Disney vacations are amazing in every single way. While many probably prefer a more mellow and relaxing trip, we love the hustle and bustle of Disney World and the busy schedule of fun that you have for a week, sure it’s exhausting but watching our little girl love every single moment (for the most part, excluding some of the characters here and there) is worth it. This trip was just the same, pretty exhausting, especially for this mommy-to-be, but a world of fun that we’ll all remember for many years to come.
A mid-morning snack of a Gluten Free Lefou’s Brew at Gaston’s Tavern.
Our last day of our vacation we always try to plan our flight towards the end of the day so we can squeeze in a little more magic and fly back when we’re all good and exhausted. This round we managed to have that exact schedule so we planned a half a day at Magic Kingdom where we could ride, snack, and lunch to our heart’s content before heading back to the freezing cold Northeast. We squeezed in some must-do rides before a mid-morning snack at Gaston’s Tavern. Dan and little one couldn’t have enjoyed the gigantic cinnamon bun anymore, I mean really who wouldn’t except someone like myself who would get tremendously sick from just licking it. Even though the cinnamon bun looked mighty tempting to my pregnant self, I steered clear of all of that gluten and went with a safe Lefou’s Brew. The apple slushie and sour passion fruit/marshmallow foam on top was perfect for me and our little girl who was chomping at the bit to try some. It was a perfectly, refreshing snack, especially since the classic Florida heat had made a triumphant return after those few chilly days earlier on in the trip.
Not my favorite gluten free lunch at Casey’s Corner.
We wandered the park, dodging in and out of air conditioned stores and fastpassed and non-fastpassed rides until early afternoon came around and it was time for a quick lunch before our big goodbye. Dan loves hot dogs and I knew that he’d really enjoy a lunch at Casey’s Corner, so even though I was a bit skeptical on the gluten free side of things here I wanted to give him one last non-gluten free treat before our departure. Little one had sadly fallen asleep in route to the restaurant so unfortunately no hot dog for her this time, but judging by my husband’s liking of his lunch he’ll probably want to revisit down the road.
I spoke with the manager once we were at the front of the line, interrogated her on the ingredients and cooking process, and finally ordered a plain hot dog with a bag of chips, not exactly what I wanted but the cheesy topping I was wishing for was off limits. Soon enough both of our lunches were ready and we managed to find our way to a standing table top outside of the restaurant. The hot dog itself was great but the roll on the other hand was far from good, it crumbled apart instantly and had a really displeasing spongy texture, pretty disappointing especially since there are better gluten free roll options out there. Sadly for me, I wouldn’t want to return here for a gluten free meal but I’ll certainly be tagging along for my other two hot dog lovers in my family.
Bye Disney World! Until we return as a family of four!
The rest of our day was filled with lots of waiting and travel so a lot less magical than how we started it. Even though it was time for us to leave, which is always the worst part of any trip, we were leaving with tons of pictures and videos so we could relive the memories for years to come with both of our little girls. Every Disney trip has been fantastic and special in its own way but this one will always hold an extra special place in our hearts as our last one as a family of three and our second little girl’s first unofficial trip to Disney nestled close to Mommy’s heart. So for now, goodbye Disney and we’ll see you when we return as a family of four!
Christmas came early for the Gluten Free Mom To Be with two fantastic deliveries from Udi’s yesterday! The first was a huge box of frozen samples that were all completely new to me, but the second was a holiday gluten free goodie box from their #EatDrinkBeMerry holiday campaign. Among the amazing treats were their Double Vanilla Muffins, Soft and Chewy Snicker Doodle Cookies, Steel Cut Oats with Currants, Flax, and Chia, and finally their Soft and Chewy Dark Chocolate Brownie Bites. Being a chocolate girl, my eyes immediately were drawn to the chocolate brownies, especially the words soft and chewy across their label, two my favorite food adjectives. Without any hesitation, the brownies were first up on the sample list and barely survived another minute without being opened. After popping open the carton, I finally caught a glimpse and whiff of the deliciousness of Udi’s brownie bites. If anyone remembers those white individual sized bags of muffin looking brownie bites by Entenmanns these look and taste exactly like them, from what I remember at least; keep in mind it’s probably been a good 15 years since I’d actually tasted one of them but nonetheless a girl never forgets brownie bites. These Udi’s bites look like miniature muffins, wrapped with a cupcake/muffin wrapper with chocolate chips poking through the top. Now, you’re probably wondering if they hold up to their description of being soft and chewy, just like an actual brownie. Ready to find out?Well, I have fantastic news to report! These gluten free chocolate brownie bites are everything that they’re described to be. They’re filled with just the right amount of chocolate, but most importantly they’re perfectly soft and chewy just as promised. Many a gluten free product that I’ve tasted over the years seems to fall short in the texture department, usually being rock hard or crumbling at your touch, far from what they actually should feel like. Udi’s brownie bites, even though their presentation may resemble a miniature cupcake, have succeeded in giving us a chewy brownie that’s perfection, no cake texture here. You certainly get what’s promised on the package and your taste buds will not be disappointed. The only downside with these fantastic gluten free brownie bites is that you will definitely not be able to stop at one, not really a downside I know. These are a perfect premade snack for anyone gluten free, especially when you’re on the go. I’m all for baking brownies and cookies from scratch or at least from a box but I’m certainly not one to pass up the convenient and equally as delicious alternative of a premade snack. Udi’s brownie bites are just that, and I can see myself bringing along this convenient little carton to many a day trip or even vacation to Disney World, when I can find them in my local store at least. Sadly I haven’t spotted these in any of my local grocery stores but fingers crossed that they pop up soon!
Make sure you keep an eye out for these adorable little bites and snatch them up when you see them so you always have a sweet treat on hand! After all, what’s better than a bunch of adorable little brownies nestled snugly in your cabinet?
Do you remember those huge soft pretzels that you could grab in long sticks at amusement parks or maybe those fun Mickey faces in Disney World? They are a distant but very fond memory for me as these were always my favorite snack when we went on vacation or a day trip. A little bit of salt topped with a little yellow mustard and I was good to go to enjoy the deliciousness of the doughy snack. With all of that chewiness though came a whole lot of gluten which meant one very sick girl.
So, when I went gluten free, like many gluten filled eats and treats, soft pretzels too got the heave-ho and have been missing from my diet for a number of years. I’ve always kept my fingers crossed that I might one day see them in a grocery store next to the Super Pretzels or maybe even at an amusement park, very optimistic I know. I honestly never thought that finding a gluten free, soft and chewy pretzel would be as tough as it actually has been; I mean it literally has been like searching for a unicorn. Until now that is! I finally caught wind of Tonya’s Gluten Free Kitchen who makes three kinds of gluten free soft pretzels including original regular size, original pretzel bites, and cinnamon sugar! I was so excited when they offered to send me a few samples and after just one bite I immediately headed to my local grocery stores to scout out where these might be available. I’m lucky enough to be able to snag these at a small allergy free shop by me but also at Wegmans, I’m still hoping that my Shop Rite 5 minutes away will catch on one of these days too. But no worries, if you can’t find these at a local store you won’t miss out because you can buy them here on Tonya’s website. And by the way, these are that good that I immediately stocked up on a few boxes to enjoy in the months to come. Okay, so now onto the actual pretzel itself in all of its gluten free glory. Not sure if you remember these but I used to enjoy Super Pretzels frozen soft pretzels at home from time to time. Tonya’s Gluten Free Kitchen match these in every way. After using water to add some salt or leaving them plain, all you do is microwave for under 1 minute and voila you have a soft, gluten free pretzel to enjoy. The size of these beauties is exactly how big a regular frozen pretzel would be, good news especially since everything gluten free seems to be miniature in size but big in price. And