NuGo Nutrition Bars

We all NEED that extra burst of nutrition here and there—NuGo Nutrition Bars have just the solution. NuGo Bars are perfect for the whole family meeting a whole range of nutritional needs—their website is even designed to find your perfect bar by your specific goals. What else is great is the taste of these bars. I had the Chocolate Chocolate Chip NuGo Dark Bar this mid-morning as my snack and was blown away by the taste. You would never know that this was not a treat but actually a wholesome snack. The key? They use real dark chocolate and the most wholesome ingredients possible making them chock full of protein and whole grains. I also have the Peanut Butter Chocolate, Vanilla Yogurt and Chocolate left to try—I am so excited! In addition, they have Organic, Raw, Low Carb, Kosher, vegan, fruit & fiber, sugar-free, gluten, soy, & dairy free, and 100% natural. Order their sample pack to see which one of the bars is your favorite!

Prairie Pride Farm

Okay, my new find—Prairie Pride Farm of Minnesota is going to be a regular on my blog. Last night, I got a huge shipment of their bacon, pork chops, brats, chicken links, chicken sausage, cheddar filled sausage, summer sausage, ham and wieners. Dinner was decided! My mouth was just watering looking at all the farm fresh meats! I knew though that once I saw the Cheddar Smoked Sausages that my previous dinner plan flew right out of the window. Not to mention the nutritional stats on it beats any of those that I have seen for a Cheddar Sausage. Their sausages are naturally cured without the use of nitrates and pack in an amazing flavor. The cheddar sausage was bursting with cheddar cheese in a tasty sausage shell. All the sausages are 85% lean, low salt and very fresh. I love the meats that I got from Prairie Pride Farm, you too can order your meat right there online. They pack it up really nice and ship it right to you. I will be eating and reviewing tons of other products from them in the next few weeks. In the meantime, order your meat just in time for grilling season!

My Michele

Handmade in small batches with all natural ingredients must be the keys to making this granola taste so good! Michele's Granola Original bakes her granola with care using wholesome, fresh and organic ingredients making all the unique varieties heart healthy. You can choose from these special blends (or try them all): Original, Pumpkin Spice, Ginger Hemp and Cherry Chocolate Macadamia Nut. I highly recommend you get your hands on my two favorites—Original (Oats, Coconut, Sunflower Seeds, Almonds and a hint of Vanilla) and Cherry Chocolate Macadamia Nut (Oats, Coconut, Sunflower Seeds, Almonds, Dried Cherries, Chocolate Chips and of course Macadamia Nuts).

A Heartfelt Hug for the Tummy

That is Doodles Cookies alright! I love Doodles because they offer mixes for cookies that you make at home yourself to get that fresh out of the oven, homemade taste. They are very different than other cookie mix companies though—Doodles recognized the need for a cookie mix that is all natural, gluten free, organic and just god for you! Not only that, they taste soooooo good! I have whipped up a batch of the Chocolate Chip cookies so far and have another mix left to make—nut butter! MMMM! The other great thing is that the ingredients are of high quality and ones you like to feed your family like all brown rice flour, chocolate chips, oats, and brown sugar—making them also lower in calories and fat than traditional cookies. To make the cookies even more sensible the mix calls for applesauce which keeps them moist and delicious.

Squeeze Ups

If your getting tired of the same old dessert of plain vanilla ice cream after dinner. Try squeeze ups from Jolly Llama. These frozen snacks are made from only the best fully ripened, whole fruits, no juices or concentrates included. These great frozen snacks range from 70 to 80 calories per tube, that’s nothing. These flavorful tubes come in a couple of different flavors including; strawberry, blueberry, mango, acai berry, and raspberry. My favorite’s are the strawberry, and raspberry flavors. They both taste like I went to the fruit farm and picked the fruit right off the plant and ate it on the spot; that’s how fresh the fruit taste in these squeeze ups even though they are frozen. You really need to check it out for yourself!!

Brush Your Teeth

I probably have the freshest breath ever. I’m that person that brings their toothbrush to work and brushes their teeth after ever meal. I think I have tried and used just about every toothpaste brand out there. Tom’s of Maine is probably the most planet friendly product I have used. They do not test on animals (which I love) and do not use any animal ingredients in their products. They list out every ingredient they put into their products and if your not sure what the ingredient is or where is comes from log onto the Tom’s of Maine website and they spell it out word for word and explain where and how they get each and every ingredient. Tom’s of Maine product line includes, toothpaste, deodorant, mouthwash, dental floss, and soap all produced from what our earth has to offer. Not only that but their products taste delicious! The "silly strawberry" meant for kids is actually very tasty. The strawberry is pretty subtle with a fresh taste to it that anyone can appreciate. The "Wicked Fresh" (love the name) stole my heart-- it is exactly that-- WICKED FRESH and very minty for the freshest breath!

100% Vegetarian Diet

The best of the best ALL NATURAL BEEF, TURKEY, and BUFFALO JERKY. Where, How, and Why? You ask…. Well the creators at Golden Valley Natural only feed their stock a 100% vegetarian diet and have never received artificial growth hormones or antibiotics. OOOOHHHH WEEE you can definitely taste the difference between organic Jerky and 100% processed Jerky. The flavor, smell, and taste of Golden Valley Natural’s is remarkable. The jerky has just enough toughness to it, where it’s chewy but not too chewy if you know what I mean…. The Turkey Jerky is my favorite is very low in fat and high in protein. Grab a bag for yourself, you will not be disappointed.

Lil’ Lovers

I love these Lil’ Lovers by Love and Quiches Desserts! Rich, chocolate brownies for just 100 calories. Usually, 100 calorie snacks leave you wanting more but these are really satisfying and have a great gourmet taste to them. I love snacks that are easy to pack on the go and that are good for you—these are perfect for lunchboxes of all ages and have been making appearances in mine quite frequently lately. Looking for something a little more indulgent? Love and Quiches has you covered with their Homestyle Desserts, Sweet Singles, Classic Layer Cakes, Grab & Go Line, Cheesecakes, Brownies, Bars, Sheet Cakes, Custom Desserts and of course Quiches! Speaking of more indulgent, I also got my hands on some of their Classic Brownies with Walnuts. Wow. The brownie is just like a homemade version—great chocolate taste, dense cake-like brownie but topped with crunchy walnut pieces for the perfect finish to this treat.

You’ve Been Pickled!

Van Holten Pickles are awesome! They makes pickles in a pouch (and snack olives too), which I just love because you can have a pickle anywhere, no refrigeration needed. When I get salty cravings a good pickle is just what the doctor ordered. Van Holten has such a large variety of pouched pickles and truly unique flavors to boot! My first pickle that I bit into was their new “Lil Sweetie” and it had that great pickle crunch and the perfect amount of sweet to make for quite a delicious treat. Every pickle pouch I ripped open smelled better than the next and the pickles lived up to their mouthwatering smell. They have a core flavors line: Hearty Dill, Kosher/ Zesty Garlic, Hot & Spicy, Sour Tart & Tangy and Sweet. They also have a fun character line: Big Papa, Hot Mama, Little Pepe, Garlic Gus, Sour Sis and Lil’ Sweetie. I loved learning that Van Holten’s got their start right here in Milwaukee, WI and now they are available all over. Yum!

Roman Meal Bread

I have been on a huge bread kick. Toast, pb & j’s, grilled cheese and anything else have been in my breakfast or lunch lineup for weeks now! So if I am going to indulge in these favorites I like to start them off with whole grain bread. I recently stumbled upon Roman Meal Bread and with its 100% whole grain just two slices give you about 75% of your daily value of whole grain. The particular variety that I got has just 70 calories per slice and tastes nutty and delicious. I have to mention that this is the softest bread! A little carb shy? Please don’t be. Just like good fats, there are also good carbs! These can be found in whole grains and keep you full because their high fiber and nutrient content. Never confuse good carbs for simple carbs which are processed and refined. Roman Meal keeps your health in mind when making all of their delicious breads, cereals and snack bars.

Great Fitness Apparel at Fuddleduds!

I am ALWAYS on the hunt for great gym wear but lately have been only online. I love new gym clothing but hate fitting rooms, long lines and the lack of selection most stores have. I recently clicked my way onto a great online fitness store- Fuddleduds filled with a huge selection of athletic wear. They have other categories too like men’s clothing, junior’s clothing, ladies clothing, infant/ toddler/ kids clothing, bags/ totes and of course—activewear. So check out what I got—a great v-neck top made by ALO Sportswear.

