Big Top Cupcake~R/GA~

I have joined Nancy from Penny Pincherholics in bringing you this wonderful review and giveaway of The Big Top Cupcake. If you're an avid baker or know someone who is, this is the giveaway to enter. Read on for more details on what deliciousness was ensued in Nancy's kitchen and how you can get one of these awesome bake ware sets for yourself.

Who likes cupcakes?

I do, I do!

Who likes BIG cupcakes?

I DO, I DO!

I'm sure I speak for all the dessert lovers out there when I say that there is no better way to satisfy your sweet tooth than with a ginormous cupcake. When I heard that I was given the opportunity to review the Big Top Cupcake pan, I was beyond ecstatic. All of the possible frosting flavors and fillings came rushing through my mind and I couldn't help but feel a sense of giddiness knowing that I'll be having a cupcake that's 10 times the size of a normal cupcake in my possession. Can you imagine? So when the Big Top Cupcake arrived at my doorstep, you already know what kind of excitement I was feeling. As usual, I ripped open the shipping box, grab the packaging out, and start reading everything from cover to cover. I wasted no time taking it to the kitchen and putting it to use. My husband looked at me like I was crazy because I had this huge smile on my face I almost looked crazy. Yes, that's what baking equipment does to me. Is that weird? I decided to make an English toffee buttermilk cake with a sweet orange glaze to drizzle over it. The thought of it made my mouth water and that only got me to working faster. So, my ginormous cupcake adventure began....

English Toffee Buttermilk Cake With an Orange Glaze Drizzle

With the pans lightly sprayed and the batter all ready to go, I finally popped them into the oven and waited (im)patiently for the results....

Doesn't it look yummy? The directions were so easy to follow and it came out just the way I wanted it to. A couple things that I did to make everything run as smoothly as I expected were to spray the pans very lightly with non-stick spray and level out the cakes when they were out of the oven and cooled. The directions mentioned this and I followed it to the letter....I'm glad I did because things worked out perfectly. The pans are very sturdy and can stand up to the heat without getting warped or damaged. The best part is, it's refrigerator, freezer, and dishwasher safe! So convenient. I have to say, I think I've found a new baking toy. There are so many possibilities with this pan and you're not limited to just making it look like a cupcake. As you can see above, I simply did a glaze drizzle to show hopefully show you how it looks when they come out of the oven. Next time, I'm thinking of doing a cute little bee hive. Oh the possibilities.... I am absolutely ecstatic that I had the opportunity to try out The Big Top Cupcake. It fit so perfectly into my lifestyle that I couldn't be more happy about doing this review. And guess what? This review is not the only thing that came with this awesome bakeware.....there's a giveaway too! You all have a chance to win one for yourself. I can feel the excitement from everyone as I'm typing. I know how you feel, trust me. 

One lucky winner will be a proud owner of a Big Top Cupcake. All you have to do is complete the tasks on the rafflecopter widget below and you're all set for a chance at winning! Giveaway starts Sunday June 17 and ends Sunday July 1. Open to US and Canadian residents only. 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Day 1 - Crunch time!

Whoohoo! I am going to Jamaica in August!   No whoohoo is that it is crunch time, literally!

I have been all over pinterest and we own Insanity and just got 10 Min. Trainer for Christmas.  I keep thinking how I stayed small in HS and figured it was everytime Track came in the Spring I stopped going to parties (well participating) and worked out everyday. 

Want to see a pic of B and I in HS when we thought getting love handles would never happen?  At the point I lose .5 inch in my waist I will show you! You will be like who the heck are those girls, even though my face looks the exact same. 

So I approximately have a little over 2 months to get in tip top shape.  I reward myself with gifts - new yoga pants, swimsuits, bras, etc.   For my first present after deciding to workout and get in better shape I bought some Hollister yoga shorts and bras.  Ok, I would have bought them any other day!

So this is my plan for today, 100 of each!   Tomorrow I will start jogging on the Tredmill :) er, :| lol

• Stretches 
• Mt. Climbers
• Jumping Jacks
• Squats
• Wall Push Ups
• Leg Lifts
• Side Twists
• High Knees

Day 1 is off to go!  PS.  I also took my measurements this morning so we can see if it does make a difference just doing some work.

Cook'n Organizer~R/GA~

Cook'n Recipe Organizer  program is a database of recipes that you have tried or want to try.  It has multiple features that you can use, even if you just like to Google the recipes!

Below is a list of things you can do with this software!

