Spice Up Your Foods With Cocina Stina BBQ Rubs

I love to cook and grill, but only get to enjoy it maybe once a week - Sundays, as I work through the week and my husband just can't seem to wait,until I get home, to cook.  I love experimenting with new recipes, new foods and even trying to convert an oldie recipe into a new one.

I can probably say, 99% of the time when I prepare a dish, I'm using some kind of spice, herbs or sauces. Of course, salt and pepper are the main spices, but there are those recipes and everyday dishes, that just needs that extra something special...something that's going to make your dish stand out.

Shown here, are several different rubs, mainly for grilling and baking, but they can also add something extra to stove top dishes.  These BBQ rubs are by CocinaStina Etsy Shop.  CocinaStina has tons of different rubs to choose from, and are excellent, depending on what type of meat you are preparing. 

I was baking and frying up some chicken for Sunday night's dinner and decided to try the Sweet Mesquite Rub.  This rub is excellent for BBQ chicken and pork and contains a blend of: Smoked Mesquite Salt, onion, garlic, paprika, chili pepper, bell pepper, raw cane sugar, pepper and natural smoke flavor.  It's not too spicy and add a great texture to the skin of the chicken.

I also decided to do some wings and tried the Six Pepper Spice, as I was turning these babies into hot wings, but needed that extra kick.  The Six Pepper Spice contains: Salt, dehydrated chili pepper, white pepper, black pepper, red pepper flakes, mixed bell peppers, citric acid and caraway.  Can you see why this would be perfect for those hot wings?!!   Yes, it is a bit spicy, but that is what you want, when at times, your hot sauce just doesn't do the trick!

Six Pepper Spice

Are you looking for a different take on a BBQ rub? Something that adds a little cafe flavor to your ribs, roasts and mole sauces?  Try this Cafe BBQ Rub by CocinaStina Etsy Shop.  It has a blend of organic coffee granules, organic sucanat sugar, sea salt, tomato, roasted chili powder, red chili, garlic, pepper, mustard, onion and allspice.  This is great as a dry BBQ rub or as a finishing seasoning.

Bayou Honey BBQ Rub

These are just a few of my favorite from CocinaStina Etsy Shop.  These, are by far, only a sampling as to what CocinaStina has to offer.  You have to check out CocinaStina Etsy Shop and view over 350 handmade spices, crock pot creations, soup mixes and more.  

Kristina Arnold is the owner of CocinaStina Etsy Shop and creates spice mixes from her kitchen to yours!  

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COCINASTINA ETSY SHOP






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

Memorial Day Weekend - What are your plans?

Memorial Day weekend is a busy weekend for most.  Some of us will grill for the family, some will travel to be with families and some will spend the weekend relaxing...at a campground!

I fall in the latter part...I love to camp, especially when it's a holiday weekend. Camping for me and my family is a way to get away, a way to just relax, even if it's only for a short amount of time.  

Now, I'm not the type who will drive half a day just to camp.  I want to spend most of my Memorial Day relaxing my a nice cool stream, lake or river and enjoying the sunsets at the end of the day.  Some of the things we will do (on our short mini vacation) is grill, have some ice cold beverages and maybe take up a hike or a walk to enjoy the scenery.  

After many many year of camping at the same campgrounds, it's time for a change.  I'm yearning for something new, something more adventurous and something that will promise a fun time.  I'm constantly searching for new places, places I've never been.  Some of the places my family and I have camped are Wappapello Lake, Missouri, Van Buren, Missouri and West Memphis, Arkansas, which is right on the border of Memphis, Tennessee.  

Van Buren (Current River) campgrounds has several campgrounds to choose from...Current River Campground, Van Buren Campground, Big Spring RV Camp, Big Spring Campground and Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park. Floating down Current River is one of the main attractions, while in Van Buren, and although you don't have to camp to float, it's always nice to have a camp site to relax afterwards...although floating can be totally relaxing. I love to float.  You spend hours floating down the river on a tube or in a canoe. It's a time to lay back, relax and enjoy the warm sun beaming down on you. During your journey, you will see many houses that sit on top of high cliffs and hills, inviting you to enjoy the marvelous view of each house.

Van Buren is one of my favorite spots to camp.  There are people of all ages, young and old, that you will find camping.  You make new friends and everyone is so friendly!  I love the whole camping by the river, dipping your feet into the cool water and enjoying background music from all the campers.

As a matter of fact...I've just reserved my spot at Current River Campground on Memorial Day weekend and I can't wait!  Some of my favorite places to stop and enjoy a bite at Van Buren are Float Stream Restaurant and Jolly Cone Drive In.  

