Woman Tribune » Home & Food

Do You Know the Difference Between Gelato and Ice Cream?

Liz — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:00:14 +0000

Gelato is Italian for ice cream, right? Well, not exactly. True, they are both dairy, they are both cold, and they are both desserts, but the similarities end there.

For starters, they look different, with true gelato resembling something more like frozen yogurt than ice cream, and in many displays, it looks like flavored whipped cream. Here’s some more detailed, delicious insight into the two treasured desserts:

American vs. Italian Ice Cream

American ice cream, we all know, has a pretty high milk fat content. Legally in the United States, a product must have 10% fat to use the label “ice cream.” Higher quality brands of ice cream have about 18% fat, which makes for a delicious ice cream, but a pretty pathetic gelato.

Gelato has a much higher milk to cream ratio. This means that the milk fat content is much, much lower, usually in the vicinity of 4% or so. The fat content difference influences the taste as well as your waistline. The fat in ice cream coats the tongue and saturates the taste buds, while gelato does not coat the taste buds as much, which allows the flavors to be stronger with a great depth of flavor.

Another key difference is the amount of incorporated air during churning. Ice cream can have 50% or so, while gelato only has about 25% trapped air. This is mostly due to the speed of the churning process, as gelato is churned slower, and this density has a decided impact on the texture and the flavor of the product.

Differences in Flavor and Texture

Regarding the flavor and texture, gelato should not be grainy. Ever. It should have a creamy texture that invites the flavor to develop and dance on the tongue. Usually this means that the mixture should have a chance to rest, allowing for the maximum development of flavor.

Ice cream is served frozen and gelato should be served slightly warmer. This allows the fats to mingle with the water, but not to freeze, which enhances the flavors. In fruit flavors, this can be a challenge.

Sadly, as home it is not possible to create gelateria-style gelato in an ice cream maker by just changing the ingredients. This is where the use of gelato makers come in. Gelato makers are different because they are designed to mix the ingredients at a speed which needs to be slower, so as not to incorporate too much air.

Northern vs. Southern Italy

Northern Italian gelato is predominantly milk and cream-based, while in Southern Italy, water-based fruit flavored gelatos are more common. This difference has been around for a few centuries and is nothing new. Fruit gelato offers the intense fruit flavors associated with sorbet, but the delightful creamy goodness of frozen yogurt–only much better.

Using Fresh Fruit in Gelato

When making gelato traditionally, it is important to use real fresh fruit and not fruit flavoring or syrup. If there is no time to chop the fruit up, simply pop it in a food processor for a fast way to prepare the fruit. There are some fruits that do work better than others in gelato; fruits that puree easily work the best, while others such as coconut can be considerably harder.

Using real fruit is a classic example of the importance of quality food in Italian cooking. The basic recipes are usually very simple but require high quality ingredients to yield the best results. This goes along with a great many other Italian dishes, such as pasta or panna cotta–simple to make but can either be breathtakingly amazing when done properly or a dismal failure.

While Americans in general love ice cream, if gelato was more well-known here, it would probably outpace the demand for ice cream in the summer. I know that personally, as much as I enjoy the ice cream truck trundling down my street with frozen confections, I would much prefer the Italian version: a gelato cart. That would be truly amazing. Relaxing at home and enjoying a skillfully-made gelato on a summer day–indeed–it would be a slice of heaven.

To use a common quote, “What is better than ice cream? Gelato!” and it really is very true.

Photo by missyjane20

Winterizing Your Yard: Better Late Than Never

Karen — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:47:44 +0000

I look forward to gardening season like kids look forward to Christmas, and I always feel a bit melancholy when winter comes and I’m stuck indoors looking at seed catalogs. However, the season doesn’t end with the first hard frost.

How you prepare your garden for winter will have a huge bearing on how easy and successful gardening is the following spring. There’s still time if you haven’t already winterized your garden. Plan to spend a few hours outdoors the next time it’s mild and dry, even in the dead cold of winter you do get a few scattered warm days. Here’s the to-do list that I follow each fall and winter:

Trim back damaged or diseased plants and tree branches. Do heavy pruning any time between early and late winter, when the tree is dormant and the leaves are gone. The benefit of pruning during this season is that you can see the tree’s form very clearly, making it easier to prune accurately. You’re less likely to spread disease when trees are dormant, as well.
Fertilize the lawn in late fall, according to Cornell University. You don’t want to fertilize while the grass is still actively growing. Wait instead until growth slows down, but before the ground freezes. The fertilizer will reach the roots, providing food for healthy growth in the spring.
Clean out rain gutters. This is an absolute must so water drains properly from your roof. Remove debris with a broom or rake, and wash the gutters out with a pressure washer set on low, or a garden hose with a sprayer attachment. Seal any holes or leaks with a silicone caulking, and replace nails and screws.
Clean outdoor furniture with water and a gentle scrub brush. Remove rust from metal with a steel brush and apply new paint, if necessary. Some wood furniture may benefit from oiling and restaining as needed. Store all outdoor furniture, such as benches, propane fire pit tables that are now a backyard fixture in most yards, in a shed or garage, or cover them with plastic tarps. Exposure to rain and snow will rust or warp outdoor furniture, reducing its lifespan.
Clean and sharpen your garden tools before storing them. Here’s how: Brush off dirt with a brush or your hand. Mix 3/4 quart motor oil with sand in a 5-gallon bucket, adding sand until you have a mixture that is moist, but not wet. Place your tool blades in the sand to remove remaining dirt and condition the blades. Remove rust with a steel brush. Wipe the blades with motor oil or W-D-40, and sharpen them with a file or whetstone at a 20-degree angle. Store tools in a dry shed.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve lost wooden-handled spades or weeding forks in the garden because I can’t see them from the dirt and grass. Last year, though, I got smart. I bought a can of bright red spray paint and painted all the handles after I had cleaned them for the winter. Voila! Cute, attractive garden tools that never get lost.
Remove garden debris. I sometimes leave perennials in place to insulate the plants’ roots or provide shelter for birds and rabbits, but I always clean my vegetable garden out. Leaving garden plants through the winter results in a slimy mess to clean up in the spring. It also promotes disease and provides shelter for insects to overwinter–two conditions I try to avoid.

While this seems like a lengthy list, you can easily complete most of it in a weekend. Although I’m always sad to tuck my garden in for the winter, I enjoy snuggling indoors with a warm fire or watching the snow fall on my bare trees.

As William Blake once said, “In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.”

Photo by meganpru

3 Ways to Cut Food Costs and Get Back to Basics

Liz — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:56:37 +0000

From the small restauranteur saving a dollar per case of shallots, to the largest car manufacturers getting a half-cent off each gallon of paint, all businesses benefit from cost-cutting. Getting just a little bit more bang for your buck is in your best personal interest, too–ever pass by a gas station because the one down the street sells gas for three hundredths of a penny less?

Being frugal does not mean you have to sacrifice every little thing that helps you get through the day. It just means using your creativity to maintain your lifestyle as best you can through any economic turmoil. Even if there’s no turmoil, what does it hurt to have a little extra money lying around?

When it comes to keep your food habits, you can absolutely get imaginative without sacrificing quality. With the exception of having an unnatural daily craving for caviar, you can follow these three dollar-stretching steps to eat just as you always have, even if your pocket’s running on empty.

Learn Culinary Basics

This is far less intimidating than it sounds. Just like Michael Jordan or Larry Bird had to master the free throw and jump shot, the culinary elite got where they are by mastering the basics of cooking. That means they can make a mirepoix, prepare fresh pasta from scratch, and whisk up the most delicious salad dressing with their eyes closed.

Sounds daunting, doesn’t it? Fret not–we’re here to help.

Mirepoix is the standby combination of aromatics that go into making sauces, soups, roasts, and stocks. All it takes is three simple (and inexpensive) ingredients: onion, carrot, and celery. To make it, cut the vegetables based on how long they’ll be cooking (the longer the cooking time, the bigger the cut), and use the following ratio:

2 parts onion : 1 part carrot : 1 part celery

That’s it. Nothing too terrible, right? Neither are the following ratios for the stuff you think is “out of your league.”

Fresh pasta:

3 parts flour : 2 parts egg (by weight)

Keep a tablespoon or two of water to drizzle in little by little, and there you have it.

