February 2018 Bakers Krate Review

Today I have an exciting and extra-sweet post for you featuring the February Bakers Krate*.

If you are unfamiliar with Bakers Krate, it’s a subscription box that sends its members hand-crafted gourmet baked goods produced by Canadian experts. The Bakers Krate team searches for Canada’s best desserts to satisfy your sweet tooth so that you can enjoy local tastes and delicacies in the comfort of your own home. Each box contains fresh baked goods such as cake pops, pie jars, cookies, dessert squares, and more made by Canadian artisans. Each item in the box is packaged well to guarantee freshness.

Subscriptions are $19.99 per month plus $9.99 shipping across Canada. You can save a bit each month by signing up for a three month or a six month plan. You can also send Bakers Krate as a gift and include a sweet, personalized message for the receiver. I have used the gift option for special holidays, birthdays, and for friends who are living away from home. After all, there’s no better cure for missing home than a surprise box of delicious gourmet treats.

The February box is pretty in pink for Valentine’s Day! It also comes with two information cards. One card includes a Dessert Menu with a description of each product as well as an Ingredients List an an expiry date for each dessert. The other card provides interesting background information on the bakeries that created the desserts. Bakeries that contributed to this month’s box are all based in Ontario.

February 2018 Little Life Box Review

We are entering the third month of 2018, and I’m proud to say that I’m still following the healthy habits that I planned to adopt at the beginning of the year. One of my goals is to replace unhealthy, processed snacks with more natural, healthier options. This is not always easy during the busy work week when it’s hard to find time time to go to the grocery store or prepare snacks in advance, but luckily there's a subscription that can help: Little Life Box.

January 2018 Oatbox Review

With the start of 2018, many of us are making resolutions and setting goals to live healthier this year. Exercising, drinking more water, going to bed earlier, eating cleaner, and taking more time to relax are all great ways to improve your health, but don’t forget about breakfast. Sometimes it seems easier to grab a donut or skip breakfast entirely, but taking a few minutes to fuel your body with something nourishing and satisfying will give you energy to make progress throughout the day and keep you from making poor food choices at other meals.

Here’s some good news: You can have a quick, healthy breakfast without having to turn the stove on or get up much earlier. Even more good news: You don’t have to leave the house to get the ingredients. Thanks to Oatbox, you can have a variety of healthy breakfast products delivered to your door for only $20 per month with free shipping across North America.

Oatbox sends its subscribers two different granola mixes every month. The mixes include seasonal ingredients,  mineral-rich organic oat flakes that are known for preventing cardiovascular diseases and maintaining a healthy digestive system, organic rye flakes that aid in digestion and weight loss while lowering the risk of diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure, and organic raw honey that contains antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. They do not need to be cooked and can be enjoyed with some milk or yogurt for a fast yet healthy breakfast. Aside from the classic granola mixes, there is also an option to receive individual oatmeal pouches, gluten-free and nut-free granola, and breakfast cereal bars. All Oatbox products are handcrafted, made of healthy ingredients, and free of preservatives.

I was lucky enough to try the January 2018 Oatbox*. Read on for my review and to see the unique granola flavours that I received this month.

March 2017 Bakers Krate

There’s no better way to start the weekend than with something sweet! The dessert lover in me has been eager to share this post with you since the March 2017 Baker’s Krate* arrived in my mailbox.

If you are unfamiliar with Bakers Krate, it’s a subscription box featuring hand-crafted gourmet baked goods produced by Canadian dessert experts. The Bakers Krate team searches for Canada’s best desserts to satisfy your sweet tooth so that you can enjoy local tastes and delicacies in the comfort of your own home. Each monthly box contains at least six fresh baked goods such as cake pops, pie jars, cookies, dessert squares, and more made by Canadian artisans. Each item in the box is packaged well to guarantee freshness.

Subscriptions are $19.99 per month plus $9.99 shipping across Canada. You can save a bit each month by signing up for a three month or six month plan, and you will receive the current month’s box if you sign up before the 20th of the month. There are options to skip a month and cancel at any time. You can also send Bakers Krate as a gift. I have done this a few times for friends who are living away from home for work or school, and they always love receiving a surprise box of delicious gourmet treats.

For the month of March, Bakers Krate sent its subscribers a St. Patrick’s Day-themed box that features sweet sprinkles of green, buttery crumbles of gold, and a little chocolate for extra luck.

Read on for my review of this month’s decadent desserts.

March 2017 MissFresh Review + Coupon Code

Eating healthy involves planning, but sometimes our busy schedules make it difficult to choose recipes for the week, purchase all the necessary ingredients, and have time to actually cook after long days of work or school.

Luckily, eating well can be easy with MissFresh, a Canadian company founded in Quebec that strives to help you lead a healthier lifestyle by making eating healthy at home easy and accessible.

MissFresh delivers weekly pre-portioned fresh ingredients and delicious recipes across Canada. Each week, you get to choose from a range of different recipes and then the ingredients and directions are shipped to you overnight. This completely takes the guesswork out of planning meals, figuring out which ingredients are necessary, and making a trip to the store to purchase what you need. All you have to do is cook, and you won’t spend the entire evening in the kitchen since all meals are ready in 30 minutes or less.

There are four different dinner meal kits to choose from.

Vegetarian Box - Vegetarian recipes packed with seasonal vegetables, hearty grains, and animal-free proteins.

Chef Box - A family-friendly selection of meat, fish, produce, and grains.

Custom Box - Your selection from all available gourmet recipes including meat, fish, produce, and grains.

Kilo Solution Box - Nutritionist Dr. Isabelle Huot’s calorie-controlled selection of healthy, delicious, and tasty recipes that are developed following rigorous nutritional criteria.

Depending on the needs of your household, you can customize your meal kit by choosing 2-5 meals per week and 2-6 portions per meal. Meal kits start at $7.99 per portion with free shipping, and you can use the coupon code BEAUTYWRITER for $25 off your first meal kit. MissFresh also offers ready-to-eat snacks in four different box options starting at $14.99 per box.

I was lucky enough to try the Vegetarian Box* meal kit. Read on for my review and photos of each recipe.

February 2017 YUMiBOX Review

It’s always nice to end the week with something delicious, so this Friday I’m sharing my review of the February 2017 YUMiBOX*.

This Canadian subscription service sends its members a monthly box containing a bag of savoury whole grain mix (YUMiGRAINS), a bag of breakfast oatmeal (YUMiOATS), and a recipe card to pair with each mix (YUMiRECIPES). The goal of YUMiBOX is to provide practical nutrition solutions for achieving a healthy lifestyle. The company, led by a team of Montreal-based nutritionists and chefs, introduces its members to healthy whole grains that promote cholesterol, heart, and brain health, and blood sugar management.

There are eight portions in each bag of YUMiGRAINS and YUMiOATS for a total of 16 servings per month. YUMiOATS contain soluble fibre, resistant starches, natural fruits, nuts, and gourmet ingredients. They have no added sugar and are sweetened with Stevia. YUMiGRAINS, which are great options to replace rice and potatoes, include whole grains for blood sugar and heart health. All options are vegetarian and portion-controlled.

YUMiBOX subscriptions cost $29.99 per month with free shipping across Canada. This amounts to less than $2 per serving. The Original YUMiBOX includes both grains and oats, but there are options to customize the box to receive two packs of just one type instead of one of each.

Read on for my review of February’s Original YUMiBOX.

January 2016 Bakers Krate Review

As a dessert lover, I can’t tell you how excited I am to share today’s post on Bakers Krate, a subscription box featuring hand crafted gourmet baked goods produced by Canadian dessert experts.

Each box contains at least six fresh baked goods such as cake pops, cake jars, cookies, dessert squares, and more made by local bakeries in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Subscriptions are $19.99 per month plus $9.99 shipping. You can save a bit each month by signing up for a three month or six month plan, and receive 15% off your first box with the coupon code 2016. If you sign up before the 20th of the month, you will receive the current month’s box. I like how you have the option of upgrading, skipping a month, or cancelling at any time if you choose to.

You can also send Bakers Krate as a gift. After all, who wouldn’t want to find a box of sweet treats in their mailbox?

At the moment, Bakers Krate ships across Canada only but is currently running a kickstarter fund me campaign to open its doors to customers in the United States. Click HERE to sign up and help Bakers Krate spread the sweetness stateside.

Now, let’s talk about the January box*.

Giveaway + Review: February 2015 Healthy Surprise Box

For many of us, the most difficult aspect of eating healthy is snack time. Sometimes we just want something sweet or salty! While a bag of greasy potato chips or a box of sticky candy is often easy to grab for a quick snack, having healthier snacks on hand can prevent us from consuming foods that are bad for us out of convenience.

Sometimes it seems hard to keep healthy snacks on hand, but it doesn’t have to be. The snackologists at Healthy Surprise make it fun and easy to eat healthy snacks by delivering customers a box every month filled with full-size snacks that are delicious, gluten free, soy free, corn free, wheat free, vegan, and natural. 

Healthy Surprise offers many different options including the Classic Box, the Big Box, and the Paleo Box. All boxes can be purchased for yourself in monthly, every other month, or quarterly subscriptions, or they can be sent as gifts.  There’s also a Chocolate Box that can be sent as a gift (photos below). I really like the idea of the gift boxes. Instead of sending a loved one a box of chocolates made from chemical ingredients and refined sugars, I could send them a box of healthy treats that they could eat throughout the month. The company ships worldwide, so you can order a box wherever you live or even send a gift to a friend on the other side of the world. You can get $10 off your first month by using the code HSBAF10. You will also receive a free $25 gift card in the first box of every new subscription and gift. Boxes also include brochures with recipes and health facts. 

I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to try the February 2015 Healthy Surprise Classic Box*. As you can see from the photo above, I received a lot of healthy snacks this month. Read on to learn more about what I received and to have the chance to enter a GIVEAWAY to win your own Healthy Surprise Classic Box. 

The first few items are for those snack cravings that demand something crunchy and salty. As a bonus, they all contain one gram or less of sugar per serving. 

1. Beanitos Hot Chili Lime Puffs - These bean puffs are free of corn, trans fats, preservatives, gluten, MSG, and cholesterol. They are kosher, vegan, low glycemic, and high in fibre. One bag is only 80 calories. This is the perfect snack to replace unhealthy cheese puffs. They’re very crunchy and have a lot of flavour. 

2. Sensible Portions Sea Salt Garden Veggie Chips - These chips contain 30% less fat than regular potato chips and are free of artificial colours and flavours, preservatives, trans fat, and cholesterol. They are non-GMO, kosher, and vegan. One bag of these crunchy chips is only 130 calories. Unlike potato chips, these veggie chips are very light and non-greasy. I had them as an afternoon snack along with a banana.  

3 and 4. Laiki Black Rice Crackers and Red Rice Crackers - These crackers contain only three ingredients: rice, sustainably farmed palm oil, and sea salt. As a result, they are naturally gluten-free, vegan, and allergen friendly. One bag contains only 100 calories. I ate mine with a bowl of soup and sliced vegetables for lunch. Despite containing only a few ingredients, they are very flavourful. 

5. Beanfields Salt N’ Pepper Bean & Rice Chips - These chips, made from black and navy beans and long grain rice, contain 29% less fat and twice the fibre and protein as most tortilla chips. The are free of GMOs, gluten, corn, peanuts, seeds and dairy. For 1 oz of chips there’s only 140 calories. These chips are flavourful and delicious with homemade salsa. 

These next few items are perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth while avoiding refined sugar. 

6. Freeze Dried Strawberry Banana Crunchies - The only ingredients in this snack are strawberries and bananas. These’s no preservatives, gluten, GMOs, or added sugar. There’s one fruit serving per pack and only 35 calories. As someone who loves fruit, I really enjoyed this snack. It’s much easier to carry in your purse than a banana and a handful of strawberries. 

7. Sea’s Gift Sweet Seaweed Snack - These seaweed snacks are rich in vitamins and minerals, vegan, gluten free, and low in calories (35 per package). Although they are meant to taste sweet, they contain less than 1 gram of sugar. They are very crunchy and light, yet satisfying. 

