Holliday Gift Set {Give Away} of Route 66 BBQ Sauces from Season's Harvest

image courtesy flikr

Are you looking for a great gift for the hard to shop for man in your life? Does your husband, dad or favorite uncle love BBQ chicken, steaks, wings, pulled pork or brats? Well have I got a last minute treat for you. Season's Harvest has a huge variety of amazing sauces and dips that will add zing and big flavor to your next grilling session.

Their gift sets come beautifully packaged and would make a very special and unique Christmas gift for any and all of the men (or women ;) on your list. Season's Harvest sent me a gift box of their Route 66 Legend BBQ sauces to trial. I am from the South West and so the spicy and smokey  flavors in these sauces were right up my alley.



Why I love Season's Harvest.

"Our products contain no preservatives, additives, High Fructose Corn Syrup, chemicals or extra water to fill the container and thus dilute flavor. You pay for only the natural ingredients in each recipe . . . just fabulous know how, fresh, natural ingredients in recipes learned and handed down from one generation to another."

We especially loved these two sauces. They were so thick and fresh tasting, nothing like the few other jarred varieties I've had. As soon as we popped open the lid on the jars our mouths were watering from the smell of the spices.

 Rich and Bold

Their newest barbecue sauce is an authentic Carolina mustard / vinegar sauce that is ideal for chicken and pork with just the right amount of zest. 

Excellent for pulled pork sandwiches served on a grilled or toasted bun. A wonderful marinade as well. While our High Country Barbecue Sauce is a great companion with pork, it can be used superbly with chicken.

 Deep South BBQ Sauce

Ideal for shellfish, poultry, pork, and even beef. Cajun flavors are captured in the backwater bayous of long-ago Louisana. Sultry, sizzling flavor spoken in a delightful Creole accent. 

While our Deep South sauce was prepared to be a tasty and just a bit spicy sauce indigenous of the heart of the South, its haunting flavor has come to be used in so many other ways. Its old- time flavors will spark the creativity of cooks at home. Currently Deep South is still the second most reordered sauce (and fat free using all natural ingredients).

So fire up the grill and put some spice in your life! It's been the coldest days of the year here in Phoenix so I could use some heat from Season Harvest's Spicy with Heat Sauce on some BBQ'd Chicken. 

image courtesy flikr

Please be sure to visit Season's Harvest online and check out all of their other products and gift sets like salsa's, olives and salad dressings. 

The give away is for 1 Route 66 Legend BBQ Sauces Gift Set a $49 value.

Don't want to wait? Season's Harvest is offering 50% off ALL Gift Sets right now! 

Support small business in your gift giving this year and remember, all of their products are all natural and don't contain HFC or additives!

Giveaway open to U.S. and Canada residents only.

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Apple Cider & Pomegranate Popsicles {and a Give Away}

These naturally sweetened popsicles are a perfect early fall treat. We are loving the cooler weather here in The Valley of the Sun (by cooler I mean in the 90's) and sitting out on the back patio with one of these popsicles is a special after school treat for the boys. Little miss thinks that "Popsicles are the World's greatest of all foods ever!" I'll have to agree with her on this one.

With the overload of sweets and candy that seem to be everywhere in late October I am especially happy to give these to my kiddos for a special treat. Apple cider and pomegranate have lots of vitamins and antioxidants to fuel the bod.

I really loved the combination of sweet, spiced apple cider and 

mouth puckering tart pomegranate in these.

Zoko sent me one of their pop makers to trial and I gotta say, I'm very impressed! Not only can you pour just about any combination of flavors and ingredients in the Zoku including yogurts, fresh fruit and nuts and have a cold, sweet treat in less than 10 minutes but they don't come out freezer burned and rock hard like the popsicles I've made in the past. Totally cool.... get it....cool?  O.K. fine 80's humor aside these popsicles rock! ;}

Love the cute, modern design! What color would you choose?

Next on my list? Chocolate pops! Thanks goodness these freeze super fast for those last minute chocolate emergencies!

photo source: Kid Crave

You Will Need

1 cup vanilla almond milk (helps the pops to not be like an ice cube in texture)
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons real maple syrup (not the artificially flavored kind)
1/2 teaspoon real vanilla
dash of cinnamon
1/2 cup pomegranate juice

Pour the pomegranate into the Zoku maker and let sit 5-6 minutes
Blend the remaining ingredients in a blender till combined.
Using a small funnel, pour the apple mixture into the Zoku, on top of the now frozen pomegranate juice.
Wait another 5-6 minutes and watch as they freeze in front of your eyes on your countertop!

Give Away is for 1 triple Zoku pop maker (they also come in single and duo) in the color of your choice, a $49.95 value.
Winners must live in USA or Canada





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Mabel's Labels Ultimate Back to School Pack Give Away!

Would you believe that my 8 year old got into a very upsetting 'altercation' with 3 other 8 year olds last year over a  20 cent mechanical pencil? Truth. I ended up in the principals office to discuss the whole incident (why do I get nervous going to the principals office at 39 years old?) Apparently, another child swore it was his pencil and tried to pry it out of my son's hands who had a death grip on it and 2 other children got involved and my son ended up crying under a picnic table with a bloody nose..... and the pencil still being protected underneath him.

We may never know who's pencil it really was but we do know that mechanical pencils are all kinds of serious when you're in the 3rd grade. Who knew? We've had the same problems albeit less dramatic than the pencil incident involving baseball hats, baseball gloves, beanies, lunch boxes, water bottles and even back packs. There's bound to be at least 27 Lego Ninja backpacks in the 1st grade.


If you feel my pain you will l.o.v.e. this give away! Mabel's Labels offers super cute and super durable labels for every age child (and adult).  There are a few labels around our house on sports gear, water bottles and old back packs that we use for camping that are still going strong from over 2 years ago!

This bestselling kids’ school label combo pack includes all the durable, waterproof labels needed to keep belongings out of the lost and found. Available only until September 30th, our awesome kids’ labels for school are a must have on your back-to-school shopping list!

We just love Mabel's Labels cute {and cool} designs! This Ultimate Back to School Combo pack has tons of labels for all of your kiddos school supplies and more! You choose the color and design!

They also offer a variety of house hold labels, allergy alert bracelets and labels and clothing labels.

Enter below to win the Ultimate Back to School Label Pack valued at $42! 
Don't forget to leave me an email address so I can get in touch with you if you win!!!

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Sweet and Smokey Slow Cooked Garbanzo Beans on Flax Seed Crepes and a Set of Spices and Flavored Salt from Gourmet Nut Give Away!

Nothing beats a slow cooked dish that makes your mouth water from the sweet and smokey flavors wafting through your home all day. And when the flavors have soaked into your slowly cooked chicken and garbanzo beans and you can finally spoon the contents from your slow cooker and place them in a super healthy, simple home made wrap, you are basically giddy with joy. Pure bliss I tell you.

Sure you could throw the onion into the slow cooker and cook it all day with the rest of the stuff, but I have a strange affection for searing my onions until they are beautifully browned.  I could eat them by the spoonful that way.

The fine people from Gourmet Nut sent me a nice goodie box filled with their trail mixes, power snacks  and some pink and smoked sea salts to try. They also sent me some of their different spices/rubs to hang out with. We were more than eager to try out the Coffee Steak Rub on our T-Bones and I massaged my fillet Mignon with the Sweet and Smokey Steak Rub.


Mouth watering, sweet Heaven coming from our grill.



I was quickly addicted to the Sweet and Smokey rub and had to come up with a weekday dish other than steak which we only eat on rare occasion. So when I saw these tacos using smoked paprika over at Family Style Food I immediately knew what I had to do.

Crazy simple and insanely delicious, even picky eaters 2 and 4 loved these!  You can easily make these vegetarian/vegan by omitting the chicken but I knew my little guys would be more willing to eat them with just a bit of chicken in them.

Gourmet Nut is going to give away a Set of their spices and flavored salts to not one but THREE lucky Simply Healthy Family readers!

