Reviews

How to Pick the Freshest Produce (Infographic)

January 8, 2019 By Joi Sigers

While I have often tried to focus on healthy eating on Get Cooking, I am really revitalizing my focus. Why? Because I’m revitalizing my focus on healthy eating in my own life and want only the best for you and your family as well!

Don’t worry, I have no intention of completely cutting out desserts and even less intention of completely cutting out carbs (they’d have to pull my potatoes out of my cold dead hands… whoever they are). But cutting back on less than healthy foods while increasing healthy foods only makes sense.

I’m lucky – I’ve always been a fiend for fruits and vegetables. Especially vegetables. I’m not sure if it’s because my parents always had gardens while I was growing up or if I simply enjoy the taste of just about every vegetable imaginable. Probably a little of both.

Below is a very useful infographic from Pounds to Pocket that’ll help you determine when a fruit or vegetable is the freshest.. as in ripe for the taking!

How to Pick Fresh Fruits and Vegetables in the Store

Infographic Created by Pounds to Pocket: https://www.poundstopocket.co.uk/pound-place/how-to-pick-fresh-ripe-fruits-and-vegetables/

The Muffin Tin Cookbook: Fun and Easy Meals Your Family Will Love (Plus a Fish Tacos Recipe)

January 1, 2019 By Joi Sigers

A while back, I was sent a wonderful cookbook to review, The Muffin Tin Cookbook: 200 Fast, Delicious Mini-Pies, Pasta Cups, Gourmet Pockets, Veggie Cakes, and More!

Love it, love it, love it.

Cooking is more than just one of my favorite hobbies and pastimes – it’s a passion that I love greatly. Even now, I’m sitting at my desk in my home office – working in a frenzy of keyboard tapping and brainstorming, breaking only for much needed sips of coffee. Yet all I can think about is what I’m going to cook for supper, what my next dessert will be, and wondering when I can try out a new stuffed chicken recipe I saw yesterday.

Cooking, baking, cooking, baking, cooking, baking… a peek inside my brain.

Given the fact that it’s something I love so much, I want others to get the same kind joy from cooking as I do. I think that’s one of the reasons I get so excited about fresh, fun, and creative new cookbooks like The Muffin Tin Cookbook. Not only are new cookbooks a complete joy ride for me in my amusement park of a kitchen, I know that other foodies will get a huge kick out of them as well.

I also like to see cookbooks filled with recipes that people will actually make! Recipes that don’t call for you to visit a foreign country and bring back an extract you can only find there – then stir it into a broth using the feather of a virgin peahen… Please. Every single recipe in The Muffin Tin Cookbook is one you’ll make and make again.

Another thing I like to see in a cookbook is plenty of recipes that are quick and easy. A lot of people have to work outside of the home AND come home and cook supper. People who have a limited amount of time to work with don’t need fussy recipes. They need recipes that can be thrown together quickly, cooked in a flash, and don’t require a lot of cleaning up afterward. The Muffin Tin Cookbook is a dream come true for someone looking for such recipes.

Since the recipes on Get Cooking are gluten-free (as are all of the recipes I personally make and eat – health reasons), I will point out that this is NOT a “gluten-free cookbook.” Many of the recipes call for flour and a host of other foods off limits to those of us why have to eat gluten-free. HOWEVER, as with most cookbooks in my collection and recipes I find in the wild, I simply make the necessary substitutions.

Book Description

Muffin Tins—They’re Not Just for Muffins Anymore

There’s nothing you can’t make in a muffin tin—and we’re not talking merely muffins. All you need is a muffin tin, paper liners, and this ingenious, one-of-a-kind cookbook, and you can whip up delicious dishes that are as easy to prepare and serve as they are good to eat.

From quick-serve appetizers and sides to gourmet entrees and desserts, you’ll find an amazing variety of mouthwatering options for your dining pleasure, including:

Shrimp Cakes with Cilantro Lime Dipping Sauce
Egg Crescent Pockets
Deep-Dish Pizza Cups
Cornmeal-Crusted Mustard Chicken with Sweet Potato Coins
Duchess Potatoes
Zucchini, Corn, and Tomato Cups
Mini Ice-Cream Cakes

The best part (besides the tasty goodness): It’s fast, easy, mess-free, and provides built-in portion control. Kids will love to help you make them—like cupcakes, only better for your family!—and leftovers are as easy as popping the muffin-meal into the microwave.It just doesn’t get any better than The Muffin Tin Cookbook . . . your next memorable meal is just a muffin tin away! – From Amazon

Fish Tacos Recipe

3 pieces tilapia, about 3-4 ounces each, cut in half
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
Salt and Pepper
6 taco-size flour tortillas
Light sour cream, chopped green onion, chopped tomato, lettuce, and salsa for serving

Place the tilapia, chili powder, cilantro, oil, lime juice, and salt and pepper in a bowl and allow to marinate 1/2 an hour, in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and prepare 6 jumbo muffin cups by spraying with cooking spray.
Push one taco tortilla down into each cup and press any sections that bubble out against the sides.
Place 1 piece of marinated tilapia in each cup and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness of fish, until cooked through.
Serve with toppings.

