Nothing says “I love you” more than a homemade dessert to share with your sweetie. Both of these recipes turned out SO well- I may have to make these for every special occasion from here on out!

First let’s make the vegan whipped topping so it can cool while we make the biscuits and strawberries.

Vegan Whipped Topping for Two

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup 8^th Continent Vanilla soy milk
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup

Place 8^th Continent Vanilla soymilk and 1/4 cup vegetable oil in blender. Blend at highest speed and slowly drizzle in remaining 3/4 cup vegetable oil. Blend in maple syrup. As you continue blending your whipped topping should thicken. Place in freezer to chill.

Strawberries!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of strawberries
• 2 Tablespoons of sugar

Take about 4 cups of fresh strawberries. Cut off the top green leafy part and half the strawberries and put into a bowl. Add sugar and toss strawberries until equally covered. Cover the bowl and put in the fridge to chill for around 25-30 minutes.

Heart Shaped Shortcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup and 2 T. white sugar
• 2 ½ t. baking powder
• ¼ t. salt
• 6 T. dairy-free soy margarine, cut into pieces
• ½ cup 8^th Continent Soymilk (Any variety)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a food processor, mix together  ¼ cup sugar, flour, baking powder and salt until well-mixed. Add the dairy-free soy margarine, pulsing until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. With the machine still running, add 8^th Continent Soymilk gradually, until the dough just begins to hold together and pull away from the sides of the bowl.

On a lightly floured surface, turn out the dough and pat till flat. Take your heart shaped cookie cutter and cut out your biscuits and place on the parchment paper-covered cookie sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and bake for 17-22 minutes. Keep watch of the biscuits and when you see the edges turn a golden brown, that is when to pull them out! Let biscuits cook on cookie sheet.

Remove the whipped topping from the freezer. Fetch the strawberries from the fridge. And to make it super romantic drop the strawberries into a large wine glass, add the whipped topping and the heart-shaped biscuit to top it off.

With this dessert you are bound to impress your sweetie pie! Are you planning anything special for Valentin’s Day? Let us know on Twitter or on Facebook! We promise we will keep it a secret.

PS- Want a coupon for your 8th Continent Soymilk? Enter our Lookin’ Good Feelin’ Good Sweepstakes and you automatically get a $1.00 coupon you can print right from home!

Our Lookin’ Good Feelin’ Good Sweepstakes is all about getting in shape- both mentally and physically. Each week we will ask you a question and provide challenges for you to take to help you along your Lookin’ Good Feelin’ Good journey! Make sure to submit photos to track your progress! Maybe you have stocked your fridge full of healthy foods, have a piece of fruit in your purse for an on-the-go snack, or maybe it’s a picture of you fitting in to those summer jeans even though it’s winter.

Until April 17, 2012, you can visit our Facebook Fan Page or our website and enter to win the grand prize of a five star luxury resort and spa getaway! You can also vote on responses in the forums, share feedback and tips and encourage one another. You also receive a $1.00 off 8th Continent Soymilk coupon just for entering!

In addition to the Grand Prize of an all-expenses paid trip, 10 first prize winners will receive a $2,500 physical education program donation to a school of their choice. Twenty second prize winners will receive a $1,000 physical education program donation and 50 third prize winners will receive a $500 physical education program donation to the school of their choice. Nearly 100 schools will benefit from the participation of Lookin’ Good Feelin’ Good entrants.

As the only soymilk approved by the American Heart Association, we are dedicated to providing benefits and nutrients for those who can’t drink milk or prefer soymilk. So what are you waiting for? Start your Lookin’ Good Feelin’ Good challenges today!

Make sure to follow us on Twitter and like our Facebook Page to keep up-to-date with all things 8^th Continent and good luck in the sweepstakes!

I buy fake trees.

There, I admitted it.

There are several reasons: there is no pine needle cleanup party after disposing of the tree, I’m pretty sure my dog may attack the tree, etc. etc. But the main reason is because my older brother is allergic to real pine trees and if I had one in my front room, not only would he not be able to come over for Christmas, but neither would my adorable 2 year old niece and my sister-in-law. And that just won’t do!

I bought a little white, pre-lit, 5 ft. tall Christmas tree. Now I knew exactly how it was going to look out of the box… not that impressive. But I also knew I could work with it and transform it into something beautiful and stunning! So here are my tips on how to transform your small little Charlie Brown Christmas Tree into a fabulous and luscious tree that won’t cause allergic reactions!

Poor Thing…

First thing is first, get that tree out of the box and start fluffing those branches! Run your hands against the grain of the tree limbs and let the pines come back to life. Try to keep the limbs evenly spaced out.

Once you have fluffed enough, take some artificial flowers and arrangements and start sliding those into places that seem to need more girth.

Already looking a little better

I used all silver flower arrangements to contrast and compliment the white of the tree. After you have poked your flower arrangements into the middle pole of the tree, you can then string your garland.My garland is made of some adorable little silver and blue bells. After I strung my garland, I started to get out the ornaments!

My mother taught me a tip growing up that you hang the smaller ornaments at the top area and your larger ornaments at the bottom to create an effect of the tree looking much larger at the base.

Once you have hung your larger ornaments, you can now hang the smaller ornaments throughout or wherever you see needs a little extra something something.This is also the time when if you have long dangly ornaments you can place those. I typically also keep snowflakes or something else lightweight for a final decoration touch to add to any gaps that may not have yet been filled.

Now plug it in and enjoy!

Next we will make a topper for the tree! Keep an eye out for that upcoming craft!

Do you have any Holiday traditions you do every year? Let us know about it on Twitter and on Facebook!

Also check out our other Holiday Inspired Crafts:

• How to Make your own Stocking
• DIY Bath Salt Ornaments
• Recycled Greeting Card Ornament
• Snowman Sock Hanger
• DIY Heart Warming Hand Warmers

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Sure, you can always buy a stocking from the store, but I couldn’t find one with the colors I wanted and I always love crafting around the holidays! Follow these simple steps to make your very own holiday stocking!

Supplies

• material for the boot of your stocking
• material for the top cuff of your stocking
• sewing supplies
• scissors

Directions

Fold your material in half so there are two layers.

Take a stocking you have lying around and place it over the material.

Cut around the edges of the stocking, leaving about an inch to sew the seam.

As you can see, I placed one side of my stocking along the folded part and the top of it at an opened part as to not have to sew along that edge.

Sew along all the edges, making sure to leave the top open.

Don’t worry if your sewing is a little crooked, we will be turning the stocking inside out to create a neat seam.

For the cuff of the boot, take two strips of a different colored material and sew them at one side, letting the other side have extra material larger than the top opening of the boot. Do not sew the cuff onto the boot yet.

Now, turn your boot inside out revealing the clean seam you first had sewn.

Tuck the cuff material into the top of the boot material.

make sure the rough seem for the cuff is towards the toe side and the open end is by the heel.

Sew around the top part of the boot and the bottom part of the cuff so that they are connected.

Make sure not to sew the open end of the cuff yet.

Cut a strip of material from the same color you made the boot out of, fold it in half, and sew along one side.

Once you have sewn the strip of material that will be used to hang your stocking, fold it in half and tuck the open ends of the strip of the material into the open-ended cuff.

Sew the cuff closed, going over the folded material you tucked inside.

Now you are ready to fold your cuff down and hang! That is… if you can get your dog to stop trying to help out with the craft…

You can add some more fun with glitter, puff paints, buttons, however you want to decorate your stocking! This is a great way to get the kids involved with crafting as well.

The Giveaway!

So now that you are in the holiday spirit, we want to hook you up with a stocking from us here at 8th Continent Soymilk!

I have three stockings stuffed FULL of 8th Continent Soymilk goodies including coupons for a month’s free of soymilk. Here is how you enter:

Comment on this post and tell us your favorite moment from the holiday season.

You can also like us on Facebook and post:

“I want some 8th Continent in my stocking!”

You can also follow us on Twitter and tweet:

“RT and Follow @8thcontinentsoy to win a free month’s of Soymilk for your stocking!”

Each one counts as an additional entry. If you do all three, you have even more of a chance at winning!

Good luck everyone and Happy Holidays from everyone here at the 8th Continent Soymilk Family.

(Even though we love all of you, only US residents can win.)

We have partnered with TV Guide Network’s “Hollywood Moms Night” show to launch a new microsite – www.ultimatemomssweeps.com – dedicated to connecting moms to share their resources and knowledge, along with a sweepstakes that will send one winner and her guest to Hollywood to meet “Hollywood Moms Night” stars Alison Sweeney (“The Biggest Loser”) and Ali Landry (Miss USA). “Hollywood Moms Night” is a one-hour television special premiering on TV Guide Network on Sunday, November 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

All of you can participate in the online conversation and enter for a chance to win the Ultimate Moms’ Club Sweepstakes from November 10 until December 18 by submitting topics you’d like to discuss at a moms’ club. The winner will also have the opportunity to select a school to receive a $5,000 donation from us here at 8^th Continent Soymilk. All entrants will receive a $1 off coupon for 8^th Continent Soymilk as well.

So what are you waiting for moms? Ring a babysitter, gather some of your favorite mamas, and start discussing!

Want to know how to create your very own Ultimate Moms’ Club? Make sure to read over our Ultimate Moms’ Club checklist to make sure you didn’t miss a thing!

Also make sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to get great recipes, craft ideas, coupons, and to keep up to date with the contest!

We will be picking 5 winners to receive a month’s free of 8th Continent Soymilk.

All you have to do is follow us on Twitter and tweet:

“Follow @8thContinentSoy and RT And you could be one of the 5 winners of a month’s free soymilk! Winners announced day before Thanksgiving!”

Good luck everyone!

Spooky Halloween Wreath

This is a great craft you can do with the kids! Buy a wreath from your local craft store and use some Halloween decorations to sookify it!Take the fake spider web and stretch it across the wreath, making sure it has enough pressure and is tangled enough to stay attached. The spiders are the little spider rings that you can buy in a big bag! If you look at the ring behind the spider, you can snap it open and attach it to anything like the spider web you just decorated your wreath with. Pick up a creepy little skeleton and hot glue it on the side of your wreath for the finishing touches!

Get creative with it! You can always add more sparkle, googly eyes, or even attach some candy!

Like the Bat Garland above the wreath? Click here for those simple instructions on how to make it!

Scented Jack-O-Lantern

So we all know it is tradition to carve a jack-o-lantern for Halloween, but how about making it double as a Fall-scented centerpiece? Cut your pumpkin like you would typically do, (remember to cut the top at an angle so when you put it back on the pumpkin it won’t fall through). Scrape your pumpkin out and make sure to save the seeds to make a delicious snack from them later! Carve your pumpkin and ensure the bottom is flat so that it will steadily hold a tea light. Once your pumpkin is scraped and carved, take a few full cloves and push them into the inside topper of your pumpkin. When the cloves heat up from the tea light, the entire room will fill with a wonderful scent!

Spooky Sparkly Flower Arrangement

The flower arrangement pictured above looks like something you would spend tons of money on at the store, but guess what? You can make it yourself for much cheaper! Purchase any faux flowers, or even pull twigs and branches from your backyard. Spray paint them black and allow them to dry. Once dried, spray them with Spray Adhesive and toss your glitter on them! To mix it up, I made some of my twigs and flowers have black glitter and some of them have purple glitter!

Want to know how to also make the sparkly black craft pumpkins pictured above? Go here for directions!

We hope you all have a fantastic Halloween! Have you made any crafts for this year’s Halloween? Share them with us and we will hook you up with some coupons! The first ten people who share a picture of their Halloween craft  on Twitter or post them on our Facebook Page will win 3 free coupons!

Article by: Megan Stremick

Midnight on August 23^rd my contractions really hit. It was about time, since I was five days past my due date and have been waddling around the neighborhood, doing jumping jacks and eating spicy food to get this little guy to start moving. It was finally “go time” so we called my mom to come over and stay home with our two year old and we headed to the hospital. By 1am my water broke and the contractions really got going. I was admitted and got settled into my room and wasted no time in telling the nurse the following:

“I know the drill, I tried to have an ‘all natural’ birth with my first son and at 8 centimeters finally asked for an epidural. So this time around why don’t we just skip the painful contractions and get straight to the drugs please”.

She laughed and said “we’re on it”. I could feel things were progressing much faster this time around. Unfortunately I was dehydrated and had to have an iv of fluids before they would give me an epidural, then by the time the anesthesiologist arrived I was already 8 centimeters.

I thought salvation had arrived but, 45 minutes later and the pain continuing to get worse by the moment, all hope was lost. He said it wasn’t taking and he could not give me anymore. After a few screams of “Are you kidding me??!! Are you kidding me right now”??!! I knew the time had come to push and I looked at my husband, who had been my saving grace as my coach, squeezed his hands and said, “ok, I’m done! I don’t want to do this anymore! Let’s go home now! I can’t do this anymore!” His response was a firm but encouraging “You’re not going anywhere. You’re amazing and you’re going to bring this baby into the world. You’re doing great. You’re amazing”. Then he looked at the nurse and said, I think she’s going to break my hands.

The next hour was a total whirlwind of pain and excitement and pain and then at 3:50am there he was, Crew David, lying on my chest with a newborn cry that brought tears to our eyes. At 9 lbs 13 oz and 21 inches long I thought, “now isn’t this ironic, I wanted an all natural birth with my first son and ended up getting an epidural and he was 7lbs 13oz and this time I ask for the drugs and end up having the all natural birth and he is almost 10 lbs. Go figure!

I laid there holding this little miracle of life while my husband kept telling me how proud he was of me and I said  “oh, thank God that’s all over… and now the real journey begins”.

We have been celebrating you Rock Star Parents for quite a while now! Here is your chance to share your awesome tips on how you do it, and get tips from other members of the 8th Continent Soymilk Community.

Did we mention you also get a $1.00 off coupon that you can print right from your computer by just adding and sharing your tip?

So head on over to our Facebook now and Share a Tip on how you continue to be a complete Rockstar!

We here at 8th Continent Soymilk are definitely getting in the Halloween spirit by doing fun spooky crafts to decorate our spaces!

Supplies:

• Glue
• Black ribbon
• Black Card Stock Paper
• a couple pieces of White Card Stock Paper
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Small Hole Punch

Directions:

Print the outline of a bat on the White Card Stock to use as your stencil. Print the stencil out in a few different sizes so you can have different sized bats for your garland.

Cut out the outline and use these bats on white card stock to trace bats on the black card stock with your pencil.

Trace your bats on the black card stock paper and carefully cut out each bat.

Use the hole punch and place a hole near the tip of each bat’s wings. You can also punch two holes for eyes if you’d like!

Using the black ribbon, go in one hole in the front of your black bat, string it through, and out the other hole.

Continue to string bats on until your garland is as long as you like.

To make sure your bats stay in place, once you have strung all of the bats on, lay your garland on the floor and place a dot of glue behind each bat near the ribbon and let dry.

Once the glue is dry you have to decide where to hang your spooky and super cute bat garland!

Want to know how to make those adorable sparkly black pumpkins on the mantle? Make sure to check out our other crafts as well! Have you decorated for Halloween yet? We would love to see your home! Send us a picture on Twitter or hit us up on Facebook of your decorations and the first 10 people will receive a free coupon!