Finally (Freaky) Friday!

Whoo hoo! It's finally Friday! And, better yet, it finally Freaky Food Friday! I haven't done one these for quite a while, so I think it's long over due for some weird and wonderful bites, don't you agree?

I have been saving these for quite some time--you know it's freaky food when Dustin practically gags at the sight. But that's also how you know it's delicious :)

I love brussels sprouts, and I love pickles, so it's only natural that I would want to try this fantastically freaky combination.

You know what else I love? GARLIC. So I had to get them for sure when I saw these little lovelies bobbing around in the jar!

I halfway expected these to be lightly soggy and mushy, but they were actually quite fresh and even crisp! They had the perfect gently sweet dill infusion with a light tang from the brine. So good! I haven't really thought of any way to use them in a main dish, but they do make the perfect accompaniment to any snack plate or sammie!

Speaking of freaky foods, don't forget to check out Kendal's super sweet guest post last Friday. She's had some awesome food adventures that are totally worth checking out.

Also, do doo da doo (trumpet)! I am headed to Arizona next week for work, which is not so exciting BUT I will have the chance to go to Trader Joe's to stock up on some awesome eats!! Yay! I am so excited! On my list to get already: pita puffs, chocolate chips and salsa!

Tell me what else I should keep an eye out for while I'm there! I would LOVE to hear your favorite TJ's stuff--I know you all will have the perfect recommendations! Don't worry, I'm leaving plenty of room in my suitcase!

Have a wonderful weekend, and Happy Valentine's Day!! xoxo

I Like it Spicy Part 1

I really don't like not blogging for long periods at a time. I always miss you guys! I am SO behind on my reader right now, but I promise I will catch up soon--after I wrap all my presents, mail all my cards, work an extra day this week, celebrate Christmas early with my in-laws on Friday and hit up my work holiday brunch Saturday a.m. Yikes. But I know you all know how it is this time of year...

Anyway, it seems the consensus from my last post is that Chex mix totally rocks and that most of you call that choco/peanut butter/chex combo "puppy chow" instead of "muddy buddies." Word up.

Well, inspired by all the holiday goodies of the last couple weekends in a row, I endeavored to take on some more baking as I was busy being a work widow on Saturday.

Luckily, on Friday, I received an awesome package from Rachel who represents some fun products like Mrs. Dash Seasonings, Ronzoni pasta and my all time favorite sweetener, Sun Crystals!

She was kind enough to send me all this cools stuff to review and I couldn't wait to try out a new product--Sun Crystals baking blend!

One of the reasons I love Sun Crystals so much is that it is all natural, with only two ingredients on the label list, as opposed to most sweeteners with chemical-laden lists a mile long. The Sun Crystals baking blend is no exception and still contains only cane sugar and stevia. The only difference is that the ratio of sugar to stevia is slightly higher to maintain the delicate balance required in baking.

Nutritionally, the Sun Crystals baking blend carries the same calorie count as sugar, but is twice as sweet, so only half as much is required. Unlike using liquid stevia or agave, this is in crystallized form, so it doesn't require any extra calculation or run the risk of a change in baking chemistry or texture.

I was so excited to try this new product with a version of an old favorite--gingerbread cookies! These have always been some of my favorite cookies around the holidays. I absolutely love to cut them out into different shapes and decorate them with all kinds of sprinkles and colored icings!

I have a recipe that I prefer to use from my parents' old battered (and I mean that literally--there are lots of dough and flour covered fingerprints on those pages!) Betty Crocker cookbook. I had to actually call my mom on Saturday and get the recipe from her. I have modified it just a little over the years to reduce the fat and arrange the spices more to my liking. Here it is!

Extra Spicy n' Sweet Sun Crystals Gingerbread Cookies

• 1/3 c. shortening
• 1/4 c. Sun Crystals Baking Blend
• 1/3 c. molasses
• 1/4 c. water
• 2 1/2 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. ginger
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/ tsp. cloves

Cream shortening and Sun Crystals together in a large bowl. Stir in molasses and water. Add dry ingredients and all spices and mix until thoroughly combined. Dough will appear crumbly.

But all you have to do is get in there with your hands and smoosh everything together until you get a tidy little ball like so:

Wrap you little dough baby in plastic wrap and pop into the fridge for at least 1 hour to firm up.

After dough has chilled, roll out on a floured surface and cut into shapes (or non gender specific people) using a four inch cutter.

Bake cookies at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.

**Hint** If you want to remove the fat completely from these cookies and add an extra delicious element, try subbing pumpkin puree for the entire amount of shortening. You can still roll and cut out the cookies as directed, but they turn out softer. Yum!

Since I teach Sunday school for a class of 6 -7 year olds each week, I decided to make this batch especially for them (please ignore the ugly on on the bottom--he was an extra and I didn't feel like frosting his face).

And because we're all kids at heart, I made some for all Dustin's and my siblings who came over on Sunday for dinner...

The cookies turned out beautifully with the addition of the Sun Crystals baking blend. They weren't dry or crumbly like baked goods sometimes turn out with other granulated sweeteners (I'm looking at you Splenda!!!). Plus, I felt much better about feeding this healthier, chemical-free cookie to my little class and family.

In addition to my cookie baking and funny face decorating on Saturday, D finally made it out of work in time for us to take a culinary dinner adventure.

To India! There is a place I have been dying to try for a while now called the Bombay House.

I was super pumped when Dustin agreed to go there, but a little perplexed when he kept insisting that we weren't trying it for the first time--we'd actually eaten there before.

Of course I kept insisting right back that he was crazy and I'd never been there before in my life...that is, until I stepped in the door and remembered that I had. Whoops. But I also remembered that I hadn't liked my food, the service had been terribly neglectful and slow and that I'd vowed to never return.

Well, it's a good thing I'd forgotten all that junk because we had a completely pleasant experience and I loved my food. Our order still took a little longer than my hungry little belly would have liked, but I believe it's because they actually cook everything fresh and to order. My belly can definitely wait for that!

Dustin wanted naan, and I usually don't turn down any chewy, doughy goodness myself, so I was thrilled to see a caramelized onion version on the menu. Yes, please!!

For my entree, I ordered the aloo gobi with extra veggies. Apparently that is not a common request because the server looked at me very quizzically and asked "Like potatoes?" Um no. Like carrots and stuff. Sweet. That's what I got.

I also ordered mine medium spicy, which was just about perfect. I contemplated going with the medium plus, but you have to be careful with those kinds of things or else you end up with fire coming out of your ears. So yummy I'm thinking of recreating it at home this week. Given my success with the last Indian dish I cooked, I'm really becoming a big fan--plus at home I can make it my own kind of medium (plus) spicy!

How about you guys--what type of ethnic food is your favorite to prepare or eat out? Are you a mild, medium or hot kind of gal?

You'll notice that this is Part 1, so never fear my friends! There is more nice n spicy goodness coming your way later on. Love and kisses for now! xoxo

Random Monday

Well,l this just might be my most random post ever!

I have a lot of things to show you, but they're not really related in any particular way so.....

Now that October is over, I guess it's ok to begin appreciating the holiday season as opposed to the fall season.

Pee my pants tea find of the day:
I love this stuff. Maybe even more than the gingerbread chai. Maybe. Plus the box is pretty.

Oh Target, how I love you. Please jump inside my brain and come up with a more perfect yogurt flavor. Impossible.

Not only this, but I also picked up an eggnog and pumpkin pie flavor as well. It will be interesting to contrast that with the last pumpkin one I tried. Something tells me I will like this one better. I usually have pretty good luck with the Archer Farms products.

The bread pudding flavor didn't taste exactly like bread pudding, but it certainly tasted delicious. I immediately threw it in with some raisins, Kashi Heart to Heart and Quaker Maple Oatmeal Squares.
Almost as good as the real thing!

Inspired by my above pictured divine little lunch from Friday, on Saturday, I ventured out of my cottage cheese comfort zone and made another luscious mess for breakfast.

This one was decidedly unseasonally inspired--think more summer sunshine!

