I swear, the Minnesota weather is just so shocking—it’s actually sunny and warm at the same time—this never happens! I hope the sun is shining wherever you are—I know the East Coast has been having some pretty drab weather, so hopefully this’ll blow your way! I have been enjoying the bounty of fresh summertime fruit, and now I am going to be sad when winter comes and the prices sky rocket once again! I’m still doing the last of the unpacking this weekend, but next week I hope to be up and baking in my kitchen! I have some awesome recipes that use fresh fruit for you guys, so thanks for hanging in there!
Recently Brandi from Bran Appetit featured some Healthy Brownies made from scratch that look great! Unfortunately I haven’t fully stocked my pantry yet, so I had to turn to a boxed mix to get my brownie fix. Of course I didn’t go straight for one filled with icky addictives, etc. I tried out the No Pudge Fudge Brownie Mix which I had been eyeing up for quite some time now. I wasn’t sure how they’d turn out seeming how they are fat free, and brownies without fat do not always taste like a real brownie. A little about these:
No Pudge! FAT FREE Original Fudge Brownie Mix first appeared on the shelves of a few New Hampshire stores in August of 1995. Since then we have grown to the point where we have distribution in thousands of grocery and natural food stores across the country. We continue to work hard to expand that distribution so that one of these days, our mixes will be available to everyone right in their local store. Until then, our mail order business makes sure that anyone who wants No Pudge! can get it.
If your not a plain fudge-flavored fan, you can get their cappuccino flavored, raspberry fudge, or mint. All you do is add yogurt and a little vanilla extract if you choose and your on your way to a heavenly plate of brownies! You bake em’ in a 8 x 8 pan, and for 1/12th of the package—only 120 calories and no fat!
My thoughts: These were beyond good! I had heard previous raves about these, but didn’t know if they could be really all that good tasting. The texture, taste, even down to the heavenly aroma that filled my kitchen. It brought me back to the days when mom would have Betty Crocker brownies waiting for me when I’d get home from school. But, now a healthier alternative—it really couldn’t get any better! =) So please, if you see these anytime, anywhere, get a box stat!
Of course you need something to wash these thick and chewy brownies down with—how about trying this?
I recently decided to give MetroMint’s CherryMint water a try. They were on sale, so I figured now or never! Plus I have recently been on a extreme cherry kick! But minty water? I wasn’t so sure. Good thing I like to take risks occasionally—it was like nothing I have ever tasted. It’s actually one of those things where you should just try it, because me trying to describe it may be kind of loopy. It’s like a stick of minty gum that leaves your mouth feeling refreshed, yet there is a surprisingly strong hint of cherry flavoring that follows. Not artificial tasting at all! And the ingredients list is sure dandy too: purified water, mint, cherry essence. A great no-cal refresher for the hot summer days!
And if those brownies didn’t seem to quiet your chocolate craving, or maybe you can’t find em’ in the first place(although you can order online)—you can always count on some kind of snack bar to be at your beck and call. Recently I received a box of Lemur Peanut Choco Drizzle Crispy Rice Bars to try from the lovely folks at Nature's Path. Immediately I noticed the slew of good for you things about it—Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Whole Grain, Wheat Free, No Trans Fat, and only 8 g of sugar!
My chew review: This tasted like a clone of a Rice Krispy Bar with peanut butter and chocolate to add an extra yum factor! Good thing I got a whole bunch of these, because they truly are super—just be careful you don’t leave em’ in your hot car like I did—they melt! Oops! And isn’t that little lemur just the cutest?
What’s your new or old favorite summer sweet treat?
4 comments:
yum yum yum i LOVE those no pudge brownies -- especially because you can make a single serving... which is good for me because otherwise i may eat the whole pan :) those crispy bars are awesome too.. you definitely were craving chocolate today, i see :) thatta girl!
Lovin how low cal those brownies are! They look delicious :)
My favorite summer treat has to be dried fruit--as weird as that is lol. <3
No Pudge brownies are GREAT! There's a recipe in the first Hungry Girl cookbook that uses the mix for some really good muffins!
your reviews are always the best! thanks girl everything looks awesome and im glad to hear that the weather is good and the moving in is almost complete!
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