• Enter Your Recipes Easily Using Quick-Fill
• Type Ingredients You Have On-Hand to Get Recipe Ideas
• Sync with iPhone & Android for Easy Access in Kitchen
• Drag & Drop Your Recipes to Make Custom Menus
• Auto-Generate Shopping List by Aisle to Save Time
• Capture Recipes From Your Favorite Websites with One-Click
• Calculate Nutrition of Your Recipes to Help You Eat Healthy
• Print a Family Cookbook to Share with Friends
• Scale Recipes to Easily Adjust Serving Sizes
• E-Mail Recipes to Family & Friends
• Free Updates! - Last Updated June 4th

Whether preparing a home-cooked meal for loved ones, printing a family cookbook, making a menu to simplify meal preparations, analyzing nutrition to help you eat healthier, or syncing a shopping list to your mobile device to save time and money at the grocery store, Cook'n puts your favorite recipes at your fingertips to help you create the things that make mealtime enjoyable.

With any software you need to learn how to do it.  I used it for awhile, then it updated.  I had to teach myself how to do it again because it was awhile since I last used it - no cooking and all.  With cooking being done by Wendy and the King, 5 lbs of weight gain were a present I did not want!  The recipes in this database can be altered however you want and post the nutrition facts.  Much easier to count actual calories if you need to.  

I also love that you can search the internet within the database.  Being Gluten-Free it is often hard to find good recipes that do not cost an arm and a leg.  I found a great recipe for a Chocolate Icebox Cake.  Yum!   The only hiccup I noticed was when taking a recipe from a normal webpage and transferring the ingredients when you say 'Capture.'  It does save it's web address so that is handy.

They have a Cook'n Club!  I am not entirely sure what this is like, but I know I would love to try it.  Supposedly it has meal plans for you!  Yay to someone else doing the work of planning!  Visit their FB page to get more chances to win!

Want your own?  Enter below for your chance to win a copy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Coconut Oil~R/GA~

Win 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!

Tropical Traditions is America's source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil?

You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut 

Oil

Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

I have to admit when I first received the bottle I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. Once I started checking out the video and sites (above) I had plenty I wanted to try! I love this stuff! I made a bath scrub with brown sugar and vanilla. It smelled and felt so good. I also used it as eye make-up remover and natural lip balm. My favorite use by far is for my hair. I have really dry, brittle, curly hair. I have been using just a dab after my shower each morning and my hair is so soft! I love this stuff! The awesome folks at Tropical Traditions are giving away a 1 quart bottle of Coconut oil to one lucky reader!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Review done by DonnasDealsAndMore
*Open to US and Canada, must be 18 years or older

*Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. SAHM&TW(2b) is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment.

Namaste Foods Review&GA

  One of our blogger friends had a chance to review Namaste Foods! They are a small (but growing!) manufacturer of fine foods that contain no wheat, gluten, corn, soy, potato, dairy, casein, peanuts or tree nuts. In business since 2000, they continue to strive to be the best at what they do so that we can enjoy all the foods we’ve known and loved all your life. Their approach has always been very "grassroots" in nature. When they first started, they didn’t have the money to hire advertising firms, public relations people and expensive brokers like everyone else does so we just started reaching out to people through various support groups such as Celiac Support groups, Autism support groups, food allergy support groups and the like. They sent samples for their members to try and Voila! – people loved our products and started requesting us at their local store. And a company was born!  Full Review done by DonnasDealsAndMore 

The amazing folks at Namaste are giving one of our lucky readers their own Namaste Gift Bag! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 *Open to US and Canada, must be 18 years or older *Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. YOUR BLOG NAME HERE is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment.

Oxylent Drink~Review & GA~

Children’s Oxylent nurtures, strengthens, and protects growing minds and bodies, and is specially formulated for ages 4 years and over. Children’s Oxylent uses the revolutionary effervescent delivery system, which offers exceptional absorption of vital nutrients. Children’s Oxylent powder can be added to 4–6 oz of water, with or w/o ice, for a great-tasting, nutritious,hydrating drink in delicious Bubbly Berry Punch flavor. Best taken with meals or snack, the product is guaranteed to be free of gluten, dairy, caffeine, and artificial flavors and colors. 

SeaSnax

SeaSnax is a Non-GMO Project Verified roasted seaweed snack which is vegan and gluten free and made using 100% olive oil and just a pinch of sea salt — just three all natural ingredients! There are no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Sea Snax is a socially conscious business that contributes 10% annual profit to non-profit organizations committed to making the world a better and gentler place for our children and our earth. 

