Gluten Free Cookie: Ann's Nut & Fruit Cake Cranberry and Orange Cookie

PRODUCT NAME:                        Cranberry and Orange Cookie

BRAND:                                       Ann’s Nut & Fruit Cake, Inc.

COST:                                          $1.12

SIZE:                                            2 oz

COST PER OZ:                             $0.56 per oz

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:           NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:            NA

ORGANIC:                                    NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:            NA

VEGAN:                                       YES

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:             NO

LOCATION OF FACILITY:             Florida

SHELF LIFE:                                 8 months

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging.  We cannot verify the accuracy of this information.  For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.

REVIEW:

Ann’s Nut & Fruit Cake, Inc. makes quite a variety of delectable cookies.  This Gladys Treat Cranberry and Orange cookie is no exception.  On first bite, the cookie is rich and flavorful.  The large dried cranberries that densely populate the cookie hit your mouth with a sweet burst of flavor.  Unlike most orange cookies, where the orange gets lost somewhere in the mix, this cookie has a mellow citrus taste that lines up in harmony with the cranberry burst.  The orange stays on your tongue after each bite and is a pleasant accompaniment with all the other flavors and textures of the cookie.  They soak the cranberries in orange extract as well, just to make sure the cookie’s namesake is identifiable.  The cookie itself is a denser cookie, but not heavy as one might imagine.  It is on the softer side and easily breakable but does not crumble and disintegrate.  The flavors blend wonderfully with coffee or tea, making this a nice breakfast treat as well whenever you need something a little on the sweeter side to start off your day.

The cookie is pretty big, 2 oz. which is roughly the size of your palm.  The cookie weighs in at 110 calories, but honestly, I couldn’t finish the whole thing in one sitting.  The taste and texture is rich enough that it doesn’t take much to satisfy your sweet tooth.  The cookie also has no trans or saturated fats.  The label also says that this is an allergen free cookie, which means it is not only gluten free, but also dairy and soy free.  Ann’s Nut & Fruit Cake, Inc. have a lovely website that details their ingredients, process and tells the story on how they got started.  As with many of these bakeries, they set out to do a little good in the world, one cookie at a time.  They use no artificial anything and stay away from preservatives, sweeteners and colors too.  The plastic bag it comes wrapped in is biodegradable too, so all in all, this is a good cookie, baked with honest ethics and an attention to detail and environment.

Check out the website for other flavors, products and more info: http://www.annnutandfruitcake.com

Taste:  Bursts of dried cranberries with a lingering of orange after each bite

Labeling: descriptive and clearly marked gluten free and allergen free

Packaging: see-through, resealable bag that is biodegradable

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING: 

Texture:                 4                             

Taste:                     4                             

Value:                    4             

OVERALL:              4

Reviewed by Krisztina L

Gluten Free Pasta: De Boles Gluten Free Multi Grain Penne - Product Review #16

Gluten Free Pasta: De Boles Multi Grain Penne

PRODUCT NAME:                         Gluten Free Multi Grain Penne

BRAND:                                        De Boles

COST:                                           $2.99

SIZE:                                             8oz

COST PER OZ:                              $0.37/oz

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:            NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:             N/A

ORGANIC:                                     NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:              N/A

VEGAN:                                         Unknown

WHEAT FREE FACILITY:                Unknown

LOCATION OF FACILITY:               Melville, NY

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging. We cannot verify the accuracy of this information. For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.

REVIEW:

Texture wise, this pasta was good.  Not too mushy and not too chewy.  It was served with corn salad, which went very well with the pasta.  The company has been around for a very long time and also produces other varieties of pasta including whole wheat flour pastas.  This leads me to believe that the pasta is not produced in a wheat free facility.  Case in point, their recall of one lot of Gluten Free Tubettini corn pasta labeled for Kids, which may contain undeclared whole wheat alphabet pasta.  If you are severely allergic to gluten, I would be very careful.      

Taste: We boiled the pasta in the same water we boiled our eggs in, which had a lot of salt in it, which may have been the reason the pasta was so tasty, but the pasta really did taste good. 

Labeling:  The packaging has very simple labeling with cooking directions and a few recipes on the back.  

Packaging: The packaging itself is actually pretty good.  It is made from paperboard that is made of 100% recycled paper fiber. 

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product..

RATING:

Texture:                 4                             

Taste:                     4

Value:                    3

OVERALL:              3.6

Reviewed 10/01/10 by CC

Gluten Free Meal: Lundberg Gluten Free Wild Porcini Mushroom Risotto - Product Review #15

Gluten Free Meal: Lundberg Porcini Mushroom Risotto

PRODUCT NAME:                        Wild Porcini Mushroom Risotto

BRAND:                                       Lundberg

COST:                                         $ 3.59

SIZE:                                           5.9oz

COST PER OZ:                             $0.61/oz

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:           NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:            N/A

ORGANIC:                                    YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:            CCOF

VEGAN:                                        NO

WHEAT FREE FACILITY:              UNKNOWN

LOCATION OF FACILITY:             California

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging. We cannot verify the accuracy of this information. For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.          

REVIEW:

Lundberg Family Farms is a great organic rice farm in California that sells a variety of products ranging from noodles to risotto.  The product we had today was the Gluten Free Wild Porcini Mushroom Risotto and it was delicious although it might have been the 535mg of sodium per serving that we were tasting.  That sodium level seems a little high and people with high blood pressure and other heart problems might want to stay away. 

Following with our rice theme today, this risotto is rice based.  Risotto is made with Arborio rice…in this case organic Arborio rice.  Arborio rice is actually very special, it is used to make risotto and sometimes rice pudding and, according the packaging, exclusive to Italy.  The Lundberg family is very proud to say that they have successfully been able to plant this rice on their farm in California.

When cooking this we started off following the stovetop instructions on the side, but in the end we didn’t like the result because it was a little too mushy and moist.  We aren’t fans of that texture so we left it on the frying pan for a bit longer until it formed a nice crunchy crust on the bottom…it was delicious. 

Bottom line, it was delicious, but the sodium content concerned us.  If that doesn’t bother you too much, then this is definitely a product you want to try.  I think I’ve met my daily sodium limit so I guess I’ll be having water for the rest of the day. 

Taste: Great flavor and texture with this risotto, despite the high sodium levels, we actually didn’t find it too salty.  Maybe next time we can try adding less of the flavor packet to reduce the sodium levels.  The flavor the texture, just what we expect from the Lundberg Family

Labeling: Look at the sides and the back of the package, and what do you see?  Writing and lots of it, the story about the family farm…the history of Arborio rice…and of course cooking instructions.  The packaging is like reading a cook book and a history book while being told the family story.     

This product is gluten free and I think they should be proud of it.  Instead, the gluten free label is pushed to the bottom corner kind of hidden.  I don’t know about you, but I would have put it in big font across the top. 

Packaging: Great packaging and we’re seeing more and more of it.  This packaging is printed on 100% recycled paperboard. 

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product..

RATING:

Texture:                 4             

Taste:                     4

Value:                    3

OVERALL:              3.7