Product Reviews

Red Gold Tomatoes Taste

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 The Red Gold tomatoes are amazing that is one thing I learned last week, not only a great family owned US Based company.  I did not understand how exceptional the Red Gold tomatoes were until they did a Cutting for us during their tour.  The Cutting is when you open up your can product and your competitors side by side and see the difference.

It was amazing the difference!

Here is the whole peeled pack tomatoes:  See the red pack is firm and better color. It is a whole tomatoes.

Here is the petite dice: Red Golds really firm actually full square pieces, color is a true red (no greens bit as in the competition.

Here is the Garlic and onion.   In the case of the garlic and onion the Red Gold tomatoes where tastiest,  I was told the reason is the garlic is infused with olive oil and of course those  red gold tomatoes.

General Decision was :Based on my observations the Red Gold packs are firmer, more red in color, no green parts, no water separation

Prior to the trip I was talking to my cousin Donna,  she was telling me her sister, and her only use red pack (east cost name for Red Gold) She said that is what my mother used for her tomatoes sauce and  so do we.”

I have to say After the cutting won’t buy another brand of canned tomatoes.. because once you see and taste.   There is only one canned Tomato Red Gold / Red Pack.

Be sure to read my other post to hear about my Red Gold and NFL weekend.

#Disclosure I did receive the trip and tasting via Red gold but the opinions in this post are of my own.

Cooking

Cheese Platter for One Tasty Tuesday

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So after a fun weekend at the Taste of the NFL and visiting the Red Gold Tomato Factory.  It was back to reality and no more limo, fancy food.  Or was it.. Every once in a while the cheese planets aline and I have a great selection of cheese in my fridge.  Today, was one of those days so I made a personal cheese platter.  I cut it about 1 hour before I eat it so they can come to room temperature.

Ingredients:

Fontina cheese

Smoked Gouda

Liverwurst (I did not have pate’ so I sub)

Horseradish cheddar spread

blue cheese

water crackers

Red Pack Tomatoes with garlic and onion

I love the red Pack tomatoes you can open the can and eat them right out of the can on crackers.  The garlic is infused with olive oil before being added to the fresh packed tomatoes.   I learned this after tasting them this past weekend. I was also craving them when I returned home.  I love garlic.    I added the remaining can to my tomato sauce for dinner.

Make yourself feel special and fancy today.

Product Reviews

The Vow Movie Review

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the vow the movie

Last night I went to go see The Vow opening February 10th, 2012 with Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum.  It was a great chick flick it was mushy, sad, and loving.  The theater was filled with women with a token guy or two.

Rachels McAdams  (Paige)character is in a car accident and looses her memory of her  husband.  The movie is plot is about the characters,  how they change,  then find themselves back to each other.   The entire movie I loved Channing Tatum character Leo because of his heart wrenching love of his wife.  He loves this women and it is not reciprocated.   Channing was perfect  for this role his portrayal  was vulnerable and loving to his wife.   There is a moment when Leo try’s to connect with his wife and she rejects him ..it broke my heart.

The character Paige ( McAdams)  is on a discovery to find herself. Paige is living the life of a stranger and the frustration she feels.   Then finally connecting with glimmer of her past self.  McAdams is lovely in this role playing confused and enlightened. She pulls the audience in and makes you root for Paige to find her way back to her Leo.

The movie The Vow is actually based on a real story.   So I think that  made me love the movie more.   Because all and all love did prevail in real life.

This movie is a wonderful Valentines movie. My movie going girlfriend was like I am buying this The Vow when it comes out on DVD, and I never buy dvds.   Girls will fall in love and guy go to see it because women will want to feel in love after it the movie.  I sure did, wanting to see my husband. Lucky Boy (wink wink)

Kept me wondering who knows if my husband  would go through hell to get my love back?? I like to think so bu t I am a true Romantic.

Thanks you to 95.7 BenFM and Dave & Busters Plymouth Meeting for a love evening . Disclosure  I did receive these tickets free of charge but the opinions are all of my own.

Fitness Fridays, LIfe

Fitness Friday My 1st week

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So I decided to start tracking how active I am every week and I thought posting it would be a good way of keeping me honest. So this is My Fitness Friday, it will be a regular on my blog.

My Diagnoses: I need to get myself in shape and fit.  Because I am not.   I have the body of a 50 year old when I am 40, it sucks but yea I ate/sat myself here.   3 years ago I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (adult onset).  I was 297lb at the time.  So I said it aloud finally,  I am a Diabetic.  I am not great at not eating in fact there are days where I down right suck.   I try to think of myself as allergic to sugar,  so I don’t drink any soda, try to stay away from cake, and try to not eat as much carbs. I also have high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

My Medicines; I am on 4 different meds  for 1 Hypertension, 1 Cholesterol and 2 Diabetes. I know not matter how healthy I get I will never be truly of the meds because my Dad is a thin man and he is still on them.. so genetics play a part.

