Dirt Broke Gourmet - Land Crab Salad

**Hip Hip Hooray for Dirt Broke Gourmet!**
haha that rhymes.. it made me giggle :-D 

A month or so ago, I won an awesome giveaway on the Dirt Broke Gourmet Facebook page and ended up winning 5 unique Dip Mixes of my choice! I ran across Dirt Broke Gourmet when I saw a random notification in my Facebook newsfeed from where someone had liked their photo. I noticed the page name "Dirt Broke Gourmet" and then once I saw the profile picture, I had to go see what this page was all about. To understand what caught my eye... Glance up at the little crazy man with his pockets turned out, in the drawing above... Lets just say that - I was curious. I ended up really enjoying what I found and was quiet surprised. (Explained below) I even entered a few giveaways that they were having and never expected to win but was super excited when I did!!
The rest of the story..... Is your reading material for today,
Enjoy!

(Names Listed Below
Starts at left-top
Ends at right-bottom)

The Mixes that I chose were:

• That Dip
• Land Crab
• Fully Loaded Potato Dip
• Hey Whitey
• She's Got Crabs

Yes I know the flavor names are a bit odd but I love it!! Makes things unique and adds some new interest to what could of been a lame named mix!
Dirt Broke Gourmet is no where near lame.... Their pretty awesome!

I'll explain...

If you've never heard of Dirt Broke Gourmet then I strongly suggest that you check them out soon! They sale all kinds of mixes for just about everything, including -- Cheesecake, Dips, Drinks, Breads, Cookies, Pickler Kits, Main and Side Dishes, Popcorn Seasonings and SOOOOOOOOO much more!!! Dirt Broke Gourmet has so many options to chose from that I can't type them all up! Their prices are extremely cheap.... hence the name - Dirt Broke. Not to mention that their highest shipping charge is only $11!!!!

To tell you a little more about them, I've copied some wording that I found on their website:

"Welcome to Dirt Broke Gourmet! How Dirt Broke Gourmet started was 14 years ago when we did farmers’ markets, as a family of 4 I could only can and freeze so much of the left over market veggies. So the first dip was born! We would take our left over market veggies dry them add some other spices. Our first dip was radish dip. We would make these dips and when someone would buy some veggies they would get a free dip! This went over very well! Then in 2007 we lost our farm to a foreclosure. We lost everything we had! At the end of 2007 our market customers came to us and told us we should market our dips! They liked them that much! So then Dirt Broke Gourmet was born! We figured there was only one name for it! And with a name of Dirt Broke we keep our prices so everyone can  enjoy a treat! A couple of years after us selling our dips one of our customers came to us and wanted to start selling our products! So then the Dirt broke Gourmet consultants were born! And today we have consultants in many states. And more states adding daily. At Dirt Broke Gourmet we have fun no matter where we are, a Dirt Broke Party, craft show, or even our Dirt Broke meetings! Come and join our team today!

Thanks for reading our story God Bless!"

--Dave & April Nicholson & Boys

(Source for Content)

You can view all products from Dirt Broke Gourmet at: www.dirtbrokegourmet.com

I decided to try the "Land Crab Mix" first. "Land Crab" is Chicken, if you didn't already figure that out. (I love the odd names, it makes things fun!)

The regular directions for the "Land Crab" Dip are printed on the back label (in photo above) but I wanted to try something different. Since I'm a HUGE chicken fan and have turned both of my daughters into chicken fans as well, I decided to mix a little of the Dip Mix into some shredded chicken!

* Dirt Broke - Land Crab Salad *

• I started by opening up and draining a can of shredded chicken and put it into a medium sized bowl.
• I then poured a small amount of "Land Crab" Mix into the chicken as well as a small amount of mayonnaise. (It all depends on how thick or creamy you like it) I didn't add alot of both ingredients - I wanted to save some dip mix for a later food project.
• I then mixed it all together and added the chicken mix to some bread and made us a few Land Crab Sandwiches!

It was a wonderful, quick lunch for my daughters and I since my fiance was working all night. You could taste many flavors and even catch a crunch of - what I thought of as - either Onion or Garlic. I loved it and went back for more, my daughters ate seconds too!!  We ended up all eating one sandwich and then had a bit of the chicken mix by itself as well.... It tasted great either way and was gone before we knew it! I can't wait to make some more soon!

We call it our "Dirt Broke - Land Crab Salad!"

(It's our quick and cheap version since we didn't add any extras.)

We haven't tried the other mixes yet but I'm sure we'll figure out a way to use those in a different way as well!!! I wonder how delicious those will be!? I'm looking forward to finding some NON-SPICY crab meat so I can try our "She's Got Crabs" Dip Mix! YUM! If you've never tried any of Dirt Broke Gourmet's awesome dips and mixes, then I personally suggest you to check out their site or facebook page and be amazed!! I've never seen or heard of a similar brand like Dirt Broke and I'm super glad that I randomly ran across them! The names may catch you by surprise but that's what makes them stand out!
Their Unique!

Don't forget their motto...

"When Life Sucks - Just Dip It!"

Have you ever heard of Dirt Broke Gourmet before now?
and
What's your opinion of the choices made by Dirt Broke Gourmet for Flavor Names?
It's a question that's screaming to be asked! :)

Make sure you visit Dirt Broke Gourmet on Facebook!!

They have all kinds of fun things going on!

Tell them Autumn from My Kind Of Introduction sent you!!

(@The Realm Of Freebies, Deals and Fun - On Facebook)

This is not a sponsored post. I won the mentioned products fair and square and personally decided to brag to all my friends (aka my readers/followers) about how cool I believe Dirt Broke Gourmet is.

All opinions are my own at My Kind Of Introduction.

Almondina Biscuits - The Healthy Guilt-Free Gourmet Cookie

Almondina - The Gourmet Cookie without the Guilt
 

Snacks are a big deal in my house. My daughters are ages 6 and 7 and are always on the go! Running in and out of the house, through the neighborhood, playing and simply being kids. All that playing can wear a kid out and what better to boost your energy than with food! Other than Lunch and Supper, I try not to make my girls food that's going to upset their tummies if they decide they want to go play some more right after their finished eating. Snack food ends up being our main go to area during these moments in the day. After a while, I've realized that most of the snacks that my kids eat are full of sugar and don't do much good for them except tame their hunger a bit and give them a 20 minutes "Sugar High" which makes the girls crash once all that sugar wears off... that's never a good thing!

So when I received an email from an Almondina contact asking if I would be interested in trying out a sample pack of their biscuit cookies, in return for my thoughts and opinions, I wasn't about to say no and miss the chance to possibly discover a new delicious snack for my little girls. So, I quickly agreed and begin to wait for the package to arrive at my door. In less that 2 weeks, I was holding a box containing lots of Almondina Cookies in a variety of flavors!

In the box, I received the following flavors:

Choconut

• Almondina Original
• Choconut
• Cinnaroma
• Sesame
• Chocolate Cherry
• GingerSpice

Some of the other flavor options available are:

• AlmonDuo
• AnniversaryT
• BranTreats - Cookies For Breakfast
• Seasonal Pumpkin Spice (Seasonal)
• Chocolate Dipped Original
• Delights
• Yougurt Dipped-Brantreats

We received one tray per flavor except for the original which we got 2 trays of. Before I had a chance to look at all the flavors, Loran and Jade had already started snatching up a couple cookie trays and were on their way outside to try out their new snack!

- What are Almondina Cookies? -

Let me explain...

-- Almondina is an all-natural, crispy almond cookie that has no cholesterol, no added fat or salt or preservatives and has only 30 calories!

Original Flavor

-- Once a world renown musical conductor, Yuval Zaliouk has been the owner of Almondina for the past 20 years, with his company based in Ohio.

-- Zaliouk's Almondina Cookies are created with love using the a special recipe that originally came from his Grandmother Dina.
-- These cookies are now sold in all 50 States as well as in several foreign countries too.
-- Almondina is All Natural, Healthful, Versatile, Crunchy, Addictive and come in Several different flavors!

Since my girls had already grabbed a pack of cookies a piece, I headed their way to steal a taste for myself. Loran had the Choconut while Jade was eating the Original flavor.  I had the girls give me a cookie from each pack and I since I'd never ate anything like Almondina biscuits before, I wasn't sure what to expect. Was is going to taste like hard bread? Since it's name has the word Almond in it, Were the cookies going to have a strong nutty taste? I wasn't sure, until I took a bite....
To my surprise, both flavors tasted great. Their sweet, crunchy and taste nothing like bread. Between Choconut and Original - My favorite was the Choconut, Jade was convinced that they tasted like coffee but I believe her 6yr old taste-buds were playing tricks on her since everyone else was loving the chocolaty taste. My fiance was at work when the Almondina Cookies arrived but he has just as much as a snack addiction as our girls do, so I knew he would be trying them out soon. 

Throughout the next couple days, I personally, ended up trying 4 out of the 6 cookie flavors that we received. The Cinnaroma and GingerSpice cookies disappeared -- My daughters ate the whole tray of both packs without me knowing so I missed out on those but since Loran and Jade ate every last Cinnaroma and GingerSpice cookie, they had to of tasted pretty great or I would of found the cookies later, just sitting alone wherever the girls were when they decided they didn't like them... All I found was empty packs laying on their bed, not even a crumb! When it came to the Almondina Sesame and Chocolate Cherry cookies - The unique flavor of the Sesame, quickly hooked Jade and I, they're definitely both of our favorites! I wasn't sure how the Sesame flavor - added to a crunchy, bread-like surface - could taste any where near sweet enough to be labeled a cookie. Who doesn't think of a Sesame Seed bun when you see the word Sesame? Once I took my first bite of the Sesame Cookie, the exotic flavor with a touch of sweetness over took my mouth and I swear that I felt my taste-buds do a little dance! Jade has been eating on the Sesame Cookies for a few days now, I've come to realize that she may be stretching the last few out to reach more than just one day, she's a silly but smart little girl so I believe she may be on to something good!
My daughters aka "The Dancing Diva's", made their own video reviews of how they felt about Almondina Cookies. Jade and Loran's video's are below:

Jade

Loran

Once Alan was finally able to try the Almondina cookies he headed for the Chocolate Cherry! I had already ate a couple of them as well as giving a few cookies to a friend who wanted a taste. The chocolaty flavor was mixed with not only the real cherry taste but I'm pretty sure I saw and tasted big chunks of REAL cherries as well!! They were "out-of-this-world" delicious!! Where else can you find a chocolate crunch and a real cherry squish in one cookie? (I'm not talking about the fake fruity squish, these were REAL Fresh cherry squish bits!) Before I realized it, Alan had eaten the rest of the Chocolate Cherry cookies in a matter in minutes! His response when I asked him what he thought, was..... "Those were bangin'!" Translation -- "Those were awesome!" Which surprised me since he was eating the Chocolate ones, Alan don't eat alot of food with chocolate flavoring because he says it's too sweet, but apparently the Almondina Chocolate Cherry Biscuit Cookies had just the right about of chocolate that the sweetness didn't take over and it didn't hurt one bit that my fiance just happens to loves cherries!
--The Almonds were visible in every cookie but the taste never overpowered the other flavors, which made me extremely happy! I couldn't of chosen a better healthy cookie to give to my little girls. Not only are they super delicious but the health factors truly blow my mind!

Almondina Biscuit Cookies are:

• All Natural
• Free of Cholesterol, Coloring and Preservatives 
• Kosher and Pareve (no dairy)
• No added Fat or Salt
• Perfect side to pair with Tea, Coffee or even a glass of wine
• Can be used as a Cracker with Cream Cheese, Chocolate Spreads, etc
• Crumbled as an Ice Cream Topping!
• Milk and Cookies for the kids!
• Would also make a wonderful little breakfast on the go!

Don't Almondina Cookies sound delicious? -- My daughters sure thought so!! Points to Mommy for saying YES to Almondina Biscuit Cookies!!

Guess what else found out.......

You can not only order these yummy gourmet cookies online but in many stores as well!! The Almondina Brand can be found in stores such as - Walmart, TJ Maxx, MarshallsPublix, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Giant Eagle, Mollie Stone's, Hannaford, Jewel, The Fresh Market, Fairway, Cost Plus World Market, Publix, Trader Joe's and so many more!

View Almondina's complete distribution on their site.

(Under the Store Finder Tab) 

One of my favorite parts about the Almondina Brand - other than their cookies - Is the story behind the cookies... Grandmother Dina!

Even though she was very generous about sharing her recipes with family.... She waited until the very end to release the Family favorite.... Read the whole story to understand why I enjoyed it so much! (The story is not very long but is extremely interesting and touching)

You can also hear the story of the Yuval Zaliouk - Owner of Almondina

To Purchase and/or learn more about Almondina Biscuits Cookies: Visit their website. You can also find Almondina on Facebook and Twitter

Keep an eye out for a #Giveaway soon!!

Be on the look out for the Almondina Giveaway around Friday, June 28!