And that salad dressing you love?

3 parts olive (or canola) oil : 1 part acid (vinegar)

Here’s the best part: once you learn and develop these ratios to your liking, you will be creating restaurant-style dishes in your own kitchen for quite literally pennies on the dollar.

Buy Fresh and Buy in Bulk

With rare exception, fresh ingredients cost less than prepared foods. Take salad mixes, for instance: they fall into the three-dollar-per-bag range, and typically include several lettuces and a salad dressing. But can you get a head of Romaine and loads of tasty vegetables for well under three dollars? Probably not.

What about that vinaigrette above? Costs about eight cents.

Also, as a price-conscious society, grocery stores everywhere are making bulk purchases readily accessible, and that’s something that can benefit you greatly. You can get coffee beans, loose-lead teas, flour, quinoa…just about anything you can imagine, all without paying for the expensive packaging and labeling brand names must include in their costs.

Buying in bulk means less processing, and that brings us to…

Process Your Own Foods

Don’t buy pre-chopped vegetables or pre-minced garlic when shopping. For every hand that touches your product, labor must be paid…and covered. Plus, the minute vegetables are cut, they begin dehydrating and losing their nutritional value–you pay more for significantly less product.

Same goes for meats: buy large hunks (which typically freeze well), and portion it yourself. Bake a whole six-dollar chicken, and use it for two or three meals with recipes like chicken soup, chicken primavera, or even chicken tacos. Try cubing a large roast, and throw it into an electric meat grinder for burger night–talk about quality food!

From baking your own brioche to chopping vegetables for a cheap Italian recipe like Pasta Primavera, when you process your own foods, the sky’s the limit!

So as you can see, you can easily cut food costs without sacrificing your food habits or personal integrity. In fact, mastering the steps above could actually give you bragging rights!

Photo by NourishLife

Yoplait Frozen Smoothies New Chocolate Banana Flavor and $1.00 Off Coupon

Holly — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:00:22 +0000

Smoothies are an excellent, wholesome option to indulge your sweet tooth without running to the cookies, cakes, and candies. Instead of copious amounts of sugar and a whole lot of things your body doesn’t need, smoothies are delicious and sweet and packed full of calcium and fruit.

As much as I love a good smoothie, I don’t always have the best and freshest ingredients that I would like. In those cases, Yoplait Frozen Smoothies are a great backup plan that I have gone to again and again, without losing one ounce of nutritional value. Yoplait Frozen Smoothies contain real fruit, live and active cultures, and 50% of your daily value of calcium, and can be enjoyed by just adding milk and blending.

Yoplait Frozen Smoothies have just recently introduced the newest flavor, Chocolate Banana. To give families just a little incentive to go out and pick up a bag of the new flavor, Yoplait has also issued a coupon for $1.00 off any bag of Yoplait Frozen Smoothie. Just print it out, bring it to your local grocery store, and save!

This coupon is not valid in the following states: California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, and Tennessee.

This is a sponsored post. Information and coupon offer were provided by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark. All opinions are my own.

We Put a New (Easier!) Spin on the Traditional Cookie Exchange with a Chex Party Mix-Change — Prize Pack and $20 Gift Card Giveaway [Closed]

Holly — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:34:27 +0000

Cookies are a time-honored holiday tradition for most of us. Some of the best cookies made all year by anyone are those made in celebration of the holidays, and it is during this time of the year that we collectively throw our weight management plans out the window–hence all of those weight loss-oriented New Year’s resolutions. When I was a kid, I knew it was time to start getting really excited for Christmas when my grandmother started the holiday baking. By the time she was through, we would have several containers full of a variety of different cookies, and they lasted well into the new year.

The art of baking the perfect holiday cookie is pretty much lost on me as an adult. Me and baking is very hit or miss, but I still wanted to make something delicious and sweet to indulge in while celebrating the holidays with my family. This holiday season, Chex encouraged people to mix it up and replace the traditional cookie swap with a Chex Party Mix-Change, and since I didn’t want to set myself up for failure by attempting to make my own homemade holiday cookies this year (maybe next year!), I jumped right on board.

I received an awesome prize pack to help get my Chex Party Mix-Change started, which included 2 boxes of Chex cereal, 10 red takeout containers, 5 featured Chex Party Mix recipe cards, and a $20 gift card to purchase recipe ingredients.

Making Chex Party Mix is incredibly simple; in fact, it is so easy that with guidance through the recipe instructions, my 6-year-old stepdaughter made the Chex PB and Chocolate Blast party mix nearly all on her own.

Prep/Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 22 (1/2 cup each)

You Will Need

6 cups Rice Chex cereal

1 cup white vanilla baking chips (8 oz.)

1 cup peanut butter chips

1 cup red and green candy-coated chocolate candies

1 cup dry-roasted peanuts

Before combining the candy and peanuts, I microwaved the white vanilla baking chips and peanut butter chips in separate containers for 5 minutes, just until they were warm enough to be stirred smooth. Then, the mixture was put into two bowls, each containing 3 cups of Rice Chex cereal, and lightly stirred until the cereal was lightly and thoroughly coated. After being placed in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to set, I broke the cereal apart into bite-size pieces and had my stepdaughter place handfuls of the cereal into each of the takeout containers.

Then, she also filled the containers (which she had already written the names of the recipients of our Chex Party Mix on) with the red and green candies and dry-roasted peanuts. After a light shake to mix up all of the ingredients, our Chex PB and Chocolate Blast party mix was done and ready to be gifted and enjoyed!

So simple, and incredibly delicious! I actually enjoyed the Chex Party Mix we made at home a whole lot more than any bag of pre-made Chex Party Mix I have had before–and I’ve tried quite a few of them.

Giveaway

MyBlogSpark has generously provided us with the opportunity to give away an additional Chex Party Mix-Change prize pack to one lucky Woman Tribune reader. Included in the prize pack are 2 boxes of Chex cereal to create Chex Party Mix recipes, 5 featured Chex Party Mix recipes (Original Chex Party Mix, Chex PB and Chocolate Blast, Chex Pumpkin Pie Crunch, Hot Buttered Yum Chex Mix, and Chex Caramel Chocolate Drizzles), 10 takeout containers, and a $20 gift card to purchase recipe ingredients and decorating supplies.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: The Chex Party Mix-Change prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by Chex through MyBlogSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Become a Fan of Gift Card Weekend on Facebook and You Could Win a $20 Sephora Gift Card

Holly — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:00:52 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Gift Card Weekend. All opinions are 100% mine.

Gift cards have long been the most popular holiday gift, and they are sure to rank number one yet again this year. It’s really no wonder why; gift cards take the hassle out of holiday shopping. No longer do you have to recruit a family member or friend of the person you’re shopping for to play junior detective to try to figure out what is on someone’s holiday wish list or spend hours wandering around store after store in search of a gift that will be enjoyed instead of returned for something else. Gift cards allow the recipient to choose their own perfect gift and every time they use it, they’ll think of the person who gave them the gift card that allowed them to purchase something they love. It’s a win/win situation all around.

This holiday season is about to get even sweeter with an exciting gift card event from Gilbert the Gift Card Machine to celebrate the upcoming Gift Card Weekend event.

From now until December 23, $20 Sephora gift cards are being given away daily to Gift Card Weekend Facebook fans. To be entered into the drawing, all you have to do is like Gift Card Weekend on Facebook. For an extra chance to win, share their fan page with your friends and you will receive one extra entry for every person you inspire to become a fan. The more influence you have and the more friends of yours who become fans, the higher chance you have of scoring one of the $20 Sephora gift cards being given away.

But that is just the precursor to Gift Card Weekend, a yearly event where participating retailers have amazing offers specifically on gift cards that will make them more valuable than the amount they were purchased for. This year, Gift Card Weekend will take place from January 6th to January 8th, just a week after most, if not all, holiday gift cards are given and received.

If you are giving a gift card this holiday season, be sure to check out the list of stores and restaurants participating in Gift Card Weekend below and consider purchasing a gift card from one of these brands to give extra savings.

