Product Review - It Tastes RAAW Vegetable Fruit Juices

Today I would like to introduce you to a company called Raw Foods International which manufactures delicious vegetable fruit juices which are called It Tastes RAAW.

Here is a little bit of information about the company from their marketing materials: In March 2010, Raw Foods International made a splash at the BevNet Supple Expo in Anaheim California. In an age where fast food overshadows family dinner, Raw Foods International is taking a different approach by focusing on selling high quality vegetable fruit juices. Each refreshing juice is uniquely designed to contribute to your overall health and wellness. "It Tastes RAAW is essentially taking the juicer out of the mix and offers a fresh product, requiring no effort from the consumer, aside from enjoying their juice experience while on the run or at home."

It Tastes RAAW vegetable fruit juice contains no added sugar or preservatives and is packed with vital nutrients not meant to sustain hunger, but to keep your body balanced throughout the day. It Tastes RAAW comes in 4 delicious flavors: Better Beets, Cucumber Pineapple, Carrot Lemonade and Cranberry Ginger. It Tastes RAAW won First Place in the 2008 Western Hemisphere Premier Food and Beverage Show!

My Product Review: I was recently contacted by the generous folks in their marketing department and asked if I would do a product review of the It Tastes RAAW beverages...I of course, said yes. I was sent an entire case to try out which contained 3 bottles of each of the 4 flavors. My husband and I are both avid veggie and fruit juice drinkers so we are anxious to try them out.

I decided to try out the cucumber pineapple first and from the very first sip, I was hooked! I poured my juice into a glass of ice and enjoyed it from start to finish. It was smooth, refreshing and had a fabulous taste with no after-taste. It really did taste great! My husband decided to try out the cranberry ginger juice and he drank his straight from the bottle. At first he wasn't sure what to make of it but after a few swallows, he was enjoying it! Matter of fact, 2 hours later he asked me for another one! I decided to let my mother try out the better beet juice and she poured it into a glass of ice. She said it tasted smooth and better than any other type of beet juice that she has tried. Since my daughter is the lemonade drinker in the house, I decided to let her try out the carrot lemonade flavor. She wasn't sure if she would like it because she is not fond of carrots...however, after just a few swallows she commented to me that she loved the juice and wanted to take the other 2 bottles home with her. She said it had a pleasant slightly sweet taste with no after-taste to it.

Flavors Available:

Better Beets - This flavorfully fascinating beverage offers a unique blend of beet and fruit juices, providing a bold flavor & smooth taste.

Cranberry Ginger - This beverage embodies the perfect marriage of both sweet and spicy, packing a punch for your taste buds.

Carrot Lemonade - This well balanced and vibrant juice provides a tangy blend of carrot and fruit juices to quench your thirst and refresh your palate.

Cucumber Pineapple - This unusually fantastic beverage sets the stage for surprise. The soft taste of cucumber combined with the sweet and exotic taste of pineapple is the perfect energizer and satisfies your thirst perfectly.

My Over-All Impression: Frankly, I wasn't sure if my family and I would like the combination of vegetables mixed with fruit juices...but after we tried them, we have become hooked! Drinking It Tastes RAAW vegetable fruit juices is certainly a lot healthier than consuming soft drinks and I recommend these beverages to you.

Buy It: You can purchase these fabulous RAAW vegetable fruit juices online by visiting the Raw Foods International web site. They are shipped direct to you safely and securely to your office or home. A 12-pack of these beverages only costs $42.00 U.S. Dollars.

I would like to thank the folks at Raw Foods International for allowing me and my family to do a product review for them. I certainly recommend these beverages to you as they are so much healthier for you than soft drinks! I think they are absolutely fantastic for those of us who lead busy lives and don't always have time to make our own fruit & veggie juices at home. I give this beverage 2 thumbs up!

Disclaimer: Shelly Hill was sent 1 case of vegetable fruit juices by the company Raw Foods International for her product review. Shelly has received no monetary compensation for her review. Shelly has posted a honest and unbiased opinion of the products that she and her family reviewed. Your thoughts, opinions and experience might differ from theirs.

Delicious Spinach Casserole Recipe

My family absolutely loves spinach and this casserole recipe is super easy to prepare and only takes 30-35 minutes of baking time which is a big plus in the summertime when I don't want to be running my oven for hours.

