EASY ENTER! Giveaway Contest and Product Review: JORD Wood Watches

Having secretly been crushing on wood watches for about 3 years now, I was happily surprised when I was asked to review a wood watch by JORD (pronounced: /yōd/) Wood Watches. After I received one and fell absolutely in love with it, I was excited to be able to offer my readers a chance to win one too. But more on that in a minute!  First, I'd like to show you my JORD Wood Watch and tell you why I love it and why I felt it was a good enough product to offer as a giveaway to my readers.

I chose the Cora Series Wood Watch with Rose Gold Dial set in Koa.  Koa is a beautiful hardwood native to Hawaii, and it comes in different tones from medium gold to darker almost mahogany, depending on the harvest season.

When you choose a watch on the JORD website, they walk you step-by-step through the sizing process and then size your watch for you before shipping.  Don't worry, they include a link or two just in case you measured wrong or you gain or lose a little weight and you need to adjust the sizing.

The watch arrived in a clearly marked box and much care is put into shipping!  The watch arrived well protected in a Cedar valet humidor watch box along with a cleaning cloth, JORD preserve citrus oil, and a micro-fiber glass cleaning cloth.

When you open the box, you will find the watch cushioned on a pillow inside the humidor box.  It also arrives with a protective clear layer over the glass and the silver clasp, which you can easily peel off and remove as well as the wood tag.

Gorgeous box not only protects during shipping but protects at home when you aren't wearing it.

 

First glance - I fell in love with the quality, color and feel of the wood.

WHAT I LOVE

• Quality internal mechanisms. No batteries here.  This is the real deal.  The internal mechanisms move the hands and power the watch. I love that I can glimpse them on the cut out circle on the face but also the open back.
• Sapphire Glass - which is a synthetic crystal, not actual glass.  It's tougher and more scratch resistant.
• The aforementioned Koa wood. The colors are natural and do not contain any stains, dyes or harsh chemicals.
• The rose gold dial.  Not a bright coral, but an understated color that blends well with any outfit; dressy or not.
• It goes well with any outfit I wear.  (See below!) 

You can take a peek at the internal mechanisms through the see-thru back

Gorgeous natural hues of wood

Hiking, dressing up or everyday outfits - a wood watch from JORD goes perfectly with them all.

 And if you own and love an Apple watch, guess what?  THEY HAVE WOOD WATCH BANDS FOR APPLE WATCHES!  They also offer engraving - to make your gift extra special for someone you care for.

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If you've fallen in love with JORD Wood Watches like I have, and you are thinking of ordering one for someone you love in time to give as a Valentine's Day gift (or ordering one for yourself) right now JORD is offering readers of An American Housewife $25 off any order!  Just use the code "anamericanhousewife" on your order.  

* * * * *

To enter to win $180 towards any of the JORD watches, plus free sizing and shipping (yes, even internationally), it's EASY.  (You can pick your own watch with the $180 or have the $180 go towards a more expensive style of your choice.)  

Just follow this link and tell them which is your favorite watch - don't forget to fill in your email so they know how to contact you if you are the winner.  

The contest is sponsored and run entirely by JORD and will end Valentine's Day - February 14, 2018.  The winner is chosen randomly by JORD Wood Watches and contacted directly by them and prize shipped directly to you by them.  An American Housewife has no part of the contest other than providing you with the link to enter and a special $25 off code you can use for any order placed during the contest timeline.

Low Carb, Wheat Free Buns and Rolls - (Perfect for my egg, cheese & bacon breakfast sandwich!)

Last week I posted the recipe I made for our favorite low carb version of pizza  but I mentioned I also made part of that recipe into some buns/rolls.  This is a recipe that is made about every week in some way, shape or form because it's so versatile.  We've used these for a morning low carb version of an English Muffin, into bagels to use with cream cheese, topped them with garlic and cheese to go with our garlic and butter mussels and shrimp scampi, used them with a low carb spaghetti and lasagna, cheeseburgers and as you can see in the photo below, I use them when I'm craving a hot, filling breakfast sandwich similar to the McDonalds Egg McMuffin.

Low Carb Dough

1 1/2 c (heaped a little) almond flour - fine grain, blanched
1/2 t xanthan gum - optional
1 T baking powder
2 1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
2 oz. cream cheese
2 eggs

You have two choices for mixing; either your electric mixer with a bread dough hook, or in a food processor.  (Actually you could mix/knead it by hand too... I guess there are 3 options)  FIRST: In a large mixing bowl place the almond flour, xanthan gum and baking powder.  Stir just to blend.  Beat the 2 eggs briefly and add them to the bowl.  Do not mix.  SECOND option is to do the same but put it into the bowl of your food processor with the S blade in place.

In a microwave safe bowl place the mozzarella cheese and cream cheese.  Microwave until the cheese is melted, stirring once.  This can take 2 minutes depending on your microwave.  Pour the cheese into the bowl of almond flour mixture and eggs.  Mixer Option:  Using a bread dough hook, mix and knead until it forms a dough, scraping down the sides often to help blend.  Processor Option:  Pulse off and on for a couple seconds each and then for about 7-8 seconds at a time until the dough comes together. Remove to a piece of parchment paper. Divide the dough into as many pieces as you wish for what you are making.

This recipe can make pizza crusts, bagels, hamburger buns, rolls, etc.  Divide your pieces up.  Roll each piece into a ball and place on parchment on a baking sheet.  I press mine down a little to form a 'hamburger bun' shape.  Bake at 400 for approximately 12-18 minutes - but base it on your own oven's baking personality.  Some are hotter than others.  Cook until they are puffed up, golden brown and brown on the bottoms.  Let them sit for a couple minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely.  (You don't have to do this, but if you let them cool completely on the parchment they can trap moisture and get too soft and moist and tend to wrinkle.)

Slice them into hamburger buns, etc. and use them in various ways for toasting, garlic bread, etc.

Make them as small or large as you wish

I smash mine just a bit before banking so they are a hamburger bun shape

I hate the lighting in my kitchen; it turns everything yellow. This is a bun fresh from the oven.

Toasted with butter... yum.

When I'm craving a hot, filling breakfast sandwich!  These keep me stuffed til dinner time!

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BBQ Ranch Salad - A Cabbage Salad Mix

About 6 months ago I fell in love with a store-bought bagged mix salad I bought on a whim because it was on sale.  It was a mixture of cabbage, broccoli, green onions and a bunch of other veggies, chopped and bagged with a small side of ranch dressing and bbq sauce you mix in and serve.  Later I went on to 'copy' it, painstakingly buying all the ingredients, chopping them in a food processor, etc. etc. and it was good.  But I was left with a bunch of dirty dishes, food processor bowl, etc.

One of the draw-backs to buying the packaged mixes was the sugar content.  The brand my local store carries has 5 grams of sugar;  no thank you.  

What I started doing worked out just as great, was much easier, faster and healthier and I almost always have the ingredients on hand.  I throw this together with sugar free bbq sauce and homemade ranch (made with unsweetened coconut/almond milk).  No food processor, only one dish (the one I served it in) and there is never, ever leftovers.

You can adjust all the amounts to your personal tastes.  I will also link to the sugar free bbq sauce I use at the bottom of the post.

BBQ Ranch Salad Mix

Fresh broccoli - chopped small
Cabbage - shredded or chopped fine (red and green varieties)
Green onions - chopped
Lettuce - a salad mix of your choice chopped small
Kale or spinach optional if you have it
Carrots - shredded or chopped (only a few for color if you are low-carb and sugar free)
1 pkg. dry ranch dressing made to directions using: 1 cup almond, coconut, almond/coconut milk or cream mixed with half water and 1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 - 1/2 c bbq sauce of choice
Options:  crushed tortilla chips, sliced almonds or cooked, crumbled bacon for crunch/texture


In a large bowl or a large Ziploc baggy, put all your fresh veggies.  Use mostly cabbage and add the rest according to your preference.  I use about 6 cups shredded cabbage to 2 medium heads fresh broccoli, about 2 cups lettuce, 2-3 green onions and a handful of fresh spinach or kale.

Use about 1/3 cup ranch and 1/3 cup bbq sauce to this and mix well.  Add more or less as needed and if you add too much sauce just add a bit more cabbage/broccoli to the mixture.  Chill or serve, adding any cooked, crumbled bacon, tortilla chips or sliced almonds just before serving so they stay crunchy.





My favorite sugar free bbq sauce - I used to make my own but I haven't since I started to use G. Hughes brand. 

G Hughes Smokehouse Sugar Free BBQ Sauce Hickory -- 18 fl oz - 2 pc

Wheat Free Pizza Crust - Low Carb and Delicious

Yesterday I was making up another batch of low carb bagels (wheat free, low carb, sugar free) and since I had all the ingredients out, the bowls were dirty and the oven was going, I went ahead and used the same recipe, tweaked a bit, to make 2 pizzas and some hamburger buns.

We had one pizza last night, one in the freezer for later this weekend or next week and the hamburger buns are in the refrigerator for dinner tonight or tomorrow with grilled cheeseburgers.

