Want to win a d’andrea wristlet?
Then you’ve come to the right place!

Nicole D’Andrea, a local RI designer, has decided to do another giveaway right in time for the holidays. She is offering 3 RhodeyGirl readers a chance to win one of her super cute wristlets!

Like I’ve mentioned before, I love d’andrea’s designs and I love supporting small businesses. My d’andrea purse from a few years ago is still in perfect condition, and I love how the leather gets even softer and silkier with age. This year Nicole has the above wristlets for sale at $30 each as well as lots of other classic and funky pieces. I love wristlets, especially now, because they can fit all the essentials: phone, keys, chapstick, money, and credit cards. I actually hang a wristlet off my stroller so that I don’t have to carry anything in my pockets during long walks with Raffi.

This giveaway has come right in time for the holidays. Three winners will be chosen to receive one of the above wristlets to complete your holiday outfit! Best of luck!

Here’s what you can do to get one:

1. Leave a comment saying why you NEEEEEEEED one of these wristlets.
2. Visit the website and share one fact or thing you like via Twitter. You can also just share the link to this post. Be sure to cc me (@rhodeygirltests) so I see it.
3. Share the link to this giveaway on Facebook and come back to let me know.
4. Visit the website and buy one!

**Only valid for U.S. readers (sorry!)
**Giveaway ends Dec 16th at 12 noon EST.

Another Northern Liberties find.

I love a good breakfast joint. There’s nothing better than running some early morning errands on a sunny day and then sitting down for a break for a good dish of eggs or some classic french toast.

YUM.

I’ve only been to Honey’s Sit ‘N Eat once, but ever since I’ve been trying to get PB to take me back. I’ve literally tried every excuse in the book, but it hasn’t happened yet. I’m not sure why because it was one of the best breakfasts we’ve had in Philadelphia. Actually, I’m pretty sure it’s because I’ve been running him down with all of the house projects!

Honey’s is not on the main strip of Northern Liberties, but rather it is tucked away in one of the neighborhoods. They pride themselves on using hand gathered eggs from free range chickens in Lancaster County, locally grown vegetables whenever possible, and almost everything (including the mayo) is freshly homemade.

Doesn’t that sound like the type of place you want to visit?

The decor is nothing special and nothing to note, but the environment is hopping at all appropriate brunch hours on the weekend. You’ll find new families, Philadelphia’s hipsters, hungover party birds and more all in one setting. It’s what you want out of a breakfast place. We had a wait of about 20 minutes when we went, but they have benches outside and the time passed quickly.

Highlight: The french toast. We ordered a side to share among all of us, and I wish I had ordered a whole order for myself. Ok, and the eggs were fantastic too. You could taste how fresh they are.

What to watch for: I guess just the wait, but again, with the benches outside the time passed quickly. And it’s always a sign of good food when you have to wait for it. Get there early if you can’t stand waiting for a table!

Honey’s Sit ‘N Eat
in Northern Liberties
800 North 4th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123

**Read about other Philadelphia favorites on the Philly page. We also have a list of fun things to do!

And the winner is Lauren S with the following comment…

Lauren S

August 5, 2011 at 10:48 am

I’ve been eating a lot of romaine, cucumber, pepper and red onion, nothing fancy but all local and delicious.

I’ll email you right now! Congratulations, and thank you to everyone who entered.

*********

When it’s really hot out, as it has been this summer, all I want to eat during the day are salads and smoothies.

My latest favorite salad combination is baby spinach, baby arugula, white beans, avocado, hearts of palm, cucumber, tomato, walnuts, dried cranberries, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. It’s practically a garbage salad with all those ingredients, and it’s delicious.

I love it.

You know what else I’m in love with? Olivia’s Organics. They sent me a few coupons at the beginning of the summer to try out their fun original salads, and I am now addicted to that brand only. Previously I did not have a specific brand of lettuce I purchased- I simply looked for the freshest looking bag/head/box and went on my way. Now, however, I’m not sure I can buy any prepackaged mix that isn’t by Olivia’s Organics.

My favorite types are the baby spinach and the baby romaine, and I love that the container is huge but also lasts a long time. We put a paper towel at the top of the container before closing it to absorb the moisture, and we’ve had a box last over a week that way.

