Barney Butter... What are you doing to me?! {Review... And giveaway?}

A while ago the very kind folks at Barney Butter were quite generous to send me the most wonderful "care package" (I call it a care package because it came during exam week and immediately brightened up my life!). A 10oz jar of Crunchy Barney Butter and 2 squeeze packets of the Creamy Barney Butter!

Because I still hadn't finished my MaraNatha almond butter, I convinced myself to wait to try Barney Butter... Since my excitement was too high to stay away, I asked my grandma to hide it from me... Good thing she did because I finally had some today, and now I'm seriously worried... It's way too good to be true... And by "way" I mean it's dangerous for me to be near this jar... because it might not be around for much longer...

It's crunchy (which made me realize how much I love and miss chunky nut butters!). It's slightly sweet (a product of natural sweetness of almonds and the addition of evaporated cane juice). And of course, it has a hint of salty...

The texture is phenomenal... Apart from the chunks of almonds, the butter is soooo smooth. And there is something caramel-like about it, too! I want to say it's a whole lot like peanut butter disguised in the healthier version of almond butter! ...oh dear...

And apart from its deliciousness, what some of you may find to be especially notable is that Barney Butter is peanut-free and made in a peanut-free facility! So if you or someone you know is allergic to peanuts, not to worry! Barney Butter has come to the rescue! :)

So after begging my grandma to finally give it to me (I still haven't finished MaraNatha but didn't want to wait any longer), I finally enjoyed this spoonful of heaven atop my fave, one and only, protein muffin...

But not the good ole' banana vanilla protein muffin that started my protein muffin revolution...

Meet the Vanilla-Apple-Hemp seed Protein Muffin!

Dry Ingredients:
1 scoop of SunWarrior Vanilla Protein Powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Nutiva hemp seeds(!!!)

Wet Ingredients:
2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water; mix and allow to stand for ~3 min)

Directions: Mix the wet into the dry, and stir until mixture forms batter. Microwave for 3 min in a microwave-safe dish and allow to stand for another few min. Remove from the dish and enjoy with any toppings of choice! I went for that Barney Butter right away. :)

A fantastic, filling, delicious, and healthy breakfast. I was thinking about it as I was falling asleep last night. I wanted something protein-packed because I went running and lifted last night and needed better recovery today.

So while I bragged about this incredible new almond butter discovery, I'm sorry if I made you jealous!

Just take a look at these nutrition facts, and if you weren't impressed before... something tells me you'll want to try Barney Butter now...

[Click on the image for more details!]

So... was I right or was I right? ;)

Tell me: would you like to try Barney Butter, too?

If yes, comment below and I'll see what I can do about a giveaway! :)

I hope your weekend is going well! Thanks for stopping by, as always.

Touched by kindness and generosity {breakfast}

Mornin' sunshines!!! I love Saturday mornings. They may just be my most favorite time of any given week!

Unless I had already prepared next day's breakfast before going to bed, it's typical of me to be thinking "What should I have for breakfast tomorrow?" as I try to fall asleep. Well, last night I quickly realized that it's been a very long time since I've had good ole' cereal, and I kind of missed my mixed-cereal-concoctions!

And so, today's breakfast featured:

Raisin Bran + Life + Cheerios + Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax Plus Granola + Almond Milk + 'nana + cinnamon

[Clearly, I just can't have less than 2 kinds of cereal in my bowl!] It. was. wonderful.

Wasa + MaraNatha Creamy Almond Butter + CocoChia 

And just look at this beauty! Please welcome a new addition to the morning-bowl-of-happiness-dish-family! Isn't she just lovely??

I've been eyeing Stepanka's Etsy shop for a while, hoping to one day give a home to a piece or two. All of her dishes are just so unique, truly one of a kind, and it's clear that they are made with love and passion. A few weeks ago, Stepanka was very kind to share some of her work with me! I was so touched by her generosity. Not only do I have 2 new bowls, I also have 4 larger plates! Each one is different and just lovely!

There is something truly special about enjoying not only the flavors and textures of every meal, but also the aesthetics. It all comes down to taking the moment to appreciate everything before you. For me, it's always about quality, not quantity. The quality of a wholesome, made-with-love meal. The quality of the company. These dishes radiate peace and joy, and that's exactly how I want to feel when I sit down for a meal.

Thank you, Stepanka.

And now I have a big study day ahead! Another exam to prep for. Yay! :)

Breakfast of a brown-eyed girl

...any guesses what this brown-eyed girl might be having for breakfast this morning?



Chocolate oatmeal. Yes, I had chocolate for breakfast and it was wonderful! I was inspired by a post I stumbled upon yesterday written by one of my fave bloggers, Pastry Affair. Being me and unable to ever follow a recipe, of course I made some modifications. But the end product was exactly what I was looking for... [It was chocolaty... what else could I want?!]





Chocolate oatmeal:

• 1/4 c. instant oats


• 1 tsp. cocoa powder


• 1 tsp. brown sugar


• 1 tsp. chia seeds


• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract


• pinch of salt


• 1/2 small banana, thinly sliced

• Add 1/2 c. boiling water and stir together until creamy!

• I topped my oatmeal with Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax Granola, sprinkle of hemp seeds, and a spoonful of creamy almond butter.

[I love all the micro details of my oatmeals... the oat flakes, the gel-like chia seeds, the green hemp seeds, the banana chunks, the creamy almond butter with specks of almond skin, the flex seeds in the crunchy granola. Each component makes the whole product.]



...do you ever feel like you need that something at the end of a meal to actually feel not too full but "just right"? For me, it usually comes in the form of a sweet treat with tea. But for breakfast, it's usually a piece of fruit... or banana with almond butter!

Yes, I literally just needed a little piece of a banana with a spoonful of almond butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon to feel complete and ready to take the day!

So off on my chocolate-banana-almond butter-high-at-7am I go to class!

Have a wonderful Tuesday! Treat yourself to a wonderful breakfast this morning. Whether or not it comes in chocolate form. You deserve a treat first thing in the morning :) And, no, you don't have to have brown eyes to do so!

♥ V.

P.S. Have you entered the Food Should Taste Good giveaway yet? What are you waiting for?!

A white breakfast

I may not have had a White Christmas, but I surely had a white breakfast today!!! It looks like my snow dance and wearing PJs inside out worked. We got almost half a foot of snow... As crazy as it might sound to some of you, I actually really miss Russian winters... The snow and the air were different there... The snow was dry... powdery... The air was so crispy and fresh... Much has changed since my childhood though because of the increasing air pollution and overpopulation. It's not long before the beautiful white snow turns into wet brown gook and gets splattered all over your boots and clothes... And somehow, I still miss it. I miss bundling up in a gazillion layers. I miss my rosy cheeks...

After waking up at 6am to drive my mom to work, I decided to crawl back into bed for extra snooze time. Little did I know that I would be snoozing for another 4 hours!! :) It felt wonderful and my body needed it.
I was also ecstatic to wake to not one but three ripe bananas!!! I had to have banana whipped oatmeal again!



I vigorously stirred together (and kept stirring) until the texture became more creamy:

• 1/4 c. Instant oats


• 1 tsp. Chia seeds


• 1/2 c. Boiling water


• A pinch of salt and sugar


• Some cinnamon to taste (I love lots of cinnamon in my oatmeal!)


• 1/2 Small banana, sliced


• 1 tsp. Chocolate PB2

Topped with KIND Healthy Grains Oats & Honey Clusters with Toasted Coconut (triple yummm & triply recommended!).


I was contemplating having that beautiful green apple, but my heart was set on the remaining 1/2 banana... So I took a piece of whole wheat pita bread, topped with a spoonful of almond butter and banana slices, and sprinkled with more cinnamon and hemp seeds. I love hemp seeds - they make a great addition to oatmeal, salads, and baked goods! The flavor reminds me of pine nuts!


Now that's what I call a superfood breakfast! Complete protein, whole grains, and lots of omega-3 fatty acids!

With a happy tummy, it's now one to shovel all that snow!
Have a great Saturday!
xoxo. Veronica

Spice up your morning!

With this:

...Or with this:



Last night I signed up for the "7-day portion control challenge" hosted by Vegetarian Times. It begins on Jan 15, but I don't know exactly what it entails. I came across the program's sample 7-day menu, and being the oatmeal lover that I am, I immediately saw the recipe for overnight chai steel-cut oats! Of course I can never follow a recipe exactly, so I used this as an inspiration for today's breakfast.

Last night, I cooked 2 tbsp steel-cut oats in 1/2 cup of water and added: 1 tsp honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon, and crushed pepper! Yes, you read it right - crushed PEPPER! Never in a million years did I think I would be adding pepper to my morning bowl of oats!

The oats cooked for about 30 min. I then turned off the heat, mixed in 1 tsp of chia seeds, and covered to stand overnight.

This morning, I added a little more water and reheated. Topped with a few crushed pistachios and hemp seeds...

...And let me tell you - it was perfect! A perfect combination of spicy flavorful + sweet.

 



Served with my morning cup of coffee and a small bite of Wasa bread topped with 1 tsp of MaraNatha Creamy Almond Butter {looove it!}.

I then quickly prepared a sweet little snack to hold me over til lunch! A sweetie {a.k.a. oroblanco}...


*****
My foot was sore when I woke up :( The sun is out and the air is nice cool and crisp, but looks like I won't be going for a run like yesterday. Methinks it's a good day for some yoga!

How do you stay active on days when you have to "take it easy"?

Have a very Happy Tuesday!

xoxo