WIAW – Food For Life Bread, Condiments and Red Mango

 

I ran seven miles yesterday. I didn’t mean to, it just happened. Sounds funny, right? Like how do you just accidentally run seven miles.

I don’t know, the first three are a given, then you get to four, and then five and one more you are at six and then your phone rings so you figure okay I can take the call I am basically done so you chat yourself away and look down at your GPS and see you are suddenly at seven miles.

There you go. Seven miles.

I have a few random food things to discuss this morning.

Let’s start with coffee. I am still fascinated by my ability to so easily wean down my caffeine consumption. I am drinking a good two cups a day if not three but somehow that is nothing close to what I had been consuming.

I am currently out of French Toast K-cups so I have been brewing the Archer Farms coffee when I wake up instead.

I like the Dark Chocolate Cherry a lot, the Breakfast Blend is okay but really, the K-cups brew the best.

I was out of empty peanut butter jars the other morning so had to make my favorite post-long run meal in a regular bowl.

Combination of steel-cut oats and old-fashioned rolled oats cooked with chia seeds and served cold, mixed with plain greek yogurt, fresh blueberries and strawberries and several spoonfuls of peanut butter dropped in and then mixed.

It wasn’t easy to take this picture before eating since I was starving after running but I thought you may want to see what it actually looks like since it is usually stuffed inside of a jar.

When I tell you that I could eat this mix for the rest of my life and never complain, I am speaking the truth. It is my favorite combination of flavors and textures and never ever leaves me unsatisfied.

Now, let’s get serious. We have something extremely important to discuss.

Two very similar Food For Life Cinnamon Raisin breads but they aren’t the same. At first glance they are, even the nutritional content will look slightly identical but after close inspection, the ingredients are different.

It was almost like doing one of those picture puzzles in a Highlights magazine where you have to figure out what the heck is different. I have no patience for such games.

When I went to Whole Foods the other day, the usual bread on the left (Ezekiel) went up in price to $4.99.

The bread on the right which is a slightly different shade of purple packaging with slightly different wording was still marked $3.99.

I went with the loaf on the right to save the dollar but I didn’t like it nearly as much and won’t buy it again.

So what’s the difference exactly? Good question.

Ezekiel Raisin Bread: Organic Sprouted Wheat, Filtered Water, Organic Raisins, Organic Sprouted Barley, Organic Sprouted Millet, Organic Malted Barley, Organic Sprouted Lentils, Organic Sprouted Soybeans, Organic Sprouted Spelt, Fresh Yeast, Organic Wheat Gluten, Sea Salt, Organic Cinnamon.

Non-Ezekiel 7 Sprouted Grains Raisin: Organic Sprouted 100% Whole Wheat, Filtered Water, Organic Raisins, Malted Barley, Raisin Juice, Organic Sprouted Rye, Organic Sprouted Barley, Organic Sprouted Oats, Organic Sprouted Millet, Organic Sprouted Corn, Organic Sprouted Brown Rice, Fresh Yeast, Organic Wheat Gluten, Sea Salt, Organic Cinnamon

The difference (if I even got them all): The Ezekiel loaf contains organic sprouted wheat vs. 100% sprouted whole wheat, sprouted lentils, sprouted barley, sprouted spelt, sprouted soybeans and no raisin juice, sprouted oats, sprouted corn, sprouted brown rice or sprouted rye.

The most important thing to me is that the texture and taste were off. Not that the non-Ezekiel loaf is bad, not at all. It’s just different. Plenty of raisins but how do I describe..hmm..doughier? More bread seeming?

The Ezekiel loaf seems denser to me. Chewier, thicker yet thinner?

Anyone else have this experience? Please chime in with your thoughts.

I am still topping my Ezekiel raisin bread with the smashed up chick peas and avocado.

Over the last week I have added a drop of Dijon mustard to the mix and some pepper too. Try it.

Moving on, let’s talk condiments.

These are my staples. I am not big on actual bottles of dressings nor I am not big on mixing up flavor concoctions of my own. I rely on these bottles to do it for me.

I often dip my knife into the Carolina Gold Barbeque Sauce to then chop up my salad which gives me the flavor of the sauce without overpowering the goodness of the food in the bowl.

The Sweet Chili Sauce is just ridiculous and most nights my roasted veggie bowls that contain chick peas or shrimp with rice, quinoa or sweet potatoes is often coated in this sauce before reaching my mouth.

Shrimp, roasted vegetables, brown rice and avocado with sweet chili sauce.

Of all my spices in the cabinet, the Black Peppercorn seems to be the one I reach for lately. I use it to season my vegetables, potatoes and twist on top of salads.

I have been buying the Coconut Oil Cooking Spray for a while and sometimes wonder if I should just melt a tablespoon of actual coconut oil instead. You think sprays are calorie free but they aren’t. With the amount you actually spray, it is really the same as using true oil I just get lazy and opt to spray my pans.

I included the PB2 in my condiments list because I seem to be utilizing it quite often. In fact, it is slowly taking over Peanut Butter and Co.’s dominance in the pantry.

However, the PB2 will never be a match for true peanut butter. I love it in the morning before a run but I rarely eat it without combining it with real peanut butter.

Like anything else, fat provides the satisfaction. PB2 needs a drop of fat to leave you totally satisfied.

And, to conclude a day with proper satisfaction, dessert is a must.

Last night we went for Red Mango in honor of Cinco De Mango month where all fill-ups are five dollars Monday through Thursday in the month of May.

I rarely think of Red Mango as dessert since I always eat it for lunch but this hit the spot and may become a summertime habit.

Be sure to check out what everyone else is eating today!

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Favorite coffee at the moment?

Which Food For Life bread is your favorite? Ever try both raisin breads?

Which condiment do you utilize the most?