies can be pricey at $2 per cookie ($3.99 for a pack of 2) but they are really BIG and thick and so good that they are worth it for a special treat.  You can buy a case and save some money on these.

2. Betty Lou’s Gluten-free Fruit Bars–  These bars have long been a favorite of mine and my kids.  They are not only gluten-free but also free of the 8 top allergens including eggs and dairy.  They come in different fruit flavors like cherry, strawberry and blueberry.  These bars are high in fiber.  They are not too sweet and make a filling snack. Check out Betty Lou’s other gluten-free items as well.

3. Pamela’s Products Baking & Pancake Mix– I love the light and fluffy pancakes that this mix makes.  Yes, you can make your own mix and save a little money but in a pinch or wanting a sure thing, this mix will give you great results in recipes.  I like to use it in brownies too.

4. Glutino Pretzels–  Even my wheat eating kids like these pretzels.  They often ask for them and say they are better than the “wheat-filled” kind.  I like them because that are a quick snack that tastes good and they are kid friendly.

5. Chebe Bread– My whole family likes Chebe bread.  The mix is quick to prepare or you can find frozen dough you just pop in the oven.  Chebe is light and tastes so good!  Try the pizza crust too!

6.  Late July Organics Gluten-free Multi Grain Snack Chips– These chips are amazingly good!  I especially like the Mild Green Mojo flavor.  At Late July they do flavor well! These chips are not wimpily covered with seasoning, but rather doused in it.

7. Against the Grain Gourmet Baguettes– Miss eating a good baguette?  These baguettes almost make me forget about wanting the real thing. They have a great crunchy texture on the outside and soft on the inside.  They make an amazing sandwich! You can’t buy these online but look for them at Whole Foods and if you don’t see them ask them to order them for you!

Most of these things can be found in Amazon’s Gluten-free section as well if you are willing to buy them in bulk.

Have any other favorites?  I’d love to hear yours!

Keeki Pure & Simple Nail Polish Review (& A Giveaway)

My girls love girly stuff like nail polish and so do I.  The problem is that I also really care about what they put in and on their bodies and try to use natural and organic products whenever possible.  Most of what you can find on the shelves at the stores have so many yucky chemicals in them.

My 5 girls and I got to try out Keeki Pure & Simple nail polish which is water-based and completely non-toxic.  We all had fun painting our toes and fingers using the base coat and then the pretty cherry pie nail polish color.  My girls were delighted with it and I felt really good about using Keeki brand nail polish.

Keeki Pure & Simple is:

  • Non-toxic
  • Gluten-free
  • Cruelty-free
  • Safe during pregnancy
  • Made in the USA
  • No nano-particles
  • NO Parabens, Pthalates, Toulene, Acetone or Formaldehyde

I love that they have so many colors that work well for little girls and even moms too.  With Keeki nail polish you paint your nails and use a blow dryer for 30 seconds to make sure it dries well.  The base coat and top coat work together to make the polish last longer.

My girls don’t know it yet but they will find Keeki Pure & Simple nail polishes and also their lip balms in their stockings this year. It will be a great treat for them!

PURCHASE:  If you want to surprise your girl(s) with Keeki this year visit their site to shop their products.  They have some great gift sets!  Nail polishes start at $9.99.

WIN: A Keeki Pure & Simple gift pack that includes a Sugar Plum Nail Polish, a Remover & a Sassy Shimmer Stick.  Enter with the Rafflecopter form below.  If you are reading this in email you will need to click over to the site to be able to enter.

Jason’s Deli- Healthy and Family Friendly

My family loves Jason’s Deli!  I really hope that you have one near by that you can try.  My kids beg to go there at least once or twice a week.  I am glad that they like it so much because Jason’s Deli is one of the places that is making a real effort to have fresh, delicious and healthy food. They only serve food without trans fat, MSG, or high fructose corn syrup.  There are plenty of organic ingredients in their salad bar and they add more all the time. The only thing that you will find high fructose corn syrup in at Jason’s Deli is the sodas and they are even working on eliminating it from them as well.

The salad bar is fabulous enough by itself but there are plenty of other great tasting options as well. Mufflettas, Wraps, Soups, Pastas and Baked Potatoes are just a small example of their large menu.   Their portions are generous and filling.  Kids Meals have some organic side and drink options and are nitrate-free with no artificial colors or dyes.  Jason’s Deli really considers yours and your family’s health in all of their options.

To top it all off they have free self serve ice cream cups or cones for the end of your meal.  I think that is really why my kids love it so much. For me it is just refreshing to have a place to eat out where I am not worried about all of the unhealthy ingredients. Thanks Jason’s Deli, for giving this mom one less thing to worry about!