Crofter's Organic - Product Review

*photo courtesy of Crofter's Organics*

I'm leaning more and more toward natural and organic foods these days. I suppose it's mostly because I became gluten-free a year ago and can no longer eat some of the "junk" that I used to. Crofter's Superfruit Spread is organic, is tasty, and gluten-free. It's made with wild cranberries and blueberries, red grapes, and morello cherries. I'm sure most people have already heard how healthy cranberries and blueberries are, loaded with antioxidants and vitamins. Did I forget to mention that the sugar content is fair trade organic cane sugar?

The entire line of Crofter's products, and there are many, are organic and delicious. When I can't find enough wild berries (we live just outside a state forest) to make my own preserves and spreads, I rely upon purchased products to get us by. Crofter's Organic is a great source for us.

Be sure to visit Crofter's website to see their entire line of organic products, as well as to see what's available in your area. You might want to call the store ahead of time to be certain they still carry it. My favorite natural foods store only carries it from time to time. They are currently in North America, Asia, South America, and Europe.

*I received free product in exchange for my review. All opinions expressed are my own*

Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce Review and Giveaway

**This contest is now closed.**

(picture from Country Bob's)


From time to time I get the chance here at Following 31 to sample products in exchange for my honest review. This time I sampled Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce. My family and I thank the folks who sent it because we LOVED it!


Country Bob Edson created what he felt was the perfect sauce in 1968 but didn't begin marketing it until 1977. I suspect his family and friends often said something like this: "You really should sell it!" Of course it became a huge seller, as it remains today. Since that time, other sauces were created and sold - but the original is still going strong.


We used the sauce on sirloin tip steaks, a real treat for us. Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce is tangy but not overly spicy. The best thing about it (for me anyway) is that it is gluten-free. Careful - not every brand of steak sauce is. We used up one whole bottle in one meal. We were either starved for steak sauce or Country Bob's is just really good. I tend to believe the latter is true.

You can use steak sauce in place of Worcestershire sauce in recipes. If you'd like some recipe ideas, find some here. I think it'd be really good in meatloaf. My vegetarian son used Country Bob's on his baked potato.

My local Wal-mart Supercenter sells this sauce. Yours probably does too. If you can't find it locally (check the store finder), you can order it online. 


Now, for the giveaway. 


Country Bob's is graciously giving two of my readers two bottles of All Purpose Sauce. Would you like to win? Here's how to enter:


**Mandatory Entry** Leave a comment telling me how you use steak sauce. Make sure I can easily contact you should you win by leaving an e-mail address if it's not visible on your profile. This giveaway is limited to residents in the U.S. Giveaway will end at 11:59 p.m. on March 20, 2011. Two winners will be randomly chosen by Random.org, at which time they will be notified by e-mail. If the winners do not respond to the e-mail within 48 hours, alternate winners will be chosen. Prizes will be sent to the winners directly from Country Bob's.


Extra entries (Leave a separate comment for each)


1. Blog about this contest and let me know you did so (leave the url to the blog post in your comment).
2. Tweet about the contest and let me know the url of the tweet in the comments.
3. Follow me on Twitter (leave a comment with your screen name).
4. Follow this blog with Google OR subscribe to Following 31. Let me know in your comment which one you did.

I received a product in exchange for my review. My opinions expressed are completely honest.

Rachel Ray Griddle - Review

I am so proud to give you this review about the Rachael Ray double burner griddle that CSN Stores sent me to test!

This griddle is big - 18" x 10" and has an inch edge around it. In one corner is a pourable "spout" that allows the cook to pour out grease and other liquids without making a mess of the kitchen counter. It's made out porcelain enamel and is actually quite heavy. It has a nonstick interior and the handles are made of silicone - they're supposed to be oven safe to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. On top of all that, there is a lifetime limited warranty on the product.

To try this fancy griddle out, I decided it would be fun to make a Rachael Ray recipe. We chucked the meatloaf we had on the menu plan for last night and looked for a good recipe using ground beef. What could be more perfect than the Long Boy Tex-Mex Burgers that we had just watched Rachael make on her show a couple of days earlier? Before I continue, I have to tell you that this is not a healthy recipe at all. The burgers are 1/2 pound each and I'm sure they're loaded with fat and cholesterol. 


Now that you have been warned about the huge burgers and their not-so-healthy properties, let me tell you how well they cooked and how good they tasted done on this griddle.

Our Long Boy burgers were tasty and reminded all of us of those gourmet hamburgers you get in fancy restaurants. I'm not exaggerating either. You'll have to try them for yourself to get an idea of what I mean.

This is a great griddle. In all, we made seven burgers, all at once, without having to cook some and put them in the oven to keep them warm while more cooked. They cooked evenly, though the smaller burgers could be done in the center because that is where the heat was a little less (between the burners.)

We have a gas stove, so I do wonder how the bottom of the griddle will hold up after many uses. It seems as if the pans get messed up more because of the flame. Time will tell. As for now, though, I LOVE this griddle.


And if you're in the market for the same griddle, CSN Stores has them at a price less than what you'll see in many other stores. I priced them to be sure.