The Black & Decker Ultimate Sandwich Contest

If you haven't noticed, I have an affinity for Thai food. 

Ever since baby number five came along, I can't get enough of it. 

When I was given the opportunity to enter Black & Decker's Ultimate Sandwich Contest, my brain went straight to it. I am also from Hawaii and l.o.v.e. Hawaiian sweet bread. Have you had it? You need to.

How do you put Thai food and local Hawaiian fare in a sammy and utilize a fabulous toaster oven? This is definitely a "fusion" recipe where East (Thai curry) meets West (pulled pork) and we get to enjoy the culinary collision.

I was inspired by a number of things. Blog posts, magazine articles, food photography, and here's the result:

Thai Curry Pulled Pork 

(with Fresh Mango and Cilantro Dressing on a Toasted Hawaiian Sweet Roll)

Ingredients:

1 pork rump roast approx. 3 lb.

1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk

1 tablespoon green thai curry paste

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 mango, peeled and sliced in to 1/2" strips

1 small red onion, sliced into thin strips

1 package fresh mixed spring greens 

(I love our local Nalo Spring Greens, from Waimanalo, Hawaii)

1 package Hawaiian sweet roll sandwich buns

Cilantro Dressing:

1 1/3 cups sour cream

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 small bunch cilantro, stems removed

1 package ranch salad dressing mix

1/8 teaspoon Tabasco 

2 cloves garlic

juice of one small lime

Mix in blender until smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix coconut milk, Thai curry paste, red chili flakes, brown sugar, and oyster sauce until well combined. Place pork roast in a crock pot, and pour coconut mixture over it. Turn crock pot on high heat for 6-8 hours or until pork is fork-tender, and pulls apart easily. Shred the pork, making sure to keep it moist. 

In your Black & Decker toaster oven, toast a large Hawaiian sweet roll sandwich bun until golden brown. 

Add pulled pork to the bun, and spoon some of the drippings from the crock pot onto the pork to keep meat moist and flavorful. (and more chili flakes, if desired). 

Add freshly sliced (chilled) mango, red onion, a handful of fresh Nalo spring greens. 

 Add one tablespoon cilantro dressing to the top inside of the bun. 

(A little goes a long way here, trust me!) And if you have picky eaters, this sammy tastes just as good without the cilantro dressing.

Voila!

The ULTIMATE sandwich!

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive a Black and Decker toaster oven to enable the development of my recipe.  Any and all opinions here (and recipes!) are my own.

Review and Giveaway of SchoolHouse Kitchen Spreadable Fruit

Ask the hub or my kids: I'm a saucy girl.  As important as the dish I'm eating (or making) is the sauce I put on it, whether it's sweet or savory.  So imagine my excitement when I got the opportunity to review a series of spreadable fruit spreads--each of which has an herb or spice partnered with it.  As the website points out, "Wherever they are, the fruit drives and the herb rides shotgun. Enjoy the ride!"

SchoolHouse Kitchen sent me Fruit x4 which is a 4-pack of their low-sugar spreadable fruit.  These are jam-like spreads that contain all natural ingredients.  For instance, Strawberry Black Peppercorn (my current favorite!) contains strawberries, sugar, cranberries, lemon juice and black pepper. That's it!  Now I have to admit that the "gentle infusion" of black peppercorn worried me before I tried it.  After I tried it, I was sold on the herbal afternote paired with fruit.  It is fairly light and enhances the flavor of whatever you eat with the spread.  For my favorite, the pepper adds kind of an 'up' note at the end of your bite.  (I know this doesn't make sense, just trust me!)  Let's just say that my family ate a whole loaf of banana bread because it was SO GOOD with butter and Strawberry Black Peppercorn.  As for the other flavors, my second fave is Peach Rosemary but they all are yummy and worth hoarding sharing.

