Official Product Review: Artisana Nut Butters

The word of the day is: YUM. And I have the good people at Premier Organics to thank for inspiring it.

They sent me a box chock full of the Artisana Organic Nut Butter samples you see above, including two full jars of Cacao Bliss and Cashini. As a result, I'm left with nothing else to say but—YUM! Holy yum, actually. And I'm not REALLY left with nothing else to say. Me...speechless? Yeah, OK. And dogs fly. So check it:

This stuff is good, really good. I love my almond butter, who hasn't eaten some peanut butter, and you might be familiar with tahini if you've ever made hummus from scratch. But cashew butter? Macadamia nut butter? Pecan butter? Walnut butter? Coconut butter?! Yeah, I know. Sweet stuff.

I gathered one unsuspecting apple and a half-eaten banana, plus my favorite knife. Yes, I have a favorite knife! (It's shorter, wider and generally just cuter than all my other knives. Go ahead, make fun of me.) Then I dove right in. First thought? I'm in love with the Cacao Bliss. Ever eat those chocolate Christmas cookies with the mint dot in the middle? They taste just like that. I mean, spot on. And there's nary an ounce of coconut in them. But there is coconut in this little jar of chocolate love. Let it be heard that I'm a tough sell on coconut. Sometimes I love it, other times I think its too overpowering. Clearly in this case it's just right. Perfect, actually. Especially when I put it on the banana. (Chocolate and apple...don't think so.) And I'll have you know the Almond Butter is pretty perfect, too. I'm still trying to decide if I like it more than MaraNatha's (my go-to). What might be the clencher? The list of ingredients: 100% raw almonds. That's it! I think MaraNatha puts some cane juice in theirs which sweetens it up a bit, but this stuff is sweet from the get-go.

Not as sweet—the Cashini. It's a cross between Cashews and Tahini (that which makes hummus). Now, I love me some hummus and cashews are delish. So the combination of the two sits well with me, though I didn't really like it on my apple. I think it needs a turkey sandwich or some pretzels. Something not as sweet as fruit. And it could, quite possibly, make a healthy base for a nutty salad dressing of sorts. I don't know...just thinkin'.

Regardless, I can't wait to try out the rest of my samples. Especially the Coconut Butter and Coconut Oil. I see a lot of recipes out there that call for one or both, and I can never make them because I can never FIND them. So maybe I have enough in these packets to give one a go. I'll let you know, of course, if I do end up making something. In the meantime, check out your local natural/organic market and get yourself a jar. Can't find it? You can always shop online. It's worth it. After all, each one is organic. Gluten and peanut free. Without sugar, preservatives and artificial flavors. Basically, it's "raw life energy from sun to plant to body."

Can't beat that! I'd say that's just what the fit body ordered. Wouldn't you? Speaking of ordering—I'm starting my Christmas shopping today. Let's just hope I don't have to order anything online this year. Waiting for packages to arrive just kills my fingers. They get so cramped from being crossed in great anticipation that the stuff actually arrives on time.

Question: Which Artisana product would you buy if you were at the store right now? And if you've ever tasted an Artisana product, tell me about it!