Life is sooo good...

Coupon Offer

2012-02-10T14:47:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of Betty Crocker via My Blog Spark I have two coupons to share with you.

Save .85 cents when you buy one box of Fun-da middles Cupcake Mix. Just click on the link here.

Save .75 cents when you buy one pouch Betty Crocker Molasses Cookie Mix. Just click on the link here.

These would be great to use if for your upcoming Valentines Day treats!

Wednesday Giveaways!!!

2012-02-08T09:06:00.001-08:00

Meet the Little Angels!

2012-02-07T21:20:00.000-08:00

From Twentieth Century Fox and Executive Producer Roma Downey (Touched by an Angel) comes Little Angels a new animated educational series targeted at pre-school aged children. This new series with it's adorable characters not only teaches children things like numbers and ABC's, but also introduces them to spiritual, moral and ethical principles. This new DVD series will be released February 14 but in the meantime here are a couple of activity sheets sure to get your little ones excited.

Stay tuned for the upcoming release and also for your chance to win a 3 disc set of Little Angels.

Purex UltraPacks Giveaway

2012-02-06T22:17:00.000-08:00

CONGRATULATIONS! WINNERS # 25 & 22

If you recall a few days ago I posted a review for the new Purex UltraPacks laundry detergent. Well your in luck because I have been given 2 FREE product coupons for two of my readers to try these new liquid detergent packs. Two of you will each win one coupon to try this new product by Purex that is just being released this month in stores.

To Enter: Just leave me a comment telling me you would like to win. You can get extra entries for following me via GFC and liking me on Facebook.

This is a short 48 hour giveaway and will end on Wednesday February 8. I will choose the winner using Random.org. US entries only.

Cheese Bread

2012-02-04T21:49:00.000-08:00

This is a really simple recipe (3 ingredients!) for a really tasty cheese bread that my husband taught me. It is absolutely yummy and comforting and so not diet food!

In a bowl mix some shredded cheddar cheese with some mayonnaise, just enough till it because a chunky spread. Spread onto some french bread and bake in the oven at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes until the cheese spread becomes bubbly gooey delicious and the bread gets crusty and oh so good.

That's what I'm talking about!

Wednesday Giveaways!!!

2012-02-01T09:55:00.001-08:00

Panko Crusted Chicken Strips

2012-01-28T21:14:00.000-08:00

Homemade chicken strips are so easy to make and so much tastier then frozen pressed chicken.

Panko Crusted Chicken Strips

Boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced into strips
Flour
Panko
Egg
Season Salt
Canola for frying

Coat the strips in flour then dip into your egg mixture. Get a large ziploc bag and fill with Panko bread crumbs that has been seasoned with season salt to your liking. Place the coated chicken strips in the bag and shake them up until they are completely covered. Fry in oil until cooked through. For a healthier version you could bake them instead of frying. I had mine with Franks Red Hot Thick Sauce and blue cheese. Penelope dipped hers in ranch. Yum!

Glee Gum Make Your Own Candy Kit Review and Giveaway

2012-01-26T19:58:00.000-08:00

CONGRATULATIONS! WINNER #8 Hifam

If you have been following my blog for awhile you may remember when I posted a review for of Glee Gum's Make Your Own Chocolate Kit. Recently I was given the opportunity to review another one of their Make Your Own Candy Kits, the Make Your Own Gummies Kit.

This kit contains everything you need to make your own gummy fish, gummy bear, gummy worm or whatever other shape you can mold. I knew right away my little girl Penelope would have a blast making her own gummies. Penelope is only three years old so this ended up being a fun family project, we even got dad to join along! Honestly, I think he had the most fun of all with this kit.

The kit includes step by step instructions on how to create your edible treats and also has a fun story and information and history on the ingredients used. With this particular gummy kit you are actually making gummies out of seaweed. Really! Chris and I were a little skeptical about this but after reading about the process of turning seaweed into gelatin and of course tasting our creation that skepticism quickly vanished. This kit made delicious gummy candies and in just minutes! The most fun part about making our candy was selecting molds to shape our gummies. The kit includes a molding starch that you can use to create indentations of pretty much anything you have in your home. You fill these with your gummy solution where it will harden and then presto you have a gummy shaped like you want. In our case we made gummy bear faces, gummy stars, and gummy hearts. These did not last long!