Other Heath reasons: The other reason is with my husband loosing his job 2 years ago we recently had to look for a health care plan. Needless to say we did get in the plan with no preexisting conditions.  But not before getting rejected from the other “better” plans with letters that looked like a medical warrant for a quick death.    We also could not afford the better plan so,  now I can only go to the Doctor 3 times a year. (seriously I am suppose to do 4 times to my general practitioner , once to a Podiatrist and once to an eye: all as screening for diabetes.)

My Exercise Partner: I recently got my puppy Lloyd a Doberman, one of the reason is I wanted him, was to have a walking buddy. My Bulldog was not cutting it. (1 block and the bulldog would lay down).   So Lloyd is my dog, I am in the process of training him to walk with me..so we both are starting slow.

So here I go bearing my weighted soul,  I am going to cover my movement and food will come in later posts;

Week 1/30-2/3  round up:

Current weight 271lb

  • Tues 1/30  Walked dog  around the block running for 30 seconds
  • Wed 2/1 walked the dog around the block running for 20 seconds
  • Thus 2/2 walked the dog around the block running for 30 then 10seconds
  • Friday 2/3 traveling to indy I will walk around the airport

Feeling: I feel already I get up the stairs easier (placebo effect?)

This weekend I am going to The Taste of the NFL Party in Indy for the Superbowl.  I do not expect great things with healthy eating a figure I will try to make good choices but no promises.

Next week I will have a linky I hope that you will consider joining me on this journey.

 

Cooking

Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Bacon blue cheese Lettuce Wraps

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I needed an health-ish option for football Sunday Lettuce wraps 2 versions Blue cheese lettuce Wedge wrap a take on the steak house salad and a Fire Cracker Chicken lettuce wrap  which is spicy, sweet and sour.  These wraps are a similar favor to wings but deconstructed in to 2 options.  They have the heat in one and the blue cheese in the other.   Something green,  Lettuce Wraps easy to pick up and eat.  Great finger food.   Football Foods grown up.   I also have to say even my 10 year old like them.

Fire Cracker Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Shown above)

  • 1 or2 boneless Chicken breasts
  • 1 head of Boston Bib lettuce
  • 2 cups Orange Juice
  • 1 tbls Honey
  • 1 lime
  • 1 blood orange
  • 4 tbls Soy sauce
  • ¼cup rice vinegar
  • Lime
  • Sugar
  • Cayenne pepper
  • 1 package of shredded coleslaw
  • Salt pepper

Prep:

  1. In a plastic bag, 1 cup of OJ, 2 tbls of Soy,  1-tbls spoon of honey, 1tbls of Cayenne pepper salt pepper,  Place thawed chicken in Marinade for 2-3 hours or overnight.
  2. Separate bowl place ½ a bag of coleslaw, 2 tbls of sugar, ¼cup rice vinegar , juice of a lime, pinch of salt mix sit for 2-3 hours  over night.

Cook:

  1. Fry or grill chicken till cooked,  add marinade in pan while cooking to keep moist.  Remove chicken to a separate plate allow to cool so you can shred with a fork.
  2. Deglaze the chicken pan with 1 cup orange juice and  2 tbls soy sauce to make a reduction
  3. Clean and wash lettuce keeping leaves in tack (bib lettuce is great for wraps because the are flexible

Assemble:  Lettuce, coleslaw, shredded chicken , drizzled with oj/soy reduction, top with blood orange

For an easy printer -friendly  recipe Fire Cracker Chicken Wraps

Blue Cheese Bacon Wedge Lettuce wraps

  • 1 head of Boston Bib lettuce
  • Solid blue cheese  ¼ lb (sliced thin, shaved)
  • Thick cut bacon
  • Plum Tomatoes diced
  • Olive Oil
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  1. Clean and wash lettuce keeping leaves in tack (bib lettuce is great for wraps because the are flexible)
  2. Cook the bacon draining fat once cool slice in to thin strips
  3. Assemble
  4. Lettuce, tomato, blue cheese ,bacon, Drizzle with oil and vinegar-  Wrap and eat

I like the balsamic in a spray  container so it is evenly distributed I found mine at Trader Joes

  • Variations- add sour cream  or an hard boiled egg- for a cobb version

For an easy printer -friendly  recipe  Blue Cheese Wedge Lettuce wraps

To check out more recipes of great  super bowl food check out my fellow Red Pack Blogger Winner  Wendy Weekend Gourmet superbowl food  linkup.

superbowl health food

Philadelphia, Product Reviews, Travel

State of US Car Manufacturing What I learned at the AutoShow

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This past Friday I attended press day at the 2012 Philadelphia Auto Show unveiling of the 2013 models.  It was a really special day, I was able to bring my husband as my video camera man, needless to say he was thrilled.  General Motors hosted our visit to the auto show.  It was so wonderful to explore the cars without the crowds.

