Food News: Brunch Bites Returns to River North + GIVEAWAY!

UPDATE: A winner has been picked and confirmed. The giveaway is now closed, but tickets are still available for purchase.

Brunch Bites is back in Chicago on April 21st for another year of brunchy goodness!

This innovative event features some of River North's finest brunch destinations in a neighborhood-wide food treasure hunt that sends participants on a self guided walking tour in search of delicious food and awesome cocktails. There's 8 participating restaurants this year; 6 returning from last year's line up and two new additions.

Pick up tickets and check out the full list of participating restaurants and what they'll be serving HERE. Jump on it, because last year's event did sell out!

Want to see what last year's festival was like? Check out this post

Want to try your luck at winning a pair of tickets? Leave a comment below this blog post to be entered! A winner will be chosen at random next week. For extra entries, keep an eye on the Bunny and Brandy social media pages! Good luck!

From the Kitchens of Bunny and Brandy: Triple Chocolate Butter Mochi and Nielsen-Massey GIVEAWAY!

Many years ago, Brandy was on a beach in Hawaii, sipping a tropical cocktail and starring out over the water at a patch of dark clouds. She had a fully packed picnic basket beside her, stuffed with everything she would need for a day of sun bathing and relaxation. Then, quite suddenly, people began running from the beach. Brandy wasn't quite sure what the problem was. Was there a shark in the water? Was there a pop up luau happening somewhere? Was there a shortage or coconuts? And then the rain started. This was no English drizzle or a light sprinkling; the sky opened up as suddenly as though a giant shower head had been turned on. Before Brandy even had a chance to scramble for cover, her entire picnic basket was soaked through.

Trudging off the beach and into a local cafe, Brandy took a seat by a window and starred forlornly outside, willing the rain to pass over. Taking pity on her and her soggy picnic basket, the owner of the cafe brought over a simple looking snack. "It's called Butter Mochi," the jovial man told her, "It's a local favorite. Give it a try." And from the first moment that her teeth sunk into that ooey, gooey, chewy little square of heaven, she was hooked.

This was the memory Brandy was currently savoring as she starred out the window of her new home at a rainy late summer afternoon. "What I wouldn't give for a bite of butter mochi right now," she said to herself, remembering so clearly how the brownie-like confection had so delighted her with it's one of a kind texture. "Wait a minute," she said, "Don't I have mochi flour in my cabinet?" And sure enough, buried behind the cornmeal and tapioca starch was a box of mochi flour. It wasn't long before Brandy had collected up all the ingredients she needed to recreate the decadent treat she had first tasted so long ago.

This time, though, she decided to give the butter mochi a chocolatey twist. While traditional butter mochi has a vanilla and slightly coconutty flavor, Brandy decided to add coco powder, chocolate chips, and Nielsen-Massey Pure Chocolate Extract into the mix, as well as a splash of Nielsen-Massey Pure Coffee Extract, which she knew would help to bring an extra richness and depth to the flavor. The result was an even more indulgent treat than the one Brandy remembered having all those years ago.

So convinced was Brandy that everyone in the world needed to try butter mochi that she not only recorded her perfected recipe for posterity, but she is also giving away a pair of extracts from Nielsen-Massey to one lucky reader! Be sure to leave a comment down below to be automatically entered and we will reach out to the winner next week (so be sure to leave an email or social media handle in your comment). Best of luck!

Triple Chocolate Butter Mochi


2 cups mochi flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup coco powder
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
14 oz of unsweetened coconut milk
14 oz of sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp Pure Chocolate Extract
1 tbsp Pure Coffee Extract
5 tbsp butter, melted
2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a 13x9 baking pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine mochi flour, sugar, coco powder, and baking powder. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate extract, coffee extract, and melted butter and whisk until smooth. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring continuously to ensure that no lumps are formed, until the batter is completely smooth (optionally, run the batter through a strainer to catch any smaller lumps). Add in the chocolate chips and stir to make sure they are evenly dispersed, then pour the mixture into the pre-greased baking pan.

Bake for about an hour or until the center is firm to the touch and the edges are slightly crispy. Let cool for at least 30 minutes, then serve at any temperature to enjoy various levels of chewiness.

The writers of this blog were sent products free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

From the Kitchens of Bunny and Brandy: Fig Mascarpone Hot Cereal and Hamilton Beach GIVEAWAY!

"I can't find anything in this kitchen any more!" Brandy exclaimed one morning as she sifted through her counters to find the appliances and tools she needed, "How on earth did I accumulate all this brick'a'brak?"  The problem was that Brandy is a kitchen gadget addict.  Everything from shiny garlic presses to non stick panini grills to zucchini noodle makers lined her kitchen counter, making it impossible to get even the simplest prep work done.  "That's it," she exclaimed, "I'm tossing out everything that doesn't have versatility!"

