CSN Stores Cuisinart Crockpot

I was recently given the opportunity to do a review for CSN Stores.  I used a $45 gift card they provided towards the purchase of a Cuisinart 3.5 Qt. Slow Cooker.  I really can't say enough about the great selection of products available at CSN Stores.  I love the site's organization, customer reviews, and free shipping on certain items.  Below is my lovely new slow cooker, or crockpot as I like to call it :-).

I was hoping to provide you with a picture of it in use, but it totally slipped my mind when I was cooking.  I used it to make a fairly large deer roast, and it turned out perfectly.  I love how this crockpot automatically switches to 'warm' after it's done cooking for the time you program it for.  I have one other crockpot, but it is smaller and doesn't have any bells and whistles like this one.  One of the reasons I chose this particular crockpot is that it is a Cuisinart.  I'm a big fan of Cuisinart because I also have a Cuisinart food processor, and it works like a dream :-).

Do any of you use a crockpot or slowcooker on a regular basis?  What do you cook with it?

I usually use mine for cooking roasts or soups, but I've also made Irish Oatmeal too :-).

Have a great weekend... and don't forget to enter my Mediterranean Snacks giveaway here! 

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Costume Squad Giveaway Winner

Hello all!  First, I want to let you know that I'll be doing a review for CSN Stores soon.  They have so much to offer, and I can personally attest to the quality of their merchandise.  You can check out their luggage stores, cookware, and much more!

And now... the lucky winner of my Costume Squad Giveaway is #3 (via random.org) Jessie!  Congrats!  Thank you to everyone who entered!

Don't forget my Progresso "Souper You Debut" Giveaway going on right now too :-).

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and stay warm!  We had windchills of -11 degrees in Champaign-Urbana yesterday - brrrr!


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Jay Robb Review and CSN Stores Giveaway Winner

Jay Robb Products sent me a complimentary package of their protein bars and powder to review!  This brand is definitely popular around the blogosphere, and I am excited to share my own experiences of it with all of you :-).  I'll review the protein bars on this post and the powders later.  Here is what Jay Robb has to say about his JayBars:

"I've raised the bar on bars and created the JayBAR—a great tasting high protein bar made with organic ingredients.  JayBars are formulated without sugar, corn syrup, casein, artificial sweeteners, maltitol, acesulfame-K, evaporated cane juice, aspartame, or sucralose!"

Who exactly is Jay Robb?  He is "a clinical nutritionist with over three decades of experience as a professional in his field. He is the CEO of Jay Robb Enterprises Inc.—a Southern California corporation founded in 1988 and known for producing the best-tasting protein powders on the planet. Jay Robb products and books are sold in over 10,000 health food stores, grocery stores, doctors’ offices, nutrition centers, and gyms across the nation."  Find out more here!  Jay Robb even has an eNewsletter called JayTalk you can subscribe to here :-).

Now for my review:

Cashew Coconut: 9 of 10.  Tasty, creamy, smooth (other than the crunchy whey protein crisps), and very rich!  It was actually a little too rich for me.  The bar was sweet, but not overwhelmingly so.  I love the ingredients too.  This is not your standard protein bar.

Fudge Brownie: 10 of 10. A very sweet chocolate treat that is loaded with protein.  I love how thick and dense it is - quite substantial.

Peanut Butter: 9 of 10. This bar was a little greasy on the outside, and it had a rich, deep flavor.  It was just sweet enough to make for satisfying treat, and it had a nice peanut butter flavor (though not the best I've experienced).

Almond Energy Bar: 9.5 of 10. Quite sweet with a great fig and raisin combo flavor. The YAMMIT Energy Nuggets were fabulous :-). The almonds made a wonderful addition. I consider this bar to be a 'souped-up' Larabar.

Overall, these bars are quite nice. They are pricey too though! You get what you pay for though, and if you're looking for a quality protein bar that you don't have to make on your own, then this would be a good purchase. AND... if you're so inclined to make a purchase, here is a discount that Jay Robb has extended to you all:

NOW for the $45 CSN Stores Giveaway Winner! Thank you everyone who entered and thank you CSN Stores for allowing me to host this generous giveaway. Only one could win though, and Random.org declared lucky #7 the winner, which is Katie M. Congrats!! CSN Stores should be sending you an e-mail soon :-).

Have a great weekend everyone!

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$45 CSN Stores Giveaway!

Here it is - a major giveaway that CSN Stores is allowing me to host!  This is great because YOU decide what you win!  One of my readers is going to receive a $45 gift code to use at CSN Stores!

This giveaway is open to U.S. Residents and it will end on October 15, 2010. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn.  Make sure you leave a valid e-mail address in your posts!

Mandatory Entry: Leave me a comment telling me how you would spend $45 at CSN Stores. Please include your e-mail address too.

Extra Entries (leave 1 comment for each): Blog about this giveaway and leave a link to the post.

Become a follower of my blog.

That's it!  I will be posting more product reviews soon :-).  As for my life, classes are busy, but going well.  I'm LOVING the Autumn weather and am hoping Winter holds off for awhile.  Also, my basil plant made a come back!  I wonder how long it will last??

Take care!

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CSN Stores giveaway coming soon!

