Healthy Cravings with Explorer’s Bounty

What is it that you are craving? Chocolate? Nuts? Hearty Crackers? Something crunchy? A cup of hot tea or coffee? Explorer’s Bounty has you covered in a healthy, organic way. They uphold the highest standards when creating all their fine products from their coffees and teas to healthy, hearty crackers to sweet puffed fruit with nothing added and my favorite dark chocolate (70%) covered premium nuts. At this moment I am enjoying the puffed Cinnamon Pineapple “Gallop-A-Loozas” pure fruit with a crunch. Who would have known that cinnamon + pineapple go together so well? It is a unique twist on dried pineapple that is scrumptious! Just the right amount of crunch and the sweetness of the pineapple is evened out by the cinnamon to complement it just right. I can not wait to try the rest of the snacks from Explorer’s Bounty! Their website is really cool – you should go poke around. Here is a little information from the Explorers Bounty Crew:
At Explorer's Bounty, "exploring the planet for nature's finest bounty" and providing "good for you food, that tastes good too" are commitments the company holds true. Explorer's Bounty markets and manufactures premium certified organic food products found throughout the world. Committed to local and global community well-being, Explorer's Bounty has donated to marine wildlife charities in the U.S. and to animal reserve and rescue groups in both the U.S. and South America. Available in organic taste-tempting flavors like banana, pineapple, cinnamon and plantain, Gallop-A-Loozas 100% pure fruit snacks contain only 90 calories per serving and eliminate the heart-unfriendly fat and salt while maintaining all the crunch and flavor children crave.

Eat in the Raw

Eat in the Raw boasts being "Naked Nutrition"-- Vegan Parmesan. No dairy, no soy, no gluten, no GMO, kosher. Eat Parma! goes great on Salad, Pasta, Pizza, Rice, Avocado and More. Well, for my first try I decided to make a Parm-Bread and it was insane! I took a slice of my Cybros Sprouted bread and coated it with a touch of vegan buttery spread and sprinkled Parma! on right on top. It was so great I had it again tonight alongside my dinner. It was better than any cheesy or garlic bread than I have ever had. Being that it was a base of Cybros bread and the Parma topping it was a much healthier alternative. Eat in the Raw blends are made up of is made using only Raw Organic Walnuts, Red Star Veg Support Nutritional Yeast, Celtic Sea Salt, and Love-- Awesome!

Magic In My Kitchen!

You have to check this place out! Magic Kitchen is such a special online meal ordering service. After listening to consumers that they were in need of meals that were easy to prepare, nutritious, tasty and caters to special diets of all sorts. I am so impressed with this meal service-- to start off with they are SO aware of all the needs of consumers out there from diabetic, dairy free, gluten free, low carb, low fat, low sodium, portion controlled and even unique senior meals. The meal choices are extememly extensive-- I spent an insane amount of time on their website just looking at all the delicious choices. They have a wide array of lunches, dinners, main courses, sides and desserts. Not to mention, they have great gift ideas-- so if you have that person who doesn't need anything or is hard to shop for FOOD is the answer. Who doesn't love to eat? Here is my first meal that was so easy to prep (all the instructions and nutritional facts were right on the front) I could either use the microwave or the oven. I decided to slip everything in the oven and it was as simple as that. In about 20 minutes I had a gourmet meal that made the whole house smell like I had been cooking all day. Smoked chicken, minted carrots and a stuffed baked potato. It was outrageously good.

I am looking forward to trying the Portabella/Shiitake Mushroom Ravioli, Pan Seared Tiger Prawns, Stuffed Chicken, Spinach Italiano and a Smoked Pork Chop.

Double Dutch Chocolate

Every single day I enjoy a protein brownie in the afternoon. It is my "shake" but made into a brownie instead because I prefer to drink than eat! Duh! So usually I take my protein powder and even if it is already chocolate flavored it is never chocolately enough for me! I always have to add cocoa powder to it... The other day I got some Double Dutch Chocolate Whey Protein Isolate from Integrated Supplements and since the name sounded so appealing and it smelled so rich, I made my brownie without the cocoa powder and it was perfect! You will see in the pictures below how great it looks! But besides tasting amazing- their whey protein isolate is a high quality protein and the only patented CFM Whey Isolate made by ceramic filtering the protein to make the cleanest whey possible. Why CFM Whey:
-No Lactose
-No Cholesterol
-No Whey Protein Concentrate
-Not a Protein "Blend"
-No Artificial Sweeteners
-No Artificial Flavors
-No Artificial Colors
-99% Undenatured Protein
Integrated Supplements makes many other Supplements in their line. Check out their website!

Late night drinks

Not alcoholic ones silly-- I am talking coffee! I love coffee and wish that I could drink it well into the night especially when it is so cold outside. Even the little bit of caffiene in decaf will keep me staring at the ceiling so I generally avoid it after dinner unless I want to be up well into the night. I had never heard of coffee alternatives before and was a little hesistant to try Teeccino but its blend of herbs, grains, fruits and nuts that are roasted and ground fresh to taste exactly like coffee. I was also intrigued by its low acidity level meant to avoid that pesky heartburn that also bothers a lot of coffee drinkers. SO I put it to the test first trying their 75% Vanilla Nut blend. Exactly as they had promised I could not tell the difference between the Teeccino blend or a gourmet flavored coffee blend. This coffee is the answer for those looking to avoid late night caffiene, caffiene all together or the acidic effects that coffee drinking has on the body. Give this yummy "coffee" a try!

Jerky with a Jolt

Always looking for a caffiene fix I was very drawn to the whole concept of Perky Jerky. It is a GREAT concept I might add--
Perky Jerky is the world's first all-natural performance enhancing meat snack. Put simply, we've combined the most tender and flavorful beef jerky, with an extra dose of energy (caffeine, from the Guarana we add) to provide a jerky experience you won't find anywhere else. Whether you love it because it's the best tasting jerky around, or because it provides a nice little pick-me-up (similar to coffee or energy drinks), you're not alone. You'll find addicts in both camps.
Since I had a few packs of this I did decide to share and this jerky was called the "BEST jerky ever", "amazing taste" and a normally jerky hater is converted.

Add to my top 10 list

I am obsessed with frozen treats. I always end my night with them even though I live in Wisconsin and many months are spent bundled in blankets and layers of clothes on. Usually, I whip up some ice cream or something along those lines but recenty I had the EXTREME pleasure of trying Diana's Banana Babies. Many bloggers have RAVED about how good frozen bananas are and how creamy they taste when frozen. I kinda just thought-- its just a frozen banana BUT was I ever wrong. Diana's Banana Babies are the best thing I have had in a long, long time. For only 130 calories I can have a creamy, dreamy, dark chocolate coated frozen banana treat. I can not explain to you how well the chocolate and banana work together and how thick the coating of chocolate is! I was amazed at the sheer goodness of these. Lucky for me there are more varities to try out (although I can not imgine anything topping the dark choc + banana combo)-- milk chocolate and milk chocolate with peanuts. Stay tuned and in the meantime RUN do not walk to your grocery store to pick these up.

Squeeze on the Go!

I am always looking for more and more healthy snacks to pack on the go! When I am about and about running errands that is when temptation is at its highest. For a lot of parents, finding healthy snacks that kids actually want to eat can be a struggle as well. GoGo Squeeze is an ALL fruit applsauce that is squeezable and resealable. Depending on the situation you may just want to squeeze it right out of the package into your mouth but since I had people around I decided to squeeze my applesauce into a bowl. When I was squeezing I thought how perfect these would be for summer take-a-longs camping, hiking -- whatever! My first try was the AppleApple flavor and I can not wait to try the AppleCinnamon but they also have ApplePeach, AppleBanana and AppleStrawberry. So yummy!

Amy's Soups

Okay—does Amy’s make anything that is not absolutely phenomenal? They have quite a few product lines but I would like to talk about their soups! I have been eating soup like a maniac here lately. The cold, cold Wisconsin winter has really been getting to me and nothing is more comforting than a warm bowl of soup. Amy’s doesn’t scrimp on their ingredients either and their soups are so filling and good—they are truly a meal. I had their Spanish Rice & Red Bean, Southwestern Vegetable as well as the Chunky Tomato Bisque. Don’t even ask me to pick a favorite! They were all sooooooooo good. I am not typically a Tomato Soup kind of girl but Amy’s Tomato was different with real chunks of Tomato and perfectly seasoned. The Southwestern had such an array of vegetables and the Spanish Rice & Red Bean was thick and satisfying, it kept me full for hours. When I heated up the Spanish Rice & Red Bean at work it smelled so good that everyone was asking about it! You can find Amy’s products in most grocery stores, health food stores and if not you can find them online.

Auromere Toothpaste

I am really trying to lean towards more natural, healthy products in my home and in my body. That is why I am trying to apply this to every facet of my life—even my toothpaste. I was reading the ingredient list on my toothpaste and could not pronounce most of them and was amazed at the sheer amount on the tube! I have to admit when I first squeezed out a bit of my Auromere toothpaste I was a bit alarmed at the brownish tint—I am used to aqua blues, teal greens with bleach white stripes or even red gels but this was a thick, brownish paste. Well that paste tasted amazing—fresh and minty and it worked wonders in my mouth. My teeth felt so clean after using this paste and I felt better knowing that it was all-natural, still had whitening power, helped with sensitivity and removed plaque and tartar. Give this herbal paste a try!

Tropical Cavemen

What do you think of when you hear the word Cavemen? I used to think of hairy men, hardly dressed, carrying around clubs but now I will always think of cookies! Cavemen Cookies has a new variety—Tropical. They were a paradise in my mouth full of Tropical goodness. It is a chewy style, gluten free, cookie made up of all natural ingredients without using grains or dairy. Girls you will like this—only 65 calories per yummy cookie. Each one is made up with a base of nuts, fruits and honey—simple ingredients that will keep you full and satisfied. While the makers of the Cavemen cookies follow a typical Cavemen diet you don’t have to do this to enjoy these cookies!

Fabe’s Delicious Goodies

If you can conquer my sweet, sweet, sweet tooth-- then you know you have a good thing going. Fabe’s makes a huge variety of baked goods that you would never know you could fit into your dietary plan. At Fabe’s they cater to a large population whether you are just looking to take refined white sugar out of your diet, are going all natural, sugar free, organic, vegan, wheat free, or gluten-free Fabe’s has something for you. In my pictures you will see an enormous oatmeal raisin cookie that rivaled any I have had before and a rich, oohey, gooey brownie. I would NEVER ever know that these items were naturally sweetened—they taste better than the originals plus I didn’t have to make them! You can get your hands on their big cookies, mini cookies (everything is cuter smaller including these cookies), brownies or other goods. I have to give a special shoutout to Fabe’s peanut butter cookies—they stole my heart.

Sun & Earth

Sun & Earth carries a whole line of natural cleaning products and detergents that perform great, safeguard health and are non-toxic/ earth friendly. All of their products smell heavenly and no wonder—they are made of natural ingredients like coconut oils, orange oils and aloe. Safe for sensitive skin the hypo-allergenic detergents are a perfect fit for my overly dry, chapped skin. I was doubtful at how well their products would work considering the makeup was so natural so I put them to the test—the best way I knew how—my gym clothes! Yikes! I used the Unscented Laundry Detergent and dryer sheets and much to my amazement they were so fresh and fluffy without that greasy feeling that often coats my workout pants when I use dryer sheets. You can also see that my better half is using the spot stain removing pen on workout pants and the stain came out that has been set in for multiple washes! They are a favorite so we were so excited that these products worked so well. You can feel good using these products knowing your skin is safe and the environment will thank you. Check out their website for a whole assortment of products like dishwasher detergent, dish soap, glass cleaner and hand soap.

