Food Review: Amy's Kitchen Rice Macaroni with Cheddar Style Sauce; Alo Comfort Watermelon + Peach drink

There's different groups of people I would recommend the Amy's Kitchen Rice Macaroni frozen meal to.

The list includes: Vegans, vegetarians, anyone who cannot have gluten, anyone who loves macaroni but has milk intolerance, anyone avoiding soy, and anyone who has tried and enjoys other Amy's Kitchen products.

This was my first time trying this macaroni dish so I wasn't sure what to expect. The total time in the microwave is about 4-5 minutes (depending on how powerful your microwave is). It will take longer if you cook it in the oven or a toaster oven (approximately 30 minutes). I was hungry so I decided to follow the microwave directions. I enjoyed the aroma of the dish as it was cooking.

The above picture is how it turned out after the time in the microwave and then transferring it into another dish. The Rice Macaroni uses Daiya vegan cheddar style shreds for the cheese sauce, if you're a fan of Daiya cheese there's a good chance you'll love this meal. It has a nice rich taste to it.

The texture of the pasta is so similar to gluten filled pasta. I was happy from the first bite to the last as I ate the whole thing. The Daiya cheese adds a nice creaminess to this Rice Macaroni and it's not overly salty tasting. I've tried other gluten free macaroni packages from the store and this one is my favorite. It tastes just like the non-vegan macaroni and cheese which people tend to love. Whether vegan or not this dish has appeal for a wide range of people.

Next up for review is the Alo Comfort Watermelon and Peach drink. Some people have the view "Aloe vera?! I thought that was just for putting on skin!". Aloe Vera and aloe vera juice both have health benefits when you eat or drink them. This drink has aloe vera pieces in it so it's not a smooth drink. If chunks bother you there's always the blending option.

I had never thought of what peach and watermelon would taste like until I tried this drink. The pleasant sweetness hit my taste buds right away. I imagined that I was laying on a tropical beach while enjoying the warmth of the sun.

A while after finishing the bottle 500ml (16.9 oz) bottle I felt energized and ready to go exercise. The first flavor I had tried was called Awaken which has the aloe vera and wheatgrass. From there I've slowly been getting around to trying all the flavors available to me.

I have more mental clarity after sipping on the alo drinks and they're good at quenching thirst. 

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Question for the readers: What's your favorite pasta dish?

Food Review: Luna Bar - White Chocolate Macadamia Flavour

For those of us who like to lead an active lifestyle it's nice to have some easy options to fuel our day while getting in the nutrients we need. Energy bars and protein bars are a quick and convenient option that are easy to take along with you on the go. One of the bars I've had in the past that tastes really good and helped energize me was the Luna bar.

I've tried the Caramel Nut Brownie, Chocolate Peppermint Stick, Lemon Zest, Nutz Over Chocolate , and S'mores flavors (with my favorite being the Caramel Nut Brownie - there's other flavors out there I haven't tried yet)

For workout fuel for my run I decided to try the White Chocolate Macadamia flavor since I hadn't tried it yet. It's a portable size that I could fit into a pouch on my running belt  that I use when I go for a long run. In the past I've found Luna bars to be a good source of energy that helps keep me from getting overly hungry when doing a bunch of intense training. 

If you like the taste of white chocolate and macadamia nuts I'm sure you'll love this bar. As soon as I took a bite I could feel and taste the white chocolate and macadamia flavors swirling in my mouth. The texture of these bars is just right - neither too hard or too soft. They also have just the right amount of sweetness. 

It's a snack that isn't messy and it's so easy to eat!

 I had no problem eating this bar while running. Whether it's running on the treadmill while watching my favorite shows or running out in nature it's important to fuel yourself properly. I make sure to take care of my fueling needs so I recover properly - I enjoy staying healthy so I can go for a run when I want to. 

The Luna bar keeps the calories in a good range so it's easy to add to your daily calorie budget. It tastes just like a yummy treat. It's always a good thing when something that's good for you tastes good and gives you the energy you need. Other brands of bars can be higher in calories (250+ calories). The White Chocolate Macadamia Luna bar was a nice find for me and I'll be buying it again for sure!

Nutrition Info

Calories 190

Fat 7g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 210mg

Potassium 340 mg
Carbohydrates 25g
Fiber 3g
Sugars 11g
Protein 9g

*The bar has plenty of vitamins inside. I decided not to list it because the list is a good length.

Question for the readers:   Have you tried a Luna Bar before? If so, what's your favorite flavor? 

Food Review: Original Field Roast Grain Meat Co. Italian Sausage Links

For dinner one night I felt like having sausage but wanted to try a vegan option so that I can eat less meat while feeling satisfied with my options. Enter the Field Roast Italian Sausage Links. I thought this would be a nice little option to try.

The way that the flavor is described is "made with fresh eggplant and packed with fennel, red wine, garlic and sweet peppers". I wanted to see if this could satisfy my sausage craving compared to sausages made with beef or pork. One of the options for cooking the sausages listed on the wrapper was to saute it in a pan, that was the method I chose. There's a warning to not overcook the links. 

I turned the links in the pan until the sides started to brown up enough and then removed it from the pan.

One of the sausages broke when I tried to roll them out of the pan. That doesn't really affect the taste though - good food will still taste good even if it falls apart a little ;)

After a little bit of thinking on what to have with the sausage links I decided to slice the links up and have it in a bun with some toppings.

They had a good amount of moisture inside and the flavors burst out with each and every bite. I thought that the links had a nice texture to them as well. As someone who enjoys meat a great deal I have to say that I truly enjoyed each and every bit of the sausage link sandwich. It was a satisfying meal for me and filled me up.

Verdict: Worth the cost and would buy again

Food Review: Sweet&Sara Toasted Coconut Marshmallows

Warning: If you do not like the taste of coconut try Sweet&Sara Vanilla Marshmallows or Strawberry Marshmallows instead!!! 

A number of people I know have been telling me how good the Sweet&Sara marshmallows are (plus I've seen some of the press coverage) so I decided to buy the toasted coconut flavor. I wanted to see for myself how good they taste.

I took out some of the marshmallow pieces and put them on a plate so I could try some and let the others I live with try some as well . When you have others around that like trying new things you either learn to share or hide your stuff really well.
The idea of coconut and marshmallows sounded so good me so I had to have a bite!

After taking a bite into one of the marshmallow pieces I could taste the toasted coconut and then the texture of the soft vanilla marshmallow. It felt like a bite of pure pleasure and oh so good. You can enjoy the experience for longer if you let it slowly dissolve in your mouth. The website says that they dare anyone to just eat one. It's way too hard for me to do that. The taste delighted my taste buds right away.

The container will probably be empty soon since it's not just me that's loving the taste of these marshmallows! I'd have to say this is the best tasting marshmallow I've ever had - they're way better than the ones in the grocery store!!! From just this one pack I've got to say that they're quite addictive since right after having just one marshmallow piece I wanted another then another.

The place I bought a package from only sells the Toasted Coconut, Strawberry, and Vanilla marshmallows by Sweet&Sara. It definitely makes me think of trying the Peanut Butter Smores, Original Smores, Cinnamon Pecan Marshmallows, Rocky Road Bark, and Rice Crispy Treats sometime in the future.
Sharing the marshmallows with friends is a good idea so you don't eat the whole thing yourself ;)

Food Review: Enjoy Life - Double Chocolate Crunch Nut and Gluten Free Granola

Today when I made a stop to the local health food store closest to me I decided to pick up something I hadn't tried before. I enjoy the crunch and textures of granola so I was intrigued when I saw the had one with a double chocolate flavor. Being the chocolate lover I am I decided to get one of the bags along the other items I had in my basket.

It didn't take very long once I got in the door and put the rest of the items away that I went to get a bowl and pour some of the granola in. I was excited to see what this would taste like (plus i was a little bit hungry at the time). Before I got any of the cereal into the actual bowl I nibbled on some of it right out of the package.
I got a nice whiff of chocolate smell after the package was opened.

I got the almond milk out of the fridge and poured it over the amount of granola I poured and it looked like the picture below. Before the almond milk or other milk is added the granola has a nice crunch to it.

The chocolate taste from the granola hit my taste buds not too long after I had my first bite. If you end up letting the granola sit for too long in the milk it will start softening up as with any other type of cereal (if you like the crunch make sure you eat it right away). I enjoyed how the Double Chocolate Granola made the almond milk that was at the bottom of my bowl taste chocolaty. 

It satisfied my craving for chocolate. A little bit later after I finished my bowl of granola I went back to the bag to grab a little more to nibble on. I would definitely buy this product again in the future.