A Good Find + A Not-So-Good Find!

Hey friends!

I just finished my last day of the semester yesterday! I can hardly believe it. One year of college under my belt before I even turn 18! Speaking of 18, I will be turning into the big “adult” in 11 days—wow! Now just 2 finals left(Friday&Monday), and I will be hittin’ the highway home Wednesday.

BTW, there is still tons of Good for You Goodies scheduled to be featured, but most of them have been delivered to my real home, so once I get there I will again begin chowing down to chew review for you! If you haven’t looked at all the previous post for the on-going feature you can always click on the Good for You Goodies tab on the right--->

So I typically love eating yogurt, although I tend to somewhat float away from it in the winter months. I think it’s in part because it’s cold out and who wants something cold when you can eat soup to warm your soul?! And because I eat so much of it during the summer months as dips, with fruit, etc. that I think I over-do it and get kind of sick of it. But that’s okay with me, because for now there is so many new yogurt flavors that are yummy-sounding and good for you too! Thing is, are they really “delicious” and “creamy” and “irresistible” like they claim. I took on 2 for the test. One is my new fav and the other, well let’s just say it left me feeling like Sherlock Holmes in some odd mystery. Read on..

• Wal-Mart, oh how I love thee. Yes, they don’t always have the best produce selection (has anyone else noticed their bananas are always extremely green?!), but since I have been living in a town with a Wal-Mart I have kept track of my grocery savings and I’m happy to report it is a significant savings! Not only do I love a lot of their Great Value products, but they are the same (ingredients wise) as name brand products but can save you sometimes over a buck or more! Anyway, I decided to put their yogurt up to the test because ever since my old standby of Dannon Light&Fit did something with their new formula, I no longer like the runny stuff. Wal-Mart’s Great Value yogurt has light options and regular and they come in pretty good sounding flavors! And for .40 for a 6 oz. container, it even beat all the other name brand yogurts in price by about .10!(And most of the other ones were even on sale) I have found a new favorite yogurt and definitely wanted to share. Please let me introduce..

Great Value Light Banana Cream Pie

It’s creamy, it’s dreamy and OH so full of a real tasting banana flavor! No hints of artificialness here. It goes soo great with anything PB too! I actually topped a open-faced PB sandwich with a couple of dollops of this and it worked like a charm. It’s not runny so it didn’t make it soggy. Plus the taste is definitely not too tangy for me and not overly sweet. Just right! I have a whole buncha banana lovin’ in my fridge…you should too!

This next one was not so good & if it were to be on a show I would throw tomatoes at it!

 

 

• Yoplait Thick and Creamy Cinnamon Roll

• This one left me scratching my head—literally. First off, I’m not against Yoplait in any way..and this yogurt’s name had me drooling. A cinnamon roll in a creamy form? Could it be? Sorry folks, no it can’t. I was like Sherlock Holmes trying to solve the mystery of how someone could possibly think this equates to a cinnamon roll. Has anyone else had this experience or what? And I ended up adding my OWN cinnamon to make up for the no cinnamon flavor at all. Despite that fact, I did love the thick and creamy consistency, so I may possibly try another flavor in the thick and creamy line in the future.

Have a wonderful night Bloggies!

What’s your all time favorite yogurt?

It’s Spring Cleaning Time Again!

Hola and happy hump day!It’s hard to believe it’s this time of the year again! Time to whip open windows, start the spring cleaning, and get the BBQ dusted off and ready to fire up! I can almost smell the fragrant summer air now! =) Today I thought I’d do a little post on spring cleaning your kitchen since I(and many others I’m sure)usually end up having overflowing cupboards and pantries with who knows what stuffed behind your newest purchases. While it’s great to have a variety going for your kitchen, it can also be a big money waster because you didn’t know you had 5 jars of pasta sauce, so you went out and bought 5 more—and the next thing you know, the first 5 become expired and sure enough some of your hard earned money goes into the garbage. It’s also a great idea to just take random inventory or even a quick look through what you have because it might inspire dinner for the night! My biggest problem is our jumbo freezer in the garage. It get’s so piled up with things that when you finally get the chance to dig to the bottom, you kind of wish you didn’t! Can anyone relate?! Anyway, I picked a few items that people usually have stocked up, and if you’re like me, you have a lot of something and your looking for ways to get rid of it albeit a meal! Bon appétit & happy Spring!

10 Things to do With That Jar of Pasta Sauce

• Zesty Chip Dip—Combine equal parts sour cream(reg or light) and pasta sauce in a bowl; stir in grated Parmesan cheese, ground pepper and oregano.
• Quick Ratatouille—Sauté chopped bell peppers, zucchini, onion, eggplant and garlic in olive oil. Add 2 parts pasta sauce to 1 part water and some fresh basil; simmer until vegetables are tender.
• African Stew—Sauté chopped onion, garlic and ginger with curry powder; add 1 jar pasta sauce, 2 cups water, 1 can white beans and a diced sweet potato; simmer until tender. Stir in 1/4 cup of peanut butter.
• Buffalo Wings—Lightly coat chicken wings with equal parts pasta sauce and hot sauce; roast at 425 F for 40 minutes.
• Pizza Potatoes—Make a deep slit in baked potatoes, then stuff with some pasta sauce, chopped pepperoni or meatless pepperoni, soy crumbles, etc. and shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400 F until cheese melts.
• Baked Beans—Simmer 1 cup with pasta sauce with 1/4 cup honey mustard, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1 large can white beans until bubbly.
• Sweet&Sour Franks—Brings 4 cups thinly sliced onions, 1 cup pasta sauce, 1/2 cup water and 2 Tbsp brown sugar to a boil; cover and simmer 40 minutes. Serve on hot dogs or turkey dogs!
• Italian Quesadilla—Spread some pasta sauce on a tortilla or pita bread; top with grated mozzarella cheese, sliced mushrooms and shredded chicken; fold in half and pan-fry until golden.
• Sloppy Joes—Brown bulk Italian sausage,chicken sausage, or soy sausage, chopped onions, and bell peppers; stir in pasta sauce&heat; spoon onto whole wheat rolls.
• Eggplant Rolls—Grill or broil thinly sliced eggplant until tender. Spread with pasta sauce and ricotta cheese; roll up and secure with toothpicks.

So you have a lot of..Jarred Roasted Red Bell Peppers

• Puree with garlic, nuts, olive oil and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for roasted red pepper pesto.
• Toss in pasta, rice, or omelets for an added pizzazz.
• Put on pizza, focaccia, or a grilled Panini.

So you have lots of..Packets of Italian Dressing Mix

Combine with balsamic vinegar or EVOO, then..

• Toss with cold rice, garbanzo beans and chopped red bell peppers for a refreshing rice salad.
• Use as a marinade for chicken breasts.
• Toss with couscous, shredded rotisserie chicken, green onions and fresh spinach.

So you have a lot of…Frozen Butternut Squash

• Toss with short pasta, sausage and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
• Add to risotto.
• Puree or mash with aged Cheddar cheese for a great alternative to mashed potatoes.

So you have a lot of..Frozen Tortellini

• Cook, then sauté until browned and crunchy and toss with a green salad.
• Toss with beans and dressing for a pasta salad.
• Add to chicken broth with some fresh or frozen vegetables for a quick soup.
• Combine with sautéed garlic, fire-roasted tomatoes and basil.

Or if your spring cleaning leaves you too tired to cook, have someone else do it for you and head on over to KFC—have you heard about their new Kentucky Grilled Chicken?! The chicken has between 60-180 calories and 3-9 grams of fat per piece. That’s a substantial savings from the Original Recipe chicken which clocks in at 130-160 calories per piece with 8-24 grams of fat. Click here to find out more!

Good for You Goodies: Brothers All Natural

Happy Monday evening all! Not really sure what good ol’ mother nature is going to dole out for us this week in northern MN as far as weather goes, but check out the glorious pics from the end of last week when we had high’s near 70!

                           Random shot of campus

                                (My home above!)

I hope wherever you are, you either had sunshine in the sky, or if not, you did something fun and/or relaxing inside!! I have 2 more assignments left for this week(which is the last week of the semester, not counting finals week)! So needless to say I am getting very antsy to get home and start cooking for everyone(and me!). I didn’t know it was possible to get sick of micro-waved food. Dorm people, can you relate?! Eek! Anyhow, at least I have a dorm that is still stocked up with goodies. I can’t be stingy, I have to share this find with you!

The Good for You Goodie: Variety of Dried Fruit

The Company: Brothers All Natural

The Chew Review: Okay, so by now I’m sure all my readers know I am a die hard fan for dried fruit. It’s convenient on the run, a great crunchy(but healthy!)snack, blah, blah, blah. I have already featured numerous dried fruit companies and varieties in the ongoing Good for You Goodies segment, but this was one that I had tried previously to receiving samples. My local Wal-Mart carried only the apple and pear crisps in the cute Disney themed bags. So one day I shot on over to the Brothers All Natural website and was excited to find that their line includes more than what was available to me. This was a story with a happy ending—the great peeps over at Brothers All Natural kindly agreed to donate a box of different flavors for me to chew and review! Clearly they were confident I would welcome other flavors in their line, and clearly they were right! =) A little about the company:

“We sourced fresh fruit and freeze-dried it into thin chip-like "crisps". As for our potato crisp, it took us four years of experimenting, trial and error to come up with what we think is the perfect potato chip. The crisps contain no fat, no preservatives, and are very low in calories. Additionally, many consumers are concerned about common food allergens, which is why Crisps are processed at a facility that does not manufacture any products containing nuts, dairy, soy or wheat.”

Pineapple Dried Fruit Crisps

This was by far my favorite! It made a great addition to vanilla yogurt for a great tropical treat! These were decent sized chunks and not too sweet or too bland—but rather a perfect pineapple in portable form! Check out nutrition stats here!

Strawberry Banana Fruit Crisps

Anything strawberry banana flavored is a welcomed snack in my book. Instead of taking time to peel a banana and wash/cut strawberries(hey when your on the run to class any time saved is valuable!), now I can just rip open a pouch of these and I’m good to go! Did I mention these are great as well?! Nutrition stats here!

They also included the Fuji Apple Crisps which are the ones I had previously tried—best dried apple crisp out there folks, no joke! I also sampled the Asian Pear Crisps, and they were good also even though I am not a fan of pears in the first place—they were still pleasant.

So overall, I had a overall awesome chew with the Brothers All Natural products. If you didn’t know about em’ before this post, be glad you now know! You can head on over to their website and build a 24-pack variety box for just $21.99 & free shipping! They also have White&Yellow Peach crisps as well as the world’s first natural fat free potato chip!

See ya sometime later in the week!

Good for You Goodies: Just Tomatoes, ETC!

Buenos Dias everyone! No I am not Spanish, just being a bit creative in the greetings today. The sunshine and almost 80 degree weather is sure to spark creativity in anyone who has been trapped in a brutal Minnesota winter for months on end. Eek!

If your a new reader to the blog, just wanted to say hello and thanks for stopping by! If you haven’t been following for long, I am doing an on-going feature called “Good for You Goodies” which features products companies have so generously donated for me to review. Of course they are not just any product, they are good, good for you, and the company is dedicated to promoting some form of nutritious and delicious foods. I was doing post everyday, but like I said with the end of the semester crunch, they will only pop up occasionally for now! So keep on checkin’ back—I know you will =)

The Good for You Goodie: Dried fruits, dried, veggies, fruit powder, and some HUGE raisins!

The Company: Just Tomatoes, Etc.!

The Chew Review: Upon receiving this box, I was thrilled with how they packed it up! Remember, I am extremely detail oriented, so bear with me! Check out the stash the wonderful peeps sent me!

 

It consisted of several different snacky snacks for me to chew and review—all which I was very excited about, being a dried food fan and all. First a little about Just Tomatoes, Etc.!--->

“Welcome to Just Tomatoes, ETC.! where our fruits and veggies are ‘always in season’. We Do Not Fool with Mother Nature...

Our products are exactly what they say they are — absolutely nothing has been added!

No Salt, No Sulfur, No Fat, No Sweeteners, No Preservatives It’s the next best thing to eating out of your garden.

Our sliced dried tomatoes were our first product when we started our business 15 years ago. Our tomatoes are grown on our family farm in the fertile central valley of California. Many of our products come from neighboring farms.

Our Process
Just Tomatoes, ETC.! dehydrated fruits and vegetables are vine-ripened (or tree-ripened), hand-picked at peak condition, washed, cut and then placed in specially designed dehydrators and dried at low temperatures to preserve color, flavor and nutrients. Both dehydrated and freeze-dried products are an excellent source of nutrition.

This line of unique dried fruits and vegetables have been carefully selected and combined for your ultimate enjoyment... as great snacks and terrific ingredients for culinary treats.”

I say cheers to that! Here’s what I thought.

I love raisins but unfortunately always forget to buy them. When I saw these, and their jumbo size I knew it was love at first site. Amazing, chewy, and so fresh tasting!(Is a raisin considered fresh? Hmm..) Definitely much better than your standard everyday raisin you’d buy at say Wal-Mart.

Just Raisins

Serving Size: 1 oz.
Servings Per Container: 10
Product Size: 10 oz. tub

Calories: 130
Total Fat: 0g
Sodium: 0mg
Total Carbohydrate: 34g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 32g
Protein: 1g
Iron: 4%

Only $4.50 for a 10 oz. tub. Get yours now people!

How fun are the cartoons on their packaging?! It makes eating your fruits and veggies 10 times more fun! In this case, it’s veggies—Just Veggies to be exact. I also like how everything comes in a see through package so you can get an idea of what it looks like before you even open it. For me, I think I would prefer eating fresh vegetables much better than this. Sure its good for on the go and if you don’t have time to chop and wash veggies one day or something. There wasn’t a whole lot of flavor compared to their dried fruit. But they do give ideas on their website for other ways it can be used other than eating it straight up—topping baked potatoes, soups, etc. so I might try that out and see how it works instead. BTW, this mix is made up of carrots, corn, peas, bell peppers and tomatoes.

Just Veggies

Serving Size: 1 oz.
Servings Per Container: 4
Product Size: 4 oz. tub

Calories: 100
Fat Calories: 10
Total Fat: 1g
Sodium: 40mg
Total Carbohydrate: 21g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 10g
Protein: 4g
Vitamin A: 210%
Vitamin C: 60%
Calcium: 4%
Iron: 8%

$4.50 for a 4 oz tub(All their products come in various sizes)

Just Fruit Munchies was a great snack to munch! I brought it along in my lunchbox and I’m pretty sure everyone was envious. What sets these apart from standard dry fruit is there’s a mixture, and just overall great crunch and flavor! It is a combination of apples, raisins, sour cherries, blueberries, mango, pineapple and raspberries. A sweet-tart combo to entertain the taste buds.

