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A Couple of Delicious “Healthy Snack” Finds

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Genuine Coconut Chunks and Luna Bar

Healthy Snacks On Hand – Half the Battle!

As I’ve talked (and talked, and talked, and talked…) about before, the Pandemic served as a wakeup call to all of us. The healthier you ARE, the better your chances will be when something frightfully unexpected comes along. When we’re at a healthy weight and have our vitamin levels where they should be, it gives us the edge we need when it comes to fighting off viruses. Obviously, anyone can get sick.. BUT when you’re in the best health you can be, your chances of recovering quickly and completely are much better.

I mean, a lot of it’s just good old-fashioned common sense, isn’t it?!

I’ve seen more healthy snacks and foods over the past few years and I think it’s outstanding. I wish fast food restaurants would follow the healthy-eating trend and offer better meals and sides. It’s all but impossible to eat a completely healthy meal in a fast food restaurant and that’s a real shame… and Heaven help you if you have to eat gluten-free! I mean, McDonald’s doesn’t even offer side salads anymore and another of my favorite restaurants (Culver’s) puts croutons right on their pre-packaged salads. I would LOVE if they’d stop that madness and just made their gorgeous looking salads available, safe for all of us to eat.

While we can’t (obviously) control everything a fast food (or sit down) restaurant offers, we can absolutely control what food we have in our own kitchen. Not only do I want to, personally, eat healthier, I want my entire family to eat healthier – including my grandbabies (ages 2, 3, and 4). Keeping healthy foods that are also delicious is something I spend a lot of time thinking about and striving for.

While favorites like bananas, apples, strawberries, watermelon, blueberries, carrots, celery, cucumbers, and salad-makings are always on hand, I also like to have tasty new things for all of us to enjoy. Let’s face it, snacking IS going to happen – whether it’s while watching tv, coming in from work (or school), or simply a case of, “I’m a little bit hungry… let’s see what’s in the kitchen..” snacks are both okay and expected – we just have to be smart about them!

Within the past two weeks, I have come across three different healthy snacks and wanted to tell you about them.

First off, Luna Mash-Up Bars – they come in  Lemonzest + Raspberry (pictured above) and Lemonzest + Blueberry and they’re outstanding. I buy both regularly (Kroger and Target carry them) and even my grandbabies love them.

Another healthy snack I’ve found is Genuine Coconut Coconut Chunks (Amazon link).  These are so delicious, it’s absolutely unreal. They’re basically like someone has taken a fresh coconut and cut the deliciousness into convenient little squares for you. While I enjoy mine straight out of the bag, they’d also be ridiculously good in a smoothie bowl or bowl of oatmeal.

I found these coconut chunks at Kroger – I haven’t seen them in any other stores, yet.

The Genuine Coconut Coconut Chunks (Amazon link) are also available on Amazon – in fact, they’re available in several different flavors (I’ve only seen the one above in stores around here). As for the Luna Mash-Ups Lemonzest + Raspberry Bar pictured, I can’t find it on Amazon, but they DO have another delicious variety, the Luna Mash-ups Lemonzest + Blueberry (Amazon link). It’s every bit as delicious as the Raspberry flavor.

All Luna bars and products are outrageously delicious but these new mash-ups may just be their best item yet. Seriously, I’m addicted!

Review: New Zealand Honey Co. Raw Manuka HoneyNew Zealand Honey Co. Raw Manuka Honey

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New Zealand Honey Co. Raw Manuka Honey

New Zealand Honey Co. Raw Manuka Honey

Are you familiar with Manuka honey? If you’re as obsessed with honey (and for that matter, bees) as I am, I’m sure you have heard of this delectable honey before – whether you’ve had the opportunity to try it or not.

When I was contacted about reviewing Manuka Honey from the New Zealand Honey Co. in exchange for telling my readers all about it, I absolutely jumped at the change, with my cup of tea in hand. I use honey many ways in my kitchen (literally every day) and stirring it into a cup of hot tea is one of my favorite ways to enjoy it. I also combine it with my chocolate obsession on the daily as well – more about that in a minute.

The New Zealand Honey Co. is a wellness company that considers my beloved worker bees a key asset to their company. Manuka Honey is so rare, it is only able to be harvested for two to eight weeks each year!  In fact, The Manuka Honey UMF™ 26 is considered one of the rarest superfoods in the world.

You can absolutely taste the exclusive goodness.

From New Zealand Honey Co.

The brand has a complete line of Manuka Honey, a complex and high-strength raw honey from the native New Zealand Manuka tree. As the bees gather nectar from the tree’s flowers, they’re helping bring a vital superfood  to the lives of thousands who love what goes into their bodies to boost immunity and overall wellness. Plus, it tastes sweetly delicious!

The result is an end product bringing pure goodness to consumers worldwide. It tastes great, is a terrific natural sugar alternative, and delivers amazing health benefits (gastrointestinal, immune support, skincare, haircare, first-aid, wound care, and oral health). Even dogs and other animals benefit from Manuka Honey.

(Review Continued Below…)

Manuka Honey and Giant Sunflower

New Zealand Honey Co. Raw Manuka Honey

The Manuka Honey I was sent to sample is pictured here (with tea, chocolate, and one of my beloved “giant sunflowers” from my sunflower bed this summer… the jar of honey is not small, the flower is simply enormous) and I can 100 percent say this about it: It is extraordinarily delicious and so completely unlike any honey you will find in the store. Not only in taste, but in nutritional value as well.

Health Benefits of Manuka Honey

Manuka honey has far superior antibacterial strength than other honeys. While honey is a healthy food, when it’s Manuka honey, it’s basically a superhero. Manuka honey has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antioxidant superpowers.

People actually use manuka honey to treat wounds, it’s that potent. It’s also said to improve your oral health, soothe a sore throat and treat ulcers. I used some a few days ago when allergies had given me a sort of annoying cough. Just half a teaspoon of the deliciousness chased the ticklish cough away faster and more effectively than any cough drop.

Manuka honey is also a natural source of energy.. and who couldn’t use a little more energy in their days (says a MiMi to three boys all under 5 years old!). For more health benefits of Mauka Honey, as well as MANY creative and wonderful ways to use it, please see New Zealand Honey Co.’s excellent resource, 176 Ways to Use Manuka Honey.

(Review Concluded Below…)

New Zealand Honey Co. Manuka Honey and Chocolate and Ghee

New Zealand Honey Co. Manuka Honey and Chocolate and Ghee

How I’ve Been Enjoying Manuka Honey:

  • Even a tiny amount stirred in hot tea is excellent. It pairs especially well with citrus tea!
  • I’ve been using it as part of one of my favorite “good fat” treats. I take a square of dark chocolate and add a little great-quality ghee (Ancient Organics Ghee is BY FAR the best I’ve ever had), a little honey, and either flaky sea salt or pink Himalayan salt on top. The combination of flavors will blow your mind.
  • Another healthy snack I’ve always loved is a sliced banana, topped with either peanut butter or almond butter with a drizzle of honey. Manuka brings even more flavor and health benefits than my regular “go to” honey.
  • I’ve also enjoyed a little manuka honey added to Vanilla Greek Yogurt.
  • I love to add a little, along with butter, to my gluten-free oatmeal.
  • 176 Ways to Use Manuka Honey has many, many, many other uses and recipes… easy homemade beauty products, recipes, pet uses, hair masks, throat lozenges made with manuka honey (saving this one for cold and flu season, y’all).

Yes, Manuka honey is more expensive than regular honey – but, the good thing is, you can taste the difference and it is absolutely worth it.

For more information, please visit their wonderful website: New Zealand Honey Co. When you arrive on the website, you’ll even be given a chance to receive a discount on their extraordinary products. This wonderful honey would make a VERY thoughtful gift idea this Christmas!

Manuka Honey

Manuka Honey

Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder: Delicious, Nutritious, and So Easy to Enjoy (Review)

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Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder Review Pic

Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder

I have an extraordinary new discovery in my world of smoothies, shakes, and smoothie bowls, but first a few words about why this “world” exists in the first place. I have always loved smoothies – even BEFORE “green smoothies” became a thing. When smoothies took off in popularity years back, I kept thinking, “What? Y’all are just now discovering smoothies? Where have you been?”

I can be pretty judgmental when it comes to such things.

For as long as I can remember, a smoothie is as big a part of my mornings as coffee and cats. I love the convenience, the taste, and the ease of digestion after my digestive tract’s long night off. With both Celiac and a hiatal hernia, I like to make things as simple on my insides as possible. Keeps all of us happy.

I made a few adjustments to my smoothie ingredients a few years back when a little thing called a pandemic blindsided all of us and reminded us that our health is not something to be taken for granted or something to be taken lightly.

Yes… absolutely anyone can get covid (or the flu or cancer…) BUT the healthier we are going IN greatly determines the story we have to tell when we come OUT. Healthier individuals and those with their weight under control simply fare better with diseases – in fact, many diseases won’t even show up on their doorstep. I switched from regular milk to using either almond or coconut milk and began experimenting with healthier forms of sweetening. I also began adding healthy ingredients into the smoothie and found that flaxseed and chia seeds are as delicious as they are healthy.

Not even diseases, truth be told. How about falls and other injuries? I hate to brag but I’m a ridiculously accident-prone individual. My best guess is that it’s because I mind and feet go 99 mph, regardless of the speed zone. Last summer, on a rainy afternoon, I fell on a slope while feeding my outside cats. I happened to fall on my ribs on the edge of a steel bowl. The bowl didn’t give an inch and one of my sons-in-law and I could literally HEAR my ribs crack.

Accidents happen all the time in life (I mean, I don’t hog ALL of them), and like facing down diseases from the common cold to cancer, the odds of winning GREATLY swing in our favor when we are as close to “fighting shape” as we can get.

We’re all human, we can all get sick – even athletes get sick – but think of it as a zombie attack. If zombies attack a particular town (before you laugh, consider the news headlines we read every day!), who are the individuals that stand the best chance of surviving?

The ones who can run away (preferably without falling and cracking their ribs)! If thinking about diseases and falls don’t inspire you, maybe the brain eaters will. I’ll try anything to keep you healthy.

When I was contacted about trying one of the Naked Shake Vegan Protein Powders in exchange for telling y’all about it, I jumped at the chance (and, no, I didn’t fall down).  As a card-carrying chocoholic, I chose the chocolate flavor to review.

(Review Continued Below…)

Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder Smoothie with Oat Milk

Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder Smoothie with Oat Milk

I have enjoyed using Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder in smoothies and smoothie bowls (simply thicker versions of smoothies with your nuts, fruit, and seeds alongside the goodness rather than blended in). I’ve used coconut milk, almond milk, and oat milk and honestly can’t decide which one is best.

