Review: Nonuttin’

Right off, I love the name!!  Nonuttin’ says it all!  Their products are free of ELEVEN allergens!!  Yes, 11!  Their products are dairy free (including all derivatives such as casein and whey), egg free, fish free, certified gluten free, mustard free, peanut free & tree nut free (including employees signing a contract that they do not eat peanuts/tree nuts before work or bring them into any area of the No Nuttin’ facility), sesame free, shellfish free, soy free (including soy lecithin), no sulfites, wheat free, AND since the USA lists coconut as a tree nut, no coconut either!

Are you allergic to latex?  No latex gloves are used on any Nonuttin’ production line either!  Avoiding refined sugar?  They only use evaporated cane sugar!  So their products must taste like cardboard right?  It can’t be free of all these things, and actually taste good, right?  WRONG!  Their products are delicious!  Nonuttin sent Lizzie and I a bunch of their products to try and they were all delicious!  Our kids loved them all!

The first thing we tried was their Nonuttin’ All Natural Granola.  The girls loved putting it in their yogurt or just eating it plain.  Bean loved the Vanilla Cinnamon, and Bubbles favorite fruit is blueberry, so she really loved the Blueberry Maple.

  

The next thing we tried was their granola bars.  YES, they have granola bars!  AND they are peanut free granola bars!  Can you tell how excited I am about this?  If your child has a peanut allergy, you understand my excitement.  I have not found ANY safe granola bars for Bean at any of the stores around here.  They are always “made on the same equipment” or “may contain”.  Well these contain No Nuttin!  Their granola bars come in four varieties – Apple Cinnamon, Raisin (both pictured below), Chocolate Chip, and Double Chocolate Chunk.  Their granola bars are soft and chewy, and you can actually see the apple and raisins in them!  Definitely a favorite here!

  

Next we tried their oatmeal!  They come in these great little cups, with lids.  Just add boiling water (I just used really hot water), pour it up to the line in the cup, put the cover back on for a couple minutes and TADA, the perfect cup of oatmeal!  I was really leery of these at first.  I really thought they would be soupy, and I really dislike soupy oatmeal, but they seriously turned out perfect!  There are four varieties – Daily Hug (apples and cinnamon), Morning Mojo (apples, blueberries, apples, raw sunflower seeds, and cinnamon), Pacific Coast Morning (blueberries and cranberries), and Sunny Start (cranberries, raisins, and raw sunflower seeds).  We tried the Morning Mojo and Daily Hug.  Bean had the Morning Hug and loved it.  Bubbles tried the Morning Mojo, but was not thrilled about the sunflower seeds.  I like it though and finished it off for her!

   

Lizzie came over for a cookout, and we had to figure something for the kids to have for dessert.  The dessert had to be gluten free for Lizzie’s kids, peanut free for Bean, and dairy free for Bubbles.  It is always so very difficult finding a snack that all the kids can enjoy.  Often, we find a product that is allergen free OR gluten free, however these are the best of both worlds, and allowed all of our children to enjoy them!  They loved them, and even the dog wanted some!  LOL  Lots of smiling faces, and no one was left out!

Nonuttin is a great treat for field trips, on the go, as a quick snack, also they are great for kids to bring in as a safe treat for school for birthdays or for snack day.  All the kids could have these!  They are soft and chewy and sooo good, especially the Double Chocolate Chunk, and all the kids will love them!

Disclaimer: Nonuttin’ sent us the products pictured above to review, in exchange for our honest opinions of their products.  We were not compensated in any way, and all of the opinions were our own and not influenced in any way.

 

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: 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.

Super Yummy Fig Bars (Egg, milk, peanut, & tree nut free)

Fig Bars – Makes 36 Bars

Filling

3c chopped pitted figs

1/4 c sugar

1 1/2 c water

Bars Mixture

1 c packed brown sugar

1 cup softened butter (margarine can be substituted)

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1/2 tsp salt*

1/2 tsp baking soda*

*If you use self-rising flour, omit the salt and baking soda

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook dates, 1/4 c sugar, and 1 1/2 cups of water in a 2 quart pan on low heat, stirring constantly.  Cook 10 mins, and then let cool for 5 minutes.  Grease the bottom and sides of a 13X9 pan with shortening.  Mix brown sugar and butter until well mixed.  Add flour, oats, salt*, and baking soda* until crumbly.  Spread half on the bars mixture on the bottom, cover evenly with fig mixture.

Here is a picture of the mixture spread over the top of the bars mixture, and a side view

  

Use the rest of the bars mixture to cover the filling,  press lightly.  Bake 25-30 minutes.  Cool 5-10 minutes, and cut into 6X6 rows while warm.

ENJOY!