Happy Monday to you!  For all the Canadian folks…. a special Happy Victoria day to you!  What a weekend!  The weather is above average to say the least ( in the mid 20′s or higher) which is so nice to see.  The action packed weekend contained a huge grocery shopping spree in preparation for a big Sunday feast, BBQ clean up for 3 hours on Saturday, Zest and Mrs. Zesty driving a dirt bike, a Sunday family gathering at our house and last but not least a special Kashi delivery on Friday!

So as you know by now, I am a big fan of Kashi products.  Whether it is the crackers or bars I rave about, I am sure you have read it before.  The kind folks at Kashi contacted me last week and asked if I wanted to try some new samples and of course my response was a toned down version of “Hell Yes”.  With that said, I waited patiently and told the whole fam that we were getting a fun parcel.

Here are a few of the shots I took when the parcel arrived on the scene.

I am so excited to try some of the new products because here on Prince Edward Island – I cannot find some of these flavors at the grocery stores.  A few of my pre taste favorites have to include:

1. Chocolate Pretzel
2. Peanut Peanut Butter
3. Blackberry Graham
4. Both Cereals and Crackers!

Have you ever tried any of these flavors?  What is your favorite Kashi bar?

Just because I cannot wait any longer I have to go through and talk to you about the menu from yesterday’s feast.  I will feature some of the recipes I created throughout the coming weeks.

Zesty’s Sunday Dinner Menu

• Sweet Thai Chili Oven Roasted and BBQ Chicken Wings
• Spinach salad with raisins, almonds and berries
• Coconut Crusted Salmon
• Pineapple and Mango Salsa
• Oven Roasted Turkey Breast w/ Apples
• Fresh blueberry sauce for the turkey
• Oven roasted smashed potatoes.
• Fresh Cous Cous salad
• Steamed corn with cracked black pepper and butter
• Sweet Potato Fries with spicy dip
• Homemade chocolate chunk cookie ice cream sandwiches

I am off to shingle a roof for my aunt.  Wish me luck as I am not super handy both with a hammer nor on a ladder.  But I heard rumblings there will be homemade biscuits at break so that pretty much sealed the deal.  Have a super great Monday

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Happy Wednesday! Today I wanted to take a minute of your time and share with you what I consider a “COOL” product. Maybe you have seen this in stores before but for me I totally stumbled upon this by accident. I was rushing through the grocery store a couple of weeks back looking for the traditional chocolate topping and I ended up buying the wrong product as I would soon find out.

For a quick dessert I was on the hunt for some chocolate sauce to go with some fruit and pastry when I ended up coming home with the magic shell.  And of course I didn’t read the instructions – I just plopped it in the fridge until I was ready and then quickly gave it a squirt.  All of a sudden I was like ” What the heck” – It is all runny and doesn’t look right.  With that said, I had to read the instructions.

Instructions
Please shake well for 20 seconds and squirt all over your dish.  Then place your dish in the freezer for 30 seconds.  End result:  The chocolate firms up and becomes like a shell.  Very cool!

The Magic Shell in Action

So my Dad is a huge ice cream fan and an even bigger fan of homemade banana splits.  With that said he asked me to whip him up a banana split and test out the Magic Shell.  Below are the results and the consensus is… The chocolate is great!

Have yourself a great day and remember have fun with what you do. Sit back and relax - try not to be in panic mode!

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Happy Thursday to you!!  Well I am on the road today to the Nova Scotia passport office.  We need to get the kids passports as we are planning a road trip to Boston in the middle of August.  Boston you say? Yes Boston!  I am attending the Healthy Living Summit on August 15th.  I am very excited and looking forward to presenting at the conference.

On to the topic of the day… blueberries.  I was driving home from the office today and I decided to stop by the super market and pick up a few things.  As soon as I walked in the door I saw a big blueberry stand.  I was thrilled and picked up a couple of boxes.  One for the drive home, and one for later.

Did you realize that BLUEBERRIES are amazing for you?

How to choose a good Blueberry

Blueberries are literally bursting with nutrients and flavor, yet very low in calories.  Choose blueberries that are firm and have a lively color. Shake the container, noticing whether the berries have the tendency to move freely; if they do not, this may indicate that they are soft and damaged or moldy. Avoid berries that appear dull in color or are soft and watery in texture. When purchasing frozen berries, shake the bag gently to ensure that the berries move freely and are not clumped together, which may suggest that they have been thawed and refrozen.

Blueberry Tips

Fresh berries are very fragile and should be washed briefly and carefully and then patted dry if they are not organic. Wash berries just prior to use to avoid prematurely removing the protective bloom that resides on the skin’s surface.  When using frozen berries in recipes that do not require cooking, thaw well and drain prior to using. For cooked recipes, use frozen berries since this will ensure maximum flavor.  Extend the cooking time a few minutes to accommodate for the frozen berries.

A few quick serving ideas

Add frozen blueberries to your breakfast shake. Fresh or dried blueberries add a colorful punch to cold breakfast cereals. For a deliciously elegant dessert, layer yogurt and blueberries in wine glasses then top with granola.

Try some blueberry toast , a  simple berry smoothie or a savory dish with blueberries and chicken.

So there you have it!  Zesty does blueberries.  I hope you have a great day and I will see you on Friday for the week’s end.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty