Gone Green

Image/GreenPeaCookie

These cookies are fantastic!

That's the first, and most important, thing you need to know about the Green Pea Cookie.

Yes, they're bright green in color, which is either exciting or a turn-off, depending on how well you enjoy a culinary adventure. As the name suggests, they're made with, well, green peas. Veggies! And they taste nothing like those small, round good-for-the-body pieces that you may have hated as a child (and may still).

They taste much better and, of course, they're available gluten-free.

Soup-er side

Photo/Vitacost.com

I'm always on the lookout for new additions to my lunch, side dishes to go with my gluten-free sandwiches. They have to be nutritious (at least somewhat), taste good and help keep my afternoon hunger at bay.

I discovered Dr. McDougall's Pad Thai Noodle Soup through Taste Guru, the subscription service that mails a monthly box of six gluten-free foods at their choosing. The soup was a little too spicy for my taste, but I liked it. The broth was flavorful and infused with vegetables, and the noodles were cooked to perfection in the microwave at my workplace. It's taste, texture and convenience all scored points.

However, the Pad Thai Noodle Soup didn't earn a spot at the top of my regular roster of lunch items, for two reasons.

Favorite foods

I'm pleased to share some new features on the Gluten-Free Garden State blog.

Starting today, we are polling our readers through an interactive feature that appears on the main page, to the left of the most recent post. Please share your opinions and email gfgardenstate@gmail.com with any comments or suggestions. GFGS is also on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/132Hfih and Twitter @gfgardenstate. Like us. Follow us. Send us your thoughts ... Please.

In the coming weeks, we'll be taste-testing various gluten-free products. Tasting and poll results will be shared in a series of "food wars" posts. In recognition of the start of school, the series will debut with quick breakfast items, such as waffles and bagels. Later this year, we'll focus on holiday desserts.

All of the foods being highlighted in this series are those that are not naturally gluten-free. While we fully support quick meals and snacks of fruits, veggies and naturally gluten-free foods, the mission of this blog is to give people insight into what products are available that we otherwise would have to give up to Celiac disease and gluten intolerance.