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

Cast Iron Cooking Essentials For The Home Chef – Gift Guide

Cast Iron Cooking Essentials Gift Guide by Give It A Whirl Girl

Today I will be talking about some cast iron cooking essentials for the home chef. Here is a little story for you as well. A couple years ago I received some cast iron pans and accessories for my birthday. I will be honest and say I was not very thrilled at the moment to receive them and I would have rather received something else. I had no idea what I was going to use them for. Back then I was just getting my feet wet with cooking and I was not as passionate about it as I am today.

When I look back on the day when I received them, I laugh a little now. I am totally in love and infatuated with cast iron cooking. I use my pans frequently now and I also would like to build up my arsenal of them. And if you care for these items properly they can last you a lifetime! These are some heavy duty items and with a bit of TLC they will not let you down.

I really enjoy busting out my cast iron and cooking my meals with it. In fact, my current favorite way to prepare my steak is with my cast iron. I promise you that you will get the most tender and juicy steak when you use a cast iron pan. I will not even throw my steak on the grill anymore. Cast iron is the way to go! See the photos below for a couple of juicy steaks I recently created with my cast iron pans.

Food creations made from cast iron cooking essentials

Cast Iron Medium Rare Ribeye Steak with Chimichurri

Cast iron is great for savory meals but it also great for sweets. Have you ever had a warm, giant cast iron chocolate chip cookie? No? Then what are you waiting for? Check out these two cast iron cookies I recently created. Nom nom nom!

Cast Iron Snickedoodle Cookie with gelato — Cast Iron Snickerdoodle Cookie with gelato

Cast Iron Chocolate Chip Cookie with ice-cream

I broke down my cast iron favorites in this list today. Some of these tools I already own and the others are currently on my wishlist. These items were all found while browsing Amazon and if you have Amazon Prime you will receive free shipping and receive them in a couple of days so you can quickly get started. I

If you are not yet an Amazon Prime member, no worries! Right now you can sign up for a 30-day free trial

And here we go with another one of my top 10 lists that I really enjoy creating and sharing with you.

Cast Iron Cooking Essentials

Lodge Essential Cast Iron Pan Set

This is a wonderful cast iron starter set from Lodge. This is the most trusted brand when it comes to cast iron cooking. This cooking set includes:

grill pan
a skillet
a griddle
pot holders
handle holders
and a scraper

Staub Cast Iron 5.75-qt Coq au Vin Cocotte – Turquoise

Staub is another great brand that comes to mind when I think of cast iron cooking. If you are looking for a great pot to cook your next chicken in, this 5.75-qt Coq au Vin will hold a whole chicken that is up to 5 pounds in weight. It comes in several different color options and it is also dishwasher safe. This Coq au Vin isa designed to help your meal retain moisture and not dry out.

Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron 5-1/2-Quart Round French (Dutch) Oven, Palm

Le Creuset is an innovator in the cast iron cooking world. I absolutely love the green color on this dutch oven. If you are not digging the color there are 12 different color options. I believe every kitchen needs to have a dutch oven on hand and Le Creuset is a brand that is designed to last a lifetime. This dutch oven can withstand temperatures up to 500 degrees.

Lodge Pro-Grid Cast Iron Grill and Griddle Combo. Reversible 20″ x 10.44″ Grill/Griddle Pan with Easy-Grip Handles

This is a grill and griddle duo from Lodge. This fits conveniently over two stove burners. This grill and griddle duo would be super to have for your next big Sunday breakfast. You can use the griddle for pancakes and the grill for some breakfast sausage and big fat strips of bacon. Did I hear a tummy growl?

Lodge Cast Iron Mini Cake Pan. Pre-seasoned Cast Iron Cake Pan for Baking Biscuits, Desserts, and Cupcakes

This here is a versatile cooking essential for baking up your next batch of biscuits, cupcakes, and other desserts. Each cavity is 3 1/4″. The surface of this is non-stick and this comes preseasoned and ready to cook with.

Sotya Cast Iron Teapot Japanese Tetsubin Tea Kettle Durable Cast Iron with a Fully Enameled Interior

This is a gorgeous cast iron kettle for your next tea party. This is a beautifully crafted kettle and contains an internal tea infuser. I am thinking this would be perfect for my next cup of matcha tea.

Lodge 14 Inch Cast Iron Wok. Pre-Seasoned Wok

Whip up your next Asian stir-fry with this 14-inch seasoned wok by Lodge. This wok is designed to retain heat and evenly distribute it. Great for the oven, grill, or campfire.

Lodge 14 Inch Cast Iron Wok. Pre-Seasoned Wok

Lodge Manufacturing Company Cast Iron Care Kit

If you are going to dive into the world of cast iron cooking you will need to be equipped with the proper tools to take great care of your new pans. This kit includes:

Seasoning Spray
Pan and Grill Scraper
and Scrub Brush

I highly recommend getting a can of the seasoning spray so you can keep your pans in tip-top shape. After cleaning your pan it is advisable to oil it up and this spray is perfect for keeping the pan well-coated.

Lodge Manufacturing Company Cast Iron Care Kit

Caron Doucet – Cast Iron Care Bundle – Oil & Soap – 100% Plant-Based Formulation – Helps Maintain Seasoning

This is another great cast iron cooking maintenance bundle that will help promote the life and longevity of your pans. This bundle includes soap and oil that will improve the seasoning of your pans. The oil is made up of highly refined coconut oil and enhanced with food grade essential oils. These products will reduce rusting of your pans.

Cook It in Cast Iron: Kitchen-Tested Recipes for the One Pan That Does It All (Cook’s Country)

Here is a versatile cookbook that will teach you everything that you need to know about cast iron cooking. This cookbook is chock full of recipes for breakfast, lunch, appetizers, dinner, and my favorite part~ dessert!

Want to see how easy it is to cook a steak in a cast iron skillet? Watch the video below:

The question of how to clean and care for cast iron often arises. Here is an informational video from Lodge that breaks it down:

Final thoughts on these cast iron cooking essentials

I hope you enjoyed this cast iron gift guide. These cast iron cooking essentials will have you on your way to creating delicious meals at home. Just make sure you take great care of these cast iron items. They do need some love and TLC. If you do that for them, these cast iron cooking essentials will last you a lifetime and they can be passed on to other generations.

Question Time! Have you ever tried cooking with cast iron? What is your favorite meal to cook with it? Leave me a comment and let me know.

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October 16, 2018 0

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

Tag: matcha

Cast Iron Cooking Essentials For The Home Chef – Gift Guide

Food creations made from cast iron cooking essentials

Cast Iron Cooking Essentials

Lodge Essential Cast Iron Pan Set

Staub Cast Iron 5.75-qt Coq au Vin Cocotte – Turquoise

You might enjoy: My Honest ButcherBox Review

Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron 5-1/2-Quart Round French (Dutch) Oven, Palm

Lodge Pro-Grid Cast Iron Grill and Griddle Combo. Reversible 20″ x 10.44″ Grill/Griddle Pan with Easy-Grip Handles

Lodge Cast Iron Mini Cake Pan. Pre-seasoned Cast Iron Cake Pan for Baking Biscuits, Desserts, and Cupcakes

Sotya Cast Iron Teapot Japanese Tetsubin Tea Kettle Durable Cast Iron with a Fully Enameled Interior

This is a gorgeous cast iron kettle for your next tea party. This is a beautifully crafted kettle and contains an internal tea infuser. I am thinking this would be perfect for my next cup of matcha tea.

Lodge 14 Inch Cast Iron Wok. Pre-Seasoned Wok

Lodge Manufacturing Company Cast Iron Care Kit

Caron Doucet – Cast Iron Care Bundle – Oil & Soap – 100% Plant-Based Formulation – Helps Maintain Seasoning

Cook It in Cast Iron: Kitchen-Tested Recipes for the One Pan That Does It All (Cook’s Country)

Want to see how easy it is to cook a steak in a cast iron skillet? Watch the video below:

The question of how to clean and care for cast iron often arises. Here is an informational video from Lodge that breaks it down:

Final thoughts on these cast iron cooking essentials

Question Time! Have you ever tried cooking with cast iron? What is your favorite meal to cook with it? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Related posts

Primal Kitchen Coupon Code 10% Off

Save at Kettle & Fire with my special Kettle & Fire coupon code.

WHIRLGIRL

Like this:

Paleo Matcha & Chocolate Cheesecake – RECIPE – Gluten-Free

Like this:

Disclaimer – The Fine Print

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!

Share this:

Like this:

Food creations made from cast iron cooking essentials

Cast Iron Cooking Essentials

You might enjoy: My Honest ButcherBox Review

This is a gorgeous cast iron kettle for your next tea party. This is a beautifully crafted kettle and contains an internal tea infuser. I am thinking this would be perfect for my next cup of matcha tea. Lodge 14 Inch Cast Iron Wok. Pre-Seasoned Wok

Want to see how easy it is to cook a steak in a cast iron skillet? Watch the video below:

The question of how to clean and care for cast iron often arises. Here is an informational video from Lodge that breaks it down:

Final thoughts on these cast iron cooking essentials

Question Time! Have you ever tried cooking with cast iron? What is your favorite meal to cook with it? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Related posts

Save at Kettle & Fire with my special Kettle & Fire coupon code.

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Disclaimer – The Fine Print

This is a gorgeous cast iron kettle for your next tea party. This is a beautifully crafted kettle and contains an internal tea infuser. I am thinking this would be perfect for my next cup of matcha tea.

Lodge 14 Inch Cast Iron Wok. Pre-Seasoned Wok