Breezy Spring Harvest of Heaven Crunchy Chips

Breezy Spring sent over some of their super tasty Harvest of Heaven Crunchy Chips for the family to check out. All I can say is Wow. These are a fantastic way to get kids to eat their fruits and veggies. They come in perfect sized packages for lunch boxes or desk drawers at work. What a fun pick you up snack  at the office.

No MSG, wheat or gluten.

 All-Natural Dehydrated Snacks

Designed for active people, Harvest of Heaven Snacks provide a fast and creative alternative for daily fiber and nutrient intake. After the freshest ingredients are selected and then processed with the latest technology, we packaged them in our unique containers to preserve the crispness and freshness. Now you can enjoy all-natural goodies anytime, anywhere! 

 

 Let's check out all the great varieties available: 

Carrot - Large slices of salty sweet amazingly tasty carrots. All-Natural, pure, wonderful, way better than I imagined.

 

Sweet Potato - Tastes similar to those shoestring potatoes I used to eat as a child. Wonderfully crisp.

 

Shitake- Wow. I was curious about this one. It tastes really really god. Love that the mushrooms hold their shape. I am impressed. Delightfully different.

 

Taro - Crispy deep purple taro is a beautiful as it is delicious. Love finding new veggies to enjoy

 

Green Beans -  I'm a big fan of green bean chips. These don't dissapoint. Fresh green bean flavor in the aftertaste.

 

Apple - Peels and all this is a super crunchy deliciously sweet treat for the tongue.

 

Pineapple - Sweet, crunchy with a wonderfully addictive pineapple aftertaste. I can't get enough.

 

Banana - Lovely banana flavor explodes in your mouth.

 

Mixed fruit -  Awesome list of ingredients. Really enjoy the starfruit. Like a tropical explosion in my mouth.

Mixed Veggie -  Extremely colorful mix of even more varieties of delicious veggies. My kind of snacking. Okra rocks your taste buds.

Want to keep up with all things Breezy Spring? You can like em on Facebook.

Ready to buy? Head on over to Breezy Spring and get ya some of these great snack options. They even have a store locator to find Harvest of Heaven and their other products near you.

SmartKlean Laundry Ball

 SmartKlean sent me one of their awesome laundry balls for review. This is the coolest product I have seen on the market in years. I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive when I first saw the SmartKlean laundry ball and really wanted to try it out for myself.  Let me tell y'all, this baby really works. This is an amazing alternative to chemical based laundry soap that can harm you and the environment.

 I did a little comparison and asked Hubby to be the judge. I could already tell a difference from the moment I removed the laundry from the dryer. Hubby smelled and felt our towels washed with my normal laundry detergent and the same type towel washed with the SmartKlean laundry ball. Not knowing which was which, Hubby stated that the towels washed with the SmartKlean laundry ball smelled fresher and felt softer than the towels washed in my old detergent. I say old detergent because Hubby and I have decided to do our part and help the environment by using the SmartKlean laundry balls from now on.

 The initial investment is a bit high but if you consider the amount of water, electricity, trash (empty soap containers) and time you save with SmartKlean you actually save  of money throughout the year. Plus you aren't going to have to run to the store for more detergent for a year. How cool is that? SmartKlean laundry balls will do 365 loads of laundry per ball. That is a load a day for a year. Remember y'all these are perfect for those with sensitive skin as well. No chemicals. Works for me.

Check out this awesome video that shows how the SmartKlean laundry ball works to save you money while protecting you , the environment and your pocket book.

A little info from the SmartKlean website:

Innovative. Delivers an effective, toxic-free wash without the use of soap or detergent.

Earth-Friendly, People-Friendly. Derived from earth minerals, its active components are formulated to leave no residues behind in the water or fabrics, making it 100% safe for people of all ages and the environment. Ideal for sensitive skin and eczema. Recyclable, BPA & PVC-free.

Super Economic. Its full power lasts  up to 365 washes or more! Additionally, without any foam or residues, it requires no rinse cycle, saving ‘loads’ of water & energy!

Healthy for your wardrobe. It naturally maintains the softness, elasticity and color of the fabrics. In comparison to any laundry detergent, your clothes and linens will last much longer. No more fading, static cling or stiff fabrics means no fabric softeners or dryer sheets are necessary!

Easy to use. Just toss it in the washer with your laundry! Compatible with all HE and front loader washing machines.

Want to keep up with all things SmartKlean? You can like em on Facebook, follow em on Twitter, check out their blog and subscribe to their YouTube channel. 

Have questions? Check out their FAQ page.

Ready to buy? Head on over to SmartKlean and get ya some of these laundry balls for you, a friend, a neighbor a loved one...Let's work together with SmartKlean to keep our water safe from the harsh chemicals found in most laundry soaps.

Sidral Mundet Apple Flavored Soft Drink

I got the chance to try out a wonderfully apple flavored soda water from Sidral Mundet. Let me tell y'all. this stuff is awesome.

 The Green Apple smells like fresh apples. Amazing green apple flavor. Not overly carbonated, not overly sweet. Absolutely delicious and refreshing.

The original Apple flavor is full of fresh apple tastiness. Really really good.  I will be keeping both of these in the fridge year-round. Y'all gotta try this soda.

Product description from their website:

 Sidral Mundet’s apple-flavored soft drink comes from Mexico and is popular for its great taste which comes from real apples and not artificial flavors. NO KIDDING, look at the ingredients NO artificial flavoring. All flavors come from the third item on the list: “Apple Juice”
Made with natural sugar, Sidral Mundet boasts a unique and delicious taste.
Mundet started in 1902 when Porfirio Diaz was still governing Mexico, and Pancho Villa was known as Jose Doreoteo and being a tough revolutionary was a distant thought.
Today, Sidral Mundet is among the best known brands in Mexico and one with great tradition. Sidral Mundet still maintains its high quality because its flavor comes from apple juice and it is pasteurized which guarantees its quality and freshness.
So clean and refreshing, Mexican mothers trusted it and would give their children Sidral Mundet when they had upset stomachs to provide hydration and still today Sidral Mundet is used among Mexican grownups when dealing with a stomach ache or to aide in a more grownup condition: “Cruda”
But Sidral Mundet does not live in the past and continues to be a contemporary brand known for its high quality, great taste and adaptability to the present. Today, Mundet increased its flavors and introduced Mundet GREEN APPLE, tangy and refreshing also made with apple as a flavoring.
Choose your favorite or drink both.

 Want to keep up with Sidral Mundet? You can like em on Facebook and follow em on Twitter.

Ready to buy? Head on over to Sidral Mundet and check out their store locator to find some near you.

Snack Factory’s Pretzel Crisps® Blog to Cure

 Pretzel Crisps has teamed up with Susan G. Komen for the Cure® to help raise awareness and much needed funds. As someone who has lost a family member to cancer this really touches my heart. I know there is a cure out there somewhere. Let's do what we can to find it so no one else has to go through the trauma of having cancer or losing someone to it.


About the program:

For over 25 years, Komen for the Cure has been the global leader of the breast cancer movement, having invested more than $1.9 billion since inception.  Through the generosity and donations of individuals and companies across the country and throughout the world, Komen has been able to continue its fight against breast cancer and towards finding a cure.  This year, Pretzel Crisps®, the low fat, low calorie flat-baked pretzel cracker, is proud to join the fight and help donate to the cause.  For every specially marked 14 ounce Pretzel Crisps® bag sold from August through October 2011, Snack Factory will donate a portion of the proceeds, with a minimum of $100,000, to Komen.

Specially marked package

How you can help:

 Easy, just purchase specially marked Pretzel Crisps® bags from the deli section of your local grocery store. This is simple to do and Pretzel Crisps taste great and are a healthier alternative to traditional potato chips. Pretzel Crisps are made with no trans fats, saturated fat or cholesterol. I think it's fun, and delicious to add your favorite dip, or spread to these great pretzel crackers. They come in so many great flavors and taste amazing on their own.



Want to keep up with Pretzel Crisps? You can like em on Facebook
and follow em on Twitter.

Ready to buy? and do your part? Check out where you can find Pretzel Crisps. 

American Wasteland How America Throws Away Nearly Half of Its Food (and What We Can Do About It) by Jonathan Bloom

  DaCapo Books sent over a copy of American Wasteland - How America Throws Away Nearly Half of Its Food (and What We Can Do About It) by Jonathan Bloom for me to review. 

 I work in an elementary school cafeteria so I see an incredible amount of wasted food. I realize kids are picky when it comes to eating but they can and should be taught not to be so wasteful. It is nothing to see a child take one bite out of their hamburger and throw the rest in the trash. This is not only a waste of food it is so much more. Just think about how that food got onto the child's plate. First someone had to plow the ground (Man power, diesel) Plant grow and harvest the wheat for the bun. (more man power, diesel, water and time) Get the wheat to the mill to be ground, to the bakery to be made into buns and then shipped to our school (Diesel, more man power, electricity, tax dollars from hard working citizens, paper work.etc...) This does not even include the waste of the beef that came from a living creature. I mean there are hungry people all over the globe and people have the audacity to be throwing food away. It literally makes me want to cry.

 American Wasteland shows just how bad this situation really is and exactly what we can do about it. This book covers food waste from all aspects, from why it matters, how it is disgraceful and how we have developed a "culture of waste" in this country. Jonathan Bloom goes on to discuss ways that we can change this bad habit through lifestyle changes and legislation. It's a good read.

Description from DaCapo Website:

What Tom Vanderbilt did for traffic and Brian Wansink did for mindless eating, Jonathan Bloom does for food waste. The topic couldn’t be timelier: As more people are going hungry while simultaneously more people are morbidly obese, American Wasteland sheds light on the history, culture, and mindset of waste while exploring the parallel eco-friendly and sustainable-food movements. As the era of unprecedented prosperity comes to an end, it’s time to reexamine our culture of excess.Working at both a local grocery store and a major fast food chain and volunteering with a food recovery group, Bloom also interviews experts—from Brian Wansink to Alice Waters to Nobel Prize–winning economist Amartya Sen—and digs up not only why and how we waste, but, more importantly, what we can do to change our ways.

Jonathan Bloom

Jonathan Bloom is a freelance journalist and food waste expert who writes the blog Wasted Food. An accomplished eater and fledgling composter, he has covered both serious and quirky topics related to food and the environment. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Newsweek, and Variety, among others. A Boston native, he lives in Durham, North Carolina, with his family, and many, many containers for leftovers.
Want to keep up with Da Capo Lifelong Books? You can like em on Facebook and sign up for their Perseus Groups newsletter.


Ready to buy? Head on over to Da Capo Lifelong Books and get yourself a copy of this or one of their many other great titles.

Da Capo Sells books in these great categories:

• History
• Pop Culture
• Music
• Sports

Thrive Foods 200 Plant-Based Recipes for Peak Health by Brendan Brazier

I was sent Thrive Foods - 200 Plant-Based Recipes for Peak Health by Brendan Brazier from my friends over at Da Capo Books. This is a highly informative book.

Thrive Foods shows how to reduce nutritional stress on the body by eating properly and reducing over consumption. Let's face it y'all we have an obesity problem in this country. Thrive Foods is a great way to find 200 nutrient dense recipes that  are not only good for you but taste great too.

  Thrive Foods also has a section devoted to the effects of food production and transportation on the environment. Eating local and raw foods helps reduce overuse of the land and emissions caused by transporting foods across the country and across the world.
Y'all will also learn that eating foods in their raw form helps foods retain their nutrients.

 Let's try a recipe from Thrive Foods. I found this yummy treat "Stuffed Mushrooms" on page 178 of the book. There are so many fabulous recipes in this book. I chose a recipe with ingredients found in most grocery stores. Many of the recipes have ingredients that you will need to get at your local health food store.

 Excellent flavor, fresh, crisp and delicious. I love the colors and textures in this dish. Looking forward to trying the next recipe soon.

Recipe categories include:
Drinks
Breakfasts
Salads
Soups and Sides
Spreads, Dips, Sauces and Dressings
Main Dishes
Vegetables
Grazing Snacks
Energy Bars and Gels
Desserts

Description

Focusing on an environmentally friendly diet, Brendan Brazier's new book builds on the stress-reducing, health-boosting nutritional philosophy introduced in Thrive. Finding creative ways to use basic ingredients such as kale, blueberries, and wild rice, Thrive Foods recipes are plant-based and nutritionally complete. They utilize the power of superfoods such asmaca, chia, hemp, and chlorella and avoid ingredients like wheat, yeast, gluten, soy, dairy, and corn.If you're looking for sustainable energy, high-quality sleep, physical strength, and mental sharpness to meet modern-day demands, Thrive Foods is your go-to recipe source.

Brendan Brazier

Brendan Brazier, professional Ironman triathlete and creator of VEGA, an award-winning plant-based nutritional line, is regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on athleticism and plant-based nutrition. He lives in Los Angeles, California, and Vancouver, British Colombia.

Want to keep up with Da Capo Lifelong Books? You can like em on Facebook and sign up for their Perseus Groups newsletter
You can even like Brendan Brazier on Facebook. Then you can download an exclusive free.introduction and recipe booklet.


Ready to buy? Head on over to Da Capo Lifelong Books and get yourself a copy of this or one of their many other great titles.

Da Capo Sells books in these great categories:

• Pop Culture
• Music
• Sports

Blooming Bath

 Y'all, I was asked to review one of the cutest products I have seen in years. Blooming Bath is this amazing way to keep baby super comfy while bathing in the sink. And just think of how many cute baby pics you can get in this beauty.

The material of the Baby Bath is so soft I can't begin to describe it. I mean it is softer than petting a bunny. Really Really soft for baby's delicate skin. I personally love this bath aide. No worries about baby bumping any tiny parts on the hard edges of a sink.

You also don't have to deal with cold sinks bugging baby while he or she is enjoying their bath.

 When your finished bathing your young one all you have to do is rinse out the Blooming Bath and put it in the dryer according to package instructions, or simply hang it up to dry with the convenient hang tag on the bag.

Their Description:
Unique and boutique-ish, Blooming Bath is a cute, cuddly and convenient way to bathe your baby. Unlike traditional baby bath tubs, Blooming Bath is made from incredibly soft, plush materials — providing a safe, soft, and unbelievably adorable bathing experience for the most important person in your world. It really is the ideal baby gift for any expecting mother.


 
Want to keep up with all things Blooming Bath? You can like em on Facebook and follow em on Twitter.

Ready to buy one or two  Blooming Baths? Head on over to Blooming Bath and get one for yourself or someone you love. They come in yellow or blue.