Lifeway Kefir Probiotic Kefir Bars

Little bugs are quickly taking over the world, and by little bugs, I mean probiotic bacteria that has been sprouting up all over the grocery market. Probiotics are naturally found in food items such as yogurt and kefir, but now companies are adding it wherever possible. The latest probiotic craze comes in the form of bars. Lifeway Kefir presents their newest Wellness bars in 3 flavors: Chocolate Crisp, Sweet n’ Salty Peanut, and Pomegranate. These bars are found in the refrigerated aisle (right next to their kefir) which ensures the live and active cultures are alive and well before it hits your tummy.

From the site:

Kefir is the cousin of yogurt and it’s roots can trace back more than 2000 years. Originating in the Caucasus Mountains of Europe where people live well past 100 years, the word Kefir is thought to have been derived from the Turkish word “Keif” for “good feeling”, probably due to the sense of well-being experienced after drinking it.

Now Lifeway Foods, America’s leader in Kefir, has taken the probiotic power found in traditional Kefir, and transformed it into a nutritious, convenient, on the go, snack bar. Lifeway’s Kefir Wellness Bar contains the essential daily probiotics your body needs, and the great taste you deserve.

The bars range from 190 to 240 calories each and are a good 50 gram size. Each bar has a white frosting type layer covering each bar. The snowy white reminds me of snow and Christmas. I think it is the kefir layer which contains all 10 of the live and active cultures. See what it looks like inside here.

Chocolate Crisp: Like the name suggests, it has rice crisps in them . Firm, yet chewy texture with the rice crisps. Visually the biggest bar of the 3. Maybe the crisps “bulks” it up a bit. Not as chocolaty as I would like, but I like the crisps in it. Reminds me of Jamfrakas. No chocolate chunks in there, the chocolate flavor is blended in.  Good balance of chocolate flavor, crunch and chew. This combination works and it taste good. Could be higher in the fiber department, but fairs a decent 11 grams of protein.

Sweet n’ Salty Peanut:  Real peanut butter flavor with bits of peanuts nuts inside. I like it and if you like peanut butter flavored things, you will like it too. Sweet and salty for sure. I like the crunch. Very good.  Highest in calories, but definitely the most delicious. My favorite flavor of the three.

Pomegranate: Softest texture of the bars. Like puree inside with bits of walnuts that seem out of place. Flattest of the 3 bars. Don’t really dig this flavor because I think I’ve been spoiled by the taste of POM Wonderful as far as pomegranate flavored things goes. It doesn’t really taste like pure pomegranate flavor to me. Lowest in the sodium content (70 mg), but highest in the sugar department (24g).

I like how the three varieties are drastically different in terms of taste, and texture so there is something for everyone. The Wellness bars contain all the 10 live and active cultures you find in the drinkable Lifeway Kefir so it makes it simple to get your daily dose of healthy bacteria. Great to pack along with your lunch. The bars taste like regular bars and does not even taste “kefir-ish” if that makes any sense. I suggest you try all 3 before you decide if you like these bars are not because the differ drastically in terms of taste and texture. What I did not like about these bars is the 3 – 4 grams of saturated fat per bar.

Chocolate Crisp: Serving Size: One (50g per serving) Amount Per Serving: Calories 200, Fat Cal 50, Total Fat 6g (9% DV), Sat Fat 3.5g (18% DV), Trans Fat 0g (0%), Cholest 0mg (0% DV), Sodium 190mg (8%), Total Carb 27g (9% DV), Fiber 1g (4%), Sugars 15g, Sugar Alcohol 0g, Protein 11g (22% DV), Vitamin A (0% DV), Vitamin C (0% DV), Calcium (4% DV), Iron (15% DV), *Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Sweet n’ Salty Peanut: Serving Size: One (50g per serving)  Amount Per Serving: Calories 240, Fat Cal 120, Total Fat 13g (20% DV), Sat Fat 4g (20% DV), Trans Fat 0g (0%), Cholest 0mg (0% DV), Sodium 200mg (8%), Total Carb 25g (8% DV), Fiber 3g (12%), Sugars 12g, Protein 7g, Vitamin A (0% DV), Vitamin C (0% DV), Calcium (2% DV), Iron (6% DV), *Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Pomegranate: Serving Size: One (50g per serving)  Amount Per Serving: Calories 190, Fat Cal 45, Total Fat 5g (8% DV), Sat Fat 3g (15% DV), Trans Fat 0g (0%), Cholest 0mg (0% DV), Sodium 70mg (3%), Total Carb 32g (11% DV), Fiber 4g (16%), Sugars 24g, Protein 5g, Vitamin A (0% DV), Vitamin C (0% DV), Calcium (2% DV), Iron (8% DV), *Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Retails: $2.00 each @ Lifeway Foods Online Store
My Cost: Free (from Lifeway Kefir Representative)
Calories: 190 to 240 each
WW: 3-5

P:S: Check out these awesome giveaways:
Blogversary, Movie Tickets, Progresso, Stevia, Oikos & CSN Credit

and… click here to support Operation Chocolate Covered Kindness (click for charity).

Clif Kid Z-Bar Spooky S’mores

By now I am sure most of your have seen these Clif kid Organic Z bars in Spooky S’mores floating around. Halloween has come and gone so if you are after the seasonal Spooky S’mores, go grab them quick or else you will have to wait another year. These are seriously hard to track down. So far, I have only seen these at 1 Whole Foods. It was a glorious stand dedicated to this exclusive flavor alone. I couldn’t help myself and grabbed 1/2 a dozen for fear they will soon be gone. They are after-all — seasonal.

This is your basic Clif Kid Z bar made with organic oats, wholesome ingredients and 12 essential vitamins and minerals for healthy kids to thrive. I eat kids food. No shame here. The top part has just the right amount of chocolate frosting that makes these bars delicious and pretty to eat. The inside is embedded with tiny little marshmallows. Nice little campfire treat minus the guilt. When you warm it up in the microwave, this truly becomes “s’more-licious.” The chocolate and the marshmallows become melty and gooey. The texture of the bar is very “soft-baked cookie-like” which makes this an irresistible snack for kids as well as adults. All that yumminess for 130 calories, preportioned so you don’t over indulge.

Best of all, you know there are no high fructose corn syrup, no hydrogenated oils, no preservative, and no artificial flavors in these organic whole grain energy bars for kids. Wished people were passing these out instead of candies on Halloween. I would be the first to put on a costume and go trick-or-treating myself!

Nutrition: Each bar is 130 calories, 2 WW, 3.5 grams of fat of which 1 gram is saturated, no cholesterol, 75 milligram of sodium, 75 milligram of potassium, 23 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of dietary fiber , 11 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

Other seasonal Clif Bar items are back too. See if you can spot the Cranberry Orange Nutbread, Spiced Pumpkin Pie, and Iced Gingerbread on your next shopping trip.  Noticeably missing is the Pear Strudel from last year, may you RIP.

Retails: $0.69 each 1.27 oz bar @ Whole Foods
My Cost: Free (from Clif Bar & Company representative)
Calories: 130 each bar
WW: 2

P.S: Check out these awesome giveaways:
Barney Butter, Jewelry & Icing,  Bars Galore, EAS Myolplex, Chobani, Zevia, Giving Back & Bugalug

Amy’s Organic Lentil Vegetable Soup (light in sodium)

Amy’s Kitchen offer wholesome products that meets even the strictest of diets and they taste just like homemade. No wonder Amy’s Kitchen products are so popular in the blogging community. The Amy’s Organic Soup in Lentil Vegetable (light in sodium) is my first can soup from Amy’s and it did not disappoint. The whole can serves 2 with roughly 160 calories, 8 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein per 1 cup serving. Gotta love the stats, right? I love how Amy’s offers a whole line of “light in sodium” options because frozen meals and can soups can be really high in the sodium department. This soup is only 340 milligram of sodium versus 680 milligram is the regular lentil vegetable soup version.

