Kit’s Organic fruit and nut bars appear to be CLIFs version of the all popular LaraBar. Up until these, CLIF was mostly offering grain based protein bars for active folks and a specialty brand of the same for women. I am not a fan because they have grains and they have soy. It was one these brands actually that I started consuming shorty before my thyroid disaster. When CLIF contacted me about trying these bars I was a nano second away from hitting delete when I saw that these were fruit and nut bars only. Well, okay, sure…why not?

When I got my Kit’s Organic bars in the mail I was curious to see if they could topple the other fruit and nut bars from my pantry shelves because LaraBar is pretty much King in this house. I eat them daily and my husband usually does as well. After diving into my Kit’s Organic box I quickly decided that CLIF is in fact trying to compete with LaraBar because the flavors are pretty much the same as some of LaraBar’s best sellers.

I started with the competition for my absolute favorite LaraBar…Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. The CLIF version is simply “Peanut Butter”. I don’t eat peanut butter anymore due to the aflatoxins, except I will eat these. Not going to give them up any time soon. LaraBar remains supreme for this flavor IMO. The Kit’s Organic peanut butter bar was only so-so.

This is where it got interesting though…

The Berry Almond Kit’s bar is very, very similar to the LaraBar Blueberry Muffin bar, which I also love. It is my second favorite in fact. Kit’s came out on top though. Their bar tasted like a moist and delicious blueberry cake.

The Cashew bar from Kit’s is exactly like LaraBar’s cashew cookie, except the LaraBar version is not very tasty IMO and the Kit’s version is insanely delicious. I might actually pass up a Peanut Butter LaraBar for this one!!

The Chocolate Almond Coconut Kit’s bar can be compared to LaraBar’s Chocolate Coconut Chew. Once again Kit’s comes out on top. I really like coconut and chocolate but never found the Larabar with these flavors to be really that good but I was wowed by the Kit’s brand.

Got to give props were they are deserved. Kit’s Organic bars are off the hook! Plus they are 100% organic, gluten free, soy free, and dairy free. The only drawback that I can see is that they are $1.59 per bar, which makes them about $.30 cents more expensive, per bar. Plus I only buy LaraBar’s in bulk when I see the price dip to $.80-$1.00 per  bar. If Kit’s bars have similar sales I will definitely buy in the future.

Attn: Giveaway at the end of this post!

A few weeks back Mountain Rose Herbs sent me a few of their Epicurean Organic Seasonings and the husband and I were excited to get cooking with them! I have been a fan of the store for a very long time and have bought their bulk herbs and essential oils in the past. They are one of my top sources for quality herbal ingredients for natural remedies. I never even thought about buying spices and cooking herbs there, not sure why exactly. Probably because I am not very adventurous with spices and herbs. I kinda stick to those I know and don’t deviate. My husband on the other hand loves to use herbs and spices, the more exotic the better. I can totally admit that he is a much better cook than I.

We ended trying four of the Epicurian Organics – Thai Curry, Herbs De Provence, West Indies Rub, and Grilling Herbs.

Grilling Herbs – This blend packs a punch with its bold flavor and penetrating aroma which holds itself well against high heat and direct flame. It is perfect for grilling those steaks outside and that is what we used it for. Contains the following ingredients: organic garlic, organic rosemary, organic black pepper, organic thyme and organic herbs. It was nice to have these all in one bottle as opposed to many and we love to use our grill so these will go fast.

Herbs de Provence –This one ended up being my favorite! From the birthplace of Gastronomy and fine cooking comes this flavorful and floral blend used for most dishes which need a “high-lifting” flavor. Best reserved for pastas, fish and most seafood. Contains the following ingredients: organic thyme, organic rosemary, organic marjoram, organic lavender and organic herbs. I used it for salmon (yum!) and in homemade chicken soup (double yum!).

West Indies Rub – A tasty and alluring blend which has been popularized by traditional Caribbean and Jamaican dishes, and is best in stir fry entrees, on fish, and as a seasoning base for gumbo. Will also enhance the flavor of traditional Thai dishes. Contains the following ingredients: organic garlic, organic black pepper, sea salt, organic ginger, organic fenugreek, organic coriander, organic mustard seed and organic spices. I made baked chicken legs with this selection and also some tacos. They were quite tasty!

