Year In Review – Top 10 Posts At Give It A Whirl Girl For 2018

Year In Review - 2018 - Give It A Whirl Girl - Top 10 Blog Posts

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF MY READERS!

It has been a great year for 2018 over here at Give It A Whirl Girl! I started up this blog in early June and it has been one hell of an awesome ride! At the start of 2018, I made a new year’s resolution to start a blog. I am so happy to say that it was one of my new year’s resolutions that I actually stuck to and accomplished.

On June 6th I was at home and I was recovering from an umbilical hernia surgery when I got the idea to follow through and fire it up. I had no clue or idea what the heck I was doing when I started (I don’t think anyone knows lol). I started to read and research how to do this whole blog thing. Still to this day I am feeding my brain with knowledge about blogging. Seems as though there is always something new to learn if you are going to make a job out of blogging.

I am so happy and pleased to say that I absolutely love blogging and this is something that I will definitely be sticking to for a very long time. I have always been passionate about food. I live for the thrill of trying new foods (giving them a whirl) and I am also very much in love with cooking. It made perfect sense to take all of this into consideration and start blogging about these passions of mine.

And here you have it, folks! Here is my top ten list of the most visited posts for 2018.

GIVEAWAY – Chocolate – Happy Holidays & Thank You

This was a recent giveaway that I ran on my own over here at Give It A Whirl Girl. Truth be told, I am a bit obsessed with trying out any and all chocolate products so I put together this prize pack to send off to one lucky reader! I had a great time hosting this giveaway and putting this together on my own. Really am envious of the winner of this prize pack because all of these chocolate confections are out of this world amazing. Really am hoping that they are loving their chocolates!

GIVEAWAY – Kettle & Fire Bone Broth Review and Coupon Code

White Chicken Chili made with Kettle & Fire Chicken Bone Broth

This was another great giveaway with a brand that I know, love, and trust~ Kettle & Fire. Their bone broths are not only healthy but very nutritious as well. I made the most incredible ground chicken white chili with their chicken bone broth and shared the recipe on my blog.

Get Empowered With TRUWOMEN Protein Bars – Product Review & A Giveaway

Here is one of my very first posts at Give It A Whirl Girl and I am truly shocked that it landed a spot in my top 10 list of my most visited posts. This was the first giveaway that I conducted on the blog and I partnered with TRUWOMEN to do this giveaway for a variety pack of their bars. Their bars are top-notch and come in fun flavors such as Daydreaming About Donuts and Oh Oh Cookie Dough!

Kawaii Bubble Tea Is The Place You Want To Be – Boba Review In Clinton Township, Michigan

Kawaii Bubble Tea Boba drink (honeydew, with almond milk, green tea, and passionfruit jelly)

This was a very fun post to do for my blog! I reviewed Kawaii Bubble Tea in Clinton Township. I had arranged a meeting with the owner and I interviewed her over a bubble tea and a delightful tray of fresh macarons. My daughter and my hubby tagged along for this venture and it was a great time to be had for all!

White Elephant Gift Guide At Perpetual Kid & A Giveaway

I partnered with Perpetual Kid to do a giveaway for a gift-card to their online store. This was a fun giveaway to co-host because Perpetual Kid has a very unique online store. I created a white elephant gift guide to go along with this giveaway and found some very funny gag gifts to share.

Fat Stack Of Gluten-Free Pancakes With Enjoy Life Foods – Product Review, Recipe, & Giveaway

Stack of Enjoy Life Foods natural color pancakes with rainbow sprinkles

For this post I reviewed one of my favorite brands- Enjoy Life Foods. I created a fat stack of some fun gluten-free pancakes and then I decided to throw in an Amazon gift-card and do a giveaway.

New York Deli In St Clair Shores – Restaurant Review

New York Deli in St Clair Shores, MI - Baked Cod — New York Deli in St Clair Shores, MI – Baked Cod

The New York Deli in St. Clair Shores, MI is one of my family’s go-to restaurants in our neighborhood. For this post I did a review of the restaurant. I went with one of my usual dinners that night~ baked cod with steamed broccoli.

A Trio Of Frozen Custard Parfaits At Erma’s Frozen Custard In St Clair Shores, Michigan

Peanut Butter & Jelly Parfait at Erma's Frozen Custard in St Clair Shore, MI — Peanut Butter & Jelly Parfait at Erma’s Frozen Custard in St Clair Shores, MI

Erma’s Frozen Custard is another St. Clair Shores place of business. I did a review of their frozen custard stand and each of my family members got a parfait of their choosing. My family always enjoys our outings with frozen treats!

Party Hardy With A Yasso Frozen Yogurt Treat – Product Review Of Party Animal Froyo

Yasso Frozen Yogurt - Party Animal — Yasso Frozen Yogurt – Party Animal Sundae

It is kinda sorta hard for me to believe that one of my very first posts at Give It A Whirl Girl has generated so much traffic. This post gets a lot of traffic from Google search. I had zero knowledge at the time on how SEO worked but somehow I managed to get this post to show up well in the results.

I had a great time reviewing the Yasso Frozen Yogurt. I ended up making a delicious sundae with the Party Animal flavor. For the topping, I added some marshmallow to it, candy sprinkles, and three frosted animal cookies. And let us not forget about the cherry on top! Every splendid sundae needs to be topped with one of those!

Good Day Chocolate Supplements For Children – Go Back To School In Good Health

And last but not least, this post was for Good Day Chocolate Supplement for kids. I had also reviewed the adult line of supplements from this brand. I partnered with Good Day Chocolate to do a giveaway for a variety pack of their supplements on my Instagram page.

Give It A Whirl Girl Blog Goals For 2019

Improve photography

I know, I know! One thing I need to improve upon here at Give It A Whirl Girl is my photography and I am going to make it a priority to get better at this in 2019. I need to get the funds to improve my equipment first. I would love to get some proper lighting equipment and a new DSLR and a great lens to go on it. Anyone want to send $2000 my way because I think that is what it will take to be where I need to be!

Better blog design

Honestly, I am not 100% in love with the blog design over here at Give It A Whirl Girl. I play around with different themes every now and then to see if I can find a better style. In 2019 it will be a top priority to get a better design here, a logo, and also a nice photograph for my short bio.

More giveaways

As you can see in my top 10 list, the giveaways generate a good amount of traffic. Traffic is great! I also love hosting these giveaways and partnering with brands that I love and endorse. I feel like the giveaways are a great way to give back to my loyal readers. To me, they are a great way of saying thanks!