Taco tortillas are smaller tortillas and are just the right size to line jumbo muffin cups. Lemon juice can be substituted for the lime juice.

Muffin Tin Recipes

There’s an entire chapter in The Muffin Tin Cookbook devoted to Breakfast – a time of the day when few of us have unlimited time. Recipes in the Breakfast chapter include:

Egg Crescent Pockets
French Bread French Toast
Grits Casserole
Cheese Danish Cups
Bagel Sausage Sandwiches
And More!

Other chapters include:

Appetizers and Snacks (Asian Dumplings with Dipping Sauce, Spiced Pecan Cups, Hot Pretzel Bites…)
Beef and Pork (Mexican Meatloaf, Sloppy Joe Cupcakes, Taco Mini Pies…)
Chicken and Turkey (Teriyaki Turkey Cups, Chicken Tortilla Pies, Italian Chicken…)
Seafood (Salmon Cakes, Deviled Crab Tarts, Shrimp with Polenta…)
Potatoes, Rice, Pizza, and Pasta (Candied Yams, White Pizzas, Stuffed Gnocchi…)
Vegetables ( French Onion Pie, Edamame in Rice Paper Cups, Cherry Tomato Cups…)
Muffins and Breads (Corn Muffins, Monkey Bread, Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins…)
Desserts (Hot Chocolate Muffins, Lemon Pound Cake, Apple Cupcakes..)

Each recipe indicates the size of muffin tin needed. As the author says on page 8, “Keep in mind that you can make your dishes any size you like, but you will need to adjust cooking time up or down accordingly (if you make a bigger cup than the recipe suggests, baking time will be longer; if you make a smaller cup baking time will be shortened).”

Please see The Muffin Tin Cookbook for more information. When giving cookbook reviews, I like to suggest the sort of cook that the cookbook in question is “ideal” for. Although this cookbook is PERFECT for busy cooks, it’s just as fun and enjoyable for those of us who are simply busy cooking! It would make an excellent gift idea for someone who’s new to the world of cooking – maybe even in a bag with a brand-spanking new muffin tin.

Change Bites: Change Your Plate, Change Your Life (Review)

December 21, 2018 By Joi Sigers

I was recently sent a review copy of Change Bites: Change Your Plate Change Your Life in exchange for telling you about this exciting new book. Before I get to the actual book review, itself, I wanted to give a few quick thoughts as well as a brief personal story.

A Few Quick Thoughts

I love that the book is relatively short, totally uncomplicated, and very easy and fast to read. Let’s face it, most of us simply don’t have the luxury of sitting and reading for hours each day – especially around Christmas and New Year’s! The fact that this book reads fast is a huge bonus.
I love that the book, while using the author’s experiences as examples, focuses on the reader. This is YOUR story about YOUR health and it has the power to help a lot of people.
I love that the book is interactive. There are numerous places for you to jot down your symptoms, your goals, your plan of attacks, etc. Books that serve as workbooks keep the reader engaged and the change they seek is infinitely more likely to happen because they are taking an active part.
When doing book reviews on my various blogs, I often like to include a “Who Needs this Book” section. I’m not doing it this time simply because everyone needs this book! Whether you’re trying to transition to a vegetarian diet, trying to add more healthy foods into your daily meals, or suspect you may have an intolerance to dairy, gluten, and/or wheat, this book will help you tremendously. What’s more, if you simply want to take a proactive approach to your health and give yourself a good “once over,” this book will prove invaluable.
I have multiple blogs and joyfully do book reviews on each. This year (seems to be a boon on great books!), I allowed myself to become swamped in books. I honestly had to struggle to keep up. Around October, I stopped taking in new books (for the rest of the year). Then the e-mail about this particular book came through. I knew, from the introductory e-mail, alone, that this was a very special book – one that could give people their lives back.. a book that could, in fact, even save lives. As you can see, I made an exception.

I’t a lot easier to take a leap of faith if your current state of “pain” is worse than the pain of changing. – page 21, Change BITES

My Personal Journey

Years ago, I began experiencing a number of health problems that I chalked up to a number of things: allergies, aging (after all, when you get on this side of 40, a lot of interesting things happen!), thyroid, etc. I had digestive issues that, honestly, became so commonplace that they didn’t even register with me. I was taking Benadryl daily – in fact, I averaged two or three a day.

The tiredness, lethargy, and overall feeling that I had to fight to make myself exert energy? That was attributed to the Benadryl – which, I’m certain didn’t help matters.

Worst of all, however, was the fact that I LITERALLY kept at least one mouth sore or mouth ulcer for over a year. That’s right… for over a year, each and every day I had at least one mouth sore. The doctors would prescribe medicines, I’d swish with salt water.. it was a nightmare that I cringe over to this day. Those things are painful!

Around this time, my oldest daughter, Emily, began to have a few health problems. She had to have her gallbladder removed and, just when we thought she was returning to normal, her health seemed to get worse. After reading everything I could get my hands on, I told her that I thought she should do an elimination diet with gluten/wheat because it sounded like she was either Celiac or extremely gluten-intolerant.

I told her that I’d do it with her – to help her out and give her support. We researched food, restaurants, and armed ourselves with all the information we needed for the journey. I’m an avid cook, so I knew that I’d be able to come up with gluten-free dishes for us to eat. What could have and maybe should have been frightening and depressing was actually kind of exciting and fun. Having someone with you on the journey, in my experience helps a lot.

We decided we’d give it a month and see if her symptoms improved. Not only did they improve – they improved after just two weeks of totally eliminating gluten/wheat from her diet.

But there’s more.

My mouth sores and mouth ulcers disappeared and, over the years, have only returned when I’ve accidentally eaten wheat/gluten. My energy returned, I slept better, my digestive issues improved, and I was able to stop buying two boxes of Benadryl each week.

We’ve, needless to say, avoided gluten entirely since doing so put us squarely back in the game of life.

Change Bites: Change Your Plate, Change Your Life

Change Bites was written by Marissa S. Costonis, H.C., who had her own personal journey with her health and the way her body was responding to food.

It makes sense, when you think about. So much so that I’m amazed it takes most of us so long to make the food and body connection.

Imagine if a new experimental drug came onto the market. If you’re like me, there’s no way on earth you’d take even one, let alone a daily dose, if you weren’t certain of the effects it’d have on your body. Yet, we put bite after bite after bite of food into our mouths each day without a second thought.

Some of this food may be doing as much harm to your body as the drug would be.

One of the interactive exercises in this book involves taking a close look at your health. You’re asked questions you probably had not considered before and are given an opportunity to uncover clues your body has been leaving for you – clues that something is wrong. If my daughter and I had had this book years ago, we would have saved ourselves a lot of pain and sickness. What’s more, we’d have been able to STOP eating something that was causing damage to our bodies.

About the Author: Marissa S. Costonis spent over a decade in change management consulting leading a variety of business transformation initiatives around the world. After developing neuropathy and a host of other health problems began to pile up, Marissa decided to break down the change process one bite at a time to transform her health with great success. She became a Certified Health Coach and launched her business, Change Bites, LLC.

From the Back Cover:

Finally, a step by step process for how to change your eating habits and transform your health!

Are you inspired or even forced to try a new eating strategy, but not sure how to get started?
Do you have a good sense of what to eat, but not sure how to to make lasting changes to your eating habits?
Want to improve your health, but don’t want to give up all the foods you love today?
Have a growing list of health problems, but afraid to admit that food could be the culprit and the cure?

New Year, New You?

My husband and I frequently talk about the important role food plays in health. I love how, on the back of Change BITES, the author says food can be the culprit and the cure. Profound and so very true. Whatever the condition my daughter and I have, I’ve often thought of people in our family and wondered if they, too, had this condition and suffered needlessly. Perhaps, because their problem wasn’t caught early enough, they did lasting damage to their bodies.

I hope you’ll read more about Change Bites: Change Your Plate Change Your Life – if you recognize yourself in any of the following, this could be your first step to making 2019 the year you begin feeling better than you have in years!

