Be Free For Me Blog

This week’s WIN-It-Wednesday on BeFreeForMe.com is one of my favorite gluten-free cookie companies that is founded by one smart cookie herself, Dr. Lucy Gibney.

Lucy’s is founded by a doctor that got down to some serious medical research – in the kitchen – because her child had severe food allergies.  What began as a mother’s tasty recipe for her child has developed into a delicious alternative for people with (or even without!) special dietary considerations. Not only are Lucy’s Cookies gluten-free, they are also free of peanuts, tree nuts, milk and eggs. They are also vegan.

And even though Lucy’s Cookies are free of gluten and other common allergens, they aren’t missing out on flavor and tastiness. They are full of crunchy, airy cookie goodness, that makes them perfect for old-school milk dipping or classic ice cream sandwiches.

My most recent craveable dessert is sandwiching one of my favorite ice cream flavors, Black Raspberry, between two of Lucy’s Ginger Snap cookies. The spiciness of the cookies and the berry-creaminess of the ice cream is a match made in gluten-free heaven.

And with only 120 calorie for three (YES 3!) cookies, 0 mg cholesterol, and 0 g tans fat – my most recent favorite dessert is even sweeter!

The flavors of Lucy’s cookies goes beyond the ordinary too. As well as toting a bake sheet of traditional favorites, Lucy’s also offers some tantalizing flavors for the adult palate. Some include Ginger Snap, Maple Bliss, and Chocolate – as well as Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Thin and Sugar.

A total of two(2) BeFreeForMe members will be selected to win a two-pack of  Lucy’s Cookies.  One winners will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, October 25, 2016 at 11:59 PM EST, and one more winners will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, October 26 and Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at 11:59 PM. SO – make sure you enter to win two times!

How can you win?
Easy?

Reply to this blog and share a tip, suggestion, hint, or recipe idea about being gluten-free and / or allergen free that makes you a smart-cookie (Me? Using my smartphone at the supermarket to take photos of (and to remember!) new gluten-free products I discover to research reviews online AND always making double of recipes to have extra for lunches!)

Good luck, remember always to be that one smart-cookie you just know you are… and as always,
Be Free!

Follow Lucy’s Cookies on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrLucys

Follow Lucy’s Cookies on Twitter @lucys_tweets

Want to buy Lucy’s Cookies? Check out this link on Amazon.com and take advantage of free SuperSaver Shipping:
Lucy’s Lemon Cookies

Halloween is almost here! And every time of year around this time I start thinking about my favorite candy. Ever since I was a little girl my favorite candy has been red licorice. But after getting diagnosed with celiac disease I had to forgo my favorite candy since most brands are laced with gluten. That’s why I was super thrilled to finally, finally, finally find gluten-free licorice!

If you love licorice as much as I do, you need to try Yum Earth Soft Eating Licorice. Besides the chewy texture and the real fruit juicy burst of strawberries, there is so much more to love about the Yum Earth brand of licorice.

For starters… it’s Certified Gluten-Free. On top of that it is vegan, non-GMO, peanut free, contains real fruit juice, is naturally flavored and has no synthetic dyes. Plus… it is soy free, egg free, dairy free and contains no high fructose corn syrup. Wheww! That’s a lot of “free of” stuff! (Note: it is also made in a dairy & peanut free facility.)

Yum Earth is the #1 brand that Mom’s & Dad’s trust when it comes to finding a candy that is free of most allergens. Check out what others are saying about the Yum Earth on their website.

And lucky for all of you there will be two winners of this Win-It-Wednesday. Each of the two winners will receive a bag of the Strawberry soft chewy licorice. What a yummy prize!

One (1) winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received before Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, October 12 and Tuesday, October 18, 2016 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

How can you win? Easy! Reply to this blog and tell us what yummy flavor of the Yum Earth Licorice looks the best to you. Is it the Pomegranate? Peach? Or my favorite, the traditional Strawberry?

Good luck, Keep things yummy, and, as always …

Be Free!

Want to buy now? Check out these links on Amazon.com:

Strawberry Licorice

Mixed Variety Pack

I just love the Beef Jerky. In fact, you could probably call me a Beef Jerky Junkie. Low fat and high protein all rolled into one. When I’m feeling hungry just one or two strips will do the trick.

But since going gluten-free I discovered that most beef jerky contains gluten. So this jerky-loving gal was so excited when I found my new favorite beef jerky… Field Trip Beef Jerky.

The beef jerky comes in six (6) flavors: Original, Cracked Pepper, Crushed Chilies, Honey Spice, Roasted Sesame and Teriyaki.

Here is what the Field Trip website says about being gluten-free… “For years jerky producers have used soy sauces and other ingredients that contain wheat. There is no need for this in jerky. Our jerky uses a gluten free reduced sodium soy sauce. We have tested all of our products for gluten and our product contains less than 5 ppm of wheat.”

And not only is this jerky gluten-free – it also is free of so much other junk! It contains NO preservatives, added MSG, nitrates and corn syrup. In other words, it’s a beef jerky you can feel good about eating!

Ready-to-eat and never requiring refrigeration, these snacks are great for lunch kits, back-packs and for a quick snack right before, or after, the gym.

There will be two lucky winners of this Win-It-Wednesday contest. One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, September 26, 2016 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, September 27 and Tuesday, October 4, 2016 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us what flavor of the Field Trip Beef Jerky looks the best to you! (Me? I love the Original… so simple and good!)

Remember it’s okay to get a little (beef) jerky… and as always, Be Free!

Want to buy now? Check out these links on Amazon.com: Field Trip Beef Jerky

I love peanut butter. But I don’t like all the fat and calories that come along with this super spread.

That is why I was so very, very excited to find PB2.

PB2 come in two flavors: the traditional peanut butter and, my favorite, peanut butter blended with premium chocolate (can you say yum?!) Both are gluten-free.

The product is made by slow roasting superior quality peanuts and then pressing them to remove 85% of the fat and oil… which produces a fine “peanut powder”. Next they add in a bit of sugar and salt (No preservatives or artificial sweeteners).

And… magically… when you blend PB2 with water (mix 2 tablespoons of PB2 with 1 tablespoon of water) it makes a super delicious, tasty and creamy peanut butter that is only 45 calories per serving with only 1 gram of fat!  This product is perfect for those on Weight Watchers or those concerned with calories.

And if the chocolate variety is your fancy, added into the peanuts are ground cocoa beans… which produces a chocolaty peanut butter deliciousness!!

I love to whip-up a batch to dip sliced apples and pears into… or put a tablespoon or two of the powder into my smoothies, or atop my ice cream. The possibilities are limitless!

85% less calories and fat… superior taste… and endless possibilities are all the reasons why I picked up a couple of containers for this Win-It-Wednesday on BeFreeForMe.com. There will be two lucky winners. One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, September 13, 2016 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, September 14 and Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us how you enjoy peanut butter (Me? As mentioned above, I love dipping apple and pear slices in mine!).

Remember it’s okay to be a little crazy and little peanuts… and as always, Be Free!

Want to buy now? Check out these links on Amazon.com: PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter

Summer is coming to a close and school days are right on our doorstep. It will be the time of busy mornings and making lunches before we know it!

And in every good lunch box should be a good snack. One of my go-to snacks are Glutino Pretzel Sticks. From the beginning Glutino has been one of my all-time favorite gluten-free brands!

Glutino Pretzels are always in my shopping basket. I love them! Not only are the Glutino products delicious, they are also a brand that I can count on. All the Glutino products are gluten-free and the most can be found in traditional grocery stores – which means less time running around to specialty or natural food stores! Glutino makes my life so much easier!

Besides the pretzels, Glutino also makes tons of other gluten-free products. The variety of products that Glutino offers is exceptional. They seem to make it all, from cookies, breads, bagels, pancake mixes, muffin mixes, frozen pizzas and convenient pasta dishes.

Glutino products can also be used as ingredients in favorite gluten-free recipes too. I use Glutino pretzels in my favorite Congo Bar recipe (check it out here!)

