Done with hypertension, heart failure and renal disease!!
Now I just have enzymes, protein structures, DNA and foodservice management theories to get through.
My friend Lauri and I went for a walk around 4:00 to get some more info into our brains. It was a nice one, and definitely paid off come test time. I switched into my turn-of-the-millennium NIKE shoes for walking comfort. Skirt + walking shoes is a MUST sometimes!
Just before the test I decided to have a sack. I packed bars Three Bears style: a small, a medium and a large, depending on my hunger status. I chose the medium (Nature’s Path) but it was not good. Very bad, sticky texture. So after 2 bites I gave it away and switched to the mini lemon LaraBar (FYI: only available at sponsored races folks!)
I got home at 6pm and found 2 fun packages!!!! The first was an army of butters from Premier Organics (the makers of my coconut butter).
Look at my little soldiers!! Each one is a single tbsp serving – perfect for sampling!
But there were also two big jars of the chocolate coconut and walnut butter. Here’s a HIS and HERS photo, but this time the big ones are mine!! Muah hahahah 👿
Also on my doorstep – a package from OhNuts.com with a few goodies!! Matt broke into the Cranberry Pecans on the spot.
They were awesome!!!!!!!!! You-know-what is already in the making as a topping.
You’ll have to wait and see what the other samples were!
Tonight’s planned dinner was a brussel sprout soup – because these have been in our fridge for a week now and needed to be cooked. But Matt brought home this homemade bakery pizza, so after a quick glance, we switched the plan to have that (plus I wasn’t as hungry after my snacks for a big soup).
SO GOOD!! This is pizza, Great Harvest style. The crew takes the leftover dough scraps and make a crust for lunch sometimes and use what they have on hand for toppings. This was some Chow-Chow sauce (some spicy tomato sauce they sell by Low Country Foods), kalamata olives, shitake mushrooms and sharp cheddar. Questionably one of the best pizzas I’ve had all year!!!
We baked it for 10 minutes or so at 375* and it got perfectly hot and crisp. You would have never known this was leftover. I told Matt to bring it home more often!
Then there were the brussels. Baked simply to a mild char and served with Matt’s idea of ketchup. I loooove roasted brussels sprouts!
Homph homph homph!
A little while later I decided it was time for a little nut butter tasting (and was also a little hungry). I put them on my New Morning graham crackers. It was hard to choose, but I took one of each kind: cacao bliss, Goji bliss, walnut butter, macadamia cashew (clockwise from the top). All of these guys are organic and the company takes every step to keep the products as raw and live as possible. I was really impressed with their website’s mission statements. (And, um, their samples!)
The walnut butter is smooth and tastes just like a walnut!!! Surprise, surprise! It’s 100% raw, organic and contains walnuts and some cashews. I missed a little bit of sweet or salty, but it was so fresh tasting that that was OK.
The Goji Bliss was interesting, but very good. Kind of crumbly, it reminded me of a LaraBar. It was sweet and kinda berry like. Not sure what I’ll do with this other than eat it on a graham yet. Ingredients: Organic Raw Coconut Butter, Organic Raw Coconut Oil, Organic Raw Goji Berries, Organic Raw Agave Syrup.
The macadamia cashew was smooth with a little graininess and definitely had that oily macadamia flavor to it. It was excellent on the graham, but it might be a little bland by itself.
Lastly, the Cacao Bliss. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You guys are going to have to invest in this one. It tastes just like chocolate coconut buttercream frosting!!! Kind of ganache, lots of coconut. LOVED it. This one is going to be dangerous to keep my spoon out of!
***
Bobbi is doing a very cool challenge encouraging you all to simplify your life and go green. She’s devised a point system for certain activities, such as eating out, commuting and making small changes to your life and green habits. Since I have 3 vacations coming up, I’m not sure how simple my May is going to be 🙁
Off to relax and then go to bed. Tomorrow is 100% Biochem!
Foodie (Fab and Delicious Food) says
The pizza looks awesome!
Thanks for the product reviews!
Erika says
I see those nut butters at my health food store sometimes. OMG they look delicious!!!! Now i’m craving a nutty snack!
Good luck tomorrow!
jennifer says
Those Artisana butters look delish but $11.49 for 8 OUNCES?! Uh there’s a recession going on… guess the company has never heard of it.
WEEKLY BITE says
Wow, what great samples!
Shelby says
Hey Kath, sorry I haven’t commented in a while. Super busy!
I’m loving the mini-samples! How cute!!!
Lisa says
Love the mini-jars!
brandi says
glad your test went well! that pizza sounds so good.
Gah – i keep seeing these nut butters EVERYWHERE and it’s killing me! They all sound so good 🙂
sarah (ghost world) says
wow, i was studying the same things just as i read this! we have a craaaaazy case of a 14 year old with hypertension — i’m trying to figure it out. no luck yet, though.
sarah (ghost world) says
(and when i say hypertension, i mean like 200s over 120s — scary!)
Heather says
Love the shoes!! They are too cute! Do those have the Nike Shox on the heels?
YUM to all of those samples! How cute and fun. Those jars are going to be fun to have around after you finish off the contents too! I can’t wait to see how you end up using them!
Homemade pizza is always the best, and I’m sure Great Harvest only makes the best! 😀
Courtney (The Hungry Yogini) says
What a yummy afternoon. Can’t wait to read about those nut butters. They look great!
KLM says
what a fun mail day for you!! I want to try the chocolate coco buttah!!
meg says
That pizza looks amazing! Yeah for all the butters! FUN!
Mara @ What's For Dinner? says
Amazing samples! I’m dying to try that Artisana nut butter.
zestycook says
That is a very fun package to get delivered! Not to mention the pizza looks yummy! Good luck tomorrow studying
sonia says
I must try brussel sprouts sometime. I have never had one and I am curious as to how it tastes. I am not into nut butters as much (gasp!!!) but those samples seem nice.
Jenny says
sarah,
haha, i am a med student and when i read your comment i was studying pheochromocytoma, a cause of hypertension in young children. major nerd alert on KERF tonight 😉 Good luck figuring your case out!
Niki says
Yum! Those nut butter look awesome!!
Marisa (trim the fat) says
What a great pizza! And whoa, that chocolate coconut butter sounds amazing!
jennifer says
Roasted brussel sprouts do rock. Yummmm…. I just wish they were cheaper so I could have as many as you do in one sitting. I limit myself to getting about 7 sprouts max and then halve them.
WendyF says
oh that Pizza!!! I had a kashi one tonight …not so good. Woo-hoo I actually do all that green stuff except the commute, ! because its the only one I can’t do.(Angola is my next commute 🙁 )
Making your own beer is green too, right Matt?
Hadley says
The chocolate coconut butter looks amazing — I’ll have to check that out!
Michelle Hisae says
What a perfect little dinner. Are those rectangular plates from Crate & Barrel??
Run Sarah says
That photo of Matt is awesome! I love the idea of ketchup with the baked brussels, yum.
bobbi says
thanks for the shot out sweetie 🙂
MaryBe says
Lol @ Three Bears style!
amber says
I love artisan and their products they are amazing! I am so happy to see them gaining popularity via blogs they deserve it.
Michelle T says
I’m going to have to try those roasted brussel sprouts for sure!! Anything that has char on it and is good for you is RIGHT up my alley!!! I’ve only had them steamed, or sauteed in butter, but in wraps, they are SUPER good!!! 🙂
P.s. I like the 3 bars to pick from idea. I have a whole stash in my desk at work but have the HARDEST time picking what i want. hahaah 🙂 Love your shoes!!!
Katharina says
Oh my goodness that chocolate coconut butter sounds so yummy!
I’ve been looking for the Pear Apple Strudel flavored CLIF bar and have had no luck. :\
Good luck on what you have left to do!!
Leah @ Simply Fabulous Now says
Love the reviews!! I like your little sample plate.. hehe.
Dinner looks great as well.
Good luck with Biochem!
Lara (Thinspired) says
The brussel sprouts look delicious. Mine never look like yours when I try! I would never think to pair them with ketchup, but I bet it’s delicious!
kwaze says
Yum to those nut butters!!! Quick ?….I was wondering…..do you try and eat certain amount of exchanges a day of each food group? i know you don’t count cals anymore…but I was wondering if you even used the exchanges as guidleines?? I am trying to folow a MP and am sick of thinking of ideas…they all seem boring compared to your concoctions:) Thanks!
Cecilia says
URGH! I wish Artisana can send me the cacao bliss spread … it looks soooo good!!
coco says
those artisan jars are sooooooooo cute!!! 😀
linds says
OMG loving the little army of raw butters….I’ve seen the cocoa one in stores but here in Canada at least it’s like $16 for the full size jar 🙁 Oh well, I’ll just have to live vicariously through your samples. I love everything about your dinner too, including the dishware! I need to find myself some square/rectangular white plates…
Beadie @ What I Ate Yesterday says
Wow! Looked at all those butters lined up!!! You should have a great time getting through them all!!
I love roasted brussel sprouts with ketchup. Roasted broccoli, too.
Adi (oatonomy.com - repaired!) says
Yeah, those butters definitely sound dangerous! And by dangerous, I mean delicious!
Lauren says
Best way to eat brussels 🙂
I’m beyond envious of all of your samples – so much fun!
Melissa says
Studying while walking seems like a brilliant idea.
I love how you pack three different sizes of bars- brilliant!
🙂
The nut butter looks divine! Yum!
Have a great day!
jennifer says
I love roasted broccoli too!!!
kate says
love those sneaks! which ones are they?
Kara says
Oooooh anything chocolate-coconut sounds good to me!
RK says
Wow, great eats today! Those nut butter samples are sooo cute – I am envious :p I am glad that your first exams went well and are out of the way. Good luck with the rest of your studying and test taking!
Danielle says
Great food today, that pizza looks so amazing!
K says
Oh my goodness, what a great army!! Have fun sampling 🙂
Don’t you hate it when bars are sticky! That’s one of my pet peeves!
Kath says
sarah (ghost world),
Yikes! Good luck!
Heather ,
I think these are pre-shox 🙂
Michelle Hisae,
Yup!
Katharina ,
I’ve been in touch with Clif and because it’s seasonal I don’t think it’s on shelves anymore. And I’m pretty sure it’s being replaced by a new flavor this year and going extinct 🙁
kwaze ,
No, I don’t use any kind of exchange. But I do think about all the food groups when I plan meals. I try to balance carbs, veggies + protein at each meal.
kate ,
I don’t really know – my friend gave them to me in 2002 and she’d had them for a while!
Kath
Becky Strumpf says
Oh, I actually LOVE those Nature’s Path Peanut Butter Granola Bars! I’m a huge fan of sticky things, haha. The taste is great too!
Christina says
thanks for the walnut butter review! I’ve had my eye on that one for a while.
Jess says
I’m so jealous of all your freebies!
Brussels taste great dipped in mustard too.
Sarah (Tales of Expansion) says
ohhhh, that pizza. i want another slice!!!
Hangry Pants says
I’d rather save money to buy nut butter – me too, or the nuts to make the nut butter. hahahaa
Cute dress by the way.