A Healthier Way To Cook Your Favorite Fried Foods

I know, I know...we are mid way through the year and all; those New Year's resolutions about losing weight, eating healthier, etc., just flew out the window...well, somewhat.  We said we were going to limit the intake of fried foods, we were going to eat more veggies and even start working out; I know - I've been there...EVERY YEAR!

I will speak for myself; I love to cook, especially new dishes that I see on Pinterest - but more importantly, I love to eat!  I love fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, steaks...I'm not very picky.  But some of these foods, when cooked, are just not healthy!  Just look at all that cooking oil and butter that we use when cooking our favorite fried foods.

I could not have been happier, when I received my air fryer.  This little baby can cook just about anything that you would normally fry - or bake- in less time. Here is the air fryer that I love!  The Yongtong 1400W Air Fryer is a healthier way to prepare foods.  I've already made onion rings and homemade potato chips with it and I absolutely LOVE this little gem!  

It is a 3.8QT air fryer that features a Time and Temp control.  What I really love about this air fryer, is that the handle is on the basket part, itself; making it easier to remove the basket.  I can set the time and temp and anytime I need to pull the basket out, to check on my food, the air fryer will stop - and then return to cooking, once you slide the basket back in.

You can cook fried chicken, fish, meatloaf....I can go on and on, but if you check out Pinterest and do a look-up for Air Fryer recipes, you will find a ton of them! I am just so excited and I can't wait to create a LOT of my favorite foods in this! 

Here is a little more info on this awesome Air Fryer:

• COOKING WITH AIR- Powerful rapid hot air frying circulation system gives you an oil-free, healthier alternative to enjoying fried food.
• ADJUSTABLE TEMPERATURE & BUILT-IN TIMER- Fry, bake, grill, and roast delicious meals with a built-in temperature control (176°F-392°F) and an auto shut-off timer with up to 30 minutes of cooking time.
• DETACHABLE BASKET WITH RACK AND HANDLE- Includes a detachable basket and a grill rack for easy transfer from the fryer to a serving dish; Equipped with a carry handle for easy transportation and storage.
• FAST PERFORMANCE- Fast cooking performance and very short preheating time enables you to prepare a meal for the whole family in record time.
• CLEAN COOKING AREA- Frying basket and frying tray for a quick and easy clean up. Silicone resin non-stick coating.

Another thing that I want to point out...this air fryer is a lot less expensive than the others I've come across.  If you order from Amazon, it is only $55.49 and with FREE SHIPPING!  For such a great capacity air fryer (and I've already used this twice) and for the awesome crispy onion rings that it prepared, without oil, it is DEFINITELY worth the money.  

You can purchase your Yongtong Air Fryer HERE!

Link to Air Fryer -https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XG6WSNJ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

***I may have received a complimentary product, free or at a discount, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.  All opinions, REGARDLESS, are 100% my own and I only recommend products that I have tried and love.

The Perfect Way to Grill or Bake Chicken Wings/Legs

UPDATE: 4/15/17 - NOW, YOU CAN APPLY THE COUPON CODE: WING15 TO RECEIVE 15% OFF THE PRICE OF THE CHICKEN WING LEG RACK.


I think my favorite part of the chicken is the leg.  It's meaty, easy to hold and just my choice when it comes to chicken.  There are many ways to cook chicken, especially wings and legs.  There are times when I want baked chicken and then there are times when I want them grilled.

This little gadget, by Cave Tools, is the Chicken Wing and Chicken Leg Rack.  It holds up to 12 wings, thighs, legs, or drumsticks for cooking on the grill, smoker and in the oven.  It comes with a stainless steel tray, perfect for roasting veggies, while at the same time, catching the drippings from your chicken.

The rack stands vertically, and locks in place so it won't collapse, while cooking. What I love about this chicken rack and tray, is that I can use it in my oven and grill and it's dishwasher safe!  I was impressed by how shiny the tray and rack was and after a couple of attempts (without reading the directions), I figured out how to get the rack to lock into place.

