Giveaways I Entered

TuTu Haute is a lovely etsy shop where not only tutus are sold buy tutu dresses and many other lovely goodies that little Princess will love. I entered a giveaway on the blog The Chickenista Reviews where the lucky winner will recieve their item of choice. My choice would be the princess Tutu Dress what would yours be? Enter this giveaway July 26, 2011

Baby Rock Apparel Tee

The new generation has a way of doing things their own way and Baby Rock Apparel allows them to wear what they want as well. Baby Rock Apparel offers hip children's wear with an edge. The same old boring outfits will not be found here. Style allows our children personality as well as gives them the chance to be just a bit different. In my opinion both allows our children to become who they are.

Baby Rock Apparel offers a unique assortment of stylish baby clothes, trendy toddler clothing, casual boys apparel, edgy hip baby gifts and punk clothes for children. Looking for a gift for a baby shower or birthday? Then check out Baby Rock Apparel for trendy toddler clothes, boys hoodies, newborn shoes and hats as well as music made for the perfect girl or boy. One of my favorite lines that Baby Rock Apparel is their cute and unique toddler tees. Celebrity parents choose Baby Rock Apparel for punk clothing for their newborns, toddlers and children. Whether you are looking for punk styled clothing for your children or just want a unique gift Baby Rock Apparel has it.



We were able to review this cute little Tee for our Princess who became a big sis just a few short months ago. Cherish & Protect would allow you to see what Princess as well as other big sisters do. Our little Prince I have a feeling will always have the luck or not of having his sister in his corner.

We thought the tee was really cute and the saying was super sweet. When we put the tee on Princess she loved the pink color and when we told her it was about her brother and what it said she went over and gave him a big hug. So we can primarily say that this Baby Rock Apparel tee pleased all.

Buy: you can purchase Baby Rock Apparel products from their website at http://store.babyrockapparel.com/nl120.html 

We received a tee that we would like to thank Baby Rock Apparel for The thoughts and opinions shared in this giveaway are those of mine alone and have not been influenced.


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FlavorBean Review

Yes, I know it is summer but it makes no difference , coffee is something that is desired in my house during the hot weather as much as it is in the cooler weather My husband would gladly stand up and say that is the coffee drinker in this house. My mother would debate him on this fact and as far as I go well I enjoy coffee in the morning and early evening. So while I am not as much as a coffee drinker as my mom and hubby I must say that I do demand a good tasting cup of coffee. If the taste is not there then drinking coffee is simply not worth it to me. I was delighted when we were given the opportunity to review a few different flavors of delicious Flavorbean coffee. I was even happier when I tasted the first cup, then the second to see how great the taste was. For sake of this review I would say that the coffee was delicious.

Flavorbean offers the flavors of tasted hazelnut, creamy french vanilla, and more. I must admit that the flavors that I tasted held their own in the flavor department. Smooth and yummy are two words that I would use to describe it. Another great value is that Flavorbean flavor are created without the chemical solvents that other flavored coffees are. The Flavorbean company sells a variety of coffees including certified fair trade, organic and decaf. Coffees from Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Colombia each offering their own taste and flavor as Flavorbean loves to offer a great variety of coffees regularly adding to their collection of specialties coffees as well.

Flavorbean company was founded by leaders in the flavor industry. These leaders were able to develop a chemical solvent free method that differs from today's culture of being overdependent on unhealthy chemicals and petroleum based products. The coffee beans are infused with the actual flavor ingredients naturally resulting in a full flavored coffee with a smooth and flavorful taste.

 

Buy: Flavorbean Coffees are available from their website at http://www.flavorbean.com Flavorbean coffees arrive in freshness sealed 12 oz. bags and are available world wide. The products are also available in 5 lb. bags or by the case if larger amounts are desired. For those who have coffee lovers as family and friends then Flavorbean offers great gift ideas for those as well. Gift certificates, gift sets, variety cases, specialty  and coffee of the month clubs

we would like to thank flavorbean for sending the coffee samples and beautiful cup to test for review purposes. The thoughts and opinions shared in this post are those of mine alone.

