Re-Post All About Gluten Free Candy

 With Halloween right around the corner, I'm re-posting this from last year.  I hope you find it helpful, I know I did!

 I know I'm late on the gluten-free candy list, what with it being November, and not Halloween anymore, but since my husband and I have been raiding our son's candy supply, I thought I'd share this information I just found.  I was surprised at some of these popular candies that are not gluten-free! (I found this list on about.com).  I know I've accidently ingested gluten because of some of these.  Now we know!

Nestle USA
Nestle USA considers "gluten-free" to mean "no gluten ingredients are in the product, whether directly added, or potentially present due to cross-contact. If a product label has an allergen advisory statement such as 'made on equipment' or 'facility that also processes wheat etc.,' we do not consider that product to be gluten-free. It is important to always read product labels/packaging for the most accurate information." Nestle will label potential gluten cross contamination, a customer service representative says.

According to Nestle, the following candies are gluten-free:
• Baby Ruth
• Bit-O-Honey
• Butterfinger Bar (original flavor only, NOT Crisp, Giant Bar, Snakerz, Medallions, Jingles, Hearts or Pumpkins)
• Milk Chocolate
• Goobers
• Nips (including both regular and sugar-free)
• Oh Henry!
• Raisinets (including Cranberry and Dark Chocolate flavors)
• Sno-Caps
• Wonka Pixy Stix
• Laffy Taffy (including Laffy Taffy Rope)
• Wonka Lik-M-Aid Fun Dip

The following Nestle candy products are NOT gluten-free:
• Butterfinger Crisp Bar
• Butterfinger Giant Bar
• Butterfinger Snackerz
• Butterfinger Medallions
• Butterfinger Jingles
• Butterfinger Hearts
• Butterfinger Pumpkins
• Wonka Nerds
• Sweetarts
• Wonka Bar (all flavors)
• Chewy Spree
• Wonka Gummies
• Wonka Kazoozles
• Everlasting Gobstopper
• 100 Grand Bar

In some of these products, the ingredients themselves are gluten-free, but the candies are processed in a facility that also processes gluten.
Contact Nestle USA at 800-225-2270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 800-225-2270 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
Mars Chocolate

Mars Chocolate makes M&M's, Dove, Snickers and other products. The company urges gluten-free consumers to check labels, even if a product normally is gluten-free; in busy times of year (such as Halloween), Mars uses alternative facilities to make its candy, and some of those may introduce cross-contamination risks. The company says it will label any gluten ingredients or cross-contamination.
Warning: At least some packages of two relatively new varieties of M&Ms — coconut and mint flavors — include the warning "May contain wheat" on their labels as of October 2012. Other varieties — including milk chocolate, dark chocolate, peanut and almond — don't contain that warning. In addition, I saw Mars several seasonal products, including M&Ms candy corn, that featured the "May contain wheat" warning. Always read the label before purchasing.

According to Mars Chocolate, the following candies are gluten-free:
• M&M's (all EXCEPT for pretzel-flavored M&M's)
• 3 Musketeers Bars (all flavors)
• Milky Way Midnight Bar
• Milky Way Caramel Bar
• Dove Chocolate products (all flavors EXCEPT for milk chocolate cinnamon graham/cookies and cream)
• Snickers Bars (all flavors)
• Munch Nut Bar (the customer service representative urges consumers to check the labels on this one)

The following Mars Chocolate products are NOT gluten-free:
• M&M Pretzel flavor
• Some packages of M&M Mint and M&M Coconut flavors
• Milky Way Bar (original)
• Mars Bar
• Mars Combos (a snack mix)

Contact Mars Chocolate at 800-627-7852 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 800-627-7852 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
Tootsie Roll Industries
Tootsie Roll Industries, which also makes Charms products, says that, as of October 2012, all of the companies confections are considered gluten-free with the exception of Andes cookies. "We do not use wheat, barley, rye, oats, triticale, spelt or any of their components and that includes our dusting on our conveyor belts. We do use corn and soy products in the manufacturing of our products."

According to Tootsie Rolls Industries, the following candies are gluten-free:
• Tootsie Rolls
• Fruit Rolls
• Frooties
• Dots
• Tropical Dots
• Crows
• Cella's Milk Chocolate Covered Cherries
• Cella's Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries
• Junior Mints
• Charleston Chew
• Junior Caramels
• Tootsie Pops
• Tootsie Peppermint Pops
• Caramel Apple Pops
• Fruit Smoothie Pops
• Tropical Stormz Pops
• Child's Play
• Charms Blow Pops
• Charms Super Blow Pops
• Charms Pops
• Zip-A-Dee-Mini Pops
• Fluffy Stuff Cotton Candy
• Sugar Daddy Pops
• Sugar Mama Caramels
• Charms Squares
• Charms Sour Balls
• Charms Candy Carnival
• Pops Galore
• Andes
• Sugar Babies

Contact Tootsie Roll Industries at 773-838-3400 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 773-838-3400 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
Smarties
Most of Smarties' line of products is considered gluten-free and vegan, according to the company. However, Smarties sells its products to different "re-baggers" as well as various retail outlets. Since a re-bagger buys products from many different companies and then places them in different packaging, only re-baggers can verify whether their manufacturing plants are free of gluten or other allergens. "If the UPC number on the packaging begins with '0 11206,' you can be assured that the product was packaged in one of our manufacturing facilities," which means it should be gluten-free," the company says. Smarties Gummies contain no gluten ingredients, but are manufactured in a facility that also processes wheat-containing products.
Contact Smarties through the company's website.
Hershey's

After several years of listing only a few products as gluten-free, Hershey's published a gluten-free list as of March 2012 that includes several more products, mainly Hershey's Kisses varieties. As of October 2012, the following list of Hershey's candies are gluten-free:

• Almond Joy (all)
• Mounds (all)
• Hershey's Kisses
• Hershey's Filled Chocolate Kisses
• Hershey's Nuggets
• Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar, only in the 1.55 oz. size
• Hershey's Milk Chocolate with Almonds Bar, only in the 1.45 oz. size
• Heath Bars
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (all except for seasonal shaped items)
• Skor
• Skor Toffee Bar
• York Peppermint Pattie (all)

The following Hershey's products are NOT gluten-free:
• Hershey's Special Dark Bar
• Hershey's Cookies 'N' Creme Bar
• Hershey's Air Delight
• Hershey's Milk Chocolate Drops
• Hershey's Miniatures
• Hershey's Nuggets
• Mr. Goodbar
• Symphony Bar
• Hershey's Extra Dark Chocolate

Hershey's says it will list any ingredients containing wheat, barley, rye, oats and malt on the label, and also will disclose shared equipment or shared facilities on the label. Hershey's gluten-free list includes baking chips and bars, cocoa products and syrup; you can access the list here.

Contact Hershey's at 800-468-1714 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 800-468-1714 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Wrigley

Wrigley makes chewing gum and other candy products (for more on gluten-free gum, see the link above). According to the company, "all U.S. Wrigley chewing gum and confection products have been assessed to be gluten-free with the exception of the products listed below, which contain ingredient(s) derived from wheat or are made on shared equipment that also processes products with wheat and may contain trace amounts of gluten." Here's the list of Wrigley products that do contain gluten:

• Altoids Chocolate Dipped Mints (made on equipment that also processes wheat)
• Altoids Smalls Peppermint Mints (contains wheat maltodextrin)
• Hubba Bubba Gummi Tape Candy (contains wheat flour and wheat fiber)
• Lucas and Swinkles Branded Candy Strips (contains wheat flour and wheat fiber)

Note that Wrigley makes Creme Savers, Lifesavers, Skittles and Starburst, which in the U.S. are free of any gluten sources, according to the company.
Contact Wrigley at (800) 974-4539 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (800) 974-4539 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Jelly Belly

Jelly Belly makes jelly beans in an ever-expanding array of colors and flavors. According to the company, "all Jelly Belly beans are gluten-free, dairy-free, gelatin-free, vegetarian and OU Kosher." This includes licorice-flavored gluten-free Jelly Belly jelly beans (in most cases, licorice candy contains wheat).
However, other Jelly Belly candies, including Chocolate Malt Balls, Chocolate Bridge Mix, Licorice Bridge Mix, Black Licorice Buttons and Licorice Pastels, are NOT gluten-free. In addition, seasonal mixes sold around the holidays contain the malt balls, and so are not gluten-free.
Contact Jelly Belly at 800-522-3267 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 800-522-3267 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Necco

Necco probably is best known for its small sugar Valentine heart candies – the pastel-colored ones that say "Be Mine" and "True Love" – but my daughter's candy stash often turns up a few Necco products every Halloween, as well.

According to Necco, the following products do not contain gluten from wheat, rye, oats or barley:
• Necco Wafers
• Necco Chocolate Wafers
• Candy House Candy Buttons
• Canada Mint, Wintergreen and Spearmint Lozenges
• Mary Jane
• Mary Jane Peanutbutter Kisses (available for Halloween only)
• Banana Splits Chews
• Mint Julep Chews
• Haviland Thin Mints, Wintergreen Patty, Nonpareils and Chocolate Stars
• Skybar
• Sweethearts Conversation Hearts (available for Valentine's Day only)

Contact Necco at 781-485-4800 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 781-485-4800 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Just Born

Peeps marshmallow treats, made by Just Born, used to appear only at Easter, but in recent years we've seen Halloween Peeps shaped like pumpkins and ghosts, Christmas Peeps in the shape of trees, and heart-shaped Peeps for Valentine's Day.

According to Just Born, as of October 2012 all the company's marshmallow candies that are safe from cross-contamination will state "gluten-free" on the package by the ingredients listing. The modified food starch used in the products is corn starch, according to the company. Just Born also makes Mike and Ike Candies.

According to Just Born, the following candies are gluten-free:
• Mike and Ike Berry Blast
• Mike and Ike Italian Ice
• Mike and Ike Jolly Joes
• Mike and Ike Lemonade Blends
• Mike and Ike Original Fruits
• Mike and Ike Redrageous
• Mike and Ike Tangy Twister
• Mike and Ike Tropical Typhoon
• Mike and Ike Zours
• Mike and Ike Jelly Beans
• Mike and Ike Hot Tamales
• Goldenberg's Vintage Peanut Chews

Ahoy Mateys! A Jake and the Neverland Pirates Party

My guy is obsessed with pirates, so when I asked what he wanted the theme of his 3rd birthday to be, I was not surprised when he said Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  With the help of Pinterest and my sister, Angela from the Mommy Stories, we had so much fun with this party.  Here's some of what did, as told through photos, all taken by Angela (thank you!!!)

A very special thank you to Jenni from Signed & Sealed who custom made the pirate ship Atticus banner!  She's amazing and you should definitely show her some love and check out her shop.

Also, my awesome cousin made the Atticus pirate shirt. She does amazing work, which you can check out on her business Facebook page. She makes custom towels, shirts and more!

I found the Jake supplies at Wal Mart for super cheap.  But also, check your local Facebook groups for a party swap, and you may be able to trade, or buy for cheap the supplies you are looking for.  I sold our leftover supplies before the party was even over!

Getting to Know Crooked By Design & Chronicles of a Knaptime Knitter

I'm so excited to share this blog post my amazing sister put together all about Crooked By Design and Chronicles of a Knaptime Knitter!  She has a great mommy blog, The Mommy Stories, featuring stories about her experience as a mom, as well as those from others.  I sure hope you'll show her some love!

Check out the special post here!

Pin Away!

Thanks to my incredibly handy husband, you can now Pin any post from Chronicles of a Knaptime Knitter by clicking the Pin It button on the photos.  I don't know about you, but I'm obsessed with Pinterest and I am challenging myself to actually try some of the things I Pin.  All those yummy crock pot recipes I'm constantly Pinning, I'm going to cook some! Knitting patterns and DIY crafts, I'm coming for you!

I'll be sure to post some pictures of my Pinspirations and if you'd like to follow my boards, there's a handy little button on the right over there on the side of this post.  Do you find you Pin more than you do?  Or are you ambitious and have many Pinterest projects completed? 

Turkey Pumpkin Chili Recipe

Hello, Friends! I apologize for my absence this past week or so.  Things have been very busy around here, as I'm sure you can relate to.  As we come into Fall, my favorite season of all, we are preparing for my husband to leave for Basic Training with the Army National Guard, and I've been cooking up a storm to spoil him with delicious meals before he ships out.  One of them, which I have had many recipe requests for, is this turkey pumpkin chili.  It's gluten free, perfect for fall, and oh-so-yummy.  This meal also freezes well, so you can either make it to freeze, or save any leftovers for a quick meal you can throw in the crock pot, or heat up stove top.

*I altered this recipe from a bunch of others I found, to make it the way I like it. Add what you like!

Here's what you'll need:
1 package of ground turkey (I usually use a little over a pound)
1/2 tsp olive oil (Saratoga Olive Oil is the absolute BEST)
1 small onion (chopped)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
2 bay leaves
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp  Adobe seasoning
1 can cannellini beans
14.5 oz can Italian style crushed tomatoes, or a can of regular diced tomatoes
15 oz can pumpkin (not pie mix, just plain pumpkin)
2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
cheese to top it with
sour cream or Greek yogurt to top it with

Here's what to do:
Brown the turkey, and then add all the seasonings.  Let them all cook with the turkey for a minute or so.  Add the olive oil, onion, and garlic and let cook for a few minutes until the onions start to get soft.  Add the beans, tomatoes, and pumpkin and stir well.  Add the chicken broth.  Cook on medium for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and then reduce heat to low, cover and let it simmer like this for about 45 minutes.  When done, add it to your favorite chili bowl, top with cheese and sour cream or Greek yogurt and enjoy!

FREE KNITTING PATTERN-Basic Men's Beanie

If you're looking for a basic men's beanie knitting pattern, good for beginners and worked up on two needles, you have come to the right place!  Feel free to sell what you make from this pattern, but please refer back to this post for pattern credit.  Please do not re-post this pattern without including a link to this original post.

This is my very first free pattern, so please bear with me as I work out any details which are unclear or need explanation.  Please comment if you find something that needs to be looked at.

What you'll need:
Size 10 needles
Medium weight worsted yarn *note that if you use a thicker yarn, adjust your needle size
Tapestry needle
Tape measure

Abbreviations:
K-Knit
P-Purl
K2TG-Knit 2 together

What to do:
CO 72 (this makes a large men's hat.  Reduce the number of CO stitches in multiples of 2 to customize the sizing)
2X2 ribbing for 5 rows, or about an inch or so (for a longer brim, knit more rows of ribbing):

Row 1: *K2, P2* (*repeat across)
Row 2: same as row 1

Once your ribbing is complete, you will begin the body of the hat:
Row 1: K each across
Row 2: P each across
Continue these two rows for approximately 8 1/2".  For a longer hat, or one with a folded brim, add a few inches to this. UPDATE: this makes it long enough for a fold over brim.  If you want it without that option, lessen this to about 7". 

Now, you will begin the decreases to form the crown.

Row 1: *K2TG, K2* repeat across
Row 2: P each across

You will continue this until there are 12 stitches left.  With a tapestry needle and a long tail, weave the needle through the 12 stitches, being careful not to forget any.  Remove the knitting needle and pull tight to close the hat.  Do not cut the tail, as we will be using this to seam up the side.

Fold the hat with right sides together, so the outside of the hat is on the outside and line up the edges. 

Now you are going to seam up the edge.  Insert the needle into both layers of the hat, pull tight (but not so tight that it makes the seam uneven), bring the yarn in front of the work, and into the next stitch in the seam.  There are a lot of great YouTube videos out there on how to seam up your knitting work.  The mattress stitch method is a bit more challenging, but makes an invisible seam. 

Once you finish your seaming, tie the seaming yarn to the original tail of the work and weave in the edges.  Turn your work so the right side is out.  Your seam will look something like this:

And guess what!? You're done! Congratulations on your newly knitted hat!

*the black one was made a little shorter in length

If you would like to purchase one of these hats, head on over to Crooked By Design and request one!

Washington County Fair 2013

It's here! The Washington County Fair opened last night and you don't want to miss all the fun.  We went last night for the opening, which began at 5pm.  The fair, which features lots of live animals, tractors, tons of food, rides, games and so much more, runs all week. 

 *yes, my son is a Ninja.  He was a racecar driver earlier in the day.  An Army guy the day before that.


Here's some general information about admission and pricing (from their website):

Gates Open at:

5 PM Monday
9 AM Tuesday - Sunday

Building Hours:

Tuesday - Saturday: 10:00 am to 10:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am to 9:00 pm
Rain or Shine

Carnival hours:
Mon.: 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm | Tues. - Sat.: Noon to 11:00 pm
Sun.: Noon to 9:00 pm (Weather permitting for your safety)

Sorry! NO pets allowed at the Fair

Admission:

General Admission...........$10.00
(Purchase before Aug. 1….$9.00)
(does not include carnival rides)
Under age 14....................FREE
Parking............................FREE
All Week Ticket ...............$30.00
(Purchase before Aug. 1….$27.00)
Senior Citizen Day....$5.00
(62 or older) Wednesday ONLY

They do offer a military discount for active military so bring your id!

Now, one thing I wish I had done before heading to the fair with an excited almost three year old, was to check out the tickets for the rides and see if there were any discounts.  Let me tell you, I would have saved a bundle because the rides were very expensive.

 

This boat ride, for example, cost three tickets and tickets were $1 a pop.  The Ferris wheel took five tickets per person, so for my husband to take our son on for a ride it set us back $10.  This was outrageous to me.  Maybe I'm just not used to NY state fairs, but this would quickly get expensive for a larger family.  Unfortunately I found out too late that if the tickets were purchased before August 18,  a discount is given and you can get a sheet of 20 tickets for $8.  I guess this is a great lesson for next year.  So beware, fellow fair goers, you will have a very thin wallet by the time you leave the ride section.  But really, his face on this $3 circle was priceless.

There are a couple ways to still save, however!

Carnival Fun Day-this is today, August 20, 2013, and you can ride all the rides for $20 from noon to 11pm.

Children's Day-go to the fair on Thursday and kid's high school aged and under get in for free and rides are one less ticket per go.  

Family Fun Day-go on Sunday and you can enjoy all the rides for $20 from noon to 9pm. 

*I am not certain if this is per child, or per family, so I would ask the ticket booth attendant. 

 

 The highlight of the fair for us was all the animals, especially these little ducks which you are able to hold. 

 

There were also tons of cows, horses, chickens, roosters, sheep, more pigs and some I'm sure I missed.  My son was delighted over the animals. Next up, was the tractors.

This last one was especially exciting for my guy since it was an Army truck brought by the National Guard.  My husband is leaving for basic training with the Guard soon, so my son has become obsessed with all things Army!

Now for the food.  As any gluten-free-ers know, going to a fair is a little depressing.  Seeing everyone enjoying those corn dogs, like my husband here:

 

And the fried dough! What would I give for some fried dough.  But there was a french-fry-heating-light at the end of the tunnel.  After searching and praying and hoping, I found a stand with gluten free fries!  Full disclosure, as far as I could tell, they were all set.  I am very sensitive and I had them no problem.  I asked, and they are exclusively french fries, made from fresh cut potatoes and nothing else goes in the fryer.  (There was no official "gluten free" sign).  Skip the malt vinegar, of course, and I wouldn't trust the cheese sauce, but boy oh boy were they delicious.  Look for this cart if you are looking for them:

 

For all you non-gluten-free-ers, there is so much to enjoy in the food department.  Seriously, I am eternally envious.  My guy loved the cotton candy and indulged in his first chocolate milkshake.  

By the time we left, this was pretty much the face on my sugar crazed kid:

 

Are you planning a trip to the fair? What's your favorite part?