ButcherBox REVIEW – A Trustworthy Source Of Top-Quality Meats Delivered To Your Doorstep Each Month

Today I would love to spread the word about how fantastic ButcherBox is in my special ButcherBox review on this Tried It Out Tuesday! If you love to cook with top quality meats like 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef, free-range organic chicken, and heritage breed pork then ButcherBox is going to blow your mind! ButcherBox only ships out the best high-end meats. I will be sharing with you some ways to use the beef that you receive from ButcherBox. I included a way to use the beautiful 36oz chuck roast, also a great way to serve up the gorgeous ribeye steak, and how I served the ButcherBox flat-iron steak with eggs.

The ButcherBox meat delivery service keeps up to their promise of delivering quality, convenience, and value. ButcherBox is a trustworthy source of meat to satisfy all of your carnivore cravings.

Standard disclosure: I was sent a ButcherBox free of charge for review purposes. All statements and opinions in this ButcherBox review are my own.

My Honest ButcherBox Review

How does ButcherBox work?

Choose your ButcherBox – Choose the Classic Box for small families and the Big Box for larger families.
Delivery to your doorstep – ButcherBox takes great care in their shipment.
Cook with confidence when you order from a trustworthy source!

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ButcherBox allows for customization with their meat delivery service. The ButcherBox’s that are available are listed below. For this ButcherBox review, I will be sharing my first-hand experience with the ButcherBox All-Beef Box.

The items shown below in each box are last month’s cuts that were sent out and are shown for example purposes only. Your shipment will vary. This is only shown for example.

Custom Box – The custom box is completely customizable and you can choose from over 20 different cuts of beef, chicken, and pork. The Custom ButcherBox gives you total and complete control over the meats you will receive.
Mixed Box – With the Mixed ButcherBox you will receive a mix of meat that totals anywhere from 8.5-11lbs. The Mixed ButcherBox includes the following meats: 2 lbs of Ground Beef, 2 NY Strip Steaks, 4 Top Sirloin Steaks, 1lb of Whole Pork Tenderloin, and 3lbs of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
Beef & Pork Box – 2 lbs of Ground Beef, 2 NY Strip Steaks, 4 Top Sirloin Steaks, 4 Boneless Pork Chops, 2 lbs of Whole Pork Tenderloin
Beef & Chicken Box – 2 lbs of Ground Beef, 2 NY Strip Steaks, 4 Top Sirloin Steaks, 3lbs of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, and 3 lbs of Chicken Drumsticks
All Beef Box – 2 lbs of Ground Beef, 2 NY Strip Steaks, 1lb of Premium Steak Tips, 2+ lbs of Chuck Roast, and 4 Top Sirloin Steaks

Want to add some extras to your ButcherBox?

You are in luck if you want to add some extra items to your ButcherBox shipment. You can click HERE to see them all. Here are just a few of the available add-ons: salmon, bacon, and breakfast sausage.

My first impressions of ButcherBox

I received my first delivery on Wednesday, May 1st. My order was shipped out the day before, so my first shipment of meat did arrive the next day. I was really happy with the speed of delivery. I could not wait to see what was sent to me in my first box. Opening up this package gave me flashbacks of Xmas morning!

My first ButcherBox arrived quickly and in great shape!

I opened up my first ButcherBox shipment and everything was packed really well. All of my meats were frozen solid and the box was insulated quite well.

Everything was frozen solid and packed really well with my first ButcherBox.

What was inside my ButcherBox

Right off the bat, I could see that I did receive one meat that I was really hoping for and that was my chuck roast. I was hoping to make another Mississippi roast next week and the gorgeous hunk of meat that was sent will be absolutely perfect for that dish! The chuck roast that I received in my ButcherBox came in at 36 oz and it will be the perfect size to feed my family. This piece of meat was quite honestly, the most impressive looking beef roast I ever had to pleasure to cook with. I usually get my meat from the grocery store. The grocery store that I shop at has this cut of beef on sale often at buy-one-get-one-free but it never looks as nice as what ButcherBox has to offer!

I also received two 10 oz ribeye steaks, which will be perfect for a special Sunday dinner this week. Ribeye is my favorite steak cut of meat. It is a very simple steak to cook with simple ingredients. I create an herbed ghee mixture and rub it on the meat and cook it for a few minutes per side in a cast iron pan. I cook my steaks medium-rare and I am really thrilled to give ButcherBox’s meat a whirl.

Everything that I received looks completely and totally super duper fresh! I was really impressed with the gorgeous red hue of all the meat and the marbling on everything.

The other cuts of beef that I received in my first ButcherBox were the following: 2 lbs of grass-fed ground beef (in one pound packages), 2 6 oz flat iron steaks, 2 packages of sirloin tips (1 lb packages), and a package of ButcherBox’s very own bacon!

My first ButcherBox shipment was the All-Beef box

My first ButcherBox contained meats with a gorgeous deep red hue and nice marbling

The 36 oz beef chuck roast in my ButcherBox shipment - Beautiful cut of beef! — The 36 oz beef chuck roast in my ButcherBox shipment – Beautiful cut of beef!

Grass-Fed Beef Ribeye Steak from ButcherBox

Ground Beef (grass-fed beef) from ButcherBox

ButcherBox offers a wide variety of different meats! I chose the All-Beef Box!

Here is what I did with meat from my ButcherBox

ButcherBox Chuck Roast

For the chuck roast that was sent to me from ButcherBox, I immediately knew what I wanted to create with it… my Paleo Mississippi Roast. This is a really awesome recipe to use with a nice piece of chuck roast meat. The recipe tells you how to create your own ranch seasoning rub for the meat and how to create this set-it-and-forget-it beef dish. The chuck roast that I received from ButcherBox was the best chuck roast I had ever seen. I had the most perfect red hue and great marbling on it. This chuck roast did not have much fat on it and the meat came out extremely juicy and tender!

This ButcherBox chuck roast sure made for one memorable meal with lots of ooo’s and ahh’s at the dinner table!

Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast made with a BUTCHERBOX Chuck Roast

Paleo Mississippi Roast Melt In Your Mouth Meat Recipe (Slow-Cooker) (Gluten-Free)

ButcherBox Ribeye Steaks

Sometimes simplicity is best! For the ButcherBox ribeye steaks, I simply cooked them in a cast iron pan with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper. This was a very easy approach but it results in big flavor and a juicy, unforgettable meal. I served my ButcherBox ribeye alongside some ButcherBox bacon-wrapped asparagus. The ButcherBox bacon was the perfect addition to this paleo, primal meal!

Oooh yeah check out those ButcherBox ribeye steaks on the cast iron pan! This will satisfy your primal cravings.

ButcherBox Ribeye Steaks are big on flavor! Served with ButcherBox bacon-wrapped asparagus

Steak & eggs

Here is another simple way to use your ButcherBox meat. My husband has never had steak and eggs so I decided to serve up this for dinner last week. We call it brinner when we eat breakfast for dinner. It doesn’t get any easier than this folks! To cook the ButcherBox flat-iron steak I simply warmed up some avocado oil (you can use olive oil too) in a cast iron pan and seasoned the steak with some steak seasoning on both sides. I got a nice sear on each side of the steak, let it rest a few minutes, and then sliced and served.

Can you see that I like my steak still mooing? lol!

Steak & eggs served with ButcherBox flat iron steak

The ButcherBox flat-iron steaks are perfect for steak and eggs! How do you like your steak cooked?

Final thoughts on my first ButcherBox shipment

I am really thrilled that I had the opportunity to review this subscription box and give these top-quality meats a try in the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen. I hope that you enjoyed this ButcherBox review and that it will inspire you to give it a whirl soon! ButcherBox was perfect for our small family and we completely and totally enjoyed our shipment of beef, and trust me when I say that we enjoyed it! It was love at first bite! It’s not hard to see that ButcherBox only ships out the finest of meat. Every single meal that had ButcherBox incorporated into it had tender, juicy, and flavorful beef! Certainly was the best beef we ever had and it sure beats the stuff that you get at your local grocery store.

Ready to sign up and get your first ButcherBox?

Click HERE to see pricing available options for your ButcherBox, and to sign up for your first shipment of top quality meats!

Current offers at ButcherBox

Ready to sign up and receive your very own ButcherBox? Simply click the link below or the image below to get started. They are currently offering 2 free pounds of Wild Alaskan salmon with your order.

Join ButcherBox today and get 2 lbs of Wild Alaskan Salmon free!

Or you can claim a free BBQ Bundle with your next order by clicking HERE.

The BBQ Bundle includes babyback ribs, 2 pounds of ground beef, and 2 NY Strips.

Question Time! Which ButcherBox would you love to give a whirl first? Will you choose the all-beef box, beef & chicken, beef & pork, mixed box, or will you be going with a custom box? Leave me a comment and let me know how you like your steak cooked as well! Would love to hear your thoughts.

Want to learn more about ButcherBox?

Sign up for ButcherBox

Pin this image for later if you enjoyed this post

Here is a recipe post at Give It A Whirl Girl that you might enjoy!

Click the image below to read more!

May 14, 2019 4

Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast RECIPE (Gluten-Free, Slow-Cooker)

Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast RECIPE by Give It A Whirl Girl (Slow-Cooker, Gluten-Free)

I think you are all going to fall in love with this simple and easy slow-cooker paleo root vegetable pot roast recipe! This is pure comfort food right over here! This dish was created with a chuck roast, carrots, parsnips, and one really huge turnip! This paleo pot roast gets its fabulous flavor from one of my favorite seasonings, Herbs de Provence. Not only is this meal pure comfort food on a plate, but this paleo & gluten-free dinner is simple to create at home.

Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast RECIPE by Give It A Whirl Girl — Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast

Roast preparations

First things first though. Let’s discuss this Root Vegetable Pot Roast from the beginning. The meat is the highlight of the meal after all. The first thing I do for a slow-cooker roast is salt and pepper that slab of meat, throw it on a hot saute pan with olive oil, let it sizzle and brown. When you brown your meat you lock in the juice of the meat and your meat will be so tender when dinner time rolls around. I used a small 2 pound roast for this recipe but I believe you could use any chuck roast up to three pounds. If you are looking for a great deal on a chuck roast, I have had great success with shopping at Kroger.

Chuck roast for the paleo pot roast with root vegetables

Soften & season up the vegetables

Once you get a beautiful sear on all sides of the meat it is time to soften and season veggies. This recipe includes carrots, parsnips, and a turnip. What you need to do is slice the carrots and the parsnips. With the turnip, you are going to chop it up into little square or rectangular pieces.

My huge turnip for the paleo root vegetable pot roast

Season it up with Herbs de Provence

This paleo root vegetable pot roast was seasoned with Herbs de Provence from Spice Islands. I honestly do not know what the exact ingredients are in this blend. It only says “spices & lavender” on the back label. No clue on why it is so top secret but it is. I wish I could fill you in on the exact seasonings that go into this blend. I read the label on another Herbs de Provence label and it had the following ingredients: marjoram, savory, thyme, rosemary, basil, fennel, sage, lavender.

This is a very fragrant and aromatic spice. It is not a seasoning that I use often but I do enjoy seasoning a big hunk of meat with this.

The Instant Pot Aura

This paleo pot roast can be cooked with a regular slow-cooker but I would love to let you know exactly how I cooked my meal. I just recently gave the Instant Pot Aura a whirl and published a review on my blog. I have been using this small appliance in my kitchen for about one month and I am head over heels in love with it! The Instant Pot Aura is a 6-quart multicooker that is a 10-in-1 small appliance for your kitchen. Instead of using a saute pan AND a slow-cooker the Instant Pot Aura is capable of both browning the meat AND slow-cooking it.

