Tag Archives: Gluten Free

Giveaway! The Quick Meal Trifecta- Fast, Healthy, Tasty – Annie Chun’s Noodle Bowls and More

by Julie Posted on March 29, 2013

To wrap up National Noodle Month (yes the delicious guys deservedly have their own month) Annie Chun’s asked me to review their products.  The timing was exceptional, as I had just learned my boyfriend’s old college trick of fancying up and giving a nutritional boost to ramen noodles by simply adding fresh veggies to the noodles before pouring in the hot water.

I have been living in awe and gratitude of this dish and enjoying the many different incarnations I’ve discovered right there within my crisper drawer.  Basic additions of green onions, mushrooms, kale, and carrots are yummy and this combo has become my seven year old’s favorite soup to bring in her thermos to school.  Personally I really enjoy a more complicated flavor; adding some fresh garlic and chunks of ginger (remove ginger after steeping) kicks it up to restaurant level.

765667100806.jpg.preview Enter Annie Chun’s to step it up to a healthier, tastier level.  Their products are all natural with no preservatives or nasty MSG.  I tried the Pad Thai noodle bowl, and being a huge fan of Thai food, I was definitely skeptical and definitely pleasantly surprised.  The peanut sauce was not overly sweet and did not overwhelm the hint of lime I like so much. I took the bowl to work with a container of mixed veggies on the side and had a satisfying and tasty lunch ready in less than two minutes.  It didn’t taste overly seasoned or salty like many ramen noodle bowls I’ve tried in the past, but please note the sodium is 42% of our daily value, so you might want to go light on the salt elsewhere.3D_FN_SobaNoodles-low-rgb.preview

I’d seen Annie Chun’s products at the market before, but had no idea of the variety available and the healthy options included.  The organic Freshpak noodles look fantastic – choose from buckwheat soba, chow mein, or udon.  Being a lover of Asian foods, any of these would be a great staple in my kitchen – healthy dinners in five minutes that my kids and I both love?  Yes please.

I seriously could eat Thai food everyday and not get tired of its well rounded flavors and spice, but I have often lamented about the lack of nutrition available in white flour noodles.  Now I can make a healthier version at home without giving up the fiber or flavor – Annie Chun’s Pad Thai Noodles products_sauces_padthai.previeware made with 100% whole grain,  gluten free brown rice and were named as one of Prevention.com’s 21 healthiest foods.  These are quick and flavorful when prepped with Annie’s bottled Pad Thai sauce (also available in gluten-free), some vegetables, and/ or the meat of your choice.  The bottled sauce is also more reasonable with it’s salt content with 400 mg per serving.

I think it’s fantastic that packaged foods can be this good for you and without added preservatives! Even better, these products are inexpensive and widely available from your local grocer or online directly from Annie Chun’s.

WIN

Annie Chun’s has kindly offered to award two Takes a Village Readers each with a Noodle Prize Pack consisting of:

Annie Chun’s Pad Thai Brown Rice Noodleslo_SpicyChk.preview
Annie Chun’s Gluten Free Pad Thai Sauce
1 Annie Chun’s Noodle Bowl
1 Annie Chun’s Ramen House Noodles

About a $15 value!

I love that these products are so adaptable and look forward to trying more exotic offerings as well!  To win simply enter via Rafflecoptor and comment below with which cuisine’s flavors appeal most to you and why – make sure to let Rafflecoptor know you commented!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Special thanks to Annie Chun’s for providing samples for my review! 
Posted in diet, Fast Healthy Meals, Giveaway, Gluten Free, Health, Recipes, Vegan, Villagers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Take a Hike! Navitas Trail Mix Giveaway!

by Julie Posted on November 9, 2012

If you’ve read my other articles, you already know I’m always on the hunt for healthy, portable, AND delicious snacks.  My on-the-go lifestyle is far from unique and I’m probably not the only parent who is known to skip meals on particularly busy days. That’s why I’m a huge advocate of always carrying a nutritious bite, wherever you may go.

Trail mix has been around seemingly forever, and with good cause.  Hunter/ gathers needed to stay alert and energized while foraging and stalking and so do we!   I’ve tried all different mixes, many pre-packaged and some of my own.  Honestly, I like most things involving nuts, seeds, fruit, and especially some form of chocolate; I’m not that hard to please.  BUT, there is a company I’ve spoken of before who goes above and beyond the average mix…. Navitas Naturals!

What I love about these mixes is there simplicity.  Their names double as their ingredients:  Mulberries-Gojis-Goldenberries and 3 Berry-Cacoa Nib-Cashew.  Nothing else added to these superfoods – no processing, certified organic, raw, nutrient dense, and delicious.   I tried the latter of the two mixes.  The three berries are those mentioned in the first mix.  Pretty simple, pretty tasty.

I ate the Navitas Trail Mix while hiking, while driving, and admittedly while just sitting here writing.  It tastes good and it feels good.  Packed with iron, vitamin C, and vitamin A; this is one of those treats that you feel from your head to your toes.

While recent claims of cacao containing vitamin C have been proven false, there are plenty of other reasons to eat it.  It is high in iron, magnesium, and fiber, to name a few.  Also, it is an unsweetened, unprocessed way to get a chocolate fix!

Goldenberries, originating in the Incan diet, are basically a citrusy raisin in flavor.  In nutrient value, they give us antioxidants, fiber iron, vitamin A, fiber, and then some.  These were a new flavor for me and grew on me quickly.

Many of you have probably already heard of Goji Berries, they’ve been a recent superfood celebrity.  Antioxidant benefits are joined by beta-carotene, amino acids, polysaccharides, and more!

When Navitas Naturlas decided to put these super-ingredients together, they gave us a nutrient and flavor blast – thanks!  I enjoyed adding the trail mix to cereal and imagine it could be a great addition to baked goods and more – use your imaginations and please let us know what you come up with!

Navitas Naturals is a certified organic, green company based in Northern California.  They are “committed to socially and environmentally responsible business practices. We source our premium functional foods through direct partnerships with farming communities around the world. An essential part of our mission is to create economic opportunities among indigenous people in developing countries, and our support of native agriculture helps expand development of global organic farming practices.”

Navitas Natural products are widely available in stores and also directly from their super informative website, which includes an awesome variety of functional food recipes.

Win Some!

The wonderful crew at Navitas Naturals are giving TWO lucky Takes a Village readers each a 4 oz. bag of Mulberries-Gojis-Goldenberries AND a 4 oz. bag 3 Berry-Cacoa Nib-Cashew trail mixes, a $12 value!

To enter, simply visit Navitas’ website, check out the trail mix and let us know how you would incorporate this into you daily life… would you eat it straight while driving, bake with it (share your recipes!), or what?

Additional entries below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Special thanks to Navitas Naturals for their delicious samples provided for my review!
Congratulations to our winners Louis and Michelle!
Posted in diet, Food, Giveaway, Gluten Free, Health, Snacks, Vegan, Villagers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Giveaway! Have a Healthy Conscience this Halloween with Organic Gummies by Surf Sweets!!

by Julie Posted on October 9, 2012

Halloween is a blast for many reasons.  If you ask a child, there’s a pretty good chance they’re in it largely for the candy.  There are so many options out there for tossing into pumpkin-shaped pails, how do we choose what’s best?

I don’t want to be the house avoided for being too granola, or the apple most parents (including  me) would trash in a heartbeat for fear of tampering, but I also don’t want to add to the bounty of high fructose corn syrup, artificial mayhem that our kids greedily gobble, because it does taste good.

I am personally partial to sour gummy candy.  Until recently my greatest movie theater guilty pleasure was a great big box of Sour Patch Kids, until I found out what makes them so sour and so addictive.  According to an article on Hub Pages,  some of the chemicals used for modification include a petroleuderivative, a corrosive used to remove rust, and potassium hydroxide which is used to make alkaline batteries.  Of course I don’t believe everything I read online, but this is hardly shocking.

So, I found something far better!

Surf Sweets natural and organic candy contains no high-fructose corn syrup, is free of artificial flavors or sweeteners, is allergy-friendly, peanut-free, gluten-free and taste delicious!  My girls love their gummies, saying they taste like “fruit”.  What a refreshing comparison!  I also found that Surf Sweets got the texture just right, nice and soft, yet pleasantly chewy.  They don’t stick to my teeth which makes me feel much better about sharing them with my kids – if they’re lucky.

