Fresh & Easy Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake

There is a lot to like about coffee cakes, especially if you have my taste buds. The wonderful thing about coffee cakes is that they are denser than cake, yet they are still moist, unlike a bagel. Now, this is not to say they I do not like cake, I just prefer the thicker stuff like muffins and brownies.

At the beginning, I thought that coffee cakes were cakes that were flavored with coffee. In other words, cakes that tasted like coffee. That was until, well I do not know when, all I know is that I realized that coffee cake applied to other types. I think it was Starbucks that brought me this epiphany. As I am writing this blog I realized that I sound very boring. As the famous Gerard Brenan once said “Everyone is a bore to someone. That is unimportant. The things to avoid is being a bore to oneself.”

So I guess since I have nothing really interesting to say, I’ll just cut to the chase and talk about these Limited Edition Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake squares from Fresh and Easy. Fresh & Easy has sprouted everywhere in my town, and there are many things I love about shopping there. For one, most of the stuff there is delicious and sold at a decent price. I also love their reduced price rack. But my favorite thing about the place is their limited edition holiday foods. Like their cakes, cheesecakes, coffee cakes, muffins, gingerbreads, fruit cakes, apple ciders, pancake mixes, and other foods that have that sweet and pumpkin spice flavors. I especially love the pumpkin products.

While I already tried the Fresh & Easy Pumpkin Spice Muffin (review is also posted on this blog), I felt the urge to try the coffee cake as well. Good thing I did because it the end it turned out to taste way better.

It came in a box with 16 little 3-bite squares. Two squares were the serving size on the nutrition facts, which came out to be 230 calories; so 113 calories each. I do not have the nutrition facts on hand, but from what I remember there was less than a gram of fiber per cake square, and each cake square had 1.5 grams of protein.

The texture of the cake was amazing. I do not think it could be more dense and most at the same time. It sort of reminded me of the texture of Halva, for all you Mediterranean people who have tried halva. The sweetness was perfect and the spice and pumpkin flavors were nice and strong, leaving a great aftertaste that was not sour.

The strudel on top is where the pecans were located, but there were not that many pecans on the strudel. It is almost a lie to call it Pumpkin Pecan. It should just be Pumpkin Spice. I ate a square of the cake the moment I got it. The weird thing about the strudel was that, at first, it was pretty crunchy with the brown sugar packed on top. But then, right when I got home, I ate another one, and the strudel was, well, watery. Maybe watery is not the right term, it’s like all the moisture rose in the cake and wetted the strudel. Whatever it was, it worked out because the crunch from the sugar was gone.

These cakes were superb, and perfect for teatime, or coffee time, especially if you are inviting guests over for a party. Even if it is for yourself, the small pieces force you to eat a smaller amount. Two cakes end up being perfectly satisfying. Another great thing about this cakes is that they stay fresh and flavorful for up to a week.

The only bad thing I can say about this product is that it is expensive. A box of 16 squares for $3.99

Sour Patch Kids

• Sour then sweet, just like it says on the bag
• 16 of them are only 140
• Red is the best
• Then Orange
• Then Green
• Last is yellow because it just tastes sweet, very light lemon taste
• The orange is the best because it actually tastes like a sweet and sour orange
• Great candy with loads of flavor
• Now I see why American love to get it when they go to the theater
• soft then chewy
• Not tooooo sour
• Perfect treat for parties because you can share with friends
• Each candy leaves a great aftertaste
• A classic

Trader Joe's Lacey's Cookies Dark Chocolate Almond

• Texture is a lot like brittle, peanut brittle
• Stickiness to your mouth
• Dark chocolate is delicious
• This is the first time I tried a Lacey's cookie
• Great aftertaste
• Perfect with coffee
• Perfect snack to go
• More like candy than a cookie
• Not too high nutrition information
• I can eat the whole box without thinking twice
• Actually I'd probably be really guilty right after
• Doesn't look as good as it tastes
• Tastes best if you suck on it and let the rest of the flavors melt in your mouth
• I keep eating it for breakfast
• Can never get enough
• Yum

Minute Maid Raspberry Passion Light

What I thought about this product:

