Witch’s Broom Cheese Snacks—A fun and healthy Halloween Treat, no Trick

Did you see my “magic trick” in this video?   If not, please click on my video tutorial above and check it out. 



I sure hope that I know a magic trick or two.  But there really isn’t any short cut or magical way to make these Witch’s Brooms Cheese Snacks, unless you have a couple little handy helpers at home, like me.  Yes, that’s how the Kiddos like to call themselves these days.  These Witch’s Brooms are actually quite easy and fun to make.  With so many sweet treats around this time of the year, I think it’s pretty nice to prepare a savory treat for a change.  Plus, these are pretty simple and healthy snacks to enjoy.



The first time that I encountered these Witch’s Brooms was last October.  One cold and creepy night when I wondered into the forest alone…..Okay, just kidding.  I was just checking to see if you’re pay attention!  It was when I attended my Son’s Halloween Party.  One of the Room Parents prepared these fun and whimsical treats for the whole class.  I immediately fell in love with them and the Kids enjoyed them a lot as well.  So, I decided to share the video tutorial and recipe with you early this year so you can make some at home, just in time for Halloween.  And guess what, I’ll be preparing these fun little treats for my Daughter’s Halloween Party at school this year. 



If you’re making these for a party, I suggest that you prepare everything but  to add the pretzel sticks right before serving.  I noticed that pretzels will get soggy after several hours in the fridge.  I don’t think anyone would appreciate a soggy pretzel stick, unless your intension is to trick someone.      



Are you guys ready for Halloween yet?  I am surprisingly well prepared this year.  My Kids already picked out their costumes back in September, can you believe that?!  What are you or your kids going to dress up in this year?  Do you prefer cute or creepy costumes?  Please share in the comment below.  I can’t wait to hear from you.  Wish you all have a wonderful and Happy Halloween!






Props and Ingredients:

Organic String Cheese (Please click here for more information)
Pretzel Sticks (Please click here for more information)

Broccoli Salad

I hope most of you had checked out my YouTube Channel by now.  If not, yes, you are missing out!  Simply click on the video tutorial above to learn how to make this healthy and hearty Broccoli Salad, and many other yummy recipes with step-by-step tutorials.  I know it’s Fall, as it said so in the calendar.  However, my thermometer said otherwise!  I can’t quite believe we’ll be bearing another triple digits temperature this weekend.  My solution to beat the heat?  Eat some salad. Not any salad, but this Broccoli Salad, which is packed with Fall flavors and wonderful goodness.




There are only a few simple ingredients, as you can see from the picture below.  Simple, clean and healthy.  And what I love most is how easy it is to prepare.  If you make them ahead of time, it’s equally good the next day as the broccoli stays nice and crispy even with the dressing tossed in.  Thus, make this Broccoli Salad a great pot luck item or perfect for your up coming gathering!  You can easily double or triple the recipe. 



In the recipe, I only blanch the broccoli for one minute and transferred it to a bowl of iced water.  The iced water helps stop the cooking process and helps the broccoli stay nice and green.  So, that’s an important step not to miss.



The dressing is simple with just a few ingredients.  Noticed in the video that I used Japanese Mayo instead of the regular ones.  I am partial to the Japanese Mayo.  It’s more flavorful and rich, since it contains higher ratio in egg yolks compare to the regular ones.  You can find it in most Asian supermarkets or ethnic isle in major supermarkets as well.  If not, you can also order it online.  I’ll provide a link at the end of the post for your reference.




Last but not least, don’t’ forget to check out the 2 current giveaways on my blog.  One is for the awesome Paleo Italian Cooking cookbook (worldwide) and the other one is $100 Visa gift card (U.S. only)!  Click on the links below for details on how to enter!

$100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway
Paleo Italian Cooking Cookbook Giveaway



Tools and Ingredients used:

Japanese Mayo (Click here for product information)
Wood Salad Bowl with Servers (Click here for similar product)
Small Glass Bowls (Click here for similar product)
Core Bamboo 3-Piece Cutlery Set  (Click here to see product information)
Wood Print Photography Backdrop (Click here to see similar product)

3 Easy Steps Towards a Healthier Lifestyle (plus a $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway)

These days, many of us live a busy lifestyle that is filled with rushes and deadlines.  The to-do list we have is always long and never seem to end.  Taking time off or taking good care of ourselves seem to be last on the list, especially for busy Moms with young kids.  However, it is very critical that we take good care of ourselves so that we stay healthy and be able to take care of our family.  Plus, it is a great way to set a good example for our kids.  Today, I am sharing 3 Easy Steps that you can follow towards a healthier lifestyle, plus a $100 Visa gift card Giveaway at the end of the post.

1) Make Healthy Food Accessible

I love filling my fridge and pantry with lots of healthy choices.  Fresh fruit and vegetables are items that you’ll always find in my fridge.  Instead of grabbing a bag of chips or candy bar, having some fresh fruit is a way better choice and more satisfying.  Plus, I won’t feel guilty after eating.  Also, we stopped buying soda long ago; instead, we fill the fridge with mineral sparkling water in case we crave for some carbonated drinks.  Mix the sparkling water with some fresh fruit juice makes a wonderful drink as well. 




2) Consistency

Maintaining a good habit or routine is also important to achieve a healthier lifestyle.   I’ve been taking vitafusion™ Women’s Multivitamin for a long time and recently added vitafusion™ ImmuneWell™ to my daily routine.



ImmuneWell™ comes in handy and provides immune system support with high potency Vitamins C and D and cellular support with Zinc*.  When I am at home, I love to keep my vitamins next to my coffee beans so that I remember to take them every morning when I prepare coffee.  When I travel, I make sure to take them with me in my purse, wherever I go!  With no water needed, these convenient and great tasting immune support gummies are perfect on the go.*




I truly enjoy the fruity taste of these gummies.  Three ImmuneWell™ gummies are all we needed daily.  Best of all, all vitafusion™ products are gluten-free, and made with natural fruit flavors and colors derived from fruits, vegetables and plants.  There are no high fructose corn syrup, nor synthetic (FD&C) dyes!  The vitafusion™ gummy vitamins are available at club, drug and grocery stores nationwide including: Costco, Walmart, Target and Walgreens. More information can be found at www.gummyvites.com.
  


3) Set a Goal
Last but not least, set a goal on what you want to achieve.  Whether it is the number of pounds you want to lose, cutting out process food from your diet, or eating more fruit and vegetables every meal.  You can set a goal of walking up the office building instead of taking the elevator, as simple as that.  Make sure to set a goal that is achievable and measurable to ensure success.  For myself, I want to incorporate daily exercise to my routine.  My initial goal would be 20 minute of exercise in the morning for at least 3 times a week.  I might extend the time once I get a hang of it, or add another set of 20 minutes of exercise in the evening.   

Now, time for the giveaway!  To enter for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card, simply leave a comment below and tell me if you take your vitamins and how you remind yourself to take them every day.


*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

I received free product and payment for this sponsored post. All opinions are 100% mine. 
Entry Instructions:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 10/6/2015 – 12/31/2015
Be sure to visit the vitafusion brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

Paleo Italian Cookbook Review and a Worldwide Giveaway

Recently, I have the honor to partner with Tuttle Publishing to review the Paleo Italian cookbook, by Cindy Barbieri.  Cindy has been cooking and hanging out in her Nana’s Italian kitchen before she was tall enough to reach the kitchen counter-top!  Her Grandmother believes in “feed your man and he’ll always come home to you”.  What a wise women and I totally believe in that as well. 
   



This Paleo Italian cookbook is for someone who is somewhat familiar with the basic principles of Paleo diet, which avoids dairy, grains, legumes, vegetable oils, processed sugar and most other processed foods.  Pretty much a clean, healthy and wholesome diet, in my humble opinion.  At the beginning, I was really doubtful on how authentic Italian cooking could also be Paleo compatible as most Italian dishes involve pasta, pizza and pastry!  Barbieri sure did proved me wrong from her cookbook.  She cleverly substitute some ingredients such as using coconut oil and olive oil instead of vegetable oil; she also used almond and coconut flour instead of traditional wheat flour, to make Paleo cooking a breeze. 



