Give Peas a Chance

Jeaw Mak Len (Lao Tomato Sauce)

2012-02-13T11:49:00.006-05:00

I love this sauce/Jeaw. Jeaw Mak Len literally means "sauce, tomato". It's fragrant, spicy, fresh. Perfect with meats, eggs, steamed vegetables. On a sandwich. Really!

It's so easy to make and so very good. It's a thick, almost chutney. It isn't for ladling over pasta or rice. Used to dip with rice or steamed vegetables, it is a condiment. But I won't lie, I spooned it over a steak the other day.

Often Lao meals will have items like (of course there are so many more dishes)-

Khao/Kow Neo, a sticky rice you eat with your hands. Bags of this rice will say fragrant sweet rice.

"Ping" - or grilled foods, like whole fish, chicken.

Sien Hang- literally, "meat, dried". Dried beef- a jerky that is cooked after being marinated and left out to dry.

Steamed vegetables.

Laabs or Larbs- fish, chicken, beef, or pork.

Lao omelets. (there's a picture of the Sien Hang there also)

Tum Mac Houng/ papaya salad.

Herbs are served fresh, along side a meal.

and usually there is Jeaw, some sort of chutney or dipping sauce.

Food is mostly eaten with hands, not chopsticks, family style. I love Lao food, perhaps I'm biased, perhaps it's the memories those foods hold for me. But there's nothing like a good Lao meal.

Jeaw Mak Len (Lao Tomato sauce)
5-6 plum tomatoes
1-2 shallots (or fried shallots in a pinch)
3-4 cloves garlic
1-2 jalapenos, or use Thai bird chilies
Nam pla/Nam ba- Fish sauce (Nam pla is what Thai call fish sauce, Laotioans call it Nam ba or "water, fish- water of fish", and Nuc mam is Vietnamese.)
Lime juice
1/2 ish teaspoon sugar- you don't need a lot!
2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

Wash the produce. Take the tomatoes and half or quarter them. cut the shallot in half. Cut the jalapenos, seed them if desired. Place them on a broiler pan. Broil on high until fragrant. Turning once or twice. You want some nice charred parts.You can do this on the grill also.

Once charred, peel the garlic and shallots. Take the everything and pound it in a motor and pestle. I've also pulsed it in a food processor too. You don't want a puree, leave some chunks.

I used some onion because I didn't have fresh shallots, I also added fried shallots. So I added a tiny bit of oil to my pot to bring out the fragrance in the fried shallots.

Once the tomato mixture is processed put it in a small pot. Heat it until the liquid is evaporated and you have a thick sauce. Remove from heat. *You don't have to do this, I just like my Jeaw mak Len thick, I am not sure my mom does this. There is a picture of a more saucy batch below *

Once cooled, season to taste with sugar, lime juice and nam pla/ba- I LOVE Red Boat. It is by far my favorite fish sauce. I can finally get it locally! Stir in the cilantro and serve!

Below is a batch I made with fresh shallots, 3 jalapenos, and a spin in the blender.
I find that it's easier to blend up all the garlic, shallots and jalapenos/chilies first. Then add the tomatoes so you don't end up with a smoothie.

MMM. Fragrant.

Not as thick, before adding cilantro. NOM NOM.

Keep Calm...

2012-02-13T10:30:00.001-05:00

A little something for my Blockhead sisters.Getting ready for cruise, Jordan show's and a new album. I can't wait until 2013 shows! What are you all up to this year? Shows? The Boat? Have a blog post or pictures you want to share? Leave a comment below!

If you'd like the file without the "Give Peas A Chance" on the side just email me to request it. I can email it to you. (It may take a couple of days though.)

peasblog AT hot mail DOT com

subject "KEEP CALM & BLOCK ON"
Don't forget I have several free giveaways up!
Click HERE to enter.
BluApple
PediPeds
A case of organic dark chocolate
gorgeous jewelry too!

BluApple- GIVEAWAY

2012-02-12T00:01:00.002-05:00

This product is AMAZING. I am not kidding you. I buy a LOT of produce. I have to keep a list of what I have on hand so it doesn't go bad. I forget things, still. OR, we have more leftover nights than I planned for and I make less meals. leftover nights+ less meals made= unused produce. Fruit and vegetables go bad, get tossed. If I'm lucky I'll catch something before it goes bad and I can throw it into the "save for stock" bag in the freezer. But more often than not, on trash days you find me cleaning out the fridge grumbling about tossing out food, money! Then I heard about BluApple. This apple rocks! I keep one in my produce bins in the refrigerator. I did pull one out because I had some tomatoes that I got for 79 cents a pound. I bought a huge bowl. I was going to make Roasted Tomato Basil soup to freeze. But we wanted to enjoy the vine ripened tomatoes just sliced. I had that bowl of tomatoes on my counter for at least two weeks with a BluApple nestled in there. Those tomatoes lasted forever. I should just get another apple when I order refills, two for the fridge and one for the counter.

I find now that I can buy two weeks worth of produce and it will stay fresh in the fridge the whole two weeks and more often than not, longer. It's amazing. I know I already said that, but this product does what it says it will do. If you are forgetful like me, you can sign up to an email reminder to change out the little pad that absorbs the Ethylene gas on the website!

Here's how it works (from the BluApple site)

Ethylene gas is given off naturally by fruits and vegetables as a signaling mechanism in order to coordinate uniform ripening. However, once concentrated in your refrigerator or other storage areas, the presence of ethylene gas continues to speed up ripening and hasten spoilage.
The BluApple is designed to provide effective ethylene gas absorption for three months in a typical home refrigerator produce bin or storage container. The active ingredient does not "wear out", but continues to absorb ethylene until it has reached its capacity. A One Year Refill Kit rounds out the BluApple ethylene gas management product line, allowing consumers to reuse BluApples and not add them to landfills.

Find BluApple

Online

Facebook

The giveaway is open to US residents that are 18 years of age and older. Enter below via the Rafflecopter form. Once you enter this giveaway, you'll be sign in to easily enter all other Rafflecopter giveaways- Click here for a list of the giveaways on Give Peas A Chance.

Enter to win a BluApple below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I was provided a free sample/s of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product. All pictures are from the companies site.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

2012-02-11T11:16:00.002-05:00

MMMM.... spinach. Artichokes. Cheese.... YUM. This is easy/quick to make and it's serves I'd say 8-9 people as an appetizer. I make it, bake half of it and freeze the other half for another time. Awesome served with a crusty baguette, chips, veggies or crackers.
The girls loved/love it! I'm so glad because sometimes it's hit or miss, they love creamed spinach and spinach soup. But sometimes if things are made different then they decide they don't like it. Diva asked me to make it again soon.
I didn't want to bother with thawing the spinach and squeezing the water out, so I adapted several recipes to adjusted liquid to make my life easier.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

350 degrees, bake 20-40 minutes

4 tablespoons of butter

3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced or grated with a micro plane

1/2- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

4 ounces cream cheese

16 ounces chopped frozen spinach (don't thaw)

8-10 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, chopped- these are easier to chop when still partially frozen

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded- I used Kraft because I just got some for free

1/2 cup sour cream
Cayenne- optional, you can use a squirt of Srirracha or dash of hot sauce too
Pinch of nutmeg or a quick grate of fresh nutmeg
Salt

Black pepper

Optional- more shredded mozzarella and Parmesan to top the dip.

In a large pot or Dutch oven heat the butter until foaming. Add the red pepper flakes, garlic and onion.

Sprinkle the flour into the pot. Stir and cook until the flour is a light brown.

Whisk in the milk.

Turn down the heat and stir in the cream cheese. Turn off the heat. The mixture will be thick. Don't worry! The water from the spinach will thin it out.

Add the spinach and artichoke hearts. Stir until combined.

Sprinkle in shredded cheeses and sour cream. Season with black pepper, stir until combined. If it is very dry add 1/4 cup of milk, keep in mind though that it isn't supposed to be runny at all. More of a mashed potato consistency.

Spoon into a baking dish. Bake for 20-40 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. The last 10 minutes of baking sprinkle with more mozzarella and Parmesan if desired. (I didn't do this.)

Serve with crackers, a baguette, vegetables or chips.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

350 degrees, bake 20-40 minutes

4 tablespoons of butter

3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced or grated with a micro plane

1/2- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

4 ounces cream cheese

16 ounces chopped frozen spinach (don't thaw)

8-10 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, chopped- these are easier to chop when still partially frozen

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded- I used Kraft because I just got some for free

1/2 cup sour cream
Cayenne- optional, you can use a squirt of Srirracha or dash of hot sauce too
Pinch of nutmeg or a quick grate of fresh nutmeg
Salt

Black pepper

Optional- more shredded mozzarella and Parmesan to top the dip.

In a large pot or Dutch oven heat the butter until foaming. Add the red pepper flakes, garlic and onion. Sprinkle the flour into the pot. Stir and cook until the flour is a light brown. Whisk in the milk. Turn down the heat and stir in the cream cheese. Turn off the heat. The mixture will be thick. Don't worry! The water from the spinach will thin it out.

Add the spinach and artichoke hearts. Stir until combined. Sprinkle in shredded cheeses and sour cream. Season with black pepper, stir until combined. If it is very dry add 1/4 cup of milk, keep in mind though that it isn't supposed to be runny. More of a mashed potato consistency.

Spoon into a baking dish. Bake for 20-40 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. The last 10 minutes of baking sprinkle with more mozzarella and Parmesan if desired.

Serve with crackers, a baguette, vegetables or chips.

When baking the frozen one, you don't have to thaw it first. Bake it covered with foil, until bubbly and hot. Remove foil and bake until browned on top.

2012 Bento 19, 20, 21

2012-02-10T13:48:00.000-05:00

In the PlanetBox

Turkey

Cheese

Pumpkin muffins

Strawberries

Blueberries

Carrots

Animal Cracker

In the Lock N' Locks

Turkey

Cream Cheese

Carrots

Strawberries

Blueberries

Pumpkin Muffins

Free Friday- Carmex Meltdown

2012-02-10T06:33:00.001-05:00

"Kristen Bell's Sloth Meltdown."

Folks, this is the best video. I'm telling. How cute is she and her sloth?! I love it. I love this video, perhaps because sometimes I'm pretty much this emotional.

When I was pregnant with my first DD I remember looking for Carmex. I don't know why, I hadn't really been using Carmex, but I wanted some. I kept telling DH that I couldn't find any Carmex. So he went to look in the kitchen. I was in bed. He brought me chap-stick. I said, "No, that's not Carmex. It's in a little pot." So I got up, and looked around. When I found it, I kid you not I started BAWLING my eyes out. Sobbing about how I had found the Carmex. Other things set me off too, but I'll just leave you with that one story.

