Thursday, June 19, 2014

See's Candies Summer Variety Review and $25 Gift Card Giveaway



For many generations my family has enjoyed See's Candies. The way the store looks, the smells of chocolate and even the ladies dressed in the white uniforms make me smile from the memories I recall and the ones being made in that moment. Its more than a candy store to us and the summer time we go just as often as the holidays.


My son knows what he likes in See's, trying to convince him why Mommy NEEDS black licorice is tough

With my birthday being in the summer I always get a box of See's dark and milk chocolate truffles, but this year I want a box of the Summer Variety candies. I normally get the same thing each year out of tradition but after trying a box of the Summer Variety for my review I have a new summertime favorite. The use of white chocolate on nuts and caramel is amazing! The flavors of summer like coconut, apricot and lemon are in this box making it light and sweet. This box of candy is perfect for wanting sweets but not a heavy dark chocolate. My favorite is the Key Lime Pie and my son loved the Apple Pie Truffle. We also bought a few Blueberry Truffles to try and they are beyond delicious!



We ate most the candies before I got a picture :)

It would not be a trip to See's without picking up some lollipops. Even if we are going to the mall for one thing we always manage a quick stop into See's for a lollipop. See's has many Summer friendly candies that you can pack into a camping trip bag or mail to a loved one like lollipops, black licorice, peanut brittle and my son's favorite the red, white and blue sour chews.


My son also picked out a few smaller chocolates like a chocolate clown, chocolate apple and a milk chocolate candy bar for his Dad. We are always satisfied with the quality of ingredients in See's and the people who work their are always as sweet as the treats. I look forward to my birthday in July to get myself another box of Summer Variety candies.




GIVEAWAY

Win a $25 Gift Card to See's Candies


Enter in the Rafflecopter Form below:


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*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts June 19, 2014 and ends on July 3, 2014 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a product to review for this post.


Laura
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Monday, June 16, 2014

#ad Help End Hunger With Tyson and Champions For Kids Know Hunger Project

I am a member of the Collective Bias® and Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and it's advertiser.



 

I am thrilled to be participating in the Tyson and Champions for Kids Know Hunger project with a food donation in my local community.
 
Tyson Foods has partnered with Champions for Kids to create the Summer of Giving, where every time you buy a specially marked Tyson product, Tyson will donate a meal for a child in need.
 
In an effort to help create awareness of hunger, Tyson created the Know Hunger project.
The project is designed to encourage people to KNOW the scope of hunger in their own communities and get involved in relief efforts, so someday there will be NO hunger in our country.
 
I purchased Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken to create a meal of chicken tacos for my family, and to make a donation of a dinner to a mom in our community. This mom and her kids are going through some rough times, and I knew she would welcome a home cooked meal. We also gave a package of Tyson chicken nuggets that the kids could eat later.
 
My grandson Jayden came along with me to make the donation, and I know it did his heart good to help others.
 

Hunger is something that many of us are fortunate enough not to have to go through. But of course, many children go to bed hungry each night. And 1 in 4 Americans is worried about having enough money to put food on the table in the next year.

By buying specially marked Tyson product packages, you can help in the fight again childhood hunger. This is such an easy way to help out, and provide delicious tasting meals for your own family at the same time.


I purchased my Tyson chicken products at my local Walmart. Through the Know Hunger project, Walmart has promised to feed 5 million kids this summer.


I always love cooking with Tyson's Grilled & Ready Chicken. The chicken is already cooked and frozen with delicious flavors, and it's super easy to just pop it in the pan.

Tacos are one of my family's favorite meals, so I make them pretty often. And it feels great that when I purchase Tyson products, I am helping to fight hunger.
#CollectiveBias


I really enjoyed making my family these chicken tacos for dinner. But even more so, I enjoyed making them and donating them to a family in need.

It doesn't take a whole lot sometimes to make a difference in other people's lives. But sometimes we aren't truly aware of the needs that exist, even in our own communities. Community involvement is often the first step.

Thanks to Tyson and Champions for Kids, the Know Hunger project helps make us all aware of the pressing needs of feeding others in our own communities, and nation wide.

Please make this your #SummerofGiving by purchasing the specially marked packages of Tyson products.

You can also look for the Summer Of Giving display board at your local Walmart.

Thank you!!



Patricia
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Thursday, June 12, 2014

Glazed Blueberry Donuts


I'm loving all the delicious berries that are now in the stores and farmer's markets. It's hard to pass them up when they look so good.

I decided to combine my favorite vanillas donut recipes with some fresh blueberries, and they turned out to be a great combination. And there's a little less guilt for making donuts for no reason if they have healthy blueberries in them!!


 

 
Recipe for Glazed Blueberry Donuts

Ingredients:

 1 cup all purpose flour
6 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 cup fresh blueberries


Ingredients for glaze:

1/2 cup powered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 (or more as needed) tablespoons milk, heavy cream, or half & half

Directions:

 Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a donut pan with cooking spray or vegetable oil.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Add buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, and melted butter. Stir to combine. Stir in blueberries. Carefully spoon batter into prepared donut pan, filling 2/3 full.
Bake 8-10 minutes, or until donuts are baked through. Allow to cool 5 minutes and remove from pan.

To make the glaze, in a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and choice of either milk, heavy cream, or half & half.
Stir until smooth, adding more tablespoons of liquid as needed. Drizzle glaze over donuts.

Makes 8 donuts.


Patricia
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Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Enjoy Summer Family Fun With DIGIORNO® Pizza


I am a member of the Collective Bias® and Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and it's advertiser.




One of my family's favorite summertime activities is playing board games together. We spend hours out on the deck playing, and there is always some friendly competition going on among us.

We love playing Scrabble, and there are plenty of word challenges where we have to get out the dictionary to settle things. I love this, and it makes me grateful that we can spend this time together.

All the game playing calls for some great tasting food, of course. So this weekend I bought some DIGIORNO®  pizzas for us to enjoy. The weather was gorgeous, and we had a lot of fun.


I went to Walmart to pick up my pizzas, some drinks, and some snacks. I love the DIGIORNO® RISING CRUST® Pizza. My family loves them too, so I usually pick up a few.

Since I always enjoy trying new products from brands I like, I also bought the new DIGIORNO® Design A Pizza™ Kit, and the pizzeria! from DIGIORNO®.

It saves me so much time and money when I buy these oven ready pizzas, and with so many different kinds to choose from, there is something for everyone to enjoy.


My grandson made this masterpiece from the DIGIORNO® Design A Pizza™ Kit. The kit is a fun way to get creative, and there are severable kinds to choose from.


In the middle of our game, the pizzas were ready. Yum, hot and delicious, just the way we like them!


What kids don't like pizza, and my grandchildren certainly do. I like that when I buy DIGIORNO® Pizza, I always know it's going to be family pleasing.


This Tuscan Chicken flavored pizza was my personal favorite, and one I will have to go back to Walmart and stock up on. Really delicious and flavorful, and I love chicken on my pizzas.

Our summers here in the Seattle area are unpredictable, and we do get rain at times. That makes the time that we do spend outdoors even more special.

Family time is precious to me, and I don't want to spend a lot of time cooking when we manage to get everyone together. So, great tasting, oven ready DIGIORNO® Pizza is a favorite for us.
#CollectiveBias


Look for the DIGIORNO® Design A Pizza™ Kit, DIGIORNO® RISING CRUST® Pizza, and the pizzaeria! from DIGIORNO® at Walmart.

Summer is a great time to enjoy some good old-fashioned family fun, either by playing classic board games like my family does, or creating your own way to make some fun memories.

Pick up some great tasting pizzas and lots of #summergoodies for plenty of summertime fun.


Patricia
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Sunday, June 8, 2014

My Favorite Pasta Salad Recipe, Black Olive Italian Pasta Salad


Soon it will be officially summer, and it's time for all those delicious summer side dishes. Pasta salads, roasted corn, and macaroni and cheese are just some of my favorite foods to pair with grilled meat.


I like making a double batch of this delicious, and simple pasta salad. I can eat it for lunch, or serve it with dinner during the week.

 Either way, I hope it's as big a hit with your family as it is mine!



Recipe for Black Olive Italian Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

3 cups multi-color rotini pasta, cooked and drained
1 cup black olives, sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons pesto
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1cup Italian salad dressing
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a large bowl, toss well to combine. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight to bring out flavors.


Patricia
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