December 30th, 2013
I was sent some coupons to try the product for free but all opinions are my own
Are you ready for the New Year because I simply cannot believe that 2013 is almost over. We have been enjoying our holiday especially since I have had my husband at home for the whole time. I feel really blessed to have a spouse who gets lots of time off for the holidays and the summer.
Something that we have been taking advantage of doing together as a couple or as individuals is cooking, baking , and creating cocktails which we have not been able to do with our normal busy schedules. Even though we do not have any evening or night plans for our New Year’s Eve, we decided to keep it quiet before we get out of town for a bit with our own little drinks. 🙂
We have been enjoying lots of clementines from Cuties since mid December and all I can hear my toddler ask is “Orange?” At first, when she saw them, she grabbed one and started going for a bite saying ” I eat it!” I showed her how fun it is to open these tangerines but at the end I was the one opening them. I love seeing them during this season and they definitely remind me of my trip to Germany. We would visit different homes and visit families and one every table would be a big bowl of clementines.
I made sure I had some on my table when I entertained some ladies at the house earlier this month. You would think that we would have enough with these Cuties but in fact they are tasty fresh from the fridge. I have added some to our smoothies and to fruit salads in the morning but then I thought it was time to make something serious.
While I started juicing clementines, I had to stop my husband from chugging the fresh juice only to promise him a delicious cocktail and some more fresh juice in the morning. The juice was SO sweet and quite different from regular oranges that we almost preferred this citrus fruit. As I created my cocktail I ended up with TWO drink options. Did we drink the night away? Of course not, but then I realized that it would be nice to have two options for serious drinkers (couples) and party drinkers.
Say hello to Clementine Cosmo Punch and Clementine Cosmo Cocktail.
Make the punch for a party or if you are staying in with little ones in their beds then make the cocktail. Yum!
Clementine Cosmo Punch and Cocktail
by Noelle Kelly
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients (2 to 20 servings)
For Clementine Cosmo Punch
- makes over a gallon of punch
- 30 oz / 3 ¾ cups fresh clementine juice using Cuties Clementines
- 20 oz / 2 ½ cups cranberry juice cocktail
- 10 oz / 1 ¼ cups lime juice
- 20 oz / 2 ½ cups triple sec
- 40 oz / 5 cups vodka
- 30 oz / 3 ¾ cups club soda
For Clementine Cosmo Cocktail
- makes two 6-ounce servings
- 3 oz fresh clementine juice using Cuties Clementines
- 2 oz cranberry juice cocktail
- 1 oz lime juice
- 2 oz triple sec
- 4 oz vodka
Instructions
For Clementine Cosmo Punch
Refrigerate juices and club soda the night before. Before the party starts, mix all the ingredients in a pitcher and add the club soda at the end.
For Clementine Cosmo Cocktail
Place all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain the cocktail into two glasses.
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December 27th, 2013
This post is sponsored by Target, but all opinions and content are my own.
It is lovely to see families and friends cherishing the holidays together. It is also beautiful seeing people around you getting engaged. Even though most of our friends back in Houston are married and have children I love making new friends and then finding out their good news. We recently found out that someone in our lives got engaged. Seeing that excitement and showing off their ring makes me want to go through the whole process again! Maybe we’ll be able to go to their wedding!
I love planning the right gift to give to a couple, although sometimes it can be challenging if I only know one of their tastes. When it comes to gift giving, the options are wonderful with Target Wedding Registry. I remember working with their registry back when we got married adding different items according to my husband’s tastes and my tastes. I think I remember someone wondering why we had picked a few certain items. The beauty of that is that it shows how creative and unique our gifts were.
Ironically enough, Target’s theme this year is “Be Yourself, Together” which celebrates the unique qualities each individual brings to a relationship that, when combined, result in something beautiful. It gives voice to the inevitable differences in relationships and declares distinct personalities, an enriching part of every romantic union. I was ready to develop my own unique gift for a future couple.
Even though we have only been married 5 years, we continue to develop our likes and dislikes but definitely something important to us in what we have in our kitchen. It is pretty much central in all people’s life so I then decided to focus on the bar. I no longer was looking at giving a unique gift for the couple to remember us by but I wanted to give a fun starter kit for the couple to build upon. I decided to make my own little bar kit essentials for the couple to continue to add over the years.
Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Target.
Here is what you would need to recreate this gift:
This gift is simple and a GREAT starter party kit not only for the new couple but for them to have for their own get-togethers. I can only hope that they would be super ecstatic. Target Registry sure makes it easy and fun to personalize a gift for a couple so don’t let it intimidate you. Create you own or select from some other choices I created:
Target Wedding Registry is really easy to work with a creating one is so much fun. What would YOUR unique wedding gift be? Follow #TargetWedding to find others favorites and share yours too!
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December 26th, 2013
Christmas Card
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December 23rd, 2013
This post was sponsored by Pillsbury but all opinions are all my own.
I am sure everyone has been super busy either finishing up their Christmas shopping or welcoming family from out of town but sometimes a post here and there about baking still will be needed, right? This year we are NOT traveling anywhere which is a first in 5 years. After I married my husband I have lived away from our family and we end up going TO them. This year everyone is doing something a little different.
We really have tried to make things not feel awkward seeing that we will not be with ANY family for the holidays. We established some new traditions now that our toddler understands a lot. This was our first year in 2 years to set up our Christmas tree and decorations. It really has been fun watching our children’s reactions to the lights and the colors.
Another tradition we decided to create was one surrounded by baking. It is definitely something my mother, sister, and I did every year for as long as a remember. We gave baked goods as gifts to folks instead of spending so much money on items that would lose interest quickly. Our toddler, Julianne, loves to be in the kitchen watching mommy cooking, and even though we do not have a standing tower for her to be looking at what I do we use our chairs for her to stand and help me stir or decorate cookies. It is great and it makes my heart melt to see such joy.
