Food Related-Product Reviews

Review and Giveaway: Gorton’s 20 Under 200

April 30, 2013 By NirraP 29 Comments

Now that Spring is here, many of us are thinking about Summer. We are thinking about how we are going to look in our swimsuits after being covered up all winter long. If you live in a place like Florida where the weather is always hot in the Summer, it’s nice when you are in shape. No one wants to cover up in the 100 plus degree weather but when you are not comfortable with your body, that is something you might feel you have to do. What can you do to avoid having to cover up all Summer? Why not try eating healthier.

It was with that thought in mind that I was excited when I was given the opportunity to review some Gorton’s products. Seafood is so light that you know you aren’t overdoing it on the calories. And Gorton’s has 20 products under 200 calories and there are tons of recipes on their site to use them in. We eat Gorton’s seafood and have food it to be good quality at a good price. When my little boy was younger he ate fish stick for a while. He went through a fish sticks phase when he loved fish sticks and ketchup.

Well, I decided to go for something a little more advanced than that. I decided to try the Skillet Crisp Tilapia with Sauteed Greens. I wasn’t really expecting my little boy to be a huge fan of the greens but I thought we’d give it a try. Guess what? He wasn’t a fan of the sauteed greens. However, my child is not a fan of anything green or any vegetable really. Unfortunately, they didn’t turn out as I was hoping. BUT that was my first time making sauteed greens and I’m willing to give it a try again. I totally would put my picture up but…well we won’t go there. Just imagine that mine turned out looking as good as the one that I’m going to put up for you. Look at what we had and try not to drool. And here’s the recipe, in case you wanted to give it a try.

Okay, so that’s not the one that I made but the folks at Gorton’s take pictures that are so much better than what I can do. Trust me. If you want to check out Gorton’s Pinterest page you can see many more recipes. Also, there are some weekly challenges on the Gorton’s Facebook page you might be interested in trying.

Let me tell you all that I got when I got my Gorton’s kit:

Five coupons for FREE Gorton’s products

A Gorton’s Apron

A Gorton’s spatula

2 Gorton’s oven mitts

And guess what? You have the chance to win the same kit. Awesome, right??? Just use the rafflecopter widget below to get your entries in! Hope you win!

Sibu Omega 7 Chocolates: Valentines Day Giveaway

February 1, 2013 By Brooke Leave a Comment

I love chocolates! Who doesn’t? Sibu (my favorite beauty/skin care line) has come out with their own chocolates that are nothing short of delicious. What’s more is that every piece of chocolate has 250 mg of Omega 7…who knew you could get your vitamins in chocolate that tastes so good?!

“Deliciously Healthy, Delightfully Decadent”

Sibu is famous for their use of Omega-7-rich sea buckthorn oil in their skin care products and supplements and now they have brought this into chocolate truffles! They’re chocolate truffles are custom made with a proprietary Belgian liquor chocolate blended with 250 mg of Omega-7-rich sea buckthorn oil in each truffle.

Benefits of Omega-7 include:

>>Nutritional support for skin and mucous membranes
>>Powerful free-radical scavenger
>>Increases vitality
>>Certified Kosher/100% natural
>>May help prevent weight gain

The truffles come in dark mint and milk orange flavors. I knew without a doubt I would love the dark mint but to be honest I wasn’t sure if I would like the milk orange. I have a cousin who loves those chocolate covered oranges that you can get at Christmas time and I’ve never been crazy about them…BUT I can truly say that I do like these milk chocolate orange truffles from Sibu. The dark mint is my fave but I enjoy the milk orange as well.

Buy it: You can purchase Sibu Chocolates online for $17.95 per box, each box includes 8 orange-flavored milk chocolate truffles and 8 mint-flavored dark chocolates for a totally of 16 chocolates.

Win it: Enter to win a box of Sibu Chocolate Truffles for Valentine’s Day! This giveaway will run from 2/1-2/9, you can enter to when using the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chuao Chocolate for the Holidays

November 24, 2012 By Brooke 2 Comments

What are the holidays without a little bit of chocolate… not just any chocolate though, Chuao Chocolates have some of the most amazing chocolate I’ve ever had. Their chocolates are made with natural, non dairy products. Their items range from chocolate bars, to bonbons, truffles and hot chocolate. I, personally, love good chocolate and would be happy to receive any of their chocolates as a gift or in my stocking {hint, hint, just kidding }.

“Chuao Chocolatier is pioneering “fusion chocolate” through a commitment to creating unusual, unexpected and delicious flavors using their secret blend of premium chocolate and fresh natural ingredients.”

