28 Apr 2017
by linettefm
in All Natural, Family, Food, Home, Living, Product Samples, Product testing, Recipe, Review
Tags: $10 off Farm Fresh To You, $10 off FarmFreshToYou, antioxidant, Antioxidants, Apples, Asian pear, assorted lettuces, avocados, bartlett pear, Basil, bell pepper, black grapes, Broccoli, carrots, Celery, cheese. fall cooking, Cherry tomatoes, chicken sausage, Citrus, coupon code, D'Anjou Pear, dinners, discount codes, Easy Cooking, Farm Fresh, Farm Fresh To You, Farm Fresh To You Coupons Code, Farm Fresh To You Promo Code, FarmFreshToYou, food delivery, fresh fruit and veggies delivery, Fresh Produce, grapes, groceries, grocery delivery, gypsy pepper, hass avocado, healthy eating, honeycrisp, honeycrisp apples, Italian, Italian Cooking, Kale, kales, lacinato kale, Lavender, lettuce, Mixed Medley Tomatoes, nantes carrot, oranges, organic, Organic Produce Delivered, pears, peppers, Pomegranate, Potatoes, Potatoes and Vegetables, Produce, Promo Codes, purple bell pepper, Quick Dinners, red pomegranate, roasted garlic, roasting, romaine lettuce, ruby crescent potatoes, rustic cooking, Rustic Sausage, sausage, Subscription Boxes, Subscription Services, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Tarragon, tomatoes, valencia orange, Vegetables, Veggies, Zucchini

Farm Fresh To You, is not my usual subscription box that is filled with beauty related products but in some ways this one is too. Think of this Organic box as a Veggie and Fruit delight filled with food that will definitely aid in not only wellness, health, but beautifying you from the inside out. Let’s not even overlook that I absolutely love vegetables and fruit. I get excited and I’m one of those people that says, “look at that ___________, it’s gorgeous and I then start filling a produce bag like it’s going to sell out that second. I try to purchase Organic when possible, as long as the produce looks good, is not overly priced and easy accessible. I hunt everywhere and most times lose track of how big the fridge is when I’m stuffing Lacinato Kale bundles in the dairy case. I’m not a juicer and truly just love how vegetables and fruit taste like. I will purchase the unknown produce item, google it in the car, and then have plans for what I’m going to make by the time I get home. I’m a believer of not, “knocking it until you try it”, and this is when I was so fortunate in being able to try Organic produce delivered to my home by Farm Fresh To You.
This is how the Service Works:
You have boxes that fit your cooking, eating to family size to choose from. Don’t like a vegetable or fruit offering? You simply can exchange the product for another by using the allotment (amount you are spending on the box of your choice) to replace that selection. Simple! Some items are harvested in limited numbers, so I did find a few items I could not add more of but sharing is something I do well and I like that customization is available and user friendly when ordering.
You can order from the Boxes below and this is with delivery included pricing:
- Mixed Fruit & Veggie Boxes– that range from $26 for the Small (1-2 people) to the Monster Box (6+ people) for $58.00
- Traditional CSA Boxes– is for produce that only comes from their own farm and neighboring partner farms. You can pick a Regular Box (2-4 people) for $33 or the More Box (4-6 people) for $46.00
- No Cooking Boxes– Options that fit the busy person and have items that are easily made or quick to grab and eat while on the go. A Small Box (1-2 people) is $26 and you have Regular Box (2-4 people) for $33 and the More Box for (4-6 people) for $46.00
- Fruit Only– 100% fruit and you have a Small for $26, Regular for $33 and More for $46.00
- Veggie Only Boxes– If you are Pro-Veggies 100%, you can opt for this selection. This one has two choices, the Regular Box (2-4 people) and the More (4-6 people) for $46.00
- Organic Snack Pack– Like I said, no excuses and this service gives you the option for healthier and better tasting packs that range from $35 for the Mini and serves 5 office people, to the Large for $110 and serves 30 people.
Each area has a delivery day, so it depends which zone you fall in on what day of the week they deliver. Mine was Friday but the best part, they deliver between the hours of 8PM on Thursday and 8AM on Friday. Yup, you wake up to surprises and what a great way to end a week. You can even prep meals on the weekend to eat better and tastier next week. You can also add other items like fresh eggs, local honeys to nuts and other treats.
What did I Order:
Okay, I have to start by saying that it’s just my Husband and I (and a dog) and we eat fresh as much as possible. I rarely open a can in this house and it’s usually to do a shortcut meal when using beans or roasted tomatoes. I love to cook and I love to change my weekly meals, so eating fresh fits us nicely and it’s just hard to get off it once you eat everything with texture and flavors intact. With that said, I went for the Monster Box from the Mixed and Veggie selection. I then again have one of those moments where the pictures get the best of me and I added more to my box. I ended up with a total of $59.35 and the box retails for $58, but I got what I wanted. I did change my selection like lowering the count of Gala apples from 10 to zero and adding Honeycrisp, plus changing items so I could add Purple Bell Peppers and so on.

When it Arrived:
I am not ashamed but I pretended I was catching up on my DVR when I was really just stalking my door. Farm Fresh To You delivered at 1:16 AM and not even a dog barked. The delivery person kindly placed two brown colored boxes by our gate and they were cold to the touch. The employees wear a bright colored vest and even the white truck’s engine was in “shhhhh mode”. If it was not for my “ninja at midnight” ways, I would have heard zilch.
My box was outside for 3 minutes. Hey, I had to first announce, “it’s here….it’s here, I’m not waiting for you (to my half asleep Husband) and I’m getting them”. It took energy and one minute longer to find my sandals because I was not stepping outside in my slipper socks 🙂
- Box #1- Bartlett Pears, Ruby Crescent Potatoes, Honeycrisp Apples, Nantes Carrots, Broccoli, Assorted Lettuce, Red Pomegranate, Gypsy Peppers, Black Grapes, and Hass Avocado


- Box #2- Valencia Oranges, D’ Anjou Pears, Baby Bok Choy, Celery, Lacinato Kale, Asian Pear, Mixed Medley of Cherry Tomatoes, Purple Bell Peppers, and Zucchini


The four items I was eager to use from the boxes were the Medley of Cherry tomatoes, the Purple Bell Peppers, the Gypsy Peppers and those adorable Ruby Crescent potatoes.
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Cherry Tomatoes
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Purple Bell Peppers
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Gypsy Peppers
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Red Crescent Potatoes
- Rustic Sausage, Potatoes and Vegetables
Rustic cooking for us is cooking with what we have at hand and what comes to mind. Simplicity at its best and you measure ingredients by your mood and cravings, no rules and let the flavors shine! It’s about enjoying each ingredient and not drowning it out.

I decided to make a nice rustic dish of peppers, onions, tomatoes and sausages. I used an Organic Chicken based sausage that was made with Sweet Basil and Roasted Garlic. The sausage is pre-cooked but frozen. I cut the larger potatoes in half and left the smaller ones as-is. Added roughly chopped Green and Red Bell peppers, white onion, Italian Cubanelle Pepper and few garlic cloves. I tossed everything with Olive Oil, salted, added dry tarragon, blacked cracked pepper, and dry lavender. I cooked covered on the roasting setting (425 degrees) for 20 minutes. This is to allow the potatoes to get a head start cooking and my frozen sausage to defrost.


After 20 minutes have lapsed, simply add the softer and more delicate peppers, like the Gypsy and Purple ones, plus the tomatoes and toss with melted butter and parsley. Remove the defrosted sausages. The butter and veggie mix gets added and mixed to the previous semi-cooked contents. You toss and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Then add the sausages back. I left the 2 chicken based ones whole and then sliced a (pre-cooked) pork Italian one to give the dish that added flavor. Cook another 25 to 30 minutes uncovered, or until potatoes are tender. Two minutes before taking the dish out, I tossed the fresh Rosemary t0 give the dish a slight hint of flavor and aroma from the herb.


