Steam Machine Giveaway Event

Mizz Review Lady, J's Reviews & Giveaways, SoCal City Kids, and Making Memories With Your Kids, along with many other awesome bloggers, have all teamed up to bring you this awesome giveaway! 

I'm so sad I didn't get to do this review.  I totally agree with Lawna, my carpets are our canvas.  And I hate it!  But with 2 kids, what do you expect?  How life would be easier with this great machine!
 
Review done by Mizz Review Lady
I never knew how much my life could benefit from a Steam Machine until I met the Steam Machine Multi Purpose Power Steamer. As a stay at home mother I can tell you first hand that my carpets are like a canvas, as is my walls. But that's not a problem if you have a Steam Machine!  My floors; Unfortunately, are no different! Once again the Steam Machine comes into play!

There's definitely a good reason why they call it a Multi Purpose Steamer and that's because it has so many different functions. From room-to-room the Steam Machine comes in handy!  If you need to remove wallpaper, simply use the Steam Machine to quickly remove it and best yet - it's chemical free!  The kids drag in a little dirt on your carpet? No problem, use the attachment to not only clean, but also sanitize your floors. And that's not the only thing it sanitizes either!  Use it to sanitize your kitchen area including your stove top and oven.  And don't forget about your grills and bathrooms!

One of my favorite things to use the Steam Machine for is my dirty kitchen tiles.  It sanitizes my floors while cleaning them at the same time.  The steam blasts them clean and then I use the cleaning pad to wipe the surface clean.  It really goes far and beyond a typical mop job!  

How does it work?

The Steam Machine works by a pressurized high temperature to efficiently steam away grime and dirt, grease, and even bacteria.  

The Steam Machine includes:

• Owners Instruction Manual
• Two Nylon Brushes
• Jet Nozzle
• Brass Brush
• Squeegee
• Floor Steam Mop With Microfiber Cleaning Pad
• Wallpaper Steam Plate
• Measuring Cup With Fill
• Funnel

Use the Steam Machine with ease by grabbing the handle and then using the two wheels to roll it around with you wherever you may need it. Take advantage of the 8 foot hose to reach hard to reach places both high and low.  Rest assure that your purchase is totally covered with a two year guarantee. 

BUY IT: You can purchase a Steam Machine for $99.99. Use their product finder to find it in a store near you or find it online.

LEARN MORE: To learn more be sure to visit HOMERIGHT online. 

WIN IT: Thanks to HOMERIGHT, one of my very lucky readers is going to receive their very own Steam Machine!!! This is a $99.99 value!!!

Brookies: A Marriage Made in Heaven

What's better than a brownie or a chocolate chip cookie?  How about a brownie and a chocolate chip cookie together?  Yep, a chocolate chip cookie stuffed brownie!  Genius!

A couple of weeks ago I posted our Wicked Good Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.  My brother asked for homemade chocolate chip cookies for his birthday.  (He's so easy to please) =o)  So we made him some killer chocolate chip cookies.  But I also wanted to make him something more.  But what?  Then I remembered a friend posting a recipe for a Brookie on my Facebook page.  How could I go wrong with that?  Chocolate chip cookies plus a brownie?  Heaven!

Martha Stewart has a great recipe for her Brookies.  But you can use any brownie recipe and chocolate chip cookie recipe.  Our Killer Frosted Brownies were perfect (without the frosting, of course.)  And our Wicked Good Chocolate Chip Cookies were a huge hit.  Why mess with perfection?  =o)

I used two different pans to make these.  Mostly because I only have one muffin top pan which I will rectify soon.  How can a person only have one of these awesome pans?!  What was I thinking.  So I used my  Brownie Pan for some of them.  Both excellent pans to use.  I'm not sure which look I like best. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Make your brownie batter.  You can use a boxed brownie mix if that's what you prefer to do.  Make the recipe for the chewy brownies (2 eggs) rather than the cake like brownies.  Set aside.

Make your chocolate chip cookie recipe.  Again, you can use store bought cookie dough if you are short on time or if that's easier.  Who am I to judge?!

I sprayed my pans with non-stick cooking spray to make sure they wouldn't stick.

