MARDI GRAS Subscription Box: Rise Protein Bar Review

Today I got my Love with Food Subscription Box!! I’ve never received one before, but I got this one for FREE (see below to get your free box too!!) so I was super excited to try it out. First off, it was SO fun to get a little package in the mail with new goodies inside. Out of everything I got I decided to try the Rise Protein Bar (Almond Honey) after my yoga class and it was SOO good!!!

It tasted exactly like almond butter and honey in a patty form. As I looked at the ingredients, that’s exactly what it was! The 3 simple ingredients were almonds, honey, and whey protein. YUM!!

I would completely recommend this product to others and I’m so excited to try their other flavors! I’ll keep you updated as I try the other samples in the box!

Later I made some cranberry orange greek yogurt scones…I didn’t take any pictures yet but keep your eyes open for a new post to come!

Click here or on the picture below to get your free subscription box!!

Do you get a subscription box? Which one?!

Sweet Bean Red Thai Curry

1 fat, 2 grains, 1 protein, 1 vegetable

Eggplants go well with bok choy. Kidney beans go well with sweet potatoes. Everything goes well with red curry. 

You’ll love this modification to the classic. I didn’t have any coconut milk in the pantry so I made my own version.

The spices in curry, specifically turmeric, cleanse the digestive system and the liver. Here are some quick facts:

• Red curry boosts the immune system.
• UCLA studies show a chemical found in turmeric reduces risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
• Curry spices can help ward off the common cold by triggering the body to produce extra mucus and reduce inflammation in nasal passages. 
  

1 tsp vegetable oil [1 fat]

1/2 sweet potato, chopped [1 grain]

2 baby bok choy, chopped [1/2 vegetable]

1/2 japanese eggplant, chopped [1/2 vegetable]

1/2 cup kidney beans [1 grain, 1 protein]

1 shallot

1/2 tbsp red curry paste

1 tbsp plain greek yogurt

1/2 cup coconut water

1/2 tsp cornstarch

chili powder and ground ginger

>> Heat oil in a skillet and sauté the sweet potato. In a separate bowl, combine coconut water, cornstarch, yogurt, and red curry paste. Once the potato gets some color, add the bok choy and eggplant. After about a minute, add the beans and curry mixture. Reduce to a simmer. Add a few shakes of chili powder and ground ginger. Let simmer about 3 minutes until all the vegetables are cooked through. Top with chopped shallot. Serve over rice, with naan, or enjoy as is.

Secret Ingredient Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

1/2 fat, 1 grain

Apparently yesterday was national peanut butter and jelly day. How could I miss such a holiday?! Well, since I eat peanut butter and jelly every day (in one way or another) I wasn’t too surprised when I found myself making these PB&J bars anyways.

What I actually did was use up ALL the ‘leftover’ ingredients I could find. This includes: half a frozen pear from this recipe, the rest of the blueberry muesli from this recipe, and some blueberry jam that’s been sitting in our pantry untouched.

Here’s the whole bar fresh from the oven:

Be sure to read the substitution notes. As I said, I was trying to use up old ingredients but you can use more generic pantry staples.

And now cut into bite size pieces:

1 1/2 cups Trader Joes Blueberry Muesli*

1/4 cup pear sauce**

1/3 cup jam

1 egg

2.5 tbsp peanut butter

>> Preheat oven to 350F. Add peanut butter, pear sauce, and beaten egg to the muesli. Line a 8×4 loaf pan with tin foil for easy removal. Press about 3/4 of mixture into the pan firmly. Spread jam on top. Firmly press remaining mixture bits on top. Bake for about 20 minutes. Let cool before cutting into 8 bars.

*Alt. use 1 1/2 cups oats + 1/4 cup dried blueberries or raisins

**I made this by placing 1/2 chopped frozen pear in a pan with some water, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves and letting simmer until soft. Then I blended into a puree. Alt. use 1/4 cup applesauce or other fruit butter.