I then served the dish with a little cheese on top and a nice crusty loaf of bread.
This code gives you $15 off your first box!
I received the above product(s) free of charge from Farm Fresh To You. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.
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11 Jun 2016
by linettefm
in Cooking, Family, Food, Fruits and Veggies, Home, Product Samples, Product testing, Recipe, Review, Seasonings
Tags: #ad, #BertolliAlFrescoTasteOfTuscany, #BertolliHouseParty, #Sponsored, Alfredo Sauce, Basil, basil plants, Bertolli, Bertolli Creamy Basil Alfredo Review, Bertolli Sauces, Bertolli® Creamy Basil Alfredo Sauce 15 oz, BertolliSauceParty, Butter (Cream, cream, Disodium Phosphate, Easy Cooking, Enzyme Modified Egg Yolk, Enzymes, gardening, Garlic Powder, growing basil, House Party, HouseParty, Italian Meals, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, Natural Flavors, Parmesan Cheese (Cultured Part-Skim Milk, Quick Dishes, Quick Meals, Quick Summer Meals, ricotta and spinach filled raviolis, ricotta and spinach filled raviolis pan fried in butter and olive oil, Salt, Sherry Wine, SOYBEAN OIL, Store Item Number (DPCI): 212-40-0311, Target, Target Sales, TCIN: 50285131, UPC: 036200430446, Von's Albertsons, Water, Whey, Xanthan Gum, YEAST EXTRACT

As Summer approaches, I tend to get as busy as I do when it’s holiday time (November and December). It’s that six month mark I call, when changes start taking place, projects get started and making dinner needs simplification. The barbecues start getting prepped early in Spring here in Southern California because we have pleasant weather most time of the year. This means I so welcome kitchen help. I still want a meal that is healthy and leaves my family and friends full and happy.
In comes Bertolli, changing things up by adding more to their sauce line. Forget about the red and think about white base sauces that come with new flavors to welcome the new season. A white sauce is not something we enjoy (at least here) as I we usually make red based sauces. I am always looking for a way to use my overabundance of tomatoes, so that means I am always making tomato-y sauces! They are great but it can easily create a rut. I have come up with Greek style, South American to Italian “red sauces” that I think my family is on to me! When Bertolli came up with the Al Fresco Taste of Tuscany Party and I saw Basil…..well, say no more.

Retail Price Point: $1.99 for a 15 ounce jar at Target. They are currently on sale at Target from the regular $2.25 price point. You can also find Bertolli and other selections at Von’s, Stater Bros., Albertson’s and other major stores.
Basil for Days!
Simple Ingredients
Ingredients: Water, Cream, Butter (Cream, Salt), Soybean Oil, basil, Modified Corn Starch, Parmesan Cheese (Cultured Part-Skim Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Enzyme Modified Egg Yolk, Sherry Wine, Salt, Whey, Natural Flavors, Yeast Extract, Disodium Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Garlic Powder.

Verdict:
I like easy but I ask a lot from it. I also want a meal that is well liked and not filled with the bad ingredients. In other words, I don’t want my family picking up that I am using a jarred sauce. There is nothing wrong with sauces out of a jar and you can find brands that keep the sauce honest. In this home, jarred sauces are called “cheater sauces”. Okay, the family is a little spoiled but I prefer they welcome the better foods and if the sauce makes the cut, it also gets welcomed in the pantry. Bertolli’s Creamy Basil Alfredo is very simple to prepare. You just pour, reheat and serve. You can easily make it part of your meal or the meal itself by making it a main dish. For this occasion, I wanted to get maximum benefit out of the jar and the one jar needed to yield enough servings, so everyone could try it. I open the jar and the smell is pleasant and inviting. You have a nice milk and cream base that is followed up with the aroma of herbs, basil of course being the predominant one. Being that my basil plant was attacked by squirrels last year, my 5 year old plant never returned. I also welcomed the basil plant seeds that Houseparty and Bertolli included. I use to fear frost or excessive heat damaging my basil plant, never thinking a Squirrel with gourmet tastes would go nutty for an herb! With the amount of basil packed into this creamy Alfredo jar, my passion for basil and craving will definitely be satisfied. I opted for ricotta and spinach filled raviolis and made this my starter dish. I tend to now fry my raviolis in butter and olive oil. This method not only gives the pasta a firmer texture but also that golden buttery taste that everyone seems to love. I warmed the sauce and other than adding some parm and a fresh slice of a baby heirloom tomato, the Bertolli Creamy Alfredo sauce was doing all the talking here.

And, the talking it did. I never have enjoyed a jarred cream based sauce. They always broke when heated and/or had an off taste. This one does not! The Creamy Basil Alfredo from Bertolli stayed whole when heated and did not have an odd after taste. You just taste cream, butter, some cheesy notes and the basil. That is all. The sauce does not overwhelm what you are eating. The tomato gave the ravioli that fresh kick but because it’s mild in flavor, it played well with the sauce. The acidic properties played like a balsamic would, but mild enough to not just kill the entire plating. The spinach in the ricotta filling was made for a basil pairing, so Bertolli made a simple dish that much better. Some guests added a crack of pepper to top, so you can really make the Creamy Basil Alfredo sauce from Bertolli make any dish work and to your liking. No one even asked if the sauce was jarred any I was asked how I made it because so many tend to rush the process and end up with a broken sauce. I told them I would print out the recipe because it’s on-line. I shared a coupon after for my guests to use but I was not letting the cat out of the bag on this one from the start! I also love that everyone was gifted a Basil plant to grow at home, just watch out for those squirrels who think basil flavored acorns are the it dish this season!
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Connect with Bertolli at:
I received the above product(s) free of charge from Bertolli and HouseParty. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.
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23 May 2015
by linettefm
in All Natural, Coupon, Family, Food, Fruits and Veggies, Home, Living, Non-GMO, Nutrition, Organic, Product Samples, Product testing, Review, Samples, Uncategorized
Tags: #DaiyaPizzas, #MomsMeet, Basil, Beyond Meat, black pepper, Brown Rice Flour, Calcium Sulfate, Cane Sugar, caramel color, Coconut Oil, compressed yeast, Coupons, Crimini Mushrooms, Daiya, Daiya Cheddar Cheeze, Daiya Cheeze, Daiya Cheeze Lovers Pizza, Daiya Fire-Roasted Vegetables Pizza, Daiya Foods, Daiya Margherita Pizza, Daiya Mild Mozzarella Style Shreds (filtered water, Daiya Mozzarella Cheeze, Daiya Mushroom and Roasted Garlic, Daiya Pizza, Daiya Pizza Bianca, Daiya Pizzas, Daiya Pizzas Review, Daiya Review, Daiya Supreme Pizza, evaporated cane sugar, expeller pressed canola and/ or expeller pressed safflower oil, expeller-pressed canola oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for flavor), garlic, Garlic Powder, gluten free, Gluten-Free Crust (water, Green Bell Pepper, ground fennel seed, inactive yeast, Italian Sausage- style Crumble (water, lactic acid (derived from sugar), lactic acid (vegan, Lactose Free: Gluten Free: Non-GMO: Kosher Certified, milled flax seed, Moms Meet, Natural Flavors, Non-Dairy, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and/or non-GMO expeller pressed safflower oil, Nutritional Yeast, Olive Oil, Onion Powder, Onions, Paprika, Pea Protein, pea protein isolate, pizzas, potassium bicarbonate, potato starch, psyllium, Red Bell Pepper, red chili pepper flakes, Red Onion, Red Onion. May contain naturally occurring sulfites. We use non-GMO ingredients in all of our products., roasted garlic, Salt, Sea Salt, Soy Free, Spices, Tapioca Starch, titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral), Tomato, Tomato Basil Sauce (water, tomato paste, Tomato Sauce (tomatoes, Vegan, vegan natural flavors, vegetable glycerin, Vegetarian, white whole grain sorghum flour, Xanthan Gum, Yeast, YEAST EXTRACT, Yellow Bell Pepper

Even if we are a household without dietary restrictions, I still like to mix things up a bit. Eating the same way is just utterly boring no matter how good the food can be. To not get in a meal rut means I need to introduce new foods and start weeding out the things we want to take a break from.
Daiya Foods Pizzas, is a leap of many kinds for us. For one, we rarely eat frozen prepared meals and/or side dishes. I do freeze meats in raw form and that is as frozen as we get, along with frozen veggies and fruits. You just can’t grab something from the freezer and nuke it……yeah, that comes back and bites me, so I made some tamales and the such for those days I want to actually use the microwave beyond just softening butter in it. Secondly, I have tried gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, to meatless but never really ventured into non-dairy, unless it’s a fruit based gelato or some kind of sweet treat. This means Daiya foods is eating a way for us that is entirely new because it’s taking everything we have tried before, but all in one dish and at the same time. I’m game!
I was offered to try out the pizzas and no one had ever tried anything from Daiya Foods, except for a faux cream cheese style spread. Some of my group admitted to seeing the cheezes in the dairy alternative aisle at Sprout’s, but never actually tried it. Okay, this is now an entire new experience for us all.
Daiya Foods makes 6 Pizzas to choose from and they all sound delicious and tempting:
- Supreme Pizza, which includes a meatless sausage topping from Beyond Meat
- Pizza Bianca Pizza, featuring a white bean sauce that has mushrooms and spinach toppings
- Cheeze Lover’s Pizza, a simpler non-topping pizza, which features Daiya’s version of cheezes, like Mozzarella and Cheddar
- Margherita Pizza, a traditional twist on a classic and comes with tomato chunks and basil
- Fire-Roasted Vegetables Pizza, Daiya did not skimp and you have three bell pepper varieties, onions, garlic, tomatoes and even a dash of basil
- Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Pizza, even when it comes to mushrooms, Daiya makes sure you get something beyond the button kind. You have shiitake and crimini in a blanket of roasted garlic and all nestled on their tomato sauce
Fire-Roasted Veggies Pizza
Supreme Pizza
I purchased two of the selections available, the Supreme and the Fire-Roasted Vegetable to try out. This was what was available at Sprout’s and they were redoing that section when I was shopping and I grabbed the ones that looked more tempting. I grabbed to of the veggies kind and one of the supreme. First, one up to cook and see how well it is received is the Fire-Roasted Vegetable:
The pizza was easy to cook and even though the instructions stated to cook directly on the rack, I just got a new range and it’s less than a week old. A few of the cheeze shreds were dangling off the crust, which I like when eating but not when cooking, so I opted to cook the pizza on my pizza stone just like I would any pizza.
Easy to cook, you just pre-heat the oven to the listed temperature and then put the pizza in.
Such beautiful vegetables that even this pizza looks beautiful in it’s frozen state.
The pizza was cooked and ready in 13.5 minutes! You have the option to use the standard bake and convection instructions were listed, so I went with that cooking option.

Verdict:
By the seven minute mark, you could smell the vegetables and they smell as good as they look. Daiya did not skimp on toppings and that is always a plus in our book. The crust is crisp and upon slicing, you hear it cut just like a normal pizza crust would. The dough has a darker tint that can be described as almost wheat-like in color. It also tastes like a wheat crust but a good one! Daiya nailed it when it came to how the crust tasted, broke apart when eaten and this made the eating of the pizza enjoyable. The vegetables are out of this world. We all agreed the freshness and texture makes you wish Daiya sold the veggies by the bagful. They are roasted but not soft and a mushy mess from being frozen. There is still texture and they are so good, plus the tang you get from the tomato sauce provides a nice balance of flavors. The sauce is light and not super sweet, you just taste fresh tomatoes and a touch of basil. Now, the only small negative is the cheeze. The browned portions we all agreed tasted better than the whiter ones, so toasted on top is the way to cook the pizza if you desire this flavor profile. The cheese does not melt and or string apart like normal dairy versions, it’s almost a little too soft in texture and one guest felt it was like sour cream in taste. I did not feel the sour notes were present but I can see where the comparison in texture can be made. This was the only downer but because the crust and everything else was top-notch, it would not prevent me from buying it. It’s a pizza that I would say has that “rustic” taste but think of it more as a flat-bread pizza with superb toppings and cooks in 15 minutes or less!

The other positive is that 2 pizzas and I had boneless chicken wings to pair with it, filled us! I still had dessert to serve and when it came to putting the third pizza in the oven (The Supreme), we were full. I thought that is a good thing because 8 people were fed very well and we were satisfied with what we ate, so we opted to give the third pizza to the guest that is always late. She also brought a third extra guest, so she could enjoy the pizza for dinner (versus lunch) when she got home. Okay, I’m thinking if I give free meals away, people will start showing up late now 🙂 I’m also eye-ing those cheezecakes they sell and they have a Key Lime one……oh’ yummers!

Connect with Daiya Foods and enjoy their products at:
I received the above product(s) free of charge from Daiya Foods. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.
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06 Jun 2014
by linettefm
in Uncategorized
Tags: Basil, Basil & Garlic, better for you foods, Black Pitted Olives, brine olives, Carrot, Celery, Chili, Chili & Garlic, Chili & Oregano, Citric Acid, Coriander, Cumin, Feta Cheese, Flavored Olives, Food, Garbanzos, garlic, gluten free, green olives, Green Pitted Olives, Harissa, healthy eating, Healthy Eating Habits, healthy habits, Healthy Snacking, Healthy Snacks, Kosher, Kosher Certified, lactic acid, Lemon & Rosemary, Lemon Pieces, Meatless Monday, Meatless Mondays, No Gluten, Olives, Oloves, Oloves Review, peppers, pouch olives, Preserved lemon, Product Samples, Product testing, quinoa, raw foods, Raw Vegetables, Recipe, Red Onion, Review, Rosemary, Salads, Salt, Smoked Sea Salt, snack foods, sunflower oil, Tri-Color Quinoa, Uncategorized Tags: All Natural, Vegan, Vegan Friendly, Vegetables, Veggie & Bean Delight Quinoa Salad, Vinegar, White Kidney Beans, Zucchini

- Veggie & Bean Delight Quinoa Salad
You have a great salad that is packed with protein and fiber that is perfect for a “Meatless Monday”. You can also make this in the evening and it holds well for up to 3 days in the fridge. No dressing needed and you can eat it over a bed of lettuce, fill two tomato halves, or stuff an avocado. I opted for a little bed of lettuce to go with my avocado and it made two beautiful and very filling cups.

Ingredients:
- 1 /2 cup of Tri-Color Qunioa (cooked, drained and cooled)
- 1/2 cup of White Kidney Beans
- 1/2 cup of Garbanzo Beans
- 1/4 cup of raw Carrots (diced)
- 1/4 cup of raw Celery (chopped)
- 1/4 cup of raw Zucchini (diced)
- 1/8 of a cup of raw Red Onion (diced)
- 1 pack of Oloves in Lemon & Rosemary
- 1 pack of Oloves in Basil and Garlic
- Optional- Feta crumbled Cheese (add this before serving as a topper)
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I sorted on white beans because I wanted a lighter texture.
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1/2 cup of Quinoa (measured before cooking)
Begin by cooking your Tri-color Qunioa, draining and allowing it to cool. I always cook mine with a touch of smoked salt and this is why I did not any more to the salad. The flavor comes all from Oloves olives!
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I used Baby Carrots and just chopped them
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Celery
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Bite size when it comes to dicing all the veggies
Then chop up all your veggies and add to a large bowl that is big enough to mix and toss.

Drain and rinse both cans of beans and take 1/2 cup out from each type of bean.

Add to veggies and toss. Then open an avocado in half, so you are left with two equal sized halves. I always brush mine with a little lemon or lime juice to preventing browning and add a little flavor.

Then simply open 1 bag each of the Oloves pouches in Lemon & Rosemary and the Basil and Garlic varieties. Add to salad and toss to combine. Taste and if you want to add a little salt or freshly cracked pepper…….go right ahead but I found the flavors were perfectly balanced by just using what Oloves provided.

Then simply lay out some lettuce (even Kale) so the avocados don’t feel lonely, top with the salad and you can add some Feta cheese if you desire. You can store the remainder in a glass container for up to 3 days. I never store with the cheese because for no reason it sounds “icky” to me, so I top just before serving. Enjoy!
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With Feta crumbled Cheese
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You can also have it with no cheese
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I find a nice medley of lettuces helps bring more fun to the party!

Get your Oloves and you can make the above recipe and more at:

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Oloves. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.
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06 Jun 2014
by linettefm
in Food, Product Samples, Product testing, Recipe, Review, Uncategorized
Tags: All Natural, Basil, Basil & Garlic, better for you foods, Black Pitted Olives, brine olives, Chili, Chili & Garlic, Chili & Oregano, Citric Acid, Coriander, Cumin, Flavored Olives, garlic, gluten free, green olives, Green Pitted Olives, Harissa, healthy eating, Healthy Eating Habits, healthy habits, Healthy Snacking, Healthy Snacks, Kosher, Kosher Certified, lactic acid, Lemon & Rosemary, Lemon Pieces, Meatless Monday, Meatless Mondays, No Gluten, Olives, Oloves, Oloves Review, peppers, pouch olives, Preserved lemon, Review, Rosemary, Salt, snack foods, sunflower oil, Vegan, Vegan Friendly, Vinegar

I really enjoyed the Oloves pack I received with a subscription box and served as my introduction to the brand. You have perfectly shaped green olives that are infused with flavors, not even a pit to get in the way of your munching. Perfect brine paired with a nice “meaty” olive, both the quality of the olives and the ingredients make for one spectacular combination. The company was kind enough to share their selections with me and every Oloves pouch leaves you with a very happy and satisfied taste!
You have several flavor variations to choose from, so the Oloves party never gets dull:
- Basil & Garlic
- Chili & Oregano
- Lemon & Rosemary
- Chili & Garlic
All products are made with simple ingredients that are Vegan, Kosher, Gluten Free, and all natural. Low in saturated fats and each pouch is a friendly 50 calories.

Basil & Garlic:
These are natural green pitted olives and they have a touch of salt, sunflower oil, basil, garlic, vinegar, and acidifiers listed as lactic and citric acid. The pouch weighs 1.1. ounces and safely keeps the green olives intact. No broken or smashed ones and I added them to a salad, which made my dinner look like a beauty and my taste buds were 100% satisfied when it came to the flavor and texture. You get a nice brine that is not over loaded with acids or too high in flavor when it comes to the marinade. Oloves found the perfect balance where the other flavors compliment versus taking away from the olive.

Chili & Oregano:
An olive with a little attitude! I love this one and the pouch made a delicious muffuleta spread that went wonderfully paired with a Rosemary Ham sandwich. The chili adds a little heat and zest but because the olives are plump and “meaty”, this olive can handle the heat! I will be making a brushetta next time and topping each bread slice with half of an olive in this variation. It changes up the flavors and the Oregano compliments the topping nicely.

