Looking for a Gluten Free Valentine's Day Gift?

If you are looking for the perfect Valentine's Day gift for someone on a gluten free diet or just would like to treat yourself to some chocolates, then you should make sure to buy some Bissinger's Handcrafted Chocolates!

All of their gluten free chocolates are labeled "gluten free." This makes it very easy to determine what you can and cannot eat. I must say that their website, www.bissingers.com, has one of the largest selections of gluten free chocolates that I have seen.

For Valentine's Day they feature exclusively the Confectionista Collection (photographed above), Heart-Shaped Dessert Shells, and Bon Bons, which are all gluten free.

In addition to the above, their complete gluten free product list includes:

*Gummy Pandas -

Goji Guava with Camu Camu

Pink Grapefruit with Grapeseed

Pomegranate White Tea

Blueberry Acai

100-Calorie Gummy Pandas

*Chocolate Bars & Bark -

Solid Chocolate Bars

Chocolate Bark Bars

100-Calorie Chocolate Bars

Key Lime Bark

Blueberry Acai Bark

Peach Bark

Pumpkin Bark

Peppermint Bark

Cranberry Pecan Bark

Heavenly Marsh Pecan Bark

Almond Bark

Pecan Bark

*Chocolate Dipped Fruits -

Chocolate Covered Cranberries

Chocolate Covered Blueberries

All Natural Black Cherries

Chocolate Covered Maraschino Cherries

Chocolate Dipped Oranges

Chocolate Dipped Apricots

*Traditional Favorites -

Raspberry Cremes

Classic Creme Collection

Creme Mints

Heavenly Marsh Pecan Bars

Nonpareils

Fine Almond Marzipan

English Almond Toffee

Chocolate Caramel Lollipops

*Caramels -

Vanilla Caramels

Bite-Sized Caramel Collection

Bite-Sized Caramel Sampler

Bear Claws

Soft European Caramels

*Easter -

Bissinger's Eggs

Foil Carrots

*Organic -

Chocolate Buttons

*Chocolate Assortments -

Four Piece Sampler

Signature Classics

Classic Nut Collection

Fruit & Nut Clusters

Gourmet Assortment

Classic Collections

*Chocolate Covered Favorites -

Sunflower Crunch

Walnut Crunch

Almond Crunch

Pumpkin Seed Crunch

Black Sesame Crunch

Liqueur Cordials

Sumatra Mandheling Espresso Beans

Chocolate Covered Almonds

Handmade Marshmallows

*Truffles & Bon Bons -

Olive Oil Truffles

Porcini Mushroom Truffles

Fig Truffles

Bon Bons

Peanut Butter Truffles

Courvoisier Truffles

French Truffles

*Entertaining -

Liqueur Cups

Dessert Shells

Chocolate Lace

Divine Desserts

Wine Grapes

Gourmet Cocoa Blend

Drinking Chocolate

Have a happy chocolate-filled Valentine's Day!

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies!

Glutino has always been one of my favorite gluten free brands. I enjoy snacking on everything from their crackers to their wafers to their chocolate bars to their pretzels!

Recently, they sent me a box of each of their cookies to sample. This included their Chocolate Chip Cookies, Vanilla Creme Cookies, and Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies. I was definitely impressed!

The Chocolate Chip Cookies were full of delicious chocolate chips and the Vanilla Creme Cookies were such a yummy snack! My favorite were the Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies which reminded me of the days when I used to enjoy my Oreos with a glass of milk - only now I was eating their gluten free version with a glass of soy milk - but it was just as good!

Glutino brand products are available to purchase at a variety of mainstream retailers and local health food stores. For more information, please visit their website at www.glutino.com.

Bubble Pop Delicious!

Ever wonder which chewing gums were safe for you to chew and which contain gluten? Well, I've compiled a list of gluten free chewing gums by checking with the manufacturers on their gluten free status. To my surprise, it is quite a lengthy list.

For starters, all Trident gum is gluten free! Other brands with gluten free chewing gum include: Wrigley's Spearmint gum, Freedent gum, Doublemint gum, Extra gum, Big Red gum, Eclipse gum, Juicy Fruit gum, Winterfresh gum, Orbit gum, Orbit White gum, and 5 gum.

Below I have included a list of the exact flavors that are gluten free. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Chewing Gums:

*Trident -

*Trident Layers Wild Strawberry + Tangy Citrus

*Trident Layers Green Apple + Golden Pineapple

*Trident Xtra Care Spearmint

*Trident Xtra Care Cool Citrus

*Trident Xtra Care Peppermint

*Trident Xtra Care Cool Mint

*Trident White Cool Mangoberry

*Trident White Cinnamon Tingle

*Trident White Cool Bubble

*Trident White Cool Colada

*Trident White Cool Rush

*Trident White Peppermint

*Trident White Spearmint

*Trident White Wintergreen

*Trident Splash Orange Swirl

*Trident Splash Pucker Me Berry

*Trident Splash Apple with Raspberry

*Trident Splash Citrus Blackberry

*Trident Splash Peppermint Swirl

*Trident Splash Strawberry Lime

*Trident Wintergreen

*Trident Strawberry Twist

*Trident Cinnamon

*Trident Bubblegum

*Trident Minty Sweet Twist

*Trident Original Flavor

*Trident Passionberry Twist

*Trident Spearmint

*Trident Tropical Twist

*Trident Watermelon Twist

*Trident Wild Blueberry Twist

Wrigley's -

*Spearmint gum

Freedent -

*Peppermint gum

*Spearmint gum

Doublemint -

*Doublemint gum

Extra -

*Polar Ice gum

*Spearmint gum

*Peppermint gum

*Winterfresh gum

*Classic Bubble gum

*Supermint gum

Big Red -

*Big Red gum

Eclipse -

*Spearmint gum

*Polar Ice gum

*Peppermint gum

*Winterfrost gum

*Fresh & Cool gum

*Cinnamon Inferno gum

*Midnight Cool gum

Juicy Fruit -

*Juicy Fruit gum

Winterfresh -

*Winterfresh gum

Orbit -

*Peppermint gum

*Spearmint gum

*Bubblemint gum

*Wintermint gum

*Cinnamint gum

*Citrusmint gum

*Crystal Mint gum

*Sweetmint gum

*Mint Mojito gum

*Raspberry Mint gum

*Maui Melon Mint gum

*Fabulous Fruitini gum

*Sangria Fresca gum

*Strawberry Mint gum

*Positively Pomegranate gum

Orbit White -

*Peppermint gum

*Spearmint gum

*Bubblemint gum

*Melon Breeze gum

*Fruit Sorbet gum

5 -

*Rain gum

*Cobalt gum

*Flare gum

*Elixir gum

*Lush gum

*Solstice gum

*Zing gum

Time For Mrs. Crimble's!

I just recently discovered the UK brand, Mrs. Crimbles! I have tried their Gluten Free Coconut Macaroons and their Gluten Free Chocolate Macaroons! The Chocolate Macaroons (photographed to the right) completely remind me of the Girl Scouts' "Samoa" cookies, which were always my favorite!

In addition to these two great products, they also produce other Gluten Free products such as:

*Bread

*Seeded Bread

*Double Chocolate Brownies

*Jam Coconut Rings

*Bakewell Slices

*Lemon and Coconut Slices

*Apple Slices

*Stuffing Mix

*Bread Mix

*Pancake Mix

*Muffin Mix

*Pastry Mix

*Cookie Mix

*Dumpling Mix

*Crumble Mix

*Unsalted Organic Rice Cake

*Slightly Salted Organic Rice Cake

*Caramel Rice Cake

*Honey Rice Cake

*Apple Rice Cake

*Slightly Salted Corn Cake

*Original Cheese Bites

*Tomato, Olive & Oregano Cheese Bites

*Sour Cream & Onion Cheese Bites

*Apple Pie (Frozen)

*Rhubarb Pie (Frozen)

The gluten free cheese bites are available to purchase at Ms. Celiac's Market!

For more information, please visit: www.mrscrimbles.com

Rosa Mexicano!

In general, Mexican cuisine tends to be quite good for those of us on gluten free diets as many of their traditional dishes are made with a corn base instead of a wheat one.

Rosa Mexicano, an upscale restaurant, features not only authentic Mexican cuisine but actually has a gluten free menu! This extensive menu features an array of delicious items from salads to enchiladas to tacos to fish to meats to plantains.