texture and taste wise, Tonya’s gluten free pretzels are a perfect, chewy pretzel that have that amazing doughy texture after just a short microwave. You can top them with the salt that’s provided or leave them plain if you prefer. And feel free to be creative with your dipping sauces on the side. I’m a plain girl when it comes to pretzels, I like to just dip them in a little bit of yellow mustard, but with or without the mustard these are perfection. I for one am so glad that Tonya’s has added these back into my life, now if only Disney World could come out with a Mickey shaped gluten free pretzel, then we would be good to go. A girl can dream can’t she?!?! So for the last piece of the gluten free soft pretzel puzzle, the cost. These aren’t the cheapest of snacks to enjoy but to be fair not many gluten free premade snacks are. I usually can get these for about $8.99 a box, regardless of the variety, and in a box you get 6 original size pretzels or the number of pretzel bites that’s equivalent to that. Do I wish the price was a tad bit cheaper than about $1.50 a pretzel? Sure, but as with everything in our world, gluten free items are by nature more expensive and the more special and unique an item is the more pricey it can be. Tonya’s Gluten Free Kitchen is a strictly gluten free business who is single handedly spearheading the addition of gluten free pretzels into our world. With growing support, their popularity will hopefully grow too, adding them into more and more mainstream grocery stores eventually making their products more affordable. Until then, this hard working, gluten free mommy will continue to treat herself to these gluten free delicacies while also supporting the pioneers of our gluten free community
Congratulations Tonya’s Gluten Free Kitchen! You’ve done a fabulous job and I for one am so grateful for your hard work and tasty product!
A Disney vacation for us wouldn’t be complete with at least one character experience. While our little girl loves many a character, by far her favorites are Mickey and his friends. So without hesitation, we signed up for an early breakfast at Chef Mickey’s on our last full day of our vacation. We’ve dined here once before with little one when we were in Disney for Halloween and she loved it then so we could only imagine now almost a year later what her reaction may be.
The only tough part about having an early breakfast reservation at a Disney resort is the act of actually getting there. Since we stayed at Art of Animation this time around we didn’t have access to the boat to drop us off at the Contemporary, so for our 7:00 breakfast reservation our only option was to catch the earliest bus to Magic Kingdom, which was at 6:45. They dropped us off at Magic Kingdom where we then had to hike over to the Contemporary, making us a little late for our reservation. I’m guessing that we’re not the only ones that have ever had that happen, since they weren’t really phased by our tardiness. Still though, they should have a better system for getting guests to their early breakfast reservations.
Nonetheless, we arrived to our reservation, a little late, but we got there safe and sound, one of us dressed in her cutest Minnie dress. We waited only a few minutes before we were seated at one of the last tables in the first dining room. The chef immediately joined us and offered to escort me around the buffet to review my gluten free options. Knowing that I wouldn’t actually be daring enough to eat anything off of the buffet line I decided to save us both the time and just put in my order with him right away. I love Chef Mickey’s cheesy shredded hashbrown so that was a given, I also went with some eggs and extra crispy bacon too, and no Disney breakfast is complete without gluten free Mickey waffles and some fresh fruit. And as simple as that, my order was placed and Dan was up filling some plates for he and our little one.
Chef Mickey’s gluten free breakfast of cheesy hashbrowns, eggs, and crispy bacon.
I was busy cutting up Lila’s plate of food when my plates had arrived. Wow, that’s all I have to say, a lot of food for little old me. I knew that I wouldn’t touch even half of this amount of food, especially given the amount of distraction at this meal, but I had to at least try everything I wanted. Only a few bites into breakfast and the first of the characters began to circulate. Our little girl’s eyes grew ten sizes as she didn’t take her eyes off Goofy the entire time he walked around the room, only taking pauses to nibble at her food. And finally the moment arrived for her to meet her first character. I sprung her from her highchair and she ran up to him giving him a huge hug, a moment that makes our hearts melt for sure. She continued the same greeting with each of the characters, making Dan and I so thankful that we were able to bring her to Disney again.
Now the food itself was delicious, just as wonderful as I had remembered from months before. The hashbrown is always my favorite here, they remind me of a gluten filled hashbrown casserole that I used to enjoy at Cracker Barrel, a country style restaurant that we used to go to when I was younger. They’re the shredded potatoes that I love, coated with a cheesy sauce, can’t get better than that. The Mickey waffles I honestly can say I barely got a chance to enjoy as my little girl caught one glance and adopted half of my plate. But what I did taste was amazing! Besides being adorable, being gluten free didn’t impact their taste and texture at all. They’re beautiful aren’t they!
