Coconut Flour Crust & Review of Love Cooking Company PushPan

If you are trying to eat grain-free or gluten free, then you are sure to appreciate this recipe which fits perfectly in this Love Cooking Company PushPan that is sized 8"x2".

Coconut Flour Crust

1/4 C Coconut Flour

2 T chopped pecans

2 packets stevia

2 T butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir until well combined. Press in to a greased pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool if topping with a no bake cheesecake.

Review of Love Cooking Company PushPan: 

I had the opportunity to review the three Love Cooking Company pans above, but I was excited to share my coconut flour crust recipe with you, so I wanted to tell you about he PushPan first.

The pan is easy to use. It creates a liquid tight seal so it works great when making a cheesecake. It easily pushes out and I was surprised that I could relatively easily push it back in with cheesecake on top of it, that's if you don't serve it all at once.

Now that I have a PushPan that makes serving a no bake cheesecake recipe easier, and a tasty new cheesecake crust recipe I think my family will be expecting more cheesecakes in the future.

All thoughts, opinions and photographs and recipes are my own. I was provided the pans for the purpose of review but no monetary compensation was received.

Gluten Free Raspberry Chia Seed Muffins

Gluten Free Raspberry Chia Seed Muffins
1 C Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Gluten Free Baking Flour
1 C Brown Rice Flour
1/3 C Sucanat
1/4 C chia seeds
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 C unsweetened almond milk
1/4 C coconut oil, melted
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1 C frozen raspberries

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Combine flours, sucanat, chia seeds, salt and baking powder in a large bowl and set aside'
• In a small bowl, mix together egg, milk oil and extract
• Mix wet mixture in to dry mixture
• Fold in raspberries
• Bake for about 20 minutes

Asian Zucchini Slaw and Review of APlusChef Spiral Slicer

Asian Zucchini Slaw
1 med-lg zucchini (shredded or use a spiralizer)
1 large carrot, shredded
2 T rice wine vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp soy sauce

Directions: 

• Shred both zucchini and carrot and toss together
• Mix together vinegar, oil and soy sauce
• Pour over zucchini mixture and toss.
• Allow to set in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours before serving
• Toss again before serving
• Sprinkle sesame seeds on top, if desired.
• Enjoy!

My Thoughts:

I really love using the  APlusChef Spiral Slicer Bundle. It comes with the spiral slicer, a storage bag, cleaning brush as well as a ceramic peeler. I own another one of these, but I had to have one to use at our cabin. I love that I can make fun and interesting meals using this product. I love to make zucchini noodles and serve them raw as a slaw or cook them and serve spaghetti sauce over the top. I also like to use it to make a cucumber salad. It's just a simple spiral slicer that is easy to use but people are always impressed by the looks of the food I serve them when I use this.

Buy APlusChef Spiral Slicer Bundle on Amazon!!!

Bean Thread Vermicelli with Edamame Stir Fry

This is a tasty, low calorie and gluten-free entree that will fill you up without being heavy. This will make 6 servings. FYI - all of that vermicelli is only about 120 calories!

Bean Thread Vermicelli with Edamame Stir Fry

5 oz Bean Thread Vermicelli
1 pkg Quick and Easy Asparagus Stir Fry
1 T sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 C edamame, steamed
1 T soy sauce
1 T rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
2 eggs, scrambled (cooked)

Directions:

• Bring a 3 quart pot of water to boil. Add bean thread vermicelli and remove from heat.Allow to sit in the hot water while you cook the other ingredients. When the noodles become clear they are cooked and you can strain them.
• In a wok, heat sesame oil over med-high heat.
• Add stir fry mix and garlic and cook until vegetables are cooked.
• In a small dish, combine soy sauce, vinegar oil and red pepper flakes and put aside
• Add cooked vermicelli and edamame to the wok. 
• Drizzle sauce mixture over the top and toss together.
• Just before serving, toss in scrambled eggs.
• Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Banana Muffins Recipe, PLUS Good Cook Kitchen Tools

I took the opportunity to make some Gluten Free Banana Muffins while I was reviewing these 5 items for Good Cook. I was not able to use all 5 items for this one recipe, but I did use 3 of them. I did take pictures of the other 2 items for you to see what they were and how I used them. I will talk more about his 2 items below with their pictures.

I used the Good Cook egg separator to do just that, separate my egg whites from the yolk. This fits very nicely on the side of a kitchen aid mixer.

Next I used the Good Cook Double-Sided Flip Measuring Spoons to measure out the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and vanilla.

Finally I used the Good Cook Smart Scoop Ice Cream Scoop to scoop out the mixture in to muffin cups. This ice cream scoop scoops out the perfect amount to fill them 2/3 full.

Gluten Free Banana Muffins

3 bananas, mashed
3 eggs whites
3/4 C raw sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pure vanilla
1/4 C coconut oil
1 1/2 C all purpose Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Blend together bananas, egg whites, raw sugar. 
• Stir in baking powder, soda, cinnamon, vanilla and coconut oil.
• Fold in Gluten Free Baking Flour
  
• Scoop in to muffin cups (makes 15)
• Bake for 18 minutes
• Enjoy!

I was also sent the Good Cook 4 in 1 Safecut Can Opener and I have to tell you I just love this! This is going to make saving cans for crafts a breeze since it cuts the top completely off and there is no sharp edges.

Lastly, I had a chance to use the Utensil Pot Clip and what I love about this is that my spoon sits over the top of the pan and I am not dripping anything on my stove top or a spoon rest (that I would have to wash). It makes clean up a breeze!



Readers can participate in the first Good Cook 5-day product giveaway on Facebook starting June 2 – June 7 and win selected products they can add to their drawer. Also, there will be Instant winners! Every drawer entered has a chance to win an instant prize, and participants can submit a new drawer every day for a chance to win.

ALSO!!!! During this contest, everything on Good Cook.com is 25% off! How Awesome is That?!?!

Make It Monday: Oat Pumpkin Bread

I admit that I started experimenting and came up with the recipe because I was out of whole wheat flour and noticed I had 1 1/2 bags of oat flour in the pantry. This was a nice moist bread and my kids and I shared half a loaf for breakfast when I made this. This is a yummy recipe if you are gluten free or looking for a clean eating recipe, or just trying to eat healthier.

Oat Pumpkin Bread Recipe

1 C pumpkin
3/4 C raw sugar
1/4 C coconut oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 C oat flour
1 T molasses
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 C oatmeal

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a bread pan with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients until mixed. Pour in to bread pan and bake for 1 hour. Enjoy!

Review: Simply 7 Chips

Are you looking for a chip for the Big Game this weekend and don't want the standard potato chips or tortilla chips? Well, these chips from Simply 7 are anything but standard. We have tried almost all the flavors in each variety and I have really been enjoying them. In fact, if you buy any of the flavored chips, you are probably not going to want any dip at all, which helps save some fat and calories!

What you need to know about Simply 7 is that they have 7 core standards and principles that keep their chips made with simple natural ingredients. Those 7 core standards are:

1. No Trans Fat or Cholesterol
2. No Artificial Colors or Flavors
3. No Additives or Preservatives
4. Products are Gluten-Free
5. All Natural Recipes Used
6. Simple Ingredients Used
7. Simply Delicious

I was sent hummus chips, pomegranate chips and lentil chips to try with my family and now they also have new quinoa chips, which I think sound fantastic with 8g of protein per serving! I think my favorite of all the chips we tried was the Jalepeno Lentil Chips because I really liked the kick they had, but I think my kids much preferred any of the varities in the original sea salt flavor.

They are all crunchy and hold their shape well. They do have a curved shape so if you wanted to used them with a dip of sorts (hummus chips in some hummus dip perhaps!) if would work well for that. I think the Lentil Sea Salt Chips would be a perfect swap for regular potato chips and to have with a party dip.

Try their store locator to find them in a store near you. In MN, you can find them at many Kowalski's Markets and a handful of other stores. If you don't need them this weekend and can also a couple days for them to be shipped, you can also buy them on Amazon.

Thrifty Thursday: 10 Recipes for Leftover Turkey

As you are packing up your leftovers from Thanksgiving, be thinking about what you can make with your leftovers. These are some that I am thinking about:

Slow Cooker Turkey Pad Thai

Country Turkey Casserole

Gluten Free Turkey Divan

Turkey Quinoa Salad

Turkey Noodle Salad

Turkey Curry

Turkey Gnocci Soup

Turkey Buffalo Sauce Pizza

Turkey Frittata

Clean Eating Turkey Butternut Souffle

Don't forget to check out my list from last year of 10 Recipes for Leftover Turkey!

Review: Simply Snackin' Meat Snacks

I could have posted this review for Simply Snackin' Meat Snacks within 4 days of receiving the package of six assorted meat snacks, because that was how long it took for my kids and myself to devour them and that was with us showing restraint. My poor husband didn't get to try even one bite of these, which I guess just means I am going to have to buy some. In fact, when I tried the first one I made a proclamation to my kids that I had to try every single flavor since I needed to review all the flavors. They totally bought that and I didn't have them whining to me that they wanted a whole piece to themselves. I did learn that this company is based in Wisconsin, so I might have to find out if they have any retail stores they provide to that I can purchase it from when we visit family.

The six flavors I was able to sample were:

• Beef Sirloin with Cranberries and Blueberries
• Beef Sirloin with Apples and Cherries
• Teriyaki Beef Sirloin with Pineapples
• Chicken Breast with Italian Seasonings and Romano Cheese
• Chicken Breast with Black Bean Salsa
• Teriyaki Chicken Breast with Mangoes and Papayas

And as I had each flavor, I kept trying to to decided which one I liked the best or the least. Well, there wasn't one that I didn't enjoy at all and I think my favorite would be a tie between the Teriyaki Beef Sirloin with Pineapples and the Chicken Breast with Black Bean Salsa.

After we had finished all 6 flavors, my daughter was slightly addicted and begged me to buy a different kind of jerky from the grocery store. It just wasn't the same. That other kind was dry and tough and more salty than savory. What I mean by savory is that these meat snacks are not just salted meat, they are combined with delicious fruits, salsa or seasonings to give them a savory flavor. I also love that the meat is tender. And while each stick only had 60 calories, they packed in 11 grams of protein (in the chicken) and (8 grams of protein in the beef). This was such a delicious and low calorie way to refuel with protein.

I would also be amiss if I didn't mention that they contain no artificial ingredients, filler, or added MSG. All of them (except the one with Romano Cheese) are lactose-free and four of the varieties are also gluten free.

My readers can get 10% off your order by using the discount code "BLOGGIN10" through the end of August from Simply Snackin.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Sponsored Review: Naturade All Natural Pea Protein 100% Vegan Formula

I am a consumer of protein shakes, so I was excited to be able to review a protein shake that was new to me, the Naturade All Natural Pea Protein 100% Vegan Formula. All three of my samples packets make one shake and are all vanilla flavored. The reasons I was super excited about trying these shakes is because they are:

• Made with a non-GMO pea protein (hence they are vegan)
• Soy-free, dairy-free and egg-free (good to know for those with food allergies)
• Gluten-free (if that is something you are looking for or need)
• Cholesterol free 
• Free of artificial ingredients (so no artificial sweeteners, no artificial colors, and no artificial flavors!)

When I examine the ingredients list, it appears to be sweetened by stevia and xylitol, so it fits better in to a clean eating diet than most shakes on the market.

When I compared it to my current shake mix, it does supply me with more protein and proportionately (compared to the amount of more protein) more calories, although it is still a low calorie shake. Each shake (mixed with 8-10 ounces water or your favorite beverage; I used unsweetened coconut milk) contains 130 calories, 2.5g of fat, 2g soluble fiber and 20g of protein if you made it with water. I was very pleased with everything I read on the package for nutrition and ingredients, except that is contains 270mg of sodium, which is 11% of DV for sodium. I guess I would prefer to see that DV number as a single digit percentage.

I thought it tasted better when I made the shakes with adding a banana and some berries along with the coconut milk in a blender. When I drank it when it was plain, I thought it did taste a bit like I was drinking cold vanilla pea soup, which isn't necessarily bad if you want cold vanilla pea soup. The addition of fruits did change the taste and you couldn't taste as much of the pea flavor. Although, considering it is a pea protein, you do have to expect you will taste pea.

The consistency was very good and shake like when made plain or with the addition of fruits. I thought it wasn't too thin (I did add 10 oz. of coconut milk) or too thick. If I made it with water, I think that 8 oz. of water might get me the right consistency.

You can buy Naturade All Natural Pea Protein Shake Mix and many other Naturade Mixes on their website.

Also, if you are looking for some smoothie ideas, check out the entrants for their Smoothie Recipe Contest. You can also vote for your favorites!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I did not receive any monetary compensation.

GIVEAWAY and Review: Jolly Time Popcorn

I was very excite to be picked to review Jolly Time Popcorn with Smart Balance. Our household are frequent popcorn eaters. So much so that I was lucky to be able to get any to try myself (I did though!) I typically buy Light Butter microwave popcorn at home (or I make kernels on the stove top), so I was able to compare the nutritional info on each of the light packages, and while all those "numbers" on the back basically read the same, the different came in the ingredients. Jolly Time Popcorn with Smart Balance contains NO HYDROGENATED or Partially Hydrongenated OILS! It uses a blend of oils that has 63% of the fat in the product coming from Mono and Poly Unsaturated Fats. This popcorn is going to be great to make my Microwave Caramel Popcorn (this is on our Summer Bucket List of 102 Things to Do as well!) If you are using this list, then you should give my recipe a try and use Jolly Time Popcorn.

 Some other health benefits worth noting about Jolly Time Popcorn with You get 3g of Dietary Fiber in just one serving (there are 2.5 servings in a bag) and it is also the only popcorn brand that is endorced by Weight Watchers. I know that when I did Weight Watchers a few years ago, I ate popcorn as a snack all the time because it was low in fat and calories and high fiber (great for when you are calculating points!) This popcorn works with "The Smart Balance Food Plan" to help support keeping healthy cholesterol levels within the normal range. Do you want to try out Jolly Time Popcorn for FREE?

Find out more information about Jolly Time Popcorn online:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

ONE LUCKY READER WILL WIN 2 COUPONS FOR FREE JOLLY TIME POPCORN!!!

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I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Review: Zola Coconut Water with Pina Colada Protein Smoothie Recipe

To be honest, it had been a while ago since I had requested to do a review for Zola Coconut Water, so when it arrived on my doorstep this morning I was super excited. I had not had breakfast yet and was planning on a protein smoothie and thought I would try out the Zola Coconut Water in it and come up with my own recipe. What a tasty way to enjoy my breakfast smoothie! This make clean eating so enjoyable!

Pina Colada Protein Smoothie Recipe
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
4 slices of canned pineapple
1/4 C pineapple juice
8 oz. Zola Coconut Water
1 C crushed ice

Directions: Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy your very generous sized smoothie!

My Thoughts:
I really like the coconut water. It has a very light coconut flavor to and is refreshing to drink. Each can has 2 servings (60 calories in the one with pulp and 55 calories in the one without pulp, per serving). But what you also gain for that serving is a DV of 21% Manganese, 3% Magnesium, 2% Calcium, 2% Phosphorus, and 1g of Protein. The can also claims that it contains more potassium that one banana (which a medium banana has 422mg of potassium). There is no fat or cholesterol in this product. The coconut water is very smooth and water-like, meaning it has the consistency and fluidness (is that a word? can I make it a word?) of water.

The Zola Organic Acai Juice is 93% Juice and there is 1.5 servings in the bottle. Each serving is 125 calories with 2 grams of fat (cholesterol free though! and it's good fat of 1,450mg of Omega EFA 3, 6, 9) and also packs in a DV of 8% Vitamin E, 5% Vitamin A, 4% Vitamin C, 2% Calcium, 2% Iron, 1 g of Dietary Fiber and 1g of Protein. This juice is quite sweet compared to the coconut water. It is almost like a treat, but it's healthy and packs in tons of antioxidants. I really enjoyed the organic acai juice.

It looks like I will be able to buy the Acai juice at pretty much any Whole Foods Market or VitaminShoppe store. At this time it does not appear that the coconut water is available in any retail store within 100 miles of me, but both the coconut water and acai juice are available on Amazon.

You can find out more information about Zola Coconut Water online at:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Google+

Instagram

I received the package pictured above from Zola for the purpose of review. I did not receive any monetary compensation. All thoughts, opinions and pictures are my own.

GIVEAWAY and Review: Sambazon Juices and Smoothies

This was such a refreshing product. I was able to find Sambazon juices at a nearby Wal-Mart Supercenter (was interesting that it was at one Wal-MArt that was 7 miles in one direction but not at the other that was 7 miles in the other direction, so be sure to check the availability; it was also listed at being at some Bostco's and Beyerly's as well) in order to try and review the product. Not all flavors were available at mine, but I did have a few choices. I tried the original and the acai with blueberry and pomegranate. They didn't have any of the energy or protein ones so I saved my last coupon so I can try to find it at another store to try one of those.

All of the juices and smoothies are made from organic fruits and botanicals that come from the Amazon. (Speaking of Amazon, you can find these products on the "other" Amazon - LOL!) Not only are the products organic, but they are also NON-GMO Project certified, a Certified B Corporation, and Vegan and  Gluten Free.

Their juices and smoothies are made with many of the Superfoods you hear about in the media that include acai, blueberries, pomegrante, kale, ginger, acerola, brazil nuts, cacao, cashew milk. rice, coconut, chia seed, coconut milk, guarana, guayusa, quinoa, spirulina, wheatgrass, yakon, and yerba mate. Don't know what some of those SuperFoods are? Then read about then here! I had to for some of them. Don't you feel healthier just reading about them, imagine how you would feel if you actually consumed them. You are going to feel great like I did!

What you see pictured above is a wooden bowl and spoon set and 3 coupon I was sent to help me review the products for this post. One winner will also win the same set and coupons!!! Who wants to win?

ONE LUCKY READER WILL WIN A PRIZE PACK FROM SAMBAZON

THAT INCLUDES A WOODEN BOWL AND SPOON SET AND 3 COUPONS.

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Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May
Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetSM blogger, I
agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

Make It Monday: Banana Oatmeal Bites

It's no joke! These bites have no added sugar, no eggs and no flour. All healthy and whole ingredients. This is a wonderful clean eating snack recipe. Do not confuse these with cookies though because they do NOT have that texture.

Banana Oatmeal Cookie
3 bananas, mashed
1/3 C apple sauce, unsweetened
1/2 C almond milk, unsweetened
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1 tsp cinnamon
2 C old fashioned oatmeal
1/2 C raisins, unsweetened

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients and blend well. Allow to sit for 10 minutes to allow the wet ingredients to soak in to the oatmeal. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Make It Monday: Slow Cooker Turkey Pad Thai

I just love using my slow cooker, don't you? You are going to love that this recipe will help you use up some leftover turkey too! (Think post-Thanksgiving!) Plus this is a Clean Eating Recipe too! You could make it gluten-free by using gluten free pasta.

Slow Cooker Turkey Pad Thai Recipe
1/2 C hot water
1/4 C raw sugar
2 T rice vinegar
2 T low sodium soy sauce
1 T chili garlic sauce
1 lime, juiced
2 C leftover turkey, cubed
2 C broccoli slaw, packed
1 C bok choy, chopped and packed
1 C napa cabbage, chopped and packed
1/2 C cilantro packed
1/2 med. onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 scallions, chopped
8 oz. whole wheat organic linguine

Directions:

• Combine water, sugar, vinegar, garlic sauce and lime juice in a slow cooker and stir to dissolve sugar
• Stir turkey in to sauce to cover
• Add broccoli slaw, bok choy, cabbage, cilantro, onion, garlic and scallions and stir to mix
• Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours
• Make linguini as per package directions just before serving
• Toss with slow cooker mixture
• Serve and Enjoy!

GIVEAWAY & Review: Boulder Granola

Are you ready to "Unleash your Inner Hippie" and try some granola by Boulder Granola? 

Unleashing my inner hippie wasn't too far of a stretch for me. My friend Janna calls me her most hippie friend; I call her my most Godly friend. Love you Janna! :) But if I can unleash my inner hippie a little further by eating a very tasty granola, then I am all IN! And It's Earth Week! So, let some of your hippie out!

Not only is it USDA Certified Organic, but it is also "the most rockin' primo granola ever!" Seriously, you have to read From the Heart of Boulder on the front page of their website, it is full of catchy sayings to catch your attention and get a feel for their company. To read more about Boulder Granola and how they got started almost one and half years ago, check out  Boulder Granola's History.

Our family sampled a large bag of granola and received small bags of the original, chocolate chip, and gluten-free. Yes! You read that correctly, they have GLUTEN FREE granola. Our family doesn't need gluten free products, but we are friends with plenty of other families that are and I know I have many readers who require gluten-free products.

One of the company philosophies that I love is that they believe in the 100-Mile Diet Theory and purchase many of their ingredients locally within 100 miles. Unfortunately, for me to buy their granola I need to have it shipped further than that, but I feel good knowing that all ingredients are from the US, with the exception of sesame seeds.

Topping my yogurt with granola is my favorite way to way to eat it,
but my husband likes to eat it as a cereal with milk.

"Wake Up Your Mojo!" & BUY some Boulder Granola, but first ENTER TO WIN YOUR CHOICE!!!


Want another chance to win some Boulder Granola? Head on over to the Boulder Granola Blog and enter to Win a Bag of Limited Edition Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Granola.