Batter Blaster!

Batter Blaster is the most awesome product I have gotten to review for awhile, thanks to Monica!  Homemade pancake taste in the convenience of a recyclable, steel can.  Not to mention the awesome nutritional value!  Each can is USDA Certified Organic, combining the following ingredients for a spectacular final product:

 

Filtered water
Organic wheat flour (unbleached)
Organic cane sugar
Organic whole egg solids
Organic soybean powder
Sodium lactate (lactic acid from beet sugar)
DiCalcium phosphate (leavening agent)
Sea salt
Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
Organic rice bran extract

Talk about wholesome! And they are simple to make!  So easy, a caveman could do it

A-B-C, easy as 1-2-3, oh, simple as do-re-mi, a-b-c, 1-2-3...

 [source]

They’re so much fun, too!  It’s just a game of point and shoot!  You can even customize them yourself!  Just add blueberries, bananas, carob chips, strawberries, or whatever else your little heart desires to the pan prior to adding the batter!  It’s only a matter of minutes before you’ve got yourself a healthy, melt-in-your-mouth breakfast with the help of this handy can. 

Batter Blaster speaks for itself!

[source]

You can even use it in a waffle iron to create homecooked waffles! 

It can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store (typically with eggs, cheese & butter!).  If you need help locating a grocery store that carries it near you, you can simply check online!  They’ve got a pretty nifty recipe page as well that is sure to please the crowds!

If you like Piña Coladas…

Can you believe it’s the last Friday in January 2010 already? Sometimes I really feel like life is on “fast forward”…

To start off the day on the right foot here’s the daily Bible verse for you!:

 “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”  ~ Isaiah 40:31

Good verse for a Friday after a long week, huh?

I’m going to start by sharing my breakfast with ya’ll because it was totally EPIC.  I got my Jayy Robb protein powder in the mail two days ago, and have been excited to use some since I opened the package.

Pina Colada Protein Shake♥

What better way to start a Friday than with a Pina Colada in the morning?!   This was a combo of 1 pkg. Jay Robb Pina Colada Whey Protein + 1/2 C. Fiber Select + 1/2 banana + 4 ice cubes + 2/3 C. water [210 calories, 29g protein, 1g fat, 19g fiber].  Incase you were wondering, I’m in love with this man.

Now we can get back to what went down last night.

I’ll bet you can guess what I had for a snacky to fuel my bike riding obsession last night?! 

Yep.  You guessed it. 

Another Jonagold.

Then I hopped on the bike and got a nice workout in.  I watched Monsters, Inc. and facebooked until it was time to shower and get ready for the little sister’s basketball game [burned 500 calories].  I feel like such a slacker sister when I miss her games.  After all, she has been at almost all of mine!

Before leaving for the game, I finished off what was left of my fat free cottage cheese combined with some Tomato & Basil Marinara sauce:

FF Cottage Cheese + Marinara = Healthy Lasagna

I swear it tastes exactly like lasagna.  Not so photogenic, but very yummy.   I was running short on time because the fam. wanted to leave by 6:45PM, since the game started at 7, and I had just gotten out of the shower at about 6:20PM.  I grabbed some Miguel’s Honey Plantain Chips since I knew I wouldn’t have time to whip anything up. 

They are SUCH a guilty pleasure.  Perfectly sweetened.  I munched on them while getting ready.  I drank tons of calorie free flavored water at the game.  Our Giant sells them by the liter, and I drink them ALLL the time.  Key Lime is my fave. 

Our team played great and beat the most competitive team in the league!  I was really proud of my little   She rocked the court. 

Afterward, the family went to visit with my Godparents who are driving to Florida, as I’m posting this.  Remember when they were down last time and I went to visit them soon after Thanksgiving? We wanted to see them before they left!

The family went to Pizza Delight since they were craving some post game pizza, while I conjured up by own little snackies at home.  They ordered buffalo chicken pizza and a cheesesteak to share.

