Our grocery shop this week was high in veggies and fruit! Meat was no where to be found much to Eric’s chagrin. The new rules are if he wants meat he has to cook it. And since he is lazy in the kitchen, he has simply stopped buying it. lol.
Another new fruit for my EFE:
The Prickly Pear (aka cactus fruit) on left.
I also picked up my first coconut. Any idea how to open these?
Not shown in these pictures are two bunches of organic kale and 1 large pkg of organic spinach. Eric picked them up for me on his way home last night when he found out my new machines arrrived. :)
I have two new food reviews today!

Up first: Salba Smart Organic Blue Corn Chips
This was my first time trying these out after I heard rave reviews about them from a couple readers.
The nutritional stats are excellent!
Some highlights, per serving: 4 grams protein, 7 grams fibre, low in sodium (135 mg), and 0.6 g of Omega 3 Fatty acids. Not too shabby for a ‘chip’.


My taste review:
- These were crunchy, crispy, and thick- loved the texture!
- A bit salty for my liking, however they paired nice with my low sodium homemade hummus
- Delicious blue corn taste
Overall, I LOVED these chips. Eric and I were so hungry after our grocery shop we ripped open the bag and ate a bunch on the drive home. We couldn’t stop eating these!
Up next: Dar-Vida Sesame Whole Wheat Crackers

Good nutritional profile: 3 grams protein, 2 grams fibre, 150 mg sodium per 4 large crackers.

The only thing I didn’t like about this product was that it was high on packaging. There are 6 packages of 8 crackers. Since I work from home, I don’t really need this kind of grab and go snack, but I could see how it would be really useful for those of you who are looking for a grab and go snack for school or work.
My taste review:
- Firm and crunchy
- Light and natural tasting
- Excellent paired with a dip like hummus, salsa, or bean dip (I tried all 3!)
I am officially addicted to these crackers!!! Mary’s step aside, there is a new cracker in town.

They made an excellent afternoon snack yesterday:

Well, I best get back to work.
On today’s agenda:
- Working on Shopping cart tool (starting FAQ’s, shipping info, etc)
- Testing new recipe (and blog it)
- Test new food processor (gulp!)
- Glo bar order
- Go see proof of Eric’s Anniversary gift
Sketchie’s to-dos:
- Sleep
- Eat
- Catch and eat bugs
- Sleep
- Frap


Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.
– Thich Nhat Hanh
Do you ever encounter a smiling stranger on the streets that just makes your day? Or do you ever smile at people and see them brighten up?
Yesterday, I was climbing Murder Hill and I was struggling. I felt like I was running but staying in the same spot because the incline is so steep. Anyways, I was probably grimacing to myself when this stranger passed on his bike (going downhill) and simply gave a sincere and sympathetic smile to me. It kind of made me laugh and totally brightened the rest of the climb. Sometimes a simple smile can change someone’s outlook.
This site is super-helpful…goes through how to drain the coconut water and then crack that puppy open!
http://thenaughtyvegan.com/coconut.htm
OMG I can use Eric’s DRILL!!!! hahahaha This could be dangerous!
Thanks for the link :)
Drill where the eyes (three spots on the top of coconut) and drain out the water – you can try adding this to a GM.
Then get a hammer and go outside. They are messy but fun.
So much produce! It looks amazing! I really like your exotic fruit experiment…I always look at those fruits at the store, but I’m too nervous to try them. You may have changed my mind!
PS…Thanks for commenting on my new blog! You should send me a fitness tip @ [email protected] and I will feature it on the blog!
That is my favorite kind of motivation, Angela! There’s nothing better for a little boost during a run. I posted about a similar experience:
http://fithealthyfun.blogspot.com/2009/08/inspiration-from-strangers.html
Coconut! All you need is a lot of frustration to break it open.lol!! Seriously just hit it hard on the ground and the moment you see a rip break it open and collect the water in something!
Or you use a pestle and give it repeated hits and when you see a crack just open it up and collect the water!
If theres any other way I’ll be glad to know but these are the best I know and follow!
i followed these instructions and had no trouble: http://www.choosingraw.com/young-coconut-tutorial-for-raw-wednesday-2/
it’s for a young coconut, but i don’t think the process would be too different.
i have a similar rule with groceries and my sister, because she never feels like cooking. i hate wasting food, so i always tell her if she wants me to buy special groceries for her, she has to cook them herself – and then she’ll just eats cereal, so my grocery picks always win. ;)
haha how come Eric has to cook his own meat nowadays?
Yea, just because I don’t have time to make 2 meals a night anymore!
i love blue corn chips!
i hope you have a great morning :)
Maybe you and Sketchy could swap ‘to do’ lists?
Love your supermarket shop – I am not very good at it. I end up ‘spot shopping’ (picking up random things I need or forgot during the week) and I hate that as I feel really disorganized. This has not been helped by moving to our new apartment that is within walking distance of three supermarkets!! :) I am looking for dragonfruit, but no success yet.
I had a woman say ‘good morning’ to me as she passed me on my run this morning. Running in London I’ve never had anyone speak or even smile at me as they run past so it completely surprised me – to the point I didn’t even respond and then she was gone!
-CJ
Great looking produce…the colors!
I was actually just about to blog about a running experience I had yesterday…two random acts of kindness. First, an older woman, probably in her 70s who was out power walking, stopped me to tell me that I looked absolutely fabulous and to keep doing what I was doing. This was on mile 5 of a hilly run while I am pushing 60 lbs worth of stroller & toddler and I sure wasn’t feeling “fabulous”. The other random act was another older lady stopping me to tell my my daughter is beautiful. Obviously, music to a mom’s ears :) I am not one to go around being like “look at me, I’m all that and a bag of chips” but sometimes a stranger saying something nice can do so much good! Too ironic I was just gonna post about this :)
1st of all, I love your blog!
The Darvidas are packaged like that because in Switzerland the school children take a znüeni or 9 am snack. A lot of the children take a little package of Darvidas. It is the perfect size for a little snack.
I saw on youtube – Robyn from Green Smoothie Girl has a video on how to open a young coconut. Good Luck!
That’s a ton of produce you’ve got there! How wonderful that we have all these choices.
Love the blue chips too!
I’m glad you mentioned the smiling stranger thing! There’s this sweet, older woman that I pass nearly every morning when I’m out walking or running. She always gets a huge smile on her face and waves at me like we’re old friends. Totally makes my day. :)
Too funny – the first paragraph of your post could be written about me & Allen! He has been buying more meat & cheese lately and making it for himself, though we really do eat differently!
I smile at people all the time! They probably think I’m crazy!
Look at all that delicious organic produce. It reminded me that I need to go shopping for some produce myself. And how cute is Sketchie?
Beautiful produce!! I can’t wait to be able to make a produce shopping trip like that
That’s an interesting question for a NY’er. I would have to say that its rare that a stranger smiles at me. Its a mixed bag of feelings when they do, cause i feel all warm inside sometimes and other times I’m suspicious. But its really fun to smile at others cause it confuses them.
Oh man I can relate. When I lived in Toronto, I used to be shocked when someone smiled at me. It stopped me in my tracks. In smaller towns I am used to saying hello and most people smiling.
Your shopping looks so vibrant and colourful!
I keep reading about those blue corn chips – will have to see if I can find them in the UK :)