Tag: organic

Lifeway Kefir – Products Worth Reviewing and Giveaway

Yogurt has always been a staple in our household. We love how it tastes, we love the variety of uses for it, and we love that it’s really good for you. But now there’s a new sheriff in town – and that sheriff is named kefir. Although kefir has been around the world for many years, it surfaced into the mainstream probiotic world not too long ago. Some people may have already heard of it and enjoy it on a regular basis, but for many, kefir is still fairly new in the United States.

Kefir (pronounced keh-fur), most popularly enjoyed in Eastern Europe, is acknowledged as one of the highest form of probiotic. It tastes similar to yogurt and is made in a similar way, but is cultured to be more effective than yogurt. Kefir is also slightly effervescent and is a bit thinner in consistency than yogurt. It’s also fairly easy to add different flavors into kefir because to me, kefir tastes slightly more sour than yogurt but it does have a rather unique taste. And of course one of my all-time favorite brand of kefir is Lifeway Kefir.

Lifeway Kefir or Lifeway Foods makes the largest selection of kefir products in the United States and their products range from organic kefir, to low carb kefir, to cheese, to organic green kefir,  and to their newest frozen kefir (which I’m most eager to try next!). They also make a product specially formulated for children called “ProBugs” which my son absolutely loves (and perhaps because the “bugs” concept is cool). Their ProBugs currently comes in four flavors – Goo-Berry Pie, Orange Creamy Crawler, Sublime Slime Lime, and Strawnana Split. See – even their ProBugs kefir has really cool names! But their biggest selection of flavors would have to be their kefir and organic kefir. Their organic kefir is certified organic and although their regular non-organic versions are not made with organic ingredients, they still use high-quality, natural ingredients – no unnecessary additives like preservatives and high fructose corn syrup. And if you want to avoid sugar all together, their Plain Kefir is unsweetened but still delicious!

Lifeway Foods has been making kefir for over 25 years and is in fact, celebrating their 25th Anniversary as we speak. Their humble beginnings started with a father and her daughter who wanted to introduce the kefir product into the United States. Knowing the health benefits of kefir, the owners also pledged to use only all-natural ingredients and formulated ProBoost, their exclusive pair of clinically proven probiotics to balance the body’s ecosystem, support digestive health and for immunity purposes. Lifeway’s kefirs can also help those with lactose intolerance as the probiotics in kefir help boost the digestion of lactose in the body. All of Lifeway Kefirs contain 10 live and active probiotic cultures which help strengthen the body’s immune system through the digestive tract. Probiotics have been known to improve the body’s digestive tract because it adds good “bacteria” into the body so that it can destroy the bad bacteria in the body. The body’s digestive tract is known to contribute to at least 70% of the body’s immune system, so it’s important to keep your digestive  tract healthy and not loaded with a bunch of junk.

Lifeway Kefir offered me several coupons to try their products and review them. I decided to try their ProBugs in Goo-Berry Pie and their Organic Kefir in Low Fat Strawberries n’ Cream and Helios Nutrition Organic Blueberry. Their Helios Nutrition’s Organic Kefir is specifically designed with FOS/inulin and is a delicious probiotic beverage beneficial to both children and adults.  The Helios Kefir is made with Helios’s 7 Exclusive Live & Active Cultures: Lactobacillus kefyr, Lactococcus lactis, Lactococcus cremoris, Lactococcus diacetylactis, Leuconostoc cremoris, Candida kefyr, and Saccharomyces unisporous.

Since I regularly eat yogurt, I wanted to see how Lifeway Kefir’s probiotic drinks can help with my body. I drank their Helios Organic Kefir and their regular Organic Kefir for a week and I indeed  felt like my stomach was acting better and took well to all of the live and active cultures in the kefirs. But perhaps because I already ate yogurt on a regular basis, my body accepted the live and active cultures well, although I honestly believe that probiotics are suppose to help you instead of hinder your body’s performance. But I suppose it works differently for everyone.

Lifeway Foods has also offered 1 LUCKY reader of Happymomblogger to try their kefir. The prize consists of a t-shirt, a lip balm, a button, a VIP coupon for ProBugs, a VIP coupon for their regular 32oz. kefir, a VIP coupon for their new frozen kefir and a VIP coupon for First Juice. A note about First Juice – Lifeway Foods acquired First Juice not too long ago and First Juice is a specially formulated juice designed for babies and toddlers who can drink juice. They are also made with certified organic ingredients and that’s really important for growing little bodies. First Juice contains less sugar than regular juice which is also much healthier for little tummies and currently their flavors include Apple & Carrot, Banana & Carrot, Blueberry & Purple Carrot, and Peach & Purple Carrot. For more info on First Juice, please visit: http://www.firstjuice.com/.  I also enjoy drinking First Juice juices because they are so delicious! And you don’t really need all that sugar in juice anyway. I even made frozen First Juice pops with their juice and it was a big hit with my son! So how do you enter to win this fabulous prize from Lifeway Foods? Read below to find out how.

Here’s how to enter in the Lifeway Foods giveaway:

MANDATORY ENTRY:

#1 entry – Become a follower of Lifeway Kefir: http://twitter.com/#!/lifeway_kefir and Tweet that you are entering the contest at Happymomblogger. (Please note, this is a change from my other first entry. All previous entries on the Facebook page will be counted.)

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES: 

#2 entry – Become a Happymomblogger follower: http://twitter.com/#!/happymomblogger and “Tweet” me @happymomblogger that you are entering the Lifeway Kefir giveaway.

#3 entry – Visit  http://www.firstjuice.com/ and http://www.lifeway.net/ and tell me what products you would like to try.

#3 entry – Subscribe to my Blog.

#4 entry – Enter in my other contests.

#5 entry – Vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs using the link provided below.

You can enter as many times as you like but you MUST enter in the Mandatory entry to qualify. The more you enter, the more chances your name will be drawn.  You can enter by telling me the 5 entries in the LEAVE A COMMENT box. Please be sure to give me your name and email address so that I may contact you if you win. Contest is open to residents of US only. 18 years and older please. Please be sure to provide a physical address and not a P.O. Box.

Contest Start Date: May 11, 2011

Contest End Date: May 25, 2011- Contest closed. Winner will be selected. Congratulations to Becky S.!

Only 1 winner will be chosen at random and I will post the winner’s name on my blog.

GOOD LUCK AND THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products. 

Please read the labels and ingredients carefully and follow all manufacturer’s instructions (if any). The products selected for the giveaway were generously donated by the companies/PR to help readers learn more about their products. The winner’s choice in using/consuming these products are entirely up to the winner and will not hold the author and her family liable nor the companies/PR liable. These products are made with non-toxic ingredients but always be safe with what you use and consume.

http://www.topmommyblogs.com/blogs/in.php?id=storm

suzan61 Comments

Natural Products Expo West!

As a blogger of parenting and organic and natural products, I had the opportunity to attend the Natural Products Expo West at the Anaheim Convention Center on March 11, 2011. The Natural Products Expo West is the largest expo of natural and organic products that is opened only to the natural products industry. At the Expo, virtually every company in the organic and natural products and food industry were presented and each had their own booth to showcase new products as well as introduce their flagship products to attendees.

I visited some of my favorite companies and wanted to touch base with them and meet some of the folks personally. Popchips, Stonyfield Farm, Earth Friendly Products, Seventh Generation, Organic Valley, Attune Foods, Honest Tea, Amy’s Kitchen, Earthbound Farm, and Snikiddy to name a few were all there and they had some really fun booths and samples to try. I was also excited to meet some new companies and see what they had to offer. Most of the companies at the show displayed all of their current products as well as any new products that they were introducing yet not out on the market. It was pretty exciting to see all of the newest products debuting at the show as well as talking first hand to the marketing and sales group about their latest gems. And let me just say, some of the companies were pretty generous with their samples – they were giving out full size samples as well as little gifts if you were lucky enough to be there when they were handing them out.

But as generous as some of the companies were with their samples and prizes, I saw way too many freeloaders grabbing up bagfuls and handfuls of free samples and gifts.  By the time anyone else got to the booths, all of the samples were gone or the companies pulled them off the shelves for fear of losing their entire stock. A couple of instances I saw some ladies grab boxes full of cookies and bread off the shelves not even pondering if maybe those were just display items and NOT samples. I mean, hey, it’s okay to take one or two but if you’re grabbing them by the handfuls, I wonder – what are you planning on doing with all of those samples? Are they going to eat all of them, give them away, or sell them on the Black Market? Buyers beware: be on the lookout for illegally-obtained organic crackers and cookies.

And yet, it was still nice to see some of my favorite companies generously doling out full size products such as chips, drinks, tea, shampoo, etc. It made me believe in their motto – that they just wanted to spread the good word of their naturally-made products. Although I didn’t have time to visit every single booth(I was there with my son) and he and I had too much fun playing games at some of the booths set up at the hall entrances, it was definitely worth the time seeing all of the new products that will be out on the market in the coming months.

Some of the highlights of the show were a visit from some of the characters from Yo Gabba Gabba and a tossing game with gel-like balls from the folks at Revolution Foods.  At the Revolution Foods game booth, if your ball landed on a point, you get a prize such as yogurt drops, beads, and my son got a big bouncy ball because he landed on a high number. There was also a 1978 Volkswagon Van (Transporter) that was fully decorated as Rudi’s Organic Bakery’s mascot. And at the Happy Family booth, a grown-up man dressed in a onesie went around passing out their snacks. That was a little disconcerting to see, but I was told that the owners of the company orginally had their young children as mascots but they were too tired from the day before so it was replaced by a grown up. At Stonyfield Farm, they were debuting their newest Greek yogurt and my son got a cute little bib and an Eric Carle growth chart. And then at the booth of Nana’s Cookie Company, perhaps my son’s favorite stop,  was seeing “George” from Curious George. He and George spent a great amount of time shaking hands, high-fiving, and taking photos. In fact, they seemed almost inseperable, like long lost friends! It was indeed a fun and educational experience.

Perhaps one of the great things about the Natural Products Expo West is the fact that the companies who attended donated all of their remaining food and samples to the local food bank – Second Harvest Food Bank. So in light of that, it makes me even more disappointed that folks would greedily take the good stuff from other folks who are less fortunate than them and who probably very rarely have the chance to enjoy organic and natural foods.

However, on the last day of the show, as we were walking out, I did ask to take a full size bag of natural potato chip(from a company I just discovered and wanted to try) and I was told rather sternly, “just take one bag”. Perhaps the companies caught on to all the other folks sneaking away with their goods? 

But overall, the Natural Products Expo is a wonderful opportunity for store owners, vendors, wholesalers, and anything relatable to learn about the organic and natural products and food industry. So for those of you who find joy in eating and purchasing organic and natural products, pay attention to your natural food stores and supermarkets as the newest products from some of your favorite companies will be out soon.

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Sauteed Green Beans with Tofu and Veggie Chicken

In this particular recipe, I used Annie Chun’s Chinese Stir-fry sauce as the main condiment and Quorn Tenders as an extra added boost of protein and nutrients. Generally, tofu is a great protein but I wanted to add a bit more to this dish and Quorn nuggets are also very satisfying and gives it a bit more nutrients.

Sauteed Green Beans with Tofu and Veggie Chicken:

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoon Cooking Oil (vegetable oil preferred)

1-2 Cloves Garlic, sliced

1 Cup Quorn Tenders

1 Cup Organic Green Beans, cut each in half

1 Cup Organic Tofu (medium-firm), diced into cubes

3 Tablespoons Annie Chuns Chinese Stir-fry sauce

1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Pepper

A dash of brown sugar for taste

* Traditional Chinese food is prepared by sauteeing the garlic first and seasoning the ingredients with salt and pepper. Then stir fry for a minute or two to draw out the natural fragrance and flavor of each ingredient.

