Two Moms in the Raw

I love my mom, my friends' moms, my mom and dad's mom (aka grandma!), moms just ROCK!
I honestly don't know how moms do all they do (and dads too!), they have so many job titles... cook, psychiatrist, maid, chauffeur, you get the point!
So what do they do in their free time?
Oh just make amazing raw food.

Yeah, that's right - another product review (two in one week, how lucky am I!?)

Two Moms in the Raw is a company that all started with Shari (the founder).
She started making raw food to help her MS, and her yummy treats became a quick favorite among family and friends. So Shari (being the giving person she obviously is) decided to start selling her delectables and it took of like a rolling stone!

They make products with simple and organic ingredients - no gluten, no preservatives, non-GMO - truly good inside and out. All her products are Kosher and Vegan as well as being free of wheat, refined sugars, soy and dairy. They handmake all their products which include:
Granola Bars
Nut Bars
Sea Crackers
Truffles
Cereals

I'll fill you in on my personal experience with these products.
I had the opportunity to sample...

The almond butter and cocao truffles

These little bite-size beauties are made of almond butter, cacao, salt and agave.... that's it! They are sweet, crunchy (the half-chopped nuts in the center) and chewy! Definitely satisfy any sweet tooth - but with the added bonus of some protein (4g), fiber (2g), calcium and iron, along with healthy omega 6 fats, antioxidants, vitamin C and iron. All for 140 calories for one truffle.

The tomato basil sea crackers - the savory crackers are a perfect match with a sweet Honeycrisp apple (which, btw-if anyone is wondering, is in my opinion the best apple variety-just a side note :)

Out of this world flavor! The texture was a little odd to me at first, but not in a bad way! Just different from your traditional cracker... full of flax seeds, garlic and kombu - you know they're oh-so good for your body! Two Moms in the Raw recommend crumbling them on salad which I think is an AMAZING idea! And the ingredient list: flaxseeds, sundried tomatos, kombu and herbs. awesome.

I also received their blueberry granola bars - which I haven't tried just yet... (I was too consumed with the sweet truffles and savory crackers!) 

But... if I can assume (which I can, because - well... this is my blog :P ) I know they will be just as amazing (both taste wise and nutritionally as the previous snacks have been!

Their granola is full of antioxidants and vitamins, but then again-when you make all your products out of good, whole foods-how could the end result not be chalk-full of nutrition?!

Oh, and each bar also has 4g of fiber, 6g of protein, 4% calcium and 10% iron... awesome-opossum if I say so myself!

"Good for you, Good for the planet, and kids (AND KRISTEN!) love it"

That's Two Moms in the Raw's motto and I couldn't agree more! I definitely will have to try the rest of the flavors of everything! Especially the nut bars and cereal - thanks for allowing me to review your products Two Moms!

*All opinions were my own, Two Moms in the Raw gave me only the samples and no other compensation.

Wordless Wednesday

Alright, so this post won't be completely wordless since that would essentially mean I'm not talking, and if you know me at all-you would know I need to talk!

So here goes more of a 'extreme-picture-laden' Wednesday :)

The day started off AMAZINGLY! ...probably since the very last thing I did the night before was watch this:

For anyone who wants to know-I cried when they finished their 5k. Sap-I know, but I just can't help it! I can't wait to help people overcome their fears and do more than they ever dreamed possible!

So I got up-and in celebration of my personal training aspirations did a Jillian Micheals workout! Ain't no betta way to start the day!

Oh wait, there is - I remembered to grab my Bible before heading off to breakfast in the dining hall. This always makes my day get off to a great start! I love beginning the day in The Word. If you're looking for a way to start your day off right, do it with Jesus! You won't be sorry :)

And to make my day even better, I got to try my sample of this:

Chike Nutrition Ice Coffee Mix

AHHHH! You guys- seriously, I don't even know how to explain how freakin' amazing this stuff is! I'm not sure if it has like a-kajillion more times the caffeine as coffee (ok-actually I do know, it says on the package that it has about the same amount as one cup regular caffeinated coffee). But it seriously got me so 'jived' (<- word of the day!)

It was delicious tasting and is sooo good for you! Seriously-it was like a party in a coffee-shop in my mouth! 

 

And I can have a good excuse for drinking it, because it has so many vitamins and minerals and PROTEIN! 20 g worth! Ya... pretty much like 3 eggs! :O 

It comes in a nice little single serve package like so...

And you put it in 10ish ounces of water (or milk) like so....

And mix (with a fork, blender ball, just shaking, anything!)

*Chike also sells a bunch of other flavors of single mix-in protein drinks, if you aren't a coffee-Fein like myself!

It is soooo smooth! Honestly, I can NOT take just mixing any kind of protein powder with just a liquid, I think it taste chalky and gritty and have to just use it in a smoothie to be able to bear it. But this-this was something special! It mixed in so easily and quickly and tasted like a creamy, decadent latte! I gave it a splash of milk, just because I wanted it to go farther, added so coffee ice cubes and away I went! Happily slurping my way through the day....

Slurpin' through some Chemistry homework... believe you and me-ice coffee Chike Nutrition style really makes Chemistry easier to bear! Fun almost! ...almost...

I also snacked on some hummus dip in a cute little single serve squeezable package-cute no?

And got to try yet ANOTHER one of my product review samplings - Crunchies.

It's freeze dried pineapple!

Look at those stats! :O The whole package had 150 calories. Wowza! Not to mention 180% of your vitamin C need, 6g fiber and 12% iron. And the only ingredients: pineapple!

Crunchies has a bunch of different freeze dried snacks, both fruits and vegetables; mixed blends, seasoned goodies as well as organic options.

They are so good for you, fun to chop on, delicious and an easy to grab snack!

So after Chem lecture, Physiology lecture, Chem recitation, Physiology lab (where I go to be the volunteer to have my urine analyzed! Woo-hoo! ..too much sharing? :/ Sorry!), working on a group project for over 2 hours, and homework, homework, and more homework - how do I reward myself?

With a HUGE bowl of granola of course!

Yum x 3!

But now I feel like this....

So I'm off to bed! Goodnight and God Bless!

*If you actually made it to this point in the post-I am honored, amazed and wish I had your attention span!

~Chike Nutrition and Crunchies only sent me samples to review. I was not given any other compensation. All opinions are my own.~

Jay Robb - my new boyfriend!

Guys... I have a confession to make.. 

I'm in love.

He is a wonderful wonderful man -
He's creative, wants the best for me and makes me very very happy!
His name is Jay Robb

...ok ok ya-it's a company (the guy is real of course) but no-I've never really met him or anything...

But I have tried his products, and I'm in love with all of them! Does that count? :)

I was given the amazing opportunity to sample so of Jay Robb's products and am soooo impressed!

The first products I tested were the protein bars -

one bite...

two bites...

three bites...

GONE!

I have NEVER - EVER in my entire life had a protein bar that tasted soooo good! The cashew coconut tasted like a Girl Scout Somoas cookie (without the chocolate). I inhaled it-YUM!

Their protein powder is also delicious! (recipes using the powder coming shortly!) But I just can't get over how amazing the protein bars are-so let's focus on those right now k? 

Taste:

Alright, I think we allll know where I'm going here-DELISH! They didn't taste like a protein bar at all - they tasted like a candy bar! A delicious candy bar! My favorite was definitely the cashew coconut - but each flavor I tried were amazing as well. I also had the fudge brownie (I thought it was great, and I'm not a huge chocolate fan!) and the peanut butter bar as well (obviously I liked this one!)

5/5

Texture: They were nice and thick and left me feeling satisfied, not hungry! They had a nice crunch from the nuts scattered throughout the bar.

5/5

Nutrition: ...just take a gander at what Jay Robb has to say: "I've raised the bar on bars and created the JayBar—a great tasting protein bar without sugar, corn syrup, casein, artificial sweeteners, maltitol, acesulfame-K, evaporated cane juice, aspartame, or sucralose!"  —Jay Robb

I think that says it all! Each bar has about 230 calories, 5g fiber, and 14 grams protein! They have no cholesterol to boot! 

4/5 <- only because they had a little more saturated fat than I would like to see...but that's the only thing I could really find wrong with them!

Overall: 4.75/5 

I LOVED these and will definitely be looking to get myself some more! So delicious!

You can tell Jay Robb is concerned about the health and wellness of all his customers and really has a place in his heart for nutrition. I am excited to see people so happy with their lives - and so focus on their faith as well. On the 'About Jay Robb' page he states:

"As for my success, I give all the glory to God. "

 How amazing and respectable!
Thank you Jay Robb for creating stand up products from a stand up company!

....The Jay Robb Co. did not pay me in any way to write this review. I was given the products free of charge to write a review free of charge. 

Grilled Pizza

Even though summer is almost over... (tear) we still have a few more days to fire up our grill and head outside to make a delicious dinner! 

So what should we do to celebrate our last few days of summer? Grill pizza! 

It's very simple! 

1. Just make your pizza dough-or buy from store... then prepare your veggies by adding a little bit of oil or salad dressing to the pre-choped veggies and throw in a grill basket. 

2. Season the veggies with some salt, pepper, and whatever spices you like!

3. Grill veggies for about 10 minutes before throwing your rolled out pizza dough on the grill.

4. Let the pizza dough grill for a few minutes on each side

5. Remove dough and veggies and take back inside to prepare pizzas!

6. Fill pizzas as you like... sauce, veggies, meat, cheese, etc.

7. Throw back on the grill for 3-5 minutes-or until cheese is melty!

PB2 Review (Happiness in a jar!)

What does that picture make you think of? 

Anything? Anything? What's that? You're thinking I'm crazy at we are just staring at 2 innocent, plain jane, regular plastic containers?

(Gasp!) How dare you think that about my new favorite product EVER! I don't know if we can be friends anymore... *tears* 

Ok, I'll forgive you-this one time!

These normal, everyday looking jars are filled with GOLD! 

Alright alright, they're filled with PB2-but in my book that is right up there better than gold!

The people at the Bell Plantation Company were generous enough to send me a sample of their products to review and report back to my wonderful readers on! They sent me a sample of:

Original Powdered Peanut Butter

Chocolate PB2

PBthins (a peanut buttery cracker!)

People-I am in LOVE!!! This stuff is rocking my world one snack at a time! Almost every night for the past week I've enjoyed my Peanut Buster Shake which is made with PB2. Not to mention making bowls and bowls full of both original and chocolate PB2 to dip apples, graham crackers, my fingers, etc. in!

So let's get straight to the BIG 3 shall we?!

First off-the actual powdered peanut butter...

Taste: Yum, yum, yum! ok-moving on :P 

Just kidding-this stuff tastes better than I ever imagined it could! It has a much more 'peanut buttery' flavor than regular peanut flour does (possibly because PB2 has a little added sugar and salt?). It also makes it easier to use since I don't have to add my own salt and sugar (it's a lot of work to get out the sugar bowl and salt shaker people!) While it isn't an exact match to peanut butter it is close enough for me! So 5/5!

Texture: Good-but if you really want that ultimately sticky feeling you get from sticking your tongue inside the peanut butter jar-you're going to have to stick with regular peanut butter... PB2 has done a great job though with advising on how much water to add to get the closest texture possible! I think it is perfectly fine and don't mind the slight difference. So texture gets a 4/5

Nutrition: ummm... #winning! This stuff is a powerhouse of nutrition! I'm not exaggerating here people, check this out:

Awesome right?!

And-(as taken from their website),

 Keep in mind, that PB2 is all natural peanut butter without the fat or the added hydrogenated oil.

Here is the full nutrition stats for the regular PB2 (chocolate is pretty much identical!)

So, if you want to consume 200 calories you could have:

-2 TBSP peanut butter and this would give you 16g of fat (mostly good fats, don't get me wrong!) and 8g of protein

OR

-1/2 cup of PB2! Which would result in 6g of fat and 20 grams of protein! :O Wowza! Talk about awesomeness! 

Anyone want to take a guess on what I'm going to rate PB2 for nutrition? yup! a full 5/5!

Overall: 5/5! I love love love this stuff! I just can't get enough which is why my PB2 jar looks like this...

:( Sad day! 

Thank you so much Bell Plantation for giving me this opportunity to review such a great product! It has completely rocked my world!!! 

So tell me: Have any of you tried PB2 before? What's your favorite way to enjoy it? I'm always looking for new ideas! :)

Mix1

Let's face it-there are a LOT of impostors in the health food world out there! Ya know who I'm talking about-those companies that want to be hip and trendy and seem all healthy but really their list of ingredients and nutritional stats don't live up to their hype. Like those protein bars that have more sugar than a batch of cookies, or the granola that contains more fat than a steak! (For a healthy granola recipe click here) Sometimes, it can seem impossible to try and pick the right 'heath' food! Sometimes it just seems easier to grab a Snickers in the first place (after all, at least it is being up front with the fact that it is a junk food and not trying to fool you!) 

But... I may have found something that actually lives up to its reputation. I was given the opportunity to review an All Natural Nutritional Shake - Mix1. Mix1 claims: their products contain only the highest-quality, all-natural ingredients including whey protein, carbohydrates, antioxidants, soluble fiber and healthy fat. They use the right balance of these ingredients, at efficacious levels, to provide the maximum benefit to your body before a workout, after a workout, or throughout your day. 

So do they really? Or are they just blowing hot air? Well-let's find out! First, let's talk about their ingredients...  Purified Water, Whey Protein Isolate, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Maltodextrin, Juice Concentrate (blueberry, apple), Extra Light Olive Oil, Citric Acid, Pectin, Natural Flavor, Elderberry Concentrate (color), Lactic Acid - Alright, pretty legit-the ingredients they use are all natural just as they said and nothing in there is really of any concern health wise-good job Mix1! :) 

Let's move on to the actual nutritional content of these shakes- There are two different types of shakes: All Natural Nutritional Shakes & Lean Performance Shakes. 

Here is the nutritional stats of the Lean Performance Shakes:

chocolate and vanilla shakes (Lean Performance) 

Serving Size

11 fl oz (325 mL)

Servings Per Container

1

Amount Per Serving

11 fl oz (325 mL)

Calories

90

Calories from Fat

5

Total Fat	.5g	1%
Saturated Fat	0g	0%
Trans Fat	0g	0%
Sodium	320mg	13%
Potassium	0mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate	14g	5%
Dietary Fiber	3g	12%
Sugars	9g
Protein	9g
Calcium		20%

Not a significant source of vitamin A, vitamin C and Iron

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~Not too bad-has a nice amount of fiber, very low in fat, and a good source of protein! All for about 90 calories...not to shabby!

Now let's look at the All Natural Nutritional Shakes:

chocolate and vanilla shakes (All Natural Nutritional Shakes) 

11 fl oz (325 mL)

Amount Per Serving

Calories

200

Calories from Fat

20

Total Fat	2.5g	4%
Saturated Fat	0g	0%
Trans Fat	0g	0%
Sodium	125mg	5%
Potassium	370mg	11%
Total Carbohydrate	29g	10%
Dietary Fiber	3g	12%
Sugars	22g
Protein	15g

Vitamin A	25%	Vitamin C	25%
Calcium	20%	Iron	10%
Vitamin D	25%	Vitamin E	15%
Molybdenum	25%	Thiamin	25%
Riboflavin	25%	Naicin	25%
Vitamin B6	25%	Folic Acid	25%
Vitamin B12	25%	Pantothenic Acid	25%
Iodine	15%	Magnesium	20%
Zinc	20%	Selenium	25%
Manganese	25%	Chromium	25%
Biotin	10%

~Has about 100 more calories but a ton more vitamins and minerals. 6 more grams of protein with the same amount of fiber; it also has more carbs, fat and calories from fat-but less sodium. Still very low in sugar though!

Overall-both of the shake options are great for a supplement beverage. It not only bumps up your protein intake but also gives you a nice dose of fiber as well! And-the All Natural Nutritional Shakes are rich in an abundance of vitamins and minerals! I give the All Natural Nutritional Shakes a 4/5 for nutrition and the Lean Performance Shakes a 4/5 as well - what they loose in a lack of vitamins and minerals they make up for in their lower calorie/fat count and equal amount of protein and fiber. 

