RawONE Food Review

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RawONE Food is a raw vegan food company specializing in nutrient dense snacks made of 100% organic, 100% raw ingredients. 

They make crackers, grawnolas, and biscotti in a variety of flavors that all stand up to the same high, whole food standards for nutritional excellence.

They take superfoods (like flaxseed) and combine them with healthful spices (like nutritional yeast and cayenne pepper) to make snacks that the health conscious consumer can enjoy with good conscience.

The Omega 3-pakced Flax crackers are crispy, crunchy, and delicious. I was worried that they might be really crumbly, but the crackers actually held up really well in large sheets.

They're very seedy crackers, since flax is the base, but you can definitely still taste distinctions between each of the four flavors.



The Rawritos and Garlic with a Little Kick crackers are spicy while the Golden Nori and  Rosemary-Sundried Tomato crackers are milder, with just a hint of veggie flavor.

I think the crackers taste great as is, crumbled over veggies or salads, as a crunchy pasta topping, or spread with some nut butter and topped with bananas or jam. Since they hold up well in sheets, they can be enjoyed in a similar way as raw bread.



I liked the Grawnolas even better (go figure, I'm 100% a sweet tooth kind of girl) and really enjoyed both flavors, approximately equally. These grawnolas are also quite flax-heavy, but they also have plenty of dried fruits, other seeds, and buckwheat.

Serving sizes are fairly small (about 1/3 cup) but the grawnola is satiating, with plenty of plant protein and heart-healthy fats from the seeds, as well as fiber from the buckwheat, so it's great paired with a banana and some coconut yogurt.

A few pieces of biscotti make for a great accompaniment to an afternoon tea that's good for body and spirit.

Their biscotti comes in two flavors. The goji-cherry-pistachio is nice and nutty (trail mix fans will love it) and the cacao-incan berry-hazelnut is nice and chocolaty, with big chunks of hazelnut (as you can see in the picture).

Not only are these cookies delicious, but the texture is also spot-on. They don't fall apart or crumble all over the place and their cut in good-sized slices, thicker than I had expected. That's a plus in my book!

RawONE Food's snacks are very diabetic-friendly and just great, in general, for anyone watching their carbs (ie: paleo, etc.)






The snacks are all low glycemic load, which means that they won't affect your blood sugar levels much. Even for those of us who don't watch our blood sugar levels or carb intake, this low glycemic load is a good thing. It means that the snack won't send us on an energy high that will leave us tired and grouchy shortly after.

No crash and burn is definitely a good thing! Especially when it comes in such a delicious form, with all these delightful healthful ingredients (organic almonds, cherries, pistachio, dates, etc. - YUM).

Have you tried raw cereal?

Which RawOne snack looks best to you?

Are you aware of glycemic loads in foods?

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Snarky Stylist: Best of Spring 2013 Collections

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Before I get into the Snarky Stylist part of the post, I have a HUGE FAVOR to ask of you guys.

Will you pretty please vote for me in the L'oreal contest? Just click the link and then the little heart - I would sooooo appreciate it, and it would be super awesome if you'd get your Twitter/facebook friends to vote for me, too!

Okay, shameless plug is over - Snarky Stylist time!

Lest you think spring 2013 looks absolutely dismal for fashion (not the case AT ALL) after last week's Snarky Stylist review, here are some of my favorite looks from various spring 2013 collections!

DISCLAIMER: These are just a few of my favorite looks. There are so many style geniuses out there that I couldn't possibly fit all of my favorites into one post!

Rami Kadi

Rami Kadi has wrapped up all of my romantic fashion desires in one gown with this stunning number - I love the fabric and not a single fold is superfluous - everything adds to an absolutely stunning creation of pure decadence!

But Rami Kadi wasn't the only one who excelled at detailing.

Talbot Runhof

Talbot Runhof makes me (even more) proud to be German! Talk about a genius.