The best part of the day was having a personal tour of the show floor by James Bell Head of GM Consumer affairs.  We started at the Chevy Corvette, it looked like as James put “if Darth Vader had a car”.  The corvette is always a sexy car but this model was gorgeous black paint that sparkled with depth.  I am sure what was under the hood was sure to make you scream.(I digress but the Corvette was special.)

I feel like the tour with James was an education in the current state of the car market.   What automotive companies were doing a great job like the Subaru,  Audi, and General Motors.  James explained that the standards and rules have changed thus affecting car design.   Some company have done great job,  other well … lets say … There is always next year.

US changes to expect for Car Makers:

  • Fuel Efficiencies:  By 2020 all us cars manufactures will have to achieve an average a fuel efficient rating of 35 miles per gallon, for their entire US fleet.  IE they have to sell more little efficient cars to balance out the large gas loving vehicles.   As expected electric, hybrids, and alternative fuels are planning a large part in get the US cars manufactures to meet this standard.
  • Size of cars– The cars will continue to get smaller, because of the fuel demands, the designers will need to pushes the envelope in all areas to meet US standards.  Engineers will continued to be challenging by using less space in a vehicle but still providing comfort for the consumer.
  • What does this mean for the large cars?  The large trucks and SUVs will not go away entirely but there will be less of them and they will not take center stage.  Jim also pointed out that the average  US drivers thinks that  large cars are safer.  Jim says that is not always true, Smaller cars can react quicker in an accident and move out to the way.  I personally never thought of smaller cars reaction time, he does have a point.

State of General Motors : James Bell explained that GM is back on top as the #1 car company in the US, as president Obama reiterated in 2012 State of the Union address.  General Motors was for many years the best selling US car company, then for a brief time Toyota was, but they are happy to say they are back where they should be.  While Test driving the GM cars I was really impressed  the attention to detail throughout the entire car.    They really are competing on all levels of style, comfort, and consumer’s needs. The GM designers really did achieve amazing quality and luxury at all price levels.

Thanks to James Bell for taking to the time to walk the Philadelphia 2012 Auto show with us.

For more about check out my upcoming post:

-Outside the US …learning about the car manufactures in the world how it effect the US consumer.

-My Test drive of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco with the Vehicle Line Manger Malibu Tracy Mack-video

-My test drive with the 2012 Cadillac SRX with Social Media GM Northeast Lauren Fitapelli- video

 ATS by Cadillac

2013 Cadillac ATS available in April

Disclosure: I did receive free entrance to the auto show with my husband but the opinions in this post are my own.

 

dogs, LIfe

Neutered Dogs: Cut Them Balls Off

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I don’t know what it is but I can wait to get my dogs balls cut off (neutered).  I have never had a animal that has not been neutered.  My new Doberman puppy Lloyd is not neutered yet and the 1st thing I asked the vet was when could be.  He said somewhere between 4-5months some vets say any time after 8 weeks to do the neuter deed.   So about a month ago I noticed that the puppy’s little boys were dropping. I became aware (my husband’s says obsessed) with get them cut off.  He says I mention the neuter all the time.  I just think my husband is being super sensitive,  you know him being male and all..

It just every time I see Lloyd and he rolls on his back. I see those  2 little nuts staring me in the face. It is only a matter of time before they are swinging in the wind  Ewe.. time to neuter him.

Also Lloyd has been mounting Grundy our bulldog  I know it is dominance but still, MANNERS.

doberman puppy

I am hyper aware of what un-neutered dogs do like… RUNAWAY.  Hershey my last male Doberman was fixed, right before we adopted him after a year of age.    Needless to say the male hormones got to his brain,  he was always looking for a Bitch(female dog) to score.   Hershey was a runner, hit buy a car and survived type of runner.(cost us $$$$)  Needless to say Lloyd took off out the front door Christmas day right in front of a car .. CUT THEM BALLS OFF. Neuter your dog.

Medical Opinion:  The vet experts say the earlier you get your god neutered the better.  I have no intention of breeding this dog, so theys need to go.

Guess who is 4 months !  Tomorrow is the day!  Lloyd loses his boys.. I say goodbye good riddance. Neutering is my only option.

I guess my husband may have a point,  I might be a little obsessed.

 

To learn more about Spaying and Neutering   American Humane Society

To find  your low cost spay and neutering clinics

No I dont let let Lloyd chew on scissors normally they we just used as a prop for these photos  and he did not run with them either.

Neuter your dog.