Blue Diamond Almonds - Little Gems of Tastiness!

Oh. My. Goodness.

Blue Diamond's Bold Habanero BBQ Almonds are freakishly good.

Seriously.

I'm positively addicted.

In all honesty, I do alternate back & forth weekly from the Habanero BBQ to the Blazin' Buffalo Wing flavor. I really, really like them both. Sometimes, I even go buck-wild & buy both flavors  (yeah, I'm a total party-girl...I know...)

I have adjusted well to living low-carb over the last year & half, for the most part. But, I really do miss BBQ potato chips somewhat ferociously. It comes in fits & starts, but it always shows up eventually. I have found my answer!

These Habanero BBQ almonds are seasoned so that they taste like BBQ chips. And the almonds themselves are really tasty, too, of course. It's as close as I've come to finding low-carb BBQ chips.

These have some spice, but not too much. I would say they are less spicy than Sweet Heat chips, but maybe by just a little. If you are super-sensitive to spice, these probably aren't gonna work for you.

If you like spice, I bet you'll love these babies.

Let me mention here, too, the Blazin' Buffalo Wing flavor. They are slightly spicy, too, but they don't have the BBQ chip flavor like the others. But the flavor is EXTREMELY nice. I really don't know which ones I like better! They do taste like buffalo wings for the most part.

Both of these almonds weigh-in at relatively the same nutritional amounts.

Carb count for 1 oz (about 28 nuts) is 5g total carbs, minus 3g fiber, equals 2g NET carbs.

Excellent stats! Plus, scientific evidence suggests that eating 1.5 oz per day of most nuts, such as almonds, may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Score!

My entire family (kids, too!) love both varities of these almonds. They are always trying to eat up my almonds! I do SO wish that they had a big, bulk size of these at Sam's club. I would soooo buy them!

Until then, I guess I'll get my weekly fix when I hit the grocery store.

CAUTION: These are highly "snackable". You may need to divide these up into bags right away so that you don't sit down and consume the whole can "accidentally". Don't ask...party-girl, remember?!

Ready To Stir Things Up? Stick Blenders!

I make a lot of things from scratch around here. In part, to save money...in part, for better health...and, in part, because it usually tastes much better. So, I have a lot of tools that help me do this.

After an ant invasion over this past weekend, we cleaned out & re-placed all my lower cabinet "stuff". There were a number of items that I decided that I could live without, seeing as how I hadn't used them in a year or more. But, there were some things I realized I use a lot. My Hamilton Beach 2 Speed Hand Blender is perhaps one of my most-used tools.

I could totally chunk the little case it came with, but I just might fight you to keep my little stick blender! I use the whipping attachment to make homemade sugar free whipped cream about once a week. I use the blending attachment weekly for several things, too...like mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower, mock-tato soup, and a Lynd home staple: homemade buttermilk ranch dressing.

I must acknowledge that some folks might have a tool like this and hardly ever use it. I suppose it depends on your lifestyle (how often you cook, what kind of things you prepare, etc.). But, if you do tend to prepare things from scratch, this little baby will save you time and effort. Also, it stores in a cabinet without taking up much room. Unlike my stand mixer, it doesn't take up any of my limited counter space. And hey, it doesn't cost much, either! Amazon.com has it for $24.74. I bought mine at Wallyworld for even less.

Hamilton Beach Hand Blender at Amazon.com

When I want to make homemade mashed potatoes, I can boil the potatoes in one pot, strain them, put them back into the same pot, melt in my butter, add the cream or milk, use this stick blender and puree the potatoes right there in the pot. Since the attachment has a plastic guard, it won't even scratch the bottom of my non-stick pot, unlike a typical hand-held mixer with the metal beaters. Once I'm done, I can just detach the blender attachment, rinse the potatoes off it and put it right into the top rack of the dishwasher. With a stand-mixer, I'd have an additional big bowl to hand wash.

When I make whipped cream, I do so in a tall storage container and mix it right there in the container. No additional dishes to clean. The whipping attachment can go right into the top rack of the dishwasher, too. When I make the ranch dressing, I do so right in the wide-mouth jar I'm gonna be storing it in. So easy!

Here's my favorite Low-carb Buttermilk Ranch Dressing recipe, just for you:

3/4 cup mayo

1/2 cup buttermilk (I prefer Marburger Gourmet, as it has less sugars)

2 Tbsp chopped parsley or 1 Tbsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1-2 tsps lemon juice

salt & pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a wide-mouth jar. Use the blender attachment of your stick blender to blend together well. Store in the fridge.

I'd love for you to try the recipe out and tell me what you think.



Spastic About Uncomfy Seams in Socks?

I belong to BzzAgent and recently was sent several pairs of socks to try out. I received Hanes Comfort Toe Seam Socks for ladies in several different varieties.

Now, I'm a little demanding of my socks...I like them to be thicker, with good cushion-factor. I want them to hold up well to a lot of washing. I prefer they not cost a small fortune, either.

My husband and my youngest son, however, are spastic about uncomfy socks. They have to fit just-so, can't stretch out too quickly, can't have bothersome seams, or "seam nipples" (I have no idea how else to describe those little pointy parts at the sides of the toe seams...sorry). I'm not real crazy for socks that have seam nipples, either, come to think of it.

Well, I'm happy to report that these socks stand up to all of our requirements. They are cushy, haven't stretched out so far, wash & wear well, and don't have seam nipples or irritating toe seams. And they are competitively priced. I think I've found our new favorite brand of socks!

If you look closely, it appears that there ARE seams at the toes, but there aren't "normal" seams. It's more like a "tightening of the weave" to provide strength. It's really hard to describe accurately, but there's no cross threads there, like in a typical seam, which can rub & aggravate sensitive toes.

I especially like that they offer these socks in black. Often, when you find black socks, they are very thin, like "dress" socks. The black socks I own are like that and I always must put a pair of thicker white socks underneath them in order to provide the comfort I demand from my socks. That's no longer necessary, thankfully. I don't enjoy wearing 2 pairs of socks at the same time (or washing extra laundry).

If you would like to try out Hanes Comfort Toe Seam Socks for yourself, I'd like to offer you a coupon to save $1.50 (expires 12.31.11). I'll even cover the postage to send it to you. All I require is that you subscribe via E-mail (do that at the very bottom of the page) and follow me via Google Friend Connect (right side of this page). Once you've done those 2 simple things, simply leave a comment below. If you are one of the first 5 comments, I'll email you (make sure to leave your email addy in the comment, please) to get your address. You may leave your email in this format to help avoid auto-spammers: jeanlynd at att dot net.

I hope you enjoy your new socks! Please come back and tell me what you think of them.

The Sweet Taste of Fall?

Can autumn have a taste? Sure! Lots of them, too, no doubt.

One of my favorites is caramel apple. Clean the drool from your mouth and stop fretting over whether to indulge or not. If you are careful about what you eat, like me, then I have a guilt-free option for you: Werther's Original Sugar Free Caramel Apple Hard Candies.

I live the low-carb life, and as such, a caramel apple would NOT be on my "approved" list. But with these little gems, I get my caramel apple and get to eat it too! You can have 5 pieces for only 40 total calories. There are 14g of carbs, but all 14g are from sugar alcohols, so they *shouldn't* have much of an effect on your blood sugars. However, if you are sensitive to sugar alcohols, as some are, you can just have 1 or 2 candies, instead of the whole 5, and you should be safe. Usually, 1 or 2 is satisfying for me anyhow.

They have a nice balance of tart green apple flavor and caramel (a Werther's classic!). It's done very well. To me, the sweetness is just right. And, I may be partial because I haven't had real sugar in a really, really long time, but I don't get the "fake sweetener" taste, nor any after taste. But, as I said, I haven't had real sugar in ages, and when you don't have it, you kinda forget what it used to taste like. So, your experience could be different from mine...especially if you're still having sugar, or you've only been sugar-free for a short time.

I'm very happy with these little pieces of fall flavor. No, it's not a real caramel apple, but I couldn't go there. At least this way, I get the taste, even if I don't get the "chew action". Oh, the chewy-gooey-goodness of caramel. If only...

I love amazon.com! Saturday quickie ;)

Just a quick shout out because I'm trying to win an amazon $50 gift card. A fellow blogger is giving it away here: http://www.moneysavingmommainnnj.com/2011/09/5000-amazon-gift-card-contest-info.html

If you're interested, you should try to win, also. I really could use it for some specialty low-carb items I'm in need of.

Is there such a thing as Easy Money?

Not usually.
However... I have found an easy way to make a little extra cash. I fill out PineCone Research surveys. Now, a lot of survey sites give you points that you s-l-o-w-l-y accumulate and eventually you can trade them in for gift cards or get a check, once you have enough. This survey company isn't like those.

Each time you fill out a PineCone Research survey, you are awarded $3. (One exception to this is the very short surveys they send to simply ask questions about your household, interests, and other things that help them to know which types of surveys to send to you. You do NOT get paid for those...but they are usually 5 minutes or less.) Some of the surveys can take a while, but most of them are about medium length and can be filled out in about 15 minutes. Sometimes you also receive FREE products to try (and you STILL get your $3!). About 2 weeks ago, I used 8 rolls of toilet paper & gave my opinion...PLUS I got $3 for the pre-survey & $3 MORE for the after survey. Yay!

