Organic, Vegan, Soy Free, and Kosher Protein Bars from GoMacro

Disclosure: The owner of this blog was NOT financially compensated to write this review.  I was provided with the products mentioned  in exchange of my honest  opinion which may differ from yours.  

I love snacking on healthy   protein bars.  The last one that we tried a couple of months ago was called Java Me Up, those were delicious!  my daughter and husband loved them so I was very excited when I got contacted to review this mini  macrobars from GoMacro .  GoMacro is  a family-run natural food company with roots in organic farming.  They are dedicated toward creating the best tasting food with the highest quality ingredients.

I love that their products are s 100% vegan, USDA certified organic, certified non-GMO, gluten-free, and made from mostly raw ingredients. They  believe that everything you put in your body should have a beneficial impact.  I think that says a lot about their company, they think thru  and considered everything  when they make their  products.  

Anyway, they sent me a box of the MacroBar Minis Assortment, the flavors includes the following:

• almond butter + karob
• apples + walnuts
• banana + almond butter
•  cashew butter
• cashew caramel
• cherries and berries
• sunflower butter + chocolates
• granola + coconut
• peanut butter chocolate chip
• peanut butter
• sesame seeds + dates

They should call these microbar and not macrobar  due to its size (just kidding).  They do have MacroBar original which costs $2.89 each but there's  mini so it's understandable.    I love having this  after my work out but too bad, it went out too quickly since I have some help lol.  These  popular bars are guaranteed to satisfy your hunger and deliver plenty of clean-burning natural energy. All MacroBars are USDA organic, non-GMO project verified, kosher, gluten free and vegan certified.

My husband love  these too as he bring them to work and eat them during his  snack break.  And as you can see, my daughter is very fond of it.  Her favorite flavor is the Sunflower butter with  chocolates.  One of the flavors that they are not find of is the  sesame seeds with dates but it was okay since I love sesame seeds, I grew up  eating sesame seeds candies.  So all the ones with sesame seeds  was mine.

They have new products coming out soon  that they called Thrive.  Each of the three flavors (blueberry lavender, curry apricot and ginger lemon) contain ingredients that have been selected to target specific systems in the body – neurological, digestive and cardiovascular. At only 180 calories, each GoMacro Thrive bar contains 3g of fiber and 4g of protein. Thrive bars are USDA organic, non-GMO project verified, kosher, gluten free and vegan certified.  So  I will be watching out for that since I love these energy bars. 

If you want to get in touch with GoMacro, here are there social media links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gomacro/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gomacro
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/gomacro/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gomacro/

If you want to try their energy bars, here is a 40% off discount  that you can use, just enter the code “BLOGGER” at checkout.

Thank you GoMacro!

Discover the World Through Food

Disclosure: The owner of this blog was NOT financially compensated to write this review.  I was provided with the products mentioned  in exchange of my honest  opinion which may differ from yours.  

When I was younger, I  wasn't fond of trying  new foods  that I am not familiar with but as I got older, I am up for everything.  I am very surprised that I  discovered quite a few  products that ended up my favorite.   Discovering the world through food is  so much fun.  With Try the World, you will get to try a fun-filled box of goodies, one country at a time.   With my box, it is filled with Argentine Culture. 

I can tell that Try the World take pride of what they serve their customer because even the packaging is awesome. The box is doubled, the outer box has a unique design and the box where the goodies are enclosed  is pretty and very secure.  So let us see what's inside it.  Tadah!

One jar of  Doña Magdalena Dulce de Leche, it's a milky marmalade that is a national jam of Argentina.  This caramel topping  can be eaten  alone or you can drizzle it over your ice cream or you can even put this in your cake as a special treat.  This gourmet dulce de leche is made  with natural ingredients and with the best breeds of cattle .

My husband made some french toast for breakfast and I  added this dulce de leche to mine instead of using a syrup since I don't like mushy french toast.  I also added slices of bananas  to it.

