starbucks orange valencia cake

Another mainstream gluten-free sighting. I first read it at Gluten Free Post, then I saw it in Forbes and finally from the horse's own mouth. Starbucks is introducing a gluten-free pastry. Those of us who have been unable to indulge in the sugary empty-calorie food display finally have our day! From the Starbucks Ideas in Action blog:

Hi, it’s Erin on the Food team. I am so excited today to share an update on our blog about Gluten-free offerings. Starting May 5 we will be launching the Gluten-free Orange Valencia Cake with Almonds. And even better you are among the first to know! Who better to get the first scoop than you who helped make it happen? This product was inspired by the passionate responses we heard from you on My Starbucks Idea.

The Orange Valencia Cake is a delicious moist citrus cake bursting with Valencia oranges and topped with crunchy almonds. Not only is it gluten-free, it is also prepared with 7 simple ingredients: Whole Eggs, Valencia Orange Pulp, Almonds, Sugar, Orange Peel, Gluten Free Baking Powder, and Orange Oil. Plus it delivers 30% of your daily value of vitamin C.

Keep on the look out for it in the pastry case with a sign that says “gluten-free.” A single cake will be displayed unwrapped so you can see it clearly, but don’t worry. They all come individually packaged to prevent cross contamination. And with the ingredient list right on the package, it’s easy to see exactly what you are eating. Whether you are gluten-sensitive or not, this product is delicious and satisfying and I hope you will all enjoy it soon.

Want to know how it’s made gluten-free? Come back to MSI in two weeks and Chris, the lead product developer will take you behind the scenes and share how this cake is made with care.

This makes travel throughout the United States a lot easier. I've always found breakfast to be the hardest meal to satisfy me on the gluten-free diet because I don't like eggs. When you take out eggs and gluten, you're left with few other options while on the road. No, this option is no where near healthy, but the mental aspect is almost as important to me. My body can handle the occasional breakfast pastry when it's combined with the ease of going into one of my favorite coffee spots.

Now to see about getting a Starbucks built in Bujumbura.

riceworks sweet chili gourmet brown rice crisps

My most recent impulsive snack purchase is much better than my last one. Riceworks Sweet Chili gourmet brown rice crisps are my new Doritos. 

I wrote a nice rant about how Doritos aren't gluten-free, even though they should be because they are corn chips. But apparently, most Doritos flavors are gluten-free now; it's just been so long since I've bothered to check on them. That's probably not a terrible thing, that its been long, since Doritos are probably one of the worst snack foods for you; maddeningly they are also one of the most addictive.

Back to Riceworks.

I'd tried other Riceworks chips flavors back in the States so I was confident I'd get a tasty chip. They are salty and crunchy, but they don't taste like corn chips or potato chips. They taste like whatever the flavoring is so it's important that Riceworks gets the flavoring just right.

I didn't expect them to satisfy my Doritos craving so thoroughly, a craving I didn't even realize I had until I started eating these chips. They are triangle-shaped. They are just spicy enough to make my nose run. They turn my fingers red from the chili-flavored coating. They are a bit sweeter than Doritos, which I'm enjoying. 

The Riceworks website is kind of annoying, with lots of moving images that take ages to load on my hamster-run Africa internet connection. But they have a coupon (on the U.S. and Canada sites; couldn't find it on the U.K. site). Saving a few cents is worth a few moments of uploading time, right? 

Riceworks crisps are sold at a store near you (not me). They're also available in bulk from Amazon.com groceries and Homegrocer.com.

Image from homegrocer.com.