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Veggie Noodles with Spiral Slicers - Brieftons Spiral Slicer GIVEAWAY!

9/28/2014

This post may contain affiliate links.

    I don't know about you, but I'm a pasta lover - all the way. Me and pasta are best friends.

    (Okay, you grammar Nazis - don't correct me!)

    Well, all right. Pasta and I are best friends. Is that better? ☺

    The problem is, I really shouldn't eat pasta, not since I began eating a low-carb eating plan (Trim Healthy Mama). And one of my daughters cannot eat gluten, so that makes pasta almost out of the question for her.

    Sure, there are other gluten-free alternatives, but they definitely are not insulin-friendly or for those who are trying to lose weight. Even my favorite Dreamfields Pasta? Well, their company has changed their tune, and it is no longer being promoted as a low-glycemic pasta.

    Rats.

    After learning about the changes with Dreamfields Pasta and realizing my daughter needed to eat gluten-free, I began to look into other options. Someone on Facebook mentioned spiral slicers, and that piqued my interest.

    Well, when I start researching something, I learn all kinds of things! ☺ I've learned that there are several types of spiral slicers, whose purpose is to slice vegetables into pasta strands for those who cannot eat pasta or are looking for healthier options.

    There are the cone spiral slicers, like the Brieftons Spiral Slicer, below - and I get to give one away this week! Click on the Rafflecopter entry form below, or if you are reading this in your email, please click over to the post to enter or click on the link below that says "a Rafflecopter giveaway.”

    You'll also commonly find what I call the "tabletop" style and the "covered pot" style of veggie spiral slicers. Each type has their advantages and disadvantages.

Cone Spiral Slicer

Brieftons "cone type" Spiral Slicer

"Tabletop" Spiral Slicer

Brieftons Tri-Blade Spiralizer

"Covered pot" Spiral Slicer

Brieftons InstantVeg Spiralizer

    I've personally used two types of spiral slicers so far: the Brieftons "cone" Spiral Slicer, and another brand's "covered pot" style of spiral slicer.

    Since I'm giving away one of Brieftons' "cone" type of spiral slicer, I'm mainly going to let you know how well this product works.

    The Brieftons Spiral Slicer is inexpensive (under $13) and easy to use. It is small and takes up very little room in a kitchen drawer or cupboard. Nice!

    The Brieftons Spiral Slicer, like other cone-style spiral slicers, is used much like a pencil sharpener, where the veggie is the "pencil", and the slicer is the "sharpener". After washing off your veggies or fruits such as carrots, potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, zucchinis, cucumbers, large radishes, apples, squash, pears, etc., peel off the skin if necessary or desired. Straight and firm vegetables and fruits work best with this type of spiral slicer.

    Use one hand to hold the spiral slicer's stainless steel handles. Use the other hand to carefully insert your veggie into the spiral slicer's "cone", making sure that the vegetable stays straight in the middle of the cone. Twist it in with moderate pressure to create long strands of the vegetable or fruit.

    When the size of the vegetable or fruit becomes shorter, use the provided "end cap" to attach to the end of the vegetable. This will help you to process the whole vegetable - or most of it.

    Oh, and the Brieftons Spiral Slicer has two different julienne sizes on it: 1/16" x 3/32" (2 x 3 mm) and 1/8" x 3/16" (3.5 x 5 mm). These sizes aren't marked on the cones themselves, but by glancing at the spacing between the blades on each side, it's evident which side is which.

    If you're more of a visual learner, you may watch the video, below, on how to use the Brieftons Spiral Slicer:

For best results when using the Brieftons Spiral Slicer:

Choose thick, firm and straight vegetables.
Place the vegetable straight in the middle of the cone, making sure it does not lean heavily toward any particular side.
Twist the vegetable into the cone with a consistent forward force.
Use the included safety cap when the vegetable gets shorter to protect your finger and minimize your vegetable waste.
Use the included kitchen brush to clean your spiral slicer right after use. This way, you won't be left with dried-on bits of fruits and veggies on your spiral slicer.

Note: If you are left handed, you can still use the Brieftons Spiral Slicer the following way:

Place the spiral slicer in an upright position on a table.
Insert the vegetable vertically into the cone, then twist and turn it with one hand (the left hand), while holding the spiral slicer securely in place with the other hand (the right hand).

This video, below, demonstrates how to clean the cone-types of spiral slicers:

Basically, use running water and the provided brush that comes with it to clean out the vegetable/ fruit remnants from inside and outside the "cone". You can also pop this into the dishwasher, which is a nice option.

