This Is How I Spent My Day

Baking!  Those pretty looking packages all wrapped up in the back are banana breads.  I used this muffin recipe and they came out great. 

In the big red tub we have chocolate chips cookies (this recipe) and oatmeal chocolate chips cookies (they were a bagged cookie mix, and they came out yummy).  In the green tub is almond spritz cookies (this recipe) and in the little red tub are chocolate peanut butter oatmeal no bake cookies.  I'll post that recipe when I find a moment to breathe!  I love baking for Christmas, but it always seems like I don't have time for anything else.  All these cookies will end up in gift tubs, as well as the ones I still have to make tomorrow.

Cookie Baking Day!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pier 1 Imports. All opinions are 100% mine.

Every year, the girls and I get together with my mom and my sister to bake Christmas cookies.  We usually make a day of it, and when it's time to go, we all exchange cookies.  This year, I want to make cookies that don't have to bake, which I guess means I'm not technically making cookies.  I saw a recipe recently on someone's blog (I don't remember whose) on how to make cake balls, and they sound delicious!  I also want to make peanut butter balls. Neither of those "cookies" require the oven, so I won't have to impatiently wait my turn as my mom and sister bake their cookies.

Every year, my sister has to borrow my measuring spoons, because she doesn't have her own set.  I have two, so I don't mind sharing.  I am thinking, though, that measuring spoon will make a cute Christmas gift, especially if I get her these:

 

 

 

 

 

Aren't they adorable?  I found them at Pier 1.  I also found some cute measuring cups, but I think they are more my style than hers,  What do you think?

 

 

 

 

 

Pier 1 has some of the cutest holiday gifts I have seen this season. They are also very involved with Toys for Tots.  You can make a donation at any register, or simply drop off an unwrapped toy at any of their stores.  If you are like me and want to help but are running low on funds, you can like them on Facebook.  For every fan they get, they will donate $1 to Toys for Tots.  It's an easy way to help make Christmas a little better for needy kids.

Is It A Surprise That My Most Recent Wicked Fresh Moment Involved Food?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Toms of Maine. All opinions are 100% mine.

Last Sunday night was Junior's Christmas party.  His company rented out an entire restaurant.  They paid for dinner, dessert, and drinks, as long as you drank coke or water.  Alcohol was available, of course, but the guests had to pay for that themselves.  We don't drink, so the entire night was free.  We hung out with a few of his coworkers that we are friendly with, and had a really good time.  The food was delicious.  They had a chicken and mushroom dish that I really enjoyed, and then there was dessert.  I didn't feel like going back to the buffet, so I told Junior to gab me something if there was anything up there he thought I would enjoy.  We shared a wicked fresh moment when he put a plate in front of me that had the biggest piece of chocolate peanut butter cake.  It was chocolate cake with peanut butter cream between the layers and a chocolate layer on top.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it!  It looked a lot like this:

 

 

 

 

Have you had a Wicked Fresh Moment lately?  If so, Tom's Of Maine wants to hear all about it.  In case you don't know who Tom's of Maine is, they are a leading natural products company focused on oral and personal care.  Right now they are having a contest where they are giving away a $500 Target gift card and other prizes.  Basically, all you have to do is Tweet your wicked fresh moment, making sure to follow Tom's on Twitter.  You can gain a bonus entry by liking them on Facebook.  All of the official details can be found on the That's Wicked Fresh contest page.  If you enter, be sure and leave a comment here telling me what your Wicked Fresh Moment is.

Make A Wish

 

How do you like my crooked cake?  I knew my oven was unlevel, but I didn't realize how bad until I baked this cake.  When I took it out of the oven, there was a least a half an inch difference on each end.   I tried to level it out by matching the higher sides with the lower sides, but it still tilted.  I am not a big fan of vanilla cake (I'm a chocolate girl) but it's what Brandi wanted.  The important thing is that it tasted good, and it did!

It's All The Same

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

This is a blog about food.  I have a couple of picky eaters in my little family, myself being one of them.  I try to make a variety of things at every meal, so there is always something that everyone will eat.  There are days, though, when I wish I could just make each kid a bottle and be done with it.  This mom has her limits, and these kids who call me Mom know how to get me there.

Of course, as soon as I remember how expensive baby formula is, I am thankful that my kids are older.  Although, more and more stores are offering generic brand infant formula for a whole lot less money than the name brands.  It's funny how some people think the name brand formulas are better for their babies, when in reality, they are the same as the store brand formula.  They have to be, thanks to Infant Formula Act. 

"This legislation vested FDA with the authority to ensure that all infant formulas sold in the United States provide the necessary levels of identified nutrients required for the growth of healthy babies. Store-brand formulas are nutritionally equivalent to Enfamil® and Similac® brand-name formulas but cost up to 50% less." 

That can be a savings of up to $600 a year.  That's a whole lot of money you could save simply by making the switch to generic formula.  If you think back a couple of months, there was a recall on Similac because of beetles.  That should tell you right there that even the name brands aren't always the best for your baby.

It's National Cookie Day!

One of my favorite bloggers, Steve from Burnt Food Dude, is putting together an awesome post all about cookies!  I love cookies!  I love eating cookies, and I really love baking cookies!  In fact, my mom, my sister and I actually have cookie days in December when we get together and bake cookies all day.  Then at the end of the day, we split the goodies.  It's so much fun!  The kids have fun, too, especially my girls.  I love that this is something we all do together.

I was going to make some Christmas cookies for this post, but it just so happens to be Brandi's birthday today, too.  In her honor, I took one of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes...spritz cookies...and made them girly for her birthday.  Check them out:

Spritz Cookies
(this is not my own recipe...I got it years ago out of one of my mom's cook books, thought I can't remember which one)

1 1/2 cups butter
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 375*.

Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add 1 cup of the flour, the sugar, egg, baking powder, vanilla, and almond extract.  Beat until thoroughly combined.  Beat in remaining flour.

Take un-chilled dough and put it into your cookie press.  I have a pampered chef one, and it comes with a bunch of different disks.  Today I made the hearts and butterflies.  For Christmas, I usually make the trees.   It's also fun to use food gels and dye the dough green for those.  I always use some type of sprinkle, because they make them look so pretty! 

Bake 8-10 minutes.  I like to bake just until they start to brown, that way they stay soft.

I hope you enjoy these cookies if you decide to make them, and make sure you check out Steve's cookie post to find more delicious cookie recipes!

It's Almost Birthday Time!

My baby is turning nine on Saturday.  I can not believe it has been that many years since we have had a baby in the house.  Since her birthday is on a Saturday, she needs to bring cupcakes to school tomorrow.  We did a little mom and daughter bonding time this afternoon and made those yummy looking strawberry cupcakes for her class.  Of course, they had to be pink. :)  I am kind of sad that this is the last year she will be able to do this, which means it's the last time I get to make birthday cupcakes for school.  I think this next year is going to be the end of a lot of things with her, like believing in Santa and the tooth fairy.  I guess I have to be content with waiting for my kids to start having kids, which hopefully won't happen for many, many years.

Afraid Of Getting Lost?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of NAVTEQ. All opinions are 100% mine.

Lots of cars these days have in-dash navigation systems.  People use them everyday to get to where they need to be.  Are you one of them?

If so, have you taken the time lately to do a map update?  Many businesses are closing down, while others are just opening up, and with an outdated map system in your GPS, you could be sent to a store that is no longer open. 

Imagine that you are on your way to a holiday party.  You're running a little late because the kids wouldn't cooperate in the "getting ready" department.  The party is being held a few towns away at a venue you have never heard, and halfway there you remember that you were supposed to bring a holiday themed dessert.  You punch into your GPS that you need to find a bakery, and it leads you to an empty building. You spend the next half hour driving around, looking for somewhere to buy a cake, only to show up an hour late for the party.

If you had done a map update you may not have found yourself in that position.  You would have been one of the first guests to arrive, and you would have been able to relax and enjoy good company, and most importantly, good food. 

Want These Pots?

This is the Farberware Classic Stainless Steel 10 Piece Cookware Set with Glass Lids.  Awesome, right?  I found them on the csnstores.com website for only $69.95.  You can check them out here. 

I can offer you the chance to win these pots, or anything else at csnstores, up to $115.  All you have to do is go here and enter the csnstores giveaway I am hosting on my other blog.  Good luck!

Top Droppers ~ November

Thanks so much to the following blogs who dropped here the most last month.

comatised ~ Dreaming in digital

 

Symbian Freeware ~ Free Symbian GPS, VoIP, text reader software, free themes and games. Ovi Nokia games and freeware.

 

my kids are my world ~ This is a blog about my life as a wife and mother of three kids, who are, obviously, my world.

 

Info ~ Information for your personal finance

 

Tele Centers ~ It has my Technical works and personal thoughts

 

URS-VANCOUVER ~ Its my personal blog and i am planning to bring more visitors to it to enhance the quality of the blog

 

 Tattered Notes ~ Mixed bag of articles from my life

 

TMA-Graphics ~ take free the worlds best home makers ideas. oops!!  I really burn my apron but I make good choices. 

