Unless otherwise noted*, products were purchased with my own money and I was not compensated for posting about them; I just wanted to share.

1. Outshine Coconut Waters with Banana popsicles. {tried – pretty good}

Allergies have been killing my throat for weeks and I bought these on a whim the other day.  They were nowhere near as satisfying as the rainbow sherbet I ended up with later, but they are a good summer treat.  They don’t have a ton of flavor, but each bar has only 60 calories and they are nice to cool down with.

2. Cherimoya fruit.  {excited to try}

Adam and I love to try new produce when it pops up and I’ve heard cherimoyas described as “custard apples” so I knew we had to try this one, $7 price tag and all.  Unfortunately I got a little too excited and stored it in the fridge before I read that they are supposed to stay at room-temperature until they are ripe.  Whenever it is actually ready to eat I’ll be sure to let you guys know what we think!

3. Synergy Mystic Mango Kombucha.  {tried – flipping amazing}

Oh my goodness, guys, this stuff is the official “sweet nectar of the gods.”  The texture was so thick and perfect on my throat.  Mystic mango is from GT’s “Enlightened Synergy” line, so maybe that’s the difference, but the flavor was much less vinegar-based than the Kombuchas I’ve had in the past.  This was pure mango.  A bottle has 100 calories total and is very satisfying.

4. Larabar’s new ALT line.*  {excited to try}

NOTE:  These bars were sent to me by Larabar free of charge so I could try their new line.  I was not compensated for posting, but I do plan on sharing my thoughts as I taste through the line.

From the company:  “ALT, the Alternative Protein Bar™, is the first-ever bar with added protein from LÄRABAR! Many bar brands use soy or whey protein, but ALT uses an alternative protein source: peas. Vegan, gluten free, dairy free, and non-GMO, ALT also uses a wrapper that is 31% renewable.”

The line comes in Cinnamon Apple Crisp, Lemon Pound Cake, Peanut Butter Cookie, and Pumpkin Pie.  The bars have 10 grams of protein each and each flavor has between 210 and 240 calories.

Besides, we already had our ceremonial, holding back tears, class goodbye.  On Friday, one of our teachers sweetly hosted a goodbye lunch for our whole 18-person Coordinated Program at her home.  My friend and I brought jello shots!  The afternoon gets a little hazy after that, but I do remember everyone raving over the other thing I brought:  peanut butter s’mores layer bars.

I know, I know; I’m having a weird obsession with layer bars lately.  These guys are worth the repeat though.  The combo of peanut butter and s’more is to die for, and they come together in a snap.  Modeled after 7-layer bars, they are chewy, gooey perfection.

Peanut Butter S’mores Layer Bars, makes 25 squares

• 11 graham cracker sheets, crushed
• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 1 cup salted cocktail peanuts
• 1 cup peanut butter chips
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 3 cups mini marshmallows
• 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
2. Place butter in a 9×9 inch baking dish in the pre-heating oven until melted.
3. Pour graham cracker crumbs into melted butter, mix together with a fork, and press into a thin, even layer in the bottom of the baking dish.
4. Sprinkle peanuts, peanut butter chips, and chocolate chips in an even layer over the crust, alternating ingredients so they are mixed together rather than in layers.  Top with marshmallows.  Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk on top.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sweetened condensed milk no longer looks soupy.
6. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.  You can serve these right away, but if there is a time gap I recommend storing them in the freezer so that they get nice and firm.

The following are some of the things I bought when I was in Ohio last month.  They were all new to me and most of them I’ve now decided I can’t live without!

1.  Roasted Coconut Chips.

Coconut chips are nothing super new – I’ve been picking them out of tropical trail mixes since I was a kid – but it was nice to see them get their own package.  These guys are perfectly sweet and crunchy.  Nutrition stats for 1 oz – 160 kcal, 1 g protein, 4 g fiber, 10 g saturated fat.

2.  Zesty Nacho Kale Chips.

I love the idea of kale chips but the ones I try to make up at home end up being tiny, burnt, kale carcinogens.  And the amazingly delicious ones sold at Wegman’s cost more than $7 a bag.  This 2-serving bag was less than $6 and the chips were the best I’ve ever had.  They seem to have roasted giant leaves without cutting them up first so the chips are big and chunky and delicious.  Nutrition stats for 1 oz – 150 kcal, 6 g protein, 3 g fiber, and 1 g saturated fat.  Plus 130% RDA for Vitamin A!

3.  10 Minute Bulgur.

This was our first time trying bulgur and we both loved it.  The taste and texture were exactly what I’m always hoping for from rice.  <– no, I can’t describe it any better than that; I love food and I love writing but there is a reason I’m not a food writer, people!

It really did cook in 10 minutes – it’s pre-cooked – making it a super easy grain for a quick dinner.  We paired it with black beans, tomatillo, sautéed spinach, and avocado.  A one 1/2 cup serving, which turns into a ton when cooked, has 280 kcal, 11 g protein, and 6 g fiber.

