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All of the contents have been consumed (well, there is some mustard left) in the form of grilled cheese sandwiches, quesadillas, and sliced meat logs on crackers. Mmm.

Besides the instant gratification of consuming delicious Hickory Farms food products, you can feel good that by purchasing Hickory Farms products, you are also “giving back”.

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For every Signature Party Planner Gift sold, Hickory Farms donates $5 to provide funding for summer meal programs, emergency food assistance, nutrition education, and long-term solutions for families in need. To learn more, visit nokidhungry.org.

Hickory Farms also has a partnership with Operation Gratitude – a national nonprofit that creates care packages for military men and women and their families. Hickory Farms has eight products that they offer free shipping to military APO and FPO addresses, including the “Home for the Holidays” gift basket.

Check out @HickoryFarms on Twitter and Facebook!

You can buy Hickory Farms gift sets at HickoryFarms.com.

Disclaimer: Compensation and products for review were provided by Hickory Farms via MomTrends. I received a free sample of the product for the purpose of this review and to facilitate a giveaway. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Hickory Farms.

Aldi Awesome Holiday Deals

December 21, 2012 Uncategorized 2 comments

If you have never shopped at an Aldi grocery store, you are missing out.

By offering a selection of store brand and special buy items, and having a no-nonsense, no-frills store layout, Aldi has all of your staple foods and some fancy extras for amazingly low prices.

I already was a huge Aldi fan before the holidays, but I picked up two 99 cent chocolate Advent calendars from Aldi in November, and they have been the highlight of my kid’s lives this month.

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Every morning, the first thing they think of when they wake up is “Can I eat my chocolate now?”

And I’m all getting cool mom points, “Yes, darling.”

When I walk into “my” Aldi, the first thing I encounter is tempting bottles of wine that average about $6.99 each. Then they have fancy chocolates and sweets, chips, crackers, jerky, fruit snacks, granola bars…on to baking goods like flour, spices, oil, mixes…round the corner past the granola bars and dairy case, stroll by cereals for under $2 a box, and then encounter “special buys” like holiday toys or seasonal foods.

Every few steps, I added items to my shopping bag. I was given a $25 Aldi gift certificate to write this blog post, and I was trying to make sure I spent at least $25. So every time I added an item to my bag, I typed in the price on my phone calculator.

By the time I finally reached $25, I could barely lift my shopping bag anymore! The prices at Aldi are so awesome, $25 goes a very long way!

Aldi has a lot of cool seasonal stuff at amazingly low price points. I found the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree for $7.99!

IMAG2404 IMAG2403 They also have real name brand toys, so Aldi can be a one-stop holiday shop before you go off to see the extended family! IMAG2402 IMAG2401

I spent only $28 and got some great holiday items like a box of hot cocoa mix with marshmallows ($1.19), cordial cherries ($1.29), and even a pomegranate for .69 cents!

I love that I can buy fresh seasonal produce at Aldi for a low price. I scored 2 broccoli crowns for .99 cents, a 3lbs of sweet potatoes for 79 cents (seriously! a bag of sweet potatoes for .79 cents!), fresh salsa for $1.99, 3 pounds of gala apples for $2.99, a container of baby bella mushrooms for $1.49…I mean my produce budget can REALLY stretch far in Aldi.

In the summer they have crazy deals like nectarines for 25 cents each, and seasonal berries for dollars cheaper than other grocery stores in my area.

Aldi’s website is very informative as well. You can make shopping lists, check out their Suggested Shopping Items, ALDI Wine Pairing Tips, and Holiday Entertaining Tips!

You can save tons on entertaining staples like mixed nuts and cheese and wine! Impress your guests for less! Love me some ALDI!

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for ALDI. I received a gift certificate to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.”

Fancy Drinks With @Torani #Torani

December 16, 2012 Uncategorized No comments

I worked in an independent coffee shop in high school and college. I’m so fancy! The only flavoring syrups we used for our super special drinks were Torani Syrups.

My favorite flavors to add to coffee drinks were Almond or Peppermint. Later I grew and matured and started enjoying Italian Sodas flavored with Pink Grapefruit Torani Syrup.

At any rate, you can NOT have a fancy drink experience without Torani syrup. I am convinced. Now I have Torani syrups in my home, and with the help of my Aeroccino milk frother, I make magic like this:

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That would be a dairy free cafe au lait with almond milk and Hazelnut Torani syrup. Sitting on top of my microwave. In my studio apartment.

On Thanksgiving, I took my little Aeroccino frother and Pumpkin Spice Torani syrup with me in my bag-o-tricks for Thanksgiving dinner. Pumpkin Spice lattes were enjoyed by all.

If you want to look all fancy pants with very little effort, pick up a bottle of some impressive flavor of Torani syrups and get ready to be the hostess with the mostess delicious drinks! Woot Woot!

Check out all of the flavors at http://www.torani.com!

