What Are the Odds?!

Back in September the Nourished Festival had their first ever virtual festival to help us all get through 2020 with a smile. Not only was I psyched to be a part of their Blogger Team and find out about so many amazing new products but the deals and discounts were equally amazing. One such product that caught my eye was Odd Bagel. For years, I have been on the hunt for an amazing, gluten free bagel that (I feel) is considered to be a good replacement for a typical New York style bagel. Because honestly, there are a lot of gluten free bagels out there but I am very freaking picky. Growing up in New Jersey, bagels are life (pre-me going gluten free)! Gluten free bagels.... well..... from what I have tasted, they range between being too dense to dry to tasting more like toast vs. bagel and some are just downright bad. As you can see, I do not sugarcoat anything. There is no reason- life is too short to eat bad food, even gluten free food.

So let's talk about Odd Bagel They offer six types of bagels- Plain, Sesame, Poppy, Onion, Everything and Cinnamon Raisin. They also offer free USPS shipping for any two packs or more that you purchase (bonus!) and at the time of the event, they had a special promo code that gave me even more of a discount (super yay!). I placed my order for four of the six bagels and I waited patiently. But can I also mention that they were delivered super fast?! Upon first glance and removing the packages, I was like "Ohhhh nooo! They feel so heavy! They are gonna be just like other gluten free bagels!" NutriDaughter had the same feeling and we both stared at them in disappointment. But I snapped out of it, realizing that I had to try them out and see for myself. Odd Bagel is certified gluten free, Non GMO, are Vegan, Kosher Pareve and do not contain wheat, egg, dairy/milk, peanuts, tree nuts, soy or fish/shellfish. They are also free of corn, potato, psyllium, cellulose, chickpea, sorghum and pea protein. I do want to be transparant and mention that they operate in a facility with shared equipment that contains allergens so, as always, do what you feel is best for your safety and feel free to contact them at info@oddbagel.com for more details. 

Sesame 

(...am I the only weirdo picturing the Bugs Bunny cartoon when he says "Open the door sez me? Don't answer that) Lots of sesame seeds which is what I like! I want to lick off sesame seeds as I am devouring and this bagel delivered on that. These bagels do seem dense as you cut into them and mine seemed almost a tad undercooked, like a bit doughy? But toasted... oh my! Crunchy on the outside but tender on the inside. And NOT TOAST- BAGEL ALL THE WAY! If my eyes were closed, I would swear I was eating a New Jersey Style bagel! I was going to start out with a half but like I said, life is too short so yes, I carbed out and it was worth it. If I die eating bagels, at least I am happy.

Plain 

Normally not my go to bagel but I had to try all of what I ordered. Same as above (minus the sesame

seeds, of course) with a slight crusty, crunch on the outside. I slathered this one with cream cheese and away I went, noshing and all full of bagel and cream cheese on my face, in my fingers, in my belly. Definitely sandwich-worthy as well. I definitely recommend this for all toppings, both inside and outside of the box. The bagel food world is yours- top it and eat it.

Everything My initial fear with any Everything bagel is that I as good as it may taste, I will be permeating onion and garlic for days afterwards (now my brain is going to the Spongebob episode with Sundays and onions... sorry, my brain). Upon opening the bag, the Odd Bagel Everything smelled AHmazing! Then, my inner fear kicked in... I had to work that day. I had to be around customers. I didn't want to be stinky. I took the plunge and devoured it. I am happy to report that although my kitchen smelled a teeny bit, I remained relatively non-garlic/oniony. And now, my mouth is watering and I want another one.

Cinnamon Raisin 

This is the variety that NutriDaughter makes a face at me, as if I am old. Not sure why she feels anything raisin equals being old but it's ok because more for me. A good amount of raisins- not too many (overload does kill the taste enjoyment, in my opinion) and the smell of them toasting in my kitchen was just so very comforting and homey. I cook and bake a lot so when I find products that let me just eat and not have to cook, I am SOOOO happy. These are definitely the ultimate bagel for the cooler, crisp weather with a good cup of whatever warms your cup up.

My only request 

Dear Odd Bagels,

I love you. I appreciate you and am so grateful to have you in my life now. But can we talk about the whole size while popping up in the toaster issue?  And I know, like let me hand you the world's tiniest violin. But burning your fingertips while trying to get your bagels out of the toaster in excitement is not fun. And now that I am typing this, I am also realizing that making the bagels larger would also mean having to make the bags larger, redoing everything and why... for a pesky blogger who is whining about a bagel she will still eat if it stays the same size. 

Thanks for understanding. All of my love and appetite-

Nutrimom

Side Note I successfully froze them- I sliced them, placed parchment between the halves/pieces and simply either thawed or microwaved for 10-15 seconds before toasting. Same taste, same consistency!

Where can YOU get Odd Bagels?

Be sure to check their locations page! Visit them at OddBagel.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and shop online. As always, never a fee for products as my opinions are my own.