Almonds & Sea Salt in Dark Chocolate

So sorry for the poor lighting on this one folks, but it’s worth the share, for this is one of the best ALMONDS & SEA SALT IN DARK CHOCLOATE ever!!!

Took this home to give it a try and thought, “eh, it’s gonna be chewy almonds in salty dark chocolate, what’s the big deal (shoulder shrug).” Oh, the big deal is that it’s not chewy almonds in salty chocolate! The almonds are whole dry roasted crunchy almonds, covered in sea salt, then covered in smooth 55% dark Belgian chocolate. There is no blending of flavors here, you taste the salt, you taste the almonds, you taste the chocolate, every bite is wonderful.

These three ingredients are also healthy for you. If you are going to eat chocolate, you’d want to eat one that’s good for you. Almonds provide the healthy fats we need to counter all the other “bad” fats. It can also reduce your chance of heart attacks, builds strong bones and teeth, helps with brain functions and may even reduce risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Sea salt is a better option than regular table salt because it’s much less refines and you need less because it’s so flavorful. Dark chocolate is a known antioxidant and can reduce your blood pressure. Plus you’ll keep your crazy chocolate addiction at bay since you don’t need to eat as much dark chocolate than milk chocolate. Your waistline will be thankful!

This chocolate bar, made by Chocolove, only has 7 ingredients. One other thing to mention, they print a love poem on the inside of the wrapper. Not sure if all bars have different poems, but this one was printed with Shakespeare’s Sonnet 43, When most I wink then do mine eyes best see. If you pick one of these bars up at our register, let us know which poem is printed on your wrapper.

Gluten-Free Strawberry Cream Cheese Scone

When we put these little treats out at the beginning of the day, you look away for a moment and they are gone! What are these pretty treats you ask? They are our Gluten-free Strawberry Cream Cheese Scones!!! They are so good, and no wonder, cream cheese baked good? Oh yeah!

Another reason why they are so good is we use rice flour (as opposed to wheat flour), so it’s a little reminiscent of mochi in flavor, but not too sweet. We also use Earth Balance Natural Shortening so they are super moist.

When you come in to ‘Umeke, and you see these scones on the counter (next to the cold case by the registers), check to see which version is out, as we do make a regular wheat flour version every now and then.

Oat Cakes

Most of us at one time or another have tried a certain oat cake found at a very popular coffee house. The thing with those oat cakes are they are super dense and chewy, and beg to ask, how healthy are they really?

Well, we’re not going to mull over those oat cakes, instead, let’s take a look at our ‘Umeke Oat Cakes!!! Yeah!!!

For one, they are pretty substantial, but not to the point where you feel you have a boulder in your belly. They make a great morning (or afternoon) snack paired with your favorite wake-up juice (coffee, tea, etc). Our oat cakes also come in various flavors:

Coconut Date
Cranberry Flax
Ginger
Maple Walnut
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
Raisin Flax

As always, we do our best to provide healthy alternatives to common dishes, snacks, drinks, etc., so we created a healthier oat cake by using Earth Balance Natural Shortening (which is plant-based, vegan, made without artificial ingredients or hydrogenated oils, and are free of gluten, lactose and eggs) and offer vegan versions (please check that we have the vegan option when you come in).

The next time you need to curb your tummy grumbles, but don’t want a full-on meal, try one of our Oat Cakes!

Ginger Snap Cookies

“Coooookie!” 

Alright, alright, this isn’t your typical kiddie Cookie Monster chocolate chip or oatmeal cookie, it’s better! Say “hello” to our Ginger Snap Cookie! Crunchy with the perfect amount of gingery snappiness!

We’ve mentioned in a previous post here the benefits of ginger, so it’s a no-brainer that we needed to create an upscaled ‘Umeke version of the traditional ginger snap. We also alternate between the regular and vegan version, so please look at our labels if you are looking for the vegan version.

Haupia Bars

Scenario 1: You woke up early to come to work and didn’t have time to make/grab/pack a breakfast.

Scenario 2: You woke up early to come to work and packed a sad-sack lunch that needs a little excitement.

Scenario 3: You woke up early to come to work, and because of that, you are fading at 2pm … even the office coffee isn’t helping.

SOLUTION: Satisfy your morning tummy grumble, lunch dessert need and/or mid-afternoon pick-me-up with our Okinawan Sweet Potato Haupia or Pumpkin Haupia Bar!

Both are made with a lite Macadamia Nut Shortbread crust, a thick layer of creamy Okinawan Sweet Potato or Pumpkin filling and topped with a perfect layer of Coconut Haupia! This bar is roughly the size of a snickers, so a little goes a long way.

If you are apprehensive about adding this sweet treat to your healthy diet, don’t fret, we suggest getting the Okinawan Sweet Potato Haupia Bar. Why? The Okinawan Sweet Potato has a low-glycemic index, so it won’t spike your blood sugar. It also improves your immune system, preserve eyesight and with as much as 150 percent more antioxidants than blueberries, this potato has been linked to reducing your risk for cardiovascular disease and cancer.

*Okinawan Sweet Potato information from http://www.livestrong.com/article/338669-okinawan-sweet-potato-nutrition/

Ginger Quinoa Cake

Yeah, you read right, QUINOA cake. Hmmmm … skeptical? Betting some people are.

Well it actually makes perfect sense. Quinoa is a grain-like seed that is considered to be a whole grain. Baked goods typically contain some type of flour, which is also a grain … therefore, why not use a better whole grain? Also, far as whole grains go, quinoa has the highest protein content.

But you’re probably thinking, “how does it taste and is the texture weird?”

Taste: The Ginger (which helps ease stomach ailments, strengthens immunity and helps fight common respiratory problems) and cranberries (amazing antioxidant fruit) in our Ginger Quinoa Cake makes for a perfectly balanced slightly-sweet-super-tasty-treat.

Texture: The texture is amazing! It’s like soft moist cornbread.

If you are looking for something a little bit on sweet and healthy (and bonus, it will give you a boost of protein?) You’ve found the right snack!