Put a scoop of brownie batter in the bottom of your muffin top pan (or brownie pan.)  Shake your pan around a little bit to make sure the batter covers the bottom of the pan (or nearly covers the bottom.) 

Put a scoop of the cookie dough in the center.  I flattened my scoop down just a bit to make more of a disk.  I didn't want the cookie center to be too doughy and too gooey.  (I say that like it's a bad thing.  It's usually not.  But I didn't want these cookies to fall apart too easily.)





Brownie Pan

Muffin Top Pan

You decide.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until the edges are browned and the cookie center looks just about done.  You don't want to over bake them but, again, you don't want them too doughy.

Let them cool in the pan for about 10 or 15 minutes.  This is why 2 pans are a good thing.  If you try to remove them from the pan too quickly, they will fall apart.

They were delicious!  The perfect combination!

What do you think?  Do you like the look of the muffin top pan or the brownie pan?

I can't decide.

Enjoy!

 

I'm linking to the parties on my sidebar.

Bloggers Wanted - Kitchen Aid Event

Loooking for bloggers to help promote the Kitchen Aid Event (worth 399.99).  If you would like to help, fill out the form. The giveaway will be Open to US Residents. You will have a free link of choice (either a Facebook or Twitter) with an announcement post.

The HTML will be sent out on March 18th. Additional links $3. Host pages available for $12 (4 links and follow page). Co-Hosts available for $15 (5 Links, follow page and Blog’s Name on Banner) All money raised will go for the cost of the giveaway.

Bloggers get a free link with announcement post or sidebar button. If you choose not to post announcement post sent $5 to mommylessonplans@mail.com. We do verify announcement posts and/or side buttons, so please do not list your information unless you’ve really done the post.

Donut Hole Muffins

I've wanted to make these for awhile now.  They look so delicious and sounded so simple.  And seriously?  How could a muffin rolled in cinnamon and sugar not be delicious?!  Not possible.

Donut Hole Muffins

Source: The Frugal Girl

2 tablespoons oil

 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup milk
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

3-4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. 

Mix oil and sugar; beat in egg. Add vanilla and milk, and stir until combined.

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add to wet ingredients and stir gently, just until combined. (a few lumps should remain).

Fill muffin tins 2/3 full with batter. DO NOT use muffin liners.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Combine sugar and cinnamon. Dip each muffin into the melted butter and then roll in the cinnamon sugar.

Serve warm!

This is a perfect addition to a Sunday morning brunch.  They are sweet from the cinnamon and sugar but not too sweet.  The muffins are not a cake so they aren't sweet.  It's perfect.

Fun, easy, delicious!

German Chocolate Cheesecake

It was my brother's birthday a couple of weeks ago.  He was coming over for dinner and I wanted to make a fun (and delicious) dessert that I hadn't made before.  My brother is pretty easy to please when it comes to food.  Not saying that he isn't picky, he's just grateful and that makes me want to cook for him anytime.

He asked for chocolate chip cookies for his birthday present.  Easy enough.  So we made him some Wicked Chocolate Chip Cookies (which were wickedly good!)  So I wanted to make a "fancier" dessert for the occasion.  This is what we chose - German Chocolate Cheesecake. 

It was amazingly delicious!  The cheesecake and cake combination (along with the frosting) was pure heaven.

Make sure you read the directions through so you don't have any surprises.  There are a lot of steps but it is so worth it.  

German Chocolate Cheesecake

Source: Adapted from  Willow Bird Baking

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 package of Oreos, crushed
• 6 Tbsp. butter, melted

 Ganache Layer Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 6 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips

Cheesecake Ingredients

• 3 packages (8 ounces each) of cream cheese, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 3 ounces (or about 6 Tbsp.) semi sweet chocolate chips

Cake Ingredients

• I used a chocolate cake mix
• ingredients on the box

Frosting Ingredients

•  1-2 tubs of Coconut Pecan frosting

Directions

Make the crust layer

Crush the Oreos in a food processor.  Add melted butter to Oreo crumbs and mix.  Press into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan.  (Cuisinart 9-Inch Nonstick Springform Pan)
Make sure you go up the sides of the pan to the top. 

Make the ganache

Heat the heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds.  Stir.  Heat for another 30 seconds and stir.  You want the cream to be hot (but make sure you don't bring it to a full boil.)  Place the chocolate chips in a bowl.  Pour cream over chocolate chip and whisk until smooth and creamy.

Make the cake layer

Mix the cake according to the directions on the box.  Bake in two 9 inch round pans.  You will only use one of the cakes but freeze the other one for future use (or gobble it up warm.)  Cool on a wire rack.

Make the cheesecake layer

In a stand mixer, mix cream cheese until smooth.  Add sugar and mix until smooth.  Add vanilla and eggs.

In a small bowl, melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second bursts.  Stir after each one.  When completely melted and smooth, set aside to cool.  Add melted chocolate to cheesecake filling and stir until combined.

Assembly

Pour ganache over the crust layer.  Spread out and place in the freezer for 30 minutes until ganache is form.

Pour cheesecake filling over the ganache layer.  Spread out evenly.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 55 minutes or until almost firm.  The center might crack but that's okay.  You'll be covering it up with deliciousness =o)  Let cool.

Spread a thin layer of Coconut Pecan frosting over the top of the cheesecake.

Place cake on top of frosting layer.

Mine was super tall at this point.  I'm not sure if I did something wrong or not (because it was way taller than the recipe I was following.)

Spread frosting on top of cake layer.  I frosted the sides of the cake too since they were showing.

Chill for 3 hours or overnight.

When completely chilled, loosen the sides of the springform pan and remove the sides.

I have to say that this was one of the best desserts I have ever made.  It was amazing.  I think it was the combination of all of my favorite things.  Totally worth the effort!  I mean, look at that!

Enjoy!

 

I'm linking to the parties on my sidebar.

Killer Frosted Brownies {Secret Recipe Club}

Each month I look forward to receiving my Secret Recipe Club assignment.  I love looking through the blog that I am assigned and finding new recipes.  Of course, I usually gravitate towards the dessert recipes.  I kind of have a thing for desserts =o)  Plus they are so easy to take to work when we've had our fill.  Much easier than taking in a casserole.

My assignment this month was The Savvy Kitchen.  Amy has a wonderful blog with so many delicious looking recipes.  She tries to make mostly low-carb, low calorie or gluten free recipes to accommodate for her families dietary restrictions but adds in some "other" recipes as well for those of us who don't take care of ourselves =o)

The first recipe that caught my eye was her Arancini (Rice Balls.)  I'm totally making these the next time we have company.  I wanted to make them but I was afraid that I would eat the entire recipe all by myself.  And, even though I surely wouldn't say I try to eat healthy, I do know there are limits to delicious cheesy fried foods.  So, next time.

I was looking through her dessert posts (of man, yum!) and came across her Best Frosted Brownies Ever recipe and knew that was what we were going to make.  My son loves frosted brownies! 

Killer Frosted Brownies

Source: The Savvy Kitchen

* 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

* 1 cup sugar

* 1 tsp. vanilla

* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup flour

* 1/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa

* 1/4 tsp. baking powder

* 1/4 tsp. salt

* 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Creamy Frosting

* 3 Tbsp. butter, room temperature

* 3 Tbsp. Hershey's cocoa

* 1 Tbsp. light corn syrup or honey

* 1/2 tsp. vanilla

* 1 cup powdered sugar

* 1 Tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a 9x9 inch pan (line with parchment paper like this)

Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla.  (I used my stand mixer because it was easier, but you don't have to.)  Add eggs and combine.  In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.  Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.

I forgot to add the chocolate chips to the batter (I'm such a dork sometimes) so I sprinkled them on the top.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until brownies just start to pull away from the sides of the pan.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the frosting:

Beat butter, cocoa and corn syrup together in a mixing bowl.  Add powdered sugar and milk and mix until smooth.  If it appears too thin, add more powdered sugar; too thick, add more milk.  Makes about 1 cup of frosting.

Spread over cooled brownies.

They look pretty darn good!

I thought the brownies were wonderful!  They were chewy and delicious!  They were pretty darn chocolatey (I can't believe I'm saying that like it's a bad thing!)  My son absolutely loved them!  I thought they might be better with a cream cheese frosting.  Of course this doesn't mean I didn't eat 3 of them the first day =o)

 

 

I'm linking to the parties on my sidebar.

Get Fit By Gaming Giveaway

 

What better way to exercise is there than to play?  And you can get the whole family involved.  that's a win-win in my book!  If you agree, then we have the perfect giveaway for you!

Get Fit By Gaming Giveaway

Hosted by Mom to Bed by 8 and Giveaway Bandit

Special thank you to our lovely co-hosts: Mommy Bear Media, Homeschooling Mom 4 Two, Coupon Queen of Texas, The Naptime Review, Mom Knows It All, Books R Us, Simply Sherryl, Stay a Stay at Home Mom and Smoothies and Cocktails Recipes.

Xbox 360 Kinect Bundle Includes:

Xbox 360 S Console 250GB Hard Drive Kinect Sensor

Wireless Controller Kinect Adventures Carnival Games: Monkey See Monkey Do

One lucky reader will receive a Xbox 360 Kinect Bundle Console Bundle!

Giveaway ends March 1st at 11:59pm, open to US & Canadian residents, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

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Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Making Memories With Your Kids is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. Please contact teri@mompoweredmedia.com with questions or to see your business or blog featured on the next big event!

Crafty Bands Review

 

Crafty Bands are the cutest things.  They are bands or bracelets that kids can personalize with pictures or wording that they chose.  It's pretty clever.  Maybe a better way to describe them is it's a kit that kids can design their own "charms" to personalize their bracelets.  Does that make sense?

 

The starter kit comes with everything you need: hole punch, bubble caps, bandz and crafty snaps.

 

 

Kids get to pick out whatever picture that they want to put in the charm.  You use the hole punch to cut out the picture.

 

 

Then add a bubble cap and glue into the crafty snaps.  It's super easy!

 

This is what my daughter decided on.  (Yes, that's Justin Beiber.)  =o)

 

Then you snap them in the bandz.  Easy peasy!

 

My daughter loved them.  The bandz are durable and pliable so they don't break and can fit on most wrist sizes. 

 

 

If I had a printer that worked, I would have loved to make personalized ones with my daughter and her friend's faces on the charms.  How cute would that be?  Or how about personalizing them for a birthday present or party?  It would be fun to do as a party favor at a party too.  (I think I'll have to remember this for my daughter's birthday party in a couple of weeks.

 

And you can buy refill kits.  I love this part.  I get so tired of buying a craft kit to do with my kids, we do the project and then have to throw away the kit because there's no way to buy only certain items (the ones we run out of.)  With Crafty Bandz, you buy the starter kit and then all you have to buy to make more are the "innards".

 

Don't want to take my word for it.  Well. you totally should.  =o)  Check them out and see what you think!

 

You can find Crafty Bands on Twitter and Facebook too.

 

I was given this product free of charge to write this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

Heart Shaped Spongelle Giveaway

If you are ever looking for a fun or different kind of sponge I have just the products for you! Spongeables, is an awesome line of products which include fun shapes and bodywash infused buffers.

Here is a little about the company from their website: "Spongeables, LLC is a Los Angeles-based technology and innovation company providing leadership in new product concepts, delivery systems and categories within the global consumer products market. The company has invented a patent-pending technology and proprietary infusion manufacturing process combining time released cleansing products, efficacious skincare ingredients, and a sponge matrix in one convenient, long lasting product."

I so wish I was the one writing this review because they sound wonderful!!! 

I received the super fun heart shaped Body Wash Infused Buffer Spongelle - this is the Peony Cassis Infused and works for 10+ washes. I would say I used it about 12 different times until I felt like there was not much left.

 

Click HERE to read the complete review by So Cal Coupon Mommy

 

CONNECT NOW

Website --- Facebook --- Twitter

 

WIN ONE

 

One LUCKY winner will receive a heart shaped Body Wash Infused Buffer Spongelle - this is the Peony Cassis Infused Sponge.  Sounds heavenly, right? 

 

This giveaway is open to US residents 18 and over.

 

Enter in the rafflecopter below

 

Good Luck!

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Disclosure: I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Making Memories With Your Kids is not responsible for shipment of prize.