Say it 10 times fast-- Allergaroo All Natural

Bet you can't do it! But you can enjoy Allegroo's All Natural rice (yes, rice) pasta style dishes. Catered towards kids with their bright packaging and alligator mascot the taste is surprisingly grown up. Thick, rich sauce and penne style noodles make this great for adults too. Plus the calorie count is ideal for adults if paired with a salad or another small side dish. All Allergaroo products are manufactured so that they maintain strict allergen protocols and contain none of the 8 most common food allergens (wheat (gluten), milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish and shellfish). There are three varieties of these noodles-- Spyglass (Penne Rice Pasta with Tomato Sauce), Spaghetti (Rice Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce) and Chili Mac (Elbow Rice Pasta with Mild Chili Sauce and Pinto Beans).

What I am enjoying right now!

A bag of freeze dried bananas! Ariel Natural Foods has created these allnatural Fruitwell Freeze Dried snacks for us to enjoy! They made the bags totally handy and resealable (if you can resist munching the whole bag that is). I really love freeze dried fruit. When you are looking to snack it provides that CRUNCH that satisfies you yet if you choose right it will be a totally healthy snacking alternative. Grab a bag of Fruitwell and you will be getting ONLY fruit-- no oils, sugars, preservatives or any other funky ingredients that you can not pronounce. The fruit is high quality and naturally rich in vitamins and minerals. They have pineapple, apple, banana and mango! They had some fruit facts that I wanted to share since I didn't know some of them myself-- The mango had me at " relieving clogged pores of the skin" and who ever knew that a fruit could help with acidity?! Read on:
Pineapple: Pineapple is full of nutrients that include Calcium, Potassium, fiber and Vitamin C. They are also full of manganese, a trace mineral that is needed for your body to build bone and connective tissue. The benefits of pineapple when you have a cold or cough are the same benefits as orange juice, but there is an additional benefit. Pineapple also contains Bromelain, which has been found to suppress coughs and loosen mucus.
Apple: "An apple a day..." Apples are a great source of fiber, and are great detoxifiers. Though the Vitamin C content is smaller in Apples than some other fruit, experts have found that is it more potent. They can also help to destroy viruses in the body.

Banana: Bananas are rich in vitamin B6 and they are a good source of fiber, vitamin C, magnesium and potassium. Lack of B6 in a diet can cause weakness, irritability and insomnia. The potassium found in bananas helps to regulate blood pressure and may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.Potassium is also essential for helping muscles to contract properly during exercise and reduces cramping up.
Mango: Mangoes contain phenols; this phenol compound has powerful antioxidant andanticancer abilities. Mango is also high in iron, pregnant women and people with anemia are advised to eat this fruit regularly. Great news for ladies, mango is also good for relieving clogged pores of the skin. It is also valuable to combat acidity and poor digestion. It is high in antioxidantsand low in carbohydrates. Mango is a great source of vitamin A (beta-carotene), E and Selenium which help to protect against heart disease and other ailments.

Coffee House in House

I love fancy coffee drinks-- hate the fancy prices and most of all the poor nutritionals. Most of the coffee houses pack their drinks with creams and sugary syrups to make it taste good. This drink rivals any of those and has awesome stats. Here is what I did:
I cup of black coffee
1 scoop Javanu protein creamer
2 tablespoons Monin Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup
Mix and enjoy!

What is Javanu?"Javanu Premium Protein Creamer is the first of its kind. This protein supplement is scientifically designed for hot coffee (usable in other hot beverages) and formulated for discerning coffee drinkers. It tastes great, mixes easily, and provides nutrition and satiation while enhancing your coffee experience . With Javanu you get nutrition, energy and satiety in a delicious, convenient, all natural product."
I highly suggest visiting their website. There is a ton of information about protein supplementation, calorie control and product usage ideas. Javanu is right for many people but I fit into the category of wanting to add flavor to my coffee without empty or sugar laden calories.

A bit about Monin Sugar Free syrups. First off, they taste just like the coffee house syrups without all the sugar! Perfect! They have tons off flavors too (Almond, Amaretto, Blackberry, Caramel , Chocolate, Hazelnut, Irish Cream, Peach, Raspberry, Strawberry, Vanilla and White Chocolate)-- I can see these being used in much more than just drinks... Check back for more recipes coming soon!

