Crunchy Chocolate Clusters

Fess up. You love chocolate, right?  And while it has been found that dark chocolate can be beneficial to health, my guess is that a portion of you aren't that keen on the bitterness that can sometimes be present in the cacao rich dark chocolates, am I right again?  So, how do you eat milk or semi-sweet chocolate to satisfy your chocolate cravings and still feel virtuous?  Easy!  Make yourself a Crunchy Chocolate Cluster, the basis of which is Melissa's delicious, and super nutritious Clean Snax™ .  Chock full of nutrient-packed chia and flaxseed, and laced with honey and light salt, Clean Snax™  is also gluten-free and absolutely magical when covered in chocolate. You will love them, your kids will love them, and they are nutritionally sound. Who could ask for anything more?

Crunchy Chocolate Clusters

 1 container Melissa's Clean Snax™ in your choice of one of the following flavors: Almond, Pumpkin Seed, Coconut and Cranberry (I chose coconut).

1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cover a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper (or a Silpat).

Using a sharp knife and a cutting board, carefully cut each Clean Snax™ square into quarters. They will crumble, and that's fine. Largely you just want to break them up and have both big and small crunchy bits.

 In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, melt chocolate chips. When chocolate is melted, fold Clean Snax™ into chocolate, coating well.

 Using a tablespoon, scoop up mounds of the chocolate-coated goodness and plop it onto your covered cookie sheet. Allow to set out until cooled and the chocolate has hardened.

Chow down and feel virtuous!

This post is linked to:

Metamorphosis Monday 
Melt In Your Mouth 
Amaze Me Monday

Inspire Me Tuesday

Foodie Friday

Clean Snax™ A Truly Healthy Snack...no kidding!

What's the first thing that comes to mind when I say “healthy snack” (after you stop laughing, that is)? Impossible?  Non-existent? Tasteless? Cardboard? Or worse, perhaps?  If you, like me, have always found snacks that fall into the “healthy” category to be sorely lacking in everything from taste to texture to true nutritional value, let me tell you that this problem has been solved. 

Melissa's Produce, a name synonymous with good health and quality, has recently introduced four varieties of their Clean Snax™ (Isn't the name alone a comfort?  Clean.) Square morsels of crunchy goodness, gluten free Clean Snax™ contain both chia seeds (that alone pack a powerful nutritional punch), and flaxseed (a nutritional Amazon, with some evidence that they may help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes). That's a lot of benefits in a snack food!

They come in four tasty varieties to suit every palate (though I find them all equally yummy): Almond, Cranberry, Coconut, and Pumpkin. Most importantly, they are good, very good. Mr. O-P had no idea that he was eating something good for himself when he popped open the lid on the convenient plastic container of the cranberry variety, and started noshing away. Considering he has been known to run from healthy food, if you don't tell him how good these are for him, neither will I.

 
A great snack to keep in the car for a boost of energy on a long drive, or to revive kids after a hard day at school. The perfect take along for camping, or for getting some protein into that afternoon coffee break.  These crunchy nuggets also make a great breakfast food crumbled a bit and drizzled with milk. Use them to top yogurt or pudding parfaits, crumble them into pancake or waffle batter, stir them into cookie dough in place of chocolate chips, or use them in place of streusel on baked goods. You are limited only by your imagination. But here's a tip: If you can, buy these by the case. You'll thank me later.

Disclaimer: I was provided with these snacks to sample from Melissa's Produce in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, you will love them.

This post is linked to:

 Show and Tell Friday 

Friday Unfolded
Fridays Flash Blog

Simple and Sweet Fridays