PRODUCT REVIEW - Glutino Gluten Free Crackers

As some of you may know, I really dislike rice crackers. I'll admit I got a little rage-y when reviewing Blue Diamond Nut Thins, but I stand by my opinion. They're gross. Haven't tried them? Congrats, your mouth thanks you.

Anyways, now you can avoid the pain of rice crackers all together with these Glutino gluten free crackers. I tried the vegetable ones, and even though I didn't care for the flavor (taste's like they just put some italian seasoning in the dough), the texture is great. They're light, flaky, crunchy. Not as buttery as Ritz crackers, not as flimsy as Saltines. Kind of like the honor student child of the two.

They come in 5 flavors: Original, Cheddar (not so sure about these), Multigrain, Vegetable, and Table Crackers.

Have you tried this snack? Let me know what you think!

PRODUCT REVIEW - Glutino Sesame Breadsticks

I was up in Rockland County, NY this weekend for Thanksgiving. One of the things I like about visiting towns outside "the city" is that the grocery stores are not confined to a tiny storefront. They are absolutely massive. This Stop+Shop had its own gas station!

More and more I'm finding grocery stores in the 'burbs have their own potion of an aisle devoted to gluten free products. Yesterday, I found these Glutino Sesame Bread Sticks on sale for 2/$5. They looked OK on the box, definitely more of a cracker-y breadstick than the Olive Garden version. So I tried them out.

Now, maybe my expectations were too high, but what I was expecting was the pretzel rod-esque breadstick covered in sesame seeds. You know what I'm talking about, right? But what I got was like an oversized rice puff cereal. It was weird. They have the texture just like the rice puffs, maybe a little like Corn Pops also. But they just tasted like cardboard. Dry, rough, not like sesame at all. There were a few sesame seeds baked into it, but not enough to add anything to the texture or taste department.

So, overall I would advise you to pass on this product. They do also have a pizza flavored breadstick, but I'd be willing to bet the review would be the same. If you're looking for the crunchy, pretzel-like breadsticks, I'd recommend Glutino's Pretzel Sticks. See my review of them here. If you're looking for the soft, doughy breadstick, I'd recommend taking your favorite pizza crust mix, mushing into a cookie sheet and cutting into breadstick shapes.

Have you tried this product? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

PRODUCT REVIEW - Mayacamas Gravy Mixes

And, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought this would be perfect timing to introduce these all natural, gluten free, vegetarian gravy mixes. Mayacamas Gravy Mixes have 4 all natural, gluten free varieties: Turkey, Brown, Chicken, and Savory Herb.

Believe it or not, these mixes were discovered in a New Jersey super market! A few days ago I wrote about discovering the Glutino pretzels in Jersey, I guess this is becoming a trend.

The best thing about these mixes is that they are really cheap (~$1.50) and they're super easy to make: mix packet + 1 cup water, whisk, and heat over medium-high heat, whisking frequently until thickened and hot.

These gravy mixes are nicely flavored, they don't have that metallic taste that can come out of a can. And, my favorite, they are not too salty. I would be careful not to heat them too long, they could become too thick and get a little salty, but you could always fix this by adding a little water. You can also get a little gourmet and use very very low / no sodium chicken stock in place of water.

Mayacamas also makes gluten free soup mixes, and pasta sauce mixes (like Alfredo). I prefer to make my own soup, but I will definitely check out the Alfredo sauce mix very soon.

Here's a few other ideas on how to use this gravy mix:
- Use turkey or chicken gravy in pot pies as the sauce
- Use a little in a creamy soup to help thicken and flavor the soup
- Use in a casserole or shepherd's pie type dish

Have you tried Mayacamas gravy or soup mixes? Let me know what you think!

PRODUCT REVIEW - Glutino Pretzels

My boyfriend Eric's favorite snack food in the whole world is pretzels and lemonade. The planet could be overtaken by zombies, we could be the only living humans left, and give this man a bag of pretzels and a glass of lemonade, and he'd be just fine.

Eric had almost given up on the thought of his perfect snack combo. Until one day, he went to New Jersey and came back with this snack...

Enter Glutino Pretzels

These are delicious! They are the perfect pretzel to bring on a picnic, throw in a lunch, or enjoy with a glass of lemonade. They are crunchy, salty, buttery, and satisfying. Not quite like the normal pretzel sticks that you can buy at a deli. The taste if nearly identical (slightly less wheat-y than traditional pretzels), but they are definitely more buttery, which is fantastic. Kind of like the buttery-ness that you would expect from a Ritz cracker.

Now, the only downside to these pretzels is that they are way overpriced. I remember when I was younger I could buy an individual bag of pretzels for $1, a family pack for $2 or $3.

These pretzels: an 8oz bag is $5, and a 14oz family pack is $8. They're very tasty, but you have to ration your pretzels.

Have you tried these pretzels? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!