Flavored Coffee Ice Cubes

2012-02-09T11:24:00.002-05:00

So, you've made your "Sweet nectar of the gods", cold brew. Don't water it down with regular ice cubes! Freeze that coffee so you'll have coffee ice cubes. But try these different ideas. Perfect if you want to add flavor to your coffee, cool a cup of coffee down, add one to a cup of hot chocolate, or keep your iced coffee cold! OR use them for frappachinnos and mikshakes! YUM. When blending them up into a frozen drink add some cocoa nibs OOOOOO.

Freeze your ice cubes, them keep them in a labeled plastic bag or container to keep freezer odors from making them stale tasting.

Just coffee- if you like it black
Just creamer/half and half
Just creamer mixed with sweetened condensed milk
Coffee flavored with an extract that is good for cold temperatures. That way if you want different flavors you can just used different cubes!
Coffee and sweetener

Sweet nectar of the gods...

2012-02-08T11:20:00.002-05:00

Magical coffee indeed. (Plus variations on ice cubes) I'm not a big coffee drinker, I don't drink a cup a day. I don't even drink a cup a week. We don't own a coffee maker, we do have an espresso maker- but I don't use it. I do love coffee when I'm out and about though. Then I love coffee. I'm a social drinker, LOL.

I do love iced coffee though. Vietnamese iced coffee especially. I think because when I was growing up my mom always ordered it when we went out for a nice big bowl of Pho. So I associate it with that comfort food. She would also make it at home, that and the Limeade I love so much. On hot summer days, I still remember the sound of the spoon hitting the sides of her big tall glasses. She would most likely be working out in the garden. She didn't let us drink coffee though as kids. My cousins and I would make coffee when our parents were gone though! With that one sentence I just threw everybody under the bus.

I have posted iced coffee here on GPAC before. I have one method here, Vietnamese Ice Coffee. Which is fantastic, but it requires brewed coffee or espresso. There's also these Vietnamese Ice Coffee Popsicles. Can't go wrong with those. I never batted an eye at other recipes for iced coffee. Then I saw this Magical Coffee recipe on food52. I thought, well, no brewing that's awesome. Why not try it. Now I can't say that this method makes iced coffee out of this world. But I can say that making a huge batch for the fridge and freezer, (the ice cubes!) using this method sure is easy peasy. So I used this method for brewing the coffee. I just left out the ground cinnamon and sugar. So many different things you can do with this. So, I'll give you the method and some variations.

The cool thing is you have coffee grounds for your garden. I don't have a garden. But discard the grounds, into your garden. I hear it's good for plants. I wouldn't know. I can't grow anything but weeds. I did spoon some into the plastic cup that Piglet brought home. She grew grass at school, and it was "so easy mom." Don't get too attached to that plant, kid.

Magical Coffee (or as I say, Sweet nectar of the gods!)

Adapted from Food52

4 1/2 cups cold, filtered water- it's what I had, tap won't kill you though

1 cup coarsely ground coffee- any flavor you wish

Put this into a glass container or bowl. Stir. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (12-16 hours, I've left it a little longer too.)

Place one coffee filter or nut milk bag into a strainer and strain the coffee. Discard the grounds, into your garden. *see note above about this, before you take my advice.*

Take some of the coffee and pour it into an ice cube maker. When you have iced coffee, it won't get watery when it melts. (Flavor variations below)

To serve- I used sweetened condensed milk. Just stir it into the cold coffee. Throw some ice cubes in and you're done.

You can also use any other milk, half and half, cream.

Sweeten with honey, agave, maple syrup, sugar in the raw, brown sugar...

Things you can add to the brew over night-

1-2 cinnamon sticks (really any spices)
Masala chai spices, like the ones in this Chai Syrup- ginger, cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom pods, star anise, etc.
Cocoa nibs, I'm going to try some soon. I put these in my Chocolate Chai!
Vanilla sugar or a vanilla bean, in this case I'd go with a cheap extract. One bean for a batch of coffee is pricey!
Orange zest
Unsweetened coconut flakes

Coffee Cube Variations-

Freeze just black coffee
Freeze the coffee sweetened, with or without the creamer
Freeze with a flavor extract that can withstand the cold- do different flavors! Then put them in labeled bags, when you want flavored coffee you'll have different cubes. You can use this to cool hot coffee and add flavor at the same time.

You can flavor this any way you like really! What coffee flavors do you like?

Pedipeds- GIVEAWAY

2012-02-08T00:00:00.002-05:00

I love Pedipeds, they were my favorite shoes for my girls when they were younger. Soft soles to protect growing feet. But the soles aren't slick so the girls didn't slide all over the place. Well Pedipeds is debuting their Spring/Summer collection with 75 new styles and color combinations. And here's your chance to win to win a pair. You'll get to choose boy or girl and what size Pedipeds Originals you would like!

Here's some more information on Pedipeds from the press release.

pediped® Debuts Spring/Summer 2012 Collection with New Originals® Sole,
Expanded Adventure Line and 75 New Styles/Color Combinations

Trendsetting Color Palette of Jewel Tones, Metallics and
Bright Accent Colors Highlight Collection

HENDERSON, NV (February 2012) —The pediped® Spring/Summer 2012 collection makes its debut with more than 75 new styles and color combinations across pediped® footwear's three signature lines: Originals®, Grip ‘n’ Go™ and Flex®. Highlights of the collection include a new sole for the Originals® line and an expanded Adventure Line. Kids everywhere will be able to enjoy the outdoors in style with footwear featuring a trendsetting color palette of metallic, jewel tones and bright accent colors, and comfort with all shoes in the collection offering pediped’s signature comfortable fit. With styles ranging from water-safe shoes, gladiator sandals, athletic styles, boat shoes, Mary Janes and more, pediped’s expansive Spring Summer 2012 collection includes a shoe for every need and occasion!

