The PhotoHunt theme this week is “Sweet”

I can’t think of anything much sweeter than the Macaroons I baked for Passover. Okay, there’s a sweet little giveaway for my U.S. and Canadian readers at the end of this post, too!

These wonderfully chewy almond and coconut drop cookies are so easy to make and keep so well, you should make them all year-round!

Chocolate Macaroons

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups blanched almonds (about 8 oz)
3 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
7 oz. sweetened, shredded coconut
3 1/2 Tbs. cocoa powder

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350º F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Grind the almonds in a food processor and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Alternately fold in the sugar and ground
almonds, then gently fold in the chocolate and coconut.

Drop from a teaspoon onto the lined cookie sheets, spacing them 1/2” apart. Bake for 20
minutes. Allow to cool completely before eating or storing.

Notes:

Don’t like chocolate? Really? Okay, then simply omit the cocoa powder.

I scooped these out using a small ice cream scoop, but you can use a spoon for a more free-form shape, or if you want to get fancier, load the dough into a piping bag and use a large star tip.

I mean it when I say “Allow to cool completely.” Once cooled, they firm up nicely, giving a great crunchy texture outside and firm, chewy inside. They keep super-well in a zip-top plastic bag.

The Giveaway!

A few weeks ago, I was approached by the people at Skin M.D. Natural, asking if I’d like to try out their “Shielding Lotion” for review. With all the cooking and baking and cleaning and yard work – not to mention washing my hands a zillion times a day at work AND all the antibacterial gel to try and keep that nasty flu bug away – I was definitely ready to try something other than the usual hand lotions. So, I said “Sure, why not?”

A few days later I got a package in the mail containing a full-sized 4 oz. bottle of Skin M.D. Natural Skin Shielding Lotion, plus three little purse/pocket sized packets: two of the Shielding Lotion, and one of their Shielding Lotion + SPF 15.

I’m not easily impressed, but I have to admit that I really do like this stuff. It’s light, not at all greasy, and quickly absorbed into the skin without leaving that filmy “something’s on my skin” sensation. I’ve seen a definite improvement in the skin on my hands and those rough patches on my elbows seem to have pretty much disappeared.

Guys, you can use this too – it’s hypoallergenic, fragrance, colorant and paraben-free and dermatology tested. Even those with the most sensitive skin types can use it.

Also – and this is a biggie for me – it contains no animal products, nor is it tested on animals! So I can use it in my kosher kitchen, and even you vegetarians and flexitarians out there can use it with confidence.

I’m not going to get into all the whys and wherefores of how it works – go to Skin M.D. Natural’s website and check it out for yourself. Then come back here and leave a comment about something you learned, or some aspect of how you think this pretty cool shielding lotion could help you out.

What’s in it for you, you ask? Well, I agreed to review this product on one condition: That I can give some to one of you guys, too! Skin M.D. Natural agreed to give one of you the same exact package they sent me: One full-sized 4 oz. bottle of Shielding Lotion, plus 3 sample-sized packets, including one with SPF 15. And those sample packets go a long way, too. Each one contains enough product for 3-5 uses – I guess depending on how big your hands are. )

Here’s how you enter:

The one must, is that you go to Skin M.D. Natural’s website and check it out. Come back & tell me about it.

For additional entries, follow me on Twitter, become a Fan on Facebook, follow me on Google Friend Connect (in the sidebar), and/or follow me on Networked Blogs (also in the sidebar). Each one of those things gets you an additional entry! If you already do one or more of those things, just leave additional comments letting me know.

You can also Tweet or Re-Tweet about this contest on Twitter. Come back and leave another comment with the URL of your tweet (Just click on the time stamp under your tweet and it will open a page with just that tweet. The URL will be in the address window of the page.)

So that’s six ways you can enter! And please do enter – I’m really eager to share this with you and find out what your results are! Deadline for entering is Thursday, April 15th. I’ll submit the number of entries to Random.org and will announce the winner on Friday, April 16th! Unfortunately, only U.S. and Canadian residents are eligible.

Disclosure: I have not been compensated in any way for writing about this product, other than to have received the above-mentioned, at no charge, to test and review. I have not been directed what to write, other than to give my honest opinion. Which I have done. So there.