My kids love snacking on olive and I love incorporating it in my coking but I have never tried   any green olive paste yet so this NQA Gourmet  green olive paste  would be perfect to  try it in a dish or in a snack.  I will update you once I have  used this already.  This is an Argentine take  on the traditional Southern French Tapenade.  This  would make a great  spread  for your  next party snacks.  I might just save this for my daughter's birthday party, I can serve some  delicious  canapes with this.

This Dulce de Membrillio reminds me of a delicious snack that my Mom used to prepare when we were kids.  This fruit spread has a hint of  vanilla and lemon, I tried it today with my toast and it's super delicious!  I am not fond of spread of  my toast but I am curious how this tastes like  so I cut a piece and  was surprised how good it was to be eaten with toast.   It's that good that I realized I have eaten the whole toast already without taking a photo.  Next time, I will though.  

These Chamana and Inti Zen would be a favorite for those who love  tea.  This pack has three different flavors of tea inside it.  

I went for a long jog this morning and I was dying for some drink so when I arrived, I prepared the Amazonia Mango which has mango, papaya, and peach.  It was quite  relaxing to sip while I was cooling down my body  in our back porch swing.  I have yet to try the abarazo and Don Juan so this tea would be my  go-to  relaxing drink this week after doing my cardio.  

I am from the tropics so this Inti Zen tea with mango, papaya, and peach reminds me of home. I put honey in it for a little bit of sweetness. This tea says "sweetness and passion, the forbidden blend" hmmm intriguing eh?

Another Inti Zen tea that I like, had this one this morning and I like it  more than the  one with tropical fruit.  Definitely had the feeling of "sensuality and mystery in a cup of tea".

This herbal tea  smells so good and it tasted good too.  

Yesterday, my husband was in the mood to  do some BBQ on the grill and it gave me an opportunity to try this Memories of Patagonio, Malbec Wine marinade.  I marinated a dozen of chicken wings and legs  for 1 hour before we went to church and when we came back, the flavor has already embedded in the chicken so  my husband fired up the grill and  did the grilling himself.

My husband was pleasantly surprised how good it turned put.  He was skeptical at first that I used this marinade instead of the  one that we use normally but glad I  used it, it made those chicken legs very flavorful!  This marinade is made  with succulent berries from Patagonia, honey from local pampas, and Malbec wine from Mendoza.  

I also tried the chimchurri with our  meal yesterday.  I used it as a dressing for my salad and it resembles  an Italian dressing. If you love parsley, garlic, oregano,  red pepper, and olive oil in a dressing, you will love this  chimuchurri!

Okay, I save the best for last.  After our family walk yesterday, I opened up  this Bake Love Koo butter cookies and we  ate it with our cucumber and mint milkshake.  It was  a fantastic treat after our bike riding, playing football, and long walk.

If you are wondering how to  a box like this, try to visit the link above and try them.  Just like any other box subscription, you will have to sign up and  try their introductory box.  Try the World offers free shipping and free returns, you can also cancel anytime.  You will experience different renowned chefs bring their world to your  door.  So are you ready to try the world?

Alcohol-Free and No-Carbs Natural Sweetener from #NuNaturals

I was very excited when I received an email from NuNaurals informing me that they have new products that  I can try.  I have worked with them before and enjoyed some of their  natural sweeteners do it made me happy to try their new products again.   NuNaturals  sent me three alcohol-free   liquid NuStevia flavoring including vanilla and lemon, I like using their  flavoring to pancakes and waffles.

The no-carb blends sweetener is great for coffee and other beverage. I love using them for Canning Tomatoes as well.  The one they sent me last year served me well as I canned a lot of tomatoes.  

 I have yet to try this Cocoa Mint syrup.  I would probably try this with  ice cream or  home baked goodies.  I have a  cookie mix that I need to bake next week so this would be a good  thing to incorporate in it.  