I tried the following 3 chocolate bars from Chuao:

Dark Chocolate Nut Nirvana

Luscious dark chocolate that is studded with crunchy whole roasted almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios. Dark Nut Nirvana is pure bliss for those enlightened beings who are nuts about nuts. Formerly known as Caracas Dark. Non dairy, vegan friendly. 100 g/ 3.52 oz per bar

This one was my favorite,

Price: $6.00

Spicy Maya Chocolate

Seductive cinnamon, pasilla chile and warming cayenne bedded in dark chocolate. Non dairy, vegan friendly. 80 g/ 2.8 oz per bar.

I love this one, too, it’s not too HOT, but it has just the right amount of spices… great combination.

Price: $6.00

Maple Bacon Bar

Crisp bites of bacon drizzled with delicate maple sweetness and a sprinkle of bonfire smoked sea salt, bathed in milk chocolate. 80 g/ 2.8 oz per bar

I wasn’t too wild about this combo, it actually wan’t too bad, but it’s not something I would get regularly for myself. My husband and the guys at his work were crazy about this one though.

Price: $6.00

Close ups of the Nut Nirvana bar (yum!):

There is a variety of Chuao Chocolates available, so you will be sure to find a flavor for everyone on your holiday list this year. Find Chuao Chocolates online and on Facebook.

Filed Under: Food Related-Product Reviews, Gift Related Product Reviews, holiday gift guide Tagged With: chocolate

Ranch Chicken Nuggets And Hidden Valley’s Lunch Break For Kids

October 24, 2012 By marie 18 Comments

Lunch Break For Kids

The Chef & Child Foundation (CCF) and the makers of Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® dressings & dips are partnering to host the Lunch Break For Kids fundraiser to showcase how simple, good food can make healthier bodies and stronger family connections, as well as support CCF’s national Childhood Nutrition Day in its mission to promote healthier eating to kids and their families through community-based initiatives.

It seems like only yesterday that my kids were little. Little feet and little hands, and all throughout the house it seems that everything we owned had a tiny counterpart. We had a big couch… the kids had a little one. I had a rocking chair, they had a little rocking chair. We had a big bed, the kids’ were small. Big car, little car. We had grown up dishes, the kids had cute little plates, cups and silverware that worked with small hands. The same thing was true with food. Big food and little people versions. As a home school mom, I was very blessed to be able to spend lunchtime with my kids nearly every day, and both of them liked helping me get things ready. One of their favorite lunches was a little kid version of my Ranch Chicken. For them… Ranch Chicken Nuggets with finger veggies.

Because it is such an easy recipe, is healthy, features Ranch seasonings and is fun for kids to help make, I thought this would be perfect to share with you, while highlighting Hidden Valley’s Lunch Break For Kids program. Helping kids learn that healthy food is good food doesn’t have to be hard. And it’s one of the things you can do as a parent that can have a lasting impact with your kids- both my teens love broccoli, request my veggie soup all the time, and have been known to order the steamed veggies when we go out to eat. I’m calling that success.

So. Here is the recipe for my kid friendly version of Ranch Chicken–Ranch Chicken Nuggets.

Enjoy!!

You will need a cookie sheet/baking pan, spatula, gallon sized zip baggie, measuring cups and spoons.

1 lb. chicken, cut into bite size pieces.

* Tip- if you are using frozen chicken, only let it thaw partway, so it’s easier to cut. On the other hand, if your chicken is thawed/fresh, just throw it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Slightly frozen is much easier to handle*

2/3 cup bread crumbs (regular plain or panko)

1/3 cup fine shredded cheese (I prefer Italian blend, but whatever suits your fancy will work)

1/4 cup egg substitute or 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp. milk (I like skim- use whatever you like)

2 full tbsp. Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning (I used Fiesta Ranch for a kick, but Original is delicious)

Salt/pepper to taste

Assorted veggies, cut into finger-food-sized pieces

2-3 Romaine lettuce leaves

Hidden Valley Ranch Single Serve cups (or just pour your Hidden Valley Ranch into little cups for dipping)

*When cooking with the kids, I would pre-cut the chicken and put it in a bowl, and then let them measure the other ingredients into bowls. So, in the instructions, I’m assuming you have done that, too.*

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Pour bread crumbs, cheese, and Hidden Valley Ranch seasonings into gallon sized baggie. Shake to mix well. My kids liked dumping everything in the bag, then jumping up and down to “mix.”

