appplecheeks...eat.review.repeat.

But click here to enter Jessica's Chobani giveaway!  As a self-proclaimed yogurt junkie, I hope I win.

I love peanut butter.  Actually, let me take that back.  I love the flavor of peanut butter.  It's just that nut butters these days are so laden in calories that it's hard for me to buy a jar in fear that I will eat the entire jar with a spoon.  You think I'm kidding but I'm not.

I was immediately intrigued when PB2 started making the healthy food blog circuit.  PB2 is basically defatted peanut flour where 85% of the fat has been removed.  It's also void of any preservatives.  So far so good.  And it just gets better because it tastes amazing.  You just take the flour and mix it with a bit of water and what you'll get is a thick creamy goo...reminiscent of the real thing minus the fat and calories.  Nutrionally, two tbsp = 53.2 calories (16.8 from fat), 1.7 g of sugar and 6 g of protein.  Pretty good protein content here. 

Uncle Ben failed me on this one.  I'm Asian so I know my rice.  Wanted to pick up something healthier than white rice and this fit the bill but it was so... unpalatable!  Uncle Ben's Express Bistro items are meant to be nuked in the microwave (in the pouch) to make things quick and easy which works for me because I might be the only Asian who does not own a rice cooker. 
Anyways, I followed the directions and out came something gummy, flavourless and hard to chew.  It was almost borderline stale.  I thought I could make it better by maybe adding some coconut milk or chicken broth for added flavour but in the end it just end up in the trash. boo.  Uncle Ben, you owe me

I'm not really a dip person but the other day I saw this at the grocery store and thought why not?  So President's Choice (wait, shouldn't it be Prime Minister's Choice?) has developed a line of lower fat, lower sugar, lower in calories and higher in fiber products called PC Blue Menu and in general, I am a fan.  So far, I've been pretty impressed with the number of PC Blue Menu items that I've tried (more review on these to come.)  It's not always an easy task to boost the nutrition while maintaining taste.  So how did this dip stack up?
While it's not as visually appealing as some other dips (think tan coloured sludge) it was pretty tasty.  It basically tasted exactly the way the name sounds.  Pureed white beans with a sharp hint of peppery roasted garlic.  I originally bought this as dip for my brocolli and cauliflower but I find that it actually tastes best when eaten on it's own.  Mmm. bean puree.  Never thought I'd say that.  Anyways, it feels good knowing that this stuff is pretty nutritionally sound.  0 g of saturated/trans fat and 45 calories per 2 tbsp, it would be pretty hard to find a healther dip since most dips contain a much higher fat content.  Next time I eat this, I'll be dipping to my health.

As an aside, President's Choice most popular product is their "Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie."  I think every Canadian knows which cookie I'm speaking off since they haven't changed the packaging on it since I was a kid.  Would the people at PC dare make a Blue Menu version of it?  Somehow I doubt it!

Munch. Yeah, pretty much munched through the whole box.  These were really good.  Like my affection towards anything "graham" I also enjoy anything oat-flavoured and the first ingredient in these are whole oats. Yay!  Kellogg's came through on these.  Each bite was crunchy and actually hearty with a nice oaty texture.  The flavors are really strong, not wimpy unlike some other cookies/crackers.  Anyways, I tried the Honey Oat flavour first and enjoyed them so much that I got the Brown Sugar Cinnamon as soon as I was through with the first box.  They were actually slightly addictive.
  They're both good but I'd pick the Honey Oat flavour over the Cinnamon mainly because I'm so used to dousing everything I eat with cinnamon these days and the honey flavour is a nice change.  What I really like about these is that due to the fiber (or should I say fibre) they actually quell a carb craving unlike most 100 calorie packs out there... (these actually have 130 but who's counting?) 

There's something really comforting to me about anything "graham." 

Probably because they remind me of those digestives cookies I had as a kid.  Anyways,  Annie's (organic) graham bunnies were a total win.  Small. bunny shaped. uncomplicated.  comforting and plain yummy.  They have a slight sweetness (not overly sweet) with graham-yness coming through at the end of each bite.  They're yummy plain but I also tossed them into my yogurt for some added crunch factor.  They were a tad on the pricey side for a snack item but nutritionally I would say that it's worth the little bit extra.  80 g of whole grain per serving, no cholesterol, and no saturated fat. win. win. win.  I kinda felt like a kid eating these but sometimes kid snacks are just better!  Not gonna lie.  Couldn't keep my hand out of the box.  I'm kinda glad I'm out.  If I buy another box, I'll have to prepackaged these into individual bags so they last me a little while longer.

and I'm devoting it to a grocery store find that I really do enjoy.  immensely.  In fact, I find myself buying it again and again. 
If you ask me, cheese should be a food group on it's own.  But we can't be reaching for that double cream brie on a daily basis now? can we?... So what did I try?



It's Laughing Cow's light cheese in original swiss.  Holy yum is all I have to say.  The pieces are prepackaged into tiny wedges of real smooth, dairy creaminess.  When I say creamy, I really do mean it.
It's light but it definitely retains some full fat flavor which keeps me pretty satisfied even though the wedges are small unlike other low-fat cream cheeses which end up tasting tangy. 
Lately, I've been using the cheese on my waffles, in my salads, on top of my burgers, and mixed up with some chopped dill and cilantro and a bit of milk to make a sauce for my veggies.  It tastes awesome plain too. Grab wedge and stick in mouth.  Simple and good.
I've seen other bloggies spreading the cheese on their fruit too.  Possibilities = endless.  Now if only I could find the light Herb & Garlic and light French Onion in my grocery store.  Oh well.  The original is keeping me pretty happy for now!