Category: Sweet Stuff

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Product Review: Endangered Species Natural Dark Chocolate Bar with Espresso Beans

Endangered Species Natural Dark Chocolate Bar with Espresso Beans
Endangered Species Natural Dark Chocolate Bar with Espresso Beans

Product: Endangered Species Natural Dark Chocolate Bar with Espresso Beans – $2.99+

I love chocolate covered espresso beans.  They are little “pellets of power” as my roommate calls them.  And she couldn’t be more right.  But they have to be dark chocolate coated.  Why?  Because dark chocolate…as I stated before…is my favorite chocolate and the only one I prefer to consume.  Milk chocolate is not for me.  And white chocolate…it’s never really impressed me.  Dark chocolate, with all it’s healthy antioxidants and heart-healthy qualities is the way to go.

I still remember reading one of Dean Karnazes’ books (he is the Ultramarathon Man for those of you who are unfamiliar with the name) about running in his first ultra marathon.  He was at one of the checkpoints and he was given a slice of brownie.  What made this brownie the most amazing thing he had ever tasted…was the espresso beans that were baked inside the chocolate fudgey treat.  Runners love that extra kick that caffeine can give to their runs…and having it with a hit of chocolate is my favorite way to eat espresso beans.

Imagine my joy when I was at my local Earth Fare store and spotted the Endangered Species line of chocolate bars.  They had so many varieties on their shelves and my roommate told me to pick one.  ONE!!!!!  How was I supposed to choose?  But…I did.  And while the Dark Chocolate Bar with Blueberries was very tempting (blueberries…another super food for runners!)…I ended up selecting the Natural Dark Chocolate Bar with Espresso Beans.

And I couldn’t be happier with my choice.  This chocolate bar ended up getting tucked away in my drawer of run goodies in my kitchen.  And, like the chocolate bars that came before it…I totally forgot that they were in there.  With sell by dates coming up…I figured now was as good a time as any to work my way through them.  A nice little sweet treat for the office day.  Perfection.  Just what I needed for that mid-afternoon pick-me-up.  With the espresso beans, that shouldn’t be a problem.

So, this past week, I opened up the bar and broke it up into 1/5 portions.  The serving size on the back indicates that the actual serving is 1/2 of the entire bar.  But I just needed a taste…not half a bar at 2 p.m.  Just saying.

Let me say this…this bar won me over at first taste.  The dark chocolate is some of the best I have ever had the chance to taste.  Rich.  Smooth.  It wasn’t too bitter at all.  Just the perfect hit of dark chocolate goodness.  And it’s the perfect percentage for dark chocolate so that it isn’t too bitter and you still know you are eating dark chocolate.  This particular bar sits pretty at 72% cocoa.  The espresso beans…oh…yeah.  Just like eating a few dark chocolate espresso beans.  That’s what this tastes like.  Caffeinated love with a hit of coffee flavor.  Color me a happy chocolate-eating girl.

This chocolate bar is certified gluten-free, vegan, uses Rainforest Alliance Certified Cocoa, it’s kosher, and it’s non-GMO certified.  The cacao is sourced from ethically traded  cacao farms that ensure fair trade, responsible labor practices and sustainable farming.  Are you sold on this yet?  What is even better, 10% of the net proceeds of each bar purchased are donated to help support species, habitat and humanity.  That means…indulging in a cause.  A very good and important cause.

So…this clean eating chocolate loving lady gives this bar a huge, huge thumbs up.  Honestly.  I’m totally addicted.  Maybe it’s the espresso beans.  Maybe it’s the delicious bittersweet dark chocolate.  But I’d wager it’s the combination of the two.  As far as ingredients go, this chocolate bar is made up of bittersweet chocolate, and roasted coffee.  No…really.  How’s that?  It’s sweetened from vanilla and beet sugar.  Clean eating chocolate for sure.

Nutritionally speaking, by breaking it up into 5 portions of 3 squares, I only consume 84 calories and 7 grams of fat.  But, if you were to consume the 1/2 bar (or 43 grams) listed as the actual serving size, you’d be taking in 210 calories and 17 grams of fat.  It is cholesterol-free and sodium-free.  Seriously.  And, for a chocolate bar, the 12 grams of sugar isn’t enough to make my eyes bug out of my sockets.  There is also 5 grams of filling fiber and 3 grams of protein as well.  Love it.

If you want a sweet treat without breaking up with your diet…if you just require a hit of chocolate every now and again, I highly recommend the Endangered Species brand.  Even better…if you love coffee…indulge a little in the Dark Chocolate Bar with Espresso Beans.  You won’t be sorry.  And it does give the right hit of bittersweet goodness and a little pick-me-up when you need it most.

Indulge in a cause.  Indulge in Endangered Species Chocolate.  Enjoy!

Endangered Species Natural Dark Chocolate Bar with Espresso Beans (unwrapped)
Endangered Species Natural Dark Chocolate Bar with Espresso Beans (unwrapped)
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Product Review: Dark Chocolate Dream Pure Dark Dark Chocolate Bar

Dark Chocolate Dream Pure Dark Dark Chocolate Bar
Dark Chocolate Dream Pure Dark Dark Chocolate Bar

Product: Dark Chocolate Dream Pure Dark Dark Chocolate Bar – $3.59+

If there is one treat (aside from peanut butter) that I allow myself on a daily basis…it’s dark chocolate.  Why?  Because I love, love, love dark chocolate.  I have never been a big fan of the mild milk chocolate…and white chocolate…that’s not even chocolate.  Dark chocolate has and will always be my one true chocolate love.  I blame my mom for this…as she was a dark chocolate fiend when we were growing up.  I guess I do get some of my best traits from mom!

