Disclosure: I received samples in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

I really admire the story behind Jessica’s Natural Foods. Jessica developed her gluten-free granola, mixes and syrup in response to her own family’s gluten-free lifestyle. I think it is amazing when someone sees a market need and creates a business. While our family does not follow a gluten-free diet, I am always interested in healthier eating. Therefore, I was excited to try some of the gluten-free products offered by Jessica’s Natural Foods and today I am going to share them with you.

Jessica’s Gluten-Free Granola

My family really likes granola, so we were excited to try out Jessica’s Gluten-Free Granola. This granola starts out with certified gluten-free oats and adds in natural ingredients such as ground flax, coconut, organic honey, real maple syrup and pure vanilla extract. It is made by hand in small batches and contains no artificial colors or ingredients. Jessica’s Granola comes in the following flavors:

• Gluten-Free Almond Cherry Granola
• Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Granola
• Gluten-Free Vanilla Maple Granola
• Gluten-Free Cherry & Berry Granola
• Gluten-Free Pecan Almond Granola
• Gluten-Free Chocolate Hazelnut Granola

We had the opportunity to try the Chocolate Chip Granola and the Cherry & Berry Granola. Both of the flavors that we tried were hearty and delicious. I like how there are sizeable clusters that offer a satisfying crunch.

I like to use granola as a topping for a fruit and yogurt parfait. It would also be good with some milk or just eaten by itself as a snack.

Jessica’s Gluten-Free Mixes

We also had the opportunity to try Jessica’s Muffin Mix and Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix.

Although I enjoy baking from scratch, I also really appreciate the convenience of using a mix! Jessica’s Muffin Mixes contain ancient grain teff and oat flour. I was very curious about ancient grain teff, as I am not sure whether I have tried this ingredient before. According to the package, teff contains protein, fiber, calcium, amino acids and iron. Sounds good to me!

I used the muffin mix to whip up a batch of blueberry muffins. (You can use any add-in that you want, such as other types of fruit or chocolate chips). They turned out really tasty! The muffins had a really tender texture with lightly crisped edges. I would not have guessed that these muffins are gluten-free.

Baking cookies with this mix was super quick and easy. As you can see, the dough looks just like traditional cookie dough. The cookie mixes are also made with ancient grain teff and oat flour.

My family (including my son shown here) really enjoyed these chocolate chip cookies. I think the butter that I used was a little too softened, so the result was a really thin and crisp cookie. However, my daughter said she actually prefers her cookies this way, which I never knew-ha! Again, I would not have guessed that these cookies are gluten-free. I like that I can feel good about the ingredients, and I am sure that feeling would be that much stronger for those that are gluten-free.

Where to Purchase

Jessica’s Natural Foods products can be purchased at a store near you, through their website, or on Amazon.

Giveaway Time

I am excited that Jessica’s is offering the chance for THREE of my readers to win their choice of two Jessica’s Natural Foods products!

Disclosure: I received samples in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

Today I am excited to share about Steeped Coffee, a company based in Santa Cruz, CA that delivers coffee in a whole new way.

Steeped Coffee is a convenient way to make coffee without the need for a coffee maker or any special equipment. Each packet contains a filter bag of 100% specialty coffee (much like a tea bag).

Steeped Coffee comes in the following varieties:

• Sunrise Light Roast
• California Medium Roast
• Odyssey Dark Roast
• Driftwood French Roast
• Eventide Decaf

The directions for Steeped Coffee could not be simpler. Place the Steeped filter in a cup and pour 8 oz. hot water over it. Dunk for 15 seconds and let it steep for five minutes (or more) according to how strong you like your coffee.

The quality of the Steeped Coffee was quite impressive. Their direct trade, ethically sourced coffee is hand roasted in small batches and does not involve any additives, solubles, crystals or freeze-drying. Steeped Coffee does not taste like “instant” coffee, but more like coffee you would make in a French press. It is nice how you can control how strong the brew is just by letting it steep longer. (I prefer mine on the stronger side.)

Steeped Coffee makes it really convenient to enjoy a fresh brewed cup of coffee at work or home. I can also see how Steeped Coffee would be great to take along on a camping trip or while traveling.

Where to Purchase

Steeped Coffee can be purchased on their website and they also offer subscriptions.

Giveaway Time

Enter the giveaway below and enter to win an assortment of Steeped Coffee and a Steeped Coffee mug!

Disclosure: I received samples in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

If you have been to a Japanese restaurant, you have probably enjoyed a nice steaming bowl of miso soup to start your meal. MiSOgood makes it super easy to enjoy miso (and all of its health benefits) at home.

