Vegan Chili Mac.

And it was only $10.98! Score!

About a week and a half ago, I was in Sam's Club and decided to look thru the book section like I do every time, crossing my fingers that they would have something that applied to me! I was so incredibly excited when I came across this Vegan Slow Cooker Cookbook. This is my absolute favorite time of the year to use my slow cooker and have been really bummed that I haven't had any great vegan/vegetarian recipes to use. Now, I have no excuse! Like I said though, this has been a week and a half ago and still I hadn't cracked it open. So I decided to skim thru it to make a grocery list for the upcoming week/end and low and behold, they had a great recipe for a Vegan Chili Mac that only took 2 hours and I had everything that it called for. So I whipped out my slow cooker and made it. Here it is:

1/2 cup TVP granules -- I used Thrive Beef TVP

1 (24 oz) jar of tomato salsa of your choice -- I used diced tomatoes and chilis

3 cups cooked pinto or red kidney beans OR 2 (15 oz) cans of beans, drained/rinsed

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

3 tablespoons of chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

8 ounces of uncooked elbow macaroni**

1-3/4 cups hot water

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1-1/2 cups vegan cheese (optional for mixing in or topping it)

**The author mentioned using a regular hard durum semolina pasta (aka Barilla brand) because whole wheat or rice pasta might get too soft by the end of it all -- but she also suggests that if you want to use that form of pasta, cook it on the side and add it in towards the end of the whole process. 

Directions: Lightly oil the inside of the cooker -- combine the TVP with all the ingredients minus the cheese, she suggests stirring in only half the cheese and sprinkling the rest as a garnish when it's done. I personally left the cheese out till the very end and it was still great. Cook on high for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Check the pasta and make sure it's tender enough and adjust the water as you go if it becomes too dry -- I wanted mine to be a little thicker, so I added water several times. Adjust seasonings as needed as well. 

I didn't have to cook it anymore after the initial time, pasta was soft and it was the right thickness for us -- so we grated some cheese and called it a night. I'd also suggest using some hot sauce and vegan sour cream to top it off and make it just right -- oh and some crackers :)

What are some of your favorite slow cooker recipes?

Review: Gnu Bars.

So I came across these while looking for vegan bars that were high in fiber. As a woman, I find it to be more and more important (and harder) to get enough fiber into my every day diet. Fiber is such an essential part of our health -- women under the age of 50 should have on average 25 grams a day and 21 grams after that. Not only does it reduce chances of heart disease and lower cholesterol levels, but it controls blood sugar levels, helps with IBS and hemorrhoids, prevents constipation and helps with weight loss. All good things!

So, when I found GNU Foods, I was praying that their bars were as tasty as they were healthy! And they definitely delivered in both departments. They currently have 10 flavors and I had the pleasure of getting to try 8 of them (not pictured: Espresso Chip and Lemon Ginger).

Fun Facts: They're Vegan (except Blonde Bar) -- Kosher -- only 130-140 calories each -- made with organic 6 Whole Grains and Kamut Flours -- Fruit Juice Sweetened -- no cholesterol, trans fat, hydrogenated oils, sugar alcohols, dairy (except Blonde Bar) -- no whey/soy and no high fructose corn syrup -- also no refined sugar (except the chips in Blonde Bar, Chocolate Brownie and Espresso Chip).

I'd say by far my favorite was the Banana Walnut Bar -- followed by the Chocolate Brownie Bar. Each bar had a ton of flavor and the texture was surprisingly moist and thick -- but not in a 'fiber bar' kind of way. Those of you that have tried a lot of bars over time know what I'm talking about. For example, if you've ever tried any brand of fiber based cereals, you know that they literally 'grow' in your mouth while you're chewing. I didn't notice that a bit with these bars which I was really pleased about and I definitely felt full after eating them while on the run. They even have a fiber comparison chart on their website for bragging rights. The beau has loved the bars as well (Orange Cranberry being his favorite) and they were kiddo approved! 

The bars can be bought on their website in many different ways -- you can buy individual bars ($1.99/each), 5-packs ($1.89/each) or 16-packs ($1.69/each). They have a great program too for those that can't live without them -- The Joy of Fiber Club. You can buy sign up for a monthly shipment in 30-45-60-75-90 or 120 bars at a time, shipped right to your front door or office. The orders ship free every month and you can change or cancel it at any time -- at a 20% discount. Wanna try them out for a good price before making a commitment? You can order a 5-pack sampler, flavors of your choice, for $7.95 ($1.59/each) and shipment is free. If you live around the Nashville area, you can scoop them up at any local Whole Foods Market or The Vitamin Shoppe. Oh, and make sure you check them out on Facebook guys! They're always giving away freebies!

What are some of your favorite ways to get enough fiber in your diet?

**Disclaimer: This box and all the items within were kindly sent to me to review by GNU Foods. All products that are mentioned and reviewed on my blog are my own personal and honest opinions, or those of someone I've shared my goodies with. I am not being compensated additionally for my thoughts or posted reviews -- whether good, bad or indifferent. 

Inspiration.

So I've been following @divaeatslife for several months now on Instagram and I must say that this women has some amazing talent when it comes to making vegan food AND making it look beautiful! I seriously can't even begin to think of how to recreate the things she does -- from textures, combinations and colors :) I decided that I couldn't just hog her and keep her for myself anymore -- I wanted to share her talent! Enjoy! (was so hard to narrow down my favorites!)

I told her stuff was beautiful huh? Check her out on Instagram!

Influenster: Palmolive.

So while skimming all my favorite blogs one day about a month ago, I came across a program called Influenster, did a little bit of research and immediately requested my own invite. Are you active on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and/or Foursquare? Do you have a blog or a YouTube channel that you keep up with regularly? Do you want to try out free stuff and then tell everyone you know about it? Then this is right up your alley! I've been slowly working on my profile and keeping up with surveys, forums and reviews. There's different 'badges' that you can earn based on your areas of expertise. They cover everything from being a mom, foodie, animal lover, outdoorsy person, gym rat, bride to be, fashionista and so much more. After a few weeks, I finally got an email telling me to fill out a short survey and later found out that I was picked to receive my very first VoxBox! 

I was super excited to get my box -- and look what was inside! Not one, but three full size dish soaps from Palmolive's new Fresh Infusions line + 5 coupons to share with my friends/family. I grew up washing the dishes every night after dinner and even though the timeliness hasn't stuck with me, the old school hand washing has. I've lived places that have had dishwashers before, but I've never been happy about how clean (or unclean for that matter) my dishes have been after running them thru a cycle. So now my dishwasher is a large 'drying' rack for when I'm all done! This couldn't have come at a better time too since I was almost out of dish soap and had a sink full of dirty dishes! Now, I must say that I already use Palmolive's original dish soap (the green one), but it was nice to wash my dishes with something that had such a pleasant smell. It comes in 3 fragrances: Ginger White Tea, Lemon Thyme and Lime Basil. I was disappointed that the ingredients weren't listed on the bottles themselves -- I had to actual go to Palmolive's site and look them up for myself. It appears that it is the same exact list as the original one, just the fragrances are different. Overall, I love the dish soap -- does a good job cutting the grease, doesn't live a sticky/grimy film and the new scents were really nice. I would like to see Palmolive in the future come out with something that was a little more earth friendly with less questionable ingredients, but this isn't a complete deal breaker for me right now. If you're interested in trying some out yourself, they are sold at both Target and Walmart for around $3/bucks each. Be on the lookout for coupons right now too since they are in the new launching state -- might be able to try it for a bit cheaper!

What are some of your favorite cleaning products?

**Disclaimer: This box and all the items within were kindly sent to me to review by Influenster. All products that are mentioned and reviewed on my blog are my own personal and honest opinions, or those of someone I've shared my goodies with. I am not being compensated additionally for my thoughts or posted reviews -- whether good, bad or indifferent.

Rainbow Friday!

Can't believe it's Friday already -- these weeks lately have really been flying by. Wedding, Birthdays and the Holidays are just around the corner and it's only going to speed up more! Guys, I can't even stress to you enough how important it is to make time for healthy eating even when our schedules are jam packed. If we don't take the time to do it, our bodies will make the time for us in the worst ways. I'd much rather do it on my own time then get sick (or worse) and have a lot of down time for recovery or not be able to enjoy the things I have planned. Here's a fun little picture to remind you of the most important benefits of each color!

What fun festivities do you have planned for this holiday weekend?

Juicin'.

So I've been diligently juicing -- er, drinking juice for the last couple weeks now and am pretty stoked to be getting back to a healthy me. I started off doing my own stuff at home, but found that my time lately has been so limited and in pretty high demand. No, I'm not that popular :) But I do have a extremely active toddler and a beau that has been trying to get his business up and running -- so between those two big things + wedding planning, my own business, weekly commitments, running a household and oh, yeah personal time (what's that?) I have just been overwhelmed. But I decided that I can't make excuses for my health and well being anymore. It's gotta be the most important or all the other things just aren't going to run smoothly. So with the help of not eating meat for several weeks now and drinking fresh juice almost 2x a day again (thanks again Juice.Nashville!) along with a much healthier eating lifestyle, I'm finally getting back to a physically and mentally health me :) And it is such an amazing feeling! Gotta run for now, but here's a larger then normal dose of 'Instagram Inspiration' for the week ! Enjoy!

@amel_lin

@beata_ry -- carrots, kale, parsley, apples and beets

@disahelinko

@lindychris

@lovelindawagner

@stutter -- I love the color of this one!

@theveggieme -- prepping people for juice fasts!

@vic_the_photographer -- greens, lemon, apples,
celery, grapes and cucumbers

What have you guys been juicing lately? Would love to see some pictures!

Good Local Eats.

So even though I try to eat healthy -- especially now with the limitations that I've set on myself -- I find that I still struggle to cook at home on the regular. It's a combination of procrastinating, being too busy and being unimaginative, with a twist of laziness. We're forever buying food at the grocery store and then letting it go bad in the fridge for all of the above reasons. So we've recently decided that we'd rather just eat out for most of our meals and support local businesses. The beau could eat fast food or Thai every night if I'd let him, but neither of those really meet up to my standards at the moment -- so we've had to branch out a bit. Here's a few of my great lunch finds this week.

Herbed Couscous.

Silly Goose -- in East Nashville on Eastland Avenue. I'd gone in here once before back when I was eating meat and had a fantastic sandwich from what I can remember. Unfortunately the beau and I had the kiddo and it was lunch time, so everything seems a blur during that meal. So I decided to pop in there on Tuesday by myself and enjoy something yummy in peace and quiet. The atmosphere of this place is great and I was lucky to find myself a seat at the bar where I had a good view of the hustle and bustle from the kitchen. The menu is so creative and they're very laid back when it comes to substitutions for vegans/vegetarians. I decided to grab a Albert Prince salad and a side of herbed couscous.

Organic Quinoa, Sweet Potatoes, Black Beans, Spice Pepitas, Tomatillos,
Manchego, Caramelized Orange Vinaigrette

Was certainly a great combination of flavors -- served cold with greens on the side. The orange vinaigrette was surprisingly very strong, but was complimented by the rest of the mixture. Oh, and there was some sort of white cheese on top that was really good with the avocado and the pepitas (pumpkin seeds). The whole thing was just delightful! I love that Silly Goose also tries to use as many local ingredients and businesses as they can too.

Pita Pit -- located Downtown across from Wild Horse Saloon, open till 3am most nights. This has long been one of my favorite places to hit up after a long night on the town and occasionally to have a quick lunch if I can find metered parking. I drove by this week and sure enough, there was a spot, so I stopped. My go to pita has always been the gyro, but since I'm not doing any meat at the moment, I opted for a Spicy Black Bean Patty on a whole wheat pita. My favorite part of the whole experience is the topping choices -- think Subway but with way more selection! They make a 'pocket' with the pita, stuff all your toppings inside and then close it and wrap it up like a burrito. I went with some hummus, black olives, corn, lettuce, feta cheese, mushrooms and a combination of spicy sauces. It was fabulous, picture doesn't do it justice!