(Giveaway expired)

Disclaimer: I received the product(s) mentioned above, complimentary from the sponsor in return for my honest thoughts and opinions. All opinions are all my own and may differ from your own. Even though some sort of compensation may have been received, I only write about products that I have personally used and/or believe my readers will enjoy or benefit from. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

This blog may also contain affiliate links

See Full Disclosure for further details.

The Dogs Bark Bakery - 100% Natural Gourmet Dog Treats

Is your 4 legged friend fit to be a Royal Pup? 
How does Natural Gourmet Dog Treats sound?

This post is sponsored by:

A month or so ago I was contacted by a social media manger who had many clients for who she worked for. She asked if I would be interested in working with a few of her clients, she named off a few of them and there was no way I could turn her down! She worked with some wonderful brands and I couldn't wait to get started. The Dogs Bark Bakery was one of those brands!

Rhonda, the Owner/Baker of The Dogs Bark Bakery, makes 100% Natural Gourmet Dog Treats out of her very own kitchen! She uses only human grade, calorie conscious ingredients, that are locally grown when available. The dog treats have no meat or meat byproducts and are handmade to satisfy even the pickiest doggie taste buds! Dog Treats from The Dogs Bark Bakery come in 2 different sizes and in many many flavors!! Since the treats are preservative free, refrigeration is recommended.
(There was a sticker on top of the treat box to remind me!)

The Sizes include: Barks - For the big dogs & Bites - For the smaller dogs

What caught my attention about The Dogs Bark Bakery? All those delicious sounding flavors, that's what!!  You get to chose between 9 different flavors of dog treats! 100% Natural Gourmet Dog Treats -- That makes it 10x better!

The Flavors Include:

• Grain Free Carrot Cookies
• Tomato Garlic Biscotti
• Vegan Blueberry Banana Delights
• Cinnamon Rolls
• Pumpkin Pie Bites
• Banana Biscotti
• Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
• Parmesan Crackers
• Breath Refreshers

I don't personally have a dog living at home with me but I do have one just 3 minutes away, at my best-friend Dustin's house. His name is Zeus! He's a big baby and the coolest dog ever!! I decided that Zeus deserved some gourmet dog treats, every dog deserves to feel like a King every now and then, right? Dustin and I went through every treat flavor and finally settled on Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies, in Bark Size! Zeus ain't no little puppy, he may think he's a lap dog but the truth is... Zeus is a big ol' baby and the coolest pitbull ever! Don't let the name Pitbull scare you off, he couldn't and wouldn't hurt a fly... Unless his nails aren't cut then you may get a scratch or 2 but that's just because he wants to play.

When the treats arrived, I was super excited to let Zeus try them! I couldn't help but take a sneak-peek at the cookies to see what they looked like, I found cool looking stars with the natural ingredients very visible! (The packaging was really neat too, the treats came in a brown box held together by a piece of twine) I couldn't wait to show Dustin and Zeus... Then life happened and I wasn't able to see Zeus for a couple weeks. (School, Family and the Unexpected - Unfortunately delayed my blog work alot during the month of May) But I never once forgot about Zeus' gourmet dog treats from The Dogs Bark Bakery! Luckily I was able to visit Zeus a couple days ago and I'm happy to say that he LOVES his new treats! Since I'm having to use my phone camera until I fix my good one, I wasn't able to get a visible photo of Zeus eating the treat! He gobbled them up way too fast!!! I don't know about you, but that tells me just one thing -- Zeus enjoys his Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies! He kept wanting more but I had Dustin put them in the fridge so he could save some later. (Maybe when he does an awesome trick!)

All in all, my experience with The Dogs Bark Bakery was a wonderful one and I plan on purchasing more dog treats soon! If you have a doggie friend and would like to give them the Royal Treatment when they do something awesome, then I highly recommend the 100% Natural Gourmet Dog Treats from The Dogs Bark Bakery! They look yummy, even though I'm not brave enough to try them myself!

To learn more about The Dogs Bark Bakery and view all of their wonderful gourmet selections: Visit The Dogs Bark Bakery Website or View them on Facebook and Twitter. Rumor has it that The Dogs Bark Food Truck may be coming soon! You can track their comings and goings via social media.

I was able to get these photo's of Zeus and his treat. Not the best photo's but atleast you can see what's happening!

Disclaimer: I received the product(s) mentioned above complimentary from the sponsor in return for my honest thoughts and opinions. All opinions are all my own and may be differ from your own. Even though some sort of compensation has been received, I only write about products that I have personally used and/or believe my readers will enjoy or benefit from.

This blog may contain affiliate links.