Originals®
·         The Originals® line of soft-soled infant shoes that mimic barefoot walking features a new sole and continues to grow with more styles and a wider variety of colors.
·         Based on customer feedback, pediped® has created a more slip resistant sole. The new sole features a slip resistant diamond tread and is made of all natural high quality leather, just like before. See what these pediped® parent reviewers had to say and show about their experience with the improved Originals® sole design http://www.pediped.com/originalsimprovedsole.aspx.
·         The Originals® collection is available for children 0-24 months in age.

Grip ‘n’ Go™
·         Grip ‘n’ Go™ footwear is made with all the benefits of Originals®, but with special G2 Technology for active toddlers that are transitioning to walking with a more confident stride.
·         With over 15 new styles, the line features metallic sandals, classic Mary Janes and several new athletic styles.
·         The Grip ‘n’ Go^™ collection is available for children 9 months to 3 years in age.

Flex®
·         pediped Flex® is the ultimate shoe for confident walkers who have developed a solid, natural stride.  The Flex line offers more than 60 styles in jewel tones, metallics and bright colors.
·         The popular Adventure Line of rugged, water-safe, eco-friendly footwear has also expanded with over 15 styles. The Minnie and Amazon for girls both come in pediped’s new summer color pool. Fin, Delmar and Sahara are three new boys’ styles making their debut, all with bright pops of color.
·         Flex^® styles in EU sizes 20-33 (size runs vary depending on style).

The Spring/Summer 2012 collection is now available online at www.pediped.com and in select retail stores.

About pediped®pediped^® footwear was founded in 2004 by Angela and Brian Edgeworth in their quest for the perfect soft-soled shoe for their first daughter. Exceptional quality, unsurpassed comfort and distinctive styling have made the award winning company the fastest-growing children's footwear brand in the United States. pediped^® footwear has been awarded the American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Acceptance for the promotion of healthy foot development, and preeminent orthopedic medical professionals, Dr. Mininder S. Kocher and Dr. Thomas W. Vorderer, deem pediped® shoes an excellent choice for parents/caregivers who want their children’s feet to develop naturally and healthily. In 2011 Earnshaw’s, the premier media resource serving the children’s market recognized pediped® with Earnshaw’s Earnie Awards for Company of the Year and Best Footwear.

pediped^® footwear is sold in over 3000 stores in the United States and 40 countries worldwide with an offering of more than 120  designs for boys and girls between their three lines, Originals®, Grip ‘n’ Go™ and Flex®. Originals® (soft-soled shoes for newborns to age 2), Grip ‘n’ Go™ (thin rubber-soled shoes for children ages 9 months to 3 years) and Flex® (rubber-soled shoes for children 1 to 8 years) are available in EU sizes ranging from 17 to 33. For more information, visit www.pediped.com.

Find Pedipeds

Enter to win ONE pair of Pediped Originals. You pick gender and size, a pair will be sent to you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: All opinions in this post are my own. The press release is from Pediped. All pictures are from the companies site, unless noted.

2012 Bento 17,18

2012-02-07T13:29:00.000-05:00

I made these mini muffins with pancake batter and sausage in the middle. Really easy. I used a regular pancake batter and a whole wheat pancake batter. You can find that post HERE.

Pancake mini muffins

Strawberries

String cheese

Syrup

(below there's pepperoni and 1/3 of an apple pie too)

Pepperoni Poppers (+3 other poppers)

2012-02-06T09:50:00.002-05:00

Nothing new here... except I added pepperoni this time. So good, but really what's not to love? Jalapenos, cheese, pepperoni.

That's all. Go forth. Make of them. Eat of them.
So now we've got, how many on this blog? 3-4? Can you tell we like them?

Crab Stuffed Jalapenos

Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos (2008 photo wow.)

Jalapeno Poppers (2007- when I first started blogging!)

Salazon Chocolates - GIVEAWAY

2012-02-05T23:19:00.011-05:00

Salazon Chocolate Company makes these beautiful bars of artisan chocolate. Dark, organic chocolate bars. Kosher, organic, vegan, and gluten free. Smooth chocolate with no after taste. The sea salt with black pepper is, sweet, salty and spicy. It's so good. My girls liked the original sea salt and the Turbinado sugar best. The girls and I LOVE dark chocolate. I hid the last bar, don't tell my family. But it's mine. To savor. By myself. MMMM. No, I do not feel guilty. I found these locally at WholeFoods and had to contact the company. They are based in the same state I am in. They guys at Salazon Chocolate Co offered to sponsor a giveaway for some chocolate bars!

Salazon Chocolate Co makes their chocolates in the US, and each bar gets a hand sprinkling of their signature sea salt. Just the right amount. I love that they are part of the 1% for the planet. I love when companies are! You can read more about that HERE. Straight from their webpage here is a little about them-

The Salazon Story
In the summer of 2009, Salazon Chocolate Co.’s founders were on a backpacking trip to Utah. They'd brought along the usual snacks - energy bars, trail mixes, and, for this trip, some organic dark chocolate bars. As they sat around the campfire that night, it struck them that a simple, salted-dark chocolate bar would be the perfect energy food. The idea for Salazon (Spanish for ‘salted’) was born. After visiting organic cacao farms in the Dominican Republic and perfecting the recipe (every bar is hand sprinkled), they launched Salazon Chocolate Co., the first salted-chocolate-based brand on the market.
Salazon’s chocolate bars are made from 100% organic, Rainforest Alliance–certified beans in small batches in the USA, and hand-sprinkled with natural, solar-evaporated sea salt.
- Salazon Chocolate Co Team

There are four flavors that you can read about HERE. I also cut and paste information on the four varieties below.