MiSOgood products are USDA Certified Organic, Non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegan. As for health benefits, miso contains essential minerals, various B vitamins, vitamins E and K, and folic acid. Because miso is a fermented food, it provides the gut with beneficial bacteria that keeps the gut healthy. (Information taken from the MiSOgood website).

MiSOgood is available in 6 different flavors that can be used for soups and sauces:

• Sweet and Savory Miso
• Brown Rice Miso
• Soy-free Miso (made with fermented rice)
• Teriyaki Miso
• Spicy Miso
• Sesame Miso  

MiSOgood sent us two of their products to try: Sweet & Savory White Miso and Sesame Miso.

First, I tried the Sweet & Savory White Miso as a soup base to make a bowl of miso soup.

The miso soup had a nice rich flavor. My family loved it! It will be a nice addition to a quick lunch or dinner at home.

I also wanted to try the Sweet Miso Salad Dressing recipe I found on the MiSOgood website. We eat a lot of salads in the summer, so this is a good dressing to have on hand. It has a nice tang and adds umami at the same time.

Finally, I made a quick stir-fry with the MiSOgood Sesame Miso. Just saute some tofu and add 2 T. of the MiSOgood sauce. Add some vegetables and rice and you have a complete meal in minutes. The Sesame Miso has a nutty flavor with a hint of spice from red pepper and ginger. I can’t wait to try it with chicken or salmon as well.

Where To Purchase

MiSOgood products can be purchased on their website here and they offer free shipping!

Giveaway Time

Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a MiSOgood Summer Soup & Sauce Variety 3-Pack, which includes Miso Teriyaki, Sweet & Savory White Miso and Sesame Miso!

Disclosure: I received samples in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Judging by the popularity of some of my recent posts, my readers enjoy snacking as much as we do! Poptime Snacks is another company that I missed seeing at Expo West this year. They currently offer four different lines of snacks, and today I am excited to have the opportunity to share about ALL of them with you!

Poptime Popcorn

First up is Poptime Popcorn. Our family has been having a lot of movie nights recently, so popcorn is always a good snack to have around. Poptime Popcorn comes in six delicious varieties:

• Honey BBQ
• White Cheddar
• Butter
• Spicy Jalapeno
• Sea Salt
• Sweet & Salty

You can munch on this popcorn without the guilt because it is non-GMO, cholesterol-free, contains zero trans fat, is gluten, dairy and nut-free, and contains no preservatives or artificial flavors.

Our family especially liked the white cheddar flavor. To me, it had just the right amount of cheesiness/saltiness. I was also impressed that there were hardly any unpopped kernels or popcorn “crumbs” that you often find with bagged popcorn.

Poptime Creations

For those who like exciting flavor combinations, check out the different varieties of Poptime Creations popcorn:

• Sriracha & Lime
• Marshmallow & Cinnamon
• Truffle Herb & Parmesan Cheese
• Chocolate & Vanilla

Don’t these flavors sound amazing?

This is the popcorn to choose when you want an “elevated” popcorn experience. The fun flavors would be perfect for a picnic or a party! Pop Creations popcorn is non-GMO, dairy-free and kosher. This line of popcorn also contains no artificial ingredients, trans fat, or preservatives.

Poptime Popped Chips

Poptime Popped Chips are “popped” potato chips, and they come in the following flavors:

• BBQ & Honey
• Sea Salt
• Jalapeno
• Truffle

These snacks are non-GMO, cholesterol free, gluten free, dairy free and nut free. They contain zero trans fat, no added sugar and no preservatives or artificial flavors.

These Poptime Popped Chips are so good! They are light and crispy and full of flavor. They are exactly the type of snack that my kids like to pack in their school lunches. I like that they are a lower-fat alternative to regular potato chips.

Big & Bold

Sometimes you just want a big bag of popcorn. That is when you need Poptime Big and Bold Popcorn. These large bags come in the following flavors:

• Salt & Pepper
• Butter
• Sea Salt
• Sweet & Salty

Poptime Big and Bold Popcorn is vegan, dairy-free, kosher, non-gmo, has 0g trans fat, and contains no artificial ingredients or preservatives.

This popcorn definitely lives up to its name! Each bag contains several generous servings, and the flavors are definitely bold. Sometimes air-popped popcorn can taste like nothing, but that is not the case with Poptime Big and Bold Popcorn.

Where To Purchase

Poptime Snacks can be purchased through their website and Amazon.

Giveaway Time

Poptime Snacks is generously offering a giveaway prize of one bag of each of their snacks–18 bags total! You will be all set for summertime snacking!

