Sunday, January 5, 2014

Boxtera Snack Subscription Box offers Smart Snack Options for Everyone December 2013

Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample of the product for review purposes. The opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with the product.
Boxtera is a healthy, yummy and fun subscription snack service that delivers smart snacks to your doorstep every month.  They have a variety of plans that can accommodate a single person or a small office. You can choose from 5, 10 or 20 full sized packages of Boxtera's smart snacks. Great to make those money saving lunches for you or the kids more exciting even if you are a smaller family or a single.  Saves all that driving to the grocery store too.  If you own a small business, think about how much more productive your employees could be if they knew you were taking care of them with a Boxtera snack subscription box for yummy and smart snacks?  
Each month you will receive 5 ($19.95/mo) , 10 ($29.95/mo) or 20 ($49.95/mo) full-sized packages of Boxtera's smart snacks depending on the plan you choose. These are big bags too.  The subscription plans for their Discovery Boxes all have free shipping too--no surprises here.  An excellent value for what you receive.

Boxtera was founded by Rae Ann L'Hommedieu, a mom of 3 (G-d bless her..me with my one!) who also was working as a licensed massage therapist. Like me, she was constantly searching for nutritious and easy to eat snacks in and she just got plain tired of comparing and translating all those confusing nutrition labels on every product. My husband always wonders why my grocery trips take so long.  Sounds familiar?  Now Rae Ann knew she could not be the only mom out there making herself crazy in the name of health.  She decided to make an easier solution for finding healthy snacks the whole family could enjoy and she created Boxtera's snacks.  Boxtera Subscription Box brings you a lot more for less.  You can see they don't focus on fancy packaging....it is the food inside that counts, right? Their snacks are yummy, keep reading and you will get all the details on their snacks.

No snacking guilt with Boxtera.  Their products have no weirdo or yucky ingredients:
  • No high-fructose corn syrup
  • No trans fats
  • No artificial sweeteners
  • No artificial flavors
  • No artificial colors
I was able to sample a recent Boxtera subscription that included an innovative and fun variety of snacks that we really enjoyed sharing with family and friends. All Boxtera snacks (including this one) are hand picked with the 5 senses of taste (gustatory perception) in mind which is pretty neat.  So they take into account savory, sour, bitter, sweet and salty in every box.  My box included a Pub Mix (salty), Tangerine Slices (sour), Sesame Kabukim Bites (bitter), Hibiscus Flowerettes (sweet) and BBQ Banana Chips (savory).  
The Pub Mix (Salty) had a nice blend of nuts, pretzels and crackers. It was tasty and fresh. One of the things I really liked about it was that it had a light salty flavor but was not too salty. It actually had just enough of a salty flavor but not enough to make you have that crazy thirst.  This was perfect to put out when we had friends over this weekend. It pretty much disappeared.

The second item was the BBQ Banana Chips (Savory).  I had never had these before and they were totally amazing. I had to seal them up and hide them from myself after I ate a serving. That good. These were crunchy and slightly ever so slightly sweet with a spicy pop.  Just spicy enough but not too much to make you run for a glass of water. Actually, I kept running back to that bag. Good thing all of the bags are resealable. My daughter kept trying to sneak these. I promised her she could take some to school for a snack.

Sesame Kabukim Bites (bitter) was another unusual snack that I had never tried. They looked pretty cool and tasted very light. I liked the ball shape. Little crunchy cracker-like balls coated with sesame.  I didn't sense overt bitterness but I liked the crunch. It was very satisfying with a light sesame flavor. Just kind of light and crunchy. 

The Hibiscus Flowerettes (sweet) were so pretty.  I was familiar with these and I liked the sweet and chewy texture. If you are a dried fruit fan you will enjoy these too. My family also liked these. Boxtera even included a yummy looking recipe for Seared Pork Loin with a Chipotle Hibiscus BBQ Sauce.  I will have to make sure we leave enough of them to make the recipe or a variation of it. I bet I could use chicken or if you were a vegetarian you could sub in a block of tofu and it would also be delicious.  

The last snack in this box was the Tangerine Slices (sour).  As I mentioned, I loved dried fruit and these tangerine slices were delectable. They were slightly sour and sweet at the same time. The texture was fresh and chewy. They even looked appetizing before I popped them in my mouth. Of course the family was clamoring for these too. 

All of the snacks would be nice additions to any lunchbox or after school snack for the kids. The bags are generous and definitely have enough to share with friends and family. I liked that the sodium was not excessive per serving as well. I like salty snacks but so many of the commercial ones are loaded. It really seems like Boxtera strives to find that nice balance between joy and health. I say spend time with your kids and quit chasing the healthy snacks every week.  Order your Boxtera and run on over to the playground, do that craft project with the kids or maybe even take a nap (okay I am dreaming about the nap).  

Don't forget to follow Boxtera on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram so you can find out about any news or updates. 


ChagaMax and Oreganol Supplements For Health: A Review

Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample of the products for review purposes. The opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with the products. Please consult your personal physician or health care practitioner prior to adding any supplements to your regimen.
I have always been a pretty healthy kind of person in general. I work out, eat a healthy diet and add supplements that vary from time to time based upon new things that I read or hear about. North American Herb & Spice recently shared with me some information and samples of ChagaMax and Oreganol P73. I had never used these supplements before and was curious about their health benefits.

I always encourage my readers to check with their physician or health care practitioner prior to adding any supplements to their health care regimen as I always do. Don't forget to do that.... Now we can talk about the exciting secrets of the forest and of nature!
Wild Chaga or ChagaMax harnesses the power of the wild, raw chaga mushroom found on wild northern birch trees. It is uniquely fortified with the super combination of wild oregano and birch bark. This is a synergistic combination that can support the health of your immune, digestive, hormonal, respiratory and cardiac systems.* The Chinese called it the "King of All Herbs" and the Siberians called it "Gift of G-d."  Those are some powerful names that go back to ancient times.  These wild, powerful foods really are amazing sources of key substances needed for human health, bio-active plant sterols, antioxidants and even enzymes.  

I didn't know that Chaga is the richest source of the all-important enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD).  It is also a source of many of the all important B and D vitamins including B12 and even trace minerals.  One of the more interesting tidbits about ChagaMax is that it helps to increase the desire for exrecise and helps support endurance and strength.*  I was able to sample the ChagaMax Vegi Caps.  I took them as directed, one capsule or more per day with or without meals.  I definitely was able to keep up with my exercise and fitness regimen and had a great day skiing yesterday.  Lot of energy.

I was also able to sample the Oreganol P73 in two forms:  The 140mg softgels and the Oreganol P73 Oil. P73 is a proprietary blend of wild, edible oregano oils from the natural spice.  P73 is a blend of the most powerful species of oregano grown wild in the Mediterranean mountains.  It grows in altitudes up to 12,00 feet above sea from rocks rich in calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.  It is handpicked by local villagers who have also used and benefited from the ancient herb. It is harvested and steam distilled for purity. For thousands of years it has been relied upon as a purging herb with references all the way back to the Bible.  The softgels were easy to take and digest and I took it as directed...one or more gelcaps daily.  The oil tasted fresh and was easy to use as well...I took it as directed with two drops under my tongue once a day.  I liked that you can use the oil topically as well. I was surprised you can add the oil to salad or soups or even pizza.  I am going to try that too. I didn't realize that Oreganol oil is very relaxing.  North American Herb & Spice suggested rubbing it on your chest before a nap or bedtime. I liked that idea and found the fragrance to be really nice and it was relaxing! You can even rub it on cold hands to create heat.

I liked all of products and would continue to use them.  I think the winter can be hard on the skin and body....good to help myself in an easy to do manner.  I felt energetic and I looked good too during the week that I used both supplements together.  It is good to add some new supplements to the regimen from time to time to keep everything healthy and all systems functioning at top efficacy.

 *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

New Cosmetic Spot Treatment option: Vitamin K1 8% Intensive Serum Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.   I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample of the product for review purposes. The opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with the product.
Every year it seems like those skin changes appear like some science experiment gone way wrong. Those odd bruises, spider veins, eczema, varicose veins and other not funny skin problems.  Now you all know by now that I eat super healthy and really work it out hard several times a week....regularly. No yo-yo diets here. Regardless, I still see those skin issues.  Some things are just not avoidable completely as you age.  Now when you grumble about the belly pooch I am not going to listen because that is all about a good diet and exercise regimen but funny skin stuff, ahhh, we need some outside help there.
That is where an elegant new skin care product from Bioque can really help.  I recently heard about the benefits of Vitamin K1 Serum.  This is a effective cosmetic spot treatment that can be used anywhere on your face or body.  Don't you love that?  The perfect solution for a busy mama since we can use it for double duty!  Vitamin K1 can be used to reduce the appearance of bruises, spider veins, eczema, varicose veins, or any of those annoying skin problems that plague us.

Vitamin K1 has very simple list of active and powerful ingredients*:

• Vitamin K1 
• Vitamins A, B and E
• Jojoba Oil
• Aloe
• Sweet Almond 
• Arnica Flower Extract
• Horse Chestnut

*Please see website for additional information and ingredients.

Bioque shared with me that many men and women find Vitamin K1 very useful after surgery to aid in the reduction of swelling and scarring.*  Even better news--Vitamin K1 can even help reduce the appearance of older scars.  You do need to apply it twice daily to clean, dry skin. I like applying it first thing in the morning and right before I go to sleep.  I have been using it for about 5 days now.  It is easy to apply and has a very light, pleasant scent.  My big bruise on my right calf looks a lot better than it did a few days ago.  For some conditions it can take 2-3 weeks to notice improvement so you need to be patient and keep using it.  If you have a simple bruise, improvement can be pretty speedy in 2-4 days.

Vitamin K1 can really work wonders in lots of areas....think about it:  diminishes the appearance of bruising, swelling, scars, spider veins, varicose veins, eczema, acne and other pesky skin issues.*  Think about how it can help to reduce those dark circles and puffiness under the eyes that really age me a lot some of us too.*  Okay, it even happens to me when I don't get enough sleep. I will be trying out Vitamin K1 for that issue too.  I like that I can look forward to brighter, clearer and fresher skin tone and faster healing of bruises with this new product.* It seems like I am always bruising from my hard workouts and weights.  It is good to have a natural solution.  Let me know how it works for you.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

 *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Easy Carrot, Ginger and Orange Soup (milk and dairy free)



I have seen so many variations of carrot, ginger and orange soups. I played around with a few and added my own special touches.  I like to keep the protein high so I added the chickpeas. You can also use white beans as a substitute. Either will work fine. 

Easy Carrot Ginger and Orange Soup

4 cups low salt vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup low fat coconut milk
1 1/2 cup chopped onions 
2 cups chopped carrots
2 15oz cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 1/2 teaspoons Ginger Paste or equal amount of chopped fresh ginger
3 oranges, peeled, halved or 4 mandarins
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch of ground nutmeg
1 pinch of ground coriander
Sea salt and pepper to taste
4-6 slices of whole wheat bread, toasted 
(I added a small piece of orange peel but I think it tastes better without it!)


Directions

Heat a skillet pan over medium heat.  Add 1/2 cup of your chosen broth and sauté carrots, onions and ginger for 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk.
 




Add 2 cups (480 ml) of broth. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer 15 minutes.
 
Season with salt and pepper to taste  
 
 Serve with toast points