Tag: grocery shopping

Nino Salvaggio & A Passion Fruit Guava Smoothie Bowl RECIPE

Let’s kick things off here by just admitting that I feel so very blessed to live in close proximity to Nino Salvaggio in St. Clair Shores. I have been visiting Nino Salvaggio’s for as long as I can remember. My mom used to go shopping here all the time and my mind was always blown by the beautiful, colorful fruit and vegetable displays there. It is sort of like a work of art… an installation of the prettiest produce your eyes have seen. Nino Salvaggio takes pride in the products that they sell, and it shows! This store is absolutely stunning and you can see that they pay attention to detail.

Today I will also be sharing a recipe for an exotic fruit smoothie bowl that I created with passion fruit and guava. Passion fruit is one of my favorite fruits and I love the sweet and sour taste of it. Guava is another favorite exotic fruit of mine and I don’t get a chance to enjoy it very often. I could not resist buying one from Nino Salvaggio.

Produce section of Nino Salvaggio - Isn't it just spectacular?
Produce section of Nino Salvaggio – Isn’t it just spectacular?

About Nino Salvaggio

Nino Salvaggio is the go-to place in the area if you want some perfect and flawless ingredients in your food. It’s not just fruits and veggies though! Nino Salvaggio also has a deli and meat counter. They also have a great little grocery section with some very cool, unusual ingredients. And you just have to see the gorgeous bakery at Nino Salvaggio. I get my chocolate cassata birthday cake from Nino Salvaggio every single year. And speaking of birthdays, mine is next month and I will be enjoying that cake soon! Yippee!

Nino Salvaggio has four convenient locations in Michigan to serve you. They are located in St. Clair Shores, Troy, Clinton Township, and Bloomfield Township. You can find out more about Nino Salvaggio and their mission HERE. This is a store that is highly committed to providing high quality foods.

I visited Nino Salvaggio this past weekend to pick up some exotic fruits. I knew ahead of time that I wanted to pick up a couple passion fruits (one of my all-time favorite fruits). The dilemma was that I really was not quite sure what I wanted to combine it with for my smoothie bowl. Then I saw the guava and I knew that would pair well with the passion fruit so I took home one of those.

Gorgeous produce at Nino Salvaggio's
Gorgeous produce at Nino Salvaggio’s

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Exotic fruits that intrigued me at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace

The exotic fruits section at Nino Salvaggio is the most interesting place to shop, for me anyway! This is the spot in the store where you can get brave and muster up the strength to try something new!

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Passion Fruit

So this is the fruit that I was really going after with my trip to Nino Salvaggio. Passion fruit just might be one of my all-time favorite fruits to chow down on. With the passion fruit, you get the wonderful combination of sweet & sour. If you don’t like the texture of tapioca you probably won’t like this. It does, to me, have a tapioca texture. It is slimy and seedy but the taste blows my mind. Using this as the star of my smoothie bowl was a wise choice!

Passion fruit is a nutrient-dense fruit that has a great amount of Vitamin C in it and it is great for the immune system. The passion fruit also has some fiber, Vitamin A, potassium, and a bit of iron. It is a small fruit and contains around 17 calories per serving. You can learn all about the health benefits of the passion fruit HERE.

Passion Fruit at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace
Passion Fruit at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace

Guava

Guava is the second fruit that I ended up going with for my smoothie bowl. These guavas are oh so yummy but they are pricey! I only took home one small guava. One turned out to be just enough for the flavor that I was going after.

As far as nutrition goes with the guava fruit, you are going to find some antioxidants, Vitamin C, fiber, and beta carotene in the fruit. There are 8 wonderful health benefits of the guava fruit and you can feed your brain with knowledge over here.

Guava at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace
Guava at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace

Rambutan

Now here is an interesting piece of fruit! This is a rambutan and it sort of reminds me of lychee fruit. I was really tempted to get more of these but the steep price deterred me and I only purchased one! Me and my daughter, Chloe, split the rambutan in half and we each tried a small piece. It definitely does have a taste reminiscent of lychee. The flesh was soft and also reminded me of grapes. I would give this a whirl again. We really enjoyed the experience of trying this unique fruit.

Rambutan fruit at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace
Rambutan fruit at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace
Rambutan fruit from Nino Salvaggio
Rambutan fruit from Nino Salvaggio

Quince

Quince is a new-to-me fruit too. Never ever had one in my life had quince! These tart fruits are grown in Chile and you can eat them raw, but it is advised to cook these if you want the best flavor to come through.

Quince at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace
Quince at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace

Ya Ya Pear

The ya ya pear is a pear that originates from China. This white pear’s flavor can best be described as a cross between a rose and a pineapple. The ya ya pear is crisp and sweet, but not overly sweet. Just the right amount of sweetness!

Yaya Pear at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace
Yaya Pear at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace

Passion Fruit / Guava Smoothie Bowl RECIPE

For this Passion Fruit/ Guava smoothie bowl I used two frozen bananas, two passion fruits, one guava, coconut milk, chia seeds, and coconut flakes. This tropical smoothie bowl makes a fantastic treat for breakfast!

Passion Fruit & Guava Smoothie Bowl

Want a smoothie bowl with exotic flavor? 

Give this tropical passion fruit and guava smoothie bowl a whirl!

  • 2 Bananas (Frozen)
  • 1/4 cup Full fat coconut milk
  • 2 Passion Fruit
  • 1 Guava
  • 2 tbsp Coconut flakes
  • 1 tbsp Chia seeds

  1. Place two frozen bananas, 1 passion fruit, 1 guava, and 1/4 cup of coconut milk in the blender. Use your smoothie mode if your blender has one.

  2. Once blended up pour the smoothie mixture into a large bowl. Soup bowls work well. 

  3. Top your smoothie bowl with some shredded coconut flake and chia seeds. And now you can use your other passion fruit to top the smoothie.

  4. Eat and enjoy! Hope you love it!


Fruits that I used in my Passion Fruit & Guava Smoothie Bowl
Fruits that I used in my Passion Fruit & Guava Smoothie Bowl
Close-up of the passion fruit and the guava
Close-up of the passion fruit and the guava
Passion Fruit & Guava Smoothie Bowl topped with coconut and black chia seeds
Passion Fruit & Guava Smoothie Bowl topped with coconut and black chia seeds
Passion Fruit & Guava Smoothie Bowl
A spoonful of Passion Fruit & Guava Smoothie Bowl
Passion Fruit & Guava Smoothie Bowl
TALK ABOUT YUM! Passion Fruit & Guava Smoothie Bowl


Final thoughts

Sounds strange (maybe??) but I sure do get excited about taking a little trip to my favorite fruit & veggie store- Nino Salvaggio! If you are looking for top-notch produce you will find whatever it is you are looking for at Nino Salvaggio. Definitely make sure you visit the exotic fruit section of the store. What you need to do next is get brave and try some of these unusual fruits and vegetables. My blog is all about trying new things and eating with an open mind. I hope this inspires you to eat with an open mind. There is an entire universe full of unusual food and it is just waiting for you to give it a whirl!

Question time! Have you ever been to Nino Salvaggio? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think about this incredible place to shop!

 

Find out more about Nino Salvaggio

Related posts:

 

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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Coupon Codes & Discounts On Food / Groceries To Help You Save Money – Give It A Whirl Girl To The Rescue!

Coupon Codes, Promo Codes, Discounts To Help You Save Money

Hello to all and welcome to my blog post that is all about saving you some money. Today I am sharing some special coupon codes with you. These coupon codes will help you save on food & groceries. I have some special offers featured in this post and also several coupon codes included in this post at the bottom of the page.

I don’t know about you but I sure do love my coupon codes and I do not purchase anything online without hunting some down first. Most of the time you can find these special coupon codes and these savings sure do add up! I do love saving money whenever I can. So I am sharing these ways to save with you today.

Featured offers (scroll down to find even more coupon codes)

Primal Kitchen Coupon Code

 

Primal Kitchen haul of healthy foods
Primal Kitchen haul of healthy foods

Primal Kitchen is hands down one of my favorite brands of healthy foods. They are most definitely one of my regular go-to brands. They have a wide variety of items available that can fit into your gluten-free, paleo, keto, or Whole 30 diet and lifestyle.

What can you buy at Primal Kitchen for your healthy pantry?

Primal Kitchen also has a special promotion taking place right now where you can build-your-own bundle of dressings/marinades and receive a free Thousand Island dressing. CLICK HERE to shop!

In the photos below, I am showing off some of my favorite healthy meals that I whipped up using Primal Kitchen products.

Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard With Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Air-Fryer Fingerling Potatoes
Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard With Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Air-Fryer Fingerling Potatoes
Sunday Dinner - With Primal Kitchen Strip Steak, Applegate Bacon-Wrapped Rainbow Carrots, And Paleo Butternut Squash Soup - Awesome Sunday dinner feast!
Sunday Dinner – With Primal Kitchen Strip Steak, Applegate Bacon-Wrapped Rainbow Carrots, And Paleo Butternut Squash Soup – Awesome Sunday dinner feast!


Save at Primal Kitchen with my special coupon code GIVEITAWHIRL10

Kettle & Fire Coupon Code

Kettle & Fire specializes in making bone broth and soups. I have been hooked on these Kettle & Fire bone broths ever since I started using them. They offer bone broth in beef, chicken, and mushroom chicken flavor. They also have different soups to choose from that are made from their bone broth:

 

White Chicken Chili made with Kettle & Fire Chicken Bone Broth
White Chicken Chili made with Kettle & Fire Chicken Bone Broth

Save at Kettle & Fire with my special coupon code WHIRLGIRL

MunchPak Coupon Code

MunchPak is a subscription box that specializes in delivering the best of international snacks to your doorstep. MunchPak is the perfect subscription box for the foodie and adventurous eater. With MunchPak you never know what you are going to get. The snacks come from all around the globe. So if you are tired and fed-up with gas station snacks give MunchPak a whirl! You will be happy that you did!

MunchPak Coupon/Discount Code
MunchPak Coupon/Discount Code

MunchPak.com

Save at MunchPak with my special coupon code GIVEITAWHIRL

Kiss My Keto Coupon Code

I just recently posted a review of the chocolate bars and the energy supplement at Kiss My Keto. If you are following a low-carb or keto diet you can save at Kiss My Keto with my special coupon code! Kiss My Keto’s online store has many products to suit your keto diet and lifestyle. I am really digging the chocolate bars that I recently ordered from them. Guilt-free chocolate?? Sign me up! Next product I will be giving a whirl to is the Keto Coffee and the Keto Snack Bars.

Kiss My Keto - chocolate bar & energy supplement
Kiss My Keto – chocolate bar & energy supplement

Save at Kiss My Keto with my special coupon code KIMMY10

Skinny Dipped Almonds

Skinny Dipped Almonds make the most perfect snacking solution for the nut-lover in you! They have a variety of different dipped almond flavors: dark chocolate, peanut butter, dark chocolate espresso, dark chocolate raspberry, and more! You can read more about Skinny Dipped Almond’s products in my review that is on my blog.

Treat yourself to a variety pack and save with my coupon code below!

Skinny Dipped Almonds (Dark Chocolate Cocoa, Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Spice, and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter)
Skinny Dipped Almonds (Dark Chocolate Cocoa, Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Spice, and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter)

Save at Skinny Dipped Almonds with my special coupon code GIVEITAWHIRL15

Miscellaneous food coupon codes and discounts to help you save money

 

GREEN CHEF

HELLO FRESH

BISTRO MD
728x90 Scratch It & Reveal Big Saving

 

Amazon promo codes for food/groceries

Amazon clippable coupons for food

 

Question time! Did any of these offers catch your eye? Tell me what your savings were after using one of my special coupon codes! I would love to hear your savings!

 

Related posts: 

 

 

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.

NEW Special Offer Banner (Tasting Box)

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Fresh Sushi At Kroger – Tried It Out Tuesday

Fresh Sushi At Kroger - Tried It Out Tuesday

Fresh sushi at Kroger? Sure is and I got brave and ventured over to Kroger on Friday to try out some of that beautiful, fresh sushi. I don’t consider myself a sushi snob but I do prefer my sushi to be as fresh as possible. At the present time, my favorite place to grab some fresh sushi is at the Inyo Restaurant in Ferndale, MI. Their sushi is top-notch, creative, and beautifully plated. To save some money and some time, I gave the fresh sushi at Kroger a whirl and it did not disappoint. For the record, the Kroger that I visited is located in Roseville, MI in the 13 Mile Rd & Little Mack location. This store is fairly new and it is my go-to place each and every week. Keep reading my Kroger sushi review to find out more!

 

My Kroger Sushi Review

 

Pretty huge selection of fresh sushi at Kroger

As you can see in the photos below, Kroger has a nice selection of fresh sushi available. Their sushi is made fresh each morning and often times you will see someone working at the station and creating more. If there is a sushi chef at the station you can even request a fresh roll of sushi or customize it to your liking.

