My husband is a huge fan of soda, so of course when we got the chance to review a product that allows you to easily make soda in your home, we couldn’t say yes fast enough! The Sodastream system makes it easy and affordable to make your own soda at home. Not only is it easy to use, it’s also really fun. We have been having such a great time deciding which flavor to try out next (they have a huge selection of syrups).

The Sodastream works with regular water, that is put into a special bottle. The bottles are reusable, and easy to keep clean, so it’s really a great way to save money and reduce the amount of plastic going into the landfill as well. The system carbonates the water, with makes it perfect for adding whichever flavor you want. The other thing that we love about it is that you can add as much or as little carbonation as you like. This is perfect for us since I prefer a little bit of bubbles while my husband loves drinks to have tons of them.

With 30 different flavors, including diet options and energy drinks, there is really something for everyone. And, they taste great too! We also love that the diet syrups don’t contain aspartame, they are sweetened with Splenda. All of the syrups are free from high fructose corn syrup. Each bottle of sodamix makes about 12 liters of soda (about 33 cans!). Also, because you can make the soda when you feel like it, we noticed that it kept fresh and carbonated much longer than store bought soda. Plus, who enjoys lugging big liters of soda or heavy cans in from the grocery store? We are home soda making converts now!

It’s a great size, and fits just right in our kitchen. It can be used just about anywhere that you have a flat surface, since you don’t need to plug it in or have batteries. We both thought the design was great, sleek, and would fit well with any kitchen decor.

Now that we have one, we are hooked! They would make an excellent housewarming gift, or anytime gift, especially for someone who already has everything. Sodastream offers a lot of great choices, including kits that come with everything you need to start making soda at home. You can check out their online store to learn more, and to purchase soda makers and supplies. A very wish list worthy product indeed!

We have a great giveaway for you! One lucky reader will get a chance to try out the new Wanchai Ferry frozen entrées, complete with a “Perfect Night In” package! If you just can’t wait to see if you have won, there is a coupon that you can use at your local Target store on the Wanchai Ferry website.

We tried out the Wanchai Ferry Orange Chicken. It came with everything we needed, from the yummy sauce, to soft and sticky rice to serve it on top of. This kind of orange chicken even came with Asian-style vegetables; broccoli florets, julienne carrots and baby corn. I loved that it didn’t take long to prepare, and everything was prepared in one skillet, making cleaning up easy too. It was actually a bit faster than going to our usual Chinese take out! Wanchai Ferry frozen entrées also offer Shrimp Lo Mein, Spicy Garlic Chicken and Sweet & Sour Chicken.

The “Perfect Night In” package was a lot of fun as well. It really made eating at home more like a special occasion! We had a great time trying (but failing) to eat our entire meal with the gorgeous chopsticks! The Wanchai Ferry “Perfect Night In” prize pack that includes one VIP coupon valid for a free package of any of the Wanchai Ferry frozen entrees, in addition to a set of two Asian-inspired rice bowls, chopsticks, bamboo placemats, flavored fortune cookies, and a $25 Target gift card. Do you want a chance to win? Here is what you will need to do:

• Leave a comment on this post before midnight on March 3, 2010.
• Please be sure to fill out the email portion of the comment form correctly, as the winner will be contacted by email.
• You may comment daily until the giveaway ends.
• For an additional entry, become our “fan” on Facebook (please leave an additional comment).
• This giveaway is open to those in the United States.

Thanks and good luck!

*Wanchai Ferry provided us with the free product for our review, additional information, and the prize pack for giveaway through MyBlogSpark*

This giveaway is now closed, congrats to Lori C.

If you are a gardener, and a cook, or even if you just try to be, then the NatureMill is going to be your new best friend. The NatureMill is an indoor composter that can be set up in your kitchen (or anywhere else really), to make quick use of your table scraps. The result is awesome compost that will be great for using in your gardens and flowerbeds. I seriously can not wait for spring so I can put the compost to good use.

