Friday, February 26, 2010

Updated! Martha Stewart's New Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast Cookbook - Review


It's hard to believe that it's been three years ago that Martha Stewart had her first Everyday Food: Great Food Fast cookbook come out.  I purchased that first cookbook on a pre-order back then and I'm a current subscriber to the magazine Everyday Food and enjoy it also. Since I tend to rarely follow any recipe verbatim, but instead get inspired by recipes and then develop my own, I have found tons of inspiration in all of Martha's work and this one is no exception.  Filled with simple, everyday recipes you'll be happy to prepare any day of the week, book one was a true winner. {yes, I have a massive cookbook collection so much so that I worry over when the time comes for me to pass on from this earth, what deserving person I will bequeath it all to... but I digress...}

The second and newest cookbook Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast, just came out yesterday, and I happen to record The Martha Stewart Show (of which I am also a fan) every day.  Late last night, I caught up on them on Tivo, and Tuesday's show was featuring the new cookbook. I decided to go ahead and order it. Yes, despite having a southern food blog, we do like to eat some lighter fare and some dishes that are just everyday food, fresh and full of flavor on occasion. It ain't always about fried food and bacon fat y'all!

I love Martha's books because they are always so well done and beautiful, which is why I never hesitate to add a new release to my collection. They always include well set up photography, and while I am fond of my community style cookbooks that just include recipes with no photos, I really love a good cookbook that showcases the recipe with beautiful photography. Martha never fails to deliver that with her books.

The focus of this cookbook is toward stretching meals and using leftovers, using inexpensive ingredients, and making healthier versions of favorite comfort foods. Sold!  The first book was divided by season. This newest edition to the family is divided by meal type categories, with 250 recipes, including recipes like this:

Breakfast: Jam-Filled French Toast
Sandwiches and Pizzas: Eggplant and Mozzarella Melt
Appetizers: Goat Cheese Crostini
Salads: BLT Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
Soups and Stews: Minestrone
Pastas: Spaghetti Puttanesca
Main Courses: Meatballs with Rosemary
Vegetarian: Mushroom and Parmesan Risotto
Side Dishes: Roasted Sweet Potato Fries
Desserts: Gingered Blackberry and Plum Shortcakes

Check out these Grilled Chili Lime Drumsticks that I adapted from this cookbook!

After flipping through Martha's new cookbook I have to say, if you loved the first one, you are going to also love this one. It is fresh. It is appetizing. It is appealing. And, it's so very Martha. I love it!!! Click on a pic to enlarge view.

Stuffed Poblanos and Stuffed Artichokes.


Boston Baked Beans and Ice Cream Sundaes.


Spinach Stuffed Flank Steaks and Peanut Crusted Chicken Breasts.


Pasta with Sausage and Pine Nuts and BLT Salad with Buttermilk Dressing.


Hot Spinach Dip and Eggplant and Mozzarella Melts.


I forgot to mention that this cookbook includes a few tips, techniques and basics in a section in the back of the book - the kinds of tips I have up at Deep South Dish - things like how to chop onions, using fresh herbs, how to chop and avocado, basic pizza dough, how to toast nuts, using dried beans. Also, like it's predecessor, nutritional information for each recipe is located in an index in the back.

If you like fresh, flavorful recipes that use common foods we mostly have on hand anyway (or can easily have from the market), go to your bookstore and grab a copy of Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast.  I know you'll love it. Or, if you like, click here to purchase and help support Deep South Dish, My New 30 and, well... my own cookbook obsession collection!

Martha books I know and love {in case you want to jockey for a position on my will}

Martha Stewart Entertaining {an oldie but a goodie}
Martha Stewart Homekeeping Handbook
Martha Stewart Cooking School
Martha Stewart Baking Handbook
Everyday Food: Great Food Fast
Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast
Martha Stewart Cupcakes


Enjoy!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Fiber One 90 Calorie Chewy Bars Review


GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED! Check back on Thursday for the winner... good luck!!

The first thing I thought when I saw this bar was WOW! A bar that has 20% of the daily recommended value of fiber? Really?  Must absolutely taste like cardboard for sure. Let's face it - a lot of bars do - but especially those that are loaded with the beneficial fiber that NONE of us ever seem to get enough of ... but we all know our bodies need.  I already love Fiber One yogurt, but that's not really very portable. Bars are great for that very reason, but will this one live up to the Fiber One name?

Fiber One® 90 Calorie Chewy Bars are available in chocolate and chocolate peanut butter flavors, contain 2 grams of fat, are only 1 Weight Watcher point, and contain 5 grams of fiber, which can help keep you feel full - making sticking to a diet easier.

But you don't care as much about that first do you?  You want to know what they taste like first and foremost don't you? Yeah, me too! So let's tear into one shall we?  Mmmmm... look at that squiggle of chocolate across the top....


Hmmmm.... bottom layer of chocolate. Promising.


The texture of the bar reminds me a little bit of a chocolate rice cereal bar - you know the ones - chewy and gooey.


The chocolate tastes good - I'll bet the chocolate peanut butter bar is awesome. I mean who doesn't like chocolate and peanut butter together? And there was a familiar and fond flavor in this bar, though I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. Then I looked at the list of ingredients - chicory root!! Being a southerner, and very familiar and equally fond of Louisiana chicory coffee, the kind that goes especially well with hot beignets, well, no wonder that ingredient rang familiar. Other ingredients include honey, whole grain oats, puffed wheat, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Verdict?

Yummy! I like them.  These bars are easy to tote anywhere, can be stored in your desk drawer, are a great option to help stave off those afternoon hungries that always seem to hit me right around 2:30-3:00 and they can satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time - without sabotaging your diet or your routine.  And they are tasty. I'd say that's a winner!

Now even better, one of you can try these bars for yourself completely FREE and get a few lovely extra goodies, courtesy of Fiber One through MyBlogSpark!


ONE reader will win a Fiber One prize pack that includes a sample of the new Fiber One 90 Calorie Chocolate Chewy Bars and some great items to help you stick to your weight management plan - a pedometer with a case, a journal to track your meals and activities, a water bottle, and a snap on wrist reflector.


Just take a moment to pop on over to the Fiber One Recipe site - yes, they have a whole section of recipes made with Fiber One!  Who knew?  Then come back and leave a comment about one recipe you found that sounded interesting.  Breakfast, dinner, muffins, cookies, snacks - a cool way to get the fiber you need into your meals too!


You MUST leave an email in your comment  {or have an attached profile with a visible email} in this entry to qualify!


Share


Earn 5 bonus entries by sharing a public link to this post in some way - on your blog, in a Tweet, on Facebook, on a bulletin board you frequent, pass it on your favorite way to share information - you know the drill. Then come back and leave a separate comment with a link and that's it!


The Rules:


Giveaway will close on Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. CST
➮Open to residents of the United States
➮You must leave an email address in your first entry, or have a link to your email in your clickable profile.
➮Links will be verified and non-qualifying entries deleted.
➮The winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to reply.
➮Winner will be chosen by random.org

Good Luck!!


Disclaimer: Fiber One® provided me with the free product, information, and gift packs through MyBlogSpark.


Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Mid-Week Freebies, Bargains and Money Savers


Mid-Week Freebies, Bargains and Money Savers

BRAND NEW! Heard about Kirstie Alley's new weight loss program - Organic Liaison? Get in on the ground floor with a VIP 10% DISCOUNT! Please log onto www.OrganicLiaison.com and use Coupon Code: GETHIN2010. This offer expires 3/31/2010 < -- This opens to a splash intro feature - or you can skip directly to a video from Kirstie and then view additional links to browse the site. Check out her new reality show that follows along with her as she tries again to lose weight - starting on 3/21 on A&E.  NOTE:  Kirstie will also be on Oprah tomorrow (2/25) featuring her new program.

HOT DEAL ALERT! In the market for a new printer? GREAT price at Amazon right now on the brand new HP Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web All-in-One Printer! So called bargains around the net have this at a "deal" for $398 BUT... Amazon has it right now for $279.99! Grab it while it's hot!

GREAT DEAL! Heavily Discounted Taste of Home Cookbooks Only $5 each! This direct link works for me from any computer without a login, but if it doesn't work for you, try signing up for the newsletter. You can always cancel the subscription later!

FREE!  "How to Bake" Reference ebook Submit only your first name and an email to receive the book. The second step asking for optional information can be skipped. <--NOTE:  I am still waiting for receipt of this one in my email.