I was blessed with two bottles of Torani syrup by SheSpeaks & Torani in exchange for writing this post. My opinions and loyalties are not boughten. I would work in a coffee shop in high school all over again and develop a love for Torani syrups even without this influence.

When you know, you just know.

Delicious Custom Cookie Mix Makes Gift Giving Easy

December 13, 2012 Uncategorized No comments

When I was in college one year, I was all, “I know an awesome way to give everyone a gift for not a lot of money! I will make GIFTS IN A JAR! Hecks yeah!” Homemade cookie mix. In a jar. Okay you know what? That was a big pain in the butt trying to make those gifts in a jar. So whatEVER.

But! The Mason Jar Cookie Gifts are perfect for giving because THEY PUT THE STUFF IN THE JAR FOR YOU.

Its all in the jar. I like that.

I was deathly ill a week ago and as a single parent, I had to depend on the kindness of my neighbors and friends to help me not die (slash) bring me food and feed my kids.

So, when one friend brought bread and juice and one friend brought soup, after I returned to the Land of the Living, I decided to give them “thanks for not letting me die” gifts from The Mason Jar Cookie Company.

Deeds was SO excited to deliver them he wanted to run out in his pj’s. Seriously.

I was pleased that the packaging is really cute, and the jar inside looks all special and fancy with the layered ingredients.

The Mason Jar Cookie Company provides everything you need to create your own customizable gifts…you can choose the type of cookie, or kind of “build your own adventure” cookie mix. There are even Gluten-Free options!

There are four cookie bases and thirty-five add-ins to choose from. You make the choices (its fool proof, don’t worry, they guide you and won’t let you fail).

When your custom cookie mix arrives, it’s layered all pretty like edible sand art in a mason jar.

Follow the directions, which is something like “add butter and an egg”, and bake it up.

The average price of one custom-made cookie jar is $19 (prices vary)(doy duh).

So don’t make yourself cray cray searching for recipies for cookies or trying to layer a chocolate cookie mix in a jar yourself. Just…stop.

Also, if your friends help you not die by bringing you food when you are too dizzy to walk to the door, bless them with deliciousness!

Thank you, Mason Jar Cookie Company!

Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour Chocolate Spice Cookies

December 7, 2012 Uncategorized No comments

Holiday baking is the bomb. Don’t be scared, you can make every dessert more nutritious, more delicious, and healthier than ever before by incorporating high-quality Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour s in your holiday spread!

Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour is 100% natural. Hodgson Mill products are straight from nature, with nothing added and nothing taken away!

We made these experimental CHOCOLATE SPICE COOKIES

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Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Hodgson Mills Whole Wheat Pastry flour
1 1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 1/2 tsp boiling water
1/4 cup sugar

Preparation:

Whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cocoa in a small bowl and set aside.

Beat together the margarine and brown sugar. Add the molasses and mix well. Add half of the flour mixture and the baking soda mixture and combine well. Add the rest of the flour mixture.

Chill, covered for at least one hour. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.

I made small balls of dough and rolled them in sugar before placing on the baking sheet. That turned out well, then I left the rest of the dough in the fridge for like a week, and thought “hey, why don’t I make gingerbread-esque people out of this?”

And I did. And it worked. Same dough.

Kids love it!

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Check out the Baker’s Holiday Gift Pack Sweepstakes and if you haven’t yet, grab this printable coupon good for $1 off any 5 lb. bag of Hodgson Mill Flour.

Holiday Delivery From @CAWineClub

December 7, 2012 Uncategorized No comments

I got my holiday shipment from www.cawineclub.com, and it looks all super festive wrapped in sparkle paper!

My November delivery from California Wine Club was a 2011 Daniel Gehro Chenin Blanc from Santa Barbara County White Hills Vineyard.

It received the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals. Goooooo CHENIN BLANC!

Also in the November delivery was a 2009 Daniel Gehro Merlot from the Central Coast. This guy won the Gold Medal, the Silver Medal, and the DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL. Over achiever wine! This Merlot is all #MERLO #YOLO!

To be real, I didn’t drink them yet. Because I want to have them to present as hostess gifts when I make my holiday rounds. California Wine Club makes it too easy to be awesome, by being super awesome themselves.

Check out their website at www.cawineclub.com

Check out @CAWineClub on Twitter and CA Wine Club on Facebook

Also! There is wine to be won! Go to the California Wine Club website and enter to win! There will be 104 winners!

Prizes include:

1) One of four, Three Month Wine Club memberships (A $150 value you can give as a gift, or keep for yourself)

2) One of 50 handy Two Bottle Wine Totes ($25 value)

3) One of 50 Red Tulip Music wine country CD’s ($15 value)

Shipping Alert! If you want to give the gift of a California Wine Club membership this holiday, the Ground Shipping Deadline is December 12^th.

Any orders placed after Dec 12 incur expedited air charges for Christmas deliveries.

This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. I received a 2 month Membership to the California Wine Club for the purpose of this review.

Tasty Holiday Gifts From @HickoryFarms

November 23, 2012 Uncategorized No comments

I remember Hickory Farms gift boxes arriving for my father from his corporate contacts every holiday since I was very young

For more than 60 years Hickory Farms gifts have been a classic holiday tradition! I’ll bet if you grew up in the US, you have a distinct memory of Hickory Farms at their holiday gatherings; Hickory Farms is very proud to be a part of those nostalgic moments and continues to supply those fancy delicious gift sets!

I was sent a Party Planner Gift Box, which includes three different sausages, Gouda, Cheddar, smoked Cheddar, and Creamy Swiss Blend cheeses, 2 different kinds of mixed nuts, and 2 different fancy mustards.

I know most people just eat the cheese and sausage with crackers on a party platter, but I’m planning on adding the sausage to some red beans and rice in the near future. And making the world’s most fancy grilled cheese sandwiches for my kids!

You can buy Hickory Farms gift sets at HickoryFarms.com, or in the over 700 holiday stores and kiosks in North America.

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Check out @HickoryFarms on Twitter and Facebook!

California Wine Club Holiday Wines @CAWineClub

November 17, 2012 Uncategorized No comments

I live in NYC and I don’t have a car.

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PS: It is beautiful here.

BUT! The joy of “stocking the pantry” or really buying anything heavy is greatly diminished when you have to lug it around town and carry it on the subway.

Hence, I am DELIGHTED when I can have something delivered to my door.

Getting a delivery from the California Wine Club always feels like Christmas, but for the holidays they are really stepping it up!

This was my October shipment: a Robledo family winery Tempranillo, and their Bronze Medal Winner Sauvignon Blanc.

Like all of the wines from California Wine Club, both of these selections come from a real working California artisan winery and is backed by a 100% guarantee!

The California Wine Club was started by Bruce and Pam Boring because they were tired of hit-or-miss selecting wines to drink. They realized that they always enjoyed the wines recommended by friends. Hence, California Wine Club is like a wine savvy friend that sends you two bottles in the mail each month.

Also? This would totally make an awesome Christmas gift for a wine lover. You can gift them a membership for just a few months.

Cha-ching!

Check out their website at www.cawineclub.com

Check out @CAWineClub on Twitter and CA Wine Club on Facebook

Also! There is wine to be won! Go to the California Wine Club website and enter to win! There will be 104 winners!

Prizes include: 1) One of four, Three Month Wine Club memberships (A $150 value you can give as a gift, or keep for yourself)

2) One of 50 handy Two Bottle Wine Totes ($25 value)

3) One of 50 Red Tulip Music wine country CD’s ($15 value)

This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. I received a 2 month Membership to the California Wine Club for the purpose of this review.

Hard Rock Cafe Birthday Celebration@hardrockcafe #MyBlogSpark

August 20, 2012 Uncategorized One comment

Thanks to MyBlogSpark, I got to take the kids to Hard Rock Cafe, NYC.

I used the special outing to celebrate the August birthday of my youngest son Deeds.

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They have a bunch of new delicious dishes, which I never really thought about Hard Rock Cafe having good food, since it is all about the music.

Symphonies of new flavors are joining classic fan favorites and “greatest hits” as Hard Rock rolls out its rockin’ flavor menu. The new menu, based on three main concepts—fresh is first, legendary is king and “smoking” is back—will treat your palate to a true jam session, Hard Rock style.

Check out our pictures from a fun day! 2 Adults and 2 Kids ate for about $60, without alcohol. It was a fun day!

Read “Hard Rock Cafe NYC!” by Candice Kilpatrick at Britely!

California Wine Club- Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow @cawineclub @boringwineguy

August 16, 2012 Uncategorized No comments

My 3 month membership to California Wine Club has come to an end.

My final shipment contained the California-made 2010 Viognier from Tangent Winery and a 2009 Mourvèdre-Syrah-Grenache blend from Trenza Winery.

Firstly, let me say that if you have a busy life, and you often find it difficult to will yourself to move from your sofa once you get home, that you will probably enjoy having wine delivered to your door once a month.

Also, club members get discounts on the regular market price of all kinds of fine made-in-California wines, usually something like 40% cheaper. I like cheaper.

I haven’t actually cracked these bottles open yet. I have amassed quite a collection in my fridge. I use them to pay babysitters.

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New club members or gift givers will get 4 bottles for the price of 2 when they sign up. There is no obligation to continue after the first month. Have your readers use the code: traveled12 at checkout.

I had a lot of fun being a Premier Club member of California Wine Club! It was a total taste of the good life, and I didn’t even have to put on pants! Except to sign for the delivery.

You can follow California Wine Club on Facebook and The Boring Wine Guy on Facebook!

This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own.

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