In the Kitchen: Organic Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil

Natural and Health Conscious Butterflies, I recently discovered a online health food store based here in Texas that carries organic virgin coconut oil imported from the Philippines. The Organic Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil at Tropical Traditions is one of their most popular products. Coconut oil can be used for cooking, baking, haircare, skincare, and so much more. 

Check out the helpful links for more information about the many benefits of coconut oil:

What is Virgin Coconut Oil?

How to Use Coconut Oil?

Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions newsletter to get new product information and share how you use coconut oil in the comments below.

Fall Fun Special at iT'Z

Disclosure: This is a sponsored review, I was invited to try this product/service in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts, opinions and expressions below are my own.  

 

iT'Z mission is to create a fun experience for families by combining affordable family dining with quality entertainment. Unlimited buffet? Check. The latest and greatest games? Without a doubt. Guaranteed good times? Absolutely. iT'Z all here! Kids Eat Free at iT'Z every Thursday! iT'Z the place to PARTY! iT'Z the place for FOOD! iT'Z the place for FUN! Butterfly LifeStyle readers, fans and followers can enjoy an exclusive FALL FUN Offer at iT'Z through 9/22 - CLICK HERE for the discount code for:

• Unlimited Buffet of Pizzas, Pastas, Salads, Baked Potatoes, Soups, and Desserts
• Unlimited Coca Cola Fountain Drinks
• All Day Unlimited Video Games (excludes redemption ticket, coin action and prize games)

Wondering what iT'Z is like? Check out my Family Fun Night @ iT'Z review here!

In the Kitchen: Cooking with Home Canned Foods - Kindle Book Review

Disclosure: This is a sponsored review, I was invited to try this product in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts, opinions and expressions below are my own.

Written by Rhiana Jones; Cooking with Home Canned Foods features about 30 recipes which are categorized into ten different easy to read chapters. This e-cookbook severs up more than a plate full of yummy cooking inspiration especially to those looking for interesting ways to use up those canned foods in your pantry. The recipes in this book work with foods you've canned yourself just as well as with canned foods from the grocery store. This book has something for everyone; from Soups to Cobbler, all of these recipes are made with easy to find, inexpensive ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Before I actually read the book I thought it was a book about canning and using what you canned judging from the title and cover photo only but to my surprise it's not ( I guess that's why they say never judge a book by it's cover). If you're looking for a book about canning, this is not the book for you but if you're looking for a book with recipes for using foods you've canned then this is the book for you. Personally I think there are some really great recipes here; I'm still working through the book and trying out all the recipes but so far the Black Bean Quesadillas and Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup are my two favorites for now. I'm looking forward to trying them all.

Click HERE for more information about the book and/or to purchase and download your e-book copy. 

In the Kitchen: FunBites

I received a FunBites to review and I have to say I think it is a very cute and creative kitchen gadget to have especially if you have small kids in your home. If you've ever used a cookie cutter then the FunBites will be a piece of fruit! FunBites works great on sandwiches, cheese, some fruit/veggies and other foods. I recommend making sure that the cutter is completely dry inside before cutting anything dry such as bread or cake if not the food will stick to the inside corners which can be kind of hard to clean and possibly ruin your creation. The cut-outs are very small so this would be a really good way to introduce toddlers to different foods at snack time; it's both fun and educational. FunBites come in four different cool colors and three shapes; hearts, squares, and triangles. I'm a major girly girl and so is my daughter so we both loved that it came in the heart shapes. :-) FunBites is a MIUSA (made in the USA) product, is BPA FREE, dishwasher safe and retails for under $15. For more information about FunBites or to purchase please visit www.FunBites.com.

Date Night at Dave & Buster's Summer of Games + Fun

This is a sponsored post.

If you've never been or if it's been a while since your last visit, now is a great time to check out Dave & Buster's. I went the other day with my partner and the kid and we had a BLAST! Recently D&B introduced new summer inspired drink and food menu items and FREE game play on 5 of the 8 new 4D game versions of popular mobile app games like Fruit Ninja and Temple Run. As part of the “Summer of Games” promotion, Dave & Buster’s will give guests free play on five of the newest games when they purchase or re-charge a PowerCard, from now through August 25th and D&B now has a mobile APP, so now you can skip the lines and recharge your game card right from your phone.

In the Kitchen: Double Layered Chocolate on Chocolate Cake

My husband's birthday was this week and as a yummy surprise I decide to bake for him (he's a chocoholic)! I came across a cake recipe on FoodyTuby's YouTube channel that I wanted to try out and give it my own personal touch. I honestly can't remember the last time I baked anything (haha) so you can just imagine how interesting of an experience this was for me. Anyway to sum it up my Double Layered Chocolate on Chocolate Cake was a hit at the palace and I need a new mixer ASAP lol! ;-)

Top & Bottom photos on the left are of the homemade icing, right photo is of the finished frosted caked.

Cake Ingredients:

2 Boxes of Chocolate Cake Mix

2 Packages Of Chocolate Pudding Mix

1 1/2 Cups Of Sour Cream

1 1/2 Cup Of Vegetable Oil

2/3 Cup Of Water

2/3 Cup of Milk

1  Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

1 Teaspoon of Almond Extract 

Chocolate Frosting

Mixing & Baking Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 350, add cake mix and jello to large mixing bowl then add all other ingredients and mix well. Pour mixed batter into two greased & floured baking pans (round or square) and bake for 25-35 minutes.

Tip:

Adding milk is optional, I did so because my batter was too thick for my liking so I used the milk to loosen it up a bit. If you are ok with the thickness of your batter then skip adding the milk. Because of all the added ingredients and ovens vary it may take longer to bake, I suggest using the old school baking method of sticking a toothpick or fork into the center of the cake to check if it's done.

Check out BLS's One-Minute Easy Chocolate Frosting!

Check out FoodyTuby's Chocolate Cake Video below...it's yummy and super moist! ;-)

Visiting Texas: Ocean's Restaurant in Houston

Prior to this last visit I had been to Ocean's a few times before in the past mostly for happy hour or a quick business meeting but neither time did I reserve a few seconds to take in this establishment. Now that it's a thriving Mexican ceviche eatery it's hard to believe this place was once a regular two story house; revamped, given a modern look and the name Ocean's.

Now on to the food...



Ocean’s Salad



Starting with the Ocean's Salad, I have to say it was creatively prepared. This salad is started with a mix of lettuce and red and yellow bell peppers topped with goat cheese, then garnished with tomatos, crispy noodles and pecans and drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette.









Prime Filet Mignon Taco

The Prime Filet Mignon Taco consisted of one or two thin slices of beef, minced white onions, and cilantro on a corn tortilla. Since I dined during their "happy hour special" this single and very tiny taco only cost me $5, do I think it was worth it? As I ate I couldn't help thinking, for that same five bucks I could have gotten at least 3 to 4 tacos from a couple of places in my own neighborhood. In this situation you are defiantly paying for the atmosphere.



Citrus Margarita



Sangrita





The drinks were average, there was nothing extravagant about the drinks at all but for the price I have to confess I expected a little more.

Ocean's patio for outdoor dining

The one other thing I like about this place other than the fact that it is conveniently located in the Midtown-Houston area is the patio. I have dined on the patio at Ocean's twice and each time I really enjoyed it. If you choose to visit Ocean's you will find that the patio area has a very peaceful and relaxing atmosphere depending on the evening you decide to visit; each time I visited Ocean's it was on a weeknight so there was no crowd and the weather was beautiful so I'm sure that enhanced my patio experience even more.

Summary:

Overall my experience at Ocean's was almost fair. I wouldn't recommend this place if you're looking for somewhere to enjoy a hearty meal at a decent price. I would however recommend Ocean's for a nice quit place to have a drink or two with friends or meet with business associates or if you just want to get some work done while enjoying the sun and a little fresh air.

Cost Rating:
Experience Rating:

Overall Rating:

*Ratings are conducted based on a cost for quantity/quality ratio.

Ocean's

819 W Alabama St

Houston,TX 77006

Ph: (713) 520-7744

Photos courtesy of My Ultimate Photography



Visiting Texas: Best Houston Area Cajun/Creole Spots

Some refer to it as "Cajun food" while others call it "Creole food" but nevertheless if you're from the South like me you’ve probably heard of and love them both. The words Cajun and Creole both derived from the French language. By definition Cajun is used to describe the French-speaking Acadian or "Cajun" settlers of 17th century Nova Scotia, a colony in Canada they named Acadia, from akade, the Micmac Indian word for ‘plenty’, who were driven off their land and into exile by the British to the Acadiana region of Louisiana. 

In the Kitchen: A Newly Discovered Passion for Cooking

I just recently discovered that I have a passion for cooking! The presence of food in Houston is amazing and I want to share my thoughts on it all with you. As a kid growing up Sunday’s meal was the best meal of the week, it brought the entire family together. It has been my experience that for some wonderful reason unknown food has the tendency to bring individuals together.

I must admit I have a love for food, my favorite being Nachos! I LOVE CHEESE! Next to that would be pickles, pizza and hot wings but as I continue growing and moving forward in life I'm discovering that eating health has become one of my biggest concerns for me and my own family so I've decided to go on a mission to learn "the art of cooking".

In the future I plan to post more blogs about food and cooking. I will be sharing my personal restaurant reviews, different recipes (both published and my personal creations), cooking tips and grocery money saving tips that I will be learning along the way. I must add I in no way shape or form intent to make a career out of cooking, it's a simple for pleasure. Please feel free to comment and share your ideas.

Bon Appétit!

Mika Dione B.