Tag Archives: Video

Italian Ricotta Cookies – Full Recipe and Video Tutorial

If you are looking for a tender, cake-like cookie that is not too sweet, but has a delightful lemon flavor that makes it perfect to pair with coffee or tea, this Italian Ricotta Cookie recipe will be one you want to try. These cookies are always a hit at our house. I even made 2 batches during Christmas in order to have some for my daughter to take back with her.

They are such a festive looking cookie to bake during Christmas and New Year’s, but you can make them any time of year. If you want, you can tint the icing with food coloring.  Some people like to tint it red or green for Christmas. You could tint it pink or blue for baby showers or gender reveal parties as well. I prefer white and just change the colors of the nonpareils or sugar sprinkles I use if I want to make them a bit different.

 

 

It is very important to use whole milk ricotta when baking these cookies, part skim does not taste the same. Also, be sure to cool the cookies on cooling racks before icing them. Never frost a hot or warm cookie. The recipe says to chill the dough, but if you are pressed for time, I have made them without chilling the dough and they came out fine.

Italian Ricotta Cookies

Ingredients

  • Ingredients For Dough
  • I cup of softened butter
  • 2 cups of sugar
  • 1 ¾ cups (15 oz) of whole milk ricotta cheese
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 2-1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 cups of flour
  • 2 tsp of baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp of sea salt
  • Ingredients For Icing
  • 1 tbs of melted butter
  • 1-1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
  • 4 cups of confectioners’ sugar
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk (use as needed to think icing to correct consistency)

Instructions

  1. Cream the 2 sticks of butter with sugar until fluffy with electric mixer. Add ricotta, lemon zest, vanilla extract and mix well. Add in eggs, one at a time. Scrape sides of bowl and then begin to slowly mix in flour, one cup at a time. Add baking soda and salt and mix until blended. If you want you can chill dough for several hours or overnight. You can also bake immediately.
  2. Scoop with a cookie scoop and place about 2" apart onto a non-stick baking sheet liner or parchment paper. Bake cookies at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom. Remove cookies and let cool on wire rack.
  3. To make icing, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and whisk into the confectioners sugar with lemon juice, add enough milk to make a spreadable icing. Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread icing onto top of cookies and sprinkle with sprinkles, nonpareils, decorative sugar or other decors. Let cookies set until icing is hard.
https://www.mommyramblings.org/2017/12/29/italian-ricotta-cookies-full-recipe-and-video-tutorial/

Watch my complete baking tutorial video for these cookies below.

 

Please let me know if you try them and what you think.

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Filed under Baking, Cooking

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is Available Today-We Take You Behind The Scenes

If you ask my kids, they would say, one of the best perks about their mom being a blogger, is that we get new Blu-ray releases before they hit the store. My kids were out of their minds last week when they opened a package to discover, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 inside. There was about one nanosecond before it was projected in our living room via our Epson projector. Absolutely no waiting for a family movie night, they had to watch it immediately. They loved it, they could not even tell me a favorite part because they said it was all cool! When I pressed them, they said they got a kick out of little baby Groot and a giant squid.

If you are excited to watch this movie, you are in luck, because Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2  is out today on 4K UHD & Blu-ray! To celebrate I have some great Rocket and Groot bonus clips to share with you that show a behind the scenes glimpse of what it was like designing and creating the phenomenal digital characters of Rocket and Groot on set alongside the other actors.

Rocket & Groot-Click HERE for your behind the scenes video.

Baby Groot Stand-In

Designing Baby Groot- Click HERE for another behind the scenes video.

Rocket In The Trees- Click HERE for another behind the scenes video.

So do you have plans to buy Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ? Let me know what you think if you do.

 

 


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Filed under Attractions, Family Fun, Movies, Review

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae Recipe

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WhatMattersToU #CollectiveBias

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I love being a woman, I cherish so many incredible experiences like; feeling my children grow inside me, giving birth, nurturing my child from my own body and so much more. We can experience all that and be amazing, successful women on a professional level too!

I embrace all aspects of being a woman except that time of the month. I know it is essential to our fertility and serves a purpose but that does not mean it is pleasant.  I tend to spoil myself a little during that time, let myself indulge on those chocolate cravings my body is demanding.

Chocolate cravings are something many women have right before or when they have their period and it is probably because chocolate makes us feel better as it releases serotonin to our brains. It has been said that eating chocolate can produce the same type of euphoric feelings that falling in love does. So does that mean we have a love affair with chocolate? I know I do and since I believe in moderation in diet, I don’t beat myself up for eating it. I eat healthy, so if I have a special chocolate dessert or candy bar during my period, I don’t feel guilty.

The changing hormone levels associated before and during our period can trigger all kinds of cravings. Some women crave carbohydrates, meats, high fat food and more. Anyway, back to chocolate, I want to share a recipe that will not only satisfy your chocolate cravings but will make your whole family happy.

Chocolate chip cookies are one of my favorites but you know I love a good ice cream sundae. I love a sundae with vanilla bean ice cream, hot fudge, caramel, fresh whipped cream, chopped nuts and a cherry. This dessert combines my two favorites, so I can have my cookie and ice cream sundae!  Below you can follow the video tutorial and print the recipe to make this yourself. It is guaranteed to satisfy everyone’s chocolate cravings!

 

 

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Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundaes

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundaes

Ingredients

  • 2 Sticks of Butter, Softened
  • 1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 Heaping Teaspoons of Instant Coffee
  • 1 1/2 Teaspoons of Baking Soda
  • 1 Teaspoon of Salt
  • 2 Cups of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • Whipped Cream:
  • 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
  • 6 tbsp. of sugar
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C | 350°F.
  2. Cream together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar with an electric mixer.
  3. Add the vanilla and eggs, mixing well.
  4. Combine the flour, instant coffee, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time mixing well after each add.
  6. Stir in the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
  7. Spread the mixture into a 12" cast iron skillet and bake until colden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.
  8. Remove skillet from oven.
  9. Let cool 10 minutes and cut into 16 slices.
  10. While cooling pour the heavy whipping cream into a bowl, add sugar and vanilla and beat with electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
  11. Cut it into sixteen slices and top slices with vanilla bean ice cream, hot fudge, caramel sauce, chopped nuts, fresh whipped cream and a cherry.
  12. ENJOY!
https://www.mommyramblings.org/2016/08/08/whatmatterstou/

When I was shopping at Walmart for the ingredients I picked up a couple U by Kotex® NEW Style ‘N Store Packs in the feminine care aisle. Have you seen these? I was impressed, they are really fun and different. The pads or liners store in these little drawers and they don’t stand out the way typical packages do because they come in 4 unique designs. If your husband or significant other feels awkward picking up these types of products, the packaging on these should not cause him to be embarrassed.

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I selected the U by Kotex® Cleanwear® Ultra Thin Pads that feature a 3D Capture Core* with Xpress DRI* cover for crazy fast absorption to help stop leaks because leaks are not pretty. These pads stay secure thanks to the unique shape of the Tru-Fit® wings. The super soft sides are comfortable not irritating as can be the case with other pads.

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I also picked up a box of U by Kotex® Barely There® Liners. These liners are made to feel just like your underwear and they really do! They work great everyday or when my period is light. I love that they come in  Style ‘N Store packs because the bold designs and colors look great in my linen closet. I know it is a small thing but Kotex’s NEW Style ‘N Store Packs make me smile along with the savings I find at Walmart.

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What matters most to you when you have  your period? Get up to $25 in rewards just for you by purchasing U by Kotex® at Walmart! Now through 9/30/16 purchase 2 packs of U by Kotex® products at Walmart (Any Variation) and text UbyKotex to 811811 and upload a photo of your receipt. Go to UbyKotexrewards.com register to choose your customized reward. How cool is this, I did this as soon as I got home and was amazed at the available rewards. I hope you check out this SNIPP offer yourself.

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I hope you try the recipe, let me know in the comments if you do. Also, share #WhatMattersToU during that time of the month.


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Filed under Beauty, Health, Life, Life Stages, Shoppertunity

Make Christmas Magic With Portable North Pole!

pnp Christmas

Portable North Pole is a magical console used by Santa and his elves to send personalized video messages to the folks you care most about. In just a few simple clicks, you can provide Santa with all the information he needs to create a unique, tailor-made video message that would even bring a smile to Scrooge’s face!

 

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Portable North Pole videos come in 2 main types: Christmas and Birthday greetings. And they’re free! Or you can upgrade to a Premium version, with more Santa facetime, extra personalization options, the ability to include more photos and truly incredible scenes from his village in the North Pole PLUS the long anticipated Santa’s Verdict, that lets your loved one know if they are one Santa’s Naughty or Nice list. Mommy Ramblings’ Readers Save 20% USE PROMO CODE: BLG20PNP , To redeem your promo code click HERE.  Portable North Pole is also a favorite on our 2015 Holiday Gift Guide. My children are amazed by the Portable North Pole and we visit every season!

 

 

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Filed under Christmas, Entertainment, Family, Holiday, Holiday Gift Guide

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recently I tried to adjust my favorite coconut oil, chocolate chip cookie recipe and substitute almond flour for white flour.  The problem was the cookies spread out way too much and were like crepes.  I added more almond flour and the second batch was better but still way too thin.  They tasted good though, so I know if I keep experimenting, I will come up with the solution.

In my search, I did find it would be best to chill the dough and I will try that next time.  In the meantime, I tried another recipe for Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies and this one used baking soda instead of baking powder like mine and I decided to try it and chill the dough.  The cookies did not spread out but they did not take like a chocolate chip cookie like my first recipe.  The taste and texture is more like a macaroon.  They are very good, but I cannot believe there is such a huge difference in taste and texture.  This recipe almost tastes like flaked coconut was added.  Like I said, it is very good, just not what I would call a chocolate chip cookie.  I would refer to it as a chocolate chip macaroon cookie, lol.  Anyway, lets take a look at how we make these  and I will update with the other recipe and post pics of the first go round on that as well.

For my almond flour, I used the Morning Pep brand that is available on Amazon.  It is made from 100% all-natural Certified Gluten-Free by GFCO blanched almonds. The flour is ground very fine so it gives baked goods and sweets a rich flavor and moist texture, contains no preservatives or additives.  Morning Pep Almond Meal Flour is a great source of dietary fiber, Vitamin E, protein, iron, magnesium and calcium. Morning Pep Almond Flour is considered pasteurized by the USDA and The Almond Board of California.

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morning pep almond flour

Almond Meal Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies (More Like A Macaroon In Consistency)

Ingredients:

    • 1/2 cup butter, softened
    • 1/4 cup coconut oil, softened
    • 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
    • 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
    • 2 Large Eggs
    • 1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
    • 1/2 Teaspoon Fine Grind Sea Salt
    • 3-3-3/4 Cups of Almond Flour (dough was too soft with 3 cups so I added about 3/4 cup more)
    • 1-1/4 Cups of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
    • 2/3 Cup Toasted Walnuts (Optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use a silicone baking mat or line your cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In your mixer bowl  cream the butter, extra virgin coconut oil and brown sugar. Next, add the vanilla and eggs and mix until blended.

Add baking soda and sea salt.  Add the almond flour one cup at time, beat well after each addition. I felt the dough was too soft after adding 3 cups of flour and gradually added more, I would say about 3/4 cup more.  Dough was still soft  but not as soft as before.

Add the chocolate chips and mix until incorporated in the dough, if you are adding the nuts, add them now and mix.

Chill the dough for at least an hour. Scoop with a small cookie scoop onto the lined cookie sheet and bake immediately for 11-12 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.  Let cook and remove to baking rack to cool thoroughly.  Yield about 3 dozen with the additional flour.

 See our video below of the process:

 

Morning Pep Almond Flour

 

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I received 2 bags of Morning Pep Almond Flour to facilitate my review.  As always my words and opinions are 100% my own.


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Filed under Baking, Cooking, Home, Kitchen, Recipes, Review

Peel and Julienne Your Vegetables Quickly and Easily with One Tool!

The Pridebit Julienne Peeler lets you easily peel your vegetables with one side of the blade and with the opposite side of the peeler, julienne them effortlessly. The peeler has a 2 in 1 blade that will peel even tough vegetables like squash and eggplant easily.

PrideBit Julienne Stainless Steel Peeler

 

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Pridebit Peeler

 

Food prep is easy with this versatile tool made of professional quality stainless steel that maintains sharpness even after washed in the dishwasher.  The peeler comes with a handy cleaning brush to help you clean out any small vegetable peels and then you can just rinse them and put right in the dishwasher.

Pridebit Julienne Peeler

Peeler

 

See our video below of it in action.  You can purchase the peeler on Amazon.com. There is a 100% money back satisfaction guarantee! Let me know what you think.

I received this peeler to facilitate my review as always, my words and views are 100% my own.


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Filed under Cooking, Home & Garden, Kitchen

The Easy Way To Keep Your Smartphone Secure & Accessible In The Car

I have a great universal car mount for your smartphone to share with you.  You can use the K2R Universal Car Mount in the car or even on your kitchen counter.  The adjustable sides ratchet closed to hold your phone securely.  Holder rotates 360 degrees to hold your phone in all kinds of angles for portrait or landscape viewing.

K2R Universal Car Mount

Out of the package it’s super easy to just connect the 2 pieces and tighten with the lock nut.  Next remove the protective film from the bottom, place on a clean, flat surface and push down on the lever lock to secure.  You will not be able to budge the holder.  When you are ready to release you push up on the lever and pull the little strip on the back and the holder will release, leaving no damage to your surface.

K2R Smart Phone Car Mount

K2R Cell Phone Mount

K2R IPhone 6 Mount

K2R Cell Phone Holder Mount Car Holder Vlog

 

We tested this mount on the counter at home and in the car and were very impressed with the secure seal and all the viewing angles.  You can see our video review to see it in action.  Please let us know what you think.

 

 


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My Secret To Kneading Bread Dough

I love baking bread.  I know what goes in and I love the way it comes out.  I also enjoy the whole process especially kneading the dough.  It’s quite therapeutic and I have an easy way to make sure it doesn’t stick.  I just knead the dough on the dual-use silicone pastry and baking mat from 1Easylife. The mat provides a large non stick surface for me to knead the dough.  It also comes with a free 15″ wooden rolling-pin.  I like that the mat has measurements in inches and cm all along the sides as well as different size pie crust circles.

Silicone Pastry Mat 1EasyLife

1EasyLife Baking Pastry Mat

There are so many quality features in this mat, it’s the thickest mat on the market with a thickness of .7mm, simple to clean and takes up no room to store because it can be rolled.  You can also use it in the oven to line a cookie sheet and it is heat-resistant up to 480 degrees F.  With proper cleaning the mat is safe from micro-organisms and it is odor resistant. A very large 25″ by 15″ mat that gives you plenty of room to make your pastry, knead dough or bake lots of cookies on.

Silicone Pastry Mat

 

Bread silicone pastry mat

 

Bread Pastry Mat 1EasyLife

You can see our video review below:

 


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Filed under Baking, Review

Blast Zone, Rainforest Rapids Inflatable Review and Magic Castle Bounce House Giveaway!!!

BlastZoneLogo

We recently reviewed Blast Zone’s Rainforest Rapids Wet or Dry Inflatable with Slides.  First let me say we are huge Blast Zone fans and our kids spend the entire late spring, summer and early fall in their inflatables.  This is our Fifth Inflatable from Blast Zone and I can tell you they are very high quality and all 5 are going strong!

Blast Zone Rainforest Rapids

Blast Zone Rainforest Rapids 2

We live on a lake and we have all the kids coming over to use them and they hold up to all the abuse the kids can dish out.  We were very impressed with the Rainforest Rapids Inflatable, it was a cinch to set up, just like all the Blast Zone inflatables we have and super easy to attach the tubes for the water.  We have been using it for several weeks and I will tell you that it is so easy to maintain.

What my husband and I do to make things really easy is that we purchased very large, high quality tarps that we put under our inflatables.  It keeps them clean and you can deflate them and then wrap the tarp around the inflatable for a cover if rain is coming and the next day uncover and inflate.  The kids go from bouncing to sliding to splashing and swimming with ease and squeals of delight.

 

The unit keeps them cool and active all day and they have so much fun.  It is the first thing turned on in the morning and literally not turned off until dark during the Summer.  I think these units are a great investment for families because they are like having a water park in your yard and are great for birthdays and parties too!

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If you are looking for an inflatable, I would look no further than Blast Zone.  You can follow Blast Zone on Facebook and on YouTube.  You can also check out the commercial line of Blast Zone Inflatables Here and view Moonwalks and Inflatable Slides!

Would you like a chance to win a bounce house from Blast Zone?  If so enter our giveaway below!

Blast Zone Magic Castle

Blast Zone is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!   One lucky blog reader will win a Blast Zone Magic Castle Inflatable Bouncer Bounce House! Thank you to Blast Zone for the review inflatable and for sponsoring this awesome giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!!  Open to US Residents.

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Blast Zone, Magic Castle Bounce House Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good Luck!!!

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Filed under Blast Zone, Giveaway, Home & Garden, Outdoor Fun, Review

The Lego Movie Blu-Ray Giveaway And Awesome App!

The LEGO® Movie, the first-ever, full-length theatrical LEGO® adventure, directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller is an original 3D computer animated story that follows Emmet, an ordinary, rules-following, perfectly average LEGO mini figure who is mistakenly identified as the most extraordinary person and the key to saving the world. He is drafted into a fellowship of strangers on an epic quest to stop an evil tyrant, a journey for which Emmet is hopelessly and hilariously under prepared.

Chris Pratt (Moneyball) stars as the voice of Emmet. Will Ferrell (The Campaign) stars as the voice of his primary adversary, President Business, an erudite, anal-retentive CEO who has a hard time balancing world domination with micro-managing his own life; while Liam Neeson (Taken) voices the president’s powerful henchman, known as Bad Cop, who will stop at nothing to catch Emmet.

Starring as Emmet’s fellow travelers are Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby), as Vitruvius, an old mystic; Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games, Emmy nominee for 30 Rock), as tough-as-nails Lucy, who mistakes Emmet for the savior of the world and guides him on his quest; Will Arnett (Emmy nominee, 30 Rock), as the mysterious Batman, a LEGO mini figure with whom Lucy shares a history; Nick Offerman (NBC’s Parks and Recreation) as a craggy, swaggering pirate, obsessed with revenge on President Business; and Alison Brie (Community) as a sweet, loveable member of the team, with a powerful secret.

 

Move your mouse across the GIFs to control the action and play “EVERYTHING IS AWESOME” at the same time to really get crazy with it!
• Press the “record” button and make a mini 6 second LEGO GIF video that can be shared to Twitter and Facebook. Videos instantly get posted to YouTube for everybody to enjoy!

View The YouTube Channel By Clicking HERE!

Now for your chance to win The Lego Movie on Blu-Ray, just enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good Luck!!!
Rules:
Each household is only eligible to win The Lego Movie Blu-Ray via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Open to US Residents.

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Filed under Entertainment, Giveaway, Main Page Post, Mommy Ramblings