And so she began to test each and every one of her gadgets and doo-dahs and appliances to make sure that they fit her criteria.  Waffle maker?  "Only makes one thing and takes up far too much room," she said with a sigh.  Electric apple corer?  "I'll just have to go back doing things the old fashioned way," she lamented.  Rice cooker?  "Hey now!" she exclaimed, "A rice cooker may seem one dimensional, but this one actually has quite a few uses!"

Brandy was talking about her recently acquired 4-20 Cup Rice and Hot Cereal Cooker from Hamilton Beach, which she had grown quite attached to as of late.  The sturdy, yet light weight appliance can not only cook all kinds of rice to fluffy perfection, but also a whole host of grains, from quinoa to farro, can steam vegetables, and best of all, can cook up oodles on hot cereal.  There is nothing Brandy likes more than a bowl of hot steaming oatmeal, grits, or cream of wheat in the morning, and because this particular machine has a "delayed start" function as well as an automatic warming function once its done cooking, she can actually prepare a lovely breakfast the night before and have it ready to go when she wakes.  The non stick interior of the rice cooker kept even the stickiest muesli off the sides, and the fact that the machine came with both a rice paddle and a steamer basket was simply the icing on the cake.  "In the cold Chicago winters, there is very little that brings me as much joy as some hot cereal," she's often been known to comment.

Just the thought of a delicious bowl of hot cereal  had Brandy drooling, even though it was 4:00 in the afternoon by this point and over 80 degrees outside.  Thinking of all the warm, earthy flavors fall has to offer, she conjured up images of spices, maple, cream, and delicious late season figs and decided to combine all of them into one decadent dish.

Because she loved her creation so much, Brandy's rice cooker survived the great Kitchen Purge of 2016, and she felt so strongly that everyone should have one of these that she has decided to give one away to one lucky reader!  All one has to do to win is to leave a comment down below, telling us what they would create using their very own Hamilton Beach Rice Cooker.  Bonus entries for everyone who follows Bunny and Brandy on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and leave a comment on the picture of Brandy's hot cereal creation.  A winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday September 21st.  After being notified, the winner will have 24 hours to send their mailing address to: bunnyandbrandy@gmail.com

If you aren't the lucky winner of the rice cooker but still want to pick one up for yourself, you can find them on Amazon and the Hamilton Beach website.

The writers of this blog were furnished with appliances by Hamilton Beach in exchange for an honest review.

Fig Mascarpone Farina

1/2 cup of Farina (cream of wheat)
2 cups of water
a pinch of salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup of mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Toppings:
Maple syrup
Candied pecans
Black mission figs cut into quarters

Add the farina, salt, and water to the cooker and set on "Hot Cereal" (alternatively, add the ingredients before going to bed and program the cooker to start the process in the morning).  After cooking, fluff the hot cereal with a fork and break up any clumps that may have formed.  Add in the brown sugar and cinnamon and stir until the sugar is dissolved and well combined.

In a small bowl, whip the mascarpone, maple syrup, and a tiny bit of salt with a fork until fluffy.

Spoon farina into bowls and top with a drizzle of maple syrup, a dollop of the whipped mascarpone, a few fig pieces, and some candied pecans, and serve immediately.

Tea Time with Brandy: Berry Lemonade Crepe Cake with Nielsen Massey

Brandy spent the last weekend in doors, refusing to go outside.  "Have you seen what is happening out there?" she said in fright, "It's the bloody end of the world!  It's supposed to be spring, and yet its snowing one minute and 80 degrees the next!  How on earth is one supposed to prepare for that?"

Wanting to create some spring time in her own home, Brandy began going through her cabinets until she spotted a bottle of Neilsen-Massey Lemon Extract and was immediately inspired to use her favorite brand of flavorings to create a tea time masterpiece.  "I remember once having an unusual cake called a Mille, which was layers and layers of crepes with tasty filings.  I wonder if I could somehow give that classic tea time treat a spring time twist!"

She tried a few different versions of her brainstorm and each one turned out more delicious than the last, so Brandy has here decided to share her refined recipe!  Make sure to stop by our Instagram page for a special giveaway that will help you recreate this treat at home.

Neilsen-Massey provided the writers of this blog with products in order to facilitate the writing of this post.


Berry Lemonade Crepe Cake

For the Crepes:
3 cups of whole milk

6 eggs
6 tablespoons of melted butter (plus extra for cooking the crepes)
7 tablespoons of sugar
1 1/12 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of Nielsen-Massey Lemon Extract
(optional) 1-2 drops of yellow food coloring

For the pastry cream:
2 cups of whole milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of flour
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
4 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste
4 tablespoons of heavy cream, whipped

For the berry filling:
1 pound of fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries work well)
1/4-1/3 cup of sugar, depending on the natural sweetness of the berries
about 1/2 cup of cornstarch (will depend on the water content of the berries)

To make the berry filling: Place all of the clean berries into a medium sized sauce pan and add the sugar.  Turn the heat to medium and cook about five minutes or until the berries begin to release their juices.  Puree the berries with a stick blender until smooth and cook to reduce for ten minutes.  Slowly begin to whisk in the cornstarch a tablespoon at a time to make sure there are no clumps.  Keep adding cornstarch until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.  Take off the heat and refrigerate for at least one hour.

