Flirty Aprons review and giveaway!

One of my favorite parts about the holidays is the food. I always look forward to big family meals and making delicious treats for neighbors. With all this food on my mind I realize I will be spending allot of my time in the kitchen. I have to admit that this part doesn't excite me as much as eating all the food does. However, if I am going to slave away cooking this season, I might as well do it in style.

This Months Discount:

Flirty Aprons adds to the fun of cooking with their stylish aprons. They also offer a variety of aprons for women, men and children. Since cooking with mommy is a great activity for mothers and daughters, Flirty Aprons also has matching aprons. Right now when you purchase a Women's Original apron, you can also get any Girl's Original apron for 40% off regular price. Just use the coupon code TOGETHER. You can find sales like this and more throughout the whole year on Flirty Aprons site.

Review:

Flirty Aprons offered me a free apron of my choice to review. I loved being able to look through all of their aprons. They have a great selection. I chose the "Scarlet Blossom Apron". This apron is absolutely beautiful. I love the design and colors. The apron fits great and is said to fit all sizes. I was also very impressed with the make and quality of the apron.

To Buy:
Flirty Aprons makes a great gift for a parent, sister or bride to be. You can purchase aprons online at www.flirtyaprons.com or at any of their retail locations. You can find these locations under the Flirty Aprons store locations on their site.

The Giveaway:
One winner will win an apron of their choice.

To Enter:
Visit "Flirty Aprons" and look around. Come back and leave a comment on my site telling me which apron you want.

*Extra Entries*
-Tell me what holiday treat you like to make for neighbors (1 entry) Include the recipe for another entry. (That means you can earn 2 extra entries)
-Grab my button
-Subscribe to "Catch the Drift..."
-Follow me on Twitter
-Blog about this post or Tweet it! (Be sure to leave the link)


Rules:
Be sure to leave a comment telling me what the entry is for. Leave a separate comment for each entry. Also be sure to leave an email address for me to contact you. A winner will be selected randomly using Random.org. They will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen. US Only!

Giveaway Ends: Oct. 26

Flirty Aprons review and giveaway! (CLOSED)

One of my favorite parts about the holidays is the food. I always look forward to big family meals and making delicious treats for neighbors. With all this food on my mind I realize I will be spending allot of my time in the kitchen. I have to admit that this part doesn't excite me as much as eating all the food does. However, if I am going to slave away cooking this season, I might as well do it in style.

This Months Discount:

Flirty Aprons adds to the fun of cooking with their stylish aprons. They also offer a variety of aprons for women, men and children. Since cooking with mommy is a great activity for mothers and daughters, Flirty Aprons also has matching aprons. Right now when you purchase a Women's Original apron, you can also get any Girl's Original apron for 40% off regular price. Just use the coupon code TOGETHER. You can find sales like this and more throughout the whole year on Flirty Aprons site.

Review:

Flirty Aprons offered me a free apron of my choice to review. I loved being able to look through all of their aprons. They have a great selection. I chose the "Scarlet Blossom Apron". This apron is absolutely beautiful. I love the design and colors. The apron fits great and is said to fit all sizes. I was also very impressed with the make and quality of the apron.

To Buy:
Flirty Aprons makes a great gift for a parent, sister or bride to be. You can purchase aprons online at www.flirtyaprons.com or at any of their retail locations. You can find these locations under the Flirty Aprons store locations on their site.

The Giveaway:
One winner will win an apron of their choice.

To Enter:
Visit "Flirty Aprons" and look around. Come back and leave a comment on my site telling me which apron you want.

*Extra Entries*
-Tell me what holiday treat you like to make for neighbors (1 entry) Include the recipe for another entry. (That means you can earn 2 extra entries)
-Grab my button
-Subscribe to "Catch the Drift..."
-Follow me on Twitter
-Blog about this post or Tweet it! (Be sure to leave the link)


Rules:
Be sure to leave a comment telling me what the entry is for. Leave a separate comment for each entry. Also be sure to leave an email address for me to contact you. A winner will be selected randomly using Random.org. They will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen. US Only!