Buffalo chicken pizza in all its greasy goodness. [cheesesteak unpictured]

I passed and opted for my own post game munchies:

Steamfresh Sugar Snap Peas

[yep, the entire bag ]

+

Dr. Mc Dougall’s Lentil Soup

The entire box of Dr. McDougall’s Lentil Soup.  I was finally satisfied   We hung out together for awhile until we all got sleepy.  I fell asleep around 10:30 and slept like a babe.

Tonight’s agenda is still up in the air….I might be getting together with a friend, but I’m not sure what the plans consist of!  All I know is, I’m glad it’s friday! 

Have a goodie!

 

Neato Burrito healthified!

Check out the newest write up on options at Neato Burrito!

Oh!Nuts

A huge thank you to Jesenia from Oh! Nuts for sending me some AWESOME products for review on the blog.  Let me just say, this site is great for ordering just about any nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or giftbasket that you could imagine.  They also make available chocolate, gourmet coffee, frozen novelties, and baking supplies as well!

I was lucky to receive several tasty treats for the review including Veggie Chips, Mixed Fruit California, and Naturally Dried Mango & Guava Slices  :

Veggie Chips

The perfect potato chip replacement, an assortment of sweet potato, squash, zucchini, and string bean chips fried and spiced to perfection!  The scarlet colored seasoning that coated these veggies had a sweet barbeque flavor that was completely addicting!  The nutritional stats were pretty decent too:

Next up: Mixed Fruit California

Mixed Fruit California

The California flavors in this bag really appealed to my sweet tooth.  You would swear that this blend of apples, prunes, apricots, raisins, and pears had tons of added sugar as naturally sweet as they are!  Don’t worry!  The only sugar in these babies was the natural sugar from the fruit.  They were like candy to eat!  Amazingly moist and chewy.  The prunes were the stars of this blend in my opinion!  Apples coming in a close second   The stats were good for these as well! Just 80 calories, 0g of fat, 2g of fiber, and 1g of protein in each serving! Glorious.

In addition to this dried fruit, they also sent me some Naturally Dried Mango and Guava Slices!!

Guava Slices (Left) & Special Mango (Right)

These two were hands down my favorite products from this company.  The only thing I didn’t like is that they came with zero nutritional facts.  However, because they were the naturally dried versions, I drew comfort from the fact that they had absolutely NO added sugar or preservatives. Completely succulent, both of these fruits exploded with flavor in your mouth.  The guava had a sweetness about it like no other fruit I’ve ever had before.  I could literally have eaten these entire bags (YES THEY WERE ONE WHOLE POUND).  Haha.  Luckily for me, the family couldn’t let that happen.  They chowed down and enjoyed these too!  No one could leave them alone!

Oh!Nuts is such a cool company.  Seriously you’ve got to check them out.  I’d really like to try their naturally dried bananas too!  Soooo appetizing!

Pet Peeves.

Morning folks. 

It’s only 10:30am and I’ll admit, I’m already in need of an attitude adjustment.  I was an hour late to work this morning due to idiot drivers who don’t know how to merge.  GRRRRRRR.  I get SO frustrated by that.  Seriously.  You should have to retake your drivers test at least once every ten years, in my opinion.  Either people are totally oblivious or just don’t care!  THEN to top it off, I get to work and someone parked in my spot.  I have a parking pass.  They don’t.  Talk about a snowball effect…Okay. Done being negative.  On to the positive!

Anyway, last night was a lot of fun.  When I got home from work, I was excited to see some new products for review!  So stay tuned to find out which ones I loved!  After tearing open all the boxes, I decided on some s’mores soy crisps + a Jonagold for some stationary bike fuel:  

Sensible Portions S'mores Soy Crisps

 +  

 

Obsessionn..

I found “Super Size Me” on Hulu and decided to use it as entertainment while biking last night.  I had seen the movie before, but forgot just how ridiculous it made McDonald’s look.   

 

Granted, I don’t agree with suing fast food companies for lack of self control in Americans, but it is truly amazing how harmful processed fast foods can really be to our bodies!  

 It almost grossed me out to the point of nausea a little bit.  Makes me proud to say that I haven’t eaten fast food in over two years (nor do I have any desire to).  

Anyway, after the movie, I decided to make some dinner.  I bought some lite tofu at the store the other day and ate the entire container (biking 50 miles makes a girl hangry!) Gliding Calm style (uncooked) with Tribal Moose Cranberry Barbeque sauce.  

