Thursday, February 2, 2012

Blue Diamond Nut Chips

Have you tried the Blue Diamond Baked Chips yet? If not, you are missing out on something very yummy.

When I first heard about Blue Diamond Nut Chips I was very intrigued. Nut chips? What in the world are nut chips? I wasn’t really sure what they were. But what I did know was they were available in delicious flavors including Nacho, Sour Cream & Chive and Sea Salt.

Nut Chips I come to find out are baked chips are made from brown rice and almonds. They truly are made from nuts!

I received two bags of Blue Diamond Nut Chips to review in Nacho and Sour Cream & Chive flavors.

They look like regular nacho-shaped chips. Just by looking at them you would think they were a regular chips. However they taste nothing like a regular chip. They taste better!

They don’t really taste like nuts, per say. I mean, you can tell they are different than traditional chips, but I wouldn’t say they taste like nuts. In fact with the flavoring (Nacho, Sour Cream & Chive) there is no way you would ever believe these were made with almonds and brown rice.

These chips are much hardier then regular chips. They are thicker, “meatier” and very crunchy. These are ideal dipping/scooping chips because they won’t crack as easily as regular chips.

I didn’t tell my family that the chips were made out of nuts and brown rice. They gobbled them up just like they would any other chip. My husband said they were very “flavorful”. When I told my husband and kids they were made from nuts and brown rice they were shocked. My husband told me if I told him that upfront he probably would have never tried them. After knowing what they were truly made of he still thinks they were delicious.

Blue Diamond Nut Chips are made with less saturated fat and calories per serving than potato chips. Another words these are a better option then regular chips. These chips are baked, not fried in grease like a traditional chip. These are a great alternative for anyone who is allergic to gluten or wheat. 

My personal favorite is the Sour Cream & Chive. I think it was a lot more flavorful than the Nacho flavor.

My family enjoyed the Blue Diamond Nut Chips. I would certainly purchase them again for my family. They are a better alternative than potato chips or nachos chips.

Look for Blue Diamond Nut Chips at a store near you. For more information about Blue Diamond products visit www.BlueDiamond.com.

Kimberly

*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.

 

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Betty Lou’s Inc. – Makers of Healthy & Tasty Snacks

As a mom I am always on the look out for healthier snack options for my children. In a perfect world they would snack on fresh fruits and raw veggies daily. Thankfully they do, but they also want to enjoy sweet treats too. Most adults feel the same way too. They try and eat healthy all the time, but occasionally they like to have a treat too.

I have never heard of the company Betty Lou’s Inc. before, but I’m glad that I know about them now. Betty Lou’s Inc. offers snacks to suit any dietary needs including Diary Free, Gluten Free, Hormone Free, Vegan, Soy Free, Corn Free and many other products ideal for special dietary needs.

Betty Lou’s carries fruit bars, cookies, protein shakes, nut butter bars and other tasty treats.

I am grateful that no one in my immediate family has any specific diet restrictions or food allergies. However I do know that certain ingredients can have a negative effect on people, like Gluten. I know that people who suffer from Celiac Disease cannot have things made with Gluten. I have read (and they have not been scientifically proven) that a Gluten free diet can boost health and energy, help you lose weight, cope better with ADHD, autism, headaches, and other conditions.

I have tried some Gluten free products in the past and frankly they were also taste-free too (ha ha). Or they tasted gross.

I was asked if I would like to try some Gluten Free Fruit Bars from Betty Lou’s. I checked them out on the website. They did look yummy so I gladly accepted the opportunity.

Betty Lou’s sent me a variety of their Gluten Free Fruit Bars. They came in assorted flavors like Cherry, Blueberry, Strawberry, Apricot and Apple Cinnamon.

The Fruit Bars are not really bars at all, but rather squares. Fruit Squares would have been more appropriate.

Each Fruit Bar is individually wrapped, making them and ideal snack to toss in your child’s lunch bag. They are a nice size too. They look small in the photo but really they are a decent size.

They really are very tasty. I love the fruity flavors. The fruit tastes natural, like a fruit spread. Not something artificial. Blueberry is my favorite. My kids like the Cherry flavor the best.

It’s hard to believe that these are Gluten free. You would never guess from the flavor.

Just one Fruit Bar was very satisfying. My kids have been enjoying them after school with a glass of milk and it holds them over until dinner time. Usually my kids are looking to snack on a few things before dinner.

The fruit bars do not contain any of the 8 major food allergens identified by the FDA. They are Gluten free, Soy free, contains no Barley, are Corn free, no milk, low in fat, no cholesterol and high in fiber. They are just shy of 200 calories each, so you need to keep that in mind if you are counting calories. They also contain 40+ grams of carbs.

My kids enjoyed the Fruit Bars from Betty Lou’s. The only thing they complained about (which I sort of agree with) is that they can be sticky. That is not a bad thing. Just make sure you have napkins available to wipe your hands when you are enjoying one of the fruit bars, or a place where you can wash your hands.

They are also not cheap. They average around $1.50 per Fruit Bar.

I know many people have children who have to eat Gluten free foods. I would recommend trying out the Fruit Bars from Betty Lou. Your child might enjoy them as much as my kids did.

To check out these and other products visit www.BettyLousInc.com.

You can purchase the products online or look for a store near you. There is a store locator on the Betty Lou’s website.

Kimberly

*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.

 

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Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Hershey’s (Giveaway)

Valentine’s Day is around the corner. I used to love Valentine’s Day when my kids were younger. It was fun to help them fill out Valentine’s Day cards for their classmates and teacher. Now that my kids are teens I have to worry about them giving (or getting) Valentine’s Day cards from potential boyfriends/girlfriends. Sigh…

I also miss the class parties. I was a class parent for many years for both of my kids at one point or another. I loved planning holiday parties. It was fun to go shopping for holiday theme treats and decorations. I used to like to find Valentine’s crafts for the kids to do too.

If you are a class parent, or are planning a Valentine’s Day party for children, you should check out the cute crafts found at Hershey’s special holiday and seasonal website, Celebrate with Hershey’s (www.CelebratewithHersheys.com). They always have the cutest craft ideas.

I love the cute Valentine Favor craft. It’s a nice project for Spring too!

You can click on the image to go directly to the instructions on the Celebrate with Hershey’s website.

I also adore these cute little Valentine Love Bugs. I think it would be fun to supply children with an assortment of Hershey’s candies and various crafting supplies (feathers, pipe cleaners, googly eyes…) and let their imagination run wild. It would be fun to see what they come up with.

One of my all time favorite crafts are the roses that are made out of Hershey’s Kisses. I tried making these a few years ago. My chubby little fingers were not nimble enough to make the roses. However I have seen the roses made by others so I know that they do turn out beautifully. I just haven’t been able to “master” them yet.

You can find a lot more fun things on the Celebrate with Hershey’s website aside from crafts. You can also find mouth watering recipes to make some extra sweet treats for your special Valentine, or to serve to guests at a Valentines Day party.

I drool looking at the recipe for the Black Forest Mini Cheesecakes. 

 The Sweetheart Cupcakes look really good too! Making the chocolate hearts to embellish them is very easy to do. You just have to melt the Hershey’s chocolate, put it into an pastry bag, squeeze out the heart shape design and let cool.

You can find the complete recipe simply by clicking on the photo.

Of course not Valentine’s Day would be complete without Chocolate Dipped Strawberries. These are SO GOOD! I received some not too long ago as a “thank you” gift. My whole family gobbled them up. They are really easy to make. The hard part is finding large, perfect strawberries this time of the year.

Speaking of Valentine’s Day treats, don’t forget to check out all the fun Valentine’s Day goodies available from Hershey’s this season. You can find a list of Valentine’s Day products (and photos) here at this link, http://www.hersheys.com/celebrate/valentines/products.aspx.

One product I don’t see on the site are the cute Valentine’s Day hearts that come with a box of Hershey’s Miniatures attached to the back of it. There is room to write “To” and “From” on the packaging. This is the perfect Valentine for your child to give to someone special.

If you are looking for something special for your child to give to their teacher you should consider the Hershey’s Golden Apple. It’s a hollow chocolate apple that is wrapped in gold foil.

We have one but the packaging got a bit messed up. It’s a nice size piece of chocolate too (I could easily eat it in one shot).

I am a HUGE fan of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I cannot keep them in the house. If we have them – I’m going to eat them. I Hershey’s Peanut Butter Cups! When the kids go Trick-or-Treating I quickly remove them from their bags. :-)

Imagine how I felt when I received a Reece’s Peanut Butter tin filled with jumbo sized Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups. I was in heaven! Except I can’t enjoy them right now because I’m trying to loose weight. So my family will get the chance to enjoy them. I might just save one  of them for a special treat. We’ll see.

I love the tin because it can be re-used to hold pens and pencils, crayons, stationary or other items.

Speaking of pens and pencils, have you seen the cute Twizzlers container that doubles as a pen and pencil holder? I saw one in the store the other day. What a fun idea! It comes with several individually wrapped Twizzlers. When you are done with them you have a cute pen and pencil holders.

Of course no Valentine’s Day party would be complete without some Hershey’s Kisses, all dressed up for the holiday with red, silver and pink foils.

You can find Hershey’s products at many retail locations across the country.

For more information about Hershey’s products please visit www.Hersheys.com. Don’t forget to check out all the holiday and seasonal products, crafts and recipes at www.CelebratewithHersheys.com.

I have a sweet Valentines Day giveaway. One winner will receive some Hershey’s Hugs and Hershey’s Kisses. Thank you Hershey’s!

To enter please comment on your favorite Hershey’s candy. You can CLICK HERE to see other Hershey’s products. :-)

For extra entries you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done. Extra entries are optional. 

- Subscribe to She Scribes via e-mail or RSS. Both options are found on the right side bar.

- “Like” Hershey’s Pieces on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/Hersheys.

- “Like” She Scribes on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/SheScribes.

- “Like” Hershey’s on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/Hersheys.

- Follow She Scribes on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/She_Scribes and tweet about this review/giveaway. Please include @She_Scribes in the tweet so I can see it too. This is limited to three tweets per day.

- Share this review/giveaway with others on Facebook, Digg, Technorati and so forth. Be sure to tell me what you did and please provide a name and/or URL so I can verify.

- Leave a thoughtful comment on a non-giveaway post on She Scribes and tell me which post you commented on. There is a limit of one comment per post, but you can comment on as many posts as you want for an unlimited extra entry option.

- Post about this review/giveaway on your site and please link back to this post. Please provide the URL.

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on February 5, 2012 at 11:59 PM (EST). The winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator from all eligible entries. The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have three days to reply with a name and mailing address (no PO Box), otherwise a new winner will be chosen.  

Other great giveaways can be found on the right side bar under “Win It”.

Kimberly

*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own. Hershey’s will be providing the prize.

 

 

 

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