Just like your Aunt would make

Aunt Millie’s makes bakery goods just like your own Aunt would make! I was able to try some of the whole grain items made by Aunt Millie’s and loved every second of it! I can not say enough about the individually wrapped, whole grain, blueberry packed muffins. The muffins only have a scant 170 calories and for you points value counters—just 3 points! They are also a great source of fiber, calcium and vitamin D. I was also able to chew on the enriched bagels. Totally delicious! The best part? Each serving is only 140 calories also with a points value of just 3. Aunt Millie’s has so many products you just have to visit their website to get an idea of all they offer but there is one more item I just have to showcase. The mini whole grain sub buns! Whole grain—check! Mini for portion control—check! Low cal—check (only 160)! High fiber—check! And most importantly, tastes great—CHECK!

Party Season!

Its summertime and that means party season! I love the parties, hate the cleanup. So I especially detest when I am washing glass after glass for the same person, or if I decide to go for disposables have one person use cup after cup. That is why these stickers by Clinqs are so cute and so much fun. Each person can personalize their glass so they know it is theirs, both adults and kids! And when I say personalize, I mean it—they have any kind of sticker you can think of from hot dogs to letters. Fun! Read a little more:

ClinQs! Can be used over and over.
Simply.... PEEL & PLACE.
Keep them on the included storage card.
If they are ever dirty, simply wash with warm soapy water and your CLINQS! will stick like new.
From soda cans to your finest stemware.
I.D. YOUR DRINKS WITH CLINQS!

Healing from the Inside

What do you think of when you think of Aloe? I always think of a plant with thick stalks sitting in the kitchen waiting for a burn. Or bottles with bright green gels waiting for too much time in the sun—but never as a drink! But now aloe has been bottled and tastes great! It goes under the cool name Alo and is a refreshing, all natural beverage free of preservatives, artificial colors or artificial flavorings. Alo is not kidding when they say they are unique, I have never seen anything quite like this drink. Peek into the bottle and you will see actual pieces of aloe pulp floating throughout. The flavors are sweetened with a touch of real cane sugar and incorporate great fruit flavors like mango, pink grapefruit, lemon, pomegranate and cherry. Check out their website for a ton more information on the health benefits of drinking Alo.

Nuts + Nuts

I love these cashew creations by Nuts + Nuts. First off, cashews are my absolute favorite snacking nut and a close runner up is the almond. So I loved getting the chance to try the gourmet cashews by Nuts + Nuts. These are jumbo cashews directly from Indonesian cashew farmers roasted in a variety of delicious and some unique flavors. I was able to try the Honey Sesame Roasted Homemade Cashews and the Sweet & Salty Roasted Homemade Cashews. Both of them were truly delectable but the Honey Sesame’s won my heart! These were totally different than anything I have ever had before. Jumbo roasted cashews coated with honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds. They were like a slice of heaven. The Sweet & Salty were also fantastic—they are the nutritious answer to your sweet and salty cravings!

A Hybrid!

I just love this stuff- Karmic Health Snack Mix. To me it is a hybrid of my two favorite things—granola and trail mix. Their special snack mix is created with special attention to our bodies and health. The creator of the Karmic Health website and snack mix understands that the majority of folks do not know much about nutrition, allergies and how the body functions she has created a haven for you to visit and go to as a great resource. So about this snack mix—it is gluten free, dairy free, casein free, soy free, wheat free and naturally sweetened with Agave Nectar. What is in it? Organic crispy buckwheat flakes, organic brown rice, organic corn flakes mixed with brazil nuts, almonds, pepita seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans, cashews and macadamia nuts then sweetened with dried papaya pieces (no additives) and raisins along with a touch of organic agave nectar. The result is an addictive snack mix! So grab your snack mix and log on to the Karmic Health website!

Are you in tune with your body?