We love Enjoy Foods!~Crunchy Cookies Review

We loved Enjoy Life's products so much that we when had the chance to try their Crunchy Cookie line we couldn't say no!  You can read our other review here for their Double Chocolate Crunch Granola and Mega Chunk Chocolate for Baking.  Need a quick reminder about Enjoy Life?  They are a company that makes tasty food that is free of gluten, allergens and artificial ingredients.  From the sound of that it would seem like everything would be bland.  Not so! They have really good tasting foods and aren't just for people who can't eat certain things.  This time around we got to try their Crunchy Cookies!  Here are all their varieties:

1. Chocolate Chip 
2. Double Chocolate
3. Sugar Crisp
4. Vanilla Honey Graham 

What did we think?  LOVED them!  The Double Chocolate was amazing!  I am normally a one-cookie-if-any kind of girl.  I ate three. In a Row.  Don't judge.  My daughter on the other hand is potty training so I have been handing her cookies left and right.  She liked them all but really liked the Vanilla Honey Grahams.  They are a really unique cookie that I have never had out of a box before.  They are the perfect amount of sweetness.  Trista loved the Sugar Crisps.  She cannot eat gluten so being able to have a good tasting G-free cookie is a huge treat!  They also have soft-baked cookies in other flavors that I am going to look for next time at the grocery store!

Want to learn more?  Check out their website, Facebook and Twitter pages.

We each received free products in order to conduct our review.  All our opinions are our own and not influenced by any sort of compensation.

Beanfield Snacks~Review

Beanfields chips are amazing.  They are Gluten Free and are made with black and navy beans and rice, and cooked in high-quality safflower or sunflower seed oil, giving them a great taste and distinctive crunch.  They honsetly are crunchy - we put them in our chili instead of the crackers that are filled with wheat ad gluten.  Yum!

"We take wholesome and nutritious beans and blend them with long grain rice to create delicious snacks that are loaded with fiber and protein. In fact Beanfields Bean & Rice chips contain double the fiber and protein of most corn tortilla or potato chips."

Something I love is that a percentage of Beanfields profits are committed to profit-sharing with employees and stakeholders, and contributed to non-profit efforts to help farmers grow healthier, more sustainable crops. Yes, they help farmers with growing crops!  With the economy acting like a yo-yo this is good to hear. 

The Better Chip~Review

What exactly is The Better Chip?  They are:

• Made with 40% fresh ingredients so the flavor is inside
• All Natural
• Gluten Free
• Non-GMO
• Made in a completely nut-free environment. No Kidding. We touch no nuts in our chip facility.
• Lactose free (Red Pepper & Salsa Fresca, Jalapeno Sea Salt)
• Contain NO animal bi-products
• Made on a line dedicated to only tortilla products

Kettle Cusine Prize Packs!

As a member of the Charisma Media Network we are delighted to bring you a soup-tastic giveaway sponsored by Kettle Cuisine. 

Kettle Cuisine offers chef inspired soups that are frozen in individual bowls for your convenience. Kettle Cuisine offers gluten free, all natural soups that taste every bit as good as they look! The assortment of varieties is impressive, as is the taste! Look for Kettle Cuisine Soups at a grocer near you in the natural foods frozen section. To find a retailer near you that carries Kettle Cuisine Soup check out the Kettle Cuisine website! Do you feel lucky? Kettle Cuisine has generously offered to give 10 lucky readers a fantastic prize pack!

Farm Rich~Review and Giveaway!

I am sure that most of you have heard of Farm Rich and all their delicious food.  But in case you haven't, Farm Rich is a leading manufacturer of frozen snacks, appetizers and breakfast foods.  You may be wondering, what kind of snacks do they have? Farm Rich offers:

Make lunch easier with Funbites!

My daughter loves peanut butter sandwiches.  She eats a half one almost every day for lunch.  However, cutting up the sandwich is a huge mess and her lunch always looks like she made it herself.  I have seen Funbites before and was excited to get to try it myself!  What are Funbites?  It is the first kitchen tool that cuts anything into bite-sized pieces!  

Try something new today!~Nueva Cocina~Review

On my recent quest for better tasting food, I stumbled across Nueva Cocina.  I wasn't quite sure exactly what Latin food was.  Luckily, Nueva Cocina has a wonderful glossary section for those wondering the same thing.  Latin food reminds me of vacation.  When we went to Costa Rica, I had no idea what half the items on the menu were.  But man was everything tasty!  So what makes Nueva Cocina so special?  

Funky Monkey Treats

The Charisma Media Network Presents.... A Funky Monkey Giveaway!

