friday links + giveaway!

Happy Friday!

I have some wonderful shots of seals.
These seals know that the fishermen clean out their boats after loading the days catch, and they wait, patiently for the chum scraps to come out the end of the boat.
If you look closely, there is a smart seal, that sits right next to the water shoot and catches all the chum.
Greedy (but smart) little guy.


The seagull sitting on the back kills me!

Looking at me for treats.

See the one right under the water shoot?  He knows what he's doing.

Photos taken in chatham, ma.


Being a huge tea lover, Harmless Harvest 100% Raw Tea recently sent me a nice care package of their new raw tea
to try. Have you tried these? Wow are they good. Just 100% raw, clean, healthy tea.
No crap, no fillers, no aftertaste--just honest to goodness tasty tea.
True all natural flavors of: raw honey-lemon, raw peppermint, and unsweetened.
What is raw tea?  Picked fresh tea leaves, never dehydrated, and then blended into chilled water.  Kept cold, kept fresh.  Where are they?  They can be found in almost all Whole Foods Markets located next to their raw coconut water.
Follow Harmless Harvest on Facebook to see where they are holding tasting samples at your local Whole Foods Markets.

Cookbook Giveaway!

The Simply Raw Kitchen by Natasha Kyssa is donating a book to giveaway!

You might remember me talking about the abundance of creativity that I found looking through this cookbook.  I was so amazed at how one can get so creative with raw foods!
From The Simply Raw Cookbook:
"....The road to good health through proper diet and nutrition can lead down many paths; you may ask yourself, should I go vegan? Follow a gluten-free regimen? Should I eat raw or cooked foods? Natasha Kyssa offers all that and more in this inspiring collection of mostly raw, whole-foods recipes that will improve your health, no matter what your age. Natasha is a former international fashion model who transformed her unhealthy lifestyle by turning to raw foods almost twenty-five years ago; she is now a raw foods consultant and restaurateur who also runs marathons in her spare time. Natasha promotes a balanced, flexible diet designed for individual constitutions and based on fresh plant foods—gluten-free, toxin-free, and simply delicious. Her regimen also takes into consideration older folks and others who cannot tolerate an all-raw diet by including cooked foods. It's a cookbook and lifestyle guide to be shared between generations, much like Natasha and her mother, who contributes vegan versions of central European classics like borscht, mushroom goulash, cabbage rolls, and lovage dumplings. Other recipes include raw soups, cakes, and puddings, as well as a raw Pad Thai and spaghetti bolognese."

To enter the giveaway:
*leave ONE comment telling us what your favorite raw food dish
*please have a valid email in your comment and/or signature line
*anonymous comments will be deleted
*drawing held 11/8/2013

Around the web:

If you have a dog I hope you've heard about the tainted jerky treats?
Does salt consumption cause high blood pressure?
On a single breath of air, Stig Severinsen sets a new official Guinness World Record by swimming 250 feet (76.2m) below the ice in a frozen lake in East Greenland
Melanin Pigmentation in salmon fillets: causes, risk factors
Hilarious! I do miss LA at times. Here is: "Shalloween"
The ultimate vegan burger
How to promote your baking business on twitter
I do love cinnamon--check out these cinnamon shortbread bars
Oh how I love this idea: finger spoons!
Some of the best international slow cooker recipes I've come across in a while
DIY pickled eggplant
12 chemicals that are screwing up your hormones
DIY homemade caramel apples (easy too!)
My favorite pudding: banana. Nick shows us how easy it is to make at home
THIS mexican caesar salad has me drooling
The incredible shrinking plane seat (unreal!)
A simple test may catch early pancreatic cancer
Are you into knitting? Here are some cute animal hat patterns
Banana cream pie rice krispie treats
Chai infused butternut squash soup
Edible chocolate shot glasses! LOVE this.
Compound in broccoli may offer protection against radiation sickness
How to remove a tree stump painlessly (let me know if this works! I have a lot of tree stumps after
hurricane sandy)
Chili-garlic tater tots
5 foods for vibrant hair
DIY kale chips...in the microwave!
Pumpkin-pecan scones with browned butter glaze
Red Sox Koji Uehara's son comments on Dad's winning
Oh the many wonders of ginger root. Love to read about this!
Salted caramel pretzels
Scentee makes your smart phone smell like cinnamon roll when you get a text (would you buy it?)
Starbucks to open first "Zen like" tea house
David Lebovitz makes mac & cheese 
All natural chocolate nut bark
Did the Earth's water come from very early asteroid strike?
Do you have kids?  Have you had one of these days? Holy Moly!
Dark & Stormy caramel corn
Little food history on the "snack cake"
Red Flannel Hash
DIY Snicker Bar! (bookmarked & printed!)
7-layer candy bar dip (LOL!)

Massachusetts Residents: 
help sign the repeal the automatic gas tax TankTheGasTax.org
Do you know that there is going to be an automatic annual increase in the gas tax? How can that be?
This summer the legislature passed into law a linking of the gas tax to the Consumer Price Index!  That means as inflation rises so does the Massachusetts gas tax.  It is the gas tax to infinity and beyond.
Worse yet, it is taxation without representation.  Legislators never have to vote again to raise our taxes, but our taxes will go up! What if the CPI goes down?  You will still be paying 24 cents per gallon! The legislature capped the minimum you will pay, but they did not cap the maximum we will all pay at the pump.
This tax increase is directly aimed at the working poor and middle class.  It will not only increase the cost of commuting to work, but it will also hike up the costs of food and clothing.
Remember, 24 cents is just the state’s gas tax.  It doesn’t include the federal gas tax.
How do we end this taxation without representation?
We pass a ballot question in November 2014.  The first step in the process is collecting 100,000 signatures.  Will you help us? We need people to collect signatures and to sign our petitions.
tankthegastax.org 

Have a wonderful weekend!

frosted pumpkin cheesecake bars with chocolate crust

With a hefty title comes a hefty dessert.
No doubt judging from the photos these bars are rich and delish.
The original bars came from the cookbook Baked Elements and they have a plain vanilla shortbread crust but I wanted to see if a chocolate crust would work and it did.
Also since I'm still on my pumpkin butter kick, I wanted to see if using pumpkin butter would work in these and yes it did. Saves a lot of time using a few tablespoons of pumpkin butter than using pumpkin.
The original recipe can be found here, and my modifications are below.


Not too many steps, the crust is fairly easy to make.
All that stuff about baking the crust with pie weights, nah, I'm not into that, I don't have any pie weights and my crust turned out fine.



This is a really good frosting base. Tasty.

See that wasn't too hard, right?

When it all comes together it's really good. Three nice layers of flavor.  Makes a lot, so you can share without feeling you will short yourself.  LOL!  I tease.



And congrats to the winners of the G.H. Cretors Popcorn Giveaway!
#33 BeeBubba and #70 Lisaiscooking.
I'll be emailing you today!

frosted pumpkin cheesecake bars with chocolate crust
adapted from Baked Elements
print recipe

chocolate crust:
2 ¼ cups flour
5 TB high quality cocoa powder (not dutch process)
½ cup sugar
¾ ts salt
16 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 large eggs

pumpkin cheesecake filling:
1 lb cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
½ cup canned pumpkin (plain, not pumpkin pie)
3 oversized TB of pumpkin butter
½  ts salt
2 large eggs

cream cheese frosting:
4 oz unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 TB pure vanilla extract
1/2 ts salt

Grease the sides of a 9x13-inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper and then grease again.  Or do whatever greasing method works for you.

For the pastry dough, put the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until combined. Add the butter and pulse a few times, until it resembles coarse sand. In a separate small bowl, whisk the eggs. Add it to the food processor and pulse just until the dough starts to come together.  Pat the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.  I did all this by hand, using my hands to incorporate the butter with the flours and then the eggs; worked fine.  I also left dough in fridge for 3 days and it was fine.
When ready to use dough, roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper until it is a bit larger than the pan (9x13-inches). Turn the dough into the pan and lightly press it into the bottom and corners. Trim off any excess. Freeze for 30 minutes.  After I rolled out the dough, I used wet fingers to push the dough into the corners.  Then back into the freezer to set up again before baking.
Preheat the oven to 375.
Line the dough with aluminum foil and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and beans and bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
I don’t have pie weights and this step was NOT necessary at all, my crust came out perfectly.
Allow the crust to cool while you make the filling.
Reduce the oven to 300.
For the pumpkin cheesecake filling, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium until it is smooth. Add the sugar and beat again until combined.
Add in the pumpkin, and the pumpkin butter, and mix. Add in the salt, and then the eggs and mix again until nice and smooth.
Pour the cheesecake into the prepared crust and bake for 20-27 minutes, or until set and the middle is not runny; a little jiggle is ok.
You must let this cool for at least an hour and it needs to go in the fridge to set up for at least 2 hours.
For the cream cheese frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (I don’t have a mixer so I mixed all this by hand):  cream together the butter and cream cheese until well combined and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and mix until smooth.
Using an offset spatula spread the frosting over the pumpkin cheesecake filling. Allow to set up in the fridge for 30 minutes before cutting and serving (I skipped this step).

friday links

Happy Friday!


I get so excited when I see Whole Foods Markets across the USA are becoming more and more proactive about displaying what foods have GMO's. Like this sign (above) as seen in my local
Whole Foods at the produce station.
Keep your eyes out for them; they are super informative.
I know they have a labeling system in place and it should be appearing soon on hopefully all their foods in store.
We have a right to know what foods are made/grown with GMO's.


Have you tried Siggi's yogurt yet?
Honestly I cannot stand all those sugar-laden, dye infested yogurts in the supermarkets.
Was so thrilled when I got introduced to Siggi's a few years back.
Just honest, pure yogurt.  The ingredients are what you recognize:
Pasteurized Skim Milk, Strawberries, Cane Sugar, Fruit Pectin, Live Active Cultures:
B. lactis, L. acidophilus, L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus,
L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis, S. thermophilus
It's a very thick yogurt, a great hefty snack filled with probiotics.
Find out where to buy some, you love them. Plus they have a new coconut flavor AND
now have drinkables & squeezable tubes for kids!  What a great way to get more probiotics
into your kids.  Especially with cold & flu season coming up.


Did you see this?
Freeze dried pumpkin!  The pumpkin craze has gone bonkers.
Has anyone tried this? (saw it at Whole Foods)


More pumpkin craze! (saw this at Whole Foods)
Anyone tried this?  Is it sweet or salty?


This is new Snap Super Candy.
I didn't try it, but heard is was candy in the form of  b vitamins to boost your energy, antioxidants to keep your immune system strong, and electrolytes to help you stay hydrated. With flavors of gummy texture (berry), bean shaped (berry), caramel, citrus, and tart.


Last week I got to see (up close and personal) an RV-7.
An RV-7 is a two-seat, single-engine, low-wing homebuilt airplanes.
They are tiny, but powerful.  I didn't get to up in it....yet.  (working on it).
If you're an airplane nerd (like myself) here is some more info on them.

Pretty neat right?  I mean even if you're not into airplanes you gotta admit this is cool.


Bought some cupcakes from Cupcake Charlies for a party.
My favorite? Hostess with the Mostess (aka Hostess cupcake clone).

They also have cake shots!

And frosting shots.

This ocean shot was too pretty not to share with you all.
Just like glass. (east dennis, ma)

Around the Web:

8 foods high in magnesium
Dad frustrated with daughters tantrum turns it into a very funny video
DIY Halloween mellowcreme pumpkins (oh so clever!)
Wonderful story (true) written by Karrie's Mom (and good for you Karrie!)
Stopping nosebleeds (does this work?)
Snack recipe: yogurt covered cranberries (has anyone tried this yogurt coating--did it work?)
"different" health tips from Dr. Mercola (some good, some ok)
How to be a better cook from Scientific American
4 health benefits of beets (I share this as I'm big into "drinking" beets now, my skin has been fabulous!)
DIY homemade buttermilk & cultured butter
Can we please stop with the fat shaming now?
Why is Denmark considered the happiest country?
Pomegranates reverse junk food damage? Hmmm (I know they are very good for your blood flow)
The cost of eating well: how to eat better for less money
I would LOVE to try this yoga inversion swing for my lower back. Anyone tried this?
Want to find haunted houses in your state? Go to hauntworld
Iconic airports--where are they now?  (love reminiscing over these)
8 things I learned from the Bhagavad Gita (interesting read)
Rob "Gronk" Gronkowski is holding all-womens football camp at Harvard?
Remember that woman that spilled coffee and sued McDonalds?
3 Chinese teachings that can change your life
Want to go to space? In a balloon?
250 ft below 3 feet of ice, Stig Severinsen sets new world record
This Dad made a better Halloween costume for his kid that you can.
Artisan Cookie Butters from Gooey on the Inside!  (please send samples!)
Protein safeguards against cataracts (promising news)
New links between sleep deprivation, immune system discovered
Another great health benefit from snacking on almonds
Slow cooker boeuf bourguignon (printed this one!)
BEST Halloween decoration ever! Turning your quadcopter into a flying ghost
A step towards early Alzheimer diagnosis 
I'm so sad!  The "Moonstruck" Cammareri Bakery files for bankruptcy!
Knowing when your book is finished


Have a wonderful weekend!
Don't forget to enter the G.H. Cretors Gourmet Popcorn Giveaway!

G.H. Cretors Popcorn Giveaway!

CONTEST CLOSED--Thank you for entering! 

You know I just love when a company approaches me with a substantial giveaway.
Absolutely I say!  And not just one winner but TWO!
I just hate when others come to me with like one bottle or one sample size to giveaway--as if!
G.H. Cretors came to me with a nice giveaway package: 5 FULL SIZE bags of popcorn to TWO winners!  So nice of them.
I was so smitten with this popcorn.  One bag got eaten in one sitting. Hubby downed one too.
Their popcorn is so fresh, so tender and so fully coated.
And it's funny because normally I don't like caramel corn because it's always too sticky, too sweet or too hard on my teeth.
Not this popcorn; it's seasoned and coated just right.

Good deal right?
TWO winners will each get a  5 piece sampler pack/bags of the worlds best tasting, GMO-free, gluten free, full of flavor, they never skimp on the coating popcorn.
Two bags of caramel corn, one bag of just the cheese, and two bags of their world famous chicago mix which combines the caramel and cheese popcorns together in one heavenly union.

There are so many good things about G.H. Cretors popcorn:

-We use Brown Rice Syrup
-No artificial flavors or colors
-No gluten ingredients
-Made with fresh creamery butter
-We use natural sweeteners
-We use locally grown Non-GMO popcorn
-My take? Which I feel is really important because I hate when popcorn brands skimp on the
coating part.  You know you get a little bit of coating or a tiny bit of caramel.  Ohhh I hate that.
G.H. Cretors does NOT do that; every single piece of popcorn is amply coated.  Hey!
This is important to me!
-Also, the popcorn from G.H. Cretors is tender, never too hard.
-Where can you find this heavenly popcorn?  Click here.



Planning a Halloween party?
Think beyond pumpkin desserts and candy corn!
GH Cretors Chicago Mix combines cheese corn and caramel corn in the same bag to create a combo offering delicious hits of sweet, salty, crunchy and cheesy in every bite.
The caramel corn is made the old fashioned way: by hand, in copper kettles.
Cane sugar, brown rice syrup (a non-GMO alternative to corn syrup with a lower glycemic impact) and real butter is heated over a flame and then stirred slowly by hand to develop its rich complex flavor and crunch.
For the cheese corn, real cheddar cheese is melted in special kettles and then gently mixed with locally-grown, air-popped corn.
The result is a perfect combination of tastes, two-cheese to one-caramel in every bag.
And, this treat is all natural and completely free of GMO’s, artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives! Just the Cheese and Just the Caramel flavors are also available.
More info at www.ghcretors.com.
Also visit GH Cretors Facebook for a chance to win single serve bags that are great candy alternatives for trick-or-treaters. www.facebook.com/ghcretors.


All you have to do to enter to win:

- leave ONE comment telling us what flavor should G.H. Cretors come up with next?
- ONE answer please
- PLEASE have a valid email address in your post or your signature line
- make sure to like them on Facebook  since they are always running giveaways!
- make sure to like vanillasugarblog on Facebook too!
- anonymous comments will be deleted

Drawing held Monday 10/28/2013  Good Luck!

friday links

Happy Friday!

Krusteaz sent a few samples of their yummy products!
Have you tried them?
I know their pancakes mix is one of my favorites.
And their Molten Deep Dish Cookie mixes which I loved (see post here) as they are so easy to mix up and kick up with your favorite add ins.

Which Krusteax mix one should I make first?
And how should I kick it up?
Tell me!

pumpkin baking humor--love this!

Next time you go to Chipotle and you get the bagged chips, saturate the chips with chipotle tabasco
sauce, and shake bag.  It is so good!  I also heard adding a touch of honey tastes good too.

Sweet Cravings by Kyra Bussanich-- the first gluten free winner of Cupcake Wars has her first
cookbook out.  And boy did this one not disappoint at all.
This is the cookbook I would buy if I had time to go to a bookstore and shop! Amazing recipes!
I hard a really hard time believing this whole cookbook was gluten free.
Some Recipes inside Sweet Cravings:
classic cream puffs
mexican chocolate baked alaska
champagne cupcakes
persian love cakes w/ cardamom buttercream
eggnog cupcakes
peanut butter truffle crispy rice bars
espresso scones
beer bread
and so much more....all gluten free!

Sneak peak of what's inside: lemon poundcake

I skipped work one day last week to go surfing, and it was amazing.
Water temp about 62 degrees, a bit chilly, but the sun is still fairly strong.
I refuse to let go of summer!
Can you see the seal? Right in the middle?  They are harmless and LOVE to have the company of
people swimming with them.  It's the sharks we have to look out for. But most of them have left.


Mmmm dinner!

Isn't that pretty?  This is Chatham, to the left of chatham fish pier, a great place to go clamming.
In the distance is part of the nauset seashore.

Dairy Queen in south yarmouth. One never knows what he'll post next....

Around the Web:

want souvenirs from a place you've never been?
8 foods even the experts won't eat!
world's most dramatic (and dangerous!!) runways (this was awesome)
your brain on potato chips
best lunch containers for soup (be careful of plastics BPA)
understand nightmares through psychology
the daily routine of the worlds most creative minds
crazy-rich serbian bachelor looking for a bride (I'm sorry this is hilarious)
most expensive halloween costumes
watch an art restoration of a jackson pollock
a fighter in the wind--norman paraisy (love the dedication they do to keep their bodies in top shape)
how flaming hot Cheetos came to be
volunteer for space travel study?
new test for down syndrome
VERY creative! 8 things to carve instead of pumpkins!
my favorite 10-minute morning wake up routine
pumpkin spice crumbcake (paleo)
granny kat's pumpkin roll
can you juice in a blender?
vietnamese coffee tart
wonderful film from Give Back Films about giving $100 to random homeless people
slow cooker recipes & tips from whole foods
31 soup recipes that crock!
how to look more awake! let me know if this works!
make 3D floor plans with your smartphone
researchers find neural activity in brain region that plays a role in recognizing faces

Have a wonderful weekend!