Thursday, May 31, 2012

Pure Matters Gummy Vitamin And Complete Probiotic-Review


Most parents are really paying attention to what they put in their kids mouths and what they put on their body for body wash, sunscreen, etc.  I'm one of them, the more I read the more appalled I am.  I recently tried out a few new products to our household and was pleasantly surprised!

Both my five year old daughter and myself tried out the Gummy Multi vitamin created by Pure Matters.  We have tried a number of gummy vitamins that tasted like candy and were yummy but, artificial in some ways.  The Pure Matters Gummy Vitamins are natural and do not contain sugar!  I was surprised at the flavor because they were so yummy! I really have to hide these from my daughter because even though it has a child proof cap, she tries to get into them so that I can give her more.  I've had the standard talk about the safety of taking too much vitamins but, these are so good, they're like a treat to her.  The standard for her age is two a day.

Next, I tried out the Probiotic which is really a Pro and Pre biotic.  It contains fiber as well.  I wanted to try it out for a bit before writing about it.  They are sold in gel cap form.  You get a hint of the fiber flavor when taking them but, they aren't hard to take.  After a bit of taking them you can definitely tell they contain fiber, if you know what I mean ;).  Probiotics are such an important part of our daily diet, especially if you're not taking it in other forms.  I do try to buy a yogurt that is full of good bacteria but, we don't drink kefir and there are some other foods with natural Probiotics in them that my family won't eat.

Overall, I've really enjoyed trying these out and seeing the quality of both of these products.  I would definitely recommend the Gummy vitamins to anyone with kids because they don't contain many allergy containing foods and are sugar free!

*thanks to Pure Matters for sharing your products with us for review*

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Wordless Wednesday-Bored


Monday, May 21, 2012

Making Tuesday Tasty-Grilled Chicken With Basil Dressing

Summer is right around the corner, or if you live in the SW area, it's already here. My house gets so warm during the Summer months and I hate cooking at all in the house.  Here's a recipe for grilling that will tickle your taste buds!

Ingredients

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus 1/4 cup
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 3 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
1 large garlic clove
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Directions

Whisk 1/3 cup of oil, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, fennel seeds, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper in a resalable plastic bag. Add the chicken and seal the bag. Massage the marinade into the chicken. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day, turning the chicken occasionally. Meanwhile, blend the basil, garlic, lemon peel, remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a blender until smooth. Gradually blend in the remaining 1/3 cup oil. Season the basil sauce, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.

 Prepare the barbecue for medium-high heat or preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from the marinade. Discard the marinade. Grill the chicken until just cooked through, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to serving plates, drizzle with the basil sauce and serve.

Fragrancenet.com For Father's Day!


Fragrancenet.com is a site I came across recently while shopping for Father's Day.  My husband is in the market for some new cologne since he hasn't gotten any in a few years.  His is getting old and smelling different.  I also wanted to get him something different since he has had the same scent for a few years now.

I really liked the selection and options FragranceNet has.  They have fragrances available that are both tried and true, and they have new up and coming fragrances.  All of these are at a discount of some sort.  Because I wanted something for Father's Day, I chose a fragrance that my husband has tried out and worn in the past.  I knew I liked it on him and it's been years since he's worn it.  I selected Emporio Armani for men.  This cologne has a nice spice to it, with undertones of woods and musk.  Once on him, it mixes well with his chemistry and even becomes a little sweet.  I love it on him, it's masculine and not too overpowering!

FragranceNet offers shipping deals at times, and they also offer discounts along with normally marked down from retail prices.  They also don't just carry name brand fragrances, they also carry aroma therapy items, skincare, and more.  This site is NOT for knock-offs, it's for genuine name brand items that are listed.

Buy It

Get Dad something awesome for Father's Day this year and give him his favorite fragrance!

Special

FragranceNet is offering my readers their own 15% off coupon code if you order by June 29, 2012.  Just enter MEBT7 during checkout and receive the discount.


Stay Tuned because this will be part of my big giveaway for Father's Day beginning June 1, 2012!


*thank you to fragrancenet.com for providing me with cologne for review*

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Wordless Wednesday-Birthday Cake


Tuesday, May 15, 2012

A Great American Days Experience!

Father's Day can be an incredibly difficult day to plan or buy for.  Most dads want things that just don't ring a bell with the women in their lives.  Yes men, it can be just as difficult to navigate around a man centered holiday as it is for you to buy us something!

