Nathan’s Sugar Cookies from Cooking for My Kids
Chocolate Scotcheroos from Turtles and Tails
Rolo Cookies from A Little Nosh
Felt Doctor Kit from Vixen Made
Join the party! Link up your posts below!
Archives for 2011
Friday Favorites – Week 89
November 10, 2011 10 Comments
Berricle Snowflake Pendant Review
November 9, 2011 Leave a Comment
Jewelry is an excellent Christmas gift for one and all! This season check out Berricle, an online retailer specializing in beautiful silver and cubic zirconia jewelry.
Berricle.com was born in 2006 out of a vision to create the most customer friendly online jewelry store specializing in the most exquisite Silver Jewelry and Cubic Zirconia Jewelry in the US. We started out with a handful of carefully selected pieces but we presently boast over 1,500 enchanting designs selected for their quality as well as the aesthetic satisfaction they give.
I received one of Berricle’s Snowflake Pendant Necklaces. The beautiful snowflake design pendant necklace is made of fine sterling silver, plated with rhodium, and stamped with 925 quality mark. It is set with 20 dazzling bezel set, princess cut, AAA grade cubic zirconia stones that weigh 1.8 carat in total and accented with 24 glittering pave set, round, cubic zirconia stones that weigh 0.36 carat in total. The pendant measures 1 1/2 inch L X 1 1/4 inch W. Chain length is 18 inch. Spring ring clasp. Chain can be removable from pendant.
This is a lovely piece of jewelry. It has a simple, yet elegant style, which I love! The pendant has exquisite detail and is also an excellent size that should make anyone happy whether you like large or small jewelry.
The combination of the silver and cubic zirconia, along with the overall design also makes this a perfect piece of jewelry to where with any outfit this winter. It’s nice enough to wear with a formal gown, yet simple enough to wear with business casual attire or just a sweater and jeans.
Check out Berricle this holiday season!
Connect with Berricle: Get updates on new products and promotions by liking Berricle on Facebook and following on Twitter. Also, check out the Berricle Blog and subscribe to the Berricle Newsletter.
Disclosure: I received jewelry from Berricle for review purposes. The opinions are my own.
World’s Best Cat Litter Review and Giveaway
November 8, 2011 9 Comments
As you do a little fall cleaning for the upcoming holidays, consider freshening up your cat’s litter box with World’s Best Cat Litter.
As many of you know, the resident cats of Simply Sweet Home love trying out new products, and I knew this was one that they would really “dig.”
World’s Best Cat Litter comes in three varieties: Clumping Formula, Multiple Cat Clumping Formula, and Scented Multiple Cat Formula.
World’s Best Cat Litter is the only litter made from whole-kernel corn. That means it has a naturally microporous structure that keeps nasty odors and smells inside the litter. It traps the liquid and limits the wetness from seeping, sinking to the bottom or sticking to the sides of the box.
With its patented formula and quick-clumping abilities, World’s Best Cat Litter is easy to scoop. And cleanup is a breeze! Quick clumping keeps the rest of the litter dry. As a result, one 7-lb. bag of World’s Best Cat Litter™ may last one cat more than 30 days. That saves you time and money!
And because World’s Best Cat Litter™ is made from all-natural ingredients—with no added chemicals—it’s safe for cats. And unlike clay litters, there’s no silica dust for you or your cat to breathe.
My Thoughts: We tried the Multiple Cat Clumping Formula. I liked that I could pour the litter in the pan without a lot of dust flying up. And I also liked the fine consistency of this litter. The cats quickly accepted the change of litter after a little sniff or two.
And this litter did a good job of covering up odors. The litter clumped up very well for easy scooping. Plus, with this litter, I didn’t have to deal with that ammonia smell that can sometimes take your breath away when scooping.
All in all, I’d say this is a good product. And if you’re interested in trying a litter that’s a litter more environmentally friendly and lacks chemicals that can be harmful to your and your cat children, you should give World’s Best Cat Litter a try!
Buy it! World’s Best Cat Litter is sold at a number of local and online retailers including Petco, Pet Smart, and Amazon. Check here for a full list of retailers.
Win it! Three Simply Sweet Home readers will win a bag of World’s Best Cat Litter.
How to enter: Use the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway will be open through Nov 22.
Coconut Pecan Cookies
November 7, 2011 13 Comments
Several weeks ago I shared these pudding cookies, which I first saw over at Chef in Training. You know I love to make different versions and variations of the same recipe, so today I’ve got Coconut Pecan version to share with you!
Recipe for Coconut Pecan Cookies:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 cup)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar1
(3.4 oz) package instant coconut cream pudding
1 tsp coconut flavoring (or use vanilla if you don’t have coconut)
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup pecans
1 cup shredded coconut
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix flour and baking soda together. Set aside.In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars together. Add in pudding package and beat until well blended. Add eggs and coconut flavoring. Add flour mixture slowly until well incorporated. Add chocolate chips or other add-in.Roll into 1 inch balls and place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 F for 8-12 minutes.
Ice Cream Happy Hour Review, Giveaway, and a Recipe
November 6, 2011 9 Comments
Eggnog with Brandy and Rum
The holiday entertainment season is upon us, which means lots of excuses for drinking and desserts. What better way to impress your guests at the end of a dinner party or holiday festivity than with boozy ice cream.
“Ice Cream Happy Hour” is the first book of its kind, with 50-plus ice cream recipes based on your favorite classic shots, cocktails and blended beverages – Coffee with Kahlúa, Chocolate Martini, and Strawberry Daiquiri. These 21-and-over homemade frozen delights not only taste amazing, they also serve up a surprising kick – there’s a shot of alcohol in each cup!
I had the opportunity to review this book, and I think it will make an excellent addition to your library of cookbooks! It has a variety of Ice Creams, Sherbets, Sundaes, Floats, and more to add flavor and fun to your holiday parties.
You’ll find everything from the ever popular Pina Colada to Margarita Ice Cream, as well as Irish Coffee, Mint Chip with Creme de Menthe, Mudslide Sundaes, and even Bar Brawl Ice Cream Sandwiches!
And if the names of the recipes don’t tempt you, the photos will! Just take a look at this Chocolate Martini, and you’ll see what I mean!
Today along with a giveaway of this book, I’m pleased to bring you an exclusive recipe from the book! The Recipe is for Butter Pecan with Brandy! Whenever I think of fall and the Thanksgiving holiday, I always think of Pecan Pie and other Pecan Recipes, so this ice cream seemed like the perfect one to share this week!
Recipe for Butter Pecan with Brandy:
This recipe calls for candied pecans; however, toasted pecan halves can be substituted if you don’t have the time. We recommend going the extra mile though. It gives the pecans a great texture along with the flavor.
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
2 cups heavy cream
½ vanilla bean
4 egg yolks
⅔ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 packet (1 tablespoon) gelatin
⅓ cup cold water
¼ cup cold (refrigerated) brandy
2 cups Candied Pecans (recipe follows)
Makes about 1½ quarts
Directions:
1. Mix the milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. While the milk mixture is heating, split the vanilla bean down the center lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Whisk the seeds into the milk mixture, then add the empty pod to the pan.
2. Steep the milk mixture and vanilla. Once the milk mixture is scalding, remove the pan from the heat and cover it. After about 15 minutes, remove the vanilla bean pod.
3. Reheat the milk mixture back up to scalding.
4. While the milk mixture heats to scalding, whisk together the egg yolks with the brown sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl until slightly fluffy. Gently stream about one-third of the hot milk mixture into the eggs while whisking continuously. This is called tempering. It’s important to whisk while streaming the hot milk. If you just pour in the hot milk and then whisk, you may get scrambled eggs.