You know that all too familiar feeling when your blood sugar drops? All of the sudden you get moody, tired and perhaps even a little dizzy (We call this =“hangry” at my house hungry + angry). That when you need to make sure you have an honest to goodness healthy snack right there on hand. Livin Spoonful crackers are just the solution! I love that they identified this problem and helped point consumers in the right direction of snacks to seek out when you hit this all too familiar wall. And they also let you know that healthy snacks don’t have to be so boring! They make their amazingly healthy and flavorful crackers all by hand. They are started with a hearty base of sprouted sunflower seeds, then add the highest quality organic ingredients including vegetables, fruits and seasonings to make an awesome tasting snack or meal addition. Check out the creative flavors—Coconut Curry (unreal), Pesto Pumpkinseed, Sunny Garden Herb and Caraway Crisps.

Healthy Kitchenware

I’m sure your all wondering what I mean by Healthy Kitchenware right? Well, I will tell you what I mean. The creators of Healthy Kitchenware would like to stress that within plastic materials that may hold food or drinks may have a plasticizer which make plastics malleable and potentially leach hazardous chemicals onto the food or drink that is being held in it. Some of these chemicals act like hormones in your body, which can lead to disease. To make a big change from plastics to glass and stainless steel would be a great amount of time to find and cost a great amount of money, so the creators of Healthy Kitchenware made it easy for you and cost efficient as well. They created all different shapes and sizes of stainless steel, and glass containers that are safe for any food or drink it may come in contact with. Take a peek at this pair of kid’s stainless steel bowls made of SUS 304 stainless steel and the outside covered in plastic (polypropylene "5"). These bowls are designed so that food and drink can only come in contact with the stainless steel only and are very safe for children and adults of all ages.

AWWWWWWWWW NUTS

Did you say sweet and salty peanuts???? You did. Now that the baseball season has started, can you think of anything better to take to the game and pregame tailgating party than a big bag of Beer Nut peanuts? I can’t. The Beer Nut company only selects the best variety of red skin nuts, which are called either Virginias or Runners. Check out the ingredients that the Beer Nut company puts into a bag of their peanuts; Peanuts, Vegetable Oil (Peanut and/or Coconut), Corn Syrup and Salt that’s it. I tried something new that I have never tried before with peanuts. I put a half bag on a cookie sheet and warmed them up in the oven for about 5 minutes. The smell and taste was unbelievably good. You really need to try it. Once you open a bag or can of these nuts you won’t have to worry about putting the lid back on, why? They will be gone in no time at all.

Super Soft

If you have not been to the Café Press website, you really have to. They have tons and tons of really cool shirts, drink ware, posters, stickers and much, much, more. They have all different topics of sayings and graphics to choose from for your items as well as a “make your own” customized section which I have raved about in the past. But, take a look at this cute super soft baby creeper. This creeper is made from 100% pure cotton, it also has a standard T neck and, 3 bottom snaps for easy diaper changes.

All of the Good Stuff! None of the Bad Stuff!

An unbelievable truth about the cookies by Physique Products. Their Physique Power Meal Cookies are scrumptious, sweet and hearty all while being high in fiber and protein without trans fats and artificial sweeteners. So just how great can these cookies taste? They are divine, heat one up in the microwave for a fresh out of the oven taste. They are perfect for anyone, any time of the day with high quality ingredients like natural fruit juice as a sweetener, whole grains as a base and top notch add in’s for that mouthwatering flavor. There are a ton of freshly baked cookies on the website that you can purchase and here is what I was lucky enough to try: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Walnut Oatmeal, Vanilla Chip Oatmeal and Chocolate Fudge Brownie. Each one was better than the next and I polished them off in four days, they are lucky they lasted that long. I am so impressed by the philosophy and cookies that are put out Physique Products. PP started by the owners love of baking and fitness and evolved into a great way to satisfy your own love for baked goods that are all-natural, fuel filled and healthy!

Strawberry Freeze!

This weekend I went to the grocery store and stumbled on a very summery surprise! Strawberries were dirt cheap, deep red and juicy! I picked up a few containers along with some truwhip to top them with. Why truwhip? I love cool whip but hate the ingredients (almost all chemicals) but now there is a natural alternative to the chemical laden goodness of the whipped topping. Peak Foods came up with truwhip and it has no chemicals, trans fats, hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. Get some now!

Fire it up!

