Try it Tuesday.....Arnold Select Sandwich Thins

Can you say, DELISH?! Arnold Select Sandwich Thins are superb!

I didn't even know they existed until I saw my friend Holly in the store with some in her cart. See what I get for going off Weight Watchers? I'm sure I would have tried them by now if I were sticking to the plan.

Anyway, these artisan bread thins are super high in fiber (5 grams) and have only 110 calories and 1 gram of fat. Whoopeee! 1 WW pt! They also have NO trans fat and NO high fructose corn syrup. They are also cholesterol free. Nice.

They come in these flavors:

-Multi-Grain

-100% Whole Wheat

-Whole Grain White

and

-Seedless Rye

ALL of the varieties have the same amount of fiber, fat and calories. I love this. Sometimes I get sick of eating the same thing. It would be nice to eat white once in awhile while getting the same amount of fiber as whole wheat.

I have tried the Whole Grain White and the Multi-Grain. They are both fabulous. Wal-mart sells them for $2.67 and Meijer for $3.19. I can't wait to try the rye!

Sometimes breads that are high in fiber taste like cardboard.

Not these!

They taste great. Yes, they are thin, but they are perfect for a sandwich. A big plus, I might add, is that they are PRE-SLICED! It makes it so much better in my opinion. Nothing like fighting with an english muffin or bagel when it has to be sliced. That gets on my nerves. The Arnolds sandwich thins are good to go! Easily taken apart.

My favorite way to eat these is with some roasted deli chicken, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato and some Laughing Cow light swiss cheese. And of course I toast the whole thing. Mmm.. Oh and by the way, if you haven't tried Laughing Cow Light Swiss (a spreadable cheese), then you need to git ur fanny to the nearest grocery store deli and grab some!

I also like these sandwich thins for breakfast. Scramble up some Egg Beaters and the Laughing Cow cheese on the sandwich thin and I'm good to go! I also like to add some bacon when the mood strikes.

There are so many lunch/breakfast possibilities for these thins that I get excited just thinking about it. I bet kids would like to have 2 mini pizzas for an after-school snack!

I even saw a photo (on google images) of one piled high with chocolate chips! Umm..I don't think I'll be trying that any time soon.

What else can I say about these? Just that I wish I had found them sooner. Now all I need is my own panini maker instead of heating up the oven for my lunch!

P.S...I wonder if Arnold Sandwich Thins are the same as Pepperidge Farms Deli Rounds? They seem to be about the same in calories, fat and fiber, but which tastes better? I better find out!

Try it Tuesday.....riceworks Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps

I found a yummy treat! I'm always thinking of ways to add brown rice to my children's diet. They don't like it. Because it's brown. Simply because of that fact. Me? I love brown rice! I prefer it over white. Not just because of the nutritional reasons, but I just like it. It tastes good. It's really not that much of a difference in taste as the white anyway in my opinion. But it does have a bit of a different texture according to my kids. So they won't eat it. Well, I bet Ava would.

So I see this new chip at Wally World a few weeks ago. riceworks Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps. And yes, the riceworks is spelled all lowercase and as one word. They look like a tortilla chip but I could tell they were smaller.

riceworks crisps have all these great benefits:



-Natural ingredients

-No preservatives or artificial flavors

-Wheat & Gluten free

-No transfat (0 grams)

-33% less fat than regular potato chips

-Vegan & Celiac friendly

-No cholesterol

-Kosher certified

-Zero sugar



The FDA claims that diets rich in whole grain foods such as brown rice and that are low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers.



Great! But how do they taste? So I picked up the Salsa Fresca flavor. We all really loved these! I knew that because these were brown rice, they would probably be a bit more dense than a regular tortilla chip and I was right. They are kind of small, but still good sized and satisfying.



So then a week later, I pick up the Sweet Chili & later on the Sea Salt flavors. We love them all. Even my husband said they were really tasty. None are too strong in flavor. They are just right.



