Hemp Seeds - Room for them in Your Diet? Promo Code

We bought a Ninja Bullet back in the fall and I immediately started making smoothies a couple of times a week for breakfast. I went pretty basic - frozen fruit, yogurt, and orange juice. I'm not quite to the point of going to a green smoothie. But, I really wanted to add more protein into my smoothies, maybe cut back the yogurt.

I started reading about the different seeds you can add to your smoothies, exploring the protein benefits and wondering which seeds I would like the best. I narrowed it down to choosing between chia seeds or hemp seeds, and I was leaning to hemp because I couldn't get the thought of Chia Pets out of my mind. Harry gently reminded me that I should probably check for chia because they would more than likely be more readily available than hemp seeds.

An important note: hemp seeds will not give you a buzz. They are not from the exact same plant as marijuana. Rather, hemp is a cousin.

Shortly after I started looking for seeds to add to my breakfast smoothies, I had the opportunity to try Super Hemp Raw Shelled Organic Hemp Seeds in exchange for my unbiased opinion. What a great way to be introduced!

Hemp seeds are tiny - smaller than sunflower seeds. They have a nutty, almost buttery flavor and an awesome crunch. I immediately started adding about a tablespoon of these morsels to my breakfast smoothies. To me, the mixed texture was nice.

So - what else can you do with hemp seeds? The nutty/buttery flavor makes them an awesome topping for steamed veggies or baked potatoes. Sprinkle some hemp seeds on top of your muffins before baking for an added crunch. Or, stir about a half-cup into your muffin batter. I've been adding a handful to my lunch salads.

Would you be interested in trying Hemp Seeds if you received a 50% discount?

If you've been considering adding more plant-derived protein to your diet like I was, hemp seeds aren't a bad route to go. When you order the Super Hemp via Amazon, you'll also receive a lot of great information and suggestions as to how to use them.

Brookside Dark Chocolate Crunchy Clusters - Product Review

We don't snack a lot. Even the majority of our holiday baking went to work with Harry - we love to make it, we just have one or two nibbles then we're done. But, every once in awhile I'll get this wanting - it might be a simple salt craving that a cracker will satisfy, or a single piece from the candy basket Elliot always checks to make sure isn't empty. (He's SO smart!) (OK, not gonna lie - I'm totally the passive-aggressive Gramma making sure there's something he doesn't eat very often in a low enough space he can see it.)

As a member of CrowdTap, I was given the opportunity to sample the new Brookside Dark Chocolate Crunchy Clusters in exchange for my unbiased review. I was familiar with the Brookside Brand and had sampled many of their chocolate and fruit blends during Costco trips. Competitive grazing - greatest date night invention ever!

I knew that the quality of Brookside was amazing. Their dark chocolate creations have the perfect blend of bitter and sweet that I want in a dark chocolate. I only had one concern in advance of receiving my complimentary sample pack. With my teeth, I prefer to not eat anything super crunchy - I broke a tooth on a corn nut a million years ago.

I gently bit into my first nugget of Brookside Dark Chocolate Crunchy Clusters, ready to stop if I had any concerns. This is the first "crunchy" snack I've tried in years that I didn't worry about breaking a tooth. The "crunchies" are more like crisp cereal bites - think along the lines of the crunch you get with a Krispy/Crunch bar (comparisons for both my Canadian and American relatives - but don't confuse it with a Krispy Krunch bar, because this is nothing like that).

Concerns alleviated, I sampled a few clusters with gusto! When you open the bag, you get a beautiful aroma of fruit with just a hint of chocolate in the air. The dark chocolate and fruit flavors, as with all of Brookside's products, are perfectly balanced. There is a nice balance of textures with smooth chocolate, chewy dried  fruit, and crispy multigrain nuggets.

Originally, when participating in pre-campaign questionnaires, I thought the Brookside Dark Chocolate Crunchy Clusters would be a great addition to a cup of yogurt. Maybe I would eat them alongside some popcorn. My first taste made me think of a wine tasting we went to at a vineyard in Indiana. The final tasting was a sweet wine and they made sure we had a little nibble of chocolate to go with the wine. THAT taste became my perfect pairing.

Shawn brought us a bottle of Marion Mead from Superstition Meadery. This is a nicely balanced mead and the dark chocolate and fruit flavors of the clusters were the perfect nibble with a small glass of mead.