Disclosure: I received samples in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

Lebby Snacks is another company I missed seeing at Expo West this year. When I first heard about their sweet chickpea snacks, I was intrigued. I think most people associate chickpeas with savory foods, such as hummus. However, after trying these dry-roasted chickpea snacks, I can say that Lebby Chickpea Snacks are a satisfying sweet and crunchy combination.

Lebby Snacks come in four flavors:

• Sesame Honey
• Mocha
• Dark Chocolate
• Milk Chocolate

For me, my favorite is a two-way tie between Mocha and Dark Chocolate. I found them addictive! The Sesame Honey reminds me of honey roasted peanuts. The Milk Chocolate would be sure to please any chocolate fan.

Lebby Chickpea Snacks start with a dry-roasting process that gives the chickpeas a delicious light and crunchy taste and texture without any oil, salt or additives. They are gluten-free, non-gmo and kosher. So far, I have only tried eating Lebby Chickpea Snacks out of hand, but I can also see trying them on top of ice cream, yogurt or as part of a trail mix or cheeseboard.

Where to Purchase

Lebby Chickpea Snacks can be found through their website, at a store near you, or on Amazon.

Giveaway Time

Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a 12 ct. variety pack of Lebby Chickpea Snacks!

Disclosure: I received sample product in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

One of my favorite parts about blogging is connecting with small business owners. I enjoy being able to support them, as I have always admired the entrepreneurial spirit. Today I want to introduce you to Almond Blossom Roasted Nuts, a small business based in Leavensworth, Washington.

This company specializes in premium fresh nuts that they roast in small batches. Almond Blossom offers a wide variety of flavor combinations, from sweet to savory to spicy. D and I had the opportunity to try six of the flavors, shown below:

First of all, I was really impressed with the freshness and quality of all of the nuts we tried. The small-batch roasting process really brings out the nutty flavor.

• New York Style Bar Mix: Consists of cashews, pecans and almonds with a rosemary sweet/salty glaze. The variety of nuts in this mix is really nice and the fresh rosemary adds a wonderful flavor. This was D’s favorite.
• Cinnamon Vanilla Almonds: Almonds are probably my favorite type of nut, if I had to choose one. This flavor combination reminds me of Christmas, and was my favorite.
• Curry Coconut Cashews: I am a fan of both curry and coconut, so this interesting flavor appealed to me. Their recipe also contains lime juice and black sesame seeds, and the combination is superb!
• Cinnamon Vanilla Pecans: Eating pecans seems so decadent to me, maybe because of their larger size. Pecan lovers will really enjoy these.
• Maple Chipotle Almonds: Perfect sweet-spicy combination!
• Thai Chili Lime Cashews: This is another unique flavor with just the right amount of heat.

Where to Purchase + Discount!

Almond Blossom Roasted Nuts can be purchased on their website here. They also offer a variety of gift options where you can mix and match different flavors in an assortment of containers and have them shipped. (Supporting a small business AND no-contact shopping, yes!) Almond Blossom Roasted Nuts would make a thoughtful gift for Father’s Day, birthdays, teacher appreciation, etc.

Use code DAD20 through 6/21 at check out for 20% off your entire order AND they ship to any U.S. address for only $4.95!

Giveaway Time

Almond Blossom Roasted Nuts has generously offered to give away one 4-compartment gift wheel of nuts to THREE different winners! Be sure to enter the giveaway below:

Disclosure: I received samples in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

As I mentioned before, I really missed being able to attend Expo West this year. However, I am grateful to still be able to connect with some of the companies that were supposed to attend. One such company is Baja Jerky, which is a local Orange County company specializing in premium beef jerky.

Baja Jerky comes in five unique flavors:

• Churro
• Sweet Orange
• Salsa Fresca
• Lime & Serrano Pepper
• Traditional

My family was immediately impressed with the thick cut of this jerky. Pictured here is the Churro flavor. Yes, Churro! You can see the cinnamon sugar, and it is sure to appeal to anyone who likes the savory-sweet combination.

If you are more of the traditional jerky fan, they have that, too!

Baja Jerky is a snack you can feel good about eating. It does not contain added nitrites, nitrates, or MSG and it is gluten-free.

Also, the beef used has no added hormones. Each serving contains 8 grams of protein.

The Salsa Fresca flavor is a definite winner! Just a hint of heat and the salsa flavor really complements the beef.

In addition to 2.5 ounce bags, Baja Jerky also comes in a Snack Pack that contains ten convenient 1 ounce size bags. They would be perfect for lunchboxes or for on-the-go snacking.

Where to Purchase

Baja Jerky can be purchased through their website and Amazon. Hopefully it will become more widely available at stores soon!

Giveaway Time

Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a Snack Pack flavor of your choice (ten 1 oz. bags) AND a 2.5 oz bag of each flavor!