Archives for September 2011

Walt Disney’s Spooky Buddies hitting shelves September 20, 2011!

September 13, 2011 by Samantha 2 Comments

Disney’s irresistible talking Buddies are back in an all-new movie that takes them for a spooky new adventure. With the help of some unexpected new friends — Pip, Zelda, Rodney, and Skip, the buddies must stop Warwick the Warlock and save the world from his dastardly deeds.

Enjoy these Buddy Tips and Activities- Included in the widget are tips to help care for the “buddies” in your home and fun activities for your kids and their “buddies”!

Who’s Your Buddy? The Spooky Buddies widget has an exclusive “Buddy” quiz so you can find out which one of the Spooky Buddies would be your Buddy!

Filed Under: disney, movie

Celebrate September 20th release of DUMBO! Fun Recipes

September 13, 2011 by Samantha 2 Comments

In anticipation of Disney’s September 20th release of DUMBO as a 2-Disc Blu-ray Hi-Def & DVD Combo Pack in celebration of the 70th Anniversary, here are some fun recipes your whole family will enjoy! These kid-friendly recipes feature fun afternoon snacks that you will just have to share. Bon Appetite!

Filed Under: cooking, disney, movie

Wordless Wednesday! King of the Road Trip

September 13, 2011 by Samantha 7 Comments

Filed Under: travel

Take Over Tuesday- Twitter Link Up!

September 13, 2011 by Samantha Leave a Comment

Welcome to Take Over Tuesday, a Facebook and Twitter hop, hosted by Closer to Lucy, The Thrifty Things, , 3 Princes and a Princess 2 and Have Sippy, Will Travel. Each week we will have either a Twitter or Facebook Hop. This week, it’s Twitter.

Leave your Twitter link in the linky and follow the hostesses. We will follow you back.

Follow as many people as you like and @ them to let them know your a new follower. Remember, following back is appreciated!

If you are interested in being our spotlight host, leave us a comment!

Take Over Tuesday Twitter:

get the InLinkz code

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Twitter Hop- come hop with me!

September 12, 2011 by Samantha 9 Comments

Please follow your hosts- we will follow you back! 🙂 Follow as many others as you would like, and please follow back those who follow you. This is great for everyone! 🙂

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Powder and Recipe

September 12, 2011 by Samantha 7 Comments

We just got this fun product, and we can’t wait to try it out!
As I was checking out the Nielsen-Massey Vanillas site, and found a whole mess of fun recipes to try out, like this one for Crisp Vanilla Butter Cookies– don’t they look amazing? My husband and I love to cook and bake, and we can’t wait to try this vanilla powder out!

Kids are now heading back to school and the transition out of summer mode can be difficult, especially for those who would rather play in the pool than practice their spelling. During the switch from home to school, parents can comfort kids by sneaking homemade snacks—inspired by Nielsen-Massey Vanillas products— into their backpacks.

Nielsen-Massey’s Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Powder is a discreet, practical way to add extra flavor to some of childhood’s classic dessert recipes. Give classroom cupcakes an extra punch of flavor by stirring a pinch of Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Powder into the batter. Take a brownie recipe to the next level by sprinkling Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Powder over the treat.

“Our Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Powder is extremely versatile and easy to use,” said Beth Nielsen, chief culinary officer of Nielsen-Massey. “When school starts back up and schedules get crazy, using our vanilla powder can be an easy way to quickly enhance flavors.”

For a healthy, delicious treat that is sure to make your child the envy of everyone in the cafeteria, try Nielsen-Massey’s Healthy Fruit Nut Muffin recipe below.

Healthy Fruit Nut Muffins Makes 1 dozen muffins

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup plain yogurt
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Powder
½ cup shredded carrots
1 cup coarsely chopped peeled apples
½ cup raisins
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup coconut

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray twelve muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the egg, yogurt, butter and vanilla powder and mix with a wooden spoon; do not over mix. Stir in the carrots, apples, pecans, raisins, cranberries and coconut; the batter will be thick.

Fill each muffin cup with 1/3 cup batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

About Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Powder: Nielsen-Massey’s Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Powder is all natural and contains no sugar or alcohol. It is also available in organic form. It can be used in dry mixes, in liquid or color-sensitive products, and as a flavoring for beverages. Use it also to add flavor to fresh fruit or baked goods.

About Nielsen-Massey Vanillas: Throughout its more than 100 year history, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas has earned its reputation as a manufacturer of the finest extracts in the world. The full line of Nielsen-Massey’s Pure Vanilla products include: Vanilla Beans and Extracts from Madagascar, Tahiti and Mexico; sugar and alcohol-free Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Powder; Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste; Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar and Certified Organic Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract and Beans.

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas recently introduced a line of Pure Flavors: Pure Chocolate Extract, Pure Almond Extract, Pure Orange Extract, Pure Lemon Extract, Pure Coffee Extract, Pure Peppermint Extract, Orange Blossom Water and Rose Water. All Nielsen-Massey products are Allergen-Free and certified Kosher and Gluten-Free. The company is headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois, with production facilities in Waukegan and Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.

Have fun, and happy baking 🙂
~Samantha

Filed Under: baking

Danny Phanton soon to be out on DVD

September 12, 2011 by Samantha 2 Comments

On September 13, Shout! Factory will release DANNY PHANTOM: Season One on DVD!!

Part boy, part ghost Danny Phantom, one of Nickelodeon’s most popular animated characters, finally arrives on DVD! Get ready to huntghosts on September 13, 2011, when Shout! Factory releases Danny Phantom: Season One on DVD. Featuring all 20 spooky and hilarious episodes, Danny Phantom: Season One follows the adventures of Danny Fenton – a regular boy by day, a ghost hunter by night except that as fate would have it, he’s part boy part ghost! Long anticipated by fans, Danny Phantom: Season One has not been available in stores until now. A must have for Nickelodeon fans and DVD collectors, the four-disc DVD set will retail nationwide for $29.93.

Aside from other-worldly action, adventure and homework, Danny Phantom: Season One boasts an all-star voice cast which includes David Kaufman (The Buzz on Maggie), Grey DiLisle (Rugrats, The Fairly Odd Parents), Rickey D’Shon Collins (Recess), Colleen O’Shaughnessey (Naruto), Rob Paulsen (Pinky and the Brain), Kath Soucie (Dexter’s Laboratory, Ben 10), Martin Mull and Frank Welker (Transformers).

One of the most memorable Nickelodeon cartoons, Danny Phantom stars 14-year-old Danny Fenton, an unpopular but good-natured boy attending Casper High School in his small American hometown. Danny lives with his strange, ghost hunting parents Maddie and Jack as well as an overbearing 16-year-old sister, Jasmine. One day, while exploring his parents’ Ghost Portal, Danny accidentally turns himself into a half ghost boy launching a series of memorable adventures. Accompanied by his best friends Samantha and Tucker, Danny battles ghosts, the spiteful ghost hunter Valerie Gray, his ghost hunting parents all while keeping his new identity a secret!

Created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon and produced by Billionfold Studios, Danny Phantom premiered on Nickelodeon in 2004 and ran until 2007. The show also aired on TeenNick from 2004-06 and currently airs daily on NickToons.

Filed Under: movie

Travel in Style with BRX! Luggage that can REALLY stand up!

September 12, 2011 by Samantha 9 Comments

I am loving my new BRX Travel Adventure Gear. It was a bit rough to find, but worth the work! I had searched for it online, and it came up that there was a local-ish store that had this fab luggage collection, and I was CRAZY excited- as a travel queen, I am always looking for stuff that can really hold up. Sadly, when I got there? Nothing to be had. They also said they don’t carry the brand at all, so that was a bummer. REI Stores are also now carriers of BRX luggage, so I called ever store within a 90 minute driving range- not one of them had it. Blah! So, I went to old reliable- the internet! Briggs and Riley TravelWare had the whole set, so even though I couldn’t see them in person, it was cool to see the whole collection.

For me, as a writer and a blogger (not to mention resident Mama-razzi and up-loader of a zillion photos everywhere I go!) a great computer bag was my number one. Mine was in dire straights, and I am thrilled to say that the new Excursion Messenger is FABULOUS! I love, love, love it! Besides being great for travel, I take it with me to work nearly every day, and it was the surviving computer of my flood. So YAY for that! It was easy to grab and move.

The other thing I thought would be really, really useful is a great backpack- because really- what momma can’t use a killer backpack? With a zillion pockets and padded straps- this Excursion Backpack is great for travel, and for everyday use as well.

As most of you know, I was actually away on travel when I found out about Hurricane Irene, and that she would be on her way to my area. I left abruptly, and hightailed it home, making it back just hours before it hit. When the storm hit, I was frantically moving things and trying to salvage what I could. Because we were unable to use our own showers, kitchen, washing machine, etc- we were running about to other people’s houses quite a bit. We were very much abusing the bags, since I was dragging everything about in it.

Here is the hubs- with the mandatory hurricane Doritos- on our way to my nearby cousin’s house, who had a working bathroom and shower. Since we had to be able to walk wherever we went (we have evacuated the kids via National Guard boat to my mom’s house for a few days, the conditions were just not sanitary at all) the backpack was a lifesaver!

I’ll give you all a proper travel post with my fab new travel gear in October, when I will be on the road again! (Since my Labor Day trip was clearly cancelled, LOL.) If any of you are thinking of getting some new luggage for upcoming travels- even family visits for the upcoming holidays- I can HIGHLY recommend these! They are killer, easy to clean (and in this current environment, that is so crucial!) and comfortable. I am loving them! And the online shopping is easy, so head on over!
We’ll talk more about them later.
Happy Trails in the meantime! 🙂

Filed Under: review, travel