Presentation

The sushi is presented beautifully. I was in awe of all of the beautiful colors from the sushi. Looking at stuff like this dazzles my eyes and makes my tummy growl a bit. All of the sushi looked super fresh and nothing there turned me off. I wanted to give it all a whirl. You can tell that they pour their heart and soul into this sushi. Sushi is an art form and a craft. Their rolls were impressive considering it is at a grocery store.

Different types of fresh sushi at Kroger

Kroger offers a wide variety of sushi including both cooked sushi and raw sushi. For those that fear eating raw sushi, Kroger has your back with plenty of non-raw choices.

I was even amazed to see that Kroger had a sushi burrito available for $10. I am definitely going to give that a try someday and that will be a first for me because I have never tried a sushi burrito. There was also a poke bowl available. That is another dish that I plan on trying out in the near future.

Pricing of the fresh sushi at Kroger

I feel that the prices of this grocery store sushi is also pretty reasonable. For basic rolls like a California Roll you can get quite a bit of sushi for around $6.00. The fancier rolls are higher in price but the taste justifies it.


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Variety Pack #3

I ended up purchasing a variety pack of fresh sushi at Kroger. This variety pack had three different rolls:

  • Crunch Roll – Krab salad, cucumber, avocado, sushi sauce, spicy mayo, and crunchy fried onion.
  • NY Crunch – This roll has a krab salad mixture in it with sliced avocado, cucumber, avocado, sushi sauce, spicy mayo, and crunchy fried onion.
  • Shaggy Dog -Krab, avocado, fried shrimp, sushi sauce, and topped with spicy mayo.

These three rolls were perfect for my husband and I because we love spicy sushi. These rolls fit nicely together in the variety pack due to their similarities in ingredients. The spicy sauce on this fresh sushi was a tad bit on the spicy side and definitely wasn’t overpowering… it was perfect. I don’t know about you but I love quite a bit of ginger to go with my sushi. Ginger was provided but it would have been nice to have just a bit more included. The amount of wasabi in this variety roll package was adequate. Just a dab of wasabi is all that you need because wasabi sure does go a long way!

Fresh Sushi Variety Pack #3 from Kroger
Fresh Sushi Variety Pack #3 from Kroger
A variety of fresh sushi that I brought home from Kroger
A variety of fresh sushi that I brought home from Kroger
Close-up of my sushi from Kroger. Looks pretty good huh?!
Close-up of my sushi from Kroger. Looks pretty good huh?!
Variety Pack #3 Sushi from Kroger
Variety Pack #3 Sushi from Kroger

 

Final thoughts

In the end, I was very impressed with the taste and the quality of my sushi at Kroger! Wow! Who knew that grocery store sushi could be so good? It is not the greatest but it will do when you have that sushi craving that you have to satisfy. The convenience of being able to run into Kroger and grab some fresh sushi in a pinch is awesome! The variety packs are the way to go if you want to experience some different rolls. The variety pack that I purchased was put together well and these rolls went wonderful together.

Also, I am quite sure that you can make a custom roll just by requesting one if there is a worker at that station. Word of mouth told me that so I am not 100% sure because I never tried, but I will in the future and see what happens.

I love the convenience of the Kroger sushi and whenever I have that sushi craving I can satisfy that craving by going to my local Kroger store!

Have you ever tried grocery store sushi? What are your thoughts on it? Leave me a comment and let me know.

 

 










			

		
	
	

					
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How To Earn Money Shopping With The Ibotta Mobile App – The Sky Is The Limit With Ibotta’s Cashback Shopping! Find Out How I Earned Over $400 In 1 Year!
			

									
						How-To Earn Money Shopping With The Ibotta Mobile App – The Sky Is The Limit! Use referral code mohoyyu to get started					
							
 
					

				
I downloaded the mobile app Ibotta in 2018 I have already earned well over $440 in cashback shopping rebates. The Ibotta mobile app is very simple to use once you get the hang of it. You simply download the app, “clip” your coupons, purchase those items, take a photo of the receipt once you get home (or provide your shopper’s card and let Ibotta do all the work for you), then the scan the items purchased (the camera on your smartphone scans the items), and redeem for a cashback rebate. The approval process for earning cashback is simple and offers get approved quickly and the money goes straight into your account. Once you earn $20 you can cash-out for gift cards or Paypal. Earning that 20 bucks is simple too!


I love using the Ibotta mobile app. Not only is it a wonderful way to save money on products that you already purchase but the app also gives you an incentive to try out new products. I have come across and discovered many great new products through the app. When I give these new products a whirl through the Ibotta app, I often become a regular buyer and regular customer if I enjoy the products!


 


How To Earn And Save Money Grocery Shopping With The Ibotta App
How To Earn And Save Money Grocery Shopping With The Ibotta App


 


Download the Ibotta app


First things first! You need to download the app to start earning money. The app is available in both app stores: Apple and Google Play.


When you use my code mohoyyu you can get $10 instantly loaded into your account.


 


How-To Earn Money Grocery Shopping With Ibotta Mobile App – The Sky Is The Limit!
Simple enter this Ibotta mobile app referral code to get started saving and earning money


 


What can I earn?


You need to earn at least $20 to cash out. If you use the code I posted above you start out at $10 and it is very simple to earn that $20 to cash out. You can cash out to receive Paypal money (which is often sent instantly) or you can cash out and receive gift cards to various stores like Amazon, Whole Foods, Target, Ulta, Ebay, Itunes, etc. They have a very large gift-card shop where you can withdraw your money earned. I usually just go with the Paypal option so I am free to choose my earnings however I like.


 


Just a small sampling of the gift cards you can earn with the cashback shopping mobile app Ibotta
Just a small sampling of the gift cards you can earn with the cashback shopping mobile app Ibotta


 


 


Start earning money


Start earning your dollars by selecting the store that you would like to shop at and start adding those items to your account.


Ibotta mobile app example:


You can earn $1.20 cash back on each Blue Bunny Load’d Sundae Cup at Kroger. You hit the plus button to add that offer to your account. You then purchase that item at the store. Once you are home with the purchased item hit the “Redeem” button in the lower center part of the screen. Select your store, in this case, Kroger. Make sure that your receipt falls into the required dates, then capture an image with your phone’s camera of the receipt. Make sure you finalize the process by submitting the receipt.


When you take a photo of the receipt you can tap the screen to make sure the image is in focus. The photo has to contain text that is readable. If you have a long receipt you can take photos with multiple photos of the sections.


The easiest option for earning cashback at the grocery store! This is a newer Ibotta feature!


You can also load your Kroger shopper’s card to your account so you do not have to take photos of the receipt. Ibotta will automatically credit your Ibotta account with each valid purchase.


View all of the current Ibotta mobile app offers HERE


 


Ibotta mobile app example: Earn $1.20 cashback on each Blue Bunny Load'd Sundae Ice Cream Cup - You need to load each offer to your account to receive cashback.
Ibotta mobile app example: Earn $1.20 cash back on each Blue Bunny Load’d Sundae Ice Cream Cup – You need to load each offer to your account to receive cashback.


 


 
 
 
  
 Hit the REDEEM button in the Ibotta App to take a photo of your receipt 
 
 
  
 
  
 Take a photo of your receipt to earn money with the Ibotta App. Make sure it is easy to read and in focus. 
 
 
  
  


Here is an example (edit to add: this is an older example) of a great way to earn some decent money in your account. Check out the Halo Top ice-cream offer in the photo below. You can purchase up to five pints of Halo Top and earn $1.50 cash back on each pint! That comes out to $7.50 if you purchase the max limit of 5. You can also see in the Hot Offers section of this photo that Olly vitamins and supplements are a simple $2 cashback transaction.


Offers area on the Ibotta app. Select which offers you are interested in earning cashback on.
Offers area on the Ibotta app. Select which offers you are interested in earning cashback on.


The cashback offers section of each store is broken down into categories as you can see in the photo below (this is not a current screenshot, this is a previous example that I saved). If you select a category the relevant items available will show up that you can load onto your account.


Offers area on the Ibotta app. Select which offers you are interested in earning cashback on.
Offers area on the Ibotta app. Select which offers you are interested in earning cashback on.


Each store has several different offers to choose from. Some offers have a very decent payout.


What I love about Ibotta is that the cashback gives me incentive to try new things.


I have discovered several new items through discovery on the mobile app Ibotta. While browsing the offers you may see plenty of items that you do not typically purchase. Don’t feel discouraged! When I am getting cash back to try out new items and get a discount on those items, I enjoy buying them and trying them out. Often times I end up becoming a repeat customer of these new items that I found out about through Ibottta.


Here are some more examples (these are current as on May 2019)


 


This here is an example of a FREEBIE with the Ibotta mobile app. This offer is currently at Kroger.
This here is an example of a FREEBIE with the Ibotta mobile app. This offer is currently at Kroger.


 


Here is a few examples of hot offers available through the Ibotta app. Some of these offers will give you $5 cashback! Super!
Here are a few examples of hot offers available through the Ibotta app. Some of these offers will give you $5 cash back! Super!


 


 


 


Mobile Shopping with the mobile app Ibotta


Ibotta is not just for grocery shopping. There are many stores (Amazon, etc) where you can earn cashback by purchasing items online. With these offers, you usually receive a percentage back on the total purchase price. To earn money with mobile shopping you select the store that you are going to shop at and click through. The Ibotta mobile app tracks the purchase that you make through the link. You do not need to redeem a photo of a receipt for these offers.


 


Earn cashback on purchases at Amazon with the mobile app Ibotta
Earn cashback on purchases at Amazon with the mobile app Ibotta


 


Earn cashback at mobile sites like Groupon with the Ibotta mobile app
Earn cashback at mobile sites like Groupon with the Ibotta mobile app


 


Here is an awesome deal and great incentive to sign up and try Blue Apron with the Ibotta mobile app! Earn $12.50 in your Ibotta account for giving this meal kit subscription box a whirl! Use my referral mohoyyu to get started!
Here is an awesome deal and great incentive to sign up and try Blue Apron with the Ibotta mobile app! Earn $12.50 in your Ibotta account for giving this meal kit subscription box a whirl! Use my referral mohoyyu to get started!


 


 


 


 


Bonuses with the Ibotta mobile app


Ibotta also offers many different bonuses. Always be sure to check the app to see what bonuses are currently running. There are some simple ways to earn extra money through the bonuses.


Example: There is currently a $10.00 shopping bonus. When you make 30 eligibles shopping purchases you get a $10 bonus in your account. There is a photo of that offer below.


Bonuses do not stick around too long so it is best to check out the dates on which they are valid and be quick to earn that bonus.


 


Here is an example of a bonus that can be earned on the Ibotta mobile app. Ibotta example bonus
Here is an example of a bonus that can be earned on the Ibotta mobile app.


 


How-To Earn Money Shopping With The Ibotta Mobile App – The Sky Is The Limit! Ibotta bonus example
How-To Earn Money Shopping With The Ibotta Mobile App – The Sky Is The Limit!


 


 




 


Question & Answer Time!


So what do you think? Will you be signing up for the Ibotta mobile app? Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts on the app. If you currently use the Ibotta app leave me a comment and share with others how much money you have earned through cash back shopping.


 




Sign up HERE and use the code mohoyyu to claim your easy $10!


How-To Earn Money Grocery Shopping With Ibotta Mobile App – The Sky Is The Limit!
How-To Earn Money Grocery Shopping With Ibotta Mobile App – The Sky Is The Limit!


 


Here are more posts where you can save money shopping!


KISS MY KETO - Coupon Code - Chocolate Bar & Energy Supplement REVIEW


Coupon Codes, Promo Codes, Discounts To Help You Save Money


Kettle & Fire Bone Broth Review and Giveaway at Give It A Whirl Girl




			

		
	
	

					
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TGIF! A Visit To Nino Salvaggio’s International Marketplace & How I Spent My Friday – Thank Goodness It’s FOOD!
			

									
											
							
 
					

				
My husband has Fridays and Saturdays off work for the time being. We spent the early part of the day cleaning and tidying up our house, it was long overdue. I love spending quality time with my family. Joe leaves for work early in the morning and works long hours so we do not get to see him much during the week. We had an awesome day full of good eats and a little trip to Nino Salvaggio’s International Marketplace.


My daughter and I were also spending more time working on a product review for a popsicle maker. We have been having a blast experimenting with the pop maker. She was so happy yesterday when I gave her a vanilla protein popsicle that I had made with Svelte’s vanilla shake and a few candy sprinkles. You can see her joy for this pop in the image below.


Svelte Pops!


 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
  


Kiwano Horned Melon


Chloe was happy to also have a kiwano horned melon to nosh on yesterday. We mistakingly got 3 of them in an Instacart order and they let us keep them. They were supposed to be cactus pears. When I called up to inform them that I received the wrong item they sent the wrong item to me AGAIN. They ended up giving me golden dragon fruits. I am going to assume that the Instacart shoppers are a little baffled on an order that involves exotic fruits because they never got that order right.


 
 
 
  
 Chloe eating the kiwano horned melon 
 
 
  
 
  
 Kiwano horned melon 
 
 
  
  


Sy Thai in St. Clair Shores


We were all craving something spicy last night so we decided we would go to one of our favorite Thai restaurants~ Sy Thai in St Clair Shores, MI. We have been visiting this spot for several years now and we can always rely on the food being fresh and delicious!


We decided we would order a lychee bubble drink and all share. Sy Thai is known for making gigantic bubble drinks. The one we received yesterday may have been the largest one we received to date. It was huge.


Another thing that I love about Sy Thai is their soups that come with the dinner. Many Thai restaurants do not include soups with the dinners. We had hot and sour soup yesterday and me and Joe loved it. My daughter, on the other hand, did not care for it. Hot and sour soup is really not a kid-friendly soup. It has a taste that is hard to describe.


I wanted to try something new yesterday. I also knew that I needed to have some kind of noodle dish. I am a huge fan of Thai basil and I usually enjoy ordering the drunken noodle but I ended up trying out the Karee Basil Noodle. Joe ordered his usual Pad Thai. That is the dish he often goes with. I really enjoyed the flavor of my dish but the rice noodles in there were so thick they were almost like dumplings. I have never in my life had noodles that were that thick!


 
 
 
  
 Sy Thai menu 
 
 
  
 
  
 Sy Thai lychee bubble drink 
 
 
  
 Sy Thai lychee bubble drink 
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
 Sy Thai hot & sour soup 
 
 
  
  


20180804_065549413289358.jpg
Sy Thai Karee Basil Noodle and Pad Thai


Our Trip To Nino Salvaggio’s International Marketplace in St. Clair Shores


After our dinner, we wanted to do a bit of shopping at Nino Salvaggio’s. We visited the smaller location in St Clair Shores since that one is the closest to our home. I did not really have any idea what I wanted to come home with. I was pretty much just on a mission to challenge myself to find something new and unusual to take home.


The first thing that really caught my eye when I walked in to Nino Salvaggio’s was the fresh green figs. Oh man… I sure do love my figs. I love the red and green. Nino’s had the green ones in stock so I grabbed a few. I would have loved a whole case but my wallet said no.


 
 
 
  
 Fresh green figs at Nino Salvaggio’s 
 
 
  
 Cactus pears at Nino Salvaggio’s 
 
 
  
 Forelle pears at Nino Salvaggio’s 
 
 
  
 
  
 Exotic fruits at Nino Salvaggio’s 
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
 Exotic fruits at Nino Salvaggio’s 
 
 
  
 
  
 Baby bananas 
 
 
  
  


I was hoping to find some purple carrots while I was at Nino Salvaggio’s. I have a newfound love for them. I did locate a bag of mini rainbow organic carrots and I could not pass that up. They will make a great side dish for one of my dinners this week. I love roasted carrots with some raw honey drizzled on top. So damn good!


Me and Chloe have been eating a ton of fruit lately, and I mean a lot! We ended up taking home a few interesting fruits that were brand spankin new to us: baby bananas, Forelle pears, guava, midnight rose apriums, and yellow plums.


You can see my haul from Nino Salvaggio’s International Marketplace in the images that follow. Some people get excited about buying new clothes, buying new makeup, or buying a new video game. I get most excited about buying new food!


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Fresh fruit haul from Nino Salvaggio’s


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My little haul from Nino Salvaggio’s


And wowza!~ Nino Salvaggio’s sure has a fantastic bakery. I did not get this cake but it sure looks drool-worthy to me! They have an amazing array of sweets and treats to satisfy your sweet tooth.


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Cake from Nino Salvaggio’s


The first fruit that we tried last night from Nino Salvaggio’s was the midnight rose apriums. These are a hybrid fruit that is a mix of plums and apricots. They had a nice firm texture and also a nice rosy hue for the flesh. As far as the taste goes, they were quite sweet but not overly sweet. They had the perfect amount of sweetness to them. I purchased four of these fruits and I do really wish I had more.


 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
  


After we came home and unloaded the groceries it was time to pick up more food. We had a ClickList order waiting for us at Kroger. Ahhhhhh I sure do love grocery pick up day. At the end of the week the fridge and pantry starts getting bare. I love bringing home my groceries and seeing a fridge and freezer packed to the gills with stuff!


