Categories: 4 1/2 stars

3 Feb 2012, Comments (0)

Newman’s Own Lite Honey Mustard Dressing

Author: Healthnuttxo

I never was much of a salad person until recently. I always would rather eat something more substantial for a meal, like a protein with a veggie and a carb, rather than a salad. However, if paired correctly, a salad actually can be meal-worthy and quite satisfying. Plus…you get to eat croutons and really, who doesn’t like buttery salty and delicious croutons!?!? =)

So, I bought my salad, piled it high of greens and flavored chicken (um…and the croutons) and skipped buying dressing as well since I had this gem, the Newman’s Own Lite Honey Mustard Dressing waiting for me at home.  Here’s a close-up

Now- Honey mustard is usually either awesome, or not good at all. Some are way too spicy, some too tangy, and some have a weird aftertaste. Yet, there’s always a brand every now and then that’s actually quite good. So, I gave this one a try.

Let me tell you, one bite of lettuce coated in this dressing and I was hooked. Can you say- yummy!?!?

It was tangy, yet sweet. I actually checked how much sugar was in a serving, and it had 5 grams per 2 tbsp. which is a bit high in my opinion, but also explains the sweetness. I could really taste the honey, which paired with the tiny bit of salty flavor. This dressing was just so good! It had a little bit of tang from the mustard, but really not too tangy or spicy. In fact, it had the perfect level of spice to it. Although- I did get a forkful that had a LOT of dressing and I got a mild sensation in my nose which I’m assuming is from the mustard. (hey senses- time to wake up!!)

The consistency was impressive too. I find with light dressings sometimes they are very watery in texture. This one had a medium consistency, where it was thick yet still pourable and didn’t slide off all my lettuce and end up on the bottom of the place (pet peeve….).

Overall, definitely one of the best honey mustards I have ever had. So delicious. One thing to note is that it’s hard to NOT eat 2 servings. I used the dressing kind of sparingly and still ended up using about 56 grams, which is almost 2 full servings. Gotta watch out for that sodium and sugar- it creeps up! This gets 4.5 stars from me

What’s your favorite dressing?


9 Jan 2012, Comments (6)

Peanut Butter & Co Mighty Maple Peanut Butter

Author: Healthnuttxo

Another nut butter to add to my addiction and to subtract money out of my wallet (*sigh*…that wallet never had a chance against any nut butters). Insert, Peanut Butter & Co Mighty Maple Peanut Butter. One of the tastiest I have tried from Peanut Butter & Co., this one is also gluten free and vegan

SIDENOTE: How cute is that monkey?! With a barbell!

This was a thick peanut butter- not much stirring required, hardly any actually. Look here, didn’t even move as I turned my fork to the side. (WHHHHAAAAAT you don’t eat nut butter out of the jar with a fork, too?)

The peanut butter has a mild sweetness, but I can definitely taste both the maple and the peanut butter. It has a roasted peanut taste, and then a hint of maple flavor. Not too salty or too sweet, but just right. I ate this directly from the jar, like most of my nut butters, and I can’t get enough of it. This isn’t my first jar, and it will not be my last.

One thing different from other peanut butters is I can “taste” and detect the granules- like a very mild grittiness to the peanut butter. Not like sand, or like anything that would ruin the peanut butter, but it is not 100% smooth.

Overall, delicious and addictive. A made a significant dent in my jar the first night. I’m too ashamed to show you the picture and I also don’t want to think about possibly eating 3-4 servings in one sitting, so I’m going to pretend it never happened. (*What peanut butter??*) I get remarks all the time about how fast I can finish a jar of peanut butter, and quite frankly, it doesn’t bother me a bit. Heart healthy fats, protein, and hey, I can think of worse things to inhale on a 2-3 day basis (sad, yet true. Shelf life of a jar of peanut butter in my house is 3 days tops).

One thing, is these are a bit pricy, I’ve seen them as much as 6+ dollars for a jar. So, from me, this one gets 4.5 stars =)

What’s your favorite flavor/variety from Peanut Butter & Co. if you have tried it? Mine is this one here.

26 Dec 2011, Comments (2)

Popcorn, Indiana Drizzled Cinnamon Sugar Kettlecorn

Author: Healthnuttxo

So, as IF we need any more sweet treats to eat during the holidays, I’m reviewing another sugary snack. But really,  HOW do you say no to a product like this?? Did I already eat cookies upon cookies upon cakes this holiday? YES. Did I already have cabinets stocked full of munchies? YES. Did I need another snack? NO!!. Should I have saved my money since it’s the holiday season and I need to spend it elsewhere? YES!

But did I buy it anyway? You bet. ; )

Popcorn, Indiana Drizzled Cinnamon Sugar Kettlecorn sounds absolutely amazing. And that’s because it is. Starting with the serving size. 1 cup. But is it really 1 cup? As you recall, from this review, the actual amount of popcorn I got was depressing.

This one? I GOT A WHOLE CUP! And I weighed it too. 28 grams.

I tried a few pieces. Mmm. Crunchy popcorn, with a white chocolate tasting drizzle on top and on most of the pieces. There was certainly a predominant cinnamon flavor, and the popcorn was mildly  sweet by itself, but very sweet for the pieces with the drizzle.

Eating it, it reminded me of a cinnamon bun. With the cinnamon flavor and the drizzle coming together like icing on a cinnabun. In other words, I could seriously eat this all day long. DANGEROUS! Especially during this season with all those buttery and sugary treats coming my way! Ahh!

Overall, this crunchy, sweet, cinnamony goodness gets 4.5 stars. Such a delicious treat, but it is rather high in sugar so I can’t eat too much since I am a Diabetic : ) (Although there was so not 6  servings in this! I think I only ate it like 3 times and I measured for the most part! Boo!)

What’s your favorite combination? Cinnamon and sugar definitely is one of mine!

*sigh* should have taken another picture. Threw out the bag. MY BAD!

17 Dec 2011, Comments (6)

Crumbs Raspberry Hamentashen

Author: Healthnuttxo

Hamentashen.

Yes, I had no idea what it was when I bought it. So if you know, props to you. I was told by a friend that it was a Jewish cookie, and to this moment that’s all I still really know about it. (So please, if you know anything, let me know!)

Regardless, amongst all the heavily frosted cupcakes and cookies available at Crumbs, I picked the Hamentashen. I didn’t want an overload of sugar, but I wanted something sweet and delicious. I picked up one of these for a little over 2 dollars each, and got the Raspberry flavor.

When I picked the Hamentashen, the lady behind the counter was confused. She asked why I purchased such a “grown up” cookie amongst all the cookies and cupcakes. Uhoh. Would this taste good??

The cookie basically had a “cookie/dry” part and a fruity/jam-like center. When I first tasted it, it reminded me of pie. And…I LOVE PIE.

The cookie part was crunchy on the outer edges, but as you get closer to the middle it was super soft, like the inner pie crust. It was buttery tasting and mildly sweet, and kind of reminded me of a butter/shortbread cookie.

The fruit on the inside, not scarce at all, was smooth and sweet, and also very fresh. I was afraid raspberry would be overly tart, but it wasn’t. It had a mild bit of tartness, and that’s it. AND, there was a lot of fruit filling!  To prove it, here’s a little pic

Overall, yes, it’s not a SUPER sugary cookie, but it was rather big (about size of my hand) and really good! I’ve already bought a couple more after eating my first one, and they do not disappoint! And, only 110 calories! Which is awesome given the 500-600+ calorie cupcakes/treats there!

4.5 stars

What’s your FAVORITE holiday cookie or cookie in general ( besides chocolate chip!)? I really love oatmeal raisin :)

23 Nov 2011, Comments (2)

Newman’s Own Organics Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Author: Healthnuttxo

AS IF we need any more treats to eat with the upcoming holidays, I’m going to put these on your list of goodies to buy and eat too. Newman’s Own Organics sent me a free bag of their Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. I couldn’t really say no. It’s simple logic. I love Newman’s Own Organics. I love Chocolate Chip Cookies. I love oatmeal (does that work?) SO- voila! I must love Newman’s Own Organics Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies….no?

At first, I looked at the nutritional facts. SWEET, I thought. 1 serving was five cookies. I like when servings are more than 1 or 2, or half…. (I know some cereals where 1/4 of a cup is a serving. WHAT? WHO eats 1/4 cup!?!?)

But…..of course, the cookies were tiny.

However, even though the size lacked, the flavor was delicious. It was a crunchy/crumbly cookie with rather large chocolate chips that literally melted in my mouth. The cookies were sweet and had that crunchy-yet-soft texture thing going on, especially when you bit into a chocolate chip.

You could taste just a bit of a salty aftertaste, as well as a hint of vanilla.

In fact, these cookies reminded me of Chips Ahoy!, but thicker, and well…better. They had a bit more of a homemade flavor than a Chips Ahoy! cookie would, which is why I liked them better.

These cookies are dangerous. So tiny as in, oh I can soooooo have another one, and it’s literally impossible to eat only one. But a good dangerous. In the sense that, yea I would buy these in the future if given the opportunity. 4 stars

And…..nutrition facts

21 Nov 2011, Comments (8)

Cosi Turkey and Stuffing Sandwich

Author: Healthnuttxo

Presenting….

one of the BEST sandwiches I ever had!

Well, at least best sandwich I had eating out. Nothing can beat a homemade peanut butter and jelly sandwich on fluffy white (yea, I said it) bread with globs of peanut butter and jelly. MMM.

Anyway, insert the Cosi Turkey and Stuffing Sandwich. I’ve been WAITING for this baby. It’s seasonal, and I always happen to fall in love with seasonal items. Good for the companies, bad for me when I want a stuffing sandwich in July, or some fruity flavored thing in the winter (so typical of my body to crave out of season….how DARE it!!!?)

I went to the gym Friday and afterward wanted to reward my muscles with some protein after a hard muscle workout.  My options were scrambled eggs (which…. I have every day), yogurt (for lunch? Nah…) or a nice sandwich from Cosi. Bread? Carbs? Protein? Count. Me. In.

I ordered the sandwich, which came with carrots, and a drink and it came to about $10.00. A little on the pricy side for sure, but usually worth the money in flavor.

Here’s what the sandwich looked like once I got home.

One bite….and I was hooked.

Starting with the bread (<3) which I’m almost positive I asked for Whole Grain, and I’m pretty sure I got white bread. I would know…the Whole Grain usually has a whole bunch of flax seeds and such in it, and this one I found MAYBE one or two stragglers. Hmm. Whatever. It was still beyond delicious so even though the inner soon-to-be nutritionist was yelling Uh, RETURN THIS! Go get your whole grains! Stop eating refined carbs! my brain was yelling There’s no way I’m walking back 10 blocks to return a sandwich and taste buds were yelling this is too dang delicious to stop eating.

So it was settled. I ate the white-possibly-whole-grain-but-I’ll-never-know bread. Flaky, crusty, goodness. Mmm.

The turkey pieces (medallions??) were chewy and there were PLENTY of them. They were a bit salty and otherwise a wee bit bland/dry if eaten alone, but still good.

The stuffing was so good. It was flavorful, and I tasted a piece of celery in there. It was very bready, and very yummy, with spices (but NOT spicy!)

Lastly, the cranberry. Sweet and soft, and like a spread. Went perfectly with the stuffing and turkey.

Overall, HELLO leftover sandwich BEFORE Thanksgiving! I would call that a win. There’s 435 calories in this sandwich which is a bit more than I’d eat normally for lunch also considering the carrots (um…and the cookie I ate with it but let’s forget about that….) but it was well worth the money and the calories.

Who invented this sandwich? She or he is a genius. 4.5 stars

18 Nov 2011, Comments (3)

Batter Blaster Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Batter

Author: Healthnuttxo

I FINALLY tried this stuff. I pass by Batter Blaster Pancake & Waffle Batter in a can all the time at the stores. I always see it, I always wonder, ponder for a few minutes or so, and end up not buying it. But WHY?!

I don’t know. I’m a creature of habit.  My brain reasons with me, Why buy this if it might be bad?… I usually eat cereal for breakfast…I don’t even really like pancakes….then I’d have to clean the pan…. (LAZY)

But this time, my friends, THIS TIME I bought it. Batter Blaster Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Batter went into my shopping cart, up to the register, and then home with me.  I want to say it was a bit pricy…maybe 4 or 5 dollars or so, and I bought it at Whole Foods.

The other day I wanted something other than oatmeal. A girl can only have cereal or oatmeal so many times, and since I don’t own a toaster that puts a damper on my breakfast options. (Ever try “toasting” a piece of bread in the oven? Yea, 15 minutes for one slice of bread is so not worth it….)

I cooked up one large pancake instead of two small ones as the serving size suggested, along with some eggs. I saw that there was very little protein/fiber in the Batter Blaster Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Batter, so I knew I needed something to hold me. And what better to pair up pancakes with than eggs?!

Here’s the outcome…

Look yummy? Yes? Well….

IT WAS.

It was SO good. I cooked it over medium heat with a little Pam/buttery spray. The result was crispy edges, a fluffy  and soft middle, and just overall delicious. I only needed to add a bit of SF syrup (would probably be even better with REAL maple syrup, but you guys know I am a diabetic!) and it was perfect! It had a yummy buttermilk flavor, and honestly tasted exactly like Ihop pancakes. In fact, I think Ihop uses this pancake batter….. ; )

And, well,  it was SO EASY. A college dormer’s/lazy person’s/my brother’s dream. Literally shake the can, turn it upside down over a pan, and cook. Voila!

Obviously, the nutrition facts could be better. More fiber, less sodium. But these are SO good, so like I said, pair them with some eggs for lasting effect! Or yogurt, whatever floats your boat =) 4.5 stars

Pancakes or waffles? Which one is your favorite? Normally I’m a waffle person, but this batter blaster has CONVERTED me!!

