Last Friday some POMx Ice Coffee arrived at my doorstep.

Very important information here: POMx Ice Coffees do not contain pomegranates, they contain POMx, a highly-concentrated (and powerful) blend of polyphenol antioxidant from pomegranates. They are made from hormone free milk and organic cane sugar, contain 175 mg of caffeine (about the same as a cup of coffee) and between 170 and 190 calories and 0 – 3 g of fat per serving (one bottle). They cost $2.99 each.

I am sad to say that personally did not like these. I really like POM as a company and like their efforts to incorporate healthy things into my drinks. but, I found them extremely sweet and artificial tasting. And maybe it would help you to know that although I drink one or two cups of coffee in the morning, I would be the last person to ever order coffee flavored anything.

Because I wanted to give POMx a fair shot and review, I recruited some more taste testers for a variety of opinions for you. Bring on Hangry Mark, Mike and Chrissy.

First, we would all like to say we love the bottles – shape and design. V nice.

First flavor: Chocolate.

Mark actually bought a bottle of this at GNC a month or so ago and really liked it. He thinks it tastes like chocolate milk and felt a huge caffeine boost after consuming one.

Mike and Chrissy both liked it as well, but both noticed the same thing – it kind of tastes like Ensure or a similar bottled drink, but without the chalky taste. No one found the coffee flavor overwhelming to be very strong in this flavor.

Mark was a fan. Having previously purchased this flavor at GNC he was able to share an experience where the caffeine dosage immediately made him tingle and extremely … aware.

Next up, Cafe au Lait.

I think this face sums up the feeling of the group.

Mark thought it tasted like “provolone cheese” and Michael (above) thought it tasted like “the old coffee at the bottom of the pot, but cold.”

Chrissy (not pictured) read there was a vanilla and was sad that our sampling did not include this flavor. I concur.

I hate giving negative reviews. Like Thumper’s mom taught him and my mom taught me, if I don’t have something nice to say, I’d rather say nothing at all. But POM sent it to Mark and I and asked for feedback, so hopefully, it will help readers wondering which flavor to try and POM when trying to decide what flavors to make.

So, there you have it – five people opine on POMx with a thumbs up to the Chocolate, a thumbs down to the Cafe au Lait and two thumbs wishing we got to try the vanilla.  I  love the hormone free milk and we can verify that that there is indeed a caffeine boost and this is a fun way to get that.

Saturday night we had some friends visiting, so I thought it was the perfect time to try out a new fast food restaurant near our apartment. Yes, you read that right. I brought my friends to a fast food restaurant.

I saw Elevation Burger being built earlier this summer. I assumed it was a standard fast food burger place and thought the location was a bit strange given the progressive, trendy area it’s in. A fast food burger place doesn’t really fit in on Bloomfield Ave. in Montclair. So, I went home and read about it online. I was impressed with the mission and goals of the restaurant and was confident it would be good.

You see, at Elevation Burger “Ingredients Matter.”

It’s a burger place with more vegetarian options than meat options (two kinds of veggie burgers. grilled cheese and salads) and French Fries cooked in Olive Oil. And the beef they do serve is organic, grass fed and free range.  It’s a fast food restaurant with bamboo floors and ceilings that is committed to the environment and sustainability.

We ordered at the counter and 10 minutes later were enjoying our greasy burgers that arrived swaddled in paper in neat metal trays.

I chose Veggie Burger #2, a vegan burger reminiscent of a larger and heartier Veggie Medley Garden Burger. It came on a light and fluffy light roll and I asked for lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and caramelized onions.

I added ketchup.

I wouldn’t say that my actual burger was out of this world in the taste department, but it was definitely better than some I’ve gotten at restaurants. My only criticism was the lack of whole wheat buns. What’s up with that? You can, however, get your burger on lettuce instead of bread!

Mark and I also shared some fries. I couldn’t taste the olive oil, but they were not greasy or salty at all.

My non-vegetarian friends also ordered Veggie Burger #1s. They both loved it and I was so happy for them! They’ve both had nasty frozen veggie burgers before and agreed that these were much better.

Also at our party was a Grilled Cheese.

And 3 of the Mini Chocolate Chip Pecan Oatmeal Cookies. Oh my god these were phenomenal. They were soft, chewy, delicious and the perfect size! I loved it!

I felt happy eating my food. Small changes can add up and make a difference. There were a lot of little kids with their families and I was thinking about how  interesting and different their “burger and fries” experiece and memories. would be.  Progress.