Final thoughts on this Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast

If you are looking for great comfort food, this Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast recipe will hit the spot! My little family of three chowed down and there were some mmm’s and ahh’s going on at the dinner table! Not only is this slow-cooker pot roast recipe simple but it is very healthy as well! You will not find any gluten lurking around in this paleo recipe… just savory meat and vegetables. This is a meal that you can feel good about eating and you can enjoy this paleo meal without all the guilt!

Question Time! What are your favorite ingredients in a pot roast? Leave me a comment and let me know what ingredients you enjoy in yours!

Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast For Your Slow-Cooker (Gluten-Free)

This paleo root vegetable pot roast recipe is a simple and easy recipe for your slow-cooker. This dish is pure comfort food and this meal is also gluten-free.

2 pound Chuck roast (You can use slightly larger)
3 Carrots (Sliced)
2 Parsnips (Sliced)
1 Turnip (Diced)
14.5 ounces Fire Roasted Tomatoes (Drained)
2 tablespoons Minced Garlic
2 Shallots (Slivered)
1 1/2 tablespoons Herbs de Provence
1 Bay Leaf
2 tablespooons Virgin Olive Oil
Salt (To taste)
Pepper (To taste)

Slice and dice your vegetables.
Warm the olive oil in a saute pan. Salt and pepper the meat. Place the meat in the saute pan and brown the meat on all sides to get a browned crust on the outside of the beef.
Add in the garlic and shallots and cook until translucent.
Add in the vegetables (carrots, parsnips, and turnip). Saute until slightly softened.
Place the meat and vegetables into the slow-cooker. Add in one can drained diced fire roasted tomatoes.
Add in your bay leaf and herbs de provence. Stir until well incorporated. Salt and pepper the mixture.
Place the slow-cooker on low for 5-6 hours.
Once 5-6 hours have passed you can remove your meat and cut into small chunks. Place it back in the slow-cooker and give it a good stir.
Serve, eat, and enjoy.

It is best to go light on the salt and pepper and season to taste depending on the size of your chuck roast. You can always add more as time goes on.

PIN ME FOR LATER!

Other recipes you might enjoy!

February 28, 2019 4

Nut Butter Is All The Rage! Get In On It! Healthy Hot List – A Top 10 Amazon Shopping Guide

Nut Butter Amazon Shopping Guide By GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL

In case you have been living under a rock, then you would be aware that nut butter is all the rage nowadays. Peanut butter is boring, so move over peanut butter! There are so many new nut butters available today. It is overwhelming to see so many all over Amazon so today I broke down my favorite nut butter into this top 10 list as part of my Healthy Hot List series on my blog.

ABOUT NUT BUTTER

You want to know the very wonderful thing about these nut butters? They are a fantastic source of protein. These brands in this shopping guide also only use all natural ingredients to create their products. Many are also gluten-free and vegan. These nut butters are quite versatile and there are a ton of inspirational recipes online for how to get the best use out of these.

Wanna shop from this shopping guide?

All you need to do is click the link or image and load up your cart! I would love to hear from you and know what you got for yourself!

Betsy’s Best Nut Butter Gift Set – Cinnamon Almond, Toasted Coconut Cashew, Cashew Cardamom, Cinnamon Peanut and Cinnamon Seed Butters (Sampler, 5 Pack)

This Betsy’s Best Nut Butter Gift Set has everything you need to whip up a tasty creation in your kitchen. I love creating energy balls with nut butter.

Five Amazing Flavors –The Coconut Cashew Butter contains wonderful coconut flakes along with savory cashew butter. The Cinnamon Almond, Seed and Peanut butters all contain a chia seeds, cinnamon and honey for a touch of sweetness. Our lovely Cashew Caradmom combines savory cashew butter, cardamom spices and chia seeds making a flavor to fall in love with.

Betsy's Best Nut Butter Gift Set - Cinnamon Almond, Toasted Coconut Cashew, Cashew Cardamom, Cinnamon Peanut and Cinnamon Seed Butters (Sampler, 5 Pack) — **Betsy’s Best Nut Butter Gift Set**

You might also like:

Maple Pecan Energy Balls RECIPE -No-Bake- Gluten-Free & Vegan Healthy Snack

Bet You Can’t Eat Just One! Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Energy Balls RECIPE (Gluten-Free)

Buff Bake Protein Almond Butter – Nut Butter Spread with 11 Grams of Whey Protein, Gluten Free, Non-GMO (Birthday Cake, 13 oz)

Here is one nut butter that you will most definitely want to give a whirl! This birthday cake flavored nut butter by Buff Bake does not disappoint. Enjoy this nut butter mixed into smoothies, spread onto fruit, just use your imagination! Two tablespoons of this Birthday Cake nut butter contains 11 grams of protein to fuel you through your day.

**Buff Bake Birthday Cake Nut Butter Spread**

Buff Bake also has drumroll please….COOKIES!

You might also like:

Birthday Cake Flavor – Protein Galore – Healthy Hot List

Legendary Foods Nut Butter Variety Pack (16oz, 5 Pack) – Natural Ingredients, Sea Salt, High Protein Healthy Spreads – No Added Sugar or Artificial Flavors, Gluten Free

Trust me on this! You are going to want to give this Legendary Foods variety pack a gigantic, huge whirl! I have tried all of these flavors of Legendary Foods nut butter and I was amazed by the taste of these. They also inspired me to whip up many creative concoctions in my Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen! There are so many fun flavors to try so if you can’t decide, I highly suggest going with the variety pack.

Flavors included: Apple Pie Flavored Almond & Cashew Butter, Blueberry Cinnamon Bun Almond Butter, Peanut Butter With Chocolate Chips, Peanut Butter Cup Peanut Butter, and Pecan Pie Flavored Almond Butter.

These nut butters from Legendary Foods can fit right into your low-sugar, keto lifestyle with only 1 gram of sugar per serving and only 2 net carbs. WOWZA!

**Legendary Foods Nut Butter Variety Pack**

And check out these pizza-flavored nuts by Legendary Foods. I just discovered their existence and I am really drooling over here. OMG~!!

Eliot’s Adult Nut Butters Chocolate Chili Almond Butter, 12 Ounce, Non-GMO, Gluten Free, Vegan, Keto and Paleo Friendly, 72 grams of Protein

Eliot’s Adult Nut Butters is a brand that I am completely and totally intrigued by!

Wanna talk about creative flavors? See what they got:

Espresso Nib Peanut Butter – Eliot’s Adult Nut Butters

Chocolate Chili Almond Butter

Garam Masala Peanut Butter

Harrissa Cashew Butter

Honey Chipotle Peanut Buter

Spicy Thai Peanut Butter

Sriracha Sunflower Butter

This is the kind of nut butter that I would love to try out in savory dishes! These savory flavors really appeal to me and I give Eliot’s Adult Nut Butters MAD PROPS for the innovative flavors!

These nut butters also sell for quite a decent price considering the size and the flavor selection.

What flavor of Eliot’s Adult Nut Butters would you give a whirl and what would you whip up? Feel free to leave me a comment about this in the comment box!

Eliot's Adult Nut Butters Chocolate Chili Almond Butter — **Eliot’s Adult Nut Butters Chocolate Chili Almond Butter**

Nuts ‘N More Cookie Dough Peanut Spread, High Protein Nut Butter Snack, Low Carb, Low Sugar, Gluten Free, All Natural, 16 oz Jar

Nuts ‘N More has a huge variety of different flavors of high protein nut butter available. This cookie dough nut butter is hands down my favorite flavor!

Epic Spreads Nut Butter (Rainbow Sherbet)

Here is a nut butter for the adventurous flavor seekers out there! This is a Rainbow Sherbet spread created by Epic Spreads. This is another brand that has a wide variety of fun flavors to kickstart your creativity.

NOOSH Almond Butter Cupcake Packets (20 Count)

Oh man, this sure sounds like an incredible flavor from NOOSH! This nut butter is an almond butter cupcake spread. These are made with only all natural ingredients. They are also vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and NON-GMO.

Chocolate Hazelnut Butter by Justin’s, Organic Cocoa, No Stir, Gluten-free, Responsibly Sourced, 16oz Jar

Justin’s is a brand that I know and trust. I have been using their cashew butters to create energy balls. I am super curious about this chocolate flavored hazelnut butter!

Each 2 tablespoon serving:

4g Protein, 3g Fiber, 0g Trans Fat, 7g Sugar

Chocolate Hazelnut Butter by Justin's — **Chocolate Hazelnut Butter by Justin’s**

Here is another product from Justin’s that I am confident you will love! These dark chocolate peanut butter cups are at least 100x better than the leading brand, Reeses. These chocolate confections are created with only the best, high-quality natural ingredients. My mind was blown the first time I tried Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.

Julie’s Real Cashew Butter, Coconut Vanilla Bean, Gluten Free, Paleo, Peanut Free, 9oz Jar

Julie’s Real Cashew Butter is the brand you are looking for if you are following a gluten-free or paleo diet! There are four flavors available of Julie’s Real Cashew Butter. This nut butter is made with only all-natural ingredients and guess what? This one only contains two ingredients: cashews and coconut!

Want to check out the other three flavors of this nut butter?

**Julie’s Real Cashew Butter, Coconut Vanilla Bean**

Crazy Go Nuts Walnut Butter & Healthy Snacks: Gluten Free, Vegan, Low Carb, Non-GMO + Keto Snacks, 9oz – Plain

And let’s wrap things up here with some walnut butter from Crazy Go Nuts. This is perfect for you if you are following a gluten-free, vegan, or keto diet and Crazy Go Nuts claims that you will not find anything boring about this nut butter.

You might also like Crazy Go Nuts’ other flavors:

Banana walnut butter – Crazy Go Nuts
Chocolate Espresso walnut butter
Coconut walnut butter
Oatmeal Cookie walnut butter
Orange walnut butter

Which of these fun flavors appeals the most to you?

Crazy Go Nuts Walnut Butter - Plain — **Crazy Go Nuts Walnut Butter – Plain**

Question Time! Now that you have seen my Top 10 favorite nut butters, which one will you be giving a whirl to first and tell me how you will be using it!

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.

February 4, 2019 2

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 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

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

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!

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)

Save at Skinny Dipped Almonds with my special coupon code GIVEITAWHIRL15

Miscellaneous food coupon codes and discounts to help you save money

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Butcher Box coupon Join ButcherBox today and get 2 lbs of Wild Alaskan Salmon free!
Home Chef (meal kit subscription box) coupon Enjoy 3 Free Meals with Home Chef!
Dinnerly (meal kit subscription box) Free Shipping code for the first box on Dinnerly
Gobble (meal kit subscription box) Six Meals for $36 at Gobble!
Snake River Farms coupon code 15OFF to save 15% on orders $150+
Califia Farms coupon Sign up for email and receive 15% off your first order at Califia Farms! Artisinally crafted from nuts, seeds, fruits, and roots. Shop Plant Milks at Califia Farms!
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Ninja Kitchen 25% off CP307, CP301
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Snack Nation Love With Food 40% off first Deluxe Box

GREEN CHEF

HELLO FRESH

BISTRO MD

Amazon promo codes for food/groceries

Chef Shamy (gourmet butter) Save 10.0% on select products from Chef Shamy with promo code 10MTWABP19, through 5/4 while supplies last.
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Amazon clippable coupons for food

Enjoy Life Foods 30% off
Gluten-Free Redd Barr $4.00 off
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Chef’s Cut Jerky 20% off
Navita’s Organics Power Snacks 20% off
Health Warrior Chia Snack Bar 20% off
Bai Drinks 20% off
Amazing Grass 25% off
Modern Table Gluten-Free Pasta 20% off

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!

