Cake Boss Cookwear and Mix Review and Giveaway

November 18, 2013 by 29 Comments

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I was super excited when I got my package from Cake Boss to try out in my kitchen as I think baking is so much fun, especially as the weather turns colder and indoors becomes the hangout. My daughter and I will frequently bake on days when boredom creeps up and we are in the mood to do something fun and wholesome together. In fact, every Sunday, we do something special together and call it our “date”. This past Sunday, Cake Boss was part of our Sunday.

I tested out some bake-wear from the Cake Boss collection. I was sent a “Born To Bake” heart-shaped cake pan, “Devoted To Dessert” cupcake pan with snap on lid and a”Tiered Circle Cakelette Pan”. The Tiered Circle Cakelette Pan was by far my favorite and I was excited to give it a spin. We were also sent a Cake Boss Primo Yellow Cake Mix as well as Whole Lotta Chocolate frosting.
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The Architecture of the Cocktail

November 16, 2013 by 1 Comment

1451411_10200925844007741_1625109235_nHave a dinner party coming up? Holiday party? Special dinner that needs some fabulous true and amazing cocktails? Well you’ve found your go to book right here. The Architecture of the Cocktail – Constructing the Perfect Cocktail from the Bottom Up by Amy Zavatto is a one of a kind must have for anyone who enjoys to entertain and or just wants to impress a guest with a perfect drink.

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The book starts off with a list of specifications, or the index for all the symbols used throughout the book. This is what makes up the picture of each drink. It also shows you the mixing symbols, whether to shake or stir so be sure to read the beginning of the book before you begin.

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Moving onto the drinks it’self there are 75 drinks in the book and each comes with directions, notes on how to assemble and even tips to avoid any mishaps say using a vegetable peeler to slice the skin of an orange and avoid the bitter part. Good tips, easy to follow directions, you really can’t make any mistakes in here. Along with each drink there are some little history tidbits, or a story behind the drink, it’s a nice addition.
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Holidays with Tetra Pak

November 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Carton Smart for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

The holidays are coming up fast now that Halloween is behind us so its time to start thinking home cooked meals and what you are going to bring or make for the holidays.  This year I say try to be more Carton Smart.  The best way to do that is to Become Carton Smart .  Becoming Carton Smart means not only being aware of what kind of food you are consuming, IE organic, low fat, low sugar etc.  But also aware of the way your food is packaged.  I think the new green revolution will involved packaging.

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TetraPak is one of the more exciting developments in the field of smart packaging.  Their packages are made of 70% paper, containing 1/3 the packaging of cans, of which take up 60% more landfill space then paper packaging.  TetraPaks are stack-able storable boxes which are easy to open and re-close once open.  The packaging itself keeps food preserved and flavorful without preservatives.
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Individual Apple Crumbles

November 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment

apple crisp dessert

Ingredients:

4 cups peeled, cored, sliced apples
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup softened butter
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/12 cups brown sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F and grease or lightly butter an oven-safe 2-cup dish. In a small mixing bowl, combine first five ingredients. Stir well. In a separate mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients and stir well. Now mix everything together and pour into the greased dish. Bake 40 minutes (in the middle of the oven, not the very top), then turn the oven to high-broil for 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat, but let sit in oven 15 more minutes.  I also added a little bit of extra brown sugar and cinnamon to the top at the end.
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Homemade Hazelnut Creamer

November 4, 2013 by 1 Comment

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Coffee creamers can really kick your morning cup of Joe up a notch, but they also cost a lot. If you are hitting up the drive-through to get your fix, the cost can be even higher. Let’s say you go 5 days a week and pay $4-$5 each time. That means you are spending over $20 a month on just coffee, alone!

You can save a lot of money by making your own and it costs less than a couple dollars to do so. Along with the savings, you can also know what is going into the creamer, so you can enjoy it without added preservatives.

This coffee creamer lasts a couple days in the fridge, but is so simple to make, you won’t mind making it more often!

To make Hazelnut Coffee Creamer, you will need:

  • 2 cups of hazelnuts (you can buy these in bulk in most health food stores)

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Vanilla Rice Chex-Great new Cereal

November 2, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Disclosure: The Vanilla Rice Chex were provided to me to help facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.

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Rice Chex have always been one of my most favorite cereals. When we were little, my parents never let us have those sugary cereals. Now that I’m older and can pick, I have always picked Rice Chex myself. I was very excited to find out that Chex was coming out with a Vanilla cereal.

About Vanilla Chex:

Vanilla Chex is a naturally flavored, gluten-free cereal and is the latest member of the Chex cereal family. There isonly 120 calories and eight grams of sugar per serving. Vanilla chex is both a great breakfast and a good snack option. Not to mention that Vanilla Chex is also gluten-free.

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Gourmet Popped Corn Review

October 29, 2013 by 1 Comment

This snack is all natural, gluten free, and has brown rise syrup as a main ingredient. These three characteristics of a snack might turn away most snackers, But I dare you to try some popped corn by G.H.Cretors and tell me it isn’t some of the best popped corn you have aver tasted.

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G.H Cretors has been making popped corn since 1885. In this time period a lot has changed, but the quality of their popped corn stayed the same. For five generations, they have been cooking caramel in copper pots, exactly measuring the right time to add the best cheddar cheese, and also roasting their own nuts.

“G.H Cretors has a history in popcorn dating back to 1885 when Great Grandpa Cretors invented the popcorn machine in 1885. In this time period a lot has changed, but following in their family’s footsteps, G.H. Cretors makes their popped corn the good old fashioned way, by hand in copper kettles. They also exactly measure the right time to add the best real cheddar cheese, which is also melted in copper kettles.”
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Arby’s Smokehouse Brisket

October 25, 2013 by 1 Comment

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Arby’s for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Fast food is known for many things.  Mostly to do with time and a small amount of it.  Burgers in minutes, chicken flash cooked, sandwich ingredients pulled together and wrapped up quickly.  Something you never hear is 13 hours.  13 hourse to make anything involved in fast food is unheard of.

How does fast food take thirteen hours to make?  The answer is simpler then you might think.  Smoked brisket.  Arby’ s is introducing the new Smokehouse Brisket sandwich.  Take a look at that pretty sandwich below:

Not only is the sandwich delicious but it’s also smoked for 13 hours, before being served.  This means the brisket is tender, full bodied and flavorful.  All this while while being served quickly.  It is then topped with smoked gouda for a rich creamy flavor.  To bring this sandwich to complement this sandwich are crispy onions, BBQ sauce and mayonnaise are added.  All this on top of a toasted bun, to make you a fresh sandwich which took 13 hours to make and minutes to eat.
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