ALO™ Sportswear blends performance-driven fabrics, technical features and sport-inspired design to bring balance to your world.
• 92% polyester/8% spandex jersey knit
• StretchFlex™ technology provides comfort and freedom of movement
• Dry wicking and anti-microbial performance capabilities
• Mesh inset at shoulders with contrast cover stitching
• Mesh overlay and invisible zipper on side pocket.
• Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL
This particular top comes in color combos—Black/Grey, Grey/White, Navy/Sea Green, Sea Green/ Pacific and White/ Lavender. I got the Navy one so I was not able to take a good enough picture to capture the details of the shirt so I am using the photo from their website so you can see just how cool this shirt is. My favorite thing about this shirt? It is so functional with its side zipper pocket—perfect for outdoor activities because you can easily stash your keys or whatever else without having to hold everything. Also—the top is totally cute and can be worn at the gym or running errands! Fuddleduds has such a selection and includes eco-friendly fashions in their lineup. Some of their materials include: Organic Cotton, Bamboo, Recycled Fleece, Recycled Cotton and Cocona*. Now I bet you want to get your hands on some of their apparel right? Fuddleduds was nice enough to set up a coupon code just for my readers! Enter code: FIT when ordering and get a discount. Make sure you fill your cart with at least 49.95 of goodies and get free shipping!
*I didn’t know what Cocona was so for those readers who aren’t in the know either here is the low-down: Using activated carbon derived from coconut shells, the woven fibers of this technical performance fabric naturally kill bacteria and help protect against UV rays.

Giveaway Time!

One lucky reader is going to get a care package directly from me! Inside you will find a Tanka Bar and some valuable coupons for your healthy shopping trips. Here is what you have you do—send me an email (fitinmilwaukee@live.com) with why you want to try a Tanka Bar and you are good to go! For this giveaway you will be only eligible to enter once so make it good. On Sunday night (May 2nd 2010) I will be picking a winner and mailing out their Tanka bar on Monday. What is a Tanka Bar? A gluten-free, nitrate-free, MSG-free and horomone-free buffalo bar. What sets Tanka Bar apart from other meat bars? Tanka Bars are slightly-sweet due to the use of tart cranberries in the mix, all natural and only contain 70 calories.

Nutorious Nuts

Exotic nuts is right!!! These nuts are almost too pretty to eat. But, I’m a huge nut fanatic so not even the best looking nuts will stop me from eating them. The creators of Nutorious Nut Confections created a variety of YUMMY tasting mixes of walnuts, almonds, and pecans. The Ooo La La Original was my favorite it has a splash of sweet butter topping across all the nuts. Who doesn’t like butter??? Butter makes everything taste better. Cherry Vanilla Va Voom is another one of my FAVS, va va voom for this great tasting mix of walnuts, almonds, and pecans with a light mix of dried cherries and a hint of vanilla flavoring. Check out there website for all the other flavors they offer for all different taste buds.

Fresh off the Farm

Bulk, bulk, and more bulk…… If you’re looking for a large amount of nuts or dried fruit for a very reasonable price you need to check out New Urban Farms. They have it all and by all I mean all, I believe they have just about 900 different items to choose from. You can’t go wrong with their trail mix and mixed nuts. I loved the mixed nut mix with peanuts, pistachios, and cashews with a light salting. New Urban Farms has many different choices for their nut mixes and a variety of flavors as well including; raw, spicy, salted, roasted, and many more. If you’re not a big fan of nuts or trail mix you should really check out the licorice, especially the strawberry flavor. It melts in your mouth and has a very strong strawberry taste. You know how some licorice is hard to chew, well not this stuff it’s very soft and it’s hard to stop eating they are so good.

Chocolate Pecan Butter Crunch.

Need I say more? This was a mouthwatering, sweet, chocolate coated truly gourmet treat. MerrieLynn’s makes all their goodies fresh, all natural and handmade in small batches—and it shows. Just look at their Chocolate Pecan Butter Crunch pictured below, here is the description:

A rich Butter Crunch candy with generous amounts of roasted pecans, topped with quality semi-sweet chocolate, and sprinkled with more roasted pecans. This is really good stuff! Do yourself a favor and order some. You could call this Pecan Toffee or Pecan Brittle but we think it's much better.
I also had their Praline Pecans which were also gourmet deliciousness. Great as a snack, salad topper, ice cream topper—just about anything. They were jumbo pecans coated lightly with their special praline topping. They have tons of other items to entice your taste buds like Sugar & Spice Pecans, Butter Roasted Pecans, Bourbon Pecans, Hot & Spicy Pecans, Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies and Seriously Chocolate Brownies.

