Today I have a very special treat from our friend Amber over at Salt Tree. She’s sharing a great recipe for homemade marshmallows, but not just any marshmallows— Red Velvet Marshmallows! These are sure to be festive and sweet treat for the holidays! [Read more…]
Celebrate the Season with ALDI #aldistyle
December 13, 2013 15 Comments
Over the last couple of months, I’ve showed you how you can save money by shopping at ALDI , and I’ve shared some of my favorite ALDI products with you. Today for the final post of our ALDI series I will be showing you how we celebrate the holidays #aldistyle!
I’ve already told you that ALDI is great place to get good deals on mean, like the Kirkwood boneless skinless chicken breasts and tenderloins. Well, you can also find great deals on your holiday main course, including Kirkwood Turkeys (just $7.99 for a 48 oz.) and Appleton Farms Ham Spiral Sliced Half Ham ($1.49 lb).
ALDI is also the place to go for your candy and sweets! They have a great baked good section, complete with fresh cookies, cakes, danish, and more, as well as a whole host of boxed cookies, fine chocolates, and other great snacks.
Or if you prefer baking your own holiday treats, check out ALDI’s great selection of baking supplies and seasonings!
For convenience baking, they have a a lot of great cake, bread, cookie, and brownie mixes! I recently picked up their Baker’s Corner Quick Bread Cinnamon Swirl:
Here’s my bread! This mix would be great for a holiday dessert, snack, or brunch item. And as you can see, it turned out wonderfully!
And I can get all the ingredients I need for holiday appetizers like my Creamy Salsa Dip,Black Bean Spirals, Ham & Cheese Pinwheels, and Sausage Balls:
And for holiday baking and desserts, you can find all the chocolate chips, nuts, corn syrup, vanilla, peanut butter, and more to make your favorite treats!
I found everything I needed to make Oreo Balls, Pecan Pie, Caramel Drizzle Pie, and Frozen Hot Chocolate!
Check out the ALDI Holiday Catalog for more product information, recipes and other ideas to celebrate your holiday #ALDIstyle!
Giveaway! One Simply Sweet Home reader will win a $50 gift certificate for ALDI.
To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below.
Disclosure: I received ALDI gift certificates and compensation as an ALDI Ambassador. However, the opinions are my own.
Friday Favorites – Week 196
December 13, 2013 2 Comments
We’re wrapped up in jewelry making and holiday posts, so this is late, but better late than never, right?
While you’re here be sure to enter to win a $100 Visa Card & Arm & Hammer prize pack! And be on the look out for upcoming giveaways from ALDI and Walmart!
And join the party this week by linking up below!
Easy Apple Fruit Cake from Ambreen at Simply Sweet N’ Savory
December 10, 2013 9 Comments
Our parade of Christmas treats wouldn’t be complete without a fruit cake recipe! Today’s guest is Ambreen from Simply Sweet ‘n Savory and she is sharing her Easy Apple Fruit Cake! Sounds delicious!
Hi Simply Sweet Home readers! My name is Ambreen and I share my favorite sweet and savory recipes at “ Simply Sweet ‘n Savory .” Thank you Jerri for giving me this lovely opportunity. I am so excited to be here, sharing a Christmas treat with you all.
Fruit cake is very popular in my family and I make it quite frequently. Today, I’m sharing an easy apple fruit cake recipe ( adapted from BBC good food ) which is packed with apple chunks, candied fruits and raisins. This simple, light and delicious cake is perfect for the holiday season or any special occasion.
Get Your Holiday To-Go from Piccadilly
December 8, 2013 Leave a Comment
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Piccadilly Restaurants for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
The Holiday Feast to go is just $54.99 for turkey or ham. Or if you’d like the Junior Holiday feast, the cost is just $29.99 for turkey and $25.99 for ham.
Piccadilly is also offering all their homestyle sides and desserts ala carte, in case you prefer to do some of the cooking yourself.
To reserve your holiday feast, you must go to the Piccadilly website to find the location of your Piccadilly. From there, you may place your order online, and then pick up your order at your local Piccadilly on the day of your get together. You must place your order at least 36 hours before your event.
Gift cards are also available, and Piccadilly has a special holiday offer for gift card purchasers. For every $50 you spend on gift cards, Piccadilly will issue you a $10 savings card, which is good towards any Piccadilly purchase made from January 1 through January 31, 2014.