Now on to convenience...  Were these something I could actually incorporate into my lifestyle? They say a picture is worth a thousand words-so I'll let them do the talking...

I had a busy week and didn't really have time to make a substantial breakfast so I decided I'd give my Mix1s a try!

It was perfect to grab and take with me on my way to work with a granola bar and some apple slices!

After my morning run, I only have about 20 minutes before I have to jump in my car and head to swimming lessons-which I'm at all morning before life-guarding all afternoon-I need a breakfast that is quick, portable, filling-but not heavy, energizing (running + teaching 20-some 5 year old's how to swim + sitting in the sun & watching children swim all afternoon can really wear a person out!) and can aid in recovery (my muscles need all the help they can get!)

With a container full of Oatmeal Squares and Crunchy Corn Bran and my Mix1 I was good to go!

To answer the question of convenience-YES! These shakes were perfect to grab out of the frig and sip on while I drove to work. They filled me up without weighing me down and kept me full all morning-thank you protein/fiber combo!

Last (and most importantly in my opinion), we need to talk about taste. I was given a sample of both chocolate and vanilla flavors in both the Lean and the All Natural Shakes. I think I can sum up how each was in one word... DELICIOUS! Now... let's just get it out there that I am not the biggest fan when it comes to anything chocolate, and truth be told - I hate drinking straight up plain milk (which is what I figured the vanilla would taste like). Boy oh boy was I wrong! The chocolate flavor had almost a malt-like taste to it! It was very creamy and rich-without being overpowering. The vanilla was sweet and also had a bit of a malt-like flavor about it. Neither flavor was gritty or chalky which is always a worry of mine when it comes to protein/nutritional shakes. Mix1 shakes are creamy and flavorful! I give them both a 5/5 on taste!

Overall- 5/5 ...these shakes ROCKED! I loved the flavor and convenience of an already mixed shake. It was great for breakfast on the go and provided me with a jump start on my fiber and protein needs (as well as vitamin/mineral needs with the All Natural Shakes). There are a ton of athletes already hooked on these shakes and now I know why. I love that they use natural ingredients! Mix1 also has a wide variety of fruit flavors as well: peach, strawberry-banana, mix-berry, blueberry-vanilla and mango (in original) and blueberry, acai-promagranate, and strawberry-banana (in Lean). I am definitely going to have to give these a try as well! 

So where can we find these little beauties? 

To find a store nearest you click here. Or, to order online click here. Either way-you won't be sorry! These shakes are a great choice in nutrition, convenience and taste! 

Pina Colada Smoothie

I know, I know, it's only February but I am still dreaming of summer! I love the bright skies, warm weather and delicious treats that are customary to that time of year! Like fruit! Even though we can get fruit year round due to the nifty little invention of airplanes and trucks, there is still a much more plentiful and cheaper assortment of fruit during the summer!

So what is a girl to do when she wants a summery treat in the dead of winter? Did you guess travel to Hawaii?! That was my first option, but unfortunately I don't quite have enough money...or time off from school for that matter! So I am going to go with my plan B-create an amazing healthy smoothie that reminds us all of Hawaii on a warm July night (not that I've ever actually experienced that, but pretty sure if I had-it'd taste remarkably close to this smoothie! :P

I've combined the sweet flavors of banana and pineapple with the creamy goodness of yogurt and milk, and threw in some protein powder (which mostly goes unnoticed) but, it is this secret ingredient that will assist us in our quest to having that 'Hawaii beach body' as well! :)

Ingredients: 

-1 container (6 ounces) Dannon Light n' Fit yogurt-FROZEN (best flavors to use: vanilla, plain or pineapple)

-1/2 cup skim milk or Coconut Water

-1 scoop protein powder (vanilla works best)

-1/2 frozen banana

-1/4 cup pineapple chunks (frozen works best but fresh is thawed)

-Ice if necessary 

Directions:
1. Pretty straight forward...add everything to a blender and blend until smooth

     ~Add ice cubes or more frozen pineapple chunks to create a thicker smoothie

     ~Add more milk if you want a thinner smoothie

Nutritional Info: