Holiday Gift Guide - Crispy Green

real fruit, real taste, nothing else!
Crispy Green: Delicious and Healthy Snacks During the Holiday Travel Season

Airplanes, buses, trains and car rides – OH MY! The holiday season is packed with people on the go, which makes it easier for most people to pack on a few pounds during the holidays. Most healthy snacks, while delicious and nutritious, tend to take at least some prep-time like cleaning and cutting your fresh fruit. Who has time for that during the holiday season? Try packing award-winning Crispy Green Crispy Fruit freeze-dried fruit snacks along for the ride. These convenient grab-and-go packs provide fresh fruit taste and nutritional value – without the preparation and mess!

“The holidays are a hard time to stick to healthy snacking,” says Angela Liu, President and Founder of Crispy Green. “It’s good to have healthy options when it comes to grab-and-go snacks, and that’s exactly what Crispy Green snacks accomplish.”
Crispy Green Crispy Fruit are made from 100-percent freeze-dried fruit with no additives or preservatives and are full of delicious fresh fruit taste. Crispy Fruit snacks are available in convenient single-serving 10-15 gram (.36 - .53 ounce) bags and come in seven delicious flavors: Crispy Apple, Crispy AsianPear, Crispy Banana, Crispy Cantaloupe, Crispy Mango, Crispy Tangerine and Crispy Pineapple. Have more than one holiday travel day? Try Crispy Fruit in the handy "Grab and Go" 6-pack – six single-serving bags in one convenient multi-bag (MSRP: $7.99). and the brand new variety box, which contains three of our favorite flavors all in one convenient, money-saving variety box. Each box contains 8 bags of Crispy Apples, 4 bags Crispy Asian Pears, and 4 bags of Crispy Tangerines (MSRP: $18.99). You can see all of the Variety Packs here.

All of Crispy Green Crispy Fruit products are free from preservatives (including sulfides), fat, and cholesterol; are vegan-friendly, peanut/tree-nut-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free; and are kosher-certified. The special packaging of Crispy Green Crispy Fruit are great for children’s “little hands” – and the perfect size for adults, too!

Crispy Green products are available in stores such as The Fresh Market, Harris Teeter, Giants, Shop Rite, Earth Fare and selected Whole Food Market. To find a retailer in your area that carries Crispy Green’s products, go to www.crispygreen.com/where-to-buy.html. For more information, please visit www.crispygreen.com. For news updates, information and special offers, follow Crispy Green on Twitter @CrispyGreen and become a fan at Facebook at www.facebook.com/crispygreen.

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About Crispy Green
Crispy Green Inc. (www.crispygreen.com) is the maker of Crispy Green® Crispy Fruit (freeze-dried fruit) snacks. The Crispy Fruit line of snacks is made of only the finest fruits available. A sophisticated freeze-drying process removes the water from fresh, sweet fruit, leaving behind the fruit’s true essence in a light and crispy texture that’s perfect for snacking. Crispy Fruit is a delicious, convenient way to add more fruit to your daily diet. The company was founded in August 2004 with a vision to be the leading provider of high quality, natural food products desired by everyone who wants to live a healthy and better life. Crispy Green introduced its line of Crispy Green Crispy Fruit in the United States in 2005. Since then, the company has been consistently providing high quality freeze-dried fruit snacks to its consumers and adding new flavors to its Crispy Fruit line to meet market demands.

Our Thoughts
I love Crispy Green.  I've tried them before so it wasn't hard to accept a review request!  Crispy Green sent me four of the Crispy Fruit packs:  Tangerine, Apple, Asian Pear, and Pineapple.  I am not ashamed to admit I ate them in a very short period of time! 

Out of the four, I couldn't decide between the Asian Pear and the Pineapple as my favorite.  Both flavors are excellent (well, they ALL are!).  Asian Pear and the Apple flavors are a little lighter, more "puff" like.  The Pineapple and the Tangerine have a slightly rougher, crunchier texture.  Most of the freeze dried fruits, you look at them and can immediately tell they are freeze dried fruits.  But the Tangerine . . . you almost need to look twice, they look just like they are fresh!

Following the paleo diet, good quality packaged snack foods are hard to come by, unless you make and pack them yourself. I avoid most commercial dried fruits specifically because of the preservatives and sulfides used.  While I like dried fruit, it's soft and chewy.  Sometimes I want a crispy snack!  Freeze dried fruits are a great way to get that satisfying "crunch", and Crispy Green is perfect for that!  I like they offer variety packs as well as single bags to purchase.  Great travel food, great snack packs!  And, great stocking stuffers for all ages!

