Review: Nonuttin’

Right off, I love the name!!  Nonuttin’ says it all!  Their products are free of ELEVEN allergens!!  Yes, 11!  Their products are dairy free (including all derivatives such as casein and whey), egg free, fish free, certified gluten free, mustard free, peanut free & tree nut free (including employees signing a contract that they do not eat peanuts/tree nuts before work or bring them into any area of the No Nuttin’ facility), sesame free, shellfish free, soy free (including soy lecithin), no sulfites, wheat free, AND since the USA lists coconut as a tree nut, no coconut either!

Are you allergic to latex?  No latex gloves are used on any Nonuttin’ production line either!  Avoiding refined sugar?  They only use evaporated cane sugar!  So their products must taste like cardboard right?  It can’t be free of all these things, and actually taste good, right?  WRONG!  Their products are delicious!  Nonuttin sent Lizzie and I a bunch of their products to try and they were all delicious!  Our kids loved them all!

The first thing we tried was their Nonuttin’ All Natural Granola.  The girls loved putting it in their yogurt or just eating it plain.  Bean loved the Vanilla Cinnamon, and Bubbles favorite fruit is blueberry, so she really loved the Blueberry Maple.

  

The next thing we tried was their granola bars.  YES, they have granola bars!  AND they are peanut free granola bars!  Can you tell how excited I am about this?  If your child has a peanut allergy, you understand my excitement.  I have not found ANY safe granola bars for Bean at any of the stores around here.  They are always “made on the same equipment” or “may contain”.  Well these contain No Nuttin!  Their granola bars come in four varieties – Apple Cinnamon, Raisin (both pictured below), Chocolate Chip, and Double Chocolate Chunk.  Their granola bars are soft and chewy, and you can actually see the apple and raisins in them!  Definitely a favorite here!

  

Next we tried their oatmeal!  They come in these great little cups, with lids.  Just add boiling water (I just used really hot water), pour it up to the line in the cup, put the cover back on for a couple minutes and TADA, the perfect cup of oatmeal!  I was really leery of these at first.  I really thought they would be soupy, and I really dislike soupy oatmeal, but they seriously turned out perfect!  There are four varieties – Daily Hug (apples and cinnamon), Morning Mojo (apples, blueberries, apples, raw sunflower seeds, and cinnamon), Pacific Coast Morning (blueberries and cranberries), and Sunny Start (cranberries, raisins, and raw sunflower seeds).  We tried the Morning Mojo and Daily Hug.  Bean had the Morning Hug and loved it.  Bubbles tried the Morning Mojo, but was not thrilled about the sunflower seeds.  I like it though and finished it off for her!

   

Lizzie came over for a cookout, and we had to figure something for the kids to have for dessert.  The dessert had to be gluten free for Lizzie’s kids, peanut free for Bean, and dairy free for Bubbles.  It is always so very difficult finding a snack that all the kids can enjoy.  Often, we find a product that is allergen free OR gluten free, however these are the best of both worlds, and allowed all of our children to enjoy them!  They loved them, and even the dog wanted some!  LOL  Lots of smiling faces, and no one was left out!

Nonuttin is a great treat for field trips, on the go, as a quick snack, also they are great for kids to bring in as a safe treat for school for birthdays or for snack day.  All the kids could have these!  They are soft and chewy and sooo good, especially the Double Chocolate Chunk, and all the kids will love them!

Disclaimer: Nonuttin’ sent us the products pictured above to review, in exchange for our honest opinions of their products.  We were not compensated in any way, and all of the opinions were our own and not influenced in any way.

 

Review: Surf Sweets Organic & Natural Candy!

My girls love fruit flavored candy and fruit snacks, but they typically tend to contain “crap” ingredients, and I am not overly thrilled about allowing them to have them.  They are made with high fructose corn syrup, and other ingredients that I cannot pronounce and have never heard of before.  I was thrilled to see that Surf Sweets are natural and organic candy.  All the candy, none of the bad ingredients!  YAY!  They are made with organic fruit juices and sweeteners, natural colors and flavors, 100% RDA of Vitamin C, are free of corn syrup and GMO’s, plus they are made in a nut free facility, are gluten free, dairy free, casein free, and are made right here in the good ole US of A!  They make Gummy Worms, Gummy Bears, Gummy Swirls, Fruity Bears, Jelly Beans, Sour Worms, and Sour Berry Bears.