If you are a regular reader you'll remember a couple years ago when I made and compared 3 different low carb pizza crusts that included store bought low carb bake mixes but I am one of those people who can taste the flavor of carbalose in any recipe it's in... and I just can't stand it.  (Some people can't taste it all, others can taste it but it's not a bother. Me? Even in the tiniest dose, I can taste it and it ruins the flavor of the whole recipe for me.)  Which is why I like THIS pizza crust best out of every single one I've made since 2002 when I first started researching low carb, sugar free lifestyles.  This is the only one I can/will currently eat - or I'll choose to eat a wheat crust - carbs and all.

If you missed the bagel recipe the last couple times I posted it, it's here.  Feel free to tweak it - it's your kitchen and your ingredients.  NOTE:  I've made these items (pizza crust, bagels and buns) using 1 tablespoon baking powder sometimes and 1 teaspoon baking soda other times.  I personally like the baking powder version better.  Up to you.  You can even leave it out if you wish.  It just helps the raising a little but it's not necessary.

Low Carb Pizza Crust

1 1/2 c (heaped a little) almond flour - fine grain, blanched
1/2 t xanthan gum - optional
1 T baking powder
2 1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
2 oz. cream cheese
2 eggs

You have two choices for mixing; either your electric mixer with a bread dough hook, or in a food processor.  (Actually you could mix/knead it by hand too... I guess there are 3 options)  FIRST: In a large mixing bowl place the almond flour, xanthan gum and baking powder.  Stir just to blend.  Beat the 2 eggs briefly and add them to the bowl.  Do not mix.  SECOND option is to do the same but put it into the bowl of your food processor with the S blade in place.

In a microwave safe bowl place the mozzarella cheese and cream cheese.  Microwave until the cheese is melted, stirring once.  This can take 2 minutes depending on your microwave.  Pour the cheese into the bowl of almond flour mixture and eggs.  Mixer Option:  Using a bread dough hook, mix and knead until it forms a dough, scraping down the sides often to help blend.  Processor Option:  Pulse off and on for a couple seconds each and then for about 7-8 seconds at a time until the dough comes together. Remove to a piece of parchment paper. Divide the dough into 2 pieces.

Roll each piece into a circle or pizza crust shape you wish, on a parchment.  You can sprinkle it lightly with some garlic salt at this point for added flavor.  Bake at 400 for approximately 6-8 minutes on the parchment, on the rack if you like the bottom of your pizza to be a little firm otherwise just bake it on the parchment lined pizza pan.  Take it out (it will have puffed a bit but will fall almost immediately) then top with your sauce and pizza toppings.  Bake again another 10 minutes or so until the cheese is melted.

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Bob's Red Mill Super-Fine Almond Flour, 16-ounce (Pack of 4)
Kirkland Signature Non Stick Parchment Paper, 205 sqft
Wilton Perfect Results Pizza Pan, 14 inch

      

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts and Caulifower with Garlic - My favorite way to eat Brussels sprouts!

So, I often throw this together at the last second for a side dish at dinner even though there isn't really a recipe for it. I know a lot of people hate that.  They need recipes with exact, precise amounts or they'll just die!  Umm, I could guess some for this for you I suppose but really that would be needless as you don't use many ingredients.

To caramelize these guys you simply put some olive oil and some butter into a pan on the stove (or you can actually bake this in the oven to roast them golden brown too...).  Throw in some cauliflower, some brussels sprouts and let it cook over medium for a while... they start to brown and turn golden, so you turn them over once in a while.  The last 5 minutes or so you can add a couple cloves of minced garlic and season to taste with salt and pepper.  I love the garlic roasted golden as it is naturally 'sweet' and so good but if you burn it, it turns bitter so you want to 'cook' your sprouts and cauliflower first as they take longer.

You can also cook your broccoli this way.  And you can use some bacon grease too if you want to change up the flavor a bit.

Note:  I like to pre-steam my veggies first if they are fresh or frozen.  This cuts down on the time needed to slow cook them in the pan.  I turn it up to medium high if I'm standing right there cooking them... I keep it on a medium if I'm busy or walking away often to fix other foods.

The WonderMill Grain Mills have gone down in price! They are now selling for about $199.95

THIS POST IS FROM JANUARY OF 2018 so prices are different now...  as of February 2023, they are currently about $350.

Although we typically eat low carb and sugarfree (which means little or no wheat products) when we do eat wheat (because who doesn't love homemade bread!?) I order whole, non GMO, heritage wheat berries and grind them myself.

I've posted previously about how when I first decided to try to grind my own wheat, I wanted to make sure this was something I really wanted to do before I invested a couple hundred dollars in an electric grinder.  At that point, I bought a Victorio Manual (hand) Grain Mill.  (I don't like the digestive issues store bought breads and flour bring and although we eat low-carb often... not all the time.  And I have found I have almost NO ISSUES eating homemade breads!)  

