Simple Squares: Simple Ingredients
I found Simple Squares at the Fancy Food Show last January, and they were also featured at the Gluten & Allergen Free Expo last month. The makers of Simple Squares were kind enough to send a sample package to me. I was really impressed with the quality of ingredients and the different/unique flavors. Each flavor is made with five ingredients, and they happen to be all natural and organic.
The flavor line-up includes Cinna-Clove, Coconut, Coffee, Rosemary (my favorite), and Sage. Coming soon will be Ginger. The bars are not overly sweet and actually a little bit savory. With those components, I could almost see them cut into small pieces on a cheese plate, and paired with wine as an appetizer or a dessert.
But the company’s founder Kimberly Crupi Dobbins (whom I met at the Fancy Food Show) says she developed Simple Squares after traveling extensively (42 straight days) and being advised to follow an elimination diet. Which I am sure if any of you have tried to cut wheat, sugar, and dairy from your diet and tried to have a snack at an airport or even on a plane, you know it’s pretty tough. Kimberly says, “Refusing to compromise yet recognizing the need to indulge, I set out on a mission to create great tasting and healthy snacks.”
Simple Squares are high in protein, low in sodium and sugars, contain no wheat, gluten, dairy, soy, or corn, and no refined sugar brown rice syrup, or agave nectar. Sounds perfectly Paleo to me. 
You can buy Simple Squares directly from their website or find them in your area by entering your zip code in the Store Locator here.
You can find Simple Squares on Facebook here and follow them on twitter here.
Cauliflower “Breadsticks” Recipe & Wild Garden Hummus
At this year’s San Francisco Winter Fancy Food show, I saw that one of my favorite products (Wild Garden Hummus) was on display. This product is not considered “paleo” or “primal”, as it’s main ingredient is garbanzo beans (not accepted in the paleo diet), but I personally find it to be a nutritious and delicious snack food, and healthier than bacon (which is double the calories and fat per serving and completely accepted by paleos.) Wild Garden Hummus is completely portable, convenient and does not need to be refrigerated until opened.
Wild Garden Hummus comes in jars, triangle-shaped tetra packs, and boxed with a bag of pita chips for the ultimate snacker. 
I took pictures of the products that the vendor sent home with me, and also a picture of the product on sale at one of my sponsors: Nugget Market (at West Sacramento, last week).
Wild Garden Hummus comes in 6 flavors: Traditional, Sun Dried Tomato, Roasted Garlic, Jalepeno, Fire Roasted Red Pepper, and Black Olive.
2 heads of cauliflower
2 tablespoons of Italian seasonings
(mix anything you like: basil, oregano, rosemary, fennel, garlic, onion powder, red pepper flakes)
4 eggs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, not the powder kind, the GOOD kind.
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Steam cauliflower until it is mushy and almost overly cooked. I do it in the microwave and it takes a while. You could even cook the cauliflower the night before and do the remaining steps the next day. Cool slightly (so you don’t prematurely cook the eggs) and pulse in a food processor with the eggs until you form a purée.
3. Add your spice mixture and pulse until well combined.
4. Add the parmesan sheet and pulse until the cheese is also incorporated.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Invest in a roll of parchment paper. It’s well worth the sticks NOT sticking to your pan. Spread the cauliflower mixture on the parchment in an even, medium thick layer (3/4 in thick).
6. Place in oven and bake until the sticks start to dry out and turn golden brown. Then, remove from oven.
7. Flip bread over and cut it into “sticks”. Top with a little more cheese if desired. Place under oven broiler to complete the browning and get the sticks slightly crispy. Watch closely to prevent burning.
Tip: Don’t roll out the mixture too thin on the baking sheet, and don’t skip step 7! It really gets the breadsticks more like “breadsticks”…crispy/chewy on the the outside and softer in the middle.
Enjoy! Is it Friday yet?
Updated: Tanka Bars: Ain’t no Bull, It’s Buffalo!
Mmm… meat candy. That’s how I would describe the Tanka Bar. It’s a jerky-type bar made of buffalo and dried cranberries. Flavor-wise, it’s got a sweet and savory combination that I really love.
I also love the small amount of ingredients used to make them: Buffalo, Dried Cranberries (cranberries, sugar), Water, Salt & less than 2% of Flavorings, Red Pepper, Granulated Garlic, Granulated Onion, Lactic Acid Starter Culture.
They are surprisingly low calorie, and make a great breakfast or afternoon snack. They are small and compact, and perfect to pack on a camping or hiking trip.
Tanka…What a funny little name. What does it mean? From the Tanka website: “In Lakota, Tanka means large or great. It changes depending on how it is used when spoken. What Tanka means to me is a little different. When I see people doing good for themselves and their families, that is Tanka.
When I see people saying good words and backing it up with good actions — when there is no separation in someone’s belief and their reality — that is Tanka.”
The only thing not so “Tanka” is the price of the bar. They retail for about $3 apiece. However, if you use the promo code CAVEGRRL during checkout when you shop the Tanka store, you’ll get 15% off on REGULARLY-priced items. The code is not valid on specials and is good until June 30th!
You can follow Tanka Bar on twitter here and find them on Facebook here.