Please visit Gourmet Nut and tell me which spices or salts are your fav and what you would make with them! This isn't mandatory but I am interested at all of the possibilities with their range of 

salts and spices!

serves    6          Time |   prep  15   cook  8 hours    

ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped white onion

½-1 of a jalapeno pepper, seeds and veins removed, minced

1 1/2 cups dry garbanzo beans 

2 chicken thighs, bone in

4 cups chicken broth, veggie broth or water

1 tablespoon Gourmet Nut Sweet and Smokey steak rub

1 teaspoon salt

Optional Garnishes:

cilantro

avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

1 ripe tomato, sliced

Arugula greens

shredded sharp cheddar cheese

instructions

1. rinse and drain dried garbanzo beans. soak garbanzo beans overnight in plenty of water, this step is important.
2. in the morning drain the garbanzo beans and add to your slow cooker along with broth or water, salt and sweet and smokey spice. add bone in chicken thighs. cook on low setting for 8-10 hours till beans are soft. do not lift lid during this time.
3. make tortillas, recipe below.
4. when beans are done, sauté onion in olive oil over high heat till browned, add jalapeno and cook 2 more minutes.
5. Using a fork, shred the chicken off the bone and stir into beans, discard bones and skin.
6. spoon mixture onto tortillas, top with onion and garnishes.

notes: This is easily converted to a vegetarian meal by omitting the chicken. Also, in a pinch you can use canned garbanzo beans (chick peas)

Recipe adapted from  Wheat Belly Cookbook

MAKES   4 wraps       time   15 minutes

Flax seed Wraps

1/3 cup flax meal (ground flax seeds)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing the pan

2 tablespoons water

2 eggs

1. In a small bowl, mix together the flax meal, baking powder, onion powder, paprika and salt. Stir in coconut oil. Beat in the water and eggs until blended.
2. Heat a small, non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Add a bit of oil to lightly coat the pan. Pour in a small amount of the batter to just thinly coat the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until small bubbles form on the top and you can easily get a rubber spatula under the wrap. 
3. Carefully, flip the wrap over using a rubber spatula. Cook and additional minute. Remove from heat, repeat. 

notes: I suggest making a big batch of these and refrigerating or freezing them. They will keep in the fridge for several days and can be used in place of tortillas or as a sandwich wrap. 

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Chiarezza Parfait and a giveaway!

More often than not these days I have negative zero interest in preparing breakfast at all, especially one that takes any sort of preparation. I've been sticking to my Shakeology concoctions on the days I work but like a variety in my diet and a sit down breakfast on my days off.






Chiarezza sent me some of their cereals to review and I couldn't be more impressed. Not only was it delicious, it's as simple to prepare as heating some of my almond vanilla milk, pouring a bit of the cereal into the bowl, stir, wait, eat. Perfect.


The bits of Organic dried fruit gave it the perfect amount of sweetness and the texture was surprisingly thick and creamy. Chia seeds expand the longer you let them sit in liquid and so the consistency is up to you. Any liquid will do, water or your favorite milk product. I like coconut milk, almond milk and hemp milk.

Add some fresh fruit and you have a beautiful and healthy breakfast to fuel you for hours.

A completely revolutionary way to have cereal, Chiarezza’s all Organic cereal is an exceptional way to start your day. It is free of so many unnecessary filler ingredients. After you eat this, you’ll never go back to eating “regular old” cereal again.

The base is made from all Organic dried fruits and seeds so you start your day like a Superstar without crashing like yesterday’s one hit wonder.

Chiarezza is giving away a full size bag of their Forbidden Fruit cereal to one lucky

Simply Healthy Family fan. 

You can eat this completely raw by adding cold water, or you can add hot water or milk (whichever kind you like). Each pouch contains 8 servings. If you’re wondering how that can be, it’s because the ingredients are filling and powerful. The chia seeds will expand and it’s ready in 5-7 minutes after adding liquid.

Raw. Wheat Free. Dairy Free. Tree nut free. Peanut free. Dairy Free. Egg. Free. Soy Free.

Ingredients: Organic chia seeds, organic hemp seeds, organic mango, organic buckwheat, organic banana flakes, organic goji berries. 

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Got Time for a Quickie? A post people....... Great Give Away and a Wonderful New site.

First, I just wanted to remind you all that tomorrow is the last chance to enter for the case of Alaskan Salmon. An entire case! Honestly, it was really good stuff. Pure Alaskan Salmon's site says that it is sold retail at Whole Foods so since we've already managed to devour the case they sent us I guess I'm going to have to trek on over to the nearest Whole Foods near our home.

Enter here and please spread the word if you will. tweet tweet.

Also, I find it interesting that my blog is finally getting a little bit of attention lately. Just a little, I'm sure I won't let it go to my head, no worries. I am so excited to have been invited to be a contributor at a newly launched site called Bliss.com by Glam Media. I love that this space is dedicated to total healthy living and well being. Eating Well and Fitness articles as well as Mind, Spirit and Body, Self Empowerment and more. Do head over and say hi!