If the products aren't enough to gush about, SchoolHouse Kitchen is a family-owned business that started with Patsy Smith's recipes and extended to include her children in various positions in the growing company.  I love that the mission of SchoolHouse Kitchen is "to raise funds for educational organizations and to make [Patsy Smith's] gourmet products available to more people" Even better, their purpose is two-fold: 

• We create original, all-natural, specialty food products of superior quality.
• Profits from the sale of our gourmet goods enable us to support educational causes. 

Between the mouth-watering condiments and the company's giving-back goals, SchoolHouse Kitchen is a business venture that I'm very comfortable supporting.  And did I mention how good their spreadable fruit is?

SHOP: SchoolHouse Kitchen also offers mustards, dressings and marinades as well as chutneys.  Ordering a Festive Foursome or one of the Trios is a great way to introduce your favorite foodie to the creative sauces of SchoolHouse Kitchen--say for Mother's Day or Father's Day!

WIN:  You can win your own Fruit x4 ($26 value!) from SchoolHouse Kitchen by going to their website and joining their mailing list (bottom of the main page towards the right) and then leaving a comment below telling us you've done so.  This is the mandatory entry for this giveaway and must be done before all of the additional entries.
   
To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
2. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
3. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.
4. Follow SchoolHouse Kitchen on Twitter. 
5. Tweet about this giveaway (limit one tweet per day) using the following: #win a 4-pack of spreadable fruit from A@schoolhouserkitc and @moanasaves ends 5/30 http://bit.ly/kAgwHB

6. Subscribe to the Moana Saves feed via RSS reader and/or email updates (in the sidebar).
7. Like the Moana Saves Facebook page.

8. Like the SchoolHouse Kitchen Facebook page.

9. Tell us which SchoolHouse Kitchen mustards, dressing, marinade, chutney or spreadable fruit you'd love to try.  

Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway. He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S. This giveaway ends on 5/30 at 11:59 PM HST (Hawaii Standard Time). One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org. I will notify the winner via email and he/she must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive a free product in exchange for my review.  Any and all opinions here are my own.

Seneca Farms Oatmeal & Fruit Review

DID you know: That nearly 60% of U.S. parents of children ages 3-17 admit that their child skips breakfast, with more than half of U.S. moms wishing their child ate a more nutritious breakfast.

 *Results of 2011 Children's Nutrition Survey, conducted by Harris Interactive for Seneca Farms

Breakfast, oh how I never prepare for this meal of the day. I mean it should be fairly simple to do...right?! Well I feel like it is often a hectic time of the day. Wake up, get dressed, eat, get ready for school....etc. I personally don't want to be part of that 60%, so we keep breakfast very simple, oatmeal or cereal. Well we eat oatmeal most of week & cereal only so often...if it was the kids way we'd have cereal EVERYDAY...but that would break the bank with 5 kids. So oatmeal it is....that gets pretty boring...plain oatmeal with brown sugar. When given the opportunity try out Seneca Farms Oatmeal & Fruit, I was anxious to have more breakfast options.

Here is some info about Seneca Farms Oatmeal & Fruit Product Details:

• In less time than it takes to make a cup of coffee, heat the six-ounce microwaveable cup – no milk or water necessary – in the microwave for 45 seconds. 
• Seneca Farms Oatmeal & Fruit has no trans fats or cholesterol, and is a great source of Vitamin C.  
• Two initial flavors are being introduced - Apple Cinnamon and Vanilla Peach. More flavors will be added in the coming months.
• Seneca Farms Oatmeal & Fruit is a quick and healthy breakfast option for the entire family, a satisfying after-school snack for kids and even works as part of a healthy weight loss plan for those looking to lose or maintain weight loss.

OH I cannot tell you how excited we ALL were when we got the samples to try.  My kids quickly got to the table & even sat patiently....that NEVER happens. After heating the oatmeal, my husband snagged a quick bite of each flavors & the kids devoured the cups quickly. I've never seen them eat oatmeal so fast, and beg for more. A few quotes from our gang: "OOOO YUMMY," Shae 4 years old. "I love finding the fruit, its delicious," Klailea 7 years old.

