Posts by admin:
- Peanut Butter and Chocolate
- Chocolate Coconut
- Chocolate Mint
- Cocoa Brownie
- Cookies and Creme
- Rocky Road
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel Crisp
- 4 bratwursts
- 4 Pretzilla Sausage Buns
- 2 ounces semi-soft cheese
- spicy mustard
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 apples, peeled and diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups bagged sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
- salt and pepper to taste
- Heat olive oil in a pan and cook onions, red peppers, and apples until softened for about 10 minutes on medium heat.
- Add sugar and vinegar and bring to a boil until the mixture has somewhat evaporated, about another 10-15 minutes.
- Drain 2 cups sauerkraut and rinse. Place in a glass bowl and add the apple mixture to kraut.
- Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve with bratwursts.
- Grill bratwursts for about 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add cheese on top until melted.
- Grill Pretzilla Sausage Buns on grill for a few minutes.
- Add spicy mustard on each side of bread.
- Add one grilled bratwurst and top with 1/2 cup of relish or more as desired.
Gluten- and Sugar-Free Mini Raspberry Cake Doughnuts
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Gluten-Free Chocolate Iced Doughnuts
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Cinnamon Donut Cake with Walnuts
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Mini Chocolate-Cinnamon Cake Donuts
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SAVORY BASIL PESTO HUMMUS DONUT
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Lemon Dill Cornmeal Doughnuts with Havarti
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Gluten-Free Banana Donuts
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BAKED COCONUT DONUTS
NoGii Gluten Free and Paleo Products for Everyday Living {Review}
June 15th, 2015I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my opinion on my
blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product.
Created by Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Gluten-Free Mom, Emmy Award-Winning Talk Show Host, and New York Times Best-Selling Author of “The G-Free Diet” and “Deliciously G-Free,” NoGii is a line of certified gluten-free protein bars, protein powders, and paleo bars. As part of the Moms Meet network, I received the whole line of products to review and boy was I impressed! My whole family loved the line as we enjoyed it on our busy schedules.
Although our family are not ACTIVE athletes or sporty at the moment or even gluten-free, I was very intrigued by the integrity of the product especially with the goal that Ms. Hasselbeck had in mind when she created it. She could figure out the issues with her health until she went on a restrictive diet and found out that she was allergic to gluten. While I am thankful that I do not have any issues, I know these products would benefit our family with all the healthy benefits and ingredients.
There were a variety of protein bars that we were able to taste. The Hi-Protein Bar above contains 20 GRAMS of protein and comes in FOUR flavors:
This bar was created for those who love racing, have crazy long work schedules, or any person who are training. My husband had this bar on a day he was just running on a long schedule. While he liked the Chocolate Coconut flavor he tried he agreed he could not completely do the bar on an empty stomach.
Even though the bars have an ideal balance of protein, fat and carbs, the energy was received well with fantastic flavors.
The next set of bars we received are the No Gluten Paleo Bars ideal for those on Paleo diets. They are all natural and mostly composed of tree nuts and fruits and nothing more. I took these in my purse on outings with the girls and used them as snacks. Since they have been taking swimming lessons they get really hungry after their lesson and I have been splitting a bar between the two of them and they have really enjoyed them.
I really liked the Nuts About Tropical Fruit bar because it had dried mango, coconut, pineapple and a variety of nuts with dates. So tasty! Those bars only give about 4 to 5 grams a bar but they do the trick because the girls were full until lunch time.
Now many will know that I am constantly on the search for protein powders that will not lower my blood sugar when I replace it with a meal. It has been hard but I was glad that NoGii has one in their line that supplies 20 grams of protein per serving delivering a unique combination of two of the most nutritionally complete dietary protein through whey and quinoa. It definitely delivers the protein that people are searching through easily digestible ingredients especially since it contains probiotics and 7 grams of fiber.
The last of the protein bars are called SUPER Protein Bars because they contain 26 grams of protein and are ideal for pre or post-workouts. They come in three flavors:
These I have yet to try out but I look forward incorporating after the baby arrives once I start my workouts. I am excited to see how it affects my diet.
How do you incorporate healthy snacking into your lifestyle as a busy mom? Enter the NoGii TABLESETTERS Contest for a chance to win a trip to New York City, where you’ll meet and have lunch with Elisabeth Hasselbeck! To enter, visit facebook.com/nogiinogluten, look for the link for the contest, and complete the entry form.
Hurry! Contest ends on July 31st, 2015.
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Grilled Brats on Pretzilla Buns with Sauerkraut Apple Relish
June 11th, 2015
I love days that we can grill because then it is not WE cooking. When I say this I refer to my husband being in charge of dinner.On this instance, I had come up with an idea for him to make when it comes to grilling. Grilled Brats were calling our names so then we had a chance to use them with delicious Pretzilla buns, a revolutionary take on soft pretzel buns.