Stores and Restaurants Participating in Gift Card Weekend

JCPenney
Regal Cinema
Subway
Sephora
Applebee’s
Bass Pro Shops
Adidas
Buca di Beppo
Lowe’s
Spa Finder
Marriot
Giant Eagle

Don’t forget to send along a little note to the recipient about Gift Card Weekend so they can use their gift cards during that weekend when the value of their cards is increased.

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Chicken Fajita Grilled Pizzas [Ragu Recipe]

Holly — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:00:27 +0000

During the Ragu Brand Immersion Weekend in New York City back in September, I and the other Ragu Mom’s the Word on Dinner ambassadors were treated to a delicious lunch prepared by the Unilever chefs. We were able to try a variety of dishes, each one created specifically for Ragu using their line of sauces, all of which you can find on the Ragu website. Accompanying each dish was a recipe card; I brought home several, along with a whole lot of motivation to prepare them myself at home.

The first dish I made was Chicken Fajita Grilled Pizzas.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 large poblano or medium green bell peppers

1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

2 (12-inch) pre-baked pizza crusts

1 1/2 cups Ragu Old World Style Pasta Sauce

3 cups shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese (about 12 oz.)

2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

This pizza is meant to be grilled; the toppings, how you cook the pizza, it is all supposed to be grilled. I don’t own a grill, so I put all of the ingredients in a pan and cooked them on the stove top and then baked the pizza in the oven. This didn’t change the integrity of the pizza too much and it was still good, so if you don’t have a grill, don’t let that stop you.

When I tried a slice of this pizza at the Unilever kitchen, I really liked certain elements of it; peppers as a pizza topping is something I really enjoy and they go very well with chicken. I also liked how the pizza crust was just crispy enough where you hold the slice, but still soft everywhere else. I have very sensitive teeth so I don’t do well with very crispy pizza crust, or very crispy anything for that matter. What I didn’t like about this pizza originally was the amount of onion it was topped with. Generally, I don’t like the taste of onion, and while I can appreciate it as a very subtle, barely there flavor mixed into something else, eating chunks of it isn’t appetizing to me. So, when I made this pizza at home, I omitted most of the onion and used a very small amount just to add to the flavors of the chicken and peppers.

I coated the chicken, green bell peppers, and onions with 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil and cooked them on top of the stove. While they were cooking, I put the pre-baked pizza crust in the oven at 375° just until it was a light golden brown.

I decided to use a packaged crust instead of taking the enormous risk of making my own dough or attempting to evenly roll out a ball of pre-packaged dough. The way I see it, if your skills in the kitchen aren’t that great to begin with, don’t give yourself more room to make mistakes that could very well ruin your entire meal.

After the crust was brown and the toppings were finished cooking, I added them to the pizza that had already been spread with Ragu Old World Style Pasta Sauce.

Next, I added 1 1/2 cups of shredded Monterey Jack cheese to half of the pizza. On the other half, I added 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese. This was my own addition as the original Ragu recipe calls for 3 cups of Monterey Jack cheese, but I like mozzarella more on my pizza, so I went with half of the pizza being made to the Ragu recipe and the other half being more of what I know I like. You can feel free to use whichever cheese you enjoy most.

Still heated to 375°, I put the pizza back in the oven. I don’t know how long it was in there exactly, but it was done once the cheese was melted completely.

The pizza came out great, and not just because it was the first pizza I made on my own. My omission of most of the onion and addition of mozzarella cheese were good decisions for me and it was fun being able to take this recipe and make a little more my own.

This post was created in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador in the Ragú® Mom’s the Word on Dinner Program. Visit www.facebook.com/ragusauce to join the conversation.

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Check Out the New Tassimo Professional Office Brewer and Sign Up for a Free Demo

Holly — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 00:00:26 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tassimo. All opinions are 100% mine.

Coffee is an integral part of the morning routines and workdays of countless people everywhere. Without it, I predict that the level of productivity we’re used to seeing collectively put forth day after day would surely decrease to a slow crawl in no time. Some people would go as far as to say that they are not sure what they would do, or how much they would accomplish, if it weren’t for that cup of coffee that starts their day each morning. I am undoubtedly one of those people.

If you work in an office, frequent coffee shop stops are most likely part of your daily workday routine. Even after you’ve settled into work after your morning coffee, by the time early afternoon rolls around the craving for a delicious, rich coffee can be downright insatiable. Instead of having to make time during your lunch hour to run to your local corporate coffee chain, Tassimo has the perfect solution–the new Tassimo Professional single-cup specialty brewer.

I am a big fan of Tassimo already. I have had their T20 Brewbot home brewer for almost a year now and as soon as I tasted the quality of coffee drinks it produced, I was an instant fan. Being able to enjoy a coffee house-style (and quality) beverage in the comfort of my own home has been a treat and with this new office brewer, you can now do the same right in your office, without having to leave during your workday, and without having to spend that extra $5 on one single cup of coffee at your local shop.

The new Tassimo Professional office brewer allows you to enjoy an assortment of luxury beverage brands, such as cappuccinos and lattes made using Gevalia espresso and real milk creamer. If you’re not a coffee person or if you’re simply in the mood for a non-coffee beverage, this brewer can also prepare rich and creamy Suchard hot chocolate and Twinings tea, just to name a few. I love that Tassimo brewers are capable of making so many different types of beverages, unlike a standard coffee maker where all you can make is coffee. Tassimo brewers do this easily and flawlessly with intelligently designed T-Discs that are filled with the contents that will be brewed into your mug. Tassimo Professional T-Discs feature unique double-bar brew codes that ensure precise brewing and consistent quality; also, the T-Discs are only compatible with Tassimo Professional brewers so your co-workers won’t be able to stash them away for home use.

If you’ve never used a Tassimo brewer, or any other type of single-cup or luxury beverage system, a new small appliance could look daunting. Luckily, this brewer is simple to use. With one-touch activation and a real time LCD instructions, you can brew a perfect mug of delicious coffee, or any other beverage you like, in under two minutes.

If you are an office-dwelling coffee-lover, Tassimo has awesome news for you! Starting now, you can sign up for a Tassimo Professional free demo and enjoy delicious hot beverages at your office for free!

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Hoarding Clean Up: Leave It to the Professionals

Holly — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:14:39 +0000

I used to have a particularly negative attitude towards documentary/reality television shows documenting a person’s struggle with a mental illness, an attribute that sets them apart from the society-accepted version of “normal,” or the challenge to change themselves in the face of discrimination. In my estimation, these shows, while they did strive to reveal a supposedly honest depiction of living with conditions such as substance abuse issues, obesity, and particular phobias, they were doing very little else but exploiting the subjects that were plucked from obscurity and put on the television screens of millions of homes nationwide. I saw the benefit of these shows in the sense that they bring a certain level of success to the television networks who produce and air them, and for the viewers who typically see quality entertainment value in the distress of the others.

While I certainly have some questionable taste in trashy reality television myself (Keeping Up with the Kardashians, anyone?), I wanted nothing to do with shows like Heavy, Addicted, Celebrity Rehab, and so on. That is, until I started watching the A&E show Intervention on a whim. This particular subject matter interested me because when I was growing up, my mother was an alcoholic and drug addict. She may still be, but she has not been in my life in any capacity whatsoever since I was about 10 years old. In some feeble attempt to make sense of my entire childhood within the course of seasons upon seasons of 44-minute episodes, I started with this show. I branched out to others over time, and more focusing on other subjects as I noticed articles popping up on blogs and websites I frequently read where the authors used these shows as catalysts to share their own stories, knowing that much of their audience had seen these shows and would know the basis of the issues they were discussing.

One topic that has come up quite a bit throughout the past few years is hoarding. The shows Hoarders and Hoarding: Buried Alive have continued to gain more popularity; because of this success it’s safe to say that while it is still technically “taboo” subject matter, these shows have instilled knowledge of what hoarding is along with how and why it happens into the people who have seen an episode or two. This has given people who hoard just a little more confidence in reaching out to others and sharing stories of their own struggles with this compulsive behavior.

