Weaver Nut Review

Chocolate holds a dear place in my heart, and there's nothing quite like it.  I like to eat chocolate only on days that end in Y.  I have a sweet tooth that knows no bounds.  I've been to known to attack a plate of chocolate chip cookies or brownies with great speed.  I can't help it though, the cookies needed to move into their new home in my stomach.  My philosophy is that everyone should indulge in chocolate on a daily basis.  I don't discriminate towards the sweet treat in any form.  I love brownies, cupcakes, cookies, and chocolate candy equally.  Go ahead and have a big slice of chocolate cake today.

Weaver Nut is a family-owned distributor of candy, chocolate, nuts, and bulk foods.  They are truly your one stop shop for everything delicious. You can choose from nostalgic old-fashioned candies, a variety of treats with filling inside, and brightly colored candies too.  How does chocolate covered gummy bears or peanut butter cups sound? There's so many tasty treats offered by Weaver Nut that you won't know where to start first.  Of course there's a dizzying array of nuts including raw, in the shell, roasted, or honey-roasted depending on your preference as well.  Weaver Nut also offers snacks, dried fruit, and coffee, teas, and hot chocolate too.  Keep them in mind for Valentine's Day and Easter candy.

Weaver nut must have felt that chocolate vibe through email, because I was sent many chocolate treats to delight my taste buds.  I received chocolate covered gummy bears, dark chocolate covered potato chips, chocolate covered cherries, and chocolate covers wafers. Was I in chocolate heaven or what? I also received a Texas beef rub seasoning and a fajita seasoning.  

I first used the Texas beef rub on pork chops.  I know what you're thinking.  You're wondering why I would use a beef rub on pork chops, right? Well, why not? The seasoning contains black pepper, garlic, cumin, and chili.  This isn't a seasoning I'd normally use on my meats, but I wanted to try something different.  I rubbed the pork chops with the rub and put them in the oven.  Not only did they blanket my kitchen with a fabulous aroma while cooking, they looked fantastic when done too.  

Fresh out of the oven pork chops in this picture!  Don't you wish smell-o-vision existed?

The pork chops were cooked just perfectly and I couldn't wait to dig in! I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the rub.  Usually, I don't cook with cumin, chili, or pepper and I don't even have those spices in my home!  I was expecting it to be slightly spicier but luckily it wasn't since I am not a fan of extreme spiciness.  The rub really gave the pork chops a nice depth of flavor and extra kick of personality which I loved.  I think it will be just fabulous on steak or even chicken wings too.  I can't wait to use it on more meats in the future, and I'll definitely keep it handy in my kitchen.

I have not had a chance to use the fajita seasoning yet.  I just made fajitas the other night and wish I had the seasoning on hand.  The seasoning looks fantastic and I'm sure will bump up the fajita flavor tremendously.

The chocolate goodies don't stand a chance in my house, especially by me.  Everyone who knows me knows my sweet tooth is insane.  I wasn't sure which treat to try first but eventually settled on the chocolate covered wafers. 

No, I will not share.

These wafers ended up being my absolute favorite treat, hands down.  The light and airy wafer combined with the smooth and rich chocolate was divine.  I loved how perfectly crispy it was too.  The chocolate was sweet, but not overly sweet. It was impossible for me to have just one, and believe me I didn't.  I had more than I should have, but what can you do when something tastes so good? They would pair perfectly with a cup of tea or coffee for a mid afternoon snack.  

How can you eat something so adorable?

I honestly was not a fan of the chocolate covered gummy bears.  Since I love chocolate and gummy bears together, I thought it would be a genius combination but I did not like it.  I prefer to have my gummy bears plain like I normally enjoy them.  I'm sure others would enjoy this treat though.

Cherry lovers, get ready for a real treat!

The chocolate covered cherries did not disappoint by any means. I loved the tart and chewy cherry combined with the luscious chocolate, it's such a classic pairing that you can never go wrong with.  These bite-sized pieces of heaven were hard to resist.  I found myself having way more than I should have, but it's okay because it's fruit right? That's the lie I told myself.  

I have not had the chance to try the dark chocolate covered potato chips yet, but I cannot wait to try them.  Anything sweet and salty together is always an awesome pairing.  I look forward to sampling them soon.

If you have a party or work event coming up, why not let Weaver Nut provide the sweets? Your guests will surely love it!

*DISCLOSURE* Thank you to Weaver Nut for providing me with complimentary product in exchange for this review.  All thoughts are my own. 

