Your Style - Your Way - Card.com

#Ad - I wrote this review as a part of a Blog Friendly PR outreach campaign for CARD.com. I was compensated for me time but all opinions and experiences are my own

I know, out of all the thousands of cards that you can choose from on CARD.com, and there are so many! ... I chose Where's Waldo. He came back into my life with the sudden interest from my 6-year old son. Now, every time I look in my wallet or make a purchase I think of my son and our shared love of finding Waldo.

Bank cards really are boring. Everyone has the same one depending on their bank, but CARD.com is putting a little fun back into shopping. I could have spent hours browsing through their collection of card options. Really, if you are a geek or sports fan, there are so many options for you. There is probably something for everyone on the site.

No, this isn't a gift card. You can't give it away, it is a debit card to keep, enjoy and keep loading and using. A Prepaid Debit Card that is so simple to either hook up to direct deposit or your PayPal account. I like that option because I can't accrue overdraft fees and the $5.95 monthly fee is the same as a Walmart prepaid card.

I went ahead and set mine up to receive transfers from my Paypal account. The easy steps to follow were right on the CARD.com site and set-up was fast and easy. My transfer was ready in 3 days and I was able to start shopping.

Where did I shop first? Well, King Arthur Flour, of course! I stocked up on all my baking stuff to be ready for the holidays. Next I plan to use my Where's Waldo card to revamp my Winter wardrobe.

More reasons to love CARD.com

• Free to order, activate and load.
• Free app and check deposits from your smartphone.
• Free direct deposit.
• Free card-to-card transfers, any time, anywhere, in seconds.
• No overdraft fees -- never goes negative!
• Safer than cash - 24/7 support, Visa fraud protection and 100% FDIC insurance on funds.
• No debt, financially responsible, no interest/credit/APRs.
• No credit check and approval in seconds.
• 22,000 in-network ATMs.
• Thousands of cool, unique card designs to choose from, including brands like: Garfield, Popeye, Betty Paige, James Dean, Care Bears, Walking Dead, Star Trek, Autism Awareness, Breast Cancer Research, Shark Week, Where's Waldo, Doodle Jump, Three Stooges, Nancy Drew, etc.

Be sure to check out the site and see which card fits your personality! You can follow CARD.com on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

So what was your favorite design? Which card would you choose?

Daregal Gourmet Fresh Frozen Herbs for Easy Salmon Anytime

*Disclaimer - I received a sampler of Daregal Gourmet fresh frozen herbs to review as a part of a Blog Friendly PR campaign. All opinions are my own and no compensation was received.

This week I received a great surprise, fresh caught Salmon. My Dad fished most weekends when I was younger and, since my husband is not into fishing, I am grateful for the fishing enthusiasts we know. Those who share, are even better! Salmon is a fish we have and love eating here in Oregon. I love the beautiful, bright color and taste of fresh Salmon. To do it justice I don't like to bread, fry or cover-up the flavors. This beautiful fish needed a gentle touch.

This year my hopes for a garden were more ambitious than I had time for. In my final trimester of pregnancy I just couldn't get myself outside to get everything planted. My space was quickly overgrown and what I did plant withered away under the hot sun when the baby was born. So I didn't have my usual outlet for fresh herbs.

Now, the prices of fresh herbs in my local grocery store are pretty wild. I usually only need a tiny amount of herbs but just can't stomach the prices. So let me introduce you to Daregal Fresh Frozen Herbs.

This is the lovely selection I was sent - Tarragon, Parsley, Garlic and a Tzatziki mixture. Each carton contains fresh herbs, frozen and ready to be used as needed. Whether you need a little, or a lot, just shake or pour out your portion and put the rest back into the freezer. There is no need to thaw before using. With handy, easy-to-use shakers built onto the cartons these herbs are a frugal cook's friend.

I portioned out the Salmon and froze the extra to be used later. This will keep us in heart-healthy Salmon for quite a while.

I prefer my Salmon with the skin on. This is wild-caught so there isn't as much fat between the meat and the skin, but there is a little. It will keep the fish moist. Cooked skin-side down, the fish will pull away easily when done.

I wanted to dress my Salmon simply with an herb butter. Any combination of herbs will do, but I chose garlic and parsley with a splash of lemon juice and a little salt and pepper. Throw the ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse it up.

I used a whole stick of unsalted butter so I will have more to use for the remaining Salmon. Just refrigerate for later use.

I smeared a little on my fish and placed the fish on a aluminum foil tray right on our smoker. I like to bake our fish on the Traeger to keep all the smells and any mess outside. That also leaves my oven free for other items. The smoker can be used just like an oven.

Our fish was about an inch thick and it took just under 30 minutes at 350 degrees to finish.With all those herbs and chunks of garlic, it looked amazing. I love that I didn't have to do any slicing or chopping to make the herb butter.

While I waited for my Salmon to rest, I made a quick Tzatziki sauce with the Daregal herb mix and a little sour cream.

It would be equally delicious mixed into Greek yogurt (as usual), but this is our favorite way to make fish sauces. The sour cream adds a lovely tang to the vibrant herb flavors and cool cucumber chunks.

Okay, this is such an easy way to prepare Salmon. Ready for the recipe?

Baked Salmon with Herb Butter and Tzatziki Sauce

You Will Need:

• 1 large Salmon fillet, about an inch thick
• 1/2 c. butter, at room temperature
• 2 Tbsp. Daregal Parsley
• 1 Tbsp. Daregal Garlic
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 2-3 Tbsp. Daregal Tzatziki Mix

Preheat your smoker or oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse your Salmon fillets and then create a foil tray to sit your fish on. Set the fish aside at room temperature while you make the herb butter.

In a blender or food processor, combine the butter, herbs, and lemon juice. Mix and then spread a small portion over your fillet. Salt and pepper the fish well.

Place on the smoker, or in your own, for 25 - 30 minutes. Thicker fillets will take longer to cook. The fish should come to an internal temperature of 145 degrees.

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Why choose fresh frozen herbs? Well, I love fresh from the garden, but let's be honest. They go bad fast. And buying them in-store? Well, the tender leaves are not the only parts you have to pay for. Refrigerated purees are also convenient, but they are loaded with salt and preservatives to make them last. Daregal's products are available all year round and can last in the freezer up to 3 years!

Where can you find Daregal Gourmet Fresh Frozen Herbs? Order them online at Amazon.com and in the Northeast region find them at Stop n Shop, Giant Landover, and Shaws.

Now, what would you make with Daregal Gourmet Fresh Frozen Herbs?

Giveaway Time!!

One lucky Adventures in All Things Food & Family reader will win their own assortment of Daregal Gourmet Fresh Frozen Herbs. Giveaway ends 10/15 at midnight PST. Open to the US. Good luck! 

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Auntie Anne's For More Than Great Pretzels

If you live near an Auntie Anne's then consider yourself lucky. The closest store to me is over 120 miles! That sort of puts a damper on a pretzel craving.

Luckily I was sent an At-Home Baking Kit to make my own warm pretzels. Yum! The kit contains enough to make 10 original or cinnamon sugar pretzels. Of course the blogging twist is that I was asked to make anything but the standard pretzels. AuntieAnnesRecipes.com has a wide variety of recipes that came be made from this same standard kit. From appetizers, entrees, breakfasts to desserts there is something to fit any situation.


I was excited the kit wasn't your standard "add water and stir" mix. It contained a bag of dough mix, yeast, baking soda, pretzel salt and cinnamon and sugar mixture.

With all the choices it was hard to decide. I went with a family favorite, pizza!

We usually make our own crust at home, just a simple dough, and I thought a pretzel like crust would be a great change.

So, first I got out the yeast, some room temperature water and game it a few minutes for the little yeasties to work their magic in my Kitchenaid mixing bowl. It takes about 5 minutes.

After it blooms, add the dough mix

Then with the dough hook work the dough till a ball forms. Give it a few minutes and it will come together.

My dough was a little dry, so I added a few tablespoons of water till I had a smooth and slightly sticky dough. Form it into a ball.

I like to drizzle my pizza dough with a little olive oil so it doesn't dry out while it rests.

After the dough has rested, top a baking sheet or your pizza peel with corn meal. I usually form my dough to fit whatever pan it is going to cook on. Don't feel like it has to be a circle. Mine was more like an oval.

I roasted an assortment of veggies in the oven to top my pizza with. On a baking sheet uniformly cut your veggies of choices, I used zucchini, eggplant, onions, sundried tomatoes and bell peppers, and toss with olive oil on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees till they start to caramelize. Turn and flip the veggies as needed so they don't burn.

Turn down the oven to 400 degrees to be ready for your pizza. I like to precook my pizza dough for 10 minutes before I put any topping on. I detest soggy dough.

I made a simple tomato and basil sauce to brush my dough with. Then I added a layer of finely shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, topped with veggies some freshly sliced tomatoes and olives and dusted with a touch more cheese.

Simple, delicious and fresh is how we do pizza.

Pop the pizza in for about 13 minutes, make sure it is warmed through and the cheese is melted.

Yum! It was really good. The crust was slightly sweet and went well with the veggies. It was easy to make and a great change from our usual dough.

Want to see more recipes and creative ways to use Auntie Anne's At-Home Baking Kit? Check out their Youtube channel for more baking inspiration.

You can also connect with the company on Facebook and Twitter to learn about upcoming products, get coupons and use their store locator.

So many options for one little kit, what would you make?

*Disclaimer - I wrote this review while participating in a Blog Friendly PR campaign on behalf of Auntie Annes. I received a sample for my participation, all opinions are my own.

New! - Let's Cook App for iPad and iPhone

Chef Fabio Viviani had me at fresh pasta...
but, he stole my heart, and appetite, when he roasted tomatoes for his pasta dish.

Yes, I love pasta. Fresh, and homemade is the way to go. When I heard about the Let's Cook iOS App with Chef Fabio Viviani and Bertolli Olive Oil, I got excited.

This is currently available for the iPad, iPhone and iTouch. Yes, I am having a bit of Apple envy right now!

This is was my first time watching Chef Fabio, but I am not a stranger to Bertolli Olive Oil. It has been a trusted friend in my kitchen for pesto sauce, my pizza crust and to saute. I enjoy Bertolli for both great flavor and quality for the price.

Of course, this program is much more than just fresh pasta. Let Chef Fabio inspire you to cook something amazing tonight. To help, this App includes over 5 hours of  mouth-watering video recipes. Fabulous eye-candy for any foodie.

It also includes kitchen tips and 100+ recipes listing both cooking time and prep time. The recipe videos are part of the App, so don't worry about streaming lags or internet connection issues.

I had the chance to watch the Fresh Fettuccinie with Crispy Pancetta, Mushroom and Cherry Tomato video. It looks amazing, doesn't it? And .Chef Fabio is both fun to watch and very knowledgeable about good food.

I will be trying this recipe out later this week. I am currently overrun with cherry tomatoes in my garden and this looks like a perfect solution. There is also a recipe on the App for Chef Fabio's homemade pasta. I will also be checking that out to see what his tips are

I am excited to share this video recipe with you here, but for more great dinner ideas, tips and videos, check out the Let's Cook App. You can read the  iTunes Review here.





*Disclaimer - I wrote this review while participating in a Blog Friendly PR campaign on behalf of Bertolli Olive Oil and the 'Let's Cook' iOS App by Chef Fabio Viviani. Samples were provided so I could provide my honest opinion. All opinions are my own.