When it comes to baking we like sticking to favorites, so I called my mother and asked for a few family recipes. Ryan did the same thing asking his mom for cookie recipes too! We talked about how he could get in some cooking over the holidays.
Every year I like creating NEW recipes too. Sometimes I like making them for parties even though it isn’t right to try a new recipe on people. I like it. 🙂 I have noticed at parties that there have been dessert options for those people that have allergies or gluten-free. When I found out that Pillsbury came out with a gluten-free cookie dough I decided I definitely needed to try it. Even though our family does not have a gluten issues we tend to eat foods that are gluten-free on a normal basis.
• 14.3 oz. tub for easy storage
• Makes approximately 16 2” cookies
• Classic Chocolate Chip variety
• 110 calories per serving
Instead of thawing frozen gluten free bread products or combining dry-mix items, you can just use the refrigerated dough and eliminate extra preparation. I like that I easily scoop out the cookie dough even if it means I just want to make ONE or TWO cookies at a time for an weeknight indulgence. No mess and no fuss.
I decided to use the cookie dough by making some gluten-free mini cookie mini cups filled with white chocolate mousse. Oh yes. It was so delicious and made me regret I had not made them bigger. 🙂
These bite-size beauties are perfect for New Year’s parties too and go well well with cocktails. I might have shared some with our toddler.
Want to try this recipe? Want to make your favorite cookie recipe you have not been able to eat for years using this Pillsbury gluten free cookie dough recipe? Pillsbury gluten free dough is now widely available so check a major grocery retailer near you in the refrigerated aisle.
Gluten Free White Chocolate Mousse
Mini Cookie Cups
by Noelle Kelly
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients (24 cookie cups)
- 1 – 13-ounce Pillsbury Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- 1 & 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (divided)
- 6-ounces white chocolate chips
- 24 fresh raspberries
- fresh mint
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grease a 24 mini muffin cup tin. Add a little less than a Tablespoon of cookie dough in each muffin tin. Mold the dough in each tin.
Meanwhile, boil 1/2 cup whipping cream and once it comes to a boil, add the white chocolate and stir until melted. Set aside to cool while the cookie cups bake.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and using a mini dough shaper or around coffee scoop, slightly press the dough in the center. Allow the mini cups to cool for 5-7 minutes.
Whip the 1 cup whipping cream until it reaches stiff peaks. Fold melted white chocolate into the whipped cream and continue cooling in the fridge.
Remove cookie cups from the pan. Pipe mousse into each cookie cup and place a raspberry on top and decorate with a sprig of fresh mint. Continue cooling in fridge overnight or serve immediately.
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December 20th, 2013
Along Lancaster Highway in Bryn Mawr there is a new indoor play space, called The Play Cafe’, and it is already the talk of the area. The colors on the outside are inviting and one would not know that there was 4,000 square feet of play area. A nice lobby awaits the kids and caregivers and then a nice storage place to place personal items.
Did you miss your morning caffeine? No worries because there is a café with a barista, ready to to your order. A delicious latte’ and snack from a gourmet bakery entice each mom to sit in the lounge area, allowing each of them to watch their kids run after toys and play area.
I have only been to two indoor play spaces since moving to Pennsylvania last year and I am SO glad this new place is much closer to me, in fact it is minutes away from our church. As I got to know the owner, Lauren, I found out she was someone like me, a mom looking for a safe play space or option for her kids to run around.
What would one do if you could not find an accessible place? Make your own! The Play Café is that place and a place everyone should check out.
The first thing we checked out was the LEGO wall on the second floor of the play space. It is definitely a creative space and perfect for your little lego player.
There is a calendar of events and a schedule of storytelling and craft time. While the kids colored, made bracelets, and more it was very easy leaving my toddler in there for a bit while I grabbed a coffee. She was quite entertained!
There is also a nice little dress-up area with cute costumes. Of course, Julianne loved dressing up as a princess and pranced around while playing.
FUN!
Do you have a crawler or an infant? There is a separate play area for younger kiddos. The colors are inviting and the mirrors provide lots of entertainment.
What about throwing a party? I love reading all the options for throwing the ideal birthday party with extra services provided by the owner. Can’t make it to the play space, then they can plan it in another location! Check out their party package options.
What about registration? The lovely thing about this new play area is that there is an ideal drop-in or daily price with a 1/2-off price for additional siblings. Want a year membership? I think that is the BEST deal:
10-VISIT PUNCH CARDS
- $65 – 1 punch per child
- expires 6 months after first visit
MONTHLY FAMILY PASS
- $45 per month – expires 30 days from first visit
- Includes admission for ALL children in the family
- Priority registration for enrichment classes
ANNUAL FAMILY MEMBERSHIP
- $360 ($30 billed monthy) – expires 1 year from first visit.
- Includes admission for ALL children in the family
- Priority registration for enrichment classes
- 10% discount on all base birthday party packages
- 10% discount in retail store
- Complimentary or discount admission to special events and workshops
Even though The Play Café has been open since the beginning of December their official grand opening will be in January so make sure to visit their website and Facebook page.
Check out other people’s reviews of the play space by using the hashtag #theplaycafe and check out their Facebook page for updates.
Make sure to come out on New Years Eve for a fun play day. The whole family can enjoy a family-friendly party with play, pizza, snacks, crafts, fun and games. Kids’ also will receive party hats and noisemakers to help ring in the new year. The party will be from 11 until 1pm and even though a reservation is not required it would be helpful. Call (610) 525-0776. $10 per child for members and $20 per child for non members
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