Pocket Compasses

I came across these candies at our local PCC store (think a local version of Whole Foods). They had single patties for sale, a small treat to tuck into. Made by Heavenly Organics, the Honey Pattie™ comes in 4 flavors:

Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Almond, Chocolate Pomegranate and Chocolate Ginger. They are gluten-free, dairy-free, sweetened with raw honey and have 3 ingredients each. Simple treats with nothing fake added. The mini candies are 11 grams in weight, sized perfectly for a quick burst of energy!

The patties are very tasty, the chocolate is clear – no chemicals or fake flavors, just vibrant taste. Well worth looking for in natural food stores, they would be a treat to have in a snack bag.

~Sarah

Recently we received samples from Eco Ditty of their organic cotton snack bags (ditty bags!). Reusable food bags have been getting easier to find, especially at farmer markets (a local favorite of mine is Mama Luvs). Ecoditty’s has a nice design – an envelope with soft Velcro© to close it. The long flap keeps food in.

The bags are 6×4″ in size and weigh 0.8 of an ounce. They are machine-washable.

Will bags like this replace plastic bags? For some uses, yes, they can. If you are carrying crackers, baby carrots , peas, grapes or other items such as raw nuts they work well. Not so great for neon-orange encrusted Doritos© (yuck anyways) or wet produce (say watermelon!). The bags also work well to organize small items such as tins of lip balm, mini tools and other things that tend to wander off in packs. I found that to be a great application last weekend – I stashed all my small items I like to have on hand in my pack’s top pocket. Normally I use a freezer bag in pint size, they last a couple of trips. The bag was much classier to say the least.

So consider the value of cotton bags for some things, they can be handy!

~Sarah

Clif Bar Z Kid’s recently sent us a bar of the newest flavor, Iced Oatmeal Cookie. Ford (my oldest) has loved getting them in his pack for many years, although with being 14 now they don’t fill him up. So the 2 year old, Walker, has taken Ford’s title as “Official Food Tester”. Anyhow, Walker enjoyed the bar. The Z Bars are a great size for smaller appetites, especially for toddlers and preschoolers. The “icing” swirls on top make it seem more like a treat…an easy “trail bribe” for tired young ones!

Definitely a winner, kids will love these bars.

~Sarah

With 3 kids now (and one who is only 9 weeks old) I am waaaayyyy behind on reading. I seem to get through cookbooks to review for my other blog, but lets face it – I don’t have a lot of free reading time. So when I have a chance this is what I am perusing of late:

Let Them Paddle: Coming of Age on the Water – You might recognize Alan S. Kesselheim – he has written a couple of well known outdoor cookbooks as well! This is a fascinating book.

Hill Fit is an e-book aimed at those wanting to get into great shape for well…hill walking (or as we in the US call it, hiking!).

A book I need to say the least. My skills lie in recipe development, not photographing. Maybe I will pick up more skills….

~Sarah

The FBC Cozies are back in stock as of today in 4 prints, with 7 more new prints coming soon! The FBC Starter Kits are also in stock as well.

~Sarah