Review & Giveaway: Pirate's Booty Aged White Cheddar Snacks

 **Product was received in exchange for a honest review.**

Parents can swap sugar-laden candy treats for Pirate’s Booty, a deliciously baked, all-natural snack that kids love and moms can feel good about adding to the Halloween treat bowl!  Pirate’s Booty has less fat and fewer calories than traditional Halloween candy and zero grams of sugar.  Also, Pirate’s Booty is gluten, peanut and tree-nut free, so it’s safe for trick-or-treaters or classmates with these common food allergies.  Pirate’s Booty is made without trans-fats and ingredients you can’t pronounce.  Plus, the Pirate is already dressed for the occasion!  

This year, it will be easier than ever to pass out Pirate’s Booty, as Target and Super Target stores across the county will be offering special Halloween 20-packs of half-ounce, 65-calorie bags of Pirate’s Booty Aged White Cheddar.  The Halloween 20-packs of Pirate’s Booty will be available from mid-September through October. 

Our Thoughts

My little pirates LOVE Pirate's Booty. They come home from school "starving" - just ask them- and want a snack but by the time they get home from school dinner is only a hour away. With dinner being in a hour, I don't want them to have too much to eat because they will not eat if they have too much of a snack. These Pirate's Booty bags are only a 1/2 ounce -which doesn't seem like much- but the puffed white cheddar snacks fill them up just enough to get them through that hour. 

What I love, as a parent, most about these snacks is that they are baked, all natural and gluten free. I also love that they taste great and my guys love that they have their own little bag so there is no fighting over the bowls or who has more than the other. These also make great snacks to throw in their bag for during the school day or a snack to be sent when it's their special day to bring snack. With all the allergies that kids have to peanuts and other things, I have to say that these are a pretty safe bet as a classroom snack! We love Pirate's Booty in this house and think you will too! 

Giveaway

The wonderful folks over at Pirate's Booty have been generous enough to giveaway some Pirate's Booty for one lucky winner!  To enter just fill out the rafflecopter form below Open to the US only. This giveaway will end on 11/3/13. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again to Pirate's Booty for offering this fantastic prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way. Please note that I am not responsible for the delivery of this prize and can not be held accountable if, for any reason, is it not received. Furthermore, I am in no way liable for any injuries that may result from the use or misuse of this product. ***

Review: GimMe Seaweed Snacks

***Product was received for free in exchange for an honest review.***

Gimme Some GimMe Seaweed Snacks, Please!

Annie Chun's Founders Introduce Delicious, Nutritious, Kid-Friendly, Non-GMO Snacks

Belvedere, CA – The entrepreneurial husband-wife team of Annie Chun and Steve Broad are thrilled to introduce their newest exciting food venture: GimMe Health Foods. Their first two product lines, GimMe Organic Seaweed Snacks and GimMe Seaweed Crumbles, are shipping to grocery store shelves nationwide. GimMe Roasted Seaweed Snacks are the first and only seaweed products on the market to be certified organic and non-GMO verified.

GimMe Organic Roasted Seaweed Snacks

Available in two varieties: Sea Salt and Sesame (single-serve and family sizes). These crispy and delicious bites are perfectly seasoned and addictively good! Certified organic, Certified gluten free, Non-GMO verified by the Non GMO Verification Project, Vegan.

Only 25 calories per single-serve bag!

MSRP $1.19 (.17 ounces/5 grams)

MSRP $1.99 (.35 ounces/10 grams) *Now available at Whole Foods

GimMe Roasted Seaweed Crumbles

Roasted, seasoned and ready to sprinkle over rice, soup, or salads, mix with popcorn or eat right out of the bag! GimMe Crumbles add a burst of flavor to any dish and make an irresistible nibble any time of the day. Available in three yummy flavors: Cheddar Cheese*, Honey Dijon* and Sesame. All three flavors are All natural and Certified gluten free. The Sesame variety is Vegan. Just 100 calories per serving!
 
MSRP $1.99 (.70 ounces/20 grams) *Now available at Walmart
 
All of GimMe’s snacks are gluten free and, with the exception of Honey Dijon Crumbles and Cheddar Cheese Crumbles, are vegan. GimMe snacks are great for kids, dieters, and people on the go. They're the perfect food to stash in a desk drawer, snack drawer or gym bag -- they're fresh and ready-to-eat anytime you crave something salty and crisp.
 
“Our seaweed is nature’s perfect snack,” says Annie Chun. “We cultivate it in the chilly waters of Jang Heung Bay, the region of Korea’s Yellow Sea famous for producing the world’s finest seaweed. It is sustainably grown, harvested with care, then roasted and seasoned to perfection.”
 
