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

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

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

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.

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

The bags are 6×4″ in size and weigh 0.8 of an ounce. They are machine-washable.

Will bags like this replace plastic bags? For some uses, yes, they can. If you are carrying crackers, baby carrots , peas, grapes or other items such as raw nuts they work well. Not so great for neon-orange encrusted Doritos© (yuck anyways) or wet produce (say watermelon!). The bags also work well to organize small items such as tins of lip balm, mini tools and other things that tend to wander off in packs. I found that to be a great application last weekend – I stashed all my small items I like to have on hand in my pack’s top pocket. Normally I use a freezer bag in pint size, they last a couple of trips. The bag was much classier to say the least.

So consider the value of cotton bags for some things, they can be handy!

~Sarah

Clif Bar Z Kid’s recently sent us a bar of the newest flavor, Iced Oatmeal Cookie. Ford (my oldest) has loved getting them in his pack for many years, although with being 14 now they don’t fill him up. So the 2 year old, Walker, has taken Ford’s title as “Official Food Tester”. Anyhow, Walker enjoyed the bar. The Z Bars are a great size for smaller appetites, especially for toddlers and preschoolers. The “icing” swirls on top make it seem more like a treat…an easy “trail bribe” for tired young ones!

Definitely a winner, kids will love these bars.

~Sarah

Let Them Paddle: Coming of Age on the Water – You might recognize Alan S. Kesselheim – he has written a couple of well known outdoor cookbooks as well! This is a fascinating book.

Hill Fit is an e-book aimed at those wanting to get into great shape for well…hill walking (or as we in the US call it, hiking!).

A book I need to say the least. My skills lie in recipe development, not photographing. Maybe I will pick up more skills….

~Sarah

~Sarah

Granted I know not everyone is into “hippy” food. Last year though Kirk and I changed our diets considerably and with a steady intake of oats, chia seeds, flaxseed meal, hulled hemp seeds (hemp hearts), raw nuts and plenty of veggies and beans, we both saw our cholesterol numbers fall by half. In a 3 month period. Our doctors were shocked but happy. I fell off the bandwagon a bit while I was pregnant with our third child but now I am back on the ol’ wagon once again. We eat a pretty steady of these items so I was happy to note recently that there single serving bags of raw hulled hemp seeds out there. The perfect amount for a breakfast addition. If you haven’t had them stirred into oatmeal (oats, dried fruit, a little sweetener) you don’t know what you are missing. They are crunchy, buttery and very tasty. And single serving mean you will have them fresh each time. It might seem crazy, but if you like other raw nuts you will love these. And they are a great addition to a healthy diet while hiking!

Want to see other ideas using hulled hemp seeds? That are trail ready? Here you go!

Date Walnut Energy Bars

PB and Oat Bites

~Sarah