Tag Archives: product review

Safe Catch Foods Review

Let me start by saying that the products featured in this post were provided to me free of charge courtesy of Safe Catch Foods. This post may contain affiliate links, but this in no way influences the review to follow.

Safe Catch Tuna Review and Giveaway

As ones pallet matures and gets more refined minor variations in taste become more obvious. I mention this because there are a couple foods that no matter what, the more you pay the better the product. These type of items are peanut butter, honey, pancake syrup and tuna.

There have been moments in the past (shhh don’t tell Jason) that I have tried to pull the wool over his eyes and bought the lesser versions. Nine times out of ten his refined pallet knows the difference and I am unable to fool him otherwise. Where this becomes obvious in tuna and tuna quality.

Let’s talk for a moment about tuna, quality and mercury. Tuna is notorious for having mercury and because of this tuna is generally not safe for pregnant women – until now! I recently tried a new brand of Wild Albacore tuna and Wild Skipjack Tuna (no longer available on their website) by a company called Safe Catch by Safe Foods.

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Garlic Gold by Seven Oaks Farm Review

Garlic Gold: Garlic Gold and Garlic Gold Oil Review and Giveaway

Introductions and cooking are remarkably similar, and both can be challenging. When a person embarks on learning to cook the introduction to the oils is inevitable. After a while a comfortably sets in and a distinction in flavor becomes noticeable – that is where the introduction of flavored olive oils is made.

I recently made an introduction of my own to Garlic Gold. Garlic Gold’s beginnings were unlike most companies, but completely unique. Garlic Gold began as a high school economics project by Rinaldo Brutoco for his son Orion. The students created a business plan around Rinaldo’s garlic recipe with crunchy toasted garlic nuggets included. The students packaged, labeled and sold the project at the local farmer’s market.

Today that student project is a company that believes that the legitimate precursors to success are having corporate responsibility, creating sustainability and always having integrity. Taking into account the company’s philosophy I was interested to see if the product was as good as I hoped it would be. I was sent the following USDA certified items for review:

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Gourmet Nuts: Sea Salt Review

Let me start by saying that the products featured in this post were provided to me free of charge courtesy of Gourmet Nuts. This post may have affiliate links but this in no way will influence the review to follow and all opinions are my own.

Gourmet Nuts: Sea Salt Review and Giveaway

I am a simple girl, and because of this it has never dawned on me that salt comes in flavors and varieties. I have only ever used the salt that you purchase for about a a dollar at the store. As I venture further into cooking, I am learning the value of different flavors and the distinctions between different salts.

I have learned that cooking is the not only the proper allocation of heat but the correct application of spices. The most simple and easiest to use seasoning is salt and pepper, and the many variations of those. The simple table salt that you purchase for a dollar is simple on taste but low on flavor and I believe the key is to pack as much flavor as possible in each used seasoning.

Not to long ago I reviewed Gourmet Nuts nuts and snack products, and I discovered that they not only make nut and snack products but they have a variety of salts available.

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Ozeri Green Earth Pan Review

Ozeri – Green Earth Pan Review and Giveaway

I have discovered as I have been learning to cook that it is not preferable to cook everything in the same pan, despite the ease of dishes with this scenario. Recently we received a very belated housewarming gift (over 3 years later) of an entire set of pots and pans. This set included a small pan, and a large as well as 3 pots ranging in size from super small to spaghetti size, as well as included lids. This is the only official “set” we have and other pans and pots are a Hodge-podge mix of hand me downs.

Now, I have discovered as I have been learning to cook that it is not preferable to cook everything in the same pan, despite the ease of dishes with this scenario. The need has finally arisen that we need more pans as the cooking competence level increases in this house.

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Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Review

Hallmark Keepsake Ornament – Flying Ace – Review & Giveaway

I have mentioned this in the past, but my father was a commercial pilot when he found out I was going to be joining his world. When I was young and holidays would roll around my mother and I would get my father Snoopy and Flying Ace items. I remember a stitched picture of Snoopy and his trust doghouse/plane, and a saying about loving to fly hanging in our hallway growing up. Even my father would call himself “The Flying Ace” (and sometimes the Red Baron) and proudly display his collection.

As I got older the realities of a pilot job became clear to my father and he decided that to be the father he wanted to be (present and always there for me) he had to retire from the somewhat random life of a commercial pilot. As I grew from infant to toddler he would take me up in the plane to calm me down, and he did not know it at the time, but setting me up for a life of loving planes.

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FramedArt.com Review

FramedArt.com Review and Giveaway

When you are young the decorations in your living space are generally nothing more than posters of the idols and hair bands of our youth (at least these were my decorations). As you age your decorations age with you and the posters of teen idols get put on high shelves and are replaced with new-found loves, passions, causes and interests.

I discovered as I aged I found a peace in sunflowers. There is something about sunflowers that evoke an image of sun, happiness and hope reminding us that the sun always rises. I have always been a fan of bright and happy flowers.

I have one sunflower painting in my house that my best friends mother painted for me about 13 years ago and I have wanted to add to the budding collection ever since. I recently was given the opportunity to order a print from FramedArt.com to aid in my ultimate goal of a sunflower gallery of themed artwork in my home.

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MACO Dissolvable Labels Review

Let me start by saying that the products featured in this post were provided to me free of charge courtesy of MACO and Shoplet. This post may contain affiliate links, but this in no way will effect the opinion stated in the review.

MACO – Dissolvable Labels Review

When Jason and I began dating he had no idea that I was a nut for office supplies, but there were clues. I would disappear for hours in the aisles of Staples with my father, debating the color intensity of the new Sharpies vs other brands. Once I moved in with Jason the signs became clearer and his world started to become a bit more organized. The first thing I tackled in the organization department were his books – his favorite genre of book is fantasy so I wanted to make those easy to get to in his collection. I proceeded to organize whenever I could but our living environment was as sparse as small so there were few organizing opportunities.

That was almost six and half years ago and I am even more passionate about organization now. I am a big believer in making the most of the space we are given and utilize shelves and decorative boxes whenever possible. I often swap out the contents of the boxes depending on current needs for storage which leaves a little to much sticky residue from labels on the boxes. To my label loving, organizing spirit – I think I have come upon the perfect solution: MACO Dissolvable Laser/Ink Jet Labels. I was sent a variety of 3 packages of labels from Shoplet to review and evaluate and included the following labels: MACO Dissolvable Labels – a 1.5×2.5 oval set which is a 8 1/2×11 sheet with 5 sheets/18 labels per sheet and a total of 90 labels, MACO Dissolvable Labels -Oval – This is a 1.5 x 2.5 oval set with 4 labels per sheet/12 sheets and a total of 48 labels and MACO Laser/Ink Jet Dissolvable Labels – a 2″ diameter sticker on 8 1/2 x 11 sheet with 5 sheets/12 labels per sheet and a total of 60 labels.

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Kinnikinnick Soft Donut Review

Let me start by saying that the products featured in this post were provided to me free of charge courtesy of Kinnikinnick Foods. This post may contain affiliate links, but this in no way influences the review to follow.

Kinnikinnick Donuts: Soft Donut and Pumpkin Spice Review and Giveaway

I have high standards where donuts are concerned and I think I have good reason to feel this way. I happen to live in donut heaven – I literally live less than 2 blocks from one donut shop and less than 5 miles from another with to many to number in between. I know this does not sound like the reasoning I gave you, but these two donut shops happen to be the top two donut shops in North San Diego County.

My favorite donut of all time has to be a chocolate cream filled with a round puffed pastry. The chocolate plays off the cream and donut dough perfect. Jason is a little more of a traditionalist in that he likes the chocolate old-fashioned. The common thread is the chocolate on the donuts. During the holidays I love a good tasting pumpkin donut and if icing is included then I am a very happy donut consumer.

The production of pumpkin donuts does not generally begin until October and abruptly ends in late December. At least that is how it has been, until now – Kinnikinnick Foods is proud to announce that their previously seasonal and regionally limited Pumpkin Spice donuts are now a permanent part of their product line and available year round. Also new to the Kinnikinnick Foods family is Soft Donuts with Vanilla Icing in addition to their existing Chocolate Donuts and Cinnamon Sugar Donuts.

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Mrs. Thinster’s Review

Mrs. Thinster’s: Cookie Thins Review and Giveaway

I have mentioned in the past that I am a cookie monster – I love cookies! If I had to choose one cookie over the other I would have to say Chocolate Chip Cookies are my favorites. In my opinion it is hard to really mess up the taste of a chocolate chip cookie. The other thing that I love is raw batters, although I know that they are bad for me with the raw egg element. I have always wanted a cookie with a batter taste, and I think I may have found them.

I was sent a box from That’s How We Roll and Mrs. Thinster’s. The box I received had 3 bags of cookies including Brownie Batter Cookie Thins, Chocolate Chip Cookie Thins and Cake Batter Cookie Thins. The idea behind these cookies that are thin but fill of taste. The round shape are reminiscent of the traditional thick cookie counterpart and full of flavor. Continue reading →

Perfect Bar Review

Let me start by saying that the products featured in this post were provided to me free of charge courtesy of Perfect Bar. This post may have affiliate links but this in no way will influence the review to follow and all opinions are my own.

Perfect Bar Review and Giveaway

I am a San Diego girl – I was raised here and I love it here, when I have moved I have always ended back here. An extension to my love of San Diego is I love to support San Diego based businesses like Perfect Bar.

Perfect Bar had its start in the family. As the children of a health and fitness man, Dr. Bud Keith’s children would sell Perfect Bar’s in the same manner as lemonade stands. The children had big dreams – to share this recipe with more than just family and friends. After their father got sick, and having 13 children to provide for, the eldest siblings got together and turned their bars into a real company. Unfortunately, their father passed, but taking those lessons and words and making them into action is what the goal of the children are now. The siblings know that it is not just one thing that goes into a “Perfect Bar”, but a compilation of many things.

Perfect Bar are Non-GMO and not only do they verify prior to making the bars, but they also test the finished product. The Perfect Bar is always gluten-free and contains over 20 organic super foods (such as kale, spinach, alfalfa and celery to name a few). Using organic honey as a sweetener, the complete carbohydrate helps maintain energy levels. These are different bars as they are refrigerator stable for 9 months due to the natural preservatives in honey.The low glycemic flavors use organic dates as sweeteners, and NEVER use refined sugars.

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