Well the results are DEFINITE...I am going to have to stock up on Seneca Farms Oatmeal & Fruit.

TO BUY: Seneca Farms Oatmeal & Fruit can be found at Walmart and in a wide variety of retail grocery stores. For a detailed store list, visit www.seneca-farms.com.

I love COUPONS  (get one when you like Seneca Snacks on Facebook!):  http://on.fb.me/bloggertour.

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive product to facilitate my review.  Any and all opinions here are my own.

Chuao Chocolatier Review and Giveaway

CHOCOLATE! I love that I had the chance to try these out! Before I tell you what I thought, here's some background information about the company so you can see how awesome they are.

Chuao Chocolatier (pronounced chew-WOW) is the first Venezuelan Chocolatier based in the USA and Southern California's premier artisan chocolatier. Founded in 2002 by Master Chef Michael Antonorsi and his brother, CEO Richard Antonorsi, Chuao Chocolatier has pioneered “fusion chocolate” through a commitment to creating uniquely delicious chocolate experiences. Michael wanted to open a unique chocolate boutique that blended modern-day innovations with his Venezuelan family traditions.

Their signature flavor is Spicy Maya, a modern twist on the Mayan's ancient hot chocolate recipe made with pasilla chile and cayenne pepper. (Isn't your mouth just waiting to try some?)

Unusual flavor combinations, the heart of Chuao Chocolatier’s unique experience, include: Pan con Chocolate: a dark chocolate bonbon filled with toasted panko breadcrumbs, olive oil ganache and a touch of sea salt and Firecracker: caramel fudge with chipotle chile and salt, rolled in popping candy and enrobed in dark chocolate. (You know you want to try it!)

I was given four samples to try out. The first two I tried were the Choco Pods, Spicy Maya and Firecracker. Choco Pods are .39 oz (11g) and shaped like a chocolate bean pod (at least that's what I'm getting - the picture is not the actual Choco Pod I tasted).

I tried Spicy Maya first, it's dark chocolate with pasilla chile, cayenne pepper and cinnamon. When I first took a bite, I thought to myself, it's not spicy at all and it tasted like a regular chocolate bar. But as I passed around the pod to my family, the spiciness crept up on me and it hit me! The spice is subtle and doesn't kick you in the face with its flavor. It sneaks up on you and when it shows up, you're pleasantly surprised. You can definitely taste the cinnamon which doesn't overpower the other flavors. 

The next Choco Pod was the Firecracker - (dark chocolate chipotle, salt and popping candy) The wrapper described it as unusual, unexpected and delicious, which is a perfect description. I was excited to try this one because I wanted to see what the popping candy would do to the chocolate. My first bite and the popping candy did it's job. I love the popping candy! The little tingles of the candy with the taste of chocolate and chipotle is amazing! The chipotle spice is a lot more prominent, not an "in-your-face" kind of way but it's definitely more powerful and more flavorful. Since I like spicy food, chocolate and candy, the Firecracker is the winner. However if you're more into subtle spice and chocolate, the Spicy Maya is for you! 

Next up on the list were two bars, MORE chocolate! I was excited and unsure of what to expect. The bars are 60% cacao (yum! I love me some dark chocolate!) and 2.8 oz (80g). First up the Panko (dark chocolate bar with toasted panko breadcrumbs and sea salt). When I first read panko breadcrumbs, I pictured the chocolate covered in panko crumbs like tempura batter. Silly me! The panko is mixed in with the chocolate! I took a bite and I could definitely taste the panko breadcrumbs, not in a bad way. It reminded me of a Crunch bar but with much better tasting chocolate and less rice crispiness. My husband liked how the salt brought out the chocolate flavor and I have to agree with him. It is really chocolatey and yummy. 

