Enjoy Life Soft Baked Bars Review

Gluten Free ELF Soft Baked Bars

I recently received the new soft baked bars from Enjoy Life Foods to review. They sent me one box of every flavour, including: cinnamon bun, chocolate sunbutter, cherry cobbler and s'mores.
The first thing I noticed was the great look of the boxes. They are bright and colourful, and would definitely make the product stand out on the shelf.

Overall I really enjoyed these bars. They were chewy, moist and flavourful. The price per box on the Enjoy Life Website is $5.29, making them one of their most expensive snack products. I would buy these bars again, but I would probably wait for a sale (they sell them at Superstore) because over a dollar per bar seems a little steep.

Cinnamon Bun

If I had to name this bar I would call it apple cinnamon. This name does not sound as appetising as cinnamon bun, but I think it better describes the flavours. There are chunks of dried apple, cinnamon, and orange peel inside the bar. Even though the product didn't taste the way I had expected, I really enjoyed the flavours and soft chewy texture. My gluten-eating husband commented that these bars don't have that weird grainy/powdery texture that some gluten free foods have. The cinnamon bun was my second favourite out of the 4 flavours I reviewed.
Each bar contains 1 gram of fibre, 11g of sugar and 130 calories. In other words, they make a delicious snack but do not qualify as a health bar.

Health       3 stars
Cost          3 stars
Taste         4.5 stars
Texture     4.5 stars

Overall Rating: 3.75 stars


Chocolate Sunbutter

This flavour was by far my favourite. It tasted so much like an Eatmore chocolate bar. The texture was soft and fudgey with little chocolate chips and chunks of sunflower seeds inside. I think I would actually make a trip to the store to just to buy these.
Each bar contains 140 calories, 1 gram of fibre and 9 grams of sugar.

Health 3 stars
Cost 3 stars
Taste 5 stars
Texture 5 stars

Overall Rating: 4 stars

Cherry Cobbler

These bars had a really soft and moist texture. The flavour was quite sour (probably because it contains dried tart cherries). Based on taste alone, I would probably call these bars berry spice or apple berry. The bars contained chunks of dried apples, small pieces of dried tart cherry, cinnamon and cloves. This flavour was alright, but probably my least favourite.
Each bar contains 140 calories, 1 gram of fibre and 12 grams of sugar.

Health       3 stars
Cost          3 stars
Taste         4 stars
Texture     5 stars

Overall Rating: 3.75 stars

S'mores

The texture in this bar was a little different than the rest. It was less soft and chewy and more like a dense rice crispie square (not necessarily in a bad way). The bars contain marshmallow, lots of chocolate and even GF graham cookie pieces. I whole-heartedly agree on the naming of this flavour, unlike some of the other ones. It was my third favourite of the 4.
Each bar contains 140 calories, 1 gram of fibre and 10 grams of sugar.

Health      3 stars
Cost         3 stars
Taste        4.5 stars
Texture    4.5 stars

Overall Rating: 3.75 stars

Thanks Enjoy Life Foods for providing these free samples for me to review. All opinions are my own

Watermelon Mojito Salad

This is my first try writing a blog post from my phone. I didn't even realize it was possible, but what can't smartphones do these days!

It's a simple one. Only 4 ingredients (3 if you make it virgin). Amounts can be adjusted according to your personal preference. I just eye-balled it and tasted as I went, so don't feel like you have to follow the recipe exactly. 

Serves 4 

Ingredients 

4-5 cups watermelon cubed

1/2 lime (zest and juice) 

8-10 large mint leaves

1-2 oz white rum (we used Malibu) or to taste

Directions

In a large bowl, combine watermelon cubes (or get fancy and use a melon baller), lime zest and juice, and rum. 

Refrigerate for a few hours, stirring occasionally, or not if you didn't plan ahead. 

Lay mint leaves on top of one another and roll tightly. Slice thinly and sprinkle on salad.

Stir again and serve with a few mint leaves as garnish. 

Bring this to the next BBQ you get invited to. You might want to make a kid version and an adult version though!

No Bake Chocolate Lovers Pie

Gluten Free No Bake Chocolate Lovers Pie

This recipe comes from my mom. I have never made it, but I have tasted it and it's delicious! Very sweet and creamy. This is a great make ahead dessert because you can easily make the pie in stages (crust one day, filling another and freeze for up to a month). It's also great for summer because you don't have to turn on the oven!

makes 1 pie
Ingredients

Coconut Crust
1 cup Unsweetened Dried Coconut
3/4 cups Icing Sugar
1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
1/3 cup Margarine or Butter
1/4 tsp Salt

Chocolate Filling
1 envelope Unflavoured Gelatin
 Tbsp Cold Water
2 Tbsp Instant Coffee Granules
1/4 cup Boiling Water
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
2 Cups Whipping Cream (before you whip it)
1 tsp Vanilla



Directions

Coconut Crust
Toast 1 cup of unsweetened coconut in frying pan over medium heat stirring constantly.
In a bowl, sift together icing sugar, cocoa powder and salt.
Melt margarine.
Combine coconut, margarine and dry mixture.
Press into a greased pie plate or parchment lined 9 inch spring form pan ( I would recommend spring form pan because it will come out a bit easier... especially that first piece)
Pie crust can be frozen for a later date or move straight to making the filling.