15 Oct 2011, Comments (7)

Panera Bread Breast Cancer Bagel

Author: Healthnuttxo

Source

Does it really get any better than Panera Bread? Soups, sandwiches, paninis, salads….delicious food items all under one roof. I went  to visit home this weekend (WHY oh WHY is there no Panera where I live?!?!) and knew I had to make a stop to get Panera. I’m addicted to their Chicken Apple Salad and Tuna Sandwich =)

So, as I walked in I was greeted by someone at the door who asked for a dollar donation, in exchange for some bread. I thought why not. What’s a DOLLAR if it helps cure Breast Cancer?

Unfortunately, I ate mine before I took a picture (woops!) but it was pretty much identical looking to the picture from this website listed above.

But, it was delicious. One of the best dollars I ever spent. It was chewy, light and fluffy in consistency. It had a rather sweet flavor, with hints of cinnamon as well. There were a few scattered dried cranberries in the bagel, which added just a touch of unexpected flavor.  In all honesty, it was perfect by itself. I ate it as is, kind of like how someone would eat a hot pretzel. I just tore off parts of the bagel and ate it. However, I definitely think it would be awesome with butter or some cream cheese!

Overall, 4 1/2 stars. A yummy bagel for you, and a $1 toward the Cure. Total win-win!  ; )

What’s your favorite type of bagel?  I really like cinnamon raisin ones!

4 Oct 2011, Comments (8)

Red Mango Pumpkin Spice Frozen Yogurt

Author: Healthnuttxo

Ahh, it’s that time of year again.

I’m a summer girl at heart, but I do love fall. A time of pumpkin and apple picking (love me some candy apples!!), bringing back the UGG boots (woo!!), and….Pumpkin Spice Frozen Yogurt at Red Mango.

It came back to the establishment a few days ago, and while schedule conflicts KEPT PREVENTING ME from getting there, I finally did. And so glad I did too!

I got a small Pumpkin Spice, with graham cracker topping and mango pieces as well.  I believe it was around the higher side of 4 dollars. The pumpkin spice yogurt itelf is amazing. It was smooth in consistency, and thick but not thick like greek yogurt. It was sweet but not too sweet, and just the right amount of tartness. Enough so you can taste it, but not enough to make you scrunch your face up saying that’s TART! So, a good balance in my eyes. There was a mild yet yummy pumpkin flavor.

The graham cracker topping was finely chopped, and even resembled sawdust (although, THAT’S not a recommended fro yo topping!! ; ) ) . It added a pumpkin pie kind of feel to the yogurt, and had a slight honey flavor, which I really enjoyed.

Lastly, the mango chunks were perfect! Sweet and very soft, and not tart at all! A few times I have gotten frozen yogurt, the mango chunks were very firm and very tart. Yes…I am guilty of going in the dead winter when it is practically 0 degrees outside, so I’ve had my fair share of exposure to toppings and flavors- I think it’s safe to say these mango chunks were very delicious, and perfect on the frozen yogurt.

Overall, I would definitely get this again. I wish there were more Red Mango establishments nearby where I live, as I would get it more often! Although maybe it’s a good thing there aren’t too many…I would spend my whole paycheck there ;)

4 1/2 stars

What’s your favorite season and why? There has to be someone out there who loves winter, right??  ; )

30 Sep 2011, Comments (7)

Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte LARAbar

Author: Healthnuttxo

Look-ee what I got in the mail, as a complete surprise to me…

YEP- some Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte LARAbars! With a cute little bag, button, sticker and slice of information pie.

What a nice welcome surprise once I walked in the door and had a package waiting for me. Thanks, LARAbar!!!

Now, down to business. It looks like your standard LARAbar….

….but it’s not.

This one ROCKS!!!! I noticed the bar seemed softer than usual when I took a bite, but still had that sticky density we all know and (hopefully) love. As I kept chewing, I really loved this bar. It tastes like chocolate covered cherries!!

It was sweet and tart, with that classic date taste. But,  then you get a hint of  dark chocolate flavor and a teensy bit of crunch. I really felt like I was eating almost a cordial cherry, with chocolate covered coating. This is definitely one of my new favorite Larabars!! And, according to the wrapper, this baby is Gluten Free and gives 1/2 of a fruit serving. What’s not to love??

Overall, this gets 4 1/2 stars. Really delicious! I will definitely buy in the future!!

What’s your favorite food involving cherries? I cant say I would turn down a slice of cherry pie ;)

chipped nail polish. *sigh* forgive me??? ;)

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