I'm spreading the wealth with my wonderful readers!  CSN Stores is generously offering one of my readers a $45 gift code to their stores!  Are you interested in dining sets?  If so, they have a nice selection for you :-).  Otherwise, they have many more items to choose from!  Stay tuned for giveaway details!

I went on a nice bike ride this evening and took some pictures around town.  Unfortunately dusk is not a great time for taking pictures... but I'll share some with you anyway :-).

I hope you all have a relaxing weekend!

FYI: This past week was Banned Books Week.  Here is a list of challenged and banned books in 2009-2010.  I say, just say no to banned books!

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Pillsbury Sweet Moments Winner! and CSN Stores review

And.... Random.org declard my Pillsbury Sweet Moments Giveaway winner to be... #22... or Mo' Betta!  Congratulations!  And thank you to everyone else for entering this giveaway!  FYI: This prize pack, in addition to the product, prize pack, and information I received were all given to me from Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark.

Now for the CSN Stores review!  CSN Stores generously provided me with a $40 giftcard to use in their stores.  They have SO much, but the two things I ended up purchasing were a Victorinox Swiss Army Fibrox 8" Chef's Knife and an Emerilware by All Clad Cast Iron 10" Skillet.  I am super happy with both items!  They were shipped fast and were packaged well - so no bumps, dings, or scratches :-).

Isn't this knife gorgeous!  It sliced through a couple large raw sweet potatoes like a dream.  I was afraid it was going to cut right through the cutting board (it didn't!).  I was even a bit afraid to use it since I've never had a knife so large and sharp.  I'm very pleased with it though.  Now I think I need a knife block.  It just seems wrong to just put this knife in a drawer with my other cheap knives :-(.

I've been wanting a cast iron skillet since forever, but have gotten by without.  Now I have one (boy, is it heavy!), and the its features are wonderful:

•10" cast iron made for high heating cooking
•Excellent heat retention - keeps food warm at table

•Perfect for browning, searing, frying, and sauteing

•Heats evenly and consistently

•No warping or chipping

•Becomes virtually non-stick with seasoning and use

•Pre-seasoned pan surfaces and oven safe up to 600F

•Heirloom quality with signature thumb rest

•Large, extra-long handle and easy-to-grip side "helper" handles

•Lifetime warranty
 
So, do any of my readers own a chef's knife and/or a cast iron skillet?  If so, what are your favorite uses for each?  I could especially use ideas for the cast iron skillet :-).
 
And my goal is to post at least twice a week, but, alas, life has been so busy!  Maybe shorter posts?
 
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CSN Stores Review: yogurt maker and bowl

Remember waayyy back when I said I was going to do a review with CSN Stores (here)?  Now is that time :-).  I ended up purchasing a Tribest Yolife Yogurt Maker and a Mikasa Antique White 9.4" Cereal Bowl with my $40 gift certificate.

Here's the yogurt maker in all its glory:

9 of 10.  It is so satisfying to make your own yogurt - and less plastic waste too!  It is time consuming though, primarily because you have to heat your milk (stirring regularly) to a specific temperature before adding active yogurt or a starter culture and then placing it in jars in the yogurt maker.  Once it's in the yogurt maker though, you just let it sit for 8-12 hrs.  That's the easy part ;-).  Afterwards you have nice homemade yogurt to do what you want with - and I used mine to make oatgurt with oats and frozen berries - yum!  I love how this particular yogurt maker also came with a larger lid so I make even bigger batches of yogurt if I want to share it with others or use larger amounts in recipes.  One possible negative I've noticed is that the yogurt I've made so far has had almost a gritty texture in places.  I wonder if this is because I don't mix the active yogurt and milk well enough?  I should probably look into that... though I don't notice it at all in my oatgurt, just when I eat it plain. 

Now for the cute (I want to say little, but it's actually quite large) bowl I got:

10 of 10.  I really can't think of anything bad about this bowl.  It's simple, elegant, and a great size for salads, chili, oats, etc.  It's also microwave, oven, freezer, and dishwasher safe - yay!

I definitely recommend checking out CSN Stores.  They have great customer service, a wide range of products, good prices, and even free shipping on some items :-).

WARNING: this next picture contains BROCCOLI WORMS... skip over it if you are weak of stomach!  :-)

Broccoli fresh from an organic garden is awesome - just be sure you very thoroughly rinse and clean it or you may find these:

Ewwww!  Yes, that was my first reaction when I reached the bottom of this tubberware container of steamed broccoli.  My second reaction was, "Have I already eaten some of these?!"  I guess I'll never know... but I will be more observant when I eat fresh broccoli from now on since I know to look out for broccoli worms! 

Happy Hump Day!

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CSN Review to come!

CSN Stores has generously offered me a $40 gift certificate to use towards a purchase (I can choose from lights, furniture, exercise equipment, cookware, and MUCH MORE!) at any of their 200 + websites!  I will then review my purchase on this blog for you all.   I wonder what I'll get....

Until then... how about some pictures of my family's new kitten!  I named her Elphaba (Elphie for short) from the musical Wicked!  Elphie is SOO fun to play with :-). 

I'll have a longer post in the next couple of days.  The weekend is almost here!

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