Cleanliness!

Who doesn’t love a clean house? It is almost a full-time job in itself to keep your house spic n’ span, laundry done, everything sanitary and add to it keeping your waste level down while doing it, not to mention the costs associated with solutions and supplies. I have recently become more and more aware of how wasteful keeping clean is. A paper towel here, another one there—tons and tons of chemicals polluting the air in my home. I have found a great solution and can not stop talking about it. E-Cloth! I have tried other re-usable cleaning supplies in the past have always been let down by their performance. Nothing I have tried compares to these Eco-friendly, handy, reusable assortment of cloths, mops and other keep-it-clean supplies. I have a few things that I find particularly hard to maintain like my stovetop, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and my floors (especially the cat hair). So here are my reviews and some pictures:

Furniture Pack: Made for deep cleaning on all furniture including wood, leather, glass, chrome and fabric. I tried this one on my wood headboard. I am extremely careful with this wood being that is maple that is only lightly treated. My expectations were totally surpassed with the fantastic job this thick cloth did. Just add a little bit of water to make it damp and wipe away. It did not leave that furniture polish film either—such a keeper!

Bathroom Pack: Chemical Free cleaning for all hard surfaces. Amazing. The thick absorbent cloth was perfect for my travertine shower walls. The polishing cloth wiped everything from the mirror to the chrome of the faucet clean. I love not having to spray and breathe chemicals while I am cleaning. Not to mention, I used to use 4 different cleaning products in the bathroom alone!

Kitchen Pack/ Range Stovetop pack: Awesome on stainless steel, worktops, glass, chrome, granite and wood. This is by far the room I clean the most often and use the most often. There are two cloths in this pack—a general purpose cloth and a glass & polishing cloth. I cleaned my stovetop, countertops and wiped up the faucet—everything. I am in awe about how great these work.

Mop—First off WOW. This is the sturdiest, highest quality mop I have ever seen. Everyone should own one of these. I have stone floors in my bathroom and kitchen and the rest of the house is wood flooring. It is hard to keep these clean and having pets, I have to clean it often. This mop has a very sturdy handle and well-crafted design to fit under the couch, coffee table, bed and it was SO soft that I used it to easily wipe my woodwork.

Is it normal to get so excited about cleaning products? I have to admit cleaning is almost a hobby and I REQUIRE a clean house so if these products impress me then they are worth checking out—the initial investment is worth saving on all those products, the safety of your family and ease of cleaning!

“Green is not a label, it’s a lifestyle”

I love that! Gypsystyle makes an array of incredibly cute eco-conscious stylish bags in a variety of colors, shapes, designs and sizes. Gypsystyle is founded on the belief that green living should be easy and affordable—as well as fashionable. When I got my totes from Gypsystyle I was immediately impressed with the quality, construction and thought put into these bags. Each bag has zippers, compartments, and storage all in the right spots not to mention the length of the handles are just perfect! Great for getting groceries, packing your bag for work, gym clothes, yoga bags—they have it all covered right on their website. Each bag is made of 100% recycled plastic using plastic soda bottles and wrappers creating Gypsystyle's signature weightless fabric that is very durable and has such a positive impact on the environment. On their website they give the straight up facts on just how harmful plastic bags are for our precious earth. Do your part to reduce waste and carry a Gypstyle bag!

Burn Baby Burn!

What if you could burn 100 calories or more just by sipping on a delicious sparkling drink? Sounds too good to be true right? Wrong! Celsius dietary supplement drink does just that with each great tasting can. Now how does it work? It works by raising the metabolism over a three hour period.

It sustains energy with its blend of scientifically tested MetaPlus ingredients. Of course, with anything else you should always combine supplements with proper diet and exercise. My take on this beverage is that it does raise the metabolism for a period of time—I could tell because my temperature raises for a period during and after drinking it. My favorite so far is the sparkling orange—yum! So far it seems like a great choice as a morning boost, I did feel a burst of energy each time I had one.

Its Perfect!

Check out my Perfect Foods bar that I had today as my afternoon snack. Have you ever had one of those peanut butter rice crispy treats? Yeah, you know what I am talking about. So yummy, crispy and peanut buttery all at the same time. Addicting little suckers! Well, my Perfect Foods bar brought me back to the sweet days of Peanut Butter rice crispy treats…. This bar was so good. It had tons of peanut buttery flavor – it is the main ingredient right after the puffed brown rice to give it the “crispy” flavor. I was so afraid that the cranberries were going to ruin my throwback to the rice crispy treat but they just enhanced the flavor! In addition, they snuck in a Whole Food powder! There was no detection of the -Sunflower Seed*, Sesame Seed*, Flax Seed*, Rice Bran*, Rose-Hip*, Orange*, Lemon*, Grapefruit*, Tomato*, Apple*, Bell Pepper, Papaya*, Mango*, Black Cherry, Cranberry, Fig, Alfalfa*, Celery*, Spinach*, Parsley*, Mint, Kelp*, Dulse*- that made up this health boosting powder!

Please don’t ask me to share!

Thanks Sean!

For creating such wonderful desserts! Sean’s food is committed to making sure that their desserts are suitable for all types of special dietary restrictions without tasting like there are any restrictions at all! You will find that Sean’s Foods products are organic, free of gluten, soy and casein and taste sinful. Sean’s has cookies, loaves, muffins, cakes, cupcakes as well as candy! Each treat is hand packaged and delivered fresh. The cupcakes we got had little tubs of creamy frosting that we could top them with. I tried one with, one without so I could fully experience the cake. The cake was so moist and had a natural vanilla flavor and the vanilla frosting was AMAZING like knock your socks off good. I also had the banana bread (in the same day) and warmed it just a bit in the microwave. The whole house smelled like freshly baked banana bread and I was so pleased at how well the banana flavor and the subtle hints of cinnamon worked so well for this bread. I can not believe that they created these delights while maintaining their strict dietary standards. Fabulous!

Fiery Goodness

Benito’s makes a smoking hot- hot sauce! I mean it is HOT but still has a great flavor. I often has the dilemma when I have a really hot sauce I can hardly decipher the flavors but Benito’s has the perfect blend of hot and tasty! This red lava is chock full of organic peppers, spices and handmade in Vermont.

Buy Local!

Cybros is located right here in Wisconsin and they make everything from healthy sprouted bread to hearty cookies. I am stuck on using Cybros sprouted bread for life now. I always buy sprouted bread due to the health properties but I am accustomed to crumbly, thin slices that need to be “dressed up” to taste good. Not Cybros, it was literally the best bread I have ever tasted. I just had it as toast with my dinner (could not wait), and have had it every day since. It is thick and stuffed with 7-grains including: Whole sprouted grains of wheat, oats, rye, barley, corn, rice and millet. I am so excited that I also have some Cybros cookies. If they are anything like their bread I am in for a real treat. Watch for me posting on these this week. Click here for a complete product line.

Fish Wish

I am so impressed with my new Yoga Mat from the Boulder Mat Company! It is called “Fish Wish” inspired by beautiful tattoos and encompassing the beauty of butterflies and fish. Besides how stylish and cute this mat is, it is ultra luxurious and thick. I had to take a picture of my old mat with my new thick mat so you could see just how thick and comfortable this mat really is. In addition to using it just for Yoga I will be using it for any exercise done on the floor—it already had its true test when put right onto the wood floors and my back was still padded comfortably!

Yum Nuts

My, my and I thought I had tried every cashew on the block but I was wrong. Yum Nuts has a whole line of cashews that have never passed my lips before and trust me, I remember my cashews. Here is the lineup of delicious flavors: Chocolate (it had to come first), Toasted Coconut, Chili Lime, Sea Salt, Honey and Spicy Cajun. I know what you are thinking—cashews roasted in oils and coated with flavorings to make them taste good, right? Not a chance! Yum Nuts makes their nuts taste amazing without adding artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners to make our nuts taste great. Now that is refreshing! The nuts are FABULOUS. Grab a handful!

