Snacks – Page 16 – The Celiathlete

August 19, 2014

Product Review: Little Lad’s Lemon Herbal Popcorn

Product: Little Lad’s Lemon Herbal Popcorn – $2.25+

Popcorn.

When done right, popcorn can be one of the healthiest snacks out there. I gave up microwave popcorn ages ago (for the most part…sometimes…it’s the only option), and have been using the hell out of my air popper.

Truly, it is almost a nightly tradition to enjoy some air popped popcorn, seasoned with herbs and a little drizzle of olive oil (healthy fat that is also a belly flattener). Usually enjoyed while watching a Gordon Ramsay show or Torchwood or Dr. Who or…American Ninja Warrior! Something. I don’t watch much TV…but I usually unwind at the end of a long day with some sort of television show on Netflix or Hulu.

And I grew up feasting on popcorn while watching a movie at home or winding down at night. And every Sunday…it was my family’s dinner. Honestly. Popcorn has always been a favorite food in my family…and I carry that tradition with me today.

I was actually really excited when my July Cuisine Cube arrived and I pulled this bag of popcorn from the box. For one thing…the words popcorn were enough to entice me. But toss the word “lemon” in front of it…and you have a really happy girl. Lemon is one of my favorite seasonings and often do a lemon pepper popcorn at home as one of my seasonings. This…had it done for me.

The item I received was a bag of LIttle Lad’s Lemon Herbal Popcorn. Little Lad’s is a small family restaurant in Portland, Maine. Their mission was to create a place where people could bring their families and friends and enjoy a restaurant quality meal that focuses on bold flavors and high nutrition. One of the creations that this restaurant created was an herbal popcorn that their customers raved about and couldn’t get enough of. This was no dull popcorn either. And the Lemon Herbal Popcorn version is one take on this popular product.

Little Lad’s Herbal Popcorn is made from organic lemon and fresh herbs. Yes. Organic and fresh. Bet you didn’t see that coming. This variety of popcorn doesn’t use any animal products and is gluten-free. And, the Lemon Herbal Popcorn is made with whole grains! According to the package, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this popcorn goes towards health education in Africa.

Like I said, I usually air pop popcorn at night, but last night, I was feeling lazy. Master Chef was on and, for once, I didn’t want to drown it out with my air popper. So, I went to my pantry and pulled out the Little Lad’s Lemon Herbal Popcorn, pouring it into two bowls and giving one to my roommate while I settled in with the other one to watch the show.

Here’s the deal…packaged popcorn is either going to be amazing or fall flat. I knew the moment I opened the Little Lad’s Lemon Herbal Popcorn bag that it smelled fantastic. That was a good start. I popped one of the popped kernels into my mouth…and it was settled. This popcorn definitely fell into the good side of packaged popcorn. In fact, what it reminded me of was day-old movie theater popcorn (movie theater popcorn tastes the best a day later, seriously!) with lemon flavoring. Seriously. You may not think that sounds appetizing, but, honestly, it does. The balance of lemon flavor and savory herbs is perfection. You get this great sweet and sour take on the seasoning, which plays well on the palate. And the lemon doesn’t take over and completely overpower the product. There is never too much lemon and too little to counterbalance it. And that is a difficult balance to find. One that I’m still working on when I make my lemon pepper popcorn at home. So, I was quite content snacking on Little Lad’s Lemon Herbal Popcorn last night. It was refreshing and delicious.

So, how wholesome and nutritious is Little Lad’s Lemon Herbal Popcorn? You know I was going to get to that.

Little Lad’s Lemon Herbal Popcorn is made from non-GMO popcorn, organic evaporated cane juice, organic lemon, herbs and spices, non-GMO soybean oil, and sea salt. This popcorn is gluten-free, cholesterol free, and vegan.

As far as nutrition goes…it’s pretty outstanding. A serving of Little Lad’s Lemon Herbal Popcorn is 30 grams (or half of the 2 ounce package). This serving will provide you with 120 calories and 7 grams of fat. A serving will give you 45 mg sodium and 2 grams of sugar. And, you will be consuming 2 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein.

Not bad for a snack last night, right? That’s right. I’ll never stray from my air popped popcorn, but having this option last night was a delicious, easy treat. Thank you, again, Cuisine Cube, for your continued success in bringing me products I had never hard of before…would probably never hear of without these deliveries…and that actually taste amazing. Another winner from my monthly selection.

August 18, 2014

Product Review: Liz Lovely Gluten Free Crunchy Double Chocolate Cookies

Product: Liz Lovely Gluten Free Crunchy Double Chocolate Cookies – $6.50+

Oh…dear!! My cookie noshing habits had been tame as of late. An occasional splurge here and there…but I was getting it under control. Because, as a cookie monster, any gluten-free cookie with me is fair game. I absolutely love cookies. They are just…the perfect dessert. So many varieties…crunchy, chewy, crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, made with chips, candy, stuffed, topped, iced…so many ways to make a cookie. You can let your imagination run wild…and let your taste buds and stomach profit from it.

Mmmm…cookies.

So, imagine my face when I pulled the bright, hot pink box of one of my favorite gluten-free cookie producers out of the August Cuisine Cube and read what had just arrived. Liz Lovely Cookies??! Hell yes!! Happy dance!! But wait…what’s this? Crunchy cookies? Liz Lovely is doing CRUNCHY cookies now?

Um…that’s…fantastic.

So, for those of you who are unfamiliar with Liz Lovely, they were one of the first gluten-free cookies that didn’t remind me that I was eating a gluten-free cookie. Big, chewy…a serving being only half the cookie…I could get them at my local natural food store and would purchase a new flavor each time until I worked my way through them all. It was hard to stick to that actual serving size…but I behaved. But…Liz Lovely was known for those chewy, big cookies. So this…this was new.

Turns out, for years now, Liz had so many consumers and people inquire about small snack cookies…to which she always replied that those sorts of cookies weren’t what they did. But it seems it all fell into place one night…and out of it came a new product…a new line of gluten-free crunchy cookies from the fantastic Liz Lovely.

These are currently out in four different flavors: chocolate chip, double chocolate, oatmeal raisin, and ginger snap.

The bright pink box declared that the cookies that Cuisine Cube sent into my life were…Liz Lovely Gluten Free Crunchy Double Chocolate Cookies.

Mmmm…chocolate.

Mmmm…cookies!

Okay, so normally it takes me the entire month to work through the Cuisine Cube that I receive, but this cube has been a bit of an anomaly. For one thing, one product I had to place in the break room at work…the Field Trip Cracked Pepper Turkey Jerky. This vegetarian can’t and won’t even eat that. But, the boys at work have been enjoying it. So, there we go. And then, last night, I went ahead and plowed through three products. Yes…three!

And after I used the first two for dinner…it was time for dessert.

And I happily pulled open the box of Liz Lovely Gluten Free Crunchy Double Chocolate Cookies. They smelled…amazing. They were these thin little rounds, about the 2 inches in diameter, if I were guessing (and I am). Small, thin…and yes…crunchy. Nothing I have ever associated with Liz Lovely. So…I was beyond intrigued as to how I would like these. As I have stated before, I am more of a soft cookie lover than a crispy cookie lover…but I do love cookies regardless and don’t hold the softness or crispiness factor against any cookie.

I removed four cookies, passing off two to my roommate and snagging two for me. Yes…this time you get two full cookies…not just half of one. YAY! I settled in for my dessert and took a bite.

WOW! First of all, I believe that these cookies completely encapsulate the best part of something like a pan of brownies. These cookies taste just like that crispy edge of the brownies that bakes along the pan. That is one of my favorite parts of a brownie and these cookies mimic it both in crunch, texture, and flavor. I might have drooled upon taking my first bite. These have a nice, rich, chocolate flavor…bold and decadent. The cookies have a great crunch to them, and they are easy to chew and one of the greatest things I may have ever eaten in cookie form. Holy Double Chocolate Crunchy Goodness!! I was so tempted to go and count cookies to see if there might be an odd number so I could sneak another one…but I didn’t. I behaved. I kept it to the serving size. And, for the life of me, I don’t know how I didn’t give in to the temptation. Seriously…these are amazing cookies. You can tell how much work, love, and joy goes into the making of these cookies because they reflect that in not just flavor but quality. And I am totally in love.

Let’s talk about those ingredients and nutritional facts, shall we?

The Liz Lovely Gluten Free Crunchy Double Chocolate Cookies are made from cane sugar, chocolate chips, white rice flour, palm fruit oil, water, potato starch, cocoa powder, tapioca flour, molasses, Ener-G Egg Replacer, vanilla extract, sea salt, baking soda, xanthan gum, and natural tocopherols (vitamin E). Not too bad for a sweet treat, right? These cookies are vegan, gluten-free, cholesterol free, kosher, made with non-GMO ingredients and all natural.

As far as how nutritious these are…well…they are cookies so…

A serving of the Liz Lovely Gluten Free Crunch Double Chocolate Cookies is 2 cookies. These cookies will deliver 130 calories and 6 grams of fat. These two cookies will also provide 90 mg sodium and 12 grams of fat. That’s not bad at all for cookies. Not at all. And finally, these cookies will provide you with 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of sugar. These will definitely not fill you up…which means you can snack on them before dinner. HA!

Okay…so maybe not. But, you’re an adult right? Have dessert first every now and again. Live it up. Change it up. Be a little wild!

I am enamored with these cookies. I want to make them last forever, but cookies never last long in my home. I’m a cookie monster for a reason. And these will be devoured each night until they are gone. But, now I hope I can find a place to purchase them and/or order them online because…yeah…I’ll be dreaming about these cookies for a long time. Who says a chewy cookie girl can’t cross over to the crunchy side.

Go ahead…take a bite and see for yourself.

August 13, 2014

Product Review: My Dad’s Cookies Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Product: My Dad’s Cookies Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Biscotti – $7.99+

If there was one thing I grew to love when I worked at the coffee shop, it was biscotti. Nothing can top the taste of a crisp, crunchy cookie dunked in something like coffee or tea or even hot chocolate. Absolutely…delish.

So, when my roommate and I were out at our new grocery store (the one that carries the My Dad’s Cookies products), we had a plan to pick up the lemon cookies…

…but they still didn’t have any in stock. As the lemon cookies were the ones that the roomie wanted to try…I told her to pick whatever she was interested in trying for dessert. She wasted no time in choosing the My Dad’s Cookies Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Biscotti.

Sweet.

So, tonight we opened them up for dessert. And to make it official, I brewed up a bit of decaf coffee for dipping purposes. Yeah…this was going to be good.

Settling in with an episode of Chopped, we ate our dinner (gluten-free pasta with homemade marinara and gluten-free focaccia bread, in case you were wondering!) and then I went to clean up a little and grab dessert. Nothing is easier than opening the little plastic container of My Dad’s Cookies Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Biscotti. I poured two cups of coffee…and then grabbed a serving of the cookies.

Dessert was served.

My roommate tucked in first. I asked what she thought and she said, “It’s yummy!” That’s always a good sign. That means she really does like it and isn’t just trying to be polite. So, that was a positive note to start on! I settled in and picked up one of the cookies, giving it a dunk into my freshly brewed coffee…and took a bite.

These…are not traditional type biscotti. They are smaller than normal biscotti, and while crisp, they get really soft immediately upon dipping…so don’t let it linger too long. These are more chopped up chocolate chip cookies than chocolate chip biscotti…but I won’t complain. The flavor is divine. The overall vanilla flavor with the sweet chocolate chips scattered…oh…so good. They had a nice crunch to them when they weren’t dipped in the coffee, but got quite soft when they hit the liquid. The flavor profile is amazing, especially if you love chocolate chip cookies…and I do.

As far as ingredients go, these aren’t too bad. The My Dad’s Cookie Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Biscotti are made from a gluten-free flour blend (brown rice, potato starch, tapioca flour, and xanthan gum), sugar, organic palm oil, egg, chocolate chips, chocolate liquor, brown sugar, natural vanilla extract, agave, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

As far as the nutrition information goes, this is rather good. A serving of the My Dad’s Cookies Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Biscotti is 4 of the cookies. This serving provides 150 calories and 7 grams of fat. In addition, they serve up 15 mg cholesterol, 40 mg sodium, and 12 grams of sugar. Finally, you will be consuming 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein. Not filling…but delicious.

I have become a big fan of the My Dad’s Cookies brand. Everything I have tried has been amazing and delicious. You’d never guess these were gluten-free. Not one bit. Amazing and delicious…another fantastic treat.

Get yourself some of this biscotti and get to dipping. You will also fall in love.

August 11, 2014

Product Review: So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Mint Chip Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert

Product: So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Mint Chip Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert – $6.99+

Life’s been tough these past few weeks. Lots of setbacks and a lot of negativity…of my own…to myself. I’m trying to stay positive, but sometimes…it’s freakin’ hard, you know? But…if there is one thing I have learned over the years…ice cream makes everything better! Everything!

And with that being said, I was fortunate enough to receive a special delivery of the So Delicious Dairy Free coconut milk frozen desserts a couple weeks back and have been working my way through these delicious frosty treats. Tonight, I rounded up this journey through ice cream heaven with the final product stocked in my freezer…

The So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Mint Chip Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert.

So, being completely honest here…mint chip is one of my guilty pleasure favorite things in Ice Cream Land. Growing up, it was always my dad’s favorite flavor and we often had it stocked in our freezer. You’d think I’d grow tired of it, but I didn’t…and I still haven’t. In fact, if you put a bit of hot fudge over a good mint chip ice cream…you get something akin to that of the Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies. Seriously. Trust me. I haven’t been able to eat Girl Scout Cookies for three years now, and that is one of the best ways to satisfy the craving when it hits.

Except…that pesky lactose intolerance thing. While I have been known to take a supplement to help me digest dairy…it doesn’t always work or help. So, I’m usually very cautious when approaching real ice cream. But, now I can have my mint chip and eat it too…without worry.

So Delicious Dairy Free came out with a new version of their Mint Chip Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert. Yes. This one…with no added sugars. And I know what you are thinking. You are wondering how ice cream without the addition of a crap-ton-load of sugar (that’s really a degree of measurement, trust me!) would work…or taste for that matter. Well, because of So Delicious’ generosity…I can tell you!

I made a very light, but delicious dinner tonight (breakfast for dinner!) and thought to round it off with a taste of the ice cream. I had pulled it from the freezer as I was settling into my dinner, just to let it thaw a little. Non-dairy ice creams usually need 5-10 minutes of thaw time to make them scoopable. Even more-so when they don’t have all that added sugar. It was the perfect amount of time because after my roomie and I polished off our breakfast…er…dinner…we were ready for that palate cleansing dessert. And the ice cream was now ready and at that perfect consistency for scooping without being too soft and soupy. Seriously!

There is a science to ice cream scooping and I think I have mastered it!

Anyway, I got out my 1/2 cup measure and dished us each up a complete serving. I even drizzled a bit of hot fudge over it, as I had just enough left in the fridge for tonight’s dessert. So, with the So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Mint Chip Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert now in bowls, I carried her dessert over and then went back to retrieve mine. She took a bite…immediately noting the mint flavor. I asked what she thought…and while she preferred the vanilla (and who doesn’t?!), she loved the flavor.

My turn to be the judge. And on first bite I was in love. The So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Mint Chip Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert has a great texture to begin with. It’s creamy, without being runny or heavy. It has this lightness to it. This variety has a great minty flavor to it, that is not too strong and is complimented by the swirls of chocolate throughout the pint. I love that the chocolate is swirled in and not actual chips. This makes the consistency of the frozen dessert work even more. The chocolate itself was delicious…sweet without being too much. Honestly, if you kept it a secret, no one would guess that there was no sugar added to this flavor. Not at all. Absolutely minty fresh and delicious!

With all my food blogs, I try to inform my readers as to what makes up a product and the nutrition information that accompanies it. So Delicious Dairy Free is very open about what they put into their products and display all nutritional information on their Web site. Nothing to hide. Love that.

