Product Review: Chocolate-ish Goodies

I've decided that I'm going to add a new feature to the blog every now and then: product reviews. And by "product reviews", I am referring mostly to food products:)

It's no secret that I'm pretty particular about food. If you've ever shared a meal with me, you've probably noticed right away that my parents raised a pretty healthy hippie little eater. We grew up on wheat germ and rice cakes, lots of fish and veggies, and there seemed to always be a new food to try at home at mealtime. I definitely did not appreciate it enough growing up but I'm so grateful to my parents now for instilling good habits. And I am really motivated to live this way so that I can offer the same experience to our future children. Anyway, I've been in and out of food phases my whole life but in the past few years, I've really focused on eating good, REAL food. Not diet food, Atkins, low carb/low fat/low calorie, fake sweetener stuff--real food, people! Don't be afraid of calories or fat (gasp! yep, I said it!)--what we should be afraid of are all the things we know nothing about and can't pronounce on food labels. Ok, enough soapbox for a post about chocolate!

Well, the two products that I would like to share with you today are both chocolatey. Dark chocolate is my kryptonite. Seriously. I probably have a small piece of it every day because I love it so much. Because of this obsession, I'm always looking for some other versions of chocolate to enjoy when, say, a craving comes at a time of day that is not exactly socially acceptable to eat chocolate. Enter this lovely:

Chocolate soy milk goodness. Okay, okay, so it's "light" despite my rant about eating real food...that's simply a taste preference and the full fat version is just a tad too heavy for my sometimes lactose sensitive stomach. So, my review--this stuff is amazing! I originally bought it to have a glass at bedtime for a light dessert but today, I'm having a cup (8 oz.) for a mid morning snack. It's creamy, decadent and seriously tastes amazing. It's also high in protein--and soy protein (plant based protein) at that! I highly recommend it and I love that a standard grocery store now carries so many choices when it comes to "specialized" foods like soy milk.

As for my other discovery this week, I can't say enough great things! Here, see for yourself.

Dark.chocolate.DREAMS people.

I have seen this brand of peanut butter on a few food blogs and I was just looking at their website the other day. But, something about spending $6 a jar plus shipping and handling did not send me diving for my checkbook to place an order online. Lucky for me, I happened to find myself in the peanut butter aisle yesterday at my local Ralph's grocery store and lo and behold, there she sat on the shelf. I ended up paying $5.99 but there was a coupon that was doubled and so it was mine, all glorious mine, for $4.99 plus tax (and no shipping and handling, thank you very much!) I couldn't wait to get it home and test it out. I resisted until after dinner and cut up half of an apple for dunking. This stuff will seriously change your life. I don't think it will ever replace my peanut butter in my PB&J's but as a dip, it is spectacular. They suggest eating it with fruit and even baking with it. YUM!

So, will these cure me of my piece of dark chocolate a day habit? Probably not. But it's never a bad idea to have some products on hand to (healthily) feed your chocolate habit.

Happy holiday weekend, y'all!
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16