Good morning friends! Happy weekend! We have some super gorgeous sunny weather waiting outside for us today and I can’t wait to get out in it! It’s still freezing cold, but with the sun out there’s no way I can stay inside! I’m thinking a good long run is in order so fingers crossed I can get in a few solid miles. What are your plans for today? Anything fun going on in your neck of the woods? I’ve seen so many fun Christmas races here in Little Rock coming up and I would love to squeeze one of those in this year!
Anyways, who’s ready for another weekend review? Today on the chopping block, I’ve got another snack to share! I’m reviewing the Hail Merry Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites. If you’re new to the blog, on Saturday’s I like to share my thoughts with you on a brand new (to me) product! Be it food, health care products, home DIY items, or just anything that sparks my eye that I feel like you may like too! I mean, because you’re probably curious about a lot of things just like me but just don’t want to spend $345678 dollars on something that turns out to be a flop, JUST LIKE ME! Right? RIGHT! So–don’t you worry-I’ve got your back each week from here on out! These are NOT sponsored posts, and no one is paying me $10 million dollars to share my thoughts and opinions, mmmmk? Even though, if someone really would like to come along and give me $10 million dollars just for fun, I’d be more than okay with that. Just wanted to make sure and throw that out there. 😉
I have a confession to make….I’ve always loved eating raw cookie dough! I know, I know, I know…they “say” you shouldn’t eat it because of the raw egg but you know what? I’m ACTUALLy still alive, and haven’t died of food poisoning just yet. I mean, let’s get real-It’s not like I’m over here eating the entire package at one time, okay? Geez, will one extra little bite that won’t fit on the pan with the others hurt me? I don’t think so and I’m living proof it doesn’t. So, there!
Wheewwww, now that I’ve got that off my chest, I can get to today’s review. These ready-to-eat cookie dough bites are the safer version of “raw” cookie dough as a snack without the raw egg! Can we all just admit this is just even more proof though, that I am NOT the only one eating raw cookie dough because why else would they make “safe” versions? Mmmmmk? So, Hail Merry took charge and created a version of snack bites that are gluten and dairy free, vegan, kosher and non-GMO! What made me MOST excited about these bites is that there wasn’t a drop of soy in their list of ingredients! This is pretty rare considering there’s chocolate in there. But, they’ve found a way around it with using cocoa liquor and cocoa butter to make up for it! PLUS, they’re pretty low in sugar for 2 bites which is just enough to fill that sugar sweet “need” we all have!
Now to the taste test. So, I have to admit that if you’re not a big coconut fan, you’re most likely NOT going to be a fan of these bites. This is one of those snacks that actually grew on me the more I ate them because I wasn’t just head over heels on first bite. They definitely don’t taste like you’re stealing a bite out of the pillsbury package, if you know what I mean. To be fair though, that’s kind of to be understood, considering their ingredient list and being gluten/dairy free/vegan. However, if you have a sweet tooth and love the taste of coconut with a hint of chocolate and maple, these are a pretty great alternative! They’re super cute little bites that you can just pop into your mouth, and get that sweet tooth fix you’re craving.
Hail Merry does have a few other sweet treats that I’d like to try, but these just caught my eye with my love for cookie dough! The texture is a tiny bit crumbly and the taste is not overly sweet, but definitely has that coconut flavor throughout. I’d say this one is definitely worth a try if you want to mix things up a bit and to prevent yourself from devouring an entire package of cookie dough in one sitting.
Alright, alright alright! So, there’s my thoughts on that! I’ll be mixing things up a bit and trying out some non-food related items in the coming weeks, so let me know if there’s anything you’d like me to add to my list!
Now, it’s time for a few weekend words to live by that I want to share with you before you start your day! As always, this is a gentle reminder/love note from me to encourage you to live your best life, every single drop of every single day! I hope to not only inspire you here with my thoughts on healthy living in a physical manner, but a mental and emotional way too! Know, that I truly hope that you leave my blog each time you stop by feeling a little bit more inspired than when you opened up my page to begin with and to go out and be your BEST YOU today and everyday! I genuinely care about YOU and I’m thankful for you stopping by my little corner of the internet each week to read my ramblings about anything and all things random, including these words of encouragement for today!
With that being said, here is my little self-love challenge for you this weekend. I wonder if this hits home for you just as much as it did me because I just feel like it’s so brutally honest! We can get so wrapped up in worrying about others feelings, lives, and everything in between that we completely skip over our own happiness and peace. But, if we don’t seek these things first and foremost, we absolutely are unable to fulfill others in the same way! It’s almost like trying to put together a broken puzzle! You can’t complete the puzzle without ALL of the pieces there! Honestly, it drives you crazy when you get to the end and are missing that one single corner piece. So, today I encourage you to complete your puzzle and feed YOUR soul! Feed your happiness, peace and joy so that you can be ALL that and more for those around you! If you realize that you haven’t been doing this, now is the time to start! Don’t wait to start living your happiest and best life!
I hope you have the most wonderful weekend!! If you’re out for a long run, push as hard as you can that last mile! If you’re having a self-love and relaxation weekend, take that extra time and soak it all in so that you can come out of this weekend feeling more refreshed than ever! And, if you’re busier than ever these next two days, don’t forget to pause and show your gratitude for all of the amazingness in your life! I promise that you won’t regret a single one of these things!
Questions for YOU today: (Comment below with your thoughts!)
Are you a big coconut fan?
Do you judge food by it’s cover or are you willing to try just about anything?
What are your big weekend plans? I’d love to hear all about them!
