Category Archives: Tree Nut Free
Review & Giveaway – Two Fat Guys Gourmet Barbecue Sauce!
While at the GFAF Expo, we tried Two Fat Guys Gourmet Barbecue Sauce. Lizzie and I agreed that it was so delicious! We were thrilled about doing this review. Two Fat Guys Gourmet Barbecue Sauce is made with all natural products like tomatoes, garlic, brown sugar, honey, and other good ingredients that I know and can pronounce! There is nothing artificial, and is free of nuts, eggs, and dairy. It is also gluten-free and contains no high fructose corn syrup! We avoid high fructose corn syrup, so I was really happy about that. Two Fat Guys Gourmet Barbecue Sauce comes in four varieties – Mild, Smoky, Spicy, and Lava Hot. It is also made right here in our home state of Illinois!
So Lizzie and I planned a date, and we sure did have perfect weather for a barbecue! We decided to make chicken breasts, shish kabobs, pulled pork, and corn on the cob. Everyone wanted to try different flavors of the sauce, so we decided to grill everything and then put the sauce on ourselves afterward.
I am not a big fan of spicy food, but I loved the Mild and Smoky flavored sauce. The kids preferred them also, with the Mild being their favorite.
However some like it hot, and Lizzie, her hubby, and my hubby preferred the Spicy and especially the Lava Hot! All of it was so very tasty on the kabobs, and the shredded pork. It has to be some of the best barbecue sauce we have tried. We were all so full after the kabobs and pulled pork, that we only tried a small piece of chicken in the sauce, but that was delicious too!
Two Fat Guys Gourmet Barbecue Sauce is available at many stores. You can find out if it’s available at one near you by clicking here and selecting your state or clicking purchasing it online!
HOWEVER, we just can’t keep Two Fat Guys Gourmet Barbecue Sauce to ourselves though, so we are doing a giveaway, so you can try it too! With Father’s Day right around the corner, this is the perfect gift for the man who loves to grill! The giveaway includes the following items:
You can enter the giveaway by clicking on this link a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclaimer: We were provided with the sauces and mugs shown in the first picture of this review, in exchange for our honest opinion of their barbecue sauces. We were not compensated in any way, and all opinions are our own.
Review: Sweet Alexis (peanut, nut, dairy, and egg free) plus discount!
I received a package from Sweet Alexis, and what an amazing package it was! It contained two decorated cookies, chocolate chip cookies, ginger cookies, pumpkin raisin bread, and banana bread. All of their products are peanut, egg, dairy, and egg free! Sweet Alexis was developed by a mom whose daughter, Alexis, has multiple “life threatening” food allergies to the following: All dairy products and derivatives of dairy, eggs, shellfish, all nuts, including tree nuts and peanuts, mustard and cherries.
She also has environmental allergies and is asthmatic. She is so severe that three separate doctors have refused to perform skin tests on her for fear that she would go into anaphylaxis. These products are made by a mom who KNOWS all to well the battle of trying to keep our children safe from their allergens. She has had a long, scary road, and battles every day to stay safe. You can read her story here.
The first thing my girls wanted to tear into were the beautifully decorated cookies. My one daughter loves pink, so she chose the Heart Cookie. My other loves blue, so she chose the Patriotic cookie. My girls said the cookies were so delicious! They wouldn’t let me have a taste, so I have to take their word for it.
Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite, so I dug right into those. I took a bite, and it was one of the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever tried! I can honestly say, I have a new favorite cookie! They truly are delicious! They are soft and have large chocolate chips. I hate to admit, but I gave my girls and hubby one to try, and ate the rest of the bag myself! It took me three days to eat them, so luckily the bag is resealable. They stayed fresh and soft, even after I opened the bag repeatedly. My family agreed that these were some of the best chocolate chip cookies they have tried. There will be people who say, they are just chocolate chip cookies, how good could they be? Once you have had a Sweet Alexis chocolate chip cookie, all the rest will fail in comparison.