Thai Curry Blend – A traditional seasoning used for the entire spectrum of Thai, Indonesian, or Szechuan dishes. Any lover of Thai or Indonesian food will rejoice in the splendor that this deeply penetrating blend provides. Contains the following ingredients: organic garlic, organic onion, organic lemon peel, organic red pepper, organic black pepper, organic herbs and organic spices. My husband used this a few times for some Asian dishes that incorporated kelp noodles. He doesn’t use a recipe as he just prefers to throw everything together and hope it works out well. Everything was delicious though.

In addition to coming from a very ethical and reputable company the spices are certified organic, Kosher certified, fairly traded, non GMO, irradition free, and chemical free. You could spend hours on their site reading up on their mission, ethical trading, their sustainability projects, and their commitment to a healthy world and planet. 2% of the proceeds from this line is donated to the Organic Consumers Association. These spices/herbs are also packaged in beautiful recycled glass bottles with post-consumer waste paper labels and original botanical watercolors. They are 100% organic and eco friendly goodness. It must also be said that they are VERY reasonably priced.

I hope my pictures above look mouth watering because one reader will get the exact same herbs/spices I did! You can see them below…

To enter just follow the prompts on the Rafflecopter form below, you have many options/chances to enter. The giveaway closes on May 16. Good luck and happy cooking!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A few weeks back Cascadian Farm asked me to participate in an all organic Earth Day feast celebration. My mission was simply to create an Earth Day feast, or rather a feast worthy of Earth Day since I would have to do it earlier in the month, and use organic foods. To facilitate they sent me an Earth Day Celebration Kit with Cascadian Farms products and coupons. So of course I decided to incorporate Cascadian Farm foods wherever I could.

In honor of the warmer weather of late I decided to go with a backyard picnic feast. I dug out my fave yard sale quilt (only $1.00!) that we use for picnics and I made light and fresh foods. That ended up being paleo chicken tacos, homemade salsa, and blueberry coconut milk smoothies. Perfect for a mid day picnic in the back yard. All the fresh fruit and veggies just scream Earth Day.

Pretty much everything was organic and to make it a Cascadian Farm affair we used their Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes in the salsa, frozen sweet corn as a taco topping, and frozen blueberries in the smoothies. It was delicious! We might just do the whole thing over again on Earth Day for reals. ;)

We buy organic most of the time but it is always good to have that reminder that it is better for the planet and for our health. Supporting organic is a crucial step in voting for the world we want. “Like” the Cascadian Farm Facebook page to get more information on their Earth Day celebration. Also many thanks to them for our kit, which came in that nifty canvas basket seen in the pictures.

Attn: There is a Tropical Traditions giveaway at the bottom of this post!

I have known about Tropical Traditions for a couple years now and always meant to order some of their amazing coconut oil. For whatever reason I just never got around to it and ended up buying the coconut oil I found at my local grocery. Going paleo/primal really revved up my quest for quality though and I finally decided to buy what I considered the BEST coconut oil and coconut products out there. In my mind that honor belongs to Tropical Traditions. I ended falling in love with their coconut oil and several of their other products. Consider this my love letter.

The company itself is also amazing. This is small family business in the Philippines that uses local, organic coconuts. None of their products are mass produced which is why sometimes you go to their site and find your favorite items are backordered. The ethical way in which they grow and harvest from their own land as well as other area farmers speak volumes. The volcanic soil of Mt. Banahaw (where they are located) makes their organic coconuts some of the most nutritionally rich coconuts you can buy too. Reading about the history of the company and their farm practices from their web site is fascinating!

We now order and use with regularity their:

Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil – It is 100% pure organic coconut oil made without the use of solvent extracts. It is made the “old” way by expeller-pressed mechanical extraction. Also, unlike virgin coconut oil it does not have a coconut taste or smell, which makes it our preferred oil for cooking.

Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil – This oil has that coconut taste and smell so it is perfect for baking and cooking foods that you want to have that special coconut flavor… think coconut shrimp or coconut brownies. Since going paleo I am making a lot more coconut based desserts so this is perfect for that use. It’s quite yummy!

Shredded Coconut and Coconut Flakes – We bought the one gallon pails once and now we just buy the refill packages. These go in all sorts of dishes – pancakes, cookies, cereal, etc.

