Archives for 2011

Sunkist S’alternative and Lemon Seafood Paella

This post brought to you by Sunkist S’alternative. All opinions are 100% mine.

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What’s your sodium style? Even if you don’t regularly salt your foods, your foods could still contain hidden salts, especially if you eat a lot of processed foods or restaurant meals.  Take the Sunkist Sodium Quiz on Facebook to find out where you are on the sodium scale.  Are you a Serial Salt Offender or a Sodium Smarty?
I’m in the middle.  I don’t use a lot of salt, but I do love my salty snacks and processed foods. I took the quiz and found that I’m a “Mover, Not a Salt Shaker.”

When you take the quiz, you can also find tips on how to cut the salt. Some tips include avoiding processed,  precooked, and deli meats and replacing the salt with the Sunkist S’alternative.

Sunkist S’alternative is using fresh-squeezed Sunkist® lemons as a healthy sodium-free alternative to salt. Using Sunkist lemons as an alternative to salt can help reduce sodium, increase potassium and enhance the flavor of recipes.


Here’s an example of a healthy, delicious meal that you can make using the Sunkist S’alternative.

Recipe for Sunkist® Lemon Seafood Paella:


Ingredients:
1- 32 oz can low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 lb. of firm, fresh pieces of whitefish such as tilapia, bass, halibut and swordfish, cut into 16-21 pieces
1 lb. or 16-21 mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
1 lb. or 16-21 medium sized clams, rinsed
cup chopped fresh parsley
3 Sunkist® lemons, zest and juice
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1  cup minced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 cups uncooked short-grain rice such as Valencian, Arborio, or Calrose
1 cup frozen green peas
1  8oz jar of sliced, roasted red peppers

Directions:
• To prepare broth, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

• To prepare paella, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large paella pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish pieces to pan and sauté 1 minute. Remove fish from pan, reserve and keep warm. Add onion to pan and sauté 5 minutes. Add the lemon zest, garlic and crushed red pepper and cook 5 minutes. Add rice and cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, bring to a low boil and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Stir in the peas and red pepper slices. Add mussels and clams to pan, nestling them into rice mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until shells open; discard any unopened shells. Stir in the reserved fish and chopped parsley and cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in lemon juice and check for seasoning. Cover with a towel and let stand 10 minutes before stirring.  Makes 8 servings.

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Blogiversary Giveaway #6: Curly Q Design

It’s time for another blogiversary giveaway! Today’s giveaway is from Curly Q Design, an etsy shop that offers handmade, custom gifts for all ages!


Curly Q Design has some adorable gifts for babies and children, including personalized onesie and hat sets, tshirts, bibs, burpie cloths, blankets, and tooth fairy pillows.

They have lots of cute, coordinating fabrics and appliques, and they have a number of cute fonts so that you can get your perfect, personalized look!

And for those without small children, Curly Q Design offers other personalized gifts like these amazingly cute travel mugs.



Connect: Follow Curly Q Design through their blog and on Facebook.

Win it! One Simply Sweet Home reader will win a personalized Tooth Fairy Pillow (pictured above) from Curly Q Design.

How to Enter: Use the rafflecopter form below. Giveaway will be open through November 8.


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I’m linking up at Tidy Mom and these parties.

Hostess Inspired Cupcakes

My husband loves chocolate Hostess Cupcakes.  As a kid I was always partial the yellow orange-flavored ones myself, but now I’ve grown to love the chocolate too.  A few weeks ago I found this recipe on The Brown Eyes Have It.  And I just had to try it out!
These were very delicious! And they tasted quite similar to the Hostess ones, maybe even better! You should definitely give them a try!


Recipe for Hostess Cupcakes:

Cupcakes: For the cupcakes I used a Devil’s Food Cake Mix and baked as directed. The only change I made was to add a few spoon fulls of sour cream. This makes the cupcakes come out extra moist! 
Filling:
1 cup whipped vanilla frosting 
1/2 cup marshmallow creme 
Frosting: 
1 cup whipped chocolate frosting 
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 
2 tsp. corn syrup 
Loops:
3 Tbsp. whipped vanilla frosting (for the loops) 
Directions: Bake cupcakes. Cool completely. (I placed my in the freezer to speed up the process)
Using a cupcake corer or the end of round handle of wooden spoon, make a deep opening in the center of the cupcakes. 
In small bowl, mix 1 cup vanilla frosting and the marshmallow creme. Place in a piping bag (if you don’t have one, use a sandwich bag with a corner clipped off).  Insert tip of bag into each cupcake and squeeze bag to fill.
In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate frosting, chocolate chips and corn syrup uncovered on high for 30 seconds or till melted.  Stop the microwave every 15 to 30 seconds and stir to prevent scorching. Once the chips are melted, stir well. Dip the top of each cupcake in the frosting. Let stand until frosting is set.  
Then take remaining white frosting and pipe the loops on to the cupcake tops.

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 I’m linking up at Tidy Mom and these parties.

Jewelry for Mom & Baby: Julian & Co.

As you make plans for Christmas and holiday gift giving, please consider my awesome sponsor, Julian & Co.  They offer incredible heirloom quality jewelry for moms, dads, and children.

Each piece of jewelry at Julian & Co  is a unique treasure that you’ll want to keep forever.  And the best part is that everything can be personalized!  You can add your child’s name, birthdate and time, weight, and length.  And you can also have birthstone charms added to your jewelry!
The shop is owned by wife and mom Tania.  She was inspired to make her first piece of jewelry, a baby’s  bracelet, when her son Julian (born 11 weeks early and weighing just 3lb 4 oz), was too small to wear a bracelet that his father had purchased for him. And the company grew from there!
The Signature line of Julian & Co  is the baby hand and feet jewelry adorned with Tania’s son Julian’s own hand and feet prints.  But the company has expanded to carry many more pieces like their Silhouette Insignia, initial jewelry, religious jewelry, and more!
Julian & Co  is a great place to shop for the new mom in your life, as well as dads, grandparents, and even godmothers! These jewelry pieces also make beautiful gifts for baptisms, bar/bat mitzvahs, communions, graduations, and more!
Check out Julian & Co  this holiday season for all your gift giving needs!


Connect! Get updates on the latest items & promotions at Julian & Co.

Follow @JULIANandCo on Twitter.
Follow Julian & Co on Facebook.
Also, subscribe to their email list or follow their blog.

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Disclosure: Julian & Co is a paid sponsor on this blog. If you’d like to advertise on Simply Sweet Home please contact me via email.

Blogiversary Giveaway #5: Ploctopia

Today’s blogiversary giveaway is from a super yummy sweet shop called Ploctopia.

Ploctopia has a wonderful selection of sweets and treats to tempt and satisfy your sweet tooth.
They have cake pops, cookies and cookie sandwiches, brownies and cookies in jars, and even homemade marshmallows!

One of my favorite items from the shop is their Reese’s Peanut Butter Cake Pops.

And then I also love the look of their Orange Brownie Creamsicle with Orange Buttercream Fluff in a Jar. Yum!!

Among Ploctopia’s selection of sweets in jars also has a yummy collection of homemade butters like this Caramel Apple Butter (above).

Connect:  Please check out Ploctopia on Facebook for updates and more!

Win it!  Ploctopia is offering one Simply Sweet Home reader a $10 gift certificate to their shop!
How To Enter: Use the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway will be open through Nov 4.

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I’m linking up at Tidy Mom and these parties.
Disclsosure: I received no products or compensation for this post. Prize is provided by Ploctopia.

Friday Favorites: Week 86

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Happy Friday! Thanks for stopping by for to link up! I hope some of you linky participants are entering this month’s blogiversary giveaways.  Right now the giveaways from Everyday Lettering and Sew Chatty have less than 50 entries. 

Also, the Freschetta giveaway and the Ramen giveaway will end on Friday, so this is your last chance to enter those two!  And there’s only a few days left to go for the Harvest Halloween Giveaway

So please check those out and enter to win!

Enjoy this week’s features: 

Pumpkin Decorating Tutorial from Ode to Inspiration

Paper Mache Pumpkin Topiary from Burton Avenue

Join the party! Link up below!


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Blogiversary Giveaway #4: Sew Chatty

Out next blogiversary giveaway is from Sew Chatty. Sew Chatty is a cute Etsy shop featuring items for home, baby, and fun!


The shop is owned by Elizabeth, a wife and mom from California. She sews and crochets all the items found in the shop, and her creations are inspired by her favorite stores and boutiques.
Elizabeth also says she’s inspired items she’s seen in her own home or other places: “Often times I get an idea from something I’ve seen somewhere, figure out how to make it, and then tweak it a bit to make it ‘me’.”

The shop carries some cute accessories, including crochet headbands (or urban turbans) and even lace adorned coffee cuffs. 

She also has some adorable Linen and Lace Wristlet Clutch bags.  These feature some really fun fabrics and lace, and they are great for carrying a variety of accessories, including your cell phone, wallet, lotion, makeup, business card holder, keys, and more!
Connect: You can follow Elizabeth at the Sew Chatty blog. Also, follow on Facebook and onTwitter – @SewChatty.

Win it! One Simply Sweet Home Reader will win a Mug Rug (pictured above) from Sew Chatty. A $10 value!
How to Enter: Use the Rafflecopter form below. The mandatory entry is to become a follower through GFC. Then on the form,  tell us something you like from Sew Chatty.  After you do the mandatory entries, the optional entries will be unlocked. Giveaway will be open through November 1.

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I’m linking up at Tidy Mom and these parties.

Disclsosure: I received no products or compensation for this post. Prize is provided by Sew Chatty.

Fun Halloween Sweets

Photo Credit: Taste of Home
Can you believe that Halloween is just a couple of weeks away? Whew…how time flies! Today I’ve got an array of fun sweets and treats to help inspire your creativity this Halloween!

Candy Corn Meringues from The Kitchn

Gingerbread Skeletons from Family Fun

Skeleton Cupcakes from Women’s Day
Sugar Ghost Cupcakes from Taste of Home

Trick or Treat Sweets from Good Housekeeping

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I’m linking up at Tidy Mom and these parties.

10 Holiday Planning Tips

I’ve been scrambling around doing some last minute Halloween decorating, which reminds me how much easier the holidays are when you organize and plan ahead.  So today I’m posting some holiday planning tips.

1.  Buy Now.  I know it’s tempting to hit all those great holiday sales.  But unless your looking to get a great deal on toys and big ticket items, I recommend that you start shopping now.  There’s a relative calm in the stores right now, but a month from now there will be chaos as the Christmas shoppers fill the aisles. So buy as many gift items (and even holiday grocery supplies) as you can before Thanksgiving.
2.  Cyber Monday. Another way to avoid the long lines at the store is to skip the Black Friday sale, and do your shopping via the internet on Cyber Monday.
3. Christmas Cards.  Get an early start on your Christmas cards.  Online sources like Storkie allow you to order personalized, festive Christmas cards in classic and contemporary styles.
4. Gift List.  Lists are such a helpful tool for organizing. Each year I write down the names of everyone I have to get a gift for.  Next to each name I write down some gift ideas I have in mind for that person, and on this same sheet I plan out my budget.
5. Thrift Store Decor. I’m always finding great deals on Christmas decorations at the thrift stores. There may be a lot to sort through, but you can often find really good Christmas balls, ornaments, and even some cute wreaths. The thrift store is also a great place to find craft supplies to make your own Christmas decor.
6. Menu Planning. If you do a lot of cooking around the holidays, it’s good to plan your menu.  Even if you just make a few dishes to carry to potlucks, you can greatly simplify the task by writing down what you plan to make, and then creating your holiday grocery list ahead of time.
7. Gift Wrapping.  Get plenty of wrapping paper, tape, bags, and other supplies so that you don’t have to make extra trips to the store. Be sure to get an entire roll of paper or a giant gift bag for large children’s gifts.  Also, reuse bags when you can, and shop for your supplies at the dollar store to save money.
8. Make a Calendar. Use your planner or print out special calendars for November and December so that you can write down dates for parties, Christmas pageants, and events that you and your family will participate in. 
9. Holiday Chore List. Make a list or use your calendar to organize and plan all the holiday chores that need to be done: decorating, cooking for a particular event, cleaning house, etc.
10. Sales and Coupons. If you can’t buy now, be sure to plan your holiday shopping around sales and coupons. Companies that sell baking supplies and other seasonal items will soon start issuing coupons for the holiday season. Also, places like Hobby Lobby have lots of great Christmas stuff, and they have sales every week, so it’s easy to get a good deal if you just plan ahead.  

