Amy's Bowls Mexican Casserole Gluten Free Review

I've completed three weeks on a gluten-free diet. Without the help of packaged foods and my husband, I don't think I'd have made it this long.

Eating gluten free is so, so hard, but especially for someone who's so physically spent she struggles to walk down the hallway, is on the verge of passing out after every shower, and doesn't possess enough strength at the end of an average day to roll over in bed at night.

With my perpetual brain fog, reading an ingredients list is a challenge. Nevermind trying to plan meals or alter recipes at this stage. It. Just. Isn't. Gonna. Happen.

At least for now.

So here's another of my gluten-free food reviews. I bought this myself and haven't been compensated in any way for what I'm about to tell you.

Amy's Bowls Mexican Casserole

Price: $3.99
Count: 1
Taste: 5/5
Texture: 5/5

The Bad News
As with everything gluten free, it costs more money. Four dollars for a meal that only serves one person? I don't know how much money you make, but for me that's brutal. Chronic illnesses are so freaking expensive, throw special dietary requirements in and...good God.

The Good News
This tastes fantastic. I've always found that Mexican dishes stand up really well to the freezer. This one does too. It doesn't taste like a frozen dinner at all, and when my husband wants to get a burrito from the local Mexican restaurant, I can pop one of these in the microwave without feeling left out or sorry for myself. I think it's that yummy!

The Verdict
Buy this. Serve with pico, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, or whatever you like. (For Cinco de Mayo, I splurged and had a Cayman Jack Margarita*.)


* This drink is "crafted to remove gluten." Not recommended for those with celiac disease, but I tried it anyway without reaction. Don't be stupid like me, unless you're stupid like me.

Immaculate Gluten Free Chocolate Chunk Cookies Review

On my husband's last trip to Meijer, he bought me Immaculate Gluten Free Chocolate Chunk Cookies to try while I continue to contemplate whether or not I have Celiac Disease.

We've always liked the convenience of refrigerated dough, whether we buy pre-packaged stuff or make it from scratch and store it in air-tight containers. Small batches of freshly baked cookies are where it's at, if you ask me.

Immaculate Gluten Free Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Price: 3.59
Count: 12
Taste: 5/5
Texture: 4/5

The Bad News
These cookies were neither crisp nor chewy; they seemed almost raw even when thoroughly cooked. In fact, it was kind of surprising that at the end of their baking time, they were very brown but not hard as a rock.

Also, who needs that "please do not eat raw dough" negativity? Am I right?

The Good News
The taste is sweet and chocolatey and sure to satisfy a dessert craving. I have a hunch that these suckers would be fantastically gooey topped with some vanilla ice cream. (Incidentally, these are dairy-free cookies, so if you're getting them for that reason? Totally skip the ice cream.)

The Verdict
To me these are worth the price. First, you can make just a few at a time if you want. Plus, they're handy if you're looking for an indulgent treat that doesn't require the effort of actual baking and the hassle of clean up.

My Aunt Has Celiac, Do I?

By Bluemoose

I've been thinking about and reading about Celiac Disease a lot in the last week as I attempt to find some relief from my eternal suffering chronic illness.

I'm nearly a week in on my gluten-free diet, though on Day 2 I had already accidentally glutened myself. (Not all Reese's peanut butter cups are safe, in case you were wondering!)

It's way too early to know if the diet is helping or if I'm just sliding out of my flare, but I do feel like a different person. My mood is improved, my bloating is decreased, and my constant headache is gone. I also feel like my gut is mobile again.

This is where I talk about my poop. I mean, someone's got to do it.

I'm spending a lot of time in the bathroom every day now that I'm gluten-free, but I feel that's preferable to the past, where it wasn't uncommon for me to suffer three to five days of agonizing constipation followed by a single day of diarrhea. On-again, off-again was my pattern. It was horrendous, and the "bad" days made it impossible to leave the house. If you know what I'm sayin'.

Anypoo, when I was talking to my mom today, I thought to ask her about my aunt's (her sister's) celiac diagnosis. Here's how that part of the conversation went.

Me: How old was Aunt C. when she was diagnosed with celiac?

Mom: 56. But she's fairly certain she had it for at least 20 years before her doctor ever thought to test her for it.

(Hmm. 56 – 20 = 36. I am 36.)

Me: With my last flare, I had new symptoms—skin rash and canker sores. So I'm going to bring it up in July at my next doctor's appointment. Everything seems to match up, plus it runs in families.

Mom: Aunt C suffered from skin eruptions too.

I know that I need to prepare myself for the possibility that celiac tests will come up negative like everything else in my life so far, but it's hard. I so desperately want real answers.

Better Way Gluten Free Hamburger Bun Review

Despite not having any confirmation of Celiac Disease at this point, I've decided to go ahead with a gluten-free diet. There was just no way I could sit by and do nothing until my doctor's appointment in July. I mean, I have to work. I have to do something other than lie in bed at night, miserable, suffering, and wishing death would just take me.

Yesterday was Day 4, and my husband the cook and official grocery-getter picked up a few pantry items for me including gluten-free Bisquick mix, King Arthur gluten-free brownie mix, and some Better Way gluten-free hamburger buns.

I'll get to the other items eventually, but tonight was hamburger night, so I'll start with a little bun review. (Wink, wink. Hubba, hubba.)

Better Way Gluten Free Hamburger Buns

Price: $6.89
Count: 4
Taste: 2/5
Texture: 3.5/5

The Bad News
While I complain about these buns, please bear in mind that I am only four days into my gluten-free diet. I still recall what lovely, glutened breads taste like. And in a side-by-side comparison, these don't come close.

They don't have any real flavor to speak of. So they're not gross or anything, but they didn't enhance my homemade BLT burger. In fact, the tastelessness of these buns got in the way of the flavor of everything else in the burger. Also the texture wasn't typical of a hamburger bun (par for the course with gluten-free bakery products). They're soft when you poke 'em, but still a little tough when you try to bite or tear them.

The Good News
Here's the thing though—breads make eating food convenient. If you need something to make your greasy burger hand-holdable, these will do the trick without launching your body into a full-on autoimmune attack.

The Verdict
Personally, I'm likely to skip the buns and just wrap a burger in lettuce or dress it up and have at it with a knife and fork. At nearly $7 for just four of these hamburger buns, my bank account will be better off too.

I was not compensated in any way for this review.