Instructions:

– Add Oil to sauce pan or wok and heat. Reduce heat to medium.

– Add garlic and saute until lightly browned but not burned.

– Add Quorn Tenders and follow cooking directions on package (about 10 minutes total).

– Add Sesame Oil, Salt, and Pepper and stir fry thoroughly.

– Add more oil if necessary

– Add Green Beans and stir fry together. (Add the Green Beans about halfway through cooking the Quorn Tenders)

– Add Annie Chuns sauce and stir ingredients thoroughly to coat all of the ingredients.

– Add Tofu and stir fry together gently.

– Add sugar according to taste.

– Cover and let the ingredients soften for about 3 -5 minutes.

– Remove cover and stir fry gently again.

– Ready to eat and enjoy!

This dish is best served with hot, steaming rice. You can always add/delete ingredients according to taste.

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Newman’s Own Organics – GIVEAWAY

Who would’ve thought that Nell Newman, the daughter of famous screen legend, philanthropist, and race car enthusiast Paul Newman would end up developing her own line of organic products? Established in 1993, it started out as a branch from Newman’s Own (the company which her father built) and later became an independant company in 2001. The company’s slogan is, “great tasting products that happen to be organic” – how modest is that saying as it perfectly complements the company’s humble background as well.

I was fortunate enough to try out many of their core products ranging from their soy crisps to “Newman-O’s” to chocolate (and boy were those chocolates mouth-watering!). All of their products are made with certified organic ingredients and carries the USDA Organic label. Their coffee are fair trade organic coffee and their chocolates are also Rainforest Alliance certified. They do everything possible to help consumers have more choices in organic food – from their original pretzels to olive oil and basamic vinegar to mints. They even have a new organic pet food line specially formulated for cats and dogs – the same quality ingredients and care goes into the production of their pet food.  But the most prominant aspect of this expansive organic company is their charitable spirit. Under the philanthropic guidelines of Paul Newman, profits from Newman’s Own Organics has been generously added to the Newman’s Own Foundation – an organization that donates money to educational and charitable organizations.

Newman’s Own Organics (http://www.newmansownorganics.com/) isn’t just a company dedicated in giving consumers high-quality organic food; they’re also a company with a lot of heart. However that did not distract me from doing an honest review of their organic snacks. The following snacks are part of what I received and will be part of what the winner of the giveaway will receive. For a more detailed description and review of Newman’s Own Organics, please visit: https://happymomblogger.wordpress.com/2010/10/04/newmans-own-organics-products-worth-reviewing/

Traditional Thin Pretzels- I love pretzels. They are great snacks to enjoy with basically anything. They are a healthier alternative to chips (although there are healthy chips out there) and they are easier to carry around in your hand.  Newman’s Own Organic pretzels are made with organic unbleached wheat flour and organic rye flour and has a nice crunch to it. Since they are “thin”, it’s hard not to eat more than a handful.

 

Champion Cookies with Chocolate Chips – the story behind these Champion Cookies is really endearing. You’ll have to read the bag to find out the whole story but I’ll give you a brief description. Champion Cookies got their name a long time ago from grandma who entered the cookie sling race. When she didn’t take the gold due to her “secret” additive of chocolate chips in the cookies, she then took her cookies to a neighboring cookie contest and won first prize because of the chocolates.  The Champion Cookies are a bit bigger than your regular bite-sized cookies and they pack an immense amount of flavor. And since they are not too sweet you don’t feel that sugary overdose even after a few cookies.

Cinnamon Mints –  I used to enjoy mints when I was in college because it helped me study better ( I think the peppermint helped me concentrate better) but I don’t believe I’ve ever tried cinnamon-flavored mints before so I was quite pleasantly surprised at Newman’s Own Organics mints. It has a uniquely fresh flavor and with a strong hint of cinnamon so you can taste it immediately. Their mints come in a handy reusable tin and four roll packs. Flavors include Cinnamon, Ginger, Peppermint, and Wintergreen.