FREE One 8 x 10 inch print from Walgreens ONLY VALID THURS. 2/25

FREE! Taste of Home Ultimate Comfort Food Issue "Soups On!" Cookbook download (direct upload to a pdf link from Taste of Home - in Chrome check at the bottom of the screen and launch; in Firefox se;ect "open with" or "save" to open/save)

TODAY ONLY (2/24) at Walgreens.com - 20% OFF any AS SEEN ON TV PRODUCT when purchased online. Use Coupon Code ASTV20 at checkout.

SALE!  2/27 ONLY - Ace Hardware in-store (at participating locations) Bring Your Own Bag sale. 20% off almost anything that fits in a bag. Restrictions apply.

$1.00 OFF COUPON - Fage Total Greek Yogurt - if link doesn't work, FACEBOOK - Fan Fage Greek yogurt and get the coupon through their link.

JCPenny Promotional Code good thru 2/27/10 using Coupon Code: TEN4YOU at JCPenney.com - $10 off any purchase of $10 or more!

FREE SAMPLE of Emergen-C Just click the box on the right hand side that says I am sending this to myself.

WIDE VARIETY OF PRINTABLE COUPONS HERE! Check 'em out!!

Right at Home offers include PRINTABLE COUPONS loads of stuff for Glade, Draino, Windex. Check it out!

Family Christian Stores - 50% off your second item - Coupon Code: 1284534 (Exp. 2/28) - 30% Off Any Regular Priced Item - Coupon Code: 1284536 (Exp. 2/28) - 25% off ANY Purchase Coupon Code: 1284535 (Exp. 2/28)   25% off Regular Priced Items, 10% off of Sale Items - Coupon Code: 1268826 (Exp. 3/14)

Great collection of PRINTABLE COUPONS for all sorts of health products from Healthy Seasons. Includes Zyrtec, Mylanta, Pepcid, St. Joseph's, Visine, Splenda, Tylenol and more!

$1.00 off COUPON any 46oz. bottle of V8 V-Fusion

$1.00 OFF COUPON - Kellogg Clever Kids Letter Bites Fruit (be ready to send to printer when you click on this one!)

COUPONS for 75 cents to $1.50 off on OxiClean products!

Save up to $2.00 with COUPONS from White Cloud tissue!

Sign up at Ruby Tuesday to receive exclusive printable coupons - these coupons are one use only with exclusive codes. Current offering is Buy One Get One Free thru 3/10 with no price limit!!

Other Ruby Tuesday PRINTABLE COUPON limited offerings available right now: Buy One Get One Free ($10 limit, 2/23-3/2), 20% off Entire Check (2/23-3/2), and 25% off Entire Check (2/23-3/2)  Thanks to Mindi for these extra goodies.

CooksIllustrated.com 14-Day Trial Membership IMPORTANT NOTE: This offer does require credit card input, but does state you can cancel anytime before the free trial ends and not be charged. The charge is $17.50 for the Website Membership - a 50% Savings  TO CANCEL:  Log in to My Account and choose "Cancel my Membership" from the options on the right.  If you are still experiencing difficulties, please call 800-526-8442. Hours are 8 AM to 7 PM CST, Monday to Friday. You can cancel your membership at any time and receive a refund for the balance of your membership. Please send refund requests to cooksonline@americastestkitchen.com.


Enjoy!

Monday, February 22, 2010

Review - Baconnaise, Bacon Salt, Bacon Pop and More! @DeepSouthDish


Note: The giveaway is CLOSED. Congrats to the winner!

Recently I had the opportunity to try out some of the J&D's bacon products and frankly I was super excited! While they are becoming more widely available now, I had not yet experienced any of these products, though I had heard of them from J&D's and others tweets on Twitter.

Justin and Dave, the namesakes of J&D's, are truly living the American dream. A company launched from the vision of two young men who merely had the idea to make the world taste like bacon, J&D's made their first product, Bacon Salt, and actually launched the company using winnings that Dave received from America's Funniest Home Videos!  Justin and Dave literally quit their jobs and rolled the proverbial bacon flavored dice when in July of 2007 they began selling Bacon Salt on their website, using their own garage as a warehouse.  The next year in 2008, they launched Baconnaise, Bacon Lip Balm and BaconPop, with BaconRanch and Mmmvelopes following the next year. Growing into a huge warehouse facility and their own offices, J&D's products can now be found in over 12,000 stores world-wide and at online retailers like Amazon.com and Costco.com.

Their tagline “everything should taste like bacon,” while obviously tongue-in-cheek, really features the versatility of their products in implementing bacon flavor with many foods. And, just in case you are wondering, all of the J&D's products contain only flavoring, and not actual bacon, so they are all Kof-K certified!

When the box of products arrived it included Baconnaise, Bacon Salt, Bacon Ranch Dressing and Dip Mix, Bacon Pop, Bacon Lip Balm, and Bacon Mmmvelopes. I couldn't wait to dive in.


First, Baconnaise.  This is a bacon flavored spread that can be used anyplace that you would normally use mayonnaise. Of course I tried it first as a sandwich spread with turkey breast and then on BLT sandwiches - just awesome. And, while it is a perfect accent for sandwiches with bacon, if you are watching calories and fat, grab their Baconnaise Lite version to add the flavor of bacon to your meal without having to use bacon, saving you in both calories and fat!   I also used it in recipes - click over to Deep South Dish to check out a few of the recipes I made by simply substituting Baconnaise for regular mayonnaise.  I have to say that I was not disappointed in a single recipe. Baconnaise is simply delicious and should become a staple condiment in your fridge.


Next, Bacon Salt.  As much as I loved Baconnaise, I really loved Bacon Salt.  I got to try the original version and used it on side veggies, like corn and green beans, sprinkled it on french fries right out of the fryer, used it on simple roasted potatoes, and in several recipes where I would have normally used a regular seasoning salt. Bacon Salt did not fail to deliver.  Just a fantastic addition to your pantry that you will find yourself reaching for time and again - and all you pro grillers out there? Start drooling when you check out the wide range of Bacon Salt products that are now available to incorporate into your favorite rubs - you are gonna think you have died and gone to Griller Heaven.   

Take your usual name brand ranch dressing and dip mix and add the flavor of bacon and you've got the next product, J&D's Bacon Ranch Dressing & Dip Mix - yum!  Besides using this with my ranch chicken recipe, I added this to a few other recipes - like my Super Bowl version of Buffalo Chicken Dip! Again, just amazing.  Anywhere you think you could incorporate ranch dressing, you'll find a great way to use this product instead. I loved it!!

 
Okay - popcorn lovers, you are gonna LOVE this one. Bacon Pop - bacon flavored popcorn!!  The Cajun and I love microwave popcorn as a snack and this popcorn is just over the top. We gobbled this up so fast it was ridiculous and we both loved it! And you even get that smoky, bacon smell while it's popping! Bacony flavor popped right into popcorn kernels -  I swear this is one of the best inventions this company could have come up with. I wish I could say out of all of these products which one was my favorite but I don't know that I could pick just one. I could not find fault with a single one of them, and I loved them all!


Now granted, Bacon Lip Balm is a little bit of a novelty and unless you're a big fan of bacon flavor, you might not be thrilled with toting around bacon flavor on your lips.  The truth is the bacon flavor is not at all overwhelming really, and it's simply regular lip balm - that works great - with a touch of bacon flavoring. If you're gonna have to use lip balm, why not make it bacon flavored just for fun? I laughed when while holding my puppy, he got to sniffing in the air and I realized he could smell my bacon flavored lips. Imagine what your bacon loving significant other will do? You might even get a few extra smooches out of this one!


And last, but not least, Mmmvelopes!  Let's face it, most of us still do the lick thing when we have to seal an envelope - the good old tongue is just the closest and handiest tool to use most often.  Why not change that yucky experience into a pleasant bacon flavored one?  These would make a great gift to get a laugh out of a friend too, so why not?  They really do taste like bacon y'all!

Bottom line? Bacon flavored products are fun to use and in recipes, they do nothing but boost the flavor of the dish that you are adding them to.  And, while you can buy them on Amazon, online at the J&D site, and at other retail locations around the world, one of my lucky readers is going to get to try these great products for FREE! That's right. Read on for how to enter and how to grab some BIG Bonus Entries too!


ONE reader of My New 30/Deep South Dish will receive a free gift pack containing: 1 bottle of Original Bacon Salt, 1 jar of Regular Baconnaise, 1 packet of Bacon Ranch Dressing & Dip Mix, 1 bag of Bacon Pop Popcorn, 1 Bacon Lip Balm and 1 pack of Bacon Mmmvelopes - what a fantastic package!!

CLOSED
You must do this first to be eligible for any bonus entries!!


Check out the recipes here.  In the upper left hand sidebar, you'll see a place to select "MEAL TYPE"and/or "PRODUCT."  Select one, click "SUBMIT," review the recipes and find one that you'd love to try.  Come back and leave a comment about which recipe most interested you. You must also either leave your email address in your comment or have a visible profile that contains a link to your email address.  Winner will be contacted by email.


CLOSEDYou can earn bonus entries in the following ways:


1)  Earn 5 extra entries by following both Deep South Dish AND Bacon Salt on Twitter, send a public message to @BaconSalt mentioning @DeepSouthDish, come back and leave a separate comment with a link to your tweet. (To find the link - Look right under your tweet, and you'll see "about xx seconds/minutes ago." Click on that and it will take you to the direct link page. Copy the http link from your browser address bar, come back and paste the link here in a separate comment.)


2) Earn 5 bonus entries by doing a blog post about this giveaway on your blog with a link to this post, and placing a photo of any of these products with a link to this giveaway http://www.mynew30.com/2010/02/review-and-giveaway-baconnaise-bacon.html  in the upper sidebar of your blog for the duration of this giveaway (until March 1st).  Come back and leave a separate comment with the link to your post.


3)  Earn 5 more extra entries by using this retweet button to tweet this giveaway link on your Twitter account. Come back and leave the link to your tweet. You can do this once per day but you must leave a separate comment for each tweet - the retweet button may not work for you a second time, just plug in a manual tweet and come back leaving a separate comment with you link.


The Rules:


Giveaway will close on Monday, March 1, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. CST
➮Open to residents of the United States
➮You must leave an email address in your first entry, or have a link to it in your clickable profile.
➮Links will be verified and non-qualifying entries deleted.
➮The winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to reply.
➮Winner will be chosen by random.org

Good luck!!

Disclosure:  J&D provided me with product information as well as free products for this review. All opinions are my own. Please see my product review policy for additional information.

J&D products and their story has been featured on many popular shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Bonnie Hunt Show, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The TODAY Show, and Good Morning America to name only a few.

Heavily Discounted Taste of Home Cookbooks!!


Don't know about y'all, but I'm a fan of the Taste of Home recipe site simply because the recipes are from everyday home cooks from around the country just like me! In fact, the recipes there can be very inspirational in giving me ideas for the development of my own recipes.

I receive their email which always outlines some great recipes to try and often some specials they are offering in their shop. In the most recent email, Taste of Home is offering several of their cookbooks, with values up to $24.99 for ONLY $5.00 each! So if you enjoy their site, but like having a cookbook in your hand, browse the offerings and see if there is something you like! I'm sure it won't last long so click on over and check it out!

Note:  When I click on or copy and paste this link http://www.shoptasteofhome.com/%245-Cookbooks/%245%20Cookbook%20Email,default,sc.html (same as links above) I am able to get to the discount page without being signed in to the Taste of Home site.

If the link is not working for you, just use the "SIGN UP" feature to get the newsletter (you can always unsubscribe) - sorry for the inconvenience.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

A Tiny Taste of Spring


Amidst all of the snow everywhere and the freezing temperatures, yes, even still here in The Deep South, my Meyer lemon tree is in heavy bloom. It is really more like a shrub than a tree - and a leggy shrub at that - because it is in a planter.  I want to say that it is going into its third year of growth for me.

Meyer lemon trees do not like low temperatures, and will, in fact, go dormant at 54 degrees, so I move mine in and out of the house anytime the temperatures are cold. Needless to say I have been moving it in and out alot here lately, and it has paid me off with early blooms. In fact, this is the most I've seen it bloom since I purchased it, though last year it also had a lot, maybe half of this, but they simply dropped off and did not produce fruit, or if they produced fruit, many just fell off right away. I'm thinking that it was likely a pollination issue, so I've already broken out a paintbrush to move these blooms along, since there won't be any bees around for awhile yet, and certainly not inside!

You can fill a thimble with what I know about Meyer lemon trees, so I have no idea what might have happened last year, but I do hope that with this nice start, I might actually have a few pretty lemons to show off to you later this year! For now, I am enjoying the unique perfume of these pretty, delicate blooms.

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