Do you feel more tired than usual? It is NOT always a sign of the aging process. Your body could be maxed out simply trying to digest food that it’s having difficulty digesting.
Are you, for health or other reasons, thinking about becoming a vegetarian or vegan? This book can help you overcome any initial setbacks and help strengthen your mind and resolve.
Do you suspect that you have a food intolerance? Does dairy seem to make you bloat or do you feel unusually gassy after something as simple as a sandwich? Food you eat each and every day could be doing more harm than good. This book can help you know for sure.
Do you want 2019 to be the year you and your family eat healthier… and not just for the first two weeks of January?! The reason resolutions usually don’t stick is because we don’t have the “glue” to make them stick. This “glue” is how we react to change and the various challenges it presents. Again, this book could prove invaluable.
How about your moods? Food intolerances don’t just effect how we feel – they often effect how we behave. If you suspect you’ve been crankier or more emotional than you used to be (undoubtedly loved ones will let you know if this is the case), the cause may be in the kitchen and not the person in front of you. I read an article written by a man with a severe gluten-intolerance. He said that the first (and most profound) symptom he had when he had been accidentally glutened (when gluten or wheat passes your lips without you realizing it) was a severe shift in mood. In fact… and I found this kind of fascinating… his wife and children usually realized it before he did. They’d basically tell him to go to his man cave for a week or two until the symptoms passed!

Basically, if you aren’t the same person you were a few years ago (or even a few months ago), it may be what you’re putting into your mouth. The self-assessment exercises and golden advice given in this book can help you get back to the person you remember. Again, I really, really, really hope you read more about Change Bites: Change Your Plate Change Your Life and consider grabbing a copy for you and/or anyone in your life who could benefit.

~ Joi (“Joy”)

Review of Wonderful Pereg Spices: Thai Sweet Chili and Burger

October 15, 2018 By Joi Sigers

The thing that leaves most restaurant food lacking is a lack of seasoning – not enough flavor or “personality” in the food. I’d venture to guess that it’s the same with food that tastes so-so in kitchens all across the globe. Some people, it seems, are timid when it comes to trying different spices and seasonings and stick with the tried and true.

Now, let me rush in like an SEC running back to say that there are many foods that require very simple seasoning – in fact, some shine the brightest with just a little salt and pepper.

However, if we’re being honest, most dishes benefit from layers of delicious spices and seasoning. The trick can be trying to figure out how much of this or how many pinches of that will actually all come together in a tasteful manner.

That’s where seasoning blends like Pereg come in so handy. They have the test kitchens and the experts to sort things out for us. They even put them together to create magical blends that are ideal for whatever meal we’re whipping up: Thai Sweet Chili, Burger, Sumac, Za’atar, Jerusalem, Soup, Chicken, Shawarma, Morrocan, Sweet Red Pepper… (all of these and more can all be found on Amazon).

I was sent a couple of these creative and flavorful spices in exchange for telling you all about them. I received the Burger and Thai Sweet Chili – as for the others, I’ll be ordering them two by two (ark style) asap. I love trying cooking and eating different foods from regions around the world and am excited to use each of these spices.

The Burger spice is the one I tried first. It was a knock-out. We eat a lot of burgers in our house and this spice is going fast. It’s very flavorful and gives the burger layers of flavor.

{Continued Below….}

The Thai Sweet Chili is just as outstanding. I’ve used it with grilled fish, fried catfish (my obsession, pictured above), chicken, and shrimp. The first time I tasted fish with this seasoning, the first word that came to mind was, “exciting!”

Pretty hard to beat that, isn’t it??!!

{Wrapped up below….}

Visit Pereg’s official website for more information on their MANY wonderful products as well as recipes and find many of their items on Amazon.

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Cookbook

October 14, 2018 By Joi Sigers

Is anyone even half as ready for autumn and winter as I am? Don’t get me wrong, I love a lot of things about summer – baseball, fresh produce, songbirds at my bird feeders that aren’t there in cold weather, grilling out, and so on. Summer’s awesome in every way… but, having said that, autumn and winter are super special.

As a foodie, the cooler months make me think of soup, stew, chili, casseroles, chai tea lattes, and (of course) Halloween goodies, Thanksgiving dishes, and Christmas baking… how could a foodie NOT love this time of year???

I may be one of the biggest soup fanatics in the world, which is one of the reasons I’m excited about a new cookbook I was sent to review: 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

Naturally, grilled cheese sandwiches are perfect all year. We certainly eat them year-round in our house. In fact, we’ve been known to enjoy grilled cheese sandwiches at all times of the day and night. Talk about a delicious comfort food. Cheesy deliciousness that comes together pretty darn fast – sign me up.

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches is a perfect guide to getting extra creative with this wonderful comfort food. Although the modern version of the grilled cheese sandwich dates back to 1920 (when it became popular during the great depression, for obvious reasons), these delicious and inexpensive delicacies are currently a popular trend in cooking. I think one of the reasons is the fact that they aren’t expensive to pull together. I think the popularity of food trucks has also helped revive this wonderful sandwich.

Some people are even calling the grilled cheese sandwich the “new burger.” The fact that so many people are eating less meat is another reason these sandwiches are so wildly popular.