Detour Lean Muscle Cookie Dough Caramel Crisp

Take a look at the picture and tell me if I need to say anymore:

Its like a candy bar with chunky cookie dough, layers of caramel and chocolate melded with crispies. Its much better than a candy bar though because it is fortified with 32 grams of quality protein and only 3 grams of sugar. It packs 20 vitamins and minerals, omega 3's and their exclusive OptiFlax blend. Oh nom nom nom!

You did what to my fruit?

Yes-- I love fruit! This freeze dried fruit is a whole new breed than what I am used to! I was pleasantly suprised when I ripped open the packages of freeze dried fruit by Today's Farms. They have original varities and in addition they freeze dry whole pieces! My strawberries were whole berries! Huge chunks of pineapple and get this-- they even have peaches. I had cinnamon apples and they are heavenly! Read what they have to say:
Welcome to Justus Foods, Inc., home of "Today's Farm" Freeze-dried Fruits and Vegetables. It's hard to believe that our 100% Natural Freeze-Dried Snack is packed full of nutrition with "No Preservatives". ...It's like fresh picked fruit! We do not use any "Products of China". Our Apples are from Michigan, Strawberries & Peaches are from California, and our Pineapple is from either Costa Rica or Honduras. When you need an alternative to processed snacks, pick a bag of "Today's Farm" and know that you've made a smart choice!* A low calorie snack!* 100% All Natural!* No Preservatives!* No Fat or Cholesterol!* "Crispy-Crunch" texture!* "On-the-go" convenience!* Don't wait! Order some today! (You heard them go there now!)

Gourmet Kitty

Here is my little guy enjoying the good life.

He is eating a treat by Life’s Abundance formulated for Healthy Skin and Coat. I have a picky treat eater on my hands and he gobbled these right up! I really like that Life's Abundance caters their treats towards cats grooming habits and hair buildup that accumulates in the stomach-- my baby boy is a serious groomer and these treats might just be the help he needs for his insides.

Chocolate Brownie -- Pure Fit Bar

Award Winning, All Natural, Vegan, High Protein, Low GI, 40/30/30 macroratio-- how could this possibly taste good? Well it was simply incredible.

I  could tell that all the products used were Grade A+. It was like a brownie with chunks of almonds and a rich cocoa flavor with the perfect amount of sweetness. Usually I gobble things right up but I slowed down and savored every morsel of this bar. My favorite part of this bar is their support of the Best Friends Animal Society. Please check out these Pure Fitbars but also the Best Friends Animal Society and show some love to our furry friends. For anyone that doubts the flavor or health of vegan items please purchase one of these bars and pass it on!

ROUTE 11 POTATO CHIPS

While I don't typically feature potato chips these Route 11 chips are worth it! In a multitude of flavors and hand-made these chips are awesome. All the varities are created with high quality, hand chosen ingredients. They take the time to pick out the best potatoes, create unique seasoning blends anduse a high quality oil. (If you live nearby you can even go there on "fry day" to watch the goodness go down). With award winnings under their belts they hardly need my praise but these are outstanding and worth seeking out. If you go to their website, they have a store locator and a presence inmost states. I can not wait to try all the varities but so far have had thel ightly salted and the sweet potato-- O.M.G.

The sweet potato chips are not only gorgeous to look at the taste is equally as beautiful. Check out theseother flavors that they have: Sweet Potato Cinnamon & Sugar, BBQ, Dill Pickle, Sour Cream N Chive, Chesapeake Crab, Salt N Vinegar, Garlic N Herb, Mama Zuma's Habenero, Mama Zuma's Green Chile Enchilada and Hayman (seasonal). You HAVE to at least visit the website to check out the chipbags-- flames, cowgirls-- there is a whole lot going on!
P.S. They have recipe ideas on there as well for their chips! Who would have thought??? I might not ruin an already great thing but who knows theyare pretty inspiring to get creative!

Salad and Snacks

This weekend I had a side salad with my dinner. Normally, I am not too excited about a salad but I had a new salad topping MIX! Its by Aurora.

They feature grab and go snacks including nuts and dried fruits as well as this awesome salad topping mix with cranberries, nuts, seeds and sesame sticks. Mmmmm! Changed a dull salad to a yummy side dish. I also had their raw almonds and raw pecans.

They were both such quality nuts-- big and fresh. They have tons of products including: Raw Nuts, Roasted Salted Nuts, Roasted Unsalted Nuts, Dried Fruits, Trail Mixes, Granola and Candy (yes candy!) with a healthy flair. Check it out!