That being said, the So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Mint Chip Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert is made from organic coconut milk, guar gum, chocolate flake, vegetable glycerin, chicory root extract, erythritol, natural flavors, sea salt, locust bean gum, guar gum, carrageenan, and monk fruit extract. I am assuming that the mint flavor comes from some of those “natural flavors” as I don’t see it listed anywhere in the ingredients. This flavor of ice cream from So Delicious is dairy free, vegan, gluten free, kosher, made with organic and non-GMO ingredients. WOOT!

As for nutrition, a serving size of the So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Mint Chip Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert is 1/2 cup. In this serving, you will be taking in 120 calories and 11 grams of fat. Again, with all things made with coconut milk, do not panic over that fat count. Coconut milk is a bit fattier…but it’s that healthy fat that’s actually good for you. So, turn that frown upside down! A serving will also 65 mg sodium and only 1 gram of sugar. Yes…that’s it. And I swear, you’d never know that this dessert is virtually sugar free. Seriously! And, finally, you will be taking in 10 grams of filling fiber and 1 gram of protein.

Delicious! Honestly, the So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Mint Chip Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert tastes fantastic. I found it well balanced, very creamy, and a delight on the tongue. So Delicious continues to live up to its name…and continues to make me one happy lactose-intolerant Celiac. Their products cater to me and I continue to eat (or drink) them up. Budget be damned…sometimes you just need to treat yourself to something you love or know you’ll love. For me…that’s a So Delicious Dairy Free product.

Never fails.

A serving of So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Mint Chip Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert

August 11, 2014

Product Review: Schär Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bagels

Product: Schär Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Babels – $6.99+

You can take the girl out of New York, but you can’t take the New York out of the girl. And by that I mean my extreme love of pizza, bagels, and the like. Especially bagels. They were a favorite breakfast item of mine growing up and continued to remain that way up until my Celiac diagnosis. When I had to go gluten-free, there were a few gluten-free bagels out on the market…but nothing that was so close to being a real bagel that I had to continue to buy them. I was mightily unimpressed by most of the ones I tried.

Until Udi’s. And then Katz Gluten Free.

And now…my third-in-line…

Schär.

I am no stranger to Schär’s products. In fact, I have pretty much enjoyed every product of theirs that I have gotten my hands onto and sank my teeth into. There are a few companies that I do not hesitate to purchase something from them, even if untested, because they have built up a trust. And I trust Schär. And that’s why, when I was out looking for something to have for breakfast…I jumped at the chance to try Schär’s new gluten-free bagels. Even better…they were something I had been craving for months now…

GLUTEN FREE CINNAMON RAISIN BAGELS!!

Sold! They were popped into my shopping basket (they were on the list…just not this brand specifically) and I made my way to the register before I was tempted by more gluten-free goodies while out on my tight grocery budget. And with that, I was heading home with my new find from the freezer section. I tossed them into my freezer (they specifically say to keep frozen…unlike most of Schär’s products, which are shelf-stable) and let them sit there for a week because I made homemade Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls…and I was churning through those first. But I was craving a bagel and today felt like a good day for a bagel. After all…I had to go swimming this morning. If that doesn’t earn a bagel, I don’t know what does!

So, this morning before heading to the pool, I took out the Schär Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bagels and removed two of them, placing them in a giant Ziploc bag and letting them sit on the counter to thaw while I was swimming some laps. When I came home, I turned on my oven and prepped a baking sheet so I could get a toast on these bagels. I did see where it said they were best enjoyed without toasting and just at room temperature…but who doesn’t toast a bagel?! Hmm? That’s just inhuman! So…I went to take my shower as the oven preheated and upon stepping back into the kitchen, the oven was ready and I tossed the tray into the oven to let the bagels toast.

I will point out that as I was preparing the bagels I made note of how they looked and felt. They are actually smaller than an average (New York-style) bagel, and more like the size of a doughnut. Instead of being bigger in diameter, however, they make up for it in height. Half of the bagel is nice and thin, the other half…is where you’ll find all the meatiness of the bagel…that chewy bread part that makes a bagel a bagel…toasted and crunchy on the outside with the chewy dense bread on the inside. And these bagels were definitely dense. They had a bit of heft to them, unlike Udi’s (still my favorite), where they feel quite light (which is a good thing!).

The Schär Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bagels did smell amazing while they were cooking. You could get that sweet scent of cinnamon as the bagels were toasting in my oven. Mmmm…I was anticipating them finishing up…and actually kept pulling the door open to check on them, hoping for a little bit of golden doneness on the surface. It took about 10 minutes to get there…but when they did, out they came. Each half got a light coating of Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese (vegan cream cheese FTW!) and breakfast was served!

I grabbed my coffee and my plate and tucked into the couch with my book (Heat by Bill Buford, if you were wondering) and settled in for my breakfast. First bite. Oh…yeah. There it was…that crispy outer crust with that chewy, soft inside. They were definitely denser than I like, but not bad. I rank them number three on my favorite gluten-free bagels (#1 – Udi’s; #2 – Katz Gluten Free). The cinnamon brought sweet heat that just elevated the flavor of the bagels. And the sweet raisins were a nice pairing. I had been craving cinnamon raisin…specifically in bagel form…and Schär delivered a solid, delicious version to me. I was impressed. I had a feeling it would be okay, as Schär has never let me down with one of their products, but you just never know. And being a bagel aficionado, I am rather particular about my bagels and how they feel, taste, and overall…how they cook. They have to live up to my high New Yorker standards. And these…basically did. Aside from being a little heavier than I like a bagel, they definitely delivered. And my craving has been satiated…finally.