From the Back Cover: A grilled cheese sandwich is classic comfort food and it’s enjoying an incredible resurgence in popularity. These fabulous recipes all begin with the grilled cheese we all know and love, and then from there, creative twists showcase just how incredibly versatile this sandwich can be. The recipes reflect an almost endless and delicious variety of choices that include simple and timeless as well as gourmet and artisanal. From breakfast to dessert, there’s something for everyone in this book.

Another reason grilled cheese sandwiches are so popular is, let’s face it, they’re fast and easy to make. You can have a warm, delicious, and comforting meal in a matter of minutes. This is one of the reasons they’re so popular with bachelors, college students, and beginner cooks.

Whether you enjoy your grilled cheese sandwiches with soup (one of my favorite meals), chips, or alone, nothing beats a great grilled cheese sandwich.

As I’ve probably mentioned on the food blog, when I had to totally give up wheat and gluten a number of years ago (health reasons), it threw my cooking persona into a tailspin. Imagine everything you are accustomed to cooking and baking for your family and yourself thrown out the door. Then finding yourself having to start over, pretty much, and discover a whole new way of both cooking and eating.

BUMMER!

It’s a hideous predicament for anyone but for an avid cook and food blogger who was extra keen on homemade breads, cornbread, cakes from scratch, pies, etc.. it knocked me on my backside for a bit. However, I (honestly) found out that many aspects of gluten-free food are actually as good as their gluten-y counterparts and some are even better in many ways.

For example, for whatever reasons, gluten-free fried catfish is actually better. Don’t ask me why (please), but the combo of rice flour and yellow cornmeal makes the best fried catfish in the world. Trust me, this is a personal favorite and something I’ve been cooking since I was allowed to touch the stove.

Grilled cheese sandwiches have been another pleasant surprise (along with French Toast, for that matter). Gluten-Free bread, in my opinion, makes them even better. I think it’s because they’re denser and, sometimes, thicker, than regular bread. Then again, Texas Toast is a great way to go with grilled cheese sandwiches.

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches includes so many creative, fun, and delicious recipes you won’t stop until you’ve made them all. The cheese combinations, along with the additions of complimentary ingredients will boggle your mind. I cook every single day (and have for years) and consider myself to be really creative in the kitchen, but even I found myself saying, “Ooooh, I would’ve never thought of that...” One of the combinations that was wildly new to me was the one given in the recipe below. I wouldn’t have ever invited Muenster Cheese to a grilled cheese party, but this recipe has me slapping myself for the oversight.

The recipe below is from the cookbook and is outstanding. I love it alongside tomato soup or chili and have been known to have it simply with a large dill pickle and Funyons.

I know how to live, after all.

Classic Grilled Two Cheese

Author: Alison Lewis
Serves 4

8 slices white or whole-grain bread (1/2 inch/1 cm thick slices)
2 TBS butter or margarine, softened
4 oz Muenster cheese, thinly sliced
4 oz Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

Instructions

Brush one side of each bread slice with butter.
Place on a work surface, buttered side down.
Top 4 bread slices equally with Muenster and Cheddar cheeses.
Cover with remaining bread slices, buttered side up, and press gently.
Place sandwiches on preheated panini grill or in a large skillet over medium heat and cook, turning once if using a skillet, for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted.
Serve immediately.

When it comes to grilled cheese sandwiches, you have to really be careful with cheese combinations. Make the wrong move and the result will be thisclose to gross. You also have to be careful with what fillings you add and how you treat the bread. Again, the wrong move can leave your taste buds borderline depressed. In this wonderful and fun cookbook, Alison Lewis has done all of the hard work for us and taken all of the guess work out of our hands. We’re left with a ton of delicious recipes and combinations that’ll make us the Queen or King of Grilled Cheese. Whether you use a Panini or Sandwich Press or a favorite skillet, you WILL use these recipes again and again and again.

Below are just some of the recipes included in 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches:

Roast Beef with Asiago and Watercress
Grilled Steak and Blue Cheese
Italian Tomato-Basil Bread
Hot Bacon Swiss Crostini
Havarti and Cucumber Sandwich
Grilled Spinach, Pepper Jack, and Bacon
Warm Peanut Butter Power Wrap
Italian Salami Panini
Sweet Pepper Relish
Hummus
The Pilgrim
And many, many, many more.

See 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for more information and to order your copy today… just in time for soup season!

Adorable Pig Wall Hanging from Kirkland’s – Too Cute!