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

January 12, 2019 12

Gluten-Free Food Shopping Guide – Healthy Hot List Part 4

Gluten-Free Shopping Guide - Healthy Hot List by Give It A Whirl Girl

Today I have compiled this list of gluten-free food that I am just dying to try! I searched high and low on Amazon to bring you a list of my top 10 favorites that are on my wishlist. Many of these items are also paleo and keto-friendly and you can easily incorporate these gluten-free items into your healthy diet and lifestyle.

Real Good Foods Gluten-Free, Low Carb Pizza

You can find Real Good Foods at their online store or on Amazon. Their pizzas are offered as a chicken crust pizza or a cauliflower crust pizza. Amazon currently has a $15 off clippable coupon.

Real Good Foods offers up a great gluten-free, low-carb pizza. I haven’t tried the cauliflower crust yet but I sure do love the chicken crust pizza. Because they use chicken and cauliflower in their crusts you are not going to find any gluten in these and very few carbs. These pizzas are also great for those following a keto diet. You can also check out their gluten-free, low carb enchiladas that are available. They are fantastic for lunch!

**Real Good Foods Gluten-Free low-carb pizzas on Amazon**

If you prefer to purchase your pizzas in-store simply click this banner below for the Real Good Foods handy store locator.

Paleo Powder Seasoning Variety Pack

Paleo Powder is a brand that I know and trust to deliver a wholesome, quality product. I have used their Paleo Powder Pink and Paleo Powder Original All-Purpose Seasoning to flavor many of my recent dishes. This variety pack contains both of those seasonings and also includes Herbed Salt-Free and Low FODMAP. You can read more about how I used Paleo Powder to season my chili and whip up the best batch ever.

The wonderful thing about these Paleo Powder seasonings is that they only use all-natural ingredients in their seasonings. You will not find any artificial flavors or food additives lurking here. All of Paleo Powder seasonings are free of MSG and GMOs and they are manufactured in a wheat, soy, and milk-free facility. These seasonings are certified Paleo and can be incorporated into all of your healthy meals. They are very versatile.

You can also shop for Paleo Powder in their online store.

Caulipower Cauliflower-Based Baking Mix

This here is a brand that I love and trust to come through with a great-tasting, quality product. Caulipower serves up a gluten-free and paleo product here with their baking mix, that I have yet to try! It has 11 net carbs per serving and has a 1/3 less amount of calories and fat than traditional baking products. This would be the perfect grain-free mix for your next baking project! I am thinking this would be great for a homemade pizza crust.

Read my review of Caulipower (Gluten-Free) Pizza and check out my recipe for a Greek pizza made with Caulipower cauliflower crust.

Legendary Foods Variety Pack of Nut Butter

If you hang out on Instagram a lot then chances are you have heard about Legendary Foods and their line of gluten-free, keto, no-sugar-added nut butter. Instagram is where I first heard about them. They have an incredible line of healthy nut butter that you can feel good about eating without all the guilt. This variety pack is available on Amazon and includes Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Pecan Pie, and Blueberry Cinnamon Bun.

Banza Gluten-Free Chickpea Pasta

These gluten-free pastas from Banza were created with chickpeas. They are gluten-free and packed full of protein. This pasta also gives your fiber intake a much-needed boost and they are slightly lower-carb than traditional pasta. This variety pack from Banza includes many different shapes of pasta so you can get started on your next gluten-free pasta dish! Includes shells, penne, and rotini-shaped noodles.

Check out my gluten-free Italian Sausage Goulash recipe on my blog that I created with Banza pasta.

Primal Kitchen Whole 30 Kit

If it is Whole 30, then you know it is gluten-free! Primal Kitchen is one of my go-to brands that I use often in the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen. You can read my review of their products on my blog. These products by Primal Kitchen are always gluten-free and many are also paleo, keto, and Whole 30 friendly. This Whole 30 Starter Kit is perfect for getting started with their products. It includes: Avocado Oil, Greek Dressing/Marinade, Ranch Dressing, Chipotle Lime Mayo, and Avocado Oil Mayo.

Check out some of the meals I have whipped up using Primal Kitchen products:

You can also shop at Primal Kitchen’s online store and save 10% with coupon code GIVEITAWHIRL10.

Lily’s Dark Chocolate Premium Baking Chips

As many of you may know, I am a huge fan of Enjoy Life Food’s dark chocolate chips. They are great for baking projects. I do have a confession to make as well, they are great for nibbling and snacking on straight out of the bag. Busted!

I have not had a chance to try out Lily’s Sweets Premium Dark Chocolate Baking Chips yet but they rank quite high on my list of foods that I would love to try. I recently tried a Lily’s Sweets dark chocolate bar and it was love at first bite. This bag of chocolate chips is sweetened with Stevia and these chips are also vegan and free of GMOs.

Lily's Sweets Dark Chocolate Chips — **Lily’s Sweets Dark Chocolate Chips**

Swerve Gluten-Free Chocolate Cookie Baking Mix

This Swerve Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix is for the health-conscious person. Not only is it gluten-free but it is also low-carb and ketogenic. One baked cookie comes in at 110 calories, 2 grams of added sugar, and 12 carbs. I have not given this product a whirl just yet but if you have I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

ChocZero Keto Bark w/ Hazelnuts

I love this keto bark by ChocZero. I have not yet tried this hazelnut flavor but I have tried the almond bark. Other flavors available are peanut and coconut. This chocolate bark is sweetened with monk fruit so there are zero added sugars in this gluten-free chocolate bark. This is a line of chocolate you can enjoy with peace of mind because there are only 3 net carbs per serving.

Goodie Girl Birthday Cake Sandwich Cookies

These birthday cake flavor sandwich cookies from Goodie Girl really caught my eye and stood out for me. Birthday cake flavored items rank pretty high on my list of favorite foods. It is just something about birthday cake, maybe it is the nostalgic feeling of eating it when I was a little girl? Birthdays are all about happy times and a celebration and I think that is why they always put a smile on my face.

These cookies are gluten-free and they are also made with all-natural candy sprinkles as well. You won’t find any artificial flavors or colors in these cookies. Goodie Girl only uses the best all-natural ingredients to create their cookies. There are a ton of great flavors available (way too many to list here!!). So click the image below to see what is available and go ahead and treat yourself!

**Goodie Girl Birthday Cake Sandwich Cookies**

Know Foods Maple Syrup

Everyone knows that maple syrup is chock full of sugar and carbs and it is best to avoid if following a diet that is low in sugar. Know Foods has a solution though! Their maple syrup has 0 net carbs and only 10 calories per serving. WOW! This stuff goes great on your stack of gluten-free pancakes or waffles. It is a fabulous alternative to regular maple syrup.

I am a big fan of their products and first discovered them through their line of cookies. You can grab a variety pack of their gluten-free cookies on Amazon and enjoy some cookies without worrying about allergens and guilt! They also have chickpea, gluten-free pasta available.

Question Time!

Which of these gluten-free foods from this shopping guide are you most eager to try? Leave me a comment and let me know what is on your wishlist!

Birthday Cake Flavor – Healthy Hot List

Part 3 – Healthy Hot List

Part 2 – Healthy Hot List

Part 1 – Healthy Hot List

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.

December 14, 2018 7

Kettle & Fire COUPON & REVIEW – How I Made Healthy Chili Made With Bone Broth

Today I will be sharing my experience with Kettle & Fire Bone Broth. This is an excellent source of nutrients and a splendid way to warm up on a cold winter day. These paleo, Whole 30, and keto-friendly bone broths should be a part of your diet regimen for various reasons. There are so many health benefits to incorporating bone broth into your diet.

I also have a special coupon code to save you some money at Kettle & Fire. Drumroll please, I am also giving away a 6-Pack of Kettle & Fire Beef Bone Broth. Keep reading so you can find out how to save and enter the giveaway. Good luck everyone!

What is bone broth?

Let’s start things off here by discussing what exactly Kettle & Fire Bone Broth is and why you should be giving this product a whirl! Bone broth is sourced from the bones of animals and their connective tissues. These bones and tissue are boiled into a broth and cooked for 10+ hours (up to 20 hours). They are boiled with vegetables, herbs, and spices to enhance the flavor.

The benefits of sipping Kettle & Fire Bone Broth

Bone broth is known to be a superfood. Bone broth is a nutrient powerhouse and a super source of collagen. There is a lot of talk about collagen nowadays. Collagen is extracted from the bones after simmering for a long time. The longer the bone broth simmers, the more collagen that can be extracted. The benefits of collagen in your diet are noted below.

Benefits of collagen in your diet

Repair torn cartilage
Relieve joint pain
Soothe an inflamed digestive tract
Strengthen the gut lining
Maintain bone density
Boost immunity
Improve sleep quality
Improve your skin’s appearance

You can view the Kettle & Fire Bone Broth video below for all of the information you need.

Bone Broth is not just about sipping

Kettle & Fire Bone Broth can be used in more ways than just sipping on it. There are ways you can get creative with it. You can use bone broth in place of regular broth in any recipe. There are also several suggested flavor enhancers that you can incorporate into your bone broth.

Acid: lemon juice, lime juice, apple cider vinegar
Salt: Himalayan or Celtic Sea, miso paste
Healthy fat: avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, ground flaxseeds
Spice: ginger, garlic, lemon zest turmeric, rosemary, cayenne, and cinnamon

The possibilities here are endless, folks! Just use your creative powers in the kitchen.

Kettle & Fire Bone Broths

The 3 varieties of Kettle & Fire Bone Broth

Beef Bone Broth

Kettle & Fire’s Beef Bone Broth is a superfood with some very remarkable health benefits. This broth is super rich in collagen and amino acids. Their broths are all free of hormones, antibiotics, additives, preservatives, and artificial ingredients. What you get with Kettle & Fire’s product is the real wholesome deal. The beef broth is simmered for up to 20 hours with the bones of grass-fed cattle.

All bone broths produced by Kettle & Fire are perfect for those following a paleo, Whole 30, or keto diet. It is also the perfect product to use in your recipes if you are a clean-eating fanatic like myself.

WHAT IS IN OUR BEEF BONE BROTH?Marrow Bones From Pasture-Raised, 100% Grass-Fed & Finished Cattle (6 grams of protein per serving, 10 grams of collagen per serving) Onions, organic carrots, organic celery, organic parsley, sea salt, black peppercorn, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary extract, and apple cider vinegar (which extracts even more nutrients from the bones)

Chicken Bone Broth

The Chicken Bone Broth from Kettle & Fire is another nutrient dense superfood that is full of health advantages. The Chicken Bone nutrient-dense with the bones and chicken feet of chicken feet.

WHAT IS IN OUR CHICKEN BONE BROTH?Organic chicken bones and feet (which add extra collagen) (10 grams of protein per serving, 6 grams of collagen per serving) Organic celery,organic roasted Poblano pepper, organic green pepper, organic onions, organic carrots, organic garlic, organic scallions, organic tomato puree, organic herbs (parsley, thyme, rosemary, basil), organic spices, sea salt, and apple cider vinegar (which extracts even more nutrients from the bones)

Mushroom & Chicken Bone Broth

The Mushroom & Chicken Bone Broth from Kettle & Fire is one you are going to definitely want to give a whirl! This bone broth is similar to the chicken bone broth but with the added health benefit of Lion’s Mane mushroom, which are another known superfood! So what can Lion’s Mane mushrooms do for you? They are known to improve cognitive function as well as improve your energy levels.

