Love With Food Deluxe Box October

Etsy Lawn and Garden Finds

One  of my favorite things about Summer is all the fresh fruits and veggies, herbs and flowers we get to enjoy. There is nothing like watching new plant life sprout up and grow into tasty veggies. Here are some great Etsy finds that would be perfect additions to any lawn or garden.

Blue and Copper Wine Bottle Bird Feeder by BottlesUncorked

Vertical Succulent Wall Planter by RootedInSucculents

                                 Little Spirit Wind Chime with Copper Top by JLHCopperDesigns

                                Blue and White Teardrop Trailer Bird House by birdhouse20

                                Wild Blueberry Fine Cotton Hammock Chair by FeetUpHammocks

                                   Heart Leaf and Vine Copper Fountain by Copper Garden Studio

                                          Upcycled Spoon Garden Markers by TheRusticStamp

Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream Review-Jingle VoxBox

Last month I received a sample of Cetaphil moisturizing cream in the Influenster Jingle Voxbox. To be honest I am not thrilled with some of the ingredients used in the product. I have sensitive combination skin (oily and dry) and it tends to get a little dryer during the winter time. The thicker slightly whipped texture is nice and I like that it doesn't have much of a scent to it. The product was easy to apply and did a decent job of moisturizing my skin. It also didn't irritate it at all. "Disclaimer: I recieved this product complimentary for testing and review purposes from Influenster, but all opinions are your own."

Ore Ida Totchos Recipe and Review-Influenster Jingle VoxBox

Last month I received the Jingle VoxBox from Influenster. It featured a lot of nice products in it and one of them was a coupon to pick up some Ore Ida tater tots. And they challenged up to come up with our own version of totchos (tater tot nachos). You can check out the Ore Ida Totchos Hub for more recipe ideas. I decided to go with a Greek theme for my version of totchos-tater tots, chicken, feta, cucumber, tomato and tzatziki. Here's the recipe so you can enjoy them too.

1 1/2lbs. chicken breast - seasoned with greek seasoning and sautéed and chopped
tomatoes - chopped
cucumber - chopped
tzatziki sauce
feta cheese crumbles

Cook the tater tots and top with chopped chicken, tzatziki sauce, cucumber, tomato and feta cheese.

I thought the tater tots were nice and crispy when I deep fried them. They have a nice texture to them and I like how versatile they are.

*Disclaimer: I received this product complimentary to test from Influenster. The above thoughts are my own honest ones.*

Cooking with Blue Diamond: Blueberry and Salted Caramel Almonds (sponsored)

 

Earlier this month I got the opportunity to participate in another project with Blue Diamonds Tastemakers. I was sent two kinds of almonds for testing and review purposes-Blueberry and Salted Caramel. We decided to use them in our favorite granola recipe. They worked well in the granola and add a nice flavor and crunch to it. Here's the original recipe from Alton Brown with the changes we made on this batch noted.

Granola
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup slivered almond (we used 1 cup of chopped blueberry almonds)
1 cup cashews (we used 1 cup of chopped salted caramel almonds)
3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins (we didn't use any)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.  In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar. In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color. Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.

We made parfaits with the granola, blueberries, nectarines, and vanilla yogurt. They were pretty tasty.

Blue Diamond Artisan Nut Thins Review and Pairings (Sponsored)

Recently I was given the opportunity to try a couple new varieties of Blue Diamond Nut Thins. This time from their new artisan nut thins line-one with flax seeds and a multi-seed one too. Even though I was sent two boxes of nut thins to test and review for free threw Blue Diamond Tastemakers-the following review is my own honest thoughts about the products.

As I mentioned previously these are a great cracker for people who can't tolerate wheat and/or gluten in their diet. They have a nice crispy texture to them and I enjoyed the addition of seeds. I like both the flax seed and multi seed crackers. They both have a nice overall flavor to them. And they pair well with a variety of cheeses, meats, dips, ect.

One dip that pairs well with the Artisan Nut Thins is this pan fried onion dip I found on The Brown-eyed Baker's blog. I did modify it a little because I didn't have all the ingredients on hand and don't like cayenne pepper. I think I will try it sometime as written and use garlic instead of cayenne. I also really liked these crackers with chocolate fondue and cookie butter.

Blue Diamond Nut Thins Review and Pairings (Sponsored)

Recently I got the opportunity to try Blue Diamonds Nut Thins since I am a Blue Diamond Taste Maker I was sent two boxes of Nut Thins for free for testing and review purposes. The following review is my own honest thoughts. I decided it would also be great to share a couple pairings.

 

I like the crispy texture of these crackers and the slightly nutty taste. They are made with nuts and rice and they are gluten free. So, they are great for anyone with a gluten allergy. I also like that they don't contain anything artificial. 16 crackers contain 130 calories. I would definitely recommend them. While they are tasty straight out of the box, they also tasty nice paired with a variety of other foods. I thought I would share two pairings with you- one sweet and one savory.

Nut Thins with Strawberries, Cream Cheese, and Honey

Nut Thins with Blue Cheese, Baby Arugula, and Balsamic Glaze