Organic Dark Chocolate with Natural Sea Salt
Our original bar with our dark chocolate and our signature touch of sprinkled sea salt. Destined to be a classic. View Nutrition Info

Organic Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt and Organic Turbinado Cane Sugar
Salazon Chocolate Co. does not make a milk chocolate but we did want to have a offering that was a little sweeter. Of course, we do it a little differently by sprinkling on a little organic turbinado cane sugar. This adds the texture that Salazon is known for and bit of extra sweetness to compliment the sea salt for one-of-a-kind chocolate bar.

Organic Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt and Organic Cracked Black Pepper
Our sea salt and organic cracked black pepper bar certainly invokes some raised eyebrows upon first glance, but this bar is fast becoming a fan favorite and our best seller. The organic black pepper balances the sea salt (naturally) and brings out different flavors in the chocolate than the salt can on its own.

Organic Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt and Crushed Coffee
Salazon Chocolate co. introduces its newest premium, salted chocolate bar - Organic Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt & Crushed Organic Coffee. This is chocolate and coffee in a way you’ve never tried, the Salazon way. The sea salt balances the course- ground coffee and produces a unique taste that we’ve been told is “enlightening”.

Where to find Salazon Chocolate's
Web page
Twitter @salazonchoc
Facebook
List of retailers online and in your area! Including Whole Foods, Wegmans and The Fresh Market.

Want to win a case of 12 Salazon Chocolate Bars? The giveaway is open to US residents that are 18 years of age and older. Enter below via the Rafflecopter form. Once you enter this giveaway, you'll be sign in to easily enter all other Rafflecopter giveaways- Click here for a list of the giveaways on Give Peas A Chance.
Disclaimer: I was provided a free sample/s of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product. All pictures are from the companies site, unless noted.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dollie and Me on Zulily Today and MORE!

2012-02-04T10:31:00.001-05:00

Dollie and Me makes these cute outfits for girls and their dolls (they fit 18 inch dolls (American Girl), but my girls have also put them on 15 inch Bitty Baby dolls). Right now they are on Zulily and none of the sets are over $21. Some are $15.99! I had to share this awesome deal! Sign up is quick and easy for Zulily and they have awesome items up all the time!

Click HERE to see the collections. (Or this link.)

Here are other offerings!

Free Friday

2012-02-03T13:49:00.010-05:00

So, I always see my awesome couponing friends posting their deals. I'm just not a couponer. Not a good one, but I was so excited with this trip! The coupon lady had coupons that were expiring the day I was at the grocery store. She said she had no issues doing multiple transactions since the coupons would go to waste. They were $5 off of $5 worth of Kraft/Breakstone items. (Military coupon).

SO I got all of the above for ... $4!!!! (Because DD's Pummelo's are in the picture LOL.)

YAY! WOOT. AND I checked expiration dates on everything. It's got a while! Some of it's going on the freezer.
I won't be buying cheese, string cheese, cream cheese, and more for a while, YAY!
What are your best couponing tips? Favorite sites or blogs for couponing?

Pepperoni Cheese Dip

2012-02-02T11:44:00.005-05:00

This isn't a pepperoni pizza dip. It's not fancy. At all. It's good though. This is just, well, an accident. I was making crab dip and had some cream cheese leftover. I thought the crab dip would be too spicy for Pixie so I threw this in the oven for her. It's so good it's silly. Sure you could do all sorts of things, add ingredients and make it awesome. Something fancy or froo froo. But, we both thought it was awesome as is, perfect for a quick snack or lunch. We had it for lunch. With blueberries and some carrot muffins I had in the freezer for fast lunches.
It's like this Pepperoni Pizza Cheese ball, but heated up to a ooey gooey melted goodness.

Pepperoni Cheese Dip
Cream cheese
Shredded cheese- Mexican blend or mozzarella
Sliced pepperoni
Green onion
Sour cream - if you have it, just a little.
Garlic powder
Italian Seasoning
Done. Mix/mash it up. Bake at 350 until all melted. Top with more cheese and let it melt on top.

*I wanted to edit this and add that it's about
1 block of cream cheese
3/4 cup of cheese
as much pepperoni as you like
and maybe 3 tablespoons of sour cream, add your seasonings to it and stir it up. Add the cream cheese and shredded cheese.

Simple. I served it with Wheat Thins.

Courtney Marie Jewelry- GIVEAWAY

2012-02-01T13:00:00.001-05:00

Courtney Marie Jewelry, oh my goodness. I first spotted her jewelery on a friends Facebook page. It just caught my eye. So I went to her Facebook page and clicked like, then I ohhh'd and ahhh'd over everything. From ornaments, to earrings, to rings and more. Beautiful sterling silver pieces, hand made, custom one of a kind pieces some with beautiful stones. I wanted everything. I decided that I needed :) these rings for Mother's day, I know that's not for a while, but hey. I let DH know I would be purchasing my mother's day gift and contacted Courtney. I chose a ring for each of my girls, with their names on one side of the band and birth date on the other side.
(By the way, that first picture I posted? THAT is the giveaway! AH-MAZ-ING.)

