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You are here: Home / Archives for Recipes / Christmas Recipes / Christmas Shopping

Christmas Shopping

Gorgeous Purple Dutch Oven… My Ideal Soup Pan!

October 31, 2022 By Joi Sigers

I couldn’t possibly be MORE in love with this Amazon Basics Enameled Cast Iron Covered Dutch Oven (Amazon link). Seriously, I’m half-certain it’s going to be a Christmas gift TO me, FROM me this year. I love the Amazon Basics brand (phenomenal quality at very, very reasonable prices) and the color (purple) is my absolute obsession.

If this particular color doesn’t float your boat (what are you thinking?!), know that this gorgeous Dutch oven comes in a wide variety of colors:

  • blue
  • gray
  • white
  • navy
  • red
  • pink
  • green
  • matte white
  • orange (very good looking)
  • teal
  • purple (some things are worth repeating)

Features:

  • 6-quart cast iron Dutch oven pot for cooking and baking in the oven or on the stovetop; Oven safe up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Smooth enamel finish provides long-lasting durability and non-stick convenience
  • Cast iron provides even heat distribution and retention; Hand wash only
  • Dual side handles and fitted lid
  • Roast meat, bake bread, marinate food, sauté vegetables, prepare soups, stews, casseroles, and more
  • Backed by an Amazon Basics limited 1-year warranty

See Amazon Basics Enameled Cast Iron Covered Dutch Oven (Amazon link) for more information and to see the other gorgeous colors…. in addition to the stunning purple.


Filed Under: 2022 Christmas Gift Ideas for Cooks, Christmas Gift Guide, Christmas Shopping, Daily Gift Ideas for Foodies, Pots and Pans Tagged With: affordable Dutch oven, affordable pots, purple Dutch oven, Purple soup pan

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

August 13, 2022 By Joi Sigers

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

Filed Under: Christmas Shopping, Gift Ideas, Gluten Free, Gluten Free Food Reviews, Health Food Reviews Tagged With: Food Reviews, honey, Honey review, Manuka Honey

Gifts from the Kitchen: 100 Irresistible Homemade Presents for Every Occasion

May 14, 2022 By Joi Sigers

Gifts from the Kitchen: 100 Irresistible Homemade Presents for Every Occasion
Inevitably, after months of shopping and planning, my best-received gifts are the cookies and candies I’ve made for my loved ones. That’s why, in the days leading up to Christmas, you can only find me if you look in my kitchen. I’m the one covered in powdered sugar, chocolate, and corn syrup – dancing around to Christmas music.

Man, I love this time of year!

If you love giving gifts you’ve made in your own kitchen, too, here’s a cookbook you’ll want to add to your library right away.  Gifts from the Kitchen: 100 Irresistible Homemade Presents for Every Occasion, by Annie Rigg (Amazon link) is an uncommonly beautiful book. As a cookbook collector, one of the first things I notice about a cookbook is how good it feels about itself –  the cover, artwork, and photographs let you know, right off the bat, if the cookbook feels really good about itself or if its heart is only half in it.

Gifts from the Kitchen (Amazon link) feels amazingly good about itself – we’re talking “supermodel” confidence, here.

Naturally, for a book to be a great book – there has to be more than just great looks going for it. Thankfully, Gifts from the Kitchen comes through in the personality department, too  – it’s not just a pretty face.

{Continued Below…}

Gifts from the Kitchen: 100 Irresistible Homemade Presents for Every Occasion
The book covers all celebrations and all seasons. Not only can you use the beautiful delicacies for gift-giving, you can also use them to celebrate special occasions.

