BACON!

I know that when I was an omnivore one of the meals I enjoyed was pancakes (topped with maple syrup) and bacon.

Since assuming a plant based diet, meals like that are a thing of the past...or are they????

I thought they were gone and dead until I found Wayfare's "Pig Out"

These taste just like I remember bacon tasting.  

They are crunchy bits which are good on salads and by the handful for snack...but put them IN my pancakes and it is just like having one of my favorite meals back.

They are hard to see but the confetti you see in the pancakes are the "bacon" bits.

The batter was just a simple pancake batter:

1 C all purpose unbleached flour (I prefer King Arthur)

1 C almond milk (regular or vanilla will work in this)

2 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp oil (I use grapeseed or olive)

1 ener-G egg 

1-2 Tbsp Wayfare bacony bits

Cook them up in a skillet and enjoy!

I highly recommend these for a nice leisurely weekend breakfast so you can sit back and enjoy the delicious flavors.

Do you have any combinations that you really enjoy pairing?

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Emmy's Macaroons

I was lucky enough to be allowed to sample Emmy's Organics delicious/raw/vegan macaroons.

The most difficult part of this assignment?

Deciding which flavor to try first.

I was given six delicious flavors:

Coconut Vanilla, Choco Chili, Dark Cacao

Lemon Ginger, Mint Chip, and Choco Orange

I surprised myself and started with Coconut Vanilla (I thought for sure I would tear into the chocolate).

I was kind enough to share these with my kids.  My daughter thought they tasted like vanilla ice cream...just not cold.

I have to agree with her the vanilla had a nice light and pleasing flavor.  A completely fantastic way to end a meal.

The only flavor I did not try was the Choco Chili...I don't like the two mixed together.  So I gifted them to a friend of mine, and he thought they were wonderful.

So I mentioned that they are delicious but they are also made with a short list of ingredients (always a plus sign in my book).

The coconut vanilla are made up of seven things (all of which I can pronounce and more than likely probably have in my pantry):

• organic raw shredded coconut
• organic raw agave nectar
• non-gmo almond flour
• organic raw coconut oil
• fair trade vanilla flavor (alcohol-free)
• raw vanilla bean
• himalayan crystal salt.

Not only does Emmy's make a delicious and well thought out product but they carry that through to their packaging.  The macaroon packages can be composted.  How cool is that?

I love getting behind companies that subscribe to the same types of ideals that I do.

I am happy to say I would recommend these to everyone...you just need to like coconut!

You can find Emmy's on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

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Nuk Fresh Foods Cook N Blend

I was given the opportunity as a Mom Ambassador at Green Mom's Meet (through Kiwi Magazine) to review Nuk's Fresh Foods Cook N' Blend Baby Food Maker.

The product title may be a mouthful, but it will provide a VERY healthy mouthful for your child.

Nuk always a leader in the baby product market has come out with a baby food maker that steams AND blends the food for you.

No longer will you need to steam your fruit and vegetables in one vessel and then move them to another (such as a blender or baby food mill).

Now there is an all in one product to handle this.

While not just a pretty face the Nuk Cook N Blend has the following features:

• Dual action function steams and blends food
• Healthy steaming preserves vitamin and mineral content
• With 32 oz bowl it can make up to 4 meals at a time
• Double steamer basket separates food
• Beeps and stops automatically
• Two texture (smooth and chunky) options so that the product can grow with your child
• Dishwasher safe
• Bonus smoothie blade so the whole family can get in on the action
• Free recipe book with  meal ideas from Annabel Karmel
• There is a $20 off coupon available here as well

As a mother of three I loved making food for my kids.  For me it was my way to do all that I could to ensure they would grow up as healthy as possible.

Maybe it was the budding homesteader in me, but it was oh so satisfying to do it...plus it was so much cheaper than store bought food.

Now I used a hand powered baby food mill, like this one, but Nuk has been forward thinking enough to make a product that is useful past the toddler stage.

With that being said I think this would make for a great baby shower gift to a new mom.  It is one that I would recommend to my friends and co-workers.

I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinions on my blog.  My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

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No Impact

Well continuing with my trend to watch documentaries produced years ago I watched No Impact Man last night with my husband, using the wonderful Netflix to stream it.

As a side note I wouldn't recommend watching with children as they drop the "F" bomb several times.

                                                                        Source: Uploaded by user via Mary on Pinterest

The movie follows Colin Beavan, his wife Michelle, and their 2 year old daughter Isabella as they spend 1 year (living in New York City) attempting to make no impact on the Earth.

For this they give up, in stages mind you (they didn't go completely cold turkey):

• buying anything new
• electricity
• all forms of transportation that doesn't involve human power to get you there (i.e. walking, biking, etc)
• toilet paper
• food packaging
• creating trash
• air conditioning
• TV

I myself would have had to draw the line at toilet paper...that would have to be my luxury item if I were to do such a project.

They made sure that they ate food grown within 250 miles of their home, which meant giving up on Starbucks but eating more from the local farmer's market.

Overall I thought the film was a little extreme, but I think his point was to see what things they could live without if they tried and giving everything up all at once gave them a clean slate to start from.

In the end I think they found they enjoyed family time more and eating local foods.  It made them feel more connected to their city and more conscientious of their consumption.

I had my husband watch this with me because I thought this would appeal to him, and did it ever.

We've decided to make an action plan and see what we could do to make less of an impact.

• Make our own shampoo.  This "recipe" calls for essential oil...so I am going to make my own.  I am currently drying out some orange peels so that they can be the scent of our shampoo.
• Bake our own bread.  I am selling off some surplus items from around my house so that we don't have to spend extra funds to buy this awesome bread machine.

                                                                       Source: squidoo.com via Teresa on Pinterest

• Increase productivity from our home garden.  This weekend we are cleaning everything out and beginning our spring planting (kale, spinach, and broccoli seeds will be hitting the dirt).
• Make my own bags for produce, bulk bin items, and unwrapped baked goods.  I saw these bags on Pinterest and find the instructions easy to follow...I think even my meager sewing skills can make this happen (they have tags to write bulk bin item numbers on the side).

                                                       Source: frugalgranola.com via Rachel on Pinterest

• Make our own cleaning supplies.  You would be amazed at what white vinegar, borax, and baking soda can do for your house.
• Repurpose and reuse the items we have instead of being so quick to buy new.
• Making our own cola.  My husband loves a soda every now and then...but he doesn't love the ingredients SO we are going to try a few recipes, starting with this one.

As these projects progress I will be sure to blog about it.  Because if something is a success, or even a failure, there is bound to be something we can learn from it and by sharing with all of you who knows what you can teach me :)

What sort of suggestions for having less impact can you share?

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Food Movie Reviews

I am typically a little late to the party when it comes to watching movies and reading books.

So while my opinions on the below movies is a little late I did want to share because it might prompt someone to watch one of these.

Last week I watched Food Matters:

                                                                         Source: imdb.com via Luis on Pinterest

It provides a look into naturally keeping yourself healthy, and using food as your medicine.

A thought first espoused by Hippocrates "Let food by thy medicine and medicine by thy food."

There are segments from doctors, journalists, naturopaths, and nutritionists who provide some very compelling evidence that putting nutrient rich food in your body will help it heal itself.

My favorite segments were with Dr. Andrew Saul who touts vitamins over pills.  He believes that eating vegetables and fruits doesn't get a lot of lip service because it doesn't make money for pharmaceutical companies.  Additionally he commented that most doctors don't receive training in nutrition.

That seems crazy to me.  They can learn all of the parts of the body but they don't learn how to keep them healthy without the intervention of pills?

Overall I feel I was affirmed in my decisions to eat lots of fruits and vegetables and that you don't always have to turn to something from a bottle to fix what ails you.  That pill, whatever it may be, could have some side effects that turn out to make me more sick.

I followed Food Matters up this week with Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead:

                                                                             Source: en.wikipedia.org via Heather on Pinterest

This is a documentary that follows the story of Joe Cross, and Australian entrepreneur, and his quest to heal an autoimmune disease as well as wean himself off of several medications.

At the start you meet Joe and he is 310 lbs.  He decides to come to America and spend 60 days on a diet solely made up of juice with the help of Dr. Joel Fuhrman monitoring him.

I was a little skeptical on the outset thinking that there is no way juice could be filling enough to subsist on it for 60 days...but I was wrong.

Not only did Joe change his life he also changed those he met on his journey (he traveled across the US).

What I enjoyed about this movie is that it was more about Joe and his journey.  You don't get weighed down  in facts and percentages (which I happen to love, but it isn't for everyone) instead you get a story similar to Supersize Me.

Watching both of these movies tied in nicely together.  Food Matters teaches that the body can heal itself and then Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead shows you the body healing itself and making Joe a well man.

Both movies are available through Netflix (that's how I watched them), and I would highly recommend watching.

For more information on Food Matters please their website it is a wealth of information (you can sign up for a newsletter there and get up to date information on nutrition, natural healing, and recipes) and they have a  Facebook page as well.

Joe Cross has a website dedicated to teaching anyone who wants to learn about the benefits of juicing (complete with recipes) it is called Reboot with Joe.  In addition to that there is a Facebook page and Twitter to connect with others as well as Joe.

The opinions expressed are my own and I was not compensated by anyone or asked by anyone to provide my opinion...just did that of my own free will.

I hope you will take some time to watch one, or both, of these movies.  And if you take nothing else away remember to eat a rainbow when it comes to your fruits and veggies.

Happy Thursday to you all!

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Kit's Organic Review

I was given the opportunity by the very nice people at Clif Bar to try their new Kit's Organic bars.

Named after the co-founder, Kit Crawford, Kit's is a simple organic bar.

They are gluten free, soy free, and dairy free as well as certified organic (they also take care to make sure everything is free from GMO's).

I was sent a sampling of their 4 flavors:

Cashew

Berry Almond

Chocolate Almond Coconut

Peanut Butter

My favorite was the chocolate almond coconut, which was no surprise to me...I love chocolate.

A close second was berry almond.

Both of those were bursting with flavor.

The cashew and peanut butter were good, and filling, but the flavors were more mild.   The chocolate and berry were like having a party in my mouth.

The bars are chewy, not dry in the least, and full of flavor.  They are filling and perfect for when you are out and about or when you need a snack mid-morning/day.

Each bar has a simple list of ingredients (all of which I could pronounce) and to know that the ingredients were selected with as much care as I would put into my own creations made me feel good about eating it.

I am always excited to try bars.  I love the individual packaging and single serving so that I can't have the opportunity to over indulge.

But since they can be expensive I would only recommend ones I would want to spend my money on...Kit's is definitely one I would consider purchasing.

You can keep up with the gang at Clif by checking them out on Facebook and Twitter.

What are your favorite flavors for a snack bar?

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Plenty of Plentils

I was contacted by the nice people of Enjoy Life Foods and asked if I would like to try there new chips called Plentils.

I naturally said "Of Course."

I knew I couldn't turn down a chip made from lentils and one that was bound to be better for me than the traditional potato chip.

I was so very excited when I opened the box and saw these 4 beauties:

They sent all 4 of their new flavors (which I have already seen at Whole Foods):

Sea Salt
Margherita Pizza
Dill & Sour Cream
Garlic & Parmesan

I jumped in and started with the margherita pizza.

The chips are super crunchy and light.

Not to mention bursting with flavor.

I didn't feel overly full or weighed down and there were no greasy fingers.

What is really nice about Enjoy Life products (their mega chunks are my favorite!!!) is that they are gluten free and free of the eight major allergens:

wheat
dairy
peanut
tree nut
egg
soy
fish
shellfish

Would you like to know a little bonus about them?