Newman’s Own Organics became an organic only food company because they realized the concerns of  their customers and wanted their customers to know exactly what goes into their products. Their ingredients come from certified organic farms without the use of artificial fertilizers or pesticides and most of the recipes were passed down from previous generations. The company makes every stride possible in ensuring that the ingredients used in their products come from environmentally-conscious farms and organizations. They also prohibit the use of preservatives in their products. Their devotion in providing high-quality products not only goes into their products but is noticeable in their packaging as well. All of their packages bear the distinctive image of American Gothic “Pa” Newman and daughter Nell with exception of  their chocolates and tea.

I honestly enjoyed trying all of these delicious products from Newman’s Own Organics. The cookies were not overly sweet, the chocolates were luscious, and the chips were delicate and flavorful. But try it out for yourselves and you’ll taste the difference between conventional food to organic food made with high-quality, ingredients.

One LUCKY winner will receive a prize pack consisting of a selection of goodies from Newman’s Own Organics! The prize consists of:

(2) bags – Champion Chip Cookies

(2) bags – Mints

(2) bags – Pretzels

The winner gets to CHOOSE which 2 flavors he/she would like. Just go to http://www.newmansownorganics.com/index.php and click on the “Good Food” tab to make your selection of flavors. Only 1 winner will be chosen and I will post the winner’s name on my blog.

Contest Start Date: November 8, 2010

Contest End Date: November 15, 2010 (CONTEST CLOSED – WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN)

HOW TO ENTER THE NEWMAN’S OWN ORGANICS GIVEAWAY:

MANDATORY ENTRY:

#1 entry – Visit http://www.newmansownorganics.com/index.php and tell me what is your favorite product(s) from them.

Additional entries:

#2 entry- “Like” Newman’s Own Organics on Facebook and write on their wall telling me you are entering the contest at www.happymomblogger.wordpress.com. Just put Happymomblogger as the heading.

#3 entry – Vote for me at Top Mommy Blog using the link posted at the bottom of this page

#4 entry – Subscribe to my Blog

#5 entry – Enter in my other Giveaways

You can enter as many times as you like but you MUST enter in the Mandatory entry to qualify. The more you enter, the more chances your name will be drawn.  You can enter by telling me the 5 entries in the LEAVE A COMMENT box. Please be sure to give me your name and email address so that I may contact you if you win. Contest is open to residents of US only. Please be sure to provide a physical address and not a P.O. Box.

Only 1 winner will be chosen at random and I will post the winner’s name on my blog.

GOOD LUCK AND THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products. 

Please read the labels and ingredients carefully and follow all manufacturer’s instructions (if any). The products selected for the giveaway were generously donated by the companies/PR to help readers learn more about their products. The winner’s choice in using/consuming these products are entirely up to the winner and will not hold the author and her family liable nor the companies/PR liable. These products are made with non-toxic ingredients but always be safe with what you use and consume.

http://www.topmommyblogs.com/blogs/in.php?id=storm

suzan11 Comments

Newman’s Own Organics – Products worth reviewing

Who would’ve thought that Nell Newman, the daughter of famous screen legend, philanthropist, and race car enthusiast Paul Newman would end up developing her own line of organic products? Established in 1993, it started out as a branch from Newman’s Own (the company which her father built) and later became an independant company in 2001. The company’s slogan is, “great tasting products that happen to be organic” – how modest is that saying as it perfectly complements the company’s humble background as well.

I was fortunate enough to try out many of their core products ranging from their soy crisps to “Newman-O’s” to chocolate (and boy were those chocolates mouth-watering!). All of their products are made with certified organic ingredients and carries the USDA Organic label. Their coffee are fair trade organic coffee and their chocolates are also Rainforest Alliance certified. They do everything possible to help consumers have more choices in organic food – from their original pretzels to olive oil and basamic vinegar to mints. They even have a new organic pet food line specially formulated for cats and dogs – the same quality ingredients and care goes into the production of their pet food.  But the most prominant aspect of this expansive organic company is their charitable spirit. Under the philanthropic guidelines of Paul Newman, profits from Newman’s Own Organics has been generously added to the Newman’s Own Foundation – an organization that donates money to educational and charitable organizations.

