Top 10 Protein Bars On Amazon – Healthy Hot List – Gluten-Free, Vegan Snacks

TOP 10 PROTEIN BARS - Gluten-Free, Vegan Healthy Snack - Shopping Guide by Give It A Whirl Girl

Today I am sharing my top 10 picks for protein bars that are available on Amazon. These have all been taste tested by yours truly and I love each brand that is represented here in this Healthy Hot List. If you are on the lookout for gluten-free, vegan snacks chances are you will find some here that appeal to you in my Top 10 List of Protein Bars!

What I love about the protein bars that are in this top 10 list is that they really truly do satisfy my sweet-tooth. These protein bars are all available in some really fun flavors that will trick your brain. They taste so indulgent but you can enjoy them without all the guilt!

I have a huge weakness for anything that is birthday cake flavor!

All of the protein bars that are mentioned in this Top 10 list are gluten-free, vegan, and packed with protein.

Some of these bars can even be incorporated into your keto diet and lifestyle (just look for the zero or low sugar labels).

Also, if you are like me and get impatient waiting for items to arrive, you are in luck! These products all include free 2-day shipping with your Amazon Prime membership! If you are not yet a Prime member you can sign up for a FREE 30-day trial.

TOP 10 PROTEIN BARS by Give It A Whirl Girl

TRUWOMEN Daydreaming About Donuts Protein Bar

TRUWOMEN is a brand that I love and trust and I believe they earned the top spot here on my list of favorite protein bars. These plant-fueled protein bars are both gluten-free and vegan. Each TRUWOMEN protein bar is going to give you 12 grams of protein per serving. Be sure to check out the other fun flavors available: I Scream For Orange Cream, Oh Oh Cookie Dough, Saltylicious Almond Love, Smother Fudger, and Zamn Good Zesty Lemon.

YOU MIGHT ENJOY: Get Empowered With TRUWOMEN Protein Bars REVIEW

Protein Cakes by thinkThin (Birthday Cake Flavor)

I just adore these little birthday cake flavored Protein Cakes by thinkThin! I always try to have at least one of these pouches in my snack stash. Each package contains two little protein cakes and 12 grams of protein per serving.

Also available in Chocolate Cake and Red Velvet.

thinkThin Protein Cakes (Birthday Cake Flavor)

R.E.D.D. Bar

These superfood bars from R.e.d.d. Bar are also gluten-free and vegan and these bars give you a boost in energy with a little dose of caffeine. Reaching for a R.ed.d.. Bar is highly recommended when that afternoon sluggishness sets in. Each of these protein bars contains 35 mg of caffeine and 10 grams of protein.

Want to know which flavor is my fave? Salted Caramel all the way baby!

If you love caramel you will be swooning over this flavor!

YOU MIGHT ENJOY R.e.d.d. Bar REVIEW – Gluten-Free, Vegan Healthy Snack

Thunderbird Bar

Continuing on with the theme of things (gluten-free and vegan) may I present to you Thunderbird Bar? These protein bars are definitely one of my favorite healthy snack bars to reach for. I am absolutely in love with the wide variety of delicious flavors available!

And if your kiddo has a craving for a Thunderbird Bar, you are in luck because Thunderbird Bar has four different fun flavors of bars for the kiddos! Choose from Chocolate Chip Cookie, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Apple Pie, or Fruit Punch!

Thunderbird Bar Sampler Pack - 8 Flavors — Thunderbird Bar Sampler Pack – 8 Flavors

And my favorite flavor of Thunderbird Bar? Cacao + Hemp + Walnut!

YOU MIGHT ENJOY: Take Flight And Start Your Day With A Thunderbird Bar

Quest Protein Bars

Truth be told, I do love Quest Bars but I feel as though they might be an acquired taste due to the texture of these protein bars. Quest Bars are one of my go-to brands for when I need to refuel. Quest Bars are a low-carb, keto, high protein (20 grams of protein per bar) solution for when you are having a snack attack.

Quest Bar Variety Pack - 12 Flavors, 12 Protein Bars — Quest Bar Variety Pack – 12 Flavors, 12 Protein Bars

ONE Protein Bars

ONE Protein Bar is very similar in comparison to Quest Bars. These are another low-carb, zero sugar, high protein healthy snack. ONE Bar is gluten-free and vegan and there are 12 different indulgent flavors available. ONE Bar will be there to satisfy any sweet-tooth cravings that you have! Two of my favorite flavors from ONE include the birthday cake flavor and the maple glazed donut bar.

RXBar – Real Food Protein Bars (Peanut Butter & Berries)

Calling all peanut butter & jelly lovers!

This Peanut Butter & Berries bar from RXBar is bursting with pb&j flavor! I am a huge fan of RX Bars but this flavor right here is hands down my favorite! RX Bars are an excellent snacking solution. Each bar has appx. 12 grams of protein. The best thing about RX Bar might just be that they are made with only all natural ingredients. They proudly display the ingredients smack dab on the front of the packaging.

No B. S.

Power Crunch Protein Bars

If you are into wafer treats then you are going to love these protein bars from Power Crunch. These are protein wafter bars that are drenched in a candy coating shell. You will get 13 grams of protein per Power Crunch protein bar and these are also quite low in sugar (5 grams per bar). I am just loving the wide variety of fun flavors that these are available in! Which flavor will you reach for first?

I have my eye on the Red Velvet and the Chocolate Mint!

Power Crunch Protein Bars Variety Pack - 10 Bars, 10 different flavors — Power Crunch Protein Bars Variety Pack – 10 Bars, 10 different flavors

YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY: Kiss My Keto COUPON & REVIEW (Chocolate Bars, Energy Supplement)

Primal Kitchen Collagen Bars

Primal Kitchen is another top brand that I love and trust when it comes to eating healthy and clean! You are going to love these Primal Kitchen Collagen Bars! These bars are high in protein (15 grams) and also include a healthy dose of grass fed collagen. These collagen bars are perfect for your paleo (or gluten-free) diet and lifestyle.

Want to find out more about these collagen bars? READ the review on my blog.

If you would like to try Primal Kitchen’s collagen in smoothies, etc. they do have a Collagen Fuel powder available.

Primal Kitchen Collagen Bars - Variety Pack - 4 Flavors — Primal Kitchen Collagen Bars – Variety Pack – 4 Flavors – 16 Bars

Lenny & Larry’s Protein Cookies

And last but certainly not least, here we have protein cookies from Lenny & Larry’s! I know, I know, these are cookies and not bars but I do believe they earned a spot on my top 10 list! This variety pack of Lenny & Larry protein cookies features 16 cookies in 8 different, fun flavors! These protein cookies are gigantic and you can actually split them into two servings if you would like. That is what I usually do with these because they are very filling! Each Lenny & Larry’s protein cookie contains 16 grams of protein. Err with caution here if you are watching your sugar! Each serving (1/2 a cookie) has 15 grams of sugar. That’s fine though… just have a Lenny & Larry’s cookie on one of your “cheat days”!

Grab a 12 pack of their best-selling Chocolate Chip Cookie flavor! Or you can go with my personal favorite Birthday Cake!

Lenny & Larry's Protein Cookies Variety Pack - 8 flavors, 16 protein cookies — Lenny & Larry’s Protein Cookies Variety Pack – 8 flavors, 16 protein cookies

Shop Amazon for all of your protein bar needs!

Final thoughts

I hope you all enjoyed this Top 10 Protein Bars list that I am sharing with you today! Decisions, decisions! Which protein bar(s) will you choose? I believe I have a little something for everyone here. If you can’t find an appealing flavor here there might be something wrong with you… lol! I am pretty open-minded when it comes to eating and I will try anything and everything once so all of the bars here are definitely appealing to me, of course. If you have a sweet tooth that is calling your name you can fulfill that sugar craving with the bars in this top 10 list. Feel free to leave me a comment about your thoughts on these protein bars. I would love to hear from my readers.

Question time!

What protein bar(s) will you be giving a whirl?

Leave me a comment and let me know what bar(s) you are the most eager to try out!

Want to do some shopping on Amazon?

For more healthy sweets and treats check out the featured items in

my Amazon store!

March 16, 2019 4

Greek Caulipower Pizza RECIPE With Primal Kitchen (Gluten-Free, Vegetarian)

Greek Caulipower Pizza RECIPE Gluten-Free, Vegetarian

If you are not a fan of garlic it might just be time to walk away from this post. Today I will tell you how I created a Garlicky Greek Caulipower Pizza using a blank Caulipower crust and some Primal Kitchen Greek Vinaigrette. You can adjust this recipe to your taste with the garlic but the amount that is noted in here is for garlic lovers only. This is, believe it or not, my first time ever having a Greek pizza. I love Greek food so I kind of had an idea in my mind that everything would turn out wonderful to me. Guess what? I nailed it and that is why I am sharing this recipe to you for my Greek Caulipower Pizza! This pizza does not contain any meat so it a vegetarian pizza and would be perfect for any veggie lover. I have a feeling that you will love this Caulipower Pizza recipe that I am sharing with you today!

Garlicky Greek Caulipower Pizza With Primal Kitchen

Caulipower Crust – The Caulipower Greek Pizza All Starts Here

If you are looking at my post and my photos here and are drooling a bit and craving this Greek Caulipower Pizza then you are going to need your base to start with. This was my second time trying the Caulipower crust. I bought a veggie Caulipower pizza not too long ago and dressed it up with some additional toppings. This time I wanted to be the artist and the chef and create my own on a blank slate. The blank Caulipower crust pack contains two crusts and if you want you can double this recipe so that you have two Greek Caulipower Pizzas. The recipe has enough servings and slices for two people. That is of course unless you have a huge appetite and can eat an entire pizza by yourself.

The Power of the Caulipower

Let’s talk a bit about why I love this Caulipower crust so much.

First of all, it is paleo friendly. If you do not add any cheese this pizza will fulfill your paleo diet needs.

Secondly, we all know that cauliflower crust is all the rage these days because it is low-carb. A cauliflower crust pizza is leaning in the guilt-free direction of things. You can take a peek at the nutrition facts below (source). A serving size is considered 1/3 of the pizza and considering this is pizza it only comes in at 26 grams of carbs (with net carbs it is lower). A regular pizza is at least twice that amount and averages about 36 grams of carbs for just one slice!

Nutrition Facts for Caulipower Crust (*source*)

And third, this Caulipower crust is nice and crisp! Often times a cauliflower crust can result in sogginess from the moisture that can be found in cauliflower. If you ever make your own crust you really have to squeeze the moisture out. I made my own cauliflower crust last year and while it was good, the texture of it was mushy. I did not get enough of the moisture out. Caulipower takes the frustration out of cauliflower crust. These blank crusts have endless possibilities.

Ingredients used for Greek Caulipower Pizza recipe

Primal Kitchen Greek Marinade/Salad Dressing

This pizza uses Primal Kitchen’s Greek Marinade/Salad Dressing for the sauce. I am pretty confident that most other greek salad dressings will work for the Greek garlic sauce but Primal Kitchen is the brand that I use because I am a huge fan of all of their products. This dressing is made with only the finest all-natural ingredients. When an item is Whole-30 approved, you know it is going to be a healthy element in your dish.

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.

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

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Garlic! Garlic! And More Garlic!

There. I said it three times so you get the point. This Greek Caulipower Pizza recipe is chock full of garlic. I put three heaping tablespoons of it in the blender with my Primal Kitchen Greek Vinaigrette. When I need minced garlic I skip the knifework and I grab my Spice World Minced Garlic. My knife skills suck if I am going to be honest here and minced garlic can be tricky. I really need to improve in the knife department. Spice World does all of the work for you and they are my go-to brand. They do also have an organic minced garlic available and I often try to use that but my Kroger was out the last time I shopped so I just went with regular.

Bring On The Cheese Please!

A Greek Caulipower Pizza would not be Greek if it was not for the feta cheese! No Greek pizza is complete without feta. For this recipe, I went with a blend of feta and mozzarella. I used one small container of Kroger’s Simple Truth Feta Cheese and I used a handful of Tillamook mozzarella, which is my favorite shredded mozzarella cheese.

Greek Toppings

For the rest of the toppings on this Greek Caulipower Pizza, I used cherry tomatoes, sliced kalamata olives, pepperoncinis, and half of a slivered and sliced shallot. Next time I make a Greek pizza I am going to add some sliced beets to it. I think beets would have been awesome on this pizza, so now you know! You might just want to add them to yours.

Final Thoughts on this Greek Caulipower Pizza recipe

I would love for you to know exactly what came out of my daughter’s mouth when she hesitantly took her first bite of this pizza. I did not think she would agree with it because of the potent taste of feta cheese BUT the first thing she said was,

Wow! Mom! This pizza has sooooooo much flavor!

It does have quite a potent garlic flavor so just scale back a tablespoon if three is too intense for you.

We were both impressed with the crisp texture of this Caulipower Crust! Could it be magic? I do not know how they do it but it sure turns out crisp after 13 minutes baking in the oven! It is very impressive to me that Caulipower has the power to transform cauliflower into a pizza crust that does disappoint. This Caulipower Pizza recipe might just be one of your recipes that are in regular rotation! Love it!

Would love to hear from you!
Will you be giving Caulipower Pizza recipe a whirl? How will you dress your pizza up? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Pin me for later

SHOP PRIMAL KITCHEN

Primal Kitchen Coupon Code GIVEITAWHIRL10

SHOP CAULIPOWER

Caulipower Store Locator Tool

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT PRIMAL KITCHEN

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CAULIPOWER

[ultimate-recipe id=”3762″ template=”default”]

February 13, 2019 14

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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GREEN CHEF

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Amazon clippable coupons for food

Enjoy Life Foods 30% off
Gluten-Free Redd Barr $4.00 off
Bobo’s Gluten-Free Snack Bars 15% off
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

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

Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard Pork Chops With Bacon-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts and Fingerling Potatoes & Primal Kitchen Coupon

Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard Pork Chops With Bacon-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts and Fingerling Potatoes & A Primal Kitchen Coupon Inside - Give It A Whirl Gir

Here we go again with Primal Kitchen. I am surely obsessed with using these marinades for my meals. I used the Honey Mustard Vinaigrette once again last night but this time I marinated some pork chops. The Honey Mustard, to me, is one of the most versatile in the line of Primal Kitchen, alongside the Balsamic Vinaigrette. We also had some thick cut slices of honey bacon from Dearborn Brand to wrap our brussels sprouts up with. And as requested by my daughter, we had to have some more air-fryer red fingerling potatoes, which are her favorite side dish at the moment. You add up all of these ingredients and it results in one hell of a delicious paleo, Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard Pork Chop dinner!

Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard Pork Chops With Bacon-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts and Red Fingerling Potatoes

How I created Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard Pork Chops with Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard Marinade

This is where the fun all begins, with the Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard Marinade & Vinaigrette. I had two decently sized center cut Simple Truth pork chops to work with. I grabbed myself a Pyrex casserole dish and marinating the pork chops from early morning to dinner time. That was plenty of time to infuse them with the sweet and tangy honey mustard flavor that we all know and love so much! I was so excited for these Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard Pork Chops and I could not wait until dinner time rolled around.

Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard & Simple Truth Center Cut Pork Chops

Just gotta have my cast iron!

The cast iron grill pan was used for these Honey Mustard Pork Chops, of course! How else would I cook up a hunk of meat? I rave so much about this grill pan, I know, but I really hope it inspires someone out there to give it a whirl. It is the best method for cooking several different types of meat. I think of it as a kitchen necessity!

Dearborn Honey Bacon – The Star Of The Show Last Night

I cashed in some coins that I had laying around and got some dough at a coin shop this past weekend, for real! I had some coins and figured I would be better off going on one of my fun foodie adventures at Nino Salvaggio’s. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do to get the good eats, am I right? So we went to Nino’s and loaded our little cart some new-to-us foods. I spotted the Dearborn Brand Honey Bacon. I scoffed at the $6.99 price tag, but that bacon sure was looking and sounding good. I had to have it so in it went right into my cart. You mention bacon to my husband and my daughter and they are all ears! I got this particular honey bacon because I knew it would be the perfect bacon for my Honey Mustard Pork Chops side dish.

Dearborn Brand Honey Bacon wrapped around brussels sprouts

What I ended up doing was taking five strips of bacon and cut them in half. I looked for the big brussels sprouts and wrapped ten of those up in the Dearborn Brand Honey Bacon. I roasted them in the 400-degree oven for 30 minutes and flipped them halfway through roasting. The bacon had the right amount of crispness for us. We don’t like bacon underdone or overdone, it has to be in the middle… just perfect!

Dearborn Brand Honey Bacon wrapped around brussels sprouts

My Daughter’s Favorite Side Dish – Air-Fryer Fingerling Potatoes

Chloe, my daughter, always clamors for potatoes. It does not matter what kind of potato it is but she wants her potatoes at dinner time. Our favorite at the moment is fingerling potatoes. Chloe prefers when I slice them in half and then she eats them like fries and dunks them in ketchup. I don’t do that but my husband and she does.

With this batch of fingerling potatoes, I did slice them in half and instead of using olive oil on them, I used what was the leftover of my Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard. What a great idea that was. I have never had honey mustard potatoes but that marinade sure turned out to be an excellent choice for my Honey Mustard Pork Chops. These went in my air-fryer at 385-degrees for about 15 minutes. Every kitchen needs an air-fryer for cooking potatoes. It is my favorite method currently. The texture of the potato skins on these potatoes is spot-on and exactly how I want them to be.

Fingerling potatoes marinated in Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard – Ready for the air-fryer

A duo of plates! Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard Pork Chops With Bacon-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts and Fingerling Potatoes

Final thoughts

Mmmm did this post make you hungry? I am getting hungry over here just reminiscing about this meal! The Primal Kitchen honey mustard marinade made these Honey Mustard Pork Chops full of flavor with the right amount of sweetness from the honey and the perfect amount of tanginess from the mustard. Healthy meals like this are so simple to create at home. I love cooking with clean ingredients. Primal Kitchen will forever and always be a brand that I trust and enjoy cooking with.

Have you ever tried any Primal Kitchen products? Which one is your favorite?

Did you know that with my special coupon code GIVEITAWHIRL10 you can save $$ at Primal Kitchen? Why not give it a whirl today? I say go for it!

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Jordan’s Skinny Syrups Coupon & Review – Jordan’s Skinny Mixes

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October 3, 2018 7

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!

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Save 10% off your next order at Primal Kitchen.

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Jordan’s Skinny Mixes coupon

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

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

How To Get A Tender And Juicy Ribeye Steak With Herbed Ghee In A Cast Iron Pan

Can you think of anything better than a big juicy steak for dinner? Nope! Not me! This is definitely a favorite for my whole family. I am going to fill you in on how I use my cast iron pan and some herbed ghee to make the most tender and juicy steak!

You only need a few simple things to obtain a tender and juicy steak in the kitchen. First things first, you will need a cast iron pan. I am a true believer in cast iron and I won’t even throw a steak on the grill anymore. I get the best results with my Lodge Cast Iron. You will also need an herbed ghee or you can make your own herbed ghee with a few ingredients: garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme. The herbed ghee is going to make your steak burst with flavor. It is so simple to do and the results are spectacular. It requires only minimal effort.

The first thing I do when I am prepping to cook a steak is to take them out of the fridge and let them rest for a bit. This is when I salt and pepper them on both sides. You also need to start heating your cast iron pan. You want to ensure that your pan is hot when you throw the steaks on so they can get a nice sear to them.

Ribeye steaks cooking in a Lodge Cast Iron Pan

4th & Heart makes wonderful garlic ghee that you can add your seasonings (rosemary and thyme) to. If you cannot find this brand with the garlic already in it, any kind of ghee will do. I do highly recommend 4th & Heart though. I know my Kroger store carries the regular one. These ghees are also available on Amazon and you can get them conveniently delivered in two days if you have Prime. If you do not yet have Prime you can try a free 30-day trial through this link.

4th & Heart ghee is top-notch when it comes to all of the ghees available. Ghee has wonderful health benefits and is a much better alternative to butter. With ghee, all of the milk fats are removed. It is considered a clarified butter and is lactose-free and dairy-free. Ghee is known to improve the digestive tract and repair it. Ghee is very aromatic and when you are cooking with it in the kitchen your house is going to smell amazing.

