Bites of Bliss - Carob Almond Butter Bites, Sunridge Farms Almond Butter & Cranberry Power Chews, New Earth Banana Walnut Bites

I've been stock piling some product reviews the last several months and I want to start sharing more of them with you!

I thought I would start off with 3 of them...first with this one...Bites of Bliss - Carob Almond Butter Bites!  I have reviewed the other products from Bites Of Bliss and I have LOVED everything I have tried!  One of the main reasons being that their products are WYSIWYG and many of you know that stands for What You See Is What You Get.  I think that should pertain to the foods we eat, too!  Meaning...when you look at it...you can see and identify most if not all of the ingredients.  Speaking of ingredients here is what you can expect from this gem of a product from Bites of Bliss...Organic raw dates, organic raw walnuts, organic raw almond butter, organic raw hemp seeds, organic raw carob powder, organic coconut oil, organic vanilla extract.

ORGANIC � RAW � VEGAN � GLUTEN FREE � DAIRY FREE � SOY FREE � NO ADDED SUGARS

As for my personal findings on this product I found it to be quite chocolatey tasting from the Carob, of course!  It was also nutty.  The vanilla contributed to the sweetness and a bit of creaminess while nibbling on this circle-shaped treat.  It has a gentle crispy crunch to it, too!  Not saying that it would be hard for someone 'watching their teeth' like my mother, for example.  If you only eat softer foods you wouldn't have a problem consuming this item!  The gentle crispy crunch is from the nuts and seeds.  The walnuts are easy to chew and are a good-size...they certainly didn't skimp on them!  The sweetness also seems to come from the Carob as well as the dates.  This is TOTALLY YUM and leaves no unpleasant aftertaste.

 Another healthy snack that disappeared from my stash a while back were these little "chews" and they were FAB.

Sunridge Farms Almond Butter & Cranberry Power Chews!  YUMMO!  This isn't the bag that I received it was one I saw online so I think they had a repackaging plan going on when I received them but I didn't mind at all!  It's what's on the inside that counts.

The gentle Almond Butter Flavor really shined here!  It has a slight tartness to it which I REALLY liked - and - you guess it - the tarty flavor is from those little cranberries!  These are not vegan because they contain honey so if you are "Apia" or "Apian" Vegan this might fit into that category a bit better by definition, I suppose.  These are chewy, sweet, nutty, fruity, crispy, with a hint of saltiness to them.  They leave you with a creamy/sweet after taste which is very pleasant.  These pack a powerful punch, too!  There is no need to sit there and eat the whole bag!  2 or 3 will do you just fine!

 

 And for my 3rd and final Snack Review today...this one might surprise you...but they are Banana Walnut Bites from New Earth.  WHY might this surprise you?  Well...I HATE bananas!!!!  Seriously can't stand them.  But I do know how good they are for you and I WANT to like them, I do!  It took me a day or two to appreciate the flavor of these - ONLY because they TOTALLY tasted like Banana!  But...After a day or two I found myself craving them, really!  Which was very surprising yet pleasing to me!  YAY!  These are Raw and Vegan and a wonderful snack!  They use Activated Walnuts, here.  They are sweet and crunchy.  Because of the flavor combo, here, they DO taste like Banana Nut Bread but in a flavored Walnut!  It's GENIUS, really!

The next time you are looking for some different snacks to try - look for these little guys!  They are VERY impressive!

 

Lush Gourmet Foods Coffee Nuts & New Earth Chocolate Goddess Clusters

 I'm so happy I was able to try each flavor of nuts Lush Gourmet Foods offers!   I LOVED every single one of them - all for different reasons!  They were FAB!  The last flavor I would like to share with you is their Coffee Flavor.  According to their website here is their product description of this flavor:

Have that craving for a cup of coffee? You can get your quick fix with Coffee Lush Nuts. Coated with freshly brewed coffee that has been cooked down to a concentration, this blend is great in the morning, after dinner or on the go!

My very first thoughts after biting into one of these was "COFFEE...is right!".  I'm not saying I am a coffee expert by any means but I do enjoy these coffee flavored nuts!  They were crispy and gently crunchy.  They were a little salty - just a hint of salt, tho!  The aftertaste is that of creamy peanut butter and a hardy coffee combo.  They were slightly bitter - but in a good way - and the peanut and salt - smooths it out a little nicer! Like I said...I'm not much of a coffee fan but these are darned tasty!

Another product I have enjoyed recently are the Chocolate Goddess Clusters from New Earth! 

Here is a little more about this product - directly from their website:

Brownie Love Bites (formerly Chocolate Goddess Clusters) = Rich, Raw Chocolate Brownie... Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Grain Free.... and Yummy!

Nourish your heart, Sweeten your life, Feed your INNER GODDESS!

Imagine rich, fresh, gooey brownies - now add a bit of texture from coconut chips, and viola! - you have the flavor of Brownie Love Bites! 

• Balinese Raw Cacao Powder is rich in antioxidants, neurotransmitters, and is high in magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese.
• Coconut chips Coconut Chips are rich in HEALTHY saturated fats and fiber
• Raw Honey boosts our immune system, supports digestion, and contains 27 minerals, 22 amino acids, and 5,000 live enzymes!
• Maple Syrup is an excellent source of manganese and a good source of zinc

*All ingredients are organic and/or wildcrafted from the most pristine growing regions around the world!

CONSCIOUS NUTRITION:

Brownie Love Bites are for nourishing your Heart and Bringing Sweetness into your Life!  Everyone deserves CHOCOLATE!!!

Our ingredients:
organic coconut chips, organic raw balinese cacao powder, organic extra virgin coconut oil, organic maple syrup, wildcrafted raw honey, organic mesquite pod, organic vanilla powder, wildcrafted himalayan pink salt, inner beauty and lots of love.

Worth noting:
Whoa! Where is all that saturated fat coming from? Cacao powder, coconut chips, and a touch of coconut oil - all clean-burning, healthy sources of fats! According to our lab-generated nutrition label, our 4oz bag contains 2.5 servings. According to my eating patterns and preferences, our 4oz bag contains 3-4 servings.

**Formerly Chocolate Goddess Clusters, Brownie Love Bites have a new Delicious Name!

Now...because these have Raw Honey in them they aren't TRUE VEGAN by definition...they refer to them as BEEGAN or like I have mentioned on this website before Apian Vegan.  I found these to be VERY Brownie-Like!  You can only eat one or two at a time!  They are VERY RICH.  They have a delightful chewiness to them, too!  They are heavy on the chocolate and coconut and that makes it a wonderful sweet treat!  Right after I tasted all the lovely coconut it follows quickly with a terrific creaminess to it!  These are TOTALLY YUM!  But you can't have too many of them in one sitting!  But that makes it stretch even farther and last longer!

So there you have it!  Just a few products I have been able to try the last few weeks and have enjoyed!  Have your tried any new-to-you products in the last few weeks?  If so - what were they?

Vegan Irish Stew & Diet Clarification

FINALLY...my first official Irish Food Post of the week!  But I have to stand proud of this one!  I think it turned out great!  Vegan Irish Stew!  YAY!

A little back story...

My Father's Mom's side is 100% Irish.  So a traditional meal was "Corned Beef and Cabbage" this time of year. 

If you have been to my blog before you know I am not a fan of Salt and I think Corned Beef is really salty so that was one problem I had with it growing up...

Even as a kid when I was forced to eat meat I wasn't a fan of  "meats" so it was super easy when I went Veg.  I would still eat cabbage this time of year, tho, as I AM a fan of cabbage!  I have to admit it wasn't until recently that I got into cooking - or at least attempting to!  So I really wanted to try my very first Stew "on the record".  I'm so happy I decided to do this!

Here's what I did...

6 C Water
6 tea veggie bouillon (Wildtree)
1 pound of potatoes
3 carrots
1 stalk celery
1 onion
1 pound Chickpeas
4 tea Bragg's Liquid Amino's
1 tea California Garlic Pepper (Wildtree)

This made a HUGE amount!  I will be eating it for a while - I might have to get a little creative with the leftovers, too!  But I am VERY happy with the flavor in this!

Wildtree's Veggie Bouillon is lower in salt/taste/sodium than any 'bouillon' I have seen and I just added a little Bragg's for some extra 'nutrition'. 

If I had some Barley I would have added that.  I think at some point I would try adding Rice to this or maybe Quinoa. 

I'm not one to bring anyone down...if someone tells me their diet and or lifestyle with foods I usually don't say anything.  I'm not a militant veggie head.  If someone asks me about it I will talk about it.

I'm really not sure how the whole "Yeah, but do you eat fish?" thing came about.  I remember hearing about a lot of vegetarian talk and media in the 70s including fish (or even chicken).  I never understood that. 

When I saw this on Instagram it made me chuckle because a dear friend of mine brought it up to ME how she never understood people who said they were vegetarian and still ate fish...and my friend isn't a vegetarian and she said this!  Of course I sent this to her this morning and we had a nice giggle over it - but it's true!  

If you are a person that eats fish/seafood and not other animals you are actually a Pescetarian.  I'm not one to judge.  I'm not saying this diet is good, bad, or indifferent.  I respect people's choices because I would like others to respect mine...and how can I ask them to respect mine if I don't respect theirs, ya know? 

Anyhow...there is a difference.  Just as there is a difference with the way I eat.  I hesitate to call myself a vegan because sometimes - while I am out and about - a restaurant may just slide some butter or margarine in something - even if I ask.  I would hate to have a 100% vegan be offended if I were to put a lotion on my body that contained milk in it (not that I USE lotion much just as an example).  But I like to say - when asked - that I strive to eat a vegan diet (and would really only consume dairy if I did it unknowingly.)  I do, on a rare occasion eat honey.  100% Vegans - do not - so another reason I hesitate to say I am 100% Vegan.  Some might call that a Apian Vegan. (A vegan diet with the exception of honey and/or bee products). 

I'm not a fan of Labels.  Never have been.  But I understand the confusion - when looking thru history and media - making claims that fish, chicken, etc is vegetarian when it is not.  The best we can do is keep educating ourselves and others about the differences.

Personally, I feel any and every step that any person takes to improve themselves, their health, or the planet is a step in the right direction and I applaud them for it. 

I guess that was my rant for the day.  And it really wasn't a RANT because I didn't get all that fired-up about it...after all...this is My Blissful Journey.  You will see the positives, here, not politics.  You will see my travels - what makes me smile, my attempts, my goals, NOT conflict or Negatives.

I have been getting questions lately about which category I fall under...which Label.  I hope this helps clarify a bit.  I often say I am "veg*n" that way I am not claiming 100% Vegan Lifestyle but I do shoot for a vegan diet.  I will be adding this blog entry to my About/Find Me Tab.

I will most likely have more than one post today.  I hope you enjoyed my Vegan Irish Stew and I hope I was able to clarify a few things for other people, too!  For even more clarification on many different types of vegetarians (or semi-vegetarians, etc) take a look at this link HERE.  I noticed a few aren't even listed there - but it's a good starting point.

Thanks for reading!

I Forgot I Didn't Have BUNS!

 I re-ordered my MOST FAVORITE Veggie Burgers EVER and decided to have one last night.  I totally forgot I didn't have any Burger-Buns on hand!  I didn't want to go back out just for those - so I used Whole Grain Bread instead.  It was what I had on hand.  I toasted the slices of bread and added what little bit of lettuce I had left in my produce section of my kitchen as well as adding some Lentil Sprouts and the actual Veggie Burger.  I topped it with Wildtree's Discontinued Ketchup and NEW Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce.  I've said it before and I will say it again...I LOVE this Dipping Sauce because it's Egg/Dairy-Free (Vegan accept for the Honey...so...Apia(n) Vegan if you want to put a label on it, I guess.) UNLIKE most you find in stores and restaurants!  YUM!

Here it is assembled.  It was really good!  I did the 'patty' on stove top with some Basil Pesto Grapeseed Oil.