Visit the Piccadilly website to check out all the great homestyle foods they have to offer. And you can also connect with Piccadilly on their social network sites: like Piccadilly Restaurants on Facebook, and follow @EatPiccadilly on Twitter.
Chocolate Sesame Cookies from Nora at Treat & Trick
December 8, 2013 8 Comments
Today I’m happy to introduce you to Nora from Treat & Trick. She’s sharing her Chocolate Sesame Cookies with us! These look delicious, and I’m sure they’d be an instant favorite at your house!
Spiced White Hot Chocolate on a Stick from Maysem at Ode to Inspiration
December 6, 2013 2 Comments
Today I am happy to present a guest post from Maysem at Ode to Inspiration. If you like hot chocolate, I’m sure you love her recipe!
With the cold season already here, we need to keep warm! What sweet way to keep warm than with a nice cup of hot chocolate! Today I’m sharing one of my favorite hot chocolate recipes… Spiced White Hot Chocolate on a stick!
Ingredients:
24 oz White Chocolate (best-quality chocolate is recommended)
1 can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
Cooking Spray
Popsicle Sticks
Steps:
1. Line an 8 x 8 dish with aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Place the chocolate in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. In a small sauce pan, combine the condensed milk and heavy cream. Over medium-low heat bring the mixture to a simmer stirring frequently.
4. Pour the mixture over the chocolate and let it sit for a minute. Then stir the chocolate until it’s melted and smooth.
5. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg to the chocolate, and stir until well combined.
6. Pour the chocolate in the prepared 8 x 8 dish. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
7. Once set, slice 25 pieces and insert popsicle sticks in each piece. Feel free to sprinkle each piece with some cinnamon.
Tip: I find it easier to cut the chocolate when it’s removed from the dish. To remove, just lift the chocolate with the foil. For smooth cuts, heat a knife in a hot cup of water, wipe dry, and then cut. Wipe knife after each cut and reheat knife if necessary.
When ready to serve, stir in a cup (8 oz) of hot milk. Garnish it with some marshmallows and cinnamon. Keep warm and enjoy!
These can be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container for up to 2 weeks. They can also be stored in the refrigerator in individual plastic treat bags.
To have more fun with this recipe, use small cookie cutters or molds to create cute shapes. For cookie cutters, use a 9 x 13 baking dish instead. Lightly spray the cookie cutter before cutting. For molds, lightly spray each cavity. The little ones will love the fun shapes… us big ones too!
I hope you enjoyed today’s recipe. I’d love to have you stop by Ode to Inspiration for more fun ideas. You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Hope to see you around!
Thanks so much to Maysem for being here today! Be sure to follow her over at Ode Inspiration!
Cozy & Comfy with Arm & Hammer with Giveaway
December 6, 2013 56 Comments
As you prepare for the holidays, you can keep your clothes and home clean with help from Arm & Hammer. As an Arm & Hammer Influencer, I received a great package of products (pictured above) to help me with my fall and holiday cleaning.
I was very excited to try Arm & Hammer’s Ultra Power 4X Laundry Detergent. Not only does it have a great scent and leave your clothes smelling and feeling fresh and clean, but it’s also super concentrated, so you don’t have to use a lot to get your clothes cleaned.
I also received some baking soda and a baking soda shaker bottle. I was happy to get this, because I often use baking soda for cleaning in my kitchen and bathroom. You can sprinkle a little in your sinks, and then scrub with a sponge or brush, and it will leave them clean and shiny, while also deodorizing. And I’ve also used it to remove soap scum from the tub.
In the past, I’ve also used baking soda to remove tea stains from the kitchen counter. I had a tea pitcher with a crack in it, and the tea leaked out and stained the counter. None of my other cleaners would remove the stain, so I sprinkled a little baking soda on the stain and let it set for a few minutes, and then I scrubbed the stain away with a sponge.
As you may know, Baking Soda actually has a ton of other uses. Here are just a few that I found in the book Household Uses for Baking Soda:
For cleaning:
- Sprinkle in your shoes to deodorize. (Works great on wet sneakers!)
- Deodorize rugs and pet bedding. Just sprinkle a little soda. Wait a few minutes, and then vacuum.
- Clean lawn and pool furniture.
- Clean door and window screens.
- Sprinkle in litter boxes to refresh and remove odors.
- Mix a quarter cup of baking soda with 1 quart of warm water to clean coffee makers and cups.
For health & beauty:
- Use baking soda as a foot soak! Just add 3 tablespoons to a basin of warm water.
- Sprinkle a quarter size amount of baking soda in your palm, along with shampoo. The baking soda will help remove residues that styling products leave behind.
- Dab on a little baking soda solution, to relieve razor burn.
- To treat sunburn, add 4 tablespoons of baking soda to a quart of water and apply to affected area.
Connect with Arm & Hammer:
Share and connect on Facebook.
Visit ARM & HAMMER’s website to explore ARM & HAMMER products, tips and hints, FAQs, and consumer reviews, and find out Where to buy ARM & HAMMER products.
Also, for the ARM & HAMMER Savings Center (coupons, etc).
Giveaway! One Simply Sweet Home reader will an Arm & Hammer prize pack with 2-3 Arm & Hammer products and a $100 To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below.
Disclosure: I’m a member of the Arm & Hammer Influencer Network. I received products for review and compensation for this post. The opinions are my own.
Friday Favorites – Week 195 – with Holiday Drinks
December 5, 2013 12 Comments
Hello! Welcome to another edition of Friday Favorites! I’m really enjoying your holiday posts and am happy to be featuring some holiday drinks this week!
But before we get to this week’s features, I’d like to invite you to enter a couple of my giveaways, which are ending soon.
First off, I’m giving away a Diamond Candle, and this was a short giveaway, so it’s a LOW ENTRY giveaway, which means you have a great chance to win!
And then I’ve just a couple of days left for my Ornament Wreath Giveaway! [Read more…]
Christmas Day Muffins from Tanusree at Ma Niche
December 3, 2013 1 Comment
Today I’m pleased to welcome another holiday guest! Tanusree of Ma Niche is here to share some Christmas Day Muffins! Add this recipe to your Christmas breakfast or brunch menu, and I’m sure it will be a crowd pleaser!
Hello everyone ! I am Tanusree from the blog Ma Niche, where I share my culinary adventures and sometimes easy diy projects. I love everything baked and everything Mediterranean and that is pretty evident from my blog. Being from India where a big percentage of the population is vegetarian I often try to bake my cakes, cookies and breads without eggs, and today I am delighted to be here to share my eggless Christmas Day Muffins with you. I have baked these using whole wheat flour so they are slightly dense. However if you prefer fluffier ones just substitute the whole wheat flour with an equal measure of all-purpose flour and you’ll be good to go.
Christmas Day Muffins
Recipe adapted from Mrs Byatt’s Christmas Day Muffins
Prep time: 25 minutes Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Total time: 45-50 minutes Yield: 7
Ingredients
For the Muffins
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1-1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 40 ml canola oil
- 60 ml milk
- 40 ml orange juice
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsps yogurt
- 2 tbsps orange marmalade
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
For the Orange Marmalade Glaze
- 3 tbsps unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 tbsps orange marmalade
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tbsp spiced rum*(optional)
- 3 tbsps powder sugar
Cooking Directions
- Grease 7 muffin cups or 7 outer holes of a muffin tray and keep aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and the spices and keep aside.
- Put the oil, milk and orange juice in a mixing bowl and beat to mix them well.
- Add sugar to the liquid mixture and beat till it is well incorporated.
- Add the yogurt, marmalade and orange zest to the sugar-liquid mixture and beat well.
- Using a wooden spoon gently fold in the sifted flour mixture and the cranberries into the liquid mixture taking care not to over-beat.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups/holes and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the muffins have risen and are golden on top.
- Remove the muffins from their case and let them cool while you prepare the marmalade glaze.
- For the glaze : Heat butter in a saucepan until melted. Stir in the orange marmalade and orange juice and mix well.Switching off the heat, stir in the salt, the powdered sugar and the rum and mix well until a smooth uniform solution is formed.
Dip the muffins into the prepared marmalade glaze, coat them on all sides and let the glaze settle, about 10-15 minutes. Then serve and enjoy !
Hope you enjoy these muffins for Christmas and will visit Ma Niche for many such holiday treats. You can also find me on Facebook, Pinterest and G+. Wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays !
Thank you Jerri for having me here. It was fun sharing the muffins at 6 Weeks of Christmas Treats !
Thanks again to Tanusree for being here today. Please be sure and drop her blog to say hello!