Soft and light gluten free Mickey waffles at Chef Mickey’s.
It was a wonderful start to our last full day of vacation and as you can see our little one was all smiles as we were leaving. We headed out to catch the monorail to head over to Magic Kingdom. We had some big plans for our last full day from meeting Ariel to enjoying the splash zone over by Dumbo, a surprise for little one that we thought she’d really enjoy, all ending with dinner at Kona Cafe and the electrical parade. The monorail took a bit longer then we had planned, so we missed park opening but with fastpasses in hand we headed straight back to begin our long day in Magic Kingdom. That morning we explored every bit of Fantasyland from Ariel and Dumbo to Peter Pan and the carousel. To escape some of the heat we even headed into Gaston’s Tavern to enjoy some cool air and a snack too. No, sadly the giant cinnamon buns are not gluten free but their specialty drink, Lefou’s brew, is. So it was one Lefou’s brew for each of us, mine I’d be splitting with little one. It was pretty tasty, a cold apple flavored slushy with hints of marshmallow and topped with a passion fruit foam. The marshmallow was a bit strange for me but I did definitely like the combination of the apple slushy and passion fruit foam which was a bit sour. All together it was a pretty good treat, just nice to enjoy something gluten free while everyone else around you is digging into the Mount Everest of cinnamon buns.
Gaston’s Tavern Lefou’s Brew is gluten free and delicious too!
The rest of our time in Magic Kingdom, before heading to dinner, we let our little girl enjoy the splash zone over by Dumbo. She loved the water shooting out from the circus cars and who wouldn’t, seeing as the heat index was well over 100 that day. Being soaked from head to toe didn’t bother her as we hopped on the train to take a relaxing tour around the park. Once we were brought back to Fantasyland we headed up to the front of the park to shop a bit before dinner while our little girl enjoyed her nap time.
Dinner that night we were super excited about seeing as we were revisiting Kona Cafe, where we had one of our favorite meals the trip before. We arrived a bit early but took advantage of the cool air and peace and quiet while our little girl was sleeping. Soon enough, we were all awake and being seated for dinner. It took awhile this time for the chef to come out to take my dinner order but I successfully placed my order for the gluten free noodle dish with chicken. Meanwhile, Dan ordered his sushi and it was Mickey shaped ravioli, and not to mention the deliciously sweet Hawaiian bread, on the menu that night for our little girl.
Gluten Free Noodle Dish With Chicken at the Polynesian’s Kona Cafe.
Our meals had arrived and not a peep was heard around the table, except for the occasional excited declaration of Mickey being on little one’s plate. The Mickey raviolis were a hit for sure, definitely a dinner item that I wish we could get at home. My gluten free noodle dish though was by far one of my favorite meals from that trip, in all honesty it was one of the only nights that I wasn’t feeling sick at dinner, but putting that aside, it was the only dinner that I wished I knew how to make at home so I can enjoy it more often. The flavors are just amazing and remind me fondly of the days when I could enjoy a warm bowl of lo mein. Rice noodles and fresh veggies, some still with a little crunch, slathered with a delicious gluten free terriyaki sauce of sorts made me one happy gluten free Mommy.
With our last dinner coming to a close and the end of our vacation drawing near, we couldn’t help but look back at the past week with sadness. As always, the vacation flew by much faster than we had hoped. It was a bit more eventful in the health department than we had wished for but that’s life, you just have to roll with what life gives you sometimes. All together it was a wonderful Disney vacation, that ended with a great electrical parade that night with a couple of characters stopping by to say hi to our little one and a full morning the next day in Magic Kingdom to enjoy some last moments on our favorite rides. I’m still holding out hope that our next Disney vacation we won’t have to order a prescription, retreat to the hotel room for recovery, or make an impromptu visit to the urgent care center. We’re not sure when we’ll be back for our next Disney vacation but my fingers, toes, and everything that can be crossed will be crossed, along with many a prayer, for a completely healthy vacation. For now, we’ll be dreaming of our next days in Disney and all of the memories that they will bring.
