Mara's Pasta Giveaway Winner!

Drum roll please....... The winner of the wonderful package of pasta from Mara's Pasta is Kammy! She is a fellow blogger, so feel free to check out her site here: http://www.kammyskorner.com/

Are you all done with your Christmas shopping? Making preparations for a trip to see family? Whatever you are doing to celebrate the holidays, I wish you all the best! Enjoy your time with family, friends, and good food!

Meijer Mounted Photo Review

As a BzzAgent, I received a coupon for a free mounted photo from Meijer. I brought in a picture on a thumb drive, uploaded it with ease, and it was mounted within an hour! I love the result (pictured below). The silver edging goes well with the photo and creates a sleek result that looks great hung on my white wall. The mounted photo also looks great sitting on top of a shelf. It's nice to not need to buy a frame and take away from the picture by surrounding it with something else. I like the idea of mounted photos, and Meijer did a great job!

Mara's Pasta Review and Giveaway!

Greetings! I was sent a wonderful gift box (pictured below) from Mara's Pasta to review on my blog. Mara's Pasta is made from a unique variety of 100% whole wheat (Maragrain™) that results in a better taste and texture. This pasta is higher in protein and fiber than other whole grain pastas. One other cool thing about Mara's Pasta is that it cooks faster than other whole grain pastas! I love that. You can see all of Mara's Pasta products and purchase them here.

10 of 10. I do believe this is the best wheat pasta I have ever had. It cooked very well and had a rich texture. It was firm and soft (if that makes sense) and wasn't gritty like some wheat pasta. The appearance is just beautiful too. I love farfalle.

Guess what?! One of you has a chance to win a Mara's Pasta gift box just like I received! Check out my giveaway below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclaimer: Mara's Pasta provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Thankful on Thanksgiving for Cake in a Mug!

I can't believe Thanksgiving has come and gone! Today is Black Friday and Christmas is just around the corner... along with ice, snow, and winter storms. Oh joy!

I am very thankful I was able to spend my Thanksgiving with a co-worker's family since I was unable to head home to my family a couple states away. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner, and unfortunately I have no photos to show for it. Do not fear though, I have some pictures of cake in a mug!

I first tried cake in a mug last week and loved it! It is super easy, tasty, and creates the perfect single-serving treat. I'd rather not bake an entire cake for myself... that's simply not a good idea.

Below are a few of the different types I made. I experimented with egg, without egg, with oil, with part oil/part applesauce, with stevia, with sugar, with white flour, with wheat flour, etc. You really can't go wrong. Some versions taste better, but all seemed pretty good to me.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cake in a Mug

Banana Cake in a Mug

Have any of you tried making cake in a mug? You should! There are lots of great recipes to try, such as this a chocolate cake recipe!

Shiloh Farms Review

Shiloh Farms recently sent me a lovely complimentary package of products to review. Shiloh Farms foods are "pure and wholesome, with no artificial ingredients, no preservatives and only natural flavor." You can check out a timeline for the interesting history of Shiloh Farms here. The Shiloh Farms Blog states that their mission is "to provide great tasting organic and natural foods for people who want a wholesome, healthy diet." I can certainly support a mission like that! Their blog also has lots of recipes you should check out.

I was very excited to receive my package, and my kitten loved the box!

The first product I tried was the organic sprouted corn bread and muffin mix. My kitten loved this product the most.

THIS IS MOI MIX! OM NOM NOM!

Sprouted corn bread and muffin mix: 9.5 of 10. These muffins are a great addition to any meal, especially during the fall season, and they turned out wonderfully. They were moist with a hearty corn flavor, and less "fake" than the yellow cornmeal muffin mixes I am used to.

Carob Powder: 10 of 10. I had never tried carob powder prior to receiving this sample, but I like the slightly bitter, slightly sweet flavor that is somewhat like cocoa powder with a milder chocolate flavor. It worked quiet well in the mini chocolate cake pictured above (with pomegranate seeds!) that I actually made in a mug in the microwave. I have also successfully used this powder in my green smoothies and oatmeal.

Soybean Flakes: 10 of 10. These are more hearty and a better source of protein than regular oats, yet they are just as easy to cook. I definitely enjoyed these thick, substantial flakes with a slightly nutty flavor and look forward to trying them in recipes other than just mixed with yogurt and chia seeds (pictured above).

I enjoyed trying the Shiloh Farms products listed above, and I hope you check them out for yourself! Have a great weekend everyone!

Green Smoothie Time

It has been way too long since I've had a green smoothie, so I decided to remedy that this morning. I bought myself some spinach, yogurt, and an avocado last night in preparation for this glorious morning breakfast. And, yes, it is indeed glorious.

Below is my new green smoothie recipe. There are SO many variations!

Super-Charged Chocolate Green Smoothie

• 1/2 c. frozen chopped spinach leaves
• 1 cup frozen blueberry yogurt
• 1 frozen banana
• 1/3 avocado
• 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
• 1 scoop instant coffee for that extra kick
• 1/3 c. water

Blend well and enjoy!

