We are still in January and while many of us started at the beginning of the month with positive changes and planning for the "new you in 2015", many of us are probably running dry when it comes to ideas, making time to eat well, and falling back into 2014 habits.
I'm all for making what I do today (i.e. eat veggies) so much better and even different. Why not? I grill, bake, saute, even eat veggies raw to just mix-it-up a bit. In comes GEFU, with a heck of a line of products that make eating healthy and well easier but in some ways better. I say better because it encourages us to eat as we should be eating, not feel like a perma-diet! I love pasta and I can reach a moment where I think making pasta primavera means at least it has veggies......so it's sort of healthy. I even try 75% veggies with 25% pasta and my results are, I'm still craving pasta! GEFU not only will make my veggies a texture and let's just say it, a shape that is more desirable. Their line of kitchen tools will make any dish from any cuisine a little new again. It goes beyond just pasta for Italian meals but think Asian dishes with vegetables that match rice noodles or just the vegetables themselves become the noodle!
I received these 4 GEFU kitchen tools to experience:
• GEFU Spirelli Spiral Cutter in action on YouTube; Spirelli product details via GEFU
• GEFU Julienne peeler, Striscia
• GEFU Lemon Juicer
• GEFU Julienne Peeler ASIA (new to the US)
Plus, a cookbook:
• Wheat Belly 30-minute (or Less!) Cookbook
The Spirelli Sprial cutter (Item #13460) is the go-to and easy cleaning tool to achieve that "spiral cut" you desire. Love that you can easily use it and it's dishwasher friendly, due to the way the product is made. You have stainless steel combined with high quality plastic that will provide many days filled with spiral julienne strips. You can use any vegetable, which is firm in texture. This includes carrots, jicama, potatoes, zucchini, radishes, cucumbers and the list goes on. Create salads using raw ingredients or you can par-cook, to fully cook vegetable so the possibilities are really endless. I was able to add a new twist to an Italian salad by having a more desirable texture and shape. The olives I left whole, so it would mimic little "meatless meatballs". I sometimes had to thin out a vegetable that was too big for the hole, however I now know to purchase medium sized ones when using this product. I give this product a 4.5 out of 5 rating do to how much you can do with it.
Retail Price Point: $29.99 on-line and available on Amazon, to Bed, Bath & Beyond
Presco Lemon Juicer (Item #124585), is of course more of a citrus juicer and not limited to lemons. I have a juicer but the type you slice and then press, so let's call it a citrus presser. Mine tended to dirty more by needed a knife and a cutting board, to then the press itself. Get the towel ready because it was also a sprayer. Thankfully, with GEFU's Presco juicer, I just dirty one item to complete the task. The stainless steel pierces any rind and I get every last drop where it belongs. The skin is left intact, so I can even use a zester to get more use out of my citrus. I give this product a 5 out of 5 because it's one of those that changes a common task into a new way and let's face it, less messy! Also, dishwasher safe.
Retail Price Point: $9.99 on-line and I found the product on Amazon, Sur La Table to Bed, Bath & Beyond
The Striscia julienne peeler (Item #13660) has changed how I make Asian dishes to even what I spent a good amount of time doing, "stick fries". You simply take a vegetable and just like a regular peeler, you peel and get perfect julienne cuts every time. Cuts prep-work time and I now go from doing the prep-work the night before, to doing it that same day. The handle is ergonomic and easy to hold and control, something you want when some potatoes can be extra starchy and wet to carrots causing things to slide. The cutting/peeling portion is made of quality steel and produces cuts every time. I was able to use cucumber to make an awesome yogurt base salads, that went great with the flat bread and beef kebabs. It's a meal we already make but this just created a better and more uniform cut than I can produce with a knife......also no hand cramping!
Retail Price Point: $19.95 on-line and via Amazon, plus this one seems very popular and available at many authorized retailers
This product is new to the U.S. and called the Julienne Peeler ASIA (Item #50410). Shaped like a mandolin cutter, this product produces julienne cuts on one side and the reverse side, has a grater. Like with many GEFU products, they used Japanese steel for the blades and the tool has a nice handle for control. The grater portion has two types of surfaces, one for puree grating (i.e. horseradish, ginger, and the like), and the other has a spice grater for harder ingredients like allspice and nutmeg. As you can see, the Asia portion in the name does not limit it's uses. I gave this one away via raffle because if I did not have all the components (separately unfortunately), I could see saving space and time with one tool. I give this product a 4 out of 5 for making julienne cuts easy (I was told by my guest that won and tried it) and being really 3 tools in one.
Retail Price Point: $24.95 on-line and I did not see wide distribution yet, as this is a new product
Not everything via diet books is always a fad and some diet books to hit areas about our overall eating. With products being filled with corn, wheat, and really just fillers, no wonder we sometimes don't feel at our optimum. The Wheat Belly 30-minutes or less cook book allows the reader with ease to produce quick meals (no excuses!) that are healthy, delicious and gluten-free. The way we should not eat sugar with every meal, well we probably should think about eating wheat with every meal too! The book was easy to follow and even if you don't want to make this your only way of eating, it's an addition for those times you want to eat different. Some of the guests felt the products needed and especially when cleaning out the pantry, was costly and restrictive but we all agreed that incorporating some of this diet is a must. It's cleaner and not to be taken at 100% (at least for us) but it showed us what more we can do with products we already buy (i.e. rice flour, bean flours, nut flours, ect.). I don't think it's a book you can dismiss fully and it's good to start 2015 with real changes!
Retail Price Point: $13.50 on Kindle and $16.37 Hard-cover
I was very happy with all the products provided and holding an event that focuses on vegetables is really cost efficient and easy to hold. Most of us like eating the final products in their raw state or blanched and cooled quickly to preserve that crunchy texture. We are all unfamiliar with GEFU products and not only were this great, but they have a huge array to choose from. Now, I have my eye on that pasta roller! :)
Connect with GEFU products at:
- GEFU On-line
- GEFU Facebook
- GEFU Twitter
- GEFU Pinterest
- GEFU Store Locator (why go nutty when this tells you where to find products) :)
- WheatBelly on Amazon
- #Tryazon
- #GEFU
- #WheatBelly
I received the above product(s) free of charge from Tryazon, GEFU and Rodale Publications. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.
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