They are also certified GMO free.

If you would like to pick up a bag, or two, be sure to use one of their coupons (found on their website).

Christmas is less than a week away...are you ready?

Be sure to come back tomorrow as it is big reveal for December's Improv challenge.

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A different kind of holiday

With the holiday season fast approaching I thought it appropriate to talk about a "different" type of holiday.

Ladies holiday that is.

Each month we women get a visitor, who stays about a week, and usually makes us crave chocolate and sometimes makes us a little cranky.

As a member of Mom's Meet I was given the opportunity to sample Softcup.

Now discussing menstrual cycles and what not is not really my thing, but I do want to say that the use of this product really impressed me.

I felt better protected and that I could participate in all activities (including swimming) and not feel self-conscious.

The cup can be left in for up to 12 hours and I think the coolest thing (although it is a bit of TMI) you don't have to remove it when you use the bathroom.

However I don't want you to just take my word that these are better than any other pad or tampon I would like to gift three readers with a box of 14.

What do you have to do to win?

Simply use the Rafflecopter below.  I will announce the three winners on Monday, December 10th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can also check out Softcup on Facebook and Twitter.

I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

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SparX

As a Mom Ambassador with Mom's Meet I am given a chance from time to time to sample products.

Most recently I was sent SparX made by Xlear.

Fruit Flavor

Citrus Flavor

These are the cutest little candies, in such pretty pastel colors.

The benefit of these candies, over other crunchy sweets, is that these are sweetened with xylitol.

Xylitol is a plant based sweetener that is recommended by dentists as it can improve your dental health and strengthen your tooth enamel.

What's more the candies don't have any artificial colors or flavors...Amen to that.

My kids were quick to split these up and devour them.  I have to say they were tasty and I am going to look for them in stores the next time candy is on the grocery list.

With trying to provide better treats for my kids I will be sure to check for xylitol as an ingredient when making my choices.

If you would like to know more about Xlear you can visit their website or check them out on Facebook.


I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

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Lucy's Gluten Free Cookies

I have been meaning to share with you for months the ultimate in yard art:

Your eyes do not deceive you this person has the tail end of an airplane in their front yard.



I admit this is not the best photo, but I was trying to snap the pic while driving (not terribly safe).  

I am not sure what the significance is to them, but it is definitely different.

Today I want to share with you some cookies that I have sampled and absolutely fallen in love with.

Lucy's Gluten Free Cookies

Like all good moms Dr. Lucy Gibney created these cookies when she discovered her child had severe food allergies.

They have a dedicated bakery in which they select only the finest ingredients to ensure that none of the common allergens make their way in.  In fact peanuts and tree nuts aren't even allowed in the building.

The cookies are:

Gluten free

Vegan

Contain no peanuts or tree nuts

0gm trans fat

0mg cholesterol

Non-GMO

All natural

I know what some of you might thinking.  That the cookies won't be very tasty because of they are gluten free or that they just can't be good if they are vegan.

Well I am here to let you know that is just not the case. 

I was sent 3 varieties to try:

Currently Lucy's offers 7 flavors total:

Sugar Cookie

Cinnamon Thin

Chocolate Chip

Oatmeal Cookie

Ginger Snap

Maple Bliss

Chocolate (which is a chocolate cookie with chocolate chips..my favorite)

The flavors are out of this world and the cookies have just the most delicious crunch to them.  Should you not scarf the entire box down the cookies will retain their crispness for several weeks once opened. 

All of the varieties are good by my favorite (no surprise to my husband) was the chocolate and chocolate chip.  These cookies had tons of chocolate chips in them and my sweet tooth craving was perfectly satisfied with one or two cookies (that doesn't mean you don't want to eat the whole box just that you will be satisfied after 1 or 2).

However let me say that the maple bliss was perfect with a scoop of coconut milk ice cream and the ginger snaps had quite a bite to them (a little too spicy for my children, but I enjoyed them very much with a cup of hot tea).  So for those of you who aren't chocolate fans the maple and ginger can provide a delicious treat.

I always like to share some love when I have a product to sample so I would like to offer to one of you, my wonderful readers, a chance to win a box of Lucy's cookies (so you can taste the deliciousness for yourself).

To win a box of cookies just use the rafflecopter below. 

The giveaway will be open until Friday June 15th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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A Mother's Day Lunch

Happy Mother's Day to you all

For my women readers you may not be a mother to a child but you may certainly have influence over some children OR maybe some pets.

Any which way I do just want to give a pat on the back to all of the women out there so that they know they are loved and appreciated.

I have been away from blogging for a little while so this post may be a little bit like learning to ride a bike again.

I took a little unintentional vacation from blogging as time just didn't seem to be available, however today that changes and I want to share with you a local restaurant that my mom and I visited this weekend in honor of Mother's Day.

The Celtic Fringe in Reidsville, NC.

A fantastic little pub serving some very delicious food.

I had the fish and chips (the fish was haddock and the fries were hand cut):

My mom chose the Welsh rarebit:

I forgot to take a picture of the delicious chocolate cake and strawberry shortcake, my apologies once I saw my cake I just had to dig right in...there was no time to get a camera out.

The service was wonderful and the atmosphere was something right out of Europe.

If you ever find yourself in small town Reidsville, NC make sure to make The Celtic Fringe one of your stops.

This was a great Mother's Day treat, and I hope my mom enjoyed going as much as I did.

It was kind of nice, even though I love my children, to have a meal without them and be able to carry on an actual adult conversation, and more importantly, with no interruptions.

So again Happy Mother's Day mom...I love you.

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Chobani = Love

This past weekend I hosted a baby shower for one of my best friends.

I wanted to make sure that the food I served was homemade and healthier than conventional versions.

One thing I always enjoy at a party is a dip for fresh veggies and fruit.

To satisfy that I made two dips for my party featuring Chobani Greek yogurt.

For the fruit I made a chocolate dip (and I felt a bit like Sandra Lee and Semi-Homemade).  Perfect for the fresh strawberries and pineapple.

1 C vanilla Chobani
1 box of Dr. Oetker's organic chocolate pudding mix

Greek yogurt has 170 calories per 8 oz
Cream cheese has 800 calories per 8 oz

That's a 630 calorie savings...PLUS the yogurt has 22 grams of protein.

For the veggies it was a similar winning situation

1 C plain 0% Chobani
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch packet

Greek yogurt has 140 calories per 8 oz
Sour cream has 492 calories per 8 0z

A 352 calorie savings and the plain yogurt has 23 grams or protein.

Just think if you substitute yogurt you get the added benefits of extra protein but also you can save numerous calories.

Chobani makes a great substitution anytime you would use:

cream cheese
sour cream
ricotta cheese
non-Greek yogurt
heavy cream

With the variety of flavors offered by Chobani you can jazz up your meals in a snap.

I have more yogurt recipes coming, but if you need some inspiration before then head over to Chobani's Kitchen for some recipes.

You can also connect with Chobani on Twitter and Facebook.

So what do you use Greek yogurt for?  Have you tried it yet?

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Erewhon...what?

Erewhon is the name of a delicious brand of cereals from Attune Foods.

I was given the opportunity to try their Crispy Brown Rice Mixed Berries, Cocoa Crispy Brown Rice, and Cinnamon Grahams.

The first one I opened was the cocoa crispy and taste wise it was spot on. 

A nice cocoa flavor and you have a nice treat if there is any leftover milk  (who doesn't like chocolate milk after their cereal is complete).

My kids devoured the box in a day and a half.

The mixed berries was more my speed with the delicious freeze dried blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries.

Both cereals were lightly sweet and perfectly suited for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack (for whenever you like to eat your cereal).

The third item I tried were the cinnamon grahams. 

Perfect on their own, or my favorite way with a little smear of peanut butter.

It has made a nice crisp snack that is mildly sweet which I have been enjoying in the afternoons.