Giveaway Ends: Oct. 26

"Spice Up You Life" cookbook review and giveaway! CLOSED

I tend to become a very boring cook at my house. I get very nervous trying new things and adding any ingredients I can't pronounce. My husband on the other hand would love for me to take more risk in my cooking. Spaghetti and teriyaki chicken just aren't doing it for him anymore. He was very excited to hear that I was contacted by Bindu Grandhi the author and creator of "Spice Up your Life" to do a review on her cookbook. I was a little nervous knowing how picky I am with the reviews I choose and the food I like. But my love for my husband won and I agreed to do the review. I literally was crossing my fingers that these recipes would really be worth my while.

I decided to try the the "Chicken Cutlet with Tamarind Honey Dipping Sauce" pg. 98. The recipe was pretty simple, which was great news for me. It was really fun being introduced to so many new spices and ingredients. There was one ingredient for used in the dipping sauce that I couldn't find. However, I found a great way to substitute it on the Internet. This was the tamarind juice. Instead, I just combined 1/4 Cup orange juice and 2 TBSP of lime Juice. When everything was finally prepared, the food looked delicious and smelled great. As for the actual taste, my whole family loved it. My husband was very impressed and added this meal to his lift of favorites. I also loved the dish. The dipping sauce had great flavor mixed with a sweet and spicy taste. I also think the mix of all the spices really helped create the excellent taste.



What is great about these recipes is they all seem to include a great selection of spice to add to the taste. Before getting this book I thought it was an indian cookbook. Although there is some influence these recipes are actually geared towards healthy food with great flavor. Bindu Grandhi also got an early endorsement from Chef Emeril Lagasse!

Buy:
You can purchase "Spice Up Your Life" online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Now you can even find this fantastic cookbook in select Barnes and Noble and Borders bookstores. To learn more about "Spice Up You LIfe" and some of it' great recipes, you can go to theflexcook.com.

The Giveaway:
One winner will receive their own copy of "Spice Up Your Life".

To Enter:
You must visit theflexcook.com and look through the sample recipes. Come back to this link to leave a comment on a recipe you would like to try.

*For Bonus Entries*
- Grab my button
- Subscribe to "Catch the Drift..."
- Follow me on Twitter (Mama_Snow)
- Become a fan on Facebook
- Blog about this post or Tweet it! Do both for 2 entries! (Be sure to leave the link)

Please leave a separate comment for each entry and what it is for.

Rules: In order to win, you must provide a valid email. I will be notifying the winner by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to me with their name and address. If this information is not received within 48 hours new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is opened US residents only.

Giveaway Ends: Oct. 12, 2009

Guest Post... "Using Leftovers" by Audrey

We try out new recipes on a very regular basis. The question of what to do with leftovers comes up often.

Yes, we can pack lunches. Yes, we can reheat and have another meal. I’ve discovered repurposing leftovers uses them up and everyone seems to love the new creations.

I’d like to share a few repurposing recipes with you:

Meatloaf – If you have leftover meatloaf, crumble it up, add taco seasoning or salsa and create quesadillas the next night. You can also crumble it up and add it to marinara sauce and prepare a pasta dish.

Chinese food –Take your leftover chinese food, including the rice and dump it into a casserole dish. Add a little broth mixed with soy sauce and then bake at 350 degrees until heated through. The chinese food casserole tastes great and uses up all of those leftovers.

Chicken – We make a lot of chicken. This means we often have leftovers. Here are three recipes you can try with your left over chicken:

Chicken Salad

3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
2/3 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
3/4 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip

Combine chicken, celery, relish, onion and eggs. Toss with mayonnaise and chill.


Chicken Casserole

3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1 - 16 ounce package frozen broccoli florets, thawed
1 - 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups crushed cheese crackers

Combine chicken, broccoli, soup, water, mayonnaise and cheese. Mix well. Pour into casserole dish. Top with cracker crumbs. Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees.


