Bratz Doll Review and Giveaway

August 30, 2013 by 26 Comments

Are you a Bratzies? My girls are! They are well on their way into the Bratz movement, and enjoying the fun with the cool new trend setting Bratz dolls. I will admit first off right now I didn’t like the entire Bratz dolls when I first saw them years ago. I didn’t find them appropriate at all and this entire review changed my mind completely. I had no idea what the Bratz stood for, all I saw was some edgy doll that my girls had begged me for, so I will share how and why my outlook on this line of dolls has changed forever!

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We got Cloe, My Passion Bratz . She  is spunky with colorful with an eye popping style all her own which makes her fun and edgy. Cloe has long blonde hair with spunky black streak through it, my girls liked that she was unlike any other doll they usually play with . While the girls played with the doll I had looked up information on it trying to see the whole picture and that’s when I found out what they are all about.
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Stealth Health Lunches Kids Love Cookbook review

August 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment

With school just in a week or so it’s that time again to come up with healthy quick lunches kids would love to put in their lunch boxes! Not only that we all deal with the dilemma of healthy eating for kids. They can be picky and it’s a hit or miss half the time and let’s face it gluten loaded lunches can drag our kids down.

With the new cookbook Stealth Health Lunches Kids Love: Irresistible and Nutritious Gluten-Free Sandwiches, Wraps and Other Easy Eat, by Tracy Griffith you can take the guest work out of this hassle and make some nutritious and amazing lunches your child is guaranteed to love. Recipes in the book are all gluten free and unique aiming purely to be healthy and get the kids energized which is a mega help during school hours. Not only are they healthy but they are fun, delighting kids with plenty of variety to choose from.

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Right away the cookbook is filled with really easy recipes. All of which can be made fast, are kid friendly  this means mostly that not only are they eye catching, but in small portions that pertain to kids. There are different parts to the book, which include the sandwich area, rolls, pita pockets, rolls.  gems wraps and buns. You have sidekicks or nibbles ( snacks)  dips and spread as well as a section on how to cook perfect sushi rice. Rice is used in more than half of the recipe which also use what is called Gem Wraps. An all-natural wrap made from fruit and vegetable puree. Side note they are not good as a standalone they are meant to eat using the recipes in the cookbook in chapter four. Trust me on this.
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WIN – Best Lunch Box Ever Cookbook

August 14, 2013 by 21 Comments

School is here! Ready to make those lunches? No? Well think  again if you are dreading this daily chore to help get the kids off to school. The Cookbook Best Lunch Box Ever , ideas and recipes for School Lunches Kids Will Love by Katie Sullivan Morford is a promising cookbook to help get parents and kids excited about school lunches again.

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Sometimes you just need help , an idea to help put together a lunch. Kids get tired of the same old things, peanut butter and jelly, an apple a salad. Boring! Spice up that lunch box and have the kids help .

With 10 Chapters to go through you have plenty to choose from, the Brown Bag basics which is tips to keep food cool till lunch, portion sizes and more. Planning is important, there’s a section on this and it will help even the most unorganized parent prepare lunch easier. Don’t skip this chapter! Next is the food chapters, your array of sandwiches, including just a few are- Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwich, Chickpea Panini and Turkey Hummus Cuties. You have Salads that are aimed for children, roll ups, wraps, and a whole chapter on how to help turn left overs into an amazing lunch. Not skipping the main bulk is fruits and vegetables, little extras to add in there for the kids and even a section for some healthy treats like Rosie’s Energy Balls and more. I like the additional chapters for after school snacks. Yet another daily thing that parents like myself sometimes come to dread. You just serve the same things over and over, well Katie helps take you through the steps and tips to kick up not only your kids lunch box meal but after-school goodies the kids will adore you for! I made some Shredded BBQ Pork Wraps for the kids from leftovers. Perfect size for the lunch box!
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Nutella: 30 Best Recipes Cookbook Review

August 12, 2013 by 1 Comment

Make way for the New Nutella Cookbook full of 30 Delicious Recipes! You all know Nutella, The Worlds most  favorite sweet and nutty spread that grabs both kids and adults attention.

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If you have never heard or tried Nutella, it is a chocolate and hazelnut spread. Sweet,  rich, creamy and perfect for many treats and most importantly ones on the run it is by far the next step up from peanut butter. Use it on toast, use it for your dessert and even more. The cookbook Nutella 30 Best Recipes makes recipes from simple to elegant only a page turn away. Impress guests or family members with easy yet impressive sweet treats using one of the most popular spreads.

We tried the Nutella Soufflés, very quick I was surprised and easy as well to make.  Not even twenty minutes to prepare and then then 30 minutes to bake. It came out amazing.
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Eats: Enjoy All the Seconds Cookbook Review

August 9, 2013 by 1 Comment

Let’s face it when we cook dinner half the time there are left overs. So what are you to do with them? Certainly not waste the food! We are a family of six, and so my meals are cooked with leftovers in mind actually. I got into the habit of this when my kids started heading to school and pick up times ended up colliding with my lunch. Dinner left overs became my lunch on the go so it has been a habit to cook like this. What if you didn’t intend to have any left overs though? What if you have no clue how to use them up and make it just as grand as the dinner itself? Mary Lamontagne solves this problem in an amazing cookbook I  highly recommend any family pick up.

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Eats: Enjoy All the Seconds 135 Colorurful Recipes to Savour and Save by Mary Lamontagne is probably one of the attractive as well as tasteful cookbooks I’ve ever come across. The idea behind her masterpiece is this, what do you do with those leftovers? The cookbook is filled with up to 135 recipes that give you perfect ideas on how to use up that extra food. Waste no more, question no more, just flip the book open to what you have on hand and you are set!
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Grilled Sirloin Pepper Wrap

July 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 

This is a kind of recipe that you need to mix it up and have fun with, which in my opinion is the best there is. I’ve had a lot of kids in my house recently, there’s been two birthdays and then a number of kids that just suddenly drop by around meal times .  The best thing about this recipe is the very fact that it can be done on the grill or in the stove and it’s quick either way. You can use whatever is on hand and the kids get to end up picking and choosing what goes in their own wrap.  Lay it out like a buffet line so they can move down and pick which will go into their own. This is also a great way to use up left over meat.
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Grilled Sirloin Pepper Wrap

1 pound lean boneless sirloin steak cut about 3 /4 inch thick
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Lemonade Popsicles

July 8, 2013 by 1 Comment

It’s summer and it’s hot hot hot! Nothing beats good old lemonade to beat off the heat during a heat wave. Why not kick it up a notch and make some ice pops at the same time? It’s easy, all you need is reusable popcicle containers and you are set to go! I picked mine up at the dollar store believe it or not, great bargain and really once you get them you’ll wonder why on earth you never thought of this before. While you can pretty much put any of your favorite juice inside why not make some fresh lemonade to enjoy? It’s super easy to do and you will have enough to make ice pops and sip some cool lemonade at the same time!

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Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1 cup hot water

2 cups fresh lemon juice

1 gallon cold water

Directions

Mix the sugar in the hot water and stir till it’s all dissolved. Pour in the lemon [Read more…]

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Sparkling Strawberry Punch

July 1, 2013 by 2 Comments

My daughters birthday is this month and I’ve been trying to find a party drink that will win the kids over. It’s also summer so we want a nice cold refreshing drink. This is an easy recipe and I bet you can mix up different drinks for flavors you want. Use some fresh strawberries to garnish each of the glasses and make it even more pretty !

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Ingredients

1 [Read more…]

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