5. Thicken the custard over low heat. The custard should thicken rather quickly because of the cornstarch. Pour the egg and milk mixture into the rest of the milk mixture in the sauce pan and stir continuously on low heat with a heatproof spatula. Make sure you scrape the bottom evenly while you continuously stir. The custard is thick enough when you can draw a line on the back of the spoon with your finger and the line retains its shape.
6. Strain, cover, and chill the custard for at least 8 hours. Strain the custard through a fine-meshstrainer into a heatproof container. Cover with plastic wrap so that it’s directly touching the entire surface of the custard and none of it is exposed to air. This prevents a skin from developing. Transfer the container to an ice bath and let it cool for about 30 minutes to stop the cooking process. Transfer the container to the refrigerator. Chill until the custard is completely cold, at least 8 hours.Once the custard is completely cold…
7. Dissolve the gelatin in the cold water. Pour the water into a small saucepan or microwave-safe container and evenly sprinkle the gelatin on top. Allow to sit until the gelatin appears to have absorbed as much water as it can, about 2 minutes. This is called blooming. Gently warm over low heat and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved into the liquid, about 3 minutes.
8. Spike the custard with the cold brandy and gelatin mixture. Refrigerate the alcohol until completely cold. Do not speed up the process by putting it in the freezer, which may make the gelatin set up too much before it is added to the custard. Pour the gelatin into a medium bowl and whisk in the cold alcohol until combined. Do not attempt to skip this step by pouring the alcohol directly into the saucepan or microwave-safe container with the gelatin. There might be enough residual heat to heat up the custard and prevent it from thickening in the ice cream maker. Pour the cold custard into a large bowl. Stream the alcohol and gelatin mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into the custard and whisk until thoroughly blended.
9. Churn the ice cream for at least 20 minutes. Pour the cold custard immediately into the ice cream maker and churn for at least 20 minutes, or as directed. Due to the alcohol content, you may wish to churn it longer to get the desired thickness. If you don’t want to serve the ice cream immediately or you want a firmer texture, transfer it to a freezer proof container and freeze for several hours before serving.
10. Add the candied pecans. Scoop about one-third of the ice cream into a freezer-proof container and sprinkle about one-third of the candied pecans on top. Repeat the layers twice more with the remaining ice cream and pecans, then gently fold it all together. Be sure to work quickly—if the ice cream melts too much, it will just get icy once it’s in the freezer.
Buy It! Check out Ulysses Press to find out how to order your copy of Ice Cream Happy Hour.
Win it! One Simply Sweet Home reader will win a copy of Ice Cream Happy Hour.
How to Enter: Please use the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway will be open through Nov 19.
Friday Favorites – Week 88
November 3, 2011 6 Comments
Happy November! Thanks for stopping by for Friday Favorites! I have a couple of quick announcements. First off, set your calendars! Holly Bloggy Christmas is coming back for the 3rd year! This is a week of Christmas themed linky parties hosted by myself and four other bloggers! And this year’s event will be hosted December 12-16.
More details and specifics will be announced later this month. But I wanted to go ahead and give you a quick heads up about it. Also if anyone would like to be a giveaway sponsor for this event, please send an email to simplysweethome@hotmail.com.
I also want to thank all of my awesome blogiversary sponsors and thank you guys (the readers) for supporting us by entering last month’s giveaways. We still have a few of those going on, including the “finale” giveaway, a $50 GC to 41 West Designs! So be sure to check the sidebar and enter these before they close!
And now on to our features:
Fall Candle Revamp from Just Down the Hall
Homemade Candy Corn from Lady with the Red Rocker
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Surprise Cookies from Crazy for Crust
Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies from Cook Lisa Cook
Join us! Link up your posts below!
November Deals and Freebies
November 1, 2011 Leave a Comment
The last couple of months I’ve been bringing you some free printables. It’s so fun sharing these freebies that I’m going to try and make it a monthly thing. Each month I’ll try to find you some printables or other freebies and share a deal or two with you!
I’ve been a little MIA from my shop, and it’s been a while since I offered you a coupon code to my shop. So I just added one for November. Just visit Simply Sweet Creations enter the code HAPPYHARVEST at checkout!
I saw this deal today, and with the holiday baking season in full swing, I just had to share it with you! It’s from Eversave. Are you a member yet? They offer you super deals on great products. Essentially you go to the Eversave site and buy a voucher for a particular retail site. And the cool part is, you get a deep discount!
Through November 10, they have a great deal with MyCandyCrafts.com. Right now you can get $24 in product at MyCandyCrafts.com. And you pay just $12!
And another great deal at Eversave is from Ticings! Pay just $16 for $36 worth of gluten-free cupcake and cake toppers from Ticings. Woohoo!
And if you love digital scrapbooking, card making, and graphic design, you have to check this software! My readers get $10 off when you buy My Memories Suite 2.0. Just use my coupon code: STMMMS63042 at checkout!
I’ve also got a few freebie quick pages for you from My Memories:
And in case you missed it, you can still check out these Free Fall Printables for your upcoming Thanksgiving celebration!
Disclosure: I’m an affiliate for My Memories and Eversave. The opinions are my own.
I’m linking up at Tidy Mom and these parties.
1000th Post and Blogiversary Giveaway: 41 West Designs
November 1, 2011 12 Comments
Today is the final day of my 4th Blogiversary Celebration, and coincidentally this is also my 1000th post! (Not planned at all!What are the odds, right?) For the final day of this celebration, we’ve got an amazing giveaway from 41 West Designs.
41 West Designs brings you beautiful typography art. They have a number of unique designs in modern as well as distressed-vintage styles. And their wall art and decor will make a fabulous edition to any home!
And they have some lovely items for the upcoming holiday season. You can add charm and class to your Thanksgiving buffet with their Thanksgiving Typography Word Art.
And you can deck your halls this holiday season with their lovely Christmas Typography Art.
41 West Designs also has a number of word signs that are perfect for all year round, including Family Rules signs, Keep Calm art, Quote art, and other fun designs!
Connect: Follow on twitter and facebook. Also, follow Brittany of 41 West Designs at her blog House of Sorensens.
Win it! Brittany at 41 West Designs is offering one Simply Sweet Home reader a $50 shop credit!
How to Enter: Use the Rafflecopter below to enter. After you complete the mandatory entry, the optional entries will be unlocked. Giveaway ends November 15.
Pumpkin Bread
October 31, 2011 13 Comments
Fall weather is finally in the air around our house! It really makes me crave the tastes of fall and all those great Thanksgiving classics!
Today I’m sharing a little taste of fall. I made a little tray of fall goodies for my husband to carry to work last week, and the Pumpkin Bread was a very popular treat. Hope you enjoy!
Recipe for Pumpkin Bread:
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup oil
1 cup pumpkin
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup nuts (optional)
Directions: Mix sugar, eggs, oil, and pumpkin in a bowl. Add dry ingredients and water in the order listed above. Mix well. Stir in nuts (if using). Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or longer if needed. Makes one loaf.
Tip: For a sweet dessert bread, top with a little cream cheese frosting. Yum!
Friday Favorites – Week 87
October 27, 2011 8 Comments
Welcome to Friday Favorites! We had such a wonderful party last week! I had the hardest time deciding which posts to feature! If you missed last week’s party or you didn’t get a chance to do any hopping, please check out week 86 (after you link up for this week, of course).
Don’t forget to check out all the blogiversary giveaways in the sidebar, especially the giveaway from Curly Q Designs. I just posted it this week, and it doesn’t have a lot of entries yet! Also, the giveaway from Sew Chatty closes in a few days and still has less than a hundred entries!
Hope you enjoy this week’s features!
Smurf Pumpkins from Simple Girl
Candy Corn Fudge from Mom On Time Out
Streusel Topped Apple Bread Pudding from A Cook at Heart
Pumpkin Spice Mousse from Olla-Podrida
Thanks for stopping by for the party! Link up your posts below!
