Hoboken Farms for Almost-Home Made Pasta Sauce @hbknfarms

Winter is on its way – and you know what that means – comfort food season is upon us. It’s the time of year to indulge in hot meals that warm us up and fill us up. Nothing brings families together quite like a big pasta dinner, and maybe you don’t always have the time to make your sauce from scratch. It can’t hurt to have some on hand for “those nights” when it all just gets away from you and you need to throw together dinner, and fast.
pasta sauce
What makes each pasta dinner unique? The sauce, of course. Perhaps you have a family recipe or even a go-to store brand sauce that you swear by. Have you ever tried Hoboken Farms? Right outta NJ,  Hoboken Farms has a trio of sauces that will make you re-think what it means to eat sauce from a jar. With the simplest ingredients, this locally crafted sauce may fool you ­or your guests ­as being homemade. The purveyors of the coolest line of BIG PASTA SAUCES offers three staples to choose from; BIG RED marinara, BIG BOSS vodka and the latest, BIG BASIL.
Skeptical? The Wall Street Journal named BIG RED Marinara America’s best tasting sauce in 2011. Give these a try if you haven’t yet, you won’t regret it. The vodka sauce was my favorite, the marinara was my husband’s. See what you think.  Get yours HERE or see if you live nearby a local sales person. If you are in North Jersey or in Hoboken itself, it will be pretty easy for you. Mangia!

 

WIN Ice Age: Collision Course #ScratInSpace #CollisionCourse

Have your kids seen the new movie, Ice Age: Collision Course, yet? My son watched it over and over as soon as the DVD arrived- he really enjoys this series.

ice age

Scrat’s epic pursuit of the elusive acorn catapults him into the universe where he accidentally sets off a series of cosmic events that transform and threaten the Ice Age World. To save themselves, Sid, Manny, Diego, and the rest of the herd must leave their home and embark on a quest full of comedy and adventure, traveling to exotic new lands and encountering a host of colorful new characters.

new ice age movie

The cast includes returning favorites as well as some new voices, including Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Simon Pegg, Keke Palmer, Jennifer Lopez, Queen Latifah, Adam Devine, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Max Greenfield, Jessie J, Nick Offerman, Wanda Sykes, Stephanie Beatriz, Michael Strahan, Melissa Rauch, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

We had a great family night in watching the movie. My son likes Scrat the best (always chasing that acorn) and Sid as well, while I prefer cantankerous Manny.  He’s just being practical, after all. He was very excited when he saw the new movie had arrived, and it came on a good day- he wasn’t feeling very well, and had stayed home from school that day.

family movie

He snuggled up under the Ice Age blanket, which was super soft and fluffy, and got ready for the show to start. I was hoping he would nod off, but no such luck, lol. My son says his favorite parts include “the crystals”, but I won’t say any more just in case you have not seen the movie yet- no spoilers, LOL. You also get to meet the daughter of Manny and his wife, who has a surprise of her own to shock (and upset) her dad with.

ice age

Nothing sets off the minds of curious, passionate kids quite like space.
Visit HERE to join Scrat on an educational journey through our galaxy! Where kids can have a fun and immersive experience, that puts them into the captain’s chair and shows them what it would be like to be in space with Scrat!

kids telescope

My son loved checking out the night sky himself to see what Scrat saw- are your kids at all interested in space or the constellations? He was so excited with the new Smithsonian telescope- it was an upgrade from his last one. He got some ideas of where to look from his new star gazing book as well. What’s not to love about National Geographic?

star book

One of you can win a copy of the movie for your own family- just feel free to enter to win using the RC form below. Good luck! Ends Dec. 1, 2016.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jotun Valhalla Edition and Axiom Verge for Nintendo Wii U

Today we are going to look at two of the plethora of cool Indie titles for the Wii U, Jotun Valhalla Edition and Axiom Verge.  An epic Norse adventure game and a mind bending side scroller which questions your trust in the programmers of the game.

nintendo games

First up is Jotun, Jotun Valhalla Edition follows the story of Thora, a Viking warrior who has suffered an inglorious death.  This means she can not enter Valhalla. As such, Odin offers her another chance to prove herself worthy of Valhalla by battling various gods and defeating them.  You begin the game in Ginnungagap, a Norse limbo which acts as your central point between various levels.  Each has lush hand drawn designs and characters.  Every level acts as a puzzle in itself, as well as an exploration chance to find a God’s weapon.  These weapons then make each boss battle easier to get through, some times, later in the game these are even necessary to defeat some tough baddies.  This game has a “new school”, artistic vibe and an old school, boss rush game play. It is perfect for new gamers as well as older ones.  What I really like about this game is its lush settings, designs, and the Norse driven story which is a relatively fresh area in gaming.

Axoim Verge video game

Next up is Axoim Verge.  Axoim Verge, looks familiar at first glance, a 2d side scrolling Metroid-vania style game where the hero explores a huge area piece by piece.  But that is where the similarities end. With nine massive non linear areas which are unlock-able,  tons of weapons, tools, and equipment (the most memorable of which is a glitch-er tool which, when used, causes game elements to break and either open up new areas, turn enemies into health power ups, or even have enemies turn into assistants).  This not only opens up new elements of game play and gives players a new way to analyze an area, but also opens up new portions of the area and has you question where this game’s setting is. Is it the future, an alien world, or a glitch virtual reality world?  Either way, we had a great time exploring it and can’t wait to unlock more weapons, areas, and tools.

Jotun Valhalla Edition is available now for $14.49 and Axoim Verge for $19.99 through the Nintendo eShop on the Wii U.

Nature Made®at Walmart #NatureMadeAtWalmart #IC #ad

This post was sponsored by Nature Made® as a part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central.

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There are many facets to a healthy lifestyle, a few of them being exercise, eating right, mental health, and proper nutrition.  Some of these can be difficult to do on the regular, with busy lifestyles and juggling a family, work, and social responsibilities with personal health.  Often times, parents put their own health last, after those of everyone else around them have been cared for.  One way to help keep yourself in better health is with vitamins, minerals, and probiotics.  Some of the most potent and value minded can even be found at Walmart’s and Walmart SuperCenters. Nature Made® Probiotics are available at Walmart SuperCenters, and the other vitamins and supplements are at both Walmart and Walmart SuperCenters.

probiotics

Nature Made® is the #1 Pharmacist Recommended brand for many key dietary supplement categories*.  Nature Made® has a variety of vitamins, minerals, and supplements (VMS) to help support nutritional gaps with your health goals in mind ranging from Digestive Support, Heart Health & Function, Energy Metabolism, Women’s Health and much more!†  In our house we regularly use vitamins and herbal supplements as well as probiotics to give our bodies that extra boost we can’t seem to find elsewhere, especially Mom and Dad.  Nature Made® vitamins and supplements: An easy, convenient way to help your body get the nutritional support it needs every day, whether it be to support bone health, immune health or energy metabolism (helping convert food into energy).†  Nature Made® Probiotics: Nature Made® Advanced Dual Action Probiotic has been clinically studied and provides dual support to both your small and large intestine for comprehensive coverage to help support digestive balance and healthy gut flora.†   On the Retailer Hub, readers can enter for chance to win one of 60 Walmart gift cards worth $50 each (No Purchase Necessary).

vitamens

We also like how convenient it is having such high quality supplements at our local Walmart and within reach.  Being able to support so many different functions, like boosting energy at a cellular level, supporting digestion, or simply giving our immune system a much needed boost. It makes it easier when items are easy to find at Walmart with the help of Nature Made.  So be sure to check them out at your local Walmart today.

*Based on the 2016 U.S. News & World Report – Pharmacy Times Survey.http://shopcentric.influence-central.com/walmart/nature-made/

†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease.

Pele: Soccer Legend

soccer games

Want a more wholesome game for your kids to enjoy? Pelé: Soccer Legend is a new, free-to-play sports game on Poki. It’s got 3D graphics that look good on every computer—even on budget laptops. The gameplay is fun, and you only need to press one button to play. What’s not to love? From what I’ve experienced, Pelé: Soccer Legend is nothing short of amazing.

The Athletic Premise
Pelé is a hero to millions of soccer fans. Even those who didn’t watch him in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s know of his greatness. In Pelé: Soccer Legend, your kids can experience the early days of Pelé’s career. That’s because this game actually takes place on the streets of Brazil! Instead of competing on a typical soccer pitch, players get to score goals in back-alley “arenas.” This is a fresh way of reinventing the soccer genre, because it looks different than every other game. And it feels quite different, too. When kicking towards the goal, you can bounce the ball off of anything nearby! It’s really fun to aim at the wall and try to ricochet the soccer ball into the goal. There’s also a car behind the net, which you can aim at for funny surprises.

So Many Kicks
Pelé was an innovative athlete. He didn’t just kick the ball like everyone else. In Pelé: Soccer Legend, your children can learn all of Pelé’s memorable moves, like the mind-blowing bicycle kick. At certain points during each level, players will have the opportunity to try a new type of shot. There are more than a few ways to kick the ball towards the goal. At the end of the round, you’ll be asked to complete a bonus shot. This challenge is extra fun and worth extra points!

Another really cool feature of Pelé: Soccer Legend is the star himself, Pelé. During the game, the Brazilian legend will give you tips on how to score! His picture will appear on the screen with special advice about kicking the ball, outplaying defenders, and using bonuses. For young fans, this can be really inspirational.

Easy to Hard
Learning the basics of how to score is simple: swipe to kick. But, as you might expect, Pelé: Soccer Legend has some very hard levels that you can play here. In the beginning, inexperienced players might score easily during their first few attempts. That’s because the first couple of rounds are designed to teach you how to play. After getting a grasp of the different kicks, players will encounter entire teams of defenders. That’s when things get tough. Thankfully, there are a bunch of power-ups that make winning much more attainable. Older players might not need the power-ups, but they help a great deal.
A Fantastic Goal
Pelé: Soccer Legend is more than just a sports game. It’s designed like some of the most successful mobile games, with addictive levels, unlockable items, and fun surprises. Even if your kids aren’t fans of Pelé just yet, they’re destined to enjoy the action in Pelé: Soccer Legend.

Lil Lockitz Memory Studio

There are lots of ways to express yourself and one of the most fun is with a collage.  But most collages are too big to really share with those around you so why not make them smaller and more person with the Lil’ Lockitz.  Lil’ Lockitz lets you express yourself as never before to make something truly personal, for yourself or a friend.  Each Lockit can contain a plethora of special charms including gems, and backgrounds.  Create a wearable collage that tells a story, with gems, backgrounds and charms of your favorite things.  The set includes 10 reusable Lockitz, 40 Charms, 30 Gems and 16 Backgrounds. Wear them as a necklace, bracelet or use the keychain clasps to make clip-ons for your backpack, messenger bag or key chain.  The set itself includes  storage compartments, lights and music, Display Stand, Locket Tops and Backs, Necklaces, Bracelets, Keychain Clasps, Custom Charms, Backgrounds, Tweezers, Photo Stencil and Instructions.  What we like about the set is it is easy to put together the Lockitz and a breeze to reuse in case the mood strikes you to change things up a little bit either on the fly or with the design studio.  The photo stencil lets you even use your own photos in the charms adding even more ways to personalize and share with those around you.  It is also a nice way to share something creative about yourself in a fashionable way which is truly sharable and unique to you.  The Design Studio requires 3 AA Batteries, which are not included.  And is recommended for children 5 years of age and older.  The design studio also has a space to display your favorite charms and a place to keep all your charms safe and sound in neat tidy compartments.  The Design Studio is available now on Amazon and retails for $29.99.

Visiting Bali, Indonesia

Bali is a relatively new hot spot for international travel. It’s a great place to visit, both because of its rich culture and arts scene but also because of its amazing biodiversity.  There are over 500 reef building coral species in the area.  This is about 7 times as much coral as there is in the Caribbean.  You can  also get some great Bali hotel deals. The Alila Seminyak is a great spot to stay in while you visit.

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Bali has lush landscapes made up of hills, mountains, and rugged coastlines with sandy beaches and gorgeous rice terraces.  There are also barren volcanic hillsides all making this a great vacation spot for anyone looking for a new place to go.  From surfing and diving to cultural, historical, and archaeologic attractions.  There are also tons of accommodations of all types, one such hotel is the best western kuta beach.  The Best Western is located in South Bali which is the most popular part of the island.  There are some memorable hot spots including Kuta Beach, which has a sunset that should not be missed and is a wonderfully romantic beach.  As well as Tenah Lot Temple, which is a temple which was built in the 15th century by Hindu priest Nirartha.  The temple sits just off shore on an outcropping of stones and is a sight to behold.  It is only accessible via a small foot path which is a sight to see at sunset as well.

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On the way to the temple there are also many small ships set up to buy a wealth of souvenirs with something for everyone back home.  There are many wonderful places to visit in Bali from gorgeous scenic beaches to wonderful cultural temples it is easy to see why Bali is a global hot spot to visit on vacation whether you are a globe trotting upper crust individual or a student finding their way as well as everyone in between.  Bali was the host of the 2011 ASEAN Summit, 2013 APEC and Miss World 2013. Bali also contains the Subak Irrigation System, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a not a short flight, so make sure you prepare the kids for a long plane ride.

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5 Party Dessert Ideas for Kids

Kids simply love parties. For once, they get to be among their little colleagues and friends, eat some delicious desserts, bust some very creative dance moves and play games all day long. Secondly, there is no homework involved and adults seem to be more indulgent on these occasions. What’s more, parents don’t need to do much to entertain the kids. Their imagination will go crazy, and lots of good memories will come up. But there’s one thing they should take care of, and that is the dessert. If the sweet tooth isn’t satisfied, the mood will suddenly change into a stormy cloud (with big cue eye, though!). So, stay tuned for 5 party dessert ideas that will turn your kids’ birthday party into an unforgettable experience.

