How is the new year going for you? I bet there were many of you who resolved to be healthier in 2010. Maintaining a healthy diet is one key component toward maintaining a healthy lifestyle. There are a number of ways to accomplish this, and having the right tools at hand that make keeping those goals easy and convenient is very helpful. One nifty small kitchen appliance that helps make being healthy easy, convenient, and fun for me is my Tribest PB-250 Personal Blender & Grinder, and I have one to give as a gift to you.

The Tribest Personal Blender is so convenient for making an array of single serving smoothies and blended drinks. But your options don’t stop there. You can make individual and small quantity servings of soups, salsas, sauces, pesto, dips, salad dressing, puddings, baby food, and more. You can also grind nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices with the units that have the grinder feature.

Appearance wise, it has a sleek and compact design that doesn’t take up much counter space, and it’s light-weight and portable. But don’t let it’s size fool you. It has the power to blend and grind like a regular blender – 200 watts of power. You’ll find it useful to make individual and small quantity servings when you are busy and on the go, at home, at work, or when you travel.

A cool feature of the line of Tribest Personal Blender’s is there are no switches or buttons. So how do you power it? It’s capable of 2 function modes: One-touch pulse mode or press down for continuous blending/grinding operation. All you need to do is plug in the base, then place ingredients into the blending container, screw on the lid with blade, then place the blade covered container on the base and press down or pulse to start the blender, and voila! Your delicious creation is ready to serve, just unscrew the lid with blade, and replace it with a commuter sipping lid or one of the regular lids. It’s a real time-saver using the blend and serve container cups, and they are cleaning them is quick and easy.

Tribest has a personal blender model to suit a range of needs, and now offers BPA free blending containers. Models PB-150, PB-250, and PB-350 have these containers. This means these containers are made from an advanced material that contains no Bisphenol-A.

The Tribest PB-150 Personal Blender is great for single-serving blended recipes, it includes:

• Personal Blender Motor Base – 110V
• one Blending Blade Assembly
• two 16 oz BPA Free Blending Containers
• one commuter sipping lid
• one regular lid

The Tribest PB-250 Personal Blender & Grinder is great for two single-serving blended recipes and has to option to grind nuts/seeds, it includes:

• Personal Blender Motor Base – 110V
• one Blending Blade Assembly
• one Grinding Blade Assembly
• two 16 oz BPA Free Blending Containers
• two 8 oz BPA Free Grinding Containers
• one commuter sipping lid
• three Regular Lids

The Tribest PB-350 Mason Jar Personal Blender offers glass containers with blending and grinding containers, it includes:

• Personal Blender Motor Base – 110V
• one Blending Blade Assembly
• one Grinding Blade Assembly
• one 16 oz BPA Free Blending Container
• one 8 oz BPA Free Grinding Container
• two Lids
• one Mason Jar Attachment
• one Commuter Sipping Lid
• one 16oz Glass Drinking Mug
• one 12oz Glass Mason Jar
• one 8oz Glass Mason Jar
• one 4oz Glass Mason Jar
• three Mason Jar Lids with Bands
• one Plastic Mason Jar Lid

I appreciate the convenience of using my personal blender and I love it so much I thought others would to so I’ve purchased it as gifts for my family and I’ve given a couple away as giveaways here on the blog.

GIVEAWAY

I have the pleasure of offering again a Tribest Personal Blender from our friends at Tribest. They are a leading designer of high-quality small kitchen appliances to help promote a healthy lifestyles, and they have kindly offered one [1] Tribest PB-250 Personal Blender & Grinder to help support your healthy lifestyle! Many thanks and much appreciation to the people at Tribest for their sponsorship and generosity. Visit Tribest and check out the great bundled gifts packs and special saving they offer.

Answering the above question enters you in the draw for this wonderful gift. This giveaway offer will end Monday, February 8th at 11:59pm. I will contact the winning participant via email and announce who it is in the comments section below, as well as on Raw Epicurean Facebook and Raw Epicurean Twitter

Also, if you own or have used a Tribest Personal Blender, I would love to know what you think of it. Thanks.

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These mini bite-size brownies are a real yummy chocolate treat that I’ve made and tested five times before today, each time it got the thumbs up from eager taste testers. When you want a bite-sized chocolate treat, these brownies are one scrumptious option.

Serve these brownies plain or you can get creative with toppings and garnish. The very first time I made these brownies [last year] I topped them off with shaved cacao and chopped fresh strawberries. I introduced this recipe in the November 2009 newsletter. If you receive my newsletter and have tried this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback. Also, I can believe I didn’t snap a photo of the more elaborately embellished brownies. This is unusual but leaves me with an excuse to make this recipe yet again.

