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The Great Chicken Strip Challenge!

3/11/2015

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Today, two brands are going to battle!! Who will be crowned the winner? Stay tuned to find out . . .
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Today we're matching up two of the Gluten Free Chicken Strip brands to determine which will come out a winner!  ; )
In the left corner we have . . .  Perdue Simply Smart Gluten Free Breaded Chicken Breast Tenders, and . . . 
In the right corner we have . . . Tyson Gluten Free Breaded Chicken Strips!
The two opponents will be judged in three categories: Portion, Flavor and Texture. They'll be scored separately on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the best, 1 being the worst), then they'll be scored comparatively for judging purposes. We'll begin with the Tyson Chicken Strips . . . 
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Portion:
Disappointing. We paid around $6 for the bag, and we received six chicken strips, and a chicken "nubbin", because there is no way this thing could be dubbed a "strip". Only two of the strips were average sized; the rest were itty bitty midget strips.  Out of 5 points, these receive a 2 for portion, because the bag COULD have been empty, and that would've been the worst. Right? 
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Flavor:
Not bad. They were kind of peppery, which was tasty. Other than that, there wasn't much flavor. I kind of wish they'd been a bit spicier. 3/5 points for flavor.

Texture:
Unimpressive. Even after following the directions, they still didn't crisp up. In fact, the breading had a slightly mushy quality to it with no real crispyness. 2/5 for flavor. 

Onto the Perdue Chicken Tenders!!
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Portion:
15 chicken strips for about the same price. I think this is great, because I'm all for companies that give you more for your money! :) Also, almost all of them were average  or reasonable-sized chicken strips, so that's a win. 5/5 Points for portion.
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Flavor:
These are really tasty; there's nothing bland about them. They're very simply flavorful! Points for the flavor . . . 4/5, as I think they could have used a bit more spice to help the chicken flavor stand out.

Texture:
Perfect. They're crispy and crunchy without being dry. No mushiness. Just crispy chicken strips. 5/5 for Texture. 

Now . . .  onto the overall results! I created this nifty little table to show the scores in each category and to judge them comparatively! So, go ahead and check it out:

The Great Chicken Strip Challenge Judging Table!

Portion Flavor Texture
Perdue Gluten Free Chicken Tenders 5/5 4/5 5/5
Tyson Gluten Free Chicken Strips 2/5 3/5 2/5
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As you can see, the Perdue Gluten Free Chicken Tenders had far better scores . . . making them today's standout winner!! :D

Have y'all tried either of these products? Which ones are your favorite?  Please tell me in the comments below!!

Hope you've had a Wonderful Wednesday!!! 
Love,
Olivia
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At the table together Gluten Free Flour Tortilla Mix

3/7/2015

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Okay y'all. As you may have noticed, I do quite a few product reviews/product recommendations. So I decided to switch up a bit today and do a sort of anti-product recommendation, or in other words "STEER CLEAR OF THIS PRODUCT". Today, we're talking about "At the table together"'s Gluten Free Flour Tortilla Mix.

In case you've never seen it before, the package looks like this:
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We found this mix at HomeGoods for $4.49, though it retails for $6.00 in their online store.
The reason I have determined and placed this mix in the "anti-product recommendation" category today is simple . . . it totally flopped. Like, really bad Pinterest fail, can't possibly bring myself to share the pictures with y'all kind of flopped. 

The taste wasn't absolutely awful once I topped it with some jam, but the texture was super gritty. And instead of pretty, fluffy authentic flour tortillas; they kind of looked like beige (yes, I used that favorite color of grandmas and great-great grandmothers from years ago) dog-chewed frisbees. I followed the directions exactly, and I used some extra Gluten Free All Purpose Flour for dusting while rolling them out, and they didn't work at all. I don't know if my mix was wrong or what caused the problem, but they did NOT turn into tortillas. That I can tell you. I was very disappointed considering I expected pretty flour tortillas. Guess I just need to find these locally instead. Oh well. . .
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Have any of y'all tried Gluten Free Mixes that turned into total flops? Tell me in the comments if you have!!

Also, don't forget to enter my current giveaway!! 

Have a Stupendous Saturday, y'all!!
Love,
Olivia
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Happy Pancake Day!!

2/17/2015

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Today is Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras (Hence the picture below), the day before Ash Wednesday, and last but not least  . . . Pancake Day!!

The reasoning behind Pancake Day is actually kind of cool:

Basically, this celebration's roots are in the pagan festivals of Slavics that intended to ward off the evil gods of cold and darkness. Pancakes, originating in the 15th century, symbolized the sun and feelings of warm weather, and they marked the impending beginning of spring. Different ingredients used in making the pancakes represented different values of the Christian faith: 
  • eggs for creation
  • flour for a basis of a human's diet
  •  salt for wholesomeness
  •  milk for purity.


Pretty neat, huh?
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So, in honor of Pancake Day, I made . . .  Pancakes! Shocker, I know. 
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If you want to make the super simple pancakes I made . . . 

Here's what you'll need:
  • 1 1/4 Cups Krusteaz Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
  • 1 Tablespoon of Sugar
  • 3 1/2 teaspoons of Baking Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 Tablespoons Melted Butter
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 1/2 Cups Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1/4 Tablespoon Cinnamon
  • 1 cup of pureed banana

Here's what to do:
  • Preheat griddle to 350
  • Whisk together all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl
  • Add in all wet ingredients and whisk until smooth
  • Pour around a 1/4 of batter onto griddle per pancake and cook until both sides are golden brown.
  • Makes about 15 (4 inch) pancakes


Are y'all celebrating Pancake Day? If so, let me know what flavor pancakes will be gracing your plate in the comments section below!! :D

Hope y'all have an awesome Pancake Day!!
Love,
Olivia
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New Friends in the Gluten Free Community!

2/16/2015

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Enjoy Life Foods is an awesome brand within the Gluten Free Community, offering foods free from the Top 8 allergens. Big news . . . really big . . . Today . . . they made the announcement that they will be joining the Mondelez International (the owners of Toblerone, Stride, and Cadbury as well as a large range of other companies) family. This means that they'll have additional distribution and a myriad of other awesome benefits. Read more about Enjoy Life's take on it here.
Additionally, if you'd like to read Mondelez International's Press Release, find it here. 
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I think this is going to be an awesome partnership, and I am excited to see what's to come for Enjoy Life Foods in the long run of their relationship with Mondelez! 

Do y'all have a favorite product from Enjoy Life Foods?
Out of the things I've tried, my favorite would have to be their Sugar Crisp cookies. They're quite tasty. 

I'd love to hear what y'all's favorite product is!! Please let me know in the comments below!
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Hope y'all have had a Marvelous Monday!!
Love, 
Olivia
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Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free 7-Grain Bread 

1/12/2015

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Okay y'all, remember when I got my Send Me Gluten Free Box? Well, with that, I received a coupon for a free loaf of Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free Bread! I picked mine up at Target a couple weeks ago, and realized I NEVER wrote a review. Oops. Well, wait no more because . . .  this post is my review! :D
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Texture:
Fantastic! Just like regular bread. No weird dry spots or anything, just a consistent bready texture. I'm giving it ten out of ten stars as it is the breadiest bread I've eaten since going Gluten Free, AND it doesn't need to be toasted to have great texture. It's awesome RIGHT OUT OF THE BAG! *insert angels singing here!*

Storage:
Just throw it on the counter. It won't matter. Seriously though, IT'S SHELF STABLE! No more gross cold bread sandwiches, no sir. This bread is just grand straight out of the bag. Ten of ten stars for storage. 

Flavor:
FABULOUS. Seriously y'all. It tastes like normal bread! It's super duper yummy with some nice flavor complexity, but most importantly, it has flavor of its own. Nothing unpleasant or mostly tasteless like some other Gluten Free breads I've tried. Just really great flavor. Ten of ten stars. 

Price:
I got it for free with the coupon, but . . . if you did buy it at Target, I believe it'd be around $6. Ouch. I know. I will tell you that though I think it is DELICIOUS; its price is a quite a bit more than I'd like to pay.  Seven out of ten stars for price. 

Overall:
I think that Canyon Bakehouse has achieved their mission of having me love bread again. The ONLY way I could love it more . . . is if the price were lower. I'm giving them an eight out of ten. Like I've mentioned, the product is fantastic. However, the price is not stellar. 

I hope this review was helpful. Let me know if you've tried their bread and what you thought of it in the comments below!

As usual, all opinions are solely my own, Canyon Bakehouse has NO clue who I am.

Have a great day y'all!
Love,
Olivia
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Gluten Free Girl Scout Cookies

1/9/2015

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Okay y'all, Girl Scout Cookie Season is upon us, and I felt the need to inform you that you CAN participate in Girl Scout Cookie mania. I say this with full confidence because the Girl Scouts have released yet ANOTHER Gluten Free Cookie flavor! You see, they introduced Trios a couple of years ago in select markets. These cookies are comprised of  "Chocolate chips nestled in a gluten free peanut butter oatmeal cookie." 
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Additionally, this year they've added another Gluten Free cookie option within select markets called the Toffee-tastic. These cookies are described as being, "Rich, buttery cookies packed with golden toffee bits bursting with flavor." 
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 Find out more about how you can find the gluten free options here and here. 

I'm hoping to find Trios near me sometime soon (maybe from some sweet Girl Scout in the Sam's Club parking lot), and I would love to hear which one y'all would want to try!

I hope y'all have a GREAT day!!
Love,
Olivia
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Modern Oats Review

12/3/2014

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A few weeks ago I won a giveaway on the I'm A Celiac blog! I wrote an initial review, and I promised an in-depth one later. Well, it's later, and here's my more expanded overview! ;D 
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As y'all know, I received a variety pack  which included one of each of the following flavors:

  • Mango Blackberry
  • 5 Berry
  • Goji Blueberry
  • Chocolate Cherry
  • Nuts & Seeds 
  • Apple Walnut

My favorite by far was the Nuts & Seeds. The flavors all blended together perfectly, and it had an awesome combination of spices I really enjoyed. 

Now, I'm sure you're thinking, "Well, Olivia, oatmeal is great and all, but is there anything else I can do with this stuff?" 

Why, yes, yes there is! 

You can make cookies! :D I made some with the Chocolate Cherry oatmeal! You can find the recipe on the container of Modern Oats, and get great breakfast cookies! They were a bit dense in texture. Other than that, they're AWESOME!
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You can find my blog post about taking the ingredients above and turning them into cookies here! 
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As if that wasn't enough cool things about Modern Oats, they are also:
  • Certified Gluten Free
  • Vegan
  • Non-GMO 
  • 100% Whole Grain
  • Kosher 

Overall, I think Modern Oats is an awesome company with awesome products!
I loved every single flavor I tried and hope they'll be sold in a store near me sometime soon! 
To find them in a store near you, check out the Find A Location page on their website! 
Or, you can order online here.

Hope y'all found this helpful! 
As usual, all opinions are solely my own! Modern Oats has no idea who I am!
Have an AWESOME day! 
Love, 
Olivia
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Krusteaz Gluten Free Honey Cornbread Mix (a review) 

11/29/2014

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Today I'm going to talk about the Krusteaz Gluten Free Honey Cornbread Mix! Here's some information on it:
  • It's Certified Gluten Free.
  • It's made with real honey. 
  • You can find it at Walmart.
  • It's $12.04 for one package on Amazon. I paid like $3.99 for it at Walmart.
 Just in case you were wondering about it, the packaging looks like this:
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And here are the instructions:
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Here's what my cornbread looked like once I cooked it:
(Yes, it's in a cast iron skillet)
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So, we'll go about this in the usual fashion here at Livie's Gone Gluten Free by discussing the product in categories and then ranking those categories with stars!

Texture:
It's a touch on the crumbly side, which is really strange because it is moist. Yet it crumbles SUPER easily. (Just a hint though, this problem can be significantly decreased by a sizable dollop of butter). I'm giving the texture 3/5 stars. 

Flavor:
GREAT! I thought the flavor was fantastic. It has a far more authentic cornbread taste than other cornbread mixes I have purchased -- a pleasant surprise. I think it tastes delicious. I'm giving the flavor 5/5 stars.

Price:
Not terrible. The price I paid at Walmart is pretty much on par with all the other Gluten Free Cornbread Mixes I can get locally. I'd give the price a solid 4/5 stars. 

Overall:
I think it's a great product, and I will most likely buy it again. It's got a great corny cornbread taste that is superior to others I've tried. My only issue is that it crumbles VERY easily. If it weren't for that, this product would get 5/5 stars. However, because of the crumbliness; it gets a 4/5.

Hope y'all found this review helpful!! 
As usual, ALL opinions in this post are mine and mine alone. Krusteaz has NO IDEA who I am.

If you've tried this product, please let me know what you thought of it in the comments below!!

Have an awesome Saturday, Y'all!
Love,
Olivia
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Modern Oats Cookies!

11/21/2014

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Earlier this month we talked about the Modern Oats giveaway I won on the I'm a Celiac blog!  (Find that post here) But, today we'll be talking about one of the other things you can do with your cup of Modern Oats! Make Cookies!! 
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Here's what you'll need:
  • 2 Tablespoons of Oil
  • 1 Egg
  • 2 Tablespoons of Gluten Free Flour (I used Krusteaz)
  • 1 cup of Modern Oats (One container) 

Blend all the ingredients together, it'll look like this: 
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Then, use a 1/8 measuring cup to scoop the dough onto a cookie sheet. I ended up with four cookies. See:
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Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from from oven, Transfer from cookie sheet to a wire rack, and allow to cool!! Enjoy!! 
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Have a great day y'all!!
Love, 
Olivia
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Giveaway Winners!!

11/18/2014

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Okay y'all! Here comes the post you've waited for ALL DAY LONG! The winners of the Foster Farms Gluten Free Corn Dog Giveaway!

First off, I'd like to thank ALL the great folks who entered! We had 320 entries for this giveaway, and I'm grateful to all of y'all who took the time to enter!  

Just as a reminder, the winners will receive a coupon for One (1) FREE box of Foster Farms Gluten Free Corn Dogs! These are available for purchase at the following stores: 
  • Safeway
  •  Vons 
  • Randalls
  • Tom Thumb
  • Kroger
  • Fry's
  • Smith's
  • Raley's
  • Lucky
  • Albertsons
  • Giant Eagle
  • Woodman's
  • Copps/ Roundy's
  • Schnucks
  • Food Lion
  • HyVee, and . . . 
  • Marsh
You can also call 800-255-7227 for help in finding a retailer in your area!
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Now, onto the winners!!! 

  1. Kaitlin V.
  2. Angie B.
  3. Jennifer B. 
  4. David L. 
  5. Lisa C.

I've sent out an email to y'all. As soon as you respond to that, we'll get you set up to receive your winnings!!

So, there you have it  . . . the Foster Farms Giveaway Winners!

If you're a winner, please respond to my email as soon as possible! 

Have an AWESOME day, y'all!
Love,
Olivia
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    Olivia Grace

    I'm a sinner saved by grace, a lover of color, a sweet tea drinker, an animal lover, a crafter, a traveler, a Maltipoo owner, an advocate of orphan care, a yoga lover, and that white girl in the back of a Zumba class with no rhythm. Haha. Oh, and my body hates gluten. 

    Welcome to my blog! I'm glad you're here.

    For business inquiries contact: [email protected]

    Livie's Gone Gluten Free
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