In the Paleo Italian cookbook, you’ll find useful information from ingredient and tool lists, helpful cooking method and tips, to places to visit and dine out in Italy!  It also includes 100 authentic and easy-to-follow Italian recipes ranging from Sauces & Condiment, Appetizers, Brunch, Tuscan Favorites, Soup & Stews, Meat & Seafood Main Courses, Side Dishes to Dessert and cocktails.  Many dishes are perfect for weeknight dinners as well as weekend entertaining.  I can’t wait to try the Brick-Baked Cornish Game Hens, Braised Tuscan Pork Chops, Dover Sole Piccata, and the Lemon Apple & Caramel Bread Pudding, just to name a few!        



Interested to get your hands on some awesome Paleo Italian recipes and start cooking?  You can order your own copy of Paleo Italian by clicking here.   Or, try your luck to win one because I’m giving  away a copy of Paleo Italian cookbook, to one lucky uTry.it reader, courtesy of Tuttle Publishing.


Here are the details on how to enter.
One lucky uTry.it reader (open to my worldwide readers) will win a copy of “Paleo Italian”.


To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me if you love Italian food or if you’re interested to start a Paleo diet.  Please also leave your email address along with your comment so that I can contact you if you're the winner!  Deadline to enter is October 25th, 2015 by mid-night PST.  Winner will be selected through Random.org and announce shortly after the giveaway is closed.

For extra entries, do any or all of the following (leave a separate comment for each extra entry):
1)  Add me to your Google+ circle here
2) "Like" uTry.it's Facebook Page, click here.
3) Pin a picture from this post onto Pinterest.
4) Share this giveaway on Facebook (with a link back to this post please)
5) Share this giveaway on Twitter (with a link back to this post please)
That’s all and Good Luck everyone!

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of “Paleo Italian” for the purpose of this review and I was not compensated in any way to write this post.  All comments and opinions are 100% my own.

Whole Wheat Smoked Cheddar Crackers (a.k.a. Smoky Cheez-It)

My kids and I survived a month long of school days, that involved miles high of homework, and never ending school projects!  Phew….we still have a long way to go, so please wish me luck!  This year seems to be a lot tougher than previous ones as the workload increased tremendously.  I need to constantly remind myself to breath in, breath out, and keep calm!   





What do we do to de-stress?  Bake some yummy food!  Whole Wheat Smoked Cheddar Crackers (a.k.a. Smoky Cheez-It), to be exact.  I  almost named this post with just “Smoky Cheez-It”.  However, these little golden gems are quite different than just Cheez-It in a few ways.  In this recipe, I used whole wheat pastry flour instead of white ones, along with freshly grated smoked cheddar cheese instead of the regular ones.  Of course, ingredients are all natural without any preservatives.  So, they are more healthy than the boxed version.  My kids and I really enjoyed baking these little crackers together over the weekend. 



These Whole Wheat Smoked Cheddar Crackers are crispy and flaky at the same time.  Packed with wonderful cheddar flavor along with a hint of smoky aroma.  They are perfect snacks to pack in the school bags or to the office.  Also, they are easier to prepare than you might think.  Check out my step-by-step video tutorial below to find out how. 







I hope you enjoyed watching my video tutorial.  If you haven’t done so, please subscribe to my YouTube channel here.  You’ll be the first to know when I have new video tutorials published.
Until next time, please stay tuned for more easy recipes and fun giveaways.







Ingredients and Props used:
Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (Click here for more information)
Smoked Cheddar Cheese (Click here for similar product)
Pastry Wheel (Click here for more information)
White Rectangular Plate (Click here for similar product)
Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat (click here for more information)
Calphalon Baking Sheet Pans (Click here for more information)
Organic Heavy Cream (Click here for more information)