Netflix #StreamTeam January 2015: Streaming Cats and Dogs

As a child I always enjoyed movies featuring cats or dogs as the main characters, especially when they spoke! Some of my childhood favorites were Homeward Bound, AirBud, 101 Dalmatians, and of course Milo and Otis.  I loved the scenarios the dogs found themselves in including fighting crime and other adventures. All kids love seeing cute and cuddly pets up on the big screen for their viewing pleasure.

Netflix is celebrating pets this month by featuring television shows and movies with their favorite cats, dogs, and even monkeys.  While the animals are lovable, they also teach and deliver important lessons on courage, protection, and love.  Even though my daughter is only 7 weeks old, I look forward to showing her animal themed movies that I enjoyed as a child.  One of the best things about being a parent is that you have the opportunity to relive your childhood through your own children.  I hope she will enjoy dog movies as much as I did and still do!

Netflix has compiled a list of four legged stars for all ages to enjoy.  It's time to gather the family around the flat screen TV with a big bowl of popcorn.  Don't forget glasses of your favorite beverage either.  Oh, if you're looking for a sweet and salty treat, throw some M&M's in the bowl of popcorn.

Little kids will love:

1. Pet Party

2. Clifford's Puppy Days

3. Littlest Pet Shop

4. The Adventures of Milo and Otis

5. Snow Buddies

6. Sabrina, The Animated Series

Big kids, this list is for you:

1. The Adventures of Puss in Boots

2. Annie

3. Step Dogs

4. Jumanji

5. Hachi: A Dog's Tale

6. Air Bud

7. Monkey Trouble

Teens and parents are not forgotten either:

1. Anchorman 2

2. Frasier

3. Family Guy

4. Friends

5. Red Dog

6. Wilfred

This is a very diverse list of choices that will appeal to anyone of all ages.  All you have to do is figure out what to watch first. 

Magnificookies Etsy Shop Review

Everyone who's been a long time reader of my blog knows how much I love my sweet treats.  To me dessert isn't truly dessert unless it involves chocolate.  I don't discriminate against that cacao goodness and love it in pies, cookies, cakes, and even cupcakes.  The more chocolate that's involved the better! I believe that everyone should have a small amount of chocolate everyday to stay sane and happy.

Magnificookies is an Etsy shop ran by owner Kym that creates beautifully personalized cookies that will blow your mind.  Just like the name states, they are truly magnificent cookies.  The level of detail and dedication in these cookies is incredible.  Forget plain old sugar or peanut butter cookies, it's time to step up your cookie game! Are you hosting a baby shower for your sister? Why not serve the guests onesie or baby duck cookies? All of the cookies come in either vanilla sugar, chocolate, almond, sugar, or lemon sugar.  Royal icing is used for decoration and the cookies can be sent "platter ready", or in individual bags with ribbons for favors. These cookies can be customized and made exactly how you want. Let your creativity soar and have the cookies of your dreams designed for you.  Keep Magnificookies in mind for cookies for a first birthday party, wedding favors, Christmas cookies, and of course anything for a work or business event.  Everyone will be so impressed and want to order their own batch of cookies from Magnificookies right away! 

My mom recently went home after helping me with my one month old daughter Scarlett. She was such a big help in not only giving me guidance and assistance with the baby but cooking and cleaning too! I'm not sure what I would have done without her there in the first few weeks.  I feel that just saying thank you isn't enough.  It was important to me to give her a gift that showed that I was truly appreciative. 

When I found adorable "thank you" cookies in Kym's shop, I knew that would be the perfect little token to send her.  This cookie set features a round cookie with a multicolored flower bouquet on it, while a rectangular smaller cookie displays a cursive "thank you." What better way to thank someone than with cookies, don't you think? The flavor that I chose for my mom's cookies was chocolate since she is a big chocolate fan like myself. 

The cookies were shipped fast after being baked.  My mom appreciated the gesture and said they were almost too pretty to eat!

What's better than a cookie? Absolutely nothing.

My mom said the cookies were not only beautiful, but equally as tasty.  You can surely see Kym's baking talent shine through in her work.  How adorable are these cookies? They are truly the cutest! The level of detail from the cursive writing to the flower boquuet is very impressive, I wish I could create something as fantastic as these cookies.  I loved how bright and cheery the colors of the flower bouquet were.  Bright colors always boosts anyone's mood.

The chocolate flavor was sweet and subtle.  My mom is not a fan of extremely rich treats that make you feel like you instantly have to brush your teeth after.  The cookie itself was moist and not too hard, she said just how she likes it.  She felt that the frosting was thick and provided an added bit of pizazz and taste to the cookie.  Overall, she really enjoyed the cookie and looks forward to having more of them over the next couple days.  

If you're looking for cookies that will surely impress, please check out Magnificookies. Your stomach and taste buds will appreciate it.