This year the Celiac Disease Foundation held their annual conference in downtown L.A. on May 15th which made it easy for me to attend. I was looking forward to networking and hearing some of the speakers but honestly, what I was really looking forward to were the goodies. If you’re like me, you don’t just want to hear about the statistics and slide shows. You want to hear about the freebies. Well, let me tell you: the goodies were good.
Upon arrival we were handed a big canvas bag FULL of gluten free stuff. After that we got to enjoy an amazing gluten free pancake breakfast with Bisquick Gluten Free Pancakes, sausage and fruit.
The pancakes were heavenly; light and fluffy with that familiar Bisquick sponginess that I haven’t experienced in a long time. Sadly, this pancake breakfast was a total tease as Bisquick STILL has not started selling this mix. My local Ralph’s even has a spot on the shelf and a price tag up for it but the space remains empty. I check it a few times a week so I’ll be the first to know (and the first to make decent gluten free boberry biscuits) when they arrive. But I digress.
We heard some remarks by some amazing speakers and then we entered free gluten free heaven. The sample booths were numerous and overflowing with free stuff to try. Unfortunately my joy at the gluten free pancakes caused my heartache as I entered the sample area. I was stuffed. It was almost brought to tears as I walked past soups, pizzas, bagels, breads, beers and more that I just couldn’t stuff down. It was a sad, sad day for a freebie freak like myself.
I did manage to scarf down some Bard’s Beer (yummy), various pizzas (some yummy, some cardboardy), some gluten free hamburger helper (just as gross as non-gluten free hamburger helper) and some really tasty coconut ice cream. I also grabbed every coupon in sight to make sure that I would get to try all this stuff when my stomach had more room.
When we got home, like kids on Halloween, my sous chef and I dumped out our bags and compared loot.
Let me tell you about a few standouts from the amazing haul you see here.
1. Larabars: I have loved these guys since before I went gluten free. My all time favorite flavors are Key Lime Pie, Coconut Cream Pie and I LOVED the new PB&J flavor. It always shocks me how they get these bars with only three or four ingredients to taste JUST like what they say they will. They rock.
2. Attune Probiotic Chocolate Bars: These are ridiculous. They taste like the yummiest chocolate candy bars ever but they happen to be packed with probiotics, calcium and fiber to help sensitive digestive tracts stay healthy. I adore the dark chocolate raspberry flavor but they are all awesome.
3. Blue Diamond Nut Thin Crackers: I have loved these babies for a long time. They are super thin, crunchy crackers with just a tiny hint of nuttiness. I don’t even need cheese, I just eat these straight out of the box. They come in all different flavors and nut types. I love the hazelnut. SO GOOD.
4.Envirokids Crispy Rice Bars: These were so good I actually went out and bought a box of them after eating my free sample and my sous chef’s. I love the peanut butter chocolate drizzle flavor. They are not too sweet, a little bit salty and they are the perfect thing to take along as a snack when you’re not sure what gluten free options will be available.
5. Smooze Freezer Pops: These push-up pops are made with coconut milk and other tropical juices. I am partial to the coconut pink guava and the coconut passion fruit flavors. They are super refreshing and the coconut milk gives them a nice, creamy texture.
6. Lucy’s Cookies: It’s no secret that GLOW gluten free cookies are my hands down favorite but these cookies come in at a close second. I love the oatmeal and the chocolate chip flavors, they have a buttery aftertaste that is so refreshing after choking down gluten free cookies with aftertastes ranging from sawdust to fish (ick.)
If you see any other products in the loot pile that you’d like me to review, just give a shout. Some of the items were atrocious, some delicious, some meh but the very best ones are listed above. Enjoy!
