On my long list of pet peeves, sitting comfortably between ’chewing with your mouth open“ and ’complaining about the weather“ is ’declaring yourself a chocolate lover and only liking Hershey‘s.“ (Note: there is a difference between someone who loves chocolate and a chocolate lover) Personally, I feel that if you‘re someone who simply loves chocolate, you‘re craving can be satisfied by a regular candy bar from the rack underneath the checkout counter at CVS. If you‘re a chocolate lover, however, the thought of sugary, gritty, poor quality chocolate makes you cringe. Seriously, how many times have you found yourself nauseous, shaking and crashing from your sugar-high after eating an entire bar? That‘s why when I eat chocolate, I make sure it‘s organic, there are no refined sugars — you know the drill.
NibMor, an organic, vegan, refined sugar-free and gluten free chocolate bar, has recently been added to my list of indulgences (I have a ton of lists). From the first bite of the Original bar, I was hooked. It‘s thicker than a classic chocolate bar — no skimping here — and smoother than the majority of bars deemed ’the best.“ The dark chocolate is rich with a bit of bitterness to it, but is sweet enough to have you coming back for the second, third and fourth bite (the fifth is just finishing the entire bar — I have no shame). And my favorite ingredient added to this wonderful mix of bliss, sea salt. The subtle hint of salt lingers on after all of the chocolate has, sadly, disappeared.
I had the pleasure of trying not one, but two types of NibMor chocolate bars. The Crispy bar, crisped with toasted brown rice, was flat out fantastic. Again, I was sucked in by the decadence of the chocolate, while the crackles of each bite had me finishing off an entire second bar. But hey, no sugar-high shakes here. It‘s hard to believe it‘s actually healthy; but if you don‘t believe me, feel free to check out their Health Beni‘s and Nib-tionaryfor everything you need to know about Agave, Cacao and weight loss benefits. Yeah, you heard me, weight loss.
I often find myself short for time. Always running at least 20 minutes late, I tend to forget things like my water bottle, my cell phone and, of course, my coffee — if I even have the time to make it. Coffee is just one of those things that I can make at home but it’s never as good as when I buy it — especially when it’s iced. Making iced coffee is such a long process that usually results in an underwhelming product. So here’s my question: How do I save time by skipping the coffee shop, but make sure I get to work with quality iced coffee? Problem solved; pre-brewed, bottled iced coffee. Second question (I’m high maintenance): Most bottled iced coffee has a calorie and fat count that goes through the roof. Second problem solved: Wolfgang Puck Iced Coffee.
For all of you too busy to fuss with coffee makers and stop at a local café, Wolfgang Puck has just released a new line of iced coffee that will save you time and energy, and keep you energized throughout the day! With each of the four flavors containing only 120 calories, this low-cal, low-fat beverage will keep you cool in the summer and quench your thirst for a decent cup of iced coffee. My personal favorite, Vanilla Fusion, was as refreshing as it was delicious, and had me tipping back the glass for more. The smooth coffee flavor was complemented by a subtle trace of milk and a slight hint of vanilla. The other flavors, Café au Lait, Double Blend Mocha and Crème Caramel, were all unique, delicious, sweet and smooth; everything you look for in an iced coffee.
There are some foods that will always be good no matter what. Everyone has their own cuisine, dish or ingredient that will never let them down. For me, my list is short. It happens to consist of only four foods that will always comfort me when I’m down, fill me up with I’m hungry and keep me occupied when I’m bored by getting stuck in my teeth (but that’s only one). This people-pleasing, popular snack is, you guessed it, popcorn. I’m sure that statement received a sarcastic “really?” from everyone reading, but think about it—when popped with no pre-added flavors and chemicals, popcorn is a completely blank canvas (and even healthy!) You can paint whatever picture you want to see—or eat. The crunchy, yet soft texture of a piece of popcorn can be sugared, salted, coated in caramel, dipped in chocolate, sprinkled with cayenne pepper, mixed with Parmesan cheese, drizzled in peanut butter—the possibilities are making my head spin into a popcorn tizzy.
Keeping in line with the latest food craze, 479° Popcorn hand-makes organic popcorn that will bring you back to those summer days at the amusement park, and will throw your taste buds on a roller coaster ride. I had the opportunity to try a few of their flavors, and let me just say, I was the most popular girl in the office.