JOLLY CONE DRIVE IN

Jolly Cone Drive In is the perfect place to grab an ice cream cone after a hot day on the river.  You have tons of options when it comes to flavors and toppings. Float Stream Restaurant is a great place to dine for some down home country cookin'!  You can expect to find fried chicken, meatloaf and many side items that will have you leaving full.  I've dined here on my last visit to Van Buren and the food was awesome!  Food arrived fast, hot and I devoured every morsel of food on my plate!

So, if you're ever in Van Buren, Missouri, check out the campgrounds, be adventurous and try your hand at floating.  It'll be an experience you won't want to miss out on.

*What are your favorite things to do on Memorial Day weekend?  
*Do you love to camp? 
*What are your favorite camping places to visit? 

I would love to hear what your plans are for this upcoming Memorial Day Weekend!


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

National BBQ Month Essentials

Although many of us BBQ throughout the summer months, May is the month that is considered the National BBQ Month.  With Memorial Day just right around the corner, many of us will be dusting our grills off to cook up some fabulous BBQ food.

Some of us will be grilling and BBQing up hot dogs and hamburgers, while others will be mastering their hands at ribs and pork steaks.  But not lets forget about the side items...Baked beans, grilled cabbage, potato salad...and the list goes on.

BUT....You can't have the perfect BBQ without the essentials.  What are the essentials?  How about the sauce?  What kind of sauce do you use?  Is it homemade or a certain specific sauce you buy, that you are faithful to and just can't do without.  What about seasonings? Aside from the sauce and seasonings, you will need tongs, spatulas, maybe an apron...What are your BBQ essentials?  

Everyone has their own twist and way of BBQing.  And everyone will think their BBQ is the best.  But, there is one company that is well known for offering men, all the essentials they need..Man Crates. “Man Crates" offers gifts for men, in wooden crates, that have to be opened with a crowbar…Yes... A crowbar!  

Whether it be football games, sports events or your National BBQ Month grill off, BBQing is very popular during the Spring, Summer and even Fall months.

Now, I will admit, I don't make my own BBQ sauce, mainly, because I'm in no competition, I'm not trying to win anything, except the approval of satisfaction from family.  I DO, however, doctor up store bought BBQ sauce with some brown sugar, a little mustard, cloves and finely chopped onions....YUMMO!

When I grill (or BBQ), I HAVE to have my cooking tongs.  No if's, and's or but's about it.  I don't want to pierce the meat with forks, while I'm cooking it.  And, although I don't have one, but need one really bad..AN APRON!  I have to be one of the messiest, not only at grilling, but cooking person I've ever seen! I also have to have a spray bottle of water nearby, just in case a fire flames up...but this hasn't happened since I've been using Grill Mats. And let's not forget the grilling gloves, we don't want burned fingers! And what's even better... a nice, cold beverage, while your doing your thing! Be it a cold brewsky or a glass of wine (my choice), you just have to have that drink in hand, while mastering your BBQ skills.

So, to sum it all up...Essentials Must Haves:

• BBQ Sauce
• Tongs
• Water Bottle (to rid of flames)
• Apron
• Nice cold beverage

WHAT ARE YOUR BBQ MUST HAVES?  I'D LIKE TO HEAR THEM.

And while you're trying to think of your PERFECT essentials, check out some of these crates at Man Crates.

Pig of the Month BBQ Sauces Review

I love to grill and I love trying different varieties of BBQ Sauces.  When it comes to grilling, BBQing or just baking chicken, steaks, ribs, hamburgers and more, you want that perfect sauce that is going to compliment the meats you are cooking. 

I've tried many BBQ sauces, mainly to see if I can get a different taste or flavored sauce to enhance my meats that I grill.  I am honored to have the opportunity, to try, test and review Pig of the Month BBQ Sauces.  Pig of the Month BBQ Sauces can be found on Amazon and on Facebook.  

Pig of the Month BBQ Sauces have been featured on QVC and Good morning America and is loved by many chefs and cooks, including: Rachel Ray, Iron Chef Michael Symon and Paula Deen.  Below, you will see the three sauces that I am reviewing and the qualities and description of each one.

These have their own distinct flavor.  I love them all, but my favorite out of these three will have to be the Key West in a Bottle Spicy Citrus.  YUMMO!

Love Me Tender BBQ Sauce

• Hancrafted family recipe that is all natural and preservative free
• A mild and tangy sauce with a slight spicy kick that is the tastiest BBQ sauce you will ever try!
• 2 time award winner! As seen on QVC and Good Morning America!! Loved by Iron chef Michael Symon, Rachel Ray, Paula Deen and more!
• Perfect with ribs, chicken, and heck - even baked potatoes.
• A great gift idea for that someone who loves to grill out!

Colonel Mustard Tangy Mustard Style BBQ Sauce

• A rich and tangy barbecue sauce that is the perfect complement to ribs, slathered on your roast chicken, or just a smear with your grilled sausages
• All Natural & No Preservatives Added - No Corn Syrup. Gluten Free.
• Winner of 2011 World Mustard Competition and Food and Wine Magazines choice for best mustard based barbeque sauce.
• Paula Deen calls this sauce "delicious...it takes a grilled chicken sandwich to new heights"
• A fun gift idea for any and every mustard lover! Or those waiting to be converted to one!

Key West in a Bottle Spicey Citrus BBQ Sauce

• A bold and spicy sauce that is equally good as a glaze on your salmon as it is making an ordinary chicken sandwhich extraordinary.
• All natural and no preservatives added - No corn syrup. Gluten Free.
• 3 time Award Winning Sauce -- "The Most Unique and Finger Licking Sauce You Will Ever Try", as said by Rachel Ray
• Truly a barbecue sauce like none you have ever tried!
• Perfect gift for the foodie in your life

You can try your own flavors of Pig of the Month BBQ Sauces by visiting them on Amazon. Pig of the Month has other flavors as well.  Check them all out at Amazon.

ALSO...DON'T FORGET TO VISIT PIG OF THE MONTH ON FACEBOOK!  Show them support and connect with them.

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

Perfect Grill Gloves Review

I love to grill and since it's getting warmer outside, I will be doing even more grilling.  Yes, I have a husband who could do the grilling, but cooking is my thing.  I want to be outside.  I want to be enjoying the sunshine, smelling the grilling food as it cooks and enjoying my glass of wine while doing all of this!

Anyone who grills, knows how important it is to have the necessary tools.  Not just the tongs, spatulas or meat claws, but accessories that protect your hands, while handling hot foods and hot pans.

These Perfect Grilling Gloves are some of the best I've tried.  I have tried, tested and love the silicone gloves...they work!  But these gloves are totally different.  First of all, these gloves can withstand heat up to 662 degrees Fahrenheit!  That's a big difference compared to the silicone gloves that can only withstand up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  

Second of all...I absolutely love how these gloves fit.  They are more fitted than the silicone gloves and they have what they call "grips" embedded onto the glove.  These "grips" allow you to do just that...grip the food and hot dishes, while protecting your hands.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE REASONS WHY I LOVE THESE GLOVES: 

1.   Silicone grips on both sides of gloves for non-slip handling of hot objects
2.  Outer layer of glove does not catch fire or melt when exposed to an open flame 
3.  Each one can wear on left or right hand
4.  Thick gloves with 100% cotton inner-layer and meta-aramid & para-aramid outer layer
5.  Machine washable
6.  Easy storage and has a hanging loop

WARNING:
GLOVES DO NOT PROTECT FROM HEAT FROM HOT LIQUIDS.  IF GLOVES GET WET, REMOVE IMMEDIATELY AND DRY COMPLETELY BEFORE NEXT USE.

Not only are these gloves perfect for grilling and cooking, but they can also be used to remove hot light bulbs, camping trips and more.

You can grab your Perfect Grilling Gloves at Amazon. These gloves really do withstand the heat.  I've tried them and I LOVE THEM!



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

Western Cedar Grilling Planks (8 Pk) Review

I have never grilled with any type of wood chips, let alone, wood planks, but I've heard so much great things about grilling with them to add flavor to your food.  I was thrilled when I received my Western Cedar Grilling Planks in the mail!  I couldn't wait to use them, to see what all the fuss was about.  

Let me begin by saying....THE WOOD PLANKS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!  They add that hint of flavor to fish, Salmon, chicken, steaks and vegetables.  You can actually cook anything you want on these Cedar planks, just to give it more flavor.

These planks will give your ordinary seasoned food more OOMPH!  Instructions say to soak these planks for 1-2 hours, although, I would recommend soaking them for the full 2 hours, to eliminate some of the burning.  If not soaked for the recommended time, you may end up with burnt edges around your planks.  If soaked fully, you should get about 2-3 uses out of each plank.  

The planks, once they've been soaked, will begin to smoke when you put them on the grill and begin grilling.  This is normal. The planks are 15" x 5.25" x 3/8".  Separating the meats from the vegetables, when grilling with the planks, is recommended.  We don't want any cross contamination!

You can grab these full of flavor planks by visiting Amazon.  The list price is $39.99, but they are marked down to $24.95 + shipping.



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