Specialty Foods Sunday # 3

Today I am highlighting these:

Made by the "Almond People", they are a crunchy, gluten-free, low-calorie alternative to chips or other crackers.

Other benefits:

• Gluten-free & wheat-free (for those with an allergy to wheat)
• 130 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of protein, & 1 gram of fiber for 17 crackers!
• 0 mg cholesterol, and low sodium! 

Allergen Warning (Contains):

• Tree Nuts (almonds)
• Milk
• Processed in facility that manufactures Soy, other Treenuts (pecans, hazelnuts), & also Wheat (however tested safe for acceptable gluten-free)

Here is an up-close picture:

They do look a little like tortilla chips, but a little thicker.

Now how do they taste?  They are great if you are craving a crunchy snack, but a little cardboard-y if you eat them plain.  I got them to eat with a spinach-artichoke dip, which made them perfect.  They also come in other flavors like cheddar cheese, country ranch, and smokehouse almond, which I haven't tried yet.

Overall, I think definitely a good snack if you are looking for something low-calorie & gluten-free, or just something crunchy, but I do recommend having something to go with them!

*This is strictly my opinion only as a consumer.  

Recipe Share: Sweet (Pralined) Walnuts

Here is a yummy recipe I came up with for a holiday dessert party from ingredients I had on hand at my house:

• 1 bag walnut halves (or other nut if you wish)- I didn't quite have a full bag, but it still was enough.
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine (I used butter, and ohhh, it was so good!)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1-2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (or allspice)
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1. Toast the walnuts in the oven @ about 300 F for 10 minutes or so, stirring once to prevent burning (I did not do this step, & I tried to put them in the oven after mixing in the butter/brown sugar mixture, which resulted in melting, so as a "duh" moment, I decided it would have been better to "toast" them first).
2. While walnuts are toasting, melt butter in saucepan, over medium - medium-high heat, add vanilla, then stir in brown sugar until melted. (I strongly suggest adding the vanilla before the sugar, because sugar makes the temperature extremely hot, and if you are using vanilla extract- which contains alcohol- bam! you can have a small fire, which would NOT be fun)- yeah, I forgot that fact, but luckily I only added a drop of vanilla before I realized that fact. 
3. Add other spices and stir into sugar/butter mixture, which should be bubbly.  
4. Stir in the walnuts until they are well coated, and then spread on cookie sheet to "harden". 
5. Sprinkle with sea salt to compliment the sweetness. If you want to be adventurous, you could also sprinkle a little chili powder, but I just did the sea salt. 
6. After they have cooled completely, store in an airtight container until ready to serve. 

Here is a picture of the walnuts cooking in my saucepan:

And spread on the cookie sheet to "dry":

These were a big hit, and they were pretty simple!  I had modified a little from a recipe I found online, which used confectioner's (powdered) sugar.  I think the brown sugar gave it a better flavor, and I also added the other spices and sea salt.  Yum, yum, but definitely not low calorie!  Oh, well, it is the holidays!  :)

Specialty Foods Sunday # 2

I know I had planned on every Sunday posting about a "specialty food", but so far, we are at #2.  I guess the holiday season can get in the way of plans!  Anyway, today the "specialty food" I am highlighting is this:

The variety I have is the Cage-Free brown, because that is what my store carries (they also have Organic).  Here is what they look like cooked:

See, looks like regular eggs!  Those were for my daughter, because she LOVES "eggies" as she says.  And with these, I don't feel guilty giving her more than the recommended "3 yolks per week".


The "hens" are fed a diet of "healthy" grains, canola oil, and supplemented with rice bran, alfalfa, sea kelp, and Vitamin E ("all-natural and all-vegetarian") without animal products, recycled, or processed food, & certified by the AVA (American Vegetarian Association). Their food is also free of hormones, antibiotics, & steroids.  To be "cage-free", the hens are free to roam (pretty self-explainatory, huh?)

What Makes Their Eggs Healthy? 
Because of the "special diet" the hens are fed, the nutritional quality of the eggs can be manipulated.  Here is what they boast (as compared to regular eggs):

• 10x more Vitamin E
• 115 mg Omega 3 fatty acids (from canola oil and flax seed in feed) 
• 25% less saturated fat
• 200 mcg Lutein (helps with eye health)
• 175 mg cholesterol per egg vs. 215 mg in the standard egg (American Heart Association or AHA recommends less than 300mg per day of cholesterol- more info here)      
•  4x more Vitamin D (20% DRI for Vit D)
• 75% more Vitamin B12
• 50% more Vitamin A 
• 15% more Riboflavin 
• 10% DRI of folic acid  
• Gluten-Free

* Yearly testing confirms consistency

Potential Allergen Alert

• Egg (duh!)
• Soy (hens are fed soybean meal)
• Rice (rice bran is component of feed)

Going Green?

• The plastic egg carton is 100% recyclable & made entirely from 100% recycled materials (recycled soda bottles).
• The manufacturer grinds its plastic waste in its own plant and sells it back to the plastic supplier, so that it can be re-melted into sheets of PET plastic.  PET can be re-manufactured to produce polyester fiber which is used in carpets, insulating fleece for clothing and containers. 
• All egg case shipping cartons  are Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certified.  For more information on the Sustainable Forestry Initiative program click here.

Still Not Convinced to Buy Them?

• Egg-Land's Best is "Pink" (Read the press release here about their partnership with Susan G. Komen)

You can visit their website here: Egg-Land's Best.  It has lots of nutritional info about their products, and even recipes.  


*Note: I have not received any compensation for endorsing these products, I just want to help those following special diets become aware of and make informed decisions for the many specialty & functional foods on the market today.