Snack Party! | Taste of Nature Fruit & Nut Bars

"I'm sorry for the things I said when I was hungry."

Could this easily be your life motto? Then read on, my friend.

I can tell you for sure that "hangriness" runs in my family. I have stories. There is faint recollection of my mom driving off and leaving my little sister standing on the front steps of our house during an episode of low blood sugar. That same sister, many years later, nearly had a meltdown in the streets of Little Italy during her 21st birthday trip to NYC because I couldn't make up my mind about where we'd eat lunch.

Snacks are a necessity around here.

The key is, choosing snacks that nourish and sustain before you come across a vending machine or a drive-thru window and get pulled in like a moth to the flame.

I recently got the opportunity to share one of my favorite new snacks, Taste of Nature Fruit & Nut Bars, with folks who appreciate the value of healthy snacking. My husband, who is a chiropractor, has patients who come from all walks of life -- hardcore athletes, stay-at-home mamas, retirees, you name it. But even though their day-to-day lives differ greatly from one another's, they all have a common link: They take good care of themselves. After all, that's why we get to see their smiling faces at the office every day!

I had the opportunity to sample Taste of Nature Bars after BlogHer Food in May as they were one of the goodies in our swag bags. After getting a sneak peek, I couldn't wait to receive the samples to share! The office seemed like the perfect place to share my snacking find.

Many of our patients have special diets due to lifestyle choice and/or allergies, so the fact that Taste of Nature bars are certified organic, gluten-free certified, and non-gmo, vegan, kosher and contain real, nuts, fruits and grains that you can see {all at under 200 calories} was a real plus. They've got nothing artificial, no fillers and no chemicals – what you see is what you get with these bars, which is just how I like my snacks.

Did I mention that they have 6 exciting flavors to choose from? Because they do. Brazilian Nut Festival, California Almond Valley, Quebec Cranberry Carnival, Canadian Maple Forest, Himalayan Goji Summit and Persian Pomegranate Garden make up the tantalizing options. I think the hardest decision for anyone who came in to give them a try was choosing which one they wanted first!

I set up a tasting station {and put out a little survey, just for fun} and let the magic happen.

Everyone seemed to have the same reaction after taking a nibble of the samples -- "Mmmm. These are good. Really good." And then they'd promptly scour the packaging to make sure there was nothing sneaky lurking in there, like I was trying to pull the wool over their eyes. But the secret is simple: Real Tastes Good. {Maybe that's why the company made this their tagline. Clever marketing folks.}

After chatting about which was their favorite, and how much they need something like this on the daily, and asking me where they can pick up some of these for future snacking while shoving a few free samples into their bags, {sadly, the closest store that sells them is Nutrition Cottage about 40 minutes away in Boynton & Delray! Come to Jupiter, Taste of Nature!}, they marked down their favorite flavor on my tally sheet and went on their merry way... but not before scoring some sportsy swag for outdoor fun in the sun!

{In case you were wondering, Brazilian Nut Fiesta won out over the competitors. My personal favorite is the Persian Pomegranate Garden. I'm wondering if Brazil took the lead because everyone is in a Brazilian state of mind with the World Cup happening.}

I felt like I had done my civic duty in decreasing the "hangriness" rate of our city one person at a time. Just call me superwoman.

More importantly, I now have a great recommendation when people ask me for smart snacking ideas. Because we all know what can happen when hunger catches you snackless! ;) For more information about Taste of Nature Fruit & Nut Bars, check out their site.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Coconut-Margarita Ice Pops + Electrolux

Fact: It is possible to have kitchen appliance envy.

Here's the deal -- I need a new refrigerator. Like, bad.

We live in a rental, and the appliances that came with the place are your typical {sub}standard, bargain basement sort that never quite do what they're supposed to. {Which would be totally fine if I didn't spend the majority of my life in the kitchen depending on them.}

There is an invisible equator in our refrigerator that delineates the zone between well-chilled items and arctic tundra. If leftovers, produce, or any other stray items happen to cross this line, they never return in usable form. There's nothing like trying to pour half and half into your coffee in the morning only to discover that it is frozen solid. Ew.

In the past 6 months, we've been forced to have maintenance come take a look at our fridge FOUR times because:

*It gets too cold.
*It isn't cold enough.
*It starts forming a sizable pond underneath the crisper drawers.
*It sounds like there is a small rodent nesting in the ice maker.

Sigh.

I've had enough of our fridge and its temperamental temperatures. And I'm in total lust with this new item that is topping my wish list:

Image courtesy of Clever Girls Collective/Electrolux

The Electrolux French Door Bottom Mount Refrigerator

Isn't she lovely???

Not only is this fridge a looker, but it's got a Perfect Temp Drawer for storing different types of foods at their IDEAL temperature. Imagine that! No zucchini-cicles!

What? Doesn't everyone have a wine & cheese party ready to go at all times in the fridge?

This fridge is so fancy that the drawers close themselves to ensure a perfect seal that keeps produce fresh longer with humidity control.

We were made totally made for one another. <3

Do you want one of these babies as much as I do? {If so, back off, sister. Just kidding.}

Now through August 22, you can visit www.livelovelux.com and enter the Electrolux Perfect Temp Sweepstakes daily for a chance to win your own Electrolux French Door Bottom Mount Refrigerator and a trip to a climate with a perfect temp - the sunny Abaco Islands in The Islands Of The Bahamas!

Need another reason to check it out? For every entry and share, Electrolux will donate $1 to Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) with the goal of reaching $125,000. How awesome is that?

You know what else is awesome? Popsicles. Because, you know, they're actually supposed to be enjoyed in a frozen state. ;)

Even if you don't win that tropical Bahamas vacation, these Coconut Margarita Ice Pops created by Kelly Ripa will totally transport you to island paradise. Sweet, refreshing {and boozy, if you so choose}, these popsicles are pure pool day perfection!

Image courtesy of Clever Girls Collective/Electrolux

Coconut-Margarita Ice Pops
Makes 6-8 pops (depending on size of mold)

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup shredded coconut
{Optional for adults} 1/4 cup silver tequila

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

2. Pour mixture into individual popsicle molds {reserving ¼ inch at the top}.

3. Chill the popsicles for 30 – 45 minutes in the refrigerator. {The versatile Luxury-Design Lift Off Shelves in Electrolux refrigerators allow you to customize the space so the chilling popsicles have a safe, designated area, and the designer LED Lighting provides full visibility, even when the refrigerator is full.}

4. Remove the molds from the refrigerator, insert sticks and freeze at least six more hours or until solid.

5. Once solid, dip molds in warm water to loosen popsicle and remove from mold.

6. Pour shredded coconut into a large mixing bowl, dip one side of each popsicle into shredded coconut to garnish.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Curbing Magazine Clutter with Next Issue

Hi. My name is Dianna and I have a cooking magazine problem.

They are slowly {but surely} consuming my living space one irresistible, glossy page at a time.

The images you are about to see are real pictures taken in my home. No dust bunnies were harmed in the shooting of this footage.

Exibit A: An attempt to contain and organize the problem.

Exhibit B: A failed attempt to make them blend with our decor.

Exhibit C: Throwing in the towel and just letting the takeover happen.

Exhibit D: Piles. Lots and lots of piles.

Yes, that does say, "50 Things to Make with Bacon". Don't judge.

When The Clever Girls selected me to try out Next Issue, it was like they heard my muffled cry for help through the stacks of magazines invading my existence. {Dramatic much?}

The Next Issue app is a smart way to get your magazine fix without needing to add an extra room onto your house for storage, or single-handedly contributing to the world's deforestation problem. {Yay, green!}

Next Issue gives you access to 90+ titles {including back issues!} all wrapped up in the convenience of your tablet... or iPad... or PC. It's like being able to slip an entire stack of magazines into your tote!

Cool features:

* One tap is all it takes to add a magazine to your Custom Library. And guess what? New issues pop up in your library automatically so you don't have to stalk the magazine stands.

* Navigation is simple whether you want to flip through each and every page or jump to a specific article or section. {I heart being able to check out the complete Recipe Index... with visuals!}

* You can download your favorites for instant access even when you're not online and only need one account to be able to use Next Issue on up to five different devices!

*There are little surprise features here and there that pop up when you least expect them... like cool graphics and bonus info.

This popped up as I scrolled to the ice cream recipes in Bon Appetit mag. Then each scoop melted.
I almost licked the screen!

*One of my favorite features: Certain cooking mags have "Kitchen Mode" which allows you to see the recipe steps one at a time as you get to them.

LOVE!

If you're like me, your library will instantly be filled with the latest news and recipes in the food & drink world. {See first screen shot. That's my actual library.} But you can certainly use it to keep up to date on the latest celebrity sleaze, too, if that's more your style... I'll never tell.

You can try out a 30 day free trial of Next Issue yourself by clicking here, or by simply downloading the app onto your iPad and signing in with Facebook. {Go do it! But be warned, your life will never be the same!}

I'd love to hear what you think of it! What will be the first magazine you add to your library?

Now, if you'll excuse me... I'm off to figure out what to do with all this magazine-free space. ;)

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.