Special Occasion Recipes Include

  • Fortune Cookies (Chinese New Year)
  • Chocolate Valentine’s Cakes (Valentine’s Day or Anniversaries)
  • Love Heart Sugar Cubes (Valentine’s Day)
  • Double Dark Chocolate, Pecan and Ginger Cookies (Father’s Day)
  • Easter Nest Cupcakes (Easter)
  • Rugelach (Jewish Celebrations)
  • Baby Shower Cakes
  • Wedding Cake
  • Stained Glass Snowflake Cookies (Christmas)
  • And More…

Recipes for Gifts That Fit Any Occasion Include

  • Chocolate Truffles
  • Peanut or Macadamia Brittle
  • Creamy Vanilla Fudge with Chocolate and Nuts
  • Pickled Beets
  • Pickled Shallots
  • Spiced Cranberry Jelly
  • Florentines
  • Chocolate-Coated Candied Almonds
  • Mango Chutney with Chili Pepper and Ginger
  • English Muffins
  • Cherry Jam
  • Strawberry and Vanilla Preserves
  • Chocolate and Hazelnut Spread
  • Honeycomb (look especially perfect for Halloween)
  • Pesto
  • And Many more….

In addition to the clear and simple recipes, Gifts from the Kitchen (Amazon link) provides beautiful examples of ways to present many of these food gifts to your lucky foodie.

This is not a “gluten free” cookbook, but many of the candies and other recipes are, in and of themselves, gluten free. I have not tested any of the other recipes with gluten free flours, so I can’t say how well they’d take to substitutions. It is, however, in my opinion, more than worth having in your collection. The candies, spreads, jellies, etc. outnumber the cakes and cupcakes… and even they provide inspiration and ideas for the gluten free cook.

I’m especially excited about a recipe for “Wholegrain Honey Mustard.” Wholegrain mustard is an obsession of mine – I add it to more recipes than you can imagine (potato salad, BBQ sauce, deviled eggs, egg salad sandwiches, salad dressings…). I can only imagine how amazing this homemade Wholegrain Honey Mustard will be!

See Gifts from the Kitchen (Amazon link) for more information.

While you’re on Amazon, check out the other beautiful cookbooks by Annie Rigg!

Gifts from the Kitchen: 100 Irresistible Homemade Presents for Every Occasion

Filed Under: Christmas Gift Guide, Christmas Recipes, Christmas Shopping, Cookbook Reviews, Daily Gift Ideas for Foodies Tagged With: Cookbooks, gift ideas for Christmas, homemade food gift ideas, homemade gift ideas

Hamilton Beach Juice Extractor: Arming Your Kitchen for Greater Health!

July 19, 2021 By Joi Sigers

While almost everything about the Pandemic has been tragic, hideous, ugly, and negative in every way – a few small benefits can’t be overlooked.

Most of us will never take anyone in our lives for granted ever again – young or old, I truly believe our loved ones will be cherished more than ever before. I also believe we’ll be more apt to be more thankful for the simple joys in life, things we once took for granted, like simply going out for a hamburger with your spouse or shopping at Target with your daughters.

Another benefit, I believe, will be a lot more people getting serious (really SERIOUS) about their health and weight. COVID, like so very many diseases, did not and does not discriminate when it comes to its victims BUT it most certainly does more damage to those who are older, those with pre-existing diseases, and/or those who are overweight.

Many people are realizing that the time is now (past now, if we’re being honest) to get in better shape and lose excess weight where it may lurk.

Fortunately there are a lot of healthy kitchen tools and small appliances that make it easier to eat and live much healthier. Juice extractors, for example, are one of the easiest, fastest, and most efficient ways to make sure we’re getting all the fruits and vegetables we need in our diet.

I am as big a fan of smoothies as anyone in the world, but even I admit that they can tend to be pretty high in calories. When it comes to juicing, you can get the benefits of the vegetables and fruits without all the extras we put in our smoothies.

The beauty pictured here is the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juice Extractor and it is one of the best on the market.

Features

  • Fits whole foods – for less pre-cutting
  • Easy to assemble and store
  • Powerful 800 Watt motor
  • Dishwasher safe parts
  • Includes recipes, tips and juicing cup
  • Extra-large pulp bin lets you juice longer – use pulp in recipes or for composting

Product Description

Tired of those expensive, sugary juices filled with preservatives and questionable additives? Ready to retire your old juicer and upgrade to something better? The Big Mouth Pro Juice Extractor can take nutrition to the next level and help you kick-start a healthy lifestyle.