Chocolate Filling
Sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand 5 minutes to soften.
Add coffee granules and boiling water; stir until dissolved.
Let cool 5 minutes.
Combine sugar and cocoa powder with coffee mixture.
In a mixing bowl (or with a hand mixer) whip the cream and vanilla to about 2/3 of the normal whip cream thickness.
Slowly add coffee mixture to cream while continuing to whip it.
Whip until the mixture is stiff and pour into crust.
Chill a few hours to let set or you can freeze it for a later date.
For added decadence, top with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings before serving.

Crust Mix

Press mixture into pie plate or spring form pan

Coffee and gelatin mixture

Dry ingredients added

Finished product

Fudgesicles

Gluten Free Fudgesicles

Most (if not all) fudgesicles contain gluten, but that doesn't mean you have to go without! They are actually super fast and easy to make. All you need is milk, cocoa powder, corn syrup, sugar and vanilla (optional). Of course I forgot to take pictures of the final product... I guess we were too busy eating them.

Popsicle molds are really cheap. I got mine for 2 bucks from superstore and it works just fine.

Makes 7-8 fudgesicles

Ingredients

2 cups Milk
1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Corn Syrup (or sub Agave Syrup)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions

Put all ingredients into a medium sauce pan.
Put on stove at medium heat, stirring very often, until all ingredients are combined. Don't let the mixture boil.
Remove from heat and carefully pour into popsicle molds. (If you don't have enough room in your molds you can freeze any remaining liquid in a plastic storage container and eat by the spoonful)
Insert sticks and freeze for 6-8 hours or overnight.

Add ingredients and mix

Heat and stir until all ingredients are combined

Pour mixture into popsicle molds

Insert sticks

Freeze for 6-8 hours

Monkey Bread

Gluten Free Monkey Bread

I really don't know where the name "Monkey Bread" came from, but it seems to be what everyone calls this delicious mass of sticky bun balls all stuck together. I actually use the same dough recipe for this as I do for my cinnamon buns.

I have started a tradition of monkey bread for Christmas breakfast. It's great because we can make it the night before and take it out of the fridge to rise first thing when we get up. Just remember to give it a little extra time to rise. If you have little kids, they can get help make the balls of dough and dip them in the butter and sugar. It's also great for dessert or brunch any time of the year!

This recipe is enough for 2-3 people and is made in a loaf pan. You could easily double the recipe and cook it in a tube or bundt pan with a hole in the centre (or 2 loaf pans)

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp Yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 cup Warm Milk

1 1/4 cup All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour Blend (see Flour Blends page)
1/4 cup Tapioca Starch
1/4 tsp Salt
2 tsp Guar Gum (or 1 1/4 tsp xanthan gum)
1/2 tsp Baking Powder

3 Tbsp Oil
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Vinegar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Base Sauce:
3 Tbsp Melted Butter or Margarine
1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1/3 cup chopped Pecans, Almonds or Hazelnuts (optional)

Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup Melted Butter
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon


Directions

In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar and warm milk. Set aside to proof for 5-10 minutes.
Using a stand mixer or by hand, mix dry ingredients (first 5 ingredients) in large bowl.
Mix remaining 4 wet ingredients separately.
While mixing, add wet ingredients and yeast mixture to dry ingredients. Let mix for 2-3 minutes (or mix well by hand)

Monkey Bread Dough

Prepare your loaf pan by buttering the sides

Base Sauce:  mix together 3 Tbsp butter and 1/4 cup brown sugar in a bowl, microwave until bubbling (about 20 seconds) and pour into loaf pan. Sprinkle nuts all over the bottom.

Base Sauce and Chopped Hazelnuts

Dipping Sauce: place 1/4 cup melted butter in a small bowl. Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon in a separate small bowl.

Form small balls (1 1/4-1 1/2 inches in diameter) from the dough. (this is the part the kids can do!)
Coat the balls in the melted butter, then roll in the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture and place in loaf pan, leaving a tiny bit of space for rising.
Continue until all the dough is used up.

Dip Balls in Butter then Sugar/Cinnamon Mixture

Place in Prepared Loaf Pan

Let rise until roughly doubled in size.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 mins or until top starts to turn brown.
Let cool for 5-10 minutes before turning out on a plate (this will help the balls stick together better)

Monkey Bread Before Rising

After Rising

After Baking

Let cool 5-10 mins and turn out (we didn't wait long enough and it kind of fell apart... not a huge issue for me!)

Enjoy!

BlueWater Grill Fish Review (and GIVEAWAY)

Giveaway Now Closed

I was contacted by BlueWater Seafoods to review their new gluten free frozen grill fish fillets. I was excited to try this product because we are big fans of fish and easy dinners. In the mail I received 1 FPC (free product coupon) for a BlueWater frozen seafood item and a BlueWater bag. I also received 3 envelopes, each stuffed with a coupon and bag to mail out to 3 lucky readers.