One Day Off  Is Never Enough

There is so much work to be done today here at home. From housework to shopping to taking time for family. I sometimes wonder if having one day off from work is really a day off of work.

Fill In Blank Friday and Aloha Friday on Saturday

http://thelittlethingswedo.blogspot.com/

1. My plans this summer include
while summer is partly gone still a lot of tim for summer fun including fairs and family day events


2. The best summer I ever had was probably
I have had a couple of great summers : many summers when I was a kid have wonderful memories, the summer before I started freshmen highschool was greata as well and the summer I had my first child will always hold wonderful memories

3. Summer is warm wonderful evening where we can sit outside and chat, lots of great family fun


4. My favorite summer food
grilled food with lots of great icecream

5. The best way to quench a summer thirst is with
a big glass of sweet iced tea


6. My summer uniform consists of
shorts and tees when not at work otherwise scrubs with a summer theme

7. The best thing about summer is
lazy days, long sleep in mornings

http://islandlife808.com/columns/aloha-friday-194/comment-page-1/#comment-612033

Can you believe that nearly six weeks of what I consider the summer months is all ready gone? Wow!!! We have been very busy yet some of the great stuff like fairs, events etc... still lays ahead. How is your summer going? My Aloha Friday question for you today is

How has your summer went so far? What fun events are you still looking forward to doing this season?

September 2, 2008

                                                        July 2011

Princess has grown quite a bit but still loves her naps and her Nana loves her

God Instructed Us To Love All Children

No matter who you are or where you live, you’re called to positively influence children and help them understand who God is and that He loves them exactly as they are. “Whoever welcomes [a child] in my name welcomes me,” said Jesus.



This line was part of an article that I read from focus on the family in regards to the Casey Anthony trial You can read the whole article here

http://jhlm3.blogspot.com/2011/07/high-on-life-thursday-7.html

Healthy Breakfast Skillet

12 slices Turkey bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces


1 medium potato, cut into small cubes

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1 carton 8 oz. frozen, thawed or refrigerated cholesterol-free egg product, beaten

Place turkey bacon and potato in non-stick skillet. Cook on medium heat 12 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender, stirring frequently. Stir in onions and chili powder. Pour egg product evenly over mixture; cover. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes or until mixture is set. Cut into 4 wedges.



recipe source: Diabetic Connect

Ham and Black Eyed Pea Salad

Love ham and beans, too hot to enjoy them right now? Check out this great recipe which offers you a great taste of beans in a whole new way.

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill, plus more for serving


2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons ground cumin

kosher salt and black pepper

2 16-ounce packages frozen black-eyed peas, thawed

1 red or yellow bell pepper, finely chopped (1 cup)

3 shallots, finely chopped (1/2 cup)

2 stalks celery, finely chopped (3/4 cup)

2 medium carrots, finely chopped (1 cup)

1/2 small head red cabbage, thinly sliced

1 pound good-quality baked ham (buy it unsliced from the deli counter), cut into bite-size pieces

In a large bowl, whisk together the dill, mustard, vinegar, oil, cumin, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the black-eyed peas, bell pepper, shallots, celery, carrots, cabbage, and ham and toss to coat.

recipe source: Real Simple
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Banana Oatmeal Chip Cookies

My grandmother(s) both were great bakers one doing so than the other. They were both farmers wives but one of them also worked outside of the house as a school bus driver. My Grandma S. would only bake in great amounts during the holidays, a time when we all looked forward to sharing lots of great goodies and all always tasted great. My Grandma H. baked nearly all the time, it was nothing for her to bake a fresh batch of cookies 3 to 4 times a week. One type of cookies that I remember eating at her house were the banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. While this is not her recipe it is one that still brought back great memories.