More restaurant reviews

You can also see that in this top 10 list there are some restaurant reviews that received quite a bit of hits. I enjoy doing those as well and I admit, I have been slacking on doing them. They do make me a bit nervous to do. I am going to attempt to come out of my shell more and bring more local hot spots to my readers.

Question Time!

What would you like to see more of over here at Give It A Whirl Girl in the new year?

Also, do you have any new year’s resolutions you would like to share?

Leave me a comment and let me know.

THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS (no extra cost to you). ALL OPINIONS STATED HERE ARE MY OWN.

January 3, 2019 13

GIVEAWAY – CHOCOLATE – Happy Holidays and Thank You

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS CONCLUDED. Thank you all for your participation. More giveaways soon!

I would love to wish all of my readers happy holidays and a huge thank you to all who take a moment out of their day to read my blog. I just recently hit the 6-month mark of blogging so YIPPEE and HOORAY! As a thank you I would love to gift one person ten pieces of gluten-free, organic chocolate from a wide variety of different brands. I am hosting this chocolate giveaway as a thank you to my loyal readers that have followed along on my blogging journey.

One lucky reader will receive ten scrumptious chocolate candies

I gotta say that so far the 6 months have been quite the journey. Blogging is always an uphill battle to get better and better at it. There is always something new to learn and this information helps me improve upon myself. I learn something new about blogging every single day and I am constantly feeding my brain these tips and tricks. I have a voice when I create a post and I wish and hope for that voice to be heard. That is why I am so thankful for those who read, comment and share my blog posts.

I am very very very thankful for each and everyone of you!

I am so excited to share this special giveaway with my audience. I hope that this chocolate brightens up the winner’s day. I know I would be flipping thrilled to win a prize pack like this.

CHOCOLATE GIVES ME LIFE.

I have carefully selected these brands of chocolate confections because I hold their products near and dear to my heart. I’m not the type of person to pick up a Hershey Bar. I always long for something better. The ten brands of chocolate products represented here all strive for quality and they use wholesome ingredients to produce their products.

Winner will receive one product (one piece) from each of the following brands:

Alternative Baking Company – Colossal Chocolate Chip Cookie
Lily’s 40% Chocolate, Salted Almond & Milk
Justin’s Organic Peanut Butter Cups, Dark Chocolate
Enjoy Life Boom Choco Boom Dark Chocolate
Theo Cranberry Orange Dark Chocolate
Eating Evolved Classic Coconut Butter Cups, Dark Chocolate
Endangered Species Dark Chocolate with Cranberries & Orange & Cinnamon
Alter Eco Chocolate Bar Dark Super Blackout Organic
Newman’s Own Organics 70% Cocoa Chocolate, Super Dark
Heavenly Organics Honey Patties, Chocolate Mint

These ten brands can all be found on Amazon and many ship with Amazon Prime. If you are not yet a Prime member you can sign up for a free 30-day trial.

The chocolate giveaway

Alternative Baking Company

I am giving away one chocolate chip cookie from Alternative Baking Company. This cookie is gluten-free and vegan. They offer a wide variety of cookies to choose from and they come in 12 different flavors. You can find out more in their online store.

Lily’s Sweets

The winner of my giveaway will receive one Salted Almond & Milk chocolate bar from Lily’s Sweets. Lily’s chocolate bars are sweetened with Stevia and they do not contain any added sugars. The chocolate is also free of GMOs and is vegan-friendly. These bars are wonderful for those of us who are watching our sugar intake. If you are curious about these chocolate bars why not pick up a variety pack on Amazon with 6 fun flavors!

Lily' Sweets Salted Almond & Milk Chocolate Bar — **Lily’ Sweets Salted Almond & Milk Chocolate Bar**

Justin’s Organic

The winner of my chocolate giveaway will receive one package of dark chocolate peanut butter cups from Justin’s. If you love the combination of dark chocolate with peanut butter you will be swooning over these with your first bite. These taste 10x better than your average Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and they are only made with all-natural, organic ingredients. These peanut butter cups are also available in milk chocolate.

And I just discovered that these peanut butter candy cups are available in white chocolate as well. So something for everyone!

Justin's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups — **Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups**

Enjoy Life Foods

Enjoy Life Foods is one of my favorite brands and I love their vegan and gluten-free chocolate with all of my heart. The winner of this giveaway will receive one Dark Chocolate Boom Choco Boom bar. This brand makes the most incredible chocolate chips and chocolate chip cookies.

Theo Chocolate

I love the gourmet flavor of a Theo Chocolate bar. The winner will receive one Cranberry Orange bar from Theo Chocolate. Here is a variety pack of holiday flavors available on Amazon. Make sure you check out their 12-bar variety pack also.

Eating Evolved

Eating Evolved makes primal and paleo products that are gluten-free and vegan. They only use all-natural ingredients to create their mouthwatering treats. I am giving away one Dark Chocolate Classic Coconut Butter Cup to one lucky reader of my blog. If you want to try three different flavors of these Eating Evolved Coconut Butter Cups there is a 12-count variety pack available on Amazon.

Endangered Species Chocolate

Amazon offers a variety pack of several different flavors of Endangered Species Chocolate. The winner of my giveaway will receive one bar from this brand and it will be Cranberry Orange flavor. What I love about this brand of chocolate is that they give back to the environment. Endangered Species Chocolate has donated $1.4 million towards conservation efforts of endangered animals.

Alter Eco

This Super Blackout Bar from Alter Eco is not for the faint of heart. This chocolate bar is for the real, true chocolate lover out there. This bar is super dark and one lucky reader of my blog will get to give this bar a whirl. I love this bar paired with a glass of port wine. Alter Eco also produces a variety of decadent chocolate truffles.

Newman’s Own Organics

This is another brand that gives back. Newman’s Own contributes 100% of their profits to charity organizations. You can read more about their mission statement on their website. The winner of my giveaway will receive one 70% chocolate bar from Newman’s Own. This bar is organic and made with wholesome ingredients and love.

Heavenly Organics

These Chocolate Mint Honey Patties from Heavenly Organics are gluten-free and made with only three natural ingredients: chocolate, raw white honey, and peppermint oil. The winner of my giveaway will win one package to try out.

