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The Unexpected Green Pan Review!!!

When I came down this morning, my wonderful husband had already cooked the little ones their favorite breakfast of cheese eggs, buttered toast and bacon.  While I was getting my coffee, he told me he used the new Green Pan to cook the eggs.  He said this looking for my approval, wondering if it was okay he cooked in it.  When I told him I had only done the pre-review, he told me he did take pictures of the process.  I asked him for his impressions of the pan and he raved about how well made the pan is and it is very easy to see and feel it is a commercial grade fry pan.  He said it heated very evenly and the eggs cooked so fast.   When he added the cheddar cheese it melted fast and was not sticking to the pan.

The greatest testimonial on the non-stick surface of this pan, is that as I sat down to post this review, I asked my husband if he had cleaned the pan yet.  When he told me he had not, I ran into the kitchen to look at the pan.  There was next to nothing in it and a quick wipe of a towel had it looking brand new.

We are very impressed with these pans and highly recommend them if you are looking for a safe non-stick pan.  Please check their website as they have a wide range of products.  www.green-pan.com  Thank you again Green Pan for making a product I feel confident using around  my family and pets.


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Friday Fragments of My Mind!!!

I finally had a few minutes the other day to quickly go through my new issue of Martha Stewart Living.  It had so many good articles and features, and I loved that she said it was time to start planting.  It also happened to be a very nice sunny day here, albeit with snow still on the ground.  I finally told my husband that I am thinking I would like him to build me another raised bed this season.  He took it pretty well.  Since we both VitaMix so much I want to add a lot more greens like Kale and Swiss Chard so I need more space.  I figure if I brought it up now, he would have a lot of time to get used to it.  In fact it took him no time at all to build me the two large raised beds last year and another one will be a cinch. : )

She had a lot of great recipes I want to try in the issue as well.  She had quite a few pages dedicated to coffee cake and so many decadent varities that I just have to chose one and make it this weekend.  The trouble is choosing because they all look so good.  Maybe I will bake one every weekend until I have tried them all.  We are going to be having some very rainy weather the next few days so baking fits in well.

 

I am antsy to try some kind of craft project too this weekend, but I cannot decide.   I have so many ideas running through my head.  I really want to make some kind of great family message and scheduling center.  I cannot find anything like what I want so I know I will have to make it.  With my big family and all of our crazy schedules it is hard to make something ready made fit.  I have been doing a lot of brainstorming on this and have a lot of ideas.  We will see how quickly I can get it onto paper so I can create this control center that I dream about.

Then I also have to decide what review and give-away I want to do next.   Hmmm, should it be a cleaning product, super fun toy, great cutting and prep boards, closet organizers, the list just goes on.  What would you like to see next?


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The Winner of the Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Pure Vanilla Extract Is…

Debbie DeLancette.  Congratulations Debbie!!!  I know you will love this vanilla in all of your favorite recipes and new ones too.  Remember we have many great give-aways coming up so keep reading the blog for more chances to win great products.


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Making Snowballs and Memories!!!

Today was a glorious and sunny day.  We were out on the porch in our shirt sleeves.  Even though there is still snow on the ground, it was so warm and sunny.  It felt fabulous to be out in the bright sunshine.  After a bit, Jimi decided to teach the boys the art of making snowballs before our snow is gone.   They had a great time and it was very difficult to get them to come in for naptime.  What did you do today?  What was the weather like by you?

 

 


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Great Bay Pottery Review!!!

Great Bay Pottery sent me two beautiful pieces of their hand-made pottery to review yesterday.  They sent me a batter bowl and a pitcher.  These pieces are  hand-made and individually glazed before the final kiln firing.  The best thing is this pottery is lead-free and made in the USA!  The pieces are dishwasher, oven and microwave safe.

These are the beautifully crafted pieces they sent me.

You can see they are proudly made in the USA.

The batter bowl is a medium size that I think will be great for when I am melting chocolate in the microwave.  It is also a great choice for sauces and small batches of pancakes or waffles.

The nicely crafted handle makes picking the bowl up very easy and feels secure.

The spout makes pouring an easy and tidy task.  The colors are very county, and the heart leaf pattern is simple and beautiful.

The inside of the bowl has gentle circular ridges.

