Articles in the Manitoba Harvest Category
Hi, y’all! Hope your day was fantabulous! Mine was: I made chocolate avocado pudding today! 
I’m going to share the recipe, but first I wanted to play catch-up …
So glad you’re loving my Rainbow Chard + Butter Bean Soup. Let me tell you, it was even more delicious than it looks in the photos!
And I’m excited over all the buzz about my post on the health benefits of flax seeds – and why I love ‘em!
And I love that you’re all so excited over Glass Dharma’s eco-friendly straws. I really enjoyed reviewing them and hosting a giveaway, too!
I know, I know, you want to get to the chocolate avocado pudding!
Last time I made it (read all about it here), I used agave as an ingredient, but as I mentioned before, I’ve cut agave from my diet (I’m almost finished with the explanation post, promise!). 
And ended up with this…
A Twitter follower inspired today’s recipe when she asked for a chocolate avocado recipe and I sent her to my version – then had to tell her I don’t use agave anymore. “What would you use now?” She asked.
Enter: Tropical Traditions Canadian, Raw, Wild, Unprocessed Honey!
You’ll be seeing an in-depth review of this SWEET, raw honey in just a day or so – plus something special for y’all!!!
Do you know that avocado is chock-full of nutrition and health benefits?
Check it out:
- vitamin K
- dietary fiber
- potassium
- folate
- vitamin B6
- vitamin C
- copper
Health benefits:
- promotes heart health
- promotes overall health
- increases absorption of carotenoids from vegetables
- combats oral cancer
- and more!
Wow.
And did you know I used to detest avocado? I wouldn’t eat it for YEARS. Never ate it as a kid. Didn’t eat it most of my adult life. I’d say I never tasted an avocado until about 5 or so years ago. Seriously! Can you believe it? And now I could eat ‘em every single day. Yum!
I love how when we start incorporating healthier foods into our diets, our body literally CRAVES them – LOVE it!
Fun Fact!
“The avocado is colloquially known as the Alligator Pear, reflecting its shape and the leather-like appearance of its skin. Avocado is derived from the Aztec word “ahuacatl”.”—WH Foods
Forgot to snap a photo of the frozen nanner that was in the blender but this is what it looks like all blended up…
And it comes out looking like this:
My goodness gracious, it was DELISH!!! I was SO happy with this!
And now, what you’ve wanted since the beginning of this post – the recipe!
Chocolate Banana Avocado Pudding with Raw Honey
(serves one)
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon raw honey, melted (I used Tropical Traditions)
- 1 banana, frozen
- 1/2 avocado (it was a big one)
- 1 tablespoon certified organic cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
Directions:
Toss all ingredients in to your blender or food processer and blend all the ingredients together ‘till they’re creamy and smooth. Enjoy immediately!
Your Turn
Have you tried experimenting with avocado chocolate pudding yet? How does your version differ from mine? Does avocado gross you out? Or do you live for its creamy, decadent texture? And can you believe how many nutrients can be packed into chocolate pudding – when you make a healthier version?! What’s your favorite way to eat avocado? What’s your go-to chocolate dessert recipe?
Oh, and be sure to stop back by soon – I also got happy with hemp in the kitchen and whipped up something off the top of my head! And it was GOOD.
OpenSky Alert!
I love freshly ground flax SO much, I’m selling whole flax seeds so you can grind your own. That’s right: You can buy organic flax seed in my OpenSky shop – for only $7.49 per pound!!!
Shipping info:
“We will ship orders anywhere within the United States and Canada. At this time, we do not ship to other locations. When your order ships, you will receive a shipment notification via email that will include your tracking number.” – OpenSky
Reference:
WH Foods: Avocado
Dislcaimer: I received the Glass Dharma (eco-friendly, reusable) straws mentioned below, to review (thank you, Glass Dharma!). But I was not paid to write this review, and the links to Glass Dharma’s website are not affiliate links. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
Now, on to the fun stuff:
Drinking today’s lunch smoothie with a Glass Dharma straw!
But first… I know you love to see when the packages arrive! 
Here’s what the Glass Dharma straws came in.
Each packaged separately… 
And I chose to use the 9” Beautiful Bend straw first.
Getting started on my lunch smoothie:
Which I’ve decided to name…
Blueberry-Blackstrap Bomb
Manitoba Hemp Pro 70 Powder
ice cubes
tablespoon of freshly ground flax seeds
2 tablespoons of hemp
a banana
Then I added about half a cup or so of blackstrap molasses water I keep in the fridge (more on this in a future post). But it would be 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses in a cup of water for you.
After I blended that up, I decided to add a handful of frozen blueberries.
And a couple handfuls of baby spinach leaves…
Yum!
Look at the delicious, beautiful layers!!!
All blended together!
Got too excited, I guess – Oops!
Blueberry Blackstrap Bomb Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients:
Directions:
Toss everything in to the blender, blend until smoothly combined, pour, and enjoy this blast of energizing deliciousness!
Played with the camera…
Okay, okay. So, I’m not a photographer – but it was fun!
And I realize the ingredients may sound odd to you, but this was one seriously delicious smoothie – and I’ve drank a LOT of smoothies!!!
About Glass Dharma Straws
“These straws are made from borosilicate tubing and is the strongest glass commercially available,” says the company.
You’ll also find that these straws are made using a specific process that makes them the highest quality glass straw available.
Dharma Glass straws are versatile and can be enjoyed with either hot or cold drinks – and if you’re lucky enough to own a dishwasher, you can pop ‘em right in there for easy cleaning!
Here’s what Glass Dharma’s site has to say:
Plain and simple, here’s how and why they work:
- Glass straws don’t leach toxins into your food as you drink.
- Each time you use your glass straw equals one less plastic straw ending up in your landfill.
- One glass straw replaces thousands of plastic straws. (How many times will you use a straw the rest of your life?)
- Using your glass drinking straw adds a feeling of beauty to your day.
Now, that’s pretty awesome, don’t ya think?!
Glass Dharma straws are only $6-$8 each – and cost even less if you order a few at once. These would make fantabulous gifts or party favors, people!!!
About the Company
You always know it’s a fantabulous company if there’s an awesome person who owns it.
I love that David Leonhardt, the man behind Glass Dharma, is genuinely passionate about spreading the message of glass straws, NOT for the sole purpose of making money, but because he has a true heart for making a positive impact on the environment and it literally hurts his heart that so many plastic straws are destroying our beautiful earth.
Here’s what Mr. Leonhardt says about why he started the company:
I’ve been a lampworker (glassblower) for over 10 years. My wife, Gail & I recently moved from the Sacramento, CA area, to our dream of living on the Mendocino Coast.
I started doing some work for a local glass shop in town and noticed that the owner had glass drinking straws for sale. I had never heard of these before and I am always intrigued by something made out of glass that I hadn’t thought of. I was struck by the unique elegance in such a simple item.
I immediately recognized that here was a partial solution to our “plastics problem”. Now, granted, there are a lot more plastics in our world than just drinking straws, but bear with me a minute and let me put things in perspective … As of March 2008, McDonald’s serves an average of 52 million meals PER DAY! (Per their website) How many of those served do you think were given a plastic straw? I hope it is becoming obvious just how big of a problem these pesky little plastic straws can be. Remember, this is just from McDonalds!! Get the picture??
So …
I created the GlassDharma line of glass drinking straws and this website to contribute one solution to the misuse of plastics in our society.
Everyone that has seen these straws are filled with delight. Not just because they promote health and are environmentally friendly, but that they do these things with elegance and style.
Yes, I do get the picture! That is total craziness!!
Great job, Mr. Leonhardt!!
Pros
As you read above Glass Dharma straws don’t leach toxins into your drinks or smoothies. And another HUGE pro for me is that Glass Dharma straws help prevent more plastic straws being tossed into landfills, alleys, rivers, creeks, lakes, oceans, etc. Now, I realize that there are absolutely gazillions of plastic straws being tossed in the garbage daily and little ol’ me sipping from a glass straw won’t knock a dent in that – BUT if a whole bunch of us use glass straws, we WILL knock a dent in the plastic straw situation.
They even sell bamboo hard cases …
and hemp soft sleeves to store and/or transport your straws!
They also sell cleaning brushes if you want to be sure your straw is super duper clean inside.
Cons
Hmmm… Cons… Gosh, this one is difficult! I guess if you wanted to consider it a con that you have to wash your straw after you use it, then that’d be a con to you. I don’t personally see that as a con. It’s not that big of a deal for me.
I normally list price as a con if it’s more expensive than I feel the “average” person would be able to afford, but I feel these straws are within most anyone’s budget.
And there’s a lifetime guarantee, so you don’t even have to worry about it breaking!
Sorry, folks, can’t really think of a con on this one!
Verdict/Grade
Glass Dharma straws are not only eco-friendly, they’re beautiful, too. And I’m really enjoying my experience. Using them is fun, washing them is easy peasy, and I liked feeling “fancy schmancy” while I conveniently sipped slurped my smoothie today.
AND it feels good to know that I’m not promoting plastic straw waste that harms the environment. Oh, and these straws won’t break your bank – all that adds up to an A+ in my opinion!
Still not sure you want to invest in Glass Dharma straws? Well, they have a “Lifetime Guarantee Against Breakage” policy you might want to check out! (Read all about it here.)
But you can decide for yourself.
What about you? Have you tried Glass Dharma straws? Do you love them? Have you given ‘em as gifts? Would you like to win a gift certificate to Glass Dharma? Oh, yeah! Stay tuned… contest post coming next!
Updated to add:
Contest is posted! Click here to win a $30 Gift Certificate from Glass Dharma!!!
If you’re just tuning in, be sure to check out my review of E3Live and also my thoughts on BrainOn. And a huge thank you to the folks at www.E3Live.com for sponsoring the first contest where one LUCKY reader will be receiving a prize valued at over $200!
Chocolate-Covered Katie’s Mission
This post is in honor of Chocolate-Covered Katie’s Charity Page View Drive: Operation Chocolate-Covered Kindness
Katie is doing a fantabulous job of spreading kindness. Let’s help her out!!
In honor of the chocolate theme (and y’all know how much I love chocolate!) I thought I’d share a few recipes. Only one is mine, but I think you’ll like the others I mention, too!
Chocolate-Covered Recipes
Katie has a long list of chocolate-covered recipes on her blog. You’ll want to browse through ‘em all! Not only will you come across delicious treats you can whip up for yourself and your family and/or friends, but you’ll be helping Katie raise money for charity while you’re looking!
For starters, you might enjoy perusing her Fudge Babies. Oh, yeah! If that isn’t enough to drive you chocolate bonkers, feast your eyes on All Things Oatmeal, Pancake Pandemonium, The Pudding Files, or the Most Popular. Of course, there are tons more. Enjoy!
Oh, and you might want to grab a napkin before you dig through her recipe archives – you just might drool!
Averie’s Chocolate Fudge Balls
The amazing Averie is always, always whipping up the most RAWsome Vegan desserts over at Love Veggies & Yoga. She creates the most decadent, sinful looking (yet healthy!!!) treats over there. She’s an incredible inspiration, from her years of yoga practice, to her ability to juggle day-to-day chaos with a toddler, she manages to be wife, momma, blogger, reviewer, keeps a spotless home, and even hosts contests for her readers! But back to those delicious desserts… Her latest: 3-Ingredient Dark Chocolate Fudge Balls
I haven’t tried Averie’s chocolate ball recipes yet, but I will soon.
Jocelyn’s Brownie Batter Balls
Jocelyn blogs at Jocelyn Eats Fresh. I’m sooooooooooooo proud of her because although her blog posts are often upbeat and inspiring, she’s worked very, very hard at overcoming an eating disorder. She is finding a beautiful balance of healthy foods and also allows herself to splurge sometimes on the not-so-healthy stuff so she won’t find herself feeling the need to go back to those old, harmful habits. She has an “everything in moderation” mentality and it’s working wonders for her body, mind, and soul. She’s a beautiful person, inside and out, and is losing weight the slow, right way. You’re doing a great job, Jocelyn. Keep up the great work!!!
Anyway, I knew I had to try out Jocelyn’s cool creation when I happened upon her Raw Chocolate Brownie Batter Balls. I didn’t have the exact ingredients she used, so I switched it up a little. Or, well, a lot!
And Raw Juice Girl’s version…
Chocolate-Covered Raisin Hemp Balls
This recipe made 14 chocolate balls. It probably would have made 16 or 17. Um… Oops!! *giggles*
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 1/2 cups raisins
- 6 tablespoons Dark Chocolate Hemp Powder (www.manitobaharvest.com)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon agave (or so)
I had to add a dash more almond flour and a little water to try to get the right consistency. I should have used the food processor, I think. I used the blender instead. Hmmmm…. Or, I needed to start with more liquid.
