Krema and Crazy Richard's CRUNCHY Peanut Butter Review

You knew it was coming ;-). I broke open my crunchy Krema PB (courtesy of Nanette at thesisterssweetshoppe.com where they sell Krema and Crazy Richard's PB in addition to many other goodies!). This was actually kind of new to me since I haven't had crunchy PB for about 2yrs. or so. I haven't been that impressed with it in the past, but I have a different outlook now :-). Here's my review of Krema Crunchy Peanut Butter:

I give it a 9 out of 10 too, equal to the creamy version. I was super impressed by the amount of peanut pieces there were, which did make it a bit difficult to stir in the oil. It was worth it for that satisfying crunch though! And maybe it's the fact that I'm influenced by the advertisement that they use "top quality peanuts," but I'm truly convinced that they taste better than other peanuts I've had :-). Now, I'll still stick with creamy PB for some purposes like on bananas, but I really enjoyed this crunchy PB on bread. It made my PB sandwich more substantial and "meaty" - I believe I've been missing out these past couple of years! This PB was still smooth, though less so than the creamy version. It was sticky too, but I've discovered a way to help with that since it's a new and somewhat akward experience for me still. So, here's what I do: I take a lick of PB and THEN follow it with a bite of banana. The banana's moist texture captures the PB in my mouth and it goes down nice and easy. How's that for a pleasant image :-). Anyway, that's my "stickiness solution." I've found it works better than eating the bite of banana first or eating both simultaneously.

Also, just to back up my claim that their peanuts taste so darn good, here's some information you can see on their website at http://www.kremaproducts.com/faq.asp :

"As the oldest peanut butter company in the country, we understand the art of making peanut butter. We use only the finest #1 Runner-split peanuts from Georgia. Because we do not mask the flavor of the peanuts with any salt or sugar we must have the best tasting peanuts available. Our roasting process brings out the flavor without burning the peanuts. We then use a special unique grind that gives our peanut butter its creamy, smooth texture. We do this so that the peanut butter can be stored in the refrigerator without becoming too hard to spread."

And here are some great pics:

I'm hoping to post another review this weekend too! I wish I wasn't so busy with my classes and could post more often. I'll definitely do more this summer!

P.S. There's a sweet running skirt giveaway here: http://enduranceisntonlyphysical.blogspot.com/2010/02/running-skirt-saturday-giveaway-2.html

And another cool giveaway to give you a taste of Northern Michigan here: http://savoringsarah.wordpress.com/2010/01/31/my-favorite-things/

And a random giveaway by CandidRD, including fun peanut butter flavors, a pilates DVD, and coconut milk here: http://candidrd.blogspot.com/2010/02/totally-random-giveaway.html

-

Krema and Crazy Richard's Peanut Butter Review

First off, I'm fairly limited in my peanut butter experiences. As a kid I'd have regular Jif, Skippy, store brands, you name it. For the past year or so, I've been a big fan of Skippy Natural. But now I am proud to say I've actually tried REAL peanut butter with ONLY peanuts thanks to the Krema Peanut Butter Company that sent me their creamy and crunchy varieties. So far I've tried the creamy ones, and here's my review:

I give a 9 out of 10 to Krema Smooth and Creamy peanut butter (which is actually exactly the same peanut butter as Crazy Richard's). It is super peanuty! This isn't too surprising since that's the only ingredient :-). I was a bit hesitant to try a peanut butter with oil separation, but it was very easy to stir in the oil that had settled on top. I've been keeping the jar in my refrigerator and have not had any oil settle to the top after stirring it (vigorously!) just that once. This peanut butter is super creamy, just like it says on the jar :-). My only complaint is that it is a bit too sticky for my liking. The taste is wonderful, but the texture is just a bit too much for me. I'm guessing I could get used to it though and even come to prefer it to the Skippy Natural. So far I've tried it on pita bread (see below) as well as on apples and bananas. I'm looking forward to trying it with oatmeal soon too (I think it will work well because it's so creamy!). Anyway, I would recommed trying it or at least another all natural peanut butter if you haven't since it is definitely a different experience than something such as Skippy Natural for instance. And here's a link to the Krema Peanut Butter Company website: http://www.kremaproducts.com/ They have lots of great products with something for everyone. And here are my pics:

And on another note, ever since the beginning of this year, I've been trying to practice yoga at least a few times a week. My favorite time of day to do it is right before bed since I sometimes have trouble getting to sleep, and flow yoga calms and relaxes me. I also love the fact that I have access to lots of free yoga videos online, such as on youtube! It's so easy - I have few excuses not to take the time for some yoga. It's also hard to get bored with so many different routines to try! -

-

Do any of you practice yoga? If so, what time of day do you prefer? Do you workout at home or at a gym/studio?

-

-

Head on over to Prevention RD

Prevention RD is hosting a Larabar giveaway! How sweet is that (literally) ?! Check it out at http://preventionrd.com/2010/01/28/larabar-giveaway/

Oats in a Jar

Hello! I have finally tried Oats in a Jar... and the verdict is.... good. Sorry, not great, not stupendous, just good. Let me explain. I used about 1/2c. oats, 1 banana, 1 tbsp. ground flax, and the remains of a Skippy Natural PB jar. Really, not too different than oats in a bowl. The thing is, it was a lot more messy than I thought it would be. Instead of having to simply scrape PB out of a jar as I normally would, I had to scrape PB AND sticky oats out of a jar - it was quite the task! I think it'd be easier to scrape the PB out and then add it to my bowl of oats :-). I guess this is just one of those crazes I'm not that into, but hey, I'm definitely not bashing those of you who love this concoction! It's just not for me. Anyway, here are the pics:

And, just for kicks, here's a clipping from my university's student-run newspaper. Three Thursdays in a row! Let's just say I'd much rather have three Fridays or Saturdays in a row ;-).

Iowa Winter Pics

Hello everyone! My classes are off to a good start, but I've been pretty busy in all of them already. Not to mention that I'm also trying to line up a job/internship for the summer - that takes a lot of time and research! Food wise, our cafeteria's been having some decent bananas lately - FINALLY! I can't stand ones that are totally yellow and fully ripened. I like them to be tinged with green on the ends. Since they finally have bananas of this nature, I've been going through my peanut butter jar quite rapidly. I think Oats in a Jar may be coming up soon in my future (I've actually never tried this!). I'll definitely let you all know how it goes :-).

Here are the pictures:

Larabar review on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

First, as you all know it is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. For me this means no classes! In the grander scheme of things though, this day provides a time for our nation to look back on how far we've come in addressing prejudice and discrimination. We should also evaluate how much farther we still need to go. Here is a short article with more information on MLK Jr. - http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-bio.html

And now for some great Larabar reviews! First is the Cashew Cookie flavor which I give an 8.5 out of 10. It has a strong cashew flavor for all of you cashew lovers and is very nutty (well, what else would you expect?!). It is also chewy and soft with little pieces of cashews. It was less sweet than other flavors which I found to be refreshing. I also think it's cool that there were only two ingredients: dates and cashews.

Next is the Peanut Butter and Jelly Flavor that soooo many people rave about. Personally I just give it an 8 out of 10. Good, but not my favorite. This is basically because they chose to have cherry be the 'jelly' flavor, and I really don't like a strong cherry flavor such as this had, especially when it was concentrated in small chunks of dried cheeries. I think it would have been better had they pureed the cheeries, and I think it would be BEST if they used a flavor like strawberry - that would be epic! The peanut butter flavor complemented the cherry quite well though, and I enjoyed the little peanut chunks. Overall I still enjoyed it, and if you like cherries and peanut butter, you will LOVE this bar.

First week of Spring Semester and Last Heart Thrive review

Last week was the first week of spring semester at ISU AND also the first week of my last semester in undergrad! I have a great line up of practical courses and am excited for the next step in my life... graduate school!!

And now for my last two Heart Thrive reviews:

First is the Date Heart Thrive. I give it an 8 out of 10. It was quite datey and sweet with the usual oaty texture. I heated it up 10 sec to enhance the flavor. Even though it was a tad bit dry, I liked how soft and chewy it was. Substantial too! Also very versatile! Check out their website for more information: http://www.suncakes.com/ Also, here are some different ways to eat Heart Thrives: http://www.suncakes.com/serving.htm And here are my pics:




I finally tried the Apricot Heart Thrive for breakfast this morning with an orange. I give it a 7.5 out of 10. I really liked the apricot flavor but do wish that it was even stronger. The apricot chunks were delicious, but perhaps putting in a few more would help. On my second one I added some peanut butter for some healthy fats. Speaking of fat, these Heart Thrives have very, very little, which some people may like, but I think they could make some that had more since unsaturated fats are quite healthy. I'm thinking that a peaunut butter and jelly flavor would be delish!! Anyway, here are the pics:





And now for some giveaways!!

First, there is a Vitamix 5200 giveaway at Chocolate-Covered Katie at http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2010/01/16/vitameata-vita-mix-giveaway/

Second, there is a lisa leonard giveaway at Meals and Moves at http://mealsandmoves.wordpress.com/2010/01/16/lisa-leonard-designs-a-giveaway/#comment-10350


space

Amy's Giveaway @ Iowa Girl Eats!

Head over to Iowa Girl Eats and enter to win an Amy's Kitchen grand prize package containing:

2 VIP coupons, good for any Amy’s product
1 adorable Amy’s tote bag
1 cute and practical Amy’s lunch bag

Check it out here: http://tinyurl.com/yffcuja

Blogroll gone?!

I think I lost my blog roll!! What should I do :-( ?!

Edited to add:

Well, I'm sucking it up since I don't think I'll be able to get my blogroll back :-(. I've just been searching my browser history and following all the blogs that used to be on my blogroll.. tedious, but it gets the job done for the most part. Hopefully I'll eventually find all the blogs I used to have, and then I'll add them all to the blogroll again. AND NOW I'm going to save a list of all the blogs I follow as a word document... then I won't have this problem again!


space

Larabar review

Another review! This is the wonderful collection of 4 larabars I received to review:



Such variety! The first I tried was the Tropical Fruit Tart. I give it 9 out of 10!! It was literally a burst of tropical flavor in my mouth. I was so impressed by the flavor combo - quite sweet, but I actually liked it even though I'm not a huge fan of super sweet things. I especially loved the coconut - it added a nice little crunch to the chewiness. Anyway, if you are looking for a mini tropical vacation, this is the treat for you ;-).





The second bar I recently tried was the Lemon Bar. I give this a 7 out of 10. It was both sweet and sour, tart and tangy. If you love lemon flavor, then you will LOVE this bar! Personally, I don't favor a strong lemon flavor, which is why I gave this bar a lower score. I did enjoy the chunks of almonds though :-). It also had fewer ingredients than the Tropical Fruit Tart flavor, including Dates, Cashews, Almonds, Lemon Juice Concentrate, and Natural Lemon Flavor (my pic of the ingredient list didn't turn out). Really, all of the ingredients in larabars are good! I am impressed by their great flavor with such small lists - other companies should use them as an example ;-).




Yep, the bars are kind of small, but they pack big flavor!

In other news, my mouth is recovering nicely from the wisdom teeth extraction. I'm slowly incorporating more solid foods. I tried lettuce tonight, but that didn't work yet... eventually :-). If I make it through this weekend without any complications, then I'm thinking I'll be home-free and past the point where dry socket could occur. Spring semester classes also begin for me at ISU on Monday - I can't believe winter break is over already! I hope warmer weather follows soon too. Speaking of which, here are a couple snow pictures I took over break:





space