Archives for 2013

Home for the Holidays Book Giveaway and Nature’s Sleep Sweepstakes

November 18, 2013 26 Comments

I’m very excited to be participating in the Home for the Holidays Giveaway Hop. For this event, about a hundred bloggers will each be giving away prize packs valued at $25 and above and each prize is revolved around the theme of gift giving, and there will also be a grand prize that you can enter to win.

My sponsor for this event is Ulysses Press. In the past, Ulysses Press has given us some great recipe and craft books for reviews and giveaway, and I was thrilled when then generously offered us a book bundle valued at around $115 and including 9 great titles! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Giveaways, Home/Garden, product review Tagged With: cookbook, craft book, mattress

Home for the Holidays Giveaway Preview

November 17, 2013 Leave a Comment

Starting this week I’ll be participating in a fun, month-long giveaway hop called Home for the Holidays. The hop revolves around holiday gifts and we have about a hundred bloggers participating as well as a grand prize from Nature’s Sleep!

For my giveaway package, I thought it would be fun to give away some books. As a blogger who loves to share food, craft, and decor ideas, I think books that inspire new ideas in these areas make great gifts, so I was very happy when Ulysses Press agreed to us with a book bundle for this giveaway!

Here’s a fully detailed list of the titles that will be included in our giveaway package! [Read more…]

Filed Under: crafts, product review Tagged With: book, book review, cookbook, craft book

Yummy Thanksgiving Desserts to Include in your Menu

November 16, 2013 Leave a Comment

Photo Credit

When Thanksgiving is almost here, people are busy wondering what to cook. Thanksgiving recipes and appetizers are loved by each one of us. But a good Thanksgiving meal is incomplete without a good Thanksgiving dessert. So, let’s discuss a good dessert that can make Thanksgiving 2013 a great day to remember.

A good idea for one of your Thanksgiving desserts can be a pumpkin pie. You can never go wrong with a pumpkin pie. This Thanksgiving dessert has been an all time favorite for a lot of people for years and definitely makes them happy. By adding a little twist to this traditional dessert, you can prepare a small surprise for your family members. You can serve a pumpkin cheesecake to do that. Serve the pumpkin cheesecake with a dollop of whipped cream and you are sure to win hearts with this creative Thanksgiving dessert.

The snack sized pumpkin cheesecakes are better when the size of the gathering is small. And this cheesecake can spend up to five months in the refrigerator without losing its flavor, this is for sure. The ideal thing to do is consume some cheesecakes now and defrost the rest to use them in the coming months. The benefit of doing this is that you can reminisce Thanksgiving recipes even days after the festival is over. And cheesecakes are something that every person who has a sweet tooth relishes. Your guests are sure to love these tiny little treats; they taste great and can make your Thanksgiving 2013 an extra special day. And they are unique in their own way because this recipe is one that is not common for this day.

If you want to serve the pumpkin pie in its traditional way, and then consider serving the Pumpkin dish, the Pilgrims likely ate at the first Thanksgiving. This first pumpkin dessert was all cooked in its shell. The whole pumpkin was heated over hot embers and seasoned with thyme and rosemary. This traditional pumpkin was seasoned with honey or maple and moistened with milk. While it is not the Thanksgiving dessert that your loved ones would expect, this dessert will definitely give you a taste of history of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is a time for togetherness, happiness, joys, laughter, appreciation, gratitude and a good meal shared with all your family members and good friends. By serving the above mentioned dessert, it will add sweetness also to so many emotions, among others. To make this day special, people make a lot of efforts in preparing Thanksgiving recipes and desserts. And it is one day in the life of every American, which he looks forward to having a great meal with his family. Thus, to make this day special, go ahead with the above mentioned wonderful pumpkin pie or pumpkin cheesecake andserve it just the way you like it. And you are sure to receive compliments for this Thanksgiving dessert at Thanksgiving 2013. A delicious yet simple Thanksgiving recipe that will win over hearts of everyone for sure, thus, it is a must try.

Filed Under: Thanksgiving

My Kind of Holiday with Target #MyKindOfHoliday

November 15, 2013 Leave a Comment

I’m excited to be teaming up this holiday season with Target for #MyKindOfHoliday. How do you celebrate the holidays? It is it super elegant and festive or a simple affair? Our Thanksgiving dinner is pretty simple and low key and it usually includes dinner with my parents and/or in-laws. And I love that because I get to enjoy great foods like chicken & dressing, baked ham, deviled eggs,potato salad and more!

Usually I make a dessert or two like a chess cake or pound cake, and then I’ll make something special for my dad like a custard pie or a cobbler. But for this holiday season, I’m thinking of doing a banana pudding and either a chess cake or an oatmeal cake. But I’m also currently testing some other recipes. For example, the other day I tried out this Frozen Peppermint Pie (recipe to come!).

I actually bought the pie dish and the red platter pictured here at Target. And when I was shopping the other day, I also found a lot of great fall table decor in stock. They have so many great platters, bowls, and other accent pieces in bright, bold fall colors that would really dress up the Thanksgiving table.

Take a look! Don’t these look fabulous?

I especially love the platters! They would be perfect for meats or sides such as the deviled eggs, or even cookies and candies. And I think bright colors like this really help to make your table look more inviting and festive, which just makes the whole meal more special!

As a blogger, I guess you could say that one of my new holiday traditions is taking photos of the foods I make, so for this reason, the platters also appeal to me, as they would be perfect for foodie photo shoots!

And then I also love their line of Mercury Glass! These dishes and candle holders look so elegant! Don’t you agree?

What are your favorite holiday traditions? Are you buying any new decorations or table decor for the holidays this year?

Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Target.

Filed Under: decorating, party ideas, Thanksgiving Tagged With: holiday, party table, Target

Guest Post: Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip from Carrie at A Mother’s Shadow

November 15, 2013 1 Comment

Hey guys! I’m very excited to be celebrating the holidays again with Six Weeks of Christmas Treats. Today we have our first several guest posts that we will have throughout the season. Our first guest is Carrie from A Mother’s Shadow. Please be sure to go over to her blog and say hi. But first please check out Carrie’s take on one of my favorite appetizers, Spinach & Artichoke Dip!

Hi, my name is Carrie and my site is A Mother’s Shadow. Come by for ideas of practical life skills, suggestions of how to be self-reliant, and suggestions for how to serve others, as well as inspiration and tools to strengthen family. I hope you will come by often and leave feeling refreshed, motivated and encouraged in your journey.

 A wonderful dip for the holidays. Easy to make ahead and warm in the crock pot, a crowd favorite.

 Ingredients:

10-12 oz. frozen chopped spinach

1/4 – 1/3 cup milk

1 Tbl. olive or vegetable oil

14 oz. can artichokes, not marinated, rinsed and drained

1/2 bulb roasted garlic or 1 tsp. garlic, finely mined

1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce, or to taste

2 – 8 oz. cream cheese blocks

1/2 tsp. montreal steak seasoning

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4 roasted garlic seasoning, optional

2/3 – 1 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Cook spinach according to package directions. In a colander, drain the spinach; pressing with the back of a spoon to remove excess moisture.

Combine in a food processor or with a hand mixer.

Pour into a small crock pot to heat through slowly.

Serve warm with crackers, pita chips baguette French bread or cut-up vegetables.

Recognize a blessing and be a blessing today.

Thanks again to Carrie for being here today. Be sure to visit her over at A Mother’s Shadow. And follow her over on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Filed Under: appetizers and snacks, Guest Post, party ideas, recipes Tagged With: Christmas, dips, spinach

Friday Favorites – Week 192 – With Holiday Snacks

November 14, 2013 19 Comments

Hey everyone! Welcome to another edition of Friday Favorites. Today we’ve got some holiday snacks for you! And I’m also inviting you to take a look at my post from earlier this week where I featured 15 Christmas Party Treats. The post also includes a holiday treat linky which will be open throughout the holiday season. Check it out! [Read more…]

Filed Under: appetizers and snacks, Christmas, Friday Favorites, Thanksgiving

My Favorite ALDI Products #aldiraves

November 13, 2013 Leave a Comment

Today we’re taking an inside look at my latest trip to ALDI. I bought a lot of the items I’d typically buy on a trip to the market, including milk, cheese, meat, can goods, baking ingredients, and snacks. The grand total for my entire trip was $85!