Newman’s Own Organics (www.newmansownorganics.com) isn’t just a company dedicated in giving consumers high-quality organic food; they’re also a company with a lot of heart. However that did not distract me from doing an honest review of their organic snacks. So here is a detailed list of what I received and tasted:

Barbeque Soy Crisps – these soy crisps are made with Organic Low Fat Soy Flour and Organic Rice Flour and has a nice delicate barbeque flavor with a hint of spice. It’s not too spicy and not very salty and it has a great crunch to it.  If  you’ve never tried soy crisps or any kind of chips made from soy and rice, then you have to give these bbq soy crisps a try. Soy has a distinct flavor but since I grew up eating soy products, it had a very satisfying flavor and since it’s baked, it doesn’t leave you with greasy fingers. They are also gluten-free.

Traditional Thin Pretzels– I love pretzels. They are great snacks to enjoy with basically anything. They are a healthier alternative to chips (although there are healthy chips out there) and they are easier to carry around in your hand.  Newman’s Own Organic pretzels are made with organic unbleached wheat flour and organic rye flour and has a nice crunch to it. Since they are “thin”, it’s hard not to eat more than a handful.

Alphabet Cookies in Arrowroot – these are not your regular alphabet cookies that you find at your kids school; they’re perfect for both kids and adults. Now some of you may not have heard of Arrowroot or what it tastes like, but it doesn’t have a very strong flavor and it’s usually used in place of wheat in a regular recipe. But in this instance, arrowroot is used as a flavor enhancer and can add texture to any product. The alphabet cookies were delicate and also fun to eat!

Champion Cookies with Chocolate Chips – the story behind these Champion Cookies is really endearing. You’ll have to read the bag to find out the whole story but I’ll give you a brief description. Champion Cookies got their name a long time ago from grandma who entered the cookie sling race. When she didn’t take the gold due to her “secret” additive of chocolate chips in the cookies, she then took her cookies to a neighboring cookie contest and won first prize because of the chocolates.  The Champion Cookies are a bit bigger than your regular bite-sized cookies and they pack an immense amount of flavor. And since they are not too sweet you don’t feel that sugary overdose even after a few cookies.

Fig Newmans (Fat Free) –  I love it when companies use cute names for their products and Fig Newman’s are not only memorable in taste, but you can’t help but chuckle at the cleverness of the name. I don’t usually buy fat free food food since I try to limit my fat intake as it as, but you really can’t tell that these Fig Newmans are “fat free”. Fig Newmans are made with organic unbleached wheat flour, organic sugar, and organic figs and they are soft in texture like the fig newtons and once again not overly sweet.

Cinnamon Mints –  I used to enjoy mints when I was in college because it helped me study better ( I think the peppermint helped me concentrate better) but I don’t believe I’ve ever tried cinnamon-flavored mints before so I was quite pleasantly surprised at Newman’s Own Organics mints. It has a uniquely fresh flavor and with a strong hint of cinnamon so you can taste it immediately. Their mints come in a handy reusable tin and four roll packs. Flavors include Cinnamon, Ginger, Peppermint, and Wintergreen.

Dark Chocolate Bar – I humbly admit that I am a chocolate snob. My preferences in chocolate run with the extravagant and any old chocolate bar usually doesn’t satisfy. And when it comes to organic chocolate and chocolate that contains more than 50% of cocoa beans, that’s all the better! Newman’s Own Organics chocolates uses the finest ingredients possible because chocolate in essence, is one of the most richest form of food on earth so really great chocolate requires exceptional cocoa beans. I tasted the 54% Dark Chocolate Bar and let the flavor savor in my mouth and the aftertaste of rich cocoa beans ignited my taste buds. I can definitely tell that real cocoa beans were used instead of artificial flavoring. They also use 100% organic ingredients in the Dark Chocolate bar. These chocolates are also made from cocoa beans grown on Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms. The Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal guarantees that the cocoa in their Signature Series were grown on farms that meet comprehensive standards for sustainable farming, protecting soil, waterways and wildlife habitat as well as the rights and welfare of workers, their families and communities.

Prunes – What ingredient(s) are found in Newman’s Own Organics Dried Prunes? – simply, well, prunes. Some companies add sugar or sulfites to their dried prunes, but in reality, dried prunes like most dried fruit has a very long shelf life and already has nature’s own built in sweetener so sugar really isn’t necessary. I really enjoy prunes as an occassional snack so I definitely had to try Newman’s Own Organics Prunes. They were moist and dense and had just a bit of sweetness to them without being overpowering. Going forward, I’m going to try making cookies with NOO’s dried prunes in them.

Newman-O’s in Chocolate – Who doesn’t like a good creme-filled cookie? They’re great as a stand alone snack or dessert or you can eat the whole bag as a meal (although I don’t recommend doing that). Newman – O’s are simply rich cream filling nestled between two crunchy cookies. The chocolate variety was rich and satisfying with the chocolate cookies yielding a not-too-sweet flavor and the cream center moist and creamy.

Hermits Ginger Soft Cookies – I used to enjoy ginger cookies because I love the taste of ginger and it also holds great health benefits. But then I ate too much of them and stopped for awhile. So when I opened the package of Newman’s Own Organics Ginger Soft Cookies, the aroma instantly reminded me of why I loved ginger cookies so much. They’re made with organic unbleached wheat  flour and adds a bit of organic raisins to give it a slight edge over other ginger cookies. And because they’re soft and chewy, these were a great option for me when I wanted a softer cookie on occassion.

Licorice in Pomegranate – I have to admit I’m not much of a licorice fan and outside of eating “Red Vines” at the theater some time ago, I don’t know much about licorice. But when I took a bite of NOO’s Pomegranate the first word out of my mouth was “YUM”! The texture was soft and chewy but not rubbery (like Red Vines) and it had a slight hint of pomegranate flavor. It wasn’t too sweet (which was nice) and it smelled delicious! You didn’t think licorice could smell pretty good, did you? The main ingredients are Organic Wheat Flour, Organic Sugar, Corn Syrup, Organic Tapioca Syrup, Vegetable Glycerin, Sunflower Oil, Elderberry Extract, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Pomegranate Juice Concentrate, and Licorice Root Extract. All natural flavors and it still tastes better than any licorice twists with artificial flavoring. Beat that, Red Vines!

Newman’s Own Organics became an organic only food company because they realized the concerns of  their customers and wanted their customers to know exactly what goes into their products. Their ingredients come from certified organic farms without the use of artificial fertilizers or pesticides and most of the recipes were passed down from previous generations. The company makes every stride possible in ensuring that the ingredients used in their products come from environmentally-conscious farms and organizations. They also prohibit the use of preservatives in their products. Their devotion in providing high-quality products not only goes into their products but is noticeable in their packaging as well. All of their packages bear the distinctive image of American Gothic “Pa” Newman and daughter Nell with exception of  their chocolates and tea.

To find out more about Newman’s Own Organics, please visit their website: http://www.newmansownorganics.com/. They also offer coupons and recipes that are hard to pass on. You can find Newman’s Own Organics in most health food stores and mass market supermarkets.

I honestly enjoyed trying all of these delicious products from Newman’s Own Organics. The cookies were not overly sweet, the chocolates were luscious, and the chips were delicate and flavorful. But try it out for yourselves and you’ll taste the difference between conventional food to organic food made with high-quality, ingredients.