I am not a big fan of ginger cookies, and my husband is not a big fan of sweets, but he opened the bag, had one, and said, “Wow, these are good!”. I tried one and he was right. They are good! They have just the right amount of ginger to make them taste good, but not be overwhelming. The texture and consistency of the cookie is great too. Both of my girls thought they were yummy too! Both cookies were the perfect size, and tasted like fresh-baked homemade cookies! I cannot say enough about how great these cookies are!
We then tried the breads! Both were amazing. The banana bread rivals my home-made banana bread. Both breads are soft and moist, and very tasty! I love pumpkin, and never considered putting raisins in it, but it was really good and tasted like a spice bread. The tops were soft, like when they are home-made. I honestly, cannot find one thing bad to say about any of their products. They were just downright GOOD! I was amazed that they are peanut free, nut free, dairy free, AND egg free! I would have never guessed.
Mother’s Day is right around the corner and Sweet Alexis is offering a 15% discount right now, promo code: spring13
Disclaimer: I was provided a with the above shown products, in exchange for my honest opinions of their products. I was not financially compensated in any way. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.
Review: GoPicnic Ready-to-eat Meal (peanut free, gluten free, vegan, tree nut free, Kosher)
While at the GFAF (Gluten & Allergen Free) Expo, one of the companies that caught my eye was GoPicnic. They have several gluten-free ready-to-eat meals, but I specifically asked if they had any peanut free ones. Jamie was happy to show me the two varieties that were peanut free. The first was GoPicnic Turkey Stick & Crunch and the other is Sunbutter & Crackers. GoPicnic is a healthy, wholesome, good for you version of a Lunchable. It comes in a package about the same size as a Lunchable, and fits perfect in any lunch bag, and is a shelf stable ready-to-eat meal. No freezy packs required! Packing a lunch daily is not only time-consuming, but there are days I run out of ideas, so I tend to fall back on the same foods over and over. I am sure eating the same thing has to get old for Bean. If you pack your child’s lunches daily, GoPicnic is a wonderful convenience! Just pack a drink and lunch is served!
Bean picked the Turkey Stick & Crunch meal for the first one I packed in her lunch. It is a balanced meal featuring an Old Wisconsin Turkey Snack Stick, Popchips Barbecue Potato Chips, Sweet Perry Orchards Tropical 100% Peel-A-Part Fruit, Enjoy Life Mountain Mambo Seed and Fuit Mix, and a Professor Zim Zam’s Extraordinary Sweets Dark Chocolate with Rice Crisps. It contains no artificial flavors or colors, and is gluten-free, peanut free, egg free, and tree nut free! The Popchips contain milk, and the dark chocolate contain soy, but that’s the only allergens! I always strive to pack healthy options for my daughter’s lunch, and I was proud to pack this wholesome lunch for her! All GoPicnic’s ready-to-eat meals are free of trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, added MSG, and artificial flavors and colors. Bean LOVED her lunch! She especially liked the Enjoy Life Mountain Mambo Seed & Fruit Mix. I am pretty sure it is the closest thing she has ever had to a trail mix!
The next day we packed the Sunbutter & Crackers meal. Again super easy, super quick, and a nice healthy, wholesome lunch! Another balanced meal featuring Sunbutter® Creamy Sunflower seed Spread, Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Sea Salt Crackers, Enjoy Life Seed & Fruit Trail Mix, Sweet Perry Orchards Tropical 100% Fruit Peel-a-Part and an Enjoy Life Double Chocolate Cookie. This meal is all- natural, Kosher, gluten-free, vegan, and free of 7 common allergens, including wheat, dairy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, and egg! The only allergen is that the Sunbutter is made on equipment that also processes soy. My daughter also loved this meal! She has asked for me to begin packing these in her lunch on a regular basis.