4.  Organic Sweetened Condensed Milk.

SCM, aka nectar of the gods, is nothing new, but the squeeze bottle system sure is nifty.  I love putting SCM in coffee (like a lazy Vietnamese coffee) and this way I can use 1-2 Tbsp in my cup occasionally without having to worry about storing the rest.  This was a nice blurb to see on the back of the bottle – “Trader Joe’s Organic Sweetened Condensed Milk is made from organic milk from cows not treated with hormones or antibiotics, and sweet organic cane sugar.”

Are you lucky enough to have a Trader Joe’s in your town?  What are your favorite TJ’s goods?

Yesterday, my group gave an hour(+) presentation on food service and food safety, complete with pre- and post-tests.  We did a quiz bowl style post-test and I was responsible for bringing in a prize for the winners.  Dietitian that I am, my mind went to cookies first.

I wanted to do something in bar form and I wanted to come up with a new recipe that I had never made before.  I thought of doing a twist on 7-Layer (Hello Dolly/Magic) Bars but I knew that I had to get rid of the coconut because some crazy people don’t like it.

Enter Seven Layers in Heaven Bars.  Aka Sweet and Salty 7-Layer Bars.  Aka Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel {Toffee Graham Cracker} Bars.

I made enough for everyone – we’re all winners – and all were gone by the end of the day.  When you get a group of Dietitians to go back for seconds on dessert, you know you’ve done a good job!

Seven Layers in Heaven Bars, makes 20 squares

adapted from the recipe for 7-layer bars

• 7 graham cracker sheets, crushed
• 6 Tbsp salted butter
• 3/4 cup Heath Toffee Bits
• 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup peanut butter chips
• 1 and 1/4 cup crunched salted, thins-style pretzels
• 15 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk (just measure a scant cup)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
2. Place butter in a 9×9 inch baking dish in the pre-heating oven until melted.
3. Pour graham cracker crumbs into melted butter, mix together with a fork, and press into a thin, even layer in the bottom of the baking dish.
4. Sprinkle the toffee bits, milk chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips over the crust.  Top with crushed pretzels.  Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk on top.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sweetened condensed milk no longer looks soupy.
6. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.  You can serve these right away, but if there is a time gap I recommend storing them in the freezer so that they get nice and firm.

Nope!  We had a high of 48 degrees here in Buffalo today and I was flipping freezing.  I went out for a short run this morning in 38* and came back with a hacking cough that has stuck with me through the afternoon.  The other people in my program were thrilled to spend the day in a tiny room with me.

In better news, I earned a 4.0 GPA for my final semester!  All of my Dietetics courses were Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory, but I aced the crap out of my Western History final.  It’s nice to end school on a high note (minus this upcoming crazy-busy week).

Is your area experiencing any weird weather this week?  Tell me other parts of the country have made it to Spring?!

2. School ends next week which means that all 4 (giant, gigantic, ridiculous) of my final projects are due on Monday.  I have a group presentation, a professional portfolio, a full business plan, and a community education plan.  Even if I wasn’t feeling sick, my head would be spinning.

3. I’m freaking out about getting a job once we move.  I really like my new profession and I am crossing my fingers that a hospital job will open up in time for me to snag it.  The last time I was in school I had a job lined up before I graduated so the current situation is really stressing me out.

What do you want to complain about today?  Go ahead, this is a safe space.

“What does your husband do?”

“Oh, Adam?  He’s a doctor.”

P.S.  He was also awarded The Department of Surgery Chair’s Award for Academic Excellence in Surgery.

Go, husband!

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen the awesome care package that Cascadian Farm sent me awhile back:

Among the goodies was a Bento Box lunch box from Laptop Lunches.

The box is dishwasher and microwave safe and the little boxes are the perfect size(s) for lunchtime goodies – two of mine came with additional lids.  It is pretty awesome.

Today I packed a fruit and veggie spread.  Cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes with a sprinkle of salt.

Roasted coconut chips.

Nacho kale chips.

And Kiwiberries.

Yum!

Have you ever used a bento box?  Do you carry a lunch box to work/school?

I didn’t manage to snap many pictures, but we did have a fun weekend.

We went to Sonic and a giant strawberry diet coke rocked my face off.

We checked out the sign that was dedicated to my grandpa who passed away last year.

That field is named after him!

And of course we made time for a trip to Trader Joe’s.

I picked up some tasty stuff that I plan on blogging about soon.

P.S. After family time, Adam drove to meet up with friends for a Tough Mudder challenge.  He is officially a bad ass.

The Jolly Roy Rogers

• Coke
• cherry vodka
• 2-4 maraschino cherries

Alternative recipe – Diet coke, grenadine, cherry vodka, cherries.  I’m trying this variety next time!