Our family really enjoys eating pretzels, especially here in Philly, so we were happy to see and taste what Pretzilla products were all about. We received Pretzilla Burger Buns, Sausage Buns, Mini Buns, and Pretzel Bites to work with and we have to admit that they went fast! We used many of the mini buns and burger buns for breakfast and lunch sandwiches that my husband made for us. I loved them both at room temperature or even toasted. As long as they were sealed, the bread did not get hard or crusty which was amazing.
We took the Pretzilla Bites for snack and lunch times when we were on the go to eat with hummus or with cheese and turkey. They were great for dipping and the texture of the bites and every bread we tasted was amazingly light and airy. It was not obnoxiously airy but tasty with lots of flavor.
Each packaging gave the option to warm in the oven and then another option to add the salt on top. Some of the Pretzilla Bites packages came with processed cheesy dip that one would get at a sports events. We opted not to have that and enjoyed the bites with hummus or mustard which was really delicious!
When I was coming up with a recipe, I decided to have my husband grills bratwursts on the grill so we could make hot dogs using the Pretzilla Sausage Buns. I made a Sauerkraut Apple Relish to go on top of the brats.
After the brats grilled we added a soft cheese on top, placed in the grilled sausage buns with some spicy brown mustard and topped with the relish. IT WAS AMAZING!!!
While these products are not available in Pennsylvania they are available in New Jersey and at all Whole Foods in most states. Check out their store locator, but they are really affordable to order online! Check out the prices because they are surprisingly at a great price. This product is definitely worth a try especially when you know the company has developing a recipe and producing a unique product since 1923. For any interested, these products are also ALL-NATURAL and VEGAN as well. Make sure you check out this company and see what they are all about!
Ingredients
Instructions
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Toddler-Friendly Activities in Hershey, Pennsylvania (Part 1)
June 10th, 2015When I agreed to go on a business trip with my husband to Hershey, PA a month ago, I knew it was going to be a bit challenging being almost 8 months pregnant and keeping two toddlers busy during the day, but I forgot the amount of work it would be. I really made the best of our trip and enjoyed it truly but at the end of the week, I was ready for my own vacation, you know?
Almost every morning for 2-3 days I would drop off my husband at his music gig and I would go off with my girls to breakfast and then plan on an activity or attraction. We then would pick up my husband for lunch or depending on how much time he had off we would skip picking him up and go on with our day. There was ONE day my husband had off for us to do a family event together which ended up being wonderful because it required more work for two parents.
My hope is to share with moms out there that it is possible to have fun with your kids in a new city ALONE. While it would be ideal to do it with the whole family sometimes being on your own is so much better than staying home in the same routine. No regrets other than being tired which is the the most truthful things I can say.
On one day, we had breakfast and visited the Cocoa Castle Playground which was a great place! From what I heard it is supposed to be replaced with a more modern playground, but I do not see why when this play space works for all kids. My girls chased each other around and took turns climbing different sections of the playground. We were there over 2 hours so I say that was a success.
On another day, I took the girls to the Hershey Gardens. If you stay at the Hershey Lodge, your family receives tickets to visit The Hershey Story and the Hershey Gardens. There is also a shuttle that leaves from Hershey Lodge as well to HersheyPark, Chocolate World and The Hershey Story.
Either way, we were at the Hershey Gardens for about 2 hours in the morning but I have to say it was a little of a disappointment since the roses were not in bloom. There were hardly any flowers blooming so it was not as exciting. We plan to go again to see the flowers but either way, the gardens are so broad and there is even a Children’s Garden with a variety of sections for kids to explore like a butterfly house, a fountain, and more.
I loved the fact that my girls know that when we go to gardens they can easily just go running and exploring without limitations. They love seeing everything in nature with birds in the air, flowers in bloom and bridges to walk over.
I can’t forget to share one of our favorite meals. While Yelp helped A LOT during our trip we took recommendations from local friends in our area. Since most mornings we would drop off my hubby 20-30 minutes away from Hershey, we could not wait to return back JUST for breakfast so I was charge of finding places in the area.
One of the places I found was called Brownstone Cafe in Middletown, PA which was about 20 minutes from Hershey. It is a quaint little town and the cafe used to be a bank from 1892 until 1997. The new owners decided to salvage as much of the decor as possible to create an ambiance for their cafe. We loved the inside and the food was so affordable!
The girls ordered pancakes with an egg and the kitchen made them a Mickey Mouse pancake which made them super happy. I ordered the Eggs Benedict with hash browns which was so delicious and lots of food for the price. If you get a chance to check out the cafe, you should totally go there!
There was one day that my husband was gone all day and I was almost done trying to figure something to do with my girls because naps had not really happened the whole day. I checked in with the Hershey Lodge and made sure that going to Chocolate World with my girls AFTER dinner would be a good choice especially doing it all alone. When they assured me that it would be ideal, we took the shuttle from the lodge and were driven all the way to Chocolate World where we took the FREE chocolate tour.
If it is one thing I do know about my girls is the fact that they love chocolate. We took the same tour THREE times because they wanted to see the process that chocolate went through and how it came out after all the process. I think we could have done the little tram tour another few times if I had not convinced the girls it was time for ice cream, which made them even more excited. After our tour, we received a sample of Hershey’s newest chocolate which was a chocolate caramel. So much fun!
As we looked for the ice cream treat before heading back to the hotel we found a great ice cream parlor inside Chocolate World advertising ice cream sundaes and ice cream cones. I loved the fact that so many places offer baby cones because it is just ideal for little ones but you know, I ordered one myself when I noticed the size of the ice cream scoop. It was huge and only under 2 bucks! It was a major steal compared to everything on the menu. I definitely recommend asking for smaller portions everywhere you go.
All in all, it was a GREAT success and I thank God for guiding my steps and giving me energy and strength for the long days with my girls. We did have an awesome time and I think it would have been easier if I had not been pregnant but now I can tell our third child that she took trips in utero.
Stay tuned to the second part of our trip to Hersheypark.
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National Donut Day
June 5th, 2015Although I did not have time to make any, we plan to enjoy a few with my girls today. How about you? If you so feel so inspired I do have several options on the website that are vegan, gluten-free, and delicious! Try them and let me know if you make them.
Check out some fellow blogger donut recipes that are SAVORY and SWEET!
Have a fun and delicious National Donut Day! Tell me your favorites!
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Eating with Kids at Hershey Grill {Review}
June 5th, 2015
A few weeks back our little family went on an early summer trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania but it was not all pleasure. My husband was working with Music in the Parks so we knew we had to occupy our time with fun activities in the area.
We had only been to Hershey once since moving to Pennsylvania so we were definitely going to be taking advantage of new things to see with the kids.
We first arrived at Hershey Lodge and found it to be pretty amazing. Right at check-in we were given ice-cold waters and Hershey bars to enjoy which made us real excited. Immediately as we got to our rooms the girls were so excited. They claimed their bed and started snuggling with the comfy pillows. I loved that each part of the Lodge was named after a candy. Thankfully we were in the Reese’s section since I like that candy.
After we settled in we dined at Hershey Grill, which looked completely different on the inside than the outside. Despite it being called a grill, the ambiance was a little upscale but relaxed. As we walked past tables we noticed that the dinner plates were huge!
While it my husband and I a bit to decide to dinner, our girls immediately knew what they wanted. Unfortunately, our youngest was requesting something that was not even listed but we hoped that the kitchen could accommodate.
As we waited for our meals, the girls colored their Hershey-inspired pictures and we enjoyed warm bread with three kinds of butter. One of them was a chocolate butter! Yum.
We started off with crab cakes that came with a green garlic aioli. I was saddened that were only 3 crab cakes as opposed to four which would allow 2 people to split them, but we still enjoyed them.
My husband ordered the Provencal Seared Tuna and Frites with garlic fries that was simply incredible. He had ordered it medium and wished he had ordered it medium rare, but even so, he enjoyed his dinner. I had a hankering for steak so I ordered the Top Sirloin that came with a vegetable medley and roasted shallot mashed potatoes.
The kids meals were huge! If anything they could have split the chicken tenders and fries but since my youngest wanted black beans and rice, my oldest daughter had a whole dish to herself. We liked how the kitchen was understanding of our daughter’s specific request for beans and rice too!
Dessert is definitely and always a must with our family.
The girls each enjoyed a scoop of their own choosing and my husband and I battled over asking for the same dessert which was the Warm Huckleberry-Rhubarb Cobbler and Strawberry Ice Cream. I should have just gone with my gut instinct but my husband chose the fruit dessert and I went with the Peanut Butter Cup that seemed to be the popular choice at the restaurant.
While the presentation was gorgeous, it was just a little overwhelming on the peanut butter and perhaps not the best choice after having a steak dinner. I ended up sharing the cobbler with my husband as he predicted. Either way, both desserts were wonderful.
All in all we had a wonderful time and the food was delicious! A plus is that it is walking distance to The Hershey Lodge. Score!
Hershey Lodge, 325 University Dr
Hershey, PA
(717) 534-8601
Disclosure: Our meal was provided by Hershey Entertainment and Resorts but all opinions are my own.