Popcorn Popper

I have been meaning to buy a popcorn popper for some time now. The microwave kind just usually isn't up to par and all the additives in the packaged kind usually drives me away but this weekend I had a wholesome, popcorn snack by Good Health. Here is the blurb from their website about the Organic variety: It’s a mouth-watering story, starting with the plumpest, most tender gourmet popcorn – carefully selected from local organic-certified farms.Then we lovingly air-pop all those premium kernels into fluffy white bursts of natural goodness. And, like all good popcorn, you will naturally find kernels at the bottom of the bag. It was so good, and so naturally guilt free. So until I get my popper I will stick with Good Health!

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert

I could eat this Partners granola for any meal, snack or dessert and be satisfied. That is how good it is! Now, I do have a weakness for granola but this was off the charts. Crunchy, sweet and just plain good. So here is their descriptions and my takes on them!
Gourmet MultiGrain Granola: If you have trouble keeping kids interested in cereal that is good for them, then this is your answer. This terrific chunky blend of nuts and grains is the greatest cereal or snack ever. Sweetened with honey and currants this mixture is slow baked to lock in the crispness of all the ingredients. Great as a snack or meal this all natural no sugar added granola is high in fiber from rolled oats barley and rye and has no preservatives. Great healthy munchin'!
My take: KIDS?! I must be a giant kid because this was my favorite. I couldn't believe how sweet this variety was without added sugar or fruits.It was so simple and good, hands down my favorite. I can not imagine that anyone could not like this cereal, topper, snack, meal!

Harvest Fruit: Sour cherries, dried cranberries, apricots and blueberries make this a flavor explosion. This mix of all natural harvest fruits tingles the tastedbuds with a sweet and tart combination created with only fruit and honey. The best for snacking!
My take: It was truly a flavor explosion. I had it in a bowl like a cereal but it would be scrumptious for just digging it straight out of the bag. It was sweet and tart all while keeping that great granola crunch from the multi-grain variety.
Green Apples and Cinnamon: Tart green apples and fragrant cinnamon make this breakfast standard a gourmet treat. No preservatives and sweetenedonly with honey and fruit, this all natural breakfast is excellent as a snack or topping.
My take: Have not yet tried this one, but I will. It sounds fabulous. I love the use of the green apples since I typically only see dried red apples. Yum!
Check out Partners, they have other organic snacks like cookies and crackers too!

Detour Lower Sugar Bars

Detour Lower Sugar Bars have the nutritional stats that I look for when choosing a bar. High protein, low sugar, low calories. Bonus-- they taste great too! I had both the Chocolate Creamy Peanut Butter and the Caramel Peanut. I tagged the PB one to be my favorite before trying but it was the Caramel Peanut that won my heart and my taste buds. It was like a healified snickers bar! Layered with a high protein nougat, then caramel and a good dose of peanuts on the top all wrapped up in a chocolate shell. The creamy PB one was very good too, you really can not go wrong with a combo of chocolate and peanut butter. I have to give these bars an A+ for sure. With the winning nutritionals and winning taste you really can not beat these bars for a great snack on the go or paired with some fruit for a quick breakfast.

Bubbies!

I love pickles. Who doesn't? Low calorie delights right? All varieties are good with me-- bread & butter, dills or anything else you throw at me. They are so versatile too-- pair with a sandwich, boca burger or just straight out of the jar. You know you are getting a quality, fresh pickle when they are in the refrigerated section. It was hard to choose which Bubbie's I wanted to pickup yesterday. I chose the dills. On the outside of the jar there was a message to "Shake until Cloudy" so I shook my pickle jar and watched all the spices and whole peppercorns float all around my glorious pickles. I popped open the top and it smelled amazing. They did indeed taste very fresh and were so good, it was truly a gourmet delight. Bubbies has a few other varieties that I am dying to try!

Flips, Tricks and Somersaults!

Its rare you come across a snack food that is truly different than anything you have tried before. These are all-natural nuggets made of toasted grains, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and various spices to make up three flavors: S.S. Sea Salt, Chez Cocoa and Salty Pepper. Somersaults are balanced with the perfect amount of protein, fiber and nutrients for a handy, portable snack that is original and tastes great.
S.S. Sea Salt-- One taste of this nugget will have you cheering ahoy! When we created our original flavor, S.S. Sea Salt, we knew we were on tosomething. S.S. Sea Salt brings to life the toasted perfection of a sunflower seed with the subtle hint of sesame rounded out with savory saltsfrom the sea.