Disney Day 4 was filled with lots of rides and meet and greets at Magic Kingdom so it was certainly nice to end it with a relaxing dinner and dessert in Epcot! I had scoped out the Flower and Garden Festival food options awhile before being there in person so I had a general idea of what they had in the gluten free department. On my list of potential treats to try were the Candied Strawberries in China, Frushi in Japan, and the Orange Blossom Macaron in France. Since I’d already tasted the Candied Strawberries, I was eager to either go with the Frushi or Macaron. I was in more of a pastry mood that night than a fruit one so macaron it was.
It was a beautiful night despite the excessive wetness during the day, so we took our time heading over to France, making sure we caught all of the beautiful topiaries on the way. Some of our favorites by far were Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs in Germany,
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Germany, Epcot
Lady and The Tramp in Italy,
Lady and The Tramp, Italy, Epcot
and finally Beauty and The Beast, and all of their enchanted friends, in France.
Beauty and The Beast, France, Epcot
These were so beautiful and the attention to detail was amazing! Now, after we had taken a few photos of the gorgeous French topiaries we spotted France’s Fleur De Lys Flower and Garden Festival stand.
Flower and Garden Festival 2014 in Epcot
I quickly ordered the Macaron a la Fleur d’ Oranger which was an orange blossom macaron with white chocolate ganache in the center. These were kept separately and already on their individual plates so I didn’t have to worry about the person handling the other gluten-filled options at the stand also touching mine as well. After picking up my macaron, we headed through France to the Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie to pick out a sweet treat for our little girl. She picked an impressive fruit parfait which was yogurt mousse with berries, a combination of ingredients that she happens to adore at home so I knew this one would be a hit. We headed out and picked an outside table to sit and enjoy our desserts together.
Gluten Free Macaron a la Fleur d’ Oranger, Orange Blossom Macaron with White Chocolate Ganache
After watching my little one enjoy her first few bites of her fruit parfait I turned my glance to my sweet, gluten free macaron. It was put together so beautifully that I hated to take a bite and ruin the presentation, but no worries I certainly did my research.
Delicate, gluten free orange macaron!
The macaron was pretty large with a generous helping of the white chocolate ganache inside. It was incredibly soft and delicate, just how a macaron should be. The orange flavor of the cookie side was perfectly complemented by the chocolatey center. All together it was a sweet, gluten free ending to a wonderful day!
I must say, it was certainly special to be able to experience the Flower and Garden Festival for the first time. Disney did a fantastic job, as always, with all of the gardens throughout Epcot and added another exciting element with food stands in each country offering tasting size bites. I have to share just one more of my favorite topiaries that we spotted after walking through Canada, whose character was inspiration for my daughter’s nursery so this one holds a little sentimental value and really stole the show for me.
Bambi, Thumper, and Flower, Canada, Epcot
When we walked past, my little one nearly jumped out of her seat with excitement as she recognized Bambi, Thumper, and Flower. I think probably each of us had one of those moments as we walked through the countries, spotting favorite characters from childhood, depicted now in huge, flower displays. It was truly a remarkable event to attend! Thanks Disney!
This Disney trip we were so fortunate to be able to attend the Flower And Garden Festival at Epcot, we’d never been but have heard fantastic things about how gorgeous Epcot is decorated by Disney’s finest topiaries and flower displays. On Day 2 of our trip, Epcot had extra magic hours so we decided to venture over in that neck of the woods for the day. The reviews that we had read on the festival prior to going did not do the hard work and creativity that goes into the elaborate displays placed everywhere throughout Epcot any justice. Just after scanning our magic bands to enter we were greeted by huge Donald, Daisy, and Goofy topiaries which my little girl couldn’t have been happier to see. The attention to detail was truly remarkable, not terribly surprising when you’re talking about Disney though. Here’s a quick look at Donald, Daisy, and Goofy who welcomed us into Epcot!
Welcome to Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival 2014.
