A Review of our Products from a 6th Grader's Perspective

We always enjoy taste testing our products. This is the best way to find out the real scoop! So, we took the time to reach out to one of our toughest judges, FAMILY!

Sara Stanton is a cousin, and an eleven year old aspiring writer. We thought it would be a great idea to support her dreams while getting a 6th grader's honest opinion on our products. Her mission was to take her know-how of gluten and everything she knows to be delicious and yummy, and give us her opinions on an variety of Aleia's Gluten Free products.

Products to Review:

Plain Bread Crumbs

Parmesan Croutons

Peanut Butter Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Snickerdoodle Cookies

Almond Horn Cookies

The Rating System:

1=Not So Good 2= Okay 3=Good 4=Very Good 5=Amazing

Plain Bread Crumbs: The breadcrumbs were a delight to try. They would make a very good topping for chicken, salad, pork chops, and even more probably. They even would taste good on their own, but I don't recommend doing that. So I have given these remarkable breadcrumbs a 4.

Parmesan Croutons: The Parmesan Croutons would tie a good salad together with a taste that will spark your tongue. This would be a good choice with anyone with a love for Parmesan and croutons. The rating that I have given these a 4.

Peanut Butter Cookies: The Peanut Butter Cookies have a strong peanut buttery taste to them, with a good stream of sugar on it. It will make the day of someone who loves peanut butter, as for me it wasn't my favorite. Also I'm really not a the peanut butter type anyway. So I give it a 3.

Chocolate Chip Cookies: The Chocolate Chip Cookie is a good crunchy, enjoyable cookie. The chocolate will melt away in your mouth as you chew in delight. That is the very reason I award this cookie with a 4.

Snickerdoodle Cookies: The Snickerdoodles have a strong, sweet taste. A couple of pinches of cinnamon make the Snickerdoodles come together to make the perfect combination for anyone that loves cinnamon and sugar. This is why I have given the wonderful cookie a 5.

Almond Horn Cookies: The Almond Horn cookie was a good, but very sweet cookie. The crunchiest almonds are found near the top. The almonds themselves have a sweet affect on people. I think anyone who loves sweet, crunchy, with almonds on top will defiantly enjoy the one of-a-kind Almond Horns. This is exactly why I have given them a perfect 4.

Thank you Sara for your detailed descriptions, opinions, and scores on Aleia's Gluten Free products. We are so happy that you felt our Snickerdoodles deserved a 5 (Amazing)! We may need your taste buds again someday soon!

The Only (and Best) Gluten Free Stuffing Mixes on the Market!

It is that time of the year again. Sales reports on last year's numbers are floating around the bakery's production floor. There is increased ordering of raw materials. Extra recipe cards and labels are stacked high in anticipation. This could only mean one thing... It is STUFFING SEASON at Aleia's!

I had the pleasure of joining the Aleia's team this time last year. So, with a year of wisdom and experience under my belt I am ready to spread the word on THE ONLY GLUTEN FREE STUFFING MIX on the market today! Orders have already started to be delivered! Look for both varieties -  Aleia's Plain Stuffing Mix and Aleia's Savory Stuffing Mix at a favorite retail store near you! Not sure where to find us?  Look on our website,   http://www.aleias.com/, for retail locations and online sources!

Here are two delicious ways of turning our gluten free stuffing mixes into your family's favorite holiday stuffing!

Gluten Free Savory Stuffing

Oven Baked Stuffing
Ingredients:
1 bag (12oz) Aleia’s Gluten Free Savory Stuffing
½ onion medium dice (about ½ cup)
2 ribs celery medium dice (about 1 cup)
1 large carrot medium dice (about ½ cup)
6 tablespoons of butter
2 cups gluten free chicken stock

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. In a large skillet pan, medium
heat, melt butter, add onions, celery and carrots.
Sauté until vegetables are tender. Add stock, bring
to a boil then remove the pan from the heat. Place
stuffing mix into a large bowl, pour mixture from
pan over stuffing. Toss lightly until well mixed. Spoon
the mixture into a greased casserole dish. Cover
with foil and bake for 20 minutes or until hot. For a crispy
top, remove foil and bake uncovered for an additional
10 minutes.

Serves 6

Gluten Free Plain Stuffing

Oven Baked Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 bag (12oz) Aleia’s Gluten Free Plain Stuffing

½ onion medium dice (about ½ cup)

2 ribs celery medium dice (about 1 cup)

1 large carrot medium dice (about ½ cup)

6 tablespoons of butter

2 cups gluten free chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

Heat oven to 350˚F. In a large skillet pan, medium

heat, melt butter, add onions, celery, carrots, salt

and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are tender. Add stock,

bring to a boil then remove the pan from the heat. Place

stuffing mix into a large bowl, pour mixture from

pan over stuffing. Toss lightly until well mixed. Spoon

the mixture into a greased casserole dish. Cover

with foil and bake for 20 minutes or until hot. For a crispy

top, remove foil and bake uncovered for an additional

10 minutes.

Serves 6

Make it even more delicious!

Savory Herb Stuffing: add 1 teaspoon dried thyme
leaves and 1 teaspoon dried sage leaves

Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing: add 1 cup sliced mushrooms to the vegetables during cooking. Stir ½ pound cooked and crumbled gluten free sausage into the mixture

Cranberry and Pecan Stuffing: Stir 1/2 cup each of dried cranberries and chopped pecans into the mixture

Buy Our Cookies Online!

BREAKING NEWS!

You can NOW buy our cookies online!
Aleia's Gluten Free and Simspon & Vail have partnered to bring you our entire line of delicious, all natural, gluten-free cookies!

Visit their website
http://www.svtea.com/New-Food/products/139/

 and contact them here!
http://www.svtea.com/contactus.asp

A Gluten Free Labor Day Weekend!

This weekend we traveled to Tiverton, RI to visit one of our fantastic customers and help her celebrate her two-year anniversary! The name of her specialty store is Healthy Haven, and it is just that, a haven of specialty  foods for people with food allergies and intolerances.

Although the celebration was small, with about 60 visitors throughout the day and it was a blast! We truly enjoy talking with our customers and with people who have either never tried our products or are loyal customers that can now put a face to the Aleia's brand.

Some other vendors that we met there were the creators of Little Bay Baking Co. We purchased two of their mixes and cannot wait to bake them up with a few friends that are gluten free and casein free.

We also had the pleasure of meeting the Nut Lady. She makes fantastic gourmet almonds, walnuts and pecans that are baked to perfection! A great treat on any salad or just by themselves.

Our wonderful day ended with a treat from Kathy...lunch at Alice's Diner  in Fall River, Massachusets. Open for breakfast and lunch, Alice's also offers its customers, gluten free options.  Thank you Kathy for being such a gracious host and for having us at this great event!

Aleia's Gluten Free Stuffed Artichokes

Ingredients:
4 large artichokes, stems removed
¼ cup ripe pitted Calamata olives, chopped
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 cup Aleia’s Plain Bread Crumbs or 1 cup Aleia’s Italian Bread Crumbs (you do not need to use garlic if using the Italian Bread Crumbs)
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil to drizzle

Directions:

With a serrated knife cut tops of artichokes approximately 1/4 inch below the top. Using sharp scissors snip off pointed tips of each artichoke petal. In a 5 quart pan place approximately two inches of water and set on stove top. In a bowl combine, olives, parsley, garlic, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese salt and pepper. Spread each petal as wide as allowed and stuff artichokes. Place in pan, drizzle olive oil over each artichoke. Cover and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook 55-60 minutes until tender and leaves pull freely from the artichoke.

Serves 4

A Gluten Free Night Out in Guilford - Dinner at Bell' Amici Restaurant

The next time you are looking for a place to dine out and have some delicious gluten free entrees, visit Bell' Amici's Restaurant in Guilford, CT. Aleia's and Bell' Amici's have partnered to bring some fantastic entrees to their gluten-free menu. In fact, the chef is utilizing Aleia's bread crumbs to make his Parmigiana dishes!We have all tried their Pizza here and love it!

Want to learn more about Bell'Amici?

Check them out on Facebook!

Bell' Amici Restaurant

Come visit Highland Park Market's Farmington location on August 10th from 4-7pm to sample Aleia's Gluten-Free Foods! Wewill have all 8 delicious cookies, toasted samples of our breads (Farmhouse White Sandwich bread and Cinnamon Raisin), and our crispy croutons. We look forward to seeing you there!

Even Gluten Eaters Love to Eat Aleia's!

Nichol Haskins, author of the blog Kiddies Corner Deals, cannot imagine living with food allergies. We liked Nichol's blog because of her focus on FAMILY FRIENDLY products. Her kids are at a great age as well; perfect official cookie testers! When our paths crossed in cyberspace, we wanted to take a moment to show her how great our products are to work with, eat, and enjoy (even though she can shop without restrictions). I partnered with Nichol and sent her a care package for Aleia's products. In exchange, she gave us a great review on her awesome blog!

Thank you Nichol for taking time out of your day to taste and review our gluten-free products! Keep up the great work and congratulations on the success of your blog.

Look for a giveaway on Kiddies Corners Deals in the near future!

Hold the Gluten!

It is always great when we find an online source or blog with a focus on Gluten Free living, and we are happy to introduce you to Hold the Gluten.

Maureen is the creator of this site, and she has Celiac.  Maureen was nice enough to allow us to send her some of our products for her review. One of the best things about blogging, is the personalized touch in the expression of an individual's (or group's) opinion. Her approach to information on living gluten-free and her great attitude towards life must be why she is averaging 2,300 downloads per month! We recently partnered with Maureen to offer one lucky winner, an Aleia's Giveaway Package. Check out the podcast for details on how to win!

Current Events - July 2009

Aleia's Product Demostrations:

7/30
Highland Park Market
Manchester, CT
12pm - 4pm

7/31
Highland Park Market
Glastonbury, CT
12pm- 4pm

We love to meet new people and get your comments on our products!
Come visit us!

What's New in the Celiac Community - A Special Event at Back to Basics Natural Foods

Back to Basics Natural Foods will host a special event titled
"What's New in the Celiac Community"

The event will be presented by
Linda Monahan, Prestident  of the American Celiac Support Group of Rhode Island

Linda and her husband will update attendees on a Celiac Leaders Conference recently held at the Columbia University Celiac Center.

When: Saturday, July 11th from 11am-12:30pm
Where: Back to Basics Natural Foods
500 Main Street
East Greenwich, RI

All attendees will receive a sampling of Aleia's products, a discount coupon, store tour, new product updates, and free Back to Basics shopping bag.

Pre-registration is encouraged
Please call 401-885-2679 to register

All of Aleia's products can be found at Back to Basics!

Aleia's Gluten Free Foods is in Stop & Shop/Giant Supermarkets!

Beginning this week, Aleia's Gluten Free Foods can be found in Stop & Shop/Giant Supermarkets!

Here is a list of the stores. Look for the one nearest you!


Connecticut
Ansonia100 Division Street
CT
Bristol597 Farmington Ave.
CT
E. Lyme248 Flanders Road
CT
East Haven370 Hemingway Avenue
CT
Enfield54 Hazard Avenue
CT
Fairfield1160 King's Highway Cutoff
CT
Fairfield
760 Villa Ave
CT
Glastonbury
55 Oak Street
CT
Glastonbury
215 Glastonbury Blvd
CT
Groton
220 Route 12
CT
Hamden
2335 Dixwell Ave.
CT
Middletown416 East Main Street
CT
MilfordEast Town Road
CT
Newington44 Fenn Road
CT
Norwalk385 Connecticut Avenue
CT
Norwalk
380 Main Street
CT
Norwich42 Town Street
CT
Putnam
60 Providence Turnpike
CT
Rock Hill80 Town Line Road
CT
Stamford
2200 Bedford Street
CT
Stamford1937 West Main Street
CT
Stonington
91 Voluntown Road
CT
Trumbull100 Quality Street
CT
Unionville
1799 Farmington Avenue
CT
Vernon
10 Pitkin Road
CT
Wallingford
930 North Colony Road
CT
Waterbury
240 Chase Avenue
CT
Wilton5 River Road
CT
Windsor
1095 Kennedy Road
CT

Massachusetts
North Adams876 State Road
MA
Allston
60 Everett Street
MA
Attleboro251 Washington Street
MA
Bedford
337 Great Road
MA
Beverly
37 Enon Street
MA
Beverly224 Elliott Street
MA
Braintree300 Grove Street
MA
Brockton
932 North Montello Street
MA
Brookline155 Harvard Street
MA
Choasset
400 Chief Justice Cushing Hwy
MA
Danvers301 Newbury Street
MA
Dedham160 Providence Highway
MA
Dorchester
545 Freeport Street
MA
East Longmeadow
470 North Main Street
MA
East Wareham2991 Cranberry Highway
MA
Fairhaven221 Hutteston Avenue
MA
Fall River
333 Marianno Bishop Blvd.
MA
Framingham19 Temple Street
MA
FranklinRt. 140 W. Central Street
MA
Grafton
100 Worcester Street
MA
Greenfield
89 French King Highway
MA
Hadley440 Russell Street
MA
Halifax341 Plymouth Street
MA
Hingham
Lincoln Plaza, RT 3A
MA
Hudson
Rt 85 Technology Drive
MA
Lexington
36 Bedford Street
MA
Lynn
35 Washington Street
MA
Medford
760 Fellsway
MA
Nantucket
Pleasant Street
MA
NatickRt.9 829 Worcester Street
MA
New Bedford438 Dartmouth Street
MA
North Hampton
228 King Street
MA
North Reading
97 Main Street Rte. 28
MA
Norwood
Rt. 1 & Summer Street
MA
Orleans
Cranberry Cove Plaza Rte. 6
MA
Pembroke
North River Plaza Rte. 139
MA
Pittsfield
Dan Fox Drive
MA
Pittsfield
600 Merrill Road
MA
Plainville
109 Taunton Street
MA
Plymouth
129 Samoset Street
MA
Quincy
495 Southern Artery
MA
Quincy
65 Newport Ave
MA
Revere40 Furlong Drive
MA
Saugus164 Main Street Rt. 1
MA
Seekonk
125 Highland Ave.
MA
Shrewsbury
539-571 Boston Turnpike
MA
Somerset
815 Grand Army Highway
MA
Somerville
779 McGrath Highway
MA
South Yarmouth55 Long Pond Drive
MA
Springfield
1600 Boston Road
MA
Stoughton
278 Washington St.Rt 138
MA
Sturbridge100 Charlton Road
MA
WalpoleRte. 1A & Main Street
MA
Watertown
171 Watertown Street
MA
Westboro
290 Turnpike Road Rt. 9
MA
Westboro
32 Lyman Street
MA
Whitman475 Bedford Street
MA
Worcester541A Lincoln Street
MA
Worcester940 West Boylston Street
MA

New Hampshire
Bedford7 Kilton Road
NH
ExeterRte. 108 & Rte. 88
NH
Hudson
9 Wason Road
NH
Manchester777 South Willow Street
NH
Manchester
365 Lincoln Street
NH
Milford
Rte. 101A Nashua Street
NH

New Jersey
Berkeley Heights
404 Springfield Avenue
NJ
Emerson
600 Kinderkamack Road
NJ
Franklin Township3333 Route 27
NJ
Franklin Township1221 Route 27
NJ
Hillsborough
649 Route 206
NJ
Howell
4861 US Highway 9
NJ
Lyndhurst425 Lewandowski Street
NJ
Madison
133 Main Street
NJ
Matawan
1137 Lloyd Road
NJ
Morris Plains245 Little Town Road
NJ
Paramus859 N. State Route 17
NJ
Pennington800 F Denow Road
NJ
Piscataway
581 Stelton Road
NJ
Somerset
940 Easton Avenue
NJ
Tom's River
2360 Lakewood Road
NJ
Tom's River353 Route 37 East
NJ
Whiting
400 Lacey Road
NJ
Wyckoff
327 Franklin Avenue
NJ

New York
Amityville351 Merrick Road
NY
Bayshore
533 Montauk Highway Rte. 27A
NY
Bronx691 Co Op City Boulevard
NY
Carle Place95 Old Country Road
NY
Coram
294 Middle Country Road
NY
East Northport
3126 Jerico Turnpike
NY
Eastchester420 White Plains Road
NY
Hampton Bays190 West Montauk Highway
NY
Huntington1100 Jerico Turnpike
NY
Lake Ronkonkoma425 Portion Road
NY
N. White Plains
670 North Broadway
NY
New Hyde Park
653 Hillside Avenue
NY
Peekskill1831 East Main Street
NY
Port Chester15 Waterfront Place
NY
Poughkeepsie
2540 South Road
NY
Riverhead
1615 Old Country Road
NY
Setauket158 Route 25A
NY
South Setauket260 Pond Path
NY
Staten Island
2795 Richmond Avenue
NY
White Plains152 Westchester Ave.
NY
Yonkers111 Vrendenburg Avenue
NY

Rhode Island
Bristol
605 Metacom Ave.
RI
Cranston
200 Atwood Ave.
RI
Pawtucket
368-398 Cottage Street
RI
Warwick300 Quaker Lane
RI
Warwick
2470 Warwick Ave
RI
Warwick
575 Greenwich Avenue
RI

District of Columbia
Washington1535 Alabama Ave. S.E.
D.C.

Delaware
Millville
220 Town Center Drive
DE
Rehoboth Beach
19912 Lighthouse Plaza Blvd.
DE
Wilmington
4301 Concord Pike
DE

Maryland
Abingdon3299 Emmorton Road
MD
Annapolis
948 Bay Ridge Road
MD
Annapolis2323 Forest Drive
MD
Baltimore6340-50 York Road
MD
Bel Air1423 Rock Spring Road
MD
Bethesda
10400 Old Georgetown Road
MD
Bethesda7142 Arlington Road
MD
Bethesda
5400 Westbard Avenue
MD
Bowie
15520 Annapolis Road
MD
Clarksville6050 Daybreak Circle
MD
Colesville
13490 New Hampshire Ave
MD
Columbia6480 Freetown Road
MD
Columbia
7200 Cradlerock Way
MD
Elkridge6020 Marshalee Drive
MD
Frederick
3530 Sugarloaf Parkway
MD
Gaitherburg842 Muddy Branch Road
MD
Gaithersburg229 Kentlands Boulevard
MD
Gambrills1161 Maryland Route 3 North
MD
Germantown
18331 Leaman Farm Road
MD
Germantown20944 Frederick Road
MD
Glen Burnie7940 Crain Highway
MD
La Plata200 Rosewick Road
MD
Olney17821 Georgie Avenue
MD
Potomac
7919 Tuckerman Lane
MD
Potomac
9812 Falls Road
MD
Rockville12051 Rockville Pike
MD
Salisbury
751 South Salisbury Boulevard
MD
Serverna Park
Governor Richie Highway
MD
Silver Spring
13781 Connecticut Avenue
MD
Silver Spring
1280 East West Highway
MD
Timonium
2145 York Road
MD
Upper Marlboro10480 Campus Way South
MD
Westminster
405 North Center Street
MD
Wheaton11160 Veirs Mills Road
MD

Virginia
Alexandria
5870 Kingstowne Blvd.
VA
Alexandria
3199 Duke Street
VA
Annadale
7137 Columbia Pike
VA
Auburn
43670 Greenway Corp. Drive
VA
Charlottesville220 Zan Road
VA
Falls Church
7235 Arlington Blvd
VA
Falls Church
1230 West Broad Street
VA
Falls Church
3480 South Jefferson Street
VA
Falmouth
35 Town & Country Road
VA
Fredericksburg
5701 Plank Road
VA
Fredricksburg550 Celebrate Virgina Parkway
VA
Manassas10100 Dumfries Road
VA
Purcellville
1000 East Main Street
VA
Reston
1450 North Point Village
VA
Springfield
8320 Olde Keene Mill Road
VA
Vienna359 Maple Avenue East
VA
Warrenton
41 Lee Highway Ste 27
VA


We have had our first confirmed sighting! A customer in Bethesda, MD bought our Almond Horn cookies at her local Stop & Shop/Giant Supermarket!


Please comment on this post if you have infact had an Aleia's sighting as well!

Aleia's First Blog Post! - Aleia's Scallop Cakes

We are excited  for the start of our new blog and look forward to sharing news about our products, links to interesting sites and blogs, information on Gluten Free sources and retail locations, delicious and easy to make recipes, and a lot more.

So to start our new blog, here is a fantastic recipe for Aleia's Scallop Cakes!  They are a nice variation of the traditional crab cake. So, straight from Aleia's founder, Kim, here is our recipe!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. of scallops, bay or sea (bays are smaller than seas)
1/2 of a small Vidalia onion - small dice
1 rib (a.k.a. stalk) of celery - small dice
1/4 cup of sherry
2 tablespoons of butter
1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper
1 teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning
1/4-1/2 cup of Aleia's Plain bread crumbs

Directions:
1. Using a medium sized sauce pan melt your butter.
2. Add onions and celery, sauté until they become translucent.
3. Add sherry and bring it all to a boil!
4. Reduce the heat
5. At this time you will add the old bay seasoning, salt and pepper and then the star of the show....Aleia's Plain bread crumbs. Mix until it comes together. If you are left with extra liquid, add more bread crumbs until it is bound by the crumbs, a moist consistency that can be caked!
6. Let it cool completely. This is very important because you don't want to prematurely cook your scallops.
7. Add scallops. Do not worry if they begin to break up. Mix until the mixture comes together into one ball. At this time you can be creative with your cake sizes. For uniformity I would recommend an ice cream scoop but if you are looking for a large portion just dig in and make patties with your hands!
8. Time to cook 'em up! You can use the stove or oven.

Stove: On medium heat, using a small frying pan place enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan lightly. Once hot, place your scallop cakes in the pan and cook away. You want the cakes to be golden brown on each side, approx. 5-8 minutes a side will accomplish that golden brown crunch.
Oven: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil pan slightly (you can use a sheet pan or a frying pan) make sure it is oven proof, handle and all! Place the cakes on the pan and cook until golden brown. This will take about 5-8 minutes per side for a total cook time of 10-16 minutes.

Serves 4