TeeChia: Organic Sustained Energy Cereal #Review in Blueberry Date and Cranberry Apple

TeeChia is a company that takes making a healthy and super nutritious cereal to another level. You have a powerhouse of super seeds like:

• Chia
• Quinoa
• Flax
• Ramon
• Amaranth
• and Pumpkin

I was able to test out both flavors and see for myself how they are.  So far I like that the product uses Organic ingredients and is Non-GMO verified.  Sweetened with only fruit and is rich in fiber.

Blueberry Date– Gluten-Free and just one packet provides you with 28 grams of Whole Grains, 6 grams of Fiber and 6 grams of Protein. You get a healthy dose of 1200 mg of Omega-3 fats and the cereal contains zero grams of refined sugar. The Blueberry Date also has currants and real dried blueberries, in addition to apple juice. The base of the cereal is rolled oats, dates and rice flour. The directions suggest to simply add water and you can also punch up the protein by adding milk or yogurt after. I went with a simple Lemon flavored Australian yogurt that complimented the Blueberry flavor perfectly. The reason I mention the yogurt being Australian, is that it’s a thicker base and I found the cereal even though I followed the directions and added the hot water first, it remained in a gritty/sandy state. I let everything soak up but it did not seem to want to play well so I resorted to a 20 second zap in the microwave and that helped it blend or at least hydrate to the point I felt this is as mixed as it’s going to get. Tasting it alone was a bit on the flavorless side and I felt the yogurt helped add flavor and reduce what I felt was not a pleasant texture. This is not an oatmeal, as the directions say you can use cold water if you do not feel like eating it warm/hot. My yogurt saved it and I appreciate the healthy aspect and the nutritional value TeeChia products provide. I remained unsure on wanting to have more and knowing this is not a product I can enjoy as-is, due to the odd texture and consistency it delivered.

Cranberry Apple– Pretty much the same nutritional facts and contents but this cereal has 7 grams of Protein, versus the 6. Smelled better than the Blueberry variety and you pick-up the Cranberry scent immediately, even though this bag looked different (the base) from the Blueberry Date variety. This one had less fruit but looked more powder like. I decided due to the great Cranberry aroma, I would just eat this one with milk and heated up the milk. I added it to the cereal and again the apple squares did not re-hydrate correctly and this cereal was just sandy and goopy. Still smelled great but when I took the first bite, it was so bitter and you had what can be described as to what you find at the bottom of a cracker bag….dusty and powdery with a taste that was so off. I just could not continue. This cereal did not taste like it smelled! I most times make the best of a situation and especially when it comes to eating healthy. I can get past textures but not when the texture plus the flavor was just so….well, bad unfortunately. I wasted milk in my eyes and I even contemplated adding more cranberries because you can see from the picture that there was just not a lot of dried fruit. I then realized there was no saving this bowl and just discarded it because why add more when in the end the bitter and off taste can’t be fixed.

I wanted to really like TeeChia cereals and mostly by what they contain. I have eaten these seeds and actually add them too many of my meals from salads to yogurts. I don’t know why TeeChia’s same mix of seeds tasted so different from mine. I thought maybe the milling process caused some quick oxidation to occur but there was definitely something off in the Cranberry variety. The cereals need some reworking because if you go by the contents, they are really great. You have the texture issue and the bitterness that is just not a way you want to routinely start your morning with. Eating well can taste so good but this just did not do the trick for me.  I also noticed that both cereals do not re-hydrate or look like the product’s picture on the packaging.  I am hoping I got a bad batch because I really wanted to like this super cereal 😦 and mostly because I love their Teeccino line so much.

If you would like to try TeeChia’s Sustained Cereals, please visit them at:

• On-line– http://www.teechia.com/
• Facebook– https://www.facebook.com/teechiacereal
• Twitter– https://twitter.com/Teeccino

 

I received the above product free of charge from TeeChia.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

 

 

 

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Pumpkin Maple Pecan Muffins with a Cream Cheese filling & Crumble Topping

Fall is nearing even though the weather says, “No”, but the trees say, “Yes”. I wanted a recipe that is not too committed to the Fall flavors but I can adjust as the season changes. I find such adjustment can be made with the spice so I go a little lighter on the Pumpkin Pie spice when the weather is warmer. I hope you enjoy this simple recipe that is my way to start getting in that Autumn mood.

Batter:
15 ounce can of Pumpkin Puree (not the pie mix)
1/2 cup of Brown Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 tablespoon of Unsalted Butter (melted)
2 tablespoons of Vegetable Oil
1/4 of Maple Syrup
1/2 tablespoon of Vanilla Extract
1/2 teaspoon of Salt
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of Pumpkin Pie Spice (go with how you desire the spice to be)
1 teaspoon of Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon of Baking Soda
1/3 cup of Milk (you can also use Almond Milk, Yogurt, Coconut Milk or a mix like I did. I used whole Milk and Almond milk to make 1/3 of a cup)
1/2 cup toasted Pecan pieces or halves
3/4 cup of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (I used a mix of mini and
normal size)
1 3/4 cup of All-Purpose Flour

Cream Cheese Filling:
8 ounce package of Cream Cheese (softened)
1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1 tablespoon of All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup of Sugar

Crumble top:
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/4 of Old-Fashioned Oats
4 Tablespoons of Salted Butter (melted)

1 Muffin pan that yields 12 muffins/cupcakes

Optional:
12 Pecan Halves (not toasted)
1 tablespoon of Maple Syrup

I preheat my oven to 400 degrees and spray my muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. I use the Pam with Flour to yield the best results.

I start by mixing all my wet ingredients in a bowl. I then drop the ingredients in my mixer’s bowl and incorporate for 20 to 30 seconds.

I then add the toasted Pecans and Chocolate chips.

In another bowl, I mix the flour and baking soda and baking powder. On low, I begin to incorporate the dry ingredients with the wet mixture until everything is just mixed.

I take my muffin pan and fill the cups but leaving enough room so I can add the cream cheese filling and topping.

To make the filling, just take all ingredients and mix until incorporated. If the cream cheese is not soft enough, a 10 to 15 second intervals in the microwave will fix that right up.

Add the filling to your muffin batter. You can choose to have a center of cream cheese to your muffin or even a cream cheese top, or get creative and make a marbling. I was in a hurry so I plopped and went with a “at home” look, so the cream cheese stayed where it landed! 🙂

I then add more of the pumpkin batter to cover the cream cheese.

To make the crumble top, it is as easy as the filling. Incorporate all the dry ingredients and then mix in the butter until you have crumbles. Add the crumble to your muffins.

I added a Pecan half to each muffin to give them that Autumn look. This is optional.

I put the muffin pan in the oven and let it bake at 400 for 15 minutes and then cover with foil and let it bake between 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until a toothpick comes clean. If you notice that 2 muffins come clean when tested but one is not playing nice, sometimes the cream cheese can be deceiving so I always go with the majority rule and pull them out than over bake them. You notice the Pecan may over brown or burn, cover with foil sooner as I know ovens vary.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 8 to 10 minutes and I remove them by using a chop stick or toothpick to assist in pulling the muffin out without destroying or knocking off the topping. I then place the muffins on a rack to finish cooling. Have family that is impatient when you bake? You can eat these semi-warm so after 10 to 15 minutes, they can go at them!

Now, you will notice my pecan is shiny and that is because when I remove the muffins from the pan and onto a rack, I then take my finger and softly touch the pecan with maple syrup. Gives the nut flavor and it cools looking pretty.

Options: You can add dried cranberries, raisins, or even substitute the nut for one more to your liking. You don’t have to toast the nuts if you are short on time, I just do it because it gives the pecans a better flavor. You could also add butterscotch chips……make it your own as I have no rules!

You will notice you may have 2 to 3 muffin worth of pumpkin batter left and some cream cheese. I believe in not wasting so I take a couple ramekins and created a swirl by using both the batter and filling. Once cooled, you can cover with ganache and again this is even something you can do to make the muffins 🙂 Have fun!