Family Gluten Free

When my first son was just a toddler, we used to love going to the pancake house in our hometown.  I have fond memories of those fluffy pancakes and my little guy stuffing maple syrup-drenched bites into his sweet little mouth.  Well, that was then.  Now, we are gluten-free and breakfast is probably the hardest meal to have out.  All those cute little diners are pretty much off limits and we do all of our breakfast eating at home.

Luckily, pancakes are pretty easy to make gluten-free at home.  There are numerous gluten-free pancake mixes on the market.  I’ve tried many of them, but none have been as good as Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix.  Pamela’s brand gluten-free products are widely available.  I can find the pancake mix at most supermarkets.  Whole Foods stocks a large 4-pound bag of Pamela’s Baking and Pancake mix, which can feed my family for several months.  As many of you know, being gluten-free means many trips to a variety of grocery stores to find our favorite products.  Pamela’s Products makes it easy.

Pamela’s Products was started in 1988 and is based in California.  The company focuses on certified gluten-free products using only high-quality ingredients.  Many of the pancake mixes on the market can be full of preservatives and unpronounceable ingredients.  I find comfort knowing that I am familiar with all the ingredients on their label and would use the same ingredients to make gluten-free pancakes from scratch.  The only downside is that Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix contains cultured buttermilk and almond meal, which means you cannot make them dairy-free, nut-free or vegan.

Pancakes – Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix

To make pancakes, you need eggs, oil, and water.  I typically use almond milk instead of water and I use melted coconut oil or grapeseed oil.  The pancakes are easy to make and brown similarly to regular pancakes.  I have found that some mixes brown very quickly.  The pancakes come out light and fluffy, with a soft nutty flavor.

When I make pancakes (usually on the weekends or an easy weeknight dinner), I make more than I need for the meal and freeze the leftovers for weekday breakfast for the kids.  The pancakes freeze very well and are easy to thaw in a toaster oven.

Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix provides variations for waffles, muffins, scones, and other baked goods. Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix also provides a nice base for being creative.  The batter can easily handle additions like blueberries or chocolate chips.  You can also be creative and add coconut milk or mashed banana to make your normal pancakes more interesting.

I have been through my fair share of gluten-free products and there are only a few that hold up as staples in my home, for both their taste and nutritional value.  Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix has easily met both requirements for my family.

Disclaimer:  I am not paid or compensated in any way to review gluten-free products.  I only review products that I love, use in my daily life, and feel that others can benefit from too.  I cannot guarantee that you will think these products are awesome too, but it is highly unlikely.

I first heard about US Wellness Meats when I started looking into where the meat I purchase for my family was coming from and how the animals were treated. I have found that eating meat that comes from animals that are free to graze (grass-fed beef/lamb, pasture/grassland poultry, and sustainable pork) tastes much better, is better for the environment, is more humane, and is much better for our bodies.

For example, a grass-fed/finished cow grazes on pasture grass and is not “finished” on grains or supplements to promote a quick weight gain.  This cow also lives a more humane life, grazing outdoors, the way nature intended.  The meat from this cow has more Omega-3’s and good fats, which is better for us.  Also, growing grass requires less energy than grain, which is better for our planet.  All of this leads to more sustainable farming practices.

This kind of meat is not easy to find, unless you raise your own animals.  Like most of you, I am not in a position to raise my own animals.  I try to buy locally as much as possible, but even local farms are not always forthcoming about their farming practices.  Although I am able to find some quality meat at local farms in my area, they don’t always have the cuts of meat I want.  That is where US Wellness Meats has completely met my needs.

US Wellness Meats Package

US Wellness Meats is an online business that ships vacuum-sealed, frozen, high-quality meat all over the country.  The US Wellness Meats organization manages a group of family-owned farms in Missouri, Wisconsin and Illinois.  The farms adhere to sustainable farming practices and guarantee that the animals were raised humanely, using farming practices that mimic how the animals would forage in nature.