My family all has very different tastes and favorites when it comes to candy, but we all agree that these were some of the best tasting candy we have tried.  I am not sure if it’s because of the real fruit juices, or the natural ingredients they use, but they tasted more like real fruit!  They are candy that I feel good about giving my girls.  I have never been a big fan of sour candy, but my oldest daughter, Bean, loves them.  I did try some of the sour gummy worms, and they were actually good.  They were a great blend of sweet and sour, and not that make your mouth pucker and gag type of sour.  My absolute favorites were the Gummy Swirls.  My younger daughter Bubbles loved the plain gummy worms, and my older daughter loved the sour gummy worms!  Of course the jelly beans, gummy bears, and fruity bears were a big hit with everyone.

I was thrilled to find that you can buy Surf Sweets at Whole Foods, Buy Buy Baby, and other stores selling healthy foods and products.  You can also buy Surf Sweets online at places like Amazon.com.

Disclaimer: Surf Sweets provided us with all of the products pictured above in exchange for our honest reviews.  We were not compensated in any way for this, and all opinions are our own and were not influenced in any way.

Need A Quick Breakfast?? Look to these awesome muffins from Udi’s!

**Disclaimer: Udi’s provided me with these muffins free of charge in exchange for providing you with ideas on how to use their products. All ideas are my own and I have not been financially compensated**

So I know I’m not the only one with kids. And I also know I’m not the only one who has hectic mornings with those kids. Half the time we are lucky to get out the door on time with a quick snack, let alone have a decent breakfast.  So I’m always on the lookout for something that will help us out in the morning.

That’s where these great muffins from Udi’s come in.

Now, they are pretty awesome on their own but…
I always need to feel like I participated in putting meals together so I do this…

Take that can of cranberries and toss it in a saucepan over low heat and stir. Let it break down and cook down a bit until it becomes warm and thick.  I promise this doesn’t take long! Right before its ready, wrap those muffins in a damp paper towel and pop in the microwave for a few seconds. Definitely helps you get that fresh homemade feel. Then break the muffin in half if you have littles like I do (or keep it whole for yourself!). Drizzle a bit of that warm cranberry amazingness over those nice warm muffins and watch everyone happily dig in.
There’s one morning crisis solved!  Now on to the next….getting them to dress in clothes that match!  Wish me luck!

Review: Sweet Alexis (peanut, nut, dairy, and egg free) plus discount!

I received a package from Sweet Alexis, and what an amazing package it was!  It contained two decorated cookies, chocolate chip cookies, ginger cookies, pumpkin raisin bread, and banana bread.  All of their products are peanut, egg, dairy, and egg free!  Sweet Alexis was developed by a mom whose daughter, Alexis, has multiple “life threatening” food allergies to the following: All dairy products and derivatives of dairy, eggs, shellfish, all nuts, including tree nuts and peanuts, mustard and cherries.

She also has environmental allergies and is asthmatic. She is so severe that three separate doctors have refused to perform skin tests on her for fear that she would go into anaphylaxis.  These products are made by a mom who KNOWS all to well the battle of trying to keep our children safe from their allergens.  She has had a long, scary road, and battles every day to stay safe.  You can read her story here.

The first thing my girls wanted to tear into were the beautifully decorated cookies.  My one daughter loves pink, so she chose the Heart Cookie.  My other loves blue, so she chose the Patriotic cookie.  My girls said the cookies were so delicious!  They wouldn’t let me have a taste, so I have to take their word for it.

Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite, so I dug right into those.  I took a bite, and it was one of the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever tried!  I can honestly say, I have a new favorite cookie!  They truly are delicious!  They are soft and have large chocolate chips.  I hate to admit, but I gave my girls and hubby one to try, and ate the rest of the bag myself!  It took me three days to eat them, so luckily the bag is resealable.  They stayed fresh and soft, even after I opened the bag repeatedly.  My family agreed that these were some of the best chocolate chip cookies they have tried.  There will be people who say, they are just chocolate chip cookies, how good could they be?  Once you have had a Sweet Alexis chocolate chip cookie, all the rest will fail in comparison.

I am not a big fan of ginger cookies, and my husband is not a big fan of sweets, but he opened the bag, had one, and said, “Wow, these are good!”.  I tried one and he was right.  They are good!  They have just the right amount of ginger to make them taste good, but not be overwhelming.  The texture and consistency of the cookie is great too.  Both of my girls thought they were yummy too!  Both cookies were the perfect size, and tasted like fresh-baked homemade cookies!  I cannot say enough about how great these cookies are!

We then tried the breads!  Both were amazing.  The banana bread rivals my home-made banana bread. Both breads are soft and moist, and very tasty!  I love pumpkin, and never considered putting raisins in it, but it was really good and tasted like a spice bread.  The tops were soft, like when they are home-made.  I honestly, cannot find one thing bad to say about any of their products.  They were just downright GOOD!  I was amazed that they are peanut free, nut free, dairy free, AND egg free!  I would have never guessed.

Mother’s Day is right around the corner and Sweet Alexis is offering a 15% discount right now, promo code: spring13

Disclaimer: I was provided a with the above shown products, in exchange for my honest opinions of their products. I was not financially compensated in any way.  All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.

Review: GoPicnic Ready-to-eat Meal (peanut free, gluten free, vegan, tree nut free, Kosher)

While at the GFAF (Gluten & Allergen Free) Expo, one of the companies that caught my eye was GoPicnic.  They have several gluten-free ready-to-eat meals, but I specifically asked if they had any peanut free ones.  Jamie was happy to show me the two varieties that were peanut free.  The first was GoPicnic Turkey Stick & Crunch and the other is Sunbutter & Crackers.  GoPicnic is a healthy, wholesome, good for you version of a Lunchable.  It comes in a package about the same size as a Lunchable, and fits perfect in any lunch bag, and is a shelf stable ready-to-eat meal.  No freezy packs required!  Packing a lunch daily is not only time-consuming, but there are days I run out of ideas, so I tend to fall back on the same foods over and over.  I am sure eating the same thing has to get old for Bean.  If you pack your child’s lunches daily, GoPicnic is a wonderful convenience!  Just pack a drink and lunch is served!

  

Bean picked the Turkey Stick & Crunch meal for the first one I packed in her lunch.  It is a balanced meal featuring an Old Wisconsin Turkey Snack Stick, Popchips Barbecue Potato Chips, Sweet Perry Orchards Tropical 100% Peel-A-Part Fruit, Enjoy Life Mountain Mambo Seed and Fuit Mix, and a Professor Zim Zam’s Extraordinary Sweets Dark Chocolate with Rice Crisps.  It contains no artificial flavors or colors, and is gluten-free, peanut free, egg free, and tree nut free!  The Popchips contain milk, and the dark chocolate contain soy, but that’s the only allergens!  I always strive to pack healthy options for my daughter’s lunch, and I was proud to pack this wholesome lunch for her!  All GoPicnic’s ready-to-eat meals are free of trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, added MSG, and artificial flavors and colors. Bean LOVED her lunch! She especially liked the Enjoy Life Mountain Mambo Seed & Fruit Mix.  I am pretty sure it is the closest thing she has ever had to a trail mix!

The next day we packed the Sunbutter & Crackers meal.  Again super easy, super quick, and a nice healthy, wholesome lunch!  Another balanced meal featuring Sunbutter® Creamy Sunflower seed Spread, Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Sea Salt Crackers, Enjoy Life Seed & Fruit Trail Mix, Sweet Perry Orchards Tropical 100% Fruit Peel-a-Part and an Enjoy Life Double Chocolate Cookie. This meal is all- natural, Kosher, gluten-free, vegan, and free of 7 common allergens, including wheat, dairy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, and egg!  The only allergen is that the Sunbutter is made on equipment that also processes soy.  My daughter also loved this meal!  She has asked for me to begin packing these in her lunch on a regular basis.