So I invested in a small mill (a VICTORIO Hand Operated Grain Mill)and I loved using hand milled wheat but, it took me about an hour to grind enough wheat berries to make 2 loaves of bread. That's when I knew I wanted to invest in an electric mill.

In the end this is the one I got: The WonderMill (which also grinds dried beans, rice and corn - not just wheat)

Here is mine....

When I got my grinder, we got a great sale at the time at $219 as they were selling for $239; it's not cheap but it's not overly expensive either, and it paid for itself within the first couple months of use.  But this week I happened to see them on Amazon and they are currently selling for $199.

Freshly ground wheat berries - still warm from grinding

Be sure you only use it for 'dry' grains (not things like almonds, which have oils) and you start the motor running before adding your wheat berries.

The Victorio Manual Grain Mill - for about $50 (as of this posting)

This Victorio Hand Mill post is one I posted in January of 2016 - has it only been 2 years?  It feels like I've owned this forever!  This is an updated repost - for 2018.  Still a good option to see if you like hand milled wheat before you invest in a more expensive electric and bigger model or to have in your emergency storage kit for use during power outages, etc. 

We don't use much flour or wheat products as a general rule due to the high carb content and digestive issues a lot of bread products seemed to cause.  However, when we were not doing following a lower carb way of eating, I found through trial and error that homemade breads didn't seem to cause any bloating or gas like the store bought versions did!  I don't know if this is due to the fact that homemade breads are not rushed through production and allowed to raise, and some a double rise... but I suspect so.  

Going another step further; I like to use non-GMO flour.  Meaning, not genetically modified by scientists.  The DNA of the grain hasn't been messed with. The bread and buns and pastries in large retail stores use flour that has been messed with, modified, then ground and bleached and refined so much that it doesn't even resemble flour anymore.

I wanted to be SURE I wanted to grind my own wheat on a regular basis before I invested in a large, expensive mill... and again - I'm not making bread everyday.  We can go a month without using any flour so I wanted to start 'small'.   And in my research, I decided to purchase a VICTORIO Hand Operated Grain Mill.  You can get them for about $49-69 average depending on where you find them (sold many places from Amazon to Sam's Club online and more).

From their website product description:   

When making homemade flours, meals and cereals use the Victorio Grain Mill.  This energy efficient Mill has zero power consumption and is perfect for emergency preparedness.  

 

The Victorio Grain Mill is an essential tool for any kitchen.  The compact design and convenient, 2" wide clamp base make storage easy and set up a snap.  The stainless steel grinding burrs will grind any type of non-oily seed or grain and turn it into a quality ground product.  All our Grain Mills come with an adjustment knob to give you the freedom to grind as coarse or as fine as you need. Whether you need fine flour for breads and pastries or coarse cracked grains for cereal, this Grain Mill can do the job.

Made In: Taiwan
Body: Cast Aluminum
Handle: Wood
Grinding Burrs: Stainless Steel
Hopper: Plastic

Assembled Height: 13-1/16"
Assembled Depth: 5-1/8"
Assembled Width: 2-1/16"
Capacity: Holds 2 cups of grain with hopper

Here is the mill I chose.  The Victorio Hand Crank Grain Mill

with the clamp base (which clamps securely to your counter or table)

This is where my mill "lives" and stays at all times.  It's out of the way,

near the wall, but right where I need it when I quickly want to grind wheat.

This came in handy just last night grinding 2 tablespoons of flour to thicken

gravy as well as 5 cups of flour to make a loaf of lovely homemade bread.

See how it clamps on the counter or table?

It's really secure and I have had no issues with it slipping or moving.

The mill only grinds small grains and non-oily seeds.

No large corn kernals, or oily nuts like almonds, walnuts, etc.

Grinding in action!

Made a beautiful flour for bread.

You can adjust from coarse to fine and don't forget - the type of wheat berry

you use makes a difference.  Use hard white or red for breads and soft white for baking.

Be warned it takes a while to hand grind enough for bread!

I needed 5 cups and it takes a LOT of cranking to get that much!  As a matter of fact

I would crank for 5-6 minutes and stop for a bit because my arms were tired and well,

I admit, I would get so bored.  It probably took about 45 minutes to get just over 5 cups of

ground flour to make my bread recipe!

Generally speaking I'm going to say I'm very happy with this little hand mill.  I love the sturdy design and strength.  It's easy to use, clamps tight and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that it counts as emergency 'prep' as well since it uses ZERO electricity! 

My only 'cons' are of course how long it takes to grind a good amount of flour (like the 5 cups for bread) and it had a bit of a 'squeak' n the wood handle action that took about a year to work itself out.

But I give it 4 out of 5 stars AND I discovered our family loves home ground wheat over store bought so much, that I now own two mills.  But... that's another post for another day!