Anyway…I had a stash of these Dark Chocolate Dream dark chocolate bars in my drawer at home.  I got them when a local store put them on closeout…as if they were going away forever.  At the discounted price…I couldn’t let them get away without me trying them.  Right?  Right!

Well…I forgot I had them.  *hangs head in shame*

No…really…I forgot.  I FORGOT I HAD DARK CHOCOLATE IN MY HOME!!  What in the world is wrong with me??!  Anyway, I uncovered them not too long ago, as I was digging for a protein bar to take with me in case a restaurant didn’t have food for me.  It was like uncovering treasure.  A stash of like…six dark chocolate bars.  All different.  All just waiting to be devoured…savored…or whatever.

Working my way through them…the other day, without a dessert plan in mind after dinner (dessert is important…it must happen and it always does in my home!), I remembered that I had a Dark Chocolate Dream Pure Dark Dark Chocolate Bar in that drawer…and in my pantry…Marshmallow Fluff and some gluten-free graham crackers.  Do you see where I am going with this?

S’MORES!

I mean…gluten-free s’mores for dessert?!  Brilliant, yes?  Absolutely!

So, I went to the drawer and dug out the Pure Dark bar.  Prior to this, I had a couple other Dark Chocolate Dream Dark Chocolate Bars…the Raspberry and the Rice Crunch.  I broke off two of the squares for the s’more, retrieved the gluten-free graham crackers from the pantry and the fluff.  One graham cracker got the bit of chocolate placed onto it…the other one…layered with Marshmallow Fluff.  I took my kitchen torch (yes…I have my own kitchen torch) and toasted up the fluff before sandwiching them together for the perfect gluten-free (and vegetarian) S’more.

One bite…and I knew I was in Pure Dark heaven.  Because the star of the s’mores was not the toasted fluff (although that is delicious) or the gluten-free graham crackers.  No…the star is that hit of bittersweetness that can only come from amazing dark chocolate.  This chocolate is rich…which meant it was the perfect thing to pair with the sweet fluff and the salty-sweet graham crackers.  It just brought balance to everything.  And…the Pure Dark Dark Chocolate Bar is simply that…dark chocolate.  Nothing else.  Just solid dark chocolate.  And…yes…it is amazing.  Let’s not forget, dark chocolate is actually considered healthy and good for you.  It is loaded with antioxidants and heart healthy stuff.

So…what is this amazing Pure Dark Dark Chocolate Bar made from?  According to the wrapper, the Pure Dark bar from Dark Chocolate Dreams contains evaporated cane juice, unsweetened chocolate, roasted soy flour, soy lecithin, cocoa powder, pure vanilla extract.

As for the nutritional value.  Well…it’s chocolate.  Need I say more?

But for those genuinely interested…one serving of the Dark Chocolate Dreams Pure Dark Dark Chocolate Bar is 1/2 of the bar.  That would be four squares.  This serving would provide you with 240 calories and 14 grams of fat.  This is why I only do one square at a time…which works out to 60 calories and 6 grams of fat.  Regardless…let’s say you really needed chocolate that day…so you went with half the bar.  This would also provide you with 15 mg sodium, 23 grams of sugar, 1 gram of fiber, and 3 grams of protein.  So…all-in-all…not too bad.  Not great.  But, this is to be a treat.  I recommend 1 square a day…not half the entire bar.  Much more manageable.  Oh, and you get to enjoy it longer too.

Dark Chocolate Dreams has really impressed me.  Honestly.  I have enjoyed all three of the dark chocolate bars that I had in my drawer.  Each one had something different about it that sort of set it apart from the others.  But for the simple love of something dark chocolate and sweet…I highly recommend the Pure Dark bar.  It doesn’t get much better than the original.

Dark Chocolate Dream Pure Dark Dark Chocolate Bar (unwrapped)
Dark Chocolate Dream Pure Dark Dark Chocolate Bar (unwrapped)
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Product Review: Vanilla Chex Gluten-Free Cereal

General Mills' Vanilla Chex Gluten-Free Cereal
General Mills’ Vanilla Chex Gluten-Free Cereal

Product: General Mills’ Vanilla Chex Gluten-Free Cereal – $3.29+

It’s been awhile since Chex cereal came into my pantry.  Honestly.  While I have previously touted it as one of the more affordable gluten-free cereals, the fact of the matter is that some of the ingredients just don’t fit into my lifestyle anymore.  While I’m not doing Clean Eating 100%…where I can cut out the processed food and the additives and such that I don’t need to be consuming…well, I cut them out.  There are better, healthier cereals out there.  Yes…I might have to pay a little more for them, but I feel better about the ingredients.  Peace of mind.

That being said, I also know that since I heard about the newest and latest Chex cereal flavor…and that it was one of their gluten-free options…I did want to try it.  I didn’t really go searching for it, but one day while in a local grocery store, I spotted a couple boxes on sale…mostly because the boxes were dented.  Hell, I don’t care what the box looks like.  As long as the inner packaging is still sealed…

So, into my arms came General Mills’ Vanilla Chex Gluten-Free Cereal.  And home it went in a grocery bag.  I put it into the pantry, as I was polishing off an all natural chocolate cereal at the time (which was SUPER yum!).  But yesterday was the big day for the Vanilla Chex.  I had used up the last of my previous cereal and this one was about to have its moment to shine.  It had a few spoonfuls to win me over.  So, I wished it luck and poured out a serving of the cereal, snatching a few pieces to try dry before adding my unsweetened almond milk to the mix.