Besides these foods tasting great (and being super kid friendly) they also contribute to your digestive health.

By having a healthy digestion you are able to keep everything on the move. 

Something I learned from my cleanse experience is that by having regular eliminations you don't feel so tired and so bloated/full.  Your body is able to do other work if it doesn't have to worry about always processing the food you put in your stomach.

Attune Foods knows good health is important and has taken care to remove some of the guess work when it comes to making sure you have a healthy cereal.

On their website they have several pages that provide some education on digestion:

Importance of Fiber in Digestive Health

Importance of a Gluten Free Diet for those with a Gluten Intolerance

A High Fiber Diet Made Easy: Sample Menu

Digestive Health & You

Your digestive system is always at work breaking down the food you eat into the nutrients your body needs, but you may only become aware of this intricate system when you feel discomfort. You realize then how important your digestive health is to your well-being. To avoid digestive discomfort, eating a well-balanced diet should include fiber and for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, avoidance of gluten. Your digestive tract houses 70% of your immune system, so keeping your gut healthy is a great way to keep you healthy.

Do yourself a favor and do a little reading. Educate yourself on how you can help your body help you.

Feeling good on the inside will radiate through to the outside.

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Annie's Homegrown Pizza Giveaway

As a part of Moms Meet, a program sponsored by Kiwi Magazine, I get to try products from time to time and then tell you lovely people (my wonderful and fantastic readers) all about them.

Most recently I was given a chance to try Annie's Homegrown Organic Rising Crust pizza.

The same Annie's that brings you the delicious cheddar bunnies and mac & cheese (at least to my house)

So who would say no to an opportunity for a pizza dinner for your family?

Not me that's for sure.

My children love pizza and making sure that the pie has quality ingredients is always at the forefront of my mind.

Annie's takes the guess work out of it for you by making their pizzas:

• Certified organic
• naturally rising crust, 8g whole grains per serving
• 100% real cheese, no cows were treated with rBST growth hormone
• features meat with no nitrates or nitrites (except those naturally occuring in sea salt and celery juice powder)
• available in four flavors (uncured pepperoni, four cheese, supreme, and spinach & mushroom)

We selected spinach & mushroom as those are two favorite toppings for my children (sorry to say that cheddar bunnies wasn't a choice...but maybe a future flavor for Annie's).

As I am going vegan for the month of March I did not eat the pizza, but the rest of my family had no qualms about wolfing down enjoying this Friday night treat.

So what is the verdict?  THEY LOVED IT

Would we recommend it to friends?  Absolutely

I think Annie's is right up there with other name brand rising crust pizzas.

Currently these are being sold at Whole Foods.  But instead of buying one would you like the chance to win one?

I thought you might.

To win leave me a comment and let me know what flavor of pizza you would try if you win. 

The giveaway will be open until Wednesday March 21st.  I will announce the winners (yes you heard me right plural) on Thursday.

Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of

the Moms Meet

it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet

agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My

opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media

Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.SM program, May Media Group LLC, who receivedSM blogger, I

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Food Should Taste Good Giveaway

When I saw this on my porch...I got excited:

Check out the ways these are made good and a product everyone can enjoy:

I was given a wonderful opportunity by the good people of Food Should Taste Good to try 5 bags of chips (of my choosing) AND provide a giveaway to you all (my wonderful readers).

Can't get much better than this.

Are you familiar with these delicious snacks?

Well if not let me tell you a little bit about them. 

The company was started in 2006 with a mission to create a healthier snack using quality ingredients.  They are a good source of dietary fiber and come in 16 flavors in their 5.5 oz line: Multigrain, Sweet Potato, Olive, Jalapeno, Lime, Cantina, The Works!, Chocolate, Blue Corn, Cheddar, White Cheddar, Toasted Sesame, Hemp, Jalapeno with Cheddar, Hatch Chile and Kettle Corn.  There is a brand new line of Kettle Cooked Sweet Potato Chips with 4 flavors: Original, BBQ, Salt & Pepper, and Salt & Vinegar.

The flavors I selected were:

The Works, Jalapeno, and Salt & Vinegar (sweet potato chips)

Chocolate and Kettle Corn.

I will start with the chocolate, because I really thought they would be the weirdest (even though Andrea from Clean Up and Eat said they were delish).  These were a good dessert chip.  Perfect alone or with a sweet vanilla yogurt dip. 

Kettle Corn fell in line next just for the sweetness it provided.  They taste just like kettle corn you would get at a street festival or county fair (just made with better ingredients...no GMO's).  I feel these are good just on their own, no need for any dips however I do need to work on a caramel dip and then they would be completely over the top.

Jalapeno I enjoyed in nacho form.  A little homemade pico de gallo and a sprinkling of cheese was all it needed.  These chips do pack a bit of heat, which I LOVE (the rest of the family not so much, but they are wusses when it comes to spice), and a make a great side to any Mexican feast.

Salt & Vinegar has been a chip I started liking when I was pregnant with Caroline almost 3 years ago.  Something about the salt & vinegar combination sat well with my stomach (which was in a constant state of flux from that little girl).  Anyway the sweet potato version ramps it up by adding the slight sweetness on top of the yummy salt and vinegar tang.

The Works...well lets just say these were my favorite (which was a really tough decision to make) but I love bagels, especially Everything Bagels.  That is exactly what these tasted like and I just fell in love.  I used a homemade ranch dip with plain Chobani Greek yogurt and was just in heaven.

Now that I have your mouth watering for some delicious crunchy chips lets get to the business of entering the giveaway.

The Prize: 5 bags of Food Should Taste Good chips (you get to pick the flavors..WINNING)

To enter you just need to do the following:

1) Leave a comment and tell me what your number 1 flavor would be

For additional entries you have the option to do 1 or all of the following:

2) Follow my blog and comment (or let me know you already follow)

3) Follow me on Twitter and comment

4) Like me on Facebook and comment

5) Like Food Should Taste Good on Facebook and comment

If you would like you can get a coupon from their site here.

The giveaway will be open until Wednesday February 15th and is only open to US residents.  I will announce the winner on Thursday's post.

Have a wonderful Monday and I hope you all are ready for Valentine's Day.  I know I am super excited to share my post with you tomorrow.

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29 Ways to Leap into Jarlsberg plus Giveaway

I have been selected along with 28 other lucky bloggers to write a post for you about Jarlsberg's Original Cheese Dip through Kitchen Play.

I decided that the way I wanted to use my spread was on a flat bread pizza.

I love things that are simple, easy, and fresh.

Take your favorite brand of flatbread.

Spread a layer of Jarlsberg dip on (in place of the tomato sauce).

Then top with your favorite veggies.

For me it is tomatoes, spinach, and mushrooms.

Toast it in the over at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes and you are good to go.

The people at Jarlsberg are offering up a wonderful prize pack, a tailgate tote stocked:

·         Jarlsberg Lite Cheese

·         new Jarlsberg Cheese Dip

·         Snofrisk (a Norwegian style cream cheese)

·         crispbreads

·         honey crèmes

·         honey vinegar.

The giveaway is hosted on Jarlsberg's Facebook page here.

Would you like to know what the other bloggers have put together with their Jarlsberg cheese?

Of course you do, so head over to Kitchen-Play, here, and check it out.  Each day a new post will be listed.

I do want to disclose that I have been compensated for my time, groceries, and recipe development.

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It's GIVEAWAY time again :)

A little bit of business first before I start into today's post.

The winner of my Progresso Soup giveaway is:  Candace.  I will be sending you an e-mail to get your shipping information.  If I don't hear back I will have to make another selection (which would just be sad...I don't want anyone to miss out).

I want to talk today about Larabar.

I am guessing for many of you this isn't a new snack, but for me it is one of my favorites.