These are healthy meal options that can be taken anywhere, anytime! No refrigeration required! These would be great to take on outings to the zoo, museums, parks, picnics, or even camping. I was even thinking these would be great to take on road trips. No worrying about where to stop for food, and if the food will be safe once we do find a place. These alleviate having to purchase those overpriced foods sold at public places, and you can be confident that what you are feeding your child (or yourself) is nutritionally balanced and safe! They have several varieties for people living allergen free, vegan, and gluten-free. Just throw them in a bag and go! I found these available in the gluten-free section at my local Meijer. They are also available at Target, Walgreens, Mariano’s Fresh Market, Whole Foods, Regal Cinemas, or they can also be purchased online at http://www.gopicnic.com. They offer several varieties for specialized diets, plus they have specials and discounts online.
Disclaimer: I was given both boxes of GoPicnic meals reviewed above, in exchange for my honest opinions of their products. I was not financially compensated in any way. The meals were eaten exclusively by my daughter, Bean. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.
Review: Amanda’s Own REAL chocolate (dairy free, nut free, egg free, gluten free, sesame free, fish/shellfish free)
Amanda’s Own Confections makes dairy-free, nut-free, sesame-free, egg-free, fish/shellfish free, and gluten-free chocolate. This candy is made by someone who knows what it’s like to have a child with a food allergy. Their daughter, Amanda, has a life-threatening food allergy to milk, so they developed this natural chocolate especially for her! At first sight, their packaging is pretty and decorative. I was sent a chocolate bar and a Fancy Squares Box. The Fancy Squares Box was so pretty I didn’t want to open it, however I gave in to my overwhelming love of chocolate.
The next thing I noticed is the ingredients list. The chocolate is made with real, pronounceable, natural ingredients! You cannot get more simple than that! This is REAL chocolate! No artificial preservatives, additives, or ingredients!
I have never had real chocolate before, so when I bit into a piece of the candy bar, it tasted like dark chocolate, and I actually looked at the packaging to make sure it wasn’t dark chocolate. If you are expecting a milk chocolate taste, REAL chocolate does not taste like that. I love dark chocolate though, and really liked the taste of this chocolate. I remember thinking, this is the first time I have tried REAL chocolate! My daughter’s both tried some of the candy bar and they both really loved the taste too!
The Fancy Squares were also super yummy. As you can see the chocolate has a much darker color, and also the consistency is harder than milk chocolate. These are very yummy, but I would not recommend them for small children. My five-year old had a hard time eating this. Her little jaw was not strong enough to bite through it. I cut it up for her, and she ate it just fine, and loved it, but I do not recommend giving this to a child whole. A decadent chocolate treat, exclusively just for Mom or Dad? Sign me up!
Also the prices on the site are extremely reasonable! The Fancy Squares Box is on sale for only $5! The bars are only $2.35 every day! Not much more than the price of a chocolate bar at the grocery store, and MUCH cheaper than a bar at other specialty sites or stores! They also make chocolate chips, bark, jellybeans, gummies, lolly pops, and special occasion candy!
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, so why not give Mom a special decadent Mother’s Day Lolly? Only $2.20! Let mom know how sweet she is!
You can also like their Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amandas-Own-Confections-Dairy-Free-Chocolates-Candies/173118496057846
Disclaimer: I was sent a candy bar, and a Fancy Squares Box of chocolate to sample in exchange for my honest opinions of their products. I was not financially compensated in any way. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.
Review: Dr. Lucy’s Cookies
**I was provided free product in exchange for my opinions. I was not financially compensated for this review. The opinions here are all my own and have not been swayed by a third-party.**
Who doesn’t love cookies? I know my family does, but I also know that in order to keep them safe having cookies usually means quite a bit of work for me. Not that I mind, of course. But every now and then it would be nice to be able to go to the store and just grab some. That is why I was so happy to find the Dr. Lucy company. This company was started by a mom, who also happens to be an M.D. She is a mom of a child with severe allergies and was always looking for safe foods that tasted great, but had a hard time finding them. So, she created her own! And they have a ton of great bonuses. All her treats are made in their own carefully controlled bakery. They are gluten free peanut free, tree nut free, milk free and egg free. Plus, they test for trace amounts of milk, egg, gluten, peanuts, almond, and hazelnut. I love that they do all this, and I can feel confident that these are going to be safe for my family. And, just when you think that these treats could not get any better, they are also certified vegan and verified non-GMO!
Just waiting to be eaten!
While I was super excited at how allergen free these were, I was a bit skeptical on how they would taste. Based on past experiences, I know that a lot of times things that are so safe are often lacking in flavor. Luckily, I was happy to find out that this was not anywhere near the case!
Cinnamon Thins
The first ones out of the package were the Cinnamon Thins. They were fantastic! Perfectly sized and a great texture! We tried them first with a nice glass of Almond Milk and they held up great for dunking. The kids were very fond of these. I could not believe that these were free of so many allergens with how great they tasted! They had the perfect amount of cinnamon and just the right amount of sweetness. This package definitely did not last long in my house! I will be buying some more of these. These are going to be the perfect thing to use as a base for pies, with no worry! While I have not done it yet, because we ran out of cookies, it is going to be very easy. Toss the cookies in a zip top bag, smash them up ( let the kids help!) and then mix with a bit of melted butter and press into the bottom of your pie pan! Look for a blog post in the near future with the complete recipe.
Ginger Snaps
Next came the Ginger Snap cookies. Here again, I was a little hesitant, not being a huge fan of ginger. Surprisingly thought, they were not at all overbearing, like other ginger items that I have tried. They had a great ginger flavor, and just a bit of an underlying kick to the finish. Nothing spicy, just a nice burst of flavor. My daughter actually preferred these to the cinnamon thins. My son also liked these, but he said the cinnamon ones were better. My husband and I enjoyed these as well. While I am still working on a recipe that incorporates the ginger snaps, my husband gave me a great pairing. He had suggested pairing the ginger snaps with a nice cup of hot herbal tea. I prefer Tulsi tea and so I made a cup last evening. I sat down with my cup of tea and a couple of the ginger snaps. What a great combination! A little dunking into the tea, a little nibble followed by a sip of the tea…anyway I paired them was fantastic. These are a great way to wind down the day!
I would love for you guys to check out this company and see all of the other great products that they offer. I can guarantee that we will be frequent purchasers! Check them out on their website! They are also on Facebook. I would also like to give my personal thanks to Dr. Lucy Gibney for taking on a great project and helping out all of us with allergic children!
Review: Premium Chocolatiers Peanot Butter Cups (nut free, dairy free, egg free, gluten free,vegan)
I received a package Peanot Butter Cups from Premium Chocolatiers Gourmet Chocolates to review. Premium Chocolatiers makes peanut free, tree nut free, gluten free, egg free, dairy free, vegan chocolate! The Peanot Butter Cup is a new product that will be available online in 2-3 weeks. In the meantime, they do carry Rabbit Peanot Cups (on sale!).
I told my daughter, Bean, I had a candy surprise for her. I told her it was one she had never had before. She got so excited!
I handed her a Peanot Butter Cup, and as she unwrapped the foil, she asked what it was.
I explained that it was a Peanot Butter Cup made with Wowbutter, and told her to try it. Just like any child, she loves candy. However, this is one candy, until now, that she has never had before, so this was a special occasion! Her first EVER peaNOT butter cup! I love the name by way!
She took a bite of one and proclaimed that it was SOOOO good! I told her that unlike Reese’s these were safe for her to eat! She looked at me with an odd look, and said, “is that was Reese’s are? Peanut butter and chocolate?” I admit it, I teared up. The realization hit me that she didn’t even know what a peanut butter cup was. My almost 8-year-old daughter had never seen, held, or tasted a peanut butter cup. She has been allergic to peanuts since she was so little, that it just became a normal fact of life, that she would never be able to have one. Well now she CAN and she loves them!
The Wowbutter center is soft and creamy. The combination of chocolate and Wowbutter is perfect. It tastes just like a true peanut butter cup! It was delicious! Bean had only one bite and proclaimed that she loved it. She is holding the rest of it in one hand while giving the thumbs up with the other!
I put one in her lunch yesterday as a surprise. When she came home, I asked her if she liked her surprise. She said she really, really likes them, and she told everyone at her “peanut-free” lunch table all about them. She made them guess what was in it. She said that her one friend Zoe guessed Wowbutter right away, and then Zoe said she really wished she could try one too. It made me wonder, how many peanut allergic children have never been able to eat a peanut butter cup? I am thrilled to share this product with all of you, so that now your peanut allergic child can have their first Peanot Butter Cup too!
Premium Chocolatiers makes gourmet chocolates, so check out their special Mother’s Day chocolates including long stem chocolate roses!
They have so many more yummy options too… truffles, and Chocolate Cheesecakes. How yummy does that sound? Check out their site for lots more delectable choices!
Disclaimer: I was sent a sample of Peanot Butter Cups from Premium Chocolatier in exchange for my honest opinions of their products. I was not financially compensated in any way. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.
Review & Giveaway: Skeeter Snacks (peanut & tree nut free)
Meet Skeeter! He is a cute little squirrel with a nut allergy! Poor Skeeter was feeling left out by his nut loving friends, so he came up with a nut free line of snacks! His snacks were so good, all the other squirrels loved them too. Skeeter Snacks maintains a strict allergen protocol, and all of their products are made in a nut free facility! Their ingredients are carefully selected from suppliers meeting nut free standards. PLUS Skeeter also employs batch testing to further assure that Skeeter Snacks are nut free.
Anyone who has a peanut allergic child knows how difficult it is to find peanut free cookies. My girls love their cookies and milk, and there are so few choices out there that are safe when you have a nut allergy. The makers of Skeeter Snacks deliberately narrowed their focus to peanut and tree nut free snacks so they could make a safe, yummy snack, that is affordable! YES, a specialty cookie that is affordable!
Their cookies come in four varieties – Skeeter Doodle, Golden Oatmeal, Chocolate Chunk, and Chocolate 3. We were able to try all four delicious varieties. To try them for yourself, enter our giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The first one we tried was Skeeter Doodle, which is Skeeter’s version of the Snickerdoodle. They were so good. They had a rich buttery taste with just the right blend of cinnamon and sugar. It was love at first bite. My girls loved them too and gave them two thumbs up!
The next one we tried was the Chocolate Chunk cookies. They were equally as amazing. They had a crunchy outside with a softer inside, and were full of chocolate chunks. Forget those little bitty chips other cookies have. My girls loved these too. These are my younger daughter’s favorite!
Bean then chose the Golden Oatmeal cookies to try next. These oatmeal cookies had a good mixture of oatmeal and raisins. Move over grandma… these are almost as good! My husband loves oatmeal raisin cookies, and he said these were right up there on the top of his list!
We then tried the Chocolate3. It is a chocolate cookie, with chocolate chips, AND chocolate chunks. I took one bite and swore I had died and gone to chocolate heaven. These are a chocolate lovers dream! I have found my all time favorite cookie. My daughter, Bean, also said this cookie was her favorite. Makes a momma proud!
You can check to see if Skeeter Snacks are available near by clicking here and using their store locator. They are also available on Amazon! Yummy snacks delivered right to your door!
The Skeeter Snacks website has a fun “For Kids” section, a “Resources” tab with great resources for peanut or nut allergies, and a “The Nut Problem” tab that discusses peanut and nut allergies.
If Skeeter’s on the package, you will know that the yummy snack inside is totally nut-free and made in a facility that is also totally nut-free! Safe snacks for everyone to enjoy!!
Disclaimer: Skeeter Snacks provided me with a package of each of their cookies, in exchange for my honest opinions of their products. I was not financially compensated in any way. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.
Saturday – Wowbutter & Fudge Lactose Free Milk Shakes
These are the best shakes EVER and they are lactose free! Both my daughter, Bubbles, and I are lactose intolerant. They are also peanut and nut free!
Wowbutter & Fudge Lactose Free Milk Shake
Ingredients
- 4 scoops of lactose free vanilla ice cream – we use Breyers™ Lactose Free Vanilla
- 1 cup of lactose free milk – we used Smart Balance™ Fat Free Milk and Omega-3’s
- 1/4 cup of Chunky Wowbutter – can use creamy if you don’t like the little chunks
Directions
In blender, combine all ingredients. Mix until smooth! Super easy and SUPER yummy! My girls LOVE these!
Hope you have enjoyed my Week of Wowbutter and all the peanut free recipes! Wowbutter really is a fantastic peanut butter alternative, because it can be used in place of peanut butter in pretty much any recipe!
Friday – No Bake Chocolate Wowbutter Cookies
These No Bake Chocolate Wowbutter cookies have been a HUGE hit at my house. They are super easy to make, and so very yummy! It has to be one of my most favorite cookie recipes ever.
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 Tbs cocoa
- 1 stick butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup Wowbutter
- 1 Tbs vanilla
- 3 cups oatmeal
- Waxed Paper
Directions
- In a large (big enough to fit all the ingredients) heavy saucepan add sugar, cocoa, butter, and milk. Bring to a boil. I cut up the butter so it doesn’t take as long to melt
- Let boil for 1 minute – it will seem to grow and get all bubbly
- Mix in Wowbutter, vanilla, & oatmeal. It will get thick.
- On a sheet of waxed paper (I use a cookie sheet underneath), drop a heaping teaspoon of the mixture.
- Refrigerate about an hour before eating. ENJOY!!
With Week of Wowbutter coming to an end, please be sure to enter our two giveaways for a case of Wowbutter. You can enter on our Facebook page by clicking on the Giveaway tab, or you can enter a recipe on our blog by clicking HERE
Monday – Wowbutter & Jelly Sandwiches
Some kids are out on Spring Break this week already, while my girls don’t have spring break until the second week of April. So today is back to the hustle and bustle of every Monday – getting the girls ready for school while I get ready for work. I figured what better post for today than a yummy Wowbutter & jelly sandwich for my girls (and my) lunch!
Everyone knows how to make a sandwich, so I wanted to share some things with you about Wowbutter, that I love!
First thing I love is the price! This is my local grocery store – not a specialty food store. Wowbutter is quite a bit cheaper than other peanut free spreads. Every day price of $3.99 a jar. It comes in two varieties – creamy or chunky. Both are yummy!
I feel good about giving it to my daughters and eating it myself, because it is is made with only natural ingredients. The ingredients are NON GMO Toasted Soy, Soy Oil, Granulated Cane Sugar, Monoglyceride (from vegetable oil, prevents oil separation) and Sea Salt – that’s it! It has no added colors, flavors, or preservatives. It contains 7 g of soy protein, 1200 mg of Omega 3, 4g of fiber, and has no transfat! AND it is made in a 100% peanut free, nut, gluten, and dairy free facility!
Another huge plus… it spreads super easily and is super creamy. It doesn’t separate like others, or tear the bread while I am spreading it. I could spread it with a spoon or knife!
Every jar comes with stickers, behind the label, that you can affix to your child’s lunch showing that it is peanut free! This avoids any confusion with the lunch ladies. It’s also great for friends to bring to lunch, so they can sit with their peanut free friends at the peanut free table.
Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a case of Wowbutter HERE!
Allergy Warriors & Gluten Free Living 