Wicked Good Cupcakes are wickedly good!

I received these products from Wicked Good Cupcakes for review.  In 2010, Wicked Good Cupcakes began as a Mother/Daughter family business out of their home kitchen.  It remains a family business and promises to never compromise on quality.  Tracey Noonan and her daughter Dani Vilagie decided to take cake decorating classes as a way to spend quality time together.  They enjoyed it so much that they decided to start a business.  After launching their first store in 2011, they began putting their cupcakes in mason jars to keep them fresh and to allow for shipping as they filled orders from all over the country.  In 2013 they appeared on ABC's Shark Tank and struck a deal with Kevin Leary.  They continue to grow and create new products that continue to be home made and made from scratch.

These Wickedly Good Cupcakes live up to their name...they are wickedly good!  They are perfect to give as a gift to your Valentine because...well...who doesn't love cupcakes?  They have several different flavors (including some made specifically for Valentine's Day), so you'll be able to find the perfect treat for all of your Valentines.  They even have a line of gluten free cupcakes.  The mason jars give them a shelf life of 10 days.  And once you have enjoyed the cupcake, you will be able to reuse the mason jar!  The flavors I received are Cupid's Vanilla Confetti, Dark Chocolate-White Chocolate Raspberry and Red Velvet Heart.  All of them are equally delicious, and I am unable to decide which one is my favorite!  They have several different multi packs available at different PRICES according to how many cupcakes are in the pack. 

  
Cupid's Vanilla Confetti Cupcake:  Vanilla Cake is dressed up with pink and red confetti baked right in.  The vanilla cake is layered between swirls of pink vanilla buttercream frosting and topped off with pink and red jimmies.  

Dark Chocolate-White Chocolate Raspberry:  Moist chocolate cake is layered with dark bittersweet chocolate ganache, white chocolate curls and swirls of raspberry frosting.

Red Velvet Heart Cupcake:  They took their National Security Red Velvet Cupcake and dressed it up with heart sprinkles for Valentine's Day!  It's a traditional red velvet cake layered with home made cream cheese buttercream frosting.  They topped it off with heart sprinkles because nothing says "I love you!" better than adding hearts!  

Your Valentine will love receiving some of these scrumptious cupcakes.  But a word of advice...order some for yourself as well.  Otherwise you might eat them all before you can give them to your Valentine!

This stuff is so delicious!

I received these products from Burl Barley Granola for review.  I know I included this in my Holiday Gift Guide, but this stuff is so good that it deserves another mention!  This granola contains barley instead of oats.  Barley is an amazing ancient grain that is often overlooked.  It's packed with nutrition and wonderfully delicious.  And it's good for you.  Burl Barley Granola is tastes so good thanks to the barley.  Barley has an amazing flavor with a nutty note and a hint of sweetness.  You can purchase Burl Barley Granola HERE for $5.95 per 8 oz. package.

  
Burl Barley Granola contains no artificial flavors or preservatives and they keep the ingredient list simple.  So you can feel good avout what you and your loved ones eat.  Whole grain barley is a wonderful source of nutrition.  It has less phosphorus than oats (which makes it kidney friendly) and it is also low glycemic.  Each serving of Burl Barley Granola provides 38 grams of whole grain rolled barley.  Kids love the great taste, parents love the great nutrition. 

   
The Burl Barley Maple Syrup & Pecan Is actually my favorite.  it is PACKED with pieces of real pecans, so much so that you get several in every single bite.  And the maple syrup flavor perfectly complements it.  With each mouthful, you get the already nutty sweet flavor of barley mixed with real pecans.  And all of that awesome flavor is wrapped up in the flavors of real maple syrup, cinnamon and real vanilla extract that makes it taste like Heaven in your mouth.

   
Even though Maple Syrup & Pecan is my favorite, the Cranberry flavored one is equally delicious.  The gentle nutty taste of barley mingling with the sweet tartness of cranberries dances on your tongue to the music of honey, rich cinnamon and real vanilla extract.  There are so many cranberries in it that you get several with each bite.

Cookies I made with Burl Barley Maple & Pecan Granola, M&M's and Kraft Caramels.

Cookies I make with Burl Barley Cranberry Granola, M&M's and Kraft Caramels.

Burl Barley is so versatile, you can eat it in many different ways.  It's great straight from the bag as a snack, in a bowl of milk like cereal, heated up like oatmeal, in cookies and many other recipes.  There is even a RECIPE page on the Burl Barley website.  Use it to make delicious and wholesome Valentine's Day and Easter treats.  The natural sweetness of the barley means you can use much less sugar, which is always a good thing.  Go ahead and try it...you know you want to!

Get spices, recipes and music from a different destination delivered to your door each month

I recieved these products from Spice Madam for review.  Spice Madam offers a global discovery spice subscription box.  Every box takes customers on a culinary journey to a new destination every month, for prices starting at only $20 per month.  It's the perfect way to enjoy some adventure and global food discovery from the comfort of your home.

When you subscribe, you will receive a box each month, that is filled with an assortment of spices (3-4 spice packs, enough to make 4-6 servings), 4-6 gourmet recipes and a Spotify music playlist from a different destination country.  You will be able to experience a taste of culture from another country, right from your home, without ever having to travel there.  The box will also include some fun facts and travel tips about the destination country to help give your experience a more authentic feel.  They even give you a menu plan and a shopping list to help with the planning of your adventure night meal.


For every box sold, Spice Madam will support a non profit organization that impacts youth education.  They also hire refugees to give them opportunities to work.

You can subscribe yourself, or give a gift subscription to someone (an excellent idea for Christmas).  And if you prefer to choose your own spices, you can shop their Spice Store and purchase your choice of spices.

Not your Ordinary Peanut Butter

I received these products from The PB Love Company for review.  The PB Love Company was founded in 2015 on the idea that a company could feed people, be sustainable, be real, make profits, and most importantly - make people happy.  They have proven that their values are what makes their products an experience that spreads a smile.  The concept is very simple and delicious.  To feed themselves, their friends, family, and community a 100% real food product.  To commit to real food ingredients using a food philosophy of keeping it whole, colorful, close and simple.  There's no need to sacrifice health and environment for food.  Food is natural: it was designed to come from the earth and formulated to nourish our bodies.  It's only when we stray from real food that products in the food industry become unhealthy, with a negative impact on the environment and undermining the good of the community.  They offer a variety of flavors, all stone ground in small batches, and I was able to sample 3 of them.

Salty Peanut ($8):  An evolution of a traditional past-time favorite.  It's sweet.  It's salty.  It's ridiculously delicious.  A 100% real food peanut butter.

ingredients: dry roasted peanuts, organic extra virgin coconut oil, Colorado honey, Vietnamese cinnamon, organic unrefined coconut sugar, organic blackstrap molasses, sea salt.


Stone ground to minimize heat breakdown of ingredients and maximize flavor.  The outcome is not quite smooth, not quite crunchy - it's smunchy!

Classic Crunchy ($7):  Crunchy x3 with a touch of smunchy!  It's the most delicious crunchy peanut butter in the Universe.

ingredients: dry roasted peanuts, sea salt

Stone ground peanuts and a touch of salt for those looking for crunchy simplicity. 

Cinnamon Almond ($12):  Almond butter straight out of a day dream.  Melts in your mouth with a bright sweetness and a spicy cinnamon bite. 

ingredients: coconut oil roasted almonds, organic extra virgin coconut oil, Colorado honey, Vietnamese cinnamon, organic unrefined coconut sugar, organic blackstrap molasses, sea salt.

A best seller, this 100% real food, stone ground almond butter will be your new go-to snack or even dessert.  Everyone tells us they eat this straight out of the jar but it's great on apples, pita chips, pancakes, bagels or wherever you want a subtly sweet and slightly cinnamon boost of flavor.

If you love tangy BBQ sauce and mustard, you're gonna love these!

I received these sauces from Pike Brewing Company for review.  Pike Brewing Company is an independent craft brewery founded in 1989. Located at 1415 First Avenue in downtown Seattle’s Pike Place Market neighborhood, Pike Brewing is home to two locally focused restaurants, American gastropub The Pike Pub and seafood-focused restaurant and oyster bar Tankard & Tun.

If you have someone on your gift list who loves sauces and mustards, Pike's Sauces is a great gift idea for them because they are amazing!  All 4 of these products are absolutely delicious!

  
Pike Naughty Nellie Sweet Hot Mustard ($7):  Kick up your pretzels, brats, sandwiches, and pork dishes with this sweet hot mustard.  This all-natural mustard is crafted with Pike Naughty Nellie golden ale.  Perfect for slathering on dishes that hunger for a little tangy zip.  12 ounce jar.

Pike XXXXX Stout Mustard ($7):  Two-time Good Food Award winner, and winner of the Worldwide Mustard Competition, this stone-ground mustard is crafted with a generous amount of Pike XXXXX Stout.  Delicious with sandwiches, roast meat, salad dressing, pretzels, and BBQ.  Slather it on a rack of lamb before roasting for an easy, juicy entree.  12 ounce jar.

Pike Kilt Lifter BBQ Sauce ($7):  Originally created at The Pike Pub to generously bathe their Kilt Lifter BBQ Ribs, this sauce is rich, smooth, and delicious.  The backbone of organic tomatoes balances the underlying smokiness that comes from the peated malt in Pike Kilt Lifter scotch ale.  A smoky-sweet sauce rather than spicy, with enough kick from dried chilies to liven up ribs, pork sliders, duck, seafood, burgers, and sandwiches.  12 ounce bottle.

Pike IPA Habanero BBQ Sauce ($7):  Pike IPA Habanero BBQ Sauce is crafted with Pike IPA and local organic habanero chilies.  This spicy and complex sauce adds a fiery kick to grilled ribs and chicken, and doubles as a flavorful dipping sauce.  12 ounce bottle.