Erdem

A big round of applause to Erdem for making something that a normal woman would actually wear in her normal day-to-day life! And I love the shape of the shoes <3

Spring in Boston isn't necessarily summer weather all the time, so I appreciate that some designers planned in some cute colder weather looks, too!

Burberry Porsum

I love that jacket!! And the pants - so cute!

Often designers think that you have to be really over the top and different to be good.

I disagree. Just make it look good, it doesn't need to be made of saran wrap or trash bags!

MSGM

MSGM didn't do anything too inventive with this look, but the prints are great and they really show that classic cuts, but with new twists, can be really great!

Versus also really had fun with prints this season!

Versus

This season, Versus is sort of at the intersection of Zenon: Girl of the 21st century and Kindergarten chic.

It's odd, but it works!

Like this look from Chloe:

Chloe

A lot of the Chloe collection is just a lot of material, swallowing the girls entirely, but I do appreciate the shoulders on that top.

In fashion, like in life, you win some and you lose some.

What are your favorite spring/summer 2013 looks?

Who's your favorite designer at the moment?

Skirts or pants?

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Organic Rice Protein Pow(d)er!

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Nutribiotic makes a variety of vegan protein powders out of  rice protein. I never thought of rice as a particularly high-protein food, but it turns out that isolated rice protein is an easily digestible, high quality vegetable protein!



Their protein powders come in several different flavors, including Cherry Vanilla, Mixed Berry, and Vanilla Bean. I tried their Vanilla, Chocolate, and Plain. As you can see, each serving of rice protein contains 80% protein!



A lot of protein powders add a lot of sugar and fat and other stuff that you don't always necessarily want in your protein shake or boost. I like that this one just gives you the protein and lets you add anything else that you may want. With just two ingredients and only 1g of sugar (but a great 12g of vegan protein) it's a really healthy protein boost!

You can mix the powder into a drink, add it to a smoothie, or pump up the protein content of a favorite recipe (think pancakes, muffins, bread, or even cookies) by subbing some in for part of the recipe's flour (don't sub more than 1/4 of the flour). 

It has a mild, malted taste, so while you will probably be able to taste the protein in there, it won't overwhelm your other flavors.

The powder dissolves really well, even mixing (clump free) into yogurt. One of my favorite ways to enjoy the chocolate protein powder is mixed into a cup of vanilla or plain yogurt with granola, dried fruits, and nuts on top - delicious!

What's your go-to protein source?

How often do you use protein powder?

What's your favorite way to use protein powder?

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Snarky Stylist: Worst of Spring 2013 Collections

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Last week's fashion spotlight was the last of the spring collection reviews, but today let's take a look at some of the worst looks that (otherwise fantastic) designers sent out onto the runway.

WARNING: The Snarky Stylist is in!

Anna Sui

While I wasn't the biggest fan of Anna Sui's Spring 2013 collection in general, this was one of the worst looks - did she fish it out of a dumpster? Seriously, this outfit is straight out of a drag queen's rubbish bin. The carpet-like dress in that awful cheap print, the haphazardly ripped mesh...there's no redeeming this outfit.

The only almost cute thing is the shoes.

The collection, in general, was a bit of a let-down with all of its junky looks, but a few of them did succeed (or almost succeed) in pulling off a fun eclectic look. Just that dreadful outfit?

Not so much.

Anna Sui isn't alone in missing the mark this spring.

N*21

WHAAAAAAT?

Seriously, no words.

N*21, what on earth...?

Giles

The shoes are adorable and the dress isn't too bad (but it's not too great either). That hat, however?

Be prepared to walk into evvveeerrrrrything. 

And to have everyone think you're having a really bad hair day and a serious case of thedyeturnedoutbrighterthantheboxpictureeeeeee syndrome.

I sort of feel bad for the designer of this next look - I know procrastination as well as anyone else and sometimes you just don't have time to finish that project.

Giambattista Vali

But seriously? Forgetting something?

Yeah, I don't see that in my future anytime soon...

Felder Felder

That purple diaper isn't flattering anything and adding an awkward belt and a tank top that I'm pretty sure I saw on clearance at Walmart isn't helping...

Speaking of designers borrowing pieces from where they really ought not to, Balmain needs to leave good enough alone.

Balmain

Leave the shoulder pads to the football players, please.

I have to reign the snark in a bit (it's a Sunday, after all) but I just have to share this last look with you.

Because laughing is healthy!

Celine

Someone forgot to change out of those PJs she borrowed from granny! And the house slippers?

Sorry, even that great red pedicure can't rescue this look, Celine.

Which look is the worst?

Do you disagree with me about any of the looks? Different opinions are always welcome in fashion!

Who's your least favorite designer?

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Kale Chips for Dummies (and a Review)

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I got some greens from Organic Girl the other day!



Organic Girl has a variety of (organic, of course) greens - everything from baby spinach to baby arugula to baby kale as ready-to-eat salad greens and also some QuickCook! greens (baby kale, spinach, and spinach powergreens).

The best thing about all of their organic greens is that their greens are triple washed (that's what the washed^3 means) so they're super convenient - you can just grab some veggies and make a salad without a ton of prep work!

Sometimes I'm really busy and having to wash, chop, and prep salad can be too much of a hassle - then it's easier to skip the veggies.

But veggies are important!

Organic Girl good clean greens take care of that problem, they're just as convenient as microwave mac & cheese!



The greens are all super fresh and vibrantly colored. You just toss some on a plate, add your dressing and anything else you'd like, and you have great salad in just a matter of minutes!



The greens really are super fresh and crisp and flavorful!



They make a great salad - my only thing is that I'd try one of the other varieties next time, as I wasn't a big fan of one of the types of leaves in this mix (I think it was the mache, it was a bit bitter for me).



It still tasted quite nice with mustard and a veggie burger, though - that countered the bitterness of the mache.



Pair that veggie burger salad (15 seconds to put the greens on the plate, 5 seconds to squirt on mustard, 5 seconds for a shake of black pepper, 20 seconds to get roasted red peppers out of the jar, 4 minutes to heat up a frozen veggie burger in some oil in a pan) with the butt of a baguette (15 seconds to get it out of the bag) and you have a healthy meal made, from start to finish, in just 5 minutes!

Who knew salad could be fast food?

But I love, love, love Organic Girl for another product - the quick cook kale.

I've had kale chips (and really enjoy them) but I haven't made them successfully before. The one time that I tried to was an EPIC fail.

I spent half an hour washing and chopping a bunch of kale, then burnt the entire batch.

How is it that nothing cooks until you leave the room? And then it chars?

Le sigh.

Anyway, since this kale was already washed and prepped (and there's a super easy kale recipe on the back) I decided to give kale chips another go.

I mixed the baby kale (no washing needed!) with olive oil, then spread it out on a baking sheet. Then I added some spices as the oven heated to 300F (last time I baked them at 400F, so that may have been why it was such a disaster).

There was nothing too scientific about my spicing process. I just grabbed whatever was at the front of the cupboard. This time it was salt, black pepper, and nutritional yeast.

The kale chips baked for 15 minutes (a lot of volume leaves during this, so you get concentrated veggie goodness).

Oh. My. Gosh.

These are so delicious!

Even with my haphazard spicing, the crispy, crunchy, salty, flavorful kale chips are delightful!

It's hard to believe that they're so healthy - it's a veggie serving and the bit of olive oil not only makes the kale chips all the more delicious but also improves nutrient absorption! And it's vegan, so really anyone can enjoy :)

I'm definitely buying Organic Girl Quick Cook kale again - it's cheaper to buy a big bag of it and make my own kale chips than it is to buy ready-made kale chips, but it's almost as easy. And this way, I get to choose how I spice them!

Have you made kale chips before? If so, how do you season them?

Do you buy pre-washed greens regularly?

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Friday Foodie Finds #34: Surprise Veggies Edition

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I like finding veggies in unexpected places - like greens in brownies, beans in cookie pies, carrots in flap jacks, and spinach in smoothies (though the green monster craze has made that last one less than unusual).

Here are some great surprise veggie recipes from around the blogosphere!

Heather's Post-Christmas Detox Pancakes

Sorry, but these spinach-packed pancakes are waaaaaay too scrum-diddly-umptious to save for just post-Christmas!

Victoria's Carob Brownie Bites

I would not have guessed that there's squash lurking in these, nor would I have guessed that they're sugar- and grain-free...

Tanya's Chocolate Zucchini Cake

It speaks for itself. And it's saying 'I have ooey gooey chocolate chips, EEEEAAAAT ME.'

 IsaChandra's Quarter Pounder Beet Burger

Though it may turn your pea funny colors (over-share) this burger looks waaaaay yummier to me than the standard Boca burger.

What's your favorite surprise veggie recipe? If it's online, please leave a link!

What are your weekend plans?

When does your workday end on Fridays?

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Zing Bars Review!

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Zing Bars are 100% natural complete nutrition bars created by a group of practicing nutritionists looking for a good nutrition bar to recommend to their patients. 

They knew that bars are some of the most convenient, portable snacks out there (as I, self-proclaimed queen of bars, can attest to) but they couldn't find a bar that satisfied them. The bars that they approved of nutritionally weren't up to muster in terms of flavor. But the ones that tasted good were nutritional pitfalls, virtually the equivalent of higher protein candy bars.

So they created Zing bars.

There are several different varieties of Zing bars, including some vegan options. All of the bars are gluten-free, soy-free, and corn-free with plenty of fiber (around 4.5g each). They have heart-healthy fats, high quality lean protein, and low glycemic carbs. 

That last one means that, unlike a candy bar or some other energy bars, you won't experience an energy crash shortly after eating these bars. Yay!

As far as flavors go, there's something for everyone. 

Whether you prefer bars with chocolate or without chocolate, with whey protein or with brown rice protein (vegan), Zing Bars have you covered with unique flavors like Coconut Cashew Crisp and Cashew Cranberry Orange or more traditional flavors like Chocolate Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip (the vegan version).

No matter what flavor you prefer, even if you want a Nutella bar (and the vegan Dark Chocolate Hazelnut does actually taste surprisingly like Nutella!) the bars deliver nutritionally. They're all around 200 - 220 calories and while they're not the lowest sugar bars out there (think around 12-15g of sugar each) those sugars are coming from natural sources (like agave syrup and brown rice syrup) and not corn syrup or refined sugar. 

The chocolate coconut bar features the flavor that makes Girl Scout Caramel Delites such a hit year after year (it's Girl Scout cookie season, y'all!), the Chocolate Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip are very similar and taste kind of like Reese's, the Coconut Cashew Crisp is nutty and sweet. Coconut is definitely the predominant flavor!

Coconut Cashew Crisp

The Cashew Cranberry Orange is both indulgent and fruity fresh (I love the tart cranberries!), the Almond Blueberry is nutty and sweet with fresh blueberry flavor. The Oatmeal Chocolate Chip (my favorite) tastes like a hybrid of an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie and flavored nut butter.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

The bars are all chewy and sweet, but not too sweet. They're not particularly large bars, but they're big enough (especially because the satisfying nuts and nut butters make them rich and satisfying).

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

I really like that the bars live up to their flavors - instead of promising to taste like pie and tasting like a chocolate protein bar instead, they taste like what they promise to taste like.

Coconut Cashew Crisp

For example, the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Zing Bar (one of their whey protein bars) has both plenty of oats and plenty of chocolate chips. Even if you ate the bar with your eyes closed, you'd easily be able to guess that it's an Oatmeal Chocolate Chip bar.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

Honesty. I like that in a snack!

