Posts by admin:
- Complimentary 2-Hour Amish Farmland Tour
- Fitness room
- Game room
- Indoor pools/hot tub
- Outdoor pools
- Picnic pavilion
- Tennis & basketball courts
- 125 clean comfortable Guest Rooms
- Family Suites & King Rooms
- Complimentary Wireless Internet
- Complimentary Tour of the Amish Farmlands
- Two Heated Indoor Pools
- Hot Tub
- Outdoor Pool with unique walk-in entrance
- Lighted Tennis Courts
- Playground & Game Room
- 2 18-Hole Miniature Golf courses (fee to play)
- “It’s A Beautiful Day” Music Video
- “You Make Me Feel So Young” Clip
- “To Love Somebody” Music Video
- April 25 – Performing in the NYC Subway
- High-resolution 5MP scanner and large color LCD
- Scans color and black & white 35mm slides and film negatives
- Transfers your slides and negatives directly onto the included SD card
- Allows viewing of pictures on your iPad®, digital frames, TVs with SD, and more
- Includes adjustable Rapid Slide Feeder (fits 1.1 to 3.0mm)
- Works with SD and SDHC cards up to 8GB
- No computer needed; optional USB connection for Mac and PC
- Automatic exposure and color balance controls
- Video output for viewing on an external video monitor
- 3 over ripe bananas, mashed
- 3/4 cup spelt flour
- 1/4 cup So Delicious coconut yogurt
- 1/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup raw sugar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/4 cup warm water (not hot, about 110 degrees)
- 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 2/3 cup warm So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk
- 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp water (equals 1 egg)
- 3/4 cup Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter Spread
- 3 cups (approximately) All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 cup Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter Spread
- 1 1/4 cups pecans, chopped
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter Spread
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk
Bird-In-Hand Family Inn and Restaurant {Review}
May 14th, 2013
Disclosure: This is a sponsored media trip. All of my thoughts and opinions are based on my own personal experience.
Two weekends ago our family was invited to visit the Lancaster area. We stayed in the Bird-in-Hand Family Inn and Restaurant for one night. After a while day of visiting area attractions we were looking forward relaxing with our kiddos and resting.
After we dropped our belongings in the room we decided to continue to take advantage of the sunshine. The front desk personnel were very friendly and showed us all the activities available to the guests. Well what immediately caught my attention? The petting zoo!
Julianne was so excited to see goats, chickens, rabbits, and even a llama. The inn provided us with some food for the children to feed the animals. It was real exciting to see how entertained my girl was. It was also relieving to see some hand sanitizer too!
Ryan was happy to be showing her the ropes too! In addition to the petting zoo the Inn also includes the following:
We did not get a chance to do the 2-hour tour but it was great to know we could keep it in mind.
The view around the inn was very pleasant. There was a nice pond and walking trail that was nice. There were lots of people walking. We wished we had bread to feed the ducks that were around.
After that some of the moms sat around as the spouses played with the kids. The playground was very big and it also included swings for both toddlers and grown kiddos. The only thing that was not too safe were the slides. They were geared more to older kids.
How about the food? Bird-In-Hand also boasts a great restaurant and Smorgasbord offering Amish favorites. What was the verdict? Both of us could definitely skip the Smorgasbord. It tasted more like any other country buffet. We wondered how it would be to order off the menu. At least the cherry crisp was a nice finish to our meal. 😉 Baby girl had a roll! Not.
What about the Inn? Here are the amenities:
We were not able to visit a lot of these because, well we had little ones and bed time was calling our names but it was nice that we were able to enjoy what the outdoors provided.
The rooms were nice and it seemed like they had been renovated. The inn provided us with a crib that was perfect for our family. The beds, well. Let me just say that it was not our best night’s rest. We could feel the coils in our beds and we woke up sore. Perhaps we got a fluke room.
After our night’s rest we woke up early to head home and enjoyed a nice breakfast buffet. There was a variety of food that filled us and we definitely enjoyed it a lot more.
All-in-all, the Bird-In-Hand Family Inn is a very family-friendly place. There is lots to do in the area and there is a lot to see. If your family gets to visit make sure to try all the nice amenities.
2740 Old Philadelphia Pike
Bird-in-Hand, PA 17505
800-537-2535
Bird-In Hand Restaurant and Inn on Facebook
Bird-In-Hand Restaurant and Inn on Twitter
Sharing is Caring!
Michael Bublé Album Review
May 13th, 2013
Disclosure: I participated in this campaign for One2One Network. I received a free copy of the album to facilitate my review. By posting, I am eligible for incentives. All opinions stated are my own.
It has been a while since I have done a music review. After all I am a singer but I do not review just opera or classical. In fact, I listen to a VARIETY of music genres. I was really happy to get to preview Michael Bublé’s new CD that was released on April 23rd. I have been a long-time fan of his voice and albums so I was real interested to hear new music.
After I heard the entire album I was a bit amused. It took me a bit to register every track because well, the album mixes different styles. Bublé takes several popular standards and gives it his own interpretation. I immediately loved Come Dance With Me. Bublé has such a relaxed style that makes you want to sing along or even dance anywhere!
Even though Bublé has three tracks with a contributing artist, I simply enjoyed Something Stupid. I have heard that track performed by different artists but it never gets old. It is nice to hear Reese Witherspoon sing again. If anyone has seen Walk the Line, Reese Witherspoon performed all her songs and it was so refreshing to see and hear an actress do her own singing. Obviously Bublé likes her singing too!
There are four original songs on this album that were co-written by Bublé and of the four my favorite is It’s a Beautiful Day. In general I really like when Bublé sings really upbeat songs with full orchestra. It is his best work which leads me to say that this album is not my MOST favorite. I like his 2005 album It’s Time and 2009 album Crazy Love the best. Somehow the standards on those albums caught my attention a lot more that on this album. It really does not strike a chord with me.
That said, that is just my opinion. I told my sister-in-law, who is a big Bublé fan, to give me her opinion because sometimes others feel differently.
Go and listen to the album and give your opinion of this popular crooner. He has sold out shows he will be performing starting at the end of June. You gotta love him!
Media Links:
Links To Buy Album:
To Be Loved Track Listing:
1. “You Make Me Feel So Young”
2. “It’s a Beautiful Day”
3. “To Love Somebody”
4. “Who’s Lovin You”
5. “Something Stupid” (featuring Reese Witherspoon)
6. “Come Dance with Me”
7. “Close Your Eyes”
8. “After All” (featuring Bryan Adams)
9. “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You” (with Naturally 7)
10. “To Be Loved”
11. “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”
12. “Nevertheless (I’m in Love with You)” (featuring The Puppini Sisters)
13. “I Got It Easy”
14. “Young at Heart”
Sharing is Caring!
ION Audio Giveaway {Film 2D Scanner}
May 9th, 2013
Do you have negatives from long ago that you wish you could have on an SD card or on your present hard drive but did not know how to transfer? How about slides? We are talking old school material before digital photography became popular. Check out what this scanner can do for all those lost pictures you have in photo albums or pictures never printed.
The Film 2 SD Scanner transfers your images directly onto an SD card so you can enjoy your old pictures with the latest technology. One of the great features is that you don’t even need a computer, you can load them onto an SD card to view on digital picture frames, televisions, mobile phones, computers, and other portable devices. Make sure to check out The Review Wire’s full review on the Film 2 SD Scanner.
Features:
Features:
ION Audio Giveaway
2 Winner’s will each receive a Film 2 SD Scanner from ION Audio {RV $152.97 each} See form for Entry Details. Open to U.S. You must be 18 years old to enter to win. Ends 5.24.13 INSERT GIVEAWAY FORM
Disclaimer: An email address is required to enter. The winner will be chosen randomly through Giveaway Tools and contacted via email. A reply to the winning email is required within 48 hours before a new winner is chosen. One person entering per household please. U.S. only. This giveaway ends at 11:59 PM EST on May 24, 2013.