As a member of the Charisma Media Network,  we are excited to bring you the chance to win a healthy and tasty assortment of freeze dried fruit snacks! One very lucky winner will receive 14- one ounce bags of freeze dried fruit by Funky Monkey! 2 bags of each fantastic flavor!

Jazz up dinner with Souper Spices!

By now most of you know that I love to cook.  I am just not the very good at it.  True, I never burn anything but I am always stuck in the same dinner rut.  I have been trying a lot of new recipes lately but it has my husband complains that I am not making his favorites enough.   We were recently given the chance to try Souper Spices mixes so I figured I could use one of their products to give life to an old recipe.

   Souper Spices is a company founded by Barbara Tranello after being fed up with other spices. She found that it was much easier(and cheaper) to make her own spice blends.  This way she did not have to measure out a ton of spices or worry about being out of any.   It worked for her so she decided to share her product with the world!  Souper Spices has a huge selection of dried mixes, herbs and spices blends, gourmet teas and cookbooks!  There is also all kinds of special slow cooker mixes to make cooking in a slow cooker even easier!  FYI, they also have a special website filled with slow cooker recipes.  This site has all kinds of recipes and even shows you how to incorporate your Souper Spices mixes.

SASS Yourself Slim

Cynthia Sass, the creator and co-author of the New York Times Bestselling Flat Belly Diet presents her new break-through, 30-day weight loss program Cinch! targeted to end overeating, leaving dieters feeling full and satisfied while enjoying the best food combinations to burn fat and boost metabolism.

 S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim is a 30-day plan in two parts. Part one is a 5-Day Fast Forward option that jump starts your results. It calls for four simple

Get your recipes organized!~Cook'n Recipe Organizer Review and Giveaway

    I get sick of always making the same dinners so I usually try to make some thing new at least once a week.  There is almost always an ingredient that I would add less or more of.  Now that's not the problem.  My problem is with finding the recipes that I have made and remember what I did or didn't like about them.  I always have at least 5 bookmarks on my browser of things that I would like to make.  

What is the Cook'n Recipe Organizer?

    
Features:

• Find the Best Recipes on the Internet
• Capture and Save Internet Recipes
• Enter Your Own Personal Recipes
• Sync Recipes with iPhone, iPad, & Android
• Print a Family Cookbook
• Analyze Nutritional Values
• Make Menus, Shopping Lists & More!
• Get Free Cookbook with Purchase

      I have heard about Cook'n Recipe Organizer before so I was happy to see if it would work for me.  I loved that I could easily save any recipe I found online.  Also, it automatically calculates the nutritional values for the whole recipe.  It would be great for dieting!  The grocery list is a really great feature too.  All you have to do is make a menu for the week and you can print out everything you need from the store.  Super easy!
     You can find out more on their website, Facebook and Twitter pages.

Want to win one? Enter below!

Alternavites!

alternaVites for kids is the only full spectrum children’s multivitamin & mineral designed to be
sprinkled on the tongue (think pixie stick!). Using a proprietary blend of ingredients, alternaVites for
kids contains essential vitamins & minerals specially formulated for children ages 4 & up.

Enjoy Life Foods-Gluten and Allergen free!

So by now most of you know that Trista can't eat gluten.  That may not sound like a huge deal, but after spending the afternoon at a food festival I can tell you firsthand that she has a really limited amount of food she can safely eat.  No bread, no crackers, no cookies, no fun!  I have also noticed how many kids these days have food allergies.  My niece actually did a little dance when the kid that was allergic to peanuts moved away.  (On a side note, why are kids allergic to so many things these days?  Growing up there might have been one kid allergic to milk in my class but that was it.  I need to research that.)  Know someone that can't have certain foods due to gluten or allergies?  You need to introduce them to Enjoy Life Foods!

Enjoy Life products also contain no: 

•  Artificial ingredients
•  Trans fats
•  Genetically Modified (GMO) ingredients

We were lucky enough to try their new Double Chocolate Crunch Granola and Mega Chunk Chocolate for Baking.  So freaking good!  I have been eating the granola straight out of the bag(I know, classy right?).  I thought that maybe the chocolate would have an odd taste because it's dairy free.  Not so!  It tastes completely normal, with no odd aftertaste.   Now I know that the Mega Chunk Chocolate is meant for baking, but it was the perfect choice for potty training rewards!  I have been giving my daughter a few pieces every time she uses the potty.  She loves it!  What's the best part of all our Enjoy Life products?  Trista can eat them too!  

Want to learn more?  Check out their website, Facebook and Twitter pages.

We each received free products in order to conduct our review.  All our opinions are our own and not influenced by any sort of compensation.