No worries… they turned out YUMMY!!!
Manitoba Harvest Chocolate Hemp
Oh my goodness y’all… The dark chocolate hemp powder from www.manitobaharvest.com is DIVINE!!! So far, I’ve enjoyed it in a smoothie and these chocolate-covered raisin hemp balls. It’s fantabulous to get your hemp protein in via chocolate. YUM-O!!!!!
You can expect a full review on the product itself in an upcoming post.
Roll the dough into balls
Then wash your hands!
And enjoy! Yum!!!
Good, and Good For You!
And that’s it! If you love chocolate-covered raisins, you’ll LOVE these chocolate-covered raisin hemp balls. You’re getting a chocolate (and a snack) fix!
AND hemp is full of whole food nutrition:
“ALL Essential Amino Acids (Protein), Omega-3 and Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), and both soluble and insoluble dietary fibre.”– www.manitobaharvest.com
You’ll also be gobbling up antioxidants, boron, calcium, vitamin C, iron… (from the raisins). And the almonds are giving you manganese, vitamin E, magnesium, tryptophan, copper, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), phosphorus…
My goodness, that little chocolate-covered raisin hemp ball packs a powerful punch. I could take a beating (or two!) from these yummy treats. Yep, I could!!!
Don’t forget about Chocolate-Covered Katie’s Charity Page View Drive: Operation Chocolate-Covered Kindness
Contest Alert!!!!
Katie (as in, Chocolate-Covered Katie I mentioned above) is having a Your-Choice Giveaway
Leslie (from Leslie Loves Veggies) is also having a contest: KALLARI Chocolate {Giveaway} 3 Winners
Win a mixed case of Chobani Greek yogurt over at The Actor’s Diet Blog.
And… don’t forget about the awesome giveaway I’m hosting. Prizes are valued at OVER $200!!!!
Latest Package for Review!
I have lots of awesome posts planned for these yummy products!!!
Visit www.NuNaturals.com to learn more about their line of sweeteners, extracts, and other health supplements.
Thank you, NuNaturals!!!
Resources:
If you’re just tuning in, you might want to check out some of my Favorite Fall Recipes or read about Pink Ladies Day Out (to benefit breast cancer awareness). And congrats to Melissa, who just won TWO containers of Amazing Grass in my recent contest! Hurry, while you can still get your 15% discount using the code hwj (J as in JUICE).
Hi, y’all! I do hope you’ve been having a fantabulous Fall so far! It’s been pretty cold and rainy here in Amish country, but we’ve had some beautiful days, too. And the leaves have such vibrant hues—so pretty!
Raw Juice Girl has been SWAMPED, let me tell you! Packages are arriving fast and furious, like crazy! Don’t get me wrong, I’m tickled pink. But it will take me a little time to wade my way through the upcoming reviews. The ones in this post I’m sharing today, are just the most recent arrivals!
I’m honored to have the opportunity to review products from the following companies…
LARABAR
The kind folks at LARABAR enjoyed my first review of their bars so much, they sent a bigger variety of their original LARABAR line – and the JOCALAT line! Eeeek!
They also sent this cool T-shirt. Thank you, LARABAR!!!
URBAN MOONSHINE
I also received a sample of Urban Moonshine Bitters (which help our digestive system). I’m excited to give this a try! I know bitter herbs like dandelion, blessed thistle, etc., are excellent for our health and a wonderful, natural way to soothe an upset tummy. Thank you, Urban Moonshine!
NuHemp for Pets
I was excited to learn about this company. They’re focusing on hemp for pets. I’m a hemp-lovin’ gal so I’m thrilled to share my hemp passion with the many pets rompin’ around this Amish farm! Thank you, NuHemp! My pets are already loving these treats and bath products!
Manitoba Harvest
Chocolate? Chocolate hemp? Are you kidding me??!! I’m in – seriously! You can’t imagine how excited I was to get some chocolate hemp in the mail. That’s a BIG tub! And there’s also some single serving packets of other hemp powders and seeds. Thanks to the folks at www.manitobaharvest.com – you RAWK my hemp world!!!
SHAMAN CHOCOLATES
More chocolate??!! Just what Raw Juice Girl needs! Seriously, if I keep gobbling up chocolate and snack bars, I’ll have to start running to burn some extra fat off! Thank you, SHAMAN CHOCOLATES, for being so generous with your products!
Grandy Oats
Grandy Oats sent me a 13 ounce tub of their Goji Agave organic granola. I can’t wait to share this review. It’s a good thing they didn’t send more than this one tub! Thank you, Grandy Oats organic granola for a fantabulous sample!
GT’s Synergy Kombucha
There’s lots of talk about Kombucha all over the Web. A while back, I did try a Passionberry Bliss Kombucha. I took a giant sip and almost spewed it out all over the place – I was expecting it to taste like TEA. It was quite strong and more like soda. It grew on me, though, and I ended up liking it. I’m excited to try other flavors. Thanks to Synergy Drinks for the opportunity!
Catch All That?
Phew! I’m going to catch my breath and dig into all these amazing products. Thorough reviews coming soon!
Want to keep up with Raw Juice Girl’s adventures + more? Subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life. I’ve also been working on a recipe page where you’ll be able to easily locate recipes for raw juices, smoothies, and now dehydrator creations!
If you’re just tuning in, be sure to enter Healing With (Raw) Juices’ latest contest for an 8 ounce bag of Raw Chia Seeds–thanks to NavitasNaturals.com for sponsoring–and don’t forget to check out my chocolate ice cubes!
Blended Blessings
I’ve mentioned a few times that my blender keeled over on me. It was sad. I was sad. But a new blender wasn’t in the budget so I’ve been a pouting, smoothie-less Raw Juice Girl for a while now. Pathetic, I know. LOL
I was on a real roll having awesome smoothies for breakfast, but I made due with substitutes:
- Green (Hemp) Overnight Breakfast Cookie
- Green Steel-Cut Oats
- Chocolate Hemp Shake
- Cashew Cookie LARABAR
Delicious, yes. A green smoothie? No!
So, imagine my out-of-this-world delight when my aunt donated her blender she never uses! Oh, believe me, I tried (and tried) to promote the health benefits of smoothies and convince her that she needed to keep her blender–she insisted on giving it to me anyway, reassuring me she never uses it and didn’t plan on it anytime soon….
Enter: the Osterizer 10-speed Blender
I took pictures of my blending adventures this morning, so you could enjoy the experience with me!
And, my goodness, this thing is a LOT more powerful than I thought it would be. It gobbled up the ice cubes like there was no tomorrow! Seriously! Eeeek! Bring on the smoothies, people!
Osterizer Blender
10 Speeds!
Sassafras Root Tea
Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro 70
Chocolate Ice Cubes!
Green Hemp Smoothie
Wanna Taste?
YUM-O!!!!
Happy Hemp Smoothie
- 4 tablespoons of Hemp Pro 70 (from www.manitobaharvest.com)
- 1 cup Sassafras root tea (you could totally use Hemp Bliss milk instead)
- 1 banana
- 2 chocolate ice cubes
- 2 water ice cubes
- Freshly ground flax seeds
(a little less than a tablespoon)
- A drizzle of agave syrup
And that’s what I had for breakfast this morning. Ah, a green smoothie. I can’t tell you how happy my mouth–and my tummy–were as I chugged that gorgeous, bubbly, hemp-ish, thick smoothie down. YUM!!!
I did forget one thing, though: spinach! Yikes!!! Sheesh, guess I’ll have to make another one.
If you’re just tuning in, be sure to check out Healing With (Raw) Juices’ latest contest for an 8 ounce bag of Raw Chia Seeds–thanks to NavitasNaturals.com for sponsoring!
Want to keep up with Raw Juice Girl’s adventures + more? Subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life. I’ll also be making a recipe page where you’ll be able to easily locate recipes for raw juices, smoothies, and now dehydrator creations!
First, I’d like to remind you about TWO contests I currently have running:
- Food Matters DVD Review + Contest. (Contest ends Thursday, August 27th. There are SIX ways to win!!)
- Detox 4 Women (by Natalia Rose) Review + Contest (Contest ends Friday, August 28th. There are SIX ways to win!)
Chocolate Business
I mentioned the other day that the fantabulous people at www.manitobaharvest.com sent me samples of their Hemp Bliss milk to review. I LOVE that they sent one of each flavor: chocolate, vanilla, original (unsweetened), and original (sweetened)–and they’re Certified Organic. Yay!
Also, I wanted to mention that my contact at Manitoba Harvest reassured me that Hemp Pro 70 dissolves nicely in liquids and that I didn’t have to only consume it in steel-cut oats (see that review here). I took his word for it, and decided to combine Hemp Bliss with Hemp Pro 70 powder. Know what happened? Keep reading!
Hemp Bliss Samples
(All in a row…)
But first, let’s take a peek at the nutritional value of these flavored hemp milks…
Chocolate Hemp Bliss
From the site:
Size: 32 Fl oz / 946 mlDescription:
A blissful way to start your day! Hemp Bliss is more delicious and nutritious than other non-dairy beverages.
Chocolate Hemp Bliss is made from organic hemp seeds and organic cocoa powder. We cold filter Hemp Bliss for a great taste. This blissful beverage is rich and creamy with a chocolaty nutty flavor.
Enjoy Chocolate Hemp Bliss served chilled by the glass or “hot chocolate” style. Try adding it to cereal, coffee, tea and other recipes that call for milk. Chocolate Hemp Bliss provides a protein and Omega 6 & 3 EFA boost in your smoothies and shakes.
Suggested Use: Serve chilled, shake well and drink often. Refrigerate after opening.
Ingredients: Filtered Water, Organic Hemp Seeds, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Cocoa Powder, Sea Salt, Xanthan Gum. Contains No Preservatives. Lactose Free. Soy Free. Gluten Free. Cholesterol Free. Nut Free.
Certified Organic by: OC/PRO
Vanilla Hemp Bliss
From the site:
Size: 32 Fl oz / 946 mlDescription:
A blissful way to start your day! Hemp Bliss is more delicious and nutritious than other non-dairy beverages.
Vanilla Hemp Bliss is made from organic hemp seeds and organic vanilla. We cold filter Hemp Bliss for a great taste. This blissful beverage is rich and creamy with a nutty vanilla flavor.
Enjoy Vanilla Hemp Bliss served chilled by the glass. Try adding it to cereal, coffee, tea and other recipes that call for milk. Vanilla Hemp Bliss provides a protein and Omega 6 & 3 EFA boost in your smoothies and shakes.
Suggested Use: Serve chilled, shake well and drink often. Refrigerate after opening.
Ingredients: Filtered Water, Organic Hemp Seeds, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Vanilla Flavor, Sea Salt, Xanthan Gum. Contains No Preservatives. Lactose Free. Soy Free. Gluten Free. Cholesterol Free. Nut Free.
Certified Organic by: OC/PRO
Non-Dairy Milk Comparisons
Hemp Bliss + Hemp Pro 70
Hemp Pro 70 Powder
All Shook Up
a serving of Hemp Pro 70 powder (4 tablespoons)
50% Chocolate Hemp Bliss
50% Vanilla Hemp Bliss
a couple of ice cubes
Poured into my Amazing Grass shaker cup
Note: My shaker cup holds 12 ounces or so. I’d say it was filled up but I took a gulp before taking these photos.
Chocolate Bubbles = YUM!
Verdict/Grade?
I give Chocolate and Vanilla Hemp Bliss a big, fat, delicious A+! Seriously. I was pleasantly surprised at how good this shake tasted. I shook it up a lot, so there wasn’t any random, floating hemp powder. I also tasted both the Chocolate and Vanilla Hemp Bliss separately before I added them together with the Hemp Pro 70–they are delicious!!! The Chocolate Hemp Bliss really tastes like chocolate. It’s sweet, chocolaty, and divine. The vanilla is super vanilla-like and sweet, too. No complaints here at all–although some of you hemp haters may taste the hemp, I only tasted a very, very slight hempness about it. Honest. Of course, I always like to mention that I am used to taking strong, herbal tonics and drinking fresh, raw green juices, etc., so I may not notice some tastes as strongly as some of you who have never included a lot of earthy, herbal-type foods/drinks in your diet.
These hemp milks are $4.99 USD per 32 ounce box. With their nutritional value + yummy taste, I think it’s totally worth the price! Visit www.manitobaharvest.com to order your own hemp milk, or check out their other healthy products.
You may have to start calling me the “Happy Hemp Girl”. LOL
Upcoming Contests Featuring these Fabulous Companies
- Oh Nuts! (raw macadamia nuts and pecans) <— These are seriously delicious nuts–and they’re JUMBO sized!
- E3Live (Green-tasting (which I don’t mind!), but I REALLY notice that it’s making me feel better. It was definitely put to the test through my recent stressful events!)
- 2 books (Coconut Water for Health and Healing
and Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing
by Dr. Bruce Fife
- and MORE!
You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!
So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.
Who doesn’t love the taste of sweetness? Whether you’re a Southerner who thrives on sweet iced tea or from anywhere else in the world and enjoy the sweetness of desserts and/or smoothies, one thing is for certain: sweet doesn’t have to come in a white form. It doesn’t have to be something you’re accustomed to using. Try something new!
Navitas Naturals has outdone themselves with their new organic green stevia powder. I was honored when they sent an 8 ounce bag for me to try. For years I’ve tried different brands of stevia. I’ve bought green powders before and just wasn’t pleased at all. I’ve tried the liquid and the packets.
I always have a little heart tugging action going on when I use a stevia packet, because it is processed. The stevia leaf is green, so using white stevia powder makes me wonder sometimes if I really should be consuming it–although I still know in my heart it’s better than the other (unhealthy) options out there. Decisions, decisions.
Worried about how Navitas Naturals processes their stevia? Here’s what they say on their site:
Source and Processing
Navitas Naturals Stevia is made from the whole leaves of the stevia herb. Once the leaves are collected, they are dried and milled into a fine powder at low temperatures to protect the nutrients of the plant. Our Stevia is 100% organic, vegan, kosher, gluten-free and raw.
Anyway, I’ve really been using this Navitas Naturals organic green stevia powder a lot–and I LOVE it! Why? It’s sweet and delicious, but it doesn’t seem to have that aftertaste some stevia brands have. It may be my imagination, but I’m almost positive I actually FEEL better after I have some herbal tea sweetened with it!
When I started writing this post, I had only used it to sweeten my herbal tea. I don’t really sweeten my smoothies and I tend to put a little raw honey in my (steel-cut) oats, but I decided to try something new and so this morning I added some to my steel-cut oats. The result: YUM-O! Other ingredients included raw, unsweetened coconut, almonds, cinnamon, and hemp protein powder. My oats were already green and with the added organic green stevia powder, they were sweetened beautifully and made a delicious bowl of healthy goodness! I’ll definitely be adding Navitas Naturals organic green stevia powder to my steel-cut oats from now on!
Organic Green Stevia Powder
This 8 ounce bag is priced at $11.99 (USD) on the site. I totally believe (with all my heart!) that it’s a great investment. Keep in mind that you only use a SMALL amount to sweeten your drinks or foods, so it will last longer than you think. Besides, you wouldn’t think twice about dropping that amount of money on a couple of lattes, would you?
From the Navitas Naturals website:
“The Power of Stevia
Stevia’s leaves contain glycosides, which taste very sweet to the tongue, but contain no sugar, no calories, and no carbohydrates. Therefore, despite its sweetness, stevia does not have a GI (Glycemic Index) nor does it effect the body’s insulin levels. Stevia has also been shown to aid the pancreas and improve digestion. Excellent for those with diabetes, intolerances to sugar, seeking weight control, or simply avoiding cavities, the stevia herb can be an ideal natural sweetener.”
How can you use this sweet green powder?
- in smoothies
- in oats
- in place of other sweeteners in desserts
- in anything you’d sweeten
Thoughts
One thing you may not like about it is the fact that when you add it to your tea, it kind of floats around and isn’t very pretty to look at. This doesn’t bother me at all. I love its taste and I just stir as I drink. There are ways you can try to prevent this from happening. If you’re making a single serving of tea, add the stevia powder to your tea ball and then pour the water in your cup. Once it’s finished steeping, you can remove the tea ball (which has the loose tea leaves + green stevia powder inside) and then you’re left with just tea. You can drink it hot or cold. If you’re like me and you grab some pre-made herbal tea and then want to sweeten it, just overlook the green powder floating around and enjoy. It really is delicious!
Click here to buy your own organic green stevia powder!
Organic Green Stevia Powder
Stirred In
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