Kashi Sea Salt & Olive Oil Hummus Crisps

Since I'm a BzzAgent, I was recently sent a bag of Kashi Sea Salt & Olive Oil Hummus Crisps to try out in exchange for my honest opinion. I was skeptical that I would enjoy these. I love fresh hummus, but how can you turn hummus into a crisp that actually tastes good without being weird? Kashi does it!

My initial impression of Kashi=Healthy Food. Besides fresh fruits and veggies, most health food doesn't taste so good to me, especially as a finished product out of a bag or box. Ever had a plain Rice Cake? They ingeniously use the word "cake" for a reason, folks. Otherwise it would be called Rice Coaster. I know that a lot of my friends like and buy Kashi products, so I had a little hope that I would like these.

Basic Info
There are 3 flavors: Sea Salt & Olive Oil (the one I received), Caramelized Onion, and Sundried Tomato, Basil & Feta. Each bag is made from air-popped chickpea crisps made without any partially hydrogenated oils (the bad fats), high fructose corn syrup, or artificial anything. Each serving size (27 crisps) contain 120 calories, 3.5g fat, 3g protein, and 6 g of whole grains. What's awesome is there is no saturated or trans fat so all the fat is the good kind of fat that your body requires. Not sure how much protein you should be taking in daily? Check out Kashi's FB page that will calculate your daily required protein intake based on your weight and activity level! I didn't even know how much I should be eating, so I did this quick quiz. It's recommended that Americans get 25-35 g of fiber each day. I love the fact that these Hummus Crisps are so much better for you compared to regular potato chips, that are only made with fat and salt. I feel way better choosing crisps over chips! Nutrition and ingredients are the first thing I look at when picking out a new food product. I don't want to eat something that is worse than what I'm already currently eating!  I feel for the most part, that Kashi is a good company known to have healthy products, so I was excited to try this product.

The Verdict

When I tried the crisps, I was pleasantly surprised.  They have a good flavor, but not over the top.  I could definitely taste the sea salt and other spices/flavors, but it was just right for my taste. The flavors weren't trying to overcompensate for a bland product. The crisps are a little smaller than the size of a round nacho chip as well as a similar texture once you pop one in your mouth.  It's hard to believe they are made from chickpeas! When I was done eating, I didn't feel super dehydrated or like I ate a bunch of grease, like I do after eating normal potato chips. I didn't feel guilt, because their fat was from the good kind of fat that your body needs! I bet the other 2 flavors are just as good and I can't wait to try them out next. The crisps were so good, that I destroyed that bag in about 2 days, and I'm not even a big salted snack eater!

Next time you see these, you should pick up a bag or two! And feel better that it's a better snack that regular potato chips or something coated in orange dust that sticks to your fingers while you're eating them!

Disclosure statement:I am not an expert in dietary nutrition, although I consider myself to be quite knowledgeable about nutrition, being a nurse. My review does not state that this product is "all natural" or contains only "natural" ingredients, or does it claim not to contain any artificial ingredients, please see Kashi's website for that information. I am only basing my review on the taste of the product, not on the Kashi Company or any claims made against the company concerning GMOs.

I'm a BzzAgent and received this product complimentary as part of a campaign.

hip hop 50's shop

I was asked to check out an online store and give my honest opinion on what I think.  The online store is called hip hop 50's shop, as this post is cleverly titled the same!  I have been in love with vintage dresses for almost 2 years, ever since I found another online store that sells vintage clothing.  I eventually want to learn how to sew all of my vintage dress clothing to wear! I was super excited to know that I would be checking out vintage dresses.

As soon as I arrive to the site, I am smitten with the pink rosy background!  This store is awesome.  It sells 50s poodle skirt costumes for kids AND adults that are actually cute with all the cute accessories like saddle shoes and cateye glasses!  Not the cheap-o ugly costume in a vinyl bag and smells like old band aids that you get at your local Halloween store outlet that is a party store the other eleven months of the year.

While the poodle skirts/costumes are cute, it's not exactly what I'm looking for.  I click on Vintage Dresses and immediately fall in love with my options!  What's really awesome, is that all the dresses are somewhat cheaper than the other vintage dresses I have found on the internet and Amazon.  If I were buying the dress today, I would get is the 50s Vintage Tea Dress Black with white polka dots!

Vintage Tea Party Dress black with white dots

I love this dress!  There is also a red version with black dots!  I prefer the black over the red because I could wear this ANYwhere.  It's perfect for work, to go shopping in, or even to wear on a date night out.  I love that it has a full skirt to twirl in.  The shop also sells crinoline petticoats to wear under the dress to get the bigger full skirt look that I love so much. I would have to get a black one to go under my dress!  I've been checking out petticoats for a loooong time, and have some of the cheaper prices I have seen around.

Black crinoline petticoat

 I like the style of dress because it accentuates the small of your waist then flares out, hiding my problem areas-stomach/hips/thighs.  I also love the V-neck  with the cap sleeves. (I feel like) I'm the only person in the world who doesn't wear tank tops or spaghetti straps because I'm really self conscious of my arms. I have gained weight in my 30s that I'm not comfortable with, so this dress would "hide" the areas that I have issues with. I can't stand being in clothes that aren't comfortable.

Overall, this store looks awesome. Not only do they sell 50s costumes and accessories, but they have a selection of super cute vintage dresses.  I have bookmarked this shop for the future so I can go back and get the dress and petticoat!  Who knows? Maybe I'll end up with some matching black cateye glasses and a cute teal chiffon scarf!

*All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review on this post.*

Little Critter Reading Adventure App Review

When I was asked to check out this app and give my opinion, I knew exactly who Little Critter was.  Just to make sure I wasn't imagining reading Little Critter books when I was really young, I googled to see how old Little Critter is, or to be more specific, how long he has been around.  Little Critter first appeared in 1975 which makes him 4 years older than me, so I definitely remember him!

The App is called "The Trip-Little Critter Reading Adventure" by Mercer Mayer.  It's available for iPhones, Android, Nook and Kindle and costs 99 cents.  This app is for preschool and early elementary kids, ages 3 to 7.  There are two ways to play this app.  The first is the Just Read function that reads the story aloud for your child, and the more exciting Reading Adventure, which also reads the story for your child, but is filled with lots of different and fun game interactions along the way.  The storyline is about what happens with Little Critter's family goes on a trip.

The Help Menu-it's not blurry on the actual game

The Reading Adventure starts by running through a quick tutorial of the functions you will use in the game.  It's very simple to learn, and access these functions by clicking the Menu button on the top left side of the screen.  Little Critter has a backpack where you will collect a few items that you will need along the trip.  He also has his map, where you are asked to choose the next destiny.  The last function is Flashcards, and this is one of the fun mini games in the game.  Along each point on the map, you can press on different objects and try to collect 26 cards based on each letter of the alphabet.  Sometimes you may find something for your backpack, and sometimes you might get a flashcard.  Besides picking up objects, the game is interactive by pressing on the different characters in every scene.  At first I was pressing everything just to make sure I didn't miss something.  About half-way through the game, I noticed anything you could interact with has a small (sometimes flashing) dot on the character or object that is interactive.  Plus there are 6 mini games that you play based on spelling, counting, and colors that you can collect a gem when completed, that will give you a fun surprise if you collect all 6!

One of the Mini Games

The Gem Game

Overall, I really enjoyed this app.  I completed all the mini games in just over an hour or so.  I can see this lasting much longer for a little one because of the mini games.  I would have loved this game as a kid, and it would have kept me busy for a long time.  For a smaller child that is just learning, an adult is probably needed to help assist with the game for a bit, especially with the mini games, which makes the Just Read function nice when Mom is busy.  The only tip I have is to be aware of the tiny blue dots.  I was just looking at the Help screenshot I provided above, and there are 3 different colored dots that mean different things.  The blue dot is for animation interaction, the orange dot is a flashcard card, and green dots are items for your backpack.  I honestly did not notice the difference last night, but I was playing in the dark. After a double check, the flashing dots ARE different colors.  As I said, I didn't notice the dots at first, so maybe if you have an older kid that doesn't read the Help menu (like my kid), it might be more challenging if you did not mention the dots!  I would definitely recommend this game for your little ones that love Little Critter.  It's fun, but educational at the same time, which is important when choosing good apps for your children.  At the end of the game, it will give you the option to purchase an additional gamepak.  You can read more about Little Critter and this app: here.

Does this happen to anyone else's family too?!

*I was asked to review this game for my honest opinion.  I was compensated for the game, but all opinions are my own.*