While 12 oz of the milk of your choice and one scoop of the protein powder is easy enough in a blender, it’s especially simple if you have a blender bottle (Amazon link) – I mean, really, does it get any simpler than pouring in the milk, adding a scoop of chocolate goodness, shaking it like you’re on American Bandstand (just aged myself, didn’t I??), and getting on with your day?

If you go the blender route, you’ll find that it’s a lot of fun experimenting with ingredients – though, make NO mistake about it, there’s plenty of chocolate deliciousness without adding anything. I love adding a tablespoon of almond butter or peanut butter, especially when I’m making smoothie bowls.

(Review Wrapped Up Below…)

Blender Bottle

Blender Bottle

While, as a cook and foodie, I’m concentrating primarily on the fun and deliciousness of the Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder, I do want to emphasize the best thing about this product is the fact that it contains ONLY the necessary ingredients – simple ingredients. Pure ingredients. Healthy ingredients. There are no artificial sweeteners or additives. It is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy free, and vegan… so it is about as easy to digest as it gets.

I could go into further detail about the purity of the ingredients and the health benefits of Naked Nutrition products, but frankly.. I’d rather get you on their website for yourself! I very much want you to see their story and to see how they can greatly benefit your story.

Where can you buy Naked Shake?

You can find the wonderful Naked Shake products (as well as all of the Naked Nutrition products) on their website, in many stores (including Wal-Mart and Target), and Amazon (Amazon link).

Here are a few pages of their website I know you’ll especially enjoy:

Naked Shake Smoothie Bowl Recipes

Foods that Naturally Increase Collagen (because we all want to look good, right??)

Keto Friendly Collagen Coffee Cake Recipe

Naked Shake Supplements

You’ll find so much information, great articles, and amazing recipes on their website, I hope you’ll visit them right away. And don’t forget to check out my new obsession… the Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder!

**** I’m happily experimenting with different smoothies and smoothie bowl recipes and will add them to the food blog as I hit upon my favorite combinations!


Rule Breaker Blueberry Lemonade Bites: Plant Based Snack Full of Flavor

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Rule Breaker Blueberry Lemonade Bites

If you’re like me, you’re always on the lookout for healthier snacks, not just for the children in your life, but for yourself and other adults as well. Unfortunately, it can be a bit of a challenge finding snacks that are guilt-free and healthy, without tons of sugar, salt or other ingredients synonymous with snacks. Snacks you WANT to eat, ENJOY eating, and actually look forward to having again.

The frustrating thing is the addictive snacks (the ones we enjoy so much and look forward to again and again) usually have addictive ingredients like sugar and/salt. Sure, healthy snacks without tons of sugar and salt exist, but they’re usually are SO lacking in flavor that you don’t want anything to do with them. In fact, they’re often so bad, you worry that they’ll turn the kids in your life completely against “healthy food” all together!

When I was asked if I’d like to sample the healthier snack alternative, Rule Breaker, in exchange for telling my food blog readers about it, I jumped at the chance. I’m always interested in healthy snacks for myself AND even more so, for my three grandbabies.

I believe that one of the biggest reasons we have such a problem with diabetes and with overweight children and adults in America can be traced back to most of us developing somewhat of a sugar addiction very early in life. That’s why I want so VERY much for my grandbabies to start eating healthy snacks today so they’ll enjoy them tomorrow.

When bags of Rule Breaker Blueberry Lemonade Bites came in the mail, I anxiously tried one. After all, the flavor combination is one I’ve been hooked on for ages – blueberry/lemon tea, blueberry muffins with lemon zest, blueberry/lemon smoothies, etc.

The first bite was a knockout of flavor – the lemon and blueberries battled one another for dominance and it was a pleasure to be caught in the middle.

  • These would make ideal snacks for kids to take to school with them.
  • Perfect for the office – they don’t need refrigeration. Simply keep them handy for a quick bite whenever the need arises.
  • Great, healthy afterschool snacks.
  • Great for kids to take to band practice, sports activities.. anyplace a healthy boost could serve them well.

The next day, I anxiously gave one to each of the two grandbabies who were with me (Jacoby, 2, and Maddox, 4). I’ll be completely honest with you (as always)… the four year old, at first, refused to take a bite. When I convinced him to at least try one, he wasn’t a fan. In all fairness, though, he can be a really particular eater.  He loves blueberries and the taste of lemon, however, so I thought he might buy into these.

So far not only has he not bought into them, he won’t eve lease one! I plan to try again really soon. I think he may have been expecting more of a blueberry muffin and it simply isn’t muffin-like.

His little brother Jacoby, however, loves them! He ate the one I gave him, the other half of Maddox’s, and then asked for more. He wasn’t expecting a muffin, so I think that worked to his advantage.

The flavor is a perfect 10, even if their appearance isn’t lmao… they simply aren’t terribly yummy-looking. The texture and “mouthfeel” are different from most things kids are used to (I really think this is where Maddox got tripped up), but if we can get kids to become more familiar with healthier food, these things won’t seem so unusual to them.

That’s the mission!

There are other flavors and varieties of Rule Breaker Snacks on Amazon (Amazon link) and I think most of them would be a big hit with kids (though I’m absolutely sure most adults will love these Blueberry Lemonade Bites as much as me and the two year old do!) and adults. Chocolate, Birthday Cake, Pumpkin Spice, Mint Chocolate Brownie, and Chocolate Chunk Brownie are the exciting flavors. All are wonderfully gluten-free and vegan.

True story: Jacoby just walked up to me at the computer while I was working on this review. He looked at the picture below, recognized the bag, and said, “My want some, MiMi!”

So… MiMi is off to give her adorable Jacoby a snack we both feel good about. I think I’ll even see if Mr. Picky Pants will give them another try!

Rule Breaker Blueberry Lemonade Bites

Rule Breaker Blueberry Lemonade Bites

Caulipower: Quite Possibly THE Best Gluten-Free Pasta

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CauliPower Linguine Pasta with Meat Sauce

Caulipower Linguine with Meat Sauce

Years ago, when I had to give up gluten and wheat (health reasons), the first f0ur things I thought of were…

  • doughnuts
  • pasta
  • fried catfish
  • pizza

These are four of my favorite things in life and have been since my life began. I was afraid there’d be no hope to enjoy these great loves ever again and, frankly, with doughnuts, my prediction held true. There ARE gluten-free doughnuts, of course, but they are not the ones I remember from bakeries.

Until fairly recently, the pizza and pasta prediction also held fast, but lately, great strides have been made and (as a pasta and pizza fanatic) I couldn’t be more thankful.

However… when it comes to gluten-free pasta, it has always been a case of, “this one is pretty good” or “this one’s acceptable” instead of anything close to, ‘Holy cats, this gluten-free pasta is outstanding and tastes like the pasta I remember!”

Then I found Caulipower’s new gluten-free pastas – let’s just say it’s a GAME CHANGER.

(Review Continued Below….)

CauliPower Pasta

Caulipower Linguine

Caulipower is a brand I’ve been familiar with for a while because I buy their gluten-free pizza crusts (Amazon link) and gluten-free pizzas (they’re outstanding and I actually now prefer cauliflower crust to regular gluten-free crust). When my youngest daughter told me they had come out with gluten-free pasta, I’m not even exaggerating… I went to the store immediately. They’re in the frozen section and, while I first wondered about them being packaged frozen, I now LOVE the fact. This allows them to cook in just three minutes!

THREE MINUTES! Simply boil the water, add the frozen pasta, stir, and get ready to plate the deliciousness. The first one I tried was the Caulipower linguine because I’ve had difficulty finding linguine in a gluten-free pasta AND I love it.

For anyone who loves “meal prep hacks,” pasta night doesn’t get any better. Simply make up your pasta sauce (I always add ground beef, garlic, onions, green pepper, and mushrooms) and put it into a container in the refrigerator. When it’s time to make supper, warm up your sauce and cook your three minute pasta!

CauliPower Linguine Pasta

CauliPower Linguine Pasta

I love that the portion is perfect for two people (with a little left over even) and the fact that it cooks so quickly makes it IDEAL for busy weeknights. The best thing, however, is the fact that it is delicious! I added a little salt to the water like I do with all pasta, then added it to a meat sauce I had made beforehand.

While you could, of course, simply top the pasta with sauce, I thought adding it TO the meat sauce would make sure there was no cauliflower taste to detect. Mind you, I am obsessed with cauliflower, so it would make me giddy if there was a cauliflower taste but my husband is not a cauliflower fan, so I wanted to make sure that IF there was any flavor there, the sauce would mask it.

I tasted the pasta before adding it to the sauce and, even then, it was simply outstanding – no cauliflower taste and, best of all, it had the true consistency of “normal” pasta. Most gluten-free pasta you find in the stores is tough and not remotely “pasta-like” when it comes to the mouth feel. This one is so perfect it nearly brought a tear to my pasta-missing eye.

But it gets better.

If you’re familiar with gluten-free pasta, you know that leftovers are hideous. Gluten-free pasta, after being refrigerated and warmed-up gets even tougher. Not Caulipower pasta! When I warmed it up the next day, it tasted just like I had just made it fresh.

Now that’s what I’m talking about.

(Review Wrapped Up Below…)

CauliPower Linguine Pasta with Meat Sauce

CauliPower Linguine Pasta with Meat Sauce

Before allowing you to get on with your life, I just wanted to point out two things to let you know just how excited I am about Caulipower pasta and how thrilled I am to have found it:

  1. This is NOT a paid post, NOT sponsored, and NOT in any way associated with the Caulipower brand. I was NOT sent coupons or products to review. This is simply a case of a pasta lover who has to eat gluten-free finally finding the pasta that makes her excited to eat pasta again!
  2. Many times, after I have a food or use a product, I will schedule a time in the future (maybe a week later) to blog about it on the food blog. This particular pasta I tried just last night for supper and just warmed it up for lunch. I was SO anxious to share the good news that I dropped everything to sit down and tell you all about it.

If you have to eat gluten-free, are cutting back on carbs… OR simply want a more convenient and delicious pasta, I hope you’ll try Caulipower pasta as soon as possible. It’s a perfect 10 out of 10 and, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go have a little more.

Caulipower Pasta

Caulipower Pasta


Parma! Vegan, Plant-Based Alternative to Parmesan Cheese (Review)

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Parma Vegan Parmesan

Parma! Vegan Alternative to Parmesan Cheese

Okay, first of all, I have to say this: Even if you aren’t a vegan and aren’t actively looking to add more plant-based foods to your daily life… you will want to continue reading and you will most certainly want to try the Parma! products.

Trust me. I am not TOTALLY in either of these camps either – although I do enjoy a lot of vegan and plant-based meals and recipes, I do not exclusively eat this way. The more I read about healthy ingredients, however, the more closely I look at the ingredients in everything I buy. When it comes to ingredients, I want there to be as few as humanly possible, I want to be able to pronounce each ingredient, and I want to be able to recognize each one as an actual food.

  • The ingredients for Parma! Garlicky Green Vegan Parmesan: Nutritional yeast, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, garlic, Himalayan salt, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, kelp, basil, oregano
  • The ingredients for Parma! Chipotle Cayenne Vegan Parmesan: Nutritional yeast, sunflower seeds, walnuts, Chipotle (roasted jalapeno pepper), Himalayan salt, hemp seeds, onion, cayenne

If you’re one of the ones who is looking for a vegan and plant-based answer to Parmesan cheese…  this is your lucky day. These products are absolutely delicious.

Baked Potato

Baked Potato

Since I had to give up gluten and wheat (celiac), I have been very mindful of my eating. Years of eating food I didn’t fully realize were doing harm damaged my digestive tract and (even after 10 years), it’s only recently showing huge improvement. Eating more healthy foods (and keeping a keen eye on ingredients!) has helped.

The simple truth is, the healthier you eat, the healthier you feel and the healthier you are. If you’re interested in health and how what you eat influences it (which I assume you are since you are still reading!), you know as well as I do that oftentimes vegan alternatives and plant-based foods and ingredients can be disappointing. I have bought so many products that sounded like Heaven and tasted like… well you know.

I believe more of us would eat a lot healthier if the healthier was tastier. All indications point to the fact that the people behind Parma! fully, fully get that.

I was a bit nervous about trying these products. They were sent to me in exchange for telling you all about them – completely honest and upfront about whether I liked, disliked, hated or loved them. Before I first tried them, I was actually thinking about how I would be able to write a review about something while saying, “Didn’t care for it, myself, but…”

I guess I just didn’t think it’d be possible to create a delicious alternative to Parmesan Cheese. Here’s the thing: I’m a cheese fanatic! I use Parmesan cheese in and on everything.

Now can you see why I was nervous??

Parma Vegan Parmesan

Parma! Vegan Parmesan

Imagine the look on my face when I opened the two bottles, tasted each and literally said, “Wow… Delicious!” after each one.  Same script, same words, same shocked and delighted expression.

These are both nutty, delicious, and incredibly flavorful. The Parma! Chipotle Cayenne Vegan Parmesan has a little heat but not (at all) too much. It’s outstanding.

The Parma! Garlicky Green Vegan Parmesan is equally delicious with a subtle and wonderful taste of garlic. I made a potato casserole (pictured below) a few nights ago and, whereas I normally use cheddar cheese, I wanted to try smoked Gouda instead. I added a little minced garlic and some of the Parma! Garlicky Green Vegan Parmesan – it was delicious!

Potato Casserole

Potato Casserole

I have also used EACH of these products on baked potatoes. My favorite way to enjoy them on a fresh baked potato (white or sweet) is to sprinkle it directly onto the potato, followed by butter and whatever else I’m in the mood for.

Recently, I made baked potatoes and topped them with some of the Parma! Chipotle Cayenne Vegan Parmesan before adding butter, sour cream, chopped scallions, and thinly sliced Romaine lettuce (you’d be amazed how much Romaine adds to a baked potato). The Parma Parmesan gave the potato so much flavor! I’ve since also used the other variety of Parma! on baked potatoes. Phenomenal!

Things I love about Parma! Vegan Parmesan:

  • The products are gluten-free and are made in a dedicated facility.
  • They’re dairy free – whether you eat keto fulltime or part-time (like me), the more food you can enjoy that’s keto, the better. Any swap (from dairy to non-dairy) you make counts toward better health.
  • The products are Kosher.
  • They’re delicious!

In addition to the uses pictured and named above, I have also loved using these products on popcorn (DELICIOUS!), gluten-free toast, in and on Chaffles, sprinkled on asparagus, on gluten-free pasta, and sprinkled on gluten-free bread… parmesan bread never tasted so good!

These are truly delicious and I hope you’ll try them as soon as possible.

Where can you buy Parma! Vegan Parmesan?

  • There are stores across the country that carry the wonderful products (none anywhere near me, however!). When you visit their website, you can find use the map to locate the deliciousness near you.
  • Shop for the products directly from their website!
  • Parma! is available on Amazon – so if you’re already throwing things hot and heavy into your cart (surely I’m not the only one), throw in a couple of bottles of Parma! and get ready to be amazed. Nutty, wholesome, flavorful, and CRAZY delicious.

To read more about Parma and the CEO (Shannon Schnibbe) behind the deliciousness, click here.

 

 

Bee K’onscious Raw Montana Clover Honey… Spectacular!

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Sunflowers and Bees

Sunflowers and Bee

Whenever I tell people I grow flowers primarily for the visitors they attract, “… hummingbirds, songbirds, butterflies, bees..,” they inevitably say, “Bees?! You WANT to attract bees?”

Absolutely! I love them with a passion. Not only do they serve a great purpose in life as we know it, they’re responsible for one of my favorite culinary loves in the world – honey!

I have been a honey fanatic since a very early age. Most kids would put syrup or jelly on their peanut butter sandwiches, but my favorite thing was honey. Honey and Peter Pan made a most excellent couple.