Ticklebelly Pops


I put a fancy little dessert on our grocery list. I have had my eye on these for quite some time now. I got the TickleBelly Carnival Cotton Candy bars. They are cake pops dipped in a cotton candy shell. Oh, sweet heavens were these delish! Our Kroger has a cute display inside of mermaid-ish items and these were part of the display. My whole family loved these. There are 4 in a pack and we each had one. We will all have to fight over who gets the last one! I am definitely going to hunt down more flavors of these bars and give them a whirl ASAP!


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Today is now Saturday and I am unsure of what the day has in store for us. Maybe the beach with my rescue dog, Stormy? I am also not sure of what we will be feasting upon for dinner tonight. It will likely be steak or another from-scratch pizza. Whatever I do end up making tonight will be fun. I am sure of that!




Do you have any fun plans this weekend? Have you recently tried a new food and fell in love. Let me know in the comments. I sure would love to hear from you. Comments always brighten my day over here!


WSJwines




Visit DylansCandyBar.com


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Kiwano Horned Melon For Tried It Out Tuesday!
			

									
						Kiwano Horned Melon - REVIEW - Tried It Out Tuesday					
							
 
					

				
Yesterday I had a $25 credit for Instacart so I decided to hurry up and spend it right away. I have no control over myself when it comes to having money for food. I spend, spend, spend. I live for the thrill of trying new foods out. My game plan yesterday was to use my credit to stock up on not only healthy foods BUT adventurous foods as well. I ended up getting a kiwano horned melon! What?? Keep reading to learn more!


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In the photo above you can see the small haul that I acquired from Meijer. I usually avoid the Meijer near our house because of the long checkout lanes as opposed to the speedy service at Kroger that is right across the street. However, Meijer does carry quite a bit of food that is not available at Kroger. Since I had the credit to get food delivered to my home and avoid the checkout lines altogether, I placed my order with Meijer.


I ended up with 6 bottles of Kevita Kombucha. They had a promo where you could get free delivery if you purchased $20+ of this line of beverages. I love kombucha anyway and it is a nice treat for me to have some in my fridge so I figured I would load up on that to waive the $10 delivery fee.


I also stocked up on exotic fruits. Dragonfruit is a very rare treat for me because of the high cost. My daughter has been begging me to get one so I did. I also got a passionfruit,  starfruit, papaya, kiwi, and last but not least~ a kiwano horned melon (see photo below).


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I have always wondered about this fruit. It is a bright orangish-yellow color and it covered with little spikes. It actually looks quite intimidating with the spikes all over it. I had to do a little research on this fruit before I bought it. I wanted to know what I was getting myself into. I basically just wanted to make sure it was something I could cut into with ease. I have an issue with mangoes. To me, they are very difficult to cut. The kiwano horned melon was easy peasy though with just one long slice down the middle length-wise.


So what on Earth does this look like inside? Check out the photo below.


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The inside of a kiwano horned melon is certainly unusual. Was not really expecting the insides to look like green slime but that is what it resembles most~ slime! There are also a ton of seeds inside, which are edible. My 8-year-old daughter, Chloe, and I got brave and decided to give it a whirl. I scooped out the guts with a spoon and put it inside of a bowl. We ate it like a soup. It had a very faint taste of citrus. We were expecting much more flavor than it delivered so it was a bit of a letdown.


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The kiwano horned melon has quite a few health benefits that may make it worth eating. It is packed with antioxidants. It can also help improve cognitive function, heart health, weight loss (boosts metabolism), improve vision (lots of vitamin A), and it can also aid in digestion (contains a great amount of dietary fibers).


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Would I ever purchase this fruit again?


The answer to that is no. This melon is quite pricey coming in at about $5 a melon (at Meijer). The price was worth it, to me, for the experience of trying it but the flavor was so bland and the slimy texture with all of those seeds in there was not very palatable. Also, I am not sure how this food would be used in any type of recipe. It is not versatile at all. So if you enjoy eating a bowl of bland slime the kiwano horned melon just might make your day.


On the other hand, I asked my daughter if she would want me to purchase this again and she told me that she would love to have it again. She describes the taste of the kiwano horned melon as, “sweets slime”. A future foodie in the making? Considering that she is only 8 years old, I think she is definitely an adventurous eater.


Have you ever tried the kiwano horned melon? What are your thoughts? Leave me a comment below.


If you are interested in trying out Instacart service you can claim $10 off your first order with the code: KRIPLEY1051BA


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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