Yummy Gummy Candy! Goody Good Stuff!

We were lucky enough to sample the range of Goody Good Stuff gummy candies last month.

We were extremely pleasantly surprised. We are sort of gummy connoisseurs, and these are some of the best gummies we've tried. That includes German gummies and Japanese gummies.

My favorite flavors were Summer Peaches and Strawberry Cream. You can find them at 7/11 or online at Goody Good Stuff

Here is some more info about the candies - 

Goody Good Stuff is an all-new natural gummy candy range that is made with a plant derived bio-gum technology, which eliminates the need for animal-based gelatin, which most traditional gummy sweets use.

Willy's Mexicana Grill

Mom and I took the baby to Willy’s Mexicana Grill for lunch after his pediatrician appointment. We tried the Merchant’s Walk location by Trader Joe’s in Pine Straw Place.

What did you order? How was your food?

We ordered Cilantro-Garlic Steak Burritos and Char-grilled Chicken Burritos. Burritos come with rice, choice of pinto or black beans, salsa, cheese and one of the following items: sour cream, roasted red peppers, corn salsa or grilled green peppers & onions. I enjoy picking out which ingredients I want for my burrito.

The burritos are HUGE, and delicious! I love their hot sauce which is provided in a big squeeze bottle at all of their tables. The prep seemed really fresh. You also get tortilla chips and salsa, and there is a sauce bar as well. They had a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine – always a fun beverage option. I got Raspberry Coke.

Describe your impressions of the service. Was anything exceptionally good (or bad) about the quality of service you received?

Very friendly service. Oh my goodness, I forgot the cookies. The chocolate chip cookies are to die for. Cheap, too.

What do you think of the décor and atmosphere?

The décor is very casual and modern. It goes perfectly with their laidback food.

Do you consider this a good value for the money you spent? If no, why not?

Willy’s is definitely a good deal – you get a ginormous burrito, and chips, too.

This restaurant is best for...

Fun, filling Mexican food and burritos as big as your head. Great family restaurant!

More info about Willy’s –

“Willy Bitter created Willy’s after visiting San Francisco and encountering the mission-style burrito. He loved the flavors and knew he had to bring this burrito back to share with the Atlanta area. With a passion for making great Mexican food, Willy and his team opened the very first Willy's restaurant in 1995, and the company has since grown to include more than 20 locations in the metro Atlanta area, one in Athens, Ga., and one in Gainesville, Fla. You can read more about the Willy's story here.

“Willy's makes salsa and guacamole fresh every day. Willy's menu includes signature burritos, quesadillas and tacos featuring ingredients such as marinated adobe and sinaloa chicken, cilantro-garlic steak, sinaloa tofu, veggies and all the fixings. Salads and nachos with grilled chicken or steak are also offered, and Willy's signature margarita is available at select locations.” 

You can find a complete list of locations at www.willys.com/locations. For more information on Willy’s visit (www.facebook.com/WillysMexicana) or find them on Twitter at twitter.com/WillysMexicana.

P. F. Chang's Airport Location Opening

P.F. Chang’s lovers, the first P.F. Chang’s Airport location will open on 8/27. As the popular Asian chain’s first airport location, the restaurant features a new décor concept which is also being unveiled at other locations this year as P.F. Chang’s celebrates its 20^th anniversary.

Airport P.F. Chang’s  will offer Breakfast – I love breakfast!

• Breakfast Fried Rice—Chicken apple sausage, julienne carrots, bean sprouts and scallions, tossed in savory sauce topped with a sunny-side egg
• Classic Bacon & Eggs—Two eggs served with chicken apple sausage or bacon, a toasted bagel and a side of mixed fruit or home fries drizzled with our signature spicy sauce
• Apple Smoothie—Greek yogurt blended with fresh Granny Smith apples, honey and orange juice, finished with a swirl of honey

The P.F. Chang’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport menu includes classic favorites such as:

• Chang’s Famous Chicken Lettuce Wraps—Consistently P.F. Chang’s most popular dish worldwide, this signature appetizer features wok-seared chicken, mushrooms, green onions and water chestnuts served over crispy rice sticks with cool, crisp lettuce cups.
• Mongolian Beef—Another best-selling dish, P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef is a savory entrée with a sweet, soy-glazed flank steak wok-seared with scallions and garlic.
• Dynamite Shrimp—P.F. Chang’s presents a spicy take on seafood with its Dynamite Shrimp, featuring tempura-battered shrimp tossed in a light, spicy Sriracha aioli.
• Walnut Shrimp with Melon—For a milder shrimp option, P.F. Chang’s offers Walnut Shrimp with Melon, highlighting tender shrimp tossed in a creamy sauce with candied walnuts and honeydew melon.
• Oolong Chilean Sea Bass—For more from the sea, P.F. Chang’s also serves an Asian take on sea bass with a line-caught, tea-marinated filet broiled in sweet ginger-soy over warm spinach.

Cocktails!

• Asian Mary—Absolut Peppar Vodka mixed with a blend of spices and tomato juice
• Coconut Mojito—Cruzan Coconut Rum muddled with fresh mint, coconut cream and lime juice
• Rock Melon Margarita—1800 Reposado Tequila, sour mix, orange juice and a hint of Rock Melon syrup

The new location is located in the upper level of Concourse A. P.F. Chang’s will open at 6:30 a.m. daily. For more information, visit www.pfchangs.com or call 404-763-2550. 

Also...

Three Markets will run at AmericasMart

Tuesday through Thursday, September 17–19, 2013.

The ATLANTA FALL GIFT & HOME FURNISHINGS MARKET presents AmericasMart’s complete HOME and GIFT collections.

THE ATLANTA GOURMET MARKET celebrates the best of the gourmet foods, gourmet housewares and tabletop industries.

VOW | NEW WORLD OF BRIDAL is the nation’s new premier bridal and social occasion apparel market.

AmericasMart Atlanta
240 Peachtree Street, NW
Atlanta, GA  30303

Italian Turkey Burger Fun and Red Gold Sweepstakes on Facebook

We made tasty and healthy Italian Turkey Burgers this week with Red Gold Tomatoes. There are several flavors of Red Gold tomatoes you can get, including Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic, and Oregano; Garlic and Olive Oil; Chili-Ready; or with Green Chilies.

It was really easy to make these aromatic burgers since the herbs were included in the tomatoes, but make sure you add plenty of egg and breadcrumbs since turkey does not hold together as well as beef. The recipe suggests serving them on Italian bread with pasta sauce and Italian cheese. Dan and I enjoyed them for dinner last night with tomatoes and spinach and Martin’s buns. I love Martin’s buns! The Mama Selita’s Jalapeno Ketchup went well, too.

It’s good to know about Red Gold tomatoes since they are so easy to combine with other ingredients to make a simple yet delicious recipe. They also have really cute red aprons, and I love that they are still family-owned. There are a couple of other burger recipes below. I am trying the Spicy Burgers next. Yum! Also, they are hosting a sweepstakes right now - see below.

Red Gold is hosting a sweepstakes on Facebook till Aug. 30th  https://www.facebook.com/RedGold?fref=ts

You can win a Green Egg Ceramic Grill Smoker, as well as 5000 aprons

Italian Turkey Burgers

Ingredients

1	pound ground turkey
1	(14.5 ounce) can Red Gold® Diced Tomatoes With Basil, Garlic & Oregano, drained very well or 1 (14.5 ounce) can Red Gold® Petite Diced Tomatoes With Garlic & Olive Oil, drained very well
1	egg, beaten
1/4	cup bread crumbs
	Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Combine ground turkey, RED GOLD® DICED TOMATOES with BASIL, GARLIC & OREGANO, egg and bread crumbs in a bowl.  Form into patties and season with salt and black pepper.

Place on grill and cook to desired temperature, 160o for completely cooked burgers.

Option: For added flavor put ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese into the center of each patty.

 Suggested Accompaniments:

Serve on toasted Italian bread

Top with a thick pasta sauce (heated)

Sprinkle with shredded Italian blend cheese

Spicy Tomato Burger

1 lb ground beef

1 14.5 oz can of Red Gold Tomato w/Green Chilies

Salt and Pepper

Option: Pepper Jack Cheese

Combine beef and tomatoes (drained). Form into patties. Season. Add cheese to center of each patty for an added kick. Grill.

As desired, serve on toasted bun. use Jalapeño Ketchup or Chipotle Mayo. Layer spicy peppers.

Caribbean Chicken Burger

1 lb. ground chicken

1 14.5 oz can of Red Gold Lime Juice & Cilantro

Salt & Pepper

Combine ground chicken and Red Gold tomatoes (drained). Form into patties. Season. Grill

As desired, served on Toasted bun or lettuce. Layer guacamole or avocado or roasted pineapple slice. Top with a mango chutney or fruit salsa.

J. Christopher's Opening in Marietta at East Lake

A new J. Christopher's is now open in Marietta. It is located at the Pavilions at East Lake, located at 2100 Roswell Road. Our family has always enjoyed the Johnson Ferry location, so this one is a welcome addition.

Tuesday Recipe: Green Tomato Pickles

Green Tomato Pickles

“That’s almost two quarts of green tomato pickle. Even if it’s only our first garden on the sod and nothing could grow well, these pickles will be a treat with baked beans this winter,” Ma gloated. (From The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder)

For four 1-pint jars of pickles you will need:

Small green tomatoes, 5 pounds (about 22 tomatoes, 2 ½ inches each)

Salt,  tablespoons

Mixed pickling spice, 3 tablespoons

Cider vinegar, 2 cups

Enameled kettle, 6-quart or larger; sterilizing kettle; 1-pint canning jars, with lids, 4;  

ladle, tongs, and wide-mouth funnel; slotted spoon

Wash the tomatoes well and divide them into six equal groups, slice tomatoes in the first group crosswise, about ¼ inch thick and arrange them in a layer covering the bottom of the enameled kettle. Sprinkle with a scant teaspoon of salt and 1 ½ teaspoons and spices. Pour in the vinegar and 2 cups of water slowly, without disturbing the layers, until the liquid reaches the top layer (add more water if needed). Heat to boiling; reduce heat, and simmer uncovered about 15 minutes, or until a slice will cut easily with a fork.

Meanwhile sterilize jars.

If scum forms on bubbling surface of pickles skim it off with spoon edge.

Using the funnel, with the slotted spoon fill the jars with slices and spices to within ½ inch of the rims. Distribute the last spoonful with spice residue evenly among all jars. Ladle in liquid to fill. Apply lids and seal.

When jars are cool tighten lids, wipe jars clean, label and date, and store in cool dark place for at least two weeks.

Recipe by Barbara Walker from The Little House Cookbook