Cookerati

Cookerati Alert – Free Lipton Iced Tea

June 10th is National Iced Tea Day – Lipton is celebrating by giving away free iced tea to Facebook Followers.  
HOW:
1. “Like” Lipton Iced Tea on Facebook
 
2. Share free Iced Tea coupon with at least one friend.

3. Claim your free Iced Tea coupon.
New 100% Natural Lipton Iced Tea is available in four flavors: long-time fan favorites, Green Tea with Citrus and Iced Tea with Lemon, as well as two new flavors: Iced Tea with Blueberry Pomegranate and Green Tea with Passionfruit Mango. New Diet Green Tea with Watermelon joins the beloved Diet Green Tea with Citrus flavor.

To celebrate the new line and National Iced Tea Day, Lipton is also treating tea drinkers to unplugged music programming. Check out “The Natural Side of Music” online videos featuring cuts and conversations with music artists.

Sundried Tomatoes – the Tasty Winter Alternative to Bland Store Tomatoes

I agree with Zerrin.  Tomatoes in summer, delicious, juicy, fragrant; tomatoes in winter – ugh bland, tasteless, not worth buying.  I have used canned tomatoes and still will use them, but I’ve found  a really good alternative in sundried tomatoes. Sundried tomatoes will add the texture and the taste without the added water or liquid.  They also don’t break down in your cooking when you use them. Plus they have all that lycopene goodness, 12 times the amount in a regular tomato.  Yummy goodness!

My sister in law made her own dried tomatoes using a dehydrator this summer and stores bags of them in the freezer.  Our tomatoes didn’t do as well,  so no dehydrating for us (we also don’t own a dehydrator – on the list).  I was sent some Bella Sun Luci sundried tomatoes and I love them.  There are both the reclosable zip packs and the jars with olive oil coated sundried tomatoes.  In my eggs I usually …

Wrapping Your Gifts With Chico Bags

Reusable bags are my wrap of choice for Christmas presents and have been for years.  Chico has a neat holiday reusable bag that covers the gifts nicely.

Years ago, I tried to make my own wrapping bags.  I’m not an artist with the sewing machine, though I’m not great I have repaired a seam or two.  Well, I sewed a couple of big material envelopes with buttons to seal it closed.  They were functional, not gorgeous or pretty, or even on the sides, but they were functional.  I never saw them again, and I’m pretty sure they were never used more than that one time.  Since then I’ve used paper sacks, thinking they were reusable, but knowing people probably just threw them away rather than keep them a  year.  Lately I’ve been buying reusable bags and giving them away (though don’t tell my sister Dawn – somehow I end up asking her for my bags back because I run out – she’s been a trooper about that).  I do have special bags that I keep for my family and yes, Chico Bags are among them.

There was an uproar earlier this year because some of the grocery bags sold in …

Astrological Crypton Apron

Don’t you think I have the prettiest 80 year old to model the new Astrological Crypton Apron?  I have had my own Crypton Apron for a year but they sent me their newest style to check out.  I didn’t need a new one because my apron is still in perfect condition, even after many uses.  I told my mother in law, Shirley, that if she posed for me, she could keep this apron.  She had no problems modeling because she wanted the apron, and this apron was also perfect for her, since her birthday was this week and she is a Sagittarius.

I want you to notice the coverage. I wash dishes in my apron all of the time, and the only thing that gets wet is my feet.  I’m a sloppy washer and I end up with a wet stomach and pants, but not if I wear my apron.  It’s waterproof, stain proof, washable and comfortable. My daughter leaves my kitchen a disaster, but she shucks my apron off and walks away clean as a whistle.  My mom, will be …

Celebrate National Trail Mix Day

August 31 is National Trail Mix Day – yep, there’s a day for that too.  We eat a lot of trail mix, it’s a handy nutritious snack, much better than chips to have on hand.

• My husband likes to take it to work and eat handfuls all day.  He also likes to top his yogurt with it.
• We grab a pack when we go hiking to munch on while walking.
• My son packed it for his track meets and band trips in high school.
• I just sent my college daughter some trail mix as a treat when I sent a package to her school.  (They will love you for this one.)
• The whole family munches on it at home as a treat when we have a few hunger pangs.

Some fun trail mix trivia:

• Trail mix has been eaten by Native Americans for thousands of years, and originally included buffalo meat.
• Trail mix is featured in Jack Kerouac’s iconic 1958 novel The Dharma Bums.
• Trail mix is the favorite healthy snack of celebrities such as Jessica Biel and Blake Lively.
• Captain Robert Falcon Scott munched trail mix to maintain his energy …
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  Clemmy’s Ice Cream – Creamy Taste and Sugar Free

  August 16, 2010 - Written by Diana

  Jon Gordon came up with Clemmy’s Ice Cream as a way to have his favorite sweet, while trying to combat pre-diabetes.  His doctor told him to knock off the sugar, so he came up with a new sugar free ice cream made with xylitol.  Xylitol is a sugar alcohol sweetener and doesn’t have the aftertaste that some of the other sugar free ice creams sometimes have and it has a low glycemic index.  That doesn’t make Clemmy’s ice cream healthy, but maybe a little healthier for you than eating ice cream with sugar if you are facing diabetes.  Clemmy’s ice cream isn’t low fat though, its made with real cream (and tastes like real cream), and it isn’t a diet ice cream.  The family had a chance to try out Clemmy’s ice creams and we give it two thumbs up.  The kids especially love the Ice Cream – Os, an ice cream novelty shaped like an O and covered with chocolate.  Those are so great for grab and go ice cream treats. My favorite flavor pint of ice cream was Toasted Almond -  little …

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  Talenti Gelato e Sorbetto – A Cool Summer Treat for the Discerning Palate

  June 14, 2010 - Written by Diana

  My sister mentioned about how being a food blogger turns you into a food snob.  It’s true, and though sometimes you get to try out duds, your palate can get so refined that nothing but the best will do.  I am turning into an ice cream snob.  I will eat the ice cream from the store, but more and more frequently I find myself picking out some special stuff that’s just for me.  Why not the kids too, because they will gobble up huge amounts in two seconds without a thought to price or quality, just as they would the cheap stuff.  I work hard for my money, so when I treat myself to some of the good stuff, they get permission to have some, but they aren’t allowed full unlimited access to my stash.

  Talenti Gelato e Sorbetto is the good stuff, prime pickings, cream of the crop – too delicious to share with my kids on a regular basis.  They sent it to me to review and I’ve got to tell you that you need to get some and try it out.  My mom …

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  Covermates & Flings – Great For Your Picnics and Parties

  June 6, 2010 - Written by Diana

  Sometimes when you have a review, you think it’s iffy and you’re not sure what you’ll think.  Will they really be useful, durable, reusable?  In the case of both Covermates and Flings – the answer was yes.  Combining these into one review may seem like I’m taking a short-cut, but both of these products seemed like they might not make it to the review stage (and they wouldn’t if it was really bad), or that they would get a so-so review, but the longer I’ve had them, the more they’ve been put to use, and that’s what’s most important.
  
  Flings Bins Pop Up Disposable Containers - These Bins look kind of strange.  They fold down to the size of a lid for a tall garbage can, but you can pull them up almost to the size of a tall bin.  So, say you are having a party and you want a place to put your recyclable cans – this is …

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  Protein Shakes For Your Track Star

  April 16, 2010 - Written by Diana

  Track season can be a real workout.  It seems like you sit through 4 hours of meet, for 2 minutes of glory for your sprinter, longer if your kid is a distance runner.  I looked at my son the other day and mentioned that he looked like he was losing weight.  For a kid over six foot and weighing about 143, losing weight might not be good.  It’s difficult to help your child to make healthy, nutritious choices that will sustain them throughout the day.  A mother of one of the girls and I were discussing our kids and what they eat.  Her daughter is much pickier than my son, and many of my suggestions were rejected because her daughter wouldn’t eat it.  I finally asked if she tried a protein shake.  She asked what it was, and I explained what I do for my son to get a little extra protein in him during Track Season.  I’m not a health guru or a doctor, but I know proteins are something they need right now.  My son will drink one for breakfast, or when he gets home after school, and I’m a little happier thinking maybe this will help him …

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