Snack Review: Somersaults

Despite the fact that I’m a Candy Addict at heart, my move to the west coast and (albeit reluctant) transition into adulthood have succeeded in transforming me into somewhat of a health nut in recent years. I do yoga. I avoid partially hydrogenated oils. I am pretty damn close to vegan when I’m not indulging a lethal cookie craving. And I snack constantly. (Really, constantly.) As such, I’ve become well acquainted with the myriad ways to dress-up a carrot stick, and have befriended many a bowl of high-fiber cereal. But as I also maintain an active lifestyle, I’ve found that these go-to snacks aren’t necessarily ideal for on-the-go, and am on a seemingly endless search for the perfect portable treat. Until now, that is. Because that treat has just recently somersaulted into my life, compliments of the Somersault Snack Co., utterly winning over my crunchy nugget-craving, gymnastic-loving heart.

Per the company’s product info, Somersaults come in three flavors: S.S. Sea Salt, Salty Pepper, and Chez Cocoa, and are “A crunchy bundle of goodness baked with toasted grains, sunflower and sesame seeds. They are the perfect blend of protein, fiber and nutrition!” That all sounded very pleasing indeed, though it left me rather unclear as to what Somersaults actually WERE. What might they taste like? I wondered. What might they be comparable to?

Read more

Snack Review: Stretch Island Fruit Co. Raspberry Fruit Leather

We reviewed Stretch Island Fruit Leather a while back on these pages, but I thought it might be worth a second look.

Oh, and I have a confession: I was a fruit leather virgin before last night.

Sure, I’d messed around with fruit rolls before, but the closest I’d ever gotten to fruit leather were the myths and legends about the stuff from a friend who grew up with hippie parents. Truth is, I’d never actually indulged. Boy was I missing out.

It’s so simple: take fresh fruit, remove the seeds and stems (this review is sounding more and more suspect by the minute), puree it, pour it out onto a tray, let it dry naturally or run it through a dehydrator, cut it into cellphone-sized slabs, and wrap it up for future enjoyment!

Fruit leather has been rolling out of Stretch Island Fruit Co. since 1976 when Ron and Mary Sagerson moved to Stretch Island, WA, and began making the fruity treats in their laundry room. (Thankfully, for everyone involved, they’ve long since moved the operation to much larger digs.)

Read more

Snack Review: Annie’s Organic Bunny Classics Buttery Rich Crackers

I’m always looking for something that tastes exactly like a Ritz Cracker and isn’t a Ritz Cracker. Why do I stubbornly persist in not just buying Ritz Crackers, a fine classic product that, unlike so many other things that I complain about, has remained relatively unchanged? Because I keep reading the label on them and deciding that if I’m going to eat something that gets half its calories from fat, I could have ice cream or potato chips. A cracker doesn’t seem worth it.

But, the ice cream and potato chips don’t quell the craving for Ritz crackers. So I am a sucker for a yellowish-colored cracker with holes poked in the top and scalloped edges. And of course I am a sucker for anything with an animal on the label. Even worse, some of the crackers themselves are shaped like bunnies. I could not resist.

Read more

Snack Review: Doctor Kracker Organic Flatbread Crackers

“Peace, love and crackers.”

So ends the catchy Doctor Kracker jingle performed by Tres Lunas. Honestly, these organic, whole wheat flatbread crackers have to be the hippest snacks around. I mean, Jad Fair (singer/guitarist/co-founder of the legendary punk rock band Half Japanese, collaborator for Yo La Tengo, Teenage Fanclub and Daniel Johnston) created a silly animated short for these amazing crackers!

Yes, these are the snacks all the cool kids in the neighborhood snarf on while watching ThunderCats: “But Lion-O, these crackers are too crunchy! Snarf! Snarf!” (Okay, maybe not the really cool kids.)

Despite the throwback look (think Smith Bros. cough drops - specifically the bearded bro’), the playful website and the whimsical package labels (”Gaze with awe upon the Seedlander”), the good Doctor K. is not fooling around. These are seriously tasty and nutritious snacks with a rich German history, from a region where flatbreads are a staple in the best bakeries. From his grandfather’s bakery in 1997, company founder Dr. Klaus Karg sought to meld the simple and austere Swedish flatbreads with the more flavorful specialty breads. He succeeded years later and sold his crackers under the company name Dr. Karg.

Read more

Drink Review: Purity Organic Apple Juice

Like most Americans, I stopped drinking apple juice after fourth grade, when slurping from a cardboard box abruptly lost its appeal (that is, until I discovered box wine 10 years later). From then on, apple juice played a smaller and smaller role in my life. It failed to follow me into adulthood, and therefore remains a liquid nostalgia trip, forever associated with recess and Power Rangers.

Why is this? Why do cranberry and orange juice stick with us after puberty, while apple never makes it past the elementary school checkpoint? Perhaps it’s too sweet for the adult palate, like bubble gum ice cream. Or perhaps it’s ignored because it lacks utilitarian properties. Apple juice won’t detoxify your bloodstream like cranberry, or fight your cold like orange. And it certainly won’t hide the flavor of that stale Smirnoff vodka you found in the back of your kitchen cabinet.

The time is ripe (heh), then, for an apple juice makeover - which is probably what the people at Purity were thinking when they drew up a snappy, modernist label for their all-natural, organic juice brand. Because who says that apples are lamer than oranges? Maybe this apple aversion habit is all in our heads, and it would do us some good to take a swig of the amber liquid. (According to the BBC, apple juice does have health benefits - it can prevent heart disease!)

Unfortunately, by not diluting their product, Purity has created a super-dense brand of juice. While regular, non-organic juice is often watery, the Purity brand is almost too thick. The first time I took a swig, I honestly felt like I was drinking a liquid piece of apple pie. True, you’re getting a bang for your buck with this product, but I doubt I’d be able to finish a bottle in a single sitting. I didn’t even try – as the thought of doing so kind of made me nauseous.

However, while the texture was a little heavy, the taste was A+. It was still sweet, but not overpoweringly so, and I definitely believe this product is 100% pure juice, without additives. You can tell it’s authentic because a fine layer of apple sediment settles on the floor of the bottle after periods of rest. Yeah, baby. That’s the real deal.

So ladies and gents, if you can handle the heady ride of undiluted apple juice, go for it. By swapping that juice box for a recyclable plastic container, you can placate your inner child without feeling like a baby.

• Purity Organic Website