Since I had such success with the last Batter Blaster I reviewed, I thought, why not? Let’s try another variety of the stuff and see which one I like best! Off to the store, and a friend of mine  picked up the Batter Blaster Organic Original Pancake & Waffle Batter for me, partly because she said it was the only option to choose from. Well…that works, including I wanted to try the original variety anyway.

This morning post gym, I brewed up some coffee, sliced an apple, and then cooked some egg whites and 1 large pancake (as opposed to 2 small ones as the nutritional information suggests). I cooked up the pancake with some butter/buttery spray as I did that last time and found it helped with the flavor. Here’s what my giant pancake (about 42 grams or so of batter) looked like.

Annnnnnnnd the inside…..

I made more of a BIG pancake (probably the size of my face) so it cooked quickly and wasn’t super thick. It cooked evenly and all it took was a little non-stick spray and the pancake gave me no trouble at all.

Post frying pan, I transferred to a plate with my scrambled eggs and put some SF syrup (would love to use a little of the REAL maple syrup, but I’m a diabetic and have to refrain from sugar!). I tried a bit of the pancake plain first, and well, it tasted just that. Plain, kind of bland, not sweet and not a whole lot of flavor. However, I feel like pancakes in general, unless flavored, don’t have a bunch of flavor. Nothing a little butter and syrup couldn’t fix!

With the butter/syrup the pancakes were really quite good. Slightly crispy on the edges, super fluffy, and yummy. They reminded me of IHOP pancakes.

I do like that these pancakes were organic, relatively low in calories and fat, and like the bottle says “No Mess- No Cleanup!” which is true for the most part, since I still have to clean my frying pan and my spatula. However, these pancakes (by themselves) lacked flavor, and lacked fiber.  So, overall, not bad, but I think I like the Buttermilk version of this much better. 3 1/2 stars

What’s your favorite toppings for pancakes? I just like butter and syrup! Mmm )

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

Another soup review! NOT to be confused with my last review of this delicious soup, but I decided to buy this Wolfgang Puck Chicken and Dumplings soup in hopes it would be similar to this one!

So, the other day I came home from the gym and was HUNGRY. You know- when your hungry and pretty much you’d eat anything, and what you do eat, usually tastes so good. Even spinach would taste good. OK…that may be exaggerating, given the fact I hate spinach (I know….shame on health nut!), but you know what I’m talking about  ; )

SO ANYWAY, I decided to try out this new soup as part of my lunch. Here’s what it looked like transferred to a bowl…

THIS is supposed to fill me up....?

Here’s the soup, I tried to find some of the actual
contents of the soup (there was not a lot..it was mostly broth)

The “square” could have been a dumpling or a potato piece. They both looked the same.

So, as you can see…mostly broth, a few carrots, a few potato pieces, a few square dumplings(weird) and a few pieces of chicken. This was not a filling soup. You can guarantee it I had something else to eat after this soup. I considered it my appetizer.

Starting with the broth, it was sort of thin but also had a bit of an oily consistency I didn’t like.  The chicken was horrible. It was soooooo chewy, like the bottom stalk of an asparagus. Chew. Chew. Chew. The carrots and the potatoes were mushy. Like the second I put it in my mouth it turned to mush. Not my kinda vegetable consistency. And, the dumplings were basically bland noodles. I thought they were potatoes at first. Then I realized they were dumplings. ???

Overall, waste of money. I also felt like it was underseasoned and needed some salt. I was really disappointed with this soup. 1 1/2 stars   *SIGH* : (

Ahhh gingerbread. Brings me back to memories of Christmastime, either getting seriously sticky and messy decorating a gingerbread house, or baking delicious gingerbread cookies. I happen to be a fan of the deep taste of ginger and the slight crunch, and then a bit of frosting to add some sweetness. Delicious!

This particular bar is a seasonal one, and I’m assuming it’s available only around Christmastime. Why  I’m reviewing it in the beginning of September beats me, but, HEY- let’s just say I’m hopeful for the winter season to come (even though I DESPISE the cold. Gimme summer year round!! )

I opened the bar and was a bit surprised at what I saw. When I thought of “Iced” I thought there would be a layer of icing. Instead, it was more of a slight drizzle. A slight drizzle, in fact, that I barely tasted in the bar (was it really there? Or was it a figment of my imagination??)

As you can see, a few raisins scattered throughout the bar, with a light layer of icing.

The bar itself, was, eh, ok. It had a mild ginger flavor, but overall did have the flavor of a Gingerbread cookie. It was soft, and chewy, and rather dense. The raisins added a little bit of sweetness to the bar, but not much in terms of flavor. The taste actually reminded me of an oatmeal cookie, but with ginger.

It was ok, but certainly not my favorite. I dont think I would buy this in the future, for it was sort of lackluster, but it didn’t necessarily taste bad.  And, another thing to point out, 22 grams of sugar in one bar. OUCH! As a diabetic, I have to watch out for my sugar intake. I understand that some of the sugars may be from the raisins, but the first ingredient is Organic Brown Rice Syrup. Organic or not, sweetener is sweetener to me. And 22 grams is a bit much. But then again, this IS an energy bar- that energy has to come from somewhere!! (And I certainly had a ton of it during my spin class!!)

Overall, 3 stars.

What’s your favorite pre-workout snack? I usually stick to granola bars- easy on the stomach!!

New product!! ( insert whoops and hollers here!) Newman’s Own Organics contacted me and asked if I wanted to try some of their new cookies for free. Of COURSE I agreed, seeing as I’m a big fan of Newman’s Own Organics. They sent me two flavors to try for free, including these Ginger Snap Cookies.

**On a quick side note, apologies for the less-than-spectacular photography. It’s hard to get a smooth looking picture with those crinkly-type bags, but I did my best! **

I opened up the bag and was instantly greeted by a fresh smell of ginger. The smell actually reminded me of Christmas time, with gingerbread cookies! I decided to share these with a friend, who happily obliged to take part in the taste testing.

I hear such awesome things about Ginger. Like, for instance, I hear it has medicinal powers for the stomach. In fact, I had a bit of a stomachache today, and my friend suggested to have a few of these Ginger Snap Cookies. Wonder if the ginger in cookies counts? =P

After taking a bite, I knew one thing. These were exactly how a Ginger Snap should feel and taste. They were rather hard and crunchy (as my friend noted, a cookie meant to be bitten on the SIDE of the mouth!) with a high taste of ginger. Really- you can CERTAINLY taste the ginger. It even left a slight after “burn” once I finished eating the cookie!

The cookie was mildly sweet, and really quite good. I can picture them being delicious with an ice cold class of milk (or almond milk!). My friend noted that she thought they would be delicious with tiny pieces of raisins scattered throughout the cookie. Looking back on it, I agreed. It would bring a touch more sweetness to the cookie!

Overall, a really delicious Ginger Snap. I think the Ginger level was a wee bit too high for me, but for those who love Ginger Snaps, I am sure you will love these! My friend had about 6 or 7 of them before the taste test was over! Guess she was a fan  ;)

4 stars

Are you a fan of ginger? How do you use/eat it?

The one thing I turn to when I’m insatiably hungry is almonds. They ALWAYS make my hunger pains quite down a little bit and hold me over until I can eat my next meal. However, I am picky when it comes to my almonds. I like them roasted, salted, or even flavored (cinnamon, honey, etc.). So would I really like the Artisana 100% Organic Raw Almond Butter ? I was afraid it would be bland -the only ingredient was 100%  Organic Raw Almonds after all. But who knows- and I was certainly not one to not try it =)

I opened the jar and saw a small layer of oil on the top. This little guy needed some stirring…

After stirring, it changed colors a little bit. There were brown speckles that looked almost like a bunch of cinnamon was waiting on the bottom of the jar. I figured it was the brown coating of almonds that had settled.

After mixing, the almond butter was fluid like, but not super runny. I took a taste of it and…..just as I suspected. Bland.

But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It had texture, it was a bit grainy but also smooth. It literally tasted just like raw almonds do, and nothing else. Not a hint of salt, or sweetness really. I kind of liked it was raw, so that I could smear it on toast and drizzle with honey, or add a pinch of salt to suit my preferences.

I wouldn’t say this would replace my consumption of roasted almond butters or peanut butters, but it was certainly different. If you like the taste of raw almonds, you might dig this. Me on the other hand, I like my almonds roasted, salted, and seasoned. 2 1/2 stars for me.

The nutritional fact on this little (but SO CUTE) jars was too tiny to see, so heres the basics.

1 tbsp is 94 calories, 8 grams of fat, 3 carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar and 4 grams of protein.

How do you like your almonds? Raw? Candy coated? Let me know!

I got this jar as a free sample. My opinion remains unchanged and unaffected regardless of the fact that it was free.

Ok. I have a confession. And is has something to do with Newman’s Own Organics Organic Cranberries.

The confession is…

I think I like these more than candy.

No really. SERIOUSLY. I think I’d rather eat a bag of these, than a bag of gummy bears. Or gummy worms. Or maybe even a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup (oh yea…I said it).

Now I know what you’re thinking. Please. She’s just saying that, there’s no way FRUIT can taste better than candy.

But these cranberries my friend, are AMAZING. To eat out of the bag…

Or on top of a salad… ( highly reccomended).  Online cooking schools are an option for indulging your passion for food, nutrition, and healthy cooking. Home-cooked meals combined with healthy packaged meals are a realistic option for many families.

They are just perfect. Chewy, sweet, not even the slightest bit tart. They taste so fresh and so pure and so GOOD. You know when you go to the mall, and there is that counter that sells dried pineapple slices with sugar all over them (or….at least I hope you know what I’m talking about)? And it tastes soooo good? Well, picture that, but in cranberry form. And not drowning in sugar.

Yes. One of the ingredients for these cranberries is sugar. In fact, from the bag, the exact ingredients are “Organic Cranberries, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Sunflower Oil”.  But, it’s not like the cranberries are rolling around in sugar where it’s visible.

Either way, these rock. Even though I got my bag for free from the company, I plan on buying these over and over again (and again…).

Oh. And I have another confession. I don’t even really like cranberries. So, now you know that these are amazing. 5 stars

What about you- any healthy food that you adore more than an unhealthy food? Do tell!

blurry out of excitement for me to eat more cranberries. Obviously =)

NEW! I saw it at Whole Foods, and being the impulse buyer I am, bought this new box of cereal. I totally disregarded the fact I already had about, oh, twenty or so, boxes of cereal in my closet (what!? I told you I love carbs!), and bought it anyway.

It looked pretty good. And organic? Count me in!

So yesterday morning, I opened up the box, sliced up a banana and took out my almond milk (the other “usual” components of my breakfast cereal). I was slightly disappointed, there were HARDLY any blueberries or blackberries in the box!  ):

Regardless, here’s a pic of my bowl. The cereal totally hides my bananas, but that’s all good.

Before I poured the almond milk or added any sweetener, I had a few flakes dry. They were light, crispy, and crunchy, but very bland. Just  a HINT of sweetness, with a predominant corn flavor. They reminded me of what a puffed up corn flake might taste like.

I then tried them in the almond milk, where they proceeded to get soggy very quickly. In fact, I felt as if I went through my milk quicker than usual, and had to add extra to my bowl, as I believe the cereal soaked it all up! This wasn’t a problem for me since I happen to like soggy cereals (please, tell me somebody else does too!!). To describe the texture in the milk, it was kind of like soggy potato chips. Weird, but not horrible.

However, I had to add some sweetener to my milk to add some flavor to the bowl. The bananas alone wasn’t enough.  And the few blackberries that I did have were actually quite good. Tart yet lightly sweet. I was surprised I liked them, since I’m not a big fan of blackberries in general.

Overall? It was ok. I had it again this morning, but mixed it with a more sugary cereal. I actually liked the result! I had the sweet taste of my other cereal mixed with the Kashi Indigo Morning cereal. I also really liked that the Kashi cereal had a pretty good portion size. 2 1/2 stars

Do you like your cereal soggy? Or do you prefer to eat it right away?

3/4 cup is 100 calories, 1 gram of fat, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Ingredients

I scored  a few free bars from ProBar, such as the Sweet & Savory Maple Pecan Bar, and the Apple Cinnamon Crunch bar. I was hungry the other day, and in the mood to try something new, so I opened up the Apple Cinnamon Crunch bar to give it a try. I was sure I was going to like it- I love apples & cinnamon!

A quick few things about these bars, they are vegan, organic, and I found out online that this one is “70% Raw” and also has “Omega 3: 650 mg per bar” and “Omega 6: 720 mg per bar”. I thought that was pretty cool, a lot going on this bar!

I opened up the package was greeted to a rather thick bar, brownish in color, with visible chocolate chips scattered throughout. Examining closely I also saw a good deal of flax seeds and an occasional nut. I took a bite, and found it to be chewy and very soft, except the for the nuts providing an little bit of crunch. It was pretty apple-y in flavor, which I liked, and really quite tasty!! The apple flavor kind of reminded me of apple pie, with just a very light cinnamon aftertaste.

Overall, I really liked this bar. However. The one thing I did not like, and I also did not like with the Sweet & Savory Maple Pecan Flavor was the chocolate chips. They are way too bitter for me, and I did not enjoy them at all. Not a big deal, I can always pick them out of the bar and enjoy the rest, but I do wish that they could be swapped for something else! Otherwise, 4 stars

1 bar is 370 calories, 18 grams of fat (4 saturated), 49 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of fiber, 25 grams of sugar and 9 grams of protein.

Since this one reminded me of apple pie, what’s YOUR favorite flavor of pie? I think I’d have to say, mine really is apple!