Pour egg mixture over chicken pieces. Little ones think it’s fun to get their hands all slimy while making sure the chicken is evenly coated with egg mixture. Take a break to wash hands.

Place coated chicken in gallon baggie and let your kids shake, squeeze and mush until well coated with breadcrumb mixture.

Place on cookie sheet lightly sprayed with oil.

Place in 400 degree oven for 15- 20 minutes, until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink.

Arrange on plate. Add veggies on a lettuce leaf along with dip. Tell your kids what fantastic helpers and incredible cooks they are, and eat up!!

Click on the location tab here for a local Lunch Break for Kids fundraiser or a Childhood Nutrition Day volunteer location in your area to join, or start one of your own.

The Hidden Valley® Original Ranch®, dressings & dips has provided me with free product to help with my review, but anything I receive from Hidden Valley does not affect my thoughts on its company or their product.

Filed Under: Food Related-Product Reviews, Recipes Tagged With: Health, recipes

Give The Gift Of Healthier Water With Alkamate

October 4, 2012 By marie 14 Comments

Water. It covers three quarters of our planet but we don’t really think about it that much. It’s just there…until you are in a drought or you live somewhere where your tap water tastes like chlorinated mud. The water we drink today has been cleaned and has had so many chemicals added to it that the minerals like calcium, potassium and magnesium are often absent. And instead of the good things our bodies need- water often has things like chlorine, rust, manure, nitrates, bacteria, heavy metals and many other unsafe and even toxic substances in it!

Of course, you might be fine because you buy bottled water right? Well, here’s the kicker, depending on the brand- your bottled water might just be from the municipal water supply from some other town, and not really that artesian well water you thought you were buying! Even supposing you are getting “good” water every day…are you really drinking the best water for your body?

Are you drinking alkaline water?

There is a difference between clean water and clean alkaline water. What is alkaline water? Well, the ideal pH balance of the human body is between 7.3 to 7.4 and the only way to maintain or attain it in the first place is to follow an alkaline diet and by drinking alkaline water. Alkaline water has a pH of approximately 8 (depending on the brand or the equipment used to alkalize the water) and normal water has a neutral pH, which is 7 on the scale. Water can also be slightly acidic.

There are said to be many benefits to alkaline water, and on the other side of the fence there are those that say it doesn’t matter. After reading as much as I could find, and drinking it myself, I am one of those that do believe that alkaline water is valid, healthy and that it DOES convey benefits to your body. So many diseases and health issues are acidic related. Neutralizing acids in the body, through diet and drinking alkaline water may:

1. Boost your immune system.

2. Increase your blood oxygen levels

May help prevent:

3. Arthritis or joint pain (this I know about as I personally experienced a lessening of my oft talked about joint pain)

4. Gout

5. Candida

6. Psoriasis

7. Water retention

8. May help prevent weight gain/accelerate weight loss

9. Help with increased energy

10. Help with improved sleep

11. Keep your body hydrated and give energy, naturally- no stimulants

And there are many, many other issues it addresses.

Great! But you’ve seen the prices on bottled alkaline water. You just looked around to see what filters for your house cost…how can you and your family drink alkaline water and do so affordably?

You can use the portable HL4Y AlkaMate like I am! Made to be sturdy (you will be surprised at the weight- I expected a typical water filter type construction and was amazed at how solid this was) the AlkaMate neutralizes the the acid in your water.

Made of 304 food grade stainless steel, and available in a variety off colors, it has two filters made of tourmaline and a mineral called maifanite. It also has 13 minerals and this combination is what will alkalize your water.

I am using my AlkaMate every day and I love it! Like I said, I personally experienced the lessening of the joint pain I deal with- not morphine relief – but enough that I could say “hey- I can tell it’s helping” I also noticed, as did hubs, that it absolutely helps with fatigue and energy levels, but without that caffeine effect. This might not make sense but I’m going to call it gentle energy. You feel up, but not skittery.

It’s easy to use- basically you pour your water in, shake for 10 or 15 seconds, wait 15 minutes the drink up! It only needs cleaning 1x per month by adding one spoon full of white vinegar and water to your AlkaMate- and then you let it sit for an hour. Wash with hot water and that’s it! They send a really well made carry pouch with the bottle so you can take your healthy water with you everywhere. I think this is an excellent gift idea this holiday season. The colors are very pretty and the size and shape are just right.

If you are interested in a well priced counter top or under sink system you can go to the HL4Y site and browse their other products. Make sure to take a peek at the FIT Detox Foot Bath while you are there! They are on Twitter and Facebook also.