The soup is “ready to serve” so all you have to do it heat it up. I popped the can open and poured the contents into a pot. It heated up very fast, within 5 minutes on my stove. I gave it a couple of good stirs during the reheating process to make sure it heated up evenly and thoroughly.

The lentil vegetable soup looks EXACTLY like the picture on the can. I love it when you get what you buy. No deception, unless you count the spring of parsley on top. The soup is chalk-full of wholesome ingredients.  Not counting the olive oil, sea salt, balsamic vinegar and spices, I could identify each and every item on the ingredients list visually. No mystery ingredients. The soup is very hearty and not watered down. I would say it is 80% ingredients and 20% liquid. Tasted delicious! Not missing the 50% of sodium either. The soup looked and tasted homemade. Soup is perfect for the colder weather we are experiencing now. One cup of soup is hardly considered a meal so I poured the coup over some spaghetti squash and topped it with few slices of avocado. Delicious and filling meal. This is definitely a soup I would want to recreate at home.

On the Can:
Amy’s Kitchen was started when out daughter Amy was born in 1987. We are a family business deeply committed to producing vegetarian natural and organic prepared foods that taste homemade.

This delicious soup is full of vegetables including organic green beans, tomatoes and spinach in a hearty, flavorful lentil base.

One serving of 1 cup (254 g) is 160 calories, 2 WW, 4 grams of fat (0.5 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 340 milligram of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar and 7 grams of protein.

Ingredients (Vegan): Filtered water, Organic Onions, Organic Lentils, Organic Carrots, Organic Celery, Organic Potatoes, Organic Tomatoes, Organic Spinach, Organic Green Beans, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Garlic, Sea Salt, Organic Balsamic Vinegar, Spices*, Organic Black Pepper.

*100% pure herb and spices (no hidden ingredients)

When I say Amy’s Kitchen offers wholesome products that meets even the strictest diets, I was not kidding. Did you know that Amy’s Kitchen has diet plans on their website with an extensive shopping list and 14 days of your meals all planned out? Gluten-free and Vegan diet plans are all up there too!! Calories and breakdown of the nutrition for each day are included. (pdf files available on their site) Glancing at the plans, they are roughly 1,500-calories or 1,800-calories with breakfast, lunch, dinner and 1 to 2 snacks between the meals. Pretty high in the sodium department since most of Amy’s Kitchen foods are either frozen, canned or jarred, but maybe you can buy the light in sodium version of things to knock it down the sodium to an acceptable level. Good for people who like to follow plans and are absolutely clueless as to where to start  because Amy’s Kitchen diet plan even suggest that the plan is only temporary to get people use to smaller portions, incorporating more fresh fruits and veggies and later on entering a stage of whole foods as their regular diet. Good first step for those who want weight-loss or dabble in a gluten-free or vegan diet.

**Of course, those are only my personal opinions and since I am not a dietitian or nutritionist, don’t take my word for it and be sure to consult with your doctor or nutritionist before starting any diet plan. **

Retails: $2.89 per can @ Whole Foods
My Cost: Free (w/ coupon from Amy’s Kitchen)
Calories: 160 per cup
WW: 3

P.S: Check out these awesome giveaways:
Barney Butter, Yolpait, Amazing Grass & NuNaturals

and…

“MissyMaintains is hosting a great giveaway! Check out Cookware.com for your favorite brands like Hamilton Beach, Emile Henry, Rachel Ray Cookware and more! Giveaway ends 11/6!”

Kim & Scott Gourmet Pretzel Winners

Thank you all for who participated. I entered all the official entries into an excel spreadsheet. Here are the winners:

Five Winners for the FREE BOX coupon:
#31:  Lexi over at Ramblings of a Health Student
#23: Leslie over at And Her Little Dog Too
#9: Jessie C
#17: Jessie C
#12: CinciMom11 over at CinciMom11

Five Winners for the $1.00 off coupon:
#33: Runroamrecyle over at Run Roam Recycle
#39: Maren
#3: Oneinamil19 over at Thoughts of a 20-Something-Year Old
#27: Lexi over at Ramblings of a Health Student
#10: CinciMom11 over at CinciMom11

Congratulations ladies. Please e-mail me your information at theskinnyplate [at] yahoo [dot] com and I will send your information over to Kim & Scott’s for them to send out your prize. Please get back to me by Monday November 9, 2009. Big thanks to all who participated and special thanks to Kim & Scott for making this giveaway possible.

P.S: Check out these awesome giveaways:
Bolthouse Farms, NuGo, Chia Seeds, Solstice Bars, Nature’s Path, Blue Diamond,& Rachel Ray

Kashi TLC Original 7 Grain Crackers

Checking back to my previous posts, it has been about 11 months since I had my first ever box of Kashi TLC crackers which was the Fire Roasted Vegetable. I almost forgot how much I loved the Kashi TLC crackers. Don’t get me wrong, I love Kashi and have been trying out numerous of their products this past year, but I seem to have neglected my all time favorite “soup cracker.” If you have not notice, soup season is officially on. Drinking soup for a meal is often too light for me, so I like a piping bowl of soup with a side of satisfying crackers. No more saltines or oyster crackers for me since I discovered Kashi TLC crackers. This time, I picked up the Kashi TLC Original 7 Grain. The crackers are nice little rectangles, which are dense and packed with whole grains. At times, there are some hard pieces of gain in there too. Delicious and hearty without all the fancy flavors, just a pure taste of the mix of whole grains. The small surface area of these crackers does not give much room for toppings, but Kashi has “party size” crackers for those occasions. These small size TLC are great to enjoy along with some soup or dip into hummus, salsa or guacamole. I know you can get it much cheaper when they are on sale at grocery store, but my trusty Trader Joe’s always carries them at a low everyday price of $2.79.

No Hydrogenated Oils ~ Zero Grams Trans Fat ~ All Natural

Other Kashi TLC crackers to consider are: Country Cheddar, Fire Roasted Vegetable, Honey Sesame and Toasted Asiago.

One serving of 30 grams (about 15 crackers) is 130 calories, 2 WW, 3 grams of fat, no cholesterol, 160 milligram of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

Original 7 Grain TLC crackers have heavenly taste you can feel good about, because they’re full of whole grain goodness with zero grams of the trans and saturated fat you don’t want. Original 7 Grain TLC crackers are our wholesome combination of oats, hard red winter wheat, rye, long grain brown rice, triticale, barley, buckwheat, and sesame seeds. We think you’ll love our tasty little crackers.

Retails: $2.79 per 9 oz box @ Trader Joe’s
My Cost: $2.79
Calories: 130 per serving (30 grams)
WW: 2

P.S: Check out these awesome giveaways:
New Balance Shoes, Life Your Sole, Knobby Tires, NuNaturals, OSG, Zesty, Hot Chocolate, Glo Bars, Zico, Goji Gourmet & Penny’s Desserts

Nature’s Path Organic Granola Bar Flax Plus Pumpkin

Nature’s Path Organic Granola Bars Flax Plus in Pumpkin is just as delicious as it sounds. I was excited to receive them as a part of the  package Leah from Leftovers for Lunch sent over. Visually, the bar looks pretty big, but it is a mere 40 grams.  Mainly composed of rolled oats plus big “rice krispies” all glued together with syrup, but it was delicious. Whole pumpkin seeds, mild pumpkin spice, dashes of cinnamon, the flavors are a bit bland but the bar does taste like Fall. The textures are wonderful. Nice and chewy, with rolled oats, but could use a little more PUMPKIN flavors. You won’t be getting a “pumpkin pie” feeling from eating this. Compared to the Kashi Pumpkin Pie granola bars, I like these a lot more. They seem more wholesome with the whole pumpkin seeds and whole flax seeds. The bar itself looks exactly the way the picture on the box depicts, stringy sugar strands and all. Although it has 11 grams of sugar, it does not taste as sweet as I had thought. The bars are all organic, 0 grams of trans fat, wheat free and low in sodium plus 15 grams of whole grains too. After you finish the bar, it does not leave you with an empty feeling.  Go Pumpkin!

Each bar is 160 calories, 2 WW, 4.5 grams of fat (0.5 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 90 milligram of sodium, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

Ingredients: Organic tapioca syrup, organic rolled oats, organic brown rice flour, organic evaporated cane juice, organic pumpkin seeds (organic pumpkin seeds, salt), organic invert cane syrup, organic flax seeds, organic soy oil, organic acacia gum, sea salt, organic spices, organic molasses, organic bran extract.

Retails: $3.33 per box of 5 @ Amazon
My Cost: Free (won Leftovers for Lunch giveaway)
Calories: 160 each bar
WW: 3

P.S: Check out these awesome giveaways:
Nature’s Valley, Amazing Grass, Soda Stream, Kathy’s Raw Flax & Kay’s Natural

and also all these Pepperidge Farms giveaways….
Pasta Queen, Frantic Home Cook, Daffodil Lane, Amanda’s Reviews, Everyday Goddess Does…, Lucky Cat Reviews, Scrutiny by the Masses & Tuppence Reviews

True North Pecan Almond Peanut Cluster

Another brand of delicious nut clusters. Nuts are the way to go if you want a substantial snack that satisfies. Nothing like some good old healthy fats to keep the hunger monster at bay. I like that these are not that sweet. This particle combination is the Pecan Almond Peanut Cluster. The clusters are small little cubes. A little bit “dusty” from the nuts. Brown syrup holds the nut combination together, but does not glisten with syrup like other brands I’ve tried. Not overly sweet so the fresh flavors of the nuts can really be tasted. Love the combination of peanuts and almonds in here. The pecan flavor was lacking a bit in my opinion. The bag is supposedly resealable like a zip-lock bag, but maybe my bag is defective, because it does not close properly. True North cluster comes in a few varieties,  Pecan Almond Peanut, Almonds, Apple Cinnamon and Citrus Burst nut cluster. Aside from nut clusters, True North also makes Nut Crisps and have a line of whole nut snacks as well. Delicious and healthy. Two thumbs up.

These crunchy nut clusters combine roasted pecans, almonds and peanuts with a surprising hint of sweetness.

100% natural, no preservatives, no artificial flavors, no added clusters, and good source of protein.

One serving (28 grams) is 170 calories, 4 WW, 13 grams of fat (2 gram saturated, 3 grams PUFA & 8 grams MUFA), no cholesterol, 75 milligram of sodium, 9 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 5 grams of sugar and 5 grams of protein.

Ingredients: Peanuts, Almonds, Brown Rice Syrup, Pecans, Organic Sugar and Sea Salt.

Don’t you love it when ingredient lists are nice and simple? Check out a $1.00 off coupon of their site if you are interest.

Retails: MSRP: $3.29 per 5.5 ounce bag
My Cost: Free (won Slim Shoppin’ giveaway)
Calories: 170 per ounce
WW: 4