 

I was quite sad when I ate the last bar because that would mean that the review was over. The Honeycomb bar is dark chocolate with caramelized honey. I thought it tasted just like a chocolate bar and wondered what those little bits were doing in the bar and then I realized it was the honey! It reminds me of little toffee bits but better! They don't get stuck in your teeth! It melts in your mouth along with the chocolate like one smooth chocolate ride! 

These chocolate bars are amazing! 

Oh and did I tell you? These guys are so awesome! They are so committed to their roots and strive to sustain and revitalize the cacao industry in Venezuela that their company has an initiative called Aguasanta Growth Initiative. It provides needed funding to the Venezuelan cacao farmers for plant seedlings as well as training to increase growth of their cacao crops. 

If you are unsure of what to get your mom/wife/sister/girlfriend/female for fill-in-the-blank Day, ahem, Mother's Day and you know they like/love/obsess/crave chocolate, you need to walk, no, sprint to the closest computer (or store) and get some of these chocolates! It's unusual, unique, one-of-a-kind and (did I mention) delicious chocolate! They have fun flavors for all kinds of tastes! When you go check out their website, you'll see that there are so many different options besides chocolate, there are brownie mixes - for the moms who love to bake (which would most likely be your mom), hot chocolate, gift boxes and more!

Right now, there's even a page of goodies dedicated to making your mom/wife happy! 

BUY: You can go online at www.chuaochocolatier.com. While you're there, can you get me some Firecracker? Thanks.  If you'd rather go to a physical store, you can find Chuao Chocolatier creations at fine specialty retailers including Whole Foods Market, Pier 1 Imports, Wegman's and Crate and Barrel, as well as premier restaurants, select hotels and resorts including Omni Hotels, La Costa Resort & Spa, Four Seasons, Hard Rock Hotel and more.  

WIN: One lucky Moana Saves reader will win the ChocoPod 8 piece Assorted Gift Box! Experience all 8 ChocoPods in one cute box- Coco, Coffee & Anise, Firecracker, Honeycomb, Leche, Oscuro, Panko and Spicy Maya!  All natural & just 50 calories each! For your mandatory entry in this giveaway, go to Chuao's homepage and sign up for their newsletter (lower right hand side).

To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
2. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
3. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.

4. Follow Chuao Chocolatier on Twitter.

5. Tweet about this giveaway (limit one tweet per day) using the following: #win the chocopod 8 piece gift box from @chuaochocoholic and @moanasaves ends 5/11 http://bit.ly/eapQwg

6. Subscribe to the Moana Saves feed via RSS reader and/or email updates (in the sidebar).
7. Like the Moana Saves Facebook page.

8. Like the Chuao Chocolatier Facebook page. 

 

Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway. He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S.  This giveaway ends on 5/11/11 at 11:59 PM HST (Hawaii Standard Time). One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org. I will notify the winner via email and he/she must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

 *I was not paid, but did recieve products to facilitate this review.  Any and all opinions here are my own.

Peeled Snacks Organic Fruit Snacks: A Review

I am a fan of fruit, fresh and dried. I was given some dried fruit from Peeled Snacks.

Here's a little info about Peeled Snacks before we go on. 10% of sales will benefit the American Farmland Trust, their fruit is grown on farms in North America and their snacks are a natural source of fiber. Peeled Snacks contains 12 single serving snacks, 6 each of: Apple-2-the-core and Cherry-go-round (which I got to try!). Their snacks are a great source of vitamins, minerals and fiber! All the things we need to be healthy and to raise healthy kids!

There were two little packages, apples and cherries and a bigger bag of a mixture of apple, raisin and cherry. You can find them all here. The apples and cherries were a part of a sampler and the deal of the month.

I opened up the package and shared with the family. My kids don't usually eat fruit so they didn't really care for it. My son did not like it, he usually eats apples so I think the fact that they were dried was a different concept for him and he didn't want to try it. My younger daughter loved to hold the fruit on its own and feed herself; she just munches on it and eats it right up. My husband and I don't usually eat a lot of fruit since it is so expensive in Hawaii. Since eating these, I think I might substitute these for my fruit fix.

