TWO CHANCES TO WIN! Great Prizes from My Blog Spark

I don't usually double up on the wonderful gifts from My Blog Spark, but both of these would be so AWESOME to have during the holiday season, I wanted to give you a chance to get them as soon as possible.

Here's the deal:  Comment on the blog by Next Tuesday, Nov. 30.  I will pick two winners randomly and each one will get a prize.

Prize no. 1:  LiveGlutenFreely is an online community created by General Mills that offers gluten-free product news, articles and real-life stories from people just like you. The site also provides great-tasting recipes ranging from breakfast treats like Blueberry-Corn Muffins to delicious dishes like Favorite Chicken Nuggets to indulgent desserts like Brownie Ganache Torte with Raspberries and Carrot Cake.

General Mills is proud to offer more than 300 affordable gluten-free products, available in grocery stores nationwide. Keep up with new additions to the gluten-free list by subscribing to the LiveGlutenFreely Newsletter. Every month, you'll receive great “goodies” like yummy gluten-free recipes, tips, coupons for gluten-free items, new product information and more delivered directly to your inbox. Click here to sign up today! 

The package includes a sample of Chex, cake baking mix, frosting, potatoes, and more.  And a cute spoon!  YUM! I am making my Thanksgiving potatoes with this package!

Also, be sure to visit Live Gluten Freely on Facebook atFacebook.com/glutenfreely. “Like” the page and check out recipe ideas, product news and tips about living without gluten…freely!

Prize no. 2:  There are so many great tasting Chex Party Mix recipes that you can make in the microwave in only 15 minutes! Try The Original Chex® Party Mix or Chex® Ginger-Honey Crunch for sure crowd pleasers. Now that there are several certified GF Chex Products. it's easy once again to make Chex Mix and Muddy Buddies and White Trash....just add GF pretzels (hint: I use Mary's Gone Crackers Onion Crackers broken up in Chex Mix...)

Looking for an easy gift idea for friends, family or co-workers? Try wrapping your favorite Chex Party Mix in a colorful tin or bag and personalize it with your own recipe card.

To make things even sweeter, Kroger Family of Stores will have Chex cereal on sale so you can impress your guests without stressing your wallet. For 3 weeks, from December 2nd – December 25th, Kroger will offer Chex cereal at their lowest prices of the year! 

The winner will receive a Kroger “Chex Holiday Recipes” gift pack that includes two samples of Chex cereal and a $25 gift card valid at the Kroger Family of Stores. *NOTE:  I DO NOT KNOW IF THESE WILL BE GF CHEX SAMPLES, but you can buy all the GF Chex Products you want with the gift card, on sale!

Don’t forget to visit Kroger and Chex on Facebook to“Like” their pages and keep up with recipes, news and their latest and greatest products.

I am a;ways delighted to offer these items from My Blog Spark and their sponsors.  And thank you to General Mills and Kroger for their generosity.

Much love! and let the holiday munching begin!

Ging

Moderation Nation....from Hershey's and MyBlogSpark

Moderation is not something that I've ever been good at.  Like the lovely Molly on the hit TV Show "Mike and Molly,"  when I find something I like, I want ALL of it.  Not a slice of cake -- the WHOLE cake.  Etc.


Since April, I've been on steroids that have given me an unpredictable, ravenous appetite.  A few weeks ago (in September) I realized that I had to take control of my food consumption -- as it's the one thing I can control in this goat rodeo that is my medical condition. I joined Weight Watchers and found myself smack dab in the middle of the entire concept of Moderation Nation.


And this has helped, let me tell you. 


The chance to participate in Hershey's Moderation Nation program through MyBlogSpark came at the perfect time.  I read the materials, and they're great and inspiring. 


So I'm suggesting you consider moderation.  And try to win this prize to help you! You will win:

a Moderation Nation t-shirt, Hershey’s chocolate and a nutrition journal to track your food and activities.

The shirt is a large -- for me, not a chance.  And I'm not ready for chocolate in any form of moderation.  (If it weren't for the fact that the chemo drug makes me not want to eat, I'd be stuffing my face still.) But the journal and information are nice! And many Hershey's items are GF -- the kisses are.

