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Joi Sigers

Monin Flavored Syrups with Pumps (So Many Delicious Options!)

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One of my daughters (brilliant girl that she is) had a Monin Peppermint Syrup (Amazon link) on her Amazon Wish List, along with a set of pumps to use with it.  Another daughter… her sister… saw the syrup and pump and (brilliant girl that she is) added the Monin Lavender Syrup (Amazon link) with pump to her own Amazon Wish List!

Their mother (that would be me) just informed their youngest sister… and, thereby, my youngest daughter…. that she has (at last count) found 7 different flavored syrups she wants!

Pretty clear where they got their brilliance from, am I right? Of course I’m right.

These fun, creative syrups make being your own barista insanely fun – PLUS it can save you trips (and money in the long run) to the coffeehouse.

I have my eye on the lavender (perfect with so many different teas, as well as great for flavoring whipped toppings), raspberry, coconut, toasted marshmallow (!!!), peach, blackberry, and strawberry.

After seeing the recipe for the Peppermint Shake, I’m also pretty interested in the Peppermint Syrup that began the whole obsession. At least that brings it to an even 8 that I have my heart set on. I do appreciate balance in life.

Click through any of the links to take a closer look at these wonderful syrups. These would make absolutely phenomenal gift ideas for the tea, coffee, smoothie (oh my gosh, this just opened up a whole new world to me), or milkshake lovers in your life.


The Deviled Egg Tray of My Dreams… (Great Gift Idea for Cooks Too)

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One of the foods we have every single holiday is deviled eggs… except we call them “Kangaroo eggs” because one of my daughters gave them this nickname when she was 4 and, by gosh, it was so cute, it stuck!

Speaking of stick (nice, unexpected segue here), my beautiful glass heirloom tray looks fantastic on the table, but in the fridge is a whole other situation – the plastic wrap I have to use always sticks to the eggs, messing up the paprika sprinkled on top while smooshing the nice little mounds completely.

This is the year I am finally investing in a set of great looking Deviled Egg Trays with Lids (Amazon link). Not sure where this set has been all my life but now that it’s in my sights, a whole new world just opened up.

This wonderful set includes three trays with lids, which means you can make enough Kangaroo eggs for everyone to take plenty home with them!

From Amazon:

  • Lightweight plastic is great for toting from kitchen to party without being too flimsy to ruin your wonderful deviled eggs.
  • Not only do you get high quality but comes in a great 3 pack for extra eggs at your big event.
  •  Keeps your eggs exactly where you need them to be so they aren’t sliding all over the place and making a mess.
  • Easily stack these handy deviled egg trays one on top of another for easy storage in the fridge before the big party.
  • Strong and sturdy foodsafe BPA free plastic makes for a high quality deviled egg carrier that you can use again and again.

One of the reviews left on Amazon pointed out that these are very easy to store also – another plus!

Take a closer look: Deviled Egg Tray with a Lid (Amazon link)

 

The Nightmare Before Christmas Dish Set (LOVE THIS!)

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While this gorgeous, unexpected, and FUN 16 Piece The Nightmare Before Christmas Dish Set (Amazon link) is frighteningly perfect for Halloween, I can’t help thinking that it’d make a perfect gift idea for some lucky movie fan.

My youngest daughter and son-in-law love and collect this particular film, so their names are all over it.

Well.. so to speak.

Product Description from Amazon:

  • Trendy dinnerware: This spellbinding kitchen dish set is a must-have for fans of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
  • Spooky style: The entire dinnerware set features designs inspired by Disney’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, including a spider web border that ties all the pieces together in a cohesive style.
  • Quality construction: Made of a durable ceramic material, this Nightmare Before Christmas kitchen dinnerware set is both microwave and dishwasher safe.
  • Complete dinnerware set contains: 16 pieces, including 4 complete place settings. The entire dish set comes with a total of 4 dinner plates (10.5 inches), 4 salad plates (8 inches), 4 bowls (7 inches), and 4 mugs (10.5 ounces).
  • Fun & functional: Featuring amazing designs and practical for everyday use, this dinnerware set is crafted with true Nightmare Before Christmas fans in mind. This ceramic dish set is a perfect gift for fans of Tim Burton and the iconic Disney movie.

See 16 Piece The Nightmare Before Christmas Dish Set (Amazon link) for more information. I can’t tell you how much I need this for Halloween!

A Couple of Delicious “Healthy Snack” Finds

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Genuine Coconut Chunks and Luna Bar

Healthy Snacks On Hand – Half the Battle!

As I’ve talked (and talked, and talked, and talked…) about before, the Pandemic served as a wakeup call to all of us. The healthier you ARE, the better your chances will be when something frightfully unexpected comes along. When we’re at a healthy weight and have our vitamin levels where they should be, it gives us the edge we need when it comes to fighting off viruses. Obviously, anyone can get sick.. BUT when you’re in the best health you can be, your chances of recovering quickly and completely are much better.

I mean, a lot of it’s just good old-fashioned common sense, isn’t it?!

I’ve seen more healthy snacks and foods over the past few years and I think it’s outstanding. I wish fast food restaurants would follow the healthy-eating trend and offer better meals and sides. It’s all but impossible to eat a completely healthy meal in a fast food restaurant and that’s a real shame… and Heaven help you if you have to eat gluten-free! I mean, McDonald’s doesn’t even offer side salads anymore and another of my favorite restaurants (Culver’s) puts croutons right on their pre-packaged salads. I would LOVE if they’d stop that madness and just made their gorgeous looking salads available, safe for all of us to eat.

While we can’t (obviously) control everything a fast food (or sit down) restaurant offers, we can absolutely control what food we have in our own kitchen. Not only do I want to, personally, eat healthier, I want my entire family to eat healthier – including my grandbabies (ages 2, 3, and 4). Keeping healthy foods that are also delicious is something I spend a lot of time thinking about and striving for.

While favorites like bananas, apples, strawberries, watermelon, blueberries, carrots, celery, cucumbers, and salad-makings are always on hand, I also like to have tasty new things for all of us to enjoy. Let’s face it, snacking IS going to happen – whether it’s while watching tv, coming in from work (or school), or simply a case of, “I’m a little bit hungry… let’s see what’s in the kitchen..” snacks are both okay and expected – we just have to be smart about them!

Within the past two weeks, I have come across three different healthy snacks and wanted to tell you about them.

First off, Luna Mash-Up Bars – they come in  Lemonzest + Raspberry (pictured above) and Lemonzest + Blueberry and they’re outstanding. I buy both regularly (Kroger and Target carry them) and even my grandbabies love them.

Another healthy snack I’ve found is Genuine Coconut Coconut Chunks (Amazon link).  These are so delicious, it’s absolutely unreal. They’re basically like someone has taken a fresh coconut and cut the deliciousness into convenient little squares for you. While I enjoy mine straight out of the bag, they’d also be ridiculously good in a smoothie bowl or bowl of oatmeal.

I found these coconut chunks at Kroger – I haven’t seen them in any other stores, yet.

The Genuine Coconut Coconut Chunks (Amazon link) are also available on Amazon – in fact, they’re available in several different flavors (I’ve only seen the one above in stores around here). As for the Luna Mash-Ups Lemonzest + Raspberry Bar pictured, I can’t find it on Amazon, but they DO have another delicious variety, the Luna Mash-ups Lemonzest + Blueberry (Amazon link). It’s every bit as delicious as the Raspberry flavor.

All Luna bars and products are outrageously delicious but these new mash-ups may just be their best item yet. Seriously, I’m addicted!

Delicious and Simple Recipe for Pimento Cheese

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Pimento Cheese Recipe

Pimento Cheese

Two of my favorite things in the world of food are cheese and mayonnaise (preferably Duke’s), so it’s only natural that I love Pimento Cheese like a sailor loves the sea. When I had to give up gluten/wheat (health reasons), I lost the world of pimento cheese sandwiches because, no matter what anyone may try to tell you, gluten-free bread simply is not the same. If you toast it, it is more than serviceable, but straight out of the bag… no thank you, I’d rather dance alone.

Fortunately, I’ve found that pimento cheese is just as delicious on chips, romaine lettuce, or gluten-free crackers.

If you’re able to eat bread, then by all means do so!

The following is my “go to” for pimento cheese – it’s simple and delicious, as well as very spreadable and dippable.

Delicious Idea: This particular approach to pimento cheese is pretty savory – if you want to add a bit of sweetness, add a little softened cream cheese along with the other ingredients…. OR, if some people in your family prefer savory and others prefer sweetness, do what I like to do: Make the savory version of the pimento cheese. When someone who prefers a little sweetness wants a sandwich, spread some cream cheese on the inside of one of the slices of bread (kind of like mayo with a sweet tooth). This is an especially delicious trick when you toast the bread.


Gorgeous Soup Bowl and Sandwich Plate Combo (Great Gift Idea for Cooks)

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Mentally and emotionally I have turned the corner…. I’ve left summer behind and have launched myself right into Autumn’s crisp leaves and gentle breeze!

The house is already decked out with creepers, happy ghosts, pumpkins, and bears dressed up for Halloween. We’re all ready for fall.. now all it has to do is show up!

I’m also making the summer to fall transition in the kitchen as soup and chili begin to replace salads and grilled burgers. In fact, today marked the first day that a pot of chili returns to the home. I served it with pimento cheese sandwiches and it was fantastic.

As I thought about the number of times (during fall and winter) that we take our soup or chili and hot dogs/sandwiches into the den to watch football (Go UK Wildcats! and Go Broncos!) or October baseball (Go Cardinals!), it occurred to me that I needed to find handy coup and plate trays. Truth be told, I wasn’t even 100 percent sure such a thing existed, I just knew what would be extraordinarily cool.

I went directly to Amazon to see if the coolness existed and badabing!… of course Amazon had just what I was looking for.

They always do.

The Artena Bowl and Sandwich Plate Combo (Amazon link) is EXACTLY what I need. I love that it’s available in different colors (I honestly had no idea I’d find any this gorgeous).

  • Available in teal blue, lake blue, mint green, and soft pink.
  • Ideal size – perfect for fitting a sandwich or chili dog on in addition to the generous mug of soup or chili.
  • I also love the options these would provide for breakfast food – grits or oatmeal with French toast or biscuits yum!
  • When you click through and take a closer look at the colors, be sure to check out the video that’s available – you’ll get a better idea of just how gorgeous, well-made, and roomy these are.


Gorgeous Halloween Candy Dish (MUST have!)

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I love to decorate HEAVILY for each season and each holiday. It’s just a wonderful, colorful way to celebrate and embrace each moment we’re currently living in.

While Christmas is my Super Bowl, I have to say that Halloween is right behind it. As I’m typing these words, I already have the house and yard decorated with Halloween colors and characters. Am I early this year?

I am RIDICULOUSLY early this year! But, as I explained in the last post, I have two daughters who all but live for this time of year and three grandbabies (all boys under 4) who I live to entertain and amuse… so early it is!

I found this gorgeous Halloween Candy Dish (Amazon link) earlier, online, and I am completely in love. One of the Halloween things I collect are what I call “Happy ghosts,” that is to say ghosts that aren’t scary or looking for trouble. This one absolutely fits the bill and I love her pumpkin friend and candy corn.

You can find this beauty on Amazon – as well as a LOT of other Halloween decorations and dishes to make your world come alive with the season.


Ingenious Over the Sink Drying Rack: Perfect for Dishes and Produce

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Amazon has a GENIUS for showing me things they know I’ll love. I mean, I will venture onto their website (honest session, here… the Amazon window is always open on my desktop computer) and BADABING! Right there is something I don’t just want, but need.

Case in point: Earlier I breezed onto Amazon to buy some Halloween decorations for the yard. With two daughters who are OBSESSED with Halloween and three grandbabies (two 2 year olds and a 4 year old), I always do Halloween up BIG. Long story, short (too late??), they showed me a couple of kitchen items I honestly have no idea how I’ve lived without.

One was the dish drying rack pictured here (available in many sizes). While most of my dishes go directly into the dishwasher, there are plenty of special coffee mugs and sippy cups for the littles that I do by hand. This is exactly what I need for them to dry without taking up precious counter space.

I also love the idea of washing produce and leaving them to airdry on the rack. Genius. Absolutely genius.

Click through for more information and to see the sizes available.

Oh… and the second thing I saw that I absolutely need may or may not have been Gluten-Free Macaroons (Amazon link).

Narrator: “It absolutely WAS macaroons.”

Review: New Zealand Honey Co. Raw Manuka HoneyNew Zealand Honey Co. Raw Manuka Honey

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New Zealand Honey Co. Raw Manuka Honey

New Zealand Honey Co. Raw Manuka Honey

Are you familiar with Manuka honey? If you’re as obsessed with honey (and for that matter, bees) as I am, I’m sure you have heard of this delectable honey before – whether you’ve had the opportunity to try it or not.

When I was contacted about reviewing Manuka Honey from the New Zealand Honey Co. in exchange for telling my readers all about it, I absolutely jumped at the change, with my cup of tea in hand. I use honey many ways in my kitchen (literally every day) and stirring it into a cup of hot tea is one of my favorite ways to enjoy it. I also combine it with my chocolate obsession on the daily as well – more about that in a minute.

The New Zealand Honey Co. is a wellness company that considers my beloved worker bees a key asset to their company. Manuka Honey is so rare, it is only able to be harvested for two to eight weeks each year!  In fact, The Manuka Honey UMF™ 26 is considered one of the rarest superfoods in the world.

You can absolutely taste the exclusive goodness.

From New Zealand Honey Co.

The brand has a complete line of Manuka Honey, a complex and high-strength raw honey from the native New Zealand Manuka tree. As the bees gather nectar from the tree’s flowers, they’re helping bring a vital superfood  to the lives of thousands who love what goes into their bodies to boost immunity and overall wellness. Plus, it tastes sweetly delicious!

The result is an end product bringing pure goodness to consumers worldwide. It tastes great, is a terrific natural sugar alternative, and delivers amazing health benefits (gastrointestinal, immune support, skincare, haircare, first-aid, wound care, and oral health). Even dogs and other animals benefit from Manuka Honey.

(Review Continued Below…)

Manuka Honey and Giant Sunflower

New Zealand Honey Co. Raw Manuka Honey

The Manuka Honey I was sent to sample is pictured here (with tea, chocolate, and one of my beloved “giant sunflowers” from my sunflower bed this summer… the jar of honey is not small, the flower is simply enormous) and I can 100 percent say this about it: It is extraordinarily delicious and so completely unlike any honey you will find in the store. Not only in taste, but in nutritional value as well.

Health Benefits of Manuka Honey

Manuka honey has far superior antibacterial strength than other honeys. While honey is a healthy food, when it’s Manuka honey, it’s basically a superhero. Manuka honey has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antioxidant superpowers.

People actually use manuka honey to treat wounds, it’s that potent. It’s also said to improve your oral health, soothe a sore throat and treat ulcers. I used some a few days ago when allergies had given me a sort of annoying cough. Just half a teaspoon of the deliciousness chased the ticklish cough away faster and more effectively than any cough drop.

Manuka honey is also a natural source of energy.. and who couldn’t use a little more energy in their days (says a MiMi to three boys all under 5 years old!). For more health benefits of Mauka Honey, as well as MANY creative and wonderful ways to use it, please see New Zealand Honey Co.’s excellent resource, 176 Ways to Use Manuka Honey.

(Review Concluded Below…)

New Zealand Honey Co. Manuka Honey and Chocolate and Ghee

New Zealand Honey Co. Manuka Honey and Chocolate and Ghee

How I’ve Been Enjoying Manuka Honey:

  • Even a tiny amount stirred in hot tea is excellent. It pairs especially well with citrus tea!
  • I’ve been using it as part of one of my favorite “good fat” treats. I take a square of dark chocolate and add a little great-quality ghee (Ancient Organics Ghee is BY FAR the best I’ve ever had), a little honey, and either flaky sea salt or pink Himalayan salt on top. The combination of flavors will blow your mind.
  • Another healthy snack I’ve always loved is a sliced banana, topped with either peanut butter or almond butter with a drizzle of honey. Manuka brings even more flavor and health benefits than my regular “go to” honey.
  • I’ve also enjoyed a little manuka honey added to Vanilla Greek Yogurt.
  • I love to add a little, along with butter, to my gluten-free oatmeal.
  • 176 Ways to Use Manuka Honey has many, many, many other uses and recipes… easy homemade beauty products, recipes, pet uses, hair masks, throat lozenges made with manuka honey (saving this one for cold and flu season, y’all).

Yes, Manuka honey is more expensive than regular honey – but, the good thing is, you can taste the difference and it is absolutely worth it.

For more information, please visit their wonderful website: New Zealand Honey Co. When you arrive on the website, you’ll even be given a chance to receive a discount on their extraordinary products. This wonderful honey would make a VERY thoughtful gift idea this Christmas!

Manuka Honey

Manuka Honey

Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder: Delicious, Nutritious, and So Easy to Enjoy (Review)

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Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder Review Pic

Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder

I have an extraordinary new discovery in my world of smoothies, shakes, and smoothie bowls, but first a few words about why this “world” exists in the first place. I have always loved smoothies – even BEFORE “green smoothies” became a thing. When smoothies took off in popularity years back, I kept thinking, “What? Y’all are just now discovering smoothies? Where have you been?”

I can be pretty judgmental when it comes to such things.

For as long as I can remember, a smoothie is as big a part of my mornings as coffee and cats. I love the convenience, the taste, and the ease of digestion after my digestive tract’s long night off. With both Celiac and a hiatal hernia, I like to make things as simple on my insides as possible. Keeps all of us happy.

I made a few adjustments to my smoothie ingredients a few years back when a little thing called a pandemic blindsided all of us and reminded us that our health is not something to be taken for granted or something to be taken lightly.

Yes… absolutely anyone can get covid (or the flu or cancer…) BUT the healthier we are going IN greatly determines the story we have to tell when we come OUT. Healthier individuals and those with their weight under control simply fare better with diseases – in fact, many diseases won’t even show up on their doorstep. I switched from regular milk to using either almond or coconut milk and began experimenting with healthier forms of sweetening. I also began adding healthy ingredients into the smoothie and found that flaxseed and chia seeds are as delicious as they are healthy.

Not even diseases, truth be told. How about falls and other injuries? I hate to brag but I’m a ridiculously accident-prone individual. My best guess is that it’s because I mind and feet go 99 mph, regardless of the speed zone. Last summer, on a rainy afternoon, I fell on a slope while feeding my outside cats. I happened to fall on my ribs on the edge of a steel bowl. The bowl didn’t give an inch and one of my sons-in-law and I could literally HEAR my ribs crack.

Accidents happen all the time in life (I mean, I don’t hog ALL of them), and like facing down diseases from the common cold to cancer, the odds of winning GREATLY swing in our favor when we are as close to “fighting shape” as we can get.

We’re all human, we can all get sick – even athletes get sick – but think of it as a zombie attack. If zombies attack a particular town (before you laugh, consider the news headlines we read every day!), who are the individuals that stand the best chance of surviving?

The ones who can run away (preferably without falling and cracking their ribs)! If thinking about diseases and falls don’t inspire you, maybe the brain eaters will. I’ll try anything to keep you healthy.

When I was contacted about trying one of the Naked Shake Vegan Protein Powders in exchange for telling y’all about it, I jumped at the chance (and, no, I didn’t fall down).  As a card-carrying chocoholic, I chose the chocolate flavor to review.

(Review Continued Below…)

Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder Smoothie with Oat Milk

Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder Smoothie with Oat Milk

I have enjoyed using Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder in smoothies and smoothie bowls (simply thicker versions of smoothies with your nuts, fruit, and seeds alongside the goodness rather than blended in). I’ve used coconut milk, almond milk, and oat milk and honestly can’t decide which one is best.

While 12 oz of the milk of your choice and one scoop of the protein powder is easy enough in a blender, it’s especially simple if you have a blender bottle (Amazon link) – I mean, really, does it get any simpler than pouring in the milk, adding a scoop of chocolate goodness, shaking it like you’re on American Bandstand (just aged myself, didn’t I??), and getting on with your day?

If you go the blender route, you’ll find that it’s a lot of fun experimenting with ingredients – though, make NO mistake about it, there’s plenty of chocolate deliciousness without adding anything. I love adding a tablespoon of almond butter or peanut butter, especially when I’m making smoothie bowls.

(Review Wrapped Up Below…)

Blender Bottle

Blender Bottle

While, as a cook and foodie, I’m concentrating primarily on the fun and deliciousness of the Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder, I do want to emphasize the best thing about this product is the fact that it contains ONLY the necessary ingredients – simple ingredients. Pure ingredients. Healthy ingredients. There are no artificial sweeteners or additives. It is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy free, and vegan… so it is about as easy to digest as it gets.

I could go into further detail about the purity of the ingredients and the health benefits of Naked Nutrition products, but frankly.. I’d rather get you on their website for yourself! I very much want you to see their story and to see how they can greatly benefit your story.

Where can you buy Naked Shake?

You can find the wonderful Naked Shake products (as well as all of the Naked Nutrition products) on their website, in many stores (including Wal-Mart and Target), and Amazon (Amazon link).

Here are a few pages of their website I know you’ll especially enjoy:

Naked Shake Smoothie Bowl Recipes

Foods that Naturally Increase Collagen (because we all want to look good, right??)

Keto Friendly Collagen Coffee Cake Recipe

Naked Shake Supplements

You’ll find so much information, great articles, and amazing recipes on their website, I hope you’ll visit them right away. And don’t forget to check out my new obsession… the Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder!

**** I’m happily experimenting with different smoothies and smoothie bowl recipes and will add them to the food blog as I hit upon my favorite combinations!