Shopping

Nonni’s Biscotti Bites: Sweeps, Thoughts and Recipe

May 17, 2012 By Robin Leave a Comment

Biscotti are among my favorite cookies, but they are usually pretty large and hard to break without making a mess. Since I have been working on dropping a few pounds before summer starts, I had been skipping them the past few months. My coffee was lonely.

Lucky for me, Nonni’s recently introduced Biscotti Bites. They are smaller biscotti. For me, they were just the right size. Sometimes I want a little sweet fix, not a big production, just a couple bites. Biscotti Bites are perfect for this. Each one is in the 30-40 calorie range, so one or two with coffee, or as a quick snack won’t be problematic for the waistline.

I liked the Caramel Milk Chocolate variety the best, closely followed by the Almond Dark Chocolate. My daughter also seemed most taken with the Caramel Milk Chocolate bites too. When we got to the Classic Almond flavor, I decided to experiment with using the biscotti to make dessert cups. The biscotti certainly packed more flavor than graham crackers, and added an Italian flair to the resulting dessert. The small size of the Biscotti Bites, enabled me to simply empty the bag into my food processor, to grind them up . I was very happy with the crust, and will be using it again in the future for other desserts too. Ricotta Pie would ROCK with a crust made out of these biscotti!

I filled the cups with homemade vanilla filling and blueberries. I will be posting the recipe very soon, but in the meantime, why not enter Nonni’s Biscotti Moments Sweepstakes . Nonni’s encourages you to take a well deserved break, just like their Facebook page to enter to win a grand prize of a trip to Hollywood, complete with spending cash & a new digital camera. Upload a picture of your “Biscotti Moment”, and maybe you will win one of the weekly prize winners of a Nonni’s Biscotti Gift Basket. Since I get a great deal of satisfaction in a new recipe creation coming out well, this is a Biscotti Moment for me, just as much as relaxing and noshing on a few would be, so that is what I submitted… to each their own right.

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Nonni’s Biscotti and received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Filed Under: Food, Food & Beverage

A Special Cutting Board

May 2, 2012 By Robin Leave a Comment

I enjoy cooking, so kitchen gifts are always appreciated, but like many people who are avid enthusiasts of most anything, I already have a good amount of equipment for my favorite pass time. One way to ensure the gift you give, will stand out and not be something they already have several of, is to make it unique to them.

Personal Creations has a wide array of personalized Mothers Day gifts available, including the bamboo cutting board shown above. Yes, I do have cutting boards (granted most are in shoddy condition), but none which were custom made for me, so this is special. The custom engraving was done quickly, and shipping was very prompt. There is no reason you can’t get mom a unique gift in time for Mother’s Day, this year.

Here are a few other offerings from the site, which might interest you.

Media sample provided. All experiences and opinions are my own.

Extra 20% Off Clearance at Tea Collection

April 30, 2012 By Robin Leave a Comment

I love Tea Collection clothing. It is durable and stylish, while still being comfortable, which is of course important when dressing active children.

Starting today, you can get an extra 20% off clearance prices, with the promotional code EXTRA20 . The deal is going on through May 3rd, but whenever Tea Collection has a special promo like this, the items go quickly. To have the best chance that your child’s size will be available, order soon.

Tea Collection Sedap Malam Knot Dress

Tea Collection Merry Mary Janes

Tea Collection Lotus Vines Dress

Tea Collection Growling Naga Zip Hoodie

Tea Collection French Terry Cargo Shorts

Extra 20% Tea Collection Sale Items with code EXTRA20 through 5/3

Filed Under: Children's Fashion, Girl's Clothing, Shopping

Live Plants for Mother’s Day from ProFlowers

April 25, 2012 By Robin Leave a Comment

This lovely live orchid was delivered this afternoon, from Proflowers. It arrived in a large box, delivered by my regular UPS man. Inside the box, the planter was securely wrapped in plastic, and a triangular inner box protected the flowers from damage. As you can see the packaging was quite effective.

Mother’s Day is the perfect holiday to have live plants delivered as a gift. The weather is not harsh, so delivery risks are minimal, especially when well packaged. ProFlowers has a large selection of Mother’s Day plants and flowers available. Something is sure to suit your mom’s taste, and ProFlowers usually has discount codes available.

Here are just a few selections from ProFlowers, that mom is sure to enjoy.

Media sample provided. All experiences and opinions presented here are my own.

Filed Under: Shopping, Women Tagged With: Mother's Day, review, Shopping

Tips for Great Family Portraits and Deal on JCPenney Portrait Package

April 24, 2012 By Robin Leave a Comment

A well coordinated family portrait.

A great family portrait is a keepsake you will cherish for many years to come, and display with pride. To ensure the best results when going to a portrait sitting, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Avoid busy prints and flashy colors, the photo is supposed to feature the person, not the clothes. This isn’t a fashion shoot, if the clothing takes attention away from the wearer, it is not an asset.
Long sleeves tend to help focus attention on to the wearers face, so are often a good choice.
If you are overweight: darker clothing, and V or scoop necks have a slimming effect, so keep this in mind when selecting an outfit.
Too thin? Few have this problem, but if you want to have a fuller look in your photographs, select light colors and high necklines.
For group portraits: Coordinate everyone’s look. No you do not need to look like a 60′s family band, but everyone should be at the same level of dressy vs. casual, and be mindful of clashing colors. A nice way to coordinate the look, is to stick to neutrals, and accent with one or two colors. Bring a few flowers in the color, if someone doesn’t seem to be matching, the photographer can have them hold a few, this might help tie them into the photo better.
Don’t overlook your lower half with the assumption that you will be doing head shots. You might be surprised to find a full length shot preferable.

Simply lovely.

I take a lot of photos of my daughter. I love catching her in the moment, and most of my favorite shots of her are ones I took. That being said, it is also nice to get a picture done in controlled conditions, so that you know you will have a nice printable shot to commemorate an occasion. I should get down to JCPenney and have a portrait done of my daughter and I together. I am always the one behind the camera, I don’t have any pictures of she and I together, since my daughter was a baby.

I put together a Pinterest board featuring some portrait shots I liked. Check it out for a few ideas.

For the month of April jcpportraits is running a $20 portrait promotion. The deal includes 6 traditional portrait sheets. You can mix and match size and images (many studios only let you pick one shot). They will also include one free sitting fee, which is usually $9, for those taking advantage of this promotion. If you are wondering if there is a jcportraits near you, there is a convenient zip code search right on the landing page for the promotion.

Such a fun family shot!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of jcpenney Portrait Studio. I was asked to create a Pinterest Board and pin at least five (5) pins. I give jcpenney the right to repin any or all images/original content from this board. I received a promotional item as a thanks for my participation.

Filed Under: Deals, Misc. Tagged With: photography

Giveaway : Kraft Fresh Take Recipes Make Dinner Easy

April 17, 2012 By Robin 9 Comments

With busy schedules, even avid cooks have a hard time, presenting fresh healthy homemade food for their family at every meal. This is where a product like the new Fresh Take line from Kraft comes in handy. It sure simplifies the dinner making process and cuts down on mess to clean up.

I tried the Southwest Three Cheese recipe. It is for chicken, pork or fish. As you can see above I went with chicken for this particular meal. All you need to make this recipe is the Fresh Take package, meat of choice, and basic salad fixin’s. Pretty easy, and something your family members who are not too skilled in the kitchen could certainly prepare.

This is what is in the package when you open it up. Complete directions are conveniently located right on the bag itself. Even a teen, won’t miss that.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Open the package, pull apart the separating partition, and mix the topping together, then drop in chicken and coat. Place on baking sheet and top with remaining cheesy crumb mixture. Bake for 28-30 minutes (I used breasts, if you are using tenders, it will take considerably less time). When done, put it on top of a salad and enjoy!

Kraft Fresh Take recipe packets are available in 6 varieties:

Southwest Three Cheese: A blend of garlic, cumin and red chili pepper combined with Colby, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses creates a zesty Tex-Mex meal with chicken, pork or fish.
Italian Parmesan: For a classic Italian meal, add this blend of parsley, garlic, onion, Parmesan and mozzarella to chicken, pork or fish.
Rosemary & Roasted Garlic: This blend of rosemary and garlic with mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan and Romano cheeses is a perfect seasoning for pork and adds delicious flavor to chicken and fish, too.
Cheddar Jack & Bacon: Savory herbs, bacon, Monterey Jack, cheddar and provolone cheeses pair perfectly with chicken, pork and fish.
Chili Lime & Panko: A mix of chili peppers and lime with Colby and Monterey Jack cheeses spice up fish and complement chicken and pork.
Savory Four Cheese: This blend of feta, mozzarella, provolone and Parmesan cheese crumbles with roasted garlic and onion will create a savory burger or classic meatloaf oozing with cheese.

My Thoughts: I personally enjoyed the Fresh Take Southwest Three Cheese recipe on my chicken very much. The cheese and spices really made the breaded chicken special. It had great flavor and crisped up nicely. The chicken was moist and the topping had so much flavor that I didn’t need much dressing on the salad.

Check out Fresh Takes on the Kraft website, for more information and recipe ideas, as well as a 50¢ off coupon.

I am one of several bloggers selected by Kraft Foods to participate in the KRAFT FRESH TAKE recipe program. While I have been compensated for my time, my opinions are my own, and I have not been paid to post positive comments.

Grocery Gift Card Giveaway

One lucky Mom Foodie reader will win a $50 Grocery Gift Card, courtesy of Kraft. Open to U.S. residents 18+

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Entrees, Food, Food & Beverage, Poultry Tagged With: cooking, giveaway

Red, Red Wine…

April 16, 2012 By Robin Leave a Comment

This month from The California Wine Club I received a double dose of red. I tend to prefer red wines most of the time, so I was not sad to see this. The wines were from the Le Vigne Winery of Paso Robles (an area know for producing nice red wines). Le Vigne is a winery new in name only. It was formerly known as Sylvester Vineyards & Winery, and the bottle labels still carried that name.

The included selections were:

Kiara Private Reserve 2007 Zinfandel – I am a big fan of zinfandel and this wine was not a disappointment. It is not one of the big jammy zins. This wine is a bit more subtle, providing plenty of berry, and a bit of vanilla oak, but very flexible for meal paring.

Kiara Private Reserve 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon – I often don’t quite agree with the label descriptions on wines, but in this case it was spot on. This Cabernet was bursting with cherry and had a defined cedar accent.

If you would like to try out new wines along with me, a membership with The California Wine Club, will provide them, conveniently delivered to your door.

California Wine Club Exclusive Deal Code

To kick start your wine tasting experience, I have an exclusive deal available to my readers, that will get you more wine for your money. You will be able to receive 4 bottles for the price of 2 in your first shipment from The California Wine Club, with no obligation to continue. You will also be able to receive all reds or all whites or a combo of each, whatever you prefer.

The discount code to take advantage of this deal is: blommi12

Media samples provided. All experiences and opinions presented here are my own.

Filed Under: Food & Beverage Tagged With: wine

Giveaway: Rubbermaid 2-in-1 Recycler for Tidy Recycling

April 12, 2012 By Robin 5 Comments

Like many owners of older homes, I have some major storage issues. There is simply no spot under my cabinets to store recyclables. I have been placing the large ugly bins in my backroom and bringing recyclable items back there, as they are used. Not the most convenient set up, considering the already impractical design of the kitchen.

I was sent a Rubbermaid 2-in-1 Recycler for review a few weeks ago, and am quite pleased with the quality of construction and ease of use. It certainly looks far better than the blue & green bins from the city, and the compact design makes it easy to find a spot for.

Convenient handles on both the top and bottom bins make transporting recyclables simple. The bottom bin tilts out and holds a standard 8-gallon trash bag. The bag is held in place by the LinerLock™ bag system so it stays put without slipping. The Rubbermaid 2-in-1 Recycler is also appropriately made with recycled materials, and is in torn recyclable itself.

I liked my recycler so much, I ended out buying a new Rubbermaid outdoor trash can, a few days after it arrived. It has been very effective at keeping out the opossums that were raiding my trash. I really should pick up another one.

Check out the Rubbermaid Adventures in Organizing blog, for some great tips to help you organize your household.

Media sample provided. All experiences and opinions presented here are my own.

Giveaway

One lucky Mom Foodie reader will win a Rubbermaid 2 in 1 Recycler, like the one shown above. Open to residents of US and Canada, age 18+.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Home & Garden, Household, Shopping Tagged With: giveaway, review, reviews

Decorating for Easter: To Satisfy Both Mom and Daughter #KmartEaster

April 6, 2012 By Robin 5 Comments

I love vintage style when it comes to most holiday decorating. I have a few vintage Easter decorations, but not nearly enough to decorate my house. Original vintage holiday decor is hard to find offline, and is both pricey, and often in poor condition, when you do find it online. The Celebrations by Radko line available at Kmart has a great retro/vintage look to it, but still has the fresh look of new items. The decorations from this line will blend in well with both contemporary decor, as well as more traditional styles. This is perfect for my home, which is a Victorian, but the primary living area is contemporarily styled.As you can see I decorated my dining table with a Christopher Radko duck candy dish, a few egg cups from the line, and spring flowers in an Easter basket, that I found on sale at Kmart for 50% off. I skipped a table cloth, etc. since it will be displayed for several days before Easter. My daughter does her ABA therapy at the table, and she and her therapists will be able to enjoy the decorations while working, and it won’t get in the way. On Easter Sunday, all I will have to do is add place settings, and salt & pepper shakers.The items above were from my first trip to Kmart. I ended out going back to get a couple more items, since I kept thinking about the plates they had in this line. When I got back, all 4 options were no longer available, so rather than using them as place settings, I picked up the duck plate, along with matching egg cup, and set up another small display. This time I filled the cup with a small violet I dug up from my yard. I think it looks cute.While I love the type of style I used above, the other member of my household is 4 1/2 years old. Her design sensibilities are more toward vivid colors and favorite TV characters. Since it is just the two of us now, I try and figure her in more, when decorating. I am taking her into account in more than a … “I better pass on that, because my kid will break it.” kind of way.

When it came to making a decision about a porch greeter. She and I did not see eye-to-eye. I wanted to assemble one from a large floppy stuffed duck, attach it to a post (to keep it upright) add a small shelf to post for a dish of candy & pop a tin pail of flowers beside it. My daughter on the other hand, was entranced with the Dora the Explorer Porch Greeter.

I actually love Dora now. She looks so cute in her little dress, and I managed to tie in the duck theme with the vintage look tin pail I also found at Kmart. I have a Shop Your Way rewards card, so I got 5,000 rewards points for buying Dora, since they have a special rewards members only offer on branded porch greeters this week.

All the items seen in my displays were purchased at Kmart, except for the flowers in the indoor basket. Dora’s tulips were purchased at Kmart during my second trip. They had more flower options that day. To see my complete shopping story, including more Radko items, and shots of sale items, that didn’t work for my particular design, but might be just what you are looking for follow this link: https://plus.google.com/photos/100455156656642801134/albums/5728280019695627089

Keep up to date on all the great deals at Kmart by following, Kmart on Twitter , as well as, Kmart on Facebook.

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All experiences and opinions presented here are my own. #CBias

Filed Under: Decor/Renovations, Home & Garden, Shopping Tagged With: Easter, interior decor, Shopping