Thunderbird Energetica Review

Say hello to your new favorite on-the-go and pre-workout snack!

Every time I am lucky enough to visit the vibrant, progressive city of Austin, Texas, I always pick up a few health products while I'm there. On one of my recent trips I purchased a Thunderbird Energetica energy bar because of its gorgeous packaging (thunderbirds are totally my spirit animal), and oh am I happy I did! The Cacao Hemp Walnut bar satisfied all of my taste buds with its to-die-for combination of flavors. And let's be real, who can resist a healthy dose of cacao?  I recently tried all six of Thunderbird Energetica's whole food bars. Here's what the cool Austin based company claims:

Raw energy, pure ingredients, epic taste!

Thunderbird Energetica specializes in creating epic tasting whole food energy bars. Containing uniquely pure and highly powerful ingredients, Thunderbird bars provide consumers with conveniently packaged, nutrient dense, plant-based goodness.

Each bar is meticulously handmade using the finest and freshest available whole foods that Mother Earth has to offer.

Our 100% soy free, dairy free, gluten free, no added sugar energy bars gives you the same clean burning fuel humans have enjoyed over the last 10,000 years. Our wrapper is 100% biodegradable and compostable leaving nothing behind. Energy that lasts, a wrapper that doesn't! What does your energy bar do?

Here's my rundown of all six of their nourishing energy bars!

Cacao Hemp Walnut: Love at first bite. I really liked this flavor, and felt especially mentally alert after eating it. Chia seeds, cacao, hemp seeds, walnuts and... mint?! Yep, the subtle flavor blended harmoniously with all of the other yummy ingredients.

Sweet Lemon Raindance: I was honestly surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. I'm never one for lemon flavored anything, but the lemon was subtle and the cashew butter and quinoa in this bar made it taste so creamy and crunchy at the same time!

Cherry Walnut Crunch: I'm so sorry, cacao, but this cacao-less bar ties for first place. Its eccentric ingredient list including sweet potato and turmeric threw a party in my mouth!

Hyper Hawaiian Crunch: Hyper! Hawaiian! Crunch! The title says it all! This flavor had a rad prune base, tasted fruity and sweet, and had a soft yet crunchy texture. Yummy!

Almond Cookie Pow Wow: First ingredient: Apricots. Apricots? Apricots. This bar boasts 7g of protein and tasted like an almond cookie. Skip the dessert and go for this satisfying real food bar instead.

Cashew Fig Carrot: Don't let the word carrot scare you off! This flavor tasted more like the holiday season, rather than my rabbit's favorite treat. If you like figs and nutmeg and the winter, this bar will make you nostalgic and antsy for winter to finally get here!

Oh and by the way, these bars are Shaman-blessed. 

I sincerely enjoyed all six flavors! I think I could eat an unlimited amount of their Cherry Walnut Crunch and Cacao Hemp Walnut bars... and the Almond Cookie Pow Wow... and all of them I want more give me more! If you're intrigued, check their website for purchasing locations: http://thunderbirdenergetica.com. I've personally bought them at various Whole Foods locations and at Daily Juice in ATX. 

What's your spirit animal?

Daphne

Vegan Chocolate Pudding

Chocolate pudding -
So creamy,
So yummy,
So right.
Yummy.

That was my poem dedicated to this delicious recipe which, if you have never tried chocolate pudding made out of this magical ingredient included, will blow your mind. It will make you think that everything you ever thought about the world was wrong. Because how could chocolate pudding contain this weird ingredient? But hey now, don't knock it before you try it!

I present to you...


Chocolate Avocado Pudding. (Yes, you read that right! Avocado!)


Your first reaction is probably some confusion related to the avocado. This is normal, but I promise that this lovely green fruit gives a creamy consistency and the cacao and agave totally cover up the taste! Your reaction after trying the recipe will probably be why would you post a recipe like this that yields such a small portion? For this question, I have no answer. You should probably double or triple or quadruple this recipe because you will not be able to stop eating after only one serving.

"Eat me," the lonely pudding said.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

• 1 avocado
• 1/4 cup cacao
• 1/4 cup agave nectar (or sweetener of choice - a little less or a little more is perfectly fine!)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Simply blend together all of the ingredients (I used my vitamix) and chill in the fridge before serving. Serve this as a dip with some strawberries or add it on top of another dessert. Or better yet, just eat it as it is with a good ol' spoon and nothing else - from now on, this is all you will ever need in your life.

Eat More Chocolate Pudding,
Daphne

Raw Vegan Spicy Avocado Soup Recipe

While in NYC a few weekends ago, I got to try an amazing raw vegan avocado coconut soup at a little cafe. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since! Today I had a super ripe avocado lying around and I decided to make it into a cold soup. Unfortunately with no coconut meat or milk on hand, I had to get creative. Coconut can't be the only thing that tastes good in a chilled avocado soup, right?! I came up with this little recipe, continuously adding things into my vitamix until it reached a taste I liked - er, loved. I hope you try it out and enjoy! If you make any successful variations let me know! I'm really into using avocados right now whenever I can.

Isn't she beautiful? 

Spicy Avocado Soup (Raw, Vegan, Gluten-free)

• 1 avocado
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 onion
• 1 lemon (I bet a lime would taste just as good if not better!)
• Handful of parsley
• 1 cup nut milk (I used homemade almond milk, but coconut milk would be divine!)
• 1/2-1 cup water depending on how creamy you like it (I used 3/4 cup)
• Garlic to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp crushed garlic)
• Cayenne pepper to taste (Use a lot of this! Goodness so delicious!)

Off into the vitamix we go!

Add all ingredients to your vitamix or powerful blender/food processor. Blend until creamy, chill in the fridge and serve. This recipe is so incredibly easy and customizable! Just imagine the possibilities...lime, tomatoes, black beans, coconut... 

Peace, Love & Avocados,

Daphne

Happy October! (Filled With Pumpkin Spice Lattes)

Can you believe it’s already October? The harvest season is beginning, which in short means: sweater weather, Halloween, and most importantly… pumpkin spice lattes! Let’s be real. Fall didn’t officially start until Starbucks started serving their famous version of the drink! But before you go treat yourself to one of these inviting warm drinks, you should know this: The nutritional info doesn’t look so cozy. A tall and skinny serving without whipped cream contains 37g of sugar.

Is that a lot?

Um hello?! Yes, that’s enough sugar to give you a short burst of energy, followed by the infamous “sugar crash.” And the side effects of too much sugar don’t just end there. Consuming sugar can lead to weight gain, acne,hypoglycemia, diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. Next time you crave that fall blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, reach for this easy and healthy recipe instead!

Mmm....I enjoyed this last weekend...mmm...

Pumpkin Spice Latte (from ChocolateCoveredKatie.com)

• 2 T canned pumpkin
• 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond milk)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3-4 T strong coffee
• sugar/stevia to taste

Mix everything but the coffee with a fork. Heat up, add coffee and whisk again.

So stock up on cans of pumpkin (they were on sale at Whole Foods last time I went!) and ask your mom to send you your family’s pumpkin pie spice, because you’re about to unleash your inner barista. 

Love,
Daphne

Wisdom Wednesday

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”
-Thornton Wilder

Ingredients to Avoid & Some Thoughts

As I write this I am sitting inside of Daily Juice (the one on Duval) in Austin, TX. I'm sipping on a hot hempseed mate latte and watching the interesting people all around me... Like the little girl digging into her "Rawkin' Enchiladas" while her mother drinks some green juice, or the other young girl asking her father about nutrition and people with diabetes, while both of them dig into big salads. People that hang out here are definitely health-conscious, but they all have completely different backgrounds. Somehow nutrition and connecting with their own bodies brings them together here. It's pretty cool how food can do that.

Sometimes I feel that I upset people when I decline a soda or homemade white bread or a handmade cheese and pepperoni pizza. Should we feel this way? Food brings together different families and cultures, and meals have been huge social events for humans for a long time. Does eating healthy have to change that? I dream of the day when all restaurants offer healthy options (and I don't just mean white pasta with some veggies on top) and the government (I'm talking about the US one here; I don't know much about food politics elsewhere) starts educating its people about food based on what's really healthy...you know, not just food that makes the dairy/meat/corn industries and big players like the USDA/Monsanto happy.

Some of the ingredients/foods to avoid:

1. Throw out everything in your house that contains High-Fructose Corn Syrup (which potentially affects your metabolic rate). This is even found in a lot of sauces and condiments like ketchup.
2. Weird ingredients you don't know... why not stick to whole foods? We really don't know the long-term health effects of these isolated chemicals and products.
3. Added sugar! It's in everything, but so many products offer unsweetened versions! Go for those instead.
4. Aspartame, Acesulfame potassium, neotame, saccharin and sucralose are all artificial sweeteners. These bad boys can have some pretty terrible health effects. Sugar-free does not mean healthy. Stay away from Splenda, Sweet'N Low, Equal, etc. I like sugar substitutes like low-glycemic agave nectar, maple syrup, dates or the occasional stevia or brown sugar.

Just because something is approved by the FDA or promoted by the USDA does not mean it is healthy. Seriously. Watch out for products that claim that they are healthy just because of their governmental approval!

On a more positive note, I do feel so much gratitude to places like Daily Juice and all of the little companies they feature here. The popularity of Hail Merry (based in Dallas, TX) and Buddha's Brew Kombucha (based here in Austin) are growing tremendously. I'm obsessed with Thunderbird Energetica bars and probably so many other products I'm forgetting about. How exciting is it to see these products in more and more places? Things are changing. Slowly, but it seems for the better. At least in the health department! Keep your heads up and make healthy choices!

Love,
Daphne

Morning Delight Overnight Oats

A few mornings ago I got to eat one of my favorite healthy breakfasts and I didn't even have to work in the kitchen for it! Well, at least I didn't on that morning. The night before I prepared a concoction of healthy fats, carbs and protein and left it uncovered in the fridge overnight. The mixture magically cooked itself and made it a delight to wake up to. (Are you guys the same? If I have delicious food waiting for me in the morning I jump out of bed!)

This recipe tastes like a cheat meal, but I promise flavor can fool! This easy breakfast is filled with nutritionally dense foods. Check out these benefits!

• Oats: full of fiber, iron and selenium (which helps ward off free-radical damage!)

• Goji berries: these powerful berries boast tons of antioxidants

• Coconut oil: one of the best sources of healthy saturated fats which are wonderful for the health of your heart, skin and hair; It even includes lauric acid which is beneficial for the immune system

• Chia seeds: filled with fiber, protein and lots and lots of omega-3s and omega-6s

Here is the recipe I used for my overnight oats:

• 1/3 cup oats (don't use quick oats)
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp goji berries
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp chia seeds   

Mix together in a bowl and leave uncovered in a fridge overnight.

 

I hope you enjoy the recipe!

Love,

Daphne