For this Win-It-Wednesday prize I picked up a couple extra bags of the “Sharing Sized” (that would be the jumbo 14.1 ounce bag) Gluten-Free Pretzel Sticks for the prizes for this week’s Win-It-Wednesday.  There will be two lucky winners. One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, August 30, 2016 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, August 31 and Tuesday, September 6, 2016 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us your favorite snack… how easy is that!

Keep snacking, Be cool for school… and as always, Be Free!

Want to buy now? Check out these links on Amazon.com: Glutino Gluten-Free Pretzel Sticks (Pack of 3)

August is here and the summer heat doesn’t seem to quit! During these dog-days of summer there is nothing better than an icy cold popsicle. When I was a kid I couldn’t wait for “Pony Boy” to come galloping down my Grandmother’s road so me and my two sisters could get an icy cold and sticky sweet Popsicle.

Nowadays I still crave these summertime treats, but was searching for a “big kid” version of the too sweet version of my childhood favorites. That is when I decided to take matters into my own hands and make my own gluten-free frozen treats… with a grown-up twist!

My inspiration to make my own Popsicles came from the Good Housekeeping website which features a bunch of recipes for make-your-own Popsicles… all in big-kid flavors, including Blackberry-Rose Ice Pops, Coconut Carrot Ice Pops, Melon Pops, Raspberry Buttermilk Ice Pops and, of course, the “Adult Only” Happy Hour Ice Pops!

The device that I used to make my own Popsicles was a Tovolo Rocket Pop Mold, which is the Cadillac, top-notch and big-gun variety when it comes to the world of iced pop molds. In fact, I loved my Tovolo Rocket Pop Molds so much I decided to go out and get two more for the winners of this Win-It-Wednesday on BeFreeForMe.com!

The Tovolo Rocket Pop Molds let you make homemade freeze pops so easily. They are dishwasher safe, food safe and are BPA free. They are also reusable, which reduces waste. But the best part about the Tovolo molds are the fun that you (and your kids too!) can have making your very own homemade gluten-free Popsicles. Plus, these pop molds are real money savers!  (And did I mention the super-cool rocket shape? What is better than a Popsicle shaped like a rocket?!)

All of these out of this world reasons are why I am so excited to share the Tovolo Rocket Pop Molds to two BeFreeForMe.com members. One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, August 16, 2016 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, August 17 and Tuesday, August 23, 2016at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us a fun summer activity or memory you have (Me? Cape Cod beach visits!) Good luck, remember to relax, enjoy the rest of the summer, chill-out…and, as always …

Be Free!

Want to buy now? Check out these links on Amazon.com: Tovolo Rocket Pop Molds (Set of 6)

With August right around the corner (Yickes! Is that possible?) and summer quickly coming to a close, I want to enjoy every moment of the warm weather.

So instead of mixing up a bazillion types of gluten-free flours, along with some Xanthan gum to make my favorite recipes, I’m always have in stock XO Baking Company’s All Purpose “Cup-for-Cup”Gourmet Flour Blend.

I love that this “Cup-for-Cup” flour allows you to make your favorite, treasured recipes with no hassle and no worry. All you need to do is follow your favorite sweet baked good recipe, and substitute the traditional gluten-laden white flour with the XO Baking Company All Purpose “Cup-for-Cup” Gluten-Free Flour Blend. Your baked goods will come out delicious, and it’s easy as a snap.

All of the XO Baking Mixes are Certified Gluten Free through the Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO).  This means that they test every one of their products to ensure that they are safe for those with a gluten intolerance, sensitivity or celiac disease. The mixes also contain no milk or eggs and are Non-GMO.

The XO Baking Company All Purpose “Cup-for-Cup” Flour Blend is also rice free, peanut free, certified kosher and contains no preservatives, artificial flavors or colors. They are also Non-GMO.

And as well as the Flour Blend, XO Baking also offers other delicious gluten-free baked good mixes including a delicious Pound Cake, Banana Bread, Zucchini Bread and Pumpkin Bread; a new Blondie Mix; Pie Crust Mix and also a Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting.

I was so excited to find the XO Baking Company All Purpose “Cup-for-Cup” Gluten-Free Flour Blend in my local store, so I grabbed an extra two boxes to feature on this week’s Win-It-Wednesday giveaway!