WHAT IS IN OUR MUSHROOM CHICKEN BONE BROTH? Organic chicken bones and feet (which add extra collagen) (10 grams of protein per serving, 6 grams of collagen per serving) Organic Portabella mushrooms, organic celery, organic roasted Poblano pepper, organic green pepper, organic onions, organic carrots, organic garlic, organic scallions, organic tomato puree, organic herbs (parsley, thyme, rosemary, basil), organic spices, sea salt, Organic Lion’s Mane Mushroom powder (Lion’s mane mushroom is an adaptogen, which means it can help reduce your stress response) and apple cider vinegar (which extracts even more nutrients from the bones)

Other products by Kettle & Fire

Healthy Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash soup is definitely one of my favorite soups of all time and this Healthy Butternut Squash Soup from Kettle & Fire delivers as far as taste and quality go. With this soup, chicken bone broth is used as a base and coconut milk is also used. This soup is a wonderful paleo, Whole 30, or keto treat for your palate!

INGREDIENTS

Kettle & Fire Chicken Bone Broth for a protein and collagen boost
9 grams of protein per serving
Organic apple cider vinegar (which extracts even more nutrients from the bones)
Organic olive oil and coconut milk for a dose of healthy fats
A variety of organic herbs and spices to make the flavor pop

Healthy Tomato Soup

This tomato soup from Kettle & Fire got taken up a notch so it can earn the title of Healthy Tomato Soup. Chicken Bone Broth is used as a base to flavor it and to load it up with those extra nutrients that your body desires and craves. Just like Grandma’s homemade tomato soup, only better!

INGREDIENTS IN HEALTHY TOMATO SOUP

Healthy Miso Soup

This Kettle & Fire Miso Soup has that umami flavor that you are looking for but this one is packed full of nutrients and will give you a great boost in collagen.

INGREDIENTS IN HEALTHY MISO SOUP

Kettle & Fire Chicken Bone Broth for a protein and collagen boost
11 grams of protein per serving
Organic apple cider vinegar (which extracts even more nutrients from the bones)
Organic olive oil
A variety of organic herbs and spices to make the flavor pop

Healthy Thai Curry Soup

This Healthy Thai Curry soup from Kettle & Fire can best be described as spicy, sweet, and BOLD! This soup was created with the chicken bone broth and is chock full of collagen to give your hair, skin, and nails the treatment that they deserve.

INGREDIENTS IN HEALTHY THAI CURRY SOUP

Chicken Bone Broth, Organic Coconut Milk, Organic Chicken Meat (Organic Chicken Meat, Water, Organic Rice Starch, Salt), Organic Potato Starch, Organic Jalapeno Peppers, Organic Red Bell Peppers, Organic Portabella Mushrooms, Organic Celery, Organic Onion, Organic Carrots, Contains 2% or Less of Organic Chicken Flavor, Organic Honey, Organic Spices, Organic Chilies, Organic Ginger, Organic Garlic, Organic Lemongrass, Natural Flavor, Yeast Extract, Organic Cilantro, Sea Salt, and Organic Guar

Grass-Fed Beef Chili

Mmmm… nothing beats a great big bowl of warm chili this time of year. This Grass-Fed Beef Chili from Kettle & Fire was created with grass-fed beef, kidney beans, and various spices to season it.

INGREDIENTS IN GRASS-FED BEEF CHILI

Beef Broth (Filtered Water, Beef Bone Broth Concentrate), Ground Beef, Organic Tomatoes, Organic Kidney Beans, Organic Tomato Paste, Organic Green Bell Pepper, Contains less than 2% of Organic Tapioca Starch, Organic Chili Powder, Organic Jalapeno Peppers, Organic Spices, Organic, Honey, and Sea Salt

How I used Kettle & Fire Bone Broth

I decided to give the Kettle & Fire Beef Bone Broth a whirl first. My daughter, Chloe, requested another batch of my Farty Party Chili that I made last weekend because it was so good. I did not want to eat the same exact meal two weeks in a row so I made a few modifications. I ended up calling this one Gas Blaster. Why? Because I used three cans of beans in it (dark kidney, light kidney, and pinto beans). I also added in two cups of the Kettle & Fire Beef Bone Broth, seasoned it up with a good amount of turmeric seasoning, and used some Muir Glen Organic Tomato Paste to thicken it up.

This 3-bean & tri-color bell pepper chili turned out amazeballs and dare I say the best chili that I have ever whipped up!

Farty Party Chili w/ added Kettle & Fire Beef Bone Broth

I do not normally use a beef broth in my chili because I like my chili thick. I used this Beef Bone Broth this time around and thickened it with tomato paste and it was absolute perfection as far as flavor and consistency goes. The bone broth gave this batch of chili some exceptional flavor that blew my mind.

Ever have one of those meals where you are eating it and can’t shut up about how good it is? That is what happened with this chili I created with the Beef Bone Broth from Kettle & Fire!

3 Bean & 3 Pepper Chili with Kettle & Fire Beef Bone Broth

To learn more about this chili that I created click the link below and just add bone broth to it and tomato paste to thicken it up.

FARTY PARTY 3- BEAN CHILI

Nice warm bowl of grass-fed beef chili made with Kettle & Fire Bone Broth — A nice warm bowl of grass-fed beef chili made with Kettle & Fire Bone Broth

Final Thoughts

Kettle & Fire Bone Broth is a product that I will be keeping my pantry stocked with. I was very impressed with the taste and the quality of these products and I can see myself getting creative with them in the kitchen. Not only are these great for sipping but they can be incorporated into any recipe that calls for broth. This bone broth will give your dish a much-needed boost in nutrients and it will lend some extraordinary flavor to your meal.

Pro tip!

Also, if you are looking for a great way to season your chili, look no further than to Paleo Powder! I used Paleo Powder Pink seasoning in my chili and this gives your meal an incredible flavor with only all-natural, wholesome ingredients.

Are you ready to shop?

If you are ready to stock up on Kettle & Fire Bone Broth simply click the banner below to get started.

Current offers and deals at Kettle & Fire

Kettle & Fire is currently offering free shipping with any order of 6+ cartons of their fabulous bone broth. Click the bold link below to shop and save and apply the Kettle & Fire coupon to save.

Kettle & Fire Coupon WHIRLGIRL!

You can also save yourself a good amount of money by signing up for a subscription of bone broth. They offer discounted rates on a subscription order and you can cancel at any time.

Question Time!

How do you think Kettle & Fire Bone Broth will fit into your diet and lifestyle? What is the first dish you will create with it?

Want to learn more about Kettle & Fire?

PALEO POWDER coupon GIVEITAWHIRL

SHOP PRIMAL KITCHEN COUPON CODE GIVEITAWHIRL10

SIGN UP FOR PALEO BY MAILEO

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.

Enter the giveaway in using the entry form below.

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Shop Kettle & Fire Bone Broth on Amazon

December 12, 2018 64

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

Best Holiday Gifts For The Foodie – Gift Guide

The Best Holiday Gifts For Foodies - Gift Guide by Give It A Whirl Girl

Know someone who is a big-time foodie? Shopping for last-minute holiday gifts? This gift-guide is chock full of the perfect gifts for the foodie in your life. This foodie gift-guide has a variety of different food-related items that will surely put a smile on the recipient’s face. Hopefully, you can find an item in this foodie gift guide that will make for a very memorable gift. I know I would be completely and totally happy and content with anything from this gift-guide.

Sun Basket Gift Card

Give the gift of healthy food and clean eats with a Sun Basket Gift Card. You can read more about Sun Basket in this blog post and here as well. I recently posted this round-up post with my favorite meal kit subscription boxes and you can find the current deals there.

Candy Club Gift Box

Candy Club has a few different options for sending a gift to someone. This Candy Club box makes a great gift for a loved one that you can send straight to their doorstep. There is a smaller Fun Box size (which starts at $9 for the first box) and a larger Party Box size (that is $19 for the first box) that you can choose from. There are six different boxes that you can choose from.

You can click this banner to get started and save $20 off your first box. This $20 in savings is on the larger box.

Grill Masters Club Gift Box

Grill Master’s Club has four different gift boxes that are perfect for gift giving this holiday season! Know someone who is a Grill Master? They will appreciate this gift that keeps on giving. Boxes start at $27.95/month. Giving a one year subscription to this Grill Masters Club gift box will be an unforgettable gift for that foodie that is obsessed with grilling.

Get started HERE

Bones Coffee

Bones Coffee hands down has some of the most unique flavors of coffee I have ever seen and heard of! Check out their flavors and grab yourself a sampler back of 5 different flavors that you choose.

Electric Unicorn (a fruity cereal flavor), S’morey Time, French Toast, Peanut Butter & Jelly, and Maple Bacon are the five flavors I am dying to try (if anyone wants to gift me a sampler pack… wink! wink! And pretty please with sugar and cream on top lol).

Click this link to start shopping at Bones Coffee.

Bones Coffee 5-Pack Sampler (image via Bones Coffee)

Primal Kitchen

Primal Kitchen is one of my favorite brands and my go-to for clean eats! You can use my special coupon GIVEITAWHIRL10 to save on your order at Primal Kitchen and they currently have free shipping on any order over $50. You can shop at Primal Kitchen’s online store or find them on Amazon.

Paleo By Maileo

Paleo By Maileo has a few different paleo snack boxes available, indivdual snacks so you can create your own box, or you can purchase a gift card in their online store. This is for the foodie in your life that prefers a diet of clean eats and gluten-free foods. I know I would love a gift like this!

Love With Food Subscription Box

Love With Food is a snack box subscription box. For a limited time only you can get a FREE $25 snack box and $10 off any 6 or 12-month subscription with coupon code JOLLY10. You can also shop around in their online snack shop and create your own custom box. These snack boxes are absolutely wonderful for any foodie that loves to give new and different foods a whirl!

Holiday Sale- $25 Free Box + $10 Off w/ 6 or 12 COUPON CODE: JOLLY10 — Love With Food Snack Box

Give the Gift of Shipt grocery delivery service

Grocery delivery service is all the rage nowadays. You can now give the gift of Shipt to a loved one. You can choose from a 6-month or 12-month service and the cost starts at $49/month. With Shipt you can receive your grocery ordered delivered in as soon as an hour. This type of service is a godsend to me because I do not drive due to a phobia of driving.

Sign up and get started HERE.

FoodStirs Baking Subscription Box

I had a 6-month FoodStirs subscription and I am super bummed that this subscription ran out because we absolutely loved it! FoodStirs is a baking subscription box and FoodStirs only delivers the best ingredients in their baking kits. They use organic ingredients and all of these desserts turn out scrumptious. This is a great box to share with your children that love to help out in the kitchen. My daugher, Chloe, is almost 9 years old and she absolutely loved creating these desserts with me. This is perfect for the sweet tooth foodie in your life.

Celbration Rainbow Pancake Kit from FoodStirs

15% Off Sitewide on your first order! (Use Code: MOREFLOUR15)

Gourmet Candy at Sugarfina

Here are some more gift ideas for the foodie in your life with a major sweet tooth. Sugarfina’s online store is full to the brim with gourmet candies that have a unique flavor profile.