• I was initially disappointed because I expected it to be a thick drink
• The color was surprisingly lighter than I expected it to be. I thought it would be a dark red like those Red Delicious apples
• In the first sip, I felt like there wasn't much flavor-but now I am thinking maybe that was because it was too early in the morning for my taste buds to be awake yet.
• Later, after lunch, this drink tastes magnificent
• If you can't read in the pictures I posted on the bottles, it says 10% of the juice is a blend of pear, apple, raspberry, and passion fruit juices from concentrate
• That's what sucks about this drink, the juices are from concentrate
• But on the bright side it has 100% vitamin C per serving
• Vitamin C is cool because it aids in the burning of calories
• Many people may think, 15 calories per cup is a lot. But the whole carton (1/2 gallon) will be only 120 calories.
• An average glass of not-light juice is 120 calories
• You get 8 times more juice for the calories
• So drink away!
• They mixed natural fruit sugars with aspartame
• It leaves a good flavor in your mouth
• You definitely have a passionfruit taste going
• Apple is hinted in there but I cannot find the pear
• Good product, a little overpriced
• Not the best of Minute Maid's products

Vanilla Clodhoppers with Cocoa Bites

• delicious vanilla clusters that have a moist, yet crunchy texture to them
• flavorful
• leaves a sour-sweet aftertaste that is oddly tasty
• chocolate pieces taste as good as cocoa puffs
• pretty filling
• only thirty five calories
• low in fat
• low in fiber cause only one gram
• low in protein, with only 2 grams
• comes in a flimsy bag so hard to put in purse
• don't eat this in the summer cause the yogurt-vanilla coating melts off
• must have beverage near you, preferably coffee
• kids will love them
• served in schools
• from the Brookside Food Company Inc

PowerBar Pria 110 Plus Chocolate Peanut Crunch

I actually found out about these from a friend who is a health nut. She recommended them for weight loss but I just wanted to try them for the heck of it.

I'm going to try to write this review in bullet points. Why? because I want to. Maybe I'll switch to bullet points permanently. What would you think about that? Huh!?!?

• Freakin' disappointing
• Tastes nothing like chocolate or peanut butter
• Not moist and chewy
• Like hard rice krispies on the inside that just stick to your teeth
• Overpriced and waste of money
• Tastes like cardboard
• There are a million other protein bars that taste better out there.

PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bar — key features:
5 grams of protein
23 vitamins and minerals
As much calcium as a glass of milk
Only 110 calories
No preservatives or artificial flavors

Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1 bar
Calories 110
Total Fat 3.5g
Total Carb 16g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Sugars 10g
Protein 5g

Ingredients:
BROWN RICE SYRUP, CHOCOLATEY COATING (SUGAR, FRACTIONATED PALM KERNEL OIL, COCOA, WHEY, NONFAT MILK, SOY LECITHIN, VANILLA), SOY CRISPS (SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, RICE FLOUR, BARLEY MALT, SALT), RICE CRISPS (RICE FLOUR, BARLEY MALT EXTRACT, RICE BRAN, CALCIUM CARBONATE), OAT FIBER, NATURAL FLAVOR (CONTAINS PEANUT), GLYCERIN, SALTED PEANUT BUTTER, WHOLE OATS, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, ALMOND BUTTER. MINERALS: CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, IRON (FERROUS FUMARATE), ZINC OXIDE, COPPER GLUCONATE, MANGANESE SULFATE, CHROMIUM CHLORIDE, POTASSIUM IODIDE, SODIUM MOLYBDATE, SODIUM SELENITE. VITAMINS: VITAMIN C (ASCORBIC ACID), VITAMIN E ACETATE, PANTOTHENIC ACID (CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE), VITAMIN B3 (NIACINAMIDE), VITAMIN B6, VITAMIN B2, FOLIC ACID, VITAMIN B1 (THIAMIN MONONITRATE), BETA CAROTENE (CONTAINS SOY), BIOTIN, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, VITAMIN K, VITAMIN B12. CONTAINS ALMOND, MILK, PEANUT AND SOY INGREDIENTS. MADE ON EQUIPMENT THAT ALSO PROCESSES WHEAT.