 I love this non-bitter premium natural sweetener for coffee or tea.  This is also good in cooking savory foods or dessert  as a healthy replacement for sugar.  I am glad they sent me the non-bitter because I have tried their  other sweetener before and I could not take it as it was so bitter for my taste.  

 This simple syrup is sugar free and has zero calorie which is great.  To be honest, we seldom buy sugar now because we are trying to live a little healthier so we are  using  products that we don't normally use before.  

I used it to make the blackberry coompote that I used for my rustic pie.

 I love this cocoa syrup. It is thick and  very chocolatey.

 That's what I used when I had my fruits on top of an angel cake.  I usually just eat the fruits  alone without anything else but since I have  a variety of syrup to try, I thought of incorporating it to my treat after  doing my cleaning.  

 Indulging into something rich is not bad once in a while especially when you deserve to have a special treat!

The cocoa syrup is a perfect balance for the tartness of the strawberry and kiwi, just yummy all the way in my tummy.  Thanks again NuNaturals!

Disclosure:  There is NO monetary compensation involved with this review.  I was provided the products for testing purposes in  return of my honest review.  Opinions expressed on this review is 100% o my own.

Chicken Enchalada

 Will write the recipe for this tomorrow.  I wonder where the time goes.  May is halfway done and I haven't even touch any of the postings I need to do,ugh.  I even posted this photos without the recipe wahh.  Anyway, updating this post before  we go to the library, the kids are performing there today togather with other SJS kids.   Anyway, back to the recipe.

I never made  chicken enchalada before but I was inspired by the Pioneer Woman TV show host, Ree Drummond.  I like her cooking because  you can pretty much  alter it as she hersef doesn't really do specific   ingredients on recipes lol.  Ree is a blogger turned  celebrity chef.  This recipe is slightly different from hers since I used different ingredients.  Here it is.

Ingredients:

• 8 whole Corn Tortillas
• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• A dash of Cumin,
• A dash of Chili Powder
• 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 whole Large Onion, Diced
• I whole red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 quart  tomato sauce (home made)
• Parmesan cheese

How to Prepare

• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• One at a time, hold tortillas over the stovetop burner (heated to medium heat) to brown slightly, about 30 seconds per side. Set warmed tortillas aside.
• Rub both sides of the chicken breasts with the cumin and chili powder. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the chicken on both sides until done in the middle, about 4-5 minutes per side or until juices run clear. Set it aside on a plate to cool, then shred it finely with a fork.

• Caramelize the onions into the same skillet and stir them around to cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until deep golden brown. Remove them from the pan and set them aside on a plate. 
• Pour in the homemade or canned tomato sauce and reduce the heat to low, allowing it to warm through and add the sliced bell peppers.  When the peppers are cooked,  pour them in the blender and  blend it.
• Pour 2 cups of sauce into a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. 
• Dip a tortilla into the sauce then lay on a sheet pan or plate. Put  a tabslespoonful of chiken, then the caramelaized onion, and sprinkle the  cheese on top. Roll it up tightly, then place it, seam side down, in the pan. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.

• Pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas, then sprinkle on the rest of the cheese. Give it a final sprinkling of chili powder, then bake it for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

• Remove it from the oven and let it sit for 15-20 minutes before serving. I served 2 enchiladas for my husband and 1  each for me and the kids,

We ate this baby with steamed rice.  Rylie is not fond of  soft tortilla  so she doesn't like  the wrapper, she only ate the filling.

I made another batch of these enchaladas yesterday and I tweaked   the procedure that I did  with this one.  That would be another  post if I have time.

Star Studded American Idol Finale

One of the many highlights of the recently concluded, star-studded finale of the American I dol show last night are the  performances of Ricky Martin and  Jamie Foxx.  I also love the performance of Keith Urban, he was using some kind of  kurt cobain fender but I  wasn't sure of it's kind.  