 

These are healthy meal options that can be taken anywhere, anytime!  No refrigeration required! These would be great to take on outings to the zoo, museums, parks, picnics, or even camping.  I was even thinking these would be great to take on road trips.  No worrying about where to stop for food, and if the food will be safe once we do find a place.  These alleviate having to purchase those overpriced foods sold at public places, and you can be confident that what you are feeding your child (or yourself) is nutritionally balanced and safe!   They have several varieties for people living allergen free, vegan, and gluten-free.  Just throw them in a bag and go!  I found these available in the gluten-free section at my local Meijer. They are also available at Target, Walgreens, Mariano’s Fresh Market, Whole Foods, Regal Cinemas, or they can also be purchased online at http://www.gopicnic.com.  They offer several varieties for specialized diets, plus they have specials and discounts online.

 

Disclaimer: I was given both boxes of GoPicnic meals reviewed above, in exchange for my honest opinions of their products.  I was not financially compensated in any way.  The meals were eaten exclusively by my daughter, Bean.  All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.

Review: Amanda’s Own REAL chocolate (dairy free, nut free, egg free, gluten free, sesame free, fish/shellfish free)

Amanda’s Own Confections makes dairy-free, nut-free, sesame-free, egg-free, fish/shellfish free, and gluten-free chocolate.  This candy is made by someone who knows what it’s like to have a child with a food allergy.  Their daughter, Amanda, has a life-threatening food allergy to milk, so they developed this natural chocolate especially for her!  At first sight, their packaging is pretty and decorative.  I was sent a chocolate bar and a Fancy Squares Box.  The Fancy Squares Box was so pretty I didn’t want to open it, however I gave in to my overwhelming love of chocolate.

The next thing I noticed is the ingredients list.  The chocolate is made with real, pronounceable, natural ingredients!  You cannot get more simple than that!  This is REAL chocolate!  No artificial preservatives, additives, or ingredients!

I have never had real chocolate before, so when I bit into a piece of the candy bar, it tasted like dark chocolate, and I actually looked at the packaging to make sure it wasn’t dark chocolate.  If you are expecting a milk chocolate taste, REAL chocolate does not taste like that.  I love dark chocolate though, and really liked the taste of this chocolate.  I remember thinking, this is the first time I have tried REAL chocolate!  My daughter’s both tried some of the candy bar and they both really loved the taste too!

The Fancy Squares were also super yummy.  As you can see the chocolate has a much darker color, and also the consistency is harder than milk chocolate.  These are very yummy, but I would not recommend them for small children.  My five-year old had a hard time eating this.  Her little jaw was not strong enough to bite through it.  I cut it up for her, and she ate it just fine, and loved it, but I do not recommend giving this to a child whole.  A decadent chocolate treat, exclusively just for Mom or Dad?  Sign me up!

Also the prices on the site are extremely reasonable!  The Fancy Squares Box is on sale for only $5!  The bars are only $2.35 every day!  Not much more than the price of a chocolate bar at the grocery store, and MUCH cheaper than a bar at other specialty sites or stores!  They also make chocolate chips, bark, jellybeans, gummies, lolly pops, and special occasion candy!

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, so why not give Mom a special decadent Mother’s Day Lolly?  Only $2.20!  Let mom know how sweet she is!

You can also like their Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amandas-Own-Confections-Dairy-Free-Chocolates-Candies/173118496057846

Disclaimer: I was sent a candy bar, and a Fancy Squares Box of chocolate to sample in exchange for my honest opinions of their products.  I was not financially compensated in any way.  All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.

Review: Dr. Lucy’s Cookies

**I was provided free product in exchange for my opinions.  I was not financially compensated for this review. The opinions here are all my own and have not been swayed by a third-party.**

Who doesn’t love cookies?  I know my family does, but I also know that in order to keep them safe having cookies usually means quite a bit of work for me.  Not that I mind, of course.  But every now and then it would be nice to be able to go to the store and just grab some.  That is why I was so happy to find the Dr. Lucy company.  This company was started by a mom, who also happens to be an M.D.  She is a mom of a child with severe allergies and was always looking for safe foods that tasted great, but had a hard time finding them.  So, she created her own!  And they have a ton of great bonuses.  All her treats are made in their own carefully controlled bakery.  They are gluten free peanut free, tree nut free, milk free and egg free. Plus, they test for trace amounts of milk, egg, gluten, peanuts, almond, and hazelnut.  I love that they do all this, and I can feel confident that these are going to be safe for my family.  And, just when you think that these treats could not get any better, they are also certified vegan and verified non-GMO!

Just waiting to be eaten!

While I was super excited at how allergen free these were, I was a bit skeptical on how they would taste.  Based on past experiences, I know that a lot of times things that are so safe are often lacking in flavor.  Luckily, I was happy to find out that this was not anywhere near the case!

Cinnamon Thins

The first ones out of the package were the Cinnamon Thins.  They were fantastic!  Perfectly sized and a great texture!  We tried them first with a nice glass of Almond Milk and they held up great for dunking.  The kids were very fond of these.  I could not believe that these were free of so many allergens with how great they tasted!  They had the perfect amount of cinnamon and just the right amount of sweetness.   This package definitely did not last long in my house!  I will be buying some more of these.  These are going to be the perfect thing to use as a base for pies, with no worry!  While I have not done it yet, because we ran out of cookies, it is going to be very easy.  Toss the cookies in a zip top bag, smash them up ( let the kids help!) and then mix with a bit of melted butter and press into the bottom of your pie pan!  Look for a blog post in the near future with the complete recipe.

Ginger Snaps

Next came the Ginger Snap cookies.  Here again, I was a little hesitant, not being a huge fan of ginger.  Surprisingly thought, they were not at all overbearing, like other ginger items that I have tried.  They had a great ginger flavor, and just a bit of an underlying kick to the finish.  Nothing spicy, just a nice burst of flavor.  My daughter actually preferred these to the cinnamon thins.  My son also liked these, but he said the cinnamon ones were better.  My husband and I enjoyed these as well.  While I am still working on a recipe that incorporates the ginger snaps, my husband gave me a great pairing.  He had suggested pairing the ginger snaps with a nice cup of hot herbal tea.  I prefer Tulsi tea and so I made a cup last evening.  I sat down with my cup of tea and a couple of the ginger snaps.  What a great combination! A little dunking into the tea, a little nibble followed by a sip of the tea…anyway I paired them was fantastic.  These are a great way to wind down the day!

I would love for you guys to check out this company and see all of the other great products that they offer.  I can guarantee that we will be frequent purchasers!  Check them out on their website!  They are also on Facebook. I would also like to give my personal thanks to Dr. Lucy Gibney for taking on a great project and helping out all of us with allergic children!

Review: Premium Chocolatiers Peanot Butter Cups (nut free, dairy free, egg free, gluten free,vegan)

I received a package Peanot Butter Cups from Premium Chocolatiers Gourmet Chocolates to review. Premium Chocolatiers makes peanut free, tree nut free, gluten free, egg free, dairy free, vegan chocolate!  The Peanot Butter Cup is a new product that will be available online in 2-3 weeks.  In the meantime, they do carry Rabbit Peanot Cups (on sale!).

I told my daughter, Bean, I had a candy surprise for her.  I told her it was one she had never had before.  She got so excited!

I handed her a Peanot Butter Cup, and as she unwrapped the foil, she asked what it was.

I explained that it was a Peanot Butter Cup made with Wowbutter, and told her to try it.  Just like any child, she loves candy.  However, this is one candy, until now, that she has never had before, so this was a special occasion!  Her first EVER peaNOT butter cup!  I love the name by way!

She took a bite of one and proclaimed that it was SOOOO good!  I told her that unlike Reese’s these were safe for her to eat!  She looked at me with an odd look, and said, “is that was Reese’s are?  Peanut butter and chocolate?”  I admit it, I teared up.  The realization hit me that she didn’t even know what a peanut butter cup was.  My almost 8-year-old daughter had never seen, held, or tasted a peanut butter cup.  She has been allergic to peanuts since she was so little, that it just became a normal fact of life, that she would never be able to have one.  Well now she CAN and she loves them!

         

The Wowbutter center is soft and creamy.  The combination of chocolate and Wowbutter is perfect.  It tastes just like a true peanut butter cup!  It was delicious!  Bean had only one bite and proclaimed that she loved it.  She is holding the rest of it in one hand while giving the thumbs up with the other!

I put one in her lunch yesterday as a surprise.  When she came home, I asked her if she liked her surprise.  She said she really, really likes them, and she told everyone at her “peanut-free” lunch table all about them.  She made them guess what was in it.  She said that her one friend Zoe guessed Wowbutter right away, and then Zoe said she really wished she could try one too.  It made me wonder, how many peanut allergic children have never been able to eat a peanut butter cup?  I am thrilled to share this product with all of you, so that now your peanut allergic child can have their first Peanot Butter Cup too!

Premium Chocolatiers makes gourmet chocolates, so check out their special Mother’s Day chocolates including long stem chocolate roses!

They have so many more yummy options too… truffles, and Chocolate Cheesecakes.  How yummy does that sound?  Check out their site for lots more delectable choices!

Disclaimer: I was sent a sample of Peanot Butter Cups from Premium Chocolatier in exchange for my honest opinions of their products.  I was not financially compensated in any way.  All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.

Review & Giveaway: Skeeter Snacks (peanut & tree nut free)

Meet Skeeter!  He is a cute little squirrel with a nut allergy!  Poor Skeeter was feeling left out by his nut loving friends, so he came up with a nut free line of snacks!  His snacks were so good, all the other squirrels loved them too.  Skeeter Snacks maintains a strict allergen protocol, and all of their products are made in a nut free facility!  Their ingredients are carefully selected from suppliers meeting nut free standards.  PLUS Skeeter also employs batch testing to further assure that Skeeter Snacks are nut free.

Anyone who has a peanut allergic child knows how difficult it is to find peanut free cookies.  My girls love their cookies and milk, and there are so few choices out there that are safe when you have a nut allergy.  The makers of Skeeter Snacks deliberately narrowed their focus to peanut and tree nut free snacks so they could make a safe, yummy snack, that is affordable!  YES, a specialty cookie that is affordable!

Their cookies come in four varieties – Skeeter Doodle, Golden Oatmeal, Chocolate Chunk, and Chocolate 3. We were able to try all four delicious varieties. To try them for yourself, enter our giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The first one we tried was Skeeter Doodle, which is Skeeter’s version of the Snickerdoodle.  They were so good.  They had a rich buttery taste with just the right blend of cinnamon and sugar.  It was love at first bite.  My girls loved them too and gave them two thumbs up!

The next one we tried was the Chocolate Chunk cookies.  They were equally as amazing.  They had a crunchy outside with a softer inside, and were full of chocolate chunks.  Forget those little bitty chips other cookies have.  My girls loved these too.  These are my younger daughter’s favorite!

Bean then chose the Golden Oatmeal cookies to try next.  These oatmeal cookies had a good mixture of oatmeal and raisins.  Move over grandma… these are almost as good!  My husband loves oatmeal raisin cookies, and he said these were right up there on the top of his list!

We then tried the Chocolate3.  It is a chocolate cookie, with chocolate chips, AND chocolate chunks.  I took one bite and swore I had died and gone to chocolate heaven.  These are a chocolate lovers dream!  I have found my all time favorite cookie.  My daughter, Bean, also said this cookie was her favorite.  Makes a momma proud!

You can check to see if Skeeter Snacks are available near by clicking here and using their store locator.  They are also available on Amazon!  Yummy snacks delivered right to your door!

The Skeeter Snacks website has a fun “For Kids” section, a “Resources” tab with great resources for peanut or nut allergies, and a “The Nut Problem” tab that discusses peanut and nut allergies.

If Skeeter’s on the package, you will know that the yummy snack inside is totally nut-free and made in a facility that is also totally nut-free!  Safe snacks for everyone to enjoy!!

Disclaimer: Skeeter Snacks provided me with a package of each of their cookies, in exchange for my honest opinions of their products.  I was not financially compensated in any way.  All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.

Breakfast Kabobs (nut & gluten free)

This is just fun to make for the kids.  Cut up various fruit.  We like to use a mix of these fruits depending on what’s in season… strawberries, pineapple, apples (cut into chunks), blueberries, grapes, and bananas.  Then take a waffle (gluten-free if preferred) and cut it into little squares too.  Take a kabob stick and place a piece of waffle, then slice of strawberry, a piece of pineapple, 2 pieces of waffle, grape, blueberry, 2 pieces of waffles, more strawberry, a blueberry, and a piece of waffle.  If you don’t have a kabob stick, use a toothpick and use one piece of fruit and a piece of waffle.

It’s a fun breakfast for the kids to make, super easy & even more fun to eat!