Then look at some baby goats to add even more cheerfulness to your day. ^_^

Skinny Pop Popcorn Review

Who enjoys snacks? Who wishes they could indulge in snacks guilt free? Snacks are an essential part of my diet, but I also try to be careful of the foods I choose to snack on. Popcorn can be a bad or good snack choice depending on the type you choose. I have one type of popcorn to share with you today that makes a perfect healthy snack choice: Skinny Pop Popcorn!

I was sent a complimentary package of Skinny Pop Popcorn to review, and I really enjoyed it! Skinny Pop Popcorn is all natural, cholesterol free, preservative free, dairy free, peanut and tree nut free, gluten free, with zero trans fat and no GMOs. It's also a great source of fiber, making it a healthy snack choice!

Skinny Pop: 9.5 of 10. The popcorn is fresh and crunchy with a hint of salt and a slight butter-like flavor that makes it more substantial than plain popcorn. Of course, the oil used does add some extra calories, but sometimes that is worth the satisfying flavor. My only suggestion would be that they offer more flavors. This popcorn is great, but I think it'd be an even greater hit if there were to be some more variety. I look forward to seeing if they add more flavors in the future!

Another great snack, I might add, is carrots and homemade hummus made from great northern beans (Aldi didn't have chickpeas). Hummus is so versatile and easy to make. :-)

P.S. Do you like my new blog design? If you're reading this in Google Reader, please stop by my blog to see the new look. Let me know if you like it! This is the first time I have changed it since starting my blog. 

Reuseit.com Lunch Boxes Review

I almost always bring my lunch to work, and I usually use your typical lunch bag to carry my food. It's nice to have options though, and I was given the opportunity to review one of the lunch boxes offered by Reuseit.com. I decided to review the Lunch Pot by Black + Blum. This is not your typical lunch box. It is instead two containers that fit together to make a lunch box without the box. I think it's ingenious.

As for Reuseit.com, it "is a place where you will find our family of "best of the best" reusables available in many categories so you can eliminate disposables from every part of your life -- from bags and bottles to lunch, household items and beyond." There are some great items there - it's worth a look around. :-)

10 of 10: This lunch box works great! I don't rate products as a 10 of 10 unless they truly are stellar, and this is! The two containers (BPA free! and microwave safe) are a good size to fit food, they seal securely, and they snap together like a charm and are very easy to carry around. There is even a spork attached!

* Reuseit.com provided me with this complimentary sample product to review. The review is my own opinion.

Moroccan Chicken

In trying new recipes, I decided to make Moroccan Chicken with Cauliflower and Zucchini. It turned out quite nicely as pictured below.

Moroccan Chicken

2 chicken breasts
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cumin
1 tbsp. garlic
1 small zucchini cubed
1.5 c. cauliflower pieces

Cook chicken in skillet with oil. Add spices and vegetables and continue cooking until all is seasoned.

This was a fairly simple recipe, but it was fun to try a new combination of spices and veggies with chicken.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I went for a 30 mile bike ride this morning and enjoyed exploring even more of Grand Rapids. Below is a crane I saw.

KRAVE Jerky Giveaway Winner!

It is time to announce my KRAVE Jerky Giveaway (sponsored by KRAVE) winner........ Random.org pronounces Number 5 the winner! Congrats to Mike Davis! I will be contacting you shortly. :-)

Thank you so much to everyone else to entered the giveaway and stopped my blog.

I'd like to add a few pictures I have taken from around Grand Rapids and Lake Michigan during my bike rides. Western Michigan is a beautiful part of the country.

Wild Turkey above!

Blueberry Field above!

Hope you all had a great Labor Day!

KRAVE Jerky Giveaway!

Good morning! It is giveaway time! I reviewed KRAVE jerky last week HERE and was very impressed. Now you have a chance to win a free 5 pack sampler (similar to that pictured below), with an assortment of flavors, courtesy of KRAVE.

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment stating one neat fact about KRAVE jerky and why you would like to try it.

Extra Entries (leave one comment for each): Post a link to this giveaway on your blog and comment with a link to that post.

Tweet about this giveaway: Win a free sampler pack of @KraveJerky at Food, Fotos, and Fun! at http://foodfotosandfun.blogspot.com/2012/08/krave-jerky-giveaway.html.
Feel free to follow me on twitter too - @cygirl88. Thanks!

Become a Google Follower of my blog or subscribe to my RSS feed.

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will end on September 2, 2012. The winner will be picked via random.org. and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning e-mail to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn. Make sure you leave a valid e-mail address in your posts! Giveaway is sponsored by KRAVE.

KRAVE Jerky Review

KRAVE Jerky is "jerky elevated – no longer must consumers settle for tough, chemically-processed products, but instead can turn to a flavorful, artisanal snack crafted with care and made using only high-quality ingredients." Doesn't this sound good?!

KRAVE is all-natural and comes in some very tasty flavors: basil citrus and lemon garlic (turkey); chili lime, curry, garlic chili pepper and pineapple orange (beef); and smoky grilled teriyaki (pork).

Now that I have graduated from school and work an 8-5 job, I can use quick, healthy snacks. KRAVE Jerky sounds like a good option. You can see a snackfood comparison chart on their website.

KRAVE generously sent me some complimentary product samples to review for you. Below I will share my thoughts, which *spoilers* are very positive!

Chili Lime: 9 of 10. The jerky was chewy and moist, with a clear lime taste and a strong spicy chili flavor that kicked in just a tad after the initial bite. It was quite satisfying and hearty. This particular package was a tad crumbly, and my kitten very much enjoyed tasting a few of the small pieces.

Smoky Grilled Teriyaki: 9.5 of 10. Such a strong and rich flavor, and so sweet! It was delicious and savory, and the smoked flavor was amazing.

Sweet Chipotle: 9.5 of 10. Spicy and very flavorful and satisfying. It was a great treat - more than a simple snack.

Lemon Garlic: 8.5 of 10. This jerky had a mild flavor, but the combination of lemon and garlic went well together. I love the texture of this jerky too! The sweet and spicy combination also makes for a satisfying snack.

Basil Citrus: 9.5 of 10. Quite sweet and yet still spicy. I don't know how they do it. This flavor reminded me the most of a typical jerky flavor, though it was still a cut above. :-)

Overall, I would definitely recommend KRAVE Jerky. I was impressed by the quality, taste, and nutrition.

Stay tuned for a KRAVE GIVEAWAY and check out KRAVE on twitter too!

Meals and More from Grand Rapids

I am now in Grand Rapids, Michigan! In order to stay fit and healthy while juggling a new job, I have a couple goals. First, I want to experiment with new recipes by cooking or baking at least 5 times per week. Second, I am going to do some sort of athletic activity every day, whether that be biking 8 miles round trip to work, running, lifting weights in my apartment, etc.

I think I'm off to a good start and will share a couple meals with you today in addition to some pictures from a bike ride to the Frederick Meijer Sculpture Garden.

I visited a farmers' market this weekend and bought some zucchini and cucumber. I decided to make a salad with the yellow zucchini and tuna boats with my cucumber.

Yes, this is a very simple salad with spinach leaves, yellow zucchini, and turkey slices. I mixed some rice vinegar and raspberry vinaigrette together for the dressing.

This was fun to make! I just mixed a can of tuna with 2 tbsp mayo, 1 tbsp honey mustard, and a pinch of pepper and cumin.

And now for some pictures from the Frederick Meijer Sculpture Garden. First we have some carnivorous plants:

Then we have some plant sculptures!

Stay tuned for reviews and giveaways to come soon! Hope you all had a great weekend!

Is UNREAL real?

This past weekend I came across UNREAL candy at CVS. I love Reese's and decided I'd give this reportedly healthier knock-off a try. And WOW! It tasted sooo delicious and is made without artificial flavors, hydrogenated oils, or corn syrup.

Alternatively, you can also make your own peanut butter cups!

~

Sugar Cookies

I don't bake desserts very often, but I needed to make some treats for a get-together with friends this past week and decided to make some sugar cookies. I looked around the web for a soft sugar cookie recipe and came across University of Cookie's recipe. I made the recipe without frosting because that felt like it would be sugar overload. The final product was delicious, and I used a fun alligator cookie cutter to make the cookies extra special.

They were a hit! Just don't cook them very long. Do any of you have a favorite cookie recipe?

I also came across the fun "Call Me Maybe: Military Version" video today. You should see it. :-)

OOFOS Giveaway Winner!

I am happy to announce the winner of the OOFOS giveaway I hosted! I used random.org to generate a number: 32. This means that Jenny is the winner! Congratulations, Jenny! I'll be emailing you shortly so I can put you in touch with OOFOS Footwear for your prize.

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who entered this giveaway and shared it with others, especially Cheryl, the lovely lady behind The Lucky Ladybug.

Keep enjoying your summer and stay tuned for more reviews and giveaways!

~

OOFOS Giveaway!

Hello all! In my last post I reviewed OOFOS Footwear, and now one of you will win a pair of OOFOS thongs or slides for yourself!

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will end on July 9, 2012. The winner will be picked via random.org. and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning e-mail to claim their prize of either the OOriginal Thong or OOahh Slide or another winner will be drawn. Make sure you leave a valid e-mail address in your posts!

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment stating one neat fact about OOFOS and why you would like a pair.

Extra Entries (leave one comment for each): Post a comment to the OOFOS facebook page.

Post a link to this giveaway on your blog and comment with a link to that post.

Tweet about this giveaway: Win a free pair of @OOFOS at Food, Fotos, and Fun! at http://foodfotosandfun.blogspot.com/2012/06/oofos-giveaway.html.

And don't forget to check the OOFOS pinterest page.

Best of luck!!

*Giveaway sponsored by OOFOS. Pictures above from OOFOS website.