Just Fruit Munchies

Serving Size: 1 oz.
Servings Per Container: 3
Product Size: 3 oz. tub

Calories: 100
Total Fat: 0g
Sodium: 60mg
Total Carbohydrate: 26g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 14g
Protein: 1g
Vitamin A: 10%
Vitamin C: 10%
Calcium: 2%
Iron: 6%

A 3 oz tub will cost you $6.70

I also received Just Pineapple, Just Strawberries, and Just Strawberries and Bananas. These were all a really great addition to my ever-growing dried fruit collection! They also slipped in a bag of their Raspberry Powder. I haven’t tried it yet because I am making sure I come up with a great way to use it first. Here’s a little info on it—Powdered raspberries and nothing else added. Stir our raspberry powder into hot chocolate; sprinkle over ice cream; stir into plain yogurt, peanut or almond butter instead of jam. Sprinkle any of the powders that sound good and are colorful over fresh cut up fruit, bake with them, make intense sauces, frostings or dressings. What do you think I should use it in? Any good ideas? Have a awesome day everyone!

Kitchen Favorites and New Finds

Hello blog friends! Wow it feels so weird not blogging every single day—it became such a routine for the past 5 or so months. I cannot wait for this semester to be over in 2 weeks so blogging can become a daily occurrence again. I barely have time to keep up with all my blog reading, which I consider a must in my day just because I love the variety of people, topics, etc. Anyway I plan on baking up an awesome surprise this weekend because I am going to finish the last 2 papers of the semester this week so I will have ample time to for some R&R on the weekend and of course like I said, bake this recipe I have been dying to try out!

Today I decided to whip together something fun. I was packing up a lot of my kitchen stuff today to make its way back to my real home, and I kept out a few things—one being a favorite of mine! So I thought it would be fun to see what your favorite kitchen item is—whether it is something practical, or something that makes you feel like a kid again—like mine! If you want to shoot me over a picture or even just tell me about it in the comment section, I’d love to hear! Without further ado, here is mine--

Call me crazy, but I absolutely am in love with SpongeBob. I have been since he burst into the scene in 1999 when I was 7, and I have a feeling we’ll be pals for a long time. He’s a guy who has me wishing Sponge guys really existed because he is always so cheerful! And plus have you seen him whip up a mean Krabby Patty? Wow! I might even have to bend my vegetarian ways if SpongeBob offered me one of those! Anyway, this is a TV tray, so not a typical kitchen “tool” but I love to display it or eat on it when I want to watch some TV. Other kitchen favorites of mine include my Kitchen Aid Mixer, my whole round up of pink kitchen things (you can see them in the header of my blog), my Food Network rolling pins, my pizzele press and basically anything that can make my cooking experience fun and easy! 

Besides that, I recently got a new catalog called Kitchen Krafts. I wanted to share some goodies I have my eye on and that I may potentially buy in the near future. Check, check, check em’ out—>

Rolling Pin & Rings Set

Price: $19.95

“The ultimate in ease and control is provided with this simple rolling pin design. Roll and direct with slightly arched palms. No-handle design reduces strain often caused by grasping. Preferred by many professional bakers for its large working length and ease of maintenance. Solid wood, 18" x 1-1/2" diameter pin. Use roller rings to roll your dough to a uniform thickness. Rubber rings slip onto any standard size rolling pin. Four sets of rings provide 1/16", 1/8", 1/4" or 3/8" thickness.”

 Self-Level Spoons

Price: $12.95

“Easily measure and level ingredients with a quick slide of your thumb. Scoop the ingredients, then slide the lever over the top to level the ingredients, and add to your food . It keeps fingers and food clean. Set of 4 spoons includes: 1 Tbsp., 1 tsp., 1/2 tsp., 1/4 tsp. Dishwasher safe.”

 Silicone Pastry Mat

Price: $29.95

“Use it as a working surface to roll or knead dough - it will stay put on your counter or table and not move around while in use. And since nothing sticks to the silicone, the mat works great for rolling out pie crust, pastry dough, cookies, biscuits, and pizza dough. Mat is 19” x 25-1/2” and preprinted with imperial and metric measurement, line and circle guides. FDA approved. Easy-to-clean up, just wash with hot soapy water.”

 Cupcake Bouquet Kit

Price: $10.95

“

Cupcakes seem to be blooming in all sorts of places - bakeries, delis, baby showers and even weddings! Now you can have cupcakes blooming on your counter or table. Create a delightful bouquet of 6 cupcakes to set on the table, serve to guests, or give as a gift. Enjoy the sight as well as the taste of dessert! Kit includes: flowerpot base with floral sticker, flowerpot cover, stems, and cupcake cups. Instructions for assembly included.”

Hope you enjoyed this post! Stay tuned tomorrow for brand spanking new Good for You Goodies review—you won’t want to miss this one if you’re in the market for some new ways to get your fruit and veggies.

A Little Late—But Still Great!

Hey everyone! I am so bogged by the annual end-of-the-semester college cramming, unfortunately blogging has to take a bit of a back seat for now. But have no fear! I am not leaving or abandoning the blog until summer vacation—I just can’t promise everyday posts, more like a couple a week. I can’t wait till summer to bombard you with all my great sunshine filled recipes =) I know y’all will understand. So hang in there and be glad your not a college student—if you are I know you feel me. Have a super rest of your week!

I recently sampled a new pizza from the freezer section—I am told they are hard to find, but if you can get your hands on one, I highly suggest you do, especially if you had a dollar off coupon like me. This is definitely in the top ten of my Good for You Goods.(not to be confused with Good for You Goodies, which BTW has a few more contestants to be featured)

The pizza is made by a company called A.C. LaRocco, which I heard about through Hungry Girl awhile back. I immediately went to the website and typed my zip code in the “Store Locator” and was delighted that the grocery store right down the block from me stocked em’, I was just hoping they had the kind I had my heart set on(Ultra Thin Sprouted Grain Old World Veggie). Yes they did—which meant it was meant to be—which meant I bought one!!! =) The crust is made of 100% sprouted whole grain and it is extra thin which I have always been a fan of vs deep dish pizzas.

• AC LaRocco pizzas are assembled in a frozen physical state using “freshly frozen vegetables” to savor the nutritional factors of freshness and flavor.
• AC LaRocco was compared to 42 other frozen pizzas and declared the lowest in Sodium of all other popular brands.
• "How Does AC LaRocco Preserve The Highest Nutritional Level Possible  Without The Use Of Food Additives or Food Chemicals?"
  By:
        (a)         Using Fresh Frozen Vegetables.
        (b)         Assembling & Packaging each Pizza Frozen (non thawed state).
        (c)         Formulating Each Pizza To Start Baking Direct From the
                     Freezer.
        (d)         Developing Crust to Finish Baking Precisely as the Cheese
                     Melts
• Inulin is the dietary fiber found naturally in fruits and vegetables. Not only does inulin aid in the metabolism of carbohydrates and calories, new studies indicate that it may also play an integral role in digestive health by increasing dietary fiber and prebiotic "good" bacteria in the intestinal tract. The two AC Larocco thin crust pizzas have inulin in the crust, which gives it higher fiber even though the crust is thin.

All this in this glorious slice of heaven. I would rate a 8 out of 10 for taste, texture, and overall satisfying eating experience. I’ve tasted quite a bit of pizza in my life and this one is a keeper! Although the folks at A.C. LaRocco’s could have added a bit more veggies, which is why I added the sliced mushrooms you see. =) If you’re in the market for a new weeknight pizza to quick pop in the oven, this one won’t have you feeling one bit guilty!