Look closely and you can see the crispy crunch-ness of my homemade pineapple chips! Pineapples were on sale a while ago at the Sunflower Market for 99 cents EACH! 99 cents! So I bought three of them and sliced ht em super thin to make these. Funny how three pineapples made a sandwich bag and a half full of chips :) Totally tropical with raisins, banana, honey almond butter drizzle, typical (cereal) trio and of course, some Fage down below. This was a winner! I know someone who'd agree!

I'm kind of curious about YOUR winners--I am SO stuck in a rut with my breakfasts and lunches lately. Bo-ring! Please share some of your favorites with me--I'd love to hear.

I know you guys are always the best source of inspiration for me, meals and otherwise :) Hope your Monday is off to a great start, and is slightly less random than these ramblings! have a great week! xoxo

You are what you eat..and FFF #11

With all Low's talk about tomato overdoses on her post the other day, it really got me thinking about the old adage "you are what you eat..."

If that's true, than I must be....

delicious

CCC with baked apples, raisins, typical cereal trio and maple almond butter. Mmmm.


warm and comforting
Cheater Beef Stew:

• make a pot roast with potatoes and carrots (and onions, obv) in a slow cooker for Sunday dinner--add two cups of extra water to your roast as it cooks to make broth
• reserve leftover potatoes, carrots and onions in broth, chop leftover beef and return to broth
• add 1 package frozen green beans or other veggies plus additional 1 c. water, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, s&p to taste
• bring to a low simmer, remove from heat and refrigerate--I find it easiest to do all of this right in my crockpot--less hassle and cleanup
  
• When ready for some warm, home-cooked goodness, remove from fridge, skim any fat left on top (mine was super lean, so I didn't really have to do this), and pour into a large pot
• Bring to a rolling boil and then add 1/4-1/3 c. flour, dissolved in 1 c. water
• Whisk in slowly and return to boil until stew reaches desired thickness
• Ladle into bowls and serve with thick pieces of toast slathered with pumpkin butter...perfect fall/winter/snows in October meal
  

sweet and exciting
I was so thrilled to spot this on the shelf at my local WF the other day. Usually, we don't get stuff like this, or it comes around really late. I mean, we STILL don't have the pineapple chobani (c'mon peeps, what are you waiting for??). Just like the container says, it was very smooth and creamy. But also very sweet and semi-sticky. I loved the spice, but the pumpkin flavor was kind of vague. I think I would much prefer my own version of pumpkin pie yogurt with greek, real pumpkin and enormous amounts of cinnamon :)

daring
Ok, I know this just looks like a regular sandwich, but in reality, it was a food adventure, fear conquer and craving satisfier all in one. This is, in fact, the new (ish) Buffalo Chicken Sub from our love/hate chain Subway. I loveeee me some buffalo flavor, and I have been dying to try this forever.

Of course, when I really want something different from the ush, Ed likes to throw a big temper tantrum. But I threw one right back--after all, it says it's for a limited time only! I don't want to miss out! I ordered mine on toasty whole wheat with onions (duh), spinach, ridic banana peppers and sweet onion dressing (should have gotten the honey mustard--oh well, guess I'll just have to hit it for round two ;) ). It was pretty good, pretty spicy and pretty satisfying for a not-so large meal, which was the big shock. I guess that's what happens when you actually eat what you want.

full of love and friendship

This part of the post has been a long time coming. A while ago, I received a package from everyone's funny friend and way-cool bloggerista, Allison from Green Dog Wine.

I was seriously flabbergasted by how much neat-o stuff she sent me! Pictured above: goddess dressing, yummy blueberry bars, PUMPKIN BUTTER, the famous flattened bananas and mini pb cups (!!!).
Don't you think those would be perfect in a bowl of oats? I know a couple of ladies who would love the pb combo and the candy for breakfast bowl!

spicy and exotic
Allison was also rad enough to include something extra special for my Freaky Food Friday this week:

Aye aye aye! My brother in law spent some time in Mexico for a couple of years and would totally dig this stuff. He came back with an obsession for mole, and luckily, I am able to share the adoration of chili-licious sweet stuff.
These chunks of mango are perfectly juicy and absolutely coated with chili powder. I love 'em!
Definitely a little salsa dance on my tongue :)


Of course, if I was really what I ate, I might be cottage cheese and baby carrots, but I prefer to think I have at least a few of the attributes listed above. Thanks again to Allison for her lovely and incredibly generous package and all my fun new finds. Certainly an ideal way to kick off a weekend full of tricks n' treats!

How about all of you? What would YOU be if you truly were what you eat? I know you'll have great answers for this one! xoxo

Oh, P.S.! I just updated my blogroll with some new love--if I missed you, please let me know! Also, make sure to welcome back Deliciously Fit Lainie, who has some very exciting news!

Freaky Food Friday Round Nine aka Green Tea and Me

Ahem (clears throat). An ode to green tea:

Green tea and me, we go back like old friends
my consumption of this, it just never ends
two cups in the morning, and at least one before night,
If you took it away, I'd sure put up a fight

I think that green tea is the best beverage by far
if it was miles away, I'd get in my car
I'd drive long and wide
to have this by my side
and I wouldn't stop until I had arrived

Green tea cold or hot
I like it a lot

I do. 3 cups a day minimum. It is my addiction, and my reason for getting my sweetener smack on. I love anything green tea flavored. I remember when we were in Hawaii, D and I happened upon a gourmet sweet shop that sold green tea cream puffs. Those were to DIE for.

Anyway, you can imagine my pleasure when I was contacted by POM, makers of the uber-tasty pomegranate juices, to sample some of their flavored GREEN tea. Of course!!!

Ode continued:

Those peeps down at POM
they sure are the bomb
I loved their mixed tea
it was perfect for me!
the first flavor up
I poured right in my cup
POM Lychee Green Tea??
I shouted, "Yippee!"

the pomegranate flavor
was easy to savor
It was naturally sweet,
the hint of fruit was a treat
It was made from green tea,
as refreshing as can be!

Thanks to Blue, and the rest of the POM team for hooking it up. Loves it!

And now on to more green tea adventures, and this week's Freaky Food Friday! I have been hunting high and low for some super-slippery kelp noodles that I saw on cool-girl (of course she's cool--we have the same name!) Emily's blog, but I don't think Utah is the best at stocking sea-vegetable related items, so I haven't found them yet.

Instead, my sis helped me out with yet another tea-licious find:
Green tea noodles! Holla! Who even knew they made such a thing? Well she did, and she knew I'd love them, so she picked some up for me. In return, I fixed us both some dinner.

Green Tea Noodles with Ginger Peanut Sauce

More poetry:

There were no instructions in English,
I just had to guess,
but lucky for me, they didn't wind up a mess!
With noodles of course,
you must bring them to boil
and while doing that,
you can heat up some oil

My thanks to Janetha
for that little treat
nothing rhymes with your name
but I sure think you're neat!

I chopped up some mushrooms, and onions of course
and added some slaw without any remorsesome more random veggies I found in the freeze
garlic and PB2, a little more please!

A dollop of ginger that came in preserve
and then extra water I had on reserve
the mixture was creamy, I'll say that hands downMy sis and I ate it with nary a frown

For my own little meal, I ate all alone
With a side of Real Simple, no one else was at home
And as for my sister, she gave her review
it's sweet, she said, and the spices on cue
nice balance of flavors and hint of the nuts
she'd eat it again, no if's and's or buts!

It may look a kind of scary
and a little like slime
but it sure tasted yummy
and didn't take too much time

the tea flavor was slight
but added a bit
to the collection of tastes
that made this a hit!

this poem is over,
I'm sure that you're glad
I know that my rhyming
gets kind of bad

But I hope that you liked it
and laughed maybe a smidge
Hurray for the weekend
and good food in the fridge

Three cheers for my readers
you all are so sweet
I'm so glad that we're friends
and we all like to eat!

xoxo

Total-ly Sweet

Wow! This cereal is sweet! Maybe it’s just because I’ve been using less artificial sweetener,and less sugar in general due to my Sweetener Smackdown, or perhaps it’s because sugar is the 3rd ingredient listed on the box that makes it so sweet. It always kind of makes me laugh that most cereals that bill themselves as healthy are so full of sugar. I used to have a rule that I could only buy a breakfast cereal if sugar was below the top three ingredients. Obviously, I’ve relaxed that standard, or I would never eat cereal! In fact, cereal had been one of my "forbidden" foods for a long time, and now that nothing's off limits, per se, I get really giddy when I find new kinds to try!

This has a slight fruity/berry flavor, but I don’t know that I would pin it as blueberry or pomengranate, much less a combination of the two unless it said so on the box. The cereal is mostly flakes, but actually has a generous amount of clusters as well. That being siad, the flakes arent' as enticingly thick as they appear (TWSS??) on the box, nor are the clusters as big as one would hope.
I've had this plain ( with only a drop of almond milk--HATE soggy cereal), and mixed into yogurt. I found that the cereal didn't really hold it's own against the thickness of Greek yogurt, so it's really best eaten alone, or straight from the box if you can't help yourself. Not saying that happened ;)

Is it really Wednesday already?? I have SO much to do! I'm taking an early weekend so I can wrap my head around this moving business. I still have to pack! And clean. Always more cleaning.

Last night I had the fantastic idea to rent a carpet cleaner and do the shampooing myself. Um, don't do this. It was a lot of work and I only finished one room. Just a note if you decide to have a bright idea like this: Allow at least 45 minutes to figure out how the dang thing works because they willnot give you an instruction manual. You'll have to make do with the teeny directions printed on the HANDLE. Make sure all you connections are completely secure. Otherwise you will go over the same spot of carpet three times, get halfway done and realize there is no water coming out of your machine. Know that you will have to change the water in your reserve about every 5 minutes. That bee-yotch lays down a lot of liquid. Duh. Do not attempt to clean your carpets after you have worked all day, gotten less than 5 hours of sleep and have already spent the majority of your night trying to figure out simple usage patterns for pete's sake.

I HAAATEEE moving. I have only moved a handful of times in my life, and only out of absolute necessity (college, marriage--can't live with your sister after youtie the knot, you know). I hate that not only one, but two places of my residence are in a shambles. I hate keeping one cramped apartment and one huge house clean--it's impossible. I hate being disorgainzed. I will be so excited when we can finally just be HOME. And excited when we finally, actually, do get it together enough to move.

Top 5 reasons I can't wait to get out of our apartment:
1) I will have a working dishwasher. Mine has been busted at the apartment for almost a month now, but I haven't placed a work order because, hey--I'm leaving!
2) Whenever I take a shower, I also take a bath--my drain doesn't actually drain despite massive quantities of drain-o, vinegar and baking soda, and thorough hair removal (sick).
3) My toilet runs and runs and runs and runs......(what are you running from??)
4) There is a huge spotlight outside my window that not even blackout shades can stifle. This girl needs some pitch black to get her shut eye!
5) My husband's mountain bike is in our pantry. It's got to go. Every time I need some rice or stewed tomatoes or whatnot, it falls on me (f word).

There are lots more, but mostly I'm super pumped to get into our house and make it our home. We will live there forever, because I love it. And because I'm not moving again.

Sorry that sounds kind of negative. I honestly have no room to complain. We have been blessed with a beautiful home, and I am really grateful. It will all be worth it when we are finally there!

Hope you have a great Wednesday! Any funny moving stories? How many times have you packed it up for a new place? Please share!

Sweetener Smackdown Part 3

I'm down to the final contender in my Sweetener Smackdown! If anyone has any other suggestions regarding a natural/artificial (i.e., NOT sugar, and lower calorie), I would love to put up my dukes for another round. But in the meantime, I have been sampling this little lovely:

The verdict: It was love at first slurp! In fact, this stuff is so sweet, that I really only need a half a packet in my tea or whatever else it is I'm adding to. I really dig that this only has two ingredients: Stevia and Cane Sugar. I think it's really helpful that there is a mix of the two, so the tongue and body doesn't get such mixed signals. The crystals in this are HUGE, but dissolve easily in everything I've mixed them into. (Sorry gross finger pic)

There is only the very very slightest hint of the licorice-y aftertaste that some people find so unappealing about Stevia, so I definitely recommend it.

The downside? First of all, this sweet stuff is expensive. It definitely helps that I only need to use half a packet per, but only 50 come in a box, priced at about $3.00. Yikes! My ex-lovah Natra Taste was only $1.77 for twice that many.

Besides that cheap-ass factor, I had been avoiding stevia because it had been the only sweetener not green-lighted by the FDA, and particularly cautioned against use by pregnant women. Surprise babe! KIDDING,KIDDING. Jeeze. But in all seriousness, babies are not that far in the future for hubz and I, and I get really nervous about that type of thing--it's one of the main reasons I decided to put the kibosh on artificial sweeteners to begin with. I know that stevia has now been approved, but still no conclusive evidence on safety of use during pregnancy. Any thoughts on this guys?

At any rate, this stuff is good, and most likely the all-categories winner in my Smackdown (unless I find any other products to test-drive!). Look for an inclusive comparison next week, when Sweetener Smackdown returns for it's final episode. (To be continued....????)

Bounty

Ahh, I feel so lucky! Yesterday was truly a bounteous day for me. First of all, most of my husband’s family came over to help us with our new home—move in is only one week away! My mother in law is very handy and crafty and loves to do projects, so she was the perfect helper for us. Dustin’s sweet little brother has been up to help us almost every weekend , and was back at it yesterday, mowing the lawn and helping D place trim in the hallway. While the boys worked on that, my mother and sister-in-law were hard at work texturizing, priming and painting away. I sat in the backyard under our apple tree with a glass of lemonade and read some magazines. Just kidding. I would have gotten run over by the lawnmower. Instead, I played project manager, and helped paint, too. I am slow. My MIL is FAST! She should start her own company redecorating stuff, cuz we busted out four rooms! Now I have a beautiful blank room where there was once the bright blue/black hole of a teenager dismal abyss, a soothing blue bedroom, and earthy boy’s bath and a striking RED wall in my living room (which my mom is going to HATE—kind of nervous about that one!)

Everyone worked so hard and I’m so grateful for their help! My family has done a lot of work, too, and coming down next weekend to do more. Our home would not be quite so move in ready without everyone pitching in.

But in other lucky news that totally made my weekend, my old boss is out of town fro the week and invited us over to collect her peach harvest while she’s away. I almost cried, these peaches are so gorgeous. It was a beautiful feeling to pick them straight from the tree, all soft and sunny. The tree is not that big, but we came home with an ENTIRE huge 5 gallon Home Depot bucket full of fruit. Needless to say, I will be eating a lot of peaches in the coming week. Hello overnight oats! (And peach cereal messes, peaches and ice cream, peach cobbler, peach salsa, yum!) But….the most exciting news of all is yet to come! I had a hot minute to browse Whole Foods yesterday while we grabbed lunch and much to my surprise….. Look what I found!!!!! Yes, the NEW LARA BAR FLAVORS! I walked down that aisle to check out of habit, and just gave kind of a cursory glance because I have been looking for these babies for months to no avail. I almost missed them because they were on the end, kind of separated and next to another brand, but I spotted them just in time!

I immediately snagged two of each, although I had to resist the urge to grab every bar left in the box and run! And then I had to go send an emergency email to my girl to let her know what’s up. Gotta spread the word! But let’s keep it between you and me, ok? We don’t want every chick in the valley swiping our “secret” supply ☺

Kind of disappointed to see that the tropical flavor has coconut in it. I love the flavor of coconut, but oddly, I can’t STAND the texture of the shreds. Yucky. Oh well. Maybe they will blend in well enough with the other goodness that’s in there and I won’t even notice.

As soon as I had the chance I broke into my coveted PB&J. I ate half right away and mixed the other half into some Greek yogurt a little later. I have to say I love these! The PB cookie is still my all time fave, but this was so delicious. It really did taste like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I did kind of agree with this assessment, that the pb and fruit flavors competed against each other a little bit, but overall I think I really like the blend. I had never tried laras and yogurt mixed together, and I was equally impressed with that concoction as well. Freaking yum, dude.

What a gorgeous weekend. Too bad I have to ruin it by going to work tomorrow. Guess I'll just have to make some peachy oats to console myself ;) xoxo

Freaky Food Friday Round Three

Remember last Friday when I almost forgot about me freaky food (and apparently about me Luck Charms--good grief, terrible typer!)? Well, there was no chance of that this week! Last Friday, I mentioned my burning desire to try some Crazy Camel Dessert Hummus. Yes, that says dessert and not desert. Over the course of the week, I had the opportunity to correspond with the kind, and quite generous, Chuck--owner of Fed By Chuck and producer of Crazy Camel. Mr. Chuck was amazing enough to send me some samples off all six mouthwatering flavors, including: Chocolate Mousse, Peanut Butter, Caramel Apple, Pumpkin Pie, Maple Walnut and Toasted Almond! Yay Chuck!

I got the package yesterday and immediately busted it open... I was too excited to even take a picture of the box in pristine condition, or of the contents before I rifled through. Duh.

Of course i wanted to try all the flavors athteverysametime because I was absolutely dying to see what in the world dessert hummus could taste like. I tried to be good and limit myself to just three out of the six flavors to begin with: Chocolate, PB and Caramel Apple. I have to admit, it IS shocking to bite into some of this at first! It definitely is hummus, and you can taste the chickpeas for sure. Fortunately, I heart chickpeas, so I kept eating and I'm very glad I did.
After the initial what the fu...-factor wears off, you can really taste the other flavors develop. I found I liked all the varieties much better on fruit, as opposed to bread or crackers. I think the natural sweetness of things like apples or bananas would be a better catalyst for the deeper flavors of the hummus to shine through. So I TRIED to keep the chickpea chow down to just the three flavors..... but I got a little out of hand, and was dreaming about Maple Walnut swirled onto some toaster waffles this morning.
Doesn't that sound (and look) divine? I thought so!
WE HAVE A WINNER!! Winner, winner, chicken dinner! The Maple Walnut is by far my favorite of those that I have tried so far. The flavor in this one is so warm and rich, and yes, you can still taste the chickpeas, but it totally works. I cannot even think of a more delicious or healthier substitute for syrup than this little gem. It would also make an awesome topping for pumpkin bread ( or even pumpkin oats!).

I am jonesing bad to try the final two flavors: Pumpkin Pie and Toasted Almond, but I must think of the perfect flavor combination first (I think the almond would be bomber than bomb on some strawberries--any other ideas?). Luckily, Chuck has kindly informed me that all Crazy Camel Dessert Hummus products freeze amazingly, so that's probably what I' be doing with some of my surplus. Or perhaps I can just literally become a crazy camel myself and start hoarding it in my hump (my hump my hump my hump, check it out!), which is probably where it gets stored anyway.

Each serving has only 70 calories and similar stats to regular hummus. I love that this hummus is low in fat, and contains no gluten, dairy or SOY (yucky). Fed by Chuck is a very small company, just starting up out of New Hampshire, and I totally encourage you guys to check out Crazy Camel's site and see what you think. This would be a great conversation starter at your next get-together if you're a shindig throwin' type of gal, and sure to impress all of your adventurous foodie friends. Another big thanks to Chuck for sharing his product and allowing me to help spread the word about this fabulously freaky food!

Also, don't forget to head over to way-cool online community, the Runner's Lounge, and check out my interview as part of their Open Mic series, courtesy of super cool Tom and very sweet Amy. Amy found the blog a while ago, and encouraged me to submit running story to their site. I entered, and my story, was chosen as the ExtraOrdinary Runner story for the month of August! Yippee! I can't even remember the last time I won anything (um, probably NEVER), so this was an awesome surprise!

Big round of applause to Chuck, Tom and Amy for making my week much more wonderful than it would have been without you. Thank you so much! Hope everyone has a phenomenal Friday and a very un-laborious Labor Day! xoxo