8. Plum Organic Mash Ups Apple Sauce + Fruits & Veggies (Blueberry Blitz) - This organic applesauce is a good source of fibre and vitamin A and an excellent source of Vitamin C. It contains no added sugar and has 50 calories per pouch. It’s easy to eat on the go and is in BPA-free packaging. This product is a great substitute for sugary, flavoured yogurt or pudding. 

The next items include easy and healthy snacks that you can keep in your car, purse, or school bag to fight hunger on the go. 

9. PocketFuel Banana Blueberry Almond Butter Blend - This almond butter snack is vegan and free of gluten, dairy, and soy. This energy boosting product contains 169 calories. It’s perfect as a mid afternoon snack. I ate mine with an apple. 

10. Veggie-Gos Carrot Ginger Chewy Fruit & Veggie Snacks - The only ingredients in this snack are organic fruit  and vegetable purees. Each pack contains half a serving of fruit and half a serving of veggies. It’s also gluten free and does not contain any added sugar. This is a great replacement for chewy candies or sugary fruit snacks. 

11. Laughing Giraffe Organics Chocolate Snakaroons - There’s nothing that I love more than cookies, especially when they’re gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan, high in fibre, and nutrient-rich. These are a great alternative to store-bought cookies containing preservatives and refined sugar. They have a very rich, chewy texture that really satisfies a dessert craving. 

12. Apple Raspberry Just Fruit Bar - This bar is free of preservatives, gluten, added sugar, dairy, nuts, and soy. It’s also vegan. This is a great afternoon snack when you’re looking for an energy boost without consuming processed sugar. 

13. Nakd Cocoa Mint Raw Fruit & Nut Bar - This gluten, wheat, and dairy free bar is made with dates, cashews, raisins, cocoa, natural mint, and chocolate flavouring. It’s a much healthier alternative to a traditional chocolate bar or even a sugary granola bar. It’s vegan, cold-pressed, and free of added sugars or syrups. It’s easy to chew and has a rich, natural chocolate flavour with hints of refreshing mint. 

 

The last category features one of my favourite, non-sweet snacks—olives! 

14 and 15. Oloves Lemon & Rosemary and Chili & Oregano Natural Green Pitted Olives - These olives are low in calories, low in saturated fat, gluten, wheat, dairy, and nut free, and vegan. One package is only 50 calories. I love the idea of flavoured olives. They are healthy and a great alternative to other flavoured snacks like potato chips. The flavour is present but not overwhelming and the olives are very fresh and juicy. Before I knew it, the whole package was gone. 

And here are some pictures of that amazing chocolate gift box. I’m definitely putting this on my wish list. 

Overall, I’m so impressed with Healthy Surprise Box. The amount of snacks and the variety of options make this box worth trying. Sometimes it’s difficult for me to find healthy snacks that actually taste good, so I think it would be very exciting to receive them by mail every month or even a few times a year.  I will also keep Healthy Surprise Box in mind for gifts, especially for my friends and family members who are always hard to buy for because they never want or need anything. Who wouldn’t want or need healthy snacks? It’s also a nice care package to send to a student who is away for school and struggling to eat healthy between classes, studying, homework, and adjusting to a new city and social environment. 

Healthy Surprise Box was kind enough to allow me to give a Classic Box away to one of my lucky readers. The giveaway is open until March 7, 2015 at 11:59 PM. The box will be sent directly to the winner by Healthy Surprise. It’s open to those in Canada and the USA. To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. If you are an international reader, you can enter my worldwide giveaways by clicking HERE or visiting the Giveaways page on my blog. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Affiliate links present

February 2015 Little Life Box Review

In my search for healthy snacks, I came across Little Life Box, a monthly subscription service that ships up to a dozen healthy alternative samples to its members each month. Items include snacks, cosmetics, supplements, vitamins, and more. When signing up, you can choose to receive the original box or the vegan box. Products can also be purchased individually in the Little Life Shop. 

This Canadian subscription service starts at $19.95 per month + $3.75 per box for shipping. I signed up for a one month trial for $22.95 and chose the original box. 

I received a variety of items in the skincare, health, and food categories. I like that not everyone receives the same box each month and that the product information is listed on the company’s website so that it’s easy to access. 

The packaging of this month’s box is very cute with red and white polka dot tissue paper and an adorable penguin postcard. 

The first three items are my favourite since I signed up for the box mainly for the snacks. 

1. Camino Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Bar | $4.29 - This chocolate bar is certified organic, fair trade certified, kosher, and gluten free. This bar is one of the first items that I ate from the box. It was very creamy and contained lots of delicious hazelnut pieces. I really enjoyed the fact that it did not taste overly sweet or sugary. I would love to try other chocolate bar flavours from this company, especially the dark chocolate version. 

2. GoGo Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies | $6.49 for a 198g box - GoGo Quinoa products are gluten-free, organic, and vegan. I ate these cookies right away as well. They were very crunchy and delicious. I loved the little chocolate chips and the rich flavour. I will be purchasing more of these in the future. 

3. Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts | $2.99 for 56g (sample contains 15g) - Hemp Hearts contain plant-based protein, fibre, and omegas. I haven’t tried these yet but plan to sprinkle them on cereal or yogurt. 

4. Tasty Bite Channa Masala | $7.98 for 6 packages - This one minute dish features slow-simmered chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, and aromatic spices. This product is very convenient for those of us who don’t have a lot of time to prepare healthy meals. I’m looking forward to trying it with some basmati rice.

5. Pure Organic White Royal Quinoa - This quinoa is from Bolivia and is GMO free, certified organic, and gluten free. I love quinoa and enjoy making a range of different dishes with it. I will get a lot of use out of this product. 

6. GoGo Quinoa Instant Soup | $4.99 for 2 packages - This gluten free soup is a good source of protein and calcium. I love soup and eat it almost daily, so I was very excited to try this product. Sadly, I was very disappointed after trying it. It was very bland and tasteless. I attempted to finish the whole bowl but just couldn’t stand the taste. I think it would benefit from more flavourful spices and a pinch of salt.  

7. Symbiotics Colostrum Plus Chewables | $24.99 for 120 capsules (sample contains two) - This gluten free pineapple flavoured dietary supplement supports healthy immune response and normal GI tract health. While I think this product sounds like a good concept, I probably won’t try it as I cannot determine if I will enjoy a supplement by trying only two capsules. I already have a probiotic supplement that I enjoy. 

8. Naturade Total Soy Meal Replacement | $17.88 for 12 packages - This lactose and gluten free non-GMO soy product can help reduce cholesterol. While it sounds like a beneficial product, I will not be trying it as I am not a fan of soy. 

9. Neolia Fortifying Shampoo and Conditioner | $7.99 per 400 ml bottle (samples contain 10 ml each) - These products which are designed for normal hair in need of hydration, protection, and softness, are made with 100% organic extra virgin olive oil, aloe vera and moringa. I’m going to do a bit of research before trying these as the ingredients may weigh down my fine hair. 

10. Goddess Garden Organics Natural Sunscreen | $19.99 for 6 oz (sample contains 1 oz) - This natural sunscreen is 100% biodegradable and contains aloe vera and sunflower oil. It provides 40 minutes of water resistance and broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 30 protection. I wear sunscreen daily, so I will definitely use this product as long as it’s not too sticky. 

11. Natracare Cleansing Make-up Removal Wipes | $9.29 for 20 wipes - These wipes contain natural ingredients, such as organic essential oils of almond, apricot, and chamomile. I will save these for travelling. 

12. Wood’s Body Goods Choco Latte Lip Balm | $4.50 - This lip balm is paraben and gluten free. I’m not a huge fan of coffee scents, so I may pass this on to someone who is. However, I would consider trying some of their other flavours in the future. White Chocolate and French Vanilla sound delicious!

Overall, I’m happy that I purchased this box to try. I discovered a few new favourite products like the chocolate bar and the quinoa cookies. I also enjoyed the variety of the box items and the large amount of items that were sent this month. At this time, I’m not sure if I will purchase a subscription or if I will just buy a few individual products off the site that interest me. If I do sign up, I will likely go with a three month subscription in case I decide that this box is not for me after receiving a few more. 

What are your thoughts on Little Life Box?