Pirate's Booty Review

ARRRGH - Want to hear about a tasty healthy treasure?!  Well your in the right place.  I recieved Pirate's Booty Snacks to review and let me tell you they were excellent.  They are not only great tasting but they are All Natural, Baked, Kosher, Trans Fat and Gluten Free!  I am so glad I discovered such a healthy snack. My treasures came in exactly that - a treasure box!  The kids would have went nuts had they been home.

Flavors I recieved were:
Aged White Cheddar
New York Pizza
Veggie
Sea Salt &Vinegar
Barbeque
Sour Cream & Onion
The Original
Sea Salt &Vinegar
Homestyle Barbeque + a chip clip, stickers and info card!

You see the day they arrived I had actually missed lunch so I was ready to dig in.  I was completely shocked at how light and fluffy they were.  I ate a whole bag in one sitting and didn't feel bloated like some foods can make you feel.  The first bag I tore into was the New York Pizza flavored.  There was definitely just the right amount of seasoning on these guys and they are certainly something I don't have to feel guilty about devouring.  The next challenge was passing my little treasure along to the little ones.  They are the picky ones in the house.  Well, come to find out they loved them too!  They liked them so much in fact that they wanted them packed in their lunch boxes. 

For me it was a toss up between the Sour Cream and Onion and the New York Pizza flavored.  For the kids it was the Barbeque and Sour Cream and Onion.  If you ever see these around try a bag!  The 1 oz bags I recieved ran about 130 calories each bag.  A healthy, all natural snack never hurts especially when it's tasty and light on the hips ;) !  

Fun Facts!!!
The Pirate's Booty Barbeque and Veggie among the ones I tried are considered Vegan as well as all natural etc.  All of the products and facilities that produce Pirate Brand's are peanut and tree nut free.  Most Pirate Booty brands have a shelf life of 6 months from their production date.

Buy It!!!
You can buy Pirate's Booty online at their home site HERE or you can try and find them at your local stores HERE.  Plus, I found some great prices on Amazon!  All qualify for FREE Super Saver Shipping - orders over $25.00
Pirate Brands Rice & Corn Puffs Aged White Cheddar, 1-Ounce Bags (Pack of 24)

GET HOOKED!!!

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Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

My husband loves spaghetti and meatballs.  At first I was hoping for meatball subs, but he wasn't buying it.  He's a big spaghetti lover so, that's what we did with our meatballs is just add them to spaghetti sauce.  I actually made mine too big(I guess I was hungry), which I don't suggest because it takes longer to cook them on the inside. 

Ingredients
2.5 lbs hamburger meat
1 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
2 Eggs
1/4 cup minced or dried onion flakes
1/4 garlic
1/4 Italian Dressing
1 cup (8oz)Mozzarella cheese cut in small cubes

Olive Oil for frying

(I used shredded cheese b/c that's what I had on hand, but it's alot messier to handle)

Directions
Mix all of your ingredients minus the mozzarella and oil together in a big bowl.  I suggest you take your rings off if you use your hands (which is easier) to mix your hamburger.  Next, get out a cookie sheet and line with aluminum foil.  This is where you will put your meatballs in preparation for frying.  I do up the whole batch so I'm not constantly getting my hands messy.  The ideal size is about the size of a golf ball.  I roll each meatball to that size then insert my finger to form a whole.  I then place my mozzarella cube inside and cover or mold the hamburger mixture around it to seal it off. 

Once I am done, I get my pan ready to fry them.  You just need enough olive oil to coat your pan well.  These will not be submerged just simply seared and cooked.  Fry small batches at a time so you can easily roll them to brown all the sides nicely.  Once the inside of the meatball is done drain on a paper towl lined plate or bowl. 

This made a heaping pot of meatballs.  I added about 3 jars of sauce to cover them completely since mine were bigger than average.  I let them simmer in the sauce for a couple of hours before we ate them.  They are just as good the next day for leftovers!!

Oxo Good Grips Nylon Spaghetti Server

Do any of you have this little gadget at home?  It is awesome for dishing out spaghetti noodles onto your plate!!

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Bacon and Mozarella Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients
(Stuffing)
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup mozarella shredded
4 tsp green onion chopped small
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1tsp thyme
1/4 Italian Bread Crumbs
3 Tbs butter
5oz Cream Cheese room temperature
2 8 oz packs mushrooms whole
5 strips of bacon fried and diced

(Topping)
parsley (for looks and taste)
1/2 cup mozarella shredded

Directions
Wash your mushrooms and allow to dry.  Remove stems and chop into small pieces.  In a sauce pan add butter, onion, garlic and stems.  Sautee just until soft.  Pour in a bowl and while hot add your other ingredients.  Meanwhile take out a cookie sheet or baking pan and spray with cooking spray.  Start stuffing your mushrooms and place them on your cookie sheet.  Top with mozarella and parley and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes at 350. 