1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 medium) 1
/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 1 large egg
 5 3/5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
 2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
 Cooking spray


Preheat oven to 350°. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add egg; beat well. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to banana mixture in bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until golden. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

recipe source: My Recipes

Caramalized Peaches and Ice Cream

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 peaches, unpeeled
1 pint vanilla ice cream



Heat oven to 400° F. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, and 1/4 cup water. Place the dish in the heating oven until the butter melts. Remove from oven and stir to combine.
Cut each peach in half and remove the pits. Arrange the peach halves in the dish cut-side down. Roast until the peaches are tender, about 20 minutes. If desired, slip the peach skins off and discard.
Divide the warm peach halves among 6 bowls cut-side up, spoon the pan juices over the top, and serve with a scoop of the ice cream.

recipe source: My Recipes

Macaroni and Cheese with Corn

This is a great recipe for hiding those veggies that our kids wont eat. Simply add some chopped ham and have supper in one dish

1 Can Corn (do not drain)


1 Can Creamed Corn

1 C Shredded Cheddar

1 C Dry Macaroni

1 Stick Margarine

2 T Dry Onion

Melt Margarine in 2 Qt Casserole in Microwave. Stir in Dry Onion. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Bake for 40 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered at 350 degrees.


recipe source: Cooking.com

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Sweet Ice Cream Dessert

Crust


2 cups (about 16) finely crushed shortbread cookies
1/4 cup cashews, finely chopped
1/3 cup Land O Lakes® Butter, meltedIce Cream

1 half gallon vanilla ice cream, softened

Fudge Layer

1 cup real semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup Land O Lakes® Butter
2 (5-ounce) cans evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanillaTopping

1 cup pretzel sticks, coarsely crushed
1/2 cup cashews, coarsely chopped1 (12-ounce)
jar caramel ice cream topping, warmed

Combine all crust ingredients in medium bowl; mix well. Press onto bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. Freeze 10 minutes. Spread ice cream over crust. Cover; freeze until set (1 to 2 hours).
Meanwhile, combine all fudge layer ingredients except vanilla in 2 quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil (7 to 9 minutes). Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool completely (about 1 1/2 hours). Pour cooled fudge layer mixture over frozen ice cream. Freeze until set (4 hours or overnight).
Meanwhile, combine pretzel sticks and cashews in small bowl; set aside.
Before serving, let dessert stand at room temperature 10 to 15 minutes. Cut into servings; top each serving with about 1 tablespoon pretzel mixture. Drizzle each with about 1 tablespoon caramel topping.

recipe source: Land o Lakes

Sausage hero

1 medium beefsteak tomato, chopped


1/4 cup marinated bocconcini (small balls of fresh mozzarella), quartered

1/4 cup torn basil

1 tablespoon olive oil

kosher salt and pepper

4 Italian sausage links

4 rolls, split

Heat grill to medium-high. In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, bocconcini, basil, oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Grill the sausages, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, grill the rolls until slightly charred and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the sausages on grilled rolls and top with the tomato mixture.

recipe source: real simple

Having One of Those Days?

Chicken BLT Salad

3 cups sliced cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
1 tomato, cut into wedges
1 (10-ounce) package romaine salad
3/4 cup Creamy Avocado–Horned Melon Dressing
3 center-cut bacon slices, cooked and crumbled


Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; toss well. Drizzle Creamy Avocado–Horned Melon Dressing over salad; top with bacon.

recipe source cooking light

Potato Salad Recipe

I personally think no picnic is complete without potato salad. There are many great ways to fix this dish with some updated versions as well as a few old fashioned ways as well. Here is one of my favorites

6 to 7 medium red potatoes (about 2 pounds)


3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

2 to 3 dill pickle spears, chopped

4 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Dash onion salt

Dash garlic powder

4 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped

Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until tender; drain and cool slightly. Slice potatoes into a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, yogurt, onions, pickles, mustard, horseradish, garlic and seasonings. Pour over potatoes and toss to coat. Gently stir in eggs. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

recipe source: http://www.cooking.com/

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http://www.momnivores-dilemma.com/

http://www.prairiestory.com/

Key Lime Cake

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
 3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
 3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
 1/8 teaspoon salt
 1 cup milk
 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lime zest
 1/4 cup fresh Key lime juice

Key Lime Glaze


Preheat oven to 325°. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (12-cup) tube pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Prepare Key Lime Glaze, and immediately brush over top and sides of cake. Cool completely (about 1 hour).


