New Gluten Free Products

[floridanative]

One was Natural Feast pies and I just found that on the board. Most didn't like the fruit pies (nasty per nini)and the choc. mouse seemed to fare best of all, though crust is bland. The store also sells a 2 pk. gluten-free pie crust but the only one left was damaged. They guy said he has a hard time keeping them in stock so I'm going to use them for quiche when I'm not to impress others with my newfound culinary skills - lol! they are thick so more like a quiche crust than Gillian's which is what I've used before.

Okay - now for the most interesting thing I found. Ener-G full size pizza crust. I love their pretzels and crackers but nothing else. The pizza crusts are not frozen and cost almost $14 for 2 so I thought doing recon on it a good idea before forking out the cash and possible feeding the birds in the back yard. Has anyone tried these yet? According to the store, they are brand new.

The only new (to me) thing I got was a Glutino kit kat bar. It's mostly choc. but very yummy. Shcar wafer bar is better and cost less per unit but it was neat to open the Glutino package and see it looks just like a kit kat bar. It's called a 'Break Bar' and says 'four fingered wafer bar' on the package. The type is too small to read but it's surely high in fat/calories. Mmmmm good!

Okay so here are two interesting tidbits the lady that works at the store told me. I have not been in months to this store, at least two anyway but she knows me by sight and asked how my Mother was doing on the diet in FL. I told her not that good and why. The woman then went to the back and came back to say she was just checking to see where a bakery in FL was named Sammy's that is gluten free but it's in Tampa. I heard there is some controversy about that place but in any case, it's way to far for Mother to go for food. But the next thing the woman said was really shocking to me. She said, you know since school started several area schools are coming in the store to get gluten-free food to feed their Celiac/Autistic students. She said this is the first time this has happened and she wonders why all of a sudden there are so many needing this food. I said I think the dx rate is finally on the rise as it should be and that was great news to me and many others. This is a very good day indeed!

[hez]

I really like the break bars! The closest thing to a kit kat that I have found. Only bummer is I have to mail order almost all of the glutino products, cannot find it locally.

Hez

[floridanative]

Every place I shop tells me to tell them what I'd like to see in the store and I do. That is how they added the 123 gluten-free line, well since everyone probably asked for it too. Do you have a health food store of any kind in your area? What they ask me to do is bring in an empty package so they can get the company info and you could try that at your store. If a store knows you want something to buy, they are going to try and get it for you if at all possible.

[FaithInScienceToo]

Their pie shells are very good - I make fruit pies with them. They come frozen in pairs of two:

I buy 2 bags organic frozen blueberries, at Whole Foods, some strawberries - fresh or frozen - and 2 peaches to make two pies -

Mix the blueberries, minus most of the juice in the bowl that you get with defrosting (mix that with syrup for pancakes), with some lemon juice/sugar/cinnamon (! cinnamon for taste and for blood sugar control) and some corn starch - layer mixture into bottom of shells, and leave open the middle...fill that in with fresh strawberry halves, with tips sticking up...then, layer some peach slices in a flower petal pattern around on top of the blueberries, outside the strawberries...looks pretty, like a flower... top with a dash of sugar and bake until the crust it lightly browned ...it's VERY good, especially a la mode with "SO Delicious" vanilla organic non-dairy ice cream, and better than their pricey blueberry pie.

[floridanative]

Mmmmmmm that pie sounds great - thanks for sharing! I'm going to get those shells and make quiche for an upcoming weekend with in laws. We have been asked to bring out own breakfast (think they are scared to feed me) so that's fine. The quiche will be perfect with some cranberry orange scones and a little orange marmalade. I'll even try and be nice and let the relatives have a taste.

[linz7997]

i had a break bar too ....mmmm...sooooo good...then i almost choked on it when i read the fat count!! i think it was 14 grams...(i mean its close to a normal kit kat)

[jerseyangel]

Hi Tiffany

Great news about the schools stocking up on gluten-free foods for the kids who need them. A real step in the right direction, I'd say!

I don't eat Glutino, unfortunately, because they tend to use soy in the products that I've seen. Too bad, because Wegman's has a very good selection of their foods. Glad you found a yummy candy bar!

My small, local health food store also is interested in my opinion of which things I'd like to see them carry. I now can get my Ener-g Potato Starch there instead of having to make a special trip out of my way. She told me that gluten-free foods are getting to be what more and more people come in specifically to find. I know there is so much more there now than just a year ago when I first started going regularly.

[FaithInScienceToo]

Mmmmmmm that pie sounds great - thanks for sharing! I'm going to get those shells and make quiche for an upcoming weekend with in laws.

Just to add-on, FYI - the shells are definitely good for a sweet pie...but, I'm not sure how they'd taste with quiche...but, I think they'd be good - different, but good...they are not flaky, though, like quiche crust would normally be, and they are a bit sweet, but not sickly sweet...SO, I would be sure to add some chopped green pepper and/or tomato or something with a little sweetness to the quiche, to make it blend with the crust...just a thought...

Also, be sure that the crust bakes through underneath...if your quiche bakes before 20 mins at about 400, it might be best for you to preheat the crust on 250, and then fill it, then finish baking...these pie shells are not good it under or over baked... the outside (ovver the foil) portion ends up too tough if over-cooked (actually, you can protect against this by putting aluminum foil around the edges!) ...and they end up soggy in the middle if undercooked...With just fruit it's been pretty easy to learn when they are done and to not overcook them, since fruit doesn't need cooking to begin with...

Good luck. Hope it turns out well. If it does, I vote for NOT sharing ;-) ha ha...

Gina

[floridanative]

Well lucky for me I'm not giving up fat, just gluten - lol! That said, I only ate one of the four fingers so I would not clog my ateries all at once! It will take me a week to eat the whole thing and that is something I will enjoy and not feel guilty about either. As I said I prefer Schar bars and they are cheaper and less fat/cal. But it's fun to splurge on a new item and find out it is actually yummy!

Oh good to know about the crusts - thanks. I'm going to try it for just us first and if I need to I have Gillian's in the freezer already for trip. But they sound perfect for my attempt at a choc. p-nut butter pie I just tagged in Bon Appetit! I guess I'll have to bake it though since it's a no bake pie. Oh I hope they get some new non damaged crusts in soon.

Patti - I know it's so nice when you see the gluten-free stock going up each month. I almost fell out when Publix added another gluten-free cereal by Barbara's Organics (corn flakes which are okay but the best I've had to date) and they have Hol*Grain gluten-free breadcrumbs and brownies. I'd never risk the brownies since I LOVE 123 brand but still, it's neat to see so many gluten free things every where I go!

[FaithInScienceToo]

You're welcome!

[mamaw]

I love the "kit Kat Bars" but I love the Schar ones better. I figure the calories are something Iwill put up with . I don't eat them everyday just when I need to pamper myself..... I'm sure sometime the heart doctor will love me!!!!!!!

I haven't found a ready made pie crust that was flakey. I usually put filling in them & don't eat much of the crust anyway.I think most all taste alike.......

mamaw