Vegan? Fermented? Proteins? Yes...Yes...and YES!

I just recently learned about this company called Genuine Health and I have to say so far I'm darn impressed!  Genuine Health sent me this Fermented Vegan Proteins+ Peanut Butter Chocolate bar for free to try and I knew after 1 bite I had to share it with the rest of you!

Here - in short - is what really sparked by interest:

12 delicious bars per box

15g of fermented protein on-the-go

No Bloating!

Promotion of overall digestive health

Priming of gut for optimum absorption

Amplification of vitamin, mineral & amino acid nutritional value

Immune system support

VEGAN

NON-GMO

Gluten-Free

Soy Free

15 grams of protein

Personally - I'm more interested in digestive health than how much protein is in something but I know there is a market for both.

This bar was darn tasty!  The first one I tried was the Peanut Butter Chocolate but I do have the Dark Chocolate Almond one to still try!  I'm looking forward to it but I'm saving it for another day!

Have you heard of this company or have you seen their products online or in stores?  Let me know where in comments!  Also let me know if this product is something you might like to try!

In the meantime if you would like to purchase these bars online click HERE!

Something else I found instantly interesting about this company was the CEO...

Stewart Brown, Genuine Health's Founder and President.

With the help of a naturopathic doctor, Stewart overcame chronic migraines and improved his overall health by changing his diet and adding all-natural supplements. Since then, he's been committed to helping others achieve optimum health.

Since daily migraines were the main reason I first went vegetarian when I was 15 I could total relate!  I can't wait to learn more about this company and try more of their vegan offerings!

Raising The Bar, Vegan Protein Packed Snacks, & 9 to 5

Yesterday I blogged a bit about some of the vegan treats I was introduced to recently when my parents came home from a Candy Show in Chicago.  Today I thought I would share a few more!  First up is the one you see above!  Orchard Bar...Fruit and Nuts!  It was pretty good but the fruit was very gooey!  Take that for what it is - if you like that or if you don't.  For me - it's all about flavor - and it packed a powerful punch that is for sure!

Speaking of packing a punch...these flavored, roasted Fava Beans are pretty amazing snacks!  It was a very small bag yet they have 10 grams of protein in them.  I'm not one who counts protein often but I know some people have asked me about good vegan protein sources in the past...FAVA BEANS (among other beans) is one of the many suggestions of plant based proteins.  I always like to remind people about the Protein Myths, too!  Remember TOO MUCH Protein often causes gout and other health issues and complications.

Yesterday I also showed a few of the flavors from Bobo's Oat Bars and here is another one!  I think it's their NEWEST offering...Lemon Poppyseed and I have to say I think it my favorite one so far!
Another Part B to yesterday's post is a bit more about the vocal band HOME FREE.  Below you will see one of their many videos!  Between now and August I will be posting more and more of their songs so be sure to keep an eye out!  These guys are a VOCAL Band.  Everything they do is with their VOICES.  Most times you will hear instrument-like sounds but it's their 'beat box guru' that is providing the 'band'.  They are truly amazing, entertaining, and I can't wait to see them LIVE in August!

Vanilla Cacao Power Nuggets

Just a quick post today to show these little gems of a snack.  These are full of chocolatey goodness with notes of vanilla, highlighting various coconut products, as well as using the secret weapon of Apricot Kernel Butter.  Check out this recipe!

1/2 C Apricot Kernel Butter
1/4 C Cacao Powder
1/8 C Coconut Nectar
1 T Coconut Flour
1/2 T Coconut Sugar
1/2 tea Organic Vanilla

1 tea Garden of Life's Vanilla Flavored Protein

Pinch of Sea Salt

I stirred everything together, made the little balls, and set them in the frig for about 3 hours (which ended up being there over night after that, too!) and there you have it!  YUM!

Winner...AND Another GIVEAWAY...Awesome Apple!

First I would like to say CONGRATS to the WINNER of the Wheatgrass Flavor of Garden of Life goodness!  Nicole was the winner!!!!  Thank you all for participating...but...wait...there's MORE!  Yup!  You GOT IT...another giveaway!  This time it's the APPLE Flavor of the Garden of Life RAW Perfect Food - it's organic - it's green - it's SUPER food!  And it can be yours!  All you have to do is comment on this post between now and Monday night!  I will draw one of the comments as the winner and contact you via email if you have indeed won...remember to let me know your email addy, tho!  Thanks!  US Shipping Addresses ONLY for this giveaway!  If you aren't into powders I will have some more giveaways next week you might enjoy, too!  Stay Tuned!

What Goes Into Perfect Food RAW?

Young cereal grass juices such as Barley, Alfalfa, Oat, Wheat, and Kamut are some of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. The green juices in Perfect Food RAW are grown organically, harvested at their nutritional peak, immediately juiced and dried at low temperatures. The RAW, organic cereal grass juice powders contained in Perfect Food RAW are loaded with chlorophyll and trace minerals for energy and support of already healthy blood sugar levels.^†1

Each serving of Perfect Food RAW contains over 17 nutrient-dense veggie juices that are freeze-dried using a gentle process that maintains nutrient potency and freshness.

Perfect food RAW also contains over a dozen organic raw sprouts. Sprouting is a term that refers to the process where you unlock the nutrient potential within a seed and is a great way to increase the digestibility of seeds, nuts and legumes while maintaining their raw nutrient density.

Finally, Perfect Food RAW contains a host of live probiotics and enzymes. Enzymes are present in all raw foods and enhance the body’s ability to digest and assimilate the nutrients our food contains while probiotics are key to the optimal function of our digestive system.

What Can You Do With the APPLE Flavor? 

Well...here are a few things I have done in the past...

* Apple Berry Smoothie
* Sweet Avocado Walnut Layered Fruit Dessert
* Strawberry Peach Banana Smoothie
* Cran Blueberry Smoothie
* Apple Adventure Smoothie

For an extra entry...when you comment...let me know what you want to try it with!  Good Luck!

GIVEAWAY ~ Garden of Life's Chocolate Cacao RAW Protein ~ Vegan MoFo!

Hey Gang!  I have the very first of my giveaways happening today! 
WHAT am I giving away?
The Chocolate Cacao Flavor of RAW Protein Powder from Garden of Life!
WHY am I giving it away?
Because I think it's awesome & Garden of Life said I could!
WHEN am I giving away this wonderful prize?
RIGHT NOW...This is a SHORT entry period because I have TONS MORE PRIZES on tap!  All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below saying you want to win and how I can get in touch with you to let you know if you are the winner!  US Residents ONLY for this giveaway, please.  I will be choosing 1 winner from all those who commented Thursday morning at 8am EST.

In case you haven't seen some of the things I have done with Cacao and/or this GoL product check out these blog posts below - if you comment on any of these posts in ADDITION to commenting on this original post your name will be 'added to the hat' an extra time for another chance to win...

Cinnamon Cacao Almond Milk was a good one!  And SUPER EASY!

Avocado Cacao Mousse - recipe listed was done with regular cacao powder but I have also tried it with GoL's Cacao Flavored Powder.

The Celebrate Shake I posted a while back can easily be converted to use this product in place of Cacao and/or Maca Powder.

More recently - you may have seen my Chocolate Plum Shocker Smoothie which I absolutely ADORE!

Another winner was the Chocolate Mint Milkshake I did a while back!

How about the Cinnamon Chocolate Smoothie I posted about?

Or a twist on the Super Sweet Avocado Treat?

So....HURRY UP and enter to win in COMMENTS below...I'll choose a winner on Thursday Morning at 8am EST...Again, PRIZE is...Garden of Life Chocolate Cacao RAW PROTEIN!!!!

Farro Lentil Dish

I was going to post about this yesterday but already had two blogging entries.  So - why not today, eh!?  This is the Farro Lentil Dish I came up with that I ate for my lunch yesterday.  I ended up making extra Farro as well as some Lentils that were pre-packaged from Trader Joe's the last time I went.  All you had to do with them is put them in the microwave or on the stove-top for a few minutes.  I only used 5 ingredients in this dish but I think I had it figured out that it was roughly 30 to 34 grams of protein in this...yet another dish to prove those nay-sayers wrong that vegetarians and vegans can't get enough protein, eh!?  Here's what's in this dish:

1 C Farro, Cooked

1 C Lentils, Cooked

1 C Zuke in Tomato Sauce

2 tea Wildtree "Everything Blend" (More on this below)

2 T Pine Nuts

Inspired by the ubiquitous “everything” bagel, this blend can now be applied to, well, everything! Use as a coating for fish, flavor pretzels, or mix it into butter to make a unique everything spice garlic bread!

 

Of course you won't be seeing any 'fish' here on my blog...but you WILL be seeing other ways to use this product that goes along with my vegetarian/vegan lifestyle.  This product does have a speck of sea salt in it and as many of you know I'm not usually one to add "salt" to my foods but it worked well here probably because it complimented and didn't overpower the other flavors.

 

This Wildtree Product includes the following ingredients:
Sesame Seeds

Sea Salt

Poppy Seeds

Onion

Caraway Seeds

Garlic

Each ingredient is organic is at has the new(er) Wildtree Organic Label right on there!  I will be trying to use this more in my dishes and post them here for all to see.  If you would like to order this product on my website it's only $8.50 and a very little bit goes a long way!  I would say 1/2 tea to 1 tea is all you need at a time but it DOES come in a shaker top so  you can add as much or as little as you want.

I will have at least 1 more blog entry today so be sure to visit again soon!

A Word About Farro AND Recipes for Farro with Artichokes, Sun Dried Tomatoes, & Pine Nuts AND a Blackberry Chia Smoothie

Oh YUM!  So...I made this for my lunch today and I have to say it's WONDERFUL!  I would have to say it's probably one of my new favorite dishes!  It's chewy, flavorful, and filling!  Here's what's in it...

1/2 C Farro (Nature's Earthly Choice)
About 3 C Water (to cook the Farro in)
1/2 C Sun Dried Tomatoes (with gentle oil)
About 3 C Artichoke Hearts
5 to 6 T Red Wine Vinegar
3 T Parsley
1/2 C Pine Nuts

If you are a fan of any or all of these ingredients PLEASE try this!  The flavor really pops!  YUM!  The texture is great, too!  It's a neat comfort food as well!

For my Breakfast today...I had a Blackberry Smoothie of sorts!  Here's what's in this:

1 1/2 C Almond Milk
1/2 Banana
1 Pint Blackberries
2 Small Dates
1 T Chia Seeds
6 drops of Vanilla NuNaturals Stevia

A word about Farro...

I'm by no means a Farro Guru.  I think including this dish I have only used it about 3 times so far.  But I'm REALLY loving this grain!  I guess that's why it's been around for over 5,000 years, eh!?  Not only because it's so tasty but because it's so GOOD for you!  It's high is fiber, protein, and a good source of complex carbs!  Just how much Fiber and Protein!?  Well, let me tell you!  Nature's Earthly Choice says that 1/4 C contains 5 grams or 21& of Fiber and 7 grams of Protein!  It also contains 2% Calcium and 12% Iron.  It acts like a sponge with spices, vinegars, flavored oils, and fruits and veggies which I really like, too!  But I keep going back to that chewy texture.  I guess those are just a few reasons why this grain has quickly gained a place in my heart!

Mini Cleaning & Reorganizing (of the Kitchen)

Just thought I would share a mini cleaning project over the long weekend...

