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Healthy Snacks and Savory Coffee That You Need in Your Life

November 2, 2021 By 0

ELLA’S FLATS®

These crispy and all seed crackers are in one word – amazing! They are perfect to pair with most anything like dips, salmon, cheese, salad (endless possibilities here) and the best part is that they are carb free, have lots of fiber and are very satisfying. These are very different than the usual “healthy” cracker and have a unique taste and crunch that will make you want more. They are also Gluten Free and surprisingly tasty! If you are eating Keto you can add these to your meals or use as a snack between meals. The ingredients are simple and healthy and they come in different flavors such as Sesame Flavor (Original), Hemp, Caraway, Cumin, and Everything (the perfect blend of all savory flavors). I think my favorite is the Everything – it has a very savory and rich flavor but I really like them all and can’t wait to serve them during the holidays for parties and family dinners.

Here’s the back story on Founder Ellen Macks. Ellen had been eating Keto and whole foods since she was 18. A health-conscious, energetic mom of three with an appetite, it was natural she would crave delicious, satisfying foods with real nutrition and none of the bad processed stuff. The answer was to start her own brand! Available on Amazon.

Banana Samba

This is one of my new favorite snacks! It’s not only made with real fruit and low in calories but it’s also a natural source of Potassium. Even better – they are delicious! Banana Samba is a traditional Brazilian super snack made with simple ingredients and zero artificial colors or preservatives. Ripe bananas are slowly-cooked until they caramelize in their own natural sugars (that sounds really yummy right?) which gives the treats their soft and chewy texture. Each Banana Samba fun size an individually wrapped and is equal to one third of a banana and even better – they are less than 50 calories per piece! I am now packing these in my handbag for a healthy and guilt free snack. It gets even better – they come in 4 different flavors! Classic, Chocolate, Simply, and Fit (with Chia seed). I thought my favorite was the the Classic but now I don’t have a favorite – I like them all. Some of the flavors are also Gluten free – check out the label first to make sure though. The snacks are also reasonably priced at around $4.50 for a box of 5-6 pieces.

Banana Samba was founded by Carla and Ruth Wahnon, who grew up enjoying bananada, a 400 year old traditional snack in Brazil. They have introduced the world to this authentic, 100% natural version of this very enduring favorite. The care with the product starts with the highest quality ingredients. The bananas (Cavendish) are naturally ripened in small family farms. No ethylene gas induced ripening process and you will not find more than three ingredients in any of the Banana Samba versions. Banana Samba is the perfect choice for people looking to eschew cheap artificial energy shots and bars for something simple, natural and convenient. Available on Amazon.

Don Pablo Bourbon Infused Coffee 

I’ll be honest, I’m not a coffee snob. I don’t live for my next gourmet cup of Java but I do like coffee a lot and I have enjoyed this brand of coffee! I find that the flavor of the Signature Blend (medium to dark roast) is rich and flavorful and definitely is a step above grocery store brands. The Bourbon Infused Specialty Roast is definitely different! They soak the coffee beans in real Kentucky Bourbon and then roast them to infuse them with the taste of Bourbon without the alcohol. It’s a full bodied blend and velvety with hints of caramel, butterscotch and honey. Anyone who is adventurous in their coffee choices and looking for something more bold would like this one for sure. The Organic Specialty-Grade coffee is also a full bodied blend with a rich flavor and has hints of milk chocolate and honey, caramel, and cocoa. It comes in light, medium-dark, and dark roast. It’s 100% Arabica Coffee, Non-GMO, Certified Organic by CCOF.

Don Pablo also offers an array of Coffee Spice Grinders. Those interested in incorporating coffee into their collection of meat rubs and spices will find these grinders a convenient way of doing it. Examples are Peppercorn and Sea Salt, Adobo, Organic Coffee Peppercorn, and Peppercorn and Red Pepper. My favorite is the Adobo which my husband used on grilled chicken recently and it was delicious!

Don Pablo’s unique packaging is a step above and all of their products would make great gifts ideas for that coffee lover or grill master in your life! Available on Amazon.

How to Celebrate National Boba Day!

April 10, 2021 By 0

Here’s a unique way to celebrate all things boba and get ready for National Boba Day on April 30! I know that our Boba fans will be ecstatic.

Boba Origin is your one-stop-shop for boba accessories that complement this popular beverage. Why just drink boba when you have your own boba plushie and candle? The brand’s items are oh-so-cute!

How Do You Boba?

The boba phenomenon has reached new levels. Boba (a.k.a. Bubble Tea, Milk Tea) has captured the taste buds of people around the world. So much so that there’s even a National Boba Day on April 30.

No global food craze would be complete without the adorable accessories to go along with it.

Meet Boba Origin, the all things boba brand you’ll love getting to know. The brand makes truly unique boba products with originality and function combined.

The delicious beverage originated in Taiwan but has now found the hearts of millions who simply can’t live without it. It’s as popular lately as your local coffeehouse with so many flavors. Now, enthusiasts can take that love one step further with the following items that are must-haves for any true boba aficionado!

World’s First Reversible Boba Plush
It’s the cutest, softest, and most versatile boba plush with a secret zipper pouch. Flip this boba over to angry mode to let others know to not bother you. Your significant other do something cute? Easily flip it to the happy side. Whether this little guy is used to store items or as a mini cushion pillow, this blushing plushie is the perfect gift for any boba lover. This little boba companion is made with premium plush material for an incredibly soft, cloud-like touch perfect to sleep with.

3:15 Milk Tea
Individual milk tea bags with real tea leaves. Each box contains 5 individually wrapped 20 grams (so total of 100 grams of milk powder and ground tea leaves) of instant brown sugar milk-tea. Add a dash of whole milk to make it creamier.

Boba Candle
4 ounces of brown-sugar milk tea 100% soy wax to make your room smell like boba. Made with 100% premium soy melts, a biodegradable and natural resource that cleans up with just plain old soap and water. Custom mixed and created for the perfect milk tea scent. Mixed, hand-poured, and packaged in Baltimore, Maryland

Available on https://bobaorigin.com, Amazon, and Etsy.

It’s the Perfect Time for HelloFresh Meal Kit Delivery Service

April 9, 2020 By 0

Are you tired yet of cooking the same old things? During this unusual time of being quarantined, it’s hard enough to get groceries in general much less the special and fresh ingredients that you would need to try something new. We just signed up for a convenient meal delivery service and cooking just became a lot more fun, stress free, delicious, and healthy!
HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that brings everything you need to make a home cooked meal to your door. Not only does HelloFresh provide delicious and nutritious recipes but they also deliver the exact fresh ingredients for the meal straight to your home each week. Whatever your dining habits, HelloFresh has the best meal plan for you. Whether you are a family of one, two or four people it’s the perfect fit for families of any size.
We signed up for the service last week and not only has it been perfect timing for the world we’re all living in right now but it has also given us the opportunity to cook together as a family. Both my college age sons are home doing online classes right now and we are taking this time of “shelter in place” to teach the boys some cooking skills in the kitchen. Making HelloFresh recipes together has been not only fun but delicious too!
If you are interested in the service, now is the perfect time to try it out. To hear more about the program and specials that they are running contact my fabulous HelloFresh Representative, Makenzey Leavins at: makenzey.leavins@hellofresh.com!  Website: http://www.hellofresh.com/

Huel – Human Fuel and Ready-to-Drink Meals

July 11, 2019 By 0

Summer means that we’re all very busy with the business of summer such as running our kids from activity to activity, vacations, and errands.   Moms are usually stuck with the task of getting everyone fed in between and most of us suffer from mom guilt because a lot of the time we have to rely on fast food to get our children fed quickly.  If you’re like me I always feel like I should do a better job of giving them more nutritional and healthier meals and snacks.   I have the perfect answer for you and it’s a quick and easy and very affordable way to get both yourself and your kids the nutrition you need to keep up the pace!

I recently received samples of a nutritionally complete food called Huel.  Huel is a UK company which was recently launched in the US after becoming the most popular complete nutrition brand in Europe.  After using it for a week I’m ready to tell you all about it!

First of all,  Huel offers a wide variety of Ready-to-drink meals for when you don’t want to or don’t have time to cook.  Huel also comes in vanilla and chocolate powders (including gluten-free options)and is a perfect balance of carbs, fat and protein, as well as all 27 essential vitamins and minerals in just the right amounts.   Huel has boost flavors also available so that you can customize your nutrition drink such as:  Banana, caramel, mint-chocolate, strawberry, apple cinnamon, chai, mocha, and chocolate.  They are designed to work best with Huel Original and Huel Vanilla.

 

I started off drinking Huel in place of breakfast and/or lunch.  It not only tastes good but it is very filling and I didn’t get hungry at all, seriously!  After the first couple of days of drinking the vanilla flavor (which I think has a nice “light” and not strong vanilla flavor.  It makes a good base flavor to the added boost flavors of your chose.  I added some of the boost flavors throughout the week and the banana and strawberry flavors are my favorites but the others are nice too.  My 21 year old son tried the mocha and really liked it (BTW he’s sold on Huel and can’t wait to use it when he gets back to college in the fall instead of driving through fast food places every day).  My husband is on board with Huel too because he likes the tastes and really likes the idea of each family member being able to customize their drink with their favorite flavor = saving money on buying several different flavors of the drink.

Key features of Huel include:

–       It’s Easy: Huel is a perfectly balanced and nutritionally complete meal that you can prepare in under one minute
–       Nutritionally Complete: Huel Powder is a nutritionally complete food that is high in protein and fiber, low in sugar and salt, rich in phytonutrients and contains all 27 essential vitamins and minerals
–       Plant-based and Lactose/Soy/GMO-Free: It contains no lactose or any animal products, no soy and no GMO
–       Affordable: Huel starts at just $2.35 for a 400-calorie nutritionally complete meal and bulk and subscription discounts can be enjoyed by anyone for as low as $1.95 per meal
–       Huel is Food: Huel is far superior nutrition to most conventional diets. Huel can replace any meal or even as a between-meal snack. In this way it can be an add-on improvement to your diet to ensure you’re giving your body what it needs.
–       Zero food waste: Because you only use the Huel that you need to consume, and because Huel powder has a 1-year shelf life, Huel produces zero food waste
–       High manufacturing standards: Huel’s facilities and equipment are held to the highest safety standards and regulations
–       Vegan/environmentally friendly: Being vegan and producing zero food waste means Huel has much less of an environmental impact on the planet than many other food products

 

The branding is very hip and cool – stark black lettering on white background and here’s Huel’s Mission Statement:  “To make nutritionally complete, convenient, affordable food, with minimal impact on animals and the environment.”  I like it, a nutrition drink that has an environmental conscience.

I’m going to continue using Huel for myself for breakfast because I’m really bad about eating breakfast (I usually skip it and I know that’s bad) and I need the combination of nutrition and calories early in the day instead of loading up at the end of the day with a big meal.  I think it will help me hit my goal of losing a little excess pounds too.

So if you’re in the market for a healthy alternative for your own diet and nutrition needs or for your kid’s busy schedule this summer or during the school year this is it!  Huel is huge all around the world, having sold over 40 million meals in over 80 countries so get on the train peeps!

More information is available at Huel.com

 

Spice up Your Winter and Stay Warm with Moore’s Marinades & Sauces!

January 21, 2019 By 0

Looking for something to spice up your cooking?  If you’re like me I’m always looking for new recipes or something easy that can help make my old recipes taste new again.  I have found the perfect solution with Moore’s line of marinades, sauces and hot sauces!

 

Moore’s has a line of marinades, sauces and hot sauces that give added flavor to all kinds of foods such as beef,  seafood,  pork, wild game, and of course – wings!   I don’t know where I’ve been but Moore’s has been around for over 30 years and is a favorite of many loyal customers.  Not only is Moore’s a great addition to my pantry, my husband loves to grill and experiment with different rubs and marinades so Moore’s has been a perfect addition to his grilling arsenal.

 

It’s January so the temperature here in Texas has gotten Arctic so I’ve tried Moore’s recipes that will warm us up like chili and soups, and even old standards like hamburgers and meatloaf (this isn’t your mom’s recipe that’s for sure)!   Check these recipes out – they are delicious!

Brisket Chili

Ingredients

1 Yellow Onion sautéed
1 stick of Butter
1 Cubano Pepper diced
1 can Diced Tomatoes
1 can Dark Red Kidney Beans
1 can Pinto Beans (both with juice)
2-4 oz Moore’s Jalapeño Hot Sauce
1 can Tomato Sauce
1 tbs Chili Powder
1 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper

Instructions

  1. In a large pot over medium heat, stir in ingredients.
  2. Bring chili to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer 20 minutes.
  3. Taste for seasoning and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.

Harissa Chicken Soup

 Ingredients

2 cartons chicken broth
1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed and shredded
1 can black beans
1 can Lima beans
1 can great northern beans
2 cans corn
2 cans peas
1/3 cup Moore’s Harissa Hot Sauce
24 oz. bag sea island red peas
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in large pot and bring to a boil.
  2. Reduce heat and let simmer until desired thickness is achieved. At least two hours is recommended.
  3. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve as is, or over pasta.

 Buffalo Meatloaf

Ingredients

1 lb Angus ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon caramelized pearl onions
1/2 cup mozzarella / Parmesan cheese mixture, shredded
3 tablespoons Moore’s Original Buffalo Wing Sauce
2 tablespoons crushed peanuts
Bacon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees
  2. Mix all ingredients together, setting the bacon aside, and form into a loaf.
  3. Wrap loaf in bacon.
  4. Bake for 35 minutes, then raise temperature to 425 F degrees. Bake for another 35 minutes. Glaze the loaf with Moore’s Original Buffalo Wing Sauce the last 10 minutes of baking.
  5. Serve it as is, or on a sandwich!

 

Moore’s makes it easy to spice up your life!  To get more ideas, cooking tips, and recipes go to:  http://www.mooresmarinade.com/Recipes   To find out where to purchase Moore’s go to:  http://www.mooresmarinade.com/Where-To-Buy.aspx