Now let's talk fat & calories.....



10 chips (remember, they aren't big) or 1 ounce have 140 calories, 6 grams fat, 1 gram fiber, 0 sugar, 2 grams protein and 110 mg salt.



I like that they have protein and at least 1 gram of fiber. I'm not too thrilled with 6 grams of fat and 140 calories. But like I said, they are more dense so they are filling. Plus with all the nutritional benefits, I'd say I would choose these over tortilla chips any day. Crush and sprinkle them on top of tomato soup...mmmm. They are still kind of a junk food though....It never says if they are baked or fried, but I'm guessing fried in canola oil.



In a dream world, these would be just as tasty if they were baked. Why promote a heart healthy chip and then deep fry it? I think baked would be better for us all. Just my opinion.



Besides the Sea Salt, Salsa Fresco & Sweet chili flavors, these brown rice crisps also come in Parmesan & Sundried Tomato, and also Wasabi and Baked Cinnamon flavors. I wonder if they really mean baked when they say Baked Cinnamon. I doubt it. I'm sure I'll get around to trying them all eventually.



One small set back for me- Sometimes I get a tiny allergic reaction to certain foods....raw carrots, banana, avocado and now brown rice crisps. My tongue itches! Weird, I know. But yes, my tongue itches a little bit after eating a few of these crisps. I love bananas and raw carrots, so I usually just put up with it and will with these crisps.



Now go ahead and buy some of these for yourself and let me know what you think.



Oh, want a coupon for $1 off a bag? Here is a link. Plus, you can learn more about this product at their site.





Would you like to read about the health benefits of brown rice? I found some great info at this site...



Benefits of brown rice

Try it Tuesday....New York Style Focaccia Sticks

Have you tried the newest product from New York Style brand? Focaccia Sticks come in 3 flavors: Roasted Garlic Herb, Rosemary Sea Salt and Quattro Formaggio. I picked up the Quattro Formaggio at my local Wal-mart for $2.48. I was intrigued by the ingredients in this one. Parmesan, Romano, Cheddar and Blue cheeses. The blue cheese hooked me into buying it. Weird how they spell it Blue, but isn't it really "bleu"?

Too bad I can't really differentiate between the cheeses. The blue/bleu cheese could be non-existent because I don't really taste it. Good gimmick, but please add more bleu cheese!

Here is what the company says about their new Focaccia sticks:

Focaccia Sticks are a tasty new snack from New York Style. These unique
snacking sticks are made from real focaccia bread at a traditional bakery in New
York City. Twice-baked for a hearty crunch and lightly seasoned with natural
herbs & spices, they are delicious snack right out of the bag or
to serve at parties with your favorite dips and spreads. They also add crunchy
flavor to your favorite soup or salad.

I loved that they are baked!

These sticks are about 2 to 2- 1/2 inches long and about 1/2 inch wide. You get 3 pieces for 70 calories, 4 grams fat, 7 carbs and 0 fiber. I think there's kind of an ouch factor for the fat grams given the size of the pieces. Eat 6 of these and you're consuming 8 grams of fat. See? Ouch. Plus, there are lots of broken ones in the bag, so good luck trying to count calories.

But I DO have to say that these are yummy. They are crunchy like a crouton yet more dense. More satisfying. I ate them with dip and it was yummo. I ate them with no dip and they were yummo. But my favorite was to dip them in my Wolfgang Puck soup. Extra yummo. Personally, for me a few goes a long way. I can get by with eating 3-4 of them.

Speaking of dip.....New York Style brand has a section of recipes on their website here.

New York Style also makes these:

• Bagel Crisps (I looove these!)


• Pita Chips


• Pretzel Flatz


• Crispini Flatbreads (never tried those but they are next!)

Plus, I hear they make a biscotti. Hmm.

It seems like everything New York Style brand makes is perfect for a party. GNO anyone??

EDIT: Speaking of bleu cheese.....a hint for the locals: Hobo's has the *best* beach bread with hot melty bleu cheese. Mmmm. Check it out.

Try it Tuesday.....Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds 100 Calorie Pack

Have I mentioned how much I loooove Target? I think I could live there quite happily. I'm always finding just what I need there and just what I love. They have so many things that are my style. From socks to shoes to snacks. Now that my local store has a grocery section, I can try lots of goodies.

Recently, I found Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds. In a 100 calorie pack no less! When I saw that it said, dark chocolate, I was a bit skeptical. I'm not really into dark chocolate. I find it to be bitter. I took a chance and bought them anyway. It was in my favor this time because I really liked these almonds!

The chocolate is a dusting on the almonds. What I like about them is that there is no powdery residue that sticks to your fingers. It's not bitter at all either. It says dark chocolate, but it's actually just a light taste of cocoa. It reminds me of hot cocoa mix. Almost like they dipped the almond in it.

I love almonds. They are my favorite. I love chocolate dipped almonds, but hate the calories that comes with those babies. These Emerald Cocoa Roast almonds are a nice alternative. Actually, I was at a hockey game last weekend and the kids bought some big chocolate dipped almonds. I ate some, but quickly realized that I would have been just as happy eating these Cocoa Roast almonds. I think I'll keep a package or 2 in my purse or diaper bag. Because they come in 100 calorie packs, I will buy them often from now on. I totally love how they are only 2 WW points and very satisfying. Go try them and let me know what YOU think.


*Your Reviews Please*

I am in need of your reviews for the Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner system! I'm a Bzz Agent and they recently shipped me my own kit to use. We set it up and have been using it for a couple weeks now. I can't say I notice too much action from it though! I still see white soap scum on my shower door. I thought it was supposed to tackle that? And no, it wasn't there before. This is new scum since we started using the automatic cleaner. Hmmm. I'm not sure if I like this product. I really would like someone else's opinion that uses the Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner. Help!

Oh, and if you would like coupons to purchase your own system, let me know (email me at LDSLanie @ gmail dot com) and I will send one to you. I have a few $5 off coupons to be used by June 26, 2009. I believe you can buy the system for about $12-$15 at places like Wal-mart or Meijer.

Try It Tuesday.......LesserEvil Krinkle Sticks

Well, you know how I love the LesserEvil popcorn. I stumbled upon the Krinkle Sticks at Target. I was disappointed to only see one flavor- Classic SeaSalt. But what the heck. They sounded yummy.

Here is what the LesserEvil website says about the Krinkle Sticks:


* 75% less fat than regular potato chips
* 110 calories per serving
* baked, not fried
* all natural
* gluten free
* cholesterol free

If I remember right, they are 2 WW points per serving. Not bad at all.

The Krinkle Sticks come in these flavors:

-Classic SeaSalt
-Sourcream and Onion
-Oldschool Bar-B-Que
-Zesty Pizza

Truthfully, I wish Target had carried a different flavor for me to try instead of the Classic SeaSalt. What salt? I didn't taste a thing. They were crunchy all right, but not salty at all. With no salt, it wasn't very palatable. Just dry tasting. I could taste potato and they weren't bad, but it needed something. Finally, the kids and I dipped them in catsup and it was better. I'm sure salsa would work too.

I think they would be great in a tastier flavor. Otherwise, this review ends here. Not much else to say. They are crunchy, potato-ey and good, but missing an all-important ingredient. Heads up LesserEvil- you can't sell a flavor named, "Classic SeaSalt" and then not deliver. There must be a grain of salt somewhere!

Next week I plan to review either a candy or more flavored water. Maybe I'll even share a recipe or 2. Weeee!

P.S...Sorry I've been MIA lately. Lots of happenings and new interests are getting in the way. I plan to play catch up later. My camera is still broken and I have no idea how to fix it. Any photos have to be taken with Jillian's camera. And that thing eats batteries like it's in an all-you-can-eat buffet. I'll do better at updating my blog though.