A while ago the Sassies experienced Melissa Chappell’s (aka Raw Melissa) fantastic desserts.  The overall ruling: we LOVED them.  Now sweet Melissa is coming out with an AMAZING cookbook titled FAVES: Fruits and Veggies – Energy’s Secret.  We’re all super excited and had to share the news here!

To celebrate her cookbook launch, Melissa Chappell is offering a special pre-order price of $12.95 ($15.95 with shipping), valid through this coming Friday, September 10th.  To order your cookbook, head over to Raw Melissa’s blog & click on the “buy now” PayPal button in the top of the left column.

Melissa gives us a little sneak peek into her new FAVES cookbook here:

This is a beautiful little cookbook full of fresh recipes that will please you and your family. It’s got a beautiful glossy cover filled with photos and beautiful illustrations as well as several pages of facts about the nourishing foods included in the recipes. The paper is thick with a “raw” texture and the layout is extraordinary. You’ll find six sections: light meals, desserts, salads, salsas, sauces and dips and smoothies, all fresh and delicious. My favorites are the famous Thai Nut Sauce, Lime Mousse, Winter Tomato Sauce, the Raspberry Basil Smoothie, the No Bake Chocolate Cookies and, well, I like all the recipes and I think you will, too. I’ll be at the American Fork Good Earth on September 18th from 11am-4pm to sign copies and give out free vanilla and chocolate covered macaroons! If you purchase a cookbook at the discounted pre-sale price, you can pick it up that day or you may pay for shipping and we’ll ship it to you. Just be sure to include your name and address.

Love to all,
Melissa

I’ve personally tasted her Thai Nut Sauce, Lime Mousse and No Bake Chocolate Cookies (as well as others that she hasn’t listed but are in the cookbook) and can vouch that they are COMPLETELY AMAZING as well as completely healthy and good for you and your family!

If you’re looking for a fun, easy way to bring more fruits and vegetables to your family’s diet, this cookbook will be invaluable to you. All the recipes are full of whole and raw foods. I know I’ll be using Melissa Chappell’s FAVES cookbook on a constant basis to serve my family more nutritious meals and snacks.

So rush on over to Raw Melissa’s blog to snag your cookbook at the pre-sale price!  Remember this price only lasts until Friday, September 10th.  Happy cooking!

So what did the Sassies and Becca, our guest Sassy, think of Shirley J? Read on to find out!
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QUESTION

What was your first impression?
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THE SCOOP

Becca: Loved the location. Happy and fun look with a to-die-for test kitchen! I want that!
Camille: I was impressed with the wide variety of mixes and spices! Anything instant to make my meals more convenient is more than welcome in my kitchen.
Emily: I know I said “holy crap!” last week but “Holy crap! I want that kitchen!” Oh, and the food Chef Brian prepared looked and smelled great!
Kalli: Impressive test-kitchen setup; I wish my kitchen looked like this…
Kristina: The packaging was very inviting. If I ever had the urge to make out with a bag of brownies or cornbread, it would be these.
Michelle: The test kitchen was really nice and I could not wait to test everything I spied cooking. I was really impressed that their chef was from the Zermatt Resort.
Quinn: I liked their bright colors, especially on the tile. The commercial kitchen was gorgeous, too!
Stephanie: I loved the bright, pretty packaging and how well it would fit in the pantry.
Vanessa: Excited! I have neighbors, friends and family who swear by some of their products and I could not wait to learn how to use them at the test kitchen and then figure them into my recipes at home. My mom makes the best roast ever with their Dutch Oven & Slow Cooker mix.
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QUESTION

What did you like the most?

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THE SCOOP

Becca: I loved the informative staff. They had endless ideas on how to use their products and they were happy to answer any questions.
Camille: I’ve used their sweet roll mix before to make cinnamon rolls. Very easy to use and it tasted great!
Emily: The cracker bread with the marinara sauce was my favorite. No, wait. I totally forgot about the ooey, gooey, cheesy goodness that was Kalli’s calzone creation. Kalli, I want more. Now.
Kalli: I thought the fresh marinara Chef Brian prepared was freaking good.
Kristina: I liked the ease of the mixes and seasonings. Most of their products just require water. Normally, even that would be too much work for me, but the slow cooker seasoning is worth it.
Michelle: I really like the versatility of the Pizza & Pasta seasoning. It transformed plain old diced tomatoes into a yummy bread stick dip and was used in tons of other fun recipes from that evening. I can’t wait to see how many things I can make with it!
Quinn: The Shirley J crackers.
Stephanie: I absolutely adore the Dutch Oven & Slow Cooker seasoning. It made my cheap beef roast tender and amazing.
Vanessa: The BBQ Sauce Mix and Pizza & Pasta Seasoning Mix! I use just bits of BBQ sauce in things; I have about six partially used containers in the fridge and I never know which ones are good. I love this seasoning so I’m throwing those tubs out and using this in their place! The Pizza & Pasta Seasoning is yummy in anything you’d use red sauce for or in homemade dressings.
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QUESTION

What didn’t you like?

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THE SCOOP

Becca: I’m not a big cream sauce person so their main product, the Universal Sauce, wasn’t one I’d use often.
Camille: The Universal Sauce doesn’t have a lot of flavor by itself. I think it’s meant to be used as a base sauce. But adding Italian spices and various cheeses made for a mean alfredo sauce in the end.
Emily: Though I enjoyed the grilled veggies in the lasagna, the lasagna itself (and the cream sauce) was not my favorite. I’ve made alfredo with the Universal Sauce and it didn’t go over well with the family BUT we recently made Shirley J’s Black & White Chili with the Universal Sauce and Chicken Bouillon (and some added white and cayenne pepper) and it was a hit!
Kalli: The lasagna prepped with the Universal Sauce was my least fave. I went home and tried an alfredo using it and was doubly unimpressed. I think I need to get a few more recipes before I pass final word though.
Kristina: The Universal Sauce was very bland. The products that I have tried that used this sauce needed a lot of additional seasoning.
Michelle: I was not a big fan of the BBQ sauce mix. There was a certain spice in it that just didn’t please my palate. I am picky about BBQ sauce, though.
Quinn: Honestly, I really didn’t enjoy any of the other foods they served us. Blame it on pregnancy, but it didn’t sit well with my taste buds or my tummy. {I do know Quinn liked one thing: the cracker bread!}
Stephanie: The Universal Sauce. I had a hard time getting it to the right consistency and it was bland as a main staple in a dish. But I haven’t tried it to replace a cream soup yet. I think I may like to use it that way. {Me too. I think it would work well as a substitute for cream soups in recipes.}
Vanessa: I am still not sold on the Universal Sauce but I just need to play around with it some more. I love the idea of it (1/4 less fat, very convenient, etc.) I just need to learn how to dress it up and use it in the right recipes. I also am a bit worried about one of the listed ingredients and if its healthy; I’m waiting for some clarification on it.
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QUESTION

Would you visit again? (In other words, would you buy their mixes in the future?)

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THE SCOOP

Becca: I am looking forward to seeing what else they have in their catalog. I love to bake bread and am loving their Dough Enhancer! I’ll be back!
Camille: Yes, I would stock up on the Universal Sweet Roll Mix and Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix for sure and am anxious to cook with the BBQ Sauce mix!
Emily: I do want to try the Dough Enhancer and Universal Muffin Mix. Then I can let my oldest daughter cook Sunday morning muffins for us every week!
Kalli: I think their line of seasonings and bouillons is great, fo sho’ I’d get more of those. I’m also anxious to try the Dough Enhancer.
Kristina: I would definitely order the bouillions and spices. Using them was so easy a monkey, or Jessica Simpson, could use them.
Michelle: There are a lot of recipes to try and I am all about products that make cooking easy. I think the Pizza & Pasta Seasoning, Dutch Oven & Slow Cooker seasoning and Chicken Bouillon could become new staples in my pantry.
Quinn: No, I wouldn’t, unless I found some recipes that were much tastier than what we were sampled.
Stephanie: Yes! I am going to need to stock up on the Dutch Oven & Slow Cooker seasoning and Dough Enhancer.
Vanessa: The BBQ Seasoning, Pasta & Pizza Seasoning and Dutch Oven & Slow Cooker are SO yummy and are a staple in my pantry. The Universal Sauce and Treat Mixes I haven’t been sold on yet!
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QUESTION

If you could only send out one tweet about the business, what would you say?

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THE SCOOP

Becca: The Cannery on Steroids! Check out @Shirley_J’s for endless options for every day cooking and food storage!
Camille: Looking for quick and convenient mealtimes? Check out @shirley_j products today!
Emily: Made a mean Black & White Chili w/ @Shirley_J’s Universal Sauce & Chicken Bouillon. Can’t wait to try Dutch Oven seasoning next!
Kalli: @shirley_j is the every day chef’s go to source for cooking made easy!
Kristina: Surely you will want to make sure and try @Shirley_J’s products.
Michelle: Wanna mix it up? Try using some @Shirley_J in the kitchen tonight. From Pizza/Pasta to Beef Slow Cooker Seasoning, they have it all!
Quinn: Check out @Shirley_J for easy recipes and mixes that can simplify your meal routine.
Stephanie: @shirley_j fits perfectly in your pantry and in your favorite dishes.
Vanessa: Want the perfect roast or BBQ Seasoning at your fingertips or the best secret ingrd. for your Pizza and Pastas? @Shirley_J has it!

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CHECK OUT THEM SCOOPS!

Here is the official SassyScoops.com rating for Shirley J.
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Atmosphere n/a	Family friendly	Location
Prices	Quality	Service n/a

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Return to SassyScoops.com on Friday for our follow-up post on Shirley J! We might even have a tasty GIVEAWAY for our readers!

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Here’s the scoop on our guest Sassy Becca. We’d consider it a real treat if you’d visit her super sweet blog!
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Becca

Becca is one part wife, three parts mother and the rest is a mixed bag of genetic obligations, sass and reality. Rooted in self-taught sewing and having a borderline unhealthy obsession for fabric and paper, Becca is always out to create. She lives by three mottos: 1. Everything has potential and can become something wonderful. Everything and everyone! 2. Live the way you want to be remembered. 3. Mint Oreos are just as important in one’s creative arsenal as Mod Podge, ribbon and a hot glue gun! You can follow Becca’s adventures on Blue Cricket Design, Twitter (@iheartBCD) or Facebook.

If you’ve read Vanessa’s post on Monday then you already know Tony Caputo’s Market & Deli has a real life cheese cave and over 230 varieties of cheeses. (Did I mention they have a cheese cave?) That creamy, garlicky Lagrein is calling my name and the Manchego isn’t far behind. Take a cracker, top it with a thin slice of Lagrein and finish it off with some of Caputo’s roasted tomatoes and you’re pretty much set for life.

Along with cheeses they have lots of other gourmet delicacies. They even have those elusive black truffles that you pretty much have to sell your child to buy:
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But I digress. This follow-up post is supposed to focus on the chocolate class (one of many classes offered) we attended after being introduced to the intricate process that is cheese making. “Intro to Fine Chocolate,” taught by Matt Caputo, aims to help non-connoisseurs understand “the most misunderstood category in food.” What’s not to understand? Chocolate + my tastebuds = YUM.
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But apparently chocolate as we—and most of the world—know it does not even taste like cacao, the plant from which it comes. What you know as that silky, smooth chocolaty taste is actually __________ . (Nice try! I’m not giving away any of the little surprises you’ll learn in this class.)
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We did learn some pretty nifty things like:

• There are three types of cacao beans
• What you think of as chocolate (i.e. Hershey’s) is made from the crappiest of them all
• Gourmet chocolate from the best of the cacao beans can have undertones of things like berries, flowers, leather…even those super stinky large poster markers
• Darker isn’t always better
• Cubes of homemade white bread make a great chaser between samplings

We of course learned lots of other nifty things but that’s for us to know and you to find out! And find out you will. Matt really—and I mean REALLY—knows his chocolate and isn’t afraid to dispel whatever myths and preconceptions you may have about it:
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I may never look at a Dove chocolate the same way again. Of course it won’t stop me from eating crappy chocolate—I do love a good Twix!
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We Sassies had a wonderful time attending the class with our spouses. I think a little dinner at Caputo’s followed by one of their cooking classes makes for a wonderful date night. If you’re not interested in the cacao bean you can always try one of their other “Focused Tasting” classes like Intro to Fine Cheeses or Olive Oil & Artisan Vinegars. And if you’re up to trying your hand at a little cooking, Caputo’s also offers a couple cooking classes. Quick & Healthy Mediterranean Meals, anyone? (Me! Oh, pick me! I’ll even be your stand-in videographer!)
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By the way, if you’re married to someone who loves learning as much as he can about whatever he can, he’ll really enjoy the Intro to Fine Chocolate class. Just be prepared to repeat the class over and over again as he talks about it to everyone he meets.

Tony Caputo’s Market & Deli is giving away two (2) pairs of tickets to their “Intro to Fine Chocolate” class (February or March) to two (2) lucky SassyScoops.com reader!

PLUS

Each customer who mentions SassyScoops when they visit Caputo’s through Feb 14th receives a
free Valrhona Chocolate Baton.

To enter this giveaway simply leave a comment on this post telling us which cooking class you’d like to attend.

For additional entries you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a comment telling us which of these you’ve done:

• For 1 extra entry follow @CaputosMarket on Twitter
• For 5 extra entries tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet
• For 10 extra entries Facebook about this giveaway
• For 15 extra entries blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link to  your URL

Good luck! This giveaway ends Friday, January 22nd, at midnight!

THE GIVEAWAY WINNER WAS HOLLY, THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

What Happens When a Restaurant Lets Its Reviewers Into the Kitchen!

Reviewing Rock Creek Pizza was a real treat for me. For anyone that knows me, you probably think I am lying, because you know that I don’t like pizza. But, let me tell you why this pizza joint is not only the perfect pizza party hang out, but also the place for the non-pizza people types. And, for anyone interested in putting my review to the test, Rock Creek is offering a $50 giveaway to try their yumminess for free (see bottom of the post for details). But, back to my review…

First of all, the menu is amazing. One of the things I don’t love about pizza in general is the red sauce. But, at Rock Creek Pizza, you have your choice of red or white sauce. Also, I like a little more variety when it comes to toppings and Rock Creek Pizza offers more than 25 selections. How can you go wrong when you have feta cheese, sundried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts on the menu? Rock Creek Pizza’s menu meets my wildest food dreams as well as helps my husband stay true to his pepperoni pizza loyalty.

Let the Pizza Making Begin!

Another thing I love is when restaurants use creativity. How a place takes something as common as pizza and turns it into something fun makes it more tantalizing for me. I mean, how can you resist pizza with names like Mexican Tostada, Garlic Italiano, Alamo Chicken, and my personal favorite (as far as names go)… the Big J. Kinda keeps you guessing!

For the indecisive types or for those who are really hungry, as I happened to be when I visited for the first time, Rock Creek Pizza has an amazing buffet, including salad, pizza, and a drink. This is a really affordable option. And, the variety, as I learned after visiting the buffet, didn’t stop with the pizza toppings. The salad bar had me at baby corn, garbanzo beans, and sunflower seeds while the pizza bar had the others at dessert pizza. Yep! Pizza drizzled with cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla frosting. What is a pizza buffet without dessert pizza? Another thing I don’t love is dessert, but so many oohs! and ahhs! were uttered in response to the dessert pizza, that I don’t feel this review would be complete without mentioning it.

Jyl's Famous Feta and Blue Cheese Pizza With Fresh Tomatoes

I saved the best part of my Rock Creek Pizza experience for last! The behind-the-scenes tour of the kitchen and walk in refridgerator was awesome, but actually making a pizza of my own creation by far stole the show for me. First of all, I am a cheese addict… a cheese-a-holic, if you will! Anyone that lets me put mass amounts of cheese on anything pretty much has my loyalty for life. And John, the generous and fun owner of Rock Creek Pizza, earned my loyalty that night. From rolling the dough and poking it with holes to spreading the white sauce and choosing my toppings, I had my first professional pizza-making experience. I had spread the white sauce and put on the Mozzarella cheese when out of the corner of my eye, I noticed my true love—imported cheeses. Feta and Bleu side by side. Are you kidding me? I was in heaven! My pizza weighed in at a whopping 3 pounds once all the cheese and fresh tomatoes were on and before it entered the oven.

I took this pizza home to the biggest pizza critics of all—my 8- and 6-year-old boys. After their second pieces, I deemed my pizza a masterpiece and encouraged John to add it to the menu. When did I do this? On my return visits. Since my initial review of Rock Creek Pizza, I have scheduled and held two large events in their party room. With free wi-fi, yummy food, and a private room, Rock Creek Pizza is the perfect pizza party hangout!

And here’s the best part for you…

Giveaway!

Rock Creek Pizza is offering a $50 gift certificate to one lucky winner. All you have to do is…

Entry Requirements

1. Leave a comment here, including your favorite pizza Rock Creek Pizza offers. You can check out the delicious options by clicking here.
2. Become a member of the brand new Sassy Scoops Facebook Fan Page, where we will keep you updated on local reviews and weekly giveaways.

The Fine Print