by Sharm | Apr 10, 2018 | Food & Drink, Food Finds, Health, Products & Reviews
It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a product but when I received an email offering a sample of these high protein Planetarians Sunflower Chips, my interest was peaked. The email noted, “Planetarians is developing high protein snacks for growing population from by-products of the food industry, without the need to grow more crops.”
I was like what? How does that work? I am always looking for a snack high in protein that doesn’t contain nuts so I asked for a sample.
Turns out, the chips are made from sunflower meal which is the by-product from the production of sunflower oil. It’s referred to as an oil cake, which contains both protein and fiber.
I’m kinda on this kick about how much food waste is in our country. Although, there is not much one can do once the food is delivered to the masses, founder Aleh Manchuliantsau explains on the Planetarians website, that using by-products from the production of products (how’s that for a tongue twister) is a good place to start. I like his approach and hope there are others that will follow in his footsteps.
Now, back to the chips. Planetarians Sunflower Chips come in three flavors. Firey Sriracha, Sweet and Smokey BBQ and Sweetly Cinnamon. I got two packages of each in my sample pack. I’ve tried all three flavors and have to say they are all pretty good.
The crunchy texture of these bite-sized squares are a little grainy, but I wouldn’t say its bad, just different. Especially if you are expecting it to be like a greasy potato chip. They are definitely thicker, which makes them a hearty little snack.
I love sunflower seeds and sunflower butter. I would say these have a hint of sunflower seed taste but with the flavoring added you taste mostly that. The flavoring of the Sweet and Smokey BBQ definitely reminded me of the GUYS brand barbecue potato chips, which I haven’t had for years! These were a real a treat that brought back some fun memories of my youth! The Sriracha was not that fiery but had a good spicy flavor. I would say the Sweetly Cinnamon reminded me of the cinnamon and sugar toast I used to eat as a kid.
I try to eat pretty good most of the time and am always looking for healthier snack that is easy to take on the go. They do have some sugar in the seasoning, but they also contain protein and fiber, which is a little hard to find in crunchy snacks these days. Each flavor differs and you can find all the ingredients and nutritional information here.
My bottom line on these would be that although, the texture is not quite that of a potato chip, it does satisfy when you are craving that crunch. The taste satisfies when you craving something salty with the Sweet and Smokey BBQ and Fiery Sriracha flavors, while the Sweetly Cinnamon can cure a sweet tooth.
I would also consider these a transitioning food/snack. By that I mean if you are trying to eat healthier but still like some junk food, replace you snack attack item with Planetarians. It will satisfy the crunch and flavor you are craving while giving you a little more nutrition. If you have some young children or even not so young, try substituting these in place of their other chips and snacks and see if they like them. The pre-portioned packets make them super easy to grab on the go or throw in a lunch box.
If you are interested in trying Planetarians Sunflower Chips for yourself or family, the company is offering 25% off the 1st purchase on Amazon using code: 25cycled
Feel free to comment below if you have tried these and how you liked them.
Happy Snacking!
Sharm
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by Sharm | Mar 18, 2018 | Food & Drink, Mains, Recipes, Salads
This recipe makes a quick weeknight meal and only takes minutes to prepare. I always make it from leftover steak. I am addicted to Costco and buy the 4 pack of beef filet from there and cook them all at the same time to use for meals later in the week, like this salad. You could of course you could use any cut of steak that you like and always sub out the beef for chicken or pork. Make it vegetarian and use tofu.
You could of course also throw in any other veggies you have on had if you like including cucumber, celery or carrots.
With this salad only consisting of protein, veggies and healthy fats, it is clean eating and Whole 30 approved!
Chipotle peppers have become one of my favorite ingredients, but beware that the heat is in the seeds so it is important to scrape the seeds out of the pepper before chopping it. You can always add in a few seeds if you like your dishes spicy.
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Mexican
Servings: 2 people
-
2
Heads
Romaine Lettuce
chopped
-
1
Cup
Grape Tomatoes
sliced
-
1
Large
Avocado
sliced
-
1/4
cup
Red Onion
chopped
-
8
Ounces
Beef Filet
-
1
Chipotle Pepper in Adobe
seeded and chopped
-
2
Tablespoons
Salsa of choice
-
2
Tablespoons
Olive Oil
for cooking/re-heating steak
-
Chop lettuce and place in bowl.
-
Slice grape tomatoes, red onion and avocado.
-
Add tomatoes, onion and avocado to lettuce and toss to together. The avocado should coat the lettuce pieces. Set aside.
-
Chop chipotle pepper and set aside.
