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2017 America’s Favorite Halloween Candy (Interactive State by State Map)

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Can you even believe Halloween is so close?! Blows my mind just how fast time passes. I’m actually pretty bummed about it because I LOVE this time of year (September – January) SO much that I want it to crawl at a snail’s pace. Unfortunately, it runs at a cougar’s pace and is over before you know what hit you.

Halloween (the first “holiday” of the stretch) is just days away and candy is on all our minds! The fun interactive map below will show you each state’s favorite Halloween candy. Simply hover your cursor over your state to see the favorite candy for your area.

Source: CandyStore.com.

If you’re unable to see a large enough version of this map, click through the link above for a much, much larger map.


Thursday RoundUp: Gluten Free News, Lance Gluten Free Crackers, and Zucchini Boats

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Lady Alice Apples

Lady Alice Apples – Definitely a Personal Favorite 

I’m always, always, always seeing food news and recipes I want to share with you and often have little foodie thoughts that come to mind I’d like to pass along – the problem is, none of these really have the legs to stand on their own.

I decided to start hanging on to these tidbits, links, and thoughts for a new category on the food blog,  “Thursday Roundup.”

Friday Roundups are so yesterday.

These Roundups will also give me the perfect opportunity to revisit some of my food reviews, coffee reviews, kitchen gadget reviews, etc. –  and let you know what’s still rocking my world and, more importantly, what I know will rock your’s.

Without further yapping, let’s get to it…

  1. Zucchini Boats. I LOVE zucchini. Each year, it’s one of the first plants I plan for my garden. I use zucchini in my spiralizer, zucchini muffins/bread, stir-fries, etc.  I now have a new zucchini use, thanks to a gorgeous and delicious-looking post on Brit.co – 16 Low-Carb and Gluten Free Stuffed Zucchini Boat Recipes. Holy cats, they’re beautiful! Click through to see for yourself. I’m SO going to need a bigger garden this year.
  2.  A Gluten Free Lunch that’s as Cheap & Delicious as it is Quick & Easy. Eating gluten free (whether your brain or your body has made the call) has a lot of positive traits. Being cheap, however, is not one of them.  While things are gloriously changing, having to eat this way isn’t the most economical think in the world, so any time I can shave a little cost off of a meal, I don’t hesitate. I work from home (food blogger, web publisher, crazy cat lady….) and frequently eat most of my lunches as the only human with cats, so I try to make my lunches on the cheap – without compromising the yum factor. I also want something quick and easy because my blogs don’t update themselves, which is why I love meals like Delight’s Gluten Free Sandwiches, Amy’s meals, CedarLane Quinoa & Vegetable Enchiladas (and their Gluten Free Sweet Corn Tamales!) and other frozen favorites. To mix things up, I’ve fallen hard for another ridiculously simple, cheaptastic meal: I make “mashed potatoes,” using a package of instant mashed potatoes (all the ones I’ve seen are Gluten Free, but always check), then I top them with whatever I have on hand or am in the mood for. In the picture below, I used yellow corn and a drizzle of my favorite BBQ sauce. You cannot even imagine how tasty this is! Another favorite topping is corn, leftover chicken and gluten free gravy (McCormick’s makes gluten free gravy mixes that are out of this world) – it’s kind of like a gluten free version of KFC’s Bowls. I’ve even topped my mashed potato bowls with a fried egg and bacon. These bowls are filling, fast, easy, and oh so wonderfully cheap.
  3. Lance Introduces Gluten Free Crackers! I have VERY fond memories of Lance Peanut Butter and Lance Cheese crackers.  I had to stop buying them years ago, when my body decided gluten was a lethal enemy, and I’ve missed them since. I always loved keeping them on hand for snacking and would take them on trips to keep me sane between meals. They’ve now come out with gluten free peanut butter crackers AND gluten free cheese crackers and I’m over the moon excited. I haven’t tried them yet only because I haven’t seen them in stores yet – but as soon as I do, I’ll tell you all about them. Read more about the Lance Gluten Free Crackers on their website. Thanks, Lance!
  4. Chickpea Flour For Waffles? Chickpea Flour For Waffles. Again, I have not tried this yet, but I plan to as soon as I get my hands on a bag of Chickpea Flour. I’m crazy for waffles and, according to this article (Chickpea Flour Makes For Light, Crispy Waffles), Chickpea Flour is ideal for this breakfast superstar.
  5. Lady Alice Apples – Easier Than Ever to Find. Quite a while back, I wrote a glowing Lady Alice Apples Review. I still love these apples and buy them regularly. Recently, while rounding them up at Kroger, I realized that, for some time now, they’ve been as easy to find as every other apple variety.  Look in the produce section of your favorite store for these beauties. They’re excellent “smoothie” and “snacking” apples and they’re ideal for applesauce, pies, and other recipes as well. Bottom line – you cannot go wrong with Lady Alice Apples.

Easiest Lunch in the World

Reviews: Red Gold Tomatoes and Laura’s Lean Beef

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Red Gold Tomatoes
When it comes to my favorite food products, I’m about as loyal as loyal could possibly be.  Red Gold Tomatoes and Laura’s Lean Beef happen to be a few favorites, so this post is a total kick for me to do. I was recently sent the cans shown above and a coupon for the Laura’s Lean Beef Patties below in exchange for telling you about them as well as a great sweepstakes the companies recently have going.

The Sweepstakes ends next month, so be sure you click over to the Sweepstakes Page on Facebook right away and enter.  They’re giving away Gourmet Lasagna Party Kits valued at $325 and 750 custom aprons and I’d love to see you win big!

Red Gold Tomatoes are incredibly popular, so I’m certain you’re familiar with them. You may not be familiar with the different blends and varieties they have on the market, though. I’m crazy about tossing them into different sauces, chili, soups, stews… and they’re fantastic in scrambled eggs and pasta salads too.

Here’s the thing most people fail to do, though: Try them all out! Don’t ONLY use a Basil, Garlic and Oregano combo in pasta sauces, try it in different soups and recipes. The more flavors going on in your kitchen the better.

Ironically, just this weekend I threw in a few different can combos in our “soup of the weekend.”  During the winter months, you can always count on two things in this house:

  1. Record-setting amounts of coffee, Chai Tea Lattes, hot tea, and hot chocolate will be enjoyed.
  2. Soup or chili is on the menu each and every weekend.

This past weekend, the soup was a white bean, Italian Sausage, and garlic soup. I decided I wanted to add a little more Italian flavor and tomatoes to the party, so in went a can of Red Gold Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic, & Oregano along with a can of traditional Red Gold chopped tomatoes.

Delicious!

Grab some of these cans on your next trip and do what we do – keep some on hand at all times.  Be sure to check the labels for some really great recipes too.

Also See: Easy Lasagna Recipe using Red Gold Tomatoes.

Laura’s Lean Beef Frozen Patties

Laura's Lean Beef Patties
While I’ve been a huge fan of Red Gold tomatoes for what seems like forever, but I’m relatively new to Laura’s Lean Beef and Laura’s Lean Beef Patties. Once I caught on to just how great Laura products are, however, there was no going back.

No added hormones… no antibiotics… leaner… less fat…  If that doesn’t make buying Laura’s Lean Been products good common sense, I don’t know what does.  Laura can be found in the freezer section now, too.  The ground beef patties, pictured here, are ideal for chili.  Simply fix them according to the directions on the box, then cut them up into small pieces and throw into your chili.

If you’re accustomed to “less lean” hamburgers, it may take a burger or two for you to get accustomed to “cleaner” eating.  The texture in the Laura’s Lean Beef Frozen Patties is different, but this is a good thing.  The words “less fat” cannot possibly be anything but positive.

Simply season them up with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and you’re good to go.  And, as I said, they are perfect in chili.  Perfectly delicious!  The fact that these burgers are less fatty and greasy also makes them perfect for wraps. No nastiness comes off on the wraps because there’s no nastiness to be found.

Here’s the thing about eating “cleaner” that has completely floored me – the more healthier foods you eat, the more healthier foods you WANT to eat. The thought of a big greasy spot on my gluten free bread or wrap is positively revolting to me now. I’d MUCH rather have a burger or wrap with Laura’s Lean Beef (either one I’ve formed or one that came frozen). All flavor, no nastiness.

Don’t forget to click through and enter the sweepstakes right away.  See the Sweepstakes Page on Facebook NOW….

Laura's Lean Beef Patties