As an adult, I’ve found that cooking with honey makes just about everything tastes better. But here’s the thing… there’s almost always a thing, isn’t there??… not all honey is created equal. Some honey is so fantastic and out of this world that it makes other honey seem like sticky, slightly sweet thick water.

I have always, always known that, most of the time, you get what you pay for. The delightfully cheap honey in bear shaped plastic bottles will serve its purpose UNTIL you taste what honey is actually supposed to taste like. There’s truly no comparison and I was recently reminded of this.

Bee K'onscious Honey

Bee K’onscious Honey

I am often sent food, drinks, tea, coffee, and similar products to review on my food blog as well as my tea review blog, Crazy Tea Chick. Very often, the products I’m sent are so good, I regularly buy them as a result. I was recently sent a jar of Bee K’onscious Montana Raw Honey and will darn sure make certain I never run out of it!

Now, keep in mind, I am a lifelong devoted and fiercely dedicated honey lover. I’ve bought them all it seems – so when I tell you that this is the best honey I’ve ever had, you can rest assured it is extraordinary honey.

Here’s what Bee K’onscious Honey’s website says about the Montana Raw Clover Honey:

Montana Clover.  Many consider clover honey to be the standard by which all other honeys are measured. The mild, sweet flavor like a sugary treat with hints of cinnamon and vanilla makes this a top favorite for honey lovers and not. The color ranges from white to light amber. The texture is thick and creamy with a very pleasant aroma.  For any delicious treat add this to some yogurt or fresh bread with ricotta cheese. How about pancakes topped with berries and then lathered on top with a spoon full of honey? There are many folks that simply spread this on toast and say it tastes like a cinnamon roll.

Nailed it!

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Honey

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Bee K’onscious Montana Raw Honey

I’ve used the Montana Raw Clover Honey the following ways and have been completely blown away each time…

  • Drizzled on freshly fried chicken tenders. Tossing a little red pepper flakes onto the honey makes a delicacy.
  • In smoothies to add a little guilt-free sweetness.
  • On gluten-free toast – either with cream cheese, ghee, or butter, it is a knock-out.
  • In tea… this honey is now an addiction for excellent evening tea!
  • On sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes (all potatoes, if we’re being honest) are a great passion of mine. I’ve always baked them, then added butter and a combination of brown sugar and cinnamon. The most recent time I made them, I also added B’konscious Honey – phenomenal! By adding the honey, I was able to add less brown sugar than I normally do. The honey provides the sweetness naturally.
  • One of my favorite ways: Each night, after supper, my husband and I have a small “dessert” that I schemed up a while back. It’s a good way to get good fat (healthy) and daily dark chocolate (healthy, healthy) – We take a small square of dark chocolate and spread some ghee on top, then top that with a little pink Himalayan salt. Lately, we’ve been adding a touch of Montana Raw Clover Honey and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to go back to the other way! It adds so much extraordinary flavor that I look forward to the after-dinner treat pretty much all day.

Health Benefits of Honey

Honey has an impressive list of health benefits, but my favorite has to do with allergies. I suppose this is simply because I have the worst seasonal allergies in the world! I have noticed that, while I’ve been fiercely enjoying B’konscious honey, I have had to use my Benadryl (or as I call it, Liquid Zombie because it makes me feel like the walking dead!) far less often. Given that I use honey so often, something tells me that the benefits of honey are superior when the honey, itself, is superior.

Honey is also beneficial for great sleep as it promotes the release of serotonin.  The body converts serotonin to melatonin, which regulates quality and duration of sleep. Maybe that’s why I’ve been sleeping so soundly lately. I’ve been entering a deeper sleep because my dreams have been pretty darn entertaining. Seriously, nothing out of Hollywood could even hope to compare.

Other Health Benefits of Honey From B’konscious Honey’s Website:

  • Anti Microbial:  Honey is a natural antibiotic.  Honey has been used for centuries to remove bacteria from cuts and burns.
  • Superfood:  Honey contains many life sustaining substances – enzymes, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants and water.
  • Boosts energy:  With 17 grams of carbohydrates per serving, its unprocessed sugars enter the bloodstream quickly giving extra energy.

You can buy this exceptional honey directly from the B’konscious Honey website. You’ll find all of their gorgeous products, recipes, health benefits, and more.

 

 

On The Go Edamame Tropical Fusion Snacks: Gluten-Free, Low in Sodium, and Delicious

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On the Go Edamame Tropical Fusion Snacks

I recently received samples of a delicious new snack I know you’ll love as much as I do. These are On The Go Edamame Tropical Fusion Snacks. In addition to Tropical Fusion, these Edamame Fusion Snacks are also available in Berries Fusion and Goji Berry Fusion.

When I first heard about these snacks, I was completely intrigued. When I’m on the receiving end of snacks, gluten-free food, seasonings, etc., my emotions usually run the gamut from excited (when I just KNOW something will be delicious) to dubious (“How is this going to taste??“). However, this is the first time I can honestly say I was simply “intrigued.”

One of the reasons why is that I am the world’s biggest edamame fan. Seriously, I am addicted. I always have at least one bag of frozen edamame on hand – usually two. I love it popped in the microwave, salted, and set right in front of me….. and I really don’t like to share.

I also LOVE edamame in tossed salads and pasta salads. Crazy delicious.

But… in a snack mix???

Like I said, it had me intrigued. Probably like the first time Popeye heard about Green Smoothies. Intrigued.