First of all, this cereal, as with the other flavored varieties of Chex cereals, is a blend of regular Rice Chex, and then the flavor-dusted cubes.  The vanilla variety has this dusting of a sugary-sweet vanilla powder on them.  My first taste, without the almond milk, was not one to win me over.  While the flavor is awesome…think…Rice Krispies meet Nilla Wafers…it was really, really, really sweet.  I mean…SWEET!  And I love sweets.  This was almost a little too sweet though.  And it’s not often you’ll hear me say that.  Trust me.

I was about to head to the gym for an hour of cardio and strength training, so I hoped that the almond milk tamped down the sugary-sweet flavor and also prayed that it wouldn’t revisit me after the workout.  I poured in a splash of almond milk and settled in for breakfast.

Adding the milk helped.  Probably because some of that vanilla sugar on the squares washed off and into the milk.  That was fine.  It definitely made the cereal easier to eat.  And it really, for the life of me, tasted like I was eating a bowl full of Rice Krispie treats.  Now, I love Rice Krispie treats (thank you gluten-free Rice Krispies) as much as the next person…but I like them in moderation.  And this serving feels almost too big (though it is a standard serving) given the sweetness factor of this particular variety of the Chex cereal.

So…for me…this one is okay…but I’d rather snatch up the Honey Nut or Cinnamon or Chocolate varieties first.  This one…while good…just was…too much for one sitting.

But, as always, I have to break this down for you.  Why doesn’t Chex Cereal come into my house much anymore?  Well, it’s this little additive called BHT.  This version also has a lot of sugary ingredients, including sugar, fructose, and molasses.  No wonder it tastes like a never-ending dose of Rice Krispie Treats.

As for the nutritional information, a serving of Vanilla Chex is 3/4 cup, which will provide you with 120 calories and 2 grams of fat.  In addition, this cereal is cholesterol-free and only contains 190 mg of sodium.  For being so sweet, the fact that it contains only 8 grams of sugar is shocking…but that’s what the nutrition panel tells me.  Finally, you will be consuming a scant amount of fiber and very only 1 gram of protein, so expect to feel hungry soon after you eat it.

For a sugar rush or an occasional treat, I think Vanilla Chex would be a good stand-in for something.  I also think it would rock some gluten-free Muddy Buddies and the like.  But as a cereal I found it way too sweet for my liking.  So, now that I’ve tried it…I’ll polish off the box and move on to the next gluten-free cereal to come my way.

It’s good.  It’s just too sweet for me.  That’s all.

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Product Review: Heartland Gourmet Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

Heartland Gourmet Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
Heartland Gourmet Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

Product: Heartland Gourmet Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix – $5.99+

Cookies.

We all know by now that I am obsessed with cookies.  I love them.  I’m a human cookie monster.  Or…at least I was…back when eating cookies was easier for me.  After the Celiac diagnosis, that had to change.  Sort of.

There is absolutely no small amount of gluten-free cookies out on the market.  Not just the pre-made and pre-packaged stuff…but mixes are out there…and even refrigerated tubs of gluten-free dough.  Nope…gluten-free cookies are abundant throughout the marketplace.  And I have probably consumed a majority of the ones that are offered.

Somewhere along the way, I acquired a box of Heartland Gourmet Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix.  I mean…if you’re going to prove that a cookie has potential, then you have to go with the classic chocolate chip variety.  I haven’t met someone who doesn’t enjoy a chocolate chip cookie.  So, when choosing a cookie (gluten-free or otherwise), always go chocolate chip.  ALWAYS!

I don’t remember where I got this mix…but I had it in the pantry for a long while.  I know…shocker.  But…I was in the mood to bake the other night.  And, you see, I belong to this fantastic group of runners who meet up every Monday and run together.  A couple weeks back, I made a gluten-free Minion (from Despicable Me) cake.  So, I figured…why not treat them to something nice after a good run?  Normally I would make these from scratch, using my mom’s famous recipe from when I was a kid.  But…I was short on time that evening.  So, I dug out this mix and simply got to making it.

First of all…super simple to make.  I mean…easy-peasy!!  I love making cookies (even gluten-free ones) from scratch…but since I had this and it was so convenient…I figured…just do it.  The mix went into my KitchenAid mixer along with 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter (room temperature) and 3 tablespoons of vegetable shortening.  It got mixed up until it was crumbly and incorporated.  One egg gets added and it mixes on low until the dough starts to come together.  I ended up adding 1 tablespoon of water to mine before it really started to come together.  I kneaded the dough with my hands for a moment more until it was stiff and slightly crumbly.  Perfect.

One tablespoon for each cookie…that was the plan.  I managed to rock out 24 cookies…and still had dough leftover.  But my roomie is a dough fiend and asked if after I filled up the second baking sheet if she could have what was left…if there was any.  I agreed.  And she enthusiastically devoured the raw dough…saying it tasted really amazing.

Into the oven the cookies went for about 12 minutes.  I watched them carefully, waiting for them to start to get that golden brown color to them.  I removed them just as they were beginning to get golden so I would have a chewier cookie.  I prefer a little crust on the outside with a chewy cookie.  It’s my favorite way to enjoy a cookie.  So that’s what I was going for.

And I succeeded.  The cookies were a huge hit.  And I loved the size of them.  They were two to three-bite cookies, perfect for a simple snack after a run.  In fact, the cookies are what got some of the runners up the hill at the very end of the run.  “If I run this entire hill…I can have a cookie.”  Hey…anything to get through, right?  RIGHT!!  Everyone gave me their opinions and all of it was positive.  Quite a few people in the group are gluten-free…but there are others who are not.  And they said you couldn’t even tell they were gluten-free.  They had that savory hit of saltiness to them…the sweetness from the chocolate…and this chewy, but slightly-dense texture to them.  They were almost the perfect chocolate chip cookie.  But they baked up beautifully and they were really, really enjoyed by all who ran.  Some even took 2…or even 3.  WIN!