Chicken and Stuffing

2 1/2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1 - 6 ounce box of stuffing with seasoning packet
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups half and half

Combine stuffing mix, seasoning packet and butter. Mix well. Press into the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Allow to cool.

Combine chicken and cheese and spread over stuffing mixtures.

Beat sour cream and half and half until well blended. Pour over chicken mixture.

Reduce oven to 325 degrees and bake for 35 minutes


I hope you’ve enjoyed all of these suggestions. A huge thank you to Tasha for allowing me to share these ideas with you.

Audrey


Audrey is mom to two girls and lives in Santa Barbara, CA. In addition to cooking, she also enjoy crocheting, scrapbooking, long walks, reading and playing hearts. You can view her recipe blog at http://audreysspot.blogspot.com

"TSP Spices" review and giveaway!!! (CLOSED)

I love spices. I love adding spices to my meal and making it my own. Spices can really help turn a basic plain meal into something more exquisite and new. I was extremely excited when I happened upon "TSP Spices". TSP Spices has all organic spices and offers every common spice and more. What makes these organic spices so great? Organic agriculture limits the use of potentially harmful chemicals. This means the spices are created from crops that are better for you and your families health. TSP Spices wants to assure their customers that their products are high quality and free of the additives or fillers that are often found in spices.

Creators Katie and Sara are both career women and mothers who put their minds together to bring to you the perfect spice. To help you with your spice use, they offer recipes for each spice available at their site. Katie and Sara also have the publication of their first book, The Spices Kitchen, which will be released this fall. The Spice Kitchen offers more than one hundred delicious recipes for using herbs and spices to add vibrant flavors to your food at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and any time in between. To read more you can click here!




The Review:
I received the Sunshine Zest Sampler. Included was packets of Orange Zest and Lemon Zest. First off the containers the spices come in are adorable. These would make excellent gifts, especially for christmas. They even have a set for the Holidays which would be perfect.

I loved playing around with these spices. I think my husband and kids enjoyed these as well, because I was more motivated to cook and try new things. My favorite was using the Orange Zest with my oatmeal. I loved the change of flavor. The taste was much fresher than buying the sugar loaded flavored oatmeal. When I got a little fancy I made TSP Spices Apple Oatmeal Crisp recipe and used the Lemon Zest. I highly recommend this recipe.

I have been dying to make banana bread and noticed that Lemon Zest is recommended for this. It said you could use 1-2 tsp of the Lemon Zest. I only used 1 tsp and wish I would have used 2 instead. The flavoring wasn't as strong as I wanted, but I did like what I could taste. After playing around with the spices I realized that it wasn't bad to add a little extra. I always am hesitant to add too much, but these spices were so great that towards the end of experimenting I only wanted to add more.

The Giveaway:
One winner will get to choose either the Herb Sampler or Sunshine Zest.

To Enter:
Visit "TSP Spices" and look around. Come back and tell me what spices you would like to try.

*Extra Entries*
-Grab my button
-Subscribe to "Catch the Drift..."
-Follow me on Twitter
-Blog about this post or Tweet it! (Be sure to leave the link)

Rules:
Be sure to leave a comment telling me what the entry is for. Leave a separate comment for each entry. Also be sure to leave an email address for me to contact you. A winner will be selected randomly using Random.org. They will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen. US and Canada!

