Thereviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free
I like jewelry like any other girl but when it comes to working out and tracking calories, who wants to be wearing a bulky pedometer when you can use a lightweight and elegant monitor.
When I opened the package I took out the items and put them together to make this nice watch-looking monitor. The monitor requires to download the Misfit app on iTunes in order to sync all the data it collects. While I do not have an iPhone or iPad the app will be available for Android after the New Year. I cannot wait to use it for myself.
Have someone who would like this for Christmas? Here are a few more attractive features.
Misfit Shine
The world’s most elegant activity monitor
4 stunning colors
No charging required
Water resistant to 50m
Measures steps, Calories burned, activity level
approximate 30-day history
programmable
watch
The sports band is nice and comfortable. I wore it around the house for several days and I really liked the feel.
Shine is exclusively available in additional colors at Best Buy including Silver, Black, Champagne and Topaz.
This is a sponsored post in partnership with Target. All opinions are my own.
Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Target.
Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Target.
Thanksgiving is almost upon us and it is hard to really think that another year is almost upon us. It is hard sometimes, but it also means another year away from family. It has been 5 almost 6 years since I have been away from Texas and family and every year is different. The food remains the same but the company changes. We have been in Philly for over a year now and as we continue to get to know more people mu husband and I talk about establishing traditions with our little family. Since we seem to be settling our roots in a new place might as well establish traditions right? When I lived at home with my family we talked about sharing our Thanksgiving not only with family but with friends. Friends with no family or family that live far away. Now that I am married I feel the same way. I really enjoy cooking and sometimes cooking for 2 adults and 2 small children makes for lots of leftovers. Not that that is a bad thing but somehow I miss sharing the fellowship over good food. This year we are preparing to have friends over to relax and have dinner. As we continue to get to know them more, we establish traditions of sharing our holidays with others especially with yummy foods. I plan to make the same delicious turkey recipefrom Bon Appetit because once you find a recipe you gotta keep it, don’t you think? I also have a great cranberry sauce with oranges that makes a great addition. I look forward using my Threshold Cambridge Dinnerware set I bought at Target. It is perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas too! Who could ask for anything more?
There are so many sets of beautiful dinnerware to help celebrate a holiday such as Thanksgiving and as I am thankful for teaming up with Target to share the lovely items for entertaining.
How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? Is it nice and relaxing with football and pizza or is it full of entertaining and setting up all the nice dinnerware for folks? #MyKindOfHoliday
This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and Cacique
Growing up in a bi-lingual home has always meant a lot to me. Being a new mom and establishing a bi-lingual home has been a challenge. I always thought it was going to be easy but seeing that I have grown up in the US for all my life, English is my first language no matter what anyone says. In my home, I grew up speaking Spanish in the house and speaking English when we were outside the home. Since I have a Mexican mother and a Chilean father, the accents that come with each of those countries never really crossed paths with me. I have always been told I sound like I come from Puerto Rico, Argentina, or some other Latin-American country. It has been funny. Since I have parents with two different cultures, I find it exciting and wonder how I will be able to pass this life I learned to my little ones. We sing English and Spanish songs and while I hear English spoken more, since my husband is Anglo, I occasionally hear a Spanish word from my 2-year old. I love it!
What does this have to do with food? Well I love cooking cuisine from both countries and I have to say it might be a quick draw at the recipes I know how to prepare from both countries. Cheese always seems to be the most important ingredient in Mexican food than in Chilean food so it sometimes is easier and quicker to prepare. For vegetarians, Mexican food is, in my opinion, the best option for your lives. 🙂
We enjoy breakfast in our home and sometimes it just gets plain boring with the same meals every morning. My husband and I usually alternate giving each other to the title of Breakfast Queen or King because sometimes we alternate making some NEW breakfast dish other than the regular eggs or oatmeal morning. One morning I decided to use my empanada (turnover) dough to make a open-faced muffin version. I was going breakfast queen so I had to make something tasty, you know? I scrambled eggs, black beans with onions, peppers and some spices and placed them inside the dough in the muffin cups. I then grated some cheese on top and served with salsa. YUM! I always think it is key when adding the cheese. The dough came out nicely cooked with a great crunch and the filling was tasty and very filling.
I was recently introduced to the Auténtico Cheese Society by Cacique. I am VERY familiar with Cacique cheese because they make my authentic meals even more authentic with their line of Hispanic cheeses. If you like Mexican food you probably have NOT tasted the right cheese for the meals the restaurant serves but I think it makes or breaks a dish for me. Don’t serve me American white cheese because I will hurt you! Ha! I will give that “authentic” Mexican restaurant a bad review. Anyway…. If you like quesadillas then this brand has the cheese for those perfect quesadilla or enchiladas. Right now there is a fun giveaway on Cacique’s Facebook where you could win a coupon or other item to try this product. Even better the first 20,000 members who sign up to the Auténtico Cheese Society will receive a welcome package with $5 in coupons!
Being part of the Auténtico Cheese Society also means the following: ● Every month, 125 members will be randomly selected to win a free cheese coupon ● Monthly members-only newsletter highlights product attributes, usage ideas and recipes for the Cheese of the Month Serve these muffins with a side of fruit salad and you have a great brunch option for Thanksgiving Day. I even have a few Mexican recipes where you could use queso fresco or cotija cheese for enchiladas. Yum. I am hungry now. Enjoy!
