Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Product Review : Rudi's Gluten Free Multigrain Hot Dog Rolls


Where to start?  

First I would like to say both Shawn and I were very excited to try these after reading some rave reviews online of how wonderful these were.  We found them in a health food store here in Port Charlotte, Florida and couldn't wait to get them home to try.

They were a bit expensive, $5.89 for 4 hotdog rolls.  Perhaps this reflects the local economy here in Southern Florida, I don't know.

I would also like to clarify that we could only find them "frozen" so perhaps the fresh ones are much better, although the bag is preprinted with the words "keep frozen".

When thawed they felt spongy through the bag and we thought "oh goodie!"  But....

I thought they were dry, oddly textured, and in the end, inedible.  Shawn ate his but agreed that they were dry, stale feeling, and oddly textured.  We both agreed not to buy these again unless we could find them fresh not frozen.

They crumbled and broke when we cut the first one open (fully thawed) and it went downhill from there.  I'm not sure if any of you have ever tried to eat a hotdog between two separated dry and crumbly bread pieces, but it isn't a pleasant experience and in the end I ended up eating just the hotdog with a fork and throwing the bun away.

The package claims "made with fluffy, light ingredients" but mine were neither light nor fluffy.  The package says "keep frozen"  and we did until we needed to thaw them out for our Memorial Day BBQ.

To sum it up, not a product we will buy again when I can easily and simply make hotdog buns from scratch at home that are light and fluffy and fresh.  (I'll post the recipe soon.)



Thursday, May 26, 2011

Product Review: KinniKritters (Gluten Free Animal Cookies) by Kinnikinnick


Today we went to the local health food stores in Port Charlotte, Florida to see what gluten free products and ingredients were available locally.  We were pleasantly surprised at the large and various selection.

We only went to the two closest to us.  One was Richard's Whole Foods and I loved their selection.  Shawn was walking around like a kid in a candy store and bought these cookies which are a delicious and healthy copy of animal crackers.  Both Shawn and I, as well as our friend Tim taste tested and agreed they taste just like animal crackers.

We loved that they are produced in a dedicated gluten free, wheat free, dairy free, nut free facility.  That's a lot of "free".  =]

They came in an 8 ounce box that cost only $3.69  "Wow!"

I love that Richard's Whole Foods gives you a $5 coupon for every $200 spent on your "free" rewards card also.  We will definitely shop there often.  We will definitely be buying these delicious animal cookies again.

We recommend these for your snacking pleasure.

Enjoy.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Product Review: Schar Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free Classic White Bread


New, Now Even Softer.

I decided it would be a good idea to try some bread that I didn't personally make.  You know, every now and then, just to see what is out there and what I'm missing out on.

Well....    I wasn't missing out on anything here.  When we got it home and looked at it through the package, we could see just a hint of humidity in the inside of the sealed inner bag.  This excited us, since the package claims "Light, Fluffy, Moist" and most packaged gluten free breads are the opposite of light, fluffy, and moist.

My first thought upon opening the inner plastic package and touching the bread was "This is going to be dry."

It was.

It was dry and crumbly and didn't hold up very well to being handled.  At the very least a sandwich bread should hold up to being handled.  Right?  That is what happens to a sandwich, getting handled. LOL

I fried some eggs and made a sandwich immediately for lunch.



The taste was great.  Sure, it may break in your hands under the slightest pressure and be dry and crumbly, but the flavor is good, and it photographs well.

I used it to make grilled ham and cheese.  It looks really good in the photo, but it was difficult to get them to hold together, both in the pan and in the hand.  Grilled did seem sturdier than plain straight out of the package.

Last we tried a simple turkey and tomato with mayo.

We actually really liked the flavor of this bread and in an emergency, we would use it again.   Over all, we were not pleased however.  The texture was dry and crumbly.  The bread broke, tore, and crumbled when handled normally (as you would any sandwich).

I definitely prefer my gluten free sandwich bread and so does Shawn.  I'm positive you will too if you give it a bake.  =]

To recap....  Good in an emergency.   Not as good as what I make at home.