It’s OK to Be a Cookie Monster

It’s OK to be a Cookie Monster

Trust me, we all deserve it from time to time.  But it’s especially OK with these Chocolate Chip Cookie Chips because they’re not all that bad for you.  They are perfectly sweet and a mix between crunchy and chewy.  You’ll be happy to know that they are also made with no trans fats, no artificial flavors or colors, no preservatives, and no GMOs.  Wasn’t that a great idea – making a hybrid of a cookie and a chip?  That’s some delicious culinary science right there.  I can’t way to try the other cookie variations…Sea Salted Peanut Butter is at the top of my list followed by Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip.  They also carry Cinnamon Sugar, Original Flavor, and right now a “flavor of the month” which is Oatmeal Rasin.

The cookie chips are made by HaanahMax Baking which is located in Gardena, California, but I highly recommend searching grocery stores near you for the sweets before ordering them online.  I bought one 6 ounce bag for $4.99 plus tax, compared to ordering a pack of four 6 ounce bags for $23.96.  Ordering makes each bag a little more expensive and you have to wait for them to be shipped.

“HannahMax Baking Cookie Chips are the original all natural, super crunchy, absolutely delicious snack cookie.  Made from only the highest quality ingredients, Cookie Chips are a daily indulgent treat you won’t feel guilty about. “

I won’t feel guilty about it, unless I eat the whole bag in one sitting.  I started to do the math…each bag has 6 servings, and a serving size is 5 cookies which is 120 calories, so if there are 30 cookies in a bag, then I could feel OK with eating half the bag for 360 calories of all natural goodness.  To put in in perspective (for myself) it’s about the equivalent caloric intake of eating 3 and 1/2 Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, my favorite.  Would I rather eat 3 and a 1/2 Reese’s or 15 Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups?  I might need to conduct an experiment to decide which is more worth it.

Happy munching,

Chelsea

Source: Crunchy Cookie Chips

Song Love

“Rather Be” by Clean Bandit, ft. Jess Glynne

“Break Free” by Ariana Grande, ft. Zedd

These are the cover photos of my two favorite songs right now by Clean Bandit and Jess Glynne, and Ariana Grande and Zedd.  I’m obsessed with “Rather Be” because the music is so amazing; I love that it is upbeat and poppy with a violin and a little electronic sound…and the chorus is impossible not to sing along with.  Plus I love that its a love song.  Ariana Grande’s song is about the opposite; it’s about her independence and self-discovery, breaking free from someone who was holding her back.  It’s a total girl power song, and I’m a fan of the dubstep influence coming from Zedd.  Check ’em both out below and enjoy the beats.  I hope you like them as much as I do.

Happy jammin’,

Chelsea

Raising the Bar

A Review of Protein Bar

     I recently stumbled across a place called Protein Bar and it caught my eye, thanks to the bright, orange color scheme.  The windows advertised shakes, bowls, and burritos, oops I mean BAR-ritos.  I love all three of those things, so I had to check it out.  I read about it online and discovered that they make all of their menu items super healthy.  The bowls and bar-ritos are made with quinoa instead of rice, all natural and organic proteins, whole wheat wraps instead of flour tortillas, and home made sauces with all organic ingredients.

“Our mission is to change the way people eat on the go. This means our menu, service, stores, and work are all focused on healthy food that can be served in a quick, engaging way for active, on-the-go customers.” From The Protein Bar

I tried a protein shake my first time at the Protein Bar, and it was named Wrigley Peeled – how cute is that?  And since I just moved to Chicago I think I found particular joy in it, but the shake was delicious in itself.  I had to choose a protein – whey, soy,  egg, or vegan – and then choose a milk – 2%, skim, almond, or coconut – and you can add optional boosts.  Boosts include Aloe, Energy Blend, Fat Burner Blend, Fiber Blend, Flax Oil, Flu Fighter Blend, Hangover Blend, and Multi-Vitamin Blend.  Some are self explanatory, like Energy and Far Burner, others I really don’t know the benefits of, like Aloe or Flax Oil.  I don’t know what good they would do for my body or when might be the right time to add them in my shakes, so I have a little research project on my hands.

The Wrigley Peeled shake was amazing – it was made with my choice of whey protein, almond milk, organic peanut butter, banana, and organic agave nectar at about 290 calories (530 for the larger size) for $4.39 plus tax.  Gotta love the chocolate, peanut butter, and banana combo.

Today, my order was the Millennium Perk milkshake with the BBQ chicken Bar-rito – the sticker on my bar-rito says “We do healthy…healthier.”  Both were seriously scrumptious, so I am yet to be disappointed by this place.

The Millennium Perk shake which was made with chocolate protein, espresso protein, my choice of almond milk, and house-made cocoa malt at about 150 calories (again for the small size/ the large is 250).

Here was my BBQ Bar-rito, made with all-natural chicken, organic quinoa blend, cheddar, house-made agave BBQ sauce, and Protein Bar’s “Super 6 Salad Mix” wrapped in a whole-wheat flax tortilla and then grilled, at about 570 calories and cost $7.29 plus tax.  The organic quinoa blend consists of red quinoa, golden quinoa, white millet, amaranth, and flax seeds.

Both the shake and the wrap are recipes I want to try to duplicate in my own kitchen very soon, so check back with me!  Some other things on the Protein Bar’s menu include breakfast items like Greek Yogurt bowls, scrambled egg bowls, and Breakfast Bar-ritos; they also have chicken chili and vegetarian chili, Signature Salads, some high protein snacks and sides, and a kids menu.  They have a Protein Bar app that you can record your credit or debit card number onto and scan your payment using your phone if you are a regular customer as a rewards program…when you sign up you get $2 off and for every $88 you spend you get an $8 credit.  I signed up right away.  There are thirteen locations in Chicago and other Protein Bars in Colorado and Washington, DC.  If you live near one, I suggest you give it a try!

My rating for the Protein Bar is 4.2 stars.  My only criticisms are that price is a little high for food on the go, and that although the wrap was delicious, it wasn’t extremely flavorful.  Also, I ordered the 12 oz shakes and they seemed to disappear way too quickly.  But at almost $5 for a small shake, I’m not willing to spring for the larger portion.  Altogether, the quality of the food trumps the little extra spent on it.  I love Protein Bar!

Happy eating,

Chelsea