Tofurky Jurky

Thank you to Monica Garcia of Turtle Island Foods  for sending me some Tofurky Jurky to review for the blog!

If you’re  looking for a convenient, on-the-go protein source, but you’re limited to vegan options, Tofurky Jurky might be for you!  It’s got great nutritional stats, boasting just 100 calories per 4 piece serving, just 2g of fat (0 saturated) and 12g of protein!!

Original

Tofurky Jurky is the first vegetarian jurky to be make in a real smokehouse!  First, they marinate it in a GMO-free soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice and organic evaporated cane juice just before slowly smoking it over red hickory chips.  It comes in vaccum sealed packages and has a shelf life of up to 6 months! 

Peppered Jurky

It comes in two varieties:  Peppered and Original.  The Peppered Jurky version was my favorite.  It had a bit of a bite back, which I really enjoyed.  The smoky taste really popped because of the peppery taste.   The Original wasn’t bad, but I found it to be a tad on the bland side.  I’m a big fan of bold flavors.  I wasn’t a huge fan of the texture, being that I’m non-vegan, I am used to real beef jerky, but other than the fact that it was a little dry, the taste wasn’t bad at all! 

What I liked best was the convenience of the product.  I could easily throw them in my purse for a low cal, high protein emergency snack.  They would make great treats for hiking or camping, too!  You can check here for a store near you that carries these products!

Monica also sent me coupons for the Tempeh products in their line, so stay tuned for reviews on that as well!

FitNutz Peanut Butter

Thank you to Ember at FitNutz for sending me some of their nutritious peanut butter for a review! 

If you’re a nutrition nut like me, you probably know that peanut butter gets a bad rap for its high caloric content, fat percentage, and carb count…but you also probably know that it is sooooo heavenly to eat   Fortunately for you nut butter lovers out there, like myself, there is a product on the market that allows you to have  an entire serving of peanut butter for 74% fewer calories than typical peanut butter!  It gets better!  There is 91% less fat and NO added hydrogenated oils in this stuff!  In a 2 Tbsp. serving, you’ll only be getting 50 calories (unbelievable), 1.5g of fat (0g saturated), 6g of protein, 1g of fiber, and just 5g of carbs!  It’s also gluten-free!

It comes in powder form, and easily mixes with water to use in recipes, as a topping, spread on bread, or even by the spoonful!!  What’s even cooler, is that since you get to mix it yourself, you can add water to taste depending on what consistency you like your peanut butter.  If you like it thick, add less, if you like it thin, add more!  Also, thanks to the fact that it is a powder, its shelf life is a lot longer than typical peanut butter.

FitNutz comes in three different varieties: Regular, Chunky, and Pro.  My favorite of the three was the Chunky FitNutz.  Personally, I believe that there is no better companion for peanut butter than a banana, so the things I’ve tried FitNutz on mostly will have some kind of banana ingredient

 

Banana Hammock.

I didn’t add much water to this batch…maybe about 3 tsp?  I like mine thicker, and it really complimented the banana.  The taste is almost exactly like peanut butter.  I tend to dig sweeter nut butters, so I added a little splenda to my FitNutz.  That’s not against the rules, is it?! Here are the stats for the Chunky version: Yeah, I know…10 more calories than regular. It’s worth it though for the chunks

The Pro variety is the same as Regular, except it is enhanced with extra essential fatty acids, providing 10 calories more per serving than the Regular. 

This stuff is available online in a trio sample pack or 5 oz. bags.  It will soon be available in 1 lb. bags for you economical buyers out there!  However, it can only be bought locally in Utah, Florida and New Jersey. 

 

Thanks again, Ember!!

Saving Mulah.

Yesterday I decided that in order to save about $40.00 a month, to accomplish my goal of buying a new car in 2010, I am going to cancel my gym membership.  Yep.  That’s right.  Don’t freak out.  I know it sounds a little crazy, but really, it’s a smart move.  As of now, I am not allowed to run due to the intense back/hip pain that it causes and have been rocking the stationary bike at the gym ever since.  I really don’t use anything at the gym that I don’t have at home.  Last night, I realized this while pedaling my little heart away on the bike in our basement.  We’ve got a cross bow lifting machine, medicine balls, yoga mats, and free weights, along with the exercise bike all in our basement.  Who needs an expensive gym membership?!  Sure I don’t have a sauna or a pool, but who needs em?!     Not to mention, I’ll save a little pocket change each month on gas because I won’t be traveling the extra 12 miles a day.  I don’t particularly like the social aspect of the gym any way.  It’s not what I go for.  It gets really old feeling like you’re being judged by the way you look when you workout.  Pick up lines at the gym=total cheesiness.  I’ve heard some good ones, too, especially about my legs for some reason?

Anyway, when I got home from work last night, I ate a Deep Chocolate Vitatop for workout fuel and then made my way to our basement. 

Chocolate Workout Fuel

I biked for 35 miles while watching “National Treasure II” on my ipod.  I’ve found that keeping my mind occupied takes away from the longevity of the riding.  It’s hard for me to read magazines while my legs are going crazy, so a movie on the ipod was a nice alternative. 

Afterward, I showered and got ready to go with the family to our High School Boys’ basketball game.  They were playing our rivals and I didn’t want to miss it!  before I left, I heated up a somewhat boring dinner, but it was quick, easy and nutritious!  The highlight of the meal was actually something that looked disgusting coming out of the pack. 

Gorton's Classic Grilled Salmon Filets

The stats for these guys are great!  Only 100 calories, 3g of fat (.5 saturated), 16g of protein, 1g of carbs, and 410mg of Omega-3 per serving!  There are two servings in each box and they are decent sized!  What’s even more convenient is that they were perfect for nights like last night when I didn’t have much time for food prep.  They are microwaveable!  It didn’t make for such a pretty picture, but I heated it in the microwave for about 2 1/2  minutes, and then added a can of green beans (that’s right, a whole can ) to my plate and microwaved for a minute longer.  I didn’t have time for a photo because I was in such a rush, but here’s a picture courtesy of Gorton’s! 8)

I'm pretty sure this is the lemon butter version of the salmon because mine didn't have that glazed look on the top. Still very yummy though! Just try to picture a big heaping pile of green beans instead of the rice and broccoli.

The game was fun, but the boys didn’t pan out too well.  They gave it a good go, but didn’t come out on top.  The final score was 40-57.  After the game, I came home, had some Black Currant Good Belly juice (unofficial review=AMAZING.) & a sliced banana and hit the sack. 

Black Currant Good Belly Probiotic Juice.

Sliced Nanner.

Today began with a nice little breakfast of Vanilla Oikos and Fiber One – classic.  Topped with a touch of homemade almond butter mixed with canned pumpkin (*note the orange coloring).

Crunchtastic♥

I’ve learned that my little Bella can do some amazing things…like create homemade almond butter with just a few ingredients!  I just threw some whole almonds, cinnamon, sf log cabin syrup, a splash of vanilla + milk into my baby blender and watched it create something magical:

Homemade Almond Butter

Yet another economical creation!  For a 16 oz. jar, Barney Butter can cost about $8.00!! This frugal freckled foodie is pretty proud   Can you tell? Haha.

Anyway, I hope you all have a magnificent day.

 

Oh!  And be sure to check out Danica’s Daily Blog for a “Souper” You giveaway by Progresso!  It’s SOUPER exciting!! Okay.  That was cheesy