So, how does it work?  If you check out their website, you can take a look at all of their products and select items for your “cart”.  Once you have completed your order, you get an email with a Fedex tracking number the next day.  The shipment will arrive at your doorstep 2 days after you place the order frozen and ready to put into your freezer.

US Wellness Meats Open Package

I have ordered their ground beef, steak (NY strip and Delmonico), stew meat, pre-made beef burgers, beef short ribs, Polish kielbasa, ground chicken, ground turkey, chicken breast, chicken thighs, whole chicken, chicken apple sausage, and rack of lamb.  Everything arrived frozen and in perfect condition.  They also have a wide range of exotic cuts of meat such as rabbit, bison and duck.

What I am most excited about is the taste.  The meat is more flavorful and is much more tender compared to what you can get at the supermarket.  My kids are not huge meat eaters.  However, they have devoured everything I have cooked from US Wellness Meats.

There are a few downsides.  Because they depend on stocking their products from family farms, you may find that certain items are “temporarily out of stock”.  So far, this hasn’t been an issue for me, except for bacon.  Bacon is one of their big-sellers and I haven’t been able to place an order including bacon yet.  In addition, the meat is not cheap, but the prices are comparable to any grass-fed/finished beef or pasture raised chicken I have found.  You also have to place an order with a minimum cost of $75.

I realize that cost can be a major factor for everyone, but this is how I see it.  Having the meat come vacuum-sealed and frozen, allows me to stock my freezer and use the meat over a longer period of time. If you subscribe to US Wellness Meat’s email list, they give out coupon codes on a regular basis and give discounts on larger orders.  I also feel that once you realize the health benefits of this kind of meat, along with the superior taste, the cost will be worth it.

Whether or not you decide to try US Wellness Meats, I hope you start thinking about where our meat, eggs, and dairy products come from.  If we have to sacrifice by not eating gluten, I want the rest of my food to taste incredible. Also, the world may become a much better place if we all ate more meat using sustainable farming practices.

Disclaimer:  I am not paid or compensated in any way to review gluten-free products.  I only review products that I love, use in my daily life, and feel that others can benefit from too.  I cannot guarantee that you will think these products are awesome too, but it is highly unlikely.

My first experiences with gluten-free beers were not good.  I am sure many of you can relate. I had decided that beer was just a sacrifice of going gluten-free and I would never be able to enjoy a frosty beer with a juicy burger on a gluten-free bun in the summertime ever again.  Then, my brother-in-law introduced me to Omission beer and my gluten-free life changed.  Omissionbeer.com

I am not what you would call a beer connoisseur, but I do enjoy a full-bodied, flavorful beer.  Omission satisfied my need for a quality beer that anyone can enjoy, regardless of diet.  Brewed on Portland, OR, Omission beer offers a lager, pale ale, and IPA.  The beers are made using barley, hops, water, and yeast, and brewed using a process that removes gluten.  The gluten content test results can be crossed checked from the bottle (date and batch code) to the website to give you confidence that the beer does not contain gluten.

I do not have celiac and I can tolerate small amounts of gluten, so I cannot comment on how well this beer will be tolerated by someone who is highly sensitive.  That said, Omission beer was awarded the Celiac Sprue Association Recognition Seal due to their compliance with the industry’s strictest standards for testing.

I have not found the IPA in stores in my native Massachusetts, but I have tried the lager and pale ale.  They are both fantastic!  I have found this beer stocked at Whole Foods and larger liquor stores in my area.  Their website also does a great job of providing the locations where their beer is sold.

As spring nears and we all look forward to warmer days, I hope you find that Omission beer helps keep you committed to a gluten-free lifestyle without feeling like you are missing out on one of life’s pleasures: a cold beer and burger on a hot afternoon.

Disclaimer:  I am not paid or compensated in any way to review gluten-free products.  I only review products that I love, use in my daily life, and feel that others can benefit from too.  I cannot guarantee that you will think these products are awesome too, but it is highly unlikely.