I also like when a snack doesn't break the bank - to help conserve green, Zing Bars is offering all LLE readers 15% off a 12 count box with the code Danai4Zing through March 15!

Have you tried Zing Bars?

If you eat protein bars, what type of protein do you prefer (whey, brown rice, etc.)?

Which of the Zing Bar flavors sounds best to you?

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WIAW #78: Travel Edition

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For those of you who don't follow my Instagram account (aka, most of you - I haven't really put much effort into getting it out there yet) this WIAW is travel-themed and made of entirely Instagram photos!

There's been plenty of schoolwork to do, of course, with the new semester and glancing at LSAT books now and then.

But I've also had the opportunity to make good use of my nifty suitcases lately. 

Some fun highlights are New York City (always a fave) and Nashville - while Nashville can't hold a candle to New York or Los Angeles, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed my time there!

The Amtrak is definitely a convenient option for the Boston to NYC commute.

There's more space than on planes, less stingy budget requirements, and you don't have to go through security and show up hours early.

And you can watch movies on your laptop from the get-go.

Like Two Weeks Notice - Sandra Bullock is awesome!

The Acela even has WiFi, but the bandwidth isn't great enough to stream movies or listen to music online.

But wait, this is a WIAW! Here are some on-train travel snacks:

Crunchy chickpea snacks are a new fave!

5th Avenue and Madison are also faves, of course. Isn't the exterior of the Bulgari store gorgeous?

Leaving NYC is always a bit sad.



But when you're off to Nashville just a couple days later, you can't really complain!



Even when you're flying US Airways and, as always, facing major delays.



Things I didn't know: Nashville has good apples.

Like really good apples. Or maybe it's only the Hutton Hotel.

I'm not sure what type of apple the above is, but it's my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE.

Dannon Oikos is good, but not great like Chobani or Fage. Or even Voskos. But Greek yogurt doesn't seem to be as big a deal in Nashville and I'll take what I can get.

Like enjoying room service (the sandwich was okay, but the roasted veggie sides were great, if a little oily).

Or enjoying an Arby's salad, even if the cheese is sort of plastic-y and the lettuce is iceberg.

Um, I actually like iceberg lettuce. A lot. I don't care that it isn't as nutritionally strong as kale or whatever!

Fresh veggies with PB dip and a Lara Uber bar make a great snack while you wait for room service. Room service was usually pretty snappy, but they were a little slower when I ordered late (around 9 or 10pm) so this snack helped tide me over.

Amd See's Candies chocolates are absolutely delightful as a late night treat with guilty pleasure reality TV and a good book.

That's Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart. Have you read it? It's quite good!

Traveling is always fun and so are travel eats, but it's also nice to come home to your kitchen. 

I'm delighted not to be on the meal plan anymore, now I get to make and eat food that I like, like these taste Dominex Eggplant veggie burgers!

Dominex Eggplant are The Eggplant People and their vegan veggie burgers are amazing! They're definitely up there on my top faves list for veggie burgers, right alongside Dr. Praeger's California Veggie Burgers.

These eggplant burgers are super quick and easy to prepare (just microwave the frozen patties for a few minutes on each side). They're flavorful and hearty, but also all-natural and a whole food source of antioxidants - not to mention a veggie serving!

The burgers are actually made with fresh eggplant that is cooked and packaged just days after being harvested and the attention to fresh veggies and high quality ingredients really pays off! Unlike some other frozen veggie burgers (like those at my dining hall when I was on the meal plan) these aren't cardboard-reminiscent slabs of faux meat. They're smoky, heart, flavorful, and even have delightful char marks - this is a satisfying veggie burger through and through!

It's nice to travel, but it's also quite nice to come home to your tasty staples. 

Where's the last place you traveled to?

Do you eat differently when you travel than at home? I definitely do, I believe in enjoying yourself always and experiencing new things, even if that means skipping the usual faves for a few days!

What are your favorite travel treats?

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