Good for You Goodies: Kay’s Naturals Part 2

Hope you all had a swell Easter weekend. My family came to visit me here and I even got an Easter basket!(I should of known, since it happens every year) But as I get older it has morphed from candy and little trinkets to this year being jewelry, goodies from Bath&Body Works, and clothes. Plus a bunch of cute cards, which I treasure! I am a total card girl—I save all of them & usually end up using them for scrapbooking or some other artsy things. =) The weather was near 60 which was another great thing—so basically this overall great weekend got me geared up to finish off these last 3 weeks of the semester and look forward to getting home.

Good for You Goodies: Pretzels, Protein Chips, and Kruncheeze

The Company: Kay's Naturals

The Chew Review: In the last post I reviewed the Protein Cereals from this company and they all were a winner in my book! But I decided to save the other product reviews for Monday so it wouldn't be a overwhelming post. So here goes part 2. . .

• White Cheddar Kruncheeze

When choosing between cheeses for a chip flavor, I would pick White Cheddar over Nacho Cheese any day. So I was really hoping these could conquer one of those white cheddar cravings. That they did—the cheese taste was the perfect intensity, they are not as crunchy as tortilla chips and not as airy as a rice cake, but somewhere in between which makes for a highly addicting snack. Good thing these babies only come in the small bags!! People over at Kay’s Naturals were definitely thinking right on that one.

· Serving size = 1-ounce / 28g
· Servings per container = 1
· 130 calories per 1-ounce serving / 60 calories from fat
· 6 grams of fat / 9% DV
· 0.5g saturated fat 3% DV
· 0 trans fats / 0 cholesterol / 0% DV
· 200mg sodium / 8% DV
· 9g carbohydrates per 1-ounce serving / 3% DV
· 2g fiber per 1-ounce serving – a good source of fiber! / 8% DV
· 0g Sugar
· 9g lean soy protein* per 1-ounce serving = 33% PROTEIN!
· Iron 10% DV / Calcium 4% DV / Vitamin A 0% DV / Vitamin C 0% DV
· Gluten free
· All natural ingredients

• Gluten Free Golden Butter Pretzel Twists

These were somewhat your typical pretzel, but not totally. Let me explain—first they were more mini sized than a regular pretzel twist from say, Old Dutch or some other company. Second, they were not the brown color shown on the bag, more a yellowish hue. And third you still get that great evil butter taste, without the evil ingredients. Great pretzel for people looking for a new pretzel fix! The next one is even better though!

Golden Butter Twists are:
· Serving size = 1-ounce / 28g
· Servings per container = 1
· 110 calories per 1-ounce serving / 45 calories from fat
· 5 grams of fat / 5% DV
· 0 saturated fat / 0 trans fats / 0 cholesterol / 0% DV
· 220mg sodium / 8% DV
· 12g carbohydrates per 1-ounce serving / 4% DV
· 2g fiber per 1-ounce serving – a good source of fiber! / 8% DV
· 1g Sugar
· 10g lean soy protein* per 1-ounce serving = 33% PROTEIN!
· Iron 10% DV / Calcium 4% DV / Vitamin A 0% DV / Vitamin C 0% DV
· Gluten free
· All natural ingredients

• Cinnamon Toast Pretzel Sticks

These were by far my favorite pretzel of the three I reviewed. I am not a total pretzel fan, if there were chips at a place, I would pick those over pretzels any day. But these had me thinking otherwise! Still didn’t look like what was on the package though—but they didn’t disappoint! Small little pretzel rods covered in a generous coating of a cinnamon sugar tasting sprinkle. The bag is now gone which is evidence it is a snack worth getting your hands on.(and covered with cinnamon!!!)

· Serving size = 1-ounce / 28g
· Servings per container = 1
· 120 calories per 1-ounce serving / 45 calories from fat
· 5 grams of fat / 9% DV
· 1.5g saturated fat 8% DV
· 0 trans fats / 0 cholesterol / 0% DV
· 150mg sodium / 6% DV
· 9g carbohydrates per 1-ounce serving / 3% DV
· 3g fiber per 1-ounce serving – a good source of fiber! / 8% DV
· 6g Sugar
· 10g lean soy protein* per 1-ounce serving = 33% PROTEIN!
· Iron 10% DV / Calcium 4% DV / Vitamin A 0% DV / Vitamin C 0% DV
· Gluten free
· All natural ingredients

• Jalapeño Honey Mustard Pretzel Sticks

 

Again, let me remind you I am not a pretzel gal, so I may not be giving these a fair review. They didn’t make me jump for joy, but they didn’t make me gag either. They were just ok. A cool flavor for a pretzel though—I ended up giving them to my grandma because she’s a pretzel person.

· Serving size = 1-ounce / 30g
· Servings per container = 1
· 120 calories per 1-ounce serving / 60 calories from fat
· 6 grams of fat / 9% DV
· 1.5g saturated fat 8% DV
· 0 trans fats / 0 cholesterol / 0% DV
· 150mg sodium / 6% DV
· 9g carbohydrates per 1-ounce serving / 3% DV
· 2g fiber per 1-ounce serving – a good source of fiber! / 8% DV
· 6g Sugar
· 10g lean soy protein* per 1-ounce serving = 33% PROTEIN!
· Iron 10% DV / Calcium 4% DV / Vitamin A 0% DV / Vitamin C 0% DV
· Gluten free
· All natural ingredients

• Lemon Herb Protein Chips

Wow! Let me start out by saying these are now in my top ten five favorite chips! I love lemony flavor in drinks, as a coating on fish or chicken, and even occasionally squeeze a fresh lemon straight in my mouth—I knew I would love these. I did! Besides their cute little wavy shape, they were airy but very filling and coated with a serious amount of yum. Yum being the lemon herb mix 8-) I know why it was a first place winner at Natural Products Expo!
· Serving size = 1-ounce / 30g
· Servings per container = 1
· 110 calories per 1-ounce serving / 30 calories from fat
· 3.5 grams of fat / 5% DV
· 0 saturated fat / 0 trans fats / 0 cholesterol / 0% DV
· 230mg sodium / 10% DV
· 14g carbohydrates per 1-ounce serving / 5% DV
· 3g fiber per 1-ounce serving – a good source of fiber! / 12% DV
· 3g Sugar
· 9g lean soy protein* per 1-ounce serving = 33% PROTEIN!
· Iron 8% DV / Calcium 4% DV / Vitamin A 0% DV / Vitamin C 0% DV
· Gluten free
· All natural ingredients

• Chili Nacho Cheese Protein Chips

 

These were good also! I really love the texture of these and all of them have such a bold flavor—it makes you glad these are good for you and loaded with protein. These would be a good addition to an upcoming warm weather BBQ.

· Serving size = 1-ounce / 30g
· Servings per container = 1
· 110 calories per 1-ounce serving / 30 calories from fat
· 3.5 grams of fat / 5% DV
· 0 saturated fat / 0 trans fats / 0 cholesterol / 0% DV
· 230mg sodium / 10% DV
· 14g carbohydrates per 1-ounce serving / 5% DV
· 3g fiber per 1-ounce serving – a good source of fiber! / 12% DV
· 3g Sugar
· 9g lean soy protein* per 1-ounce serving = 33% PROTEIN!
· Iron 8% DV / Calcium 4% DV / Vitamin A 0% DV / Vitamin C 0% DV
· Gluten free
· All natural ingredients

• Crispy Parmesan Protein Chips

This one was my least favorite of the three. It still had a decent flavor, but not the boldness of the previous two. But that being said all chips cannot be created equal—if they were all absolutely great it wouldn’t leave for much of a variety and plus I am sure there are many people out there who like a subtle parmesan flavor. These would compliment a nice chicken parm salad possibly? Try em’ all!

· Serving size = 1-ounce / 30g
· Servings per container = 1
· 110 calories per 1-ounce serving / 30 calories from fat
· 3.5 grams of fat / 5% DV
· 0 saturated fat / 0 trans fats / 0 cholesterol / 0% DV
· 230mg sodium / 10% DV
· 14g carbohydrates per 1-ounce serving / 5% DV
· 3g fiber per 1-ounce serving – a good source of fiber! / 12% DV
· 3g Sugar
· 9g lean soy protein* per 1-ounce serving = 33% PROTEIN!
· Iron 8% DV / Calcium 4% DV / Vitamin A 0% DV / Vitamin C 0% DV
· Gluten free
· All natural ingredients

Just in Time for Easter Recipe!

Hey everyone! Good news—First, it’s almost a holiday & I love holidays because that means a big excuse to bake themed goodies, and second, I baked something super cute & delivered it just in time for those of you who may be on the look out for a last minute Easter recipe. Enjoy & as always, have a great weekend. =)

Ba-nilla(Banana Vanilla)Peepers

Ingredients:

• 1 box vanilla cake mix (I used Betty Crocker)
• + what is required on the box (in this case 3 eggs, 1 1/4 c water, and 1/3 c oil)
• 1 (3.4 oz) box of Banana Cream pudding mix
• 1 tub of Vanilla frosting
• 2 packages of Peeps Marshmallows. (12 Peeps each—24 total)
• 24 toothpicks
• Sprinkles if desired

Directions:

• Preheat oven to amount stated on box. Meanwhile, mix all ingredients together required for cake mix and add in the whole package of pudding mix. Mix all together until well combined.
• Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners or grease well. Pour batter and fill cups about half way up, adding more afterwards if you have some leftover. (Remember you are making 24 cupcakes, so if you only have one 12 cup pan, you will need to put in another batch!)
• Put in the oven and cook according to the time stated on the box for cupcakes.
• Once they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, you can take em’ out.
• Let cool. While cooling, stick 1 toothpick into the center bottom of each Peep.
• Frost cupcakes generously and add sprinkles to match the Peeps.(I would have, but campus store was out of sprinkles unfortunately) Then stick a Peep into the middle of each one and prepare to get some, “Ohh cute!” or “These are so good!” comments from your spectators 8-)

Makes: 24 cupcakes

Good for You Goodies: Kay’s Naturals

Hello and happy finally Friday! As you may or may not have noticed I was “absent” from the blog world yesterday. I simply ran out of time and unfortunately 2 huge papers had to take priority over fun blogging—sad but true, and definitely not the way I would have it if it were up to me! =) So for today I saved another awesome company to share with y’all. I am going to split it into 2 days again because they so generously sent me an extreme amount of goodies and I would hate to overwhelm your senses! Ha ha. So if you like the looks of Part 1 make sure you stay tuned Monday for Part 2. Btw, have a wonderful weekend and a very Happy Easter filled with chocolate bunnies, fun-filled eggs, and of course a loving family!

Good for You Goodies: Cereal

The Company: Kay's Naturals

The Chew Review: You know the drill by now—check out the stash first!

First off, I love the small single serve bags. Don’t you sometimes hate having a huge bag and then it takes longer to eat, therefore can get old and non-edible in the process? So I definitely was digging the smaller bag style! Second, I spotted 3 bags of cereal and I am a cereal addict so I was uber pumped! Plus it was protein cereal and I am always on the lookout to sneak in more protein since I don’t eat red meat, and not a lot of meat otherwise either, so relying on protein packed foods elsewhere is critical! Plus who doesn’t want to build some stellar muscles? HAHA! Anyway—here’s the low-down on the cereal!

• Apple Cinnamon Cereal

This cereal was good outstanding to say the least! I was expecting a possible weird aftertaste since that frequently accompanies protein packed things, but nope this had no icky taste, just sweet apple cinnamon goodness! It left a great taste in my soymilk afterwards too. And even better; real pieces of apple in there! Yup, no joke! This is like an amped of version of Apple Jacks cereal, but a much more natural taste. Check out the stats and I even happened to sneak in a little photo op before I gulped down my bowl!

Apple Cinnamon Cereal is:

• Serving size = 1-ounce / 28g
  Servings per container = 1
• 100 calories per 1-ounce serving / 11 calories from fat
• 1.5 grams of fat (low fat) / 2% DV
• 0 saturated fat / 0 trans fats / 0 cholesterol / 0% DV
• 140mg sodium / 6% DV
• 15g carbohydrates per 1-ounce serving / 5% DV
• 3g fiber per 1-ounce serving – a good source of fiber! / 12% DV
• 3g Sugar
• 9g lean soy protein* per 1-ounce serving = 32% PROTEIN!
• Iron 8% DV / Calcium 4% DV / Vitamin A 0% DV / Vitamin C 0% DV
• Gluten free
• All natural ingredients
• Delicious

 

• French Vanilla Cereal

Another great one, although this one was my least favorite out of the three. It just didn’t have that oomph of vanilla flavor I was looking for and it didn’t hold my taste buds interest for long. =( What I do like about all these cereals is they do some serious swelling in your milk which makes for a puffy fun party in your bowl! Btw, same stats as the Apple Cinnamon previously listed..and the next one has the same too!

• Honey Almond Cereal

No picture just because I am sure you get the gist that these are reminiscent of Cheerios and a yellow color which isn’t too fun to look at time and time again. This one clocked in as my 2nd favorite. The honey and almond flavor blended nicely together and this one had a nice staying taste and I thought overall it was super satisfying!

So to leave you with a few last words, if you love Apple Cinnamon, head on over to Kay's Naturals and grab either 12 1-oz bags for $13 (they’re currently 28% off!), or buy a a 9.5 oz box—you get 6 for $30.

Good for You Goodies: Nutritious Creations Cookies

--Happy Humpday—everyone! Yesterday was like the first taste of spring here. A high of 44 degrees which was like a heat wave! So I went for a nice stroll and finished off the night with some Cold Stone Creamery. You all know I love that place! 8-) Now the post today is basically a 2nd edition to my 1st video post on the other goodies Nutritious Creations sent me. If you missed the video post, check it out here. I hadn’t yet tested the cookies when I did the video post, but now that they are all in my belly I can share the chew review!

The Good for You Goodie: More Cookies!

The Company: Nutritious Creations

The Chew Review: Honestly, I loved every single one of these cookies & I am a pretty fussy person when it comes to cookies and food in general, but gosh, I have been delighted by all of these products I’ve received and can’t say I’ve had to stop eating something or give it away because I didn’t like it. Cheers to that! But I still did have some favorites in this bunch, I will start with my least favorite and save the best for last…

• Wheat Free Carob Chip Cookie

Just because this was my least favorite does not mean it wasn’t good just to let you know! I was anticipating a chewy chocolate chip cookie, but instead this was definitely a crunchy cookie which the crumbly texture. I prefer chewy, but I am still working my way through this giant cookie. Here’s some extra info: A Large crunchy cookie made with rice and oat flour, loaded with all natural carob chips (a great alternative to chocolate), a divine treat that’s a great source of energy. 100% vegan.

• Sugar Free Snack-A-Doodles

• I loved the square shape vs. a normal circular cookie—very stylish! (are cookies stylish?) Anyway, even though these are sugar free they are sweetened with Splenda, so definitely not lacking on the sweetness. Any slightly more chewy than the Carob Chip cookie. Each 1 oz cookie is Sweetend with Splenda & Maltitol. They Have No Transfats, No Hydrogenated Oils, No Dairy, & are Kosher by Kof-K. These Cookies are Crispy & 100% Delicious.
• Low Fat Rocky Road Cookies

The look of these immediately got me thinking, “What a loaded cookie!” and isn’t that how cookies should be? Fortunately it also delivered a loaded taste somewhat reminiscent to a good ol’ campfire s’more! It had me wanting s’more.(no pun intended)This scrumptious cookie is filled with lots of yummy bits, marshmallows, almonds, walnuts, & chocolate chips. All wrapped up in a low fat decadent chocolate cookie. Only 170 Calories, 3 Grams of Fat, & 3 Grams of Fiber. Go for it, these cookies rock!!

• Gluten Free Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am a total fan of coconut because it takes me to the beach(mentally of course, bummer it’s not for real!) I could smell the coconut right when I opened the package which is a sure sign it was gonna be loaded with coconut taste & that it was! And no fake coconut tastes here, all real, so yes, it did bring me to a tropical place all the way through!Soft, moist and chewy, this cookie is a great combination of coconut and chocolate. A creamy, melt in your mouth, one of a kind taste. This tropical treat will take your taste buds on a healthy vacation. Sit back, relax and enjoy!

• Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cookie

Anyone who is a fan of carrot cake will no doubt love these cookies! It was so moist it practically broke pieces off itself for me to devour! Packed with raisins and walnuts it was such a treat, but oh so healthy and to top it off it was extreme spicy goodness. My top pick for carrot cake anything! Yumm.. A delicious, sweet, spiced, soft, moist cookie with raisins & walnuts. No refined sugar, transfat, dairy, cholesterol, eggs, wheat, & no hydrogenated oils. The only flour used in this cookie is rice, potato, tapioca & almond. 100% Vegan.

Good for You Goodies: PistachiOats

***First and foremost, this product does contain pistachios but it is not effected by the current pistachio recall!***

  Happy Tuesday everyone! Today is actually like a Friday for me because tomorrow we get the day off for Student Achievement Day—no clue what the significance of the day is, but heck I will take a day off any day,especially lately with the overall busyness of my life. Before I start in on the review, I just wanted to add a dash of something else today! I love getting to know fellow blogger’s and blog readers because we all are so much more than the food and recipes we feature. Since this is a cooking/recipe/food blog, I rarely show an inside look at other aspects of my life. So from here on out I will randomly stick in something about me!

Did you guys know I have my own beading business? It’s not world known or anything, but I do sell locally and at craft fairs during the summer. It’s a lot of fun and another thing that brings me a peace of mind like cooking. I also sell online at Etsy but have not updated in a long time. If you’re at all interested, please let me know!

Those are just a few of my goodies that I have made! Lots of work, but tons of fun!

The Good for You Goodie: Cookies

The Company: PistachiOats

The Chew Review: I saw these floating around the blog world and heard outstanding reviews, so I knew I had to chew my own review! I think I have had my share of cookies for a long time—but hey they’re all good for you, so why not? ;-) These cookies are not only healthy, but heart healthy, which is so important to our overall wellbeing! Check out this info from their website:

“PistachiOats™ has absolutely no cholesterol, and more importantly, most of its ingredients are known to reduce cholesterol.  Unlike other cookies with oats, PistachiOats™ delivers the full heart-healthy benefits of oats by combining it with the very heart-friendly pistachio nut, honey, and flaxseed meal.  We’ve added just the right blend of spices and indulgences with health. Break old habits and build new ones.  If you love cookies and sweets, but want to stay healthy, eat the only heart-approved cookie.”

They had me at hello! But would the first bite be as pleasant? We shall see..(the order is according to my favorites:1st=best,etc.)

• Blueberry PistachiOats

When I looked in the package, I was a bit disappointed at the smaller than average cookie size, but when I pulled one out I learned looks can fool! It was a dense and heavy cookie which is obviously filled with great ingredients—so I bit in annnnd—it was incredible! A chewy, just-baked taste studded with nice size chunks of pistachios and dotted with full blueberries. Could a cookie get any better? I’ve never had pistachios in a cookie before, but I have a feeling it may become a habit! By the way, one serving of PistachiOats=2 cookies! Yes! But wait, did I taste something else? Something sweet, but I couldn’t quite pin it. Once I looked at the ingredients it sealed the deal—there’s pumpkin puree, applesauce, rose water, and vanilla in these babies! PistachiLove! 8-)

• Dark Chocolate Chip PistachiOats

These were just as wholesome with that same unique sweet taste that is definitely a distinct feature of these cookies. But made better with a hefty amount of dark chocolate, so it’s got a real chocolaty-chocolate taste!! Still chewy, still good for you—score!

• Original PistachiOats

No picture here guys, had to grab this one on the go and didn’t have a camera. They look the same as the others minus the add ins. Yes this is original flavor, but don’t let that fool you. Although it wasn’t my favorite, I just can’t stop obsessing over the taste of these. The original will be my back up plan when I run out of the rest!

All of the cookies come in handy dandy resealable bags, and cost only $3.99! So head on over to their website and order some(or 10) up today! How can you pass up a cookie that has:

2% the DV of Vitamin C

2% the DV of Calcium

6% the DV of Iron

2 grams of Fiber

3 grams of Protein

3% the DV of Potassium

 

I sure couldn’t!

Good for You Goodies: Revolution Foods

It’s Monday already? Unbelievable! My weekend flew probably due to the fact that I was busy with papers, the regular weekend errands, and a bit of packing up to come home in less than a month. Also in less than a month I will be turning 18!! I am actually not looking forward to a birthday for possibly the first time ever—I just don’t want to cross that invisible line into adulthood, even though I am pretty much an adult now since I live on my own and all that kinda stuff. But needless to say, I can’t stop time and might as well enjoy my life instead of fretting about getting older; plus I am excited to see what my future will behold. I also got out and enjoyed the semi-nice weather and took some pictures for my Technical Foundations class: thought I’d share a couple!

           

I got these awesome bowls at IKEA about a month ago, and I totally forgot to share them—they deserve a special mention. Plus all four cost under seven bucks! Yes, that’s one lonesome tree, and yes that is still the snow covered lake in the background. Thought the overall shot was a nice one. =) Onto the fooooood..

The Good for You Goodie: Various Lunchbox Snacks

The Company: Revolution Foods

The Chew Review: First off, this company is marketed towards parents as a alternative to unhealthy treats one might normally stuff in a lunchbox for your child. Now, I don’t necessarily carry a lunchbox(more so stuff things into my backpack), and I am not so much of little kid where mom packs my lunches anymore(although I wish she could because I loved the little surprise notes!)..anyway this company to me was still a great one to feature since some readers may be parents or may become parents in the future. It’s always good to know there are companies that are on your side for raising a healthy child. But meanwhile, you can try out the snacks yourself, even if you don’t pack a lunch or have kids. 8-) I won’t tell, I promise!

From the website: “We believe that all children deserve access to healthy, wholesome foods where they need it the most – in their schools. Our organic lunchbox snacks and sandwich builders make it easy to nourish your kids with yummy, balanced nutrition. And when you purchase our products, you’re helping us nourish even more kids through our School Lunch Program, making every bite matter for all kids.”

First off, here’s the spectacular package I received courtesy of the wonderful people over at Revolution Foods. Thank you!

First up..

• Organic Pop Alongs

These are definitely reminiscent to Pop Chips if you’ve tried them. The Pop Alongs are made with whole grain rice, corn and oats, 100% organic, wheat free, low fat, 100 calories or less per serving, no transfat, no high fructose corn syrups, and no artificial ingredients. If that doesn’t convince you, maybe a little photo opt will! =)

The cinnamon flavor was great! I was glad to find a chip texture like Pop Chips but with a hint of cinnamon coating. They were simply good!

 

The name Cheesy Cheese sadly didn’t meet up to my expectations—instead it was more of a subtle cheese taste that can’t win when faced with my favorite Mr. Krispers cheesy flavor. These won’t be marked as a favorite unfortunately, but it didn’t hurt to try!

I am not a plain chip girl. I’m not a plain girl, and I prefer my food to match! B-) So these got paired with some salsa and we’re a great accompanist to my lunch! So even though I wouldn’t suggest these on their own unless your for the whole “plain gang” kind of deal, definitely pick up some dip with these and they are a nice change to your typical chip. 

Next up..

• Organic Jammy Sammy

These won my heart at the pure mention of the name. As soon as I investigated I found that these are snack size peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!!!! I immediately thought of why everyone needs these—they’re cute, they’re convenient, they’re good for you, they’re the perfect craving buster or snack, and heck, they’re delicious! Honestly, they taste like a homemade PB and J. It’s genius! The flavors I tried: PB&Strawberry, PB&Grape, and Apple Cinnamon & Oatmeal.

 

These are small just to warn you, but they are packed with 1g of fiber, 2g protein, 8% DA of Vitamin C and 2% RDA of iron all for 110 calories. And like I said, these are worth ordering!

And the PB&Grape didn’t show up for the photo shoot and is now in someone’s tummy—possibly mine? Anyway, my favorite was the PB & Strawberry just because that’s how I make a normal sandwich. But overall, I highly recommend these!

And last..

• Organic Mashups

These are the little juicebox type things with the bright ball on top pictured in the package I got up above. Didn’t know what to expect out of these, but sometimes the unknown it the best surprise, right?! These are crazy cool! In Grape, Berry, and Tropical(my very favorite), they are 100% Organic fruit puree with no sugar added. It makes eating fruit more fun(for me anyway), and is great to get your five-a-day on the run! Plus for all you creative bloggies, this stuff could be used in yogurt(it’s yum!), subbed in baked goods, etc. I have one left that I am going to experiment with. If your looking for a new way to get your fruit, look no further!

And the very last—they went beyond and above themselves at Revolution Foods sent me a great magazine that I have never heard of! They must have known I’m a magazine-oholic! You should check it out—it’s a great read!

Good for You Goodies: Dr.Kracker Snacks

Happy finally Friday all! I am so glad it’s the end of the week, even though yesterday felt like a weekend because I had no class and instead of working on homework(which I am saving for the weekend), I decided to label it a shopping day. And that it was! I roamed the mall and picked up some decorations for my graduation party that is fast approaching in June! Then I got an Easter outfit(that’s just an excuse to buy more clothes), and then I headed to Wal-Mart to stock up on the weekly groceries.(Does anyone else who shops at Wal-Mart have a problem with it being extremely busy 24/7—Wow!) I am dying to make a homemade pizza, but unfortunately it’s to hard to do during the week because I am so busy, so I’m thinking that could possibly be a weekend project? Oh—and good news! I am moving back home at the very beginning of May, so I get my own kitchen and bathroom once again! I am super pumped to say the least. So I hope everyone else is having a splendid Friday and maybe you’ll get the chance to cook up something great this weekend as well!

The Good for You Goodie: Culinary Crisps, Flatbreads,& Snacker Krackers

The Company: Dr.Kracker

The Chew Review: Wow did good ol’ Dr. Kracker hook me up. First off, check out this major load of goodness—>

And some things I even got double of!(not pictured) So I definitely had my hopes high for these products, otherwise I was stuck with a lot of cracker products! I was happy #1 because of the variety of flavors, #2 the different varieties of crackers(flatbreads, crisps, snackers,etc), and #3 because after I tried them, I knew they would not be wasted. I still have tons of cracker products left over, so I did share with my dorm floor and labeled them “healthy study snacks”—they were gone within a day. My mom and dad are enjoying them, and so are my grandpa and grandma. Needless to say, I spread the (Kracker) love! So now I will spread it “virtually” to you with an overall product review! (Crunch,crunch—that’s me eating just one more before I start! he he)

From the Dr.Kracker website: “We make good-for-you food that tastes good.Our Flatbreads and Snacker Krackers are 100% percent natural, and USDA certified organic. We bake with whole grains and seeds, and none of our crackers contain trans fats. From Pumpkin Cheddar to Seedlander, there's a seriously delicious Dr. Kracker for everyone in your family.”

• Flatbreads:

In America, we typically think of a flatbread as something wafer-like and light; some sort of a Wasa crisp. These flatbreads are not for the wafer-like fans, these are the way a flatbread should be!(At least that’s what I think!) They are reminiscent to actual slabs of crispy bread that are baked, rather than a cardboard consistency. Dr.Kracker offers six flavors; Klassic 3 Seed, Pumpkin Cheddar, Seeded Spelt, Seedlander, and Sunflower Cheddar(pictured). They were all seeded in appearance—as in you could definitely tell these things are plump full of whole grains and fiber. Most of the flatbreads have 3-4g of fiber and 100-120 calories per piece. I thought the flatbreads were great for topping with some cream cheese and turkey, or whatever it is you like on bread, but these just make eating more fun because of the really loud crunches!

• Snacker Crackers

These come in the same flavors as the flatbreads, and are basically the same thing, except broken into smaller pieces and morphed into a cracker! By the way, my favorite flavor out of the five offered was the Sunflower Cheddar, which is why it was pictured! 8-) I thought the Seeded Spelt, Seedlander, and Klassic 3 Seed needed more flavor--but I am a flavor gal, not too much for that plain grain taste.

• Culinary Crisps

I thought these would be just like a cracker, but instead they are like a cracker times five! Way more satisfying then say a saltine. You only need a couple of these to fill you up along side a meal, so you don’t have to worry about eating the whole container at once. Although, it may not hurt because they’re good and good for you!(Kidding about eating the whole container BTW) They come in three flavors—Fire Roasted Crisps, Apple Crisps, and Cherry Semolina. Personally I loved the Fire Roasted because I am all about a little pizzazz in a snack, the apple had a natural apple kind of taste, and the cherry was my favorite—it had bits of dried cherries on the cracker and it made an overall great taste experience.

Dr. Kracker also makes Snack Flats and Snacker Crackers which I am sure are also very satisfying and wholesome. You can order em’ up on Amazon or GreenShopper, or check out their website to see if they’re sold at a store near you. I know I saw them at Whole Foods also! Have a super weekend.

*And check out Our Best Bites blog for a tasty tropical giveaway!!!

Good for You Goods: Kim’s Light Bagels

Yes, you read the post title right. Today is not a “Good for You Goodie”, but instead a “Good for You Good”. The difference you ask? On my blog a goodie is a savory or snack type food(cookie, chip, etc.) and a good is a good for you food product(pasta,breads,etc.). Today’s feature could be considered either really depending on what you eat on it, but overall by itself, it’s simply a good.

The Good for You Good: Bagels

The Company: Kim's Light Bagels

The Chew Review: I think something that is created by someone who, in this case is Kim Bensen, and that is fueled by a certain goal obtained (in her case was learning to beat the bondage of food and in the process lose 212! pounds), and then bringing out a great product to the world is a mixture for a superb company! So I was honored to get the chance to try her creation, Kim’s Light Bagels, because unfortunately no where near me sells them.(Which I am going to highly suggest they start!)

From the website:

“A year ago friends encouraged me to take to market one of my favorite products – a 110 calorie, high fiber, low fat bagel -- in six yummy flavors. Today we ship Kim’s Light Bagels to all 50 states and are in major grocery store shelves across New England, New York and New Jersey. Our goal? To get out of the shipping business and be in the supermarkets of EVERYONE who wants a tasty, portion controlled, New York style, kettle boiled bagel!”

Bagels can be a carb loaded food that can send your blood sugar for a rollercoaster ride, and in turn leaving you hungry an hour later. However, these bagels are very different. Clocking in at 110 calories(they are a full sized bagel also, not mini!), 4g of fiber, 5g of protein, calcium, thiamin, niacin, iron, riboflavin, and folate all stuffed into these versatile and scrumptious bagels! Plus it doesn’t hurt that they come in 6 flavors(Original, Wheat, Blueberry, Cinnamon, Onion, & Everything), so there’s guaranteed to be one you’ll like! Here’s my lovely stash all thanks to Kim!—>

Now I am not going to do a full-out post on every single bagel, because for one I do not like onion bagels(but my mom said it was fantastic), and two, the flavors are pretty close to a regular bagel which I am sure you have all had. But here’s some snapshots of my favorites!

Top left is the cinnamon bagel looking great all on it’s own! Of course I some microwaved apples and a dollop of vanilla yogurt to sandwich between the two which turned out to be more of a dessert-tasting creation! The cinnamon flavor was outrageously good in this bagel. And I can’t get over the great texture, chewiness, and wholesome overall taste in this line of bagels. Is it just me, or is healthy food no longer dull tasting?!

Top right is the blueberry bagel paired with some peanut butter for the ultimate blend of taste sensations. I could actually taste blueberry in every bite. Not some artificial blueberries either, but real and fresh tasting blueberries people!

Bottom is the wheat paired with some turkey and salsa. I toasted this one, but I found out I like it either cold or toasted! It’s not really your standard wheat taste though, it has somewhat of a hint of sweetness between bites that really makes it a bagel I ate 1 day, okay 4 days in a row! 8-)

The everything bagel and the onion were both tested by my lovely mom and dad who said, “They were both very good,” and when asked if there’s any left the reply was simply, “Nope, they’re all gone.” So you know they were good!

I had been playing with the idea of trying to make my own bagels, maybe some hearty whole wheat ones or something, but now that I discovered these gems, I don’t think I will have to do any work, other than click my mouse on over to buy these. Thanks to Kim and her delicious and nutritious bagels, I can enjoy great and healthy bagels without the time needed to make em’.

Question of the day: What is your favorite topping or way to eat a bagel?

And one last thing…if you are up to the challenge of making your own bagels, here’s a few link to get ya started—>

• Emeril's Homemade Bagels
• One at AllRecipes to try
• Great video for step-by-step instructions
• A blogger shares her bagel making adventure
• Bagel Recipe from Martha Stewart

Good for You Goodies: Sensible Foods

Well we did end up with about seven or so inches of snow. And on top of that the winds were blowing the snow around like crazy so they cancelled some classes, the mall closed early, and a plethora of other things were closed as well. So it was a nice not fun March(almost April)blizzard. Luckily I had plenty of homework and things to keep me entertained inside, although I much rather prefer enjoying the sunshine and being outside—but you just do what you gotta do right?? On to the goodies of they day!

Good for You Goodies: Variety of Dried Fruits/Vegetables, Dried Fruit Blends & Soy Nuts!

The Company: Sensible Foods

The Chew Review: I am a huge fan (as I’ve mentioned before) of dried fruit—I love it in yogurt, other dishes, and just a random handful here and there.The only brand I had previously tried of dried fruit(which was my main go-to)was the Brothers All Natural(they’ll be featured soon too!), so upon receiving a box from Sensible Foods filled with a variety of super looking good stuff definitely got me excited! Check-check-check it out---> From their website, “We are dedicated to bringing you all of the natural goodness and flavor of fresh fruit and vegetables year-round. Our unique Crunch Dried ® process removes the water while maintaining the products cell structure, nutritional value and intensifying its natural flavor.” Plus each bag is:

Fat Free, 100% Natural, Gluten Free and GMO Free

Enzymatically Intact

Equal to 1/2 Cup Fresh Fruit

1 Daily Fruit-Vegetable Serving

An incredible shelf life of over one year!

They had me at the beginning! Plus I have never ever tried dried vegetables, so you better believe I dug in.

• 100% Organic Sweet Corn, Sea Salt and Nothing Else! ™

 

 

 

 

 

This was a total taste bud surprise! It looked exactly like fresh corn, and it tasted like corn as well!(Big surprise there, huh?) But it has an awesome and satisfying crunch with a hint of lingering sweetness that you don’t get so much of out of canned corn or cooked corn. I am guessing it loses its flavor the more processes it goes through. So as far a corn goes, I am on the freeze dried corn bandwagon! Is there such a bandwagon ha ha?

• Organic Crunch Dried ® Roasted Soy Nuts
  Contains: Organic Roasted Soy Beans, Soy Bean Oil, Sea Salt and Nothing Else! ™

I am a self-proclaimed soy fan, but I had not tried soy nuts before this. So thank you Sensible Foods for the opportunity! Now I tote em’ around to eat during classes! I loved their taste which was a mix of a sunflower seed taste and a peanut taste. If you haven’t tried soy nuts before, but are looking for a new snack to tide you over, you should try them!

• 100% Organic Cherry Berry
  Contains: 100% Organic mix of Cherries, Strawberries, Blueberries, Apples and Nothing Else! ™

This is one heck of a mix. Not only are the flavor combos great together, there’s no ‘missing’ ingredients(as in it says there’s apples, but somehow they forgot to make an appearance). Everything listed for the fruit is also in the bag as you can tell from my handful. It tasted great on yogurt by the way!

• Orchard Blend:
  A mouth-watering combination of Apples, Peaches, Apricots and Nothing Else! ™

I personally don’t like apricots by themselves, but somehow in this combo(and maybe because the “dried” flavor is slightly different than fresh), it wasn’t half bad! Another unique, but tasty mix.

And unfortunately no pictures of the last two flavors, but just use your imagination because I ran outta time!!

• Tropical Blend:
  An exotic blend of Apples, Pineapples, Mangos, Bananas and Nothing Else! ™

This one really does deserve a picture! It brought me to some tropical island with the summery and fruity taste. Loved it—my favorite of the bunch!

• 100% Organic Apple Harvest
  Contains: 100% Organic Apples and Nothing Else! ™

Basically just dried apples here, although they were great to say the least! What I noticed overall about this brand is they kept the sweetness to a edible level, not overly sweet like some that are coated in sugar. Also the pieces of dried fruit are very small vs. some that are slices or reminiscent to a chip. If you’re in the market for some new dried fruit, give Sensible Foods a shot! You can buy em’ right from there website. Happy hump day!