The second and third time I made these, I left them plain. The fourth time they were topped with coconut flakes. The fifth time I spread a thin layer of chocolate sauce over each brownie, like a delicious adhesive that held the crushed almonds that topped off this treat. Today, I choose soaked goji berries as a topping, one goji per square. You can also try topping each square with a dusting of cinnamon, cacao or carob powder, or a thick raw version of whipped cream.

Bite-Size Chocolate Brownies

You can certainly replace the cacao powder with carob powder, if you prefer.

Place the almonds and walnuts in a food processor and process into a fine meal-like consistency. Add the remaining ingredients and process until well incorporated and it processes into a ball. Fill each square of a silicone mold [suggestion: Wilton Bite-Size Brownie Squares 24-Cavity Silicone Mold Pan] with the brownie mixture [or form into the shape/size you prefer]. Turn the mold over and carefully pop out the brownie squares.

Stored brownies [if there's any left over] in the refrigerator.

Makes 24 bite-size squares

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“Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become.”

It’s here! Today marks the first day of another year, a new year, 2010!!! It’s the start of 365 days full of life’s adventures. For me, these adventures translate into many different categories of life, but one of those adventures revolves around food. It’s all about healthy tasty food.

Looking back on every New Year’s eve that I can recall, I remember always feeling excitement and optimism for the coming year, and yesterday wasn’t any different. It’s a day when most of us spend some time reflecting on a year’s worth of events and also looking forward to and celebrating moving into the coming year.

As part of the process of making my goals, I pretty much follow these steps. What about those resolutions? I’ve made resolutions many times before but this year I didn’t make any. Did you make any?

I love this proverb and I’m completely looking forward to all the experiences and change the new year will bring. If I had to take a wild guess, I’d say 2010 is going to be another incredible year. I’m eager to experience every moment of it.

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With Christmas a week away, you might be preparing to shop for your holiday dinner or maybe you still need to shop for gifts. Whole Foods is one of my favorite natural and organic grocery markets and I have a great holiday gift to give to celebrate the holidays. I have one [1] $50.00 Whole Foods Gift Card , courtesy of Whole Foods Market, Santa Monica, California.

How much fun will it be shopping their fantastic produce selection and checking out the line of healthy products with one of their eco-friendly Whole Foods Gift Card.

The drawing for this $50.00 Whole Foods Gift Certificate is limited to Los Angeles residence only. If you reside in the L.A. area and would like to enter this drawing, simply answer this question:

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The 2nd Annual Holiday Giveaway continues….

Knives, an absolute kitchen necessity. Having a collection of good quality cutlery is a must. Traditional steel cutlery is a general staple but have you tried ceramic knives? They are a pleasure to use and have some advantages over stainless steel knives.

What’s so great about a ceramic knife? The blade is made of zironium oxide making it ultra-sharp, beating most stainless steel knives in the sharpness department and can last for years without sharpening. It’s stain-proof, rust-proof, nonstick, light weight, has no metallic taste or smell, won’t alter the appearance of food, and is super easy to clean.

The ceramic knife brand that is part of my kitchen cutlery collection is Kyocera. It cuts like a dream. Use this ceramic knife to cut a tomato and it’s love a first slice. It’s like a dream slicing, dicing, and chopping fruits, vegetables, fresh herbs, etc.

The super-efficient ceramic peelers are wonderful. The peeler blade has the same qualities and benefits as the ceramic knife. Peeling fruits and vegetables is effortless. Both the ceramic knife and peeler are dish washer safe.

If you are interested in this drawing, I’m offering one ceramic knife and one ceramic peeler as a set for two [2] persons – one set I’m giving away here on the blog; the other set on Raw Epicurean Facebook. Tell us why you would like this set in the comments below, then visit Raw Epicurean Facebook and leave the same comment in the comments section there, for another chance to win. This drawing ends Saturday, December 19th 11:59 PST. One entry per person here on the blog; one entry per person on Facebook.

Many thanks and appreciation to Kyocera for their generous contribution to Raw Epicurean’s 2nd Annual Holiday Giveaway.

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Last year we gave away a Vita-Mix 5200 for Raw Epicurean’s 1st Annual Holiday Giveaway, and for this year’s holiday giveaway we are thrilled to offer again a Vita-Mix 5200!!!

My sister refuses to call the Vita-Mix a blender. It’s a machine, she says. I totally agree with her, and they didn’t name it a Whole Food Machine for nothing. At first glance, you might want to lump it into the category of blenders, but once you’ve experienced its power and functionality, calling it a mere blender doesn’t do it justice. It’s a power-house, work-horse, a fantastic machine!

