Two Classy Chics

Archive for the ‘Food | Beverages’ Category

Today I would like to introduce you to the company called SweetStacks who makes a gourmet pancake and waffle mix that won 1st place in the 2008 Celebrity Food Show. Today, we are going to give you some information about the product and review it for you.

SweetStacks is a secret Pacific Islander family recipe passed down through generations. The SweetStacks Gourmet Pancake & Waffle Mix is available for direct purchase through the SweetStacks web store. Right now you can purchase 3 packages and get 1 free! It comes packaged in 1 lb. resealable bags for convenience.

Each package comes with their pancakes and waffles recipes printed right on the back side. To make pancakes you will whisk together 1 cup of their pancake & waffle mix with milk, eggs and vegetable oil. To make the waffles you will whisk together 2 1/2 cups of their pancake & waffle mix with milk, 2 eggs and vegetable oil. Each package contains approximately 11 servings with each serving being 1/5 cup of mix.

We decided to use their Gourmet Pancake & Waffle Mix to make up a batch of pancakes for breakfast. We love pancakes and I do prefer to use a pancake mix as I just don’t have a lot of time in the morning. I followed the directions on the package and mixed up my batter. We fried up our pancakes in a regular hot skillet and within a few quick minutes, they were done. Hubby tops his with syrup and I top mine with plain butter, lots of it!

We sat down to eat our breakfast and wow, these pancakes were delicious! They cook up super quickly and within minutes were lightly golden brown. They have a slight sweet taste to them and were super light and fluffy. Just like a good pancake should be! Trust me, most package mixes make heavy pancakes, these were not that! We loved these pancakes so much that for the next 4 mornings, we made more pancakes! They are THAT GOOD!

If you are looking for a delicious gourmet pancake & waffle mix, SweetStacks in the company you need to be checking out! They are delicious and super easy to make! Your family will love them!

Note: You can get a FREE sample pack of SweetStacks Pancake & Waffle Mix on their site. Just pay S&H and the free sample pack is yours! (6 ounce sample pack can make up to 6 pancakes).

Giveaway: One luck winner will win one package of SweetStacks Gourmet Pancake & Waffle Mix. Value $7.75 for the 1 lb. package. Yummy!

Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to residents of the US ONLY age 18 and over. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering. This giveaway will close on May 30th, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST time.

Mandatory Entry – Earns 5 Entries: Visit SweetStacks and take a look around. Come back here and tell me something you learned about the company or their products.

Bonus Entries: You may complete these after fulfilling the mandatory entry above. Please leave a separate comment for each one that you complete. These entries will be verified.

Earns 3 Entries: Check out their yummy recipes on their site & let us know which one you would love to make.
Earns 3 Entries: Follow SweetStacks on Facebook.
Earns 3 Entries: Follow SweetStacks on Twitter.
Earns 3 Entries: Sign up for the sponsor’s email newsletter. (will be verified).
Earns 3 Entries: Add the Two Classy Chics to your Google + circle
Earns 3 Entries: Follow the Two Classy Chics on Facebook.
Earns 3 Entries: Follow the Two Classy Chics on Twitter.
Earns 3 Entries: Place the TCC Button on your blog. (leave link)
Earns 3 Entries: Subscribe to our blog by email (top right) *Must activate subscription, will double check these entries*
Earns 3 Entries: Leave a comment on a non-giveaway post & let us know which post it was.
Earns 3 Entries: Share this post on Google+, StumpleUpon and/or on Facebook and get 3 additional entries for each share.
Earns 3 Entries: Write up your own post about this giveaway along with live links to Two Classy Chics and to the sponsor and post it on your blog (leave link)
Earns 1 Entry per giveaway: Enter 1 or all of our current giveaways here on Two Classy Chics. If you enter 3, you earn 3 more entries. Let us know which giveaways you entered.
Earns 1 Entry Per Tweet: You can copy and paste the following Tweet over on Twitter twice per day. (leave status link) *Must Be 3 Hours A Part*

Copy & Paste Tweet:

Win a Pkg. of @SweetStacks Gourmet Pancake & Waffle Mix @TwoClassyChics blog  at http://bit.ly/JEgm8B Ends 5-30 #Giveaways

Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. Two Classy Chics is not responsible for delivery of any giveaway items won from this blog. We are not responsible for injury or mis-use of any products won from the Two Classy Chics Blog. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering our giveaways. This giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook or Google+ in any way. Thanks!

We are a family of snackers.  We eat regular meals on weekdays, but on weekends or movie time, we snack.  Chips, pretzels, crackers, veggies, and fruit with dip or plain, all find their way to our plates.  We don’t always agree on what to snack on, but all agree that a crunch factor is a must.   The Snack Fairies must have heard about our issues and decided to send some goodness our way.
Enter 34 Degrees Natural Crispbread.

These delicious rounds have crunch and flavor that stands on its own, dipped into hummus, or topped with sweet or savory goodness.   The Snack Fairies whispered in the ears of the powers that be at 34 Degrees and I found this box of goodness waiting for me along with serving suggestions.  The family took one look and Snacks for Dinner Night was on. 

These crispbreads make an excellent snack for any member of the family.  All-natural ingredients appeal to natural foods lovers.  The Whole Grain variety has just four ingredients.  Four.   Calorie counters will love the large serving sizes – up to 19 crispbreads for 120-140 calories.  The Cracked Pepper version is fat-free.

Hubby and son are the hard-core carnivores of the family.  They topped their snacks with meats, cheeses, and a smear of herbed mayo, horseradish sauce, or mustard.   Hubby loved the Cracked Pepper version with roast beef, Swiss cheese, and horseradish sauce.  The son went for turkey and barbecue sauce on the Natural flavor.  They both loved the Sesame flavor topped with roasted chicken salad.  The daughter and I crave both sweet and savory snacks and 34 Degrees Crispbread was perfect.  The Sesame and Rosemary flavors were meant for hummus and cucumber-tomato salad and Greek Salad.  For sweet goodness, dark chocolate cream cheese and strawberries shone on both the Whole Grain and Natural flavors.   Snacks for Dinner Night was a huge success!  We will pick up more of the healthy goodness 34 Degrees offers. 

In addition to the flavors we tried, 34 Degrees Crispbread is also available in Lemon Zest.  If a sweet treat is what you crave, be on the lookout for Cinnamon, Chocolate, Graham, and Caramel flavors.   Lemon Zest and Cinnamon will make it into my cart on the next shopping trip.

Last weekend I found several varieties at Costco in the perfect-for-teen-boys size.   When the whole family agrees on a particular snack item, I take notice and stock up. Pick up a box or two and play with sweet and savory snacks.  Yummy.

Giveaway: One lucky winner is going to win a variety pack of Crispbread! Your package will contain several different boxes of Crispbread in a variety of yummy flavors!

Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to residents of the US ONLY age 18 and over. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering. This giveaway will close on May 30th, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST time.

Mandatory Entry – Earns 5 Entries: Visit the sponsor’s web site and take a look around. Come back here and tell me which flavor of Crispbread you would like to try.

Bonus Entries: You may complete these after fulfilling the mandatory entry above. Please leave a separate comment for each one that you complete. These entries will be verified.

Earns 3 Entries: Follow 34 Degrees Crackers on Facebook.
Earns 3 Entries: Follow 34 Degrees on Twitter.
Earns 3 Entries: Add the Two Classy Chics to your Google + circle
Earns 3 Entries: Follow the Two Classy Chics on Facebook.
Earns 3 Entries: Follow the Two Classy Chics on Twitter.
Earns 3 Entries: Place the TCC Button on your blog. (leave link)
Earns 3 Entries: Subscribe to our blog by email (top right) *Must activate subscription, will double check these entries*
Earns 3 Entries: Leave a comment on a non-giveaway post & let us know which post it was.
Earns 3 Entries: Share this post on Google+, StumpleUpon and/or on Facebook and get 3 additional entries for each share.
Earns 3 Entries: Write up your own post about this giveaway along with live links to Two Classy Chics and to the sponsor and post it on your blog (leave link)
Earns 1 Entry per giveaway: Enter 1 or all of our current giveaways here on Two Classy Chics. If you enter 3, you earn 3 more entries. Let us know which giveaways you entered.
Earns 1 Entry Per Tweet: You can copy and paste the following Tweet over on Twitter twice per day. (leave status link) *Must Be 3 Hours A Part*

Copy & Paste Tweet:

Win a Variety Pack of Yummy Crispbread Crackers @34Degrees on @TwoClassyChics blog http://bit.ly/JA4gNJ Ends 5-30 #Giveaways

Disclaimer: Sherrie Thompson has personally reviewed the product listed above. Sherrie  has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Sherrie did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. Two Classy Chics is not responsible for delivery of any giveaway items won from this blog. We are not responsible for injury or mis-use of any products won from the Two Classy Chics Blog. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering our giveaways. This giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook or Google+ in any way. Thanks!

Another great edition today to our “Fun in the Summer Sun” buying guide here on the Two Classy Chics! Today’s company has been in business since 1535 and is called RJ Balson & Son, or known as Balson Butchers. This particular meat company specializes in English and Irish speciality meats.

When you shop for your specialty meats at RJ Balson, you will find delicious selections like Traditional Pork Banger, Pork Back Bacon, Breakfast Bangers, Garlic & Herb Banger and Tomato & Basil Banger.

Our Foodie Review: The company sent us 3 different foodie products to try out for all of you. First up, the Pork Back Bacon which was absolutely delicious! This product is sold in 1 lb. packages (2 packages that each have a 1/2 lb. in them). This pork back bacon is hand-trimmed and the pork loins are cures the traditional way, along with some subtle smoke from an applewood log fire.

Hubby and I decided to use our Pork Back Bacon for breakfast one morning to go along with our over-easy dippy eggs and honey wheat toast. We took the slices out of the package and pan-fried them in a tad of oil for just a few minutes. You do not want to over-cook them at all. (They are fully cooked, you are basically just crisping them up a little bit). Once done…we dug in! Oh my gosh, seriously folks, this is/was the BEST pork bacon we have ever had!!! We totally ate up that first pack and the very next day, breakfast again with the other pack they had sent to us!

Next up is the Breakfast Bangers which we made a few days later along with the Traditional Pork Bangers. Oliver over at Balson Butchers was telling me about Bangers and Mash so hubby and I decided to invite a few friends over for dinner. We made both of the bangers along with mashed potatoes and buttered peas. The traditonal Bangers & Mash meal also includes gravy, but we are not fond of that!

These bangers are done in the traditional English & Irish way and are made from pork. The natural casings contain high-quality pork that was beautiful seasoned with spices and bread crumbs. The Traditional Pork Bangers are much larger in size than the Breakfast Bangers but tasted identical. These specialty sausages are MSG and Nitrite free. They are fully cooked, just brown and serve.

Oliver advised us to really “brown” up these babies so we spent a total of 7 minutes browning them up to perfection. He recommends that you make them nice and crispy which we did! Once done, I served the bangers, mashed potatoes, buttered peas and some homemade cornbread to my dinner guests. Everyone raved and raved about this meal! Seriously, they all said it was the BEST sausage they have ever had!

We all had a pig-out feast and when we were done, our tummy’s were full! What a delicious and satisfying meal! From start to finish, less than 35 minutes (most of that was making the mashed potatoes). There was absolutely NO leftovers, not even a crumb! These bangers (sausages) are seasoned to perfection! Moist, juicy, tender, flavorful and just plain DELICOUS!

We highly recommend Balson Butchers to all of you! Trust me, you just can’t go wrong with this company! Their meat products would be perfect this summer for when you are entertaining guests or having family cookouts. Delicious!

Giveaway: One lucky winner is going to win 6 lbs. of specialty meats:

Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to residents of the US ONLY age 18 and over. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering. This giveaway will close on June 1st, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST time.

Mandatory Entry – Earns 5 Entries: Visit Balson Butchers and take a look around. Come back here and tell me which item you would love to try or something you learned from their site.

Bonus Entries: You may complete these after fulfilling the mandatory entry above. Please leave a separate comment for each one that you complete. These entries will be verified.

Earns 3 Entries: Follow British Bangers and Bacon on Facebook.
Earns 3 Entries: Visit the Balson Butchers Blog & tell us something you learned.
Earns 3 Entries: Visit their recipes section on the site & tell us which recipe you would love to make for your family.
Earns 3 Entries: Add the Two Classy Chics to your Google + circle
Earns 3 Entries: Follow the Two Classy Chics on Facebook.
Earns 3 Entries: Follow the Two Classy Chics on Twitter.
Earns 3 Entries: Place the TCC Button on your blog. (leave link)
Earns 3 Entries: Place our Summer Event blog button on your site.
Earns 3 Entries: Subscribe to our blog by email (top right) *Must activate subscription, will double check these entries*
Earns 3 Entries: Leave a comment on a non-giveaway post & let us know which post it was.
Earns 3 Entries: Write up your own post about this giveaway along with live links to Two Classy Chics and to the sponsor and post it on your blog (leave link)
Earns 1 Entry per giveaway: Enter 1 or all of our current giveaways here on Two Classy Chics. If you enter 3, you earn 3 more entries. Let us know which giveaways you entered.
Earns 1 Entry Per Tweet: You can copy and paste the following Tweet over on Twitter twice per day. (leave status link) *Must Be 3 Hours A Part*

Copy & Paste Tweet:

Win 6 lbs. of Delicious Bacon & Sausage Bangers from Balson Butchers on @TwoClassyChics blog http://bit.ly/JzKGBh Ends 6-01 #Giveaways

I would like to thank Balson Butchers for sending us the gourmet foodie products to review for all of you. Seriously, the best we have ever had! These products rock!

Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. Two Classy Chics is not responsible for delivery of any giveaway items won from this blog. We are not responsible for injury or mis-use of any products won from the Two Classy Chics Blog. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering our giveaways. This giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook or Google+ in any way. Thanks!

Today I would like to introduce you to the company called The Tea Spot based out of Boulder, Colorado. The company has been in business since 2004 and was founded by Maria Uspenski, a cancer survivor drawn to the health benefits of tea during her recovery.

When you shop at The Tea Spot you will find great Steepware, Loose Tea, and various Tea gifts. One of the things I like about this particular tea shop is that you will find lots of great educational info on their web site like: How to Steep Tea, Health Benefits of Tea, Cooking with Tea, etc.

My Review: The generous folks over at The Tea Spot sent me 2 products to review for all of you. First up, the Tuffy Tea Steeper which comes in 6 different colors. This wonderful tea steeper is made out of collapsible  food-grade silicone which makes it great for traveling, keep it at the office or take it in your lunch box. It’s durable, collapsible, reusable and is compatible with most of your tea mugs and many teapots.

The lid of the tea steeper doubles as saucer for the brewing basket once your loose tea is done steeping. It is heat resistant, stain resistant and dishwasher safe. I received the “strawberry” color for the review which is a beautiful red color. This tea steeper can also be used as a coffee filter which I think is super cool.

I also received a tin of the Pink Rose Lemonade tea which contains Lemon Myrtle, Rose Petals, Chamomile, Spearmint and Lavender Flowers. I love that it’s caffeine-free so I can enjoy it any time of the day/night. This is a loose tea and you use 1 heaping teaspoon per 8 oz. of boiling water. You can enjoy it as a hot tea or as an iced tea.

I made myself a cup of hot tea last week using this loose tea and let me tell you, it’s delicious! I would consider it to me a medium-bodied tea that is very flavorful and you can definitely taste the spearmint. It’s a great tea for a “pick-me up” or use it in the evening to unwind. Fabulous!!!

A few days later I made a 2 quart pitcher of the tea and added just a 1/4 cup of sugar to make us some iced tea. I left it chill for 4 hours in the refrigerator and later that day I served it to my scrapbooking group. Everyone raved and raved about this iced tea! It was super good and the entire pitcher was gone in an hour!

Coupon Code: Enter coupon code classychics to get 15% off any purchase before June 30th, 2012.

Both of the products I received for the review are fantastic and super affordable! If you are a tea lover or need any tea gifts, head on over to The Tea Spot and check out all of their wonderful products!

Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. Two Classy Chics is not responsible for delivery of any giveaway items won from this blog. We are not responsible for injury or mis-use of any products won from the Two Classy Chics Blog. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering our giveaways. This giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook or Google+ in any way. Thanks!