California Tea House Peach Tree Oolong and Caribbean Cream Tea Review

The California Tea House is a family owned tea store where you can find some of the world’s best loose leaf tea blends and organic herbal teas.  Their roots started in local California farmer’s markets where their exclusive tea collection of loose teas and delicious dessert tea blends became so popular they decided to take a business venture online so everyone can have an opportunity to this unique and amazing tea.

They only use the highest grade tea and organic herbs and spices...even in the blended varieties that are offered.

California Tea House sent out two of their favorite varieties of tea so I could sample and review them.

Peach Tree Oolong...."Estate grown Oolong tea blended with peach preserves."  Did you know Oolong is proven to improve the health and appearance of your hair, skin and smile.

This tea reminded me of Summer-time.  How perfect since we are in the dead of winter here in the Midwest.  The smell of Summertime Peaches filled the air.  I loved actually get my tea ball out so I could steep a cup of this refreshing and relaxing blend.

Caribbean Cream...."The finest peony white tea blended with papaya, pineapple preserves and yogurt pieces".

This was a totally unique tea experience for me.  Opening the sealed package my senses were greeted with a floral earthy sweetness.  I was delighted at how light this tea was.  The flavors were not overpowering, but complimentary.  Delicious!

California Tea House has VERY Competitive Pricing and FREE SHIPPING NATIONWIDE on ALL ORDERS, regardless of size!!  So stop on by their website and purchase some today.

You can sign up for California Tea House Newsletter so you don't miss out on anything..the sign up in located on the lower left area of their webpage. 

And you can also follow on Facebook and Twitter. 

Disclaimer:California Tea House provided me with free
samples of these products to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if
I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.

Dick's Nut Sack 1 lb Salted Peanuts in a Burlap Sack, T-shirt and Hat Giveaway / Review $57 Value

Don't worry everyone!!!

This review and giveaway is PG Rated!.....Don't let the name.....

Dick's Nut Sack.....Fool you.

Okay, I must admit the day I saw the ad on the side of Facebook for "Dick's Nut Sack" with a photo of a burlap bag...I was intrigued and just had to click on the link to learn more.

I had to smile when I saw that there was reason behind the...let's say Unique and Racy Name...and I must admit, it does get your attention!

But seriously (yes, I know that sounds impossible with a company name like Dick's Nut Sack)....


Dick's Nut Sack is Western Pennsylvania's number one nut distributor. They pride themselves in providing the highest quality nuts right to your door. Their nuts are also sold by distributors both locally and nationally. Dick's Nut Sack makes a great gift for hunters, fisherman, and any outdoors person.  You can even purchase Dick's Nut Sack products including salted Peanuts and apparel online.

Dick was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dick is a 3rd generation candy maker and has become a local legend in Pittsburgh with his amazing candy and tasty nuts. People from all over the tri state area travel to his candy shop for his treats.

Dick is involved in local community groups and supports area sports teams. Dick is very supportive of Pennsylvania Youth Wrestling, Baseball, Competitive Dance Teams, and Swimming Clubs.  I love finding out facts like this!  What a great and caring company.

So ....After popular demand, Dick decided to sell his fresh and special Nuts!

I am thankful Dick made that decision and I am thankful for that fateful day on Facebook, that lead me on this crazy, fun and tasty journey...and in turn lead to a package of Dick's Nut Sack being delivered to my door for review and to host a great $57 Value Giveaway of Dick's Nut Sack Products!

I was sent a pound burlap bag of salted Dick's Nut Sack Peanuts and this very fun and well constructed t-shirt....

 here is the back of the t-shirt.

I was pleased to feel how heavy this 100% Cotton t-shirt was...It seemed true to size and will hold up very well to wear.  It is worth ever penny.

The Re-usable Burlap Sack of Dick's Nut Sack Salted Peanuts was an experience I will never soon forget....and not just because of the unique name and packaging. 

Truly there is a reason why Dick's Nut Sack is the #1 Nut Distributor in Pennsylvania.  These Salted Nuts are fantastic.  They are not too salty and the natural sweetness and nuttiness of the peanuts shine through.  Extra care in obviously used as the Salted Peanuts are first placed into a plastic bag and sealed...then are placed into the burlap bag and tied with a rope...so they will stay nice and fresh until you are ready to enjoy a handful of Dick's Nut Sack (snicker...snicker)

The Giveaway is also going to include a 1 pound burlap sack of Dick's Nut Sack Salted Peanuts, a Dick's Nut Sack T-shirt and one of Dick's Nut Sack NEW Flex Fit Hats.

Learn more about Dick's Nut Sack on their website.....Facebook.....Twitter.....Youtube.



Okay! Who is willing to grab Dick's Nut Sack and Dive In????  Enter for your chance to win below...

Disclaimer: Dick's Nut Sack provided me with a free
samples of these products to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if
I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or
sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

My Memories Digital Scrapbook Software Giveaway / Review $40 Value

As a busy mother of three little boys, two dogs, too many fish to count, and a husband (need I say more) + working full time and blogging.....it is very challenging to find the time to sneak in a moment or two and spend the time I should on organizing our family photos.

Organizing sounds so boring...Hey maybe that is why I have fallen greatly behind on my photo obligations like scrapbooking and fun stuff like making calenders and other personalized mementos.

Let's just say I received a life changing email a few weeks ago introducing me to a amazing and easy to use digital scrapbooking software ....

 My Memories Suite

My Memories so graciously shared a copy of their My Memories Suite scrapbook software for my personal use and review...a $40 Value!  And they are going to provide 1 of my lucky bloggy friends the same My Memories Suite Software (Details below on how to enter).

"MyMemories Suite software is a complete digital scrapbooking solution that provides a comprehensive powerful set of creative tools no other scrapbook software can offer. With its intuitive workspace and enhanced time-saving features, this application is perfect for a beginner to create a complete album in minutes, or to empower the design pro to build a scrapbook album masterpiece.

With over 1,500 papers, over 1,000 page elements, and over 30 album templates (including 10 new for v3), MyMemories Suite lets you hit the ground running with your very own scrapbook or photo album in a matter of minutes. It’s easy-to-use and affordable—and compatible with both Windows and Mac computers."

I was able to download the Software directly to my home computer (it did take around 2 hours for the download...but it is well worth the time and wait).  After installing the digital scrapbooking software I was pleased to see how user friendly it is and I am certain will continue to be.  As I know I have only started to scratch the surface as to what this My Memories Suite is capable of.

Look at my first attempt with this easy to use software.

This only took me a minute or two to put together.

I then realized you can even make your own calenders....look at this creation with my loving Lab Lucky.

I am going to have so much fun this this My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Software.  I can't wait to use it more and see other the other features that await. 

If you don't want to miss out on enjoying this Scrapbook Software...you can order your own today with an amazing $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store...just use code STMMMS3617 .

Did you know MyMemories is on Facebook and Twitter plus they have their own blog!

Enter for your chance to win this amazing software below...International Reach on this Giveaway!!

Disclaimer: My Memories provided me with a free
sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if
I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or
sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Enter Anthony's Pasta Moments Contest and Win a Kindle Fire!

Who here LOVES Pasta?

Who can't image life without Pasta?

Who has an awesome Pasta Moment captured in a photo, that they are willing to share?

Thanks to Anthony's Pasta new Facebook Contest...

"Somewhere in America, home is...."

You can share you pasta moment for the chance to win a Kindle Fire and a years supply of Anthony's Pasta!!

All you need to do is head on over to Anthony's Pasta Facebook Page and "Like" - then click on the right side tab labeled "Photo Contest". 

It is so simple (I even shared a photo!) to enter.  Submit your favorite photo with pasta....Include the caption and fill in the blank, "Somewhere in America, home is...."

Anthony's Pasta Moments Facebook contest runs though March 4th, 2012 and you can vote daily on your favorite Photo.

They are giving away weekly prizes...1 Years supply of Anthony's Pasta...and on the 8th Week the Grand Prize Winner will be a proud owner of a New Kindle Fire and a Years supply of Anthony's Pasta!!! 

The Runner up will  receive a Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless Steel 4-Piece 12-Quart Pasta/Steamer Set and a Years supply of Anthony's Pasta!!!

If you are not up for an entry into this amazing Giveaway Thanks to Anthony's Pasta.....why don't you just stop by and vote for my photo submission......

The joys of pasta!!!

 

Click here to read more about the Official Rules.

3 Boxes of Lucy's Gluten Free Cookies Giveaway / Review $15 Value

Lucy's

Such a simple Name......that stands for such goodness and enjoyment for those with severe food allergies and those with not.

When Dr. Lucy Gibney discovered her child had severe food allergies, she got down to some serious medical research—in the kitchen. What began as a mother’s tasty recipe for her child has today developed into a delicious alternative for people with or without special dietary considerations.

Lucy's cookies are gluten free and made without milk, eggs, peanuts or tree nuts, but you'd never know it—they’re scrumptious. They employ the very best allergen control methods to help safeguard you and your family.

Lucy's sent me out an amazing selection of their NEW Cookies (to review and Giveaway to 1 lucky person)....three amazing flavors to be exact...

Chocolate....Maple Bliss.......and.......Ginger Snap.

I am sure you will all be shocked to hear...I immediately had to try the Lucy's Chocolate Cookies.  They were delicious.  Nice and crunchy, but not hard.  The chocolate flavor reminded me of cocoa.  The were not overly sweet or too chocolaty.  A perfect topping to a bowl of vanilla ice cream. 

The Ginger Snaps were everything you would expect in such a delightful cookie.  They had great texture...crispy and not hard.  The spices used really popped in my mouth.  It was a flavorful explosion.

But I was shocked at the last cookie I sampled, ended up being my Favorite!!  The Maple Bliss are  out of this world.....I need more!!!  I am trying to find words to express the flavors captured in this light and crispy cookie of Lucy's.  These cookies are not too sweet and not overly maply (if that is a word).  They are perfection!!

Lucy’s stand as proof that a modified diet doesn’t have to be a limited diet.

Lucy’s cookies are made in a dedicated bakery where they use the best available testing methods to exclude specific allergens: gluten, milk, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts.

Who wants to win some of their own Lucy's Cookies that I was so lucky to sample???

Win $49.95 of Dale and Thomas Popcorn...Happy National Popcorn Day January 19th

Happy National Popcorn Day!!!!

How are you going to Celebrate this POPPING EVENT on January 19th??

Thanks to the help and request of Dale and Thomas Popcorn you can have a belated celebration with a HUGE Twelve Pack Sampler.  A value of $49.95!!

You can invite all of your friends over as the Dale and Thomas Twelve Bag Sampler contains twelve delicious flavors of  their gourmet popcorn.

Each bag is one foot long and serves 2-3 people.  So that means 12 bags times 2 to 3 people each = 24 to 36 servings!!!  Party on!!!

Traditional Twelve-Bag Sampler Includes the following flavors.

Dark Fudge with Praline Almonds

Hall of Fame Kettle Corn

Southwest Cheddar Chipotle

Chocolate Chunk N'Caramel

Cinnamon Crème DrizzleCorn

Peanut Butter & White Chocolate DrizzleCorn

Twice-As-Nice Chocolate DrizzleCorn

Dale's Caramel

North Country Cheddar

Double Chocolate Drizzlecorn

Black & White Biscotti

Summertime BBQ

Which one would you try first......Don't forget as that is one entry to get you closer to having this amazing Dale and Thomas Popcorn delivered to your home in the 48 Continental US States...No PO Boxes! 

I had the opportunity in early December to review an amazing Holiday six bag sampler from Dale and Thomas.

So I can say from personal experience you will not be disappointed if you are the lucky winner. Each and every bite is fresh and crunchy. The popped kernels are huge and I LOVE the fact there are not many popcorn hulls. All the perfectly popped kernels are coated to perfection with whatever flavor they are blessed with.

Learn more about Dale and Thomas Popcorn on their website and order some today.

Thank you Dale and Thomas Popcorn for sponsoring such a great giveaway for all my bloggy friends. Your the best and so is your popcorn.

Enter for you chance to win below and Don't forget NO PO BOXES and ONLY Shipped to the 48 Continental US States!

Frieda's 50th Anniversary Changing the Way America Eats - Product Review

Congratulations Frienda's

50 Years of Passion in Changing the Way America Eats!

Happy Anniversary....What a great milestone to have reached.

Offering more than 600 specialty fruits vegetables and companion items to supermarkets, restaurants and distributors, Frieda's is continuously seeking new foods to entertain palates and inspire dishes.

In 1962 Frieda Caplan founded Produce Specialties, Inc., the first woman-owned and operated wholesale produce business in the United States. Frieda, whose infant daughter (Karen) was still nursing, began the business from a small stand at the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market.

Within two years, Frieda gained international recognition for being the first to import the "Chinese Gooseberry" from New Zealand, renaming it the Kiwifruit, after the country's fuzzy flightless bird. Thanks to Frieda, the Kiwifruit is transformed from a rare specialty fruit, to a well-known and loved household commodity.

Frieda's has continue to evolve and succeed in the very competitive Exotic Fruits and Gourmet Vegetables Market.

I was excited to see the wide selection of products offered on Frieda's Website.  You can shop directly from Frieda's and have your high quality items shipped right to your door.

Frieda's was kind to provided me with four items they selected from the numerous they carry online to review.

Dried Cranberries......Dried Oyster Mushroom......White Pearl Onions........French Style Crepes....

I was pleasantly surprised at the purity of the White Pearl Onions.  They were at the peak of freshness.  They were beautifully unblemished and so white and crisp.  Did you for optimum shelf life, store at 32 degrees and away form all light for up to 4 weeks.  That is not a problem at our house.  I must confess...I am a HUGE ONION fan.  I hogged all of them and ate them pealed and raw.  They were delicious...very mild and slightly sweet. 

The Dried Cranberries were so soft, moist and chewy all in one little power packed bite.  They had a nice tang but still sweet.  A perfect and healthy snack on the go.  I would love to buy some more of Frieda's Dried Cranberries to make my Cranberry Hootie creek cookies...I know these were be perfect for my recipe.  For optimum shelf life, store at 55 to 60 degrees or up to 6 months.

I had no idea that a person could buy Fresh French Style Crepes in ready to eat form.  I was concerned how they were going to come out of the package where Crepes are typically very fragile and paper thin.  Well someone at Frieda's has mastered this challenging process.

Each crepe was easy to remove from the re-seal able bag, as they were separated with thin pieces of plastic.  The plastic helped to keep the crepe from tearing while adding ingredients on to it and rolling them up to enjoy.

The possibilities are endless on what you can add to a crepe......like fruits, peanut butter, seafood, meats, veggies, etc....  You can even heat in the microwave for 20 seconds after covering with a moist paper towel. 

I LOVED eating my crepe with a new Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Spread...it was so decadent and the sweetness of the crepe was so complimentary. 

I am still waiting to use the Dried Oyster Mushrooms.  I know they will be the perfect addition to my  homemade pasta sauce.  And all I will have to do is reconstitute them in very hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.

Well Frieda's Best of Luck in your next 50 years!  There is no doubt in my mind you will continue to succeed.

Please connect with Frieda's via

Facebook        Twitter         Youtube         RSS      FREE Club Frieda Newsletter

Disclaimer: Frieda's provided me with a free
samples of these products to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if
I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or
sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

$50 Uncommon Goods Giveaway / Review Cheesemaking Kit and Mushroom Growing Kit

Have you every wondered where to find the most unique and creative gifts of high quality at affordable prices??

Well, I can help you out...

Or should I say Uncommon Goods can help you.

Uncommon Goods was founded in 1999 and features an amazing selection of of Everything!  Uncommon Goods website is so easy to surf and find exactly what your were looking and even things you didn't know you wanted or needed.  Even great gift ideas for mom (hint! hint!)

I was amazed when I found Uncommon Goods....to see that each time you order with UncommonGoods, you can select a non-profit organization from the ones listed to receive a $1 donation from Uncommon Goods. At the end of the checkout process - after your order is confirmed - a browser window will prompt you to choose an organization to receive the contribution on your behalf.

Amazing! 
Uncommon Goods blessed me with the opportunity to select a few items from their wide selection to feature here on Fishful Thinking and along with the feature they are going to give 1 LUCKY person $50 to spend at Uncommon Goods!!

Being a Cooking fanatic and mother of three 3 boys I decided to find some things that would involve food and of course something special and fun for my boys. 

So what did I pick?  What did I pick?

Well of course once I saw the cheese making kit .... I knew we had to try that out!

And the Mushroom Kit and a cute Cupcake candle.

The Cheese Making kit is so much fun.  I will admit the first batch we tried to make was a flop, but as you will see the second try was a HUGE Success.  I had NO idea How to make cheese until we received this very unique and fun kit - that by the way can make up to 30 Batches!!!

The kit comes with everything you need, except for the milk.

Look we made curds!!

The instruction book was very easy to follow and full of useful suggestions to help the cheese making process go smoother.

Stretching the Cheese into shape!

We decided to make Mozzarella Cheese, but you can also make Ricotta.

The Mozzarella was perfect!!  We enjoyed some plain and some with our supper tonight - lasagna rolls...it melted perfectly.  The boys and I can't wait to make another batch.

Isn't it beautiful!!  We actually made that!!

The Mushroom Kit is just as much fun, but not nearly as labor intensive. 

The kit is very simple to use.  Plus you can get from two to four harvests off this kit of Oyster Mushrooms.

We are still growing on our crop of Oyster Mushroom.
All it takes is misting the front of the prepared box with water (mist bottle is included) twice a day.

The Birthday Cake Candle is waiting to be used at our next Birthday Party.  It says the candle is scented vanilla, so it should be a lot of fun.

Okay Who Wants to win $50 Gift Certificate to use at Uncommon Goods???


Enter below for your chance to win.

Disclaimer: Uncommon Goods provided me with a free
samples of these products to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if
I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or
sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Amazon $100 Twitter Blast - Enter Today!

Everyone loves Amazon Codes. Join Kobiso to win $100 to Amazon? Complete the entries in the Rafflecopter below. You can come back and do a few each day or do them all in one sitting! Good Luck!

Dog Gone Jerky $60 Giveaway / Review 100 Percent Real Meat! USA Proud

My two furry boys were so excited to find out they were going to be reviewing some amazing Jerky Treats from..

Dog Gone Jerky

Their tails wagged for days waiting for their beloved package to arrive.  It was so much fun when it finally arrived....they really knew it was for them.  And let me add my three two legged little boys were very disappointed as they thought the Jerky looked like it should be for them.

Look at the quality of 100% Meat used to create this perfect treat for your four legged friends.

Not only is Dog Gone Jerky using 100% meat, but the meat is USDA human grade!

The USDA has inspected and approved all the meat used...

and

...Dog Gone Jerky is actually made in a Human Manufacturing Plant *Not a pet food manufacturing plant**

I really appreciate that only two ingredients go into Dog Gone Jerky....100% Real Meat and less that 1% Sea Salt.  That is it! 

No By-products! No Wheat or Corn.  No Sugar! Grain Free. No Artificial flavors or colors.

All Natural!

My rescue dogs Lucky (lab) and Radar (Corgi) had the chance to sample all three flavors of Dog Gone Jerky.

100% Hand Carved Chicken Jerky
100% Premium Beef Jerky
100% All American Pork Jerky

Which come in bags sizes 3.5, 7.5 and 15 ounces.

Then it is my job to report what they thought of the samples and write this review PLUS give some other lucky dogs the chance to try some for themselves. 

The taste testing was quite the event.  I could feel the excitement in the air.

They couldn't get enough of the Dog Gone Jerky.  Honestly they had no preference on the three flavors.

They just wanted more and more and more.  I loved the size of the Jerky pieces. 

Lucky was trying to tell our son it was HIS Dog Gone Jerky!

Some were very large and others were smaller...perfect for my two pups.  They give Dog Gone Jerky three woofs out of three woofs.

Okay who wants to win $60 worth of Dog Gone Jerky???  Do I hear any woofs or barks.  Enter for you chance below.  Good Luck.