Nature's Path Flax Plus Cereal

I have major issues when it comes to the granola bar/cereal aisle in the grocery store, and I tend to buy something new to try every time I go through the aisle.  It has come to the point where I don't even allow myself to walk down the aisle unless I know I need something (sometimes, this doesn't even work!).  I don't know what it is, but I just love trying all the new varieties!  Anyway, then I get stuck with huge boxes of cereal in my cabinet and if I end up not liking the cereal, I have to force myself to keep eating it so that it does not go to waste.  That is the case with the Nature's Path Flax Plus Cereal.  I originally had high hopes for this cereal because it is organic, very high in fiber, and low in sugar, which meant it was a healthy alternative to other sugary cereals out there.

It is not bad, it just isn't something that I would buy again.  While I commend them for keeping sugar low, it is definitely reflected in the taste.  I tried adding 1/2 banana to my cereal bowl (which I always do anyway) to sweeten it up, but it didn't help too much.  It is one of those products that actually tastes healthy because it has that wheat-y after taste to it. 

Even though I wouldn't buy it again, I would recommend this cereal if you are looking for a healthy breakfast cereal that is not sweet.  In the meantime, I will continue to slowly make my way through the box until I finally finish it.

Trader Joe's Frozen Pizza Primavera

I usually try to cook twice a week, but during the summer it gets tricky as I tend to be more busy and work later, so I usually end up eating frozen meals once or twice a week.  On my recent trip to Trader Joe's, my sister and I went a little crazy in the frozen section and ended up with enough frozen food to last us a month.  One of the purchases that I was most excited about was the "Reduced Guilt" Pizza Primavera.

From the box, it looked like it would have a lot of nice veggies on it and be a decent size.  And, at only 250 calories, it seemed like a nice and healthy alternative for my pizza cravings.  Upon opening the box, however, I was a little disappointed.  It was a lot smaller than I thought, and the sauce, toppings, and cheese were all concentrated in the middle, leaving a lot of bare space.  I hoped that after cooking it in the oven for 10 minutes the cheese would spread out and look a little more appealing, but unfortunately it did not.  

Overall, the vegetables were mostly just eggplant (as you can see in the picture), and there was barely any cheese.  It also tasted kind of watery.  I guess my expectations should have been lower since it is just a 250 calories frozen pizza, but I had hoped for a lot better.  I can't comment on their other frozen pizzas, since Trader Joe's does offer a lot of different varieties that look good, but I can say that I will not be buying this one again.  

Peanut Butter, Banana and Jelly Panini

One of my favorite lunches that I usually treat myself to about once a week is a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, with banana.  To elevate it even more, I put it on the panini press for a few minutes so that the peanut butter gets all melty and delicious.  I make it with 2 slices of Weight Watchers Whole Wheat Bread, 1 tbsp of Skippy Roasted Honey Nut Creamy Peanut Butter (the BEST peanut butter in my opinion), 1/2 of a banana, and 1/2 tbsp of this amazing Cherrycot Jam that I get at the farmers market in the city.  Even though it may sound like the quantities are small, they are more than enough once you start to spread it on the bread.

I am a huge peanut butter fan so this sandwich is one of my all time favorites.  It feels like a treat, but it really is not too unhealthy since I measure out the quantities and don't allow myself to go overboard with the amount of peanut butter, since it is pretty fattening.  Adding the banana and putting it on the panini press are essential for me because it really brings out the flavors of each component, and makes it more of an adult version of the classic PB&J

Trader Joe's Dried Baby Sweet Pineapple

I have a few items that are considered a staple in my snack cabinet, and Trader Joe's Dried Pineapple is one of them.  I usually grab a handful every morning as a nice and sweet pick me up.  It is the best dried pineapple that I have ever had, because it is nice and sweet but it actually retains the pineapple flavor and does not taste like pure sugar, since it is unsweetened and unsulfured.  Don't let the label "unsweetened," fool you, however, because these are pleasantly sweet.  Each serving is 130 calories and has 20% Daily Value of Fiber!  There are 4 servings per bag, but I usually just grab a handful and the bag lasts me over a week.

I highly recommend this product, as it is tasty and sweet, yet also healthy and not sugary or over-processed.  I should also note that the Trader Joe's near me recently was out of stock of this product for about a month, and I internally started to panic that I would not be able to get my pineapple fix!  Luckily for me, I had about 3 bags on reserve (when I like something, I tend to stock up).  On my recent trip back to Trader Joe's, they had restocked and I snatched up about 6 more bags.  Yes, I recognize that may have been a bit overboard, but they don't expire for a year, so why not?  Regardless, if you are a fan of dried fruit but prefer not to overload on sugar, you should buy this product!

Trader Joe's Vanilla Greek Yogurt and Cascadian Farm Fruit & Nut Granola

So today for breakfast, I finally got around to trying the Trader Joe's Greek Yogurt that I have had in my fridge for about a week.  I usually do a breakfast rotation so that I don't get sick of eating the same thing everyday.  It varies between cereal, oatmeal, frozen waffles/pancakes, yogurt and granola, muffins, or an english muffin with peanut butter.  Today, it was the Nonfat Vanilla Bean Greek Yogurt from Trader Joe's with 1/4 cup of Cascadian Farm Fruit & Nut Granola.

I highly recommend both products.  The yogurt was just what I have been looking for in a greek yogurt-- super creamy, but not overly sweet like some of the other brands.  And, at only 99 cents per yogurt, it is a great deal.  Adding 1/4 cup of granola completes the breakfast by some texture, crunch, and sweetness.  I also love the Cascadian Farm Fruit & Nut Granola because it has raisins and dried cranberries, as well as almonds and pumpkin seeds, which makes each bite different and delicious.  At around only 200 calories, this is a protein packed and delicious way to start the day!

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!  As you can guess from the title, I am obsessed with food.  My sister and I spend most hours of the day planning out our next meal, talking about food, or just thinking about it.  We recently each lost about 20 pounds on Weight Watchers, which actually increased our obsession with food.  We now like to find healthy and delicious recipes and foods, while still spoiling ourselves with sweets here and there.

So, I figured that instead of just talking about food, I would write about it.  I will post about any good (or bad) restaurants that I have been to, recipes that I have tried, grocery items that I have purchased, and bakeries.  I will also post about random things here and there because, well, I find it easier to vent online rather than bothering my family with my rants.

A few things you should know about me...I LOVE carbs and sweets.  I could literally eat carbs for every meal of the day and be perfectly happy, so you will probably see my posts dominated by breads, pasta, cereals, muffins, cookies etc.  I should also note that breakfast and dessert are my favorite meals (and yes, I consider dessert an essential meal).  That being said, I do try to eat healthy, and therefore eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, and protein.  My diet staples include: cereal, turkey, chicken, bananas, apples, coffee, granola bars, broccoli, carrots, and some sort of dessert, among many other things.  Oh, and I think I forgot to mention that I absolutely love anything chocolate.  Things that you will rarely see me talk about (because I do not eat) include every type of fish/seafood, and eggs.  And if I had to pick two favorite foods, they would be pancakes and chocolate.

Anyway, enough about me. I hope you enjoy reading my blog and I hope I can provide helpful and entertaining commentary about food!