Happy Planning!

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Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the Storkie  holiday blogging program. I received compensation for my participation. All opinions are 100% mine.

Harvest Halloween Giveaway Hop


If you’re a regular visitory to my blog, you probably know that I’m participating in A Harvest Halloween Blog Tour, hosted by Savey Spender.

I’ve had so much fun highlighting our great sponsors over the last few weeks, and I’m so excited to say that the giveaway is finally here!
For the giveaway, I’ve got a great Harvest Halloween prize pack with items from 4 different Etsy shops!
Posh Props is a shop that sells adorable crochet hats in a variety of colors and styles. Each hat is beautifully designed and made to order. And whenever you make a purchase, all proceeds go toward creating beanies for babies who are in local hospitals and NICUs.
Connect: Follow Posh Props on Facebook



Prize: Posh Props is offering their Fall Pumpkin Beanie to the winner. ($22 value)

Kelly’s Cottage Shoppe brings you invitations and party supplies in a variety of party themes for boys and girls. All your party supplies will be customized to fit your party details and then delivered to you via email in PDF files. And you can order everything from banners and cupcake toppers to thank you cards, tags, and ice cream cone wrappers.
Connect: Follow Kelly’s blog: Kelly’s Cottage Shoppe Designs and follow on Facebook.
Prize: Kelly’s Cottage Shoppe Designs is offering a set of Halloween printables which includes cupcake toppers, cupcake wrappers, and custom banner. ($17 value)

Peach Tea Couture is a super cute shop, offering  personalized onesies and t-shirts.  They have so many great styles from the sweet and whimsical to classic vintage. They also sell monthly onesie stickers, as well as  PDFs that you can print at home.

Connect: Please follow the Peach Tea Couture blog and follow on Facebook.



Prize: Peach Tea Couture is offering any Halloween onesie or t-shirt of the winner’s choice. ($16 value)

Paramore Art Works is a great shop that that sells vintage-inspired, handmade gift tags and word banners. And for your Halloween decorating fun, they have some unique potion bottles and goblets. And they even have witches’ wands!

Prize: Paramore Art Works is offering a potion bottle of “Moon Dust” decorated with crusty gauze, twine, moss, and a spider. ($12 value)



Giveaway Details:  
One on my readers will win all of the prizes mentioned in this post! 
A $67 value!

How to Enter:  You must use the Rafflecopter form below.  The Mandatory entry is to follow my blog. (Note: Link to my GFC is on the form and works even when the GFC widget is down.)

And then you can get addtional entries for liking on sponsors on Facebook and Etsy, following/subscribing to Simply Sweet Home, and for sharing the giveaway on Facebook and Twitter.

Terms: Giveaway will be open through October 24.  Please make sure that you add simplysweethome@hotmail.com to your address book so that you can receive your winner notification promptly.


Enjoy the rest of the hop!
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