Want to Win One of These Plates?

Olive Kids has a contest going on right now where 5 winners will win one of these plates.
Just enter here!
I'm a sucker for cute plates and tins for this time of year.

Do You Let Your Kids Watch TV While Eating?

We only let our kids watch TV when they are eating a snack. Very rarely do our kids watch TV while eating a meal. When we do have TV time it's nice to enjoy a full setup. Check out the TV Tables at CSN|Stores.

This is the time of year where I coat every table in the house with cookies that I'm decorating. A few weeks ago I made Chocolate Cherry Chip Cookies. This past weekend I made Chocolate Roll Out Cookies and next weekend it's time to make Sugar Cookies. It's a lot of fun!

Vanilla is My Favorite Things When I Bake

Vanilla is truly one of my most favorite things when I bake. I sometimes add more then what the recipe calls for.

Songberries is hosting a giveaway where one person will win a bottle of Madagascar Vanilla from Nielsen Massey.

Lone Star Gift Baskets Product Review and Giveaway!

Colies Kitchen is hosting a giveaway to win a Lone Star Gift Basket!

Nordic Ware

Moms Review 4 You! has an awesome giveaway going on right now! One winner is going to win a Nordic Ware Holiday Mini Loaves Pan, Holiday Wreath Cake Pan, Holiday Tree Bundt Pan and a Christmas/Winter Cookie Cutter Plaque.

My holiday creative juices are flowing!

I Want to Share

I found this site I want to share with you! It's called Fairy Tale Jewels.

I simply love their cute Bottle Cap Pendant's! Check out this Jumbo Cake Bottle Cap Pendant:

Then there is this set that is called, It's My Party Birthday Bottle Cap Necklace Set:

They look yummy enough to eat! I love the graphics. The fact that they smooth down the edges, so that they are not sharp rocks!


Disclaimer:


The opinions on this post are my personal take on the products. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me.
These photo's were not taken by me. These photo's belong to Fairy Tale Jewels.
If you have questions about this post please contact me at: alissa4illustration@hotmail.com

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tropical Traditions gave me a jar of Gold Label Extra Virgin Coconut Oil to try out.

I have to be honest at first I had never heard of Coconut Oil. I didn't know how to cook with it. I had to figure out if it was even healthy to use in the kitchen.

Luckily I have a sister that works in health and nutrition. She told me that it is healthy. I also read up on Coconut oil before it arrived to me. This is straight from Tropical Traditions website:

As a cooking oil, its chemical structure is kept in tact and therefore is resistant to mutations of fatty acid chains even when used in higher cooking temperatures, unlike most vegetable oils. Research shows that the medium chain fatty acids found in coconut oil boosts the body’s metabolism, raises body temperatures, and helps provide greater energy which can lead to weight loss. For hundreds of tasty recipes from people who use coconut oil, visit FreeCoconutRecipes.com.

I used it on the boy's skin after a bath. I love how it smells and melts into their skin! Isaak always tries to eat the lotion. This is perfect for him because he can eat it.

I plan on using it to make a stir fry. Tofu is one of my newer loves.

We also made healthier cookies! I'm a baker. Even though I'm trying to loose weight I still love to bake around this time of year. I've been trying to bake using healthier things in the mix.

The Recipe I Use for Chocolate Chip, Cherry Chip Cookies 

I love that these cookies contain oatmeal! 
Coconut Oil can replace butter!

Start:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees.

Cream the following together:

1. 1 cup Coconut Oil
2. 1 cup white sugar
3. 1 cup brown sugar

Add:

1. 1 teaspoon vanilla
2. 1/2 teaspoon salt
3. 1 teaspoon baking soda
4. 1 teaspoon baking powder

Blend in:

1. 2 cups flour
2. 2 1/2 cups oatmeal
3. 6 ounces chocolate chips, 6 ounces cherry chips.
4. 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Finish:

1. Spray a pan well. 
2. I used a medium Pampered Chef Scoop. 
3. Bake until light brown.
4. Place on a cooling rack when they've hardened up a little.
5. They taste good warm (straight out of the oven), room temperature and cold (we sometimes freeze them).
6. This made 55 cookies. We had a few and the rest went in the freezer for Christmas time. They tasted better then with using butter!

Disclaimer:


The opinions on this post are my personal take on the products. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me.
I am not compensated to provide my opinion except for receiving the products themselves to test out.
If you have questions about this post please contact me at: alissa4illustration@hotmail.com

Winner!

Congrats to the winner of the CSN|Stores giveaways on this site!

Mama Needs a Nap won the CSN|Stores Giveaway.

The winner was picked through Random.org

Last Day to Enter a Few Low Entry Giveaway's

• I have 2 CSN | Stores giveaways that end tonight at 10 pm. They are both for a $35 gift card. You can find them here and here.
• I have a Snugfits giveaway that also ends tonight at 10 pm. This is to win 2 baby or toddler's tee's. Their choices are awesome! Please enter this giveaway here.
• This giveaway ends on November 6. It's to win an Energizer smoke alarm and batteries. Right before day light savings hits! You can enter this giveaway here.

Just Art Today

Every year I give my college art students this project. They each get a small part of a big picture. They also get different techniques they have to use.

I come up with new pictures every year. These are the images for this year. The end result covers the wall!

On both images the left image is the original and the image to the right is the student work. They never know what the picture was going to look like until the end, when it was hung up.

Detail

Detail

Pumpkin or Squash Muffins

These Pumpkin Muffins are so good! My five year old Mica helped me make them.

Ingredients:

1. 1 3/4 cups flour
2. 1/4 cup plain oatmeal
3. 1 tsp baking soda
4. 1/2 tsp salt
5. 1 tsp cinnamon
6. 1/2 tsp nutmeg
7. 1/2 tsp ginger
8. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
9. 2 large eggs
10. 1 tsp vanilla
11. 1 cup brown sugar
12. 1/3 cup sugar
13. 1 cup mashed cooked pumpkin or squash
14. 1/4 cup chocolate chips
15. 1/4 cup peanut butter chips
16. *Optional chopped walnuts or pecans. I haven't added any, but they would be a nice added touch

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the dry ingredients.
3. In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients. 
4. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together.
5. Spoon batter onto a lightly greased muffin cups. Bake in center of oven until tooth pick comes out clean, about 30 minutes.