Disclosure: I was provided free samples in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Over the years both D and I have become avid coffee drinkers.  We drink it hot or cold, pretty much year-round.  I usually make batches of cold brew coffee in the summertime.  I like the refreshing, smooth, less acidic flavor.  It is easy to make, but it does take about twelve hours to steep.  Therefore, I was excited to learn about the convenience of Java House Cold Brew Coffee.

Java House Cold Brew Coffee comes in pods, but these pods are unique because they contain liquid, not grounds.  The ingredient list is simple: Filtered Water, 100% Arabica Coffee.  That’s it!  No preservatives or other weird additives.

The manufacturing process is also simple, but the result is a delicious cup of cold brew coffee.  What is even better is that this cold brew coffee can be enjoyed either hot or cold.

We had the opportunity to try the following four varieties: Ethiopian (light roast), Sumatran (dark roast), Colombian (medium roast) and Decaf (medium roast).

Preparing the coffee cold could not be easier.  Peel off the lid, pour it in a cup and add cold water (no coffee maker needed!).  I could see this being handy for traveling.

I used our Hamilton Beach FlexBrew coffee maker to prepare the hot version.  It was a little trickier because I did not failed to read the directions and did not realize that the liquid would come out as soon as I inserted the pod (although I guess that should be obvious!)  As long as you have your mug ready as soon as the pod is inserted, there should not be any problems.  Cold or hot, it was delicious both ways!

I cannot wait for the weather to become cooler.  Reading with a cup of coffee and a little sweet snack on a chilly day is one of my favorite things to do!

Each 6-count box retails for $8.99 and can be found at javahouse.com, walmart.com, or your local Wal-Mart store.  Java House is providing the opportunity for one of my readers to win a month’s supply of their cold brew coffee pods (1 box of each variety: Ethiopian, Colombian, Sumatran, and Decaf)!

Disclosure: Samples were provided in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Summer is in full swing, and we like to have frozen treats on hand.  It is a good idea to make your own, since a lot of store-bought frozen treats have artificial colors and flavors, not to mention high fructose corn syrup.  Have you heard of Zipzicles?  They are sealable BPA/BPS/Phthalate-free plastic pouches that let you make your own portable ice pops.

They also offer Ice Pop Sleeves to “Keep hands warm & ice pop cold”.  Ingenious.

These are the Zipzicle flavors that we made:

There are plenty of ice pop recipes that can be found on the Zipzicle website, along with Pinterest, etc.  However, we kind of just winged it with some ingredients that we thought sounded good.

n cut up the strawberries and we blended it with lemonade to make the strawberry lemonade flavor.  We did the same with some blackberries that my parents gave me from their backyard.

For the mango lemonade flavor, we used frozen mango chunks from Trader Joe’s.  So easy–no prep!

For the root beer float flavor we simply blended root beer and vanilla ice cream.  (Confession: we used “regular” root beer so there were some not-so-good-for-you ingredients in that one, but you could easily use a natural brand!)

For the cold brew coffee flavor (for D and me) we used cold brew coffee, milk and sweetened condensed milk.  The beauty is that you can make it as milky or as sweet as you like it.  This would also be a good way to use up any leftover coffee that you may have, as well.

Once we blended the ingredients, we found it easiest to use a funnel to fill the ice pop molds.  There is even a “fill line” marked on the pouch so you know when to stop. (Since liquid expands when it freezes, you don’t wan’t to overfill it!)

We froze them upright, as recommended on the website.  We just used another ice pop set that we already had but you could use a cup or anything that would hold them upright.  They did not take long to freeze–maybe a couple of hours.

So excited to have a stockpile of these Zipzicles in our freezer!

The kids had so much fun both making and eating their Zipzicles!

Zipzicles can be ordered here.  They are also available at Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart and Amazon.

I am also excited to announce that Zipzicles is offering one of my readers a chance to win their own set of ice pop molds and ice pop sleeves!

Welcome to the Summer Lovin’ Giveaway Hop brought to you by The Hopping Bloggers!

Hosted By: Mama’s Geeky & Women and Their Pretties

Each giveaway has a value of a minimum of $15, however some are worth much more. Be sure to enter to win all of them because there is no limit to how many you can win. GOOD LUCK!

If you’re a blogger looking to connect with brands: Join The Hopping Bloggers database and get started today!
If you’re a brand looking to work with a network of professional bloggers: Check out the creative campaigns The Hopping Bloggers has to offer!

Disclosure: I received product samples in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Nona Lim is yet another company that I discovered through Expo West.  Obviously, the name “Lim” immediately caught my attention, although we are not related that I know of!  I was interested in trying their line of Asian-inspired products, which are gluten-free, dairy-free, preservative-free, additive-free, low-sodium and low-sugar.

I was especially excited to try their new Noodle Bowls, which come in three flavors: Chicken Pho, Thai Coconut Lime, and Green Curry.

This is the Chicken Pho Noodle Bowl, deconstructed.

The prep could not be any easier.  Empty the noodles and broth into the paper bowl and microwave for 5 minutes.

We added some jalapenos, scallions and herbs, but you could add chicken or other vegetables for a heartier meal.

First off, the broth smelled amazing; I felt like I was in a Vietnamese restaurant!  The rice noodles turned out to have a nice texture; not too firm or mushy.  The broth had a lighter flavor than I am used to, but that is probably due to fact that it is not overloaded with sodium and MSG.  It was still delicious–I think it is good for our palates to adjust to what “clean” eating should taste like.

I was also curious about these Heat & Sip Bone Broth Cups.  The flavors include Ginseng Chicken, Vietnamese Pho Beef, Tumeric Chicken, Shiitake Beef, and Thai Coconut Lime.  I have been hearing a lot lately about the benefits of bone broth, including better digestion and healthier skin, hair, nails, joints, immune system and metabolic functions.  Sounds good to me!

In addition to the nutritional benefits, the Nona Lim Bone Broths have wonderfully complex and nuanced flavors that are warm and comforting.  I had D take the Ginseng Chicken Bone Broth to work for an afternoon pick-me-up.  It was so easy for him to heat it up in the microwave and enjoy in his office’s “hub”.

The Heat & Sip Bone Broth Cups also fit perfectly in my car’s cupholders.  I could see taking one of these along when I need nourishment on the go, which seems to be often for me these days!

Nona Lim products can be found at select markets, including Whole Foods.  Go here to find a store near you, or you can order their products online.

I am also excited to announce that Nona Lim is generously offering a $50 gift card to their online store for one of my readers!