Now, this is the part where I tell you what all goes into these bagels…and what they are free from…and then I hit you up with all that nutrition information, which no one really likes to see, but it’s important. So, stick with me here…

The Schär Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bagels are made from water, corn starch, rice flour, buckwheat flour, sugar, yeast, psyllum seed husks (vegetable fiber), rice starch, canola oil, soy protein, cane sugar syrup, modified cellulose, salt, tartaric acid, calcium citrate, iron, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. Yeah…those last few sound kind of chemically. I get that. But the Schär Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bagels are gluten-free, wheat free, lactose free, egg free and diary free. They do, however, contain soy.

A serving of Schär Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bagels is 1 bagel. No shock there, I know. This one delicious bagel will serve you 250 calories and 3 grams of fat. That is epically good for bagels. Trust me. One bagel will also provide you with 600 mg sodium and 11 grams of sugar. Both of those are a little higher than I like…but, again, not terrible for a bagel. These bagels are cholesterol free. And, finally, you will be getting 6 grams of filling fiber and 3 grams of protein. You will definitely feel full after a bagel. And I didn’t burn right through it either. I remained feeling full for quite a few hours after. Loved that.

I want to, once again, send out high praise, much deserved to Schär for their Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bagels. Yet another amazing product to add to the lineup. I was beyond impressed with them. And, yes…the true test comes with whether I would shell out money to purchase them again. The answer is yes…oh, yes!

Schär Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bagel toasted with a schmear of Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese

August 7, 2014

Product Review: So Delicious Dairy Free Minis No Sugar Added Fudge Bar

So Delicious Dairy Free Minis Coconut Milk No Sugar Added Fudge Bars

Product: So Delicious Dairy Free Minis Coconut Milk No Sugar Added Fudge Bar – $5.99+

Happiness is…a special delivery of ice cream. And that’s exactly what happened. A super special delivery from my friends at So Delicious Dairy Free. And every bit of it was ice cream. Delicious gluten-free and vegan ice cream. Pardon me while I do a quick jig of happiness. When life delivers you ice cream, you have permission to dance. So dance and get those pints and boxes into the freezer. Stat!

And then…pace yourself.

It’s just like running.

Except…instead of pounding the pavement, you’re spooning delicious ice cream to your lips and savoring the sweet reward. So…yeah…ice cream is just like running.

Analogy made.

After fixing up dinner tonight, which was a simple tomato sandwich with homemade baked squash chips, it was time to cleanse the palate and get that sweet tooth satisfied. I went to the freezer and, after inquiring with my roommate what she might like for dessert…she immediately chimed in with the response of fudge bars. I couldn’t argue with that. It’s hot outside and a nice, cool treat is just what the doctor ordered.

So, I popped open the box of 4 So Delicious Dairy Free Minis Coconut Milk No Sugar Added Fudge Bars and removed two of them. I handed one to Cathy and settled in with my own. Unwrapping it, I took my first taste.

SO GOOD! Seriously. Okay…maybe I should say SO DELICIOUS! Because, they are. They really, really are. These bars are sweet, with the slightest hint of the coconut flavor from the coconut milk base. The chocolate is rich and creamy. And these bars were melt-in-your-mouth amazing. Honestly. The So Delicious Dairy Free Minis Coconut Milk No Sugar Added Fudge Bars are so good, you’d never guess that they are virtually sugar free. Honestly. They are rich and decadent and just icy chocolate goodness. I savored it as much as I could until it was gone. I licked the stick clean, for sure.

Yeah…I’m hooked!

So, let’s discuss the ingredients and nutrition information of the So Delicious Dairy Free Minis Coconut Milk No Sugar Added Fudge Bars.

The So Delicious Dairy Free Minis Coconut Milk No Sugar Added Fudge Bars are made from organic coconut milk, gum arabic, cocoa, vegetable glycerin, chicory root extract, erythritol, vanilla extract, natural flavors, sea salt, locust bean gum, guar gum, carrageenan, and monk fruit extract. These bars are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, kosher and non-GMO certified. They are also cholesterol free.

A serving of the So Delicious Dairy Free Minis Coconut Milk No Sugar Added Fudge Bars is one of the mini bars. This serving provides 80 calories and 6 grams of fat. A lot of those grams of fat are from the coconut milk. So don’t freak out. That is a healthy fat. One of these bars will also give you 55 mg sodium and 1 gram of sugar. You’d never guess that they have only 1 gram of sugar. TRUST ME!! And, finally, these bars provide you with 8 grams of fiber and 1 gram of protein.

Trust me…you’d never even know that these fudge bars have no additional sugar added to them. They are sweet, rich, fudgy, and delicious. And the size is just perfect.

Once again, So Delicious Dairy Free does amazing things for the dessert world. Another delicious product from a company that prides itself on quality…so much that they even call themselves SO DELICIOUS! No lie. It’s the truth.

So Delicious Dairy Free Minis Coconut Milk No Sugar Added Fudge Bar

August 6, 2014

Product Review: Stroopies Gluten-Free Authentic Dutch Stroopwafels

Product: Stroopies Gluten-Free Authentic Dutch Stroopwafels – $2.50

I know what you’re thinking…you’re thinking..

“What the hell is a Stroopwafel?”

