Review

{Product Review}: Rise Bars

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About three months ago I was sent a variety of Rise Bars to sample and review.  I have been slacking on the posts but I think that this is the perfect time to tell you about my new favorite energy bar.  Ever since I found out I was pregnant I have had a stash of Rise Bars, along with a variety of other snacks, in my purse and at my office desk.  I know that I can go from fine to “starving” in about ten minutes (it’s crazy) so I always need to have healthy snacks on hand and Rise Bars have become my bar of choice.

Rise Energy+ Bars are 100% organic, made with blended superfruit and nuts, full of fiber and antioxidants to fuel you through the rest of the day. They come in five flavors which are all tasty but the Cherry Almond and Blueberry Coconut are my favorites.

INGREDIENTS: ALMONDS*CASHEWS*DATES*CHERRIES* BROWN RICE SYRUP*TAPIOCA SYRUP*AMARATH*SEA SALT (* Organic Ingredient)

INGREDIENTS: ALMONDS*DATES*COCONUT* RAISINS*BROWN RICE SYRUP*TAPIOCA SYRUP*AMARANTH*ACAI*SEA SALT (* Organic Ingredient)

INGREDIENTS: CASHEWS*DATES*ALMONDS*APRICOTS* BROWN RICE SYRUP*TAPIOCA SYRUP* AMARANTH*SEA SALTGOJI* (* Organic Ingredient)

INGREDIENTS: ALMONDS*COCONUT* DATES*TAPIOCA SYRUP*BROWN RICE SYRUP* BLUEBERRIES (WILD BLUEBERRIES, EVAPORATED CANE JUICE, SUNFLOWER OIL)*RAISINS* AMARANTH*SEA SALT (* Organic Ingredient)

INGREDIENTS: DATES*ALMONDS*COCONUT* APPLES*BROWN RICE SYRUP*TAPIOCA SYRUP*AMARANTH*RASPBERRIES* POMEGRANATE*SEA SALT (* Organic Ingredient)

Additional reasons I love these bars:

  • They are naturally sweetened with tapioca Syrup/Brown Rice Syrup
  • They are made of blended superfruits
  • They have nuts to add protein and sustain energy levels
  • They are 100% organic
  • They taste AMAZING
  • They are free of:
    • GLUTEN
    • PRESERVATIVES
    • GMOS
    • DAIRY
    • SOY
    • PEANUTS

As you can see from the list above there are so many reasons to love Rise Bar and that is why they are currently my go to snack bar. Don’t get me wrong  I still have a few other unnamed bars that I love but Rise Bar is currently at the top of my list.

Disclaimer: Rise Bar provided me with a sample of their products to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway.

{Product Review}: Calnaturale Svelte

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CalNaturale Svelte sent me a sample of their flavors to try. These protein drinks each contain 16g of organic protein, a low glycemic index and only 9g sugar per bottle.  They are dairy and gluten free and are a great source of fiber; 8g of dietary fiber per bottle.

Flavors: (descriptions provided by Calnaturale)

Chocolate: The creamy, velvety flavor of our Chocolate reminds us of a chocolate milk shake – – but without all the fat, sugar or calories. Instead, we create our Chocolate with pure organic cocoa, fresh organic soymilk, organic complex carbohydrates such as rice syrup and inulin and just a hint (only 9 grams) of organic sugar. When a creamy chocolate flavor comes with such healthy nutrition, it makes you wonder why other chocolate drinks aren’t made this way.

French Vanilla: Someone recently told us that the flavor of our French Vanilla tastes like yummy melted vanilla ice cream. Gosh, we can’t think of a better compliment! You’ll love the flowery bouquet of pure organic vanilla, mixed in a blend with fresh organic soymilk, complex carbohydrates such as rice syrup and inulin and just a hint (9 grams) of organic sugar. The fragrant flavor of vanilla never had it so good.

Cappuccino: Many people love fancy coffee drinks from the coffee shops, but the excess sugar, fat and calories added to those coffee beverages will send folks running for the exits. As an alternative, we offer the rich flavor of our Cappuccino, with a complex, indulgent coffee taste that seems impossible for such a nutritionally-stellar product. But delicious flavor speaks for itself, and we’re sure you’ll love our Cappuccino.

Spiced Chai: One of the gifts of South Asia to the beverage world is the savory, exciting taste of chai. We’re so delighted that this beverage is catching on here in America that we created our Spiced Chai flavor. Our Chai has an irresistible aroma and a blend of organic black tea and organic South Asian spices. Plus, with complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, protein and fiber, our Chai has a nutritional excellence that any lover of world cuisine will find delightful.

My thoughts:

Pros:

  • Low Sugar
  • High Fiber
  • Vegan
  • Yummy flavors
  • Great quick breakfast on the go or a snack before or after a workout

Cons:

  • I found the french vanilla to be too sweet for me, however I am overly sensitive to sweet flavors.

My rating of flavor from my favorite to least favorite:

  1. Chai
  2. Cappuccino
  3. Chocolate
  4. French Vanilla
Overall I found these beverages to be tasty and I love that unlike other energy protein drinks they are low in sugar and I can name all of the ingredients.  I don’t think that these will be my go to drinks for energy as I prefer to make my own energy-protein smoothies but these are good on the run.
Stay tuned for a Calnaturale Wine review in January once my holiday detox is over. 

Frozen Grains

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Last night Neil and I headed to the gym after work to get in a cardio session in before heading home for a little yoga and dinner. I was already planning on making red curry vegetables and tempeh for dinner so I was delighted to see a box from Village Harvest Rice sitting on my doorstep.  Neil and I anxiously opened the box to find a variety of frozen whole grains just waiting for us to heat them up.  Since I was already making curry for dinner and planning on making a grain to go with I was excited to try one of the varieties out.  I let Neil choose and he decided on the red quinoa and brown rice blend.  All I had to do was cook my curry and heat the grains up on the stove for 3-4 minutes.  Simple and quick.  I was as little weary about whether the grains would hold up or if they would be mushy like other heat and eat grains I had tried before.  

Conclusion: The grains were perfect.  They were not over cooked, not mushy and they held up really well with the curry sauce.  I am very impressed!  This is just the thing I need to have in my house for busy nights since grains always take the longest to cook.

Since we were pretty hungry last night we didn’t have enough for leftovers so I made beans, greens and grains this morning for our lunches.  I decided to try the wheatberry and barley blend to serve along with my stir fry of black beans, spinach, zucchini and peppers. I snuck a few bites and I’m excited for lunch to come.

I think lunch will be the perfect fuel for my run this afternoon. Then it’s off to yoga and out for a drink with the Hubz.

Happy Friday!

{Review}: Third Street Chai

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 Third Street Chai, located in Boulder, CO, microbrews organic chai, iced tea, yerba mate and lemonade concentrates. Third Street creates their delicious tea/lemonade concentrates in their eco-friendly facilities that are 100% wind-powered. Additionally Third Street composts 100% of their ingredients with the help of local farmers in Boulder County.  Third Street also uses high quality Organic and Fair Trade Certified ingredients to produce all of their products.

Third Street Chai was kind enough to send me a variety of samples of their products to review.

The samples included:

  • Ginger Lemonade
  • Authentic Chai
  • Spicy Ginger Chai
  • Pomegranate Green Tea
  • Peach Black Tea

All of Third Street’s concentrates are lightly sweetened and are easy to prepare; all you need for the chai is some tasty almond milk (or your favorite milk) and for the iced teas and lemonade water! I quickly became obsessed with the ginger lemonade and it was the first to go (and far to quickly I must say).  I loved that it wasn’t too sweet like most lemonades and had a nice gingery bite.

As for the chai I have only tried them hot, since it is getting to be winter here, and I enjoyed both of the flavors.  Of the two chai’s the Authentic was my favorite and the Spicy Ginger the Hubz favorite.  I found the Spicy Ginger a little too peppery for me.  To make the chai latte I heated half chai and half almond milk in a pot on the stove and served.  I attempted to make a foam with a whisk but failed;  I really need an a frother to make some good foam.

Lastly the iced teas- these were my least favorite.  I am lover of iced tea but I like mine strong and unsweetened.  The fruit plus the added sweetener made these a little too overpowering for me.  My dad who tried the peach black tea agreed that it was good but a little too sweet.

Overall my husband and I were huge fans and Neil is now on a search for a 64oz super concentrate so he can have chai lattes all the time (within reason).

Have you tried Third St Chai? What is your favorite beverage? 

Disclaimer: Third Street Chai provided me with a sample of their products to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway.

Eating Rabbit Food

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Welcome to day 2 of Sasquatch Books blog tour for Beth Barnett’s Rabbit Food Cookbook. Rabbit Food Cookbook made it’s start as a zine, and is packed with variety delicious vegan recipes like Tofu Pot Pie, Almond White Cake and Crumbly Coffee Cake.  This isn’t just a cookbook, though; it’s a guide to eating well to benefit your body and the world.  In the first part of the book, Barnett writes about “The Food Supply in Perspective.,” “Health & Nutrition Considerations,” and a history of the industrialization of food in America—I love how it is broken down into a timeline starting in the lat 1700s and going through to today. Another great feature is the “Essential Equipment” guide, which features everything from a cast iron skillet (a must have item in my book) to spice jars and spice grinders. There is also a wonderful D.I.Y. component to the book  including tips on everything from how to plant your first garden to how to sew your own reusable grocery and produce bags.

I haven’t made all the recipes that interest me from the cookbook yet (I’ve only had it a few weeks) but I have tried a few that I love.  The Pasta with White Beans is quick, easy and delicious- a meal I will be making over and over.  My favorite main meal however (so far anyways) is the Smoky Tempeh & Kale it is really incredible and easy to make.  I also love how it has directions on how to bake, grill or stir fry it; providing you with a variety of cooking methods.

Recipe posted with permission of Sasquatch Books.

Recipe posted with permission of Sasquatch Books.

As for sweet treats I made the Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies but I subbed raisins for chocolate chips because I was out.  Also there was a little more oil in the cookies than I cared for so I reduced it down a little and used some apple sauce.  They turned out delicious however next time I’d make them with chocolate chips because well, chocolate is always better.

Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies with "cream cheese" filling

Additional things I love about the cookbook:

  • It’s spiral bound.  This makes things so much easier when you are in the kitchen because you aren’t trying to hold pages down while you cook.  I wish more cookbooks came spiral bound for this reason.
  • It’s hand written with wonderful illustrations.  I just love the how artsy and crafty the cookbook is; this makes it so much fun to read.
  • The variety of recipes.  There are so many different recipes in the book including breakfast, soups, main meals, desserts and drinks.  Some recipes are quick and easy others take longer and are a little more complicated but all are super tasty and have clear instructions.
Rabbit Food Cookbook will be on tour all week; check out all the stops: 

Monday, October 24th, Cake Maker to the Stars <–Kick off Post

Tuesday October 25th,  Cook Vegan Lover
Wednesday, October 26th, Bake and Destroy
Thursday October 27th, Carrie on Vegan
Friday October 28th, Vegancraftastic
Saturday October 29th, Manifest Vegan
Sunday October 30th, Andrea’s Easy Vegan Cooking
Monday Octover 31st, Vegansaurus
Disclosure:  I did not receive compensation for participating in this blog tour.  However I did receive a free review copy of Rabbit Food cookbook.

Vega Breakfast Challenge

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A few weeks ago I was invited to participate in the Vega blogger campaign to Take the Vega Breakfast Challenge. Being a huge fan of Vega I decided to take the challenge.  During the challenge I tried Vega’s Complete Whole Food Health Optimizers (WFHO) in a variety of flavors and ways.  My favorite way to use WFHO is in smoothies or in my Banana Bread Protein Pancakes.

Post 3Miler- Choco-Banana Vega Smoothie

After trying the WFHO I then compared my everyday breakfast  to only one single serving of  WFHO using Vega’s online Breakfast Nutrition Calculator. I honestly had a hard time using the the Breakfast Nutrition Calculator because I couldn’t accurately find what I normally eat each morning which is on run days is a super cacao energy bite and then most days oatmeal with banana, nut butter, chia seeds and flax.  Simply finding rolled oats on the calculator was a challenge and then when I found an item labeled “oats”, I was unable to choose the correct quantity. Additionally, when adding the chia seeds and flax to the list it did not accurately compare the two items because both include omega-3’s and they did not show up on the nutrition calculator.  Overall I thought the Breakfast Nutrition Calculator was a bit flawed and did not accurately compare the WFHO with my everyday breakfast.

