New Favorite Snack Bars

What's...

1. Gluten Free
2. Certified Organic
3. Low in Sodium
4. A Source of Fiber
5. Vegetarian and Vegan (Dairy Free)
6. Cholesterol Free
7. Not made with Genetically Modified Ingredients (NO GMO)
8. Transfat Free
9. A Low Glycemic Carb
10. Preservative and Additive Free
11. Certified Kosher

...and most importantly,

12. Not only edible, but DELICOUS???

Wings of Nature snack bars, that's what!

I've been eating Kashi granola bars (which are very healthy, and my husband loves them...) and haven't been sure if I should go ahead and eat the box, too. They are dry and my kids call them "cardboard".

I went through a phase when I was pregnant with Baby K when I also bought boxes of the Belly Bars (they taste more like chocolate cookies and rice crispy bars, but they are pretty expensive). I do love Belly Bars... but was looking for something more 'every day' and less chocolate coated. Not that I have anything against chocolate, of course... I'm just trying to not eat AS MUCH of it.



I was delighted to be given a few of these new bars by Wings of Nature to try out. I'm always looking for a tasty snack that will keep me out of the cookies. I have a REAL problem with chocolate chip cookies, y'all - it's serious.

I'll have you know that I ate the first one (the Almond Raisin bar) and was thrilled with how soft and yummy it was (the ingredients were wonderful, but the taste sealed the deal). The very next day I ate two of them in one sitting during snack time because the Espresso Coffee Bar and the Cranberry Crunch Bar were even better than the first one I tried. [Don't judge me - it was a better choice than eating half a bag of Milano Double Cholocate Cookies, right?]

I'm working on mending some broken resolutions to eat healthier and much more organic, and am planning to add Wings of Nature to my "must have snack list".

Check out the Wings of Nature website to find out where you can purchase them near you. I'm going to get mine at Walgreens.

Disclosure: These yummy snacks were provided to me to review. The opinion is all my own and I was not compensated monetarily for it.

Good Foods Come in Threes

I promised to do some foodie reviews and have kind of dropped the ball... and I've been meaning to tell you about my new favorite breakfast cereal, too. I'm thrilled to have THREE great items to share with you: a snack, a drink, and a cereal (aren't those the three basic food groups?).

Anyway, here are the great things our family has discovered in the past few months (and have subsequently added to our master grocery list):

Home Free Organic Cookies


These little goodies are food allergy approved! They contain no nuts, no eggs, and no dairy (and are made at a dedicated bakery). I promise, they DON'T taste like the box! Organic sweets are wonderful to have around the house when the munchies take over. Home Free did a great job on these, considering all they left OUT.

I feel good feeding these oatmeal cookies to the munchkin - since he's on a baby food strike and we are having trouble getting him to eat anything at all right now that doesn't resemble a cookie or a chip. Good thing I'm still nursing him, or he would probably starve himself to death.

Hop over to homefreetreats.com and find out more about their standards on their FAQs page if you are feeding a sensitive tummy. Or you can click on their Store Locator page to find out the nearest place where you can purchase these yummy snacks.

These cookies are great for people with food allergies, but they DO contain gluten. Are you confused about food allergies and celiac disease (gluten sensitivity)? You aren't alone. Check out this informative Celiac vs. Food Allergy article that Home Free sent to me with their free cookie sample.

Crystal Light Pure Fitness Sport Drink

I almost said no to Crystal Light before they ever sent the samples - because I figured they had artificial sweeteners. I was VERY impressed that they have opted to go 'healthy' by eliminating the fake stuff and adding evaporated can juice and Truvia (an all-natural, calorie free sweetener derived from the stevia plant). Another cool thing about the samples that they sent was that they are individual sized servings (a tiny packet you can dump in to your cold bottled water - or add to your water glass at a restaurant). If you want to drink more water but you really aren't a big water-fan, this stuff is for you! It also is handy if you eat out - because ordering water at a restaurant can save you oodles of money. Now everyone can have a flavored drink without paying an extra 8$ or more on the tab (my kids love this angle).

If you enjoy Crystal Light, follow them on twitter: @CrystalLight. Tell them Sprittibee sent you. Maybe that will make up for how long it took to review their drinks!