Tip - To not have leftover stuffing which I always seem to have.  Only use 1 pack of mushroom stems in the mix.  Then you can reserve the other pack of mushroom stems for another dish like spaghetti or quiche or whatever you like mushrooms in.  This way your mix should allow you to stuff 2 packs of mushrooms or pretty near close without having to much excess. 

Funny thing is you or I could buy 8 packs of mushrooms but the amount of mushrooms in each pack would be different.  You can always add more stems later if you feel the mix won't cover all the mushrooms instead of having extra mix.

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Sprucing Up Can Peas

There is not much I will eat straight from a can without "doctoring" up.  If I had it my way I would have a farm, so that I could have the freshest food possible.  But, since that's a bit out of my league, I am going to share with you how I spruce up my peas (for those of you that eat them).  There is one brand of can peas that I think is the best that need very little doctoring and that is called LESUEUR peas.  They are one of the more expensive brands but they have good tasting peas. 

And I will say that I can't stand frozen peas but that's just my opinion.  What about you?  Anyways, I simply add brown sugar and butter.  I start them off on high then reduce them to a simmer on the stove top.  That's it, but it's far much better than any old can taste!  How about you?  Do you spruce up peas in some way?

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Wordless Wednesday - Aunt Jemima Classic

FYI - Aunt Jemima's smiling face first appeared on pancake bottles and accesories in the 1890's.  She is collectible and an important part of not only Black American Culture but of women as well.  The picture is of the old style glass syrup bottle.  I am not certain of the year.

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Two Fer Tuesday

Happy Tuesday All!

Every Tuesday I will be posting 2 handy tips for the kitchen!  Wanna get in on this?  Drop me an email at time2eatyall at gmail dot com with your tips and tricks and you may get featured on Time 2 Eat Yall!!

Did you know that you can sharpen your kitchen scissors by cutting your scour pads in half or quarters?  I do this on a regular basis since I hardly ever need a whole pad anyway plus it's more economical.  I personally think a sharp pair of kitchen scissors is ideal for almost anything.  I use mine for nearly everything from cutting up green onions to those hard to open bags.

Take apart your bananas so they last longer.  I personally don't do this.  I buy my bananas a bit green and allow them to ripen.  If they don't get ate right away they are very good for banana bread!  What's your take?  Have you tried this?

Join me next week for Two Fer Tuesday!

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Chilito Lunch - YUMMM!

Zantigo

Have you guys ever heard of Zantigo's? Well it's an authentic Mexican resturant and apparently there's a bit of a history of who bought this and that which doesn't concern me but they have the best Chilito's EVER!  See last summer I visited relatives in the Twin Cities.  My sister rounded us up and head to Grandma's who was making homemade Coffee Cake (THE BOMB!!).  Anyways, they weren't quite ready yet and my sis was hungry so she drove us to Zantigo's for a quick lunch.  OMG.  It was delish!  I'm telling you if you ever have a chance to visit a Zantigo's make sure you get the Chilito - a chili sauce and cheese in a flour tortilla.  I loved these so much that I bought a whole bag of these and threw them in the iced cooler for my drive back to Ohio.  Well, needless to say it didn't take long before they were gone but...lucky me, at the beginning of April they came down to see us!  Yep, my family bought 2 bags of these things and iced them up in a cooler for the over 750 mile drive.  They made it here safe and sound and my chilitos are in my freezer upon which I decided to have for lunch today and they are still great!  Have you guys ever ate at Zantigo's??  Let me know what you think.

FYI- Most Zantigo's are located mostly in Minnesota and I'm not sure where else.  Do you know?!

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Golden Moon Tea Review and Giveaway!!!

I am an avid tea drinker usually iced sweet tea.  However, I have some family members who are big tea drinkers of any sort.  So, I decided to see what it was all about.  I was fortunate to have the opportunity to review Golden Moon Tea.  You see I had no idea literally that there was such a difference between your basic everyday tea bag from a grocery store and "real" fresh tea stored in air tight containers filled with buds and tips. 
I recieved the Tippy Earl Grey for review and before I get started let me tell you that I am really impressed with the silver tin container that it came in for extra freshness.  Earl Grey Tea is a high quality black tea.  Also, before even opening I put my nose by the lid and got a pleasant hint of a calm and comforting aroma.  Immediately I couldn't wait to try it!  After opening it all I can say is the smell is awesome!  It has a very lovely scent!
The tea is super easy to make!  All I did was simply get some water hot in a kettle then poured it over one small spoonfull of tea leaves and let it sit for a bit (about 4 min).  Once I felt it was long enough and couldn't resist any longer, I simply stirred and strained the leaves out in a strainer.  This tea has a nice lavender flavor and citrousy goodness which I found smooth and calming.  I thought sipping on this in a hot bath would be the "cake".  In my opinion no sugar is needed as it has a hint of sweetness all on it's own.  I have honestly found a new love for tea!
Once I had the knack for it, and started feeling like a pro, I tried it iced, and added milk and honey, even and that was delicious!  Tea is so versitle that I believe it's very underated.  Just as you find coffee shops on every corner it's amazing to me that there aren't more tea shops. 

Fun Facts!
Golden Moon Tea's website has loads of information for any level of tea drinker whether it be your mood, time of day, cuisine, or origin.  For instance if I want to feel exotic in the afternoon there is a tea for that!  Not only that but there are tons of tips about the health benefits and even recipes for you to try out.  Plus, if you are some one like me, you can read all about the different types of tea and by which they are used so that you can insure that you are picking out the right tea just for you.

Buy It!
One thing I love about Golden Moon Tea is that with every item there is a rating scale.  So everyone who has purchased their tea has the opportunity to give feed back which is nice for the consumer  looking to buy a product.  You can already see the rating plus comments about every product which I find wonderful especially when looking to buy.  What's even better is if you are at all hesitant about trying something new you can always opt for the samples which are a mere $ .99 plus they offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee!!  If you are already an avid tea drinker, what are you waiting for?!  Head on over to Golden Moon and check out their wild selection of teas, accessories and more.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Win It!  US ONLY
That's right everyone.  One lucky winner from Time 2 Eat Yall will win their very own Golden Moon Tea - Tippy Earl Grey flavor!
This Classic Recipe has its subtle essences of ripe citrus fruit and lavender that emit a calming aroma and smooth taste.  Our blend is made with high-quality tea containing a large number of buds, or tips.

Mandatory Entry
Visit Golden Moon Tea and tell me one other flavor you would like to try! 
Leave your email with your comment ex.  time2eatyall at gmail dot com

   Lots Of
Bonus Entries!
*Follow Golden Moon Tea on Facebook
*Follow Time 2 Eat Yall via Google Friend Connect
*Subscribe to Time 2 Eat Yall via email and verify
*Tweet about this giveaway -(One per day, leave separate comment for each)
*Follow Golden Moon Tea on Twitter
*Blog about this giveaway - (3 entries, leave separate comment for each)
*Add Time 2 Eat Yall to your blog roll - (2 entries, leave separate comment for each)
*Subscribe to Time 2 Eat Yall via Feed Reader

Giveaway ends Thursday April 29, 2010 11:59 PM EST.  Winner will be chosen via random.org and will have 48 hours to respond. 

GOOD LUCK!!


There was no compensation for this review. The opinions expressed are my own and I was not swayed by the items mentioned above.

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Big Ole Breakfast Burrittos

Hungry?!  You know when you get so hungry and you start to crave all kinds of stuff?!  I am a McDonald's Breakfast Burritto fan all the way.   When I was prego I ate them all the time.  Which brings me to this recipe.  I had been thinking about them all week and decided to whip up my own to satisfy my craving.  The big ones I whipped up remind me of Hungry Man dinners (the name anyway).   Big ole stuff your face make you wanna take a nap burrittos! 

Ingredients
5 extra large burrittos
3 tsp chopped bell pepper
3 tsp chopped onion
3 tsp chopped tomato
10 eggs
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tsp half and half
5 sausage links
2 tsp butter

Directions
First, cook your sausage as usual.  When you are finished let it cool then cut into small pieces and set aside.
Second, saute your bell pepper and onion in butter just until soft and set aside.
Third, mix your eggs in a big bowl with a whisk and add half and half and a half cup of cheese.

Prepare your pan to scramble the eggs.  About half way through cooking them add your other ingredients which you prepared already minus the remaining cheese and tortillas. Continue to scramble and mix until eggs are nice and moist not brown or too firm.

Once that is done lay your tortillas out and add about 1 big spatula size helping in each burritto.  Top each with remaining cheese. 

Next, fold your burrittos up like you would wrap up a piece of meat to freeze.  After this I put them on a plate and nuke for about 40 seconds to help the final cheese melt. 

Finally.......you are ready to dig in!  Serve with a side of salsa if desired (that's what I do) or eat as is, either way your tummy will sure get full!  (My husband could only eat 2 of these.)  If you really want to make them where you can't move afterwards you could add hashbrowns or corned beef hash to them as well.

You can adjust up to feed more hungry people or if like me you have leftover with just the 5 big burrittos you can freeze them for a quick and easy breakfast on the go.   Simply wrap each in aluminum foil or saran wrap and freeze on a pan to keep the shape.  When completely frozen throw it in a ziploc freezer bag for extra protection.  When ready to eat just unwrap them and rewrap them in a paper towel and nuke in the microwave.

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Blog Award Passing The Torch

Whoo Hoo!  Time 2 Eat Yall just won a blog award!  Lindsay at Just My Blog gave me this award and had some oh so wonderful things to say!  Thank you so much Lindsay!  If you haven't yet run on over to Just My Blog and say hi to Lindsay.  She has a hip blog you must check out. 

The rules are simple to pass the award on.  First I list 10 things about myself and then pass the award on to 10 bloggers of my choice!  Sounds like fun.  So...let's get going.  Since my blog is about food....here's some facts about the lady behind Time 2 Eat Yall:

1.  Ever since I was little I have had a fond love for cheese.  I can eat it on nearly everything and 1 serving usually doesn't do it for me..I always add extra.

2.  I hate sweet potatoes and cauliflower.  When I was little I would toss it under the table so that it looked like I ate them.

3.  In my early 20's I barely knew how to boil noodles.  They would always overflow... I literally had to ask someone what's the deal with that?!

4.  I caught fried chicken on fire once...LOLOL.

5.  I am a messy cook whether I spill stuff or use too many pots and pans.  Someone used to tell me a "good cook is a clean cook" but I don't by that.  As long as your kitchen is clean before you get started then hey...comes with the territory right?!

6.  The most aweful thing I ever made was a recipe out of a magazine called Blue Cheese Biscuits and it was nasty as poop and stunk up my kitchen.  Even so, I made everyone at least taste them..lol..poor family.

7.  I eat my beef rare...."Mooooo!"

8.  I like the way food was prepared in my grandparents time.  Slow cooked, homemade and delicious made with basic essentials. 

9.  My grandad used to say that when I was little I wouldn't eat anything green because I didn't like the color green.

10.  Some of my favorite resturants:  Bone Fish Grill, Olive Garden, Texas Roadhouse, Logans Roadhouse, and Umbertos.

Now about passing it on...I am choosing a variety of blogs all different themes, have fun and check out a few!  Here's my list:

* Let's Connect with Nature
This is a wonderful site by a super nice lady named Chris.  Swing on by and see what Chris has going on.  She showcases crafts, absolutely gorgeous pictures of nature and is family friendly!

*BD Buzz
Beth is a columnist for a few publications and writes on topics mainly dealing with media such as TV, Movies etc.  If you are about entertainment go check her out!

*Me, Myself and Aphrodite
I have this blog bookmarked.  I enjoy when people put their spin on everyday life that I can relate to.  For all you ladies this is a really fun blog to check out! 

*Pinky's Cottage
Pinky's Cottage has a little of this and a little of that.  From making dog treats to homemade laundry detergent she has it all.  I find it amazing where she comes up with this stuff! 

*Open Seven Days A Week. Closed Sundays.
This is one is a mom blog that I enjoy dropping in on.  There is always something new and interesting to read so what are you waiting for?  Go check her out.

*MyMomfessions
This is cute mom blog.  Her blog is all about speaking up.  Plus, she has giveaways and a little of this and that too.  To find out more you'll need to go read it ;)

*Mamahood Among Other Things
I really enjoy popping in on this blog and it's interesting content!  Plus she has the absolute cutest and darling photos of her little ones!   I really need her picture taking and editing skills!  Stop on by and say hello -

*Parent Ad Absurdum
If you are a parent then this is a blog to check out.  Full of the good the bad and the ugly of parenting with often times a humorous twist. There's always great discussion topics!

*On The Brink de La Locura
This is a straight up honest blog.  She knows how to put discussion topics out there that will make you want to leave a comment!  I love this blog for it's honesty and straight fowardness.  She has recently switched completely over to Therefore I Blog.

*Extreme Personal Measures
This blog is all about decorating on a budget.  Denise brings you cutting edge style without the big bang in the pocket.  Go check out her snazzy style!

Whew, that's the rundown.  I hope you all have found some new blogs to check out.  And Congrats to those who just recieved the award!

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One Very Old Cookbook! Early 1900's?!

See this cookbook??  My mother-in-law gave it to me.  I think she bought it at a yard sale or flea market a long time ago.  Well it's extremely old!  I have no idea when it was made because there is no copyright or date of any kind.  Needless to say I am guessing early 1900's.  Why, you might ask?  Well.   There are advertisments within the cookbook of local establishments of a small town.  I believe it was either a company like a bank or church member cookbook of some sort.  The phone numbers of these establishments are of no kind of phone number you see today.  More like 125 is a phone number in the book.  So, I believe it's quite old and a very neat find.  Below is a picture of one of the ads from the book of an old IGA Grocer and their phone number.

I know it's relatively hard to see but the 2 phone line/numbers are 41 and 42...wow!  Isn't that neat?  Anyways, I have yet to cook anything from it but you may be wondering what types of recipes are in it.  Well, all are home made recipes .  Everything is made from scratch from twisted tea rolls to quince and pear butter.  I have tried looking up the names of who submitted the recipes which is why I believe early 1900's probably more like 1915-1927 range.  I even looked up IGA for example and it seems the first IGA opened up in 1926 and 150 stores were open that year.  However, I honestly don't know if that includes independently operated stores so that begs a question.  I don't know about you but I like research and exploring history.  I find it fascinating.  What do you think?  Isn't this a neat find?  Let me know what you think by leaving a comment!!

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Spicey Spaghetti

So this is my second Italian style post this week....hummm.  I've always been a huge spaghetti fan ever since I was a child.  Have you ever heard of Shoney's??  That was one of my favorite resturants growing up.  I admit I don't always make it homemade but any way it's done, I usually get seconds!  The night I made this I was in a rush and trying to hurry because I needed to be somewhere.  Anyways, it started basic and then turned into something I love!!  I basically started with browning my hamburger.  I chopped up an onion and then really decided to get creative.  I added bell pepper, garlic, bananna peppers and jalapeno peppers!!  Then ended with a simple jar sauce.  But it was great!  I don't think I have ever had spaghetti that I know of with jalapeno's but it is a definite must try!  Do you do anything really creative or unique with your spaghetti??  Share with us, leave a comment!

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Rocky Road Brownies

I have found a new love for chocolate and peanuts.  I recently have started topping them on my brownies which adds the slight salty and sweet flare.  Here's an easy beginners way to pull together "Rocky Road" Brownies.

Ingredients
1 box Brownie Mix Cooked

Peanuts
Marshmallow's
Hershy Chocholate Bars broken into pieces
Tbsp Butter
Powdered Sugar (Optional)

Directions
Once your brownies are cooled.  Mix up your butter and chocholate pieces in a pot and melt.  Once the chocolate melts add your marshmallows and peanuts, mix then pour over top of your brownies.  I don't have quantities listed for the topping because it's really all how you like it and how many brownies your mix makes.  Mine was a small mix and I used about a cup of marshmallows (mini marshmallows works best), 5 minature Hershey bars and just tossed in peanuts as I saw fit.  No rules here ;)

You could also just layer the peanuts and marshmallows and then pour the chocholate over the top.  Refrigerate to harden if desired or eat warm.

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Parmesan and Ricotta Ziti

I decided to keep it simple last night.  I was really craving lasagna but didn't have all the cheeses I needed to make it so I improvised and made Parmesan and Ricotta Ziti.  I think I was just really wanting the Ricotta ;).   This is super easy and works well as a side dish.  I would add Italian Sauage and some fresh chopped tomatoes to it to make it a great entree. 

Ingredients
1 cup Parmesan Cheese Shaved
1 container of Ricotta cheese
16 oz Ziti noodles cooked
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1/2 stick Margarine
Salt to taste
Frozen or fresh Spinach (thawed)
(whatever amount you like)
1 tsp Italian Seasoning

Directions
Cook pasta according to box directions.  Take a big pot and melt the margarine and add your noodles and all other ingredients.  Continue stirring until your noodles are nicely coated.  For more creaminess you could add a little half and half.  I serve mine once the parmesean cheese melts nicely.

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Come Share Your Recipe - Linky!!

As some of you know I have posted about my family coming into town for the holiday...Well they are here.  So you probably won't hear much from me until after.  I will go ahead and say that after 3 stores I finally found a decent ham and got all I should need for my cooking expedition.  I will definitely pop in when I can and post some pictures with recipes for you.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  See you soon....Stay Tuned.


Your Turn! Come share you recipes.  It could be something your cooking up this weekend or whatever you wish! 

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