A meatless alternative

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*Disclaimer, I am a Bzz Agent, and I received a coupon to purchase this product for free from Morningstar, for trial and review purposes.

Ok, it’s that time of year when the practicing and non practicing Catholics (who live with practicing Catholics), give up meat for Fridays.  So often I’ll bite into something only to realize that it contains some type of meat product.  Then I immediately feel shamed then I have a split second decision to either say oh well I already broke my promise, I may as well just eat the rest.  Or the most unlikely is that you put down what you are eating and go and buy another meal.  For non Catholics out there this does not include the “thing” we “give up” during lent. 

So I picked up the MorningStar Grillers and was really unsure about this, I have had some veggie burgers in the past and there is no way you can pretend that they are anything other than a dried out veggie burger.  This time I took a different approach.  I bought some nice rolls a bit hardier than a hamburger bun.  Then I cut a nice piece of cheddar, a hearty slice of a tomato, some fresh lettuce leaves, a slight slather of mayo, a bit of mustard and ketchup, and if I am adventurous I’ll have some onion as well.   I made this with some homemade oven cooked fries with some seasoning on tem. 

I will happily brag that these were delicious.  The roll held up and the real fixings added to the taste of the burger.  Would I take a blind taste test and not be able to tell the difference between this and a whooper? ;  probably not.  But that is not what I believe the Morningstar is striving for.  A whopper is loaded with so much fat and things that are bad for your body to achieve that taste, which no company should be striving to taste like them.  Instead Morning Star is putting out an assortment of products that offer an alternative to the consumer who is making a committed descion to not eat meat for a meal or as a way of life.  There are hot dogs, corn dogs, buffalo flavored wings, many versions of the hamburger, and many more products offered. 

MorningStar Farms® Grillers® Original

Every bite of this meatless masterpiece is chock-full of classic burger flavor.

• 130 calories, 15g protein, 57% less fat*

*MorningStar Farms® Grillers® Original (64g) contain 6g fat per serving, compared with regular ground beef (64g) containing 14g fat per serving.

Now I am on Weight Watcher so as you know they count your food in terms of points so in case you are curious this burger alone, not the fixings is 3pts.  This is giving me a lot of protein, and is low enough in points that I can spurge and make it into a nice sandwich without feeling deprived.  Again Morningstar has a great concept, offer non meat items to people who it’s a way of life for, but also for the person who on Friday’s can’t eat meat,  or something looking to eat healthier without feeling deprived.

How my nails look FABOULSOUS when we have sub arctic weather?

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**Disclosure- I received free samples for testing and review  purposes from Bzz Agent.
 

Ok, well I guess my title kind of spoiled what this post was going to be about.  We in New England are suffering through a cold spell that makes each breath you take outside feel like a dagger inside you.  But Hells Bells if I can get my daughter to wear a coat to school.  I digress, we in New England, have enjoyed our fair share of mild winters, we have dare I say becoming accustomed to it.  No longer do I put the ice scraper in the car on Halloween and match all the mittens in the mitten tub.  It seems Mr. Snow Miser is kicking his brother Mr. Heat Miser’s booty, because it is freaking cold out.  I went to start my car to drive my daughter to work and may car said it was 2 degrees out,  2…. (no she still wouldn’t wear a coat).  

Now I am a Fair Haired and Fair skinned Irish Lass.  So when it is 2 degrees outside and the house is heated with forced hot air, I wake up to a face sporting ruddy cheeks, that are on fire just enough to make me wonder if I will make it worse by washing my face.  My legs are reptilian.  My hands are…..FABULOUS.  You heard me FABULOUS.  Now for those thinking ok the hands  are FABULOUS, but I bet she can’t keep any polish on her nails, WRONG, WRONG, WRONGITY, WRONG, WRONG.  

What is the secret to this surely it must involve expensive sessions with a manicurist and all kinds of time and treatments.  (Refer to the Wrong statement above).  I am using Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream.  That’s it.  Do you know it is so concentrated and you need such a small dab that a tube has about 200 applications in it?  Let me take you on a a mental tour of my hand routine.

I take a dab of Neutrogena Hand Cream, I prefer to take the tube directly on the back of my hand and squeeze out some, it almost looks like a tear.  I repeat with the other hand, now I rub the lotion onto my hands and fingers and nails and cuticle beds.  Immediately you see a difference in dry scaly hands.  Once you have a healthy nail bed, prep for some color.  Clean up those cuticles, I like to use the Neutrogena again for this rather than cuticle cream because it’s so gentle on my hands.

Use a base coat- Wait for it to dry!!!!!  If you apply a second coat of anything over not dry nails you polish will peel off. 

Now we are going to have some fun here, pick out two complementary nail shades or two that are dramatically different but look good together.

I am using Butter’s Knackered and Julep’s Renee.  Now we will paint four fingers on each hand one color, leaving the ring finger out.  Knackered is a bluish color with  light sparkle and Renee is a flat lilac.  Once the main color is on your nails and dry apply you top coat or a drying coat.  Now you paint the second color on each hand.  Now here feel free to add the little bubbles you see giving a “caviar” effect.  Or just enjoy the two colors as they are.  It’s a nice way and fashionable way to draw attention to your smooth hands and well cared for nails courtesy of Neutrogena Hand Cream.

Frozen Pizza that tastes like Pizza and is freindly on the wallet

 Well the holidays are over the streets are lined with discarded Christmas Trees, (who else other than me drive and judge the different trees?)
For many January means resolutions and weight loss programs, products and never used gym memberships that have contracts harder to get out of than a parking ticket.

Well I am among the many who need to lose weight, Ive done it all, I remember spending a small fortune on ready made shakes, bars, and frozen meals- and declare to all "I am just eating thee products nothing else"- Well what ends up happening is I end up eating the week's worth of products in a couple of days.

Now at this point you may be thinking this girl lost her mind and forgot she is writing a review of frozen Pizza, but no I have not forgotten.

In my previous post I reviewed the Mozzarella and the Quattro Formaggi

This time I will review the Spinaci, and Speciale, I could not locate the Funghi or the Vegetable in any of my grocery stores.

First up the Spinaci- I know if I say the word spinach to either my daughter or my husband they say in a dip? If the answer is no forget about it.  Well I cooked up this pizza, again at 10 minutes instead of the 12 minutes on the box.  The
Spinaci Pizza is: Savory leaf spinach, mozzarella, hearty garlic sauce, so it's a "white pizza", and let me tell you it tastes like spinach dip on pizza but much healthier for you.  The Garlic sauce and the spinach work so well together neither overpower the other.  The crust is just crisp enough.  A serving of this is 1/3 of the pizza and this with a salad or some fruit, would make a very satisfying meal for anyone on a diet or just looking to eat healthier.  You get real flavors and the highest quality of ingredients.

The next and last pizza we taste tested was the Speciale: Pepperoni, cooked ham, spicy herbs- now this is the best tasting meat pizza out in any freezer container and a few take out places as well.  This one I cook to the 12 minutes to make sure the meats are heated well and get that crisp to them, also this crust lends to being a bit more crispier. The pizza has a delicate red sauce on the base, and I say delicate because it didn't ooze pizza sauce when I cut it, then a layer of cheese that gets that firmness and snap to it when you eat it, then on top of that you have med sized pieces of ham slices, not chunks of ham, then you have high quality peperoni.  The flavors just melt in your mouth, it is a great meal when your in your "carnivore" mood.  Each serving is very satisfying, and easily pair up with fruit and salad for a meal.

don't tell anyone but I've been know to cook one of these up for lunch and somehow it's gone by bedtime.  Shhh
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I received free pizza and coupons to try and reveiw this pizza for Bzz Agent.

What you don't have time to brush and floss your dogs teeth!!??!!

I was asked by Bzz Agent to try complementary a bag of Eukanuba DentalDefence.  I have three dogs and my oldest and smallest a pug had to  have teeth pulled a few years back because of rotten teeth.  Now many would say how could you let that happen, but in smaller breeds it is a lot harder to put things in there mouth to clean teeth than a lab, (which I also have).  So any product that helps me do what I cannot gets my attention immediately.











I was worried about the food transition, but i did it in one day and there were no problems with three dogs.  I will say the food must be true to the statement of high quality ingredients, because there waste was minimal.  Foods with a lot of filler will cause gassy and messy waste.

I loved that the option for the mini kibble was there, again my pug could eat it with ease, and the other large dogs probably were thinking they were getting more food. 

I could not do the black light on my pug as there is no way to hold her mouth open, (no nose or snout to hold).  But my bulldog I saw a marked improvement, my youngest the lab I saw some but she is so young she doesn't have a lot plaque plus she chews everything in site. 

Would it be great for me to brush my dogs teeth daily, or even weekly, yes, but life happens and in my house the dogs teeth brushing unfortunately gets trumped.  So again to know I am feeding my dog healthy food and it is good for their teeth and also helps rid of past plaque it is a winner for me.

So let me break it down for you.

1. high quiality food
2. keeps their teeth clean
3. Helps to eliminate already there tartar
4. Easy food transition
5. Able to buy small or regular kibble depending on your dogs size
6. alot less gass
7. less dog waste



If you own one or like me a brood (3) dogs, and do love and want the best for them but don't always have the time, try this product.  If you can get a black light and look at your dogs mouth before and a month after you will see a difference.

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A piece of knowlege with my coffee

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OK, well usually with coffee it comes with a piece of cake or pie, in my case it comes with a piece of knowledge.  Fair Trade, we see the label on food products, some clothing, crafts etc.  Well Fair Trade is exactly that.  In the mountains of Columbia the small coffee farmers have little help in staying in business against the large farmers.  Children are forced to quit school and ofter work for free just to sustain the family farm.  Women were treated very badly and had no way to get help.  Education was a luxury the children of the smaller farms could afford.

Well Fair Trade stops that, it is a group of small farmers who group together to make a larger farm so they can be competitive in the beans pricing and in turn pay a fair wage.  The farmers must follow the rules to stay in the Fair Trade group.  Such things as education, women's health care and fair wages are given and the farmer is accountable to following the rules.

I took the time to look up the Fair Trade for keurig coffee.  I would suggest everyone do so, and also if you see another product advertised with the Fair Trade label fit would be worth reading about it.


I will not buy a product that isn't Fair Trade when there is a Fair Trade option to buy.


In this season of giving thanks and gifts, close you eyes and imagine the life of the people you help just buy choosing Fair Trade.

*** Disclaimer, I was given free samples of the Fair Trade Coffee for review purposes.

Benjamin Moore's Aura

Well I was lucky enough to be asked by Bzz Agent to try Benjamin Moore's Aura Paint Line for free, for review purposes. 

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Now I have to get this out there, this is an expensive can of paint when you first look at it in the store, but the increase in price is justified and may even end up costing you less in dollars, certainly in man hours when your project is all said and done.  This paint is a much thicker paint than the traditional, but it covers nearly over any surface or color in one coat.  This means you don't need to prime, or mess with second or third coats.
Also it is more environmentally friendly so the odor of fresh paint is missing.  This is a nice touch if you are painting in a bed room or trying to finish a last minute project and expecting company and don't want your house smelling like the paint isle at home depot.f


There are some tips I learned and I will share my knowledge with you... (applause)

1.  Always when not using your paint brush, cover it with a damp paper towel.  When I say this paint is thick it also drys quickly.  One phone call from your bestie or a grilled cheese for the kiddies later and your brush will be stiff (no giggling).

2. When you start to paint or are overlapping use a feather motion, You really should wait for the coat that is already on the wall to dry up before you paint near it, the paint will pull a bit as it is drying quickly.

3. If you can finish a wall without stopping, but it isn't necessary as long as you cover your brush and feather the latter coat.

4.  When you start to paint do your cutting first, (this is around doors, windows and ceilings and baseboards.  Once you have cut then apply you coat, remember above mentioned points.

5.  Since this paint drys quickly you can take of tape, very carefully and move back in, but take care not to let anything go right up the wall until the paints has cured a bit.

6.  Speaking of tape, don't be a cheapskate now, spring for the good not too tacky painters tape, do not go to the dollar store and get some tape thinking it won't matter.  It will.

7.  No odor so it's nice to paint in the winter and not have to open windows for ventilation.


Ok my good friends, I have passed along my painting knowledge to you., Go forth and decorate.

Kikkoman Juicy Bird Project

Kikkoman Juicy Bird Project: Thx @KikkomanKitchen 4 my free Soy Sauce! Like them on FB for offers and recipes http://on.fb.me/PlwCPJ #JuicyBirdProject *Please remember the FTC requires you to mention that you received a free sample courtesy of Smiley360 when sharing.