Fourth & Heart ghee is made from the milk of grass-fed, pasture raised New Zealand cows. Why did we have to go so far from home? We find the best quality to be in the place where the greenest grass grows and that’s in New Zealand. (source)

Ghee with added herbs - garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme — Ghee with added herbs – garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme

Ribeye with herbed ghee (garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme)

For the ghee, what I do is I melt down a few tablespoons. Your ghee keeps in the fridge and is solid like butter. You can melt your ghee down in a small pan and add some garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme to it. You don’t need to go crazy with the seasonings here, just give the ghee enough to have some flavor infused throughout it.

While the steaks are cooking in the cast iron pan you can spoon the herbed ghee onto the steaks. I just keep spooning in on over the top of the steak and it marinates it with absolutely awesome flavor. I like my steaks medium rare so I only cook my steaks for a few minutes on each side of them. I served these ribeye steaks up with some roasted red skin potatoes that also had garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme on them. It was a perfect pairing for the steak.

Ribeye steak with herbed ghee (garlic, rosemary, and thyme) and roasted red skin potatoes

We truly enjoyed this steak and potatoes meal on Labor Day. There were lots of ooo’s and ahhh’s coming out of our mouth while taking our time and devouring it slowly. I hope you give this a whirl. If you do please let me know how you liked it. It is one of my favorite ways to cook a steak nowadays.

How do you like to cook your ribeye steak? Leave me a comment and let me know how you serve them up!

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Also, learn more about another simple way I have about cooking a juicy steak featuring products by Primal Kitchen! CLICK HERE

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September 5, 2018 5

Paleo Cookie Dough Cheesecake and Primal Kitchen Sesame Ginger Ribeye Steaks – Saturday Cooking Adventures

My husband is off work Fridays and Saturdays. We did not have any plans for those two days so we just had a chill time at home. I needed something to pass the time so I resorted to cooking. What better way to spend the time! I started off Saturday with some multigrain pancakes for Joe and Chloe. I got started on dessert, a Paleo Cookie Dough Cheesecake, early because those cheesecakes take a few hours to set. And dinner was simple~ ribeye steaks marinated in Primal Kitchen Sesame Ginger and peppered bacon wrapped in asparagus. It was a delightful day of cooking from start to finish.

Seems kinda contradictory though to make a vegan cheesecake for dessert after a ribeye dinner! I mainly chose to make this type of cheesecake for the fact that it is paleo and uses only gluten-free ingredients. I do try to eat vegan meals on occasion though because I do enjoy them. My favorite vegan food to make is “nice cream”. It is a vegan ice-cream created with frozen bananas, coconut milk, and other fruits, etc. It is a simple, healthy dessert to create at home and a nice alternative to regular ice-cream.

In this post I will be discussing how I made the dessert and the dinner and I have broken it down into sections for you.

Continue reading “Paleo Cookie Dough Cheesecake and Primal Kitchen Sesame Ginger Ribeye Steaks – Saturday Cooking Adventures” →

September 2, 2018 2

A Day Of Good Eats With Good Family

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

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

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

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

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

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

August 26, 2018 2

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

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

My Pamela’s Oatmeal Cookie Mix review

Ingredients used for my gluten-free oatmeal cookies

McCormick Organic Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Chia

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

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

Gotta have my Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chips!!

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

Chia seeds & spicing things up!

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

What I recommend for bakeware

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

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

Pour yourself a glass of milk for your oatmeal cookie

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

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

Final thoughts on Pamela’s Oatmeal Cookie Mix

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

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

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August 24, 2018 6

Cacao, Coconut, Granola, and Collagen Smoothie Bowl – RECIPE – Let’s Talk About Cacao!

In this post I will discuss how I made a collagen smoothie bowl with cacao, coconut, and granola. Hope you enjoy!

One of my favorite Thunderbird Bars is the Cacao + Hemp + Walnut. I am a sucker for anything chocolate and this bar wins me over big time! This bar is paleo and vegan friendly. Thunderbird Bar does not mess around with any crap ingredients. What you get in a Thunderbird Bar is REAL FOOD.

I will tell you the ingredients so you can see for yourself:

Dates
Hemp seeds
Walnuts
Coconut shreds
Cacao
Cacao nibs
Chia seeds
Mint
and Himalayan sea salt

But how on Earth can something like chocolate be good for you? Chocolate gets a bad reputation often and gets classified as junk food. If you consume chocolate in it’s purest form it is surprisingly great for you!

I am going to talk about the health benefits now:

Cacao is chock full of antioxidants. Antioxidants combat cancer invasion and can be used as a preventative measure of cancer. It can help prevent a decline in the aging process.
Cacao is an iron powerhouse. Of all the plants in the universe, cacao has the most iron. If you are anemic cacao can be used to boost iron intake.
Cacao is high in magnesium
Cacao is high in calcium (more than cow’s milk!)
Cacao is known to be a mood elevator and can help lift you out of a bad day
Cacao has fiber. The brand that I used has 2g of fiber per tablespoon.
Cacao is free of sugar!
Cacao contains vitamin C. The cacao that I had has 10% of your daily value.

Continue reading “Cacao, Coconut, Granola, and Collagen Smoothie Bowl – RECIPE – Let’s Talk About Cacao!” →

August 20, 2018 3

Paleo Balsamic Steak With Primal Kitchen – Simplicity Is Often Best When It Comes To Steak

I had two New York strip steaks to cook yesterday. I often opt for a garlic herbed ghee when cooking up my steaks but I wanted to mix things up a bit last night and try something different. I have been trying out many of the flavors of Primal Kitchen dressings/marinades that I ordered recently and I am completely and totally satisfied with their quality. I had Primal Kitchen Balsamic Marinade and that is exactly what my steaks ended up marinating in.