Heartland Gourmet is a family operated business that understands that time together with family is important.  This is why they offer healthy, wholesome, and delicious gluten-free, gourmet, and organic baking mixes and kits.  Why?  Because it gets your treats cooking without taking away time from your family.  Even better…get your loved ones to help you make something special.

Now…the science of it all.  The Heartland Gourmet Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix is made up of a gluten-free flour mix (rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, xanthan gum), granulated sugar, medium brown sugar, chocolate chips, vanilla, non-fat dry milk, salt, baking soda and butter.

A serving is 1/4 cup of the dry mix, which is about 130 calories.  Each serving contains 1 gram of fat, 65 mg sodium, 22 grams of sugar, 1 gram of fiber, and 1 gram of protein.  So…treat it like a treat.  No need to over-indulge.  The entire point of making bite-size cookies was to satisfy the sweet tooth without sabotaging the hard work that goes into keeping the body fit and healthy.

Heartland Gourmet really bakes up traditional, yet very delicious gluten-free goodies.  Their gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are amazing and definitely need to be shared.  No one would be able to tell they were gluten-free.  Honestly.  They are really that good.  Chewy, delicious…and somewhat healthy.  Heartland Gourmet is, as their box says…naturally good.

Heartland Gourmet Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Heartland Gourmet Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Recipe: Gluten-Free Peach Almond Muffins

Every Saturday ushers in my long run.  Some weeks I go longer than others.  It all depends on my training plan.  Usually, whenever possible, I like to treat the runners from my Saturday morning clan, to something rewarding at the end of their efforts.  We all, as small groups, run different mileage, or different paces, so I usually have my roommate over at the coffee shop we meet at afterwards with their treats.

As I had four beautiful, amazing peaches from my CSA bin this past week, I really wanted to make something with them.  And it just so happened, that the week prior, I stumbled across an amazing looking recipe from one of my favorite blogs – Two Peas & Their Pod.

All I had to do was modify it to make it gluten-free.  Not so hard when you have a fantastic gluten-free all-purpose flour.  So, later than planned, on Friday night, I turned on my oven, got out the KitchenAid mixer…and got to baking.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Peach Almond Muffins

Servings: 18
Time: Prep 15 minutes; Bake 20 minutes

Gluten-Free Peach Almond Muffins
Gluten-Free Peach Almond Muffins


Ingredients:

For the Muffins:

  • 2-1/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used Better Batter)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground all spice
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1-1/4 cups diced peeled peaches

For the Almond Streusel Topping:

  • 1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used Better Batter)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds
Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.Line 14 muffin cups with paper liners or grease the cups.  Set pan aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.  Set aside.In a small bowl, whisk together egg, canola oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and almond extract.Pour liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix gently with a spatula.  Mix until just combined.

Gently stir in the peaches.

To make the almond streusel topping, in a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter.  Mix with your hands until you have a crumbly mixture.  It is ok to have pea size chunks of butter.  Mix in the sliced almonds.

Pour muffin batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.

Sprinkle the almond streusel topping on top of the muffins.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.  Let muffins cool to room temperature and serve.

~*~*~

These little muffins did surprise me.  Because when I snagged one fresh from the oven…split it in half…and taste tested it…I couldn’t really tell that it had much flavor.  So, I wasn’t exactly sure that they won me over.  My roommate said she really thought it tasted good and encouraged me to go ahead with the plan to package them up and share with my running group.

I am so glad I did, because everyone had high comments on them.  I was part of the last group getting back (I ran 16 miles, but the heat and humidity were killer…so it took a little longer), and everyone was finishing up their coffee and post-run refueling.  And I saw quite a few muffin wrappers on the plates.  Everyone thanked me for them and said they were delicious!  Hmm…

Fact is, I do think these muffins are even better on the following day.  Give all the flavors a chance to sit and soak into the muffin itself.  Because when I had mine…it was fantastic.  A little denser than I usually like my muffins, but the streusel topping was awesome and the peaches were really complimented by the different spices that were mixed throughout.

I’d make this again in a heartbeat.

So, if you love peaches and you love muffins…I encourage you to give this recipe a try.  Super delicious.  Runner approved.

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Recipe: Gluten-Free Blueberry Maple Refrigerator Oats

As part of trying to do more of a Clean Eating diet, per the recommendation of my sports nutritionist…I have decided to attempt to make my usual oatmeal for lunch habit continue…but with me making the oatmeal.  This way I have more control over the nutritional value.  And, especially, the amount of sugar that goes into each helping.

While I love my Bakery On Main gluten-free oatmeal and the multitude of amazing flavors…it is super expensive.  So, it also wracks up my grocery shopping budget.  But thanks to Pinterest…I found a way around that.  And…especially with the hot and humid summer days here…an even more refreshing way to enjoy my oatmeal in the afternoon.  Of course, this would be good any time of day…but oatmeal for lunch is my thing.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Blueberry Maple Refrigerator Oatmeal

Gluten-Free Blueberry Maple Refrigerator Oatmeal (Overnight Oats)
Gluten-Free Blueberry Maple Refrigerator Oatmeal (Overnight Oats)

Servings: 1
Time: Prep 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats (I used Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Rolled Oats)
  • 1/3 cup skim milk (I used unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt (I used vanilla Greek yogurt)
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds (I didn’t have these…so I didn’t use them)
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup (more or less to taste)
  • 1/4 cup blueberries (or enough to fill jar)

Directions:

In a half pint (1 cup) jar, add oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds (if using), and maple syrup.

