Father's Day is Sunday!

So, in honor of dad, today's Food Free Friday post is all about MEN!

Also, in honor of men, this post will be short and straight to the point! :)  They are the hunters, after all, not the gatherers (shoot...already a tiny rabbit trail...this is going to be tough!). :)

First the products, then the company information (translation, men read the product list, then let your wives read all about the companies and their gfree policies!).

This is just a short list to get your started.

Products Shown in Order as Listed Below (the razor..."naturally" gluten free?!)

Deodorant:
Neal's Yard Remedies (NYR) Lemon & Coriander Deodorant
Axe Phoenix Deodorant

Shave Cream:
NYR Men Close Shave Cream

Body Wash & Lotion:
Bath and Body Works Citron for Men

Now, to highlight the companies.

1. AXE!

From deodorant to body sprays to body wash, Axe has a bunch of "man friendly" products!  A favorite for my hubby is their Phoenix deodorant.

The awesome thing about this company is they have a FAQ section on their site, which addresses gluten free.

This is what it says:
"We do not specifically test our products for the presence of gluten...gluten may be present in products that contain derivatives of wheat, oat, rye and barley.
In testing our products, our company follows the guidelines established by the International Nomenclature for Cosmetics Ingredients (INCI).  Therefore, if we use an ingredient derived from a grain such as wheat, oat, rye and/or barley, those names will appear on the label."

So, there you go.  If you're comfortable using this product, just check out the label, as the ingredients are CLEARLY labeled!  Love that!


2. Bath and Body Works

This company (from what I understand) also clearly labels the sources of their ingredients (i.e., oat, wheat, barley, rye), so please make sure you read them carefully.  The only ingredient that I've ever seen on any products I considered purchasing was "oats."

Also, I once heard that all body creams, body washes, and hand soaps are free of gluten-derived ingredients.  BUT...that was what I read once on another blog, not information I heard from the company itself (it was about 2 years ago, so I'm guessing the company has changed how they worded their "gluten free" information, but not necessarily the ingredients).


3. Neal's Yard Remedies

This company offers much more natural products for both men and women.  The ingredients of their products are also clearly labeled.



Lastly, as always, a word of caution.

• Choose wisely when searching for gluten free products.  
• It is up to you if you use gluten free topical products (I like the peace of mind and the lack of itchiness on my skin...my hubby's super sweet and buys himself gluten free products for me!  Or he's just avoiding me freaking out from a "gluten" item being in our house!  Sweet/smart man?!?!).  
• It is also up to you if you'd prefer products that are clearly labeled gluten free (none of the above) or are just free of gluten derived ingredients (all of the above).
• Check product labels yourself to insure they're gluten free (what's gluten free today could, sadly, not be gluten free tomorrow as ingredients can easily change for any given product).

Question of the Day:

Did you know that Costco's Rotisserie Chicken is gluten free?

Photo Source

If so, you're well ahead of me!  Until just a few weeks ago I had no idea.  In fact, some friends brought one over months ago and I opted to eat something else due to not knowing if the chicken was safe!

Silly me!

Had I just looked closely at the label (note the word CLOSELY!) I would have seen that right across the bottom, in red, it clearly states that the chicken has no gluten!  *Word of caution...as far as I know, this chicken is not tested for gluten.  Just want to make sure you know all the facts!

Clear label! Photo Source

In fact, when I discovered it was gluten free, I asked the rotisserie guy (wish I could come up with a more clever name for him!) whether the chicken was safe or not.  He was so sweet and called corporate to find out.  Sure enough, they directed him to the note on the label! Ha!  I think we both felt pretty lame...but who cares, I now know I can safely eat this tasty chicken!

Our awesome rotisserie guy also walked me through the process the chicken goes through to assure me there should be no cross contamination.  The chicken is completely prepared separately from anything else.  It is stored separate, washed in a small room, seasoned, skewered and cooked (ALL in an area that ONLY the chicken is in)!  Pretty cool, huh?

And while it's not organic (our preference when buying meat), when we're in need of a quick dinner, it poses a MUCH better option than fast food!  And at less than $6 for a gigantic chicken, you'll be sure to get a few meals out of it.

Last time we bought it, we were smart and after shredding the entire chicken, we immediately threw half of it into the freezer for future meals.  I'd say, for the two of us, we can get at least four meals out of one chicken!  Bargain baby!!

Question of the Day:
What's your favorite Costco find?

{Giveaway Ended}  Congrats to Elena for winning!!


Are you ready for THIS?

Keep reading...there's a giveaway at the bottom of this post! :)

Rudi's Gluten Free has NEW tortillas out.  These babies are fresh and they're on store shelves now! In fact, we saw them at our local Lassen's just the other day! Wahoo!

Ok, if I sound a bit overzealous, it's because I am.  These tortillas ROCK!