Very easy to use and very very convenient when grilling chicken.  The chicken turns out so crispy and delicious, as the chicken is not cooking or laying in its own drippings.  This, to me, is a grillmaster's best friend!  The chicken legs and wings stay in place and the size of each section holds the chicken perfectly.  

When you are done using it, just fold it up and store away (of course, after washing!)  Takes up very little room and easy to store.

You can purchase your Chicken Wing and Chicken Leg Rack and Tray at the following link below.

AMAZON
CAVE TOOLS




***I received a complimentary product, in exchange, for my honest and unbiased review.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Hops and Barley - #RestaurantReview

I love my burgers!  As a matter of fact, if I see a burger on a menu that is unique, different and meaty...I'm going to order it!  I don't know what it is about all these variety of burgers that appeal to me, but I do know one thing, the thicker and meatier they are, the more I love them!  I love a burger that is thick, has tons of toppings to choose from and something I've either never heard of, or is totally unique.

Look at this bad boy here!  This burger is the Buffalo Chicken Burger, served by Hops and Barley.  When this burger was brought to my table and I first laid my eyes upon it, my first thought was, "How in the world am I going to eat this!" 

Then it dawned on me...there was reason behind the fork and knife that was on my table.  I literally had to hold the burger, while taking a knife down this burger.  It was that thick!  To make this burger even better, it was served with a generous heaping of buffalo chicken dip (shredded chicken in buffalo sauce, and I'm guessing with a little cheese mixed into that).  This buffalo chicken dip was the bomb!  It had just a little bit of kick, with the meatiness of the shredded chicken and a hint of cheese flavor.  What more could you ask from a burger?  

Not only was the buffalo chicken dip served on this burger, but you also had a regular beef burger as well!  This was truly a different and unique burger and I was told by our waitress, Kristy, that Megan, one of the owners of Hops and Barley, specifically made my burger.  Thanks Megan!  The bun reminded me of a croissant like bun, with a lightness to it and it complimented the burger well.

As an appetizer, I chose the fried pickles, with my side item, the beer battered onion rings.  I'm a sucker for fried pickles (it's a southern thang!) and these were fried to perfection.  They were lightly battered and had just the right amount of seasoning to them....I tend to over salt mine.  Even my husband loved them and he doesn't normally eat fried pickles!  The onion rings were home made and you could tell that they were not store bought.  For me, I have a hard time frying onion rings without them being too oily or not having that crunch.  These onion rings were neither!  The had a surprising crunch to them, that I really love and look for in onion rings.  They were not greasy or oily and I ate every single one...with a little help!

My husband chose the 8 oz. Flat Iron Steak, baked beans and steak fries. Before I could even get a picture of his steak, he has already cut into it and took several bites! Although I did not take a bite of his steak (how could I, I was busting at the seams after my burger), he said that his steak was cooked perfectly well done!  He did not leave even a single bite on his plate. The food was very filling and when Kristy asked if we wanted dessert, we both had to decline.  There was no way, by any means, I as able to eat another bite.  I was stuffed!

Our waitress, Kristy, was very knowledgeable about the menu and was very pleasant.  She even made several trips, to ensure that our food was cooked the way we liked it and to refill our drinks.  

Hops and Barley Cafe is a restaurant that has more of a pub/bar like feel.  I noticed it had at least 4-5 flat screen TV's throughout the restaurant. One of the things I also noticed, that I love, was an old wooden door, that was turned into menu special board...How cool!  The restaurant had plenty of seating to hold quite a few people.  We arrived early that afternoon, so the place had not started hopping quite yet.  Megan said we picked a good time to come, because later on that evening, the place would start to get packed and would be a little more busier.   

Hops and Barley is known for their burgers, but as you can see by the menu, they have plenty of other options to choose from.  They have an 8 oz. Flat Iron Steak, 12 oz. Ribeye, Pastas and more.



























Hops and Barley Cafe is located in Union City, Tennessee.  The owners are Megan Hines and Renee Dillion.  If you are looking for that unique burger, or just want to try the many appetizers and sandwich options available, you have to check out Hops and Barley in Union City, Tn.  You won't be disappointed!

Hops and Barley
1202 S. Ury St.
Union City, Tn (731) 599-9730
Tuesday-Thursday. 11:00 am - 9:00pm
Friday-Saturday 11:00 am-?

FOLLOW HOPS AND BARLEY
FACEBOOK


What is your favorite restaurant, dive or place to eat?  Do you like grill and bar or are you more of a formal restaurant diner.  I'd like to know your choice!

If you found this post helpful, or even interesting, please share, tweet or pin.  I would be forever grateful! 

***This is a sponsored post by Hops and Barley.  I want to give thanks to Megan and Renee for hosting me.  Although this is a sponsored post, all opinions are ALWAYS 100% my own.

Stainless Steel BBQ Grill Brush Review

For someone who grills and BBQ's as much as my family does, this handy Stainless Steel BBQ Grill Brush sure comes in handy.  Yes, we have a BBQ Grill Brush (or scraper), but the thing I love about this grill brush, is that it's stainless steel, is full of steel bristles and does the job in less time. 

I love the whole stainless steel look, the shiny silver look and how durable and sturdy this brush is.  You don't have to worry about this brush being flimsy, like some BBQ grill brushes and the handle is long enough to prevent burning your hands, while cleaning your grill while it's hot.

It cleans and gets rid of excess grime with ease, bristles are made with stainless steel, not plastic or nylon, gets in between corners and stores easily with the loop attached at the end. I found that this is one of the better BBQ grill brushes I've used and was pleasantly surprised by the size of it.  I was expecting a smaller brush, but when this brush arrived, I couldn't have been happier with it.

If you are tired of the flimsy plastic handles of your BBQ grill brush and tired of the bristles bending out of shape, then you have to try this Stainless Steel BBQ Grill Brush.  You can purchase yours at Amazon.  I believe you will find that cleaning your grill is much easier with this brush than most you've used.






***I received the above product, free, in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

DK BBQ Grill Mat X-Large Review

If you're like me, you love to grill and you love grilled food, but those stupid flareups just take the fun out of grilling!  I can't tell you how many time I keep a water bottle by my side when grilling...just for those surprised flareups!

Well, no more!  These awesome grill mats, X-Large at that, will not only protect your food from those flareups, but still gives you that delicious BBQ and grilled taste of your food.  Many people like to use aluminum foil on their grill and the finished product sometimes 
shows that.

And, what's better than having the perfect grilled or BBQ food when using these X-Large grill mats...not having your food slip between the grills!  You can cook your kabobs and veggies on these mats without the worry of them slipping through the grates and losing part of your food.

If you are worried or concerned that your food will not have those pretty grill marks...do not worry any longer.  I've tried these babies out and YOU WILL STILL HAVE YOUR GRILL MARKS!  You will get a great sear by using these mats, as the juices from the meat will cook in its own juices.

These X-Large DK BBQ Grill Mats are very durable, easy to use and are dishwasher safe.  They have a non-stick BBQ coating and is BPA and FDA approved.  They are also safe for the oven, therefore, you can uses these mats indoors and outdoors.  I can't tell you how awesome these mats are.  They have everything you want in a grilling accessory!

And if you are still not impressed by what these BBQ Grill Mats can do, here's something else to chew on...They have an UNLIMITED USES PER SIDE GUARANTEED BY LIFETIME GUARANTEE!  How Awesome is that?


If you can't wait to get your X-Large DK BBQ Grill Mat, you can hurry on over to Amazon and purchase yours today!  These X-Large mats are 15.75" x 19.7".







***I received this product, free, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.  All opinions are 100% my own. Regardless, I only recommend products I personally use myself.