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Food Find: Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars

May 22, 2012 by Sarah

Do you love fig bars? But maybe not the ingredient list? (If you haven’t looked at the ingredient list of a certain national brand you should: Ingredients: UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), FIGS, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, SOYBEAN OIL, WHEY (FROM MILK), PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL, SALT, BAKING SODA, CULTURED DEXTROSE, CALCIUM LACTATE, MALIC ACID, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SULFUR DIOXIDE ADDED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS.)

Yum…..or maybe not. There is a better version out there and they taste great!

Nature’s Bakery has a line of whole wheat fig bars that come in original and flavors. The 2 ounce packages have 2 bars. They are thick, soft and not all seedy nor are they pasty tasting (something I don’t like about that unnamed national brand).

No partially hydrogenated oils, no HFCS and no animal products (although they are produced in a plant that handles dairy). But most of all they don’t taste like little lead bricks, the taste is right.

I sourced mine at Cost Plus World Market, keep an eye out for them.

~Sarah

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Gear Find: Sistema Cutlery Kit

May 21, 2012 by Sarah

$5 and 2 ounces? That is what gets you a Sistema Cutlery Kit. I came across this interesting box at Cost Plus World Market, tucked in with the kitchen supplies. There are other versions of this concept out there – two bases that have tops that slide in. In this version you get a spoon, fork, knife and chopsticks. The case I love though, it is the length of my hand, small enough to tuck into a cooking pot or food bag. The chopsticks are over 8″ long, the spoon is 6¼”, fork is 6½”, making them usable in most situations (outside of a deep freeze-dried bag, but hey, you can always cut the top half off to make a bowl if you must eat that slop….)

They are made in New Zealand of BPA free plastic. And each piece has its own spot in the carry box, to hold it securely, so you don’t have pieces rattling around. I have found my new kit for this year. For both hiking and for my purse – so I am never without utensils!

~Sarah

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Book Review: Fitness For Geeks

May 17, 2012 by Sarah

Released at the start of the month is Fitness for Geeks: Real Science, Great Nutrition, and Good Health, a new book from O’REILLY books and Makezine. There are a lot of folks who work in tech who also like to hike and backpack, my husband being one of them. So I poked through the book (and fittingly read it in e-book form!) to see if I could glean any new ideas for Kirk. I smiled as I read page 11 where the encouragement is to quit using traditional desks while working – Kirk already went that route and has been using a GeekDesk for quite some time. For Kirk, simply not using a traditional desk has been fantastic for his being more limber. I’d highly encourage looking into the desk setups if you sit all day and want to stay in better shape. As a side bonus, with the desk going up and down, you can make your desk and triple monitors child proofed from sticky fingered toddlers! (Quite helpful if you work from home)

The book covers a wide range of subjects, from evaluating your current way of life, to online fitness tools and apps, to a number of sections discussing food and nutrition, to getting outside and how to use a gym.

I’ll admit for me the geek factor was a wee bit too strong, where as I can see my husband enjoying the style of reading, the e-book version has many links in it, a nice touch. I also read the paper version and while the links are listed, being able to click through really works and is a bonus for going digital.

There are many good points but honestly I just couldn’t get through the fasting section. Or talking about dumpster diving/freeganism. That was one step over whack-o-ville for me. I think the book could be of use to me if I simply chose to not read certain sections! And maybe Kirk will pick up ideas as well…..

~Sarah

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Food Find: Snapdragon Rice Crisps

May 16, 2012 by admin

I have reviewed Snapdragon items before, you can find their meal kits at Cost Plus World Market stores, recently I came across the line of Rice Crisps in the cracker section of our local Safeway. And as a bonus were on sale, 2 for $5.00.

The Bangkok Sweet Chili are tasty if you love heat and crispy crackers. The toddler happily munched them (although he also like drinking sweet chili sauce by itself…the boy likes spicy foods). The crackers are sealed in a Mylar bag and the crumbs are great on rice dishes, just saying! And they are both gluten-free and vegan as well…..and spicy!

There are 4 other flavors as well, lots of options for a different take on trail crunchies.