Toffee Apples

  1. No cookie can dethrone the mighty cake, especially now that the Walmart average cake prices are so low. However, the expectations of the big moment when the cake makes its entrance can be spiced up with smaller desserts. Food on a stick has always been a source of excitement for kids of all ages. It’s like an apple is trying to run away incognito dressed in a delicious lollypop.Ingredients:
    • 12 popsicle sticks;
    • 3 cups caster sugar;
    • 12 small apples.

    Heat the sugar to a boil in a heavy-based saucepan with one and a half cups of water. Stir the composition until the sugar dissolves. This can take up to 7 minutes. If you want your toffee to be red, this is the moment to add 5 drops of food coloring.

    You shouldn’t allow water to come to a boil until the second step when you can increase the heat from low to a medium-high. Let it cook for 35 to 45 minutes to let the composition reach the hard crack stage. You can check if the toffee is in the ideal state by adding one hot tablespoon in a glass of ice-cold water. If the toffee immediately becomes hard, it means that it is ready. To avoid crystallization, you can brush the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water.

    Insert the popsicle sticks into the apples and then lay them on a baking tray. Let the composition cool off for 30 seconds, and then dip the apples into toffee. You should allow them at least 20 minutes to mix up and become delicious Toffee Apples.

    Decoration Contest

parties

There are many ways to bring party dessert ideas to life. However, nothing compares to the joy of the little ones when they find out they have green light to create their own candy. You can simply improvise a cute little bakery table where everyone receives several plain muffins or simple cake pops.

Ingredients for frosting:

  • 1 cup cream cheese;

  • 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter;

  • ½ tablespoon vanilla extract;

  • 2 ½ cups sugar.

Mix the cream cheese and butter until you get a smooth texture. Add the vanilla extract and mix again until the composition is uniform with the use of a mixer. Afterward, add 1 cup of sugar at a time and start mixing again at a low speed. Increase the speed to receive the rest of the sugar. Now you’ve finished the frosting! Upgrade the bakery laboratory with M&M candy, nonpareils, sanding or crystal sugar, and you ready for the beauty cupcake contest.

Chocolate Fudge Brownies

It’s a classic dessert that will never cease to delight generation after generation that can go extremely well with a fun cartoon movie.

Ingredients:

  • ½ rice flour;

  • ½ plain flour;

  • ¼ tablespoon baking powder;

  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder;

  • 1 ¼ cups caster sugar;

  • 2 lightly beaten eggs;

  • 150g melted butter.

Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 4 cm deep pan covered with baking paper. Sift the flours, cocoa, and baking powder in a large bowl and mix them together with the cups of sugar. Add in the center of the composition the eggs and butter and stir them with a spoon until you get a smooth texture.

Spread the composition into the pan and bake it for 20 to 25 minutes. You can test if the dessert is ready with a skewer. If it comes out of the brownie full of crumbs, then the cake is ready. Remove it from the pan and cut it into squares.

Magic Wands

Any kid loves seeing magic all around. And a party can become a magical event with the right tools. In this case, it is about yummy edible magic wands.

Ingredients:

  • 125g butter;
  • ½ cup caster sugar;
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract;
  • 1 egg;
  • 1 ¼ cups plain flour;
  • 375 g melted milk chocolate melts;
  • 375 g melted white chocolate melts;
  • Yellow sprinkles;
  • Hundreds and thousands sprinkles.

Preheat the oven to 180°C and get three baking trays ready with baking paper. Start mixing butter, sugar, and vanilla extract together with a mixer until you obtain a pale and creamy texture. Add the egg and mix until incorporated. Add the flour and mix until incorporated.

The next step would be to take three teaspoons of the dough at a time and roll them on a floured surface while keeping them at 20 cm long. Repeat until you fill all three trays. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes. Dip half roll into milk chocolate and decorate it with yellow sprinkles. Do the same with the second half. You can use the second combination of white chocolate with hundreds and thousands for half the wands.

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Berry Frenzy Ice Cream

In the past, kids got to choose only between two flavors of ice cream. Now, you can make your own ice cream as red as strawberries or as purple as blackberries. The party will love some refreshing delights to keep them active for many hours of games, especially in summer time.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups blackberries;
  • 3 cups strawberries;
  • 2 cups blueberries;
  • 2 cups raspberries;
  • 4 cups vanilla ice cream.

Mix all the berries together with 1 cup ice cream in a blender. Strain the resulted smooth composition and press it to extract as much liquid as possible. Eliminate the solid pieces. The final step is getting the puree in the blender one more time with the remaining cups of vanilla ice cream. Cast the composition into cute molds if you have at hand, and let it freeze for four hours.

These 5 party dessert ideas will be real treats for the little ones. You can also involve your kids in the cooking process to get them in an exciting mood before the big event. Enjoy!