To make the pastry cream filling: Heat milk in a medium sauce pan on low heat.  Combine eggs and sugar in a medium bowl, then add the salt, flour, and cornstarch and mix until well combined.  Add the heated milk to the egg mixture one tablespoon at a time and whisk, then transfer the entire mixture back into the sauce pan and turn the heat to medium low and cook for 5 minutes while continuing to stir.  Once the mixture has thickened, remove from heat and add the vanilla bean paste, then set aside to cool to room temperature.  Once cool, add in the whipped cream and gently fold to combine.  Add the mixture into a pastry bag (or a large plastic storage bag) and refrigerate for at least an hour.

To make the crepes: In a large bowl, combine the milk and butter, then add the eggs, sugar, and salt and stir to combine.  Whisk in the flour until there are little to no lumps in the batter.  Heat a large non stick frying pan to medium high heat, then add in a small amount of butter.  Add a little less than 1/4 cup of batter into the frying pan (may need to be adjusted to the size of your pan) and swirl to cover the bottom of the pan in a thin, even layer.  Cook the crepe until the edges are slightly browned, then flip and cook for about a minute, then remove from the pan.  This recipe should yield 15-20 crepes.

To assemble the cake: In a spring form pan roughly the same size as your frying pan, lay down a single crepe, then pipe a medium thin layer of pastry cream.  Add a second crepe and a second layer of pastry cream, then press gently to even out the layers.  Add a medium thick layer of berry filling and then another crepe and press again.  Continue adding crepes and filling in this manner: crepe, pastry cream, crepe, pastry cream, berry filling, crepe, and continue to press down between layers to keep the cake even.  Once all the crepes have been used up, refrigerate the cake for at least on hour to allow it to set.  Serve with fresh berries and whipped cream if desired.  Makes 8-12 servings.

Food News: Costa Vida Sneak Peek and Giveaway!

This past week, Brandy had the chance to visit the brand new Costa Vida location, the first of its kind in the Midwest, and find out exactly what sets this fast service Mexican restaurant apart from its competition.

The recently opened restaurant is the first out of the West Coast and features a variety of Baja inspired entrees, snacks, and desserts that put the focus on freshness.  Nothing in the restaurant is ever frozen, and in fact nothing can be, as the locations don't keep any freezers on site.  All of the meats are prepared fresh on the grill or slow cooked, all of the veggies are chopped by hand, and even the tortillas (which come in both corn and flour varieties) are made fresh by hand to order.  Indeed, the toasty smell of the tortillas cooking was the first thing that pulled Brandy in.  "This is most certainly what I like to see in my Mexican food," she commented, hypnotized by the spinning tortilla cooker, "A little bit of extra effort goes a long way to making deliciousness!"

The menu at Costa Vida is fairly simple, but infinitely customizable.  Entrees include items like Burritos, Enchiladas, Tacos, Salads, and Nachos, but diners can design their meals in almost any way they see fit, from their protein choices to the sauces to what kind of beans they want, and of course which of the freshly made tortillas they would like.  This means that not only will carnivores be pleased with the offerings, but everyone else from vegetarian to pescitarians to gluten free eaters will also have plenty to choose from.  The cuisine is authentically Baja inspired, meaning the dishes aren't overloaded with needless heat and feature lots of fresh produce.  Fans of more American style Mexican food won't be disappointed either, as traditional staples like rice and beans, guaccamole, and salsa and chips are served as well, but here they are given fresh twists (like adding cilantro and lime juice to the rice or mango to the salsa) and prepared with the kind of care one doesn't often see in similar chains.

The signature meats consist of things like the Sweet Pork (shredded slow cooked pork in a tangy, fruity sauce), the Raspberry Chipotle Chicken, and Shredded Beef with slight up charges for Grilled Steak and Baja Shrimp.  The variety of sauce and dressings was truly a thing to see, with choices including Roasted Green Chili, Tomatillo Cilantro, and smokey Red Enchilada for hot entrees and Mango Salsa, Tomatillo Ranch, or Cilantro Lime and Raspberry Chipotle Vinagrettes for cold entrees.  Brandy had great fun mixing and matching some of the different flavors, but she found in the end that the staff really were the best resource when it came to picking winning combinations.  In fact, when she ordered up a Steak Enchilada with a corn tortilla and some red sauce, one of the workers behind the counter asked if he might make one of her enchiladas "his way" with the green chili sauce, and though she was loath to admit someone else had been right, Brandy had to say that his suggestion had been the better of the two.

