BzzCampaign: Green Mountain Coffee Fair Trade Certified

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I was invited to take part in a BzzAgent campaign for Green Mountain Coffee Fair Trade Certified. I opted in because I am undoubtedly a coffee lover and was looking forward to trying out the new flavor.  I don’t mind paying a little more for a cup of coffee that’s going to help in making a difference.

October is Fair Trade Month and Green Mountain stands behind fair trade coffee pretty faithfully. Fair Trade ensures farmers get a fair price for their beans (meaning coffee manufactures aren’t nickel and diming the farmers).  By doing this farmer are able to improve working conditions, invest in their crops, while there’s also assistance in protecting the environment, while it also aids in supporting the community aiding in creating new schools, roads, drinking water, etc. Simply put “Fair Trade means great coffee for you and a better life for farmers.”

This year Kelly Clarkson teamed up with Green Mountain to aid in presenting Fair Trade coffee to the world.  In doing this Kelly Clarkson was able to visit some of the coffee farms. With that Green Mountain created a limited edition Three Continent Blend.  This blend is a delicious blend of beans from Asia, South America and Africa.  The coffee itself is listed as a medium roast that’s extra bold.

I brewed myself a cup of Three Continent Blend and I found it to be delicious. Smooth yet mildly bold. I didn’t find it to be overwhelming on the taste buds, particularly because I’m a light roast type-a-gal. With a packet of sweetener and a little milk it was quite an enjoyable cup.

FAGE Total Split Cups Review

I was invited to take part in a BzzAgent BzzCampaign featuring FAGE Total Split Cup Greek yogurt.  I was immediately interested because I LOVE Greek yogurt, but I don’t try all the brands on the market – because lets face it, Greek yogurt can get pricey especially if you find after a bite or two you don’t like it.  I have seen a number of people eating them along with their lunch, but I had never taken the plunge to try it myself.

The interesting and unique part of this yogurt is the fact that the flavors are split. There is no “fruit on the bottom” or “blended flavors” in this yogurt – it’s simply a plain Greek yogurt on one side of the cup and on the other is the flavoring of the yogurt you’ve chosen. The flavoring resembles a loose jam or ice cream topping that can be mixed into the yogurt (my preference), layered with the yogurt bite by bite, etc.  It really allows you to control how much sweetness and flavoring you include with your yogurt.

The one great thing about this yogurt is there is no room for boring. There are so many different flavors available that it would certainly shake your everyday normal yogurt up.  The flavors available under the Total 0% are as follows: plain, raspberry, strawberry, peach, cherry, blueberry, cherry pomegranate, blueberry acai, mango guanabana, strawberry goji, honey, apple cinnamon raisins, orange cinnamon, passion fruit Clementine and kiwi papaya passion fruit.  Granted, your local grocery store may not carry all of these flavors (mine certainly doesn’t), but I found there were a number of flavors available to choose from without it being the same ole staple “boring” flavors.

Out of all the flavors I purchased, I enjoyed the blueberry the most.  It was filling and packed with flavor. The cherry was a second runner up but I found it was a little tarter than I’d hope for. I do not like plain Greek yogurt simply because it’s too tart for me to eat on its own.  But I will say, the plain yogurt is great to use as a vegetable dip.  I took the plain and added some ranch powdered dressing to it for a delicious, filling veggie dip.

These were a nice twist from the norm staple greek yogurts in my refrigerator.  They calculate out to 3 points plus values (the plain is 2 points plus values), which isn’t bad in comparison to some of the other brands on the market.  Overall, I did enjoy these – but I will admit, finding a flavor to suit your fancy can be a little trial and error as it is with really anything you buy that’s new to your palette.

QUESTION:

What is your favorite greek yogurt flavor?

BzzCampaign Review: Pure Madness

I was selected to take part in the BzzCampaign for Pure Madness.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, other than possible truffles, or a coupon for truffles because I had never heard of Pure Madness before this invitation.

Upon receiving my package and taking a peak at the nutrition information – I had to say I was pretty impressed!  Gourmet chocolate that is “figure friendly”?  I’m a Weight Watchers member, and considering I’m not the biggest lover of chocolate (I prefer cake or pizza over chocolate any day) there are some chocolates that I just walk away from because it’s not one of my favorites OR they’re just not worth the points plus value associated to them.  Although I do have my moments where all I want is a piece of chocolate candy and I’m satisfied.  I find that the Pure Madness truffles are definitely a punch to my sweet tooth and one truffle is more than enough, even considering the truffles size.

