PB Chocolate Coconut Protein Balls featuring Paleo Pro Powder

Who doesn't love to make homemade protein snack balls? I have had the wonderful opportunity to try the Paleo Pro products and I am SO impressed. In fact, I used their Aztec Vanilla protein powder in what has now become my favorite shake combination ever (1/2 frozen blueberries, 30g Aztec Vanilla protein powder & 10 ounces of coconut almond milk). I am an unbiased and honest reviewer for everything I write on this blog and can tell you, as someone who has a sensitive stomach, these products made me feel great: no bloating, etc. And OMG THEY HAVE A PUMPKIN SPICE FLAVORED POWDER! Yes, I am one of those people who loves on that pumpkin spice. Judge away. You know you want some- click here to get some. No soy, no whey, no added sugar, no gluten, grains, wheat. artificial ingredients, and so on. The cost for these products is very reasonable given their high quality. Way to go, Paleo Pro! You have a fan for life. I loved making the protein balls and was originally going to use almond meal in the recipe but am so glad I used the coconut flour because it added some great fiber content. The recipe is below- give them a try!

www.paleopro.com

Ring the bell! School is in...and so are these items...

It is back to school time and travel soccer season for my household. There are some products out there that I have really been enjoying lately:

The Honest Dietitian's 2016 Favorites: Japanese Giant Red Mustard Greens

Chop up these Japanese Giant Red Mustard Greens to sauté as a side dish.

Not all greens are created equal. Growing up in Michigan, I did not have a lot of exposure to cooking greens as much as I have now that I live in the south.  I have always been a huge fan of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, especially their seed collections which helped me a lot when I moved south because the growing season is so different & wonderful. This year I planted Japanese Giant Red Mustard Greens and they easily became my favorite greens ever. The description on the seed package said "Strong Almost Garlic Like Mustard Flavor". The seeds grew strong and beautiful plants and at first bite, they had me hooked. To me, the flavor of the greens hinted more towards horseradish. We have used the greens in so many ways:

Summer Veggies: Banana Peppers & Caprice Kabobs

It is summer veggie time and I am always on the lookout on ways to use the delicious fruits and vegetables I get from the Lowes Foods Carolina Crate and from my very own garden (which is doing quite nicely). This week I made some caprice kabobs with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, basil, and mozzarella. My kids seem to really enjoy anything with basil and tomatoes, so these were a good treat for them. And for me. I used bamboo skewers, but I might look into getting some skewers that I can use over & over again. If you have any that you would suggest, please let me know by leaving a comment. I did kick them up a notch by adding some tangerine infused balsamic vinaigrette that I had on hand from The Crushed Olive. Delicious! My next quest was finding something to do with all of my banana peppers...

Gluten-Free Party Mix with Glutino Salted Caramel Covered Pretzels

This is such a busy time of year for me between school & getting the kids to soccer games that it is always good to have a quick snack on hand that is always tasty.  This is so incredibly easy to make and once you try the Glutino Salted Covered Pretzels, I imagine it will be hard for you to put any other sweet into the mix because it is one of the best GF pretzels and GF sweet snacks I have ever had.
 In fact, the reason why the bag looks a bit wrinkled in the picture is because I couldn't keep my kiddos away from these.  The sweet & salty of the salted caramel with the savory party mix is a wonderful combination.  Put this mix in a couple of snack size ziplock bags and if hanger hits in your family, you'll be well prepared.

Easy Banana Bites for Kids

My wonderful interns have been working on Healthy Kids Snacks this year.  I had the opportunity to see two of my interns make Banana Bites and was impressed by how simple the treat was to make, but also how perfect the snack is for teaching kids how to use utensils.  I admit that I don't let my kids use knives as much as I should, but making the Banana Bites gives them the opportunity to use a plastic knife and also gives me the opportunity to become a little more comfortable with it as well.  It is SO important to let your children become comfortable with making food by themselves and using utensils.  This is the perfect treat for them.

Ingredients:

• One half of a Banana
• One graham cracker in a Ziplock bag
• One plastic knife

Have the kids start by mashing the graham cracker in the Ziplock bag until the graham cracker is fine crumbs (they think that is really fun).  Then, have them use the plastic knife to cut the banana in to small slices.  Take the banana slices and drop them in the plastic bag & lightly shake the crumbs over the bananas.  Take them out of the bag and you have delicious Banana Bites!

A great way to make a fun snack, teaching skills, and making sure your kids are getting their fruit in!

Crunchmaster Gluten Free Crackers

Crunchmaster Gluten Free Crackers are some of the tastiest crackers I have ever had!  I have tried quite a few gluten-free foods that have not tasted good, but each and every flavor of the Crunchmaster brand crackers was great.  In fact, one of my interns was placed on a Gluten-Free diet by her physician and I brought in the bag of the White Cheddar Multi-Grain Crackers to try.  The only problem was that by the end of the work day, my co-workers and other interns had ate the entire bag!  Oops!  I will certainly be buying these crackers to keep in my home and after looking around, found that they were in many stores around town.  Other flavors I tried were Multi-Grain Roasted Vegetables & Sea Salt and the 7-Ancient Grains in Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper & Herb.

The texture of these crackers from the rice is very pleasing to the palate.  They are very solid for putting spreads on and a perfect match for soups.  One of the wonderful things about the Crunchmaster crackers is their recipe tab.  You can use these crackers in many recipes to create amazing Gluten-Free dishes such as Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Casserole, Gluten-Free Breaded Chicken Tenders, and Gorgonzola Stuffed Celery.  These crackers rock my socks off!  They have a store locator and a coupon on their site, so check them out.  Even if you are not following a Gluten-Free diet...these crackers still apply to you!  Thanks so much to Crunchmaster for letting me try these Gluten-Free crackers at no cost for my review.  All opinions are 100% my own.

Snacks for people with Food Allergies!

I absolutely needed to review Barry's Bakery  french twists because I have a niece who has an egg allergy. My sister-in-law has done an awesome job making baked goods for my niece without eggs, but it sure is nice to have delicious puff-pastries that are readily available with no eggs, no cholesterol, no butter, no yeast, or no dairy.  These french twists come in a variety of flavors, all of which are great:  original, chocolate, wild raspberry, maple french toast, and California almond.  My niece tried the wild raspberry and maple french toast and loved them!

Barry's Bakery is a tasty snack choice & low in calories.  They would be perfect for parties or as a gift for someone who has an egg allergy.  I found them to accompany an afternoon cup of coffee perfectly!  They are also Weight Watcher point approved for one point with one large french twist (60) calories, which is just enough to satisfy your sweet tooth!  Thanks to Barry's Bakery for allowing my niece and my family the opportunity to taste your french twists at no-cost for the review.  All opinions are 100% my own and we are big fans!