Sweet Life in The Valley blog Utah Valley

Station 22 Cafe in Provo * Good Eats

2012-01-28T03:57:00.001-05:00

{all photography by Season Atwater}

Utah Valley has a pretty great food scene happening. One that I hope can be supported so it can thrive and grow. One of my favorite restaurants in addition to Pizzeria 712 and Communal is Station 22 Cafe in downtown Provo. The food is fresh, delicious, seasonal and a really great price.

{a few of our blogging friends left to right top to bottom me- Frieda Loves Bread- ISLY- Keeping Up with MOM- Busy Mommy Media- Cute Culture Chick}

A group of our Utah Bloggers met up for a holiday dinner at Station 22 Cafe and had the chance to sample the menu. As you can see their menu is amazingly delicious!

This is some seriously amazing food!
1. Winter Squash with Brown Sugar and Pecans
2. Smashed Potatoes with Station 22 signature gravy even non-gravy lovers will love
3. Sweet Potato Fries
4. I can not remember the name of this one but it was delicious
5. Memphis Fried Chicken best of the sandwiches!
6. Chicken Salad yum!

Now for the turkey legs. Have you tried the turkey legs at Disneyland or Disney World? You know the ones you have to wait in a long line to get. Stations 22's turkey legs blow the Disney turkey legs out of the water. They are so tender and fall off the bone goodness. I crave them all time and I am not much of a meat eater.

Another star of the Station 22 Cafe menu is The Adventist, a very flavorful veggie burger. I know you are thinking there is no way a veggie burger can be describe as good or flavorful. It is! You must try it to believe how good it really tastes.

Station 22 Cafe is social. Check them out here:
Website- Station 22 Cafe
Facebook- Station 22 Cafe
Twitter- @station22cafe
Blog- Station 22 Cafe

Stop by for some Good Eats
Station 22 Cafe
22 West Center St
Provo, Utah
801.607.1803

{food provided by Station 22 Cafe for review}

CENSORED

2012-01-18T21:00:00.001-05:00

WHY?

Click Here

Oh Christmas Tree * Happenin in The Valley

2011-12-13T17:27:00.001-05:00

Every year we choose a fresh Christmas tree from a local Christmas tree stand. This year we noticed a new Christmas tree stand that we learned is not so new. This past year Mr. Fred Parker of well known and loved Fred Parker Christmas Trees passed away. After working with Fred and learning the business cousins Mr.McCullan and Mr.Greenland took over the Christmas tree business and added the name McGreen's Trees which is a combination of their tow names. They are continuing the tradition of the freshest trees from Oregon. Yesterday when we visited the Mc Green's Christmas tree lot new trees had arrived. No sitting in a warehouse or sitting on the lot for a month already these were freshly cut 3 days before.

Our tree is so fresh! I think it maybe one of the freshest trees we have ever bought. The only fresher trees we've had are the ones we went and cut down ourselves on our family property. Be sure to have them cut the bottom off your tree so the cut is super fresh and ready for the Christmas tree stand full of water. The quicker you get your tree in water the better. We had ours in water within 15 minutes after it was cut.

TIP: Be sure to use warm water not cold or cool when watering your fresh real Christmas tree. The cold water will make the sap seal the bottom of the tree trunk.

After placing the tree in the tree stand check the water level about an hour later. Our tree had a good drink and the water level was low and needed to be refilled.

You may have noticed McGreen's with the Santa Mator truck out front. There is a story behind Mator as well. He is there for the kids and photos but he also is there to help collect money for hospital bills for Cole who is in the hospital. The family is without insurance. You can read the story on Mators hood which is propped up next to Mator.

If you are looking for a lovely gift for friends and neighbors McGreens sells bunches of branches priced to sell that you can use to make fresh garland. Add a little wild sage and juniper berries for a sweet Holiday gift.

You will find McGreen's Christmas Trees on the corner of Center Street and 220 West right across from Wendy's in Orem.

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree, how lovely are they branches.
Our Christmas tree is near perfect. We are so happy we visited McGreen's Christmas trees this year. {The photo doesn't even come close to showing how beautiful it is!}

Christmas tree for story provided by McGreen's Christmas Tree

It's Here!