-
Slice steak into bit size pieces and set aside
-
Pour olive oil in skillet, and heat for 30 seconds.
-
Add steak and chipotle pepper to skillet tossing to coat all of the steak pieces with some of the chipotle pepper. Cook until desired doneness is reached. Or if steak is precooked, just toss with pepper and cook until heated through.
-
Divide lettuce mixture into 2 serving bowls and top with desired amount of steak. Serve with your favorite salsa.
by Sharm | Mar 18, 2018 | Articles, Events, Local Restaurants, Restaurants, What You're Missing KC!
There is a new craze in sports and it’s called pickleball. I know it’s a crazy name for a game but it is so fun and I have become slightly addicted playing 11 hours a week!
So, for those of you who don’t know about pickleball, it is a combination of tennis, wiffle ball and life-size ping pong. My best description is that it is played on court similar to tennis but is smaller and the net is lower.
Your paddle resembles a large rectangle ping pong paddle and the ball looks like a wiffle ball.
Chicken N Pickle in Kansas City is spot on with this new craze. With a restaurant on one side and play area on the other. The restaurant specializes in chicken of course and along with amazing food, offers indoor and outdoor pickleball courts. There is also a yard area with life-size versions of dominos, Battle Ship, Connect Four, Jenga, and dice. So even if you don’t play pickleball it is still a great place to hang out and have fun.
In addition to getting your pickleball fix, you can help a good cause as Chicken and Pickle are hosting a variety of charity dinners throughout the year.
For these events, head chef Alex Staab creates upscale gourmet dishes that you won’t find on the everyday menu. Each dish is prepaired using the kitchens rotisserie oven and paired and with a variety wines distributed by the Terra Firma Wine Company.
For this dinner, Chef Alex created dishes using wild boar, ravioli, field greens, lamb and pears. Talk about refined! As you can see by the pic of the menu and dishes, this was no ordinary chicken dinner!
The event I attended was for Jamies Wish Foundation who’s mission is to make a difference in the lives of those fighting cancer, by providing a more healing and comfortable environment for receiving infusions.
The dinner was amazing and the dishes elegant and refined. The wine pairings from Terra Firma paired perfectly. It was a delightful evening. The next event coming up is April 4 and will be a benefit for Wayside Waifs, one of Kansas City’s best no kill animal shelters.
If you are into helping a great cause while enjoying a phenomenal dinner. You must attend a charity event at Chicken N Pickle. If you are just into having a great time, you must take a few pickleball lessons and spend some time on the court. Or simply gather some friends and play some games in the yard all while enjoying a great meal! Dishes on the menu include rotisserie chicken, a variety of salads and sandwiches, tacos, pulled pork and more! Chicken N Pickle can also host your next event.
For more information on the dinners, event planning or playing pickleball visit Chicken N Pickle’s website.
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by Sharm | Feb 13, 2018 | Recipes, Sweets
Chocolate Fondue
Chocolate fondue is a fabulous party food and with February upon us, it makes a romantic dessert. Here are a few ideas to put together one effortlessly and some of the best dippers that go perfect with it.
Chocolate Fondue
Melting chocolate can be slightly tricky but here are a few tips that make it easy.
Use a double boiler or place a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
When microwaving, stop every 20-30 seconds and give the chocolate a stir.
If using a fondue pot, use the lowest setting.
Adding a tablespoon of butter or coconut oil at the very end will add a beautiful sheen to the chocolate.
Some of the best dippers include:
Strawberries
Apples
Bananas
Shortbread Cookies
Pound Cake
Madeline Cookies
Peanut Butter Balls (Mix together 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 3 tablespoons of softened butter and shape into balls. Chill a few hours before setting out to be dipped)
Marshmallows
Graham Crackers
Chocolate Fondue
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by Sharm | Feb 12, 2018 | Cocktails & Wine, Food & Drink, Recipes, Wineries
Cranberry and Blood Orange Cocktail
This cocktail is perfect for a variety of holidays throughout the year with just a change in the garnish. With February upon us it makes a lovely cocktail for Valentines Day.
We had an early Valentines celebration with some friends and I had the La Pinta Pomegranate Tequila that I got in Mexico while at the El Dorado Royale. I thought with it’s beautiful red color it would make a fun Valentine cocktail. After a little trial and error, I got just the right combo of ingredients for this delicious cocktail.
