Product Review: Glutino 'Whole grain brown rice bread with prebiotic'

While I tend to make my own breads (the cost of GF bread is ridiculous, and usually not worth it), I found this one on super-sale today so I decided to give it a try. Since I usually eat bread in grilled cheese form, I figured that was the fairest way to test it out.

This is the first review I have done, but hope to get more on here as I work my way through some GF products.

Taste: the bread tastes fine - it has flax in it which gives it a more"whole wheat" flavor I like.

Texture: A bit crumbly, but all in all, not nearly as bad as some others I have tried. The slices hold themselves together in a sandwich, and really that's all I ask. The slices were a bit too thick for my liking.

Price: $2.95 for the loaf (18 slices) on saled

Overall: Would I buy it again? Maybe. At full price, definitely not, but on sale, its not so bad. I still prefer to make my own, but this was a not bad substitute. It still made a tasty sandwich I had to fight Olly for.

I have a new little shadow...

The view from my desk chair was this not five minutes ago... Its a tough job being so cute.



Everyone, meet Olympus (Olly). He's the newest addition to the family, and his curiosity and spastic tendencies makes me think he'll fit right in. I brought him home on Wednesday (08/12) and I don't think he's stopped purring since. The plan was NOT to bring home a kitten - I was just going to the Humane Society to look... yeah, right. That lasted a day. One look at this guy and I was doomed. He looked like Yoda with his satellite ears and disheveled kitten fur.

I have suspended my 40 day challenge, as I had visitors up from NC and now this little guy kicking around. I am hoping to re-establish some zen in my life for the next few days before its time to travel. My next blog challenge will be recipe and cooking related I think. Its about time to get more adventurous in the kitchen again.

That's all for now - take a cue from Olly and relax!

Day 30

All done with the pre-set 30 day challenge. The next 10 days will be my own missions and challenges and I will likely be taking a more relaxed approach with them. Thanks to anyone who has followed thus far - it has been quite a journey.

Day 30 Yoga Challenge:
No challenge today. Just closing statements. See above.

Signing off for a bit. Take care all :-)

Day 29

"If you don't like how things are, change it! You are not a tree!" -Jim Rohn

Day 29 Yoga Challenge:

Let today be about integrating the parts of this journey that work for you with any other rituals that serve you....and continue on your journey.

I am looking forward to starting a new string of challenges, of what I have not yet determined. But for now, I am looking forward to taking a break to reflect and absorb a lot of what I have just done.

Day 29 Training Mission:
Same as yesterday - I have not been following my diet closely as of late, and I can feel it. Though in truth, I haven't been hungry or really all that interested in food lately. Thank unfounded stress, my oldest companion.

Day 27 & 28

I firmly believe we are only as happy as we allow ourselves to be. This is something I am working on giving myself more permission to do.

Day 27 Yoga Challenge:

Answer in your own words (poem, essay, list,any format that comes to you), WHAT IS YOGA?

Day 28 Yoga Challenge:

For today's activity, sketch out a journey for yourself for the next 30 day. It might be taking one element of the journey that you've been on and ritualizing it. Perhaps you'll select rotating activities. Or perhaps you'll incorporate something spiritual, physical and mental each day and decide the activity(s) that will serve you best from day to day.

Day 27 Training Mission:
Same as yesterday - forgot to keep track somewhere past noon. We'll see how I do again.

Day 28 Training Mission:

Learn to "spend" calories. Think of calories and macronutrients in terms of money and budgeting. If you've always been confused by all the percentages, give my simple method a shot over the next two days

Day 26

Listening to: Miranda Lambert - Desperation

(re)found this book my best friend gave me for a birthday or when I moved or sometime. Its a book of absolutely ridiculous quotes that will likely always remind me of her unmistakably pink room with retro black and white pillows, framed pictures of the Rat Pack and Marylin Monroe and an extra bed stacked above hers. This one made me smile today for plenty of reasons.

"It's funny when people say, 'I don't think Julia likes me.' Honey, if I don't like you, you're going to know about it." -Julia Roberts

Day 26 Yoga Challenge:

A little yoga is better than no yoga. Try some quick yoga moves for when you're on the go.

Day 26 Training Mission (into the bonus missions now):

Today, go to the store and buy a gallon of drinking water. Carry it around with you, use it to make your shakes and post-workout drinks, etc. The jug allows for easy visual analysis of your fluid intake. No guessing, no measuring: just get a gallon of water and see if you drink it all in one day.

One gallon = 3.78 liters. That's just over 3 of my colossal water bottles, so I will be using that as a metric instead. Seems like a decent enough challenge - and well timed too. This naturopathic doctor my Mom had me go see was adamant about me needing more water, so its time to really see how much I am getting in.


"I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today and I am going to be happy in it." -Groucho Marx

Day 25

I had so many great ideas for this post today and yet as I sit here ready to type... nothing. I think I'm healing, growing and learning. Slowly processing all these daily challenges and incorporating them into my routine either deliberately or unintentionally. I have let go of the need to explain myself and my actions and am instead embracing simply being myself. It is liberating, to say the least. It is amazing how truly exhausting all the considering, thinking, processing and filtering can be over time and how much easier it is to just let it all flow. This is life. Whats the worst that can happen? What do I have to lose?

Day 25 Yoga Challenge:

Develop Your Personal Yoga Practice

Sweet! I did this unknowingly today after a wicked metabolic workout. Instead of calling it quits after my last round of burpees, I slid into a couple sun salutations and a few twists before taking a much needed shower. It wasn't a lengthy practice, nor was it expressly focused, but it felt good. Each time I step on the mat I find myself reaching further, getting a little bit deeper into the poses and stretches. I don't have any finite goals for my yoga like I do for training, but each time something clicks in a pose or I manage to get that more advanced move it feels like a small victory. I think I'm hooked :-)

Day 25 Training Mission:

Cook something. Your ultimate goal is to make one new, healthy meal per day. Start tonight.

We haven't made any new recipes lately, but I have a feeling this mission will grow into something more permanent once I get back from the BVIs. I might take on a cookbook challenge, or simply a task of trying a new recipe each week - a whole new round of blog posts!

Day 23 & 24

I seem to be slacking on these posts. Its becoming a bit of a problem I would like to remedy. The further behind I get, the less I want to post. Its that perfectionist thing I talked about way back. Still working to correct (or at least acknowledge) it. Things have been busy around here, but should quiet down shortly. Not much else to say today, I spent the whole day with my nose less than 2 feet from this screen - studying, so I would like very much to walk away from the glowing box for the night.

Day 23 Yoga Challenge:

Today's activity is a 15 minute meditation on forgiveness.

The idea is to take this as a step towards letting go of guilt and punishment. Things I think we would all benefit from moving past. I have not listened to the meditation yet, but will do so soon.

Day 24 Yoga Challenge:

What to do when your partner isn't a yogi

The Boy isn't really into yoga. I almost like that. Its my thing, and I'm doing it for me. He know's he's always welcome to sneak into a class, and he has in the past. We'll stretch post-workout and I'll show him some new ideas, which he tries. But other than that, yoga has been working as my escape from life in a sense - and I love it.

Day 23 Training Mission:

Learn the Abs Rule: The Abs Rule: Do you have a fully visible six pack? If the answer is yes then you may have a cheat meal once every few weeks. If the answer is no, then you can't.

Just the kick in the shins I needed to keep me on track. I've fallen off the training wagon, much to my own disappointment (and much of my own fault), and consequently my diet has gone with it. Simple, easy rules like this one - as ridiculous as it may seem - seem to work sometimes. So, for the sake of "why not" (and because its bikini time in T minus not enough days) I will give this a try. Cheat meals - defined as anything I know I shouldn't be eating. Its as simple as that.

Day 24 Training Mission:

Stick to the one above!!

I'm off to disconnect for 10 minutes, and to recite my mantra - something I haven't been doing nearly often enough.

Day 21 & 22

This journey has provided me with a lot more 'teachings' than I had anticipated. I think this may be why I have felt so inundated with thoughts, feelings and questions as of late. It will soon be time to sit back on this journey and reflect. I feel this has been a crash-course in self reflection and learning, and I will be left with an abundance of teachings on which I can look back on and learn from over time. Nitty gritty style again today... have to perfect this blogging system.

Day 21 Yoga Challenge:

Write down your principles. And remember they are yours, and you needn't explain or defend them to anyone. Refer to your Guiding Principles the next time you face an ethical dilemma or difficult decision.
This is not a goal-setting exercise. Rather it is meant to help you articulate to yourself a set of over-arching principles to guide your behavior and to support your decisions. You may choose a different name from "principles"...perhaps, "personal truths", "laws/rules of life", "personal/spiritual commandments", "code of conduct"...

Day 22 Yoga Challenge:

Identify how your physical body behaves when you are stressed. In my case my jaw tightens and moves over to the right and my right shoulder hunches up toward my ear.
1. Meditate on your stress areas by continuously relaxing those areas.
2. When you are in an acutely stressful situation, do your best to interrupt the madness by taking 2 seconds to notice your body and try to let go of the gripping

Day 21 Training Mission:

For this mission you're going to ponder. Specifically, you're going to ponder your consumption of alcohol.

Day 22 Training Mission:

My own for today: Train! And eat well.