As soon as they came, I opened the box, quickly took pictures of the packets, and tore into one. Nevermind the fact that I was in the middle of cooking lunch – I had to know what they tasted like.

Suffice to say I nearly ruined my lunch by eating a packet at once.

Every single bite is delicious and nutritious.

I (obviously) love that they’re gluten-free – but that’s just one of the many things to love.

{Continued Below….}

On the Go Edamame Tropical Fusion Snacks

Edamame Infusion Snacks Are…

  • Preservative Free
  • Gluten-Free (worth mentioning twice)
  • Sulfur Free
  • Good Sources of Protein
  • Good Sources of Iron
  • Good Source of Fiber
  • Perfect for Lunch Boxes or Backpacks
  • Ideal to keep in the desk door for snacking

Since I’m one of those people who has low blood sugar, I always keep a snack in my purse – just in case I find myself in need of something to eat before I drop to my knees. Carrying snacks in handbags, pockets, lunchboxes, or backpacks can be tricky. Chocolate melts, cookies crumble, granola bars… well, let’s be honest, sometimes I’d rather deal with dropping to my knees. Snacks such as this are always fresh and delicious. They won’t crumble, melt, or taste like cardboard doing an imitation of oatmeal.

I’m a huge fan of granola bars, could you tell?

Visit On The Go Snacks to learn more about their different snacks – this particular one is completely out of this world.

Where to Buy: You can find On The Go Edamame Fusion Snacks on Amazon (Amazon link). I’ve linked to the Tropical Fusion variety, but the others are there as well.

 

PBfit Review: Healthy and Delicious for the Whole Family

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PBfit

Delicious PBfit – All Natural, Vegan, and Gluten-Free

While I’m normally the class clown, I want to be somewhat serious for a minute.

I guess that’s somewhat of a benefit to being the person who’s never serious, when you ARE serious, people know it’s… well… serious.

Think back to when you were in grade school. If you’re a parent or grandparent, odds are you have trouble thinking of overweight kids or even teachers. I can, honestly, remember the names of the overweight kids because they were so few.

Today, sadly, things are much, much different. You cannot go to the store, it seems, without seeing precious children who are already dealing with weight as an issue – at an age when they’re only “issue” should be homework or keeping their little brother from snitching on them!

I don’t have to tell you how unhealthy and dangerous carrying extra weight is. I won’t insult your intelligence with any diabetes statistics. You know that there is an epidemic in our country – with children and adults. An epidemic that HAS to be confronted head-on with better nutrition.

PBfit Smoothie

Chocolate PBfit Smoothie with Apple and Banana

The problem is… kids have incredible appetites! They’re growing and busier than any self-respecting Type A bee, so that’s only natural. Starving them is most certainly NOT the answer. Fun activities and healthy food are the answers needed and, fortunately, healthy food couldn’t be easier.

I’ll let you in on a little secret, too. It’s delicious! In fact, eating healthy is so delicious – and makes you feel so much better – that the entire family will benefit.

PBfit is one of my family’s newest obsessions and it will surely become one of your family’s as well.  With 87% less fat than traditional peanut butter and 1/3 the calories, all natural PBfit makes meals and snacks healthier and even more delicious than ever.

You simply mix a little water with the PBfit mixture and… badabing!… delicious and creamy peanut butter. You only make the amount you need for the moment, so it’s always fresh and fantastic. If you want to add a little chopped peanuts or even a mashed banana, have at it. While the options are endless, it’s never better than when it is in its simplest form – good old fashioned peanut butter. PBfit Chocolate Peanut Butter

Chocolate PBfit Peanut Butter

It’s wonderful spread on bread, toast, or English muffins (with or without banana slices – YUM!) but I actually prefer dipping apple slices into the peanut butter. I also love making smoothies with the traditional PBfit as well as the Chocolate PBfit (it makes outstanding peanut butter, too… very reminiscent of Nutella).

When making your favorite smoothie, simply toss in some PBfit for extra protein and flavor. It is absolutely perfect in chocolate and banana smoothies. I usually throw an apple in, too, for good measure.

After all, an apple a day and all that…

There are a lot of excellent sounding PBfit recipes on the official website. I’m slowly but surely going to workmy way through each of them. Seriously, this is outstanding – you are going to love each of these – Chocolate PBfit, Organic PBfit, and the Original PBfit.

Kids will get a huge kick out of “making” their own peanut butter and you’ll never have to let them know how much healthier it is for them. Heck, even I get a kick out of “making” my own peanut butter and my qualification for “kid” expired quite a while back!

PBfit Smoothie

 

Each of the three varieties is IDEAL for smoothies and even milkshakes. They smoothly incorporate into the other ingredients – seemingly even better than traditional peanut butter does. I’ve actually been surprised just how smooth and creamy my smoothies are.

Below is a recipe from PBfit that’s a perfect example of the options when it comes to smoothies.

 PBfit & Jelly Smoothie

1 cup frozen blue berries
4 tbsp pbfit
1 scoop vanilla protein
1 tsp low carb sweetener, monk fruit
3/4 cup milk of choice
*** optional, 1 tsp goji berry powder for color added nutrients

Blend and enjoy!

Find more recipes, nutrition information, and a lot more on PBfit.com.