Chez Cocoa-- Not too salty, not too sweet, but just right. The cocoa flakes in our Chez Cocoa give a perfect delight for moms and kids alike. Blended rich cocoa, toasted grains and sunflower seeds baked into the perfect sweet treat, mmm très bon! (Just 150 calories)
Salty Pepper-- Arr, the spicy side of life. Cracked ground pepper blendedwith a savory mix of garlic and onion gives this toasted creation theperfect bite. Put the wind in your sails once .

Low Carb Meatless Spaghetti Dish

2 packages Shiraki Noodles
1 small can No Salt Added Tomato Sauce
1 shallot or onion (I used Melissa's brand)
Handful of mushrooms
Galaxy grated Parmesan topping (YUM!)

Boil noodles for about 5 minutes, rinse, pat dry and set aside. Saute the shallot* with the mushrooms, then add sauce. Let simmer and season. Add the noodles to the pan and let it get hot with the lid on stirring frequently.Top with Galaxy Foods grated Parmesan topping (2 tsps only 15 calories).
*As a member of the onion family, Melissa’s French Shallots are tender intexture, mild in flavor (less pungent than the onion), and quick-cooking. (From Melissa's website)

Boca Burger on Wheat Bun

This was a great dinner! A boca burger with romaine lettuce on a Rudi's Organic Bakery Wheat bun. Served with a side of sweet potato fries with dipping sauce (not pictured) click on link for recipe!

Tastes like............. Honey! Check me for recipes!

I usually avoid honey in my recipes for a few reasons but Nature's Hollow honey tastesjust like the real deal, acts like the real deal but is made with a naturalsweetner, honey flavor and spring water. When I got mine in the mail theoptions just started flooding into my head! In my green tea, coffee,yogurt, cereal and RECIPES! Here are a few I made, they all turned outwonderful tasting-- thanks to the honey. You get a big tablespoon servingsize for a measly 21 calories, no fat, sodium and 0 effective carbs.Natures Hollow also makes sugar free jams, syrups and low carb ketchup. Oh the opportunities. Now order some and try my recipes!

High Protein Sugar Free Honey Balls (No Bake)
The first time I made these I made a big batch to supposedly be treats fora couple of days. They were SO good that they all went down the hatch sothis is for a single serving of protein balls or one big one!
1 teaspoon Sugar Free Honey
1 teaspoon Naturally More Almond Butter OR peanut butter (any nut butter will work)
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/8 cup fiber cereal
Mix together and leave in fridge a few hours until completely firm. So simple, so good!
Variations on the recipe: add seeds, nuts, chocolate nibs, sub vanilla ppfor chocolate, sub cereal for granola, add raisins or flax! The key ingredient in this recipe is the honey, it adds a sweetness and acts as a binder. If you add optional ingredients you will need to use more of the honey.

Pro-oat Cookies or Oatloaf
1 cup rolled oats
1 heaping scoop vanilla protein powder
1/4 cup carb countdown milk
1 egg (or equivelent)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 cup sugar free honey
Blend wet ingredents mixing very well. Add to oats and protein powder. Stiruntil all ingredients are binding like a sticky dough, then form into miniballs and place on Pam sprayed baking sheet. Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes. Let cool and store in airtight container. You can also pour batter into sprayed loaf pan and bake a bit longer-- add some baking powder and let stay in oven until knife comes out clean.
Optional add ins: dried fruit, cinnamon, PB powder, chopped nuts MORE coming soon!

Flax4life Muffins

Healthy and muffins in the same sentence without having to slave over the oven. Usually muffins are a very scary thing! They are packed with oils, flour, sugar and other naughty things to make them taste good. They are really glorified cakes but Flax4life makes ones that are nutritionally sound and taste wonderful. They pack omega 3's, 10 grams of fiber each (Promotes healthy digestion and weight control ) and lingnans which helps to maintain breast and prostate health). These goodies have No Preservatives, No Cholesterol, No Hydrogenated Fats and No Trans Fats. Each pack of muffins hold 4 and you get 4 packs to a case when you order online.The flavors are fabulous-- Faithful Carrot Raisin, Tantalizing Cranberry &Orange, Wild Blueberry (which is shown in the picture), Chunky Chocolate Chip and Hawaiian Pineapple & Coconut. They ship for free and you can freeze them if you do not plan on eating them right away (there are nopreservatives so this is necessary). I warmed mine in the microwave for about 30 seconds and had alongside some hot chocolate. Mmmmm!