Our first stop was to do the parent swap for Soarin and then to revisit the revamped Test Track. Both were amazing as always, I have to say they did a great job with Test Track, it certainly is a bit more thrilling then what I can remember. By 9 am though we were in line to meet little one’s Disney favorites: Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy. At only 1 1/2 she truly knows and loves each of Disney’s characters, Mickey and his friends being her favorites. After a quick wait she was in sight of Mickey, waving and saying hello frantically. Finally, it was her time to shine, she ran over to give Mickey a huge hug and kiss giving us so much to awe about. Visits with Goofy and Minnie were just the same, filled with so much love and happiness from out little baby girl. After an amazing start to our morning we were off to enjoy Nemo and his aquarium and then it was time to head over to the World Showcase.
I was excited to hear that there would be some different food stands offering gluten free treats at the Flower and Garden Festival this year. One item in particular that caught my eye were the Beijing-Style Candied Strawberries in China. While little one napped after her exciting morning, Dan and I meandered around the countries, trying tiny bites here and there and finally we came upon China. I couldn’t help but give the gluten free candied strawberries a try.
Epcot Flower and Garden Festival 2014: China’s Beijing-Style Candied Strawberries
After ordering, three huge candied strawberries greeted me at the kitchen window. These were huge strawberries which was a fantastic sight to me as I happen to love strawberries. They were covered in melted sugar and dusted with sesame seeds which I thought was an interesting twist. I must say I really enjoyed the candying effect of the strawberries, which were perfectly sweet and delicious. However, the sesame seed addition wasn’t my favorite. While I wasn’t a fan of the sesame seeds, my husband, who has by far a much more adventurous palate, seemed to really enjoy them.
Beijing-Style Candied Strawberries dusted in sesame seeds.
All in all, they were a refreshing treat. I loved the combination of the candy idea with huge and sweetly plump strawberries but could have done without the sesame seeds atop, or at least on only half so my husband could enjoy them on the other half. It was so nice to be able to participate in this extra part of the Flower and Garden Festival so I’m so grateful for Epcot taking the extra step to indicate gluten content on any of these extra dishes at their food stands. These strawberries were definitely creative and worth giving a try!
Stay tuned for Day 2’s lunch at Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar in Epcot’s Italy!
If you’re as in love with peanut butter as much as I am, you absolutely must give this smoothie a try. To make this one that much better, it combines bananas and peanut butter; anyone remember those peanut butter and banana sandwiches your mom used to make for you when you were little? I have to admit I still make these for myself from time to time (delicious!). More frequently though, I throw this childhood favorite together for my little girl who happens to LOVE bananas, i.e. she’d eat a banana every meal of the day if she could. This smoothie then has become a real winner in our house, among the adults and toddlers!
It’s so simple and easy to throw together, and uses ingredients that we keep on hand every week. Just add your favorite gluten free peanut butter, bananas, and a milk base and you’re good to go! The best part is that you get to enjoy the healthy benefits of the banana peanut butter sandwich in smoothie form. A great serving of protein from the peanut butter, potassium from the bananas, and calcium from your milk base of choice, can’t go wrong!
Ingredients:
1 cup DREAM Blends Unsweetened Coconut, Almond, & Chia Drink (I also like Silk Unsweetened Coconut & Almond Milk)
1 ripe banana
1 tbsp peanut butter (Smart Balance is gluten free)
This smoothie recipe is a total keeper! Much of making veggie and fruit smoothies is trial and error, figuring out what combinations of things work for you. As I’ve learned, what works for some, may not be so tasty for me. If you happen to love the berry family, including blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries, then you will totally fall for this one! Based on my favorite fruit smoothie recipe from Chiquita Bananas, this smoothie has a fantastic combination of berries and banana, but with a few tweaks I boosted the nutritional content drastically without jeopardizing that perfectly sweet flavor. As you’ve probably learned from many of my smoothie recipes I love to add spinach, not only because it’s one of my favorite veggies and has numerous nutritional benefits, but also because it blends in with other ingredients perfectly! My Berry-Banana Flaxseed Smoothie was no exception, I not only added my traditional two cups of fresh spinach, but also used one of my favorite gluten free liquid bases, Dream Blends Unsweetend Rice and Quinoa, along with adding in two tablespoons of gluten free ground flaxseed! This smoothie is incredibly delicious and was gobbled up by myself and my little one in just a few short minutes!