Here are some of my blog highlights that feature chocolate I would love to share:

Paleo & Vegan Cookie Dough Cheesecake Recipe

Slice of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

This recipe turned out quite fabulous and I am really proud of this one and had to share it here on my blog! I am a lover of pretty much anything this is cookie dough. This was a delectable treat that truly pleased my palate. This recipe is perfect for anyone that loves to indulge in chocolate.

Paleo & Vegan Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe

A nice slice of the Vegan Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Ahhh yes… we have another cheesecake recipe that I would love to share with my readers. So yeah I am a big time cookie dough lover but you want to know what else I love? The combination of dark chocolate and raspberry. Pure bliss! This is another recipe for the chocolate lovers out there. I am quite obsessed with all of these paleo and vegan cheesecake recipes. It is nice to know and reassuring that those of us who need to opt for a gluten-free diet have a wide variety of things to choose from nowadays.

Paleo Chocolate & Matcha Cheesecake

One more cheesecake recipe. This recipe is paleo friendly. I could have made it vegan-friendly as well but silly me decided that sweetening this up with honey was a great idea. Great idea, yes, but not friendly for the vegan readers. This chocolate and matcha combination had a very unique flavor.

So tell me… what is the first product that you are going to give a whirl if you win my chocolate giveaway? Leave a comment below and make sure you enter the giveaway. Good luck to all!

Enter the chocolate giveaway through the entry form below.

THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS (no extra cost to you). ALL OPINIONS STATED HERE ARE MY OWN.

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December 11, 2018 111

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake RECIPE (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake RECIPE (gluten-free, vegan)

Saturdays are my favorite days of the week to get in the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen and whip up a tasty treat for my family to enjoy. This weekend I created a vegan and gluten-free, no-bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake. Is there anything in this world better than edible chocolate chip cookie dough? Hell no! This Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake is completely safe to indulge in and does not contain any eggs which are typically found in cookies. The filling is of this cheesecake mimics the real deal quite well and my little family of 3 absolutely loved this faux cheesecake recipe.

I think that it is a universal idea that raw cookie dough is the bomb! When I was a little girl and my mom whipped up a batch of cookies I always had to have a taste of the cookie dough on the spatula. I would give it a good lick and the taste of raw cookie dough is pure, straight up comfort food! Am I right?

Raw cookie dough almost always has eggs in it, and let’s face it… raw eggs can get you sick with salmonella nowadays and that is the last thing in the world that anyone needs. This recipe is perfect for those that admire that taste of raw cookie dough. If you don’t feel like creating an entire cheesecake with this recipe, go ahead and just create the filling and indulge in that with a spoon or use something to dip in it. The filling on its own makes a great dip!

Vegan-friendly and gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Creating the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

This cheesecake has a very rich taste thanks to the 4th & Heart ghee that I used. If you are able to get hour hands on the 4th & Heart vanilla ghee I am sure that would be fantastic in this recipe as well. In my cheesecakes, I always go with coconut oil but for this one, I swapped that out for ghee since chocolate chip cookies are full of butter. The ghee turned out the be a wise choice. When I took that first bite of this cheesecake I knew that using ghee in this recipe was a smart decision. I used coconut oil a couple months ago to make a cookie dough cheesecake, and while it was delicious this recipe with the ghee knocked it out of the park!

It may seem as though this recipe has a lot of ingredients. If you have a well-stocked pantry, chances are you already have most of the items on the ingredient list. There are also some kitchen items, such as a good-sized food processor, that you will need. A springform pan is essential as well in order to create a cheesecake. A standard 8-inch size will do. If you use anything larger you will have to increase the amount of the ingredients in the chocolate ganache topping.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake crust

The first step of this recipe is to create the crust of the cheesecake. For the crust of this cookie dough cheesecake, I used a mix of Medjool dates, raw almonds, almond flour, finely shredded coconut, maple syrup, cacao powder, ghee, and some pure vanilla extract. This results in a chocolatey crust due to the added cacao powder. If you do not want a chocolate crust, simply just omit the cacao powder. The crust is gluten and grain-free. The crust has a nutty texture (from the almonds) and the perfect amount of chocolate flavor.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough chocolate crust pressed into a springform pan

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake filling

The filling is composed of raw cashews, almond flour, coconut flour, ghee, maple syrup, lemon juice, coconut sugar, and vegan dark chocolate chips. This is the part of cheesecake that is all about that edible cookie dough flavor. The soaked cashews mixed with that little bit of lemon juice, believe it or not, are going to imitate a cheesecake. This type of formula with the cashews and lemon juice is very versatile and you can totally get creative here with your non-dairy, vegan cheesecake. I posted some other recipes for cheesecakes at the bottom of this post.

Filling made... just need to stir in some chocolate chips — Filling made… just need to stir in some chocolate chips

Filling smoothed out over the crust. Just needs a chocolate ganche topping.

Close up of the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake topping

For this Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake, we are going to top it off with a simple chocolate ganache that is only 2 ingredients: vegan dark chocolate chips (from Enjoy Life Foods) and just a dab of coconut oil to smooth it all out. This is my daughter’s favorite part of any cheesecake that I create. Gee, I wonder why? Could it be because she is a chocolate lover like myself? This is the first part that she always goes for when I cut her a slice.

Melting down some dark chocolate chips for the topping

Continue reading “Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake RECIPE (Vegan, Gluten-Free)” →

October 28, 2018 1

Halloween Party Essentials – Friday Faves

Welcome to this week’s Friday Faves where I break down my favorite Halloween party essentials on Amazon. The concept of my blog is to eat healthy so you can have dessert. So this week we have some Cheat Day treats. It is Halloween time, after all, so might as well enjoy all of the tasty treats going around. I have some items here that can also incorporate adult beverages in them. Get creative! The possibilities with some of these Halloween items are endless.

Nordic Ware Haunted Skull Cakelet Pan

Here is something that I absolutely love and want so freaking bad! You can really get creative in the kitchen with this and whip up some tasty treats for your Halloween party. This pan is used mainly for baking sweet treats but I once saw something online where someone used this to create little-stuffed pizzas.

Enjoy Life Halloween Chocolate Candy Minis Variety Pack, Soy-free, Nut free, Gluten free, Dairy free, Non-GMO, 6.3 Ounce, 4 Count

Imagine my excitement when I found out that Enjoy Life Foods has Halloween candy that is free from common food allergens. I saw this on Twitter and I am so happy to see a brand that keeps allergies in mind. These are also made with all natural ingredients. I could totally see myself pigging out on these candies. I am so very much in love with their chocolate and I would love to have these in my life! Pass these out at your Halloween party!