NatureMill Composter

I have so many great things to tell about this product, for example, you can add food to the mix at any time, up to 120 lbs a month! That is a lot of food that would have been wasted that instead will become beautiful compost! There is no mixing, the machine does all the work. We love that there are no trash odors, and the variety of items we can put inside. The NatureMill provides a continuous air flow and a powerful carbon filter to remove odors, and the compost tumbler is completely sealed!

Compost is ready in 2 weeks, and there is even a red light to let you know when it’s time to empty the bin. Unlike traditional composting methods, you can add meat, dairy, and fish. You can even compost pet waste, kitty litter, and cage beddings. This is because the NatureMill has high temperatures inside.

It was very easy to set up and get going. The instructions were clear, and the product comes assembled, so all you have to do is make the composting mix. Everything you need is included except for one cup of dirt (which you can get out of your garden, even if the dirt is frozen).

We eat a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits, so it has been wonderful to be able to easily convert the waste into compost. Now in the middle of the snowy winter, we don’t have to think about running out to add scraps to the compost pile, we just add it to the NatureMill in the kitchen! We would really love to get the cabinet kit (shown in the photo), if only we had a free cabinet.

The composter does have to be plugged in, and it works best when you break up your food waste into small bits. It’s been very nice to be able to add our pet waste and especially the bird cage bedding, which used to go to the regular trash can. I can’t wait to be able to use our compost in our future garden beds when spring arrives. It will be such a great way to start off our plantings, and to feed our garden, without having to spend money on commercial compost!

You can buy online direct from the company via the NatureMill website, and you can also check for local stores. The NatureMill should be on the wish list of everyone who loves to garden, or just wants a better way to address the food waste in their household.

If you have ever wanted to celebrate your dog’s special occasions (birthdays, holidays, adoption day), but wanted something more special than the treats you find at the store, then Puppy Cake is for you! Puppy Cake is a cake mix made just for dogs! It even comes with yogurt frosting, making it quick and easy to make a special treat for your furry friend.

Puppy Cake mixes come in two flavors: Fifi’s Favorite Carob and Buddy’s Best Banana.  Just like making a cake for yourself, you simply add oil, egg, and water, then bake it as a cake or cupcakes. You can even make it in the microwave if you are short on time. The best part is, everything is human grade, and Puppy Cake mixes are made with natural and vet approved ingredients. Each box makes 6 medium sized cupcakes or a double layer 4” round cake.

Baby the Maltese especially loved the banana cake mix (we are going to have to order more for upcoming holidays)! In fact, we didn’t even get a chance to snap a photo in time, she was so excited to dig in and eat her cupcake! She really loves yogurt and cake in general, so we were very happy to have something for her that was made just for a dog’s needs instead of giving her tastes of our human cakes.

You can purchase Puppy Cake mixes online, or by phone, at the Puppy Cake website. A wheat-free peanut flavor is set to be released in early 2010, which sounds like something our dog would love. They even offer free shipping for orders over $20, and a money back guarantee. Paws up for Puppy Cake!

Chobani Greek Yougurt recently came out with a line of products for kids, and we got to try them out! The line is called Chobani Champions, and is the first all natural, low fat Greek yogurt made just for kids. Now, we aren’t kids, and don’t have kids, but we LOVED the flavors and the texture of the yogurts.

My personal favorite was the strawnana, which as the name implies, is a strawberry banana flavor. I also really liked the honeynana, which had a really good honey flavor to it. Most of all I loved that the yogurt was smooth, something which I really prefer.

The yogurt is all natural, with no preservatives or artificial flavors. I also love the size of the cup, which is the perfect snack size (at least for me it was just right). It is also made with real fruit, and is even gluten free! Chobani makes yogurts for adults too, in plain and fruit flavors (they even have pomegranate!). You can find it at Whole Foods Market, Costco, and Sam’s Club, and some supermarkets.

I had never experienced Greek yogurt before, but I am hooked! You can learn more about Chobani by visiting their website, and you can even follow their nutritionist, Nicki, on Twitter. One more thing that we really loved? They donate 10% of their annual profits to some amazing charities from around the world! Very wish list worthy!