Information found on the website.
When should I eat a PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bar?
PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars are perfect for mid-day snacking when you're on-the-go and want a calorie-smart, great-tasting, nutritious snack. Perfectly sized, indulgent and nutritious, PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars are a delicious way to do something good for yourself.

What makes PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars different from other snacks?
The PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bar is an excellent combination of calorie-smart nutrition and rich, indulgent flavor. With just 110 calories and 3.0–3.5 grams of fat, PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bar is the right size to get you re-energized, without weighing you down. Each bar also contains 23 vitamins and minerals, plus 4–5 grams of soy protein, so PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bar is a mid-day snack you can feel good about.

Is the PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bar good to eat if I'm trying to lose weight?
To lose weight effectively, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Although not designed as a weight-loss product, PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bar is an ideal snack because it satisfies your craving for something great-tasting and indulgent, it's nutritious with 23 vitamins & minerals, and it has just 110 calories.

Diet Exchanges*=1 Carbohydrate


* Based on The American Dietetic Association and the American Diabetes Association exchange lists.

Are PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars all natural?
PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bar contains protein-enriched soy crisps and other wholesome ingredients but is not all natural. However, there are no preservatives and no artificial flavors in any of the bars. Please check the Nutrition Facts on the label for more information.

Is it safe to eat PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bar during my pregnancy?
PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars can be part of a healthful diet for pregnancy. They are an excellent source of folic acid. However, if you are sensitive to any of the ingredients listed on the label, you should not eat these bars. Check with your obstetrician for more information.

Can children eat PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars?
PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bar is a nutritious snack for active, growing children because it provides 23 essential vitamins and minerals including calcium, which supports growing bones and teeth. Kids love the crispy, chewy texture covered in a chocolate or yogurt coating. And because it's smaller than most energy bars, children can finish a whole bar, leaving no waste. This bar is not recommended for children under age 4, and because children need to eat a variety of foods for a well-balanced diet, we recommend those under six years of age be limited to one bar per day. PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars make a nutritious addition to a child's balanced diet. Consult your pediatrician for more information.

I'm lactose intolerant. Can I eat PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars?
PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars do contain some dairy products. However, the amount of lactose is small (approximately 0.15 g per bar), so nearly all lactose-intolerant people may consume it. Consult with your physician for more information.

I have food allergies. Can I eat PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars?
If you are allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, wheat or gluten (from oats or malt) you should not eat PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars.
• Peanuts/Nuts: All PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars are made on equipment that processes products with peanuts and/or nuts. Some flavors contain either almond or peanut ingredients. So, if you have peanut or nut allergies, we recommend that you do not eat PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars.
• Milk: All PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars contain milk ingredients. If you have allergies to milk, we recommend that you do not eat PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars.
• Soy: All PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bar flavors contain soy ingredients. If you are allergic to soy, we recommend that you do not eat PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars.
• Eggs: All PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars do not contain egg ingredients.
• Gluten/Wheat: All flavors contain oat fiber and whole oats, a potential source of gluten. If you are sensitive to gluten, we recommend that you do not eat PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars. All bars are made on equipment that also processes wheat ingredients, if you are allergic to wheat we recommend that you do not eat PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars.
• Consult with your physician for more information on food allergies and sensitivities.

How should I store PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars?
For the best eating experience, PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars should be kept between 40–80° F to prevent the chocolate or yogurt coating from melting. No need to refrigerate.

How long will my PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars last?
Each PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bar is stamped with a "best by" date. Although it is safe to eat PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars after this date, we recommend that you use them by the "best by" date to ensure you're enjoying the freshest product and receiving the full nutritional benefits of the product.

Fresh & Easy Pumpkin Spice Muffin

Ho Ho Ho the holidays are finally here! Actually I felt like they were here in September because that's when all the stores put out their Christmas crap. Nevertheless, I love the holidays. Well, at least I used to. I used to feel excited, warm, and happy when I knew it was coming. But every since the depression and the technology boom (I'm talking all the iPods, iPads, iPhones that came out that everyone wants), the holidays have turned into the horrid time of the year where you empty your pockets for others. We lost the idea that the holidays are about spending time with the people you love, getting a couple days off work and school, and just being happy.

Well, despite the fact that the true holiday spirit is gone; stores, products, and restaurants still serve those holiday foods. My neighborhood Fresh & Easy just put out all their new holiday products including: my favorite pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, pumpkin muffins(new), apple cider, and pumpkin pancake and waffle mix.

I wanted it all. But I restrained myself and just bought the pumpkin muffins because they weren't there last year and they looked delicious. I purchased four muffins for $3.99. Pretty much a rip off, but they looked good and I don't have an oven.

With 530 calories, these muffins aren't really the best choice for a healthy lifestyle, but we all need to splurge. My personal guilty pleasure is baked goods, but I hear most people are in love with ice cream.

The muffin is a little bit bigger than the average Fresh and Easy muffins. The smell honestly wasn't that strong or delicious. You definitely smell the pumpkin in the muffin, but I don't know where the spices are.

But once you take a bite, you're hooked. The muffin is delicious. Unlike the Blueberry Muffin, the Pumpkin Spice has no hole in the middle. It also has some strudel on top; the good kind that doesn't just taste like a wad of sugar on top. The coffee cake from Fresh and Easy has pretty lame strudel, but I guess they really improved their recipe on this muffin. There is definitely a strong ginger and nutmeg flavor to this muffin.

The muffin is very moist, almost cakey, but not quite. The texture was perfect. The moisture balance was equal throughout the entire muffin. I was sad that there weren't any nuts in there, but I still enjoyed this muffin. It was actually very addictive because I wanted another one right after I finished the first one.

Overall, it's a great product.

Quaker Dark Chocolate Cherry Granola Bar

Quaker used to be one of my favorite brand in the world. I used to be obsessed with their mini 90-110 calorie snack/ granola bars that came in a at least 20 flavors. But I do not know if it was my view on their bars that changed, or if it was their recipe that was tampered with, but I don’t like their bars so much anymore. They have too much of a rough edge to them compared to the other chewy bars out there that tend to have a little more moisture.

But I still have hopes for Quaker and I have not totally turned my back on them. For instance, the other day I bought a box of their Dark Chocolate Cherry Chewy Granola bars to throw in my purse for a snack.

As always I thought they were small for the calories. I always thought of them as candy anyways because they always satisfied my sweet tooth rather than keep me full. My mother agrees because she jokes about how she worries about me when I just eat snacks all day until I get home. Well I honestly can say that I do not like eating or taking meals when I go out to do my daily business. I feel like they are too much to carry, they do not stay fresh, and I just do not have time to sit and eat them when I am out. That is why I live off snacks all day and pig out when I get home.


So back to the Cherry Chocolate Quaker bars. They overall had a delicious taste. They reminded me fondly of those Hershey’s Cherry Chocolate Kisses that come around during the seasonal time of the year, that taste so wonderful. The cherry flavor was prevalent, but it was not that sour flavor nor was it that nasty medicinal flavor that you usually get from cherry products. It was delicious and quite delicious.

Overall I liked these and so did the people around me.

Fresh & Easy Reduced Fat Blueberry Muffin

I love muffins. If I had no self control I'd have a giant muffin top at the moment. I think I originally fell in love with muffins when I tried those giant Costco muffins. You know which ones I'm talking about...those GIANT decadent, moist, dense muffins that come in packs of six for only $3.

But those aren't the muffins I'm really going to talk about in this blog. The muffin I am going to talk about is the four pack of Reduced Fat Blueberry Muffins that I got from Fresh and Easy. Man that chain really exploded in my city because there are now 7 stores out there that I know of just in my town.

Well, knowing how much I love baked goods, I chose to get their blueberry muffins, mostly because they were the freshest thing on the shelf.

So I ate it the moment I got home. Man they were so moist. I was licking my fingers the whole way through. That's how I eat a muffin. I noticed everyone eats their muffins differently. Some prefer forks, others spoons. Most like to just dive in and take a bite. I myself like to pick at them with my fingers. It just makes the experience more fun.

The first bite you get out of these you taste the orange zest that they through in. The cake part taste like plain white cake with a little bit of vanilla. What bothered me though was the giant hole in the center of my muffin. Yes, a hole filled with air and coated with sour blueberry filling. The same thing showed up on my second muffin too. I'm pretty sure it was just the blueberry filling that ate the middle of my muffin, but I want it back.

The muffin overall was fantastic. With 310 calories, 11 grams of fat, 48 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, and 4 grams of protein; this muffin makes a pretty decent snack or breakfast. I myself shared on and ate two, then saved the last for breakfast. But it ain't the best muffin on the block, nor is it worth $4. Go to Costco, cause their muffins have double the goodness, are double the size, and half the price.

Panera Bread Carrot Walnut Muffin

Hey guys. It's been almost a month since my last post because I've been so busy lately. Today was actually one of the first days I got a good break from life.

So basically I went out shopping and around lunchtime I decided to drop by Panera Bread to get a pastry and some coffee. The Carrot Walnut muffin happened to catch my eye and they just happened to be placing fresh baked ones on the plate.

I was sort of reluctant to try it because I tried their Apple Crunch Muffin and I was not satisfied at all. That stuff had the nastiest apple filling that I have ever tasted in my life. Did I just get a bad one out of luck, or does everyone agree that it sucks?

Well anyways I got it along with some plain Hazelnut coffee. I sat at one of their nice, quiet, dark tables in the back with a good book and enjoyed.

The coffee was smooth, fresh, and had the quality of Starbucks coffee. I enjoyed every bit of it. The muffin itself was fantastic! I actually ate half of it before I took the picture cause it was so delicious. It has tons of walnuts on top and you can see the little carrot slices in the muffin. I'm pretty sure there was some apple in it as well as some plump raisins. The outside was a little tough, but it was perfect. The inside had a muffin-worthy moisture. In other words, it was not as hard as bread nor as soft as cake.

My only complaint would be that the walnuts were only on the top. I would prefer them to be within the muffin as well. A little more spice in the muffin wouldn't hurt either.

Calories: 500

Fat: 21g

Carbs: 72g

Fiber: 4g

Protein: 8g

Costco All-American Chocolate Cake

We all know that when it comes to a celebration there has to be a delicious dessert that waits for you and your guests at the end of that wonderful meal. If you don't know that, well then you gotta learn that a celebration is like writing an essay. You start off with the Introduction (some nice little appetizers that WOW them), then comes the Body (where you stuff them with all the good stuff), and then the Conclusion (where you leave them with popped out eyes and drooling mouths). IBC people IBC!

Even if you don't like the people who are coming over, impress them anyways. Believe it or not there are ways that you can easily show your guests a great time with less physical effort.

So one of the best "conclusions" you can get for your party is the 7-layer All-American Chocolate Cake from Costco. You know that when it comes to cake, everybody loves chocolate. Even the people who say they hate chocolate secretly like it (Yeah I saw you eating that chocolate bar behind a wall).

This cake is amazing in many ways besides its taste:
(1) It's huge
(2) Only $16
(3) Chocolate inside, and chocolate outside
(4) Stays fresh long
(5) Has a definite WOW factor

It looks gorgeous as it is in the box, but once you slice it, it looks even better with all the layers of chocolate. One of the best things about this cake is the frosting. It is nice, thick and creamy. Usually the cakes I try have some sickening wad of gloppy icing on top that I have to scrape off so I won't throw up, but this stuff is just perfect. It's decorated on the sides with shaved chocolate pieces that taste so fresh and add the perfect touch to this cake. It's like eating a giant brownie. The actual cake part is most and delicious. It sort of tastes like the Costco Chocolate Muffins, but without the chocolate chips on the inside.

This cake leaves such a good taste in your mouth as well. Only a couple bites and you feel satisfied with it because it is so rich. Quality not Quantity guys. It's the true diet cake cause you can only eat so much of it.

Fun tip, this cake tastes way better refrigerated. It reminds me of ice cream.

I just love this cake all around and I think I'm going to have some now for breakfast =]