EnergyFirst Review

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!


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Becoming Raw: Book Publishing Company Review

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

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! 

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Bangkok Curry and Chocolate Pudding

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

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 :-).

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