Skinny Pom Sparkler Cocktail

I was given this product to review. All opinions are my own. Have a celebration coming up?  New Year's Eve, anniversary or maybe Valentine's Day?  Or even your favorite gals Girls Night Out?  I am sure all your guests will feel so loved by this homemade sorbet and sparkling wine cocktail. While I have made this many times, I have yet to create my own sorbet for it. I wanted to create a version that was low sugar.  To indulge without sending my pancreas into overdrive!  To look longingly at a lovely drink and be able to have it. That's big, people.  So I replaced the sugar with Steviva KetoseSweet+ powder.  It has just 5% of the calories of sugar, yet has a familiar taste and texture. It doesn't impact blood sugar levels. Allulose is the key ingredient but it also has monkfruit and stevia. Sorbet is an easy dessert to make.  For the equipment, I use my tried-and-true Cuisinart Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker.   I have made hundreds of frozen concoctions in

Hard Candy Christmas #FantasticalFoodFight

It's Food Fight time and we are sharing CANDY ideas for you this month!  Thanks to our host, Sarah, from Fantastical Food Fight for putting this together for us each month.  I have contemplated on what I wanted to make for you, from Eggnog Fudge to a Christmas version of Easter Fudge or maybe some of these suckers. The suckers won! I have always wanted to make hard candy, but I hate the mess and how long it takes. So when I found this microwaved version, I was SOLD!  Look at how easy this is! Hard Candy 1 c sugar 1/2 c white corn syrup 1 t flavoring (if desired) 1 t food coloring (if desired) Sprinkles if desired Prepare a pan with foil sprayed with cooking spray. If you are using sucker sticks, be sure to have them nearby.  In a heavy glass container, add sugar and corn syrup.  Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for 3 minutes. Remove plastic (THIS IS HOT!  NOT FOR CHILDREN!!) Stir with a wooden or metal spoon (the metal spoon will get hot.) Recover with NEW plasti

Savory Herbed Popcorn #pinterestchallenge

Welcome to the December Pinterest Challenge Blog Hop, hosted by My Pinterventures . The purpose of this Pinterest Challenge is to motivate all the participants of this hop (and you too) to not just pin, but to make it happen! This month, I chose to make Savory Herbed Popcorn as made by The Dinner Mom . This is a very simple, but delicious treat that I made for a Girls Movie Night. We had many sweets, so I wanted to make something to cut through the sweet and this popcorn does the trick. It is amazing with a glass of red wine or a dry chardonnay if that's your thing. Savory Herbed Popcorn 1 bag pre-popped corn 1/4 c of good olive oil (I used a lemon one) 2 T parmesan cheese 2 t  Savory Sandwich Seasoning from Penzey's Spread popcorn out on a sheet pan.  In a small dish, microwave the olive oil, parmesan cheese and the savory sandwich seasoning for 15 seconds.  Stir.  Pour over popcorn, toss to coat.  Store in an airtight container. This is also a great gift

Cranberry Champagne Cupcakes #ChristmasSweetTreats

This post is sponsored in conjunction with ChristmasSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone. #ChristmasSweetTreats is well underway. The giveaway is below, and the prize package is incredible! I hope everybody wins!  Everyone IS a winner if you try at least one of the sweets listed below. The lovely bloggers in this group are a talented bunch when it comes to food! I wanted to create a simple but fabulous recipe that could be made quickly for a festive holiday treat. Since I am starting with a white cake mix, this will be a fast way to get a dessert on the table.  These are celebration cupcakes, so think New Year's Eve, bridal showers or special birthdays! Take a close look at those sprinkles. These are hands down the best sprinkles I have ever used. I will never be able to go to the store and just get little, colored sprinkles ever again. You have to go look!

Spiced Nuts #DollarTreeHoliday

I am always looking for that right gift to give my neighbors at Christmas. We help each other out, collecting paper and mail, shoveling a tricky piece of the walk, mowing when we are out of town. Just small neighborly things that make a big impact. **I was compensated for this post, although the ideas and craftiness are 100% mine.  This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. ** I love making these Spiced Nuts because they are so easy and using ingredients from the Dollar Tree make it an inexpensive gift as well. I also pick up one of their holiday containers to put the nuts in before I give them to my neighbors. Spiced Nuts 2 8 oz cans  mixed nuts 1 8 oz package cashews 1 8 oz package almonds 2 T butter 1 T chili powder 1 t garlic salt 1 T minced garlic 1 t curry powder Melt the butter with the garlic in a skillet pan.  When the garlic is softened and fragrant, add the spices and stir for one mi

No Bake Eggnog Pie #ChristmasSweetsWeek

This post is sponsored in conjunction with ChristmasSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone. This is Day 2 of #ChristmasSweetsWeek!  We have such an amazing group of sponsors that I wanted to share our prize package with you again. Look at all the goodies below! Thank you ChristmasSweetsWeek Sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Cabot Cheese, Lorann Oils & Flavors, Torani, Joyjolt, and Sweets & Treats Boutique for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are my own. The ChristmasSweetsWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Six (6) winners will be selected. The prize

Christmas Flip #ChristmasSweetsWeek

This post is sponsored in conjunction with ChristmasSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone. Welcome to #ChristmasSweetsWeek 2018 hosted by Terri from  Love and Confections and Christie from  A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures ! What better way to celebrate the holidays than with food and a fun giveaway? 44 bloggers from around the country have come together to share over 180 sweet Christmas recipes!! Deck the halls and get ready for very merry sweet treats, like fudge, cookies, Christmas morning breakfasts, layer cakes, martinis, cocoa, and more! Our #ChristmasSweetsWeek sponsors are helping us give away some great prizes. Thank you so much, Sponsors, for your generosity. We have an incredible giveaway below and would love if you would take a moment to read about it and what you can win! Prize #1 Dixie Crystals   Dixie Crystals is giving one winner a Keurig K-Select Si

4 Reasons Why Your Household Chores are Hard Work

You always seem to be faced with a mammoth amount of household chores, no matter how organized or prepared you try to be. Nobody enjoys doing jobs around the house, but they simply have to be done. How do people manage to keep their houses looking so pristine and clean all the time? You wish you knew their secrets. After cooking a delicious Sunday supper , why is it always so difficult to get the kitchen clean again? The truth is, you might not be using the optimum products or have a suitable cleaning schedule. Explore the following ideas and you will soon see why your household chores are hard work. 1. Inefficient Cleaning Products If you’re finding it hard work to clean up, then you might be using the wrong products in your home. Similarly, you could be combining toxic chemicals that actually counteract each other. Invest in gel for your dishwasher that actually works and choose natural cleaning products that don’t harm the environment or your home. Switching up your cl

Holiday Must Dos for St. Louis

The Midwest loves the holidays and if you are in Missouri, St. Louis has some very charming opportunities.  The St. Louis area is considered St. Louis County, Saint Charles County, and to some degree, Jefferson County.  Most of the activities I will share will be in one of these three areas.  All of these are activities we have actually done ourselves and know that they are fabulous! 1.  Garden Glow at Missouri Botanical Gardens   This is one of our all-time favorite events.  The Botanical Gardens is terrific any time but at Christmas, the staff goes all out to reimagine the Gardens in lights, hot chocolate stands, fire pits, and many more activities. Each year it looks different so it can be a highlight each year! Go to the link for ticket prices and times. 2.  U. S. Bank Wild Nights   Held at the Saint Louis Zoo, this is one of St. Louis' iconic events. The Zoom is completely transformed into a delightful Christmas experience with thousands of lights, S'Mores

Peppermint Milk Punch

The Taste Creation bloggers are treating you to all things peppermint this month. I'm sharing a Peppermint Milk Punch, sometimes called  Candy Cane Punch, with you.  This is delightfully light on the peppermint.  Just enough to be a fun holiday cocktail! It's no secret in my house that I get all giddy when the first sighting of candy canes happens in my grocery store! I hug myself and savor the moment. I take a deep whiff of the air in the aisle (it has that slightly new, slightly peppermint aroma) and hold it.... and then gently exhale.  It is a moment, people, I'm telling ya. I love making this punch because it is all dairy. No soda sneaks its way in this milk punch.  If you are non-dairy people, try making it with almond milk and let me know how that goes. Yield: 4 Author: Terri Steffes Print Recipe With Image Without Image Peppermint Milk Punch Festive drink for the winter holidays! prep time: 4 hour and 30 mins cook time: 20 mins total time: