Product Review: Mi & Stu

I recently had the opportunity to sample some gluten-free treats from Mi & Stu. If you reside outside of Quebec, you may not be familiar with this cool little bakery. I think it's time for that to change, don't you? Mi & Stu is located in LaSalle, Quebec and run by the lovely Mimi and Stephanie. You can find their products in select grocery stores, restaurants and on major International Airlines such as Air France, Lufthansa, KLM, Qatar. It's comforting to know that safe gluten-free food is available when traveling by air.

Mi & Stu is more than just gluten-free. They also avoid using nuts, casein, and whey in their products. This allows those with one or more dietary restrictions to enjoy the products.

Quick Guide To Canada's Gluten-Free Tax Credit

Did you know that in Canada, there is a slight tax break available for those who need to consume gluten-free food? The Canadian Revenue Agency allows a tax deduction for the purchase of gluten-free goods. This is really helpful as we all know how ridiculously expensive the gluten-free diet can be.

Who Qualifies

• You must be diagnosed with Celiac disease and requiring a gluten-free diet by an authorized medical practitioner 
• You need to have a note from your physician on his or her letterhead, confirming diagnosis 
• Total medical expense must exceed 3% of net income

How It Works

There is a fair bit of effort involved

• Keep receipts for gluten-free items purchased throughout the year
• You will need to calculate the incremental difference between GF and non-GF items on an item by item basis
• This is done by subtracting the cost of a non-GF item from a GF item

Example per Canada Revenue Agency website

1. Item: bread
2. Number of items purchased: 52
3. Average cost of non-GF product: $3.49
4. Average cost of GF product: $6.99
5. Incremental cost (line 4 minus line 3): $6.99 - $3.49 = $3.50
6. Amount to claim (line 5 multiplied by line 2): $3.50 x 52 = $182.00

 

Tips

•  Highlight the gluten-free items on your receipts or keep gluten-free purchase separate from non-GF purchases
• Keep your receipts organized in a folder and away from the sun
• Use a spreadsheet to itemize and calculate
• If you add to your spreadsheet with every gluten-free grocery shop, you will save time and avoid a headache
• Save a copy of the spreadsheet for your records
• Be patient

Product Review & Contest: Inspired by Happiness Gluten Free Cakes

Cake is almost always part of an important, celebration - birthdays, weddings, graduations, holidays and the like, cake is there. Sometimes even just because. 

For someone with Celiac, this can be synonymous with being left out.That doesn't have to be the case thanks to Inspired by Happiness and their gluten-free line of cakes! These cakes are certified gluten-free by the Canadian Celiac Association's Gluten-Free Certification Program. That extra level of trust makes my heart happy.

Inspired by Happiness uses only the highest quality ingredients

Natural flavours

No artificial colours

No artificial trans fat

Kosher

I sampled the two cakes below

Cravin' for Cookies & Cream Layered Cake

This cake is for those who want to indulge in an old-time favourite. It's covered with a dark chocolate ganache and swirls of white chocolate. The layers of melt-in-your-mouth light shortcake, cookies and a silky vanilla cream mousse will leave you wanting more.

Dreamin' of Chocolate Dark & White Chocolate Layer Cake

This cake was designed with those who love chocolate in mind. Belgian white chocolate mousse is layered between dark chocolate sponge cake and topped off with a chocolate ganache. 

As someone who has indulged in her fair share of gluten-free cakes, I can happily say that Inspired by Happiness knows how to make great gluten-free cakes! You will be pleasntly impressed with how light and moist the cakes are. With just the right amount of sweetness, they avoid being overly rich. Even the gluten eaters in my family were left wanting more. 

You can connect with Inspired by Happiness on social media through 

Facebook, Twitter and Google+

*I received complimentary product for review purposes. All opinions are my own*

You can find Inspired by Happiness cakes at select locations below:

Want to try these cakes? Inspired by Happiness was kind enough to send me some coupons to give away!

One Winner will receive FIVE free product coupons for one package of  Inspired by Happiness gluten-free cake.

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