Eating healthier and incorporating fruits and veggies into snacks or meals doesn’t have to be boring, expensive or time-consuming. In no time flat, before you can say “over-priced juice bar,” the Big Mouth Pro Juice Extractor extracts the juice from a whole apple. This kitchen staple and secret weapon proves that there’s a fast, easy way to add more produce into your daily diet. What’s more, there is no need for adding sweeteners or preservatives, making juice the ultimate healthy drink.

Rated a “Best Buy” by a leading consumer advocacy publication, the Big Mouth Pro Juice Extractor flawlessly performs the task of extracting juice from whole fruits, vegetables, citrus fruits and tomatoes with efficiency and speed. Equipped with a powerful 1.1 horsepower motor, an extra-wide feed chute and a stainless steel cutter/strainer, it quickly processes whole fruits and vegetables — with no pre-cutting — to produce invigorating, healthy juice.

See Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juice Extractor (Amazon link) for A LOT more information.


Filed Under: 2021 Christmas Gift Ideas for Cooks, Beverages, Christmas Shopping, Health and Fitness, Heart Healthy Foods and Recipes, Kitchen Appliances Tagged With: gift ideas, healthy eating, juicer, small kitchen appliances

Gift Ideas for Pig Collectors

September 26, 2019 By Joi Sigers

If you scroll through my food blog for any length of time, you’ll see pig after pig after pig. I’m completely and utterly (if only cows were my obsession, what a joke this would be) in love with pigs and you can find them everywhere in my kitchen.  The deliciously unique pig platter (pictured on the right) needs to join my crew as soon as possible.

In fact, I plan to see to it that she does.

Made of resin, I plan to use her more for looks than anything else.

Equally beautiful is the adorably unique small pig bowl pictured to the left. How gorgeous is this?! When you click through and see the picture on Amazon, you’ll notice they have a few artificial flowers in it, along with a candle. LOVE the way that looks and that’s exactly what I’ll be putting in mine.

Originally carved out of a knotty wood, this adorable pig bowl measures 4″ wide, 8″ long, and 3″ wide.

Like the beautiful pig platter above, the pig bowl is also made of resin.

Click through the links or the pictures to take a closer look.


Filed Under: 2019 Christmas Gifts for Cooks and Foodies, Christmas Gift Guide, Christmas Shopping, Pig Collectors Tagged With: Christmas gift ideas for cooks, Christmas Gift Ideas for Pig Lovers, Cook's Gift Guide

Gorgeous Pfaltzgraff Football Platter

September 23, 2019 By Joi Sigers

The gorgeous Pfaltzgraff Football Platter shown here isn’t just on my gift-giving list this year, it’s at the top of my, “Buy for my own darn self” list as well.

My family celebrates any and all seasons, days and occasions as we can. What can I say? We love to eat, love to laugh, love to make a lot of noise and look for a reason to do all of the above at once.

Football season was made for families like this one!

Whether it’s college football or the NFL, weekends just become a lot more fun this time of year, don’t they?

Product Description from Amazon

  • This rectangular Football Platter will be a big winner on game day
  • Designed to look like a football field, this platter is perfect for serving your guests lunch meat and cheese, hors d’oeuvres and more
  • Football platter measures 17 inch long x 11 inch wide
  • Crafted of ceramic
  • Use & Care: Microwave and dishwasher safe

I’m picturing so many delicious things on this gorgeous platter…. pigs in blankets, cookies, brownies, sandwiches, chips, cheese and crackers… and, just like that, I’ve made myself hungry.

See Pfaltzgraff Football Platter for more information and a closer look. This is a beauty.


Filed Under: 2019 Christmas Gifts for Cooks and Foodies, Christmas Gift Guide, Christmas Shopping, Daily Gift Ideas for Foodies, Fall Favorites, Game Day, Gift Ideas for Cooks, Tailgating

T-Fal Cookware: Their Non-Stick Pans are a Personal Obsession

May 13, 2019 By Joi Sigers

T-fal Non-Stick Fry Pan
This beauty is a personal favorite, my 12″ Non-Stick Fry Pan from T-Fal –the inventor of non-stick! This beauty came from Target, but T-Fal can also be ordered (easily) on Amazon.

T-Fal “Thermo-Spot” technology is something that was new to me, but now I’m completely hooked on it. The Thermo-Spot shows when your pan is ready to use… kind of like the red light that lets you know when your oven is good to go.

It’s amazing to me that someone hadn’t thought of this long ago. Leave it to T-Fal.

I also love that T-Fal Initiatives take the non-stick game to the next level. Seriously, everything slides right off of these pans. I love to make “cheese clumps” for salads and soups – which is simply putting little mounds of shredded cheese onto a skillet and letting them brown and crisp up a little. You’d think these guys would spell DISASTER for clean up, but T-Fal pans, they literally slide right off the skillet and into the dish.

As you’d expect from someone who has a food blog, I cook every single day of the week. In fact, when our cats need to find me (to play, feed them, scratch their heads or cater to them in any manner), the first place they look is always the kitchen. Come to think of it, the same’s true for every member of my family… except for the scratching heads part, the human members of my family seldom as for such a thing.

As an avid cook, I have had up close and personal experience with all manners of pots, pans, and cookware in general. If a new cook were to ask me to recommend ONE pan she/he should buy to begin their kitchen collection, I would recommend T-Fal. I love many different pans (including my beloved iron skillet collection), but this is the brand I’d most often recommend.

Why? In a word – perfection. T-Fal cookware is perfect in every single way.

Read more about T-Fal non-stick pans and their ingenious Thermo-Spots on Amazon.


T-fal Non-Stick Fry Pan

Filed Under: Christmas Shopping, Cookware Reviews, Gift Ideas for Cooks Tagged With: cookware review, T-Fal review

Infinity Jars: Perfect Vessels for Food, Spices, Herbs, Dressings, Oil, Soap (Hey, Why Not?!)

February 21, 2017 By Joi Sigers

Infinity Jars Glass Dish with Lid

Infinity Jars Glass Dish with Lid

I recently had the great pleasure of selecting a couple of Infinity Jars to review on my food blog and on my oldest daughter’s tea blog (Crazy Tea Chick).  As soon as I saw their gorgeous collection of premium glass jars and containers, I knew the decision process was going to be a pain-staking one.

I honestly wanted everything I saw! It reminded me of walking into a a Japanese restaurant… what do I NOT want!?!

Infinity Jars features the largest collection of ultraviolet glass products you’ll find anywhere. Their unique jars, containers, and bottles are created and backed by scientists and health advocates around the world. Extensive research has gone into each product.

Not only does each container maintain the optimum freshness of nearly any food, dried good, lotion, or essential oil…. they look gorgeous going about their business.

The heavy duty jars are of the highest quality – and this truth rings home as soon as you hold one. These aren’t the food or herb containers you find in your local department stores – this are the type of containers celebrity chefs would have in their own kitchens.

The first jar I decided upon was the gorgeous Infinity Jar Glass Dish with Lid, pictured at the top. Not only is it uncommonly beautiful, I wanted to use it for “pinchable” black pepper and spice blends.  There’s just something about “pinching” the spices you want to use when cooking.

In the picture above, I had a blend I use daily (seasoned salt, paprika, parsley, and garlic powder).  It makes cooking faster and even more enjoyable by keeping  these seasonings handy and within reach.

Infinity Jars Glass Dish with Lid

I’ve also used it to store dry tea leaves. I buy a lot of tea leaves and love to combine them, creating a mixture (for example) of Blood Orange and Vanilla leaves. In the picture below, it was a blend of Raspberry and Peach tea leaves (it was out of this world, by the way).

Infinity Jars Glass Dish with Lid

I could also see using the Infinity Jar Glass Dish with Lid for beautiful carved soaps in the bathroom or by the kitchen sink, to hold potpourri, to store cinnamon sticks or dried herbs, or even as a gorgeous dish for softened butter on your holiday table.

It is simply gorgeous and its uses are many and varied.

Infinity Jars Long Neck Glass Bottle

I also chose the equally gorgeous Long Neck Glass Bottle. This beauty would be IDEAL for olive oil – or any other kind of oil or vinegar you frequently use, but I have bottles in use already for these kitchen staples. When I selected this bottle, I had one thing in mind, my vinegar-based salad dressing I always have made up… and I mean always.

What can I say, we eat a lot of salads in this house.

Infinity Jars and Cleaning Cloth

The jars come with a very cool cleaning cloth (pictured above) that keeps them shiny and beautiful. They also come with cool little labels which, quite honestly, I don’t use. The jars are just too darn pretty to mess with, in my opinion.

Head over to Infinity Jars to see all of their MANY beautiful products – but pour yourself a tall glass of iced tea first. You’ll be there a while deciding which you want first.

Infinity Jars Long Neck Glass Bottle

Filed Under: Christmas Shopping, Daily Gift Ideas for Foodies, Dish Reviews, Gift Ideas for Cooks Tagged With: food jars, jars for food storage, pepper holders, spice holders

Cast Iron Paleo Makes a Perfect Gift Idea for the Gluten-Free or Paleo Foodie in Your Life

November 15, 2016 By Joi Sigers

Cast Iron Paleo by Pamela Ellegn

Cast Iron Paleo (Amazon link) by Pamela Ellgen

A recent cookbook I was sent (in exchange for telling you about it) has become an instant classic in my kitchen. How could it not? It fits perfectly in my wheelhouse:

  • I have to eat gluten free and aim for three “Paleo” days a week. Paleo is inherently gluten-free, but it also eliminates sugar and dairy – making it one of the healthiest ways to eat. Why, then, do I not commit fully to the Paleo diet? Because potatoes.  Because Pasta. Because Cereal. Mostly… Because Potatoes.
  • My cast iron skillets are the cornerstone of my kitchen. My main cast iron skillet sits on the stove at all times – ready for duty at a moment’s notice. My Cast Iron Grill Pan and smaller Cast Iron Skillets are perched on a nearby shelf, also ready for their “calls to action.”

It’s almost as though this cookbook were created for me personally.

Anyone who follows a gluten-free diet knows it can be a bit of a challenge to find recipes that address our personal needs. Can you imagine how much tougher it is, then, to find recipes for a Paleo diet?! That’s like taking our needs and doubling them.

Thankfully, there are great cookbooks (just like this one) that take the stress out of the equation and simplify cooking. Come on, life’s stressful enough – we don’t need extra hassles in the kitchen, right?

Here’s the think, fellow foodies, you don’t even have to follow a Paleo diet religiously or even “part-time” to enjoy… make that love.... Cast Iron Paleo (Amazon link). Think about it, we ALL should be cooking more healthy meals and less unhealthy ones, right?

Cookbooks like this are golden on two fronts:

  1. They inspire us to cook healthier meals for our family.
  2. They’re filled with so many flavorful and delicious recipes that we’ll keep on pulling from them for more meals – and our family will love us for it.

{Review Continued Below….}

Cast Iron Paleo Recipes

Just a Few of the Flavorful and Creative Recipes

The first recipe I made from Cast Iron Paleo (Amazon link) was the Meatloaf on page 133. I normally make my meatloaf with gluten-free breadcrumbs but this particular recipe didn’t even call for them! It uses ground beef, pork, eggs, a few seasonings, and vegetables…. mixed and placed in an iron skillet, then topped with 6 slices of bacon.

I went with a basket-weave pattern with my bacon because it was Monday and I was feeling artsy. Yes, that qualifies as artsy for me.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect. The entire time the meatloaf was cooking, I kept thinking, “But no breadcrumbs?…. But no breadcrumbs?… but.. but…” My meatloaf anxiety was through the roof. But frequent peeks into the oven showed me (again and again) that all was well and the meatloaf was coming together beautifully.

