Posts Tagged ‘food tramp diaries’

As we ring in the year of 2011 we start fresh with a clean slate.  For many of us that means healthier eating habits and a resolution to shed some of those holiday pounds.  Well, there’s a great new product out there that can help you still be able to enjoy a yummy snack and achieve those goals.

Introducing Popchips, the all natural fresh popped snack chip.  It’s nothing like a baked lay or any other chip you’ve ever tasted..and you wanna know the best secret? It’s delicious and only 120 calories per 3oz snack bag.  To me that is awesome when you’re trying to stay below a certain number of calories all day and the fact that they taste terrific is a great bonus.  Popchips currently has seven yummy varieties out there for you to enjoy.  Original, BBQ, Sour Cream & Onion, Cheddar Cheese, Parmesan Garlic, Sea Salt & Vinegar (my personal fav) , and Salt & Pepper.

Popchips has teamed up with Kroger and Jillian Michaels to sponsor the Popchips Flyaway Sweepsteaks. Enter to win a health retreat in L.A. and a personal fitness consultation with Jillian herself. Prize includes wellness consult with Jillian Michaels, round trip airfare for two to L.A., 3 nights at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa, spa session, prizes from K-Swiss, and of course, FREE Popchips. You have until January 31st to enter to win, by the link above or at any Kroger, Ralph’s, Fry’s, Fred Meyer, or King Sooper  food stores.

Popchips is also doing a fantastic giveaway for my readers here at Food Tramp Diaries.  The grand prize winner will win a YEAR supply of popchips and the runner up a 1 month supply!! That may be the biggest giveaway in FTD history.

Follow these instructions for your chance to win a year supply or month supply of popchips from Food Tramp Diaries:

1)Fan Popchips on facebook and twitter (if you tweet)

2) Fan Food Tramp Diaries on facebook  and twitter (if you tweet)

3) Suggest Popchips and Food Tramp Diaries to one friend on facebook and twitter (if you tweet)

4) Enter a comment ON THE BLOG, not on my facebook page. Your comment must include what your New Year’s resolution is and why you would love to try Popchips.  If you have already had Popchips, what is your favorite flavor?

5) You may enter as many times as you like AS LONG as you suggest a NEW friend to Popchips and Food Tramp Diarie’s facebook/twitter for each entry.

6) I will take entries until Friday, January 7th until Midnight, MST.  The winner will be chosen by www.random.org

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

I recently had the opportunity to visit Chip and Ruby’s, a new ice cream parlor in Old Town Scottsdale.  More than just ice cream, Chip and Ruby’s has a full game room that give out tickets your child can trade for prizes at the end of their fun.  Chip and Ruby’s has so many delicious flavors of ice cream. I couldn’t believe when I saw on the board one my childhood favorites, Superman ice cream.  Normally you can only find this flavor in Michigan or Ohio, but Chip and Ruby’s had it and it was amazing.  They have frozen custard and also my daughter’s favorite, raspberry and blue raspberry Icees.

love this furniture

 The games in their game room are very child friendly.  My three and four year old had no problem understanding how to play these games and they had a ton of fun.  My favorite aspect of Chip and Ruby’s was their décor.  The one of a kind ice cream/waffle cone tables and chairs are totally nostalgic and bring out the little girl or boy in every person that walks through their door. They are just too cute. Even down to the soda cups and ice cream bowls, everything is so well thought out and chosen for such a fun theme.

fun and easy games

 You can book your child’s birthday party at Chip and Ruby’s and not pay that much more than what it would cost at Peter Piper. However, at Chip and Ruby’s you’re getting a way cleaner atmosphere in a more quaint space with more privacy.  They will even bring over pizza from the neighbor pizza joint Best of Italy. Your child and his/her friends will get a delicious ice cream treat, tons of tokens and of course fabulous prizes after they count up their tickets.  Contact Chip and Ruby’s for more info at 480.990.6000

yummy ice cream

 My children had a really great time at Chip and Ruby’s and I got to enjoy some of my childhood with their unique ice cream flavors. We can’t wait for a chance to return.

Would you like your Thanksgiving meal “Kikk-ed” up a notch for the holidays?  Well, the awesome people at Kikkoman were kind enough to provide me with lots of their product line along with means to purchase a turkey, so I could find out for myself how delicious my turkey would taste after using their Kikkoman savory brine recipe.

brining necessities

I am not being paid by Kikkoman and my review is completely subject to my opinion.  I do have to say that the turkey I cooked last Sunday was the most  juicy, flavorful, and moist turkey I have ever cooked in my life.  I do brine my turkey every year with a traditional brine recipe, however, there is something in the naturally brewed Kikkoman soy sauce that makes your turkey THAT much better!!

ready to go into the fridge

I’ve been using Kikkoman soy sauce in my kitchen for a long time, for many things, none Chinese or sushi related.  Soups, stews, goulash, side dishes…Kikkoman soy sauce is a great way to season your food while being able to control the flavor.  Below is the recipe for the savory turkey brine, alone with a link to Kikkoman’s green bean casserole and also Kikkoman’s glazed yams.  I made all of these this year at my Thanksgiving table and they were a hit.

the finished product

GIVEAWAY

One lucky reader gets to try their chance at kicking up their holidays with 2 full sized Kikkoman products.  Simply leave a comment below telling me which recipe you would want to use your Kikkoman products for and you’re entered! I will take entries until Friday November 19th noon, so that the winner will receive their products in enough time for the big day.

No worries for the people who don’t win, simply go to this link to print out a buy one get one free coupon to get your own Kikkoman products in the future. http://www.kikkomanusa.com/homecooks/cookingclass/howto.php

Savory Turkey Brine

2 gallons cold water

10 ounces Kikkoman Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce

1/2 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons dried sage

2 tablespoons dried celery seed

1 tablespoon dried thyme

The night before rinse turkey and remove neck and giblets.  Place turkey in large clean bucket, stock pot, or brining bag (I always get a great one for meer dollars at Bed Bath & Beyond.) Put all ingredients in with the turkey and stir. Refridgerate overnight or at least 8 hours, I did mine for 12 hours. When ready to roast, remove turkey from brine and rinse well.  Follow your cooking instructions.

Go here to get the other Kikkoman inspired Thanksgiving recipes: http://www.kikkomanusa.com/homecooks/cookingclass/howto.php

Lots of you know I live in beautiful Fountain Hills, Arizona.  This is the town of one of the world’s tallest free standing water fountains and it is a wonderful little town to live in.  Unfortunately, we are a twenty minute drive from any larger city and when it comes to good affordable restaurants, they are few and far between.

You can never go wrong with Anthony Redendo’s joints.  Redendo’s Pizzeria and Sofrita are two great places where you can always be assured to get great quality, delicious food.  Sometimes I want something different, and although I know my husband would love to talk me into hitting up the Senior Taco drive-thru, I decided to try something different.

I would have to say Middle Eastern/Greek cuisine is my all time favorite food to eat.  Give this girl lots of garlic and slow cooked meats and I’m a happy camper. I’ve been wanting to try the Pita Room in Fountain Hills for awhile now.  Previously it was dubbed The Pita House, and I wasn’t very impressed by take out I got from there before, so I never rushed back to try the Pita Room.

So happy I finally went in for some take out last Friday night.  I was craving a gyro and boy did I get one. Their menu is simple: gyros, falafel, pitas, hummus, lamb kabobs, chicken kabobs, etc.  The do have a website, but no menu on the website, so you have to just walk in your first time, bring home a menu, then from there you can order by phone.

So, I got a lamb gyro and “medi fries”.  I get my gyro very traditional, just meat, red onion, tomato, and tzatziki sauce.  This gyro was so full of meat that I had to give half of it to my husband.  It was tender, fresh, and oh so yummy.  The Medi fries however, were the highlight of my night. Let me just start by saying the french fries at the Pita Room are something you will become addicted to.  They are double fried, like french bistro style fries, golden brown and heavenly.  If you get them “Medi” style they are tossed with fresh dill, fresh chopped garlic and a little bit of salt. OMG, I actually had to go back again on Saturday for dinner just to have those fries again.

On Saturday I got chicken kabob in a pita with the medi fries. Again, my pita was chalk full of delicious marinated grilled chicken pieces and is by far my favorite pita now.  Here is a picture when we went for dinner on Saturday.

chicken kabob pita with Medi fries

I look forward to many more trips to The Pita Room and urge all of the locals or even people visiting Fountain Hills for the day to try it.