This weekend was full of magnificent weather—especially for Wisconsin. I was able to fire up my grill and enjoy the special way the grill makes food taste! YUM! I roasted a whole bunch of sweet potatoes, some shish-ke-bobs with peppers, mushrooms and onions, and for the main course some Wellshire Farms all-natural turkey burgers. I love these turkey burgers! They come in packs of 4 and are individually separated so I was able to just pop two right out of the package, season and toss on the grill. These turkey burgers are of a rare breed, Wellshire Farms adds no artificial ingredients and raises their turkeys without the use of hormones or anti-biotics which is better for the animals and for you! I am a life-long Wellshire Farms customer because of their commitment to the humane treatment of animals. Not only are they compassionate but they understand how important it is that we consume only the highest quality meat products that are fresh. These turkey burgers made Sunday Funday grilling delicious!

Soy Good Snacks!

Did you know that soy beans make an awesome snack? I have had many a soy product but never the beans on their own. Landgarten makes organic, natural snacks straight from the mountains of Austria. These Landgarten treats are unique to me. I have never had anything quite like them and they are delicious. Landgarten monitors every bean, nut and seed put into their products to ensure only the best comes to you—handpicked from their own farms and roasted fresh to order. The best part about their roasting method is that they do not add fatty, unnecessary oils to their blend. Instead, they have a hot air roasting method that locks in the nutrients and flavor without additives. I was able to try a few Landgarten snacks but here are my absolute favorites that will be part of my rotation! Number 1: Soy Snack Dark Chocolate. Their roasted soy beans covered in Belgium Semi Sweet Dark Chocolate—need I say more? They are better than chocolate covered peanuts, raisins or anything of the like. They were outrageously good. Number 2: Soy-Snack. Simply their fresh, organic soy beans roasted and topped with a light amount of sea salt. PERFECT and so much more than I ever expected from a soy snack. Number 3: Tamari Roasted Sicilian Almonds. Crunchy, zesty heaven. I have never had anything Tamari flavored before and it is an awesome spice that complements almonds magically! When they say impossible to resist, they mean it!

Cherry On Top

That is the Sugajules granola variety that I was able to try. It is comprised of cherries, pistachios, almonds and semi-sweet chocolate chips—let me tell you this combo is OUT OF THIS WORLD. All Sugajules granola is made in small batches using great ingredients all while creating great combinations. I have never had a mix like this one before and loved the tartness of the cherries balanced by the semi-sweet chocolate chips and the nuts were a perfect addition. I am not sure you would want to dump milk all over this granola, I think it is best enjoyed right out of the bag! They declare it deliciously addictive and they are not kidding. It is the type of food that you can put away but it calls your name from the cupboards. They guarantee your batch is fresh and will not be left sitting on store shelves—trust me it definitely will not be left sitting on your shelf either!

Saturday Cheat Treat

I was finally able to try these magnificent looking and tasting chocolates by Gail Ambrosius. Each one was topped perfectly and looked beautiful sitting in its box, I did not know where to start. I took out the handy guide inside and was amazed by the variety of rare tastes all contained in my box of chocolates. I started with a salted caramel and was amazed by the richness of the caramel and how well the sea salt accented the taste. Then wrapped in orange foil was a perfectly shaped truffle dusted in cocoa powder. It was hands down my favorite. Dense and fudge-like-- especially heavy on the chocolate just how I love it. Gail Ambrosius chocolates are simply amazing. Go to the website and check out all the funky flavors!

Hey Guys!

In case you didn’t know—Hazelnuts are a very nutritious nut that are very under-rated. Nuts in general are great sources of health fats, protein and fiber all while being delightful to eat and hazelnuts are no exception. So how come you don’t hear more about hazelnuts? I am really not sure. They have a very rich, nutty, flavorful taste that is so versatile. So now that I have you on the hazelnut bandwagon let me tell you about the hazelnuts that I recently had and loved—Freddy Guys Hazelnuts. Freddy Guys is a family run nut orchard truly bringing farm fresh nuts right to you. They get you the freshest hazelnuts possible because they take care of every aspect of the hazelnut process right there on their farm giving you only the best product. Whether you like raw or roasted hazelnuts (they roast twice a week) they have just the right match for you. I was able to try their mouthwateringly well-prepared dry roasted, raw and salted hazelnuts (with no added oils). They were all amazing and hard to put down—at least they are good for you! Check their online store for the full selection, they have a lot on there including chocolate covered. MMMMMMMMMMMMM!

More Than Just a Cookie…

Carol’s Cookies are simply said—Heavenly! They were immediately pleasing to me by their generous size packed away in a cool tin. Upon opening the tin I was bombarded with an appetizing rush of sweet, tempting smells. I could tell they were well prepared and was so happy to find that they had put an ingredient list right there on the inside giving the run-down of each cookie. The ingredients are simple and the combinations make for a distinctively delicious cookie fit for a king. The Oatmeal Raisin with Pecans (pictured on top of the rest) was screaming my name so I heated it in the microwave for a few seconds and devoured. The taste was delightful and so satisfying. Plus the ingredient list was short and simple: Wheat Flour, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Rolled Oats, Pecans, Raisins, Eggs, Salt, Baking Soda and Vanilla. Those are the same ingredients I use when making Oatmeal Raisin cookies – why don’t mine turn out like Carol’s Cookies? They pride themselves on using only the finest and freshest ingredients to give you the best cookies with no preservatives added. They have other enticing choices as well: Chocolate Chip (no nuts or with walnuts), White Chocolate Macadamia Nut, Cinnamon Swirl, Milk Chocolate Chunk, Old Fashioned Sugar, Brown Cookie and Toffee Crunch Cookie.

Be Fashionably Green

With Cangles. Thank you to Cangles for sending me two of their beautiful eco-friendly bracelets! I love them! Each bracelet is unique, hand made from recycled materials and produced right here in the US of A! So why are they called “Cangles”? They are recycled cans that would have otherwise ended up in landfills but instead are eco-accessorizing us in the form of earrings, mens bangles & cuffs, teens bangles & cuffs and of course womens bangles & cuffs. I got two of their bracelets, one a cuff and the other a bangle, with two totally different styles! The cuff is a brown Starbucks can and the bangle is a Harley Davidson design—so you can see just how vast the variety is on their site. They literally have something for everyone. They are making great use of old (but sanitized) soda, tea and energy drink cans. I just love companies that share as well—they contribute to the Ronald McDonald House and Save the Earth Foundation so every time you purchase a stylish bracelet you are aiding in the contributions! Also, check out their special Cangle section where they feature various charities that they donate money to like the Susan G. Komen foundation to help find the “Cure”!

Great News Mid-Westerners! VitaTop NEWS and Giveaway!

Guess what?! Costco has started carrying Deep Chocolate VitaTop 12-packs in the Midwest (IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, OH, WI). Here is the thing—you can get your paws on these now but they will be sold out in 4-6 weeks so that means RUN—don’t walk to your nearest Costco! You can check out my other posts on Vitalicious VitaTops and Muffins to find a little bit more about them or hop on their website for loads of great information. They are amazingly good, dense and fudgy with real chocolate chips scattered throughout. Here is the best part-- Deep Chocolate VitaTops provide all the flavor of freshly baked muffins without all of the sugar and fat. Only 100 calories, VitaTops contain 6g of fiber; 3g of protein; 8g of whole grains; and only 1.5g of unsaturated fat per 2 oz serving. Want MORE VitaTops? Enter my giveaway! Here is what you do—send me an email to fitinmilwaukee@live.com, the subject VitaTop—then tell me one thing you learned from their website and why you deserve to win the VitaTop 12-pack in Deep Chocolate. You have until Friday, April 16th at midnight. Good Luck! PS- You must follow my blog to win so if you don’t already now is your chance!

Fashion Meets Function

They are not kidding! These Bondi Bands are so cool! Bondi Bands are the answer to pulling your hair back at the gym, keeping yourself warm, adding a little style or simply masking a bad hair day. BB’s wants to give you a comfy and trendy way to hold your hair back! The traditional bands are pretty thick so you can wear them as is, roll them or fold them in half. I love my black one folded in half but the pink one (my favorite) right like it is! There are no differences between the two but I love all the pretty pink fabric out in its glory. The black one is a regular gym staple for me now. All I do is flip my hair upside down, pull a few bangs through and arrange the band. It is made from comfortable, stretchy material that also works at wicking away sweat. They have another SUPER cool item-- Wicking hats with a ponytail hole! You heard me right (I have a picture from their website of someone wearing one so you can see what I am talking about). This hat was so comfortable and perfect for throwing your hair back and running errands or even outdoor sports! Its still a little cold here but I would love to take my bike out so I will for sure be wearing this to cover my sensitive ears. Not only are these awesome bands for the “chicks” they also have ones for: Babes - Ages 1-5 Years Old, Buddies and Dudes. They give 10% of their profits to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute so please check them out. You will be getting a cool and unique product while supporting a very worthy cause.

