Peppa Pig Peppa's Christmas DVD and Bonus DVD Review and Giveway

                          I was provided these products for my review. All opinions are mine alone.

I don't think that there is a bigger Peppa Pig fan in the whole world than my granddaughter, Ashley.
She adores watching Peppa, her little brother George, and Mummy Pig, and Daddy Pig. And who wouldn't be charmed by this sweet pig family as they play games, go on adventures, and have silly, fun times with their friends?

The new Peppa Pig, Peppa's Christmas is an all-new holiday adventure where Peppa and her family celebrate the holiday season. You can watch as Peppa and George write letters to Santa, sing festive songs, decorate the Christmas tree, and even help out Santa himself.

Young children love Peppa Pig, and it's very easy to understand why. The stories are funny, sweet, and provide many teachable moments about kindness, sharing and love.

Ashley is almost three, but my grandsons are four, and seven, and they also love watching Peppa Pig.

 All the episodes are filled with fun and laughter, lots of snorts, and plenty of jumping in muddy puddles, too.

Besides Peppa's Christmas, there are eleven other episodes. They include School Bus Trip, Granny and Grampa's Attic, Zoe Zebra, and more.

This charming DVD is perfect to get you and your little ones into the holiday spirit. It is a lovely way to bring the cheeriness of Christmas into your house, and get the kids excited about this fun season.

Along with giving away one copy of Peppa's Christmas, a second DVD will be included in the prize,  Bubbles.

Watch Peppa's Christmas for holiday fun, and give Bubbles to your child as a stocking or under the tree gift.

I can't say enough what a big fan of Peppa Pig that I am, too. I happily watch Peppa Pig videos over and over with my grandchildren, and I never get tired of them. Peppa's Christmas has already been watched in our house many, many times. And it has already gotten us into the sweet magic of Christmas.

One reader will win one DVD copy of Peppa's Christmas, and a second DVD, Bubbles, will also be included as the prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Nov. 5, 2014 and ends on Nov. 19, 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.

Fall Pumpkin Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

 Pumpkin Cupcakes are a favorite in my family, and this recipe will make your kitchen smell delicious.
I think this recipe for the cupcakes and cream cheese frosting is pretty easy, and can be doubled, to make two dozen if you like.

This is absolutely my favorite time of the year to bake, and pumpkin desserts are my favorite. Yum!!


Recipe for Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients for Cupcakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil

 

Directions:

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with paper cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl, stir together first 6 ingredients. In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, canned pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vegetable oil.
Add the flour mixture and stir until combined. Spoon the batter into cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick) at room temperature
1 8oz. package of cream cheese at room temperature
2 1/2 cups powered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Directions:

 With an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes until smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl to ensure even mixing.
Beat in the vanilla extract just until mixed. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until desired thickness. Frost cupcakes with a spatula, or spoon into a piping bag and decorate. Add decorative sprinkles if desired.

Makes 1 dozen cupcakes.

 

 

*This was originally published last fall, and was very popular, so here it is again. It's one of my favorite ways to use pumpkin.

Pear Coffee-Cake Muffins Recipe From Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

Sometimes I think it's the little things that make up a happy life. It's true that big life events can be wonderful, but they just don't happen often enough for me. So, I'm finding ways to increase my everyday happiness, and that includes these pear muffins.

A cup of coffee and a warm, delicious muffin with butter inside makes my morning start out happy. It's an easy way to start the day, and these muffins let you use your favorite fruit in them, whether that's pears, apples, plums, or berries.

This recipe is from one of my favorite baking books, Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. The recipe calls for plums, which I love, but when I saw these gorgeous red pears at the market, I decided to use them instead of the plums.

Peel and chop the pears. I love the fragrance and taste of pears, and it's one of my favorite fruits to use in my fall and winter baking.

After you have mixed the batter, fill the muffin tin half full, and distribute the pear pieces evenly over the batter. Top with remaining batter, and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

These smell wonderful as they are baking in the oven. And they keep well for a couple of days in the refrigerator. I just popped them, with a little butter, into the microwave and heated them up, and they were still delicious.

I gave some of these muffins to our neighbors, and they just loved them. That's also one of the things I enjoy about baking, is being able to share something I made with others, and making that lovely connection with them.