 

 I decided to purchase the Haddock Classic Grill variety. I baked the fish in the oven according to the directions on the back of the box (I believe it took somewhere around 15 minutes at 400 F). It is clear that this product is made with high quality ingredients. The texture of the fish was moist, tender and flaky.  My only complaint is the size of the fillet. I felt that I could have eaten at least 1 1/2 times the amount. The flavour was very good but not too spicy or overpowering for those that prefer mild seasonings. These fillets would be a good option for people who do not especially enjoy fish, but are trying to incorporate more fish in to their diet, because there is no strong fishy after taste.

frozen haddock

after baking

As most of you probably know, fish is a very healthy meal option. BlueWater products make it easier to incorporate fish into your diet because the fillets are so easy to prepare. Many packaged, pre-seasoned products contain gluten, but BlueWater has provided a gluten free version that is equal to or greater in quality than other similar products. This convenience does come at a price, however. When I used my coupon to buy the Haddock Classic Grill fillet, it was on sale for $3.99 (for 2 fillets - 179g). I believe the regular price is somewhere around $5.00 and above. This makes for a very expensive meal, especially if you are feeding more than 2 people. I usually buy frozen, unseasoned white fish for  $1.00-$1.50 per 100g. The BlueWater Haddock product came to over $2.00 per 100g on sale. It's not something that I would be able to afford on a regular basis, but if you can afford it and you think it will help you get more fish in to your diet then I would definitely recommend it. Or you could just win a free box of fish by entering my giveaway (see below)!

BlueWater Haddock with a veggie and quinoa side dish

I served up our fillets with stir fried veggies mixed with quinoa and a little Italian dressing. I found this meal to be extremely filling and satisfying. BlueWater has some gluten free recipe ideas on their website if you're looking for something a little more exciting to do with your fish.


Health       5 stars
Cost          1.5 stars
Taste         4.5 stars
Texture     4.5 stars
Overall Rating 3.9 stars




What you can win:

1 FPC (free product coupon) for any BlueWater frozen seafood item
1 BlueWater bag

FPC

bag in attached case

open bag

GIVEAWAY INFO - now closed

You can enter up to 3 times but will only be able to win once (it will just increase your chances of winning)

Note:You need to post a new comment for every entry because I will be using a random number generator to choose the winning posts. If the same person is drawn twice, I will generate a new number in its place.

This giveaway is only open to Canadian readers. Sorry to everyone else :(

Entry 1: Post a comment on this blog saying why you would love to try the BlueWater grill fish fillets. (Send me an email at andraglutenfree at gmail dot com with your email address so I can notify you if you win - or simply include your email address in the comment)

Entry 2: Go to the gluten free page on BlueWater's website and tweet the page on your twitter account (click here to go to website). Post the link to your tweet in a new comment.

Entry 3: Go to the gluten free page on BlueWater's website and click the like button to like them on Facebook (click here to go to website). Post a new comment telling me you did this.


I will accept entries until March 30th, 2013. The winner will be contacted by email and announced on this page. The winner will have 48 hours to respond. If I have not heard from them by then, I will choose a new winner and they will have 48 hours to respond etc, etc.



Thanks BlueWater Seafoods for providing these free samples for me to review. All opinions are my own.

Santa Fe Chicken Casserole



Gluten Free Santa Fe Chicke Casserole

I love the Tex Mex flavours in this recipe. It's a great use for left over rotisserie chicken, but works well with raw chicken too. You can customise the add ins to suit your family's tastes (red/green peppers, corn, jalapenos, cilantro, green onion, etc).

I also love that it's a one dish meal that can be prepared ahead of time and thrown in the oven just in time for dinner (you could probably even freeze it - before or after baking - for a rainy day) Just pair it with a salad or other easy veggie side dish!

The leftovers make a great take along lunch.

serves 4-6
Ingredients

1 cup shredded cooked chicken (or 1-2 raw chicken breasts thinly sliced)
1 cup frozen or canned corn
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers (more or less as desired)
1 can black beans rinsed
1 can GF mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup (I use "no name" low fat)
1 can milk (use empty mushroom soup can to measure)
1/2 cup salsa
3/4 cup dry white rice
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup grated cheese (preferably low fat)
2 Tbsp sour cream
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
1 Tbsp Chili Powder (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.
In 9x13 baking dish, stir together shredded chicken (not raw), corn, peppers, beans, soup, milk, salsa, rice, spices, sour cream and cilantro.
If using raw chicken breast, lay slices on top of the mixture so that they cover most of the surface.
Sprinkle grated cheese on top.
Bake for 45 mins to 1 hr (until most of the liquid is absorbed and cheese is bubbly - if cheese gets too dark, cover with aluminium foil)

combine ingredients in 9x13 pan and sprinkle with cheese

bake at 350 for 45 mins - 1 hr