Smooth Operator: Sherwood Valley Juice Co Smoothie Review and Giveaway!

http://www.sherwoodvalleyjuice.com/home

Mmmmm.... smoothies! If you are like me and my family, you know that a good home made smoothie is a healthy and delicious way to start the day.  As a matter of fact, I even wrote a blog post about how we got on the smoothie band wagon about a year and a half ago, and you can read that post HERE.

One of the main reasons I like smoothies so much is that you are in complete control of the ingredients going in, so you can decide what kinds of healthy, clean eating, ingredients you want to put into your breakfast each morning.  And, when your kids aren't looking, you can dump all kinds of stuff they would turn their noses up at if they saw!  Yes.. I'm not above jamming kale and spinach in our kids smoothies if they aren't watching.   That being said, even with a speedy Vitamix, there are occasions where you just don't have the time or energy to make a smoothie.  And here is where Sherwood Valley Juice Co. comes in.  

Ok... I know what you are thinking.  Yes... processed foods should be avoided, and who knows what kind of weird stuff gets thrown into instant mixes etc... right?  That is where Sherwood Valley proves this normally appropriate philosophy wrong.  When I was contacted to try out these instant smoothie mixes, I was a little hesitant.  But, after reading all of the info on their website, and perusing the ingredients list, I was impressed.

Basically, Sherwood has managed to combine a lot of great, healthy ingredients, and then suck every last drop of water out... leaving it to you to reanimate it... well, not make it come alive really, but you know what I mean.

Here is a great example from one of their five flavors of smoothies. I love an ingredients list that I can completely understand, and includes things that I, for the most part, could and would toss in a blender if I had them all.

Ok... so great.  Terrific ingredients in a convenient package.  But, do they mix well? Do they taste good?

So, to find out, I grabbed the Cascade Berry Bliss packet, from the 5 pack sampler I was sent.  For this initial testing, I didn't use a blender, I simply followed the directions to add 12 oz of water and to shake for 10 seconds.  That's it!  Still a little wary, I poured it directly into to glasses... and yes, gave it to our boys first :-).  If it passed the kids test, that was a good sign. 

They loved it!  And so did I!  And, as you can see above.. even with a quick 10 second shake, it looks very similar to the smoothies I blend up every morning, and tasted terrific.  Now, it was not as cold, since it was not blended with frozen berries, but besides that it was excellent... and talk about super easy and super fast!

Needless to say, we worked our way through the other packets quickly.   There are five flavors available...three which I would call more of a fruit smoothie which are Cascade Berry Bliss, Citrus Sunrise, and Tradewind Islands.  The other two flavors are what I would call "green" smoothies, which carry more of a unique flavor, and less fruity. 

We really enjoyed the fruity flavors, kind of liked Farmers Market Blend, and really really tried to like the Produce Row Blend..... but both my wife and I just couldn't get into the flavor. I think what stood out was the strong clove flavor, combined with the other ingredients...   we actually didn't finish that one.  BUT.. to each his or her own...  my guess is that this flavor is like cilantro... either you love it, or you think someone washed your mouth out with soap! 

Last but not least, these packets are not inexpensive.  Currently, when ordered on their website, the individual pouches run $3.79 each.  Granted, that is still cheaper than a Frappuccino, and certainly much better for you!  And the convenience is tough to beat. However, you can reduce that cost by buying it in bulk tubs of your favorite flavor.  Also, for the month of June you can get free shipping on your order by using the code FREESHIP06 .

But! If you have been following Barefoot Inclined, you know what's next.  YES... you can win a 10 pack of pouches (mixed pack of 2 of each flavor, and a $39.99 value) by entering below! In the comment entry, let me know what the weirdest thing is you've put in a smoothie!

I'll run this contest until 10pm MST, Thursday June 20th.  Open to residents of the U.S. only. 

Good luck and happy trails!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Sherwood Valley Smoothies for free from Sherwood Valley Juice Co as coordinated by Deep Creek PR an Outdoor Industry Public Relations Company in consideration for review publication.