Put lid on jar and shake until well combined.

Remove lid, add blueberries and stir until mixed throughout.

Return lid to jar and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.

Eat chilled.

~*~*~

It’s simple.  It’s easy.  It’s SUPER delicious.  I loved taking bite after bite of this.  The chia seeds definitely would have made it less soupy…but I don’t have any on hand and I wasn’t going to go out and buy some specifically for this.  Maybe next grocery trip if the budget allows.  It worked out just fine without them, however.  Lunch was very nutritious and I knew everything that went into my oats.  And wow…was this every filling!

My little jar of goodness had only 185 calories and 2 grams of fat.  It also had 3 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein in it.  How’s that for a powerhouse meal?!  There are lots of other recipes available via Pinterest and especially from The Yummy Life blog, which is where the pin takes me when I click on it.  I can’t wait to try other versions!  Total win!

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Product Review: Phin & Phebes Dark Chocolate Salty Caramel Ice Cream

Phin & Phebes Dark Chocolate Salty Caramel Ice Cream
Phin & Phebes Dark Chocolate Salty Caramel Ice Cream

Product: Phin & Phebes Dark Chocolate Salty Caramel Ice Cream – $5.99+

I have to give some major props to my favorite local grocery store in my area – Earth Fare.  What I love about Earth Fare is the deals that they have every now and again…especially over the weekends.  Because if it wasn’t for some of those deals, I wouldn’t have even thought about getting some products that are offered.

This past weekend, the special deal going on was for a brand of ice cream that I never even noticed before.  It’s a brand from New York (the Brooklyn area) known as Phin & Phebes.  And in my area, only Earth Fare carries it.  The deal was…for a if you spent $5 at Earth Fare, you could get a pint of Phin & Phebes ice cream (any flavor) for $1.  With one thing in my cart I had already spent that much…so…I went to the freezer and eyed a few options.  I already had banana ice cream from my local ice cream shoppe (YAY COMFY COW!) in my freezer, so I didn’t want to get the pint of Banana Whama Ice Cream.  It turned out I couldn’t anyway…because it had vanilla wafers in it.  So…good call.

Other flavors that I could find included Coconut Key Lime…which would have been like a key lime pie.  I couldn’t have that one either…due to the graham cracker chunks throughout that.  There was Ginger Cookie Snap…which is ginger flavored ice cream with ginger cookies and lemon icing filling.  Again…one I couldn’t have.  I was starting to think my roommate was going to be the one benefiting from this deal…not me.  I kept looking…finding Vietnamese Iced Coffee flavor, which was one I could have…as it was simply coffee flavored ice cream with a hint of chicory and cardamom.  But…I knew Cathy disliked coffee ice cream.  This left…as far as I could tell…Vanilla Cinnamon…which is what I ended up grabbing.  It was simply vanilla ice cream blended with Vietnamese cinnamon.  I could tell Cathy was less than thrilled, so I almost said I’d get the banana one and she could have that while I ate the one from The Comfy Cow that was in our freezer…but didn’t bother.  We put it in the cart and moved along.

Then…as we were perusing the freezer section just before heading to the checkout counter…I spotted it.  I spotted ONE LAST PINT of what had to be the best flavor EVER of Phin & Phebes Ice Cream.  It was all they had left so I grabbed the Vanilla Cinnamon from the cart, threw it into the freezer and snatched the last pint of…DARK CHOCOLATE SALTY CARAMEL.  It was like it was meant to be.  I love dark chocolate.  And salty caramel anything grabs my attention.  We called it a day and checked out.

Later that week…for two days…we each got to enjoy the awesome, awesome, awesome flavor of this ice cream.

Phin & Phebes Dark Chocolate Salty Caramel Ice Cream ice cream is just what it sounds like.  Dark chocolate ice cream that has been sprinkled with salty caramel to create this uber rich, satisfying, and super-delicious treat.  After dinner, I went to retrieve the pint from the freezer and dished up a serving (the standard 1/2 cup) for my roommate.  I handed the bowl off to her and she dug in.  I heard her say, “OMG!  OMG!”  I was like…”What?”  And she said…”BEST ICE CREAM EVER!”  Or something to that affect.  She told me she wanted to see me take a first taste because she was having a hard time not hoovering hers.  The reluctance to have a brain freeze was what kept her in check, I think.

So, my bowl now held a perfect 1/2 cup serving.  The pint was returned to the freezer and I settled in to have my first taste.  One bite…and it was a done deal.  Whenever this flavor was in stock…it had to be in my shopping cart and then in my freezer.  Holy cow!!  This flavor is kept in balance by the perfect blend of rich, smooth dark chocolate ice cream with the salty, slightly sweet caramel.  I mean…perfect balance.  It was everything an ice cream should be.  It was…it was a blend of my two favorite flavors from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream in Columbus, Ohio.  Right there.  In one pint.  It was heaven.  It was delicious.  It was worth savoring…but not too much because ice cream soup is not as much fun as ice cream.  I immediately tweeted to my friend Jenn and told her she needed to venture to the other side of town to their Earth Fare and just snag a pint of it.  She wouldn’t be sorry.  It had to happen.  That’s how much I loved it.

This treat…is certainly a treat.  A dessert among desserts.  And sometimes…the taste and flavor is enough to negate any thought of how non-nutritional it really is.  I mean…it’s ice cream!!!  Live a little.  But…as always, I like to share the nutritional information with my readers.  A serving of Phin & Phebes Dark Chocolate Salty Caramel Ice Cream, which as mentioned is 1/2 cup, dishes up 230 calories and 14 grams of fat.  So as tempting as it is to make it an every night sort of thing…DON’T DO IT!  It’s fine every now and again.  And worth it too.  Also, you will be scooping up 500 mg sodium and 20 grams of sugar.  In addition, you’ll get 2 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein.

