quest bar review & giveaway.

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As if I didn’t love the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Quest Bar enough – did you know if you microwave it for 15-20 seconds it get all ooey and gooey and more cookie dough-like?! Trust me on this one.

I had tried some other Quest Bar flavors here and there, but nowhere near all of the delicious varieties they come in. That’s why I was so thrilled when Quest sent me a huge sample pack of their products!

First off - I didn’t even know Quest made peanut butter cups, so I was really excited when I saw them in the sampler. I’m always a little wary of “healthy” candy, but these peanut butter cups are seriously delicious. I really can’t believe they have 20 grams of protein!

Tip: I especially love eating these frozen.

I’ll admit that when I first saw Quest Bars all over blogs and in health food stores, I was skeptical of the hype. But after trying them for myself – not to mention comparing the nutritional stats and ingredients to other protein bars (more protein, less calories, less weird ingredients) – I can definitely say I have a new favorite bar.

After trying almost all of the flavors, some of my favorite new Quest Bars are White Chocolate Raspberry, Cinnamon Roll, and Peanut Butter Supreme (which tastes like straight peanut butter fudge. Yum).

I also found that there are dozens of recipes for healthy desserts using Quest Bars. I can’t wait to give them a try!

Want to try Quest Bars for yourself? Quest is letting me give away sample packs to TWO lucky readers!

The sample pack includes 12 flavors of Quest Bars, 2 packs of Peanut Butter Cups, and 2 of the new White Chocolate Raspberry bars.

There are THREE ways to enter:

1) Follow Quest on either Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

2) Leave a comment at the end of this post saying which flavor you’d most like to try. (optional)

3) Tweet about the giveaway: copy and paste - “I entered @alagracie’s @questnutrition giveaway! http://tinyurl.com/k4klskn” (optional)

***Please be sure to leave a comment for each entry in order for them to be counted accordingly.***

The contest will end on Monday 9/2 at 5pm EST. Good luck!

UPDATE: winners have been emailed!

real talk: on healthy living.

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Around the time I graduated high school, I started loving and practicing all things health & fitness related. I held on to those habits through most of my college career, and reading healthy living blogs is actually one of the things that inspired me to create my own.

But as my life progressed – especially by moving to New York – my interest in those things began to fade. While I still aimed to live as healthfully as I could, things like forwarding my career, having a fun social life, and building a life in a new city were much higher on my list of priorities. And, well, they still are.

But recently, I’ve found that I’ve sort of been re-falling in love with a healthier lifestyle. I think I’m reaching a point in my life where I’m craving structure and just feeling my absolute best.

…but that’s not the only reason I try to be healthy. And if I’m going to start blogging about health & fitness-related topics, I want to always be 100% real about it. Some people may genuinely love a healthy lifestyle because how it makes them feel, or because they truly love working out.

I’m not that person.

Yes, a healthy lifestyle does make me feel good, and I do really love clean, nutritious food.

…but the real reason I aim to be healthy?

I want to age well. I want to look good. I want my body to be in shape not for the sake of being in shape, but so that I can enjoy the rest of my life even more than I already do.

I guess what I’m trying to say is I don’t think I’ll ever be that person who is genuinely passionate about running, yoga, or Crossfit.
In fact, the thought of doing more than 30 minutes of cardio terrifies me.
I love vegan food, but tofu grosses me out.
I eat lots of bacon and meat without calling myself Paleo.
Sometimes I lift weights, and sometimes i just do the NYC girl workout.
I eat Lean Cuisines and all their gloriously strange ingredients like, a lot.
I try to eat less gluten, but I’ll never say goodbye to gluten-filled New York bagels.
I will always - and I mean always - choose quality of life over being healthy.

So does that make GML a healthy living blog? I don’t know. I don’t think so, but I don’t really care. I just know that if I’m going to be posting about my life, it should include everything – the healthy, unhealthy, and everything in between. And hey, maybe the blog world needs a dose of that reality…

What does “healthy living” mean in your life?
What are your favorite healthy living blogs?

noteworthy.

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It’s Thursdayyyy. I like that. A lot.

This week has been a bit of a busy one so far, but a great one nonetheless. Here are some noteworthy moments I captured in the midst of the busy-ness.

I made Chocolate Toffee Bark for the first time for a little get-together on Tuesday. It had always been a favorite treat of mine, but I never made it myself. Who knew it was SO easy to make?! Just four ingredients.

Definitely a new go-to recipe.

The bark was definitely a hit, but not as much of a stunner as the incredible rooftop view as the sun set. New York City moment, right there…

That same day I also made a batch of Double Chocolate Chip Heath Bar Cookies as part of a gift for a certain someone. I used a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe but added milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and Heath Bar pieces. They turned out great!

And since I’m all about balance over here at GML, I also made it a point to hit the gym every morning (can you tell by my barely open eyes? haha).

I think this whole exercise thing is finally turning into a habit - as is some better eating choices - like this healthy and filling noteworthy breakfast from Fuel.

(Just because I’m eating better, it doesn’t mean I’ve forgone my beloved Seamless ;))

And this Zing Bar I grabbed from Whole Foods. It’s very LARABAR-esque but with more protein. Loved it.

Definitely noteworthy this week has been the weather. We had some rain here and there, but yesterday in particular was a b-e-a-u-t. It made it the perfect day to run a ton of (mostly wedding-related) errands. From Tribeca, to Union Square, to Times Square, and everywhere in between…

…and yes, I squeezed in just a bit of shopping for myself. My favorite sunglasses broke and just had to be replaced.

Some noteworthy snippets from my devotionals this week:

And last but not least, you know I’m a sucker for good quotes…

 

 

What has been noteworthy about your week so far?
Any new recipes or food finds?

what i’m loving right now.

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Quest Bars. I’ve seen them all over blogs for a while, and I’m on the bandwagon now! I’ve tried a handful of the flavors, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is definitely my favorite.

Hot Buns. It just sounds like something that would be “As Seen On TV,” right? haha. But this is actually a great upgrade from a sock bun – it’s so much easier and secures well.

Soul Doctor. I went with Monica last week to see a preview of Soul Doctor – a musical about Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, and his unlikely friendship with Nina Simone. I loved it! The music, choreography, and story were so entertaining and just plain FUN! The show officially opens on August 15 at Circle in the Square Theatre.

weight training. I used to be quite the cardio queen, but now I have a whole new appreciation for the other side of the gym. I’ve only been at it for a couple of weeks, and I already feel stronger and notice a difference in my body. I actually love feeling sore after a good workout!

Benefit Hoola bronzing powder. I used to wear Hoola years ago and recently returned to it. I can’t remember why we ever broke up! It’s one of the best bronzers out there because it applies light and evenly, and it has the perfect shade – not orangey at all.

snack plates. My favorite SnackFace may not be blogging anymore, but her inspiration lives on.

(left: hard boiled eggs, peach + cinnamon, spoonful of walnut butter)
(right: brussels sprouts + spinach + feta cheese, apple + cinnamon, banana + peanut butter)

goldie nails. Usually in the summer I stick to pinks and pastel polishes, but the other day I felt like glamming it up with Sonia Kashuk Golden Ticket. Why not?

What are you loving right now? Any new makeup/beauty products I should try?

workout jackpot.

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Recently I’ve been wanting to get back on the exercise bandwagon, but all I seem to find myself doing is sporadic 15-20 minutes on the elliptical machine.

And by sporadic I mean like, twice a week. Tops.

I realized that the main reason I hate working out is because I just get so bored. The easiest fix for me is always a good playlist, and Pandora clearly just wasn’t cutting it…

…and then a friend introduced me to KapSlap and this Spring Break mix (which you can download for free on the KapSlap website).

The first 30ish minutes are the best (hello my favorite Lana mix), but the whole thing is perfect - especially for cardio.

What does your workout playlist include?