So Good Beverages

Recently I was contacted to see if I would be interested in reviewing the So Good Soy Milk Beverages. I agreed even though we don’t have anyone in our family who has milk intolerance at this point in time. When my daughter was younger she had some intolerance to regular formula and milk at one point. We had to buy some soy beverage for her. I figure that exploring new taste and discovering new products would help us to expand our taste buds.

The So Good products are produced by Earth’s Own Food Company. Earth's Own Food Company is a Canadian company who is the #1 non-dairy beverage company in the country. Our recipe for success is fostering wellbeing in everything we do and making healthy products that are good for consumers, their families, the community and the planet. Earth's Own Food Company has 205 employees who are passionate and committed to the company's vision and continued growth. Earth's Own Food Company's vision is to be a pioneering healthy food & beverage company, one that takes an ethical approach to championing nutritional innovation & high quality products and services in order to actively improve people's lives and well-being.

So Good is made from non-genetically modified soy protein by Identity Preservation. What this means is that a monitoring system has been put in place which controls each step of the manufacturing process -- from seed selection to planting and harvesting, transportation and processing -- to ensure no genetically modified soybeans enter the supply stream at any time.

So Good is 100% lactose free and a perfect alternative to milk. Lactose is the natural sugar found in dairy milk and lactase is the enzyme required to break down the lactose. Some people have little or no lactase in their body which means dairy milk and dairy milk products cannot be digested. The common symptoms of lactose intolerance are stomach pains, bloating, gas, diarrhea and nausea. So Good is also 100% free of cholesterol and low in saturated fat. Vegetable oil is added to Original and Flavour varieties of So Good to provide appropriate fat levels for satisfying mouth feel and beverage smoothness (100% cholesterol free polyunsaturated sunflower oil or Canola oil is used). The product is 100% free of animal products and suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets as well as 100% gluten-free and are suitable for people with Celiac Disease. So Good is a participant in Health CheckTM - a food information program developed by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. So Good has factories on both the east and west coast of Canada, reducing its distance to market (unlike Silk soymilk, which is shipped up from the US).

I have receive coupons that I could exchange for the full product at the grocery store. So far we tried the Strawberry and Chocolate flavours.

I have to admit that the So Good Strawberry didn’t win some fans in our household. I would have thought that my kids would have liked it. My daughter herself, age 3, has picked it because it was pink. But somehow the taste didn’t stick with them. Personally I thought I was drinking a milk made of chalk. You could taste a bit of strawberry in it but not enough to remove the taste of the soy behind it. I guess that with time the kids might get used to it… if needed be that is.

So I didn’t know how the So Good Chocolate would be received when I open the container.

Well surprisingly the kids and I LOVED it (my husband doesn’t drink or eat anything chocolate except if it would be white chocolate!). The taste of chocolate was rich and when you were done with it you just wanted more of it. We drank this one in a record time (compared to the strawberry flavor that is…). My sweet Jasmine kept asking for more even though there wasn’t any more as the container was…. empty!

I do have two other vouchers for So Good products. I am looking for a Vanilla (requested by my husband) and a Chocolate one. But somehow, the stores I went too didn’t have any in stock… I did three stores yesterday and none had them – Wal-Mart (almost empty shelves), Metro and Shoppers Drug Mart. Mmmm! I still have to go check at Loblaws as well as Independent but haven’t had the time yet. UPDATE: This morning I went to a Loblaws who had the Chocolate and Vanilla Omega version. These found their way to our house… Looking forward to discover the Vanilla flavour but I will wait until my husband is back from his Daddy day with our 5 years old son!

All So Good products are made of natural flavours, are an excellent source of nutrition, contain calcium, are low in saturated fat and are fortified with essential vitamins and minerals! And it is perfect for people who can’t drink milk because of issues like being lactose intolerant.

Disclaimer: I received the product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Around the World Cookbook

Around the World Cookbook
By Abigail Johnson Dodge
Published at DK Canada

About the book

With foods like hummus and Pad Thai becoming as common as meatloaf and apple pie, it’s no surprise that international foods are hotter than ever. Kids today are growing up in an increasingly multicultural world, and with Around the World: An International Cookbook for Children, they can eat like it, too!

While cooking these traditional cuisines, kids also learn about the countries they’re from: how a tandoor oven works, what smorgasbord really means, and how to make a croque monsieur into a croque madame. Together with DK’s fun and innovative visual style, the information and recipes in this unique cookbook tie in beautifully with school curriculum and make it an essential part of every young foodie’s library.

Who is Abigail Johnson Dodge?

Seasoned and successful cookbook author Abigail Johnson Dodge is a contributing editor at Fine Cooking, where she founded the magazine’s test kitchen. The author of five popular cookbooks, Dodge’s most recent publication, The Weekend Baker, (W.W. Norton, 2005) had the honor of being named one of the “Top Ten Cookbooks of the Year” by Food and Wine magazine as well as being named an IACP Cookbook Finalist. She was also a contributor to Savoring America (Oxmoor House, 2002), which was nominated for a James Beard Award and received the prestigious Ben Franklin Award. In addition to regular appearances on TV and radio, Dodge teaches classes and seminars at cooking schools around the country, belongs to several food associations including The International Association of Culinary Professionals and the American Institute of Wine and Food, and serves on the National Cutco Culinary Advisory Board.

My Thoughts

Geared for children ages 8 to 13 years old, this cookbook will transport them around the world without leaving your kitchen and dining room. You will find about 50 international recipes that you can do with your kids. I was particularly interested in this cookbook because I wanted to include some dishes in our menu that will come from countries we would study in the coming year.

I will admit to you that for the purpose of this review, I have done the recipe myself while the kids were playing. But I know that in the future, I can trust my oldest son – who is ten years old – in doing a recipe while following the instructions in the book. I know for a fact that he is quite interested in doing so as he often asked to do supper for us and he explore this cookbook numerous times. The cookbook contains the basics on how to get started but also recipes from Asia, India,Indonesia, Australasia, Middle East, Africa, Mediterranean, Russia, Northern Europe, South America, Mexico, The Caribbean, United States and Canada.

So it was time to try out a new recipe again in our household. And when I received this cookbook, I had already identified the recipe I wanted to do. Let’s go explore the South America, Mexico and the Carribeean. When you start a new section, you have a little introduction of the area with a photo, map and information about the places. For example, I have learned that 7000 islands made up the Caribbean Islands, that fish and shellfish are commonly used and cooked just after being pulled from the ocean, and that curries are made from recipes passed down through generations of ex-slaves brought over from Africa by European settlers. As you might have guessed the recipe we tried is coming from the Caribbean more specifically Jamaica.

JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN was the recipe I have made for the whole family. I wasn’t sure how it will be received to be honest…

The first step is to mix the various spices and coat the chicken breast in it. The chicken will be cook in the oven at broil within 15 minutes or so.

The other part of the recipe was to make a Mango Salsa that will accompany the Jamaican jerk chicken. In this salsa, you will find mango, red pepper, French shallot, cilantro to name a few of the ingredients. I will admit that I didn’t have any jalapeno pepper so I skipped that one.

The final product was amazing in sight. Now what will it taste… I have one difficult child and surprisingly he loved the chicken. The cilantro in the salsa didn’t had the same reaction than the chicken. It was a new herb that the kids were tasting and it wasn’t a big favourite for all of them. But in the end, everyone in our family gave a high 10 for the recipe. As my husband said

This is definitively the best new recipe we made in a long time!

We also all agreed that this recipe should be made for people coming over to our house. So to my friends – don’t be surprised to try something new next time you come for a visit. And more than likely my oldest kids will be the ones who will make it!

The chicken was very tasty and the flavor stayed in your mouth for quite some time afterwards. I was impressed and look forward to discover other recipes in this cookbook.

Around the World Cookbook is perfect to have while you are studying geography. It is a creative way to incorporate the food from the countries and continents you are exploring so that you can taste their flavors yourself.

I almost wish that the pages would be made of plastic so I can wiped them out if they get dirty. Putting water on them will make them go wavy unfortunately. A solution to keep the pages dry and avoid spill on them would be to use a cookbook stand.

Around the World Cookbook is available everywhere.

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

PhytoBerry and VegeGreens

About two months ago, a friend of mine posted on facebook that she was drinking her greens… Curious I asked her why she wasn’t eating them instead. She introduced me to the product she was using and told me one of the major benefit of doing so – boost of energy. We both felt that we needed to try this to see if it would work. We initially tried the product my friend was using but then after looking into a group sale deal for Popeye’s Supplements I discovered that there was other companies doing so. I have contacted one in particular to see if I could review their products and they agreed.

About the products

PhytoBerry

PhytoBerry is a highly concentrated berry based whole food supplement that is loaded with natural antioxidants. We keep hearing how antioxidants are good for you and prevent sickness like cancer via the various media around us.

Essentially the PhytoBerry has been designed to offer whole body antioxidant protection. It contains no artificial ingredients and a single serving has the equivalent nutrient of 6 to 8 servings of fresh fruit.

Benefits associated to the PhytoBerry are numerous like whole body antioxidant protection, slows the aging process, strengthens immune function, supports cardiovascular health, stimulates and enhances brain function, promotes mental clarity and improves memory, boosts energy levels, protects eye health, balances blood sugar, improves digestive tract, speeds wound healing, supports liver function, lowers cholesterol, helps alleviate allergies.

VegeGreens

VegeGreens is a comprehensive combination of over 60 land, sea and cruciferous vegetables, as well as super green foods, EFAs, pre and probiotics, enzymes and herbal extracts. It will supply your body with an amazing range of nutrients and each serving is equivalent to 6 to 8 servings of fresh vegetables.

The benefits linked to this products are the following: restores a healthy pH. detoxifies the body, cleanses the colon, increases energy and renews mental clarity, stimulates and enhances brain function, strengthens immune system, supports cardiovascular health, slows aging, balances blood sugar, boosts metabolism, protects eye health, lowers cholesterol, supports liver function, improves digestive tract, promotes a clearer complexion, acts as an anti-inflammatory, helps prevent osteoporosis, and relieves allergies.

Our Thoughts

Eating vegetables and fruits should be on everyone’s menu on a daily basis right? But with work, kids, managing a home and a business, reviewing products, it is easy to forget and not eat what we are suppose to eat… And eventually,health problems can arise, tiredness is your companion and you wonder why you don’t have the energy your kids have. When we first heart about “drinking your green” we were curious. So we decided to try it ou.

Both my husband and I have started to take our VegeGreens or PhytoBerry on a daily basis. We usually alternate 3-4 VegeGreens before taking a PhytoBerry but within a week we have seen a difference in our level of energy. While before we were tired in the afternoon and more likely to take a nap, now we have more energy and the nap is not needed. We were both impressed with the results.

But as I continue taking these, I realize other benefits for me. Stronger nails are one of them. I used to have nails that would easily breaks. There was no way I could ever think of getting my nails grow a bit and eventually get nail polish on them. Well no anymore… In two weeks, I will be going to a SPA treatment (thanks to my husband) and get a manicure in the package deal – my first ever believe it or not!

Another bonus for me would be my regularity. Okay I don’t want to go into details but I have seen a difference in my digestive system and how it functions now.

And to know that these products will boost my immune system at the same time, I am quite curious to see how my health will be next winter. Winter time is always hazardous with four kids. I usually get a few of bronchitis and so on. I am hoping that my propensity of getting sick often during the cold season will be reduce quite a bit.

Like I said before, we are very impressed with the results we have seen so far while we took the VegeGreens or PhytoBerry in the morning. We are already talking about it to family and friends. And I have recently discovered and another friend of mine uses these products. If you find you lack energy in your life and would see some changes I would like to suggest that you try the VegeGreens and PhytoBerry. Give it a try and see the difference it will make in your life!

For more details on what ingredients can be found in the PhytoBerry and the VegeGreens, click on the images below. You will be able to see where each ingredients target which body systems and organs. I have received these flyers from the store where we will purchase the VegeGreens and PhytoBerry – Popeye’s Supplements.

The PhytoBerry comes in 450 and 900 grams and is priced around 34.99 – 79.99 depending of the size you will choose. Also available is a product for kids – PhytoBerry for kids .

The VegeGreens comes in 265 and 510g or even in pill format. The price range is from 34.99 to 79.99. However, we have seen a sale at Popeye’s Supplements where we were able to get one for regular price and the second one for half price.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Progressive Nutritional for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.