The ultimate gift at SugarFina is the Build-Your-Own Candy Trunk. With this gift you get to choose twenty different gourmet candies to fill it with. Is that too rich for your blood? Check out the Four Piece Holiday Bento Box.

Build Your Own Candy Trunk (20 different flavors)

Receive Free Shipping On Orders $50+! Use code: SWEETSHIP50. Offer Valid 11/27-1/31. Shop Now!

Give the gift of Thrive Market

Thrive Market is the place to be if you want big savings on all the organic, clean eats! This company definitely earned a spot in my foodie gift guide and for good reason. Their online store is chock full of gluten-free, paleo, Whole 30, keto, and vegan/vegetarian foods. You can receive 25% off your first order. Delivery is fast and free. I have ordered from Thrive Market before and was totally pleased with my order AND the big savings! Their prices are 25-50% below regular retail prices.

The catch? This is a paid membership site. The membership is $59.95 for one year of access to their online store. This fee, however, pays for itself if you order from Thrive Market frequently. This membership would be an incredible gift for the healthy food enthusiast.

Gift cards are always tops!

Who doesn’t love a good gift-card? Seriously, you just can’t go wrong with one of these and that is why I am including them in this foodie gift-guide for all of those food lovers out there.

Amazon Gift-Card

Amazon is your source for anything and everything. I would imagine that anyone and everyone would be excited to receive one of these gift-cards during the holiday season.

Fleming’s Steakhouse & Wine Bar Gift-Card

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is the place to dine if you are looking for food with exceptional taste and quality. At Fleming’s there are also several fancy schmancy wines to choose from to go with you big, juicy steak.

Tastemade Gift Card

Tastemade has some very unique for the foodie in your life. They have an online store that has something for everyone.

Sur La Table Gift Card

Sur La Table has excellent gifts for the home chef. They have cookware, bakeware, small appliances, dinnerware and more. So make that foodie happy and give them the gift of shopping online at Sur La Table!

Chef’s Catalog Gift-Card

The online store at Chef’s Catalog is another slice of heaven for foodies. They also offer cookware, bakeware, and all the kitchen essentials you can possibly think of.

Did any of these gifts in this foodie gift-guide pique your interest? Let me know in the comments what you will be gifting this year or treating yourself to!

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.

December 8, 2018 13

Hosting Thanksgiving At My Home – My First Time Wrap-Up!

Hosting My First Thanksgiving by Give It A Whirl Girl

Thanksgiving has came and went. Whew! This was my first year hosting the Thanksgiving Day holiday at my home. I gotta say that I was probably nervous about the whole situation for the month leading up to it. I know that a lot of work and prep goes into pulling off this festive day. Our feast that we had here was perfect and excellent from start to finish. I was satisfied with how every single element of it came out. No complaints whatsoever here! I hope all of my readers also had a great holiday and enjoyed their big plate of food!

Here is a look at my dinner plate from Thanksgiving! I have a little bit of everything on my plate: roasted turkey, redskin mashed potatoes with French butter, Brussels sprouts, wild rice stuffing with mushrooms and cranberries, White Castle stuffing, Clean Bean (green bean) Casserole, ambrosia, sweet potato casserole, and my favorite~ Everything But The Kitchen Sink Cranberry Sauce! I am hoping to do a recipe post soon for my famous cranberry sauce. I can turn any cranberry-sauce-hater into a lover! So far it has worked with two haters in my family.

Today I will be discussing Thanksgiving and how we pulled it off. I could not have possibly made this day possible without the help and support of my family. My mom, Kathie, was a huge help. She purchased the turkey and a great majority of the food that was served. Money is super tight right now with my family so I was very grateful that she pitched in (big time) to help me create this feast.

My mom bought the 19-pound turkey and an electric roaster to cook the turkey in. I spotted the roaster when we took a trip over the Costco and I thought it would be a great idea to cook the turkey in there so we could free up the oven space for the side dishes that needed to be warmed up. Turned out to be the best idea ever!

My stepmom, Evelyn, was also a huge help. She came over early on Thanksgiving to help my mom and I prep. Evelyn brought over an appetizer and a side dish to pass as well. The appetizer that she brought was unique. They were bacon-wrapped water chestnuts. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? Well, they were delicious. These got gobbled up pretty quick. For a side dish, she brought her famous sweet potato casserole. My stepmom was incredibly helpful with the kitchen clean up as well. That helped me tremendously.

Prepping for the Thanksgiving holiday

Paleo & Vegan (Gluten-Free) Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake

The day before Thanksgiving, I did what I could to prep for the big day. The first thing that I did was I created my Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake. This is my favorite fall dessert at the moment. I wanted to get that done early because the cheesecake needs to set for at least six hours. I gave it plenty of time to set by creating it the morning before the holiday. I have a recipe for this paleo/vegan cheesecake on my blog. I did modify the recipe just a tad bit. Obviously, I did something different for the topping. Instead of creating a whipped cream with coconut cream I topped this cheesecake with a ton of walnuts and pecans. I wanted to make it extra nutty. I purchased a can of non-dairy, almond milk whipped cream to top it with. Instead of using the spices individually I used a jar of pumpkin pie spice.

Paleo & Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake topped with walnuts and pecans

Paleo cranberry sauce

I also busted out my slow-cooker the day before Thanksgiving to make my paleo cranberry sauce in advance. This is one of those set-it-and-forget-it recipes. I love cranberry sauce and my cranberries have the power to turn cranberry sauce haters into lovers! My husband never eats cranberry sauce. Guess what? This year he did! And I know that he enjoyed it because he helped himself to some for his leftover plate. This cranberry sauce is simple to make. I call it my Everything But The Kitchen Sink Cranberry Sauce! There are many ingredients that go into it but it is very easy to create. There are no refined sugars in this cranberry sauce. I use an entire bottle of pure maple syrup to sweeten it. I also use fresh-squeezed orange juice, orange zest, two ambrosia apples, walnuts, and pecans to create the sauce. The apples are a nice, welcome addition and the nuts give it a great texture. The sauce is heavily seasoned with pumpkin pie spice. I picked up a bottle of the Spice Hunter’s Pumpkin Pie Spice at Nino Salvaggio’s in St Clair Shores. This pumpkin pie spice seemed like a wonderful blend of spices. It worked out well in my Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake too, so the funds I spent on it was a great investment.

Ingredients Cinnamon, ginger, lemon peel, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, star anise, fennel, black pepper

You can pick up a bottle of this awesome pumpkin spice seasoning on Amazon. I highly recommend using this Spice Hunter blend for all of your fall flavored foods.

Everything But The Kitchen Sink Cranberry Sauce

Continue reading “Hosting Thanksgiving At My Home – My First Time Wrap-Up!” →

November 24, 2018 3

Sun Basket REVIEW & COUPON – Clean-Eating Subscription Box Meal Kit – Special Offer Inside

Clean Eating With The Sun Basket Meal Kit REVIEW by Give It A Whirl Girl

I recently had the pleasure of trying out one meal kit subscription box from Sun Basket. If you are not familiar with Sun Basket, their meal kits are all about clean-eating and healthy, organic ingredients. They offer vegetarian subscription boxes for those eating a plant-based diet, and there is a paleo option for those who follow a gluten-free diet. My family tried Sun Basket for one week and we had 3 meal kits delivered. Today I will be sharing my Sun Basket review with you and a special Sun Basket coupon/discount. We were highly satisfied with all three meals and I plan on ordering more subscription boxes in the future. I went with the paleo box and it was love at first bite!

Simply click the link below to get started with Sun Basket and activate my special Sun Basket coupon.
$80 Off – $35 & $25 Off the First, Second & $20 Off your Third Orders with this Sun Basket coupon

Sun Basket Review

Sun Basket has clean-eating meal kits for everyone’s diet

Sun Basket makes it easy to order meal kits based on your diet. I ordered the paleo box and all of my meals were gluten and grain-free.

Mediterranean
Plant Lovers (vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian)
Paleo (gluten-free)
Diabetes-friendly

There are 18 options available on the menu at Sun Basket. Many meal kits only offer a fraction of that to choose from. I love that Sun Basket has so many menu items to choose from!

Mediterranean Tomato Braised Cod from Sun Basket - Review - GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL — Mediterranean Tomato Braised Cod from Sun Basket

Only the best ingredients go into your Sun Basket

All of Sun Basket’s ingredients are sourced from organic produce and premium meats that are antibiotic and hormone free. The seafood is all wild-caught. The eggs are all pasture-raised organic eggs.

Recipes are also free from:
Added sugars, processed ingredients, and preservatives

Organic ingredients!

Expect nothing but the best from Sun Basket! Here is their statement about the organic ingredients that they provide:

Sun Basket strives to source organic produce 100% of the time. Currently over 99% of our produce is organic
We develop our recipes to use the best the season has to offer, so some ingredients may be different than depicted
Mother Nature can be fickle. On the rare occasion that we are unable to meet our organic promise, we’ll let you know with a note in your basket
All our tofu is made from organic, non-GMO soybeans
We are a USDA-certified organic handler, and all organic ingredients are clearly labeled on delivery (source)

First impression of Sun Basket

My first Sun Basket subscription box arrived on-time on a Tuesday morning. This was perfect for me because I was hoping to receive my dinner kit before dinner time on Tuesday. I have ordered other meal kits previously in the past and they came much too late in the day to prepare them that day for our meal and I had to wait until the next day to prep and prepare my dinner.

My Sun Basket box was quite heavy from the ice-pack that was packed inside. The box was insulated well throughout and all of my ingredients were kept cold. When I opened up my first box everything was inside individual meal kit bags and labeled. The meats were kept separate from the fresh produce ingredients, which was great. There were no loose items and everything was super fresh and all of my ingredients looked beautiful. You can tell that Sun Basket takes great pride in the meal kits that they ship out just by looking at the quality of the ingredients.

Sun Basket Meal Kit Subscription Box - Review - GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL — Sun Basket Meal Kit Subscription Box

Sun Basket subscription box individually wrapped dinner kits - Review - GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL — Sun Basket subscription box individually wrapped dinner kits

Here are some close-up images of the three different types of meat that were included.

Steak from Sun Basket - Review - GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL — Steak from Sun Basket

Pork from Sun Basket - Review - GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL — Pork from Sun Basket

Cod from Sun Basket - Review - GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL — Cod from Sun Basket

Giving those meal kits a whirl!

Now I will be discussing each of the three meals and my experience preparing them and devouring them!

Seared Steak w/ Brussels Sprouts & Chipotle Mustard Vinaigrette

This recipe for the seared steak was so easy-peasy! A recipe booklet is provided with your order and I followed all of the directions in the recipe exactly how it was written. The first step was to sear the steak and I did this with my cast iron pan. I love my steak medium-rare so I cooked it only for a few moments on each side and gave it a nice sear.

After the steak was cooked to my liking, I cooked the fresh vegetables that the kit came with. This particular kit came with Brussels sprouts, radishes, shredded cabbage, green onions, and garlic. I used the same cast iron pan that I cooked my steak in to cook the veggies. You do have to provide your own olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Ingredients for Seared Steak w/ Brussels Sprouts & Chipotle Mustard Vinaigrette - Review - GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL — Ingredients for Seared Steak w/ Brussels Sprouts & Chipotle Mustard Vinaigrette

Searing the steak for my Sun Basket meal - Review - GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL — Searing the steak for my Sun Basket meal

Cooking the veggies for my Sun Basket meal - Review - GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL — Cooking the veggies for my Sun Basket meal

And here are a couple images of the final product! I may have cooked my steak rarer than medium-rare but that was fine with me. I love my steaks to be reddish and pink throughout. You will never see me eating a well-done steak that tastes like shoe leather! This meal was fantastic and the Chipotle Mustard Vinaigrette was a very welcomed and nice touch. I never had a sauce like that EVER on my steak. It was a tad bit on the spicy side but not too spicy. I also really enjoyed the warm radishes in this Sun Basket meal. It has never occurred to me to try radishes warm because I always just thought of them as a cold ingredient in a salad. Thanks to Sun Basket I am now inspired to try out warm radishes in other meals that I cook up!