I'm a fan. I haven't seen the Crunchy Clusters in the store yet, but I'll be keeping an eye out for them. The zip-seal package means I can nibble on a few pieces when the urge strikes, but they won't go stale

Kiss Me Organics Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder - Product Review

Our blender broke several years ago. We tried to get by with an immersion blender, but the darn thing didn't do well with frozen fruit. We finally broke down and picked up a Ninja at Kroger so I could make smoothies for my breakfast.

I'm not a "greenie" yet, but my basic breakfast smoothie is some vanilla yogurt, frozen fruit, and orange juice. Over the last month or so, I've been adding Matcha Green Tea Powder for a little extra detox and energy. I received a package of Kiss Me Organics Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder in exchange for my inspection and unbiased review.

I'm new to Matcha Green Tea Powder but have long known the benefits of green tea and drink it often. I've tried the powder several times now and am very happy with it. I do feel better longer through the day after I've had my smoothie with an added teaspoon of matcha. I've also added about a 1/2 teaspoon to my bowl of morning oatmeal. Mixed with items like this, there's no real noticeable taste change to foods I was already eating.

I was given a tip that plain hot matcha might taste a little bitter, so I add just a bit of honey to sweeten it. I didn't read the recommended dosage on the package (1/2 - 1 teaspoon per day) before I tried it, so I accidentally added 2 teaspoons to my first smoothie. I didn't suffer any ill effects. I haven't had the mid-afternoon nap craving since I've started using the matcha.

Kiss Me Organics has sent me several digital pamphlets and recipes via Marketplace and the information in there is invaluable. There's even a few cocktail recipes!

The only slight side effect I might be noticing is an enhanced sensitivity to citrus flavors. Because Matcha's absorption rate is increased when consumed with citrus, I almost always mix it with some orange juice. I'm not saying this is a "bad" side effect, but it's the only thing I can connect it to.

Our Breakfast Casserole and the Danish Dough Whisk - Recipe and Product Review

We've only been making this casserole for about a year, but it's in our monthly rotation. The great thing about this breakfast casserole (for us) is that it heats beautifully. A couple of minutes in the microwave or crumble it up in a skillet for a few minutes. The eggs don't get overcooked and it's a great blast of protein. It also works great if you put it together the night before, then refrigerate and bake in the morning. Munch on some fruit while the casserole is baking and you've got a full meal. Wrap up the leftovers and freeze to add to work meals later.

I received the Danish Dough Whisk in exchange for my inspection and unbiased review. I became a fan. I've always kept a variety of balloon whisks in the kitchen, so this was a new tool for me. It's design helps break up the lumps in pancake or muffin batter quickly, so you don't have to over-mix, causing tunnels and bubbles. Our first batch of pancakes using it were super fluffy! And, the Danish Dough Whisk also works great beating large quantities of eggs.

The handle of the Danish Dough Whisk fits both of our hands well and it is very sturdy. I've also incorporated it into our bread-baking now that I am experimenting with biga. It's also very easy to clean. You can find the whisk at Amazon if you follow this link.

Back to the breakfast casserole:

It took a little experimenting to get the right proportion of all the ingredients for our tastes. I'm not an omelette fan because I don't like snotty eggs, but this breakfast casserole cooks completely through. You might like a couple more eggs, or different veggies, or maybe ham. We like pork sausage, but feel free to use turkey or chicken sausage - whatever YOU like!

Breakfast Casserole - Serves 10

1 pound bulk sausage, browned, drained, cooled
10 eggs, beaten well
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced sweet pepper
1 20-ounce bag refrigerated hash browns (we LOVE the Southwest flavor)*
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

You'll want to cool the sausage prior to adding to the eggs - the eggs will start to set if they get too hot. I usually put it in a paper-towel lined bowl (to absorb the grease) and then set the bowl in a sink partially filled with water to speed up the process.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs well. Then, add the veggies, hash browns, and cheese, then mix well. Add the cooled sausage and mix well.

Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with non-stick spray and pour the mixture in. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, until a knife inserted near the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting to serve.