October 12, 2018 By Joi Sigers

See my buddy above? FrankenPig? I’m totally in love with him and don’t mind you knowing it. My youngest daughter and son-in-law gave me this adorable wall hanging a few weeks ago… a “just because we love you and we’re awesome people” gift. They know how much I’m obsessed with both pigs and this time of year – so they thought of me when they saw it.

At least that’s why I assume they thought of me. Hmmm….

Anyway, I know I have a lot of fellow pig lovers and collectors that visit the food blog, so I wanted to show him to you. They bought it at Kirkland’s here in Owensboro, but your local Kirkland’s may have one too.

I checked Kirkland’s website and couldn’t find him BUT they have a ton of other pig lovelies. Just enter pig in the search box and prepare to say, “So long!” to your money.

Or is that just me?

PBfit Review: Healthy and Delicious for the Whole Family

October 4, 2018 By Joi Sigers

Delicious PBfit – All Natural, Vegan, and Gluten-Free

While I’m normally the class clown, I want to be somewhat serious for a minute.

I guess that’s somewhat of a benefit to being the person who’s never serious, when you ARE serious, people know it’s… well… serious.

Think back to when you were in grade school. If you’re a parent or grandparent, odds are you have trouble thinking of overweight kids or even teachers. I can, honestly, remember the names of the overweight kids because they were so few.

Today, sadly, things are much, much different. You cannot go to the store, it seems, without seeing precious children who are already dealing with weight as an issue – at an age when they’re only “issue” should be homework or keeping their little brother from snitching on them!

I don’t have to tell you how unhealthy and dangerous carrying extra weight is. I won’t insult your intelligence with any diabetes statistics. You know that there is an epidemic in our country – with children and adults. An epidemic that HAS to be confronted head-on with better nutrition.

Chocolate PBfit Smoothie with Apple and Banana

The problem is… kids have incredible appetites! They’re growing and busier than any self-respecting Type A bee, so that’s only natural. Starving them is most certainly NOT the answer. Fun activities and healthy food are the answers needed and, fortunately, healthy food couldn’t be easier.

I’ll let you in on a little secret, too. It’s delicious! In fact, eating healthy is so delicious – and makes you feel so much better – that the entire family will benefit.

PBfit is one of my family’s newest obsessions and it will surely become one of your family’s as well. With 87% less fat than traditional peanut butter and 1/3 the calories, all natural PBfit makes meals and snacks healthier and even more delicious than ever.

You simply mix a little water with the PBfit mixture and… badabing!… delicious and creamy peanut butter. You only make the amount you need for the moment, so it’s always fresh and fantastic. If you want to add a little chopped peanuts or even a mashed banana, have at it. While the options are endless, it’s never better than when it is in its simplest form – good old fashioned peanut butter.

Chocolate PBfit Peanut Butter

It’s wonderful spread on bread, toast, or English muffins (with or without banana slices – YUM!) but I actually prefer dipping apple slices into the peanut butter. I also love making smoothies with the traditional PBfit as well as the Chocolate PBfit (it makes outstanding peanut butter, too… very reminiscent of Nutella).

When making your favorite smoothie, simply toss in some PBfit for extra protein and flavor. It is absolutely perfect in chocolate and banana smoothies. I usually throw an apple in, too, for good measure.

After all, an apple a day and all that…

There are a lot of excellent sounding PBfit recipes on the official website. I’m slowly but surely going to workmy way through each of them. Seriously, this is outstanding – you are going to love each of these – Chocolate PBfit, Organic PBfit, and the Original PBfit.

Kids will get a huge kick out of “making” their own peanut butter and you’ll never have to let them know how much healthier it is for them. Heck, even I get a kick out of “making” my own peanut butter and my qualification for “kid” expired quite a while back!

Each of the three varieties is IDEAL for smoothies and even milkshakes. They smoothly incorporate into the other ingredients – seemingly even better than traditional peanut butter does. I’ve actually been surprised just how smooth and creamy my smoothies are.

Below is a recipe from PBfit that’s a perfect example of the options when it comes to smoothies.

PBfit & Jelly Smoothie

1 cup frozen blue berries
4 tbsp pbfit
1 scoop vanilla protein
1 tsp low carb sweetener, monk fruit
3/4 cup milk of choice
*** optional, 1 tsp goji berry powder for color added nutrients

Blend and enjoy!

Find more recipes, nutrition information, and a lot more on PBfit.com.

PBfit sent me the samples in the picture above in exchange for telling my readers about their product. They also graciously shared the PBfit & Jelly Smoothie recipe and picture with us. The raving words and opinions are all my own, of course (as are the rest of the pictures). I was blown away by PBfit – I honestly had no idea how delicious it would be, for one thing, or how many different ways it could be used for another.

You can find PBfit in most grocery stores as well as on Amazon. I hope you’ll check it out – you and your family will absolutely love this!

Review: Absolutely Gluten Free Tahini Bars (Delicious!)

September 27, 2018 By Joi Sigers

Okay, I have a confession to make before I get to the review of these delicious snack bars. When I first received these bars to review on the food blog, I took SCADS of pictures. I took them in their packaging, I took them out of their packaging. I took them alongside coffee (amazingly delicious with coffee), I took them on snack trays.

I photographed them in my kitchen and I even photographed them beside my flower bed, where I loved to snack away while working with my beloved zinnias.

Now… understand… I regularly write reviews on the food blog (as well as my other blogs), so photographing products, e-mailing the pictures to myself, saving, and posting them are as old hat to me as putting ice in my tea glass.

And yet.

For the first time in my life, I lost 95 percent of the pictures I took! I’m sick about this because this is a wonderful snack and one of the foods I’ve been sent that I was the most excited about!

I’ve checked and rechecked ,my iPhone, my iPad, and my e-mail. Know what I came up with? TWO PICTURES – TWO, OUT OF PROBABLY THIRTY! And – it gets worse. The two I actually found? Basically the same picture – just different angles.

{Insert thirty screaming emojis right here.}

At any rate, I want to tell you all about these snack bars (the press release is published at the end of my review, so you can read even more about them).

The bars are available online (through Amazon) and come in these delicious varieties: Pistachio, Vanilla, and Cocoa Nibs. Being a chocoholic, I was completely prepared to favor the cocoa nibs like a favored child but the vanilla and pistachio bars said, “Not so fast, mom…” Each of the three are just phenomenal and (as is the case with my three beautiful daughters), I couldn’t pick a favorite if I had to.

Tahini Flavor

I will point this out, in complete fairness and full disclosure – you need to like the flavor of tahini to appreciate these snack bars. There is more tahini flavor in these little guys than in any hummus I ever made or met. Given the name, this isn’t much of a surprise, is it? The flavor of cocoa nibs, vanilla, and pistachio is evident in each of the three varieties, but make no mistake about it, tahini is the star of the show and she does not forget this fact.

{Review Continued Below… Beneath the second of the two remaining pics…. sigh}

While I feel absolutely SICK about the missing pictures, I do have to cut myself just a little bit of slack. One of my daughters was very, very sick this past summer and my mind was, understandably, elsewhere. She had chronic diarrhea, nausea, pain, and (since she was unable to eat) was losing weight at an alarming rate. After many doctors, procedures, and even a scope, it was determined that she had a horrible case of gastritis and needed weeks of medication and recovery. She spent nearly her entire summer sick and hurting while her mom (that’d be me) spent it worried sick.

I’m not using this as an excuse for the picture catastrophe (all I can figure is I e-mailed them to myself, deleted the pictures, and they never made it to my e-mail). I’m actually using this as a testimony to these bars. While Emily was recovering, the Tahini bars were often the one thing she could hold down – and they seemed to settle her stomach. I always attributed this to the simplicity of the product. They’re free of so many things that are difficult to digest and contain ingredients that are beautifully natural and easy to handle.

They, literally, were a God-send for her.

If they’re easy on someone’s digestive system that’s under complete attack, they must be as good as they’re cracked up to be!

After I tried these delicious gluten-free bars, I researched the Absolutely Gluten-Free band – completely determined to buy everything they make! I was delighted to see that they make a great selection of gluten-free foods – and, yes, I have every intention of trying them all!

I hope you’ll visit their website and find these bars (Pistachio, Vanilla, and Cocoa Nibs) on Amazon or in your local stores, if you can find where they’re carried. These would be IDEAL for after-school snacks or treats for the office desk, lunch box treats, and handbag. For a while there, I had one in my purse at all times!

Press Release:

NEW! SNACK BARS TAKE THE TAHINI CRAZE TO HEALTHY, DELICIOUS NEW HEIGHTS

Absolutely Gluten Free Introduces TahiniBAR, the Energy Bar Made From Sesame Seeds

Available in Three Exciting Varieties: Cocoa Nibs, Pistachio, and Vanilla

Absolutely Gluten Free, maker of all-natural crackers, flatbreads, and pizza that are both delicious and gluten-free, is taking on the energy bar category with the launch of TahiniBAR, a grab-and-go sesame seed snack that weighs in at only 100 calories. All varieties are certified OU Kosher and dairy-free.

TahiniBAR is leading the pack in many of today’s hottest food trends:

Demand for authentic Mediterranean food, particularly seed-based spreads like hummus and tahini, is on the rise in the United States, with even more growth in the forecast.

The market for healthy portable snacks has seen dynamic growth; bars are more widely available and consumed on a more casual basis than ever before.

The gluten-free movement continues to gain traction as shoppers become more mindful of diets that support health and wellness. In fact, more than 30% of Generation Z and Millennials say they are willing to pay a premium for gluten-free products.

Finally, consumers are expecting intriguing new textures and flavors, and they want to indulge in ingredients like fruits, nuts, and chocolate.

Sesame seeds are truly one of the most ancient foods on earth. In fact, sesame plants are the oldest known plant species to be grown primarily for their seeds (pods) and oils rather than for their leaves, fruit or vegetables.

Health Benefits – Sesame seeds are an excellent source of copper, manganese, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, molybdenum, and selenium. These translate into a variety of health benefits including cholesterol-lowering phytosterols, heart health, improved blood pressure, hormone balance, as well as cancer fighting and fat burning properties. Sesame also helps boost nutrient absorption and energy levels, too.

TahiniBAR satisfies all of these demands in a novel new format. Like tahini and its decadent dessert cousin, halvah, the energy bars are made from all-natural roasted sesame seeds. Sesame seeds help boost energy levels and are a good source of vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, Calcium, Iron, Zinc and potassium. Much lower in calories than many other bars, this 100% gluten-free treat is available in three delectable varieties – Cocoa Nibs, Pistachio, and Vanilla – and sold in packs of 7 bars (4.4 oz.). The MSRP is $3.99 – $4.49 per 7- bar package.

Absolutely Gluten Free is headquartered in Bayonne, NJ, and currently has a line of gluten free flatbreads and crackers, Superseed Crunch, Blondies and cauliflower crusted pizza, among other items, available in stores nationwide. Follow them on FB and Twitter @AbsolutelyGF and online at www.absolutelygf.com.

Review: Snyder’s of Hanover Gluten-Free Pretzel Sticks

July 21, 2018 By Joi Sigers

Some people are “snackers” and some aren’t. Some love to pass through the kitchen and grab a handful of something crunchy and salty (or soft and sweet) before heading to the den for some quality time with the TV.

Personally, I can’t imagine not being a snacker. Seriously… don’t the non-snackers know what they’re missing?!

I’m not just a snacker, I’m a snacker’s snacker. Top in the business. Funny thing is, I don’t eat a lot at one sitting or swipe a lot in one passing…. but I enjoy the heck out of what I do nibble on.

I came across something exciting in Target last week – come to think of it, I always come across something exciting in Target…. like in evry aisle, to be precise. This time, I happened to be in the potato chip and popcorn aisle (of course I was). A bag of Snyder’s of Hanover Gluten-Free Pretzel Sticks caught my eye. If you have to eat gluten-free, you’ll know exactly what I mean when I say the magic words, gluten-free, jump out from a mile away.

It’s like the verbal equivalent of Popeye’s spinach.

Naturally, a bag went straight into my cart – right between a gorgeous new set of bright kitchen towels (personal obsession) and cat food (another obsession… cats, not the food).

I may or may not have sampled them before I even got out of the parking lot. The first thing I noticed was how similar they look and feel (and smell… Heavenly!) to regular pretzel sticks. Anyone who doesn’t have to eat gluten-free may not realize this, but finding legitimate substitutions for the “real deal” is tough, tough, tough. Like most gluten-free bread.

I’ve had other gluten-free pretzels and pretzel sticks that, while tasty, looked more like cookies and tasted more like hard bread. Snyder’s of Hanover has hit the nail on the head with these gluten-free pretzels. They’re excellent.

While I’m excited to have these beauties for snacking, I’m even more excited to have them for other reasons. Each holiday (and often on birthdays), I make chocolate-covered pretzels and pretzel sticks. The gluten-free varieties have never played quite as well as the regular pretzels I remember from my salty past. Since these look, feel, and taste like the real McCoy, I can’t wait to take them for a dip in chocolate and white chocolate.

I also look forward to using them in Chex Mix for the holdiasy,I’m also over the moon excited about an old favorite, Strawberry Pretzel Salad. Again, other gluten-free pretzels on the market just don’t lend themselves to this type of dish. Snyder’s of Hanover’s Gluten-Free Pretzel Sticks will be perfect and I CANNOT wait to make this favorite from the past a favorite of the present again.

Check your favorite store for a bag – you’re going to love them as much as I do. They’re also available on Amazon (in various sizes AND flavors) – easiest way to shop known to man or womankind!

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