Thursday, December 30, 2010

Another Giveaway!!!

So I'm checking my email while on vacation and discovered that My BlogSpark had sent me items for a holiday cookie giveaway.  I'm a little behind on all of this as we're in Florida (where it has been cold. Boo!), but tonight I thought I'd take a few minutes to share this all with you and give you a chance to win.

I know, I know. This was for holiday baking, but sugar cookies are yummy YEAR ROUND last time I checked, so why not enter and get a chance to have a prize pack sent to you?

What I'm giving away:
One “Happy Holiday Treats” prize pack that includes a package of Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix, a GladWare sample pack and a $25 Safeway gift card (also valid at Dominick’s, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Vons, and Genuardi’s).

How to Enter:
1. Subscribe to my blog (and let me know)
2. Enter with your email address in the comment section and tell me your favorite type of cookie. NOTE: If you don't provide me your email address in the comment, your entry won't count (lots of people have been entering and saying my email is in my profile, but it wasn't, or they enter with no email address at all!)
3. You must be 18 years or older and live in the USA.

I will choose ONE winner via random number drawing on Sunday, January 9th at 10pm CST.  The prize pack will be sent directly to you via MyBlogSpark, the lovely people who sent me all these items to give away.

Good luck!

For great holiday recipe ideas, how-to videos, and tips for hosting your very own cookie exchange, visit BakeSweetMemories.com. While you’re there, be sure to play the new Sweet Memories game that gives you the chance to instantly win free Betty Crocker products!

The coupon, prize pack, information and additional prize pack to give away were all given to me from Safeway, Betty Crocker, and Glad through MyBlogSpark.

Extreme Couponing: When Need to Save Goes Too Far



Did you all see this on ABC news? I missed the show that appeared on TLC the other night, so you'll have to fill me in, but this newsclip makes me shudder. Seriously. The woman with the 40 year supply of toiletpaper freaked me out.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Peppermint patties recipe



I saw this over at www.titus2.com, and have copied it below. I really love me some York Peppermint Patties. These look great....but can you REALLY eat paraffin wax and not die? Someone try it and report back!


Peppermint Patties
1 package powdered sugar (2 lbs.–but you’ll end up needing more)
8 ounces cream cheese
Peppermint extract flavoring-several drops


Chocolate Coating12 ounces chocolate chips
1/3 bar paraffin wax (??)


The cream cheese needs to be somewhat soft so that it can be blended easily in the mixer. Mix the powdered sugar, cream cheese, and peppermint extract until thoroughly mixed. The peppermint extract you’ll want to use “to taste.” If you want a stronger peppermint flavor, you can go heavier on the drops, but if you want a lighter flavor, you can do that too. It’ll be important to taste the “dough” to make sure it’s the flavor you want. You will probably need more powdered sugar than the recipe calls for. The dough must be quite thick, since it needs to be firm enough to dip into chocolate.
While you’re mixing up the dough, melt the chocolate chips and wax in a double broiler over another pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and max are completely melted. I think I often make a batch and a half of the coating to have enough.
Roll out the peppermint “dough” to desired thickness. I find a vitamin lid the size I want it to be, and after washing it, use it to cut out my patties. You may want to cut out one or two and try dipping it to see if the dough is thick enough. If it’s not, you’ll need to add more sugar. Line cookie sheets with wax paper. Dip patties into the melted chocolate with a choice of three items: cake decorating flower nail (my favorite choice!), a fork, or a toothpick. Place the dipped patties on the wax paper, and when the pan is full, stick the pan into the freezer to help the patties harden. After they’ve been in the freezer for 15-20 minutes, remove the pan from the freezer and place in containers. Most of us prefer our patties to be kept in the freezer, because we like them hard, but some may prefer to store them in the fridge.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Disney World here we come!

Am counting down the hours until we board our plane for Florida. Goodbye 2 degree weather (with -25 wind chill), hello balmy 70's. The kids are super excited, and so am I. I'll be glad to get out of this meeting (shhh!) and start packing the shorts and t-shirts.

Totally changing subjects, but on the topic of Christmas, has anyone used ebates.com for their online shopping? Turns out I had signed up for an account two years ago and never used it. I got a popup that they were running some cash back (although small percents) for online shopping, and I needed to buy DD some new boots. I thought, what the heck. (No, ebates didn't ask me to write this.)

I zipped over to Shoes.com via ebates.com and bought some baby pink Uggs on sales for $110 (8% back, free shipping and returns---I'm a Zappos girl so this was a real stretch!) and then over to Landsend.com to get some new winter gloves for DS (6% back). I'm slightly skeptical how all this works, but a few bucks here and there is fine with me.



PS: if you know how to protect these suede boots and keep them clean, please share!!

Anyway, I can get used to ebates. I do almost all my shopping online.

Friday, December 10, 2010

This and that

It gets like that sometimes. Everything seems to pile up at once. A dear friend of mine complained my blog had been silent for a few weeks, and thus I was motivated to post a little note to confirm I am still alive.

Here's the rapid fire just the facts:
  • Travelled to SC to visit family for Thanksgiving. Ended up also visiting the urgent care center for Catherine and mommy, who each came down with terrible sore throats (not strep) and congestion. Never even got to see the parade on tv.
  • Got to visit with a college roommate and her family at the zoo, the highlight of the trip for my kids.
  • Drove back from SC to IL in one long day. After a week of illness, so ready to be home.
  • Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody cruisng down I-65 at 75 miles an hour, kids singing along in the back, really kills the time.
  • Got to see the biggest, largest wind farm in Indiana. It was like something out of a science fiction movie.
  • Am swamped at work. SWAMPED.
  • Celebrated William's 9th birthday at Biaggis. Somehow the waitstaff came out singing happy birthday to him holding a cake inscribed: "Have a great time in Arizona."  We're still wondering how they filled in the candle holes so the other private party wouldn't notice it.
  • Haven't bought a Christmas present or sent a card, and we leave soon for Florida. Yikes.
  • It snowed. Wait, that isn't news.
  • Oh, and I now need bifocals. It has come to that. I am officially old.

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