Costco UK: Gluten-Free Organic Coconut Flour bulk bag

Nutiva Organic Coconut Flour

Gluten-Free Coconut Flour — Awesome GF Recipe Ingredient, Bargain Price!

If you are looking for great addition to your gluten-free baking ingredients, look no further than your local United Kingdom (UK) Costco right now!  This quite large bag (4#, or 1.81Kg) of Nutiva Organic Coconut flour was £4.99 (roughly $7.50 USD), which is a fantastic deal, and hopefully Costco continues to keep it available.

There are some things to note about baking with coconut flour: this stuff definitely absorbs liquids readily and your recipes will need to take that into account.  But, once you get the proportions right, it is a wonderful ingredient to add to your baked goods — use it in cookies, brownies, breads, pancakes, and so much more.  In moderation, it does not seem to alter the flavor-profile of most items either.  

I even used some of this coconut flour in my homemade hummus as a thickener, though it did impart a slight sweetness (perceived) and a noticeable taste of coconut when I pushed the proportion up a bit much.

Here's what the product at Costco currently looks like:

Nutiva Organic Gluten-Free Coconut Flour at Costco UK

Nutiva Organic Gluten-Free Coconut Flour Nutritional Data

Nutrition: Coconut Flour is high-fiber and protein.

According to the label, this coconut flour is a near "perfect" (nutritionally) ingredient for us Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free diet people: it is very high fiber (nearly 50% fiber by weight) and nearly a quarter protein by weight too!  Seeing how difficult it is to find high-quality sources of fiber for use in our baking, I am quite pleased to have this ingredient as an option.

Bottom line: this product is quite versatile and fun to try out in all sorts of recipes.  I definitely enjoy it in my baked goods and it makes a nice alternative to some other GF ingredients I would otherwise rely on.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Costco: Gluten-Free Honeyville Almond Flour bulk bag

Costco has Gluten-Free Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour

New item at our Costco: 3 pound bags of fine almond flour!

Honeyville brand Blanched Almond Flour (Gluten-Free) 3# bag at Costco

If you have been looking for a very fine almond flour for your gluten-free recipes, check your local Costco store: I just came across this product this week at our Houston, TX location.

The flour has worked nicely in a few recipes I regularly use in my gluten-free diet:

• pancakes:  I used along with finely shredded coconut flour and buckwheat flours and it was quite nice
• yogurt: I often put almond butter in my yogurt along with fruit and berries, so I tried this almond flour instead and rather enjoyed it
• chocolates: I created some quick coconut / almond "haystacks" using shredded coconut and this almond flour, cocoa, coconut-oil, and maple-syrup and found that to also be a tasty treat

This 3 pound bag was $18.99 at our Costco, and 3 pounds is a lot of almond flour!  I hesitated at first when I thought "how am I going to use all this?", but after purchasing it I am fully sure that I will use it quite quickly since I am finding it a versatile gluten-free recipe ingredient for so many things I make.  I think this will be quite nice in cookies and pie crusts and tarts and other things too.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Costco Gluten-Free Bargains 2013 - Part I

Costco Gluten-Free Bargains, Deals, and Money-Saving Products 2013

It has been a while since I updated my blog with some of the money-saving gluten-free Costco products (late 2011 post) that I purchase, so I figured it was time to start posting a more current list of GF items and their prices.  These items are what I am seeing at our regional (Houston, TX) Costco locations, and I expect a fair percentage of these gluten-free items will be available nationally (I hope so).

Low-Price, High-Protein, Greek Yogurt

I definitely have a weakness for dairy products, and I especially like Greek yogurt.  I find Greek yogurt to be so often too expensive for what it is, especially in smaller containers and "brand name" products at other stores.  Luckily, Costco provides some nice options in this regard.  Yes, they still sell the Fage Total 0% brand-name yogurt (in 1 kilo / liter size) for less than nearly anywhere else, but in addition Costco offers their own Kirkland Signature (KS) brand Greek Yogurt at $6.99 for two 1-quart containers!  This is a great price for high-protein Greek Yogurt!

Costco : Kirkland Greek Yogurt Package

CostCo : Kirkland Greek Yogurt (Quart)

Costco : Kirkland Greek Yogurt (Nutrition)

Check out that 24 grams of protein per 1 Cup serving!  That is one way to get 1/2 your daily recommended amount of protein in a hurry.  And, the carbs (from milk sugars) are relatively low at 10g/serving.

Egg Whites in Bulk

I recently came across these Kirkland brand liquid egg whites, and though I do not see any "gluten free" label on them, there is no cross-contamination statement on the package and they are made in the USA and have as a sole ingredient "100% Liquid Egg Whites".  A package of six (6) of these 16-ounce containers was only $8.99, or $1.50 per pint / pound of liquid egg whites.  Seemed like a deal to me, and sure saves time when I want to make an omelet with a higher egg-whites-to-egg-yolks ratio.

These things help me make fantastic pancakes in a hurry!  Now, in case you were considering using them for meringues, don't... since, as the package states "Due to pasteurization, these liquid egg whites will not whip and are not recommended for meringees and angel food cakes".  But, from my own experience, they sure help my pancakes rise to incredible heights whether they whip or not.

Costco - Kirkland Egg Whites

Costco - Kirkland Egg Whites Nu

Costco Gluten-Free Pasta Deal

This is a product I just recently noticed Costco carrying: truRoots Penne Pasta in a 1-kilo (2.2 pound) bag for $7.49 (i.e., $3.40 per pound).  It is made from brown rice, corn, quinoa, and amaranth, and I thought it cooked up nicely and made for a pleasing gluten-free pasta.