That probably doesn’t sound like a lot of money to spend on groceries, but if you look below, you’ll see just how much groceries I was able to get for this amount at ALDI.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: product review, saving money, shopping Tagged With: ALDI, groceries

Become #CartonSmart with Tetra Pak and Chicken Poulet Recipe

November 12, 2013 Leave a Comment

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Carton Smart for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

A little can go a long way when it comes to helping the environment. Tetra Pack places their foods in carton packages designed for maximum efficiency and environmental friendliness. Purchasing their foods is one small change you can make to make your home more environmentally friendly.

Their packing is made up of 70% paper, a renewal resource and the cartons use 1/3 of the packaging cans do. Their unique packaging also preserves the taste and nutrients in the food without using preservatives. Become Carton Smart by checking out more information at becartonsmart.com and by taking a look at this infographic.

This holiday season you can get great staples that you'll need for your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. These include Pacific Foods Chicken Stock;

Pumpkin Puree:

and Cranberry Sauce:

I received these products for review. I was most excited to get the Pacific Foods Chicken Stock, because I often use chicken stock to make soups, casseroles, and of course dressing! Today I'm sharing one of my favorite go-to recipes,which I was able to make using the Pacific Foods Chicken Stock in place of other brands I've used in the past.

I've shared my Chicken Poulet on the blog before, but since it's one of my favorite recipes, it seemed like the perfect one to share again for this project. It's also great because I often make this around Thanksgiving because it is basically like chicken & dressing, but it's a lot easier, and it alwas comes out perfect. Here's the recipe:

Recipe for Poulet:

Ingredients:
Stuffing Mixture:
2 pkg. stuffing mix (12 oz total)
1 stick melted butter
1 c. Pacific Foods Chicken Stock

Chicken Mixture:
2 1/2 c. cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Other ingredients:
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cans cream of mushroom OR cream of chicken soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions: Spray 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Make chicken mixture in one bowl and set aside. Mix together stuffing mix and chicken stock. Melt butter, add to the stuffing mixture, and stir until combined. All stuffing crumbs should be moist. Layer stuffing, chicken mixture and then stuffing mix again. Beat eggs and add milk. Pour over casserole (do not pack or smooth down, leave loose). Let chill in refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. Before baking, pour cream of mushroom soup over top and bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Take out and sprinkle cheese over top of casserole. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Be #CartonSmart and follow Carton Smart on their social network sites:

Tweet @CartonSmart

Follow #CartonSmart on Pinterest

What other things can you do this holiday season to be #CartonSmart?

Filed Under: Uncategorized

15 Christmas Party Treats and a Linky Party

November 11, 2013 8 Comments

Last year I hosted a Six Weeks of Christmas Treats event with some guest posts from our friends, and I kicked off the event with a little round-up of Christmas recipes and linky party so you can share your own recipes with us. The post turned out great, and I had 60+ recipes linked up, so I decided to kick off this year’s event with another round up and linky party.

For last year’s post, I shared cookie recipes, decorated cookies, bars, and candy (4 of each). For this year’s round up, I decided to do something a little different. I looked for Christmas treats with a fun twist or cute presentation suitable for Christmas parties. Check them out below, and then feel free to link up your own Christmas treats.

The linky is open to any Christmas treat recipes: cookies, bars, cakes, pies, drinks, appetizers, etc. Pretty much anything goes!

Marshmallow Coffee Cups from The Party Wagon

Lil Meringue Mice from BHG

Twas The Night Before Christmas Treat from Catch my Party

Cupcake Wreath from Yummy Food Drink

Snowmen Cupcakes from Devian Art

Peppermint Lollipops from Munchkin Munchies

Teddy Bears on Sleds from It’s All About Us

Mini Sausage Wreaths from Free-N-Fun Christmas

Santa Hat Party Mix from Cookies & Cups

Snowman Cheeseball from Karla Dornacher

Reindeer Appetizer from Project Denneler

Hot Cocoa Cupcakes from Lick the Bowl Good

Rice Krispie Treat Tree from Cookies & Cups

Very Merry Cookie Wreath from Very Best Baking

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Wreath from Old Fashioned Homemaking

Need more treats? Check out all the recipes I featured last year, plus 64 others linked up by other bloggers! Here’s the link to last year’s party.

Got a holiday treat recipe to share? I’d love for you to link it up below. You can link up cookies, candies, appetizers, drinks, & more! This linky will be open throughout the holiday season.

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

Filed Under: appetizers and snacks, Christmas, cookies and candy, cupcakes, desserts, party ideas Tagged With: holiday, linky party

OPEN UP with Sudafed

November 11, 2013 Leave a Comment

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sudafed.

The fall is my favorite season. It’s such a fun and festive time, and I also enjoy the weather, the fashion, and the decor, but the fall and winter seasons can be the worst when it comes to sinus pain and pressure! There’s the coughing, the stuffy and runny nose, sneezing, and headache pain.

Do you suffer from allergies or frequent colds? What is your most bothersome symptom?

For me personally, the thing I hate worse about cold and allergy season is getting a stuffy nose. It is so terrible not being able to breathe and constantly needing a tissue, and it is even worse at bed time when you are trying to sleep and cannot breathe. I try to use medicine such as Sudafed, and I prop myself up with pillows and try to breathe through my mouth, but it can still be very bothersome.

And the other thing I hate is the headaches that can accompany sinus pressure. I already suffer from frequent migraines, and so sinus pressure can easily bring on a pounding headache for me, which makes it even more difficult to sleep or get any work done during the day.

Check out the infographic below to see what sinus sufferers had to say about their sinus troubles.

Sudafed cares about allergy and cold sufferers and wants to know what you think. Sudafed invites you to join the discussion about Sinus Pressure and Pain on their Facebook Page. How does sinus trouble make you feel? How do you find relief? Go over and like their page to share your thoughts and find out what others are saying.

While I was there I found a few useful tips such as taking a hot shower, placing a hot towel on your head, and keeping a humidifier in your room.

While you are there you can also “open up” about how sinus pain and pressure makes you feel with Sudafed’s OPEN UP™ App. Using the app, you can create a picture of how colds and allergies make you feel, and then you will get a money saving coupon for Sudafed!

Here’s a screen shot of the picture I created:

Check out your local retailers for Sudafed products for children and adults and “open up” your sinuses this fall.

Sudafed knows that suffering from sinus pressure and pain can leave individuals feeling crushed, beat down, congested and even squeezed, desperately looking for a way to OPEN UP. Serious sinus sufferers are invited to creatively share how their sinus pain and pressure looks and feels to them by using Sudafed’s OPEN UP™ application on Facebook.

Then, beginning on December 2, the Sudafed Facebook community will vote for one of five finalist sketches that best illustrates the pains of sinus pressure. The winner will receive $5,000 and a chance to have their work included in a Sudafed advertising campaign. For more information, visit the Sudafed Facebook page.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sudafed.

Filed Under: health, product review Tagged With: allergies, cold, medicine, sinuses, sudafed

Archives for 2013

Home for the Holidays Book Giveaway and Nature’s Sleep Sweepstakes

Home for the Holidays Giveaway Preview

Yummy Thanksgiving Desserts to Include in your Menu

Photo Credit

My Kind of Holiday with Target #MyKindOfHoliday

Guest Post: Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip from Carrie at A Mother’s Shadow

Friday Favorites – Week 192 – With Holiday Snacks

My Favorite ALDI Products #aldiraves

Become #CartonSmart with Tetra Pak and Chicken Poulet Recipe

15 Christmas Party Treats and a Linky Party

OPEN UP with Sudafed

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