So…for a treat on a week when dark chocolate and salty caramel goodness is the only thing that is going to make life better…I highly, highly recommend Phin & Phebes brand.  The Dark Chocolate Salty Caramel Ice Cream is a total WIN in my book.  It does everything right.  It tastes amazing.  And…oh…it’s simply…the best.

You’ll want to lick the bottom of the bowl.  Trust me.

NOTE: On the Web site, there is one further flavor listed that I didn’t see at all.  Again, this wouldn’t be one I could indulge in, but it is Peanutty Pretzel, which is peanut butter ice cream with chocolate covered pretzels.

A serving of Phin & Phebes Dark Chocolate Salty Caramel Ice Cream
A serving of Phin & Phebes Dark Chocolate Salty Caramel Ice Cream
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Rice Crunch puts a new bite into my Dark Chocolate Dream chocolate bar

Dark Chocolate Dream Rice Crunch Chocolate Bar
Dark Chocolate Dream Rice Crunch Chocolate Bar

Product: Dark Chocolate Dream Rice Crunch Chocolate Bar – $3.59+

Chocolate is my favorite sweet indulgence.  Really.

And not just chocolate.  Dark chocolate.  I dislike milk chocolate.  And white chocolate is…not really chocolate.  Dark chocolate.  That’s where it is for me.  I love that bittersweet, rich, deep flavor that dark chocolate offers up.  I love how it literally will coat my taste buds and I will just let anything dark chocolate melt slowly.  It makes the indulgence last even longer.

A while back, my roommate picked up a few Dark Chocolate Dream chocolate bars from the local grocery store.  They were on closeout, so in a panic we bought pretty much one of everything.  I tucked these away in a drawer and forgot all about them…until recently.  So, now I’ve been working my way through these chocolate treats…before they expire and all that good stuff.

I’ve been given a plan by sports nutritionist to move toward a clean eating diet.  And while most would not consider chocolate to fit into that…I like to point out the health benefits of dark chocolate.  It’s good for your heart because it has been shown it can help lower blood pressure.  It helps improve cognitive function in your brain by increasing blood flow to your brain.  In fact…it’s been shown to help reduce the risk of stroke.  It’s a mood booster.  It is full of antioxidants.  Oh, and dark chocolate has high concentrations of potassium, copper, magnesium, and iron.  NICE!

So this week, the drawer held a couple of choices, but I opted for the Dark Chocolate Dream Rice Crunch Chocolate Bar.  Why?  Well…while I did enjoy the Enjoy Life’s Boom CHOCO Boom Ricemilk Crunch was good and filled with the crunchy rice bits for that added oomph…it sort of had this chalkiness to it.

Dark Chocolate Dreams Rice Crunch Chocolate Bar does offer up a better alternative.  Honestly.  While the puffed rice isn’t as prevalent as it was in the Enjoy Life version, the crispiness is definitely throughout the entire bar.  In other words, you take a bite…and it’s like biting into a Nestles Crunch bar all over again.  But safe.  And made with dark chocolate.  Oh…and I should mention that this dark chocolate bar is vegan as well.

The Dark Chocolate Dream Rice Crunch chocolate bars are made with simple ingredients which include all of the following: evaporated cane juice, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, roasted soy flour, puffed wild rice, soy lecithin, pure vanilla extract.  No fake chemicals, no preservatives, nothing that you need to look up in order to figure out what it is you are eating exactly.  Nothing like that.  Everything is pure and real.  Real food…real chocolate.  I love it already.

As for nutrition…well…I remind you that this is a chocolate bar.  So, do mind your servings.  For me, I take one square with me to work, which equals out to 60 calories and 4 grams of fat.  That’s not bad for one square of chocolate.  But, the serving size for this treat is usually half of the chocolate bar.  This serving will provide you with 240 calories and 14 grams of fat.  The serving only kicks in 15 mg of sodium, which isn’t bad.  However, remember…this is a treat and this is a sweet…and chocolate is still high in sugars.  1/2 of the bar will give you a huge dose of 23 grams of sugar.  Aside from that, you will be provided with 1 gram of fiber and 3 grams of protein.

But…the flavor.  The flavor is what does it.  I love to savor my chocolate.  A nibble here…another there.  And that’s the way I eat this one.  The dark chocolate has that bittersweet flavor to it…which is amazing and delicious.  I love how it melts against my tongue, and that hit of dark chocolate just lingers…and then, as I bite into it…the crunch from the puffed rice.  It’s one of the best things in the world, which is why I think Nestles Crunch bars sell so well.  Crunchy, smooth, rich, dark…it’s the best of everything.  And I for one love every tasty bite.

Not all chocolate bars are created equal.  And not all chocolate bars are gluten-free.  Thanks to Dark Chocolate Dream…I can still eat a Rice Crunch bar and savor it with the even more flavorful taste of dark chocolate.  Well done!!

