DARE to be different: Plant-based Gummies!

We've entered into a world where animals are no longer considered the only source of consumption. Plant-based eating is gaining a lot of momentum from people who once said "i'll never give up meat!" or scoffed at the idea that you can eat a well-balanced diet without animal products. 

Whether you're trying out a veggie "burger" for health reasons or you want to spread more compassion to the animal world, it's an interesting adventure. For some, it's worth diving into head first, and for others, they just want to dip their toes in.

I have been finding some awesome brands that meet my nutritional needs, not to mention taste great, and others...well...they won't be in my basket again. I'll share more in future blogs!

I don't always have the energy to cook-from-scratch, as I do have diagnosed health conditions, which are complicated, I'm now in my 40's, so EVERYTHING is changing, relatable, right? So I'm trying to figure out what works for me. If that is a luxury you have, more power to you. Please bake me a gluten-free bread! ;) 

So let's get to SNACKS!

Snack-wise, it's been fun and a little frustrating, so when I saw Dare Real Fruit was launching plant-based gummies, I had to get my hands on them. They come in a variety of flavours, like strawberry-kiwi, cherry, pineapple and more! 🍍🍒🥝🍓  

A sample of some of the flavours
 - including the "sour" ones are on the far right!

Now do these taste the same as the regular ones? No. There is a distinct difference. As many have commented, they have a more "wine gum" texture than a gummy.  This seemed to cause a huge uproar, but everyone's tastes are different. Personally, I love the taste and the texture!

I will warn you that they are addictive, so portion them out so you don't eat the entire bag in one-sitting. 

Of course you can still purchase Dare's Real Fruit NON plant-based gummies, but I'm sold on these. :)

I think these will be a real hit for friends and family to try at our movie nights and hopefully we can get out "Clue" for a fun board-game evening soon. I have wanted to play this since our 80's wedding!

Things to note that may/may not be important to you:

👉Gluten-free

👉No Animal Gelatin

👉Plant-based

👉Vegan

👉Peanut-free

Have you tried these? Let me know what you think! Leave a comment below or use the contact form to reach out to me!

💜To learn more, visit the Dare Real Fruit site: https://darerealfruit.com/medley/

💜Keep up with the latest on FB and IG

Recipe: Banana Chocolate Chip Craisin Oatmeal Hemp Seed Squares!

Well these cookies from Weelicious have been such a hit that I decided to use another pan that I had and see what they'd turn out like as squares. Yep, still amazing!  These are perfect for snacks, especially when you want something healthy and filling on-the-go. I've even had them for breakfast with yogurt. They freeze great too, which is another bonus. I love them nice and hot, so you can just pop them in the microwave for about 35-40 seconds. Makes 12.

Baking in the oven with The Pampered Chef brownie pan!
(Make sure to grease well so the mixture doesn't stick)

Hot out of the oven, waiting to cool

Another shot of them

Ready to enjoy!

Ingredients:

2-3 bananas
2 cups of oats
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 cup of oil (I use extra virgin olive oil)
add your toppings (I used some craisins/raisins and some semi sweet chocolate chips - you can really use anything you like and put in as much or as little as you wish)
*one addition this time for added nutrients: raw hemp seeds

That's it!

Directions:

Mash bananas up well and mix all the ingredients up in a large bowl
Let sit for about 10 minutes.
Grease the brownie pan well, take a bit of the mixture and pat nicely into the pan to fill up the spaces.
Put into the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes.

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I'm really happy how these turned out and the fact that I just had to use a few ingredients - so budget friendly is a bonus.

If you make these, let me know how you like them!

A fresh look at The City Market in Windsor Ontario

Yesterday, we took our first trip to The City Market on Walker Rd, here in Windsor, Ontario.

Overall it was a pleasant experience and the vendors were extremely friendly! It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few months and whether this market will be sustainable, especially with a lot of heavy competition heading its way.

We didn't find a ton of edible produce this time around, but managed to still get some good deals. It's a nice switch from frozen veggies, especially when the warmer months are upon us!

Gorgeous bell peppers
Photo by Melissa Arditti

Romaine lettuce, bell peppers and English cucumbers
Photo by Melissa Arditti

We are looking forward to another trip back soon and i'll definitely take more photos. :)

Snack Review: Valuing The Good Taste Of Nature

I think we are truly blessed as a society to be able to have the luxury of choice. It can be a double-edge sword, however, because of the overwhelming amount of choice that we are faced with every single day, especially when it comes to snack foods.

You can find just about any flavour out there, but sometimes you are sacrificing taste for something healthy. Or you’re just delving into a sea of sugar that will satisfy your immediate craving, but leave your waistline unhappy and your energy levels depleted.

I recently came across a snack bar by a Canadian company called Taste of Nature, whose facility is in Markham. Going to their website, I noticed the usual participation in the Non-GMO Project, gluten-free (this lifestyle choice can come with its own risks for those who are not celiac, as many gluten-free products contain loads of sugar in comparison to gluten ones; watch those labels), being vegan and kosher, as most organic companies are nowadays.

However, what really made me stop was the variety of choices that fit with the Glycemic Index. This is a number associated with a particular type of food that indicates the food’s effect on a person’s blood glucose.

Informing consumers about what number each product is on the GI scale was the most impressive. So kudos to Taste of Nature for creating a snack that is low in sodium, sugar, and high in the areas that we should be consuming more of like fibre, protein, omega 3’s, and other important vitamins and minerals.

The one problem I have, though, with a lot of so-called healthy foods is that they taste awful. They may be packed with a great deal of health benefits, but there has to be a balance for me. I think I found it with Taste of Nature.

As you can see, they have so many flavours. It’s hard to actually say which one is my favourite because they all have very distinct tastes, but I have quite a liking for the California Almond Valley. It has a nice blend of raisins, pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame seeds, agave syrup, and a hint of rosemary extract.

Photo by: Melissa Arditti

I don’t get a weird aftertaste which I have experienced with other bars. The texture is perfectly chewy so it’s not a struggle to bite into. And it’s portioned well so you’re not overindulging, but reaping the nutritional benefits, too.

Some bars are a little sweeter than others, like the Louisiana Pecan Parade, but I can honestly say that any of the bars are a great post-workout snack, super for kids’ lunches, or a good alternative from hitting the fast food joint or coffee shop for a donut.

Another plus is many of their green business practices which include recycling food waste to farms for use as animal feed and priding themselves on reducing their carbon footprint as much as possible.

I will also applaud them for excellent customer service since I initially contacted them regarding their Taste of Nature Snacks that Care promotion, which wasn't working online. For my inconvenience, they sent me out a care package as a “token of our thanks for being so patient with us as we worked to get the contest fixed.”

Photo by: Melissa Arditti

Founded on the basic principle to, “work together as a family to create a food company that makes a simple, great tasting product that would give back to the world more than it took,” Taste of Nature has surely succeeded.

For more information, you can visit their website: Taste of Nature