Balsamic Steak w/ Primal Kitchen Foods Balsamic Dressing/Marinade and Roasted Balsamic Asparagus

Last night I wanted to do something simple with my steak that would still result in a juicy piece of meat and I opted for the Primal Kitchen Balasmic. This is an avocado oil based dressing that only uses real food ingredients and no BS whatsoever. This is paleo-friendly, gluten-free, and does not contain any added sugars. Many Primal Kitchen items are also Whole 30 friendly but this particular one is not, due to the added honey.

As you can see in the photo below I did not have too many ingredients at all. I had the Balsamic, some Heavenly Organics Acacia Honey, and not shown was the Primal Kitchen Extra Virgin Avocado Oil, and the salt & pepper. That is all I worked with~ 5 simple ingredients.

I preheated the oven for my asparagus to 425 degrees and lined a sheet pan with foil. I took some of the Balsamic and a bit of the honey and mixed it together. I then made sure that all of the asparagus was doused in this mixture. It took about 15 minutes to roast the asparagus. It came out with a little bit of sweetness from the honey, which I thought was great. The Balsamic was not too overpowering with the veggie.

Primal Kitchen Balsamic Dressing/Marinade

I used my Lodge Cast Iron Grill Pan to cook the steak, as I usually do. That pan is by far my favorite way to cook a steak. I no longer use my grill outdoors for steak. This pan will produce one hell of a juicy and tender steak. I poured just a bit of avocado oil in the pan and warmed it up. Once the grill was warm I threw the steaks on. Don’t you just love that sizzling sound when your meat is cooking on the grill? Music to my ears. I poured a bit of the marinade on the steaks while they were cooking. Gosh the smell of the Balsamic paired with the meat was an incredible smell. Hubby even remarked and said, “something smells good in the kitchen”.

So there you have it… a big juicy piece of medium-rare balsamic steak and roasted balsamic asparagus. Clean Plate for Joe and I and the steak was so perfectly cooked I could have probably eaten half of another one.

How do you like to prepare your steak? What is your secret to a juicy, tender steak? Leave me a comment and let me know.

You can find Primal Kitchen items in their online store and save with coupon code: GIVEITAWHIRL10

or….

Want to give the Balsamic Primal Kitchen dressing/marinade a whirl? You can find it on Amazon:

You can also treat yourself to a Lodge Cast Iron Grill Pan on Amazon:

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August 19, 2018 2

Lemon Turmeric Chicken With Primal Kitchen Foods – Simple, Easy, and Delicious & A Primal Kitchen Coupon!

How To Make Lemon Turmeric Chicken w_ Primal Kitchen and a Primal Kitchen Coupon (GIVEITAWHIRL10) by Give It A Whirl Girl

Dinner does not get much easier than this folks! Last night I served up a chicken breast marinated in Primal Kitchen Foods Lemon & Turmeric Dressing/Marinade. This was my second marinade by Primal Kitchen that I tried. I just recently tried the Italian (click here to read more) on a chicken dish a couple nights ago and it was fab! Their dressing/marinades give your food an amazing infusion of flavor. We were big fans of the Primal Kitchen Lemon Turmeric. Keep on reading to learn more about this wonderful Lemon Turmeric marinade and how you can save with my special Primal Kitchen coupon code!

Simple, Easy, and Delicious Lemon Turmeric Chicken With Primal Kitchen Foods served with roasted fingerling potatoes

Primal Kitchen California Extra Virgin Avocado Oil and petite fingerling potatoes

Primal Kitchen Foods Lemon Turmeric Dressing/Marinade with chicken breast

And you want to know the best part? It is REAL FOOD. No weird ingredients, just straight up REAL FOOD. With Primal Kitchen Foods you are getting a quality product. Many dressings are Whole 30, paleo, and keto friendly as well. This particular dressing is suitable for all of those diets. This dressing/marinade is free of gluten, soy, sugar, dairy, sugar, canola, sunflower & safflower oils, and this dressing is also Non-GMO-Project Verified and will fit in perfectly to your primal eating lifestyle.

Organic apple cider vinegar, revitalizing organic turmeric, and organic herbs give this dressing a deliciously diverse flavor profile.

Once the chicken had marinated in the Primal Kitchen Lemon Turmeric marinade for a few hours it was time to get funky in the kitchen. I grabbed my saute pan, splashed a bit of avocado oil in there, and then placed my chicken in there with some minced garlic and chopped shallots. Easy peasy!

While my chicken was cooking I had some purple and gold petite fingerling potatoes roasting away in the over. It was 90 degrees today so turning on a hot oven is no fun but so worth it. The potatoes were simple to prepare. I placed them in a bowl, drizzled some Primal Kitchen California Extra Virgin Avocado Oil on there, a good shake of garlic powder, a dash of salt & pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon. The potatoes were delish and I have no regrets but they, unfortunately, are not paleo friendly. The chicken, however, is paleo.

This was a pretty effortless dinner with quite an astonishing result. The flavor of the lemon turmeric chicken was impeccable and the potatoes were roasted to perfection. Ahhhhh even a novice cook could construct this healthy, wholesome dish. No excuses for boring, lame dinners when you have Primal Kitchen Foods marinades on hand.

Question Time!

Check out all of the dressings/ marinades at Primal Kitchen and leave me a comment telling me which one you will try first and what you will create with it.

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Save 10% OFF at Primal Kitchen Foods with my Primal Kitchen coupon code: GIVEITAWHIRL10

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Read more about turmeric benefits HERE.

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Lemon Turmeric Primal Kitchen Chicken and a Primal Kitchen Coupon With Give It A Whirl Girl

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August 15, 2018 11

Primal Kitchen Dressing & Marinade – Paleo, Whole 30, Keto Foods For Your Health – Take Your Meal To The Next Level

Primal Kitchen haul! Avocado oil and dressings/marinades

An exciting package recently landed on my doorstep. I knew it was coming and I was totally anticipating it. It was my Primal Kitchen package.

I ordered from Thrive Market (you can score 25% off with my link) but you can also order direct through Primal Kitchen and save 10% off your order with the promo code: GIVEITAWHIRL10. I strongly feel that the best way to go is directly through Primal Kitchen since they sell every single item that they have available.

The wonderful thing about these Primal Kitchen dressings is that they are REAL FOOD. These are paleo approved and that to me is just super. Many Primal Kitchen dressings are also Whole 30 compliant, but not all (check your labels). These dressings are made with avocado oil, which is considered a healthy fat. These dressings are also free of refined sugar & trans fat free, and that is something that you often see in salad dressings… sugar and trans fats which are absolutely garbage and wreak havoc on our systems. Primal Kitchen is also a low-carbohydrate option.

I started out with the Primal Kitchen Italian Dressing & Marinade. Sunday morning started out with me pouring a generous amount into a Pyrex casserole dish to marinate a couple of chicken breasts. I also poured a small amount into a bowl with some fresh mozzarella pearls and cherry tomatoes.

Primal Kitchen Italian Dressing & Marinade with chicken breasts, mozzarella pearls, and cherry tomatoes

Chicken breasts marinating in Primal Kitchen Italian Dressing & Marinade

Then dinner time rolled around and boy was I HANGRY! I oiled up my Lodge Cast Iron Grill Pan (everyone needs one of these grill pans) with a little drizzle of Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil and placed the marinated chicken in the pan.

I also had a nice garlic and rosemary flatbread that I created using a recipe by Savory Lotus. I made a few modifications to the recipe and boy did it ever turned out delicious! So props to Savory Lotus for the incredible recipe!

While I was using the grill pan to cook up the Primal Kitchen Italian Chicken Breasts I sliced some mozzarella pearls and topped the chicken with them and let them get a bit melty. Who doesn’t love some ooey gooey mozzarella cheese… yum and yes please!

Chicken Caprese made using Primal Kitchen Italian Dressing/Marinade

Chicken Caprese made using Primal Kitchen Italian Dressing/Marinade served with Rosemary/Garlic Flatbread

This dinner turned out great. My only regret is not having any fresh basil on hand to top this with. Gosh, I just love fresh basil in my Italian food. It really amps up the flavor. The flatbread was a nice addition to this meal. I would definitely make that again to serve on the side with one of my meals.

Have you ever tried Primal Kitchen? What item from their store appeals to you? CLICK HERE to find out more about Primal Kitchen and see the vast array of healthy foods they have available.

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DISCLAIMER: THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS. THIS HELPS MAKE FOR A BETTER BLOG EXPERIENCE FOR ALL OF MY READERS. ALL PROCEEDS GO TOWARDS MAKING IMPROVEMENTS ON THIS BLOG.

August 13, 2018 3

First-Timer’s At Apple Annie’s (REVIEW) & Dessert At Roger’s Bulk Candy Again

Apple Annie's Restaurant REVIEW Roseville, MI

I have been living in this area of Southeast, Michigan all of my life. I have driven past Apple Annie’s in Roseville, MI numerous times, way too many to count. I have always been curious about how their food was. Last night my family and I finally gave it a whirl. We try to be thrifty while dining out and we had a coupon from a local paper. I have always heard that they were famous for their soups and that was plenty enough to get me to try it out because I love having a nice cup of soup to go with my dinner. On their website, they mention that they were voted best soup in Michigan for two years in a row. That was a claim I was willing to find out for myself. We also stopped by Roger’s Bulk Candy & Ice-Cream after dinner. Read more to get the deets!

Me before dinner at Apple Annie's in Roseville,, MI — Me before dinner at Apple Annie’s in Roseville,, MI

Apple Annie's on Gratiot, in Roseville, MI — Apple Annie’s on Gratiot, in Roseville, MI

Apple Annie’s in Roseville, Mi

My two loves at Apple Annie’s

The first thing you notice while coming inside the restaurant is the dessert cases. There were fresh baked cookies, brownies, and I even spied with my little eyes Sanders Bumpy Cake, which is one of my all-time favorite cakes. Apple Annie’s is not only a restaurant but a bakery as well. They offer up freshly baked fruit pies, deliciously appealing bakery desserts, and specialty loaves of bread.

