Product Placement

I thought I'd share some goodies I've picked up at the store recently. I wasn't asked to review them or provided any compensation -- they just looked interesting! Some are new; some are just new to me.

Clif Bar has put out their seasonal bars in Gingerbread, Pumpkin Pie, and Pecan Pie flavors. I tried Gingerbread and Pumpkin Pie last year, but Pecan Pie was new to me, so I had to grab a couple. The secret to making Clif Bars delicious is to microwave them for about 15 seconds. Then you have warm, melt-in-your-mouth pecan goodness, my friends.

Alexia onion rings. I've made no secret of my love of Alexia sweet potato fries, so I thought I would branch out. These bake up just right, not too greasy and not too stringy.

Rejuvenative Foods Spicy Kim-Chi. I had never tried the fermented Korean condiment known as kim-chi. It was time!

I was inspired by the Korean BBQ Portabello Burgers from Isa Does It., yet I forgot to buy portabellos. So I settled for frozen veggie burgers. The kim chi made them into something special. I'm all about fermented foods these days, it seems. Fortunately I don't really suffer from digestive problems, but I still believe that when I drink kombucha or eat this kim-chi, something good is going on in my guts, and I feel a bit more energized.

Speaking of kombucha, I spotted GT's lavender-flavored raw kombucha and had to try it. As I discovered at the Steeping Room, lavender in foods and drinks is amazing! I'm partial to ginger kombucha, but this is definitely my second favorite flavor now.

Yogi Tea's Soothing Caramel Bedtime Tea. The caramel flavor isn't that strong, but I don't want anything super sweet at night, anyway. And for relaxation purposes, I prefer this to chamomile tea, whose earthy flavor I just can't bring myself to love.

Kettle Maple Bacon potato chips. That's right, vegan bacon-flavored chips. I couldn't handle the greasy coating these left in my mouth. I fanatically love their Spicy Thai chips, so I don't know...maybe this flavor is made extra-greasy so you get a more realistic bacon-consuming experience.

Chocolove's Cherries & Almonds in Dark Chocolate bar. Dark chocolate is good for you...cherries are good for you...almonds are good for you. So I'm doing my body a huge favor by always having one of these bars on hand, right? 

Coconut Bliss bars. Jackson and Olivia picked these out, but they didn't know what to make of the straight-up coconut flavor. As with the bacon chips, I'm not a fan of the fatty mouthfeel of these bars. Want something lighter.

Still getting through my holiday pics...My sweet friend Sonja hosted a gingerbread house decorating party before Christmas. She had all the fixins set out in little bowls, and Jackson and Olivia went to town, adorning their graham cracker constructions with red licorice, gumdrops, and M&Ms. 

The next morning, Olivia woke up asking if she could eat her gingerbread house for breakfast. I think she was dreaming about it!