Ever since I heard “Where Have You Been” by Rhianna, I can’t get the song out of my head. Not only do I keep replaying it in my head, but I keep uttering the words “where have you been all my life” when I find a new discovery, particularly with food.
😉
Let me begin this post by saying everyone gets a sweet and salty tooth… not necessarily both at the same time, but eventually we all crack and get the urge to dive into a bag of chips or eat a huge chocolate bar. If you are reading this thinking, “well, not really…” I am going to go ahead and deem you one lucky duck.
Knowing I am prone to this happening, I try to keep a handful of “healthy” treats in the pantry at all times. I allow myself at least one a day, and with moderation I have learned that I can enjoy a handful of healthier treats on a daily basis. I will go over what some of those items are in another post, but for today I’m going go start the latest discoveries.
Are you read for this? I am!
Where Have You Been All My Life? *Food Edition*
1. Salt ‘n Vinegar Blue Diamond Almonds
You may have already seen me share these via Instagram or Twitter, but here it is: proof that they exist.
I found this as well as a Jalapeno Smokehouse flavor two weeks ago in the BOGO bin at Publix. Ever since I made a big deal about them, the salt ‘n vinegar flavor disappeared and can not be found anywhere!
Two questions: Where have these been all my life? and… Where are they now?
If you find them, please share where this happened! I’m beginning to think Publix is playing some kind of mean joke on me.
2. York Peppermint Patty Coffee Creamer
Oh boy. You might have picked up on this here or here, but I am a bit obsessed with anything involving and mixing two key ingredients: mint and chocolate.
When I passed the dairy section in the grocery store I literally stopped, cocked my head, reversed and threw this bad boy into the cart. It was a clear must-have purchase.
You can probably figure out it tastes amazing, and yes… they were right, it is a delight!
3. Whole Foods Dinner Bar
I have been frequenting the Whole Foods hot dinner bar after barre (<- ha, see what I did there?) lately.
For those of you who haven’t discovered this already, Whole Foods has finally solved the “I’m starving, but I’m in the middle of grocery shopping” problem.
Enter a display full of variety with meats, vegetables, casseroles, rice, salads, soups, stews, you name it. Grab a plate, load it up with whatever you like and pay per pound at the register.
I had heard plenty about this food bar, but finally tried it out for myself a few weeks ago with my mother.
The first time around I loaded my plate with their fresh salad bar starting with spinach, cucumbers, butternut squash, green peas, chick peas and a hard boiled egg in a citrus vinaigrette. I wanted to try everything, but settled on a vegetable stew (on the right), sweet potatoes and a quinoa with mixed vegetables dish (left).
Random, but certainly hit the spot.
At places like this, I can take advantage of the foods I never get to make at home. For example, I like tofu, but never make it because Scott thinks it tastes like blubber. I can see where he gets that, but I still enjoy the taste and health benefits.
On my second visit to the Whole Foods dinner bar I loaded my salad with spinach, green peas, butternut squash, peppers, corn, tofu and drizzled it in another citrus vinaigrette. I traded the quinoa for cous cous, enjoyed another hit of sweet potatoes and finished it off with a few carrots dipped in red pepper hummus.
Although both plates look similar, there really is a variety to choose from there. The only downfall is the price. I ended up paying somewhere in the $9.00 range for each plate, which isn’t bad but isn’t wonderful either.
That aside, the idea is genius. Go check it out!
4. Whole Foods Fruit and Chocolate Tarts
Speaking of Whole Foods, have you ever tried these?
They are displayed in the bakery section and well worth the $1.99 spent on each. This is from the trip with my mother and we each enjoyed one tart. It was the perfect way to finish off a dinner at Whole Foods and you might just see these pop up a few more times. YUM!
5. Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter
Do I really need to explain further?
This stuff is the ish!
I could probably eat the entire jar in a few sittings with a spoon, but I refrain and instead use it in moderation. Whenever I’m craving dessert, I whip this jar out and dip a few pretzels into it. There’s something about the sweet and salty combination that you just can’t top.
Peanut Butter & Co. has several different flavors of peanut butter, and this is the first chocolate flavor I have tried. I picked the dark chocolate to make myself feel better, but realistically, any kind of chocolate is a true treat.
Occasionally, I will treat myself for breakfast by spreading it on warm whole wheat toast. Tuesday morning I did exactly that, adding a banana and a sprinkle of chia seeds. It was oh-so-delicious!
I have a feeling this combination will be repeated several times down the road.
And there you have my latest “where have you been all my life” finds.
Mmm mmm mmm.
Questions
What have you found lately?
What are some foods you treat yourself with?
Xiomara @ Parkesdale
I just bought the Salt and Vinegar Blue Diamond almonds! I hadn’t seen them before. But, I dug right into the Wasabi & Soy almonds!
Heather
Those are wonderful too! Did you find them at Publix?
Xiomara @ Parkesdale
Yes! I found them at my Publix in Plant City, Fl. They were Bogo last week. Score!
Sylvia @ Frolic Through Life
I need those Salt and Vinegar Almonds in my life! Must commence search!
Heather
Ha! I know right?! I’ve heard from a few sources that they really are at Publix. I guess the ones by my house sold out, but they should be back soon.
Christien
OMG, Salt and Vinegar Almonds?!? Immediately started a search, but they don’t have them in my country 🙁
I’ll have to remember to try them next time I’m visiting family in the UK!
Heather
Aw, I’m sorry Christien! Hopefully you will find them soon. Maybe they will start selling them online?