May 10th, 2010

Product Review: Freschetta FlatBread Pizza

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Freschetta. All opinions are 100% mine.

As a New Yorker, pizza is a very important staple in my diet. We have some of the best pizzerias in the world and it is very hard for me to eat anything that does not come from a NY Pizzeria. So to be fair, I decided that I would only compare Freschetta FlatBread pizza to other frozen pizza and to chain pizza (like Domino’s and Pizza Hut). I say this because nothing compares to a real NY slice of pizza and that needed to be cleared up from the start.

Now let’s get to it. Freschetta FlatBread pizza comes in four varieties: Zesty Italian, 5 Cheese, Roasted Garlic and Spinach, and Pepperoni. We tried all but the Pepperoni.

In terms of taste, Freshcetta has a very tasty crust. Unlike many frozen pizzas, the crust is crispy and very well flavored. Not only was it tasty, the crust was sturdy and did not fall apart. My husband and I also enjoyed the sauce. We both like very light sauce on my pizza and the flat bread pizzas had just enough to keep the topping on without overpowering the pizza. Unlike Domino’s Pizza, Freschetta’s sauce tasted homemade and not canned. And unlike Papa John’s pizza, the sauce is not sweet. all of the pizzas had a significant amount of cheese on them and I did not find the need to tackle my husband for the cheesy slice.

My favorite of the three that we tried was the Zesty Italian. There was a perfect mesh of pepperoni, salami, sausage, and two cheeses. I don’t like a lot of toppings on my pizza and very rarely order pizza with meat toppings, but this was really good.

My husband loved the 5-Cheese pizza the most. He said the cheese tasted like a high-quality cheese and it was not salty or oily. The funny thing is that my husband usually likes meat pizzas and I normally go for the cheesy ones.

The Roasted Garlic and Spinach was our least favorite because it was too salty and the garlic sauce overpowered the tasted of everything else. I also would have loved more spinach on this one.

My daughter on the other hand, liked them all!

With the price of pizzeria pizza being so high now, I will probably turn to Freschetta for our weekly pizza nights. We were presently surprised that this pizza was so good and we definitely enjoyed them more than we have every enjoyed Domino’s, Pizza hut, and Papa John’s. One pizza was a perfect lunch for 2 adults and one 4 year old.

But don’t take our word for it, head over and get a coupon for $1.00 off.

March 8th, 2010

Fresh Juice Recipe: Super Greens Juice

Another juice recipe for you. If you tried the Beet, Car­rot, Apple Gin­ger Juice, I would love to know what you thought.

Today I tried a Super Greens Juice. If you are confused about what “Greens” are, here’s a tip: veggies and fruit that are green in color. Think kale, celery, spinach, collard greens, beet greens, broccoli, cucumbers, alfalfa sprouts, wheatgrass sprouts, onion sprouts and so many more. Greens Juice is great for cleansing your body and jump staring any weight loss program. Owning Pink does a great job of explaining the amazingness of Green Juice so go there and read about it.

This Super Greens Juice recipe comes from Goop again but I encourage you all to try different variations. I have adjusted the recipe to make three 12 oz glasses.

• 2 cups of Kale (use everything)
• 1 whole Lemon
• 2 inches of Ginger
• 8 stalks of Celery
• 3 whole Pears

Run everything through the juicer. Remember that leafy veggies are a pain so to make sure that they juice completely, I wrapped the kale around the celery sticks. Made life A LOT easier. Also, make sure you stir your juice very well.

March 6th, 2010

Fresh Juice Recipe: Beet, Carrot, Apple and Ginger

In an effort to cleanse my body of toxins (also called “yuckies” by my 3.5 year old daughter), I have been embarked on a detox journey using a menu plan written by Gwyneth Paltrow with her doctor, Dr. Alejandro Junger author of the book “Clean”. I know a lot of people hate Gwyneth Paltrow, but I absolute love her site Goop as it has good tips for health.

At any rate, my husband and I bought a juicer two years ago and we were using it almost every day. Then for some reason, we just stopped. Detoxing has given me the opportunity to bring it out again and include fresh juice into my diet. Here is a tip: if you have a juicer, keep it out on the counter or you will never use it. I know that it’s big, but you know the saying, “out of sight, out of mind,” right? It’s true. So keep it out and then you can incorporate that into your daily menus.

On to the Beet, Carrot, Apple Ginger Juice. It’s a beautiful color, isn’t it? Before I decided to make this juice I looked up the benefits of beets in your diet. Beets have been shown to low blood pressure (not for people with hypertension) and are a powerful blood and system cleanser.   It is also believed that beets can increase stamina and provide numerous heart-healthy benefits.  It is being called a super juice and while I know that there is no one cure for all that ails, I am willing to add more healthy things into my diet.

The recipe follows but I want to share my thoughts on this juice. It actually tastes good despite the fact that I really don’t like beets. I did notice that my stomach began cramping while drinking my version which leads me to believe that I used too much beet juice in proportion to the other ingredients. Beets are a natural laxative and work rather quickly. Stick as close to the recipe as possible. The recipe below comes directly from the Goop site.

SERVES: 1
TIME: 5 minutes

• 1 large or 2 medium beets, cut into wedges (My Note: I’m not sure this includes the greens. I did not as I used them for another recipe. Also, I’m not sure if beets are supposed to be peeled or not. I juiced everything but the greens.)
• 1/2 lemon, zest and pith removed
• 2 large carrots
• 1 large apple, cut into wedges
• 1″ piece of ginger

Juice everything into a glass, give it a stir and enjoy.

February 11th, 2010

Sinful Cinnamon Crockpot Oatmeal with Cinnamon Toast

I have to apologize for not having a picture of this. It’s been a while since I have made this for my family. I will make it soon and add a pictures.

For the Oatmeal

• Crockpot (I recommend the Rival 5-Quart Smart-Pot Slow Cooker)
• 3 cups of Steel Cup Oats (DO NOT USE QUICK OATS OR REGULAR OATMEAL. YOU WILL HAVE MUSH IF YOU DO)
• 8 cups of water
• 2 cups of fat-free Evaporated Milk
• 2 cups of Skim Milk
• 1/2 cup of Brown Sugar
• 1.5 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 large apple and 1 large pear (optional)

(Makes 8 servings)

To ensure that the oatmeal does not stick to the crockpot, spray it with cooking spray. Place all ingredients in the crockpot starting with the liquids first. I find that it cooks better if the liquids although I can’t really explain why. Place the butter in last. Cook on low for at least 6 hours. I cook it overnight. When you awake in the morning add slice the apples and pears and add it to the pot and cook for 30 minutes.

For the Toast

• Lightly toast 8 slices of bread in the toaster
• Place them on a cookie sheet
• Put 2 slabs of butter on each piece of bread
• Sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar

Place cookie sheet with bread  in the oven at 375 degrees until toast is hardened Takes about 5-7 minutes.

Serve oatmeal with a slice of cinnamon toast.