Puritan’s Pride Spices And The Importance Of Dealing With Stress Productively @PuritansPride

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The product(s) featured in this review was provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of product testing and review. This review has not been monetarily compensated. Please note that any personal opinions reflected in this post are my own and have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.

The second half of 2013 kicked my butt. By the final three months of the year, I had let some personal stuff completely consume me and the stress overcame me. There were days that I couldn’t do much other then sit and worry and cry. I let life get the better of me, which is very uncharacteristic for me. It wasn’t good for me emotionally or physically. It impacted my studies – I failed a course, blowing a 4.0 average I’d worked very hard to maintain for over two years. It impacted my blog and I let some posts be far overdue. By the time Christmas arrived I was still wallowing in misery. When New Years rolled around I finally realized that I had to move forward and deal with things, learn from them, and be the best person I can be no matter what’s happening around me. I’m working hard to stay positive. I took a month off from school to just mentally decompress. I’ve spent some time doing nothing other then relaxing with my family. Last but far from least, I’m also trying to catching up on a couple of overdue posts, which is where Puritan’s Pride comes in. My post for them is sorely overdue.

Puritan’s Pride® (www.puritan.com) began over 40 years ago, with the mission of making the finest quality nutritional supplements available at the best value to their customers. Today, the company remains true to its original commitment and serves millions of loyal customers. Puritan’s Pride manufactures thousands of vitamins, minerals, herbs and other nutritional supplements in their state-of-the art facilities located throughout the U.S. As part of the company’s commitment to quality, Puritan’s Pride only uses ingredients from suppliers worldwide that meet their Quality Assurance Standards, as well as Good Manufacturing Practices food quality standards.

The fact that I didn’t get my post for Puritan’s Pride up much earlier is no indication of the quality of their products. In case you’re unfamiliar, Puritan’s Pride offers products designed to help you live a healthier lifestyle. Vitamins and herbal supplements, spices, foods, health and beauty products – these are just a sampling of the products they carry. One of the things that I was able to do while in my funk was cook. I put the Puritan’s spices I got to good use. If you’re a regular reader you may recall seeing one or more of these recipes.

• Big Chocolate Chip Banana Cake
• Cranberry Cheesecake
• Creamy Cinnamon Cheesecake Dip
• Easy Cheesecake Brownies
• Easy Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
• Homemade Apple Cheesecake
• Oreo Truffle Filled Bundt Cake

Something all of those recipes have in common? I used Vanns Vanilla Extract from Puritan’s Pride in every one of them. Vanilla Extract has a honey-like scent and sweet flavor. It can be used as an ingredient in virtually any dessert – ice cream, cakes, cookies, pies, custards, frosting, meringues, smoothies and puddings.

My Pumpkin Cream Cheese Rounds? Not only did that recipe use the Vanns Vanilla Extract, but it also used Vanns Pumpkin Pie Spice from Puritan’s Pride. I don’t know why, but I have only ever seen Pumpkin Pie spice in a grocery store in my area once during the month of October. Now I know where to get it any time that I want it.

And before you think Puritan’s only has spices for baking, please recall the Easy Chili Parm Chicken Cutlets that my son and I concocted, featuring Vanns Hawaiian Red Salt. I’d never used Hawaiian red salt before. According to Puritan’s Pride, “Premium Hawaiian natural sea salts have a unique combination of taste, color, and mineral content. It is coarse in grain size, but brittle, for an interesting crunchy texture. Traditionally used as a rub on pork for Luau’s and to season and preserve, it is also great on meats, vegetables, and potatoes. It contains purified Alaea clay which is high in minerals and gives the salt a mild taste. Mix with herbs and use as a spice rub.” I am fascinated with its taste and color and am looking to finding new ways to use it and new recipes to make with it.

For those of you planning on baking for Valentine’s Day, or some of the other upcoming holidays, here are a couple of facts you might not have realized about some key baking ingredients.

Raw Honey

Raw Honey is sweeter and denser than white sugar, so you may find yourself using less.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a spice with a sweet and warm fragrance and is great for use on desserts during the holidays—especially apple and pumpkin-infused dishes.  Cinnamon is an ancient herb that has been referenced in Chinese texts dating back thousands of years.

Almonds

Almonds are one of the most nutritious of all nuts. A 1 oz. serving of almonds provides a good source of Vitamin E and Magnesium.  Yummy and delicious, a handful will ward off hunger and tastes great, too!

Almond Flour

This unblanched, gluten-free flour that is an excellent low-carb substitute for other flours used in baking, either wholly or in part. With Almond Flour, you can add color, texture, richness, and flavor to your baked goods, as well as everyday meals.

I’m really pleased with the products that I got from Puritan’s Pride. They all contributed to a great tasting recipe. And their pricing is excellent. I’ve bought “imitation” versions for almost the same price as the real deal you can get from Puritan’s Pride. There are many things that can help contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Yes, things like exercise are in the list. But so are quality ingredients in home cooked meals, learning to deal with stress productively, and also making time for yourself to relax and unwind. I now have ten minutes that I take for myself every morning. Whether I think I need it or not, whether I have time for it or not. I just spend at least ten minutes of alone time, clearing my mind and focusing on the positive. Putting things in perspective and remembering that things could be worse. Knowing that I am fortunate. These days I feel a bit more prepared for most of the things that come my way now, which in turn makes me feel better physically and emotionally. It’s just a small step towards a healthier me.

Do you have a tip for living a healthier lifestyle or dealing with stress? Please share it in a comment.

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