PBfit sent me the samples in the picture above in exchange for telling my readers about their product. They also graciously shared the PBfit & Jelly Smoothie recipe (and photo below) with us. The raving words and opinions are all my own, of course (as are the rest of the pictures). I was blown away by PBfit – I honestly had no idea how delicious it would be, for one thing, or how many different ways it could be used for another.

You can find PBfit in most grocery stores as well as on Amazon (Amazon link). I hope you’ll check it out – you and your family will absolutely love this.

PBfit and Jelly Smoothie

If You Don’t Like Ghee, It’s Only Because You Haven’t Had the BEST Ghee: Ancient Organics

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.Ancient Organics Ghee

Ancient Organics Ghee (Amazon link)

When I first tried ghee, I thought it was horrifyingly bad. So bad that I was certain I’d never touch it again.

Fast forward to today…. I am, now, a complete and total Ghee addict.

So how did I get from point A to bullet point B? I tried a different ghee!

I read a lot of Paleo articles, use Paleo cookbooks, and stalk the Paleo crowd on social media. While I don’t follow the Paleo diet exclusively, I do incorporate it into my cooking and eating.  Paleo cooking uses A LOT of ghee, so I figured it’d be worthwhile to simply try a different brand rather than completely throw ghee out the back door (something that my store-bought ghee had me tempted to do).

My husband ordered a jar of Ancient Organics Ghee on Amazon and, as soon as it came, we tested it out.

What a difference a label makes! Seriously, I cannot even begin to figure out how Ancient Organics Ghee (Amazon link) gets it so deliciously right when other ghee get it so frightfully wrong.

Maybe the description below will give us a little insight…

Product Description from Ancient Organic’s Amazon Page:

Ancient Organics Ghee is a premium cooking oil celebrated for its taste, nutritional benefits, and medicinal qualities—it is unlike any other ghee on the market today. Our Ghee is hand-crafted over an open flame and made in small batches, ensuring you will always get the freshest Ghee. With an uncompromised commitment to quality and an obsessive attention to detail, we guarantee you won’t find a more pure, better tasting Ghee. Ghee is the complete distillation of butter— the end result of a long, slow, careful clarification process that removes all the moisture, lactose and casein, making it completely shelf stable AND a perfect choice for people who are lactose intolerant. The difference between Ghee and clarified butter lies in their flavor and shelf stability: Ghee is superior on both counts Ayurveda recognizes ghee as an essential part of a balanced diet and is considered to be the very best oil one can eat. It has been used for centuries as a digestive and elimination aid, for energy, sexual vitality, skin and eye health, as a lubricant for the joints and for alkalizing the blood. Comprised of full spectrum short-, medium-, and long-chain fatty acids, Ghee contains Omega 3 and Omega 9 essential fatty acids along with vitamins A, D, E and K. Our Ghee is one of the highest natural sources of CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) because we use only the highest quality organic butter of pastured cows. Our golden Ghee has a delicious caramelized and nutty taste that will enhance the flavor of any culinary creation. It has one of the highest flash points (485ºF) and it is simply the best choice for high temperature cooking. Substitute our Ghee for olive oil, butter or vegetable oil in or on anything from soups, potatoes, rice and vegetables, with eggs, pancakes, oatmeal, smoothies or popcorn—the possibilities are truly endless. Try it—you will love it!

What is Ghee?

Ghee is a healthy alternative to cooking – far better than vegetable oil. Ayurveda, the ancient medical science of India, recognizes Ghee as a very important part of a healthy diet. It also considers ghee to be the best fat one can eat.

Ghee is as easy to implement in your cooking and eating as it gets. Use it in place of olive oil, vegetable oil, or butter. Ancient Organics Ghee (Amazon link) is so delicious we even have an after-dinner routine we’ve followed for over a year. We spread a little ghee on a small square of dark chocolate, then sprinkle Pink Himalayan Salt on top.

It is outrageously delicious. Trust me.

Eggs fried in ghee are also out of this world good.  The high-temperature quality of ghee performs beautifully in sautés and stir fries.

I’ve even added a little ghee to soups and oatmeal and found that it gives a rich flavor that brings out the best in every other flavor.

Heck, it even takes popcorn up a couple of notches. Last summer I popped some popcorn for an afternoon baseball game. Instead of melting butter, which I’ve done for popcorn for 112 years, I reached for the ghee and melted a tablespoon of it. OMG. I have not used butter on popcorn since.

But here’s the thing – it has got to be Ancient Organics Ghee (Amazon link). Has. Got. To. Be. The rest I’ve tried are nowhere near as good. I can’t explain it but I can darn sure taste it.  This particular brand occasionally runs out on Amazon (which tells you all you need to know about how great it is). Before we learned to stock up, we’d every now and then find “not available” or “In stock on… (insert later date)” on the Amazon page. This led to the need to order other brands and/or experiment with store-bought ghee.

Seriously – they don’t even taste like the same thing!

I hope you’ll try as soon as you can. You’re going to love it. If one size is temporarily sold out, buy the other size. If you get a “In stock on..” message, throw it in your cart and wait!

Yes, it’s costlier than some other ghee, but it is infinitely worth it.

EDIT: I have, since doing this review in 2018, literally searched for a comparable ghee so I could come back to this ghee review and give another option – even if it was a “close second” brand. I can’t find one! This remains the absolute best there is and I honestly can’t even find a close second. Trust me, I wish there WAS a comparable ghee that was readily available on the store shelf but, sadly, there is not. ~ Joi (3/12/2022)

Ancient Organics Ghee