Want to be happy?

Try Glad Corn! It is sooooooooo good! Gluten-free, sugar-free and high fiber corn snack! I tried the "original" flavor and it was like a partially popped kernel with a touch of salt. No greasiness at all-- just a munchy snack that could be eaten as is, as an addition to trail mixes or as a topping for soups and salads. Each serving only has 140 calories with grains and fiber to boot. Glad Corn has other flavors besides the fantatic original like bar-b-que, gourmet cheddar and jalapeno. These are tucked away in my desk drawer for safe keeping.

Top of the Crop

Not that long ago raw diets started storming the headlines, turning recipes upside down and grabbing a lot of curiosity. What is a raw diet? You can do quite a bit of research to find how to transition into raw dieting, what makes up a raw diet etc but Raw Revolution summed it up like this:

"Raw, living foods are clean, and have higher nutrient content than cooked food. Processed foods such as protein isolates and grain based fillers are acidic and cause fermentation in the body. Raw Organic foods are closest to their natural state, bringing us closer to healing ourselves and the global ecology."
I don't expect that a total raw diet is the right fit for everyone but I do think everyone should give raw products a try. The ingredients used are wholesome and the methods of preperation are unique giving raw food an edge in the health food market. In reading all I have about raw food diets, seeing it featured on cooking shows and talking to folks who practice raw dieting I wondered how the food tastes? I have tried quite a few raw items but these bars are a star in their own right. All the flavors combined make them decadent while still being gluten free, vegan (animal free), wheat-corn-soy-transfat-cholesterol and refined sugar free. Check out the perfect combination of ingredients: INGREDIENTS: CASHEW, DATES, AGAVE NECTAR, ALMONDS, SPROUTED FLAX SEED (THAT IS IT) oh and the packaging is super trendy and fun!

Eat well for less

• Buy frozen fruits and veggies
• Price shop online (many companies will ship right to you)
• Visit websites to hunt for coupons
• Swap out meats for other protein sources like eggs, beans, whey
• Buy in bulk
• Bring your lunch to work and snacks on the go
• Buy a good water bottle, carry it with you
• For a treat, eat at a healthy restaurant (look at my reviews) and go during the day for lunch time prices or pick off the appetizer menu
• Buy better quality foods which satisfy you better than cheap, processed foods

Simple really is better!

The motto at Whole Life Pet Products is "Simple is Better"-- they use human grade meats to produce fine dog and cat foods-- as well as "snacks" aka treats in my house. Here is Spencie enjoying a piece of pure meat chicken (freeze dried):

Pure Meat Chicken

100% Pure White Meat Chicken

Ingredients: Human Grade USDA approved white breast meat chicken

(about 3 calories per piece) -- perfect for him since he is older and a sleep monster

I would buy these for my boys for their regular rotation. After comparing the ingredients on their normals bags of snacks I was shocked!

Maine Cottage Chocolate De-LITES!

DROOL!

I had to put that out there right away. This is a crunch bar, like the kind you have when you are a kid but the grown up version by Maine Cottage Foods. They have a ton of sweet items including low carb brownies, chocolate- fruit mixes, cupcakes, candy bars and barks. Their chocolate is amazing. I must have checked the labels 10 times to make sure I was reading right. They use erythritol as their sweetner and while it costs more but it is so low on the glycemic index. I have linked the Glycemic Index site but here is some benefits taken from the website specifically related to lower GI diets:

What are the Benefits of the Glycemic Index?

Eating a lot of high GI foods can be detrimental to your health because it pushes your body to extremes. This is especially true if you are overweight and sedentary. Switching to eating mainly low GI carbs that slowly trickle glucose into your blood stream keeps your energy levels balanced and means you will feel fuller for longer between meals.
Low GI diets help people lose and manage weight
Low GI diets increase the body's sensitivity to insulin
Low GI carbs improve diabetes management
Low GI carbs reduce the risk of heart disease
Low GI carbs improve blood cholesterol levels
Low GI carbs can help you manage the symptoms of PCOS
Low GI carbs reduce hunger and keep you fuller for longer
Low GI carbs prolong physical endurance
High GI carbs help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise

Now why would you not want to have all these benefits and your cake too? I also had the milk chocolate penaut bark (yes, I will admit in the same sitting)-- check it out:

Carmelized Peppers

Peppers taste especially good with a little brown-ness to them. Spray pan with PAM or your choice of non-stick cooking spray. Place fresh peppers into pan and heat on medium. When water accumulates in the pan from the peppers strain and re-spray pan, then add peppers again on high heat. They turn out so good!

