AeroPress Coffee Maker Review and Giveaway

How do you like to start your day? A run? Yoga? Green Smoothie? I personally love a hot cup of coffee along with a wholesome breakfast. For this reason, I am very happy to share my review of the AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker with you all.  I was sent a complimentary AeroPress to review from Aerobie, which has a number of other neat products too.

This coffee and espresso maker produces the "world's smoothest, richest brew," and it does so very quickly! The press time takes only 20 seconds. Check out it's slick design below:

AeroPress Coffee Maker: 10 of 10. I love this! The coffee really is rich and smooth as advertised! It is also a very quick process that is super easy to clean-up. I am definitely impressed. I also used this to make coffee for my parents during a visit, and they loved it.

Would you like an AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker? You can purchase one from a number of physical and online retailers (retails for just $29.99) or you can enter my giveaway for an AeroPress of your own!


Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment stating how you enjoy your coffee.

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 #Aerobie #AeroPress #Coffee and #Espresso Maker at Food, Fotos, and Fun! at http://foodfotosandfun.blogspot.com/2013/01/aeropress-coffee-maker-review-and.html.
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This giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will end on January 30, 2013. 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 Aerobie.

Two Moms in the Raw Review

Two Moms in the Raw is a "family-owned gluten free, raw food manufacturer located in Boulder County Colorado and founded in 2006 by Shari and Marsha (daughter and mom team)." They use only organic, non-GMO, gluten free, kosher and vegan ingredients in their handmade granola bars, nut bars, sea crackers, truffles and cereals. 

I am excited to share my reviews of the following Two Moms in the Raw products:

Cereal: 9 of 10. This cereal is hearty, crunchy, wholesome, and slightly sweet. It doesn't have as strong of a flavor as I expected with all the great ingredients, but I still enjoyed it by itself and with yogurt. 

Almond Butter Cacao Truffles: 10 of 10. I enjoyed these more than other regular truffles I've tried. The almond butter was a great flavor encased by a wonderful cacao covering. 

Goldenberry Granola: 9.5 of 10. This granola bar is slightly sweet, crunchy and chewy, and full of delicious seeds held together by agave. It is a great snack!

Cranberry Nut Bar: 10 of 10. This bar is full of my favorite nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts), sweet cranberries, and a great combination of spices. I enjoyed it!

Raw food is truly satisfying in a way that processed food is not. The flavors are stronger and more authentic. I really enjoyed this review and hope you all look into trying some of Two Moms in the Raw's products. They are available at Whole Foods and other retailers around the country.

P28 High Protein Bread Review

Happy New Year! I can't believe 2012 is over and 2013 has just begun. I am happy to be able to start this year with a great product review.

P28 High Protein Bread is "the first Original High Protein Bread on the market." Protein is an important part of everyone's diet, especially when body building or exercising a lot. Some people like to add protein to their diet with protein powder, but that can be quite expensive. P28 Protein Bread gives you another option: You can add protein to your diet by eating the same food you already eat on a regular basis - bread!

I like this concept and was eager to try their products. They have P28 High Protein Bread, Bagels, and Flat Bread! And guess what?! They just added High Protein Spreads (in 4 flavors!) to their product list! I love nut butters, so I find this very exciting! The white chocolate spread sounds especially delicious.

P28 High Protein Bread: 9.5 of 10. I love this hearty bread! It is soft and thick with a great texture. I love that it is whole wheat, and I wouldn't know it was protein bread unless told. It's a great way to add protein to your sandwich.

P28 High Protein Flat Bread: 9.5 of 10. This flat bread is so versatile. I used some to make pizzas, others for sandwiches. It is soft, yet thick and hearty. It is quite substantial for only 260 calories, and it is 100% natural and whole wheat! My only complaint was that after freezing and thawing them, they tended to more easily crack down the center. They were still fresh and very tasty after being in my freezer for a few weeks though, so I was very happy about that.

P28 High Protein Bagel: 10 of 10. This bagel is slightly sweet and chewier than your typical bagel. It is a light texture, but topped with beautiful oats and filled with some very tasty seeds. They freeze and thaw well. Having one of these bagels for breakfast can definitely take the place of a protein powder infused green smoothie, and while I love my green smoothies, sometimes it's nice to have something different.

All in all, I very much enjoyed reviewing the P28 High Protein products. If you currently use protein powder or simply would like to get more protein in your diet, I recommend them.

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.