Breakfast Empanada Muffins
by Noelle Kelly
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients (10 muffins (2-4 servings))
A package of Goya empanada dough discs ( found in the freezer section and comes in 10 dough discs)
5 eggs
2 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 bell pepper (poblano, yellow or red)
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup cooked black beans, drained
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup Cacique Manchego Cheese, shredded (divided)
Instructions
Grease a muffin pan and place one dough disc in each muffin cup. Pat the dough in even folding some of the sides. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, crack the eggs and scramble until combined. Add water, salt and pepper and set aside.
In a non-stick pan, heat olive oil, saute’ the onions, peppers, mushrooms for 7 minutes on medium heat and then add egg mixture and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add the black beans and and oregano and cook for another 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup cheese and mix.
Place 1-2 Tbsp egg mixture in each muffin cup and top with more cheese.
Bake for 20-22 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve with salsa.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Maestro Dobel Tequila. Introducing: Maestro Dobel Tequila.
There is bad tequila, there is good tequila, and then there is Dobel: the first multi-aged clear tequila ever distilled. Named after its founder and famed tequila maestro Domingo Beckmann Legoretta, each bottle of Dobel is a blend of Reposado, Añejo and Extra-Añejo tequila, made from 100% blue agave grown on the Dobel estate. The liquid is then double-distilled, matured in Hungarian EUROPEAN White Oak barrels, and filtered for exceptional smoothness and clarity. Its sophisticatedly smooth taste is matched only by its aesthetics; as a modern twist on a vintage apothecary style bottle, the glass is embossed with the family’s estate, labeled in a sleek silver and black color scheme, and signed by both Señor Dobel and the Master Blender.
Do you like entertaining like I do? We do not imbibe all the time when we have guests over but we like preparing drinks. In fact, I think my hubby enjoys mixing them. We had guests over in the mid-summer and he was SO excited to make his own margaritas. He bought the tequila and all the ingredients except we thought we had enough limes. All we had was bottled lime juice which was NOT an option.
The same goes with good tequila. I know when I get cheap tequila by getting an awful headache so who needs a headache especially on the holidays?
Like seasonal margaritas? ‘Tis the season for persimmons, so why not try this persimmon margarita? We made these last year and they were so delicious, different but delicious.
What about some watermelon margaritas? I have some frozen watermelon where this might just be perfect!
Blend the watermelon, seeds and all. Sieve the pulp and keep the watermelon juice. Add the rest of the ingredients and place in a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour over ice and garnish with a lime wedge. Yummy results!
Forgo the shots, the schnapps, and the impending hangover! Pour Dobel straight over ice and revel in supreme taste and a newfound confidence. The black credit card may no longer impress, but the girl you have your eye on will want to know what you’re drinking on ice, poured from that sleek bottle drawing her eye from across the bar. You’re welcome, and cheers.
For more recipes using Dobel tequila check out the link.
To learn more about Dobel check out their Facebook page.
Is it kind of strange that the holidays are quickly approaching? I see Christmas decorations going up earlier and earlier each year but this year I did not have a problem watching them go up. I am very much looking forward celebrating thankfulness, Christ’s birth as well as the new year.
Now that I have been in the Philly area for a little more than a year we have started getting to know more people. I enjoy meeting new people and sharing a nice meal over good conversation or sometimes, nowadays, short conversation. This year, I get to host a cookie exchange party for the first time so I am looking forward having some moms come over for a little break in the week before the Christmas holidays happen.
I really enjoy baking so I am glad I will be able to share what I make with others while we have good conversation especially with no kids around. Something I miss and enjoyed doing when I was single was going out for brunch and having a good mimosa. We’re pretty good about having our own nice brunch at home but there is something about sitting out in a patio or a well-lighted area enjoying good brunch food over great drinks, away from home.
One of the foods I enjoy eating at a brunch are scones. They are not typically everyone’s favorite baked good but I think they are so versatile and they go great with hot drinks. My husband thinks they taste too much like a dry cookie but I think it just depends how they are baked and how big they are and what add-ins are placed in the batter. I have been on a chocolate kick lately and I do not know why but looking and creating recipes using chocolate is fun. I have heard any complaints in our home about too much chocolate so that is always a good sign. What about chocolate for breakfast? I think as long as a food item is not that sweet, I think it can pass for breakfast or brunch like the White Chocolate Drizzled Chocolate Scones.
White Chocolate Drizzled Chocolate Scones
by Noelle Kelly
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20-22 minutes
Ingredients (2 1/2 dozen)
2 3/4 cups spelt flour
2/3 cup Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, very cold and cut in cubes
1 cup Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup walnut pieces (optional)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup coconut milk
Glaze
Ghiradelli white melting wafers
Instructions
In a food processor combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, salt and baking powder. Pulse in the cold butter. Pulse process until this mixture resembles a coarse meal. It is very important that pea sized pieces of butter remain in this mixture.
Remove to a large bowl and toss in the chocolate chips.
Mix together the lemon juice, vanilla and coconut milk. Pour this over the surface of the dry mixture. Toss all together gently with a fork only enough to form a dough ball.
Place 1 1/2 Tablespoons of batter on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-22 minutes. Cool on racks.
Glaze
Melt 1/2 cup Ghirardelli white melting chocolate and place in a piping bag or a sandwich bag and cut a small slit to create zig zag on cookies.
These scone recipes are easy and quick to make especially the drizzle on top. Even though they come out a little different, I believe, because I use spelt flour but they tasted great! I did not pad out the dough on a floured surface but spooned out the dough on a cookie sheet and lightly flattened each portion. They came out nice especially when you add the drizzle. These are triple chocolate but not at all decadent to not have for breakfast!
Ghirardelli was generous to offer one my US readers a giveaway for a $25 Gift Card to purchase any Ghirardelli baking products, especially the NEW melting wafers, to get your holiday baking started. How about that? Enjoy!
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