Win New Years Snack Package

Welch’s Fruit Rolls deliver the same quality consumers love in Welch’s Fruit Snacks, in a new, irresistibly fun format. Featuring fruit as its first ingredient, they come in three mouthwatering flavors: Berry, Tropical Punch, and White Grape Strawberry.
  • Munk Pack’s ready-to-eat Oatmeal Fruit Squeezes, packed with grains and fruit bites, are perfect for a quick breakfast or snack on the go! Available in five delicious flavors, including Apple Quinoa Cinnamon, Maple Pear Quinoa, and more, they are gluten-free, non GMO, vegan and high in fiber.
  • Cased in 7 fluid ounce bottles, Brooklyn Crafted’s small but mighty ginger beers pack a zesty punch and are made with 100% fresh, unfiltered ginger pieces you can actually SEE. Available in four trendy flavors – Traditional, Earl Grey, Lemon & Lime and Mango – the minis are perfect for enjoying on the go.
  • AquaBall’s naturally flavored water is the only zero-sugar, zero-calorie, zero-preservative children’s beverage around. Available in four flavors and featuring fan favorite Disney and Marvel characters, AquaBall is not only fun for kids, but also smart for parents.
  • Carrington Farms NEW Organic Goji Berry Powder is a nutrient-rich superfood that is high in antioxidants, sure to keep you energized enough to shop ’til you drop! It is organic, gluten-free, and vegan, containing vitamin C, vitamin A, and iron to keep you fueled throughout the day. Mix it into your smoothies, yogurt and desserts for a nutritious punch, or use it to make a pleasant juice or tea.
  • Fuel up with a protein filled meal from Explore Cuisine before hitting the stores! Explore Cuisine integrates beans, peas, lentils, and rice to provide you with nourishing meals which are easy, quick, colorful, and simply delicious! All Explore Cuisine products are vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO and jam packed with nutrients.
  • Stay hydrated throughout your Black Friday shopping with Sparkling Ice. An excellent soda alternative, Sparkling Ice is slightly carbonated with B-Vitamins, Vitamin D and antioxidants. This light and refreshing beverage contains Zero Calories, Zero Carbs, and Gluten Free.

One of you can win a prize package of these items. Feel free to enter by using the RC Code below. Ends Dec 11, 2017. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Surveying The Pittsburgh Restaurant Scene

In a city like Pittsburgh, there are endless options on where and what to eat. It’s a diverse city, populated with people of many different ethnic backgrounds. They come to the city with a particular background, find a space, stock a commercial refrigerator with the supplies of their trade, and head to the stove to create masterpieces. As you might expect, the resulting culinary offerings are almost endless.

In fact, there are so many good restaurants in Pittsburgh that any attempt to saturate the scene and visit all the best would be futile. It’s just more than anyone could bite off–literally and figuratively.

A better way to approach a food tour of a unique city like Pittsburgh is to break it down geographically. Each nationality represented in the city is heavily populated in one or more city neighborhoods, and the restaurants in those areas reflect that influence. So start with a map and finish with a fork as we review Pittsburgh’s culinary scene.

Oakland: Conflict Kitchen

The name may be puzzling at first, but hear us out. Conflict Kitchen seeks to provide a place not just for stimulating food but for stimulating conversation. Speakers and performers provide the context for conversation, and an Iran-influenced menu is served.

The response is overwhelmingly positive, constructive, and enjoyable. Somehow it’s a little easier to see things from another’s perspective when you sit down and break bread together.

Strip District: Smallman Gallery

What’s better than a restaurant with a constantly-renewed menu and the opportunity to support ambitious up-and-coming chefs? Serving as a sort of business incubator, Smallman Gallery grants promising chefs an 18-month tenure in the facility, which helps them hone their skills and build capital to strike out on their own.

The result is a crop of new restaurants gradually blooming throughout the city, all rooted at Smallman. And the upside for the diner is a menu that never gets old.

South Side: The Zenith

With so many influences of meat-based recipes, vegetarians may feel a little left out in Pittsburgh. Not to worry! The Zenith provides a menu loaded with traditional flavors with clever techniques for substituting away from meat.

But the restaurant is a little more than just a place to eat. It also includes an antique shop and art gallery for added flair.

Lawrenceville: The Church Brew Works

What good is all that food without something to wash it down? The German love of beer is carried out in Pittsburgh’s own offering at this striking location, a building that actually was previously a church.

Of course, it isn’t just a beer hall; the menu has a wide array of delicious and hearty items to stimulate your thirst, and  it certainly offers some great ways to quench it.

Shadyside: The Twisted Frenchman

There’s nothing twisted about great food. This authentic French eatery will give you a legitimate taste of Paris. Whether you order the scallops, venison, or duck, you’ll find a plate presented with the best French flavors in the city.

Experiencing a city is about more than simply checking off a list of sights and activities. It’s about discovering what and who the city is all about, and really getting to know its history. Food is a great way to do that, and the amazing array of restaurants in Pittsburgh make it easy–and delicious.

 

Cream of Tartar, Recipes and More

If you ever bought a can labeled cream of tartar and got a powdery stuff inside, don’t worry, there is nothing wrong with either your eyesight, or the product. That’s the way it is supposed to be. Cream of tartar is an acidic substance that also goes by the names of potassium bitartrate and potassium hydrogen tartrate.

This powdery substance is actually, a by-product of the process of making wine. Who would have thought, right? Well, I wouldn’t be so keen on writing about cream of tartar and its many uses if it hadn’t been for an article I read the other day. It contains everything there is to know about cream of tartar, from culinary uses to those that go beyond the kitchen.

Prepare the Perfect Dessert with Cream of Tartar

When preparing a dessert like cakes, cookies and meringue pies. Because, let’s face it. Preparing a delicious meringue pie is not enough if it doesn’t look inviting. And to look inviting the topping should be fluffy. The answer to achieving this fluffiness lies in whipping the egg whites. More precisely, you should add a 1/8 teaspoon for each egg white while you are whipping. So if the recipe calls for 3 egg whites you add 1/8 teaspoon x 3. This will help the formation of air bubbles and you can rest assure your topping won’t be flat. What’s more, cream of tartar when added to eggs will increase their tolerance to high temperatures.

Say you need whipped cream to top your cupcakes with. A recipe as simple as this one will call for a pinch of cream of tartar to be added to a cup of heavy whipping cream, two tablespoons of powdered sugar, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Uses of Cream of Tartar Beyond Cooking

There are plenty of helpful uses cream of tartar can be the star of. They are all pretty much connected to the kitchen in that cream of tartar can help you clean your burner pans and give your old copper kitchenware its shine back. An even simpler mixture, that of water and cream of tartar will be a great aid in cleaning steel appliances and removing scratches from them.

If this is not enough, cream of tartar can be used in the bathroom as well. A teaspoon of cream of tartar and a cup of white vinegar will make the magical solution that will help you remove mildew and mold in your toilet.

This incredible powder can even help you save your stained clothes. Only a pinch of it mixed with some lemon juice will do wonders with stained clothes.

If you are flabbergasted by all these uses of cream of tartar too, then go ahead and buy a can next time you go grocery shopping. It will be handy at any time since you will only need a pinch, be it for recipes or other uses, and its shelf life is pretty long (of course, provided that you keep it in an airtight container in a cold and dark place).

Johnsonville’s Spark the Season #FirstBrats #ad

Warmer weather is on the way, get your grill ready! If you are like us, and on the older side of millennials- one of the over 80% of “mature millennials” – you might also rank grilling as one of your favorite summer activities.People who love to grill can’t wait to grill – and these extreme grillers may even do it when it’s not quite time yet.

Johnsonville’s Spark the Season is ready to come out of the “dark period” of winter and get grilling. Spring, and new chances to cook and eat outdoors, signifies Spring beginning just like flowers and warmer weather.

Former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher helped Johnsonville grill and serve bratwursts at Sunday’s Chicago Polar Plunge on March 5, 2017, in Chicago. (Jean-Marc Giboux/AP Images for Johnsonville)

To kick off this new beginning, Johnsonville has partnered with former pro linebacker Brian Urlacher and is sponsoring the 2017 Chicago Polar Plunge, so shivering participants can warm up with our piping hot Johnsonville #FirstBrats of the season, fresh off the burners of the Big Taste Grill.  What could be better? Other then a warm beach somewhere, LOL.

The Big Taste Grill is a 20-foot tall, 65-foot long grill, which cooks 2,500 brats an hour or 750 bratwurst at a time on its 40 square feet of grilling surface.

The Plunge is hosted and benefits Special Olympics Chicago, which aligns directly with the charitable mission of the Big Taste Grill. If these extreme plungers are willing to jump in freezing water for a good cause, Johnsonville should be a part of it, as we don’t let weather get in the way of what we love – grilling brats.

Former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher helped Johnsonville grill and serve bratwursts at Sunday’s Chicago Polar Plunge on March 5, 2017, in Chicago. (Jean-Marc Giboux/AP Images for Johnsonville)

Also, you can enter Johnsonville’s #FirstBrats contest, which begins March 8, 2017 and ends May 15, 2017.  Here is some info!

  • Contest Period: The Contest begins at 12:00 PM Eastern Time on March 8, 2017 and ends at 11:59:59 PM ET on May 15, 2017.
  • There are two (2) ways to enter:
    • Online: During the Contest Period, an entrant may visit www.FirstBratsContest.com, enter his/her email address, and follow the instructions to register by entering all information requested on the registration form. After an entrant has registered, he/she may follow the instructions to upload one (1) photo of his/her “first grill of the season”.
    • Social Media: During the Contest Period, an entrant may (a) log in to his/her Twitter or Instagram account, follow @Johnsonville on Twitter or @jvillesausage on Instagram (if he/she does not already), and post a Tweet/post that includes one (1) photo of his/her “first grill of the season” and the hashtag “#FirstBratsContest” or (b) log in to his/her Facebook account, visit Sponsor’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/johnsonville/, and post a comment responding to Sponsor’s Invitation Post that includes a photo of his/her “first grill of the season” and the hashtag “#FirstBratsContest.
  • One (1) Grand Prize winner will receive snow removal or lawn care for a year, a value of $1,500.
    • Following the Contest period, all eligible entries received during the Contest period will be judged by a panel of qualified judges selected by Johnsonville. The judges will score the entries according to the following weighted criteria: creativity, photo quality and relevance to the Contest theme (e.g., entry captures the passion for grilling even if the weather is not ideal for grilling).
  • Limit one (1) prize per person
  • There is a limit of one (1) entry per entry method per person per calendar day during the Contest period (i.e., an entrant may receive one entry each via www.FirstBratsContest.com, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) for a total of five (5) entries per day.
  • Official Contest rules can be found at www.FirstBratsContest.com.

Good luck! And enjoy Spring and all the upcoming grilling.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Johnsonville. The opinions and text are all mine.

Sharks and Ninjas to Help You Clean Up Your 2017

Now that the holidays are done and gone, what do you do with all the leftovers? Cleaning up after the festivities can be quite a project. Here are some of our favorite finds to clean up our acts in 2017.

Everyone has been in and out of your home for months now. The floors are a mess, and you could really use a deep cleaning.  From winter mud and snow and salt to all the random foods prep and holiday wrapping and decorations, there is just more mess then usual. The Shark Rocket Complete  is beast of a vacuum, with two powered brush rolls to make sure all the debris is picked up.  It’s good for hard floors or carpets, as well. The soft roll and gets into things by grabbing large, small, or stuck on items off hard flooring while grabbing large particles and piles on carpets.  The second brush roll has a bristle head, which on hard flooring accelerates large, small, and stuck on particles into the vacuum while on carpet deep cleans and pulls stuck on and small particles into the vacuum.  These two brush rolls working together make short work of just about any dry mess you can think of as well as regular vacuuming around the house.  It really gets in there, and you can tell the difference. About $200 on http://direct.sharkclean.com

For those sealed hard floor messes which a vacuum isn’t built for, check out the Shark Genius Steam Pocket Mop System.  This mop system is built to deep clean your floors using steam as the main agitator. The steam releases most messes and spills with minimal effort through the pad, lifting away the mess without you every having to touch it.  The stem can also be delivered directly to the floor with the Steam Blaster, which was created for stuck on or greasy messes, where steam is applied directly to the mess and can be wiped away with the pad secondarily.  The pad itself grabs 99.9% of common household bacteria (according to the manufacturer).  The best part is the amazing clean you get- the second best is the hands off approach to cleaning it gives you.  The pad detaches right into the laundry without ever having to get your hands dirty with a simple button push. That’s the third best part- no more pads to buy. About $120 on http://direct.sharkclean.com

If you are looking to clean up your eating habits as well, you might want a Ninja. Not only useful, but it’s fun to mess around with. The Nutri Ninja Nutri bowl Duo is an all in one blender, fusion machine for food prep, and processor. It can break down whole foods, seeds, ice, nuts, and more.  The dual usage for this machine will have you grabbing for it more often then you’d expect.  Plus, like I mentioned- it’s fun. Addicting, even. The Nutrient & Vitamin Extraction and Pro Extractor Blades® Assembly makes amazing smoothies and shakes as well as pops and purees, whatever your pleasure might be.  It can also make dough. The included recipe book is a great start for inspiration, and has some fun ideas as well.  Once you get the hang of using these devices (which won’t take long)  it will become second nature to grab fairly constantly.  About $140 on Amazon.

The Ninja Coffee Bar System has become a fast favorite in our house, and completely wow-ing my very picky husband. If you are a coffee lover, or perhaps spend more time or money then you want to in a coffee house, this is a great way to keep more money in your wallet and time in your calendar. This is a full system that is neither so huge it takes up the entire counter, nor so expensive you will need a loan to purchase it. Better yet, it’s not complicated to use, and it doesn’t require the use of expensive and wasteful (and environmentally unfriendly) pods.  Make multiple sizes, types, even iced coffees. It includes a milk frother (which you will love more then you think) and  theNinja exclusive Café Forte to amplify the flavors of your drinks. It also comes with drink recipes, which are interesting to try.  About $180 at http://direct.ninjakitchen.com

Instantly Fresh Herbs from Litehouse

Disclosure- We received the items below in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are our own and honest.  Because we prepare meals as a family, we hoped that the Litehouse Instantly Fresh Herbs would be an flavorful addition to recipes.  We discovered that the herbs are easy to add and delicious.

Since watching cooking shows is wildly popular in our home, we were eager to try the Litehouse Instantly Fresh Herbs.  We learn about ingredients and combinations of flavors while cheering on our favorite home cooks as they challenge chefs with years of training.  We watch as the chefs mince and chop herbs wondering if we could learn to chop with such finesse. As a result, we research recipes to prepare as a family.  Recipes often call for a pinch of fresh herbs but keeping fresh parsley, ginger, mint, or cilantro on hand to add to our favorite dishes is a challenge.  Because fresh herbs can be expensive, spoil quickly, and require a bit of knife skills, we often leave out these ingredients.  Also, dried herbs lack flavor and aroma.  Therefore, having Litehouse Instantly Fresh Herbs on hand makes it easy to prepare delicious family meals at home.

About Litehouse Instantly Fresh Herbs

Litehouse Instantly Fresh Herbs are freeze-dried without preservatives. The herbs are gluten-free and made from non-GMO crops.  Since moisture in the fridge can rehydrate the herbs, it is best to keep opened jars in the cabinet with other spices.  Herbs are available as single ingredients

Dill

Garlic

Ginger

Oregano

Parsley

Red Onion

Spring Onion

Thyme

Sage

Mint

Basil

Chives

Cilanto

In addition, Litehouse Instantly Fresh Herbs are available in flavorful blends:

Italian Herb Blend

Poultry Herb Blend

Salad Herb Blend

Guacamole Herb Blend

When a recipe calls for fresh parsley, reach for a jar and rehydrate the herbs on a one to one ratio – one tablespoon freeze-dried equals one tablespoon fresh.  Because the herbs are pre chopped, my junior chef can easily measure out the herbs and water and I don’t have to worry about sharp knives in tiny hands.  Because the herbs are freeze-dried, the rehydrated herbs have a robust aroma, intense flavor, and taste great!  It is easy to customize dishes for each family member based on their personal taste preferences.  If one family member likes the flavor of cilantro, onions, or sage, it’s easy to add a bit to their dish.  Adding fresh herbs to familiar recipes boosts up the flavor and elevates the everyday to extraordinary.

Eating better is a common resolution and “better” typically includes fresh, minimally processed ingredients.  Thanks to Litehouse Instantly Fresh Herbs, it is easy to add fresh flavor to each bite.

Where to find Litehouse Products

Litehouse products are available at a variety of grocery stores throughout the country.  Visit the Litehouse website to find a retailer in your community.  You can also sign up to receive monthly mailings which include special offers, recipes, and promotions.

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular #GreenGiantXRockettes @GreenGiant

radio city

This past week, we went into New York City to see the The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. It’s one of those things that you need to do at least once in your life, if not more often (if you are close enough that you are able).

radio city mucic hall

Running through Jan.2, 2017, you and your family and friends can go see one of NYC’s iconic show’s (and some of the world’s most iconic dancers) to really get the holiday season started. The Rockettes have been performing at Radio City since 1932, and during the Christmas season they preform 7 days a week. The Rockettes also perform every year at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC and America’s Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit. They also lit the Empire State Building red and green for Christmas. Gotta love those hard-working ladies!
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George and Martha’s Morristown, NJ

morristown nj

If you are looking for a modern home cooked meal with a sophisticated yet delicious flavor profile, George and Martha’s is for you.

When we walked in, the first thing I noticed was the smell. Not food- it was a holiday smell, like Christmas trees and spice. It carried through the entire restaurant- not in an overpowering way, but subtle, a nice note.  The menu was cool (and the prices were reasonable, nothing crazy) with fun options, as well as interesting twists on traditional favorites.  Choices were varied, but everything we tried was better then average, with a few that were real standouts.

maple bacon

The first thing (and possibly the best) that we tried was the cornbread. Not just any cornbread, though this one has “Bourbon Maple Glaze, Served with Sweet Butter and Roasted Corn Jam”.  Right? It was as good as it sounds, and served warm. At 7$, worth every penny. My son wanted appetizers as his meal, and that was fine with me. He had calamari rings and a side of macaroni and cheese. He orders both of these often, and enjoyed both. Dad very much liked the calamari- because, of course, he had to try them out, and the mac and cheese was home made, smelled wonderful, and was ultra gooey.

george and marthas

My husband tried the burger of the day, which was blue cheese, caramelized onions, and bacon.  Since it was Sunday,  brunch was an option, and I had the chicken and waffles with a bacon syrup topping.  Everything was fantastic, and nothing would break the bank, either.

chicken waffles

Everything we ate was cooked perfectly, a harmony of flavors.  Crunchy fried chicken with smokey flavor of the bacon and the sweet of the syrup, mixed with the home made waffles.  The burger was to the desired wellness, with a good amount of blue cheese and bacon and the wonderful flavor of caramelized onions.  The  corn bread was a must, really- this dish might not sound like much, but will be a favorite,  and is a perfect way to start a meal at George and Martha’s.  A surprisingly delicious special item which will delight everyone who tries it.  This was pretty much the theme of the meal, each dish was unique and delicious, different and flavorful, exactly what we wanted and completely unexpected.  I would suggest George and Martha’s to just about anyone looking for a great spot to grab a bite to eat.