Tropical Oasis

In college we had a Jamba Juice right on our campus that I could be spotted in almost daily, I just love their smoothies. Sadly now I have no Jamba's even close to me so I could hardly remember just how great their smoothies are until recently when I got the chance to try their Jamba "At Home" Smoothie line with flavors like Strawberries Wild, Razmatazz, Mango-a-go-go and the all new Caribbean Passion.

Caribbean Passion is a mixup of mangos, peaches, strawberries and passion fruit. All of the flavors also have non-fat yogurt included in the smoothie mix so all you have to do is blend with apple juice and get ready to taste an authentic Jamba Juice smoothie right there in your kitchen. The mix is very easy to make and for a healthy snack very affordable since each pouch makes two 8 ounce servings that clock in at around 70 all-natural calories. The taste? I was fortunate enough to try the Carribean Passion and being a huge lover of tropical smoothies I can honestly say this was super quick, easy to make and delicious. I could easily blend and demolish the entire bag so I have to ration myself on this one. Want to win a coupon for your very own FREE bag? Shoot me an email and let me know which flavor you are dying to try! I will randomly select five lucky readers to get a coupon sent to their snail mail address.

Peeled!

When you are dining in the tropics the breakfasts include a lot of dehydrated fruits. Prunes, apples, apricots, peaches—you name it! I love breakfast and I love the tropics so when I tried the dried fruit from Peeled Snacks I was rushed back to a tropical oasis with sweet dried fruit as part of my meal. I started with the apples and they were perfect.

Tart and sweet – a bit chewy. Peeled Snacks adds nothing to your fruit so all so everything you taste is all natural. As I quickly moved onto the apricots I was shocked to find that I LOVE apricots! I had never given them a chance before.

I detected a slight cinnamon-ey taste so I checked the bag again and it was JUST the apricots. They were fantastic. I am not sure if Peeled Snacks has a magic Apricot wand or I am a new fan but I will be getting more of these soon. Peeled Snacks also makes: Mangos, Bananas and Pineapples in their colorful and handy single serve packs! Check out the variety sampler. I love that you can now find these in Starbucks! Follow Peeled on facebook, twitter and their website for a chance to win your own sampler. Let me know which kind you would be most interested in trying by Sunday night and maybe you will be the winner of the Peeled Snacks giveaway!

Nature's Dessert

Fruit is nature's dessert-- what is better than a piece of fruit following a delicious meal? One covered in chocolate of course! I am not suggesting that each night you melt chocolate on your double boiler, slice up fruit, dip it, lay it out on wax paper then serve. Instead pick up a box of Diana's Banana Babies and get ready to enjoy a creamy dreamy treat of frozen bananas (hand-picked, fully ripe and deliciously creamy) covered in milk chocolate, dark chocolate or milk chocolate with peanuts.

At my house we are huge fans of the dark chocolate "babies" and eat them constantly, they are a yummy guilt-free treat, but this past weekend we were having people over and knowing not everyone adores dark chocolate we picked up a box of milk chocolate with peanuts and they reminded us of a sundae-- ice cream flavor, rich chocolate and that crunchy, nutty topping YUM! Then Diana's were kind enough to send me some milk chocolates to sample and they were the same quality frozen bananas dipped into high quality bar chocolate (not a coating) covering my banana in a thick layer. If you don't believe that frozen bananas are like ice cream then google banana ice cream maker (don't want to name names) and check out the machine created JUST to make frozen bananas into an ice-creamy treat but its really not necessary to buy this "contraption" use your blender, freeze bananas yourself or get chocolate covered bananas by Diana's and save yourself the hassle. "Like" Diana's on facebook while you are at it and check these full size ones out for fun-- they made me giggle since they are so huge but I really wouldn't having one in my hand right now. Find them here or order online.

I have NO clue what “Crunch drying” is but I love it! Sensible Foods makes quite a wide array of these wonderful dried items. Here are some of the things that make this product so fabulous (besides the taste):
• 100% Natural and Organic
• Equal to 1 “weight watcher” point for all you “watchers” out there
• Each bag is part of your “5 a day”
• Fat free (except sweet corn, soy nuts and edamame but these have good fats)
• No added sugar
• No preservatives
• GMO free
• Convenient single serve bags
• Kosher
So the varieties include: Cherry Berry, Sweet Corn, Tropical, Apple Harvest, Orchard, Edamame and Soy Nuts.

Naturally, I thought the Cherry Berry was going to be my favorite with the apples, strawberries, cherries and blueberries. And it was LIP-SMACKINGLY good. But the Orchard Blend (apples, peaches, apricots), Sweet Corn (and I don’t even like corn) and Soy Nuts stole my heart.
I had to sneak in a picture of the sweet corn for you to get the idea!

The Orchard Blend was so refreshing and fruity, the Corn was crunchy and sweet with a touch of sea salt and the Soy Nuts were soooooooo nutty and yummy. I never knew I LOVED soy nuts. Visit their website and they are nice enough to tell you the health benefits of all their great offerings. I highly suggest trying the Soy Nuts and Corn. I guarantee they are nothing like you have ever tasted. Here are some pictures of the products so far!

Nutty Guys

Nutty Guys is right……. OOOOHHHH WEEEEEEE…. What kind of nuts are you in the mood for. You name it they probably have it. I was so excited to try Nutty Guys pistachios, and Spanish peanuts which were delicious (I will talk more about these later) and then I could not wait to try the dried cantaloupe. I have never had dried cantaloupe before and I was a bit skeptical at first but holy cow it was spectacular. It was like eating a freshly cut cantaloupe with a tiny bit of added sugar. The cantaloupe was not too chewy either it was dried enough to where you could taste the flavor in every bite. I was so excited about the taste I brought a bag to work to see what my co-workers thought. They were amazed as well and asked where they could purchase some for their family. I put an entire bag out for my co-workers and it was gone in about three and a half minutes. Okay now I’ll get off my soapbox and finish talking about the pistachios and Spanish peanuts. They both were very fresh and great for an afternoon snack or for your dessert after dinner. Yes, I said dessert after dinner. Call me weird but I think of nuts as a dessert, it’s like a piece of cheesecake to me. The Spanish peanuts can also be used to bake or to make peanut brittle. If you’re wondering what other products Nutty Guys has to offer take a peek at their website, just be aware you may be shocked at all the goodies they have to offer.

Flipped For Dipped!

Its so refreshing to see something original and innovative on the market that tastes even better than it looks. Frankie’s Fruit & Chocolate makes totally irresistible hand dipped dried fruits in high quality dark chocolate—like mango, pineapple, apricots and banana strips.

The Frankie’s product I am most in love with are their “Circles”. I have never seen anything quite like them before and let me tell you— I love them! They start with handcrafted circles of dark or white chocolate in either Trail Mix (diced apricots & pineapple, golden and dark raisins, cranberries & roasted almonds), Tropical Fruit (diced pineapple & papaya, crunchy banana chips & roasted macadamia nuts) and Classic (golden raisins & roasted peanuts). Want me to pick a favorite? NOPE—I love them all. These go on my favorite list!

Cherries, Cherries and more Cherries!

You have a couple of options here but I suggest you pick at least one of the following. Stop by one King’s Orchard family farms in Michigan (you can find their two locations online) or just start clicking to get your hands on their amazing cherry and cherry infused products including-- tart cherry juice, dried cherries, cherry capsules, jams, trail mixes, chocolate covered cherries and even salsas! The dark chocolate cherries are unbeatable. I have never had anything like it before. The cherries were perfectly sweet and really gave a nice flavor to the thick dark chocolate draped on top. They were gooey and chewy, simple and just plain delicious.

The dried cherries are the best I have ever had. Very tender and such a great tart flavor that you expect from a fresh cherry. These are great straight out of the bag or as a topping on just about anything from cereal to salads to ice cream.

Here is what you have to log on for-- Nuts About Cherries Trail Mix: A Delicious Mix of Dried Cherries, Nuts and a Bit of Berry. Makes a great trail mix on its own, or is an excellent crunchy-salty-sweet topping on salads. Ingredients: Sweetened Dried Cranberries, Roasted Salted Natural Almonds, Roasted Salted Pecans, Sweetened Dried Tart Cherries, Sweetened Dried Blueberries.

Better than flowers

I don’t know about you but given the chance to get flowers delivered or THIS:

There would be absolutely no hesitation when I was screaming give me  "Flowers To Eat”! These gorgeously decorated apple slices and dipped strawberries were beautiful to look at and tasted even better. I have had dipped fruit before but these were truly original flavors:
Strawberry Sampler
Simply Scrumptious! A winning combination of chocolate and strawberries that can be shared. Flavors include: Butterfinger, toffee, coconut, toasted coconut and double chocolate chip.
Apple Sampler
Granny Smith Apple wedges are dipped in our ever popular flavors which include Dark gourmet chocolate with Mounds Coconut, Reese’s Peanut Butter with Butterfingers and Milk gourmet chocolate with Toffee bits

All the fruit was so fresh, the strawberries were huge, plump and juicy—the apples were tart and crisp and Granny Smith’s complimented the toppings perfectly. I would be so excited to send these gourmet goodies to anyone. If you take a peek at their website you will see they deliver just about anywhere and they have very affordable arrangements ranging all the way up to extravagant bouquets!

Oh Brother!

I am obsessed with this stuff! Freeze dried fruits that are all-natural, crispy and crunchy. Nothing added, just fruity goodness. I love the mix of strawberry and banana that Brothers-All-Natural created since both are great and even better when combined. Then the apples are not just any apples—they are fuji’s, my snacking apple true love! These are dried little wedges of wholesome goodness to pack on the go or when fresh fruit is just not feasible. One of my favorite uses of freeze dried fruit besides straight up? Tossed on cold cereal, blended into oatmeal or with a few nuts as a trail mix.

Trying new things

Tibet Authentic sent me a package of their high quality goji berries to try. Having had goji berries before I knew I loved them but more so in recipes than anything else. I had it set in my mind that they would be for breakfast the next day! I decided I would soak the goji’s overnight in the fridge to get them plump and juicy. So that is what I did. I woke up the next morning to find some of the water absorbed but not much—those goji’s are stubborn but they were a little softer. So then I did this:

Boiled 1 ½ cups water
Then added:
1/8th cup Nature’s Path Kamut Hot Cereal
2 tablespoons Flax & Co. Original Flax
½ cup rolled oats
Soaked Gojis
Some sweetener
Let it do its work… left it on the stove for 20 minutes stopping by frequently to stir. At the end I added a bit of vanilla extract, stirred then let it cool/ thicken for a few minutes.

Apple Pie Without the Crust

How great does that sound? Can you believe that is the description of applesauce? The Chicago made applesauce lives up to its name and its tradition. Mullen’s applesauce is made by Jim Mullen* using his families very own recipe. It has been his lifelong dream to carry on these great recipes—now you and your family can have a wholesome treat that tastes like “Apple Pie Without the Crust”. The applesauce is a thick, chunky sauce that is made with fresh apples. Then the recipe calls for special spices that give it a unique flavor all its own. I love that they keep the recipe all natural and do not add any unnecessary preservatives either. You will not need any preservatives – one taste and it could not be left sitting in your house.

*Jim Mullen donates a portion of his proceeds to the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation, a great cause that helps families of Chicago Police Officers who were killed or injured in the line of duty. Great applesauce, great cause.

Peel-Go-Round

Thank you to Peeled Snacks for letting me try their fruit-only treats! Their idea is to just keep it simple and make a good for you snack. They use the highest quality ingredients from sustainable farms bringing you an awesome snack! Another great thing about these yummy snacks is there is no added sugar, just pure fruit. Each also has a really cute name—today I had “Cherry Go-Round”. Its been a while since I have had cherries (last year to be exact) and these really hit the spot and gave me a good dose of vitamins and minerals. Take a look at their whole lineup while you are at it. Which one grabs you? I was going to cook with these (add them into oatmeal, pancakes or whatever) but they are just too good!

Breakfast Pot

I love, love, let me repeat LOVE breakfast! I made some Stevia in the Raw sweetened Oats topped with Think Fruit dried Fruit Snacks in none other than Blueberry. To get a blueberry muffin oat effect I added just a touch of vanilla. Delish! Here is how you can do it!

Boil 1 cup water
Add ½ cup oats
While water is absorbing stir in the oats, while those are cooking add a few packets Stevia in the Raw—stirring frequently. Add in a touch of vanilla (love Watkin’s). At the end I like to throw in a ½ cup egg whites but this is up to you. Then I just cook a bit longer. You an always increase the water a bit and use protein powder instead. At the end of the cooking add in Think Fruit of your choice (comes in an array of delectable flavors) and enjoy. This is a great AM breakfast treat.

Eat a Peach

FruitziO is my pick of the day! I had a freeze dried peach this morning! It’s a first for me. I thought about it for a while and can think of just about every other fruit that has been freeze dried but not peaches. They have also come up with freeze dried apricots so these will be a first for me too. The peaches were AWESOME though. They start with the finest fruit they can find, freeze dry it, add just a hint of natural sugar and there you have it—FruitziO. It does seem too delicious to be healthy but it is great snack that you can enjoy guilt free. “Go ahead, sweeten your day”! Yum!

Nature Makes the Best Candy

Nature truly does make the best candy out there. An abundance of fruits are available for us to enjoy their sweetness. Add in there how good fruit is for you—nutrients, vitamins, minerals and fiber galore makes for a treat better than any candy out there. I love the name of this company – Naturez Candyz. Candyz Applez rock I must say! It is awesome when you have something that you enjoy all the time like fruit but with a twist! That is exactly what Naturez Candy has done. They have taken fruits like applez, bananaz, apricotz, mangoz, pearz (you name it they have it)- then dried it to perfection—not totally crispy-- they left in a bit of chewy. All the while adding nothing to it – no preservatives, oils, sugars etc… Then they either give you the Candyz as-is or they spice it up a bit with Cinnamon or Coconut (Coconut Bananaz are my fave). It doesn’t get much better than this plus they are committed to coming up with new fruitz snacking ideas and offer seasonal flavors on top of their already extensive selection. This snacking craze began as they realized the NEED for healthy, simple snacks. YUM!

Funky Monkey See, Funky Monkey EAT!

Love the name. Funky Monkey. It could be so many things, it is indeed a great thing—it is the “Fruit that Crunches”. We all know fruit is an integral part of a healthy diet but finding fun ways to fit it in is even better! Funky Monkey snacks are pouches of portable yumminess packing three full servings of fruit in each bag. So what are these crunchy fruit treats? Funky Monkey freeze dries their quality, fresh fruit in a unique way that preserves almost all the flavor and nutrients from the original fresh fruit. It tastes so sweet and delicious but without adding sugar, preservatives, color or flavoring. What they do add is organic fruits and an abundance of crispy crunchy wholesome snacking goodness. If forced to pick a favorite I plead the fifth. They were all soooooo good. Here are your choices: Carnival Mix (banana, papaya, apples and pineapple), Jivealime (pineapple with lime), Bananamon (banana with organic cinnamon), ManjoJ (mango with orange juice), Applemon (apples with organic cinnamon), Pink Pineapple (pineapple with guava), Purple Funk (banana with acai).

Frozen Food Month

Did you know that the month of March is frozen food month? Just last week I was made aware of this little known fact. I know what you are thinking—lets celebrate! Right?! Go out and buy ice cream, frozen pizzas, cookie dough, microwave meals aka tv dinners! Just go crazy! No way. How about if you make it to your grocers freezer and stock up on some of the GOOD for you items that are out there. Here are some of my favorite staples from the freezer section:

Frozen fruit (strawberries, blueberries, blends) for smoothies or as a dessert
Frozen veggies of all sorts (favorites are cauliflower, broccoli and brussels sprouts)
Quick heat able weekday meals like burritos by EVOL and Michael Angelo’s fine Italian products*
Desserts like Diana’s Banana Babies and Coconut Bliss Ice Cream
*“With a standing commitment to using only the freshest, high quality ingredients in their meals, the Michael Angelo’s family uses vine ripened tomatoes and fresh garlic from reputable farms around the U.S. It’s the freshest taste you can find right out of the freezer.”
Now tell me what you stock in your freezer!

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!

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!