What’s your story?

I love Elsa’s Story! Their brand mission? To create new categories in the mass produced food market taking us back to “Home Style” and “Home Made”. Elsa’s Story began as a small family bakery and now they pride themselves on high, homemade quality ingredients creating an excellent product just like you would make at home. There are so many top notch baked goods that Elsa’s Story creates but I especially fell in love with the Crisp Baked Crackers and their wide range of Butter Cookies in the Top Shelf Sweet Collection. The crackers were crispy with a light buttery feel to them in great baked in flavors like Black Pepper, Garlic, Onion, Rosemary & Olive Oil and Sea Salt. The cookies were simple, buttery and downright delicious in unique Butter Cookie flavors like Brown Sugared, Cappuccino Pecan, Lemon, Orange Almond, Raspberry Filled or Strawberry Filled.

Secret Ingredients

I love the wide assortment of tomato products put out by the Dei Fratelli family. Their secret ingredient? Family of course! Now we all know that tomatoes are good for you but why? Tomatoes contain a large amount of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, potassium and iron. Tomatoes also contain a pigment called lycopene. Lycopene works in the body as an antioxidant an helps you age more gracefully and preliminary studies have shown it may even help prevent cancer. Now back to the good stuff- Dei Fratelli’s family recipes are simple and naturally gluten-free. They have a wide variety of tomato products for you to choose from like various chopped, diced and spiced- salsas, pasta sauces, tomato paste even vegetable juices! Each yummy product made begins with premium tomatoes fresh from the vine. So whether you are making pasta, a Mexican dish, chili or tons of other recipes (there are more on their website) reach for Dei Fratelli’s and you will not be disappointed.

Big Flavors. Little Cans.

Alert! Cool new find just in time for summer! Blosm is a collection of uniquely flavored whipped cream like Blackberry Amaretto, White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Mocha, French Vanilla and Cinnamon Praline. Not only do the flavors taste just like their names they are made from only the finest, ALL NATURAL ingredients. No artificial colors. No artificial flavors. No hormones and no pesticides. So now what to do with these distinguished whip cream flavors? Top your homemade coffee drink, dip berries, top ice cream, squirt on top of puddings/ jellos or directly into your mouth. They are so good! I loved the White Chocolate and French Vanilla the best but all were delicious!

Glow Gluten-Free Style

After featuring just a few Gluten-Free items the response has been fantastic! I did not know how many of you out there follow a Gluten-Free diet or have family members/ friends that do. Wow! Well, here is another treat to put on your Gluten-Free must haves! Not only will Gluten avoiders love these so will everyone else. So I haven’t had toooo many Gluten-Free cookies that were any good to be honest but I fell in love with these Glow Cookies. Now the cookies that I did have that were Gluten-Free tended to be nutritionally free of value—but not these, they are wholesome, made with bean flour and come in four great varieties: Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate Chip, Gingersnap and Snickerdoodle. Favorite? They were all delectable—I am generally not a Gingersnap girl by O.M.G. they were out of this world!

A Delicious Way to Live

Check out these monster sized Intention Cookies by Bountiful Vegan. I am always for cruelty free products and especially ones that taste this good! Bountiful Vegan’s cookies are part of the movement towards a cruelty free world and are 100% animal free and amazing! Here is their lineup:

The Love Cookie: Chocolate Chip Orange (this works really well together and the orange gives it a gentle burst of flavor on top of the chocolate chip goodness).
The Prosperity Cookie: Choco Choco Chip (my fave—no words but double chocolate people).
The Harmony Cookie: Lemon Snickerdoodle (tasted downright awesome).
The Well Being Cookie: Coconut Pineapple (two of my favorite things in a cookie- tropical goodness).
Go to their website for their story on how the cookies began and a little bit about your personality based on which cookie you choose (NEAT)!

Great Gift Idea for Women You Love!

Mother’s Day, thank you, I love you or just because The Charm Factory has the best jewelry. You can literally spend hours looking at their extensive selection of charms- that is how many they have and they are SO diverse. So I was looking for a personalized gift item that had meaning—check out the one that I made and you can kind of get an idea of how many selections they have for any personality. For starters you pick the bracelet, necklace or other charm holder—I chose the sterling silver Charm Bracelet with Clasp. Then the fun begins—browse through the seemingly endless pages of charms and pick away to suit your special someone. I chose the Birdhouse, Baby Feet on Heart, Flower Pot, Diamond Cross, Letter S initial charm with CZS, Family Tree, Tea Pot with Red Bead and Personalized Birthstone Heart with 3 birthstones. All of these things have meaning! The bracelet came in a nice gift box and arrived safely in record time! I really thought it would take weeks to assemble, personalize and ship but it took under 10 days start to finish. They are so sure that you will love your new jewelry they offer a 30 day money back guarantee or exchange.

Candy Apples MONSTER SIZE

The folks over at Monster Candy Apples are a blessing. They not only use one of the best apples ever the Granny Smith Apple. They smother them in all sorts of goodness, like Butterfinger bars, Snickers bars, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, sprinkles, coconuts, nuts, you name it, they roll it! I had the pleasure of eating a Butterfinger Candy Apple, boy oh boy was it ever fresh, crisp, and the crushed up Butterfinger bar was the topping on the cake. I could not stop at one bite, I’m telling you it’s so good I wanted to eat the apple core, but I didn’t. You have to check out their website they have a variety of other dipped items as well as the famous Monster Candy Apples. If you’re worried about how shipping any of the items they have to offer will look when you receive it, DON’T, they have perfected the shipping process so you receive your items in one piece and unharmed. Thanks Monster Candy Apples!

Crispie Sweets Gourmet Treats

I love that rice crispy treats have become the new gourmet favorite and I have never seen them so dressed up before! Crispie Sweets Gourmet Treats has taken these favorite marshmallow squares from our childhood and made them all grown up! First of all, they are GORGEOUS to look at! They also have crispies to suit any taste. Here is what I got to try: “Undressed”—A honest to goodness rice crispy treat without any toppings and trust me it doesn’t need it. I think sometimes simple is best and I know a few people who do not like a rice crispy treat to be messed with! I loved that I was able to try the “Undressed” because it gave me a taste of the base for each of their “Dressed” treats. It was the perfect treat- not too moist and not too dry, also the bottom was perfect without that buttery greasy layer that usually comes from the pan. Loved this treat. Then I moved onto to the more sophisticated treats in their lineup: Cookies & Cream Dream and Give Me S’more Please! Cookies & Cream Dream had my favorites—marshmallow treats and cream filled chocolate cookies! I had a serious moment with this treat, it was my favorite. The toppings were perfectly adorned on the top and I got some with each bite. Give Me S’more Please also really worked. It truly tasted like a S’more with graham cracker pieces on top of gooey marshmallow and rich chocolate. What is not to like? This is only a small example of what they offer. I highly recommend hopping onto their website and checking it out for yourself. These treats are made with the best ingredients and are a generous sized treat. They would make a fun treat to send someone in the mail or a great addition to your next party—either way they should be stocked in your pantry!

Spelt RIGHT!

What a treat! Lucky me, I was able to try the awesome bagels and whole grain spelt bread (they also have cinnamon raisin and rosemary) by Spelt Right Bakery. Spelt Right Bakery not only has a great story behind their baked goods (go online to read the inspirational story), they have amazing breads and bagels that are vegan, Kosher certified and allergy friendly. All of Spelt Right’s goodies are made with only the best all natural ingredients that are mostly organic—the spelt flour is always organic. Speaking of Spelt—they have tons of great information on the benefits of Spelt. I learned quite a bit from surfing their site including its nutritional attributes. In addition to this, I absolutely loved the taste of these bagels and bread. I toasted the bagels and topped with a smudge of butter and was amazed at how nutty the taste of the bagel was in addition to the crunchy on the outside, chewy and soft on the inside light texture. The bread was also suggested to be toasted so I made a grilled cheese and tomato with this and fell in love. The bread also had that nutty taste with a hearty texture that was perfect!

New Food Find Alert!

These are my new food addiction! They go by the name of CocoPop and I love them because they are deliciously simple. Gigantic (not kidding) all-natural poofed multi-grain cracker snacks that are super addictive. Luckily, each giant poof only has 16 calories and no sugar, fat, cholesterol or preservatives. How much more guilt free can you get? I eat them plain, topped with hummus, topped with peanut butter and last night they were a tostada shell. Amazing!

Gluten Free Cravings

Living Gluten Free should taste delicious just like everything else right? Well, I agree a hundred percent. The creators of Made to Crave were definitely thinking of the individuals out there that need to eat gluten free foods and make it taste just like everything else. One of my anytime of day snacks is a bowl of granola, I’m not wheat intolerant myself but I know people who are and I recommended this granola to them. Not only is it made from gluten free oats, but it taste great with all the spice and flavors flowing through every bite. Made to Crave also has many other gluten free items like; granola bars, Cooking Mixes, Cookie Brittle, and so much more. Check it out for yourself!

Sweet, sweet Jazmine

Your muffins are to die for! Is it because you bake totally from scratch only using the finest ingredients? Whatever it is, your award winning muffins are delectable. I loved trying the Sweet Potato Muffins that when I warmed up for just a short while tasted like fresh, homemade sweet potato pie! Here is how they do it:

Fresh, top quality sweet potatoes are baked in our ovens, then pureed to perfection. By adding spices, hints of lemon flavor, brown sugar and other yummy ingredients we achieve a delicious muffin. And we like to claim what little beta carotene is left in the muffin after baking, even though it is probably negated by the Triple Sec cinnamon glaze.

Muffins not your thing? Sweet Jazmine’s offers cheesecakes, brownies, muffins, cookies, sauces and more all in the convenient mail order online bakery.

On the go goodies!

Thank you to Atkins for letting me try their great lineup of bars. Each one I have tried so far has been well, just as good as a candy bar but nutritionally far superior. The Chocolate Mousse Caramel Bar (from the Endugle collection) is pure heaven in a wrapper. I stuck mine in the freezer at work and was blown away at how good it was! It was like one of those ice cream candy bars—the mousse turned into an ice cream-like consistency. The other one I have to get on your radar is the Chocolate Caramel Nut Roll! Its new to the Advantage Line and is packed full of nuts, caramel and chocolate for your pure pleasure. They have so many bars—you just have to check out their website. In addition to bars they have a plethora of other great products in their lineup. PS—You don’t have to be doing the Atkins Phase plan to enjoy any of these fantastic foods.

Fiddyment Farms Pistachios

Fiddyment Farms has been growing their pistachios since 1968 and it shows. These pistachios are amazing- the quality is top notch and the freshness factor is best in class. They roast all of their pistachios on small batches and package them so that they are fresh when you get them. I was able to try Butter Toffee, Mandarin, Salt Free, Sea Salt & Pepper and Garlic Onion Pistachios. My favorites? For the shelled pistachios I loved the Butter Toffee pistachios. I had only had butter toffee peanuts before but I love the pistachios even more, they give a great balance to the richness of the coating. For the shelled varieties my favorite was plain and simple—Salt Free. Their pistachios really do not need any dressing up although I do encourage you to try the delicious flavors they have to offer because they are all excellent. I hope and pray that you are not still one of those people that holds out on eating nuts because of the high fat content. Please oh please realize that fat is essential to the health of your body and daily functions. There is a difference between “good fat” and “bad fat” though – lucky for you pistachios fall right into the good fat category. Another thing I love about pistachios—the serving size is GENEROUS which is not the case with other nuts. You can have 49 nuts as the serving size—that is a lot of crunching!

Healthy Snack Alternatives

Cheese Puffs, Ripple Chips, Sweet Bar-b-Que Chips—YUM! And they really are good for you too! You have probably seen Michael Seasons Snacks in the stores before and hopefully you didn’t pass them by. They will squash ANY salty craving that you might have without squashing your eat healthy plan. All Michael Seasons snacks are made with natural ingredients and contain much less calories and fat than the other snacks you are familiar with because they bake their snacks and keep out the nasty additives that are packed into other brands. The Cheddar Cheese Puffs deserve their very own fan club. They taste sooooo good and are baked giving them 65% less fat than other puffs, all natural, wheat free and gluten free. They are made with REAL ingredients too like cheese and organic cornmeal!

Carpe Diem!

Seize the Day! I was able to get my hands on the Kombucha drinks by Carpe Diem in all three flavors: Classic, Quince and Cranberry. They taste wonderful and are free of artificial sweeteners, artificial colors or preservatives not to mention that they are totally natural. Kombucha is based on ancient recipes that promote well-being and some even claim they give you a natural radiance. Carpe Diem Kombucha is made by fermenting a mixture of herbal tea and their own cultures giving it you natural antioxidants and a metabolic boost!

There is Kefir in my dressing!

Oh me, oh my this is my new favorite thing. Litehouse makes a bunch of good for you options like dressings and dips for your favorite fruits and veggies but now they have outdone themselves. They have created Kefir Yogurt based dressings in the Balanced Options line.

Apparently, they really do understand how important it is to make healthy choices easy! So they have Kefir Caesar, Kefir Ranch and Kefir Blue Cheese—notice that these are the best dressings out there and usually the worst for you, well not anymore. I am so impressed with the taste of these lightened up and healthified dressings, they will be a new staple in my refrigerator. Whenever you want to stay on the right track when picking healthy choices for your family look for the Litehouse Balanced Options seal. All of the products with this seal are;
√ Under 100 calories √ No high fructose corn syrup
√ Under 10 grams fat √ No trans fats
√ No preservatives √ 100% Canola oil
√ No MSG √ Gluten free (select items)

I have to mention the Lighthouse singles fruit dips. They are amazing. I was able to try the chocolate and the caramel. Each totally handy dipping pack only has 100 calories and the serving goes a surprisingly long way! The caramel is great for apples, celery or even pretzels and the chocolate is good for bananas or really anything—what isn’t chocolate good with?

Go Eco on your Lips

I love lip balm and it is one of those things I always have on me, tucked away somewhere. I have been trying to find a great, natural balm for a long time – well here it is: Eco Lips! Eco Lips makes a huge variety of balms that are handcrafted with personal attention to each balm. What sets Eco Lips apart? They make a balm that is organic, nutrient rich and works better than other balms, they guarantee it. So if you are searching for a flavored balm—they have tons (berry & coconut are my faves), how about a tint? I am obsessed with the Eco Tints in Rose Quartz. It is sheer and natural but with a slight hint of Rose color that give your lips a glamorous sheen without overdoing it. Not only that it feels so moisturizing on the lips and helps fight drying and chapping all while staying cruelty free.

Nutty Girl

Wow these Nutty Girl mixes are amazing! What is a Nutty Girl? A bunch of the best, biggest and highest quality nuts roasted and mixed with rosemary and brown sugar. The cranberries, almonds, pecans and walnuts work perfectly together and are spiced up just right with just a hint of sweetness. The box is also cool, a piece of artwork in itself. These nuts should come with a disclaimer though, because they are very addicting. I ate them just on their own but you could also toss them in salads or even top some plain yogurt with these goodies.

A Treat for my Feet!

Check out my new Thorlos! Not only are they super cute teal/ grey/ white combo they are unbelievably comfortable. Usually, I can not wear socks styled specifically for women but Thorlos are made sized and fit perfectly even to my size 11 foot. I love that Thorlos are anatomically designed and protect your feet from force, pressure and impact—if you have ever had stress fractures in your foot like me you know how great this feature is. Also, Thorlos have a unique yarn blend that helps moisture get wicked away from your feet. So what we have here are cute, functional and totally comfortable socks that would be appropriate for just about any activity. Their website is awesome too—it is packed with information on foot safety, comfort and help to find your sock soul mate.

I agree!

Food Should Taste Good! The folks at Food Should Taste Good are so confident that their food does taste good that they sent me a whole bunch of samples to prove it! And why would they not taste great? They use only the highest quality, all-natural ingredients available and flavor them with fantastic flavors that perfectly accent the 13 flavors of tortilla chips. Let me list them for you to get your mouth watering—multi-grain, jalapeño, olive, chocolate, sweet potato, buffalo, the works, potato & chive, yellow corn, lime, cinnamon, blue corn and cheddar. So which have I tried so far? Chocolate first of course! Corn tortilla chips accented with the wonderful taste of semi-sweet chocolate and cocoa. Sounds strange, works perfectly. Use as a sweeter side with fruit or in place of a graham cracker. I have also tried the sweet potato variety. It is of a different shape than the chocolate and perfect for dipping into hummus or salsa. The taste of the chip and the hint of sweetness from the sweet potato work harmoniously together. I love this chip!

A great addition

If you have followed my blog you know I NEED something great on top of my salad to love it. I love the concepts of salads—tons of low cal greens and veggies but for some reason I just don’t love them! Top them with a great dressing though and I am sold. Brianna’s award winning Rich Poppy Seed dressing is just that. With an incredibly delicious flavor it is just the right amount of sweet with a touch of crunch. I went on their website and read that this dressing has a cult following! And for good reason—not only did I learn that but I also saw that people use it as a coleslaw dressing or even as a fruit dip.