Crunchies product review...

Yesterday I tried two products compliments of Crunchies Food company, their Roasted Veggies and the Mixed fruit.

I love veggies and fruit, but sometimes I just get tired of chewing!!! Crunchies has solved that dilemma for me it seems, with their freeze dried products. A  2.25 oz bag of roasted veggies actually has 2 ears of corn, 1/4 cup of peas, 1 carrot, 2/3 of a pepper and 2/3 of a tomato. All this and only 100 calories per 1/2 cup!  They can be eaten straight from the  convenient resealable bag that’s great for kids lunches, hiking, school, work, or any in-between meal snack on-the-go, or used in cooking or baking. The 2.25 oz bag sells for $4.99 on their site and contains 2 servings.
I made homemade vegetable soup and added the pack of roasted veggies in place of the canned vegetables I usually use. The taste was great. I could actually taste the "roasting" of the veggies. The veggies stayed firm in the broth and were slightly chewy as fresh vegetables should be. The roasted taste was a welcome change to the soup.

                                                                                 
The second product I tried was their Freeze-Dried Mixed Fruit which is 100 % real fruit with a great-tasting mix of peach, blueberry, raspberry, mango, strawberry, and apple. It sells on their sits for $4.99 for a 1.5 oz bag. The fruit bag has 6- 1/2 cup servings. I tried this mixed in with my breakfast cereal and thoroughly enjoyed it. The fruit softened slightly in the milk and I felt as I was eating fresh fruit from the tree. I especially enjoyed the flavors of the berries in the mix.


Crunchies unique freeze drying process is where water is removed in a refrigerated vacuum leaves only the essence of the veggie or fruit with a crunchy texture. Nothing else is added and it is manufactured in the USA.

These products are wheat and gluten free. And while all of the fruits are considered raw, all frozen vegetables are flash-blanched within a few hours after picking. This stops the deterioration of the enzymes and nutrients (and it preserves color) so they are not considered raw. As you probably already know, unless fruits and vegetables are eaten shortly after picking, freeze-dried fruits and vegetables are typically more nutritious than fresh produce. I would recommend Crunchies to anyone, and especially for those who have children who are picky eaters. They offer assorted veggies, fruits and corn snacks. What a great way to get all your servings of fruits and veggies! You can purchase their products at http://crunchiesfood.com Rating for Veggies   5 Stars Rating for Mixed Fruit   5 Stars

Namaste bread mix product review...

I have been looking for that special gluten free bread mix to meet all my needs or a great gluten free recipe, which I have yet to find,  to make in my recently purchased bread maker. The fact is I have tried quite a few bread mixes and although most have supplied many of my needs, they have not quite hit the "mark". I thought I would give Namaste's bread mix a try since they were so kind to supply me with a free mix.
I followed my bread makers directions to the "T", adding all the wet ingredients first, then the dry. The bread filled the room with a warm aroma while baking.
After it finished baking, I let the bread cool completely and cut it in uniform slices on my Presto bread slicing system. I was excited to see how easy the bread was to slice. I noticed very little crumbling or breakage. It was very soft and moist,  with a crisp crunchy crust. So far so good, now on to the taste test.
I made a egg salad sandwich with sliced tomato and lettuce. My mistake was I didn't toast the bread first. I found the bread to be almost too moist, because it seemed almost as soft and gooey as the egg salad itself, although the texture seemed fairly smooth with lots of nooks and crannies.  On a brighter note, the flavor seemed very much like a traditional white bread and held its own a little better when toasted. 

I would rate this bread mix 3- 1/4 Stars

Ingredients:

Brown Rice Flour

Sorghum Flour

Tapioca Flour

Arrowroot Flour

Rice Milk Powder

Evaporated Cane Juice

Millet Flour

Salt

Xanthun Gum

Yeast

To order this and other Namaste products visit http://www.namastefoods.com