Moving on to really discuss how I felt the mornings that I ate the WFHO- I felt great.  The WFHO is 100% plant-based, it’s gluten-free, soy-free and dairy free and it’s super low in calories. According to Vega only one single serving guarantees:
·         100% of you daily vitamins and minerals
·         60% daily intake of fiber
·         Healthy weight loss
·         Maintaining optimal health

I did felt more energized, full and ready to take on the day after having a smoothie or the pancakes with the WFHO.  I love that it adds the edition of:

  • A Full Serving of ChlorEssence (High CGF Chlorella)
    • Rich in protein, chlorophyll and nucleic acids DNA & RNA
    • Cleanse, nourish, rejuvenate cells and activate, support immune system
    • Special cell wall fiber binds to and removes heavy metals and other toxins from the body
  • A Full Serving of MacaSure (Organic Gelatinized Maca)
    • Rich in alkaloids, glucosinolates, minerals and sterols
    • Increase energy, reduce stress, balance hormones, improve libido
    • Gelatinization enhances potency and ease of digestion/absorption
Two things I do not get enough of regularly and both are great for active people and non-active people.

Overall I felt that the challenge was a success because I felt a difference in my energy levels throughout the day.  I am, and have been, a fan of the product for years and will continue to use it.  The only downfall in this challenge really was the Breakfast Nutrition Calculator, however there is no debate that the added nutrients in WFHO is a great addition to any breakfast.  Additionally the recipes that Vega offers on the Breakfast Challenge Page are really great and include smoothie, pancake and cereal recipes all using WFHO.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of WFHO? Mine is the chocolate!

*Giveaway*

I am giving away one single serving size of WFHO to one lucky CVL reader- all you have to do is tweet “I want to win @cookveganlover @VegaTeam Whole Food Health Optimizer giveaway http://wp.me/pFVWo-2yl #vegabreakfastchallenge” and then come back here and leave a comment letting me know you did so BY September 10, 2011. 

Summer Thirst Quencher: Mighty Leaf Tea

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Over a twitter discussion over my absolute favorite tea- Mighty Leaf’s Orange Dulce I came into contact with Mighty Leaf about doing a review of their new iced teas. They sent me their four new iced tea flavors to try and let me tell you they don’t disappoint. These teas are just like Mighty Leaf’s small tea bags in giant form; so not only do they make delicious tea but what isn’t fun about a giant tea bag?

The  Mighty Leaf Iced Teas flavors:

o   Ginger Peach Iced Tea:  A blissful and lightly sweet black iced tea infused with sun-swelled peaches and delicate ginger.

o   Calypso Mango Iced Tea:  A sweet and cooling black iced tea with an indulging blend of South Indian black tea leaves, luscious mango, and tropical fruit.

o   Organic Black Iced Tea:  A flavorful black iced tea made of refreshingly rich and smooth South Indian organic black tea leaves hand-picked on the dewy slopes of the Nilgiri Mountains.

o   Sunburst Green Iced Tea:  A cool and vibrant iced green tea that delivers mountain-grown Chinese green tea leaves  brightened with the crisp taste of ripe oranges and sweet citrus. The lowest in caffeine among all four flavors.

Iced tea is my favorite summer beverage  however I don’t often make it at home because unless I have loose tea it is no fun to try to make tea from a handful of tiny tea bags.  Well Mighty Leaf makes things so much easier by having their giant iced tea bags.  All you have to do is steep the tea bag and then add ice. It’s never been easier to make iced tea at home.

I really enjoyed all of these flavors and once we started making them we haven’t been able to stop. My favorite is the Sunburst Green Iced Tea because it is fresh and crisp and perfect on a hot day.  Neil’s favorite is the Organic Black Iced Tea it is wonderfully dark and refreshing.

Summer might be coming to an end but it’s never too late to enjoy a nice cold crisp glass of iced tea.  

*CLOSED* GIVEAWAYS:  Mighty Leaf is offering a giveaway of their Summer Brewing Kit.  One person can receive a box of each of their new teas, as well as the Bodum Iced Tea Pitcher which makes fresh iced tea in minutes.  The kit’s total value is approximately $60.  US Residents only. Giveaway open until August 25th at 4pm EST

Mandatory: What is your favorite summer drink?

*Additional Entries* Leave a separate  comment for each

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  • Tweet “I want to win @cookveganlover @MightyLeaf giveaway http://wp.me/pFVWo-2vj”
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Winner:

DISCOUNT:  Mighty Leaf is offering CVL readers a 15 percent site-wide discount on www.mightyleaf.com.   The unique discount code is: coupon code: summertea15