The price is pretty decent compared to a lot of other gluten-free pasta.  E.g., I priced out one of our other favorite gluten-free pastas (Schar penne pasta) on Amazon, and a 5-box (12oz per box, 60-ounce total, or 3.75 pounds) costs $18.75 currently there, which is exactly $5.00 per pound, and that is about the cheapest place to get the stuff from experience.  So, this truRoots gluten-free penne pasta at Costco is a deal by comparison!

Costco: truRoots Gluten-Free Pasta - kilo

Costco: truRoots Gluten-Free Pasta - Nutrition

Tasty Bite Madras Lentils

These are one of my favorite pre-made meal items!  And, this gluten-free lentils, red beans, and spices goes wonderfully over cauliflower or on a baked potato and so forth.  And, this price is unbeatable: a box of four (4) 10-ounce packets is only $7.59 (which, is half the price or less of what Whole Foods wants -- Whole Foods sells by-the-packet).

Tasty Bite Madras Lentils on Sale at Costco - Multipack

More Costco Gluten-Free Deals

Keep a watch for more updates to this list.  Plus, I plan to edit this post and include link(s) to follow-on blogs with more Costco GF products.  In addition, use the "labels" Blogger-feature to find other "Costco" postings I have done (labels are on right-side of this page).  E.g., I have recently posted a review of some lovely Hail Merry Chocolate Mini Tarts at Costco.  There are a LOT of gluten-free deals to be found at this wholesale warehouse club, and I hope to get time to list a lot more examples here... ranging from fruits and vegetables to drinks, pre-made meal items, and more.


Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available

Hail Merry Gluten-Free Miracle Tart Review : Fantastic! (and Costco has them)

Delicious Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Indulgence

Seriously Good Chocolate Mini-Tarts with Ingredients done Right!

We were out at Costco today and came across these fantastic little "Hail Merry" (brand) "Miracle Tart" Chocolate Minis, and I can tell you they are fantastic because within minutes of getting home, I had opened the package and sampled one.  They are simply superb!  At room temperature (served per suggestion), the centers are just buttery smooth and creamy, and there is a deep rich chocolate flavor with a hint of almond and coconut that comes through the chocolate. But, it is definitely chocolate and will satisfy a serious chocolate craving.

I admire the fact that the company has created these delicious tarts using ingredients that include just organic maple syrup, Fair Trade dark cocoa, natural raw almond flour, organic extra virgin coconut oil, and sea salt.  That's it.  Nothing else.  Thank you Hail Merry, since I constantly bypass similar dessert offerings by companies that add all sorts of preservatives, gums, and other junk I refuse to eat.  Hail Merry has done this right and with the right ingredients!

I added a few fresh raspberries to the equation (also from Costco today), and the combination was also excellent! (as pictured)

Also of note: a single tart has only 90 calories! (if you can limit your chocolate desires to one at a time)

Get them at Costco Wholesale in 2013

Hopefully Costco will continue to stock these. We discovered them today in the chilled foods aisles, and I was excited to see that not only are they a delicious chocolate gluten-free dessert, but thanks to Costco's bulk-buying and packaging, the price was reasonable enough to consider. I have seen these types of things at other stores (e.g., Whole Foods, etc.), but I refuse to pay $2.00 per tart and such!

Luckily, Costco made this delicious treat affordable with the price for a package of 12 gluten-free mini-tarts being $8.99 (or, 75 cents per tart!) Now that is more like it! Above this price, I will just make my own. I certainly appreciate being able to go to Costco and pickup a nice decadent chocolate treat instead of having to make it myself, so I sure hope they continue to carry these and keep the price reasonable enough that I don't simply walk past them.

Sadly, I took a look at the pricing on the Hail Merry website and about fell over.  They sell a 12-pack of larger (3 ounce) tarts (thus, 36 ounce total) for ... get ready... 100 DOLLARS (which does apparently include overnight shipping)!  But still,...OUCH!!!  That works out to the equivalent price of $2.77 per ounce (vs. 92-cents per ounce for these mini-tarts at Costco) : or, 3 TIMES THE PRICE TO PURCHASED DIRECT online vs buying at Costco.  So, please Costco, give this company a continued distribution channel that will make these gluten-free dessert treats an affordable luxury for the masses of gluten-free, wheat-free, vegan, and Celiac Disease crowd.  thank you!

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available

Homemade Larabar Recipe. The "Laurabar" gluten-free treat equivalent.

Make your own Larabars

Larabar, meet the "Laurabar"

I enjoy quite a few of the the Larabar date-based snack bar varieties, but I honestly do not understand how something so simple to make from such affordable ingredients can cost so much.

Sure, they come conveniently wrapped and are of a size suitable for snacking on the go, but I just find the Larabar products to be prohibitively expensive.  Let me clarify what I call expensive: a 1.7-ounce bar that lists for $1.69 at most grocery stores around me (i.e., a whopping one dollar per ounce!) and is sometime on sale for 4 bars for $5 (i.e., $1.25 each) or once in a blue-moon I see them for "only" $1/bar.  Even at "only" a dollar per bar, wow that adds up in a hurry.

So, I made my own.  And, just to entertain my wife, I named them after her :)

My "Peanut Butter Cookie" Laura-bar Recipe:
Super-Simple 10-minute Investment, and Cheap!

One of my favorite Larabar varieties is their "Peanut Butter Cookie" version, which like all Larabars is simply a mixture of dates (the primary ingredient in their bars) and secondary and perhaps tertiary flavors.  I made two versions: one with chocolate chips and one without.

Money-Saving Ingredients...
I started with a nice big tub of pitted dates that I acquired from Costco — this tub is a whopping 3.5 pounds of dates for something like $7.00 (i.e., $2.00/pound).  Next, I picked up a 35-ounce container of Planters peanuts from the grocery store for $5.48 (i.e., $2.50/pound) — Planters is a Kraft company, and as such the peanuts should be GF since no gluten-issues were disclosed on package.  For the chocolate-chip variation, I grabbed a 12-ounce bag of chocolate chips for $2.00.

PB Laurabar Ingredients / Instructions

You will not find a much simpler recipe than this!  The 10-minute creation time includes measuring and cleanup (I think it took longer to wash my food processor out than it did to make the bars).

• 1 (packed) Cup dates  — place in the food processor and run it until the chopped dates essentially turn into a sticky well-chopped soft ball of dates.  This only takes a minute or so.


• 1 Cup peanuts  — add to the dates in the food processor.  Perhaps use a spatula to mash the date-ball down toward bottom of chopper first.  Run processor in bursts until you have peanuts chopped to desired consistency.  This also takes less than a minute.


• (optional) ½ Cup Chocolate Chips  — if you are making the Peanut-Butter-Chocolate-Chip-Cookie version.  Add these to the food processor and run in bursts for a total of 15 seconds or so (I only wanted to lightly-chop my chocolate chips so I had some noticeable "chunks" yet; you may not want to chop them at all, but chopping helps mix them into dates/peanuts quickly).

• Move the finished date and peanut (and perhaps chocolate chips) mixture out of food processor and into a small glass pan (or equivalent).  I used a 7"x5" glass pan.  Now, pack that mixture down flat in the pan until it is level.  I end up with about a 1/2"-5/8" thick bar using this size pan.


• Chill the pan of date-mixture in the fridge for a while so they hold up to cutting into bars.  An hour or two should suffice.

• Cut your desired-size bars... they should look something like this when done:

You can surely place them in sandwich bags or plastic wrap for taking with you like any other snack bar now. And, you have just saved a fortune compared to purchasing pre-made bars!

Laurabar vs. Larabar : HUGE $ SAVINGS!

With a single batch (per recipe above) you will have between 16 and 18 ounces of finished product.  In other words, you have just created the equivalent (by weight) of 10 Larabars that would have cost you between $10 (if on a super-sale) and $17 (if purchased at typical retail price).  But, you just created the equivalent of those 10 bars for less than $2.50!

If I can make my "Laura Bars" for a mere quarter (yes, 25-cents) apiece, what can possibly justify the $1.69 retail price of the Larabars?  Packaging, distribution, wholesale markup, retail markup, convenience?  A 400%++ markup sure sounds like a lot to me.  When I constantly hear news of the economy being less-than-robust and about people not having money, I can not help but wonder: are people willing to invest a few minutes of their own time in order to save 70-85% on the what is essentially the same thing?

These bars are great for snacks or dessert, and they are relatively nutrient-rich with a fair amount of fiber, protein, and potassium.  They sure beat snacking on a traditional candy bar when it comes to your gluten-free diet.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Gluten-Free Sahale Snacks Maple Pecans Nut Blend : Product Review

Gluten-Free Product Review: Sahale Snacks Maple Pecans Nut Blend

Maple and Pecans with Walnuts, Cherries, and Cinnamon = WONDERFUL

I just found this excellent gluten-free snack product at Costco over the weekend and I now know I will definitely be going back for more of it.  Sahale Snacks makes this product here in the USA, and has done a wonderful job of combining some of the best ingredients available into a delicious trail-mix/nut-snack.

I have tried other varieties of the Sahale Snacks gluten-free products before, and so far, this Maple Pecans variety is my all-time favorite.  It is not "cheap" per se, as a 15-ounce bag was $10.99 (or, 73cents/ounce), but really this is no more than what other GF snack-bars and such cost on an ounce-by-ounce basis; e.g., consider a gluten-free snack like a 1.6-1.8ounce LaraBar that is the same per-ounce price if sold for $1.17-1.31/bar, and I quite often see those bars priced higher than that.

One has to keep in mind that, however tempting it would be to consume the bag contents in many less portions, the Sahale Snacks bag contains what is to be "14 servings" (or, if comparing apples-to-apples with something like a 1.6oz Larabar, this bag would give you nearly 10 "servings" of similar size).  I would also consider this product for a dessert as well as just a snack, as it definitely fills a desire for a sweet, tasty treat.

Ingredients and Taste

As you would expect from the product title and subtext, it has plenty of pecans, walnuts, dried cherries (cherries, sugar, sunflower oil), maple sugar, and cinnamon in the mix.  In addition, the ingredients list includes: dried apples (unsulfered apples, sugar), organic evaporated cane juice, organic tapioca syrup, brown sugar, caramelized sugar syrup, and sea salt.

These gluten-free ingredients combine to form, in my opinion, a nearly perfect blend of flavors and textures.  I absolutely love the pecan-cinnamon-maple combination, and the slight tang of the dried cherries makes it all the more wonderful.  The mix may be just a bit on the sweet side, but if you keep your serving-size under control, that should not be a problem.