Giveaway Ends: July 31, 2009

Kids Cooking and Sewing review and giveaway! CLOSED

Some of a child's best memories are created while spending time with mom or dad. My own mother and I shared many memories in the kitchen. I remember my favorite thing to make with her was cookies. We made all sorts of cookies like sugar cookies, chocolate chip, oatmeal and my favorite, candy cane cookies. Now a mother myself, my own kids are always begging to help me cook. Allowing them to help wasn't as easy as I had expected it to be. I have found that some recipes just don't call for children's hands. Some recipes are just not children friendly. I am so excited to share with you "Kids Cooking Activities". This is a site geared toward children who love to cook and parents who are beginnings to show their children around the kitchen. This wonderful site has a variety of information and supplies for you and your child to use. I have been able to review several of their ebooks includeing an ebook from their sewing site called "Kids Sewing Projects".
Since my son is a little to young for sewing we have yet to try out the sewing projects. l can tell you how fun the sewing projects look. They are all organized by levels, starting with level one. Each project you pass prepares you for the next level which is a more advanced sewing project. All of these projects items the children can use and display in the home.
As for the cooking ebooks I recieved the Cooking Unit which included four books. All ebooks included wonderful information. Our favorite had to be the Kids Cooking Lessons. This has made cooking in the kitchen so much easier for my children and I. It has provided me with tips on how to get my kids involved and how to teach them kitchen safety. Like the sewing ebook, Kids Cooking Lessons is also set up with levels. There is the Assistant Chef (ages 3-6 years), Chef In Training (ages 7-11), the Junior Chef (ages 12-15) and the Senior Chef (ages 16-19). Each of these age groups are provide with all the information they need to succeed in the kitchen. Since my son is 4 we gave been focusing on being Assistant Chefs. I have seen my sons confidence grow and I have been proud of his love for helping mommy cook. Even my youngest wants to get in all the fun (although her idea of helping is a little different then mine).



Each level has its own recipes that the age group can use. My son and I have had so much fun trying them. The great part about the recipes in the Assistant Chef section is that they can be used for parties and play groups. In our neighborhood we have set up a schedule where once a week a different couple wathes all the kids so the other couples can go out on a date. I love planning crafts and activities for the kids. This last time I decided that I would make "Spider Crackers, a recipe from the book, with all of the children. It was a hit and all the children loved them. I made these with children ranging from ages 1-9. Everyone ate them too!
There is a lot of information in these ebook and I look forward to learning more. I think the sewing and cooking programs are terrific for children who need to develop their skills, children who love love cooking and families who love spending time together.

Giveaways: Their will be two winners. One will win the Cooking Lessons for Kids and another person will win Sewing Projects for Kids.

To Enter Decide which you are most interested in (sewing or cooking for kids). Which ever you want to win, you must visit that specific site wether it be "Kids Cooking Activities" or "Kids Sewing Projects". Look around and come back to tell me something new you learned or liked about the site. You will find all their categories and topics on the left side bar.

*Bonus Entries*
-Add my button
-Subscribe to my feed
-Post this giveaway on your blog, twitter or facebook!

Please leave a separate comment for each one and what it is for!

Rules: In order to win, you must provide a valid email. I will be notifying the winner by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to me with their name and address. If this information is not received within 48 hours new winner will be chosen.
This giveaway is opened to anyone who can download an ebook!

Giveaway Ends: March 31

What's for Dinner?

So are any of you like me and always asking yourself, "What's for dinner"? This is of course after the fact that dinner should already be prepared or in the oven.

I never know what I am going to cook for dinner. The day always flies by to quick. At times I have wished I were a movie star so that I could have my own personal chef prepare my meals. It would at least be helpful if my meal plan was all written out for me. Even better is if the meals were healthy, then I could maybe get rid of those final baby pounds. That would be the life!



Well guess what? I just heard of this marvelous website which does exactly that. It has all of your healthy dinner meals planned for the week. Of course there is a fee, but surprisingly it didn't seem all that much with all that it included. For $9.99 a month you receive these benefits.

1. Daily Meal Planner
2. Live Healthier
3. Recipe Tool Box
4. Save Precious Time
5. Shopping List Tool
6. Eat Better
7. Nutritional Content
8. Save Money
9. Rate the Recipe
10. Get New Recipes
11. Message Boards
12. Eat Balanced Meals

You must check this out! The site is called "My Gourmet Gal". I contacted the owner and it sounds like there will be a FREE 14 day trial coming up. I will defiantly keep you updated. Until then take a look around and let me know what you think!