~Sarah

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Food Find: Bobo’s Oat Bars

May 15, 2012 by Sarah

I sampled Bobo’s Oat Bars back in March at VegFest, which is held yearly in Seattle (and I try to never miss). The bars were different than what I expected, especially when so many of the energy or snack bars are so alike these days. Bobo’s stand out, due to the texture. They are more like a piece of baked oatmeal than an energy bar.

The bars come in 10 flavors for the regular and in 4 for the gluten-free version. All the bars are wheat free, vegan and non-GMO. At 3 ounces the bars are dense – the package is considered two servings. An entire Coconut bar is a calorie powerhouse: 360 calories, 14 grams fat, 6 grams fiber, 6 grams protein and only 40 mg sodium. The other flavors have similar nutritional stats as well.

The bars are not cheap but if you are looking for an all-natural high calorie bar this could be the one for you. Especially if you love oatmeal!

~Sarah

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Raw, Raw and Well…Raw!

May 11, 2012 by admin

Between babies 2 and 3 Kirk and I were eating quite a bit of “raw” foods, which I promptly fell off that wagon when I got pregnant with Alistaire. Now that he is 3 months old we have been getting back to it. If you follow my personal blog (I know some of our readers here do – thank you!), you have seen the new recipes. One obsession of mine is raw or mostly raw bars. Think like Larabars™.  Just fresher and customizable. Our toddler, Walker, really loves them, be it in ball, cookie or bar form. It is an easy and tasty way to get healthy raw nuts, seeds and fruits while hiking (or anytime of the day!).

The recipes do need a food processor or similar, such as a Ninja work bowl or Vitamix, to chop up the nuts and blend the fruit. It is a worthwhile kitchen tool(s) to have though!

PB and Oat Bites:

Raw PB Cookies:

Sunflower Cookies:

Raw Chocolate Cherry Brownies:

Raw Chocolate Cake:

Raw Fig Cake:

Date and Almond Bars:

Raw Cocoa Bars:

Raw Cookie Dough Balls:

Walnut and Hemp Bars:

Coconut Macaroon Bars:

Raw Brownies:

To good taste and options! PS: If you are on Pinterest, I have a board for energy bars/raw treats/granola bars.

~Sarah

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Skinnygirl Drink Mixes

May 7, 2012 by Sarah

I pondered which of my blogs to review the Skinnygirl Daily Vitamin Power Packets on – did it make more sense for my personal journal or here? In the end I felt Trailcooking was the right one – simply because I would love having these along on hikes.

We were sent 4 flavors/types to try out recently and I found I loved them. For a couple of reasons really – they are natural, have no artificial coloring or flavors and are sweetened with Stevia. No, these are not for those seeking calories. But if you are seeking a pleasant way to take vitamins it is worth it. Just add to 10 ounces col water and shake up. I found they tasted best if you mix and let sit for 10 or so minutes, then drink. No vitamin aftertaste. no artificial sweetener clouding it. The Energy + Alertness in Strawberry Lemonade was my favorite. And overall the price isn’t bad either – 50 cents a tube puts it around the same price as the Stevia sweetened Crystal Lite drink mixes that can be found in some grocery stores. And if I am encouraged to drink more on hot days…well, that is a bonus!

PS: Through 5/20 use the code “MOTHERSDAY” at skinnygirldaily for $5 off any purchase of $14 or more! Plus, from May 8-15, every box of Skinnygirl Daily On-the-Go Vitamin Power Packets will come with a limited edition Skinnygirl Daily t-shirt.

~Sarah

FTC Disclaimer: We received product samples for potential review.

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Heavenly Organics Honey Patties

May 3, 2012 by Sarah

I came across these candies at our local PCC store (think a local version of Whole Foods). They had single patties for sale, a small treat to tuck into. Made by Heavenly Organics, the Honey Pattie™ comes in 4 flavors:

Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Almond, Chocolate Pomegranate and Chocolate Ginger. They are gluten-free, dairy-free, sweetened with raw honey and have 3 ingredients each. Simple treats with nothing fake added. The mini candies are 11 grams in weight, sized perfectly for a quick burst of energy!

The patties are very tasty, the chocolate is clear – no chemicals or fake flavors, just vibrant taste. Well worth looking for in natural food stores, they would be a treat to have in a snack bag.

~Sarah

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