I must admit the sour gummies are still my preference, and though Surf Sweets Sour Berry Bears are not nearly as mouth hurtingly sour as the mainstream brand, there is VERY good reason for that – they’r non-toxic!  In fact the sour worms and gummy swirls contain 100% of the US RDA for vitamin c and the snack pack gummy bears and sour bears have 70% making them a great trick-or-treat candy or lunchbox addition – happy kid, happy parent!

I was also quite pleased to discover that Surf Sweets has partnered with some great non-profit groups including the Eco Mom Alliance, FAAN (Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network), Kids with Food Allergies Foundation, Green Halloween, and The Ocean Project.  They are even donating a portion of sales from their multi-box snack packs to Climate Cycle, a Chicago based organization committed to cleaner energy for schools.

Surf Sweets gummy products and other goodies can be purchased for a very reasonable price online or at many brick and mortar shops including Whole Foods and many smaller local markets.

 Happy Halloween!!! It’s Time to Win!!!

Surf Sweets is giving one lucky Takes a Village reader four boxes of organic gummy snack packs (containing 5 packs each), perfect for a month of school lunches or for trick-or-treaters!  It’s easy to enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Special thanks to Surf Sweets for providing delicious samples for my review!
Posted in Dessert, diet, Food, Giveaway, Snacks, Vegan, Villagers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Giveaway! Yoga Earth Keen-Wah Decadence Bars ~ Here’s to Healthy Indulgences!

by Julie Posted on August 28, 2012

I’ve mentioned before that I have a great affinity for keeping healthy snacks available for my kids at all times, hence the “snack bag” that follows us everywhere.  I have become a master a keeping nutritious nibbles on hand for the little ones, but like many parents I often tend to forget my own needs.

Dried fruit snacks and rice cakes are big favorites for the kids, and they somewhat satisfy me at times.  But, there are other instances when  I crave a flavor that is simply more grown up.  These are the times when I’ve recently reached for Yoga Earth’s delicious Keen-Wäh Decadence Bars.  The moniker doesn’t lie, these full flavored crispy cacao treats indulge my adult taste buds while providing complete protein which curbs my hunger too.

On taste alone, you’d never guess that these organic bars are gluten free and chock full of antioxidants plus super foods like quinoa, almonds, and cacao.  They had me at the original Chocolate Chia  flavor but have recently continued to tempt me with two new varieties ~ Coconut Almond and Cayenne Cinnamon (my personal favorite).  Sweetened with low-glycemic coconut nectar, Keen-Wäh Decadence are just the right amount of sweet, rounded out by the lovely bitter bite of cacao, the cayenne kick, or the almond crunch; there is something to excite every palate!  Not just for kids, my seven year old loves the Chocolate Chia and the Coconut Almond flavors when I manage to save her a bite.

When I discovered their wonderful crystalized coconut water, I also found out that YogaEarth donates 1% of its profits to Kiva, a groundbreaking nonprofit which allows people to lend money, in $25 increments to great causes worldwide, such as agriculture and rebuilding.  Kiva vets the loans requested and the borrowers repay the lender through their website.  I love this concept and that YogaEarth, supports it.

This is not the only way the Southern California based company works with the community.   Their products, including organic foods, yoga gear, and natural products are designed with consumer input.  As a member of their community, you can suggest and vote on product ideas, plus receive discounts.  In fact, Keen-Wäh Decadence Bars were created through this program, with the community’s input!

I’m continuously impressed by the extra steps Yoga Earth takes to help the environment.  They’re striving toward zero waste, manufacture locally, and employ sustainable practices.   “The company has designed a packaging program to optimize use of recycled materials, while protecting product integrity and safety. Outer packaging is FSC-certified and 80% minimum post-consumer waste. Packaging is produced in fully wind-powered facilities.”

 Win!

Yoga Earth has kindly offered a Takes a Village reader an entire case of 12 Keen-Wäh Decadence Bars, a $34.95 value!  Even more exciting ~ the winner may choose from any flavor, a mix of all three, or a combo of two kinds for their case!

To enter, simply check out Yoga Earth’s Keen-Wäh Decadence Bars on their website and comment on TAV via Rafflecopter with which flavor appeals most to you and why.  For more entries see below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to Yoga Earth for providing delicious samples for my review!
 