The Yummy Kind

When I think about a Kind Bar I think of the delicious Fruit & Nut variety but there is so much more to the Kind Healthy Snacks line! Not only are they a company with a outstanding principles: ”KIND Snacks was founded on the principle of holistic “KINDness”: you need not sacrifice health for taste, or social mission for financial sustainability, nor your happiness for others.’ KIND Snacks not only helps fight growing health epidemics such as obesity and diabetes, but is totally transparent in its approach to create delicious, healthy food that looks and tastes delicious.

They were “kind” enough to supply me with more flavors than I ever even knew existed—check it out! My favorite by far was the Almond and Cashew PLUS bar – the ULTIMATE bar for nut lovers, enhanced with flaxseeds for a healthy boost. You can buy all these on their website (ppssst they even have some yogurt coated varieties).

A Sight To See!

Okay, I was literally shocked when I got home the other night. I was totally expecting a package from Diamond Organics but it was so much more than I ever could have imagined. Diamond Organics is an overnight home delivery service that delivers UNREAL organic prepared foods from Kathleen’s Organic Kitchen, Sampler Sets (anything from produce to flowers to meats), Gifts based on Holiday, Dairy Products, Fresh Fruits (VERY high quality), Fresh Veggies, Body Care, Raw Foods… I mean there is SO much and it is SUCH a special service since they cater to every single diet plan I have ever heard of using fresh ingredients from farmers, utilizing a strong set of company values and ensuring top quality with a guarantee on everything you order.

Get your bib ready because you are about to drool, here is what I got: The Wine/Cheese/ Fruit/ Salmon basket sampler- HUGE with fresh fruit, quality organic red wine, Jack Cheese and Smoked Salmon (Salmon warmed with Benzoil).

Then some prepared meals from Kathleen’s (note—I haven’t had to cook in days which is a treat onto itself). I got the Organic Spanakopita, California Sushi Roll (complete with sauce and it was huge—meal sized), Organic Black Bean Enchiladas, Minestrone Soup, Organic Pear Pecan Salad AND the Greek Salad.

Honestly, I was thrilled with every single last morsel. From the tip of my salads, to the insides of my fruit to the flaky layers of the Spanakopita – it was all so fresh, healthy and delicious. Today I made a fabulous fruit salad with two types of fresh pears, apples, oranges and kiwis! I will be enjoying this stuff a long time!

On the go – organized!

I love the principle of bringing my shopping bags everywhere and not adding to the garbage dump mess that we have. What I do hate though is them flying all over my car or the non-flexible ones sitting in my back seat. I hate clutter so that is exactly why I love my BAGGU: design bag. It folds up soooooooo tiny into this cute little square nylon pouch. I can stick in my purse, glove compartment—it would probably fit into my pocket for that matter. It is based on the form of a plastic bag but much better! It holds up to 25 pounds and weighs less than 2 ounces. I have my favorite shade of olive green but you can pretty much find anything to suit your style among their 50+ colors and prints—it also comes in 3 sizes.

Protein Shake Problem

So you are trying to be so good—getting every workout in that you have scheduled, eating right, drinking a protein shake after your strength training but somehow you can not get those lumps down your throat that are floating at the bottom. This can be a problem of the past! Blend Bottles have a built-in WHISK to blend those pesky lumps of powder into oblivion. Now this is just what I am using my blender bottle for, it gets better—there are even more uses! Blend salad dressings, marinades, shake up omelet’s or just use it as a water bottle! I was surprised when I got my bottle that it even had markings on the side to indicate ounces and milliliters which is so helpful.

nicobella

Vegan Organic Dark Chocolate Truffles. Or should I say Heaven? Who would have thought that by using all vegan, organic ingredients these uniquely delicious truffles could be made? Nicole graciously sent me a variety box for me to enjoy. Here are the flavors in my nicobella box: Walnut Flaxseed Crunch, Sunflower Banana Butter, Pumpkin Chai, Blueberry Almond, Ginger Green Tea, Pure Cocoa Bliss.
You probably think I went straight for the Pure Cocoa but I was totally adventurous and went for the Sunflower Banana Butter: Sunflower seed butter blended with banana creates a silky smooth truffle and adds unique flavor to this luscious ganache that is rich in Vitamin E.

It was rich, creamy and delicious. I am a dark chocolate fanatic and saw that they use 70% -- that just added to the yumm factor of the truffle. Here are the nutritionals for the Banana variety:
Nutrition Information-1 piece
Calories 52
Carbohydrate 3g
Protein 1g
Fat 4g
Beat that with another truffle! They are so fresh that they must be consumed this week—lucky me…

Susta!

There are so many sweeteners out there and trust me, I have tried them all. I like things sweet, I mean really sweet. My motto is “the sweeter the better”! So rarely do I use just regular pure sugar… I would have to use a ton of it and the calories really add up. I rely on more of the Natural line of low cal sweeteners and have been experimenting to find what works with what. I had not yet found one that tastes good sweetening up certain items such as my protein brownies without any aftertaste but yet really sweet and yummy! Here it is—Susta sweetener. “A healthy alternative to table sugar and artificial sweeteners” AND “Turns calories into healthy energy” are their slogans. Sign me up! I had to see what this was all about because the taste is great. Susta is made up of all things I can pronounce and want in my body. In addition, the Susta blend contains probiotics, supports digestive health and is a low G.I. food. One packet is equal to the sweetness of two teaspoons of sugar. So here was my protein brownie that turned out excellent using 3 packets- I would have been eating 6 teaspoons of sugar! Yikes! You can buy Susta online—Lucky YOU!

What do you get when you cross Organic White Tea Leaves & Whole Fruits?

Teather! It is a dried fruit strip made with natural ingredients—whole tart pieces of fruit pressed with white tea leaves. I know when you hear fruit strip you think of those flimsy, sugar laden “roll ups”… well this is the very sophisticated, unique, grown up version that tastes amazing. Not only does it taste good it makes for an easy, healthy snack to carry with you to work, gym, errands—just about anything so you are never stuck reaching for something unhealthy. I ate my Teather treats right out of the package but when I was perusing their website I came across the ideas that they had of “putting it atop breakfast cereals, salads, or yogurts or for a wholesome trail mix, combine with dark chocolate and nuts. Pair with red wine.” Now they are talking! Point being—amazing on its own and I am sure you would be delighted having it paired just about anywhere you would use regular fruit. They have three flavors: Berry Cherry Açaí, Strawberry Pomegranate and Mango Goji Citrus.

Here they are in the order of my faves:
Berry Cherry Acai (pictured) offers a well-balanced blend of blueberries, cherries and acai berries with slight background notes of white tea and subtle hints of chocolate.
Flavors of strawberry and pomegranate predominate Strawberry Pomegranate. Notes of white tea are less evident in this especially fruity and slightly sweeter version.
Mango Goji Citrus, a robust citrus background flavor accentuates a provocative combination of mangoes and goji berries and a refreshingly tart taste.
Buy it online!

No Feathers Please

Allergy sufferers have been able to start finding relief recently from numerous companies offering everything from food to bedding geared towards different allergies. At No Feathers Please, they provide alternatives to chemically laced and commercially produce bedding - especially important for allergy sufferers. I got a beautiful organic cotton throw that has a crocheted weave pattern in organic cotton. It is a gorgeous, natural cream color that is truly inspired by nature. One of the features I love about it is that I can throw it in the washer and then tumble it dry! This would make a great gift for your organic friend or yourself! They have so many more offerings on their website including other organic cotton items, wools, feather-free bedding and so much more!