A total of two (yes, 2!) BeFreeForMe.com members will be randomly selected to win a package of XO Baking Mixes All Purpose “Cup-for-Cup” Gluten-Free Flour Blend. One (1) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, August 3, 2016 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, August 4 and Tuesday, August 9, 2016 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us what you would make with the XO Baking Company All Purpose “Cup-for-Cup” Gluten-Free Flour Blend (Me? My all-time favorite… Chocolate Chip Cookies!). Good luck, savor the summer & your sweets… and, as always …

Be Free!

P.S. Want to buy some now? Check out this link for XO Baking Company GF Cup-for-Cup Flour Blend

I love it when I find a scrumptious treat at a bargain!

That’s why I was so super excited to discover Curenero Macaroons at a local store. The price was good, the quality superb and the taste incredible! Plus they are gluten free.

These macaroons are made in Italy (hence the website written all in Italian!) and imported to the US. These macaroons are the real deal. I brought these macaroons to the beach (beach days are great days for treats,right?) and they were gobbled up by all and had rave reviews.

And lucky for all of you, I picked up two extra boxes of these macaroons for this Win-It-Wednesday edition on BeFreeForMe.com.

One (1) winner will be randomly selected to win a box from the entries received before Tuesday, July 19, 2016 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, July 20 and Tuesday, July 26, 2016 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us your must-have treat that you like to bring to the beach, pond, lake.

Good luck, remember to treat yourself daily, and, as always …

Be Free!

During the summer months it’s nice to have a quick and easy breakfast in the morning that will fill you up until lunchtime.

That’s why I was so excited to find Nature’s Earthly Choice Chia Goodness Cereal. My two favorite varieties are the Apple Almond Cinnamon and the Cranberry Ginger. Both are packed with nutrients that keep me going from day-break to mid-day.

These cereals are a good source of protein and Omega-3’s. They’re also packed with fiber, calcium and iron. And not only are they gluten-free, but also Non-GMO Certified.

And lucky for all of you there will be two winners of this Win-It-Wednesday. Each of the two winners will receive a package of the Nature’s Earthly Choice Chia Goodness Cereal.

One (1) winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received before Tuesday, July 6, 2016 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, July 7 and Tuesday, July 12, 2016 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us a tip on how you start your day in a healthy way. (Me? I love my morning walks!)

Good luck, Keep the “good” in your mornings, and, as always …

Be Free!

This week’s Win-It-Wednesday blog contest prize is another fabulous cookbook… but this week’s Win-It-Wednesday is all about veggies!

“Gluten-Free Tips & Tricks for Vegans” Cookbook by Jo Stepaniak is a god-send for anyone who eats gluten-free and vegan, as well as anyone who eats a gluten-free diet, and is trying to incorporate more plant-based meals into their diet.

I love that this cookbook is easy to understand, and gives the readers numerous tips and tricks (as the name of the cookbook implies!) about eating a delicious, yet healthy, gluten-free and vegan diet.

Jo Stepaniak goes over how to keep a gluten-free and vegan diet healthy and nutritious, which can often be difficult considering many gluten-containing grains and proteins are often the nutritional focus of a plant-based diet.

Some of my favorite recipes in this cookbook include Banana Bread, Black Bean Tostadas, Chilled Noodles in a Spicy Sauce and Glazed Lemon Pound Cake (yum!).

The cookbook contains over 70 gluten-free and vegan recipes featuring salads & soups, pasta dishes, ethnic dishes, and delicious desserts.

And lucky for all of you there will be two winners of this Win-It-Wednesday. Each of the two winners will receive a copy of the “Gluten-Free Tips & Tricks for Vegans” Cookbook.

One (1) winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received before Tuesday, June 21, 2016 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, June 22 and Tuesday, June 28, 2016 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?

Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us a tip on how you plan on staying healthy this summer. (Me? I plan on eating something that I grow in my garden at every meal!)

Good luck, Keep healthy, and, as always …

Be Free!

Want to buy now? Check out these links on Amazon.com: “Gluten-Free Tips & Tricks for Vegans” by Jo Stepaniak