Courtney with me back and forth hammering out the details. She sent pictures, let me know about sizing- not just for my ring finger but of stones, how thick the bands would be and so on. She was very thorough and made sure that I got what I wanted. It was cool being "part of the process". We also worked out a giveaway for you all! Details below. Courtney is professional, friendly and fast! My rings were made and shipped to me in gosh, less than two weeks once we confirmed all the details.

I was floored when I saw my rings. I am so happy with them! They fit perfect. They were made just as she described. Every last detail. I love that they nestle next to each other nicely and I can rearrange them as I like.

Christmas Ornament, Picture from Courtney Marie jewelry.

Courtney has an ordering page on her web page that can be found here. So much to see and look at! She also does custom's and posts pictures of her work on her Facebook page here.

Bracelet, picture from Courtney Marie Jewelery.

Gorgeous earrings, picture from Courtney Marie Jewelry.

Here is a little more about Courtney (from her webpage)

Courtney Marie's passion for jewelry began at a young age stringing seed beads on fishing line. Abandoning her childhood hobby for years, she earned a Public Relations degree from Texas Tech University. Payne rediscovered jewelry design while working as a marketer for a hospital in San Marcos, Texas. She taught herself to wire wrap and soon found herself in a silversmithing class, commuting to Austin once a week. Her passion quickly evolved into a business, where she fabricates sterling silver into feminine lightweight pieces. Her designs are often paired with semi-precious stones set in her own settings.
Courtney keeps her designs original, and is always
trying to grow as a designer. She is currently working from the Houston area, and although in the past her time consisted of traveling to shows around the United States to share her love of jewelry, she is now mainly showing her work online due to her growing family. Due to this family shift in her life, Courtney is proud to introduce her new mommy line. Inspired by the love for her son, and soon to be second child, Courtney has compiled a collection of designs to catch the attention of a mom looking for a special piece.

Rings, picture from Courtney Marie Jewelry.

Find Courtney Marie Jewelry
Website
Facebook (Once she hits 500 fans she will run 3 giveaways, not including this one).

I'm so honored that I get to share this artisan with you. She is truly a talented professional. Courtney has offered to giveaway the two pieces in the first picture posted, two GORGEOUS sets of earrings that can be worn NINE ways, to a Give Peas A Chance reader! Here is more information on the pieces-

The earrings on the hook measure a little over 1/2 inch in length from the bottom of the earwire.

I'm giving away 2 pairs of earrings as a set. One set is on a handmade swirl hook wire and hold 4mm Swiss Blue Topaz stones. The other is a post set that holds 4mm Rhodolite (pink) Garnets. The beauty of the sets combined, is they create a total of 9 different pairs of earrings! The set with the hooks can easily be slipped off, rearranged or added to the posts. I've attached a picture of all the ways these two sets can be worn.
The blue topaz set is $94 and the garnet set is $112. It's a combined value of $206!

I LOVE my rings!
The giveaway is open to US residents that are 18 years of age and older. Enter below via the Rafflecopter form. Once you enter this giveaway, you'll be sign in to easily enter all other Rafflecopter giveaways- Click here for a list of the giveaways on Give Peas A Chance.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I was provided a free sample/s of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product. All pictures are from the companies site, unless noted.

2012 Bento 14,15,16

2012-01-31T11:42:00.006-05:00

Rolled pepperoni

Carrots with dressing

Pancakes (I wrote on them with these markers.)

Blueberries

Syrup

Green Toys- Giveaway

2012-01-29T00:01:00.003-05:00

Have you seen the Green Toys "Green Eats" line? Such a cool line of dishes for children. Safe, eco friendly dinnerware for kids! They are nice and sturdy. Not thin and flimsy at all. We were sent a variety of bowls and plates to review. Here are our thoughts on them
- I really like the feel of these dishes. Like I said, nice and sturdy but they aren't heavy.
- They stack nicely for storage
-Dishwasher safe, which is a big deal for me ;)
- I like the fun colors. They aren't bright, but they are still fun. Not dull.
- The snack bowl is a great size. It's great for popcorn, ice cream, pretzels, grapes and such for the kids. Same with the the snack plates, just big enough.

I'm impressed with the product and this company.
The product is made, their products are made from recycled milk jugs. The Green Toys site says that "the plastics material used is high-density polyethylene, considered to be one of the safest, cleanest plastics around".They make all sorts of toys for babies, toddlers, and children. Outdoor toys, building toys, kitchen toys and more. Their packaging is minimal and 100% recyclable. Everything is made in here in the USA, in California. Less transportation, less energy used!

From the Green Toys site -
Green Toys Inc. makes an awesome line of classic children’s toys constructed from recycled plastic and other environmentally friendly materials. This helps reduce fossil fuel use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improving the overall health and happiness of the planet.

Green Toys products are tested by nationally recognized, independent, third-party labs (located, yes, in the USA.) They contain no traceable amounts of Phthalates or BPA. They are also designed without any external coatings, eliminating the fear of lead paint.

Our products pass a plethora of tests, including:
Consumer Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)

Consumer Products Safety Standard Specification, ASTM F963

California Prop. 65 restrictions on lead & cadmium

FDA regulations for food contact

Voluntary testing for no BPA (Bisphenol-A)

International standards EN71 and ISO 8124

Find Green Toys
At a retailer near you, check HERE.
On Facebook
On Twitter @greentoysinc
Join their emailing list for news and specials.
Are you a US resident that is 18 years or over? Enter to win a prize from Green Toys (it will be bowls and dishes from the Green eats line!), below! Please read all the rules posted HERE, first!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I was provided a free sample/s of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product. All pictures are from the companies site.

2012 Bento 12, 13

2012-01-28T11:38:00.002-05:00

Turkey salads

Turkey on skewers

Lettuce, carrots, bell peppers

Dressing

Crackers

Tropical Traditions- GIVEAWAY

2012-01-28T00:01:00.016-05:00

Yay! Tropical Traditions! I love this company. You can read the two other reviews and giveaways I've done for this company here and here. For this giveaway Tropical Traditions is offering one of their fantastic Organic Hair Oils. Made with their Gold Label Virgin Coconut oil, I knew it was good. I was just concerned that my hair would be all oily. Not at all! I use it after I shower. Just a small drop. I put it on the ends of my hair and that's it. No more frizzes! My hair is long, straight and if it's frizzy at all it just looks a mess. So this product is awesome for me. It makes the girls hair shiny also, not greasy. Just soft. Lightly scented, because I choose lavender. It doesn't linger and isn't overpowering though, so it's nice.
Here is more information from the Tropical Traditions website-

Tropical Traditions has formulated three different hair oils using our organic Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil along with other high quality organic oils known to nourish hair. Along with the base of organic Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil, we included organic jojoba oil, organic macadamia nut oil, organic rosehip oil, organic shea butter, and organic carrot seed oil in each formulation. Two of the formulations are scented with the highest quality organic essential oils available, imported from France: Rosemary and Lavender. There are no other ingredients besides these high quality organic oils: NO SILICONES, NO SULFATES, and NO ALCOHOLS.

Suggested Uses:
For dry scalp: Rub into hair and scalp at least 30 minutes before showering, or before bed at night. Wear a shower cap or towel to protect bedding.
As a conditioner: As a deep conditioner, work through scalp and hair before washing. Leave in for 15 minutes to overnight. For a leave-in conditioner, work a small amount through wet hair before styling and drying.
Shine Serum: Rub a small amount in the palms of your hands and gently run over dry hair. Scrunch for curly hair or rake for straight hair.
Ingredients: organic jojoba, organic Gold Label Standard Virgin Coconut Oil, organic macadamia nut oil, organic rosehip oil, organic shea butter, and organic carrot seed oil. Rosemary also contains organic rosemary essential oil and Lavender contains organic lavender essential oil.

Tropical Traditions has a list of recipes that look and sound wonderful- for their edible ingredients on their site, you can find those HERE.

You can follow them on Twitter via @troptraditions

Their Facebok page is HERE.

Enter to win some Coconut Hair Oil below, open to US customers that are 18 years or older. Enter via rafflecopter. Did you know that if you enter one rafflecopter giveaway you don't have to keep signing in to enter other giveaways? So easy! I love rafflecopter.

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cinnamon Spiced Almonds (Bread Machine)

2012-01-27T19:42:00.001-05:00

I love candied nuts. So good, but so expensive to buy premade! I love making these in my bread maker/ bread machine, but you can do them on the stove top also. I like almonds when I use the bread maker because they don't break up as easily as pecans and walnuts. Because the paddle in the bread machine does break some of the nuts up. You do need to have a bread machine that has a jam cycle, and you will also need to keep an eye on the nuts so they don't burn. So do NOT just set this on the jam cycle and leave your house.

1 cup sugar
3 cups raw almonds
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
heaping tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt

Put everything in the pan of your bread machine and stir it up. Set the jam cycle. Once the nuts are being mixed, keep an eye on them. Make sure they aren't getting over roasted. I just set my timer to check them every 10-15 minutes and then every five once I see it's getting close to done. Once the sugar crystallizes and coats the nuts remove the nuts and spread them out on a cookie sheet to cool (they will be HOT and so will the pan, be careful).
Note- every time the bread machine is heating up to make these it smells like something is burning, just check it. Mine is usually because I have some dry flour at the bottom of the heating element. Because I don't ever bake in my bread machine.

To make this on the stove top grab a heavy bottomed sauce pan that is roomy enough to stir everything in, you can use a dutch oven too. Just keep in mind that it's easier to use a sauce pan because the water can evaporate quicker, a dutch oven has higher sides. Combine all the ingredients in the pan. Over medium to medium-high heat stir the nuts until the sugar melts. Keep stirring until the nuts are coated and until the sugar crystallizes. Cool as directed above.

Free Friday

2012-01-27T11:11:00.080-05:00

It's almost Valentine's day. This year I'm planning on baking a couple treats, for DH to take to school and for the girls. I'm just not sure what I'll be making. I do plan on making some cookie dough truffles for Diva. (After Christmas, the thought of bringing another toy into this house as a gift makes me woozy. I may eat my words on Valentine's day.) I don't like making too many desserts and such unless I know that we're taking them somewhere or DH is taking them somewhere. I just don't want them here, or I'll eat them. It's better to have a cookie and send the rest off. We usually don't do much for Valentine's day, we have a nice dinner and just hang out. We'll probably end up going out or having dinner here and snuggling on the couch with a movie. No real traditions. We may do some crafts with the girls or something.

For the girls I made these for the Valentine's to take to their classmates.

What are you all doing for Valentine's day? Do you have traditions? Give gifts?

I pulled up some older posts for ideas of desserts and thought I'd link them here.

Fortune cookies.

Nutella Pillows.

Cream Cheese Pillow Puffs.

Cherry Almond cookies.

Cream Cheese Butter cookies.

Strawberry Ice Cream sandwiches.

2012 Bentos 10,11

2012-01-26T11:35:00.004-05:00

Chinese sausage roll (Happy New Year all!)
Orange slices

Rice krispie treat- made with brown rice rice krispie cereal (not my cup of tea)

Marinated Tofu

2012-01-26T11:30:00.003-05:00

NOM NOM. Seriously. So very good. I love this with a medium firm tofu. The tofu can be eaten cold or it can be fried up first. Eaten just as is with the marinade or tossed with soba noodles and vegetables for a salad.

I didn't have scallions the night I made the one pictured above, but green onion/scallions add a great crunch and flavor. I don't mind it without the scallions because I eat very little scallions. Diva however loves them. the night I took this picture, Christmas night, I had cubed tofu out and the sauce on the side. So we put the tofu on fondue forks, heated it up in the broth then had it with the marinade/sauce. But the first picture is some I made recently for lunch.

You can use soy sauce, Tamari or Coconut aminos or even Bragg liquid aminos. I used the Coconut aminos because I have it on hand, Tamari is delish too.

Fried in a little oil first. Give it a little crunch.

If you like a crisp on the outside tofu you can pan fry it in a little bit of oil. If you want your tofu to really soak up all the goodness of the sauce you can press it first. Take your tofu and wrap it in some paper towels and put it on a rimmed baking sheet with a plate on top. Set a canned good on top of the tofu. Don't crush it though! Set this in the fridge and let the water press out of the tofu, before slicing or frying.

Cubed or sliced tofu (pressed, fried or just cold)

For the marinade/sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

2-4 teaspoons peeled ginger grated

5 tablespoons coconut aminos

1 jalapeno seeded- or a squirt of Sriracha Rooster brand sauce

1-2 teaspoons lime juice

salt to taste

Garnish

1-2 tablespoons scallions

1 Thai bird chili, sliced ribs/seeds removed - optional I don't use this if the girls are eating this. Or I make them a separate sauce.

Cilantro
Sesame seeds

For the marinade I just throw everything, but the sesame seeds in my Vitamix (thank you mom, dad and brother for my awesome Christmas gift!), I blend it up. Add the sesame seeds and give it a couple pulses to break them up.Chill, covered in the refrigerator until serving time.

Depending on presentation you can cube the tofu or slice it. Pour the marinade over the top and serve. Garnish with whatever garnishes you have on hand.

You can serve this with cold soba noodles, or a salad of julienne cucumber, carrot, radishes etc.

Lao omelet, Papaya salad and marinated tofu.

EIO Kids Cup- GIVEAWAY

2012-01-25T00:01:00.004-05:00

This, by far is one of the coolest kids cups I've seen and used. First off it's glass. I love that glass doesn't make water taste funny. It is easy to clean, you can put it in the dishwasher. BPA free since it's not plastic. EIO Kids cups are a great size, as a matter of fact they are a traditional 8 ounce canning jar! So versatile. Each cup comes with the easy to grip silicone sleeve. It's soft on kids hands and helps prevent slips. The spill resistant (not proof, but it's a training cup!) BPA free lid will fit most 8 ounce canning jars and I like that it's recesses so it helps kids learn to drink from cups! What a great training cup!

My "loves" about this cup-

1. Canning jars- made in the USA, the lids will fit mot canning jars.

2. Canning jars are thicker than most glasses.

3. BPA free lid that's been tested by the Intertek Group PLC.

4. The company is in Vermont.

5. You can put warm liquids in the glass jar, the silicone sleeve insulates it. It doesn't keep liquids hot, it's not made for that.

6. No spouts for my kids to chew on.

7. No valves or parts to lose.

Here is some information from the EIO site.

EIO Kids Cup is a uniquely designed training cup for ages 18 months to 5 years.
Graduating from bottle to cup has never been easier or healthier for a child than with the EIO Kids Cup. This one-of-a-kind glass trainer teaches toddlers how to sip from a cup, a speech development milestone for toddlers.
The EIO Kids Cup uses a BPA free, valve-free, screw-top cap, an 8oz. canning jar and an easy-to-grip silicone sleeve that transforms a glass canning jar into a spill-resistant, modern training cup.
The EIO Kids Cup makes learning to drink from a cup easy! This innovative product is endorsed by Dr. Jen Berman, author of Superbaby and recent winner of the 2011 PTPA Seal of Approval. It is available in Orange, Green, or Purple.
This is the last cup your kids will ever need. Learn & Grow with EIO today!

EIO Kids Cup is a uniquely designed training cup for ages 18 months to 5 years.
Graduating from bottle to cup has never been easier or healthier for a child than with the EIO Kids Cup. This one-of-a-kind glass trainer teaches toddlers how to sip from a cup, a speech development milestone for toddlers.
The EIO Kids Cup uses a BPA free, valve-free, screw-top cap, an 8oz. canning jar and an easy-to-grip silicone sleeve that transforms a glass canning jar into a spill-resistant, modern training cup.
The EIO Kids Cup makes learning to drink from a cup easy! This innovative product is endorsed by Dr. Jen Berman, author of Superbaby and recent winner of the 2011 PTPA Seal of Approval. It is available in Orange, Green, or Purple.
This is the last cup your kids will ever need. Learn & Grow with EIO today!

I highly recommend these cups. I wish they were around for my first born!

Where can you find these cups?

Are you in the USA and 18 years or over? Enter to win an EIO cup below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclaimer: I was provided a free sample/s of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product. All pictures are from the companies site.