Julieanne's thoughts about the Brieftons Spiral Slicer:

1. It took a minute to get the hang of it, but it wasn't hard to use, although it was harder to make consistent long strands of "noodles" than with the other spiral slicer I own.

2. I like the low price...very nice!

3. As I turned the zucchini into the spiral slicer, I was using effort and concentration to make certain I didn't cut myself. I'm thankful that it comes with a finger guard to help guide the smaller pieces of veggies and fruits into the spiral slicer so I wasn't cut up by the sharp blades.

4. Even though this looks harmless, it could be quite dangerous to a child, so make sure this is kept up and out of reach around younger children.

5. Will this truly make noodles? Yes, it will. They may not be quite as consistent in shape and size as some of the more expensive spiral slicers, but it does make vegetable strands, overall, for low carb and healthy vegetable meals.

6. This spiral slicer is designed to actually "core" zucchinis so that the seeds don't end up on your dinner plate!

Let's give away one brand new Brieftons Spiral Slicer!

Entrants must be 18 years or older; only U.S. residents are eligible to enter this giveaway.

I will select the winner of this prize using Random.org (via this Rafflecopter entry form, below).

I will be verifying the winning entrant's giveaway entry options to make sure they are valid. In the past several months, multiple winners were excluded from winning even though their names had been selected randomly as winners, because they said that they had signed up for email subscriptions but had not completed the process, which includes clicking on an email you will receive to confirm your subscription. An email subscription to Joy In Our Journey.com is not a requirement to enter our giveaways, but if you do use an email subscription option to enter to win, please make sure that you click on the confirmation email that you will receive. That will validate your entry. Thank you! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post was originally published on http://www.JoyInOurJourney.com. If you see this posted elsewhere, it has been illegally scraped, and I'd love it if you would let me know. Thanks!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

75 Comments

Silicone Baking Mats - neat tips for using them

9/14/2014

1 Comment

Have you used any of the newfangled silicone baking sheets that have been out for a few years?

I've had a popular brand of silicone baking sheets in the past, and they've worked fairly well.

Silicone baking mats replace the need for parchment paper, wax paper, oil, or grease!

Note: this blog post contains quite a few graphics. If you are receiving this via email, you may want to click back to the original post to view the photos and graphics more accurately. Thanks!

However, when I received this BakeItFun Silicone Baking Mat, I realized that this new product was going to be a lot more fun to use! It's a standard half size baking sheet size, which is great, about 1/2" narrower in width than the Silpat. It fits my rimmed baking sheets better. This is a USA Half Size Baking Mat - 16-1/2" x 11" (280x420mm).

See the "ruler edge" on all four sides of the baking mat? I really like the measurement guides on all four sides because they make the mat so versatile. Nice for rolling out dough to the correct measurements! I also think the "cookie placement" circles on the sheet itself are a great option. I'll be using this for years to come.

Make French fries with no oils! There's no need to turn the fries or potato wedges half way through the baking time, because they evenly brown on both sides. Best of all, the crispy browned outside edge of the fries or wedges stay where they're supposed to, without being left behind on your pans. If you're eating the Trim Healthy Mama way, this will be perfect for E meals!

Use your mat in the freezer, microwave and conventional ovens. I'd not thought of the freezer or microwave before!

Use your baking mat for kneading dough or rolling pie crust.
No sticking, and no adding extra flour unless you want to!

Roast veggies in the oven, without a mess.

Low-carb, alternative pizza crusts work well on these mats, without sticking, even Trim Healthy Mama-approved and Paleo low-carb recipe options.

When putting egg washes on homemade breads, it's easy to clean it up after baking the bread.

Freeze individual pieces of fruit and veggies on the mats, and place them in storage bags or containers after they have frozen.

Dipping chocolates and other candies for the holidays? They won't stick to these mats. Nor will your taffy and caramel candies!

Spread out homemade fruit leather on the mats to dehydrate in the oven.

Make those fancy restaurant Parmesan Cups: Grate fresh Parmesan cheese and sprinkle it in a circle on top of the silicone baking mat. Bake until cheese is light gold in color. While hot, put the cheese "circle" over a small ramekin and top it with a larger one until it cools.

Make lollipops without a mold (Glass Candy), or Stained Glass Cookies.

Do you like cheesy nachos but don't like cleaning up afterward? Using a silicone baking mat will solve your problems with clean-up.

Do you have other ideas for using silicone baking mats? If so, I'd love to be able to share them here with future readers, so please leave a comment below, and I'll add it to my list! Thanks. ☺

Helpful tips on using silicone baking mats:

Use your silicone baking mats only within the temperature guidelines that are allowed. The BakeItFun Silicone Baking Mats are safe to use from -40F° (-40° C) to 450° F (230° C). Different mats may have different temperature requirements.
After washing silicone baking mats in warm or hot soapy water, let them air dry by rolling them and standing them on end or setting them on top of other drying dishes.
It's not safe to use cookie cutters, pastry wheels, knives, or anything sharp on silicone baking mats. While the silicone baking mats are great for rolling out sticky dough, the doughs can't be trimmed directly on top of the mats without the possibility of damaging the mats. Once the fiberglass mesh is exposed, it may contaminate your baked goods. Never cut silicone baking mats down to another size or shape.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Note: Ingredients and some products often use affiliate links to Amazon, but obviously you should shop for the best price and try to keep your dollars local when you can. Please note that there are affiliate and referral links on this page. If you click on them and make a purchase, I might make a tiny commission. I only recommend products I use personally. Your support is very much appreciated and helps keep this free resource up and running!

This post was originally published on http://www.JoyInOurJourney.com. If you see this posted elsewhere, it has been illegally scraped, and I'd love it if you would let me know. Thanks!

1 Comment

Moms' Night Out DVD Review and GIVEAWAY!

9/2/2014

60 Comments

    What could go wrong when Mommy leaves the house for an evening out with her friends...and leaves the children with Daddy?

    What's the worst thing that ever happened with your children when you left home for a getaway evening with friends or family while your husband was watching the children?

    Ha!

    I'm trying to think of anything horrific that ever happened when my dear husband, Elmer, stayed home with the girls when they were young.

    Hmm...I do remember a Sunday School teacher telling me once that Elmer would be a great father to the girls if I passed away or was too ill to care for them - except that their clothes would be mismatched and definitely not color-coordinated. ☺

    I thought that was funny, and we had a good laugh about that. She pointed this out to me after I'd been away on a Sunday morning due to a reading curriculum conference I'd attended out of town.

    IF you haven't seen Moms' Night Out yet, starring Sarah Drew, Sean Astin, Patricia Heaton, and Trace Adkins, you are in for a big laugh! This is the kind of story where you can basically figure out some of the plot, knowing that Daddy is going to have a disaster on his hands in taking care of the kiddos at home by himself, but there are some great twists and turns in Moms' Night Out that we all thought were quite funny.

    And yes, even Elmer laughed a good, hearty laugh or two when we watched this together. ☺ He's the greatest guy, to go to the theater and watch Moms' Night Out with his wife and two daughters on Mother's Day. Awwwww...!!!

Available Sept. 2 on DVD and BlueRay!

    I'm giving away one DVD copy of Moms' Night Out, even though I wish I could select more than one winner!

    Moms' Night Out is rated PG for some mild thematic elements and some action.

    I think you're going to love this movie if you haven't seen it!

    The DVD/BlueRay version of Moms' Night Out is available September 2nd, so if you don't win the giveaway here, you may look for it in your local stores and online.

    Do you find it hard to find other movies and DVDs appropriate for children and families? Take a look at my reviews of other family-friendly movies and DVDS!

Below!

Enter to win your own copy of the new "Moms' Night Out" DVD!

Entrants must be 18 years or older; only U.S. residents are eligible to enter this giveaway.

I will select the winner of this prize using Random.org (via this Rafflecopter entry form, below).

I will be verifying the winning entrant's giveaway entry options to make sure they are valid. In the past several months, multiple winners were excluded from winning even though their names had been selected randomly as winners, because they said that they had signed up for email subscriptions but had not completed the process, which includes clicking on an email you will receive to confirm your subscription. An email subscription to Joy In Our Journey.com is not a requirement to enter our giveaways, but if you do use an email subscription option to enter to win, please make sure that you click on the confirmation email that you will receive. That will validate your entry. Thank you! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

60 Comments

What to do with those silly egg rings people cook with

9/1/2014

6 Comments

    I've been making Egg "Mc"muffin breakfast sandwiches for years now. My mom taught my twin sister and I how to make them when we were just wee little junior highers. ☺ My sister and I won Grand Champion at our county fair for our demonstration of making Egg O'Muffins one summer, and we were also featured on a cooking show on a local television station. I don't remember how nervous we were back then, cooking on television, but I do remember that it was fun!

    Back in the day, we used tuna cans that had the bottom edge removed and smoothed so there were no sharp edges. They needed to be heavily greased before each use, or eggs would stick to them quite badly. If they weren't washed and dried quickly, they were prone to rust.

    These days, I prefer to use nonstick egg rings like theseSunsella Silicone Egg Rings. They are nonstick, and easy to use. Here's how to make a beautifully round egg perfect for your next "Egg O'Muffin"! ☺

Egg rings work best in frying pans and griddles that have completely flat surfaces. If your frying pan has rounded inside edges, you may find that you can only cook 1-2 eggs using egg rings without the egg whites sneaking out underneath the egg rings.
Set out your ingredients for your eggs. While your frying pan is heating, combine any ingredients you want to add to your eggs (or leave the eggs plain and still in the shells).
Once your frying pan has heated well, set your egg rings into the pan. If you don't have a nonstick frying pan that doesn't perform well without being greased, then melt butter, coconut oil, or bacon grease in the bottom of the frying pan. The silicone egg rings won't need greased, which is a time saver on those quick mornings.

Break open an egg into each egg ring, stir egg with a wooden toothpick or chopstick so it doesn't scratch the bottom of the pan (if you want it slightly scrambled), and cook over medium-low to medium heat for 8-10 minutes, flipping egg over if you prefer "over easy" eggs.
When eggs have finished cooking, remove from pan with spatula.

Alternative uses for egg rings:

How to use egg rings for beautiful breakfast sandwiches:

Round fried eggs are great for breakfast sandwiches, but how about some alternative uses for your egg rings?

The Sunsella Silicone Egg Rings are made from high quality 100% food grade, BPA-free silicone. Their 4-inch size is great for making perfectly round mini pancakes.

Serving a brunch for guests? How about serving these cute individual frittatas or mini-omelettes?

Other ideas for your egg rings:

Shape your own burger patties with ground meat of your preference.
Combine leftover finely chopped salmon, sausage, or turkey to make delicious patties for appetizers, lunch, or dinner. Serve in wedges or leave them whole.
Finely mince vegetables like zucchini, onion, peppers, mushrooms, and more for vegetarian patties and appetizers.

Sometimes, it's just fun to change up what we're doing in the kitchen, and my girls help keep the "fun" in the food in our home. ☺ Egg rings like these have helped change up some of our cooking and trying new things.

Got any other great ideas for "egg ring recipes"? Let me know, and I'll share them here with you all!

You just finished reading What To Do With Those Silly Egg Rings People Cook With. Consider leaving a comment!

This post was originally published on http://www.JoyInOurJourney.com. If you see this posted elsewhere, it has been illegally scraped, and I'd love it if you would let me know. Thanks!

Note: Ingredients and some products often use affiliate links to Amazon, but obviously you should shop for the best price and try to keep your dollars local when you can.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

6 Comments

Hi! I'm Julieanne!
You'll find me in the kitchen
trying new Trim Healthy Mama recipes, loving God, and carrying out that love as I bless my husband and teen daughters.

Find
Joy In Our Journey on:

I'd love to share your product with my readers. If you would like me to do a review and giveaway, just contact me via email and let me know how I can help.

Disclosure: Some content includes links to sponsors or affiliates, which give me a small percentage of the sale without costing you anything extra. You are not obligated to use these links when you make a purchase, but when you do so, it helps to support this site, so thank you!

Veggie Noodles with Spiral Slicers - Brieftons Spiral Slicer GIVEAWAY!

Julieanne's thoughts about the Brieftons Spiral Slicer:

Let's give away one brand new Brieftons Spiral Slicer!

Silicone Baking Mats - neat tips for using them

Helpful tips on using silicone baking mats:

Moms' Night Out DVD Review and GIVEAWAY!

Enter to win your own copy of the new "Moms' Night Out" DVD!

What to do with those silly egg rings people cook with

Alternative uses for egg rings:

How to use egg rings for beautiful breakfast sandwiches:

​​Hi! I'm Julieanne!You'll find me in the kitchen​trying new Trim Healthy Mama recipes, loving God, and carrying out that love as I bless my husband and teen daughters. ​

FindJoy In Our Journey on:

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Hi! I'm Julieanne!
You'll find me in the kitchen
trying new Trim Healthy Mama recipes, loving God, and carrying out that love as I bless my husband and teen daughters.

Find
Joy In Our Journey on:

Search
Joy In Our Journey