My overall impression of this batter bowl, is that it will be a piece I reach for often in my kitchen.  From scrambling up a few eggs, to making a chocolate sauce it is very handy, not to mention beautiful.  I am sure you will be seeing this piece in many of my baking and cooking posts in the future.

The second piece is a nicely sized pitcher, just right to hold fresh squeezed orange juice at breakfast or milk for a late night snack with the family of milk and cookies.  It feels very nice in your hands and is a nice weight.

The handle is very comfortable for pouring and gives you a nice secure grip.

The inside of the pitcher is a nice hunter green like the batter bowl with the same soft circular ridges down to the bottom.  This is a piece I will reach for a lot in my kitchen.  I love the colors and design of the tall grass with a dragon fly soaring over the tall blades.  The nice blue, green and grayish speckled colors are very cozy in a country kitchen.

I am very impressed with the pieces I was sent and I will be looking to add some  of this finely crafted and functional pottery to my kitchen.  They have other colors and patterns like Amber Celedon, shown below.  Check out their website to see the wide variety of pottery they carry at www.GreatBayPottery.com.

Great Bay Pottery History:

Since 1992, the dynamic group of talented clay pottery artists that have given Great Bay Pottery its name and continued success; have been creating beautiful, functional handmade pottery; unparalleled in its quality, design, and reputation.

Located in scenic North Hampton, N.H.; Great Bay Pottery boasts a fully-stocked retail showroom full of traditional pottery art. Just steps away in our fully-operational studio, you are invited to watch as our talented artisans hand throw, decorate, glaze and fire the very pottery pieces you seek to buy.

With tradition, creativity, and skill as our guides; we are confident that you’ll find that perfect one-of-a-kind custom corporate or personalized occasion gift (wedding, anniversary, birthday, christening, graduation, etc), timeless collectible, or art display piece of top performance functional pottery stoneware.


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Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract Review & Give-away!!!

I was so excited when asked to review this Nielsen-Massey Vanilla.  Excited, because this is a product I use and love.  I remember our first bottle had to be purchased through Chefs Catalog but now it is available at Wegmans.  We use this in so many of our recipes and love the flavor.  We use it in our ice cream that we make, all of our baking and we especially love the flavor it adds to our belgian waffles.  If you have never tried it, then you are in for a treat.  Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Inc. has an exclusive cold process method that extracts the essence from selected vanilla pods, the finest available, producing rich and delicious flavor that is unsurpassed.  Nielsen-Massey Vanillas is proud to announce that its Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste was a 2010 Silver finalist for the NASFT Sofi Awards in the “Baked goods, baking ingredient or cereal” category.  Take a look at their website for more information at www.NielsenMassey.com.

Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla

The world’s finest and most consistent vanilla comes from Madagascar. Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla from Nielsen-Massey has a creamy, sweet, velvety flavor that is perfectly suited for a range of products from baked goods to ice creams, salad dressings to barbeque sauces. Madagascar Bourbon vanilla does not have anything to do with the American whiskey of the same name, but is rather named for the Bourbon Islands off the coast of Africa. Madagascar supplies more than 60% of the world’s vanilla.


Give-away rules:

The Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Inc.  is being gracious enough to let one of my readers try this vanilla by sending out a  2 ounce bottle of this great vanilla to the winner.  To be eligible for the give-away you MUST subscribe to my blog, LIKE my blog Facebook Fan Page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mommy-Ramblings/142284565832382, and send as many friends over to my Facebook Fan Page to post a comment that “you” sent them.  The person with the most referrals by this Thursday night 12am will be the lucky winner.  Good luck everyone and thank you Nielsen-Massey!!!


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This Mom is Going to Snap!!!

The button on my camera, that is.  What did you think this was going to be about?  Me losing my mind?  Not yet, thankfully.  I think most of you know I have a passion for photography.  I am rarely seen without my camera around my neck, even when out fitness walking long distance.  I get very upset if I see a great shot and do not have my camera, so I tend to keep it in arms reach.

As most photographers will tell you, we have a good deal of money invested in our cameras, lenses and gear, so we need a good bag for travel that will keep everything safe.  Can we dare to be stylish as well?  Why, yes we can!  I am excited to say that I have a special offer for my blog readers.

TheJoyBag.com and I have teamed up to bring you all a special discount code for 10% off their collection of camera bags.  Visit the site and take a look at all the great products and take advantage of the additional savings if you find something great with the code CARLY10.  Happy shopping and of course happy snapping.

carly10.jpg

IT bag, patent pending


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Paula Deen’s Monster Cookie, Review!!!

I decided to try a recipe I found on the Food Network site.  It is a recipe for Monster Cookies which is courtesy of Donna Haney and adapted by Paula Deen.  The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup raisins, optional
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.

I made some changes.  First I do not cook or bake with salt for the most part so I omitted that.  Second I chose to cream the butter and sugars the old school way and then add the egg.  I had read some reviews that said these cookies spread too much when baked so be sure to use fresh baking soda.  I also use more vanilla because I always use more vanilla.  : )  Oh and I might have just added a few more of the chocolate candies and I used dark chocolate m&ms.  I used Skippy natural smooth peanut butter (the one you do not have to stir).

It is important not to overbake these cookies and let them cool on the cookie sheet for at least 3 minutes before transferring them to the cooling rack.

I guess my baking soda was super duper fresh because my cookies did not spread at all.  I actually mashed the tops down a little when I removed them from the oven.

So, my overall impressions of this cookie is that I like that it uses oats instead of white flour.  Seems like a healthier option for a cookie, and the dark chocolate and semi-sweet chips have anti-oxidants, and raisins are a fruit.  : )    They are nice and soft and chewy and taste good.  Even my son who does not like raisins, liked them.  I don’t know that I am head over heels, gotta make these again, but I am a little hard to win over cookie wise.   They are a good cookie and seemed to be a hit in this house, so at the end of the day, gotta give them the thumbs up!!!  Try the recipe and tell me what you think.


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The Winner of the Gourmac Anytime Cookie Stamps is…

Aprile Mazey!!!  Congratulations Aprile,  I would love to see a picture of your cookies when you use them.  Please send me your address so I can get it to Monique from Gourmac and get these out to you.


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A Whale of a Sale!!!

It does not matter how much money I have or don’t have, one thing is true.   I get almost giddy when I get something I need on an incredible sale. Yesterday, I hit a jackpot of sorts.  I got myself 4 pair of Jones New York velour cozy yoga pants (I walk and workout in them), that were originally $59 for $4 and change. If that was not a great enough deal, I then picked up Levi jeans for Ethan at $6.81 a pair.  I could not believe it but I love it!!!  Got a few more bargains but those were my biggest.

It was a glorious and warm day here and I took a great walk outside with the puppies.  It felt wonderful and you can definitely smell spring in the air.  All the snow is melting so rapidly.  I know it is supposed to be cooler the next few days but there is no denying spring is coming.  Yesterday, when I was shopping the bathing suits, gardening supplies, swim toys and Easter candy were a very welcome sight.

Remember, a few weeks back I told you all I was stressing over Ethan’s birthday cake and that it was going to be a construction scene.  Yesterday, I got the trucks for that and then in another store I found the perfect things for a John Deere tractor cake.   I bought those too because with two little boys they are not going to go to waste for sure.  I plan to ask him what he would rather have, and then start my mental planning.

It is a time of planning isn’t it? Springtime, and the anticipation of rebirth and renewal.  I am mentally preparing my garden and I decided I am going to ask my husband to build me another large raised bed.  I already have 2 but I want to add a third.  I cannot wait to get my hands into the soil and to start planting.  Are you all planning a garden?  I love being able to grow healthy food that I know was not sprayed with pesticides.  I also love showing my kids how things grow.  I would love to add some free-ranging chickens for eggs and for fun, but with our pack of dogs, it just does not mix.  Heck, I have even wanted a goat or two and a miniature donkey.  That does not sit so well with my husband, who knows he is the one who takes care of all the animals.  I try to sell him on the healthy benefits of our own goat milk and making our own goat cheese, but he just points to a farm down the road where we can pick that up.  So no chickens, goats or donkeys but I will have my garden.

Don’t forget the cookie stamp give-away is over in a few hours.  I have so many great give-aways coming up.  Great things like $25.00 gift certificates and gift cards to various establishments like Dali Decals, environmentally friendly products, toys and so much more.  Make sure you subscribe to the blog so you do not miss out.


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