Food, Fotos, and Fun!

Hail Merry Review

2012-01-21T12:12:00.000-06:00

Greetings all! I hope your weekend is off to a great start! Last week was the first week of my last semester of graduate school. I really can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday I was beginning my grad program. Let's just hope I'm all ready for the real world by May.

I've got a great review for you all today courtesy of Hail Merry. The lovely folks from Hail Merry sent me a few complimentary samples to review for you (pictured below). Hail Merry is a raw, vegan, gluten-free snack food company with delicious products. Read more on their online brochure. They have a beautiful website you should check out too.

Blonde Macaroons: 10 of 10! These were so tasty with a strong coconut flavor. They were soft, chewy, and melted in my mouth without being crumbly. I loved their slight sweetness.

Orange Cranberry Grawnola: 9 of 10. This raw granola was hearty, rich, crunchy and chewy (interesting combo, I know). It was slightly sweet and cinnamonny. The dried fruit was a nice touch, as were the seeds/nuts.

Vanilla Maple Almonds: 10 of 10! Wow - such sweet almonds and soo flavorful! They had a smooth texture and made for a very satisfying treat!

I must say these snacks really were delicious. If you have not tried raw, vegan, or gluten-free foods, then you should. You won't sacrifice flavor - I can promise you that.

Tisano Review

2012-01-10T19:07:00.000-06:00

I hope your new year is off to a good start and that you are sticking to any resolutions you made. I've been doing fairly well with my resolution to eat more mindfully, so let's hope I can stick to that!

I recently received a couple samples (pictured below) from Tisano to review. Tisano is "a family run chocolate herbal tea company that lives by three simple truths: - integreiTEA - qualiTEA - sustainabiliTEA." I think those three truths are both clever and noble. I can personally attest to the high quality of their tea.

100% Organic Cacao Tea: 10 of 10. This tea has a rich, smooth flavor and is a delicious calorie-free treat. I was impressed!

Dark Chocolate Cacao Nibs: 9 of 10. These nibs are slightly bitter, which is to be expected I'm sure. There is a soft, smooth chocolate coating concealing a crunchy chocolate inside.

Chocolate is one of my guilty pleasures, so this was definitely a fun review for me. I never thought chocolate tea would be so satisfying, but it was!

Somersaults!

2011-12-26T14:31:00.000-06:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with friends and family. I enjoyed spending the weekend with family in Wisconsin where there was a beautiful dusting of snow.

I recently received a package of Somersaults to review, and I am very excited to share this snack company with you! Somersaults "are the result of our quest to create healthy, tasty snacks for people who want more than just empty nutrition." They use absolutely nothing artificial in their snacks, "staying far away from trans fats, hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup, so you can feel as good sharing Somersaults with your family."

Here are my reviews of the various flavors:

Santa Fe Salsa: 10 of 10. Hot and spicy, but not too salty. Very flavorful and satisfying.

Pacific Sea Salt: 9 of 10. Thick, crunchy, and lots of delicious seeds. It was a bit too salty for my liking, but packed full of flavor and slightly addictive.

Dutch Cocoa: 9 of 10. Rich, deep chocolate flavor and slightly sweet. Crunchy and crispy outside. This makes for a great dessert snack, though it could have been even sweeter for me.

Salty Pepper: 9.5 of 10. A bit too salty, but a great, full flavor with pepper and other spices like garlic and onion. It was like a flavor shot for my mouth.

Cinnamon Crunch: 10 of 10. Sweet, rich cinnamon flavor. A great dessert that was like mini cookies.

I loved these!! They are such a tasty and healthy snack. You do have to watch your portion size (around 140 calories for 14 pieces), but they are so good. ^_^

Pumpkin Bread AND Winter Break!!

2011-12-10T12:35:00.001-06:00

Fall semester is over! I turned in my last final project yesterday and can finally breathe again. Winter break is such a blessing, and I will definitely miss it once I'm working full time. I have to say I'm still extremely pleased with my new home state of Illinois. While we did get a dusting of snow a couple days ago, we have yet to truly experience winter, and it's already mid-December! Back in Iowa that is most definitely not the case.

The lack of snow and reasonable temps in the 30s have also allowed me to keep biking to class and work! I'm trying to hold out longer than I did last semester, and so far I am succeeding! Once the ice and snow arrive though, I'll resign and take public transportation again.

I baked some pumpkin bread recently too. I decided to try a lower sugar and fat recipe, and it actually turned out to be quite delcious. Here it is:

Ingredients (Makes 10 servings)

1/2c. sugar
3tbsp. olive oil
1/4c. applesauce, unsweetened
1 egg
3/4tsp. cinnamon
1/4tsp. nutmeg
1tsp. vanilla
1c. pumpkin
1tsp. baking soda
1/4tsp. salt
1 2/3c. flour
1/3c. water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream sugar, oil and applesauce together. Add egg and mix well. Add spices, vanilla and pumpkin. Mix flour, baking soda and salt. Alternately add flour mixture and water and mix well. Pour into 3 greased small bread loaf pans or 1 greased large bread pan. Bake at 350F degrees for 30 minutes for smaller loaves or 45-55 minutes for large loaf.

Enjoy!!

I hope everyone else is having a wonderful holiday season so far with good food and minimal stress. Take care!

Thanksgiving Bread

2011-11-25T10:11:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope you all had a wonderful day yesterday and were able to spend it with friends and family while eating scrumptous foods. I decided to bake some bread, which is something I should do much more often since it is oh so delicious! It's not that difficult either, especially when you make "Easy No Rise Bread" like I did (pictured below). It's always the best right out of the oven - warm with a crisp crust.

Did any of you hit the stores to do some Black Friday shopping? I went to CVS under the impression that their sales started today at 6am (I just wanted a hair dryer for $5.99), but when I got there I noticed the parking lot was empty. It turns out that their sale started on Thursday and the hair dryers were gone :-(. That will teach me not to rely on those Black Friday aggregator sites. I should've actually looked at the CVS website... Oh, well. I ended up purchasing what will likely be a higher quality hair dryer from Amazon.

Now I must do homework - the end of the semester will be here soon!

Autumn in Illinois

2011-11-13T21:53:00.001-06:00

Greetings everyone! Fall is slowly (and at times quickly) transitioning into winter here in Illinois. I am sad to see the warm temps go because that means I will need to retire my bike for the winter soon. I am going to see if I can keep riding it for the remainder of November though since it is such a convenient and fun means of transportation.

My last post promised some beautiful Autumn pictures, and I shall not disappoint.

Illini Union

Lovely street lamp at night

Main Quad

Rose on the Main Quad (in November!)

Rose on the Main Quad

I thoroughly enjoyed taking the above pictures and also adding special features to some, like the sepia coloring to the rose.

Also, did you all make a wish at 11:11 on 11/11/11? I did :-).

~

Taco Tofu

2011-11-07T23:23:00.002-06:00

I purchase tofu every once in awhile but rarely use it to make anything all that interesting. I decided to try something new and scramble my tofu with taco seasoning. The result was delicious, and it was super easy to make! I only needed tofu, a pan, some oil, and a packet of taco seasoning. Here's the gorgeous result:

Do you know of any easy, delicious tofu recipes? Tofu is so versatile, and relatively cheap too :-).

And I must say I have been loving the extended fall here in Illinois. Our temps our still in the 50s and the trees aren't bare yet. I've definitely taken some gorgeous pictures, and I'll be sure to share them with you soon!

Crazy Dog Halloween Costumes and T-shirts!

2011-10-15T17:55:00.000-05:00

Halloween is right around the corner! Do you have a costume yet? If not, Crazy Dog offers a variety of custumes, and they are letting me share some discounts with you. When you check out, you can use the coupon code TRICK for $5 off any costume order, OR TREAT for 10% off any costume order.

Crazy Dog also sent me a couple of their awesome t-shirts to review for you. I chose the Hugs Not Drugs shirt, which is featured in their New Tees category, and also their super fun Duck Duck Goose t-shirt that can be found in the 80s T-Shirts category. Regardless of what you find funny or adorable, you are sure to find at least one (and probably a lot more!) t-shirt designs you like. I personally enjoy the 80s T-shirts category the best since I was born in the 80s. The school house rock shirts are super (ie. I'm Just a Bill).

Here are the two t-shirts I received:

I just love the quality of each shirt. They are soft, fit well, and each has a unique, fun design - what more could I want?! I'm even going to be wearing the "Hugs Not Drugs" t-shirt to a dance tonight. I'm curious to see if it'll work like a "Free Hugs" t-shirt. I've never been one to turn down a hug :-).

Have a wonderful evening everyone!

Easy Sugar Cookies

2011-10-10T07:07:00.000-05:00

Good morning all! I had a wonderful weekend enjoying the beautiful autumn weather here in Illinois. I also took some time to bake some sugar cookies. I don't bake very often, so this was a fun treat.

Easy Sugar Cookies (Makes 10 servings)

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Combine the flour, baking soda, and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture.

2. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until light brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

You can find the recipe with nutritional facts here. They were tasty :-).

That's it. Giveaway Winner

2011-10-02T16:16:00.000-05:00

The lucky winner of the That's it. Fruit Bars Giveaway I hosted is #7 according to random.org, which translates into Lisa Calandrino! Congrats! Thank you so much to everyone else who entered.

And in case some of you haven't had the chance to check out my photo website, below are two of my favorite pictures I took over the summer.

Chili Cheese Fries

2011-09-25T22:27:00.000-05:00

Good morning! I decided to try a new recipe this weekend: Chili Cheese Fries. This is not something I normally make, but I thought I'd live a little and be more adventurous. I used the last of my garden fresh potatoes to make the fries, and then I cheated and used canned turkey chili. I topped it off with some shredded cheese. Pictured below is the final result:

Maybe next time I'll try making the chili from scratch. The homemade fries were delicious!

And don't forget to enter my That's it. Fruit Bars giveaway! It ends Sept. 30!

Have a great week!

~

That's it. Fruit Bars Giveaway!

2011-09-19T19:54:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I hope you had a chance to check out my That's it. Fruit Bars review here. Today one of you has a chance to win one 12 variety pack!

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will end on September 30, 2011. The winner will be picked via random.org. and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning e-mail to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn. Make sure you leave a valid e-mail address in your posts!

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment stating one neat fact about That's it. Fruit Bars or share where you would take your That's it. Fruit Bars for a convenient and healthy snack.

Extra Entries (leave one comment for each): Post a link to this giveaway on your blog.

Add my blog to your blogroll.

Tweet about this giveaway: @ThatsItFruit Bars Giveaway by @cygirl88 at Food, Fotos, and Fun! http://foodfotosandfun.blogspot.com/2011/09/thats-it-fruit-bars-giveaway.html

Best of luck!

~

That's it. Fruit Bars Review

2011-09-07T15:21:00.000-05:00

I've discovered yet another new product: That’s it. fruit bars! These bars come in 3 flavors: Apples & Cherries, Apples & Pear, Apples & Apricot. I was sent all 3 flavors to review for you here.

I love how these bars are all-natural and made from only two fruit ingredients and no preservatives, purees, concentrates, added sugar, GMOs or nuts. They are kosher, vegan-friendly, gluten-free, diabetic-friendly, high-fiber, fat-free and low-calorie :-). These bars also contain Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Beta Carotene and 3 grams of fiber per bar.

While these bars aren't exactly cheap, they are affordable at $19.99 for a box of 12 or as low as $1.29/bar when you buy a 1-3 month supply. While I would normally just buy real fruit, I think these bars are great for road trips or a day out hiking, touring the city, or shopping. In those cases, real fruit can get bruised, mushy, etc. and these bars provide a great alternative.

Check out my pictures and review below!

Apples & Pears: 10 of 10. Simple and delicious. Very sweet with a nice blend of apple and pear. I liked the chewy texture with chunks of moist, dried pears and apples in a pureed fruit mix.

Apples & Cherries: 9.5 of 10. Same great texture with the perfect blend of cherry and apple flavors. My only complaint is that it was a tad too sour for my liking.

Apples & Apricots: 9 of 10. Sweet and a little sour. The apricot overpowed the apple flavor by a little, but the bar was still moist and had a great texture.

They sound good, don't they?! Well, if you'd like to try them, stay tuned for a 12-pack giveaway coming up soon!!

You can also visit http://www.thatsitfruit.com/ to find more information and purchase a 12-pack of Apples & Cherries, Apples & Pears, Apples & Apricots or variety pack of your own. The bars are also available to purchase on Amazon.com.

* Check out That’s it.TM on Twitter and Facebook for special promotions and giveaways.

~

Simple Potato Hash

2011-08-29T08:28:00.001-05:00

Good morning! I've recently been blessed with a gift of lots of garden fresh potatoes, and I've been trying to think of various ways to use them. So far I've microwaved them, made mashed potatoes, and baked potato fries. Last night I decided to switch it up again, so I made my own version of potato hash. The recipe is below:

Simple Potato Hash

3 small red potatoes
1 large onion
2 eggs
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Place oil, onion, and potatoes into a covered skillet and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Then add eggs and spices and continue stirring. Cook until everything is heated thoroughly.