The taste of this product reminds me of the filling of a great cinnamon-pecan roll! Maybe that is what I find so wonderful about it. I have not had a cinnamon-roll in ages (fact is, I really have not found any gluten-free pecan-rolls or cinnamon-rolls that could start to compete with my grandma's home-made cinnamon-rolls I enjoyed while a child), but the Sahale Snacks flavor combination of the maple, cinnamon, and pecans really fill that void for me.  Yum!

Nutrition

In addition to being gluten-free, the product is also dairy-free / vegan, cholesterol-free and has no trans fats.  A 1/4-cup (30g) serving has the following nutritional profile:

• 150 calories
• 9g fat (from the nuts of course), of which 1g is saturated fat; 4.5g each of polyunsaturated and monounsatured fats
• 120mg sodium
• 16g total carbohydrates of which 1g is dietary fiber and 12g are from sugar
• 2g protein
• 2% RDA each of vitamin A and Iron, plus 8% RDA of vitamin C

I certainly think the nutrition values are just fine for a snack food, and is in-line with what one would expect for a combination of nuts and fruit and maple-sugar.

Bottom line: quite a delicious gluten-free snack that is in-line with comparably-priced gluten-free snacks/bars on a per-ounce comparison basis.  

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Costco Gluten-Free Bargains 2011 - Part 2

Costco Gluten-Free Bargains, Deals, and Money-Saving Products

This is a follow-on to my prior Gluten-Free Blog entry about Gluten-Free Food / Product Bargains at Costco in 2011. Fact is, I am finding more and more gluten-free diet items at CostCo, and saving money in the process (compared to regular grocery-store prices or Whole Foods and other alternatives).

The savings add up when purchasing some of our regularly-used gluten-free items from CostCo, and that money-savings is definitely covering the cost of our annual membership. As mentioned in my prior blog, I have compared the bulk-pricing of some gluten-free diet items to the non-bulk-pricing counterparts in normal grocery stores, and I am seeing saving of well over 50% on the same item in quite a few cases! Even where the savings are perhaps "only" 20-25%, in total that adds up to a LOT of money saved!

Gluten-Free Multi-Grain Chips : Bargain Priced Big Bag

Multigrain Chips at Costco : gluten-free

If you like the "Foods Should Taste Good" (brand) products, Costco has a few that are much better priced than elsewhere. This large 24-ounce bag of their Multi-Grain Tortilla Chips is currently $6.29. That sure beats the comparable per-ounce price elsewhere if you like these. This variety is gluten-free even as it includes oats in the formula (along with soy flour, flax, rice, quinoa, corn, and sesame). Costco also carries their Sweet-Potato tortilla-chips (ingredients: Stone ground Corn, Oil, Sweet Potato, Corn Bran, Cane juice, salt) for a similar price.

Gluten-Free Sweetener : Agave Nectar in Bulk

Agave Nectar at Costco

Costco carries the "Wholesome Sweeteners" (brand) organic blue agave in a 2-pack: (2) 23.5-ounce containers of Agave nectar for $7.49. From what I have compared to elsewhere, this is as much as a 50% savings on something that has a rather long shelf-life and can be used for a variety of sweetening purposes. Although I use the PureVia (stevia) most of the time (also acquired at CostCo: see prior blog for pricing), I use the agave nectar on occasion when I convert my plain yogurt into other flavors and variations (using frozen berries quite often or even cocoa, cinnamon, or vanilla).

Gluten-Free Health-Food: Dried Plums for Healthy Snacks

Sunsweet Dried Plums

Yes, DRIED PLUMS (i.e., the new branding of what used to be "prunes")! Well, I can tell you with certainty that these are very tasty dried plums, and they are quite a deal at $6.49 for a 3.5-pound bag of Sunsweet California-grown pitted prunes. They are sweet and delicious while having just the right level of moistness. Sold as a healthy treat that is high in antioxidants and fiber (3grams per 5 plums), they also have a nice dose of heart-healthy potassium (290mg per 5-plum serving) with only 100 calories for that same quantity. Definitely recommended.

Gluten-Free Snack: Bhuja (Indian)

Indian-Inspired flavorful gluten-free snack mix

This was a recent find: Majans (brand) Bhuja original mix ($7.95 for 800g; i.e., about 2#) all natural snack that has a savory and aromatic blend of Indian spices (fennel, chillies, tumeric,cumin, corriander, paprika) teamed up with some crunchy "noodles" (made from yellow peas, chick peas, rice, potato, tapioca, and sesame seeds) and also some peanuts, raisins, and dried green peas.

The product is actually made in Australia and clearly marked gluten-free on the label. This snack-food is a welcome change from some more mainstream snacks, and I find the combination of herbs and spices pleasing. There is 171mg sodium per 25g serving, and you get 5grams of protein (thanks to that pea-flour) and 2g fiber per serving also. This is one of the first such products I have found anywhere that was clearly labeled GF, and it is priced competitively to other non-GF varieties I have seen at Indian markets and similar.

Gluten-Free Potato Chips

Gluten-Free Kettle Potato Chips in Bulk : 2# for $4.49!!

Gluten-Free Drink: Low-Sodium V8

Costco carries Low-Sodium V8 vegetable-juice in cases (28-count) for $13.99, or 50cents per 11.5-ounce can, which is not too shabby for a healthier alternative to sweetened soda or similar options. This vegetable juice does have a bit of added sugar that I would prefer they left out (as the sugars are pushed to 12g per can). There is a reasonable sodium level (200 mg) and a super-high potassium level to help counter any sodium (1180mg; boosted by their addition of potassium-chloride), and even 3grams of protein and 3grams of fiber (neither of which you will get from a standard soda!). In addition, Costco had a nice big COUPON for these recently where I saved multiple-dollars-per-case! Nice!

GF Non-Fat Yogurt: Fage Total 0% on the Cheap

Fage Total Zero-Percent-Fat Gluten-Free Yogurt (Kilo)

First of all, this is some really fantastic non-fat Greek yogurt! I mean to do a full "review" of this product, but in the mean-time, you can at least be aware of the Costco bargain price of $4.99 for 1-Kilo (33.8-ounce) Containers : a full 20-25% less than the best grocery-price I have found. This yogurt has a great thick and creamy consistency and makes a perfect start to many other self-created flavors of yogurt, and is also works well as a sour-cream alternative and more.

This Fage Total yogurt is loaded with protein too! A 1-cup serving (8-ounces) has only 130 calories, but yet packs a whopping 23-grams of protein into that serving; and, there are only 9-grams of carbs to accompany your mega-protein dose. This is a very diabetic-friendly product (or great for anyone watching their glycemic-index or blood-sugar), and if you make flavored yogurts of your own (starting with this product) and use something like Stevia for sweetening your creations, you can keep the sugar-levels super-low while getting 1/2 of your daily protein in one serving.

I have found this non-fat yogurt great for weight-loss and trimming some fat from my diet while keeping protein levels up (during weight-lifting and exercise too); the result has been a noticable reduction in overall body-fat levels and increased "toning" (note: again, I coupled this with *exercise* and weight-lifting... it is not a "magic" fat-loss remedy. sorry). You may get some benefit even without much workout effort if you find the yogurt as satisfying (to your appetite) as I do: it seems to "fill me up" for quite a while with low calories, and I presume the high-protein level helps with that. And, when combined with exercise, this stuff is just fantastic.

Gluten-Free Hummus in Bulk

Hummus and Lentil Chips : all gluten-free!

Sabra (brand) Hummus in large 1-Quart (yes, a LOT of hummus!) containers for only $5.99! I have seen tiny little 8-ounce containers of the same brand of hummus at regional grocery stores for nearly that same price... and, as much as I like hummus, I definitely can go through 4-times the hummus for roughly the same price. I love this stuff on tortilla chips, celery-sticks, carrots, and lentil-chips... which brings me to...

Mediterranean Snacks brand of cucumber-dill (flavor) Baked Lentil Chips: $5.89 for a big one-pound bag of these fantastic chips when they were recently being sold by Costco this summer. But, lately I have not seen a new supply come in to replace the last batch a few weeks ago. I HOPE they get them back in stock because they are wonderful tasting (perhaps slightly too much sodium, but otherwise good), low-calorie, and high in fiber.

A one-pound bag is rather large (in size) because the chips are very light and super crunchy (great texture, and they hold up to dipping in hummus, etc!). Being bean-flour-based (lentil, garbanzo, and adzuki beans) these crunchy gluten-free snack chips packed 3grams of fiber and 4grams of protein into a 110-calorie one-ounce serving (and, a serving is a full 22 chips, not just a few chips); and, 10% of your iron, plus only 3-grams of fat per serving! The chips are made in USA and clearly labeled gluten-free (right on the front cover). Please Costco, GET MORE of these! :)

Cheap Cinnamon

I have been purchasing Costco's own brand of Ground Cinnamon which is incredibly reasonable at a mere $2.65 for 10.7-ounces! Seriously! That is CHEAP for this wonderful Saigon Cinnamon, and I use it as a type of "flour" in my baking (including my frequent pancakes), so this saves me a fortune. I have no idea why cinnamon varies so much in price, but I have seen (in grocery stores) the same thing cost as much per ounce as this entire container costs. Savings: up to 90%! And, the printed expiration-dates are at least 2-years out, so there is no chance I will not use ALL of a container in time (in fact, I go through one every few months).

Gluten-Free Body-Wash

Yes, you read correct: body-wash that is labeled gluten-free. I am rather "set in my ways" when it comes to the products I use for soaps, shampoos, and such, but when I saw Costco's own Kirkland (brand) of citrus body wash with the GF-labeling, curiosity got the best of me. I unscrewed a cap at the store to see what it smelled like...it has a pleasing scent of orange and citrus. So, I figured why not... and got some.

The Gluten-Free Body-Wash comes in a dual-container package: i.e., (2) 27-ouce containers for $9.99. That is a lot of body wash. I really do not know how well the price compares since I do not know what to compare it to, but it seemed reasonable for just under 1/2-gallon of the product, and it has been lasting quite a while. I definitely like the noticeable smell of oranges, and it seems to do what it is supposed to: it cleans just fine.

Gluten-Free Fruits and Vegetables

Fresh fruit and veggies: although I did not list specific examples here, there are quite a few great money-saving deals on fresh vegetables (lettuce, carrots, celery, asparagus, spinach, tomatoes, etc) and fruits (raspberries, blackberries, cherries, strawberries, watermelon, apples, cantaloupe, honeydew, figs, bananas, oranges, grapefruit, etc) at Costco, and of course these are all great gluten-free diet options.

The prices generally beat the grocery store (substantially in many cases), but the prices vary considerably with the seasons and availability just like at any other store, so I did not provide specific cost-examples. I am rather sure that we save enough *just* on the fresh fruits and veggies every year at Costco to pay for the membership; that should give you a feel for what the savings can add up to.

More Gluten-Free Costco Bargains to Come...

This is the second installment of the Costco gluten-free products discussion. I plan to do more, as there are a lot of GF deals to still enumerate here (and products I really like). Stay tuned for the next list of bargains. I hope you have a Costco location near you so you too save you money on gluten-free products.  Also, there are more items listed on my prior blog here: Gluten-Free Food / Product Bargains at Costco in 2011.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Costco Gluten-Free Bargains 2011 - Part 1

Costco Gluten-Free Bargains, Deals, and Money-Saving Items

I wrote a Gluten-Free Blog entry about Gluten-Free Food Bargains at Costco a couple years ago, and thought it was a good time to post some updates to that blog as Costco has introduced new gluten-free items and/or modified the pricing of gluten-free foods that have been available ever since I wrote the original article.

We have been able to really save a lot of money purchasing some of our regularly-used gluten-free items from CostCo, and enough so that the savings definitely pays for the annual membership. I have compared the bulk-pricing of certain gluten-free diet items to the non-bulk-pricing counterparts in normal grocery stores, and in some instances we are saving well over 50% on the same items! This adds up to huge savings over the period of a year (i.e., the membership period) and has easily exceeded the $50.00 annual fee.

I will be posting more of these observed gluten-free items and prices in future blogs, as there are many more items to list than I want to cram into on blog entry :)

Gluten-Free Quinoa at a Great Price

Quinoa is a gluten-free grain that is a perennial favorite with me! As such, this Costco gluten-free bargain is a huge money-saver for me. This 4-pound bag of Earthly Delights Organic Quinoa is only $9.49, which pushes the per-pound price down to a very reasonable $2.37/pound! Compare that to what some grocery stores want for small boxes — I have even seen prices at some grocery stores approaching a per-pound price that is up there with what Costco charges for this entire 4-pound bag!

Needless to say, when you find money-savings potential like this on a gluten-free diet food that you regularly consume, the savings adds up. I prefer Quinoa to rice for many reasons — taste, texture, and nutrition — and thanks to this much more affordable way of buying quinoa, I can also like it without feeling like the price is much of a detractor.

Gluten-Free Tasty Bite Madras Lentils

As you can see in the picture, Costco wants $6.99 for a box of (4) 10-ounce packages of these ready-to-eat Madras Lentils. I rather enjoy these semi-spicy Indian-inspired lentils over a bit of rice or quinoa. I have also found that these work well as a baked-potato topping. They are simple to prepare (just microwave them for about 90-seconds), and I find the price decent for a total of 8 servings (pushing the per-serving price under a dollar).

I am not going to do a full product review at this time, but I will say that I like the fact that they are vegetarian, gluten-free, have no MSG or preservatives, and are all natural. They only have 150 calories per serving, and that includes a nice 7grams of protein and 14% of the RDA of Iron. What I do not care for is the 510mg of sodium per serving, but luckily I consume very little sodium in my diet otherwise, so this is not a big deal for me personally. But, it is something to consider.

Gluten-Free Almond Butter

If you have shopped around for almond butter, you know that it can be rather expensive depending where you find it. Well, here comes Costco to the rescue with a very nice deal on what is clearly labeled "gluten-free" Almond Butter from Maranatha (brand), with a nice big 2# jar costing just $5.99. At $3.00/pound, this is getting down into the price territory of peanut-butter, and as such you may want to try some wonderful variations to peanut-butter cookies or similar gluten-free desserts and recipes (especially if someone you know has a peanut allergy but can still consume almonds).

This almond butter is ground to a "creamy style" consistency, though it is still very thick. Why? Well, this is the real deal: it has only ONE ingredient — ground dry-roasted almonds. That's it! No added sodium (awesome!), no added anything. As such, the almond oil naturally separates to the top and you have to stir it in once you open the container. It's full of protein too (7g per 2 tablespoons). At only $3.00/pound, I turn to almond butter much more often that I would otherwise.

Gluten-Free Rice Dream Organic Rice Milk

Costco sells this gluten-free rice milk in cases of twelve (12) one-quart-sized (i.e., 32-ounce) containers for $16.49. This brings the per-quart price down to $1.37, which is by far the best price I have found it for anywhere. It is not uncommon for me to see the same quart-sized containers at the grocery store for $1.99 or higher. And, since this product has a rather lengthy shelf-life, you can buy a case, save some money, and have it around for quite a while.

We use enough of this gluten-free drink to save a lot of money over a year. In fact, the savings on this rice milk alone nearly pays for our membership. We use a fair amount of it on breakfast cereals as well as in things like our homemade gluten-free smoothies. I personally tend to mix it half-and-half with Living Harvest's Tempt hemp-milk to cut down on the carbs a bit while also introducing some extra Omega 3's and 6's into the equation, but the hemp-milk is around $4.00/quart as compared to this $1.37/quart bargain rice-milk from Costco.

Gluten-Free Pure Via : Stevia Sweetener at Best Price anywhere

Pure Via (Pepsi company's brand of Stevia Sweetener) has saved me countless calories and carbohydrates, and now Costco is saving me a lot of dollars as well — they have the Pure Via Stevia Sweetener (which is gluten-free per the company website's FAQ) for only $9.79 for a 400-packet box. This 400-count box gets the per-packet price down to a very reasonable 2.5-cents/packet.

With no carbohydrates and no blood-sugar impact, this sweetener is great for my morning tea or coffee. I admit I like my tea rather sweet, so I will use 2 packets of Pure Via in a large (20-ounce) glass of tea in the morning. I also use it in my smoothies to sweeten without calories, which is handy when I am using otherwise low-sugar ingredients in the smoothies particularly.

I have not yet tried to bake any of my gluten-free desserts with it yet, but sooner or later I hope to see if I can create some reduced-sugar dessert recipes by substituting at least part of the sugar with this Stevia product. If so, buying stevia in bulk at Costco will make even more sense than it already does. Again, this deal is saving me a lot of money already (I have seen smaller packages/boxes of PureVia sell at prices that are 5-times or more the per-packet price this Costco bargain offers).

Gluten-Free Corn Tortillas : Super Bargain

Mission Brand Corn Tortillas - 100 count - $2.99! (that is 5#12oz of tortillas!) Clearly labeled gluten-free and a super-deal at just 3-cents per tortilla! These gluten-free tortillas are wonderful for making all sorts of "wraps" also - whether you like placing some salad items in them, your favorite meats, etc. I am utterly amazed at the price of only 3-cents each! Wow! They hold up rather well in the fridge, and I have managed to use one bag of these over a period of 3 months without a problem. These are a no-brainer purchase for me, as I enjoy gluten-free corn tortillas in my diet on a regular basis.

More Gluten-Free Costco Bargains to Come...

This is just the first installment of the Costco gluten-free products I will be discussing here. So, stay tuned and I will be bringing another list of deals to you soon. Hopefully you have a Costco near you where you can take advantage of these low prices and bulk-items when it can save you money.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Gluten-Free Cinco de Mayo : Simple Mexican Lunch

I was in the mood for some Mexican-inspired cooking today — to coincide with Cinco de Mayo — and I decided to just throw together this very simple-to-make Gluten-Free "dish" for lunch.  It took more time to photograph and post this tasty corn-tortilla and its toppings than it did to create the "recipe" for it :)

The "Recipe"

I simply started out with a favorite gluten-free bargain from Costco: Mission (brand) White Corn gluten-free Tortillas.  And, when I say bargain, I mean BARGAIN!  This is a 100-count package of GF tortillas (that is 5#12oz of tortillas), and for only $2.99! Wow, only 3-cents per tortilla!  They are clearly labeled gluten-free too.

Side note: These gluten-free tortillas are wonderful for making all sorts of Spanish/Mexican-inspired dishes as well as other "wraps" and things — whether you prefer stuffing them or topping them with fresh or grilled vegetables, salad items, your favorite meats, refried beans, etc., is up to you, and the simple variations abound.

This Cinco de Mayo gluten-free "recipe" starts with quickly searing / frying a couple of those tortillas in a cast-iron pan to firm them up a bit and impart some added grilled-flavor to the corn.

I was lucky enough to have some leftover chicken-breast that was quickly sliced and added on top of the tortilla.  Another few layers of avocado, some gluten-free avocado-salsa (also acquired at CostCo) and some Pita-Pal (brand) gluten-free "Texas Caviar" (a mix of corn, beans, other veggies, with a citrus / orange base; also from CostCo), all topped with my favorite habanero chili salsa  —  the result is a flavor packed and diet-conscious gluten-free Cinco de Mayo inspired lunch that I enjoyed and had completed in a hurry.

One notable exclusion this time is cheese.  I definitely like melting some cheese over top of my tortilla creations, but for whatever reason it just slipped my mind today.  I guess I was subconsciously keeping it healthier or lower-fat as an unintentional dairy-free recipe today.  And, had I just left off the chicken, I could have easily had a vegan recipe that would have been equally enjoyable.  Regardless, enjoy your Cinco de Mayo.

Gluten-Free Carolans Irish Cream Liqueur : Excellent!

Carolans Irish Cream : Gluten-Free
(picture source : their corporate website)

If you have Celiac Disease and enjoy Irish Cream liqueurs, you may want to give Carolans Irish Cream Liqueur a try.  Their website clearly states on their FAQ page [note: last checked in 2016-SEPT, and still clearly gluten-free! The following quote is from 2010, where now it simply states that the product is gluten-free]:

"Carolans is suitable for Celiacs and is both gluten and wheat free."

I have long been a fan of Bailey's Irish Cream, but I decided to try Carolans Irish Cream after my daughter tried it and thought it to be superior to Bailey's, and after I verified that Carolans Irish Cream is Gluten-Free.   I picked up a bottle at Costco' liquor store for a mere $9.99 (for a 750ml bottle in a gift-pack that included a couple glasses too).  This was certainly cheaper than the Bailey's, and I was skeptical as to whether my daughter's "review" was going to be matched by my own product review.

Taste-Test: Wonderful!  And, a Bargain!
I was delighted with the flavor of this gluten-free Irish Cream liqueur from Carolans.  I agree with my daughter: this Irish Cream is indeed better than Bailey's, at least from my perspective.  The hints of honey in the recipe, coupled with Irish spirits, whiskey, and  rich double cream yield a superior taste in the resulting subtle blend of flavors.  The honey adds a delicate overtone that complements the Irish Cream quite nicely.

Simple "Real" Egg-Nog using Carolans...
This gluten-free Irish Cream recipe as delivered by Carolans quickly led me to experiment with another drink that I have had been enjoying for the Christmas / New Years holidays: Egg Nog.  I just recently reviewed an awesome gluten-free egg nog by Organic Valley (brand), and wondered how the two products would combine (to form an alcoholic version of egg-nog).