Let me give you a quick run down.  Rudi's has come out with three different kinds of tortillas that are soft and pliable, which is why I'm a bit overzealous about them.  Pliable=you can make a burrito and they don't fall apart!  Sweet, right?

Ok, one little note though.  While these tortillas are definitely better for making burritos than the standard corn or brown rice tortillas, they still aren't AS easily moldable as a standard white flour tortilla.  I just don't want to get your hopes up too much, but compared to any other gluten free tortillas we've tried, these babies definitely top the list.  Our current favorite is the plain!

In a few days we'll post some pics along with our recipe for a quick (we like that word around here when referring to meals) chicken burrito!

But first, let's get to the important part...the giveaway!

Rudi's, besides graciously allowing us to taste their tortillas, has also included a wonderful GIVEAWAY for our readers!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mmm...dessert.

The best part of a meal, right?

Oh man, this recipe I'm sharing today will definitely be at the top of any dinner menu! Every time we eat it we love it!
PS-this is also courtesy of my brother, David, and his wife, Jen.

Are you excited?

Did I mention this dessert is super quick?

Oh, and it's relatively healthy too! Added bonus!!

Now are you excited?!?



Doesn't that just look delicious?

Ok, here's the needed details to whip this up!

Ingredients:
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Sugar
Organic Strawberries
Organic Blueberries
Crushed dark chocolate
Dark Chocolate
Fresh Mint (optional)

Directions:
1. Pour heavy cream and sugar into a bowl. Whisk until stiff peaks form. Whipped cream is done!
2. Wash all berries. Slice strawberries.
3. Put desired amount of blueberries and strawberries into separate bowls.
4. Crush dark chocolate and sprinkle onto the berries.
5. Cover with desired amount of whipped cream. Add fresh mint and serve!

Definitely a quick and easy dessert. And SO satisfying! Just looking at the picture and writing this out makes me want to whip it up again!


QUESTION before you go: What's your favorite quick and easy dessert? Please share in the comments below! We love hearing from our readers.


Rachel aka Gfreegal

Today's Food Free Friday post is a little different. I'm catching you up a little on the craziness of May for me, but most important I'm asking you some questions that I WOULD LOVE to have answers to. So, please please please (yes, a little shameless begging) comment below! Even if you want to just comment anonymously, we'd absolutely LOVE your feedback! Thanks so much!!

First, check out the rockin' new do! :) Photo courtesy of my studly hubby (hair by his wonderful aunt!) ;)




Okay, and here goes.

Celiac disease awareness month has ended and June is officially in full swing. There was so much I wanted to do on here last month (recipes, news tips, etc.), but I just didn't have the mental capacity or the time to do it.  BUT...that does mean the summer should be poppin'!

So, here was the problem, Celiac disease awareness month comes at the worst time of year for me, a teacher. Actually no, the worst time of year would be August, but May is a close second.

I ran full force, at the start of this month, and then I just died. Man, did I die.

As the school year winds down things just get CRAZY! Everyone needs something: finals to be written and copied, students needing to make up work (sometimes for the first time all quarter! Ha!), students wanting to hang out during lunch because they love me (I know...I know..AWW!), plans for next year begin, and the list just continues. It's an odd thing, but every year as you wind down, you're still speeding up just to finish. I literally felt like I was almost jogging around campus getting everything checked in along with the necessary signatures (for you non teachers, this is things like teacher's editions checked into the library, grades checked in at the registrar, attendance checked in, keys checked in, classroom book sets checked in, club binders checked in at finance, etc.). Whew...exhausting, BUT now over! :)

Granted, I really enjoy teaching and I'm not complaining. I mean, hello, I've been getting all crazy to finish so that I'd be finished (and be done for 2 months! Whoop whoop!!)! I've definitely got a sweet gig, in that respect, but this last month just wiped me out.

That could be because a few things have been added to my usual May craziness. The main thing being that when I moved school four years ago, I just moved everything (and the moving that summer definitely became "in lieu of" organizing). That has left me with a TON of stuff to sort through, which I finally took on the last two weeks of May. Man, all I gotta say is kudos to those on the show Hoarders because I have been exhausted! Cleaning, organizing, tossing, reorganizing! It's so necessary, but it's just nuts!!

***Let me pause for a moment and say IF ANY OF YOU HAVE ORGANIZING TIPS PLEASE SHARE BELOW as our home office is next on my list! Paperwork may just be the death of me! ;)

So no, I'm not complaining here, just apologizing to all our wonderful readers. We want to be providing you consistent, up to date, info and I've just been sucking at the consistent part. I'm so sorry.

But now, it's summer and I'm at your service!

I want to know what YOU want!

***Please take a little time and answer the following in our comments section:
What would YOU like to see on a gluten free survival website?
What would MOST help you?

We want to know!