Archive for the ‘Product Review’ Category

Phoenix Resident, Jaclyn Douma has released her first cookbook containing a collection of her own recipes specifically designed with couples in mind. 

As a newlywed herself, Jaclyn knew she wanted to organize a book with helpful tips, party suggestions and many of her favorite recipes for couples who couldn’t necessarily make/afford those “Filet Mignon” recipes in many of the cookbooks given as wedding gifts.  Jaclyn’s dream of providing a useful tool in the kitchen, as well as, passing along recipes of her own on a newlywed budget has finally come true.

 I’ve gone through this book and it is really fantastic!! Simple and delicious recipes, and most of them make more than two servings.  So a newlywed couple, or a young couple with small children could easily benefit from this cookbook and possibly even have leftovers.  I love the list in the front of the book of pantry essential items, it’s a great tool if you’re needing to build a pantry, but don’t quite know how.

 Jaclyn is doing a giveaway on the blog for one lucky reader to win this book for themselves.  Follow these simple steps to enter, and enter as many times as you’d like.  I will let random.org choose a winner on Thursday night!

 1) Make sure you are a fan of Food Tramp Diaries on facebook and twitter if you’re a fellow tweeter.

 2) Fan Our First Year on facebook and follow them on twitter if you’re a tweeter.

3) Leave a comment on what your favorite food to make at home in your kitchen is!!  Good luck, I will post a winner on Thursday.

To my amazing luck, I ended up on a 3 day business trip (per se) for my blog in June.  I was staying in West Hollywood at the most amazing hotel known to man (Thanks Dole).  I got to eat TONS of delicious food and drink lots of yummy alcoholic drinks.  It really was a weekend to splurge and by the time Sunday rolled around I was SUPER hungover and looking for something relaxing to do before my plane left for Arizona Sunday evening.  My ever faithful friend “Foodie Bear” told me I really needed to hit up the Hollywood Farmer’s Market.  It was only 2 miles from my hotel and he told me I would love it.  His recommendations have never failed me so I typed the address into my handy Garmin and off I went!

Living in Arizona, I’m always singing praises about our all year round farmer’s markets here, but Hollywood Farmer’s market was the coolest market I have ever been to. I toured the whole market which was about four different aisle ways of  fresh produce, flowers, food, and gourmet goodies.

On my way back to the car port I saw the cutest little orange bicycle with a freezer cooler hooked to the front.  Two people were passing out mysteriously wrapped packages out of this cart and there was a line…I was curious.

I get closer and I see that it’s a popsicle bike/cart!!! “OMG, how freaking cool;” is what I’m thinking in my head.  Also cursing myself because I had just had a mint chocolate cacao chip ice cream sandwich from the Carmela Ice Cream stand.  I really couldn’t eat anything else, my stomach was in a bad place already, being hungover, but I still wanted to get the scoop on this awesome popsicle making duo!

Chef Michelle Sallah has been in the food arena her whole life having parents who owned a diner. She’s worked in the restaurant world since she was 12 years old,  so culinary school and fine dining was the next logical step.  After awhile she decided to become a freelance chef to have more freedom to work on her own projects and this is how Popcycle Treats came about!

The “legs” of this project is John.  He rides the bike around everywhere toting these delicious handmade gourmet pops. He even designed and constructed the whole bike himself which I believe is quite an amazing feat!

Michelle makes the pops and she offers many different flavors, depending on what fruits and veggies are in season in their area.  When I spotted them they were carrying salty cucumber lime, peach ginger, and lemon mint blueberry organic popsicles.  I really wish I would have found them before I found Carmela, but now I have something to look forward to next time I am in L.A.  Even as I was  speaking to them they quickly sold out, as they do on every trip out.  I know they frequent the Hollywood Farmer’s Market, Silverlake Farmer’s Market and the  Cinespia screenings in L.A.   Just like a food truck, if you want to know where you can find them simply follow them on twitter or fan them on facebook. 

salty cucumber lime, orange blackberry

coconut milk chocolate, raspberry Arnold Palmer

I really wanted to show you guys this unique foodie find, I just thought it was the coolest thing EVER…wish we had one at the Scottsdale Farmer’s Market…hmmmmm???

Popcornopolis is  California based gourmet popcorn company that prides themselves in being preservative, chemical, and gluten free.  Only the purest ingredients including fresh cheese and butter delivered daily from local dairys are just some of the ingredients going in this delicious popcorn.  On Thursday July 1st Popcornopolis will be opening their newest location in Chandler Fashion Center mall!!  To celebrate they are giving all of their opening day customers 25% off simply by saying the word “zebra” upon checkout. 

The fabulous people at Popcornopolissent me some samples of their fresh gourmet popcorn to try out for myself and I must say I was very tastily intrigued!!  I got to try nacho cheese, caramel, cinnamon toast, kettle corn, and cheese corn and they were all very very good.  Growing up in Michigan I’ve had my fair share of Better Made cheese corn and thought I had been spoiled by that UNTIL I tried popcornopolis.  The nacho cheese was my absolute favorite as I am a fan of spicy snacks.  It is your typical cheese popcorn with a very untypical spicy southwestern punch, so delicious!  The caramel corn was perfect, had a nice buttery caramel homemade flavor to it.  I was a tad sceptical about the kettle corn because I am a popcorn lover and when I want kettle corn I want it hot and fresh right out of the huge cauldron.  Popcornopolis did not disappoint, their kettle corn although not warm, still tasted like it was freshly popped out of the kettle with that crunchy, sugary texture, I loved it.

In addition to your 25% off today at the new Chandler Fashion Square location, Popcornopolisis also giving away a gift basket to one of my readers!!! You really want to participate in this, as this popcorn is out of control good.  Here are the details to enter

1) Become a fan of “Food Tramp Diaries” on Facebook and Twitter (join on either or both if you have both)

2) Become a fan of Popcornopolis  on Facebook and Twitter (join on either or both if you have both)

3) Suggest “Food Tramp Diaries” and “Popcornopolis” to one friend on Facebook

4) Enter a comment on this article to enter

You may enter as many times as you like, however, with each entry you’ll need to refer a new friend to Popcornopolis and Food Tramp Diaries.  I will pull a winner from random.org on Sunday.  Good Luck!!!

As a butcher’s daughter, there’s nothing I like more than a big juicy hunk of raw meat going on the grill!! I’ve been raised that way. I remember many a winter’s night in cold snowy Michigan, my dad would be busting out the weber grill to cook our dinner.  Barbeque is a lifestyle in my family, it just went hand in hand with owning a meat market.

As a big cook/BBQ-er myself, I’m always looking for new spices, sauces, marinades, and rubs to use with my meat. Enter Tony Morales of Desert Smoke BBQ.  He could never find a sauce or rub he didn’t have to doctor up to make it what he wanted, hence, Desert Smoke BBQ was born!!  Desert Smoke sauces are a Carolina ”Dippin-Moppin” style sauce with bold Southwestern flavor that simply cannot be beat.  There are three sauces ($7.95) to choose from: Sweet & Spicy, Raspberry Chipotle, and Pineapple Habenero.  He also makes a Southwestern spice rub ($6.99) which goes perfect on those ribs or chicken you’re about to grill up!  You can purchase them on his website or you can pick up at bottle at Whole Foods Market, Oakville Grocery, and Luci’s Healthy Marketplace in the Valley of Arizona.  My favorite is sweet & spicy.  I made ribs with that sauce last night and the whole family was loving it.  It has a nice little kick of spice, but not too spicy for the little ones (although my kids have been eating spicy foods for awhile now).  The best part is, the ribs were even better today, cold from the fridge…the sauce even tasted better to me being colder.

mmm, so tasty!! Pick up a bottle TODAY!

Desert Smoke BBQ has also been kind enough to do a giveaway on the Food Tramp Diaries.  Entering to win is quite simple.  You can enter as many times as you want up until Wednesday night when I pick a winner!! The winner will get one bottle of BBQ sauce and a spice rub as well.

1) Leave a comment on this post

2) Fan Food Tramp Diaries AND Desert Smoke BBQ on Facebook

3) If you’re on Twitter follow Food Tramp Diaries AND Desert Smoke BBQ on Twitter

Good Luck!!! I will pick the winner Wednesday night courtesy of random.org