$35 off your first Sun Basket order with this Sun Basket coupon code

Mediterranean Tomato Braised Cod with Broccoli and Preserved Lemon

This fish dish was so simple to create in the comfort of my own home and this one really packed a punch of gourmet flavor! This Sun Basket meal was exquisite and it tasted like something that a chef would have prepared for me at a fancy restaurant… true story! My family does not eat seafood so I got to hog up this meal all for myself. I did not eat the entire two helpings on my own but I almost did!

Never have I worked with preserved lemon but I know that it is an ingredient often used in Mediterranean cooking. I’m all about trying new things so I was excited and thrilled to give it a whirl. It really brightened up this dish! It gave it some acidity and gave the cod fish that lemony flavor that I adore with my cod.

This meal didn’t take too long to prepare and there was not much prep involved either. I started out with chopping the broccoli into smaller pieces and sauteed it with some olive oil. I did alter this recipe just a bit. Then I added some shallots and minced garlic to complement the broccoli and that proved to be an excellent idea. The most difficult part of the preparation of this Sun Basket meal, for me, was chopping the cod up into smaller pieces. I could really use some nice new professional chef knives. If you have a great set then this part will be simple but my dinky knives had a hard time getting a nice clean slice on the fish so my fish got mangled up just a bit.

Mediterranean Tomato Braised Cod with Broccoli and Preserved Lemon - Sun Basket Review - GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL — Mediterranean Tomato Braised Cod with Broccoli and Preserved Lemon

Orange Chipotle Glazed Pork W/ Coleslaw & Roasted Sweet Potato

Orange Chipotle Glazed Pork w/ Apple Slaw and Roasted Sweet Potato (Sun Basket) Review - GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL — Orange Chipotle Glazed Pork w/ Apple Slaw and Roasted Sweet Potato (Sun Basket)

This was the third Sun Basket meal that I tried and this was another clear winner in my eyes. This recipe was simple to prepare and cook. The ingredients were all organic and clean and everything added up to a delicious, nutritious meal. I used my cast iron pan to cook the pork and I got a nice orange glaze on it. My daughter loved the pork so much she was asking for seconds.

The apple slaw was an interesting side-dish. I have never had a coleslaw like that before. The slaw dressing was two simple ingredients: apple cider vinegar and honey, and it was already prepared and ready to use so I did not have to do any mixing.

If I had one small complaint about this meal it would have only been the size of the sweet potato provided. My sweet potato was on the small side and the roasted sweet potato with smoked paprika was so delicious we were all wishing for more.

Final thoughts

I was thoroughly impressed with Sun Basket and this is most definitely is a subscription box that I will be subscribing to again in the future. I have tried other meal kits previously and this one really stood out to me with the quality of their recipes. These meals were so simple to create and they were really coming through as having gourmet flavor! What’s better than having a gourmet flavor at home and knowing that you were the one that prepared and created that dish? These meal kits brought out the inner-chef in me.

I love that they have a huge menu to choose from each week with 18 choices. Everything on the menu sounds so wonderful and it is hard to narrow it down because I just wanted to try it all! I also appreciate the fact that Sun Basket has plenty of paleo and gluten-free options.

I hope that you all enjoyed this Sun Basket review and it inspires you to sign up with the discount and give it a whirl today.

Have you ever tried a meal kit subscription box? What did you love about it and which one(s) have you tried?

Curious about Sun Basket after reading my Sun Basket review?

You can click the banner below and claim the Sun Basket coupon for $35 off your first order.

Sun Basket coupon for $35 off your order — Sun Basket coupon for $35 off

Learn more about Sun Basket online:

November 2, 2018 7

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

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

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

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

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

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

Creating the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

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

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

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake crust

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

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough chocolate crust pressed into a springform pan

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake filling

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

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

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

Close up of the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake topping

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

Melting down some dark chocolate chips for the topping

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

October 28, 2018 1

Surround Yourself With Squash & Gourds- Tried It Out Tuesday (Dumpling & Buttercup Squash)

Have you ever gone on a squash adventure? No? Neither have I until this past weekend when I went to Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace in St. Clair Shores, MI looking for something interesting to try this week for Tried It Out Tuesday. We ended up taking home four different types of squash. In this post I will be discussing the dumpling squash and the buttercup squash that we tried.

I have written about this place before and I love going here on a fun little foodie adventure when I have a small wad of cash to blow. Some girls spend their dollars getting hair & nails done or buying trendy new clothes. Not me, not this girl right here! My family enjoys being adventurous eaters so when we have a little extra cash we like to treat ourselves to something delicious and tasty.

There is a whole world of squash out there in the universe just waiting to be discovered by you!

When you eat with an open mind you allow yourself the chance to experience new foods, new flavors. I went to Nino’s with no clear plan. I just wanted to go in there and walk out with something that I have never tried and experienced.

A little bit about Nino Salvaggio’s

Giant pumpkin at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace

Indian corn at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace

Nino Salvaggio’s is a great local place that is chockful of interesting fruits and vegetables right at your fingertips. They currently have 3 locations with another added location in the works. I live closest to the smaller, St Clair Shores location, and believe it or not I have been going to this little store my whole entire life. On weekends I remember my mom taking us out to fruit markets to stock up on produce. We would go to Randazzo’s on Gratiot in Roseville and we would go to Nino’s in St Clair Shores. Honestly, I absolutely hated going to these stores when I was growing up. I thought it was boring and I would get a bit antsy and impatient and want to leave.

Look at me now! I am all grown up and going shopping for food is always the highlight of my days and I look forward to it. I just can’t seem to get enough of it.

Nino’s is bustling with people on the weekend and for good reason! They have the most beautiful displays of fresh produce that I have ever witnessed. They are super picky about what gets put out on the display for purchase, and they only put out the best of the best.

I will be writing frequently about my shopping experiences there. Other than Eastern Market, this is my go-to place for interesting eats. If you live in the area of Nino Salvaggio’s I highly recommend taking a little trip there to see what you can stock up on. There is always something new and interesting there to feed the senses.

My little haul of unusual squash

Squash that I bought at Nino Salvaggio's — Squash that I purchased at Nino Salvaggio’s: Dumpling Squash, Buttercup, Hubbard, and Sweet Potato Squash

I am a huge fan of summertime in Michigan. I pretty love and cherish most things about summer here, minus the god-awful humidity. I do enjoy a good barbeque feast on the weekends and I do love the food during the summer BUT my favorite foods are all autumn related. I love a good, filling bowl of soup on a cold day. I love a thick & hearty stew. I enjoy eating pumpkin flavored desserts. Just last year I recently discovered that I am also a huge fan of squash. The first squash I fell in love with last year was the butternut squash. I pureed it and made some paleo soup with it and topped it with a coconut milk drizzle. And then next up I ventured into trying out acorn squash. I remember serving it as a side dish with a maple syrup drizzle on it.

So this year I was up for the challenge of taking home some new-to-me squash. Nino Salvaggio’s had a grand display of squash, pumpkins, and gourds out in the front of the store. I grabbed a shopping cart and starting asking Google a bunch of questions on my phone about these squash I was about to purchase. I filled up my cart with four varieties: dumpling squash, buttercup squash, sweet potato squash, and an orange hubbard squash. I had a general idea on what I was going to do with them. Maple syrup always goes well with roasted squash so I got myself a bottle of pure Michigan maple syrup.

I did not even step foot into the store and I already had my mind made up on what I was going to take home… SQUASH and lots of it!

My daughter, Chloe, was scoping out the heirloom pumpkins and observing them in amazement. She fell in love with a tall white pumpkin that you can see in the photo below.

I also had to rummage through the basket of decorative gourds and bring home a few of them. We enjoyed looking at how unique each and every one of them was.

My daughter, Chloe, checking out the heirloom pumpkins at Nino Salvaggio’s

Dumpling Squash at Nino Salvaggio's International Marketplace — Dumpling Squash at Nino Salvaggio’s International Marketplace

Buttercup Squash at Nino Salvaggio's International Marketplace — Buttercup Squash at Nino Salvaggio’s International Marketplace

Continue reading “Surround Yourself With Squash & Gourds- Tried It Out Tuesday (Dumpling & Buttercup Squash)” →

October 2, 2018 3

Must-Have Healthy Food Products (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Paleo, Whole 30, or Keto) Healthy Hot List – Part 2

Welcome to another installment of the Healthy Hot List! This is now a regular feature over here at Give It A Whirl Girl. There are health food items everywhere I look nowadays. People are focusing on health and wellness and fueling their bodies with healthy and nutritious foods. This is where I break down those must-have health food items that you just gotta try.

Some I have tried and I can vouch that they are great, while others are just sitting around on my Amazon wishlist waiting to be swept up and brought over here. I also added a few supplements to this list, two of which I have tried, and another that I want to give a whirl.

You can read Part One of the Healthy Hot List HERE

Healthy Hot List Part 2 – Must-Have Health Food Products

Vanilla Bean Grass-Fed Ghee Butter by 4th & Heart, Pasture Raised, Non-GMO, Lactose-Free, Certified Paleo, Keto-Friendly

Want to take your next baking project up a notch? Why not try out 4th & Heart Vanilla Bean Ghee Butter in your next recipe? When I think of great ghee this brand here certainly comes to mind. The wonderful thing about this ghee is that it is spreadable and does not require any refrigeration. Ghee is a clarified butter with milk solids removed so there is nothing here that will spoil. Available in chocolate too!

Nutpods Variety 3-Pack, Unsweetened Dairy-Free Creamer, Whole30, Paleo, Keto, Non-GMO & Vegan, for Coffee, Tea & Cooking, made from almond and coconut

Move over dairy coffee creamers that are laden with sugar and calories! Nutpods is my new favorite coffee cream. These are unsweetened and taste rich and smooth in my coffee. Each 1 tablespoon serving is a mere 10 calories and ZERO grams of sugar. Nutpods are made with coconut cream, almonds, and other natural flavors.

CAULIPOWER Paleo Cauliflower Pizza Crusts, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Non-GMO, Lower Carb (4 Crusts)

I bought myself a Caulipower paleo crust for a Greek pizza this week. I am excited to work with this blank canvas gluten-free crust. You can read my veggie pizza review: HERE. What a time it is to be alive with a cauliflower pizza crust that takes the place of regular pizza crust so well. The veggie pizza that I tried had a great crisp crust. No soggy cauliflower there. I have a great feeling that this paleo crust will by a go-to product for my next pizza concoction.

Rao’s Tomato Basil Sauce

I have been hearing a lot about this brand of pasta sauce. This marinara from Rao’s contains only pure and natural simple ingredients and Italian tomatoes. I will say that it seems to be a bit on the pricey side but if you are looking for a high-quality sauce for your next Italian dinner look no further than to Rao’s.

No tomato blends, paste, water, starches, filler, colors or added sugar. (source)

Rao's Homemade Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce — Rao’s Homemade Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

Primal Kitchen – Avocado Oil-Based Mayo, Garlic Aioli, 12 oz, Gluten and Dairy Free, Whole30 and Paleo Approved

I just used this Primal Kitchen Garlic Aioli Mayo last night to whip up one hell of a tasty tuna salad with some sundried tomatoes in it! This was my first time using this mayo (I have used the regular one previously) and I love the added garlic flavor in this. Primal Kitchen takes pride in only using all natural and pure ingredients in their food. This mayo is the first avocado oil-based of its kind.

A creamy combination of garlic, lemon, and cage-free eggs, this savory mayonnaise spread is infused with real food ingredients and uncompromisingly delicious taste. (source)

You can save on your order at Primal Kitchen with my special Primal Kitchen coupon code

Primal Kitchen Coupon Code - 10% Off

Coupon

Primal Kitchen Coupon Code 10% Off

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Save 10% off your next order at Primal Kitchen.

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Birch Benders Pancake & Waffle Mix Health Variety Pack, Gluten Free, Protein, Paleo, Pack of 3

Awesome pancake mix alert right over here! I have used Birch Benders to whip up some delicious and fluffy chocolate chip pancakes recently. Their mix is one of my go-to brands and I am always happy with how these pancakes turn out. This particular brand has great reviews on Amazon, and for a great reason, they are fantastic!

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Homemade Wonderful Bread Mix, 16-ounce (Pack of 4)

Bob’s Red Mill is a brand that I rely upon heavily for quality products. I have tried several in their line and have never felt let down. This Wonderful Bread Mix is gluten-free and results in a wonderful, fluffy loaf of bread. Considering the fact that this bread is gluten-free, it does a great job of mimicking regular whole grain bread. You can read more about this bread mix on my two posts on the blog: HERE and HERE.

Bob's Red Mill Wonderful Bread Mix — Bob’s Red Mill Wonderful Bread Mix

Garden of Life Kombucha – Vitamin Code Raw Dietary Supplement with Probiotics and B Complex, Vegan, 60 Capsules

This supplement by Garden of Life is something that I recently came across that intrigued me. Drinking kombucha gets expensive when you add up all of those bottles. This supplement has all of the healthy gut benefits that you will find in kombucha and it comes in capsule form. This supplement is great for boosting energy and your immune system.

Purely Inspired 7-Day Cleanse, Flush Excess Waste, 42 Count Cleanse Supplement

This is a product I have actually tried quite a few times. Without going into too much detail or getting graphic, this gentle cleanse by Purely Inspired will release any backed up waste that you are walking around with and storing in your body. I take my capsules and in the evening I am ready to go! This product never gave me diarrhea but it sure did clean me out after a week of taking the capsules.

Purely Inspired 7 Day Cleanse Supplement

NatureWise Whole Food Multivitamin for Women | Whole Foods Complex with Vitamins & Minerals for Healthy Heart, Bones, Hair & Nails | Brain Health, Focus & Memory Boost with Cognizin Citicoline | 60 ct

I have tried several multivitamins that are on the market today and so far this one by NatureWise has been my favorite. I felt my best while taking this. The main thing that sucked me into purchasing this multivitamin was that it supports brain health. The older I get, the more brain fog I am getting. This supplement did seem to improve mental focus and did give me a boost in energy. I did not have any ill side effects while taking this and it was gentle on my stomach.

Naturewise Multivitamin & Minerals Supplement

Have you tried any of the health food products on this list? What health food item do you want to try out?

Leave me a comment and let me know.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a health or medical professional. This content is for entertainment purposes only and not to be taken as any medical advice. Please consult with your doctor before taking supplements if you have any health concerns. I am not responsible for any side-effects that may occur from supplements and vitamins listed here.

Curious about ButcherBox? Read my ButcherBox review HERE.

Want to learn more about Kettle & Fire? Check out my Kettle & Fire review HERE.

September 29, 2018 0

Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard Chicken With Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Air-Fryer Fingerling Potatoes

Every single time I use Primal Kitchen in my meals I am never disappointed. That was the case last night when I used the Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard marinade and vinaigrette on my grilled chicken breast. When people think about healthy eating they often think foods are bland and boring. They do not have to be that way. I have changed my eating habits a little over a year ago. My family is on this clean eating adventure with me and they are a-okay with most of it. We are probably the number one fan honey mustard marinade from Primal Kitchen.

Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard Marinade / Vinaigrette

The first thing I did with this dinner was marinated my chicken breast. I went with the Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard marinade last night and I broke out the marinade in the morning and let my chicken soak up the flavor all day. This honey mustard marinade is one of my top favorites from Primal Kitchen. This marinade has a bit of tang a bit of sweetness. It is perfectly balanced.

No weird ingredients in Primal Kitchen

Want to know what is on the label for this Primal Kitchen honey mustard marinade? Simple and pure ingredients and that is it! Here are the ingredients:

Avocado Oil, Water, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Organic Stone Ground Mustard (Water, Organic Mustard Seeds, Organic Vinegar, Sea Salt, Organic Spices), Organic Honey, Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sea Salt

Primal Kitchen is paleo-approved

If following a paleo diet is important to you, great news! This honey mustard marinade is perfectly paleo friendly. I am not 100% paleo so I just slap the label “paleo-ISH” on myself. This Primal Kitchen honey mustard marinade will fit right into to your clean-eating lifestyle.

Time to bust out the trusty ol’ cast iron grill pan

My preferred method of cooking chicken is with my Lodge cast iron grill pan. I use this pan for my steaks as well. If you want a juicy, succulent, and tender piece of meat this is the way to go.

Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard Chicken grilling on a Lodge cast iron grill pan. See those awesome grill marks? YAS!

What’s on the chopping block?

We had a tasty combo of vegetables for this meal. I decided to roast the brussels sprouts in the honey mustard marinade. I roasted them in the oven at 400-degrees for about 25 minutes. We also had some fingerling potatoes. I placed them in a bowl and drizzled them in extra virgin olive oil, garlic salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme.

Fingerling potatoes and brussels sprouts on the cutting board

Want perfectly fried potatoes? Use your air-fryer!

For the fingerling potatoes, I used NuWave my air-fryer to fry them up. After air-frying them at 390-degrees for about 20 minutes they came out with the perfect doneness. The skin was nice and crisp and exactly how you want to eat a fried potato. The rosemary and thyme gave them a wonderful flavor throughout.

I have an older model of the Nuwave air-fryer. I have been using it for a couple of years now and it is still going strong. If you want to give an air-fryer a whirl there is a new model on Amazon. This model is a 6-quart air-fryer and using this is the best method for a healthier alternative to fried foods. Two of my favorite items to use my air-fryer for are fries (obviously) and my pickle-marinated chicken tenders, which I will make a point to blog about soon because I am craving them.

Final thoughts

I will be honest and blunt here (sorry Joe!) but I never envisioned my husband maintaining a healthy diet. Before we were married he lived off Little Caesar’s Hot & Ready pizzas and nachos smothered in processed cheese. When we were eating our healthy dinner last night I heard some moans and mmm’s coming out of him while he was devouring his plate of food. Any time he makes I sound like that I know I did a great job whipping up dinner. Maybe I deserve a little medal or trophy for getting this man on the healthy train? Or at least a little pat on the back?

It is also important that my 8-year-old daughter, Chloe, adapts to healthy eating habits as well. I believe I am on the right path because she does enjoy most meals and often asks for seconds.

Have you ever tried any of Primal Kitchen’s items? Which one is your fave? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Want to save some dough at Primal Kitchen?

Use my special discount code GIVEITAWHIRL10 to save!

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Here are some other Give It A Whirl Girl posts you might enjoy!

September 28, 2018 2

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

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

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

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

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

Healthy Hot List – Health Foods Your Pantry Needs

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

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

Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo

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

Check out my: Primal Kitchen Lemon Turmeric Chicken

Terrasoul Superfoods Cacao Nibs

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

Mamma Chia – Chia Squeeze – Variety Pack of 4 flavors

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

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

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

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

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

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

Banza Chickpea Pasta Variety Pack of 6

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

Nut Cravings Raw & Unsalted Cashews

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

Thai Kitchen Coconut Cream

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

Kiss My Keto Chocolate

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

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

Save with these coupons!

Kiss My Keto coupon

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10% off at Jordan's Skinny Mixes

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September 25, 2018 1

Primal Kitchen Greek Strip Steak, Applegate Bacon-Wrapped Rainbow Carrots, And Paleo Butternut Squash Soup – Gluten-Free

I really enjoy making a nice Sunday dinner for my family. Last night’s Sunday dinner turned out to be an exquisite one. Everything from start to finish was spectacular. For starting out I actually made a bowl of paleo butternut squash soup to go with our meal. I never make a soup to go with dinner. I just always make soups that you eat as an entire meal. For the main course, I had some grass-fed beef strip steaks marinated in Primal Kitchen Greek Vinaigrette and Marinade. For a side dish, I wrapped Applegate Sunday Bacon around some rainbow carrots (purple, orange, and white) that I picked up during our visit to Eastern Market. This was our first time trying out bacon-wrapped carrots and it certainly will not be the last. Lately, I just want to wrap everything up in bacon! Next up for me will be bacon-wrapped brussels sprouts.

Sunday Dinner - With Primal Kitchen Strip Steak, Applegate Bacon-Wrapped Rainbow Carrots, And Paleo Butternut Squash Soup — Sunday Dinner – With Primal Kitchen Strip Steak, Applegate Bacon-Wrapped Rainbow Carrots, And Paleo Butternut Squash Soup – Awesome Sunday dinner feast!

Marinating the steaks with Primal Kitchen Greek Vinaigrette and Marinade

Using a marinate overnight with your steak usually seems like a great idea that results in a flavorful, juicy steak. This was the case with the Primal Kitchen Greek Vinaigrette and Marinade from Primal Kitchen. I have never had a steak with a Greek marinade so I was not sure if we would enjoy this or not, but so far I have not been let down by a single Primal Kitchen item. They all excel in quality, taste, and fall within the realm of clean-eating.

These marinades are low-carb, paleo-friendly, Whole 30 compliant, and do not contain any added sugars. If you are looking into eating clean I highly recommend the products available from Primal Kitchen. No nonsense ingredients, just pure and simple healthy ingredients.

This particular Primal Kitchen Greek Vinaigrette and Marinade uses avocado oil as a base. It also contains oregano, black pepper, coriander, marjoram, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and sea salt. These are all organic ingredients.

Primal Kitchen Greek Vinaigrette & Marinade (Avocado Oil) and two strip steaks marinating

Primal Kitchen Greek Vinaigrette & Marinade

Roasted butternut squash soup – the paleo way

I had a great time going to Eastern Market for some fresh produce and great deals on them. You can read more about that experience HERE. We went towards the end of the day when the vendors are letting things go at low prices. I picked up this butternut squash for a buck. I really should have bought more because I really enjoy it this time of year.

To make the soup I removed the skin from the squash then cut and cubed it. Cutting squash, to me, is scary and difficult. I am always afraid I am going to chop off my hand. My knife skills are rusty and have a lot of room for improvement. After the squash was cut I placed it in a large mixing bowl. I drizzled olive oil on it and the used some garlic salt and pepper on it. I also added in a big squirt of some organic minced garlic. I had the oven preheated to 400-degrees and roasted them for about 30 minutes.

Once the squash was roasted I placed the cubed squash in my blender with a cup of chicken broth and most of a can of full-fat coconut milk. I seasoned it with some pumpkin pie spices that I got from the Spice Miser at Eastern Market. I was really wanting to get some delicious fall flavor with that seasoning and it sure did not disappoint. It came through and flavored this squash with the taste of autumn.