These delicious whole food bars never leave you guessing as to what the ingredient list means.  For example on the Carrot Cake bar the ingredients are:

Dates
Almonds
Walnuts
Raisins
Pineapple
Unsweetened coconut
Carrots
Cinnamon
Coconut oil

In addition to the ingredients being easy to read the bars are: gluten free, kosher, raw, and suitable for those who follow a vegan/vegetarian diet.

SCORE!

I was lucky enough to have Larabar allow me to sample some flavors which I haven't had before.

Ginger Snap

Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte

Jocalat-Chocolate

Tropical Fruit Tart

Carrot Cake

Cappuccino

Sometimes you see these bars on the shelf and wonder to yourself (hopefully in your head and not outloud as people tend to stare) if the flavors are true to their name.  I am here to tell you that at least with these 6 flavors they are spot on.

Cappuccino is a brand new flavor and tastes exactly like the coffee drink.  So that is either a warning (for non-coffee lovers) or an endorsement (for coffee-aholics).  I found the flavor to be a bit strong for me and was the only one I didn't totally fall in love with. 

I surprised myself and completely, and a little too quickly, devoured the Tropical Fruit Tart.  The delicious dried pineapple really made this one a winner.  And on a chilly day it brought thoughts of summer to my mind :)

Ginger snap, Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte, Jocolat, and Carrot Cake were all good enough to have as desserts. 

Do you have a favorite Larabar flavor?

If not do you have a flavor you have been dying to try?

Well you can have your chance.

Larabar is offering one of my lucky readers a mix box of 16 bars.

What do you need to do to win?

Well I am glad you asked.

It is super simple, just comment below answering my question from above (this is mandatory).

For extra entries you can do the following (and just leave me a comment saying you did it).

* Like My Naturally Frugal Family on Facebook

*Follow me on Twitter

*Follow my blog (I am so close to 100...I promise another giveaway once I reach 100).

This giveaway is open to US readers only (I apologize to my international audience) and will be open until Wednesday February 1st at 11:59 pm.  I will announce the winner in my post on Thursday February 2nd.

Best of luck to you all!



Another shameless plug, if you have a chance (and inclination) please vote for me as one of the Top 25 Vegetarian/Vegan Mom Blogs at Circle of Moms.  You can vote once a day!  Please feel free to share with your friends.

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Make a Conscious Effort

I make an effort to buy foods that are organic and items that are sustainably produced.

But did you know there is a company out there that will mail you a box monthly filled with eco-friendly treats?

They are Conscious Box!

I opened the package to reveal this pleasingly wrapped box:

Let me tell you none of the packing went to waste and Caroline was very quick to take the tie and make it into a headband.

Now on to the good stuff.

I opened my box of goodies and WHOA Nelly!  It was packed to the brim:

Like a clown car I kept pulling more and more and more stuff out.  In the end these were the goodies I received:

I was very excited to see the Raw Rev bar in there because I have been wanting to try them forever.  But what was also nice is that it wasn't all food. 

There was hand sanitizer from Clean Well and compostable knives, forks, and spoons (perfect for picnics or BBQ).

This was really a great way for me to have my eyes opened and see what lovely products are out there and sample them before buying full size versions.

I know you want to know what the cost is...am I right?  The box is $19 a month, which at that price is a great gift for that someone special on Valentine's Day (unless you are Jenn of Peas and Crayons and you boycott Valentine's Day).

Conscious Box has a wonderful mission statement on their site and basically they let you know that they've handpicked the items and they are:

dedicated to introducing you to the most ethical, sustainable, and honest businesses that create the purest products available. We scour the marketplace to find those that stand above the rest. Discovery defines the Conscious Box experience.

I will say that I was COMPLETELY satisfied with items in it and feel that the price is adequate for such variety and quality items.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday.

If you haven't done so already please be sure to enter my giveaway, here, that ends tonight.

Also if you get a chance, and feel so led, please consider voting for my blog as one of the Top 25 Vegetarian/Vegan Mom Blogs on Circle of Moms.

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