Tovolo Zombies Pop Molds, Flexible Silicone

I am really digging these Zombie Pop Molds because these can actually be a healthy treat. Just add some fresh fruit juice and you will have yourself a healthy zombie treat! These would be great ot serve up at a Halloween party. I think this would be a memorable treat for your guests. This also might be another thing you can play around with and get creative with some adult beverages. Wink! Wink!

Fred SWEET SPIRITS Day of the Dead Cookie Cutter/Stampers, Set of 4

I know, I know Halloween and Day of the Dead are two separate things but close enough to make this Friday Faves list. I love these sugar skull cookie cutters and this would be a fun project for making cookies with my daughter, Chloe. Serve up some of these at your Halloween party and you will have some happy guests.

Continue reading “Halloween Party Essentials – Friday Faves” →

October 12, 2018 0

Healthy Hot List – Must-Have Health Food Products For Your Lifestyle (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan, Paleo, Whole 30, or Keto)

Healthy Hot List - Must-Have Healthy Food Products For Your Lifestyle (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan, Paleo, Whole 30, or Keto)

I would like to start up a new regular feature on the blog featuring items that I have used and fallen in love with. I will be calling this the Healthy Hot List. These are all health food items that I have given a whirl and want to spread the word about so this fits in perfectly with my Tried It Out Tuesday weekly feature. These are healthy foods that can fit into your routine.

Many of these health food items fall within the realms of several different diets: gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, Whole 30, keto, and vegan.

Whenever I try out a new product and I become a fan I do my best to promote these items and spread the word about them. I would love my good words for these brands to travel far and wide because they earned it with their quality health food products. Hope you enjoy this list and let me know if you have tried anything on this list.

Healthy Hot List – Health Foods Your Pantry Needs

Caulipower Variety Pack – Cauliflower Crust Frozen Pizza – Gluten-Free

I recently blogged about this Caulipower pizza. I tried the veggie one out and doctored it up a bit. I was really impressed with the quality of this frozen cauliflower crust pizza. This is a low carb pizza alternative and features a gluten-free crust. The cauliflower crust mimics a regular crust quite well considering the fact that it is all veggie!

Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo

This Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil mayonnaise is a must-have in your fridge. It is paleo-friendly and Whole 30 compliant. It is also egg-free and dairy free. I have made tuna salad, potato salad, and macaroni salad with this mayo and the flavor of it was impressive.

Check out my: Primal Kitchen Lemon Turmeric Chicken

Terrasoul Superfoods Cacao Nibs

Did you know that chocolate in its purest form is actually quite healthy and good for your body? These raw cacao nibs from Terrasoul Superfoods are an antioxidant powerhouse. Cacao nibs are also vegan-friendly. I enjoy eating these on top of my smoothie bowls or incorporating them into my nice-creams.

Mamma Chia – Chia Squeeze – Variety Pack of 4 flavors

I consider myself a big fan of Mamma Chia. I often purchase their chia drinks and chia seeds. The squeeze pouches are an awesome on-the-go snack. These pouches come in at 70 calories and contain 1200-milligrams of Omega-3. These squeeze pouches are also a great source of protein, antioxidants, and fiber.

Enjoy Life Foods Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – Package of 6

Here is another brand that I am a huge fan of- Enjoy Life Foods. At the moment these are my favorite chocolate chips. They are a trusted brand for me and the only brand I purchase my chocolate chips from. I usually use the dark chocolate chips. They are free from common food allergens. If you are looking for a dairy-free, vegan option for chocolate chips this is the brand I recommend going with.

**Find out how I used Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips in THIS RECIPE!**

4th & Heart Grass-Fed Ghee Butter – Variety Pack

A lot of talk about ghee these days! Ghee is a clarified butter with all milk solids removed. It is a dairy-free option to butter and this can replace your current butter or cooking oil with a 1:1 ratio. I use 4th & Heart ghee for my cooking and my baking. The smell of a ribeye steak cooking in some ghee is divine. I will never turn my back and go to regular butter again. Ghee not only tastes better but it also has some health benefits as opposed to butter. This variety pack includes regular ghee and a vanilla ghee, which would be great for your next baking project!

Banza Chickpea Pasta Variety Pack of 6

If you are looking for a lower carb pasta that is gluten-free and high in protein look no further than Banza! I have been using Banza quite often in my pasta dishes and it is one of my favorite pasta that is gluten-free. You can check out the macaroni salad that I made with Banza HERE. I whipped that up for family and even though it was gluten-free the pasta salad was a smashing success. Pro tip: undercook your pasta just a tiny bit. I always do a minute or 2 less than the suggested time on the box. I also give my pasta a rinse before serving.

Nut Cravings Raw & Unsalted Cashews

If you are interested in making a vegan and paleo cheesecake raw cashews are a must! Nut Cravings has pretty reasonable prices. Raw cashews can be quite pricey! When the raw cashews (soaked overnight) are mixed with a bit of coconut milk and lemon juice you end up with a faux cheesecake filling. I honestly prefer my raw paleo cheesecakes over traditional nowadays.

Thai Kitchen Coconut Cream

Coconut cream is essential for paleo or vegan baking. If you are in need of a dairy-free whipped cream the best way to go is to use Thai Kitchen coconut cream. You simply refrigerate the can overnight and then scoop the solids out of the can (no water) and then use your whisk attachment on your stand mixer.

Kiss My Keto Chocolate

Sugar-free, low-carb chocolate bars? Can I get a hell yeah! Check out this variety pack of chocolate bars from Kiss My Keto and let me know which flavor you will try out first!

What health food items have you tried from this Healthy Hot List and what are your thoughts? Leave me a comment and let me know.

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September 25, 2018 1

Paleo Matcha & Chocolate Cheesecake – RECIPE – Gluten-Free

Let it be known that making these cheesecakes are one of my favorite things to do in the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen. These desserts are rich, flavorful, and actually quite nutritious. They are a much better alternative to regular cheesecake. The basic ingredients in these are fruit (medjool dates) and a variety of different nuts (mostly cashews). I am not going to lie, sometimes I even sneak in a slice for a filling breakfast. This matcha chocolate cheesecake dessert is unique in its flavor. If you are a fan of matcha (green tea) this recipe for a matcha chocolate cheesecake might just be perfect for you. I love everything about this particular one: the crust, the filling, and the chocolate ganache on top. It all marries together harmoniously to make one hell of an awesome cheesecake.

This almost-paleo matcha chocolate cheesecake requires several different components to make it all come together. I broke it down into sections for you. I suggest gathering up all of your ingredients first so you can breeze through this recipe with ease.

Continue reading “Paleo Matcha & Chocolate Cheesecake – RECIPE – Gluten-Free” →

September 17, 2018 6

Cactus Pear Nice Cream RECIPE With Pomegranate & Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites – (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

Cactus Pear Nice Cream RECIPE with Pomegranate and Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites

Wondering how I naturally obtained this lovely shade of hot pink in my bowl of nice-cream (vegan ice-cream)?? Easy! I owe it all to the cactus pear, also known as the prickly pear. The flesh of a cactus pear, when combined with a banana, will give you this gorgeous magenta hue. This cactus pear nice cream recipe is a healthy dessert that will most definitely make your child excited for a yummy treat that is naturally sweet from nature with no added sugars. Other ingredients in this frozen treat are frozen pomegranate, two frozen bananas, some coconut milk and Enjoy Life Foods Dark Chocolate Raspberry Protein Bites. This is a much healthier alternative to traditional ice-cream and I always enjoy creating this and serving it at home. Super simple and easy to do too!

Nice-cream is the vegan and paleo version of ice-cream. It is dairy-free and lactose-free.

Cactus Pear & Pomegranate With Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites Nice-Cream

Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I receive a commission if items are purchased through these links with no extra cost to you.

A good food processor comes in handy for making vegan nice-creams at home. You will also want to prepare in advance for making this by freezing two sliced up bananas overnight. Also, chill a can of full-fat coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight for best results. If you have a can of coconut cream on-hand that makes for even better results, a lot more creamy, but coconut cream is usually around $4 a can and coconut milk works just fine.

The Enjoy Life Foods Dark Raspberry Protein Bites were a wise choice here as a nice-cream topping. I chopped them up small and placed them on top. The dark raspberry flavor is actually my favorite flavor of all the Protein Bites and it paired nicely with the flavors of the cactus pear and pomegranate. It also gave this bowl of nice-cream a boost in protein, which is always welcome, especially if you are following a vegan diet.

Ingredients used to make Cactus Pear & Pomegranate With Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites Nice-Cream (Protein Bites not shown in this photo)

Cactus Pear Nice Cream Recipe

Cactus Pear Nice Cream RECIPE With Pomegranate & Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites

This simple and easy to do gluten-free and vegan nice cream recipe results in the prettiest of pink nice creams you have ever seen.

2 Bananas (Frozen)
1 Cactus Pear
1/2 cup Pomegranate (Frozen)
6 Enjoy Life Foods Dark Raspberry Protein Bites
1/2 cup Full-fat organic coconut milk (Chilled overnight in fridge)

Place the frozen bananas, cactus pear, pomegranate, and chilled coconut in the food processor.
Blend until smooth.
Remove cactus pear nice-cream from food processor bowl.
To the nice cream with small chunks of Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites. I used the Dark Raspberry.
Divide into two bowls.

Serve, eat. and enjoy!

Cactus Pear & Pomegranate With Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites Nice-Cream in the food processor. Do not add Protein Bites at this time!

Enjoy Life Foods Dark Raspberry Protein Bites chopped into small pieces

Final thoughts on the cactus pear nice cream recipe

I do believe that you will love this hot-pink cactus pear nice cream recipe if you do decide to give it a whirl. It is super unique in its flavor and unlike anything I have ever tried! I am extremely happy with the results of mixing these ingredients together. I was not sure what the outcome would be, but I got brave in the kitchen and I have no regrets!

If you are looking for a healthier alternative to ice-cream that is dairy-free and contains no added sugars, you should try making vegan and glutern-free nice creams at home. They are very versatile and you can get creative by whipping them up and experimenting with different ingredients. As a base, I usually use two frozen bananas and make sure I have a can of chilled coconut milk (it must be full-fat and not light coconut milk) on-hand to make this. This will result in approximately 2-3 servings. Most often it is just my daughter and I sharing but sometimes my hubby wants some too.

You can read more about the Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites on a previous blog post:

HERE

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Have you ever tried vegan nice cream? How do you like to create yours? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Here are some other posts you will enjoy!

Want to find out more about Enjoy Life Foods?

September 6, 2018 8

Enjoy Life Protein Bites REVIEW – A Vegan & Gluten-Free Snack Available In A Variety Of Flavors!

Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites REVIEW by Give It A Whirl Girl

I was given a care package of Enjoy Life Protein bites and I am loving each flavor of these little chocolate morsels. As you may already know, I am a big fan of the Enjoy Life Foods Brand. They create and produce food that is free of common allergens that anyone can eat. You will not find gluten (wheat), dairy, peanuts, soy, egg, tree nuts, among other food allergens in any of their products. You can have peace of mind with this brand because they only use quality ingredients and their products are REAL FOOD. If you are following a gluten-free diet or vegan diet this brand has a ton of great products available to you. Today I am sharing my Enjoy Life Protein Bites review with you. I am a huge fan of these healthy snacks and I think that you will be too! Keep reading to find out more!

Allergy Friendly Enjoy Life Protein Bites

Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I receive a commission from items purchased through these links with no extra cost to you.

Enjoy Life free from common food allergens info (Image courtesy of https://enjoylifefoods.com/)

They come in a variety of four flavors:

Continue reading “Enjoy Life Protein Bites REVIEW – A Vegan & Gluten-Free Snack Available In A Variety Of Flavors!” →

August 30, 2018 1

A Day Of Good Eats With Good Family

We had an awesome day yesterday full of good eats and great times with family. I got super lucky and won a prize pack from Coleman Naturals on Facebook. I won a variety of organic hotdogs and sausages. As soon as I received my prize pack I knew I had to host a family get-together. I am always looking for an excuse or reason to have people over and cook for them. It brings me a lot of happiness and joy putting a party/family gathering together. Is there really anything better in life than having your good family come together to have a day full of great eats? So we had some hotdogs, sausages, potato salad, macaroni salad, and corn on the cob. It all added up to a scrumptious meal. My sister also brought some side dishes and my mother-in-law brought a fruit tray. We had quite a few healthy foods to eat.

This was my first time trying out anything by Coleman Naturals. I did a bit of research on their products and think that they are an incredible brand. Hotdogs and sausages are often filled with weird, garbage ingredients but not Coleman Naturals. They do not use antibiotics, hormones, steroids, they are non-GMO, use only all natural ingredients, are gluten-free, are free range, and only use organic ingredients. I don’t feel so bad about eating a hotdog or a sausage when I know that they are only made with quality ingredients.

These hotdogs and sausages were the stars of the show yesterday. I had most of my family over and we all enjoyed these. There were chicken hotdogs, pork & beef hotdogs, apple chicken sausage, and some andouille sausage. I also created some other dishes to go with the gathering. I made a healthy potato, a gluten-free macaroni salad, and I also made paleo dark chocolate fudge cupcakes. My dad and my stepmom also brought over some Michigan sweet corn. I brushed mine up and down with some ghee and was in corn heaven!

On Friday night I got home from our day trip out to Birch Run and I had to get my potato salad and macaroni salad done. For both salads, I used my jar of Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo. This was my first time using this mayo and I had no doubt it would be great because I love everything that Primal Kitchen has to offer. This avocado oil mayo can be found on Amazon but the price at Primal Kitchen is a tad lower.

The Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo is Whole 30 compliant, paleo-friendly, keto-approved, sugar-free, gluten-free, and has ZERO grams of carbs! I was super pumped to try this healthy mayo. I love when I come across a food product that is REAL FOOD and allows me to eat clean. Primal Kitchen always comes to mind when I think about clean food. I am so happy to be able to represent and work with a brand that offers nothing but the best when it comes to eating healthy and well.

Continue reading “A Day Of Good Eats With Good Family” →

August 26, 2018 2

Pamela’s Oatmeal Cookie Mix REVIEW – Gluten-Free Baking Mix – From Ordinary To Extraordinary

Last night I made a wonderful healthy dinner. We had chicken marinated in Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard and some roasted broccoli. I really wanted a dessert though and then I remembered that I had a bag of Pamela’s Oatmeal Cookie & Bar Mix stored away in the pantry. I am a big fan of Pamela’s line of gluten-free products and I have tried several and have been quite satisfied. It was a first for me, though, making her oatmeal cookies. I doctored up the cookie mix to take it from ordinary to extraordinary. No shame in using a mix to create your baked goodies! This mix was outstanding and the cookies are disappearing quick! Read my Pamela’s Oatmeal Cookie review to find out more about this gluten-free baking mix.

My Pamela’s Oatmeal Cookie Mix review

Ingredients used for my gluten-free oatmeal cookies

McCormick Organic Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Chia

I gathered up my ingredients for the cookies I was making with Pamela’s Oatmeal Cookie & Bar Mix . The recipe called for butter but instead of butter, I ended up using Barlean’s Butter Flavored Coconut Oil. This coconut oil is a healthy alternative for butter and can be used in place of butter in most, if not all, recipes.

I knew raisins belonged in my oatmeal cookies and I had some Simple Truth raisins in the pantry, a nice fresh bag!

Gotta have my Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chips!!

To make my husband happy (because he is obsessed with chocolate chip cookies) I added in some Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chips. I just can not say enough nice things about those chocolate chips from Enjoy Life. They are vegan and free from all common food allergens. They taste fantastic. I have a confession to make too. Sometimes I eat those chocolate chips straight out of the bag as a little snack. They are so freaking yummy.

Chia seeds & spicing things up!

I started up the KitchenAid Stand Mixer (my BFF in the kitchen right now!) and got all of my ingredients mixed up and then I continued to add a few more things. I added some Simple Truth black chia seeds (about a tablespoon) and then I gave it a heavy shake of my McCormick Organic Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Chia spice blend. I love that spice so much and it comes in handy for some of my baked breakfast creations.

What I recommend for bakeware

For my baking, I really love the Circulon Bakeware. I have the bakeware set in chocolate. I sprayed my sheet pan with some coconut oil and the surface is nonstick. I have never had a problem removing anything off of this bakeware. You can find the cookie sheet on Amazon. This is the bakeware I have ever owned. I have had it since early this year and I am thoroughly impressed with it.

I did not take long for these cookies to bake. I believe it took 12 minutes. That 12 minute waiting period was agonizing for me. I could not wait to take a cookie off the tray and have a nice, warm one. Warm cookies are the best… a true comfort food for most I would say!

Pour yourself a glass of milk for your oatmeal cookie

I poured myself a glass of Unsweetened Califia Farms Almond Milk and I mixed in a scoop of Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel. I dipped my cookie into the milk and a had a tremendous FOODGASM! I was really on the struggle bus trying not to consume every single cookie that was on the tray. They turned out just that good! I will admit it, I did end up eating three warm cookies. Not a healthy choice but I ended up going for a long walk with my dog to burn off some of the cookies.

Gluten-Free Oatmeal, Raisin, Chocolate Chip, and Chia Cookies With unsweetened almond milk w/ Collagen Fuel

Final thoughts on Pamela’s Oatmeal Cookie Mix

I usually avoided using mixes for the past year. I figured I was better off DIY’ing the whole recipe for it myself. But if you are doing any kind of gluten-free baking the cost of ingredients really inflates and seems astronomical. So to me, it just seems more cost effective to spring for a mix. Most of what you need is there in the mix and you can doctor them up yourself any way that you would like. We all enjoyed Pamela’s Oatmeal Cookie Mix and would definitely buy it again in the future!

How do you make your cookies special if you are using a mix? I’m really happy with the outcome of these. Leave me a comment and let me in on your cookie secrets! Hope you enjoyed this Pamela’s Oatmeal Cookie review and I hope it inspires you to give it a whirl!

Did you enjoy this post? You might also enjoy these posts at Give It A Whirl Girl

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August 24, 2018 6

RECIPE – Make You Own No-Bake Toasted Coconut, Chocolate, & Chia Granola Bars

There are so many ways you can make your own granola bars at home. Making my own is a fun, rewarding experience for me. I ask my 8-year-old daughter, Chloe, to help with the stirring because she has some good muscles for her age and you really have to give them a big stir with the spatula. For these granola bites I used gluten-free ingredients and also paleo-friendly ingredients. No sugar was added to these, they are naturally sweet from the Medjool dates and raw honey. These are a great snack that you can just grab and go. I hope you love these paleo granola bars as much as we did. They sure went quick!

Ingredients:

1 cups pitted Medjool dates
1 1/4 cup gluten-free oats (I used Bob’s Red Mill Quick Cook Oats)
1/3 cup raw honey (I used Madhava Very Raw Organic Honey)
1/3 cup almond butter (I used Maranatha No Sugar No Salt Added Almond Butter)
1/4 cup of chocolate chips or more (I use Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chip Morsels)
2 tablespoons chia seeds (I used Simple Truth)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut (I used Simple Truth)
Tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil (I used Spectrum Organic Virgin Coconut Oil)

Recipe:

The first step is to heat up some water on the stove so you can soak/soften up your Medjool dates. They will be easy to process if soaked for a few minutes. Place 1 cup (apx 8 dates) into a warm bowl of water and soak for a few minutes.
You will then heat up a tablespoon of coconut oil in a pan. Once the oil is warm add 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut and cook until golden in color.
Using a food processor, place your dates inside and blend them up until no lumps remain.
You will need a large mixing bowl for this next step. Place the date mixture, oats, raw honey, almond butter (you might need to warm this up to soften it), desired quantity of chocolate chips (1/4 cup works best), and chia seeds in a large bowl. Stir until well combined.
Line an 8×8 square cake pan with parchment paper. Place granola bar mixture in the lined pan and spread until flat and the mixture reaches the edges. You can use a flat-bottom measuring cup to help press the mixture down.
Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Slice into bite-sized bars and enjoy.
Keep refrigerated to maintain freshness.

Toasted coconut and Medjool dates soaking

Processed Medjool dates

Maranatha Almond Butter warmed up

Madhavea raw honey

Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips

Simple Truth black chia seeds

Ready to stir all of the ingredients

Press the ingredients into a parchment paper -lined pan

Toasted coconut, chocolate, and chia granola bites ready to eat

Have you ever made your own granola bars? What do you like inside yours? Let me know in the comments!

DISCLAIMER: THIS POST CONTAINS AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS. ALL OPINIONS STATED HERE ARE MY OWN.

July 28, 2018 0

Fat Stack of Gluten-Free Pancakes With Enjoy Life Foods – Product Review, Recipe, & Giveaway – CLOSED

Yesterday and the day before were both dreary, overcast days in Michigan. I really needed a plateful of something to cheer me up. In times of need, we often turn to comfort food. Pancakes, for me, definitely fit the bill for that! I also decided to inject some color to them for added smiles! I have been opting for more gluten-free food products in my diet. I have been feeling a whole lot better both physically and mentally. I have been keeping track of my diet and I have come to the conclusion that gluten somehow affects my mood and I often feel run down and fatigued. So for now I am just doing my best to avoid it and keep my gluten intake at a minimal amount.

I am a big fan of Enjoy Life Foods products. I am currently obsessed with the dark chocolate chips and it is the only brand I buy now. They offer a line of gluten-free, vegan, products that are free from several other allergens (wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, casein, soy, egg, sesame, sulfites, lupin, mustard, fish, shellfish & crustaceans). Their products are created in an allergen-free facility. You can enjoy their foods with confidence that they will do your body good.

I tried out the Enjoy Life Foods pancake and waffle mix a couple times before and my daughter and I loved the finished product. They don’t hold up well for waffles but they do make a wonderful pancake. The taste of these pancakes was on point! I would never even know they were gluten-free because they taste just like regular pancakes.

I wanted to amp it up a bit so I swapped out the water and used Bolthouse Farms Unsweetened Plant Protein Milk instead. An 8 oz serving of this milk is a whopping 10 grams of protein. I also used a mashed banana in the mix to add in some fiber. A banana has approximately 3 grams of fiber.

I also added some Simple Truth natural food coloring to the pancake mix. I am not a fan of artificial dyes in my food so I wanted to give this a whirl. Unfortunately, the colors are not as vibrant as the artificial ones but they are still fun to eat. Next time I make these I will experiment more with the amount I use (probably needed to use more). The batter was colorful and bright but when the pancakes were cooked the color faded. Perhaps you will have more luck with the colors!

Stack of Enjoy Life Foods natural color pancakes with rainbow sprinkles

Now let’s get busy with the recipe!

37723362_10156514054359420_1377611683609968640_n — Products I used to make the banana protein Enjoy Life Foods pancakes.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Enjoy Life Pancake & Waffle Mix
1 1/2 cups Bolthouse Farms Plant Protein Milk
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 mashed banana
Simple Truth Natural Food Color
Pure maple syrup (optional)
Candy Sprinkles (optional)

Bowls of the pancake mix with natural food color added

Simple Truth Natural Food Color

I was able to put 3 pancakes in the skillet

Recipe:

Prepare your batter by placing the mix, milk, and oil into the bowl and stir until no lumps remain.
Mash 1/2 of a ripe banana and then incorporate this into the mix.
Using 6 bowls, place a small amount of batter into each bowl and add food coloring to each bowl until you have red, orange (red & yellow combined), yellow, green (blue & yellow), blue, and purple (red & blue).
Warm up a tiny bit of coconut oil in a pan, just enough to give it a thin non-stick coating.
Place the batter into the skillet or griddle one color at a time. You may have to do a couple batches to get all 6 pancakes cooked. I used two large skillets simultaneously with 3 colors in each pan.
Cook the pancakes on a medium setting. Flip the pancakes when the edges are noticeably formed. After flipping continue cooking until thoroughly cooked.
Remove pancakes from pan and top with maple syrup and/or candy sprinkles. Enjoy!

Stack of Enjoy Life Foods natural color pancakes with rainbow sprinkles

Hope you enjoy this fun recipe for Enjoy Life Foods gluten-free pancakes! What Enjoy Life Foods product do you think you would enjoy? Check them out RIGHT HERE!

Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter to win a $15 Amazon gift card so you can purchase some Enjoy Life Foods products!

CLICK HERE —> http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b7225bc83/?

Use the Store Locator to find Enjoy Life products near you.

You can purchase this pancake and waffle mix on Amazon.

You can find Enjoy Life Foods on the following social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I receive a commission if items are purchased through these links with no extra cost to you. I purchased these products and all opinions are my own.

July 23, 2018 46

Two Hiccups In The Kitchen In One Day

You know what? We eat our mistakes here. Sometimes you end up with a happy accident. Well, that happened today! There were two obstacles that I had to overcome in the kitchen today. It was one of those days where everything seems to go wrong but in the end, it turns out alright.
The first hiccup in the kitchen occurred during lunch. I used Enjoy Life Foods gluten free pancake/waffle mix and put some LivFit cacao powder in the mix to make chocolate waffles. I have been craving breakfast foods like crazy and I had a craving for some waffles.
I forgot to spray the waffle maker to make it nonstick sooooo…
Here are my chocolate [messy] waffles topped with Enlightened Red Velvet ice-cream. I was so lucky that I was able to salvage these waffles because they tasted incredible. It was my first time trying out this gluten-free waffle mix. Enjoy Life is free of many common allergens: wheat, dairy, soy, sulfites, peanuts, tree nuts, casein, egg, and more! That makes this mix vegan and paleo friendly!

36895073_10156483341224420_2261293714339004416_n — Chocolate Enjoy Life Waffles with Enlightened Red Velvet

36910223_10156483341339420_3575802978226929664_n — Enjoy Life Gluten Free Pancake/Waffle Mix and Enlightened Red Velvet

My daughter and I grabbed two forks and fought over every bite… it was that good! The presentation was not there but the flavor combo of the waffles with the ice-cream was on-point! And we also had to add a bit of maple syrup because a waffle is always deserving of that.

If you are looking for a healthy option for ice-cream look no further than to Enlightened! The entire pint of this particular flavor is only 280 calories and only 5g of net carbs. I will be doing a post in more detail soon about this product. The Red Velvet paired perfectly with the chocolate waffle. This flavor has a cream cheese frosting and chocolate flavor.

The second obstacle that happened was during the dinner hour. I was whipping up more breakfast food. Whenever I have breakfast for dinner I like to call it “brinner”. This time I was making some paleo-friendly French Toast with chia and flax seeds. I am trying to boost my fiber intake and adding those seeds really assists in some smooth moves. I also really enjoy paleo baking. I have this thing for making fresh, gluten-free breads. It brings me a lot of joy.

This particular recipe for the bread used coconut flour. I used a square baking dish and that gave me 4 nice, thick slices of bread to work with. The batter was egg-free and I used a mashed banana mixed with some unsweetened almond milk and cinnamon. I also made some caramelized bananas, using coconut sugar, to top the French Toast.

I had my bread baked and cooling on the countertop. My batter was prepped and prepared. The bananas were caramelized. All I needed to do was cook the slices that were dipped in batter. Then all of the sudden out of nowhere we experienced a power outage! It was totally unexpected because there was no inclement weather. I was a little bit freaked out at this point. How was I going to cook the rest of my dinner without any power? Thank goodness my hubby came home from work. We brainstormed and came to the conclusion that our best bet was to bust out the cast iron pan and finish “brinner” off on the grill outside. Genius plan! It totally worked too.

36998523_10156485192559420_5355657676460130304_n

36903181_10156485192634420_7275079677734027264_n

36905814_10156485192769420_1273205233417191424_n

36943762_10156483925024420_1991211988784513024_o

I am so happy to report that my little family of 3 enjoyed this meal. Each one of us joined the Clean Plate Club and were left wanting more. It was so delicious! Next time I make this dish I will be sure to have more bananas because those were like eating candy!

37000430_10156485192889420_8491919443985694720_n — Candied Banana Paleo French Toast

Cooking sure does require a lot of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Knowing what to do when things are not going your way is critical. My two problems in the kitchen turned out awesome in the end. So when you are cooking do not be discouraged if things are not going the way you intended them to.

Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. I do receive a small commission if items are purchased through these links. All opinions stated here are my own.

July 11, 2018 4

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF MY READERS!

Give It A Whirl Girl Blog Goals For 2019

Improve photography

Better blog design

More giveaways

More restaurant reviews

More reader engagement

Question Time!

What would you like to see more of over here at Give It A Whirl Girl in the new year?

Also, do you have any new year’s resolutions you would like to share?

Leave me a comment and let me know.

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One lucky reader will receive ten scrumptious chocolate candies

Winner will receive one product (one piece) from each of the following brands:

The chocolate giveaway

Here are some of my blog highlights that feature chocolate I would love to share:

So tell me… what is the first product that you are going to give a whirl if you win my chocolate giveaway? Leave a comment below and make sure you enter the giveaway. Good luck to all!

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Creating the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake crust

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake filling

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake topping

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Healthy Hot List – Health Foods Your Pantry Needs

You might also love my: Greek Caulipower Pizza Recipe

Check out my: Primal Kitchen Lemon Turmeric Chicken

Find out how I used Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips in THIS RECIPE!

What health food items have you tried from this Healthy Hot List and what are your thoughts? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Save with these coupons!

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Cactus Pear Nice Cream Recipe

Cactus Pear Nice Cream RECIPE With Pomegranate & Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites

Final thoughts on the cactus pear nice cream recipe

You can read more about the Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites on a previous blog post:

Have you ever tried vegan nice cream? How do you like to create yours? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Here are some other posts you will enjoy!

Want to find out more about Enjoy Life Foods?

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They come in a variety of four flavors:

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My Pamela’s Oatmeal Cookie Mix review

Gotta have my Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chips!!

Chia seeds & spicing things up!

What I recommend for bakeware

Pour yourself a glass of milk for your oatmeal cookie

Final thoughts on Pamela’s Oatmeal Cookie Mix

How do you make your cookies special if you are using a mix? I’m really happy with the outcome of these. Leave me a comment and let me in on your cookie secrets! Hope you enjoyed this Pamela’s Oatmeal Cookie review and I hope it inspires you to give it a whirl!

Did you enjoy this post? You might also enjoy these posts at Give It A Whirl Girl

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Have you ever made your own granola bars? What do you like inside yours? Let me know in the comments!

DISCLAIMER: THIS POST CONTAINS AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS. ALL OPINIONS STATED HERE ARE MY OWN.

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Hope you enjoy this fun recipe for Enjoy Life Foods gluten-free pancakes! What Enjoy Life Foods product do you think you would enjoy? Check them out RIGHT HERE!

Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter to win a $15 Amazon gift card so you can purchase some Enjoy Life Foods products!

CLICK HERE —> http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b7225bc83/?

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Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. I do receive a small commission if items are purchased through these links. All opinions stated here are my own.

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Disclaimer – The Fine Print

**Find out how I used Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips in THIS RECIPE!**