Chili & Garlic:
I love garlic but I shy away from it when it comes to packed goods and mostly because manufactures do not respect the clove. You want garlic in it’s full real flavor, not some powdered stuff that looks and tastes like saw dust. Oloves not only got the harissa spice right but the real garlic notes are so there. This is a black olive that slaps back when it comes to heat and flavor but I polished 2 baggies off because I was going to win this battle!

Lemon & Rosemary:
I never knew lemon went so well with that nice acid and brine flavors you get with olives. It just awakens your taste buds with the freshness and the rosemary even made me add a pack (chopped up) into the daily bread I bake. It went so well with the rustic loaf that I will be repeating that concoction again. I also made a salad that has zero dressing because like I mentioned, these are not boring olives. They are the spice of the party! I will be posting the recipe next!

Get your Oloves kick at:

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Oloves. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.
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29 Dec 2013
by linettefm
in Health and Beauty, Home, Product Samples, Swaggable, Uncategorized
Tags: Antioxidants, Avocado, Basil, Beaumont, beauty, Blueberry, clean, Cleansing, Farmer's Market, hand-washing, Hygiene, Lemongrass, Made in USA, nourishing, organic, Shea Butter, Soap. Soap bar, Swaggable, Vegetable Butters, Washing
When I received this bar of soap, the first thing I noticed was the aromatic scent it left in my mailbox. The scent is strong but very pleasant and not just because it’s soap, the bar has a very clean and welcoming smell.
You will notice by the ingredients listed below, that this soap is made with ingredients you can pronounce, recognize and friendly to not only a human but the environment 🙂 My take has always been that I will opt for an environment friendly product as long as it performs equal or better than the science created one. I watch my chemicals closely because not everything from a lab will hurt you but unfortunately some may, and especially with long term use. This soap is as friendly as it gets and so far has passed the nose test but how does it leave my skin?
LEMONGRASS BASIL Ingredients (as listed from their site):
Organic sodium palmate, organic sodium cocoate, aqua, organic and natural glycerine, sodium citrate, organic essential oils: ocimum basilicum (basil) oil, citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel oil, cymbopogon schoenanthus (lemongrass) oil, citrus aurantium dulcis (sweet orange) oil, organic butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, organic elaeis guineensis (palm) butter, organic simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, organic vaccinium angustifolium (blueberry) fruit and organic persea gratissima (avocado).

Performance Test:
I first tested the bar out by simply washing my hands in case the oils the scent derives from would be too strong. The bar lathers quickly and with very little product needed. I was able to get a nice foam within a few seconds, which lasted and that meant not needing to go back to the bar to sustain the lather. I washed for 1 minute and then rinsed the soap off. I dislike soaps that leave a film that when you rinse, it feels like nothing came off the hand and you actually feel more dirty than when you washed. Thankfully, this is not one of those soaps! Yes, my hands felt soft but remained breathable. The scent left behind is that of clean and you are not left with a “perfume-y” cloud emitting from your finger tips. The shea butter in the soap left my skin supple and soft!

Final Results:
I used the soap for a week and the bar barely looks used and that means the product will last long. I am an “Ivory girl” because I enjoy a clean feeling and not bars that are supposed to feel like you washed your hands with lotion. This bar left my hands soft, hydrated and actually help combat the dry hands I get in Winter from over washing. No oily residue left behind that you then spread onto everything you touch and I also judge a soap’s build-up by how my sink looks within that week I used the bar. My sink was also residue free and left clean! I saw that Farmer’s Market has other scents and like Blackberry Preserves, Apple Orchard to even Pumpkin Spice and Unscented. I will share that I kept the box and once the soap dries, I put it back in and it makes the bathroom smell really nice, so that was another positive I found welcoming.
Farmer’s Market soap retails for $4.99 a bar and are made in the U.S.A
Connect with Farmer’s Market Soaps:

I received the above product from Swaggable and Beaumont Products, Inc., free of charge. I am not obligated in providing positive/favorable feedback, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the brand and/or it’s products, which may differ from yours.
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