Television shows on the subject of hoarding always provide the people who are the subject of an episode with a therapist to battle their obsessive compulsive behavior, which they always end up needing because with being on an episode of one of these shows comes the often traumatic cleanup process. Hoarding clean up is extremely risky to do without the help of professionals because often in spaces that are affected by hoardings, there is buildup of dust, mold, mildew, trash, expired food, rodent and animal droppings and infestations, and sometimes even live or dead animals who have also inhabited the same spaces. These spaces have become uninhabitable by the time these cleanup crews get to the house of someone who hoards, and by that time the disorder has become as unmanageable as their space for the person affected by a compulsion that they cannot cease on their own. The risk to one’s safety and health when cleaning out a space that has been inhabited by a person who hoards for in almost every instance, a prolonged period of time is quite high. Paths and exits become blocked and human interaction with expired food items, airborne contaminants that rise after moving items that haven’t been moved in years, and on a more severe level, animal dander, excrement, and in some cases, carcasses are very likely to get people sick.

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome is transmitted by infected rodents and their urine, droppings, and saliva. It can be passed to humans who breathe in the virus and even more frightening, it is a disease that has no specific treatment or cure. This is a major reason as to why if you are cleaning out a space where someone who hoards has lived, or if you have any cleanup job that contains biochemicals or hazardous waste of any kind, that you must contact a professional service to help. Cleaning up a serious mess on your own may save you a few bucks, but it isn’t nearly worth the risks you would be putting your health in.

Photo by Dragonarium

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Carapelli Olive Oil Taste Test Review

Holly — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 01:00:30 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Carapelli. All opinions are 100% mine.

When I think of olive oil, it is very easy to immediately have a short list of items that are enhanced by its presence spring to mind; most notably, salad, pasta, and warm breadsticks. Enjoying olive oil on a certain number of foods and having a favorite brand are two different things, at least to me. Trying a new brand of anything after already trying and liking a different brand is something I hardly do. I work very much under the mindset that I have found something that I like and I’m going to stick with it. It’s safer that way. Then again, I’m probably one of the most picky eaters you’ll ever meet who doesn’t actually cook themselves.

My partner prepares most of our meals and unlike me, loves experimenting with new products and new brands of products he already loves. So he was pretty excited when we received a bottle of olive oil to taste test from Carapelli.

Carapelli Olive Oil has been around since 1893 and to this day, is still Italy’s number one brand of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. That is quite an accomplishment, but not so surprising after finding out that they conduct their business on the principle of providing people with reassurance that their olive oil is of premium quality and consistently so. They have also instituted a quality certification program that they adhere to that meets and exceeds the extensive, strict quality specifications that are required in Europe and the United States.

I never thought that olive oil could be anything like wine; until I received a bottle of Carapelli Olive Oil and a printout on how to have a true olive oil tasting experience that is very similar to how you are supposed to correctly taste a good wine. With that, I was introduced to the four S’s:

Swirl: By swirling the olive oil in your glass, you release the oil’s esters, which are the molecules that contain the aroma.
Sniff: Now inhale deeply. The aroma is the key to the fruitiness of the oil. Is it intense or is it more subtle?
Slurp: Sip the oil while “sipping” in a bit of air. This slurping action emulsifies the oil and helps spread it throughout your mouth. Take note of the various tastes and sensations. Is it fruity, peppery, smooth?
Swallow: Once you swallow the oil, it should leave your mouth with no aftertaste. Again, take note of any peppery or stinging sensation in your throat.

Upon first sniff, there was little to no smell at all coming from my glass. That’s why it is so important to swirl Carapelli Olive Oil before sniffing. Suddenly there was a rich, vibrant scent wafting from the glass and it was delicious. The taste was incredibly smooth and I was somewhat taken aback by it. I don’t know what I was expecting at first, to be honest, but I was pleasantly surprised by the richness in the taste and also the peppery taste, which was very slight, settling into the back of my throat. In no time at all, that peppery taste had dispersed, leaving no aftertaste in my mouth or in my throat.

Carapelli Olive Oil is understated and delicious and great for eating on salads or with bread, and will definitely be featured in many upcoming pasta dinners in my house.

Try Carapelli Olive Oil out yourself with a $1.00 OFF coupon at www.CarapelliUSA.com.

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Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid Review and Prize Pack Giveaway [Closed]

Holly — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:46:56 +0000

Seventh Generation is a leading brand of household products that you can feel good about buying and using in your home. Their products are not only effective and healthy solutions for countless housekeeping needs, but are also created and manufactured with the health of the environment and sustainability remaining a top priority.

We recently received a Seventh Generation prize pack that included four bottles of their new natural dish liquid. This dish liquid has awesome cleaning power and leaves dishes clean and fresh. One major thing I noticed about Seventh Generation versus most other brands of dish liquid I have used is that I needed only about half of the amount I have normally used, which means these bottles will last much longer and help to save money. Saving money is always a good thing.

The amazing, rich scent of Seventh Generation dish liquid are created using only authentic ingredients, including essential oils and botanical extracts that come from fields, not factories. Their lavender originates from the fields of Drome in the foothills of the Alps, clementines from Calabria, and lemons from the soils of Sicily. Seventh Generation never uses unnecessary synthetic colors or chemically engineered scents.

Seventh Generation has immense pride in their company and the origins of their ingredients, as they should. To celebrate this, they are currently running the Nature Makes Perfect Scents sweepstakes where you can enter to win a trip for two to one of the sourcing sites of Seventh Generation natural dish liquid fragrance ingredients; either France, Italy, or Vermont–your choice!

Giveaway

MyBlogSpark has generously provided us with the opportunity to give away an additional Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid prize pack to one lucky Woman Tribune reader. Included in the prize pack are four bottles of Seventh Generation natural dish liquid varieties (in scents Free & Clear, Lavender Floral & Mint, Fresh Citrus & Ginger, and Lemongrass & Clementine Zest), a premium 3 Qt. 12″x9″ baking dish from Le Creuset, two Twist loofah sponges and scour pads made from 100% post-recycled materials, and a set of three organic cotton dish towels. Everything you need to serve–and then clean up–your next home cooked meal.

To receive coupons and special offers directly from Seventh Generation, you can sign up for the 7th Gen Nation and start scoring deals and getting rewarded.

Disclosure: The Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Oh, How Pinteresting: Thanksgiving Table Setting Inspiration

Holly — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:00:36 +0000

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I just had a very difficult time typing out those three words. Thanksgiving, already! Wasn’t it just early September like, last week? Well ready or not, it’s time to spend an obscene amount of hours in the kitchen (or enjoy the labors of someone else spending the morning and most of the afternoon in the kitchen), gather around the table, give thanks for the people around us and what’s really important in this life, and feast until we cannot possibly feast anymore.

In most homes, the Thanksgiving table is set to look as good as the meal being put on it. The good china and silver comes out, there’s a centerpiece, candles, or candles incorporated into a centerpiece, and if your gathering is large enough, sometimes there are even name tags accompanying each setting. If you’re still stumped on what to add to your Thanksgiving table this year and need some inspiration, here are some stunning pictures of Thanksgiving table settings all found on Pinterest.

Source: countryliving.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: hgtv.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: holiday-crafts-and-creations.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: fall.weddings.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: camillestyles.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: ohhappyday.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: howdoesshe.com via Holly on Pinterest

And now for some kids tables…

Source: tipjunkie.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: alphamom.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: multiplydelicious.com via Holly on Pinterest

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Ragu Mom’s the Word on Dinner Brand Immersion Weekend in New York City

Holly — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:15:49 +0000

Throughout the past few months we have been discussing what dinner is like in our home (along with providing a few helpful tips and recipes) in connection with my appointment as an ambassador in the Ragu Mom’s the Word on Dinner program. It is through that program that in mid-September I was able to travel to New York City for two days to take part in a full Ragu Brand Immersion Day along with several other ambassadors at the offices and kitchens of Unilever, the name behind Ragu and numerous other brands.

This was only the second time I had ever been to New York City, which is a statement I would be less ashamed to make if I didn’t live just over two hours away. My reaction to the city was very much the same reaction I had the first time I had been there years earlier: Complete awe. Everything amazed me; the buildings, the people, the atmosphere, the energy. The energy in the streets of New York City can damn near sweep you off your feet and the good thing about New York City is that hardly anyone will notice you as you walk outside and just stand there, taking everything in and appreciating everything going on around you and never wanting that excitement dancing around in your chest to end. So you just stand there.

That night we stayed at the Gansevoort Park Avenue, an absolutely beautiful hotel with rooftop bar and home of Asellina restaurant. My room was gorgeous and promptly after opening the door and putting my bags down, I could not help but take several pictures of all of its stunning features. Here are some of them:

The next day, we all headed to the Unilever offices and kitchens in New Jersey where during the day, we were given the inside scoop on just about everything involved in conceptualizing a new sauce (or improving upon an old one) and getting that product made and on grocery store shelves. It was an insightful day packed full of interesting and useful information.

Naturally, the first thing we had the opportunity to learn about upon arriving at Unilever was how the Mom’s the Word on Dinner campaign came to be and what Ragu wanted to accomplish with it. We’ve all seen countless brands attempt to speak the language of parents in their advertisements and pretty much every one of those advertisements ends with how life would be much easier or we would be happier or less stressed if we just bought their product. I appreciate that Ragu did not approach the Mom’s the Word on Dinner program in this way, which is why this is the first full-on ambassadorship that I have said yes to in the nearly-four years that Woman Tribune has been in operation.

Ragu’s main focus with the Mom’s the Word on Dinner campaign is to start a dialogue between their brand and their consumers, between bloggers and their readers, between parents and other parents. It’s a really simple concept–like most good ideas are–and it’s a conversation that anyone who has experienced dinnertime dilemmas can’t help but want to participate, and sometimes yes, commiserate in. And that’s where the magic of this campaign happens.

We also had the chance to hear just what goes into getting a Ragu sauce made, from conceptualization-to-jar, and then getting that jar on the shelves of your local grocery store. We learned that Ragu sauces begin with a recipe that is then perfected by Unilever chefs following the Gold Standard until they have created what they believe is the perfect sauce. Yes, chefs. It is so important to emphasize this because when I had first told my partner that I would be visiting Unilever and would have the chance to see how Ragu sauce is made, one of the first things he said was, “You know you’re going to a lab, right?” He was so wrong! There are no labs; instead, there are kitchens. Unilever has a series of kitchen stations in the middle of the Ragu space where there are chefs working hard to create sauces as well as new recipes that utilize their sauces as well as other Unilever-named brands. The most interesting aspect of the Unilever kitchen is that there are a series of stations equipped with only the appliances and tools that the average household has available. Because of this, the chefs are able to create recipes that they know regular families will be able to make and enjoy.

Annually, we have seen the statistics of serious health issues plaguing young people continue to rise. Thanks to the amount of research that has been done on this topic within the last handful of years, we have more information now than ever before to help us make the most informed, healthy choices about what is being put on our dinner tables. Ragu has also taken the initiative toward feeding our families better by dramatically reducing the amount of sodium in their sauce. The original Ragu sauce contained 780mg of sodium; as of 2010, they were able to bring that sodium level down to 480mg while also adding two servings of vegetables to each serving of Ragu and keeping the great, full flavor that their customers love.

Click to enlarge

Ragu has an impressive and mighty vault of delicious recipes. We have spotlighted some of their most budget-friendly recipes not too long ago, and I have plans of sharing a few others with you in the coming weeks from my kitchen. It would have most likely been difficult to decide on which recipes I wanted to make in my kitchen and share here if it weren’t for that Brand Immersion Day. Towards the end of the day, we were treated to quite the spread made by the Unilever chefs. Most notably, I really have to say that if you don’t try the Easy Mexican Pasta Salad, No Frying Chicken Parmesan, and No Boiling Lasagna, you are really missing out. They were delicious! I love the last two recipes because they are “skip-a-step” recipes, which literally means that you are skipping a step. With the Chicken Parmesan, you aren’t frying the chicken (or cleaning up the typical mess that comes with it) and with the Lasagna, you aren’t boiling the pasta noodles. These are easy dinners to make with efficiency, taste, and value in mind. All the important stuff! Also, I’m not so great in the kitchen and skip-a-step recipes leave an even smaller margin for error for me which is a great bonus!

I really learned a lot during the Ragu Brand Immersion Day. It was a great experience to see from the inside what goes into creating and distributing a product that I have already been purchasing on my own for years.

Here is a video further encompassing what I and the other Ragu Mom’s the Word on Dinner Ambassadors experienced that day:

Disclosure: This event occurred in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador in the Ragú® Mom’s the Word on Dinner Program. Visit www.facebook.com/ragusauce to join the conversation.

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Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate Traditional Brownie Mix and Prize Pack Giveaway [Closed]

Holly — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:50:43 +0000

Fall is somewhat of the unofficial start to baking season, and with good reason. For the first time in months you can bare to turn your oven on for more than 30 minutes at a time without feeling as if you just may overheat and pass out in the middle of your kitchen. This is pretty much the only reason you need if you’re asking yourself if you should bake some brownies. The answer is yes. Always, yes. I am fairly certain that there is never a bad time for freshly baked brownies, which pretty much sums up why I recently tried out the new Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate Traditional Brownie mix in the middle of the night. The middle of the night is still prime brownie-making and consuming time, believe me.

We have made our own homemade brownies from scratch before, and while they are always good, they also take a significant amount of time and energy to accomplish. I’m not always a big fan of waiting. Me and the concept of patience are not very well acquainted, so I’ll most often opt for brownie mixes in order to satisfy my chocolate craving in as little time as possible. These brownies can be made in just three extremely easy steps and are ready in under 20 minutes. That delights my inner five-year-old who anxiously waits in front of the oven as if that will somehow alert the brownies that they need to hurry up and finish baking so I can put one in a bowl with a generous scoop of ice cream.

My brownies came out perfectly and they were delicious. Packed with delicious milk chocolate flavor, but not containing so much chocolate that it makes you sick and not want to look at chocolate at any point in the foreseeable future. Something that I could not help but want to dole out copious high-fives over is the fact that the Wilton baking pan that arrived in our Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate Traditional Brownie Mix prize pack is non-stick and made it so that the very first brownie that emerged from the baking pan came out cleanly with no hassle. That is pretty spectacular if you have ever had to fight with your food to get it out of the pan.

Giveaway

MyBlogSpark has generously provided us with the opportunity to give away an additional Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate Traditional Brownie Mix prize pack to one lucky Woman Tribune reader. Included in the prize pack is one box of Milk Chocolate Traditional Brownie mix, a Betty Crocker apron, Wilton baking pan, and mixing spoon.

Disclosure: The Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate Traditional Brownie mix prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark.

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National Chocolate Day

Jacquie — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:00:39 +0000

October 28 is National Chocolate Day. Personally, I think it should be a statutory holiday where we all get the day off work to indulge in chocolate. Chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, chocolate candies, chocolate…well, you get the idea.

A Celebration of Chocolate

Chocolate is the world’s number one flavour. This tasty substance was first discovered by the ancient Mayans, who used the extract of the cacao plant as a beverage in ancient rituals. Later, after it had been discovered and brought to Europe by the Spanish, chocolate became a symbol of royalty, available only to those rich or powerful enough to obtain it. In Renaissance-era France, chocolate was officially reserved specifically for members of the French Royal Court.

Today chocolate is the favourite dessert of the masses. Whether on its own or blended as a subtle flavour it’s used in countless foods and drinks worldwide. I think it’s about time we gave chocolate it’s due.

Chocolate is revered throughout the world and many countries have their own chocolate celebrations. In the country of Ghana, for instance, which is a major producer and exporter of chocolate, the government decreed that February 14 would henceforth become National Chocolate Day.

The thinking behind this was that the associated Valentine’s Day celebrations were corrupting the youth of the country and that a focus on chocolate for that day would reduce the “wanton immorality” on the part of young people on this day. Personally, I’m not so sure that was a good idea. After all, chocolate has been considered an aphrodisiac for centuries. The Ghanaian government may have more to deal with than they bargained for!

Chocolate comes with a surprising array of health benefits, various studies have shown that the chemicals in chocolate can boost your mood, lower your blood pressure and even improve your cardiovascular health. Technically, chocolate is actually a vegetable, it comes from the cacao tree found in Central America and Western Africa. Of course, we all know how important it is to eat our vegetables, right?

