Silicone Cupcake Liners by Galley Essentials #bestsiliconebakingcups

When it comes to baking in my home there is always something missing. Whether that missing item is flour or cupcake liners, I promise I will have to make a run to the store to pick something up. I recently had the opportunity to test out Silicone cupcake molds from Galley Essentials

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Not only did the silicone cupcake molds save me from having to run to the store, but they put a BIG smile on my kids faces.

The cupcake liners are easy to use and just as easy to clean! The bright colors are appealing to all ages and brighten up a table for guests.

My kids thought that the liners were fun to run around the house with, but they were both willing to give them up so I could start the next batch of cupcakes. I did find that if you are making cupcakes from a box, it would be better to buy two sets. 12 liners is not quite enough for a boxed cake mix. They are well worth the cost and would make a great gift for any baker you may know.


  I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

SodaStream Source Review

I recently received a Soadstream Source from SodaStream USA and was like a kid in a candy store. I did not know where to start. Which flavor soda should I make first? It was a hard decision, but I figured that since I had young children at my feet I would try one of their natural products.

Setting up the machine was very easy. I had to insert the CO2 canister and the actual unit was ready to use. I made sure that I washed the reusable bottle that came with the unit with soap and water to remove and unknown residues from packaging, and then I was ready to go.

Using the SodaSteam was even easier than setting it up!  (Okay, okay, so there was no set up time. Don’t I get credit for washing the bottle?) Attaching the reusable bottle was a little awkward the first time just because I had never done it before, but it got much easier as I made more drinks.

When making your drinks, you need to realize that you are only adding carbonation to water. You do not add the flavoring until the water has carbonation. This will keep the unit from getting clogged and malfunctioning.

When adding the syrup to the water, there is a standard measurement, but you can adjust the level of flavor to your specific taste. Be very careful adding the flavor to the carbonated water. If you pour it in fast you will have a big mess to clean up (trust me, I tried).

I have tried several of the flavors so far, but I am on the hunt for new ones too. I really enjoyed the natural's flavors and would love to see more and more naturals varieties become available in the future. There are unique flavors like black currant pear and apple mango. The naturals also contain real sugar.

The standard flavors and diet varieties all contain some artificial sweetener in them. Since I could adjust the syrup to my taste, they were not too sweet and very refreshing.

Some of the new flavors I found at a local store are definitely fun to try. Flavors like Margarita, Piña Colada, and Cosmopolitan. Watch out! Here comes Grammy with new ways to add flair to her favorite drinks!

I found that I did need to purchase a couple of spare carbonating bottles. One is just not enough (for me). I purchased a twin pack at a local store and filled them with plain water. To make it easier, I stored them in the refrigerator until I was ready to make a drink. By doing this, the beverages were already cold when I made them and they did not require ice right away.

One last little bit of information that i am sure will be helpful. I found that the carbonation would last about 7 to 10 days depending on if a syrup was added and how many times the bottle was opened. There is an expiration date on the carbonation bottles so they will have to be replaced but not for quite some time.

Overall the SodaStream is a great product. They are fun to have around and very easy to use.  I think that this will become the big hit at birthday parties and family gatherings in the future.
This is a great gift idea for anyone that you know. Think of all the possibilities.

Kroger Skillet Meals

Dislcaimer: I received the product described below free of charge. No monetary compensation has been recieved by me for this posting.

We are all busy during the Holiday Season. We are shopping, cooking, and getting ready for guests. When you are running short on time Kroger Skillet Meals can be on the table in ten minutes. We all have that much time!