My Vita-Mix gets a good workout regularly. I know I’ve got my money’s worth from it and then some. It was a smart investment well worth every penny. I use it to make nut and seed milk, nut and seed butter, dressing, vinaigrette, cream, soup, and sauces. The Vita-Mix 5200 comes with two containers: wet and dry. The dry container I use to turn nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices into a flour-like or powder consistency.

I love my Vita-Mix and I’m very happy to be able to extend this offer to you for a chance to win one, your very own Vita-Mix 5200 Whole Food Machine!!!

To enter the drawing for the amazing Vitz-Mix 5200 Whole Food Machine, pick a number from 1 – 20. That’s it! That’s all you have to do. Of course, if you would like to express why you would like to own a Vita-Mix, we would love to hear it.

Anyone who already owns a Vita-Mix, we would be happy to hear your thoughts, your testimonial as a Vita-Mix owner, and yes, you are also welcome to enter the drawing too!

NOTE: If more than one person picks the same winning number between 1 – 20, I will group their names and draw from the names to choose a winner. This drawing ends Saturday, December 19th 11:59 PST. One entry per person please.

PLEASE NOTE: This offer is open to US residence only.

Become a Vita Village member.

Join Vita-Mix Recipes on Facebook for recipe inspiration.

Tweet with Vita-Mix Recipe for more recipe inspiration.

Vita-Mix is searching for “The Next Vita-Mix Demonstation Star”! Submit your demonstration video for a chance to win the grand prize $10,000!!! Entry deadline is December 31, 2009, click here for all the details, and check out the most recent videos submitted.

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This time of year is one of my favorites. The holidays are here and there’s lots of fun to be had in the kitchen making sweet treats and savor dishes. I love my little kitchen helpers. Those small tools that make prep work easy and add refined touches to recipes, like my little Microplane helpers.

Microplane offers a whole line of great kitchen tools. I own a classic zester/grater, and a medium ribbon grater from their all-stainless steel professional series. I love my Microplane zester/graters. Every cook should own at least one of these wonderful tools.

We all know things can get hectic with our already busy schedules, especially now during the height of the holidays. In the spirit of the season, Microplane has bundled four of their newest products as a gift for three [3] Raw Epicurean readers. Four new little helpers that will make food prep easy and effortless. Thank you Microplane!!!

Microplane® Gourmet Series Ultra Coarse Grater

perfect for grating fruits and vegetables, like

cabbage, carrots, and beets.

Microplane® Easy Prep Pizza Cutter

uniquely designed with a soft grip ergonomic handle and an removable stainless steel blade.

includes:

One [1] Gourmet Series Ultra Coarse Grater
One [1] Easy Prep Straight Peeler
One [1] Easy Prep Serrated Peeler
One [1] Easy Prep Pizza Cutter

To enter this drawing:

Tell us about your favorite Microplane kitchen tool[s] and how you us it most. If you don’t own a Microplane tell us why you would like to own a Microplane product.

Also, visit Raw Epicurean Facebook, I’ll giveaway one of the three sets there too.

The drawing here and Facebook ends Tuesday, December 15th 11:59 PST. One entry per person please.

PLEASE NOTE: This offer is open to US residence only.

Visit www.microplane.com until December 31st and receive an additional 20% off using their coupon code Holiday9.

Join Microplane on Facebook

Posts featuring Microplane®
Microplane Grater+Zester
Do You Own A Microplane

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Roses are red, violets are blue,
We have three gifts just for you.
The brand is well-known, it’s a nice size
Three lucky winners will reap the prize

A small kitchen appliance, no need to buy
It’s an Excalibur dehydrator
3500 5-Tray Deluxe model
Oh my, oh my

There are 8 reason [and more] why it’s great
Think of all the yummy food you can create
Make cookies and crepes, tarts and pie
Sweet and savoy treats, a delicious holiday surprise

So now it’s time to fill you in
On how exactly you can win.
Let us know why you want it
By leaving a message in the comments

Raw Epicurean Facebook and Raw Epicurean Twitter
You might want to visit
Where there are two more chances
You can win it!

Love and happy holidays,
Excalibur and Raw Epicurean

Many thanks and appreciation to Excalibur for their generous contribution to Raw Epicurean’s 2nd Annual Holiday Giveaway.

How to enter each drawings

Here on the blog – tell us why you would like an Excalibur dehydrator in the comments below.

For Raw Epicurean Facebook – let’s have some fun. Scroll down and find the small image of the dehydrator. Write a short poem 2 lines minimum – 8 lines maximum, in the comments section. The theme of the poem it up to you ~ just keep it somewhat clean, please ;-)

The drawing here on the blog and Facebook ends Sunday, December 13th 11:59 PST.

For Raw Epicurean Twitter – I will tweet how to enter the drawing for Twitter on Tuesday morning, December 8th at 10am PST.