The lovely people over at Kardea generously sent me 4 of their bars to sample. A lot of their products are known to aide in cholesterol management. I know Cheerio’s help with that too, but these my dear readers, are the bomb.com. I’ve already decided that I’m going to try the Banana Walnut bar last because I like to save the best for last. Although, I have a feeling it really wouldn’t matter because so far out of the ones I’ve tried, they’re awesome. A lot of bars taste good, but they don’t quite live up to the name of their flavors. However, these bars actually taste like what they’re named. The Lemon Ginger bar wasn’t overwhelming at all – it was just right.

I’m not sure if the strange look of it is because it was delivered to me when it was really hot out. Cranberry check. Almond check. These don’t even taste like nutritional bars (in a very good way)! Just delicious. I’ll give you guys some info on these bars:

Banana Walnut, Chai Spice, Cranberry Almond, and Lemon Ginger

Plant Sterols-1 gram

Total Fiber-7 grams with 5 grams Soluble Fiber

Heart Healthy Soluble Fiber-3grams

Protein-7 grams with 3.5 grams Soy Protein

Vegetarian-Friendly (Chai Spice & Banana Walnut Are Vegan)

Kosher Certified

Only 150 Calories/Bar

No Trans Fats

Lower Glycemic Formulation

I’m surprised that these bars haven’t caught on with a lot of folks actually. They are truly delicious, and good for your heart!

So guys, what have I been up to?

Last Saturday my friend organized an eating contest at a park, and I was the judge/scooper. What’d they have to eat? Mashed potatoes! All participants had to bring in a bag. Kim also brought fake bacon bits, which was a good idea. And I kindly offered my assistance to anyone who felt they could no longer fulfill their “duties”.

Tiara didn’t really look too happy, but atleast she won! This girl kicks butt.

Later that night I decided to bake around the witching hour. Well, more like 3 hours before because supposedly the witching hour is at 3 am.

I was browing through biscotti recipes and found one that I had the ingredients for. I wanted to make lemon ginger biscotti but, alas, I had no crystallized ginger and I’m sure this was something my neighbor wouldn’t have had either. The aroma of these wafting in the apartment as they were baking and I was studying… it made my life a little sweeter.

Like my girl, Janetha, I love cinnamon. I went a little crazy with it and this is why -ladies and gentlemen- my oats are brown. I put a big spoonful of peanut butter and a little one of my Date and Almond Creme spread. To add the finishing touch to this bowl of oats, I bruleed some bananas a la Katie! The cinnamon is hogging the spotlight though.

I tried to do this blob of peanut butter justice by making a bowl of PB&J oats. Holla at the peanut butter queen, Jenny! As I was saying goodbye to one jar of yummy goodness, I said hello to Crofter’s Blueberry Superfruit spread. Ah so good, and I could see the tiny blueberries in there. I don’t bother with jellies that don’t even have an inkling of a fruit, but Crofter’s spreads are jam packed with real fruits. Did ya catch that?

I’ve really been inspired by everyone’s blogs lately, and last week I was reading Sophia’s blog and she had posted a recipe that seemed way too good to just look at.

Kabocha Soup with Bacon and Goat Cheese

Unfortunately, the fake bacon bits that were brought the eating contest were finished off, so I couldn’t sprinkle them on! So I made the best of it and blended in some ketchup, smoke sauce, and Worcestershire. How do you say that word anyway?

Hey Sophia… this was awesome!!! I love this girl’s blog. Not only does she have a refined taste for things that taste delicious, but she also shares a piece of her mind and heart with her readers in every post.

There are so many bloggers to talk about in this post. I had the chance to actually meet a fellow blogger yesterday. If you guys don’t know her already, I met up with Brittany from Eating Bird Food. It’s always neat to see when you guys meet up with other bloggers. Some of you hit it off and became partners in crime like Brooke and Kailey! Holly and Angharad too! All the meet-ups just seemed like so much fun. Brittany and I agreed to meet up at Ipanema, a vegetarian and vegan restaurant. I was so excited when she suggested we go there – hell yeah girl! I love that place, and a couple of my friends work there as well.

This place reminds me of Germany because you walk down, like walking into a Ratskeller. A Ratskeller is basically a tavern below street level and it’s the city hall’s basement. When Brittany walked through the door I immediately though, “oh my gosh she’s so pretty and adorable!” We looked through the menu and when we decided on what we wanted, we made our way into one of the booths.

Service was rather fast that night! Oh gosh, I can’t remember exactly what this entailed, but I’ll give it a shot. I ordered an Indian pizza with a curry sauce, zucchini, cauliflower, red onions, and paneer. The sauce was strangely zesty and for some reason I was envisioning a red or orange curry sauce. It was good, but I probably wouldn’t order it again. The side salad’s dressing was yummy though! I tried some of what Brittany ordered as well. She got their Thai carrot soup, which resembled baby food haha! But it was very tasty. She also got a spinach salad with pears, gorgonzola, and pecans. That combination is always a winner in my book.

It was getting late and after talking it up, we asked for our checks. Brittany, it was so nice meeting you! You’re so kind and polite – can’t wait till our puppies meet! And next time, I’m taking more pictures!

These are delicious by the way! I love popping little tomatoes in my mouth. You take one bite and BOOM there’s a burst of flavor.

Well guys, I’m going to save some stuff for my next post. I tend to get carried away with my posts, and I don’t want anyone to be overwhelmed with my kitchen adventures haha! Since I mentioned so many other bloggers in this post, I think it’s appropriate to spread the word on this bit of exciting Blogworld news:

Foodbuzz has announced its 1st-Annual Foodbuzz Blog Awards!

The categories are:

Best Overall Blog

Best New Blog

Best Wine Blog

Best Cocktail/Spirits Blog

Best Baking Blog

Best Food Photography Blog

Best Visual Blog (graphic design)

Best Writing Voice

Best Healthy Living Blog

Best Green/Sustainable blog

Best Family Blog

Best Recipe Blog

Best Blogger Humanitarian Effort

Best Community Blog Effort

Most Humorous Food Blog

They’ve also got another section!

Blogger you’d most want to:

1. Take to dinner

2. Cook a meal for you

3. Be your personal Sommelier

4. Create you a cocktail

5. Watch on Food Network

6. Watch on Iron Chef

7. See open up their own restaurant

8. See their blog made into a movie

So go out there and vote everyone!

It’s Wednesday everyone! Is it just me or did it feel like the end of the week on Monday and Tuesday? Well, now we’re finally getting there!