I liked the dried apples;, they weren't too soft and not too dried or hard. It was the perfect balance and it was delicious. I usually don't like cherries but the sampler I had made me change my mind, well at least for dried cherries. The sampler, Farmer's Market Trio, had a good mix with the different dried fruit. Like I said before, I don't usually eat cherries but yummy, I was eating from the bag so much that I forgot how much I had actually eaten and the bag was almost empty when I remembered to share with family.

You can buy these yummy organic snacks at a Starbucks in the US and Canada... or just go online to their website! You can also check out their Facebook page and Twitter!

Happy Earth Day everyone!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com created by WebBizIdeas a Minneapolis SEO and Web Design firm. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Tropical Traditions Coconut Chips with a Giveaway

Next week is Easter and I have the perfect treat for you and your Easter menu planning. I'm sure you've tried shredded coconut before and hopefully you've had the chance to try the Coconut Crusted Chicken recipe Rachel blogged about here in March. Today I'm excited to tell you about coconut chips, another fabulous product sold by Tropical Traditions. For lack of a better word, I think coconut chips are my new favorite cooking accessory.  Accessory? Well, I like to think of my recipe as an outfit that I just have to find a way to accessorize it with coconut. These coconut chips are so fun and so yummy! My latest endeavor includes coconut chip nests atop cupcakes pictured to the right. My kids LOVED fashioning these nests and molding the chocolate eggs.  Some of the other fun recipes we've tried are toasted coconut s'mores, coconut cream pie embellished with toasted coconut, trail mix as our after-school snack which evolved into the BEST granola ever.

Tropical Traditions doesn't just sell coconut. Instead they have a wide variety of organic foods, skin care, household cleaners, books and other products. One of their most popular products, coconut oil, is actually the reason Tropical Traditions was founded. I love the story of husband and wife Brian & Marianita Shilhavy visiting her childhood home in the Philippines and realizing the potential of the local coconut farms. As their website states: "Today when you buy Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil, you are buying the highest quality coconut oil we have to offer, and it is still made by hand and benefiting families in the rural areas of the Philippines where the coconuts grow."

BUY: You can purchase Tropical Traditions coconut chips and other products from their website here.

To WIN your own Tropical Traditions 100% natural coconut chips follow the mandatory entry requirement below and any optional ones you'd like with a separate comment for each:

To earn a mandatory entry, subscribe to the Tropical Traditions email newsletter here. Mandatory means that if you don't do this first, all of your other entries will be disqualified.

To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
2. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
3. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.
4. Subscribe to the Moana Saves feed via RSS reader and/or email updates (in the sidebar).
5. Like the Moana Saves Facebook page.
6. Like the Tropical Traditions Facebook page.

7. Tweet about this giveaway (limit one tweet per day) using the following:
#Win 100% natural coconut chips from @troptraditions and @moanasaves #giveaway ends 5/2  http://bit.ly/iiYnq5

Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway. He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S. This giveaway ends on Monday, 5/2/11 at 11:59 PM HST (Hawaii Standard Time). One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org. I will notify the winner via email and he/she must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive some delicious coconut chips to facilitate my review.  Any and all opinions here are my own.

Olive Oil Desserts - Delicious and Healthy Heart Smart Baking

"There is no love sincerer than the love of food." 

-George Bernard Shaw (quoted on page 120 of Olive Oil Desserts)

Good food is an obsession of mine. What makes eating good food even more enjoyable is when I get to eat food that is healthier AND tastes good. This is why I'm loving Micki Sannar's new cookbook, Olive Oil Desserts.  Oh to eat my dessert and not feel overly guilty! Olive oil has a great reputation in the food world. Research has shown that olive oil intake may provide some of the following benefits: reducing blood pressure, lowering LDL and raising HDL or "good" cholesterol, reducing inflammatory activity for patients with  Rheumatoid Arthritis and protecting against certain cancers. (References to these health benefits are listed in Olive Oil Desserts pages 18-19.) 