Here are the details:


With Moderation Nation, a new national program created by the Hershey Center for Health & Nutrition, (HCHN) in collaboration with the American Dietetic Association, you can now have access to a variety of tools that will help you achieve moderation – and you don’t even need to give up your favorite foods!

For on-the-go needs, the new Moderation Nation iPhone app, free and available on iTunes or via www.themoderationnation.com, will reward you for the activity you’re already doing, while encouraging you to do even more in a way that suits your busy lifestyle. With an easy-to-read tracker and a comprehensive list of activities to choose from, you can earn badges for your progress and go from a Starting Gun to a Healthy Hero!

The Moderation Nation Web site (www.themoderationnation.com) provides a host of new tools for you and your readers, including:

• Recipes and Expert Tips. Here you’ll find advice from Cheryl Forberg, registered dietitian (RD) for NBC's The Biggest Loser, award-winning chef and New York Times best-selling cookbook author
• Additional recipes and tips from Regina Ragone, Food Director at Family Circle magazine; Keri Glassman, author of the O2 diet; and Liz Ward, author of Expect the Best Pregnancy.
• Moderation Menus. Seven-day meal plans – with snack ideas – that will help you plan out your week. Each menu is based on an individual lifestyle, such as Single, Adults with Kids and Adults with No Kids.
• Balance the Meal. This cool balancer tool allows you to input your main dish and its preparation method; in return, you’ll receive ideas for complementary side dishes that round out the meal smartly.
• Useful Facts. Here you’ll find everything from a “portion distortion” guide - providing cues on what actual portion sizes should look like – to a grocery shopping fact sheet – to a guide on how to start and maintain a food journal.

Want it?  Winner will be decided by Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.  Leave your comment here and I'll get back to you.  

Much love, 

Ging

P.S.  13.2 pounds as of Nov. 2.  Thanks for asking.

And the Bisquick Winner is....

Christi!

I just sent you and email, so please follow up.  You have til Friday.

Much love, Ging.

COMING UP ON GFINGF!

Sahale Nut Giveaway
Hershey's Kisses BlogSpark Giveaway
Almond Flour Cookbook giveaway

Your holiday list of cookbooks to ask for from Santa!  I've for a couple of new faves!

A review of some great 3-point Weight Watchers GF Snacks Featuring
•Popcorn Indiana
•Cabot Light Cheese Snacks
•Bakery on Main....everything!

In Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Every year, MyBlogSpark offers a spark in honor or memory of someone who has fought breast cancer.

It is through the site called Pink Together.

This year, I am donating the prize from this spark to Sophie Singer, one of my students.  Her mother is fighting breast cancer, and to do her part, Sophie has taken on a breast cancer awareness project next week for the Milledgeville community.  I want Sophie to have this prize to give out at her benefit.

So thank you MyBlogSpark for this chance.  I am honored to know students like Sophie, who are spreading the word and doing their all to fight cancer.  I hope she will share her mother's story on the site.

Way to go, Sophie.

Much love,  and go get a mammogram and test every month!
Ging

Gluten-free Bisquick giveaway from MyBlogSpark

Oh you're going to want this one!

Leave a legitimate comment on my blog between now and next Tuesday at 7 p.m. EST and you'll be the winner of this splendid prize from MyBlogSpark and Gluten-Free Bisquick!

Isn't that silver dollar pancake pan adorable?  And the pancake pen? Cute!

I tried the GF Bisquick, and it really was very good.  I made biscuits with it, and I also made a roux for a white sauce (I always used to use Bisquick for that pre GF days).  It is a little sweeter than I like, but it is a good product.  I used the whole box in about a weekend. I wish I'd tried the GF Waffles.  

