Barney Butter!

Awhile back, after I posted about my boss's recent dietary restrictions, Jennifer Barney of Barney Butter fame contacted me to offer each my boss and I a FREE jar of Barney Butter -- she hoped since my boss was unable to eat so many of her former favorite things, that offering her something new to try would allow her to fall in love with a new product! What a kind and generous thing to do!

I FINALLY got around to cracking open my jar of Barney Butter this morning:

I must be honest -- I've never fallen for almond butter in the past. (It has always seemed very "dry" or "pasty" to me.) Regardless, I toasted a bagel and gave the Crunchy Barney Butter a healthy test-drive:

Verdict? This is some damn fine nut butter! Can you see the size of those "crunches??" And no more dry, pasty mouthfeel -- the Barneys add a little evaporated cane juice, a little palm fruit oil, and a little salt, which significantly improves both texture and flavor, in my opinion. (These additions also make the nut butter shelf-stable and no-stir!) Almonds are also higher in calcium and iron than peanuts, and lower in saturated fat, so Barney Butter is even a healthier choice, too!

My ONLY gripe would be that it isn't organic -- almond trees tend to be heavily sprayed, and it's recommended that if one enjoys almonds every day, to choose organic ones. Maybe the Barneys will come out with an organic variety soon????

I haven't seen Barney Butter carried on store shelves locally, but I'll have to work on my co-op and see if they'll bring it in. :)

Lastly, Barney Butter is processed in an almond-only facility, so it's safe for those with severe peanut allergies! How can you go wrong?

Thank you, Jennifer, for offering both my boss and I a try of your awesome product!