They used to send checks. Now, you can either elect to have your money put into a Paypal account, or you can have them loaded to a PineCone issued debit card (no charge). I have had the new card for about 6 weeks. In that time I've quickly accumulated $18. I'm not gonna get rich this way, but if you have a little spare time, you can earn yourself a little "mad money" just by giving your opinion.

I've participated in a number of different survey sites. But PineCone is by far my fave, thanks to its quick payout procedure. If you are interested in making money with surveys, I think you'll like it better than the others, too.
Below, you'll find an email they recently sent me because they are looking to recruit some new survey respondents. If you are interested, you better jump on this promptly. The vacancies fill up rather quickly. Good luck!

Dear JEAN:


PineCone Research is growing and we invite you to help! We are offering select members the opportunity to recommend membership to a friend or relative who is NOT a member of their household.

Do you know of households that would like to join the PineCone Research Panel? If so, please FORWARD A COPY of this email to each household you would like to refer so that they may click on the registration link shown below. That household should complete the registration form themselves and submit it. REMEMBER THAT ONLY ONE PERSON PER HOUSEHOLD MAY REGISTER. Multiple registrations of the same Household will void all registrations.

Here is the link to the registration:

http://www.pineconeresearch.com/signup/ds647.aspx

As a member in good standing, you've already seen the benefits of being part of PineCone Research. So please, share the benefits of membership with a friend. Don't forget, please don't tell them about any of the products that you have seen in our questionnaires or tried in your home. Remember, it's important that your PineCone Research survey and product testing experiences remain confidential.

http://www.pineconeresearch.com//about.HTM

http://www.pineconeresearch.com//policy.htm



While this is not a paid referral program, we genuinely appreciate your help in spreading the word that PINECONE IS GROWING!

Thank you,

Karen Scott

Web site: http://www.pineconeresearch.com

 What's swirly & sweet & a healthy, cool treat?

Philly Swirl Sweet Delites!

1st the nutrition deets: 14 calories per bar, made with real fruit, sugar free, fat free, gluten free, and low carb (only 4g carbs, with 1g fiber & 3g sugar alcohols...you can view the nutrition label at the bottom of this post.) The box has 3 flavors: raspberry & vanilla, cherry & vanilla, and orange & vanilla. There are 10 bars per box. I paid less than $2 for the box at my local wallyworld.

The good: The taste is cool & sweet. It hits the spot when you want a popsicle, but don't want to blow your diet/healthy eating. Great on a summer day. Nice sweet treat. Unlike many other sugar free sweets, it's not loaded with sugar alcohols, which can cause gastric distress (ummm....yeah, gas).  My kids all liked them. They were inexpensive, which is really nice to find in a sugar free/low carb treat! Plus, they're made in the USA :)

The not-so-good: In my opinion, the flavor focused more on the vanilla/cream flavor...not the fruit. They could stand to have a stronger fruit flavor, in my opinion. Each bar is kind of small, too. But hey, for 14 calories, whaddaya expect?

So what's the verdict?

I like 'em. I would buy them again. Both for myself, and for the kiddos. I always like to find healthier alternatives for them, also.



Want Lustrous Locks? Skip this!

     Last weekend I wanted to restore some shine to my hair after a harsh summer. I figured a clear gloss (which I vaguely recall seeing in a magazine, or maybe it was on the web?) would be just the thing.
     I went to the store and shopped the hair color aisle for a bit. I only found one clear gloss - the Garnier HerbaShine Treatment Clear Gloss.

Garnier HerbaShine Treatment Clear Gloss

     So I bought it. I followed all directions except for one: I left the follow-up deep conditioning treatment on for extra time. This is the stuff you apply after you've colored, rinsed & re-rinsed, so I know this couldn't have affected the outcome.
     Well, I ended up with hair that was significantly lighter (enough that several people noticed the next day), and not any glossier. Got that? NO added shine, but instead, I got washed-out, faded-looking color. I happen to like my hair darker, so this was far from a desirable outcome. In fact, now I must "fix" what I mistakenly did.
     I don't typically color my hair, so I will have to guess what color to use to get my darker hair color back, hoping not to mess up again. Additional cost, time & probably hair damage. Yay.
     Ohhhh, I wish I had never gotten the bright idea to spiffy up my 'do. Next time, I'll just stick to my deep conditioning treatment and call it a day.

Save yourself the money and skip this one, ladies.