So Long Summer

Well hello there. I am officially awful at posting regularly. To all those bloggers who post daily, you amaze me. It's odd because even the days I don't post I still spend time reading all the amazing blogs out there, yet never take the time to post myself. Today is officially my last day of summer. That's right, I start school tomorrow. I'm honestly really looking forward to having a somewhat regular routine as this summer my schedule has been quite erratic.

I started this blog at the beginning of the summer as I journeyed to eat and be healthier in this lovely summer of 2010. Have I eaten perfectly this summer? No way. But, I have learned a ton about nutritious eating and realized how much better I feel when I eat healthfully.

A few goals for this school year:

1. To actually eat a good breakfast. Last year I never woke up early enough to sit down and eat breakfast so usually I either skipped breakfast or just ate whatever I could grab and eat in the car. This year I plan to wake up in time to prepare and eat a nutritious breakfast that will fuel me throughout the day.

2. To exercise regularly. In past years I've done cross country, swimming and tennis so I pretty much always was in some type of organized sport and exercising regularly. This year I am only playing tennis so I will certainly have to make more of an effort in order to be sure I get plenty of exercise. Whether it’s taking my dog for a walk, going running, going to the gym, playing tennis, or whatever other activities I discover, I will certainly be exercising frequently.

3. To incorporate more fresh vegetables and fruits into my lunches I take to school.

4. To get to bed early enough that I am able to get plenty of sleep. Of course this means not procrastinating on homework and studying....easier said than done, but definitely something I'll be working on this year.

5. To listen to my body, not to worry excessively about following a specific eating plan or eating the way others do, but to eat what makes me feel good and what is best for me. (For more about eating for your body check out Heathers wonderful post about it.)

6. To have an enjoyable and fun year!

These aren't resolutions that I expect to do instantly, but things that I will be working on continually. I don't expect myself to do these things perfectly but just to do the best I can. I believe being healthy is a continuous process, a wonderful adventure that lasts a lifetime. While I must now bid the summer farewell I am excited to say hello to what will surely be a wonderful school year.

More food post coming soon!

Thanks for reading,

Ann Claire

Dr.Kracker Review Part I

My recent lack of posting has had nothing to do with a lack of cooking. I have made many dishes recently that I can't wait to tell you all about. Unfortunately, do to camera/uploading issues I currently cannot tell you about the recipes using pictures. And a post without pictures is like a post without fun, so I've decided to wait until the issue is resolved to tell you about my recent culinary creations. I considered resorting to extremely low-quality cell phone pictures, but you guys deserve better!

Anyway, I realized I have a product review that is long overdue. I was excited when I discovered I already had some pictures uploaded of this particular product. What product am I referring to?

Dr.Kracker of course!

George Ekrich, one of the company founders, was kind enough to send me an array of their products to review.

So what kind of products does Doctor Kracker make?

"Our Flatbreads and Snacker Krackers are 100% percent natural, and USDA certified organic. We bake with whole grains and seeds, and none of our crackers contain trans fats. From Pumpkin Cheddar to Seedlander, there's a seriously delicious Dr. Kracker for everyone in your family."

They sent me 3 of there snacker crackers and 3 of there flat breads.

For this post I am just going to review of the snacker cracks, but check back soon for my review of the flat breads.

I received the Fire Roasted Crisps, the Apple Crisps, and the Cherry Semolina Crisps.

First up. Apple Crisps

My first impression was that I really liked these little guys. They have a fantastic texture, very crunchy and the oats and seeds on top to keep things interesting.

My mom and I both enjoyed these. However we both had one major problem with these crackers. We couldn't taste the apple flavor at all. If you're going to call yourself apple flavor, I expect you to be able to deliver. They were also a bit sweet for me. I was disappointed to find out the ingredient list included cane sugar, butter and brown sugar. All in all, still a really good cracker. Especially good topped with a little almond butter, yummy :)

Onto the Cherry Semolina

(I actually forgot to take a picture of these but found this one here)

I honestly have no complaints about the cherry crackers. The flavor was great; you could taste the cherry but yet it wasn't over powering. The cherries also added a nice chewiness to the texture which was a great contrast to the crunchiness of the cracker itself. My favorite of the culinary crisps.

Fire Roasted Crisps

The package boasts "Tart sun dried tomatoes and rich sweet potatoes, blended with black sesame seeds, chili peppers and organic cheddar cheese. "

The texture of this cracker was my favorite of the three culinary crisps I have tried. The black sesame seeds just really added something to the overall texture of these crackers which put them over the top. These crackers also I had a nice bold spiciness to them. Overall, I really enjoyed the flavor and texture of these crackers. Unfortunately, they seemed to make my stomach feel a bit weird. I think it might have something to do with the spiciness. Still a very good crackers.