*You can use your own fresh-shredded potatoes, also. If you'd like to assemble the breakfast casserole the night before baking, you can blanch your shredded potatoes for about 3 minutes in boiling water, then drain and shock with cold water. This will keep the potatoes from turning to mush overnight.




       

AYL Silicone Heat Resistant Grilling BBQ Gloves Set - Product Review

Pot Roast and AYL Silicone Heat Resistant Grilling BBQ Gloves

After receiving the AYL Silicone Heat Resistant Grilling BBQ Gloves in exchange for our inspection and unbiased review, we put them through the paces. While we didn't get pictures of them in action outside with the grill and smoker, Harry made good use of them.

We heated up the smoker one day, but forgot to remove a couple of the extra racks. Rather than trying to finagle the racks out with tools, or just leave them to get greasy from what was cooking above, Harry used the gloves to remove the racks for safekeeping. There was a slight smudge of soot on the silicone gloves, but rather than have to send them through the laundry, we just rinsed them in the sink and let them dry in just a few minutes.

If you know us, you know  that neither of us are petite people. Harry has huge hands and I don't have dainty, girly hands. Exhibit A:

While the fit was a bit snug on Harry's hands, they weren't so large on my hands that I couldn't use them. 

Accessorize Your Life offers a 12-month warranty when you purchase the AYL Silocone Heat Resistant Grilling BBQ Gloves via this link at Amazon. 

Chef Proven Zester/Grater - A Review

Shredding Aged Parmesan Cheese is a Breeze with the Chef Proven Zester/Grater

We were given the opportunity to review the Chef Proven Zester/Grater in exchange for my inspection and review.

We bought a microplane several months ago when we had problems creating a large amount of lemon zest to make homemade limoncello. It's divine, by the way - especially after it's been aging for a year. The microplane worked much better than our box graters - we were able to get more of the zest without the white pith. However, the microplane is about 2 inches wide, and we still didn't have as much control working around the fruit.

I like the 1-inch blade width on the Chef Proven Zester/Grater. I have much more control when it comes to zesting citrus. I can move the Zester/Grater along the rind, rather than moving the fruit along the microplane.

The blades are sharp and easily take care of hard, aged cheeses as well as softer, less-aged cheese. Nutmeg went from nut to dust in a flash. The handle fits nicely in both our (markedly different-sized) hands, and it's a breeze to wash in the sink. When I replace my Harry-model dishwasher, I'll be able to let you know about it's dishwasher capabilities.

Chef Proven offers a satisfaction guarantee and you can buy the Zester/Grater via Amazon at this link: Chef Proven Zester/Grater.

Zester/Grater from Smarty Pants Supplies - Review and Discount Code

Grated Parm with the Zester/Grater from Smarty Pants Supplies

Harry and I have a problem. We like gadgets. Well, some are gadgets, most are tools. Our scary drawer gets cleaned out about once a year, and we fill it again with different tools. I was recently given the opportunity to try the Zester/Grater from Smarty Pants Supplies in exchange for my inspection and review.

I'm old school - Harry honestly is, too. We've had two sizes of box graters in the kitchen for years and that pretty much covers our shredding needs outside of the food processor. Harry takes great joy in shredding cheese and cabbage without shredding his knuckles. But, that box grater has its limits. We can't properly grate nutmeg with it, and even the smallest holes don't work well for finely grated aged Parmesan. Citrus zest doesn't come away as nicely with the box grater.

The timing was perfect because we were just starting our holiday baking and liqueur making. While I forgot to take pictures, I used to Zester/Grater for the nutmeg and orange zest for some Cranberry-Orange Cookies. The ridges are sharp enough that it doesn't take much pressure to remove the zest and leave the white pithy part behind. As for the nutmeg, the smaller width gave me more control and I didn't get any fingernails while grating the hard nut.

The Parmesan in the picture is an aged parm, so it was rather hard. This was a garnish for some tortellini soup and it melted so nicely.

Smarty Pants Supplies offers a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. I can't verify the dishwasher-safe-ness as advertised, but the handle is very comfortable. I tried to bend it, but the whole tool is very sturdy.

You need a Zester/Grater in your kitchen because they have multiple uses. If you order via Amazon via this link, Smarty Pants Supplies will reward you with a 20% discount with the code 47I3CE3H. I can't guarantee how long the discount will last.

Edamam Nutrition Wizard - Review

One of the hardest battles we fight in the kitchen isn't against each other. The battle we wage is trying to eat more healthy. It's obvious from our posts that we enjoy food. Harry's not a fan of veggies. I love to bake (fortunately, neither of us really likes to eat sweets).

I was given the opportunity to review the Edamam Nutrition Wizard in exchange for my inspection and review.

I've used many nutrition analysis websites in the past. Usually, I find them very slow and difficult to work with - especially because we cook primarily from scratch. One of my favorites was SparkPeople, but it worked best with packaged foods. I tried one a few weeks ago through another website. I gave up after entering just my beverages, breakfast, and lunch. It was so slow and clunky.

Edamam Nutrition Wizard is not clunky. It is only similar to others in that it is a web-based nutrition analysis program. The Nutrition Wizard not only analyzes your recipes, you can save them within the system as well. The Plus Version that I tried out also gives the option of exporting your recipes and analysis.

I already have so many of our recipes saved in Word documents, it was easy for me to copy and paste my recipes into the website. A click of the button not only gave me the calorie counts, it confirmed that my recipe was low sodium and free of many dietary restrictions others might have, including gluten, dairy, shellfish, and soy. There is also a breakdown of fat, protein, carbs, and numerous minerals.

You can also use the Eamam Nutrition Wizard to analyze recipes you find while surfing the web or Pinterest. Simply copy the ingredient list into the Wizard, let it know how many servings, and you'll know if that fad "low-fat, low-carb" recipe is as healthy as the poster claims it to be. For the record, our Summer Rice Salad is a very healthy side dish. On the other hand, I'm not sure I'll ever make our Grill Roasted Stuffed Peppers again in their current recipe form.

The Edamam Nutrition Wizard is available for $2.95 per month, and the Plus version - with the ability to print and export the information - is $5.95 per month. I think it's worth $36 a year for any family to learn a little more about the food they are preparing. The system would also be helpful for home-based food businesses to learn a little more about the products they are selling.

Thanksgiving Wines - Tips and Suggestions

Thanksgiving wines have a lot of competition at the table. There are so many flavors in a relatively small area, it is impossible to find just one Thanksgiving wine that will complement all of the dishes. When buying Thanksgiving wine, it is important to find a balanced wine that will not be overwhelmed by all of the seasonings and rich food so often prepared. Avoid a super-dry wine, as the taste of these will be lost. Also, a very heavy-bodied wine will overwhelm some of the lighter dishes available. In this list of 10 Thanksgiving Wines, I have included some general styles of wine as well as specific wines that we enjoy. The specific wineries I've linked to are places we've visited in our travels or wines we have purchased retail. We've received no compensation for this post.

10 Thanksgiving Wines:

1. Pinot Noir - This can be either a red or white wine, and is sometimes included in champagne. Most pinot noir wines I've tasted have been semi-dry and medium bodied, successfully converting this former white zinfandel-only drinker.

2. Riesling - It is possible to find German Rieslings in the United States priced under $20 per bottle. Avoid dry or sweet Rieslings. A lighter Riesling with a medium body will satisfy those who can't drink red wines.

3. Rose - The universal wine. Please avoid boxed varieties.

4. 7 Deadly Zins - This zinfandel blended by Michael-David, while a little heavier than many, and has a balance of several flavors. We've been able to locate this wine during our travels around the United States.

5. Stone Hill Winery's Chambourcin - From Herrmann, MO hails this medium-bodied wine that complements heavy and lighter dishes. Stone Hill Winery will ship to several states.

6. Breitenbach Wine's Roadhouse Red - We enjoy this wine from the heart of Ohio's Amish Country with many types of food. Don't let the semi-sweet designation fool you. This is not a syrupy wine and will appeal to either merlot or semi-sweet wine drinkers. Breitenbach Wine's will ship, with a 21 year old signature required.

7. Ridge Winery's Switzerland County Red - From the birthplace of commercial wine-making in the United States comes another wine that will please semi-dry or semi-sweet drinkers. The Ridge can ship only in Indiana, but is conveniently located between Cincinnati and Louisville, just 15 minutes from I-71.

Completely worth the stop at The Ridge Winery Tasting Room, right on the banks of the Ohio River. They've expanded the tasting room and offer a lot of special events.

8. Lanthier Winery's Cranberry Grande - Cranberries. Thanksgiving. Perfection. Unfortunately, Lanthier Winery does not have an online store. Plan a road trip from Cincinnati or Louisville and follow the Indiana Wine Trail to Madison, IN. As a bonus - they offer a free bottle for every five you buy.

We love to visit Lanthier during the holiday season because they always have dozens of beautifully decorated trees.

9. Breitenbach Wine's Cranberry Wine - Sweet and tart, this wine is always available in mid-November.

10. Ice Wine - A very sweet and decadent dessert wine, ice wines are made from grapes that have been permitted to freeze on the vine. The majority of ice wines are produced in Canada, but it is possible to find good, affordable ice wines from the Great Lakes region.

Don't be afraid of wine. In the words of William Shakespeare "Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used."

Dear Mr. Coffee...never again

I bought this Mr. Coffee coffeemaker on February 2. Today is February 18 and if I had time to go to a store, it would be in the trash already.

When my old Mr. Coffee took a crap after two years in 2007, Harry had found an old percolator when we were moving to the farm. I believe it was circa 1970s due to the ugly floral motif on the side. BUT, that percolator made the best coffee I'd had at home in years - until it finally died a few months later.

Enter Harry's Hamilton Beach coffeemaker. It wasn't very compact but it had all the elements we needed: automatic start, auto-shutoff and reliability. And it was reliable until around the first of the year.

Our coffee routine is simple: I set up the coffeemaker before I go to bed so that the coffee is ready when Harry gets up at 1:00 a.m. to go to work. He has time to drink about one cup and fills his sippy cup with one for the road. That leaves at least a half-pot of coffee for me and unless the cat crawls on my head to wake me up, I try to sleep until 5. Even if I wake up at 3, the warmer has shut off by then. I usually put my first cup in the nuker to warm it up and turn on the burner on the coffeemaker to warm up the rest of it.

We'll forget the fact that maybe I should just make him a half-pot and then make fresh when I wake up.

So, around the beginning of the year I noticed that the warmer didn't always come on when I turned it back on. There were also a few times that I tried to make another half-pot because I was in a mood and it refused to work. I'm used to intermittent wipers but an intermittent coffeemaker is a bad, bad thing.

Timing happened to be working that I had to take Dad to Columbus for a doctor's appointment on February 2 and lo and behold, there was a K-mart right across the road from the office. PERFECT! We went in, headed to the small appliances and I looked around. There was a Hamilton Beach coffeemaker exactly like the one that had just breathed its last - well, almost exactly.

It was red. Never in the more than 25 years of having my own kitchen have I even remotely considered the possibility of decorating with red anything. It would look great in my SIL's kitchen with all of her apple-y decor but not in my log cabin with custom knotty-pine cabinets.

Besides, black hides the splashes better - I'm just being realistic.

So, I selected this compact Mr. Coffee coffeemaker because it had a timer and auto-shutoff. It was $29.99 and when I got to the register, I found out I had $8 in K-mart rewards. Woot woot!!!

Since I brought home this machine two weeks ago, I've not had a decent cup of coffee. Twice in two weeks, the filter has bent over when I move the water arm over it, leading to grounds floating outside of the filter and not only dripping into the coffeepot but just making a general mess inside the basket-holding area. A mess that takes forever to clean because of all the nooks and crannies and the fact that wet coffee grounds are akin to Cream of Wheat - they keep multiplying.

I tried to blame the constant dribbling from the spout on the fact that it was designed by a right-handed person with no consideration for the left-handed consumer. I tried pouring with my right hand and still dribbled everywhere. These aren't drips, they are dribbles. Then, I told Harry about the messy problem and he's having the same issue.

The spout on the carafe is too small - it is intended for people who don't need a cup of coffee in them in order to pour a cup of coffee. It is so small, you can only pour slowly, gently. I want my coffee and I want it now.

So, Mr. Coffee, while I can't return this P.O.S. machine to K-mart because I got rid of the packaging and, honestly, with the price of gas it's not worth the trip, I wanted to let you know that I will never buy anything branded Mr. Coffee again.

DISCLOSURE: Obviously, this product review was not paid for by the Mr. Coffee company. All opinions expressed are my own.