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products.

http://www.topmommyblogs.com/blogs/in.php?id=storm

suzan2 Comments

Earthbound Farm – Products worth reviewing

When I think of the name Earthbound Farm, it conjures up images of lush green fields and tall, elegant apple trees shading nearby farmhouses. It makes me want to kick off my shoes, sit on the porch at the farmhouse and sip ice-cold lemonade. Well, it seems that their company name actually does live up to it’s portrayal of a sprawling farm with an extensive selection of organic vegetable fields and fruit orchards. They even have a farm stand open to the public where fresh fare is prepared on the premises and opened 7 days a week.

I love organic produce (as you can probably tell by my other posts) and the fresher they are, the more nutritious and delicious they are. Earthbound Farm is the largest grower of organic produce in the United States and the largest producer of organic salad greens. You can’t get any fresher produce than Earthbound Farm outside of growing your own fruits and vegetables. And because they are certified organic and carries the USDA Organic label, you know that you can trust their produce to be of the finest quality, unsurpassed by any other organic farms in the nation.

Earthbound Farm has a charming background. It all started with a young couple migrating from Manhattan who fell in love with the beauty and the splendor of a small, quiet town in Carmel, California. Their modest beginnings with a tiny farm of just 2.5 acres growing organic produce later became the nations largest organic produce growers with over 35,000 acres. And their dedication in providing the public as well as their family and staff  with healthy, non-toxic produce remains steadfast.  Their promise to themselves and to their consumers is straightforward – avoid the use of toxic fertilizers and pesticides; does not use genetically modified organisms (GMO’s); avoid the use of petroleum-based pesticides; fight global warming by absorbing carbon dioxide; provide constant food safety standards; uses only post-consumer recycled plastic for their salad packages; shipping cartons are made from 99% post-consumer corrugate; uses biodiesel in their farming equipment; uses 100% post-consumer recycled office paper for all their copiers, printers, and plain-paper; planted trees with American Forests every year to offset greenhouse gas emissions from their energy use and many other assurances to guarantee the safety and integrity of the planet and its inhabitants. With these strict guidelines set in stone, Earthbound Farm remain unwavering in their excellent production of organic produce.                                                                                                http://www.ebfarm.com/AboutUs/EnvironmentalStewardship/index.aspx

The company who started out small believes in giving back big. They believe that being a “catalyst for positive change” is the best way to promote a positive and healthier future for everyone. Earthbound Farm believes in helping their communities by supporting organizations that support healthy lifestyles; organizations that work toward a clean and healthy planet; award academic scholarships to local high school students who will pursue an education in environmental stewardship; and donates to charities nominated by their employees, and award academic scholarships each year to college-bound children of their employees.

As an avid organic produce consumer, I was given some free product coupons to try so I decided to try their dried fruit. I’ve already tried most of their packaged salad greens so I wanted to try something totally different – and I love dried fruit because it’s a great way to get some natural vitamins and fiber in your body with the convenience of eating it whenever you want to. Their dried fruit products include dried mangos, cranberries, plums, dates, and raisins.  All of their dried fruit are ripened on their vines or trees to their maximum ripeness to allow an abundance of natural sweetness and 100% organically grown. There are no preservatives used and the flavors and textures are exactly what dried fruit should be – sweet and tangy and just the right amount of “chewiness”. They come in convenient ready to go packages and they can be used in almost any recipe. I thoroughly enjoyed their organic dried fruit and plan on using some of them for baking in the future!

So why would you buy packaged produce? Well, because they are more convenient and easy to carry around or even placed in your picnic basket or lunch bag. They stay fresher longer than just placing your produce in the fridge. They’re more sanitary (you don’t have to worry about a million hands touching the produce on the shelf at your local market). And organic produce are usually packaged in environmentally-friendly plastic rather than the store-provided plastic bags available in the produce section.

So the next time you’re at your local supermarket or natural food store, pick up a bag of Earthbound Farm’s fresh produce. With an abundant selection of high-quality fruit, vegetables, and salads to choose from, you’ll always end up with the right choice. Earthbound Farm products can be found at most major supermarkets and natural food markets. For more information about Earthbound Farm, please visit their website: http://www.ebfarm.com. You can also order certain products online.

 

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please  read the labels carefully before trying any new products.

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