Dark Chocolate Almond Granola

Cascadian Farms have outdone themselves this time. This stuff is 13.25 ounces of pure breakfast bliss. I didn't get a free sample of it - but I do have a serious addiction. I figured if I told more people about this chocolate-lover's secret, maybe more of my favorite grocery stores would carry it. So far I haven't seen it at Walmart (for shame). According to their website, you could snack on it without milk (why didn't I think of that?) and use it as a topping for ice-cream (OH. MY.)... but please - do yourself a favor and BUY SOME. Who cares that it is completely natural and organic. It's all about the flavor, baby.

There you have it. Three new finds to treat yourself on. Off to the store you go!


Disclosure: As stated in this post, the cookies and drink were provided for my honest opinion, free of charge. The granola was purchased by me (but you still got my honest opinion).

Organic Food Give-Away...

Head on over to my 'real blog' to win a huge box of free organic foods! The box contains juices, apple sauces, and peanut butters - all great treats for back to school lunch time!

Yummm!!!

Freeze Dried Fruit Snacks

Man alive! These little babies are sweet and crunchy! You have got to try them. My kids and I are fighting over the last two packages since the first two packages were such a hit. We got 4 flavors to try out and fell in love. Too bad they didn't send me a CRATE.

The great thing about Funky Monkey fruit snacks is that they are certified organic and their only ingredients are WHOLE FRUITS. They are amazingly sweet - even though they have no added preservatives or sugars. Have picky kids that don't like fruits and veggies because of the textures or tastes and yet they will eat those gummy fruit snacks? Funky Monkey is way better because it isn't mixed with gummy ingredients and candies - it is the REAL DEAL.

They come in these flavors:

Purple Funk - banana acai
Bananamon - banana cinnamon
Jivealime - pineapple lime
Carnival Mix ( a tropical twist ) - mix of banana, apple, papaya, pineapple and raisins

They are making their debut at Whole Foods and you can also check their website out for additional locations. I hope that HEB and Kroger will pick them up if they haven't already. I'm sure we'll be pining away for them after pack #3 and #4 are gone.

Fried Green Tomatoes (Mmmm Good)

Aren't they pretty? Just like my new blog design. Yes, go ahead and say it. You love it, don't you?

If you don't live in Texas, chances are you may not have any green tomatoes handy. I'm not known for my timely recipes around here. In fact, I'm not known for even posting monthly. But all that is about to change, folks. So here's a delicious recipe for you (by Carrie) and a promise that I'll be ever more present with the recipe production over here. After all - I'm being forced to get more domestic by this dratted economy. So I'm sure to be spending more time in the kitchen and finding more recipes that need to be added to my 'collection'.

The following recipe is one I snatched up from The Gremlin Wrangler in a pinch. I had over 40 green tomatoes and didn't want to waste them. Her photos and tips were the bomb. Even mom (who helped fry them) was impressed.

Be sure to let Carrie (who's getting all 'I'm not going to blog any more cuz I'm in a funk' on us today) know that you love her when you try her recipe. The sooner the better. We need to prevent her from taking herself and her comfort food recipes away from the blogosphere.

And CARRIE: If you are listening. I'll come and find you if you take your blog down and erase this recipe. You better leave this one up. There are a lot of people down here in the South that take fried green tomatoes pretty seriously. I'm just sayin'.



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Technorati Tags: recipes, tomatoes, southern, dinner, cooking, food, life, green, delicious, vegetables, fried+foods

Weekly Menu and a Grocery Store Recipe

Man... what a sad state this is. I almost missed posting in September over here! Part of my problem was pregnancy (I only just recently was able to start cooking and eating again after the nausea went away). The other problem is that school and extra curricular activities have taken over my life. Blogging has been pretty busy, too. We have done a redesign on the Homeschool Post and are gearing up for the Homeschool Blog Awards over there - which is very taxing on my free time!

So I thought I would stop in today with a token September post here at Gathering Manna. I remembered the blog yesterday when I posted my lunch meme over at Sprittibee. I'm calling all homeschool moms to share photos of their lunches on my linky there. Head over and play if you have a digital camera and a homeschool blog.

