As you well know from last night’s post, the people at Newman’s Own Organics sent me quite a few of their wonderful products to review. I focused on the sweet treats last night and today I will continue on with the other items. As well as general information about the company and why I know I will continue to buy some of their products.

Dried Fruit Products

I received apples, cranberries, prunes, and apricots. What I loved about these is how they don’t have any preservatives, added sugars (besides the cranberries having a small amount of added organic cane sugar), etc. They are the real deal. All of the varieties had the perfect amount of sweetness and tartness. The apricots and prunes are excellent to eat alone as a quick, simple snack. They are chewy and delicious, without a coating of sugar like some other dried fruits seem to have. The cranberries, in my opinion, aren’t very different from other dried cranberries I have come across, but they still make a great oatmeal topping. The apples were the only one I didn’t love, but that is because dried apples aren’t my favorite to begin with. I much prefer a crunchy, whole apple than the chewy dried apple rings. Overall, these still get 2 thumbs up from me!

Minty Fresh

Peppermint, Wintergreen, Cinnamon, & Ginger varieties. Yep, you read that right. A ginger mint! The tins are just like Altoids and the rolls are just like Certs. I will admit that I don’t think there is anything extraordinary about the peppermint or wintergreen mints as they are just your basic flavors. However, the cinnamon and ginger are really something. I love the cinnamon flavor. A nice kick, but refreshing at the same time. All of them are fun to pop at the end of a meal. I will give you this warning: really really like the flavor of ginger if you want to try the Ginger Mints. The taste is strong. I liked it well enough, but it was my least favorite due to the strength of the flavor. I do plan on saving them for whenever I might have morning sickness (who wishes for nausea? I guess I do.), as ginger is a natural nausea reducer.

Soy Crisps & Pretzels

Dare I say that the Soy Crisps are just as good, or perhaps BETTER, than Popchips?? You all know how much I raved about Popchips, but there were definitely pros to the Soy Crisps that Popchips doesn’t have. Like what exactly? They are much more dense, therefore taking less crisps to satisfy your hunger. Also, being made from soy, they have an extra protein kick with 7-9g per serving. Popchips do have a larger variety of flavors and a more chip-like quality, but I really loved the Soy Crisps for their other qualities. I tried the White Cheddar & Lightly Salted flavors. Both were awesome. Time to find their Cinnamon Sugar and Barbecue flavors stat.

As for the pretzels, well they are pretzels. They taste like pretzels, have the same crunch as pretzels, similar stats to other pretzels…but are special because some of the varieties have some extra protein (5g) and the ingredients are not a mile long and consist solely of things you can actually pronounce.

Take home from these reviews? The products are GREAT alternatives to many favorite snacks as they are made with organic, natural ingredients. This quote on their approach to food sums up that point:

Great tasting food that happens to be organic. That's what we kept in mind when we created our products. We focus on the kinds of products we loved as kids, but take them one step further by using the highest quality of available organic ingredients.

Also, I know I will be happy to continue buying some of these products because I love supporting companies that not only carry quality products, but have a quality approach to business as well. The founder, Paul Newman, has contributed over $200 million to charities. The have various good causes listed on their website to show what they support, such as the Rainforest Alliance (to promote a healthy environment through quality farms) and camps for children with serious illnesses. Try some of these. You will end up with a NOO love just like me. Don’t laugh at my coolness. 😉

I have to say I am really loving doing the Flashback Friday posts! It is fun to remember such a great trip. Plus, who doesn’t love to look at travel pictures? Thanks Janetha for starting such a fun post idea! This week’s Flashback Friday will show my stops in Amsterdam & Munich during my 2 month exploration of Europe. Let the party begin! Unlike the party I will be attending this afternoon. Dentist appointments are so fun, right? *please note the sarcasm*

Oh, Amsterdam. I’m sure you would think this would be the highlight of our vacation. You would be very mistaken. I was pretty disappointed with Amsterdam and would have much rather spent the few days we stayed there elsewhere. When we planned the trip my friend & I were both in our intense partying phase. When the trip actually came…not so much. We still decided to hit up Amsterdam because we had heard things about how beautiful it is and the history is interesting. Plus, we had to say we at least went!

It is true that Amsterdam is pretty. Especially the Amstel River that runs through the city. And it is true that there is interesting history. Visiting Anne Frank’s house was pretty cool.

It is also true that the Red Light District has hookers in windows and pot is readily available. We were offered some within 10 minutes of our arrival. No, I did not have any. I have never had the desire for it, and so have never tried it. Below is a picture of the Red Light District (mid afternoon and clean version), but also a scandalous shot of a carving in the ground. Can you tell what it is?

Another part of Amsterdam that was nice was the countryside area. We walked about 2.5 hours out to some windmills. I must admit we were mildly disappointed it was summer and not spring, so there were no fields of tulips to admire. Also, please excuse the poor picture quality from bad cameras and scanned photos.

And that was about all the excitement we had in Amsterdam. No crazy stories to share. Munich was better though. Not only did it have interesting history, but also fun in the name of the Hofbrauhaus. 😀

In Munich, we stayed in a hostel called The Tent. It was actually more comfortable than some places, even though we were sleeping on the floor.

We also went on a free tour that included the Marienplatz square, a funny music tower…

…and biergartens. Now those are fun places! Who doesn’t like being outside with a bunch of music, food, beer, and fun? We tried out a real bratwurst at the biergarten.

We did save the majority of our beer fun for the well known beer hall called the Hofbrauhaus. We enjoyed a pint of beer and a ginormo pretzel. Yes, I put down all of that. Best beer I have ever had. I don’t even like beer much, but could have had two of those suckers.

Also, the World Cup was in Germany at this time so there were a ton of crazy soccer fans all around. We bonded with some cute Swedish dudes. I was even dubbed an honorary Swede, since that is why they originally approached us. I can’t tell you how many people asked if I was from Sweden. Or just spoke to me in Swedish expecting me to understand.

It wasn’t all fun and games in Munich, however. We did take a short trip outside the city to visit Dachau, one of the biggest concentration camps during the Holocaust. It was so disheartening to see.

Even with some examples of what they endured right in front of us (unbearable living conditions, gas chambers, photos of the executions on display, etc), it was hard to fathom what it must have been like for those people. I do not understand that level of hatred. And while reading The Help, it is obvious that we have been guilty of the same types of things here in the US. Sadly, hatred like that still exists and I long for the time where we don’t have to live with it anymore.

• What things of history interest you a lot? I have never been a big History fan. But I will say that World War 2 and all that happened during it actually touches me and draws me in way more than anything else. It was weird to actually see parts of it on my trip.
• Do you like beer? I am very much a wine, margarita, and martini girl. Those are the only drinks I ever get. But, I would be a bigger beer drinker if beer like that was more readily available.