Green with Envy

Only one cleaning product can be green with envy and that’s Simple Green by Sunshine Makers Inc. The first time I heard of Simple Green was about 14 years ago when my Dad worked in a factory and he would always talk about how dirty and oily everything in the building would get. He would also come home smelling like a citrus tree most of the time and I would ask him what that smell was and he would say Simple Green. I said, “What’s Simple Green?” He would always say a cleaning solution that he and his co-workers would use on everything and anything even moping up the oily factory floor. I have used Simple Green from then on; it has been a cleaning staple in not only my house but my parent’s house as well. I also figured that if my Dad said it could clean up his oily floors at work it would clean up a lot of household spills and mess with little or no elbow grease. The Simple Green all purpose cleaner is probably one of my favorite cleaners by far. It can clean pretty much anything from sinks and drains, pots and pans, floors and carpet, clothes and furniture, to greasy tools and dirty car rims. The all purpose cleaner is also non-toxic and biodegradable, without any harmful bleaches.

I love the summer and one of the best things to do in the summer with your friends is grill out. I have a very nice gas grill that I have had for a number of years now so as you can imagine that my grill grates have a lot of grease on them. Well it’s been a very unusual spring in Wisconsin this year; I pulled the grill out a week ago when we got 80 degree weather in March. That is pretty much unheard of in Wisconsin. Anyway, I usually clean my grill at the end of every season, well the end of the season and snow came very quickly last year so I stored the grill for the winter and decided to clean it before I used it last week. Needless to say leaving a dirty, greasy grill over the winter was a bad idea. I thought it was going to take me all night to clean the grates and the bottom of the grill up because all the grease was hard as a rock. Sunshine Makers sent me a very nice box of cleaning supplies and it included a couple of cans of Simple Green Heavy Duty BBQ and Grill Cleaner. Usually I would get a steaming hot bucket of water and soap and scrub away but this time I wanted to try the grill cleaner to see if it works as good as the all purpose cleaner does. Well to my surprise all I had to do was spray a coating of the cleaner on the grill grates and let it soak for a couple of minutes and then I sprayed them off with a pressure washer and they were ready to go, I didn’t have to scrape, wipe, brush or anything. Simple Green should call the product “No Elbow Grease Allowed!!!!!” Not only did I get to try out the Grill Cleaner but I also got to use their products from the Simple Green Naturals line. If you’re the eco-friendly type any of Simple Green products would be your FRIEND, but they really want you to be their BEST FRIEND so they produced the Naturals line. Simple Green Naturals are 100% naturally derived, check out where their ingredients come from: chicory, coconut, corn, palm, naturally occurring minerals, salt and sugar, and water. Every single ingredient that is put into a bottle of Naturals comes from nature. Even the bottles that they put their product in is 100% recyclable PETE plastic bottles with 25%+ post-consumer content, printed with soy inks. I don’t know about you but Simple Green can be my BFF (BEST FRIENDS FOREVER) any day!!! I do want to comment on a few Naturals cleaners specifically the glass cleaner and the Multi-Surface Care. The glass cleaner will leave windows, mirrors, and eye glasses streak free. I love when I only have to wipe once and all the dirt, finger prints, and streaks are gone completely without having to wipe back and forth 40 to 50 times. Finally, the Naturals Multi-Surface Care is awesome just like the original simple green solution it can clean up just about anything. I use this on my granite countertops every day, it keeps them shiny and new looking. ONE more I promise now really, Finally, the Naturals Bathroom Cleaner will take away those pesky hard water stains with a couple sprays, no more using 10 different chemicals to get rid of them anymore. Like I said earlier SIMPLE GREEN can be my BFF any day. Thanks SIMPLE GREEN!!!!!!

Shoe Leather

That is the name originally given the first fruit roll, they are truly the originals. Developed as an apricot sheet, the fruit was tough in texture and explosive in flavor. Joray is the original fruit roll-up. These fruit roll-ups brought me back to middle school days, I forgot how good they are! These are more than just fruit roll-ups though, are made with real fruit and are a fat free treat! They also come in a great array of flavors: Strawberry, Raspberry, Sour Apple, Watermelon, Cherry, Grape, Apricot, Pineapple and Fruit Punch. Being that apricot was the first created I went for that one and it was delicious. Chewy and sweet with a great, real apricot flavor—did not taste like an artificial version of the fruit. I have now had them all and they are fantastic. I would not share the pineapple or sour apple ones if you paid me, get your own! Order online or look for them at your favorite store.

This one is out of the park!

Thank you to Home Run Inn pizzas for letting me try their lineup of All Natural, No Preservative and Trans-Fat Free Pizzas! They are delicious. Home Run Inn is a family business and has 7 restaurant locations but if there is not one near you—don’t despair their pizzas are found in the freezer in over 20 states! They still use the same family recipe and use only the best ingredients which is quite apparent in the taste. This is the best pizza I have had out of the freezer, ever. The crust was crunchy, the sauce had a zing to it and there was no scrimping on the toppings. These pizzas come in Classic, Ultra Thin and Signature in a variety of topping choices like: Cheese, Four Cheese, Sausage, Pepperoni, and Sausage Pepperoni. The Signature line is a quite different and comes in radical flavors like Meat Lovers, Cheese Plum Tomato and Fire Roasted Vegetable pizza. I had the Four Cheese Variety which was the best “just cheese” pizza I have ever had. The Sausage Pepperoni took the cake though—the meat portions were very generous and top notch. For my quick dinner nights or just plain pizza cravings this will be my go-to pizza of choice!

Its new to me!

I have found best addition to my food rotation! Packing in fruits and veggies is always a good idea and Tillen Farms makes it super easy for you to pack in a few extra while bursting with flavor. They make a unique line of pickled veggies like you have never seen before. The TYPES set them apart but also the quality. Each is hand-packed and pickled at the peak of their freshness keeping all the natural crispiness and flavors locked in tight. Here are just some of the awesome Tillen Farms goodies that I got to try: Asparagus, Hot & Spicy Asparagus, Carrots, Dilly Beans, Hot & Spicy Beans, Snappers (Sugar Snap Peas), Sweet Bells and Maraschino Cherries! You can not tell me that you have had GOOD pickled asparagus in the past! I have always loved the idea of it but hated the outcome of usually mushy, over flavored spears. Not this time—crispy with just a hint of flavoring. Another item I have to mention is the Cherries. I have always avoided buying them in the past because they are packed with artiifical ingredients and syrups—but not these. They are natural and contain no artificial colors, artificial flavors, sulfites or preservatives.

Get Well Soon

What says “Get Well Soon” or simply just that you care better than homemade chicken noodle soup, crackers and cookies? I can not think of a better way myself. Next time you need to send someone a special take care of yourself type message consider Grandma’s Chicken Noodle Soup! It is one of the coolest and most original concepts I have seen so far. Grandma’s will send the gift package of your choice to anyone. What they will get? Your hand chosen combination of a half gallon of real homemade chicken noodle soup (huge chunks of chicken, spiral noodles, giant slices of celery and carrots in a savory broth) plus many things to sweeten the deal from chocolate cakes to flowers to teddy bears. I am so impressed with this service and my soup arrived still frozen, I just had to leave it in the fridge for a few hours and it was ready to go. In my package I also got a cute microwavable Grandma’s cup, oyster crackers for old fashioned soup eating and a cute frosted cookie.

Luscious with a Twist!

Green Light Jerky makes an amazing Jerky snack but with a twist! They have crazy- cool flavors like: "Jamaican Jerk Style" Hey mon, its delicious. Just add a cold beer and some reggae music and you'll feel like you are in Montego Bay. Its got traditional jerk flavors with, Jamaican allspice, thyme and fresh habaneros.
"Garlic Parmesan" Magnifico! There are few things on this great earth of ours, that can beat the taste of garlic & parmesan...and here's the proof!
Those are the two that I got to try and if their other flavors are anything like these two—they are a truly luscious treat and definitely have a twist to them! Their motto is to get away from boring flavors and they have sure succeeded in doing that, all the while keeping a good and fresh jerky product under the fancy seasonings. Their website is pretty neat—all the flavors are on there with spicy ratings etc. Jerky is a food just about anyone can fit into their lifestyle being that it is high protein and low fat. Green Light uses no preservatives, no nitrates, no MSG, no thickening agents and no food coloring—leaving you with the best of the best.

Down on the Farm

Belmont Peanuts makes fabulously gourmet Virginia Peanuts and peanut treats. If you are a nut lover you know that a peanut is not just a peanut—same goes with all other nuts. You can tell the quality by the size, freshness, color and mostly the taste. These Virginia Peanuts are giant, smooth and creamy. When you order these nuts and other goodies you are getting this directly from the families farm to your doorstep. Located in the "Heart of Peanut Country.", they grow their peanuts with pride and tradition. To the good stuff- I had an array of their nut-licious treats including the original Virginia Peanut, Old Fashioned Peanut Brittle, Chocolate Covered Peanut Brittle, Cashews and Brazil Nuts. In addition they have chocolate covered, cinnamon coated, butter toasted, spiced and red skin peanuts. The array of products is huge and each thing I tried impressed me more than the rest. The peanut brittle was buttery and delicious, then the chocolate coated variety one-upped that even. When I was perusing their website I saw that they have a year-long gift pack—wow is all I can say. It would be perfect for anyone on your list, I know I would be smitten all year long with this!

Send a 22 oz. gift from down on the farm and delight that special someone with a delicious taste from the country once a month! Each month, a different flavor will be chosen as shown below and shipped the first Monday of the month along with your gift message. You place the order and we will take care of the rest-all year long!
December-Chocolate Covered Peanuts
January- Cinnamon Frosted Pecans
February- Chocolate Covered Brittle
March- Butter Toasted Peanuts
April- Old Fashioned Peanut Brittle
May- Cashews
June- BBQ Spiced Peanuts
July- Cajun Spiced Peanuts
August- Redskin Peanuts
September- Honey Roasted Peanuts
October- Salted Peanuts
November- Peanut Squares
YUM!!!!!

Let me eat CAKE!

Friday just was my lucky day. I got CAKE in the mail. I am a cake lover—who isn’t? Ever since I got back from vacation I have loved Rum cakes. Rum cakes are actually an old fashioned cake using simple but fine ingredients like creamery butter, aged vanilla bean, and the smoothest of dark rums that appeal to my inner foodie! J. Marie cakes come in three delectable and very different flavors: Vanilla Butter Rum, Chocolate Butter Rum and Limoncello. They are all the perfect balance of very moist, dense cake with rich undertones of rum and either vanilla, chocolate or lemon. The vanilla and chocolate were exactly what I expected but better. I was unsure of how the lemon would taste but it was actually a vanilla flavored cake with the perfect accent of lemon—all the creamy, moist, dense deliciousness was there plus some. The chocolate won my heart—dark chocolate lovers dream come true.

Pure Energy

I got these great energy bar bites from KD Energy in all four flavors including: PB&J, Lemon Zest, Mint Chip and my favorite ChocoNut. The energy bites name is totally appropriate considering the main ingredients are nuts, fruits, raw dates, protein powder and sweetened with Stevia for the perfect high energy combination! The bite size is a perfect mouthful and just about anyone can enjoy them since they are all-natural, gluten free and vegan! They are excellent just on their own or top your favorite yogurt with them!

underWAY

There is an exclusive beverage on the market that I just learned about. It is called underWAY and not only does it taste dreamy it is an appetite suppressant. The drink works by curbing your hunger in two ways—it is specially formulated to slow down absorption of what is already in your stomach and its unique ingredients stimulate your stomach telling your brain that you have consumed more calories than you really have. Does it work? I am not sure! I had it with a pack of multi-grain crackers this morning with some peanut butter and I did feel fuller longer. I really did enjoy the Orange taste and appreciated the nutritionals. The entire bottle only had 20 calories and contained B vitamins to boot. Would I drink it again? You bet.