Review & Giveaway - Rigoni di Asiago's Fiordifrutta Pear

I did a review last year for Rigoni de Asiago's Nocciolata.  You can go back and read it here.  Since then I've been a big fan and I eat a lot of their Nocciolata on toast and fruit.  It's so good!

Well, the good folks over at Rigoni de Asaigo have asked me to do another review and of course I jumped at the chance, especially when I heard it was for their Pear Fiordifrutta Organic Fruit Spread.

Have you heard of it?  Have you tried it?  It is so good!  If you're a fan of pears, you are going to love this spread.  It's like having a pear in a jar.  Smooth and yummy goodness!  I like it on toast or bagels.  It's so flavorful that a little goes a long way.  And there's no sugar - it's sweetened with apple juice.  Not only is it good, but it's good for you.  From their website:

Fiordifrutta fruit spreads come from organic farming. Each 8.82 ounce jar is made exclusively from over three pounds of selected organic fruit using using a patented low-temperature cooking process. Unlike most other spreads on the market, Fiordifrutta fruit contains no added sugar. Sweetening is made instead with organic wild apple juice. This exclusive recipe preserves the nutrients of the natural fruit while significantly reducing the sugar substance content (30% or more compared to other spreads) and contains 30% fewer calories than most others.

If Pear flavor doesn't appeal to you ( are ya crazy??) then check out this extensive list of other flavors:

• apricot
• peach
• wild berry
• blueberry 
• raspberry
• cranberry
• lingonberry
• strawberry
• lemon
•  orange
• cherry
• black berry
• black currant
• fig
• pomegranate
• pink grapefruit

Rigoni di Asiago's Fiordifrutta's are a must try!  I know I want to work my way through their list of flavors.Which to pick next?  It's going to be a hard decision.

How would you like to win a Nocciolata gift pack and try out some of their products for yourself?  Rigoni di Asiago is graciously hosting a give away right here, especially for my readers.  All you have to do is leave a comment below.  The contest is open until next Monday, June 22nd at noon.  I'll then choose a winner using the Random number method and Rigoni di Asiago will send you your gift.  

In the meantime, please go over and check out their products and recipes on their website.
Check out their Facebook page here and see what they have on Pinterest as well.  Now, go leave a comment!

Sanibel Island 2015 - Day 2

For our 2nd day in Florida we drove 2 hours north to visit my friend Karen in Englewood.  Karen is the Essential Beachcomber and a shark tooth hunting expert.  We had such a great time when we met up with her a couple of years ago that we wanted to do it again.  Karen graciously cleared her schedule and met us at the beach....

Karen has all the cool tools for scouring the beach for sharks teeth and she brought them along for us to share.  Here she is showing us how to properly use the scoop....

How can you not love a day on the beach with scenery like this....

We stopped at Publix on the way through Englewood and picked up a couple of Cuban sandwiches for lunch.  Karen introduced us to Cuban sandwiches the last time we were there and it wouldn't be a day of shark tooth hunting without a couple of Cuban sandwiches for lunch.  You work up quite the appetite digging for teeth!

Check out all the sharks teeth we found.....

This was my "find" of the day....

So far this is the largest one I've found.  Isn't it a beauty?

Look at the variety of colors, shapes and sizes of the various teeth....

By late afternoon we were feeling the effects of the hot, sunny day and decided to head back to Sanibel.  After cleaning up and dressing we headed over to Timbers for a nice dinner....

We both started with a bowl of clam chowder and we agreed that it was the best we had ever tasted - super rich and creamy with nice chunks of clam.   Very good!  It came with a hot loaf of whole wheat bread too.

My dinner was salmon with brown sugar and pecans.  It was just ok.  They used to have a Teriyaki salmon that was fab, but it wasn't on the menu this year.   Insert sad face here.  The grilled veggies were really good tho.

For 2 nights in a row Chablis chose the better meal.  Here she had crunchy grouper and it was out-of-this-world delicious!  One piece of the grouper had already migrated over to my plate, so she got 2 large pieces.  And check out the football sized baked potato!  I highly recommend their clam chowder and crunchy grouper.

All in all in was a wonderful day.  We later decided that our day on the beach with Karen was the best day of our entire trip.  Thanks Karen.  You are a true friend and one of a kind.  We love you!

Sanibel Island 2015 - Day 1

I can't believe our annual trip to Sanibel is over with already.   As always, it went by way too quickly.

On the plane ride down we always look forward to our first glimpse of Sanibel from the air.  Seeing the causeway and the lighthouse suddenly makes the trip real....

Once we get our car we head to the island.  First stop is always the Chamber of Commerce to pick up menu's, brochures and discount coupons.  Then we hurry over to Schnappers for lunch.   It's our yearly tradition and we look forward to it...

I always get the hot chicken wings with Ranch dressing....

And Chablis opts for the hot dog.  We share a cup of fries and they have the best fries ever!  Hot and crispy, with just the right amount of grease.   I dip mine in the Ranch.