Now by the truffles size, for a comparison I’d say they are similar to that of a dime.  They’re not big mamma jamma truffles that you can get at some other gourmet chocolate stores in the mall.  These are 1 to 2 bite sized truffles, which come in a variety of different flavors.  Some true to truffle flavors, others a “step to the wild side” for the “daring” (if you will).

Weight Watchers Points Plus wise a serving of 3 truffles is 3 points plus – 1 points plus each truffle.  Not a bad deal at all! Whereas it’s 5 points plus for a 1/3 serving of the chocolate bar.

The box I received contains 9 truffles – which is also available on the Pure Madness website (http://www.puremadnesschocolate.com/ ) for purchase (a $27 value).  The flavors provided in the box were: Classic (a milk chocolate + creamy milk ganache),Chili Lime (a dark chocolate + lime + chili pepper), Vanilla (a milk chocolate + creamy vanilla bean), Sea Salt Caramel (a dark chocolate + caramel + sea salt), Hazelnut (a milk chocolate + creamy hazelnut), Raspberry (a dark chocolate + berry ganache), Rum Raisin (a milk chocolate + rum + raisins), Espresso (a dark chocolate + roasted coffee ganache), and Dark Classic (a dark chocolate + pure chocolate ganache).

I also received a solid chocolate bar in the Smoky Almond flavor.  The bar is available on the Pure Madness website for $8.50.  The bar consists of milk chocolate along with smoked almonds. The flavors balance into a creamy, slightly salty, smoky goodness.

Overall the chocolates are a definite two thumbs up.  They’re tasty, versatile and just overall delicious.  Along with my box I received a few 15% off Coupon Codes which I can provide to anyone who will use them (and please only ask for a code if you will use them).

QUESTION:

If you’ve had truffles in the past – what is your favorite brand?

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BzzCampaign: Café Escapes Review

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Being an active part of BzzAgent, I was invited to take part in the Café Escapes BzzCampaign. I was excited initially because I LOVE hot chocolate.  I don’t drink a whole lot of it these days because it’s usually so high in sugars, calories (points) and just makes me feel sooo sleepy after consuming.  I do reach for my handy dandy Diet Swiss Miss when I’m in the mood for hot cocoa .  I admit I’ve never ventured into hot cocoa for my Keurig machine so this intrigued me.  I mean, how simple can we make it?

I received quite a sampling in my BzzAgent kit, so I stuck them all into my K-Cup holder and off and sampling we went.  The flavors received were:

– Café Vanilla (x2)

– Café Caramel (x2)

– Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa

– Chai Latte

– Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa

– Café Mocha

My boyfriend tried a Café Vanilla first and his end result was it wasn’t that good – it was watery – really gross and he ended up pouring it down the drain.  I tried the Chai Latte, Café Caramel and was NOT impressed. The Chai Latte was so bland and watery that I couldn’t force myself to chug through the rest of it.  The caramel was watery and overpoweringly sweet.  Just gross.  Friends and family tried the hot cocoas and no one was truly impressed with the end result.  The consistency always stays watery and it’s no where near the “thickness” you should get with hot chocolate or even a latte.

Overall – 2 thumbs down.  This is not a product I’d recommend anyone pick up.

QUESTION:

Have you tried any of the Café Escapes products?

<img src=”https://img.bzzagent.com/image/cafeEscapes.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=5454718464&Campaign=9622084068&Uid=1278590&token=194e9d7af3e7596d3798bc889cc5c584&#8243; alt=””/>

Morning Star Garden Vegetable Patties & Veggie Dogs

While at Target I picked up a box of Morning Star Garden Vegetable Patties and a box of Veggie Dogs using coupons I received from BzzAgent.  One for a free box and the other for $1 off.  This particular week Morning Star products were on sale for $2.99 so I got the box of hot dogs for right under $2.

I have had Morning Star products in the past and have found that out of the vegetarian options out there these were my favorite out of the few different ones I’ve tried (i.e., Boca Burgers).  I’ve tried a number of different options Morning Star sells (breakfast sausage, spicy black bean burgers, chick’n nuggets, and pre-packaged frozen meals) and there has yet to be one that I’ve disliked.  The two that I happened to purchase this time around are two flavors that I have not tried in the past.

The Veggie Dogswere quite interesting because I wasn’t sure what to expect.  They were simple to make (microwaved for 1 minute) and I enjoyed them on a slice of bread, topped with staple hot dog condiments – mustard, relish and reduced sugar ketchup.  They do have a relatively similar texture to skinless hot dogs but they have a distinct smell (not completely appalling, but noticeable).  I found myself eating these almost everyday as a snack or an in-between meal.  Since I am a Weight Watchers member I found them to be perfect on the Points Plus scale – ringing in at 1 PPV each.

The Garden Vegetable Patties were quite delicious!  I decided to have two patties for lunch because I was absolutely starving.  I cooked them through in the microwave, per the box directions.  When done I served them up on wheat flax pitas and topped the burgers with a tablespoon of Trader Joe’s Reduced Guilt Guacamole, spicy brown mustard, reduced sugar ketchup, fresh sliced tomatoes, sliced onion and bagged lettuce.  For a sandwich filled with vegetables, it was packed with flavor and so yummy.  As an avid meat eater – the meat was not missed in this particular meal.  It was delicious.  Point Plus wise it was 3 PPV for one patty, or 5 PPV for two patties.

Overall I find the Morning Star brand to be highly favorable – packed with flavor, low on caloric stats and extremely versatile.  The flavors of the burgers and products are not completely overwhelming and blend well with added flavors.

QUESTION:

Have you tried Morning Star products? If so, what’s your favorite flavor?

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Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut – Golden Honey Nut Cereal

I received a box of Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Golden Honey Nut cereal from BzzAgent to review.  I admit I was intrigued because I go through phases with cereals – there are staples that I always buy once the box is emptied and then there are other times where I am looking for something new to jazz up my cereal bowl (or even my yogurt cup).  I admit I do not eat cereal all the time, but I enjoy having it as a back-up or even having phases where cereal is a meal for a week or two.

I admit when I saw the name “Crunchy Nut” and “Golden Honey Nut” I instantly thought – unhealthy.  I chalked it up to possibly being a sugar ridden cereal that was going to be more calories than necessary.  I admit when I saw the caloric states I was quite surprised.  120 calories for a ¾ cup serving?  Not bad at all!  I converted the stats into Weight Watchers Points Plus values and it was 3 PPV’s per serving.  Certainly not bad!  One of my staple cereals is higher in calories and WW PPV’s than that.

I’ve eaten the cereal by itself (with no milk) and I’ve also enjoyed it with almond milk and a sliced banana.  Both ways are equally delicious.  Without milk it’ll give you that subtle sweet-crunchy that you may be looking for.  With milk it kind of reminds me of a less sweet frosted flakes that are crunchier and that don’t sog out so quickly.

I find eating this with a banana and almond milk it is decently filling.  I can eat it for breakfast (or as another meal during the day) and I’m not poking around the kitchen seeing what else there may be to eat.

Overall I can say I’ve really been enjoying this cereal and have been eating it at least once a day since receiving.  Two thumbs up, Kelloggs!

QUESTION:

Have you tried any of the Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut cereals?

BzzCampaign: Green Mountain Coffee – Fair Trade

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I was invited to take part in a new BzzAgent BzzCampaign – this one centered around Green Mountain Coffee and Fair Trade.  The moment I saw the invite flash onto my phone (I have my e-mail synced to my smartphone) I went onto the website and officially opted into it.  I admit I was pretty excited to be part of this campaign because I am a HUGE coffee lover.  Coffee and caffeine run through my veins all day, every day, so needless to say I was looking forward to receiving my campaign introduction.  I received it the other day, took my photos of it, and went straight ahead to testing it out the next morning.

Fair Trade has started to get a big buzz as of late (and not just in this campaign) especially considering October is Fair Trade Month.  It’s being suggested coffee consumers purchase from Fair Trade suppliers because that ensures you can enjoy your own coffee, while also making sure to take care of the farmer who cultivated those beans you’re drinking.  By doing this Fair Trade ensures farmers get a fair price for their beans (meaning coffee manufactures aren’t nickel and diming the farmers), by doing this farmers working conditions can improve, there’s assistance in protecting the environment, while it also aids in supporting the community aiding in creating new schools, roads, drinking water, etc.  Green Mountain is largely known for promoting this and pushing for it.

There have been two musicians – Grace Potterand Michael Franti who have taken part of the Fair Trade act and traveled over to Colombia and Sumatra to visit the farming communities and get a better understanding of how Fair Trade significantly impacts not only the farmers of coffee beans, but the world and the individual farms communities.  The Green Mountain facebook page details the two performers trip, journey and the impact Fair Trade has on farming.  Make sure you check out Green Mountains facebook page to see Grace Potter and Michael Franti Fair Trade source trip which also includes a live stream of their concert: https://www.facebook.com/GreenMountainCoffee.&nbsp; One other thing you can get over at the Green Mountain facebook page is coupons off Green Mountain Coffee k-cups and bagged coffee.

In my campaign box, I received a stack of $1 off manufacturer coupons, a BzzGuide which details Fair Trade centering around coffee and 3 boxes of K-Cups. The K-Cup boxes house 4 K-Cups in each box and the 3 boxes have the same four flavors in it.  The four flavors provided were: Sumatran Reserve (Extra Bold), Colombian Fair Trade Select, Wild Mountain Blueberry, and Vermont Country Blend.

In closing, I can say drink responsibly. 

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BzzReview: Unreal Candy Bar

 

 

 

Being a BzzAgent I received a coupon for a free Unreal candy bar, but I decided to get a few of them to share with my boyfriend and to try out.  I picked up the following bars: Unreal 77 – Reese Peanut Butter cup dupe, a Unreal 8 Snickers dupe and an Unreal 5 Milky Ways dupe and Unreal 41 a M&M’s dupe.

Unreal candy bars are supposed to be a “healthier” alternative to sweets by eliminating some of the processed ingredients that typically go into candy bars. For instance there’s less sugar, there’s no corn syrup in the candy, no partially hydrogenated oil, no artificial ingredients, no GMOs, no preservatives and it has a low glycemic index.

I will say out of the four I (and my boyfriend) tried we both agreed the Unreal 77 (peanut butter cup) was the grossest.  It just was weird and had a funky aftertaste.  Maybe it’s the fact that Reese Cups are one of my all time favorite chocolates, but this just wasn’t comparable.  I realize it’s not made to be an exact “duplicate” but it was just … not yummy.  I wouldn’t buy this again, heck, I wouldn’t even pick it up for free if I had to again because I just plain did not like it.

The Unreal 5 was hands down my favorite.  It was nice and mildly sweet and I liked that the caramel wasn’t sickeningly sweet as most caramels in chocolates tend to be.  It had a nice flavor, it was smooth all around and just a yummy candy bar.  This was definitely my favorite out of the batch.

The Unreal 8 was my boyfriend’s favorite.  I found it was alright, but it wasn’t as good as a Snickers (at least in my opinion).  My boyfriend thought it was a nice, healthier alternative.  It was nothing spectacular to shake a stick at, but it wasn’t horrendous either.  I just wasn’t a huge fan but my boyfriend enjoyed it, more-so than the Unreal 5.

Now the Unreal 41 (think M&Ms) was the most surprising.  The color is very bland but that’s because there’s no artificial colorings in it.  But I felt these tasted like Cadbury eggs (you know the ones with the crunchy shell).  They had more “meat” to them in comparison to say an M&M but I think I like these more than M&M’s.  They were just yummy and I liked how they reminded me of Cadbury (one of my favorite chocolate companies!)

Disclaimer: I received a free coupon from BzzAgent to test out the new Unreal candy bars which market was “unjunking the junk”.  I purchased one bar for free, used a buy 1 get 1 coupon to buy the other two and while at CVS was given a coupon (from CVS) for a free Unreal candy bar – so I ended up with four to try out.  Please do note that even though I received these items for free, it in no way alters my opinion of the product as my opinions are nothing but my own.

<img src=”https://img.bzzagent.com/image/unrealCandy.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=6106959830&Campaign=1567983861&Uid=1278590&token=0a9ddf7014a25592810ed1c3934201e2&#8243; alt=””/>