For today, I'm just sharing the menu for the rest of the week (and possibly beyond). Last night I flaked out and we ate at Chick-Fil-A. I had a colossal headache and needed a Dr. Pepper. We really can't afford to eat out. I got a tiny check in the mail and we had to go deposit it (Thank you Jesus!) - just in the nick of time. It is always like this before payday... white knuckles and edge of the seat wondering how God will pull us through until the direct deposit goes through. And He always does. Somehow.

So what is on the menu?

Tuesday lunch: McDonald's (right before we go to Choir, Keepers & Art today)
Tuesday dinner: Greek Lentil and Orzo Pasta, Hummus, Pita, Tea

Wednesday breakfast: Bacon, eggs, toast, juice
Wednesday lunch: Turkey sausage, sour kraut, peas, rice
Wednesday dinner: Tacos, Spanish rice, refried beans

Thursday breakfast: cereal, juice
Thursday lunch: tuna sandwiches (soup for kids - they won't eat tuna)
Thursday dinner: Bada-bing chicken, salad, pasta with white sauce

Friday breakfast: cream of wheat, toast, juice
Friday lunch: tomato soup and grilled cheese, water
Friday dinner: lasagna, Greek salad, tea

Saturday breakfast: pancakes, bacon, eggs, juice, Italian hazelnut latte
Saturday lunch: skip
Saturday dinner: Sesame chicken fingers, Thai fried rice

Sunday breakfast: breakfast bars, chocolate milk
Sunday lunch: OUT after church
Sunday dinner: Baked potatoes in small group (my job is to take the sour cream)


So that's the menu for the week. I'll probably need to pick up feta cheese, a head of lettuce, some buttermilk for the pancakes, Asian sesame seeds and pita bread. Thankfully, we have the rest of the groceries at home, I think. Things have gotten so expensive.

Next week I need to remember to include a roasted chicken (which I have frozen and got on sale), soup for lunch, and that Mexican casserole that I got a recipe for at the grocery store. OH! And the sweet potato leek soup recipe that I scratched on the back of my grocery list in the check-out-aisle. Man that sounded really good, and there was no way I was paying 5$ for the magazine!

Here's that fat-burning, healthy, fall recipe (which I borrowed and altered slightly):

Sweet Potato Leek Soup

1-2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2-1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced celery
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
8 cups of chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 tsp dried oregano
4 cups chopped sweet potatoes
3 cups thin chopped leeks (stalks - not leaves)
1 heaping cup brussel sprouts (frozen or fresh)
1-2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1) heat oil, stir fry onion, celery, garlic, half of the salt and half of the pepper for 6 minutes or until browned

2) in another pot, heat broth, water, oregano, sweet potatoes. cover and boil.

3) once boiling, add sauteed veggies, leeks, brussels, parsley, rest of the salt and pepper. cover and simmer 25-30 minutes. remove from heat & partially mash the potatoes.

I'm always on the look-out for a good soup for the cooler weather. Home made soup is food for the soul.



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Technorati Tags: menu, recipes, meal planning, dinner, cooking, food, life, groceries, family, parenting, motherhood

Not Such a Gardening Success

Something was just not right about the watermelon we grew. It was growing fine, but suddenly it started getting soft in one spot. I figured we might as well bring it in since it looked as if it might wither on the vine if we didn't. I was so hoping to find juicy pink flesh when we cut the little guy open. Nothing but a pale fleshy color and some under ripe seeds was inside.

My poor little girl. She was devastated. After watching it grow since June, she had to just go ahead and eat it anyway. I guess it is time to cave in and pay the 4$ at Wal-Mart to get her a sweet, ripe one.

We still have one more melon outside that hasn't been pulled. Maybe if we give it a while longer it will ripen. In fact, I haven't checked on it for a week or longer. It is hiding in tall grass. I should go out and see about it tomorrow. I'll let you know if we get a sweet one next time!


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8 Things from the Kitchen

All Things Hold Together tagged me a long, long, time ago... and I'm just now getting around to posting. Sorry, Charity! I'll try to be more prompt next time. If you want to go read her post about this... just follow the link on her blog's name.

