Azna Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

There was a time when I was addicted to those large, moist cinnamon rolls your find at that chain in malls. They were so bad in so many ways but oh so good. Had I not found out I couldn’t eat gluten, I would still be consuming those sugary, non-organic, heart attack inducing masses. I loved them so much.

It’s been a few years since I’ve had a warm, fresh cinnamon bun because I haven’t found gluten-free versions anywhere. But today I discovered Azna Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls in the freezer section at my local Whole Foods. I literally jumped for joy.

However, I’ve learned to not get my hopes up about gluten-free baked goods as most of them just aren’t good. In fact, most of them are terrible - dry, hard, tasteless. So with a mix of hope and fear, I popped my frozen roll into an oven (at 350F) for about 8min. And then, the taste test.

Let’s just say I have no need to ever miss that chain company’s roll’s. For not only are Azna’s gluten free, they’re dairy free, organic, and absolutely undeniably amazing! Moist, flavourful, with icing that is just heaven. In. Love. I am well aware it’s just a baked good but those of you with a (gluten-free) sweet tooth will understand what it’s like to find something that tastes as good - if not better - than things you’ve been without.

Even if you’re not gluten free, do yourself a favour and eat these because although they’re not packed full of vitamins, they are better for you because of the ingredient list. And also, you’re supporting a great little company (check out their site) and gluten free awareness instead of a mass commercial chain.

BUY AT: Azna Gluten Free Web Site or Whole Foods.

Gluten-Free Girl: How I Found the Food That Loves Me Back

A couple of years ago I had to pleasure of sitting and talking with Gluten-Free Girl” over coffee. There were a few things that struck me as we chatted; her sincerity, her joy, her love of being gluten-free and writing about it. And her book Gluten Free Girl: How I Found the Food That Loves Me Back is no different.

For those of us who can’t eat gluten, food can become a daunting experience but Shauna’s upbeat attitude (she has the word YES tattooed on her arm!), brilliant writing, and photography can help you fall in-love with (gluten free) food all over again. She’s on a mission to change the way people eat and to change the way people who are diagnosed with Celiac feel. Her book is part of that mission.

Food blogs are currently dishing about her book with glowing reviews. Both those who can and can’t eat gluten are eating it up, too. Shanua has a gift of not only writing beautiful about food and recipes but in telling a constant love story; a love of food, of life, of herself and her partner. And who doesn’t love that?

BUY AT: Amazon

GlutenFreeda’s Chip Chip Hooray Gluten Free Cookies

Admit it, you love it. I love it. Sometimes a person just wants to eat cookie dough. Baking shmaking! However, the problem is that sometimes getting to the cookie dough stage requires too much effort (especially if, like me, you don’t own a microwave and just can’t wait for butter to naturally soften). But for people who can’t eat gluten, finding a ready-made cookie dough has been impossible.

Until GlutenFreeda.

This pre-formed cookie dough bakes a dozen cookies if you can make it that far (I can’t). With several different flavours, these all natural treats are amazing and I confess to being slightly addicted to eating the little dough bits before I can bake them. But on the odd occasion they’ve made their way into the oven, they’ve come out extraordinarily tasty. So you can have instant satisfaction either way!

BUY AT: GlutenFreeda

Comfort Bar

Now, there’s a few gluten free bars out there on the market and let me just tell you, they make me long even more for gluten products! They’re just nasty, usually lacking in protein and are filled with nuts (or a whole bunch of things your body can’t digest). It’s enough to make a girl weep.

But that’s why I love the Comfort Bar - it really is a comfort to have around! As someone who is on the go far too much, it’s hard to just find something to eat on the fly. So I need to carry something with me at all times in case of an EE (eating emergency) ensues.

The Comfort Bar has 15g of protein, 5g of Fiber - no gluten, trans fats or corn syrup, has 6% of your daily iron and only 180 calories for those of you who count (I don’t, especially since I seem to eat 4 at a sitting).

With all organic ingredients & agave sweetened, it’s the perfect filler for when you need something to satisfy but don’t want to feel like you’re eating chalk. My favourite? The White Chocolate Cherry Chip. Oh. My Word. Eating this bar makes me feel like I’m not missing out on anything else - gluten or not!

BUY AT: Comfort Bar & Whole Foods

Built NY Gourmet Getaway

Since I travel a lot but can’t eat gluten, eating at airports can be a pain. So I bought this bag to bring with me as a stylish way to bring along lunch or dinner. And if you’re in an office or at school? The perfect lunch bag!

What I love (besides the look) is that it’s waterproof, washable, and big enough to hold a drink plus my food. It’s watersuit material so it keeps my food cold (or hot), doesn’t stand and it’s pliable to roll up or lie flat when not in use. It’s also ecofriendly in the sense I’m not throwing out a bag after every meal!

BUY AT: Built NY and REI and Container Store

Dagoba Chocolate

I’m one of those people who doesn’t just say she loves chocolate and eats it every day but actually doesn’t. I really do love chocolate and eat it every day. Because of this, I’m a little bit snobby when it comes to chocolate because if I’m going to eat it so much, I need to eat smaller portions and those smaller portions better taste really good and satisfy. The other trick, for me, is to have chocolate that does not contain gluten, which can often be hard to find.

Dagoba became one of my favourite chocolate bars because they were relatively small, had the most amazing flavours (I loved the Blueberry one!) and were certified gluten-free! Then when I began to bake cookies, I needed chocolate chips and discovered Dagoba made the most amazing, huge, dark chocolate chips that were also gluten free! Then when the drinking chocolate started showing up everywhere, I wish I could take part but couldn’t until I discovered Dagoba makes the best dark drinking chocolate that is gluten-free!

Needless to say, Dagoba is my new BFF.

The dark chocolate has a wonderful taste and texture with no chalky aftertaste. And despite it being a dark chocolate, it isn’t so bitter that you wouldn’t enjoy it - you will. Start with a chocolate bar if you’re not sure (lemon, cherries, hot pepper?!) and then graduate up. But I would suggest that you buy the Gift Box for $40 which includes 4 bars, Hot Chocolate, Cacao Powder and Baking Drops. Your sweet tooth will thank you.

BUY AT: Dagoba

Namaste Gluten-Free Pancake & Waffle Mix

Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day and I firmly believe that a good breakfast should include the four major food groups: waffles, syrup, butter and tea. However, over the last few years my breakfasts have been rather sad as I haven’t been able to eat waffles. Or, if I could find a gluten-free waffle mix they were always too dense, too cakey or just too terrible to eat.

But breakfast is once again beautiful thanks to Namaste Gluten-Free Pancake & Waffle Mix. Oh. My. Word are these the best waffles - I’ve even served them to those who can eat regular waffles and they’re converted to these. They’re light, they bake crisp and moist, and the taste? UNbelievable.

All you need to add is water, eggs, a little oil and mix. For non-morning people, this is an easy thing to do. I end up putting a little more water into my mix so that it’s not as thick for my waffle machine and they come out amazingly well. I haven’t tried them in the 5th food group yet - pancakes. That sounds like a good way to start the day tomorrow…!

BUY AT: Amazon, Whole Foods and Namaste Foods

Mama Z’s Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

It’s only fair to celebrate this site’s five year anniversary with cake - and gluten-free at that! For those of you who remember its (humble) beginnings on my personal site as “Alex’s A-List” in January 2002, thank you for continuing to read! For those of who have only discovered it since it became it’s own site as Pet the Pretty Things, I’ll have another anniversary to celebrate with you because I need more reasons to keep ordering Mama Z’s Gluten-Free Cake!I discovered Crave Bakery on my recent trip to San Francisco and, after one bite, realised they had the perfect name. Unlike most gluten-free baked goods which can be dry, nasty and hardly ever have frosting, this one is moist, rich and oh so creamy. Containing just a few organic ingredients it combines taste with quality. And the quality is so good you would honestly never be able to tell it’s gluten-free. Which is all the more reason to find as many reasons as possible to celebrate!

BUY AT: Crave Bakery

Blue Teapot Teas

BUY AT: Blue Teapot

I don’t buy jewellery. I don’t buy shoes. But oh how I buy tea and lately most of it seems to be coming not from England but from a little tea shop in Vancouver BC.

It seems I can’t get enough of their Roobios (naturally decaffeinated, good for teeth enamel and overall health) teas - especially the Strawberry Cream, Carmello and Chai Massai. Their green tea’s, such as Japanese Treasures and Energy Booster are just as good (love them as an afternoon pick me up).

Their teas smell amazing, taste great and are packaged fresh. If you call them, make sure to ask for recommendations or new teas they have in (and if you’re bold, ask for their popcorn tea. I was not so bold!). I start with their smallest size bag to try the teas (and I keep the bags in air-tight containers once home) then purchase large sizes once I’m in-love (hullo again strawberry cream!).

Rishi Masala Chai, Organic Fair Trade Chai

BUY AT: Rishi-Tea or Whole Foods

I love tea. No wait. I adore tea. I also adore fair trade products. However, I often find it really hard to find really great tasting tea that is fair trade. That is why I’m adoring Rishi-Tea’s new Fair Trade Masala Chai in their pretty little silver (and stackable) tins.

Chai is being thrown around so much that it’s almost become sysnonymous with sweet and Starbucks. But it’s actually a black tea that’s had lots of spices added to it and has a rich, flavour made creamy by all the hot milk you add. And this is the perfect loose chai tea; you can actually see and smell the spices in the tin.

Whilst brewing, the smell is divine and it continues when you pour it into a cup. It’s my morning pick me up not just because of the caffine but because the warm, rich flavours feel so cosy on a cold morning. Besides, this tea does something good for my belly and something good for those who participate in Free Trade. Now that’s something worth drinking to.