I have to leave you with this random, fun photo I found while surfing the web.

xo



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Albion Fit Give Away! What's your inspiration?

Inspiration. It's a big word. It can mean so many different things to different people. It can be a person, a place or a state of mind. What exactly does it mean to you? What do you aspire to be?  To do?
To become? We all have different goals, hopes, dreams and on the flip side, distractions, obstacles and difficulties. What is your inspiration? Your aspiration?


When you were a child maybe you dreamed of being picked first to play on the kickball (or tether ball in my case)  team. Maybe you wanted to be popular. Be fastest, strongest, have the coolest clothes. Maybe you hoped for unity in your family, peace in your life, consistency and security. Not to be picked on. To have a best friend. Did someone inspire you to want to become a dancer, a teacher, a writer,  a rock star ;)





Now that you are an adult your aspirations and goals most likely have changed. Maybe the are simpler, maybe they are more complex. Do you hope to pay off debt? Save for retirement? Be a more fit and healthier you. It's funny the things we worried about as a child, a teenager and young adult as apposed to what we worry about and dream of now. The things we took for granted then and what we hold near and dear now.


I suppose I took health and fitness for granted when I was a teenager. Well, more like I had no clue what being healthy and fit was at all. I thought that if I ate a can of Chef Boy R D (is that how you spell it?) for lunch and that was all  I ate that day then I was golden. All that mattered to me was not hitting 120lbs which was  not healthy for my 5' 7" frame.  {I had a boyfriend in the Marines who jokingly called me fat}


Then I started having kids..... and kept having them ;} I had my first son at age 19 and after that, the weight came off pretty easily. I actually had time to go to the gym and looking back I was in pretty good shape even though I weighed closer to 150lbs  instead of 120 and at the time thought I was fat. Looking back I was actually in great shape, again with the taking things for granted.



Fast forward 18 years later....... wow, 18 years... and tack on another 25-30 lbs. and a whole lot less energy and spunk and I have come to a point in my life where I am in desperation to get back into shape. To get into the very best shape of my life. That is my goal.

 I need it.

 Feeling good about myself again and being healthy for my kids is my inspiration. My drive. It keeps me sane.



What inspires me? My children's energy. My very energetic and triathlon loving younger sister, Rachel, my new group of friends doing the "Drop a Dress Size in 30 Days" program with me on Facebook. Going to Nordstrom Rack and trying on cute clothes and then refusing to buy them until I can look good in them. Boy am I saving money! ;}

What inspires me to actually get off my butt and work out? Well comfortable and cute work out clothes totally help! You've gotta look cute while working out right?  Right!

Albion's super cute tennis clothing reminds me that I've been telling myself for 2 years now that

 I want to start playing again!

 And their swim suits? ADORABLE! 

Lucky you, Albion Fit is giving away a $50 Gift Certificate to 

one lucky Simply Healthy Family fan!

Wooop!

To enter:
Only available to residents of the U.S. (sorry to my peeps abroad)
Can not have won an Albion Fit give away in the last 6 months.

Please visit Albion Fit and tell me what your favorite piece is.

Also, Albion Fit is offering $20 off any purchase of $50 or more for 
Simply Healthy Family readers!
Just use the code: simplyhealthy20 at checkout. 

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An Entire Summer's Worth of Giveaway's! #giveaway

I've got a few fun giveaways for you today! This summer has been a whirlwind of activities with the kids shoved into my days off from work. Living in Phoenix means it's way too hot to spend more than a few minutes outside unless you're in the pool. We've been hitting up some museums and indoor play parks that are scattered around the valley as well as morning KID movies at Harkins {popcorn and jelly bellies for breakfast anyone?}.








So I apologize for my lack of consistency in posting but my priorities have been spending what time I do have off from work with the kids and getting them out of the house as much as possible this summer {they're like caged monkeys when left to their own devices for more than X amount of hours at a time!}.







First, Epicurean is offering one of their pretty State Shape Cutting Boards from your state of choice to adorn your kitchen counter. Epicurean is obviously a trusted shop offering top quality kitchen ware and this cutting board is no exemption. I own three! I love that they are super durable, very classy looking and made using wood "scraps" that would have otherwise been thrown away.



The State Shape boards not only represent the United States visually, but are made in the U.S. as well.  Additionally, they are eco-friendly, dishwasher safe and NSF approved. Epicurean’s cutting boards were born out of excess cut-off skate park materials. The company’s heartfelt and original designs, pro environment business practices, and truly unique materials come together to make innovative, functional, and thoughtful products made in the USA and distributed worldwide. 

I've been using my pretty little cutting board for cutting up and serving snacks such as cheeses, fruits and veggies almost every day for the last couple of months. It makes a perfect, simple and clean looking serving board that can be kept on the counter for easy access to healthy snacks this summer. 

Next, Downy sent my a big box full of there newest wonder product called Wrinkle Release Plus. I am not easily impressed by gimmicky  products promising to change your life but I have to say I was completely blown away and am now in love with this stuff! If you hate to iron as much as I do then you will love this product. Plain and simple, it works, it smells Downy fantastic and it's ridiculously quick working..... like instant.

Downy Wrinkle Releaser Plus is much more than a

replacement for the hassle of everyday ironing. It has over

101 uses for the home, family and traveler. In addition to its

ability to reduce wrinkles in clothes, Downy Wrinkle Releaser

Plus can be used as a quick-fix solution to remove creases

from pillowcases, bed sheets, drapery, tablecloths, cloth napkins, ribbons on holiday

decorations and many other household items. A quick spritz from the WonderBottle can also

remove odors and freshen up furniture, pet beds and infant car seats just to name a few. For

those who still want to iron, it serves as a better ironing aid than water without the residue of

starch.

Downy Wrinkle Release Plus works

to eliminate wrinkles by coating fabric fibers with silicone that allows them to relax and slide

apart instantly. Simply spray, smooth and tug, then allow fabric to

dry for a crisp, fresh smelling and wrinkle-free look in minutes.

One Simply Healthy Family Reader will win a box of Downy Wrinkle Release to last you for a long ironing free time and suitcases of wrinkle free clothes. I keep one in my closet and use it daily for wrinkles and for a refreshing clothes that have been on hangers far too long. Who doesn't love the smell of Downy???

Who the hell wants to iron ever in the summer anyway???  I'm throwing away my iron! :)

Barbara's fig bars are gluten free and made with all natural ingredients. 

Non GMO corn puffs are made with real, aged Cheddar and Blue Cheeses, YUM!

Both are a perfect lunch box treat for back to school.

Barbara's cereals have long been a favorite of ours and is one of the very few cereals I ever buy. They contain ingredients I am happy to eat and serve to my children and taste fantastic. Their products are always non GMO, gluten free and they offer some vegan options, also their cereal boxes are made with 100% recycled cardboard. Barbara's is committed to helping and donating money to the WWF and is active in Project Puffin.   Very cool!  

 Barbara's is offering 2 vouchers for free products to one SHF reader!






Colgate sent me their newest Optic White system which promises whiter teeth in just 2 days. It did!
Their Optic white pen & toothbrush made my teeth much whiter and my smile brighter after just the very first use. I continued to use the Optic white toothpaste and mouth rinse and my smile is noticeably brighter. I do have sensitive teeth so the toothpaste was a bit uncomfortable for me to use.

Colgate is offering one Optic White system to one SHF reader which includes the Optic white toothbrush and gel, toothpaste and mouth rinse.








Scar Away is offering 2 boxes of their Scar away silicone sheets to one SHF reader.

Even the smallest scars are noticeable, especially when they’re yours. Now these unwelcome reminders of mole removal, biopsies, acne, injuries, burns and surgery (among other causes), are easier than ever to shrink, flatten, and fade. New Scar Aw ay

Silicone Daily Discs use an advanced patented silicone technology in a petite, round format that is perfect for smaller scars, super-easy to apply, and are virtually invisible.
An effective, at-home, non-prescription way to treat and prevent the formation of
small, abnormal scars, including hypertrophic (red and raised) and keloid scars.  Professional grade silicone discs use advanced silicone technology, previously available only through hospitals, burn centers and plastic surgery offices.

My scar from removal of a mole gone rogue. The silicone scare removal discs definitely helped soften and lighten the scar. 

To win one or more of these products simply leave me a comment telling me which one you'd like. Make sure you leave an email in your comments if one is not linked already.
Please leave a separate comment for each product you'd like to win!
Tweet about this giveaway and copy the link to the tweet for an extra chance to win (include which product you'd like in your comment).
Open to U.S. residents only.

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