What are some of your favorite healthy eats around town?

Review: Hurraw!

I just LOVE this little bag.

So while doing some research a month or so ago, I came across this brand called Hurraw! which sells vegan lip balms. I've always been a fan of Softlips vs the other brands on the market, but since it's something that I use all the time -- let's admit it, I'm obsessed -- I wanted to switch to a product that was animal/cruelty free. And that's where my search began. When I wandered onto their site I was immediately impressed by two things: (1) their flavor selection and (2) everything else about them :) They're all natural, organic, vegan, animal free (ie no beeswax), cruelty free and they're made from raw ingredients. I love that it went on so smoothly -- no clumps, no mess, no goo. It was like a little pampering session for my lips. And after wearing it for hours, I didn't get white 'gunk' in the corners of my mouth. If you order from their website, you get a fun little bag with your stuff that can be used for not only holding your balms, but can also be reused as a tea bag made from unbleached cotton produced right here in the states.

Black Cherry Tinted, Grapefruit and Coconut.

Sorry, I went off on a bunny trail. Back to what they're all about. Everything they do is hands on, from warming the oils/butters -- to pouring the goodness into each tube. They contain organic ingredients, but choose not to label themselves with the USDA Organic Seal for two huge reasons, click here and scroll down the page a little bit to read why. I think this is so cool and love that they are sticking to their guns on this one! I also LOVE that there isn't any petroleum jelly in their products which is really awful for our bodies and not something that a lot of people are aware of in products. Their packaging is kinda fun too -- they now come in oval tubes (instead of round tubes like everyone else) so that they stay in your back pocket easier.

My absolutely favorite thing about Hurraw! though is the great flavor selection -- chai spice, coffee bean, chocolate, lemon, lime, green tea, vanilla bean, earl grey -- they have 19 total. Is it crazy that I want at least 10 of them? Guess I'll settle for my three starters and maybe order some more for my birthday! *hint hint* They are $3.79/each -- except the one with SPF 15 and the night treatment are $4.29/each. Shipping doesn't seem all that awful either and remember, it comes with a free tea bag. If you're in the TN area, there are several places to pick them up, but the closest one to Nashville is Green Pea Salon over in the 12South area. So to sum things up, I'm pretty much in love with Hurraw!

What are some of your favorite vegan 'beauty' staples?

Citrus: Immune Boosters Pt 2.

Ok, so I think I covered all the bases of oranges and grapefruits last week pretty thoroughly. Ironically enough, the beau and kiddo aren't feeling so 'blah' anymore, but I definitely had my own little bout with something this weekend. I'm thinking it was mostly allergies, but regardless of what it was, it wasn't fun. All the more reason for us to really focus on building up our immune systems during this time of year. You can never have too much of a good thing -- except maybe wine and chocolate :)

Lemons -- people most commonly associated lemons with 'lemonade' but when mixed with just water or by adding a little honey/agave, you can reap a ton of benefits from this little yellow fruit.

• Increase HDL (good cholesterol) and help lower blood pressure due to high amounts of potassium.
• Lemon juice acts as a digestion aid alleviating indigestion and constipation. It's also known to be a blood purifier. 
• Lemon juice when applied to your scalp can get rid of dandruff and other scalp issues. Also gives your hair a natural shine.
• Lemon juice helps to boost the immune system and can aid in fighting colds, flus and fevers. It increases your perspiration which helps to break fevers. 
• Lemon juice when rubbed on your gums will stop them from bleeding and can also reduce pain from a tooth ache. Can also help fight bad breath.
• Lemon juice is good for rubbing on burns as it produces a cooling effect and can reduce scarring. 
• Drinking lemon juice with water can help eliminate kidney stones.
• Because it's high in Vitamin C, it can help heal throat infections and also help treat those that suffer from asthma and other breathing issues. Cough drops with lemon in them are soothing for sore throats.
• Helps eliminate skin issues like acne and eczema. Apply to a sunburn to help cool it and prevent peeling. Can be used for wrinkle removal and to clear blackheads. Great for soothing bee stings. Continual use on your skin will result in a healthy glow.  

Additional Sources: Belief Net and The Doctor Oz Show (video)

Limes -- Most of us just probably use limes in our beer and even fewer of us probably use them in the kitchen when making Persian food. But these little beauties also have great health benefits similar to lemons.

• Again, because of it's high level of Vitamin C, limes (like all citrus) help fight off the common cold as well as helping with Malaria, Golden Staph and Chlorea.
• Lime juice helps to aid with digestion and people that suffer from stomach issues. It's recommended that you add it to your meals for this purpose and for the flavor quality. It also is used to tenderize meat.
• Helps to manage blood sugar levels when paired with metaformin -- diets rich with Vitamin C foods can help reduce the effects of diabetes. 
• Helps to reduce inflammation and minimize the effects of fibromyalgia, arthritis and gout. 
• Just like lemons, it can be used for dandruff and to help with oily skin. There are several 'recipes' for masks and scrubs that I found useful. 
• Fun Fact: it can be used to get rid of rust. Scatter some salt on the rust and then squeeze lime juice on top -- leave for a while and then come back and scrub the rust away!

Additional Sources: WHFoods and Livestrong

What are some of your favorite ways to cook with lemons/limes?

EYC Friday: Farmer's Market Edition.

So today has just been one of those days -- the weather is icky, the kiddo is getting off the sick train (slowly) and I'm hoping on board (full steam ahead). Tonight is the Night Market @ Nashville Farmer's Market and though I'm tempted to go I decided that I should stay home and bundle up. So I went the kiddo and I went for lunch instead :) There were so many fun finds today and the prices are so low at the moment since everything is so plentiful! Here's a shot of what I saw the most of -- lots of fresh choices to help you get your colors in this week/end!

Tomatoes were going for around $1.50/lb and I'm sure you could get them cheaper if you were buying them by the box. Swafford Farms had 50+ boxes of them ready to go. Turnips were dirt cheap (no pun intended) at $1.00/lb. Green Beans were right around the same and probably cheaper if you bought them by the basket. Also saw tons of crock neck yellow squash, peppers, greens (galore), sweet potatoes and a whole array of fall squash. Swafford still has a ton of great pumpkins and squashes in all sizes starting at $1.00 for the little guys.

If you can't make it out tonight, definitely get on down there sometime this weekend while everything is plentiful! It truly is one of my favorite times of the year when it comes to produce. Just wish the weather wasn't so chilly right now :) Looks like I'm going to make a quick trip down to the Franklin Farmer's Market tomorrow to grab some juice. Bell Buckle is doing it's big annual craft show and it's HUGE -- like acres and acres of crafts/food/fun HUGE! Maybe I'll see you guys out there! Enjoy your weekend guys!

Juice Nashville.

Well, I know that this is usually the part of the week where I post some "Instagram Inspiration" for you guys to get your creative juices flowing to make, well, juice of course! But I'm going to switch it up a little. I stumbled upon something (and someone) amazing right here in our very own backyard! When I first started this blog and my juicing journey, I not only shared my experience with those of you that read my blog but also everyone around me. I  personally think that everyone should juice, but I wanted to start by making an impact in Nashville first! I started thinking of a business plan that would incorporate a food truck, etc. I thought I'd done my homework thoroughly, but I see now that I missed something. Just the other day I found  *cue music* juice.Nashville -- and it's everything I could've dreamed up and SO much more. Stephanie Waring is the brain behind the concept and let me say, this girl's got talent. And she's been around since July of last year and I still can't believe it took me this long to find her -- and I couldn't even tell you how. But I'm so very glad that I did.

I've never been a fan of 'green juice'. Every time I've juiced it at home, it just never works out that great. Maybe my amounts/ingredients are off or maybe it's just my juicer, or heck, maybe it's just my palate. Well, I honestly thought the latter was the truth, that is until I tried some of her 'ting.' this week. I literally was overwhelmed by the taste and the smoothness -- it was magic in my mouth.

So now I'm hooked. I had tracked her down Tuesday at the 12South Farmer's Market (my first time there, but more on that in a second) and that's where I got my hands on a sample of the 'ting.' -- and then I bought one of each that she had with her. And oh, do I wish she had more. There was c-ya. (apple, orange, grapefruit, ginger), hot stuff. (apple, lemon, cayenne pepper), and pear-fect. (pear, ginger). She has a whole variety of different juices that she makes fresh daily and she even offers a 3 day cleanse program which I'll be definitely be doing either next week or the following! I'll keep you guys posted!

Delvin Farms had some great greens fresh and on ice.
Snagged a huge bundle of kale for $3.00!

Real quick on the 12South Farmer's Market -- what a great little gem. I've spent time over in the 12South neighborhood and had heard that they had a market over there, but had no clue that it was completely different from what we have over here in East Nashville on Wednesdays. There's food trucks, fresh baked breads, jams, honey, fresh meats and pastas, my new juice friend (haha) and even a 'chick' that makes fresh hummus that is to die for! Yes, I said to die for and her name is Hummus Chick :) She had 5 different ones and I only sampled two since I'm a hummus fiend and knew I'd buy them all if I tried them. And really, who needs that much hummus? I snagged one called Spicy Canvas though and it was super yummy! OH and she had a chocolate hummus too! I didn't dare try it though, I'm saving that for another Tuesday when I want to indulge. All in all, I'm quite excited about my new finds this week. Fresh greens -- check. Food trucks -- check. Hummus Chick -- check. Fresh juice -- check.

So, who wants to do a 3-day+ juice fast with me?

Citrus: Immune Boosters.

So growing up as kids, our parents always made us consume citrus when we were getting sick -- well, at least mine did. My dad use to take and warm up grapefruit juice and make me gargle and drink it for a sore throat. My mom always made me drink large amounts of orange juice (I prefer pulp free) to help fight the sniffles. Lemon tea with a little honey was always great too when a cold was coming on. I never really understood then why it was so important, but as I got older, I started learning about the benefits of these beautiful gems. I figured since it was that time of year again when sniffles, sneezes and sour throats are running rampant -- that I'd take the time to remind everyone why they're so important. I'm just going to touch on a few today and wrap up the topic next week.

Oranges -- there are several different varieties from sweet to bitter -- Valencia, Persian, Naval, Jaffa and Blood. The most popular ones, of course being the sweeter ones, are what you typically find in your every day orange juice varieties.

• Helps fight off viral infections due to an increased amount of polyphenols -- also helpful for treating bronchitis and pneumonia as well as several other diseases.
• High amounts of Vitamin C help fight off free radicals that can lead to cancer. Liminoid also helps fight off certain forms of cancer that can affect the skin, lungs, colon, stomach, breast and mouth. Vitamin C also helps reduce chances of heart disease and has great anti-inflammatory properties that help with arthritis and other debilitating joint/muscle issues. 
• Helps to alleviate constipation due to high levels of dietary fiber.
• The flavonoid Hesperidin helps to regulate blood pressure and the magnesium found in oranges helps to maintain healthy blood pressure levels.
• Good levels of beta-carotene helps protect our skin from free radicals that can cause cancer and damage, as well as help delay the signs of aging. 
• Oranges are full of calcium which promotes strong teeth and bones.
• Helps prevent kidney issues -- and regulates the formation of kidney stones when used in moderation.

Additional Sources: WHFoods and Juicing For Health

Grapefruits -- there are a ton of different types, but most commonly you'll find red, white and pink pulp kinds in the States. Fun Fact: They actually got their name because of how they grow -- you can find them in clusters, just like you would grapes. 

• These also have high levels of Vitamin C which help with boosting the immune system as well as fighting off common colds, reducing fevers, helping to increase liver function and getting rid of gallstones. 
• Antioxidants found in grapefuit can help lower cholesterol levels but you shouldn't eat them if you're on any prescriptions -- something in the fruit causes a negative reaction to certain meds and you should ask a doctor first. 
• Just like oranges, there is a high level of lycopene that helps fight off free radicals that lead to cancers and skin damage. Naringenin is a compound found in grapefruit that helps repair damaged DNA cells and by doing so slows/reduces/stops the reproduction of cancer cells. 
• Contains salicylic acid helps alleviate arthritis by breaking down the inorganic calcium in our bodies that binds up our joints/ligaments. Also because of salicyclic acid, grapefruit seed extracts can be added to water to be used as an antiseptic for treating infections. 
• Got a few extra pounds? (who doesn't!) Grapefruit helps speed up your metabolism, thus helping you to shed some weight. You should definitely add them to your regimen if you're looking for something to speed things up.

Additional Sources: WHFoods and Organic Facts

What are some of your favorite uses for citrus?

Review: Bestowed Box.

So as I've recently mentioned, I've become completely obsessed with the subscription box movement that seems to be taking storm around the marketplace. Every time I turn around, I'm discovering something new that's out there. (Be on the lookout soon for a page on the blog that will give you the lowdown on all the ones I've been finding.) I came across Bestowed on a fellow blogger's page and just had to check it out for myself -- was delighted when they wanted to send me their September box for review!

Details: Bestowed is a box for foodies looking to find healthy snacks and new lifestyle products on the market. It's one of the newer and cheaper ones I've come across at just $15/box if you do a month-by-month membership or only $13.75/box if you do an annual one, shipping is free. Heather Bauer (the founder) hand picks 5+ products each month that get shipped to your door by the 15th. I also wanted to point out that it came with a packing list with a little blurb about each of the products as well as where you could purchase them for yourself and two tips on how you could enjoy your goodies instead of just opening the bag and digging in :)

So we took the weekend to enjoy these little gems from our box. Everyone is in sick mode, so we didn't get out very much. Was great to know that we had some healthy snacks to fall back on instead of just ordering pizza and junk food for quick meals. Unfortunately, I only got to enjoy a few of the little Somersaults snack -- I guess you could say they were a crowd pleaser. The kiddo never even gave me a chance! They had a very light sea salt taste and were very filling. They boast "as much protein as almonds with just half the fat" and that makes me happy! Made with non GMO ingredients and are nut free. The Hail Merry Almonds were definitely not what I was expecting. I love almonds, but these had a very soft texture with little to no crunch. The vanilla maple flavor was a great combination though -- and they're gluten free. The Kashi Soft Baked Chocolate Square was to DIE for. It had the texture of a good chewy brownie, but definitely tasted 'healthy' unlike one that would come from a boxed brownie mix. I loved that sweet potatoes is one of the first ingredients on the list and it had a good amount of fiber in it.

The Kind Healthy Grains Granola was probably my favorite thing in the whole box. They come in 6 different flavors, but I was excited that this was just the basic Oats & Honey Clusters (with toasted coconut). Out of the 5 grains in it, it included Quinoa which I thought was kind of fun. Definitely had a great flavor to it and was kiddo approved. It also has 3g of fiber per serving, is non GMO and gluten free. Loved that I could read all the ingredients on the back. The Plentils had a great texture and were yummy -- they're made with lentils (my favorite), are gluten free and are free of the 8 top allergens. I love when companies make healthy alternatives for people! Lastly, it came with a little sample of Sunbutter Sunflower Seed Spread which I haven't had the chance to try yet -- we're out of all things spreadable and I hated the idea of just putting it on a spoon and eating it :) I do like that it's nut free though and has double the fiber of nut butters.

All in all, I think this box was great and so far the first one I've gotten where I've actually been able to use everything I got. It's definitely affordable by all means and I see myself giving it a shot for a couple months.

What would be your favorite yummy item in this box?

**Disclaimer: This box and all the items within were kindly sent to me to review by Bestowed. All products that are mentioned and reviewed on my blog are my own personal and honest opinions, or those of someone I've shared my goodies with. I am not being compensated additionally for my thoughts or posted reviews -- whether good, bad or indifferent.