I was so impressed with the salad that I want you to try it as well! One winner will receive a few coupons to try Olivia’s Organics original salads. Leave me a comment with your current favorite salad combo, and you could be the winner! You may earn an extra entry by tweeting about the giveaway. Be sure to include @rhodeygirltests so I know you did it! A winner will be chosen Wednesday August 10th.

Good luck!

PS- Two for one special.. I’m also running a Bio-Oil giveaway over on Babycenter. Head over there to enter to win a bottle of Bio-Oil!

Love Grown granola is the best granola I’ve ever had out of a bag.

I do not say that lightly.

You all know by now how much I love supporting mom & pop shops, especially ones in the U.S. Love Grown Foods was created by a couple’s passion for health and entrepreneurship, and they live right in Colorado. I recently received a (love) care package from the company with their granola, and PB and I immediately fell in love.

My favorite is the raisin almond crunch granola, um, without the raisins. I personally don’t like raisins in my granola so I pick them out and add them to PB’s bowl. Instead of using crushed TLC bars in my yogurt bowls I now use this granola and it is sooo good. Just take Fage yogurt and add some berries, mini chocolate chips, and a big handful of Love Grown granola. My favorite are the whole roasted almonds that add the perfect crunch and staying power I need.

I think testing granola and canned tomatoes are a favorite hobby because I test out different brands all the time to be sure I am enjoying the best out there. So far here are my favorite granolas in order of love:

1. Love Grown granola- The raisin almond crunch is my favorite but they are all equally crunchy and yummy. I like the price point- $4.99 for a good size bag- and I love the people behind the company.
2. Frog Hollow Farms granola- The issue with this granola is access and consistency. It is expensive (in general) but even pricier because of the shipping cost. Also, each batch can be slightly different. Jessi found the recipe online here if you want to try it.
3. Crushed TLC roasted almond crunch bars- These are great because of the long shelf life. However, they do not have the fresh natural taste that the above two do.

Check out this granola- if I like it this much I am confident you will too!

My mom used to shop at the Italian deli down the street in Cranston next to Sundae’s ice cream shop. They were the only place that carried Nutella (straight from Italy!), Delverde pasta… and Pomì tomatoes. One of our favorite dishes as kids was simply “pasta with Pomì”, basically pasta cooked al dente tossed with warm Pomì strained tomatoes. Yum.

I grew up on Pomì, and I was happily surprised to learn it still exists. I usually rush through the tomato/olive oil/pasta aisle at the market, so I had missed those gorgeous boxes for years. No longer!

Here are my favorite things about  Pomì:

1. Not only is it toxic BPA free, but the tomatoes come in a box and don’t have that metallic after taste that other canned tomatoes sometimes have.

2. It is really low in sodium.

3. It has no preservatives, added water, citric acid, or artificial flavor.

Pomì is really delicious and acts as a great sauce- without many additions needed. Since I’m a lazy pregnant lady I try to cook super simple meals most nights, and this is a great stand in sauce when combined with a few herbs. We toss it with spaghetti, add a few kalamata olives, and dinner is done!

What are your favorite super fast meals? These days I always go for pasta with sauce and whatever veggies are in my fridge.

PS- They sell Pomì at Whole Foods!!!

And the random winner is….

JoyinChina

Since I’m very single, my dream Valentines day would involve going out with girlfriends to get a mani-pedi and a massage, followed by dinner (Mexican), an array of chic flicks, and chocolate!

***Email me your contact information so we can send off your chocolates. Congratulations!

My paternal grandparents weren’t around as much as my nonna growing up, but when they did visit we went over to their house often. The house was always a bit intimidating to me. It smelled a little musty, and us kids were always given white pita sandwiches filled with apple jam. Today when I smell apple jam I am brought back to those memories instantly.

One of my many uncles who lived there along the years always had a box of Guylian chocolates. I would pick the smoothest, flattest one (usually the mussel or seahorse) and eat it as slowwwwwwwly as possibly to make it last. A Guylian chocolate is a pure, silky smooth milk, dark and white Belgian chocolate filled with decadent, creamy chocolate praline truffle. They are slightly reminiscent of the Italian gianduia, but somehow they are just a bit more special.

Guylian sent me a few chocolates gratis to sample so I could relive those memories again, and they agreed to let me share the chocolate dream with you. Up for grabs in thise Cupid-filled time of year is a bag full of Guylian chocolate shipped to your house.

Here’s what you have to do to enter: Simply leave a comment sharing your dream Valentine’s day before Monday, February 14 at 12 noon EST.

Happy Valentine’s Day from Guylian & RhodeyGirl to you!

*Disclosure: No one can turn down the offer of sampling a chocolate filled with memories, including me. I did receive these for free, but if I had seen them in the market I would have purchased them myself! As always, all of my opinions are completely my own and I am very selective in the foods I choose to share with you. Thanks for reading!

P.S. Are you sick of winter too? Dream of spring with this 5 minute salad.

Valentine’s Day 2010
2009
2008

I have a favorite mug. I know you do, too.

I am a crazy person that hides my mug in the back of the cabinet so no one else will use it. It is my favorite mug because it fits nicely in my hand and doesn’t get too hot if I have to heat up my tea.

This mug is by Oneida.

Oneida dinnerware is really beautiful, but I didn’t know that until recently! I love the Chef’s Table collection that I now own. Oneida sent me a set to check out, and more than anything I really love the bowls and mugs. I also love that they are white, sleek, and match all of our other white dinnerware.

I love that the bowls are perfect for a big bowl of soup or pasta. Because of the unique square yet round shape, the meal stays hot.

(Source: oneida.com)

I love the mugs because they fit really well in my hand. Also, we have a set of fancy coffee cups for when guests come over, but those cups are really small. These Chef’s Table mugs are perfect for a big mug of hot tea. They are simple enough for daily use, but sleek enough to bring out when we have guests.

It is raining right now as I write this, and my mug of tea inspired this post. I am cuddled up in our couch-less living room in my leopard print fleece blanket enjoying a vanilla tea and pondering the meaning of life… or just thinking about my favorite mug.

To check out the full Oneida Chef’s Table collection you can see it on the Oneida website.

What’s your favorite mug?

*Please note that Oneida sent me this collection for free, but as always my opinions are entirely honest and I only work with companies I believe in.

After a solid 4 weeks of the Athenos Change for the Feta program, I am sad to say I have completed it! It was a fun month only slightly filled with more feta salads than usual. Feta has been a staple in our salads (along with avocado- yum!) for at least a year.

Prior to meeting PB, I disliked both feta and avocado!

Luckily I smartened up and learned to love them both- and you will almost always find one of the two ingredients in my daily salad! To be clear, I do not always 100% buy Athenos brand feta, but I alternate between Athenos and another brand, based on what my market has. Unfortunately (fortunately?), it seems as though they often run out of Athenos!

I can understand why.

*Pictured here with Heather of Hangry Pants and some fabulous Athenos accessories!

If you want to add some spunk to your next salad, consider adding one of the following ingredients:

• Feta, obviously
• Avocado
• Crushed smoked almonds: They have the smoky flavor of bacon… without the animal. My favorite brand is Blue Diamond, which they sell at almost all markets.
• Fresh basil or mint
• A simple and fabulous salad dressing of lemon juice, kosher salt, feta and olive oil

Thank you all for supporting me in the Athenos Change for the Feta program. I really enjoyed sharing my creations with you, and I hope you were inspired to eat more salads this month!

Here are some of my favorite salads from the month:

• Deconstructed Healthy Spanakopita (!!!!)
• Simple Summer Salad
• Greek (Italian) Salad
• Pesto Pasta Salad (!!!!!)
• Bean Salad
• Summer Roasted Corn & Tomato Feta Salad

Please share your favorite combos in the comments below!

Winner is!

Scargosun

Honestly, the simplest Greek salad is just a HUGE fave of mine. I have been doing really simple meals lately and it just takes me back to the two weeks my husband and I spent in Greece. It seems MUCH too long ago.

*******************

Sadly, the last Athenos Feta Friday Giveaway has arrived. I will be giving away the last  fun ATHENOS Feta package to one lucky winner!

The prize package includes:

• ATHENOS Feta coupon
• ATHENOS Feta “Shape Up Your Salad” recipe booklet
• ATHENOS Feta water bottle
• Life Time Fitness 1-month membership
• Fit & Fresh salad container
• An adorable Built NY lunch bag

How to enter? Leave a comment in this post sharing your favorite dishes that use FETA. Me first! Out of all of the things I have made on this site with feta, my favorite are my Healthy Turkey Burgers and my Shrimp & Bean Barley Salad.

You can find my previous ATHENOS feta salad posts here. You have until this evening, July 30, at midnight EST to enter. I will *subjectively* be picking the winner- so make your entry good! I will post the winner at the top of this post and in the comments section this weekend.

Good luck and HAPPY FETA FRIDAY!

The last Feta Friday Giveaways can be found here and here.

Claire Robinson, of the series 5 Ingredient Fix,  has partnered with Arnold Sandwich Thins (or Oroweat, depending on where you live) to create some healthy twists on old favorites and some very interesting uses for sandwich thins.

(Source)

Arnold Sandwich Thins are awesome. What else is there to say about them? I have been buying them since they first came out and my friend Lauren called to ask if I had heard about this new “weird-looking” sandwich bread. PhillyBoy and I love them because most of the time we want a sandwich for the goods on the inside, not for the bread. If I am going to eat a traditional French baguette or fancy roll, I want to eat it alone and enjoy every little taste. With a sandwich however, I want the bread to just be part of the supporting team. Diet bread doesn’t cut it for me. It tastes like cardboard and disintegrates in my mouth. Ew. We like this bread because it is really low in calories but still tastes and feels like a nice piece of bread.

In my recent interview with Claire Robinson I learned the secrets to making healthy yet flavorful sandwiches and more using Arnold Sandwich thins. I also got some great advice on entertaining, which I will share with you now and with the audience at my presentation at the Healthy Living Summit- be sure to come and learn all of the healthy entertaining tips I have gained over the years!

10 Healthy Lifestyle & Entertaining Tips from Claire Robinson…

1. Since food is 1/2 visual, 1/2 taste, be sure to make your food look delicious! With sandwiches, it is important to have a lot of textures and flavors for the visual aspect as well as to satisfy you. Claire suggests having a melty/creamy component, a crunchy one, and a meaty one. I agree!

2. Some of her favorite sandwich supplies (and home pantry supplies in general) are the vegetables of the season, egg whites, hummus as a spread, leftover veggies, and obviously Arnold Sandwich thins. Favorite breakfast? An egg white frittata full of veggies in a sandwich thin, taken on the road. This is also her favorite post workout meal.

3, Keep ingredients in your home that you can use to quickly throw together meals. Some favorites include good olive oil, balsamic vinegar, greek yogurt, sandwich thins, agave nectar, fresh herbs (or herb infused olive oil), and the vegetables of the season.

4. To keep herbs fresh, treat them like flowers. When they come home trim the bottom and put them in a glass with water. If you buy them in the refrigerated section of the market, keep them cold. If you buy them at room temperature, keep them room temperature. To add fun fresh taste to many dishes, add fresh mint! (Note: You all know how much I love mint so I loved hearing that she does too!!!!)

5. Don’t be afraid of whole grain WHITE bread. It still has the grains in it, but tastes like traditional white bread. And it is good.

6. Make a great playlist to use when entertaining. Start the music off slow and build it up over the night. Before your guests even arrive, play some music, pour yourself a glass of wine, and get into the mood. It will set the right feel for the whole night. I love love LOVE this tip!

7. When entertaining, create flow. Put snacks and drinks in the areas you want people to mingle. Be sure to have 2-3 bites per person per item. Have a variety of items.

8. A great quick entertaining snack is BRUSCHETTA on Sandwich Thins. Who would have thought?!

(Source)

9. You don’t just have to use sandwich bread for sandwiches. Claire has created some really unique items using the sandwich thins, and now I am eager to try some creative uses too! Next on my list to try that we brainstormed together? French toast roll ups using the honey wheat sandwich thins! I can’t wait!

10. Lots of fun recipes are available on the Arnold website. Check them out!

Things you didn’t know…

• Claire got to try Sandwich Thins before they were even available on the market! Lucky duck!

• Her favorite sandwich these days is her healthified turkey reuben!

• Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain has great biscuits (and it’s one of Claire’s favorite spots for Southern style food)! Jenna, maybe you need their recipe to help perfect yours?!

• The last time Claire was in Philadelphia she had a meeting with Morimoto and ate at a Stephen Starr restaurant. Guess which one?!

• Claire is going to create an awesome healthy Buffalo burger based on a really fun one (read: not healthy) she loves and is going to give me the recipe to test it out. I will be SURE to share the results! I was sent some samples of the Arnold Sandwich thins by Arnold and can’t wait to try out her latest creation.

When sharing a favorite dessert recipe using the thins, Claire said to “panini it”. I love that she used panini as a verb and I plan to as well.

Claire, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today, and the next time I make a sandwich I will be sure to panini it!!!!