Dessert cases at Apple Annie’s

We sat down and looked over the menus. I sure made a great first impression for me. They specialize in traditional fare but also have some exciting items on the menu. I was really impressed with the soup list (as shown below). I had to inquire to the waitress about Kapusta and the Forest Gump Soup, since I had no idea what those were. Kapusta is a Polish soup with kielbasa and potatoes in it. The Forest Gump, which I should have know, had shrimp in it duh! Bubba Gump shrimp anyone??

I really was torn on what to order here because there were a lot of great options I could go with. I almost ordered one of the summer specials that was a pineapple half stuffed with salad and fruit. Gosh, that sounded amazing! I went back and forth in my mind and when the waitress finally showed up I told her that I was going to be brave and try out the Kapusta for the first time in my life. I figured that soup would pair well with the cabbage rolls so I ended up ordering that. I have not had stuffed cabbage in who knows how long? It’s really been that long! I love that dish but never cook it at home because I would be the only one here eating it, unfortunately.

Joe ended up going with the Dinner Chicken Pot Pie. He was going to go with a regular ol’ cheeseburger and I talked him into that. He orders a cheeseburger pretty much everywhere we go, or fajitas. Chloe had a decent children’s menu and I was hoping she would order something a little healthier but she really wanted a cheeseburger and fries. I was fine with that.

Apple Annie’s Soup-of-the- Day list

Apple Annie’s summer specials

I received my soup and my eyes lit up. It looked so wonderful! I was excited to try out my kapusta for the first time and it did not disappoint. It was like a Polish explosion in my mouth. I really could have sat there and devoured a bowl of this soup. I see why they were voted for top soup in Michigan. I couldn’t think of a single thing that I did not enjoy about this soup. A big plus for me was there were many chunks of kielbasa and plenty of diced potatoes. It was a thick and hearty soup.

Joe, on the other hand, had chicken noodle soup. I did not try it but he said it was a bit on the salty side. I think he is just really adjusted to the way I cook at home and I use a minimal amount of salt in my food. When we dine out nowadays, food often does come across heavy on the salt side.

The soups came out with a basket of warm, freshly baked bread. I took a little taste but let me daughter have my dinner roll. She and Joe enjoyed the bread very much.

So now for the dinners! In the photo below I showcase our two dinners: Dinner Chicken Pot Pie and the Cabbage Rolls dinner.

Apple Annie’s Cabbage Rolls and Chicken Pot Pie

Do I get a trophy or a badge? I did somehow manage to stuff three golabkis at Apple Annies, a pile of mashed potatoes, and some steamed carrots into my skinny frame! I was stuffed to the gills with food. We did not order dessert at Apple Annie’s but maybe next time! Overall, I was highly satisfied with my meal. Chloe was delighted with her meal. Joe did not particularly care for his pot pie. He said he would give Apple Annie’s another chance. I’m sure next time he will just be safe with his burger. For myself, I will definitely be exploring other items on the menu. Apple Annie’s was delicious! Delcious!

If you would like to learn more about Apple Annie’s check out their website HERE. There is a Roseville location and a Clinton Township location for your convenience. You can view the entire menu online so you will have an idea on what you might order when you visit. The menu is quite big and has so many great items on it, it is hard to narrow it down to one choice. Hope you enjoy your experience at Apple Annie’s as much as I did!

Next stop was dessert. We have been overindulging a bit in the ice-cream as of lately. I admit that I have an ice-cream problem… a real true addiction. I could eat every single day in the summer. We ended up visiting Roger’s Bulk Candy & Ice-Cream in Eastpointe, MI again. Our last banana split there was totally epic. You can read more about my first experience at Roger’s in THIS POST HERE.

Roger’s Bulk Candy & Ice-Cream in Eastpointe, MI

Roger’s Bulk Candy & Ice-Cream in Eastpointe, MI – Whirly Pops and Unicorn Lollipops

We decided we would share another banana-split once again for the three of us. We mixed it up just a bit this time around. We went with Blue Moon with chocolate on top, Amaretto Cherry with strawberries on top, and Superman with pineapple on top. Of course we also needed a heaping mountain of whipped cream and rainbow candy sprinkles. We also had to have our three maraschino cherries on top. I think every kid always gets a kick out of eating the cherries on top!

Roger’s Bulk Candy & Ice-Cream in Eastpointe, MI – Ice-Cream getting scooped for our beautiful banana-split

We were met with service and a smile at Roger’s. The staff there is very friendly and always willing to help. The girl who waited on us was patient and created a gorgeous banana-split worthy of an Instagram post.

Roger’s Bulk Candy & Ice-Cream in Eastpointe, MI – Banana Split w/ Bue Moon, Cherry Amaretto, and Superman

Today is Saturday and I don’t have a clue what I am making for dinner tonight. Actually, I would rather go out on a date night since it is just me and hubby for two whole weeks!

I might just maybe be making from-scratch pizza one more time for Joe and I. I ordered a Paleo Pizza Crust mix from Thrive Market and I am super curious about it. It could be something else other than pizza too because I got a great haul of Primal Kitchen dressings and marinades delivered yesterday. Decisions, decisions! I do have some great meals planned for the week. Chloe will be up-north in Oscoda, MI for two whole weeks so I will only be cooking for two for a while.

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