P.S: Check out these amazing giveaways:
Nutritionist & 101th post

Kim & Scott’s Pizza Pretzel

When prepared in the oven, you get a slightly crispy, carbolicious, pizza pretzel minus all the guilt. Not gigantic Aunt Auntie size mall pretzels, but they are just as delicious, if not better. No greasy, glutinous after-feeling. The pizza filling is just enough to get the “pizza” feeling, but not oozing out like the picture depicts. Not enough cheese in my opinion. Seasonings include oregano and garlic which I liked. I felt that if there was a side of marinara sauce for dipping, it would even better. Tames my Aunt Auntie  AND a pizza craving all at the same time. Makes a quick and easy meal served with a side of salad. Kim & Scott’s also boosts these as on-the-go meal and I’d have to agree with them. All the ingredients are encased in the pretzel which makes it portable. The filling is not oozing out so not very messy to eat either. Made with wheat flour, no trans fats, and are twisted and hand made from scratch with no preservatives. You can also prepare this in the microwave too if a conventional oven is not available to you. Delicious and not teeny tiny for your 280 calories and 5 WW.

Stuffed with freshly shredded mozzarella cheese & homemade pizza sauce. Topped off with cheese & Italian spices.

Other delicious and drool worthy varieties include:

Grill Cheese, Spinach Feta, Sourdough Pramasan, Traditional Bavarian, Cheddar Jalapeno, Chocolate Crumb, Apple Cinnamon, Egg & Cheese, Cinnamon Roll, and Cream Cheese.

Kim & Scott’s offers so many drool-worth varieties. Can’t wait to try their more dessert-like pretzels next time.

Imagine a unique twist to your grab-and-go meal! We offer an assortment of amazing, ready-to-heat pretzels, using ALL-NATURAL and PREMIUM ingredients, like freshly shredded cheeses, hearty spices, unbleached flour and whole grains. We combine a traditional European recipe with our own special twist, creating a truly handmade soft pretzel that is great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

• All-Natural     • Source of Whole Grains     • No Trans Fats
• Premium Ingredients     • Twisted by Hand & Made from Scratch     • No Hydrogenated Oils
• Microwavable     • Made in a Nut-Free Facility     • No Preservatives

Nutritional Facts: Serving Size (oz): 4, Calories (kcal): 280, Calories from Fat: 35, Total Fat (g): 4, Saturated Fat (g): 1.5, Cholesterol (mg): 10, Protein (g): 11, Carbohydrate (g): 48, Sugars (g): 5, Dietary Fiber (g): 5, Sodium (mg): 410, Calcium (%): 15%, Iron (%): 25%, Vitamin A (%): 2%, Vitamin C(%): 2%

Our Ingredients: High Protein Unbleached and Unbromated Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Pizza Sauce (California Tomato Puree, Tomatoes, Canola Oil, Salt, Imported Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Imported Pecorino Romano Cheese, Spices, Garlic), Filtered Water, Cheese (Part-Skim Milk, Cheese Culture, Milk Protein, Salt, Natural Enzymes), Whole Wheat Flour, Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese (Skimmed Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Natural Enzymes), Corn Starch, Canola Oil, Brick Cheese (Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Natural Enzymes), Invert Beet and/or Cane Sugar, Yeast, Salt, Paroma Cheese (Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Natural Enzymes), Spices, Natural Flavors, Soda. Contains: Wheat, Milk

Giveaway:

Ten winners total. Five to receive a Free Retail Box Coupon and five to receive a coupon for $1.00 off. Please leave a separate comment for each entry.  Eight easy ways to enter. Contest ends 11/1/2009 11:59 PM PST. Good luck!

1) Join Our Pretzel Club. Click here. (Mandatory)

2) Follow Kim & Scotts on Twitter @kimandscotts

3) Follow Kim on Twitter @PretzelMom

4) Follow Scott on Twitter @PretzelDad

5) Tweet about the the giveaway

6) Join Our Facebook Fan Pages and Groups Cause/Group: Pretzels for Peace or
Fan Page: Kim & Scott’s Gourmet Pretzels

7) Follow our Pretzel Blog and leave a comment. Click here.

8) Link back on your blog or e-mail 5 friends about the giveaway.

Retails: $6.69 per box of 4 @ Whole Foods
My Cost: Free (w/ coupon)
Calories: 280 each
WW: 5

P.S: Check out these awesome giveaways:
Nimli Pashmina, Graffiti Zoo, Mother’s Cookies, Granola+, Nature Valley, Cookbook, Move-In & Progresso Broth

Edible Arrangements

Edible Arrangements, you rock! Not only are your fruit baskets unique, beautiful, and delicious, you have the best customer service ever. I love you guys. So the little bird told me that Edible Arrangement (@dofruit) was doing a little promotion. For a small price of being a “fan” of their page, they will send you a coupon via e-mail to redeem a box of 6 piece fruit dipped chocolates. If you follow me on twitter (@theskinnyplate), I tweeted about this promotion when it was going on.

Never in a million years did I expect this freebie to be so nice. The whole process was nice and smooth, I handed them my coupon and they handed me my box of goodies. It was in a nice sturdy box with ribbon and all. Inside were 6 pieces of chocolate dipped fruit. Three strawberries, two dipped apples, and one dipped pineapple. The presentation was really nice, the fruits were extremely fresh and juicy (literally no bad apples here).

Edible arrangements has beautiful fruit baskets for every occasions. When I was at the store, their Halloween displays were in full rage already. The prices are a bit steep, but compared to a beautifully wrapped bouquet of flowers, I think the price is fair for all the fine handy work, special care and preparations it takes to create these edible boutiques that are guaranteed high quality. For someone special, I would not mind plucking down a pretty penny for these babies.

This is a great gift idea for foodies or people on a diet or special. Don’t forget, fruits are always vegan and vegetarian friendly and also naturally gluten-free (of course, you’ll have to leave off the chocolate dipping). Next time you need a good gift idea, give Edible Arrangements a visit. Check out more beautiful arrangements on their site.

Have you guys ever gotten an Edible Arrangement? Do you prefer it over a real flower bouquet?

Retails: Varies depending on Selection
My Cost: Free (w/ FB coupon)
Calories: N/A
WW: N/A

P.S: Check out these awesome giveaways:
Campbell’s Soup , Waterpik, Mother’s Cookies, Fruition & Progresso Soup

and…

“Eating Bird Food is hosting a eggcellent giveaway from Cookware.com for Rachael Ray Cookware! Giveaway ends 10/30!”

Progressive Salad Spinner

A salad spinner is a must have item in my kitchen because how else am I suppose to make my delicious salads. I picked this Progressive salad spinner up at Marshalls for about $9.99. Cheap and has lasted me a while. The basket is removable so I like to wash everything in the basket, strained the water, chop up my veggies, toss my salad and whisk my salad dry with a couple of presses on the spin device. I love how big the basket is so I can make a large serving of salad to store for later too. You salad will last longer in the fridge if you it is dry. I usually make a gigantic salad and either eat it as a main component of my meal with added protein or as small side to a pasta or sandwich. Sometimes, when my fridge is empty, I can store the whole thing in the fridge too.

The spinner is relatively easy to use. You press on the top handle and the basket within spins, creating a circular motion that whisks the water out and it collects in the outer plastic bowl. There is a lock mechanism that locks the top handle in place for easier storage and a simple “stop” button that creates friction and stops the spinner from spinning. Once you invest in a salad spinner, you will never look back. No more soggy wet salads at home. Make you salad eating more enjoyable with simple gadgets like a salad spinner.

Speaking of kitchen tools and gadgets. I‘m going to be getting a mini food processor to review on The Skinny Plate from the lovely peeps over at www.cookware.com. They have tons of everyday brands like Cuisinart, Rachel Ray Cookware and even the most coveted Vita-Mix blender and Breville juicer at very competitive prices.

Retails: $9.99 @ Marshalls
My Cost: $9.99

P.S: Check out these awesome giveaways:
Starbucks VIA, Nature’s Path, tsp Spices, Flaxmatters, Favorite Things, T-Shirt, Hush Hush, Soup & Forever 21