Congratulations to Sheri, our winner!
Posted in Dessert, Environmental, Food, Giveaway, Gluten Free, Health, non-profit, Recycling, Snacks, Villagers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Giveaway! Power Up Your Snacks with Navitas

by Julie Posted on May 22, 2012

In some circles (mainly the one consisting of my 4 and 6 year olds) I am known as the snack lady.  I am a huge advocate of healthy nibbles throughout the day, and all of the benefits they have to offer my girls and myself, especially mood improvement and increased brain function.  Personally, I feel much more balanced eating small meals interwoven with nutritious snacks rather than gorging on three gut-busting squares each day.

Aside from the notable health benefits, there is a definite convenience factor.  My girls and I have an unconventional schedule, more of a non-schedule really.  As much as I love to cook, it’s not always an option to have a meal ready at a scheduled time, or even when we’re super hungry.  Our lifestyle lends much better to nutritious items that are ready and waiting between meals.  

If you’ve ever encountered a hungry, grumpy toddler, the necessity of instant access to a quick bite is easy to comprehend.  I learned when my girls were small(er) that it is a great idea to carry a bag of healthy snacks, much like a doctor carries her med-kit, in a “break in case of emergency” style.  This makes it simple to keep everyone satiated, revive a crabby kid (or mom), and gives us a leg up if we are somewhere that offers nothing but empty calories or outrageously priced food.

Whilst on my never-ending search for healthy goods, I encountered superfood Power Snacks by Navitas Naturals.  These are no joke!  Available in Blueberry Hemp, Citrus Chia, and Cacao Goji (my favorite), these squares have a dense, brownie-like texture and a subtle sweetness.   The sweet note comes not from sugar, but from date paste and each plant-based ingredient, such as cacao, maca, chia, and camu-camu, has a purpose.

I am a huge fan of functional foods ~ who wouldn’t be when they taste as good as they make you feel?  Navitas Naturals Power Snacks are 100% pure superfoods and natural whole foods that are certified organic, vegan, raw, and gluten-free.

Navitas Naturals is a certified organic, green company based in Northern California.  They are “committed to socially and environmentally responsible business practices. We source our premium functional foods through direct partnerships with farming communities around the world. An essential part of our mission is to create economic opportunities among indigenous people in developing countries, and our support of native agriculture helps expand development of global organic farming practices.”

Navitas Natural products are widely available in stores and also directly from their super informative website, which includes an awesome variety of functional food recipes.

Win Some!

The kind folks at Navitas Naturals are giving one lucky Takes a Village reader a bag of Cacao Goji Power Snacks and a bag of Blueberry Hemp Power Snacks, an $18 value!

To enter, simply visit Navitas’ website, explore the colorful superfood icons at the bottom, and comment below with which interests you most and why.  For additional entries see below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to Navitas Naturals for providing delicious samples for my review!
Posted in diet, Food, Giveaway, Gluten Free, natural, organic, Recipes, Vegan, Villagers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Chocolate + Vegan + Gluten Free = Delicious (Seriously)

by Rachel Posted on February 8, 2012

This chocolate cake is inspired from Chef Sergio at Xinalani Eco Resort in Mexico.  This cake is divine!   Originally specified to use regular flour, I have altered the recipe to be Gluten Free.  Not only is it GF, but also Vegan.  The cake tastes incredible and the texture is perfect, yes even for a GF and Vegan Cake.  All you need to do is add your favorite icing and you are ready to knock the socks off of all your friends and family.

Chocolate cake

    serves 12

2 ½ cups Almond Flour

1 ¼ cup coco powder

2 ½ cups sugar

2 ½ tsp baking  powder

1 ¼ tsp baking soda

1 ¼ salt

1 tsp guar gum

12 oz firm tofu

1 ¼ cup soy or almond milk

½ cup canola oil

½  Tbs vanilla

1 ¼ cup water

2  bananas

Preheat the oven to 350°.

In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients and set aside.

Put all the wet ingredients,  except for the oil, together in a blender and mix well.  Add the oil a to the dry ingredients, then add the wet mixture and incorporate all the ingredients together.

Spray your cake mold with cooking spray to save it from sticking. Bake for about 40 minutes.

Posted in Dessert, Food, Gluten Free, Recipes, Vegan, Villagers | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment