vegan

Cusa Tea – Premium Instant Tea

/ realmofvibes / 4 Comments

I love coffee and tea equally. Before work, I drink a few cups of coffee, and when I get to work, I drink cold tea in my infusion water bottle. I love the way it refreshes my palate and gives me the caffeine to power through my morning. I am always down to try new tea varieties…enter Cusa Tea!

Cusa Tea was created by Jim Lamancusa. He concocted the first-ever instant tea that contains only high-quality, premium, USDA Organic certified teas and fruits.

Cusa Tea

Cusa Tea comes in 5 varieties:

  • Organic English Breakfast
  • Organic Oolong Tea
  • Mango Green Tea
  • Organic Green Tea
  • Lemon Black Tea

I tried the Mango Green Tea and Organic Green Tea varieties.

Cusa Tea - Premium Instant Tea

Cusa Tea has no additives, fillers, or sugar and uses a low-temperature crystallization process to extract the essence and provide all the benefits of drinking tea.

Directions:

  • Open the tea stick and pour it into an empty 12-14 ounce glass.
  • Pour hot or cold water and watch the tea dissolve.
  • Cold water may take 30 seconds to dissolve.
  • Adjust the strength of the tea by adding or removing water.

Thoughts

I never used anything besides loose tea or a tea bag, so I was super curious to see if a tea stick would hold up to my standards.

I really appreciate that the caffeine content and tea polyphenols were listed on the box. I am caffeine sensitive so this is important for people like me to know before drinking a cup…

Cusa Tea - Premium Instant Tea

The Mango Green Tea (pictured) was fabulous! I ripped open the tea stick, poured it into a cup, filled my cup with water (just eyeballed the amount), and gave it a stir. It dissolved immediately. I added some ice cubes and really enjoyed the mango and green tea flavors. Next time, I may add some fresh mint from my garden, to add even more flavor to the cup!

The Organic Green Tea, I tried hot. Again, the tea dissolved immediately into the cup and was super delicious. Green Tea is naturally bitter, so my husband likes when I add honey.

The Cusa Teas were super simple to make and I would absolutely love to try the other varieties. I think they are great for those who love to travel, are always on-the-go, or just love tea!

Make sure you head to the Cusa Tea website to order online or see where they are located in a store near you.

Follow Cusa Tea on Facebook, and Instagram.

Namaste.

Disclosure: Two packages of Cusa Tea were sent complimentary for reviewing purposes; all opinions within are my own. If you would like your product reviewed on Realm of Vibes, please contact realmofvibesdg@gmail.com 

 

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Setton Farms Pistachio Chewy Bites

/ realmofvibes / 23 Comments

I love gluten and dairy free products that I can grab and go! I also love everything about pistachios and find freeing them from their shell super relaxing. I was happy to find a new product, Setton Farms 100% All Natural Pistachio Chewy Bites which include pistachios with blueberry infused cranberries with coconut and maple brown rice syrup. 

Setton Farms Pistachio Chewy Bites

Each resealable bag of Chewy Bites comes with 6 individually wrapped bite size chews.

Here are the facts:

  • 100% all natural
  • Dairy free
  • Gluten free
  • Non-GMO
  • Vegan
  • No cholesterol
  • 0 trans fat
  • Made in the USA
  • MSRP Pricing: 2-pack – $1.99 USD, 6-pack – $5.99 USD, 16-pack $12.50 USD
  • Available in major grocery stores and will be available on Amazon.com

My Thoughts

Holy stickiness! After you unwrap the chewy bite from the package, you feel the maple brown rice syrup on your hands. And, unfortunately, you better have a wet napkin or hand sanitizer available or you will be left with sticky fingers. Note to self: hold the chew by the wrapper to protect my hands and clothing! 

Setton Farms Pistachio Chewy Bites

The chew is delicious. I love the crunch of the pistachio with the sweetness of the blueberries, cranberries, coconut and maple brown rice syrup. It’s chewy, gooey, and in a few small bites, they are gone! Bummer. I want more! 

As for health conscious, I am glad the Setton Farms 100% All Natural Pistachio Chewy Bites are dairy and gluten free. A serving size is 2 chews, which is 200 calories. For me, that is a pretty heavy snack so I would stick with one chew. I like how the chews contain potassium, protein, fiber, and iron. I sometimes don’t get enough minerals, and this is a great way to get a healthy amount of nuts and fruit into my diet.

Setton Farms Pistachio Chewy Bites

As for each chew being individually wrapped, I hope that Setton Farms will consider putting the chews into a biodegradable wrapper to cut back on waste. I also think that the bag is rather large for six small chews; perhaps they could add more chews or cut back on some of the packaging.

The Setton Farms 100% All Natural Pistachio Chewy Bites work wonderfully when I am on the go – or if I come home from work feeling ravenous and need something to hold me over until dinner.

ENTER THE SETTON FARMS GIVEAWAY

Fine print: Enter to win 2 packages of Setton Farms Pistachio Chewy Bites. The contest will run from August 28, 2017, at 12 AM until September 11, 2017, at 12 AM. Only continental US residents 18 years or older will be eligible. If you are chosen as the winner, you have 24 hours to provide your full name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. Failure to do so will result in another winner being chosen. 

Good work, Setton Farms!

Be sure to visit Setton Farms on Facebook,  Instagram, Pinterest, and You Tube!

Namaste.

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Full disclosure: Setton Farms sent me 2 bags of Pistachio Chewy Bites complimentary for review purposes. All opinions within are my own. If you would like your product, business, or service featured on Realm of Vibes, visit my Contact page or e-mail realmofvibesdg@gmail.com

Flavored Kale Chips

/ realmofvibes / 23 Comments

I love kale. I always purchase kale for my salads and smoothies, so I decided it would be more cost effective to grow kale in my garden this year. I also found that it was very difficult to find a bag of kale chips without artificial flavors and preservatives. Kale chips could also be quite expensive, so I started making flavored kale chips at home. It took a few some experimenting to come up with the perfect recipe.

Shopping List

  • Fresh kale, cleaned and cut into bite-size pieces.
  • Flavored olive oil (I used cilantro & roasted garlic.)
  • Flavored salt (I used garlic.)
  • Side note: Get creative. Add crushed red pepper, minced ginger, black salt, etc.

Olive Oil and Garlic Salt

Directions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Spread one layer of kale onto a baking sheet.
  • Drizzle olive oil over kale. Make sure each leaf has olive oil on it.
  • Sprinkle with salt.
  • Cook in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Watch kale closely. If you overcook, it will taste bitter and burnt. If you don’t cook it long enough, it will not be crunchy and will be slick with olive oil.

Kale on Baking Sheet

The final result…

Kale Chips

Crunchy, yummy, healthy kale chips with a nice flavor of cilantro, onion, and garlic.

Do you like kale? Have you ever made kale chips? 

Share your kale recipe in the comments!

Flavored Kale Chips

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Jessie’s Hola Granola – Say Hi to Deliciousness

/ realmofvibes / 8 Comments

Who doesn’t love a good bag of granola? My husband adds it to his yogurt every morning while I enjoy a big bowl of granola and almond milk for breakfast on weekends. When we go hiking, I pack it for a snack. I am honored to feature Jessie’s Hola Granola as she is a small business owner from the Jersey Shore. Let’s take a look into her brand…

Jessie’s Hola Granola Etsy store features four kinds of granola:

  • Original – Coconut Cinnamon Flavor
  • Shorely Spicy
  • Peanut Butter Supreme
  • Chocolate Coconut Dried Cranberry

What I love about Jessie’s Hola Granola:

  • Homemade by Jessie
  • Vegan
  • Gluten Free
  • Price: $12 for 12 ounces
  • Compostable packaging (brown bag style, super cool!)
  • Ingredients and nutritional information directly on packaging
    Original – Coconut Cinnamon
    Shorely Spicy

Jessie sent me (and Jason, by default) two different varieties to review:

  • The Original – Coconut Cinnamon Flavor
    • This was absolutely delicious. Jason tried a handful and said, “Give me that bag and a jug of milk…that is some good granola.” We loved the pumpkin seeds, and that we both really tasted the coconut, cinnamon and brown sugar. We would integrate this into baking, cereals, yogurt, and as a snack.
  • Shorely Spicy
    • Pecans are one of my favorite nuts, and I am glad these are incorporated in this bag of granola. When you taste this variety, it is sweet, initially, and then ends on a spicy note. Shorely Spicy has the right amount of cayenne – it is present but not too overwhelming. This is awesome as a snack!

Jessie’s Hola Granola is perfect. It doesn’t have any artificial junk, and is super versatile. From a big bowl of granola and milk, to healthy snack on the trail, or topping pancakes off with a crunch, say hi to Jessie’s Hola Granola and you will taste the deliciousness. I strongly recommend purchasing Jessie’s Hola Granola!

Be sure to visit Hola Granola on Etsy, Facebook, and Instagram.

For our readers, enter promo code VIBES during checkout on the Jessie’s Hola Granola Etsy store and you will receive 10% off your purchase!

Disclaimer: I reviewed items from Hola Granola in return for a review and posts on social media platforms. All views within are authentic and my own. Have you considered featuring your business or service on Realm of Vibes? Please visit my Collaborate page or e- mail realmofvibesdg@gmail.com to get started.

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Clothing Refresher – Saving Hundreds in Dry Cleaning Costs

/ realmofvibes / 6 Comments

* This post contains affiliate links.

At the end of March, my husband is trading his police officer uniform for a suit and tie. When we first told me about his wardrobe change, I started crunching numbers in my head. How much are new suits? Since when do you need 4 new suits?! What is dry cleaning going to cost? I asked the salesman the best way to clean suits. He informed me that suits should be cleaned like jeans. Wear them a few times, and then get them dry cleaned. Now I must tell you that my husband is the kind of guy that showers 3 times a day and wears several different outfits. (I know he is reading this shaking his head but let me review: he wears an outfit to work, changes into his uniform, then gym clothes, then comes home, showers, and wears pajamas.) He hates smelling like anything besides soap and/or cologne. When I noticed the Clothing Refresher products, I jumped at the opportunity write a product review. Between having 5 suits a week that need to smell like they were freshly laundered for my husband to wear them, and four animals that make the house smell like dirt, Clothing Refresher has come to my rescue.

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Clothing Refresher comes in three different sizes and scents:

  • 10 ml = $2 USD
  • 2 fluid ounces = $8 USD
  • 4 fluid ounces = $13 USD
  • Original Scent
  • Lavender
  • Bouquet

You can also purchase a combo package of all three scents.

I absolutely love the Bouquet scent. It is the perfect scent for spring, and has a light floral touch. The Bouquet scent is perfect to spray the living and dining room area before company arrives. My husband was partial to the Original Scent. He thought it smelled clean and fresh. The Lavender was perfect for spraying linens – our bed, couch, blankets, and throw pillows. I love a calming scent before bedtime.

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The lowdown:

  • Clothing Refresher is made with a unique blend of essential oils
  • Made in the USA, 100% Vegan & Natural
  • Contains no phthalates, parabens, dyes, phosphates or sulfates
  • Provides antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties
  • Can be used on clothing, linens, on furniture, as a room spray, or as aromatherapy

I must admit, I was a little nervous spraying Clothing Refresher on my husband’s brand new suit. I didn’t want it to stain. I followed the directions and sprayed the Original Scent Clothing Refresher on the bottom of his dress pants (I always test on an inconspicuous area) from a 6-inch distance. As police officers say when leaving a scene, “all clear!” It didn’t leave a stain, and the smell is there, but faint. I continued to spraying the entire suit. My husband has officially claimed the Original Scent bottle. That’s fine with me, as I am super thrilled we won’t have to spend a fortune on dry cleaning! Happy husband, happy life!

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Each Clothing Refresher spray neutralizes odors instead of masking them. For instance, when my foster dogs are crated, I am washing their blankets/towels almost every other day. My fosters love to play with my dog in the backyard – you know, roll in the mulch beds and dig two-foot-deep holes. Sometimes, all I have time for is to give them quick rinse in the shower, or wiping their paws with wet paper towels, causing me to clean their bedding frequently. (Obviously, if there is noticeable dirt, I throw it in the wash – but if it just smells, I use Clothing Refresher). I like using the Lavender Clothing Refresher spray on their blankets/towels, which completely removes the “dirty dog” scent. I thoroughly sprayed Granger’s crate blanket with the Lavender scent. I was unsure that such a light fragrance was going to completely remove the smell. Low and behold, the blanket was clean with a faint lavender smell. I put the blanket back in the crate and Granger instantly went to investigate. Lavender is known to be very calming and soothing, good for my fosters that are shelter shocked and scared.

I recommend Clothing Refresher. The scents are on the light side, but I rather use something natural with a faint smell (or give a few more sprays) than something artificial and that has toxins. Besides, my husband doesn’t want to smell like lavender or flowers. A big selling point for me was that Clothing Refresher didn’t stain my husband’s expensive suits, and made them ready to wear for the next day. Each bottle is travel-friendly (especially the sample size), so my husband puts the Original Scent spray into his gym bag while I stick the Lavender spray in my handbag. I give myself a quick mist at work, and am left feeling invigorated, calm, and clean. The best attribute is that a $13 for a large bottle will save me hundreds in dry cleaning.

Thank you, Clothing Refresher!

Clothing Refresher wants to offer all Realm of Vibes readers 15% off all orders valid through 5/31/17 using promocode FRESHVIBE. Shop here.

Be sure to visit Clothing Refresher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

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Disclosure: I received Clothing Refresher sprays in return for a featured post on Realm of Vibes and social media platforms. All opinions and views within are authentic. Have you considered featuring your business or service on Realm of Vibes? Please visit my Collaborate page or e-mail realmofvibesdg@gmail.com to get started.