Spinach Casserole Recipe

1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained
1 egg
1/4 cup melted butter
1 1/4 cup seasoned croutons
1 can cream of mushroom soup (do not add water)
1 cup grated sharp cheese
1/4 cup chopped onions

Mix all ingredients together until blended and coated, place in baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes until done.

Product Review and Giveaway - Unwind Beverage - 5 Winners!!!

Today I would like to introduce you to the company known as Frontier Beverage Company that produces a beverage called Unwind. Unwind blends antioxidant-rich Acai and Goji Fruit Juices with natural calming ingredients like Valerian Root, Melatonin and Passion Flower, providing a low calorie antidote for a stressful day, while preparing your body for a fresh start tomorrow.

Each 8 fl. oz. can is 2 servings and each serving is only 25 calories, 25 mg. sodium and 6 g. of carbohydrates. Unwind offers an antidote to all of the stresses that we face every day in our lives, such as having a crazy day at the office, a frazzled day spent chasing our children around or a night out on the town. Unwind provides ultimate relaxation with a boost of vitamins B and C to help power your body to do it all again tomorrow. The Unwind beverage comes in 3 different flavors: Citrus Orange, Pomegranate and Grape.

Did You Know? Both ‘Good Morning America’ and ‘The View’ have named the relaxation beverage trend a hot topic in 2010 as everyone faces stresses in our busy lifestyles. Not only can Unwind™ help you sleep better – which in turn will decrease weight gain – but also it offers a non-alcoholic solution for the craziest of days. And, all the while, each of these benefits keep us girls looking refreshed, healthy, and great.

Product Review: The generous people over at the Frontier Beverage Company sent us 2 cans of the Unwind beverage in the citrus orange flavor to try out for our product review. I decided to let my husband try out the beverages since he has been working 15 hour days at work and comes home tired and stressed out.

Here is what he has to say about Unwind: "I really enjoyed drinking my Unwind while relaxing after a hard day at work. I found it best to drink it cold over a few cubes of ice. The drink had a nice smooth and refreshing taste to it with no nasty after-taste. After about an hour, I honestly did feel more relaxed and less tensed up and I was ready to hit the hay shortly after that. I feel that Unwind did help me to 'relax and unwind' before going to bed". I then asked him if he would purchase Unwind in the future and would he recommend Unwind to others? His reply was, "Yes, I would and do plan on purchasing Unwind. Its a great tasting low-calorie beverage and the last thing you need before bed is a high-calorie soft drink. I would certainly recommend Unwind to my friends & family".

Overall Impression: As you can see from what hubby said, he would recommend this product to you. He enjoyed the taste of the beverage and did feel that it helped him to relax & unwind after a long day at work. He also commented that he liked the idea of having 2 servings per can so that he could decide if he wanted both servings that night or if he wanted to save the second serving for the next night. He also enjoyed the Citrus Orange flavor and felt that it really did taste like a citrus orange with no after-taste.

Buy It: You can buy Unwind online via their online store. You get 24 cans for only $54.95 with standard shipping in the US.

Win It: The great folks over at Frontier Beverage Company are sponsoring a giveaway over on the Two Classy Chics Blog! 5 Different Winners will each receive 1 case of Unwind! yeah! (each case contains 12 cans).

Note: For my blog readers who don't know, I also co-own another site called Two Classy Chics Product Reviews & Giveaways. Please head on over to my other web site so that you can enter this fabulous giveaway sponsored by the Frontier Beverage Company! You can visit my other site ----> HERE

You can read the giveaway details & enter there!

Easy To Make Chocolate Cake Frosting Recipe

I really love using this recipe when I need a fast and easy chocolate frosting to top off a cake, cupcakes or a dish of brownies. You can mix this recipe up in less than 10 minutes and it only uses 5 ingredients that you most likely already have on hand. It will make about 2 cups of frosting.

Chocolate Frosting Recipe

3 cups confectioner's sugar (10X sugar), divided
2/3 cup of powdered cocoa (I like to use Hershey's)
1/2 cup butter, softened
5 1/2 tablespoons of milk, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I like to use Watkin's Vanilla)

In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat together 1 cup of the confectioner's sugar with the powdered cocoa, butter and 2 tablespoons of cold milk. Stir in the vanilla extract and beat again. Gradually beat in the remaining ingredients until creamy and smooth.

Use the frosting right away or refrigerate it. However, if you refrigerate it, you will need to let it sit for about 10 minutes before using it so that its not too stiff to spread.