Clear your cabinets and make room for these soft and delectable gluten free sprinkle cookies!
Growing up, I remember making those occasional trips to Italian Peoples Bakery and our parents treating us to their perfect Italian cookies; my favorites of which were those brightly colored leaf cookies that are stuffed with chocolate fudge in the middle and the light and soft sprinkle cookies. They brought many smiles on Saturdays after dance class that’s for sure! As the years have passed, those trips dwindled down but I still remember the lightness of those cookies and how they literally melted in your mouth.
In my experience with gluten free baking, it’s rare to describe gluten free pastries as being light and soft, but in Katz’s case, these terms are used quite often. They’ve succeeded yet again in producing a fantastic sprinkle cookie that is sure to make any gluten free Italian or cookie lover happy! An added bonus about these cookies is that they’re also dairy and nut free as well, only containing soy and eggs. So, if you happen to have multiple food restrictions or allergies you might just be in luck!
Katz sprinkled cookies are dairy, nut, and gluten free.
On their website, these cookies sell for $5.19 for a 6 oz package. Their shelf life is 4 months, that’s right I said 4 months, not to say that I’m promising that they’ll make it that long on your shelf though. This extended shelf life is a fantastic perk with Katz products allowing you to buy in bulk either by the case or individually when they have one of their many promotions.
Katz sprinkle cookies in their glory!
If you haven’t had Italian sprinkle cookies, these gluten free treats are also just like Luna Rosa’s which are those gourmet cookies that are adorned with chocolate sprinkles, multi-colored sprinkles, sandwiched with fudge or jelly, dusted with powder sugar, or dipped in chocolate. These are my mother’s favorite cookies that my dad surprises her with on special days like a birthday or holiday, but I always used to sneak one every now and then in my gluten days. Katz’s gluten free sprinkle cookies resemble the classics from my childhood perfectly with their extremely soft, melt in your mouth kind of texture and mildly sweet flavor with the extra touch from the sprinkles, which are those long, soft kind that are perfection.
These cookies are an amazing snack and a great alternative to your homemade standbys. There were many a pregnant day that I perused Katz’s website for a different baked good that I hadn’t had success in making gluten free for myself yet. When I came upon these sprinkle cookies, I was instantly thrown back into those fond days of being a kid and enjoying those gluten filled sweets. I couldn’t help but give them a try and thanks to Katz they certainly lived up to my memories, making me miss Italian Peoples or Luna Rosas a bit less. So treat yourself or your little one to one of Katz’s gourmet gluten free cookies which you can check out on their site here. As always, make sure you check into their promotions to try to save a bit!
Smoothies are a fantastic start to the day, mid morning or late afternoon snack. While I certainly like my all fruit smoothies, I try to always throw in a handful or two of spinach to sneak in another veggie helping during the day. Adding veggies to smoothies is scary I know but the benefits of adding these to the mix are tremendous. So if you’re on the fence on this one, just give it a try first. Also, for an extra nutritional boost I like to add flaxseed, oatmeal, or chia seeds. In this mixed berry smoothie I decided to add a tablespoon of ground flaxseed which adds a bunch of extra protein and fiber to my daily diet. This mixed berry smoothie was a winner for both myself and my little smoothie buddy so hope you enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 cup mixed berries (ex. frozen Welch’s antioxidant fruit blend: strawberries, blueberries, dark sweet cherries, sour cherries, blackberries)
1/2 cup plain fat free regular or Greek yogurt (Stonyfield or Cabot is gluten free)
1 banana
2 handfuls fresh spinach
1 tbsp flaxseed (Bob’s Red Mill is certified gluten free)
1 tsp honey or agave nectar
1 cup fat free milk
1 cup ice
Mixed Berry Gluten Free Smoothie
TIP: If you have any extra smoothie, store it in a sealed glass jar like the one above and enjoy the next day!
