GlutenFree.JeBas.us - cereal

Gluten Free Cereal - Perky's Nutty Rice

JeBas — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Breakfast is always the hardest meal to get done. In the morning, I have to get the girls up, dressed, fed, and prepare their lunches. On weekdays there just isn't enough time to make a huge, hot breakfast. Therefore like a lot of American parents, I will use cereal. Today's gluten free cereal test is Perky's Nutty Rice from Enjoy Life Natural Brands.

When I originally picked up the box, I was reminded of the older Grape-Nuts cereal boxes. It use to be one of my favorite cereals, but what poured out of the Nutty Rice box was nothing like Grape-Nuts. Nutty Rice was a light, crunchy cereal with a strong toasty, nutty taste. I had liked its flavor and texture, and ate several handfuls before trying it in milk.

However once milk was added, I did not like it for two reasons. The first was that the milk washed away almost all of the flavor from this gluten free cereal. The toasty, nutty flavor that I enjoyed straight from the box was now missing from each milk soaked spoon. The second reason was that once the cereal got wet, it began to fuse into one large brick. I had to constantly stir it to keep it broken up.

Now if I were going to make my own trail mix or needed something to top ice cream, I might purchase Perky's Nutty Rice again; however, I am not buying it as a breakfast cereal.

Gluten Free Cereal - Perky O's

JeBas — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 05:22:39 +0000

Since I do this website on the side, I occasionally stay up late getting out these reviews. Unfortunately that means the next morning, I'm dragging my feet as badly as the children. Therefore I would something as simple as cereal to get them fed in the morning. Today's candidate was from Enjoy Life Natural Brands. It's the Original Perky O's.

This gluten free cereal has the same shape and texture as Cheerioes. It's a bunch of dense little circles that float in your milk. However, Perky O's are a lot denser than Cheerioes. Where the oat cereal has a light crunch, this gluten free cereal has to be bitten and chewed. When you do eat it, I recommend that you use milk. The dry cereal will leave a powder in your mouth that saps away all of the moisture. You will find yourself looking for a drink.

Neither of my daughters like this cereal. The youngest refused to eat it after a single spoonful. The oldest only ate half a bowl, and then declared herself done.

The Original PerkyO's is not something I will purchase again.

Gluten Free Hot Cereal - Quinoa Flakes

JeBas — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 10:00:00 +0000

There is a constant search for things to serve for breakfast. With the weather turning colder, I've started looking for hot cereals to replace the old favorite of oats and creme of wheat. What I found recently is Quinoa Flakes from the Quinoa Corporation.

For those of you that are not familiar with quinoa, this is one of the ancient grains that have been recently reintroduced to the population. Civilizations were growing quinoa in the Andes Mountains of South America over 5,000 years ago. Since is contains no gluten, quinoa has also become popular grain in some gluten free diets.

Now the Quinoa Flakes can be used to make a simple porridge just like you would with oatmeal. And just like oatmeal, it is very plain without a little dressing up. However, unlike oatmeal, Quinoa Flakes have a very strong, woody taste. I like the flavor, but my wife hates it. Because of this strong flavor, it cannot be a direct substitute for oatmeal or creme of wheat.

After the initial taste test, I dressed it up with a little brown sugar and molasses. My oldest daughter ran through three bowls. She would have gone for a fourth, but the pot was empty.

Now I am planning to buy this again, but I recommend it with a caution. Not everyone will like quinoa's strong flavors.

Gluten Free Cereal - Glutino Honey Nut

JeBas — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 19:57:00 +0000

I have to admit that during the week days, it is often difficult to make breakfast. At the same time, I have to get two little girls out of bed, prepare two school lunches, and get them dressed before I drive them to school. I appreciate any short cut that I can find, and gluten free cold cereal helps.

Today's product is Glutino's Honey Nut Cereal. Now if you look at the packaging, you might think that this was a gluten free version of Cherrios, but it is not. This is a lighter corn cereal with similarities to Cap'n Crunch.

Eaten dry, this cereal has the very strong flavors of honey and nut. It has a nice light crunch, and I wouldn't mind using it as a popcorn replacement while watching a movie. However, when milk is added, the strong honey and nut flavors get washed away. It's still a good cereal, but the flavors are not as strong.

I liked this cereal, and would purchase it again.

Gluten Free Bread Crumbs - Southern Homestyle Corn Flake Crumbs - Review

JeBas — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:29:57 +0000

One of the things that I often need is bread crumbs. I use them to make chicken nuggets, crochets, and meatloaf. Unfortunately there are not that many gluten free options out there. Fortunately The Soynut Butter Company does provide a good gluten free option.

Now I have used their Corn Flake Crumbs for a while. I like their fine ground texture, and have been able to substitute them for bread crumbs in most dishes. They will make a traditional meatloaf recipe a little more dense than normal, but not so bad that you feel like you're serving a brick. I have also used the same corn flake crumbs to make salmon corchetes, and tasted and served up nicely.

The kids favorite use of these crumbs is the crust on chicken nuggets. It provides a nice little crunch that they like better that the heavily breaded things that are usually served. Also they will reheat nicely in a toaster oven. I don't recommend a using a microwave. It makes the crust chewy.

Southern Homestyle Corn Flake Crumbs is something I always keep in my pantry.