These muffins are very much worth the effort of making them, and perfect for a morning of baking on a chilly fall morning.

Recipe For Pear Coffee-Cake Muffins

Ingredients:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
3/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground nutmeg
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
3 ripe pears, peeled and cut into small chunks (other fruits may be used, plums, apples, or berries)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a 12-cup muffin tin, or use paper liners, set aside.
Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl, set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and milk. Whisk in the melted butter. Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Dividing evenly, fill each of the muffin cups halfway with batter. Smooth the batter with an offset spatula.

Distribute the pear pieces evenly among the cups, scattering them over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter on top, dividing evenly. Sprinkle tops with the reserved cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the muffins are puffed and golden brown, and a cake tester inserted of one muffin comes out clean, 16-18 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let stand 5-10 minutes. Turn out the muffins onto the rack to cool a few minutes, serve warm.

*Note: the recipe says it only makes 10 muffins, but I easily made 12.

Love Letters From God Book Review







Love Letters From God is a very beautiful and unique book filled with bible stories for children. Written by Glenys Nellist and illustrated by Sophie Allsopp, it's a wonderful way to introduce these stories to children ages four to eight.

But this book is different than other children's bibles, because after each story, there is a loving and encouraging letter for the child to open, each letter tucked away in it's own lift-the-flap envelope. This letter is from God, and offers encouragement, and hope, and lets each child feel very special and loved.

Love Letters From God includes eighteen of the most popular Bible stories, and each story is written in a way that children can understand and learn from them.

Following each story, the child will find their own letter from God, and each letter elaborates and is relevant to the story being told. Parents will love the way these ideas are introduced to their children, and the unique letters filled with God's love.

The illustrations in this book are so beautiful, and it will take awhile to look through the book so that you can appreciate all the details in the pictures. The colors are bold and eye catching, and will certainly be fascinating for children.

After your child has listened to all the loving letters sent to him or her, they then have the chance to write their own letter to God. At the end of the book is a special blank letter where a child can express his own feelings to God, and know that it will be read by him.

It's a wonderful way to express back their own loving feelings to God, and is sure to make parents smile when they hear what their child would like to say.

I think this book is absolutely lovely, and I especially like how it only portrays God as a loving figure. one who offers love and comfort to all children.

It's also a wonderful book to introduce bible stories to young children in a way that they can understand, and encourage them to form the questions that they are bound to ask. Children will love the letters from God, and will feel that they are written just for them.

This book would make a wonderful gift for any child in your life that you want to introduce Bible stories to, with the added letters that make it so very special.

I was given a copy of this book for review, and am expressing my own personal feelings and opinions here.

 

Butternut Squash Soup From Organic Marin Cookbook

I've been seeing all the pumpkins and different kinds of squash in the grocery stores lately, and it inspired me to make some Butternut Squash soup. This soup is such a great one to make on a chilly fall day, and it's also one of my favorites.

This recipe comes from a beautiful book that I bought a few years ago, Organic Marin. It's filled with delicious recipes, and inspiring photos that will make you want to go in the kitchen and start cooking.
I've also seen this at the library, so if you come across it there, be sure and check it out, I know you'll enjoy it.

I just love butternut squash, and use it in lots of recipes during the fall and winter. And it's super healthy for you.

I roasted two squashes, and will freeze the squash from one of them to make soup again in a couple of weeks. It freezes very well, and it's so handy to roast two at the same time.

Pair this with a light salad, and some crusty warm bread for a delicious fall dinner.

Recipe for Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds) halved and seeded
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 cloves garlic
4 thyme sprigs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 shallots, chopped
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Rub the olive oil over the cut sides of the squash and season with 1/4 of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Place the squash, cut side down, on the prepared pan. Tuck the garlic cloves and thyme sprigs under the cavity of the squash. Roast the squash for 50 to 60 minutes, until the squash is soft and caramelized. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reserve the garlic cloves and discard the thyme. Scoop the butternut squash flesh from the skin, coarsely chop and set aside.

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions and shallots for 7 to 10 minutes, until they begin to brown. Add the roasted squash, the reserved garlic cloves, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the squash begins to caramelize and stick to the bottom of the pan. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Puree the soup until smooth with a hand-help blender or in a food processor. Return to the pan if necessary and stir in the cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Serves 6 as a first course.