More 5 star snacks!

Newman's makes a host of great foods. Here are some more of my favorites:
Hint O' Mint Chocolate creme filled cookies-

Enjoy with a glass of milk!

Salted Pretzel Sticks-- crispy crunchy goodness!

Bare Fruit

I love fruit! Fresh fruit, freeze dried fruit, dehydrated fruit and now there is a new one to add to the list. Bake dried fruit! Good stuff -- no added sugar, preservatives just organic fruit. I wanted to read up on how the Bare Fruit snacks company makes these succulent wholesome treats that I adore. Here is what they have to say:

"Baked, Not Fried - Bare Fruit is cored, sliced and baked in wood-burning ovens for over 10 hours, at a very low temperature, to preserve nutrients, freshness, and taste." The taste is unreal and something you could not recreate at home. Another great thing about these fruits are the varities cherries, pears, mangos, granny smith apples, fuji apples and for my all time favorite Bare Fruit snack-- CINNAMON APPLES. Just organic apples and cinnamon but it tastes like apple pie. The apples they use are perfectly sweet and balance the cinnamon perfectly. This is my new on the go or even lounging on the couch no guilt snack.

Saucy!

Check out this dinner! Pizza- yes pizza! And not cheat meal pizza either. A natural, delicious, "gluten free & fabulous" cheese pizza. A thin, crispy gluten free crust topped with mozzarella cheese, organic sauce and their very own organic seasoning. So tasty! Thought you couldn't eat pizza on a Monday night? Think again!

Check out the Gluten Free & Fabulous website for more MEAL options like mac & cheese and quinoa pasta with marinara! To end your meal on a "fabulous" note check out their creative cookies in flavors like butterscotch, sweet savory, brownie bites (yumm!), chocolate chip and shortbread. Ordering from this website is a great idea because a portion of the proceeds go to Celiac Sprue Association!

Newman's Own Organics Soy Crisps

Newman's Own is now a popular household brand but the story behind them is amazing. They strive to deliver the highest quality ingredients while maintaining standards that most food companies don't hold themselves to. In addition, Newman's Own makes huge charitable donations worldwide. But on to the food! The soy crisps in Cinnamon Sugar are amazing. I had these first because I am on a serious Cinnamon kick! Look at the nutrition facts:
Cinnamon Sugar: Serving Size: 1 oz, Calories per Serving: 120, Calories from fat: 35, Total Fat: 4g (saturated fat: 0gm, trans fat: 0g), Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 170mg, Total Carbohydrates: 15g (dietary fiber: 3g, sugars: 4g), Protein: 7g
No cholesterol, low in carbs for a crispy crunchy snack and only 120 calories while giving you a big dose of protein. They taste amazing too! Just the right amount of Cinnamon Sugar! Check them out!

Out of Season Fruit

There isn't really a day that goes by that I don't crave strawberries. I love them! I mostly eat them plain but they are so great in recipes as well. Yum! When they are not in season though the stock at the store usually leaves much to be desired in both taste and price. There is a solution! North Bay Trading Company is a family owned, organic company located right here in Wisconsin. They have a variety of freeze + air dried fruits and veggies as well as soups and wild rice on their site. The nice thing about these berries is that you can eat them exactly how they are but they also have directions for hydrating them to use other ways. They keep good for up to 24 months in the reclosable packaging (not that you could resist them for this long). So far, I ate the berries and the bag was chock full of high quality sliced strawberries. Check them out:

Get these now and bring a little summer into the cold winter months!

The Muffin Man

I have posted about a chocolate chip cookie I have had from the peeps at Gluten Free Life and boy was that ever good! But this muffin was even better. I know, it is hard to top oohey goohey chocolate chips but this apple pie muffin was so good with real pieces of apple, subtle spices and a real apple pie flavor. Visit their website to find out about their unique facility and baking ingredients.

Health, Activity and Playtime for your pets!

