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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
 

Bulk Up, It’s the Green Thing to Do

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This is as timely as it is entertaining and educational. Here’s a fun, food and green living-related YouTube video that you’re sure to get a lot out of.

The video went live last week, and is part of a series of two videos that follow savvy shoppers on a trip to their neighborhood grocery store, exploring how they save money (up to 96 percent), packaging and time by shopping in the bulk foods aisle. The video series was developed to celebrate National Bulk Food Day, which occurs on October 23, 2010.

A Little Information Before You See the Video:

Appealing to the soccer mom and the penny-pinching couple alike, shopping in the bulk foods aisle has quickly become one of 2010’s hottest trends, according to the Wall Street Journal. Celebrating this boom in bulk shopping and upcoming National Bulk Foods Day on October 23, 2010, the Bulk is Green Council is proud to announce the launch of the first of a series of two YouTube videos that follow everyday shoppers on a trip to their neighborhood grocery store, documenting how they save time and money while shopping green.

“Budgets are tight and people are thinking twice about how far their dollar takes them,” said Bart McKnight, founding council member and Category Manager for Trade Fixtures. “We decided to document the experiences of real people to better understand how Americans are getting creative with their purchasing decisions, and we think that these videos will teach people a thing or two about to how to make cost-effective, eco-friendly choices at the grocery store.”

The first YouTube video, which can be viewed at www.youtube.com/BulkisGreenCouncil follows a 40-something man and a mom and her son on their quest to gather the 11 ingredients needed to make a wholesome natural snack. The man shops in the regular aisles of the grocery store, while the mom and child shop exclusively in the bulk foods aisle. The drastic difference in total cost and time required of each is then compared.

The second video in the series follows a different set of shoppers who are prepping a gourmet dinner for a group of friends, and will be launched in time for the first-ever National Bulk Foods Day on October 23.

“The videos reveal some interesting information about how people shop for food today,” said Clint Landis, founding member of the Bulk is Green Council and Chief Marketing Officer for Frontier Natural Products Co-Op. “We suspected that the mother and child shopping natural in bulk would save money – anywhere from 30 to 96 percent – but we were surprised to see the little boy had fun selecting all the ingredients from one aisle. He actually taught his mom how to shop in bulk, while the single man shopping in the regular aisles had to run all around the store to find what he needed and ended up pretty frustrated.”

The Bulk is Green Council launched the YouTube campaign as part of an ongoing effort to educate people on the environmental and economic benefits of shopping natural and organic in bulk. Founded in 2008, the council includes industry leaders Hain Celestial Group, SunRidge Farms, Frontier Natural Products Co-Op, Trade Fixtures, and Lundberg Family Farms.

The Bulk is Green Council invites YouTube viewers to share their own experience shopping in bulk by posting their story in the video’s comments section at http://www.youtube.com/BulkisGreenCouncil, or by contacting the council at www.BulkisGreen.org.

Chick-fil-A Sets a Tea-mendous Guinness Record

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This is a story that does nothing but make my pulse race and my mouth water. It’s not my fault, you see…

  • I was born and raised in the south.
  • I live in the south.
  • I’m a tea fanatic.
  • I have a head filled with sweet teeth.

So, there you have it.  A story about sweet tea of these epic proportions knocks me off my feet.  I do believe I’ll celebrate this accomplishment by having lunch at Chick-fil-A.  LOVE their delicious sandwiches and – – – of course – – – their sweet tea.

On Wednesday, Aug. 4, Tulsa-area Chick-fil-A® restaurants set a Guinness World Record by creating the world’s largest sweet iced tea. A nine-foot tall cup held more than 1,140 gallons of freshly brewed sweet tea and ice. The record was set during an all-day celebration at Nienhuis Park in Broken Arrow, Okla.

Operators and team members from five Chick-fil-A restaurants worked with volunteers from schools, churches and community groups throughout the Tulsa area to create the record-setting drink. The process required 72 pounds of tea leaves, 1,150 pounds of sugar, one ton of ice and 912 gallons of water.

Official Guinness World Records® adjudicator Kimberly Partrick presided over the event and officially called the record. The achievement marks the second Guinness World Record for Tulsa Chick-fil-A Operator Arthur Greeno, who set the record for world’s largest soft drink when he created an 834-gallon cup of freshly-squeezed Chick-fil-A lemonade in 2008.

“In the midst of the heat wave we’ve been experiencing in Oklahoma, there was no shortage of people looking for a nice cold glass of sweet tea and we were glad to oblige,” said Greeno. “We couldn’t have made it happen without the help of our staff and neighbors throughout Tulsa gathering supplies, brewing the tea and coming out to cheer us on.”

The Chick-fil-A Kid’s Meal program is partnering with Guinness World Records to challenge children across the country to set their own records this summer. A series of five activity-filled Guinness World Records packs are available in Kid’s Meals until Aug. 28. Each pack features “Do Try This at Home” challenges, intended to promote fun parent-child interaction and active playtime with friends.

Can you imagine if you drank that much tea???…. Ooooh, Never mind….