I'm back -- finally.

Hi all.  Sorry for the absence. The family emergency has been an emotional roller coaster ride and a very wierd journey. It's not over just yet, but mitigated enough for me to come back to the blog. To top things off, while I was driving to class on Thursday, an individual decided to make a right turn from the middle lane, hitting my car in the drivers seat door.... right where I was sitting. This then caused my car to spin out a good half block, with my car stopping facing east in the westbound lane.  Thank God I didn't hit any other cars while spinning out.

Anyhow, I am planning a trip to the grocery store today once I get a rental car and I will be back to actively posting on the blog.  Additionally, I will be hosting a giveaway from Racconto later this week as well as a review of their products.  They were kind enough to send me samples a couple weeks ago right when the disasters began to happen for our family - and as a family oriented company were understanding about the delay.

I look forward to sampling their amazing and unique products ( I will post pictures soon) and give you details of the giveaway. I think you will be very excited about this one!

Also, I think I understand why I didnt get to many people participating in my Amazing Grass giveaway earlier, as I myself tried the products and had my peers (both young and old) sample them, I did not get a very good response.

It appears Amazing Grass is a very demographic specific product - -either you love it or hate it. Unfortunately, all the individuals who tried the samples did not like the product at all. For example, I had my little cousins ( ages 5-11) try the kidz chocolate powder and told them it was chocolate milk. That did not confuse them at all! They all made a face and commented that it tasted like a weird tea with "extra stuff" in it. They all made a face and refused to drink any more of it. Even their parents sampled it and voted against the product. 

I had a similar reaction when I had my peers try the bars and powders. They all agreed that it had a slight alcoholic flavor and wasnt a product they would go out and buy for themselves. One individual pointed out that the protein and fiber content of the bars was the "Bare minimum" and they could get more value and taste out of other bars.

Nevertheless, my only conclusion out of this experience is that Amazing Grass appeals to these who already have a very healthy lifestyle and diet. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any diligent healthy individuals like I have found on the blog world, but I am sure they would love it.

I'm off to rent a car now, be back soon!!

AMAZING GRASS and Giveaway

I came home last night to find a UPS box sitting on the front porch.... and look what was inside! Samples from AMAZING GRASS for me to review :)  I was super excited to give these a try, and I will be posting reviews  throughout the next couple of weeks as I try the different products.

In my haste to make it to school on time, I packed a quick salad of mixed baby greens, cucumbers, carrots and avocado -- and grabbed the AMAZING GRASS "GREEN SuperFood Berry Whole Food Energy Bar" to have for breakfast.

  I have to admitt, the first bite took me by surprise. I had no idea what it was going to taste like, and honestly, I have never had such a power packed bar before. The ingredient list is amazing - inspiring in fact :

Organic Dates, Organic Cranberries, Amazing Grass Green SuperFood (Organic Wheat Grass, Organic Barley Grass, Organic Alfalfa, Organic Spirulina, Organic Spinach, Organic Chlorella, Organic Broccoli, Organic Acai, Organic Maca, Organic Carrot, Organic Beet, Raspberry, Organic Rose Hips, Pineapple, Organic Goji Berries, Green Tea, Organic Flax Lignans, L. Adidophilus, Alpha and Beta Amylase, Protease, Lipase, Lactase, Cellulase, Organic Peppermint), Organic Cashews, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Cashew Butter, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Almonds, Organic Cranberry and Raspberry Flavor, Organic Vanilla Extract.
Allergy Information: Contains Almonds and Cashews 

At first, the bar reminded me of Chinese herbal teas -- i soon realized it was simply the taste of pure unadulterated goodness  (ingredients not really prevalent in most other bars).  I gave a piece to my friend Esther to try, and she enjoyed it as well, commenting that it tasted " fruity" and had a slight "alcohal flavor- like rum". I'm guessing this may be from the extracts, or the concentrated flavors of so many ingredients.

I started out nibbling at the bar slowly, curious at the flavors, trying to fully absorb the palate. I loved it! It definitely doesn't taste like any other bar I have had.... BUT I truly  feel more awake  and energetic now -- like I actually fed my body a breakfast it can use wisely.  I can not wait to try the rest of the stash.

I know you too must be curious and excited about this product, so thanks to the generosity of the great people at AMAZING GRASS I will be hosting a giveaway of the below pictured items:

There are several ways to qualify to enter the giveaway (open to US readers only), though each entry must be made through a separate comment for numbering purposes as the winner will be chosen by a random number generator:

1.   MANDATORY ( in order to benefit from the remaining possible entries, this entry must be done first):  Visit the AMAZING GRASS website and let me know one new fact you learned about the company/website, or if you have already tried their products, which one is your favorite and why.

2.    Follow my blog ( let me know )
3.   Add me to your blog list ( let me know)
4.   Blog about my giveaway on your site and link back (let me know)

EDIT: I have extended the giveaway deadline till March 9th -- in hopes of having a few more participants. I promise though winners will be announced and I may add a few more goodies to the stash! Love- 

Bertolli to the Rescue!

Well, the Bertolli came in handy sooner than expected! I decided to stay at school and study in the library for a few extra hours with Esther. By the time I got home, I was definitely ready to eat and I did not want to spend too much time prepping. 

So, I set to work  making half and half pasta -- half whole wheat, half regular. I started the whole wheat first since that takes much longer than the cappellini I decided to use. While the pasta was boiling away, I cooked some fresh broccoli and sliced crimini mushrooms along with 1/4 tsp of garlic salt and 2 tbsp of chicken broth. I only cooked it just long enough to be warmed through, ensuring the broccoli kept its lush green color.

Once the pasta was cooked, I simply tossed 1 cup of pasta with 1/2 cup of BERTOLLI Arrabbiata, and folded in the veggies. I topped mine with freshly shaved Parmesan but truly, the sauce had enough flavor as it was and the cheese almost ruined it. Next time, I'm going to keep it simple and enjoy the flavors of the sauce itself -- reminiscent of childhood homemade pasta sauce.

SIDENOTE:

I received another box from UPS today, I have a hunch it is my samples from AMAZING GRASS to review. I am super excited to see how the nutrient packed drink influences my energy level and overall mood. 

Giveaway announced tomorrow :)