Despite all this, chocolate does have its detractors (clearly these people are no fun at all.) The two main criticisms are that it contributes to obesity and to the development of acne. The fact of the matter is that any food eaten in excess will cause obesity, not just chocolate. It’s a matter of maintaining moderation; everything in your diet has its place, including chocolate.

As for the acne, the actual causes of acne are related to diet, hormones and genetics. Some believe excess sugar contributes to the problem and thus label chocolate as a culprit. The evidence however, points to the fact that getting rid of acne is more a matter of eating a healthy diet overall, maintaining proper hygiene and avoiding food allergies. Paying attention to these factors is what’s really needed as a treatment for pimples.

Personally, I think the most important benefit of chocolate is that it simply tastes good. Don’t we all deserve to enjoy a break once in a while with the world’s greatest dessert? Even if chocolate were completely unhealthy, I’d argue the taste and psychological benefits would make it all worthwhile.

So remember, on October 28, feel free to celebrate National Chocolate Day without guilt and in whatever manner you see fit. Chocolate mousse, chocolate sauce, dark chocolate, white chocolate, the possibilities are endless!

Photo by David G-H

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Want to Find an Extra Hour in Your Day?

Bethany — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:00:54 +0000

Wouldn’t that be nice? How many times have you said to yourself, “If I just had an extra hour, I would…” Of course, it’s not possible to extend each day to 25 hours – although that would certainly help some of us to balance our work and family schedules. But you can assess your schedule and juggle it even more creatively to squeeze out an extra hour each day to spend time doing something that you love.

Stop Wasting Time!

Okay, now it’s time to be honest. What areas of your life are sucking time from your schedule? These time sucks may come in the form of TV, Internet, and mundane household tasks that you do each day. If you cut out just one hour of television a day, you could spend time going on a jog with your spouse or helping your daughter with her homework.

If you are at work, set aside specific time blocks to respond to e-mails. If you respond to an e-mail each time that it pops up on your desktop, you’ll likely stay distracted and off task all day long. Tackling all of your e-mails at once will save you precious hours on a weekly basis.

Where Can You Juggle?

The good news is that women are masters at multitasking. So try to think of creative ways that you can juggle activities and kill two birds with one stone. Maybe you can exercise with a friend to catch up on social time and burn calories at the same time. Or perhaps you can walk your children to school to spend time with them and squeeze in a little bit of daily exercise.

You could also watch television while cooking dinner, listen to a book on tape during your commute, or work on your cross-stitch while watching TV.

Stop Waiting

If you think about it, a large majority of your day is spent waiting on other people. Try to minimize the time that you spend waiting by leaving for work earlier or later, if possible. Schedule appointments at off-peak hours, or take a book or your laptop with you to catch up on work while you’re waiting.

Another great tip is to try to squeeze in as much as cleaning as possible during television commercial breaks. This will make housecleaning seem like less of a chore since it will be broken up into small increments, and you’ll be done cleaning up your kitchen by the time that Grey’s Anatomy is over!

Photo by tisner

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Oh, How Pinteresting: Halloween Party Ideas and Inspiration

Holly — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:32:14 +0000

If you’re throwing a Halloween party this year, I’d say it’s about time you have most, if not all, of your party planning completed. If you’re still brainstorming fun and unique ideas, here are some of the best I’ve found on Pinterest for both children’s parties and adult parties.

First, you are going to need some invitations.

Source: seattle.todaysmama.com via Holly on Pinterest

Next are some really awesome Halloween party buffet table ideas.

Source: etsy.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: hostessblog.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: pizzazzerie.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: designvagabond.blogspot.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: hostessblog.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: potterybarn.com via Holly on Pinterest

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Find Online Coupon Codes and Deals for Over 7,000 Retailers at TrimBack.com

Holly — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:59:36 +0000

I shop online whenever I can. If I have a choice between going out to a physical store or getting the same product by ordering it on my computer, I choose the latter, always. I have never enjoyed much about the whole in-store shopping experience; I could do without the crowds that never seem to clear, I’d rather look at a webpage that clearly displays a selection of clearance items instead of rummaging through racks or bins, and salespeople who are hired to be helpful always come off as annoying and too in-your-face for me. Best of all, while stores may have the occasional in-store sale in hopes of bringing customers out in droves, it’s very likely that you can find an online coupon code or promotion going on at those very same stores if you shop online–and know where to look.

TrimBack.com has an incredible, vast selection of all ways you can save money while shopping online, including coupon codes, promo codes, discounts and deals that can redeemed at over 7,000 different retailers and restaurants. Some of their top stores include Best Buy, Home Depot, Gap, Macy’s, Pampers, and Target.

There are a ton of different ways you can save money made available to savvy shoppers out there who always scour for deals before they buy. That is precisely why TrimBack.com’s online community sifts through more than 100,000 online discounts and promotions and ranks them determined by what type of promotion it is and what it can be used for. They pack this into a website that is easy to navigate, use, and understand. Their homepage is also updated with timely money-saving resources for upcoming special occasions, like Halloween coupon codes that range from retailers like Hancock Fabrics, Halloween Express, and The Children’s Place. While you’re in the Halloween spirit, you’ll also find some great party supplies deals that will definitely come in handy if you’re throwing a home Halloween bash.

The only aspect of TrimBack.com’s website that I really do not like is the row of coupon code screenshots just below the header that, when you scroll over them, have a red popup graphic that tells you to click on the image to see all of the coupon codes for a specific retailer. This entire aspect is really distracting, especially when you scroll over the row of images quickly and the header fills up with these red graphics as seen in the picture in the picture to the right.

Other than that, TrimBack.com is another great resource out there to utilize when looking to score the best deals on products you’re going to buy online.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in which I was compensated for. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Betty Crocker Molasses Cookie Mix and Prize Pack Giveaway [Closed]

Holly — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 11:49:32 +0000

I have frequently disclosed my complete and utter lack of culinary prowess; everything kitchen-related easily boggles my mind and if there isn’t a clear and concise set of instructions, I am lost. This is precisely why I am a big fan of any product that makes it easier for me to spend about 30 minutes in the kitchen and come out unscathed and with something edible. Luckily for all people (and products) involved, that is exactly what I was able to do a few nights ago when I went into the kitchen and grabbed the new Betty Crocker Molasses Cookie Mix.

Molasses is a taste that I don’t get very often due to the severe lack of easy (and that is always the key word) ways to prepare and produce it at home. Betty Crocker’s Molasses Cookie Mix takes just three ingredients and 10 minutes before I can indulge myself in warm, soft, chewy cookies packed with molasses, cinnamon and spice.

Included in the Betty Crocker Molasses Cookie Mix Prize Pack, which we received from the awesome folks over at MyBlogSpark, was a plastic spoon. One would assume that this spoon is used to stir the three ingredients–1/2 cup of butter, 1 tablespoon of water and 1 egg–into the mix in order to create cookie dough. That is what I assumed, anyway, but that did not work. In order for the amount of moisture those ingredients create to get to all that dry mix, you have to use your hands. So where does that aforementioned plastic spoon come in? I have not a clue.

For the first time possibly ever, I didn’t burn the cookies I made at all; not even the bottoms which always, always happens.

The cookies came out great and if you like molasses, you should definitely give these a try. You can also download a printable coupon for $0.75 off the purchase of one Betty Crocker Molasses Cookie Mix pouch.

Giveaway

One lucky Woman Tribune reader will win a Betty Crocker Molasses Cookie Mix Prize Pack that includes a pouch of cookie mix, a Betty Crocker apron, non-stick baking sheet, and mixing spoon.

Required Entry

Leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite occasion for baking cookies is.

Extra Entries

Leave a separate comment for each additional entry.

Follow @BettyCrocker on Twitter
“Like” Betty Crocker on Facebook
Subscribe to Woman Tribune
Follow @WomanTribune on Twitter
“Like” Woman Tribune on Facebook
Blog about this giveaway with a link back to this post and details about the Betty Crocker Molasses Cookie Mix Prize Pack. (This entry is worth 2 entries so leave 2 separate comments with the link to your blog post.)
Stumble this post (using the button below) on Stumble Upon
Tweet about this giveaway (This can be done once per day, leave a link to your tweet in your comment)

Enter to win a @BettyCrocker Molasses Cookie Mix Prize Pack from @WomanTribune & #MyBlogSpark http://shar.es/bbCCO #giveaway ends 10/17

This giveaway ends Monday, October 17th at 11:59 p.m. ET. This giveaway is open to all U.S. residents over the age of 18 at the time of entry. The winner will be randomly chosen and contacted by email; they then have 48 hours (2 days) to respond to that email or another winner will be chosen.

Full Contest Disclaimer

This giveaway is now closed and the winner is…

Congratulations!

Disclosure: The Betty Crocker Molasses Cookie Mix prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark.

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$75 Pottery Barn Gift Card Giveaway from Gift Card Granny [Closed]

Holly — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:29:14 +0000

Buying discount gift cards and using them for casual, every day purchases on items that you are going to buy anyway can save you a lot more money than you might think. Just ask Ashley Grimaldo who saved $206.29 in just one month back in March. While it may seem like there is a slight learning curve to knowing where to find the gift cards with the most lucrative discounts for the best price, there is a resource out there that has taken all of the work out of the search and gives you the freedom to find the cards with the best deals and begin saving.

Gift Card Granny is a discount gift card shopping search engine that connects buyers and sellers of discount gift cards. Just search for a gift card by merchant or category and Gift Card Granny will return a list of the best offers out there for you to choose from. It really is an amazingly easy way to save literally hundreds of dollars a month, and what could be better than that?

We’re big fans of Gift Card Granny and have mentioned them and the deals to be had before. Luckily, the feeling seems to be mutual because Gift Card Granny is giving one lucky Woman Tribune reader a $75 gift card to Pottery Barn!

Entries

Do one or all of the following things to enter to win the $75 Pottery Barn gift card from Gift Card Granny. Leave a separate comment for each additional entry and be sure to include your username for Twitter and Facebook entries if applicable.

Create a gift card alert at Gift Card Granny and tell us which merchant you chose to receive alerts about.
Gift card alerts will email you either immediately or daily when there are newly added gift cards available for your favorite stores.
Follow Gift Card Granny on Twitter
“Like” Gift Card Granny on Facebook
Stumble this post (using the button below) on Stumble Upon
Tweet about this giveaway (This can be done once per day, leave a link to your tweet in your comment)

Win a $75 Pottery Barn gift card from @GiftCardGranny at @WomanTribune http://shar.es/HLA4c #giveaway ends 10/4

This giveaway ends Monday, October 4th at 11:59 p.m. ET. This giveaway is open to anyone over the age of 18 at the time of entry. The winner will be randomly chosen and contacted by email; they then have 48 hours (2 days) to respond to that email or another winner will be chosen.

Full Contest Disclaimer

This giveaway is now closed and the winner is…

Congratulations!

Disclosure: Gift Card Granny has provided one $75 gift card to Pottery Barn for this giveaway.

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I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Toast2TV Star-Studded Kit Giveaway [Closed]

Holly — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:15:50 +0000

This year’s Emmy Awards season has been pretty eventful for us. First, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! hooked us up with a free tub of Not-Butter (I couldn’t believe it) as well as a few recipe cards that provided simple inspiration for light, delicious snacks to enjoy at home or serve at a small get-together. I enjoyed a batch of Roasted Sweet Potato Chips while talking all things television during the #Toast2TV Twitter party last Tuesday. Then, we live tweeted the Emmys last night in all of its somewhat-predictable glory.

Now that all of the Emmy Awards chatter is dying down, we have one last thing to properly bring our celebration of this year’s best in television to a close, and that is of course, a giveaway!

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! has offered up and amazing Toast2TV Star-Studded Kit to be given away to one lucky Woman Tribune reader. The kit includes:

VIP coupon for a free tub of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!
Dualit toaster
Tiffany & Co. butter spreader

I received one of these kits myself and I am completely impressed with the Dualit toaster. The opportunity to receive these goodies came at a great time for me, as my poor, little old toaster should have been replaced years ago. It should have been, but because it was still working about half as well as it did when I first bought it (for my very first apartment nearly eight years ago) it wasn’t an absolutely necessity to replace it–and so I didn’t. This brand new Dualit toaster, on the other hand, is awesome.

Let’s just first state the obvious, shall we? The toaster is yellow. Yellow! I love it; kitchens with splashes of fun colors make me extremely happy and my yellow toaster goes quite well with my red tea kettle, I must say. In addition to its most fabulous color, this toaster also has the ability to heat just one slot, it has a setting to defrost frozen bread before toasting, there is a selector control of toasting buns and bagels and extra-wide 28mm slots to make sure everything fits inside of it, a removable crumb tray for minimal, crumby messes and more.

Giveaway

So, you want a rad, kind of retro (but in the coolest way possible, I promise!) yellow Dualit toaster along with a Tiffany & Co. butter spreader and a coupon to go pick up your favorite I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! product?

Required Entry

Browse through the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! recipe selection and leave a comment telling us what recipe you most look forward to making with the product you would redeem your coupon for.

Extra Entries

Leave a separate comment for each additional entry and be sure to include your username for Twitter and Facebook entries if applicable.

Follow I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! on Twitter
“Like” I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! on Facebook
Subscribe to Woman Tribune
Follow Woman Tribune on Twitter
“Like” Woman Tribune on Facebook
Blog about this giveaway with a link back to this post and details about the Toast2TV Star-Studded Kit. (This entry is worth 2 entries so leave 2 separate comments with the link to your blog post.)
Stumble this post (using the button below) on Stumble Upon
Tweet about this giveaway (This can be done once per day, leave a link to your tweet in your comment)

Win a Dualit toaster, Tiffany&Co butter spreader and coupon from @ICBINotButter & @WomanTribune http://shar.es/HVTgH ends 9/27

This giveaway ends Tuesday, September 27th at 11:59 p.m. ET. This giveaway is open to all U.S. residents over the age of 18 at the time of entry. The winner will be randomly chosen and contacted by email; they then have 48 hours (2 days) to respond to that email or another winner will be chosen.

Full Contest Disclaimer

This giveaway is now closed and the winner is…

Congratulations!

Disclosure: I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Toast2TV Star-Studded Kit review item and giveaway were provided by I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!

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Roasted Sweet Potato Chips Made with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! [Recipe]

Holly — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 21:59:59 +0000

Last Tuesday night I took part in the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! #Toast2TV Twitter party. It was a good time all around tweeting with some great people about all things television-related in anticipation of TV’s biggest night. If there is one thing I can always, always chat about at length, it’s television. I’m not a total junkie of course, but I do keep up with a rather lengthy list of shows. My very good friend Renee and I created and write Women’s Eye on Media and we frequently find ourselves having to discuss different topics that we can write about within the media spectrum that does not have something directly to do with television because of our collective tendency to write only about what shows we’re watching and critiquing the shows that aren’t worth watching. These tend to turn into some of our most popular and best posts–of course.

I had a few days notice prior to the night of this Twitter party and to get prepared, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! sent along a coupon for a free product and a few recipe cards for light, delicious snacks that can be enjoyed alone or served at a small get-together.

I made up a batch of Roasted Sweet Potato Chips that were seriously the easiest thing I have ever made. Ever.

You Will Need:

2 large sweet potatoes or yams (about 1 lb.), very thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Spread, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

Toss potatoes with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Spread in large bowl; arrange potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheets. Bake, turning once, 25 minutes or until chips are crisp. Sprinkle lightly with salt, if desired.

See, they are so easy that not even I could mess them up–and I have been known to have the special ability to completely ruin many so-called “easy” dishes. I did, however, add a little something different to our Roasted Sweet Potato Chips. When we make baked sweet potatoes, we usually go the drastically unhealthy route (so it’s probably a good thing that we don’t have them too often) and load them with cinnamon and sugar, butter and mini marshmallows. When making the sweet potato chips, instead of lightly salting them I put just a tiny amount of cinnamon and sugar on them just so you could barely taste it but knew it was there. So good!

Sweet potatoes sliced

Roasted Sweet Potato Chips right out of the oven

These were a great, big, delicious hit and with fall upon us (my favorite time of the whole year!) I will definitely be making them often. Good thing I got a few extra sweet potatoes at the grocery store last time I was there.

I was also sent a set of toast coasters that are really cool. If you don’t look at them too closely, they look incredibly similar to pieces of toast.

