Giveaway: AeroPress Coffee Maker!

Ever get offered to do a giveaway with something you really love? And just can't wait to post about it? I have been so excited to do this giveaway for the longest time. Plus I have one to giveaway to you.
The AreoPress is quite the remarkable little machine. It's absolutely perfect for one cup espresso. Makes more than just one cup too, but since I'm the only coffee drinker in the house it's perfect for me. I love my starbuck via's, but they can get costly. So glad I have an AreoPress now, far cheaper and just as tasty. The espresso is so much cleaner, crisper, and WAY less acidic.
I have to be honest when I first got the package and saw the parts I was a little intimated, but once it's together you are good to go, and cleanup is literally non-existent. All you really have to do is change filter, put in ground coffee, add hot water--just like any other coffee maker. But the flavor is so much better than those awful drip makers that have that bitter, heavy, cigarette-butts-in-water taste.
Trust me, if you like clean, sharp, crisp espresso, then you have to get one. They retail for only $29.99. That's not a bad price at all in this economy.
Don't forget to check out their Facebook page for deals and giveaways too!



All you have to do to enter the contest is go to their website and tell me where you can buy one. This is their website: AeroPress.
ONE entry per person.
PLEASE have a valid email, OR leave your email along with your answer.

NO anonymous comments.
The winner will be announced on Friday February 3, 2012. Good luck!

ginger-peanut caramel chews

Those ginger chews made by The Ginger People are good. I buy them every time I go to trader joe's or whole foods. As much as I love them, they burn a hole in my pocket. Had to find a much cheaper way to devour them. So, why not try and make my own.

Granted they don't taste exactly like them--they taste BETTER!

If you are a ginger lover them you will love these. Everything turned out great on the first batch--the caramel gods were with me that day. But if I make them again, I will be using fresh ginger instead of candied. Candied ginger only gave a slight ginger flavor; I want strong ginger flavor, the only way to roll. So if you make these please use fresh grated ginger (1/4 cup or less perhaps?). These are slightly like the molasses-peanut chews I made a while back only minus the heavy dose of molasses. I stuck with that recipe because those were incredible and it's really a great caramel base for almost any add in(s).








Pour caramel into buttered glass or ceramic dish. Don't touch! Let cool a bit before slicing.









ginger-peanut caramels
print recipe

4 TB salted butter
Extra butter to grease ceramic dish
3 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup half & half
½ cup light corn syrup
½ cup molasses
1 cup white sugar
1 ts high quality vanilla extract
Giant pinch of sea salt
½ cup of honey roasted peanuts, rough chop
¼ - ½ cup candied ginger, diced fine

Wax paper squares for wrapping caramels
Extra butter for greasing up your slicing knife

Cook notes:
Remember this is hot sugar, never touch the hot sugar, never be tempted to taste test, and always use oven mits. The next time I make this I will use real ginger root. The ginger in the candied ginger was not that strong. And I think real ginger will add a nice, strong, deep flavor. I used honey roasted peanuts for that extra flavor and texture. Of course you can use regular peanuts if you like or even pecans.
I found it was a lot easier to slice the caramels when the mixture was almost cooled and set. It’s best to wrap these in wax paper. If you don’t wrap them, they will stick to each other when you store/stack them away. Make sure to work fast when you are at the last stage of adding in the add in’s. The caramel sets up fast and needs to be poured as soon as possible. So it’s handy to have your add in’s right at the ready.

Butter an 8-by-8-inch or 8 x 9 baking dish. Get out a candy thermometer and clip onto pot. Get your minced ginger and chopped peanuts ready, set aside.
In a large heavy duty pot (with high sides preferably) combine the butter, chocolate, milk, molasses, sugar, and salt. Place over a medium heat and stir constantly and CONSTANTLY scraping the bottom of pan. (You will be doing this for a while). Let it boil and cook until the temperature reaches around 247 -249 (soft ball stage). Once it hits this temperature remove from heat
And add in the vanilla extract (it will make a lot of noise and sizzle).
Just add in and stand back then stir in. Next, working fast add in your ginger and peanuts, and give it a good stir.
Once mixed, pour the hot mixture into your prepared buttered baking dish.
In about an hour or 45 minutes you should be able to handle caramel. Gently lift if out of baking dish and transfer to a wooden board or plastic cutting board.
Using a sharp knife cut long strips about ¾ of an inch, then cut those strips into 1 or 2 inch pieces.) Wrap in wax paper.
Should make about 70 pieces; all dependant on how you cut them (what size).

crispy coated pita chips (with lots of coating!)

Being that we're all foodies here, I'm so sure that you, like me, are very guilty of over-buying groceries, knowing that when you buy them you are MOST certainly going to use them straight away. You get home with all your groceries, happily and proudly placing them in their respective compartments; feeling good about placing them there and then order a pizza. Yes? Happen a few times to me too. The pita bread in this recipe are such a story. And of course pita goes stale very quickly and you have to use it right away or store in the freezer to never be seen again until you start some crazy fad diet and are starving, thus looking into the freezer many months later for FOOD.
The pita was stale a few days later and I was NOT going to throw them out, so the idea of homemade pita chips came into my mind. Never having made them before, I wasn't sure what coating should or should not go on them. And what I found out was literally any coating can go on them---the pita is the sponge to all things spice, sweet, savory, and a combo of any. Excellent.
I had always wanted to REMAKE the pita chip (much like the Dorito chip) that has a LOT of stuff on them. I absolutely hate buying pita chips (new or new/improved flavors!), with great expectations, only to open said bag and realize it's just a pita chip with a gentle coating or salt and some untraceable spice. Where's the coating? I am not going to consume calories for nothing--give me coating or give me death! Ok, not death, but give me my money back so I can go home and make my own.
What learned creating these tasty lil nuggets? I learned that unused salad dressing, and I know you all have at least 4-5 bottles just sitting away in your fridge right now waiting to be used, makes the best coatings. You knew that already though? I didn't. Salad dressing, along with a little garlic, maybe a little cheese, and maybe a little heat too. Easy peasy. BUT the best part? I think most of you will agree here on this one: you can make your pita chips a little on the burnt side. Oh yeah. I LOVE a the occasional burnt chip. Heavenly. Right?







extra coated pita chips
print recipe

package of pita bread, sliced into triangles
salad dressing (whatever salad dressing you want or oil & vinegar)
2-5 TB chopped garlic (use as much as you desire)
a few dashes of hot sauce, optional but wonderful
2-5 TB Parmesan cheese (or whatever cheese you want), grated fine
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large, but shallow bowl mix all the ingredients well. Take the pita chips and dunk them in bowl one by one or using a thongs many at a time. Make sure to coat them well. You will need to keep stirring the mix since the oil will keep going to the top and the stuff sinking to the bottom. Place them on the baking sheet, leaving enough room in between to let them crisp up.
Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until they are browned; I like mine a tiny bit burnt so I baked them longer. They cook up fast, so don't leave the oven! Let them cool a bit before eating.
They keep a few days in plastic ziplock bag. Have no idea if they freeze well; I doubt it.