The inside cover of the book has the following words: 
"...With a traditional taste and texture you have loved your whole life, now you can enjoy cookies, cakes, pies, crisps, sweet-breads, and muffins without giving up anything except additional calories and unhealthy trans fat."
I decided to put this statement to the test by trying a classic brownie recipe. The verdict: fudge heaven! The brownies were dense and still moist days after baking.

The second recipe I tried was twisted cinnamon rolls or "Cinnamon Twists". Actually, I was eyeing this recipe for a few days and one morning my husband beat me to the kitchen by surprising me and making the twists for my birthday breakfast. My husband woke early not just to make a nice breakfast but to bake a yeast bread? What a good man! My family loved eating these moist breakfast treats. One thing I especially like about these olive oil desserts is that many are dairy free. Micki includes a substitution chart in the back of her cookbook with olive oil substitution amounts for butter, margarine or shortening so that you can make substitutions in your own family favorite recipes.

I loved the two recipes I tried and I can't wait to get back in the kitchen and make even more. I found myself flipping through this book yesterday making up reasons to bake and deliver treats to friends just so I could try a new recipe. 

BUY: This book is an excellent resource for dessert recipes made with heart healthy olive oil.  You can purchase your own copy at Amazon or QVC.

WIN: Micki has offered to give away one copy of her fabulous new cookbook to a Moana Saves reader. To enter tell me if you've ever baked with olive oil. 

To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
2. Become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
3. Like Moana Saves on Facebook.
4. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.
5. Like the Olive Oil Desserts Facebook site.

6. Follow Olive Oil Desserts on Twitter.

7. Tweet about this giveaway with the following (once a day max): #Win Olive Oil Desserts by @oliveoilchic from @moanasaves ends 4/23 http://bit.ly/f5CLdt
 
Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway.  He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S.  This giveaway ends Saturday 4/23 HST (Hawaii Standard Time).  One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org.  I will notify the winners via email and they must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive a product sample to facilitate my review.  Any and all opinions here are my own.

Moana Saves had a Nutella Party!

On Saturday, March 19th, we, the bloggers here at Moana Saves, threw a party courtesy of the folks at Nutella!  It was as much fun as several women who run away from their families on a Saturday night in a bar-less town can have.  We ate . . . a lot of Nutella and had fun talking about grown-up stuff.  Nutella sent us a large box of goodies, some of which was a 26 oz jar of the good stuff, Nutella spreaders (complete with a curve at the end to accommodate the ridges of the bottom of the Nutella jar--woot!), a few other Nutella branded items and some info about Nutella Hazelnut Spread.

For instance, did you know that there are more than 50 hazelnuts in a 13 oz jar of Nutella hazelnut spread?  And did you know that Nutella does not contain peanuts or peanut ingredients, nor does the product come in contact with peanuts during manufacturing?  We learned all this and more (like Nutella is gluten-free and Kosher!).  (And we ate Nutella on homemade waffles topped with banana slices, see on the right? but I digress).  Probably the most important thing we learned as women trying to feed our families a balanced breakfast to send them off in the morning is that a slice of whole wheat toast with Nutella hazelnut spread, a serving of fresh fruit and a cup of yogurt or 1% milk provides balanced nutrition to start the day.  Which basically goes along with my personal affirmation: Nutella in moderation, Nutella in moderation . . .

Mahalo nui loa to the folks at Nutella for giving us a chance to get together and eat Nutella (in moderation)!  Check out the Nutella website for nutritional info on my favorite hazelnut spread, Nutella sweepstakes and a $1 off Nutella coupon!

And hey--

if anyone else wants to send us big boxes of treats so we can have another party, you can email me at moanasaves at gmail dot com because we're fair like that . . .

Leonidas Fresh Belgian Chocolates with a Giveaway

Attention all chocolate lovers!    

Do you want to taste some delicious premium chocolate? 

Just keep reading...

Today we're featuring Leonidas Belgian Chocolates on Moana Saves.  Leonidas is is a world-renowned maker of chocolate. While preparing for this review I read the following on the Leonidas website:

"When a recent survey asked 20,000 Belgians what they thought about different brands, Leonidas was the outright winner in the chocolate category. In fact, 1 in every 3 top quality Belgian chocolates sold comes from Leonidas - and 55% of Belgians say that we are the most highly-rated chocolate maker in the country. Not bad, in the most chocolate-obsessed country in the world."

Answer me this: What better way is there to end your day than to bring good friends and an abundance of really good chocolate together? When the people over at Leonidas sent me chocolate for review I just had to invite the other Moana Saves bloggers over for a girls' chocolate party. Our chocolate tasting test of choice was a sampling using our 5 senses. 

• Smell: Does the chocolate have a fruity or spicy smell? Yes, chocolate really does have different scents, especially the fresh rich dark chocolates that I smelled.
• Sight: The bar should be flawless with luster (higher gloss indicates freshness). When broken, the brake should not collapse in splinters and crumbles. I broke one of the Napolitains for this test and it was definitely a clean brake compared to store bought bars (whose names shall not be mentioned). 
• Touch: Cocoa butter melts at 94°F; it should melt at body temperature. The higher the quantity of cocoa butter the better the quality of chocolate and the lower the melting temperature. My verdict: I could hardly get these sweets in my mouth quick enough to avoid sticky chocolatey fingers. 
• Taste: My favorite part! A+ to Leonidas! My favorite in the Napolitain assorted pack was the Feuilletine (milk chocolate with crispy biscuit pieces) and the Nibs (dark chocolate with fragments of cocoa beans). In the general assortment there was such a variety I can't say which was my favorite but the most memorably unique chocolate was the small pink heart pictured above (top right) with it's delicious fruit filling (I think it was cherry?). 

SHOP: Purchase any chocolate of your choice at the Leonidas website. For a limited time Moana Saves readers can receive a $12 discount on the purchase of the Napolitains sampler box by using the code "moanasaves" or clicking THIS LINK that automatically applies the $12 discount.  Just in time for Easter or Mother's Day!


GIVEAWAY: On to the really great news! Leonidas is giving away a pound of individually wrapped Napolitains to one lucky Moana Saves reader. That's 70 pieces of chocolate! To enter to win become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).

To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).

2. Follow Leonidas on Twitter.
3. Like Moana Saves on Facebook

4. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.
5. Tweet about this giveaway with the following (once a day max): #Win some yummy Belgian chocolates from @Leonidas and @moanasaves ends 4/9 http://bit.ly/exDjkD

Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway.  He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S.  This giveaway ends 4/9/11 HST (Hawaii Standard Time).  One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org.  I will notify the winners via email and they must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive free product samples to facilitate this review.  Any and all opinions here are mine.

Moana Saves Rave: King Arthur Flour

Once in a while we come across a product that deserves another shout out.
Thus, a Moana Saves RAVE.
As in, not just good, or great, but we really do want to rave about you!
And, this time, it’s King Arthur Flour.

I reviewed a few King Arthur Flour baking products here on Moana Saves (all were GREAT!) but I just have to rave about their kids baking items.  The pizza kit I reviewed in February was so much fun to make. I loved the simple instructions and more importantly the taste! I am a whole grain eating momma but this pizza crust was so light and flavorful I couldn't tell it was whole wheat until I checked the label. In the past I've also tried their ABC donut kit that unfortunately is a discontinued product. (BEST baked donuts I have ever tasted and my kids were the chefs. Hopefully a baked donut substitute is introduced before we hungry donut people go crazy!)


King Arthur Flour has some great looking kids baking products listed on their site. Head over HERE and check out their kids baking tools and food kits. I'm especially interested in trying out the foodoodler markers, edible ink from marker sized pens. Doesn't that look fun?

Congratulations on reaching rave status on Moana Saves, King Arthur Flour!