Toast coasters

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! has a wide selection of recipes that make for great party food, side dishes, appetizers and more. For even more ideas, you can check out the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Facebook page and follow them on Twitter!

Disclosure: I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! product coupon, recipe cards and toast coasters were provided by I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!

None yet, check back soon!

How I Taught My 10 Year Old to Manage Animal Hair and Odors

Mikki — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:00:47 +0000

I have worked in animal rescue a long time. One thing that I’ve learned is how to effectively minimize animal hair and odors on my own. You see I have a system, and it works. The only flaw in my system is that I’m the only one who does it. The kids, well they tend to make themselves scarce when animal needs arise. That was until my youngest daughter came to me and asked if she could rescue a little of homeless kittens.

To her helping homeless animals is a natural part of life so when she saw five little babies heading to the local animal shelter she knew right away what fate they had in store. She also knew that mommy doesn’t offer to help too many kitties and so she offered to take full responsibility if I said yes. What she saw was an opportunity to save five kittens. What I saw was an opportunity to teach!

You see animal rescue isn’t all about fun and playing with cute babies. In fact there is a huge amount of responsibility in their care, feeding, hygiene and vetting prior to adoption. Until now my 10 year old spent her involvement on the play side of rescue. Now was my opportunity to get her involved on the more demanding side, and that included helping maintain a clean, odor- and hair-free living space!

It All Begins with the Litter Box

What many cat owners may not realize is the majority of your cat odors come from the litter box. Either odors seep from the box or particles stick to your cat’s paws and fur when using the bathroom, later to be tracked all through your house. If you can properly maintain your litter box you’ll be leaps ahead of kitty odor.

But it’s not just odors we are preventing when it comes to a clean box. Failure to remove dirty litter can actually lead to diseases such as urinary tract infections. When you have five kittens this becomes five times more important!

So my daughter and I sat down and discussed the frequency it would take to ensure our home smelled clean and our cats stayed healthy. We agreed to scoop the box twice a day and a complete change out once a week. After showing her how to clean the litter box I turned the complete responsibility over to her, with a little reminder if it needed to get done.

No More Cat Hair? It’s All in the Way You Vacuum

If you’ve ever assigned vacuuming to your children then you are probably all too familiar with their haphazard approach to sweeping the floors. I am always amazed to see my children push the vacuum in a zigzag back and forth over the same spot then wrap up and claim they’re done.

This type of sweeping will never remove the fast-accumulating cat hair from these five kittens and it was important that my daughter understood that. To begin I let her vacuum her way for a week. Then at the end of the week I took a broom and “swept” up all the hair along the edges of the carpet.

She had to laugh when I showed her how much was there. After this demonstration she happily confessed that she figured since our allergy vacuum was so good it would get all the hairs by itself. Such a simplistic view I always admire.

It only took one time showing her how to make sure she covers the entire floor and the speed in which she should move the vacuum to ensure picking up as much hair as possible. After a few practice runs she was ready to take charge again and I was more than satisfied with the end result.

Lending a Hand with Odor Control

It wouldn’t be fair to put the entire burden of odor control on my daughter. After all we do have other rescues in the house that she didn’t ask to bring in. This is where part of my system comes in handy. Remember I said I have a proven system that worked? A huge portion of that is of course how I clean on a daily basis, but one portion is definitely lending a hand when those sneaky odor particles get past our efforts.

When my daughter brought home her foster kittens we had already select which air purifiers we would need to manage all the pollutants and odors that float around our home. Adding the kittens and their litter box was well within the air purifier’s capacity to clean from the air.

So that my daughter could be part of this aspect too I showed her how to monitor the purifier and determine if it needs service (we don’t use filters) and how to assess if we might want to consider adding an extra purifier to the mix.

By allowing my daughter to take responsibility and foster her first litter of kittens I not only encouraged her passion to save a life, but I also got a helper in the daily routine of controlling animal hair and odors. After all, life gets easier when you have someone to cut your chores in half!

None yet, check back soon!

Pasta Never Has to be Boring, Fresh Ideas to Spice Up Your Pasta Dinners

Holly — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:00:22 +0000

Did you know that families have pasta for dinner about 1.6 times per week? That is a lot of pasta, and my family most definitely contributes to the accuracy of that statistic.

Pasta is such a staple in our house, as well as in the houses of most everyone else, because it is extremely budget-friendly and there are so many different things that you can do with it. We typically tend to stay on a tight budget around here and at the same time, we are pretty picky eaters who very frequently grow tired of seeing the same thing grace our dinner plates. In most cases, we don’t typically have the same thing for dinner more than once every two or three weeks; but with pasta, even if we have it twice a week, which we frequently do, it’s a totally different meal and experience each time.

One of the easiest ways to reinvent a pasta dish that has become completely boring to you and to your family is to add to it. Adding fresh spices, vegetables and different types of meat to your base sauce can really spice up your dish and make all the difference.

I was recently sent a Le Creuset saucepan from Ragu which has made our experimenting with sauces an even more enjoyable experience all around, not to mention much easier than using our very old large pot that has been on its last legs for quite some time now. Seriously, I love this thing.

And not only because it matches my tea kettle.

Check out a new video from Ragu featuring some awesome moms talking about how they spice up their pasta dishes at home:

Here are a few choice pasta dishes to try from Ragu’s selection of recipes, including the dish that was mentioned during the end of the video above! Also, every dish below are all under $2 per serving. How amazing is that?

Baked Pasta Primavera Casserole

Cost per recipe: $10.32
Cost per serving: $1.72
Get the recipe »

Better for You No Boiling Baked Ziti

Cost per recipe: $11.34
Cost per serving: $1.42
Get the recipe »

Easy Skillet Ravioli

Cost per recipe: $5.75
Cost per serving: $0.96
Get the recipe »

Fettuccine with Chunky Feta Tomato Sauce

Cost per recipe: $7.80
Cost per serving: $1.30
Get the recipe »

How do you spice up your pasta dinner dishes?

This post was created in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador in the Ragú® Mom’s the Word on Dinner Program. Visit www.facebook.com/ragusauce to join the conversation.

All pasta images via Ragu

None yet, check back soon!

Oh, How Pinteresting: Stunning Window Seats

Holly — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:54:37 +0000

I have always had a thing for window seats. They are just incredibly gorgeous, yet simple and versatile. They can either be tucked away in a corner where you can create your own little nook that is blissfully yours, or they can be made the focal point of the entire room. Whatever you choose, regardless of how big or small, tucked away or out in the open, you simply just can’t go wrong with a good window seat; at least not in my book. Plus, there is really nothing I would love more than to have a cozy window seat in at least one room in my house where I can hang out, read a book and stare out the window at my surroundings.

Source: catalanoinc.com via Holly on Pinterest

I would love to see a larger picture of this entire space, but the window seat is spectacular. I love that it extends out to the sides filling the entire nook with seating in front of the large bay windows.

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Holly on Pinterest

I really love this idea for a window seat at the landing of a staircase between floors. It’s like a little surprise you didn’t expect to see when walking upstairs. A great idea for a space that is typically pretty difficult to decorate with an actual purpose in mind.

Source: myidealhome.tumblr.com via Holly on Pinterest

This playroom makes me happy. The striped walls, the complimentary pillows and window seat cushion all playing off of the colors in the walls, and especially the pocket areas beneath the window seat. The bins for loose items are really smart considering kids aren’t organized, so the bins make clean-up super quick and the room looks organized even if you know it really isn’t.

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Holly on Pinterest

This is just several different layers of awesome. A window seat-bed with a trundle bed underneath. Space-saving and monstrously cute!

Source: decorpad.com via Holly on Pinterest

Another playroom window seat, this one centered between two built-in bookshelves, which I also love! Built-in bookshelves are another thing I lust after when it comes to interior design.

Source: bhg.com via Holly on Pinterest

Let’s face it, built-in window seats are stunning, but not everyone can just build a window seat into the room of their choice (but wouldn’t it be awesome if we all could?) That is why I love this one so much; it’s the non-window seat window seat. It makes window seats possible where there was no possibility before. Just by topping a strong and sturdy trunk with a comfy cushion and a few throw pillows you can create a beautiful space in front of any window in the house.

None yet, check back soon!

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