Crock Pot Pork Ribs made with Country Bob's BBQ Sauce

Here at our home we absolutely love pork ribs and we love them slow cooked for 6 to 8 hours in our crock pot aka slow cooker. This time around, we used pork short ribs and 2 bottles of Country Bob's all purpose sauce. You can buy Country Bob's sauce via their web site ---> HERE and/or find some awesome recipes to make for your family.

I started off by rinsing our pork ribs under cool water. I put them in the crock pot with just enough water to cover them. I cooked them on low for 4 hours. I removed them from the crock pot and drained out the water. I poured one bottle of sauce in the crock pot and then placed my 7 ribs on top and poured in the second bottle. I slow cooked them for an additional 5 hours.

They were some of the best pork ribs we have ever eaten! The meat just fell off the bone and the sauce taste was clear thru the meat (not just on the outside of the meat) which is how we like our ribs done!

So if you love pork ribs, I suggest picking up a few bottles of Country Bob's all-purpose sauce.

Note: I was not compensated in any way to make this post. I won the 2 bottles of Country Bob's all-purpose sauce from a blog giveaway on another site. I decided to make a post on my recipe blog about the fabulous ribs we made with the sauce that we had won.

Delicious Breaded Fried Zucchini Recipe

Every summer my husband and I plant a very large garden and one of the things we like to grow are zucchinis. The only problem with that is that I usually end up with a lot more than what we can possibly use.

One of the things I like to make with fresh zucchini is fried zucchini that is dipped into my homemade seasoned bread crumbs. (You can find my recipe for homemade bread crumbs under my breads category here on my blog).

This recipe can be used as a breakfast recipe or as a side dish with lunch or dinner.

Breaded Fried Zucchini Recipe

1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 - 2 teaspoons of butter
4 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup of milk
2 medium eggs, well beaten
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Melt butter in your frying pan and then sprinkle in your salt and ground black pepper. Stir in your shredded zucchini and simmer/fry until zucchini is softened. In medium sized bowl, combine together the milk, eggs and bread crumbs, stir this mixture into the zucchini mixture and simmer on low until its done.

Homemade Easy To Make Orange Slushie Beverage Recipe

During the hot summertime months, I love to make homemade slushies and this orange slush recipe is a family favorite!

You will need to assemble the ingredients and use your household blender to make it. You can freeze and then partially thaw any leftovers if you have any.

Homemade Orange Slushie Recipe

1 cup of milk (I use 2% milk)
1 cup of tap water
1/2 of a can of orange juice concentrate, partially thawed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 ice cubes

I like to partially thaw my orange juice concentrate so I sit it out onto my counter for a few minutes while I assemble the rest of my ingredients. You will want to add all of the above ingredients to your blender container in the order that they are given. Then blend until the ice is all chopped up and serve immediately in chilled glasses.

Watkins Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

A friend of mine named Darlene is a long time rep with the Direct Sales company called Watkins. If you are not familiar with Watkins, you need to visit her web site and check out the company and all of their high quality products.

I am a huge fan of Watkins vanilla extract, black pepper and their soup bases along with various other products that Watkins sells.

Darlene has agreed to share a Watkins (tm) recipe today to make homemade cinnamon rolls. This recipe will make approximately 15 servings.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

4 -1/4 to 4-3/4 cups/1 to 1.25 liters all-purpose flour
1 package quick-rising active dry yeast
1-1/4 cups/325 mL milk
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Vanilla
1/4 cup/60 mL sugar
1/4 cup/60 mL butter
1 tsp/5 mL salt
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Cinnamon
2 eggs
6 tbsp/90 mL butter, softened
1/2 cup/125 mL brown sugar
4 tsp/20 mL Watkins Cinnamon
1 cup/250 mL powdered sugar
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Vanilla
4 to 5 tsp/20 to 25 mL milk

Combine 1-1/2 cups/375 mL of the flour and yeast in large mixing bowl. Heat the 1-1/4 cups/325 mL milk, vanilla, sugar, butter, salt, and cinnamon just until mixture is warm (120-130°F/50-55°C), stirring constantly. Add to flour mixture along with eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds; scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can (dough will be soft).

Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball; place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 1 to 1-1/2 hours). (The dough is ready for shaping when you can lightly press two fingers 1/2-inch/1-cm into dough and an indentation remains.) Punch down dough and divide in half. Place each half on lightly floured surface and smooth into a ball. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. On lightly floured surface, roll half the dough into a 12 x 8-inch/30 x 20-cm rectangle.