Coconut Cream Concentrate - This is certified organic whole coconut meat in concentrated form. It is sometimes referred to as “coconut butter” and it is food, not a cooking oil. Typically we put it in drinks like smoothies and coffee but you can drizzle it on fruit, use it in homemade nut butters, or put it in puddings and fudge. Oh, and you can mix with water to make coconut milk.

Organic Coconut Flour – We use this in place of regular grain based flour for all sorts of recipes.

Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Moisturizing Cream – This is the stuff of heaven. It is so creamy and soft and it makes your skin feel that way too. Love, love, love this stuff! My husband also uses it quite frequently for his own skin and he uses it in his hair. We both prefer the peppermint scented.

Coconut Oil Teeth Cleaners – They don’t foam and they take some getting used to but I really like them. I have used and like the mint and the cinnamon.

Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Lip Moisturizers – Another wonderfully soft and luxurious skincare product. The citrus flavor is my favorite.

Coconut Bar Soap and Shampoo Bars – Ingredients: Just saponified organic virgin coconut oil.

They also sent me a free book about Virgin Coconut Oil after my very first order. Woot!

The Non-Coconut Products:

Certified Organic Canadian Raw Honey – Yum times a million. Best honey I ever tasted.

Organic Maple Syrup – Gives you a reason to eat pancakes every day!

I totally plan to try to just about everything they offer because I adore everything thus far and they have become my go-to standards for these products. So far we seem to be dousing ourselves pretty liberally with coconut and I am more than okay with that because it is so darn healthy for you, yet I would like to try their grass fed and pastured meats too. I guess I am a Tropical Traditions junkie at this point but there are worse things to be. ;)

So, on to the giveaway! Tropical Tradition has generously offered to send on of my readers a jar of their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil. They also sent me a jar for free. It was very happy to join the rest of our coconut goodies in the pantry.

This video shows all the ways you can benefit from using coconut oil:

Are you sold yet?!?! To enter just comment (below the Rafflecopter form) and tell me how you will enjoy this coconut oil. You can also get more entries by liking some Facebook pages and following twitter accounts. Use the Rafflecopter form below and good luck!

Yesterday I read an article on NaturalNews.com that really raised my eyebrows. The article claims that 40% of American meals are now purchased and consumed outside the home. This is very scary for the future health and wellness of this country and for generations of children. I myself used to be a big fast food eater so I totally get why it has become so addicting. My first child used to have McDonald’s 5 days a week while I was working. Then I got cancer and had a big revelation about my health and my diet. I would like to think that most fast foodies know somewhere inside themselves that they need to change and start making healthy meals at home. Finding out as I did, that you may never live to make those changes, can really shake you up. Someday cannot be put off even one more day.

Nowadays we rarely eat out. Once a month hubby and I hit the sushi bar for date night and occasionally we hit up Chipotle for a “primal” salad bowl. On special occasions, like birthdays, we may go to a restaurant as a family. That is about the extent of our eating outside of the home. We don’t ever order pizza. I think my kids did have McDonald’s around Halloween time because they really wanted the trick or treat bucket. I didn’t feel badly about it though because it is so rare. Pretty much every night we know that our food needs to be cooked and eaten at home. Once you make that commitment it just become normal. Here are some ways to bring the family back to the table…

1. Stock the Kitchen with Tried and True Favorites

You know what you like to eat and you know what your kids like to eat so stock up and make it easy on yourself by making certain meals each week. Monday can be meatloaf night, Tuesday can be almond crusted chicken wings night, Wednesday can be soup night, etc. Knowing what you need at the store and exactly what you will make, means cooking is so much easier!

2. Keep Some “Fast” Home Cooked Meal Ideas on File

Most of our meals require some planning on my part and often some advance preparation but it helps to have ideas when you need to cook it fast. When I am looking for a fast dinner option I go with egg salad, cauliflower soup, egg drop soup, or coconut flour pancakes. All of these can be made in 20 to 30 minutes and we usually have all the stuff to make them on hand. I am always on the lookout for quick and easy recipes that I can file away mentally for nights when I didn’t plan well or I am short on time.

3. Shop Smart for Home Cooked Goodness on a Budget

There are all sorts of ways to eat healthy real foods on a budget. Some of my favorites include:

• Buying in bulk
• Using free shipping online or online deals and coupons
• Shopping after the meat dept closes when all the grass fed beef and lamb are marked down
• Buying from the Farmer’s Market just before close
• Buying the raw ingredients for processed foods and making my own (kefir, yogurt, kombucha, etc)