In the corner of my kitchen is this little section here.  For YEARS I had it filled with stacked Veg*n Cookbooks!  I decided to move them into the Dining Room area - that we don't really use as a dining room per say but as a spot where we do our 'bills' and have the dog food Rubbermaid tub as well as Paco's Pen area, where we keep our Vacuum Cleaner and Steam Cleaners, and a few other things.  I more specifically moved them to the closet area where we have some shelves inside.
It was so nice to see a few shelves free of clutter for once!  I then lined up all of my Protein Powders and mixes as well as the nuts I have on the bottom shelf and then put my boxed items on the other shelf.  Some of my husband's stuff is on that shelf, too, including his popcorn.  Once I open the other Freekeh and Veggie Noodles I will store them in Mason Jars.  I haven't found a Mason Jar the correct size to store Rice Noodle yet.  As you can see I have quite the collection started of my Garden of Life Products.  I wanted to see all of them and have better access to them.  Before doing this I had them in a cupboard and wasn't thrilled with the set-up.  Now I am!  Another little fun thing this past weekend was this signing and dancing Chihuahua that my mother found for us.  It's too cute!

Sweet Protein Bars & Balls

I originally had some Flax Crackers planned for today's post but decided to bump it back to tomorrow.  WHY!?  Because I am SO FREAKIN' EXCITED about these Protein Bars I made!!!!

This is probably one of the most tasty things I have posted on this blog YET!  Especially when it comes to "sweet toothy' items.  Since going vegan I really haven't had any dessert type items because I don't bake and no one around me bakes vegan items.  When I find them in the store they are very pricey, too.  I know I will have to buckle down and do my own and I thought this was a great start!  PLUS...as promised...I broke out my dehydrator and started using it again over the last few nights!  As you can see in this first photo - this is the batter of these bars!  I used my Ninja.  It did a pretty good job.  Especially because the ingredients were all dry and/or solid.  I was going for a chunkier texture than smooth.  Most of the time when I throw things in my Ninja I try to reach a very smooth texture.  Not for this project.  And I think it stood up to the test quite well, actually!

Before I get to EXACTLY what's in this I have more pictures to show you! 

After blending the ingredients in my Ninja I flattened it out on a plastic kitchen mat...it's sort of like a cutting board but "flimpsier" - don't get me wrong - it's not poorly made - it's fairly heavy-duty - it's just not a regular cutting board or wooden surface I have used in the past.  This is what the flatten batter looked like.  I'm not going to lie...I stole a bit of the raw batter and found it to be VERY tasty as is...but I cut them into rectangles and put them in the dehydrator so they would be like breakfast or snack bars instead!  I had a few little pieces leftover and decided to make 3 small 'balls' with the leftovers.  Scroll down for the photo - among others!

So...what is IN this Protein Bar, you ask!?  Well, let me tell you...

1 C Raw Almonds (Not Soaked)
2 C Pitted Dates
1 Scoop of Garden of Life's Perfect Food Alkalizer & Detoxifier Powder
4 T Peanut Butter (I used 2 T of Chocolate Peanut Butter & 2 T Peanut Butter only because I didn't have enough Chocolate Peanut Butter left)
1/4 C Fresh Cranberries

Now...a little bit about this RAW Organic Green Super Food from Garden of Life...

• Highly alkalizing RAW organic lemon juice and RAW organic parsley†
   
• RAW organic coconut water for hydration and replenishment of electrolytes
   
• Eight powerful cleansing herbs, traditionally used for centuries to gently assist in daily detoxification†
  
  
• Unmatched nutritional power from RAW organic grass juices and antioxidant filled RAW organic fruit and vegetable juices†
  
  
• Digestion soothing RAW organic ginger, plus live probiotics and enzymes†
  

Perfect Food RAW Puts the GREEN in Greens—More Chlorophyll in Every Serving 

Vegan • Certified Organic • Dairy Free • Soy Free • Live Probiotics and Enzymes • No Whole Grass Fillers
No Added Sugars • No Artificial Flavors or Sweeteners • No Preservatives

 Here is what they looked like after being in the dehydrator overnight.  I LOVE that you can SEE what's IN these just by looking at them!  The Cranberries - eventho I only used about 1/4 C - where PERFECT in these!  Overall these were SO FLAVORFUL and I really loved them!  I will be doing various variations of these in the weeks to come!  