Spread with 3 tbsp/45 mL of the butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle half over rectangle. Roll up from short side. Seal edges (brushing with water makes rolls easier to seal). Repeat with remaining dough. Slice one roll into 8 pieces and the other roll into 7 pieces. Arrange slices, evenly, cut-side up, in greased 13 x 9-inch/33 x 23-cm baking dish. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled (about 30 minutes). Bake at 350°F/180°C for 25 to 40 minutes or until light brown. Invert at once onto wire rack, invert again. Cool slightly. Drizzle rolls with a glaze made by combining the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.

Serve rolls warm or store in an air-tight container.

Thank you Darlene for sharing a recipe today with all of my blog readers!

Beverage - Amish Style Rhubarb Punch Recipe

Living in Southern Pennsylvania right outside of Lancaster Amish Country allows me to come across some delicious and unique recipes and this one is no exception! Back in late March, my hubby and I took a weekend trip down to Lancaster and I met a local Mennonite woman who shared her recipe with me for Rhubarb Punch.

Rhubarb Punch Recipe

12 cups washed and chopped fresh rhubarb
8 cups of tap or spring water
3 cups of granulated sugar (white sugar)
1 (12 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, partially thawed

To Prepare The Rhubarb: Wash and chop fresh rhubarb. Place it into a pan of water on your stove top and cook until its done. Let it drip through a sieve or cheese cloth, collecting the juice and reserving it in a large jug or container.

Once it has cooled, stir in the granulated sugar, orange juice concentrate and water to equal 3 gallons. If you like it sweeter, you can add more sugar to taste.

Homemade Mexican Artichoke and Chili Dip Recipe

My sister-in-law Sandra makes a fantastic dip called Artichoke and Chilies and brings her fabulous dip to almost all of our family gatherings. This recipe only takes 5 ingredients which are readily available in any grocery store. You will want to serve this dip warm...so make sure you plan ahead if you are transporting it to a family gathering or party. It can be reheated in a microwave for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes before serving.

Mexican Artichoke and Chili Dip Recipe

1 (8 ounce) can of artichokes, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
1 (4 ounce) can black olives, chopped
1 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine all of the above ingredients except for the Cheddar cheese. Once you have everything mixed together, pour the mixture into a glass pie pan. Sprinkle the shredded Cheddar cheese on top. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 17 minutes. Once done, serve warm with your favorite tortilla chips or nachos.

Easy To Make Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe

One of my favorite vegetables is mushrooms and one of my favorite meats is pork...when you combine the two...you get a fabulous Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe!

This recipe is really easy to prepare and only takes 4-5 ingredients.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

1 1/2 lbs. medium to large sized mushrooms
1/2 lb. Italian style sausage
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I use my own homemade bread crumbs)
Parsley (optional)

Note: You can find my recipe for homemade bread crumbs here on my blog under the bread category.

Wash and dry your mushrooms. Remove the stems and chop mushrooms into pieces. In a large frying pan over medium heat, brown and cook the sausage until it is done. Remove sausage from frying pan and place onto 2 paper towels. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of drippings (grease) from the frying pan. Turn your burner on and cook your mushroom stems until tender. Remove the mushroom stems from the frying pan and stir in the Italian style sausage, shredded Mozzarella cheese and bread crumbs. Fill the mushroom caps with the mixture. Place mushroom caps in a large rectangular baking dish and bake in a preheated oven set at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. You can garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Old-Fashioned Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe

During the summer months, we are often invited to backyard bbq's, family picnics and various parties and always asked to bring a dish. One of the items I like to make and take is this delicious chicken pasta salad.

The recipe does take a little time to make and is made in 2 parts...the pasta salad and then the dressing.

Old-Fashioned Chicken Pasta Salad

Step: 1

4 cups rotelli pasta, cooked, rinsed and drained
2 cups cooked chicken breasts (white meat)
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
6 cups fresh spinach, rinsed, drained and chopped up

Mix up all of the above ingredients and set aside.

Step: 2

1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3-4 tablespoons granulated sugar
salt and ground black pepper to taste

In a large frying pan, lightly brown the sesame seeds in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Let them cool for 10 minutes. In a bowl, combined the sesame seeds with all of the other ingredients listed above. This will be your dressing for the pasta salad. Once you have everything mixed, add in Part 1 until well combined.

Place lid on your bowl and refrigerate for several hours to allow the dressing to infuse into the cooked pasta mixture.

Homemade Raspberry Grape Punch Beverage Recipe

I don't know about you...but I love drinking cold homemade punches during the summertime. I also like to make it and serve it at family gatherings and holiday parties.

This punch recipe is really easy to prepare and only requires 4 ingredients to make. You can serve this delicious punch all year long or just for special ocassions.

Delicious Homemade Raspberry Punch Recipe

1 (6 ounce) can frozen grape juice concentrate (white or purple), thawed
4 cups of water
1 (2 liter) bottle of 7 UP
1/2 gallon container of raspberry sherbet

Mix together the thawed grape juice conventrate with the cold water. Stir in the 7 UP and then the raspberry sherbet. Serve punch immediately. If you need to refrigerate the punch...only mix up the first 3 ingredients and then add in the raspberry sherbet right before serving the punch to your guests.

Delicious Apple Walnut Brownies Recipe

During the fall months I love visiting our local orchard with my family and we go apple picking and bring home 2-3 bushels of freshly picked apples. One of the things I like to make with my apples is this Apple Walnut Brownies recipe. From time to time when I make them...I will substitute the walnuts with some chopped pecans which is equally as good!

Apple Walnut Brownies Recipe

4 cups apples, peeled and chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup margarine, melted
2 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Mix flour, sugar, margarine, eggs, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add chopped apples, mix thoroughly and then add the chopped walnuts. Pour into a greased 9x13" baking pan and bake 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Homemade Beer Battered Onion Rings Recipe

Do you love onion rings? If so...you have got to try this easy to make homemade recipe for beer battered onion rings! This is our absolute favorite recipe when it comes to making them and its super easy to make!

Beer Battered Onion Rings Recipe

peanut or vegetable oil
1 sweet onion, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 medium or large eggs
1 teaspoon celery salt
2 cups bisquick baking mix
1 cup beer (your favorite brand)

In Dutch Oven, heat 4" of oil over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. In shallow pan, dredge sliced onion in flour; set aside. In large bowl: whisk together eggs and celery salt. Stir in bisquick and beer. (Batter will be lumpy). Shake excess flour from onion slices and coat in beer batter. When oil is ready, carefully slide battered onion slices into the oil. Fry for 4-6 minutes, turning occasionally. Drain on 2 layers of paper towels. Serve immediately.

Old-Fashioned Potato Salad Recipe

During the summer months, it seems like we are invited to a picnic or family gathering every other weekend. One of the dishes I like to take to these type of gatherings are homemade Potato Salad. Now I am not going to lie to you...this recipe does take some time to make...but your cooking efforts will be well rewarded with a ton of compliments.

Old-Fashioned Potato Salad Recipe

You will need 7 large potatoes that have been cooked and diced for this recipe. Once done, set aside and work on the dressing.

How To Make The Dressing

1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup white vinegar
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon yellow or dijon mustard

Combine all of the above dressing ingredients in a large saucepan. Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

How To Finish It Up

1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

In a medium-sized bowl, combine together the chopped onion, mayonnaise and the chopped hard-boiled eggs. Stir in the prepared potato salad dressing. Fold in the cooked, diced potatoes. Cover your bowl and refrigerate for 4 hours before serving to allow all of the flavors to infuse.

Asian-Style Summer Salad and Salad Dressing Recipe

During the summer months we eat a lot of salads here in our home...our family just loves salads! When it comes to making salads, I like to offer a wide variety of them so that we don't get tired of eating them.

This recipe is what I call an Asian-Style salad because it utilizes chow mein noodles, water chestnuts and sesame seeds. Below you will find the recipe to make the salad as well as the recipe to make the delicious salad dressing.

Asian-Style Summer Salad Recipe

Salad Ingredients:

1 head of iceberg lettuce, torn into small pieces
1 onion, finely chopped
1 can water chestnuts, drained
1 cup chow mein noodles
1 cup cashew nuts
1/4 cup sesame seeds

Mix all of the above salad ingredients together and set aside while you make the dressing.

Salad Dressing Ingredients:

1 tablespoon minced onions
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar.

Mix all of the above ingredients together in the order that they are given. You can adjust the salt, granulated sugar and ground black pepper to taste. Pour this delicious dressing over your Asian-Styled Salad.