Holiday Food & Drinks

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

Community Coffee Company

Nothing says the holidays like warming up with a hot cup of coffee. As the #1 family-owned coffee company in the U.S., Community Coffee Company offers high-quality blends featuring quality, premium beans.

This season, they have released their new Winter Blend – a delightful blend of African and South American coffees, naturally decadent with sweet undertones. Roasted to perfection, this medium roast delivers a festive and smooth cup of coffee perfect for wintery mornings and holiday get-togethers.

Made from only 100% select Arabica coffee beans, this is a must on a cold winter morning or on Christmas morning as you open presents with the family!

Crunchies

Made with nothing but fresh fruit, Crunchies Freeze-Dried Fruit are a tasty single-ingredient snacks with zero sugar added and are non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan, and kosher certified. Packed with nutrients and a satisfying crunch, Crunchies make for a delicious snack on their own or as an ingredient in your favorite holiday recipes. Unlike fresh fruit, Crunchies won’t get soggy when used in a baking recipe. Available in Cinnamon Apple, Mango, Mixed Fruit, and more.

For the sweets lover in your life, try Crunchies’ new chocolate-covered freeze-dried fruit line. This delicious offering is available in four flavors: Strawberries in Milk Chocolate, Mango in Dark Chocolate, Blueberries in Dark Chocolate and Bananas in Milk Chocolate.

Unlike its conventional counterparts, Crunchies Chocolate contains zero concentrates, fillers or artificial fruit centers. Crunchies’ unique freeze-drying method ensures its fruit retains its nutritional value – making it a guilt-free sweet treat that can easily replace the typical candy bowl.

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Buy It:

You can purchase Crunchies from their online shop or at your local retailer

Disclosure: A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

Deck the Halls with Handcrafted Coffee from @MelittaUSA!

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

There aren’t many things that are as universally loved as coffee. This year, Melitta, started by the pioneering female inventor of pour-over coffee, has made gift giving easy with pour-overs for everyone on the nice list. Handcrafting coffee in the home is continuing to rise in popularity among enthusiasts and coffee shop baristas alike, with the ability to control every variable in the simple brewing process, creating a cup that's exactly suited to one's preferences and lifestyle!

This year, I am trying out the new Heritage Series Pour-Over Coffeemaker Set along with some delicious Melitta coffee! The vintage-inspired sets include a 20oz carafe and Pour-Over cone, making multiple cups at a time and available in a variety of pastel colors.

This Heritage Series celebrates their rich and flavorful history. For over 100 years, the Melitta brand has been synonymous with Pour-Over™ brewing. That’s because it was 1908 when Melitta Bentz, a German housewife, invented the Pour-Over™. She was tired of drinking bitter coffee, so she punched holes in a brass pot and used a piece of her son’s blotting paper to create a two-part filtration system. This innovation forever changed the way people brew their coffee worldwide. The Melitta brand has been built on the founder’s spirit of innovation, entrepreneurship, and inventiveness.

This set includes:

• High-quality porcelain carafe and cone with pastel blue gloss finish
• Logo-etched cone uses #4 Melitta coffee filters
• Carafe features drip-resistant spout design
• Medium-size drip opening provides a consistent brew and eliminates risk of bitterness
• A ring underneath drip opening directs coffee flow into the carafe and prevents runoff
• Top-rack dishwasher safe

PLUS, the Heritage Series Pour-Over™ brews handcrafted coffee in three simple steps:

1. Place Pour-Over cone on top of the carafe or a mug, insert Melitta cone coffee filter

2. Scoop in your favorite fresh ground coffee to taste

3. Pour hot water (just off the boil) into the cone, fully saturating all grounds

Nothing tastes better on Christmas morning than a delicious, hot cup of quality coffee made with love! You can make that happen this holiday season with Melitta!

Buy It:

You can purchase Melitta pour-over coffeemakers and coffee from their website.

Disclosure: A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

Products to Help Families Head Back to School!

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

Whether your children have already headed back to school like mine have or you still have a few days left of summer vacation, eating healthy is a must!

Today I am featuring three great companies that will help us get through the school year whether you are the child or the parent! Check them out below:

Emmy’s Organics

Made with nothing but premium organic ingredients like fresh ginger and fair trade cacao powder, Emmy’s Organics cookies are a tasty, healthy treat both kids and parents can enjoy. These superfood snacks are gluten-free, vegan, soy-free, grain-free and have 6g sugar or less per serving. 

I love that these cookies are grain-free and organic! Finally, cookies that I can feel good about giving to my children and including as a special treat in their school lunches!

And let me tell you....MY CHILDREN LOVE THESE (and so do the adults in the family!). They beg for these every day and it is hard not to give in every day when I know they are full of goodness and without the icky stuff!

Great for an after-school snack or on-the-go grab, Emmy’s flavors include: Chocolate Chip, Dark Cacao, Lemon Ginger, Raspberry, Vanilla Bean, and Peanut Butter.

Purchase online from the Emmy's Organics shop. 

Crunchies

And for an easy snack on the go or for snack time at school is Crunchies! Packed with nutrients and a satisfying crunch thanks to their unique freeze-drying method, Crunchies are an easy way for kids to enjoy their fruits & veggies. 

Unlike chips and other processed snack foods, these tasty single-ingredient snacks have zero sugar added and are gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, and kosher and halal certified. 

This is such an easy and tasty way to give children their fruit servings each day! I love taking them on road trips and packing them in their lunches!

Available in strawberry banana, mango, blueberries, beets, and more, Crunchies are great atop smoothies, sprinkled in oatmeal, or as a sweet treat straight from the bag.

Purchase Crunchies from their online shop. 

Community Coffee Company

And for the adults who have children headed back to school, school means COFFEE and lots of it! And Community Coffee wants to help with that! 😊

As the largest family-owned and operated coffee company in the U.S., Community Coffee Company offers high-quality blends featuring 100% select Arabica coffee beans in a variety of yummy flavors.

This is my brand of choice every day and you can bet I will be drinking lots of cups of Community Coffee as my kids head back to school AND I head back to teaching!

From the intense, bold flavor of their French Roast to the smooth, velvety taste of their Private Reserve Sumatra blend, Community coffee is sure to help make mornings for mom and dad a little easier. Community also offers an annual Cash for Schools program that helps participating schools earn money by collecting UPC labels! Get your school signed up today!

You can purchase Community Coffee online or at your local retailer. 

* Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Back to School Must Haves - @Folgers Perfect Measures

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

Let’s face it, weekday mornings can be quite overwhelming amidst back to school chaos. But there are small “tweaks” you can make to ensure a less stressful, more productive AM as the kids run around frantically… cue: your trusted cup o’ joe.

And you don't even have to remember a measurement or numbers early in the morning because Folgers now offers Perfect Measures!

Perfect Measures® coffee tabs are 100% pure coffee. Coffee beans are roasted and ground, then compressed into tablets without the use of additives or processing aids.

The tabs brew the same way as regular roast and ground coffee, minus the measuring. It comes in several flavors: Classic Roast, Classic Decaf, 100% Colombian, Black Silk, Breakfast Blend.

With Folgers Perfect Measures, you get a consistent, great tasting pot of coffee every morning! Most of all, I love that there is no additives and it is designed for use in all Automatic Drip Coffeemakers!

Buy It:

You can purchase Folgers Perfect Measures at your local store.

* Thank you to Folgers for their product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Stock the Coffee Lover's Stocking with @CommunityCoffee #Giveaway

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

If you have a coffee lover on your list this year, Community Coffee Company and one of its gift sets is perfect for the coffee lover in every family. Community is the largest family-owned & operated coffee company in the U.S. and uses 100% Arabica beans for all its products, meaning they’re brewed with heart and taste delicious!

A brand new holiday item this year is the Holiday Tumbler Coffee Set, which includes a festive tumbler and 3 of their ground blends: Breakfast Blend, Golden Caramel and Café Special.

Add their newest holiday tumbler to your collection and stock up on your favorite blends with this gift set. Includes ground 12-ounce Breakfast Blend, Golden Caramel and Café Special® coffees, along with a holiday tumbler, all packed in a gift box.

This set makes a great gift for any coffee lover on your list this year!

Buy It:

You can purchase the Holiday Tumbler Coffee Set for $24.99 from the Community Coffee website.

Win It:

Community Coffee is generously offering THREE blends of their choice (in ground, whole bean or K-Cup) to a lucky winner!

Enter here for a chance to win:

THREE Community Coffee blends
(winner's choice of ground, whole bean or K-Cup)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

*  Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Stay Energized This Holiday Season with @HighBrewCoffee

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

High Brew Coffee is a portable, shelf stable, ready-to-drink coffee that comes in delicious flavors such as Mexican Vanilla, Double Espresso and Black and Bold. At only 60 calories per can or less, High Brew provides the perfect caffeine boost during the busy and hectic holiday season.

They never apply heat, but use filtered, ambient temperature water instead to brew their coffee. Cold-brew coffee has a smoother, bolder, less acidic and bitter flavor due to the absence of heat in brewing process. High Brew cold-brew coffee contains a higher amount of caffeine due to an optimal coffee bean, grind, ratio of coffee to water and brewing process. Cold-brew is not to be confused with iced coffee, which is hot brewed coffee that has been poured over ice.

High Brew is also the perfect base ingredient for seasonal cocktails with a kick! Check out this recipe below for Salted Caramel Martini:

The Salted Caramel Martini will give your holiday guests an indulgent, boozy treat with a jolt of energy.

Ingredients:
· 1 part Vodka
· 1 part Coffee Liqueur
· 2 parts Salted Caramel High Brew Coffee

Method:
Add all components to shaker, plus ice. Pour into martini glasses and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings

Buy It:

You can purchase High Brew Coffee at your local retailer.

* Thank you to High Brew Coffee for their product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Organic Gifts for the Eco-friendly People on Your Gift List!

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

If you are looking for gifts for the eco-friendly recipients on your gift list this year, check out these organic gift ideas from two of my favorite eco-friendly and organic product companies!

Cameron's Coffee

Cameron’s Coffee is a specialty, small batch roasterie that uses 100 percent Specialty Grade Arabica beans sustainably sourced from all over the world.

Their Roastmaster, Patrick Dinkins, is one of only 430 licensed Q Graders in the nation (think of him like a wine sommelier for coffee) and he ensures each and every flavor is roasted to perfection.

In stores now until supplies last, you will find Pumpkin Spice, the flavor craze of the season. In November, they released Crème Brulee Latte and Peppermint, just in time for the weather to get colder. These limited edition coffees would be great for serving guests and would be a wonderful gift or stocking stuffer.

One of my favorite organic varieties is the Organic Breakfast Blend - it's a fantastic way to start your day! These Organic Arabica coffees are from the best Central and South American coffee regions.

Another great option is the Organic French Roast, one of their most popular Organic coffees. Its dark, rich, and smooth profile is a classic. C’est si bon.!

Make sure to try the Woods and Water variety as well! This bright, big-bodied blend of Central American beans is a unique light roast with complex characteristics.

These flavors are sold in a variety of bags, whole bean and single serve.

Purchase at Cub, Hy-Vee, Festival, Woodman’s, Albertson’s and online at Amazon.com and CameronsCoffee.com.

Wholesome's NEW Organic Frosting

And for the person on your gift list that likes sweet but wants them to be non-GMO and made with organic ingredients, check out the NEW Wholesome's new Organic Frosting!

Wholesome's new Organic Frosting is the 1st Fair Trade Certified Frosting to hit store shelves. Wholesome! is the leader in organic, Fair Trade Certified, non-GMO Verified sweeteners and sugars that are delicious replacements for conventionally bleached sugars and sweeteners.

The new organic frosting is free of common ingredients in other frostings, including trans fat, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and colors, canola oil, Polysorbate 60, etc. The new product is the first ever Fair Trade Certified frosting (all of the sugar is FT certified as well as the cocoas in the chocolate), as well as Organic, non-GMO Project Verified, Gluten Free, Kosher and Vegan. The jars are also BPA free and recyclable.

Not only is this product a healthier frosting option, but it's delicious, and has a smooth, spreadable texture, perfect for topping cakes, decorating cupcakes and adding a sweet finish to your favorite cookies! It's also a great stocking stuffer or gift for anyone who enjoys baking.

The frosting comes in Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry flavors with an MSRP of $5.99. The frosting is available nationwide at all Whole Foods, Earth Fare, Meijer, Giant Eagle, Wegmans and Raleys stores.

* Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Give the Gift of the Finest, Freshest Coffee from @BooskerdooCo

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

If you have a coffee lover on your list this year, there is no brand I recommend more than Booskerdoo!

Booskerdoo is a proud micro roaster of the earth's finest coffees and bakery of all things delicious. They roast specialty grade beans from all over the world, crafting distinct blends and preparing celebrated single origins to their peak flavor. They roast to order so they roast it the same day they mail it to you! I absolutely LOVE that!

This company really impressed me with their care with their coffee and ensuring I receive it with the best flavor possible! Plus, they offer a great variety of organic and fair trade coffees! I loved picking out a couple including the Honduras Marcala SHB Fair Trade Organic and Sumatra Organic Ketiara Co-op.

Honduras Marcala SHB Fair Trade Organic: Roasted medium+, this Fair Trade Organic bean is a fantastic example of South American coffee... think a bolder Colombia with a mightier kick. With its velvety body, you'll taste hints of cashews and graham crackers.

Sumatra Organic Ketiara Co-op: Credit Sumatra's rainy climate for this organic bean's rich, heavy and kick-in-the-pants qualities. They roast it fairly dark to accentuate notes of toasted almond and a light blanket of smoke.

Knowing the care and pride they have for providing the freshest, most delicious cup of coffee every time makes this coffee taste even better with every cup! Any coffee lover will appreciate this fresh, delicious gift that Booskerdoo coffee gives this holiday season!!

Buy It:

You can purchase all Booskerdoo coffee from their website and they also offer a coffee of the month club.

* Thank you to Booskerdoo for their product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*