Glee Gum Make Your Own Candy Kits are the perfect cold weather activity for you to do with you kiddos. They also make great gifts for older kids. You can purchase them online or check the store locator for a store near you that carries them.

Want to win a Make Your Own Candy Kit of your choice?

To Enter: Visit Glee Gum and tell me which kit you would choose. You can get extra entries for following me via GFC and liking me on Facebook.
This giveaway will end on February 9, 2011. I will choose the winner using Random.org. Please leave a valid email address if it is not visible in your profile. US entries only.

The featured product{s} in this post were provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or pr company representing them. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone.

Coupon Alert!!!

2012-01-25T21:54:00.000-08:00

Pillsbury via My Blog Spark is offering a coupon good for $1.10 off when you buy THREE of any size/variety Refrigerated Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits, Crescent Dinner Rolls, Ready
To Bake! Cookies, Sweet Rolls OR Grands! Sweet Rolls.

Just click on the link here for your coupon.

Be sure to check out Pillsbury online for some yummy recipe ideas!

Party Food!

2012-01-25T18:39:00.000-08:00

Are you planning a party or get together anytime soon? Having some friends over for the big game? Maybe a girls night in without the kids? Target and their Market Pantry and Archer Farms line of foods have some tasty snacks that you and your guests will gobble up.

These award winning, exclusive owned brands, offer a wide variety of foods with quality ingredients at a great value. Here are just a few to add to your party shopping list.

Archer Farms Corn. Bean, and Roasted Pepper Salsa $2.99
This yummy salsa can be paired with some crunchy tortilla chips like Archer Farms Blue Corn with Flax Seed Tortilla Chips $2.99

Archer Farms Buffalo-Style Blue Cheese Dip Mix $1.99
Make this easily prepared dip and cut up some crisp celery sticks for some addictive munching.

Archer Farms Bacon-Wrapped Scallops $6.99
How about something a little more on the fancier side. These bacon wrapped scallops are great for your next cocktail party.

These and more Market Pantry and Archer Farms foods can be purchased at your local SuperTarget.

Additionally, the Target Culinary team has created the following crowd-pleasing recipe for Game Day entertaining.

Party-Perfect Italian Sausage and Pasta Soup

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 pkg. Archer Farms Italian Chicken Sausage or Spinach Sausage ($3.89 each) and Garlic Chicken Sausage ($3.89), cut into ¼-inch slices
1 jar (23.5 oz) Archer Farms Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce ($3.29)
3 cups (8 oz.) Archer Farms Organic Campanelle Pasta ($2.49)
1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans, drained
4 cups water
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
Toppings:
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil leaves, slivered
Lemon wedges

Heat oil in 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper.
Sauté about 4 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Stir in sliced sausages, pasta sauce, pasta, beans and water. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, partially covered, about 12 minutes until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in spinach; let stand covered 1 minute to wilt.
Serve in bowls with Toppings.

Yield: About 12 cups

Bon Appetit!

Wednesday Giveaways!

2012-01-25T11:14:00.001-08:00

Purex UltraPacks Review

2012-01-24T22:36:00.000-08:00

I have another great Purex product to share with you all. As a Purex Insider I was given the opportunity to review the New Purex UltraPacks. This new laundry detergent is actually not available in stores yet but will be launching next month so be on the look out for these.

What Are Purex Ultrapacks?

are convenient pre-dosed liquid detergent packs.
contain the new Triple Action liquid formula
double the cleaning power in every drop.
dissolve quickly even in cold water.
are safe for all machines, including High Efficiency (HE) washers.
have 2x concentrated liquid detergent.

These concentrated liquid laundry detergent packs are convenient and so easy to use. You just pop one into your wash and start your machine. No worrying about how much detergent to put in or spilling it all over the floor. Yes, I admit I do this a lot. These come in both Mountain Breeze and Free & Clear formulas. I chose to review the Free & Clear that is 100% free of perfumes and dyes. I love these and just like other Purex products they get the job done. Look for them in a store near you soon.

It's Called a Club

2012-01-20T14:48:00.000-08:00

Penelope had her very first club sandwich today, she was very impressed.

Pineapple, pistachio-almond-cashew mix, sour cream & cheddar chips, pickle, baby carrots, club sandwich topped with a green olive.

For the club sandwich crisp up some bacon. I like to make my bacon in the oven in a foil lined baking pan at 400 to desired crispness. I love how the bacon comes out this way, it's mess free and you don't have to worry about grease splatter. Also while the bacon is cooking you can prepare the rest of the meal. Toast 3 slices of buttermilk bread. Spread mayo on once slice and then top with turkey and provolone cheese. Spread mayo on both sides of the second slice of bread and place on top of cheese. Top bread with lettuce, tomato and bacon and then spread mayo on one side of last slice of bread and top sandwich. Slice into four squares and skewer with a toothpick to keep sandwich together. You can put an olive or pickle through the toothpick for a finishing touch. Yum!

Purex Triple Action Laundry Detergent Review

2012-01-19T18:44:00.000-08:00

I am a Purex Insider which means I get to the find out about the latest and greatest the brand has to offer. Recently I was given the opportunity to try Purex Triple Action Laundry Detergent. I chose to review the Free & Clear sans-fragrance variety because my husband and daughter have sensitive skin and I try to use products that have fewer chemicals.

Ultra Purex Free & Clear detergent delivers the same great clean as regular Ultra Purex detergent, but contains no perfumes or dyes. Our special formula is hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested, and ideal for sensitive skin.

I am very familiar with Purex laundry detergent it is a detergent I use regularly in my home. The new Triple Action formula is another detergent that does what it says. It keeps our clothes clean and even though I used the fragrance free variety it still got any smells out of our clothes. It left them smelling fresh without me having to worry about it irritating my family's skin. This stuff works perfectly in any machine and it is definitely a product I will continue to use.

The featured product{s} in this post were provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or pr company representing the company. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone.

It's Cold Out There!

2012-01-18T22:26:00.000-08:00

Brrr, it's been cold the last few days. I am talking in the negatives and single digits cold. Last year we had such a mild winter and this year we are freezing.

I made Penelope in Easy Lunchbox today. She is not very keen on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I know right? What kind of kid doesn't like peanut butter and jelly?! So I decided to fancy it up and make her a pecan butter and strawberry rhubarb jam sandwich. Alas, she was not impressed. She did however eat everything else in her box.

Pecan butter and strawberry rhubarb jam sandwich, mixed root chips, dried mango, baby carrots, grapes, and chocolate covered banana.

Wednesday Giveaways!!!

2012-01-18T09:11:00.001-08:00

FREE COUPONS!!!

2012-01-14T21:59:00.000-08:00

I have a few coupons for the first person to leave a comment on this post saying they want them. Three of them are for free products including:

1 FREE can of Purina Pro Plan cat food expires 1/31
1 FREE package of Idahoan Farmhouse Fix'ns Cheesy Hash Brown or O'Brien Hash Brown expires 1/31
1 FREE package of Totino's Pizza Stuffers expires 5/21/13

Ready, Set, GO!

P Is For...

2012-01-11T12:16:00.000-08:00

The letter this week at (P)enelope's school is P. They had to wear (P)ajamas today and they made (P)ancakes. I also made her a P bento.

P is also for (P)ink (P)olkadots, cheese letters that spell out (P)en (one of my nicknames for), (P)otato chips, (P)ineapple, (P)istachios and (P)ickles. She also had a turkey sandwich on a roll with tomatoes.

P is also for...

(P)regnant :)

Wednesday Giveaways!!!

2012-01-11T11:19:00.001-08:00

Snow Day!

2012-01-10T22:29:00.000-08:00

We had a snow day today, sNOw school, sNOw work, sNOw fun!

Things should be back to normal tomorrow and thanks to our plow guy I will be able to leave my driveway.

YAY For Me!

2012-01-09T13:54:00.000-08:00

Well it's been awhile but I won something! I won a really cute apron, matching oven mitt & tote bag courtesy of Sugar Baby Aprons via Dollhouse Bake Shoppe. How cute are these aprons?! I chose the Vintage Party Girl Cupcake Apron.

Adorable!

Honeydrop Beverages

2012-01-04T21:46:00.000-08:00

Honeydrop Beverages is a healthy line of teas and juices powered by honey. Each bottle of Honeydrop is made with a spoonful of pure honey, is void of all refined or artificial sweeteners and contains only 70 to 90 calories. In 2011, Honeydrop announced its “Buy a Bottle – Save a Bee” initiative where a percentage of the profits from each bottle sold are donated to local beekeepers throughout the country to help battle Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), an epidemic threatening the global bee population.

Honeydrop comes in 6 different flavor varieties including

Juice- Blood Orange and Blueberry

Fresh-Brewed Teas- Lemon and Green Tea

Herbal Teas- Chamomile and Lemon & Ginger

I was sent a bottle of Honeydrop's Blood Orange juice for review and really enjoyed it. Containing blood orange juice, wildflower honey and 100% Vitamin C this was a nice beverage with a sweet citrus flavor. I was a little bummed I wasn't sent a few more flavors to sample and compare but after trying this one I have high hopes for the rest of the Honeydrop line. Check out Honeydrops product locator to find a Honeydrop retailer near you.

Honey is not only a delicious way to sweeten beverages and dishes while avoiding refined sugars, it contains natural antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that are proven to sooth sore throats and coughs, boost energy and relieve tired muscles.

Here is a recipe for a delicious butternut squash soup courtesy of Honeydrop. Enjoy!

Honey Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

12 Fl. Oz. White Wine
1 fl. Oz Vegetable Oil, as needed
2 Oz Shallot, Chopped
6 Oz Celery, Medium Dice
3 Oz Carrot, Medium Dice
1 Tbsp Garlic Clove, Chopped
2 Lbs Butternut Squash, Cooked
2 Fl Oz Olive Oil, as needed
4 Fl Oz Honey
3 Qt Vegetable Stock
8 Fl Oz Heavy Cream
Salt, to taste
White Pepper, Ground, to taste

Method

Squash
1.     Peel and seed Squash
2.     Cut Squash into 1”-2” cubes
3.     Place Squash in a medium bowl, mix with olive oil and honey to lightly coat
4.     Spread Squash over a sheet tray and lightly season with salt and white pepper
5.     Roast at 300 F for approximately 1 hr or until fork tender

Soup
1.     Heat oil in a medium saucepot to low heat. Add the shallots, garlic, celery, onion and carrot. Cook slowly until soft/translucent.
2.     Add White Wine and simmer 2 minutes
3.     Add cooked squash and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour
4.     Puree in a blender or food processor until very smooth then strain. Repeat if necessary to achieve desired consistency
5.     Add Heavy Cream and return to heat; simmer 20 minutes
6.     Adjust seasoning with Honey, salt and white pepper to taste
7.     Serve immediately

Wednesday Giveaways!!!

2012-01-04T09:17:00.001-08:00

Empanadas

2012-01-02T21:18:00.000-08:00

My first post in 2012! Can you believe it, already?! Did everyone have a fabulous New Years Eve? The three of us stayed home and kept warm, I am still trying to recover from the nasty cold that has been going around. Ugh. Did you have a delicious New Years Eve meal? We had some tasty appetizers and Penelope and dad made cupcakes for dessert.

Spanakopita, Arancini,and Empanadas. The Spanakopita and Arancini were from frozen, boo for me, but the Empanadas are semi homemade. They were yummy!

Empanadas

Filling-
1lb Ground Beef
1 Large potato chopped into small cubes (about half the size of a die)
1/2 can of Rotel (you can chop up some tomatoes, green chili's, and onion instead)
Sliced black olives
Salt & Pepper
Cumin
Garlic salt
Onion powder
Shredded Colby jack cheese
Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust

Cook the ground beef and potatoes with the seasonings. Once the beef is cooked through and the potatoes are soft to the touch add the Rotel and black olives. Set filling aside. Roll out the pie crust with a rolling pin and then using a circle cookie cutter cut out rounds. I used a small round cookie cutter about the size of an English muffin so they didn't hold much filling. You can make them bigger if you like. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven at 400 degrees. Fill the center of each dough round and then fold over to seal. It helps to use a little water to get the dough to stick together and then use a fork to crimp the edges of the dough that you brought together. Before you pop these in the oven brush the top side with a light egg wash for a nice golden crust. Bake for about 15 minutes. These are good served with guacamole and sour cream for dipping.

2011-12-30T20:28:00.000-08:00

Image from The Stock Solution