I kept the soup warm in my Staub dutch oven while I prepared the rest of my meal. I just let it simmer on low. I sure do love my Staub and that piece of cooking equipment will be in regular rotation here at the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen. That pot is perfect for soups, stews, sauces, and one-pot meals. It is actually the greatest cooking tool that I currently own. It is super heavy-duty and I also love that it is dishwasher safe. I highly recommend getting one for your kitchen, they are especially great this time of year.

Roasted butternut squash ready to be turned into soup

Info on Spice Miser

If you are ever browsing the sheds at Eastern Market you can’t pass up the Spice Miser setup. This is spice heaven! I never go to Eastern Market without coming home with some new spices and seasonings. I bought the Pumpkin Pie Spices. I really had no clue what I would do with it at the time I bought it but I figured I could put it to good use somehow.

So what’s inside?

The Pumpkin Pie Spices packet has the ingredients listed on the back and they are: ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves

Those spices combined with the butternut squash gave it a wonderful flavor profile. I did not use up all of the packet so I will be trying it out again with something else. Perhaps acorn squash next time?

Spice Miser - Pumpkin Pie Spices - seasoning packet from Eastern Market — Spice Miser – Pumpkin Pie Spices – seasoning packet from Eastern Market – ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves

Roasted rainbow carrots wrapped in Applegate Sunday Bacon

When I went to Eastern Market I was really on a mission to hunt down some of these rainbow carrots. In the bundle, you receive purple, white (or is it yellow), and orange. I love any food that is the color purple and the purple carrots are the best of any carrot I have ever had. I tracked down my carrots and I wrapped those beauties up in Applegate Sunday Bacon.

I roasted these gorgeous carrots in the oven at 450-degrees and they were ready at the 30-minute mark. The bacon came out with the perfect crispness and the carrots were fork tender.

Bundles of rainbow carrots at Eastern Market – I can not leave this place without taking home some purple and white carrots

Applegate Uncured Sunday Bacon and rainbow carrots ready for roasting

Rainbow carrots wrapped in Applegate Sunday Bacon – roasting in the oven at 450-degrees

Cooking the steaks

Yeah, it is that time again… time to bust out that trusty ol’ Lodge Cast Iron Pan! A good cast iron pan is all you need to cook a steak that maintains its juice and comes out nice and tender. I simply just cooked the marinated steaks for a few minutes on each side and cooked it to a medium-rare temperature. These were grass-fed beef strip steaks and the one that I had was at least a good inch thick. Gosh I just love a big fat piece of meat. I’m so primal!

Time to dig in!

This was the type of dinner that just totally blows my mind. Everything about this meal was just excellence from start to finish. I was proud of myself for creating this meal for my family. I serve a lot of great meals but this one really stood out for me. I think that when you pour your heart and soul into a dinner it really shows and shines through.

Paleo butternut squash soup with coconut milk

Paleo, Primal Kitchen Greek strip steak with roasted rainbow carrots wrapped in Applegate Sunday Bacon – Check out how thick and juicy that strip steak is!

If you would like to create a steak dinner like this I am providing a couple shopping links below to help get you started and on your way!

You can find Primal Kitchen’s dressing and marinades on Amazon

Primal Kitchen Variety Starter Pack Primal Kitchen Greek Vinaigrette & Marinade

Primal Kitchen Coupon Code 10% Off

GIVEITAWHIRL10

Save 10% off your next order at Primal Kitchen.

Primal Kitchen has items for your paleo, Whole 30, keto, and gluten-free diet and lifestyle.

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Did you have anything special for your Sunday dinner last night? Leave me a comment and let me know. I would love to hear from my readers.

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September 24, 2018 3

Primal Kitchen Collagen Bars & Fuel Powder – Great For Healthy Hair, Skin, and Nails

Primal Kitchen Coconut Cashew Collagen Bars

Scoop of Collagen Fuel from Primal Kitchen – Goes great in coffee and smoothies

I am hopping on the collagen train and I have been using Primal Kitchen’s Collagen Fuel in my morning coffee and I was recently sent this box of Primal Kitchen Coconut Cashew Collagen Bars bars to try out. If you are following a gluten-free or paleo diet this Primal Kitchen Collagen Bar might just become your next go-to snack. Not only are these bars delicious but they are nutritious as well. The Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel also has a great flavor. I might just be a little bit addicted to it at the moment!

Nutrition for Primal Kitchen Collagen Bars

These Primal Kitchen Collagen bars contain healthy fats sourced from nuts and seeds.

In each bar, you are going to pack in a whopping 15 grams of protein.
The bars contain 7,800 milligrams of collagen that are sourced from grass-fed cows. Primal Kitchen claims that the amount of collagen in each bar is more than what is found in a cup of bone broth.
The bars are also packed with prebiotic fiber. There are 9 grams of dietary fiber found in each bar.
These collagen bars are low on sugar. Zero grams of added sugar and 3 grams of natural sugars. The bars are sweetened with monk fruit and a touch of honey.

Continue reading “Primal Kitchen Collagen Bars & Fuel Powder – Great For Healthy Hair, Skin, and Nails” →

September 22, 2018 2

Let’s Celebrate 100 Posts With Paleo Balsamic Raspberry & Chocolate Balsamic Fudge Ripple Nice Cream

Wow, gals and guys! Can you believe that in the past 4 1/2 months I have been blogging here at Give It A Whirl Girl and this is a milestone post? 100 posts have been drafted and published as of today! I figured the best way to celebrate my hard work was with a bowl of Balsamic Raspberry & Chocolate Balsamic Fudge Ripple Nice Cream! No champagne bubbles flowing here, just some paleo and (almost vegan… I did use raw honey) nice-cream for my daughter and I to share.

Blogging has just been a fantastic journey and experience for me. I feel blessed that I am able to work from home and combine my passion for cooking, baking, and writing. I am learning new things as the days go by. There is also never a shortage of things to do. I am consistently keeping myself busy and occupied. With blogging, there is always a lot of behind-the-scenes work.

I love being able to sit down and write each morning while I am sipping on my coffee. Once the caffeine kicks in I am ready to start drafting up a post to share with my readers. I am really looking forward to seeing where I will be on June 6th of 2019 when I will hit my one-year blog milestone. I can already see in the four short months I have been blogging, how much improvement I have already made from the beginning. Thank you to all who take the time to read my posts. I love and appreciate each and every one of you!

Now onto the balsamic nice-cream that I created last night. I am going to tell you all about it!

The story behind the balsamic vinegar

This all just started out as a wild and crazy idea. I had some bottles of flavored balsamic leftover from an adult onesie party that I had for my birthday. I picked these up at Devries & Company 1887 in Eastern Market down in Detroit, MI. Back in February I stocked up on Groupons and went and did a little shopping there. They had numerous flavors of balsamic vinegars to sample and several different oils as well. For the vinegars, I ended up bringing home a bottle of raspberry, chocolate, and espresso. These vinegars pair so well with fruit.

Continue reading “Let’s Celebrate 100 Posts With Paleo Balsamic Raspberry & Chocolate Balsamic Fudge Ripple Nice Cream” →

September 19, 2018 3

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

Strip Steaks With Primal Kitchen Balsamic Marinade & Applegate Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus (Gluten-Free, Paleo) RECIPE – Eat Like A Caveman

Primal Kitchen Bone-In Balsamic Strip Steaks served with Applegate Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

See that? Looks mighty fine, doesn’t it? That is what you get when you make a dinner date with two brands that I love Primal Kitchen and Applegate. This is not the first time using Primal Kitchen Balsamic Marinade and it will not be the last. Primal Kitchen consistently comes through and shines with their incredible line of tasty and nutritious products. I made sure my pantry is always stocked with their items. This right here is going to be one of those dinners that is on repeat and in regular rotation here at the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen. My family of 3 ooh’s and ahh’s the entire time eating this gluten-free, low-carb, primal meal made with Primal Kitchen Balsamic Marinade.

Primal, paleo meal

If you are looking for a simple, flavorful steak dinner then I will hook you up with this amazing recipe that anyone could do. You will be eating like a primal caveman in no time with this paleo meal. This particular marinade is created with a blend of balsamic vinegar, avocado oil, and organic herbs and spices. You will not find any refined sugars in their line of products… none! Two tablespoons of this Primal Kitchen Balsamic Marinade are 100 calories, 1 gram of sugar, and 3 carbs.

Ingredients are simple and pure

Primal Kitchen only produces items with simple and pure ingredients… real food to fuel your body and mind. I am a label analyzer and I never spot any odd ingredients whatsoever in the products. They are all ingredients that you are familiar with and nothing funky that you can’t pronounce and have to Google to find out what the heck it is. Here is what is inside the Primal Kitchen Balsamic Marinade.

Continue reading “Strip Steaks With Primal Kitchen Balsamic Marinade & Applegate Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus (Gluten-Free, Paleo) RECIPE – Eat Like A Caveman” →

September 16, 2018 5

My Honest ButcherBox Review

How does ButcherBox work?

Choose your ButcherBox – Choose the Classic Box for small families and the Big Box for larger families.

Delivery to your doorstep – ButcherBox takes great care in their shipment.

Cook with confidence when you order from a trustworthy source!

Want to add some extras to your ButcherBox?

My first impressions of ButcherBox

What was inside my ButcherBox

Here is what I did with meat from my ButcherBox

ButcherBox Chuck Roast

ButcherBox Ribeye Steaks

Steak & eggs

Final thoughts on my first ButcherBox shipment

Ready to sign up and get your first ButcherBox?

Click HERE to see pricing available options for your ButcherBox, and to sign up for your first shipment of top quality meats!

Current offers at ButcherBox

Question Time! Which ButcherBox would you love to give a whirl first? Will you choose the all-beef box, beef & chicken, beef & pork, mixed box, or will you be going with a custom box? Leave me a comment and let me know how you like your steak cooked as well! Would love to hear your thoughts.

Want to learn more about ButcherBox?

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Here is a recipe post at Give It A Whirl Girl that you might enjoy!

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Roast preparations

Soften & season up the vegetables

Season it up with Herbs de Provence

The Instant Pot Aura

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Final thoughts on this Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast

Question Time! What are your favorite ingredients in a pot roast? Leave me a comment and let me know what ingredients you enjoy in yours!

Paleo Root Vegetable Pot Roast For Your Slow-Cooker (Gluten-Free)

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Other recipes you might enjoy!

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ABOUT NUT BUTTER

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Question Time! Now that you have seen my Top 10 favorite nut butters, which one will you be giving a whirl to first and tell me how you will be using it!

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

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

Save at Primal Kitchen with my special coupon code GIVEITAWHIRL10

Save at Kettle & Fire with my special coupon code WHIRLGIRL

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Skinny Dipped Almonds

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Miscellaneous food coupon codes and discounts to help you save money

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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!

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Question Time!

Which of these gluten-free foods from this shopping guide are you most eager to try? Leave me a comment and let me know what is on your wishlist!

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What is bone broth?

The benefits of sipping Kettle & Fire Bone Broth

Bone Broth is not just about sipping

Kettle & Fire Bone Broths

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Final Thoughts

Are you ready to shop?

Current offers and deals at Kettle & Fire

Question Time!

How do you think Kettle & Fire Bone Broth will fit into your diet and lifestyle? What is the first dish you will create with it?

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One lucky reader will receive ten scrumptious chocolate candies

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

The chocolate giveaway

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