Udi's - Healthy Foods that Happen to Be Gluten Free

I just had the opportunity to review some all-natural, gluten free breakfast foods by Udi's, a wonderful little natural foods company that has recently been getting its products into bigger chains such as Walmart and Ralph's Super Markets. An important move, in my opinion, since not all of us are lucky enough to have a Whole Foods Market in our town.
PERSONAL REVEAL: I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease 9 years ago and have been gluten free ever since. Honestly, it really hasn't been a huge struggle. Gluten had made me nauseous and malnourished my entire life. By the time I was finally diagnosed in my thirties I was already eating organic and living a green lifestyle - so one more healthy change wasn't a big deal. That said, there have been a few things I missed that I simply could not find a decent replacement for in the gluten-free world. So when Udi's sent me a package of their products, I was thrilled to find it actually contained many of  those items: muffins, bagels and real granola.

So - let's start with the muffins. Udi's sent a pack of their Gluten Free Double Chocolate Muffins which were good, for sure, but nothing earth shattering. If you ask me, it's hard to go wrong with chocolate muffins, but it's also hard to impress with them. The Udi's Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins, on the other hand, were outstanding. I hadn't had a blueberry muffin in 10 years. Sad, I know. But the ones I recall from my gluten days tasted like fake cake stuffed with colored sweet tarts. Blech! I honestly never met a blueberry muffin I even half-way liked. Then came Udi's Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins  - which do not taste artificial at all. More like spongy, light, blueberry scones - if you will - topped with just the right amount amount of sugary crunch (check out the sugar crystals on this one - yum!)

Gluten Free Muffins by Udi

Next - I just had to indulge in the Udi's Plain Gluten Free Bagels. It was Christmas morning - and my family decided to help me. My two daughters LOVE plain bagels with cream cheese, but they are not on a gluten free diet, so I thought they might baulk at the density of the Udi's bagels. Once warmed, however, the Udi's Gluten Free Bagels took on a light, chewy texture that we didn't expect and my gluten-eating girls loved them! My mother-in-law, who was dressing a turkey for our family dinner later that night, decided to add some fresh chopped turkey liver to her bagel. The liver was a real hit with the grown ups - not so much with the kids.

Gluten Free Bagels by Udi

Lastly, Udi's sent me a bag of their gluten-free Cranberry Granola to try, which magically tastes like the 1970s. I'd given up on gluten-free granola, as all the other brands I'd tried tasted like carnival treats and nothing like a hearty, breakfast food that would stay in your stomach and not give you a sugar rush. I paired the Udi's Cranberry Granola with organic, plain lowfat yogurt and a squirt of organic raw agave and the combination powered me through the entire morning.
If you're looking for light, delicious, all-natural foods that just happen to be wheat, soy, dairy AND gluten free, then the Udi's products are definitely worth a try. Check out their complete array of gluten free products at  udisglutenfree.com.

ECO DEAL: 20% off Non-Toxic Toys thru Thursday

RosieHippo.com - one of my FAVORITE online natural toy toystores - just extended their exclusive 20% blowout sale until Thursday evening. To receive 20% off you must use the coupon code below - but don't delay! Their gorgeous eco-friendly, non-toxic toys sell out fast this time of year. My girls particularly love the Rosie Hippo wooden trucks and wooden animals - which provide endless hours of imaginative, non-electric fun.

To save 20% at RosieHippo.com, simply enter coupon code THANKS2011 at checkout (some items excluded - but not many!). Offer valid until midnight PST Thursday, 12/1/11. Happy Eco Shopping! 

Best Paraben-Free Mascara - bareMinerals Flawless Definition

I've tried many a natural mascara in my day - and most are aweful. You have to apply 10 coats just to get a bit of color and then the whole effort  is usually wasted 30 minutes anyhow when the stuff is smudged or flaking down your face. Companies like Lancome and Mabeline know how to rock the eyelash market, but they use chemicals to extend and darken those lush lashes so alas...I have bid them farewell (sniff sniff). I had all but given up on finding a natural alternative that could provide true volume and definition when I came across Flawless Definition by bareMinerals - a paraben-free, ALMOST all-natural mascara that uses nature's minerals and no harsh ingredients to create a thicking and extending mascara that actually contends with the best chemical department store brands out there. At $18 a bottle - it is not cheap, but then neither are those toxic department store brands.

Why is it important to use paraben-free mascara? Because parabens - a synthetic preservative found in many cosmetics, beauty products and personal hygene items - can mimic hormones in the human body and disrupt the endocrine system. Research has shown that this disruption has been linked to cancer and early puberty. Why risk cancer in the name of beauty - when there is an awesome alternative: bareMinerals Flawless Definition. You can pick up Flawless Definition mascara online or at a bareMinerals store near you.

BENEFITS INCLUDE:

• NutriPlump^TM formula dramatically plumps lashes up to 600% (After two coats of mascara, based on an independent study)The super-plush, incredibly soft bristles of our wand gently wrap around every lash
• Perfect definition, fullness and flutter
• Paraben-free, smudge-proof, flake-free, clump-free
• Opthamologist tested
• Safe for contact lens wearers

MADE  WITHOUT:

• Parabens
• Sulfates
• Synthetic Fragrances
• Synthetic Dyes
• Phthalates
• GMOs
• Triclosan

FULLY-DISCLOSED INGREDIENTS:

Water (Aqua/Eau), Diisostearoyl Trimethylolpropane Siloxy Silicate, Beeswax (Cera Alba/Cire d'abeille), Stearic Acid, Acrylates/Octylacrylamide Copolymer, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, (Canelilla Cera/Cire de Candelilla), Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Triethanolamine, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Ozokerite, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax (Cera Carnauba/Cire de carnauba), Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut) Seed Extract, Smithsonite Extract, Malachite Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, Acrylate Copolymer, Propylene Glycol, Montmorillonite, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol. May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)

ECO DEAL: Wooden Kitchen only $79!

I just had to post this amazing deal on a solid wood kitchen now being sold at Bed, Bath and Beyond for only $79. ($99, really, but when you use a 20% off coupon - which are available everywhere and NEVER expire, even though they have an expiration date -  which brings the steal-of-a-deal down to to $79.) What a terrific holiday gift - for little girls AND boys! Bed, Bath and Beyond is carrying a ton of other eco-friendly toys this holiday season so run to a store quick or log onto bedbathandbeyond.com today before they sell out (because they will!).

TIP: The Bed, Bath and Beyond website will NOT honor 20% off coupons, but if you go into the store and have them place the online order for you, the store will honor the discount.

PS>> I have no connection to Bed, Bath and Beyond - other than loving the store and always being pleasantly surprised by the eco-choices you can find there. Such as organic sheets, Pyrex storage containers, 100% cotton washable curtains, real wood blinds, etc.

Glass Straws - A Great Alternative to Plastic

Eco-friendly Glass Straws

Glass straws - made from ALMOST unbreakable Pyrex - make an excellent alternative to plastic straws. We use them at our house for smoothies, shakes and coffee too (to help prevent coffee-colored teeth). As long as my kids stay put at the table when they use glass straws, I have no worries about breakage or kids getting hurt. Many online eco merchants now carry glass straws, but my favorite source is GlassStraws.com - which is run by an East Coast glass blower named Steph. Steph's been making glass straws by hand for over 6 years (I only know this - because that is how long ago we bought our first set from her online). When making her straws, Steph uses Borosilicate (otherwise known as Pyrex), a grade of glass reserved for only the most quality of glass utensils. Borosilicate is also the preferred glass of scientific laboratories because it is more durable and has more thermal resistance than most kitchen quality glass.

If you want to stop using plastic straws away from home too, you can buy a carrying case for your glass straws or a package of paper or corn biodegradable straws to pull out and use at restaurants or friends' homes. Stainless steel straws are another option, but you can't use them with hot beverages and they are harder to clean than glass (since you can't see too well if anything is still lurking inside).
CLEANING TIP: For gunked up glass straws (like those that hold onto smoothie particles), you'll want to use a small nipple brush. Otherwise, just toss them in the dishwasher.