Review: Torani Syrups

I have enjoyed Torani syrups for years.  I didn't realize until recently that they make over 120 different flavors!  I have used the syrups to flavor tea (both hot & iced) and sparkling water.  I was recently sent two bottles to try out this season, and share my thoughts. I received a bottle of Peppermint Torani syrup and a bottle of Torani Salted Caramel Syrup.

This time of year, the kids and I enjoy hot chocolate.  The first thing I tried was adding a couple tablespoons of the peppermint syrup to hot chocolate. My kids who like peppermint and chocolate thought it was delicious!  I added a couple tablespoons of the salted caramel to mine, and liked it quite well!  I am not a coffee drinker, but I know that it's a popular addition to coffee as well.

I made peppermint soda with sparkling water and the peppermint syrup.  It took me a couple tries to get the perfect amount of syrup, but the drink was very refreshing and tasted like drinking a candy cane!

Even though I've been aware of the syrups for years, I have never done anything but add them to drinks. Their website has tons of great recipes to try, and I plan on exploring more of them soon.  I used the salted caramel syrup to make candied pecans, and they turned out fantastic! The recipe is very simple, and the results make a great hostess gift (well, if you can avoid eating them all before giving them away!)  The original recipe from the website suggested plain caramel syrup, but the salted caramel was fantastic in this recipe.  It's easy to throw together, and the kids had fun helping mix the ingredients.

If you want to try them out yourself, here's the recipe from Torani's website:

Candied Pecans

INGREDIENTS:
1 egg, separated
1/4 cup Torani Caramel syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups pecans (or walnuts or a mixture of both)

INSTRUCTIONS:  Preheat oven to 250 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper In a medium sized bowl whisk egg white (save yolk for another use or discard) until light in color and foamy, about 2 minutes. Add Torani syrup, sugar, and salt and continue to whisk until well mixed. Stir in nuts and mix until they are evenly coate. Spread nuts in a single layer on parchment-lined baking sheet. Place baking sheet in the oven. Using a spatula, stir nuts twice during cooking time to allow the nuts to have an even candied coating and bake until nuts are a very light golden, and all of the liquid has dried, about 45 minutes. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container. Makes 3 cups.

A great idea for a hostess gift would be a bottle of the syrup and a dish of these nuts!

You can find Torani syrups at many local retailers, as well as at Amazon and the Torani website.

*Disclosure: I received 2 bottles of Torani syrup from Torani and SheSpeaks, in exchange for writing an original post about the product.  No additional compensation was provided.*

Stocking Stuffer Idea: Chuao Chocolate

Santa almost always fills my Christmas stocking with a variety of chocolates.  This year, I was sent three bars of Chuao Chocolate that are available at select Targets.

Let's just say that Santa can fill my stocking with these chocolate bars anytime!

They are definitely premium chocolate, and had a smooth texture and wonderful flavor.  I'm picky about chocolate, and I really enjoyed these.

I tried the potato chip, honeycomb and firecracker varieties.  Of the 3, the potato chip was my favorite. The chip pieces were crunchy and salty and melded wonderfully with the chocolate.  The honeycomb was a very close second, with an extra sweet flavor due to the honey and a slight crunch from the honeycomb. The firecracker wasn't at the top of my list, but I'm not a huge fan of chile and chocolate.

You can find these bars at select Target locations, or order them direct from Chuao Chocolatier's website.

*Disclosure: I received samples in order to facilitate my review post.  No additional compensation was provided.*

Review: Corazonas Tortilla Chips

Yum!  We had the chance to try these Corazonas Black Bean & Cheese Tortilla Chips recently and everyone declared them delicious!

I had a jar of salsa in the pantry, but these had so much flavor that nobody even wanted to dip them in salsa.  We just ate them up!  In fact, the bag went so fast that I had to retrieve it from the trash to snap this picture.

What makes these tortilla chips different than other is that they include plant sterols, which have been proven to lower cholestrol. Sometimes healthy food has an odd taste, but these chips were delicious.  I look forward to trying the other varieties available.

You can find them at Amazon, or at select grocery stores. Enjoy!

*Disclosure: I received sample product to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.*

House Party - Thai Kitchen & Simply Asia

I was chosen by House Party to host a party with Simply Asia and Thai Kitchen products and I received a box full of the goodies you see.  I admit I wasn't too sure how the flavors would go over, but since our cultural dinner plans have pretty much fell through the last few months, I was excited for the chance to have everyone try new foods.

They sent along some recipes, so I looked through and chose a few to make for the party.  I decided to make the lettuce wraps as an appetizer.  They called for ground turkey, but with the recent recall I couldn't find any ground turkey or chicken.  I thought about using ground beef, but then I saw a pound of ground bison and picked it up.

Cooking up the meat

The filling was so easy to make!  All I had to do was brown the meat and add a packet of the Simply Asia Ginger Teriyaki Stir Fry Sauce and cook a little longer.  I served it with lettuce leaves (anyone know how the restaurants get the leaves so neat?  I had a hard time making nice cups) and toppings of shredded carrots, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts.  These were a HUGE hit and a great way to start the party.

I also made a cold broccoli and shredded carrot salad, and added Thai Kitchen Sweet Red Chili Sauce, tossed and chilled.  This was another big hit -- the only improvement I would make next time is to cook the broccoli less.  I was distracted while cooking and let it boil a couple minutes too long.  It was still yummy, though -- just not as crunchy as I would have liked.

We also had jasmine rice.  No special recipe there.  I was going to make the rice with coconut milk, but my sister warned me that it made the rice pretty sweet --  more like a dessert rice rather than a dinner side dish.

Nate loved the lettuce wraps

Finally, I rubbed a flank steak with Thai Kitchen Roasted Red Chili Paste, along with salt and pepper and some olive oil.  The chili paste gave the meat a very nice flavor and again -- it was a hit with everyone.

I was amazed most of all by the fact that Colin eagerly ate everything and never muttered a word.  He is my most picky child by far, but he declared it all delicious.  Everyone agreed with him.

I finished up the meal with a pineapple smoothie made with crushed pineapple, juice, coconut milk poured over shaved ice.  It was light and refreshing.


If you see Thai Kitchen or Simply Asia products, you should try them out.  The flavors are wonderful, but not too spicy!  I know that I will keep a supply in the pantry for our own meals, and I plan to make lettuce wraps again in the very near future.

Review: Green (Vegan Restaurant)

My sister was diagnosed with a dairy allergy a while back, and has found eating out a challenge because it's difficult to know when a dairy product may be hidden in a food.  For her, it's a potentially life-threatening allergy, so as you might imagine eating out at restaurants doesn't fall high on her list of fun things to do.  (Which is even a bigger shame because she also hates to cook!)

She told me about a restaurant in Tempe that she visited and liked and I was lucky enough that she treated Lydia & I to lunch there on Saturday.  Green is located in a strip mall on Scottsdale Rd, but it's easy to find once you know it's there. It's 100% vegan, so she doesn't have to worry about any hidden dairy, and knows that if she does have cheese on a dish, it will be vegan cheese.

We had the crab puff as an appetizer.  I know you only see one, but there were actually 4 -- the other 3 were eaten up faster than I could get the camera out.  They were delicious, with a nice addition of garlic, and definitely creamy.  They are as good (and even better than some!) dairy-full crab puffs I've ever eaten.  My sister also liked them, and is happy she knows where to find some when she has a craving.




I had the sweet & sour with fried tofu and brown rice.  It was a huge serving, and very filling.  There were chunks of apple, lightly cooked, as well as pineapple, carrots and other vegetables.  I'll admit I wasn't crazy about the fried tofu, but that's just because I don't like the texture.  My sister says I should try the mock chicken next time, and I will.



Lydia had the small balsamic picnic salad.  It was a very generous portion, so I can only imagine how large the large would be!  There were field greens with strawberries, sliced apples, pecans and figs tossed in a light balsamic dressing. Lydia gobbled it up (except for the figs.  Which looked funny to her and so she wouldn't even try them.  Her loss, as I tried them and they were good!)



My sister enjoyed coconut curry with mock chicken.  She said it was delicious and is the same dish she had on her last visit.

We saw some people eating Tsoynamis -- which are vegan ice cream treats.  They looked scrumptious, but we were full.  Next time we'll visit for just a Tsoynami!

The restaurant is decorated very cute inside -- with a bright green ceiling and tables scattered about.  There is a small seating area with a couple couches as well.  One wall is covered with car doors, something that Lydia found very interesting.  You order from the counter and then they bring your food to your table once it's prepared.  The staff is friendly and happy to answer any questions you might have.

The prices were very fair, and the food we had was delicious.  We wish there was one farther east, but it's a place we will definitely visit again and again. If you're looking for good food in the east valley, check them out!  You can find Green at 2240 N. Scottsdale Rd, #8, Tempe, AZ.  Their menu is posted (minus daily specials) on their website.

*Disclosure: No need for a disclosure, except to say that my sister treated us to lunch!  Thanks again!*