Dark Chocolate Dream Rice Crunch Chocolate Bar (unwrapped)
Dark Chocolate Dream Rice Crunch Chocolate Bar (unwrapped)
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Annie May’s Sweet Café packs up delicious take-home treats for every sweet tooth

Annie May's Sweet Cafe Allergen-Free Cinnamon Rolls and Allergen-Free Blueberry Muffin
Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Allergen-Free Cinnamon Rolls and Allergen-Free Blueberry Muffin

Products: Annie May’s Sweet Café Allergen-Free Cinnamon Rolls – $3.00; Annie May’s Sweet Café Allergen-Free Blueberry Muffin – $2.00; Annie May’s Sweet Café Gluten-Free Cinnamon Caramel Swirl Cheesecake Bar – $2.00

I can’t stop myself.  It’s an addiction.  It’s a routine.  But every time I am in town on Saturday…I head over to Frankfort Avenue to Annie May’s Sweet Café, where, depending on what time I hit there (which is often dictated by how long my Saturday run ends up being), I indulge in amazing gluten-free and allergen-free breakfast offerings, or the most amazing gluten-free pizza in the area.  Hands down.  Either way, I’m a happy girl on Saturday mornings because I know it means a trip to Annie May’s!

There was only one difference this past weekend when I went to get my gluten-free doughnut and gluten-free vegan sausage and “cheese” breakfast sandwich.  I was going straight home afterwards.  And, Cathy…the best roomie ever…told me to pick a couple of items from the case to take home to have for breakfast and dessert on the following day.

I was thrilled!!  THRILLED!

The hard part was choosing.

As I am a cinnamon roll lover, I did opt to get two of their allergen-free cinnamon rolls that were on display.  They looked fantastic, with their cinnamon and sugar goodness and even given a drizzle of icing.  I was trying hard not to drool, because…cinnamon rolls are one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast.  And I don’t get them very often.  Now, I’ve gotten the Take-And-Bake variety from Annie May’s Sweet Café before, but these were already made and ready for consumption.  The fantastic looking blueberry muffins were calling my name.  Blueberry muffins are my absolute favorite muffin to make and devour.  And hers looked golden and moist and had this amazing sugary crust on the top.  Oh yeah…that was a must.  We got one that we decided we would split between us.  And then my roommate spotted the Cinnamon Caramel Swirl Cheesecake bars in the case…and we decided to get one of those to split as well.  Done.  Kenna was delightful and boxed everything up for us and we left with some delicious looking baked goodies from our favorite little eatery/bakery in town.

Fast forward to a late morning wake-up.  I rocked out a second 13 miles this morning for my Sunday run, and returned home.  After showering, I went to wake up Cathy, knocking on her door.  She was sleeping later than usual because we had been up in Indianapolis rocking out with Maroon 5…and didn’t get in until around 2 a.m.  My run took place later…her wake-up call came later.  It all worked.

But breakfast was going to be a cinch!  And it was.  I simply opened up the signature pink box with the Annie May’s Sweet Café sticker on it and pulled out the spoils of our shopping on Saturday.  Two allergen-free cinnamon rolls and one ginormous blueberry muffin.  I simply decided to slice the muffin in half and then warmed that half up in the microwave with the cinnamon roll, individually.

Let’s start with the Allergen-Free Cinnamon Roll ($3.00).  These were fantastic.  Even having sat on my counter all day and night, it was still cinnamon-sugar perfection.  The roll stayed together so well.  It had that heft of a cinnamon roll without being super dense and hard to eat.  It was crusty and flaky and sweetened to ultimate perfection.  I also liked how the icing was simply drizzled across the top, ensuring that the icing didn’t overtake the awesomeness of the cinnamon roll itself.  These cinnamon rolls contained no dairy and no gluten (of course) and they were awesome.  I hope they keep these in the case more often because I will make a habit of eating them whenever possible.

Now…one of Annie May’s muffins was a new choice for me.  Where I had the cinnamon rolls in a take-and-bake format before (but never from the case already done), I had never purchased a muffin.  So, this was a first for me.  The Allergen-Free Blueberry Muffin ($2.00) was huge.  And hugely moist too.  Yes…even after it had an entire day to sit in a box, it was still super moist.  I mean, I sliced into it and it was just…awesome.  I could tell it wasn’t dry at all, and this made me happy.  One of the little joys of these muffins was the sugar coating on the top.  It gave the muffin this nice bit of texture and sweetness…and I loved the crispness that it gave and the sound it made when my knife glided through the baked goodie to half it between my roommate and I.  And the taste…melt-in-your-mouth blueberry muffin perfection.  Moist.  Light.  Not at all dense or overdone.  The sugar struessel on top was the perfect touch to keep each bite sweet and interesting.  I am in love with these blueberry muffins.  And blueberry muffins are my most favorite thing when it comes to muffins.  So, I hope to see more of these in the very near future.

This leads us to dessert tonight…and the ever-epic sounding Cinnamon Caramel Swirl Cheesecake Bar ($2.00).  Completely gluten-free.  It was described by Annie May’s Sweet Café as some crazy cinnamon roll brainchild.  Okay…I was definitely intrigued!  Because, as we all know…CINNAMON ROLL FREAK HERE!!  So, dessert tonight had to be epic and awesome.  It just had to be.  After dinner, I went and retrieved this morsel of gluten-free goodness from my fridge and sliced it in half…ready to see if it lived up to its epic sounding description.

It was creamy, smooth, and it honestly did taste like some sort of cheesecake-cinnamon roll hybrid.  You can only imagine my joy upon first taste.  The crust was crunchy and delicious…held up perfectly overnight in the refrigerator.  As for the cheesecake portion…I loved that it wasn’t overly sweet.  Cheesecake can run too sweet, but this one was perfect.  The caramel and cinnamon that were swirled into it gave it the right amount of flavor without taking away from the cream cheese and the crust.  Perfectly balanced.  And not heavy at all.  Sometimes cheesecake can just be too much.  Here, it was just perfect.  Especially when the bar was cut in half to split with my roomie.  She enjoyed it too, especially the swirled caramel and cinnamon topping on the cheesecake itself.  We were both overly delighted with our dessert tonight.

And I think anything that tastes like a cinnamon roll should applauded.  This was well done!!

Continuing on the trend of her amazing products, Annie May’s Sweet Café provided the perfect way to start my day…and the perfect way to end it as well.  The cinnamon rolls and the muffin were both perfect and not too filling…just filling enough to get me through to lunch, when ended up being later in the day from the norm.  And dessert…that cheesecake bar was the perfect ending to a day filled with perfect food.

Compliments of Annie May’s Sweet Café.  Whether you need to eat gluten-free or have food allergies or not…Annie May’s is the perfect place to pick up a baked item, grab a bite to eat, or even place a special order for one of her breads, cakes, cookies, whatever it is you desire.  Her standards are high and her food reflects it.

Always.

I’m already looking forward to breakfast on Saturday this coming week…

Annie May's Sweet Café Gluten-Free Cinnamon Caramel Swirl Cheesecake Bar
Annie May’s Sweet Café Gluten-Free Cinnamon Caramel Swirl Cheesecake Bar
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The Good Bean provides a naughty but nice crunchy chickpea snack with Smoky Chili and Lime

The Good Bean Smoky Chili and Lime Chickpea Snack
The Good Bean Smoky Chili and Lime Chickpea Snack

Product: The Good Bean Smoky Chili and Lime Chickpea Snack – $2.99+

Forget chips.  Honestly.  Forget the over processed, unhealthy, and sometimes laden with chemicals and ingredients that you don’t recognize and probably shouldn’t be consuming after all.  There are other options out there that are not only healthier, but taste better?

Ever have kale chips?  They are easy to make…or, for a price, you can buy them already made in a variety of flavors.  But, healthier crunchy options don’t end there.

Ever have crunchy chickpeas?  You know…chickpeas that have been roasted in the oven so now they are hard and have this amazing crunch to them?  If not…you should.  And if you don’t trust yourself to make them right…no worries.  The Good Bean has taken the guess-work out of the preparation and is putting the amazing tastes of all-natural, roasted chickpeas on the shelves of grocery stores.  I found mine at Whole Foods, but have spotted them at other natural food stores.

Prior to today, I had already tried the Sea Salt and the Sweet Cinnamon versions of this snack.  This left two flavors still needing my attention.  Black Pepper (which I can’t find anywhere!) and Smoky Chili and Lime.  I love me some spice, so I saved the Smoky Chili and Lime version for the end of my roasted chickpea journey (or at least until I can find the Black Pepper variety around here).  It would be my afternoon snack, the one that would see me through the tail-end of my day at work.  And with the success of the previous two flavors…I was quite happy to try this particular one.  I mean…come on…it’s spicy, right?

The Good Bean’s Smoky Chili and Lime flavor was apparently inspired by the fantastic flavors that are found in Spanish and Mexican snacks.  They chose to use Spanish Paprika, which provides a great smokey flavor without a lot of heat, to pair with the smoky chili flavor in their spice mix.  The Good Bean states that this specific chili…is the “naughtily assertive Mexican Chipotle.”  But…don’t worry.  To tame the chilies and keep the heat under control, The Good bean blended in lime…just to give an extra zing to the chickpeas and to take away just a smidge of the heat.  After all…you want to be able to taste the snack…not your tastebuds burning.

Which now brings me to how they taste.  I’m…on the fence.  While I have raved about the other flavors I have tried…this one is just…different.  And that’s saying something coming from me.  Here’s why.  I love spicy foods.  I love the burn and the heat.  And, yes, The Good Bean’s Smoky Chili and Lime Chickpea Snacks definitely has a generous spice coating on each roasted chickpea…but the lime…the lime seems to overpower everything.  In fact, I commented that I felt like I was eating a fruity cereal more than a spicy snack.  Considering this was the flavor I was looking forward to the most, it’s a huge let down.  If I wanted to eat Fruity Pebbles, I would have bought them.  The fact is…I bought a snack that promised heat with their usual rich chickpea flavor.  And all I really get is a hint of the spice…and then a whole lot of lime.  Talk about a let down!

So…with that in mind, let’s discuss ingredients and nutrition.  One serving of The Good Bean Smoky Chili and Lime Chickpea Snacks is 1/4 cup (or 35 ounces).  This serving provides you with 150 calories and 3.5 grams of fat.  Like the other flavors, this one is also cholesterol free and has only 260 mg sodium.  You also get 6 grams of filling fiber and a great 6 gram hit of protein with each serving.  And with only 5 grams of sugar per serving, you can feel good about your choice.  These snacks are all low in carbohydrates, contain nothing over-engineered, nothing artificial, are low in fat, gluten-free and also nut free.  The Smoky Chili and Lime variety contains roasted chickpeas, brown rice syrup, spices, coarse salt, lime juice concentrate, gum arabic, non-GMO and expeller-pressed canola oil.  These particular snacks are also considered clean eating.  WIN for my new diet.

Don’t get me wrong…the Smoky Chili and Lime variety is good enough…it just wasn’t what I had expected it to taste like.  Way too much lime for my tastes and not enough of that smokey chile flavor that is promised on the package.  Still…a healthy and nutritious choice for a snack.  Same satisfying crunch as a chip…but giving you so many more healthy benefits without the added fat, cholesterol, and unnecessary ingredients.  The Good Bean puts out very good products that they should be proud of.  I am happy to have this sort of snack in my life.  And maybe…maybe they have inspired me to give roasting chickpeas at home on my own a try.

Just maybe…

A serving of The Good Bean Smoky Chili and Lime Chickpea Snacks
A serving of The Good Bean Smoky Chili and Lime Chickpea Snack