The results were quite tasty!  I tried a couple versions of my blended Egg Nog (using Carolans gluten-free Irish Cream with that Organic Valley gluten-free egg nog), and rather enjoyed the results whether I used a 1:1 formula or a lesser-alcohol 2:1 (egg-nog : Irish Cream) formula or even as little as 4 parts nog to 1 part Irish Cream.  It was all good! :)

Sure, all this cream may not be "good for you", but it sure does taste good and it is one of those once/year seasons where I indulge (not to mention it seems to be the only time of the year I can find good egg nog at the store: I am not going to make my own).  And, I consider this a "gluten-free dessert" since it is as rich and satisfying as a dessert -- just in liquid form (and not for children).

Bottom line: my daughter was right and this Celiac-safe Irish Cream is great both on its own and mixed into other drinks (like egg nog, coffees, hot chocolate, and so forth).

Happy New Years everyone!

Crunchmaster Gluten-Free Multi-Grain Crackers Review

I think these are perhaps the best all around gluten-free cracker I have encountered thus far : the Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers - crunchy oven backed original multi-seed variety. And, I have tried quite a few different gluten-free crackers over the years including others that I certainly enjoy (e.g., Mary's Gone Crackers : those are good crunchy robust crackers in general, though they often taste slightly burnt to me for whatever reason and they crumble a bit more easily than these Crunchmasters).

I found these wonderful crackers at CostCo for 1/2 of what they cost in the local grocery store too: $6.99 for a box that contains two (2) 10-ounce bags (for a total of 20oz of crackers). Still a bit steep on a per-pound basis, but considering that this is HALF what they cost when purchased in much smaller boxes I have found elsewhere, they are a relative deal.

UPDATE: I just received our Costco Wholesale member coupon-booklet for the period of Feb. 4 - Feb 28, 2010, and it has a nice $2.00 off coupon for these crackers! That makes for a deal! (and, coupon says "no limit") :)

I have taste-tested these crackers with a variety of participating testers: gluten-free / Celiac persons and non-gluten-free persons alike. The opinions of my taste-testers were broadly similar in that everyone found the crackers to be quite hearty and full of flavor from the sesame seeds, flax, quinoa seeds, amaranth seeds, and a bit of tamari (the other core ingredients are brown-rice meal, some potato starch, safflower oil, and a bit of salt).

As the name "Crunchmaster" implies: these gluten-free snack crackers have a very nice crunch indeed! The non-gluten-free people testing the crackers did not find them to be lacking anything when compared to the "normal" (gluten-containing) crackers on the market. We have tried them served plain or with cheese, hummus, and a few other things -- the results were always appealing to the taste buds.

In addition to being crunchy and flavorful, the dairy-free/wheat-free/gluten-free crackers also boast a rather low sodium level (110mg / 15-crackers) coupled with 2grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein, 280mg of Omega-3 per serving, and zero cholesterol; this makes them a rather "healthy" cracker option to consider. They are certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) and carry a clearly-displayed moniker to that effect. If you want to see more online, here is a link to the Crunchmaster Web-Site.

Bottom line: highly recommended, especially if you enjoy a good crisp and flavorful cracker that goes well with a variety of complementary spreads and toppings!

Quinoa Bargain at Costco : Gluten-Free Super-Grain Dirt-Cheap

Quinoa: Gluten-Free Super-Grain, now at CostCo

Quinoa is a wonderful gluten-free grain that I enjoy as often as possible, and a grain that has recently grown in popularity (not just among Celiacs) in the culinary world -- and with that growth in demand has come increasing prices. I witnessed small 12oz or 1-pound boxes of quinoa doubling in price at the grocery store over just the past year, and have read many a blog about other people seeing the same thing.

Well, we were out at CostCo the other day, and I was delighted to come across this very large (4 POUND) bag of Organic Quinoa for only $7.99 (i.e., $2.00/pound), which is incredibly price-competitive and the cheapest I have seen quinoa grain in a long time.

---

Update (2011-August): I have added a new Costco Gluten-Free Bargains for 2011 (link) blog that extends upon this blog with updated pricing information for quinoa and a list of other gluten-free products Costco offers currently. Of course, the gluten-free recipes using quinoa (discussed below) are still very much available and useful.

---

Some Gluten-Free Recipes featuring Quinoa

If you are new to quinoa, you may want to check out a few different recipes we have posted here on the Gluten-Free Blog as well as on our Gluten-Free Recipes page, including those linked to in the following paragraphs. Quinoa is generally rather simple to prepare (hardly any more difficult than cooking rice), but brings much more flavor and nutrition to the table for the same effort.

Gluten-Free & Wheat-Free Garlic, Pepper, and Herb Quinoa Recipe (picture below):

Gluten-Free Quinoa with Herbs

And there there is always the Gluten-Free Quinoa Meatloaf recipe (picture below), which I also blogged about last year with an entry talking about some of the other health-merits of quinoa in recipes like this...

Quinoa Meatloaf - Gluten-Free

There are certainly many more ways to enjoy this wonderful gluten-free grain. Sometimes we simply cook it up and use a bit of wheat-free/gluten-free tamari (soy sauce) over it. We have used it where rice would otherwise be used for various dishes as well. Fact is, quinoa is quite versatile, vegan (our meatloaf withstanding. heh), wheat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, high-protein, high-fiber, and all those other great things! And, as long as CostCo has cheap Quinoa available, it will be an affordable option too!

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.