2009 February | Expo House and Home

Archive for February, 2009

Sweet Potato Recipe Contest

We just wanted to let everyone know about a contest brought to our attention by Jana4

All you have to do to win is make your best Sweet Potato dish and then post the picture and recipe on your blog.

For more details check out Jana4’s Blog: SweetBytes

Add comment February 27th, 2009

Many people go on strict juicing diets for health purposes or weight loss while others just enjoy a cup of fresh squeezed OJ. The benefits of consuming fresh squeezed juice over store bought sugar filled juices is undeniable.

Juicing is also one of the fastest ways to detox your body and give it the nutrients it needs to rebuild itself in various health situations. It is recommended that you consume five servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables a day because a diet high in fruits and vegetables will prevent or cure a wide range of ailments. Juicing could provide the answer to fixing our fruit and vegetable deficient diets.

Check out reviews of various juicers and blenders like the:

Breville Two-Speed Juice Fountain Plus Juicer

Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Pro Juicer

Or check out this Blender for a more “multi-purpose” appliance:

Black & Decker 48-Ounce Glass-Jar Blender

Add comment February 26th, 2009

Free Kashi frozen entree’

Kashi has 12 frozen entree’ options ranging from

Kashi Lemongrass Coconut Chicken

to

Kashi Black Bean Mango

Add comment February 23rd, 2009

Breville Cafe Roma Espresso Maker

The Breville XXESP8XL Cafe Roma Espresso is a current featured item at Woot!

It features:

The Café Roma features a 15 bar pump for optimal pressure and perfect crema on every shot of espresso

Thermoblock heating system ensures the water is at the proper temperature for brewing espresso

The stainless steel steam wand with froth enhancer allows you to create a variety of milk-based café drinks at home

Stainless steel body with die-cast warming tray capable of heating up 6 espresso cups at the same time

40 ounce water tank capable of dispensing about 26 espresso shots before needing to be refilled

Dual-wall créma technology, beneath the first wall is a second wall with a single exit hole. This produces back pressure inside the head which helps to extract flavor from the coffee

Dual-action selector dial provides control over the pump and heating system

Dimensions: 8.5” x 9.5” x 11.82”

Weight: 13.2 lbs.

Pump: 15 bar – made in Italy

But if you aren’t fond buying your products on Woot!, why not try some other expresso makers like the Melitta MEX1B Espresso Maker reviewd by Brivers222:

Add comment February 19th, 2009

Up to $2.50 in Gain laundry detergent coupons!

As we all know, laundry is one of those expensive necessities in your home. ExpoTV has partnered up with Gain to bring you some savings on some great smelling laundry detergent!

Save $1.50 on any size or scent of Gain detergent with the purchase of either fabric softener or dryer sheets AND $1 off any size or scent of Gain detergent.

Get the coupon here:

2 comments February 12th, 2009

Mo’s Bacon Bar

Everyone seems to be pretty obsessed with Bacon lately. While some creations are somewhat obvious like bacon flavored mayonnaise or salt, there are some other less obvious pairings. Mo’s Bacon Bar is one of these surprise pairings. It is described as “smoked applewood bacon flirting with deep milk chocolate” where the “lust of salt and sweet coat your tongue.”

The creator of the bar describes her inspiration for the pairing:

“I began experimenting with bacon + chocolate at the tender age of 6, while eating chocolate chip pancakes drenched in Aunt Jemima® syrup, as children often do. Beside my chocolate-laden cakes laid three strips of sizzlin’ bacon, just barely touching a sweet pool of maple syrup. And then, the magic—just a bite of the bacon was too salty and I yearned for the sweet kiss of chocolate and syrup, so I combined the two. In retrospect, perhaps this was a turning point; for on that plate something magical happened, the beginnings of a combination so ethereal and delicious that it would haunt my thoughts until I found the medium to express it—chocolate.

From there, it was just a matter of time…and what began as a love of salt and sweet quickly unraveled into an obsession. No sooner could I wait to unveil the royal coupling in solid bar form, a deep milk chocolate with bits and pieces of applewood smoked bacon and just a sprinkling of Alder salt. Really, what doesn’t taste better with bacon?”
–Katrina”

technopagan7 describes Vosges: Mo’s Bacon Bar as “interesting” and “an experience”

Add comment February 10th, 2009

Valentine’s Day Treats

While chocolates are the traditional Valentine’s Day gift, why not put a little bit more love and effort into your sweet Valentine’s Day offerings?

Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches

found at Parentsconnect.com

Ingredients:
* 1 box red velvet cake mix
* 1 cup butter, divided (softened to room temperature)
* 2 eggs
* 1 8 oz. package cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
* 1 1lb. box of confectioner’s sugar
* 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
For the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix cake mix, ½ cup butter and 2 eggs until combined.