Raw Tofu & Tribal Moose

 Then I treated myself to one of these yummmmmmy RUSH bowls for dessert (stay tuned for reviews once I’ve tried them all!):

  [source]

After I showered, I organized the jewelry box that I got for Christmas, since it finally got attached to my wall, and then played cards with the little sister the rest of the night.  I got a craving later for the weirdest food ever.  Canelli beans!  I seriously ate them straight from the can after sprinkling in some splenda.  I know I’m a weirdo, but I’ve learned to give in to cravings.  Maybe it was my body telling me I needed some iron? Who knows.

Breakfast this morning was a no fail combo of:

 

Fiber One + Strawberry Oikos

On tonight’s agenda we’ve got a sibling basketball game & biking! Tomorrow is Friday, so there’s your silver lining!  I think I’m also going to start posting a daily Bible verse from my Daily Devotionals.  A little positive encouragement for the day   Here you go!:

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart (1 Peter 1:22).”

 

Challenge for Today: Love without reserve.

 

Wow.  Attitude adjustment = CHECK!

 

OH! And here is an awesome giveaway you should definitely check out for Barney Butter!  But please don’t win, because I’d really like to

 

Café Fresco

Check out the new write up on the local favorite, Café Fresco!

Teeccino Caffé

 

Sound too good to be true?  Think again!  I can tell you first hand, that this amazingly robust, caffeine-free blend of all-natural ingredients, produced by Teeccino Caffé, which is completely sugar-free, tastes absolutely decadent.  This company is committed to providing non-addictive (caffeine-free) beverages that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

I’ll bet you never knew that 20% of the population is caffeine sensitive!  I learned on their website, that some of the dangers of caffeine include:

• Elevated stress hormones
• Triggering of hypoglycemia & increasing of appetite
• Aggravating Insulin Resistance Syndrome, which can lead to the development of type 2 Diabetes 

The benefits of drinking caffeine free, Teeccino are endless!:

No processing, no chemical residue

High in heart-healthy potassium and soluble fiber

Natural energy boost – from nutrients, not stimulants

Alkaline – helps reduce acidity and restore alkaline balance

Rich in inulin, a soluble fiber in chicory root, that helps improve
digestion and elimination plus increases the absorption of calcium and minerals.

 

I know you’re probably thinking…if something is THAT good for me, it cannot possibly taste as good as typical Starbucks…and you’re right…

THIS IS SOOO MUCH BETTER!

Thanks to Elizabeth at Teeccino, I got to sample all the flavors so I could tell you about the first hand!!  There was Vanilla Nut, Hazelnut, Almond Amaretto, Original, Java, Mocha, Chocolate Mint and the three Maya flavors: Chocolaté, Chai, and Caffé. 

My very favorite was definitely the Chocolate Mint:

Holy COW was this stuff awesome.  It barely even needed sweetened!  That says alot if you know me at all.  The sweeter, the better.  The peppermint & chocolate combination has got to be the greatest duo ever.  This flavor is 75% organic, and very versatile!  Surprisingly, Teecino came up with several creative recipes for using this coffee!  This was an 11 on a scale of 1-10.

My second favorite was a tie between Vanilla Nut & Almond Amaretto.  But really, could you honestly go wrong with either of these on-point descriptions?

“The creaminess of organic vanilla highlights rich, smooth body which is accented with golden roasted almonds, tropical nuts, and lightly sweetened with dates & figs.”

OR

“A rich, unmistakably Italian blend with aromatic, intense body deepened by golden roasted almonds and accented by a hint of summer fruits with the distinct flavor of Amaretto.”

Never have I tasted such richness in a cup of coffee.  And knowing that what I was putting into my body was a HEALTHY alternative, made it even sweeter

Check out the Nutrition Stats!:

You’ve got to try them out! 

You can shop & order online, here! Or locate a store near you, here!

Giveaway Winner & Hump Day!