While browsing websites recently for Father's Day gifts, I came across one that completely caught my eye.  This site was unique, it created an experience for anyone that you wanted it to be for, and had plenty of events in my area.  Great American Days is the name of the company, and you just have to browse this site, at least once!

Experience is what they are selling and experience is what you'll get.  This company pairs with local companies in your area that are offering an "experience of a lifetime". The experiences that you can purchase to name a few are airborne, spa and being well, wine and gourmet, and venues and attraction.  This is only a few of the categories you get to experience should you choose a package.

What I would rate at the top of my list of things I like about this site are customer service, and package types and sizes.  Their customer service was outstanding when confirming things for me.  I also received detailed confirmation via email.  Customer service can not be skimped on, especially in a service related field and they did a great job!  Also, I love the fact that depending on what you want to experience there is a scale.  You can pay a little or a lot and still have a great time!

My husband got to have a first hand experience through Great American Days and I'm going to share a few photos to narrate.  We were given the option to go to Phoenix International Raceway to experience a ride along in a stock car.  He of course has never experienced anything like this, so he was curious how it would go.  The stock cars were the cars that actually would race in a NASCAR like setting, and you are able to go five laps in the ride along.




I'm so excited about this company that I'm going to have to browse to do a little shopping of my own for me from my husband, ha ha.  I like companies that think outside the box when it comes to gift ideas and I love that they try to offer many types of experiences for the customer.  I am definitely one of those happy customers!

Check Great American Days out on Facebook, and be sure to stay tuned for an amazing Father's Day giveaway here on my blog that includes a prize from Great American days!

*thank you to greatamericandays.com for providing me with this experience for review*

Making Tuesday Tasty-Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake

This recipe comes highly rated, I have not prepared it myself but, wanted to pass it along.  Recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com.



Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup brown rice flour
  • 2/3 cup cornstarch
  • 2/3 cup tapioca flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable shortening
  • 2/3 cup white sugar
  • 3/4 cup skim milk
  •  
  • 4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
  • 2 cups reduced-fat whipped topping

Directions

  1. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Whisk the rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt together in a bowl; set aside. Grease a baking sheet, or cover with a sheet of parchment paper.
  2. Beat the shortening and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Pour in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing until just incorporated. Drop onto the prepared baking sheet into 8 equal portions.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown on the bottoms, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove, and cool on a wire rack to room temperature.
  4. Once cool, slice each shortcake in half, and place each bottom half onto a dessert plate. Evenly divide the sliced strawberries onto each shortcake, and dollop with the whipped topping. Place the shortcake tops on to serve.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Wordless Wednesday-Cracking Up


Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Making Tuesday Tasty-Quinoa Salad With Asparagus

This looks.so.yummy! We all need ways to jazz up our meals, lunches, and side dishes. Try this on for size and it's gluten free.


Ingredients

Vinaigrette:

  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon mustard
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Quinoa Salad:

  • 4 cups salted water or vegetable stock
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 cups quinoa
  • 16 spears asparagus, trimmed
  • Olive oil, for brushing
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup pitted nicoise olives
  • 4 ounces aged goat cheese, shaved
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves

Directions

For the vinaigrette: Combine the vinegar, honey and mustard in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste and pulse a few times to incorporate.
For the quinoa salad: Bring the salted water or vegetable stock to a boil and add the thyme. Stir in the quinoa, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Preheat the grill. Brush the asparagus with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on all sides until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from the grill and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl, fold in the asparagus, olives, goat cheese, basil and parsley. Add just enough vinaigrette to moisten the salad; don't make it too wet. Transfer to a platter and drizzle with more of the vinaigrette

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Wordless Wednesday-Water Slide


Making Tuesday Tasty-Easy Oven Fries

I made these not long ago and they were delicious and super easy. You can use all your own ingredients to make something like this but, I found this to be something quick you can throw together for a great side dish!  Enjoy

Ingredients

3 to 4 Tbsp of Garlic and Herb Mayo-Kraft brand
3 to 5 medium potatoes cut into wedges
salt and pepper to taste

That's it!

Preparation

Wash and cut potatoes into small wedges, place in bowl.  Sprinkle salt, pepper to taste, and put mayo into it.(I just squirt enough in to coat potatoes.)  Toss together in bowl until evenly coated.  Get out a cookie sheet and put wedges on the pan, skin side down, with enough room in between them to cook evenly.

Cook at 425 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how hot your oven gets.  Check at 20 mins for tenderness.

You can use any flavored mayo you want, there is a chipotle flavor if you like some kick, etc.

*I was not paid by Kraft or given any product to list their name in this recipe*