2011-12-02T20:20:00.001-05:00

Simply the Sweet Life Magazine Holiday issue is here! It is full of Christmas goodness. Enjoy!
Merry Christmas!
xo
April-Living the Sweet Life

Happenin in The Valley * Markets and Christmas Lights

2011-11-16T20:42:00.001-05:00

Bijou Market is this weekend. Stop in to buy some lovely handmade gifts for Christmas from these talented handmade artists.

In The Valley...

Historic Southworth Hall

116 West Center Street

Provo, Utah

This Friday night November18th The Shops at the Riverwoods will be turning on their Christmas lights with fun and activities including free carriage rides.

The Shops at the Riverwoods

4801 N. University Ave.

Provo, Utah

Happenin in The Valley * Zoobie Pets for those in Need

2011-11-14T16:36:00.001-05:00

All this week and next week Zoobies is giving away Zoobies Blanket Pets to families in need for the Holidays. All you have to do is stop by the Zoobies offices in Provo, Utah and tell them the story of those they are wanting to help, and they will send you away with free product to give! I love that the kids who might not have a Christmas present this year will have one thanks to the generousness of Zoobies. Thanks for making life Sweet!

p.s. Zoobies Blanket Pets are a sweet stuffed animal that is first a toy then a pillow then a blanket. Love them! They are great for traveling too.

Zoobies Blanket Pets
Hours: 9am-5pm Mom-Fri
Address: 1111 W. 100 S. #2 Provo, Utah

Happenin' in The Valley * Coneys Frozen Custard Orem

2011-10-23T18:12:00.000-04:00

This week we visited Coneys Custard in Orem. Somehow this great eatery has been on our list to visit but we just hadn't made it in until this week. Wow, it was sure worth the visit. Coneys is more than just Frozen custard.

Their hot dogs are amazing. They are some of the best I have even eaten and friends I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. {Chicago is known for it's hot dogs}These dogs are good. They are Nathan’s100% beef hot dogs. We tried the Sonoran Dog {left} Chicago Dog {right.}The Sonoran hot dog is topped with with caramelized onions, bacon, pinto beans, melted cheese, fresh hand-cut salsa, guacamole, cilantro cream sauce and cilantro Yum! Loved it!! The Chicago dog is topped with sweet green relish, pickle slices, onions, tomatoes, sport peppers, yellow mustard and celery salt.

My daughter had this to say, " Mom I don't like hot dogs but I LOVE this hot dog!" She had one of the Sonoran hot dog.

My son had the double cheese burger. He told me, " Mom I am so full but this cheeseburger is so good I can't stop eating it." I love the artisan buns. They make a huge difference.

The Frozen Custard

this.stuff.is.so.creamy!

Why.. I asked them. It's because they slow freeze the custard which makes the little frozen crystals teeny tiny and thus a smooth frozen custard. They have cones, sundaes, shakes, malts and their cyclones. We had cycles. You choose a flavor or frozen custard and mix in toppings. I had a peanut butter with marshmallow cream. It tastes like peanut butter fudge. My kids had a red raspberry and peanut butter with chocolate fudge. They have a great selection of toppings.

We loved everything we had. The whole family recommends checking it out and trying some good food.

Coneys Frozen Custard

Coneys – Orem
242 East University Pkwy
Orem, UT 84058 Map
801.371.0500

Coneys – American Fork
598 West Main St. Suite A
American Fork, UT 84003 Map

facebook.com/coneyscustard

twitter.com/#!/coneyscustard

thanks so much to Coneys Frozen Custard for hosting us for this review and providing a great meal.

Sweet Crafty Creations * M&M's Get Corny

2011-10-06T05:22:00.000-04:00

We are getting Corny with M&M’s Candy Corn White Chocolate candies. Our cute simple craft is easy for kids of all ages. It will add fun and the perfect touch to your Halloween decorations this year.

Supplies.
-1 bag of M&M’s Candy Corn White Chocolate for craft AND 1 bag of M&M’s Candy Corn White Chocolate to eat
- yellow colored sugar
- B.O.O. styrofoam letters
- craft glue
- 1/8 yard of burlap

Note: M&M’s Candy Corn White Chocolate Candies are available now in Walmart. And they taste really good!

Cover the letter with glue and sprinkle with yellow sugar. Glue M&M's to the letters starting with the top and then cover the sides as well. Be sure to use extra tacky glue. While glue is drying cut the burlap to size and snip the end to add tails. Glue letters to burlap banner. Allow to dry fully overnight. Hag on door.
Tip: If hanging outdoors spray with a clear coat to prevent the candy from melting. Be sure to tell the kids it is not safe to eat.

Go vote for our Sweet M&M's Boo Banner here...www.mmsgetcorny.com

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #cBias

Sweet Holidays * Halloween * 50 ft Party Kmart Halloween

2011-10-05T02:23:00.000-04:00

{We are participating in the Kmart Attack of the 50 ft Party}

Every Holiday is a great time to celebrate with the family. With our family it is tradition and we can not go a holiday without celebrating. We decorate, make crafts, cook special treats and have a fun time. For Halloween a blow up decoration and ghosts are a must. Since my teen son was very little he insisted on having a blow up decoration for Halloween. He talked his grandma into buying his first one. We always make a craft. This year we made cute accordion folded paper jack-o-lanterns. This year was our first year to decorate with the faux cobwebs and we love them. They were so much fun to put up. Another tradition is Ghosts.We always have ghosts. This year we found a great set of mini ghosts from Kmart. The kit included white plastic squares with faces on them and twist ties. It was fun to stuff the heads with kleenex, twist tie the head and hand from fishing line in the bushes and around the front porch.
How do you celebrate Halloween at your house?

Kmart has some fun things happening right now for Halloween. Head over to their Monster Bash contest on Kmart’s Facebook page. Win a Halloween Party! This week they are giving away a $900 Kmart gift card!!!
Right now get up to 30% off all Halloween costumes and free shipping too.

Join Kmart online and check out their Attack of the 50ft Party page with all kinds of fun ideas for Halloween costumes, decorations and party decor. You can even share how you decorate your house.

The 50 ft Party also has a Pinterest page. Check it out for even more Halloween ideas. They have pinned a ton of super cute Halloween treats, crafts and more!

Happy Halloween!

Thanks so much to Kmart and Collective Bias for sponsoring this post. I was invited and compensated to participate in a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. Kmart has a super great selection of Halloween decorations, customes and candy at great prices. It was fun to shop for our Halloween items. It is our go to place for Halloween.

Sweet Home Spa * Probiotics

2011-10-02T03:55:00.000-04:00

Ok, maybe not what you would normally think of as a Sweet Home Spa post but it is defiantly something we need to think about when we take care of ourselves and our personal health. We have heard about probiotics in yogurt but have you thought about taking probiotics as a supplement? Sam's Club has the great Members Mark which is the Sam's Club brand. Looking into the Sam's Club brand I like that is has a time release so it is gentle on stomachs. Everyone wants to have a healthy digestive system so I am giving the Member's Mark Probiotics a try and will be reporting back with what I think about them. I have had a grumbly tummy for a little while. I am hoping it will help.
Check out more on the benefits of using probiotics here: Digestive Health

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.

Happen in The Valley * Jacob's Cove Barn Raising

2011-09-29T04:58:00.001-04:00

Happenin' in The Valley * Homestead Resort's 125th

2011-09-20T01:05:00.000-04:00

The Homestead Resort is having an amazing celebration for their 125h anniversary. Hot air balloon rides, bounce houses, live entertainment, an ice cream social and more. Ever wanted to attend a Murder Mystery Dinner? They will be having that too! Friday September 24th.

www.homesteadresort.com
Midway, Utah
800-327-7220

Utah Sweet Savings * New Blog on the Block

2011-08-31T00:02:00.000-04:00

There is a new blog on the block run by one of my blogging friends Mindi- Utah Sweet Savings. Have you been watching the extreme couponing show? {I have} Do you look for a good deal? {I do}Do you like a giveaway? {me}Utah Sweet Savings is the site for you. They collect all the best deals available from the sites such as Groupon but also for brand sites and more so you can go to one place to find it all. Ever wonder how those extreme couponers get everything for free or pretty close to it? Utah Sweet Savings has a series of how to videos for you. They also have a weekly giveaway. This week they have two giveaways. One is a $50 Walmart gift card. The other is two tickets to the Mary Poppins Broadway play! Go check them out. Seriously it's pretty awesome!

They're Social too:
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/UtahSweetSavings
Twitter Page: www.twitter.com/#!/UtahSweetSaving
Email Newsletter Sign Up: www.feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=UtahSweetSavings
RSS Feed: www.feeds.feedburner.com/UtahSweetSavings

Note: Utah Sweet Savings is in no way affiliated with Sweet Life in The Valley or Sweet Living Media

Pure Essential Oils for your Headache * PastTense

2011-08-29T02:48:00.002-04:00

Let me introduce you to my life saver. It's the doTerra PastTense- a blend of pure essential oils I use for my headaches. For me it works fast and better than pain killers. I carry it in my purse AT. ALL. TIMES. I am writing this post because I just used it on my head and the back of my neck because I had a headache coming on and wanted to stop is right way! If you get headaches give it a try.

Is there something you like to use for your headaches?

This is what doTerra has to say about it.

"PastTense dōTERRA's proprietary blend for tension and the discomforts associated with headaches, provides calming comfort with the strength of CPTG essential oils of wintergreen, lavender, peppermint, frankincense, cilantro, marjoram, roman chamomile, basil, and rosemary. Packaged for convenient application in a roll-on bottle. For aromatic and topical use."

p.s. I am an independent doTerra distributor but as always unless I believe in something and really love it I write about it other wise it wouldn't be on my blog. All opinions are my own :)
I decided to sell doTerra pure essential oils because first, I tried them and love them and got hooked on using them for everything from making my own cleaners to adding them to my recipes to helping my headaches. I needed to support my addiction. Second, I needed something to keep Sweet Life in The Valley thriving as in an income since I am a single mom doing it all on my own.

Last Days of Summer & Labor Day Weekend * Sweet Family Life

2011-08-28T21:22:00.001-04:00

The last days of Summer are here. Most pools close after Labor Day weekend so we are getting in as much swimming as we can. We have a family pass to a local water park and my brother has a pool so we are going to spend every day this week swimming. Labor day weekend is my 40th birthday on the 4th! {More on that to come soon} I'm not sure what we are doing for my birthday yet but I'm sure I will want to go swimming one last time before all the pools close for the season.

Saturday we are planning to make some of these delicious guacamole burgers, cucumber salad, baked potato salad and some fresh salsa from our garden veggies.

What do you plan to do Labor Day weekend?

*Thanks to Neutrogena from sponsoring this post. Neutrogena is currently offering $2 off Wet Skin Sunblock Be sure to sign up to get your coupon.

We will be using their water proof Wet Skin sunblock spray so we can spend as much time at the pool as possible. They have a great Helioplex® formula that allows you to apply the sunblock on both dry & wet skin. It's also a broad spectrum sunblock. A few cool things about it. Neutrogena Wet Skin sunblock Applies to wet or dry skin, Sweatproof, Waterproof, Oil-free, PABA-free, has Continuous spray and is Hypoallergenic.

I compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are my own.

Idea Challenge with Better Homes and Garden Magazine

2011-08-21T00:14:00.003-04:00

I was asked to participate in a Better Homes and Garden inspiration challenge. I always look at magazines for inspiration for new projects, ideas, and recipes. I've been going this for over 20 years now. I love what the new editor-in chief of Better Homes & Gardens has been doing with the magazine. The quality of the content of the magazine has become better. The contributing editors are better. Which in turn makes the inspiration better.

As I was looking through the September issue I found this candle holder with corks. I liked the idea of the glass holder, the natural on hand elements and the votive candle in the center.

I wanted to create a center piece for my dining table with these elements in mind. I took three glass pieces, 2 vases and a candle holder along with fresh sunflowers and my mint that is in bloom from the garden. I added some sand from our trip to the beach and placed the votive into it. The yellow and purple from the flowers are nice complementary colors. I set the three pieces on top of a pretty off white cake stand to elevate them a bit. It was simple with natural elements on hand yet a perfect center piece on the table.

Do you look in magazine for inspiration for your home? What is your favorite magazine to look in?

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are my own as is this lovely center piece idea ;) #CBias

Simply the Sweet Life Magazine No.3 mid-Summer issue

2011-08-17T20:55:00.000-04:00

Simply the Sweet Life Magazine mid-Summer issue is here in all it's beauty with ideas to enjoy the rest of your Summer and into early Fall. Read it here FREE Simply the Sweet Life Magazine and be she to sign-up for our Sweet News Newsletter for the latest news & big giveaways. "Like" us on Facebook too!
xo

Back to School "Bag It Forward" with Elmer's

2011-08-05T18:45:00.001-04:00

When my kids were little it was hard to come up extra money to buy the smallest of school supplies even with all the great Back to School sales. I LOVE that Elmer's is running the " Bag it Forward " campaign to help out kids, moms and teachers to get those fun new Back to School school supplies every child needs to start the school year. From July 25th to Sept 1stn, for each “like” on the Elmer's Facebook page, Elmer's will donate a product to the Foundation’s national network of free stores, where teachers from disadvantaged schools can “shop” for free for school supplies. you can donate again by watching a video on the Elmer’s Kids In Need Facebook tab and sharing it with your friends and family.
One of my favorite parts of school was all the pretty new school supplies at the beginning of the year. We joined in with Elmer's and "Bag it Forward." We gathered all the basics including some Elmer's School Glue, Elme'rs Disappearing Purple School Glue Sticks and a giant stick of Elmer's X-TREME School Glue Stick and of course a pretty folder too.

Here are few ways you can " #BagitForward ." When you get your school supplies list for your kid's class grab a second set of supplies to donate to one of the kids at the school. I am sure the teacher will be aware of students in the class who could use the donation. Talk to your bishop, pasture, priest or other church leader and see if there is a family in need in your congregation that could use school supplies donated. Think of a family you may know that is struggling with unemployment and leave a little note and a bag of back to school supplies on their step like a secret Santa for back to school. And don't forget the homeschool kids. Everyone who participates can upload their photos to BagitForward.org Have fun and be sure to have your kids join in with you.
Elmer's is also a Upromise partner and that every time you purchase an Elmer's or Krazy Glue product with your registered drug or grocery card, a percentage of your purchase will be put into your Upromise account.

This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Elmer's #BagItForward #collectivebias all opinions are my own.

A Little Note * Pure Essential Oils

2011-08-04T01:29:00.000-04:00

Just a little note to let everyone to know I decided to start selling doTerra pure essential oils again. I use them so much for so many things from cooking & baking & candy making to making my own kitchen cleaner to helping my major migraines so I thought it might be a good idea to get them at whole sale pricing.

If anyone has ever wanted to try pure essential oils for cooking, baking or candy making they make great favor oils. I am getting the Cinnamon oil, Orange Oil, Peppermint Oil, and Wintergreen Oil for making candies for the holidays this year. I make my Lemon & Lime cupcakes with the lemon & lime pure essential oils for the flavoring. The Orange oil would be great for cupcakes and frosting too!

- I love to use the Peppermint oil in my water when I exercise. It gives me a little pick up to keep going.

- I use the Lavender on my kids pillows to help them get to sleep. Lavender helps with relaxing.

- I also love to use Melaleuca for any kind of fungal, bacteria or viral topical problems. One time my son got a staph infection from a public pool slide and the first thing I did was have him take a bath with the Melaleuca in it. It nipped the infection in the bud before we were even able to get to the Dr. the next day. It is one of my first aid must haves.

- One oil blend I always keep on hand includes the Breathe Respiratory Blend which is like vicksvapo rub but without the petrochemicals in it. I mix my Breathe oil with some coconut oil and rub on chest and the bottom of feet. It's great for colds and allergies.

- For migraines the perfect combo is mixing a couple of drops of peppermint oil with a couple of drops of lavender oil and rub on forehead temples and back of neck. I then use a heating pad/rice bag and put it on the back of my neck. Add some caffeine and a dark quite room and I feel much better.

If you want to order some pure essential oils let me know and I will place an order for you sweetlifeinthevalley@gmail.com subject oils

xo

P.S. If you already get oils from the health food or natural food store doTerra pure essential oils are most likely the same price or less and most likely a much better quality too.

note-all opinions are my own.

A Little Note * Spark Soiree at Dear Lizzie TONIGHT!!

2011-07-30T19:46:00.000-04:00

Tonight!! in a couple of hours I will be at the Spark No. 3 Soiree. This is a Pre-Spark event. Come hang out with me, eats some treats, make some little crafts, get a discount to Dear Lizzie in Alpine and have some fun . See you there!!
xo

P.S. I WILL be speaking at Spark No.3 this year on the blogging panel. Hope to see you.

Dear Lizzie Boutique & Bistro
10953 Alpine Highway

Alpine, Utah

Pretty Vintage Aprons * Flirty Aprons

2011-07-30T19:32:00.001-04:00

Confession: I collect aprons. Not just any old aprons but pretty aprons. I like them to have color, charm and to look nice hanging in my kitchen as well as look nice on me. I wear aprons to cook, clean, and garden. It always makes the chore so much more pleasurable when wearing a pretty kitchen apron.

Flirty Aprons, you may have seen them in the mall, sent me one of their aprons. I chose the Marilyn Swanky Brunette. It has a beautiful vintage rose print with an accent of a mocha dotty print. Three things I love about it... 1} the vintage roses 2} the layers of ruffles 3} the fit. It fits better than a lot of aprons I have tried on. Who knew you had to try on an apron to see if it fits well. I didn't until I started my collection.

Flirty Aprons is having a fun contest Flirty Aprons ~ Freedom from domestication with a little Sugar n’ Spice campaign. Get 20 % off with the promo code BB20 on aprons for the next six weeks. For their contest you purchase a new Flirty Apron and then create a video of you creatively destroying one of your ugly old aprons. All YouTube videos must include Flirty Aprons on the title. Email them to matt@flirtyaprons.com my Sept 10th 2011.
If you are chosen as one of the Top Ten Most Creative you will receive a refund on your apron purchase. First place winner also gets $100 Visa Gift Card.

This posting was sponsored by Flirty Aprons through Broadcast Bloggers. All opinions are my own.

A Sweet Deal * Raw Data Cheap Cellphone Deal!!

2011-07-28T21:04:00.003-04:00

I have decided to start posting some Sweet Deals here on Sweet Life in The Valley. Yes, I got sucked into the Extreme Couponing show on TLC. I really would love to stock my pantry with free laundry soap, shampoo, tooth paste and those other grocery budget busters.

Raw Data a company that collects info about the way we watch, TV, surf the web and listen music is offering an amazing deal to those who apply and are accepted on their panel. Think Neilson (you know the people who hook a thing up to your TV to collect info about the top rated TV shows) but with new technology built into the phones. All your person info is protected, safe and they don't give out anything about you just your habits using a finger printing technology that picks up on the signals the TV shows, radio stations etc give out.

In exchange for you using their program on the cell phone they will give you a free android phone with a full data plan for only $39.99 a month for 1 year. The LG Optimus S + Unlimited 3G Plan.
YES! I said only $39.99 a month!!!! For unlimited talk, text and internet in the U.S.
They also offer all sorts of bonuses for answering surveys and sometimes even pay your whole phone bill for you!
Note: Anyone in the U.S. can sign up for Raw Data's great cell phone deal and panel.

For more details visit their site here Raw Data
For FAQ's check out their Facebook Fan Page

For a basic idea on what a great deal this is, look at a post my social media friend Scott Cowley recently posted.

"These were our options (with a 2-year calculated cost):

$2130 = Switch to Virgin Mobile AFTER rate increases
$2160 = Status quo. Stay with Verizon (no new phones, no data plan, minimal texting)
$3080 = Stay with Verizon (I buy an iPhone + monthly data plan, wife keeps current phone w/ no data plan, avoid co-worker shame)"

Now let's compare it to what the Raw Data panel members pay $479.88 for 1 year including a decent android phone. His cheapest plan after some research still cost you money more than th e Arw Data plan and it's only a 1 year not a 2 year contract of services. Plus, your phone bill could be paid every now and then to bring it down even more. I like this idea. I think I will be signing up for 2 new phones for my teens so I can keep track of them and in contact-2 of them will be driving this year :s

**If you have any tips or deals in The Valley give me an email sweetlifeinthevalley @ gmail

This post was sponsored by Raw Data in participation of the Utah Bloggers Meetup group. All opinions are my own.

One Great Recipe * Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries with Dipping Sauce

2011-07-25T22:24:00.000-04:00

French Fries are one of my favorite foods. Sweet potato fries come in a close second. One of my favorite things to do is to add some fresh rosemary to the sweet potatoes while frying in the oil. The rosemary releases the flavors into the cooking oil and adds a slight hint of rosemary to the fries. You can cut and fry fresh sweet potatoes but I have found frozen sweet potato fries work just great. Maybe even better. We used the Ore-Ida Sweet Potato Fries by Heinz here.

I make a simple dipping sauce to go with the Sweet Potato Fries made of mayonnaise and a hickory smoked bbq sauce. It is very easy to make. Simply add equal parts hickory smoke bbq sauce to a bowl. Add 1 tsp of cracked black pepper. Using a butter knife mix in a criss cross back and forth. Do not over mix. This way you will get a good flavor blend while dipping. Super easy & super delicious.

This project has been compensated as part of a #OreIdaFries shopping mission for Heinz with #CollectiveBias Do you have a favorite brand of fries? We are happy we were asked to write about heinz sweet potato fries because we love them- for real!

Find of the Week * Sonos Wireless Music

2011-07-22T14:52:00.002-04:00

One of my all time favorite Find of the Week is the Sonos Wireless Music Hi Fi Music System. When we were preparing for the Summer Issue of Simply the Sweet Life magazine I came across the Sonos music system. I was looking for something that would set the mood for the evening for our outdoor dinner and was hoping we could listen to my favorite Pandora stations, Harry Connick Jr. I love the classic jazz that comes up on the station and would be perfect for our dinner. The Sonos was a great match for us because we could bring the small speaker outside with us because it plays music from Pandora, the radio, iTunes, Sirius XM and others all wireless. I LOVE this!

You can have a speaker in each room and play the same music in the whole house or play a different station in each room. They have an andriod and apple app that you can download to your phone, iPad or iPod etc to control the system or you can get a great touch pad controller too.
My summer evenings have now include on the hammock in the back yard with a fire in our fire pit and Harry Connick Jr playing. It really is dreamy.

sonos did send me a system to try and review. as always i only write about things i love and i think i may love this more than almost anything i have ever owned seriously it's that cool!

A little note * Fun Family Giveaway

2011-07-22T13:00:00.002-04:00

Orville Redenbacher's let me know about their cool new pop-up popcorn bowls. Since we settle down most evenings to watch movies more nights than not we have some drinks and popcorn then relax. I love the new pop up bowls. The eliminate the need for a bowl which saves me on washing dishes. A fun giveaway for some Walmart gift cards is happening on the Couch Critics Facebook Fan Page. Here are the details. Now I am off to buy a few packages for our Friday night movie night. See ya at the Taste of the Valley tomorrow!
xo

Giveaway Details:

Retailer gift cards will be given once per week over the course of 6 weeks to one random winner.

"Like" the Couch Critics on Facebook and tell us at which Walmart you found your Orville Redenbacher's Pop-Up Bowls for a chance to win a gift card

Every Monday from July25th- Aug. 22nd

yes, i got some pop corn bowls to try. yes, i love the orville redenbacher's popcorn best. we did a taste test with the kids to see which brand was best and it won. yes, all opinions are my own xo-april I was compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.