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Applegate Hot Dogs and Sausages Review & Giveaway

I received samples of Applegate products to review. All opinions are my own. Giveaway is for the prize pack only–cutting board, tote bag, buttons and stickers.

A few weeks ago, I received a package of several packages of Applegate Hot Dogs and Sausages for review. I have been waiting for a good time to cook some of them on the grill, but it has been raining for at least two weeks here. So, today, I decided to use the uncured Smoked Sausage Minis to make some pigs in blankets. Before I started eating a gluten free diet, Pigs in Blankets was one of my go to appetizers for parties and get togethers. However, I have not made them since 2007 when I began eating gluten free. I have not been able to find anything that would would work like canned biscuits or canned croissants to make them with.

The first thing I had to do was find a recipe for some home made gluten free yeast rolls. I used this one, and made a batch of six rolls to see how they tasted. They came out pretty good, so I used the other half of the dough to make my Applegate Gluten Free Pigs in Blankets.

Because gluten free dough is usually quite wet and sticky, I used a spoon to scoop out some of the dough, and drop it the greased pan. Then I took one of the Applegate Uncured Smoky Cocktail Pork Franks and put it the middle of the dough, and used the spoon to cover it up with the ends of the dough.

So far, so good. When I finished preparing all of the pigs, I put them into a 400 degree oven for twenty minutes. The finished product came out really good. Even the non-gluten free husband said they were quite tasty.

Gluten Free Pigs In Blankets with Applegate Uncured Smoky Pork Franks

Applegate products are:

Applegate hot dogs are simple: just beef, water, sea salt, and spices – and they have much less fat and sodium than other hot dogs
They’re made with meat from animals never administered antibiotics or hormones
Like all Applegate’s products, our hot dogs contain no artificial ingredients or preservatives

Many of Applegates products are gluten free, but not all of them are, so be sure to read labels when shopping in your favorite store. What’s in YOUR hot dog?

Win Some! One of my readers here at Fabgrandma will win an Applegate Gift Pack, which includes a cutting board, buttons, stickers, and a tote bag. To enter, use the Giveaway Tools widget below:

Entry -Form

“The Applegate product, gift pack, and giveaway have been provided by Applegate.”

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Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil Giveaway

Karen · 12 Comments

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.

Making my own mayonaise with Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil

A couple of months ago, Tropical Traditions sent me a jar of their Virgin Coconut Oil to review. I have only ever used coconut oil to make soap, never to cook with or to make something to eat. But, I have been wanting to get into making my own salad dressings and mayonaise for quite some time, so I decided to use some of the coconut oil to make mayonaise today.

First, I had to find a recipe. I used this one. Second, I had planned to take pictures of the step by step, but it was so dang easy and quick that it seemed ridiculous to do that. I mean, really. Crack eggs, separate the yolks from the whites, put all the ingredients except the oil in the blender, put the top on. Take out the little lid on top so you can slowly pour in the oil while you blend, and in five minutes or less, mayonaise! The only thing I did different from that recipe is that I use lime juice instead of lemon juice, because I did not have a lemon.

Y’all, I could not believe how thick this mayonaise ended up. It is very good. I won’t say I will never buy another jar of commercially made mayo, but I am going to try my best not to, because I don’t want EDTA in my food anymore. Or MSG. I know what is in this jar of mayonaise. Do you know what’s in yours?

Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil?

You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:

Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

Win 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!

Entry -Form

(1)One winner will receive a 32 oz jar of Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil. Giveaway us open to residents of the United States and Canada 18+. Winner will be selected at random using Giveaway Tools Widget. Giveaway closes July 27, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. Winner will be notified via email. Sponsor is responsible for shipping prize to the winner. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

“If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you.”

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Stubbs Bar-B-Cue Sauce Review & Giveaway

Karen · 58 Comments

Grilled Rib Eye with Stubb's Spicy Steak Rub — Grilled Rib Eye with Stubb’s Spicy Steak Rub

The nice people over at Stubbs Bar-B-Cue Sauce sent me some of their products to try out. We have been cooking out on our grill almost every day since we got it in April, and have been loving the flavor of charcoal grilled meats and vegetables. For the 4th of July, we decided to grill a rib eye steak to share, and some yellow squash. We used the Stubbs Steak Rub on the rib eye, and boy was it ever good! It has whole peppercorns in it, which makes it spicy, but not too hot. The other ingredients combined to make a just right flavor for our steak.

Several delicious flavors of Stubb's Barbecue Sauce and Spicy Steak Rub — Several delicious flavors of Stubb’s Barbecue Sauce and Spicy Steak Rub

A couple of days before that, we had cooked some hotdogs and baked beans. I used some of the Hickory Bourbon flavored Stubbs Bar-B-Cue Sauce in the baked beans. Wow! Those beans had the real flavor of bourbon without the alcohol kick. And then I used some of that same sauce for a grilled chicken. Stubbs’ products really do enhance the flavors of your foods.

Stubb's Spicy Steak Rub--Gluten Free and delicious — Stubb’s Spicy Steak Rub–Gluten Free and delicious

Stubbs’ offers six flavors of barbecue sauce, including Hickory Bourbon, Original, Sweet Heat, Smokey Mesquite, Honey Pecan, and Spicy. They also have marinades, rubs, and more. All of the Stubbs products are gluten free, and all natural. Here is a slide show with some great information about reading labels in the condiment aisle”

Stubb’s Legendary Bar-B-Q “Guide to the Condiment Aisle” from Mary Kate Smither

GIVEAWAY: One of my readers will win (3) three coupons for free Stubb’s products. To enter, use the Giveaway Tools form below.Giveaway is open to residents of the United States only, and will end on July 20.

Entry -Form

(1) Winner will win (3)coupons for free Stubb’s products. Giveaway open to residents 18+ in the United States Only. Giveaway ends on 7/20/2013. Winner will be notified via email. Sponsor is responsible for shipping prize to winner.

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Jambu Surf Terra Marine Sandals

Karen · 7 Comments

I received a pair of Jambu Surf Terra Marine Sandals to review. I have to say, even though they were given to me, I would buy them in the future. They are soooo comfortable! These shoes were made for the outdoors–hiking, walking in water, walking. They are rugged and will stand up to those kinds of activities, but they are also cute. Cute not be a quality most people look for in an outdoor shoe, but it sure does help in my mind that they are.

The Jambu Surf Terra Marine shoe is an ultra light weight open toe sandal that has a built in drainage system so that water can escape from under your feet. Now that I am not living the glamorous life of a park ranger anymore, I don’t often have to worry about that sort of thing. But, last week I was at a produce stand, and there was an open fire hydrant up the street. Walking in the water to buy my veggies was never more comfortable! The shoes didn’t get “heavy” or water logged.

Other features of this shoe is a criss-crossed velcro closure for an easy on-adjustable fit. This works great for me, as once they were fastened, I could take them off, and them slip them right back on without Fabgrandpa having to help me. It is so nice to be able to put these shoes on by myself without having to depend on someone else to help me. Oh, and the memory foam footbed is wonderful!

Surf

The Surf Terra Marine sandals retail for $79.95. Check out Jambu’s other styles today!

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Traveling With Grandkids: Day Trip Ideas

Karen · Leave a Comment

One of the best things about being a grandparent is that you get to take them on all the fun car rides and can leave the boring stuff up to their mom and dad! If you’ve got a road trip planned with the little ones this summer, you might be looking for some tips on where to take them.

In this partnered post, the guys from Passsmart share some fun and family-friendly ideas for taking the grandkids away.

Beach drive

If you live near the coast, a day trip to the beach can be the perfect way to spend some quality time with the grandkids. We all know kids love building sandcastles and paddling in the sea, so they’ll spend all day there if you give them the chance! All you’ll need is some towels, buckets and spades and you’ve got yourself the perfect road trip destination!

Zoo trip

Drive down to a local zoo to visit the animals and enjoy watching the kids be amazed by all the different species! Zoos can be expensive but if you pack your own lunch you’ll be able to cut down on costs. Play some animal related in-car games on the way down there to get them even more excited. In the alphabet game for animals, for example, you start by saying, “I went to the zoo and I saw an anteater”, then the next person has to say, “I went to the zoo and I saw an anteater and a baboon” and so on, until someone forgets the sequence! On the way back you can play it again, but this time with animals which you really did see.

Road trip to the city

If the kids are a little older, you might want to take them on a trip to the city. There’s often so much to see and do in the city that you might struggle to fit it all into one day, but look for museums and local attractions which are usually quite affordable. Of course, your activities will depend on what city you’re visiting, but you can take a look at what’s on in the area online beforehand to plan your itinerary.

You might need to leave the car on the outskirts of the city to avoid traffic jams and high parking rates, but public transport links will usually get you right to where you want to be.

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Del Real Foods Review & Giveaway

Karen · 140 Comments

Oh, My goodness! I have to tell you about these delicious foods from Del Real Foods. They sent me a Party Box assortment to review. I sort of expected average taste. Since we lived eight miles from the Mexican border for two and a half years, it has been hard for Fabgrandpa and I to find authentic tasting Mexican food in restaurants, much less in the grocery store. Let me tell you, though, that these dishes from Del Real Foods are just fabulous. They are the most authentic you can get without driving south of the border. OH! Did I mention that all of these Del Real Foods are Gluten Free?

The package that we received included included a six pack of Beef Tamales, a six pack of Pork Tamales, and packages of Carnitas, Arroz, Chile Verde, and Barbacoa. There was also a package of Pulsas, which are corn meal patties with chile cheese inside.

We started out our first meal with the Del Real Carnitas. I love carnitas when I go out to an authentic Mexican restaurant, and these were very good. The best part of it is that you just heat and eat. There is no cooking and no mess to clean up. And there is a generous portion in the package. Fabgrandpa and I ate dinner twice, and made breakfast burritos once with the meat in this package of food.

Beef and Pork Tamales — Del Real Pork Tamales

When we lived in South Texas, we had a lot of Mexican employees. They brought us the traditional tamales for Christmas every year, and I loved them. These tamales from Del Real are really comparable to home made tamales. I think you will agree once you try them.

One of you is going to get the chance to try these tasty Mexican treats yourself. One winner will receive a Del Real Party Box. To enter to win, use the Giveaway Tools Form below:

Entry -Form

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Ah, Bubble Baths!

Karen · 2 Comments

I realized soon after moving into our first RV that I would no longer be able to take advantage of those buy 2 get 1 free on the entire site deals at The Body Shop for bubble bath. Because we did not have a bathtub, there would be no long hot soaking bubble baths for me. For a long time, I dreamed of taking a bubble bath and even thought about getting a motel room or cabin at one of the many RV parks we worked at during the 13 years we lived our RV life.

Every time we went on vacation or on any extended trip away from the RV, I always picked up some bath salts or some bubble bath so I could just lay back and relax and soak in the tub. Those times always felt really extra special because of not having a tub at home.

Now that we have bought another house and have a real live bathtub of our own again, I am still not able to take a bubble bath. Because of my colostomy, I have not yet figured out how to do it. For one thing, I am afraid that if I get down into the tub, I won’t be able to get up! I have read about some options but I have not tried them yet. One thing is a “cap” for the stoma, which I can not for the life of me figure out how that would work. Another is to just take off the pouch, and not worry about what happens. Um, don’t think so. I know I’ll figure it out soon.

What is keeping you from taking a bubble bath?

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Some Pretties For You To Look At

Karen · Leave a Comment

Someone sent me the link to this website, where they have the most beautiful scent diffuser lamps. The company, Lampe Berger Paris, has been in business since 1898. The company has been making fragrances and air purifiers since then. They started out with lamps to diffuse scents to make the air in hospitals smell better.

During the 1930’s, when the taste for beautiful things was at its height these lovely lamps because collectors items. I can see why, because they are quite beautiful to me. There are so many styles and colors of lamps from which to choose, that you will have a hard time picking one. And because they are so pretty, you can put them anywhere in your house and no one would ever guess that it was more than just an ornament.

Oh, and don’t forget the fragrances! They have all sorts of scents, too. Fruits like Grapefruit Passion, Green Apple and Under The Fig Tree; Flower Scents such as Lavender Fields, Precious Jasmine, and Wild Orchid; Sweet Fragrances such as Vanilla Gourmet and Sweet Pear, and many many more. I know that I am going to have one or two of these in my house, but it will take me a long long time to decide what to get.

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