I like the simple things.

French fries and onion ringsss.

!!! Bonus points if you know where that’s from ^ !!!

Hiii! How are you?

Are you surviving through exams? 

Are you working too hard to enjoying this weather?

 Too busy with training to make healthy snacks?

If you answered yes to any of these question THIS BEAN DIP COULD BE YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND!

It’s simple, delicious, and nutritious!

• 1 15oz can kidney beans
• 1T olive oil
• 1 t dried oregano
• 1 t chili powder
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Blend beans and oil together until smooth. Add everything else and blend some more.

Done.

Simple, right?

Speaking of simple things…

!!!REVIEW!!!

A few weeks ago Pure Bar sent me some samples of their bars to try. I’ve seen Pure bars everywhere but in the blog world, but in the real world….they are nowhere to be found!

Or maybe I’m not looking hard enough?

Anyway, I finally got to try Pure Bar’s Pure Organic snack bars!

“Certified organic, gluten-free, raw, and vegan, our mouth-watering fruit-and-nut bars are the ultimate pure snack bar. Pure Bars provide completely clean and balanced nutrition in an enticing and entirely delicious bar. Made with only simple, real ingredients, Pure Bar will nurture your body, mind, and spirit.”

Flavors include:

• Chocolate Brownie

• Wild Blueberry

• Cherry Cashew

• Apple Cinnamon

• Cranberry Orange

I loved these bars because they were packed with nutrition and loaded with energy! Great for a quick snack before or after a good workout. Also, all the bars were packed with flavor! The Apple Cinnamon bar taste just like a piece of apple pie. I bet if I would have warmed it up it would be ooey gooey like apple pie too! I’m saving the brownie bar for a special occasion. Not sure what though, it just looks too good to eat right now!

What flavor looks best to you?

Also, check out Pure Bar’s Facebook page for weekly contests. Enter and you could win a box of Pure Bars!

Thanks Pure Bar!

Fantastic World Foods Review Part 1

Part 1 – FALAFEL BOX MIX.

First of all, I’m falafel’s biggest fan, just sayin’. I could eat it everyday however, I’m not sure if my tummy would like me putting a gas-y food like falafel in it everyday!

Yesterday my brother says to me, “OH Whit, I forgot to tell you that when I was in Chicago I went to Subway and they had a falafel sub! It looked so gross, it reminded me of you!”

Thanks bro.

Yes, as weird as you may think falafel looks, why don’t you just try so we can share our love for falafel together?

Silly

Anyway, BACK TO MY REVIEW…

This wasn’t my first time trying Fantastic World Food’s Falafel box mix. I just honestly love this product so much and when I had to choose two products to review from FWF this was an easy choice. (Notice this is part 1, I’m obviously having a hard time choosing another product! So many choices!)

You can pick up the falafel box mix for about $3-$4 which makes approximately 8 patties. Usually falafel is about $1 a patty at a restaurant! The taste is not the same completely but it’s similar enough to keep my falafel obsession in control. If you’re slightly ghetto like me, you probably don’t have one of those fancy falafel tools that makes them into a perfect shape. But that’s okay too! You don’t need one. Ours still turned out pretty, right?

One difference in the appearance is the patty isn’t that green color on the inside. But again, I’m not that picky, IT’S FALAFEL! 😀

Overall, I WILL buy this product many more times, seriously, IT’S FALAFEL. Buy this box mix, add some water, fry it in some oil, save some money, have some fun.

Thank you Fantastic World Foods! 🙂

Have you ever had/heard of a falafel sub from Subway?

Basic Pancakes & Anythingbutchalkforbreakfastplease

Hi friends! Thank you all for your “get-well-soons” on my last post. I think it’s working, I’m feeling better! 🙂

I’m so ready for spring! I hate this food rut that I’m in! I’ve been eating so much crap, it’s terrible. My body is craving fresh foods. Hurry up and get in season! It is sad that I eat so much crap in the late winter. It’s my worst time of year for everything. I would like to think of my blog as a “health food blog” but lately I’ve felt like that is a lie! :X

So, although I have been trying to eat better, I’ve really been digging pancakes lately.

My basic pancake recipe:

Serves two

I use this pancake recipe on my “chill” days when I feel that it is okay to eat a not so nutritious meal for breakfast.

Remember breakfast = the day’s fuel!

  1 cup flour, sifted (I use half white, half whole wheat)
    1 tablespoon vegan sugar
    3 teaspoons baking powder
    1 teaspoon cinnamon 
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 cup nondairy milk 
    1 egg replacer, prepared
    2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

You know what to do.

This mix can be used for just about any type of pancake: blueberry, strawberry, chocolate chip, you name it.

Just add in whatever you like!

But speaking of a nutritious breakfast…

!!!REVIEW!!!

Vega’s Shake & Go Tropical Smoothie

Literally, you mix it with water, shake & go.

I really like how simple this was! You just add it to 1/2 to 1 cup of water, that’s it! The taste was actually pretty impressive. Not too chalky at all! Finally! I didn’t feel like I was forced to chug down a nasty chalky vitamin drink, I could totally taste the pineapple.

Would I buy it? Maybe for a treat. I think these run about $2-3 at Whole Foods, I don’t think I would pay that much for this. But I guess once you think about it, $3 can’t really but you a very nutritious meal anywhere else.

Check out all of that iron, 30% in that little drink! Not to mention 11 grams of protein. I think I might start buying Vega products online once I start running this summer.

Have you tried any Vega products?

Peanut Head

Thank you for all of the lovely comments about my new kittens! No, I still do not have names for them. It is so hard naming two kitties because you want the names to sound cute together! I wanted to name the girl “Peanut” cause she has a peanut head. 🙂 But, we wanted to boy kitten to be Leo but Peanut and Leo sounds really odd together. And no, we are not going to name them peanut and butter! 😉 Other names we thought of: Chloe, Sam, Molly, Gilbert…

We are open to suggestions! 😀

This morning was Zumba-rific!

Like every Monday morning at 6:30AM! I wish my knee would start feeling better though. I’m still debating on getting certified to teach but not if my joints keep acting up like this.

After Zumba I didn’t go for coffee with the Zumba girls cause I had a stupid paper to finish. Seriously, who waits to finish a paper on the day that it is due! Oh wait- I do.

Today’s eats:

Fried polenta

 

More asparagus soup

 Prana bar! Coconut Acai.

>>>REVIEW:

Prana Bars & Boomi Bars

Prana Bars are all vegan, gluten and soy free snack bars that are all natural and mostly raw. Some flavors include:

• Coconut Acai
• Blueberry Coconut
• Mango Maca
• Cashew Almond
• Apricot Goji
• Pear Ginseng
• Apple Pie
• Apricot Pumpkin

I have not tried all of these flavors yet but from what I’ve tried… I LOVE THEM! So far my favorite is Coconut Acai.

 I like these bars because they don’t contain all of those scary ingredients some other snack bars have! Prana Bars are all natural with no added sugar. I like to eat one at work when I get hungry to keep my tummy full until lunch time. Thank you RAW ENZYME POWER!

Boomi Bars are very similar to the Prana Bar. The Boomi Bars are gooey and crunchy, just the way I like my bars. The first flavor I tried was diffidently an easy choice: Macadamia Paradise. I’m a huge macadamia fan, so I obvious loved this bar. Second place goes to: Maple Pecan! But I love every flavor I tried so far. Although I am not a fan of pistachio, I gave Pistachio Pineapple to my brother! He actually liked it! I was surprised because all he eats is chicken wings and pizza.

Overall, I was very impressed with these bars. 🙂

Random cuteness from the twins: