MengK 1500W High-Speed Professional Blender REVIEW & A Dragon Fruit Smoothie RECIPE

MENGK BLENDER REVIEW & A Dragon Fruit Smoothie RECIPE by GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL

Today I would love to share my experience with you that I recently had with my new blender in this MengK blender review. This blender is quite simple to use and it is built like a professional blender. When I received my blender I was astonished by how professional the model looked and I was excited to give it a whirl with a dragon fruit smoothie bowl recipe. My hopes for this blender were that it would be capable of blending up frozen fruit because I am a huge smoothie fan and every blender I have ever owned prior was a big letdown to me. Keep reading this MengK blender review to find out how it performed in my test.

First impression of the MengK 1500W blender

Let’s kick off this MengK blender review with my first thoughts when I unboxed the blender. My first impression with this blender was the massive footprint it has on my countertop! This blender is a beast! Now, this can either be a positive or a negative for you. If you don’t have much storage space in your kitchen or home this blender might be an issue. This MengK blender couldn’t be any simpler to use either! If you look at the blender you will see one dial on the face of the blender and this determines the speed at which you will operate your blender. Big tasks call for dialing up on the knob for more power and speed.

Professional Blender MengK 2000W Peak Horsepower Electric High Speed Blender REVIEW — Professional Blender 1500W MengK 2000W Peak Horsepower Electric High-Speed Blender

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

What can the MengK blender do?

If you are in the market for a blender that is versatile, MengK has you covered with this blender! You can use it for smoothies, nice creams, soups, milkshakes, hummus, alcoholic beverages, homemade nut butter, baby foods, and more. This MengK blender features a very well-constructed 67oz professional blender jar. Please note that this blender jar is not a glass blending jar, it is made out of some very heavy duty, thick, plastic. The blending jar for the MengK blender is BPA-free.

MengK blender motor

The MengK blender has a whopping 2.6 HP-2000 watt motor, and this commercial blender can reach a rotational speed of up to 27,000 r/min. This powerful motor makes it possible to crush ice, fruits, and vegetables.

The controls on the MengK blender are simple

You might also enjoy this post: Mindblowing Smart Home Products For Your Kitchen

The MengK blades

This powerful blender features 6 stainless steel, sharp blades for maximum blending power. The MengK blender crushing blades make it possible and perfect for ice crushing, blending, pureeing, and controlled processing.

The 6 blades on the MengK blender are razor sharp

My experience with the MengK blender

The first experiment with this high-speed blender was to see how well it would process and blend frozen fruit. I placed two frozen bananas, a cup of frozen dragon fruit, and a bit of milk in the blending cup. I was really excited to try this out because I have not had much success with frozen fruit in any blender I have ever owned.

The capability of blending frozen fruit is top priority to me. I need a blender that can do this.

I turned the blender onto medium with the dial. I then turned it on. The blender was loud and I could tell it had a powerful motor. The blades efficiently chopped up my frozen fruit and blended it up with the almond milk. After a few short moments, I had a delicious smoothie bowl waiting for me.

I performed one other smoothie test with my MengK blender. For that test, I used a fresh banana, frozen dragon fruit, and frozen mango with a splash of some unsweetened nut milk. The blender performed wonderfully and as expected. In a very short time, without any hesitation, I had a delicious, tall smoothie waiting for me!

Overall, I am quite pleased with this MengK blender and I am excited to try more smoothie recipes with it.

The MengK blender is simple to clean

Cleaning the MengK blender is simple and easy to do! All you need to do is add a bit of soap and warm water to the blending cup. Turn the blender onto a mid-high speed and it 30-60 seconds the cup and blades will be clean. Rinse after cleaning and carefully dry.

Satisfaction guaranteed from MengK

If for any reason you are not satisfied with your MengK blender purchases, MengK offers a money back guarantee and a warranty on their product.

3-month warranty on commercial Cups and a 6-month warranty on household cups, unified TWO years warranty about this pedestal, and 30-day refund guarantee.

Dragon Fruit Smoothie Bowl

Take a trip to paradise with this dragon fruit smoothie bowl. You will feel like you are transported to a tropical place with this exotic fruit smoothie bowl recipe.

2 Bananas (Frozen and chopped)
1 cup Dragon Fruit chunks (Frozen of fresh)
1 Kiwi Fruit (Sliced)
1 Star Fruit (Sliced and seeds removed)
2/3 cup Unsweetened nut milk of choice

Place the frozen bananas, dragon fruit, and milk in the blender and process until smooth.
Pour the smoothie mixture into two bowls.
Top the smoothie with fresh sliced kiwi fruit and star fruit.
Serve, eat, and enjoy!

Dragon Fruit Smoothies created with the MengK Blender

Dragon Fruit Smoothie Bowls topped with kiwi fruit and star fruit

MengK 1400W Blender

If you want to get yourself a MengK blender that is a little more friendly on your budget there is a 1400W model on Amazon.

There is also a clippable coupon to save on this model!

MengK 1500W Blender

The blender that I reviewed is currently available on Amazon.

Final thoughts

The MengK blender is a lot of bang for your buck! For this price point, you are getting quite the powerful blender. I am hoping that this MengK blender will stand the test of time. I have a great feeling that it will be outperforming the last blender that I owned prior to this one. I took a chance with this off-brand name and I am very pleased with it.

It is not a Vitamix or a Blendtec but for the price you are paying for this one you are getting a powerhouse blender. If you are like me and dream of owning a fancy blender like a Vitamix, this blender makes a great clone of one and you will save yourself a ton of money going with the MengK.

The MengK blender makes a delicious smoothie in seconds!

Question Time! What will you be using the MengK blender for first? What will you create with this powerful blender?

Find out more about MengK and their other products

Website

Disclosure: I was sent this product in exchange for a review. All opinions stated here are my own.

Kitchen Gadgets You Need For Next Level Cooking – Top 10

It is time for another one of my top-lists that I enjoy putting together for my readers. Today I will be talking all about kitchen gadgets that can simplify your life and take your cooking to the next level. There are so many gadgets available now in 2018 and I wish I had space and storage to hoard them all. I searched Amazon to bring you some of my current favorites. Some of these products just blow my mind. So grateful for the brilliant minds that come up with these gadgets.

These items are all in stock and ready to be shipped with Amazon Prime.

Not a Prime member? You can sign up for a free 30-day trial. I am telling you, you will be hooked once you try out Amazon Prime. I can not imagine my life without it.

Non-Stick Burger Press Patty Maker by Twisted Chef

Let’s kick things off here with this burger press kitchen gadget. I love whipping up burgers in the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen and this sure would come in handy. This will also help you make stuffed burgers! Love sliders? This kit also includes a press for little slider patties.

All-In-One Sushi Making Kit | Sushi Bazooka, Sushi Mat & Bamboo Chopsticks Set + 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer

A long time ago I tried making my own sushi and failed miserably. Well, it is 2018 and what a time to be alive! Now we have a kitchen gadget to help with the painstaking process of making perfect sushi. May I present to you the Sushi Bazooka! With this gadget you simply open the device, fill it up with your favorite sushi ingredients, close it up, and then squeeze out the perfect sushi roll! It doesn’t get any easier than this folks! And to sweeten the deal it also includes an avocado slicer so you slice up your avocado with ease.

KitchenAid KSMPEXTA Gourmet Pasta Press Attachment with 6 Interchangeable Pasta Plates

I own a KitchenAid stand mixer and I love how versatile it is with the attachments that are out there. This kitchen gadget for your mixer will help you crank out some fresh pasta. It includes six different plates:

Spaghetti
Bucatini
Rigatoni
Fusilli
Large or small macaroni

This would be a wonderful gadget for making some gluten-free noodles at home. Nothing beats fresh pasta!

KitchenAid 3.5-Cup Food Chopper, Guava Glaze

This KitchenAid kitchen gadget will simplify your chopping routine in the kitchen. Yes, it is another KitchenAid product… huge fan over here! This is a versatile kitchen gadget and it is capable of chopping up anything from onions to nuts. It has 2 different speeds and a pulse option. Not digging that pink color? There are 19 different colors to choose from.

Gourmia 3 In 1 Handle Push Cutter, Mango, Apple Slicer & Corer With Bonus French Fries Blade, 3 Stainless Steel And Interchangeable Blades

This kitchen gadget has three uses. It can cut a mango properly (cutting mangos is so hard!), core an apple, and create French fries out of your potatoes.

Continue reading “Kitchen Gadgets You Need For Next Level Cooking – Top 10” →

October 17, 2018 0

I have been trying to lose my halo halo virginity for well over a year now. A freaking year! I discovered this crazy cool concoction on Instagram one day and ever since I have been dreaming of the day that I would get a chance to give this a whirl. My day finally came at Tou & Mai in the Midtown section of Detroit, MI yesterday. This Tou & Mai review will cover my first time experiences at this neat little place that is nestled down in the Midtown area of Detroit.

I was going to share this post for my Tried It Out Tuesday feature but I am really eager to share the details with you and since it is Sunday, maybe you can head on over there today to give this extraordinary and unparalleled dessert a try! There truly is no other dessert on this planet like it.

Tou & Mai is a quaint and curious place! There is so much to see and take in, in such a small space. The first thing you see when walking in is the big white menu. I analyzed the menu online before visiting so I already knew what my strategy was when it came down to deciding and ordering. I started off with a passion fruit boba tea and of course I had to get myself the Hello Hello (their version of halo halo). Click HERE to get a better look at the menu.

Hello Hello (Halo Halo) at Tou & Mai in Detroit, MI

I planned on getting the Hello Hello most definitely and I wanted to try out the Tricolour Tapioca but bummer… they were temporarily out of that dessert. That one sounded so fascinating to me and it will be next up on my list of to-try items at Tou & Mai. Here is a description of the tapioca dessert.

TRiCOLOUR TAPIOCA
popular & colourful southeast asian dessert
made with pandan flavored tapioca strings,
miniature tapioca pearls, ruby chestnuts and
creamy coconut milk

Source

Since I could not try out the tapioca I figured I should go ahead and satisfy my boba addiction with a Sweet Tea Boba. I went with the passion fruit flavor. The passion fruit boba was the perfect amount of sweetness and the mango star jellies were a big bonus to go with the exotic flavor of passion fruit. If you have never tried passion fruit the way it can be best described in my terms is a sweet and sour exotic fruit. It has the perfect balance of both. It currently has earned the top spot on my list of favorite fruits, for the moment anyway!

Passion Fruit Sweet Tea Boba at Tou & Mai — Passion Fruit Sweet with Mango Star Jellies at Tea Boba at Tou & Mai

Other flavors available at Tou & Mai were:

ORIGINO JASMINE
SUMMER LITCHI
PASSION FRUIT
TROPICO MANGO
STRAWBERRY
CUCUMBER
PEACH SEASON

If you like your boba milky you are in luck because Tou & Mai also offers Sweet Boba Milk Tea in a variety of fun flavors.

CLASSICO BLACK
TARO ROOT
HONEY DEW
MANGO
MATCHA LATTE
COCONUT
BANANA
ALMOND

And if slushies are your thing they have those available as well! Here is a list of the flavors available for slushies.

SWEET MANGO
RED ADZUKI BEAN
JACK FRUIT
DURIAN
TROPIC TARO
AVOCADO

I really need to go back to this place to explore the menu more just look at these options below for new garnishes available. FLAN! ZOMG!

What the heck is halo halo?

Halo halo is a famous dessert in the Philippines. To create it they use a purple ice-cream that is derived from a purple yam, otherwise known as ube. It also has a scoop of mango ice cream, coco de nata, aiyu jellie, basil seeds, red adzuki bean, sala cider, coconut milk, condensed milk, wafer roll, and toasted candied coconut. Wowza! That sure is a lot to take in and process right? Google might just have to be my friend here to tell me what exactly it was that I ate! Let’s explore this a little bit more!

This was my first time trying ube and when you put that together with all of these other unique ingredients you get one hell of a memorable dessert!

Having actual beans in my dessert was also another first for me. They include red adzuki beans in this dessert. Odd huh? These are sweet red beans and they are a magnificent source of protein! A one cup serving of these beans is a whopping 39 grams of protein. I would say they use about a quarter cup in their Hello Hello. I enjoyed these beans immensely!

For the next ingredient Wikipedia sure came in handy so I included that information as a quote directly from he source.

Nata de coco is a chewy, translucent, jelly-like food produced by the fermentation of coconut water, which gels through the production of microbial cellulose by Acetobacter xylinum. (source: Wikipedia)

This is really a complex dessert! I really had to use Wikipedia for the aiyu jellie as well since I am not familiar with it whatsoever.

Aiyu jelly, known in Taiwanese Hokkien as ogio, and as ice jelly in Singapore, is a jelly made from the gel from the seeds of the awkeotsang creeping fig found in Taiwan and East Asian countries of the same climates and latitudes. Wikipedia

Basil seeds! I did a little research and discovered that these seeds are void of calories but rich in antioxidants. They are also great for your skin and beneficial for a diabetic.

The sala cider is a fruity ingredient but I could not gather much information on that. If anyone has knowledge of this ingredient, feel free to leave me a comment and fill me in.

The Hello Hello here also used coconut milk and condensed milk. The dessert is topped with candied coconut which is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth and it also has a beautiful orange glow to it.

And let’s not forget those two wafer sticks that really stand out and scream halo halo! No halo halo frozen treat is complete without those wafers. There were two in the dessert and the three of us sharing. Joe, my husband, got left out.

Hello Hello (Halo Halo) at Tou & Mai in Detroit, MI

More than just a place to grab dessert!

Need to do a little bit of Asian grocery shopping? You can certainly load up here at Tou & Mai. They packed in a lot of Asian goodies in this small space. My 8-year-old daughter had fun looking at all of the colorful and peculiar packaging. Anyone want to send a crisp new $100 bill my way because I sure would have a ton of fun blowing a big wad of money in this place.

Tou & Mai in Detroit, MI

Asian snacks at Tou & Mai in Detroit, MI — Tou & Mai in Detroit, MI

Chloe sipping on a Passionfruit Sweet Tea Boba at Tou & Mai in Detroit - GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL — Chloe sipping on a Passionfruit Sweet Tea Boba at Tou & Mai in Detroit Actually stealing MY drink lol!

Oh and macarons!

They also have various flavors of fresh macarons available at $2.49 each. I have no doubt they are delicious but honestly I felt as though the price was somewhat steep for one macaron so I passed. Bummer! The flavors did sound intriguing.

Macarons at Tou & Mai - GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL — Macarons at Tou & Mai

I scream for ice-cream!

Tou & Mai also has a small selection of ice-creams available for $3.29 a scoop. That price seems reasonable to me. If you are not going to go with their Hello Hello dessert at least treat yourself to some of that delish purple ube ice-cream. You won’t regret it! Then you can boast to your friends that you tried a purple yam ice-cream! Wink!

Hot drinks

The air is getting quite crisp and nippy so if you are not into cold treats on cold days they have some hot beverage options. The tea flavors are unusual and impressive. I am definitely going to stop in here on a chilly day and give one of those teas a whirl! I am all about trying new things and I love the tea flavors they offer. The only problem? Deciding on one flavor because they all sound interesting.

Want to learn more about Tou & Mai?

Check them out on their website
Take a look at their Facebook page
Sneak a peek on their Twitter page
Drool over their gorgeous Instagram page

Question Time!

So are you going to hop in the car and make a trip down to Tou & Mai today? I hope that my Tou & Mai review will inspire you to visit this unique place!

Tou & Mai Location

4240 CASS AVE – SUITE 102

DETROIT, MICHIGAN 48201

Tou & Mai Hours

MON-SAT 11:00am – 9:00pm

Sun 4:00p – 9:00pm

September 9, 2018 7

Take Flight And Start Your Day With A Healthy & Nutritious Thunderbird Bar – REVIEW -Tried It Out Tuesday

I am so happy to be an Ambassador to this great company Thunderbird Bars. Now is the time for me to spread the word about these amazing bars to my readers with this Thunderbird Bar review. I want to let you in on a little secret… these bars are amazeballs! The best thing about them is that they are all natural and made with REAL FOOD ingredients: fruits, nuts, seeds, and spices. If you are vegan, following a paleo diet, and are looking for a no-added-sugar treat, Thunderbird Bars are for you! You have to trust me on this, these bars are an excellent snack and they are especially great while on-the-go and the hunger hits you. I have been eating these for the past month now and I feel the need to spread the word about them.

Thunderbird Bar Pecans + Goji + Pistachio in Eastern Market, Detroit, MI

There are ten flavors available for Thunderbird Bars and every single one of them is delish!

No boring flavors over here! These bars are unlike every other bar I have experienced. As you may already know, I live for the thrill of trying new foods. These flavors do not disappoint one bit and they satisfy my hunger. Their flavor combinations are unique and each and every single one of them delivers a satisfying taste.

Want to know my favorite flavor of the ten that are available? I’m going to say it is the Pineapple + Mango + Papaya. I’m always a sucker for anything tropical and I love how all of these flavors blend together.

I have included an image of the bar in a photo below. It might look a bit on the small side but these bars are quite filling. This bar has seven simple ingredients noted on the label: prunes, buckwheat groats, papaya, raisins, mango, pineapple, and Hawaiian black lava salt. No BS here… just pure + simple real food ingredients.

This bar comes in at 145 calories, 30g of carbohydrates, 3g of fiber, and 22g of natural (no-added) sugar.

Thunderbird Bar also stays away from sweeteners. You will not find any real, artificial, honey, syrup, agave or any other variety of sweetener in their bars. There are not many bars that you can come across that promise that.

These bars will give you energy and endurance during your day derived purely from the real food ingredients. I love to start my day with a Thunderbird Bar. It gives me the fuel that I need to conquer the day.

Thunderbird Bar in Detroit, MI - Pineapple + Mango + Papaya — Thunderbird Bar in Detroit, MI – Cashew + Fig + Carrot

Thunderbird Bar Pineapple + Mango + Papaya

Thunderbird Bar Pineapple + Mango + Papaya Nutrition Facts

Thunderbird Bar in Detroit, MI - Cashew + Fig + Carrot — Thunderbird Bar in Detroit, MI – Cashew + Fig + Carrot

Thunderbird Bars - Pineapple + Mango + Papaya in Eastern Market, Detroit, MI — Thunderbird Bars – Pineapple + Mango + Papaya in Eastern Market, Detroit, MI

Thunderbird Bars - Cacao + Hemp + Walnut — Thunderbird Bars – Cacao + Hemp + Walnut in Eastern Market, Detroit, MI

Two of the Thunderbird Bars flavors available for children

Thunderbird Bars also encourages your little ones to eat healthy and they offer four flavors for kids, also known as Thunderkids.

Fruit Punch
Apple Pie
Peanut Butter & Jelly
Chocolate Chip Cookie

I love when a healthy brand of food makes kid-friendly products. I try my best to avoid giving my daughter junk. When I give her a Thunderbird Bar as a snack I feel good about it. Chloe also really does enjoy eating these. They are naturally sweet and satisfy a sweet tooth craving in a more healthy approach. These bars will be a great thing to pack for her daily snack during school when she goes back.

Thunderbird Bar Thunderkids – Chocolate Chip Cookie (image courtesy of thunderbirdbar.com)

Thunderbird Bar Thunderkids – Peanut Butter & Jelly (image courtesy of thunderbirdbar.com)

Want to learn more about Thunderbird Bars?

Check out their website
Store locator
Shop their online store
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Want to try a variety pack of Thunderbird Bars? Find them on Amazon:

Learn more about how I got inspired by the cacao in Thunderbird Bars and created a healthy smoothie bow. READ HERE.

Hope you enjoyed this Thunderbird Bar review! What Thunderbird Bar flavor interests you the most? Leave me a comment and let me know which one you will try out first!

Please join my Facebook Group Give It A Whirl Girl so you can participate in the weekly Tried It Out Tuesday challenge.

August 21, 2018 12

Paleo French Toast With Vanilla Custard & Raspberry Compote And Duck Bacon, And Some Other Things

Yesterday was a bittersweet day for me and my husband. My mom came over in the morning to pick Chloe up to go up–north (Oscoda, MI) to stay for two whole weeks. MY daughter is in love with all of her grandparents and values her time spent with all of them. Since my mom was coming over in the morning I decided to invite her over for some sweet and savory brunch. We had paleo French Toast with custard and raspberries. I believe she left with a full, happy tummy and a warm heart.

Paleo French Toast w/ Vanilla Custard, Raspberry Compote, and Maple Leaf Farms Duck Bacon

I have been playing around with a French Toast recipe that I have for quite some time. I produce this dish in a variety of ways. I have served it as Unicorn French Toast and I have also served it with a mixed berry compote. I have posted images below for you to see.

unicorn french toast — Paleo Unicorn French Toast

37573102_10156511424899420_5673229439522045952_n — Mixed Berry Compote Paleo French Toast

Having French Toast for brunch is becoming a weekly tradition in the Give It A Whirl Girl Kitchen. The process is a bit time-consuming but the outcome is worth all of the effort that I put into this dish. You want to know why it is so delicious? Because the main ingredient is LOVE!

Give It A Whirl Girl with two mini loaves of paleo, gluten-free bread freshly b baked

I start out by baking two small loaves of gluten-free bread. I use almond flour and tapioca flour to create the bread. A little bit of raw honey goes in there along with some almond milk and some ground flaxseeds and chia seeds. I prefer to pump my bread full of fiber with the chia and flax. They also have other health benefits as well.

For this version, I also created a paleo friendly vanilla custard by using full-fat coconut milk, egg yolks, and by scraping the contents out of a vanilla bean. Making custard is a lengthy process with a lot of standing at the stove and whisking the mixture. I could not get my custard silky smooth yesterday because I am thinking I stirred my eggs in too quickly into the warmed coconut milk. It tasted fantastic though and had no added sugars.

The raspberry compote was created with a pint of organic raspberries and a splash of pure maple syrup. I simmer that on the stove until it reduces down into a thick raspberry sauce.

Paleo French Toast w/ chia and flax, vanilla custard, and raspberry compote

My mom had a hankering for some bacon with her French Toast so we fried up some Maple Leaf Farms duck bacon. Yeah, you heard that right…. DUCK BACON! Maple Leaf Farms specializes in a variety of duck items, including the bacon. The bacon has less fat than traditional bacon and it is just as versatile as regular pork bacon. My whole family really enjoyed this bacon, including my daughter Chloe who is usually not a fan of any type of bacon. She was clamoring for more she loved it so much!

Maple Leaf Farms Duck Bacon cooking on the stovetop

I also wanted to share with you that I finally own a plain white plate! How unreal is that? I live in a color-obsessed world and owning a white plate seems foreign to me. I had to add it to my Fiesta dinnerware collection. I just had to! I am on a mission to own every single color of dinner plates that they offer. I was pleasantly surprised to see how nice my meal looked on a plain white plate. Not too shabby!

I really enjoyed having my mother over yesterday morning. I keep joking around with her about buying a house in the area and living around the block from me just so she can come by to enjoy the food that I whip up. Joking but not really! That really would be wonderful if my mom didn’t live so far away. I get a lot of pleasure from inviting people over so they can try out my food.

Speaking of which, I was recently just informed that this year for the holidays, Thanksgiving and Xmas, I am going to responsible for hosting the gatherings! That will most certainly be interesting, especially Thanksgiving because I have never ever in my life cooked an entire turkey. It sounds like a fun project to tackle but it honestly makes anxiety creep up on me with just the thought of such a huge commitment.

After brunch, my daughter loaded her suitcase into my mom’s truck. She will be gone for two weeks and I will miss her so much! She is my little blogger sidekick and I love the little foodie explorations that we do together. We said our goodbyes and I watched her leave.

Our time away from each other will be great for everyone involved though so I am trying to look at the matter with optimism. I will be able to devote much more time to blogging and recipe creating. Chloe will be able to make some wonderful memories on her trip and her Grandma Kathie will bond over those two weeks. Also, my husband and I will get some much-needed alone time. So definitely going to be taking major advantage to all of this alone time over here.

Joe and I spent the day together. We did a little shopping (I needed things for the blog of course). Joe is always my chauffeur. I am always appreciative of all his help and support in getting this blog up and running.

We also got some fitness in with the dogs. We are dog-watching my sister’s little old chihuahua named Bebo. He has stayed with us a little over a week and he is always a joy to have around. I am usually not a fan of that breed of dogs but Bebo is super sweet and gets along very well with Stormy. They are definitely buddies!

When we got home after our walk with the dogs we had a couple of beers and we ordered food from Pepperoni Grille through the GrubHub app. GrubHub is a fairly new food delivery service that will deliver food from various restaurants that are local. You can sign up through this LINK and save $10 off your first order that is $15+. We are pretty addicted to the convenience of GrubHub and it is so perfect for me since I do not drive (I have a severe phobia of driving).

Antipasto Salad from Pepperoni Grille in St Clair Shores, MI

I am new to the world of craft beer and I honestly do not know how to discuss beer in any sort of lengthy, descriptive way (yet). The beer first was from Right Brain Brewery and it was called Blue Magic. The beer had hints of lavender in it and I really enjoyed the taste. I also had another beer with my salad and that was Mango Surprise from Arcadia Ales. I am not a big fan of the IPA beers but that one I did actually love the taste of. Very mango-ey!

The salad that I received from Pepperoni Grille was pretty decent. I did get brave and ordered anchovies on the side because I have never tried out. I was just always grossed out at the thought of them. Turns out I was right~ they are way too salty. I liked the first one that I ate with my salad and then I got hit with the fishy salty aftertaste. Not cool! Joe had a pepperoni pizza for dinner and he enjoyed his pizza and said he could have probably eaten a whole large one by himself. I believe him too because he can pack in a pizza!

Today is Sunday and I have to decide what I am making for dinner tonight. I love to make Sunday dinners special for my family. I have a bunch of Primal Kitchen dressings/marinades I can play around with so it might be something along those lines for dinner tonight.

Do you have anything special planned for the day today? Leave me a comment and let me know. I would love to hear from my readers. Comments here do brighten up my day!

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.

August 12, 2018 0

Papaya Smoothie For My Pearl Girl

My daughter, Chloe Pearl, loves when I bust out the blender to whip up a smoothie or smoothie bowl for her. We have an abundance of fruits and veggies over here right now and I am loving every minute of it. This morning we shared a delicious papaya smoothie. Papaya is a fruit that I do not normally have on hand so she was super duper excited when she saw me slicing the papaya and scooping out all of those seeds.

We used half of a papaya, 1 whole banana, a handful of Simple Truth frozen mango, and a handful of Simple Truth pineapple. I used approximately 2/3 cup of Bolthouse Farms Plant Protein milk (unsweetened). We have been using that particular milk for a while now. Ibotta currently has a $2.50 cash-back offer on each bottle that you buy, and Kroger also had it on sale. So I consider that a win!

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My daughter really enjoyed her morning smoothie. I had a bit of it as well and I can certainly say that it was quite yummy. I am quite sure that tropical fruits rank pretty high as my favorite.

Tidbits of info on the papaya fruit

A medium sized papaya comes in around 120 calories.
Papayas can aid in digestion. Papayas have an enzyme in them that helps move things along, and they also have a high water and fiber content.
There are two types of papayas: Hawaiian and Mexican. Hawaiian papayas are small (apx 1lb), while Mexican are large. The Mexican papaya can weight in as heavy as 10 pounds!
The seeds of a papaya are, in fact, edible. The seeds have a very strong mustard & peppercorn taste. You can add some honey to them to make them more palatable.
Papaya is often consumed raw but it can be used in recipes to make a sweet sauce.
Papayas have beta-carotene (an antioxidant) in them which can help prevent cancer.
Papayas have a good amount of potassium and vitamins that can help prevent heart disease.

I have been increasing my intake of fruits and veggies and trying to rid my diet of processed foods. There are so many health benefits in these foods it just makes sense to eat them. I have a big weakness for candy. If there is a bag of Sour Patch Kids in front of me I often lose my willpower and eat them. I feel guilty afterward even though I enjoyed them. My point is that it is just best to reach for fruits and veggies when a hunger pang hits. Instead of having a bowl of Fruit Loops for breakfast why not just make yourself a smoothie. They are both filling and nutritious. Your body will thank you for it!

July 21, 2018 0

First impression of the MengK 1500W blender

What can the MengK blender do?

MengK blender motor

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The MengK blades

My experience with the MengK blender

The MengK blender is simple to clean

Satisfaction guaranteed from MengK

Dragon Fruit Smoothie Bowl

MengK 1400W Blender

MengK 1500W Blender

Final thoughts

Question Time! What will you be using the MengK blender for first? What will you create with this powerful blender?

Find out more about MengK and their other products

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What the heck is halo halo?

More than just a place to grab dessert!

Oh and macarons!

I scream for ice-cream!

Hot drinks

Want to learn more about Tou & Mai?

Question Time!

So are you going to hop in the car and make a trip down to Tou & Mai today? I hope that my Tou & Mai review will inspire you to visit this unique place!

Tou & Mai Location

Tou & Mai Hours

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Want to learn more about Thunderbird Bars?

Want to try a variety pack of Thunderbird Bars? Find them on Amazon:

Hope you enjoyed this Thunderbird Bar review! What Thunderbird Bar flavor interests you the most? Leave me a comment and let me know which one you will try out first!

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Do you have anything special planned for the day today? Leave me a comment and let me know. I would love to hear from my readers. Comments here do brighten up my day!

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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