La Pinta Pomegranate Tequila
-
2
oz
La Pinta Pomegranate Tequila
-
4
oz
Unsweetened Cranberry Juice*
-
2
tbsp
Blood Orange Syrup
-
2
tbsp
Agave Nectar
-
1/4
cup
Sparkling Orange Water
Optional: Fresh Pomegranate Arils and Blood Orange Slices for Garnish
-
Pour pomegranate tequila, cranberry juice, blood orange syrup and agave nectar in to shaker. Shake until blended. Fill serving glass with ice. Pour drink mixture into glass add sparkling water. Garnish with pomegranate arils and blood orange slices if desired.
*If you are using sweetened cranberry juice, omit the agave nectar.
Round Pond Blood Orange Syrup
The blood orange syrup which you can see is gone, came in a set of syrups from the Round Pond Winery in Napa. The blood orange syrup is delicious and I have used it on a cheeseboard to be drizzled over goat cheese and have used it to drizzle over pound cake and ice cream as a dessert topping. The last of it went into this cocktail! I’m looking forward to cracking open the Meyer lemon syrup and see what happens. I already know it is delicious as I sampled it while on a visit there. I think you should be able to order it online at the Round Pond website.
Cranberry Blood Orange Cocktail Ingredients
I need to be clear that I am not getting any kickback on any of these products. It just happened to be the brands I had on hand or like. You can certainly find a variety of brands that make a blood orange syrup, juices and agave, so buy what ever you like! I made a note in the recipe but if you end up getting cranberry juice that is already sweetened, you should omit the agave nectar as it will make the cocktail to sweet.
I’m not sure about other pomegranate tequilas. You can do some sleuthing on your own to find a brand you like or you can find out where to buy the La Pinta in your area on their website. You could certainly use plain tequila as well.
La Pinta Pomegranate Tequila
I think this cocktail would be great for quite a few holidays. Just change up the garnishes a bit. For Christmas add a sprig of mint, basil or rosemary for a pop of green. For the 4th of July omit the blood orange slice and add blueberries.
I would love to hear what some of you favorite cocktails are so feel free to comment below or email me with any questions.
Enjoy!
Sharm
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by Sharm | Nov 5, 2017 | Recipes, Sweets, Uncategorized
Almond Date Latte featuring Wicked Joe Coffee
This almond date latte is a recipe my husband created a few months ago while on the Whole 30 diet and we have been making and drinking it every morning since.
Sugar and sweeteners are omitted on this diet so those who like their coffee a little sweet need to get a little creative.
The Whole 30 diet is based on specific whole foods. When we saw dates were acceptable that was the answer to adding some sweetness to the coffee.
When I was offered a sample of the Sumatra blend coffee from Wicked Joe, I thought it would be great to try it in this recipe.
The Sumatra blend is a delicious coffee with notes of dense chocolate and spices which pair perfectly with the cinnamon and coconut oil that goes into the recipe.
Wicked Joe is a family-owned coffee company based in Maine serving up 100% certified organic, fair trade and non-GMO verified coffees.
They roast their beans in a state of the art energy efficient facility using sustainable business practices from crop-to-cup. To complement their sustainable business practices all of Wicked Joe coffee beans are purchased directly from farmers and cooperatives across the globe.
Wicked Joe offers a variety of blends and single origin coffees which include Sumatra, Honduras, Bali, Ethiopia, Costa Rica and more. The Wicked Joe single origin varietals are imported directly from the country from which they are grown and are not blended with other coffees.
This latte recipe is super easy and delicious. We like to use almond milk but you can use any milk you like. If you are trying to keep it Whole 30 compliant though, you will need to skip any milk with dairy in it.
Servings: 2 16 oz Cups
Author: Sharm
-
6
Pitted Whole Dates
-
2
Cups
Almond Milk
-
3
Cups
Brewed Coffee
-
1/2
Teaspoon
Cinnamon
-
1
Tablespoon
Coconut oil
-
Brew your favorite coffee
-
Pour milk into microwave safe mug or dish and add dates. Be sure to remove any pits in the dates. Even if you buy pre pitted dates, a pit can be hiding every now and then so double check them carefully.
-
Microwave for 1-2 minutes until milk is warm and dates are soft. You can also do this on the stove top. Just combine milk and dates in saucepan and heat until milk is warm and dates are soft.
-
Add coffee, date and milk mixture, cinnamon and coconut oil into blender. I recommend a Vita Mix.
Place a towel over the top lid in case the coffee leaks out the top when blending.
Start blender on low speed to get it going and then increase to high. Blend until smooth.
-
Using a large spoon, block the foam while pouring into mugs. Pour coffee about an inch from the top of the mug. Then top with desired amount of foam.
-
If your mixture seem a little grainy and it bothers you blend a little longer. You can also place a fine mesh strainer over the mug while pouring in coffee.
Enjoy!
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