I really like Indian food. Not too long ago, I wouldn't have said that. When I married my wonderful husband, he opened my eyes and introduced my taste buds to a whole new world. Before my husband, my gastronomic repertoire basically included items that came out of a can, a box, or a frozen bag. And in all honesty, I wasn't following my gluten free diet all that well, as I had only been diagnosed for a little more than two years when we were married.
But saying "I DO" to Brad was saying yes to flavors and smells from around the world....fresh fruits and vegetables, Thai food, homemade Chinese food (not from a bag), and the earthy and pungent flavors of India. And now we have a 1 lb. bag of garam masala in our cupboard and the rest is history.
I follow quite a few bloggers, most of whom write with a gluten free theme. One of those is Gluten Free Frenzy, and she was doing a giveaway in conjunction with Tasty Bite. If you have never heard of Tasty Bite, let me introduce you. TastyBite makes Indian meals sealed in plastic pouches that are shelf stable. This is a fantastic thing for a celiac, because sometimes in life, you just have to take a meal with you, and there isn't always a refrigerator or freezer to keep things cold in. Plus, they heat up easily within 90 seconds.
And I found out on the weekend of our 10th wedding anniversary that I was randomly chosen as the winner of the Tasty Bite giveaway. I was so happy!
Look at all that I received:
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From left to right:
Ginger Lentil Rice, Bombay Potatoes, Channa Masala, Madras Lentils, Vegetable Korma, and Thai Lime Rice
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And let me tell you, this giveaway has already come in handy.
I enjoyed the Bombay Potatoes on a Wednesday night while at church. Wednesday nights are long nights, as I arrive at church at 4:15 to help set up for the kids program, then from there I go to choir, and then to handbell choir. In total, I'm there for a little more than 4 hours. They do have a dinner for the kids, which my husband can usually eat. But the meals are really for the kids and are not usually celiac friendly.
I enjoyed the Bombay Potatoes for dinner that night, but they were really too spicy for me. I ended up washing it down with a CapriSun.
The next two packages I tried were the Ginger Lentil Rice and the Vegetable Korma. I really enjoy lentils because they are a good source of iron. Iron is important for many celiacs since one of the symptoms can be anemia. And the Vegetable Korma was full of vegetables, chickpeas, and coconut milk, so I was pretty excited.
And again, it was TastyBite to the rescue. I was watching my friend's children last week, and it is just easier to bring my own than to try to eat something out of someone else's refrigerator. Their 9 year old is adventurous in trying new foods, and asked to try the Ginger Lentil Rice. She enjoyed it so much that she asked for more! I think that's quite a complement to TastyBite!
So for my lunch I got out a plate, placed the lentil rice on the bottom and then emptied the korma on top of it.
It was SO good! You could taste the hint of coconut milk which helped to tone down some of the spice in the dish. The 9 year old tried this too, but wasn't too eager to have more. That's fine, all the more for me!
And I still have three more packages to enjoy. I think I might try the Madras Lentils with the Thai Lime Rice next. Maybe I should be nice and share them with my husband this time. :)
So a big thanks to
Gluten Free Frenzy for the giveaway (and anniversary present) and to
TastyBite for making such delicious, gluten-free friendly food. Check them out on Facebook as well!
***Disclaimer- Not all of TastyBite products are gluten free. Please read labels carefully. There is usually a designation in the top right hand corner if one of their products are gluten free. ***
Labels: product review