I visited their Upper West side location in NYC, however, they also have an Upper East Side and Union Square location. If you are not in NYC, Rosa Mexicano has locations in Washington, DC, Atlanta, GA, Miami, FL, Hackensack, NJ, National Harbor, MD, and Los Angeles, CA.

The current gluten free menu includes:

APPETIZERS -

*Guacamole and Tortilla Chips

*Salsas and Tortilla Chips

*Field Greens Salad

*Rolled Crispy Chicken Tacos

*Marinated Seafood

*Crab Turnovers

*Melted Cheese Fondue

*Layered Duck Tortilla Pie

*Mexico City Street Salad

*Grilled Vegetable Salad

ENCHILADAS -

*Chicken Enchiladas

*Vegetable Enchiladas

*Jumbo Lump Crab Enchiladas

TACOS -

*Pork Tacos

*Chicken Tacos

*Steak Tacos

*Fish Tacos

MAIN DISHES -

*Tuna Salad

*Red Snapper

*Shrimp Brochette

*Salmon Filet with Tropical Fruit Mole

*Steak and Shrimp Stew

*Mixed Grilled Brochette

*Chicken Tortilla Pie

*Short Ribs

*Filet Mignon with Wild Mushrooms

*Pork Shank

*Duck with Blackberry Sauce

EXTRAS -

*Fried Plantains

*Red Bean-Chorizo Chili

*Pico de Gallo

When I dined at Rosa Mexicano, I ordered the Chicken Enchiladas which I very much enjoyed. Their menu describes this dish as, "two soft corn tortillas filled with pulled roasted chicken, topped with a creamy tomatillo sauce and melted Chihuahua cheese."

For more information or to order online delivery, visit their website at www.rosamexicano.com.

100% Gluten Free Bakery Coming To NYC This January!

Yes...You heard that right! This month will see the door's open to a 100% dedicated gluten free bakery in NYC and as it turns out it will be located just around the corner from me in NYC's East Village.

Tully's Gluten Free Bakery is expected to open this month at 338 East 11th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues. They will be selling a variety of gluten free treats including: cupcakes, muffins, cookies, brownies, scones, and paninis! To see a preview of their menu, visit them online at tullysbakery.com!

As of now, you can purchase a selection of their items at the following NYC retailers:

*Zabar's (2245 Broadway at 80th Street)

*Ground Support (399 West Broadway at Spring Street)

*Royale Bakery (462 6th Avenue at 11th Street)

*Blanche's @ DKNY (655 Madison Avenue btw. 60th and 61st Street)

*Food Liberation (1349 Lexington Avenue btw. 89th and 90th Street)

*SIP (998 Amsterdam Avenue btw. 109th and 110th Street)

If you happen to be living in Memphis, Tennessee then you are in luck as a selection of their products are available at:

Muddy's Bake Shop

1151 Sanderlin #114

Memphis, TN 38117

For the latest updates and for information on when Tully's Gluten Free Bakery opens, follow them on Twitter or friend them on Facebook!

Let's Grab a Bowl of Cereal!

I was recently sent 2 boxes of cereal from one of my favorite gluten free companies, Enjoy Life. These cereals were formerly from the company, Perky's, which now is a part of the Enjoy Life brand.

The varieties include Perky's Crunchy Rice Cereal and Perky's Crunchy Flax Cereal. They are both certified gluten free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization and are free of the 8 most common allergens. In addition to being made in a gluten free facility and being certified kosher, they are also produced in a dedicated nut-free facility!

Perky's Cereals are 100% natural and low in fat and sodium and sweetened with fruit juice and honey. The Crunchy Flax Cereal contains 425 mg of Omega-3's and 6 grams of Fiber per serving.

I was quite pleased when sampling these cereals. I often find that I don't like many gluten free cereals but the "nutty" flavor and crunchiness of these cereals very much appealed to me. They are also even more delicious when topped with your favorite berries!

Enjoy Life products can be found at both mainstream supermarkets and health food stores. You may also purchase their products including Perky's Crunchy Rice and Crunchy Flax Cereal at Ms. Celiac's Market.

For more information, please visit www.enjoylifefoods.com.