Bottom Line: Doctor Kracker is a wonderful company which is makes fantastic Culinary Crisps (more on the flat breads later). I highly recommend them to anyone (and no I am not required to say nice things about them).  Another bonus is that they are widely available. They even sell them at some Costco's! For a list of locations near you where they are sold go here

What are you waiting for? Go buy yourself some Dr.Krackers. Now

Living LIFE

Why hello there bloggies. Yes, in fact, I am still alive :). Let me tell you, I had every intention to set up a prescheduled post or two so it wouldn't be so much time between post, but it just didn't happen. Now, where have I been for this long absence? LIFE Camp of course!!

I seriously experienced one of the most amazing weeks ever. I met some of the most wonderful people ever, grew closer to God, got to know myself better, had a ton of fun and so much more during my week at Life Camp. I really miss it and all of the amazing people there! Sadly, it's a program you can only attend once :(.

Any who, so as you might imagine, camp food is not exactly the healthiest or cleanest thing out there. While I did take a lot of my own food, quite honestly, I didn't end up eating most of what I brought. I've eaten a lot of things in the past week  that were in no way healthy. Many processed, refined, gross foods entered my body. And you know what? I don't regret any of it. Say What?

Don't get me wrong, I am a total advocate for healthy eating, but you know what else I am an advocate for? Living life. If healthy eating interferes with ability to be an active part of a community, I really just don't think it's worth it. Being healthy is about more than the foods you consume. There is so much more to overall health than just the physical aspects. Part of being healthy is being happy. If someone stresses about eating the "perfect" diet, are they really any better off than someone who eats a few not so healthy foods but enjoys them? I don't think so. Sometimes I just think that the joy that comes from eating a few Oreos with friends outweighs the badness of the actual Oreo.

I could go on about this subject all day, but I'll stop for now. I want to know what you think about healthy eating in social situations? What about the importance of enjoying food? Feel free to disagree with me.

-Ann Claire

My First Product Review Ever! -Blisscuits!

I really love blogging. There are many things I love about it, but, I"m not going to lie, the fact that companies are willing to send me free products to sample is a nice plus. It really means a lot to me that companies are willing to send me products as I know I'm not (yet) the biggest or most read blog out there. That being said, I was really excited when I received some Blisscuit samples in the mail the other day.

Now you might be thinking, "A Blisscuit? What's that?" Well as they say on their website, "Neither a health bar nor a traditional cookie, Blisscuits™ are part of a new building category known as "functional food". No refined sugar – still sweet – low carbs – no wheat with a gluten free recipe – high comfort – real food and Blisscuits help to boost your immune system! Customers will come from the health food, snack food, protein bar, and cookie categories."

Each Blisscuit has 120 calories, 4 grams of protien, and 2 grams of fiber. They are also free of articfical colors, flavors and preservatives. Additionaly, they contain Omega 3's, cage free egg whites, are glueten free and have no hydrogenated oils. More about their nutritonal info here. The product is designed to "give you balanced health and energy, while satisfying your hunger and your sweet tooth."


I was sent both lemon and cinnamon varieties, both of which I was eager to try. I decided to try the lemon first. Upon opening the package I was greeted with a wonderful fresh lemon smell. I was intrigued and couldn't wait to take a bite. The flavor was nice and they were certainly moist, but there was something about the texture that I didn't love. I think they were a bit more dense than I would have liked.

I then got my mom to try the Lemon Bliccuit to see what she thought of them. She said they had a good aroma and flavor, but that she wouldn't buy them because she thought the texture was boring. She suggested they would be better if they had chunks of dried fruit or something like that to make the texture more interesting.

Later, I had my dad try the blisscuit. He said he liked that you could taste the zest and overall thought the Blisscuits had a nice flavor and texture.

Onto the cinnamon variety.

Upon opening the package, these too had a nice aroma. Of course a completely different aroma than the lemon but still a very appealing smell.

As you can see, these little guys really do look like a cookie biscuit hybrid (the lemon flavor looked just the same but different coloring). My opinion on the Cinnamon Blisscuits is very similiar to what I think of the lemon ones. They have a very good flavor and smell and are plenty moist but again the texture wasn't great, it was just too dense. Not awful, but not fantastic.

Bottom Line: Overall, I think Blisscuits makes a good product. However, they aren't perfect. They are a good choice as an on the go snack or dessert. As the package says, "Ones a snack, two is almost a meal." I really like the fact that they are all natural, and have no refined sugar or hydrogenated oils but, because of the dense texture, I wouldn't buy them regulurly.

Interested in trying Blisscuits yourself? Go here to see where you can purchase them.

Thanks! Please let me know what you think of my first product review ever.

-Ann Claire

French Toast, Preparation, and Product Reviews.

It seems like lately I've been in a bit of a breakfast eating rut, eating the same thing day, after day, after day. Toasted Ezekiel bread with cashew butter and maybe a piece of fruit is what I've had for breakfast many mornings in a row. Saturday morning I decided to use these same basic ingredients and mix it up a bit. In went 2 eggs, some almond milk (next time I think I want to try orange juice as the liquid), some cinnamon and a small amount of agave. Oh, and a few smashed up blueberries. I doused my Ezekiel bread in the mix and threw it on the griddle. While it was cooking I mixed some strawberries, blueberries, cinnamon and a drizzle of pure maple syrup and topped the French toast with it after it was finished cooking. Scrumptious, I tell you, scrumptious.

Doesn't my french toast look lovely?

Any who, I've been trying to focus on being prepared in terms of eating healthy. I am not the type to take my own food to a restaurant, as I don't find it necessary, for me personally, though I understand that for others it may be necessary. I generally just make the best choice I can out of what's on the menu and not worry if a few ingredients in it our not exactly "healthy" or "clean." However, there are some situations where I do bring my own food. One of these is theme parks.


I've never been a fan of theme park food; I find it overpriced, not very tasty, not to mention super processed and unhealthy. Hence, the other day, prior to going to Six Flags, the following went into my bag.

A cherry pie Lara Bar and an Ezekiel bread and cashew butter sandwhich (maybe my Ezekiel/cashew rut goes beyond breakfast?). What are your thoughts on taking your own foot to places where food is served?

Another reason preparation has been on my mind is because in a week I leave to attend a camp for eight days. One thing on the list of things to bring is food (in Ziploc bag so as to keep bugs away). While most of the other teens at the camp will probably bring things like gummy worms, potato chips, M&M's and other not-so-nutritious snacks, I of course will not. I've already been thinking about the foods I want to take. I'd really like to take some things that could be meals, as I don't know what type of food will be served at meals. So far I plan to take Lara Bars, crackers, cashew butter, and dried fruit. Any ideas of other foods that I could take with me to camp?

Oh guess what? On Saturday I received not one, but two products that were sent for me to review. Must have been my lucky day, huh? I'm still trying to decide which product will get the honor of being my first product reviewed ever! Check back soon for the reviews!

Thanks,

Ann Claire

Veggie Lovin'

Veggie Lovin' had me a blast
Veggie Lovin' happened so fast
I saw carrot calling my name
Tasted asparagus green as can be

Tell me more, tell me more
Did you eat very much
Tell me more, tell more
Like did it have much fiber?

Okay, so maybe I don't have a song writing career in my future, but who doesn't love Grease?

Anyway, here are a few yummy veggie dishes I've made recently.

Stir-fry consisting of tofu, broccoli, edamame beans, carrots, and yellow bell pepper.

Fish on a bed of broccoli and tomatoes.

Mushroom tossed with jalapeno, red onion, corn and black beans. (Are mushrooms even a vegetable?)

Or how about some baked potatoes loaded with chicken, spinach and blue cheese with a side of broccoli.

Speaking of veggies, the other day I went to see Eclipse with a group of friends. One of them, Kat (mentioned in this post), brought a tupperware type container of carrots and grapes to snack on during the movie. Certainly a girl after my own heart. So much healthier and better than typical movie snacks! Anyway, all this to say, "Who says you can't snack on a big plate of veggies while you go watch Grease?"

What's your favorite movie snack?

Thanks for reading,

Ann Claire

Oey Goey Chocolatey Goodness

So, I know I told ya'll my next post was going to show some much needed veggie appreciation. I hate to break my promise, but I made something today that I couldn't wait to blog about. So will ya'll forgive me if I share with you an easy, delicious, chocolatey recipe? That's what I thought.

The hardest thing for me about clean eating is desserts. Sure there are many great sweeteners besides sugar; agave and honey being two of my favorites. In breads and things like that it is easy to use whole wheat flour instead of regular flour. But, when it comes to cookies and cakes, whole-wheat flour just isn't the same. Then it dawned on me: flour less chocolate cake! No need to substitute whole wheat flour for regular as there's no flour to begin with. Off to the test lab, I mean kitchen, to experiment. I began with this recipe.

A few minutes and a couple of tweaks later, I had this.

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp almond milk

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 1/2 tbsp agave

1 tsp baking powder

1tsp oil

Crack the egg into a microwave safe bowl (I used a glass cereal bowl). Beat the egg and add remaining ingredients. Stir together until combined. Microwave for 30 seconds, continue to microwave in 5-10 second increments until desired texture is reached. Be careful not to overcook. Enjoy!

Be extremely careful when cooking this. The first time I made it I microwaved it for 1 minute and it was overcooked but the next time after 45 seconds it was not cooked enough. It totally depends on how powerful your microwave is (mine is very powderful).

What's your favorite way to enjoy chocolate? Dark or Milk? Plain or mixed with other stuff?

Now go make yourself some chocolate cake; you deserve it!