Key Lime Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh Key lime juice
 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


Whisk together powdered sugar, fresh Key lime juice, and vanilla until smooth. Use immediately
 
recipe source: My Recipes

Summer TIme Snack

 Summer time in our house there is a lot of snacking going on I try to make the snacks as good for them as I can and here is a recipe from busy cooks that would suit that purpose

 •1 (8-ounce) container strawberry flavored cream cheese, softened


•1/3 cup ricotta cheese

•1/4 cup heavy cream

•1 tablespoon powdered sugar

•1 teaspoon vanilla

•assorted fresh fruit

Preparation:

Beat the softened cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add the ricotta cheese and beat until smooth. In small bowl, beat cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form; beat into cream cheese mixture. Pile into small bowl. Serve with assorted fresh fruit.

Tuesdays Gone Blog Hop

1. What is the most useful book in your house?


There are three books in our house that I find the most useful. The first is the guide book of my life the Holy Bible , the second the phone book and third is my notebook where I keep valuable little notes, to do list and etc...

2. What's worse-being too hot or too cold?

too hot is worst I can always cover up if I am cold but can not always easily cool down if too hot.

3. Share something that made you smile this past weekend.

This has been a hard week but there are two things that I think of that made me smile, my grandbaby and her little voice on the phone and my nephew with wonderment in his eyes as he watched the fireworks

4. How do you like your hamburgers? Or don't you?

grilled and loaded with everything

5. What's your summer beach read? If its not summer in your part of the world then tell us what book you're reading while curled up in front of the fire sipping hot cocoa.

not had time to read as of late but love to read books of historical fiction

6. How was your birthday celebrated when you were a kid?

with pizza parties, family get togethers, fish fries, you name it we did it

7. What is something that is totally uncool that you love anyway?

work many think that it is totally uncool to love your work but for me I love it and so happy that 7 months ago I decided to go back to it

8. Insert your own random thought here.

My thoughts and many of my friends thoughts are on the Kasey Anthony trial case and how she could be let go. Was the proof there or not? Did the jurors see the truth or were they blined by stories they heard? What is your opinion

Frugal Fun Places for Summer Time Family Fun

Libraries are a great place to visit in the summer. They often have children story hours that will allow your child to have fun through books. Stores such as Barnes and Nobles also have children story times.

Parks can also provide hours of fun. Getting out on the swing set, having a picnic or simply taking a walk all allow the family to enjoy a good time together.

Taking a family bike ride makes for a good time and if you have your own bike is frugal as well. Many areas have bike rentals available as well for a low cost

Whatever you do this summer make special memories and keep these memories in a scrapbook To create a scrapbook follow these simple steps
1.Organize your pictures.


2.Brainstorm layout ideas & journaling.

3.Find your album & paper.

4.Find your finishing touches.

5.Organize your space.

6.Create your background and/or borders.

7.Crop and mat your pictures.

8.Start sticking.

9.Journal, Journal, Journal.

10.Add the finishing touches.



find more scrapbooking tips at Scrapbook by Design

http://wearethatfamily.com/

Heinz 57 Meatloaf with coupon link

1/2 cup Heinz 57® Sauce


1/4 cup Lea & Perrins® Worcestershire Sauce

2 lb. lean ground beef

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup plain dry breadcrumbs

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1.Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Shape into a loaf and place in a 13x9 baking dish. Brush an additional 2 Tbsp. of Worcestershire Sauce on top and sides if desired.

2.Bake uncovered for about 1 hour, or until cooked through. Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

TIP: Tip: If desired, add 1/3 cup of finely chopped sweet bell peppers.



TIP: Tip: Save the leftovers for lunch. Heat the meatloaf slices in a large skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Serve on toasted rolls with additional 57 Sauce.



recipe source heinz 57 and get a coupon for $1/1 heinz 57 here

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Food Swap Party

With garden veggies in season it is a great time to have a kitchen swap party. Not sure how to get this all organized? Well check out the post here I will be planning my own and share more wih you all later

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