Here's info on the product, courtesy MyBlogSpark:

Introducing Bisquick® Gluten Free baking mix: the first gluten free baking mix with real melt-in-your-mouth Bisquick taste! Now, with Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix, you can make pancakes, waffles, biscuits and more, and they have never tasted so good. Since its release in 1931, Bisquick has become a trusted staple in America's kitchens for delicious and easy-to-prepare dishes. Now the convenience of Bisquick baking mixes will be available to the gluten-free community too, so everyone can enjoy the family favorite Bisquick recipes you love like fluffy pancakes, easy pies, mouth-watering casseroles and more! 

Make sure to look for Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix in the baking aisle at your local grocery store. 

To find great recipe tips and ideas, visit www.bisquick.com/glutenfree. There, you´ll find countless gluten-free recipes for family favorites such as Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcakes and Gluten Free Pizza Crust, using Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix. Check back often! We´re adding more recipes every day!

In addition, you  can visithttp://www.myblogspark.com/uc/main/8b49/ to download a printable coupon for $1 off Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix! 

Also, check out Bisquick on Facebook today! Visit Bisquick on Facebook to "Like" the brand and keep up with the latest news from Bisquick. 


So comment, and let me know whom I should pick!  You must be in the US, sadly, to receive this prize.

Much love, and happy commenting!
Ging

Launching TODAY at Expo East!

Udi's Whole Grain and Cinnamon Raisin Bagels are officially launched TODAY at Expo East!

I got both types to sample, and man, are they good.  They have different personalities, but both are just so delicious.  And of course they have different uses in the world of gluten-free eating!

Here's the nutrition information for the Cinnamon Raisin Bagel.  Please note this is for one whole bagel, and that the nutritional information for the whole grain is only 30 calories fewer and two grams of sugar  fewer.

Here's what's in them:

INGREDIENTS: FILTERED WATER, BROWN RICE FLOUR, TAPIOCA STARCH, SUNFLOWER OIL, RAISINS, EGG WHITES, POTATO STARCH, EVAPORATED CANE JUICE, TAPIOCA MALTODEXTRIN, XANTHAN GUM, TAPIOCA SYRUP OR BROWN RICE SYRUP, YEAST, SALT, CINNAMON, MOLD INHIBITOR (CULTURED CORN SYRUP, CITRIC ACID), ENZYMES.

CONTAINS EGG

And here's the deets for the whole grain bagel:

BAGEL, WHOLE GRAIN

INGREDIENTS: FILTERED WATER, BROWN RICE FLOUR, TAPIOCA STARCH, SUNFLOWER OIL, EGG WHITES, EVAPORATED CANE JUICE, POTATO STARCH, TEFF FLOUR, TAPIOCA SYRUP OR BROWN RICE SYRUP, XANTHAN GUM, TAPIOCA MALTODEXTRIN, FLAX SEED MEAL, YEAST, SALT, MOLD INHIBITOR (CULTURED CORN SYRUP, CITRIC ACID), MOLASSES (DRY MOLASSES AND MALTODEXTRIN), ENZYMES.

CONTAINS EGG


According to Jillian Massa, Udi's Social Media Manager, these will be on the shelves by the first of the year.


Weight Watchers Members:  One half bagel (either one) is 3 points.  


Much love, and congrats to my friends at Udi's!  Go Chadwick!


Ging

A tribute to Amy's Kitchen and its gluten-free foods

I've been remiss....

I know my readers appreciate the fact that I've been sick since the first of April.  And I appreciate the patience of the companies and vendors who've sent me materials and samples, but I've barely had the energy to blog.

I'm sorry.  Most days, I barely have the energy to get out of bed (or off the couch). Believe me when I say I am demoralized and debilitated by this new autoimmune disorder. I've been pampered and cared for by so many friends in the gluten-free community.

I wanted to write a great blog post about my visit to NYC with Jill Brack of Glow Gluten Free.  And my fabulous trip to Denver with my brother from another mother, Gluten Free Steve, the Artist, Heather. Jillian's, Chadwick and Etai from Udi's, Glutenfree Dee, and my dear cousin Art in Boulder.

Those posts may never happen. That doesn't mean they didn't mean the world to me, but I meet myself coming and going some days.  I will never catch up on the things that have passed me by since April.

I want to make amends.  I know I can never repay the kindness of my friends, but surely, they understand. I pray they do.

But I need to get back in the saddle.  Julie reminded me of that today.  Blogging about the GF life is one of my great pleasures.  And I miss pleasure in general.  Mostly lately I've had pain.  LOTS of pain. Caused by toxic drugs. With no end in sight. (There's the best update I can give you.  Plus ca change, plus ca remain. With that little hook attached to make it French -- because as Jena said, resume without the accents is RESUME).

***********************************************************************

Being really sick brought something very practical to mind.  What should someone gluten-free do when he or she is sick, but he or she has no immediate gluten-free resources? I mean, if all you have is your hometown grocery that still says, "gluten what?" when you ask where the section is?

Two words: Amy's Kitchen

Thank you, Amy's Kitchen.  Your prepared gluten-free foods have been a mealtime lifesaver to me.

Let me explain:  When I went on the nasty prednisone (blame it on the prednisone a la Jamie Fox's Blame it on the Alcohol will make you laugh out loud...) I found myself in need of healthy food fare. OK, I was on this Spam and Velveeta kick for a while, what can I tell you?  Prednisone makes one eat massive quantities of food AND gain weight with no regard for reality.

And for a while, I had no energy at all.  NONE. Zip. Nada.  Thus the Spam and Velveeta (oh, and Turkey Vienna Sausages, too...)

But I found it incredibly easy to go to my local WalMart and Kroger and pick up gluten-free products from Amy's. Delicious, healthy, organic, vegetarian (sometimes vegan).  Across the board I find their products easy to find and delicious to eat.

I've been lucky for a while -- I've been on the receiving end of several new Amy's Products (that's how I got in that Pasta recipe contest that I didn't win, but enjoyed). I'm glad, because these really were lifesavers to me some days.

What I love:

•Cheese Enchiladas and the Tamales with green chile sauce.  OK, so I wanted one of each for a meal.  They are WAY better than anything I can make or get out at a safe Mexican place.  WAY better.

•The vegan chocolate cake. YUM. I was able to have a small slice of it without killing myself. It is pictured above.  Find it. Buy it.  Consume it in moderation.

•The tomato bisque soup.  When I was sick as a child (and non-gf adult) I ate tomato soup when I needed comfort.  This brought comfort.

•Mac and cheese, gf and vegan, or just GF.  I make a killer mac and cheese, true dat, but there is nothing like taking it out of the freezer and popping it in the Michael-wave. Confort and speed.  I feel so....NORMAL.

•Any of their frozen pizzas -- dairy free, vegan, regular, as long as it was GF I was there. Please don't judge that I added turkey pepperoni... (New ones pictured above).

•Burritos -- oh yeah!  Gluten-free burritos with dairy and without (although I did top one of the cheddar cheese ones with gf turkey taco meat, sour cream, and chopped tomatoes).  They are SO good.

I met Shayo Yohan, the southeast region sales manager, at the Atlanta GF Vendor Fair, and we chatted about how "mainstream" Amy's has become.  I find this a good thing.  The food is quality, the price is better than reasonable (not as pricey as some custom GF food) and it is good for you.  Even the Supermarket Diet Book recommends Amy's dinners over things like....well, you know,  those DIET dinners that so often aren't gluten free. And I can't name a grocery store in a 20-mile radius of Milledgeville, Georgia, that doesn't offer at least two of the above products.

Shayo also told me that most -- perhaps 40? of Amy's soups are gluten free.  They are also very tasty.  With winter coming, this is something to remember.

This isn't meant to be a big suck up to Amy's, but it begs a question: If Amy's can treat the gluten-free community so well with canned and frozen products, why can't the other mainstream frozen food distributors.  I think it's a big faux feather in Amy's Cap.

And now that I find myself, how shall I say this, trying to keep an accurate daily food diary for the purpose of gaining control of some part of my diet -- well, Amy's fits in this program, too.

Good stuff, all around.

Good stuff, all around.  Wait. I said that already.

Much love, and THANK you to Amy's and those kind folks in California at Fortune PR :-)
Ging