Happily. there are also several desserts on the menu at Costa Vida that help to round out any meal.  The Cinnamon Tortilla is exactly what it sounds like; a warm tortilla dusted with cinnamon and sugar and rolled up to create a sweet, spicy, and chewy treat that goes especially well with the house horchata.  The trio of signature desserts (Tres Leches Cake, Key Lime Pie, and Flan) all came served with a generous swirl of real whipped cream and some fruit for garnish.  While the Key Lime was sufficiently sweet and sour and the flan was amazingly creamy and delicious, Brandy's favorite was the Tres Leches cake, which was moist, sweet, and sumptuous.

Has your interest been sufficiently peeked in Costa Vida's fresh and tasty cuisine?  Then you're in luck!  Brandy has arranged a give away of a Costa Vida Silver card that will entitled its own to one free entree once a month for a year!  That means you'll have plenty of opportunities to experiment with all of the components in order to create the perfect dish!  Only Chicago residents can enter, as the card is only good at the Chicago location on Lake Street.  Giveaway will run Friday 8/7 through 11:00 PM CST 8/13 with the winner being announced on 8/14.  The winner will have 24 hours after being notified to send their shipping address, otherwise another winner will be chosen.  Good luck, brunch fans!

The writers of this blog were invited by the restaurant to sample to menu and provided with materials for the giveaway at no charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.


  a Rafflecopter giveaway

From the Kitchens of Bunny and Brandy: Skinny Elvis Smoothie with Hamilton Beach Giveaway

Long ago, during Brandy's first ever sojourn to Las Vegas, she came across a very odd man.  She first spotted the man in the lobby of a fancy hotel, thinking to herself that he seemed to be obviously trying to disguise himself, as he wore a long trench coat, a fedora, and a large pair of sunglasses, though through the opening in his coat, Brandy could just make out something sparkly.  She moved closer to the man, who was seated in a chair and trying a little too hard to seem inconspicuous by reading a newspaper.  

"Are you trying not to be seen, or are you trying to see something else?" Brandy whispered to him.  

The man looked up at her, warily.  "A little of both," he replied in a deep velvet voice that took Brandy by surprise.  

"Then let me give you a little piece of advice, sunshine," she said, taking the seat beside him, "Try not to dress like an agent in a spy film.  What you need to do is dress as something that'll fit right in around here.  Like that."  She pointed to a man across the lobby in a flashy white jump suit and a pompadour wig.  "Every other bloke in this place is in one of those get ups.  No one would even look twice at you."  

"But that's the problem!" the man sighed, rustling his newspaper, "Those fellas are taking my job!  I'm camped out here trying to figure out just how many of them there are so I know what I'm up against."  He pulled aside his coat a little to reveal a similar white jump suit, then lifted his hat to show a head of luxurious black hair.  "You see, I went away for a little while.  I had a bit of a weight problem, so I went off to get back into shape, and when I came back, I found all these impersonators getting paid to pretend to be me!"  

Brandy scratched her chin.  "Oh dear, that is a problem... maybe if you were to apply for one of their jobs by saying you were impersonating yourself then?"  

Then man thought about this for a moment, then removed his sunglasses and flashed his ice blue eyes at Brandy.  "That might just work!" he grinned at her, only one side of his mouth sliding upwards, "Thank you.  Thank you very much."  

"Say, how did you end up getting back in shape?" Brandy asked as the man stood up to leave.  

"My secret smoothie recipe," he winked, "I've been working on it for years, even tried to make a sandwich out of it, but the smoothie is the surefire way to go.  Here you go, darling," and he handed Brandy a piece of stationary with a hand written recipe and a big gold E stamped across the top of it.

Recently, Brandy found herself craving the simple concoction that strange man had introduced her to long ago, a thick and rich smoothie that was packed with protein, but actually contained very little sugar and fat.  Luckily, she had just acquired the new Wave Action Blender from Hamilton Beach, which is especially good as crushing ice, an essential part of the recipe that makes the concoction extra rich tasting.  The blender features a unique blade that continually forces ingredients down with little to no prodding as well as a wide mouth pour spout and a lid that firmly locks into place, which keeps things from getting too messy.  The simplified buttons, that list actions such as "Milkshake," "Smoothie," "Salsa," and "Crushed Ice," take out a lot of the guess work involved, making it especially perfect for Brandy. who gets overwhelmed easily by too many options.

The Hamilton Beach Wave Action Blender, which retails for around $35, was ideal for mixing up this long forgotten recipe, which Brandy has decided to share after all these years with all of her loyal readers.  Along with the infamous recipe, Brandy is giving away a Hamilton Beach Wave Action Blender to one lucky reader!  The contest will run from Wednesday August 5th until 11:00 pm CST August 11th with a winner being announced the morning of August 12th.  The winner will have 24 hours after being notified to respond with their shipping information so that that prize can be sent.  Only residents of the continental United States may enter.  Any accounts used to enter the contest MUST be legitimate and not contain a majority of promotional materials (such accounts may be disqualified at the discretion of the writers of this blog).  Good luck, brunch fans!

The writers of this blog were provided with materials by Hamilton Beach in exchange for an honest review.

The Skinny Elvis Smoothie

1 individual container of 0% fat Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup of no sugar added smooth peanut butter
1 banana
2 cups ice cubes
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Combine everything in a blender and blend until smooth.  Serving suggestions: Add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a little heat, a shot of bourbon for a more adult flavor, or garnish with a strip of bacon for the ultimate Elvis experience.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

From the Kitchens of Bunny and Brandy: Bacon Wrapped Meatballs with Red Gold Tomatoes and Giveaway!

If there is a downside to being a brunch expert (and if one can even call it a down side) it's that one's fridge is constantly loaded with bacon.  One day, things came to a head for Brandy.  "My top shelf is beginning to look like a butcher's shop," she commented, looking into her own fridge with bemused wonder, "Time to do something about it."  After raiding her cabinets for ideas, Brandy turned towards the window, and noticing what a lovely day it was, decided it was time to adjourn to the old grill to put some char on her brunch.  Using products from one of her favorite companies, Red Gold Tomatoes (including their brand new product, Sriracha Ketchup), Brandy whipped together one of the most American dishes she's ever churned out, just in time for Independence Day.

Below, you can find the fruits of Brandy's burst of inspiration, Bacon Wrapped Meatball Skewers with Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad.  If you would like to win a prize pack from Red Gold Tomatoes including their brand new Sriracha Ketchup, all you have to do is comment BACON! in the comments below this post, on our Facebook page, Twitter page, or Instagram.  Winners will be contacted next Wednesday 7/8. You can also check out Red Gold's Facebook page, where for the third year, they will be hosting their popular Red Gold Summer Grillin' Party that runs until July 22nd. Red Gold will be giving away a Large Big Green Egg each week, as well as 1,000 insulated tote bags.

Bacon Wrapped Meatballs and Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad

1 pound of Laura's Lean Beef
1 pound of thin sliced bacon
1 large sweet onion, diced (half for salad, half for the meatballs)
1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
3 oz of Red Gold Tomato Paste
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1 large egg
Bamboo or metal skewers
Sliced Vegetables like mushrooms, green bell pepper, or zucchini
(optional) 2 tablespoons of Red Gold Sriracha Ketchup

For the Salad:
2 cans of Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes, drained
Other Half of the diced sweet onions
4 tablespoons of chopped chives
4 oz of crumbled goat cheese
Salt to taste

For the salad, combine the drained tomatoes, onions, chives, salt, and goat cheese in a large container and mix well.  Set aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, cheese, tomato paste, the rest of the diced onions, bread crumbs, egg, and Sriracha ketchup (if using) and mix until well combined.  Pick up small handfulls of the meat mixture and form into 2 inch balls.  Wrap each meatball in a strip of bacon, first covering horizontally, then vertically, and skewer the meatballs to keep the bacon in place.  Separate meatballs with sliced vegetables, putting 3 balls to a skewer.  Grill each skewer for about 5 minutes per side until the bacon is crisp.  Serve with the cold salad immediately.

Festival Report: Taste of Chicago Giveaway!

Among all the food festivals in Chicago, one of Brandy's all time favorites is the infamous Taste of Chicago.  The annual festival that takes place in Grant Park features hundreds of restaurants from across the city bringing their best crowd pleasing dishes to one spot for the masses to feast on.  "Like I always say, if you can't go to every eatery in town, let them come to you," as Brandy put it.

If there is one downside to the festival, its that with such an abundance of deliciousness, it can be easy to over do it.  The ice creams, the fried foods, the burgers... while delectable, it can all do quite a number on one's best intentions for keeping to a healthy diet.  Luckily, this year, perennial sponsors, Humana Healthcare, have introduced a way to not only satisfy the hungry crowds, but educate everyone on making healthier choices.  As an eight year sponsor of Taste, Humana showcases its commitment to lifelong wellbeing for all Chicagoans by providing the Humana Healthier Choices Rewards Program – an interactive experience that rewards attendees for partaking in fun activities and trying Humana Healthier Choices, a physician reviewed listing of appetizers, entrees and desserts at Taste all under 500 calories!

Though Brandy is well known as more of a proponent of what tastes good as opposed to what is good for one's body, she was delighted to learn that this year’s program features 48 healthy food options from 24 Chicago restaurants that meet nutritional criteria, even highlighting vegetarian and gluten free options.  The Humana Healthier Choices will be identified by a green apple on the menu boards at participating restaurant booths with a list of items being handed out at the Humana tent or downloadable at the Taste of Chicago website and via facebook.com/TheTasteOfChicago.

All of the restaurants participating in the 2015 Taste of Chicago were invited to submit their menu items for consideration for the Humana Healthier Choices program.  For an item to be considered, restaurants must have submitted nutritional details including calories, sodium content, saturated fat and the list of ingredients.  A panel of five top Chicago-area physicians with expertise in diet and nutrition collaboratively judged each item to assure that nutritional values were met.

After receiving a free Humana Healthier Choices Tag, which comes with a lanyard for a hands-free and convenient experience, participants can collect stamps by sampling any Humana Healthier Choices food item or participating in healthy activities at the Humana tent.  Once Taste-goers receive six stamps, they can drop off their badge at the Humana tent to be entered into random prize drawings, donated by the Taste of Chicago restaurants.  On social media, Taste-goers are encouraged to join the conversation and share their Humana Healthier Choices food items on Instagram, mentioning @Humana, #TasteofChi and #HealthierChoices.

Festival goers can also take a break from the July heat by enjoying a shaded seating area in the Humana tent, which will feature a backyard barbecue/tailgating theme, trivia wheels and a photo booth.  There will also be a Walk & Wellness Station where participants can take a free pedometer and will then be encouraged to return to the tent after walking around the Taste of Chicago to report their steps.

To celebrate this amazing program, Humana has provided Brandy with 24 food tickets for the Chicago Taste Festival to give away to one lucky reader to try out some of the Humana Healthier Choices themselves!  To enter the giveaway, simply follow the directions in the Rafflecopter widget below, then scroll down for a complete list of all the Humana Healthier Choices dishes being served at this year's Taste of Chicago to see what you could be snacking on in the near future!

Giveaway ends on 7/3/2015.  Tickets have been provided to the writers of this blog by Humana and Coyne PR.  Please only enter the giveaway if you are able to attend the festival in Chicago's Grant Park between July 8-12.  Any accounts entering the giveaway may be disqualified by the writers of this blog if they are deemed to be mostly promotional material, so please only use real social media accounts to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Appetizers/Starters – Less than 320 calories, 300 mg sodium and 2 g saturated fat

· Taste Portion of Veggie (Vegan) Burger (V) – Beat Kitchen

· Taste Portion of Mustard Fried Catfish – BJ’s Market

· Taste Portion of Malnati Salad (V) – Lou Malnati’s

· Corn on the Cob (V) – Mariano’s

· Roasted Celtic Corn on the Cob (V) – O'Brien's Restaurant

· Doner Shot – DonerMen

· Shrimp – Haire's Gulf Shrimp

· Taste Portion of Eggplant Sandwich (V) – Gino’s Steak

Main Dishes – Less than 500 calories, 500 mg sodium and 4 g saturated fat

· Veggie (Vegan) Burger (V) – Beat Kitchen

· Mustard Fried Catfish – BJ’s Market

· Grilled Steak Taco – Carbon Live Fire Mexican Grill

· Grilled Chicken Taco – Carbon Live Fire Mexican Grill

· Smoked Alligator – Chicago's Dog House

· Smoked Rattlesnake with Rabbit – Chicago's Dog House

· Watermelon Hibiscus Gazpacho (V) – Farmer's Fridge

· Avocado Toast (V) – Farmer's Fridge

· Vegetable Spinach and Plantains (V) – Iyanze

· Jerk Chicken – Iyanze

· Chicken Ke-Bob Curry Rice with Vegetables – Kasia Deli

· Malnati Salad (V) – Lou Malnati’s

· Grilled Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce and Cucumber Salad – Star of Siam

· Doner Kebab – DonerMen

· Kebab Salad – DonerMen

· Chap Chae (V) – Jin Ju

· Eggplant Sandwich (V) – Gino's Steak

· Chicken Tacos – La Cocinita

· Black Bean and Queso Fresco Arepas with Guasacaca and Cabbage Slaw (V) – La Cocinita

· Grilled Cheese (V) – The Fat Shallot

Desserts – Less than 320 calories, 300 mg sodium and 2 g saturated fat

· Limone (Lemon) Sorbet (V) – Caffe Gelato

· Blood Orange Sorbet (V) – Caffe Gelato

· Peach Cobbler Gelato (V) – Caffe Gelato

· Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato (V) – Caffe Gelato

· Italian Lemon Ice (V) – Franco's Ristorante

· Italian Watermelon Ice (V) – Franco's Ristorante

· Strawberry Paleta (V) – La Mexicana

· Mango Paleta (V) – La Mexicana

· Lime Paleta (V) – La Mexicana

· Watermelon Paleta (V) – La Mexicana

· Seedless Watermelon (V) – Mariano’s

· Mango Sorbet (V) – Star of Siam

· Chocolate Frozen Baby Banana (V) – The Fudge Pot

· Chocolate Dipped Strawberry (V) – The Fudge Pot

· 1 Dinky Donut (V) – Dinky Donuts

· Southern Red Velvet Morsel of Love (V) – Ms. Tittle's Cupcake

· Frozen Mango Kefir (V) – Starfruit Café

· Taste Portion of Frozen Mango Kefir (V) – Starfruit Café

· Frozen Original Kefir (V) – Starfruit Café

· Taste Portion of Frozen Original Kefir (V) – Starfruit Café

The following items, available from Dia De Los Tamales, do not meet the Humana Healthier Choices nutrition criteria but provide options for Taste-goers with gluten-free dietary restrictions:

· Slow Roasted Cuban Pork Tamale

· Taste Portion of Slow Roasted Cuban Pork Tamale

· Spicy Black Bean & Corn Tamale (V)

· Taste Portion of Spicy Black Bean & Corn Tamale (V)

· Buffalo Chicken with Blue Cheese Tamale

· Roasted Pepper Goat Cheese Tamale (V)

Tea Time with Brandy: GoMacro Bars

One of the biggest problems Brandy has when indulging in a lavish brunch is how to get her eating schedule back on track for the rest of the week.  "Eating several courses of food between the late hours of the morning and the early afternoon often leaves me still full by dinner time, meaning I'm starving by the next morning," Brandy often laments, "And it can be a good day or two before I'm evened out again.  But I find a good little snack in the afternoon can help a great deal."

Recently, Brandy discovered the deliciousness of GoMacro mini bars, a 100% vegan, USDA certified organic, certified non-GMO, Gluten-Free, and made from mostly raw ingredients snack bar that comes in 11 delicious flavors.  The bars, which are just under an ounce, retail for around $3 a piece and contain energy boosting all natural goodness like different nut butters, dried fruits, and seeds.  Most of the bars have a pleasant chewy texture and are nicely sweetened with brown rice syrup, meaning they don't taste artificial or overly saccharine.

Among Brandy's favorite flavors were the bright and fruity Sunny Uplift with cherries and raisins, the decadent Protein Pleasure with peanut butter and smooth, creamy chocolate chips, the delightfully crunchy Morning Harvest with apples and walnuts, and the pleasurably chewy Protein Paradise with cashews and caramel.

Brandy found that not only do the bars make an excellent mid afternoon snack, they also make a rather nice light breakfast when combined with a pot of yogurt, some fresh fruit, and a cup of tea.  "I do like the idea of starting the day off with something all natural and wholesome so as to prepare my body for the vast amounts of butter, bacon, and sugar I will intake at my next eventual brunch," as Brandy put it.

In order to share her new found love of GoMacro bars, Brandy has arranged for a little giveaway!  All you need to do to enter is follow the instructions in the RaffleCopter widget below and a winner will be announced on Wednesday June 10th.  If you can't wait to get your hands on some delicious GoMacro Bars, you can place an order directly from their website using the code "BLOGGER" at check out to get you 40% off!

The writers of this blog were provided with product samples in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

From the Kitchens of Bunny and Brandy: Smart Soups and Giveaway!

Brandy has said many time times that if it wasn't for her love of cheese, she could easily become a vegan. "I do like my meat, but I feel I could do without it," she says, "But cheese... there is just no replacing that ooey gooey, milky, stinky goodness."

Brandy predilection for solid dairy came to a head recently when she was asked to try some flavors from Smart Soup's line of low sodium, heart healthy, gluten free, frozen vegan soups.  Smart Soups come in a variety of international flavors meant not only to warm and satisfy, but nourish the body with carefully selected ingredients that are suitable for almost any diet.  As always, Brandy's interest in such a product lay not so much in its health benefits, but in its flavor. "I'm all for eating healthy, but if what one is eating doesn't taste good, there is not a lot of reason to continue in that vein," as Brandy points out.

Luckily, all of Smart Soup's products feature incredibly flavors broths, quite the feat when one considers no meat was used in their production. Brandy's favorite was the Vietnamese Carrot Lemongrass, which had a thick and creamy texture as well as crisp bits of potato, carrot, and soy beans to add texture. The Thai Coconut Curry had a lovely kick of spice that didn't overwhelm the delicate mix of crunchy Asian veggies. The Greek Minestrone was a hearty mix of beans and veggies with a rich tomato broth and just the right amount of Mediterranean herbs.  The French Lentil was very similar, but more filling with the addition of tender lentils. Lastly, the Santa Fe Corn Chowder featured an abundance of black beans and a smokey peppered spice.

As much as she loved these flavorful vegan soups, Brandy couldn't help wishing for the perfect accompaniment to any bowl of soup; a grilled cheese sandwich.  With that in mind, Brandy came up with five different versions of a grilled cheese sandwich, inspired by the bold international flavors of the Smart Soups.

Greek Minestrone
For this soup, Brandy suggests an Italian inspired grilled cheese with whole milk mozzarella and sun-dried tomato on focaccia bread.  The rich cheese and sweet sun-dreid tomato help to balance out the bold tomato broth of the soup, while the hearty focaccia bread is perfect for scooping up all those chunky veggies.

French Lentil
Another soup with a bold tomato based broth, this one, Brandy though, could use some sweetness to balance out the hearty lentils, so she paired this soup with a gruyere cheese and caramelized onions on a classic French baguette.

Thai Coconut Curry
As this soup had a sweet, spicy, and slightly sour base, Brandy thought a creamy and pungent cheese would go best, so she spread some blue cheese on a chewy naan bread, placed the creation under the broiler for just a bit, and topped it off with some fresh avocado.  The combination of this open faced sandwich with the spicy soup was so good that Brandy actually ended up spooning the soup on top of the bread as well to create the ultimate international flat bread pizza.

Vietnamese Carrot Lemongrass
This soup was so creamy and mild that Brandy felt the sandwich should serve to spice things up a bit.  Using the traditional bahn mi sandwich as inspiration, Brandy mimicked the smooth texture of the soup by spreading some smooth goat cheese onto a baguette and topped it with some fresh sliced jalapeno peppers.

Santa Fe Corn Chowder
For this South Western inspired soup, Brandy went all American and used some sharp cheddar and crisp bacon on whole wheat bread.  As this was one of the lightest of the soups, Brandy thought the rich cheddar and fatty bacon worked perfectly with the sweet corn and savory black beans.

Luckily for our loyal readers, Smart Soup has offered to treat one lucky winner to some of their fabulous products!  All that is needed to enter the giveaway is to leave a comment on this blog, on our Facebook page, our Twitter page, or our Instagram page telling us which flavor of Smart Soup you are most excited to try. A winner will be announced the morning of Wednesday June 3rd and will have 24 hours to send us their shipping address and phone number to claim their prize!

>>>>>>>>>>>>UPDATE!<<<<<<<<<<

Congrats to Joann B. from Facebook with this winning entry!

"I love soup! All the flavors sound wonderful - I especially am interested in the Greek Minestrone. I also like that these soups are low sodium and heart healthy "

The writers of this blog were provided with products from Smart Soup in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

From the Kitchens of Bunny and Brandy: Cinnamon Mocha Muffins and Hamilton Beach Giveaway!

Although Brandy is a notoriously prolific tea drinker, she does enjoy a good hot cup of coffee as well.  "Tea is life, but coffee is a life enhancer," as she likes to put it.  So when Hamilton Beach asked Brandy to give their latest innovation in coffee preparation a go, she stocked up on flavored creamers and prepared for a massive dose of caffine.

The FlexBrew 2 Way Coffee Maker was surprisingly light weight, making it easy to move from the kitchen to the breakfast nook and back, depending on Brandy's mood.  The side that made the full pot of coffee utilized a wire mesh reusable filter, which made the brewing process as simple as pressing a button.  The single cup side accepted both K-Cups and fresh grounds (with the use of the proper attachment) and took a few more steps in order to properly brew a cup of joe.  This side required a little more concentration, as one could easily over fill the water tank, forget to switch the function on the machine, or neglect to press down the bar that activated the single cup brew, but Brandy very much liked the adjustable stand that allowed one to use anything from a standard coffee mug to a tall travel cup.

Both sides also functioned very well for preparing hot water, should one want to make some tea in a hurry.  Brandy very much appreciated that the machine was programmable, so that if she so wished, she could wake up to a fresh brewed pot of coffee every morning.

Brandy had so much fun playing with her new toy that she soon found herself with a massive amount of freshly brewed coffee about the house.  "Well, might as well put some of this to good use!" she proclaimed.  Thinking of coffee cake (and how she had always been perplexed by the fact that coffee cake was not coffee flavored) Brandy came up with this recipe for some delicious, caffeinated muffins made with fresh brewed coffee to keep them perfectly moist.

Also, especially for her loyal fans, Brandy is giving away a Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 2-way Coffee Maker!  Check the widget below the recipe for full details on how to enter.  This giveaway will run until April 29th.  But don't worry if you don't win, because you can get your own Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 2-Way Coffee Maker at retailers like Walmart for only $89.

Cinnamon Mocha Muffins

For the topping:

1/2 cup of light brown sugar
1/2 cup of white sugar
1 tablespoon of instant coffee granules
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 cup of flour
1/3 cup melted butter

For the Muffins:
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
1/2 tablespoon of instant coffee granules (optional if you want to intensify the coffee flavor)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of freshly brewed coffee
1/4 cup of softened butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup of milk
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 large egg

For the crumb topping: combine the brown sugar, white sugar, coffee granules, salt, cinnamon, and flour in a medium bowl, stir to combine, and then add the melted butter.  Continue to stir until the mixture takes on an even sandy texture, then spread on a cookie sheet and let dry while you prepare the muffins.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In one bowl, combine the flour, coffee granules, cocoa powder, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda.  In a second bowl, cream the butter and sugar together, then add in the egg and vanilla.  When everything is combined into a smooth mixture, add in the coffee and milk and mix again.  Carefully fold the dry mixture into the liquid mixture, whisking away any lumps as you go and scraping down the sides of the bowl until the batter is smooth and even.

Spray the cups of a muffin tin with cooking spray (skip this step if using muffin papers).  Divide the batter into the twelve cups of the muffin tin.  Sprinkle a generous amount of the topping mix onto each muffin, making sure to break up any large clumps as you go, otherwise they will sink to the bottom of the batter as the muffins bake.  Bake the muffins for about 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.  Let cool and serve.

The writers of this blog were provided with an appliance by Hamilton Beach in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

a Rafflecopter giveaway