Good morning!  I hope all of your days started out well!  I know mine did!  I woke up to a beautiful breakfast of:

Greek yogurt with frozen berries & fiber one sprinkles

Looks like we’ve got a winner for the applesauce giveaway from last week:

Jess from Jess Likes It Hot said:

“Ahh yayy!! I really want to try mixing the apple sauce with cottage cheese soon! And looove that its a complex carb which gives me some extra energy in my day”

Congrats, girl!  Please email your mailing address to freckledfoodielove@gmail.com and Musselman’s will be sending some goods your way soon!

Last nights eats were VERY random, let me warn you ahead of time.

Miguel’s Salted & Honey Roasted Plantain Strips

Not exactly nutritional all-stars, but they were mighty yummy

I snacked on these with a Jonagold when I got home as a pre-bike workout.  I biked for about 2 hours total burning 650 calories.

After biking, I steamed some broccoli slaw in the microwave, topped it with 1/2 C. (50 calories, 0g of fat) of this awesome sauce:

Light Ragu

The flavor was insane for being a “light” sauce.  I could really taste the sweet basil.  It was awesome!  I also topped the bowl off with about 3/4 C. of fat free cottage cheese.  It was kind of off the cuff for a meal, but it ended up reminding me of the way lasagna tastes!  With the red sauce and riccotta cheese mixed!  SOOOO yummy.  And the sauce was perfectly sweet.  I will be remaking this soon   Foodie success!

Dessert was a deep chocolate Vitatop:

 

Chocolatey goodnesss.

After showering, I sat down to relax and enjoy the Biggest Loser.

 

I’m pretty sure these two are my favorite:

Sam & Koli

They seem to be so sweet & genuine.  Willing to do whatever it takes. 

I packed my lunch for today:

Dr. McDougall's Split Pea Soup

NUTRITION FACTS:
Serving Size 1 cup, 245g
Servings Per Container about 2
Amount Per Serving:
Calories 100
Total Fat 0g
Saturated Fat 0g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 420mg
Total Carbohydrate 19g
Dietary Fibers 7g
Protein 7g

+

Sliced yellow peppers.

Tata for now!  Have a great Hump Day!

Like Thai Food?

Check out my newest article for a guide on staying on track at Thai restaurants!

NutraSalt!

Thank you to my friend Stephanie at NutraSalt for sending me a few samples of these awesome spices for review!  I received Lemon & Herb, Sea Salt, Bold Chipotle, African Medley, and Seasoned Salt.  These terrific flavorful spices are all created in an effort to give folks a heart healthy alternative to salt.  With 66% less sodium than salt, NutraSalt is naturally rich in Potassium and is also made all-naturally!  There are even trace minerals from the Dead Sea!  The taste is great, too.  The best part?  NO METALLIC AFTERTASTE! 

I was a huge fan of the African Medley version:

This tastes great on grilled meats, potatoes, and beans especially! This handcrafted blend features cinnamon, ginger and other authentic spices and herbs! I mixed it with stewed tomatoes, mushrooms, blackeyed peas, and minced onion for a tasty soup that I adapted from this recipe on the website!  It was SO savory. And check out the nutritionals!

Only 30mg of sodium and 0 calories!

The Bold Chipotle was good too!  But be careful with this one!  It is VERY powerful and SPICY!  I think I put too much on when I seasoned my grilled chicken with this one because it was seriously flaming!

I would imagine this flavoring would be better on something that could counteract with the spiciness.  Something mild such as brown rice would be good with this one!  Maybe even on tacos? Can’t wait to try it!

The Lemon & Herb had a nice subtleness about it.  I’m not a fan of things lemon flavored, but the zing wasn’t overpowering, so I could handle it.  In this blend, we’ve got citrus, garlic, coriander, and bell pepper.  It was actually very good on fish and shrimp, which is what is reccommended for use.  I’d like to also try this spice on oven roasted veggies!  I think it will really pull out all the natural flavor! 

It felt really great knowing that I could season and flavor some of my favorite foods that would otherwise be somewhat bland without the harmful effects of piles of sodium!  The Sea Salt & Seasoned Salt versions of NutraSalt were also exceptional tasting!

Again, my tastebuds & blood pressure thank you, Stephanie for sending these guys my way!