Once we've filled our tummy's, we head over to Baileys to grab a few things - usually a case of water bottles, some coke, a couple of snacks and a small bottle of bleach for our shells.  Then we head over to our hotel and check in.   Here's the view from our room....

We always toss our suitcases on the beds and hop into our swim suits so we can hit the beach for the remainder of the afternoon.  It always feels so good to plop down in a chair and just enjoy the view.  Then we'll go for a swim and start walking the beach, looking for shells.

We had a late dinner the first day and went to one of Chablis' favorite restaurants - The Fish House.  I had the stuffed shrimp with sweet potato fries.  I was a little disappointed in the shrimp - over cooked and soggy.

Chablis had the seafood pasta with shrimp and lobster and that was excellent.  I may have eaten a little more of her dinner than mine....

By the time we were finished with dinner the sun had already just about set and we could see some rain off in the distance.  Here's the view from our back balcony....

We had bought one of my favorite desserts at the Fish House and brought it back to the hotel for a late night snack - it's a Key Lime Pie, stuffed inside a cheesecake.   Usually SO good I can't stand it.  This time it was so NOT good.  Very dry and it tasted like it was old.  I was so disappointed in it.  We didn't even eat half of it and tossed it out.

At any rate, we were on Sanibel and happy to be there.   Next up - our drive to Englewood to hunt for shark's teeth with Beachcombing expert, Karen.

Book Review - Complete Guide to Fresh and Saltwater Fishing

Vin T. Sparano has written another gem and I can't wait to share it with you.  The Complete Guide to Fresh and Saltwater Fishing is just that - thorough and complete, and will be your go-to book for in-depth coverage of spin, bait, and fly fishing techniques, as well as tackle, and profiles of salt and freshwater game fish.

This excellent guide is 368 pages long and filled with 600 beautiful color photographs and detailed illustrations.  It's broken down into 6 sections:

• Fishing
• Freshwater Game Fish
• Saltwater Game Fish
• Cooking Techniques and Recipes
• First Aid for Fisherman
• Boating

 Let's check it out, shall we?  I want to stress that this guide is not just for the inexperienced fisherman.  There is such a wealth of information here that even experienced fishermen will find nuggets that they can use and apply while on the water.

FISHING
One of my favorite sections was right at the beginning - How to match up spinning tackle. Even though I've been fishing most of my life, I really didn't know the proper way to match a reel, rod, line and lure with the type of fish I was after.   I know what I like and what I generally use.  But the table Vin provides takes the guesswork out of the equation.  See I learned something new and useful already!

Want to learn the proper technique for using baitcasting tackle?  There are 3 pages of colored photographs with narrative outlining the proper way to do so.  Interested in ice fishing?  Look no further - the ice fishing world of tip -ups, jigging rods, lures and baits are thoroughly covered.  "What about line," you may ask....  Well, what kind of line do you want to know about - monofilament, fluorocarbon, dacron, linen, cuttyhunk, silk, lead-core or wire?  The mysteries of line are revealed in a way that is easy to understand and follow.

There is also a nice troubleshooting chart to help you with common fishing problems and what to do about them.  Navigate the world of hooks and lures.  Wait until you see the colored lure photos.  I almost guarantee you will stare at them, spellbound, like my husband does.   What is it about a pretty lure that is so mesmerizing?  This book will tell you everything you need to know about plastic worms and lures, except how to keep your husband from constantly buying new ones.

If fly fishing is more your thing, then you'll enjoy the section on the wide variety of flies - dry, keel, wet, nymphs, streamers, terrestrials, bass bugs.  The list goes on and on.  Learn which ones are the right ones for you and how to tie them.  If you want to find out the five best flies to use for bass, well, you'll need to buy the book....

Did you have any idea you could catch dolphin on fly fishing tackle?  I sure didn't.  The section on freshwater baits is particularly interesting and the accompanying chart breaks it all down for you.  Anyone interested in knots will be in heaven as there are 12 entire pages dedicated to knot tying with illustrations and step by step instructions.

FRESHWATER GAME FISH
This chapter has 27 pages all about freshwater game fish that includes their name, a colored illustration, a detailed description of the fish, their normal range, habitat, size, food, fishing methods and what baits to generally use.

SALTWATER GAME FISH
This chapter covers 30 pages and details the same information as that for the freshwater fish above.  I thought it was interesting to just look at the illustrations and read about the different types of fish that are available, especially since I've never gone saltwater fishing.  It really makes me want to give it a try sometime.

(Author Vin Sparano showing us how to hook the big one)

COOKING TECHNIQUES AND RECIPES
An important section of this book because once you catch the fish, you have to know what to do with them, right?  Proper field care and dressing of fish is a necessity.  Colored photographs will show you how to fillet a fish and work around those bothersome bones.  Make sure to take a look at the correct knives to use as well.  And then there are the recipes....

• Striped Bass with lemon and onion
• Grilled Rainbow Trout
• Walleye shore lunch
• Fried Panfish
• Butter broiled Snapper

Getting hungry?  There's a bunch of recipes here and you'll start fishing outside your comfort zone just so you can try cooking a few. 

FIRST AID FOR FISHERMEN

No outdoors book is complete without a section on first aid.  My motto is to Be Prepared and it's better to know how to do something and not need it, than to not know something and need it, right?   This section covers internal and external bleeding, mouth to mouth resuscitation, snake and bug bites, poison ivy and oak, sunstroke, sunburn, frostbite, sprains and puncture wounds.  It even covers fish hook removal and since my husband has personally made 2 trips to the emergency room for this particular problem, that grabbed my attention!  His lures are hanging on fishhook boards in ER's in 2 different states.  Not that I hope he repeats that problem anytime soon, but now I know what to do if it happens again. 

BOATING

I found the chapter on boating to be particularly interesting.  Vin really breaks down the mystery of hull design and what makes them different.  This is important if you're in the market for a boat and don't know exactly what you want or need.  Kayaks, canoes and sailboats are covered as well.  Inboard and outboard motors are discussed in depth and if you want to find out more about depthsounders, this is a good place to read all about them.  Find out why anchors come in different shapes and sizes and if backing up a boat trailer confuses you, the illustrations will help you figure it out.  And finally, there is much discussion on flotation devices and navigation lights.

The Complete Guide to Fresh and Saltwater Fishing is a must have!  It is full of important information, interesting tidbits and hundreds of useful photos.  Fathers Day is just around the corner.  Don't cast around aimlessly looking for the perfect gift - this is it!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.   Get your copy here

(I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.  Images are the property of the publisher and cannot be reproduced without consent.) 

Geocaching and Lambert's Cafe'

We've been hiding out at the lake for the past few days getting some R & R.  Pretty much all I've done is park my butt on our dock and fish for bluegill.  Yesterday Louie asked me if I was up for a little road trip.  Did someone say Road Trip??  I didn't have to be asked twice.

Last fall we had driven to Missouri to go geocaching and stumbled across a restaurant that sounded pretty cool, but it wasn't open when we were there.  We resolved to go back this year and check it out.  So I loaded up the GPS with a few geocaches and off we went.

However, the powers that be decided it would be fun to try to keep us from reaching our destination.  The bridge going over the Mississippi River was closed due to maintenance and there was no other close way across.  Fortunately I had tossed my I pad into my caching bag, so I whipped it out and quickly re-routed us. First we had to drive north up into Illinois, and then we were able to cross the river before swinging southwest and heading into Missouri.  It was a bit of a detour but we were determined.

First we stopped and grabbed 3 geocaches.  One was a cache we had tried to find last fall and ended up blanking on it.  Today we had better luck and made the grab....

 The 3rd cache was really excellent.  Unfortunately I can't show it to you or tell you anything about it because I plan to bring my parents there the next time they're at the lake and I want them to find it themselves.  I'd really hate to spoil the surprise.  But here's a link to the cache page  in case you'd like to just check it out.  If I know my mom, she's already hitting the link as we speak and checking it out.  LOL!

Louie didn't eat any breakfast before we left, so by 11:00 he was starving and we decided to head over to the restaurant.  It's a good thing we did too.  We got there at 11:15 and it was already getting crowded.  We got seated immediately, but by 11:45 the restaurant was full and there was line forming.  The name of the restaurant is Lambert's Cafe' and their claim to fame is that they throw softball sized dinner rolls at you from across the room.  How fun is that?

Server grabbing a roll and winding up....

Once you catch your roll another server comes around with containers of Sorghum molasses or honey butter.  You spread a napkin on your table and she plops it right into the middle of the napkin and you snack on that while you're waiting for your food.  I'd never had Sorghum before and I didn't really know what it was, but I tasted it and decided it tasted like apple butter.  I'd definitely have it again.

Another server comes around with fried Okra that you eat the same way....

There's a lot of stuff to look around at while you're waiting, like license plates from around the United States, and antiques, and trains running around the rafters...

Once you get your meal, they come around with more sides for you like black eyed peas, fried potatoes, and macaroni & tomatoes.  That's all in addition to the 2 sides you get on your plate with your meal.  Believe me, it's a lot of food, and good food at that.  Louie had the chicken and dumplings....

 I had the meatloaf....

And I added the fried potatoes - my dad would LOVE these!

Ok, that was way more food than I could ever eat in even 3 meals, so I had plenty to take home and Louie and I split it for dinner...

So it was a good day - geocaching, a fabulous lunch and I didn't have to cook dinner - it doesn't get much better than that.

I highly recommend Lambert's Cafe and they have 3 locations to choose from.  Mom and Dad, we'll be going there next time you come visit us at the lake.  Bring your geocaching bag too!