 

Entertainment Information ~  For those of you who need information on entertainment, in this place you’ll find it, visit any time because we update the latest information and important. 

 

The Day Trading Journey For Trader ~ Where Trader Get New Day Trading Information

My Contribution To Thanksgiving Dinner ~ Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:
6 cups warm, mashed sweet potatoes
2 cups brown sugar
16 tbsp melted butter
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/3 cups milk
2 tsp vanilla

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup flour
8 tbsp melted butter
dash salt

Combine all ingredients.  Mix well.  Pour into buttered 9x13 inch baking dish. (I sprayed mine liberally with cooking spray)

Mix topping ingredients together and drop on top of potato mixture.

Bake at 350* for one hour.

I know this isn't exactly a healthy recipe, what with all the sugar and butter, but I only make it once a year, and my family loves it.  I don't like sweet potatoes so I don't eat it.  I should also mention that when it comes out of the oven it is a little poofy and shaky, but it sets as it cools. 

Goodbye For Now, Duff

I read some sad news the other day...Food Network has canceled Ace of Cakes after 10 seasons.  I love this show!  I mean, who doesn't love Duff, Geoff, and Mary Alice?  And the cakes!  They are always pretty awesome.

Now, I will admit that I never really watched it on Thursday nights when the new episodes aired.  I watched them in reruns over the weekends. But I always enjoyed them.  I also read that this is not the end of Duff.  Apparently, Food Network has other plans for him.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see what those plans might be.

Luckily, there are several other shows on food network that I love to watch.  Last Sunday they crowned the new Iron Chef, Marc Forgione.  I was glad he beat out Chef Marco Canora.  For some reason I can't quite explain, I never really liked him.  I also love watching the Challenge shows.  There is something about watching bakers stress for 8 hours over a huge cake that makes me happy.  Yeah, I'm a little weird that way.  I also want to be one of those baker one day.  Brandi says I could do it with my mom, and we would win.  She's my biggest cheerleader!


Then there are the actual cooking shows.  Those chefs always use the best cookware and kitchen gadgets.  I love Racheal Ray's spoons that have the slots in them to rest on the side of the pots. Whoever came up with that idea is a genius.  Oh, and I can't even tell you how much I love Alton Brown.  That guy is a walking encyclopedia of food knowledge, which I think is awesome.

So, as much as I will miss Duff and the gang, there are enough other shows to keep me tuning in to Food Network.

Finding The Freebies

 I love free stuff.  I really do.  I get emails every day letting me know about free offers.  I have gotten some pretty good stuff, too.  I have gotten enough shampoo and conditioner to last me for a year.  Deodorant, too, which is pretty cool because that stuff is kind of pricey.  The only freebies I shy away from are watching Free Movies Online simply because I have no idea which are the legal sites, and which are the ones that will get me into trouble. 

Finding Free Samples online is pretty simple.  I am friends with a lot of people on Facebook who spend their days finding the free stuff, and then passing the links along to their friends. Sometimes, the "freebie" is something you can download, but most of the sites send you Free Samples by Mail.  It's fun going to the mailbox every day, not knowing what will be inside.  

The other day I got a sample granola bar. (I'm not going to say the brand name) Now, I have been hearing how "natural" these bars are, and let me tell you, it was kind of gross.  I think if I was used to eating more fruits and nuts, it would have tasted better to me.  Or maybe it was the fruit and nut combination I didn't like.  All I know is that I won't be buying them myself. 

The New Duncan Hines Cake Mix And Glaze

As delicious as this cake was, I am more impressed with the picture I took.  I mean, you can seriously see all the yumminess.  Anyway, last night, my dad and his wife came over for dinner (they bought the pizza...thanks Dad!).  I decided to make dessert, and since I had bought this new cake mix last week, I wanted to try it out.

I love, love, LOVE the glaze.  The cake was delicious, don't get me wrong, but that glaze was phenomenal!  Next time, I am going to use the vanilla glaze on the chocolate cake...I bet that will be delicious, too.

Butt Paste

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Boudreaux's Butt Paste. All opinions are 100% mine.

I remember when my baby sister was pregnant for the first time, she was making out her registry list online.  I think this is awesome, by the way.  Being able to make a list of all the things you would like to have from the comfort of your own living room instead of having to walk around the store, scanning each individual item is like the store's little gift to a pregnant woman.

Anyway, I remember her telling me that she was letting her husband help her pick out things, and as soon as he saw the Boudreaux's Butt Paste he said he had to have it.  According to my sister, he had no idea what it did, he just wanted it because of it's name.  So she put it on her list.  Little did she know that it would be the best diaper rash cream.

This cream is awesome because it goes on and comes off easily.  If you are a mom, you know how important it is to be gentle on irritated skin.  Nothing breaks a mom's heart more than seeing their baby in pain.   Butt Paste was formulated by a pharmacist and a pediatrician, two people who also know how important it is to use a gentle product on tender skin.  It has also been featured on several television shows, like Oprah and While You Were Out on TLC.  It not only comes in the tub, but also flip top tubes and travel sizes. 

You can try it for yourself by going to their website and requesting a sample.  Trust me, once you try it, you will not want to use anything else.

How I Fed My Babies

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am a big believer in breast feeding.  I planned on breast feeding my children, but when the time came, I couldn't.  I'm not sure if it was the size of my breasts (they were very large) or that Ryan just wasn't interested, but no matter what position I tried, nothing worked.  I eventually had to accept the fact that he would not be breast feeding, which meant I had to use formula.  Even back then, I knew that the store brands were just as good as the name brands.  In fact, all infant formulas have to meet the same nutritional guidelines, so why spend money on the more expensive brands when the cheaper ones are just as good for your baby?

The store brands don't have to spend money on advertising, and they don't give their products to the hospitals for free, so they can keep their products reasonably priced.  In fact, some studies show that you can save about $600 a year simply by switching to store brand formula.  For new parents, that's a big number.  Imagine how many diapers and wipes that money can buy.

I will always be a believer in breast feeding, but it's nice to know that there is an affordable alternative for mothers like me.

Yum. That's All.

Breakfast.  Sometimes, it just has to include peanut butter.  That's all I'm saying.

Do You Know Which Vitamins You Should Be Taking?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of vitaminID.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

Trying to decide which vitamins to take can get pretty confusing.  Their are individual vitamins for every nutrient you may be lacking, from vitamin A to zinc.  There are also lots of multi vitamins geared towards men or women, or older men and older women.  Standing in the vitamin aisle can be very intimidating if you don't know exactly what you are looking for.
I went to VitaminID.com and took their simply survey to see what vitamins I should be taking on a daily basis.  It took less than five minutes for me to answer a series of questions that asked everything from how many veggies I eat every day to whether or not I'm a smoker.  I had to include my height and weight, and I was seriously prepared for them to offer me up some diet pills.  They didn't.  They did, however, offer me a list of vitamins i should be taking to supplement my diet.  Check it out:

I was not at all surprised about the fish oil, because i do not eat any fish.  I am not sure what the natural sterols and stanols are, so I have to do a bit of research before taking those.  Apparently, since they have me taking four of them, it must be something important I am lacking.  VitaminID.com also offers free live chats with Registered Dieticians, so I may hop back on their and ask what those sterols and stanols are all about.
Hopefully, I will feel more confident in the vitamin aisle from now on.

Chocolate Covered Worms

Brandi is reading How To Eat Fried Worms in her gifted/talented class.  As a project, they had to pick three different things to do with worms.  Her first project was a game she had to make up that she called How To Eat Vocabulary Worms (you can check it out here).

For her second project, she had to make an original recipe using worms.  She decided to make chocolate covered gummy worms.  I melted the chocolate, but she did everything else, and they came out great.  They tasted kind of gross, at least to me.  The kids in her class liked them, so i guess that's all that matters.

Her final project will be an experiment of some kind.  Junior is going to help her with that one.  I don't touch real worms.

Do You Have A Cheap Cable Television Deal?

I used to live in New York, and I still have a few friends there.  My sister still lives there, too.  From what I have been hearing from them, a very popular cable television provider has been yanking channels off the air due to contract issues.  I remember a few months ago they took Food network off the air, and a lot of their customers were really upset.  TI know of several who went looking for better Cable TV Deals.  I don't think I could stay with my current cable provider if they took Food Network off the air.  I mean, we're one episode away from finding out who the new Iron Chef is going to be.  I have to admit that I was a little happy to see Chef Tsai go last night.  He seemed just a little too cocky to me.

Anyway, I love my cable provider.  I also have my home phone and High Speed Internet through them. I don't know enough about internet speeds and things, so not having to search for Internet Service Providers on my own is awesome.  I am a big fan of the bundle package, which allows me to only have one bill every month for all three services.  I know a lot of people are shying away from having a home phone and only using their cells, which is a good choice for some.  Since I work from home, I like having a land line.  

Gotta go.  30 Minute Meals is on, and I need my Rachael Ray fix.