Fiber One Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

I feel like my area was the last one to get in the Fiber One Strawberry Cheesecake Bars. Typically I'm a fan of Fiber One products, but I eat their products very sparingly because the added fiber in their products can give me a world of a tummy ache. But low and behold after spotting them at Target I picked up a box (these also come in Salted Caramel).

The cheesecake bars themselves are the same size as all other Fiber One products. There's not much else to say about these other than the fact they do really taste like cheesecake. They have that crumbly crust, soft gooeyish enter with a nice jelly consistency strawberry jam running down the top of it. They're mildly sweet, but certainly not sweet enough to overwhelm the taste buds.  A few folks have said putting them in the refrigerator only intensifies the cheesecake experience.

Overall, these are quite good. They do give you that cheesecake vibe without the absorbent amount of calories/points your average cheesecake brings to the table. So, that alone is a win in my book.

A serving is 150 calories or 4 points plus values.

Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter Cheesecake

I purchased this Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter Cheesecake in December and popped it into the freezer. The idea was to have it around the holidays ... but with all the craziness that comes with the holiday hustle and bustle the cheesecake sat in the freezer untouched. For Easter I decided to opt out of making a dessert and serving this up to my family. 

 

The cheesecake is sold frozen and the directions state to defrost in the refrigerator or defrost at room temperature. The defrost times vary depending on the method you choose. This is your classic cheesecake, with a unique twist - added cookie butter on top. The crust if a crumbly, yet firm graham cracker crust, the cheesecake layer is smooth and creamy and the cookie butter smeared on top gives the whole dish a sweet, ginger snap flavor. It is sweet, but not as sweet as say a turtle cheesecake.  A single serving of cheesecake is definitely enough to satisfy ones sweet tooth.

 

Overall it was a smash hit for our holiday dessert - everyone that had a piece was equally pleased with how scrumptious is was.

 

Just in case you are a little bummed this isn't sold in stores at the present time, have no fear, Trader Joe's has mini bite versions of this available in the freezer section. They're basically the same thing, just cut into square miniature bites instead of served as a whole cheesecake.

 

A serving, 1/6th of the cheesecake, is 410 calories or 11 points plus values.

Birthday Dinner – Not Your Average Joe’s style

A local chain restaurant, Not Your Average Joe’s, has a really nice “reward” program for customers on their birthdays.  When you sign up for their e-mail club, you are e-mailed a certificate for a free dinner entrée and dessert – which is valid for a few weeks before and after your birthday.

What I typically order is no longer offered on the menu, which meant I had to figure out what I wanted to eat on the fly.  A quick glance over the menu I decided to go with the Java Pork Tenderloin.  I ordered the pork because it sounded yummy and I know in the back of my mind that pork tenderloin is one of the leanest meats and it was a step outside of the normal chicken box.

According to the menu, the Java Pork Tenderloin is a “rubbed with sumatran coffee with hints of smoky cedar and cinnamon, grilled and topped with orange chipotle bbq glaze, with mango jicama slaw and jalapeno spiked cornbread.”  Now, I am a coffee lover – so coffee rubbed meat? Count me in!  I ate probably ¼ of my food because I admit the bread and dipping oil reeled me in (I’m weak when it comes to Not Your Average Joe’s onion bread and parmesan hot pepper oil).

The nutrition information for this meal is not provided on the website so I had to wing what I assumed to be the points plus values. I guestimated 11 points plus for the pork, 3 points plus values for the slaw and 14 points plus values for the corn bread (because it was HUGE). I ate about a fourth and ended up putting the rest in the fridge.  By the next day, the slaw was a little soggy and the corn bread was wet so I was left with the pork loin – which I was secretly happy for because the cornbread would have been screaming at me “EAT ME!”

For dessert I ordered my staple Crème Brûlée Cheesecake.  Since it was to go, it was sans whipped cream and raspberries (they were replaced with strawberries which I enjoy more).  According to the menu, “we’ve blended the most popular desserts—creamy cheesecake with a caramel drizzle, fresh whipped cream and raspberries.”  I’m glad this is a staple on their menu because I had it last year for my birthday and fell in love (I normally don’t order desserts unless we’re at a Greek restaurant). It’s just delicious and my boyfriend also enjoys it – so it’s great to be able to share my sweets with my sweet!  The whole slice of cheesecake is calculated to be 13 points plus values.

QUESTION:

Are you comfortable eating out at restaurants and/or having to change your mind on a food choice on the fly?