Photo isn't mine

I wanted Clark Beckham to win  but the song that was assigned to him wasn't really as memorable as Nick Fradiani's song.  The reason I like Clark more than Nick is the fact that he wasn't shy professing his faith to God and that to me is huge!

Celiac Awareness Month with Glutino

Last March, I was introduced to  a new line of gluten-free products that I happen to love from Boulder Brands, a company who is dedicated in  providing  gluten-free prducts like Glutino.  To celebrate the Celiac Awareness Month this May, I am again  enjoying some of these gluten-free products  sent to me by Boulder Brand.  Here are some of the goodies.

Just like the other type of pretzel from Glutino, this pretzel sticks are also pretty good.  I brought this pack when we went to Pittsburgh last weekend and guess what, it served  as  a fulfilling snacks for us as we  sat in the heavy traffic.  The traffic wasn't nice but  glad we had something to munch on.  

I also receieved a box of all-purpose flour, cookie mix, the buffalo pretzel that I love,  salted caramel pretzel, and the double chocolate chip.

Here are some recipes that you can check out where I used Glutino products.  Just click the links to get the recipe.  Enjoy!

sandwich bread

I would definitely buy  another mix of this Glutino sandwich bread since my daughter and husband loved it.

Chocolate Cake Roll 

I told my daughter that she can make another chocolate cake roll since I have a new box of  all-purpose flour.

Buffalo Style Crusted Fish Patties

The Buffalo pretzel really add another  notch of flavor to this fish patties that I've made.  Even my husband who is not fond of fish liked it.

Embutido

The embutido is the last one that I  made using  pretzel from Glutino.  It was really delicious

If you  know someone who suffered or suffering fro Celiac disease,  this month is  a  great month to bring awareness to their story.  They can check out Boulder brands because they offer so many selection of gluten-free products.  

Embutido Recipe

There's a dish in the PHilippines called Embutido.  What it is  a meatloaf but Filipino style.  It has  different ingredients but the main ingredient which is  ground pork or ground beef is there. I have never made this dish before but always loved to eat some when gfriends makes them.  Well, to have something different for Cinco de Mayo (we are not Mexican but we would love to celebrate with them anyways), I decided to  give embutido a try.  I was trying to follow  a recipe but I did not have all the ingredients it requires so I just rerouted it  quite a bit.  So here is what I came up with.

Ingredients

•  1.5 kb  ground pork 
• 2 boiled  eggs 
• 2 medium shallots
• 1 cup  grated carrots 
• 1 cup  chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish 
• 2 cups gluten free salted caramel Glutino pretzel (as a substitute for bread)
• 1/2 cup  chopped  mushroom (I did not have raisin so I used mushroom)
• 1 cup  grated cheese (I used 4-cheese)
• 1 1/2 cups  2% milk
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp dried parsley

Procedure

• Soaked the pretzel or bread in the milk for ten minutes.  You can blened the pretzel afterwards or you can just  mash it with potato masher afterwards. I used  this gluten free  pretzel  instead of bread as a way of raising awareness for Celiac Awarenes  Month.

• Combine all of the ingredients except the eggs and mix it thoroughly including the bread/pretzel soaked in milk. 

• To make sure that your  mixture has the right  taste, fry a little bit and try it, this way, you can add whatever is lacking in it (salt for example).

•  Place  2 cups of mixture in an aluminum  foil and spread it a little bit.  Lined up some sliced eggs on top of it. 

• Add more  mixture on top of the eggs and carefully roll  it towards the other side.  

• Make sure that you have enough space at both ends so you can tie it up or you can just  securely fold it.

• Steam for I hour and let it cool and chill overnight.   I made this yesterday sop we will have something special to eat for Cinco de Mayo celebration.

• Sliced diagonally just before serving. 

 You can add ketchup ( I used sriracha with mine)  on top of it absd eat it steamed rice.  I also had some kimcho, yummy!

I think that my first attempt in maiiung this dish  was a success.  The kids and husband said it was really good so I a happy that they liked it!