Am I right? Am I? Well, up until I received my July Cuisine Cube, I fell into that category too. In fact, I didn’t even know such a thing as a Stroopwafel even existed. Never heard of one. Never would have thought to even look for one to try. But, thanks to the miracle of my Cuisine Cube, I not only am introduced to a new company, but also a new product (and in a sense, a type of food I didn’t even know existed until then).

So, to answer the above question…Stroopwafels are all the rage in Holland. It is a type of Dutch cookie with a rich, flavorful, caramel taste. It is apparently best enjoyed with a warm beverage or as a snack. These cookies are made from two thin layers of baked dough with a thin caramel syrup-ish filling in the middle. They are a popular street food in the Netherlands and, I am assuming, a nice accessory with a good coffee.

Stroopies is based out of Lancaster, Pensylvania, the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country. Dan and Ed, the owners of Stroopies, make these delicious cookies from classic ingredients that are locally sourced and all natural. What Stroopies manage to do with their Stroopwafels is find that perfect balance between the cinnamon and the caramel. And what emerges is this delightful, light, tasty treat.

With my August Cuisine Cube on its way, I began picking through some of the stuff left in my current cube. And, as we used up the dairy-free ice cream in the freezer yesterday, I was giving my roommate the option for dessert. The Dutch cookies from the July cube…the dairy-free chocolate freezer pops, the last pint of dairy-free ice cream, or the gluten-free biscotti we picked up at the grocery store.

As the Stroopies were in my hand at that moment…that’s what she chose.

And so, after our dinner of Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Walnuts, dessert was going to be a synch. All it required was for me to open the little plastic pouch the cookies arrived in. As I wasn’t prepared to brew up a decaf coffee to have these with, I ended up just popping them in the microwave as an nontraditional way to warm these up (instead of over the cup of a hot beverage). So, a quick 20 second hit in the microwave and these were ready. I handed my roommate hers and she immediately dug in while I went to warm up mine and retrieve it.

“It tastes like…a cinnamon roll. A really thin cinnamon roll!” she declared.

To me, this can only be a good thing…because I absolutely love cinnamon rolls, as you all very well know. So, as I settled in to try it myself, I was already anticipating that first hit on my tongue. I broke off a piece of the cookie, the two thin waffle layers breaking apart slowly with the now warm caramel layer in the center coming with it. I popped the little bit into my mouth and…magic. Pure cookie magic. This is probably one of the most unique and best cookies I have tried that is nothing like anything I have ever had before.

Stroopies actually do find that perfect balance between the cinnamon and the caramel. In fact, the thin caramel layer perfectly matches the waffle cookie shells that sandwich it inside. It’s the perfect layering…very even…so nothing outshines anything else. This was one unique and fantastic dessert, for sure. Honestly, it does taste like a cookie version of a cinnamon roll. I can see why these are so popular in Holland. I was hooked at the first bite and found myself wishing that we had more than the two cookies that came in the pack inside my Cuisine Cube. Each bite brought more flavor and more of that soft and amazing texture. I was more than enamored with this cookie. And if you can…I highly recommend these.

As these are one of those local-ish products, I don’t have any nutritional information, however I can go over the ingredients with you. The Stroopies Gluten-Free Authentic Dutch Stroopwafels are made from brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, xanthan gum, soy flour, corn syrup, sugar, brown sugar, butter, margarine, eggs, salt, spices and flavorings.

I will note that these cookies are made on dedicated equipment, however they are produced in a factory that contains wheat, soy and peanut products.

Another fantastic product that came to me via my Cuisine Cube. Subscribing to my monthly Cuisine Cube has been one of the best things I have done in a long time. I’m really enjoying getting introduced to smaller gluten-free companies out there that I would otherwise know nothing about. And if you are interested in trying Stroopies Gluten-Free Authentic Dutch Stroopwafels…head on over to their Web site and place an order. Trust me…these are worth ordering without trying. I am about to go order more myself.

August 4, 2014

Product Review: So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk Dairy Free Frozen Dessert

Product Review: So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk Dairy Free Frozen Dessert – $6.99+

I scream. You scream. We all scream for…

NON-DAIRY COCONUT MILK ICE CREAM!

Or…at least I do. Especially when it’s from So Delicious. And…even more so…especially when it’s Vanilla Bean.

Why Vanilla Bean?

Because when you have vanilla as your base flavor…you can do whatever you want to it and make it your own. Or, if you’re traditional…you can eat it strait and it has a flavor that is uniquely…vanilla. I love vanilla. It’s like the blank canvas of ice cream flavors. Seriously. Which is why, tonight, after a disappointing attempt at squash chips (they burned…dammit!), and after polishing up a delicious gluten-free yellow tomato sandwich with some homemade guacamole on the side (and served with gluten-free tortilla chips I had on reserve)…I was ready for my dessert. I earned it. After all, it’s Monday…and we should always have dessert on Monday especially! (Garfield logic!)

I actually wasn’t prepared for ice cream dessert, so when we decided that was the way we would go…I pulled the pint out of the freezer and let it sit on the counter top for about 10 minutes. My roommate and I amused ourselves by watching Chopped All Stars until my timer beeped and I got up to start dishing up dessert. While I was scooping, I got some caramel sauce working in the microwave to top off the flavor. WOOHOO!! I also figured…why not go all out…and pulled down some chopped walnuts as well. Gotta have those omegas, yes? YES!

So, with each serving size scoop in our ice cream bowls, I drizzled each scoop with caramel, topped it with nuts…and it was time to dig in. I settled in and started up Chopped again, and took my first bite…which was just the vanilla on its own. Purist here…gotta taste it without the accessories first.

Holy Vanilla Bean, Batman! First of all, I think this is the first time in coconut milk dessert history where I can call it…CREAMY!! It was silky smooth, packed with flavor, and just…light and fluffy and delicious. This was just like eating freshly churned ice cream. This is a lactose intolerant ice cream lover’s dream here. The vanilla flavor is amazing, not too much…but not too subtle either. The coconut milk creates this solid, yet creamy base, flecked with the insides of the vanilla bean. It is just delicious. Topping it off with caramel and nuts was the icing on the cake, but I could have grabbed a spoon and dug into the pint and been just as happy without playing dress up with dessert. Seriously. Fantastic. So Delicious definitely knew what it was doing. And…you would never in a million years be able to tell that has no added sugar. Seriously, it is just as sweet and just as perfect as any ice cream or ice cream like dessert should be.

So Delicious…YOU ROCK THE VANILLA WORLD!!

With all that high praise and excitement, you know we have to hit on the scientific stuff. Because nutrition and ingredients are all part of what makes a food great. And this wasn’t just great. This was…life changing.

The So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk Dairy Free Frozen Dessert is made from organic coconut milk, gum arabic, vegetable glycerin, chicory root extract, erythritol, vanilla extract, natural flavors, sea salt, locust bean gum, guar gum, carrageenan, monk fruit extract, and vanilla bean specks. This frozen treat is gluten-free, cholesterol-free, dairy-free, vegan, kosher, and non-GMO! No Sugar Added Vanilla Bean So Delicious Dairy Free Frozen Dessert is…AWESOME!!

But how awesome are the nutritionals? Well…a serving size of the So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk Dairy Free Frozen Dessert is 1/2 cup. This 1/2 cup portion will provide you with only 100 calories and 8 grams of fat. I know you’re thinking that the fat seems high, but it’s the healthy fats found in coconut…so don’t freak out over that…it will be okay. In addition, you will be taking in only 70 mg sodium and 1 gram of sugar. LOVING IT! And, finally, you will be consuming 10 grams of filling fiber and 1 gram of protein.

Oh, So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk Dairy Free Frozen Dessert…I would devour you every day of the week if I could. I can’t be happier with this flavor and all that it represents. Thank you, So Delicious, for sending me a pint of goodness which came on a day where I just needed something simple, elegant, and yet…amazing. That’s this flavor for sure!

I can’t help falling in love with So Delicious over and over again. Their products really are tops!

A serving of So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk Dairy-Free Frozen Dessert

August 3, 2014

Product Review: CLIF Mojo Cranberry Almond Fruit & Nut Trail Mix Bar

Product: CLIF Mojo Cranberry Almond Fruit & Nut Trail Mix Bar – $1.49+

Today…was one of those days where I just never take a moment to settle in and eat something in the middle of the day. Always on the go. After hitting up the pool this morning for some laps, I was ready to get my shopping on. So, after returning home and taking a nice shower, it was off to the brand new factory outlet store that opened up in the Louisville area. Retail therapy…it’s great for what ails you and stresses you out.

So is the pair of Tommy Hilfiger skinny jeans I bought too…but that’s beside the point.

What is my point?

My point is…there are days that I just don’t get to sit down and settle into an official “lunch.” I am very good about eating breakfast and often make it the bulk of my daily meal. I hit up good protein sources, healthy carbs, and those healthy fats (HELLO AVOCADO!). Dinner is always a must, but it’s usually something very light and easy, unless it’s a weekend where I have some time to prepare an actual dinner…like a casserole or something…where I freeze the leftovers and keep them for those days where life is just spiraling out of control and the very thought of cooking a meal from scratch is too much to bear.

But lunch. Lunch sometimes consists of oatmeal or overnight oats, especially during the week. It’s something light but filling. But on a day like today, where you’re trying to beat the crowds and actually find a parking spot at a brand-spankin’-new outlet mall…you grab and go. And that’s what I did, pulling open my kitchen drawer of “run snacks” and retrieving the next protein bar in the lineup.

Today…the CLIF Mojo Cranberry Almond Fruit & Nut Trail Mix Bar. It was easy to transport and I figured I liked the blueberry one well enough, why not? So, my roommate grabbed her snack and we were out the door and hitting the road to check out the shops. On the way, it was time to fortify ourselves for what would be at the very least an hour and a half at the outlets. At least. She dove into her snack…and I broke into my bar.

Once again, I have to make the fair comparison between these bars and the KIND bars. They are loaded with dried fruits and nuts, and you can see each and every ingredient right there. To give it some added bulk, CLIF also mixes in rice crisps…which you can also see. I was hungry from my time in the pool…so I took my first bite.

YES!! CLIF one again hits the flavor combination on the head. In fact, I want to say it tastes a lot like the fruit and seed mixtures that are included in a few of the Go Picnic box meals every now and again. You know…the kind that Enjoy Life produces. That’s what this bar tastes like. It tastes like a sweet snack victory to me. It was chewy…yet not overly so. In fact, this one was a bit more solid than the blueberry, but I think some of that was due to the fact that it had been warm…then in my cool apartment…so it solidified. Nonetheless, I was loving each and every bite of this bar. It had that tangy zing from the cranberries and that hit of salt from the almonds. The rice crisps brought something chewy. And it was all bound together in this outrageously tasty bar. I had to keep myself from just shoving the entire thing in my mouth and chewing for about 10 minutes. I savored…and I’m glad I did. This bar hits all the right notes at all the right times. Amazing.

So, let’s talk ingredients. CLIF is proud to use non-GMO ingredients in their Mojo bars. And…about 70% of the ingredients are organic. In the CLIF Mojo Cranberry Almond Fruit & Nut Trail Mix Bar, you will find the following ingredients: organic almonds, cranberries, organic tapioca syrup, organic rice crisps, organic roasted soybeans, organic inulin, organic sunflower oil, sea salt, citric acid, and natural vitamin E. This bar is gluten-free, cholesterol free, low glycemic, and high in fiber.

Nutritionally speaking, this bar definitely stands up to those that are similar to it. And in some cases, the stats are even better. A serving size is one bar. One CLIF Mojo Cranberry Almond Fruit & Nut Trail Mix Bar will serve up 180 calories and 10 grams of fat. Don’t panic over the fat. Most of that is derived from the almonds, making it a healthy fat. This bar also will give you 110 mg sodium and 11 grams of sugar. The sugar is higher than I like it, but I’m guessing some of that actually does come from the cranberries. And, you will also be consuming 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. So, you definitely will feel full after eating it and it does a good job of sticking with you.

I’m finding a lot of great flavor, great textures, and great nutrition from the CLIF Mojo Fruit & Nut Trail Mix Bars. The two that I have tried thus far have blown me away. The flavors just blend so well and pop in your mouth. I guarantee that you’ll enjoy these bars. And…for that price…go ahead and stock up. I know next time I hit the store, I will be doing just that!

CLIF Mojo Cranberry Almond Fruit & Nut Trail Mix Bar (unwrapped)

August 1, 2014

Product Review: Thumbs Cookies Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

Product: Thumbs Cookies Gluten Free Sugar Cookies – $20.00+

Who says good things don’t come in small packages? Certainly not me. I often find some of the best things in life come in smaller packages. Heck, I’m a 5’3″ runner…so I’m a small person as it is. The smaller…the more likely I am to take a second glance at it or even…purchase it.

I never would have even known about the existence of Thumbs Cookies if not for my monthly delivery from Cuisine Cube. These little cookies (seriously….the size of your thumbprint) were inside my June box as the dessert treat. And, for you regular readers…we all know how I feel about cookies. If I were blue and furry with googly eyes, I really would be cookie monster.

GIVE ME ALL THE GLUTEN FREE COOKIES!

And all the cookies is possible this time, as Thumbs Cookies are tiny. Teeny-tiny, pop-in-your-mouth morsels of cookie goodness. Cuisine Cube included the original Sugar Cookies in the June cube…which is fine by me. I love a good sugar cookie. And, since creator Robyn Frank, has immortalized her family recipe that her mother used, these cookies are close to as good as it gets without being fresh from your own oven. Seriously…Frank, in fact, hand rolls each and every cookie in the palm of her hand and finishes them with her thumbprint. She used to bake these alongside her mother whenever she made them for special occasions.

I love a good cookie story…especially when family and family history are involved.

The evening was shaping up to be a busy one. Work was finally over and I had been intending to do the last of the BlueMile Brew Miles (a local running store’s mile runs at different pubs in the Louisville area), but an almost stress fracture sidelined my plans to run. My roomie said that we could still go and walk it…if we took it slow and steady. But this meant a quick bite at home and then off to the races, as it were. I was reheating homemade soup, serving it with gluten-free crackers, and then having these cookies for dessert. Simple. Quick. Efficient. Especially on a busy night.

So, after downing our soup, we cleaned our dishes and I snagged the little box of these teeny-tiny cookies for dessert. I figured they were small…so we’d just split the entire package. Why not? We were off to walk a mile anyway. So, I doled them out and we settled in to pop them, one-by-one…

First of all…we probably could have split these between two nights, but they were so fantastic, I didn’t care. I really didn’t. I put the first one in my mouth…and it was just this soft little butter cookie with a hint of cinnamon and a bit of sugar sprinkled on top. Like…mini snickerdoodles. Little sugar cookie morsels of amazing goodness. I was in love. In fact, I believe I looked up at my roommate and said, “Well that’s a fantastic little bite!” And I wasn’t joking. These won’t melt in your mouth, but they aren’t brittle or hard. They are just these nice little poppers of cookie yumminess. Seriously, if I had just opened the pack for me, I probably would have eaten them all without a second thought. So, eating half the container didn’t leave me berating myself either for indugling so much. These really are itty-bitty cookies…and I enjoyed each and every bite.

As far as ingredients go…you can tell these are homemade. The Thumbs Cookies Gluten Free Sugar Cookies are made from shortening, sugar, cinnamon, more sugar, and Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour. These are homemade, to order, and no nutritional information is available on them. Just rest assured, they are small but mighty and it is so easy to just keep popping them like candy.

I’m always told that I am small, but fierce. That is definitely these cookies. They are small…but they pack a mighty flavor punch. Cookie perfection in little bites. And for that…Thumbs Cookies hits all the right notes. Fantastic flavor, great texture, and…well…when it’s a cookie…and when it’s a delicious cookie…you have me sold. I can’t wait to dig up some more of these. I might not share this time. HA!

Once again…thank you, my dear Cuisine Cube…without you, I’d have no idea these even existed.