It was a tough choice, but beating out Black Truffle + White Cheddar and Fleur de Sel Caramel to win my heart, was the box of Chipotle Caramel + Almonds. The sweet smell of caramel wafted across the table, making me inch closer and closer to the torn open box. I peered inside to take a look at the little glazed drops of sweet and fiery popcorn. It was tough, but I somehow managed to keep my drool from making contact with anything edible (thankfully, I hit table). As I popped the popped kernel into my mouth, I was instantly pleased. The sweet, smoky, rich flavor of the caramel was dark and indulgent, while the zing of the chipotle ignited a small fire in my mouth and pulled me out of my cozy sweet haven. The shimmering almonds that stuck to some lucky clusters added an even crunchier note to the complex, unconventional flavor. It’s a good thing the caramel didn’t coat my fingers because I don’t think it’s socially acceptable to lick any food left on my hands…yet. One day, people will realize that sometimes finger-licking food is necessary.
My midday popcorn snack turned into a midday meal and dessert, as I threw all self-control out the window and casually made my way through the entirety of each box. Speaking of the box, the bold statement on the side of the Chipotle Caramel + Almonds box read, “The contents of this box have been known to make tastes buds go cha, cha, cha.” And that it did.
If you’re not a chocolate lover, I would suggest you stop reading this right now. Actually, keep reading because this might just change your mind. To me, chocolate is the one food group (yeah, I said it—food group) that, the second it touches the tongue, turns me into an addict. Once separated, the swirly, sugary, melty, crunchy, sweet, salty world of cocoa has me licking tables, napkins and even a hand or two for just one more crumb. But the problem is, sugar and I are just not friends. We fight all the time; I leave and say I’ll never be back; I come back, and in return, I get fat. It’s quite the relationship; let me tell you.
The concept of “life changing food” is something I’ve encountered only a few times in my life. And the day I come in contact with a life changing food is, as I’m sure you can imagine, a great day. Well, today is a great day, as I’ve recently discovered; a term that has probably never crossed the lips of any nutritionist, doctor or trainer—healthy chocolate. Gnosis Chocolate prides itself on being the World’s most nutritious chocolate. You heard me, nutritious. Gnosis uses entirely organic, raw cacao, raw superfoods, low-glycemic sweeteners, fruits and herbs from every corner of the world. And let me tell you, it’s fantastic. Each ingredient is specially picked, paired and put into Gnosis’ Cacao bars, OrigiNib bars and truffles, ensuring that every bite is full of health-benefiting herbs and flavor-packed superfoods. With out-of-this-world ingredients like blue-green algae, Siberian ginseng and Burdock root—to name a few, each bar has a specific function, ranging from enhancing cognitive function to aiding digestion to protecting your body from free-radicals and literally everything in between.
I was incredibly lucky to be able to try a variety of flavors; flavors that made my taste buds hop from one cloud of smile-inducing chocolate to the next. My first venture into one of Gnosis’ creations was the Coconut Almond cacao bar. I broke the silence of a quiet room with, “Oh my gosh,” prompting jealous heads to look up and stare at me as I closed my eyes, smiled and I think even danced a little. The sweet, distinct taste of the coconut was reminiscent of my trips to the Caribbean—minus me shaking from a sugar overload—and the almond added a crunch and homey feel that blended insanely well with the smooth chocolate. Each bar is rich and creamy, but somehow light and airy all at once. The quality of the chocolate could be tasted in the first bite, immediately putting anything made with sugar and in a factory on my “never again” list. I made my way through Aphrodisia, Fleur de Sel, SuperChoc and Pomegranate Açai, literally giggling to myself about how good the chocolate was, attracting resentful chocolate lovers to eye me down. But I wasn’t done. The Bali, Grenada and Madagascar OrigiNibs were each special and spectacular, bursting with so many detectable flavors I wasn’t exactly sure what to do except continue giggling with chocolate smeared all over my face like a four-year-old. And good news, the chocolate is finally off my face, I’ve stopped receiving dirty looks, I feel smarter and more energized, and I’ve officially become a chocolate snob. I told you it was a great day.
You know that feeling of waking up, walking to your kitchen and having a great cup of coffee waiting for you? Neither do I (I make my own coffee, thank you very much). I just get tired of the same, boring coffee that is starting to lose its ability to make me shut my eyes and drift into sweet coffee bliss for a few morning moments. As someone who craves sweets but doesn’t often indulge, I usually make my morning cup of joe (first and last time referring to it as that, I swear) pretty sugary (naturally, of course), and was looking for a way to enhance my morning routine without enhancing my waistline. I dabbled in sugar-free syrups, but it just didn’t feel or taste right. Then I had my a-ha moment; flavored coffee.
From the moment I picked up my bag of Melitta Hazelnut Crème Brulée, I knew I was in love. The sweet smell of caramel, vanilla and hazelnut filled my nose immediately, and I just couldn’t wait to taste it. Just as I thought—the delicate flavors all complemented each other perfectly with a hint of unexpected burnt sugar at the end. Though I wouldn’t consider myself a coffee connoisseur, I was able to taste the complexity that came along with this nutty brew and appreciated its subtly.
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