It's that easy! I think I'll experiment with adding different spices, but this still turned out well. Below is the finished product:

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

2011-08-14T19:38:00.001-05:00

Hello all! Today I'm going to share some pictures with you that I took on a recent trip to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. It is a beautiful place to hike, swim, and sightsee. You can really get a workout hiking up the hills and walking through the sand! I absolutely loved it and was lucky enough to be there as a storm came through, which meant I got some awesome pictures. Oh, and I also got soaked... but I survived :-).

The last picture is of the Chicago skyline! I was so happy to be able to see it, since it's not always visible.

Thanks for reading! I have a busy couple of weeks coming up now since classes resume for me on August 22. This summer went by way too fast, but that's probably because I was having so much fun :-). Now I've got to focus more on school and work.

~

Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-08-06T12:40:00.000-05:00

I don't do much baking since I don't like to have a lot of sweets in my apartment, but I recently attended a cookout and decided to bring some cookies along. I have a nice, large bottle of olive oil, so I decided to find a cookie recipe that used it instead of butter. Olive oil is healthier too :-).

I found a few recipes, took bits and pieces from each and concocted my own since I can never seem to find a recipe I want to follow exactly. My version wasn't too sweet, and the cookies tasted like shortbread with chocolate chips. I liked them, and so did my friends, though some mentioned that they would have liked them to be sweeter. Below is a picture and the recipe.

Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. olive oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 large egg
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. flour
2/3 c. chocolate chips

Directions
Mix together sugar, oil, vanilla, and egg. Then add baking powder. Next stir in salt and flour until well absorbed. Add the chocolate chips last. Scoop spoonfuls of dough onto parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 min at 350 degrees until edges are slightly brown.

Enjoy!!

~

So Delicious Coconut Milk with a GlassDharma Straw

2011-07-28T23:35:00.001-05:00

I've been busy enjoying the summer, but am back here today with a couple of great reviews :-). I reviewed Organic So Delicious Frozen Dessert in my last post, and I used my second product coupon to try So Delicious Coconut Milk. I chose to try the Vanilla So Delicious Coconut Milk, which is pictured below.

10 of 10! This coconut milk is so rich and flavorful for only 90 calories! I thought it tasted like soy milk, but richer and sweeter with a hint of coconut. It was great to drink plain, with oatmeal, or in a smoothie as pictured above. Also, the coconuts used are organic and non-GMO verified.

As you can see, there is glass straw in the smoothie above too. I was sent a GlassDharma glass drinking straw to review recently, and so far I'm loving it! GlassDharma straws are "sustainable, reusable, durable, easy to clean, suitable for hot and cold drinks, and dishwasher safe." A better picture of it is below:

The straw is simple, durable, and elegant. I love that it comes with a little brush to clean it with too. The straw even comes with a lifetime guarantee, so you really have nothing to lose if you want to get one.

I'll be sharing more pictures with you all in my next post! I also made homemade pretzels recently, but forgot to take pictures. I'll be sure to take pictures next time though so that I can share them with you.

So Delicious Frozen Dessert Review

2011-07-16T13:13:00.001-05:00

Are we really half way through July already?! Why must summer always pass by so quickly? At least I've been enjoying it :-). And what treat can be more perfect for summer than ice cream? How about some Organic So Delicious Frozen Dessert! So Delicious kindly sent me a couple product coupons so I could try and review their products. The first product I chose to review was Organic So Delicious Dulce De Leche Frozen Dessert (made with soy milk).

First, here's a little background on So Delicious:

So Delicious® Dairy Free products were created by Turtle Mountain LLC, a privately held natural foods company. They "create the finest dairy free products on the market using the best all natural ingredients obtainable, while monitoring the quality of our processes through every step until the product reaches the hands of our customers."

So Delicious Dulce De Leche: 10 of 10! Yum! I loved the caramel ribbon and the sweet caramel hint to the cream. It was very rich and smooth, and I honestly could not tell that it wasn't dairy. The nutrition facts are pretty good too, especially for such a rich, tasty treat!

I definitely recommend this product, especially if you are looking for a dairy free frozen dessert. You can see all of the dairy free products they offer here!

Enjoy your weekend and stay cool!

No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

2011-07-09T11:31:00.001-05:00

I tried out a new oatmeal bar recipe today! I love making oatmeal bars. They're so versatile and on a hot summer day, no-bake versions are even better :-).

Without further ado:

Ashley's No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups oats
1oz dark chocolate
1/3 c. natural peanut butter
1/3 c. honey
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. splenda
1/4 c. raisins
1/4 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. water (plus more as needed)

Directions
Heat chocolate, peanut butter, honey and vanilla in microwave and then mix with other ingredients in a bowl. Place mixture in a greased pan and store in refrigerator.

I hope you are all having a great summer weekend!

~

Fiber One Giveaway Winner!

2011-07-01T18:25:00.001-05:00

Thank you so much to everyone who entered my Fiber One Giveaway. And a hearty welcome to my new followers!

The lucky winner (via random.org) is #17 or Kim of Mo'Betta! Congratulations! I'll be emailing you shortly.

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July weekend. I'm looking forward to the fireworks :-).

~

Pretty Pictures

2011-06-26T20:03:00.000-05:00

First, I'd like to remind you all that I have a great Fiber One Giveaway going on right now. It closes on June 30, so don't forget to enter if you haven't yet!

I've also been having some fun with my camera lately. Summer is definitely one of my favorite seasons for taking pictures. The abundance and variety of flowers is especially amazing. Below are a few of my recent pictures. I hope you like them!

I hope everyone had a good weekend! I sure did :-). I went on a 70 mile bike ride in the countryside with a friend. My farthest previous ride was 65 miles.

~

Fiber One Giveaway

2011-06-18T13:29:00.002-05:00

I am happy to announce another giveaway for everyone to take part in! But first, to set the stage....

I was recently chosen to receive a Fiber One Dietary Guidelines gift pack from General Mills through My Blog Spark, and it contained some delicious varieties of Fiber One cereal. As many of you likely know, fiber is an important part of our diet. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans say people should consume 25-38 grams of fiber daily, and that the average American consumes only 15 grams. Incorporating fiber into your diet doesn't have to be hard. Alongside fruits and veggies, you can enjoy Fiber One cereals that offer at least 30 percent of the Daily Value per serving. (Some Fiber One cereals offer more than 50 percent!)

As for my favorite Fiber One cereal, I'm going to have to go with the Raisin Bran Clusters®. Yum! Below are the other varieties:

Now one of you has the chance to receive a Fiber One Dietary Guidelines gift pack just like me! This giveaway will be open to U.S. residents and will end on June 30, 2011. The winner will be picked via random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning e-mail to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn. Make sure you leave a valid email address in your posts!

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment stating whether you think you get enough fiber in your diet, and how you might try to incorporate more if you think you're lacking. Leave your email address too please!

Extra Entries: Become a new follower of my blog. (1 entry)

Link to this giveaway in one of your blog posts and comment below with a link to that blog post. (1 entry)

Thanks for entering and good luck!

Disclosure: General Mills provided me with the free product, information, and gift pack through MyBlogSpark.

~

Baked Oatmeal Bars

2011-06-11T14:12:00.001-05:00

Today I've got a recipe to share! Granola bars are a favorite of mine, and I was looking through some bloggers' recipes and found a promising one from Kath Eats Real Food for Baked Oatmeal Snack Bars. I tweaked the recipe a bit to give it my own spin and came up with Ashley's Baked Oatmeal Bars:

Ingredients
1 3/4 c. oatmeal
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1/8 c. honey
1/2 c. raisins
1 1/4 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg

Directions
Mix dry and wet ingredients separately and then combine. Pour mixture into parchment lined baking pan and cook for 30 min. at 350 degrees. Cut into bars and store in refrigerator or freezer.

The bars were quite tasty, but not very sweet. Next time I make them I'll add some applesauce and more honey. Here's the final product:

Do any of you have a favorite granola bar recipe?

Sunwarrior Protein Powder Review

2011-06-06T22:56:00.000-05:00

Is it really June already?! Summer is going to fly by! I thought I would have more time to blog, but unfortunately that is not the case, but I do have a post for you today. I was sent some complimentary Sunwarrior Protein Powder packets for review, and they are pictured below. I find Sunwarrior Protein to be quite unique in that it is 100% raw vegan, 83% pure protein, hypoallergenic, non-GMO, gluten free, and has a complete amino acid profile among other things.

I'd give all of the flavors (vanilla, chocolate, and natural) an 8 out of 10. I mixed each with milk in a blender, but the end product still had a somewhat floury and gritty texture. The actual taste for each was good, and I also liked the nutrition facts and ingredients. I just wish the powder didn't create a fine, floury tecture since I really like smoother drinks.

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer! This is the perfect exercise season, and so far I'm taking full advantage of that fact by running or biking every day.

Permalean Protein Bars Review

2011-05-22T18:15:00.001-05:00

EnergyFirst sent me a couple Permalean Protein Bars to review in addition to the protein powder and green drink powder packets I reviewed earlier here. Permalean Protein Bars are advertised as "the only 100% All-Natural, Low Sugar, Low Carb, Low Calorie, healthy nutrition bar in the world!" I like that kind of confidence :-). Below are the two bars I was sent:

Chocoholic Chocolate: 9 of 10. This bar tasted like a tootsie roll to me. It was chewy with a rich chocolate flavor. The texture was a tad gritty, but not bad.

Stark Raving Peanutz: 9 of 10. This bar had a tootsie roll/ 3 musketeers/ Snickers texture, but still tasted like a protein bar. I liked the thin milk chocolate coating and peanuty inside.

The nutrition facts for both bars was great, and I was also pleased with the ingredients. I think these bars would be great to eat for a quick breakfast or a post-workout snack.

On another note, I hope everyone's summer is going well. I'm enjoying mine so far! The weather has been fabulous, and I even got in a couple 3 mile runs last week. I haven't been able to run quite that far since my IT band started to bother me this winter, but I'm slowly increasing my mileage now. So far all is going well.

~

Graduation: A blessing and a curse

2011-05-13T15:16:00.000-05:00

The semester is over, and many people are graduating from high school or college and moving on in their life. I'm not graduating this spring, but I do have friends that are. I'm sorry to see them go, yet happy for them as they pursue their dreams and goals. This is definitely an emotional time and sometimes I'm not sure how best to handle it. I think the best thing one can do is to move on with confidence and trust. New friends will be made, new opportunities will arise, and the pain of parting will subside. These comforting words can be hard to internalize in the moment, yet such is life: people come and go, relationships begin and end, and change is the only constant.

This definitely reminds me of The Beatles song "Hello Goodbye".

Here's to new beginnings!

I had to end on a positive, cute note :-). I took this picture just a few days ago in Champaign.

May Flowers

2011-05-02T19:47:00.000-05:00

It's May! I can hardly believe it, but I'm very excited for summer! I have just two weeks of class left. I am planning on doing a lot of biking and running around the Champaign-Urbana area. I'll probably need to do that in the early mornings or late evenings if this summer is as hot as I heard last summer was. Ah well, I can be flexible.

I have some flower pictures to share with you today. These aren't all ordinary flowers though... see if you can spot the 'special' ones ;-).

Did you notice anything odd about the middle two pictures? Those are actually fake flowers! Yes, I didn't realize that fact until after I'd already taken a few pictures. I was drawn to the flowers because of the beautiful rain drops on the greenery surrounding them. When I finally took a closer look at the flowers themselves I noticed they weren't real. I had myself a good laugh after that - haha!

~

EnergyFirst Review

2011-04-25T17:41:00.001-05:00

Today I am going to review a few EnergyFirst products for you all. EnergyFirst sells a variety of products including whey protein isolate, protein shake kits, green drink powder, and protein nutrition bars. Here is the EnergyFirst mission statement:

"We change lives. We create energy, success, and ultimate well-being through our Program and paradigm for healthy living. Core to our Program is the EnergyFirst Shake, the world’s best tasting, highest quality, all natural meal replacement protein shake."

That is certainly a powerful statement demonstrating serious commitment, and it must be working since they currently have 8,331 fans on their facebook page.

I was sent the following complimentary products for review: two protein powder packets, a green drink powder packet, and two protein bars. I'll be reviewing the drinks today!

The first protein powder I tried was the ProEnergy Ultimate Vanilla. I mixed it with milk first, tried a few sips, and then added some wheatgrass. The final product is pictured below.

ProEnergy Ultimate Vanilla: 9.5 of 10. This powder provided a very rich vanilla flavor and blended quite well into my milk. I loved how smooth the resulting drink was. After I added the wheatgrass, that flavor was most predominant, but I could still taste the vanilla.

ProEnergy Chocolate Decadence: 10 of 10! My first reaction to this drink was WOW! It was so rich and creamy, yet not overly sweet or too chocolately. It was a mild milk chocolate flavor and not bitter at all. Like the vanilla, it blended very well into the milk.

Greenergy: 9 of 10. I mixed my green drink powder with 1c. milk, 1/4 c. frozen blueberries, and 1/2 of a frozen banana. The result wasn't as sweet as I might have liked, but it was still quite tasty with a mild 'green' taste. It's similar to a green smoothie using spinach leaves, but the powder blends in much better and also provides some extra nutrients. I think this would be a quick and easy way to add some additional 'greens' into your diet.

Overall, I really enjoyed the above EnergyFirst products, especially the Chocolate Decadence whey protein isolate - YUM!

~

Becoming Raw: Book Publishing Company Review

2011-04-19T11:09:00.002-05:00

Today I am happy to provide you with another book review courtesy of Book Publishing Company. I also want to remind you that Book Publishing Company is running a special campaign this April called, "Live Delicious - Eat Vegan." They'll be giving away a free vegan cookbook this month, and you can enter here!

I was recently sent a complimentary review copy of Becoming Raw: The Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets.

This is a substantial book with 352 pages of information about raw vegan diets. I appreciated all of the scientific evidence and data included that demonstrated both the potential risks and benefits of raw diets. The advice in this book is essential if you want to ensure that your raw diet is providing you with all of the nutrients you need. I would definitely recommend this book if you are interested in beginning a raw diet or simply incorporating more raw foods in your current diet of choice. This book concludes with a section of over 45 recipes, and I was excited to see that very comprehensive nutritional analysis are given for each recipe!

I'm going to share one of the recipes with you here: Tutti-Frutti Ice Cream! There are only 2 ingredients for this great dessert: 2-3 frozen ripe bananas and 2 cups of other frozen fruit. This recipe can be made with a juicer, food processor, or blender. I used my handy-dandy food processor and included a little milk in order to create a slightly creamier ice cream.

While I have made banana soft serve before, this was even better. The frozen blueberries added great flavor, making this a truly fun and tasty dessert. You can top this treat with a few nuts for an added flourish and some crunch too!

Have a great day! And for all of my fellow students, keep in mind that summer is *almost* here! I know these next few weeks are going to be very busy for me, but the promise of summer is helping me sustain a positive outlook :-).

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March Showers Brought April Flowers

2011-04-14T10:24:00.000-05:00

Hello all! I'm thrilled by all of the blooming flowers everywhere. I especially love the Magnolia Trees. Their blooms are gorgeous, and they smell heavenly. I thought I'd share some pics I've taken in the past week. That's all I've got time for right now since I'm spending most of my time working on final papers. The end of the semester is fast approaching!

Bangkok Curry and Chocolate Pudding

2011-04-06T10:52:00.000-05:00

Hello all! I recently tried out Noodles & Company for the first time and ordered their Bangkok Curry. I had it topped with shrimp and found it to be quite delicious. My only complaint was that it had a little too much sauce. If I order again, I may see if they can use less sauce or have it on the side. Here's a lovely picture :-).

I also made myself some homemade chocolate pudding a few days ago. I've never made this before, and I was quite pleased with the results and how extremely easy it was (relatively speaking of course). I looked at a few recipes online and then created my own version since I never seem to be satisfied with following directions :-). You often see pudding recipes calling for cornstarch, but I thought the flour was a great substitute.

Ashley's Quick and Easy Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients
2 cups skim milk
2 tbsp cocoa
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup wheat flour
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions
Mix all ingredients in a pot on the stove. Set the heat to medium and stir occassionally until the pudding is thickened. Serve warm or cold.

Yes, it's that easy! Unfortunately, my pictures of it didn't turn out. It looked like chocolate pudding though :-).

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Vegan Bites: Recipes for Singles

2011-04-01T10:07:00.001-05:00

Before I get into this post, I have to tell you all how excited I am about Gmail Motion! I'm eagerly anticipating the next logical progression: Blogger Motion!

That said, today I want to remind you that Book Publishing Company is running a special campaign during March and April called, "Live Delicious - Eat Vegan." They'll be giving away another free vegan cookbook this month, and you can enter here!

I was sent a complimentary review copy of Vegan Bites: Recipes for Singles. This is a great book for me since I am single and often cook meals for one. Of course, many of the recipes still create 2 or more servings, so don't shy away if you cook for more than one person. The book starts out with a nice introduction including a comprehensive listing of kitchen and pantry essentials. Then it dives right into a bunch of recipes. The design and layout of the book really impressed me. It's a joy to flip through, despite the fact that there aren't any color photographs.

I'm going to share one recipe from the book with you: Whipped Tofu Topping. It was incredibly easy to make, but let me warn you that it doesn't really replicate dairy whipped cream. The tofu taste is still there, which isn't necessarily a bad thing (unless you don't like tofu). And perhaps the fact that I didn't use silken tofu made a difference... I simply used the tofu I had on hand (pictured below). I enjoyed it with fresh fruit and pancakes :-).

P.S. I know Gmail Motion is an April Fool's joke, but it's a good one :-).

National Nutrition Month

2011-03-26T15:29:00.005-05:00

March is National Nutrition Month. This is great time to take a closer look at your current eating habits and see how you could make more nutritious choices. Are you eating enough veggies? Do you need to cut back on your salt intake? Do you drink enough water? There's a lot to think about when it comes to nutrition, but the most important rule to follow is: Eat a Balanced Diet. That is pretty vague, but basically you can enjoy most foods in moderation.

Yogurt can certainly be a part of your balanced diet, and there are lots of brands to choose from depending on your budget and taste (I <3 Chobani). Yoplait is one brand that offers a very large selection of flavors and options. It is also fairly economical, so I enjoy incorporating it into my diet alongside other yogurts. I recently received some information from Yoplait through MyBlogSpark that I'd like to share with you. If you're interested, read on....

1. Start spring off right with Yoplait Light’s Two Week Tune Up Plan – Replace breakfast and lunch with a cup of your favorite flavor of Yoplait Light, a whole grain and a piece of fruit and you could lose 5 pounds in two weeks. Go to Yoplait.com for full diet details.

2. Get more calcium with Yoplait Original style yogurt - Now with two times the calcium of the leading yogurt (50 percent of the Recommended Daily Value) in one convenient 6-ounce cup*, Yoplait Original style yogurt is committed to women’s health, offering a product that has even more of the calcium women need for strong, healthy bodies. Grab a free cup while supplies last during the Million Cup Giveaway on Yoplait on Facebook!

3. Try the newest flavor from Yoplait Fiber One – Yoplait Fiber One’s new Blueberry flavor yogurt is packed with filling fiber, calcium, vitamins A and D, real fruit and the great taste of blueberries. With only 50 calories, 5 grams of fiber and 0 grams of fat, this deliciously creamy yogurt won’t break your calorie bank.

4. Stress less over snack time with Yoplait Kids yogurt – With a wholesome and fun snack like Yoplait Kids yogurt in the fridge, you can feel good about what your children are eating at snack time. Yoplait Kids provides an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, and has 25% less sugar than the leading kids’ yogurt**. With yummy flavors, and favorite friends like Dora and Lightning McQueen on the packages, Yoplait Kids is a hit with moms and children alike.

5. End the day with a Delight Parfait from Yoplait – Even with two luscious layers providing a double shot of rich and creamy yogurt, these 100 calorie indulgences from Yoplait contain only 1.5 grams of fat per serving. Now available in two new flavors, Chocolate Éclair and Cherry Cheesecake, you can enjoy a dessert that’s 100 percent guilt-free.

*Leading yogurt has less than 25% Daily Value calcium per 6 oz.
**Yoplait kids has 9 grams of sugar per 3oz. the leading kids' yogurt has 13 grams of sugar per 3oz.
***Coupon offers for Yoplait yogurt are not valid in all states.

Take-away: Check out Yoplait on Facebook, become a fan, and get a free cup of yogurt while supplies last! Who doesn't like free yogurt :-).

Disclosure: By posting this information, I have the chance to win a prize provided by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark.

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T13:45:00.000-05:00

What a gorgeous St. Patrick's Day here at the University of Illinois! The sun is shining, temps are in the 60s, a light breeze is blowing, AND flowers are blooming. I am filled with the joy that only spring can bring :-).

I decided to cook up a special dessert for myself today too: Tapioca Pudding. I browsed a few recipes online and came up with my own crockpot version. I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome:

Easy Crockpot Tapioca Pudding

3.5 cups milk

.5 cup small pearl tapioca

1/3 cup honey

1 egg, beaten

2 tsp. vanilla

I mixed all of the above together in my crockpot and then set it to high. After about 30min. I stirred the mix and then turned it on low (since I don't have a medium setting). I stirred it every hour or so and after 3hrs. turned it back on high for about 45min. until the pudding had thickened.

That's it! You can add more or less sugar as you desire, in addition to other flavorings or spices. You can even top it with slivered almonds or other nuts for an extra special treat. I think I'll be making this more often now that I've discovered I don't have to make it on the stove :-).

Speed Vegan Cookbook Review

2011-03-11T20:38:00.000-06:00

Hello! Book Publishing Company is running a special campaign during March and April called, "Live Delicious - Eat Vegan." They'll be giving away a free vegan cookbook both months, and you can enter here!

I was sent a complimentary review copy of Speed Vegan, and I'll share my thoughts on it with you. I'll even share a recipe from it!

I was excited to receive this cookbook because it promises, "Quick, Easy Recipes with a Gourmet Twist." The "quick and easy" part captured my attention :-).

The book outlines essential kitchen equipment for vegan cooking as well as vegan pantry staples. Both of these sections are very helpful and descriptive! Then the book jumps right into an assortment of recipes (with some colored photographs too!). Reading through the recipes, I thought that most of them would be relatively simple and quick to make. They do call for ingredients that you might not necessarily have around (unless you already have a kitchen stocked with the vegan pantry staples as outlined in the beginning of the book). Still, perhaps my kitchen is more bare than most because I'm relatively new to apartment life and don't exactly have a large budget to work with as a graduate student. There are definitely a number of recipes that I will be able to try out after getting a few extra staples from the store.

The first recipe I tried from this book was Aztec Hot Chocolate. Here is the recipe and final product:

I've never tried hot chocolate with pepper and thought it added a nice little bite to the drink. I'll admit that I used red hot pepper instead cayenne since I had that on hand and figured anything hot would work :-). I also used honey in place of the agave nectar. I absolutely love agave nectar, but usually go with honey becuase of the cost. In the end, I was quite pleased with the drink :-).

So, if you're looking for a vegan cookbook with some easy, flavorful recipes with a "gourmet twist," I would recommend Speed Vegan. Book Publishing Company has a great assortment of vegan and vegetarian books. Even though I'm not personally vegan (or vegetarian), I truly enjoy vegan and vegetarian cookbooks as I try to eat a more plant-based diet.

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Mediterranean Snacks Giveaway Winner

2011-03-03T09:05:00.002-06:00

Thank you so much to everyone who entered my Baked Lentil Chips giveaway sponsored by The Mediterranean Snack Food Company!

The winner is lucky number 1 via random.org. That means SassyAgapi is the winner! Congrats! I'll be e-mailing you shortly.

In other news, I am sooo excited for Spring! I've even started to ride my bike to class and work again as long as it's not raining/snowing and above 30 degrees (ideally 40 or more). Riding the bus is nice and all, but biking is so much quicker. I've also decided to experiment with biking after dark. I very rarely did that last semester because I perceive it as dangerous. I know a few other bikers who do it all the time though, so I decided to give it a try. I've got blinking bike lights for the front and back of my bike as well as peddle reflectors. So far it's worked quite well, and I just may be a convert. I stick to main roads that are well lit and haven't had much trouble. I think I'll look into a few more reflectors for my tires, etc. though just to be safe :-).

Have any of you or do any of you bike as a means of commuting? I feel so empowered when I do :-).

Image source: http://showthelove.com/feellove/2008/06/bike-commute.html

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CSN Stores Cuisinart Crockpot

2011-02-26T08:28:00.000-06:00

I was recently given the opportunity to do a review for CSN Stores. I used a $45 gift card they provided towards the purchase of a Cuisinart 3.5 Qt. Slow Cooker. I really can't say enough about the great selection of products available at CSN Stores. I love the site's organization, customer reviews, and free shipping on certain items. Below is my lovely new slow cooker, or crockpot as I like to call it :-).

I was hoping to provide you with a picture of it in use, but it totally slipped my mind when I was cooking. I used it to make a fairly large deer roast, and it turned out perfectly. I love how this crockpot automatically switches to 'warm' after it's done cooking for the time you program it for. I have one other crockpot, but it is smaller and doesn't have any bells and whistles like this one. One of the reasons I chose this particular crockpot is that it is a Cuisinart. I'm a big fan of Cuisinart because I also have a Cuisinart food processor, and it works like a dream :-).

Do any of you use a crockpot or slowcooker on a regular basis? What do you cook with it?

I usually use mine for cooking roasts or soups, but I've also made Irish Oatmeal too :-).

Have a great weekend... and don't forget to enter my Mediterranean Snacks giveaway here!

Yoplait Light Gift Pack Winner

2011-02-19T09:51:00.000-06:00

Thank you to everyone who entered my Yoplait Light Yogurt Gift Pack giveaway! According to random.org, the winner is #6 or Karin! I'll be e-mailing you soon!

I don't know about everyone else, but Illinois enjoyed some beautiful weather this past week! I was even able to go outside without a coat. I know the cold weather will be returning next week, but I now have hope that winter will not last forever. And that means biking will soon become one of my main methods of transportation again :-).

Note that the coupon, prize pack, information and giveaway were all provided by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark.
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Mediterranean Snacks Review and Giveaway!

2011-02-16T19:45:00.000-06:00

The Mediterranean Snack Food Company recently sent me 3 bags of their Baked Lentil Chips to review. I was thrilled to have a chance to try these unique chips and spread the word about a great company. Here's some background on The Mediterranean Snack Food Company:

They are "a privately held company created in 2005 to promote unique, innovative, healthy and natural snack products that we are proud to serve our family and friends in the old world tradition.

We use a European snack process which allows us to develop innovative shapes and use ingredients like potato, corn, wheat, rice, oat, multi-grain,lentil and soy to make low fat, flash fried or baked snack products. We use only the highest quality, all natural ingredients with no preservatives, trans fats or cholesterol . We do not use any artificial or genetically modified ingredients in our products. All our products are 100% OU kosher certified."

Here are the three flavors of Baked Lentil Chips I was sent:

Cucumber Dill: 9 of 10. These chips were very light and crisp with a great crunch. It was hard to believe they were made from lentils! I loved the dill taste, and I could pick up a hint of cucumber. The chips were certainly salty, but a tasty salty if that makes sense.

Sea Salt: 8.5 of 10. Again, the chips were crispy and crunchy. They were the perfect level of saltiness - a little less so than the Cucumber Dill chips. These were rather plain though (unlike the other 2 flavored varieties) and were best with salsa.

Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper: 10 of 10! These were my favorite. They were very flavorful and had a nice kick. They were even kind of hot.

The Mediterranean Snack Food Company is kind enough to allow me to host a giveaway on their behalf. One winner will receive two bags of each of the three flavors - Sea Salt, Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper, and Cucumber Dill!

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will end on March 2, 2011. The winner will be picked via random.org. and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning e-mail to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn. Make sure you leave a valid e-mail address in your posts!

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment below and tell me your favorite type of chips and what flavor of baked lentil chips you'd most like to try. Pleae include your e-mail address in your comment.

Extra Entries (leave one comment for each): "Like" The Mediterranean Snack Food Company on facebook here and write a comment on their page that includes a link to this giveaway.

Become a new follower of my blog.

Add my blog to your blogroll.

Link to my giveaway on one of your blog posts and include a link to that blog post in your comment.

Thank you for entering and best of luck!!

*The Mediterranean Snack Food Company provided me free chip samples for review. The opinions above are my own.

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Diet Soda in the News

2011-02-13T09:56:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone! I've been pretty busy with classes lately, but I wanted to write a quick post regarding the recent news about diet soda. Personally, I cut pop/soda out of my diet in high school due to the recommendations of my track coach. I know a number of people who do drink soda though, and of these people, many choose to drink diet soda because it has fewer (well, zero to be precise) calories and sugar. Seems like a smart choice, right? Well, not really.

"Researchers at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2011 conducted an experiment on this topic, and found that people who drink diet soda may have a much higher risk of vascular events compared to those who don't drink soda." This information came from this article. The Today Show also mentioned this study here.

They do mention that diet soda, like anything, is fine in moderation. I totally agree. Feel free to share any thoughts you have regarding diet soda in the comments below.

*image from: http://personaltrainerz.com/diet-soda/8

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Yoplait Light Giveaway!

2011-02-07T17:35:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone! I was recently sent a Yoplait Light yogurt gift pack from Yoplait through MyBlogSpark. The pack came with some coupons to try Yoplait Light yogurt, and I must say it's quite tasty! This yogurt is a very nice low calorie treat, and two of my favorite flavors are the Very Vanilla and Boston Cream Pie :-). Yoplait Light is also advertising their Two Week Tune Up that can help you lose five pounds in two weeks by:

Replacing your breakfast and lunch with a Yoplait Light yogurt, a whole grain, and a fruit.
Eating a diet rich in lean protein and non-fat dairy, including a sensible dinner, beverages, and snacks.
Walking 30-40 minutes daily.

You can visit Yoplait.com for their study and full diet details. Yoplait.com also has tips and advice along with valuable online weight loss tools such as a meal planner, healthy recipes and a daily food and exercise tracker. Yoplait has a facebook page too!

One of you now has a chance to win a Yoplait Light yogurt gift pack (pictured above) with one VIP coupon for a free cup of Yoplait Light yogurt, a gym bag, a reflective wrist wallet and a pedometer to keep you moving and motivated!

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will end on February 18, 2011. The winner will be picked via random.org. and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning e-mail to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn. Make sure you leave a valid e-mail address in your posts!

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment with which Yoplait Light flavors you would like to incorporate into a Two Week Tune Up program.

Extra Entries (leave one comment for each): Post a link to this giveaway on your blog.

Become a new follower of my blog.

Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway: Win a Yoplait Light Yogurt gift pack: http://foodfotosandfun.blogspot.com/2011/02/yoplait-light-giveaway.html @YoplaitYogurt #myblogspark.

Good luck!

* Note that the coupon, prize pack, information and giveaway were all provided by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark.

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University of Illinois Snow Day

2011-02-02T21:52:00.000-06:00

Snowpocalypse 2011 hit Illinois! While Champaign-Urbana wasn't hit as hard as Chicago and other cities, the University of Illinois cancelled classes today. Yep, we had a snow day - quite rare indeed! I decided to brave the weather, take the bus to campus, and shoot some pics of the snow covered campus :-). Enjoy!

Did any of you experience Snowpocalypse 2011 or bad winter weather of any sort over the past couple of days?

Also, if you're interested in a 4 minute introduction to the revolution in Egypt, I recommend this video. It explains some of the history behind the current events in Egypt.

Progresso "Souper You Debut" Giveaway Winner!

2011-01-29T10:40:00.000-06:00

Can you believe it?! January is almost over, and February is right around the corner :-). I'm hoping that means spring will soon follow. Hints of it are already here as temps reach into the 30s. That may not sound all that warm, but compared to single digits it most definitely is!

Now for the winner of my Progresso "Souper You Debut" Giveaway! Lucky number 4 is the winner (via random.org). Congrats Cheryl!

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the giveaway and all of the new followers of my blog! I'm so happy to have reached 50 followers!

*The product, prize pack, information, online coupon and giveaway were all provided by Progresso through MyBlogSpark.

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Costume Squad Giveaway Winner

2011-01-22T09:24:00.002-06:00

Hello all! First, I want to let you know that I'll be doing a review for CSN Stores soon. They have so much to offer, and I can personally attest to the quality of their merchandise. You can check out their luggage stores, cookware, and much more!

And now... the lucky winner of my Costume Squad Giveaway is #3 (via random.org) Jessie! Congrats! Thank you to everyone who entered!

Don't forget my Progresso "Souper You Debut" Giveaway going on right now too :-).

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and stay warm! We had windchills of -11 degrees in Champaign-Urbana yesterday - brrrr!

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Progresso "Souper You Debut" Giveaway!

2011-01-18T20:15:00.004-06:00

Hello everyone! Winter break officially ended for me today and the spring semester started :-). I'm looking forward to it, but it is a little hectic at the moment as I adjust to my new schedule. I'm going to take a break though and share a great giveaway with you!

Since this giveaway is about Progresso, I'll share some Progresso information with you first:

"Progresso® Soup is available in 40 delicious flavors with 100 calories or less, and can help curb your hunger, making it easier for you to stick to your weight management plan all year long. With hearty ingredients like pasta, beans, corn and rice, and flavor-packed vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, and peppers, Progresso Soup varieties with 100 calories or less offer a good source of fiber and a full serving of vegetables."

I was sent some Progresso Soup to try and review on my blog. My two favorite flavors were the Chicken Noodle and Santa Fe Style Chicken. Soup is a great winter staple, and Progresso provides a nutritious, tasty, and low calorie option. I like that you can easily add additional veggies or beans in order to add more protein and nutrients to the soup and make it more substantial.

Before I get to the giveaway, I want to let you know about Progresso's "Souper You™ Debut" contest. From January 3rd through March 16th, you can visit Progresso on Facebook to enter for the chance to win a full makeover in New York City. You can also download a coupon for $1.00 off 4 cans of Progresso Soup on the Facebook page here!

Giveaway: One reader will win a Progresso "Souper You Debut" gift pack that contains a VIP coupon for a free can of Progresso soup, as well as a yoga mat, water bottle, set of aerobic bands, sport headband and two sport wristbands. That's some nice stuff!

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will end on January 28, 2011. The winner will be picked via random.org. and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning e-mail to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn. Make sure you leave a valid e-mail address in your posts!

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment with which Progresso Soup flavor you would most like to try. Please leave your e-mail address with your comment.

Extra Entries (leave one comment for each): Post a link to this giveaway on your blog.

Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway: Check out this Progresso Souper You Debut Giveaway: http://tinyurl.com/4dhbpvr #myblogspark.

Become a new follower of my blog :-).

Best of luck! Also, you can still enter my Costume Squad T-shirt Giveaway going on here!

*The product, prize pack, information, online coupon and giveaway were all provided by Progresso through MyBlogSpark.

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Costume Squad Review and Giveaway!

2011-01-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

First, the lucky winner of the Nachomatees.com giveaway is lucky #6 (via random.org): Anonymous. Luckily s/he left an e-mail address :-). Thank you so much to everyone who entered that giveaway, and if you didn't win, why don't you try your luck on today's giveaway!

Costume Squad has a variety of costumes and t-shirts. Their website states, "We have made it our mission to bring you the best Halloween costumes. Our sexy costumes are perfect for your Halloween party! From the ghostbuster girl costume to our wonder woman costume. The best mens costumes, womens costumes and couples halloweencostumes online." I chose to review the Coexist t-shirt pictured below:

I chose this shirt because I love the message it provides. Regardless of faith, nationality, race, gender, age, etc. we all share this one world and it's best if we acknowledge and respect one another's differences and get along. I could go on, but this is probably not the best platform to do so :-). Anyway, it is a nice quality t-shirt, and I like how soft the material is.

Now for the giveaway!

Giveaway: This giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will end on January 21, 2011. The winner will be picked via random.org. and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning e-mail to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn. Make sure you leave a valid e-mail address in your posts! Also, the winner cannot have won a shirt from Costume Squad or have been sent a shirt for promotional purposes in the last 90 days or own a blog of their own.

The winner will get to choose between receiving one of the following: Free Mystery Tee (you will need to specify your size in Mens) or a Free $15 Gift Card.

Mandatory Entry: Go to Costumesquad.com and leave a comment below with which t-shirt you'd most like to get. Please leave your e-mail address with your comment.

Extra Entries (leave one comment for each): Become a fan of Costume Squad on Facebook.

Post a comment on the Facebook page stating what your favorite tee is or asking a question about the shirts.

"Like" or "Share" one of the products on the website. The buttons for these are on all product detail pages, above the main image.

Become a new follower of my blog :-).

Best of luck!

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Nachomamatees.com Review and Giveaway

2011-01-04T22:03:00.000-06:00

I hope your New Year is off to a good start! My first review and giveaway of the year is for Nachomamatees.com, which is owned by CrazyDog. Nacho offers vintage t shirts, unique novelty t-shirts, priceless movie shirts and stylish cool t-shirt designs. I was sent the 'I'm on a boat' t-shirt.

The phrase references a song by T-Pain as well as an SNL skit that you can view here. The reason I like it so much is because I had a couple of friends who would sing this song (the clean version) together and it was hilarious. This is also a quality t-shirt, and reasonably priced too.

Now one of you will win a Nacho t-shirt of your own!

Giveaway: This giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will end on January 13, 2011. The winner will be picked via random.org. and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning e-mail to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn. Make sure you leave a valid e-mail address in your posts! Also, the winner cannot have won a shirt from CrazyDog or have been sent a shirt for promotional purposes in the last 90 days or own a blog of their own.

The winner will get to choose between receiving one of the following: Free Mystery Tee (you will need to specify your size in Mens) or a Free $15 Gift Card.

Mandatory Entry: Go to Nachomamatees.com and leave a comment with which t-shirt you'd most like to get. Please leave your e-mail address with your comment.

Extra Entries (leave one comment for each): Become a fan of CrazyDog T-shirts (since they own Nacho) on Facebook.

Post a comment on the Facebook page stating what your favorite tee is or asking a question about the shirts.

"Like" or "Share" one of the products on the website. The buttons for these are on all product detail pages, above the main image.

Become a new follower of my blog :-).

Best of luck!!

~

Happy New Year!! 1-1-11

2011-01-01T09:01:00.001-06:00

I hope you all enjoyed ringing in the new year last night! This is such a promising time of year. While you can reflect on the past and make goals any time during the year, this seems to be a most appropriate time to do so. I think it's good to occasionally look back on your past and reflect on both your achievements and failures so as to learn from them. It's also important to take the time to express gratitude for the life you have led thus far (even if it has been far from ideal). While the setting of New Year's Resolutions often causes people to focus on the future, it is important to break up your resolutions in such a manner that you can make little steps each day towards their fulfillment. In this way, you'll be living in the moment - the only moment in which you can make noticeable changes :-).

As for me, my New Year's Resolutions are: to live in the moment, eat mindfully and healthfully, maintain a healthy weight and fitness level, and put forth my best effort in school and work. Now I just need to break those up into more tangible goals and I'll be set :-).

I'd also like to share some of the lyrics to my favorite song in celebration of the New Year:

Image courtesy of http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Auld_Lang_Syne.jpg

And stay tuned for another t-shirt giveaway coming up in my next post!

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CrazyDog T-shirt winner

2010-12-27T11:59:00.001-06:00

The lucky winner of my CrazyDog T-shirt giveaway is #3 AmandaSue! Congratulations! I'll be e-mailing you shortly in order to get your contact information to send to CrazyDog T-shirts. Thank you to everyone who entered.

Edited to add: Because Amanda recently won another CrazyDog T-shirt giveaway, the new winner is #4 Karen!
~

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-26T13:30:00.000-06:00

I want to wish all of my readers a Merry Christmas! It's a day late because I was at my grandparents' house yesterday, and they do not have Internet access. It was nice to be "unplugged" for awhile, but I can't stay away from my e-mail or Facebook for too long :-).

I've been taking quite a few pictures of the beautiful winter scenery lately, and I will be adding some new pics to my photo blog: http://ashleymphotos.weebly.com/. I'll also post a couple at the end of this post for your convenience. I truly love a white Christmas, but at the same time I'm really looking forward to spring when I can start biking and running in comfort outside again :-).

Also, don't forget to enter my CrazyDog T-shirt Giveaway that ends tonight at midnight! If you do miss it though, don't worry becuase I'll be hosting a couple more giveaways soon.

Crazydogtshirts.com Review and Giveaway

2010-12-16T09:27:00.002-06:00

I was recently given the opportunity to review a t-shirt from Crazydogtshirts.com. They have such a fun collection that includes funny t-shirts, 80s t-shirts, as well as custom t-shirts! It was hard picking a t-shirt from such a wide collection, but I ended up deciding on the Womens Dunder Mifflin t-shirt since I'm a big fan of The Office :-). Here it is:

It is a quality t-shirt and, like most of their shirts, it can be a conversation starter :-). The shirts are also reasonably priced, especially if you take advantage of their $6.99 Daily T-shirt Special. The only minor problem I had was that I thought the blue color was going to be lighter, as in the picture on the website here.

Now one of you has a chance to win a CrazyDog t-shirt of your own! Here are the specs:

Giveaway: This giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will end on December 26, 2010 (a post Christmas gift). The winner will be picked via random.org. and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning e-mail to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn. Make sure you leave a valid e-mail address in your posts! Also, the winner cannot have won a shirt from CrazyDog or have been sent a shirt for promotional purposes in the last 90 days or own a blog of their own.

The winner will get to choose between receiving one of the following: Free Mystery Tee (you will need to specify your size in Mens) or a Free $15 Gift Card.

Mandatory Entry: Go to Crazydogtshirts.com and leave a comment with which t-shirt you'd most like to get. Please leave your e-mail address with your comment.

Extra Entries (leave one comment for each): Become a fan of CrazyDog T-shirts on Facebook.

Post a comment on the Facebook page stating what your favorite tee is or asking a question about the shirts.

"Like" or "Share" one of the products on the website. The buttons for these are on all product detail pages, above the main image.

Best of luck!!

~

FitDeck Exercise Playing Cards Review

2010-12-11T09:44:00.001-06:00

Have you ever seen FitDeck exercise playing cards? If not, I'm about to introduce you to them :-). The following information comes from the website http://fitdeck.com/.

"FitDeck is a unique deck of 56 playing cards containing illustrations and instructions describing over 50 different exercises, stretches, and movements. These ‘no-equipment’ FitDecks contain exercises that require only your bodyweight to perform. ‘FitDeck Bodyweight’ is our flagship product in this popular series of ‘no-equipment’ FitDecks."

I think FitDeck is a great option for people without a gym membership, those who want to work out at home, people who travel a lot and want to stay fit on the road, or people who simply want to change up the regular routine. There is literally a FitDeck for anyone whether you want to exercise with or without equipment.

I was lucky enough to be sent a complimentary FitDeck Yoga and FitDeck Bodyweight to review. Here they are:

10 of 10 for both! I really am impressed with these two sets. I like how both do not require equipment, for even though I do have some free weights, I like to switch up my exercise routines. I'll also definitely be bringing these with me on trips - they are so convenient! The number of cards is great too, for it truly allows you to create full workout. The exercises are explained well, and I especially like how the yoga cards, for instance, are color coded according to whether they are standing, twisting, balance, etc. poses.

All in all, I think FitDecks are a very handy product and would make a great (and fairly economical) gift :-).

And I don't know about you, but the month of December is just flying by for me. It's going to be the new year before I know it... and then a new semester! At least this semester is almost done :-).

Winner of the Progresso Panko Bread Crumbs Prize Pack Giveaway

2010-12-02T11:59:00.000-06:00

Thank you so much to everyone who entered my Progresso Panko Bread Crumbs Prize Pack Giveaway. I must also thank General Mills for providing me with the information and giveaway through MyBlogSpark.

And now... the moment you've been waiting for... the lucky number according to the random.org generator is... #6 Monet! If you haven't checked out this lovely lady's blog, then you are missing out on some great recipes, pictures, and stories. You can see her latest posts here! I promise you'll love it :-).

As for me, I'm just trying to get all of my papers and projects finished before the end of the semester. This is definitely one of the busiest times of the year for me. I handle it by making sure I take a little time out each day to do something I truly enjoy, such as running, listening to music, or watching funny videos on YouTube. For instance, just a couple of days ago, I came across this rendition of "White and Nerdy" created by some fellow UIUC students. On a slightly more serious note, I came across this video of "Secrets" by One Republic also created by UIUC students. I especially liked how I could recognize the backdrops to both videos.

Have any of you ever searched for YouTube videos created locally?

~

Ryders Eyewear Giveaway Winner!

2010-11-28T10:26:00.000-06:00

And the lucky winner of my Ryders Eyewear Giveaway is.... #6 according to the fabulous random.org generator! That means that meeyeehere will be sporting new VTX sunglasses soon :-).

Thank you so much to everyone else who entered the giveaway! Don't worry if you didn't win, there will be more giveaways in the near future :-).

By the way, did any of you brave the crowds and go shopping on Black Friday? I've done it before, but I was actually able to skip the madness this year and get some awesome deals online instead, such as this external hard drive from Walmart to backup all of my digital photos, music, and other files.

I'd love to write more now, but I've only got 2 weeks left in the semester and it's crunch time! Thanksgiving break was nice, but I'm looking forward to my winter break even more.

~

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T10:31:00.000-06:00

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I'm going to take this time to state the 10 things I am most grateful for in my life:

God - He's there for me even when I'm not aware
Family and friends - the people I can turn to in joy or sadness
Health - the ability to run and be active without much pain
University of Illinois - an excellent school
Champaign-Urbana - a fabulous place to live
Technology - iPod, laptop, digital camera... I couldn't live without them
Healthy and delicious food - to nourish my body
Books - the knowledge and stories they contain is priceless
Music - it can bring me to my feet in dance or simply soothe my soul
Internet - Facebook, Blogger, Skype, YouTube... these are some of my favorite things :-)

What are you most thankful for?

I'm also thankful that I can host giveaways and bring a little joy to others' lives :-). I have two giveaways going on right now here and here!

~

Progresso Panko Bread Crumbs Prize Pack Giveaway

2010-11-17T16:35:00.001-06:00

My participation in MyBlogSpark certainly has its perks :-). I was recently sent a package that contained a package of Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko Bread Crumbs and Michael Chiarello's Bottega cookbook! I haven't used the bread crumbs yet, but this is the recipe I'm looking forward to using them with. I wanted to get this giveaway posted sooner rather than later, so you'll just have to wait to see how my recipe turns out and if I actually follow the recipe 'as is'.

Here is what is included in the prize pack:

Chef Michael Chiarello is "known for his emphasis on creating delicious dishes with fresh, premium ingredients, uses panko as his go-to bread crumb for a crunch that won’t quit. An Emmy-award winning TV chef and cookbook author, Chef Chiarello is the tastemaker behind Bottega Napa Valley Restaurant, NapaStyle and Chiarello Family Vineyards, and appears on The Cooking Channel and Top Chef Masters only on Bravo." (MyBlogSpark)

Giveaway: This giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will end on December 1, 2010. The winner will be picked via random.org. and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn. Make sure you leave a valid e-mail address in your posts!

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment and let me know how you would use the Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko Bread Crumbs. Please include your e-mail address with your entry so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries (leave 1 comment for each): Blog about this giveaway and leave a link to your post.

Become a follower of my blog.

Best of luck to you all!

*General Mills provided me with the information and giveaway through MyBlogSpark.

Ryders Eyewear Giveaway!

2010-11-13T10:42:00.001-06:00

I told you this was coming :-). I reviewed a pair of red VTX sunglasses from Ryders Eyewear earlier this week here, and now one of you is going to have a chance to win a red pair for yourself!

Giveaway: Ryders Eyewear is going to provide one of my readers with a red pair of VTX sunglasses. This giveaway is open to U.S. Residents and will end on November 27, 2010. The winner will be picked via random.org. and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn. Make sure you leave a valid e-mail address in your posts!

Mandatory Entry: Submit a photo (by e-mailing me at got2run06 at yahoo.com of your current sunglasses that need to be replaced because they're beat-up, ugly, etc. OR visit the Ryders Eyewear site and mention another model you are interested in. Please include your e-mail address with your entry so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries (leave 1 comment for each): Blog about this giveaway and leave a link to your post.

Become a follower of my blog.

Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway by saying, "In need of a new pair of sunglasses? Ryders eyewear giveaway by @cygirl88 here: http://tinyurl.com/28k3u68"

Best of luck to you all! I look forward to your entries, especially if you send me some pictures :-).

P.S. I've added some more photos to my photo blog here: http://ashleymphotos.weebly.com/photos.html

~

Ryders Eyewear review

2010-11-09T17:58:00.000-06:00

A new week and a new review for you :-). This time I was sent a complimentary pair of sunglasses from Ryders eyewear. They offer a great selection of sunglasses and even some goggles. Here is the pair I was sent:

VTX sunglasses: 10 of 10! These glasses are stylish, very comfortable, and they wrap around my eyes so as to eliminate any glare from the sun at my side. The case is very sturdy, and the interchangeable lens mean that this can be my go-to pair of sunglasses for just about anything, but especially exercise such as running and biking where you really need some quality glasses that won't slip.

Guess what?! One lucky reader will be winning a red pair of the VTX sunglasses like I received... but you'll have to stay tuned for the giveaway details :-).

I don't know about you all, but Illinois has been having some very unseasonably warm weather. It was sunny and in the 70s today! I went on a 1.5 hr. bike ride (with my VTX sunglasses of course) and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Have a great week everyone!

~

Jay Robb Protein Powder Review

2010-11-03T21:10:00.000-05:00

Last month, I reviewed Jay Robb's JayBar here. Now I'm reviewing his protein powders, which I was sent along with the bars to review. Jay Robb offers both whey protein isolate and egg white protein powders. Here are some facts about Jay Robb whey protein isolate:

From Grass Fed Cows Not Treated With rBGH (Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone)
Now with 25 Grams Protein Per Serving!
Mixes with a blender or Shaker Bottle
No Fat, No Cholesterol
No Sugar
No Aspartame
No Artificial Sweeteners or Colors
Made With Stevia
No Casein
No MSG
No Gluten

More information on Jay Robb's protein powders can be found on his site here.

I was sent the following flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Pina Colada, Tropical Dreamsicle (the last two flavors are only available in whey protein isolate).

Vanilla (whey): 9.5 of 10. Great vanilla flavor. It mixed in with milk quite nicely and was great with oatmeal (as seen above).

Vanilla (egg white): 9 of 10. Very nice taste again, though it seemed like this powder was harder to stir in.

Strawberry (whey): 9.5 of 10. Smooth, strong flavor that blended well and was quite foamy! I appreciated that it wasn't pink because I hate artificial colors.

Strawberry (egg white): 9 of 10. A stronger strawberry flavor, but it didn't blend as well.

Chocolate (whey): 10 of 10. Wonderful chocolate flavor. It mixed up quite well in my blender and came out nice and foamy :-).

Chocolate (egg white): 8.5 of 10. The chocolate flavor wasn't as strong as I would have liked and it didn't blend as well.

Tropical Dreamsicle (whey): 9.5 of 10. Very nice tropical flavor with orange and some other tropical fruits thrown in. It was unique, but not overwhelmingly so.

Pina Colada (whey): 10 of 10. I mixed it with milk, and it tasted just like I'd imagine a pina colada would taste like! Delicious!

Overall, I enjoyed the whey protein isolate flavors better. They were easier to mix into liquids and didn't have clumps like the egg white protein powder sometimes had.

Look at this awesome tank top I was sent with my samples!! I love it! Thank you Jay Robb :-).

I won't be able to blog until next week now because I have a lot of class work and projects. I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week and weekend though!

If you're looking for a smile, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAibh3SqRUo&feature=related

Book Publishing Company: Luscious Vegan Desserts

2010-10-29T16:13:00.000-05:00

Book Publishing Company is doing an online promotion called, "Luscious Vegan Desserts"!

Click here to enter to win a free dessert book or buy one! I was sent a review copy of More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally. It has a great collection of dairy and egg-free recipes ranging from cookies and puddings to smoothies. The first chapter detailed the essential ingredients and equipment for a "nondairy, egg-free baker's dessert kitchen." This was VERY helpful! My only complaint about the actual recipes was that they didn't have nutrition facts. The recipe I decided to try out first was the Virtuous Vanilla Cake. Of course, you may know by now that I have trouble following recipes, so here is a link to my modified version. I can't help it - I don't like being constrained :-).

I was quite impressed! The cake turned out kind of spongy and similar to a pound cake in texture. I loved the vanilla flavor and the sweetness level was perfect for me. I do regret not using coconut oil in place of the canola oil though. I used olive oil since that is what I had on hand. It worked out just fine, but it would have been neat to see how coconut oil would have worked :-).

Yay for cake that's full of wonderful ingredients!

Have a fabulous Halloween weekend!

Kettle Almond Butter Review

2010-10-27T18:00:00.000-05:00

Hello! You all know I love nut butters :-). Kettle generously sent me a jar of their Almond Butter to review, pictured below:

9 of 10. This nut butter had a very nice consistency, but I must say the flavor wasn't what I was expecting... It was tasty, but just didn't compare with peanut butter like I thought it might. It worked well with bananas, apples, and especially carrots if you can believe it ;-).

Coming up will be a cookbook review courtesy of Book Publishing Company. They are currently promoting their cookbooks for vegan desserts. Check it out here! You can even enter to win a free dessert book!

I'm looking forward to Halloween... are you?

Boo!

Zevia Giveaway Winner and my New Website

2010-10-23T16:39:00.000-05:00

Thank you everyone who entered my Zevia giveaway sponsored by Zevia. Random.org declared #5 the winner! Congrats ManoloMandi! I'll be e-mailing you soon!

I recently made some homemade spaghetti sauce with homemade stewed tomatoes (courtesy of my mom!). In order to transform the stewed tomatoes into a sauce, I added a can of tomato paste, green peppers, onions, garlic, basil, Mrs. Dash original seasoning, some salsa and a bit of salt. Here is the final result:

Also, in case you're interested, I just created a new website where I'll be posting my nature photography. Here it is: http://ashleymphotos.weebly.com/. I hope you like it :-). There's not a whole lot on it yet, but every image, even the header, is mine. I'll gradually be adding more.

Hope you're all having a nice, relaxing weekend!

Don't forget to enter my Zevia giveaway!

2010-10-20T20:02:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! Today, I'm just going to share a few random notes with you :-).

There's still time to enter my Zevia giveaway here!

CSN Stores is having a sale on their cookware now, so you may want to check it out here.

Penny Pincher Gazette is a site for coupons and recipes that I enjoy.

This is a fun site I found with videos from 1860-2010! It's a fun way to waste a little time while gaining some perspective on life in the past.

I absolutely LOVE Recipe Puppy, an ingredient based recipe search engine.

I'll end this post by filling you in on my current exercise schedule. Biking has been my means of transportation to class and work this fall. Unfortunately that won't last much longer since winter is fast approaching. I also go on about 2 longer bike rides each week for an hour each. I haven't been running much lately... perhaps 4 miles a week... I am lifting weights or using my kettlebell 2-3 times per week though :-). As the weather gets colder, I'll be heading to the gym in order to use the indoor track and elliptical. I'll do more running then since I will no longer be able to bike.

I hope everyone's hump day went well ;-).

~

Jay Robb Review and CSN Stores Giveaway Winner

2010-10-15T10:43:00.003-05:00

Jay Robb Products sent me a complimentary package of their protein bars and powder to review! This brand is definitely popular around the blogosphere, and I am excited to share my own experiences of it with all of you :-). I'll review the protein bars on this post and the powders later. Here is what Jay Robb has to say about his JayBars:

"I've raised the bar on bars and created the JayBAR—a great tasting high protein bar made with organic ingredients. JayBars are formulated without sugar, corn syrup, casein, artificial sweeteners, maltitol, acesulfame-K, evaporated cane juice, aspartame, or sucralose!"

Who exactly is Jay Robb? He is "a clinical nutritionist with over three decades of experience as a professional in his field. He is the CEO of Jay Robb Enterprises Inc.—a Southern California corporation founded in 1988 and known for producing the best-tasting protein powders on the planet. Jay Robb products and books are sold in over 10,000 health food stores, grocery stores, doctors’ offices, nutrition centers, and gyms across the nation." Find out more here! Jay Robb even has an eNewsletter called JayTalk you can subscribe to here :-).

Now for my review:

Cashew Coconut: 9 of 10. Tasty, creamy, smooth (other than the crunchy whey protein crisps), and very rich! It was actually a little too rich for me. The bar was sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. I love the ingredients too. This is not your standard protein bar.

Fudge Brownie: 10 of 10. A very sweet chocolate treat that is loaded with protein. I love how thick and dense it is - quite substantial.

Peanut Butter: 9 of 10. This bar was a little greasy on the outside, and it had a rich, deep flavor. It was just sweet enough to make for satisfying treat, and it had a nice peanut butter flavor (though not the best I've experienced).

Almond Energy Bar: 9.5 of 10. Quite sweet with a great fig and raisin combo flavor. The YAMMIT Energy Nuggets were fabulous :-). The almonds made a wonderful addition. I consider this bar to be a 'souped-up' Larabar.

Overall, these bars are quite nice. They are pricey too though! You get what you pay for though, and if you're looking for a quality protein bar that you don't have to make on your own, then this would be a good purchase. AND... if you're so inclined to make a purchase, here is a discount that Jay Robb has extended to you all:

NOW for the $45 CSN Stores Giveaway Winner! Thank you everyone who entered and thank you CSN Stores for allowing me to host this generous giveaway. Only one could win though, and Random.org declared lucky #7 the winner, which is Katie M. Congrats!! CSN Stores should be sending you an e-mail soon :-).

Have a great weekend everyone!

~

Zevia Review and Giveaway!

2010-10-08T22:29:00.001-05:00

Yep, you read that right - another giveaway! Zevia recently received some great publicity courtesy of Oprah. Zevia was on the O list in the September 2010 issue of The Oprah Magazine here. Zevia must be good then, right?! Well, here were my thoughts in February 2010! Here are the flavors that Zevia generously sent me this time:

I was excited to see that I was sent Dr. Zevia because I didn't get to try that flavor during my first review. It is definitely a great addition to their line up and quite similar to Dr. Pepper. Zevia makes for a refreshing treat, and I must say I enjoyed them more this time around... perhaps I'm less picky?

So what exactly makes Zevia so great? Well, "ZEVIA is the first all natural zero calorie soda. With only pure ingredients, ZEVIA contains none of the chemically processed artificial sugar substitutes, artificial flavors or artificial colors found in other diet sodas. ZEVIA is all-natural, has zero calories, zero net carbs, zero fat, and little or no sodium (depending on flavor)." You can find out more on their website here!

Giveaway: Zevia has graciously offered to give away one mixed six pack of Zevia to one of my readers. This giveaway is open to U.S. Residents and it will end on October 22, 2010. The winner will be picked via random.org. and will have 48 hours to respond to winning email to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn. Make sure you leave a valid e-mail address in your posts!

Mandatory Entry: What do you like most about Zevia? Or what flavor would you most like to try? Leave your e-mail address too please!

Extra Entries (leave 1 comment for each): Blog about this giveaway and leave a link to your post.

Become a follower of my blog.

Good luck! Don't forget my CSN Stores giveaway that's still going on here!
~

$45 CSN Stores Giveaway!

2010-10-04T18:29:00.001-05:00

Here it is - a major giveaway that CSN Stores is allowing me to host! This is great because YOU decide what you win! One of my readers is going to receive a $45 gift code to use at CSN Stores!

This giveaway is open to U.S. Residents and it will end on October 15, 2010. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn. Make sure you leave a valid e-mail address in your posts!

Mandatory Entry: Leave me a comment telling me how you would spend $45 at CSN Stores. Please include your e-mail address too.

Extra Entries (leave 1 comment for each): Blog about this giveaway and leave a link to the post.

Become a follower of my blog.

That's it! I will be posting more product reviews soon :-). As for my life, classes are busy, but going well. I'm LOVING the Autumn weather and am hoping Winter holds off for awhile. Also, my basil plant made a come back! I wonder how long it will last??

Take care!

CSN Stores giveaway coming soon!

2010-10-01T21:06:00.000-05:00

I'm spreading the wealth with my wonderful readers! CSN Stores is generously offering one of my readers a $45 gift code to their stores! Are you interested in dining sets? If so, they have a nice selection for you :-). Otherwise, they have many more items to choose from! Stay tuned for giveaway details!

I went on a nice bike ride this evening and took some pictures around town. Unfortunately dusk is not a great time for taking pictures... but I'll share some with you anyway :-).

I hope you all have a relaxing weekend!

FYI: This past week was Banned Books Week. Here is a list of challenged and banned books in 2009-2010. I say, just say no to banned books!

~

Vitalicious makes DELICIOUS products

2010-09-26T10:31:00.002-05:00

I can finally say I have tried VitaTops! Vitalicious sent me a wonderful (and complimentary!) assortment of their goodies to review. Their VitaTops truly are 'deliciously convenient,' and at only 100 calories each, how can you go wrong? They are low-fat, fortified with vitamins and minerals, made with whole grains, and provide 5-6g fiber.

Here are some of the VitaTops I was sent:

Apple Crumb: 9 of 10. Strong apple flavor and a great crumb topping. I loved the apple chunks inside :-). Nice texture and perfect sweetness. It was good right out of the freezer as a cool treat on a hot day. A tasty way to get your vitamins!

Triple Chocolate Chunk: 9.5 of 10. Yay for chocolate! This flavor is quite sweet and makes for a great dessert. The chocolate chunks are fabulous. I also enjoyed the soft and chewy texture.

CranBran: 8.5 of 10. The cranberry flavor was great, but not as strong as I would have liked. Very hearty and filling with an oaty texture. It does taste 'healthy' :-).

Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip: 10 of 10. Wow - this is really fudgy! The PB chips are a perfect addition. My only complaint is that the chips were concentrated in the center rather than being spread out. Still, this was a great treat that I thoroughly enjoyed!

VitaTops are a tasty low-cal treat. Granted, they do have a lot of ingredients, but at least they don't use preservatives or artificial ingredients. They're a great alternative to some other packaged foods, and I'd say they're perfectly fine in moderation.

I'll be doing reviews of the other flavors soon, but now I must work on a paper that's due tomorrow morning! Time to hit the keyboard... in Microsoft Word rather than Blogger ;-).

~

Last of the Chobani

2010-09-23T20:00:00.000-05:00

Homework or blog? Tonight it is blog... and then homework. Tonight I'm going to finish up my reviews of the Chobani yogurt I was sent... a hard job, but someone's got to do it ;-). Here is my first review.

Strawberry: 10 of 10! Smooth, thick, and creamy. A very strong and natural strawberry flavor. It's also pretty sweet, but only 19g of sugar, which is pretty good as far as flavored yogurts go!

Peach: 10 of 10. Just peachy ;-). I loved the little peach chunks blended with the amazing greek yogurt base. Raw sunflower seeds make a nice topper too.

Nothing beats good greek yogurt, and Chobani definitely delivers.

Vitalicious reviews will be coming up next!

Enjoy the upcoming weekend everyone! I'm hoping to be able to take some time to see Elephant, a free performance at the University of Illinois. This performance is part of The Unreliable Bestiary, "an ark of stories about animals, our relationships with them, and the worlds they inhabit." You can learn more here: http://unreliablebestiary.org/about.php.

Pillsbury Sweet Moments Winner! and CSN Stores review

2010-09-19T16:36:00.001-05:00

And.... Random.org declard my Pillsbury Sweet Moments Giveaway winner to be... #22... or Mo' Betta! Congratulations! And thank you to everyone else for entering this giveaway! FYI: This prize pack, in addition to the product, prize pack, and information I received were all given to me from Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark.

Now for the CSN Stores review! CSN Stores generously provided me with a $40 giftcard to use in their stores. They have SO much, but the two things I ended up purchasing were a Victorinox Swiss Army Fibrox 8" Chef's Knife and an Emerilware by All Clad Cast Iron 10" Skillet. I am super happy with both items! They were shipped fast and were packaged well - so no bumps, dings, or scratches :-).

Isn't this knife gorgeous! It sliced through a couple large raw sweet potatoes like a dream. I was afraid it was going to cut right through the cutting board (it didn't!). I was even a bit afraid to use it since I've never had a knife so large and sharp. I'm very pleased with it though. Now I think I need a knife block. It just seems wrong to just put this knife in a drawer with my other cheap knives :-(.

I've been wanting a cast iron skillet since forever, but have gotten by without. Now I have one (boy, is it heavy!), and the its features are wonderful:

•10" cast iron made for high heating cooking
•Excellent heat retention - keeps food warm at table

•Perfect for browning, searing, frying, and sauteing

•Heats evenly and consistently

•No warping or chipping

•Becomes virtually non-stick with seasoning and use

•Pre-seasoned pan surfaces and oven safe up to 600F

•Heirloom quality with signature thumb rest

•Large, extra-long handle and easy-to-grip side "helper" handles

•Lifetime warranty

So, do any of my readers own a chef's knife and/or a cast iron skillet? If so, what are your favorite uses for each? I could especially use ideas for the cast iron skillet :-).

And my goal is to post at least twice a week, but, alas, life has been so busy! Maybe shorter posts?

~

CHOtastic Chobani review

2010-09-12T22:44:00.002-05:00

I received an awesome complimentary assortment of Chobani Greek Yogurt to review awhile back :-). Here are some of the flavors:

Raspberry: 10 of 10! It was everything I hoped for! I LOVE raspberries and the raspberry flavor of this yogurt was quite prominent. It was great with walnuts mixed in too :-).

Pineapple: 9.5 of 10. I enjoyed the pieces of pineapple. They weren’t soft and mushy, but rather substantial. I’ll admit I was hesitant though because I’ve been scarred by the canned pineapple served with my school lunches in grade school :-(.

Pomegranate: 10 of 10. The pomegranate seeds added a great crunch and burst of flavor. Loved how thick an creamy the yogurt was – so delicious!

Blueberry: 10 of 10. A very strong and fresh flavor. 0% fat and oh, so good!

Strawberry Banana: 10 of 10. I’m not normally a fan of strawberry banana flavors, but somehow Chobani pulled it off for me. Maybe the 2% yogurt base made it more rich? The strawberry pieces were great too!

Vanilla: 9 of 10. A deep, hearty vanilla flavor, but it seemed kind of weird to me. Maybe it was too tart. It was still good, but not as amazing as the other flavors.

0% plain: 9.5 of 10. Tart, thick, and smooth. Very substantial and a lot of protein for only 100 calories. Nuts are a great topper too :-).

2% plain: 10 of 10. Less tart and richer than the 0%. It was almost like sour cream in that is was sooo creamy. Perfect in my cantaloupe bowl :-).

I’ve still got a few more to review, but so far my impression is very positive. The high scores are my honest opinion. I couldn’t find much to complain about. Chobani makes quality Greek yogurt! I guess my one suggestion would be for them to add more calcium and Vitamin D to their yogurt.

Don’t forget to enter my Pillsbury Sweet Moments giveaway here!

~

Pillsbury Sweet Moments Review and Giveaway!

2010-09-08T18:32:00.001-05:00

Another giveaway for you all! Aren't you excited?! I knew you would be :-).

I joined MyBlogSpark a while back, and they just sent me an amazing "Sweet Moments" prize pack. A big thank you to Pillsbury for providing the free product, information, and prize pack through MyBlogSpark.

The prize pack included a VIP coupon for the new Pillsbury Sweet Moments and a chocolate spa kit. The spa kit included a loofah, mint chocolate foot scrub, milk chocolate body lotion, cocoa chocolate shower gel, and cocoa chocolate bath salts. It is luxurious :-).

Pillsbury recently came out with Sweet Moments Bite-Size and Molten Lava Brownies. They are available in the refrigerated baked goods section of your local grocery store.

Now, this product isn't something I would normally eat (very processed!), and in fact, I really have no desire to. I therefore decided to see if my Mom would like to try them... she is conveniently visiting me right now :-). Below is what I purchased with my VIP coupon:

Mom: 8 of 10. Tasty and not bad considering they're made with artificial flavors, colors, etc.

Now for the giveaway sponsored by Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark! One (1) reader will win a Sweet Moments prize pack (just like I got). Open to U.S. Residents. Giveaway will end on September 18, 2010. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn, ensure you leave a valid email address. Prize pack pictured below:

Mandatory Entry: Leave me a comment telling me your favorite way to pamper yourself? Please include your e-mail address too.

Extra Entries (leave 1 comment for each): Blog about this giveaway on your blog and leave a link.

Follow my blog.

Follow me on twitter and tweet: "Pillsbury Sweet Moments,vip coupon and chocolate spa prize pack giveaway! http://bit.ly/c3EWVI @cygirl88 Ends 9/18 #mbsspark." Leave a link too please.

Add Food, Fotos, and Fun! to your blogroll.

That should be plenty of entries! Best of luck to you all!

~

The Veg-Feasting Cookbook from Book Publishing Company

2010-09-05T21:47:00.000-05:00

I received another complimentary cookbook to review from the Book Publishing Company! The Veg-Feasting Cookbook is full of fabulous vegetarian recipes from “Local Restaurants and Leading Chefs in the Pacific Northwest.” As you can see, I’ve already got some recipes bookmarked, including the one that I’m going to share with you in just a moment.

Front and back covers are shown above.

The recipe I'm sharing is Lentil Pottage. Here’s the recipe:

I chose this recipe because it looked SUPER easy and my life’s been kind of hectic lately… The recipe turned out quite well, though it was lacking a bit in flavor. I’m thinking I might use vegetable broth instead of water next time. I adorned my bowl with carrots :-).

This cookbook also has some great articles in addition to the recipes, including a brief history of the Vegetarian Scene in the Pacific Northwest and an extensive list of foods that deserve a place in a healthy kitchen. This cookbook definitely deserves a 10 of 10!

In other news, I went for 2 1-mi. runs in my Vibram FiveFingers this weekend. The first run went wonderfully, but my calves hurt quite a bit during the second run. I wonder if that is normal when you’re starting out or if I’m running with them wrong?

~

Yurbuds Review

2010-09-03T22:24:00.000-05:00

It’s going to be a 3-day weekend! Now I can finally get all caught up on my class work ;-). And… hopefully get in some good posts and reviews.

I was recently sent a complimentary pair of yurbuds to review, and they were just what I needed for running with my iPod. Here’s a pic of my pair:

They’re blue :-). I give them a 9.5 of 10. They definitely help my iPod earphones stay in place when running! They’re also very comfortable and light, which actually made me afraid they might fall out, but nope – they didn’t budge. Now I just need some noise canceling earphones, but it’s probably safer if I can hear background noise even if it is annoying traffic sounds :-(.

Guess what else I have to share?! I’m using Windows Live Writer. I’ve had some issues uploading pictures to Blogger, so I wanted an alternative way to make my posts. So far I really like it. Does anyone else use this? I know I’m a little slow in figuring out all the new technologies out there :-).

And now for some more Champaign-Urbana pictures since ~~I’m obsessed with~~ I enjoy photography.

Next up will be another cookbook review…

Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend! Any fun plans? I’m hoping to get in my first run with my Vibrams :-).

~

My Vibram FiveFingers!!

2010-08-31T08:38:00.000-05:00

I've got a pair of Vibram FiveFingers!! I've wanted a pair since this past spring, and I was finally able to find a store with them in stock so I could get sized and determine which style I'd like. I chose the TrekSport that you can see below:

Aren't they gorgeous?! So far I've only worn them walking, but I'm looking forward to running in them too :-).

How about some more pictures of Champaign, IL. Here we go:

Brick streets: beautiful, but not all that fun to bike or drive on.

Some plant pictures :-).

More reviews and recipes to come, but alas, the life of a grad student is crazy!

Pictures and Food as promised!

2010-08-27T21:18:00.000-05:00

Why, hello everyone! My first (extremely crazy and busy) week of classes is over :-). Now for a recap:

At the farmers' market a couple weeks ago I bought a beautiful basil plant:

I am in love with it... but I fear it is dying (it no longer looks like it does above) in my tiny apartment with windows only facing one direction :-(.

I used some of my basil when making a bean soup in my mini crock pot. It turned out all right, but I think it needed more flavor. I followed a recipe, but my kitchen is still lacking in a number of spices (that I therefore excluded thinking it wouldn't matter too much). Alas, I have more shopping to do...

Anyway, here is the soup:

I also bought a couple pluots from the grocery store a few days ago because they were on sale for $.99 per pound (should've gotten more!). I LOVED them! Here is one I had for breakfast with oatgurt and chia seeds:

Now for some Illinois scenery :-).

These are some pics from the UIUC campus - lots of people!

Some pics from Champaign neighborhoods I've wandered around on foot and bike:

I was astonished to see that people decorate their yards with lights - my fellow Iowans and I tend to use lights exclusively for Christmas.

I hope this post was worth the wait ;-). I had fun taking the pictures... and I have more to show you at a later date...

Have a fabulous weekend!

Why so few posts??

2010-08-23T20:10:00.000-05:00

Well, let's see... I've been super busy with work, orientation, getting adjusted to my new apartment, and transfering files from my old (very slow!) laptop to my new one. Oh, and my graduate classes started today! I miss blogging and taking pictures - I really do!! So here's my to-do list for the week:

Take pictures of campus and/or the city and its parks, quaint houses, etc.
Take pictures of more food!
Do MORE real cooking instead of sandwiches, salads, and easy stuff like omelets.
Have some fun at various Welcome Week festivities.
And then blog about some of those things by the end of the week!

I also hope to finally have internet access in my apartment by the end of this week. I realized I simply couldn't live without it - for personal and academic reasons ;-). Yep, I caved, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

~

PVC update, kale chips, and sardines

2010-08-19T18:17:00.000-05:00

First, I want to let you all know that I'll be doing another CSN review soon! CSN has sooo many items at great prices. I especially love their cookware - you can get a fantastic Dutch oven among many other items. It's hard not to get carried away ;-).

Next I want to better inform you all about PVC. After reading this article, I was concerned. Now, I'm not so worried because I have additional facts, including a letter from Izola. I was told they are in the process of converting all of their shower curtains to PEVA, a recyclable plasitc, but that is not because PVC is unsafe. Here is an excerpt from their letter:

"It (PVC) is actually only toxic upon incineration. There's very little conclusive evidence about the effects of the fumes from vinyl. It's definitely not pleasant but there's still debate about it's actual measured toxicity. It's more for the fact that it's not recyclable and biodegradable that we feel the creates a significant environmental impact. It takes over 100 times more energy and resources to create PEVA so while PEVA is a better alternative, it's not the perfect solution."

I was additionally left a comment on my last post by Jessvet that is informative. Here it is:

"Beautiful shower curtain! Regarding your concerns about PVC in shower curtains, I would not panic. The scientific validity of the study disseminated by the Center for Health, Environment and Justice is very questionable (the study referenced in the article). Even the highly respected U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has criticized this study/report which is the basis for most of the 'scare-mongering' regarding PVC's and consumer exposure. I think a more realistic concern with PVC is for workers in the actual prodution plants and populations that live near such plants that may be releasing toxic by-products into the air. There is a much higher probability of inhaling toxin concentrations of PVC and associated chemicals in these situations. I would not panic about the small amounts of vinyl chemicals released into the air in a home unless one in the habit of deliberately 'huffing' plastic fumes continually in enclosed areas. While it is always important to follow-up on safety concerns related to consumer products, one must do so using scientific method. Controlled unbiased studies showing statistically valid results are essential before the public is scared into abandoning one product for another that might be even less closely scrutinized or lead to other health concerns, like mildew and mold development with hemp or cloth shower curtain use. Further research is definitely needed, but it must be done correctly without bias. Please know I have no vested interest in the plastic industry. I just hate to see organizations that often have ulterior motives spread fear through 'studies' that fail the test of scientific validity. Take care and just enjoy your beautiful shower curtain!

Here's a web site that references some of the concerns with the PVC scare."

So the moral of the story is to do your research if you're concerned about something. Therefore, I'll be keeping my beautful shower curtain :-).

Now for the kale chips I made!

I lined a baking pan with parchment paper, tore up some kale, sprinkled it with some salt and garlic powder, and then put on the sheet and in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15-20 min. I think I needed to toss the kale during the baking process though because the inner pieces were still soft while the outer pieces were burnt :-(. I enjoyed the pieces that were baked to perfection, but there weren't many like that - perhaps I just need more practice. Also, this was the first thing I made in my new oven - how exciting!!

Guess what I had with my kale chips??? I'll show you:

Yes, those are canned sardines! I've been wanting to try them for awhile since seeing them on a few blogs. The first bite wasn't too bad, but then the fishy smell, slimy texture, etc. got to me. I added ketchup and mustard and was able to finish it all, but I don't think I'll be purchasing them again... even if they are quite healthy, as explained here.

I can't wait to go the farmers' market again this Saturday!

And then classes begin on Monday! Anyone else starting classes or getting their children ready for school? How's it going?

Izola Shower Curtain Review

2010-08-17T20:04:00.000-05:00

You all know I'm in my new apartment, which means some decorating of course ;-). I'm grateful to have gotten one of my "decorations" for free from Izola. I was sent one of their beautiful shower curtains to review. They have a stylish collection with popular themes like world destinations, subway maps and eco-friendly shower curtains. I chose to review the Foliage Shower Curtain. Here it is in my bathroom:

10 of 10! That was my initial review anyways... I LOVE the design, the size, and the quality, BUT I am afraid to have discovered that PVC shower curtains are potentially toxic, as referenced in this article. This particular shower curtain is 100% PVC with nickel plated grommets :-(. Izola does offer eco-friendly shower curtains that are 100% PEVA, and now I'm wishing I got one of those instead... since I fear I may have to get rid of this one because of health concerns. I will sorely miss it even though I've only had it for about a week. I'll contact Izola and let you know what they have to say.

Stay tuned for my kale chip experience and another new food I recently tried!

P.S. Yesterday was my first run in Champaign and I loved it! The streets are so beautiful - some are even brick!

GoLite winners!

2010-08-15T15:38:00.000-05:00

The winners of the GoLite mesh cap giveaway are Julia and sAm! Congrats ladies! I've already e-mailed both of you - so just send me your info. and then I'll pass it on to GoLite :-).

I wish I could post more now, but I've just got sooo much to do in preparation for classes and my new job (job begins tomorrow and classes next week!). I'll definitely try to post more soon though - I've got some interesting pictures to share ;-).

It also doesn't help that I've decided to forgo wireless internet in my new apartment... so I have to head to the local library or somewhere on campus in order to blog, read blogs, and do other stuff online too of course. It'll definitely be hard since I'm more or less addicted to the internet - but perhaps it'll be good for me??

Hope you are all enjoying your Sunday!

~

GoLite giveaway ends tonight!

2010-08-14T10:30:00.001-05:00

Hello all! I've been super busy unpacking and stocking my new apartment with food and other supplies :-). It's been crazy, but I'll be posting more soon! Just wanted to give a quick shout-out that my GoLite mesh cap giveaway ends tonight. Enter here!

I'll announce the winner sometime tomorrow.

P.S. I went to Urbana's Market at the Square today and had a blast - so many fresh fruits and veggies! The only other 'big' farmers' market I've been to was in Madison, WI. This one was a bit smaller, but it was still awesome :-).

~

Moving to Champaign, IL

2010-08-10T09:25:00.001-05:00

The big move is finally here! I'm on my way to Champaign, IL where I'll be attending the University of Illinois for graduate school. I'm just praying that it doesn't rain on me!

And I did modify the zuchinni pizza recipe I showed you in my last post by cutting the zuchinni into circles instead of length-wise. Here's what the new version looks like.

The zucchini was thinner, and I thought it turned out better :-). Thanks again for the recipe Amanda!

And don't forget my GoLite mesh cap giveaway here!

Time for me to do some last minute packing ;-).

~

Enter my giveaway - you know you want to :-)

2010-08-07T10:51:00.001-05:00

Yep, in case you missed it, I'm hosting an awesome giveaway for TWO GoLite mesh caps here! As of right now your chances of winning are VERY high.

And if you love giveaways, you should check out Giveaway Scout. They scan a large number of giveaway blogs and provide updates every hour with the latest offers. Here you can find (almost) all blog giveaways, contests and sweepstakes in one place!

Now, how about some food pics ;-). A couple nights ago I tried out a recipe for zucchini pizzas courtesy of Amanda over at The Nutritionist Reviews. Here is the "pizza" I made:

Maybe more like a zucchini boat ;-). Next time I'm going to try cutting the zucchini the other way in order to make thin, small round mini pizzas that have less zucchini and more toppings. I may even try it that for supper tonight :-).

In addition to my lovely zucchini pizza, I had a salad with vinaigrette dressing (and an unpictured PB sandwich):

And I know you all want to know how Elphaba, my kitten, is doing, so here are some pics:

How cute! Frodo and Elphaba sleeping peacefully together :-).

Unfortunately, I am going to have to say goodbye to all my cats very soon since I'll be leaving home for Champaign, IL in order to attend grad school :'-(. I've enjoyed their company for the summer though!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!!

GoLite Review and Giveaway!

2010-08-04T22:10:00.000-05:00

I've got a great review to share with you all today! GoLite was very generous in sending me a complimentary mesh cap, Tumalo Pertex® 2.5-Layer Storm Jacket, and a Cayambe Reversible Travel Dress to review!

I am so happy to be able to share this great company with you. GoLite is a place where you can take your business and know that you're supporting a responsible eco-friendly business... not to mention that their products are top-notch! Here you can see how "GoLite’s extensive use of Tier 1 recycled fabrics won the “Green Award” and was one of only 15 innovative products honored with a 2010 Backpacker Editors’ Choice Award." That's impressive, but it's not all!

Earlier this year GoLite initiated their Product Take-Back Program in which they state "We'll take any unwanted GoLite product off your hands. When you send it back to us, we will repair, donate, repurpose, and/or recycle everything we get back. And if the technology doesn't yet exist to recycle it, we'll hang on to it until it does."

GoLite is seriously "committed to building a sustainable business." They even developed a GoLite Index™ that addresses each product’s key social and environmental impacts. I am SO glad I've discovered GoLite and am able to share them with you!

Now I'll get to the actual product reviews, but seriously, you need to check them out (here). And while you're at it, sign up to WIN FREE STUFF! For 93 days, GoLite is giving away free gear. You only have to enter once here, and you're signed up for the entire contest. You can win anything from a $700 tent to a $300 jacket to running gear and hydration systems! So what are you waiting for?!

Mesh Cap

10 of 10! This hat is SO much better than my cheap cotton ones - go figure ;-). It's very stylish while also keeping my head cool due to the wicking and quick-drying material. It even has an adjustable Velcro® back closure so it fits as snugly as I want it to. It is totally my new go-to cap!

Tumalo Pertex® 2.5-Layer Storm Jacket

10 of 10 too! This is a very lightweight waterproof and breathable shell. It fits over almost any top I have and provides great coverage and protection from the rain! I especially love the large hood. Even before wearing this I could tell it was constructed well with its fully taped seams, waterproof zip hand pockets, and more! I also love the color as it can go with absolutely anything :-).

Last, but not least is my personal favorite: the Cayambe Reversible Travel Dress

10 of 10! This dress is most definitely a travel dress, though it can easily be worn about town and so forth. It is light, packable, very comfortable and stylish - especially since it is reversible (2 dresses in one - the other side of mine is black)! It even has a UPF of 50+.

I loved the above gear so much, I actually took pictures of me wearing it so you could see how it looks in 'real life' so to speak. I don't usually take pics of myself (as many of you have probably realized) since I'd much rather be the one behind the camera instead of in front ;-). It was worth it to show you the items from GoLite though. Thank you GoLite and Outside PR (they coordinated the review).

I was even sent a cute bumper sticker that I am now sporting on my car:

But wait! I'm not done yet! There's a GIVEAWAY! GoLite is going to send TWO of my readers a free mesh cap like the one I received.

Here's how to enter:

Mandatory: Visit GoLite and tell me one cool fact you learned about them. Please include your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win. (1 entry)

Optional: How do you GoLite and live sustainably? (1 entry)
Follow my blog 'cuz you love me ;-). (1 entry)
Post about this giveaway on your blog. (1 entry)

This giveaway ends on August 14, 2010. The winners will be randomly chosen via Random.org generator and will be posted on my blog on August 15. Only one person per household may enter. The winners will have 72 hours to respond with their shipping address via e-mail after I contact them. If a winner doesn't respond, another winner will be chosen. Contest is open to U.S. Residents 18 yrs. and older only.

Best of luck to you all!

Disclaimer: I was sent the GoLite gear free of charge, but the above review is my honest opinion of the products - I would not give the high praises above lightly!

~

SPIbelt Review

2010-08-01T20:05:00.000-05:00

Before the reivew, I have to share some food fotos. Here is an awesome food combination I recently discovered: cooked beats and cold cottage cheese! Ok, it may not sound too spectacular, but I love it :-). Here's a pic:

Don't knock it 'til you try it :-).

Some banana soft serve with homemade nut butter mixed in:

Yeah, it looks like a pile o' mud or something, but it's quite tasty with only 2 ingredients: frozen banana and nut butter.

Here's a wonderful shrimp salad with capers that I had a couple days ago. It was fantastic!

Now for the SPIbelt review:

SPIbelt stands for Small Personal Item Belt. They offer a variety of belts that you can see here. I was sent a complimentary SPIbelt to review on my blog for you all. This is the type I was sent, and here's a pic of the exact one I got in Pink Plaid (many more colors and patterns are available!):

10 of 10! This is perfect to carry my cell phone and keys while I run or even walk. Before I would tie my key to my shoe lace and just not carry my cell phone - I like this option much better :-). Don't be deceived by how small the pouch looks - it expands and can easily carry a blackberrry or iPod. The pouch is very secure too - no bouncing, etc. So check out SPIbelt if you've been looking for something to carry small items while you exercise - there's even a water resistant SPIbelt!

I'll leave you all with a picture I took during a recent thunderstorm. The pic. didn't turn out all that great so I edited it a bit. Here are the results:

Have a wonderful first week of August! Where did the summer go???

Where can I find some good books? How about Book Publishing Company!

2010-07-29T20:23:00.000-05:00

Last month I was sent a complimentary review copy of The Nut Gourmet from Book Publishing Company. Book Publishing Company "is a community owned, independent press dedicated to publishing books that promote a healthful and sustainable lifestyle." They "are located on The Farm in Summertown, Tennessee and have been in business since 1974."

In addition, their "vegetarian/vegan cookbooks include ethnic favorites and cover a number of dietary concerns (food sensitivities, diabetes, weight management, etc.)." Their "Healthy Living imprint offers titles that help people reach optimal health through better nutrition, nontoxic personal and home care, and natural therapies for illnesses." Their "Native Voices imprint features books on Native American history, spirituality, and culture."

AND Book Publishing Company is a member of The Green Press Initiative... so they are committed to print a growing number of their titles on paper that is postconsumer recycled and processed chlorine free!!!

Sounds like a nice company, doesn't it?! Well, I must say I am very satisfied with The Nut Gourmet. I can't get enough of nuts, and this book provides so many different recipes in which I can use nuts of all kinds :-). I especially love how this book includes so much more than just recipes! It has nutritional facts for many kinds of nuts and also teaches how to crack, roast, and even sprout nuts. I've learned so much! Therefore, I give this book a 10 of 10! (If I were to make a complaint, I'd ask for more pictures, but that's a minor complaint)

Oh, and I should probably give you a little background about the author, Zel Allen, too. She is presently spreading the message of a healthy vegan lifestyle by teaching vegetarian cooking classes at libraries, churches, etc. You can learn more about Zel and her husband on their website here!

Now for the book! Doesn't it look delightful?!

Here's the recipe I'm highlighting for you:

Bean butter? Yes, bean butter! No, it doesn't quite taste like nut butter, but I think it's a great low-fat, high-fiber, and somewhat high-protein alternative :-).

Now, I did make just a few adjustments to the recipe based on the ingredients I had on hand, so here is a link to my own version. I love how a recipe like this is so versatile!

Now for pics of the process, which was SUPER easy!

So far I've tried it plain and with a banana, but there are so many ways to enjoy this bean butter... such as on a sandwhich, with chips, or even on sweet potatoes (I just thought of that one, but I think it'd be great!). The butter is slightly sweet and nutty with a hint of the bean flavor. As long as you're not expecting a rich nut butter taste, you won't be disappointed. Oh, and I suppose it may help if you are a fan of beans, though the bean flavor certainly isn't overpowering. In fact, you can't really notice it when you pair it with a banana, since bananas can overpower just about anything :-).

More reviews to come... though my blogging may be a bit sporadic as I am packing and getting reading to move to Illinois early in August since I'll be attending grad school at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign! I can't wait, but then again this also means my summer's almost over :-(.

Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend everyone!