Drop spoonfuls of cookie batter onto baking sheet about two inches apart.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool.

For the cream cheese filling: In a mixer, cream the remaining ½ cup butter, cream cheese and vanilla.

Gradually add sugar and mix until smooth.

To assemble: Spoon a small amount of frosting on the flat side of one cookie. Take another cookie and press together until frosting is flush with the edge.

OR for some chocolate indulgence:

Raspberry Chocolate Heart Tart

recipe found at Kaboose.com

Ingredients

* 1 purchased refrigerated pie pastry for 9-inch pie
* 1 cup (6 ounces) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
* 2/3 cup NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Sweetened Condensed Milk
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 cups raspberries, rinsed and dried
* Sifted powdered sugar

Cooking Instructions

1. Place pastry circle with plastic removed on lightly floured surface; roll out slightly. Trim small amount of pastry away to form heart shape. Place heart on ungreased baking sheet. Turn edges under 1/2 inch; flute. Prick pastry with tines of fork.

2. Bake in preheated 425 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on baking sheet on wire rack.

3. Microwave morsels and sweetened condensed milk in medium, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract. Spread over crust. Refrigerate for a few minutes or until chocolate is set.

4. Arrange raspberries over chocolate; sprinkle with powdered sugar.

For a fun and themed meal Justmejill shows you how to whip up some pink mashed potatoes at Expo.com:

Add comment February 9th, 2009

Eight o’clock Coffee rated “Best Buy” by Consumer Reports

According to Reuters:

Consumer Reports rated Eight O’Clock Coffee 100 percent Colombian as its best buy for ground brews, beating well-known brands including Folgers, Maxwell House and Starbucks, the publication said on Monday.

Eight O’Clock Coffee ranked No. 1 with the best combination of taste and price, out of 19 ground coffees. At $6.28 per lb, it topped the taste tests and cost less than half the price of brands including Gloria Jean’s and Peet’s.

Eight O’Clock was deemed to have a “complex blend of earthy and fruity, with a bright, pleasing sourness,” Consumer Reports said. Following Eight O’clock and also rated “very good” were Caribou Coffee Colombia Timana at $11.76/lb and Kickapoo Coffee Organic Colombia at $14.33/lb.

If you can’t find it at your local grocery store, Amazon offers the product:

Eight O’Clock Ground Coffee, Original, 12-Ounce Bag (Pack of 4) for $21.28

Eight O’Clock Coffee, 100% Colombian Decaf Whole Bean, 12-Ounce Bag (Pack of 4) for $25.33

Check out Expo reviews of Eight O’Clock products:

Eight o’clock Coffee French Vanilla Ground by ktarduaa

Eight O’Clock Ground Coffee Original by Becca

Add comment February 5th, 2009

Consumer Reports rates coffee makers

Consumer Reports recently tested coffee makers in search of the best.

They devised tests to measure brewing temperature because researchers say brewing temperature should be between 195 and 205 degrees for the ideal cup of coffee. Many coffee makers do not get hot enough to extract the best from the beans and avoid a weak or bitter brew.

Consumer Reports tested 34 coffeemakers and found one of the most convenient models that reaches an excellent brew temperature is the programmable Michael Graves 12-Cup Coffeemaker. It’s rated a Consumer Reports Best Buy.

The Michael Graves Design™ Automatic Drip Coffeemaker - Black (40304) can be found at Amazon for $42.99

Check out some other items on the Michael Graves kitchen supplies line such as this Michael Graves Garlic Press

Add comment February 5th, 2009

Holey Donuts!

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy a donut whether it be glazed or chocolate frosted (with sprinkles) but I think we can all agree they are far from the healthiest choice one can make for a treat.

Until I read about, Holey Donuts, a mail order gourmet and healthy donut distributor. According to the source, while regular donuts have 5-20 grams of fat and as much as 480 calories:

Our patented cooking process avoids deep frying, creating a light, fluffy donut with as little as 3-4 grams of fat and 150-250 calories. What’s more amazing is that we do not use any artificial sweeteners or fat substitutes to make our great tasting donuts. Our donuts are hand-made, flash frozen and delivered via express mail to arrive at your door, picture perfect and delicious!

I have yet to try these but I would love to see a review on Expo for this to really find out if these “healthy” donuts are worth the hype? They are only available by mail order from the website at this time.

Until your order comes in, you can always treat your self and pop by the local Dunkin Donuts for some delicious (and maybe not quite so healthy) Munchkins:

Add comment February 3rd, 2009