8 Things From My Kitchen

1. Meat scissors. We eat a lot of chicken around here... well, when I'm cooking, that is. I absolutely love my meat scissors that I got at IKEA. I can easily cube, cut fat off of, or thinly slice chicken breasts for all sorts of yummy recipes in seconds without a slow, dull, dangerous knife. Speaking of knives... I really do need some new ones.

2. My pink Bialetti Dama. I've already talked about how we do coffee here at the Bee house. I threw out my coffee maker and we ONLY brew our Italian coffee on the stovetop. I love my little pink Dama (a gift from my husband... who uses it more than me, as a matter of fact). Mmmmm! I can just smell the lovely aroma of a fresh-brewed tiny pot of espresso! To make a great 888, you will also need a PRODUKT Milk Frother from IKEA - which you can pick up for less than 2$. Trust me. You need it. Say goodbye to Starbucks prices forever. Truth be known, my husband is the one who usually makes the coffee. He's such a sweetie.

3. Cookbooks galore. I love cookbooks. I have a bunch of them. Right now they are all on my kitchen counter taking up space... but I'm hoping my mother-in-law will give me an old buffet for the holidays that she has in her garage (she already said she would). Once I get it, I'm going to move my cookbooks to the drawers in the buffet. I always save recipes from the favorite things in all my cookbooks right here in this blog... so when I want to make something again, I don't have to search for hours in all the books (there are at least 50 of them). I can just look up the recipe online from where-ever I am. I also have a binder with a printed copy of my favorite recipes sectioned with tabs. That one will stay on the counter!

4. Home-Ec Classes. Each week the kids get to learn how to cook. I really had to learn everything I knew on my own - somehow I missed the in-home training that a lot of kids get before they get married! I don't want my kids to serve their spouses "hamburger helper" the first year they are married, so we try and always have one kid in the kitchen as we cook. They get to see what is happening, help gather up ingredients, and learn to cook for themselves. Sometimes they even cook without mom - fancy that!

5. Spices. I am known in my family as the spice lady. I have a ton of spices. I use them every time I cook. I love to use fresh herbs, but I probably have a bunch of things that are old and need to be thrown out. We like to cook international dishes a lot, so I require a lot of spices that aren't very usual to most kitchens: palm sugar, cardamom pods, sumac, Hungarian hot paprika, ginger and garlic paste, saffron... are just a few. I have a HUGE container of chili powder. We use a lot of that since I make home-made enchiladas at least twice a month.

6. Stacking Bee-Hive Measuring Cups. I found them in Fredericksburg at a womens' retreat one year while we were shopping. They are so cute... and so handy on the counter when you are in a hurry. I think I'll cry if they ever get broken.

7. Scripture Verses on the fridge. My kids do their Bible Memory verses every week or every other week on index cards and we keep them on the refrigerator so that they have them handy to memorize. When they come down, they put them in a little index card storage box. It is fun to browse back through them and see how many we can remember later in the school year. I like to let them draw a little on each card, too. I love to have their artwork on display.

8. Grossamole. This is the gross Dean's Guacamole Dip my mom just bought. She gets the nastiest processed, fakie groceries sometimes. She stays with us a few days each week and while she is here there are usually strange items (that we would not eat) taking up residence in my fridge. Aside from the "Grossamole", we have leftover nasty ribs, runny mayo-potato salad from a grocery store, a small bag of fried chicken from some greasy spoon chicken place, and a bottle each of Fanta Strawberry, Diet Dr. Pepper, and Caffeine Free Diet Coke. Yuck. Yuck and more Yuck!

So there's my kitcheny 8. How about you?

According to Charity, this meme has no rules. So let us know what's living inside your fridge and behind your cabinet doors. Got "slime in the ice machine"? Any magic kitchen tools you want to showcase? Elves in your cupboard? We want to know.

Now, to tag some people (feel free to play along if you aren't tagged here... and feel free to not play along if you are tagged here):

Sheri of Shades of Pink (because I know she loves to cook)
Mrs. Happy Housewife (because her site is cooler than mine)
Elise at Simply Recipes (because "I love her, man!")
Toni at Wifely Steps (cuz she's really sweet)
Farmgirl Fare (because it would give me an excuse to go see her awesome photos)

Shoot me an email if you DO play along. I'd like to rummage through your kitchen with you.


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Technorati Tags: Links, Meme, Cooking, Home, Eat, Food, Personal, Homemaking, Domestic, Household, Food and Drink, Kitchen

Blue Bell Ice Cream "Taste of the Country" Flavor Contest

This contest sounds like a real treat... especially if you love the home-made taste of Blue Bell Ice Cream from Brenham, Texas. [The cows think Brenham is heaven.] If you happen to be anywhere in the Blue Bell territory (a customer of theirs - see their map for specific details), you are qualified to enter the contest and design your own local flavor for Blue Bell.

In honor of the company’s 100th anniversary, Blue Bell Creameries kicked off a "Taste of the Country" flavor contest on January 1, 2007. The deadline for entry is not until April (postmarked by April 30th), so hurry and get your thinking caps on! They are asking customers to submit names of ice-cream flavors suggestive of their own state and local dessert traditions. This is one delicious contest that you don't want to miss! There will be 17 State winners and a Grand Prize winner! The winners will get a year's supply of ICE-CREAM... and the grand prize winner will enjoy a trip to Brenham for a factory tour... AND get to see their own flavor masterpiece packaged and sold by Blue Bell for a year! [Yipee! I want to go to Texas!]

For more information, entry forms and Blue Bell contest rules click here. Happy indulging...er, sampling and creating!


Buzz Words: contest, home, life, food, family, desert, ice-cream, kids, creative, yummy, America, win, flavor, children, fun, recipe, Spring, Southern

Coffee Snob: Why I Like Italian Coffee Best

My husband and I enjoy coffee. We often get Starbucks cards for Christmas because our relatives know we love to drink it. We have tried a great many different brands (from a great many various continents and countries). We like to eat international foods when we go out to eat (and even at home we cook international foods)... so sometimes we try new coffee and tea flavors to match our cuisine just for fun.

I was quite content to think that the coffee I had been drinking at international restaurants (even Starbucks) and at home was good stuff. However, a well-meaning friend of ours recently introduced us to some wonderful coffee that has trumped it all. We liked it so much that we got rid of all of our American and Mexican coffee at home that we previously purchased. No one can say we have never "given" at the office now. I am sure my husband's buddies at work are glad to have all those new brands to try... and since most of them probably have never tried Italian coffee, they won't know that the office stuff stinks.

You can guess from the title of this post what kind of coffee we were introduced to: Italian. I'm not sure the bean itself actually is grown in Italy. It is probably from the Mid-East. Yet the difference in Italian coffee (I believe) lies within the cooking methods and brewing methods. It is so sad that many Americans have never really had GOOD coffee before. It is interesting to note that there are oils in Italian coffee after you brew it. I have NEVER seen oil in American coffees (I have been told it is because the plant oils have been burned out by over-cooking of the bean). No matter what the reason is for the taste difference, it has surprised me enough to make me a believer in the Italian brand.

We bought a hand-crafted Bialetti Moka Express coffee maker that you use on the stove-top as well. I think cooking the coffee over the burner rather than percolating it has a lot to do with retaining the flavor of the bean. We are actually making espresso and mixing it with milk and sugar... a "caffè e latte" or "coffee with milk" - what you would simply call a latte here in the States.

My husband is now using a lot less sugar and cream because the coffee we are making is not as acidic and bitter. I am sure he is right (it does taste smooth), but I haven't given up on my hazelnut creamer just yet. I have been told that it is sacrilege to introduce flavored coffee creamer into pure Italian espresso (but that has not scared me off). I am sure that if I found a good hazelnut syrup, I would not mind just mixing that in with my frothy, warm milk. ...Anyone have a favorite hazelnut coffee syrup to recommend?

Italian coffees cost a bit more, but if you are willing to do some research, you can find it at a reasonable price. I found a place online where you can buy LavAzza for only $6.95 plus shipping. I like LavAzza decaf myself. Amazon's prices are considerably higher at over $20 dollars a can! Grocery stores where we have found it in Texas range between $9-13 dollars, but here in Arkansas, we found a store that carries a version of LavAzza (not decaf) for $6.99 (not bad since we didn't have to include shipping). Illy is another great coffee brand from Italy that is just a tad bit more expensive than LavAzza. I haven't seen a decaf version of Illy, but they may have one. I love the little silver tins that Illy coffee comes in.

While you are thinking about trying some Italian coffee out, you can stop in and read more about Italian coffee (and coffee in general) at LifeinItaly.com.


Technorati Tags: delicious, beverage, latte, drink, java, java, breakfast, Italy, Italian, yummy, coffee, American, reviews, grocery, Starbucks, caffe

Pharming: What You Don't Know Could Kill You.

I suggest that everyone watch this video. Click the image above and then when you see a video image, click PLAY. I am putting it on my sidebar as well. If I have ever whined about the price of organic food, I repent in dust and ashes. I plan to fork over every extra penny with pleasure in the future.

America needs a wake-up call. The consumer is King here... so PLEASE, let's send a message by buying organic. Say NO to mutant food before it is too late.


Technorati Tags: scary, genetics, altered, farming, America, food, Canada, Mexico, trade, experimental, organic, government, vegetable, grocery, lies, healthy

HMREs: Hindi Meals Ready-To-Eat!

We discovered a neat way to add festive side dishes to our Indian Food at home for a slim price that fits our budget. How? MTR Imports, Inc. has a great brand of ready to eat products.

We have tried quite a few flavors and I'll have to say that some of them taste like they came right off of the buffet at a restaurant! On the other hand, the rice dishes are soggy, so I would avoid those if you buy this brand. Rice is just better fresh.

These boxes are for two-person servings only (or one if you are really hungry), and many are pretty spicy. My kids don't like them (spice wimps), but we always let them sample our international foods even if we don't make them eat a whole helping. Maybe one day they will come around? The MTR Ready to Eat flavors can be purchased for around two dollars per box at your local Indian or Asian grocer. Not bad for a quick microwavable lunch or side-dish!

Technorati Tags: Food, Grocery, Quick Meal, Side-Dish, Spice, Fast Food, Indian Cuisine, Indian, Cooking, Recipes, Spicy, Yummy

Ezekiel 4:9 Breads and Cereals

Perhaps one of the coolest things in the Bible is when God comes down to "our level" per say... like the case of Ezekiel 4:9... when God gives Ezekiel a recipe for bread. Kind of makes you wonder why anyone would ever need to improve on the recipe when it came from the mind of God himself? Alas, we did... and white flour was born. White flour is definitely prettier, but very, very bad for your health. What you don't realize (if you are shaking your head saying to yourself right now, "I don't eat that much white bread. I mostly buy wheat.") is that white flour is also in breading for meats, hamburger buns at fast food joints, crackers, pastas and cereals! If you really add it up... probably all of us eat too much white bread each day.

So... this brings me to my new favorite breakfast cereal. I wanted to share it with you because it is really great. It tastes like grape nuts, but better. It's straight from the mind of God himself... yep - the Ezekiel 4:9 recipe. It's called Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Cereal (Original Flavor). If you like grape-nuts, I hope you'll give the "live grain difference" a try!

Great article to read about Ezekiel Bread in case you aren't convinced yet: Ezekiel 4:9 bread
Now sprouting in a freezer near you
BY KIRSTEN MARCUM

Technorati Tags: Food, Food Blogs, Recipes, Delicious, Maker's Diet, Christian, Health Foods, Bread, Breakfast, Health, Cereal, Yummy

Spotlight on Angelfood Ministries

This program is no "government cheese", as one pastor has put it. Angelfood Ministries have been helping people afford to buy good food and feed their families since 1994. They buy food in bulk, and have drop off sites where you can pick up a set menu of items (listed each month on their website) and only pay a fraction of what the grocery store would charge. If you are having financial difficulty and need a little extra help with providing nourishing meals for your family, Angelfood Ministries could be a wonderful solution for you.

Here is a short snip from their website:

Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing grocery relief to communities throughout the United States.

Angel Food works through churches and community organizations in over 20 states. For further information, please take a few minutes to peruse our website. If you still have question, please feel free to contact us.