I will say this, if you buy this cookbook (and you really, really should), this particular recipe does not mention an oven temperature. I simply went with the one I use for my regular meatloaf recipe, 350 degrees for the specified time (1 to 1-1/2 hours) and it did beautifully. All the other recipes gave specified temperatures. Perhaps the cookbook printer was sidetracked like me – “But no breadcrumbs?…. But no breadcrumbs?… but.. but…”

{Review Continued Below….}

Gluten Free and Paleo Cast Iron Skillet Meatloaf from Cast Iron Paleo

Gluten-Free and Paleo Meatloaf – Look, Ma, No Breadcrumbs!

Chapter One gives a beautiful primer on cast iron skillets: benefits, history, seasoning, care, etc.  Basically, anything you need to know about owning cast iron skillets is right there in one brief chapter.

Chapter Two lays out for the reader the dos and dont’s of the Paleo lifestyle. What to eat (and why) and what not to eat (and why).

After the first two chapters, you get to the meat of the matter (sorry, couldn’t help myself), the wonderful recipes. It’s been my experience that Paleo cookbooks (for whatever reasons) are always just filled with creatively flavorful recipes. Perhaps, since the Paleo cook’s resources are a little different that other’s, they look at food a bit differently. I can’t put my finger on it, but Paleo cookbooks are flat out packed with flavor and I’m loving every second of it.

Recipes Include:

  • Sausage and Sweet Potato Hash
  • Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots (would be amazing for Thanksgiving and Christmas!)
  • Pan-Roasted Carrots and Onions
  • Sauteed Mushrooms
  • Sesame-Crusted Tuna
  • Pan-Seared Salmon Over Mixed Greens
  • Lemon Garlic Aioli
  • Rustic Chicken Pot Pie
  • Maple Almond Pork Chops
  • Swedish Meatballs
  • Kale Carbonara
  • Marinated Steak Fajitas
  • Guacamole
  • Flat Iron Steaks with Mushrooms
  • Tomato Rosemary Burgers
  • Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon with Vegetables
  • Braised Short Ribs
  • Berry Cobbler
  • Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
  • Cast Iron Apple Pie
  • Black-Bottom Chocolate Cake
  • And more!

{Review Concludes Below….}

Cast Iron Paleo by Pamela Ellegn
 

Cast Iron Paleo and a Few Stars in My Own Kitchen
Why I Have This Cookbook Listed in the Christmas Gift Guide:

First of all, Cast Iron Paleo, alone, would be a great gift any foodie would appreciate – especially a foodie who eats gluten-free or Paleo. However, if you wanted to “step up your game,” you could gift this cookbook along with a great cast iron skillet. My own personal preference is Lodge Cast Iron Skillets (Amazon link). Come to think of it, every cast iron skillet (I have an obsession, guys, I’m not lying) and grill pan I have is Lodge.

Read more about Cast Iron Paleo (Amazon link) on Amazon today.


Filed Under: Christmas Gift Guide, Christmas Shopping, Cookbook Reviews, Daily Gift Ideas for Foodies, Gift Ideas for Cooks, Gluten Free Tagged With: Cast Iron Skillet recipes, Cookbook Reviews, gluten free cookbook reviews, paleo cookbook reviews, Paleo Cookbooks

Chocolate Desserts to Die For: Beautiful Cookbook with Mouthwatering Recipes and Pictures

November 1, 2016 By Joi Sigers

Chocolate Desserts to Die For! Cookbook Recipe
 

As a chocoholic, my cookbook collection includes plenty of cookbooks with one thing in mind – chocolate! A received a new one recently (Chocolate Desserts to Die For!) to review and I’d love to tell you all about it.

Now that Halloween has come and gone, thoughts are turning rapidly to Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’m featuring cookbooks (such as this one and Celebrations) on the food blog recently that pull double duty:

  1. They’ll be invaluable to you when you’re cooking your holiday meals.
  2. They make excellent gift ideas for cooks and foodies in your life.

Chocolate Desserts to Die For! actually pulls triple duty as it adds this to its resume: This cookbook is filled with beautiful and delicious gifts you can make for people in your life – after all, gifts don’t get any better than chocolate!

{Review Continued Below the Mini Chocolate Turnover…}

Chocolate Desserts to Die For! Cookbook Recipe

Chocolate Desserts to Die For! (Mini Chocolate Turnovers)

This is not a “Gluten Free” cookbook, obviously, but its recipes are either gluten free in the first place (such as the candies) or can be made gluten free with easy substitutions.

Some of the Recipes Include:

  • Not My Momma’s Rice Pudding with Cranberry Compote (would make a GORGEOUS Christmas dessert!)
  • Chocolate Cranberry Oat Cookies (again, perfect for Christmas)
  • Bev’s Hot Fudge Sauce
  • Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
  • Chocolate Chocolate Chipotle Fudge Milkshake
  • Strawberry Saute’
  • Warm Chocolate Raspberry Pudding Cake (when I make it, I substitute the chocolate cake with a gluten free cake mix.. can you say easy?!)
  • The Kid in All Adults Marshmallow Truffles
  • Triple-Decker Chocolate Cookies
  • Fudgy Goes Latin Bars
  • And many, many, many more chocolate recipes.

Take a closer look at Chocolate Desserts to Die For! by clicking the link.

Chocolate Desserts to Die For! Cookbook Recipe

Filed Under: Chocolate!, Christmas Gift Guide, Christmas Shopping, Cookbook Reviews, Gift Ideas for Cooks Tagged With: chocoholics cookbook, chocoholics gift ideas, Chocolate Lover's Cookbook, Chocolate!, cookbook review, gift ideas for chocolate lovers

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Welcome to the Get Cooking Food Blog

My name is Joi (“Joy”) and Get Cooking is where I celebrate some of my greatest passions: Recipes, kitchen gadgets, gluten free food reviews, gluten free recipes, pig collectibles, chocolate, cookbooks, and coffee.

Lots of coffee…

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What’s New on the Food Blog?

  • Brilliant Organizer for Cans and Other Pantry Items… Even Dishes
  • Disposable Air Fryer Liners: Perfect for Fast Cleanups!
  • Vegan and Gluten-Free Salad Dressings, Mayo & Butter from Plant Perfect (Exciting New Products!)
  • Goodful Non-Stick All-In-One Pot: It Has all the Good and None of the Bad (Seriously, I Love This One!)
  • Torani Strawberry Flavored Syrup Makes VERY Memorable Tea, Matcha, Milkshakes, Smoothies…
  • Gorgeous Purple Dutch Oven… My Ideal Soup Pan!
  • As Simple as it Gets Japanese Broth Soup (The Possibilities are Endless)
  • Healthy and Delicious New Favorite Snack

Gluten-Free Recipes

Wedge Salad with Roasted Tomatoes, Bacon, Chia Seeds, Sauteed Onions, and Ranch Dressing

Wedge Salad, Starring Roasted Tomatoes

CauliPower Linguine Pasta with Meat Sauce

Caulipower: Quite Possibly THE Best Gluten-Free Pasta

A Wonderful Gluten-Free and Vegetarian Cookbook: Whole Bowls by Allison Day

Gluten-Free Lasagna with Explore Cuisine Green Lentil Lasagna Noodles

Easy Gluten-Free Lasagna with Explore Cuisine Green Lentil (No Boil!) Noodles

Tostadas with Refried Beans and Tomatoes

Fast & Easy Summer Meal: Meatless Tostadas

Gluten-Free White Chocolate and Pecan Cookies

Gluten Free Cranberry Pecan Cookies

Air Fryer and Rotisserie in One!

Instant Vortex Plus 10 Quart Air Fryer, Rotisserie and Convection Oven (Amazon link)

A Reminder for all Cooks…

Kitchen Accident Tracker

If my accident can prevent you, a pet, or a child from being hurt, it will have been worth it to me… read more here!

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T-fal… As Good as Good Gets

The T-Fal Cookware Set (Amazon link), above, is absolutely one of the best cooking sets you’ll ever find. It’s on Amazon and available in several gorgeous colors.

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Contact me through e-mail at joitsigers@gmail.com and/or connect with me through social media (see above). ~ Joi (“Joy”)

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