FREE Blogger Opp: July 4th Giveaway

 

Hosted by: Michigan Saving and More

Sponsors so far

Kobert International

HaveSome Goods

clever yoga

Alpsy Group

Power Tek

intelliARMOR The Smarter Screen Protector

Easy Peasy Patches Inc.

SH&SH

There will be more.

Sign Ups Close 6/5

Giveaway Dates: 6/8 12AM EST through 7/4 11:59pm EST

SPONSORS ALWAYS NEEDED

CAN SIGN UP HERE FOR THIS ONE OR ANY OF MY GIVEAWAYS

or can email las93063 at gmail dot com

All bloggers will receive 1 free link for posting and promoting giveaway

and 1 for posting and promoting bloggersopp, HERE.

Please share this on your social media!

The HTML will be emailed out by 6/7.

Choice for free links: ANY SOCIAL MEDIA

Bloggers that refer other bloggers that sign up to promote will be in a drawing to win $10 paypal.

One entry for each person that you are listed as the referrer for the blog that signs up someone.

Co-hosts are $10 for the free links plus 5 more links of choice, Co host page on their site and at minimum 1 follow or secret word page, name and link to blog on giveaway html.

Of course no google+ and no required facebook like.

Other sign up options available on sign up form too!

If you have any prizes that would be a good fit please let me know and I will give you a co-host if you do the review. I will have an entry for people to make a comment on your review.

Please sign up below! Or at this link HERE

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Stainless Steel Lemon Squeezer [Review]

Kitchen accessories and tools can save so much time during food preparation and cooking. I look for kitchen accessories that are sturdy and made of heavy duty material that will last quite some time. Most plastic kitchen accessories and utensils usually break or rip, so I mostly look for stainless steel and wood materials. Kitchen Frontier premium stainless steel lemon squeezer is jumbo sized, heavy duty and will last indefinitely (with proper use and care).

Kitchen Frontier Lemon Squeezer     
Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Made from 100% stainless steel	Doesn't extract all of the juice, some stays inside
Large size suitable for lemons and limes
Ergonomic handle

Kitchen Frontier Premium Lemon Squeezer is made from 100% stainless steel with a polished mirror finish. The size is jumbo, which means that it can be used for lemon and limes. The lime squeezer can also be used for mandarin and oranges, if you cut the orange into quarters. Stainless steel is one of the best materials for durability and longevity because it is easy to clean and will not rust or stain.

Usage: For lemon and limes, cut the citrus fruit in half along the widest part. Place one half in the lemon, cut side down, into the squeezer and press handles together. I usually use both hands to start the squeezer. The juice comes out of the bottom. The lemon and the seeds stay inside. Open the lemon squeezer and discard the citrus fruit (lemons and limes should not be composted).

For bigger citrus fruits, like oranges and grapefruit, cut into four or more pieces. For orange, cutting into fourths works the best. Place each fourth into the lemon squeezer and squeeze.

Clean the lemon squeezer after use by rinsing with water and letting air dry. Every once in a while, I will use some soap on the lemon squeezer.

Results: I love the large size of the squeezer because that means I can use it for just about any citrus fruit. Over the past few weeks, I have been using it to squeeze orange juice for smoothies or to give my son freshly squeezed orange juice. The oranges were quick to squeeze and I was able to extract a lot of juice from them, though not all of the juice because some stays inside. The handles are ergonomic and were comfortable to use.

Lessons Learned: One thing to be aware of is that the juice sometimes squirts out of the side of the squeezer (between the top and bottom parts). Also, after squeezing, I like to tilt the lemon squeezer to pour any juice inside out of the side. I can usually get a good amount of juice to pour out of the side.

I really like the light weight of the lemon squeezer, yet the durability of the stainless steel design. The lemon squeezer is easy to use and easy to clean. I would purchase this lemon squeezer again and would recommend it. With proper care, this premium lemon squeezer will last a long time and will be used for many different uses.

Disclosure: I received the product to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own and are honest.

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Coffee Bean Mill for the Perfect Cup of Coffee [Review]

Enjoying coffee is one of the highlights of my morning, and my day! When one stays at home with a toddler, coffee is a requirement for getting through the day. A few years ago, my husband and I started buying whole coffee beans and grinding our own. Even though we go through a bag of coffee fairly quickly, we found that grinding our our coffee results in much better and fresher tasting coffee. While an electric coffee grinder is a useful kitchen accessory, a manual coffee grinder has its place also. Galleany's manual ceramic coffee bean grinder mill uses the burr grinding method to grind coffee beans to uniform size, which is important in brewing the perfect cup of coffee.

Galleany Coffee Mill      
Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Stainless steel body	Small volume
Adjustable grind sizes
Compact and portable (great for travel)

Galleany coffee mill is a manual coffee bean grinder that uses a ceramic burr mechanism to grind the coffee. The mill is made from stainless steel body with a small acrylic window at the bottom. The handle is made from plated zinc. The ceramic burr mechanism is inside and can be accessed by pulling off the bottom piece. The black knob inside (bottom of the ceramic burr grinder) is used to adjust the fineness of the ground. The coffee mill comes pre-assembled.

Galleany coffee mill has a 50ml capacity. The smaller size is more suited for a single cup of coffee. If you prefer your coffee to be very fresh, then you grind just enough coffee each time for one cup. This compact size makes this coffee mill portable. I can see myself taking this coffee mill when traveling. For every day use, this size is a bit small for me. I prefer to grind enough coffee for 1-3 days. With a toddler running around, I do not have time to manually grind coffee for each cup of coffee.

One of the features that I love about manual grinder mills is that the grind size can be adjusted. While espresso requires a finer ground, a drip coffee maker uses a coarser ground. An automatic coffee grinder can grind coffee beans to different sizes, but it is harder to regulate and the ground beans are usually not in uniform sizes. this can impact the taste of the coffee.

Usage: Whole coffee beans are poured in the top and then ground using manual movements of the handle. The ground beans come out in the bottom of the mill and are ready for immediate use. The handle is turned to grind the coffee. Be prepared for a little bit of time to grind the coffee beans.

Results: The ground coffee beans looked to have uniform size after grinding. With the smaller capacity (50ml), it was just enough coffee grind for about 1-2 cups of coffee. I prefer my coffee strong so I usually use 2 scoops of coffee per 1 cup of hot water. Since manual coffee grinding takes more time than using an automatic coffee grinder (and more muscle), using this grinder on the weekend when I have more time and help from my husband would work better for me.

I also tried to grind flax seeds in the grinder. After adjusting the grind size, I was able to get a fairly fine ground that I used to make a flax egg.

My Thoughts: I like the ability to adjust the grind size and count on uniform ground size to make the perfect cup of coffee. Taking the mill apart to clean and putting it back together once air dried was not too difficult. I do wish the mill had a bigger capacity, which would work better for my daily needs.

Galleany manual coffee mill is a good accessory to have on hand whether you prefer to have complete control over your coffee making process or you want to have something on hand for an emergency situation (no electricity).

Disclosure: I received the product to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own and are honest.

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National BBQ Month: Stubb's BBQ Sauce [Giveaway]

May is National Barbecue Month! May is perfect month for barbecuing because it is just warm enough to enjoy being outside, but not too hot yet that being outside becomes uncomfortable. At our house, as soon as it's above 40 degrees, we grilling almost every night. Stubb's is celebrating National BBQ Month by bringing you the recipe below and a giveaway for 4 FREE coupons for Stubb's BBQ sauce!

Craft-made Stubb's BBQ sauce is the leader in authentic BBQ sauces, rubs and marinades. This is one of the few nationally available BBQ sauce brand that is Gluten-Free Certified (carrier the Gluten-Free Organization Cerficiation seal) and contains no high-fructose corn syrup. Most of the time, high-fructose corn syrup is the first ingredient in national BBQ sauce brands. Stubb's is also working with the Non-GMO Project to verify its line of sauces. It is great to see a company put effort to making the ingredients healthier and more natural.

Stubb's has a great selection of recipes to incorporate their BBQ sauces into every day family recipes. My favorite recipe is the Spicy Shrimp Kabobs. I love grilled shrimp and I love grilled pineapple. Pairing these two together with Stubb's BBQ sauce is a great recipe for a weekend grilled dinner or a family gathering. Of course, you can substitute any of the other Stubb's BBQ sauces if you prefer less spiciness.

Spicy Shrimp Kabobs

Ingredients
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
1/2 Stubb's Pork Marinade
8 wooden or metal skewers

Directions
1. If using wood skewers, soak in water for at least 15 minutes.
2. Thread shrimp, pineapple, and red bell pepper in an alternating pattern on the skewer.
3. Prepare grill for direct high heat cooking.
4. Oil grates and place skewers directly over the heat.
5. Grill for 5-10 minutes total, basting with Stubb's Pork Marinade, flipping often until shrimp are pink and cooked throughout (shrimp cook very quickly over direct high heat). Baste the skewers after each flip.

Enter below for a chance to win 4 FREE Stubb's Coupons.

Please use the Giveaway Tools entry form. Open to US only. All entries will be verified. Duplicate, incomplete and invalid entries will be deleted. 

Giveaway

4 Stubb's BBQ Sauce Coupons ($15 ARV)

Entry-Form

Disclosure: I received the product to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are honest and are my own. All Natural Katie is not responsible for companies/sponsors who fail to ship the prize.

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Have You Heard of Yacon Syrup? [Review]

When I was pregnant and reading about pregnancy nutrition, I realized the harm that granulated sugar does to our body. I avoided sugar (granulated, cane, etc.) throughout my pregnancy, using more natural forms like honey. When my toddler started eating solid foods, I also limited the amount of sugar he eats. The only white sugar he consumes is organic cane sugar that I add to healthy muffins and cookies in a reduced amount. Otherwise, I use raw honey or organic maple syrup as a natural sweetener. Yacon Syrup is a great natural substitute for sugar or molasses and is full of prebiotics and fiber.

Organic Yacon Syrup     
Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Pure and concentrated	USDA Certified Organic seal not present
Natural sugar alternative	Comes in a plastic bottle

What is Yacon Syrup? Yacon Syrup is a natural sweetener that is extracted from the yacon plant that grows in the Andes Mountains. This plant and its sweetener were originally used by the Incas. Today, people in Peru eat yacon for its nutritional properties: low calorie and low sugar contents. Yacon syrup is extracted from the roots of the yacon plant. The syrup contains 50% fructooligosaccharides (FOS), which do not increase blood glucose. The syrup is made with an evaporator, similar to how maple syrup is made. Yacon syrup is thick and dark in color, having a taste of molasses and caramelized sugar. The syrup does has a rich, sweet taste to it, so a little goes a long way.

Yacon Syrup is great for those who are eating a vegan diet and are avoiding honey and cane sugar (which might not necessarily be vegan if not grown in vegan soil). I recommend reaching out to Peak Fusion to ensure the yacon plant is grown in vegan soil.

The description states that the syrup is organic, though there is no USDA Certified Organic seal nor is there a certifying agent stated. I hope Peak Fusion gains this certification and adds it to the label.

Usage: Yacon Syrup can be substituted for most, if not all, sweeteners. Granulated sugar (whether white or brown sugar) has a specific role in some baked goods and recipes, so you might want to experiment with the substitution. Otherwise, I can see replacing granulated sugar, natural liquid sugars (like honey and maple syrup) with yacon syrup. Yacon syrup is pretty concentrated, so start out with a little bit and build up. For baked goods, it might take some experiments to determine the right substitution amount.

I have not yet tried yacon syrup in baking, but plan on using it as the molasses substitute (1 tbsp) in my healthy muffin recipe. Yacon syrup is about the consistency of molasses, especially out of the refrigerator. Yacon syrup is also sweeter than molasses, so I would start off with 1.5 tsp.

Results: I used yacon syrup to sweeten tea, yogurt and oatmeal. Just 1 teaspoon was enough sweetener for one medium cup of tea, 1 cup of yogurt, and 1 cup of cooked oatmeal. I try to limit how much sugar, even natural sugar, I consume, so 1 teaspoon was more than enough sweetness for me. The syrup melted well into the hot tea and hot oatmeal. It also mixed well into the yogurt, but I had to try to drizzle it so I avoided a big glob of syrup.

My Thoughts: Yacon Syrup is okay. The syrup is a good substitute for sugars and other sweeteners and I like that it does not cause a spike in glucose. The flavor is pretty strong when taking 1/2 tsp by itself (I did try that!). The flavor is not as prominent when mixed in with other items. In the end, it is a sweetener and made from 50% fructose, so consuming it in small moderation is best for health.

I received some recipes for the yacon syrup. The marinade recipe caught my eye, though once I read how much yacon syrup would be required (3/4 cup), I realized the marinade is a little expensive for my taste. The bottle comes in size 8 oz, which means I would use almost all of the bottle to make a marinade that would mostly not be consumed. I will probably stick to using this syrup in small amounts since an 8 oz bottle costs almost $20.

If you are comfortable with the cost, give the yacon syrup a try!

Disclosure: I received the product to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own and are honest.

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