Kroger Skillet Meals

• Ready in just 10 minutes, each Kroger Skillet meal contains at least two servings per bag and 20 grams, or more, of protein per serving
• Enjoy a wide variety of authentic Italian flavors including NEW Tuscan-Style Penne, Sausage Rigatoni, Penne with Grilled Chicken and many more!
• Also available in delicious NEW Asian and Mexican varieties like Shrimp Lo Mein or Chicken Fajitas
• Create a complete meal by pairing Kroger Skillet Meals with your favorite sides, such as Kroger Garlic Bread, and Fresh Selections Salad Kits

Presto Photo Book

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. If I could do one thing to create lasting memories, it would be to create my own personal books of cherished family memories. Sometimes memories are all we have of people and places that meant the most to us.

Printed photos are a treasure of the past since they are not easy to store and tend to take up a lot of room if placed in a photo book. Besides, not many people will pull out their old photo books to look through them.


Presto Photo is like many other sites. You can upload your photos and create your own compilation in a soft or hard cover book in several different styles. But, there is one place they stood out for me. I was able to upload a .pdf file to their site for printing and the timing was perfect.

To give you a short version.... about 15 years ago, my sister and I got together and compiled family photos and recipes and put together a family cookbook. The technology was very different then, so all of the cookbooks were color photocopies and held together with brass brads. After 20 years, the books are showing a lot of wear and tear and we felt it was time to upgrade. The catch is, I did not want to lose the original cookbook in the process.

I uploaded a scanned copy of my original photo book to Presto photo and voila! Cookbook is now saved in hardback form with all of the wear and tear showing just like my 20 year old paper copy. I love it. I was worried that I would not like the way it turned out, but it is so much fun to have and I cannot wait to print the newest version of our family cookbook when it is ready.

I ordered a hard copy book to ensure it would last for the next 20 years. I was very impressed with the quality of the pages. They are thick and have a nice sheen to them to help avoid my dirty finger smudges as I use the recipes inside. Because of the high quality, my family cookbook now has a nice weight and durability to it that I could not have had in my original version.

Now I just need a little more time to organize some old photos so I can create memory books out of them instead of keeping old shoe boxes filled. I would love to have a coffee table book printed next with some fun old family photos.
 


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Hallmark Creations For The Holidays And Beyond

Disclosure: I received the product described below free of charge to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own and may vary from your own.

If you are anything like me, you are doing your best to be budget conscious during the holiday shopping season. At the same time I want everything that I do purchase and give to my loved ones to be special and unique.

I found a great way to do it! For the Holidays, Hallmark is carrying a Pic's 'N' Props Christmas Fun Kit to help you capture your own holiday memories. The kit includes 18 fun props that will help you make fun, creative, and personalized family photos for you to keep or share with your family. It even includes a small 4 x 6 photo album for you to store some of the fun photos that you take.

All of the pieces are made of a thick paperboard material and have bright and true to life colors. Don't think that you will only use this kit once either. With 18 separate props and the sturdy construction, you will be able to place the props right back in the box and use them for next year too.

A few of mine are not going to get re used, they have been eaten by the Jaz monster!

Why Is My Food Yellow?

Have you ever noticed that the food you made for dinner smells and looks amazing?  I started to ask myself "why is my food yellow?"  I knew from growing up that artificial red and yellow dyes were unhealthy for children with epilepsy. Then when my grandson was diagnosed with epilepsy, I paid a lot more attention.

Did you know that red and yellow dyes have been linked to an increases in hyperactivity? Even 30 years ago my doctor knew of a link between red and yellow dyes and epilepsy.

I will not aim my rant at specific companies because they know who they are and why they do it. But what we as parents and grandparents need to do is provide a little education to our children. The juice they drink does not need to be red, green, blue, purple, or orange. The noodles on the table do not need to be so bright that they appear to glow in the dark.The cheese they eat does not need to be dyed to make it more appealing.

I spent the last couple of years looking at labels on the food that I buy. Nearly every major product on the market has some form of color added to make the product more visually appealing to the consumer. That really bothers me when I have a family member with neurological issues that are exacerbated by artificial red and yellow dyes.

Then I learned that Europe banned the use of artificial colors I was thrilled. So why are major US based companies removing dye for products sold in Europe but not in the USA? Isn't it cheaper to produce all of your products the same way? Does it make you more money to add colors to my children's food? Does Europe know something that the USA is ignoring or avoiding?


I have found a few companies out there that have started to change their dyes to natural forms and I am very grateful for those few companies. In fact, I wish there were more of them! The hard part is making the food that is sold in the USA as safe and natural as possible.

No one is dying my asparagus, my lettuce, or my green beans, so keep the dye out of my pasta, cookies, and cheese. Until some of these large companies get a clue, I will only but natural products and naturally dyed products for my table......end of rant

Wicked Good Seafood from Gorton’s Review and Giveaway

Disclaimer:I was given coupons to try 5 products for free and review with my family. All opinions are my own and may vary from your own.

With kids running around and always needing food, I am constantly in search of something quick and healthy that my kids will eat. I know that I cannot make fish in my home unless it doesn't look like fish when it is cooked. My kids pick up on it right away. But they are totally okay with fish sticks. So I though that I would try a battered fish fillet to keep the kids and the adults happy.

Gorton's Seafood is a name known in most households. Most of us know them for their fish sticks and fish fillets but now they have added new and creative products to their line.  Their new line up now has tilapia, salmon, and shrimp. You can even find a grilled variety if you don't want a battered fillet.

I tried the Gorton's Beer Battered Fish Fillets. They were easy to prepare by placing on a cookie sheet and baking for 25 minutes. This made me very happy. All I had to do was remember to turn them half way through cooking to ensure an even browning of the batter.

They came out of the oven crispy, nicely browned and very hot. The bonus. they were not greasy at all. I set them at the table with some homemade coleslaw and the kids dug in. I was in shock! Ofcourse, they did smother their piece of fish in ketchup, but I cannot complain. They ate fish!

Gorton's is an easy way to add a little variety to your daily family meals without killing your budget and right now Gorton’s is running a Wicked Good Seafood Sweepstakes with the chance to win a family trip to Boston! If you are interested in entering then please go HERE to check it out.

I am also hosting a giveaway and one lucky winner will win a great prize package from Gorton’s Seafood.All you have to do is follow the simple Rafflecopter instructions below.Good Luck!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Adding a New Member to the Family

Diaper Baby by Corina

Some of you may not know that I work full-time, go to school full-time, and still manage to keep up with my family. Sometimes i am not sure how I have done it for so long, but the smiles and encouragement keep me going. Just so you all know, I love my little family just the way it is. It is little and very easy to manage. Especially with my hectic schedule.

You know what that means right? I am comfortable where I am at, so something has to give. I was recently told that I will be adding a grand daughter to my little brood. That is not too bad right? I will be done with school March 29th (Hallelujah!) and I will have more time to cuddle with a new peanut in the family.

The day after I found out that I was going to have a new grand daughter my best friend called to say that her son was going to add a baby too. He will be adding a baby boy to their family. Her children are exactly the same ages as my children and they were raised together. So her family is really just an extension of mine. Now I am adding two new ones to my little brood. That won't be so bad.

Then the text message came. You know they say things happen in threes.... The 15 year old daughter of my best friend is also pregnant. My response? HOLY COW! One she is 15. Two, a third baby is coming! This is going to get chaotic fast!

I start to think that maybe we can figure this out. How can we coordinate? What are the due dates? As time goes on due dates change several times between the two older expectant parents. Then it hits me. They are due one day apart! UGH! Now I am panicking. I know that due dates are estimates and the babies will come when they are ready, but how can I possibly be in two places at the same time? Sigh. Fortunately, the third baby is due a few months later so I might have a few moments of breathing time in between.

For now, it is time to plan. Baby showers, furniture shopping, and clothes shopping. Buy one in blue and one in pink. I am starting to understand what it would be like to be the grandmother of twins.My little family will nearly double in the next several months. Watch out world, Grammy is expanding!