What does “GimMe” mean? Annie and Steve’s daughter, Mia, who is a fan of crispy seaweed -- known as “gim” in Korea -- came up with the name “GimMe” because, as she says, “It’s so good everyone always wants more!”
 
What makes GimMe seaweed special? GimMe’s seaweed is grown in an agriculturally protected region of the Yellow Sea, off the coast of South Korea. The protected nature of the sea water allows GimMe seaweed sheets to be USDA certified organic. GimMe Roasted Seaweed Snacks are the first (and only!) seaweed products on the planet to be certified organic and verified Non GMO.
 
What are the nutritional benefits of seaweed? Seaweed offers the broadest range of minerals of any food on the planet, containing 10 to 20 times the mineral concentration of land plants, plus protein and fiber. A serving is low in calories (25-100) and packed with flavor and nutrients. Seaweed is an excellent source of iodine and vitamin K and a very good source of folate, magnesium, iron, and calcium. Seaweed also contains measurable amounts of vitamins C and E, which help the absorption of other nutrients.
 
About GimMe
GimMe Health Foods, LLC, is owned and operated by Annie Chun and her husband and partner Steve Broad, both experienced entrepreneurs and roasted seaweed fanatics.
Annie was born and raised in Korea, home to the best seaweed on the planet. Steve grew up in Northern California. Annie’s knowledge of authentic Korean culture and expertise in Asian cooking feeds the soul of the company. Steve’s business experience, sales, and management skills keep it running smoothly. Both share a passion for creating healthy Asian foods that taste great, especially to kids.
Annie and Steve are the founders of Annie Chun's, the leading Asian foods brand in the U.S. They sold the business in 2008 to Korea's largest food company. Creative, inspiring entrepreneurs that they are, it was only a matter of time before they would launch another terrific food company and GimMe Health Foods is their latest project.

Learn more about GimMe Seaweed Snacks at www.gimmehealth.com and join the Facebook community at GimMeSeaweed.



Our Thoughts

Being paleo, I was excited to give GimMe Seaweed Snacks a try!  I'd been eyeing seaweed in one of the natural foods stores I go to.  I didn't know what it would taste like, but I expected maybe a "green" or a "fishy" flavor.

They do have a fishy flavor, and while some may not care for that flavor, I LOVED it! It's just a little sweet, too, so it really satisfies that sweet/salty craving. I just wish the packages were bigger, LOL, because I could eat a lot of it!!  GimMe Seaweed snacks come in either little flat thin sheets, or crumbles.  I think the sheets are easier for snacking - they don't make a crumbly mess like you'd think they would, and the crumbles would be perfect for toppings.  I can't wait to share these with my mom, who I know will love them too!  The best part, these are totally safe for my child, who has special dietary needs.  With his genetic disorder, he needs help absorbing nutrients and that is one thing seaweed can help with.  I can just add some of the crumbles to his food for added nutrients and flavor.

I am really excited to see that the crumbles are available at Walmart - in fact, I may have to take a trip there today just to find more!   


***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. The opinions expressed in the review are my own and were not influenced in any way.***

  

Bumkins Reusable Snack Bags - Review

**Product was received in exchange for an honest review**

Bumkins Finer Baby Products is featuring waterproof bibs and snack bags with their own proprietary fabric, designed specifically for babies. Unlike other waterproof bibs, you can machine wash and dry, or hang dry and they are ready to use again. With over 24 different patterns available, the bibs range in all sizes.

The reusable snack bags are made with the same fabric, and easy to use and clean. They also come in a variety of sizes perfect for kid’s lunches. 

Our Thoughts

I was so very lucky to be able to review two large snack bags (the first picture) and two of the small snack bags (the second picture). I am one happy momma with these bags I'll tell you that much right now! 

We were able to use these bags over the weekend quite a bit as we were on the go from the time we all woke up until well past my boys' bed time. The snack bags were life savers! Honest! We put everything from cereal to grapes to trail mix in these bags and the kids were satisfied. I didn't hear one word about them being hungry or having trouble opening/closing their snack bags. The best thing that I think I liked about these bags not only was that they're dishwasher safe (yup! I put them in the dishwasher!) but they're EASY for even my three-year-old to deal with! The hubby and I are seriously looking at ordering more of these from Bumkins just because they're going to come in handy in a few weeks when we not only have our three boys (ranging from 9 down to 3-years-old) but a new baby too. 

These bags range from $4.95 each for the large snack bags, $6.95 for a two pack of the snack bags and $14.95 for a three pack of a small, medium, and large bag. You can check out all the other items they offer like bibs, car seat covers, and cloth diapering items by visiting www.bumkins.com.

These are three of the four bags I received for review. 

***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. The opinions expressed in the review are my own and were not influenced in any way.***