This event is sponsored by ION Audio and hosted by The Review Wire. Opera Singer in the Kitchen is not responsible for prize fulfillment. I was not provided with product for this review. I was provided a link on the form in exchange for helping to promote. Companies and bloggers, if you would like to participate in group giveaway events like this one, sign up to be emailed about future events hosted by The Review Wire.
Sharing is Caring!
Mini Vegan Banana Muffins
May 6th, 2013
I am back this month working with Secret Recipe Club. I was assigned Hobbie Lobbie and even though there were so many recipes to chose from I had to choose a breakfast recipe since I had some ripe bananas calling my name.
Trisha lives in Mumbai, India and is a full time baker! I was really excited to see some traditional Indian food which I have bookmarked for later. As I ease into my life as a mother of 2, I am making easier recipes for now.
I chose to make Trisha’s Banana Muffins which were only egg-less but I chose to make them completely vegan. They were fun to make and the toddler liked them too!
Look at how she savors them! Next on my baking list are the Puran Poli on Hobbie Lobbie.
Mini Vegan Banana Muffins
by Noelle Kelly / adapted from Hobbie Lobbie
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients (24 mini muffins)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and grease a mini muffin mold.
Mash the bananas in a bowl and add the oil, yogurt, sugar and vanilla and mix well.
Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Mix well.
Add the mashed banana mix and fold it into the flour till incorporated. Don’t beat the batter.
Add the pecans and finishing mixing. Spoon the batter into the muffin mold.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Toddler-friendly
Powered by Recipage
Sharing is Caring!
Speculoos Cookie Butter Pecan Rolls –So Delicious® Dairy Free 2013 Recipe Contest
May 2nd, 2013
May I invite you for breakfast or brunch? I believe I finally realized I enjoy making cinnamon rolls. Is there a cookbook out there that is dedicated to making all different varieties of cinnamon rolls and not only any kind but VEGAN cinnamon rolls?
I enjoy drinking and cooking with So Delicious coconut milk so when I heard there was a contest for the best recipe using this coconut milk I jumped at the opportunity to create a NEW recipe.
Even though it was not required to create a NEW recipe I knew I wanted to. I have been baking with So Delicious for a while and I feel comfortable subbing regular milk with coconut milk.
I adapted my recipe for my popular Pumpkin Pecan Cinnamon Rolls to make these tasty rolls. The rolls are smaller and ideal for a brunch or breakfast party.
Anyone else like Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter Spread? I do and I simply had to join my now new favorite things together: rolls and spread. Who needs to spread cookie butter when you can enjoy it with every bite within every roll?
Yum.
I will need your help voting for my recipe, so go and make it, like NOW and then check out my recipe on the
So Delicious® Dairy-Free 2013 Recipe Contest board on Pinterest and LIKE my recipe. Thanks!!
Speculoos Cookie Butter Pecan Rolls
Prep Time: 90 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients (24 rolls)
Roll Dough
Filling
Icing
Instructions
In a large bowl, stir yeast into water to soften. Let rest for 5 minutes before stirring. Mix flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes. Add milk, cookie spread, 2 cups flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon to yeast mixture. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.
Gradually add remaining flour, a little at a time, until you have a dough stiff enough to knead. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead, adding flour as necessary, until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
Put dough into an oiled bowl. Turn once to coat entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface, and pat or roll it into a 16″ x 12″ rectangle. Spread softened cookie spread over dough and then sprinkle with cinnamon and pecans.
Roll the dough into a log the long way; it’ll stretch to about 20″ long as you roll. Using a very sharp knife, slice the log into 24 slices. In order to cut down on drag, it helps to rinse the blade in hot water, and wipe it off, between slices. Place slices in a greased 9×13 inch baking pan (or in two 8 or 9 inch round cake or pie pans). Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
Bake in a preheated 375°F oven. Bake the rolls till they’re brown around the edges and beginning to turn golden brown across the center, about 20-30 minutes.
While rolls bake, prepare the icing. Add the cookie spread, vanilla, milk to a small food processor or use an immersion blender. Blend until smooth and combined. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, blending in between, until well mixed and desired consistency is reached.
Frost warm rolls with the icing and serve immediately.
Powered by Recipage
