Happy Tuesday, friends! It is pouring down rain here, except for when I need to walk to class. Then, it miraculously stops raining until I get back inside. The rain clouds must like me today!
Smart Food
Welcome to… The Battle of the Spreads.
In the first corner, weighing in at $10 at the Ithaca co-op for a 16 oz jar, or $0.99 at Whole Foods for a single-serving packet, we have Justin’s Maple Almond Butter. Smooth and creamy, this spread’s secret weapon is its hint of sweetness.
Round 1: Cost.
Justin’s Maple Almond Butter is the clear winner, coming in at $0.50 less per ounce than its competitor.
Round 2: Spread-ability.
Both spreads go on smoothly. However, Justin’s nut butter requires significant amounts of stirring before the first use, so the winner of Round 2 is Cacao Bliss.
Round 3: Mouthfeel/Texture
Cacao Bliss has a bit of a grainy texture at first bite, but I found that it grew on me quickly. And when melted into oatmeal, it takes on a blissful frosting-like texture.
Justin’s is especially smooth and creamy when compared to other nut butters.
This round is a tie. Justin’s nut butter wins for texture on toast and apple slices, but Cacao Bliss wins when it comes to oatmeal or breakfast quinoa.
Round 4: Taste
The maple flavor in Justin’s Maple Almond Butter is not quite as pronounced as I would like it. However, there is no missing the chocolate coconut flavor of Cacao Bliss. Cacao Bliss wins here!
Final Score.
Justin’s Nut Butter: 2
Cacao Bliss : 3
Smart Fitness
I ended up taking a few more days off from cycling because my IT band is still recovering. It was so hard to not pull on my helmet and jump on my bike on Saturday and Sunday, when the weather was gorgeous, but I know that it was the best decision for the long-run.
Tonight, my plan is:
Bike 6 miles (and stopping if it starts to hurt!)
New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women workout A1, Stage 1. (I decided to start over with the New Rules of Weight Lifting exercises, since I’ve been traveling so much, and my weight training has been a bit spotty.)
- Push-Ups: 2 sets of 15. 60 seconds rest following each set, alternated with Rows
- One-Legged Bent Over Rows: 2 sets of 15. 60 seconds rest following each set, alternated with Push-Ups
- Dumbbell Lunges: 2 sets of 15 per side. 60 seconds rest following each set, alternated with Reverse Crunches
- Reverse Crunches: 2 sets of 15. 60 seconds rest following each set, alternated with Lunges
Plus some of the recommended PT exercises for my IT band!
Smart Life
Caitlin’s book is steadily rising in the ranks on Amazon. Operation Beautiful is currently #39 on Amazon’s list of Self-Esteem books, which is pretty awesome since it doesn’t come out until August. Congratulations, Caitlin!
Isn’t the cover awesome?
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
I still haven’t got to try cocoa bliss. I am so deprived!
I’m dying to try cocoa bliss…the Justin’s definitely doesn’t have enough maple flavor for me….
Yeah, I think it needs just a smidge more maple-ness.
I’ve never tried Justin’s products but i did recently buy cocao bliss and it is awesome!!
I’ve never tried either of those simply because we don’t have them here. Sometimes I do envy the variety you have over there! But oh well, we do have our own treasures food-wise!
I must get some of that Cocoa bliss! It’s so expensive but it looks so delish!!!
Love this post and love the new header – I’ve been meaning to get a new one, and you re-inspired me!
The Cocoa Bliss looks amazing!!!
Caitlin is such an inspiration. I hadn’t seen the cover, but it’s lovely!!!
thank you so much nicole!
Oh heck, we don’t really need to choose, do we?!
No, I say: Eat both.
They both look great to be perfectly honest! That book cover looks awesome. It is hard to believe that one person started operation beautiful, and it has grown into this huge movement. Caitlin should be proud of what she has accomplished!
Oh they both are!
I haven’t tried either of those! They both sound awesome, I need to get to the store!
Just stumbled upon your blog… and I absolutely LOVE Justin’s maple almond butter! The key is to NOT stir it, drain off the oil, and eat it as is. The consistency become like cookie dough!
That sounds delicious. And like the jar would disappear even more quickly than it already did.
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
i have been meaning to try both of those. they sound so good!
I’ve had the Cacoa Bliss at Kath’s house before…and though it was yummy, I hate having to heat pb in the microwave before spreading it on something! It’s so time-consuming! I just wanna be able to swipe my butter knife in there and spread
Hehe..ok. I’m done ranting about peanut butter
Once I mixed the Justin’s the very first time, I didn’t have to mix it again. After that, it was smooth and creamy!