Activity is just as vital for your pets as it is for you. Not only is it important for their cardiovascular health but for their mental health as well. Many pets sit home all day un-stimulated and need the activity and interaction from their "parents" when they return. I have daily rituals with my cats-- well Spencie is old and it is hard to get him moving but he gets his wild streaks. Dexter is a play fanatic. We thought he would calm down once he got out of his teenager stage but he has not slowed down a bit. He knows when the alarm goes off he has play time with me before I get in the shower, I build this time into my day and probably look forward to it more than he does. I see his glowing eyes waiting for me downstairs every morning. We have a ton of toys but he has his favorites. Even cats do not need much to entertain them and get them moving. I like to make sure he does a bit of running and streching and most importantly-- thinking. This time spent together, even if its only 15 mintues means so much to both of us and has really bonded us together. I get the "lovey eyes" constantly! Speaking of my little devil:

Vivi’s Carnival Mustards

I am a huge fan of mustards- spicy, sweet, and traditional! I love it all. I heard so much buzz about Vivi’s Carnival Mustards so I had to get my hands on them myself. My Vivi’s mustards came packaged so nicely and even had a little jar opener and some recipes. Vivi’s makes three awesome varieties of their famous spreads—original (my fave), sizzling chipotle and roasted garlic. My excitement could not be contained so I opened each sauce and dipped pretzel sticks into them. They were more than mustard—they were saucy, unique and some of them very bold. I was so impressed with the flavors. The original I used later on my boca burger. The roasted garlic I slathered on my egg and broccoli quiche and the chipotle went on bean tacos. I can not begin to explain the endless possibilities for these condiments. I tried to capture the goodness of these sauces but you have to just check them out for yourself. Coming soon—these sauces are going to make appearances in my pitas! Yum yum yum!

Yummy Asparagus and one of my favorite websites

Asparagus is so good! I like it steamed, roasted and sautéed. It is in the Worlds Healthiest Foods list! This website is such a great point of reference! Just thought I would share. And here is my bunch from last night!

Perfected: Deep Chocolate Brownie

So I have perfected the microwave protein brownie, now I can not stop myself from making these all day long! You have to try this.
2 scoops chocolate protein powder of choice
2 tablespoons dark chocolate cocoa powder
sweetner
just a little water to make a very thick batter

Microwave until it is cooked through. It tastes just like a fresh from the oven brownie. I am not kidding!

Mix Batter:

Bread of Life Gluten Free Products

Who doesn't love cookies? But not all cookies love everyone back. If you have intolerances, sensitivities or special diet needs most cookies are not made with you in mind but these are. The cookies from Gluten Free Life are amazing but so is the company, they care about their consumers. Just checking out their website I knew how much they care "Gluten Free Life's gluten free facility is wheat free, tree nut free, lactose free, oat free, barley free and rye free. We are striving to produce as safe a product as possible for the gluten free community." AND they care about animals "Our free range eggs come from birds that live in the sunshine and have normal chicken lives. They are not fed antibiotics or any other drugs so that no traces of such drugs can be found in the food we make for you. Factory chickens are routinely fed drugs and live out their "lives" caged in small cells. We feed free range eggs to our families because we feel they are superior to other eggs. We see our customers as an extension of our own families and want you to be nourished and blessed by the foods we produce." So how are their products you ask? Well, a chocolate chip cookie does not last long in my household so this was devoured first last night and my taste buds exploded. For the minimal ingredients used I was a bit skeptical but they worked magic on the cookies! Wow! I warmed in the microwave and had with a small glass of milk for a bedtime treat. The cookie was big, chewy and full of chocolate chips-- just how I like it. Watch tomorrow for my Apple Pie Muffin, yes APPLE PIE! Please visit their website and order up from their bakery-- you will not be disappointed!

Oh Nuts!

I love the name of this brand! Oh Nuts!!! Not only do I love the name but I love the product. Last night, I had the raw cashews. They were huge, white and creamy! I could tell just by looking at them that they were probably the best cashew I had ever had and I was right. The quality was so top notch. I have bought raw cashews from all sorts of places-- in bulk, specialty stores and by name brands but nothing has ever compared to these. In case you are not familiar with "raw" nuts it just means there is nothing added to them (oil, salt, sugars etc) and they have not been processed. Doing anything to these cashews would have been a crime. From the Oh Nuts website I see that they import only the best! Check it out for yourself.