This is PERFECT for me!  I think they are great to grab on-the-go, wonderfully filling for a quick breakfast and/or snack, or even a dessert or if you have a 'sweet tooth'.  

And if "Bars" aren't really your thing or if you find that they are too big - you can roll them into little balls like I did here!  These 3 are what I had for breakfast this morning in addition to a smoothie which consisted of GoL's Marley Raw Protein mixed in with Mint Chocolate Coconut Milk...I will be writing up a contributing article to submit to their product blog soon for that so keep an eye out on this site to read it in the near future!  I also made it into a vegan Ice Cream, too!

Words cannot express how much I LOVE these lil Protein Bars & Balls!

Catching Up From Last Week

Well, hello there!  I really don't mean to NOT post last week!  Life seemed to have gotten in the way!  But I still have a lot to share with you since I did take pics and notes the whole time I was NOT blogging! 

Needless to say this is going to be a long post and a mish mash of different things that happened last week.  Hope you don't mind!

First off...leftovers!  I made this dish with Couscous, Peas, leftover Tempeh, and some seasonings.  No real recipe for this but an idea, rather.

As for this next photo - it's a picture of the Cashew Tomatillo Sauce or Dip I made last week!  Yes...I had bought some Tomatillos at our Farmers market and needed to use them. 

2/3 C (or more) of Cashews
About 7 to 8 Tomatillos
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Small Onion (I used a Stuttgarter Onion)*
1/2 tea Cumin
1 C Almond Milk

This turned out pretty tasty!  It had a nice kick to it from the Garlic and Tomatillos as well as the onion but it was also creamy and scoopable!

A little more about the Stuttgarter Onion I mentioned above...I got that from a local farmer as well.  It has a good, pungent flavor.  They are among the "Best Keepers" when in comes to onions which is nice.  They are smaller than Yellow Onions you would buy in the store and are more punchy and less sweet but still very flavorful.

Here's another photo of this dip I made with the Cashews and Tomatillos!  It's on a Flax Cracker.  I've kind of been on a Flax Cracker and Chia Cracker kick lately.  I finished up my Italian Zest ones from Foods Alive and now I am craving more!  I think I am going to try and make my own, soon, too!  I really LOVE Foods Alive Products and hope to place an order soon!  They have some really awesome products available!  I LOVE their Oils, Flax Crackers, Dressings, and their Maca Powder as well as their Nutritional Yeast!

I have so much to share with you and will be posting all this week - sometimes multiple posts in a day so please check back!  I also have a lot of new-to-me products I want to blog about, too, with more on the way!

Well, I did end up doing some roasted (Pan Fried) Chickpeas a while back as a side dish.  All I really did was use some of my Wildtree Garlic Dipping Grapeseed Oil and at the very end throw in just a pinch of the Rancher Steak Rub which is basically Pepper, Garlic, and Salt.  They were pretty good.  Quick and Easy, too!


I have been finding these neat little Vegan Facts online and on instagram and thought I would post a few from time to time.  Just as a spot check and friendly reminder for some, basically.  Plus...it gives me a reminder as well about certain foods I haven't had in a while. 

I usually eat a lot of different foods but I have REALLY been stepping it up with some old favorites as well as some new-to-me foods and have been incorporating more produce that I haven't tinkered with too much in the past.  When I worked at a Grocery Store 17+ years ago I used to challenge myself to pick up at least one new-to-me-produce item each week.  It was so fun and educational.

Speaking of trying new things...last week I made some Vegan Oatmeal Spelt Pancakes.  My mother thought this photo looked gross but the taste was pretty good, actually.  The reason I wanted to try these were to use and incorporate both Steel Cut Oats  as well as some Spelt Flour into a breakfast-type food.  I also wanted to push myself to try and tackle more breakfast foods - as you can see from my previous posts.

Here's the recipe for this one...

3/4 C Almond Milk
2 tea Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tea Grapeseed Oil (for oiling pan)
1/2 C Steel Cut Oats
1/2 C Spelt Flour
1 tea Baking Soda
pinch of salt if desired

I also drizzled Wholesome Sweeteners Maple Flavored Agave Syrup over top and it was very tasty!

The weekend of the 28th Hubby's Band played at the Amvets in Titusville, PA.  Here is a photo of him and the boys!  Nicole (Tom's Wife) and I went to watch them and have a few drinks. 

From left: Tom on the Mandolin, Bud on Guitar, Joel on Stand-Up Bass, John on Banjo (Dale's Uncle), and Dale on the end with Guitar.

It was a fun time.  I think Nicole and I will be going to more of their gigs.  We hope to get together for dinners more often, too!  We are talking about maybe even doing a long-weekend trip in the future as well.  We've tossed around the idea of trying to find a used RV or Camper/Van but we are looking for 'quite the deal'.

In other news - in the community where I live there was a recent teen suicide and rumor has it - the boy killed himself because of being bullied.  Bullying is a REAL problem in our society and it really MUST STOP. 

I'm going to try and look into outlets and groups in our area that support Anti-Bullying messages and activities.  I truly believe that Middle/High Schools are really tough place but I also think there is a lot of adult bullying and workplace bullying in our society as well as it all must end.

YAWP! Cafe Mocha

It's been a CRAZY week due to it being the beginning of the month as well as the summers months as well as a holiday week!  Sorry I haven't been around much!  I wanted to pop in for a bit to tell you about this incredible snack I just had!

No, it's not the only thing that has been going on - in fact I have TONS of stuff piling up to be blogged about - but I thought I would make sure I posted this today!

I was holding off on trying these only because I was concerned about the crunch factor and my teeth.  I'm glad I waited because I wanted to fully enjoy it and I completely did that today!  YAY!

The following are for their Cafe Mocha flavor and I'm totally loving it!

 

A grain-free, dairy-free, nutrient-dense bar with no added sugars or syrups of any kind. The Café Mocha Flavor has only 9 real food ingredients designed to deliver tasty, steady, energy without fillers or diet wreckers! Our bar is crunchy and less sweet than most bars. The Café Mocha Flavor gives you a rich complex kick of flavor without extra sugar or goop!
Ingredients: Organic Almonds, Organic Dates, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Pepitas, Organic Sesame Seeds, Cocoa, Organic Coffee, Himalayan Salt, Vanilla Bean.
Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size 36 g , Servings Per Package 1

Calories 196
Total Fat 15 g
Sodium 115 mg
Caffeine 13 mg
Total Carb. 13 g
Fiber 4 g
Sugar 6 g
Protein 7 g

Contains tree nuts. Manufactured in a facility that processes wheat, milk, eggs, soy and peanuts. May contain occasional nut shells or pit pieces.

YUMMERS!

YES!  This is VERY crunchy - just take your time!  It's worth it!  I agree with them saying it's less sweet than other bars.  But it's a welcomed flavor.  It's quite hardy!  It has just a touch of coffee flavor to it.  My favorite part on that is that is DOESN'T have that stereotypical aftertaste of coffee.  The MOST IMPORTANT part overall, of course, are the REAL ingredients in this product!  The nuts and seeds are quality nuts and seeds!  The dates give it that little bit of sweetness!  The vanilla contributes to the smoothness and give it that hint of 'cream' without having to add those dairy ingredients, ya know!?  This is a real WINNER!

Loving this!