Random Thursday Things

Today's post is totally random. I have a few fun things to share with you guys, so it's all going in one super random post!

First up, for the local readers: On Sunday, April 13th, I'll be one of the judges at The Painted Burro's 2nd Annual Guac Off. The event begins at 3 p.m., and you can join in on the fun by eating all of the guac that's up for the grand prize: bragging rights, a $150 gift card to The Painted Burro, and the honor of being featured on The Painted Burro’s menu. I hope you can make it!

Second: Have you tried Stonyfield's new Frozen Yogurt Pearls yet? They dropped off a few samples at my house for me to try, and so far, I've had the Peach and Vanilla flavor.

The peach "skin" creates an edible protective layer around the vanilla center by harnessing molecular interactions between the skin's ingredients, which are organic fruit and natural ions. Sounds a little scientific, right? Thankfully, the ingredients are mostly legible, with a few unfortunate exceptions (i.e., sodium alginate and sodium citrate, to name a few). 

The skin is melt-free, which made this little treat that much more enjoyable on a [finally!] warmer day. The vanilla center was fantastic with the peach flavor, but I did find it hard for my sensitive teeth to bite into this frozen pearl. (My hands were also stinging a bit from holding the frozen pearl, but you don't necessarily have to eat these as cold as I did). I do see these being a quick, low-calorie treat on a hot day (two of peach/vanilla pearls = 50 calories) - I just wish the ingredients in the skin were all familiar/natural. 

And, finally, we have a winner for my Birds Eye frozen veggies giveaway! The winner was chosen using Random.org.

And the winner is...

Mike Gurney!

"Definitely would use the steamed veggies for a soup!"

Congrats, Mike! Please email me within 48 hours to claim your prize.

Anything random you feel like sharing today?

The Yogurt Pearls were complimentary. All opinions are my own.

My Honest Review of Honest Tea

For a coffee girl, I’ve been drinking a lot of tea lately.

A few weeks ago, Honest Tea left all of this on our door step: 

Amongst the loot was their Half & Half (half iced tea, half lemonade); Honey Green Tea; Honest Ade Pomegranate Blue; and Honest Kids Berry Berry Good Lemonade, to name a few. In return, I promised them an honest review (no pun intended).

Founded by Seth Goldman and Barry Nalebuff, Honest Tea’s mission is to create beverages that are healthy, organic, and delicious. As stated on their website, “a commitment to social responsibility is central to Honest Tea’s identity and purpose.” Although a lot of their juice drinks are “from concentrate,” they are not overly sweet, nor are the ingredients illegible. You know what you’re drinking, and I found comfort in knowing all of the ingredients are organic and real.

My favorites in the basket I received: Just Green Tea (straight up green tea, with no added sugar); Heavenly Lemon Tulsi (caffeine-free, refreshing and not too sweet); and the Honest Kids Berry Berry Good Lemonade (we received the "travel version", which is packaged like Capri Sun - but much better for you). Oh, and the Honest Ade Cranberry Lemonade goes great in vodka cocktails. Just sayin’. 

Overall, I’ve really enjoyed all of the Honest Tea products I’ve tried so far. I’m not a big sweet tea or juice drinker, but Z has been gleefully throwing back the sweeter varieties. Once our supply is depleted, I definitely plan to buy more Honest Tea, and I appreciate their dedication to organic, honest ingredients.

Have you ever tried Honest Tea before? If yes, what's your review?

These Honest Tea products were complimentary, but, as always, the opinions expressed in this post are honest and 100 percent my own.

Last Minute Gift: Organic Jams and Spreads

USDA Organic Certified. Gluten free. Great source of fiber, calcium and phosphorus. Now that's what I call a healthy product.

A few weeks ago, the kind folks at Slater Public Relations sent me a few samples of Rigoni di Asiago's jams to try - along with their Nocciolata hazelnut-cocoa spread. Earlier this week, Z and I sat down with a loaf of challah bread and sampled each one (our lives are really rough).

Among the flavors of jam we tried were strawberry, seville orange, wild blueberry, and wild berries (Rigoni di Asiago also makes flavors like pomegranate and fig, which I'm eager to try). Each jam was bursting with fresh-fruit flavor, and after comparing the ingredients with store-bought jams in our refrigerator, it was clear as to why.

Let's just say Rigoni di Asiago's jams have very short, legible ingredient lists. A 8.82 oz. jar of their jam contains 3 lbs. of 100% organic fruit, as well as 100% fruit juice and fruit pectin. The jams are also naturally sweetened with apple juice, instead of high fructose corn syrup or other, bad-for-you additives.

I enjoyed every flavor of the jams, especially the wild blueberry and strawberry. I have toast almost every morning with my breakfast, and I plan to slather quite a bit of the leftover jams (with some peanut butter) on each slice over the next few weeks.

In addition to the jams, Z and I also tried Rigoni di Asiago's Nocciolata - a spread that may remind of you Nutella. Made with Italian hazelnuts (from the Rome region), cocoa, cocoa butter, sunflower oil, naturally flavored vanilla, raw cane sugar and skim milk, this spread is just as natural and organic as the jams. Similar to the jams, I loved how the Nocciolata was not overly sweet - the natural flavors of the hazelnuts and cocoa were apparent, but were obviously not weighed down with any added sugars. This spread also had a stronger hazelnut flavor than Nutella, which I enjoyed.

Rigoni di Asiago's products can be purchased online (most products are currently on sale for just $5-$6) or at several local shoppes, such as Savenor's Market in Cambridge.

As a result of their natural, healthy ingredients, "real" flavor, and reasonable prices, I definitely plan to buy Rigoni di Asiago's products in the future.

Are you done with your holiday shopping? I just have a few more things to pick up!

Disclaimer: I received Rigoni di Asiago's products to sample free of charge, courtesy of Slater Public Relations. Despite their generosity, the opinions expressed in this post are honest and 100 percent my own.

Better Butter

Butter makes everything better. Popcorn, cookies, toast - where would they be without butter?

One of the downsides to the dairy product, however, is its fat content. It's really not that not good for us - although, everything is good in moderation. I won't even go into the story about how, when I was little, I literally ate butter by the spoonfuls....

Regardless, there's now a healthier butter substitute that is rich, creamy and full of flavor: Melt.

The kind folks at Melt offered to send me two tubs of their better-for-you butter, and I've since sampled their product in several different ways.

The main differences between Melt and real butter: Melt is organic and consists of virgin coconut oil, flax seed oil, palm fruit oil and canola oil. I first tried Melt in one of the most traditional ways possible - spread on my toast at breakfast, alongside some scrambled eggs.

I then tried Melt in my roasted broccoli. I simply roasted the broccoli with some extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper; while it was roasting, I melted some Melt with minced garlic and lemon juice. When the broccoli was done roasting, I poured the Melt over it and sprinkled some sunflower seeds over the dish.

When I took the first bite of my toast, one flavor was more apparent than the others: coconut. The coconut oil, especially when melting Melt, is potent. However, I will say that initial punch of coconut flavor dissipated as I ate, and by the end of my meal, I completely forgot that I wasn't eating real butter. 

Over the broccoli, the Melt was fantastic. It wasn't overly heavy or greasy, and it added a slightly sweet flavor to the otherwise bitter broccoli. I also loved the texture of Melt, pre-melted - it almost has a whipped consistency, and it's incredibly rich and smooth. 

Melt is available at several stores, and you can also buy Melt online here (two tubs cost $7.98). 

For a healthier alternative to butter - with great added flavor - I could definitely see myself buying Melt again. I'm excited to use the remaining Melt I have in cookies for the holidays. I'm sure the slight coconut flavor will go really well with chocolate!

Would you trade up real butter for Melt? Why or why not?

Disclaimer: Despite Melt's generosity in letting me try their product free of charge, the opinions expressed in this post are honest and 100 percent my own. 

Ode to Trader Joe's

I have jumped on the Trader Joe's bandwagon - and I may never get off. I know it seems a little overdue for me to have realized the beauty that is Trader Joe's, but I finally live in an apartment accessible to a TJ's. Plus, I grew up in New Hampshire in a family of six, so we were lucky if groceries came from anywhere other than Market Basket.

For anyone who's behind the TJ times like I was, trust me when I say their food is good, organic, natural and insanely cheap for the quality of food you're getting. Case in point: I bought a bag of wild arugula at the Burlington location the other day for $1.99.

Yes, $1.99.

At Hannaford, I normally pay a whopping $3-4 for my beloved, peppery arugula.

I'm still reeling from this inexpensive find because it can be so hard finding cheap, healthy food (especially cheap produce). Right now I'm in love with Trader Joe's for making it possible for me to eat arugula-based salad and still have some cash leftover to buy tomatoes.

Do you shop at Trader Joe's? Why or why not?

Organic and inexpensive pub grub at Piccadilly

I just had lunch at the Piccadilly Pub in North Reading. I went in skeptical, and left brutally beaten with the fact that I'd been proven wrong. Piccadilly is one local chain that offers the whole package: cheap grub, quality food, solid customer service. I wouldn't recommend bringing someone here on a first date (or any date in the first few months of courting), but the casual atmosphere makes you just want to sip a brew, gorge on some simple American food, and revel in light conversation. Since I was on my lunch break, I opted for lemon water - not beer - and ordered the Organic Malibu Garden Burger ($7.99) with a side of mixed veggies. The vegetables obviously came out of a can, but were flavored so well, I ate every last bite - and wished I had more. The veggie burger was also one of the best I've had in a while, chocked full of organic broccoli, corn, carrots, peppers, water chestnuts and onions, covered in melted Swiss cheese, and sandwiched between moist-and-cheesy focaccia bread. The burger also had fresh tomato and lettuce for a garnish. Downright delicious. Personally, I believe the word "organic" means nothing but "expensive," but when it's inexpensive, I jump on the chance to eat anything organic. Piccadilly offered me that chance today.

What's your favorite restaurant that offers simple, delicious pub grub?