Macaroon flavored granola bar from KIND

Oh my gosh, I have just tried the amazing granola bar of a lifetime-it's the Almond and Coconut granola bar from KIND. I think this is the best one of the varieties that I've tried yet. 

 I immediately love the coconut flavor burst in my mouth. I felt like I was eating a delicious, mouth-watering, decadent cookie, but the good news is that I could feel good after eating it-guilt-free. 
Unlike when you eat a cookie or sugary treat and you feel a tinge of remorse for your waistline, this amazing granola bar from KIND offers a healthy, tasty and low-calorie, low glycemic and beyond tasty treat. 

Peanut Butter + Chocolate= Heaven

I just ate the most delicious granola bar ever invented! The sweet combination of Peanut Butter and Chocolate, while still being filled with protein, low sugar and fresh ingredients, is amazing!! Besides amazing flavor, there are 7 grams of protein, so it's perfect for a snack, pre/post-work out, on the run in the morning, or even a mid-night snack. 

It's better than having a candy bar because there is no guilt in it-how much better can it get? 

Also, I just want to say again what a great job KIND does with their display packaging. It is so eye-catching, simple, and sophisticated. 

Here's what others are saying about these amazing bars! 

Rating	Great Snack

Review by Evian on 7/22/12

I was standing in line at wal-mart and was looking for something healthy to snack on since I'm pregnant and can't eat junk food. I've never had or heard of 'Kind' so I bought one and to my surprise they're delicious. They're healthy, contains protein and a whole bunch of goodness. I love these and one day I'll buy the pack and try the other flavors.

Rating

I agree with "mismatched name" poster above!

Review by SR on 7/22/12

I only bought the bar because of my love for peanut butter. After just one bite, I don't know where the rest went, seriously. I have never tasted anything so delicious that is supposed to be good for me. Excellent!

Rating

amazing taste

Review by Sheri J on 7/17/12

I have eaten a few of these and it is my new favorite food bar, just found them today at walmart :) so yummy

Wheat Belly

Check out this amazing book I just found on Wheat and how it impacts our bodies.

Wheat Belly by William Davis

Overview

A renowned cardiologist explains how eliminating wheat from our diets can prevent fat storage, shrink unsightly bulges, and reverse myriad health problems.

Every day, over 200 million Americans consume food products made of wheat. As a result, over 100

million of them experience some form of adverse health effect, ranging from minor rashes and high blood sugar to the unattractive stomach bulges that preventive cardiologist William Davis calls “wheat bellies.” According to Davis, that excess fat has nothing to do with gluttony, sloth, or too much butter: It’s due to the whole grain wraps we eat for lunch.

After witnessing over 2,000 patients regain their health after giving up wheat, Davis reached the disturbing conclusion that wheat is the single largest contributor to the nationwide obesity epidemic—

and its elimination is key to dramatic weight loss and optimal health. In Wheat Belly, Davis exposes the harmful effects of what is actually a product of genetic tinkering and agribusiness being sold to the American public as “wheat”—and provides readers with a user-friendly, step-by-step plan to navigate a new, wheat-free lifestyle.

Informed by cutting-edge science and nutrition, along with case studies from men and women who have experienced life-changing transformations in their health after waving goodbye to wheat, Wheat Belly is an illuminating look at what is truly making Americans sick and an action plan to clear our plates of this seemingly benign ingredient.

Perfect Summertime Grill Choice: Chicken Sausages by AMYLU

It's summertime and time to fire up that grill! Who doesn't love a cookout on the grill and cook up some delicious burgers, brats, hot dogs and veggies.
My favorites to sizzle up are burgers and brats. I am not a big hot dog eater due to the high levels of sodium and unknown products, but with the amazing Chicken Sausages from AMYLU and ATK foods, I have found a delicious and low calorie product!
With only 100 calories and a Gluten-Free bun, or frankly, even without one, they are superb!

Also, if interested-check out the Chicken Burgers in my previous blog and see what delicious meals you can create with AMYLU's yummy choices!

INGREDIENTS: Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Meat and Thigh Meat, Water, Contains 2% or less of: Spices, Parsley, Crushed Red Pepper, Paprika, Natural Flavor, Onions, Garlic, Kosher Salt, Evaporated Cane Juice, Lamb Casing.

http://www.atkfoods.com/chicken-sausages/andouille

Delicious and even more delicious!!!!!

I love healthy, delicous, nutritious and filling foods and that is exactly what I have found with ATK foods. ATK and I partnered up to help viewers and fellow-bloggers like you learn more about their amazing product that not only gives great nutrition, but also delicious flavor, savory spices and overall satisfaction. Look at ATK foods and try one of these chicken burgers!

http://www.ATKFoods.com/

Quinoa Salad

Check out this awesome article and recipe from the neat website: Well Being. This recipe is perfect for summer and I urge you to check out what other great tips this site has to offer:
TheWellDaily.Com


6-8 servings

½ cup red quinoa	1 hass avocado, diced
½ cup white quinoa	½ cup minced scallion, white parts only
1½ tsp kosher salt, divided	3 Tbs of sliced green tops
1 poblano pepper, seeded & diced (about 1 cup)	½ cup chopped cilantro
1 small yellow pepper, seeded & diced (about 1 cup)	4 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1½ cups corn kernels (from about 3 ears)	6 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium zucchini, diced (about 1 cup)

---

 ~Place the quinoa in a 2 qt. pot with 2 cups of water and 1 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, the reduce heat to a simmer and cover and cook for 20 minutes.
~While the quinoa is cooking, shuck and shave the corn, dice the vegetables and chop the cilantro. You can also make the dressing at this time by whisking 4 Tbs of olive oil and lemon juice.
~When the quinoa is done, fluff it with a fork, transfer it into a large serving bowl and place the bowl in the fridge to cool.
~Heat a large sauté pan over med high heat for 1 minute. Add the olive oil, poblano, yellow pepper and white parts of the scallion. Season with a about ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the peppers begin to soften, stirring frequently. Add the corn and zucchini to the pan, season again with another ¼ tsp of salt and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
~Remove the vegetables from heat and set aside to cool.
~Once both the quinoa and the cooked vegetables have cooled to at least room temperature, toss them all together in the large bowl. Stir in the avocado, scallion tops and cilantro. Drizzle the dressing over the salad while stirring everything. Season with salt and pepper to taste.




http://www.thewelldaily.com/main/article/taideds_summer_quinoa_salad

Spice up your life...

Cashew & Ginger Spice granola bar-how fantastic these little bars are. I have honestly never eaten a granola bar with more flavor, fullness and overall low calories and low sugar. I am a granola girl at heart and find that with all of the amazing varieties out there, it is sometimes difficult to find low-fat, Gluten-Free, low-sugar and most importantly delicious-but with KIND granola bars, I have found a winner. 
I first tried the Cashew & Ginger Spice bar from KIND when it was that hunger time, around 2:30 and past lunch, but of course dinner was hours away.......and then, I remembered that I had put one of these little treats in my purse. My first thought was how great the ingredients looked. I immediately noticed the cashews, and they weren't ground up in a concoction and mixed in with lots of sugar, but instead with lots of ginger, protein and flavor. 
After eating this delicious and nutritious snack, I felt energized and satisfied. With so many options that KIND offers, I really thinks highly of these. They are good for a snack, great for hiking and running activities in need of an energy boost, and give you a great sense of joy and fullness. 

Peanut Butter Gluten Free Granola Clusters

Peanut Butter.....the simple joy in life. It's an old classic that is so tasty, filled with delicious satisfaction. I love this granola from KIND because not only does it have vibrant flavors of peanut butter, nutty aromas, flavorful taste, but it's Gluten-Free.


Ideas of combining GF granola with some other tasty treats:
Peanut Butter Granola paired with---


Plain Yogurt, or any flavor you choose
Cottage cheese
Fresh Fruit
Applesauce
Salads
Milk
Ice Cream
Whatever flavor you like pairing either granola or peanut butter with, this is the best combination filled with low-calorie, low sugar and healthy ingredients all adding to delicious flavor, and best yet-Gluten Free.


I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.


On my next blog, I will feature the two other flavors of granola from KIND.

I'm KIND of in Love!

I cannot be more impressed, overwhelmed, overjoyed and thrilled with the little package that arrived at my doorstep two days ago....After contacting KIND company, and corresponding to have them send me samples for my blog, I was expecting a couple granola bars and some treats, BUT never did I expect the full spread in which they provided me to write about.

These products range from fruity granola bars to wholesome, healthy granola filled with Peanut Butter Flavors, Dark Chocolate and other earth-friendly, delicious products. 
Please follow these next couple weeks with me as I try the flavors of KIND. 
Below is the link to their webiste, and also below is a neat look at the amazing work, beliefs and morals KIND embodies. 
http://www.kindsnacks.com/

About KIND

KIND is a brand of all natural whole nut and fruit bars made from ingredients you can see and pronounce and it's also a movement that gives new purpose to snacking.

At KIND we do things a bit differently.

KIND was founded on the principle of holistic kindness, and we pride ourselves on creating new paths that avoid false compromises. Instead of "Or" we say "And". We choose healthy and tasty, convenient and wholesome, economically sustainable and socially impactful.

The KIND Story

KIND was conceived in 2003 by Daniel Lubetzky, a social entrepreneur whom TIME Magazinerecognized in 2009 among “25 Responsibility Pioneers” and BusinessWeek named among “America’s Most Promising Social Entrepreneurs.”

In 1994, Daniel first founded PeaceWorks Foods, a “not-only-for-profit”® company that fosters economic cooperation among neighbors striving to co-exist in conflict regions worldwide. PeaceWorks® launched several award-winning healthy food products and its joint ventures continue to bring people together, but Daniel was still searching for that elusive snack that was wholesome and convenient, tasty and healthy at the same time.

The KIND Brand™ philosophy

In 2003, after many years of working on this passion, the team launched KIND, based on two principles: a) the power of AND, and b) holistic kindness.

The Power of AND:

  We pride ourselves on creating new paths that avoid false compromises.  Instead of “Or” we Say “And.”  We choose healthy and tasty, convenient and wholesome, economically sustainable and socially impactful. KIND Fruit and Nut bars achieve this by ensuring that we don’t sacrifice taste to achieve health, or wholesomeness to achieve portability.

Holistic Kindness:

  For us “being KIND,” means to “Be KIND to your body, your taste buds, and the world.”®  KIND to Your Body and to your taste buds is manifested through the use of all natural wholesome ingredients you can see and pronounce® like whole nuts and real fruit.  The KIND social mission is embodied in the KIND Movement, which inspires unexpected KINDINGS – ie, unexpected acts of kindness.  Here too, the act of KINDING someone else makes both the recipient of the kindness, and the person doing the KINDING, just a little happier.

Moving Forward

In many ways, KIND is a logical next step in the evolution of PeaceWorks’ “not-only-for-profit” business model – with an economic as well as a social bottom line.  PeaceWorks sets out to bring neighbors in conflict regions to work together and shatter cultural stereotypes that dehumanize people.  KIND builds on this passion to bring people together, this time working to break barriers created among us all in modern society.  By challenging our zone of comfort and our impersonal routines, we hope that we will discover our shared humanity with people who we don’t know and may never again see in our lives by surprising them with an uncommon gesture of kindness. 

Baked By Joanna

As I was working on my new facebook page, I stumbled happily upon a neat page and website called 'Baked By Joanna'. Joanna's page features delicious recipes, party-planning fun and an overall vivid and colorful site offering lots of great dishes. Joanna's page is not a website featuring only GF, but rather I wanted to share with you a place that has 'normal' recipes, which I'd like to show you that you can make too. http://www.bakedbyjoanna.com/


By this I mean that every recipe can be altered to cater to your diet. Each recipe, ingredient and tasty morsel has the opportunity to be Gluten Free friendly. For example, see Joanna's recipes below. Her latest post labeled Friday Favorites is not only delicious, but perfect for a summer night with some ice cream on the side. 
It is the Caramel Brownies....

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, sliced
• 12 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 tsp ground espresso
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 11 oz chewy caramel candies
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts, chopped
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and coat a foil-lined 9"x13" baking pan with nonstick spray; make sure to leave an overhang of foil. Set aside.
2. Using a double-boiler, melt the butter and bittersweet chocolate making sure to stir constantly with a rubber spatula. Stir in the espresso.
3. Whisk in the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until the smooth and shiny.
4. Using a spatula, fold in the flour and salt just until combined.
5. Pour half the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the brownie from the oven and cool on a metal rack for 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, melt the caramel candies and cream in a metal pot on medium heat; stir constantly to prevent burning.
7. Sprinkle half the hazelnuts on the baked brownie layer, pour the melted caramel evenly over the nuts and finish by pouring the remaining brownie batter on top and evening the surface with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining hazelnuts over the top along with the chocolate chips.
8. Bake for 20 minutes. Transfer the brownies to a metal rack to cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, use the foil overhang to lift from the pan; slice into 24 squares and serve

In this- I want you to see that it's simple enough to make this treat GF friendly---

simply, substitute the All-Purpose flour with Gluten-Free rice or other flour that follows your diet. 

And, to make this treat even healthier-substitute the eggs for egg whites or apple sauce. 

Enjoy and indulge a little.