Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil Review & Giveaway Ends 7/1/11 at 7:00 PM EST

Recently I received a box from Tropical Traditions.  It contained a Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil Certified Organic 1 Quart (32 FL. oz.) glass jar.

Characteristics of Our Gold Label^TM Virgin Coconut Oil

This Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is a truly unrefined coconut oil. This coconut oil is made on Mt. Banahaw and surrounding areas from organic coconuts. Coconuts are used fresh (within 24-48 hours of harvest) from small family farms on Mt. Banahaw and other rural places in Quezon Province, the coconut capital of the Philippines. Only the highest quality coconuts are hand-picked from each harvest. The volcanic soil of Mt. Banahaw makes these organic coconuts some of the most nutritionally rich coconuts in the world! Testing done in independent laboratories reveals higher levels of phenolic antioxidants than other coconut oils. The fresh coconut meat is shredded (wet milled), and then cold-pressed using the water from inside the coconuts to make coconut milk. The milk is then allowed to sit for about half a day, while the oil naturally separates from the heavier water. The oil is then filtered from the curds (coconut solids). No chemical or high-heat treatment is used, and this oil contains no trans fatty acids. We do NOT mass produce this oil. It is made by families who are coconut farmers using old-fashioned traditional methods that have been used in the Philippines for hundreds of years. Our coconut trees and family producers are certified organic according to strict USDA standards. The families who produce the oil are also trained according to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards and re-certified each year. This high-grade Virgin Coconut Oil has a long shelf life due to the high antioxidant properties. The Gold Label Standard is our highest standard for Virgin Coconut Oil. Read more.

I used the Virgin Coconut Oil to make a chicken stir fry.  This Virgin Coconut Oil is amazing.  It smells great.  I love how it heats up and cooks.  I  really never even knew about coconut oil before.  I will use this from now on, it is much more stable than other vegetable oils.  I am very impressed with the quality of customer service that I received from Tropical Traditions.  They have sponsored a giveaway for the same quart of virgin coconut oil that I received.

If you can't wait to try it out, you can buy it here:

<a href="http://tinyurl.com/63zu6cj"><img src="http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/image/products/thumb-gold_32oz.jpg" align="right" border="0" style="float: left;margin: 4px;">32-oz. - Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil - 1 quart</a>

Giveaway

Mandatory Entry:

You must be a follower on my blog to enter.  Go to Tropical Traditions and choose another item that you would like to try.  Come back here and post a comment with that product and your email if it's not visible on your blogger profile.

Extra Entries:

Sign up for their newsletter, come back and leave a comment that you subscribe to their newsletter and the email that you subscribe with.

Check out their coconut recipes section and tell me a recipe that you want to try.  Leave a comment with the link to the recipe.

Like my facebook fan page for another entry, leave a comment with your facebook name.

There is a total of four possible entries.  The mandatory entry must be completed in order to enter.

Giveaways ends on July 1st, 2011 at 7:00 PM EST.  I will use random.org to select the winner from all eligible entries.  I will email the winner and give them 72 hours to get back to me with their mailing address.  If I do not hear back in time I will have to choose another winner.  The prize will only be shipped within the USA. 

Thank you for reading and thank you for participating.

Tropical Traditions sent me the product to review and will provide the same product to the winner.  The opinions expressed are mine.

BethElderton said... 11

I get the Tropical Traditions newsletter bethelderton59 at gmail dot com

June 24, 2011 12:25 AM  

 

winner selected and emailed! 

 

Thanks for participating!

Soda Stream Review

I was lucky enough to receive a Soda Stream system to review.  I got it about three days ago and we have been using it daily ever since.  It's a lot of fun to make your own soda.  We do drink about one can of soda a day per person in our household.  So by using the soda stream we are able to eliminate that waste of bottles or cans.  Soda Stream provides a way to make your own soda or sparkling water.  They have a lot of different flavors to choose from.  They have the Regular Flavors, Diet Flavors, Energy Drink, Sparkling Naturals, Sparkling Tea, Sodamix Variety Packs and MyWater Essence Flavors. 

I received the Fountain Jet in black/silver.  The fountain jet home soda maker looks good on my kitchen counter and it turns water into my beverage of choice in literally under a minute. 
The Fountain Jet package includes everything you need to make fresh sparkling water in your own home.

This package includes:

• Fountain Jet Home Soda Maker
• 1 60 liter Carbonator
• 1 Carbonating Bottle

We received several flavors to try. 

SodaMix flavors are all available in economy sized bottles. Each bottle makes 12 liters (about 33 cans) of soda.

Sodamix shelf life

When ordering sodamix, we recommend ordering an amount that you will comfortably consume within 3-4 months.

Sodamix bottles feature a "best before" date which relates to optimal taste. Rest assured that sodamix can safely be consumed well beyond this “best before” date, however peak taste is ensured by consuming prior to this date. Sodamix will typically arrive at your home with about 3-4 months remaining prior to the “best before” date, therefore please order no more than a 3-4 month supply of sodamix.

For longest shelf life, please keep tightly closed and store in a cool, dry place.

So far we have tried the following:

The root beer is great.  We all really enjoyed this.  Not only is it easy to make, it tastes great.  We like our soda really carbonated so we just put a little extra pump in and voila we have soda just the way we like it.  We made root beer floats, they were so good.

I wasn't sure that we were going to like the Black Currant & Pear, but boy was I wrong.  This is a flavor that we really enjoyed.  The whole family was pleasantly surprised by this one. 

Made from cane sugar and other all-natural ingredients, new SodaStream Sparkling Naturals make great-tasting `better for you’ sodas. Sparkling Naturals contain no artificial flavors, no artificial colors and no artificial sweeteners, and do not contain any preservatives, making them a perfect, sparkling, natural soda alternative for the entire family.

Each 750ml bottle of Sparkling Natural concentrate will make 6 liters (approximately 25 8-oz servings) of all-natural soda.

A note about shelf life: When ordering Sparkling Natural, SodaStream recommends ordering an amount that you will comfortably consume within 3-4 months. Sparkling Naturals feature a "best before" date which relates to optimal taste. Rest assured that Sparkling Naturals can safely be consumed well beyond this “best before” date, however peak taste is ensured by consuming prior to this date. Sparkling Naturals will typically arrive at your home with about 3-4 months remaining prior to the “best before” date, therefore please order no more than a 3-4 month supply.

Sparkling Naturals should be refrigerated after opening.

We really enjoyed the Sparkling Naturals Cola flavor as well.  We knew we probably would love it because we love cola flavor.  We pretty much only bought cola flavor before getting the soda stream.  Now that we have the soda stream, we will never buy cans or 2 liter bottles again.  I am so thankful that Soda Stream sent me a nice package to get started with this wonderful system.

I hope to hold a Soda Stream giveaway soon.  My blog is still too new for them to sponsor a giveaway at this time, but I look forward to a giveaway in the near future.

Cape Cod Potato Chips Review

Cape Cod Potato Chips sent me a huge box of their potato chips to try and give a review of.  I was very happy to try these.  I am a huge fan of potato chips and I kept hearing about their reduced fat version.  I couldn't wait to try these.  I received the following:

Our Classics are old-fashioned, premium kettle cooked potato chips with a legendary crunch and hearty potato flavor. Enjoy with your favorite sandwich or savor them on their own!

These delicious chips are hand cooked in kettles, then flash-baked to naturally reduce the fat content. The result is a potato chip with the same potato intensity as our Classics without altering or sacrificing the purity of the process or ingredients.

Tomatoes, onions, and a blend of natural spices are combined with mesquite wood smoke creating the perfect robust barbeque recipe. With each crunchy bite, you'll experience savory sweetness with just a hint of mesquite smoke.

I also got a 40% reduced fat sweet mesquite barbeque to try.  These were great as well.  The sweet mesquite barbeque are my favorite.  I will buy the reduced fat because I can't tell a difference and any reduction in fat is good for me.

A distinctive blend of the finest sea salt and carefully dried vinegar. Indulge in these Cape Cod chips boasting perfectly paired flavors!

We flavor these special chips with carefully blended seasonings but with less fat than our original recipe.  The end result is a full-bodied chip with a distinctive taste.

We flavor these special chips with carefully blended seasonings but with less fat than our original recipe.  The end result is a full-bodied chip with a distinctive taste.


July 4th marks the 31st anniversary of Cape Cod Potato Chips.  The legendary kettle-cooked chip makers have come a long way from the 200 bags a day they were producing at the Hyannis, Mass.  factory in 1980 to the 184,000 bags small-batch made ber day in Hyannis.  The classic chips have remained the same since they very beginning, except for a switch to 100% canola oil.

The trademark Cape Cod lighthouse on the package makes it easy to find among the other chips.  Cape Cod Potato Chips retail around $3.49 for an 8-8.5 ounce bag.  Sizes, varieties and prices my very.  Visit http://www.capecodchips.com/ to locate a local retailer, order the products online or review recipes.


I tried each of these flavors.  I really couldn't tell a difference between the reduced fat chips and the regular.  The reduced fat chips were just a lot less greasy.  They tasted amazing.  They were crunchy and full of robust flavor.  I shared these with my family.  Everyone fell in love with Cape Cod Potato Chips.  We are so glad that we got to try these.  We will definitely be switching from our current brand over to Cape Cod.  If you haven't tried Cape Cod Potato Chips, it's time for you to try them.  

Cape Cod Potato Chips gave me the chips to review, the opinions are my own.

Systeme 41 - Nourishing Day Creme Review

I was contacted by It's a Glam Thing to do a review on the Systeme 41 Nourishing Day Creme.  I jumped at the opportunity because the last Systeme 41 product they sent me was amazing.  I received the sample a few weeks ago and immediately began to use it.  I really love the Nourishing Day Creme.  It has really helped my skin out.  I don't feel as though my skin is too oily or too dry any more.  It feels moisturized and shiny without being too shiny. Here's some information about the product from their website.

A Luxurious Way to Start Your Day

• Grape Stem Cell technology shields the skin from environmental damage from sun exposure.
• White Tea extract fights free radical damage.
• Gentle Olive Oil Emulsifiers helps smooth skin and deliver suppleness.
• Extracts of Sandalwood, Barley and Phellodendron nourish and rejuvenate while adding moisture.
• Chlorella and sea algae nourish the skin with proteins and essential trace elements.
• I want your “Bottom of the Jar” guarantee:
• If you are not completely satisfied for any reason — or no reason at all — simply return the unused portion for a full refund of every penny you paid — including shipping!

You can place an order for this here.  They have several other wonderful products, http://www.systeme41.com/Shop.htm.  I am so happy that they chose me to try this amazing product.  I fell in love the first day I tried it.

Larabar Review & Giveaway Ends 6/30/11 at 7:00PM EST

Jennifer said... 66

I follow larabar on twitter! (kennedie0605) jls_wss2003 at yahoo dot com

June 29, 2011 8:45 PM

 Congratulations, winner selected and emailed.  She has 72 hours to respond with shipping information.

Thank you for reading and participating.

Larabar sent me four of their bars to try and review.  I received the Peanut Butter Cookie, Carrot Cake, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough bars to test out.  The first one I tried was the carrot cake.

A pinch of this, a little of that—it all combines to create our delightful Carrot Cake. This luscious, moist and lightly spiced nutritious treat provides 25% of the recommended daily value of Vitamin A and 5 grams of fiber. What makes it so great? Carrots, dates, almonds, walnuts, raisins, pineapple and coconut. Piece of cake!

This bar is great.  I really love the combination of fruits and nuts.  I enjoyed this bar to the last bite.  It left me feeling full and that is always a great thing.  It was good with coffee!

Next I tried the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough bar.

We won't even tempt you with a bowl of batter. In fact, our Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is even better than batter...and contains no butter! Enjoy the creaminess of cashews and the richness of Fair Trade Certified™ chocolate chips. Much better.

This one is amazing.  It's sweet and creamy.  I really loved this bar.  It was good with a nice cup of cold milk.

Then I tried the peanut butter chocolate chip.  This one is my absolute favorite.  I love peanut butter and chocolate, it's a great combination.  This bar is my favorite bar by far!

How could we resist using the best flavor combination ever? We couldn't! Our Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip bar isn't just a tasty morsel of chocolaty goodness, it also contains 5 grams of protein and Fair Trade Certified™ chocolate chips. Irresistible? You bet.

Last but not least I had the peanut butter cookie.  I really enjoyed this bar as well.  It was really filling and tasted great!

It's like right out of the oven, only our Peanut Butter Cookie isn't baked! The simple 3-ingredient recipe of peanuts, dates and salt provides 7 grams of protein in the form of a moist and chewy natural treat. So delicious—you'll swear it came straight from a cookie sheet.

Larabar was an amazing company to work with.  They also sent a sampler for one of my readers.

Giveaway - Sampler pack of Larabar.

To enter the giveaway you must be a follower of my blog on gfc.


Go to their website and pick out a bar that you want to try, come back here and leave it in a comment with your email address if it's not visible on your blogger profile.

For an extra entry you can become their friend on facebook and leave a comment that you did that with your facebook name.

You can also get an entry by following them on twitter and coming back here with your twitter name and telling me that you follow them.

That's a total of 3 possible entries, only the first is required to enter.

Giveaway ends on 6/30/11 at 7:00 PM EST.  This giveaway is only open to the USA.  I will mail the sample pack directly to the winner.  I will use random.org to select a winner from the eligible entries.  I will then email the winner for their shipping information.  Winner will have 72 hours to get back to me once I have sent the email.

Thank you for participating and reading.

I received this product from LARABAR. Opinions are all mine.

Phil Am Merchandising, Inc Review

Phil Am Merchandising, Inc sent me a few items to review. 

The first one is the Red Label Creamy Butter Cookies. 

I really enjoyed these cookies.  They were great with coffee or with milk.  They are sweet but not too sweet.  I really enjoyed these butter cookies.

Next I tried the La Pacita Butter Cookies Can 17.64oz.  These are really good too.  I actually liked these better with milk.  They are a great dessert.  Light and delicious.  Not real heavy. 

Then I tried the Lucia Assorted Pastries 13.12oz.  I haven't ever had anything like this before.  I was quite amazed with how good these are.  They are really fancy candies.  I loved every one of these.  They are amazing. 

Phil Am Merchandising, Inc was a thrill to work with.  They sent me these items as promised in a timely manner.  They were packed nicely and arrived in a good condition.  I would reccommend the company to anyone interested in these wonderful Filipino foods.

Betty Crocker Fun Da Middles Review & Giveaway Ends 6/30/11

dvice12 said... 12

I follow. I'll use this at my kid's birthday party.

June 30, 2011 9:47 AM  

 winner selected and emailed, she has 72 hours to respond with shipping information.  thank you for reading and participating.

Review

My Blog Spark sent me a box of Fun da middles to try and review.  I baked them today and they were easy to make and taste great!  I haven't ever made cup cakes with a filling before.  I thought that it would be complicated, but these are really easy to make.  I just made the mix according to the directions and then poured it into the cupcake papers about 1/3 the way full.  Making sure to coat the bottom of the holder with mix.  Then I put the icing in the middle and then topped it off with more cupcake batter.  I just followed the step by step directions on the box.  It took about 30 minutes total, to mix, bake and enjoy! 

• Combining cake mix and filling pouch in one box, Fun da-middles have a special creamy filling that bakes inside the cupcake.
• Available in three delicious flavors, Vanilla Cake with Creamy Chocolate Filling, Chocolate Cake with Creamy Vanilla Filling, and Vanilla Cake with Creamy Vanilla Filling, Fun da-middles are a fun and portable treat that children can take everywhere they go!

Giveaway
My Blog Spark has offered a box to one of my readers as well.  All you have to do to enter is be a follower of my blog and share an upcoming event or gathering at which you would most like to debut the new Betty Crocker Fun da-middles
You can only enter once.

I will choose a winner from the eligible entries on 6/30/11 @ 7:00 PM EST.  I will use random.org to select the winner.  I will email the winner and they will have 72 hours to respond to my email with thier address for shipping purposes.

Thank you for reading my blog and participating in the giveaway.

The sample and giveaway have been provided by Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark.